stealing a few...

moments as Olivia finally went down for a nap and I don't have to pick Isabelle and Ben up from school yet. It is amazing how good a shower feels after you have really earned one. There are only 2 fresh farm eggs left in my house...just enough to make a meatloafish type dinner tonight. Sure you are thinking...it's not really meatloaf season at the moment is it? Well, it is for me since I have all the right ingredients and there is no way I am trucking to the store for anything else. If it was up to me, I would have a bowl of cherrios (honey nut), but it's my job to feed these people and they may be expecting a little more. Of course, I would have to find my kitchen counters first, before I could whip up the evening meal...yes, my kitchen is that big of a unorganized disaster at the moment. oh well, that will change soon...and then it will be messed again. I am so excited about something I bought for Olivia today (at Kmart), it is a fun mirror that goes in the crib or stands on its own and she LOVE LOVE LOVES it. She giggles and talks to herself. So, good call on my part. The only reason I bought it today was because it was NOT on sale. If that doesnt make sense let me explain. Everytime Ive thought about getting this mirror it has been on a buy one item and get a second item half off.....well...I didnt want a second item around equal value so I refused to buy it. It just ticked me off. I was not going to be forced to buy a second item. So there. Yes, I paid full price, but I did not buy something extra that I didn't want just because they offered it that way so there. ugh, pretty soon I will have to find my shoes and hopefully not wake the baby as I transfer her to the bus (what the kids call my vehicle). It is not yellow if you were wondering. I wish I could take a nap to be quite honest, but it's not in the cards for me today, as willy wonka once said, too much time, too little to do, scratch that, reverse. oh and as fate would have it, I hear the call of the wild already....so I guess I don't have to worry about waking her. Happy Friday!

Don't Give Up on Me!

Disney Store shopping Spree with Grandma! Lucky Ducky Kids!
Visiting Uncle Al at the Chicago Fire House that he works at.

Ben Celebrating Turning FOUR (4) !

1st day of school for my munchins. Isabelle in 2nd grade and Ben in 3 full day preschool.

Beautiful Olivia approx. 4 months of age...or so.

So, thanks for not giving up on me. I have not updated in awhile. Im a slacker. A blogger neglector. Yes, it's true I didn't even consider updating for such a time because the end of summer was truly non stop overwhelming. But, I now do see a light at the horizon....a beacon of hope that time, although may not be abundent, may be at least...enough. enough to breathe again and maybe clean and organize a bit as well. We ended our summer with a vacation, 2 birthdays, a trip to chicago for a week, a family wedding shower....and visiting family at our home for a week. It was all truly wonderful!!!!! But it was nonstop. It was so good to see and bee with so many special people these last few weeks of summer, from the bottom of my heart to the top of my soul , I am so grateful. Old friends, new friends and many special family members... these moments are truly cherished. I thank everyone who hosted and welcomed us, I thank everyone who came to be with us. How treasured and blessed are we? I truly realize in the moments in which smiles, laughter and even tears are shared. Anyway...School has started and it is about time (jK..yet a tad bit serious). Routine is good. very very good and I am looking forward to everything that comes along with school. The uniforms, the packing lunches, the earlier bedtimes, the homework...bring it on ! Olivia is as follows: at 4 months she was 14 lbs. I can start cereal at anytime now. I am waitng for a quiet, peaceful moment when it is just her and I and the new grub. I think that is the best introduction to such a change....verses the kids bouncing her and screaming in her ear..cheering her on...... a silent experience will be much better accepted I am sure. Livy is now making so many noises and smiles, etc. She is grabbing her feet all the time which is adorable and she is such a joy. The biggest new for me that I have to report is that we finally joined a local gym that has child care. I can't tell you how much this means to me and how long I have waited for such an opportunity. I was trying to walk with the kids/stroller in the park as much as possible this summer, but that didnt go very far with the extreme heat and much rains. Now, I have a wonderful opportunity to work out child free and it is amazing. I have been going as much as I can within the child care limits and my schedule and althoguh I have just begun, I already feel so much better in so many ways. My energy level, my belief and hope in myself....it has been hard work, but good work. I know I have a long way to go to feel great, but I am on the path and I am taking it one day at a time. I most look forward to my first Zumba class! Schedule wise, I have not been able to attend one yet, but hopefully soon...and I have a feeling I am going to love it. Other news with me is that of course I cannot do it all, I can't keep the kids straight , the house clean and everything else on my agenda without something suffering...because there is only so much time in the day...so I have decied to close my Etsy store once again. Although this saddens me beyond belief, I knw that is the thing that must go. I am going to still try and paint and do other art as I cant and I hope when I get a handle on things, that I can focus some energies to those passions but for now....my kids, home and health are my priority. Art and creatiivity will have to wait and that's o.k. Also, social time for the most part will have to be on hold as well. I need to focus and take care of things. I pray for strength and direction as I go about my upcoming days. So, I have rambled...and I'm sure I have much more to say, and I know I have more detailed updates to give, but for now, I have to put some clothes in the dryer , some dishes away and a baby to bed. So goodnight family and friends. Thank you for putting up with me and loving me through it all. :)

