Sweet Little Kitty

A fun little video of Miss Chloe from a few weeks ago. Oh, and I apologize for the dirt on the bottom of the pantry door. It has since been cleaned.

Dear Mom

A letter to my mom:

Dear Mom,

I miss you. Things are going well. The girls started school this week and they are both enjoying it. I am surprised, but Shelly has not had any problems leaving for school this year. I remember how much I wanted to be with you when I was little. I still do.


We have a sweet little kitten. We named her Chloe and I know you would love her. I can just imagine you sitting on the couch with her on your lap. She would love you, too. Just like all of my other cats.

I'm working on being happier and living a fuller life. I know you lived your life to the fullest and I want to do the same.

The girls and I talk about you frequently. We all miss and love you.

I miss you more today than yesterday. I hope you are calm, happy, and at peace. Take care.

Love, K :)

From Purple to Blue

Lily had been enthusiastically begging to have her room painted over the summer. John did it for her the other night and the new look is so nice and fresh. She chose Jamaican Sea (a pretty blue shade) and it really is a huge improvement from the Lilac Purple she had before. Now we just need to accessorize. Then will show some "after" photos of the completed bedroom. This was a great way to begin the new school year!!!

Before in purple



Half and Half


Blue walls with purple in the mirror

Teacher Gifts

I stole an idea from a fun blog I read. I made the girls' teachers these cute little boxes for a back to school gift. I modified the size a bit to a smaller box and changed up the decor on the top, as well.

The First Day

The first day of school was a success. The girls were up and dressed and ready to go. They had a special treat for breakfast...some mini cinnamon rolls. They were both excited to wear their new school clothes and get to their new classrooms. It was a rainy morning, but their smiles were shining brightly.







After school, we had our little "tea party". It is a nice chance to chit chat with the girls about their first day. They enjoyed the lemonade and the brownies. And, they got new kitty cat notebooks from Chloe and a sweet little tea accessory set for their American Girl dolls (from Target). I loved hearing all about their day and sharing in their enthusiasm.

Happy Birthday, Bestemor

John's mom, Sylvia, is celebrating a birthday today. We were lucky enough to enjoy an ice cream cake with her when she was here visiting last weekend. Happy Birthday, Bestemor!!!!!!!!!

The Day Before

Their bookbags are packed and ready to go. They made their lunches. They picked out the first day outfits. They met their teachers!!! And now we await the early morning alarm clock and the trip to the bus stop.

Once again my melancholy mood appears as my girls head off to school. I love the time I spend with them in the summer. I am never quite ready for them to go back to school. I will shed tears as they leave me behind (I pray that Shelly will not shed tears as she leaves). 

As much as I feel a bit sad about them leaving, I also feel a sense of excitement about all things new and fresh for the school year. As a teacher I loved the new beginning, the new faces, the new pencils, the new schedule, the new books, and the renewed me. So, with their departure comes a fresh start for all of us.

Tomorrow, I'll come back home and snuggle with our new kitty and pray that they are safe and happy.

Preparations

Preparing for the new changes of a fresh school year. I am preparing to have a first grader and a fifth grader. I am hopeful that they will enjoy their teachers, have plenty of friends, learn an abundance of new things, and be stress free.

Hard to believe that this was Lily just 5 years ago in Kindergarten and Shelly a year ago in Kindergarten.




Time goes by quickly and I hope that I am capturing it all and keeping these memories close to my heart.

Pretty Little Ears

Shelly got her ears pierced. Why did I let my 6 1/2 year old get her ears pierced? Because I was tired of the annoying clip on earrings that end up hurting her ears after just a short period of time. So, instead of investing in more clip-on earrings, I decided to just pierce away. Lily was very enthusiastic about this decision and could hardly wait for us to get Shelly's ears pierced. As a family, we went to Claire's for the big event. Shelly had no idea what we were up to, but she was very happy when she realized. And, she was super brave and only shed a quick couple of tears after the event. Now, we need to clean and turn those earrings for two months. 

Random

Some randomness with random photos!!!


::It bugs me when people use the word "aisle" and spell it isle!!! I have seen this over and over on blogs lately.

::When I bake cupcakes I don't like to use a cupcake liner. I spray the pan well and they pop right out. Then there is no mess or fuss taking the liner off. You just bite right into that yummy cupcake.

