Olive Juice

Olive Juice or Olive You.  I couldn't decide which saying I wanted to use more.  I remember my friends dared me to mouth the words, "Olive juice" to my crush in eighth grade.  They said, "If he looks confused after you say it, just say to him, 'What? all I said was, 'Olive juice!''"  I never got up the courage to actually mouth to my crush, "Olive juice," until my crush became my husband.  Now we're always lipping to each other, "Olive juice," and "Olive you" like we have nothing better to do.  It's fun! 

This might make a cute Valentine's gift, or cute print to hang up for V-day!

This print and more available at my etsy shop.

Superbowl Sunday

Baking these football cookies with the kids was about the most football-ish activity we did all day (besides watching about five minutes of the actual game).

My Superbowl Sunday was pretty eventful!  I got a phone call early in morning from a friend/family member from Jim's side of the family letting me know her water broke.  I volunteered to be her go-to girl for when she went into labor, so I packed up my kids, some things I might need during the day, and  headed over to her house to spend the day with her daughters.  My kids thought this was the best thing EVER.  An ALL DAY PLAYDATE!  Score!

I spent Superbowl Sunday baking football shaped cookies with four little helpers, watching kids' shows, going for a walk (it was BEAUTIFUL outside), playing at a park, making an, "It's a Boy" banner with my helpers (glitter glue and kids ranging from ages 8 to 2 gets a little tricky), and playing hide-and-go-seek inside until it was bedtime.  Oh yeah, at one point I did turn on the Superbowl so I could at least say I watched (sorta).  When I tuned in it was close to half-time and the score was 15 to 17 (not sure which team was up).  When I talked to Jim after I got all the kids asleep (he's in Arizona at the moment) he told me it was a great game and that the team he was cheering for won.  Go GIANTS!  I'm the kinda girl who usually just watches for the commercials and the halftime show, and I'm not sad that I missed it.  I had a pretty great day hanging out with four cute munchkins.  See for yourself:

The icing on the cake was a cute new baby was born early the next morning, and the girls I watched got a brand new baby brother!  That also means Hunter will have a new friend to play with soon -- a friend that's actually a BOY!  Hooray!

Today

Today my house is a mess. It's been messy for a while.  I need to do some serious deep cleaning/organizing around here.  Once I get started, I know it'll feel great scrubbing, dusting, throwing stuff out, sanitizing, and organizing.  I struggle with the whole getting started thing.  Where to start?  How to start?  Sigh.  I just need to start.

Today Hunter had to go pee while we were at the grocery store checking out.   Then he had to pee at the library. . .twice!  There's no "holding it" for this kid, when he has to go, he HAS TO GO!  So, I ran him to the bathroom like a mad woman all three times, even when I was in the middle of checking out at the grocery store (sorry lady behind me, it was either take my two-year-old to the bathroom, or risk having him puddle up the floor where you were about to push your cart of groceries through).

Today I took the kids to the library.  The librarian told me I have a CD that's been overdue for a while now.  I'm 98% sure I returned it.  While talking with the librarian my sweet angels (said with just a shovel full of sarcasm) were running amok.  I tried to corral them, but off they ran like crazy people.  Whenever they came across someone new Hunter would yell, "HI!" at the top of his lungs until the person would acknowledge him in someway.  Once Hunter got a response, Tralee followed up with a complement.  I heard her say, "I like your mustache," "Your shirt is pretty," and "cool shoes!" among other random commendations.  While the librarian agreed to override the hold on my account, so I could check out some books, I glanced at my kids and saw Tralee striking up a conversation with yet another stranger, while Hunter swung from a hand rail nearby.  I watched as he swung too hard, lost his grip, and fell onto his back.  Tralee stopped chatting-up her latest stranger-of-choice, turned and yelled in my general direction, "Hunter's hurt!" as another lady, a lady who gave me a you-need-to-teach-your-kids-proper-library-decorum-stare two seconds earlier, helped Hunter up and dusted him off before I could make my way over.

Today I left the library balancing a handful of books in one arm, Hunter crying in the other with a big wet stain on the front of his pants from a semi-unsuccessful potty attempt, and Tralee trailing behind-- mad at me about something I can't remember.  I was cranky about how my kids behaved, I was ticked off I had a dirty house to return to, and I was about ready loose it when a man came up from behind me and said, "Good job, Mom!"  I turned, wondering if this compliment was legit, or even meant for me.  He must have seen the look of disbelief on my face, because he continued speaking while pointing to the 14ish children's books balanced on my arm, "You know, I just read a study that showed that kids whose parents are involved in their lives, you know, parents that read to them and take them to the library, those kids are interested in learning their whole lives.  So, good job, Mom!"  If my arms weren't full of a pee-stained-two-year-old and a week's worth of new reading material, I just might have hugged him.

