After I walked back from taking Zoe to the summer school bus I decided this morning was a great time to do a little weeding. I didn’t frantically grab huge handfuls like I usually do, instead I methodically got down and picked them out one by one. Sure, there are still about 1,000,000 to go, but the morning was too perfect to worry about all of those. I focused on the cool breeze, the beautiful colors of the flowers (wether they be intentional flowers or flowering weeds..), and the blessed life the goddesses have given me. For a moment I thought how it felt like fall instead of the end of June, but I didn’t grumble or moan about it to myself, I remembered all the things I love about fall, with the larger harvests, the pumpkin patches, the cool air.

I then walked in the back yard, which I usually wish wasn’t so cluttered (well, a huge pool will do that…), or so close to the neighbors, or home to a falling down shed, and that’s when I noticed there were raspberries to pick!

I keep wishing that our house was bigger, or cleaner, or that I could muster up the energy at night to run around with the girls and play instead of plopping myself down in front of the tv or reading in bed, or that we had more money to do more things, or buy more things… but what does any of that matter? Well, besides the more energy to play with the kids.. but that will come too. I won’t be pregnant forever (well, hopefully???? right????) and tonight we are planning some tv off family time with Zoe (Darby won’t be home til late).

I am just grateful. That is all. Sometimes I need to give myself a little shake (ok, sometimes a big shake) and open my eyes and tell them to see what my heart already knows… I am blessed.

Well, beside the fact that it will be his big b-day in one month (yikes!! I gotta start prepping…), he’s going to be a big brother to a little sister!

That’s right. We had our ultrasound today and got to see our perfectly healthy, wonderful little girl waving and stretching out her legs.

Jerome and I are absolutely thrilled. Not that it wouldn’t have been great to use all the boy stuff we saved (I’m sure a lot of it we can still use..), but it will be fun to have another girl. Poor Jerome and Henri are going to be so outnumbered! So we are over half way to meeting little MS. Bean.

Besides the anticipation of waiting for today, we have been busy with trips to the cottage and fireworks.

We headed up this weekend and Henri had his first experience in Lake Michigan. Here are a few pics including some totally amazing wind turbines that we saw on the way up, Henri and I at a fabulous little diner we found in Neenah, and misc. water and family pictures (Grandpa is one of Henri’s favorite people…)..

Last night was Rhthym and Booms down the street from our house. Evidentally it’s something like ‘the midwest’s largest fireworks’ or something… Henri was asleep, and stayed that way, which is amazing since it sounded like bombs were going off in our yard, so Jerome and his sister Jenni took Zoe down to the park to watch them (Darby is at her dad’s still but Zoe has to come home for summer school…). They had a great time and I could even see the grand finale from our front yard!

You really can’t tell what this is, but it is still pretty cool… part of the finale :

Time to finish lunch, throw in some laundry, put my feet up and read for a little bit, and try to get some bracelets started. I also seriously need to start planning Henri’s party. With the girls first b-day’s I would have already had all the invitations made (by hand, of course) and be planning the menu! At least I have relaxed, well, a little bit, in my older age..

I feel refreshed after the weekend and relieved after the ultrasound. Here’s to wishing you all relief and refreshment as well…
xo

Marshmallow eating,

Gardening and weeding,

.. and even a little bit of working. Here is a wholesale order I just finished for Quince boutique in St. Paul, MN.

Today I have two appointments I have to go to, so I suppose I better stop stalling and get ready……

I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has to offer!

Life in itself has been keeping me very busy as well. I suppose being a wife and mama to 3.5 kids (officially half way done on Saturday to the .5, otherwise known as ‘bean’.. although it has moved WAY past the size of a bean…) will do that.

Last week we took the girls to Chula Vista. Besides Chula Vista itself being incredibly unorganized (couldn’t find my reservation… computer systems down etc..), it was a lot of fun. We even splurged and had the crab buffet for dinner which was super duper yummy. Crab is probably on my list of foods I’m not supposed to eat, but I sort of forgot to check before we left. Woops. Here’s the ladies getting ready to go back into the waterpark for round two of swimming.

Jerome finished setting up their pool last night too so they will be pretty much submerged in water for the remainder of the summer. Of course if it really gets as hot as they are calling for today, I may be spending the day in there!

There was also Violet’s graduation party which turned out great! Here are the girls ‘helping’ set up.

There’s been tons of watermelon eating…(Henri’s new fave food),

disc golfing, and new - baby backpack - testing (Jerome bought this brand new off of Craigslist!)…

.

Zoe also started summer school. She goes all day (eight hours!), by choice (she only had to go half days) and so far so good! She got off the bus yesterday and said it was ‘awesome’. Her best friend is also in it with her, so that helps. Besides her two hour math slot the rest of the day is sports and recreation so I think it will be fun for her.

Today for me will be finishing up picture frames for a wholesale order and attempting to stay cool. Once in a while I wish we had air conditioning. Oh well… an excuse to go to the bookstore, perhaps?

It was the end of school, which meant Darby’s fifth grade graduation!

Those years went too fast. Waaaay too fast. I can’t believe she is starting middle school in the fall.

