Uh OH!

First off, Nana, this photo's for you. Check out the Little gPants here. Aren't they TOO cute?!? Who needs clothing with cute cute diapers like this? :oP (As an aside, please note Lil's foot sticking out there to the right. She and Ellie were wallering Daddy this evening. :oP)

Now, the "uh oh". Ellie has been having tummy time--what baby doesn't?--and she hasn't been all that thrilled with it--again, what baby is?--past the five minute mark. Today we put her down on her tummy and I was off in the kitchen cooking. She began fussing and when B went to check on her, she had not only managed to propel herself halfway across the surface on which she was lying, she was now lying on her back. On. Her. Back!!! Now, I know it was certainly an accident, but geezy peezy, the baby's only 10 weeks old!

In other news, we were supposed to be heading to the 'burg tomorrow for the holiday weekend. But, we don't want to kennel Waylen. He's stressed out enough as it is with his illness without the added stress of the resort. I gave the two pooches haircuts the other day, and the extent of Waylen's illness has become apparent. His hair is turning white, and falling out. He has patches all along his back that are almost bald. He has just about licked all the fur off his paws and his skin is turning dry and flaky. This cancer is a rough thing.

He has his good days--like today. He's obviously feeling pretty good, prancing around and seeking attention, but he's still not his old self. If you had told me back in December he would still be with us in July, I would have scoffed at you. I gave him two weeks, a month tops, and yet, here he is. Silkies are tough little beasties. I can tell his lung is pretty much gone as his breathing is quite wheezy and labored at times. I just don't know what we're going to do without this little guy, he's been a part of our lives forever. :sigh:

Because we won't be going to Blacksburg, I won't get to pick up the beet pickles Liss made today and has for us. Mm. She is a canning pro. I can't tell you how many summers I spent in a hot kitchen canning with Lissie. There were cherries, grapes--made into jelly, tomatoes, tomato sauce (I can clearly remember chopping green peppers for the sauce whilst listening to Roy Orbison sing "Only the Lonely", chopping in time to the music), peaches, bread and butter pickles and more.

Oh, and there was the time we used the big ole copper cauldron to make apple butter at Granny Tess's. That was an all day family affair with everyone taking turns stirring the apples with the big wooden paddle. Of course, the apple butter was canned as well, and it made some wonderful fried apple pies. Boy did I have an awesome childhood, full of fantastic memories. I hope to be able to do the same for my girls. :o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1. Dinner was all veggies picked up from the FM (except for the black beans in the black bean salad)--sauteed squash, roasted new potatoes, grilled corn on the cob, sauteed swiss chard with a hot bacon dressing, and a black bean salad. Mm. :o)

2. The pest control guy came today. This is a happy thing since the sugar ants have invaded my home once more. I don't care how clean I keep my kitchen and the counters, they are EVERYWHERE and they are microscopic.
3. Ellie's new trick.
4. Lily has been doing a spectacular job keeping her room and the playroom clean.
5. The rest of the gPants and cloth inserts arrived today. We're ready to go with this cloth diapering thing. :o)

No milestones.

Getting Big

Miss Beanie in her Bumbo. I can't believe how big she's getting--so quickly! My teeny little baby is gone and this small baby has taken her place. It's crazy. I was looking at her in her jammies this evening, all stretched out, and realized she'll be moving into 3-6 month clothing before I know it. :sniff sniff:

But, oh, what a sweetie she is. She rarely cries, and if she does, watch out! She is a very proficient angry crier. She'll also coo, pseudo-laugh, fuss in short staccato burst (imagine a cat meowing)--but not actually crying--and "talk". She is quite the communicator this Bean.

She has also really found her smile--although goodness knows I'm having a heck of a time getting her to do so on camera--and loves to use it in the middle of nursing, popping off to grin up at me, while milk rolls out of her mouth. She is, by far, my messiest eater. :shakes head: She is also my squirmiest. She kicks and twists and pulls and kneads and man...she makes me tired! I swear she is trying to eviscerate me with her toenails in my tummy when we're doing her night feeds.

