Puddin Pop Designs

George Washington was a, a, Pirate?

2012-01-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

This little guy

has fallen in love, admiration, whatever you want to call it, with George Washington. You can't tell by the above picture, but the book he is carrying is titled, George Washington. The cover of the book looks something similar to this:

When I think GW, this is what I think of...

But, this is what Bud thinks of....

So when he found this old book of mine from my teaching days, a simple reader entitled George Washington, he immediately belted out, "Wook, Mommy, a Pi-what!

He then went and found an old $1 bin pirate hat from our dress up box and ta-da! a modern day George Washington, or, er, pirate, was born! He has worn this hat DAILY since early October.

Don't believe me??

See for yourself!

He wore it while singing in the rain,

While catching bugs in the backyard,

while waiting to roast hotdogs in the backyard,

While having lunch with his sister,

while hanging with dad at the apple orchard,

while cruising in the tractor,

while riding on a hayride at the pumpkin patch,

While eating donuts,

while climbing trees,

while making pizza

(dressed as superman)

(yes, it was a confusing day for most people we ran into.)

and, while posing for family pictures.

whew!

It's only now that he has eased up with this little obsession.
Good thing since the book is tattered and falling to pieces.

I'm glad we were able to catch this little phase on film.
And, I happen to think he is waaay cuter than GW!
I love my Bud!

Puddin's 6 birthday...rewind

2012-01-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

It dawned on me last night that over the course of the past few months, I really

did miss a lot of updates..including Puddin's 6th birthday! ouch- score one for the bad momma!

Puddin the morning of her birthday, Oct. 13th.

I mean, I am supposed to be documenting memories here. Sometimes, life just gets in the way. However, there will be a new and improved system around here that I hope to share with you next week, just as soon as I recap some highlights I missed in 2011.

All dressed and ready for school in her new birthday outfit.

So, without further a do, I give you Puddin's 6th birthday bash! I know what you are thinking.... how can she be 6??? I know- it's crazy! But what a beautiful 6 year old she is, inside and out.

Breakfast of champions...birthday donut with sprinkles. She was h to the appy, happy!

This year she wanted a "Little house on the Prairie" party. I wrapped my head around this and was ready to go full steam ahead in all things prairie related. Up until September. That's when she decided that no, she would rather have a "Goldilocks and the 3 bears" party, Ru-roh!

Daddy and Puddin before school. love.

See, I usually plan parties pretty well in advance so I can get supplies on sale. And since March is the start of our birthday season, all of the kids want to discuss their party plans at the same time. This is the first time we experienced a change up.

But, it was what she really wanted so we went with it. I was able to use some of the supplies I had already purchased since the color scheme worked for either theme. bonus.

Also, when I was 11-13 I collected bears. In fact, I got one a month from a mail order thing-a-ma-jig and all of those sweet bears were up in the attic tucked away neatly.

Turned out, I didn't have to really purchase much, except the wig prop and the food. Everything else I needed we already had.

<insert happy dance>

So here are some pics from her special day...

food table...peanut butter and honey bear sandwiches, fruit, apples and dip, stroop waffles, chocolate bear pops, chocolate covered strawberries, lemonade and cinnamon, honey cupcakes with cinnamon butter cream frosting...YUM!!

This was supposed to be photo prop set up... the 3 bears chairs were here and I had planned to get a picture of all of the kiddos in front of the mural but somehow, in he bus-i-ness of hosting a party- I did not get the picture. ugh.

Seating for the kiddos. The "tables" are made from Monkey See and Monkey Do's cribs. I added a frame and plywood to connect them and make them long enough for 10 kids to sit at each table. The table cloth is yellow gingham fabric and the centerpieces are mums wrapped in burlap along with bears from my collection. The table in the foreground has baby bear and papa bear. The table in the background has mama bear and Goldilocks. The chairs are mostly from the children's preschool. They were so kind to let me borrow them for the weekend!

Part of the crowd. We were blessed with a beautiful Autumn day and it actually got a little warm! Under the canopy is where we designated the gift opening center and the bear making activity. I precut teddy bears and we had a sort of build a bear shop going for each of the girls. I think they enjoyed having a bear of their own to take home.

It's pinata time! This year I just couldn't see whacking baby bear or Goldilocks for the pinata so we opted for a bee hive... bears like honey and honey comes from bee hives.... it was easy and unexpectedly durable! It took some real hammering before we finally got it to break! Here is Puddin giving it the first whack!

I think this is Monkey See's favorite part of birthday parties... next to the cake!

Puddin blowing out her candles. Her request... "roses on my cake". She was beyond thrilled!

Uncle Tim hanging out with Monkey Do under the canopy.

The girls eating at their tables. Each girl also had a basket of goodies to take home and to keep their bear in. We served the lemonade in the honey bear jars. It turned out pretty cute.

Daisy and Bud... someone LOVES ice cream!

Opening presents! This was one of her favorite gifts... frogs! Courtesy of Aunt Katie. :) She was so very happy! And I am happy to say that Charma and Princess (the frogs) are still with us!

Sweet smiles from my girl!

Bud finishing off Puddin's cake!

6 is for being silly!!

apparently, Monkey Do is also a fan of the silly glasses. In fact, he eventually pulled the nose off of his pair and wore them day and night as his "pwetend" glasses, even to preschool! My silly monkey!

SO, Puddin's birthday was lots of fun and she is a happy, sweet and precious 6 year old! wow!

The Christmas Story

2011-12-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

How to find the Perfect Christmas Tree

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

So, we decided that due to our busy schedules this year we weren't going to be able to go on our annual Christmas Tree Pilgrimage on a weekend. Instead, it would have to be after school/work one day. We didn't really take into account the fact that is would get dark while we were hunting. It did. I must admit, there was a moment or two when I thought I could possibly be stranded in a Christmas Tree forest with 5 little people and require a search and rescue team.... a little scary! However, this family's got skilz and we made it work-without a flashlight... unlike some peeps who came prepared!

I must say, I think we have a new tradition! Momma doesn't particularly LOVE crowds and neither does Bud. Together we can be a bit much for Hubby I think (poor thing). But here's the thing... searching for a Christmas tree in the dark is virtually crowd free!!! As Puddin would say, "Yipee-Hallelujah!"

Yes, you have the dynamic of making sure you don't loose any children, but, as we discovered, they don't wander far when they can't see! It's a win-win I tell ya! And if I must say, This is my all time favorite tree evah!!

So here is our "pilgrimage" in photos.

Christmas tree farm arrival...still some sunlight.

Look intimidating for the "crowds"

getting his game on...

...and they're off!!!

The pilgrimage has begun!

The fresh air was exhilarating! It smelled soooo good! About this point, one of the kids was left carrying the pole and the other 4 were cutting loose!

Balancing on tree stumps was a very popular past time...

as well as sword fighting!

We still had some light as we entered field #2 in search of the perfect tree. We even managed to wrangle the kids back into the task at hand....

for a moment anyway!

And a quick stop for a photo...say "Cheese!"

Remember "Where's Waldo"? Well, here you have field #3 and Where's the Fabulous 5?? Can you spot them all? They are all there- promise!

Finally, after moving to field #4 and losing sunlight, we thought we found the right tree! Everyone was on board, this was the one, except Momma. Something just wasn't right. But the daddy and the kids sure are cute!

Bud was standing firm on his decision until little sister stepped in and they had a "meeting of the minds". She's little, but sure is Spunky!

We found it!!! YAY!! Right before the camera died too! At this point we had already lost the saw and pole in another field and had to go back for it. It's easy to get distracted when you are having fun with this crew! After playing a bit of "Marco Polo" Christmas tree forest style we found each other again and got to work. Yep, it's dark.

And wouldn't you know it... as hubby is sawing by the moonlight, not only does the camera die, but the saw blade breaks! I don't know how he managed to finish the sawing process but I do remember this is when I started to wonder about the possibility of an emergency rescue!

Once we made it back to the barn safely with everyone in tow, the "farmers" prepped our tree and tied it to our van as we sipped hot chocolate and then...we went on a HAYRIDE IN THE DARK! It was so much fun! Cold, but fun! The stars were beautiful and the moon was so very bright. It was fantastic! but- no pics...dead camera.

Finally, after stopping for a quick pizza at a converted gas station because everyone is starving and cold, we finally arrived home with our "Torpedo" Tree!!

picture, coutesy of my Iphone.

unwrapped

So... there you have it... how to find the perfect tree! Definitely a tradition we plan to keep!

A Few of my Favorite things

2011-12-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

Hello Sweet Friends and Merry Christmas!! I'm sure you are all in full swing for Christmas right now... it's so hard to believe it's only a couple of days away!

I have finished the final PPK for 2011 and it's bagged up and ready to go, so with that I thought I'd jump back into my bloggy world. So, if you are here looking for Puddin Pop Kids news... stay tuned. There will be lots of updates in January 2012. But for now, I thought I'd share a little from our home life instead.

All around blog land everyone is doing their "Christmas tour of homes". And while I would love to do that as well, the "staging" that would be involved would be exhausting. My house if decorated, but definitely lived in... and I love that! Besides, I am already running on empty from the Puddin Pop-alooza of 2011. 3 hours of sleep/night can wear a girl down.

So, instead I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things. And, without further a do, I give you my Christmas Favorite Things..... not to be confused in any way, shape or form with Oprahs. hehe.

This is our Christmas card from 2009. My favorite Christmas card- evah! Also, the last one we sent out! HA! Every year since then has been overwhelmingly busy so I have done New Years cards instead. **Note to self- make New Years cards today.

These are a few of the ornaments from our Jesse Tree. LOVE them. They are simple and colorful and the kids enjoy learning about the meaning behind each of them.

My nativity. I actually collect Nativities and display them all together. Except this one. Hubby bought this for me the first year we were married. It is BEA*U*TI*FUL! Even with arms hot glued back together- still a beauty! It sits on our dining room table.

Quite possibly my most favorite Christmas gift of all time. Hand painted pottery by the Fabulous 5. Currently I have 2 place settings of 5. Each year Hubby sneaks out of the house w/ the kiddos and has them paint a piece. Each child paints the same piece every year. This set is from the 1st year when our littles were only 9 moths old! Can you guess which pieces are theirs? Crossing my fingers that I get another set this year!

Santa pictures....love. This is Puddin visiting Santa while in preschool. Her school has a Santa come every year. Her talented teacher snapped these pics and I was in love! Just look at her excitement and the look on Santa's face! She came charging him yelling "SANTA! I've missed you soooo much!!" and then leaped into his arms. It was crazy sweet! So I put the pics in sequential order in a frame and pull it out every year to display.

Our tree. My favorite tree yet. The photo doesn't do it justice. We have a semi-new tradition of going to the Christmas tree farm and cutting down our own tree. This tree is stunning! It's almost 10 feet tall! Our ornaments mostly consist of those given to us as wedding gifts (December wedding) and those made by the kiddos. I love it.

Another precious preschool craft made by my 3 oldest. I love them.

Our piano w/ Christmas photos. Hubby and I even have one in there w/Santa. :)

Another Puddin & Santa picture. I know I already shared one of her, but this is just too cute not to share!

Another one of my nativities from my collection. Also made at preschool by one of my lovies. I adore it.

Give Away

2011-12-01T05:08:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends... I know my little blog has been on ife support lately and I hate that!
BUT, I am having a "give away" on my Face book page if you want to hop on ver and check it out.
I'm hoping after Christmas I'll be breathing life back into my little blog.
((HUGS))
Melissa

2011-11-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,
So sorry to leave you hanging! I'm preparring for my last shw of the seasona nd I'm knee deep in Puddin POp Kids right now!
Life is good- busy- but good. I have much to share! But for now just a PPD update!...
The final show of the season will be at Christmas on Madison Avenue, this weekend in Murfreesboro. It is being help in the Farmer's Market location off of John Rice Blvd. from 9-5... free admission and 78 vendors!! It's going to be lots and lots of fun and I can't wait to see lots of familiar faces!

Also, for those of you who are not local to this area, Saturday will be the last day for custom orders this season. I will be taking Dec.1-Jan. 31st off to be with my family. So, if you are needing a Puddin Pop between now and then please let me know!
And just because I can't hep myself, let me share a little halloween goodness with you....

