I'm fine.

However, I did fall off my 6' ladder twice yesterday and now my legs (not to mention my arms and back!) are all sore from catching my fall.  Don't even ask about the paint catastrophe that happened when I fell.  Not one of my prouder moments as a parent as I'm sure I taught my children a few words they had not heard before!

Anyway, now Mr. Hubby will be helping with the painting and I will be keeping, more or less, on the ground!

I'm taking a break for my legs to recover and for me to get my nerve back.  Then I will tackle the bathroom again!  Most is already painted though, just some edging and details left to do.

Have a fantastic weekend!

My children love the movie Bolt, almost to the point of obsession.  They run around the house shouting 'Zoom-zoom' before they kick their runs into turbo.  Loads of fun.

Recently, they've started role-playing with the movie, assigning characters to every person they know and then playing pretend within their characters.  Here's what they've decided.

Olivia is the natural choice for Penny.
Riley is Bolt.
My hubby is the scientist father of Penny.


And dear old mom??  I'm the scooter Penny rides on.  *shakes head*  I don't even get to be an animate object.  Boo.  That stings.

SO, I promised Halloween pics, rite?  Well, my kids were dolls.  I mean, not literally, but they were stinkin' cute....which I say without bias.  
They tuckered out pretty fast so we covered about 1/4 of our neighborhood and then had to drag them home in a stroller after they couldn't walk any further!  Wimps!  LOL

Riley was Superman and Olivia was a ladybug.  They had so much fun knocking on doors, yelling "Trick-Freat" and telling people Happy Halloween.  They loved everyone's spooky decorations and the other kid's costumes.  I love Halloween!!


I went to see my midwife for the first time this week for my pregnancy confirmation exam.  It is so silly that they think I need them to confirm that I'm pregnant.  As if the absence of my period, nausea and insane sense of smell didn't kinda tip me off.  LOL  This ain't my first rodeo....see previous pics as proof!  But I enjoy the appointment anyway, it is nice to see the baby and get some peace of mind that everything is on track so far.


But anyway, I went, got all my tests and had an ultrasound to date the pregnancy and check in on the little bugger in there.  Wouldn't you know it, the baby is just as old as I told them it'd be. And they said everything looked perfect.  The ultrasound didn't look like much, just a tadpole with a fluttering heart, but that's a life in there all the same.  I wonder who it will become?



 We are having a dandy of a time even thinking of prospective names, my husband pretty much hates everything I like.  We do have middle names picked out, David and Elizabeth so I guess 2/3 of the name is settled on either way!
I wish I could say that I feel great, but unlike my previous pregnancies, I have morning sickness this time!  I HATE IT!  I have this horrible queasy feeling in my stomach all day, like I just ate too many sweets and I'm going to be sick.  I don't want to eat and I don't want to do anything!  A few more weeks and I'll feel better, I keep telling myself.  I went to Target today to find some quick snacks for myself when I'm not feeling well but at the time I was looking, I wasn't feeling well at all so I searched up and down all the isles not finding a single appetizing thing on any shelf.  I went home empty handed.  I should shop when I'm feeling queasy more often, it saves a lot of money.  ;)


I haven't done any new improvements around the house lately, I'm starting to organize things here and there to find hidden space.  Our house is closing in on us so I know organization will rescue us.  That's my new project in the works.  I need to hit up the Container Store for some ideas.  I'm thinking a storage system for our sheets, blankets and pillows in the closet will free up a lot of space.  Just ONE of the places where we need help.


So that's that around here, how are you and what is new?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, plus, check out this awesome Lisa Leonard giveaway going on at Centsational girl!!

Who doesn't love Lisa Leonard's designs?  They're freakin' awesome!

In Texas, we really only have two seasons:  HOT and COLD.  Right now, it seems like we're done with hot for today.  It is in the 50's here today but tomorrow it could just as easily be 90 again.  Who knows!  But for today, I'm enjoying the brisk air, the clouds and snuggling up with a good book (when the kids will let me.)  It is really starting to feel like Fall!

Tomorrow, I'm going to take the kids to the pumpkin patch.  Hopefully we'll bring some pumpkins home and we can start feeling festive.  I'm not one that really decorates with pumpkins much.  My luck is that I'd get a rotten one that would leak black goo all over my furniture and stink up my house.  No thank you!!  Been there, done that!  I'll just stick with nonperishable decorations!  Like these: 

Check these bats out on Its the little things that make a house a home.  Totally awesome.  Next year, my friend, next year......

