Menu Plan Monday

I am cleaning out my pantry and freezer this week, I only had to make a really small grocery store trip for fruit and some fresh veggies. We are also eating the last of our meat from our freezer.

Sunday- Pioneer Woman Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Pineapple

Monday- Sausage, Cornbread, Cheesy Rice, Rutabaga, and Apple Sauce

Tuesday- Meat loaf, left over Potatoes and Green Beans from Monday, and Pears

Wednesday-Chili Dogs, Homemade Pasta Salad, and Bananas

Thursday- Mesquite Smoked Chicken, Tabbouleh, Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple

Friday- Pizza or Chinese

Saturday- Chicken Picatta with Noodles, Cesar Salad and Pears

Sunday- Bacon Cheeseburgers, left over Pasta Salad, Frozen Veggies and Pears

Savings Saturdays-Coupons

Those of you that know me know that I love a good bargin, I very rarely pay full price for anything. In fact the only things in our house which I think we do pay full price for are our electronics because they very rarely go on sale.

I jumped on the coupon bandwagon for a while and let me tell you I saved a whole lot of money. I mean I had our grocery bill down to $60 a week for our family, now that is impressive. Then one day I took a step back. You know what I saw? Something I was not very happy with at all. I saw tons and tons of processed crap in our pantry. Our veggie and fruit drawers were empty and even the meat we were eating was highly processed (chicken patties).

So I dumped the coupons. I now spend about $100 a week on groceries and we eat much better. I still shop the circulars so as far as fruits and veggies go we eat seasonally. For example grapes are $2.99 a pound right now. That is outrageous! We don't do grapes this time of year. However apples are sometimes .50 a pound right now so we do a lot of those. Bananas are also low right now as are grapefruit. Squash, potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots, bell peppers and cucumbers are also low right now so those are our veggies.

It is possible to eat well and spend less. I refuse to raise my kids on processed crap to save money, it is not worth it to me or a place I am willing to cut corners.

Emma's School Track

We just enrolled Emma in school for next year. As some of you know Emma misses the cutoff for Kindergarten by 3 days. The cutoff is September 1st and E's birthday is September 4th. As of now the educational plan she will follow is.

2010-2011- Pre-K at Lighthouse Christian Academy (3 days a week).
2011-2012-Kindergarten at Lighthouse Christian Academy (5 days a week-maybe)
2012-2013- Kindergarten at our local Elementary School

There are a couple of things that are still up in the air about this schedule. I have been told that they will let Emma in their kinder program at Lighthouse next year, if for some reason they don't have a Kinder program I do have a back-up that has offered to let her in their program. I am still up in the air about her going 5 days a week. Because E's Preschool is an all day type of program having her in Kinder there 5 days a week would essentially be like having her in daycare. I have nothing against daycare but I don't work so she does not have to go to any program full time. I don't really want my kids in a full time daycare program which is the main reason I stay home, by going to Lighthouse 5 days a week she is essentially in a full time daycare program. So this is still up in the air.

The other thing that is a little unsure is where Emma will go to Elementary school. Our neighborhood is broken into 4 sections the back two sections (one that we live in and one that they are building some very large houses in) have been redistricted to go to a different school than the one in our neighborhood. Our kids are now assigned to a low performing school nearby. The district claims it is because the "local" school was too big. This is just not the case. I fought this decision with other local parents and we lost. The real and sad truth is that they put our kids at a lower performing school to help bring up test scores. They needed kids from a higher socioeconomic background to bring up those scores. If Emma stays assigned to this particular school we have two options 1. Move- if the housing market recovers we will take this option, we are starting to put some money and work into our house to list it in the next two years. This is also necessary for us. Andrew and I are 90% sure that there will be a Baby Wallace
#3 in the future and we will need more space to make that happen. 2. Send Emma to private school- This option is not the financially sound one, but we are willing to do this if the housing market does not recover.

Anyway so that is Emma's future educational track. I know that anything could change at the drop of a hat so only time will tell. I know God has big plans for my little girl this is all in his hands.

Rodeo Time

We went to the rodeo/stock show last weekend and had a blast. There was so much stuff for the kids to do, and kids get in free.

Only in Texas

Jack was not so sure of the petting zoo

Checking out the baby ducks

Emma and Jack watching the baby chicks

Our pig and bull

Closet we can come to a cute picture of the two.

