Resa's Pieces

Adventures with Homeschool Curriculum

2012-01-25T15:36:00.008-06:00

Discovering Charlotte in an All-In-One Format

This year is our family’s fifth year of homeschooling. Like every good homeschooler, I have used the same exact company and materials for each year. NOT! Ha. Discovering your homeschool’s philosophy, style and methodology is something that takes time and patience…with a lot of experimenting thrown in for good measure. I think this is part of what makes homeschooling such a ripe arena for learning about our children and our selves. My husband and I both have a 100% public school background, so the biggest hurdle we crossed in figuring out our approach was “de-schooling” ourselves. During this time of discovery, we heavily relied on advice from seasoned homeschoolers…asking, asking and asking…until finally a dear friend led us to Charlotte Mason and all things fell into place and peace (well, at least for the most part—we do have a two year old little blessing).

Here is a brief outline of our journey through curriculum thus far:

Preschool: Little Hands to Heaven by Heart of Dakota Publishing (CM based & didn’t know it!)
Kindergarten: Sonlight and A Beka Book
First Grade: A Beka Book and my own unit studies/lapbooks~(discovered Charlotte Mason & started making changes)
Second Grade & Kindergarten: Ancient Greece by Simply Charlotte Mason & my own hodge-podge of CM style subjects gathered from online sources, Horizon Math
Third & First Grade: Adventures in My Father’s World, Teaching Textbooks Math

We are now in a happy place using My Father’s World (MFW) curriculum. They have done a fabulous job of combining three different homeschooling methods—Charlotte Mason, Unit Studies and Classical—in a multi-age format that is easy for mom and fun for the whole family. The following is a quote from the MFW catalog about the Charlotte Mason Influence on their products:

“The following key principles and ideas are integrated into our curriculum:
• Structured mornings that feature short, effective lessons with unstructured afternoons left for other activities
• Study other countries and cultures early to avoid an "arrogant" habit of mind (Year One of the family cycle—Exploring Countries and Cultures)
• Study history in chronological order and compare across countries in any given time period
• Read great literature aloud at grade level and above with featured living books and more
• "Century Books"—create timelines and history notebooks
• Weekly nature walks, including notebooking
• Children are given direct contact with the Bible at an early age”

The weekly lesson plans are set up with a four-day schedule, leaving an extra weekday for the co-ops and enrichment in which many families participate. Otherwise, that day is open for a lovely nature walk or field trip—perfect!

I have also chosen to use MFW’s suggestions for Language Arts and Spelling for their CM focus. We do a different math than suggested, but it does not interfere with the schedule. On a daily basis we complete several subjects in about 2-3 hours, sometimes less: Bible, Spelling, piano practice, History, English, Book Basket, Math, Copywork, Read Aloud, Science (2x wk), and Music (2x week). The guide also includes Art and Foreign Language if you so choose. We attend an enrichment program on Tuesdays and we are planning on joining Principle Based Learning’s Spring 2012 Session.

All in all, My Father’s World has been an answer to prayer. I do not have to do much to prepare for our week—a couple items to pick up at the grocery store and a weekly trip to the library—and the children are learning and loving it! So for now, my search and scramble in the world of homeschool curriculum is, well, no longer a search and scramble. With MFW’s plans in place, I have room in my brain to play around with ideas found online or gleaned from other families and to me, that is peace.

If you think My Father’s World might work for your family, please explore their website and request a catalog at www.mfwbooks.com.

French Twist with Side Braid

2012-01-14T19:08:00.004-06:00

Ooooh, aren't you lucky! I'm such a techie blogger that you get to see today's hairstyle via not-quite-in-focus pictures from my phone. Wheee! (Can you imagine how jealous I am of the gals who really know how to do this the right way? Thanks for putting up with me!)

I've seen a lot of messy buns lately with the bangs Frenched on one side, and since I prefer a twist to a bun, I thought I'd give it a shot.

First, part your front on the side and begin to French braid at an angle to the back, but only pick up hair with the bottom strand. (Typically you pick up hair with each crossover...for this you just cross the strand closest to the top of your head without picking up additional hair.) Stop braiding when you get about above your ear or so. Secure with a clear elastic. Loosen the braid by tugging on the strands from the top to the bottom.

Now gather all your hair (including the tail of your braid) into a low pony and begin to twist upwards close along your head. BTW, those waves in my straight hair are left over from yesterday's Twisty Bun.

Take that tail and fold it in half then roll it into the "pocket" you have formed by twisting the pony up.

Using a flexi clip (you have one, right? If not, you need one...go to my Lilla Rose website over there--->in the sidebar) insert the pin along the scalp at the top of the twist and hold the hair like so (see my pointer finger grasping the twist?). You CAN use bobbies to hold this twist, but depending on the texture of your hair, it could take 2 or 20 (for me, about 10 and they will fall out!).

Bend the beaded loop of the flexi over the twist and secure the pin through the other side, locking it in place: click, click, click.

Here we go! Watch this video to see this in action:

Here's the side view:

Aaaand the not-quite-enough-sleep-but-I'm-up-doing-my-hair front view, hmmmmm:

Thanks for checking this out! I hope you can have as much fun as I do playing with some new do's!

Twisty Bun Tutorial

2012-01-13T08:59:00.006-06:00

This is one of my very favoritest ways to wear my long hair, but it works for any length long enough to have a 2-3" long tail out of a ponytail. I call this Twisty Bun "The Anne with an 'e' " (for all you kindred spirits out there) because the friend who showed me how to do it was shown by a gal named Anne. I'm sure it has a specific name somewhere? It's a kind of twisty, messy bun and is super fun!

Start with your hair half dry...leave the length partially damp and add some gel. (Those are my daughter's arms...I'm not really a contortionist with tiny hands.) One of the reasons I love this style is because it takes sooo long to completely dry my hair. This way only takes five minutes with the dryer (still ugh!).

Next, gather your hair into a pony and secure it tightly, but not too tight. You need to be able to lift one band of the elastic to secure the twists.

Section your ponytail, starting at the top right. I always think of it as a clock and you are going to alternate making twists both clockwise and counterclockwise around the pony. Twist that section of hair (you may have to fold it in half first if your hair is long like mine) then bring the end up to the elastic.

Lift up one band of the elastic and wrap the twisted section around the outside of it, tucking either the end (shorter hair) or the loop (longer hair) through half way, then let go. The elastic should be holding that twist securely. Repeat on the left side, then continue alternating and sectioning around the pony.

This is with about 6 twists done:

And wah-lah! Your finished Anne twisty bun. You can pull out some of the ends to make it more messy if you like. But wait....

It looks so much prettier with an ornament! I've tried different hair toys, but my Princess Tiara Freestyle flexi clip always wins.

Slide the pin of your flexi through the pony elastic to secure it well and to give the illusion that the clip is holding the bun.

All done and ready to face my day! Now I need a cup of tea...

Oh yes, and the bonus...the twists will curl your hair as they dry so tonight I'll have some awesome waves if I want to take it down and fix it differently.

More Fun Hair-Dos

2012-01-12T14:42:00.007-06:00

Okay, I'm not a "junkie" yet, but Pinterest has piqued my interest in more fun hair styles! I've tried several and posted them on my Lilla Rose facebook page, but thought I would put a few up here.

Today's do, and actually not even from Pinterest! I've done this before but it's holding the best ever today.

It's called the Gibson Tuck. You start with a low topsy-tail, then if you have shorter hair you tuck the tail up into the pocket formed when you flipped the pony. Mine is too long to do that...the tail falls/pokes out through the rolled sides. So I twisty braided the tail and rolled it into a kind of bun and secured it with a flexi clip (you do own one of these now, don't you?). Fabulous. Didn't even need a single bobby pin!

I found this one on The Small Things Blog. It's her Notty or Nice Holiday Hairstyle. I really like it and will wear it again soon...this was just a late-night trial.

And finally, the braided bun from The Beauty Department:

Eric really likes this. I wore it for one of our family Christmas get-togethers and found it to be surprisingly comfy. I counted at least 24 bobby pins to hold up the five braids all day, but it held nice & solid and flat to my head so I could lean back in the car on the drive down. I thought the flexi added some bling but didn't end up leaving it in...maybe a little TOO much in the fancy department LOL.

Naught so Resolute Resolutions

2012-01-03T21:20:00.003-06:00

Every year starts with the similar run down, right? Eat better, work out, read this, don't do that...etc. etc.

I decided to give life a little twist this time around and take things on the lighter side:

My 2012 List of Stuff I Might Decide To Do More Often

1. Watch more TV. Esp. BBC.
2. Indulge in more chocolate.
3. And cookie dough.
4. Don't worry about the dirty kitchen floor.
5. Let the kids fight it out.
6. Enforce naptimes. For myself.
7. Give away more money.
8. Start school whenever we've all ate breakfast. Even if that's 10.
9. Keep my nails painted. Nicely. But don't pay for a manicure.
10. Love freely. Love deeply. Love much.

Have a wondrous 2012 friends!

Gettin Crafty after Christmas!

2011-12-30T13:29:00.007-06:00

We stopped by Eric's cousin Kari Dru's AWESOME store in Emporia, Kansas, on our way home from Christmas celebrations with my fam. Whoa!

Studio 11 is the name, and it's like Etsy in person! It was like being surrounded by goodies and num-nums that all were calling my name. Kari and her business partner are both artists in their own right, then also consign other handmade items by local artisans, creating quite the funky boutique.

Zane boy fell in love with the monster dolls...giving me great inspiration to use up some of my fabric stash! So wah-lah! Here's the result...one very funky monster for a very happy boy.

He likes the cape the best cuz his monster can "fly like this...ssshhhhooooo!" Kai also jumped on the bandwagon and is almost finished...just needs to finish stuffing and add the antennae eyeballs.

Food-wise, I didn't get crazy with the gingerbread this year. I only got wild enough to make little Christmas mice candies at Jodi's (from Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade magazine--no recipe on her site though). They were, frankly, a pain in the neck. But they did get easier as I went along...and looked better :) Plus, they all tasted yummy!

Peacock blue, I love you!

2011-12-17T23:01:00.005-06:00

As we come up for air after our months of remodeling our kitchen, I find it's good to have a sister who surfs around and finds fun hair things to try!!! Today was the first Saturday in a looong time with no mile-long checklist to complete. Well, of course there is still more to do...but nothing pressing like a plywood window and snow in the forecast or anything. Soon, there will be a whole before/after post...but moving on...

So! Jo posts some totally fab pix of her latest dos along with links to the tutorials on You Tube this morning. Lucky me, we had a party to attend tonight so seemed like the perfect opp to try one out!

Step 1: Curl that hair, girl. You need ringlets from tip to tail. Hot rollers may not be the best mode, but they're quick and what I got!

(please note Pitt State shirt...Woot! Nat'l Champions as of today!!!)

Step 2: Feel like a retro movie star with your drop-dead ringlets. Or feel like a almost hot momma...really should have worn a bra today. Swoop those bad boys over into a low side pony, leaving just a small section out on the far side. Twist and twirl sections of the pony up and pin to make a giant swirly bun. Whaat?!! That doesn't make sense?? Come on... Okay, I posted the link to the very excellently done You Tube video below so you can see it happen step by step.

Step 4: Adorn with some kind of fabulous hair ornament...for me I chose my Grandma's peacock feathers...from her own real peacocks! Who knows how old the feathers are...50 yrs??? Regardless, they are fantastic!

Step 6: Go to a party with your friends and talk about hair, among other things. Because it's what girls do. (Carrie...I cropped most of your, eh, interesting look, out for ya!).

Step 7: Come home and try to take pictures of your very cool hairdo by yourself. Struggle, really, because who can aim, shoot and smile backwards in the mirror?? At least on the first try? Not I said the fly. And note the husband just standing idly by. So helpful. All he said was "I hope your hair was worth it." (Being late to the party, that is). Well, of course, silly!

Here is the link to Lilith Moon's instructional video. So wonderful and she's cute as can be! Thanks hair girl!

Shiny New Toys

2011-09-29T06:48:00.004-05:00

Our kitchen facelift is slowly moving along amongst all the rest of life. When the heating element went out in the oven about 8 weeks ago, we decided to go ahead with appliances before finishing the cabinets/countertops/backsplash. Yay. So now I need to decide if I'm going to tell you my embarrassing story about appliance shopping. Hmmm...well, of course I am...then it makes it less embarrassing and more just funny.

So I'm really excited to change from a nasty old coil stove to a gas range! I've never cooked on gas before, but that's okay, it's going to be great. From all the pulling out and cleaning behind over the years, I remembered that although our current stove is electric, we have a gas line there ready to be hooked up. Enter hours on Garden Web parusing their appliance forum. Then enter reality and realize I'm not willing to spend $4000 on the stoves they recommend. So the weekend before soccer gets going I dedicate to shopping the boxes: Lowes, Home Depot, and Sears. Sears has the best deals and after much hemming and hawing (and calling all my close friends for their opinions) I make the purchase, have them load it up in the mini and off we go!

Eric slides out the old range and then I hear the holler: "RESA!!! So where's this gas line, Miss "I clean behind the stove so often"?" Uummm...I stare at the single electric cord and massive amount of crumbs...oohhhhh, yeahhhh....shoot!!! That gas line? It was behind the electric DRYER that I had to constantly fish things out from behind in the old laundry room! Sorry hun. Then I got to call Sears: "Um, I'm the lady that's been in three times today and just bought the gas range, um, uh, I need to bring it back because I don't really have a gas line, and, um, uh, will you all please laugh at me now BEFORE I show up?" Sigh. So no gas range for Resa. There could be worse things in this world.

Fast forward another month and wah-lah! I have gone to the mega-box store, Nebraska Furniture Mart, spent 1.5 hours (by myself) and picked out three deliciously new, completely average, midrange appliances. All by GE, all stainless or stainless look. They delivered, my honey has installed all but the microwave, and we're back in business! (See cupcakes baking?) --by the way, PAY someone to install your dishwasher...it was a pain!

The countertop guy has been here to measure, the cabinet dude is working on designing a couple new storage areas, I've picked out the backsplash/sink/faucet/cabinet hardware and we're to call the window guy next week. So here's to some nice fall weather while we rip out the sliding glass door and rebuild the wall...and I get to work painting the cabinets! Whew.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T08:10:00.002-05:00

Postcards from Italy

2011-09-11T20:35:00.007-05:00

Even snapshot takers like myself could become postcard photographers in coastal Italy. Here's the synopsis of our vacation in pictures...I whittled down 350 photos to just 19 (plus the few I already posted and the FOOD pictures I'll put up later!) to save you from beauty overload! Enjoy!

Hilltop view of Sestri Levante

Market in Pisa

Dan & Eric helping out the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Sunset over the Baia delle Favole (Bay of Fairy Tales)

Ahhhhh.....

Night view from our hotel, the Vis a Vis (View of a View, or something like that)

On a hike above Sestri

Sunset dinner at the Vis a Vis

Cemetery in Monterosso

My fav spot in Monterosso

One of our daily excursions to Angel's Ice Cream for Gelato w/the KC gang

Restaurants along Corso Colombo

Waves crashing in Sestri Levante -or- "Happy Toes"

High above Monterosso with terraced fields & vineyards behind

Picturesque Manarola

The Via dell'Amore between Riomaggiore & Manarola
Lovers clasp locks on the railings as a symbol of their attachment.

The restaurant that sheltered us from a downpour along the Cinque Terre.

Hi! I'm Dan! I'm from America!

Plaza in Sestri Levante

Living on a Postcard

2011-09-05T10:55:00.004-05:00

Yes, I seem to have landed on a postcard. Not a bad view in sight. As my first taste of intercontinental travel, I believe Italy may have me hooked.

Yesterday we hiked & train-traveled the Cinque Terra, visiting 5 lovely towns between rainstorms and amid lucious views of the Mediterranean along the Ligurian coastline.

Today, I've indulged in a full body massage (Aaack! That was an adventure for this Modest Molly), time by the crashing waves, lunch with two fun gals & gelato for lunch's dessert. Now I'm on this--our patio feeling the cool breezes and enjoying the church bells tolling in the distance.

