Photo of the Week

tenthingstuesday

Ten Things I'd save in a fire:

1. Christopher
2. Julian
3. Claire
4. Audrey
5. Ethan
6. my cell phone and charger (gotta think about after we get out right?)
7. wallet/purse
8. file folder of important docs if I could get to it upstairs
9. Claire's stuffed dog Angel
10. Audrey's night-night blanket

Monday Musings

What kinds of scenes in movies make you cry?
That's easy...anything involving a parent and a child. Gets me every time.
Also scenes where people are reunited in some way.
If you met your clone-- someone with your exact personality traits, likes and dislikes, etc. -- would you want to be friends with him/her? Why or why not?
I think I would be interested in a friendship with me. I would enjoy my sense of humor and dedication to family/children. After a while though, I would want a deeper friendship with me and wonder if that was ever possible...
What is your biggest challenge in life right now?
It's not a bad kind of challenge, but beginning the homeschooling process again since I'm quite rusty.

The Lemonade Stand

Audreyisms

Some funny things about our "sugar n' spice and everything nice, snips n' snails and puppy dog tails" little girl :

Audrey has now taken to dressing herself, which is fabulous when I'm trying to get up and out in the mornings. The only thing is she's creating quite a bit of laundry!! She'll wear 2-3 shirts at one time and 2 shorts/skorts at one time. I am actually proud of myself for not forcing her to take 3/4 of it off because I thought "Does it really matter that much? How dirty will shirt #1 and shirt #2 get underneath? Can't I just stick them back in the drawer?" This is all new thinking for me...

Expressions she'll say:
"I can do with my want!!" (translation: I can do it if I want to)

"I can do it with myself!!" (translation: I can do it by myself)

"Golly raindrops!" (translations: Golly gumdrops, which mom will say instead of some other inappropriate expletive due to frustration)

She has also become an Escape Artist. Several times now, much to our shock and chagrin, we've found Audrey wandering outside in the cul de sac or striking up a conversation with one of the neighbors--in their yard. And we weren't there. Oh my. Christopher has since purchased and installed deadbolts and other locking mechanisms to prevent this from happening again. Audrey will see the doors and say, "Look Mommy! Look! Daddy put up some lockers so Audrey can't get out again!"

Claire's latest masterpiece

tenthingstuesday

Ten Things I don't like about my job:

1. Getting up in the middle of the night
2. Getting up reeeeeallly early every morning
3. Needing to go to bed early in anticipation of #1 and #2
4. Scrubbing toilets
5. Having to clean instead of spending that time with one of the kids
6. Feeling guilty about taking "Me Time"
7. When I do take Me Time, worrying about things back on the homefront
8. Not having the blueprints for parenting
9. That my job is to train myself out of a job....so someday they will fly on their own and not need me
10. Anxious already for the preteen and teen years, for both sexes

Where's Shamu??

I have been looking over the footage from our summer trip to Southern California, and thought it would be neat to make a video montage of the spectacular Shamu Show for the blog. The trainers were amazing, as was the Big Boy Himself.
Unfortunately, almost none of it got captured on film....see for yourself:

Monday Musings

I decided I didn't like the name "Manic Mondays"...because it just has such a negative connotation. So we'll try this on for size.

What would you like to accomplish this month? Start planning for school and fall activities for the kids
How would people who knew you in high school describe you? Jill who? Oh, that's right she had that wierd last name that sounded like Herbert or Herbus.
What's your favorite meal of the day, and why? Since dessert isn't really a meal, then I'll choose breakfast.

Photo of the Week

A self-portrait by Julian

Fractured Fairytales By:Julian

Once upon a time there was a very beautiful girl named ,Snow White that lived in a little cottage with her disgusting step,step,step,step well ,you get the point . Anyway, she lived with her step sister, Mud Brown (heehaw, get it?) and she made Snow White do all the chores around the house while Mud Brown just sat in a hammock and drank margaritas all day. One morning while Mud Brown was starting on her morning margarita and telling Snow White to give the cottage a new paint job, when Snow White realized she was fed up with doing all the chores (even though she was very good at doing them!)And that she decided to run away! It took about an hour for Snow White to pack all of her stuff . Once she finished she dashed out the door into the deep dark forest ''MO HA HA HA HA...... DA DA DUH!!!''(sorry i got carried away) after a long time of wandering in the forest she came to a clearing and there was a small cottage like the one she lived in. She wondered if she was going around in circles. Well, Snow White was tired of wandering so she went in the direction of her cottage. (Or what she thought was her cottage!) Back at Snow Whites real house, Mud Brown was stomping mad!!!!!!!! but after a long time of stomping she realised stomping wasn't going to get her anywhere so she started doing the chores by herself. Back at the little elves cot- OOPS i gave it away. well anyway ,Snow White rapped on the door until her knuckles were white and finally the door opened but Snow white didn't see anyone so she yelled:'' WHO'S THERE ?!?!?!'' and seven small voices answered in perfect unison, ''DOWN HERE!!!!!!!!!'' Snow White looked down and saw yep you guessed it seven little elves. Snow White asked '' who are you?'' the elves answered ,''we are elves and we come in peace.''....... and so Snow White became the elves new mother.......And of course they all lived happily ever after actually everyone except Mud Brown who was doomed to an eternity of doing chores.