Riding the rollar coaster with Mom

Daddy I had fun

Taking a chance

Emma begged us to ride this ride at the livestock show, I kept asking if she was sure. When she got on she looked a little nervous, well she looked like this. Not quite sure of what was to come.

During the ride she looked like this, why do I ever doubt this girl. It is not that she has no fear it is that she gives everything in life a chance. And thanks to that she experiences so much joy. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could all live like this. Think of all the joy we could find out there!

So I challenge you all, go out there and do something you are not quite sure about. You never know how it might turn out.

Kids and their dog

Lilly has been the most wonderful addition to our family. She has had two accidents inside in a week, so potty training is going better than I could have ever imagined. She sleeps in a crate at night we don't hear a peep from her until we get her in the morning. She is doing normal puppy things like chewing on stuff, but we are working on it.The weather was amazing last week so we spent Thursday playing in the backyard, between the swing set, playhouse, water table and sand box the kids and Lilly spent hours running in and out. I am really looking forward to this summer. Overall adding a dog to our family was a wonderful decision! The kids love her and so do we.

Lilly loves digging in the sandbox



Playing with Jack in the sandbox


Playing with Emma and Jack

Helping Jack with the water table

Emma's got skills

Emma is doing okay at swimming, she has been goofing off a little bit so we had a little talk and things seemed better today. She can now float on her back by herself all the way across the pool.


Here she is getting ready to take off

On her back with my Kathryn

Look who is floating all by herself!

I sometimes forget that Emma is only three, she can swim freestyle and backstroke across the pool, and do a frog kick (breast stroke) with help. She is doing well and should be ready for swim team next summer when she is four.

And we danced!

Those of you that know me, know that my house is never really cleaned and put away. There is laundry laying around, dishes that need put away, and toys that need picked up. It it what it is, I am okay with that.

The other day I was cleaning Emma's room listening to some Christian music on her CD player. She came in cranked up the volume and said "dance with me mommy" I looked at all the clothes that needed sorted and put away, all the toys that needed picked up, and the books that needed organized. Then I looked at Emma. I stood up and danced, Jack joined us and we danced for about 30 minutes. I was worn out, Emma was worn out, Jack was worn out. The room was still a mess.

I am so thankful that I took that time to dance with my daughter. I seriously doubt Emma will remember that her room was a mess when she was growing up, but I will put money on the fact that she will remember that her Mommy loved to dance with her, or do crafts, or play games. She will only be 3 once, the cleaning can wait we are busy making memories.

Menu Plan Mondays

I am trying to go back to some old favorites this week and have balanced meals, so here is our menu.

Monday- Baked Ziti with Cesar Salad, and Strawberries

Tuesday- Andrew is going out to dinner and a movie so I won't make anything big this night

Wednesday- Crock Pot Beef Strogonogh, Green Beans, and Peaches

Thursday- Lemon Chicken, Rice a Roni, Brussel Sprouts

Friday- Pizza night

Saturday- Pioneer Woman Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Left over Green Beans

Sunday- Meatloaf, Three Cheese Mac & Cheese, Squash and Fruit Salad

I told you we are so fancy

Last week we had a Fancy Nancy dinner with Emma. We ate Parfaits (that is french for ice cream sundaes). We took a family trip to Cold Stone dressed up and all. It was so fun, and the night ended when we came home to find a new Fancy Nancy book on E's bed. Turns out Andrew snuck into the bookstore before we met him at Cold Stone. What a great Daddy. Anyway Emma loved it, and quoted the book the whole time. When we got home she thanked us for being Fancy (my heart is full). I am so blessed to have a very sweet and fancy girl in my life.

Rockin Out with The Family

Emma loves to play Rock Band, we usually have to wait until after Jack goes to bed. Since he was not here last week we got to play several times. She loved it, and so did I. Andrew and I made an excutive decision that we are going to buy Lego Rockband for her to play with us because we are not big fans of the outfits the Rock Band players wear or what they look like. Any way here are some pictures of us rocking out with our socks out as Emma likes to say.

Menu Plan Mondays

We will actually be in town all week this week so here is our Menu for the week

Monday- Southwestern Chicken Lime-Cilantro Salad- This is one of Andrew's favorite food in the whole world and is very low in calories or fat

Tuesday- Chick-Fil-A-it is a fundraiser night for E's school

Wednesday- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup,Grilled Cheese & Apples

Thursday- PW Chicken Spaghetti and PW Cesar Salad & Pineapple

Friday- Order in Chinese

Saturday- PW Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Pears

Sunday- Beans, Cornbread & Strawberries

Will this come back to bite me?

