tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2603564074809733202024-02-06T23:07:16.276-06:00and adeline too....I'm a work-from-home mom of two sweet and spicy girls and a charming little prince, living beautifully on a limited budget. Follow my adventures in couponing, sweepstaking, crafting, mothering, knitting, and trying my hardest to follow my Savior wherever He leads. As to the name of my blog, my oldest daughter's answer to every question is...and Adeline, too? I love that she wants to include her little sister in everything...Thanks for visiting!sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-67392728666237754202012-04-17T10:17:00.004-05:002012-04-17T10:24:13.109-05:00Sick Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_bBgn5RGYFfG9Ar5XYY7COpK9FKB1x0QrQcuZFqdG8iTLRMG6De0Gh1hdw19gdyYHz63p-prL7OKUnbEFPvBQkhyFhqC5kXRptMwVc5TocjBLAn8uCbsW-OefKfsgFvvrb8oYI98NU8-/s1600/579402_2771970633204_1676160139_1772463_351410921_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 315px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732390444267509922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_bBgn5RGYFfG9Ar5XYY7COpK9FKB1x0QrQcuZFqdG8iTLRMG6De0Gh1hdw19gdyYHz63p-prL7OKUnbEFPvBQkhyFhqC5kXRptMwVc5TocjBLAn8uCbsW-OefKfsgFvvrb8oYI98NU8-/s320/579402_2771970633204_1676160139_1772463_351410921_n.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>Goldilocks woke up this morning with a sore, froggy throat and a mild fever...she definitely wasn't herself last night, so I decided she needed a day to recuperate. So we're trying to think of quiet things to do here at home to keep her busy mind occupied. I'm glad I picked up a bunch of books on CD at the library on Saturday, so that will take up part of the day. And to make sure this sick day isn't so fun it turns into more "sick days", we'll definitely have to break out the homework and math flashcards. Thankfully, Hardware Hank is his usual mild-mannered, good-spirited little self, and Addiecakes is off to my "Mom's Group" with a friend so she doesn't miss out on playtime with her buds. Time to switch the laundry to the dryer and get working on coupons while Hardware Hank naps. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRrfJKewrVOGMz-BgVc-A0qMziMu0qreIt21STLIYJALnwkhHIDZsaEsxjkhipNBdtD7QQPwDd8m5tEW7u8toI64xzBHyaYGY2yr77jNcmA_bqkjY4M9UtY4dhprC96couPucLVhBBQfT/s1600/555473_2771972273245_1676160139_1772466_263355019_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732390447887419746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRrfJKewrVOGMz-BgVc-A0qMziMu0qreIt21STLIYJALnwkhHIDZsaEsxjkhipNBdtD7QQPwDd8m5tEW7u8toI64xzBHyaYGY2yr77jNcmA_bqkjY4M9UtY4dhprC96couPucLVhBBQfT/s320/555473_2771972273245_1676160139_1772466_263355019_n.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>Anyone have any good "sick day" ideas that don't involve becoming a TV/XBox zombie for the day?</div>sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-78079375061774870392012-04-11T14:38:00.003-05:002012-04-11T14:50:41.498-05:00Things I Love Today....and Every Day<div>After storytime today, I checked out the library's ongoing used book sale and found they had put out a bunch of "new" books. My haul:</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-iY-x0jLzNRyRDj18c7576wywxPhW_KKZTdqH_P68mzxarx4s2_G5JJNV2dbEuUwOYJRmnf1hMxaqj0p5SoZIv9b4AtqQTXsvHXFFaoBNyvtiC-ZrQ-wZLwW6GyeARRlyCwpOfMf6fOA/s1600/523412_2743725007081_1676160139_1759122_836630456_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730231993261566930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-iY-x0jLzNRyRDj18c7576wywxPhW_KKZTdqH_P68mzxarx4s2_G5JJNV2dbEuUwOYJRmnf1hMxaqj0p5SoZIv9b4AtqQTXsvHXFFaoBNyvtiC-ZrQ-wZLwW6GyeARRlyCwpOfMf6fOA/s320/523412_2743725007081_1676160139_1759122_836630456_n.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>"A Perfect Mess: Why You Don't Have to Worry About Being Good Enough for God" by Lisa Harper</div><br /><br /><div>"The Enclave" by Karen Hancock</div><br /><br /><div>"Gideon's Dawn" by Michael D. Warden</div><br /><br /><div>"The Heart Mender" by Andy Andrews (how do you end up with that name?)</div><br /><br /><div>"The Amber Photograph" by Penelope J. Stokes</div><br /><br /><div>"Heaven's Road" by Judith Pella</div><br /><br /><div>"Brides of the Empire: Three Romances Thrive among Christians of the First Century" by Darlene Mindrup</div><br /><br /><div>"Almost Heaven" by Chris Fabry</div><br /><br /><div>"Being a Great Mom, Raising Great Kids" by Sharon Jaynes</div><br /><br /><div>"Laugh Out Loud (Women of Faith)" by Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont, Luci Swindoll, etc...</div><br /><br /><div>"Sweetwater Gap" by Denise Hunter</div><br /><br /><div>"Revitalize Your Spiritual Life: A Woman's Guide to Vibrant Christian Living" by Sheila Walsh, Stormia Omartian, etc..</div><br /><br /><div>"Mayhem in Maryland" by Candice Speare</div><br /><br /><div>"Oregon Brides" by Tracey Bateman</div><br /><br /><div>"About What Was Lost: 20 Writers on Miscarriage, Healing, and Hope" by Jessica Berger Gross</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><strong>All for $15. Pretty cool, huh?</strong></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Other things I love today? My daily Diet Coke from McDonald's...you know how some people just <em>have</em> to have Starbucks coffee? I feel that way about McD's Diet Coke.</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1N_LuLjtVYxyLGjoPj8wp43GttU-SANZfeHh4HPHVktjKsh-O8TiH6JTpWuoUxNfDuSoEjLiE3mrz_WBD3b8URMz3ur8cejooiPUoBq1DTVPqRG11Pnt3dvbCodC0_km0NPas3qfUixh/s1600/536094_2743725687098_1676160139_1759124_7292386_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 186px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730232012084913026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1N_LuLjtVYxyLGjoPj8wp43GttU-SANZfeHh4HPHVktjKsh-O8TiH6JTpWuoUxNfDuSoEjLiE3mrz_WBD3b8URMz3ur8cejooiPUoBq1DTVPqRG11Pnt3dvbCodC0_km0NPas3qfUixh/s320/536094_2743725687098_1676160139_1759124_7292386_n.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>And pink cowboy boots on my handsome little cowboy...