My computer crashed

Ugh!

Bad news - computer crashed today....

Good news - I had already finished uploading 10 more layouts in my 2peas gallery
to take advantage of the 20 for $20 offer

More good news - I used my laptop to use my $20 coupon and also took advantage of the
free shipping. New stuff ships on Feb.3rd...yipee!

Super news - Craig bought a new to us computer off craiglist (he's good like that)this afternoon and is setting it up right now.

Hopefully I'll be back in business tomorrow and I can add some pictures to these boring posts.
Am I the only one who thinks a post without pictures is boring. I want to skip them!

Found you!

Remember the Valentines and box, the girls and I made for Nora last Valentines Day? Now we are combing the house for another to make for Charlotte. Her first year handing out little Valentines, I love it!

Here is Nora's box, looking pretty good, considering it has been the "home" for assorted webkinz and books all year.

My sneaks are up over at Kraft Girl Kits blog. I absolutely loved the kit and it is filled with beautiful goodies!

So next up....looking for that box and making Valentines! After that a birthday party for a certain webkinz, horse, princess, Hannah Montana lovin' girl!

Monday, Monday....

I'm trying to edit some pictures I have sitting in my camera because Ritz has 6 cent prints on Tuesday and Wednesday. They had 5 cent prints on these 2 days in December, but they raised it a penny on us this month. They're the 3x5 prints only, which are my favorite to scrapbook with anyway.

They used to advertise this deal in a circular we got with the Sunday newspaper, but I haven't seen one in a while. I sent an order through on Saturday for some 4x6 prints to pick up sometime in the day. We (the whole family) went to pick them up and Charlotte and I elected to wait in the car while Craig and Nora went inside. We sat in there for over 10 minutes and I could see through the window, Craig just standing around. Enter Momma & Charlotte.

What's up?

They're not ready.

What? I put the order in over 4 hrs ago.

I look around, see the cashier who was helping Craig and she's standing next to a sign that reads

4x6 prints in an hour or they're free
Bingo...except our cashier was going to charge us until I pointed out we were due for some free pictures. After a long conversation with her manager we received free prints.

Craig was embarrassed, but I saved us $11.

I'll send him in there for the next set. I feel like persona non grata, but they advertise it, it's alright I asked for it, right?

Oh yeah....I saw the sign for the 6 cent deal while we were waiting for our pictures. Miss Observant that day!

Why has the sky been so beautiful lately? Every time I'm retreating to the kitchen to make our dinner, I catch a beautiful sight like this out the window.

Quiet time in the bathroom is dangerous.

Must work on being more alert when Charlotte is being silent.

Cleaning a mirror when it's soapy is difficult.

Pinky dog!

Dogs are popular in our house.

Yes, we're excited!

Oh yes! We're definitely excited here!
First, my exciting news is that I was chosen as the guest February designer for Kraft Girl Kits!
I am so happy and honored to have this chance to work with one of their beautiful kits. It was also very cool to see my name in this announcement along with a great team of very talented ladies!

Of course, this post wouldn't be complete without sharing the exciting development on the side yard of our house.
ICE!
Yes, (hold your laughter) we found a little little patch of ice on the ground. This ignited a flurry of activity as we all had to run to the garage to pull out assorted toys to take on the ice.
Big wheel - check
Tricycle - check
Barbie - check
Taking a slide and falling on our behinds! - Check!
I know, I know...it's nutty, but ice turned out to be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon!

We don't sit this close to the TV all the time!

Shameless, I know. I wanted to get a picture of the kids watching history being made.
Maybe they will think it was cool when they're older. Turned out to be harder than I thought.
Nora was a good sport, would scream out "Barack Obama" when he was on TV and slam her little butt on the ground in front of the TV. She's game for a photo op! Charlotte was missing in action, then time out for a grievous offense upon Pinky. She didn't care about history or me documenting it for them!

Little feet curled up in Disney heels greeted me when I went to kiss the girls goodnight. Always got to be fashionable. I took the picture, then I must have pulled the blanket over Charlotte shoes and all because I found the shoes in bed this morning before I made it!

Ah....I love a baby and her little bear!

