"The Tipping Point"...

...that's what we've taken to referring to this Goose as lately..."the tipping point". We were doing so well, doggie paddling along for a while, but I've finally had to acknowledge that I just can't get it all done anymore. I haven't vacuumed in I don't know how long. And I'd like to vacuum more often, of course, (not the actual vacuuming, but you know what I mean...) but unfortunately (for my poor family and their filthy living conditions) that doesn't produce as much guilt as my lack of blogging. I love to blog. I want to blog. I have so much just family stuff that I need to blog. I'm sure I'll get to eventually. But I'm declaring myself guilt free in the blogging department. I will blog when I blog. And I won't feel bad about it. (Theoretically...)

Here are the tidbits I can recall for the moment...

• Chris is currently chasing a phantom smoke alarm beep all over the house. Has been for the past 2 hours. Here's hoping he finds it before midnight. He ran out on a late-night battery run to hopefully remedy the problem and came home with someone's old office chair. It's "large bulk pick-up" in our neighborhood this week, which means everyone puts their junk out for pick up. I'm sure he'll be coming home with treasures all week long.
  
• I sang in church today. First time in millions of years I've sung a solo. Because I'm not much of a soloist. But I was happy with how it came out. And happy that it's done with, and I've "accomplished something". Hardly ever happens! :) Oh, but it should be documented that I made a fairly decent meal nearly every night last week. Again...hardly ever happens!
  
• Maya loved the first week of first grade. Her new school does the "color" behavior "moving the clip" sort of thing. I'm not sure how big I am on it, but she was thrilled to finally move up from green to purple on Friday, so la-di-da. Whatever motivates her best behavior. At home, she continues to practice her negotiating skills on quite a regular basis, oy. That girl is going places in life, I'm telling you. She's also been entertaining us with her dancing skills and is becoming the master of the side ponytail. Nothing wrong with a girl who can do her own hair!
  
• Mason is super ready for pre-k to start this week! He also starts his "multi-sport" class this week where they learn a new sport every week. That will be super fun for him. After much hemming and hawing, he finally selected a Cars backpack for this year. First it was Mario Bros. Then it was Buzz Lightyear. Should have known it would be good ol' Lightning McQueen that would win out. Now, if there had been a Legend of Zelda backpack, there would have been NO question. That boy is OBSESSED with the old school version, and spends hours a day studying his maps and talking strategy.
• Simon took to crib jumping today. The first time he did it he seemed scared and sheepish. The second time, I think he got somewhat hurt. The third time, he figured out how to be stealth and spent the rest of his nap time (who knows how long...) playing quietly in his room. Nevertheless, I quickly borrowed my Mom's crib tent from Mason's crib-dwelling days (ours was in shambles after he outgrew it) and he's safe and sound in his little tent tonight. What a crazy kid. He's finally starting to have quite the vocabulary. What a relief! This past week he started saying "love you", "more wa wa", "bite" (as in, "may I have a"), "please" and a bunch of other stuff, plus he's got everyone's name down, even "Masey". He also does a great "ruff ruff" and a very cute pretend sad cry. We're all very impressed.
  
• Lucy Goose! What to say about such a sweet little snuggler? She's an amazing, sweet, fuzzy headed little thing. She's growing and cooing and is very serious about having long conversations. She's quite a doll, she is. Rather irresistible to most.

So, that being said, I will see you when I see you. I do see you on your own blogs often, but usually have only one hand to type with...so comments are few & far between. (Once again, I absolve myself of all guilt.) I will be under a pile of laundry if you need me...:)

First Grader!

Somebody stop this girl and all her growing up & stuff! I tell you what, it happens way too fast. Miss Maya has started 1st grade. She was SO very excited to leave for school this morning. Word on the street is that Mrs. Pandola is the teacher to have in 1st grade, lucky us! I will say, her classroom is super-cute, all decked out in white lights and lots o' frogs!

Maya says she looks like a rock star! She does look very cute. And I had quite a similar outfit for my first day of school...but that was in 8th grade. Oh well, can't stop a fashionista from getting down to business.

Check those leggings! Very fancy. Oh, and the side-pony is back, don't you know. I'm just happy that she still likes last year's backpack. I'm hoping we can hang onto it for quite a few years.

Twinkle-Toes were Maya's must have for back to school. At least she passed on the light-up version...these are much cuter!