</div></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhxc_UzM_6kNirXoTzkwYSj5pA-7qwve-wZm89Dk7smDXoOxGI0ffnCNMBwHVLpQL3RiiPoUnCskC2b_sc0H9cuJea11v0ebc8U7BtlZiBtBDgNzZpX_1shfiBjEyGq4qf_MsD0C3Eckj/s1600/578630_2743727767150_1676160139_1759128_1403220394_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730232028608068114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhxc_UzM_6kNirXoTzkwYSj5pA-7qwve-wZm89Dk7smDXoOxGI0ffnCNMBwHVLpQL3RiiPoUnCskC2b_sc0H9cuJea11v0ebc8U7BtlZiBtBDgNzZpX_1shfiBjEyGq4qf_MsD0C3Eckj/s320/578630_2743727767150_1676160139_1759128_1403220394_n.jpg" /></a>sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-52255926773158565402012-04-07T22:40:00.003-05:002012-04-09T13:57:33.360-05:00He Is RisenI've been working really hard lately at celebrating holidays in a spiritually meaningful way. I've always been pretty good at making a big deal out of special days and giving the kids a great springboard for their imaginations, but I want to spend more time teaching the reason behind the holidays and less time on the secular trappings. With that said, here's what we've been doing this week to celebrate Christ's sacrifice and resurrection...<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwPhKLuKH-wq8TtwiZlGiFM9BiGBkESBaEMaet8nLXdmtrAwvsqMWOiNS_LdMGtFVPg9KhrTSDN6N2NjD5C7iQMjU9QLi4OHGgOelEGbINtp2Wp9ObovutEBXZuG-CJpbZI57u6p5r9wC/s1600/560389_2734118926935_1676160139_1753838_387733827_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729474602595958034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwPhKLuKH-wq8TtwiZlGiFM9BiGBkESBaEMaet8nLXdmtrAwvsqMWOiNS_LdMGtFVPg9KhrTSDN6N2NjD5C7iQMjU9QLi4OHGgOelEGbINtp2Wp9ObovutEBXZuG-CJpbZI57u6p5r9wC/s320/560389_2734118926935_1676160139_1753838_387733827_n.jpg" /></a>On Good Friday, the girls and I made crosses to write our sins on and decorate. Goldilocks came up with a sin to write down pretty quickly. Addiecakes had to think about it and finally came up with "Hardware Hank hits me sometimes." Isn't that human nature to be able to come up with someone else's sins before we can figure out our own? We also made tombs and stones. The stone stayed in front of the tomb all weekend, and when they woke up on Sunday morning, the stones had been rolled away and angels placed next to them.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Wgwagbm5D0L8DpFPXz7NRhuixp0y8X6yFkEUUpqQFcwLRKD6h2q1hy-Zdvt4taTjx9nRybzB35sqgaDjmujXCVxPcKWDj72jyjbPtmJexqB9h7Yl2JA0OU5Z7LBHdPZYoziHVoXnRse9/s1600/563104_2734117526900_1676160139_1753836_725627907_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729474605463401906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Wgwagbm5D0L8DpFPXz7NRhuixp0y8X6yFkEUUpqQFcwLRKD6h2q1hy-Zdvt4taTjx9nRybzB35sqgaDjmujXCVxPcKWDj72jyjbPtmJexqB9h7Yl2JA0OU5Z7LBHdPZYoziHVoXnRse9/s320/563104_2734117526900_1676160139_1753836_725627907_n.jpg" /></a> We talked why we decorate eggs at Easter, and that an egg represents new life, as Jesus represents new life for us and victory over death.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirHYkyliE5FAHKgZ2tpu_qLuDvcwfqTJtai-oUacdOL7RhdVl3BYOIluxRVQuE5WdR0KLGFVTwcUWVnkyPIQQMN-7VTJDqd_5nMVNdomE873C2nFdqlAyYBDd-1JJifPUVE17_yc-wLlQ/s1600/530286_2734117886909_1676160139_1753837_1669875362_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729474596851116114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirHYkyliE5FAHKgZ2tpu_qLuDvcwfqTJtai-oUacdOL7RhdVl3BYOIluxRVQuE5WdR0KLGFVTwcUWVnkyPIQQMN-7VTJDqd_5nMVNdomE873C2nFdqlAyYBDd-1JJifPUVE17_yc-wLlQ/s320/530286_2734117886909_1676160139_1753837_1669875362_n.jpg" /></a> Our eggs...we used food coloring and the Candy Apple dye kit from Walmart.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQwJ6eUPogU8s7oG_yNDfwcuw8huznD-U-ISja36kfOMJSVCwAjb_XZTf3SBUCpPodcipbb57sL8TUIzVQPE4s7axs5OQCvT5M6KvWg783jLlqR06wDHM2KnIbTQubL6V_x9DR1B86Xii/s1600/527914_2734121366996_1676160139_1753842_1350261849_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729474599577254882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQwJ6eUPogU8s7oG_yNDfwcuw8huznD-U-ISja36kfOMJSVCwAjb_XZTf3SBUCpPodcipbb57sL8TUIzVQPE4s7axs5OQCvT5M6KvWg783jLlqR06wDHM2KnIbTQubL6V_x9DR1B86Xii/s320/527914_2734121366996_1676160139_1753842_1350261849_n.jpg" /></a>Eggs and nest I made with my mom's group.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadLxuz-GXqN_RlC2LpjrTKXTjySfZMiC4SrVcZG20MLg9-nm-TKDza-dMgAoh0kJFYCCv0yv4D7s5mJOnxCAxB4_o4NoFIYtJoBad7bzrtWG66S3sK8fi4pKLYhEKVSeW309r0vvxb6UV/s1600/582604_2734120646978_1676160139_1753841_601251180_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 212px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729474620724949746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadLxuz-GXqN_RlC2LpjrTKXTjySfZMiC4SrVcZG20MLg9-nm-TKDza-dMgAoh0kJFYCCv0yv4D7s5mJOnxCAxB4_o4NoFIYtJoBad7bzrtWG66S3sK8fi4pKLYhEKVSeW309r0vvxb6UV/s320/582604_2734120646978_1676160139_1753841_601251180_n.jpg" /></a>We do the Easter Bunny here as well...they woke up to find baskets of goodies on Easter morning.<br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-64947065199162283112011-08-19T16:23:00.003-05:002011-08-19T16:35:23.734-05:00A while back I promised to give info on my "detailed" summer schedule....the summer started out with great intentions but as usual, daily life got in the way. At the beginning of the summer, we spent a lot of time at the library for Summer Reading, at our friends' house to play before they headed out to Russia to bring home their new sons/brothers, and a lot of time in our kiddie pool. I put together a basic daily routine to hang on the fridge, and made some magnets of extra activities that I could change around as needed. Though I haven't stuck really well to the routine, it has helped me when I get part way through the day and feel like I'm floundering...the last month has been wonky as I prepared to spend 8 days in Puerto Rico chaperoning a missions trip, was gone for 8 days, and then struggled to transition back to "real life". I'm really hoping to be back on track next week and help Goldilocks reach some back-to-school goals before school starts again...these goals include
<br />1) shoe-tying
<br />2) reviewing counting backwards from 20
<br />3) reviewing writing out the alphabet
<br />4) counting by 5's and 10's
<br />5) writing #s to 100
<br />I know she can do it, if only I can find a way to motivate her!