She is also settling down into a lovely routine. She awakens around 7:00, eats around 8:00, naps from 8:30 until about 10:30 or so. Then, she eats again around 11:00, naps from 11:30-12:00, eats again at one and naps from 1:30-4:00ish. Then, eat again, down for a quick catnap at 5:30 and up again at 6:00 and ready for bath and bedtime routine. I'm able to work around it, as is Lil. She and I have been spending all sorts of quality time together now. :o)

The gDiapers arrived today and so far I really like 'em. I'm going to give them a week before I really post anything else. For now, I'll say that both the cloth and biodegradable inserts are easy to use, and Ellie seems comfortable in them. I don't know how comfortable Brien is going to be with them, but I'm pleased so far. :o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1. Grocery shopping done and I saved $43 to boot. If you have a site you use for coupons, money saving ideas, etc., would you please share them with me? Thanks! :o)
2. Yummy dinner made almost entirely from FM goodies. Woo hoo!
3. Watergate salad for dessert tonight. Nope, not good for you. Yup, full of processed food, but I don't care. That's some GOOD stuff. ;o)
4. We put Ellie in her bassinet while she's still awake and she just goes right to sleep. Hooray!
5. I got the last book in Lisa Kleypas's Hathaway series today. I'm anxious to get back to it, lol. ;o)

No milestones.
Lisa, you are of course correct, I did have a HUGE milestone yesterday I completely missed. I guess I just couldn't see the forest for the trees...;o)

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Thank you all so much for your kind words on yesterday's post. I'm beyond excited by this turn of events in my life and plan on embracing every moment of it. :o)

A Parable of Sorts and News

The Mayonnaise Jar

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and start to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things- God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions, things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff.'

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first --the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Pop sent this this morning. I'm sure many of you have received this at some point in your internet career, but it bears repeating. These are lessons we learned after losing Hannah. So often we were more focused on the sand and I lost precious time with my family.

No longer. To that end, I have made a momentous change in my life and my family's life. I prayed and prayed for this to work out and I'm beyond giddy it has. Today, I quit my job. Yes, you read that correctly, I quit so I could stay home and be a mommy to my girls. I've always wanted to do this. Every August (seriously, read the archives) I flipped out about returning to work. Every year I desperately wished I could just stay home with my babies.

This year? We made it work. We've made sacrifices and plans and budgeted and all sorts of things, and we've decided this is what is best for our family. I had a very sad meeting with Diane (principal) today. She was so sad I was leaving (as am I for that matter, I do so LOVE what I do--I just love my girls MORE) and told me that in the future, should I wish to return, there would be a place for me. :o) I'm going to miss my coworkers so much. My school is a wonderful school and I'm sad to leave them. Friends are always hard to leave.

That said, I'm beyond excited to begin this new stage in my life. I've been a SAHM since April and I've loved every minute of it. Do I get frustrated with the girls (Ellie not sleeping, Lily making messes)? You betcha. But, I find I'm FAR less stressed and pressed for time. I do a chore or two a day. I play with the girls. I cook. I pack B's lunch. We're all SOOOOO much happier with me home. :o)

Lil and I will be doing preschool this year. I'm very sad she won't be with my friend Marsha who is a dynamo of a teacher, but I am qualified and I'm really looking forward to teaching a curriculum that is of my choosing (or Lil's choosing for that matter--she is REALLY into dinosaurs right now and really wants to be a paleontologist). I'm under no illusions/delusions about what life as a SAHM will be like. One of the many benefits of being a teacher is time off with your kiddos. I KNOW what they are like when they get stir-crazy.