Today I started out feeling like a failure in the homemaking/mothering department, but after that kind man's compliment, I felt uplifted.  Somebody noticed that I'm trying my best, even if my best is (most likely) someone else's mediocre.  I'm trying to do a "good job" at a job that gets the better of me nine times out of 10 -- this mothering stuff isn't easy.  I need to start celebrating the one thing I get right each day (today it was going to the library), pat myself on the back, and tell myself, "Good job, Mom!" Then I need to forgive myself for the other nine things that went haywire.  As long as I'm trying, I should celebrate the little victories and stop stressing over the messes and mishaps.  'Cause most likely, what went right today will probably go wrong tomorrow, and what I messed up today, I'll have a chance to make right with the new sunrise.  So, thank you stranger!  You probably don't realize what your "Good job, Mom" comment did for my whole day, but you turned it all around.

Today started off kind of crappy.

Today ended with me reading my kids their library books as they drifted off to sleep, while the words, "Good job, Mom!" repeated in my head.

Hot Off the Press!

I made this print today.  It's up at my shop.  I like it!  It think I might put it in my playroom.  It's a good reminder for my kids (or anyone I guess) that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.  Ah. . .the things we learn from children's fiction!  

Countdown to 2/14

I haven't always been the biggest cheerleader for Valentine's Day.  I like it, I guess.  It kind of seems like a holiday that pressures you into doing something nice for your loved ones.  I'm not saying I wouldn't appreciate a gift on V-day.  I'm just saying I think I would appreciate a just-because-he-was-thinking-about-me gift more.  I'm also stubborn (ask my hubby), and don't like doing things because I'm told to.  I want to do it on my own.  So when the calendar tells me I must be ultra lovey-dovey smooshy-smooshy on February 14th, I want to tell the calendar, "Hose off!  I'm going to ignor you and be lovey-dovey smooshy-smooshy on February 15th instead!"  Is that stupid?  Probably.  That being said, I try to make Valentine's Day a little more special around here for those that I love (i.e. pink heart shaped pancakes for breakfast, heart-shaped sandwiches made with the help of heart-shaped cookie cutters, etc).  I don't want my stubbornness to get in the way of my hubby's and kid-o's fun.

So, in the spirit of getting a little more excited for Saint Valentine's Day, I made a few things to get us pumped up for the 14th of February.

I saw this craft on Pinterest, so Tralee and I took a trip to Lowe's to stock up on paint samples.  We came home, cut out hearts, and made this garland:

For Christmas I made my family on my Dad's side a DVD of my Nana's life (remember the super awesome gift I was WAY excited about from this post?).  I interviewed my Nana a few years ago, recorded it, then selected the favorite stories she told me to put on the DVD.  I have been collecting old photographs every time I go back home to visit, so I scanned them, and added them with music to the DVD while my Nana told the story of her life.  The DVD turned out really good (for an amateur such as myself) and I think everyone that received one also enjoyed it.  Anyway. . . one of the favorite stories on the DVD was about how my Grandma and Grandpa met.

My Grandparents danced with their friends at Garfield Park in Wisconsin every Friday night.  Nana and Grandpa Eugene would meet up, dance, and hang out with their friends; never thinking they would be more than dance partners one day.  Not long after they met, WWII was declared, and Grandpa was called to serve his country.  On the last night they danced together at Garfield Park, Eugene waved goodbye and told my Grandma, "I'll write you!"

My grandparents fell in love through letter writing.  My Nana said the letters kept getting better and better!  When he came home from the war, he only wanted his sweetheart to meet him at the train station. Nana said when they met, she got such a kiss it nearly knocked her off her feet (she had never kissed anyone before).  My grandparents went out every single night after Grandpa Eugene came home from the war, and were married just a few months later.  I love that story!  What I love more is this picture:

Grandma and Grandpa's first kiss after Grandpa Eugene returned from WWII.  He proposed a week later, and they were married a few months later.

It's the picture of them kissing for the FIRST TIME!  I LOVE IT!  I love it so much, I made this printable of that moment, and will hang it in my house to help get me a little more excited for Valentine's Day.  This moment is what it's all about.

I think this might make a cute card!

I also made this little banner:

If you would like to make one as well, just print the photo below, cut the squares out, use a hole punch to put holes where marked, string a string through said holes, and hang it up for some instant cute V-day decor.

Thanks for peeking!!

