Dirt & Mess

Are you sad it's over?

I AM!

So here are my offerings for dirt and mess. I hope you don't judge me too harshly! Yes, there is one that is particularly revealing-  GASP!

I will admit that this was probably the hardest one for me. I find that I'm often capturing the moment, something pretty, something I want to remember. Messes through the house, not so gorgeous. I'll also admit that I'm afraid of the judgement. I always look at the background of pictures. If you post a FB picture, I'm instantly looking at the status of your living room carpet before I notice the kid/dog/random photo subject. Just a friendly FYI, and I know you do it too!

Without further ado...

Cupcakes make a mess. Although I'm not sure why I worry with the cupcake, they would be much more pleased with bowl of frosting. Sadly this was the only "staged" messy shoot and I had such high hopes but this was the messiest they got. I should be really happy about that but I'm just so disappointed! Gah!

The ONLY FREAKIN TOMATO we grew this year. HAM ripped it from the vine, where it was slowly being eaten and rotting. The ladies collectively started to decorate it for halloween. 

HOT MESS!

Nature Soup!

A mess of colors and textures.

A mess in a bowl of water.

A bunch of hot messes offering it to the birds by screaming "HERE BIRDIE!!"

DO. NOT. JUDGE.

I can explain! I was canning. But I use the dishwasher to sterilize and it was dirty before I started. So I had to put the dirty dishes in the sink, sterilize in the dishwasher, and stack my canning dishes on top of my dirty dishes from the dishwasher. 

DIRTY!

I promise it's all cleaned up now. 

Promise.

To end this series an oldie but a goodie!

So proud of herself!

Thank you all for joining us! It has been a lot of fun. Hopefully we can all meet up again, are you in?

Make sure you link-up!!

Virtual Craft Day

Time to link up!

Did I do anything crafty this month? Well, not really. Unless you consider cleaning and canning crafty. So I rectified this, this morning!

I made a little banner for a birthday cake! The neighbor lady is celebrating this weekend and the ladies and I made cupcakes (since SOMEONE may have tossed the cake pan, grumble). Not bad for 15 minutes, two pieces of scrapping paper, some yarn and skewers! I even went so far as to cover them with contact paper because I was worried they would hang down and touch the icing. 

Had I been in a better mood I wanted to try making some swiss buttercream icing, but betty will do!

Now to wait for snack time...

Don't forget Saturday Snaps tomorrow! Dirt and mess!!

Apple Season

We headed to the orchard early Sunday morning with some of our favorite people. We met up with HAM, Auntie Hobbles, and the neighbor girl for some apple picking!

Ironically the child who seemed most enthusiastic about apple picking was Claire, the child who doesn't eat apples. Go figure

Waiting for Mr. Bob to get the tractor we played around.

DAREDEVIL

Digging in deep for the good ones.

All the rotten apples on the ground just rubbed us all the wrong way. It seems so wasteful!

Of course you need to sample.

And double fist.

And sample some more.

And run wild. Always run wild. 

Posed pictures, not my speciality.

Hello contrast!

BwThe 5 year old in me still thinks the bottoms of apples are their butts. This one is hanging out for all the world to see! Bwhahahaha!

She carried this blessed apple all through the fields, on the tractor ride back, and through check out but has yet to eat it. 

Oh Marcia...

Then we went to visit the animals. 

Whose live each day eager to see little hands with feed bags.

We chased the barn cats.

And made ourselves at home in other peoples' houses.

Some of us aren't so enthusiastic about the animals. 

This is the same goat that Auntie caught making a get away. How bold!

I saw this and immediately thought of Marcia. It's rustic beauty. 

After the farm we headed home for lunch before heading back out to a family birthday party. I'm so glad the ladies got to play with their cousins. It was a LOOOOOOOOOOONG day and I was so happy to finally crawl into bed! I knew the next day held apple sauce making with toddlers and I could have used all the rest I could get!

Letters & Words

Welcome back! 