Look what I got my nephew Mark for his 3rd Birthday. I am so excited I really think he will love it.



Do you think this is going to come back and bite me? My sister did ask for it, but I think there could be payback one day. Maybe this was not such a good idea after all.

Easy Street

Jack has been with my in-laws this week. It has been a really nice break, but I missed him like crazy.

The nice thing is this week has been so easy! At three Emma is so independent, and does not need me a whole lot. I can go to the mall and we just walk in, no stroller, diaper bag, snacks or sippy cups needed.

Emma and I have spent so much quality time doing puzzles, playing pretend, playing litebrite and barbies. It has been nice to not have to worry about Jack getting into everything we are doing. We can leave the house at a moments notice and not have to worry about Jack needing a nap or being too fussy to go somewhere. We can go out to eat at a sit down restaurant because we know she is really good to take out at this age. I can get so much done around the house as she plays with her toys. We were able to play rockband as a family the other night and not worry about Jack pulling down the drums or grabbing the microphone. It has been a really calm, nice easy week.

Please don't get me wrong with as easy as this week has been I would NEVER trade this life for the one I have. My heart hurts with my little man being gone. I miss his smiles, and him pointing saying "ahhhh" when he sees birds, I miss his snuggles and kisses, I miss him running trucks across the floor and saying vrooom. I miss his smile and belly laugh. I miss everything about him.

Yes life is easier this week, there is less noise, less mess, less work overall. Yep this week has been very easy, but I will take back my more noise, more mess, more work and a whole lot more love. We are so blessed to be a family of four.

It's the little things

This is an e-mail I sent to Andrew today. Neither of us is perfect but he is perfect for me, and I just wanted to let him know.

Andrew,

Somtimes it is the little things.


Making sure my coffee is ready in the morning.

Buying your three year old girl a book- Her new favorite I might add

Always remembering trash day without being asked

Knowing how I like my tea from Starbucks and getting it right everytime without asking

Walking in the door and immediately pitching into help

putting a video game on pause when your daughter wakes up and telling her you just want to cuddle with her

enduring hours of noggin and disney videos every night so your daughter knows how much she means to you

Bringing in the groceries because you know it is my least favorite chore

Giving me small breaks when you are home knowing how much 5 minutes means to me

Cleaning the living room, just because you knew it would help

Getting the kids up on Sunday, getting them dressed (including a beautiful ponytail for your daughter), and taking them to breakfast to give me a break

Taking your daughter on date nights to let her know how important she is too you

Taking your son to bestbuy when he won't nap to give me time to nap myself

It is the little things that make you a great husband, I just wanted you to know that I notice all the little things, and because of them feel oh so very loved and lucky!

Have you told your husband how wonderful he is today? It's funny the more I do the more little things that come along.

Menu Plan Monday

Here is our Menu Plan for the week. Jack is spending the week with Nana and Papa and we are going to Houston this weekend for Mark's party and Papa's retirement party so it looks a little different than normal.

Sunday- Cheese fondue with bread, apples and cauliflower for dipping.

Monday-Parfaits (that is a fancy word for ice cream sundaes). Yep we are having a Fancy Nancy theme dinner for Emma. Ice Cream for dinner how healthy is that?

Tuesday- Pioneer Woman Chicken Pot Pie - It is this recipe with chicken instead of Turkey

Wednesday- Emma gets pizza at church, Andrew is going out for a nice steak dinner and I am on a diet so will eat a big lunch that day instead.

Thursday- Breakfast for Dinner- Pioneer Woman French Breakfast Puffs, Pioneer Woman Cheese Grits, and Bacon!

Fri & Sat- We will be out of town.

Sunday- Pioneer Woman's Beans and Cornbread- Actually Andrew prefers Jiffy and so do I so we will skip her fancy cornbread recipe.

Andrew gave me the most awesome Christmas present

I love Pioneer Woman, she is funny, a great photographer and her recipes can not be beat. If you love good old fashion country cooking this is the cookbook for you. Just a PSA there is nothing low fat or calorie in this book.

For all you DFW Mommies

This seems like it will be a superfun activity for all you Mom's of girls. Check it out, a princess tea party with hair, and nails done for $15. Emma is super excited to be going with her good friend Chloe. It is Febuary 6th at 10:30 and all are welcome to join us/

http://www.letspretendteaparties.com/

Too Cute In Thomas

How cute is Jack in his Thomas PJ's? Thanks Gramma they are wonderful, cute, soft and warm.

