What can you tell from this outfit?

So, I am sharing this to prove someday to my darling daughter that her mother did let her have a say in what she chooses to wear on an average day.

This photo says to me that she must wear her favorite shirt even if it is cold and I told her she must wear a shirt underneath and it has white in it so it MUST match. AND she must wear one of her favorite skirts because it has pretty flowers just like the top. It says that the smile on her face of pure pride and comfort and confidence is something I will never be able to teach her and that I am proud that she already has that spirit.

All of these pieces of clothing on their own are adorable, but together??? I want to remember this part of motherhood and the busy-ness of everyday life.

It wouldn't hurt to use these later when she is a teenager or maybe even a fashion designer someday either. So I ask, what does this photo say to our family and friends?

Future Assemblyman?

Nathan and his cub scout den visited the capitol this weekend. The tour guide is a past cub scout and achieved eagle scout so he was very into showing the boys them lots of cool stuff. All the boys thought they were very important using the microphone in the committee room and standing in front of the press podium underneath the spotlight.

New Haircut

It seems a never ending battle with Laura and her hair. She has beautiful hair but she never wants it combed. The crying, the screaming, the tangles, it is all a bit much every day. I took her to get a new haircut. It is quite short in the back and a little longer and layered on the sides and a new kinda angle for her bangs. I also got some new product for her hair and although it was quite expensive, it has worked amazingly well. She is such a little doll growing up so fast. She is 4 going on 40 though and feels it her job to MOTHER everyone.

It's been 5 months since I updated this thing??!!

Well, I am not going to go into a lot with this post. I really didn't know how to start up with the old blog again after all that has been happening. I will just say, we are all okay. We are getting along each day, taking it as it comes and getting settled with new routines. Mike and I have seperated and I am living with the kids at my mom and dad's.

I want to share positive things here so the people we care about can see how the kids lives are progressing so I will do just that, keep it positive and share them and the crafty things I love.

I so love reading other blogs and want to keep this up so I am going to give it another try. I will not commit to how often this will be updated but I do think it is a unique way of staying connected to those we care about.

So with that in mind, thank you to all who have been so loving and supportive to me.

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

I managed to put together some teacher appreciation gifts for this week for Nathan's teacher. They didn't take that long and I know I should have been working on studying for my final but I did so enjoy the crafty break. I love to make things. I have no idea if Nathan's teacher will appreciate them but I sure did appreciate making them. I really should be checking into a crafter's anonymous home in the near future.

I used the ki memories school days line. I think I bought it last year. I love all the bright colors and fun embellishments. I used this line earlier in the year when I made her note cards for her birthday so I just continued with the theme. I was very proud that I used the packaging and cut out the pictures of the chipboard embellishments to make cards to go with each gift. I will always look for that now because I thought they were so cute with pop up dots.

Monday's gift: just a simple vase with some ribbon around and new colored pens

Tuesday's gift: saw this frame on 2peas and totally lifted it.

Wednesday's gift: I love the banners Dusti makes and saw this LEARN one on 2peas and copied it using the same school themed ki products.

Thursday's gift: a candy jar filled with nuggets wrapped in patterned paper, chipboard tied to the top. I later added another little chipboard apple to the front of the jar. A few of the cards are there too.

Friday's gift: I stole this idea off of 2peas too. Can you tell I did a search for teacher appreciation gifts? It is just a simple alphabet picture with adjectives for each letter that describe the teacher.

Update: Nathan, Laura, Noah and School

I have been feeling pretty bad about the lack of blog action here and thought it was time for an update.

School is going very well. As of two weeks ago I was getting 600 out of 622 points for a percentage of 96.5 in the class. I think mister 102 should check but the last time I looked 96.5% was a very good "A". So I should be studying for my final on Friday but I am here, cleaning my house, doing laundry and blogging. I love, love, love this class and signed up for a psych class for the summer session. My thinking is if I have to just take it one class at a time I had better just keep plugging along. My parents have been wonderful with watching the kids and helping me study. My mom is a trooper trying to find creative ways for me to remember the nutrition info. My dad has been wonderful playing countless games with Laura on Friday mornings. The kids often tell me to stop the nutrition talk, but then ask questions about the health and energy of foods they are about to put into their mouths. Nathan even thanked me last week when he was sick to remind him to eat protein because he had forgotten that the protein helps fight colds with "the making of any bodies and white good cells". I tell you I just got tears in my eyes when he said that.

Nathan got glasses around Easter and LOVES them. He mentioned that he was glad he got lots of compliments on them because he was thinking of losing them. I choked back my gasp and said that is great honey. Picking them out was an adventure. He only liked the molded frames ones (that just happened to be the most expensive) because the other kind are pinchy. He is just getting so big now. I can't believe he is almost seven years old and only 20 days away from first grade ending. He still hasn't lost any teeth but the two bottom ones are coming in behind the baby ones. He is anxious to lose them as I think he might be the only one in class to not have lost a tooth! He is excited to plan his 'Lego Agents' birthday party and I am searching the web and blogs to find ideas and have been excited to put some energy into that when this class is over.

Laura is growing into quite the young lady. She is constantly wanting me to take her picture and seems to "pose" for every shot. I think I might have to check into the modeling thing, if only to pay for college! She is ever so helpful with me and mother's Noah sometimes a little too much. She is busy with painting, coloring and crafting. She loves to do her homework right along with Nathan and her handwriting seems to be the best in the family yet. She is determined to pick out her own (unmatched) clothes each day (much to my dream land of dressing a daughter) and still cries each and every time I try to comb her hair. I have lost the battle with the 100 some odd felt clips I have made her and moved onto hairbands to at least keep the curlies out of her face. They seem to be working, so even if I can't get the comb to it at least it looks messy cute. I will try and post some pictures of her creations. SHE picks out what she wants me to make so she calls them her creations. I am only too happy to oblige, even when it isn't what I would have picked so long as she is excited and wants to wear them.

Noah, sweet, Noah. I wish every single day that he just stop growing where he is. I am finding myself tearing up every day with something he does. He is in the next phase of Nathan hand me downs and it has put me into a whole other world of emotional mess-dom. As I was putting him down for the night in his crib he learned to pucker and make a kiss sound. I just melted and started crying. How cute is that sound? He and Laura have quite the bond going on, but he just gets so excited when Nathan is around. He wants to do everything the big kids do and mostly can. I fully expect him to be riding around on a bike after Nathan and Laura next month.

The kids have found a new love with Daddy in watching old cartoons. I have been meaning to write about this for a while now. All four of them crack me up, huddled around Mike's office computer screen watching, Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Secret Squirrel (Laura has the Morocco Mole voice down pact), Road Runner, Woody Woodpecker and so on and so on. My kids LOVE vintage cartoons. They laugh and laugh and laugh and I think it is great.

All, in all things are good. The kids are happy and that makes me happy. I have a whole new confidence from my class (college really is different when you want to be there). I hope to be better about blogging because I do so enjoy keeping up with the ones I follow.

Three Little Ones

So I sorta promised in a comment on a friend's blog that I would post some outtakes of my three little ones. I am really starting to dread trying to take pictures of the three of them together. It just seems like it will never come together. I guess I have to get good at head swapping in photoshop. I will admit that these outtakes tell the real story and I guess that is what I should be thankful for. So Maggie, this is for you....

It starts out like this...

Then quickly turns to this...

Then there's always the ones that start like this...

Where this is as good as it gets...

Not quite as cute as hers with Brennon crying, but I will have to dig one of those up to share later.