boooooo y'all!

LOOOOVE Halloween! My fave holiday growing up because we could barely have candy (only on Saturdays).

 too much-right? I got these little "faces" pin set at Michael's last year (intended for pillar candles). Not sure if they have them this year. These things make me smile daily.

 Spooky table. I'm keeping this photo mobile up on my chandelier and switch it up with the holidays. Not really a deliberate plan, but I'm too lazy to take it down.

 The kids & I had so much fun putting this up. We did it 2 weeks ago, told ya I love Halloween. I wish had the energy to have another party.

Going to do these frames again this year, but for Ruthie's Halloween Class party craft. Here's the how-to.

unglued?

 

My favorite Jesus girl has come out with a new book. It is speaking straight to my soul. Sometimes I feel like my happy little house can be a pressure cooker, especially those last 2 weeks of summer. I hate how these cute little kids can bring out the uglies in me. I'm trying to teach my baby girl to get a handle on those female emotions & I can't even show her how to do it! I will always be a work in progress.

It seems like my children were the very last ones to start school this week and this unglued mama was barely hanging in there. I couldn't handle another first day of school photo on FB. Trying not to be dramatic, but there was mucho drama in the last weeks. I've had some bad mama moments. I literally bounced passed my kids into nursery at church, so I could run to the sanctuary and God could fill me up again.

God was there and He preached and sang what I needed to hear (take a listen to the August 19 sermon). The sermon was on being too busy. Our associate pastor challenged us to observe the Sabbath for the next 2 months (what we should be doing already-right?). And it felt like I was given permission to actually take it easy on Sunday. He said it may not be possible to dump all that is on our plate, but we can at least set that full plate down for one day a week to recharge. It dawned on me that I find value in how much I can get done in a day. And many days, it is not happening-Max has other plans for me!

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 In our boots!

 Max with Gigi.

 sweet niece, clara, on bottle duty.

 This could happen only if Max gets Tim's smarts.

 Fishing expedition with dad at neighborhood pond. First fish!

Morning time with my man.

working girl

 Found these books at an antique store and thought of my friend Nicole. We used to work together at Ramey. It made me laugh, thinking of her having these stacked on her desk while working away. Miss working down the hall from her creative juices. Gave her these the other night and we were hooting it up looking thru them.

 Inside spread of "You Can Talk Well"-Making your talk colorful and stimulating. This probably means two different things in the 60's and now.

prayer

excerpt from The Sacred Echo: Hearing God's Voice in Every Area of Your Life By Margaret Feinberg
This struck me tonight, I can relate to this...

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This photo could sum up our crazy days of "life with 3".

 A couchful of cousins at our beach trip. 12 of us!!! Mama & Dad (Gigi & Dewey) somehow makes time for all their grands. If it ever stresses mom out, she doesn't let on...

 this one made me laugh...these kiddos love sweet Marlene. She was both of their teachers at MMO & is a little angel to our family. She was a sanity saver as I was trying to juggle freelance work and new baby Henry. He rocked my world (and didn't even know it).

cute man! trying to soak up this baby stage.

henry's 5

 

Henry's fave things: doughnuts, pancakes & children's museum

 

placemats

 covered this foam board "5" with fruity pebbles

 I put apple jacks on this "H", this too more time than I should have spent.

 

Okay, these little eggs & bacon-you gotta do if you have the appropriate occasion (or not). Super easy & aren't they hilarious!! (MM's, pretzels & white choco) Recipe HERE.

 That is my fruity pebble "5"-I attached it to a fabric covered cardboard.

 Ruthie can barely stand it.

 Henry's pancake stack was a hot mess. I was laughing the whole time I was creating it. But I knew Henry would love it. If you are to do this properly: 1. Add food coloring to the pancake batter  2. Put regular cake icing in between the layers (I put whipped marshmallow & it went all crazy).

 I covered the whip cream bottles with comic strips & did runners of pennant comics.

 post party fam picture

 Party favors. I went cuckoo when I found these as the favors. They are spoon straws, that I paired with little cereals!!!

 My mom & Max.

 

A couple of buds came over to slip & slide on his actual bday yesterday.

 Henry loves his Max. I was doing this type picture for Max & Henry wanted to lay next to him & have his age too.

Things I love about Henry...
-He has the sweetest spirit.
-He has his own terms and way of saying things. When Max is getting sleepy, Henry says he has short eyes.
-He loves bugs, carried around a huge green grasshopper for most of the day today-poor little thing.
-He loves his daddy (me too, but he realllly loves tim). 
-He can barely tell a lie. Sometimes I get in Henry's bed if I've gotten up to feed Max & just finish the night in his bed. One night I had my arm around him & he said Um, I really can't sleep when you are hugging me. I couldn't get my feelings hurt because it made me laugh.
-I asked him yesterday what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said-My cousins. I knew what he meant. He has some great older cousins who he loves being around.

dad's day

 Getting ready for a triple threat weekend over here: Henry's bday, Max's baptism & Father's Day. I've been having some crazy lady moments for sure, but I'm back today. How quickly I lose perspective! This fine china hasn't seen the light of day in quite some time, can't think of a better occasion to use it though. I tell Tim all the time...I can't do this without you, you can't leave me.

Just wanted to pass on some ideas that may add some special touches to your father's day:

I cut out a simple tie shape out of fun paper & have written each dad's name on a tie for place settings. Also to the right of the plate I put a card that guests can fill out to remember their own dad (ones who are still with us and those who are not)

 Created a pennant banner with newspaper & tie shape-easy peasy.

BELOW: You can right click on these and download the bottom 3. They are each 4x6. Just put them in a simple frame on your table.

wal-mark low

the longer I am a mom, the further away from style, music & coolness I get. case & point below:

i bought my bathing suit at walmart this season, i am sure to be the envy of all other pool people this summer. UPDATE: I retract my wal-mart bathing suit pity party.The bathing suit has been road tested and I give it a thumbs up (keeps the tummy in!). Plus, my on-trend friend Sarah B. has the same suit!

And in my effort to multitask, I saw that Wal-Mark started carrying this WINE! recently & it was grabbed up-one red and one white. So with tim's parents in town, we got into them and almost spit them out. We take a closer look at the label and is small print, it reads wine product. what the julio?? Now that I am typing this, I should return it. It tasted like messed up grape juice, which I'm sure did not have the proper alcohol content. Please do not stoop to this multitasking mommy low & be tricked into purchasing your wine at WM.

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ruthie at her friend charlie's bday party! cute boy!!!

 these are little mustache tattoos that you put on your finger-cute, right?

 So this picture makes me want to get back on FB. I took a Lent break & haven't rejoined. Don't they look alike.

henry & his name-my boy does not feel the need to practice his name. i want to remember this little scrawly writing.

my men snoozing.

henry has a summer bday, so we celebrated early with his class. fabulous teacher, sweet classmates...

 sooooo, this cookie cake could be a cake wrecks entry. thinking they goofed henry's name and fashioned some icing clouds over the boo-boo. when the clerk asked "what do you think"-my reply "perfect". more icing the better according to henry. give me that cake.

ruthie in the middle belting out "it's a grand ole flag" at end of year school program

so henry comes marching out with his class and he's the only one with a super-sized dress t-shirt. what the heck? then i remember the request for a plain white t-shirt from his teacher. But at the holidays, she requested a men's white t. mommy oversight.