Well Dressed Kids

Thanks for the adorable outfits Nana and Papa

Cardamon Tea

Andrew loves Cardamon Tea. It is wonderful for when it is cold outside, and since it is a high of 28 today it was the perfect day for cardamon tea.

Cardamom is an evergreen plant with thick rhizomes and erect stems bearing pointed leaves. It is grown in plantations mostly in Guatemala and India. Cardamom has white flowers with pinkish-violet striped lip. The flowers stay for eight to nine months per year. Cardamom also has three-celled capsules, usually colored pale green to beige, which contain about 15 to 20 sweetly aromatic seeds.

Making this tea is very easy and my assistant and I will show you how

Cardamon tea

Ingredients

15-20 Cardamon Seeds- I use 17. You can get these at most herbal place, or we get them at Central Market. Don't be freaked out by the price which is about 38 dollars a pound. I can buy enough for about 20 tea batches for $2.

Tea Bags- I use one large or two small per pot.

3/4 cup of sugar- This is quite a bit, but Andrew likes it sweet. I do plan on trying to substitute setvia with the sugar to make it healthier next time I will let you know how it goes.

Directions

1. Pour the sugar in the tea pot

2. Fill teapot almost to the top with very hot water and stir to dissolve sugar

3. Break open each Cardamon seed but leave the whole pod intact- This helps the Cardamon flavor seep into the tea better

4. Boil tea for about 3 minutes and let seep for an hour.

I also make this in the summer and turn it into iced tea, it is good either way.

Mixed Emotions

Today has been a day of so many mixed emotions.

Jack slept well last night and woke up at 6:30- I felt so wonderful and rested.

When I got Jack out of his crib he said Mama and laid his head on my shoulder- I felt so very grateful my heart was full of love for my little man

When Emma woke up I went into get her and she told me "mommy you are the bestest"- Once again my heart was full of love.

Look what I can do! My little girl wrote her name alone for the first time- I was full of pride and wonder at what many more milestones her future will bring.

I went to get dressed and came back to see both kids playing together on the floor of the playroom- My cup overflowith. This is one of the true joys of having two kids, seeing them play together makes all the hard, busy times worthwhile.

I got the kids loaded in the car and grabbed backpacks and lunches that were packed last night- I felt so very organized, and on top of things.

I dropped Emma off at school, she gave her teacher a big hug and said see you later mom- I was so happy that she adores her school and her teacher is a strong loving Christian woman.

I called Andrew on the way to drop Jack off at his new Mother's Day Out in tears not sure if he was too young and not ready to let my little man go. He offered words of support love and encouragement.- I felt so very grateful and lucky to have this amazing man in my life as the father of my kids. He is my best friend, biggest fan and support system.

I got to Jack's MDO (mother's day out) program and he buried his head in my shoulder- I felt protective and sad.

Jack saw some boys playing with the ballpit he wiggled out of my arms and ran across the room to join in. At one point he was laughing so hard his face was red and his body was shaking.- I felt sad to let him go, full of joy at his laughter, happy that he was happy and safe.

Jack's First Day of School

I checked on him one more time before I walked out the door, and he did not even notice I was in the room.- I was sad watching my little boy and knowing that all too soon he would be a man who does not need his Mommy quite so much anymore. I felt an overwhelming sense of nervousness on the job that we have been given by God to help this little boy grow up into a strong Christian man. I felt so happy that my little easy going man was having such an easy time with this transition.

I got back in the car and called Andrew to give him the update on the kids. He told me he would be home around 11:30 so we could go to lunch, and to enjoy my day off because I deserved it.- I felt loved, appreciated, excited for alone time with my hubby.

So many feelings in such a short time. I guess this is what it means to be alive- From pride to sadness, love to joy.

I am so blessed and my cup overflowith!

We are fancy around here

So E has the memory of an elephant. She got this from her Daddy he can remember anything about everything and is always right. E started memorizing books when she was pretty young I would say about 2. She started with Sandra Boynton Books. This was pretty normal to me as those books are very rhymie (yes I made up a word), and pretty predictable. She had Snuggle Puppy, Oh Me Oh My Oh Dinosaur, and The Goodnight book memorized word for word.



About three months ago we noticed she was memorizing longer and bigger books. This time it was The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Usually if we read her something 2-3 times she has it down.