<br />
<br />Here's an overview of our basic daily routine. I created a weekly table in Microsoft Word and illustrated with clip art.
<br />
<br />Breakfast/Movie
<br />Walk Dog (this hardly ever happens)
<br />Help Mom w/Chores
<br />Snack
<br />Play Outside
<br />Lunch
<br />Quiet Time
<br />School (this hasn't been happening much, either)
<br />Snack
<br />Play Outside/Swim
<br />TV Time
<br />Dinner
<br />Bath
<br />Bedtime
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-80307505428262102672011-07-30T21:10:00.002-05:002011-07-30T21:22:11.911-05:00So Long...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-I74H2HcI7K-xomvzZxbUE4rotPT6BcUXMaPLRSVvDv-EslrgLalCgYh3bSqoi8RaOiqpJ1mxORTTQTzDTPsBtf7aRgGK4I7t-PHN-0dgnrdrU5iGJ2Lniu1S8iouc85mHcFfVURAl2A/s1600/DSC_0833.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635335989977255442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-I74H2HcI7K-xomvzZxbUE4rotPT6BcUXMaPLRSVvDv-EslrgLalCgYh3bSqoi8RaOiqpJ1mxORTTQTzDTPsBtf7aRgGK4I7t-PHN-0dgnrdrU5iGJ2Lniu1S8iouc85mHcFfVURAl2A/s320/DSC_0833.JPG" /></a> Sold my first "grown-up" car today...11 years ago my great-aunt bought me a '99 Ford Taurus for my commute to school...that car has taken me far in life...back and forth to community college, the commute to 3 different jobs of mine, 4 different jobs of Firebug's, Pennsylvania for our honeymoon, Yellowstone, the Redwoods, Arizona, up north, through blizzards and heat and fog...it carried our first two babies home from the hospital (at about 15 mph). It came to me with about 30,000 miles on it, and limped away with 214,000. It was surprisingly hard to watch it back out of the driveaway for the last time. Here's to hoping a new owner and a new engine will give it a new lease on life...Thanks for all the miles burgundy Ford Taurus!<br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div>sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-77102815317507399352011-07-29T17:02:00.002-05:002011-07-29T22:41:58.171-05:00Aimless Rambling..."Mama, I wish humans could fly...or I wish we were fairies...............are there real fairies?"<br /><br />Just a snippet from today...as I sit here procrastinating on the mound of laundry to iron, fold, and put away, I feel I should share a little about what's going on in life.<br /><br />Right now I'm supposed to be getting ready for a missions trip to Puerto Rico. But I'm having one of those moments where it all feels like too much...packing for 3 kids and the dog to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's, picking up all the last minute things Firebug and I need for the trip, packing our bags, getting ready for Hardware Hank's birthday party....right now all I want to do is sit on the couch enjoying the a/c...the humidity is definitely getting to me today. Don't hate me, but I am sooooo ready for summer to give way to fall. But I'm super excited to GET to Puerto Rico, to watch these 26 "kids" grow and amaze us...Firebug and I have poured our hearts into some of these students for 6 years and I can't wait to watch them put their faith into action.<br /><br />Goldilocks and Addiecakes finished out the summer reading program and got their final prizes today...they each got coupons for free fries at McD's, free CinnaStix at Dominoes, and a free Blizzard and Sundae at DQ...plus a free book of their choice. Pretty sweet prizes! We celebrated by using some of those DQ coupons up:)<br /><br />A minute ago Goldilocks and Addiecake were playing and having a blast....now they can't stand to be near each other...<br /><br />Our dear friends are heading halfway across the world tomorrow to pick up their two sons...I can't imagine flying out of the country a family of 3 and returning a family of 5. It was surprisingly emotional to say goodbye, knowing that they'll be so far away for a month, then out of commission for a while as their boys adjust to a whole new language, culture, family, time zone, etc. Throughout the last 9 months, I've felt such a part of the process that it seems strange for them to take off without me! But the biggest emotion was the feeling of awe and thankfulness that God has seen fit to provide them with these two beautiful sons. That He has crushed seemingly insurmountable obstacles to get them to this point is such a picture of His love for us. For a couple who wouldn't give up on their dream of growing their family, for a 5 year old girl who will thrive on the companionship of younger siblings, for two brothers in Russia waiting for their forever family...I just can't wait to meet the little guys!sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-913288356673461802011-06-25T22:11:00.002-05:002011-06-25T22:20:00.509-05:00The Things I Got Today......some much needed extra sleep while the girls played nicely together this morning<br />...haircuts for the girls<br />...sliders at Applebees *yummo*<br />...a chuckle over the misunderstood facebook status "heading to Super 8 with hubby this afternoon"<br />...terrible seats at the <strong>movie</strong> Super 8<br />...tears in my eyes during the movie<br />...Bambi, Backdraft, Lethal Weapon 3, Zombieland, and another movie I can't remember for $2.99 each!<br />...mosquito bites on my ankles from letting the dog in from outside<br /><br /><br />By the way, I really enjoyed the movie...if you have a chance to go I would recommend it. The perfect blend of comical, heartwarming, intense, and sci-fi...reminded me a bit of E.T....sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-87873364594511453792011-06-23T14:51:00.006-05:002011-06-23T15:42:48.244-05:00Summer SoftballFirebug and I have been enjoying youth ministry for about 8 (!) years now, and one of the greatest rewards is watching the boys grow from scrawny, annoying, cocky little 7th graders into young men of character....this summer Firebug has been having a blast playing on a softball team with a group of them. With 3 little ones, I've only made it to one game, but have heard positive gossip about the team from several sources in the church. I'm so proud of their team spirit, good sportsmanship, and focus on God...not to mention they are pretty darn good! Here's some pictures of "my" boys...I think Firebug blends in pretty well with those young 'uns (he smashed 2 out of the park last week!)