Happy Halloween!

 The princess, the unicorn & MaRiO!

A Breath of Fall

A quick hello before I start the day.  I realize that I have not been blogging lately and I am sorry to my family & friends that look forward to our updates.  Just seems these days are all consuming.  I aspire to return to my posting so please look forward to photos, stories and happenings coming your way again very soon (like later today for example).  Have a wonderful day!

Leaf Crunching

A few moments of PeaCe in the midst of the chaos of the day.  I sit here and record a few of the million thoughts taking residence in my noggin.  Autumn scents of burning and crispness surround me and nudge my soul to breathe.   The air is inviting me to dance.  The ground is littered in amazing hues of crunchy leaves.  I hear the crickets chirping.  I hear the birds chirping.  Chickadee's and woodpeckers at the feeder right now.  Cold chocolate milk was the perfect something that I needed.  Baby is sleeping...I think.  Dog is resting at the moment as well.  I love this sweatshirt.  I may wear it every single day for a long long time.  I want to paint but I am tired and I know I would be interrupted before I even start.  I should do laundry or dishes but, I'd rather not.  I was reading and that felt nice, maybe I will do that again for a little bit.  I am so in love with this season...this season of life. 

Slow Down

 This is my most recent painting:  Titled:  Slow Down

 Here is a recent pic of my adorable Livy Monster.  She wrecks havoc every day.  Her newest "trick" is to batt her eyes at you and look all cute when she is causing trouble.

 Here are my new running shoes.  weird. freaky.  I know.   It is like running barefoot...yet not.  They are super cool.  I think they are almost magic.  Hope I get to use them...(lately, nothing but rain and baby).

 It was NERD day at school today. The kdis had such fun preparing this morning. 

I took me the whole flippen day to put away laundry away today (that included putting away summer clothes and having a little whirlwind rip everything off of hangers and unfold towels, etc).  I mad a beef roast in the crock pot, it smelled so good.  Busy week ahead still.  Wishing you well until we meet again! 

Stop, Drop and Roll...

(stop, drop and roll - sarah - thanks for the laughs yesterday!)  This week I began working on a firefighter themed mural for a little boy's room.  I am so excited about this wonderful opportunity.  Today , Saturday morning:  Olivia is up before I want to be (as usual).  Isabelle is at a sleepover.  Ben is laying in my bed because he often makes his way there somehow.  We made our second fire of the season last night.  We read books.  It was a nice quiet and cozy night.  Today, I think I will go buy some running shoes.  I've decided that I will not run away, but I defintley will run.  This is the time of year that I wish I had more blankets in the house.  I wish I had pumpkins on my doorstep...and stew and soups on the stove.  So much going on around here, not really sure what I have updated on recently.  Isabelle has joined the Children's Choir and so far she is loving it.  Her first concert will be toward the end of October.  It's that time of year that I start thinking about Halloween costumes.   Although Isabelle wants to be smurfette (not sure if we will go that route)...I really have no ideas yet.  Although I resumed feeding my birds, I think they have already left me. K, I think that's all I have to share at the moment.  Much awaits in this lovely day.   May the best be yours.

The Dynamic Duo

I only have a few moments before the troops are up for the morning routine...so I wanted to share these pics quick.  I thought it was hilarious the other day..Noah had bought himself some new workout/running clothes and Ben saw his pants and yelled, I have those pants!  He ran to his closet and got them and I pulled out one of his shirts that looked similar to the one noah was wearing.  I couldn't stop laughing seeing them both dressed the same.  Ben was so proud. hehe.  It reminded me of the movie: royal tennibaums when ben stiller and his sons wore matching red workout suits. hehe   Anyway...Happy Friday - I hope to write more soon!  I am off to paint a mural today!!!!

How do you like them AppLes?

Yes, the time has come.  Fall has arrived.  We had a fun family outing at the Apple Orchard this weekend.  It was beyond lovely.  More updates coming soon.  Happy Sunday Night.