I know that now I'm on 24/7 and it's a full time job. But, I'm up for the challenge. :o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1. Breakfast with my dear friend Cathy with whom I had lost touch over the past three years. Lordy it was good to see her!
2. Ellie and Lil napped simultaneously today! This gave me loads of time to share my news with friends near and far.
3. My new career path. :o)
4. Ellie seems to be groovin' on her new Bumbo. I didn't have one for the other two--although I'm SURE Lil would have loved it as much as she tried to sit up when she was tiny--so this is a new thing for us.
5. Lily is such a kind and patient soul. She sat through a two hour breakfast where she was largely ignored and there was LOADS of adult conversation. And then, she went with me to school where I had a very big adult conversation. She's a good kid that Lil.
6. Cloth diapering is DEFINITELY an option since I'll be home full-time.
7. Having a dream become a reality. Having lost Hannah, I know you are only guaranteed today. I'm going to enjoy each "today" I have with my girlies. :o)

No milestones.

Oppressive

It’s Hot!
By Shel Silverstein

It’s hot!
I can’t get cool,
I’ve drunk a quart of lemonade,
I think I’ll take my shoes off
And sit around in the shade.

It’s hot!
My back is sticky,
The sweat rolls down my chin.
I think I’ll take my clothes off
And sit around in my skin.

It’s hot!
I’ve tried with ‘lectric fans,
And pools and ice cream cones.
I think I’ll take my skin off
And sit around in my bones.

It’s still hot!

Folks, it was 111 degrees when we left Mom and Dad's around 4:30 this afternoon. It is H-O-T. It's so hot our a/c is running incessantly and the a/c in the car couldn't keep up. It's the kind of hot where I just want to stay inside all day and do nothing. Ugh! Yes, I'm a whiner and I know it. I'm uncertain how those of you in the hotter climes can stand it, lol! This is awful!

We spent yesterday morning at the FM. I haven't been since before Gracie's baptism so was overjoyed to be back. I managed to do practically ALL my grocery shopping for the week there. Yay! I love summer when such a wide variety of yummy veggies are available. Not only that, they taste as good as they look. :o) I have big plans for a couple of meatless meals this week. Mm.

Yesterday afternoon we cried with the US soccer team as they lost their World Cup match. I was busily doing loads of research on gDiapers simultaneously. Every day I look at the number of diapers we toss in the can and think that if our child is creating that much waste, how much must there be with all the children who are in disposable diapers. I keep thinking there is only a finite amount of space in this world and we are quickly filling it with baby pee and poo in diapers that won't biodegrade for over 500 years. Yikes!

Yes, they are pricier, but the earth is worth it--I want it to still be around for my great-great grandkids. And, they have a lovely cloth option as well. Since I'm home this summer, I thought we might give these guys a whirl and see what we think. I know there are other cloth options available, but these were the easiest for me to understand (holy moly the world of cloth diapering is extensive!!) and I liked that you could use the biodegradable/flushable inserts OR the cloth inserts using the same gPants. I'll be sure to let you know how they work out for us. I anticipate we'll be using a mix of biodegradable/flushable with the cloth and disposables. Like I have often said, I'm a light-green kinda girl. I figure even small steps towards a more green life are better than none.

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Sparklies:

1. This cute video of Gabe-man and Gracie from Easter:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

2. Ellie playing on her Gymini and "talking" to the critters:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Note two things: 1. Those feet are ALWAYS kicking and 2. She doesn't even flinch when Holly starts to bark.

3. This video from the hospital:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

You certainly don't have to watch the entire thing. This is the first time Lil saw Ellie or held her.

4. The FM for the first time in weeks. Yay!

5. A/C. Thank goodness for climate control. Whew.

6. Sunday dinner with Nana and Pop.

7. Good friends--those I've never met in person, and those I know IRL. You all are so wonderful. Thank you so much for your kind words and prayers after the last post. Your prayers and kind thoughts and words have meant more to me over the past three years than I can begin to tell you.

Milestone:
As I was riding in the super-hot van this afternoon, I was transported back to my ride in the rear of the patrol car the day Hannah died. It was a day much like today, and as hot as it was in the back of that car, I remember I didn't feel it. I was in too much shock. The detective kept apologizing and I remember I felt nothing. I was so numb.

Isn't it funny how your senses can trigger memories? :sigh:

Warning: Hannah Movies

After attempting to use Blogger to upload a video of Gabe-Man and Gracie, I remembered I had a Dropshots account and that was a far easier means of getting videos on the blog.