<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbnUw58CE2raOnNqR_4tLczWPAn0ejvMxwjSy0hC9KsWU1cRF8o3iifD_kRxGBZy7LSSgwcpvOkQ_dF7ETGyiSyPprr8EwFxhyfLgc-FZBXlf6DcmmxYnVIINX2oYFQnA5NC8g49HgQ2F/s1600/DSC_0536.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621510822799538962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbnUw58CE2raOnNqR_4tLczWPAn0ejvMxwjSy0hC9KsWU1cRF8o3iifD_kRxGBZy7LSSgwcpvOkQ_dF7ETGyiSyPprr8EwFxhyfLgc-FZBXlf6DcmmxYnVIINX2oYFQnA5NC8g49HgQ2F/s320/DSC_0536.JPG" /></a> Giving thanks after the win<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGbUKxpz-UhxfbRS50HRpRBmBuyvZmqH30cx0p9moKjGfmWfipM8k_vE8q0z4OxMT5tUWtb8cf1olxhQQ2PD0D68P-tfVZfHAi4RgfZfi5sMI3xeqlpmi-AKtZWk32-r-BIJgEj27wt1s/s1600/DSC_0540.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621510815620809394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGbUKxpz-UhxfbRS50HRpRBmBuyvZmqH30cx0p9moKjGfmWfipM8k_vE8q0z4OxMT5tUWtb8cf1olxhQQ2PD0D68P-tfVZfHAi4RgfZfi5sMI3xeqlpmi-AKtZWk32-r-BIJgEj27wt1s/s320/DSC_0540.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpssYjQFx6Z3u5gc0JlxdwFNg_u5LBxioMkALR6VOmwkxfd4hgOkgZ4SbhmtvZNWOyvaRHWzIzA6pP9CAGVmspCRkBBK75q3Es3sgpq5HjGFTgN-jvV_vCW7QjGNPlgL-YJTkEWUZXgR4f/s1600/DSC_0543.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621510807474349618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpssYjQFx6Z3u5gc0JlxdwFNg_u5LBxioMkALR6VOmwkxfd4hgOkgZ4SbhmtvZNWOyvaRHWzIzA6pP9CAGVmspCRkBBK75q3Es3sgpq5HjGFTgN-jvV_vCW7QjGNPlgL-YJTkEWUZXgR4f/s320/DSC_0543.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div>sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-84943905776236914922011-06-22T16:26:00.002-05:002011-06-22T16:35:59.735-05:00It's ok......if your kids spent the day in dress-up clothes<br />...if the laundry didn't get done<br />...if you drank an extra Diet Coke or two to get through the day<br />...if your baby slam-dunked his head against a pointy object-again<br />...if your dog is outside barking while you blog<br />...if your menu plan consists of a few scribbled meal ideas on a post-it<br />...if the house got cleaned only to be messy again 2 minutes later<br />...if breakfast consisted of cold cereal eaten in front of the television<br />...if your dog ate the rest of the pizza out of the garbage<br /><br />Because you also....<br />...gave your kids the creativity to express themselves through clothing<br />...took the kids to library Summer Reading instead of starting the laundry<br />...promised yourself you'd drink extra water later<br />...cuddled your baby when he cried<br />...helped your dog learn it's ok to be outside alone sometimes<br />...resisted the siren call of McDonald's and fed your kids a "nutritious" lunch<br />..."messed up" your clean house by setting up the Hot Wheels city<br />...limited morning t.v. to the one show<br />...minimized household food waste!sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-15785165467557426402011-06-21T17:06:00.005-05:002011-06-23T14:49:21.569-05:00Catching UpI have all these blog posts rattling around, but I'm too lazy to get the pics that illustrate them on to the computer, so upcoming posts will include...<br /><br />-how I turned an old door into a garden chalkboard<br />-update on the pantry organization (all that's left to do is label the jars, yay!)<br />-detailed plans for summer "unschooling" plus our daily schedule<br />-summer softball pics<br /><br />In the meantime, a little update on this crazy thing I call my life:<br /><br />Summer is going AMAZING...I worried like crazy how I would handle having all 3 kids home (especially since the kindergardener is my challenge), but should have known God had it all worked out. For the first time in mommyhood, I feel like my priorities are clicking into place-for the most part-and I'm looking forward to every new day as a mom. The first week school was out I sat down and made a summer plan...what our days would look like, what events we had on our calendar, ideas to promote learning, etc....the biggest change is that the day revolves around the kids instead of chores and housework. Strangely, most everything is still getting done, and what isn't, I'm not stressing over. Our days are spent walking the dog, reading books together and doing themed projects, playing outside in the yard and at the park, playdates with friends, and lots of time at the library for Summer Reading. I'm still working out the details on growing Goldilocks' math skills, but we're trying to spend time a few days a week on speech, and she is having fun with reading and writing nearly every day. I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of this laid-back summer and am so thankful that God is working on my heart and my attitude--my newfound enthusiasm has definitely translated into more peace in our home.<br /><br />In other news, Hardware Hank is dusting the floors as I type, and will soon be full out crawling. His favorite destination is the dog's chew hoof....although he's been known to enjoy a rawhide bone or two as well. He's growing up before our eyes, hopefully adding on some poundage to even out the first percentile weight/80th percentile head size discrepancy. Curls are popping up in the humidity, and he is learning to say "mum mum mum" "dadadad" and "yayaya" (Amelia).sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-31931420895387293432011-02-11T15:36:00.003-06:002011-02-11T16:32:57.878-06:00Where All My Time Goes or....Why, Yes, I Believe I Do Smell Like Poo....I've been trying to figure out why this week has seemed more pointless than usual...I've felt like I'm spinning my wheels in the mud, and when I get out of the car to push it my feet get stuck...so this afternoon as I was cleaning up my nearly-4-year old's 4th(!) poo accident of the day, I realized where all my time is going...it's literally being flushed down the toilet along with the countless toilet paper squares and toddler wipes we've been barrelling through! Plus, Hardware Hank has apparently reached the stage of massive blow-outs every morning, resulting in