update

Hi All - I have recieved some concerns (hehe) that there have been no updates in a bit, please rest assured my loyals...that all is good. The end of the summer wrap up and beginning of school is starting to take place and it has been so much to do every day. Very soon I will have some updates that will include the kids birthdays, a week away visiting friends & family, our newest adventures....and other super stuff.

Happy 7th Birthday Isabelle!

Happy 7th Birthday my sweet Isabelle Claire.

Field of Dreams

"This field, this game, is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that was once good, and it could be good again. Oh people will come. People will most definitely come" - from the movie field of dreams. ..and yes we came. As part of our Iowa trip, we decided to stop here for Ben mostly. Well as you can see from this picture Ben was too upset to be happy after he realized that we didn't bring his glove/ball/bat and he couldn't go play on the field. He was also upset that he couldn't get a jersey from the gift shop. I wish he could have been happy while we were there, but I understand his disappointment. He is just a little boy who wanted to play ball. :) Although it is only a movie set, there was honestly something beautiful and magical when we pulled up to this place. Everything clean and crisp, safe and happy (well besides Ben). There is definetly something special going on there. :)

IOWA...where the cool people go.

Isabelle picked a magic 8 ball from the Toy Store. We got to listen to her ask it questions for the remainder of the trip. We were forced to ask it questions too. Quite often we got the same replies....weird.

Ben choose this as his Toy from the toy shop. He told us he was a Knight of the Square table.

When we got to our first hotel, ben couldn't wait to unload his cars back pack and properly hang up his wardrobe. He really got inside of his task.

The kids were thrilled that the hotel left us a little package on the bed that included a sleeping mask, ear plugs and room scent mist.

The husband was on vacation this week so we decided to skip to my lou to Iowa for a short & sweet family getaway. Sure, not the most exciting place on earth...but a quick, not too far road trip escape for a few days...just the 5 of us. We visited Cedar Rapids, Amana Colonies and swung by Field of Dreams on the way home. The time went fast but was very much needed. We dined at new and fun places (every place we went the kids told the waitress, this is the best food ever!), got to see a lot of handcrafted items and even saw some real edible crickets in the chocolate shop. Noah and I got to do some wine tasting and we met some really nice and interesting people while we were out and about. Ben flirted with all the elderly and Isabelle danced and spinned all along the way. Olivia just went with the flow (really what choice did she have?). Some moments I remember from this trip, the good the bad the ugly: Ben accidently biting his finger instead of his lunch while in maid-rite, Ben telling the waitress that we went on vacation to get away from the dog, Isabelle thinking we must be in Ireland as we passed the Mississippi river, Isabelle thinking it must be salty water because she is sure she saw a shark, Ben getting excited when we went in a jewerly shop and announcing that he wanted to buy his wife a pair of earrings, the kids not knowing what a record is...and I think that is about it at the moment because I have some more pics to post!

My baby love...

Babies grow in a blink of an eye. Seasons fly by. Once upon a time, there was time. Yes, our moments are fleeting...and no, we don't always savor them....but we must breathe them, be IN them and believe in them, for they are ours and they are us. I am so Blessed and in Love with so much in this life. I don't always appreciate or see all that I have...but I try. I try to remember what matters and what does not. I try to keep going when I want to quit. I seek to laugh and find joy in everyday even though sometimes it is challenging to say the least. This life is hard. No one promised it to be easy. There is alot we can be mad, angry and sad about...but I hope that I keep remembering to choose what to focus on, who to think about and how to be. I like this road that I walk upon. I hope I leave some footprints behind, pick many flowers along the way and see all of the sunshine up ahead...The livy monster is crabby as I type so I must go. I will try and update our latest happenings very soon. (I have a few recipes and thoughts and photos to share). :)

Preschool praise

This is Ben (cubs shirt) having fun at vacation bible school last night.

What a difference a day makes.

