{GO AWAY!!}

Sunday afternoon, I sat down to read some books to Amelia.  One of her choices was "Dora's Book of Manners" in which the characters on the front are saying nice things to each other like "Thank you!" and "You're welcome!"  You know, they're practicing good manners. 

Throughout the book, Dora and Boots help Mr. Troll know which kind and polite words he should use in several different situations.  They teach him things like "I'm sorry.  Hello. Cover your mouth."  During our reading, I would pause when Dora and Boots were getting ready to respond to see if Amelia could tell me which phrase should be said in each situation.  

She was doing pretty well until we got to the dragons toward the back of the book.  The dragons are blocking the road and Dora and her clan can't get through without the dragons moving out of the way.  

"Hmmm," said the Troll.  "Shouting won't scare these dragons away.  If I want them to move, what's the nice thing to say?"  

Amelia responds in a pretty forceful voice: "GO AWAY!!!"

Of course, they were looking for something a bit more subtle...like "please".  

Manners.  I guess we still have some work to do.

{rowdy and loud}

Claire, Olivia, and I stayed home from church this morning because Claire had a fever all day Saturday.  I put Olivia down for her nap, and Claire was working quietly in the playroom while I did some things in the kitchen.  

Claire looks up at me and comments, "It's pretty quiet here!"  

I said, "Yes, it is.  Kind of nice for a change, isn't it?!"  

Claire replies, "Yeah, cause you're not rowdy and loud like Meredith and Amelia."

I try not too be too rowdy and loud.  It would just add to the commotion around here.

**On a side note, homemade guitar by Claire.

{meredith's 7 year pic}

{new mirror}

Look at what my awesome hubby made for me!! We made a slight rearrangement to our bedroom a few weeks back, and it freed up an entire corner of our bedroom.

Josh said, "What should we put there?" I said, "How about a full-length mirror!" He loved the idea. We don't have one in any other part of our house, and I kind of miss having one. Our cheapy one broke shortly after we moved into this house...I can't even remember what happened to it.  Although, busted glass in the entryway on the tile floor needing cleaned up is suddenly coming to the surface of my mind.

Anyway, so he was working in the barn on a "surprise" for a couple of weeks, and I came home the other night to find this beauty in our bedroom!

I'm absolutely in love with the one from IKEA that costs $125. This one? It cost Josh a total of about $10 because we already had the wood in the barn as well as the mirror!! When we purchased our house, there were mirrors EVERYWHERE...and I mean everywhere. It was kind of creepy, but that's another story.

The mirror that was in the barn was too big, and the glass shop in town only charged $7.50 to cut it to the size that Josh wanted. How awesome is that?!!  Add a couple cans of black spray paint and you've got yourself a project.

We've been wanting to do a total bedroom makeover for quite some time, and I'm so excited that this mirror is the beginning of the process! The new headboard is designed, and hopefully it will be built yet this spring. The dressers are going to get a coat {or 6} of black paint and some new hardware. Heck, we'll probably even hang some stuff on the wall. {Ok, that's definitely happening.}

I want to thank IKEA for the idea, Pinterest for the DIY post that got me thinking about it in the first place, and my super handy hubby who thinks he can build almost anything. Yay for perfectionists with classic style who like to please their wives...you're the best! :)

{b.i.f. six}

I looked in the back of the van on our way into town today, and Claire was braiding Meredith's hair.  It was sooooo sweet.  From Claire:  Mom, this is the first time one of my braids has been worn in public!  My other favorite quote from her: It really IS hard to braid all of the hairs to the bottom!!  {She often comments that the braids that I do don't go as far down as she thinks they should. :)}

{just for fun}

I think Meredith is looking so much older these days, so I thought it would be fun to find pictures from her past birthdays {or near there...some of our pictures still aren't transferred over to this computer...shame on me!}.  She's definitely grown up a lot this year.    

{celebrating meredith}

Yesterday was Meredith's 7th birthday.  It truly was a fabulous day.  Two years ago, we celebrated Meredith's birthday in the hospital.  Claire was in for one of her fever spikes.  I was so sad for Meredith that year.  Then, last year, I was sooooo sick on Meredith's birthday.  When your mom is 8 months pregnant and sick with the flu and pneumonia, it doesn't make for a very fun birthday either.  

Needless to say, I was really looking forward to Meredith's birthday this year!!  I was praying that we could just have a normal day at home to celebrate!  And, thankfully, we did just that.  

Here's my birthday girl!

Close up of the cake {thank you pinterest}.  Seriously, I think I should go to "making castle cakes" school.  This is my third variation.  I'm wondering how many more will be requested. :)

For Christmas, a friend from church generously gifted her American Girl doll, Josefina {from Mexico/New Mexico}, to us for Meredith.  Meredith was so excited on Christmas morning.  What she has wanted more than anything since getting Josefina is a "Josefina outfit".  So, I sewed her a skirt and a rebozo.  She LOVED it...that's putting it lightly.  

