Ding & Ditch

Tomorrow is May Day and I have so many fond memories of my own "ding & ditch" escapades as a kid! I've noticed that this tradition seems to have fallen by the wayside here in our own community. I'm hoping for a resurgence...a re-birth...a refueling of the "ding & ditch" fever. As a child we decorated white styrofoam cups with stickers and pipe cleaners...adding in just enough candy and goodies to prompt a serious belly ache. Once loaded onto a cookie sheet...we carefully hobbled out to the car giggling in anticipation. And after a not-so-quick trip through the neighborhood depositing "the goods" on porches, ringing the bell, and running like the wind...we came home to a stoop full of our own surprises. We got caught more than a few times too. But that was at least half the fun!

Being on bed rest does complicate things a tad. But I couldn't resist a chance to celebrate the onset of Spring with a bit of pomp and circumstance. Our baskets aren't wonderfully hand crafted or filled with goodies baked from our own kitchen...but they were crafted with love by 4 chubby toddler hands and lots of giggles. Tomorrow I will send P and the girls out to deliver "the goods" to our bestest friends....and our girls will carry on the "ding & ditch" tradition :)

I'd love to see your creative take on May Day too! Consider this a challenge...snap a pic of your own May Day creations and post it on your blog! Be sure to comment here so I can come check out your own creativity!!! There are so many fun possibilities! We even made some boy versions with miniature sand buckets for containers! Now go have fun! And run like the wind!

The Challenge

J had a challenge for me this morning and the competition was stiff.

Guess who won?
Thanks for the smiles :) I love you!

COOL finds!

The countdown has begun and although I'm still sitting here on the couch I couldn't resist sharing some of my latest finds and projects.
First, I really contemplated making a super cool diaper bag...but that sounded like an awful amount of work. After looking around on ebay and etsy I found this super cool tote...perfect in every way and this seller was a dream to work with! You can find her HERE on ebay or HERE at her own personal website called Watermelon Wishes. I got to chose my own fabrics and she had my custom bag, changing pad, and mommy clutch on my door in less than a WEEK!



















Can't wait to load it up with some diapers and wipes and head out on the town! Isn't the mommy clutch so cute??


















I used up some of my random scraps and the girls helped me design some burp cloths and "big sister" tees! A and J chose the happy green tees (awww....girls after my own heart!!!) a few weeks ago and we dug through my scrap drawers to find some fun and funky prints to jazz them up a bit :)




































Oh...and a moment to brag. I know I mention my sister (The Writer) often. I'm just so proud! This weekend she attended the Nebraska Press Women's Conference where she won FIRST PLACE with her column! You can read her current column HERE. Her writing is fun, fresh, and full of enough humor and poignancy to make you laugh one moment and cry the next. Just wanted her to know that we are SO proud! K...you did it again ;)

Letting go...

Sometimes God asks us to let go. It is never easy. This week He is reminding me that although I would love to believe I am in control of things....I'm not. I've wept for a friend who lost her husband this week...and held mine a bit more closely.

And been put on bedrest.

I'm hoping that being forced to slow down will remind me of the fleeting moments I have with my girls. A chance to snuggle on the couch, play a game of Chutes and Ladders, read a princess story, or just tell them I love them. A chance to let go of the little things in life and concentrate on what really matters...my faith, my family, my love. And in this I'll rest.

Footloose and fancy FREE!

It was a glorious day here...full of sunshine and the promise of warm weather to come. And while my unfortunate husband had the mundane task of hanging a suspended ceiling in our basement...the girls and I played hard! Nothing like a good romp in the green grass to chase away the winter blues and put you in a good mood.

I'm not even going to try to refrain from sharing all my favorite shots from the day :)

Happy Spring!

It's about time...

FINALLY....it's here!

Sewing Therapy

I should probably be busy getting ready for baby to come but I have been busy sewing instead :) This week I have 2 new listings on ebay! The first is a CUSTOM sized jean skirt made to match Gymboree's newest cherry line...I have had so much fun with me jean skirt collection! Click HERE to go directly to the auction to check it out!

The other auction is for a 4 piece set that is ready to ship! Click HERE to take a peek!

I love you more than....

It is a special game we play. It goes something like this:

Me "I love you more than princesses"

J "I love you more than castles"

Me "I love you more than a prince!"

J "I love you more than castles"

Me "You already said that"

J (giggles)

Me "I love you more than peanut butter" (remember I'm pregnant!)

J "I love you more than jellyfish"

Me "Do you mean JELLY??"

J "I love you more than stingrays"

Me "I love you more than an octopus"

J "I love you more than castles"

SIGH....J I love you more than ANYTHING...thanks for the special memories today!

Bragging rights

A had a special week at school. It's not everyday that you get to sing "I'm H-a-p-p-y" in front of a room full of fans! I don't think there is anything much cuter than a bunch of 5 year olds singing earnestly in a church sanctuary for their proud parents. Of course P and I played it cool and resisted waving obnoxiously at our little star (although I must admit to making P vacate his seat and squat in the aisle in order to capture a picture). And a few days later A's teacher asked her to bring her violin to school to share with her class. She begged me not to come. HA...funny! The kids loved her mini performance and she handled herself with as much grace and poise as any other awkward 5 year old could! After her first 2 pieces her teacher thanked her for playing and sharing with the class to which A replied, "well I'm not done yet...I still have 2 more songs to play!"

Flitting and Fluttering on Ebay

I've just listed this pretty little ~ready to ship~ set on ebay!
It includes the halter dress, cropped pants,
and a sweet little tank top.
Perfect for size 3/4 little butterflies!
Click HERE to go immediately to the auction.
I've included a BIN too if you prefer to have it on your doorstep quickly :)

April Showers...and a few songs

Some of you may remember a photo shoot I did with J a few months ago on a particularly drizzly day this winter. J and I had headed outside to enjoy some puddle splashing and stomping and I completely fell in love with the photos that captured our carefree afternoon together. It has been a few months in the making but today the stars and moon aligned and we got another drippy day where the moisture hung around in the air after creating the perfect puddles...it was unusually cool and would have been a real bummer of a day but A had the idea to head outside for a little photo shoot of her own. And I couldn't have been happier to oblige! While J tends to be coy and sheepish in photo shoots...A is all about personality. Combined with a goofy 5 year old smile and her quirky sense of humor...it is easy to get snapshots of her that ooze personality. She may be a tad weird...but boy I love that kid!And after we dried off and hung up our rain gear we headed to J's preschool for a little afternoon musical program. I hate to say she stole the show...but she did ;)

I try really hard not to be an obnoxious mother...one who is always talking about and praising their children for the littlest things. But sometimes you just need to scream to the world...."They are MINE!!!"