So, I headed to my Dropshots account and saw I had uploaded nothing since 2007. And there she was, Hannah. My sweet Hannah girl, alive and permanently frozen at the age of five. I still don't understand how she can be so alive and VIBRANT there, and yet not be with us now. Thank GOD for video.

When we upgraded my camera to a DSLR, I lamented the loss of video. One of the things I'm most grateful for is those movies of the Monkey. Yes, there was Lil as an infant, but there was my Monkey as well. I wish--oh how I wish--I had taken more footage of her.

What struck me is how much Lil sounds like her and looks like her. I've posted a bunch below. Please don't feel you have to view them all. I miss my girlie so much and today is definitely a down yo sort of afternoon. It began with an unanticipated photo on Jessie's blog, and now I've found this. Photos are hard some times. Videos even more so, for they remind me of what I've lost. I'm grateful, but oh how it hurts. It's rather like probing a sore tooth. You know it's going to hurt, yet you can't help but prod at it nonetheless.

The first time Hannah crawled:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Hannah laughing and having fun--goodness how I miss that laugh:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Hannah and Lily:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Hannah rides a bike--this was May. Boy was she so proud of herself! Boy was I so proud of her!! :o)

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

My beautiful girl:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Hannah pushes Lily:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Lily pushes Hannah:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing



I was going to post some clips of the Bean, but I think we'll just leave it at this. I'll post the Bean another day. I might even include some of the Bit's greatest hits as well. But for now, I'll enjoy my Monkey.

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Milestones:
Looking at the photos of Hannah and watching the movies. Hearing her sweet voice again. Seeing her moves, her grace (or lack thereof), the little quirks that made her the special girl she was. God I miss her. I ache to hold her just once more.


****ETA****

Brien and Han at Christmas:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Hannah the Monkey:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

More Monkey and Bit:

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

All I could remember was how disenchanted Han was with her sister, but looking through the movies, it's clear just how much she truly loved her sister.

AAP3

So, I decided to play along with the Paper Players again this week. I moved the sentiment, but otherwise remained true to the sketch. Here's my submission:

I LOVE the new Early Espresso! It's such a deep, rich color. I also used Garden Green, and soon-to-be-retired Summer Sun. The set is "Inspired By Nature". This is always a go-to set for me--I am so (not to be punny) inspired by it. :o)

As you can see, I also popped that lower right blossom up on demensionals. I thought the hemp cord added a nice bit of texture. And, because I used the Early Espresso, I lined the card with white and stamped the left hand bloom on the right. Make sense?

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This is my second post of the evening. Be sure to check out the montekyooge attack pumpkin below. :o)

The Attack Pumpkin

So, here's the Beaner with her nasty ban-baids. She slept most of today. Now, this could be because of the shots, or it could be part of the new schedule she is working into. I'm all for option number two, quite frankly. She eats, plays for about an hour, naps for two (or more!) hours, awakes to eat again. She is so chipper and sunny when she's playing, smiling and cooing at her toys (or us if we're lucky ;oP). At the first sign of fussing, I've figured out that's the time she's ready to be put down for a nap.

The same goes for bedtime. I'm able to stretch her just a bit so I can get her bathed, lotioned, storied and bedded. She goes down now with no real fussing and sleeps without awakening. HOORAY!! However, I am looking forward to the day she figures out her hands and how they work so she can find her own paci and get it in her mouth herself...;o)

Okay, on to the attack pumpkin.

This is what happens when you let a pumpkin sit just a leetle too long in your flower bed. One seed, folks. Just one little tiny seed created this monster vine. :shakes head: I've been referring to this as "Pop's pumpkin" since he's the one who insisted I not remove it. And, to be fair, he is right. Volunteers are a gift not to be taken lightly. It's just a shame this "gift" is taking over my front flower bed and sidewalk, and front stoop and yard...:oP

It's finally vined enough I think we should be able to train it to run between the daylilies and the glads. The beautiful callas are lost in the massive leaves, unfortunately. :oS I think I'm beginning to lose a daylilly or two as well. Crud.