::I get annoyed when I read some of the Facebook updates that appear to merely attempt to impress other people. I know, I know---I should stop reading the info or defriend these people!!!

::I am stepping up to the plate and taking on the teacher luncheons for the PTA this year. Kind of looking forward to the planning.

::I will have a 1st grader and a 5th grader this Fall. Wow, when did that happen???

::Chloe is just about the cutest and most easy going little kitty cat. She's a fun little addition to the family.

::In a million years I would have never believed that Shelly would have embraced Chloe like she has. She picks her up and carries her all over the place. And, Shelly stood right next to me during the vet's visit and was a big helper. Maybe she'll become a vet one day---now that would be funny.

::Summertime means that I don't listen to my iPod in the car much. I love to listen to Bob and Sheri on their podcast while I'm driving. But the girls and I have fun listening to popular music together.

::I miss my mother every day. I associate this time of year with my mom and that makes me miss her even more.



::John and I watched Date Night the other night. I was bummed. It wasn't nearly as funny as I thought it would be. And I love Stever Carell and Tina Fey, but the movie just didn't cut it.

::Lily has been reading nonstop this summer. I am so glad she has. I hope this will help her to ease back into the AR reading during the school year.

::We have the back to school items all ready to go. They are staged in the dining room on the table and ready for the first day.


::Oh. speaking of the dining room. I think I will put the table and chairs on Craigslist this Fall. I don't really care for the look and I would love to see it all go!!!

::I am so lucky to have a great husband and two sweet daughters.

College Tour

I mentioned the other day that we have three nephews heading off to college (as well as, three nieces heading back to college). So, in honor of all things college, we took a Sunday drive to Chapel Hill to check out UNC. It was fun taking the girls on a college tour! UNC was preparing for the incoming students. The next day would be move in day and I felt like we were getting a behind the scenes look at a college's preparation for its students. It was a nice day and we checked out the dorms, the class buildings, the track, the stadium, and Sutton's Drugstore for lunch!

The girls at the track



One of Shelly's favorite food items---waffles!!!!

Summer Sisters

Lily and Shelly spend lots of time together during the summer. They hang out, they laugh, they argue, they scheme, they pick on each other, they create, and they share hugs. In the summer they seem to reconnect. I like that about summer time. I hope they will always be kind to one another. I know they won't always get along perfectly, but I do wish for them sisterly love to last a lifetime.

College Bound

The college doors are opening and the freshmen are preparing for a whole new world. Three of those freshmen are my nephews and I am sure that they are filled with excitement and fear---apprehension and elation. They are entering a place of independence and a place to stretch their wings for the first time as adults.

Kyle heading to ODU

Erik going to Virginia Tech

Eric attending Hampden-Sydney

As an adult, I can remember those feelings when I went off to college for the first time and my parents helped lug all of my treasures to the third floor of my dorm. I can see my mom hanging the curtains and fixing my bed and my dad carrying the many boxes up the steps while I arranged my clothing in the closet.  But soon it was time for them to leave and for me to begin this new journey. The build up to saying good bye was difficult. As they kissed me goodbye I shed a few tears. They left and I lay on my bed thinking about what to do next. It didn't take me long to plunge into the social scene and make new friends. It was all so fun and different.

Now, though I wonder what it was like for my mother as she kissed me goodbye and headed back home to the quiet. I wonder how she felt. I wonder what her hopes were for me. Until recently I never really thought to think of the college experience from my mother and father's perspective.

But the tables are turning and I am listening to my sister tell of my nephew's first few days away at college. And we both wish we could talk to our mom about her recollections. I still have eight years to go before I will say a teary goodbye to my oldest as she enters college. But, I know that when she does I will still wish my mom was here to ask her how to handle all of the changes ahead of us.

I am hopeful that I will follow my parent's lead and let my girls spread their wings and fly.

Scanning Away

When I read through my magazines, I tear out the pages of interest as I go. Some are recipes that I will use later and I put them into my little cookbook. Others are filled with creative ideas I don't want to forget. I have a folder that I keep these idea pages in for future use.


But, today I decided it was time to be more green and get rid of the paper but save the ideas. So, I scanned the torn out magazine pages and saved them to my computer (these items will be saved to my external hard drive, as well).


Now, it will be easy to bring up these great ideas and free myself of the paper clutter. It has me thinking...what else can I scan and save and toss the paper overload???


Here are some of the ideas that hit me: