Another Project Started

Here's a sneek peek at what I've started for Miss Fiona Belle's room. She's so excited, and so am I, so I HAVE to get you all excited with us. My finger and thumb on my left side are so sore, but I just can't wait to see it done. I'll share it with you when it is finished, until then......

....any guesses on what it is?

The only hint: Total cost is less than $3.00 so far.

Promised Photos.....

We'll start with the most recent.....
Yesterday while holding down the ever-so-slow garage sale, I decided to try my hand at a cap. I figured out how to do the flowers on Friday night. Here's the creation..... It may be good enough to sale. We'll see. Our Belle is a bit attached to it at the moment. I may try to open an Etsy shop to support my habits and addictions. We'll see, but I will let everyone know if I do.

Myles is still having his fits with baby food. We ate chicken breasts for dinner the other night. I cut one up into itty bitty pieces for him and he loved it (and steak too). As I was cleaning up afterwards, he grabbed the other half of Grady's dinner. I let him go to town on it, but had to get out the camera.....

We ARE BORN WITH WILD ANIMAL INSTINCTS! I finally believe that it is NOT the way that I am raising them. Horray!!!

We had a storm last week and took a few pictures. Here's the rainbow after the passing of the storm.
And one of the lightening. That's hard stuff to catch, but Grady got one!
Gotta go help Belle in the bathroom.

Yard Sale: Day 2 :-(

Grady posted about Saturday's lack of success lastnight on the comments, but I thought that I'd give it some space to call it's own. Terrible traffic. The packs didn't really start showing up until about 11ish. We probably sold the most between noon and 2. What was left fit in the back of the suburban and went straight to Goodwill. I want my garage back. I'm so jealous when I drive past someone's place with their garage door open and it is so clean and organized. THAT'S what I want.

I did take some pictures to upload and share, but that will be later. I have to go get in the shower and get everyone ready for church. Until later.....

Yard Sale: Day 1

It's officially 1:00. I shut the garage door. Please tell me again why I do these things?
We have had success in selling lots of toys, and that's about it. Well, Stuart's Kool-aid stand went well. He received donations, and even put $1.00 in his pocket for one cup! WOW! Nice guys driving BMW's even Garage Sale! Maybe that's how they afford the fancy car. Anyhoo, the other three down the street are still going strong. I'm the only one at this end. It's kind of tuff for me. I pay for the ad that states the 3600 block of our street (I'm 3700) and we have a camper blocking my fancy sign hanging on the mailbox. They are trying to send others this direction, and I have a sign that we painted on a box to take down there. However, Myles was tired and would not stay in his stroller. Fiona would not admit that she was tired, but fell way behind. Macy had to take her rose that she picked off the bush to show everyone. And, Stu was left to try to pack that box alone. We (WELL, I) gave up halfway down and will take it down tomorrow morning. We've made pretty good money, but I'm hoping for more stuff to be gone tomorrow. Maybe, just maybe, my trash is also considered trash by others and I can finally rid myself of it for good and reclaim the other half of the garage.

Oh, and if this lady would come to my sale, we'd be completely out of things and done. I've got a TV, a bird cage, plant, picture....etc....left.

To be Continued....

Ten Tips for A Better (work) Day!

A few weeks ago Megan and I were talking and she was telling me about how she wakes up early...before Eli, so that she can have some time alone. We talked about how it is easier to do it at night, but how important it is to do in the morning too. I thought about that, and it sounded like a great idea. BUT....I haven't done it on purpose. There are some mornings that I am awake and just take the time, and I LOVE IT. I should motivate myself to do it everyday. So, last night I was reading the one piece of mail we received yesterday, and this was inside:

Ten Tips for a Better Workday (I guess we SAHMs can consider our daily routines WORK)

1. Set your alarm 30 minutes before you would regularly get up. Do not hit snooze. Use this time to relax and plan your day. (Sounds like a great idea....does anyone have a way to keep my babies asleep while I do this?)

2. Feed your brain. Read the paper or catch up on your favorite blogs. Chose wisely: what you do first in the morning will set the tone for your day! (My favorite thing to do...catch up on everything online!)

3. Feed your body. Healthy choices are better than sugary cereal or, worse yet, nothing at all. (I'm guessing that a cup of joe isn't the healthiest choice?)

4. Pace yourself. You'll be shocked by how much you can accomplish if you work at a stead pace. (Can a mother of four have a slow and steady pace?)

5. Limit distractions. Declutter your desk. Turn off alerts in e-mail and instant messaging to allow you to block our time for your tasks. (My biggest distractions.....KIDS, FOUR of them. It took me two naptimes to get the lawn mowed yesterday)

6. Go for a walk. Instead of eating lunch at your desk, get some fresh air and exercise. (We try, honestly!....well, the walking part. Lunch has to be at the table though.)

7. Listen to music. It can help you to be productive and make your day more enjoyable. Show courtesy to your coworkers by wearing headphones. (Is there a TV with headphone plug ins for the kids' courtesy?)

8. Study. Ask your coworkers for recommendations, and spend a little time every night learning how to improve your job performance. (Every mother does this without trying, just think about it!)

9. Feed your soul. End your day by listening to beautiful music, meditating, or reading your favortie text. (Ummmm, a spa in the basement would be my saving grace. Doesn't that just make you want to daydream?)

10. Go to bed. You'll be in a better mood in the morning if you get enough rest. Experts recommend 7-9 hours depending on your personal needs. (Teach my children this PLEEEEEAAAASSSSSSE!)

And don't worry. Tomorrow will be another great day!

Another New Look...

Just gearning up for my FAVORITE-IST Holiday of all. Let me know if you have ANY problems reading this or with anything else. Have a Super Sunday!

Swimming @ Rose Park

We were invited to a "play group" at Rose Park today. It was a blast. For the GRAND TOTAL of $4, the kids and I were able to go swimming! Here are a few pictures for you....

The two BIGS getting ready to hop over the metal bar between the little kiddy pool and the bigger kiddy pool.

The two LITTLES playing around in the shallow end. Myles loved it so much and I didn't have any Little Swimmers for him. One of our friends brought some extras, so he sported around Little Mermaid ones! He was cool.....way cool!

He wasn't much into the water by the time that I got brave enough to leave him and take a picture. He's definately a water baby.

This was taken around snack time. My kids got hungry. Imagine that. The same kids that never eat a complete meal, but want to eat all day long. I skipped snacks because you were not allowed to have them. Everyone else took them in, so we will too next time. We ate some nachos and a pretzel from the concession stand (total cost $3.50, almost as much as the entry).

So much fun, so much sun. Just hold me mommy, I need a nap. He fell asleep in my arms while we were waiting in line for the food.

Stuart had a blast and insisted on putting clothes back on before we drove home. I knew then and there that I would be carrying this on into the house and I did!

Our brave Fiona Belle. She took a while to get used to the idea, but eventually went over to the bigger kiddy pool. She could still touch and loved it. She's jumping up and down in the water here.

The pool was so full of people that I had a hard time watching my own kids. Good thing we had several mommas there to help me out. Fiona would wonder off and start crying because she could not find me. I had to chase her down so many times. At least she was not getting lost in the water!

Daddy's working late. We're on our own for dinner and I'm half tempted to do something no-so-healthy and fun. We'll see what we come up with. I posted another today too, so keep reading!

Sprinkler Fun & Modern Marvel...

So...a few weeks back we got this little note in the mailbox regarding a BLOCK yard sale. I himmed and hummed about it, and then yesterday decided that I was going to jump on it. I called the gal and as of right now we are splitting the cost of the newspaper ad between five people. YES! Those are so darn expensive. I spent the ENTIRE day yesterday out in the garage marking things that we already had piled up and cleaning things up. We still have the mission of going through the toys (IT'S A SCARY THOUGHT) before next weekend.

Needless to say, Myles and the others were out front all day as well. It started to get pretty hot, so we turned on the sprinkler for the older three. Myles decided to try to eat the dirt out of the flower bed (turned tomato bed this year). I took him over to the sprinkler to rinse him off, and that was all the boy needed. This picture says it all: ....the older two running through while Myles was trying to touch the water again.
No picture of Fiona. She was NOT allowing it. Gotta love two year olds! She got wet somehow, but I never saw here in the water.

On to the MODERN MARVEL. Well, it isn't really....EXCEPT for in my house! I have watched three children cut a total of 60ish teeth total in my 5 1/2 years as a mother and I have NEVER seen this:

That puppy went from a small little lump....you know the usual ones that you ALWAYS see when babies are cutting teeth....last night to THIS! YIKES!! I got so scared that I ran down to the garage to pick up my telephone saying to myself, "Oh, My Gosh", a hundred times. I immediately called the pediatric dentist office (well, after I looked up the phone number...only the pediatrician's office is in the speed dial.....NOTE to self....gotta fix that error ASAP). They didn't seem worried about it at all and said that there was nothing that could be done for the poor guy. We have no clue if it is a rotten tooth or just some swelling and extra blood because of the pressure (like the gal at the dentist office said it probably was). So, all my new momma's out there, don't be alarmed if you see this in one of yours. I think that my blood pressure and pulse have finally gotten back to normal.

Now I've gotta go change some stinky panties. YUCK! I can't bribe her enough to get this problem resolved yet. We may try small presents like Nana metioned. Any other ideas?

A Blog Challenge (ie: tag)

Deana challenged me to a post, so here it goes.

A ate breakfast
B busted into a new case of diet pepsi
C cups of coffee down the tube so fast...when will the baby sleep?
D dishes, unloaded the clean and loaded the dirty
E entered a photo contest today
F fed four children breakfast and lunch
G garbage...took the garbage out before the entire house stunk
H hauled stuff for the yard sale in a few weeks
I itched my back several times (dang dry weather)
J jumped for joy when Fiona used the big girl potty (we have to be silly sometimes)
K kissed Myles after several falls, including one down the stairs
L laughed at my kids...more than once
M mowed the backyard since the front was done on Monday & Grady never did his 1/2
N notes to self on getting Grandpa's birthday planned
O opened a new loaf of bread
P posted an entry on the blog
Q quited noisy children several times
R read emails & a few blogs
S sent replies to those emails & a few new ones
T telephoned Worland city Hall for park reservations
U uploaded photos to Costco
V vacuumed the lower level, including the laundry room
W wiped several stinky hind ends
X x-ed out my computer screens for Mr. Myles' fake cough....I think he needs his momma now!
Y yelled more than I'd like to mention
Z zipped up my pants :)

Now, I challenge all other fellow bloggers to do the same. It was hard, but pretty interesting.

Storage & Early Father's Day for Some....

Early Friday afternoon we went to the zoo with some friends. I took a few pictures of a Bald Eagle bathing herself and had to share one with you.We headed south on Friday afternoon. We had some Storage work (cleaning out other's junk...errrr....I mean.......treasures) to do and we wanted to visit with our family that we haven't seen in a while. Here are some pictures from the trip (it is 3 posts long, so have a seat)...