That also means that Zoe finished up the fourth grade. I tried to get them to take a couple pictures together, and here is the best I could get! It’s getting harder and harder for them to stand still together for thirty seconds..

Last week also brought a first for Henri… his first pair of walking shoes! I guess this means he has to start walking… well, pretty soon.

I also got Violet a pair of ‘walkers’. Fine, she has been walking for many a-year. She is going to be fourteen tomorrow! Talk about time going too quickly. She is going into high school next year. Geesh….

This week we will be celebrating Violet’s b-day, heading to the Dells to Chula Vista, going to two doctor’s appointments, going to Violet’s eighth grade graduation party, and getting ready for summer school next week. AND I have a bunch of work I am trying to finish up for some more shops. AND Sunday is Father’s Day! Wowza.

Meghan from Absolutely Art came and stocked up on Glitter Goodies last week and so did Sachi, so go grab some fun coasters for Father’s Day, or a graduation gift! I do have bracelets I am finishing for Anthology and I mailed off packages to White Rabbit and Dainty Daisies. It’s getting there…. If I could keep up this kind of production it would be lovely!

Time to grab a cup of tea and get some work done while the young prince naps….

Happy Monday everyone..

Today started off with an hour long prenatal massage (I heart my massage therapist… seriously, the woman is a miracle worker…) and a stop at Whole Foods for produce (truly, the only place in town that I can consistently buy good fruit!!), which also included some lunch to take home.

We have also been busy stocking up Glitter goods for wholesale and consignment shops. I have been making tons of magnets which I have been out of since Christmas, tons of storybook coasters, barrettes, frames and bracelets, and these new glittery coasters.

The Emperor (Henri… we call him that because sometimes he acts like royalty…) has also been keeping us on our toes since he has learned to pull himself up on things pretty well. He still won’t crawl, but will be walking before you know it!

Here he is lounging, and showing his new skills.. oh, and playing with his fave toy, my measuring cups.

He also had his first overnight at Grandma and Grandpa’s on Saturday. Let’s just say that he did a lot better than Mama did… We did want to try it though because we are planning an overnight trip with the girls that would probably run a lot smoother if it could just be the big kids!

Speaking of the big kids… they are becoming really good helpers with Henri too. Well, unless they have something else they would like to be doing!

I also have to give a shout out to my favorite niece who successfully graduated the eighth grade yesterday (yes, she is my only niece, but she is still my fave!!). While she didn’t take home any of the awards for no referrals (otherwise known as good behavior..) her teacher did mention what an incredible girl she is and an amazing artist. Seriously, this girl has some mad illustration skills. Now if she could use the rest of her powers for good not evil…. no, really, she is great. I love her so much! Here she is with her mom, her dad, and some random FedEx guy… just kidding, it’s my brother in law, he had just gotten off work…

Time to work on some very neglected laundry and get a little more work done before I have to pick up the girls. Tonight is the school picnic so I’m hoping the weather keeps cooperating! Friday is the last day of school, then next week we are hopefully planning the little getaway with the girls if I can scrape up some ‘extra’ money (does that exist?…..), then on to Zoe’s summer school. Always something, but luckily, something is usually pretty darn good..

Well, I know where our past week has gone. Today I got a weird dizzy / sickness out of nowhere and ended up sleeping most of the day. A huge thanks to Jerome for coming home and picking up Henri and to his parents for watching all the kids!!

Besides that, things have been busy, but good. Yesterday I chaperoned the fourth grade trip to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. I can’t believe I had never been there! The weather turned out great, and besides the ridiculous amount of goose poop, the trip was a great success. Here are a few pics of Zoe and her BF Aaron grinding flour, kneading dough, and hanging out…They were studying Wisconsin settlers..

Oh yes, and little miss sweatpants and skull shoes was the one who asked me yesterday to dress ‘normal’ for the field trip…. nice…

Jerome and I also had a very full weekend. We had a wedding to go to in Wausau so Henri had his first car trip over an hour. He did great!! He literally slept almost the entire way there, and home. The inn we stayed at had a nice kiddie pool so he loved that. He did let out a pretty good screech during the ceremony, but hey, that’s what babies do!

Here are some pics from the weekend including getting ready to leave, getting excited over dad’s beer selection at the Great Dane, playing in the pool with Aunt Mimi, and warming up after swimming with mom..

I also have to give a birthday shout out to Jerome. Yesterday was his big 3-1. Woot!! I know… I am a cradle robber. We stopped at his parents house but I think I may take him to the Grumpy Troll this weekend for our own b-day celebration.

Time to lay back down before everybody gets home… I also have tons of restocking to do at my shops, but have put some more barrettes up on Etsy including these…

AND, not to leave Ms. Darby out of this post, she will be graduating fifth grade so she has begun the final countdown. I forsee a trip to Ella’s Deli in our future…….

Have a great week everyone!

Well, when the boss man gives you an order, ya better listen…. SO, I spent the lovely holiday weekend getting to work. Oh, and can you tell Daddy dressed Henri yesterday? I love the hammer..

Here is a glimpse of a little of what we did this weekend.

