meow

The girls are cats this year for Halloween complete with cat tails and crimped hair! 
Grace is a black cat and Sarah a cheetah.

Meow indeed!

pumpkin patch

Sarah with her teacher and some of her class.

Sarah's class went on their 2nd field trip this past Friday.  The weather was chilly at first but by noon it was beautiful outside.  We had a great time.  It only took her 10 minutes to pick out the "perfect pumpkin." :)  So happy I have the opportunity to do these things with her.  Love my kindergartner. 

switch-a-roo!

For years now we have used this dinnerware set:

I've always loved the color and design.  Over the years we have broken a few pieces and with kids in the picture, we stopped using them because they are heavy for little hands to carry.  Two summers ago I bought some of those cute outdoor sets, the plastic ones that have all the matchy accessories.  They worked so well for the kids that they are all we've used since.  The problem with those is that they don't do well in the microwave so it was time for a change!

This week....

I went out and purchased a set of these:

These are light, chip resistant and durable.  How do I know this?  Because my parents have this same set they are still using and I grew up eating on them.  That's how long they last!

I bought a set of 16 pieces, basically for four.  So if we have company I'm in trouble :).  I do plan to add more, little by little and I wanted to see what my family thought.  Grace thinks they are cool.  Sarah thinks they are shiny and clean.  Art liked the new coffee mugs (go figure!).

So out with the old, in with the new!

Here's some more going out the door:

I never cared much for Dora, something about her voice drove me crazy.  I endured it because my daughter found her to be thrilling.  Well according to both girls, Dora isn't cool anymore and meant for babies - their words not mine.  So Dora is going with the old dinnerware to a local women's shelter.  I know there will be a little girl there that will adore her once again. 

And if you're wondering, yes that is dust on the old dinnerware set.  They've been sitting there awhile, waiting for me to clean out the rest of the house for their trip to the shelter.  Hopefully soon I will mark this big one off my to do list!

So far with the dinnerware, I'm up to seven trash bags of stuff going out. Going for more!

glimpses of the week

 {Enjoying Fall}

 {Finding Treasures}

 {December/January Edition}

 {New watch, no excuses}

 {Enjoying June B. with Grace}

 {Cookbook from friend, helpful}

{New music stand from the McDonald's}

junie b

{reading and enjoying, I love this}

pumpkin shortage

I heard from Art and the news that there is a pumpkin shortage this year due to weather and disease on the crops.  We saw an increase in price for the pumpkins we decorated with this year.  Just like everything else, they're going up!  I also read that if you see pumpkin puree, you should snatch it up.  So while in Wal-Mart yesterday I went searching.  Jonica helped me again (I told you she knew that store)!  I told her what I had learned and we both loaded up for the holidays.  Get 'em while they are hot and to be found!

I grabbed 6!  Two are for my sister who has a hard time finding them in her hometown.  So really I only bought 4 for myself.  Hopefully that will get me through the holidays.  I am going to make pumpkin muffins, a favorite of my family AND I'm going to attempt to make a pumpkin pie.  According to Jonica it is easy.  I've always hesitated to make one, worried mine wouldn't compare to my grandmothers or my mom's.  I didn't want to tarnish the family recipe by wrecking it!  Maybe further into Fall I will get the nerve, maybe Jonica will come over and help - be my cheerleader.  Until then, pumpkin muffins for everyone!

just a little

Art got up early this morning with the girls.  He let me sleep in :).  They hung out together and then eventually headed out to paint.

They left me this little surprise.

I would have much rather preferred breakfast in bed and someone to clean it up but they are serving together so I really can't complain.

Well, maybe just a little. :)

this week random

Another week has come and gone.  They seem to move quickly these days.  I wish for summer again, not the heat but the pace. 

Monday we started one of my favorite themes in preschool.  Apples.  I usually have too many things I want to do and not enough time to complete them all.  I like sharing the story of Johnny Appleseed (Johnny Chapman) with the kids.  I went on Sarah's apple orchard field trip a week ago  and got a lesson myself.  We were lead by the guide to a tree that was fenced off.  He told us it was 150 years old and planted by Johnny Appleseed.  It doesn't produce apples anymore and sits in their parking area.  Wouldn't it be neat to have a piece of history like that in your backyard?

Grace started Wonderzone this week at school.  It is an after school science club that she attended last year and loved.  Her attending adds to an already crazy Tuesday night but it's only for the month of October.  She enjoys science and math, something that I was never strong in.  She takes after Art in that area.

