Doc McStuffins anyone?

Meredith is obsessed. She loves Doc... she pretends to be Doc... alllll the time. She has a stuffed Lambie, a stuffed Stuffy the Dragon, and the Doc McStuffins doctors kit. So when we asked her what she wanted to be for Halloween... yep... Doc!

I needed the following:
*pink skirt
*pink converse shoes
*purple polka dotted leggings
*purple and white striped shirt
*white lab coat
*doctor's kit
*purple sparkly headband with flower
*pig tails :)

I currently have:
**sparkly headband (found online for $2.50)
**pink converse shoes (she had these anyway)
**purple & white striped shirt (she already had one... not exact, but it works!)
**doctor's kit (she already had that too... her Doc one was a potty training gift!)
**pig tails (with my kids hair, this will be easy!!)

I still need:
***purple polka dotted leggings
***pink skirt (I found one online at Old Navy for $6 but I'm going to see if they have it in the store before I pay for shipping)
***white lab coat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's the kicker. To buy one in the store requires spending $20+ dollars because it's an entire costume. I'm not interested in that. :) So.. to anyone reading this... if you have an lab coat in toddler size just lying around, I'd love to borrow it for October 31! :)

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due...

Something that's been on my heart lately is that I'm super thankful with how the Lord is blessing us this year. He provided for us financially (and still is!)... He allowed Billy to find a job... a job that Billy really likes [thank goodness!!]... and a job that he's kicking butt in - so much that he got a "promotion" and is getting a permanent [ok is anything really permanent?] position with Forest... and we are just so thankful. He allowed me to stay at home with Meredith... He's blessed us with Phyllis, our child care provider while I was working full time and now when I sub... Speaking of that, He's blessed me with subbing jobs each week... He's providing and teaching and loving us... like He always had, but I was too blind to see.

A year ago I was angry with God & Billy... for so many personal reasons... only to finally realize that my issue was ME - I wanted control... I wanted MY plans... and when I finally stopped and allowed God HIS timing and HIS way [which is what I had been saying I wanted, but my heart wasn't following my words!]... everything fell into place.  THANK YOU LORD!! 

***Thank you also to my small group ladies for not being shy and instead pointing out my faults... for calling me out on my selfishness and my personal desires and encouraging me to TRULY seek God's will! I respect and value your friendship in my life more than you know.***

So... that's been on my heart. I'm trying to focus on what I'm blessed with instead of what I'm still without.. and my heart is full.

~K

To Dye! :)

Thanks to Sarah Kline I feel like a new woman (her and the fact that I enjoyed a kid free morning that included a trip to starbucks for a nonfat, no whip salted caramel mocha and a trip to the J Crew clearance store (both of them!)) Now here's hoping I can style it tomorrow... ha!

~K... the newest brunette in town!~

To dye or not to dye...

What what was originally scheduled as a subbing day has turned into a mommy day. :) Usually I cancel with Phyllis if subbing gets changed/cancelled, but today, I didn't. I'm going at 12 to get my hair done and I want a change... not a length change, but a color one. :)

My inspirations:

 

I LOVE Natalie Portman's hair... it's what I want. I love that it's brown, but with caramel highlights to help me adjust to being brunette.

Jessica Biel's is what reminds me of how my hair would be - kinda. I don't necessarily have the curls at the bottom, but my hair hangs... no OOMPH in the roots... so this picture reminds me of my lack of oomph! :)

Elsa Pataki's hair is rich and gorgeous, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough. Yikes!

We'll see soon enough - Anddd... If I decide to go darker and hate it... hi-lites will ensue in a month or so! :)


On a completely different note - life has been lazy but is about to be a bit crazy. This weekend was wonderful. Dinner out on Friday (we got pizza at Ledo's), Billy went golfing Saturday morning and Meredith & I went to LRES's fall festival. Saturday afternoon was napped away by Meredith AND Me! I haven't taken a nap in ages so it felt wonderful!!! Then... I went out with some of my girl friends from small group on Saturday night. Sunday was cold and rainy, but after church we had lunch with Joe & Ash and then I went grocery shopping all by myself. Uhhh... that was a treat! :) Andy made us dinner Sunday night which meant no cooking for me... woohoo! :) See what I mean? It was a semi lazy weekend! :)

But... soon enough Billy will be leaving for New York for training and is only back for a couple of days before he heads off to LA for a week... which just makes for long days for mama. :) It's ok though... I'm just thankful I'm not working out side the home this go around - it makes for less stressful evenings that's for sure! [Coming home after working with 20, 9 year olds all day only to make dinner and clean up and play with a 2 year old... then bathe her... and fight her going to bed... and then still have to grade papers, do laundry and clean a little...only to get up and do it again is wayyyy more stressful than getting up and getting the cleaning/laundry stuff done throughout the day and [and play too!!!] - even when she's cranky and fit-throwish... it's just fact!! lol]

Okie Dokie... I'm off to run a few errands and get my hurr did... :) I'll post pictures later! :)

HAPPY HUMP DAY!
~K

Ramblings :)

1. I love making traditions with Meredith. The most current? The Virginia State Fair. We've been 3 years in a row and I look forward to it every fall. It's so much fun and has only gotten better as Meredith's gotten older. 

 

 

2. I miss my dog when he's not here. I didn't miss him when I went to my moms for 12 days. I didn't miss him when we went to Colorado for a week. But... when I'm home... and he isn't...I miss him. Meredith does too.

