WHIRLWIND OF A WEEK

This week has been "turn off TV week" at Lady G's school. We have had so much to do but usually Friday night is when my dh and the kids hang out and watch a movie together. Mostly they are movies I saw as a kid but dh did not... poor childhood.. had to wait till he was an adult to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Bambi.. who knew!

I have been playing around more with my camera and with my photoshop to get a little better than just getting by. I don't want to get by.. I want to really know what I am doing!

This week had so many things going on...
1. got a swap back from Sarah from Sarah and the Stampstars (see side bar) and the cards rocked!!!
2. We had the city call us twice in one day- we don't have sirens for tornadoes- they have an automated system that calls us... the one at night was especially bad.. we JUST got the kids down and then I got a call from the city saying to "take shelter immediately!" This was different than what they said in the afternoon... really scary! So I grabbed a sleeping bag and threw it on the pantry floor (I knew it was going to be a rough day so it was really straightened around so we could all get in with ease.. )I also got 2 big pillows for the kids... I got Lady G from her bed- she NEVER woke!!! The king got Queen V and then quickly handed her to me to get his truck under the tree - there was quarter size hail in the storm and we had just been hailed on a week prior!!! I had Mr. T in the sling and Queen V in the other arm... got Prince Charming into our powder bath and saw our town's name in the path of circulation... great... put Queen V in the pantry and she climbed on top of Lady G.. not knowing she was under a pillow.. I told her to get under the pillow with Lady G and she did... the storm passed but I let them sleep in there for about an hour until I was sure it was really gone and nothing else was coming from the west...
The kids NEVER knew they were out of their beds..
They have all slept walked since that night.. whew!!
3. volunteered at Lady G's school- I so love to do that! those kids are so sweet :) I miss teaching but as in previous blog entries I know this is where I need to be :)
4. Tonight we had a picnic with several friends in the Nature Center and the kids had a great time!! Mr. T loves the slide.. it gave me and dh a heart attack!!! That equipment was NOT built for a baby for sure!!!

**this photo is of Queen V from The Secret Garden we found.. it was so fun to go exploring with her!"

giveaways and favorites

Have you ever been to 5 Minutes for Mom? They have great tips, ideas and places for Mommies to go check out! I love how they are a mom based blog with links to other mommies... some are trying to start businesses and others are voicing opinions and tips. At any rate they are having a giveaway... for a 9" digital frame! How cool is that??? I love to take a picture.. you can tell by my blog!! I do try and scrapbook- so that I have some me time and so that my family can remember things we have done together... memories to share.. "one of those times" as my brother and I call them.

Sarah and the Stampstars You will be starstruck after going there... check out her link to the Craft Critique It's her little baby that doesn't need to be nursed in the middle of the night!lol! It is a thriving blog and critiquing center full of ideas, creativity and one of the nicest gals in the blog world!!

Sentiments by Denise : I think of this lady and her blog often. She shares her creativity and her sense of calmness. One entry in her blog that I remember is to do your share (insert my name here) for your family with a smile on your face... I am a SAHM and I can either gripe while I pick up Polly Pocket, Pet Shop, Fairytopia, Barbie, Legos, cars, colored pencils, socks, shoes, sandals, stuffed animals... you get the picture or I can do it and say a quick prayer for the loved one I am caring for. Mind you- I don't like to do these things but from her kind words I remember that in my life it is for service. With almost a Masters Degree.. just have to finish my thesis... I do this for the ones I love. It will not last forever.. some day I just might miss the chaos that goes with little ones going from idea to idea.. scattering the things that encourage their mind to grow! lol!

Stampalicious Her style is "stylicious!" lol! FRAKs- you gotta go just see.... every Friday a cool card giveawy! Her humor is just too much... you gotta se it to believe it!

A Bit East : clean
refreshing
creative
unique
stamps
scraps
photography
mommy
it's all in here
go check her out!

Twisted Chick Her style is so carefree and full of life and energy! I love the bold patterns and colors!!! If you are looking for energetic- SHE is your gal!

gotta add more photography blogs.. will add some links :)
Ready Aim Click He explains how to get the shot! love this!
Jessica Sprague : oh so nice- shares her talents for phptograhy, stamping, and photoshop! If you don't understand something you cand send her a message and she will get back to you - PERSONALLY! How's tht for a helping hand!!! What a sweetie to share her time and talents!!