Why I love Sunday mornings

What...it's already the middle of January?

Time is going too fast around here. Every day, it is becoming clearer to me that my girls are growing up. Little things they say or do sometimes make me pause and I marvel at what smart little girls I have. Nora knows her phone number now and will tell you in detail the biography of any stuffed animal she owns.

I was ready to blog earlier when Charlotte came in to inform me,

"He's not making my strawberry moo"
"Well, ask him again"
"I did...he's eating chips and he's a big large mean Daddy."

Bless her heart....I jumped up to make her strawberry milk because I love that Craig is on her big large mean list. I've been the sole occupant forever!



I obviously don't scrap anything in order. I need variety, so to that I say
Summer meet.......

.....winter!

Oh Craig.

Quick scrap of a visit to Shirley Plantation last October. Yes, we bring everybody there. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to see the first plantation in VA? Ahh...you!

How come every time I feel like I'm getting the hang of this whole photography thing, Craig shows me something like this?!

So he's still light years ahead of me, but with his old camera I'm chugging along.

He has been teaching me some tricks, but only one at a time. I don't have the mind power or stamina to absorb too much! It's kinda boring and more than one lesson gets confusing!

Slow down

Just two more layouts I completed this weekend.

The Golden Globes were mildly interesting last night. Good to see Kate Winslet win two awards. I would love to see the movies she won them for. Mickey Rourke was fun, where has that guy been kicking around?

Who do you think was best dressed last night?

Rules of the road according to Charlotte Schneider

Hello boy.
Yes, this is a police car and I'm going to ride in it.
It's NOT a boy's only car.

Dum dee dum DUMM.


Quick!
I'm being carjacked!
Get your hand off my police radio before you get a beat down!


This is MY car and MY police radio and I'm going to protect it from you.
By the way, keep your filthy hands off my flashing lights!

I was at this gas pump first!

Get back in your pink and purple princess car BOY!

I've got a gang roving these parts and I'm about to sic them on you

because you're becoming REAL annoying.

Did you see the nerve of that kid? Geesh.
(Sorry for blurry pics, but I had to catch the action!)

Happy tights!

Blogger was temperamental yesterday and wouldn't let me upload any pictures. And what's a post without pictures, right?


I've been trying to take a picture/pictures everyday so far in 2009. I've been doing a good job, but I think I'm going to have to start making this interesting or it will get old fast. This blog has been helping because I have a place to throw my photos up and write a little something about our day.

So when I have these photos printed out I'm going to make a monthly journal and have it to show the girls when they are older. Kinda like a year in the life. Not an original idea by far because it is all the rage right now on every scrapbooking site I go to.

Nora is actually wearing this absolutely divine cardigan today at school. I will have more pictures of her wearing it so you are forewarned!

This is Charlotte wearing a size 2 dress sent to her courtesy of Aunt SueSue. I can't believe this little peanut will be 4 this summer.

back to school...YEAH!

We're back in school and I'm a little excited! I think I've spent all morning on the computer uploading scrapbook pages on online galleries, reading Perez, NYP, reading assorted blogs, and looking at online stores. I'm perfectly giddy, no one needs a snack, or a drink, or entertainment! Heehee!

Flea Market

We hit the flea market bright and early this morning. I wanted to check out other people's junk. Not really, I wanted to see if I could find some old/vintage papers, trims, or buttons for scrapbooking. Craig found some really cool old magazines from the 1950s and a very old music songbook for me. Cool.

So while I was taking pictures of the girls with Craig's camera, the girls were taking pictures of EVERYTHING with my camera. I haven't even looked at the disc to see what they have on there. Charlotte spent most of the time in the wagon and I saw her taking pictures of the ground. After a bit, I asked her nicely to stop.

I sent Craig in to buy some avocados, limes, and onion for me in this tent. Then I made Nora stand in front of the papayas for a picture. I still get embarrassed asking people how much things cost at fruit stands. Why, I have no clue. Can you guess what I'm making this evening? Yummo!

Leaving the flea market, Charlotte could care less. I think she was getting cold. Her hat wouldn't stay on right and she kept taking her gloves off to snack. This baby does not like the cold at all.