THE END and a special thanks to the Rocky and Bullwinkle show who inspired me with fractured fairy tales.

Ten Things on Tuesday

Ten Websites We'd Like to Share:

1. foodnetwork.com Like many others, I love everything about the Food Network!! From Paula to Giada, it COOKS BABY!


2. cookinglight.com/cooking This is a fantastic magazine too, that has never steered me wrong. For anyone who thinks "light cooking" is flavorless and of meager substance, these recipes will prove you wrong.


3. www.screenit.com/ A website that we go to mostly for our kids (and sometimes ourselves) to get a very detailed breakdown of what new movies are about. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click "no thanks" in regards to getting a membership, then you can enter into the site.


4. freecycle.org A worldwide organization to save your multitudes of stuff from the landfill. You join a group in your area, then can offer things (washing machines, pet supplies, kids clothes et al) or take these things offered. If you have plenty, it can bless those who have little.


5. snopes.com Every get those wacky emails saying that you'll blow up if you use your cell phone at the gas pump? Well, this website debunks lots and lots of urban legends (and gives evidence for which ones they believe are true) Good to check out before you forward things to your friends.



6. www.yourhealthiestlife.blogspot.com My sister-in-laws newest, informative blog about living, eating, and being healthy. She's well respected in her community for her knowledge and passion about a broad range of topics...



7. godtube.com Familiar with YouTube? Well this is the same idea but WITHOUT the rated R (and beyond!!!) stuff. You'll feel good about visiting there with your family.



8. onetruemedia.com A cool photo- and video-sharing program.



9. sewzannesfabrics.com This amazing gal has the most beautiful, unique fabric for sale and an awesome, down-to-earth business you gotta check out. If I sewed, this is the ONLY place I would go.



10. birthdaypartyideas.com/ Months before one of the kids' birthdays, I lurk at this website for ideas to do for an at-home party. I don't go all out like some of the parents write in and describe, but I must say the Willy Wonka party and Glamour Girl party were a blast!

Photo of the Week

Ok, I didn't take this picture but I just love it. Can anyone come up with a good caption for it??

Addendum to Ten Things Tuesday

Christopher and I decided to add one more thing to Ten Things I'll Never Do Again:

11. Hear someone say to us "It's a boy/girl!!!"

SETH

Hi there! It seems we don't have your email address... so could ya send it on over?
Thanks, C and J

Dumptruck

Ten Things Tuesday

TEN THINGS I WILL NEVER DO AGAIN:
1. Sunbathe ontop of a roof
2. Go on a ride that spins around really really fast
3. Eat pasta with a wild mushroom sauce
4. Not pay to have Toys R Us assemble a ride-on car
5. Change Audrey's diapers (YEAH!!!)
6. Watch a horror/slasher type of movie
7. Keep clothes in my closet that are too small, hoping that someday I'll lose those inches
8. Eat fruitcake
9. Choose to not get completely stressed out when I'm running late to get somewhere
10.Trim my children's bangs

Your turn...c'mon, gimme at least one!

Photo of the Week

Childhood memories

As I was sitting on the deck this afternoon, listening to the flies buzzing and kids splashing in the pool, my own sweet childhood (and some pre-teen) memories came flooding back to me:

**Playing Barbies in the front yard, underneath a giant tree, when Julie and I found a baby rabbit just sitting there in the grass. It looked like one of the roots at first. What a thrill!

**Picking blackberries one summer that we were camping in Oregon. It was hot and sticky, but the berries were mouthwatering and irresistible. We put them all over our cereal the next morning at breakfast (ya want some cereal with those berries?!)

**Being in Indian Princesses with my Dad and sister. My name was "Little Red Feather". (Maybe it wasn't summertime, but I cherish the memory)

**Catching fireflies in jars at dusk

**Going to my grandparents' cabins on Lake Michigan. They had that musty, woodsy smell inside.

**Playing "Ghost in the Graveyard" with the neighborhood kids when it got dark. I was always scared, but wanted to play anyway.

**Suntanning on the roof of our house (Mom, sorry if I lied and told you I never did it)...thinking that somehow the sun was stronger (I thought I was a lot closer to the sun??) on top of the 10 ft high roof.

**Going over to Santa Cruz beach and boardwalk. I love that crusty, sun-soaked feeling I get when I left the beach. My friends and I would always stop at this delish ice cream shop on the way back and pig out.

Feel free to post any of your great, summertime, childhood memories...

Our portrait

Beginning this Fathers Day we started a new tradition: getting our family portrait taken. Come rain or wind or snow or hail (this is Washington, y'know) we will be getting one taken! We think these turned out fantastic. It is very challenging to get 6 people all looking right at once!!
If anyone knows how to paste this picture into my header, "Days with the Daytons", let me know!