Oh, yes, and this is the view I am taking in:

Nice, eh?

Here is another look at some of yesterday's travels.

And the rocky beach where we all gathered a few gems to bring home.

Well, I've already taken more than 100 photos so this is just a taste...but I have much more to do than blog :) so enjoy your holiday while we enjoy ours!! (Hi to our kiddos having fun over at Aunt Jo's! They are having their own adventures...and Jodi is keeping me up on them on her blog, Hart of the Matter if you want to see those cuties!)

My Entertainment

2011-08-31T08:21:00.005-05:00

Just in case any of you have forgotten what it's like to have a two-year-old in the house...here are some samplings of this morning's conversations. Mind you, this is a very opinionated and slightly bossy two-year-old who speaks quite fluently and with much emphasis on getting his way.

No! I not a Doggy, I Zane!

Don't sing dat, just put my shorts on now! (Evidently he doesn't like my singing.)

You go on airplane Mommy? I go on airplane too.

I want cereal, not cheerios. Dose cheerios have milk? Oh, okay.

I DONE! Take my tray off! Take my bib off!

Me: Do you want shoes on? Zane: No, I fine. Me: Okay, just stay on the porch (shutting door). Zane: NOOOOO! (stomping feet & getting upset) I need shoes on!!!

I run way now. (Was sitting down to get shoes on...)

I funny. He he he he he.

Where are you Mommy? Oh! I find you!

Countdown to Bliss

2011-08-26T15:07:00.004-05:00

I'm counting down the days until our trip to Sestri Levante, Italy, and it truly still seems unreal! Almost too busy with the other "stuff" of life, I needed to give myself a visual of the lovely resort area we will be staying so I clicked on over to the hotel website....ahhhhhh. Yes, friends, I have high hopes for a lovely week on the Italian Riviera.

Until then...it's back to the checklist, though I did get the "purchase skimpy bikini" done. Besides the whole "actually using my passport" that is probably the most unusual part of getting ready to go! Arrivederci!

Bathtime @ Our House

2011-08-24T23:39:00.002-05:00

I think I'll leave this one as a Wordless Wednesday post...

My Home-Clean-Home Plan

2011-08-22T12:51:00.004-05:00

This is it! What I should be doing (bare minimum) each week to keep this home going. I'm guessing that those of you who were born organized never have to think this hard about keeping up the house, but for us scatterbrains...well, it's like trying to cram a square through a round hole. (And there's gotta be a better metaphor but it's all I've got right now).

Morning Chores
-Everyone gets dressed, makes their bed, brushes teeth & puts away their pj's BEFORE coming downstairs.
-Breakfast together (7:30)
-Unload the Dishwasher (possibly the most important daily chore...the whole kitchen falls apart if it doesn't happen!)
-Put away breakfast dishes
-8:00 School starts!

Monday
Laundry Day: Wash, dry and put away all clothes
Cooking: Prepare snacks for the week (boil eggs, make granola bars etc.)
Kids: Vacuum their rooms, Fold & put away their laundry, bathroom wipe-down

Tuesday
Errand Day: Groceries, appointments etc.
Cooking: Crock Pot dinner
Cleaning: Wash Towels & Put away any leftover laundry
Kids: Fold Towels, Take out Trash

Wednesday
Kitchen Day: Baking, clean out fridge, mop, wipe down appliances & backsplash
Kids: Clean Glass Doors & Mirrors, Strip & make beds

Thursday
Cleaning Day: Dust, vacuum, bathrooms
Laundry: Wash Sheets
Kids: Dust rooms, Tidy Playroom

Friday
Planning Day: Shopping lists, menus, weekend prep, next week's activities
Kids: Tidy Entry, Tidy Schoolroom

Now I just need to find several hours to embroider all that onto daily tea-towels! Ha.

The chores assigned to the kids help out more than I imagined. They are not hard by any means, and purposely do not take a long time to do...giving them a sense of accomplishment and hopefully teaching them to keep up on work at home to avoid a huge, un-tameable mess! They get a little bit of a reward for helping...I think I need to come up with something to reward myself if I check everything off my list too! Hmmmm...well, gotta go switch the laundry!

The Mommy Schedule

2011-08-19T10:34:00.004-05:00

In the spirit of back-to-school week, today I'm sharing my personal "back-to-household order" plan for this year. Eric says I'm always looking for the next best thing. Yup, I'm still in search of the magic wand that makes homemaking happen with out hard work. (Actually, I KNOW what it is...a maid & cook...but doesn't Eric already work hard enough without taking on the three extra jobs it might take to employ them?) So I'm sticking with hard work on my part...and going to tweak methods until I finally find one that works for me!

I've shared before some of my favorite homemaking resources...from FlyLady to Inspired to Action to the books Large Family Logistics and anything by Don Aslett. My favorite resource is, however, my friends!! And although I may never achieve the seemingly effortless efficiency of MJ, I have high hopes that this time I've found something doable and easy to implement for the whole family. Jodi (my sis) started me on this plan by making one for herself...printed out nicely and just a few basic chores for herself & the girls per day. Brilliant.

This is our family chore chart (tweaked from Erica's @ Confessions of a Homeschooler)...the kiddos earn tickets for each chore they do and get a prize when they have 25 tickets. I have assigned chores for each day for myself and them and wrote them on the daily cards across the top. Before, I was just picking some things that sounded good and sticking them in their slots...now that there is a plan, the system is much more efficient.

So take Tuesday for instance:

It's my errand day, so I need to put dinner in the crock pot before we leave in the morning, plus start a load of towels. Once we're back home, I have to finish putting laundry away from Monday (that's the day I wash all the clothing) and the kids take out the trash and fold the now clean towels. That doesn't sound too bad, does it? I think we can do this! And I might even mop my kitchen every week--fabulous!

So adding in the essentials like a daily schedule, house rules and a reminder about what obedience is and looks like:

And we have a happy crew in a semi-tidy and clean home! (Please pay no attention to the pile of stuff on the entry bench in the background :) !)

The boys doing school on Tuesday...Zane likes to wear his goggles while playing...go figure.

Next time I'll share exactly what makes up my chores each day. That is, if I'm done doing them and can sit down to blog. Naaah, I'll probably write before I do them, it's more fun.

Back to Home-School!

2011-08-16T07:00:00.008-05:00

Yay! Yesterday was our first day of school for the year. This is the first time we've started before Labor Day so it feels a little strange to me, myself, and I but we're thinking it will work out fine and dandy. Obviously the children are...well, what are they?? Goofy? Silly Rabbits? Funny Bunnies? Something.

The new schedule has them freaked out--especially the room check before lunch and the starting time of 8 a.m. I suppose they're the only ones who realize it's just a schedule on paper...and real life doesn't always follow the plan.

Ooooohh! I LOVE new school books and supplies! Elena is in 3rd Grade and Kai is in 1st. Here's our line up for this year:

Bible/History/Science/Literature/Reading: Adventures In My Father's World (American History for 2nd & 3rd graders and their younger siblings)

Spelling: Spelling Power for Elena (This program starts in 3rd grade and can work all the way through 8th. I have high hopes.) Kai will start spelling next year.

English: Elena-Primary Language Lessons (2nd half) Kai-Language Lessons for Little Ones, book 3

Copywork/Drawing: Draw Write Now books 2 & 6

Math: Elena-Teaching Textbooks 3 Kai-Horizons 1

Electives: Discovery Homeschool Academy (YAY for Tuesdays!!) They cover music, art, PE, keyboarding, Spanish, science, social studies & tons of fun.

Wow, that all seems so nice and tidy. If I had time to go on and on I could tell you the process of making all those decisions. It's a lot of work!

Our office is still providing a lovely area for school...we rearranged the walls a bit and still have some tweaking to do.

Oh, some more B2S poses:

Aren't they sweet?

Here's our timeline wrapping around the walls:

A close-up:

And my favorite framed print...(my new camera has a fish-eye option...kind of strange, but okay!):

Happy Back to School or Home-School week to you all! Enjoy the Adventures!!!

I ♥ Mary Margaret's!

2011-07-25T15:28:00.005-05:00

Since most of you know my obsession with great deals (aka garage sales), it will come as no surprise that consignment shopping is right up there on my list of fun things to do! Mary Margaret's Consignment Boutique in Lee's Summit has long been my fav place to find fashionable digs and with the Italy trip fast approaching (less than 6 weeks!!!) I have some shopping to do!

Here are today's finds...I went in looking for some dressed up tops with collars and a LBD:

From L to R: Banana Republic button down tailored cotton/spandex blouse; green Maurices button down cap sleeve top with waist tie (super cute burn-out fabric, see below); sleeveless Express print tank with tie; tailored black capris--no boundaries brand from Wal-barf--who knew?; Express LBD, new with tags, fits like a glove and super chic.

Isn't this fabric sweet?

And the best part was the $43.63 price tag...for all of it!! Whoop! I also got my first peek at Mary Margaret's home store, just down the strip, where I found this little guy circa the '70s I'm sure.

He's decking out our hall bathroom counter, much to the children's delight, and goes with our kinda new shower curtain that has trees, squirrels and owls.

So next time you're in the market for some wardrobe spiffing up...head over to MM's! They have boutiques in Lee's Summit off Oldham Parkway (near the Chipman shopping area) and in Blue Springs. I consign my clothes there too...funny how often I run across something I brought in and almost grab it to try on!

The Marigold Meadow

2011-07-20T13:39:00.005-05:00

I think when you're over 35 that staying up until 2 a.m. counts as an all-nighter. What an adventure! Kathy was here serving as my hair slave from 8 til about 1:15 and we thoroughly enjoyed viewing Persuasion in the midst of our chaotic experiments! Well, except perhaps for the world's longest prelude to a kiss in cinematic history...just kiss the woman Rupert!

Ah, yes, where was I? Hair. Okay, this picture is the final result, still auburn (bummer) but certainly lighter than where I began, so it's all good.

We started by bleaching all my hair with the soap cap...twice. The first time there was little change so on advice of my hair guru friend, we went for a repeat. Second time...wooo-weee...Kathy kept saying "that's really strawberry blond" in kind of a worried voice as I rinsed it out.

Here's how it all went down. My un-hennaed roots lightened with the bleach really well. The rest of my head probably lifted 3 levels or so...some strands lighter than others (that's my unprofessional opinion). The cassia-henna-buxus mix...

left a lovely marigold color on all the light roots...not enough henna in it to add the strawberry shade I desired. The rest of my hair got a nice gloss and condition from that mix, but it didn't alter the color.

Not wanting to have glaringly blond roots, I opted to go ahead and mix up another concoction, stronger on the henna this time, and applied to just the really yellow spots at my roots. I wrapped it all up with plastic, put a wool stocking hat on and went to bed (2 a.m.)! At 4:45 a.m. I woke up screaming (seriously, must have been some dream) and decided I ought to go shower it out. I showered in complete darkness, wrapped my wet head in a towel and went back to bed until 7:30 this morning. After a good blow dry this is what I've got. (I look kind of angry in the photo, really I'm not!)

If I want to wear pigtails, I might be in trouble, but otherwise I don't think it's going to be terribly noticeable---until it starts to grow out!

I think I'll tweak my recipe and start doing my roots with a cassia-henna mix to smooth out the transition. In the meantime...well, it was worth a shot, it did make some difference, and it was a fun girls' night. Life really is like a box of chocolates, isn't it Forrest?

Riddle for the Day...

2011-07-19T14:42:00.004-05:00

What kind of fun can you have with extra virgin coconut oil, cheap shampoo, chamomile tea and some ground up plant leaves?

Why...more of the Great Henna Experiment kind, of course! Yes, your friendly, neighborhood, crazy hair woman is back at it. This time I've enlisted my dear friend Kathy to assist as I attempt to lighten my auburn locks and turn them into spun gold with just a touch of fire.

Tonight's plan is two-fold: first we're going to attempt to lighten my henna'ed head several shades with a bleach cap (thanks to darling Marilyn's advice). I'm crossing my fingers that this will work as henna is notorious for being stubborn to remove. Right now my hair is slathered with coconut oil getting some nice, deep conditioning before I destroy it.

Next step will be to apply my new color concoction...following a recipe I gleaned from the forums over at Henna for Hair: lots of cassia dye-released with chamomile tea, and equal parts henna paste and buxus mixed with warm water (like a tablespoon each max). Going to let this mud simmer while we enjoy watching the latest Persuasion flick.

I've used buxus and henna before, but cassia is new to me. It is also a plant dye, but one with golden tones that usually don't show up unless your hair is super blond or all white. It will hopefully be the perfect carrier for the tad bit of brown and red from the other two dyes. I feel just a tad ridiculous using all the "natural" dyes when I'm bleaching the crap out of it right before I do it...sigh. There doesn't seem to be another effective alternative though, so I guess it will have to do!

Now, of course with experiments there are no guarantees about the results, so next time you see me I could look like Lucille Ball, Bozo the Clown OR (perhaps worst case scenario) Sinead O'Conner. Wish me luck!

And the Wall Comes Down

2011-07-13T16:08:00.005-05:00

Progress. It's a good thing! Already our main living area feels much roomier...the 20 or so square feet behind the kitchen/living room wall has always functioned as, well, not much. Sometimes a kid's play area but most of the time empty and unused! It now has a new lease on life with traffic running smoothly through it each day. It's good to be loved.

Here's how Eric spent his week of vacation...please note that all the parts where I say "we" in reference to work done, it really means "he". :)

First, off comes the drywall:

Halfway down and realizing the building materials used were, ah, crap. The wiring was spliced and then wrapped with tape dangling inside the header. Electrical rerouting probably took the most time as he had to get the wires leading to both the kitchen and living room overhead lights to go flush up into the ceiling and over to the column with the switches.

With the wall down, next up was to tackle the floor. We are going to use the space leading up to the unused back door as our new back entryway when the sliding doors are gone, so we needed to continue the kitchen tile to that door. That meant removing any existing tile that had been trimmed against the old wall. Yay for Dremel tools.

Already we could feel the difference!

We borrowed Jerry's wet saw (thanks!) and he went to work using lots of math for all the angles. I knew there was a good reason to marry a math minor.

And then the grout. I actually am the go-to grout person around here. Makes me feel like I've done something other than stand around looking pretty while he does the dirty work! (I wrote about our adventures when we first put this floor in several years back. Some of it is here.) It's wet in this pic, dries to match the tile.

And here is a picture from this afternoon. I scootched the table over since the grout has cured, though I still need to seal it. What a major difference! The tiny wall space between the doors is almost ready to paint or whatever we're doing. Matching the living room's faux finish might be tricky so I'm hoping to use the golden yellow...hmmm. I'm also going to continue painting all our trim the nice creamy white we started with in the office redo. I'm serious about getting rid of all this golden oak people. To be continued.....

Branson 2011

2011-07-11T16:36:00.005-05:00

We've actually gone on more than one vacation this summer, so while I'm on a roll...here are some pix from our Branson adventure over Memorial Day weekend. It's actually not one of my favorite places to go, HOWEVER, we managed to steer way clear of the cheesy strip of putt-putt courses and corny showplaces for an enjoyable long weekend!

My Dad and Step-Mom, Charlotte, traded for a week at a Branson timeshare in order to experience a different place than the Rockies and to have us join them for part of their stay. The resort was very nice...fishing right on Lake Tanycomo out our back door.

I don't think we caught anything during the hot afternoon.

Later, I saw a HUGE school of fish hanging out just over the bank from our balcony. I thought just maybe I could catch one from up there and impress everyone with my awesome angler skills. Kai warned that I shouldn't try as I'd probably get tangled in a tree. Guess who was right?

Between several trips to the indoor pool we spent some time at Branson Landing, which is a very nice outdoor shopping area on the lake. Unfortunately, because of recent flooding, the fountains and light show was under repair, but it still made for a pretty backdrop for our group photo.

The flooding meant disc golf was out too. The course looked like a swamp. But balloon animals are always a hit. Same with candy stores. Can't go wrong there!

We opted to pass on the Mardi Gras masks. They were entertaining though!