Oh, and don’t worry… I don’t do the gluing, that is all Jerome. I make the buttons and lay out everything then he goes through and glues it all! Thank goodness he doesn’t mind crafting with me.

I also got about two dozen headbands cut so they are ready to sew, and am probably going to work on storybook pins this afternoon after my OB appointment. Sure wish the doc wasn’t across town…. Oh well.

What did you all do this weekend??

We did squeeze in a little bbqing, walking and playing in the yard too, so I really can’t complain… of course that’s never stopped me!!!

How can you not have a good week with this kind of weather? Of course it would have helped a little if we had actually gotten our screens out already… but at least a few windows and the doors opened.

Darby, Zoe and Henri have been loving the nice weather, and Mom is loving being able to kick everyone outside to play after homework time.

I actually even got all three of them together for a second to take this.

It is so funny seeing Henri in his little summery outfits. Since he is still pretty small he can fit into a few outfits that were given to us as gifts last summer. Check out these duds..

He’s also starting to pull himself up on things and scoot around, but no signs of true crawling. Zoe never crawled, but walked pretty early, so I think he is on that path. Here he is attempting to climb his nightstand…. He looks so mischievous.

Daddy and Henri also had some outside play time yesterday. First we kidnapped Jerome from work and forced him to come to the park with us during his lunch, then after dinner they played out in the jungle, I mean front yard, for awhile.

There were a couple of down times this week too. Two years ago last Wednesday, we lost our twins, Charlie and Molly. We still miss them everyday but also feel how blessed we are that we have Henri and Bean on the way (and OF COURSE Darby and Zoe, but they were here first). Not that they are in any way at all a replacement, but we know that they would not be in our lives if Charlie and Molly were still here.

Jerome also had a bit of a minor (ish) car repair that we had to deal with, which of course means more money. Ugh! I have been trying to work as much as I can too to fill orders and get my shops filled with goodies for the summer. I just sent off a package to my mom for her shop including these.

Not the best pic of the jewelry, but at least it is proof that I have actually accomplished some work this week!

I know Anthology needs goodies and so does White Rabbit in Iowa, but don’t worry ladies, goods are in the works. I also saw Meghan from Absolutely Art at the grocery store ages ago and she said she would like to talk about more stuff too. AHHHH!!! AND I do have that wholesale order for Quince to do. Good stuff, good stuff, but I just need to figure out the time. I also need to work on the yard, wash the windows and get the screens up (with Jerome’s help…), attempt to get my veggie beds ready….. the list goes on.

Today I have physical therapy and my first acupuncture appointment which I am a bit nervous about. Hopefully I will feel great this afternoon though and can work after I pick up the girls and before Henri gets home.

We have done a little rearranging in the house too. We found a really wonderful table at a thrift store last weekend and decided to get it. We have been talking about turning the living room upstairs into more of a dining / sitting room since our kitchen is just too small for a family of five, much less almost six, to attempt to eat in.

It was hard to get rid of the futon in the living room and lose that space, but it is SOOOO nice to have room for everyone to comfortably eat without someone else’s foot or elbow poking you! And, since Jerome and his dad did such a great job on the basement, we are making that more cozy so that it can be a nice family room.

This is the table and benches and we are still looking for a couple of chairs.

The girls have also enjoyed eating by candlelight lately, which I have to tell you, has helped make some peaceful meals.

Speaking of peaceful, I’m going to go sit on the porch and sip a cup of coffee before I have to get ready for my appointments.

Here’s to another wonderful day…
xxoo

Here are some of the super fun gifts I received (not counting the computer, cash, which is WONDERFUL, and a fancy schmancy wireless mouse…)..

I had a very nice 34th birthday. Last night my sister came over for dinner and cake and we all just kind of hung out, then today Jerome and Henri let me ’sleep in’. Well, let’s just say I stayed in bed a little bit.

Henri has been a little on the crabby baby side with a runny / congested nose and a few crying fights here and there, so last night we let him cuddle with us, which of course, means wanting to nurse the majority of the night. Not so good for mama’s sore neck and shoulders, but lets everyone else in the house get a good night sleep.

Today we had to take the girls down to Janesville to their grandparent’s house then Jerome treated me to a super duper yummy dinner at the Esquire Club. Yummmmm….. I even got a dessert to take home since it was my birthday so I am savoring little bites of vanilla bean cheesecake. Just wish I felt a little better so I could enjoy it more!!

I have also been working on some jewelry for my mom’s shop since it opens for the season next weekend. Here are a few pieces I have finished.

So, Jerome is off picking up Henri from his parents house and I squeezed in a nap, which was lovely. Now I am going to sit back and think of the past year and dream of the year ahead. The last year has brought us Henri, along with many other changes, thank goodness, mostly good. This next year will bring us the little bean (it will be nice when we know it’s gender!!), Darby starting MIDDLE SCHOOL, Zoe moving into fifth grade, and I’m sure many many more changes, but through it all I am so blessed.

One of the hardest parts of being an at home mom is the isolation and this little blog has somehow helped, just a little, to make me feel connected to the world, when some days my whole world may revolve around dirty diapers, picking up kids from school and a messy house. Thank you all for being there for me..

xo