Science is beautiful, but a good graphic designer helps...

Our new baby girl

We have a new addition to our family. This is sweet Charlie. She is 8 weeks old and a cuddle-bug. We are all smitten with her.

Emma Jane's 9th Birthday

Emma Jane turned 9 on Friday, December 2.  We had her birthday party at Bounce U.  Her best friend Sophie was there.

Emma Jane's creativity is unlimited

now why has no one bought this for me before?

Okay all of you out there who call yourself my friend...
either you did not know this existed or you just didn't think I could handle the perfection?

Where have I been the month of November?

The month of November has turned out to be the busiest month yet of 2011.  Right after Halloween we decided to drive to Dallas and visit Ikea.  The master bedroom was the last place in our house that really needed attention.  We had hand me down and even dumpster furniture that we had been using for 20 plus years.  I finally saved enough mad money to have a room makeover.

I forgot to take pictures of the bedroom looking normal.  These pictures were from when things were already in a state of deconstruction.  But it gives you a general idea.

Then we spent 2 days in Ikea shopping and measuring and planning.  If you have never been to an Ikea, it is an adventure.  To say that everything is do-it-yourself, is an understatement.  "You can configure everything just the way you want it" is code talk for "you are on your own, sister." 

We did find some people to help us but for the most part you have to make sure that you write down the correct number, then pull the correct box from the warehouse, load it in your truck all by yourself, and then put it together all by yourself.  I think they want you to have a sense of accomplishment when you finish.  Anybody can go to a furniture store and say "deliver that to my house on Saturday."  But it takes real stamina, perseverance, and moxie to keep two kids entertained for 2 days while configuring what you hope will be your dream bedroom; then haul it all home and assemble it each night for 10 nights while hoping that your husband will still want to stay with you in your new dream bedroom when all is said and done.

But it was worth it.  Yes.  I said it.  It was worth it.  I have a beautiful bedroom that was built by us (cut to me beaming with a sense of accomplishment) and is functional with a ton of storage.

Now for what is behind those gorgeous wardrobe doors...
Behind the wooden door is all the technology.  TV, DVR, surround system, tech drawer!

And behind the mirrored door is my favorite cabinet of all.  I have hanging space for my dressy outfits.  There is a place to hang scarves, long necklaces and felt lined jewelry drawers!  And the light automatically comes on when you open the door!  I love it!

I have a dream bedroom.  It is my sanctuary.  The blues and greens are very calming and since everything can be hidden in the immense storage, it feels very clean.  The room feels so much larger than it used to.  It took me 20 years, but I finally got the bedroom of my dreams.  Yea!

Know what this means?

Emma Jane fixed Lucy's hair

Happy Halloween!

Last night we went trick or treating for Halloween.  I DID NOT make the costumes this year.  I DID NOT dress up this year.  I DID NOT over achieve this year.  I was a normal human mommy who drives a minivan.

Lucy was a fairy princess and Emma Jane was a vampire princess.  They had a great time and the weather was perfect!

Earlier that day I went to St Francis to run mock codes on the simulated baby.  The physician and nurse who were running the scenarios decided to run all the things they typically see on Halloween night.  So we had a "simulation" that was a kid choking on a piece of candy, a child being run over by a vehicle on halloween night, a child with a sucker impaled in the back of her throat, a baby who aspirated a peanut, a burn from a flammable costume too near a pumpkin.  Now keep in mind there were all fake scenarios that we ran, but they were all real things that the hospital has seen on Halloween night.

Let's just say that by the time I left the hospital on the evening of the 31st of October, I no longer wanted to take my children out into the death trap that is Trick or Treating on Halloween  night!

Want to see Sim Baby?

By the way, nothing bad happened to my kids on Halloween night, save for them getting too cool when the temperature dropped into the mid-sixties...burrrrrrrr!

Blog Makeover!

When I started this blog the night before I left for Malaysia, I had to come up with a name quickly and just used a pre-made template.  I vowed to "make it my own" when I returned.  I finally learned enough about html to create my own header and background and customize the look of my blog.