Icing on the cake

2011-09-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

My 3 sons... Monkey See, Bud, Monkey Do

Motherhood is exhilarating, exciting, emotional and exhausting.

Some days it's all cake.

Other days, it's a giant piece of cake slathered in the yummiest frosting ever known to mankind.

(yes, I have cake on the mind).

Puddin, Daisy, Bud, Monkey See, Monkey Do- March 2009

One of my biggest surprises about being a mommy to many little munchkins is the relationship they have with each other.

Puddin and Monkey See checking out Bud- March 2009

I ADORE watching them love on each other.

Puddin, Monkey See, & Monkey Do- Sept. 2007

It melts my heart to watch them interact with such joy
and love for each other.

Puddin and Bud, March 11, 2009

Now, don't get me wrong, it's not always rainbows and puppies around here. They argue, disagree, and as of late, a certain someone has taken to pinching. *sigh*

BUT a lot of the time they don't do any of that stuff. THEY LIKE EACH OTHER!!!!

Monkey Do and Puddin- August 2011

Hearing my two year old ask her sister if she had a

good day is precious!

Listening to my four year old pray for his siblings and the

"bootiful weader we awre havin" is a sweet, sweet sound.

Monkey See, Puddin, Monkey Do- 2008

When my two year old busts her lip, (a first for us and very traumatic to say the least) it comforts me to know that her sister is just as worried and concerned as I am.

The concern, joy and love they show for each other every day is, well, icing on the cake!

Monkey Do, Puddin and Monkey See, July 24, 2009

It's a relationship I didn't really visualize when we decided to have another baby. Yes, I wanted my children to be close, to be friends and to love each other, but I didn't really know the joy it would bring me to see it all unfold before my eyes!

Puddin and Monkey See, the first time I really saw them being friends and

LOVING to play with each other! Watching a dream become a reality!

Fall 2007

When we were expecting the boys, I prayed that the Lord would give us the wisdom and the strength to raise our children in a godly home and to bring them up in a way that would be honoring to Him. I also prayed that they would be close in their relationships with each other. I am humbled to see God honor the desire of my heart! What a blessing!

To see them love on each other, encourage each other and find joy in each others company is such a blessing!

Thank you Lord for this gift!

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the

desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

Watching these two, snuggled up in a laundry basket telling secrets! What a precious time!

Let's play catch up, shall we?

2011-09-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

I won't even bore you with the details of "I've been busy"...

that's a given.

But, I have also been schooling

(kindergarten, preschool, and seminary).

I have been sporting

(soccer/dance).

I have been creating

(some new stuff coming soon).

I have been mothering, homemaking and wife-ing too.

I guess, I've just been living!

We've had some fun stuff going on as well as some regular stuff so let's just play a little game of catch up....

IHOP with Nana after the 1st soccer game.

My kids LOVE IHOP!

riding our bikes to school

Puddin's Mr. Botatoe Head... notice the "B" on his head! :)

Our first "sweet treats" to go out this year!

homework

time out

MTSU opening game... so, so fun!!!

Two of my most favorite people in the world!!! {love}

me and my girls <3

everyone wears underwear and flip flops while creating, right??

NEW PRODUCT!!! Check out my FaceBook page for details.

Ok- I'll do my best to be back tomorrow with some "real time" updates!

Busy Night

2011-09-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

So much to share... so much to say!We had a great weekend!
Kids are busy...but happy!
Life is busy...but good!
BSF starts back next week and I am so excited!
But for now, I leave you with this...

A busy night! (I think there will be a lot more nights like this).
I'm frantically filling orders so that I can frantically fill my stock items for the upcoming shows.
Should be interesting!
I hope to fill you in on details soon.
{{hugs}}

What a day....

2011-08-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

I'm wrapping up a day that started like this...

And ended somewhere around here...

Full of cuteness but evidence of the day showing itself pretty clearly.

The kids all had marvelous days at school so we capped dinner off with this:

Now the house is quiet, and as clean as it's gonna get... resting for what's to come tomorrow.
As for me, I have about 5 hours before I do it all over again!
So, goodnight and blessings to you and yours!

Thanks and Soccer

2011-08-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

Wow! Y'all have been awesome shoppers! A big thank you from me, my closets and my husband!!
I have boxed what was left away. We went from 9 large tubs down to 4- woohoo!! But, if you see something that is still posted and you would like it, just leave a comment and I will pull it out. 4 boxes are much more manageable than 9!

Now, onto other news. The first week of kindergarten and phase in for preschool is over. whew! What a whirlwind week! We have all been exhausted! But, we know we will eventually get the hang of this, right? The girls have also gotten back into dance full swing, and my monkeys have taken up playing soccer! What a sight! They even had their first game on Saturday and it was sooo much fun!! I will have to post some pics of that after I get them out of the camera. Soon, I promise!
For now, I hope the first day of practice will do.

making sure I am still watching...

practicing "toe taps" I'm sure that's not what it is really called,but since I don't know the real name, toe taps it is!

I'm not sure what they are doing here, but since Monkey See is still smiling, it's a win!

again, pardon my lack of soccer knowledge...but I think they are dribbling?? hehe!

this looks like a kick!

and this is definitely someone losing the little patience they had to start off with!

entertainment by Puddin. Bud is not too happy about it so he is

"blowing the house down"... it gets messy!

still smiling!

apparently they are having a discussion about something...maybe it's the technicalities of the game so they could share them with me! Especially since while walking up to the field for Saturday's game Monkey Do said, "I weally hope I get a touchdown today!"

oh boy!

Virtual Yard Sale- Girls

2011-08-26T03:59:00.000-07:00

ok- I have removed the items that have been paid for, hoping it will make it easier for you to shop. Some things I had leave posted becuase either they have not been paid for yet or the picture was taken with another item that has not been purchased.
I plan to pack it all up and take it to consignment or back to the attic on Monday so this weekend will be last call!
Please tell your friends and neighbors to come and shop! I would love for all of this stuff to find new homes!
Thanks so much!!

* Udate-Update** The new listings start at #60. I will NOT be able to get invoices out tonight but I will tomorrow, probably around naptime. If you could please pay those through paypal that would be great! For those of you coming to pick up, I will be home everyday this week after 3:30. (thanks kindergarten! ha!) If I am shipping your items, please include your shipping address so I know where to send it and how much to calculate for your shipping costs.
~~THANKS SO MUCH! Y'all have been awesome!~~

**UPDATE... I found a few things in the dryer! HA! I will add them when I add the shoes. (A couple of dresses in there too!)

Ok, here are the girl items that I still have available. Many of you have requested 2T and 3T but my little Daisy is still in those sizes too. So I pulled some of the things that she had duplicates of (yes, duplicates) and some of the things that don't coordinate w/ her brothers or sisters (yes, I still make them "match"- but really, they like it!).
Feel free to tell your friends and neighbors! I want to take back my closets and attic space!!! I'm not sure how long I will leave this and the boy sale up, but I will let you know... I'm thinkig a few days and then we are off to the consignment stores and goodwill with what's left.

As for Pj's. I didn't list them because there are just too many. I donated a tub of newborn/baby gowns and sleepers to a ministry with our church last week so most of what I have in sleepers is 12m and up. If you are interested in those let me know and I will try and do a sperate email for that.

If you are new here, Welcome! I'm so happy to have you shopping!!! Below are the "game rules"... ha!
I hope everyone finds something for their little ones!
Here's how to play:
1.If you see something you like, leave a comment with sold, the # and your email.
2. I will send you an invoice and we can clean out my closets!! YAY!!!
3. If you are local and prefer to pick up rather than have me ship, just let me know and we can make those arrangements.
4. As far as shipping goes, I will try to package the items in brown envelopes and ship that way (typically cheaper) so it shouldn't be more than a couple of dollars.
5. Only mark it sold if you really want it! If you decide to pick up, I will need all items picked up with in 1 week.
6. If this works out then I will also do this for spring items too!

Also, I have checked and rechecked and checked again for spots or problems with all of the items listed. The only things I have listed that have "problems" are some of the shoes with scuff marks. I don't mindmy girls wearing shoes like that for play time outside or on playgrounds so i went ahead and kept them and they are listed at a very fair price.

Finally, Bishop dresses, (a big favorite of mine and my girls wear them alot!), are typically pretty expensive (anywhere from $45-$85/dress) due the the smocking on them as well as the long wear you can get out of them. They are usually oversized and are a classic "grow with me" dress. So, most of the time you can get a couple of years wear out of them. Daisy still have a couple 18m bishops that she is wearing and Puddin has some that are 4T's that she can still wear. So, they are priced a little higher than most dresses, but you will find that with most of my boutique stuff.

here we go...

4. Carter's teddy bear coat

24 mo.

snuggly and warm... not bulky

5.12-18 mo. Esprit Overalls

6. 18 mo.

Royal Child Bishop

short sleeve

red cord with brown velvet details

beautifully hand smocked with velevet ribbon and rosettes

$15

7. 18-24mo.

Gymboree "Hot Dog" set

Navy dress w/ hot dog embroidery

pink leggings with matching print

12. 2T

cute "cowgirl"dress with fringe on sides/ bottom

Cute to wear everyday or it woudl make a great dress for Halloween!

13. 24 mo.

Funtasia Bubble

comes with 2 belts for different looks

red/green Christmas plaid

worn 1x

$10

18. 2T

LeTop boutique brand

light green tiered dress w/ pink horse galoping on the bodice.

Silver buttons across the front

includes matching tights

19. 9 mo.

petite ami brand

reindeer 2 piece lounger set.

very soft cotten and very comfy.

runs a little small (in my opinion)

$5.00 ( a bargain for sure!)

20. 2T

LeTop boutique brand

blue/ brown cord, teried puppy dog print dress with brown velvet collar.

ruffles and velvet detailing.

very, very cute!

23. 3T

Old Navy pink cord dress

pretty detailed floral snaps down the front *

really cute with leggings underneath

*Puddin wore this when she was in moms day out and after her teachers informed m

e that she had lots of fun one day "flashing" her little friends by ripping open her dress (aghh!)

I went home and sewed a straight stictch down the front of the dress.

It isn't noticable at all but only the top 3 snaps come undone now.

$3.oo

24. 24 mo.

Genuine Kids brand form Target last fall.

ADORABLE dress- looks great in pictures too.

very, very cute!

Looks great alone or with tights, leggings and a sweater.

Very versatile!

26. 18mo.

2 piece red velvet set

"I am a GIFT of GOD" embroidery

Very cute at Christmas!

30. 9m.

LeTop boutique brand

Rust colored horse dress

cotton with snap closures

includes tights

31. 3-6 mo

Hartstrings brand

zipper front, hooded sweater

aqua w/ pink, brown crem details

32. 2T

Funtasia Brand

2 piece set

red/blue with horsie appliques

34. 2T

Wee Winter Woolies

Christmas dress with monogram

(I know this seriously limits potential customers but maybe there is someone who can use it ? I have also seen people put a patch with their monogram over the top.
$4

35. 24mo.

Aqua romper

Carter's brand

37. 3-6 mo.

Green disney sweater w/ hat

38. 6 mo

fleece "love" top w/pom-pom trim

heart leggings

40. 12m.

Royal Child Smocked Bishop dress

tan cord w/ Christmas tree smocking on the front

green piping on the sleeves

$13

41. 18mo.

Lavendar Blue dress coat in soft pink

hand embroidered rosetts on the top

very nice

light weight

$10

42. 18mo

Little Me red quilted jacket with mittens

Looks new

very nice

43. 24mo.

New Potatoes Brand

Pink cow jacket

very cute and comfy

cows are pockets

44. 18-24 mo

The Children's Place Reindeer hat

gender neutral

very, very cute

45. 2T

Hartstrings Sweater

super cute and versatile

48. 18-24m

cream velvet pants w/ satin bow

50. 2t

Old Navy zip pull sweater w/ hood

53. 12 mo.

