Fall fun...

I loved playing in leaves when I was little. We had a big maple tree in our backyard, and I remember getting to play in the piles when my dad would rake them up. In the northwest, you have to really plan your leaf fun in order to really enjoy it. You don't want to go play in slimy, moldy leaves, so you have to do it before it rains...if that is an option. This year we've been enjoying a really sunny fall, and I've been trying to get to the park everyday this week so I can get my fill (not possible) before the weather turns on us for nine months. Anyway, I have been paying attention to where the leaves are best, and we wound up going to the side of a road by our house to play. There was a good shoulder and the speed limit on the street is only 25, so we had a great time. We made piles and jumped in them, and they had so much fun throwing the leaves above their heads, Alice especially.

I love all the leaves everywhere, and that there are so many left on the trees, that we can count on many more weeks of beautiful color. Some of the trees are so bright, they look almost fluorescent.

Ruby's haircut...

So, I'm sure it is somewhat evident that my kids haven't inherited the good hair gene. I struggle with Ruby's hair, and usually it looks stringy and thin. I've known for a long time that a cute, shorter cut would work wonders for her, but I don't like putting too much emphasis on the physical appearance of my girls, so I just rolled with the longer hair because that is what she wanted. So maybe two months ago, she started asking for short hair, and I finally believed that she really wanted it, so we went and cut like five scraggly inches off on Monday, and she's a babe! Today, she said, "Mom, I feel like I should be wearing lipstick, I look so sexy*!" (Her use of this word is her dad's fault. He always calls me that and to our kids, it's just another compliment.) Of course, we aren't going for lipstick on a five year old, but chapstick seemed to please her.

Anyway, she looks so cute and grown up with her shorter hair, and she can be caught admiring herself in the mirror throughout the day.

Whoops!

I was posting that in the midst of falling asleep. I just read it and I can't stop laughing. I don't know what in the world Iwas dreaming when I wrote "baby", but I'm not announcing anything (I wish). That is so funny. It probably took me like ten minutes to make that list because I was really in and out, and I kept telling myself how short the post could be and how I just needed one minute of wakefulness to get it done, but clearly, I should have just gone to bed. That is so funny. Sorry! Just another joy of Narcolepsy!

Clarification...

I was just reading through old posts, and I saw that I said, "we have lots of pets..." in my snake post (it is worth mentioning that the snake has not been seen for a week, and we assume it is somewhere in the house). When I think of lots of pets, a mental picture comes to mind of someone with fifteen cats and twelve dogs...so I thought I would share more info on our pets:

Randy--Beta fish
Stone--Golden Retriever
Isabella--cat
Lacey--snake

Ruby likes to claim that the birds that chirp away in both of our chimneys are her pets. Hmmmmm.

Tagged by Jenni...

8 tv shows I love to watch…

The Hills (and all spinoffs)
The Hills Aftershow
Oprah
American Idol
So You Think You Can Dance
Making the Band
The Office
90210

8 favorite restaurants…

California Pizza Kitchen
My Father’s Place (McCall, ID…love the nutburgers)
Café Rio (we need one in WA)
Me Kong Thai (Graham, WA)
Cougareat (that place with the super yummy wraps)
Cheesecake Factory
Ibiza (Seattle, WA…yummy Spanish cuisine)
Gandolfo’s

8 things that happened yesterday

Took a nap
Folded laundry
Went to Joann’s alone
Watched the new Indiana Jones
Elders got their transfer calls
Took pics of the kids
Chris fixed our bed so it’s not slanted down at the head
Started redecorating the laundry room bathroom

8 things I love about this fall

Indian Summer (I don’t know the PC word for that…is that PC?)
Park outings
Later sunrises
Fireplaces
Halloween
School shopping
My girls’ birthdays
Season premieres

Things on my wish list…

A baby
A heart for Mia
A trip to Spain
Lose weight
Kitchen remodel
Monthly house deep clean service
Energy
A Master’s or PhD Degree

8 Things I am looking forward to…

All the things in the previous list
Mia coming home from the hospital
Being pregnant (or turning in our foster care papers)
Giving birth (getting our first placement)
Nursing (bottle feeding is fine!)
Staying up all night with my baby (someone else’s baby works)
My kids cleaning their own rooms without supervision and coaching
Chris and I getting away together just the two of us

8 people I tag…Alicia, Courtney, Kendra, Monica, Heather, Amanda, Deanne, Sommer

Christmas creativity...