No seriously,

We're so glad to have you! This week focused on letters and words. I have to admit, that I was a bit stumped in the beginning. However, a few walks and some digging left me with 46 pictures to choose from! So there may have been some stretching of the 5 picture limit, but I promise I'm not a rule breaker!

So blog along and make sure you come back here, or over at Marcia's place to link up!

This was such a wonderfully gray day. It was bright with no sun, yet so dull and comfortable. 

Then there is the first picture I took with my new camera. 

*Memories*

I just love this picture from the wedding. I would probably steal this if given the chance! What I love most is the manufacturer plate. 

Speaking of the wedding, I am still proud of the signage I made. 

Those letters were a pain to write out and paint!

This morning we took the letters outside for some shadow play.

And now for some s-t-r-e--c---h----i-----n------g.

I made one of these for my SIL's wedding gift. Her's was a bit more uniform in size, color, and finish, but for a late night special I think this one fits the blog just fine! I want to do one of my last name but some letters have been escaping me. 

So what do you love?

Link up so I can what you've been up to!

The Proverbial Hair

Yesterday I had the proverbial wild hair up my a$$ and went on a cleaning and reorganizing rampage. Granted, this all started with me being fairly irate with the good Captain for his inability to embrace adulthood and help me out. Needless to say I won that battle (and the headlights will be fixed!) but I was still full of pent up rage. It truly was rage. But I took it out on the house and I'm quite pleased with my accomplishments! I loved that the ladies were fairly interested in what I was doing, taking time to help where they could even when they shouldn't. They were quite happy with the fact that we were rocking out the new Mumford as well. We chatted up fall, and discussed why it was important to clean up and go through things. I just hope some of that was tucked away in their brains!

What did I do....

• Cleaned the counters and stove
• Traded dishes
• Cleaned out the fridge and scrubbed it down
• Cleaned out the dog food cabinet [vital kitchen storage space wasted on dog food! ACK!]
• Cleaned out under the sink
• Cleaned out the trash cans
• Filtered the pool for closing [Waaaaay behind schedule!]
• Wiped down the breakfast nook
• Scrubbed the blessed bathtub and surround!
• Cleaned the toilet
• Cleaned out the vanity drawers and under the sink
• Scrubbed the bathroom floor by hand
• Went through the linens and tossed, tossed, tossed!
• Reorganized the linen closet
• Went through my clothes and tided my dresser

-Lunch Time-

Being the super mom I am, I had this fabulous idea to do a picnic lunch at the playground! We didn't make it a block as the ladies were screaming and crying. Pleading "Don't leave me Mommy!!!" despite the fact we were walking together. WTF?! We turned around and marched right back home with the same pomp and circumstance. Poor dogs. The girls took an early nap.

• Went through the cedar chest
• Cleaned my bedroom - Am I the only one that fails here?
• Removed an ENTIRE BAG of craps from my bedroom [Hoard much?]
• Swept and mopped the first floor
• Polished the dining room table and sideboard
• Noticed another tickle...

The tickle from that wild hair made me reorganize the furniture. I decided that I had to put the big air conditioner away. It was a gorgeous day outside and it was blocking the beautiful breeze, and smell! Despite the fact that it was nearly as much as I do, I decided it had to be done then and there [see start to day]. However, the air conditioner vacation in the front closet all winter and it was currently occupied by el tv grando. 43" of boob tube was taking up all the space, and had been since Christmas. However I had no tv stand, so I decided to take the sideboard out of the dining room and switch it for living room book case. Moving both, still full of craps, was ease thanks to all that stress I was working out. This meant the tv was out of the closet, the air conditioner was put away, and I was a happy camper. 

Now my new dilemmas.

This big empty wall. The too small sideboard. The giant bookcase that is currently residing in the dining room that doesn't comfortably fit. Oh, and the fact that we have neither cable box, nor cable running to said tv. 