I also bought the domain name crelement.com  The creative element will be my new blog.  You can still get to it using the old blogspot address if you prefer.  Or you can bookmark www.crelement.com

I have bigger plans for the blog, but I have to learn how to make buttons in html...more later.

Emily

My little star

Our sweet Emma Jane was cast in a commercial for the OERB, the Oklahoma Energy Resource Board. The story goes like this. A production company came to Emma's school for an audition. They auditioned quite a few students but weren't getting what they wanted. The casting director saw Emma Jane walking by and said "I want to audition her".

Then we got a call last week that she had a speaking part. And today we shot her line. "I want you to see my potential, and take me seriously."

And she got paid!!!!!

I had a proud mommy day.

Great visit with my brothers

We just left Colorado. We had a great visit with my girls' Uncles, cousin and Aunt. I wish we could have stayed longer. I wish we lived closer. I wish we could ride our bikes to Uncle Greg's. I wish we could have sleep-overs with cousin Parker. I wish we could have dinner at each others houses once a week. I wish we could be with each other on birthday's. I wish we could all help each other.
Too many wishes for one birthday cake...

Educational and emotional

We are in the new van watching a movie about oceans We just watched baby sea turtles trying to make it to the ocean and getting picked off by birds. The girls and I started crying watching the babies get picked up by the mean birds. Not sure this was such a good idea.
Poor Mike...trying to drive while three girls are cheering for baby turtles and then bursting into tears.

On our way to Colorado

We just stopped in Colby, Kansas for a potty break. I jumped in the back seat to watch a movie with the girls and hand out snacks. We are watching a discovery channel movie on Oceans (good thing we already went to the bathroom; there is a lot of water in this movie!!!!)
Look closely...how Many things pink can you spy?

Buying a Burka

Well friends, I am buying a minivan. Or as my friend Jessica described it, a vehicular Burka.

I am not buying either of the two aforementioned vehicles. I am buying a Honda Odyssey.

I guess all that is missing now are some little vinyl stick figures depicting our family on the back window.

Goodbye sporty Volvo. Hello carpool lane...

Mummies!

So last week there was a bake sale at Lucy's daycare. And these little guys were for sale. They are Oreos with icing piped to make them look like mummies! Brilliant! Delicious! Super easy and fast. The kids could do this and you don't have to turn the oven on! I love this idea!

Car shopping

For quite a while now, my 10 year old Volvo has been acting up.  It is also not big enough in the back for my two girls and my third kid "sophie" who lives down the street and is often in the car with us.  So I have been in the market for a new vehicle (gently used) that can hold my girls, their friends, and all the car seats.

My dream vehicle is a Honda Element.  I am one of those people that thinks that what kind of vehicle you drive says something about you.  It speaks to your personality. 

Like this Mazda...

 Or this sexy Buick Enclave

Or this sporty Audi

Or how about this car...it says, I like to kayak down rivers, but don't mind getting stuck in the mud next to the river...

But the vehicle that best describes my personality is a Honda Element.  It says I like dogs and camping. 

 It says I'm sexy and sporty

And with the perfect personalized license plate, it says, I am a bigger Dork than YOU!

I have been dreaming of owning an element since they first came out.  I had all of my choices written out for my personalized license plate.  You have to submit 5 choices to the Tag Agency and it has to be 7 letters or numbers.  So here were mine:

LMNTL (elemental)
C6H12O6 (sugar) - the color of element I wanted was the color of blue cotton candy
H (hydrogen)
602 E23 (this is Avogadro's number 6.02 x 10 to the 23rd and it is the basis for the entire periodic table)
CARBON (if I got a black one...duh)
ETOHIC (EtOH is alcohol, and the ic makes it say Alcoholic.  So I know what you are thinking..."she would get pulled over a lot"  But really? think about it?  Would the police get that?  My guess is nope.

I have more, but I think you get the idea.

