Philadelphia Update

The interview went well yesterday - I interviewed on the 18th floor of a hospital downtown. It was pretty cool.

Today we (Dave and Kendall) were in the city all day long. We are tired.

Anyway, here is a picture someone took of us in front of Independence Hall.



More pictures will probably be posted after we get back Monday night.

am I the only one?

Sometimes I feel like the mommy version of the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie."

If Mommy walks into the kitchen to put away the clean dishes, she'll probably notice the washer machine and remember to change the laundry. As she's unloading the dryer, she'll probably decide she needs to pick up all of the stuff the kids pulled out of the cupboard. While she's doing that, chances are she'll remember the pair of pants that she needed to wash that was in the other room. On the way, she sees a bag of new clothes that need to be put away in the kids' bedroom. Much to her dismay, her daughters pony-tail holders are strewn all around the bedroom so she'll stop to pick those up right away. Then she'll see the pair of jeans she needs to wash and she'll head back to the laundry room. And chances are as she walks through the kitchen to get to the laundry room, she'll probably notice the dishes in the drainer that need to be put away...

True story.

i've been grumpy lately

I'm not sure why, but my "bad mommy" self has come out the last few days.

Maybe its because my house was perfectly clean on Thursday night when I hosted book club and by Friday afternoon it was trashed again.

Maybe its because we have some serious disobedience issues lately. Ana just ignores me no matter what I say or how I say it.

Maybe its because the weather is changing and I'm feeling cooped up.

Whatever the reason, I'm grumpy.

I cannot get over this video. Enjoy.

quick thought: we've been caught

Monday night we had Halloween candy for FHE treats. After the kids went to bed, Dave and I continued snacking. This morning Ana said to me:

"Mama, were you and daddy eating my candy last night?"

"Why would you think that, Ana?" I asked.

"Because there are wrappers on the computer desk..."

Is she old enough to catch us snitching her candy already?

my favorite thing about fall

this is happiness!

i'm so domesticated

Wow! This week has been busy busy with domestic-like stuff. And not the "house-cleaning" type, so I guess that's what I'll be catching up on tomorrow.

I was really excited with the kids Halloween costumes. Ana's dress took a lot of work, but I really liked it. Jack's took almost no work at all so they evened out. He didn't want to keep his hat on, though. We went to a Trunk or Treat, which was fun. Jack totally didn't understand the whole "trick or treat" thing. He just thought, "man I just got a sucker and I'm going to stop right here and eat it." I think Ana's favorite thing was going over to Grandma's and helping her pass out candy to all the kids that came to the door.





I also felt extra motivated this year so I made the kids Halloween treat bags. I like how they turned out.



Also today was a family get together with my siblings. I told my sister over a year ago that I would make her some throw pillows. I committed to give them to her at the family party today so I've been working on those this week too. I love them so much, I wish they matched my couch. I also made a fresh-pumpkin pie and a salad for the party.



Whew! Its been a busy week and it was a lot of fun! I'm all in the sewing groove now so I'm ready to start on a few handmade Christmas presents for the kids. Yay!

Happy Halloween.

I've had a great time putting together Ana's costume. A few weeks ago she watched "Tinkerbell" and she was determined to be Tink. She didn't change her mind once.

Yesterday she got to do the Costume parade at her cousin's Rylee's school. (Rylee is 9 and they are best friends. Ana said to me the other day: "I know we will be friends forever.") Then she went to Rylee's costume birthday party at the bowling alley. She had a lot of fun.



I'm excited for tonight!

an answer to the question "what did you do all day?"

Sometimes, when its 9:00 pm and I am exhausted and the house is a mess and I am confronted with this:


I think to myself, "what did I do all day?" So, I write it down.



And then when I feel validated at my exhaustion, I get to work and finish the dishes. Because nothing is worse than waking up to a sink full of dirty dishes.



Ahhh. That feels better, now I'm going to go watch Thoroughly Modern Millie with Dave.

life has changed

I used to sing great arias.
Now I'm humming a lullaby tune
I used to read "The Great Books"
Now I'm reading "Goodnight, Moon."

I used to hike up mountains.
Now I'm chasing toddler feet.
I use to go out on Friday night.
Now I'm rocking a baby to sleep.

I used to want to see the world
and travel to far off lands.
Now I'm kissing tear-streaked cheeks
and washing dirty hands.

My fingertips once were trimmed
and polished perfectly.
Now they are calloused and rough,
but it doesn't bother me.

For all the things I used to do
have fallen all away.
But I'd trade them all forever
for my babies every day.

- Erin Larsen
October 26, 2009