it was fun.

so as of monday, july 26th, i am facebook free.
weird. maybe.
but for my family and i, it was necessary.
i loved reconnecting with a lot of people that i have missed through the years.
college roommates, highschool besties (i don't like that word-besties, it's gross!), coworkers, youth group leaders. ;) it was fun.
it was also, dare i say, cult.
it sucked me in. i admit. it did.
i looked at it often. i looked at pictures of families, i chatted with friends, and just killed time. lots and lots of time.
so i have deactivated my account.
the time, the drama, it was fun. but not productive, and at times, not positive.
not a place, i need to be.
the amount of time i'm spending on facebook, needs to be spent fulfilling hobbies, crafting, volunteering, relxing, being with my family.
i didn't say i wouldn't peek back once my life becomes calm and boring...but for now, i'm passing.
~chat soon!

*disclaimer-don't take my antifacebook rant as an insult to current facebook users, its good for some, just not for me, right now!*

Power of Playdough

my favorite picture...she is working so hard her tounge is out AND she has sprinkles from dounts on her cheeks. :)

So I found a new fun recipe for playdough in a file folder of clippings

(I'm not a fan of that file!) In incorportated Kool-Aid and we had some that is never going to be used, (water & milk momma here!) so what the heck! :)

It was a rainy/stormy day and Anne was nearing psycosis so we got the bag of flour out and went to town on distraction...it worked-for awhile. :)

~Chat soon!

hot potato

holy moly this week has been H-O-T!
last saturday anne had a class at the zoo. it was a beautiful day, but we couldn't stay and look around so i promised her that the next class we would make a day of it. just her and i.

fast forward. tuesday came. it was decent weather, we had been kind of restless with our normal routine of pool etc. so we headed to grants farm. it was fine. not terribly hot. not terribly croweded. girls were perfect. it was fun.i was looking forward to wednesday. before bed, check the weather. heat advisory. 115 degree heat indicies.

nice. i am going to die.

and my daughter will watch.
we got up. packed frozen wash cloths and water bottles in the cooler, packed the camera and off we went for our day at the zoo.
it was hot. but do-able. we rode the train, checked out the animals in the houses and had another great day 'zoo school.'.

glad we went.
~Chat soon!

40 bags...

So awhile back I wrote about getting rid of a bag of something every day of lent. I proceeded full steam ahead. Totally excited. Then I was worried about being defeated by my distract ability.

Guess what? I HAVE KEPT IT UP!

I can't believe it.

I must admit, I have skipped a few days here and there, but have made up for it on the weekends or evenings that I have had more time.
It is unbelievable the amount of things I am eliminating.

Trash, broken things, things that we have kept because, well, we don't know why.

IT IS GREAT.

But, in all honesty, it is slightly embarrassing and humbling.

I am guilty. Totally guilty. I find things on sale, really cheap and get them. Because someday, maybe I could use it. Or buy a pair of pants for the girls because it is $1.17 and what kid doesn't need a pair of knock around pants...

So I am learning, that a) I need to stay away from the clearance section-unless, I need a pair of $1.17 pants. b) I need to purge more. It is so much easier to keep things nice and neat when there is less to keep track of (duh!) c) i am going to work on saying 'no I don't think we need that right now,' when an all to innocent family member or friend wants to hand down something that they don't 'need' any longer.

I have also come up with an idea-I don't think it is my idea, but an idea none the less.
I am going to pack up toys each season, and put them away.
In a safe place.
Then when the season switches, take some out, put some away.
I think the girls will have much more appreciation for what they have.
Adam and I both noticed we just have too much for them to use all the time. I am a firm believer that we don't have as much as some kids do, which is great, in my opinion.
But, we have too much to play with all at once.
So that is that.
What do you think about it? Anyone have another idea? Leave a comment if you have some advice on toy control, or patrol! :)
I don't have a play room for the kids, so toys in the bedrooms are what we have to do. I also converted our foyer coat closet into a play closet during this whole 40 bag process which has been working perfectly.

~Chat soon!

miscellaneous

I had a religion teacher in high school named Rev. Labore.
He was a hoot.
We would walk in, especially on Friday's and he would announce it was "Misallaney Day".
Meaning, we would discuss things that weren't necessarily on the plans, take care of business etc.

Today I have deemed MISALLANEY DAY!

I'm home because sweet Katherine decided to up-chuck all over the back of my car last night.
She isn't a puker, so I assumed she was sick, called in to work for today, and proceeded to Walgreens for latex gloves, pedialite, Lysol, and disinfecting wipes. I stopped short of buying a mask, thought it may scare her.
I never said I wasn't a freak.
I HATE puke.
Luckily, we are not professional vomit-ers in my house/family, so it is only under rare circumstances that we have to go into this mode.
Kate being the 'corker' that she is...hasn't produced on more ounce of yuck since. I'm not complaning...just sayin'.

Today is Ash Wednesday.
I have never been one to 'give up' something on Ash Wednesday. As a Lutheran, we were never forced into that. I'm not sure why, a definite time for reflection...but my family did not give up things.
This year is slightly different.
I am giving up 'stuff'.
I am challenging myself (and Adam) to do 40 bags in 40 days. That means each day of Lent I/we have to toss a bag. Goodwill, trash, blessing someone else, I don't care, but it ain't staying here. I got the idea from this post. I don't know much about it, or if there is a process to it, but I thought that it is quite simple, yet painstaking all in the same breath. We'll see how that goes.

Going to try a little action with my sewing machine. Have acquired a pattern for some dresses that I am going to dabble with. I hope it works. If it doesn't, oh well, I'll get to go to the fabric store and pick out something pretty and try again! :0)

I can't wait for our new niece or nephew to arrive...just a few more weeks!
Told you it was MISALLANEY DAY! Don't like to disappoint!

Happy Wednesday!
~Chat soon!