Cheers

Back from a weekend away with good friends ... now playing catch up at home on all the LAUDRY that seems to have bred here whilst I was away, as well as catching up with my girls. Hoping to post my Fall into Reading list in a bit!

Disclaimer: the drink is nothing exciting - just a fun glass with some frozen limade in it. I didn't get THAT wild and crazy this weekend! : )

A Dyson Vacuum...

is up for grabs over at 5 Minutes for Mom! And it's even pink and some of the proceeds for each sale fund breast cancer research. Gotta love that!

Scene & Heard - 9.19

Every so often Noelle (almost 4) and I talk about everyone's name in our family and we practice what her first and middle name is, Natalie's first and middle, and so on. Yesterday's run through went something like this:

Me: Noelle, what is your name?

Noelle: Noelle Blah Blah (FYI ... she didn't say "blah", but you get the picture). : )

Me: What is Natalie's name?

Noelle: Natalie Blah Blah.

Me: Do you remember Elizabeth's name?

Noelle: Elizabeth *wait for it* Diet Coke Blah

I love it.

In the Last Week

• I've quit a job
• cut off all my hair
• had to buy a new hairdryer to style said hair
• decided (actually concurred with the husband) that it's time to find our dogs a new home
• printed a ton of bridal invitations
• not found the time to address said invitations which need to go out TODAY
• cuddled a sick bitty-baby with a nasty head cold
• been up at 4 a.m. two mornings in a row with said snotty baby
• taken several Halls, myself
• wrapped up Season One of Heroes
• watched more episodes of the Backyardigans that I care to admit
• have stumbled my way through the first week of my Bible study on Daniel
• watched Noelle started back to her 2nd year of Cubbies at Awana
• played on our new playground every single day
• taken a road trip to visit a friend who just had her first little one, born in a town about an hour and fifteen minutes from us
• oh, and made meals, played with kids, did an abnormal amount of laundry, etc.

Last week was nuts so if it's a little quiet round here for a few days, that's why. And this coming weekend, I'm getting to go away for a few days (well, me and the Betsy-girl) with some friends. Right now the thought of getting it all together to go out of town is a little overwhelming, so that signifies to me a need for a few quiet days here at home, first. : )

New 'Do

New 'Do
Originally uploaded by stephaniedshepherd

It was beyond time to make a change. Why didn't I do this sooner!? (I say this not having styled it myself yet, but I have hope I can keep up with my most wonderful hair stylist!) : )

The Birth of a Playground

A photo documentary.

The playground arrives!!! Noelle is very excited to see her Daddy and that her Sunday School teacher Mr. Chad is driving the truck. We loooooooove Mr. Chad.



Getting the slide off the trailer…



Daddy and his friends, Mr. David, Mr. Adam (hidden on the backside), Mr. Chad, and Uncle Boo move it to the right spot in the yard.



Ta-da! Missing only a ladder and the slide … but as you can see we are finally getting rain so we can’t play on it today. : (



The happy girl (with a very odd smile).



And no post of this magnitude would be complete without the inevitable shedding of first blood.



And now that we have this way cool playground it POURED last night ... so we are snuggled inside today, having a rainy movie morning, drinking an extra cup of coffee, and looking forward to lunch out in a few hours with Grandma and Aunt Kathy.

Fall Reading Challenge

I'm making my list...

Visit Callapidder Days for the details!

Friday Felicities, on Saturday 9.8

• planning for birthdays
• Sonic diet cokes
• the tentative beginnings of baby belly laughs
• cloudy fall days
• Mickey Mouse
• freezer meals
• women's Bible study starting in four days
• my Dad coming home from Alaska in 2 days, watching the excited grandkids greet him, and hearing lots of stories

Scene & Heard - 9.5

Why I love Little Einstein ....

Noelle and I had a rare time out last night, just the two of us. I put in her choice of music and thought I had it playing at a respectable volume level. :) The conversation went something like this:

Noelle: Play it loudly!

Me: turns volume up a little more

Noelle: Louder!!

Me: turns volume up a little more

Noelle: Fortissimo!

Musical training apparently starts early round these parts. : )

A Look at This Week

Sitting here this a.m. enjoying a last few moments of quiet before the sounds of waking girls fills the house. I'm on my 2nd cup of coffee and have had some time in Matthew this morning. Good stuff.

I've been looking over my schedule for this week and, as I've mentioned before, you can tell it's fall. This week is packed with stuff that needs to get done ... some that come with fall-ish activities that are starting up this week and next, and others that have just all come "due" right now. : ) I've also got a fall cleaning schedule that I'm trying to keep up with ... the weather is cooling down (oh.so.slightly) and that puts me in the mood to dust and rearrange the furniture. which is actually what we did yesterday. I think that is becoming one of "our" little family traditions when we have a three day weekend - Travis and I move the furniture around. : ) I like it - it keeps me from wanting to buy new stuff for our house. Just by shifting a few pieces of furniture, and taking the time to REALLY vacuum up the dog hair under said furniture, I now have a whole new family room. : ) Cheap entertainment, folks.

Anyway, on tap this week:

• super cleaning on our front room/Travis' office/music room
• 4 month check up for baby Betsy-girl today
• start the work on my Daniel Bible study (using Precept materials by Kay Arthur)
• print thank you notes that I've designed for my friend Natalie who is getting married (she is the friend that our Natalie is named after)
• doctor appointment for me on Friday - appointment with a new OB, one closer to our home. (No I am NOT pregnant!) : ) I loved my old doctor, she was just 45 minutes away, and every appointment was a huge 1/2 day outing just for a simple checkup. This doctor is 5 minutes away - close enough that Travis can come home and watch the girls while I go. Much better deal.
• And just the regular stuff of life...

Oh, and we had our first day of "school" yesterday. It went pretty good - we talked about the letter "A" and the sound it makes and then just did some coloring at the table. I already knew a LOT of the first several days/weeks of this would be just working on table skills, but it didn't go too bad since we're easing into it. We didn't do a full hour yesterday, but that's okay. We have lots of time. : )

Menu Plan Monday - 9.3

Sunday: tacos

Monday: apple chicken breasts (testing out a new freezer meal), potatos, broccoli

Tuesday: chicken soft tacos (crockpot)

Wednesday: breakfast dinner

Thursday: leftovers/sandwiches/tomato soup w/ grilled cheese

Friday: pizza

Saturday: rotisserie chicken, corn cassarole, green beans or broccoli