I am so excited for Christmas! I love thinking of the people I love most and coming up with things that they would be happy to get. Last year, I did all my Christmas shopping in a matter of three hours from 5-8 AM the day after Christmas. It wasn't the most personal shopping experience of my life, and I wasn't really that convinced that the gifts I bought would be enjoyed wholeheartedly by the receivers.

The year before, I did a homemade Christmas inspired by my sister-in-law Pam, who is so good at being creative and delivering big love with her homemade gifts. I had so much fun thinking about the people I was making things for, and I knew that my kids were excited to watch the homemade gifts come to life as I made them.

In spite of the economy and feeling like we need to be saving more and preparing for financially tighter times, I am looking forward to spoiling my loved ones with my time and creativity for an affordable, memorable Christmas. Ruby and I have been talking about what we want to do, and we have found some really great ideas online. I don't want to share what we are doing, because my loved ones would have a spoiler as to their Christmas surprises, but here are some things that my sister-in-law has done for us in the past that we loved...

This bag is a free pattern from Joann.com. Pam made it in fun girly colors and I even carry it occasionally...it is SUPER cute, and we use it all the time. I think this would be easily appreciated by a large span of ages.

This pillow can be made from leftover fabrics (I have three cabinets full, and I'm willing to donate). Pam made one for Ruby using fabrics that matched her room colors. She made hers into a circle and put a white eyelt ruffle around the edge.
Last year she made this "Memory Lane" game for our family using family trivia. She even emailed me some questions so that she could use trivia from my side of the family! What a great idea, and no sewing required!
Pam has also made me a lovely collage of pictures using Photoshop and all my favorite pics of my little one, Ruby when she was a newborn. With a little text and a nice mat that she cut herself (not everyone can do that) it was an easy thing to mail and it meant a lot to me. I got a frame for it and hung it on the wall next to Ruby's blessing dress in our upstairs hallway.

I was in the hall at church and they were doing sign ups for an annual craft day for the women, and there were the most darling homemade cards that only cost $1.50 for a dozen. I think handmade cards are a rare thing to have on hand, and such a great, affordable, shipping friendly gift. One year, I made hairbows for my neices. It may only have cost me $2 to make three bows, and bows are expensive if you buy them!

Can I just say that Joann.com is the best resource for free patterns that I have found?! You can search for all craft types, paper, knitting, sewing, no-sewing, holiday, wood, painting...there are so many options!

I am amazed at what a little Modge Podge can do to liven up an old item. I've seen some awesome things that people have made by covering an item with scrapbook paper and modge podge...it could even be something you found at goodwill, or you have in a closet in your house, cover it in darling tissue paper, and voila!

It could be the tastiest cookie mix in a jar or a $3 frame from Walmart with a priceless picture inside to remind a loved one of a memory that will last forever.

I love Christmas! I love giving gifts to others and teaching my children about hope, love and how special it is to remember our loved ones at this time of year.

Barely three and almost six...

This was a last minute effort to get some pics of the girls before they are ten and thirteen. I hadn't preplanned their outfits, but they at least let me pick out what they should wear and I had them bathed and they were all cooperation with a little bribery. The light was waning, we only had a few minutes, so we did them all in our front yard. I am IN LOVE with the ones I got of Alice. She's usually not that cooperative, and often not all that photogenic, so that was a treat to get some good ones. Ruby easily pulled off a few beautiful shots and I got a few of them together that I like.

My house for fifteen years...

This is the house that I remember growing up in. My parents still live within a few miles, so I drove there last time I was in town to show the girls where I was raised. That window with the shade hanging down was mine most of the time we lived there. We lived in a culdesac, and had many young families with lots of kids to play with all around us. It was a great house for being a kid...we even had a play structure in the basement complete with a slide, and a swing that hung from the ceiling. My parents bought the house for $78,000 and we moved there on my third birthday in 1980. We lived there until I boxed everything up and moved to college, when they sold the house for $142,000 fifteen years later. My family moved out shortly after I moved to school. We actually know the family that has lived there since. The funny thing is that I'm the oldest with four younger brothers, and the family that lives there now has followed suit with the eldest being a girl and she has four younger brothers too! Hmmmmm. Anyway, lots of memories there, it was fun to see it.