She started something funny with the last book she memorized, and I just had to share it. E got Fancy Nancy for Christmas. For those of you not familiar with this book, if you have a little girl you must get it. E loves it, we read it at least twice a day and she smiles all the way through. After having it about a week she had it memorized too. The difference with this book is that she acts out the book as she says it. Yesterday she put a pretend sign on the Fridge telling me what it said (Learn to Be Fancy with Nancy) then went on to act out the whole book with me. I loved it. She even ended with "I love you because there is no fancy word to say that" I call her Fancy Emma and it gets a huge smile. We pretend to put on accessories and eat parfaits (that is french for ice cream sundae you know:). I love this book. I love that she loves this book. I love that she loves to act out this book. This book is so fun.



Because after all we are Fancy in our household. What books do your kids love?

Staying at Home

"Mommy we are so blessed, Daddy works hard and you stay home" I hear this comment from E all the time. I guess when say something a lot the kids pick up on it huh? You know what? She is right. I feel amazingly blessed to stay at home with my kids. I feel blessed to see every milestone, dry tears, and get endless hugs. It has made me a better person. I thank my husband daily for all his hard work that enables me to be home with my kids. My ideal would be not to go back to work until all kids are in Kindergarten. Since we are going to have one more it will be at least 7 more years until I go back. By that time I will have been out of the work place for over 10 years. The good news is I have a career that it is pretty easy to jump back into. To be honest I don't know if I will ever go back full time. Only time will tell. God has enabled us to live on one income this far and I am hoping this continues for a long time. So how do we do it? How do we live on one income in a two income world? How do I keep my sanity?

Activities- We just recently got a membership to our local Children's museum, we also have one to the zoo. These memberships are wonderful for us because we can go as often as we want for as long as we want. Sometimes we will only spend an hour at the zoo, and we don't worry about it knowing we can go back anytime. Both memberships are under $100 for our family of 4. We go to each about once a week (less for the zoo in the winter). It means my kids are entertained and learning for less than $2 a week. A pretty good bargain if you ask me.

Jack at the Children's Museum

Emma at the Children's Museum

Preschool & Mother's Day Out- These are both a HUGE luxury, and I know that. I am so thankful that we can do these. Emma loves school. For those of you that know me Emma is just like me. It takes her a little longer to learn to follow rules and respect authority, school has done this for her. She loves it and begs to go, if at some point she asks me not to go we will stop and she can stay home for now she enjoys it and is learning so much. J starts Mother's Day Out on Friday it is only one day a week and will be a break for Mommy. I am very comfortable with the church he is going too, and I know he will enjoy it. I have been doing some behavior consulting work and taking J with me. This is just not possible anymore the older and more mobile he gets. I cut down my consulting to one time a month so I will be able to do this on a Friday he is in school and cover his tuition payment. I like doing consult work this works well for both of us. Andrew gets off work early on Friday so we will actually be able to have an adult lunch together! We don't have babysitters in the area and rarely get time to ourselves. This will give us one day a week to reconnect and I am really looking forward to it.

Budgeting and Meal Planning- Andrew and I live well, but on a budget. We don't spend freely, and save for almost everything. We were very luck to find Dave Ramsey's tools very early in our marriage and live a debt free life. This financial freedom enables us to live comfortably and not paycheck to paycheck. We don't worry about which bills get paid which month or freak out if a big expense comes up. Every Saturday I sit down and meal plan for the week. By doing this I am able to plan time consuming meals on days Emma is in school, and easy meals for nights we have activities such as church. We eat out a ton less if we have a plan, and save a lot of money. I enjoy cooking and for me it is a way I serve my family.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not a better Mom than others because I stay at home. My mother went back to work when I was two and she is the MOST amazing Mom, truly she is the best there is no comparison. My sister works full time and she is also an amazing Mom. I respect her an don't know how she gets it all done. I choose to stay home because it is best for our family.

I think that is it. So what makes you a good Stay at Home Mom? I am always looking for better ideas!

Menu Plan Monday

I have found that a weekly menu plan saves us money, helps us to eat bettter, cuts down on eating out and is easier for me overall. Check out this blog for more menu plans

Sunday- Pork Chops, Cheesy Rice & Baked Caulifower

Monday- Frito Pie with homemade chili, apples

Tuesday- Homemade Stromboli & Ceasar Salad

Wednesday- Bacon Cheeseburgers, Pasta Salad, Green Beans & Strawberries

Thursday- Quiche & Ceasar Salad

Friday- Pizza

Saturday- Baked Chicken, Broccoli rice & Melon

So that is our menu plan this week what is yours?

