Cell phone usage.

I am totally against texting while driving. Heck, truth be told, I am totally against talking on a cell phone and/or reading emails while driving. My husband talks on his cell while driving 7 hours out of 8. It drives me insane. I think it is totally irresponsible & risking the safety of innocent drivers. My guess is that in the near future, cell phone usage while driving will cause as many, if not more, deaths than drunk driving.

Feeding my addiction. Wooden chairs.

This little jewel is about 3' tall. I found it at a garage sale today for $5. I know. Contain your excitement. Can you believe it? Ü

While Clorox Wiping this little jewel, I discovered it is dropping paint like you wouldn't believe. It's probably lead paint, at that. Baha! I had to get it up & away from the wee ones, so I chose the ledge that hovers above the landing. You remember the ledge? The one I despise cleaning, because I can't reach. I literally tossed the chair & rooster up there, hoping they'd land in a satisfactory spot. Ü

Now picture this little jewel in hot pink. Just perfect for Jaguar's room. Score again! ♥

Caught in the act.

I told my husband someone was eating the peaches & leaving their peach pits in our yard! Busted! Ü

Reading.

Today I took myself & my children to Barnes & Noble. What an amazing store. It's a pleasure to walk into & a pleasure to browse. So peaceful & calming, but exciting at the same time. Full of adventures - from Cooking & Decorating to the Bible & everything in between. My children were mesmerized. Yes, we had been there before a few times, but we don't live 'close', so it had been a while. Way too long. We could have stayed for hours, sinking down on their soft chairs, just reading. We vowed to return much sooner next time & we then left with some fun treasures.

I'm not a reader. Never have been. I have high hopes of changing that. Not only for myself, but to encourage my children, as well. Even though Bentley needs no encouragement to read (he's a pro!), I hope to entice the others. Audi has now learned to read, so we are at a really good place. Ü

When I purchased this sectional a few years, I did so mainly for one reason (besides color :) - when I saw it on the showroom floor, I envisioned my entire family curled up on this couch reading books together. I knew it was ample large enough to house us all. I bought the couch. :)

I asked for Laura Bush's new book for Mother's Day. I received. :) My new summer plan not only includes quiet reading time for myself, but for my children. 15-30 minutes daily, individually. In addition, I have decided to purchase one "classic" at a time & read for a bit every night to all four of my children. We read together, but it's so informal. I want formal. :) This time I chose The Wind in the Willows & when we finish this book, we will return for another. And another. We're going to read right here on this comfy couch. I am so excited about implementing reading time together.

Next time someone (including myself) exclaims "I'm bored!", well, grab a book! Bored no more, all the while being lost in an adventure. Ü

Do you want to go swimming?

"Yeah!" she says, hands up in the air, for full excitement display. So we go out.

And this is all she does. Every time. Ü

Pocket Full of Sunshine.

You & I? We've never met. You girls really have no idea what I'm like 'in person'. All you get is what I type on my blog, which unfortunately, at isolated times, can be totally misconstrued via the internet. I think I do pretty well conveying myself, but sometimes, things just come out wrong. So.

When I viewed this video, courtesy of Kelle Hampton's blog, oh holy pickles, this is about as close as it can get. Cracks me up. Want to know what I'm really like? Want to know the stupid stuff I do & how I love to do it? Honestly? This could be me in the video. Albeit, I'm just a tad older. I said tad, not quite. Teehee. :)

Nothing about me would I change. Well, maybe my temper when I get niffed, but that's a work in progress. I do claim to be a hothead, which I inherited from my father. Sigh. But. Other than that? I am a complete goofer. I dance all the time. Blare the radio. Sing. Laugh. Make jokes. Stupid rhymes. Tease my kids. (Admit to) Perform & vocalize dumb things. I'm happy happy. When other mothers aren't hurting my feelings. Ha! Borderline dork. I'm just me. I'm thankful for being me. I'm thankful for being quirky. Because if I was any other way, my life, our life, would be way more boring. And boring bites.

My mom is currently hooked on singing cards. The one I just received for my birthday? A tiny hampster (or some cute creature) singing: Have a dee-da-dee-da-doe-doe day! Cracks me up. The singing cards are a tad expensive, but sometimes, you can't put a price on a smile. Ü

I wonder how many times you're going to watch the above video? I betcha way more than once. You go girl. :)

(♥ the dog.)

Thought we'd put their warning to the test.

They're right! Ü

That right there'd be Mr. Chunk stuck in Miss Mercedes' hair. Teehee. Ü