phooey-- it's funny that as adults we actually say this word

Phooey on any statement like "there's no good in the world"

My garbage man, of his own volition, pulled nearly into my driveway and opened up the claws and let me park my garbage can between them. He didn't have to do this. It was my fault that I, yet again, forgot that today was garbage day. It was my fault that I was running my garbage bags out in hopes that I could park the can next to a neighbors who the garbage man hadn't gotten to yet. But, as I ran out to the can, I saw that i was too late and there was no hope for me, my mistake, my lack of planning, had made it so i would have stinky garbage flowing out of my can by next week. But the garbage man decided to be merciful.. decided to be nice.. with no reward but a smile and enthusiastic thank you from me.

There is good in this world.... Thank You Mr. Trash Man

So, we started advent calendars today -- ones with fuzzy bears climbing up Christmas trees hanging ornaments, where each number hides a secret compartment that holds delightful chocolate. Delightful the chocolate definitely was, maybe a little TOO delightful. I explained to "P" that we open one flap each day til Christmas, knowing that her tendency would be as mine was, to want to open them all today. After she had tried her first morsel of goodness, she said she "just wanted to look at the bears" and then ran off to her bedroom with Tia in tow and slammed the door shut. Profuse giggling ensued. I let it go for a little while before i went to check on them (I'm getting better at the "free agency" thing) and lo and behold more then one little flap on her calendar was open. I asked her if she had eaten some of her chocolate and she responded, "there's a few left." LOL LOL... what to do-- i tried to scold, but then I realized "hey, it's her chocolate, if she wants to devour it all in one lump, that's her choice." So, Merry Christmas Peet..I hope you enjoyed your lump A LOT, enough to be happy each day as "T" opens up each of her doors and gets a chocolate. Of course, T has already had a lump... of "P's chocolate... Piper is such a sweet sister... who is also filled with LOTS of sweets

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.'
-- President Thomas S. Monson

"I love you"

"I yuv you too"

I love the love of a two year old.

"Mom"....."yes"..."MO-o-o-m"...."Yes"..."Mom"... (with increasing frustration) "I'm listening"....

'I love you mom"... frustration melts instantly.

I love the love of a five year old.

belly jelly rolls

80% giggles...20% bathwater swallowed during those giggles. That's what little girls are made of.

fresh and new

When a day seems to have slipped through my fingers and I find myself frazzled, annoyed and ready to eat A LOT of ice cream and run away to Barnes & Noble, a consolation (that truly does console me) is that today will be gone by tomorrow.

melanoma

My barely-two year old woke up and smiled, looked up at the ceiling in peaceful morning revery, and let her rip. She snickered and said "I toot." I laughed and rolled her onto my belly and she reached forward and poked the mole on my neck and said, "that's funny." Without provocation both of my kids have found inherent humor in the mole on my neck-- it must be a stand up comedian. And the tooting-- well, some things are universal.

Dress design for Shabby Apple dresses

This is my entry for Shabby Apple's Dare to Design contest
This image is not very good but the dress idea is this:
A bodice that is an eyelet (See eyelet picture) 100% cotton fabric with same color lining to waist and then the lining fabric from there on down with decorative snippets of eyeletting up from the skirt bottom. The sleeves are lightly longer than cap and are elasticated. The neckline is a soft manadarin collar with an extra piece of the eyelet fabric coming up from the inside. The waist is a slim belt. The length is nearly mid calf. The colors on the right indicate fabric colors -- three yummy colors an aqua, hot pink and cherry orange. The fabric colors were found in the solid cotton section of http://www.hartsfabric.com/
oh.. and there is an underskirt added for fullness and for a peeking eyelet trim oon the bottom.

yup, there it is... not a professional, but super excited about this fun contest!

Here's "Goodbye" to last week and "Hello" to this one... I am going to use this blog to write down all the things that I am grateful for... that bring me joy. So Here's to starting a new week by posting a picture of a life-size root vegetable walking around with a mustache... life doesn't get any better than that. LOL

hello

this is my first official post.
poster paper.