Nora is upset. She saw some dog toy somewhere and we didn't buy it for her. Now we're leaving and the world as she knows it is ending. I know what she is thinking here, "must whine for next 5 hrs or until parents buy me something else!" She did and we did. Come on, Craig reached his limit and pulled over to the Dollar store. Nora got a purple bunny and he's not going to bury us all in the backyard tonight! ;) Win win.

Back to the master bath this evening. Can you see what color we're painting it?

We hit 2 TJ Maxx's, Lowes, Home Depot, Target, Walmart, Steinmart, and Michaels looking for mirrors for the bathroom. We finally found 2 perfect mirrors and the best deal of them all at Kirklands.

Hallelujah

He Man

Sometimes you hear stories about mean moms who don't let their kids leave the table until they eat all their veggies? Well, I've taken this idea and run with it when it comes to Charlotte and water.

I can't begin to tell you how many sippy cups full of milk, juice, and water I throw away daily. So I fill a cup halfway with water at meal time and I make Charlotte drink it before she can leave. She needs to consume more liquids and I'm a worrier. This is her put out face.

Ah Nora! Drinking a cup of afternoon tea like a little champ. She loves her beverages ever since she was a baby.

In the foreground is Charlotte's tea in the blue cup. It's still sitting there untouched. If I threw a cookie in, just maybe she would drink it!

Craig and his projects!!!

Today it's the master bath remodel. Granted, it needs a lot of TLC. We never did a thing when we moved in 3 yrs ago. So we bought some paint and new towels at Walmart last night. This is

Craig's new project.

I was downstairs cleaning up after lunch (homemade chicken noodle soup & I Do still cook meals) when I hear my name yelled upstairs. I think "shit" it's Craig and he needs my help with something.

Now Craig NEVER needs my help unless it's something crazy. He's taking the gigantic mirror above our vanity off the wall. I'm feeling trepidation, but I'm game. I have to pull my end of the mirror up out of the metal niche it's sitting in and away from the wall and rest it on the vanity.

It's SOOOOOOOO heavy and I'm pretty much a wimp, so I am in trouble immediately. I can't pull it out and Craig starts yelling I'm bending the mirror and I'm going to snap it. I'm Irish and I want to get away from this bad luck mirror and run screaming from the room. But I can't, so I do the next best thing, curse Craig out like a wacko!

Somehow we get the damn thing out and off the wall. That's not the end destination though. Sitting on the floor next to the wall in our bedroom is. I tell Craig I can't do it, we've got to cut it in two pieces to move it, it's HEAVY.

While I'm bemoaning the sorry state that we got ourselves into, why didn't he consult me on this before he started, he picks that damn GIGANTIC mirror up himself and starts yelling commands, "Make sure the back doesn't hit anything!" "Direct me out!"

YIKES! He's a maniac!

I do my part and subconsciously think I would have let some expletives fly if I was left with moving it myself.

He does it. It's over. No big deal. Craig goes back in the bathroom and finishes painting.

I

go get the camera and sneak around and take his picture!

Don't look at me Mr. He Man, I'm just here for the view!

A new year

New Year's Eve: kicking it off with some tasty appetizers. Otherwise known as Ann not wanting to cook another elaborate holiday meal. Everybody likes a bunch of tasty nibbles, right?

New Year's Day: Daddy Date

Craig and Nora went on a Daddy date to the Dollar Store, no Mama, no Charlotte. Remember the whole fiasco on my birthday? I told Nor that Daddy would make it up to her another time. I picked today. They left and came home about half an hour later with gummy worms, chips, and shower cleaner. Now who's the winner here?

Daddy and his girls; Did somebody say EZ cheese? yeah...rockin' it with EZ Cheese and Chicken Biscuit crackers. Apparently Craig developed a fondness for this combo underway in the Navy. It kinda grosses me out and it's turned into a "special" occasion snack. It must be good because the kids and dog were like white on rice when he produced it for a mid-day snack!

Horrible picture, but there were like 5 deer in the yard this evening. That's the most I've seen in the yard while it's still been light. Between the birds of yesterday and the deer, I feel like I'm living in a real nature preserve.