But, this bad boy is bearing fruit. This is one monster punkin all ready. It's the only one I've seen so far, although it's put out more flowers than I can count and I've seen numerous insects buzzing around them.

I had forgotten pumpkins are prickly. I went to grasp the vine the other day and came away with a "YEEEEOW!" reminiscent of Tom with his fingers in the mousetrap.

This thing is thriving!! Well, so are the daylilies and callas that aren't being smothered, but I digress. This thing is thriving when everything in my other gardens is wilting and expiring due to the oppressive heat and humidity. It is horrible out there right now. Even at 7:50 this evening it's 97 degrees. UGH UGH UGH!!

Any time we have a package now, the postal worker or UPS guy kinda sorta toss the package on the porch. We joke about it, saying the pumpkin attacked them. :oP The pizza guy (B ordered while we were in TN) thought it was the coolest thing ever and told Bri he had to order a pizza in October so he could come and get a pumpkin. ;o) I only hope the HOA doesn't give us grief...

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Today's Sparklies:

1. The US beat Algeria in extended play today. OMG! It was incredible!! First we were denied a goal (I can tell you he WASN'T offsides!), we had a couple of shots bounce off the goal posts, and then, with 3 minutes left, Landon Donovan booted it in. What a game! I know I haven't blogged much about it, but the World Cup is beyond exciting! (As I'm sure you can tell from the number of exclamation marks I used. ;oP)
2. Ellie was in a remarkably good mood for a baby who had had shots yesterday.
3. Lily continued on her super-helpful, non-argumentative kick. I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm loving this newest behavior. :o)
4. I picked up a fun new game at the teacher store the other day. Spot It! is fast paced and SOOOOO fun. :o)
5. I'm getting in the studio tonight! Yippee!
6. Phone call from Aunt Susan today with happy news. :o)

No milestones.

As the Bean Grows

Some time within the first week of life--about 6 pounds 9 ounces.

Today? 10 pounds 7 ounces, 22 1/4" long. Head? 14 3/4". All together? Length=43 percentile, weight=37 percentile and head=16 percentile. Thank goodness the teeny head is growing and no longer in the 1st percentile, lol! :oP

To compare with the other two girls:

Weight:
Hannah--11 pounds 11 ounces
Lily--10 pounds 3 ounces
Ellie--10 pounds 7 ounces

Length:
Hannah--23 7/16"
Lily--23"
Ellie--22 1/4"

Ellie seems to be right on par with her peanut of a sister. Hannah was my roly poly baby. Ellie is beginning to look a bit chunky, I think in part because she's shorter than Lil was, but weighs more. But, no matter, really. The important thing is she is growing like a little weed along her growth curves and I couldn't be happier.

We had a lovely visit with Dr. Jen. We also saw Ms. Patricia and Ms. Teresa as well as a few of our other friends. I tell you, we are so rarely in the doctor's office--because the girls are so rarely sick--it's amazing how well loved we are. :oP I like it. :o)

Lily was a peach while we waited. In typical doctor's office fashion, we were there for an hour and a half. Now then, I will say, part of that was due to me and my chatting and catching up, but still...Lily was so patient and so well behaved I couldn't have been more proud.

She has also been a doll all day. She has been conscientious and caring, cleaning up without being asked, taking pride in keeping the playroom clean and more. I'm not sure what's going on, but I hope it hangs around for a while. ;o)

The Bean, well, she did receive her immunizations today. And, for the first time in her little life, she was inconsolable this afternoon. She was okay after the shots. We got her some generic Tylenol (thank you SO much recall--I had NOTHING in the house) and I dosed her. She slept for about 2 1/2 hours and awoke screaming. It was AWFUL. I wanted to cry and cry and cry with her. She wouldn't even nurse. :o( I finally calmed her down and she ate and then smiled and gurgled at me. Whew. B came home, she awoke from a little catnap ready to play and cooed and chatted with him. Then, before we knew it, she was screaming again. I dosed her again and put her to bed--at 6:30. :oS I expect she'll be up around 9:00 to get her pj's on and a bit more of a feed. Hopefully she won't be quite as sad and sore tomorrow. Sleep is a great healer.