complete wardrobe changes and full-body wipedowns...this epiphany has resulted in a decision to let myself off the hook. There are days when I have a handle on the poo, and days when the poo has a handle on me...besides it could be worse...we could have been at the library.sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-35483429439560995242011-02-04T22:07:00.001-06:002011-02-04T22:09:12.320-06:00Mama to 4 Blessings is giving away a<a href="http://mamato3blessings.blogspot.com/2011/02/abbys-lane-kissaluvs-wool-cover-review.html"> $20 gift card to Abby's Lane</a>...Hardware Hank is growing; he needs more fluffy diapers!sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-50321583002235359152011-02-04T20:43:00.001-06:002011-02-04T20:44:43.362-06:00<a href="http://devotionmama.blogspot.com/2011/01/bella-bug-review-and-giveaway.html">Devotion Mama</a> is giving away an adorable CEO tie tee for boys! Hardware Hank would look so handsome in one of these!sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-88756591412737831232011-02-03T19:30:00.003-06:002011-02-03T19:33:08.735-06:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8FeOwtzbhTJAstyyyk-uWpLBXSmu4yGQ4miVhxctvVp78EBVnZBEXx0468Byt_rTdZlbriY7ECTJuFCb47taNi73d2G0OQoF6iQRxEp9ucwbulD-hCsqSEHYHRfcHikfrs2MeDkgPeDE/s1600/pantry_ps2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 127px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569641048179347458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8FeOwtzbhTJAstyyyk-uWpLBXSmu4yGQ4miVhxctvVp78EBVnZBEXx0468Byt_rTdZlbriY7ECTJuFCb47taNi73d2G0OQoF6iQRxEp9ucwbulD-hCsqSEHYHRfcHikfrs2MeDkgPeDE/s320/pantry_ps2.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center">I found a great post on pantry organization...go check it out at<a href="http://houseofsmiths.blogspot.com/2010/07/pantry-remix.html"> House of Smith</a>. She has some really practical ideas for getting your pantry under control! </div>sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-51114424334245490782011-02-02T14:44:00.010-06:002011-02-02T16:43:42.497-06:00I came across a blog post recently at the <a href="http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2011/01/i-heartmason-jars/">Pleated Poppy</a> that really got my creatizational(in case you didn't know, that's my new word for creative organization) juices flowing...Lindsay shares my love of all things Mason jar and has posted gorgeous pictures of all the ingenious ways she uses her collection. Which got me thinking: <em>I</em> have tons of canning and jelly jars, and I also have things that could benefit from a little creative containment...<br /><br /><div align="center">Before</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPV_l9-3eiv3mCmx3MmAQcVvxb8JbmGY2OvUJDxSP006cZ5IGMGeEKgmOFXkNGz6tQrI2OY-8b2oZ6kGtoc0LGVbeXyZWg_cJZQGN0pJObBMmRK-1V0q6PJgfxnepFG3kiHl8YAyJL-p7/s1600/DSC_3443.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569215985169419858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPV_l9-3eiv3mCmx3MmAQcVvxb8JbmGY2OvUJDxSP006cZ5IGMGeEKgmOFXkNGz6tQrI2OY-8b2oZ6kGtoc0LGVbeXyZWg_cJZQGN0pJObBMmRK-1V0q6PJgfxnepFG3kiHl8YAyJL-p7/s320/DSC_3443.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p align="center">After <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569215977175173042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90RUXoQ5JrCLO2Ee_RGKOwSkg_LFXraZi5_IXLhAaJMojvYslTi-YxGPdAouAWkSmtnpkyoNedczytyE_LVpf86tpVG6VbvXdHopL3ULDoDXfMqZuw1kouVljvw50IFb6JWpKU3x1N1zH/s320/DSC_3444.JPG" /><br />The Other Cupboard: plastic bags, recipe binder, teas... <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lhRUH9i14LDcoV0iaOrD11IMM-m-ESGtDbhshig_3JG3ju7lpSRwzTVaeDxlEwditvQAYNIGCRTa3Tz-K4UpSdGVG7_jcfmsWCS60qeDH0U73s3n76r7LwZnU8oTxmxaChBsuNvAFCAf/s1600/DSC_3445.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569217989716622178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lhRUH9i14LDcoV0iaOrD11IMM-m-ESGtDbhshig_3JG3ju7lpSRwzTVaeDxlEwditvQAYNIGCRTa3Tz-K4UpSdGVG7_jcfmsWCS60qeDH0U73s3n76r7LwZnU8oTxmxaChBsuNvAFCAf/s320/DSC_3445.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Over the Stove: blender, pastas, grains, raw cashews...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKjzjhVoUoDFlIeiV780rAGAdHPLyb22w0ShFktmamSXVl4JMX_vkDsh06FFhT0HtrmUPKn9XCCA5mDPTR_8STjOMzVJRPwYpk9_W4c_KdTJoE8AESBSacQ3iuwNXWbCtQwazd0lnuMZr/s1600/DSC_3447.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569200644546767906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKjzjhVoUoDFlIeiV780rAGAdHPLyb22w0ShFktmamSXVl4JMX_vkDsh06FFhT0HtrmUPKn9XCCA5mDPTR_8STjOMzVJRPwYpk9_W4c_KdTJoE8AESBSacQ3iuwNXWbCtQwazd0lnuMZr/s320/DSC_3447.JPG" /></a><br />Sharpies make me happy<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYM4lZC0BAOSMHuwsEsiJy8JGOfL6b8-QOBK4grXrYod3lFPrVuKXdZd2XmyDahzDVrMK_stxuI3TFDAFl8csCqVnYHximlvJWSSMYN6fyJfJ-2bMu390Qf0Il2t3hNj81W7NpbjASdpa/s1600/DSC_3451.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569200626839561634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYM4lZC0BAOSMHuwsEsiJy8JGOfL6b8-QOBK4grXrYod3lFPrVuKXdZd2XmyDahzDVrMK_stxuI3TFDAFl8csCqVnYHximlvJWSSMYN6fyJfJ-2bMu390Qf0Il2t3hNj81W7NpbjASdpa/s320/DSC_3451.JPG" /></a><br />Sandwich Baggies for Amelia's Lunches<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt61qOYupqfoXK3s3NC0yC-y8HpmenCpx73DH9K1fLC3hLd_jNtcmg-EJfctCr0p69gNHWc2wBH52ieFJqf8w99JWUvWpxd2LAmMFRsYMJZ2mLWB7u4q76raNfCoOanZTJbgsSqkQZCBLR/s1600/DSC_3449.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569200633423125586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt61qOYupqfoXK3s3NC0yC-y8HpmenCpx73DH9K1fLC3hLd_jNtcmg-EJfctCr0p69gNHWc2wBH52ieFJqf8w99JWUvWpxd2LAmMFRsYMJZ2mLWB7u4q76raNfCoOanZTJbgsSqkQZCBLR/s320/DSC_3449.JPG" /></a><br />I Made Room By...getting rid of all this Kool-Aid...who wants it? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uuowagaU7NQsvLQ-7JBgE6aT5d4yi42RQstb_cyLcWx1AYzDBScXlRMig6-xUd73nF15eO2seoXehyphenhyphenzUzPlyX9l5-FZmoCYLrbzj3o1SwCYK87rhgtIizqac5Bqmb1MdgV37nW0qjcxL/s1600/DSC_3446.