Fiona had to stop about four times to potty. I'm so happy that I thought to bring along this seat. I just tucked some clorox wipes under for an easy wipe down after the dump. She's holding a toy and eating a graham cracker alongside the highway. What a cutie she is.Our lucky babysitters for Saturday, Grady's cousine, Paige and her boyfriend, Mikah (I hope I spelled that right) came up from Laramie and agreed to watch our troops. THANK YOU! After the clean up we had an early Father's Day Kabob BBQ and picnic. It was so yummy. Paige, are you sure you don't want to move north?
After the BBQ, we headed to my parent's house. They spent the day in Cody with soccer, so it was pretty late. The kids busted into Dad's gift and ate some, but he wouldn't take them over the open bag. Grandma and Myles. She was pretty amazed with that little "big" man.
Stu and Fiona had a blast playing with Grandpa. Tickle Me Stu....
Tickle Me Fee Bee....
We didn't get to visit nearly as long as I would have liked, but I was happy to see them some. I really do miss seeing them every weekend. Continue reading below for a few more stories of our trip...

Father's Day at the Farm...

We went out to my Uncle Wes' farm this morning to visit with my Grandpa. I have been telling the kids that they would love it out there, but we just never get out that way. Since Popi was at Church, Nana & the girls were in Bozeman, my Dad was at Work, and Sheila and Kaden were in Cody for soccer, we had the time! AND, I was right.....THEY LOVED IT! We even lucked out and Wes was home, so we played with him and Chloe for a while. Here are a few pictures from our visit.

Myles learns to drive...something that just doesn't happen in the city.

Macy finds a new love. Horses!

And Stuart's new love. Fast machines. We came to the shop to see Great Grandpa's airplane, and while I was visiting with him about it, Stu talked Uncle Wes into checking out the street bike! Zoom, Zoom, ZOOM!!!

Grandpa and I talking along the road. Oh, how I do miss the country life. :(

Uncle Wes. I always am inpressed at how well he takes photos without trying.

The kids had a blast with my cousin, Chloe and her friend. She is quite a bit younger than me, 20 years or so, but I was able to help in her naming. I gave her mother a list of "C" names, and Chloe was at the top. Lucky me....

Well, Blogger is giving me fits with uploading pictures, and I have been down here for awhile now. I have more pictures from Saturday that I will attempt, but may do in the morning. Happy Father's Day to all of you Dads out there!

Father's Day With Popi....

We spent this afternoon at the airport with Popi. He has been wanting to take me out in the helicopter for sometime now, and we finally got to do it today. This is my second helicopter ride ever. Stuart was the size of Myles in my first, and one of Steve's employees was the pilot then. It was a much larger one, and it had the doors on. Here's some pictures of the day. We have tons, so I had to narrow them down....

A little preflight inspection and "training" for our future pilots...

Taking the helicopter out for lift off...

Another one...

Watching Macy climb up in...

Macy was the first to go since she does not remember her other ride. We made it to the sugar factory before we had to turn back because she was scared. Here she is before lift off chewing on her fingernails. We should have known then.

Fiona was next. She cried and cried when we took off first. Her thumb stayed in her mouth until she started crying that she wanted her dad. We made it to the highway bridge over the river before that happened.

"SOMEDAY MR. MACHINE, I WILL CONTROL YOU!"

He just kept looking up at the other helicopters like this...

Stuart's turn. He LOVES these rides and asks for them everytime he sees Popi. Coming in.
...and landing. Daddy was the ONLY one that Stuart would ride with or wait with. Must be something about Father's Day.

Another Project & A Trick Photo

Here's the latest and greatest from our home...FIRE CRACKERS!

These are the last of my logs from last year's trip to Washington. SO, IF anyone reading this is planning a trip our direction from Grammie & Pa's house, or are going that way and returning, I'd love to have a few more of the scrap pieces. I really enjoy making things out of them. (Remember the pumpkins last fall?) These were some of the leftovers from the bed that Grady made and a few that we salvaged from Pa's burn pile. See, Pa, I'm not wasting them, I promise!

On to some fun. Stuart took the new camera. Yep, and he has lived to see the next day. He has been given a very frim warning about it though. When I was uploading pictures, I came across a few that were pretty amazing.

Can you guess what this is?

We're heading to Wyoming for the weekend, so I will post the description of this one when we return if no one gets it correctly. Happy Father's Day to all of the daddys out there. Have a great weekend.