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Completely random, but I have to put this out there. Did anyone else happen to see the piece on the 66 year old Indian woman who just gave birth--to TRIPLETS?!?!?!?!? Holy heck, pregnancy at 33 was almost too much for me. Not to mention, one baby (at 33) is exhausting me. How is this woman going to manage?!?? :shakes head:

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Today's Sparklies:

1. For you minivan drivers out there (like me--I LOVE LOVE LOVE my van!), there's this. Oh my. Too tragic and funny at the same time. ;o)
2. The Bean's good appointment.
3. Lily. Boy has she been SUCH a joy to be with today. Sure, she's a joy most days, but there are also typically painful moments. I can't think of a single one today.
4. Remembering how short and precious these first 12 months are with my baby. Losing Han also taught me we are never promised tomorrow, only the here and now and I need to embrace and enjoy all the moments I can with both my babies.

No milestones.

Tomorrow

The Bean heads in for her two month check-up tomorrow. We'll get a weight check, length and head measurements, and immunizations. It's that last part I hate. There is nothing worse than your baby being jabbed. :sigh: I know vaccines are a hot-button topic, and I really don't want to debate it, or be trolled about it, so please, let's not get into it. Each family has to make the choice/decision that is right for them. For us? That's getting immunizations. Let's leave it at that.

What I do want to do is ask, how much do you think the Teeny Beanie is going to weigh? I'm guessing somewhere close to 9 or 10 pounds. She is growing so quickly--it makes me a bit weepy. She's my last baby and she won't be a baby for very long. :o(

Summer is upon us with a vengeance. The projected temperatures for the coming week are: 99, 104, 106, 95, 95, 102, 100. The day Hannah died was such a day. Hot, humid, awful. That's why we were headed to the beach. :sigh: This weather, summer, all of it, are combining to bring on the down yo's. The three year anniversary of her loss is less than a month away. This has me doing so much thinking, remembering and reflecting. I'm sure as Heaven Day 2010 draws near I'll be posting more, but for now this is just where I am.

As for the rest of my life? Well, I can't really complain. Life is truly good. Really! Look at that picture up there, the way the sun shines through the Bean's crazy 'do. What could be better? ;o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1. Easy, light dinner fare--pasta salad anyone?
2. Miss Bit and the Bean both were back on their routines today. Everyone was MUCH happier as a result. :o) Hooray for sleeping children!
3. The delicious fruit salad for dessert--strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple with lemon zest, lemon juice and a bit of sugar. It's wonderfully refreshing. :o)
4. Making money-saving phone calls to our service providers to request rate changes and drop unneeded services, etc. It's time consuming but worth the effort.
5. The pumpkin growing on our sidewalk. I must brave the heat to get a photo. :shakes head: The UPS guy swore the vine attacked him the other day, lol. ;o)

No milestones, but one is certainly approaching.

This Weekend

I played with this little girlie this weekend. She is developing quite the personality. She is very laid back, and is now getting to the point where she wants to be laid down to go to sleep. When we stay home and take it easy, she is definitely settling into a routine. Hooray!


But, if we aren't home, routines be darned. I felt terribly guilty for having her out and about for so long yesterday. We drove to NOVA to pick up Lil from Jessie's house. From there we journeyed on to IKEA (deadly deadly place that!!) and spent almost FOUR HOURS there. :shakes head: Lily was a doll! I've never seen such a patient child. When it was time for us to visit the market place to pick up those items we wanted to purchase, I dropped Lil off in the play area for a half hour.

Ellie? She slept on my chest in the Ergo the whole time. I managed to drag her completely off any sort of routine. She let us know--quite vocally--all the way home. :o( I can't begin to tell you how guilty I felt.

Today wasn't much better. We visited with Nana and Pop after church to celebrate Father's Day and she pretty much refused to nap for longer than 20 minutes at a stretch. Poor Beaner. :o(


See, she's rather skeptical too. :oP I can't say as I've ever seen one so young make quite that face with those eyebrows. :oP Oh, and my goodness, what HAIR!