So even if you're not a lake person, a show go-er, or putt-putt player, Branson can be a nice little getaway, especially if you have good company! Just please don't make me go for a week on the strip...just shoot me now!

Thanks Dad & Char for more great memories!!!

The Great Smoky Mountains

2011-07-10T12:48:00.005-05:00

Amazing how you don't know what you've got til it's gone, huh? Eric & I lived in Knoxville for five years...and after our recent vacation back to this, our second home, I've realized we didn't spend as much time in the beautiful outdoors surrounding East Tennessee as we should have!

After a delightful Sunday with a visit to our old church family at Cornerstone and an afternoon of swimming with our friends the Trumps, we began our week long trip with a mountain excursion. We chose Laurel Falls as our hike since the trail is paved and we had the stroller. It was perfect for our fam.

We made a few pit stops on the hike up.

Zane loved the stuffed black bears at the Sugarland Visitor's Center.

Picture perfect!

On the way back to Knoxville Kai spotted this huge bee hive hanging from a nearby tree!

And this is the view we enjoyed from Look Rock at the highest point along the Foothills Parkway.

I actually liked it so much that I posed everyone for a timed picture. As I ran to grab Zane, who was running away to the parking lot and then down into the forest, I thought 2 seconds too late to holler out "Catch the camera!". I heard it tumble off the guardrail as it shut down to preserve the battery and smashed into the concrete sidewalk.

So there you have it, the last photo from our vacation. Not a single shot of our lovely friends and their families. I suppose that's what memories are for though, and we certainly made a lot of new great ones during the trip!

It was great to just pick up like we left yesterday with so many people. It had been 6 years since I'd been able to tag along on one of Eric's work trips with the children. So hard to pick a favorite moment (as if you are asking...he he) but I'd have to say the surprise 15 minute chat in the Weigel's parking lot with Michelle Lindsay gets that honor! What a treat! Love you ALL and thank you for welcoming us with some fabulous Southern hospitality!!!

Kitchen Remodel Time!

2011-07-06T11:03:00.007-05:00

So it's been a long time coming, but we've finally started on the kitchen! Whoo-hoo! Now, you would think I'd be all over taking some nice before shots...but that would be before I let our "good" camera tumble off a guard rail trying to take a timed picture of our family visiting the Smoky Mountains last week. Sigh. It not working no more. Thankfully, I DO have a couple lesser quality cameras lying around...one w/o a working flash and the other is just plain questionable, but they work in a pinch so here we go!

We'll start with a walking tour of the kitchen. As you come in from the entryway...this wall divides the living room and dining area. [Notes in orange are the future plans! This wall is coming out! We'll leave a small column for the electrical but the rest will be open space. The window you see through the cut out is actually an unused back door that will become our main back entrance.]

A peek in from the living room... [So that perfect spot for my kids' portraits is disappearing.]

Then looking back through the cut out into the living room. There is a sliding glass door on the right behind (to the right in this shot) the table. [And that door is coming out to become a couple of nice large windows with a bar and storage cabinets beneath.]

Turn around and you see the work area...lovely appliances circa 1991 along with the coveted golden oak cabinets and those pulls we all love...creamy ceramic with brass...nice! You may notice double microwaves...I think I've shared before how the built in one has functioned as an oversized timer for quite some time now. It has a little sticky note the says "I don't work" for visitors' convenience. :) Funny how you can't see the bottom of the dishwasher dangling with the packing tape that is no longer holding it flush. I can see it. Right now. Ugh! [Bye, bye golden oak! Bye, Bye laminate countertop! Bye, Bye...well, everything. The appliances will be stainless-look (to avoid fingerprints and water streaks), counters quartz or granite (still working on a color...brownish?), we're painting the cabinets a rich creamy color with a light amount of brown glaze to highlight the raised panels, rubbed bronze pulls, composite sink, and maybe a greenhouse window.]

If you spin around to the other wall you'll see my pantry cabinet, our junk counter (which I was going to clear for the picture, but this is reality people), and the once lovely fridge which I did pick out myself 9.5 years ago. [Same cosmetic redos here. I'm trying to decide on the backsplash, but need to figure out the counters first. Was thinking about accent tiles of the mosaic glass mixed with subway tiles, but keep reading designer blogs and their advice is JUST SAY NO to accents. Hmmm.]

Back on over to the stove wall is the lovely view of the 1/2 bathroom. Nothing like a huge, wide, open door beckoning you to come use the commode while you're making dinner! In a perfect world that door would remain shut...BUT there are little munchkins in this house, so that's a no go so far. [We're shrinking the door frame (it was large to fit in the washer/dryer...but that's a non-issue since the new laundry is upstairs now) to gain about 9 inches. We'll use it to add length to this counter and build a lower cabinet with vertical storage for baking pans and a pull out trash/recycling center...see ya nasty trash can!]

And that's it! Not very big, but it gets the job done. Our goal is to open up some space and do a little rearranging and updating to make it function much better. I think I'll go back to the top and insert in captions of what the plans are...yeah, that will be fun! So up I go...

And I'll be back soon...Eric has been working hard the last couple days so we already have some progress.

Flexi Clip Giveaway!

2011-06-20T12:34:00.006-05:00

My friend Renita is hosting a flexi clip giveaway for me on her blog, Homedaze. Click on over to leave a comment to enter and read her Lilla Rose review. Gotta hurry...the giveaway ends tomorrow, Tuesday, June 21!

In other news, Eric and I have decided to give Lilla Rose a go as a business venture...rather than just play with the fabulous clips in Elena & I's hair (whee!). I'm starting to book festivals & fairs plus home parties in the Kansas City and Wichita area, so let me know if you'd like to be a hostess with the mostest and earn some free hair jewelry while you're at it! You can click here to learn about the hostess rewards.

Have a beautiful day!

Shock & Awe Stories

2011-06-11T07:45:00.006-05:00

I suppose a little procrastination never hurt anyone...I'm more inclined to think of it as patience lately. Like "I have great patience in waiting for the kitchen fairy to come do my pots and pans." She didn't show. I've actually procrastinated writing this post for over a year...last year I wanted to do it around the same time to coincide with the anniversary of the first "shock & awe story" of my life but missed it! Today I thought I'd break my blogging procrastination habit and hit the date...whoop!

So....get on already and read my little newspaper clipping from 1994....

It's a great "get-to-know-you" story! In fact, if you know me in real life, you probably have heard me tell it..."It was a black cow on a black-top road on a black summer night..." and now it's been 17 years. Talk about a traumatic experience. But I can't help but think there were angels protecting Jodi and I that night. They used the word "collide" in the newspaper story, but we actually slammed into the side of that cow traveling at 55 mph...with no airbags in my 2 week old new-to-me snazzy little red cavalier.

The front end was smashed all the way to the windshield and the cow had flown over the top of the car and into the opposite ditch. There was fur caught all along the top of the driver's side door frame and a perfect dent around the lock which somehow prevented me from getting out...I crawled out the window. Jodi was bruised by the seat belt and I think hurt her elbow a little. Just amazing. Even more amazing was the fact that we were driving 55 on Norwich Road! Usually I flew down that 3 mile strip at 75 mph+ but it was harvest and we kept passing combines so I was going the speed limit. It took me a long time to drive confidently at night again on those country roads...actually, I still don't like to do it.

One of my friends had posted this story (abbreviated due to my memory) from the Joplin tornado relief (of course I can't find it now): During the storm a father held his little girl tight as the tornado ripped through wherever they were. He had a wound on his back from debris but otherwise they were okay. His little girl looked up and said "but Daddy, didn't you see the butterfly people?". Thank you Jesus! Isn't that awesome?! I think they were with us that night so many years ago too.

Now I have more stories, but most are not mine to tell, they belong to my friends...I'll give you the gist of them here to make your skin crawl if nothing else:

When next-door neighbor Kim absentmindedly reached under her lawnmower to clear some clogged grass--mangled fingers!
Molly was making a nice healthy green smoothie...but when pushing down the spinach the blender sucked down her hand---uuhh, mangled fingers again!
Maya's miraculous survival of a deadly car accident.
In high school when one classmate knocked another into the gym floor and it knocked out her front teeth...or at least they had to be replaced.
And, of course, Zane's birth story...that's the second one for the record book of my life, the first for his.

So if you want a great conversation starter, just think through your life and find a good shock and awe story! It usually starts a chain reaction and it's pretty amazing how many bizarre happening have occurred to the people you know...and even more phenomenal how God's hand guides even the worst of situations to be good in our lives. Have fun :) !

15 Years is a good start!

2011-05-25T22:07:00.005-05:00

Eric and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary today. After enjoying a fab dinner at V's Italian we're doing the normal thing...he's watching LOST (his soap) and I'm, well, you know what I'm doing.

Love ya babe! Our trip to Italy will certainly be icing on the cake. Or gelato. That might be better anyway!

(Kudos to Seth Jones for the awesome collage! It's perfect!)

We discussed travel plans over dinner...quite exciting! Yesterday I found out that Lisa (my friend & the wife of the other mad scientist that is traveling) and I will potentially have a four hour layover in Paris...woot! woot! I think I'll be googling "what you can cram in in a 4 hour layover in Paris". Do you think there are enough "in's" in that?

Must run...perhaps I'll start writing a bit more now as school wraps up. Perhaps. Blessings!

A new wardrobe!

2011-04-28T11:31:00.003-05:00

So here it is...my wardrobe for the next 30 days. The 33 chosen few!

I have tweaked Project 333 to fit me a bit better, as it is not supposed to be a hardship...so I'm not counting jewelry or most accessories in my 33 items. I'm still waffling on shoes...for now you can see my three pairs on the shelf above the clothes.

So from yesterday's starting list, I have decided not to count the scarf, sunglasses, and earrings. I replaced them with a tan glitter tee, a purple & black beaded top and a pair of brown capris. This is a shot of all the empty hangers...and now even most of the shelves are cleared as I put out-of-season items in a large tub. Ah, the peace that decluttering brings!

Since Elena is in this with me I've given Kai the job of taking our daily outfit pictures. I was trying to stop Elena's silly face in this one...goofy girl!

Really, there are a lot of outfits I can make from my selections and today I didn't feel limited at all--ha! I often think about gals like the pioneers who had two, maybe three dresses to wear year round...it makes the excess of my shelves seem overwhelming. I think next up will be my 50+ cake pan collection. Oh, dear.

Project 333 - Why not?!

2011-04-27T21:51:00.004-05:00

I'm starting to think maybe Jodi has a conspiracy going...she perhaps knows I need to do something, mentions some ideas and then sits back and giggles as I take off with some new hair-brained project! Now, really, I know this isn't true (is it?), it just so happens that we are traveling a similar road in life and overcoming similar tendencies embedded in our beings from childhood.

Anywhoo...Today Jo tweeted about Project 333...that it might be something she is considering. So I did it. Today. With both my closet and Elena-bug's closet. Now the two girls under this roof each have only 33 items in their wardrobe. It's a tad scary for me...Elena's was pretty painless since she lives in soccer tees & I didn't make her count accessories. (This is the "before" shot of our closet...note that the top left rod all belongs to Eric--my stuff is on the bottom, the shelves, and the right...conveniently not in the picture...duh!)

Here's the project in a nutshell--in order to live a life less focused on "stuff", purge your wardrobe every three months down to 33 seasonally appropriate items. This includes goodies like accessories (aack! my bags!) and shoes but does not include pj's, workout clothing, under-things etc.

So, since I didn't have anything better to do this afternoon (ha) here was my bed during the sorting progress. I had bags for consignment clothing, donations, summer items and various other wack-o categories, but it all got cleared. I now have 93 empty hangers in my closet!

Here is my starting list. I'm pretty sure this will just be a wardrobe for May as spring wraps up and then will have to swap things out for the heat. If you think there is something I could go without, by all means, let me know as I really want to add in more accessories!!

TOPS
1. Black tank
2. Black v-neck tee
3. Grey v-neck sweater
4. White scoop neck top
5. Coral printed tank
6. Coral l/s tee
7. Aqua 3/4 sleeve athletic tee
8. Aqua cable-knit cardi
9. Lt. blue tee
10. Periwinkle cable knit cardi
11. Navy slinky top
12. Brown knit shirt
13. Black l/s v-neck top
14. White slub tee

BOTTOMS
15. Worn Jeans
16. AE Jeans
17. Denim shorts
18. Black athletic capris
19. Brown a-line knit skirt
20. Black slinky skirt
21. Denim skirt (below knee)
22. Camo pants

DRESS
23. LBD jersey knit

OUTERWEAR
24. Jean jacket
25. Navy hooded jacket

ACCESSORIES
26. Scarf-multi
27. Purse
28. Tote
29. Shades (yup, sunglasses count!)
30. Earrings

SHOES
31. Tennies-athletic
32. Casual tennies
33. Ballerina flats-animal print

Tomorrow I will take a picture of my items all hung nice and neat in one teeny part of our closet. Then I suppose I will start posting about what in the world I am wearing or not wearing to prove (as others have done and are doing) that it can be done! Thanks for the inspiration Jodi...now I just have to cruise around and look for construction sites.

Day 38 - Gratitude

2011-04-22T07:07:00.003-05:00

Today is Good Friday. I hope you are able to take some time to reflect on the great goodness behind the crucifixion of Christ. Really, our whole lives revolve around the events of this weekend so many, many years ago.

On to the blessings from my Thursday...

1. A satisfying cup of tea with a dear friend after some good, hard, work!

2. The joy brought by the left over cupcake Eric brought back home...split three ways, three happy kiddos. Well, Zane wanted more "cream" aka frosting.

3. The fact that Eric made, frosted and cleaned up after concocting the 2 dozen cupcakes for his work meeting...not me!

4. A unique group of women gathered to discuss some of our favorite things...yay for the JA Club!

5. After a long lent, Easter is almost here!

Day 36 - Gratitude

2011-04-20T07:42:00.002-05:00

5 Things from Tuesday:

I am thankful for...

1. A newly organized coat closet that holds all the backpacks that were living on the entryway floor.

2. Playing puzzles with Zane uninterrupted for half an hour...I don't think I've done many puzzles with him before...poor third child!

3. Finding missing vacuum attachments in above coat closet! Plus the missing bar to my hanging clothes rack! Score!

4. Starting MI5 season 7...exciting! (I'm loving me some Netflix...and RA's not bad either! Amy, am I allowed to post this in a gratitude list?)

5. Watching Elena tear it up on the soccer field...cold, but fun!

Day 35 - Gratitude

2011-04-19T09:50:00.002-05:00

The 35th day of Lent...a Monday. Will it? Can it?...be good? I started the day standing in the shower praying again for grace and patience in my roll as a momma. That I would be quick to listen and slow to anger. God answered that prayer...but made me work at it! At one point I asked the children if we could please just go FIVE whole minutes without someone crying.

Between a huting, almost-out, loose tooth, eyes that simply couldn't 'see' to finish writing one sentence of copywork and Zane really wanting to swing 'ou-side', it was a challenge they couldn't quite meet. However, we did all survive the day with semi-cheerful hearts, school work finished, the house tidied a bit and some free time in the afternoon to boot!

Through all of that...here are five things I'm grateful for:

1. Grace! (I've said that one before, but it's truly the theme of my life)
2. The idea for Kai's "morning routine" cards to keep him focused on getting going.
3. Elena no longer lets perfectionism keep her from starting a new sketch...she drew a beautiful bluejay with a farm in the background.
4. So many friends on our new T-ball team! It's going to be a fun season.
5. Clean sheets on everyone's bed! (Another thing I'm not so hot at doing regularly).

Days 32 & 33 - Gratitude

2011-04-15T21:30:00.004-05:00

Wowie-zowie...some days just go faster than others! Now the challenge...10 things over the last two days to be grateful for.

1. Elena, old enough now to go to Grandma's and help with younger cousins staying for the week.

2. Time with just my boys while she was gone.

3. Spring flowers blooming gloriously before the wind and rain ravaged their delicate petals...and the bouquet plucked just in time to grace our kitchen.