Daddy & Daughter...such cuties! (Chris took a picture of me & Maya, too, which I had to immediately delete. Technology is great, isn't it? No need to bother with burning photographs anymore, a simple delete should do the trick! "Just rolled out of bed" is not a look that I wear well. Note to self.)

First graders are still good sports with the on-campus photo op! Here she is at the sign of her new school. Nan Clayton, or Nanz Clayton, as we like to say. (Nanz is what my dear husband calls me, in case you weren't aware...)

It's great to be a cardinal! Here's hoping for a fabulous year!

3 Month Goose

Miss Lucy is a drooly, smiley, chatty little Goose. Chris declared her one evening "The worst of my babies at this time of day". (She is slightly needy in the evenings. A little.) I had to laugh & laugh & laugh and remind him of how it was with the others. The screaming. The pacing. The all-night movie-thons with wireless headphones on. How soon we forget. Truthfully, she is probably the best, or maybe equal to Mason. But no, I think she's the best behaved baby we've ever had. Sweet as can be. Content and snuggly. Still joining us for evening playtime, but other than that, she's doing everything we could ask for.

Often when I go to pick her up from a nap or when I'm putting her down to bed or when we're snuggling while she sleeps, I think to myself...babies are so weird! Just these tiny, helpless, sweet little people. That stage passes so quickly. I sometimes find her tininess so amusing, so much so that I wonder...maybe we were good buddies before. Most definitely she's wiser and better than I am. Maybe it's really funny that it's ME, of all people, taking care of her. I don't know. But I'm so grateful for that little bundle. Grateful for all my little bundles, and grateful that I get to be their "trainer", if you will. Showing these little people the ways of the world...for now. They already teach me so much. I'm sure that will only increase in the future.

Love the fuzzy head and the amazingly big smile she gives me after she finishes eating. Sometimes I think her face might explode, she's so happy. Which makes me so happy.

Other people in this house enjoy her too. ALL other people in this house, in fact. Even Simon. "Eeecy!" He loves his "bebe". Sometimes he's even gentle and sweet with her. Sometimes.

I tell Simon all the time that he'd better be good to his sister...always. That he's got to be her protector, and someone to look up to. I'm sure he'll be great at that.

Three months old already. So much still to discover. For all of us.

Gasp!

I pulled up a few pairs of boots to show Maya. (Brown boots are a must for back to school, don't you know...) She audibly gasped when she saw this pair, and none of the others even came close, in her expert 6-year-old opinion. They come in pink, too.

Sneaky Sneaks

Yes, I already bought him some back to school Cons. But my Croc loving boy (that's Mase) just HAS to have these. Too cute.

Missouri Star Quilt Company

One thing I was looking forward to doing on my trip out to Missouri was to visit my cousin's quilt shop...the Missouri Star Quilt Company. I am SO kicking myself for not taking my camera with me! I could have taken a million pictures - what a fun place! (They do have a great virtual storefront, too, if you're into that sort of thing...I especially like the tutorials.) Gorgeous quilts on display. Tons o' pretty fabric. Super awesome (HUGE!) electronic quilting machine. I was just enjoying taking it all in when cousin (in law) Sarah's mom came up and pointed to an amazing Amy Butler pinwheel quilt up on the wall...that Sarah wanted to give to baby Lucy! I was surprised and thrilled, of course. It's gorgeous. And so thoughtful. Quite the family heirloom!

Someday I'll learn to quilt for myself. Someday, someday...

And When I Do...

Learn to quilt, that is...I'd love to start with something like this...

A true patchwork. Love love LOVE those gorgeous, vibrant colors.

And One More Thing About Quilts...

...I don't think I ever posted pics of the gorgeous baby quilt my lovely friend Jen made for Miss Lucy. (This girl is spoiled with homemade goodness, may I just say!) She did it in my favorite color scheme...the red & yellow with the aqua and some brown. It's amazing...I absolutely love it.

Home Again

{Lucy Louise loved Grandpa. And I think he liked her, too.}

We're back from our li'l trip.
Texas thru Oklahoma thru Kansas to Missouri.
Good times were had.
Predictions were proven incorrect. (Lucy was an angel - she must have slept 99 percent of the drive.)
I visited my Grandmother's grave.
Millions of pictures were taken.
Lots of laughing happened.
Simon watched Toy Story 2 at least 12 times.
Maya & Mason lived it up with tons o' kids.
Chris & I drank WAY too much Coca Cola and ate way too much junk food.
Excellent road trippin'.
Lots to report.
I'm on it.