This is the same flower that I took a picture of the other day and put in my last post. Today, the kids and I found this butterfly on it. We chased it around the yard a bit and watched it flutter about nearby for quite awhile. Small little treasures. :). When I wrote my last post, I was feeling so overwhelmed, yet I was hopeful. I prayed for some peace and I got it. Although I didn't get too much done on my list today (and my coffee table is a mess once again), we had fun and delighted in the day for the most part. We made paper projects and played pretend, we laughed and sang. It was a nice day. :) Tomorrow, I will attempt to tackle the must dos and should haves, but I needed today.

These are some fun journals that I have made in the past, but I changed up my design a little bit. I used to glue the binding and have a slightly different covering, but now I decided to thread/sew instead. I like this better. I love these kind of books. I use them for all sorts of different things: kids quotes, to do lists, creative ideas, misc. musings. The covers are made of 2 4x6 photographs. The inside pages are misc. whatever I have around the house (notebook, graph, copy, cardstock, patterned, ledger, etc.).

Time to get the Ice Cream out... now, go catch some lightening bugs & GoOd nIgHt!

Coffee Table Chaos

A Summer Flower. :)
My Coffee Table this Sunday. - A wonderful example of the chaos of the 5 people living here. - And I wonder why it took all Monday to "straighten up" and I didn't even really get to the actual cleaning part. ugh, clutter and messes like this make me nuts, but it's something I have to just accept at times and let it be these days...at least for a little while. There is only so much time in the day. Once upon a time there was time....not so much anymore.

Garden Tomatoes

Vegetable Thief - will now be pushing up daisies courtesy of our German Shepherd.

Ben "The Ball Player"

**...**Random Musings **...**
Back to my Sunday Coffee Table...that kind of mess truly drives me crazy....but, I feel like that is a perfect representative of my days lately. They are not relaxing summer days (for me)...they feel kind of crazy, stressed, ovewhelmed, humid, unproductive....I just can't seem to get a handle on things like I truly desire to. I know I need to simplify and cut things out because there truly just is not enough time. I have to decide on my priorities, get organized and try to focus...but I am having a hard time doing that. I need to breathe. So, today is a new day. A fresh start. I know that I don't have to get all things done, but I need to get some. I know that I am in control of my day and I can set a plan and try my best to do what I can and what I can't that's o.k. too. I want to enjoy the rest of this season and most importantly, I want the kids to have a wonderful summer. I truly believe that they are, but I need to make sure that they keep getting what they need along with extra....meaning, I remember my childhood summers as almost feeling magical. The simple things like catching lightening bugs and chasing the ice cream truck, sleepovers and swimming, staying up late and exploring the great outdoors...oh Yes, I do believe in those childhood summers.
Home Front News: Our fish is still alive, I am planning a simple party for the kids birthdays. Must work on invites. I love that school supplies are out. One of very my favorite things to buy. I need to start planning the baby's baptism, hoping for October. Hope Isabelle's dress will fit Olivia at that point, but probably not. I am excited about the favors I am going to make for an upcoming family wedding shower. I miss Aunt Mary since she has been in reHab. Ben can write his name really well now. I rented "True Blood" first couple episodes in hopes that I get to watch it before it's due back. It looks rainy out. I love the rain. There's something comforting about it. I hope I can steal some time to do a little scrapbook or bookbinding/journal making somewhere in this day. k, the demands of the day are starting, wish me luck.

Another Painting..Do You Believe?

12" x 12" Stretched Canvas - Acrylic
This painting was so fun to create, but it's not finished yet! It is waiting to be personalized. I am selling this as a custom wall art. The person who purchases it just tells me what they want written in the cloud...a name, a word, a short saying...the SKY is the limit with this one. :)

Ugh, I feel sick, this heat is truly making me ill. I need a pina colada (or 2) to cool off. I think that might do the trick. This morning Noah went to FARMER & FEET (according to Ben) and got the kids some baseball/softball equipment. Ben has not put down his bat all day and Isabelle can't believe that her daddy found her a pink and purple glove with glitter to boot. We are having steaks on the grill, sweet potatoes and green beans for the evening meal. Since I have been painting, I have tons of cleaning house to do...I really don't know where to start so maybe I should just Let It Be as some guys once sang. Stay cool my friends.

A Little Birdie told me..-

Wanted to share some PAINTINGS with you . :) Above; is an Angel and Eastern Blue Bird painted with Acrylics on an 11x14 stretched canvas. Below: is a cute little bird with Olivia's name on a branch. I am starting to offer to paint personalized custom children's wall art and I have already got some interest which is so exciting because these paintings are so fun to create!

