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relaxing

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this is what potty training looks like at our house.
i don’t know how other people do it
(nor do i care how others do it)
i just let them be naked as much as possible.
it’s what works for me…5 times over.

we had a laid back weekend.
cleaned the house on saturday…
cleaned out my dresser and closet…
baked a cake…
craig got the groceries (less time for me in a grocery store is always good)
we invited some neighbors over for dinner…
very last minute.
talby and sophie are buddies.
i can see them having lots of fun growing up together.
they can be quite silly.

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it was pure summer to eat dinner outside
talking with friends
listening to the cicadas
surrounded by flowers
eating watermelon and corn on the cob
swatting at mosquitos…..

this is the yummiest cake!
it was the cover of country living magazine 3 or 4 years ago.
pumpkin cake with pumpkin cream cheese frosting…yum.
it was gone in a day.
craig requested another one…maybe i will post the recipe.

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then today there was more neighborhood fun
one of our neighbors has this!

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usually the big kids are on here
but today the little kids were loving it!
talby was so sweet and helpful to annie.
annie was scared but talby convinced her to climb up and slide down together.
it was darling.

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thanks thomas’ for sharing this with us.
it made for a great sunday afternoon.

and they were all in bed before 8:00.
they needed it…very cranky kiddos.

kim in Camas - ScrapToMyLu - that’s exactly how I potty trained Lucas too. Hardwood floors and a nekked baby…….perfect. I tried that with his little friend though and he found the only area rug I had and pooped on it. LOL

Bren - I have so enjoyed your blog this summer!! And opening it up this morning to see a darling little neked butt, made my day! 🙂
It’s so sad when they get too old to run around nakey! LOL! Such freedom! And what an awesome fun bouncy toy!!! Did they rent this or buy it?
Take care 🙂

Karin - Oooo!! Please do post that recipe! I LOVE pumpkin recipes and that one looks fabulous!!

traci - LOL@ potty training in your house…hey, if it works for you then woooo hoooo for naked babies 🙂
Love your house…its just gorgeous.
Isnt that little sophie from another blog family finding the balance? It looks like a truely lovely day and I so enjoy your blog!!!

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reward

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annie is nearly potty trained.
i hesitate even writing that.
i don’t want to jinx it.

i took her to the store yesterday to pick a toy for her great efforts she’s made.
it was just the 2 of us.
she wanted me right beside her.
she slowly looked at all the toys….pushed the buttons…touched each one.
we looked at each baby doll.
i was sure she’d pick a baby.
she kept walking.
she passed the bubbles…the books…the noisy toys
and then a squeal of delight….this tin box of marbles.

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she was so excited.
she was clapping and jumping up and down.
we brought them home and peeled off the wrapper.
when i opened the lid she made this little gasp…
“ohhhhh pretty mama”
she was right.
there were all sizes…

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‘the biddest huuuuuge one”
(biggest huge always means very big)
i love this picture…she’s holding it so gently.
her hands are shaped like a heart.

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“bid and wittel!!” (big and little)
can you see my reflection?

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“the tiny babies”
they were so little in her hand.
she lined them up and played a song for them from her mcDonald’s american idol toy.
“music for the babies.”
seriously.

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then they had to be dumped.
and then sorted and rolled and dropped.
each one was touched at least once.

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can’t you just feel that on your hands?
cold glass rolling under your fingers?
and can you hear it?
all the glass clicking together..
i love annie’s choice…
even though i will be cleaning up marbles for the next year and half.

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i call this one…’Marbles in the Sun.’
ha ha

Deanna Farren - Those are absolutely precious pictures. I love that a box of marbles can totally amaze little ones.

amy - i wondered how potty training was coming… i saw a little bare bottom running outside yesterday. 🙂

kristin - i think i might go buy myself a tin of marbles…i love them too.

traci - Isnt it exciting as a mom when our kids surprise us with choosing or doing something so unexepected? She looks like she is really amazed by these little marbles..lol… what a sweetie!!

Mom - These pics are just wonderful. And I can just hear her talking to them.
Hooray for Annie – what a big girl!

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danger

i guess we aren’t waiting for the last day we have the pool up….

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they have been asking to do this since the day we got the pool.
i told them many times
“on the last day we have the pool up i will let you”
then last night at 8:15…that’s fifteen minutes after bedtime already…
craig yells “you need to see this!”
and there they were jumping from one to the other.
the boys still had their clothes on!
it was the only thing that could have pulled lauren from the tv.
she was out there in 10 seconds!

i wanted to wait till the last day so we would have a lesser chance for injuries.
i will just hope for the best…
i just won’t watch.

traci - Im thinking jumping off that tallllll cliff at the lake looks WAY more dangerous than this..lol

kristin - oh yeah!!!!!

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random

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happy anniversary mom and dad.
hope you have a nice one.

want to know what a 2 year old keeps in her purse?
this is my old purse that i gave to talby…which annie quickly claimed for herself.
she is constantly filling and emptying it with treasures.
this was all inside…

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pink sunglasses…baby bottle…tiny radio (purple)…
2 green poker chips…5 DQ gift cards (with no $$ on them)…
a budweiser bottle opener (it’s our neighbor’s – honest)…
plastic pancakes…old powder mirror…broken snowglobe…
a sonic receipt…thousands of dollars (play money)…
2 AAA batteries…a remote finder keychain…$.04….
a broken but repaired eye examiner from a toy doctor’s kit.
the old broken cell phone is missing from this picture because she couldn’t find it at the moment.
it’s back now though.
thank goodness.

we had a fun morning!
we met ms. kristin and lizzie for coffee downtown.

