little four year olds. play with normal boys!

as i've mentioned before, we recently started a reward chart for lula. we've kept up with it and let it go depending on the week, but we always try to get back to it because it still works like a...

review of the snugg ipad and iphone cases.

i was happy to receive a snugg iPad 4 case and a snugg ultra thin iPhone 5 case from the company The Snugg. we received a black snugg iphone 5 case. it snaps right on to the back of the phone with...

how we dress. a free spirit in moccasins.

diesel skipped, hopped, and jogged all the way home from the park with his arms out, hands in the air, free as a little bird. he's my free spirit. diesel is wearing a hand-me-down shirt from gap,...

parenting 101. i don't want to grow up!

don't you hate it when you realize you've been a bad mother? i don't mean since your kid was born, but just lately. like maybe the last few days. your kids are being mean and talking back and not...

guest post. Summertime Fun--Can't Wait? Don't Wait!

by anna kay hicks Spring is finally here and we're beginning to see green on the trees and hear the sound of running lawnmowers on Saturday afternoons. Summer is right around the corner and that...

little two year olds. my organized musician.

if you've been following my blog for a while, you may remember how lula used to organize her toys like this too. it's funny that they both like to do this even though their personalities are very...

little toys. magical toys for all ages at magic cabin.

magic cabin has a lovely array of unique and whimsical toys for kids of all ages. if you need some new games for the summer or have a slew of summer parties on the horizon, magic cabin is a great...

life. pure imagination

from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory... the original. There is no Life I know To compare with Pure imagination Living there You'll be free If you truly wish to be have a lovely, imaginative...

little two year olds. momma's boy.

this little guy is so different from lula! lula who used to play in another room while i worked on my computer and rarely came over to even ask for help if necessary. she's quite a bit more social...

little four year olds. my girl.

my spectacular photographer friend, janae, stopped by over the weekend to take pictures of our finally "finished" house. (is a house ever really finished?!) she managed to slip in some family...

marriage 101. changing my mood in the afternoon.

yesterday i mentioned that i'm often pretty grouchy in the afternoon and ready to skin a cat by the time jay walks in the door from work. not really fun to come home to! i decided that probably...

new birth stories needed!

hey, folks! as some of you may know, i have a lovely little site called a birth story blog that is all about birth stories. that's it! the purpose is to give women a chance to do a little "real"...

marriage 101. what guys have to put up with!

based on my post this past Friday, you might have the impression that i'm a cynical, bitter wife who is disappointed in my husband. quite the contrary, my friends. i'm a realist who no longer...

life. wives are the administrative assistants of the household.

***warning: this post is chock full of gender biases and cliche assumptions about gender roles. carry on! something occurred to me the other day after hearing some friends complain that their...

little four year olds. party time! part 2.

we had a few days to recover from lula's family party before we tackled her friends' party. thankfully all the decorations were done. so it was just a matter of preparing the food. we decided to...

little four year olds. party time! part 1.

last week we celebrated Lula's fourth birthday, and boy did we celebrate! i'm a firm believer in the "birthday week". so the festivities began on lula's actual birthday. when she woke up, we had a...

little two year olds. spending time with my guy... and chocolate donuts.

i love spending time with my little guy. even though he's two and knows how to throw a tantrum... that can last forever... he's still the sweetest little guy i know. jay and i actually frequently...

little two year olds. thanks for the gun, daddy!

i think it's funny (in a non-humorous way) how kids get introduced to things. you think you'll protect them from this or that, but it just doesn't happen that way. there are too many outside forces...

little two year olds and three year olds. can't get enough of spring.

i can't tell you how thankful i am that my kids can finally play together and that they get along so well. they really love each other and really play well together. i know this isn't always the...

life. starting traditions. this easter.

as my kiddos are getting a little older, i've started to realize that it's time to begin some traditions for our immediate family. it's so strange how family dynamics change first with marriage,...

life. what's easter all about?

this year i was overly concerned about easter. christmas has been so commercialized i've kind of given up on the true meaning being the main focus... at least for now. but easter? i mean i know...

renovations. a new fence.

i did everything i could to find a picture of our backyard when we first moved in almost three years ago. i know i had one on here of the jungle that was overtaking our tiny plot of land surrounded...

little two year olds. a simple birthday party for my boy.

i just realized yesterday that i hadn't posted pics of diesel's birthday party yet. what could i possibly have been thinking?! hmmm... maybe that i have a TWO year old who is now acting just like a...

the internet has taken it to the next level! april fool pranks!

so i forgot it was april fools' day! this isn't a holiday i typically celebrate or enjoy being a participate in. i'm just not a prankster. i don't like surprises in any way, shape, or form. but i...

life. giving things up.

after reading half of 7: an experimental mutiny against excess, i've decided to permanently give up andy's (our local frozen custard joint) and starbucks. i'm not really inspired to explain all of...

life. spring means picnics in the park.

aaahhhh... spring! when you have little ones, it's probably the best time of year! after being cooped up all winter long, it's wonderful when the weather warms up enough to send them outside. for...

parenting 101. clutter kills creativity.

yesterday while i was working and the kids were out of the house, i cleaned up the playroom. it had been in utter chaos for at least a week and continued to get worse. i used to make it a point to...

little three year olds and two year olds. my silly kids.

running. where's the rhythm?

i haven't been able to run regularly for the last month or so due to bad weather and jay being out of town for two weeks straight. (don't you know i have to follow my training schedule, jay? quit...

health. sugar. again.

eating sugar at night makes me have really, really weird dreams. reason enough to detox...again. oh, sugar, why won't you leave me alone?