4. Goodies arriving from thirty-one! Can a girl ever have too many bags? (Love my purse Sara!)

5. CVS...it needs a whole post of it's own...I do a version of CVSing that involves only things we need or can donate to charity. All for almost free. What fun and a great blessing.

6. Play date with a new-er friend for Kai--who seemed a bit at a loss without his sis around.

7. An afternoon chat and prayer time with good friends.

8. The BBQ & Bluegrass fundraising dinner at Parker Elementary tonight with family.

9. All my in-laws with birthdays this week--Happy Birthday Chrissy, Kim & Nate!

10. No phone calls for awhile...amazing how much I stay tied to my phones. We canceled the home line this week and my sim card died today. Oh well, the quiet is nice.

And the winner is...

2011-04-15T21:17:00.004-05:00

Congratulations Kelli! I will get your gift certificate to you ASAP for your new flexi clip from Lilla Rose. Thanks to everyone who entered to win...I have another friend hosting a giveaway later this month and will post info when it's up!

*The winning number (5) was chosen by Random.org's True Random Number Generator...and my own comment was removed before the drawing.*

The majestic cross (left) is Lilla Rose's April Flexi Clip of the month, available only for a limited time.

Day 31 - Gratitude

2011-04-14T08:41:00.004-05:00

This "place"--blogland--is indeed a good place to hide the ugly and show the pretty. I find myself really good at hiding behind pictures of my sweet kids and stories of adventures in homemaking. So although I will not bare my soul to you, dear anonymous reader, I do want to make perfectly clear that I am a mess. A sinner. A wretched person. Beastly. And the grace of God is all that gets me through this life. My theme word for this year is grow. Let's hope for some growth today...and that Eric would extend grace to me.

Have you guessed that yesterday was not the most fabulous? Well, even better then that I must find 5 things to be thankful for.

1. I saw a snake slither across my path when I was with the boys in the woods. I did not scream. I did not run. I quickly tried to point it out to them and watched where it went. THAT my friends, is coming from someone who has worked for decades to overcome a deep, deep terror of those creatures. I think we have progress!!

2. Some beauty observed and an attempt to capture it after my monstrous moments.

3. Watching Kai try to catch frogs on the edge of the pond.

4. My counters are clean again! How quickly I had forgotten that an audiobook makes dreaded chores pass quickly. There was no avoiding the pot of refried bean juice that was stinking up the whole house last night...however, I did manage to procrastinate cleaning it until 9:45 p.m. I'm so bad at things like that!

5. My friend and neighbor, Kathy, who wanted my opinion on her new cabinet pulls as they finish redoing their kitchen. I love to visit with her and see her delight in the new beauty of her home.

Have a blessed day!

Day 30 - Gratitude

2011-04-12T22:22:00.002-05:00

Hi friends...I am so encouraged by your comments about these gratitude posts, both online and in person. It is exciting that God is using this exercise to do more than stretch my own self!

I'm diving straight in tonight--5 things from my day that turned my thoughts toward God:

1. Time to sit in the sunshine next to my spring flower bed thinking and writing about the state of my soul.

2. A freshly mopped kitchen floor...does it for me every time!

3. The majesty of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia stories...we're still listening to the series on audio. Our car drives are so peaceful...and exciting these days!

4. Unnecessary band-aids that magically make owies better.

5. A chance to rock my sleeping (big) baby, even though he woke up because of a hoarse cough (I hope the cough was just from a throat tickle).

Day 29 - Gratitude

2011-04-11T20:33:00.004-05:00

And just like that, my Lent project is back on track. The end of last week and over the weekend I was attending the largest homeschooling conference in the KC area so no blog posts about the blessings...but there were many!

Today was pretty good for a Monday. The little funk in the afternoon could have been avoided by consuming some caffeine I do believe, but that is over and done and I'm moving swiftly toward couch time!

Five blessings of my day:

1. My dear neighbors are back from wintering in Texas and we got to catch up with them today! Welcome home Mary Jean & Bud.

2. The scratch recipe of the day turned out really good! Refried Beans without t he Refry...thanks Jo for the tip. Now if just someone besides moi would eat them (I froze most...might be, ahem, not a good idea to eat a whole crock-pot full myself).

3. Remembering the laughter that filled the air at lunch on Friday with several girlfriends.

4. "I read George book! I read Baby book! I read 'schlama, schlama' book!" That last one is Llama, Llama, Red Pajama. Perhaps one of the cutest read aloud books published of late.

5. Being excited about the next school year...and even better, excited about finishing up this one!

Have a great Tuesday...I'm kiddo free most of the day and have yet to choose what I will do...perhaps something wild and crazy like go to CVS.

Day 25 - Gratitude

2011-04-07T06:55:00.004-05:00

This post will have to be quick. Although it is 6:55, I already hear Zane and the day will be in full gear before I know it! So good thing I took lots of pictures yesterday. Sometimes a beautiful, sunny spring day is all I need to get me going in thankful mode!

1. Miss Peggy at the library! She is the best story-time librarian ever! All my kiddos have listened to her read, sing silly songs and have fun since before they were walking.

Zane thought he'd like a different chair...

And then discovered a poster with neat book covers...

Bubbles! Bubbles! Bubbles!

2. Another special teacher, Miss Shari. Elena is enjoying her second year learning piano and has her first recital coming up!

3. I found brown paint on the garage shelf so we could paint the Trojan Horse!

3. Nature Study...and beautiful red tulips just opening up. Perfect for my little artist to sketch. She had permission to go anywhere on the block...I'm so glad she chose our front yard.

5. And one more homemade snack try...but these are already winners around here as I've made them several times. Homemade Granola Bars from Erica at Confessions of a Homeschooler.

---and because they're my kiddos...of course they added sprinkles!

Day 24 - Gratitude

2011-04-06T07:54:00.003-05:00

I try to recycle when I can. Not necessarily in the big blue bin, though I do use it, but by reusing items around the house. And really, isn't garage saling one of the most awesome ways to recycle stuff? Anyway, as a note, party cups are not dishwasher safe. At least not these cute polka dot ones I bought for Elena's birthday party. I'm bummed...they were so fun!

Gratitude for Tuesday:

1. Discovery Homeschool Academy! Momma's break, the kiddos enrichment. We all love it! (That's my kindergarten-cutie, Elena, on the homepage banner of their site.)

2. My friends, Amy & Kathy, and our Tuesday afternoon book discussion. We are working through The Good & Beautiful Community by James Bryan Smith. It's a great experience!

3. Time to play with only Zane most of the day...and part of the evening. Play-doh, swinging, sliding, big trucks, books...it was fun. I need so much to focus on him when we have that one-on-one time, though often I do other "stuff" in the relative quiet.

4. Two more days until the homeschool conference! I have my list ready, my sessions picked out and my suitcase packed.

5. Courage to try out a new semi-healthy homemade snack recipe. Homemade Pop Tarts. They are so-so...a little thick on the crust and only one kid would eat them.

Day 23 (again) - Gratitude

2011-04-05T06:49:00.005-05:00

It's a quiet morning. My internet service is running again. My tea is brewing. All good things on this Tuesday...to reflect on Monday.

Oh, my. Let's just say I'm thankful for God's never-failing grace. I thought I was doing better at this mom thing, but when Kai overheard me tell Eric on the phone that I might ship them all off to Siberia, he asked me why I keep talking about selling them and it pierced my heart...rightly so too! Sarcasm has always been a huge failing in my life and I KNOW it can wound, so I will once again pick up my cross and try again...carefully.

Now for my 5 things to be grateful for:

1. The fun of a three foot tall box/grey tape/paper mache Trojan horse model that is now in the kitchen (and seems perfectly normal in our house!). Kai and I think the Littles just might come and hang out in it some night.

2. Zane's exclamation of "Dat's Fun!" for anything remotely "fun" in a two-year old's eyes: Running fast, going over a hill while riding in the van, cutting his pickle, finding himself in his self-made-I-find-Zane hide and seek game...really cute!

3. Laundry back on track...Mondays are my main wash-the-clothes days now and I got all 7 loads washed and most folded--still have to put away so my folding table does not turn into our dresser again!

4. Crock Pot Chicken.

5. I have so much, yet deserve so little. I'm thankful to know that for a fact and am overwhelmed with gratitude to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Well, if you made it through all that, I would love it if you would pray for me this week for patience and love toward my children and for putting the needs of others (especially them) before myself.

And one more thing totally off subject...I'm hosting the first giveaway on my blog for one of the cool hair clips I now am a consultant for through Lilla Rose. If you want to enter you can check out this post. There are only two entries so far so your chances of winning are great :) !

Day 21 - Gratitude

2011-04-02T08:31:00.003-05:00

Fridays are good days in the Eastwood Household. Kai woke up and went straight for computer games...um, no. "But Mom", he protested, "it's Fabulous Fun Friday!" I told him it could be fabulously fun after school.

5 Blessings from my Fabulous (almost warm) Friday:

1. A good cup of tea to start the day.

2. Baking a surprise birthday cake for Elena...it's going to be a soccer ball but she and Eric think it's boobs (the ball bakes in two halves). Oh, dear.

3. Starting to read aloud two of my favorite books from childhood: Heidi and The Bluejay Boarders. Two chapters in and the kids are already hooked!

4. Getting a glimpse of the beautiful birthday tea-party set up for one of Elena's friends. I bet Amy will post about it if you want to see!

5. New cable internet service! Good-bye DSL and dropped service (at least we hope)!

Have a great weekend! ~Resa

Lilla Rose Hair Jewelry Giveaway

2011-04-01T09:28:00.000-05:00

No April Fools...I'm giving away one of the beautiful hair accessories from Lilla Rose! Since this is the first giveaway I've hosted on my blog, you (as one of my 10 loyal readers) probably have a really good chance of winning (YAY!).

I am even more in love with the Lilla Rose products since I now have tried not only the flexi clips, but the hair sticks and the jeweled headbands. The super-soft, stretchy, adjustable band that goes under the hair on the headbands allows you to wear it all day with no typical "headband-ache". Fabulous! Several of my friends have purchased a flexi clip or two and are wearing them every day. How nice to get away from plain ponytail holders, plastic claws and barrettes.

So here's how the giveaway works: All comments must be left here on this blog post, not facebook. You choose any/all of the below options to enter (the first one is the mandatory entry). If you don't have a blogger profile, just be sure to include your name and email in your comments. On April 15 I'll use an auto-number picker deal to choose the winning comment number. Then I'll send the winner a gift certificate for your free flexi clip (or other product--up to $15)!

1. Visit my Lilla Rose website and watch the size/styling videos, then leave a comment about your favorite hairstyle. 1 entry/leave 1 comment
2. Visit the Lilla Rose store and tell me which flexi-clip (or other product) you like. 1 entry/leave 1 comment
3. Make a Lilla Rose purchase from my website. 3 entries/leave 3 comments
4. Like my Lilla Rose Facebook page. 1 entry/leave 1 comment
5. Share this giveaway on Facebook or blog about it. 2 entries each/leave 2 comments each
6. Follow this blog or subscribe by email (see sidebar). 1 entry/leave 1 comment

Good luck!

Day 20 - Gratitude

2011-03-31T22:22:00.004-05:00

Eight years ago today, our first baby was born! Happy Birthday Elena girl! My thankful thoughts today were often centered around her precious life. She is indeed "fearfully and wonderfully made" as the heart pendant we gave her reads from Psalm 139.

1. The Barbie house was a big hit: "Cool! Awesome! This is the best birthday ever!"

2. Birthday portraits for all three were more than marginally successful...AND I didn't get all sweaty trying to decide what to order. (Usually a moment of sheer torture for me!)

3. Our whole family laughing together over dinner...genuine twinkles in the eyes.

4. My life is hid with Christ on high!

5. Eight years of adventure with Elena in our life!

At nine days old:

Today, turning 8!

Day 19 - Gratitude

2011-03-31T06:37:00.002-05:00

Five things that I can thank Jesus for today...

1. Brenner Mills! Congratulations to our friends Aaron & Jen on their 3rd precious baby born this week. Your cup is overflowing and it is good!

2. 80's Night at Awana's

3. Our chore chart (copied from Confessions of a Homeschooler). It rocks!

4. Brown sugar-cinnamon scones. Homemade with whole grain. Mmmmm....

5. The fun and anticipation getting ready for Elena's birthday brings! (She is going to flip out when she sees her new Barbie house!)

Blessings to you one and all today!

Day 18 - Gratitude

2011-03-29T20:45:00.004-05:00

Hi! I got my Lent calendar figured out and am switching to a forward countdown instead of backwards...just to make everything clear as mud! Today is the 18th day of Lent, the 46 days before Easter, less the Sundays making it a total of 40 days...the Sundays don't disappear though so don't worry about buying new calendars. If we all want to understand how the church keeps track of all this I suppose we can use google as well as the next guy.

So. Gratitude. Today. Ah, today there was much to be thankful for!

1. The shots that kept me from feeling (mostly) my dentist drill out the huge cavity that formed under an old filling...and the fun it was to try and drink from a straw afterward.

2. Two sit downs with dear friends...Maria for lunch and Kathy & Amy for book discussion, PLUS running into Tisha at Target and seeing Joy & Marcola when dropping off/picking up kids. Friends are such a delight in my life!

3. I found the portrait gift certificate!!! Two days before it expires and already had an appointment set up for the very last day. (It was in a usually untouched school folder of our resident ferret (aka Kai). Why in the world he would take it...oh, it just dawned on me that he probably thought it was "money" as it was all official looking and printed on photo paper. I haven't picked up that folder for maybe 3-4 months...totally a praise to Jesus for $50 back in our pockets.) I guess we'll always have a visual reminder of Kai's black eye and Zane's scratch on his nose!

4. I'm grateful that the credit card company noticed our info had been stolen before they charged us for the $2000 cash withdrawal (how do you do THAT online?), $563 from Avon, $800 at WalMart and some Converse tennies (among other things). And you better watch out if you are a Wally World shopper wearing lots of glitter make up & new Converse hi-tops...I'm looking for you!--Well, or would be if I set foot in the place...I try to steer clear of that giant box most days.

5. More confirmation about my tentative decision for next year's school curriculum. I think we're going to try out Adventures in My Father's World for a core study of American history coupled with Bible, science and all the rest while sticking to our Charlotte Mason roots!

Sunday Thoughts on Gratitude

2011-03-28T06:49:00.004-05:00

There are many people that I want to be like. As a Christian woman, there is the obvious Jesus. But what about the inspiring people in our time and time gone by who have came so much closer to that goal?

I finished listening to The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom this week. I don't ever think I will be the same. If you have not read the story, it is Corrie's account of her family and their role in the Dutch underground movement during WWII in German-occupied Holland. It is a magnificent tale of family, love, unbelievable anguish and, above all, the power of God. The character, well, person as it is not fiction, I resonated with the most was Corrie. The person I want most to be like is her sister, Betsie.

Throughout the story, Corrie is repeatably amazed by the heart Betsie has for others. From knowing the life details of each customer that comes to their shop, keeping a beautiful home even while they scrape by on ration cards, adding order and a glimpse of loveliness to a tiny prison cell shared by several women, to praising God for the fleas in the concentration camp and her heart breaking for the depths of unlove held by her German guards...she overflows with unselfishness.

It's the fleas that got me. It got Corrie too. She was aghast...there were limits to what she would thank God for and fleas were over that limit...though she reluctantly prayed along with her sister. After weeks laboring outside, Betsie's poor health resulted in her assignment being changed to the sock knitting room. Corrie ended up being transferred there as well and there she learned to be grateful for fleas. The guards would not enter that room. It was infested. Betsie and Corrie had hours a day to talk with each other and share God's goodness with the other prisoners around them. For three weeks, the fleas miraculously kept them safe from further harm.

Betsie loved Jesus so much that her life was continually offered up in exchange for showing his love to some other person. God gave her visions of the future so real she could smell the flowers. Corrie remembered those visions of loveliness and marveled when they became reality. Miracles happen everyday, even today. We just have to know where to look...and start with outside of ourselves into the face of Jesus. Lord, thank you for the fleas.