To Swing is Not her Thing

So Livy Monster does not seem to like the swings at the park.  That's o.k.   Different Strokes for Different Folks.  I am beyond exhausted tonight and I am not really sure why.  My back hurts like heck and I should go take my contacts out (but then I wont be able to see much since my "glasses" need to be updated).  I made broccoli cheese ham soup for the evening meal it was good except the part when I burnt my tongue!  I made bedtime about 20 minutes early tonight because the noise and the climbing and the wrestling and the mess were all getting to me...I could no longer take the chaos so I ended it.  I didn't even read a story to the youngins, yep that's the kind of mom I am - tonight.   The cool breeze seeping through my window yander is A m A z I nG.  Fall, Fall - please come to me.  So, the day came that I never thought would come....I have pushed Ranch aside to make way for a new salad dressing favorite.  That new favorite is:   Honey Mustard.  I truly enjoy it.  Its a nice change.  I have been eating lots of salads lately and Ranch just wasn't cutting the mustard anymore if you know what I mean.  The battery on my scale is dying.  I have no stamps in the house even though I have stuff to mail.   I have a new phone so now I can text more properly, so that is super.  The family spent a wonderful weekend in Kentucky for a baptism.  Noah and I were blessed to be asked to be my niece, Ava's Godparents.  What an honor.  We had a wonderful time this weekend with lots of family.  The worse part of the adventure was the actual road trip in which Miss O cried 90% of the time.  She was just very unhappy with the car situation.  It really doesnt help that all of a sudden all her teeth are deciding to make their way into the world.  I am not a good map reader so don't ask me.  I don't like hotels that forget to clean out their coffee pots.  School is going along o.k. besides the fact that Ben has been getting his name on the board and Isabelle has not been doing so swell in math....but we are working on improving these things and so far so good.  I have a room full of laundry to put away and a sink full of dishes to wash, but those things will have to wait til tomorrow...or the next day.  Today was school pictures.  I sent the children looking smashing but who knows what the pics will reveal.  hehe, it's always a surprise.  I have not been in a reading mood at all lately which is quite weird.  Man, am I tired.  Did I mention that?  Such a busy week ahead.  I tell myself to:  breathe.  Good Night :) 

Draw, Paint, Fancy Garbage Cans

 The kids and I had great fun making projects this weekend.  I took the newspaper roll out of the closet and we created a bunch of fun drawings.  Also, whipped out some boxes and made houses for our collection of Smurfs. 

 This is a painting.

 This is another painting.

 And here is yet another painting.  (I am quite in the painting mood at the moment.  Many ideas are bouncing around in my noggin).  I am so excited about wonderful opportunties arising.

So, this is my current project.  In fact it is what I am working on right at this moment, except I took a break and thought hey, baby is sleeping , I dont feel like doing laudnry or dishes , I think I will update the blog.  This weekend is an Art int he Park Event.  It is a combo deal with the park district and the art museum.  I am working on the community project (focused for the kids) in which I am painting the outlines of drawings (of aspects of the park) on these here garbage cans (but we are referring to them as barrels so they sound more elegant and fancy), and anyone who comes through the event can pick up a paint brush and fill in/add to the project.  What I have done so far has been fun, but I do find it a bit challenging to create masterpieces on this particuliar type of item.  The paint fumes are making me a bit mental and the roundness and bumps are a bit of a task, but I am excited for this project to come to fruitation.  I won't be able to be at the actual event, but I can't wait to see how it will all turn out).    So anyway, just wanted to say hello since I haven't much lately. good day.  p.s.  almost feels like fall out there today.  It is wonderful.  ps.ps.  Picked green beans from the garden and got attacked by evil mosquitos.  Remind me not to do that again. 

school and blessed

A new beginning.  A new school year has emerged this week.  Isabelle entered 3rd grade and Benjamin has started Kindergarten.  This time of year is always so exciting...and so emotional...mostly for me.  I am so looking forward to this school year.  The children are blessed with wonderful teachers.  I know that I owe updates...but this has been an exhausting whirlwind of a week.  I was single parenting it (Noah was work traveling) as we were coming off vacation and jumping into the new school year.  I am thankful for some somewhat peaceful time during the day to get things done.  I still have to share pics from vacation etc.  Hopefully next post (I am way too tired at the moment).  I am feeling extremily blessed with several "art" opportunities coming my way.  I even had the chance to paint a little the last two days and I am so excited with what I am creating.  I thank the Lord for my gift/talent of painting.  When I paint, I feel so alive.  My soul is dancing and well.  I create and happiness and emotion  are abundant.  I must go now.  Good night dear family and friends.  May your slumber be sweet and let the sun greet you kindly in the morn. 