Osh Kosh Christmas Angel sweater

never worn

57. turquoise turtleneck

$1.00

59. 2T

Sweet Potatoes Velvet Kitty Suit

***************************************************

61. 2T
Christmas Overalls
the reindeer ont he front is removable (he pins on)
These would alo be cute monogrammed
$7

62. 12mo.
Osh Kosh set
Christmas bird tee with red velour pants
cute and casual
$6

63. size 4

Lamour furry red leather boots

soft sole

$10

64. 12-18 mo.

Robeez Cream leather boots with furry lining

soft sole

$10

65. size 4

Wee Squeak's

good condition except for the scuffs shown on the front.

yes, they still squeak!!

Fun shoes for playtime!

67. 6-12mo.

Pink Leather Robeez

soft sole

excellent condition

$10

68. size 8

suede, brown, fringe, ankle boots

really cute on.

very good condition, only worn a handful of times (fat feet)

70. size 6

pink rain boots w/ brown trim

71. size 6

black sparkly circo (target) shoes.

A kiddie favorite!

still in very good condition

72. Size 6

black leather "Mary Janes"... a mommy favorite!

cherokee brand (also target)

slight scuff marks on the front of the left shoe

73. 6 1/2 wide

stride right

great shoes!

few scuffs on the toe but still in good condition

74. size 5 1/2

Willits brown leather shoe

soles are great but they do have some scuffs on the toes.

a really great, sturdy shoe

THAT'S ALL!!

LAST CALL-Virtual Yard Sale (BOYS)

2011-08-26T03:48:00.000-07:00

ok- I have removed the items that have been paid for, hoping it will make it easier for you to shop. Some things I had leave posted becuase either they have not been paid for yet or the picture was taken with another item that has not been purchased.
I plan to pack it all up and take it to consignment or back to the attic on Monday so this weekend will be last call!
Please tell your friends and neighbors to come and shop! I would love for all of this stuff to find new homes!
Thanks so much!!

****ANOTHER UPDATE**** 130 items below
~~1. Yes, you can bust up matching sets that have not been sold.~~
~~2. Invoices should go out this evening so check your inboxes then.~~

*** UPDATED AGAIN!** After going upstairs to pull the girl clothes and take pictures, I found ANOTHER box of boy stuff! So I have added it to the very bottom starting at 107 (just in case you shopped previously...this way you won't have to look at everything again.) I wish I knew an easier way.

~~Also, this post doesn't even touch on the sleepers! I have 2 entire tubs of sleepers and PJ's so if you are interested let me know!~~

**ITEMS 1-106 ARE POSTED BELOW.... THIS IS A LONG POST! YOU MAY WANT TO GET A DRINK AN SETTLE IN!

**I AM WORKING ON POSTING SOME MORE ITEMS JUST AS QUICKLY AS I CAN!
~~SORRY FOR THE LENGTH-I-NESS OF THIS POST....BUT THEY ARE PRICED TO SELL!~~

I am in desperate need to clean out some closets and I do not have time for a real life yard sale and the consignment sale that I usually do is scheduled for a weekend when I already have plans...so here are the results. A virtual yard sale!
I was going to do this only on FB but, the pictures on the blog come out bigger and brighter and so much more clear and it also allows people that aren't my FB friends to see the clothes too! I need lots of shoppers!!!
I warn you, I have 3 boys and a lot of clothes so I am going to start with those.

Here's how to play:
1.If you see something you like just leave a comment with sold, the # and your email.
2. I will send you an invoice and we can clean out my closets!! YAY!!!
3. If you are local and prefer to pick up rather than have me ship, just let me know and we can make those arrangements.
4. As far as shipping goes, I will try to package the items in brown envelopes and ship that way (typically cheaper) so it shouldn't be more than a couple of dollars.
5. Only mark it sold if you really want it! If you decide to pick up, I will need all items picked up with in 1 week.
6. If this works out then I will also do this for spring items too!

Ok. So I will post what I have left of the itty-bitty stuff first and move up in sizes. I have NB- size 3. However, the majority of what I am selling is 18-2T.

Please tell your friends to stop by and shop!! I hope to have everything up and listed by 8:00 tonight! I really need my closets back!!!

1. white tennis shoes $2

2. SOLD suede/plaid loafers $2

3.blue suede shoes (tender toes) $3

4.white tennis shoes $2

5. tan suede shoes (tender toes) $3

all size 6

7. SOLD black/white velcro tennis shoes (6 1/2) $1.00

8.SOLD tan work boots (7 1/2) $2.00

9. Bugle Boy black dress shoes (5 1/2) $1.00

9. SOLD brown leather Robeez (0-6 mo.) $3.00

10. Converse camo high top sneakers new! never worn (size 2) $3.00

11. Pottery Barn kids bumper pad $15

12. 0-3m. Yellow long sleeve onesie (super cute!)

I have 2 of these

$1.00

13. "Life is Good" 4 piece set (2 available)

3-6 mo.

very soft cotton, looks new

includes: onesie, hat, pants and jacket

14. Carter's 3 piece "little speedster" set

3mo.

includes: 2 onesies and a pair of pants.

Worn 1x

15. blue jeans with red lined cuffs /red stitching 6mo. $1.00

16. SOLD Blue check longall with collar 0-3mo. $1.00

Super cute together with workboots and a ball cap!

I loved to layer these 2 shirts with either blue jeans or cords.

17. Navy/tan plaid shirt (6-9mo) 2 available ($1.00)

18. mustard colored thermall henly (6-9 mo) 2 available ($1.00)

19. Children's place carpentar jeans(12mo) $2.00

20. Navy "cargo" cords (6-9 mo.) $2.00

22. Specialty Baby Puppy layette

2 pieces (jacket/pants)

0-3mo.

$2.00

23. SOLD Gymboree Monkey Layette

2 piece set

warm and snuggly!

0-3mo.

$2.00

24. baby Gap 2 piece set

0-3mo

long sleeve onesie w/pants in Navy $2.00

25. baby Gap 2 piece set

0-3mo

long sleeve onesie w/pants in Green $2.00

26-27. LeTop Jack-o-lantern Halloween sacs.

0-6 mo.

2 available

Very warm fleece

$4 ea.

28. 3-6 mo. Gymboree 2 piece Owl set
~~2 available~~ 1 left

so, so cute an very comfy.

Great for church

29. Carriage Boutique Sweater set.

hand embroidered ducks

0-6mo.

30. 3-6 mo.

Air Patrol Olive green, cord, overalls w/shirt.

31. Old Navy Lounger

3-6 mo

2 available

32. Bear sweater

3-6mo.

cute w/jeans

$2.00
2 available

33. "wooly" brown Puppy suit.

3-6 mo.

2 available

34. Halloween Onesie

cute- gender neutral

3mo.

2 available

$1.00 ea.

35. Carter's zip up cardigan

puppy pull on zipper

3 mo.

$2.00

41. "John Lennon" Romper

3-6 mo

very roomy and comfy

$1.00

44. Dinosaur shirt

9mo.

$1.00

45.Carter's Khaki cords/sweater

really, really cute!

6mo.

46. Old Navy Cable Sweater
2 available
3T/6-12mo.

$3.00

worn here

47. Children's place sweaters

2 available

6-9 mo.

cute!

$3.00 each

48. 2 piece Christmas Sleeper set

6mo.

(the back has diaper snaps across the bum and says "santa's litte helper")

comes w/hat

gender neutral

$3.00 each

2 available

49. LeTop Velour Reindeer suit (2 available) Picture shows front of one and the back of the other as well as the feet.

Soft and warm.

6mo.

$5.00 each

53. baby Gap brown cords

12-18mo

like new

56. 2 piece boutique set

18mo but runs small

sweater/cord pants

$3.00
2 available

59. Super comfy lounge set

18-24mo.

Christmas tree on top with christmas tree print on pants

$2.00

61. IZOD jean jackets. never worn (still have original tags)

18mo.
1 still available

$3.00 each

62. Baby Gap overalls

18-24 mo.

2 pair

I {heart} overalls!

$3.oo each

63. Blue/gray striped turtle neck onesie

18mo.

$1.00

64. jeans 18mo

2 pair available

$2.oo each

very good condition

65. navy sweater vest

18mo.

$2.00

66. green sweater vest

18mo.

$2.00

70. red "Regatta" onesie ~~(2 availble)~~ 1 left

24mo.

$1.00

71. navy Blue Cords

$2.00

73. Old NAvy red fleece lined overalls. super warm.

18-24mo.

$3.00

75. "jolly" boutique T shirt

24mo.

like new

$3.00

78. Carter's "All Star" romper

24mo.

$2.00

80. Carter's "soccer" romper

24mo.

$2.00

83. Reversible Mulberry Street Longalls

~~2 available~~ 1 available

24mo.

$10.00 each

84. ZU "gingerbread" cord longall with built in shirt

24mo. 2 available and a 12 mo.

$10 each

worn here

85. Carter's zipper sweater w/ frog embroidery

24mo.

$2.00

87. LeTop velour zoo animal romper

24mo.

looks new

2 available (picture shows front and backside)

$10 each

89. Red plaid button down shirt

24mo.

~~2 available~~ 1 left

$2.00

91. 2T barn coat w/ tick quilted lining

"Outbrook Kids"

very warm

good condition

$5.00

92. 3T gingerbread man longall

red cord

$8.00

93.Royal Manor jeans

$1.00

good condition

94. Old Navy "carpenter' jeans

great condition

$2.00

95. SOLD
Gap "slim" jeans 3T

great condition

$2.00

96. Navy chinos

good condition

$1.00

97. Classic club Baby navy pants

24mo.

$2.00

98. Lee jeans

light wash

24mo.

$1.00

99. Cherokee elastic waisteband jeans

$1.00

100. SOLD Northwest Territory jeans

$1.00

101. Navy cords

great condition

24mo.

$2.00

106. Gymboree Christmas plaid shirt

seen here

~~2 available~~ 1 left

$3.00

107. 3T Green striped soccer shirt

$1.00

108. 2T

Osh Kosh red turtle neck

$1.00

109. 3T Osh Kosh brown/blue collared shirt

$1.00

110. 24 mo. striped turtle neck

$1.00

111. 24 mo. Gray turtleneck

$1.00

112. 24mo. Striped turtleneck

$1.00

113. 24mo.

The children's place red turtlenecks

2 available

$1.00 each

114. 2T Old Navy Royal Blue turtleneck

$1.00

115. 2T Old Navy Yellow turtleneck

$1.00

120. 2T baby Gap green cord. overalls

$3.00

121. 2T orange/gray striped thermal shirt

really cute

$2.00

122. 6-9mo. "squiggles" boutique Christmas lounge set

gender neutral

super cute and very comfy

$4.00

123. 12 mo. (runs small)

Petit Ami reindeer 2 piece set

very comfy and soft cotton

Super cute on

$5.00

124. SOLD
3T pumpkin smocked gingham short all

really cute!

worn 1-2x

$8.00

125. 3-6 mo.

Reindeer sweater

2 available

$1.00

126. 6 mo. Zu boutique longall

reindeer w/built in shirt

$8.00

127. 18-24 mo. Sweater jacket

Navy

2 available

$2.00 each

128. SOLD
2T red/black gingham shirt

looks layered but it's all one piece

never worn- still has tags

$2.00

That's REALLY all for tonight!

Girl stuff will follow tomorrow night!

Thanks for shopping!!!

The Fah-mer

2011-08-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

Momma, when I'm a gwown up may-an, I'm gonna be a fah-mer.

I'm gonna hab a twactor and I will take you fowr wides evey-day.

Cuz I wuuuuv you so, so much.

**swoon**

I can't wait for those tractor rides!

(clothing inspired by his love of all things farm related, including Farmer Jason)

The Big Day

2011-08-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

She made it!

What a big day for my Puddin!

She is finally an official Kindergartener and she LOVES it!

going in her new classroom to meet her teacher for the first time!

Yes, there were tears shed.
But, not by her!
She had a great time and was excited to be there.
I was a big baby. But at least I waited to get to the van before I started crying!

It just amazes me how quickly they grow up!

One minute she has such chubby legs I wonder if she will ever learn to walk, the next minute her legs are long and lean and she leaps accross the parking lot with excitement!
*sigh*

It was a bittersweet day for sure.