Teaching responsibility

Those of you that know our family know that we are HUGE Dave Ramsey fans. We are so very thankful to Dave and his ministry. He has given us financial freedom. He is a large part of why I am able to stay at home and live comfortably. We don't live paycheck to paycheck and except for our house we are debt free. This lifestyle enables me to stay home and do fun things (more about this later). Don't get me wrong we don't have tons of money or spend freely, we live within our means and on a budget.

One of our main goals with our kids is to learn the value of money and hard work. Andrew and I don't believe that kids are spoiled by the amount of objects they have we we believe it has more to do with how you raise kids than how much you give them (more about this later). This is what Dave had to say about teaching kids about money.

Give them lots of grace and mercy when they are little and teach them basic things. At age three or four, have your child clean up a few toys in his room. When he does, congratulate him a lot, wad up a dollar bill, and put it in a clear plastic container that he uses for saving. We want it to take up space so he sees that he’s earning money. When he does that a few times, take him to the toy store and let him buy a toy. He will learn about earning and spending, and he needs to be learning about saving and giving, too.

Start to teach those four lessons at an age-appropriate pace and add more and more responsibility as they get older. When they are old enough to have chores, start paying for chores. Work and get paid. Don’t work and don’t get paid. Some chores you do just because you’re part of the family.

That’s how life works, and we want to teach our kids about life so they don’t come home and live in the basement. Progressively, teach them over and over the lessons they need to learn. From age 15 to 18, get them a checking account and teach them how to reconcile it with the bank and how to manage their finances. When they get to college, they will have learned how to live on what they have. It won’t be a surprise. When they marry, they will be a blessing to their spouse instead of a burden. It’s a part of parenting and a process—not an event.

We have started to do our part in trying to teach Emma about money. It starts with a chore chart. It was easy to make and I paid less than $10 for the supplies for both the chore chart and allowance boxes. Her chore chart has 5 chores listed; Put trash in the trash can, Put clothes in the laundry basket, Put dishes in the sink, Pick up books in your room, Clean the playroom. We choose these five because they are things Emma needs to work on the most. The chores have both pictures and words. I used Velcro to affix the chores to her chart so we can change them as needed. Every night we go through her chart and complete her chores. As she completes each one she puts a butterfly (she choose butterflies and flowers for her chart theme) with Velcro on the day and chores she has completed. If she gets 30 butterflies out of 35 she gets a dollar allowance a week. This has also turned into great counting practice. Bellow are several pictures of her chore chart to give you an idea of how this works

Here is a close up of the chore side of the chart.

When she does do her chores she gets an allowance. We choose to go a little different route than the dollar that Dave recommends. She gets a dollar a week. She has three boxes for her allowance. She puts $.10 in one for church (this is her tithe), .$25 in one for savings (we will take this to the bank after it has a couple of dollars and put it in her savings, and $.65 for spending (this is to spend however she wants). By doing this we are teaching her to give to the Lord first, save second and spend last. We are hoping to help her understand the importance of saving and not just spending. I taped a picture/word on each box with the money that goes in each box, this visual helps her understand how much money goes in each box as she has no clue about money yet. Here are some pictures of her allowance boxes.

Lined up on her dresser

One up close so you can see how I taped on the money

These are the cutest!

Okay so one of my resolutions was to really curb my spending on the kids, stuff like this is so not helping, add that to the fact that Emma looks amazing in lavendar.



Oh and don't forget this one

I mean for real what is a Mom to do with all this temptation? And she needs swimsuits right? She does take lessons year round and we are at the pool almost everyday in the summer. Makes sense right? Oh and in the end with my Gymbucks they are 50% off which makes them cheaper than those at target and way cuter too. Okay I am sold, these will be added to E's closest this summer. Thanks for talking me into it!

Now what to do about Jack?

So I tried this last year and was very unsuccessful, I am going to try again. I still have the kids websites, and just renewed them for a year. I actually plan on phasing them out and trying to blog instead.

This blog will be a random mixture of many things. Stories of our family, the kids, recipes, and just general daily life information.

I don't really expect any strangers to check out our blog so I don't feel like I really need to go into a long introduction about us and who we are.

Look for more posts to come, hopefully I will be better at this in 2010.