200 Have and Have Nots...

I saw this on my friend Laura's blog, and I thought it would be fun to think about all the things I have done. There were a few zingers, like the one that says, "Have you ever been to Africa" because I SO should have gone. I was in Marbella, Spain, and I had PAID bucks for my trip down there with my travel companions. Then I went out to dinner with a friend, Javier Zorilla for those who know him. So he's a fancy doctor in Spain, and we made plans to drive over to Sevilla for the day to meet up with our friend "Elder" Casado for the day, who is from Huelva. So my friends woke up at the crack of dawn and took off, and I stuck around waiting for Javier, and he didn't show! He did call the hotel to explain that he had to work, but it was no consolation to me. I had a full day in Marbella by myself, and no hotel room (we were checking out and heading to Sevilla that night anyway, so I was just going to get there before the other girls). Believe me, I went to the beach, and I love the beach, but still. I could have crossed the Straight of Gibraltar and touched down on a different continent. Anyway, there were a few things that I don't want to do no matter how long I live, and others that I hope to do someday. (I so don't believe anyone really wants to read about what I have and haven't done, but it is fun to think about what you have and haven't done.)

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read more than five books by the same author
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco (club)
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ride in a limo
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Commented on a friend's blog.

Extended family...

Part of the fun of getting together with family is taking their pictures! Ruby is always posing herself and then saying, "mom, take one of me!"Uncle Jordan was sweet to want a picture with his neices. Unfortunately, it was a rush job and I didn't get it right. Still, a good snapshot...Here's Alice and Emma. They are only eight days a part, and they are growing to be such good little playmates and shadows of their sisters.

Here's little one year old Carson, my brother Robb's youngest. Then there's baby Mason, Braden's first...he's just two months old and cute as can be.

The Biddles...minus a few of my other favorite Biddles...Courtney, Scott and Brooks. So, not really a family picture, but it is a picture of the three youngest, Taylor, Sidney and McCall, with their parents, my aunt Carol and uncle Duncan. I love this family. My girls are taken with McCall especially, and I just love how connected and unified they are as a family and how giving they are to those they love...and they love everyone.

New pet...

We have lots of pets. Too many. I wasn't consulted about this one, but I'm pretty pet friendly, so I didn't mind. Meet "Lacey" (sorry Dave, consider it flattery, Ruby named her). They were off hunting for frogs, when they found her on Saturday. They came home with her and then headed out to buy her a cage and fixings for a snake home. The girls are thrilled. So far, she puked up a nasty worm that she ate in the wild. Nasty, I know.

New ride...

Most know, but for the reader who might think that we just splurged on a massive new truck, Chris gets trucks from work. This isn't even new, it is his partner's hand-me-down, but way newer than the '04 350 diesel that Chris was driving (this is a 250 diesel...but it is super quiet...not to mention quieter, smoother and fancier). The one downfall is that the old one had a built in NAVI that could play a separate movie for us than the kids were watching on the built in DVD. This was handy on roadtrips. The kids would put on headphones and watch their own movie and we'd watch Office reruns or whatever we wanted in the front. This truck has a sunroof, so it can't have a built in entertainment system, which is seriously going to cramp our style on road trips. I guess we'll have to buy one. We don't have to pay for gas on this, so we like to take it on roadtrips...also, Chris won't get in my minivan. Chris showing me that this truck has a built in, drop down step and a handle that will make it possibly for short me to get into the back of the truck without cursing. The girls were sad to see the other truck go...Ruby actually cried, but they were happily pleased with the new one. (I adjusted the exposure for the first picture so that the black wasn't washed out, but then I didn't remember to change it back for the other pics, so they aren't exposed right, and it's really bugging me.)

So I'm happy that this new truck doesn't sport the massive company logos on the doors like the old one (a small logo on the back is all), I like the color better and it does ride smoother and quieter, so I don't have to hide myself when we roll into the church parking lot and everyone scatters like bird to get away from us.

Alice's Birthday

Alice's birthday fell on the same special weekend that my baby brother Braden and his wife were bringing home their first child for a blessing at church. So, we decided to celebrate up at my folks' house. We started by going to Build a Bear with my parents, my brother Robb, his wife Heather and their three kids. WHAT FUN! I REALLY want to attach pics, but I didn't have my camera, so we used Heather's camera to capture all the fun. I'll get them soon and put them up. (Then I used my camera for their Carson's first birthday, and I know she's dying for those...I just took so many pictures, I don't know where to start!)

Alice picked a black lab to stuff and dress, and she named her "Brown". Ruby picked out a pink cheetah and named it "cat." Hailey and Emma (Robb's kids) are the same ages as mine, so the four of them had a great time picking what they wanted and watching their new loves come to life, it was darling. We'd never gone before, and I am a fan of putting it off until they can really love it, but definitely...do it someday!

