Fancy, Fancy...

It's amazing how much fun these two can have with $0.60 sunglasses and princess crowns/necklaces from the Dollar Store. So entertaining...and so stinkin' cute!

4 Months New...

My 4 month stats are:

13 lbs. 9 oz.

24 inches long

15 3/4 inch head circumference

Notes: Guess what?! I am really good at rolling from my back onto my tummy...but then I get stuck and I haven't figured out how to roll back over. I have "officially" found my thumb and prefer to suck on that (or any of my fingers) over a binkie. I have also discovered my cute little feet and I love to lay on my back and play with my toes. I still love bathtime, but we have moved from the kitchen sink to the bathroom tub. I have so much room to splash and kick - it's great fun. Mom says I'm a very happy baby...I love to smile and giggle and make noises all the time. My favorite time of day is when we go to pick up my big sisters from school...I sure love seeing their smiley faces.

Sickees...

The girls have been home sick this week...a nasty coough/chest congestion/fever thingee that is being passed around their school. Some of the neighborhood moms said I'm being a little too overprotective (me?!), but I don't want to be the mom who sends my sick kids to school so they can infect everyone else. Sorry. That's just not how I am.

Even though they missed going to class and playing with their friends, the girls were in pretty good spirits this week. Here they are on day 2, hanging out on the hide-a-bed, watching movies with me and Mac. While I wish the girls weren't sick, I do miss lazy days like this.

Family Photo...

The girls needed to have a current family photo for the school emergency packs...since we haven't had anything taken recently, we decided to use the ol' timer on the camera and snap a new photo.

First attempt... 

...second attempt... 

...third attempt...

...and the best one of the group...

 

 

I sure love my cute little family!

Confession Time...

I think it's time. Time to admit that I'm a hoarder. Not a hoarder of physical objects, like on the reality show where people are living within stacks and stacks of boxes and items and such. Rather, I am a hoarder of creative inspiration. I love searching the web for crafts and projects and ideas. I wish I had the time and resources to copy all the things I see, but that's not possible right now. Maybe one day, just not now. Why then do I continue to search and save and search and save? Because seeing other people's creative endeavors inspires me, it helps me strive to be better, to think and create and improve things around me. Things have been a little rough lately...personally, emotionally, hormonally...you name it. SO...as a pick me up, I've been going back through my creative stash and figured I would share some of my favorite ideas.

Enjoy!

Love the teal, love the eclectic collection of plates...but I would never have the guts to paint our ol' piano

This is a song that I sang to the girls as infants...and continued to sing to them as they got older...and now I sing it to Mac while rocking her to sleep. Something similar to this will get made soon...

Love the simplicity of the glass jars and the ribbon...ribbon makes everything cuter

Love the butterfly drape box (don't know the technical term but it sure is cute)...would love to do something like this in the girls' room

These are adorable...if only I had more wall space to hang these...or a playroom, for that matter

This is a great quote...something I need to be reminded of often

So cute...kraft paper, cherries, and adorable bi-colored twine...how could you go wrong?

I love the shutters being used as a functional backdrop to the desk...I've been scouring craigslist and Goodwill for some cheap shutters of my own but haven't had any luck. Bummer.

Another reminder I need often...

I love the eclectic-girly-whimsy of this room...if I ever get the time (and the patience) I would love to paint stripes like this in the girls' room

Such an adorable collection of chalkboards...the girls would absolutely love a wall like this

When I found my $27 wooden kitchen set at Goodwill (3 pieces at $9 each) I snatched it up with the hopes of making something uber cute like this...a year and a half later, that play kitchen is now sitting in a storage unit waiting for Mac to be old enough to play with it. Maybe by then I'll get it put together

Buttons...stitching...so colorful and cheery...perfect!

Not sure what I like more...the hodge-podge collection of frames or the fun cluster of pompoms hanging from the ceiling (I still want to create something like that over Mac's crib...but on a much smaller scale)

Such a cute piece of family art...and I love the tiny little vase (silly, I know)

Love the art prints in this photo...the stacked birds and modular date are right up my alley

I love the cluster of photos around the big letter

With Halloween just around the corner, this is one of my favorite ideas for a homemade costume...too bad the girls don't share my love of owls

Love this mobile...this idea was a runner up to the cluster of pompoms for Mac's crib

Again, the cluster of letters and photos...so cute

Love the simplicity and pops of color...love the painted shutters in the background

Felty, blocky robots...so cute (love the tongue sticking out)

Another super cute idea using felt and buttons...and perfect for the girls while they are learning to spell

One day, we will have a house with a room just for the kids...and when that day comes, I hope to create something that is bright and clean and cheerful...just like this room (isn't that corner couch so cute?)

One of my all-time favorites...some day I'll have a free wall to create something like this

Afternoon Delight...

The girls and I made some yummy chocolate covered strawberries today after school. It was a lot of fun (I mean...can you go wrong with ooey, gooey melted chocolate chips and plump, juicy strawberries?!)...but I think the girls were most excited about plating them up and sharing them with our neighbors.

While Doug will most emphatically disagree, I think Fancy Nancy was right...sprinkles DO make things taste better.

Go Trojans...

Doug's friend Adam scored some tickets to the USC game...again. Lucky, lucky guys.

 

 

Morning Showers...

As a kid, I used to love rainy days. Rainy days meant a fire in the fireplace, rides to and from school (most of the time), and mom's homeade chili for dinner. I still love rainy days...and it appears the girls enjoy rainy days just as much as I used to (and still do).

We woke up this morning to the first autumn rainstorm. Not quite sure if it could be called a storm...more like scattered showers. But with the sun breaking through the clouds at the same time thunder and lightening were happening, it was a pretty awesome way to start the day. My photos don't do it justice, but here is a recap of our morning showers. 



I love these girls and I love moments like this...moments that remind me to enjoy the little things in life.

First Day of School...

Today was Aiden and Reilly's first day of school. To say they were excited would be an understatement.

We started off the day off with the girls' favorite breakfast - pancakes with sprinkles. They picked out their outfits, made their lunches, and packed their backpacks the night before, so the morning went pretty smoothly. 

 

The girls couldn't wait to walk to school in the morning...they barely paused as Doug and I tried to snap a few photos. Our neighbors were nice enough to wait for us, and the little brood happily took off to school.

I tried snapping some photos on the walk over, but the girls simply wouldn't wait for anyone. They were too excited to get to school and start their big day.

 

 

When we got to school, we found the line for their classroom, they hopped right in and immediately started chatting it up. I tried snapping a few more photos, but they were too busy looking for friends. I didn't cry (a major surprise in and of itself), but it was a little sad to see them go off so easily, without a second thought or glance. I guess it just shows how ready they were to start school.

Aiden and Reilly...two of the cutest li'l kindergartners I know!