Day 23 - Gratitude

2011-03-26T23:34:00.004-05:00

Indeed, I am blessed. Overall today, I am thankful for a sense of humor in the everyday.

1. The opportunity to learn how to use the shop vac in "wet" mode. (I wondered when my good friend had switched to liquid dishwasher detergent...she always uses powder, but I asked to borrow some and in good faith squirted in a whole cupful...of Dawn. Still not sure how to fix this mess...but it's good for a few laughs before bed...and so glad I didn't turn it on and crawl under the covers!)

2. A great visit from Eric's Dad & Charla...I'm thankful for them being willing to drive up to visit for the kids' birthdays & for taking the chance on my recipe experiments!

3. Almost 8-year-old's craft projects.

4. What is it Zane? Oh, yes, we can be thankful for...

...a springtime snowstorm! Sorry buddy, no "I pay ou-side!" today.

5. The open-door button of my van key remote when hurrying through bitter wind in no coat with arms full of groceries at Price Chopper. (I had to really think hard about what I was thankful for in that moment :) ! )

Blessings to you!

Day 24 - Gratitude

2011-03-26T09:16:00.004-05:00

I spent almost the entire day at home yesterday. That was refreshing! 1-5, here are the things I thought to be grateful for:

1. A good day of school with...are you ready? Drum-roll...no tears! (We have been working hard to curb being overtaken by emotion at every small tick of frustration.)

2. Three very full meals even with a bare-bones pantry and fridge.

3. Baking cookies with Elena.

4. Eric and Kai spending time together on the disc golf course.

5. Mmmmm....fresh baked bread for lunch--can you see the steam?! (I was out of store bread & didn't want to leave the house to disrupt our day...what a great treat...I forget how easy it is!)

Make Up...Will it Kill Ya?

2011-03-25T18:53:00.003-05:00

Does anyone else have a creeping sense of dread when smearing substances of unknown nature across their skin day after day? I mean, really, can you pronounce anything listed in the ingredients from your favorite designer's make-up line? And I know everyone is going to die anyway...BUT now 20 years *or more* into the daily barrage of making myself up with cosmetics, I thought it might be time to change my ways.

A couple years ago I stumbled across the idea from an old friend's natural living blog and stopped using a few questionable items. More recently I purchased some Arbonne skin care and mineral foundation from my mother-in-law. Now I'm ready to add on even more or change some brands etc. and have been shopping around trying to figure out what in the world to use....ya know, reading reviews and comments etc. A great site is the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. There, you can search almost any chemically based household product and see what safety rating it has been assigned based on its ingredients.

So we'll see...I placed an order with Real Purity for some of their mascara and a couple samples of their mineral cream foundation. I don't think I'm going back to the Estee Lauder counter though...the gal who helped me this week was, well, very helpful, but I'm guessing their ingredients fall along the same line as most mainstream cosmetic companies'...with hazard scores off the charts! Ugh, and I'll have to try and break my Avon habit. Hmmm...that will be a challenge.

Wish me luck and comment if you have any tips or ideas about going more natural with face & body products!

Day 25 - Gratitude

2011-03-25T07:35:00.004-05:00

My Lenten project is working (yay). I'm starting to really look for God's hand in the blessings around me.

1. The delight in finding a nest of these little guys in our back yard...so cute! (Even better was the dream Eric had about it in the middle of last night...he leaped out of bed (as he often does when dreaming of intruders) and yelled "hey there little guy, over this way!" I started laughing & told him there were no baby bunnies in our room to shoo back to the nest...he disagreed for a moment. Okay, he just read this and I am to stand corrected, he was not shooing bunnies, but calling for doggies--he whistled and made the smooch-smooch sound...I had forgotten!)

2. A visit from this little dolly, my niece Mia & her momma Chrissy. She's not so sure about all of us crazy hoodlums though.

3. Two hours, two homes, both much cleaner than before. Kathy & I's cleaning exchange is a major blessing in my life!

4. A decision that ended up being the right one and the relief that went with it.

5. I think the picture explains this one.

Day 26 - Gratitude

2011-03-23T21:40:00.003-05:00

Hmmm...I forgot you don't count Sundays in Lent so I'm going to have to adjust my countdown. Later.

Today had it's ups and downs, but I am grateful for many things:

1. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. I'm listening to the audio book. My heart grieves. My life is E.A.S.Y.

2. The phone call while out shopping...it was Zane. He wanted to "talk Mommy". He giggled.

3. Elena wrote, addressed, stamped and mailed a letter today with little help.

4. Other homeschool mom friends that nodded their heads in understanding at my morning frustrations. Having others that carry/share your burdens indeed makes them light.

5. Blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

Boys' Birthdays!

2011-03-23T15:54:00.006-05:00

It's Birthday Season at our house...only one more to go this month. Here are some snaps of our fun times for ya to check out!

Four boys all born the same week, all but one the same year! That's my Kai-boy in orange.

We didn't wonder why he had a tummy ache that evening...

Almost every Vox boy child (and several of the girls) around age 6! It was a blast and they loved swimming altogether. I had my work cut out for me just making sure Zane didn't drown...he has no fear!

Speaking of Zane...he turned two on the 11th! Here he is seriously working on blowing that second candle out.

A bi-tar!!! And with Mickey Mouse to boot! He was in heaven!

That afternoon we drove out to spend a few days in Wichita. We celebrated with a trip to Coldstone Creamery. Mmmmm....

I like to take them all at once for birthday portraits. So they are all ready to go, but Momma couldn't find her $50 gift certificate and called it off. (Anyone who has ever prepared their young children for picture day can imagine the anguish in my own heart at calling it off...hours of dressing, blow drying, flat ironing, not spilling...all for naught. Sigh.) You can also see why I take them to a professional. This was the best one out of several. Okay, the last one was fun.

Day 27 - Gratitude

2011-03-23T08:42:00.003-05:00

I started to complain about our unreliable internet service delaying my postings until the next morning...uhhh, hellooo... **whining** which is what I'm trying to stop!!! So I will be grateful that I can get online right now (and that we are switching providers in the next week).

Tuesday was another beautiful day! My sister and her family were still here visiting so finding things to be grateful for was easy:

1. Six babies having a ball!

2. A full table...and good food

3. A pretty tea party (these set ups are fewer and farther between anymore around here)

4. The wild and crazies enjoying their prim & proper tea

5. A quiet evening with Eric.

Day 28 - Gratitude

2011-03-21T22:27:00.003-05:00

Six children, four adults, one house. We're having fun!

Today I am thankful for....

1. Bubble blowers:

2. Underdogs from Uncles! (notice the bike helmet...not a bad idea)

3. Sliding smiles! (This is my niece, Ava, or "Bayva" as Zane calls her)

4. Giggles during picnics of snacks under the backyard tree.

5. Interesting hours spent, yes, once again, smearing henna mud in Jo & I's hair. We are ravishing reds anew!

Day 29 - Gratitude

2011-03-21T09:06:00.003-05:00

Sundays around our house are different from every other day. The mornings are usually a little bit rushed for me...but the kiddos relish the time not doing normal chores and crank up iTunes for their jam and dance session in the office. No, not overly pious tunes...Dirty Bit by the Black Eyed Peas and That's Not My Name by the Ting-Tings being their current favs. Oh dear! Anyway...here are my things I was thankful for yesterday:

1. The first day of Spring...beautiful weather near 80!
2. The monstrously large carrot we discovered that had over-wintered in our garden bed.

3. Delightful giggles as a van full of cousins arrived in the afternoon.
4. Authentic relationships...not much hyper-real stuff around for the day!
5. Grace.

Day 30 - Gratitude

2011-03-19T23:37:00.003-05:00

Today brought unexpected events. A sick baby, again. Not being able to watch Elena's first soccer game of the season. Minutes turned into hours first scrubbing, then sealing the grout of our kitchen, bath & entry floors. A fun shopping trip alone with Kai. The time now is surely for rest...but first, here are my five things to be grateful for today:

1. Audiobooks...The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom...my motivation to complete today's work.
2. A kneepad to cushion the hard tile.
3. Good spirits for Zane...hopefully this time around he is truly well.
4. Fresh nodding daffodils, dripping with raindrops, in front of our home.
5. The glisten in Elena & Kai's eyes as they recount their fun on the soccer fields.

40 Days...er 31 Days of Lent

2011-03-18T17:14:00.005-05:00

So not surprisingly (to me, at least) it has taken me almost 10 days during Lent to figure out what I'm going to take up or give up during the season. Following the ancient church calendar is still relatively new to us...not being Catholic or formally part of any congregation where that is tradition...but we've been doing it several years now at Vox. And when I couldn't even recall what I did/did not do last year I realized I had better put some thought into it this time around. It was probably Dr Pepper. That's what I first thought of doing for this year...seriously, Resa? There has to be something more than rejecting my occasional indulgence in the sweet syrup of 23 mingled flavors to turn my heart and mind toward the Lord!

So I've been mulling ideas around in my head and I'm sure prayed about it here and there the last couple days...I've been a little under the weather so there where my mind has all drifted is a little hard to recall. Anyway, I've realized that I'm kinda whiny. How did I figure that out? Uuuhhh...I believe that would be in the three little reflections running amuck around here. I don't think the H.A.L.T. acronym (Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired?) will work quite as well to combat complaining for me as will conscience gratitude. Therefore, gratitude it is. Five items that I am grateful for each day, pictures optional, but posted to my blog to keep myself accountable. They will be, surprise again, bits and pieces of my life...most will be simple...all that incline my heart to thank God for the blessings in my life. Here's my beginning for day 31:

1. My new sewing nook at the far end of my laundry room. It makes me smile being able to sit down and create without having to set things up or go into the basement!

2. Notes to leprechauns on St. Patrick's Day. And the fact that she thought to use the dictionary to spell "leprechaun" when all I could think of was Google.

3. A big backyard and a big tree for climbing.

4. Hooded jackets to keep my boys cozy while swinging in early spring. Yay for recess!

5. That my husband knows to take us out for dinner when he's spent this whole day of vacation on the disc golf course.

In Lieu of a Home Party...

2011-03-02T17:34:00.006-06:00

I went in head first and signed on as a consultant! Of course I would do such a thing! It all started when I was surfing around one of my favorite blogs and ran across a post about the beautiful hair clips sold by Lilla Rose. I ordered one, have LOVED it, thought about hosting a party, decided I wanted to order several more for Elena and I plus some for gifts and today (with Eric's okay, of course) I signed on!

(Tutorial for the drop bun at left is HERE)

As a consultant I have my "own" website that friends can use to place orders whenever they want. And there is so much more to browse than just Flexi Clips! Jewelry, hair sticks, lanyards, eyeglass holders...all with an elegant and decidedly feminine appeal. This week is perfect for placing an order as there is free shipping on all orders over $20 through Sunday, March 6! Go ahead...it's all ready at www.lillarose.biz/ResaRuth! I've also started making a Facebook page--ya know, one that you can "like" and all that, but it doesn't have much on it yet.

All in all it seems like a great company to be a part of and Paula, the gal I signed on under, has been really helpful and friendly. At this time I'm not planning on spending a lot of time on this...since it is mainly for my benefit :)...so if you're a local friend and want to try before you buy just let me know as later this week I will have samples of 5 different Flexi-Clips. And I'm sure I'll host a party sometime or other...but Sara's Thirty-One party and bridesmaid-Bunco night all come first :) ! Later....The Girl with the Dragonfly HairDo

Happily Laundry After!

2011-02-03T15:12:00.006-06:00

14 loads and counting in the new laundry room. It's currently functional, soon to be marvelous. Remember where we started out?

Cramped into the tiny room off our half bath, which is off our kitchen. Up to about 8 weeks ago, I'd never really thought moving or changing this space was in the cards.

But there goes my washer, up, up, up the stairs! (Thanks for helping Vince!)

I know they are not talking about laundry...probably disc golf.

Where once was just a wall with some artwork, now you see this from our entryway:

Behind door number 1:

It's a brand new washer and dryer! No, not really.

And behind door number 2:

Well, I knew I bought this table on sale for some good reason! It will do until we build the countertop with a hanging bar underneath. Maria came up with the idea to hang clothes under the table, rather than along the side wall which would have blocked the walking path. Yay for friends who have organizing "thoughts"!

This corner will have built-in shelves for supplies and maybe some kind of bin system for sorting clothes. The roller cart is working for now...I've had that thing since college and it hasn't served any useful purpose for several years...it's feels loved right now!

And look at all that "extra" space. I probably should have moved my sewing table up there today...but I've been reading blogs about remodeling. Sigh. Guess what's next?

Yup, gotta fix the old room! We tore into the walls to move the water lines and electric wires. Those patches have to be sanded, mudded again and then I'll paint the whole room the same pretty aqua that's in the new room. There are shelves to build, furniture to move in, kitchen cabinets to empty....it will be our kitchen overflow pantry/storage room. Then the real fun begins in the kitchen...but we're going to take a break first!

By the way--Eric, thanks for tackling this job...you really are awesome at making our home more functional and more beautiful, I love the new room!

The Apple Juice Song

2011-02-03T11:34:00.003-06:00

So Zane baby is singing now. It takes him about a minute and a half to get going in this clip...probably because he was rockin' out to his tune right before I turned on the camera. Elena and Kai will join in at the end with some comments...you have to check out Kai's necklace!

Hair Toys!

2011-01-27T08:58:00.005-06:00

I know, I know, I'm a little crazy with posting more things about hair. I suppose it is just turning into a hobby!

BUT, I purchased the most wonderfully awesome hair toy a couple weeks ago and wanted to show it off. That, and tell you to buy one! This is my sister modeling a Lilla Rose Flexi-Clip on her henna head (aren't her curls and color just fab?). Finally, something that will hold our thick, thick updos and look good doing it! The flexi's jewels are wired together and the metal stick is permanently attached. Little notches on the stick allow it to clasp and hold firmly in your hair. Wonderful invention!

Lilla Rose has a beautiful, full line of hair jewelry and other accessories...available in a vast range of sizes so if you don't have a mop on your head, you can still wear their snazzy pretties. I might be hosting a home party if I have some more friends interested...so let me know if you like the things you see on the website.

Jo's hair is so thick that this flexi in a size large can barely handle a half-up twist. She'll definitely need an extra large for an updo. I want to order a medium for ponytails and an extra large for buns.

Next, I'd like to introduce you to my old friends, my Clairol hot rollers. They arrived gift wrapped under the Christmas tree back in 1988 or so. I fell in love day 1. I hope they last for years to come!

My hair loves them too!

And, the hair toy for today:

I've been looking for the stick that fits this jewel for a few months. Found it this morning in the bottom of the bowl I keep my shower scrunchies in on the shelves in my bathroom. Right under my nose the whole time! It was purchased on my honeymoon in Cancun...one of the many do-dahs I picked up from the tourist trap markets...and I think the only one left in my possession. It's made to perhaps go over a ponytail, but doesn't like to stay in my hair that way. Then it's also too small to hold my slick hair in a twist, so this half-up twist held with a pony elastic first, then the clip placed over it works just right.

Special Gifts

2011-01-27T07:59:00.009-06:00

I continually thank God for all the dear friends he has blessed me with in every season of life! Really, I'm almost speechless. There simply is nothing better to me than to be able to sit with someone and not say a word and feel completely comfortable...even warm and fuzzy. So I thought I would just post some recent pictures of me and a few of the sweet people in my life. (There are many more!)

This first one is my Aunt Cle. She lives near Tampa, Florida so we only get to see each other once or twice a year...though I'd sure love to go to her more often, she usually comes here with my Uncle Ed on their way to/from friends and family in North Central Kansas and Denver. She speaks into my life with wisdom in so many ways and I love her to pieces!

Kathy here is more than just my friend...she is also one of my home school partners and fellow slave as she helps me clean my house during our weekly (well, when we don't make a good excuse) cleaning exchange! I mean really, if someone has cleaned the dirt off your kitchen floor or wiped the toothpaste crud in your sink they pretty much have to either love you or be paid good money! We have many adventures together and our kiddos are great friends too!