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annie took this one of my arm.
talby chose our seat…on the step looking out the window…perfect spot.
the mommies tried to talk between the little girls’ questions and talby’s movie quotes.
the 3 girls took turns jumping off the step.
we were the only people there so we just let them play.
notice the newspaper in the background…how appropiate.

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so nice to get out of the house, see friends and drink coffee.
these 2 little girls are going to have so much fun at preschool this year!
kristin…i promise i won’t blog about it every time we get together.

amy - like father, like daughter… isn’t that a camera strap over your dad’s arm?

Karin - I wandered over to your blog from Kristin’s. Great photos. Mokas has never looked so appealing! I’ll have to keep checking in!

traci - I teach annie’s age at MDO at my church…it is SUCH A FUN AGE!!! We are starting back in 2 weeks and seeing these photos just makes me look forward to it even more. I just LOVE your blog!! Do you take your camera EVERYWHERE???

kristin - you know what…i love that you do…i will link on over since i was too lame to forget my camera. i love ths shots…seeing the little girls together made me excited to get kids in the classroom! thanks for calling.

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annie’s album

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i have been having fun in the craft room!
i love the glitter chipboard letters.
they are so sparkly…
i was sewing
stamping
painting
stapling
ripping
it was a good day yesterday.

amy - i’m so jealous…

traci - what a yummy looking album!!! I to just simply LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the sparkly letters…I am thinking of making some large ones to string on organza ribbon and hang in my girls room…. do you have any helpful hints???

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a day in pictures

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hat from the antique store…and waldo behind

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bowling ball at the thrift shop…”Lady” engraved on it
i wanted this but i don’t know why??
maybe because “i’m a lady

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this is here in town…in kansas…it caught my eye while we were waiting on a train…the stroller was on top of it…made me smile and think of my friends there.

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post office boxes

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“bees…your weapons are useless against them!”
tommy boy quote.

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i bought this at the thrift shop
how have my kids never kids never heard of this game?

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four of these in the yard today…

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new “love Elsie” scrapbook supplies…super fun.

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the art center in talby’s classroom

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jars of spools…wish i’d bought one…or at least the little glass dish

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the chippy painted mantel the jars were sitting on…very shabby chic

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the locker basket i did buy..it was from joyland!
remember that place?

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and the cutest little pot ever…$4
it will be holding some sort of art supply soon

Lauren - I really admire what you’ve done with your blog! Great photos (which you’ve heard before) and I love hearing about your kids (I have three of my own) keep up the great blogging! If you ever want to share a cup-o-jo (diet coke) momma y momma, just give me a call! (just some blog humor!) Take care!

Amanda - what is it about school supplies on the first day? so fresh, unused and ready to create. i love the beginning of school.
amanda az

kristin - oh, i am going to go find that bit of chicago…

traci - Lord HAVE MERCY… what a CUTE picture of your daughter in that hat!!!! That should be in a frame on your wall. Super love the post office boxes…are those really at your local post office? Sooooo many great pictures! As far as the game Operation goes, Im not sure how your kids never played it but so glad they have one now :). ALL kids should play OPERATION!! Thanks for sharing…Oh yeah and I also triple love the way Annies class stores their crayons and markers. Do you just carry a camera with you 24/7 and snap shots around the clock daily? LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!

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school is IN

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scott and sean left first on thursday morning with craig.
brand new shirts and shoes
the lego shirt could not be more perfect for sean!
scott’s says “Homework kills trees..Stop the Madness!!”
he picked it himself.

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talby has afternoon kindergarten for the first 9 weeks.
she had been nervous the night before
but was ready on school day.
she goes at noon.
she wore a hand-me-down dress from morgan that i just love.
it’s my favorite thing she has.
she had her new pink and gray shoes on too.
and loves her hello kitty packpack.

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lauren didn’t start school until today.
she was thrilled to get one more day off than scott.
we went shopping while everyone was in school.
she got so many cute things!
and we had a very good time.
this was one of her new outfits…shoes too.
she started volleyball now so she leaves at 8:00 & doesn’t get home until 6:00.
she’s growing up…that’s for sure.

annie was sad and confused at why her school hasn’t started yet.
she can’t wait!
only 2 more weeks.

melissa @ the inspired room - WOW! I have had a fabulous visit to your blog! I usually spend a little time each week going through other blogs to find new inspiration and I am so happy I found YOURS!
Your home is so lovely–I love all the contrasts of the dark and light stuff. Very much like my house (well, yours is much more stunning at the moment, ours is in “progress”).
Your photography is wonderful. So happy to find a truly beautiful home, very rare I must say!
I can’t wait to visit again!
Melissa

Mom - Hey-did Lauren get a hair cut? It looks much shorter. Everyone looks so happy and ready to go. You should have put a picture of yourself smiling -Yea School Started!

meg - the shirt is from…..Wal-mart of course. the only place in town that i have to buy boys clothes!

Leslie - LOVE the star wars t. My son is also obsessed with lego star wars. Begs DH to play with him constantly! Where did you find that shirt? They all are adorable!

traci - I love the t-shirt that says homework kills trees, stop the madness..lol.. all your kids look great and are just a bunch of goodlooking kiddos.

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