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569213435459286658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uuowagaU7NQsvLQ-7JBgE6aT5d4yi42RQstb_cyLcWx1AYzDBScXlRMig6-xUd73nF15eO2seoXehyphenhyphenzUzPlyX9l5-FZmoCYLrbzj3o1SwCYK87rhgtIizqac5Bqmb1MdgV37nW0qjcxL/s320/DSC_3446.JPG" /></a> Seriously...anybody want it?<br /><br /><br /></p>sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-83467017378493754392011-02-01T13:48:00.004-06:002011-02-01T14:20:38.989-06:00<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sABSXnfE8rDrDfkRLQ3UoU9vKuNMZaApABMk32of3UGe514ruGd7zMpvTkyf6u9zGXab1UdDqSSd2dhRhTVbsPs8gIEY7uvmM8RX_IkH2kUdZSGUxQH6bOo_A5ZcyNL-yiljTC-tXeKC/s1600/DSC_3433.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568811359247082786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sABSXnfE8rDrDfkRLQ3UoU9vKuNMZaApABMk32of3UGe514ruGd7zMpvTkyf6u9zGXab1UdDqSSd2dhRhTVbsPs8gIEY7uvmM8RX_IkH2kUdZSGUxQH6bOo_A5ZcyNL-yiljTC-tXeKC/s320/DSC_3433.JPG" /></a> I've been away far too long, so I think it's time to make my way back! A few random things to help you catch up on the last few months...<br /><br />1. I had a gorgeous baby boy!!! Here he is enaging in his favorite hobby...sleeping (this is a daytime-only hobby), but not just <em>anywhere</em>, it has to be in the car seat for maximum comfort.</div><div><br />2. We have had FAR too many friends move away (4 out of the 5 couples invited to B's birthday in May are now several hours, even oceans, away)...but this has forced us to strengthen family bonds, especially with our sibings...</div><div><br />3. For the new year, I decided to focus on a specific word for each family member. I will be praying these words for each family member, as well as trying to be intentional about encouraging each of us to grow in that area throughout the year...</div><div><br /><strong>Myself: PRIORITIES</strong></div><div><em>Spiritually</em>: time with God comes before a "perfect" house and "fun" reading or computer time</div><div><em>Physically</em>: eat better...as I'm still exhausted from a baby who's up 3-4x a night, I'm moving slowly on the working out, but I will try to eat more foods in their natural state and less processed foods; more fruits and vegetables</div><div><em>Financially</em>: meal planning to cut back on money spent eating out</div><div><em>Family</em>: spend more <em>intentional</em> time with all the members of my family</div><div><br />My prayer is that God will work in my heart to make His priorities my own. I know my life will move more smoothly this way, and I will feel more confident in my roles as wife, mom, and homemaker when I'm organizing my life around God's timetable.</div><div><br /><strong>Hubby: LEADERSHIP</strong></div><div>Because in today's society, husbands are being stripped of their God-given role as leader of the household...spiritually, financially, in discipline, etc....I pray that I will be a facilitator and not a hindrance as B continues to grow as the leader of our home.</div><div><br /><strong>Goldilocks: STRENGTH</strong></div><div>...to control her emotions and sin-nature, to problem-solve and stand up for herself at school, to be confident of her abilities, etc...</div><div><br /><strong>Addiecakes: OBEDIENCE</strong></div><div>...as she learns to obey the Holy Spirit that now resides within her, as well as obedience and respect of myself and her dad.</div><div><br /><strong>Hardware Hank: SECURITY</strong></div><div>...that the foundation for a security in God the Father would be laid as he learns he can trust his earthly parents to care for his every need; security at night to sleep peacefully in his crib...</div><div><br />4. I've also been trying to get more on top of all the STUFF in my house! The toys are multiplying like dust bunnies and I'm so tired of feeling the burden of all the things surrounding me. So I'm trying to do something for a few minutes each day to corral some of the clutter. Today's project was the entertainment center and coloring basket. A few pics of the progress:<br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJwOJwYwBc6zu1ax_m0SBUIN1pJpo7fMzlr163h_D85F_Ka9NDUU6Ybl02caEC2DPa6HyxZWfVk52HrQLdCmG-_vk9Kd4MY4Ike47ziENklWzmzgTC4c6VPCoKTIojckrg6ygtcUkmwyM/s1600/DSC_3436.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568817123204173762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJwOJwYwBc6zu1ax_m0SBUIN1pJpo7fMzlr163h_D85F_Ka9NDUU6Ybl02caEC2DPa6HyxZWfVk52HrQLdCmG-_vk9Kd4MY4Ike47ziENklWzmzgTC4c6VPCoKTIojckrg6ygtcUkmwyM/s320/DSC_3436.JPG" /></a> The basket under the entertainment center is way full...by the way, that's my daily dose of Rachael Ray on the screen...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-QEy3S_VbKBRulgbtF-i1d32LR0t2M-k7UyVTN1-KKfzpfOLYRPe8yGPkMLFPUeALy8KyxODAsqF0UOHTqE7gW-Mx1yPnWB6NfS6vAxbWL1__Nk1IyLnwtxDl8MsNh87MXwb6Yyvej-V/s1600/DSC_3438.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568817132663305986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-QEy3S_VbKBRulgbtF-i1d32LR0t2M-k7UyVTN1-KKfzpfOLYRPe8yGPkMLFPUeALy8KyxODAsqF0UOHTqE7gW-Mx1yPnWB6NfS6vAxbWL1__Nk1IyLnwtxDl8MsNh87MXwb6Yyvej-V/s320/DSC_3438.JPG" /></a>The crazy jumble of plastic animals, McDonald's toys, Beanie Babies, etc...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMjh98fzDliKTj0IbH21HRTylHQzj-9p542ayd9ZLD8jIDRNEgex-oVS-rP18EiuPkbAxUutM-R4rYRhSCVkniEKvcWxL2wfdXY50Vqo3JlT9W26ribRkrx69MdDTAxqmEX7zWc4kwlw8/s1600/DSC_3440.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568817144582885170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMjh98fzDliKTj0IbH21HRTylHQzj-9p542ayd9ZLD8jIDRNEgex-oVS-rP18EiuPkbAxUutM-R4rYRhSCVkniEKvcWxL2wfdXY50Vqo3JlT9W26ribRkrx69MdDTAxqmEX7zWc4kwlw8/s320/DSC_3440.JPG" /></a>All the stuff that's going bye-bye...<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjWU3fGnQCbbf3Y6HxZ4LussxZIE0ock5uXCFXIpSua4hyphenhyphen_soQZ9qO_amA4aABtfVfN1OnimL7AoBNxtOj5r7qa5xKq8WL5ZTsYIc8W0hTQ9UvMkcZqLBlAsFyfz6IckeHmaMKgI_Z6eL/s1600/DSC_3439.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568817139032185922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjWU3fGnQCbbf3Y6HxZ4LussxZIE0ock5uXCFXIpSua4hyphenhyphen_soQZ9qO_amA4aABtfVfN1OnimL7AoBNxtOj5r7qa5xKq8WL5ZTsYIc8W0hTQ9UvMkcZqLBlAsFyfz6IckeHmaMKgI_Z6eL/s320/DSC_3439.JPG" /></a>The pared-down basket...