My Little Planner

Anabelle has developed into quite the little planner. Everyday she comes up with an idea she wants to execute. I told her she should become an event planner when she grows up! Some days it's hard to explain to her why she can't do something, like the time she wanted to go door to door to do stranger's chores for money. Or when she made God's Eyes (a yarn craft) and wanted to sell them to the neighbors. Or when she wanted to video tape her and her sisters doing a play and invite families over to watch it and charge them $3. It makes me so proud that most times she wants to donate the money to charity, but we need to work on the ways that it's appropriate to do that. Thankfully, we have some nice neighbors that have bought her lemonade 3 days in a row :0). I couldn't possibly send her over to their house on day 4 expecting them to buy a few popsicle sticks wrapped in yarn!

The other day, Anabelle was throwing out ideas and I carefully steered her in a more realistic direction...like making brownies for the fire fighters. She didn't like the idea at first and wanted to bring them lunch including subs, chips, drinks, and dessert. After some convincing, she agreed on brownies & cards if she could call the fire station to ask when we could stop by. She prepared a script and called them herself to set up a day. We were all impressed! So...last Wednesday, the girls & I made brownies & cards and delivered them to the Clover Hill station. Anabelle said she was going to ask for a tour, but I explained to her that it would be rude to do that. Thankfully, they asked us on their own and Anabelle was SUPER excited. They took us throughout the entire building & even let the kids climb inside the enormous fire truck. I tried taking pictures, but they turned out really dark.

Here are the girls and my little planner with the nice fire fighters.

Taking Flight~

My baby will be starting school in a few weeks & I'm growing more sad & anxious about letting her go. I can't even think about it without welling up.

I saw this today & thought it was fitting~

A Shopping & Splashing Spree

Every summer for the past six years, we take a trip out to Stony Point Mall to enjoy the fountains. I was wondering if Anabelle was too old to enjoy it, but she was all smiles. Heck...I would have gotten wet too if I had a bathing suit! I have a feeling that shopping at Justice helped her mood a little. As you know, I'm a super thrifty shopper and I never just take the girls into a store to shop. It's always go to the clearance rack or hunt for name brands at Goodwill. Well, this summer, I decided to let Anabelle & Elise find an outfit for the first day that didn't have a red tag :0). I did have a 40% off coupon though! It's a good thing to because one shirt was marked $34!!!!!! That's how much I spend at a thrift store when getting 15+ items! Ridiculous~ Anyway...I made it clear that this was a one time deal. After our shopping spree, I convinced myself it was okay to splurge a little while the kids frolicked in the fountains.

Puppy Love

There's no doubt about it...Calvin is loved. I've never seen a lab who enjoys being held like a baby. My only concern is what will happen when he's 70 lbs!! Will he still want to climb into our laps & snuggle?

Mozart & Shrinky Dinks!

My friend Susan has the BEST craft ideas! I'm always looking on her blog for new things to try out. The other day we got together and her daughter was wearing this really cute necklace. I asked her if she made it & of course she said yes :0). She said it was Shrinky Dinks & she told me all about them. My kids thought the idea sounded really fun, so the next day I went up to Michael's to get some (I was in a desperate need of something to keep them occupied for the afternoon). After searching the kids section for 20 minutes, all I could find were the preprinted ones that you color. Finally, I asked someone there and she showed me them over near the scrapbooking section...really?!?!? This is what the package looks like. They come in sheets and range from $4.99-$12.99.

That afternoon, we got to work. I cut circles (wishing I had a 3" paper punch) and let the kids get creative. I printed out a sheet of easy graphics to help the kids (and me!) and gave them sharpies to draw. Then I turned on some Mozart to set the creative mood. It was amazing to see how quickly they settled down and focused on their work. The dinks turned out really cute and the kids thought it was awesome to see them shrink before their eyes.

I had fun making them, too!!
I even put a few with beads on my key chain :0).

New Post is Hiding~

Sometimes I get so frustrated with Blogger! Grrrrrrrr... I published a new post, but for some reason, it put it under 'Danny is My Hero'. If you want to read my latest entry 'The Power of Christian Rock', scroll down under it to view :0).
Have a great day~!~!

Danny is my HERO!!

Danny took the girls and Calvin camping for 2 whole days so I could have some quiet time at home. Isn't he amazingly wonderful, awesome, & fabulous???? I had a really stressful few weeks and I think he sensed I needed some time by myself. I was hesitant at first, but definitely intrigued by the idea. I also felt guilty having him go alone. Ultimately, I knew it would be beneficial to have some time to think & rejuvinate, so I said okay. Did I tell you he also surprised me with a certificate for an hour massage?!?!?! Ahhh...

Let me tell you, when they first left I cried. So did Sadie. Elise looked a little concerned and Anabelle had a bad stomachache. I was really worried this was going to make Danny run for the hills, but he said it went great!

After the initial shock of quiet in the house, I grew to enjoy the peace. I read almost two books, walked many miles, reflected, listened to lots of good music, prayed, and even took a trip to the reservoir to sit and soak in the view. It was a beautiful two days. The weather was in the low 80s, the sun was shining, and I was free. Free to think, relax, and be. I have to admit though that by day two, I was really missing my family. When they got home, I was all smiles and recharged. I even had a little sun glow. It's amazing what two days can do. I'm so grateful for my wonderful husband and for his thoughtfulness, his caring ways, and his courage to face a campout alone :0).

Here are some pictures from their adventure together including Sadie's first fire!!! She was so proud of herself!

Calvin looks like he had a relaxing few days as well!

Calvin is one serious digger!
Yay Sadie!!!