After I picked her up the excitement was still overflowing from her!! (I LOVE that!)
She made lots of new friends and loves her teacher.

Puddin and Mrs. Seigfreid

I learned something too. While it was nice to go to school on her first day with just the two of us... it is much easier on me, emotionally, to have the rest of the gang in tow! There is no time to get all weepy and emotional! Especially not with that happy, smiling, beautiful face looking back at me (and Bud trying to tackle the stairs by himself! ha!)

These are some pictures from her first day....

all ready to go to her 1st day!

Puddin and Daddy

Daisy, Mommy and Puddin

on our way to the van...new backpack and lunchbox

so excited! What a smile!

on the steps before we went inside

one final picture of Puddin and Mommy before I had to leave

Puddin at her table with her new friends in her classroom.

Got OJ

2011-08-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

Baby girl has been running a fever for the past couple of days, nothing serious, just a virus. But, the virus has apparently made her feel the need to be attached to my hip and only my hip. No other hip will do. While it has caused some serious juggling (to say the least) I have enjoyed a little more cuddle time with my little independent baby girl.

Since she hasn't been feeling well and I am feeling the sudden urge to save all of their immunity systems from whatever virus she is fighting, I decided we needed some OJ (the fresh squeezed kind). Problem was, I didn't have the ingredients.... you know, oranges.

Being the problem solver that I am, I loaded the children up and we went to the grocery store to get some. For the most part, it was one of our most successful shopping trips. No tantrums or clean ups necessary.
However, if you race across the parking to ask me if all these young'uns are mine,
and you happen to be dentally challenged,
and you are a "grown up daddy",
then, do not be surprised when an unnamed Monkey is surprised by the lack of teeth and asks you about your recent visits from the tooth fairy and how much money you got.
uh humm.

Back to the story. Yes, we got our oranges and proceeded to add freshly squeezed OJ to the lunch menu today. We have a juicer, courtesy of craigslist, and it's great! Yes, it's kind of a pain to clean all of the parts but it does the job so quickly and, even better, it just happens to be the secret to maintaining a quiet atmosphere at lunch around our house!

You could hear a pin drop, seriously.

And even better.... it leaves the best OJ mustaches ever!

See for yourselves!

Bud's reaction was just too adorable! He's very sensitive to, well, pretty much everything these days so I wasn't sure how he would react. I love this little stinker!

Happy to be using a big boy cup

Thinking about it....

savoring the taste...

He like it, he really likes it!!

Random thoughts

2011-08-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

1. I started the letsgetupearlyforkindergatren routine today. At 6:30 am. ugh. it's been a mighty long day.

2. trying to fix this crazy back to school schedule for 7 people is hard.

3. kidergarten nerves have set in.... for the monkey brothers. I think it's more like seperation anxiety.

4. may have to leave bsf this year. See #2 above. bummer

5. missing my bestie... bad

6. had to buy another stroller....geeez.

7. I have a swagger wagon!!! yippeeee!!

8. been praying a lot.

9.sabra hummus us better than homemade... just my opinion.

10. my kids ate 13 eggs this morning! mercy!

11. I BIG PUFFY HEART skype!

12. that's all for now.

Toddler, Preschooler, Mommy Torture

2011-08-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

She's torturing me. Seriously.
Why does she have to go and grown up?? *sigh*
Puddin has decided she wants her ears pierced. double*sigh*
Why does she want to do this to me? After all, she does have perfect little five year old ear lobes! Why mess up a good thing?
All I want her to do is stay little!! Yet, she continues to grow up right before my eyes! She even went and enrolled for Kindergarten! the nerve!
can you tell I'm struggling a bit with this "growing up " thing?
triple*sigh*

So every day since we returned from our Mississippi trip she has asked to get her ears pierced (thanks girls!) and every day I tell her," not yet." I shouldn't be surprised though, I remember doing the same thing when I was 5.
I know getting your ears pierced really isn't that big of a deal, but, in my little world it sure seems like it.
I found this video the other night and considered showing it to her. I know, I am horrible. But, it might buy me a little time!(insert evil laugh) muahhahhahh!
What do you think?

For a very Special Friend

2011-08-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

How beautiful that He knows our circumstances and comforts our hearts.

So grateful for His love!

Happy 4th birthday

2011-08-06T02:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my precious baby boys turned 4. Wow. That doesn't seem possible,
Together or separate they are the most charming, delightful, loving, funny, affectionate, sweet, kind and adorable little boys! They make their momma proud every single day.

So, here is the run down of the party. We went a little different route this year. Years past have included a Monkey party, a Barnyard bash and an Airplane party. This year my little guys were begging for a SUPERHERO party! While I knew it would be cute and lots of fun, I also knew it would be super hot and little boys in full superhero attire in my backyard would be miserable.

A compromise was in order.
I found a delightful amusement park that is fairly close to our home. While my boys, or any of my children for that matter, have never been to an amusement park, it only took 1 visit to their website and they were hooked! But just to sweeten the deal, I offered us to stay an extra day so they could stay in a hotel (a definite crowd pleas-er) so they could swim at the pool and jump on the beds. :)

It was settled. We would go to Lake Winnie the weekend before their birthday and the actual day of their birthday we would have a family party.

We were all so excited!!!

Then our lovely van had some issues and died the morning we were supposed to leave. Don't you just love it when God does something like save you from being stranded on the other side of a mountain, on the side of an interstate with 5 small children in late July heat?! I know I do.

Needless to say, our plans were ~~cancelled~~ postponed, until our transportation situation could be worked out. Now that "situation" requires a blog post all on it's own. I'll be sharing that soon.
Needless to say, God once again provided and all is good. really good!

back to the party

So, the kiddos were all pretty understanding and we moved on, knowing that we would be going, just not as we had originally planned. So instead we went ahead and prepared for our family party. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking. My mother's thumb is acting up and it's a bear to type.

here we have a little fun with the pinata....I have no idea where Bud's pants are....

Then we moved on to opening the presents. Yes, Monkey see got his "frum set and frum sticks"

Super hero power!!! They are so, so happy in these pictures!!

Finally, they recived new bicycle helmets and pads for their bikes. They are actually girl princess bikes that our neighbors gave us for the kids to ride around on and since the boys didnt have a bike they claimed them for their own. However, little did they know that Papa and Nana got them new bikes to go along with their helmets! they didnt even see the bikes when they went out to the garage. I think Daisy had to point them out!

And away they go!

Finally, we moved back in for cake and ice cream.

Monkey Do blowing out his candles

Monkey See's turn!

And we ended with a little music!

Happy birthday to my precious boys!

Fun times

2011-08-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

My daddy recently had a birthday. He lives in Mississippi, so while it's not a world away, it's not next door either. Thankfully, we can make it there in about 5 hours...depending on how cooperative our littles are! So, we decided it would be fun to surprise him for his birthday. We loaded up the van and headed off one Saturday morning. Since I have lots of family in the area, we decided to visit with some of them first. So we hit Aunt Judy and Papa Hal's house first. There is always music and laughter there, which is something my kiddo's thrive on! Some cousins and Aunts stopped by for a quick afternoon visit too.
While it was a quick visit, it was sure nice to see my family.

Bud and Daisy

Aunt Judy, Papa Hal, Tim, Kelly

Bud, Daisy and Nana

Monkey See, Monkey Do, Cousin P and Bud

After we were all worn out by the Mississippi heat, and sufficiently ~~sticky~~ sweaty, we headed off to get a quick dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Thanks to cousin G my monkey's ended up with a face full of whipped cream. I guess in Mississippi, if it's your birthday the local "tradition" at the Mexican restaurants is to sing happy birthday to you, put a sombrero on your head, and then put a "pie" of whipped cream in your face. My monkey's did not find it amusing! poor things!

Finally, we hit our hotel for bath time (thank goodness!) I bathed the kiddos while hubby unpacked the van. We finally got everyone to sleep and we were up and at 'em no sooner than we were in dreamland!

After we were dressed and fed and repacked, we made a quick pit stop to pick up cousin G and then drove the additional 40 miles to my daddy's town. We went straight to his church, hugged on family, and waited for him to come out from Sunday school and be surprised! And he was! It was so sweet to see his face when he finally noticed the 8 of us taking up his row!
After the service we headed to my Uncle Jeff's home for lunch and his party.

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite picture of the ~~day~~ weekend.

Daddy blowing out his candles

Nona, Monkey See, Puddin

Uncle Jeff, Bug, Kayla, Cousin N,

Cousins!!

Where is baby Hope?

I love my daddy and look forward to more birthday's full of surprises for him!

The View from Here....

2011-08-04T02:26:00.000-07:00

Getting back to it.

2011-08-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

So, part of the lack of posting over the past few weeks has been because of this sweet face.
We have been counting down the days to kindergarten.
*sigh*

Yep, the time has come. HOW did that happen?? It seems like I was just cradling my little Puddin and now- she's off to kindergarten!

So, this summer we have had lots of summer fun, but I have also been intentional on keeping a low profile and just soaking up my little Puddin. She is so ready for kindergarten, she is definitely going to love it! We are super excited about her teacher and we just know it's goingt o be a good year.
On the way in today to meet her teacher she said, "Mommy, you know my preschool teachers really loved me- they still do. And I just bet my new kindergarten teacher is gonna love me just like they did, too!" <3

So, I am working on getting a routine going, bear with me. While I have tried to keep a low profile this summer and soak up my kiddos, we have also had a very eventful summer! My camera is about to burst it's so full of pictures! So, I will be updating very soon.
Until then, have a happy day!

6 weeks

2011-07-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! has it really been 6 weeks since I last posted?

That's crazy! But, when you have nothing to do all day but sit around and eat bon-bons while your toenails dry, time just gets away from you. ;)

Well, when we last visited, blogger was under an old format and my kiddos were just getting their summer on. I can definitely say, it is on, and in full swing.

Our full swing looks a little like this:

swimming lessons, night time swims, eating our weight in popsicles, cleaning out the fresh produce from Publix (more than once), going to VBS (twice), celebrating hubby's birthday, Puddin and Daisy's dance recital, Christmas in July, making some new kindergarten friends (preparing), counting how many days until my birthday a bazillion times x2, having our first sleepover, meeting Farmer Jason (live and in person!!), going to our first surprise party, throwing a going away party, buying another stroller, going to the ER, planning another birthday, shopping at the farmer's market (always a favorite), learning patience (again and again and again), and spending as much time as possible with some very, very special people to us before a really big move. But more on that later.

So, since I deprived you for so long of the sight of my precious babes, here are some pics from our traditional FeedTheDucksBeforeSundayEveningService activity.

It seems like every where you look in our town there is some sort of development going on. new roads, buildings, backhoes, and orange cones are everywhere you look. Well, when the new hospital was built last year they added a park area across the street that included a really great duck pond. last year we visited and I think the ducks were new to the whole, people with bread crumbs thing. This year the ducks have multiplied, and man, they know what's up now! So we started saving all of our crust crumbs throughout the week and on Sunday, after we are up from our nap and before we head back to church, we grab the crumbs and head to the duck pond. It has been a huge favorite!

There were so many ducks- it was crazy! The pond was full of goldfish and in some of the pictures you could see the gold flecks just under the surface.

My precious Monkeys!!!

They are so close to being 4 (and thrilled about it, too!)

Daisy aka Sassy

Puddin... my almost kindergartener!

and baby BUD!! He has a crazy, crazy love of this red hat!

He wears it every day, all day, even to church!

Bud thought the ducks might like a corn dog too. (gag!)

They did eat the breading but nothing else!

And finally, when we were fresh out of bread and about to head back to the van I turned around to see "BIG RED". Apparently, she had not had her fill of snacks yet and came to see what the hold up was.

At first, the kids were intimidated, but very quickly that canged, and they decided they needed to pet her. I don't think she bargained for that. They were quickly in hot pursuit! Poor Big Red, her little legs could only carry that nig body so fast! She was waddling with all of her might!

Finally, after we had the kids called off nd Big Red safely back in the water, we turned to see Big Red's Possee!

Also, VERY unafraid of us!

Big Mistake!

So there you go, just a typical Sunday afternoon around these parts!

And, btw, no ducks were harmed in this misadventure!

