sidetracked...

My friend Stacey posted an idea for handling bathroom clutter - namely, hairbands. I had, coincidentally, just come up with a solution for our own clutter problem.

Obviously, with 3 girls (5 if you included my mom and I), we have our share of hair accessories... clips, clasps, pins, snaps, elastics, headbands, ribbons, and bows. All in addition to brushes, combs, product, and the standard hair appliances. The counter was always covered with miscellaneous tangled pieces, no to mention the loose hairs that come out with them.

Well, it's only been up for a day and a half, but it seems to be working...


It's just a simple $7 over the door shoe bag. I like the clear pockets because I can see what I'm looking for, and there were enough pockets to divide each style into it's own set. No more digging in the drawer or basket looking for the right size or color!

getting there

... but I keep taking more pictures - will I ever catch up???

My evenings recently have been spent in the doorway of my youngest daughter's bedroom. She's used all the typical stalls - potty, drink, and last night it was "scary monsters". I plant myself in the hallway and repeatedly say "shhh".

Last night I got smart - I used my moms laptop and did some of my writing while I was sitting there. Way to multi-task, huh?

*you have to scroll down to see the back-dated posts :)

back in time

I'm about 13 chapters behind in our little bloggy novel. I will confess in advance that I've figured out how to adjust the dates, so I'm going back in time to add all the missing posts (is that cheating?).
Stay tuned!

boiled worms, or fried?

I'm always looking for something to keep Katie's mind busy...

This summer, we decided to start a kids' book club. She invited several of her friends - we were pleasantly surprised at the response. They had finished reading How to Eat Fried Worms a few weeks prior to school being out, so we chose that as the first title. We found some discussion questions online, came up with some activities, and even had a delicious snack of gummy worms. The kids all had a great time, and I was very proud of Katie for the way she facilitated the discussion - she took it very seriously. I made sure my presence was known, but left everything else up to them.

At the end of the meeting, they voted on a book for the next meeting... The Doll People. Interesting choice, considering there are more boys than girls in the group. :)

happy checkup

We've been lucky enough to find a dental office we LOVE and have been visiting there for several years now. Dr. Stafford and Dr. Schlepp are both wonderful with the kids, and Meredith, the hygenist, is too!

Katie has always had excellent reports (she gets that from her dad), but Anna inherited my dental genes. I still get cavities on a regular basis. Something about deep grooves in our teeth? Anyway, this was Bethany's first time to sit in the chair. They call it the "happy checkup". They just count her teeth and tickle her gums. She did great. It helped that she has seen both of her sisters have their teeth cleaned.

medina & the moose

Shayne and I, along with some friends, attended the Medina Children's Home Benefit dinner this year. We've been fortunate enough to attend several times over the last few years. It's truly amazing to see and hear all the home does. The testimonials of the mothers and children who live there are particularly touching.

Last year, Shayne won a bid on a lovely recliner in the silent auction. This year, we walked away with the memory of meeting someone very special. Shayne and I have both been life-long Dallas Cowboy fans. The guest of honor/speaker at this year's dinner happened to be Daryl Johnston! It was quite a thrill!

BUT, guess what... I handed a gentleman my camera to take a quick picture and he couldn't get it to work. THE BATTERY WAS DEAD - AARGH! I spent most of the evening fretting over the d-u-m-b camera and the missed photo op. Fortunately, there was a professional photographer there snapping shots (so Shayne wasn't upset with me for too long).











It was a memorable evening benefiting a worthwhile organization.

mac zoo day

Miss Tamra organized this outing for our Mommy & Me playgroup. We usually meet up at the church once a month for crafts, playtime, and snacks... this time we had a field trip!
















viewer warning: snakes ahead!

family visit

how fortunate are we to see the grandparents 2 weekends in a row? :)

Blake and Sarah drove down with baby Greyson to spend the day with us. Papa even made the trip. We all enjoyed just hanging out and being entertained by the children.









I would guess that the girl's favorite part of the day was the water fun. Daddy turned on the sprinklers and joined the girls in the splashing festivities.




Afterwards, a little sunbathing...