Blowing out the candles!  My mad decorating skills reveal the leaning towers.  This makes for a great photo op, though, as it appears Meredith is blowing so hard that the towers are being blown off the cake! Fabulous.

We ate cake with some of our good friends who have 5 girls {and 1 boy}.  Needless to say, there were a lot of girls running around our house last night!!  So much fun.

I'll end my post with my status update from facebook yesterday:

Happy 7th birthday to my Meredith Ann!  You are the emotional version of me {only magnified...which is both lovely and crazy at the same time}.  Your sweetness is almost unmatched.  And that mean-streak that we experience?  Well, I'm hoping that will continue to work it's way out.

I love your passion for this life.  You wear your heart on your sleeve.  I find the creativity in your artwork absolutely beautiful.  You truly impress me with your designs.

You have taught us about choosing our battles.  You have taught us that some children HATE socks {and that's putting it lightly}.  You are oozing with quirkiness.  Your fashion sense is lovely.  We love you oh so much and can't wait to see where you take this sweet life of yours.

{happy birthday meredith}

{b.i.f. five}

Claire:  Mom, I have an announcement to make.  Amelia is gluing sticky notes to your desk.

{someday}

Someday, Olivia, you will get to sit at the big girl table with everyone else.  Someday.  

But for now, she just watches.

Can I just say that I love everything about this picture?  I love how Olivia is right there with the girls.  It truly is one of her favorite places to be.  She loves to just sit and watch them.  She just watches and takes it all in.  

Claire is sitting on her foot...a favorite position of hers.  I'm certain she's appointed herself "Craft Director".  

Meredith is sitting on the table {not necessarily typical of her}.  What is typical of her, however, is that she's wearing one of Claire's shirts.  Do you remember when your older sister had all the BEST clothes? Well, of course, Claire has all the best shirts, and Meredith's are just soooo boring.  Oh, the woes of being a little sister.

Amelia.  The table sitting is absolutely perfect.  She perches herself on tables {when she can get away with it}.  I allow it on the school table from time to time.  The counter and our dinner table...ummmm no. She has a hard time processing this.  

On the table is the infamous Santa Box: full of Christmas cards, thank you cards, interesting pieces of mail, magazine cut outs, and all things random.  These girls can create quite the plethora of masterpieces from one little box.  Bring the Santa Box out once every other week, and I've just bought myself a good 45 minute pass to read blog posts and pin to my Pinterest account put the laundry away and clean the toilets.  

I love this little family of mine.

{little helper}

Warning: ridiculously cute baby photo ahead.

Oh my goodness...I totally warned you.  I could eat her up!!  She has finally learned how to pull herself up to a stand on just about anything.  The dishwasher is a fav for the 10 month old crowd.  

{menu plan: february 2012}

Feb.1-4
02/01: crispy oven chicken {new}
02/02: leftovers
02/03: chili
02/04: no cooking

Feb. 5-11
02/05: tacos, queso cheese dip {crock pot: new}
02/06: whole chicken {crock pot: save extra chicken for wednesday}
02/07: stir fry
02/08: chicken and noodles
02/09: homemade pizza
02/10: spaghetti
02/11: crispy southwest chicken wraps {new}

Feb. 12-18
02/12: freezer food
02/13: lasagna soup {new}
02/14: special dinner after kiddos go to bed {tbd}
02/15: maple chicken with sweet potatoes
02/16: deer steaks, creamy corn, pears/mandarin oranges, salad with egg and carrots {meredith's birthday dinner of choice}
02/17: cheesy ham chowder
02/18: homemade calzones

Feb 19-25
02/19: angel hair chicken pasta
02/20: stroganoff {crockpot}
02/21: fajitas
02/22: pancakes
02/23: creamy chicken and wild rice soup
02/24: rosemary pork
02/25: homemade bbq chicken pizza

Feb. 26-29
02/26: sloppy joes
02/27: roast {crock pot}
02/28: chicken patty sandwiches
02/29: french toast

{b.i.f. four}

Yet one more reason to love my hubby.  Thanks for being such a great daddy.  

{marriage and booze}

Today, the girls were happily chatting away about their futures. 

Meredith: When Olivia is Claire's age, will Claire be married?
Me: When Olivia is 8, Claire will be 16.  She'd better not be married...that's a little young.
Meredith: When Olivia is Bria's age, will Claire be married? {Bria is one of our friends who is 13.}
Me: When Olivia is Bria's age, Claire will be 21.  She could be married then, but I still think that's a little young. 
Claire: Well, maybe I'll be married, but I'll be drinking beer for sure.

Bahahaha!  At that point, our girls will be 21, 19, 16, and 13. 

I might have to take up drinking beer as well.