The Feed Store

2011-06-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

We are knee deep in the thick of summer right now and loving it!

The kids are at such a fun age and it's great because most everything we do can involve everyone now, with a little help for the littlest of the littles!
This week we will be finishing up swim lessons with at least 1 official swimmer in our brood! :)

Even the Monkeys are loving swim lessons this year, and if you've been hanging around these parts for a while, you know that's a big deal.

Real quickly, I did want to mention I have updated the shop. you can check that out as needed. The "custom" prices are reflected now as I mentioned in this post. Of course, you can always shop what's in stock too. If you are not local I will be happy to send you a picture of what's available.

But, right now all of my Puddin Pops are at the feed store. My favorite antique store in this area. I have invaded a corner of the barn and have the place all dressed up in Puddins! So, if you are in the area you should definitely check it out!

Wherever you are, I hope you are staying cool!

Hugs!

It's official....

2011-05-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

Summer

HAS

ARRIVED!!

Graduation

2011-05-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year... graduation time!

I remember being a senior and on top of the world at the end of May!

Now, while I'm happy of my Puddin and the little girl she is becoming, so much of me wants to keep her "as is". She has a personality that is priceless and a smile to go right along with it!

I love this little girl so much it makes my heart hurt!

While getting her ready for her last day of preschool I stopped to wonder at how quickly these days, weeks and years have passed!

Some might say, "She's only graduating from preschool". Yes, but that's still a big deal! She leaving those sweet precious baby years behind and is becoming a school aged kid. wow!

Before her visiting day at kindergarten, she was not looking forward to making the change. That day was very special for us because it got her excited about kindergarten. And even though I would LOVE to keep her in preschool forever, I wanted her to be happy about kindergarten.

I thought the fear of moving on had left us.

Until I picked her up from school on Wednesday... in tears! She cried for an hour after school- just sad that it was ending. :( poor baby!

Then on Thursday night, graduation night, her sweet teacher shared these pictures with me.

Apparently, the last day of school was hard for all of these little ones! These girls are just precious and my Puddin loves each of them so much! She was afraid she'd never see them again since they are all going to different schools.

We made our way through the tears with the help of a much needed nap and we were finally ready to put on a happy face for graduation that evening!

We went to our favorite Italian restaurant and had a special dinner with the grandparents and cousin G. It was really nice.

Finally we headed over to the preschool (Which I LOVE and am so happy my boys will be attending next year!)

Here are a few pictures to commemorate the event.... Puddin and mommy before the ceremony.

My sweet girl making her way down the aisle.

Puddin with her fellow graduating preschool friends.

The gangs all here!!

Something looks to be going awry here.... things are starting to unravel.... poor thing!

Many, many tears were shed at the end of the ceremony.

Finally, here is Puddin and her besty. She loves this little girl and we are hoping to get some playdates scheduled so they can spend more fun times together.

So, all in all, a great night, full of smiles and tears too.

Kind of like life.

I love you Puddin! Happy graduation!

Easter Rewind

2011-05-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

We had an absolutely fabulous Easter this year.

Easter is probably my favorite holiday and it's so fun watching children understand the meaning behind it.

I also get to host our Easter dinner so that's super fun for me too!

I'm so far behind in updating everyone with what's going on, and since I was unable to get a family Easter photo (it's pretty much impossible these days....mostly because of this little guy) I thought I'd share some outtakes instead.
He's cute alright, but don't let that sweet face fool you! He's quick and he's determined!

Case in point... the family photo. Should be easy right, line up, look at mommy, say cheese. NOPE.

Not going to happen. He makes us work for it!

checking to see if anyone is in pursuit...

gotcha!

cheese!

Next we went around tot he backyard to see if our "Magic Jellybeans" had grown anything over night.

Sure enough, they had! Each of the children had a giant lollipop grow right where they planted their jellybeans the night before!

*grin*
They were thrilled!

Since Sunday mornings are so crazy in our house (getting everyone up, fed, dressed and out the door in a good mood to make it to church on time) we have agreement with the Easter Bunny... he can come to our house, as long as he comes while we are at church so that the kids can have their baskets after church instead of before. We would never get out the door if we didn't do it that way!

here they are checking out their goodies!

*adorable!*

Very happy kiddos!

getting ready for the egg hunt!

The haul!

Competition was so fierce Puddin had to trade her basket in for a bag and she

nearly lost her bow this year!

Gotta love Daisy's snarl! She just wants the candy at this point!

All Quacked up!

2011-05-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Whew... what a whirlwind!

But, I'm back and ready to share the story behind this little photo....

I'll try to give you the short version...

Way back in my former life, when I was a teacher, I had an incubator and every spring my class would hatch eggs. We hatched mostly chickens but occasionally we would be lucky enough to get a duck or goose egg. It was a wonderful experience every year and truly a highlight of the school year for my children.
Now, not to be partial or anything but duckling are just too cute for words so, naturally, I have a soft spot for them.

Fast forward to present day and my new/real/current life of mommy to the fabulous five. Many times I have walked past that incubator on the top shelf of my garage, and thought, I should really hatch some eggs with my sweet little darlings. But, I wonder what the neighbors would think when we all waddled outside for our afternoon walk... me... 5 little ones... and a gaggle of ducklings??? Probably goes against the neighborhood bylaws.
hmmm.

BUT, I did have a friend who happened to have a duck that had laid some eggs. My friend was concerned that her little mama duck was neglecting her not yet hatched brood so she asked if she could borrow that lonesome little incubator in my garage.
I gladly agreed.

And a few short weeks later... ta-da... she had baby ducks! The were PRECIOUS!!! Just too cute for words!

Coincidentally, the 2 teachers I am mentoring (have I shared that yet?? I don't believe so but since this is the short version I'll have t come back to that in another post). Anyway, these ladies were also finishing up a unit in the classrooms that involved spring animals and mentioned how great it would be for the children to see real baby chicks or ducks.

Big smiles from me... my kind of teachers!
So I called my friend and asked if her ducks would like to go on a field trip with me. She said yes, I picked them up and away we went!
We spent the morning in the classrooms then I picked my crew up from preschool and didn't have time to return the babies in between those two stops. So I promised to have the babies home for dinner but ran home and put my children down for naps... ducklings too!

And when everyone woke up... what a surprise!! To say my kiddos were excited would be an understatement! They were thrilled and begged to keep them (if only!) They loved them! It was so precious to see the kids playing with them too. Monkey See especially loves animals so he was beside himself and didn't want to put them down. You can see in he pictures, he is sort of a "duck whisperer". Somehow, they would just lay on their backs and let him rub their bellies!

Anyway, we had lots of fun with the ducklings and I think we may be hatching a few eggs around here next spring!

In case you are wondering where the photos of Bud and Daisy with the duckling are... I didn't get any. It was impossible for me to take pictures of them holding them for several reasons:
1. Bud is also known as Baby Hulk or sometimes as Cave Baby around here. Super strong. and rough. 'nuff said.
2. Daisy was so enamored by them she just wanted to shove them in her pockets and run away and hid from us so she could have them all to herself. She is so much like Swiper the Fox it's crazy!
3. Tug of war with bby animals and two year olds is very, very ugly.
4. I'm just not that brave.

But trust me when I say, they were super cute during their supervised duckling visits!

Ups and Downs

2011-05-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

So, April has come and gone.
Oops!
It appears I ran out of time (once again) to post.
Have I mentioned life here is busy?
Like Crazy Busy??
I'm sure I have.
like 20,000x's
I really need to get back in the rhythm of posting. It seems like after I missed a few days I start to feel like a few more won't matter, and then it just feels awkward to come back on here and post.
WEIRD.
And then my family says, "Show us some pictures!"
I guess all I can say is patience. Even though I need this little blog to document and keep up with memories for me- it has become hard to document them while I'm in the midst of living them!
There are hundreds of things I have wanted to get on here- so I don't forget- but they will never pass over this keyboard because, sadly, I have forgotten them.
**OH- just remembered one! Monkey Do says kiss the sweetest way... it sounds like "chiss". He tells me 20x a day, "momma, you da best, Let me give you a chiss!"

So since this post is titled "ups and downs" I thought I'd share a few pictures from Puddin's Egg Drop Ceremony at preschool the other day.

And when I say it was full of ups and downs, I am not eggs-agerating!

Bud, sweet little Bud, had a monstrous meltdown that had me in tears the rest of the day and feeling like the worst mom to walk the planet. A sweet friend reminded me that he is just passionate, and that is a good thing. I keep reminding myself of that too.

so proud! Her egg survived the fall!
It's hard to believe her preschool experience is coming to an end!!! Only a few days left!

In other news... I've started texting! look out!!! Sadly, I am still really slow but, I am getting there. Or mabe it's sadder that I feel like I've accomplished something by getting on the text bandwagon?

My "mother's thumb" is acting up in a bad way. Seriously aggrivating! I have avoided the steroid shots up to now but I am considering acupuncture to help it... never tried it but willing to give it a shot.

yes, that is an Elmo DVD case Bud is carrying around in the pictures above. He carries one nearly every day. Sleeps with it too and he even throws a fit if I bathe him without it in his hands. Strange? Maybe, but it makes him happy and he's not too particular about the case as long as Elmo is on it. Plus, at least it's a comfort item that want require orthodontic work down the road.

And if you want to know what's going on in this picture, come back tomorrow and I will explain!

Out Takes

2011-04-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I tried to get a picture of my crew with my daddy... this was the result. Ha! Chaos at its finest! We really have it down to an art these days! :)

It appears as if Daisy is giving him an ear full to start off...

or maybe it's just the warning of what's to come?

Here they are... The fabulous 5, my Daddy and my nephew "B". In hindsight, this was a good picture. We probably should have stopped here.But- I thought, surely I can get a better one with everyone looking at the camera and smiling. In my defense, I had not been awake long and I truly am not a morning person. I think much clearer late at night! Even this shot was a good one considering what's about to happen... This is when it starts to fall apart... Bud on the run is a dead giveaway things will end poorly! You can barely see Monkey See in the back ground here. My Daddy, deciding it would be a good idea to hold Bud and Daisy to help contain them for the picture, inadvertently put poor Monkey See in a choke hold! Also notice- Puddin is still holding her pose. Ever the professional! My dear daddy, begging for help! Monkey See coming up for air! Puddin broke her pose... everyone is fading fast! My daddy giving in- Bud wins again! He is (sadly) undefeated!!!

His strength and determination are seriously hard to comepete with.

That boy is hard headed!

At least my Daddy was still smiling and no one was harmed during this "photo shoot"!

Pappy

2011-04-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

While my Daddy and co. were visiting a couple of weeks ago we

decided to have a quick photo session before they headed home.

These kiddos love their Pappy!

Puddin and Pappy

Monkey Do and Pappy

Monkey See, Pappy and Daisy (she wasn't too keen on sharing the spot light!) Bud and Pappy *While these pictures look mild mannered and sweet, the outtakes are priceless! I tried so hard to get one of all 5 of mine together with him....hilarious! I will share those tomorrow!

The Picnic

2011-04-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

For the "babies" second birthday party I tried to plan something that would be fun, we could stay at home, be outside and would not be too boy-ish or too girlie. That last part is becoming more and more difficult as they grow from babies to "big kids"! (sniff-sniff) What I finally decided on was a picnic party! Having a March party the weather part was a bit iffy but it was perfect for a boy or a girl so we went with it! Turns out it was a good choice because the weather couldn't have been nicer! The result was fabulous! So many people that are so important to our family were able to be there. Even my dad and company traveled from Mississippi for the party! Having them here and having my Uncle Jeff play the guitar and sing happy birthday to my babies was a very special moment for me! Lots of memories from my on childhood came flooding back. *sigh* So, here are some pictures and a few details... if I leave anything out just holler and I will answer your questions if I can! I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked. My camera died and I was busy hostessing so I did what I could!

The food table before... we hd picnic food... watermelon, strawberries, chips,

lemonade, cookies, capri suns, and a favorite

of the Wonder twins... cheetohs!

