Blinks

It is. It really is just a blink.
In the midst of it, sometimes it seems like forever. There have been a few days when I've said, "Just 3 more years and Boog and I will be able to really travel with our family....." (meaning, Sophie at this age is just not a great traveler!)
But at the same time I say it, I also know that I don't want to rush any of this. Just a few blinks ago, Sophie was this little chubby baby thing....

Sweetness. Pure & Simple.
(Look at that gummy mouth!)

And this is my ALL time favorite picture of Grace.
A little girl giggling in the yard.

Beauties with their daddy.

There's no way to make the blinks go by any slower. I guess I'm being a little nostalgic these days, but tonight my 6 year old made her own school lunch. I've officially been "axed" from that job. Services no longer needed. What's next? She does her own laundry? (Ok...she can have that one.) But oh my. These blinks. How precious.

Zumba Love You Long Time

Ok. So my sister has the Zumba love. She took a few classes a couple years ago, caught the bug, and now is a HOT Zumba Team instructor rotating shifts with a few girls (including Ted Nugent's wife....go figure!)
I love seeing my sister, who until taking the class, thought fitness was the devil. She loathed her belly flab that three children gave her, and breathed hard if I even discussed exercising. In fact, yes....I'll admit it. I have always been the "fit" sister. I have a few 5k's under my belt, a few weight training courses, even taught a few classes in college.......so yes. I'm a bit envious. Envious of her sleek, trim healthy figure. Her toned arms. And envious of the time she has available to do the Zumba instructing to begin with.
But envy is only the extremely thin top layer of my emotional cake. The bottom layers are full of well, heart swelling pride that my sister is really good at this. Really good! Check out her video...she's workin' it.

Zumba Love You Long Time!! Maybe one day for me.....

Here They Come....

.....Walkin' Down the Street.....
They Get the Funniest Looks From....Evry'one They Meet.....

Hey, Hey they're the Monkeys!

That song is the only thing I think about when I look at these pictures. My two little monkeys. They truly are at a precious, precious age right now. Grace is 6 and loves having a baby sister around (even though bouts of jealousy occur every so often!). And Sophie is just small enough to be so darn cute to not be the annoying little sister. I give it about one more year and Grace will totally be annoyed. I hope it's one more year......

This school year has started off with, not a bang, but a bust really. School's great for Grace, but it's a little hard on momma. It's tougher for me to leave Sophie this time. I've been feeling a bit weepy all week long. I hope that subsides soon. Or will it ever? Everything is just going too fast.
Why can't I hold the note?

It really won't spoil the song too bad......

First Day of 1st!

First Grade

She wanted her hair in pigtails.
Her backpack didn't look so huge.
She woke herself up, as she looked forward to her day.
She knew most of her classmates.
It was different than last year.
But I still got a kiss goodbye. I wonder when that will end?

First day of Kindergarten 2009.

Her New Thing....

She loves the ketchup.

She licks it. Swirls it around in her mouth. We give her french fries and she'll dip it into the ketchup, lick it off, then discard the fry. She uses it as some kind of 2-year-old face mask. She smooths it in her hair. She loves the ketchup. It's her BFF.

Thankfully, it cleans up halfway easy. Sigh.....

The Grass is Greener

Yard #1

Yard #2

It never fails. I've been doing this for 5 years now, and it never fails.

I'm at home during the summer with my girls.....enjoying the perks of time off, making breakfast at 10am, trying to figure out how we're going to spend our day, planning ventures out of the house around when I think Sophie will have a poopie. But occasionally I miss the good conversation & laughs that happen at work with my teammates.

Then flash forward. I'm back at school, enjoying those conversations & laughs, smack in the middle of a daily grind where you have - literally - only 10 seconds to think about anything outside of the school walls.... and where's my mind? It's back at home. Wondering what my girls are doing, wishing I could be with them making sandwiches for lunch, trying to figure out what in the heck Sophie is saying, and yes, even changing the poopie.

I love each of my jobs. My momma job and my teaching job. I get wore out doing them individually and ten times more wore out when doing them conjunctively. On the very same hand I'm so grateful to God who handed me this awesome teaching job several years ago, yet I am saddened to miss those precious hours with my baby whose growing so fast.

I have to remind myself that I am blessed beyond measure.....regardless of whose yard..... whichever yard I'm in. I just remind myself - the grass is green....period.

Summer's End

I know, just as surely, just as clearly, that this summer has been a work of art. All art is complete at some point. And to add to it would make it less desirable.

Photos of sweet moments remembered.

A summer where little girls were little girls. That I know will end all too quickly.

A few weeks off with my love....

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

Best Friends One Day

In order: Me, Sophie Monster, Cousin Landrie, Grace, Cousin Emerie (whew!)

When I say Whew! I mean Whew! We've been surrounded by little girls this past week. The city girls came to visit their country cousins. I love it. My sister and I, being the polar opposites that we already are, have very....ahem....different parenting styles. Hers a little looser and plusher....ours a little more strict and minimal. Neither being better than the other, just different. So it always takes a little adjustment when Grace goes there, or they come here.