My dear Maria just turned 40! Gasp! Of course, you'd never know it to look at the beautiful girl. For sure I have loved watching her grow in grace and wisdom over the last almost 9 years of our friendship. She's the one I call when I'm sobbing about whatever and need someone to list to my woes and help me pull up my bootstraps!

Oh yes, and Maria is always prim and proper (ha):

This is Peaceful, and no, I didn't choose her as a friend just because of her awesome hippy name! We met, oh, probably our first week or two in college. We lived on the same floor of our dorm. As it turns out, she went to high school with my husband and was one of his favorite girl friends (not in the romantic sense) growing up! She is now a home educator herself to her 4 beautiful girls and lives about an hour away out in the country. We don't see each other often enough, but can pick up a conversation in an instant...and we're thankful for our Facebook inboxes!

There is one lady in my life that I've known a little bit longer than all the others...my sister Jodi! I can't say enough about how she has blessed my entire life! Even this morning when she called with my 6:15 wake up call...she let me know that it was 20 degrees outside my window but on its way up to 43. Why, thank you very much, that was so helpful in getting me out of my warm and cozy bed :) . (I did get up, btw). We usually talk everyday and help each grow through the ups and downs of life. We are going to try and travel back and forth to our homes every 4-6 weeks this year. With 6 kiddos between us it's a little crazy, but two mommas makes it even more fun!

And, last but not least, the best friend that I chose to live my daily life with, side by side. This is my Eric. There is a peaceful joy that comes with the deep love and commitment of marriage. We're almost to the 15 year mark...and some days it seems we're still just two kids in love! Yay!

It's Getting Closer....

2011-01-27T07:30:00.004-06:00

Closer to wash day, that is!! Today is day 12 without a washing machine and believe it or not, we all still have clean undies! At Bunco Monday night my girlfriends asked if I'd hit the laundromat yet...and funny thing is it hadn't even crossed my mind that that was an option. I think after 9 1/2 years of going to the laundromat before owning our own home, my brain decided to hit the delete button on loading clothes baskets into the car (or pulling them down flights of stairs and across the courtyard in a one-wheeled giant trash barrel as it may have been).

Anyways, here are my pretty gallons of paint!

Oooooo....love the light turquoise or "Meadow Mist" as Valspar (this was our first time using this brand & not sure we'll use it again) has named it. The light color is called basket and is a rich cream with yellow undertones. I looove new paint! After painting every room in our home almost twice, I'm not as enthusiastic about the actual painting these days, but I've still got skills and can cut in with a brush alone quite nicely, thank you very much! Every time I'm on the step stool carefully painting the line next to the ceiling I think of Matt from HGTV's Room by Room...I watched almost every episode of that show for 5 years when we lived in married student housing at UT and he totally taught me tons of painting tricks! This is a picture of all of us priming...the kiddos love to help paint!

And here it is. Shades of aqua are my favorite colors, but my home is mostly painted with warm tones of green and yellow, so blues don't go with the flow so well.

Therefore, we added it on the wall that you can't see from the hall, but that will give me great joy when I go in to work on the dreaded piles. Eric worked on the floor last night...the same easy peel and stick tiles that we laid in our upstairs bath. He'll finish that tonight, try to hook up the electric outlets tomorrow and maybe, just maybe, we'll be ready to roll on Saturday! Finishing touches like all the trim, shelving, racks etc. can be added as time goes.

Our Resident Poet

2011-01-24T14:54:00.002-06:00

Poetry is one of the most delightful subjects in our homeschool. I have always been a fan of verses especially for children and the kiddos are learning to enjoy little ditties here and there. This year we've focused on Robert Frost, which seems to be some of Kai's inspiration here...we just read "The Pasture" last week and today we studied a photograph of a lonely pony out on a mountainside. I suppose it's hard to tell with a Kindergartner! Kai would like to be a veterinarian when he grows up, but his start in poetry isn't half bad:

The Horse Wind
by Kai Eastwood, age 5

While the wind goes by
Everybody cheers
for the great wind of the horses

The horses and the darkness of of the night
And while it goes by the wind blows on them.
Their tails wish in the wind
And the gates go by.

As it goes--
The defending of the horses
is the night of the wind.

And poem #2 (actually written last week):

The Fielders
by Kai Eastwood, age 5

Out in the trees the wind blows.
The wind blows when the tree goes.
And out in the light the darkness comes.

And in the darkness the bats come.
And out in the field
You see the cornstalk grow.

There are millions of cornstalks to grow.
The horses that ride in the deep end
Out in the fields where everything grows.

The Word on the Street

2011-01-22T19:45:00.006-06:00

Almost the end of January, but I finally have it! My theme word for the year! It seems to be the thing to do out here in blog-land so I decided to jump on the bandwagon (thank you Amy, Megan & many others).

If you've read my earlier post, you'll know I was tossing around the word "work". Ugh. That really didn't sound like much fun and I wanted to at least inspire myself when I saw my word posted here and there. So I prayed some more about it and today it came to me. I was valiantly searching my house for the bag of chore magnets that go to one of our kid chore charts...remodeling does not go well with "everything in it's place" as the places have to change!! Anyway, while digging around I caught a glimpse of the cool sign that my dear friend Maria gave me for my birthday a couple years ago. It simply says "GROW".

Grow. That is what I need to do. In order to do it? I must set goals. I must trust God to help me change. I must nurture my life rather than let it pass by. Yes, I must work. But I can work. I can start small and grow bit by bit. At the end of the year? Perhaps a gentler and quieter spirit? Perhaps I will love others more than today? Perhaps I will know right where that bag of magnets can be found!

Meanwhile...I went to the "Tea with Jane Austen" this afternoon at the Lee's Summit library with a few great friends. Unfortunately, Jane couldn't make it, but the ladies from JASNA added the perfect touch...one in full costume! I didn't grab Sandra in time for a picture but here are (from L to R) Kathy, Amy, Megan & me after an enjoyable teatime!

Not Mad Dog Hill...

2011-01-22T18:35:00.002-06:00

We were hoping to go tackle the infamous "Mad Dog Hill" in Belton yesterday with our friends, the Thomases. But alas, just like something I would do (according to Eric) Kathy brought every stitch of snow gear possible and left her sleds at home! So over to their house we went...and got to try out the very fine sledding hill right across from their backyard!

This is the first "in-the-snow" experience for baby Zane. I think he was toast by the time the above group shot was taken! Okay, maybe he was toast from the beginning...it was just a balmy 17 degrees.

Kai is fearless (surprise, surprise)!

And Elena-bug loves anything remotely in the fun catergory!

Luckily, I was the one with the camera and did not get on the other side of the lens. Kathy, on the other hand...

We really had a great time with the kiddos and took them out for lunch at Pizza Shoppe afterward! Just another reason homeschooling rocks...with school done by 10 a.m. the sledding hills are all to ourselves!

Today there was more snow action in our front yard with the neighbor kids. Forts and snowballs to go along with a clowny snowman. Elena and Caden were out there for at least two hours solid! Three more inches tomorrow and maybe we'll make it over to Mad Dog Hill this week.

Snow Much Fun!

2011-01-19T17:04:00.006-06:00

We are in the midst of our second snowstorm of the winter...yea! 5"-7" are expected to fall here in the next 24 hours and we are hunkered down here at our nice and cozy warm home. Actually, yesterday we had a brand-spankin' new furnace installed...complete with a whole-house humidifier.

Our poor snowman (from our first storm) evidently needs some "HELP!" This is from the creative minds of children who read too much Calvin & Hobbes!

The laundry room relocation is coming along. Eric is taking a day of vacation tomorrow in order to work mudding and taping the drywall. I have paint colors picked out and am ready for action!

I purchased all the tile yesterday and will be ready to stick it down as soon as the drywall mess is finished. We're kind of on borrowed time as our washer has been unhooked since Saturday...just 4 days, but in an almost all-cloth household the timer is seemingly ticking loudly. I keep telling the kids to use extra fast-food napkins instead of our normal cloth ones...they don't get it. Zane, on the other hand, likes his paper diapers with pictures of "Minna-minna Mouche" (Mickey & Minnie) on the front.

Speaking of laundry, my new book came in the mail yesterday! I'm so excited to delve into it...Large Family Logistics is the title. Although I don't have a "large" family per se, I figure anything I can glean from a momma with nine children can help me out with my household of 5 plus two frogs. I've already read a little and it's great...the first chapter was about becoming a wise woman (a Proverbs 31 woman, no less) and can't we all use a little more wisdom? Her writing style is friendly, readable and practical. I have great expectations!

It seems most gals out here in blog-land are adopting theme words or mottos for 2011. I've yet to come up with just the right one to fit moi, but I'm leaning towards "work". Yup. Work. My sister Jodi is very encouraging and has found some great online resources geared toward helping us be better women, wives and mommas.

Our favorite so far is Kat over at Inspired to Action. Her whole site is dedicated to giving moms practical, Godly advice, and believe me, I need it! The first thing she recommends? Getting up early. Oh, boy, here it goes again! I had the best several weeks of motherhood EVER when I did that last year. But I am lazy. (See why that theme word might be the winner?) Anyway, I've been up around 6:30 a.m. everyday since Sunday--Jo and I are giving each other a gentle wake up call. Of course, God has had both of us laying in bed awake waiting for the alarm every morning since we started...I love it when He gets funny.

I'm so thankful for all the women who take the time to keep a blog like Kat's. Full of mission and ideas to share. I really have learned so much from people around the world for everything from homeschooling to tips for vacations to what to cook for dinner to how to color my hair. And it makes me laugh at my own mish-mash of topics. I almost want to start a revolution with some grand and wonderful blog...but then it just wouldn't be little bits of my life would it? Blessings! Resa

Awww, not the bread sacks!!

2011-01-15T08:27:00.003-06:00

We took our kids, plus a couple extras in the form of my sweet nieces, sledding yesterday. It was much fun and even little Stella managed to tromp up and down the big hills. Everyone stayed cozy warm in layers of snow pants, mittens, stocking caps and boots.

Ah, boots. I do not own official snow boots. I have my pretty brown suede fuzzy (Ugg-ish) boots with embroidered flowers or two different pairs of high heeled leather-ish designs to choose from. Hmmm...guess it has to be the fuzzys. They were okay for a bit, but then they of course got wet and my piggys were a bit chilled. In comparison with my past snow life, however, they were fabulous!

When Jodi and I were about 9-15 years old, I suppose, we lived out in the country near our small hometown just west of Wichita. We did not have boots. We had tennies though, so anytime it was snowing Mom or Grandma would say "Here are the bread sacks!!" Oh, jeez. The bread sacks. Slipped over your tennis shoes and afixed to the leg of your jeans with a rubber band, the slippery plastic was our only choice to avoid soaked socks and frozen toes. Sure, we had lots of friends sporting their moon boots, all nice and cozy tromping through the drifts, but us? Yeah, we would pull those sacks off our feet before the bus picked us up and stash them in the bushes next to the fence at the end of our drive.

Turns out there were other bread sack wearers in our midst...notably Jodi's husband, Nate...and we never knew until laughing about it later. I do believe I will continue to keep garage saling for our snow boot selection so my kiddos never have to don the things...though I do occasionally have a stash of bread sacks on hand...just in case!

Facelift

2011-01-06T16:47:00.004-06:00

New iMac in use! Resa's Pieces has had a facelift today...I still have some kinks to work out with a new gadget that will clean up my columns, but it's easier on my eyes for now. (Jodi, thanks for the Picnik tip...I was able to do pretty much what I wanted in about 15 minutes in comparison to the hour I spent messing in Word.) Picnik is the site I used to make the new photo header...you should try it out! If anyone else has ideas for me, please let me know as I'm a little perplexed when it comes to tinkering with HTML.

Grandma Ruthie's Birthday

2011-01-05T15:43:00.006-06:00

My Grandmother's birthday is today. She was born in 1927...and would have turned 84. This photo was taken on her 80th--the last birthday party she enjoyed on this earth. She was a funny duck...if I remember correctly, she even slipped out and left this party early so she wouldn't have to drive home in the dark...or to watch football...I can't remember which!

But it's amazing to me how many ways she lives on in our lives. So many little sayings that just come as easy as breathing in and out are followed by me reminding my children "you know who always said this?" or "that's straight from Grandma Ruth!". "Booty Ma'amer" is the most used one...it means it's darn tootin' cold outside and I guess it started when I was visiting her one winter...younger than my little Zane and called her Ma'amer. I keep lists like her, I wear her jewelry regularly, my purse is compartmentalized just like she kept hers and when I remember, I grab her bowling shoes to slip on when we go. I've even been tempted to by some warm and fuzzy snow boots like she loved...but am not sure I'd wear them with my sweatpants.

Last week we were out visiting family in Wichita and one of my cousins that came to the annual "Snook Bowling Christmas" surprised me by a line of questioning that sounded like it came straight from Grandma's mouth. She was a little shocked when I told her that was just what Ruthie always would ask me! Later that night, my sister commented on how she noticed that very same cousin with identical mannerisms to Grandma...I shared my story and we laughed--not at our cousin, but at how much you just never know where the essence of our Grandma is going to show up!

On the day after Thanksgiving, I went out for some mega-shopping. I'd gone at midnight with a friend to get some deals, but then again super-early on my own. Every store I entered was filled with groups of people, mostly women, looking similar, laughing, enjoying the time just being together. I felt the twang of moments lost. I'm not near my mom or my sisters so some days my heart twists just a bit at the longing for sharing those times with them. On my 20 minute drive up to another shopping area the tears came. Sometimes I'm really lonely. Yes, even surrounded by friends at every corner, that emptiness can creep in and settle for a bit. I had the radio on, tuned to KLOVE with Christmasy tunes one after another. The DJ spoke: "Isn't it wonderful that because of our great Savior we can truly say that everyday is Thanksgiving". I stopped and marveled. Grandma Ruth said that "everyday is .... Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, your Birthday" all the time! So much that it would actually get annoying and I remember replying to her on more than one occasion that NO, it is not everyday, Grandma!

Ahh, Ruthie, speaking to me even through the radio...telling me to dry those tears and be glad for where I am now. And I am glad that she is still here, living on in my heart, while truly living in the presence of the King. Happy Birthday Grandma...I'll be listening. Love, Resa Ruth

This is the way we wash our clothes...

2010-12-29T08:15:00.007-06:00

"We're going to redo our kitchen." Yup, saved the best for last. Really, we've done something to about every inch of this house...including the kitchen floor...but what was really needed from the beginning (9 YEARS ago-gasp!) was a new kitchen sink! So Monday we started building a new laundry room.

What? Well, our laundry room is off the kitchen--through the half bathroom--and my lovely friend Kathy happened to remark that the only space we have to make the kitchen larger (w/o moving the entire back wall of the house) is into the laundry room. Ah-ha! This cramped, tiny little room has been a workhorse and could be much worse...but it will be even better as a walk-in pantry/utility room!

So Eric and I had been wanting to peer into the attic space along the upstairs hallway that connects the master bedroom and Elena's room to see what we had back there. He cut a lovely chunk of drywall out:

And this is what we saw...perfect! Well, almost...there are some tricky spots, but it will work!

Travis, Eric's brother offered to come help this Monday...and believe me, you don't turn that man down on an offer of help...he knows what he's doing and works hard! That's him standing in our hallway that is about to have a huge hole cut into it.

He brought the whole family, so me and the kids got to play with all four of their girlies and my sis-in-law Kim for the day!

Time for snacks in the jump-o-line!

Yup, that's a hole.

Kai got to help move up the subfloor. He got those worker gloves with his tool set for Christmas...he's so excited. Let me find a picture real quick.

He's so stinkin' cute!

So, the guys got the subfloor in after spending HOURS rerouting electrical wire then the roof support wall framed. The wiring job was wild. Evidently our builder just strung things this way and that...and all of it was right across this area.

Yesterday, before disc golf of course, Eric framed up the entryway which will eventually have double beveled hinged doors. The washer and dryer will sit right behind the doors with just enough room for access to the left and right for storage, a loooong counter or folding table and maybe a craft nook for me (if I can squeeze it in).