Sweet Daisy

The cake table... I'm not a big fan of fondant and I needed something that was easy and fairly "self serve" so we went with cupcakes. The cakes were frosted with green icing to represent grass and were topped off with ants made on a die cut machine! (thank you Mrs. Brenda!) The cake toppers were bought at Hobby Lobby. They were not origially cake toppers but with the help of my black and decker drill they quickly became exactly what I wanted! I just drilled 2 holes in each cupcake to hold the candles! Easy-peasy!

In the background you can see the birthday books for the babies. Each birthday my childrn get a new book to pass around at the party. All of the guests sign it and write a little message to the children. It's a great keepsake and a perfect momento of a special day! This year I realized I had not yet given the babies God Gave Us You. All of the ther children have it and it was a must have in their collections as well so it was an easy choice. :) close up of the ants...marching! The kids loved them!

The entertainment... My Uncle Jeff

eye-balling the foodtable...yum!

our party games consisted of old fashioned fun.... playing with friends! petting the dog fun on the swing set! They played in the play house too! We also had a pinata at the end of the party but by that time the camera's batteries were long gone!

Next we snacked on the munchies!

funny- my kids are the only ones eating! Everyone else was playing!

Then we had cake...

Everyone gathered around for that and it sent little Bud into a bit of a tailspin!He really doesn't like being the center of attention unless it's on his terms! Finally, he calmed down a bit and enjoyed his yummy cake! It was a great party and the kids had a blast! It was also an easy party to plan! Just think picnic and pray for sunshine!

Now, back to the real world, where my babies are 2 years old, my house is a disaster, 2 of my children re currently in time out, and I have nothing prepared for dinner but my husband will be home in 30 minutes! Yikes!!

Rerun Flashback

2011-03-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after the kiddos got up from their naps I was finishing up some laundry and rounded the corner to the kitchen. I ran smack dab into this: Which made me immediately think of this:

Anyone else ever watch Rerun on What's Happening!?

Funny the things that pop up in your memory at the oddest times!!

In other news: The newest "lovies" in the Puddin Pop Designs family have made their debut on the Puddin Pop Designs facebook page. Hop on over and check them out! I was going to post them here, but duty calls so it will have to wait!

BTW- I will be posting the run down of the "babies" most recent birthday party as soon as I get a chance. Our theme was a "picnic"... it was lots of fun!

The Line Up...

2011-03-29T18:33:00.001-07:00

Still here

2011-03-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Chances are, I have used that title once, or twice, maybe more.

But whose counting, anyway?

Yes, life has been busy.

Yes, things are the usual crazy.

I have lots and lots to share, but time is precious.

So while I have all of these things I need to write down, so I will remember them, it's just hard to find time to sit and blog about them.

I'm working on fixing that. The problem is, I don't like to pre-post.

I prefer real time when possible.

Anyway, enough about that.

In today's news:

We managed a trip to Hobby Lobby (me, Bud and Dasiy) and Bud DID NOT throw a screaming tantrum. It was amazing! Sadly, it was also a first for him. Poor guy, he really dislikes crowds and public places.

We also managed to bust our favorite stroller.

So sad.

It was also our last stroller. I previously sold the other 3.

I had thought this one would hold out another 3-6 months for us, but nope.

It is "broke down". So, life will not become a little more complicated, or I will have giant Arnold arms as I'm not going to buy another one.

Source

I stopped this morning to pick up a quick bite to eat for myself, which I rarely do. The trio were at preschool and Daisy was in her dance class so it was just Bud and I . He had a yummy buttery biscuit. I had a raw chicken biscuit. uck!

My new latest obsession... first let me say we just got cable about 2 weeks ago... that being said, have you seen Sister Wives? oh my.

So since real time isn't that exciting, let me share a super exciting moment with you.

A couple of weeks ago we received a call that Puddin got in to the school we were hoping for. We were so excited.

They also asked all of the incoming kindergartners to come and spend a few hours in the classroom for pre-assessment.

It was a really big day!

Here is my little Puddin so excited to go to Kindergarten!

She looks so small as she heads off into the "big school!"

And the last one was taken in the classroom, in the Sea of Kindergarten! Yes, I was THAT mom... taking a picture of her child that was so excited to be there she forgot I existed. I didn't even get a wave goodbye, much less a hug. I might have almost, kindof sortof had a mini anxiety attack. Maybe.

I think that's enough catching up for one day. See you again tomorrow... fingers crossed!

2 precious years

2011-03-10T08:14:00.000-08:00

I posted this on FB this morning. I know I've shared it here before. But today is Bud and Daisy's 2nd birthday. Wow- 2 years.

It's really hard to believe sometimes.

So today, just like 2 years ago, it was a day I knew was coming but didn't feel quite prepared for.

How does 2 years fly by so quickly???

So today we are spending some time soaking up our Wonder Twins...aka Sweet n Sassy.

While the trio is at preschool we are going to lunch at one of their favorite spots, and Daddy will join us. We may hit an indoor play area quickly before daddy heads back to work. This evening we will be partying with lots of Spaghetti and birthday cake...quickly followed by a "birthday bath!'

I'll share more pictures later this evening but for now, I'm going to snuggle some sweet 2 year olds!!

birth slideshow

back in the Saddle again!

2011-03-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hi friends! thanks for the prayers! I am feeling much, much better today! So, before I lay my littles down for a nap I thought I'd share some of the Puddin Pop Kids that went out last week.

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Sick

2011-03-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry peeps! I'm a little under the weather! I think I have what all of my littles had so I'm am moving very slowly. I will be responding to emails and orders as soon as I can. If you have sent me an order- I promise I am not ignoring you... just trying to survive as a sick mommy.

BTW-in order to create your listing in the etsy shop I will need all of the details of your order so if you are trying to decide on some of the details, that's ok, but I will wait and do the listing when we have everything in order. :)

ok- going back to bed now that all of my littles are sleeping.
:)

In like a LION!

2011-03-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

The Lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD

lack no good thing.

Psalm 34:10

When Puddin was 3 she heard this verse to song in the SEEDS family worship CD, Seeds of Courage. ( AWESOME! I totally reccomend these CD's to everyone and if you have a child who is fearful, SEEDS of Courage will totally help!)

Anyway, after she heard the song, this Scripture became her favorite.

She said it reminded her of Daniel in the Lion's den.

So, since it's March I thought I'd play around with the idea of a lion,

and this verse immediately came to mind.

I think he turned out pretty cute!

And in other news...

The Wonder Twins will be 2 in six days. That's right, SIX days!!!! Crazy! I just don't get how quickly the past 2 years have whizzed by!! As you can see, they are up to their usual tricks... creating mayhem and looking adorable while doing it!

Little stinkers!

Well on her way!

2011-03-03T21:13:00.000-08:00

This little girl has been working hard.

She is serious about Wilbert.

She has cleaned the bonus room ( a BIG job for mommy alone!)

and her bedroom for 3 days!!!

(seriously- a HUGE accomplishment!)

Her eye is on the prize!

One down, only $999 more to go!

Puddin's new pet request...

2011-03-02T21:46:00.000-08:00

Hold your horses...

The cat's out of the bag,

I hope you can run with the big dogs because something's squirrely around here!

You see, my girl LOVES animals. In fact, she not a doll playing kind of girl, but she will play with her little stuffed animals until the cows come home!

And her love of animals has led her to the decision that she needs a pet. (We already have a dog but I guess since she was here before Puddin, she doesn't count in her book).
So we have spent some time talking about pets and what she might like. At first it was always, "When can I have a kitten?"
My response was always,

"Never."
Harsh?? I don't think so. We had a cat when we were first married.

It didn't go well.

moving on

Then we started to think about another dog. For about a minute, and then decided we had done that before too and again, it didn't go well.

So I started to suggest smaller caged animals. Like, hamsters or guinea pigs. But, she decided that since birds are her most favoritest animal in the whole wide world that a bird would absolutely be the most perfect pet for her. We actually started to lean into this one. Except for the flying bird seed that I keep imagining and the fact that the pet store lady told me most birds live at least 25 years and the adorable finches we looked at needed a flock- they weren't good to have by themselves.

moving on

So, since spring is in the air and we are are starting to see images of bunnies everywhere and the fact that I'm pretty sure there is a nest in our backyard again, we have moved on to the idea of a rabbit.
Sounds sweet, right?

While doing some research it became abundantly clear that a rabbit would not be an ideal pet for us considering the current life stage we are in. Them being so fragile and all. Plus the fact that I have 5 very young children, 3 of which are very rough and tumble boys.

BUT, while I was "researching" on google Puddin came in to look at the bunnies....

aww they are sooo cute!!! As we were dreaming that maybe one day

we could be the proud owners of a little, fuzzy, bunny

we came across this image on google....

YIKES!

Have you ever seen anything like this before?!!

This is a Quality Netherland Dwarf Rabbit.

That's right, DWARF!!

Puddin's face went from that of "Oh it's so cuuute!" to shock and horror.

So, I guess I can thank google for getting me out of the pet rabbit arena.

But she wasn't finished yet.
She then informed me that we should look for pigs becuase she was just like Fern and LOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEDD baby pigs.
(Her favorite toy is a Fur Real friend pig she got from her Aunt Christi for her 4th birthday.)
She is devoted to him. His name is Wilbert.
That's right, Wil-bert.

He has been dearly loved.
He gets dressed up and pushed around in his baby carraige too, just like Wilbur did. She loves him.

So, I googled baby pigs and found there are a lot of different kinds of pigs.
And, yes, people keep some of them as pets.
Predominately,the pot bellied pig.
hmmm.... cute, but,
moving on.

Then something caught her eye.

I'm pretty sure it was this....

Is that not the most adorable little piggie you have ever seen?!! It was love at first sight! She was squealing as loud as she could, "That's him, that's my Wilbert!"

My girl is a smitten kitten, with a pig.
A tea cup piggie to be exact.
Oh, the reasearch that I have done....
needless to say, the whole family would love to add little Wilbert to our funny farm
BUT these little piggies carry a very heavy price tag!
I told my precious Puddin- no way, we couldn't afford it.

The next day she informed me that she was getting a job.
But not just any old job, a really good one.
When I asked her why she looked at me like I had 2 heads and said,
"Cause I need some money to get Wilbert."

Smitten, I say.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-03-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

yuck.

Raise your hand if you like change...

yeah, me neither.

But, I have learned that it often seems to be unavoidable.

You may have noticed some changes going on here at PPD. I have been delaying making them for a while as I have wrestled with even doing so. But these are changes that I had to make for various reasons so I thought it best to lay it all out there.

Since I started making these PPK's almost 4 years ago (sort of by accident), my goal was never to make a million dollars. The premise was simple. Make a cute baby with the Word of God on the front and let it speak not to just those little hearts receiving it, but also those people around the child that might see it. Simple.

Now, I am no math wizard, just ask my mom or my husband or Mrs. Gipson, my high school math teacher, so pricing was a bit of a challenge for me. Once this turned from a "hobby" to a "business" my husband wanted to calculate the time it takes for each baby plus the cost of each one to determine what the profit should be. I felt like I should just keep charging the same for them as I had been before when I was making them for my friends. I didn't have a formula, it started with an offer for $20 to make one. I accepted... thus you have my pricing formula. Genius, I know.

Now, don't get me wrong, I was making a little bit of a profit but when you add 4 more children to my family, and a "business" that is growing, time has become increasingly valuable. No matter how hard I try to stretch the hours out, there are only 24 in a day.

In addition to that, I have listed some other changes to the dolls themselves:

No longer are the scriptures added by heat transfer. They are now printed on fabric and sewn to the doll. ( This is more durable but it is more expensive).

The hair in pig tails is now stitched down so it doesn't become "floppy".

If you are ordering for a toddler or baby I will hand stitch the skirt onto the doll to make sure it doesn't come off.

The PPk's have a label.

There is a hairstyle option.

There are various sizes to choose from.

There have also been some changes on my end as far as ordering product. It's been a bit of a bear. It seems the most popular details have become increasingly more difficult to get my hands on. Things such as yarn textures and stuffing. I can no longer purchase these things in bulk (costs less) but now I have to purchase them in much smaller quantities (cost more). And often times I have have to drive out of town to find a location that is carrying the product that month?! ( Have you seen gas prices?!) Yikes!

