Pretty as a Picture

I've been wanting to get a canvas print for a while now.  I was originally thinking about getting one of the whole fam but I'm wondering if we'll ever take a good photo together in the next 5 years.  So, now I'm thinking maybe getting one of each of the girls individually.  Canvas People is running a Black Friday special for 1/2 off and free shipping.  What do you think of these?  

Grandparents Day

Last week Brooklyn had grandparents day at school.  She was so excited to have her Grandma and Papa join her in her classroom and was even brave enough to get up in front of the whole school (we're talking preschool to 12th grade here) and say what she loved about her grandparents.  My kids are beyond blessed with a godly heritage and such loving grandparents.  We are so thankful for them!

Persimity Snicket

There are lots of things that I remember and cherish about my Grandma.  Of course her amazing cooking and the tastes and smells involved with it are among those fond memories.  One of the things Grandma always had in her freezer and would pull out  in the evenings when we needed a snack was persimmon cookies.  It is really strange how you can take something that looks like an orange tomato and tastes bitter, dry, and makes your tongue itch and turn it into a tasty cookie.  Leave it to those Central California farmers to figure it out.
So this week, Ellie and I got our persimmons and went to work.

 

Ellie's comment when we cut it open, "Mommy, it looks like a sunset!"

 

We had to use craisins instead of raisins.  And yes, I'm sure that would be a big let down to my raisin farming grandpa, but we were all out.  Unlike the days when we got all the free raisins our freezer could hold and had stem a whole cup of them when we got in trouble.

 And here they are...spicy sweet, and cakey...a yummy fall cookie.  Now go make some of your own.

OCC

It is very easy for kids to get caught up in what they have and what they want- especially at this time of year.   So in an attempt to teach my girls to be thankful and content with what they have and to be generous and compassionate with others, they got to bless a needy child somewhere in the world though an amazing organization called Operation Christmas Child.  The girls watched a video showing kids from all over the world who had very little receiving shoe boxes filled with gifts and love. We then took a trip to Target and filled a shoebox with items a little girl would need and enjoy.  Brooklyn made a card and both girls pooled their money to pay for shipping the box.   And now, we are excitedly awaiting news about where our box went and who we were able to bless this Christmas.

American Girl

 BEFORE

AFTER

Brooklyn got a hold of an American Girls Doll catalog this week.  Talk about outrageous.  These dolls cost $100 each and have accessories and clothes that cost 4 times as much as real people clothes.  Luckily, she is still at an age where she can't tell the difference between name brands and knock offs, and her Target version of  the American Girl suits her just fine.  The only issue is the hair from the Target dolls just doesn't hold up the same as their high class counterparts.  So we had a completely tangled mess on our hands.  What would you expect from a Google search "how to untangle doll hair"?   Probably not a teenage girl who has over 12,000 followers on her U tube site featuring all things American Girl.  Comical to say the least.  But more comical still was the fact that I spent a good portion of Saturday steaming and flat ironing a doll's hair.  Her head got far more attention than mine has gotten in a long time.  But check out the results...nothing short of amazing.

PS- please pay no attention to her lazy eye.

The Spross Family

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com Check this out...kinda fun right?

So you think I can dance?

Ellie has officially entered the world of ballet (she has been dancing unofficially for quite some time now however).  It has become her own special thing.  "Brooklyn goes to school now, and I go to ballet," she'll tell you.  She absolutely loves it.  Although we are not sure if its the dancing or the costume that thrills her so much- you know she wears one every day- we gave up on getting her to wear real clothes weeks ago.   Once I brought her the wrong tutu and she refused to dance.  We left after 15 minutes of the teacher prodding her to participate and her sulking and pouting.  On the way out she says, "Now remember mom, next time you bring me the one with the attached tutu."   Like everything else in their lives, she is a completely different girl on the dance floor than Brooklyn was.  Let's just say she dances to her own rhythm.  Her "elmocital" is coming up- that's where she dances to an Elmo song at her recital, and I can't wait to see what she's going to do.  For a girl who has been known to stop dancing to check her teeth in the mirror and to sit down mid routine to inspect the tappers on her shoes, this should be interesting. 

I feel like I am constantly loading and unloading the dishwasher.  There are always dishes in the sink that need to be loaded, and more dishes in the washer that need to be unloaded first.  Like so many other tasks around the house, it is never ending.  Clean it to get it dirty, to clean it, to get it dirty again.  And the top rack especially gets a work out with all the plastics the little ones use.  Dozens of plastic plates, sippees, cups, bottles, spoons, etc. in only one day.  And you know the darn things will somehow get turned upside down in the middle of the cycle, no matter how you wedge them in, spilling dirty, soapy water all over the clean dishes below.  But...I've gotta love it, because there will come a day (sooner than I realize) that the only plastic on the top shelf of the dishwasher will be Tupperware dirty from leftovers since I can't figure out how to successfully cook for two.  So bring on the sippees...they are worth every wash.

Baby Mia

Almost 2 weeks ago a beautiful baby girl made her way into our blessed family...my newest niece Mia Blake.   Brett and I got to be her first visitors in the hospital and then got to see her and her proud parents again tonight.   She is perfectly tiny with the cutest lips and more hair than my girls ever dreamed about having.  Welcome to the family Baby Mia...we love you already!

QBM update and more

For those of you who didn't make it to the Queen Bee Market this weekend,  I'll update you...and let you know the next one will be sometime this spring so you won't miss that one!  Of course there were lots of amazing vendors selling their wares.  Including Julie and Lindsey, who unfortunately were heading to lunch right as we got there.  You can't avoid me next time ladies!  I loved browsing all the goods, but was especially impressed with the display set-ups.  Let me tell you, these ladies are so talented.  I couldn't resist a bracelet from Allora Handmade (in plum, my new favorite color) and some cute clips from Funky Vintage Kitchen (in gray, aqua and yellow, my second, third, and fourth favorite colors- I sound like my 5 year old now).  I have to say, it was much more fun being on the buying end of things rather than on the selling end like in craft shows of yesteryear.

And in other news, check out Blessed Little Nest to see whose entry is featured on Life Made Lovey Monday.  Yeah!