Lollipops

Sometimes, between the shrieking, fighting, wrastlin', clothes yanking, arm pinching, hair pulling and sister tripping, there will suddenly and very surreptitiously be a quiet moment made of bunny ears and a mother's heartbeat.

It doesn't typically last long.

But when it does, I'm so glad Andy bought those awful, sticky, gross, end-up-on-the-windowsill-and-in-her-hair-every-time Tiger lollipops.   (That I hid in the pantry.  Behind the flour and ten year old flax seed bag.)

Because they take a while to finish.

DIY Spiderweb

Tooling around the interweb last night, I found this site called, A Soft Place to Land.  A wonderful find by a creative lady who fills her home with lots of Do-It-Yourself projects that look professionally done.

We thought we'd try our luck with this spiderweb idea that looks rather easy on first glance.  I say first glance because second glance requires a trip to Home Depot, Michaels, and Chick Fil A because it'll be past lunchtime and the kids will be making you wish your purse was overflowing with Bento Boxes and pressed fruit.

So here's our version of the DIY Spiderweb:

Step One:  Let the girl have her pink sparkly Vegas yarn.

Step Two:  Allow the boy to choose sky blue yarn because black is too scary for his gentle soul.

Step Three:  Stop obsessing over getting to Home Depot and buy the damn styrofoam board already.  Make sure the girl gets her powder puff board to match the hooker pink flapper yarn.

Step Four:  Make sure the children are out of the way while you push all the pins in the boards by yourself. This is when they will cry because you're not letting them do anything.  This is when you realize you should have just taken them to the park.

Step Five:  Show the girl how her yarn goes, let her try for 50 seconds when a pin comes loose and you freak out because she might prick her finger.  Then go ahead and tell her not to touch because the pins will surely make her bleed out and earn everyone a wild ride to the ER.

Step Six:  Do same for the boy.

Step Seven:  Let the children add plastic spiders over their webs for heaven's sake. Whose memory is this, anyway?

Step Eight.  Look at the back of the boards and kick yourself for not going to Home Depot like you were supposed to.

Step Nine:  Smile anyway, you've decorated for Halloween!

(Right, that pic was taken a week ago but I think it illustrates the crazy I felt after yesterday's "DIY Spiderweb" quite well.)

Step Ten:  Try your luck at a gingerbread Haunted House the next day.  Because you just can't get enough of all this obsessing and micromanaging.  If they are lucky, the children might get to actually frost a window.  Oh yes, there are pictures soon to follow...

IndePANTence Day

Wordless Wednesday lets me cop out in picture form. My lethargy and I thank you very much, middle of the week, you are too kind.

Explanation of picture show:
Grayson is becoming "I will do eet myseff."
Mommy is becoming increasingly entertained by the outcomes.
Little Abby is his number one cheerleader through it all. Such devotion.

Today's step into inde"pant"ence. You may have to click each picture to really see the funny.




















His determination is palpable, right?
And then there's the heartbreaking rest. See for yourself.















"Den I pull dem up yike Mommy doss."





















"I check dis side, den I check dis side. Yep, dat looks good."




















"Den I pull dem up high."

and....





















"TA DA!" I did it!"

My little boy put on his very first skirt. His father will be so proud.