3. I like subbing a lot. I may never go back to full time teaching. I may "full time substitute" when my kiddos are in school full time. :)

4. I like subbing, but I'm lazy and I'd rather be home. hahaha! I was very thankful that my 2 days a week were up on Wednesday - :)

5. Meredith likes playing hide and seek. A lot. It's exhausting.

6. Billy's going to LA for the "launch" of a new drug with his company and I'm insanely jealous.

7. The Daniels' clan is sick. I have congestion and a scratchy throat. Meredith has a snotty nose & a cough. Billy has sinus junk. We're a mess.

8. I found a new love in life. I'm not sure how I ever survived without it. Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea with a splash of cream please.

9. I'm going out with my small group girls on Saturday night and I'm pretty dang excited. 

10. Sam is going to have a baby. Very soon. I'm anxiously waiting for the call or message letting us know it's time. :)

11. I'm teaching Meredith to pray throughout the day - not just before meals and bed. It's so amazing to watch her realize it can happen at any time and ask to pray. <3

12. She's also becoming quite the story teller. In more ways than one.. hmm..

13.  I need a new hair dryer. I want my sisters. That's not a hint, Kate. :)

14. Meredith has a sun dress (it's way too big for her) that she loves wearing around the house. Every time she asks to put it she mentions being Sharon when wearing it. I asked her Sharon who... "Cha Cha Sharon Mom!"... So weird.

15. Her birthday is in 26 days. She'll be 3. oh my lanta I'm going to have a 3 year old. 

I think that's all the ramblings for today. Have a great afternoon. :)

~K

crafting fail.

everyone posts their crafting success stories. i'm posting about my fail... and frustration!

I went out bright & early this morning (thanks to my dry shampoo!) to the craft stores to buy the following:
-Krylon glitter spray pain
-foam wreath (rounded, not flat on the back/front)
-felt

I found the spray paint (not at acmoore or lowes... finally at michaels), but they were VERY limited in their colors. I ended up with bronze because all the other fallish colors were gone. ok. I can deal with this.

I found wreaths, but none that were rounded. Michael's had 1 in the back... so I bought it (after asking begging for it). No more in the back. None in the store. ACMoore didn't have any either.

I found lots of felt. :) score!

{{I also found a small letter D and a small square plaque thing to put it on so I thought I'd add to some fall decor, paint the plaque white and the D in the glitter spray, attach the D to the plaque and viola! cute decor}}

Come home... get excited... spray paint the D [it's seriously like 5" tall] and then start spray painting the wreath... the can starts fizzing and spraying out clear liquid half way through. Now, this may be a normal thing for empty spray cans, but since I am not a spray painter per say I was clueless. My wreath was only half painted. It wasn't that big of a wreath. ugh.

So now I have a finished D, a half finished wreath that has paint streaks drying and guess what happens... the grass cutters ride by and blow grass all over my wreath. oh. my. gosh.

I gave up. Any suggestions?

[The D is finished and attached. I'll update when my phone is done charging and I can post pictures of both. sigh.]

I'm a pusher. I push people to do things or think things because I feel they are right. Personally I prefer the term encourager, but... 

Anyway, I find myself doing this to Meredith. I push her to find success, to learn new things, to try new things, to be kind, to be polite, to be funny, to be silly, to be independent... but sometimes I push her too much. Here lately she will ask you if you're sad/mad/happy. If you are sad or mad she'll get upset and reply with "I want to make you happy..." - which I thought was cute until I truly thought about it. I want her to make people happy, but at what cost?

I don't want her to be such a people pleaser that she forgets about making her own self happy - or more importantly - the Lord happy. I don't want her to be such a driven person that she doesn't allow herself to make mistakes. I don't want her to focus on doing things better instead of being content with what she's already done.

I know that I do those things. I like to make people happy and I sometimes put that before my own happiness. I like do be the best at things and I forget to be content with what I've done... and I'm rubbing off my kiddo. Like I said - it's in small increments, but it's happening. [My mom points it out all the time, but I usually shrug her off because she doesn't get it, but she's probably right.] 

Today we ran into friends at WalMart and their little girl was riding a toddler bike. Meredith wanted to, too. We took her to the bike section to let her try [she's tried before] and she couldn't get it. She could not grasp how to push the pedals forward with her feet, let alone steer the dang thing, lol. She was so frustrated. [I got a little frustrated too, because if a 2 year old can do it why can't an almost 3 year old?] Then I got home and we ate lunch and she sang silly songs and she told me I was her best fran...and when I put her down for nap I started thinking about how awesome she is... how much I love her and how much joy she brings to my life... and I felt guilty for always wanting her to do more.

I cry all the time here lately about how fast she's growing up, yet I rarely stop to soak up the stage she's in. I expect too much of her at times. While some parents allow their kids to take a treat without saying thank you, I'm the mom that takes the treat away until she says thank you. Some parents chalk up misbehavior to the age, yet I pounce on her when she's even slighty fussy. Why??? Who am I trying to impress??? I know those are necessary things, but I can take stuff to the extreme at times... [and I hate admitting that].

I'm rambling, but these are my thoughts. My beautilful little angel will be 3 in just a few short weeks and I want to STOP making her be more or do more and instead be thankful and content with where she is and what she already knows. She's so smart. She's so funny. She's so silly. She's also the Lords... and He's showing me every day, little by little, what a blessing she really is.