Today Is...

crazy
busy
hot 
much-anticipated
Friday
vacation
stressful
beautiful

Happy Friday out there.
It is the beginning of the long holiday weekend for us.
I have started about 20 posts about summer vacation and routines and plans and gardening and
the upcoming holiday weekend and school and teachers and doubting myself and my choices and
even the whole Are You Mom Enough Time magazine thing.....
and then I can't finish any of them...it's like I have too many things in my head at once.
Kind of all jumbled up together.
You know what I mean?

So, instead I will just share my insta- photos from this week, which is really nothing new because
that is all I have been sharing here lately even though I have been using my big camera, too.

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-Thursday :: School's out, schools out, teacher let the monkeys out!

-Running errands solo

-Cousins on their last day of 1st grade together, and their last day of going 

to school together. Kinda sad about that.

-Sun flare in the back yard

-Yep, it's me.

-View from my bed

-List making and coffee drinking on the patio while the kids play outside

(Are you sick of this mug yet?)

-One of my most favorite pictures from my Road Trip last weekend, cute 

little shop in Dekalb, Illinois, y'all

-Cosuins in matching rummage sale dresses

-Cousin love

-Fence building

-Mocha cookies & cream frappucinno

That's all folks.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Any big plans?

Tuesday Morning Coffee

Good morning.
I am sitting here having my coffee this morning while Charlotte plays with her doll house
 up in her bedroom. I am trying to mentally prepare myself for the many days ahead of me that
will be filled with a little more noise, a little more arguing...
I always have to remind myself that there is a little adjustment period
 once school is out. I am ready for it though, it will be good.


I am thinking about....Summer Vacation.
You can feel it in the air around here...

the shifting from Spring to Summer and from school year to Summer vacation.

It's happening.

We live close to the University so we have been watching students move out, 

 a few more parties, students in their graduation attire this past weekend

and very soon campus will be quiet.
The students don't bother us at all, it's just another sign that Summer is really here.

Yesterday was our last Monday with my nieces...no more pack-n-play for a while and
 the high chair can go back up to the attic.

We will miss those two-but I have a feeling we will still be seeing plenty of them over the summer.

The days are longer and sunset is a little later every week... I love it.

Blue skies and sunshine make my heart happy...too much dreariness makes

 this mama a little cukoo...or a lot cukoo.

Last night I took a walk just after dark.

In the houses I passed I could see the baseball game on many TVs, 

I could smell grills cooking out late dinners and passed front porches with

 people sitting out on them enjoying the beautiful weather.

Summer is almost here.

Remember this book I told you about last week?

Well, I started it...then kinda stopped because I don't want to finish it too fast.

I started it again last night in bed and couldn't put it down.

* {all iphone pics using picfx app. and my favorite vintage filter "valentine"}

Charlotte and I have quite the to-do list today, so I guess we had better get started,

there are beds to be made, laundry to fold, errands to run and dishes to do.

There might even be a lunch in the park if we can get everything done.

Hope you all have a great day.

What is going on with you today?

Road Trip :: Na-Da Farm

So Saturday we made a quick trip to the Na-Da Farm Barn Sale.
Remember when I went in October to the Barn Sale and the Art On The Farm classes?
It was so much fun, we knew we had to go again this time around.
My sister and I met my friend there that I went with last time, it was about a 2 1/2 -3 hour drive
for us but so worth it.
Even the getting up before 5:00 am to go pick up my sister and my attempt to stop at a closed 
Starbucks to pick up coffee for our early drive.....Oh well.
Like I said, short but worth it.
It didn't work for any of us to spend the night this time but next time we will so we can go on
Friday night and again on Saturday.

{On the Farm...}

I love everything about Anne Marie's farm, along with Anne Marie herself.
You know I do not believe that any one's life is perfect and that it is so easy to look at someone else
and think; "wow, she does it all..."
I don't think it is healthy to compare ourselves to others in that way, BUT, that being said,
I am absolutely amazed that Anne Marie can pull off this Barn Sale along with all her other
duties as a wife and mom.
Plus, she has such a sweet, calm disposition and she's just like you would imagine.
I think that is amazing and I love being around creative women like her and the many vendors there.
I did not get any good pictures of her space in the barn(too blurry) but you should check out her shop
because she has some really sweet things there.
And look at a little of her "woodland picnic" products here, it was the cutest display at the sale,
I loved it.

So many things I wanted to buy--if only I just had more money/space/bigger car, right?
It's so much fun to look at the different women selling their stuff, all the little vignettes...inspiration
everywhere you turned.
One day I am going to find a big "B" like the one above...and the red and turquoise bar stools?
Swoon.

**********

You want to go next time, don't ya?
If you are in Illinois or Wisconsin...or even nowhere near either State, I think you should.
Happy Sunday, hope you all are enjoying your weekend.

Insta-Crazy-Busy-Week

A little bit of our week, insta-style.
Wow, the end of the school year is craaaazy, huh?
Cramming in all the last minute field trips, play days, parties, sending in money for this and
that and remembering to help this day, sign and send back permission slips, tennis shoes for the field trip today,
remember to pack sack lunches with throw away everything(which we don't normally do, so it
takes effort to remember and plan for it) for the two field trips...whew.
BUT only three more days left of school!
They go Monday-Wednesday next week and then we stop in to get his report card Thursday
morning.
And that's it.
Done.

Besides all of the above, there has been a lot of....

reading new library books, playing outside, lots of sand box time,

sunny skies, magazine reading, journal writing...and enjoying pretty yellow

tulips that I bought for myself.

There has been much talk and just general excitement over this book below.

I am so happy to finally see it in real life, in my own hands.