But the girls handle it in style...or at least give "I can't believe this" looks....and the show goes on. They play, and pretend, and sing, and dance, and always a tent making process is involved. Rooms are turned into disaster areas and the song "Clean up, Clean up" is hummed just a few times by Sophie.

I'm glad Grace and Sophie have girl cousins so close in age. And my sister, with our parenting style difference and all, I'm so glad to have her as my BFF and I just know these girls will be that in the future! At least I hope so......

P90X Has Left The Building

So when my brother-in-law/fitness guru/P90X spy started to quiz me on "when am I going to start back working out" meaning really "Flo, when are you going to quit disappointing me" (yes...to those out there who don't already know....I quit the P90. Me apparently no likey P90 during summer.) I had no answer.

It has been several days....okay weeks...okay more like a month...and a half....since I've done any major sweat that didn't involve me sitting out in the sun by a pool.

I told him it's coming. I just don't know when. And then I proceded to explain all my difficulties that inhibit me from working out. Namely....I blamed it all on my girls. ; ) Motherhood is too taxing!

Anyhoo. I went directly from that conversation to engulfing a large portion of this HEAVENLY goodness I tasted a few days ago with some friends. OOOOOOhhh my. It will be a staple in my house. It's sheer oreo goodness!

24 Oreos About To Meet Their Death in a Blender

Death by Blue Bell

Death by Obesity

Want some? Here's the recipe!
24 Oreos, chopped in a food processor
1/2 stick butter
combine the two and press into a 9x13 pan. Freeze for 30 min.
Add a 1/2 gallon of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla on top (softened).
Freeze for at least an hour.

Make the homemade fudge sauce.
Melt 2T butter, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels, 1 cup powdered sugar, 5 oz evap. milk in a saucepan. Pour over frozen ice cream.

Put back in the freezer and let the thing sit for several hours. The longer it freezes the better!!!

Remodel Ready!

Whoa......

When we bought this house, we knew it was going to need a major facelift on the outside and total body overhaul on the inside. But we weren't skeered. After the Shack, we figured...we could do anything! That's part of what Boog and I really enjoy doing. Making something old shine again!

So we're about to start on our kitchen. This house was built in the 70's and really hasn't been changed much since then. Notice the fruit border? Lovely. I already ripped some of the upper cabinet doors off, just because I couldn't stand all the wood.

But it's got some nice space to work with.

First, see below. We plan on ripping out this middle wall, opening the kitchen to the living room. I think that will make a major difference. (Living room overhaul to come later! A coat of paint and new flooring should hopefully do the trick!)

I've been searching for inspiration ideas, and I think this one below fits the bill. I want the planks for shelves with the beadboard backing. Simple cabinets. Loving these light fixtures!!

This one is nice, too! I LOVE the shelves...thinking about doing that in our living/dining area!



And I couldn't resist this! I told Boog last night his ultimate "I love you" would be to build me a farm table using reclaimed wood. I love you, too, honey!


So I'm excited to start. Back to school provides a great way for us to be out of the house while the tearin' down is going on. I'll definitely have pictures for the bloggo!

WHAT Happened???

...to my precious cargo? The second child. The sweet face in the sonogram. The Sophie girl.

I must admit. Before Sophie, when it was just Grace, Boog and I were patting ourselves on the back. We thought we were goooooood. Grace really was an easy child. Mild temperament. Very few outbursts. Tenderhearted, therefore all we had to do was give her the "look" and she would behave. And all this time......I thought it was us.

Turns out, it was her. And this is Sophie.

Sophie Monster. My little petunia who has now gone full fledge into the "terrible 2's" at just 18 months. Talk about an accelerated learner! She literally tore the aisles down at Hallmark (we're never going there again). She's turned her cries into this high-pitch "Wheeeeee-eeeeee" sound that only dogs, and myself, can hear. She hits. She pinches. She jumps up and down on my back with the force of a 18-wheeler. And she knows what she wants....and she will get it.

If she wasn't so darn cute, I think I'd have to trade her in for a newer, slightly less finicky model. But she is so darn cute. Darn it.

First Monday Finds!

My hubs went golfing the other day after work, making it a long day with just me and the kiddos. So when he asked early Saturday morning, "Would you like to go to First Monday....I'll watch the girls." It took me no less than 30 minutes to shower, dress, eat a quick bit for breakfast, and head out the door. I can't tell you how excited I was to get to go places alone. I actually have time to think about purchases, dream, envision.....and I did just that.

I decided to go ahead and start getting ready for our upcoming remodel of our kitchen. I found fabric I loved for $5/yd! What a steal......these will become curtains for my kitchen and door window.

Start Sewing , Flo!

I found a few pieces of silver. Thanks to inspiration from a fellow blogger, I plan to collect and use these little diddies. Polishing and all!


This one had initials engraved!

A white plate for wall hanging!

And how cute was this? 1/2 price, so just $10. Not bad!

All in all, I took $40 and spent $40. I opted to not spend $10 for lemonade and corn dog, and I just stuck to my water and granola bar. $10 can go a looong way in Canton for me!

Thanks hubs for watching the girls!