Then we went for the first time ever (I think Chris has taken Ruby once before) to Chucky Cheese. Even though Robb promised that the pizza was horrid, I bought two larges and they were easily devoured (thank goodness for the salad bar though, because I had a piece and it was truly nasty). We had the typical fun at CC, the girls got enough tickets to get some horrible suckers and we were off to Oma and Opa's for cake and presents.

Yes, that is Alice in her skirt. I'm not kidding, it's at least six days a week for the past two months. She even SLEPT with it (holding it like a blankie) at my mom's that weekend.

Anyway, the only thing she said she wanted for her birthday besides cake, was a "purple girl with purple hair". My mom found this darling "groovy girl" at Toys 'R' Us, and saved the day. She has some purple hair at least. They also got her a purple groovy girl coat for her doll and a really darling sleeping bag. From Grandma and Grandpa Pierce, she got a groovy girl bunkbed, rather two beds that can stack to make a bunkbed, which is how Alice prefers to play with them. (Wow, this post is taking forever, and my kids are still asleep...it's 8:45...there's something to be said for dreary, dark, northwest fall mornings.

I found other groovy girl accessories on Amazon.com, but they didn't arrive in time, so I was left to rely on one present from us...an Alice in Wonderland glitter globe that plays "A Very Merry Unbirthday". I bought it when she was a newborn (Alice in Wonderland stuff is hard to come by), and I've been saving it. So...ALICE IS IN LOVE WITH IT...CAPTIVATED, CHARMED, AMAZED, wants to crank that music on every chance she gets....and she does, too. She wants to hold it and do it all by herself. I am pleased she was old enough to be excited about it, and it was gratifying to find something that wasn't going to be garbage in two weeks that she likes. (A side note...they have similar globes with other themes at Things Remembered right now. I do the shopping for Chris' parents, they send us money, and so I bought a ballerina globe there that plays lovely music and had it engraved. She will treasure it, and I think it will be something she can hold onto for her whole life. Her grandma collects music boxes, and Ruby loves her collection and likes to spend time looking at them and listening to them so this was something that caught my eye, and now that I see how well the idea went over with Alice, I'm super excited to give Ruby the one from her grandparents!)

Alice got some new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse panties from her sister, and loved that. She got some nice coloring things from my brother Jeff's family and

Alice wanted purple cupcakes for her cake. I usually do something a little more snazzy, but this was easy and fit the bill. Purple frosting is NOT easy to make!

I LOVED celebrating Alice's birthday. Her life is often a shadow of her sisters, and I have enjoyed the big three because now she's in her own dance class and has her own little preschool class at the homeschool co-op and she just got a big kick out of being the birthday girl for a day. She has told me a dozen times, "I love my birthday, mom."

A side note that I may have already documented. The girls have a normal sibling relationship with lots of love and lots of hate. They know exactly how to push each other's buttons, and they thrill at the chance to do so. Anyway, I often remind them, "Ruby, Alice is your best friend!" or (I got this from Mimi) "Ruby is the only sister you have!" So Alice is STUCK on this notion of best friends...beyond stuck. She tells me ALL THE TIME, on the verge of dramatic tears, "Mom, Ruby's not being my best friend!", followed by big tears.

Bitten...

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Thank goodness I wasn't Bella! Still, I'm not sure I'm an Esme either...but not an Alice or Rosalie...so I'll pretty much be satisfied with Esme. I don't really know if I want to identify with any of the characters for that matter.

Fun afternoon...

We had a fun afternoon last week when the sun was out. Alice discovered the Easy Bake oven, and we made a treat for each of the girls. They were thrilled. Anyone have memories of the Easy Bake from childhood?

Then the girls got creative. They dragged their tent down from the playroom to the deck. Then they took all my dishrags and for some odd reason, they hung them around the perimeter of the tent. They decided they wanted to have a picnic, so I made hotdogs for lunch and they were thrilled to eat them inside their little outdoor abode.

I love watching them invent things and play together. The other day, Ruby was giving Alice a piano lesson. She was enjoying it so much, that she told me, "Mom, I've never loved Alice before as much as I do right now!" How sweet!

Tagged...

Heather tagged me. This is a tag where you go to your pictures, click on the fourth folder and then the fourth file and post the picture and write a little about it.

Here's Ruby. This was in the spring, when we had our first really nice day (really early in May, and really nice, like over 80 degrees). We played in the sprinkler and the pool, and then cooled off with a tasty treat.

I tag...Monica, Jen C., Sommer and Ashley Biddle.