It is a new book, just came out this week, about a baseball team in 1971

 in a small town right by where I live--it's where my family is from.

Two of my uncles are in the picture on the cover, it is so cool.

A writer for Sports Illustrated wrote an article for the magazine two years ago about 

this story and it snow-balled from there and now it is a book.

A real book....

That is on the shelves at book stores and Target and that you can order online.

I know I am completely biased, and I am not even finished with the book, 

but it is just a neat story. And the writer is a really good story teller.

Maybe you should go buy one for someone for Father's Day, here.

Last night we went to a Kindergarten Open House at our new school.
We got to hear about some really cool things they have planned for next year and farther into
the future as well, and it has me excited and feeling good about our decision.
Not to be overly dramatic, but I feel like we are taking a bit of a leap of faith by leaving a school
we have been happy with for a new opportunity at our neighborhood school.
I think it's gonna be good.
Did you forget that the kids will walk to school and that the kids can actually look out the windows
at school and see our house?
No driving the kids to school....at all?
I almost can't believe that one.

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

Out rummage-sailing with my girl this morning.

There was something in particular I was looking for and hoped to find at a rummage
 sale or antique store in the coming week.... and guess what?

I walked up to the first rummage sale today and found twelve of them for ten cents each.

: ) I love when that happens.

I am going here tomorrow.
With my sister and my BFF is meeting us there.
I am super excited...and ready for some shopping!
Hope you all have a fantastic weekend.

Instant Happiness

Happy Wednesday, the week is half over.
I almost forgot until I woke up this morning that Wednesday is my new favorite day of the week.
Eric is off on Wednesdays, it's kind of a family day.....and I get off the hook on things like
lunch-making and school drop off.
Yay for me.


A few other things that make me instantly HaPpY...

1. A turtle sandbox we have had for years that still entertains the kids.
Charlotte especially.
This baby just got new sand last week and is good to go for the summer.
I don't even mind the ugly green plastic.

2. Coffee Outside.
You know I love my coffee, but coffee outside is the best.
On the patio, sitting on the front porch...it just tasted better outside I think.

3. Friendship Pins
These make me super-happy.
If you are old like me, these might have been all the rage when you were in grade school.
I loved making these, trading these and putting these on my tennis shoes.
Making these kept my kids busy(especially Wyatt) for hours.
Hours.
Make these this summer with your kids.

4. Little Golden Books.
I have tried to stop buying them, this is just a little bit of what we have.
This right here is one of the main reasons I am thinking of opening up an etsy shop.
That, or I have to stop thrifting, antiquing and rummage-sailing.

5. Country Roads
Instant happiness, as soon as I am out of town into wide open spaces.
Corn fields, silos, barns, and open skies.
Makes me so happy.
And calm.
Calm is good.

A Full Heart

I have a little confession.
There have been years where I have thought to myself, and possibly even whined out loud, that
I would just like a relaxing day just once on Mother's Day.
A nap, not running from here to there all day long, sleeping in and doing what I want all day.
But this year that thought didn't cross my mind, not even once.
One day the kids will not be as excited about Mother's Day like they were this year--they
actually counted down the days they were so excited for it.
One day there may be nowhere to go, and no one to visit.
One day I might just be getting a phone call from a child that lives far away.

So, this year I tried to embrace the rushing and running and even the being gone from 8:00 am
when I met my mom at church, until about 6:30 pm when we finally got home from Eric's parents.
I was happy to have a full day.
Like really, I was. No sarcasm here today.

Sunday morning we went to a fancy brunch at my brother's restaurant with my parent's and my

sister and her family.

This would be the kids wading in the dirty lake after brunch.

Charlotte is in her little maxi dress and showing off her Beauty and The Beast underwear for all

to see, and Wyatt in khaki pants rolled up... dress shirt wet.

Soaked, dirty and a little covered in sand.

Oh well.

I didn't even care, they were having a blast with their cousins.

Clothes can be washed, sand wiped off and you can ride home in your underwear, right?

Right.

I am not the mom that freaks out over dirt.

Good for my kids, bad for my house/car/life.

This past week I feel like I have had so many little reminders of how quickly life can change,
that we are not promised anything and to enjoy all these little moments--the good, the bad and
the tough. Even the ugly.
These reminders are good for me.

Saturday morning Eric and the kids served me breakfast in bed since we were going to be gone
Sunday.
It was so sweet and thoughtful..and good.
Homemade upside-down caramel apple muffins. Yum.
I waited up in bed until they served me, which wasn't until around 9:30ish, then I stayed in bed
until 10:00. It was so nice.
When you have babies and little little kids, you think these days will never ever come, but they do.
I promise you, they will.
The days when they don't need you quite as much for every little thing...it's kinda bittersweet
but it's kinda nice, too.
And makes me so proud of them.

You know what I think?
I think motherhood is the hardest and best job ever, in the whole world.
And I think Mother's Day is a big deal, as the mom.
Should we be appreciated all year long? Of course.
But is it nice to have one day when your family is allowed, and even encouraged,  to make you
feel extra special?
Most definitely.

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

In other news, my mom found this doll house bookshelf thing at a rummage sale last week for
Miss Charlotte.
Bringing that into the house started a chain reaction--cleaning out, organizing and re-arranging
furniture in the kid's bedrooms.
It's nice to have it done, but now I need to get to the rest of the house.
She loves it though and has spent a lot of time sitting right there in front of it setting up all her
little animals and princesses and arranging furniture and rooms.

This makes me really happy because I loved my doll house when I was little.
Loved it.
Hope your week is off to a good start.
Just 6 school days left for us. Yipppeeeeee!