I have also had to instill a payment policy. In the past I have allowed local folks to order and pay at pick up. Well, I have had a lot of folks late in picking up their product, which leaves me unpaid until they show up. So, I now have a policy that all orders must be paid for in advance before I begin an order. (I really disliked doing this, but it was unavoidable).

Because of all of this I have made a lot of babies, spent a lot of time away from my family sewing and made not much profit.

So, all of this is to say, that while I have delayed doing this as long as possible, I will have to be increasing the prices of the PPK's if I am going to continue my "business". I hope that doesn't run anyone off, because the ministry is still the same. I have not taken this decision lightly and I have spent much time in prayer over it.

If you ordered before March 1st and you are waiting for me to list your item on ETSY you will still be under the old pricing. :) All orders after March 1st 2011 will be under the new pricing.

That info can be seen in the right hand side bar under faq's.

Thanks for understanding and thanks for being a part of PPD!

(now cross your fingers I can get back to some regular posting! After all everyone in my house has been well, fever free/no sickness of any kind for 1 whole week!!! That must be some kind of record!!)

Things are looking up!

2011-02-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

Whew! What a year this has been.
Stomach virus and this crazy fever virus have just about done me in.
Bud was the last to contract the "fever".
C-R-A-Z-Y!

It has lasted 41/2 days so far. The worst day his fever was up to 103.8.
poor thing just felt terrible.
His fever got so high I ran him a lukewarm bubble bath.

Our version of "bubble bath is bubbles from the sky.
They love it!
I just fill up the bubble machine and turn it on.
Watching the bubbles fall is relaxing.
I think it helps distract them from feeling so terrible!

Finally, today he seems to be on the mend. He is fever free at least- finally! YAY!!!
Remember the scene from the ya-ya sisterhood when Ashley Judd's character is dealing with 3 screaming, puking kids all at once???

I remember seeing that and thinking- my stars! What a nightmare.

And I'm sure it was.

BUT, having 5 small children with a virus spread out over weeks at a time is no day in the park either. I have literally been holding someone for days on end. All the while, trying to tend to the other 4 children and cancel appointments left and right.

But, I am optimistic! I shouldn't complain. After all, my children are healthy and can fight off virus' and even though it has been a long few weeks somehow I think having them all sick at once would have been harder. It most definitely been harder to comfort them if they were having to share my lap.

So, things are looking up!

I still have high hopes for 2011. Everyone is fever free!!! hallelujah!!!

If you think about us though, please pray for good health in the

upcoming days for my little family.

Now, time to crank back up that sewing machine and get some Puddin Pop Kids ready to ship!!

Sick

2011-02-15T06:38:00.000-08:00

We are full on sick over here. Not sure if it's the flu or just the gunk. Nevertheless, we're sick.
So, my little blog will be put on hold until we are not sick!
We may be making another trip to our friendly pediatricians office in the morning if my little monkeys aren't better. For now, we are trying to tuff is out. There's only so many times you can pay someone to say, "It's viral. Just wait for it to pass."
So, we will give it one more day.
And pray is passes today and my little guys feel better. (they really are pitiful)
And pray while passing, it doesn't pass on to another little person in my house! **horror!**

If you have an order in with me, I promise I am working on it. It may just take a few days longer, because, well, we're sick. Right now I have to do a lot of snuggling and cuddling and lysol-ing too!

Thanks for your patience.
Thanks for your prayers.
Happy Tuesday!

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

And now these three remain:

faith,

hope

and love.

But the greatest of these is

love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Valentines Day and frustration

2011-02-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

But not necessarily in that order... or together.

Let's start w/ frustration, shall we?

This little darling is a mess. All of the time... a full blown mess. Bless her heart, she is precious and sweet and loving and giving and willing to share, even when she is up to no good, which is a lot these days. She would make a perfect spy one day because she is quiet, calculating and quick.

Don't let the sweet smie fool you, trust me when I say, she gives a whole new meaning to crafty. Truly, she keeps me on my toes. I have to stay two steps ahead of her at all times, and when I don't, she ends up eating half a canister of sugar.... but that's another post.

Anyway, yesterday after she and her brother went down for a nap I let the trio stay up and make their valentines for their party on Monday. They worked so hard ad did a great job. After they cleaned up and laid down I started the treats to go w/ their valentines. Each one is taking a different valentine so they had different coordinating valentines treats for their friends.

Yes, it was right after lunch and they were pretty much wearing their PJ's

or underwear. Oh, and BBQ sauce. :) Busy day.

Monkey See's valentine treats were probably my favorites. I just loved how simple and cute they were. (and easy too). I made sure after everything was made I put it all away so that little hands couldn't get into them.

Fast forward to this morning. My laptop had run out of battery power while I was checking a shipping fee so I went to my office real quick to plug in and finish the email ( 3 minutes, tops).

When I walked back in the kitchen my littlest darling had scaled the counter tops, found Monkey See's valentine treats that were packaged in a box, opened it and was eating them. Of course she was sharing them with Bud, but still- she was eating them!! And poor Monkey See was beside himself, upset.

So now we have some half eaten valentine treats and the rest are a sticky mess covered in toddler finger prints. I only had enough for the class so their are no extras. And since they are made with a seasonal Christmas item, I can't make more because they are out of stock!!!

Frustration!

So it's back to the drawing board. But, my Monkey See will have something special to take, I will just have to wait and whip it up Sunday evening when there is less of a chance Daisy can get her grubby little paws on them!

============================

Now to the valentine section of this post... It seems with every holiday I'm a little late to the party and miss posting about my decor. Since this isn't a home decorating blog, I guess it's no big deal. But, my children love to decorate for holidays and I like to do that stuff too so I thought I'd show you a little of what we have done.
Now, in my b.c. years (before children), I didn't decorate for valentines day (except in my classroom) and I don't think I knew anyone else who did either. But as with a lot of things that were b.c., that has changed.

So here ya go... A little valentines day decor...

We also hung up some of the birds from Puddin's last party and made a melted crayon valentine bunting but, I didn't get any pictures of those.

ok- here's hoping I can get something as a replacement for my little guy before Monday morning!

And a frustration free weekend for all of us!
Happy Friday!

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-02-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

So, it's Sunday night, the house is quiet, except for the hum of the dish washer... yes, it was finally installed! Not by me, or hubby. With more sick kids than we can arms our very kind neighbor came to the rescue!

So, this weekend Bud and Daisy were still under the weather. Seriously, all January we have struggled with sickness. It has just passed itself from one child to the next, then morphed into something new and gone around again and again!

Enough already.

Send me to the online store where I can buy some child sized bubbles, please!

Anyway, since they were still sick we stayed put and nursed the children. Puddin and Daisy played dress up.

Daisy has become Puddin's life sized doll. She is a willing participant as long as she gets to hang out in Puddin's room. And as long as she's willing to be dressed up, Puddin lets her hang out in her room. It's a win-win for both o them.

AND, since Daisy is such a busy, busy girl, It's a win for me too because I know where she is at and I know she's not making mischief. Because believe me, if there is mischief to be made- Daisy is most likely making it! She is a stinker for sure! But she sure is cute!

Monkey Do has also found a new "band mate" in Daisy. She scooped up Puddin's guitar after their last dress up session and she and Monkey Do started "rockin out".... yes, they did!
Watch out Partridge family!

Speaking of music... this is the littles newest obsession... It's really kind of cute! Wholesome with catchy melodies...

Monkey See spent some time behind the camera. He is such a doll!!! And such a snuggler. If I'm sitting he's usually in my lap. It reminds me of when he was an itty bitty baby and all of the "date nights" we had in the NICU.

And Bud, well, his newest comfort item comes in the form of plastic. That would be a plastic DVD cover. He loves them. Any DVD cover will do- he's not picky, but does prefer those with Barney or Dora on them. He looks at them and "reads" them more than books. If he's crying, give him a DVD case and he's a happy little guy.

And me, well, see for yourself.

Apparently the repetitive motion of lifting my children has caused some inflammation in my wrist. Official diagnosis is "overuse which led to tendinitis". I'm supposed to wear this brace for 3-4 weeks. It has happened before. Usually I have to get a steroid shot in my wrist but I'm opting this time to see if I can go without that. There's nothing quite like getting a long needle stuck in your wrist while 3 of your curious children clamor around you and the doctor to get a better view.
Oh the stories I could tell...
But those will have to wait for another night. Chicken pecking in a brace is hard stuff and I've got a bit more sewing to do tonight.
I hope your weekend was wonderful!
Blessings!

Safe Side

2011-02-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

Generally, I try to keep things pretty light around here. I figure there is enough negativity out there in this world that I don't need to add to it. After all, I can look to my left and my right and see hurting people. Can't we all?

Sadly, the world we live in today is fallen and full of bad things. As a parent it's my responsibility to teach my children to be safe and navigate through this life as best as I can. It’s also my job to preserve their innocence for as long as possible. That is not an easy job for sure. Not only is it not easy, but, for me anyway, it's scary.

I don't like to think about the what if's too much. The fear of what if can be too gripping sometimes. And THAT is exactly what Satan wants. He wants me to be afraid to educate my children and prepare them for the bad things, because, that's when they are vulnerable. And, sadly, innocence is not something you can give back.

So, how do I do this?
We monitor what they watch on tv, the movies they watch, things they are exposed too… even experiences and people. Not because we are judgmental or critical, but because their innocence is precious and only lasts a small amount of time as it is.

Like most parents we have talked to the kids about strangers. We have told them to never talk to them or go with them. Never to take things from them or get close to them. We even purchased a dvd on stranger safety and planned to show it to the kids one day.
But what does a stranger really look like to a child?

Now, let me say, my children are all ok. We just had an experience last week that has left me shaken, rattled, rocked. Whatever you want to call it. It has also left me humbled and grateful to my Lord for his mercy, protection and guidance in our lives.

Some might say that what we experience wasn’t a big deal, that I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill. But it has been gnawing at me since the moment it happened, and to me that says something.

So this is what happened.

Last week I had an errand to run after I picked the trio up from preschool. Now, I go lots of places with all of my kiddos all of the time. I know what to expect from them and from those around us. Most of the issues arrive from others around us. Anyway, before we get out of the van I always explain what we are doing, who we might see, how long we might be there and what I expect from them behavior wise. Everyone has a spot on the stroller they are expected to hold on to and for the most part they do exactly what they are supposed to do. This day was no different.

We went inside the building and took our spot in line. We were behind 1 man and the place seemed a bit deserted. The building was very grand and ornate inside and had a large staircase in the center. Because of the openness an grandeur of the downstairs area, it had a great echo. Something Bud took full advantage of after about 5 seconds.
See, he doesn’t like to wait.
He wants out to run and play. Sitting in his stroller is sheer torture for him if it’s not moving. So it took about 5 seconds for him to start writhing about and screaming at the top of his little lungs. For the record, he is L.O.U.D. so it didn’t take long before everyone noticed- all 4 people in my line of sight.

One man in particular made his way over to us. He worked there and was dressed very nice and was wearing a name tag. He seemed to be in a position of authority. He began to talk to Bud, sternly, but playfully. Bud calmed down and seemed intrigued by this man giving all of his attention to him. Everyone else was still following all of our rules and they were being so, so good.
Pretty soon after things calmed down with Bud (btw, the man was still standing with us while we were waiting our turn in line), Monkey See asked about the staircase. It was a very large and grand staircase and he wanted to know where it went and what was up there. I explained that it went to the upstairs offices and there were probably people working up there. He wanted to know if we could go and see and I told him no, we were next in line and we didn’t have any reason to go upstairs. He was satisfied with my answer.

The man is still with us and heard the entire exchange.

A minute or so later-yep, still waiting- Puddin asked if she could go upstairs and see what was up there. I told her no, it was almost our turn and we would be leaving soon. Besides, we didn’t have any business that would take us upstairs. She was fine with the answer too.
A few seconds later, the man employed there, wearing he name tag, that seems to be in a position of authority, offers to take her upstairs and show her around for a bit.

WHAT?

I was shocked. As I type it, it seems harmless. Maybe it was, but it certainly did not feel harmless. As soon as the words left his mouth a wave of sickness came over me. Instinctively, I wanted to get out of there and get my kids back in the van as quickly as I could.