</div><div>should be much easier to clean up after Addiecakes dumps it out for the tenth time of the day... </div><br /></div>sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-73431652554485223412011-01-31T16:36:00.001-06:002011-01-31T16:36:30.223-06:00Amelia's Birthday<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="width:425px; height:494px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetTop" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/top.gif);"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetCenter" style="height:482px; 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font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>Create personalized <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">greeting cards and invitations</a> by Shutterfly.</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewViewCollection" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>View the entire <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">collection</a> of cards.</span></div><img width="1" height="1" border="0" src="https://os.shutterfly.com/b/ss/sflyshareprod/1/H.15/111?pageName=sharekey&c1=msc&c2=blogger" /></div></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetBottom" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bottom.gif);"></div></div>sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-32394169696191196652010-07-12T23:03:00.003-05:002010-07-12T23:07:48.710-05:00Sign up to win a SoftBums diaper package from <a href="http://www.mynewlifeasmom.com/2010/06/softbums-review-giveaway.html#comment-form">My New Life as...Mom</a>. I've never looked closely at these before, but if you check out her review, you'll probably want to try them too!sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-35148823797159275172010-06-02T19:52:00.002-05:002010-06-02T19:57:05.951-05:00Encouragement from an Unlikely Source...Myself!I was flipping through my devotional journal the other day and came across this past entry...it really made my day as I've been having more and more days where I feel overwhelmed by all the everyday "clutter" of my life, especially as I get bigger and every chore seems to take longer. So here it is, I hope it can encourage other busy moms out there, too!<br /><br />-Piles of dirty laundry means my home is filled with people I love.<br />- Meals to cook means we have food to eat.<br />-Toys all over the house means I have children who are able to play.<br />- Sibling fights means I've been blessed with more than one child.<br />- Exhaustion all day means I have new life growing inside me!<br /><br />I'm sure there's lots more that could be added to the list...sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-2335441623992033972010-05-27T22:38:00.003-05:002010-05-27T22:41:35.192-05:00Yipppeee!I'm excited (and slightly embarassed) to say that Addiecakes is actually getting the potty thing....FINALLY! I decided that it was time, at 3 1/2, to go cold turkey and take away the diapers (except at night) so I told her we were going to wash all the cloth and put it away for the new baby, and she was switching to underwear. The first day, there was lots of puddles on the floor, but every day has gotten better, and today she went 4 times on the potty all by herself, with no reminder from me! I've figured out that with her, I just need to put her in undies and let her do her thing...reminders frustrate and embarass her, she seems to prefer to sneak off and do her thing in private. The only accident she had today was at the store (of course), but she is still working on remembering to go when she's not near her potty chair, and figuring out how to use the big potty...I may actually get a month or two reprieve from diapers!sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-44920725613773462612010-05-07T15:43:00.002-05:002010-05-07T15:53:54.292-05:00Can I Throw a Tantrum?I'm mad right now....I really shouldn't be, but there it is. I am anyway. Why? Here's my day:<br /><br />I drove to a garage sale out in the boonies this morning, thus, no cell service. I was out of contact with the rest of the world for about an hour. By the time I got service again I had a barrage of texts and voicemails....where are you? I'm trying to get ahold of you....I have babysitters set to pick up the girls at 2:00 so we can do something tonight for Mother's Day...great! I'd love to do something with hubby for Mother's Day! Problem: I have a doctor's appointment 30 miles from home at 2:00. Which I almost always have an appointment of some kind Friday afternoons....so phone calls back and forth, can the babysitters wait til I get back around 2:45...throughout all this my phone kept dropping calls as I was in and out of network. So we decide I'll get through my appointment as quick as possible and call babysitters as soon as I'm done to see if they've left yet. I rush through an appointment that really shouldn't be rushed, run out to the car to call babysitters to tell them I'm on my way, I'll be there around 2:45...too late, they are ready to leave town and don't want to wait. I'm already on my way out of town, having skipped the shopping stops I was planning to make to stores our town doesn't have, and skipped the bathroom break my pregnant self desperately needed, and frustrated that the babysitters couldn't wait half hour for me to get there. So now we are doing nothing tonight, I didn't get everything done today that I needed to, and I'm mad that I got my hopes up only to have them dashed. Okay, rant over...I feel better now:)sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-57923829776404742602010-04-30T21:15:00.001-05:002010-04-30T21:16:17.576-05:00SodaStream GiveawayI've entered to win a SodaStream home fountain machine at <a href="http://http//thriftywifey.blogspot.com/2010/04/sodastream-fountain-jet-review-giveaway.html">Thrifty Wifey</a>. I especially like sparkling water, and would love to try making my own at home!sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-26832058911388371972010-04-21T22:37:00.002-05:002010-04-21T22:53:49.464-05:00Today Wasn't Quite As Eventful...<strong>8:00 am:</strong> Roll out of bed, pour 3 bowls of cereal, 3 glasses of juice, turn on Dora.