Lily, Brien and I are overjoyed to be together again. If I'm not mistaken, the Bean is quite pleased to have her big sister around once more. She would quiet down while Lil sang to her last night. My life was far to quiet and my house far too clean with her gone. ;o)

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Recent card creations:
Lissie's birthday card. Birthday June 19. :o)

Father's Day card for Bill and Grandfather.

Father's Day card for Pop.

Anniversary card for B. I realized after I posted the last post, it was dated June 17, even though I wrote it June 18. Oops! Our anniversary is June 19. We are a family of 19s. Mom's birthday, Lil and Ellie's birthdays, our anniversary. It's fairly easy to remember, no? ;o)


Oh, and this? This is my work space. I use a large piece of 1" graph paper as a place mat of sorts. I scribble numbers, sizes, colors, sketches, etc. on it. I can't imagine how I would work without one. ;o)

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Weekend Sparklies:

1. Getting Lil back! :o)
2. IKEA. Oooooooh, IKEA. :happy sigh:
3. Check this out--I was a runner up on a color challenge! I almost didn't submit my card because I get so insecure about them. I'm feeling pretty chuffed right now. :o)
4. Spending time with the family for Father's Day.
5. My anniversary. 11 years. Man. :shakes head:

No milestones.

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I hope you all had marvelous weekends as well. Happy Monday! :o)

JFHD 2010

From Lissie's emails to me:

You haven't lived until you've had two four-year-olds in the back seat making up knock-knock jokes. (I can only imagine...)

As the one picture shows, the girls shared and shared alike.

As you can see from the photos there is NO reason why these girls are telling me that they are STILL HUNGRY!




I cannot believe the quantity of junk food these girls have eaten. It has been a nonstop orgy or eating once they got out of the pool. Lily has devoured a ton of Fruity Pebbles and Ella must be on her sixth or seventh lollipop. Of course, you saw in the pictures all the various things they have been munching on.

I never would have guessed that these two little girls would eat more junk food in a couple of hours than the amount of food they usually eat all day long. And Ella keeps telling me she is hungry. (She's a bit hard to understand with the sucker in her mouth.)

I LOVE their faces here, lol! :o)

I don't think this child could possibly look any more like her father. Wow.





And there you have it folks. JFHD 2010. :oP

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Brien, the Bean and I will leave tomorrow morning to get the Bit. Boy have I missed her (maybe not the knock-knock jokes, though...). We are planning a stop at IKEA on the way home, so I'm hoping for an early start up and a fairly early start back down.

Tomorrow also marks my mom's birthday and Brien's and my 11th anniversary. In some ways that sounds like such a large number, and in others, not really that big at all. We've weathered our ups and downs, and I can't imagine life without him.

Sunday should see us celebrating Father's Day with Pop. It's supposed to be 104 degrees (have I mentioned recently how much I LOATHE summers here?!?) so I'm thinking that outdoor picnic we had planned had better be moved indoors. :shakes head:

I'll keep you posted. :o)

What I've Been Working On

This is a preview of what I've been playing with.

I frequent Jaydee's blog every day for inspiration and because she is, without a doubt, one of the sweetest ladies out there. Because of her, I've been trying out color challenges and such, never having done so before. She was recently asked to be a member of a this design team. I was intrigued by the color combo of the challenge this week and decided to try my hand at it.

The idea was to use Pacific Point (or Brilliant Blue), Old Olive, Bashful Blue and Whisper White. Well, I missed on the Bashful Blue, but hit the Pacific Point, Old Olive and Whisper White.

The stamp set is "Baroque Motifs" and the sentiment is PTI's "Signature Greetings". I'm not sure they work perfectly with the card, but I still like it. :o)

Note to self, must get a light box of some sort...yellow walls combined with evening/incandescent light and flash=yellowish whites.

**This is the second post this evening. If you want to see what Lil is up to, scroll on down. :o)