Canning Made Pretty

I've canned my own jam, but only twice and always with a buddy, using their equipment. This post make it seem do-able on my own. And I totally want mine to be this pretty when I'm done!

DIY Silhouettes

Here's an art project I'd like to try my hand at...silhouettes! The DIY always makes it look so easy. Why does Mod Podge scare me so much?

Art Camp

One of the teenage girls from church had a fun little "art camp" in her home this summer...such fun! She did some great projects with the kiddos...hand print sculptures, action pictures, suncatchers, beads and my personal fave...nature art. (I need to take pics of Maya's creation...it's my favorite ever and will be framed & kept forever.) They had a blast & it gave me a free hour and a half every day to run errands with just 2 kids in tow! :)

I'm hoping some of the other girls will jump on this bandwagon and do some more camps next summer. What a brilliant way to make money! And it's guilt-free for me, because it's an enriching experience, of course.

Pioneer Girls

Last year Chris' mom made the cutest pioneer outfit for Maya to wear to our church's Pioneer Day celebration. Well, this year she outdid herself by making a matching outfit not only for Miss Lucy, but for her cousin Makensie as well. Aren't they sweet?

The babies looked literally like actual dolls. They were so adorable.



Maya would have made a great pioneer, I'd imagine. So adventurous! She put her bonnet on over her helmet & took her bike out for a spin. She cracks me up.

Almost 3 Months!

At age almost 3 months, we do see lots of this:

But still not in all the right places. Night sleep is mostly a check. She usually gets up between 5 and 6 for her "first feed" of the day. Morning nap is a check...right back down after she eats. Afternoon nap is a big ol' check: good times, for hours, usually. It's that evening sleep that is still eluding us. Chris wants to get tough on her, but I'm not ready.

I mean, who could stick this girl in a crib and make her cry?! She so sweet, I can't stand it.

She's very chatty, lots of "ooohs & ahhhs". In fact, we're certain she'll be teaching Simon to talk here soon. She loves her bink, her big sis & brothers & being held at all times. Although she's also taken a liking to her crib mobile, which is helpful when I'm buttering toast or wiping bottoms. We most certainly like this girl.

Road Trippin'...

We are off on our first official road trip since adding Lucy to the fam'. She will be making her presence known, I'm certain...and the rest of us miserable, probably. Who knows, maybe she'll surprise us...we shall see. We're headed to the Mason family reunion...always a highlight. I sure love those people! Excited to see everyone and catch up.

Chris & I really wanted to do some family tees to commemorate the fun, and of course had to do it the DIY, cheapest way possible...iron-ons! Truthfully, I think they have their charm, and these look rather nice after being washed.

I used free dingbat fonts from Dafont to create the silhouette family. (I got the state shapes there, too.)

Our little tag line...the world is such a wonderful place - la-di-da - is from a Band of Horses song. Happy to be getting out & seeing some of that wonderful world, even if it's just Texas, Oklahoma & Kansas. Tumbleweed & amber waves of grain, here we come!

Rub A Dub Dub

Nothing better than a soaking wet kid (or four)!

Lucy's taken Maya's spot on the big tub with the boys. She's a big girl now, don't you know. She takes showers.

And is much to old for nakey pictures anymore. Wah wah, when did that happen?

How Silly

I've found that if instead of saying "Go play" to my kids, if I give them a specific task...well, they might actually do it. Such as, "Go upstairs and make a Silly Bandz store on the coffee table". You know, because they're obsessed with them. (They like to buy them at the dollar store with their very own money, and Maya would LOVE to make a trade if you're interested.)

What I was expecting was for them to lay their Silly Bandz out on the table, but I should have known better! these were some impressive storefront displays!

Are your kids into these things?

Artist In The Making

Maya's artwork & her haphazard, 10-pieces-of-tape-should-do-it style of displaying it make me happy. This is a "map" of her room that she has taped to her wall. you know, in case she gets lost.

And I love the way she draws teeth. What a smile!

"Do not dusterb."

What a girl, what a girl!

Laundry

Surely you've seen Mila's Daydreams by now. If not, you must. My kids love it, and so do I. I think "The Laundry Day" is my favorite.

Cutest People I Know

Chris is the world's greatest Daddy. He's enjoying this little snuggler as much as I am.

And she's getting way to big already, by the way. 3 months next week! That's just crazy.