She's Five

I couldn't stop it from happening, no matter how much I wished for time to stand still, it just wouldn't.  Since last Monday, my first baby turned five!  FIVE!  Where did the last five years go?  Where, I ask you?  Tralee is growing up, and there's not a thing I can do about it!  I was warned, by more than one person, how fast the time goes by.  I was told, "before you know it she'll be heading off to school."  I didn't believe it, yet here I sit, mere months away from seeing my FIVE-year-old off to school.  Before I know it, she'll be on her first date, driving a car, and heading off to college.  I don't like it, but I'm coming to accept that no matter how hard I squeeze my eyes shut, and wish on my lucky star that my babies will stay babies, it's just not going to happen.  I realize I need to change my wishes to things that can actually come to fruition.  So, here are five wishes I have for Tralee on her fifth birthday:

1.  I wish Tralee will find at least one very best friend and confidante at school.  Someone she looks forward to seeing everyday, someone to share her secrets with, laugh with, have play dates with, and who she'll stick up for and who will stick up for her if/when needed.

2.  I wish Tralee will be kind to others, especially to those that need extra kindness in their life.

3.  I wish this year will bring health, happiness, love, safety, and peace to my sweet five-year-old.

4.  I wish Tralee will always see a strong, smart, confidant, kind, loving, beautiful friend looking back at her when she stares into the mirror.  Someone who can find humor in her mistakes, as well as learn from them.

5.  I wish Tralee will always know --know matter how tall she might grow, or how smart and independent she gets-- that she will always find peace and comfort in my embrace.  My arms will always be open to gather her up, my shoulder will always be there for her to cry on, my lips will always be willing to kiss any wound better, my ears are always tuned in to hear a funny or heartbreaking story, joke, or anecdote from her day, my eyes will be focused on her at every concert, recital, dance, play, and game that she's involved in.  I will always be willing to spend any night of the week with her, snuggled on the couch, eating popcorn and ice cream while watching a silly movie together.  I want her to know that Dance Parties in the Kitchen is a club that will never close, and will always be hip to me.  I want her to feel adored the minute my eyes look at her, even if we're having a tough day agreeing on things.  I want her to know that my love for her grows everyday, even if she starts to push away.  I want her to know that I'll try my best to give her space when space is needed, and be there for her when I'm needed more.  I want her to know there is no measurement in the world capable of tracking just how much I love and adore her.  She's my first baby, forever and always.

These are my wishes for my sweet girl on her fifth Birthday.  I know someday she really will be heading off to college and starting her own life -- a life that I get to hear about in phone calls and catch glimpses of when I visit her every now and again.  I'll miss her so much, but for know, I guess I'm grateful she's only five.  I get her for thirteen more years!  HOORAY!  I'm thankful for the last five and looking forward to the next thirteen+.  So, here's an extra wish (or two), just for me (are you listening lucky star?): I wish that the next thirteen years are everything I dreamed motherhood could and would be, and that I take the time to enjoy the sweet tender moments I get to share with her.  I wish that time will feel fleeting during the moments that aren't so tender, like when she's an emotional teenager saying mean things, but the sweet moments I look forward to everyday, help me to take the time to enjoy them and that they come more frequently.

Now. . . Pictures from Tralee's Fifth Birthday:

I asked Tralee what she wanted to do for her birthday, she informed me she wanted to take her best friends (Hunter, Brinley, Jovie, and Oakley) to Chuck-E-Cheese with her.  Not what I would have choose, but it was her day, so I went with it.

One of the things tokens got spent on were all the picture machines. 

The adults even took some pictures.  Here I am with Jim and Audie

Instead of a birthday cake, Tralee requested these Rapunzel cake towers she saw me looking at on Pinterest.  Don't laugh.  I am in NO WAY a cake decorator -not even trying to be.  This was the best I could do.

We made the party hats the night before her birthday. 

Playing games

Tralee was actually really good at Deal or No Deal.  She might just have to play the real deal one day!

Jim and Hunter playing basketball (of course).

Dont' forget the tickets!

Jovie and Oakley.  Poor Oaks, towards the end of the party she hit her head on one of the above mentioned picture machines and got a nice cut and goose-egg on her little head.  Not fun.

This picture cracks me up.  Brinley rode this ride alone the first time and was scared it was going to tip over (it's a truck that tips forward and backwards).  Then Tralee came along when Brinley was getting off and said, "I want to ride that with you!"  So, Brinley had to ride again, and get scared all over again when the truck tipped back.  Both girls were scared (this ride isn't scary, but it terrified them for some reason).  I'm mean, cause I laughed and then took this picture.  I'm still laughing.

Blowing out her birthday candle.  Sweet girl!

Happy Birthday Stinks!

Some New Prints

Here a few of the prints I've made lately for the shop.  I'm having fun making them.  If you have any ideas for prints, let me know!  If I like it, and put it up in my shop, I'll send you a free copy!

I think I might print the 11x14 of this one, frame it, and hang it in our play room. 

Cute for Valentine's Day 

Jim and I have this one hanging in our room.