What's Monie doing with that Chalkboard Paint?

So, a good friend of mine took a giant Dry-Erase board and wrote out 4 (Her 5th is 5 months old) of her kids Chores/Responsibilities for themselves that they can check off, and then they earn stuff according to what they've accomplished. I don't have all the details, but it's a neat little system.

Of course, I wanted to do this for Kady, and later Kellen. I have a Dry Erase board that I could use for Kady, cause I wanted individual ones, since we don't quite have a place to hang up a large one. Then today I was looking at Kady's door and thinking it would be fun to put chalkboard paint on it. She loves drawing with chalk!

THEN! BRAINBLAST! I though, hey? Why does she need both sides of the door? I can use one side for her schedule! Whoo-hoo! I'm so smart, right? So, I had just enough Krylon Spray Paint in Chalkboard to do one coat on one side of the door. I'm going to have to get some more, but I'm excited about this project! I'll put up pics when I'm finished!

Crochet Spot Holder/Reminders

I can be a bit absentminded sometimes. You want an example? I've been meaning to put up at least 1 post a week for the past year, and my last update was 5 months ago. Anyway, because of this, sometimes my crafting can stuffer. Currently my favorite crafting is of a yarn and hook variety. Yep, I love crochet! But there are times when I put aside a project I'm just messing around with to work on something that is a little more time sensitive. And then I forget about the first project. Then when I find it again, I don't know what hook I was using, and also whether or not stitches have come out, so even if I knew where in the pattern I was, I can't always guarantee that's where I am now. So, I have to get to froggin'! RIP IT! Which can be obnoxious, even if I don't have to take it all out.

Then I saw something on pinterest! WHOA! I (for some reason) didn't pin it, but I somehow remembered to keep an eye out for the supplies.

So, a few weeks ago I was at Hobby Lobby, and I thought to look for these. They did not have them. Sad was I until I walked down the jewelry aisle and found:



Tada! Yay! AAAAND they were half off that week! So, only a dollar a piece. Little obnoxious, but they're gonna get some use! So, I picked the letters I use the most (I love me a G-hook! It's my go-to hook when I'm making up a pattern!) and some of these:










Combined them using a small split ring
















And check out their niftyness:





























But of course they don't get used all the time, so I found a medium sized split ring (FINE, I stole it off my Swiss Army Knife) put that on my Hook Holder, and now I can keep track of them when not in use.

The CGB visits the Apple Orchard!

And she's back! The CGB, or Cutest Guest Blogger is going to tell you about her week!

Hi, everybody!

What do you think of my new puppy? I love him very much, and he's great to take naps with!

In other news: My class went to an apple orchard last week!

First, we waited patiently for our tour guide!

We were very good waiters.

Then we followed her to the apple orchard!She told us that there were lots of different kinds of apples:
green ones and red ones and yellow ones!

We walked between some rows of apple trees.
We saw some trees that had lots and lots of apples.
We also saw some trees that the apple lady told us hadn't gotten enough water,
and they didn't really grow very good apples.

She picked a nice red apple to show us what a good apple looks like.
Then she pointed out some apples that had fallen to the ground that weren't so good.

When we got to the end of the rows, there was a fence to keep us out of the pond that was behind the orchard. And behind the pond were grape vines!
We also got to see some geese swimming in the pond!

Then we started walking back up towards where we had started, between two other rows of apples. Then the apple lady stopped us and showed us how to pick apples!

My teacher, Mrs. B, held me up high so I could reach a yummy apple!

I proudly showed my apple to Mommy.

And then I showed my apple to my friend Miriam, who had also picked an apple!

Then I picked an apple for Mommy. She liked it lots!

Then we walked by a barn with some tractors!

Then the apple lady showed us how they picked apples with a special bag!

It has a hole in the bottom but it folds up so they don't fall out until your bag is full,
then they unhook it,

And pour the apples into a box!

We headed back to the seating area

...and the apple lady gave us some grape juice from the grapes they had grown!
It was very yummy!

It would have been apple cider,
but they didn't have any because there weren't a lot of apple that grew this
year because there wasn't enough rain.

While we waited for the bus to come back we wandered around and played.
We even found a funny looking bug!

Then we got back on the bus and went back to school!
When I got home, I ate my apple at lunch. It tasted very good.

I love going to school, but I really love coming home and seeing Mommy and my Kellen.

The Cutest Guest Blogger: Kady!

So, I some fun news! Since my birthday was Monday,

On Tuesday, I had my:

Mommy drove me to the school and took me inside.

And my teacher, Mrs. Bolton, helped me find my cubby!

That's where I hang my 'pack-pack' while I'm learning!

Then I went in my classroom and found the other kids were having breakfast!

I love cereal, so I had some too!

Then at 11, Mommy came and picked me up!
I wasn't so excited about getting my picture taken with my teacher.

But I had a very fun first day of school.
I'm very glad my friend Miriam was there, because it made me happy to be there!

Then after my second day of school was done, I got to ride the bus home. Mommy was waiting for me, and I waved goodbye to the bus before we went home.

I've been very good about school all week, and I love going and learning about new things like writing my name, bugs, bitsy spiders, and when my birthday is!

I love being 3!

Sweet Boy!

So, my July 13th due date had me up at 5 in the morning because I was so uncomfortable, and later going to the Dr. for my last prenatal appt! Whoo-hoo! I was ready for this kid to be out!

So, they checked my urine (gross, I know, but important to the story) and my blood pressure. My pee had 5 units of sugar in it, and it had never had any in it before. And my blood pressure had gone up 30 pts. Those two things=possible gestational diabetes. FUN! So, that plus Emily telling the Dr. that she (Emily) HAD to be there for the birth, (and could she catch the baby, too?) = the Dr. sending me to the hospital to be induced, because I had finally gotten lucky, and there were no other OB patients in that day!
So, we go to the hospital, got me all hooked up (I had my flippin' IV line in for 15 hrs before it got used, so that was fun) and we hurried up and waited.
For 12 hrs. Then, since the induction didn't quite go as well as hoped for, at 1 in the morning, they broke my water. 4 hrs and 15 minutes later, Kellen was finally out and being humble about his lung power. He just didn't want to cry that much! No one but the Dr. minded all that much!

Our family has grown...

...by two feet!























This little girl:






















loves being a big sister!
















This little boy:















hasn't run away yet, so I guess he's staying!