8" x 10 " on Acrylic Stretched Canvas

Here is my sweet baby girl with a cold wet washcloth on her head. Hey, we are just trying to keep cool in this horrible heat. :) hehe. Olivia is approx. 3 months old now and she is doing more and more every day. Sweet Dreams friends & family.

Little Boy...

Should I be concerned that my son enjoys doing things like this to his beloved stuff animals? I was told when he stomped on the toad that it was "normal" for a lad to do such a thing...and I suppose this is quite "normal" as well...but it just brings me to the thoughts of how raising girls and raising boys is such a different ball game. Ben is constantly surprising me (and shocking me) with the things he comes up with to pass the time. His childhood is defitnely filled with imagination and experiment around every corner. Most of his antics and creations bring a smile to my heart, but he certainly has his WiLd side. I'd say he's a little boy through and through, from the dirt on his nose to his untied shoe laces. Thanks to Ben, I am discovering a whole new world that I really had no clue about. I am even learning to enjoy "playing baseball" and reading stories about trains and superheros. As my baby boy is approaching 4 years old next month, I just keep thinking how blessed I am by his passion and his creativity...his laughter and his big blue eyes. I love that he still wants to go to bed each night with his "blankie cow" and some milkies (milk in a sippy cup). I want to keep him little forever...but of course I can not, I can only savor these moments of sticky hands around my neck and a trail of toys, trouble and laughter wherever he goes.

and a great gray wolf...

pounced out from behind a blackberry bush! This is a journal that I made featuring an altered storybook page of Little Red Riding Hood. The journal is really cool. It is folded pages that are bound together that individually open into circles the size of a cd.

A set of Alice In Wonderland Bookmarks that I made.

Bookmarks are such a fancy invention aren't they?

This is how my son plays baseball. He runs outside with his (dad's too big) mitt, a special signed by Baby Ruth (story in a previous post) baseball, and his FOOTBALL helmet. These days he is constantly asking everyone to play baseball with him.

We've got HONEY! I must admit that at the first knowledge of my husband's desire for beekeeping, it was really not my interest and infact, I was not fond of the idea at all. I was afraid we would all get stung by swarms of angry flying objects...yet, Noah is the only one who has gotten stung so far (and he doesn't seem to mind, plus now he has the special suit of protection) and now that we have HONEY , I am quickly growing SWEET to the idea...cuz it is gOOd Honey! Yum! As you can see from the pic, the little fingers of the children couldn't wait to swipe some up. We canned a little bit and that's all we can do for now, the rest has to remain with the hives for the time being (as to not to disturb). Now, I realize what all the fuss was about from Winnie the Pooh and licking his honey jars. In the future we have plans (hopefully) to sell some honey and maybe make some soaps, candles etc out of it. I think we should name it: BeeSki Honey.

Green Beans, Green Beans, Green Beans...this is only one bucket of several picked in the last few days. As we picked, cleaned, cut, blanched and froze all the millions of beans, I started to think, hey it would have been much more time consuming and easier to buy these suckers from the store...but, I am sure once I am eating them I will appreciate their supergardeness. Poor News to Report: Something has been eating our cucumbers and zuchinni. We will be lucky to get a little of either. I guess when you live right next to a wooded area, there may be lots of animals who are thrilled beyond the moon that you decided to plant a garden for them to rummage through in the wee hours of the eve and morn. Now only if they would have ate some of the green beans instead...

This morning everyone is still sleeping, except Child #3 is now stirring as she is realizing that it is time to wake up and be cute. Happy Sunday!

The Beginning of a Painting

I am feeling very inspired and am so excited to get out my drawing/paint tools. Ben & Belle are spending some special time with family...now if I could only get Olivia to take a nap...

Hand Painted Glass & rambling.

I am painting glass like crazy. I need to stop the art and start sweeping up some dog hair. (I swear lance is shedding like a maniac in this heat, it is a wonder there is any hair left to shed, yet everyday every moment theres some more - joy). Anywho...theres really not much to report. Today has been humid and yuk and I have been mostly painting and cleaning. Our fish is still alive. Our garden is now giving us: green beans (noah made this really good dish with them last night...just sautee them in bacon and onion with some pepper and a little butter and call it a side. Awesome. I should have went outside to pick more beans today and protest the groundhogs revival ,but I'm still waiting on Mary Poppins to fly in and take the children to the park for an outing. Except their kites have been un-operable since Easter so it's probably for the best. Looks like rain yet it doesnt. Don't ever buy AJAX dish soap. The bubbles disapear way too fast. It's really disappointing. Well, I've got a fussy bucket on my hands and a soapy bucket at my feet. Go now, Seek Happy nights & Happy days.