I might even bring those bad boys into my home and plaster bats all over my walls, you just never know.  ;)

The kids are healthy, which is a nice thing for me.  I'm worried about the piggy flu with my asthmatic boy.  I still need to go get their flu shots done.  Maybe tomorrow morning!    Riley's been coughing for the past 3 months, not a severe cough, just a slight one that comes up with physical activity and in the mornings.  I'm letting it slide.  Livi has a similar one so I suspect she might have some sort of airway issues as well, though apparently very slight at this point.  Riley is experimenting with making his sneezes more fun.  Instead of your regular A-tchooo!  we're getting silly A-tchooo-ooOOOOooooooo!!  Very amusing.

That's about it for the 'cute' things that are happening around here.  Otherwise, we're dealing with a bit of the 4 year old whines and the 2 year old aggression.  Off to read about parenting without spanking or shouting.

Have you ever done something that you regretted?  I mean like really regretted?

I just finished a book called Thirteen Reasons Why about how our actions can affect other people.  It really makes me stop and think.

Take a peek at the Halloween costume Riley's rockin' this year.  It is too funny!!


Why, yes, those are inflatable muscles.  Why do you ask?  ;)  My 30 lb four year old needs all the help he can get! 
Here's Olivia, just yesterday, clowning around in the mall play area.  We were enjoying some time together since Riley was in school.  Wednesday's are our day and Thursdays are **MY** day since both kids are gone.  Woop!

I go see my midwife in 3 weeks for an ultrasound and gobs of blood-work. We haven't told anyone besides our mothers and online people we don't know in real life.  We'll wait another 3 weeks until we see a heart beating in there.  Cross fingers it is only one, ya'll, because Riley's been asking for 2 new babies...a  little boy and a little girl.  My boy has a way of getting what he wants.  He must have the ear of someone important!

I should have taken pictures of my work today....maybe I'll take some tomorrow as proof of how awesome I am.  ;)  I cleaned out our shed and I cleaned up our patio.  You should have seen the chaotic mess that was my patio.  I blame it all on the kids.  LOL  There were toys and a kiddie pool covering all useable space but NO LONGER!!!

I cleaned out the shed, threw away things, organized things and was able to fit more things inside it!  I also found some droppings from some little mousy friends that have been crashing in there.  Everyone say 'Yay!' for living with a big field behind our house.  We get to enjoy all sorts of visitors here.

I found the patio!  I swept away all the snails and I even dug out my bike!

Today, Riley and I went for a bike ride, which he enjoyed SO much.  It was a beautiful day here and I enjoyed it tremendously.  :)

::::On my home improvement agenda::::
Paint master bathroom
Hang chandelier in bathroom
Hang shelf in laundry room

I made an apricot cream pie today.  My first one.  I got the recipe from Hubby's Grandmother.  It looked like a hot mess but it tastes pretty good!  I used too many apricots and I burned the custard, otherwise, just like Grama's.  LOL!!

Just not here!

I'm dying to show you some of the projects I have started around here, like the laundry room...it looks great...but it isn't done yet, I have another shelf to put up and I have to pull out the washer and dryer to paint behind them still.  I have big plans for my master bathroom (painting with more tropical surf like my bedside tables to go with my new chandelier!) and my daughter's room (painting with a pale yellow) but we lack the money to fund anymore makeovers right now.  Maybe with our tax return or when we win the lottery!  Here's a peek at my incomplete laundry room.  I love the color, it is grass cloth by Behr.

I spent some time in the garden today, what a joy that little raised box has been to me.  I love spending my time out there in the (super crazy) hot sun, getting a bit of color to my arms as I work over the bed.  Today I spent some time pruning my cantaloupes, they've become too viney and are growing out of control.  I also pulled out some wilting green beans.  They seem to be past their main growing season but I kept most of them since they're still flowering.  Perhaps when the weather cools some they'll wake up and give me some beans.  Of course, I came inside and now my arms are covered in a rash up to my elbows.  Oh the joys of sensitive skin!