Hope some of these can help you... I love how personality shows in everyone's blog.. simple to sophisticated.. honest to humble.. love it all!

burgers and brew

what's for dinner??
burgers and brew..
my sister introduced this brew to me.. lovely brew!
wish I could say it made me creative in my scrappy room.. I did think I got a nice shot of it! lol! so I guess it made my photography creative with still life :)

needed something creative after rude people today..
my old college buddy has a sister that used to say, "there should be a separate lane [on the highway] for stupid people"... or was it a separate mall?? anyway.. I think rude people should have the same.. a separate lane, a separate mall and a separate town. My town is becoming increasingly rude.. wish it went back to horses and cows. At least then I would know what not to step on and when to get a bigger shovel!

ok... enough gritching... gotta get some shuteye...

spring storms

Jeanine's Cardinal

I love a good storm- always have.. the electrify me!
We have had our fill around here though..
With my kids they have emotions that run like the weather...
if it's crying outside there are tears inside- meaning if it's raining outside my kids are clingy, weepy and needy! lol!
if it's sunny and bright so are my lovelies..

my photos of my kids lately sure do show it. I hope to show more of my handiwork with my photos... still working with Manual.. and now picking up some photoshop tricks for when I still just don't get it on my camera.. hopefully I will beging to get it right out of camera each time!!! This is my goal right now! I am having things click in my head that I was told last summer...
guess that's what happens when you have 3 kids- it takes a while to sink in!

this photo is for my friend, Jeanine... she is on a mission to photograph a cardinal- I saw a young male while at the gardens the other day.. (blogger won't take the photo... will try again later.)

Snow for Easter??

I couldn't believe it! Snow on Holy Saturday.. they are calling for more tomorrow.
The kids had a great time at the grandparents' home..
Once again my Queen V was tempted.. by her grandmother.. all this coming on the heels of a stranger...


the other day while we were putting out eggs for an Educational Egg Hunt a gal tried to give my dd some chocoloate. She had already said thank you politely and told the lady she would save it for Easter Sunday because she gave it up for Lent.
The gal had some more chocolate and tried to give it to some mommies.. we all said no thanks with some adding that they had given it up for Lent. She came to me and said, "well, how 'bout you? Take it."
"no, thanks, I gave it up as well"
Another lady chimed in, "so close to Easter, I'm not blowing it now!"
So then this gal turns to my dd and says, "well, I just give it to her. She'll eat it."
I replied, "no, please don't tempt her. She gave up chocolates for Lent."
"Oh really," she said, "I gave her some earlier and I am sure she ate it!"
I smiled and said, "no, actually, she gave it to me to hold for her."
"OH! I would have thought she ate it... " She sounded rather disappointed. The lady tried anyway and dd who had been playing just said no and skipped off with another little 4 year old..

Can you believe the nerve of this gal?? I told Queen V I was so happy and proud of her for sticking with what she had said. We got in a big conversation about her faith, the lady tempting her.. Queen V's conclusion was that the lady was rude- not to her but to Jesus- imagine that!!! Out of the mouths of babes!

3 little ones and their blessings

My girl.. what a girl.. I see her here what she will become in the future.. a sweet gentle spirit..
she is so silly at times
so full of life
so fun to be around
and then it hits me
what a wonderful soul for God to have given to me to mother...
what a gift!













See the sun on her face?
A warm afternoon turned into a dreamy evening.
Right before bed the other night we went for a quick swing.
Look at the intensity in these eyes!!!
Are these the eyes of a future nun or mother?
Is this the child that will be a leader or a follower?
Nonetheless, we had a wonderful quick swing.
As a young girl I remember going for a run through the front yard in my nightgown after a bath. I had a favorite- thin, yellow, with a painting of an Indian Princess.. it made my dreams come closer I would think. I don't think my mom got it off of me if it weren't for going to school!













A place to sit with my boy.. love this.. he can sit and watch the cattle graze from his roost here..
wish I had a chair just like it..
Today he got ticked with himself so many times..
he was happy to see he could do a project at the library and nobody told him no, giggled that Mom and I were asking him where his parts of his face were... and then to take a fruit smoothie and dump it all over his tray only to smack his hands in it and make a huge mess- it was across the room on the wallpaper.. shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell my dh..... I got it all cleaned up.. he was giggling.. it was funny but I didn't want to encourage him.. even my girls were giggling at his giggling.. it's contagious!
on the way to Mass tonight I could hear his gears turning.. I turned around to see this smirk on his face.. his hands were moving like they were earlier when he was rather pleased with himself.. and then he started cracking up.. so funny!