The ladies are thrilled with the new, big tv despite it not working. I think they just like the change. Husband seems to think that someone is going to break-in and pass our two big dogs to rob us blind. 

I'm just happy the house is clean!

So what can I put on this wall??

I'm A Bitter 9 Year Old

I'll admit it, I hold a very childish grudge towards the Devil. Despite people insisting things would get better, and that we would grow closer as we aged, it just hasn't happened. I don't feel that I missing that relationship, although it does complicate things with my parents. As I parent, I understand their position. I would be heartbroken if my ladies grew apart, and I do make the effort to impart on them the importance of family.

While I could sit and list the ways my parents practiced favoritism, and to this day still give into the chosen child's demands, I have a specific purpose today! Shocker! I just read a post about a mother, despite her own relationship standing, is not standing in the way of her children's relationship with their grandparent.

So the Devil is spawning.

Last week I formally announced to Mother that I wouldn't be attending the shower, that we go away that weekend every year. I also tossed in a sorry and PLEASE still watch my dogs?! Her face immediately took on a shocked look. I think she was really counting on me being there. However if I had been available, I'm sure I would have had other plans. I have serious problems with the way this shower has been handled.

So Mother asked that we have dinner the night we return from the ocean. I agreed, but only so I didn't have to board the dogs. Dinner will be painful, we rarely make eye contact and keep conversation short and to the point. Thankfully I have two ladies to keep me occupied, poor DH will have to play the conversationalist. I thought this was settled.

Wednesday evening Father involves himself, he has come up with a fantastic idea. We leave the ladies with my parents and the Devil for the weekend so we can have an "adult weekend" and the Devil can see her nieces. YAAAAAHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOO, oh wait, nope. That bitter 9 year old is out in full force and says no, no, no this won't do at all. See, I can't let the Devil have the satisfaction of seeing my children all weekend without my supervision. Sounds crazy? I think not.

I've been told that she asks about the ladies constantly, requests updated pictures, and can't wait to spend time with them. Oh really? Funny, I have heard from her once this year. A text message to inform me my name was used as a reference. She left just after the ladies turned 1, so they have no idea who she is. They know a picture hanging in my parent's dining room from elementary school. I also know that this shower is being held during nap time, FAIL, and that my children would be ushered along to be fabulously cranky. No exactly the party entertainment they're hoping for. There is also the issue of discipline at Gramma's house. I don't even want to imagine what kind of shenanigans I'd come home to.

So back to my point. I've accept that I'm a 9 year old regarding the relationship between my sister and my parents and how it pertains to the unequal treatment of myself. However, is it wrong of me to deny the ladies a relationship with their aunt? 

They have enough other aunties who treat them far better, and more importantly, who are around and involved. I should also say that I don't feel I'm denying them anything as the Devil only deals through my parents, so I have no first hand knowledge of her thoughts, opinions, or desires. Is it wrong to say if you can't have a relationship with me, then you certainly don't need to have one with my kids?

Lasting Sound of Summer

Here's one last sound of summer. Fall will be here Saturday and I can't wait!

Happy Monday!

Sound

Can you hear me now!?

Welcome back!

We're happy to have you!!

Do you have your sound pictures ready? 

This week is sound and I have been patiently waiting to see what everyone brings to the table. This can be interpreted sooo many different ways. How do you visually capture sound? 

Of course I had all these grandiose plans of capturing moving trains and riots!

But the trains weren't cooperating, I wasn't feel the best, and Americans are far too lazy to truly protest.

Turning to the archives...

Do you hear them marching?

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Hush.

AHHHHHH I can't hear you anymore Mommy!

Not so cute in ten years. 

Yes I can hear this throughout the house.

Soon it will make it's way up the to-do list. 

Perks of being Mr. Holland's wife.

Future musicians?

I really should do a post on the ladies' instrument collection and my fears for the future. Bwhahaha!

So what do you think?

Do you have a favorite? 

Show me what you have and be sure to link up!!