And last night I got to help put in insulation along the roof. Wow, that makes it sound easy.

So there she waits...framing the ceiling is up next, then he'll start hanging drywall and we'll get a plumber in to move the water lines and drain.

I mean, really, who wants to just sit around during Christmas break? May as well start a huge project that will lead to another huge-er project! Just wouldn't be our home without it!

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-23T19:55:00.006-06:00

Overflowing with ornaments, both old and new, our Christmas tree is one of our favorite traditions and decorations for the season. No, we don't cut ours down from a nearby field or even pick it up from a local tree lot...I keep it nice and cozy wrapped in an old comforter in the attic for 11 months of the year.

It's tall and thin...a good thing when you consider how much furniture occupies our living room...and came from another home in our city, recycled at a garage sale (shocking, I know). It only leans a little so a couple magazines under the base help set it straight.

As a child, I received one special ornament each year. My mom kept all of them until I had my own apartment in college and since then they have been a part of my own traditions...adding a new one each year for first me and Becca, my roomie, then Eric, and now for all three kiddos too.

Origins and meaning of the Christmas tree tradition are varied, but at our home, we talk about it as the evergreen being a symbol of the everlasting life we have in Jesus and the gifts beneath the boughs representing the gift that eternal life is...found only through the Christ child whose birth is the true meaning of the season! Merry Christmas everyone!

The Morning After

2010-12-17T09:39:00.007-06:00

A "late" night for the kiddos as we went bowling with some of our favorite friends, the Comos, and Zane is finally not grouchy this morning since I plopped him in front of Elmo's World playing the hair episode. Oh, yes, hair. Typically, I'm not one to stay up much past midnight. Last night, however, I crawled in bed at 2:30 a.m. after my latest hair adventure.

As my *gasp* roots started to show up again the last few weeks, I decided the drastic contrast of radiant red to honey brown needed to be tempered a bit. I'm really not one to color my hair every 6 weeks and that's what's been going on. Maybe if I was going for a relaxing day at the salon I'd be game...but smearing my head with mud for hours on end? No. Thank You.

So I did a bit more digging on my favorite henna website and found out I could add a plant called buxus to henna to make it browner. I can't make my hair lighter with plant dyes, but browner, yes. I ordered a supply and last night tried out a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of henna and buxus going for a nice, rich cinnamon. It was actually an enjoyable experience this time as my dolly friend, Molly, who just happens to be a fabulous hair stylist, came to help and see what in the world I've been doing with this natural stuff! We smeared and smooshed, this time in an orderly fashion (see this post for my crazy first try), and had my head wrapped up in less than an hour. After 2 1/2 hours I rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and washed and rinsed some more. Then started to dry it and had to go rinse more. (Rinsed starts to be a weird word if you use it enough times in a sentence.) This morning? Whaa-la:

Okay, so it doesn't look that different--yet. Once again I have about 4 days for the color to oxidize and darken, so it will probably be really brown by Monday. Certainly it is less coppery and feels so nice and silky...the down side is the lovely earthy smell...kind of like old tea leaves...that will linger for a couple weeks. I suppose I could borrow some of Elena's perfume?

Enough about that...here's another Kai funny. Yesterday we were folding towels together and just being kind of quiet (amazing!) and he softly says "fart me". I know what that means, so I stay quiet and don't say anything. Sure enough, he goes on to explain in his very matter-of-fact-way: "Mom, when I fart, I say "fart me" instead of "excuse me" so then you know it's a fart, not a burp". "Thank you, dear" is all I can say.

Funny Boy

2010-12-15T09:02:00.006-06:00

Kai is a bit of a born comedian. He'll do or say about anything for a laugh. It's a God-given gift as neither Eric nor I are very funny...we have to get around Eric's Mom and Chuck to get the giggles as they laugh all the time.

Anyway, the kids and I were just telling the cow jokes on the side of our yogurt cups this morning and I remembered something from last month. I was wanting the kids to try out 4H for a potential "club" type thing for them to do together so we went to one meeting. When they did the roll-call, each person had to tell their favorite animal. Most were normal favorites--dog, cat, horse, bunny etc.

"Kai Eastwood?"

Loud and clear he answers: "PLATYPUS!"

Lots of snickers and he sits back with a satisfied smirk on his cute face.

Certainly this answer was from too much exposure to Phineas and Ferb (our favorite cartoon), but clever none-the-less.

Meal Plan Monday...on Tuesday

2010-12-14T19:12:00.005-06:00

So I've been using Plan to Eat the last few months for the task that ranks way up at the top of my dreaded household responsibilities: planning meals, shopping and cooking. Ugh! It's been a bit of work getting it all set up. Actually they even list my stats on my account page:

Since I signed up on September 15 (here's how I decided to try it out) I have:

Spent 6.8 hours using Plan to Eat
Added 102 recipes to my recipe book
Meal planned 256 recipes and items

Most of that 6.8 hours was spent adding recipes and figuring out efficient ways to group items for meals. Today was the first day I feel like it really is getting to be a great tool at our house. I had a 20 minute window to get a grocery list ready for the next 7 days. In 15 minutes I had planned out--meaning put recipes on a calendar, printed a grocery list with every item (less those already in my kitchen) and printed a dated menu to post--breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack for the whole week~including a couple special items for a family Christmas dinner. Fabulous! Do you know how long that used to take?? Seriously, like 2-3 hours between interruptions!

Elena really loves the posted menu! She no longer whines around wondering what she should have for snack...just looks at the menu and pulls it out. No more *hard* decisions, phew!

The recipes not already in my PTE cookbook I imported from a website, taking about 30 seconds each (in this case from Taste of Home), including the picture. Each ingredient on the recipes I add to my planner go straight to my shopping list. The grocery list was sorted by aisle with little check boxes next to each item~love~! So after my lunch date I spent about an hour at Price Chopper breezing through the isles (well, kind of...I didn't have any children with me so it's all relative) and spent a measly $150 and some change. I'm not buying "just in case" items or guessing at what I need for snacks anymore, saving the moo-lah. Nice.

I've started a binder with all my PTE recipes, each in it's own page protector, that I'm planning on making my main cookbook. No more digging through multiple books and magazines every night--whoo-hoo! I added some tabbed dividers so I can file the recipes in the same manner as I keep them online, in ABC order of course. Right now I have to print them as I'm ready to use them...I probably just need to print as I add them...hmmm. Anyway, it's then simple to look at the posted menu, flip to the right section of the binder and pull the desired recipes out. The page protector keeps them clean and I set them up in my kitchen window while I cook.

Once I get really in the groove, I'm going to go back and add the approximate cost of each recipe. This, in turn, will give me an estimate for my grocery shopping as I add items to the list. Wow. That may actually be too much control-freak for even me!

So if you're still running around like a chicken with her head cut off every night for supper (or maybe breakfast and snack time too, like me), you might click over and give Plan to Eat a try with their free 30-day trial. It is a bit of time and work to get it going just your way, but way worth it in my opinion! Happy Homemaking!

Holiday Food Fun!

2010-12-13T22:22:00.007-06:00

We've just been having a ball in the kitchen this holiday season! Besides all the gingerbread mania, we got crafty for Thanksgiving making Turkey Day Dinner cupcakes and Mr. Potato Turkeys.

Elena is hard at work adding melted chocolate "gravy" over the slices of turkey. Each cupcake plate included green peas, mashed potatoes with melted butter (not fried eggs, thank you very much), and some cranberry sauce on the side. The recipe was on Family Fun's website...I just love their ideas! So much that I just subscribed for another year of their magazine. Too cute

These are my cutie-patootie nieces posing with their Mr. Potato Turkeys...another Family Fun idea. They were potatoes with onion wings, pepper feathers and carrot beaks with cashew waddles. Cute, cute, cute (the turkeys too!).

Then today we were at it again...this time with mini-gingerbread houses for teacher gifts and reindeer cookies for the kids' Cookies and Carols event tomorrow.

Elena and Kai are really starting to be pros at the decorating side of things...I just give them each a bag of frosting and a pile of candy and they hit it! Before you start thinking how nice that would be, please take a look at what they left behind.

And my poor kitchen ends up in this state more often than I would like! Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow....?

Ahhh, my favorite part of all this is that these are memories in the making! I remember making Christmas cookies with my family probably more than any other annual event. Ya know, the sprinkles in the cracks of the table, the crunch of red hots that are smothering the star shaped sugar cookie, the thrill of using your favorite cookie cutter each year (I like our stocking and star ones)!

Here's hoping you're enjoying some family traditions at your house! Blessings ~Resa

Gingerbread Excitement!

2010-12-05T12:02:00.005-06:00

Look how proud this girly is! She is posing with her prizes after her Candy Castle won the Judge's Choice at the Gingerbread Contest/Silent Auction. We are so excited for Elena's accomplishment...she chose a really fun design and added lots of intricate details to her creation this year.

Kai also did a great job on his house...he loved that the candy on the front looked like a frown face with sad eyes (don't ask me why "sadness" should be any part of a candy house, but what can I say...he's five).

Whoever won his house got an autographed masterpiece...that is KAI spelled out in pretzels on the back. His favorite part was the backyard fire pit made out of Juicy Fruit sticks with peppermints all around.

There were 18 entries...and they were all crafted with love and imagination! Kudos to Dianna Scalf and her crew for organizing a great event for the Raymore Parks Foundation. I really love being able to teach my kids about serving the community while having fun and being creative. A great lesson in giving...they are stoked that their efforts might help take care of their soccer fields!

The kids loved voting for their favorites by dropping quarters in the jars!

After much deliberation on how to decorate my row houses, I think the end result was very nice. I also think meticulous people should beware of gingerbread decorating...the level of perfection you set in your brain may lead to insanity. At least for a couple days. Anyway, I suppose it is less stressful than a wedding cake while still letting me get the food artist bug out of my system. For awhile.

The sucker sticks on the peppermints were the only non-edible items in the design. I loved making the wrought iron fencing. It's spaghetti coated with black royal icing. The piped on garland made it look a lot less "haunted housey". And we all loved the milk chocolate candy rocks! I dug out the red ones for a bit of path leading up to the chocolate covered graham steps.

Since my theme was "Peace, Love & Joy in San Francisco" (inspired by Eric and I's trip there last March) I couldn't sprinkle everything with snow...dang! I mean, I could have, but according to good ol' google it only snows there once every 25 years or so.

And thanks to my dear sister Jodi who gave me long-distance advice on details (yay for email photos)...the candles in the windows added the perfect touch! I tried something new for the grass and green bushes this year: crushed Triscuits mixed with lots of green coloring carried in a corn syrup base. I think a lot of people use tinted coconut but I didn't have any. For the bushes I rolled some mini marshmallows in green royal and then rolled them in the cracker concoction. Worked like a charm...especially since I had to squeeze them on after I had placed the yard ornaments.

So that's a wrap! If you'd like the pattern for the row houses, Kai's elf house or the farmhouse from two years ago, visit Ultimate Gingerbread. We have a bunch of mini houses we are making as gifts so as long as Eric doesn't eat all the candy before then...we'll be living in gingerbread land a little bit longer. Blessings, Resa

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-01T11:56:00.002-06:00

Cute Baby Gift!

2010-11-30T17:37:00.004-06:00

This darling Rocking Dragon is what we ordered for Zane's Christmas gift. Is it not the cutest thing ever?

It's on backorder from One Step Ahead until December 3rd so I hope they get a big shipment and we get ours! Here's a link if you want one for your cute little one...plus their special this week is $5 flat shipping.

I'm getting giddy!

17 Years Ago...

2010-11-29T21:39:00.004-06:00

Okay, you have to wait to read about this day in my past...the fun news? Dunt da da daaa...I'm typing on my brand new iMac! Love. Little tricky with the tee-tinsy keyboard and getting used to a mouse again (been in laptop land a loooong time) but all in all it's awesome.

We got our deal on Black Friday (which I still have yet to recoup all my sleep from btw) and Eric set it up Saturday. Only bad news is that I couldn't convince him to sign me up for One to One...he said I don't have time. Whaat? Me? Is he crazy? Oh yes, and that he could teach me anything I wanted to know. Yee-ah...that always sounds good, but evidently I always think there should be a better way to do "stuff" so I'm a horrid student. Whatever.

Well, 17 years ago tonight I was on my first date with this guy Eric who asked me out kinda out of the blue. It had been a weird Thanksgiving break...I went to my ex-boyfriend's family dinner (why?) I suppose for some closure. That or to suffer through the afternoon...can you say *awkward*? Should have got my "stuff" back that day--like my senior key and the pricey 8x10 sexy senior picture of myself--ya know so I could give it to some other guy later on. Anyway, I think that was the last I saw of him! Then one of the previously mentioned guys kinda invited himself out to meet my parents. Ooooo-kaay. Not that into you dude, but whatever makes you happy? That was weird too. Ugh!

Back to the best part...the date. Eric picked me up at my dorm in his way-awesome silver Pontiac Sunbird. At least I think that's what it was. All I remember was that he made sure to point out the very-stretched-out lacy prom garter dangling from his car mirror was indeed just "very-stretched-out"...he didn't go with a fat girl. (Please tell me why I remember some things?) We went for dinner at Subway...woot, woot! (I hate Subway now...not related to the date.) Then we went to the mall theater to see A Perfect World with Kevin Costner. Back home to Nation Hall, a quick good-night kiss at the door and done! Poof! History made!

I did happen to jot down a couple lines in my journal that night:

"Monday, November 29, 1993 12:20 am (on Tues)
I just walked Eric to the door after our first date. He seems like a pretty awesome guy~we're going out again on Friday so who knows."

Wow! Gotta love those details! It jumps pretty far and fast from there peeps. In January he told me he loved me...and I was on cloud nine. Actually wrote that I felt like the happiest girl in the world and my heart just took off and flew away. CHEESY! Blech...so corny, so young. Makes me laugh now!

Many drama-filled months later, we were engaged the summer of '95 and married in May of 1996. I still had a year to finish at Pitt, then we were off for Knoxville while Eric attended grad school at UT.

And tonight, to celebrate? Well, I kinda forgot that tonight was the anniversary...and it was the whole reason I started these posts! Was going to get a sitter and plan a night out...oh well! Maybe next year. We had a pretty yummy meal of Greek pork and some turkey day left overs with the three kiddos. He's watching TV and I'm, well, you know what I am doing. Ah, the simple things are nice. Love ya babe!

Gingerbread Days!

2010-11-24T08:13:00.004-06:00

We're baking gingerbread today! The Raymore Breakfast with Santa is Saturday, December 4 and we always make a couple houses for their Gingerbread House Silent Auction. The proceeds go towards our parks department and we love supporting their endeavors. This year I'm using a pattern for Row Houses and the kids are each making a house too!

Here is my entry from last year. The gal who won it kept it for displaying again this year. It was much fun to make...even had working lights inside!

I used the pattern for the Phantom House (a Halloween house, obviously) at the Haunted Dimensions website and just left off the porch and made it Christmas-y. They use cookie dough for their main house, but gingerbread works great (better in my opinion).

Then two years ago (gasp!...that seems like forever ago...I was 6 mos. pregnant with Zane) we each made a house. I was experimenting with recipes that year so poor Kai's caved in!

This one was done using the Farmhouse Pattern from Ultimate Gingerbread. I LOVE their site...navigating it can be a bit tricky, but it is packed with great ideas, patterns and recipes. Here is a link to their gingerbread construction-grade recipes: CLICK HERE and the one I use is called "My Favorite Gingerbread Dough" found if you scroll down to the bottom of that page.

I hope you take some time this Christmas to try out some gingerbread making fun! We started out a few years ago with the easy kits they sell all over the place...perfect for kids and less-ambitious grown-ups...and believe me, much less mess!

17 Years Ago...

2010-11-22T21:08:00.003-06:00

Things were quieting down on campus for the Thanksgiving holiday. It turned out that lots of kids headed home early after classes let out Monday afternoon. I was car-less and therefore at the mercy of my good friends to make the 3 hour trek back to Cheney which wouldn't be until the next day.