I have won giveaways lately (!!), one at BugaBoos Creations and another at abeachcottage plus a third at The Dress-up Drawer.  All three of those blogs are ones I have on my blog-roll, anytime there is something new from these ladies, I'm on it like ducks on a june bug!  Of course, I'll update you with pictures of my goodies when they arrive.  I swear, I've entered about a billion giveaways and I was just started to get *so* frustrated because I never win.  Yeah, I'm a big baby like that and I was pouty about it.  Then all of a sudden, I just won a few.  Now my faith is restored and I'll enter them again.  LOL

Around here, I've been blessed to hear my daughter singing along with a music book in her room while she was supposed to be napping, she fell asleep soon enough, her little voice was so sweet!  My son told me today how much he *likes* me.  We've also jumped in with both feet on trying to have another baby.  I'm currently hoping to be pregnant now and I'll be over the moon if that turns out to be!!  I can't help how my mind wanders to thoughts of baby names and supplies we might need for a new baby, I really marvel at how I have already emotionally committed to this idea. Amazing.  A new baby would be such a blessing.

So no, I'm not dead, or even quietly still over here.  Just living life and enjoying myself.  :)

Nope! Not one bit!

I'm not happy about what has happened today. Someone forced my hand and made a transition I did not authorize and I had not prepared for.

Olivia is not sleeping in a crib anymore.

For weeks she has been removing her diapers and doing her business in her crib and today was the grossest time by far. I'm hoping that making her bed a toddler bed, putting her in some undies and leaving a little potty in her room will lessen the restroom incidents that we are experiencing on an epidemic-like scale. I'm tired of dealing with everyone's bodily wastes!! I'm such a mom!!! :*(


I'm pretty sure that the elephant quilt on the wall above her bed will have to be removed. She can reach it and that means she's probably going to try to pull it down.

My mind is spinning with what I can do to gussy her room up. Over on Isabella and Max Rooms, I found some really cute ideas for Olivia's space. I love this room with the butterflies from the ceiling. I'm sure Olivia would go bonkers over that.....and I'm sure the cats would exhaust themselves trying to pull them out of the ceiling.

And I want to get some paint on the walls in there. Someday. I really want to paint the walls a turquoise color, since that's the color I like the best, but her curtains are pink, green and white and she has green accents in her room. Maybe a green would be nice? Something light, not too crazy. I was admiring the paint technique that was used, again, over at Isabella and Max Rooms, where they taped off 4" below the ceiling and continued the ceiling paint color down to give the illusion of crown molding. Wonderful idea! Maybe some sort of stencil around the walls would be cute too, while I'm stealing.....um....borrowing ideas from Isabella and Max's mom. ;P


You can see her curtains there and her wall stickers. She has flowers and butterflies on the walls now. So girly!
I also have a wonderful mesh bed canopy I was thinking of hanging when she's older. I know for a fact that she would pull that sucka right out of the ceiling if I put it up now. No question!

So we've had a big move today which has inspired me to make some decor changes in Olivia's room. I hope to add some wall color and make it more fun in there really soon. :)

I have been MIA from Blogland lately. Life happened all over my house.

Miss O found herself with hand, foot and mouth and has been suffering through that for the past 10 days or so. Her blisters have finally cleared so we're finally doing better on the HF&M front.

Riley finished up his MDO summer program and he had a party last week. We almost had to miss that day because he wasn't feeling well and because Miss O was contagious. We went anyway. I'm a bad parent, but I kept a close eye on Miss O and she didn't do anything to spread her cooties.

Riley ended up with a cold. Not too bad of a cold, but enough to stir up his asthma. He, of course, gave it to Olivia who, of course, gave it to me. Now we're all feeling like the wrath of God. Luckily, we had a 3 month follow up scheduled for the Pulmonologist tomorrow morning. I was so excited to actually make it 3 months without an asthma flare up and low and behold....we didn't make it! Almost! At any rate, now the Dr. gets to listen to him wheeze, what a treat!

My house is a mess, the dishes are piled up and the laundry isn't getting done.

I need a nap.

Oh and Olivia has decided not to wear a diaper or clothes anymore. So now she's just peeing all over the floor. I don't know how she manages to wiggle out of all her clothes but she does it every time I put her to bed. Then she pees on her bed. I have a baby potty out but I can't get her to actually use it. She pulls her diaper down instead of undoing the tabs so I'm not sure how to keep her from taking off the diaper. More experienced moms, I need your help!! She just turned 2 and she likes to be naked.

I hope all of you are well and good!! Happy Summer!!