FINtastic Adventure

The fishermans (and girl) sitting on the dock of the bay.
3 stooges with poles and bait walk to the lake.

Olivia enjoying one of her many "cat" naps while the family fished the afternoon away.

The woods where I spotted a Gnome. (o.k., I did not spot a Gnome ((this time)), but I did collect moss for a terrerium that I want to create. I have dreams.

One of the victims. No fish were killed during this FINtastic adventure. Well, maybe one...by accident...possibly. It is not certain. We must move on...

It rained on us just a smidge today, but that wasn't really so bad. Nice afternoon out by the watering hole at the neck of the woods. Good times. I didn't even over- pack like I usually do. The picnic was pleasant. Kids really enjoyed themselves. We kept pretty low key this holiday weekend, so it was nice for the grand finale to be to get away today for a little bit. Just relaxing with hardly any cares in the world. The highlight of this trip was when Isabelle decided to pee in the woods is exactly the rare (or rear) time that a vehicle drove by. The worst part of the journey was when I dropped Olivia's favorite Bink underneath the car at an almost impossible spot and I had to crawl underneath on the gravel and all to retrieve it.

Ben just snuck into my bedroom to try and sleep in our bed. He brings with him curious george. oh also today, we brought my car into the shop. Almost 500.00 later, my car (brakes) is fixed. JOY. Oh well, I am very grateful that my car is repaired and does not make horrible noises anymore. We are almost out of milk. Hope there is enough milk for the Cherrios in the morning. Noah got the wrong kind of Cherrios, I was hoping the kids wouldn't have noticed that there is no Honey Nut, that they are just plain, but they noticed. Next time I need to be more specific in regards to my request. It happens. goodnight. :)

Match this.

Altered Matchboxes

Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day.

The chicken is in the salt water (for baked chicken tonight).

Got to scrape the paint of the cases of the dvds so I can return them to the video store.

I want to join the crowd and take a Zumba class.

Dog won't stop barking today. Where is the burlap bag?

I wish I knew how to widdle a fairy door, but I don't have any wood skills.

k, I gotta go - troops are restless and resentless.

The Day is Done,,,

...Gone the Sun.
(for some reason the photos insert is not working, so I will just write):
I love the freedom of the summer. Yet, I miss the routine of non-summer.
I wish I had all the change back that I ever threw into a fountain or a well on a mountain top..., then I could by myself a peach smoothie.
Everytime I see a banana start to get brown spots, I get sad and I think about how I wish it didn't have to be that way. So quickly, the fleeting moments of perfect yellow are gone.
I despise dog hair with every ounce of my being.
I admire the light on the tree leaves just at sunset.
I have a favorite pen that I must always use. It's been like that for a long time and always will be so. Nothing will ever replace the perfectness of the zebra f-301 fine ball point pen. (extra fine and misc. ink colors are welcome as well).
I don't put crackers in my soup.
I don't like to chew gum.
I have never mowed the lawn.
I wrote a poem about the children, it goe's like this """I bet a million trillion buckaroos, there will be a trail of toys, and they will ask for ice cream before the night is through.""""
I think there is a cat dying outside as I type.
There are lots of muddy shoes at the front door.
I miss the tv show: All in the Family.
I want to go catch lightening bugs right now, but I am too tired, plus I might have an encounter with that dying cat.
The air is coming through the window right now and it is pefect cool. Just a light crispness that reminds me to feel and breathe. love it.
Quite often I call Ben: "Little Boy Blue" . Every single day that boy puts a smile on my face with his little plans of play. Always up to something. Often with two pairs of underwear and one sock on.
Isabelle really has no clue how beautiful she is. I hope that she will realize it some day, when the time is right. :) I could stare at her face forever. Every single night at bedtime she tells me that she loves me with all her heart...and I believe her.
I make bookmarks for people all the time, yet I never have any for my books. I either use an index card, or fold a page down or soemthing along those lines. There was once upon a time that it was against my personal reading religion to ever fold a page in a book, that time is gone. Also, you probably won't find a book of mine that doesn't have notes written it, underlines or hightlights. I have always done that ((most likely with a zebra pen)).
A movie I wish I did not see is: The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas.
I wonder whatever happened to the store called: Pharmor (not sure on the spelling).
Which makes me thinkg of the WONDERbread factory I used to visit for a tour. We used to be sent home with the most adorable little mini loves of bread. I wish I could buy those in the store. I could make mini pb & j sandwiches. how cute. I was going to by WONDERbread today but it was over a dollar more to the next best thing so I refused.
I need to save change so I can make changes.
goodnight.