Beachy Layout #2

I’m sharing this beach layout today to show why I journal to my children.  Each one has a crafted journal that I write in once or twice a month- just letters detailing their growth, events, development, and funny anecdotes.

This layout is from 2008, but I just now completed it.  Without the journals, there’s no way I would remember the details on our top 5’s.  So maybe the journals are just a crutch for a lazy scrapper, but I’d like to think the girls will enjoy them when they have children of their own.  And yes, that's my mother trying to scare my kids "Creature from the Black Lagoon" style.  Thanks, ma!

Winter Tropics

For Valentine’s Day, my in-laws gave the girls new Speedo bathing suits and Hawaiian hula monkey nightgowns to get us excited for our trip to Hawaii.  It worked!  Although, we’re not going until June, browsing our itinerary and the beautiful sunshine we had yesterday is all we needed to get through this last wintry push.  (Weight Watchers should help with the rest…)  So here is a beachy layout I completed at a recent retreat.  I love you, Summer!  Please hurry!  : )

My Lil’ Valentines

I was trying to take a teeny sip of my hot coffee when I realized I forgot to take pictures of my kids homemade valentines today, thereby singe-ing off most of my tastebuds.  It’s not like they were contest-winners or anything, but they did work hard on them, and I like to keep a visual record of their art.

So anyway, here are my little valentines on the way to our elementary school’s Have-a-Heart party.  And why did Savannah win a cake at the cakewalk?  Because I started Weight Watchers this week.  Thank you, Murphy’s Law!



HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, EVERYONE!~

Dora Explorer Birthday party

Let me just get this out of the way…I hate Dora!  And I don’t mean roll my eyes at the sound of her voice hate her, but seriously loathe everything about her: the way she screeches, her too-big head, and how her clashing neon ensemble burns into my corneas so that I continue to see it when I look away.  However, Madeline is smitten, so if it’s a Dora party she wants…

Her backpack party invitations opened to reveal a map (who has an equally nauseating voice) with the party information.

It was a gorgeous, albeit windy October afternoon, and the guests arrived to play on the playset, our entire collection of Little Tikes, and our moon bounce ($100 at a yardsale, half the price of renting.)

I read the kids one of Madeline’s favorite books, Dora’s Spooky Halloween adventure- basically Swiper swipes their candy and they go on an adventure to find it.  So….

this is where it came in really handy having land.  I was able to recreate the story by setting up a spooky forest, a pumpkin patch where they each got to pick a pumpkin, and a haunted house- our Little Tikes climbing gym decorated like a haunted house where they eventually found the candy (the pinata).

We’re also lucky to have a willing and tolerant 7 year-old sister to play Swiper.  I’ve never heard little ones scream, “Swiper, no swiping!!” with such conviction.
Of course the party couldn’t be perfect because la pinata plan back-fired just a tad.  The stupid Dora pinata only allowed you to fill the body with treats.  How silly is that when her head could easily hold another 5 lbs?  So I filled the head too.  I’m hoping the decapitation is long forgotten by now, but I still giggle when I see this pic of Madeline’s reaction.

And finally, we came back to the porch to paint the pumpkins and have cake and ice cream.  Hopefully, this full and fun-filled day was enough to fill her Dora love-tank for a long time (read: forever).