He just heard me say 2x that we would not be going upstairs and then this 40+ something man, a complete stranger, offered to take my 5 year old daughter upstairs, by herself to show her around! For what purpose??
There were no tantrums, screaming or crying, no defiance on the part of my children. No need what so ever for him to try and make a situation better by offering to take a child by herself where I could not see her.

It seemed like it took me forever to answer him.

It seems like I just stared at him in amazement for minutes.

I wanted to answer him calmly and I still wanted to be nice (why?? What is that about??) I should have told him right then and there NO- you have no business even making such an offer- you are a grown man asking to take a small child away from her mother to a secluded place! Don’t you know what kind of world we live in???

I didn’t say any of that. Instead I calmly said, No thank you. We are staying together. She has no business being upstairs where people are trying to work. He then said, “Are you sure?? I don’t mind!”

I just kept thinking, please hurry up and let us get out of here- please let this man go back to his work and leave us alone- and PLEASE no one ask to go potty right now!
Well, no one asked to potty (thank you, Jesus!) and we finally got our turn, but our “friend” did not go back to work. Instead he moved up in line with us and continued to stand there with my children.
I gathered them all around, did a head count and made sure everyone was on their spot on the stroller so I could see them and tried to quickly take care of my business. He offered them candy- I said no, not until we were finished with our business. Once we finished he held out the candy bowl and let each of the get a piece – I cringed.

Finally we were able to leave. I wanted to run out the door. I just felt so unnerved and unsettled. It seemed like it took forever to get the kids strapped in the van because I was shaking. I was trying to be calm but I knew I had to say something. After all, this was a “teachable” moment for sure.
Once we were strapped in the van and silently prayed “thankyou” and tried not to cry as all of those what if’s started to flood in my mind. So, as calmly and as ‘normal’ as I could I started some questions with the kids.
I said, “Wasn’t he a nice man?” Puddin said yes, he sure was. The boys agreed.
So my next question was, “Do you think he was a stranger?”
Puddin looked confused. The boys didn’t say anything.
So I said, “he was nice and he gave you candy, he even offered to show you around. But, did we know him?”
Her response was shock. “Momma! He was a stranger! “
Her idea of what a stranger was, did not match up with what she just experienced.
Needless to say the drive home consisted of lots of discussion about strangers and what they do and do not look like. How they might or might not act. And how yes, sometimes they are nice and wouldn’t hurt you, but other times they might be nice at first, just so that they can hurt you.
I remembered the video I had purchased and Hubby and I decided we had waited long enough to show it so we watched it that evening. It was really good and helped make things a little more clear for them about who and what strangers are and what they should do in certain situations.

Do I like that I have to show this video or share this story?
No. I can’t stand it.
I wish that children weren’t seen as prey in the world we live in, but they are.
I don’t know the statistics for children who are abused or attacked, but I know it happens and the people doing it aren’t always the “boogie man” types. Sometimes they are acquaintances, neighbors, people of authority, etc….

I don’t know I the man in our story was good or bad. I do know I don’t want to find out. Gambling with my child is not a game I wish to play. I urge you to get the video and watch it with your children. As parents, we need to educate our children and be educated ourselves. Awareness is half the battle.
In fact, I stumbled on a blog last week that I had never been to before. This broken hearted mother was sharing her tragic story and how they are handling it as a family. Horrible.
Maybe God led me there to make me aware- heighten my senses that can become dull sometimes by everyday life.
Be aware and do everything you can to keep your precious children on the safe side.
And if you are a safe adult, please never, ever offer to take someones child to a secluded place where the parent can't see them. That's just not smart!
Here’s a link to the video if you are interested. Amazon also sells the video too.

be safe!

What is the Internet, anyway?

2011-02-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

Whoooooo Loves YOU??

2011-02-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you cross this:

with this:

*while I do have this sweet hen with 3 chicks perched atop my shelves in my studio, this is not my hen. I was too lazy to charge my camera and take the picture so I did a google image search and found this one instead. Here is the source.

The newest addition to the Puddin Pop Designs Etsy Shop! But, I only have 3 of these left!

These knobby kneed darlings are swooping down for a limited time!

They require a little more time and effort to make, two things which are on high demand around here these days.

SO, if you want one of these cuties swing on over to my shop and take a look!

GIVEAWAY!

2011-02-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

The GIVEAWAY has started on the Facebook page.
Just click over to Puddin Pop Designs on Facebook.
Once you leave a comment under anything the "Sale" album you will be entered to win!!!
Have a great day- and stay warm!!

Open For Business!

2011-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Wow! After a much needed rest, I am firing up Ole Bertha again! She's a little sluggish but i think she'll be fine!
I am 'reopening' the shop this morning for custom orders. I had planned to have several new items available to list but, the children have been sick all week and with the way this month has been, I haven't been able to get to that just yet.
Priorities.
So, as things are ready they will be listed. But, you can always check out the Puddin Pop Deisgns facebook page for more updates. AND... today only I will be having a giveaway on FB and offering a discount with FB orders only. So, you might want to check it out! I have a little special something I will have ready just in time for Valentines day! It's a hoot I tell ya!

spaghetti dogs

2011-01-31T10:55:00.000-08:00

YUM-YUM!!

My kiddos LOVED this lunch the other day so I thought, I just have to blog this!

When the kids are home I try to make a hot lunch for them . I figure, for the next umpteen years they'll be eating lunch box lunches so I might as well make their lunches at home as healthy as possible. For some reason that equates as a "hot lunch" to me. Now, I know that hot dogs are not the 'healthy-est" of choices, but they are 100% beef hotdogs and a huge favorite around here.
Even Daisy, a self imposed vegetarian, will usually, sometimes, eat a hot dog.

So, here are the how to's...

1. get some dogs and spaghetti noodles.

2. cut up the dogs in bite size pieces.

3. "thread" the noodles through the hot dog pieces. (At first I used the long noodles but then I started breaking them up to make them more manageable when cooked.)

4. Once you have enough for your crew (5 hotdogs chopped and ready to go for mine) put them in the pot of hot water.

5. Boil, just like you would cook spaghetti. I added some extra noodles to the pot after I snapped this picture.

6. Do a headcount of your all too quiet children...

6. drain

7.throw some steam peas in the microwave while you are serving the spaghetti dogs up on the fine china for your littles. I also added some butter and garlic powder to the spaghetti dogs instead of sauce.

8. Serve with the promise of apple slices with peanut butter for dessert!

My kids loved it! A fun and hot lunch that they all enjoyed! Works for me!

If you have any other fun lunches please let me know!
I bought some of the edible food markers the other day so I have been writing messages on their sandwiches when they go to school, which they love. We also use the cookie cutters for their sandwiches but... you know sometimes it's fun to change things up a bit!

Enjoy your spaghetti dogs!

** I just added my spaghetti gogs to little eme's site. I stumbled on it the other day and she has some super cute stuff and some super creative followers too!! go check it out some time!

Better than a Hallelujah

2011-01-30T21:22:00.000-08:00

Love, LOVE this song....

remember when...

2011-01-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

I said I would "review" December for you after I loaded the pictures in my new computer?
Well, I finally got around to finishing that up. They are loaded... into 1 file...all 66,727 of them...1 file... no organization!!! AGH!! It's insane, but it's done, and for that I'm grateful!

So, instead of sharing December stuff, I thought I'd share a little of what's been going on here. (Realistically, it might be July before I ever get that file "organized" enough to use it!)

So, what have we been doing??

Well, here's a little bit of the action seen around here the past few days....

a little decorating for valentines day... felt hearts recycled from the bin. They were originally extra felt birds from Puddin's birthday party that I had cut, but didn't need. So, now they have new life as a little heart garland. They look really sweet when we have the fire going... the heat makes them flap like little birdies! (too cute-I know!)

practicing our heart making skills... so fun for the trio- not so much for the littlest of the littles. Mean old mommy wouldn't let them have scissors or eat glitter!

excitement!!!

A couple of sweet little Monkey's celebrated their half birthdays! This was very low key- due to the snow days and sickness. New shirts an cupcakes for school- Enough fun for everyone!

new product?? not sure yet.

This is a "Gotcha Bag!" I have so many friends adopting I thought how, if it were me, I'd like a little bag of goodies to take on the big "gotcha" day. I plan to fill these with fruit snacks, puffs, a couple of diapers, wipes, a book and a toy or two and give them at the upcoming showers.

On one side there is Scripture... the other has the name of the sweet little

bundle coming to their forever family.

a little valentine project for hubby and me....

when finished it's going in a tiny frame that has needed something for a while.

new dishwasher, still in the box. Why does it cost another $125 to install??? CRAZY!!

Or maybe the crazy part is me thinking I can do it for a fraction of the cost.

I guess we'll see!

But man, am I ever tired of washing dishes!

And, finally, mischief, of every kind. Daisy's latest obsession? Coloring her arms with markers.

My child has "sleeves"

Oh- and she busted her brother's nose yesterday.
He was bleeding!
She sure is cute, but man oh man, she's a precious little handful!

So, what have you been up to lately?

SNOW CREAM

2011-01-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

This month has been a busy one. It was set aside as my Mary Month. Not familiar with that term?? Check out Jmom- she is way more articulate than I am! While I have been able to be more of a Mary and less of a Martha, lets face it, life with 5 littles is still a busy one!

We have also had a lot of snow- I mean a lot for our area!
2 weeks ago we had 4- 5 inches on the ground!! Last night left a dusting, just an inch or so, but enough to close the schools. And considering most of my babes have been sick, we didn't mind another snow day!

So while the weather outside looks a little like this,

from last nights snowfall... taken at lunch time today

We have been doing a little of this,

Bud and Daisy LOVED their first batch of homemade Snow Cream!

So, while I'm no where near a Pioneer Woman, I thought I'd still share my favorite snow cream recipe for those of you interested. It is YUM-YUM Good!!

SNOW CREAM

1 cup sugar

1-2 tbsp vanilla

2 cups of milk

4-6 cups of clean, WHITE snow ;)

Now, just mix it all up really quickly, top it with sprinkles and serve it to your littles!

EASY-PEASY!

Saying Goodbye

2011-01-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday evening my father in law passed away. This week has been a hard one for everyone. (It seems weird to, once again, be blogging about something so important but this is my way to document what's going on in our lives.)
I wish I were more eloquent of a writer.
I'm not.
I wish I had the time and the words to say everything I want to say about this special man.
I don't.
I don't even know where to begin.

I've been trying to explain to Puddin that Papa is a better place- he is with Jesus, and that is a great, great thing. But how can you explain that to a 5 year old that now knows the permanence of death?
She still misses Nanny, and so do I.
She worries about Nana, and so do I.
She has such a tender, tender heart.
It has been a hard week.
We are working through some things here.

He was a funny man, full of humor and loved to make people laugh... something he has passed on to my Puddin, for sure!
He had a beautiful marriage to my mother in law. Next week is their 60th wedding anniversary! WOW!
So, since words escape me right now, how about I share some of my favorite Papa pictures?!

Papa and Monkey See. December 2007

Papa and Daisy. July 2009

Monkey See, Nana, Puddin, Papa and Monkey Do. December 2009

Monkey Do, Papa, Puddin, Monkey See and Nana. July 2008

Technical difficulties

2011-01-13T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hi friends... still here! For Christmas the hubby got me a lovely laptop!! Yay! I have been playing around the past could of days trying to figure it all out. *sigh* anyway- I'm telling you this so you know I haven't forgot about you. Sorry to leave you hanging with those AMAZING shots of the aquarium!! Wasn't that just the BEST POST EVER!?! Ha!
Anyway, as soon as I get all of my stuff on here I will be back... piny promise! I just need to load my docs and pics and we'll be in business!
Until then, would you please pray for my in-laws?
They are so dear to me. This summer my FIL was diagnosed with several forms of cancer. Since Christmas his health has deteriorated dramatically. He and my MIL have been married 60 years on the 27th of this month! Isn't that just amazing?! I love them both dearly and my heart breaks for them right now. Prayers for peace and comfort would be most appreciated. Thank you so much.