So then I discover that the back seat only holds two kiddos.  The back seats split and can only hold two kids (2 seat-belts, not 3).  So because I am looking for more room, not less, I am giving up my dream of driving around in my very own element.  Sniff, sniff...(tears on the keyboard).

So, I have narrowed it down to two vehicles...

A Chrysler Town and Country:

Or a Ford Flex

I am having a really difficult time pulling the plug on a minivan.  Even typing it is difficult.  I am not a minivan kind of girl.  I don't have a minivan personality.  I don't wear knit pants or shop at Wal Mart!  I am kind of freaking out!  But I want your opinion, please.  Take one for the team and get the girls a vehicle that they never want to exit?  Or be selfish and buy a car that still allows me some swagger in the car pool lane?

Speaking of swagger...you have to see this video...

http://youtu.be/ql-N3F1FhW4

Please let me know what think.

Halloween preview

I think we three girls are going to be fairies...I will be the fairy godmother, of course. I feel a pair of silver sparkle shoes coming into my life. Poof!

Halloween Bark

Last night, while enjoying a bottle of Gnarly Head, I made Halloween Bark. Yup, it is as good as it looks. And it is super easy. It took about 10 minutes.

I found the recipe here: www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

And here is hers...

http://hisforhandmade.blogspot.com/

Infinity scarf

Last night I had craft night with my neighbor (and fellow over-achiever) Jordan. I made an infinity scarf (two, actually) inspired by one I saw on the blog H is for handmade. Here is mine.

How many ghosts do you see?

The ghosts are especially cool hanging from ceiling fan chains, as they move and spin with the air.

Ghosts!

Emma Jane and I made these ghosts out of cheesecloth a few years ago. We cut the cheesecloth into squares and soaked it in starch and water. Then let the dry over some baby bottles. After they were dry we used thread to hang them all over the house.
Note: the first year we made them we hung them from a tree in the front yard. Then it rained and we woke up to white sticks hanging from the tree.
Now we only hang them indoors!

Halloween is coming!!!!!!!

In addition to rearranging my daughters' rooms, I decorated for Halloween. October is my most favorite month of the year!

Big girl bed

She got up about 5 or 6 times, opened the door to her room and came to find me. I was in the craft room and she said "why you not sleeping momma?". I said, why aren't you? She said "I too excited to go to sleep".

Later on when I tucked her in for the fourth or fifth time, I had just eaten candy corn. When I kissed her she grabbed my cheeks and sniffed hard and said "I SMELL CANDY!". I felt such shame...

Where her crib used to be

Sniff, sniff...no, I'm okay...really...I'm fine. Just allergies...really

Bye-bye crib

Lucy is three and up until last night still slept in a crib. She loves her crib. It is her nest. She has every stuffed animal in there with her. She talks to them, sings to them, organizes them by genus and species (just kidding...sigh). In short, she was perfectly content to stay in her crib.

But this weekend we (meaning I) decided it was time. It was time to move the play kitchen out of Emma Jane's room and into Lucy's room. It was time to transition her to a big girl bed.

We (meaning Mike) took apart the crib and we (meaning me) cried big huge fat ugly tears about no longer having a baby in the house. No more babies. Just big girls. Sigh.

Bye bye baby....

Where's Lucy?

Lucy on top of sissy's bunk-beds; blending in...

The fair with a "friend"

Emma Jane was invited to the fair last night...by a boy. And even more shocking...we let her go. He is a very sweet boy and she went with his family. His brothers like to give him a hard time about Emma Jane. So I was impressed he could withstand the ribbing from his brothers to invite her.

They had a great time. They held baby chicks, ate corndogs and rode rides. He and his dad walked her to the door after the fair. She said she had "so much fun, mommy". She even rode a ride that the brothers were afraid to go on. (That's my girl)

Gymnastics!

Rocks in her shoes

How does Lucy even walk to the car after daycare? And no, she had no socks on.

More nerd pictures

My good friend (and medical student) is having her first baby. His name is going to be Benson. So I made her these. There is a matching onesie, but I forgot to take a picture!