My own version

I love Charlie Brown.  His gang of friends.  His Dog.  Little Woodstock.

 

Love 'em.  Love 'em.  Love 'em. 

 

Its understandable then why I'd grow my very own

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Tomato Plant.

 

 

Merry Christmas in July!

152 days to go....

 

 

It happens

Even the best laid out dinner plans can go up in flames....

 

 

...or become a melted, smoldering, wicked awful smelling puddle of plastic when three children distract you in the middle of making dinner and you forgot about the container of cupcakes you hid inside the oven before preheating it for dinner.

Just Because

Tattoos in the driveway....

 

because it summer.

 



 

because they are kids.

 

because why not?

 

And as the children were tattooing in the driveway, I sat in my lawn chair admiring the neighbors tree.  But wait a minute!  What is that?

 

Here, let me zoom in for you:

 

The crazy weather Mother Nature is giving us this summer has caused the leaves on this tree to change - IN JULY!!

A Protector

There are a few things about Holly you should know:

 

1. She loves baths, believes she needs one everyday, and will most likely begin striping anytime she's in the bathroom.

 

2.  Is very independent, knows exactly what she wants, and will give you an undeniable "uh-uh" grunt if you even think about giving her the wrong item.

 

3. Can hold a cupcake for multiple hours without ever taking a bite but will not, I repeat WILL NOT, permit you to take a bite.

 

4. Will bust a move to any type of music.

 

5. Is a good pincher (this one kind of goes along with number 2 if you give her the wrong thing.)

 

6. Has no fear of jumping into a pool whether you are ready to catch her or not.

 

7. Loves, loves, loves cards and books that make music when you open them.

 

8. Has a serious 'Smarties' obsession.

 

9. Is completely and thoroughly scared of lawn mowers and leaf blowers. 

 

10.  Has a GREAT big brother to protect her when she's scared.

 

A Thief

We have a thief in the house.

 

A banana thief.

 

A banana thief who very quietly and very sneakily crawls out of her high chair, snags a banana, gets back into her high chair, peels and eats said banana while momma's back is turned making dinner.

 

 

 

 

A banana thief whose lucky she's so darn cute.

Its the little holidays....

Life isn't just about the major holidays like Halloween or Christmas.

 

We must take the time to celebrate the little holidays too.

 

So from our house to yours....

 

Happy National Donut Day!

 

 

Deserving

Everyone deserves an early birthday gift, right??

 

Especially when the soon to be birthday girl is just so darn cute!!!

 

 

And so it begins....

T-H-E day is here. 

 

Two of the three kids old enough to be involved in extra circular activities.

 

And so it begins.

 

Ball practices and games.

 

 Every. Night. 

 

Monday - Thursday. 

 

For seven weeks straight.

 

So dinner for the next seven weeks will look a little bit like this:

 

 

Wish us luck!

Good answers

I have the smartest son in the world. 

 

 

And I have proof:

 

Good answers, Jacob, good answers.

Swim Lessons

Tis the season for swim lessons. 

Gotta brush up on those techniques to ensure a safe summer.

Bree is trying to rescue her "drowning" friends by laying on her stomach, tossing them a towel, and pulling them to safety. 

Sorry its blurry.  If I use a flash, it comes out too dark.

And after two weeks of listening, learning and practicing, its time to have some fun.  But, of course, safety still comes first.

More than gold...

Some pictures don't need explaining.  

Here is Bree's St. Patrick's Day assignment:

Footsteps

“Walk a little slower Daddy,”

said a child so small.

“I’m following in your footsteps

and I don’t want to fall.

(2012)

Sometimes your steps are very fast,

Sometimes they’re hard to see;

So walk a little slower, Daddy,

For you are leading me.

(2013)

Someday when I ‘m all grown up,

You’re what I want to be;

Then I will have a little child

Who’ll want to follow me.

(2014)

And I would want to lead just right,

And know that I was true;

So walk a little slower, Daddy,

For I must follow you.”

(2015)

Simply Gorgeous

Isn't there something simply gorgeous about seeing colorful Easter eggs on a background of beautiful white snow?

Bree just wanted to say..

THANK YOU!  

Her very first year as a Brownie she sold 141 boxes of Girl Scout cookies!!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to everyone who supported Bree, her troop, and the Girl Scouts everywhere!

And Jacob, well, he just wanted his picture taken and says Hi!

Sometimes you just have to

Got too much on your plate?

Running low on time?

Just don't know how you are going to get everything accomplished in one day?

Solution: Multitask!

To-do List

These days are F-U-L-L.  I'm always busy. 

 Running here, running there.  

Can't forget this. 

 Can't forget them.  

Gotta, gotta, gotta get this done - NOW! 

I make my lists but somehow things tend to fall through the cracks.  

Maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with a certain someone crossing things off my list prematurely.

Good thing she's cute.  

Elf is in the building

Our trusty friend, Fred the Elf, came back to visit this Christmas season. 

 But...  

He wasn't very creative.  

Nor was he prepared.

Overall he was just tired.

And the reason he wasn't very creative, prepared, and tired? 

 Because (s)he was trying to bust out as many homemade Christmas presents as possible.  Thats why.

So anyways...

In no particular order (because the poor old tired elf has slowly been losing his memory as well), were are the pictures of his adventures at the Dominique household.

Opening letter.

Fred was hidden up inside one of the Santa hats.  

Not much else to decorate in the bathroom than the mirror.

Every now and then you need to stop and remember the reason for the season.  

Opening the last of the 2014 once a month movie and gift cards from my mom.

Delivering a letter of good news!  We are all going to Imagination Station for the evening!!

STOP!  HALT!!  GO NO FURTHER!!  No one was allowed in the basement.  It may have contain some top secret items that you don't need to see!

And sometimes, you can't go in the basement for a second day because big people get lazy and don't take care of those top secret items in a timely manner.

Breakfast time!

Lunch time!  

Just because there isn't much else to do....

Hid in the board game closet as a way to entice those children away from the nintendo and other electronics.  

Bree's beloved blanket got taken away due to some unwise choices.  Don't worry.  Fred kept it company.   

Who took the cookies from the cookie jar?  

Candy cane hide and seek!!  

Watching a little bumper cars in a vintage Christmas village piece.

All snuggled up in a pair of Jacob's underwear for some light reading.  

Rudolph donuts for breakfast

Last minute stash

And finally on the last day of his visit, he brought some special presents from Santa with him:

Christmas PJs!!

With none other than the Elf himself on them!!!