Never being classified as a neat-freak, my dorm room was in its typical state of organized chaos, and for some strange reason I decided to tidy up a bit. Afterwards, I remember thinking how nice it was to sit on a smoothly made bed listening to CDs while looking up at my neat desk and beautiful collection of MardiGras ceramic masks hanging on the cider block walls. While perched on said bed, a soft knock came at the door. "Hmmm, who could that be?", I wondered. My door was half open so I peered around to see...oh my...it was that Eric guy again!

I have fuzzy memories of the actual conversation, though I do recall being nervous...and glad I cleaned up my room! He asked me out on a date...a real dinner and movies date...and we agreed on the following Monday...right after the break. I was a bit smitten. He was really cute! And what nerve, lurking around until someone let him in our dorm and then just walking up to my door...what else was there to do? Text? Email? Ha.

So here's the kicker. When I was around 12 or 13 I had a dream about my wedding. Vivid dream. I was walking down the aisle, but my groom had his back to me. The only distinction about him that remained ingrained in my memory was the color of his hair...dark, dark brown. Every boyfriend that I scrawled my name with his last name attached to it in my diary I knew wouldn't be the one...the blond, the redhead, the mousy brown, well, one other had dark hair, but I kinda knew it wasn't a forever thing there. But this Eric guy? Dark brown hair....almost black. Something about him made my knees a little wobbly...maybe it was the dream, maybe something else, but for the first time I found myself a little at a loss for words and, dare I say, a bit shy?

*****

Have a great Thanksgiving week y'all! We'll be gingerbreading on Thursday and the new Mac is hopefully coming home with us Friday. Yeeeee!

17 Years Ago...

2010-11-19T10:45:00.008-06:00

The date was Friday, November 19, 1993 and I'm guessing it was a fairly normal day. Classes. Eating in the dorm cafeteria...I can't even remember what we called it. Chit chat here and there. I do remember thinking I needed to be in bed asleep by 11 or so if I was going to be up early the next morning for the road trip.

After supper, my girlfriends started talking about the big party they were going to later. Okay, they were probably talking about it at breakfast. And lunch. But whatever. When I said I was staying in for the evening the pressure began. "Oh, come on! It's just down the street. It will be fun. Pleeeease come with us!!!" And like any girl not-so-firm in her resolutions, I caved....on one condition...I was not going out to Hollywood's (our bar) after the party.

From there it was who was wearing what and prettying ourselves up. Hot rollers in my long, dark brown (recently colored) hair. I wore my favorite shirt: a chocolate brown, velvety bodysuit. Remember those? They snapped down below like a baby onesie so they would stay nicely tucked into our high-waist jeans cinched with a belt. Donned my black ZCavaricci jeans. Nice. I was hot. Oh, yeah, baby. I know we had Prince cranked up and blaring down the hall. We jammed out to him every night out...what was the one song? Let's Go Crazy? Kiss? I can't remember, but there was one in particular.

Then off we went...the Chateau Apartments. Now let me tell you, those were some niiiice apartments! Two or three floors of, what, about 12 apartments each? They all opened out into an interior lobby up and down. The throngs of people were not unusual for any typical college keg party. Squeezing in and making our way to the beer station, it was tight, loud, and smelled like 150 college crazies fresh and ready for a night on the town.

I was teamed up with Jill...my pretty neighbor from down the hall with white-blond curls and a big smile. She was tons of fun and knew a lot of people from being on the track team. Since I was not particularly super-excited at being out, not drinking, and keeping an eye on the clock, I honestly wasn't paying much attention to the people around me. It wasn't long before I probably had that "I'm so bored and you are so stupid" look on my face that is hard to camouflage.

And then it happened. Jill drug me over to introduce me to a group of her track friends, and one I remember most particularly. He wasn't tall, but had dark hair and kind eyes. I believe the word "fine" would have been a term used to describe such a guy. "Resa, this is my friend Eric." I don't remember exact words...probably "hey, nice to meet you etc." "that's an unusual name...blah, blah, blah". And on we went.

Maybe 45 minutes later, this Eric guy runs into me as I'm trying to melt into the crowd between floors (I'm so ready to go home). He points at me and says "heyyy...you're Jill's friend ...uh.... Resa!...that's it!" I am unimpressed with his slightly inebrieated "hey-ing" with the finger pointing...yeah. He tells me they are all headed to Hollywood's and I should come with them. "No thanks. I'm done and going in for the night." Back and forth that conversation goes, not only with him, but eventually with my girlfriends as well. Thankfully, I escape and make it the few blocks home on my own.

Ahhh, a quiet hall and quieter yet room. I change into my regal purple, terry-cloth robe, grab my basket of shower gear and head down the hall for a nice, hot steaming. Not more than a couple steps outside my door I stop short. A small crowd of people are laughing and making their way towards me. Frozen, I look straight in to the face of the guy from the party with Jill and a some other friends close behind.

"So you really are calling it a night" he says. "I thought you were just blowing me off." I'm thoroughly embarrassed, not to mention completely naked under my robe, but I try to play it cool and choke out a "Yup. Really just here heading to the showers." "And this is your room?" he asks. "Uh-huh" I say with a small smile. Awkward silence. Then the group calls out to him and he's off with a see-ya.

Chance meeting? Not quite. There was an orchestrater far greater than he or I making sure the timing of each our steps that day would end up at just the right intersections. And aren't I so glad He did.

17 Years Ago...

2010-11-18T08:44:00.009-06:00

It was fall of 1993 and I was 18. Living in Nation Hall at Pittsburg State in SE Kansas, my life revolved around new friends (a few old ones), the excitement of being "on my own", and perhaps sadly, boys, er, men? ah...let's call them guys.

I had recently broken off a two-year relationship with a guy from back home, something I will never regret doing, though I do wonder what happened to him...hmmm. From there it was just a blur of nights out meeting new people at every turn. The girls on my floor...the lovely basement in our all-girl dorm--my, look at the paint job we did...went out every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night. A few of us non-Greek gals called ourselves the GDI's and liked to frequent the SigmaChi house best.

One of my fellow basement dwellers (not a GDI though now one of my dearest friends) gave me a journal as a "secret pal" gift in October...and from it's contents I can tell you I was a mess. Confusion was a word oft repeated on the pages. My list of guys included Dan, the "I only talk when I'm drunk" SigmaChi that was a really good kisser; Jas, the tormented artist who's heart was broken; Sheridan, the "I'm a senior and need to find a bride" Christian; and Ariel, the guy from Argentina who was just learning English, but I felt I would be friends with forever. Oh, yes, and the guy across campus from my high school who I'd had a secret crush on since eighth-grade and could never tell because one of my best friends had a not-so-secret crush on him too (I'm sorry D...if you're reading this I don't think I ever told you!).

Anyways, what 18-year old doesn't like a bit of drama in her love life, right? So for the coming weekend, I had plans to go with Sheridan on a harmless trip to Manhattan to watch the High School state football championship. I think his school must have been playing in it. At least it would be an escape from Pittsburg for the day. Friday night I even decided to stay in since we were leaving at the crack of dawn Saturday morning.

And then God had another plan...but I'll save that for tomorrow.

The Gratitude Project

2010-11-17T11:28:00.003-06:00

My dear friend Amy has started a blog. Or should I say: My dear friend Amy has started a blog!!! I'm very excited because in the relatively short time I have known her, she has poured so much wisdom into my little life that I'm anxious to learn more from and about her. Not to mention her witty sense of humor that I totally "get". Or that her suggestion of going the Charlotte Mason-way has completely revamped the look of homeschool at our house.

Anyway, Monday she posted that she has joined the Gratitude Community at A Holy Place...now my poor old browser (yes, I'm still complaining about my old computer...9 days and counting) couldn't handle that blog for some reason so I didn't make it over there to check out the details...but the gist is that you list 20 things you are grateful/thankful each Monday until you reach your goal.

I decided this was a great way to lead up to Thanksgiving around here so we started our Thanksgiving List. Indeed a great way to keep the focus off the ever-more-oft-mentioned Christmas Lists. 20 items a day should give us 200 blessings by Turkey Day; being Wednesday, we're up to 60...and it is a hodge-podge of yours-mine-and-ours as we have mass brain storming sessions to create the list with one rule: no repeats (though some are a bit close). I will attempt to not put side notes or sarcastic comments next to various items (but perhaps unfortunately, they are there in my brain!).

Soccer
T-Ball
Christmas
Food
Yummy-yummy food
My room
My canopy
My coach-Daddy
Tackle box
My husband who works hard to care for all of us
Television
Movies
Clothes
The world
An unseasonably warm fall
Summer
Sunny days
Sidewalk chalk drawings
Naomi, Stella & Ava
Disc golf
Discs
Hole-in-ones
Playing disc golf with Vince & Jeremy
Drinking beer w/Jeremy
Free beer from Jeremy
Randyl's new job
Eating candy
Zane
Chase, Will & Mia
Ice cream
Sleeping
New windows
The piano
Neighbor Kim
Caden & Marin
David & Kayla
Good friends
Grandmas & Grandpas
Our whole family
Elena
Kai
Dear sister Jodi
Warm sweaters
My bed
books
cowboy boots
bicycles
snowglobes
playgrounds
hot tea
close soccer fields @ the park
Miss Kim's pool
hats
snuggles from little ones
our van
markers
chalk
Halloween
Thanksgiving
my drawings

The Countdown is On...

2010-11-15T14:52:00.003-06:00

Just 11 more days until we order our new Mac! I'm so excited I could do a little happy dance...but I'll save that for next Friday. Evidently the ONLY day of the year Mac offers a sale is Black Friday so we are jumping on it. We have a couple other avenues to pursue discount-wise, but this one is the easiest. Plus, who doesn't want to go join the throngs of shoppers that day?

To give you an idea of how old this current puter is...it's a Mac PowerBook G4 running Mac OS X 10.3.9, gifted to us already loved back in 2004 or so. We've added memory and more memory and upgraded everything we can to keep it functional, but now it's nearly impossible to mess with pictures or do much anything but basics online. (One reason my blogging is sporadic as I have to gear myself up to jump through the hoops getting pictures uploaded every time.)

Once we get our new iMac I have big plans!

I'm signing up for One to One at the Apple store to learn all kinds of new goodies and to figure out the best way to transfer all our old info to the new machine.
I'm going to make photobooks! Lots of them!
I'm going to give my blog a face lift by revamping the design, adding in some tech-savvy widgets that I've studied over at Erica's Confessions blog, and start writing regularly again, just for fun!

To some people that all might sound like torture of the worst kind, but I'm excited for cold winter evenings spent cozied up to the soft glow of the computer screen...mixed in with a few good Austen and Austen-esqe books, of course.

My Monday thoughts have been dwelling there for a bit...otherwise it's so far been a good day!

I finally found the world's best (read: cheap, works and is green) degreasing cleaner for the kitchen and scrubbed all my cabinets and appliances PLUS under the hood above the stove. I confess, I just don't go there usually. I really didn't think there was something that would easily clean all that gunk w/o the use of a gas mask. It's washing soda! Arm&Hammer makes it and I bought it to use as a laundry booster, but saw it's claims on the side of the box and took it for a whirl. Whoo-hoo! The only drawback is that you must rinse, but seriously, anything that will wipe stuck on gunk off with a simple swipe of a cloth is a miracle worker for me.

We have Bunco tonight, and though I'm not in the running for Bunco Queen this year, I'm super excited to see who wins the big pot!! Pretty sure it will be Sara or Angie. Kim is hosting but we're playing here at my pad. Shall be good times!

Our toads have stopped eating even though we recently cleaned out their entire tank. Go figure. I'm going to have to kill the chirpin' crickets that are crawling around their abode so we can all sleep in peace.

Ah, I guess I should stop procrastinating finishing up school with the kids and maybe doing my floors before my friends come over and stick to the tiles with their shoes. Toot-a-loo!

Momma VS. Toys

2010-10-06T19:07:00.007-05:00

So the playroom (i.e. basement) and I finally battled it out. Ya know, I was just DONE wading through toys and dress-up clothes strewn all over. Are you up on your Berenstain Bears reading? Well, I about had the same meltdown that Mama Bear had over the kids' room...big box ready to clear it all out and pitch it!

Instead, I've opted to try and sell it! During my hemming and hawing over exactly what to do with all the piles of plastic, I ran into my friend Jennifer at the park. Just so happens she bought the Here We Grow Again kid's consignment sale franchise and was gearing up for their first sale (details will follow). And so began the clearing and the organizing like never before...we've even packed up all the baby things now that we're done (Lord willing) with newborns!

Our van is loaded and ready to roll to drop off approximately 275 items tomorrow morning!!! Clothes and books and toys and baby equipment out the wazoo!

I really think everyone is happier with our nice and livable playroom now...see all their pretty smiles sitting on my side-of-the-road-find loveseat? (BTW I'm going to slipcover it for my bedroom one of these days).

Zane is discovering all kinds of new fun toys that were before hidden in the masses...here's his first look at a yo-yo. Hmmmm....

All the toys are sorted in to baskets, boxes or fabric cubes and I had a ball making laminated labels with clip art to tie on--with pretty ribbons, of course! (Yeeeee....don't you just LOVE the hum of a laminator?) I think the best part is that I actually had all the containers, just repurposed some things to make them work.

When we refinished our basement 7 years ago, I had Eric turn the space under the stairs into a playroom. My mom's best friend's house had one of these and I have some of my favorite childhood memories playing under there.

This would be the alternate entrance....

And here are all the nice neat toys...believe it or not, it still looks about like this three weeks later. And we've played down there a lot! (Oh, that shelf just happens to be another side of the road find!--a waterbed headboard that I panted white.)

I suppose there is still a lot of play equipment, but someday we'll be ready to set up the ping-pong table again!

Well, hopefully this was a little inspiration to clean out your toys before the Christmas reboot OR I've talked you into heading out to the Here We Grow Again sale this week to buy more fun stuff for your kiddos! It's actually a great place to get a head start on Christmas shopping!! The sale opens to the public at 7 a.m. this Thursday at the Crystal Ballroom/Roadway Inn just off 71 Highway and 155th Street. Saturday is the half-price day and you can shop from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Happy Shopping...or Organizing!

The Great Henna Experiment Continues

2010-10-05T13:33:00.003-05:00

I have final before/after pics of my own henna'ed head at the end of this post, but this time it was my sister Jodi's turn! Her head has about twice as much hair on it as mine...we're talking a veritable mop. It's beautiful, thick and naturally wavy (jealous!).

We're glad our husbands are such good sports with all the hair coloring experiments we've tried over the years. Nate looks like he thinks we're crazy or something! I can't imagine why?

It took every last bit of 300g's of henna mixed with lemon juice and some raspberry tea to stretch it to cover her locks. It was a heavy load on top of her head!

Ahhh, but the results! This is day one for her...almost the same as my final color so I'm anxious to see how rich and dark it will get.

Here's my before (again) and....today, two weeks after henna. I think this experiment is a keeper!

Another Sojourn to Wichita

2010-10-05T13:23:00.003-05:00

This time we visited Wichita just for a couple days...one of them VERY important. It was Stella Joy's 4th birthday! YAY!

Kai and Stell were playing with a little toy frog on a chilly evening...for those of you who don't know Stella, well, she poses for every picture. I'm guessing this one snapped before the whole angelic look was set!

Ahhh, baby Ava is such a dolly!

This is actually what most of my pictures of these hoodlums looked like! They were BUSY!

On our way out of town, we went with the Hart's to their Monday morning hang-out place, Squeak's! Only the best donuts for us!

Mmmmmmph, Momma, I wuv donut holes!

Elena's Half Birthday

2010-10-05T13:16:00.004-05:00

Not sure how we started celebrating half-birthdays, but it sure is fun! We figure any excuse for cupcakes is a good one! Since Elena is SEVEN and a HALF now, I let her use the hand mixer for the first time. She did great!

My kids are never anxious for cake or anything...

And seven just really is a great age...some days we're all grown up and then some days...yay, the little girl is still there!

And then there's the one and a half year old...oh dear!