Our weather has been unusually warm and dry.  The leaves are turning bright shades of red and orange in our backyard.  I sat out on the deck Wednesday night, sampling some apple pie I had made.  The squirrels are active in the trees and I could hear the sound of acorns falling to the ground.  It was so nice, too nice - I fell asleep :).  That was until Art got home and turned on the tv to watch the Cards play.

Thursday we had violin.  Grace is doing well.  She's learning to read music. This week she learned finger placement on the strings.  At times it sounds like a dying cow, those are the times she's not holding her bow correctly on the string.  She enjoys it which is good, I don't have to nag her to practice. 

Sarah and I picked up some acorns from the backyard.  They are huge and there were plenty to go around.  She took two pretty leaves, a pine cone and some acorns in for a class project.  She and Grace will keep the rest for "their collection" in the garage.  I may use some of them for my kiddos at school too. 

I found out that I signed up to be the parent coordinator for Grace's Fall party.  I had forgotten this ;).  So it's on my list to contact those parents sometime next week.  I am always blessed in the end for doing it, it's just the process of getting there that wears me out. 

Today I basically spent the whole day with Jonica.  It was so nice.  It was funny because we agreed we would get our errands done and then meet up at her house.  Little did we know we would meet up at Wal-Mart, more than once.  Each time, each aisle we stopped and chatted. She knows that store and she enlightened me on a gluten free section I hadn't come upon.  Eventually we carried our conversation to her house and her couch :).  I call this "me" time and I have missed it the last two Fridays with field trips and going out of town.  Before I knew it, it was time to go and get my girls. . 

I made Vanilla Chai Tea tonight and am sipping on it.   It's soothing to my throat.  I'm having a flare up of allergies yet again.  This happens when the weather can't seem to decide which way it wants to go.  Ragweed is really bad right now which isn't helping.  I hope I don't loose my voice again.  This is not a good combination with trying to talk over 15 preschoolers.  Our county has recently banned the sale of Sudafed unless you have a prescription.  Thank you meth dealers!!!  It helps to dry me up during the days.  When I combine it with my nasal rinse, I can avoid a trip to the doctor.  Ugghh....  I think tomorrow we will be driving into St. Louis County for Sudafed.  Art heard on the news that that's what people are doing, sales are up!  At least until they ban it there anyway.

Art brought dinner home tonight in the form of fish.  He took an early afternoon and went fishing.  He did well so we fried them up.  We don't do much frying around here but it sounded good and the kids love it.  We even have some for leftovers for tomorrow, bonus!

Tomorrow Art will go to church and help paint a new youth room.  He wants to take the girls, I'm not so sure they will be a help :).  It will be a room they use so he thought it would be a good lesson in serving.  I just envision paint not only all over the floor but also all over my girls :). We shall see.

I have a long list of to do's from laundry to cleaning the bathrooms.  Uggh...  I don't like to spend my weekends cleaning and catching up but I have procrastinated enough on these.  My list also includes going through baby clothes for baby Macy.  I'm being particular in what I give her, trying to pick out the least worn and still in good condition items.  The girls are helping me too, making suggestions.  Those items that don't make it into the pile will go to a local women's shelter.  I'm ready to move forward and clean my basement out of baby things.  I have kept some of the girls things, like their coming home outfits and dresses that a friend made for them.  My hope is that someday their daughter will wear them.  Those things are too sentimental to let go of. 

Sarah sings with her class at Immanuel Lutheran VERY early on Sunday morning.  We signed up to go.  She has to be there at 7:45!  So I think we will be napping Sunday afternoon :).  That and watching football I'm sure. 

We've been talking Halloween this week.  Grace is undecided as to what she wants to be which is not the norm.  She usually has a plan and sticks with it.  Sarah wants to be Rapunzel with the long blonde hair.  This could be a challenge since I don't want to spend big bucks for costumes.  She could also change her mind, which she's known for.

Good week.  Prayers answered, prayers sent.  Many blessings.  Enjoy your weekend. Enjoy your blessings.

it's personal now

It's personal now that I save these and send them in.

Love you Jonica.

giving up one

I really don't know what we were thinking.  Too many activities leads to less family time which you know I strongly dislike.  So we've made the decision to stop choir for Grace.  She's disappointed but understands even at her age.  She noticed how little time she was getting at home and most importantly with Art. 

Tuesdays are our crazy nights, the girls and I don't get home until 8:00 which is past their bedtime so you know Wednesday mornings are super hard.  Choir is on Wednesday and their being tired just snowballs making Thursday a bear.  We just couldn't continue at this pace.  Something had to give.  Family is important.  Eating dinner together is important to us.  Spending time with Art, other than pillow talk is important to me. 