Happy 5th Birthday Ben

Last week we celebrated my precious little Benjamin Boo turning:  5 years old.  He spent his birthday surrounded by lots of family, vacationing at a lake house in Wisconsin.  He had a wonderful day.  Wow.  I can't believe how fast this little guy is growing up.   There are so many things that I love about my Ben.  Here are just 5 for fun:  1.)  I love how Ben still needs the security of his "blankie cow" and how he rubs the satin edges for comfort.  2.)  I love how when Ben is asked his favorite color, he answers:  "All the colors in the world!"  3.)  I love how Ben describes his thoughts with his hand gestures, serious expressions and funny explanations.  4.)  I love how Ben is always so excited about what he is doing that he runs from one place to the next.  5.)  I love to see how Ben's imagination comes to life through his play, dress up & art.  Thank you Lord, for gifting me with this amazing boy who brings such joy to my heart.  Happy Birthday Ben!    ***More updates and photos coming soon in regards to:  the end of the summer, Wisconsin Lake House vacation, School starting,  art projects, etc.***

Happy 8 Isabelle

 This Sunday we celebrated beautiful Isabelle and her arrival of the number 8.  I cannot believe that my daughter is 8.  So bittersweet.  I know I have no choice but to let her grow older, but I wish she would at least slow down a little bit.  I blink and she is on her next step and I am not ready, but I have to be.  We decided not to have any "kid" parties this year, but we still made her birthday very special.  As usual, she was spoiled and loved to pieces by so many treasured people.  We are blessed.

 I love this photo of Isabelle with her favorite present!  Except she looks too grown up here.

 This is the moment that I was the most excited about.  I had arranged a special surprise for Isabelle.  Her best friend, Amy -moved away a few months ago and she hasn't seen her in person since....well guess who knocked at our door to help share in Isabelle's special day?  It was so amazing to see these wonderful friends together again. :)

 Everyone wanted turns playing the guitar.  Here we see Noah & Little Miss O, doing a dance.

This is one of my favorite photos of the weekend.  Ben just adores Olivia.  Once in awhile she will stay still enough for him to snuggle her.    Next week we celebrate Ben turning the big "5"!!!   This morning I woke up to the most beautiful weather.  It almost feels like fall out there.  Love it.  Mosquitos are evil.  The Garden is practically throwing tomatos at us.  (if you need any, stop by!).  The moon has been extra beautiful lately.  I have so many exciting painting projects on the horizon, I almost want to hyperventilate (but in a good way, not an overwhelming rotten sort of kind of way).  Preparing for an end of the summer vacation , also finishing up school shopping.  I can't believe the time is almost here.  I think it is time though.  The kids are done.  I am done.  Summer can be wrapped up in a nice little box with a bow , cuz I am so excited for fall and what this season has to bring to us!  I am looking forward to hopefully a little more peaceful and settled time at home for all of us.  I am looking forward to the kids learning new things and being with school friends again.  I wish we grew pumpkins in our garden this year, but we didn't.  There truly is nothing like going out to your yard and picking a bunch of pumpkins. hehe.  See, my brain is already swimming in fall thoughts.  I love everything that fall has to offer.  It's just breath taking, crisp, comforting, inspiring....awesome.  I should probably put on some music and start dancing before this day slips away.  Happy Wednesday.  May your moments be filled with super swell stuff. 

cake and paint

For the kids birthdays, I was so excited to order some very special cakes from my friend Nikki who has started her own bakery business:  Cravings.  I just adore the designs that she comes up with, they are amazing so I knew we would love what she would do with a request of:  fairies for Isabelle and a dolphin with a cowboy hat for Ben.  The kids (well, everyone) just awwed over the cakes when they saw them.  Isabelle kept asking me questions like:  How did she do that and can I make cakes when I grow up?  The thing about these beautiful, creative cakes is...they not only look like magic....they taste awesome!!!!!  Isabelle wanted confetti cake and Ben wanted chocolate...and let's just say, there is no cake left.

