trying

I am trying to fool around with blogger a bit so I can post bigger photos, and I am also trying to learn how to do a few other things so it might look weird here. Not that they have ever been normal.

Html is a whole new language, and I don't have computer smarts.
I am not sure what smarts I have anymore.
I make really yummy chewy granola bars, so maybe I have granola smarts.
At least you can eat my smarts. No one has ever called html code delicious.

captions

My monkey uses her feet to play as much as she uses her fingers.


Her never-fail, mouth-wide-open smile.


Thigh crease. Sweet, sweet thigh crease. Perfect spot to nestle my fingers when I hold her.


Concentration.


Liz - reaching out to get the camera. Me - pretending to be a photographer.

just perfect

May was truly a super month. So many celebrations, milestones, birthdays - lots of good times and joy, joy, joy! Maybe soon I will tell you all about them. Was your May fabulous too?

imagine, if you will

I am currently operating under the assumption that if I pretend my dining room and all the mess that lies therein do not exist, then it will cease to be a disaster or my problem. I am going to go about my business without allowing my eyes to linger upon the mountain of books and papers stacked upon the buffet. I will walk through my house without letting my mind get all twisted up in the thoughts of organizing the shelves full of scrapbooking supplies, kid's craft supplies and workbooks. I will check on the progress of the seeds sending up their little sprouts in the light of dining room window without interrogating myself about how it got this way, when will I get to it, or how will I make the room one the helps me instead of sending me into denial.

It will get better. But not today or even this week. So it's Bye-bye reality and a great big hug and warm welcome to my new friend delusion.

Have a great day keeping your house cleaner than mine! :)

elements of a perfect princess photo

riding the waves

Yesterday was hard. It was like I was trying to build a sandcastle on the beach, but the waves kept rolling in. Just when I would make a little progress, a wave would distract me, or ruin part of my castle, or wash away my bucket and shovel. Everything I tried to do to stop the waves failed. Yelling, crying, pushing them back did nothing to make it easier for me to build my sand castle. So the day became tiresome and irritating.

Today, there are just as many waves. But I have stopped building my sandcastle. There are lots of different ways to spend my time on this beach. Today I am riding those waves. I figure if the waves are going to keep coming, I may as well enjoy them. Today has not been tiresome or irritating. Today has been nice.

Ahhh, feel the sunshine. Smell the salty air. It's good.

this morning

I was so tired yesterday evening. After successfully getting the kids to bed a little early, it was nine o'clock and I was ready for bed. Sleep came around ten, and this morning I am thankful for the early bedtime, since I was up at 11 p.m. with a little girl who said her belly hurt, so I spread a blanket on the bedroom floor, just in case. At 12:30 I was up with a little girl who missed the blanket, but got the bed and carpet instead (and later me.) A little Oxy-clean, new bedding, some clean jammies, and the little girl was back to sleep.

But then baby girl, who has been so politely only waking up once in the night, has figured out that Mommy comes if you wake up twice or even three times. So we had little visits at 2:40 and 4 a.m. I am contemplating rounding up a copy of Babywise and threatening her with some Dr. Ezzo. I'll do it. I'll let her cry. She won't manipulate me! (Or maybe she will because I'm a big ol' softie when it comes to babies crying.)

So this morning, Dora and Diego are teaching Spanish class. This post has been typed with one hand while I hold the hungry baby who woke me up at 6:40. (It is a good thing I find her utterly sweet and ridiculously cute.) The washing machine is busy cleaning up last night's mess. And I think Proverbs 14:4 is the verse of the day -- Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. I must remember that these little people are smelly, time-consuming, messy, and needy, but the increase of love and joy they bring to my life is worth it. (And since Joey compared me to a mommy cow and Lizzie to my calf the other day, it only fits that much more.)

:-D

Happy Morning to you!

toss or sell

Yard sale Saturday.
Down to the basement to conquer Mount Toy Mess.
Lack adequate chocolate to elevate mood.
Cannot rev up on caffeine because of baby.
Must operate on will power alone.
"I will triumph!" is my cry.
(Have white flag just in case.)

my baby

My baby is so nice.

My baby only wakes me up once in the night.

My baby has chubby thighs.

My baby likes to share her milk with my shoulder.

My baby loves her tongue.

My baby thinks mommy is the best.

My baby gets mad at the toys on the bouncy seat.

My baby is going bald on the sides of her head.

My baby only moves counter-clockwise in her crib.

My baby is my baby.

proper introductions

"Lizzie, meet fist."
"Fist, meet Lizzie."


Fist doesn't know it yet, but she is about to be assaulted by a toothless, drool-filled mouth.

a little bit of lizzie

So sorry for the simple posts full of photos of my children, which I am sure I find much more appealing and cute than you do because they are mine, after all. Someday I will write something again.

Please forgive the fact that none of the above photos are in perfect focus. I currently lack the photography skills one needs to take an indoor photo without a flash of a baby in a bouncy seat that is not a little fuzzy. (I am sure that the previous sentence could use a re-write because it could possible read that the bouncy seat is fuzzy, when I was trying to say the photo was fuzzy. See, it is just better if I don't write.)

Happy day to you!

shiver me timbers

Yo, ho ho and blow the man down, but no need to fear this pirate in my kitchen.

The paper patch scotch-taped to his eye and his ruler sword are giving off a pretty non-threatening vibe.