Tonight we were home.  It was nice.  Art made it home early, we ate together, talked, laughed - everything you want in a evening with family.

At bedtime prayers we talked about how important it was to come before God and talk to him.  As we prayed, I silently thanked God for the moment we were in. I felt his love for our family unit right then and I was relieved and at peace with our decision.

justify

I have a weakness for two drinks since going off of soda.

One is an iced green tea and the other is an iced chai tea, both from St.Louis Bread Company.

I was sharing with a friend one time how I justify such expensive drinks since I give Art such a hard time for his trips to Starbucks.  I started a new rule for myself and my weakness in order to not go over budget :).  I only purchase these when I have enough change in my purse to pay for it.  Some days when I'm really desperate you will find me pouring through my wallet looking for one more penny, all while sitting in drive thru.  Yes I'm one of those people, the ones that take forever to pay the cashier because they are digging for the exact change :).  There are two positives that come from this system, 1) I get my drink, ahhh bliss 2) my wallet and purse are much lighter!

Happy sipping!

sarahism and graceism

Two in one day!

Grace - Parents are asked to check their childs homework and sign off on it.  Grace thinks it's big stuff and always wants to sign my name to her homework after I've seen it.  On a recent piece of homework, written at the top in her handwriting is, "Do not sin your name Mom."  She filled in the signature for me.  Sin. Ha!  Her teacher put a question mark next to her message.  I will have to explain that one :).

Sarah - As we talked about her day today she told me she learned a new song in music class.  You know the tune, "Praise him, praise him, all ye little children...."  Only this is how Sarah sang it, "Praise him, praise him all the naughty children..."  I corrected and will have to tell her music teacher :) who is a neighbor of ours.  I'm still giggling on that one.

Oh the joy these two bring into my life.  :)

catching up and glimpses of fall

It's been awhile hasn't it.

I have some catching up to do.

Here's some updates -

Mine and Sarah's health - We are both doing better.  It hasn't come easy though.  Detox makes you feel blah and messes with your belly and, well you know.  We've both had our good and bad days with it all.  My tummy pains have gone, no colonoscopy for me!  That is huge.  Sarah is coming to terms with being gluten free and luckily there are more items out there we are finding to help ease her into it.  It has been a month and so we recently visited Evelyn again.  We got much better results this time.  There are still some areas that are stressed but NO reds.  We continue on with same regiment.

Art and Grace went this time with us and were tested.  Grace is allergic to milk, Art to vinegar (where Sarah gets it).  We found it to be interesting and eye opening for both.  They are on a detox as well.  It's amazing how much junk we can harm ourselves with. 

We got to visit with my parents which is always a blessing.  The weather was beautiful and Dad's yard had touches of Fall color showing up.  I walked with Truman and got some pictures.  I love this time of year, it is my favorite season.  I got a sweet picture of my girls on my favorite tree I used to play on as a kid.  They insisted I take one of them there and with Mom's help we got it done.  They all turned out super sweet.  It was hard to choose one to put out here so I went with four (three on the new header, one down below).

On our way home from my parents we stopped at our favorite apple orchard and picked a bundle.  The girls love doing this and can't wait to take a bite.  Grace wanted so badly to devour hers but a loose tooth slowed her down.

We visited a pumpkin farm this weekend and got out our Fall decor.  The scarecrow my sister made is proudly on display out front.  We love that guy, makes me think of her and smile. 

Sarah finally got to ride a bus and go on her first field trip.  Yes her first.  In preschool there were field trips scheduled but each time she was sick, no joke.  It wasn't funny trust me.  Very disappointed little girl but not this time!  All Kindergartners and first graders went and we had a great time.  I love being able to meet her friends, the parents etc...  I also enjoyed spending more time with her teacher (who I really like).   She's fantastic with them and Sarah feels ga-ga about her too :). 

Hopefully I can do a better job updating this and not falling behind.  School is back in session and moving along.  I have a good group this year, they keep me on my toes :).  Art is busy as usual, putting out fires as he calls it.  I think he needs a super hero cape, maybe for Halloween.  Grace is reading Junie B. books like crazy and loving violin.  Sarah is in love with gymnastics and her new school (answered prayer). 

Prayer list is long.  Family and friends in pain, loss of family members, heart break, loss of jobs.  There is also joy, family and friends making positive changes in their live, seeing God's leading in their lives.  I'll keep praying and praising. 

Until next time....