 This is a family portrait that I painted for my friend Nikki.  Her and I share an appreciation for Gnomes. :)

The Guitar was Isabelle's main Birthday Gift request.  She told me if she got a guitar all her dreams would come true.   Well, she had a purple one in mind..one she saw at the store.  Of course, though when I went to get it, it was only a display and not available for purchase.  So, disappointed that I could not get exactly what she was dreaming of, I decided to buy the "boring" brown guitar...and I told the employee who was helping me that maybe my daughter could slap some stickers on it.  Thank goodness that guy suggested to me that it would be nice If I could find someone who paints... ((Isabelle just loved what I painted on her guitar with all her heart, so in the end, now I know - it was perfect that the purple one wasn't available)).

pink crickets

 This is our first garden tomato of the year.  It always amazes me how excellent they taste compared to store bought winter produce. hehe

 This is a painting gift I made for my step sister in law: Gumby. 

Pink.  This is a handpainted card for my friend.  Recently I found out that she has breast cancer.  As I painted this card, I cried.  My heart was sore with saddness.  I thought about how she is my age.  I thought about how her daughter is Isabelle's age.  I thought about my grandma (Helen) who died of breast cancer.  I thought of my dad who had throat cancer (and is a survivor!).  I also thought of many others whose lives have been touched, changed and swept away by Cancer.  As I created this card,  I felt very inspired and called to establish and work on a special project in these regards that I will reveal in due time. 

 Here is little Miss Olivia being boss of the siblings.  Noone else could use the pink Barbie computer except for her!  The end.

What is summer without a little baseball?  Some friends recently gathered for a very fun event.  Family fun at Little Cubs Field (a miniture cubs field that is built in our town and can be rented out for private parties).  Ben was in his glory...playing ball among all the other boys.  Hot dogs and peanuts and Cracker Jacks were to be had by all.  Isabelle chatted away with friends and I chased Olivia all about....and I even got to hit a few...and yes, I actually hit them!  (balls not children).

So here we are:  August.  This month we will celebrate some very special birthdays (Isabelle and Ben), go on a family vacation (lake house in Wisconsin) and start school among other things.  This month will fly by like the rest of the summer, I am sure of that.  I am thankful in the recent rains that our basement only got a little wet and we lost power/internet for a very short time.  I know that others suffered much worse.  Tonight, although the heat is high...I made chili.  Yes, I am crazy, I do believe..just really have had a taste for it lately.  Some Ben quotes of recent: " It sure is human (humid) outside." /  Do you think wrestlers squeeze them?  Squeeze what?  The peanuts to make peanutbutter?  Do you think they bring them to the wrestlers to squeeze cuz they are so strong? /  Do you think that I am too smart for Kindergarten (as we are working on his brainquest workbook for summer practice and I am telling him how awesome he is doing).  One must accept that plastic Spiderman Cups will not last forever.  I need to unbury my scrapbooking stuff.  I am inspired and longing to create some pages.  I feel we go through way too many papertowels.  I am trying these reusable papertowells to see how that goes.  The dog barks.  He barks often.   He unravels my brain cells.  Watching kids eat noodles of longitude is always uncomfortable...and of course I dread "the clean up".  I sadly think about my gray (or is it grey?) hairs that are sprouting about.  I wonder if aliens really do tend to have 3 eyes?  Do the cows really ever come home?  I think about how that term, til the cows come home....and I don't really get it.  Thank the Lord for air conditioning.  Buying and organizing school supplies is one of my favorite things.  Always has been, always will be.  I will even buy school supplies when there is no need.  I will just pull up a misc. list and pretend I need to complete it.  Sunburn itches.  Art is one of my all time favorite words.  Sometimes I wish it was quiet here. ..but then I realize that someday it will be , and really I have no choice but it to be non quiet.  Embrace it.  Boring bird selection lately.  Not to be negative.  Oh wait, I forgot, Isabelle did spy some giant birds in our trees a couple days ago.  They were:  Turkey Vultures.  We have been enjoying watching the bats flutter about outside each summer evening.  The watermelons have not been that impressive this season.  It's like hit or miss.  Everytime the icecream truck comes down our street, I say:  NO!  I know, I am not going to win the mom of the year award, but - oh well...I have my reasons.   Isabelle has been playing barbies like crazy this summer.  Ben plays with her too.  He asked me to help him get the pink sweater on his Ken doll the other day.  Noah loved that. hehe.  Ben wants boxing gloves for his birthday.  Isabelle wants earrings.  Ben keeps burping at the dinner table and I swear...he is ALL BOY in every single way.  It just comes natural...there really isnt anything else to explain...the jumping, the burping...the dirty....the climbing...the whole entire package...is just bound and determined to make it's way into the world.  BOY.  Oh, but this boy brings me so much joy.  I think about how lucky I am...to look into his big blue eyes and listen to his heart ramble on about monkeys and cowboys and his special blanket.  Then there are these amazing girls, who melt my heart.  I see me in them.  I don't see me in them.  Isabelle is so sensitive.  I wish I could protect her more from her feelings.  But, I know this is her and how she is meant to be in the world.  Sensitive and sweet.  I pray for protection around my children constantly.  I ask to be with them for as long as possible.  There are noodles all over my table and the children are outside doing flips and cartwheels in the front yard.  I hear the crickets and I remember what it feels like.  To play...in the grass...on a summer's eve.   To not know the hardships of the world....just to know what I feel and that it feels good to be alive....smelling the grass...catching fireflies as the sun disappears into the darkness.  Running breathless until I fell to the ground.  Laughing and loving all that was my existance.  Getting cleaned up...pajamas...soft warm bed in my parents home.  safe.  and loved.   Well Ben wants me to go watch his backflip.  Goodnight and Goodbye until we meet again.