<br /><strong>8:30 am:</strong> Wrangle a fit involving Goldilock's computer and uncooperative lap.<br /><strong>9:15 am:</strong> Phone call from my friend Julie. She and her daughter Kelsey are on their way over. Straighten up house (including piles of pillows and sleeping bags from last night's "slumber party") and get everyone dressed.<br /><strong>10:00 am:</strong> Julie and Kelsey arrive. Visit outside while the girls play in the yard.<br /><strong>10:30 am:</strong> Walk to the park and play until Goldilocks gets an owie needing "immediate" attention. Had disappeared by the time we got home.<br /><strong>11:30 am:</strong> Consolidate car seats into one van and head out to get lunch.<br /><strong>12:30 pm</strong>: Enjoy our lunches outside at the new patio table (Subway for us), and continue playing. The sandbox and kiddie pool were the big hits of the day, other than the sand-in-the-eye incident.<br /><strong>2:30 pm:</strong> Julie and Kelsey head out. Settle the two sandy girls in the chair with a movie while I vacuum the house.<br /><strong>3:30 pm:</strong> Back outside, it's just too nice out to stay in for long!!! Back into the sandbox/kiddie pool while I flip through a shade gardening book.<br /><strong>4:30 pm:</strong> Inside to get dressed for youth group/shopping with Grandma, and reheat leftover spaghetti for supper.<br /><strong>5:10 pm:</strong> Out the door. Drop Goldilocks at Grandma's to go clothes shopping while the rest of us head to church.<br /><strong>6-7:30 pm:</strong> Youth group. Explored the difference between reputation and integrity, recited memory verses (everyone earned a treat at Super America).<br /><strong>8:30 pm:</strong> Pick up Goldilocks and her loot. (No school clothes, but lots of fun stuff, ie fanny pack, purple sparkly sunglasses, dress-up skirt, melted hot fudge Sundae....)<br /><strong>9:00 pm:</strong> Get the girls into bed. They pass out pretty quickly after the busy day.<br /><strong>9:30 pm:</strong> Hang laundry on the line. It's cold outside now!<br /><strong>9:45 pm</strong>: Shower<br /><strong>10:00 pm:</strong> Fold laundry and check email while watching "Criminal Minds"<br /><br />We miss you, honey!!!! Can't wait to see you soon!sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-26380010450628724672010-04-20T22:31:00.003-05:002010-04-20T22:53:37.096-05:00This One's For You, Honey...Our day today:<br /><br /><strong>6:30 am</strong>: Alarm needlessly goes off and Goldilocks wakes me up and drags me downstairs for breakfast.<br /><strong>7:00 am</strong>: Addiecake stumbles downstairs and requests that the next show be her pick. Goldilocks gets upset because she wants to watch Beethoven instead and proceeds to throw hour long "I want daddy" fit.<br /><strong>8:00 am</strong>: Figured out that my phone was magically fixed, allowed Goldilocks to call daddy, all is well with the world again. Finished watching Addiecake's choice and allowed them to watch Beethoven together so I could sack out for a bit after an exhausted hour of tantrum-wrangling.<br /><strong>9:30 am:</strong> Quickly get ready for Moms and Kids, straighten living room, fly out the door.<br /><strong>10-noon:</strong> MAKS. Breathe sigh of relief as someone else gets to enjoy the little darlings for a while:)<br /><strong>12:30 pm:</strong> Stop by Neighborhood Service Center to pick up box of food, let the girls each choose one small item to purchase (a tiny pony and an Aladdin book)<br /><strong>12:45 pm:</strong> Play outside. I chat on the phone and text Brandon while waiting to get ready for the dentist:<br /><strong>1:30 pm:</strong> Everyone's getting hot and cranky. Head inside to rest for a bit and brush teeth.<br /><strong>2:10 pm:</strong> Out the door to dentist.<br /><strong>2:30-2:40 pm:</strong> Back to back dentist appts for the girls. Goldilocks does amazing and gets her teeth cleaned and xrays done. Addiecake doesn't fare as well. After much enthusiasm to get into the chair, she decides to clam up and the dentist can barely get a look. Goldilocks gets a Dilly Bar for her excellent behavior, Addicake cries because she doesn't get one (she knew the consequence when she decided not to let the hygienist clean her teeth).<br /><strong>3:00-5:00 pm:</strong> Play outside, enjoy some sun with Sheila and Ingrid. Girls decide they want to swim, so I set up the kiddie pool and they splash around until they get cold and want to go in.<br /><strong>5:00-6:00 pm:</strong> Girls play with Sheila and her Ingrid upstairs while I fold laundry and clean the bathroom.<br /><strong>6:20 pm:</strong> Pick up Sydney (along the side of the road) and drop the 3 oldest off at the tanning salon. Pick up my mom and brother to go to Taco John's.<br /><strong>6:30 pm:</strong> Tacos and burritos at Taco John's.<br /><strong>7:30 pm</strong>: Home, pjs on, teeth brushed, tuck the girls in (letting them sleep in my room...Addiecakes in bed, Goldilocks on the floor).<br /><strong>8:30-9:30 pm</strong>: Up and down the stairs twenty times in between cleaning the house to put girls back to bed. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea...<br /><strong>9:30 pm</strong>: Sit down to watch The Little Chocolateirs and Criminal Minds.<br /><br />Missing you! I know there's no way your day was as fun as mine:) Tomorrow Julie and Kelsey will visit and Goldilocks and I have verses to memorize before Cubbies/Youth Group.sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-260356407480973320.post-76740796276342819092010-04-19T23:20:00.003-05:002010-04-19T23:24:55.902-05:00Just When You Think You're "Over It"Just throwing it out there that the next few weeks will be tough for me. I'm super excited for the blessings and miracles that my friends are welcoming this month, but it's bitter-sweet and emotional, too. So if you know me "in real life" bear with me. I've been dreading this month for 8 months, I'll get through it and be able to look forward again to my own happy blessing a few months farther down the road, but that doesn't make <em>this</em> month any easier...sushi_noemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239363611122481290noreply@blogger.com2