All This Fuss.. For Lil' Old Me?

THIS Mothers Day.. after church, I actually lounged in bed, READING of all things.. while my busy little party planners hustled their hineys creating this:

Pretty cute. The fresh flowers from our yard were my favorite.. and LOOK!

I got my own "lobsta"!
AND sweet potato with brown sugar-- and asparagus.. two of my all-time favorites. Mmmmmm. Kinda want it again.
I even had my very own cake.

You'll notice that because it was mine, and it WAS Mothers Day.. I permitted myself to just stick a fork right in the corner and do some taste-testing.. before the meal even started. I mean.. I AM the Mom.
After all the tastiness.. melted butter and all.. I went BACK to lounging, and reading.. while the "help" finished up the dishes. (I only heard one blast of shattered glass-- and it took everything I had to NOT rush to the scene. They handled it. No blood that I know of.)
All in all.. just LOVELY. How I love being a Mom. How grateful I am for a Mom that loved being one too. It was a darling day.. with all kinds of love and acts of kindness from my little family. (Maybe deep down they were just doing it to thank me for giving in to the "chick" idea.. and for the 20 times I've cleaned up chick-poop-papers in the last 72 hours. If so.. you're welcome guys.)
And a happy belated Mothers Day to all you selfless ladies out there that I love. (May today be one of those "good" Mom days!)

"Hot Chicks" In The House!

Um.. yeah. We bought chicks.
Four of them. Rocky, Nuggets, Oreo, and Princess-girl-- to be specific. (Take a guess which one Sophie named.)
I decided to give in to my husbands desire to add "organic" eggs to his mini-farm, and my children's desire to have more pets that I will surely end up feeding and cleaning up after.
It just kinda sounded fun..
and they are, really, cute. For now.

However, I'm not sure they will be AS cute.. all grown and "ca-caw-ing" and red ooey-gooey gobbler-like hangy-downer-thing-ish. But for the moment.. they are quite enjoyable.

They are 'hot'.. due to the large 250 watt bulb that must toasty them up 24/7.. and no so much for their actual, sex-appeal.

So far, they poop.. alot, but only cheep, a little..
and are a constant form of pretty 'cheep entertainment' (I'm SO clever.)for the enamoured eyes of my little ones.

And they seem pretty comfortable with us too..

(Is it creepy that I've taken to photographing small birds?)
So that's the party that is our life THIS week.
Ya'll come back now, hear?

Poops And Hoops

Yeah. I said 'poops'.
I apologize for two posts in a row featuring my terrible, horrible, no-good very bad 1965 yet-to-be-redone, bathroom... but this was too entertaining to miss.
In a house with 4 males.. the bathroom is a spot USUALLY being used for stinky, long, drawn out visits. While a Sports Illustrated or good book is a more common form of 'toilet entertainment' if you will.. I walked in the other day to find one of my boys had gotten a tad more creative.

What your witnessing here.. (along with my ugly bathroom..)
is a make-shift basketball hoop.. out of obviously durable cardboard.. attached to the tub with electrical tape no less.. just in reach of dunking shot from the local toilet.
Who need s a rec center when ya got this?
The fun never stops.

Big news. HUGE.

At 3 years and 3 months almost to the day....
SOMEONE has decided to use the potty.
Halalooya.
We knew we were in for a challenge, when by age 3, all bribes, including a life size DORA for heavens sake, JUST for tinkle ..
were met with a simple, "I don't really need that."
We were convinced she'd be going to Prom in Depends.
Needless to say.. we're very excited.

Just A Little Teaser..

It started like THIS...

And ended.. like.. THIS.

And there are roughly 250 pictures depicting everything in between, that if I didn't feel responsible for washing every item of clothes we own.. restocking our bare cupboards.. making 2 doctors appointments (eyes, and ortho.. no swine flu here people!).. and working out my big fat ate-lots-at-Disney bottom... I just MIGHT post.
But.. I'll spare ya about 230 of them.. and direct you to my Facebook album to check out all the good times had!
In a word... "MAGICAL."

What Easter Is To Me..

Coordinated outfits.. check.



One eager-egg preparer.. check, check.


One very enthusiatic bunny. (Do you like the way her silky nighty accentuates her belly?)


Two pre-feast naps.


Cute paper goods and centerpiece. All must-haves.


Hot buns in the oven. (Almost as important as the ham. And hey.. stop looking at my dirty oven already. I'll get around to it.)


One post-feast egg hunt.


The egg-hiders..


The egg-seekers.





And best of all.. hearing Sophie attempt to say the word 'Ressurection'--
and then recite the story of that very ressurection, to her brothers.
To me.. that's Easter. Hope yours was a happy one.

Here Comes Santa Clause, Here Comes Santa Clau-- I Mean, GRANDMA!

So.. we don't get "out" much. By out.. I mean-- outta the valley.
Oh sure.. we hit Kohls (I heart purchasing things) or Petsmart (it smells), I go to the grocery store (Ew.) and birthdays always demand a visit to our local sizzler (Mmm.) but as far as real, so-called "outings", I'm a little shocked and appalled and how NOT often we go anywhere MORE than 10 miles away.. and how much I don't mind.
But I gotta admit.. darling as our little town is.. now and then ya get a case of the 'gotta-get-me-outta-here's'-- so HOW much funner (I know, not a word.. but I like it) could it get.. than gettin' on outta here, to go to DisneyWorld??
Not much!
Jasens sweet Mom, (who mind you.. lost Jasens darling Dad only months ago..) has had "A wish upon a star" to take all of her kids, and grandkids-- to Disney.
And now she is. This cute lady, who could be only sad, and bitter, and stash her little widows mite under her matress-- isn't. She is sad. Terribly so. But is finding so much joy in giving, it is something to be amazed by.
If I wasn't an idiot.. I could download the video of our kids with their cousins last week, opening up the suprise invitations to the big vacation. SO fun. But I am an idiot.. and can't figure out HOW to download that video.. so just trust me-- it was fun. My kids have never been-- and are giddy with excitement.
I'M giddy with excitement.
As if that in itself wasn't enough.. yesterday we recieved this humungous (I like that word too..) box from Grandma.. with just about everything 4 kids need for a trip to Florida. WHAT a party.

Swimsuits for all!

Happenin' little athletic get-ups.. and wallets! Kids, love wallets.


Fresh t-shirts (Moms, love fresh t-shirts.) And stylin' shades for the sunshine state! (Can you FEEL Bo's coolness?)

And ofcourse.. what trip to Disney and all it's princesses therein.. is complete without a mini princess's new pink and poofy princess dress..

(Cinderella ain't got nothin' on her..)
Oh.. and monogrammed pool bag.. cause what 3 year old doesn't, have a monogrammed flamingo pool bag?


It really, truly, is.. Christmas in April.
Grandma is everything Christmas is. Loving. Cozy. Giving.
Thank you Grams. Thank you, thank you, thank you.