Olivia and Zuzu

For some reason I can't get the video to rotate, so sorry about that.  Livy has discovered Ben's Zuzu pet.

Flipper

Couldn't find my camera cord at the moment, so for your viewing pleasure, I used a photo I had in my files.  One day recently, I walked in to find Ben playing his DS like this.   So, not even sure what I am going to ramble about, but I think I have a few quiet moments so here it goes:  We got our first garden tomatoe the other day and now we have several more...awesome!  So, I was watching the orginial show of Flipper with Ben since Dolphins are very much one of his favorite things of the moment...and I must say that I am compeltely amazed by Flipper.  Not only, was he super talented and smart...but also strong....he fought off (and I believe killed) an alligator and several sharks to protect and save his loved ones.  Who knew Flipper was such a warrior?  He always looks so playful and happy...flippin around and such.  It just tells you that ya never know what an individual has inside until they need to use it.  Maybe I shouldn't wear my Dolphins are Jerks shirt anymore.  Happy Tuesday!

Enjoying the h20s of SuMMer.

 My little beach baby.

 My Fish.

 My little boy who had just a tad too much mayo on his turkey sandwich.

 Neighborhood Friends in the Sprinkler.

The Dimming of the Day.
Busy, Busy, Crazy Summer days.  This week has been a whirlwind:  good for the most part, but exhausting.  I kind of need a break from summer to be quite honest!  I am thankful for the wonderful rains right now.  I love to hear the thunder.  Peaceful. This week we were blessed with an invitation from a friend to the lake.  She treated us to a wonderful day of sunshine and swimming. We had a few mishaps this week.... sunburns, chloriene burning eyes, smashed fingers...all to be chalked up as part of summer's calamities.  Baby is up and out and about, so hopefuly more update later.  Happy Saturday!

Hold your HorSes.

 Just wanted to share some recent paintings.  I had the wonderful opportunity to create Horse themed paintings for two little girls turning 9.  12x12 stretched canvas - acrylic paint

This painting was a special gift for a special friend of Isabelle's and her mom just happens to be my special friend......so we are all SpEcIaL. hehe.  Caroline loves art, reading, cats, etc ..so I tried to incorporate all that wonderful jazz into the concept of her painting.  :)