Another self-portrait of sorts

These have been my favorite summer shoes for, oh, about 14 to 15 years now. They give great support and are comfortable. Yesterday one of them came completely apart, and they have been deposited in the trash can now. Roughly 5 years ago, I bought a new pair for "good". When I bought the newer pair, I went with a size smaller (really I need the half size in between the two) and the foot beds have been coming apart in a way the other ones never did. Yesterday the newest Kohl's flyer and coupon arrived and are providing the perfect opportunity for a new "good" pair. It's hard to believe they are even still available!

Self-portrait Friday

Tonight I was making my first attempt at straightening my hair myself (the hairdresser did it at my last cut) and the whole family came in to watch at one point. Little G thought pictures were in order and took this (along with a few others). It's going to take some practice to be able to do this very well, but it isn't something I plan on doing all the time, just once in a while for something different.

What's in your bag?

Kirsten asked, "What's in Your Bag?" this week, which was good inspiration for me to empty mine out and start to use a new one that was recently picked up at Kohl's.

Have you seen Anita Renfroe's monologue on the topic of purses? If so, I fit into the "tiny toter" category. And for as long as I can remember, I have carried a purse that can go across the body. I really like to have both hands free and yet know that my purse is securely attached to me. If I carried a bag that had to be set down while looking at something or paying or whatever, I would have walked off and left it several times over by now. And my lack of fashion sense plays in to this as well. When I find a purse that suits me, we're friends for life (well, the length of its life anyway). The one I have now has been with me for about 4 years and is still doing pretty well, but the strap has started coming unhooked from time to time.

Contents: Large wad of keys, sanitizer, lip gloss, Blistex, lipstick, concealer, band aids, grocery/errand list, sunglasses, a pen, and $5 (plus the usual assortment of library, AAA, Sam's, bank and credit cards).

I don't like carrying something big, though from time to time I will carry a larger black bag when other items are needed, such as a camera, Bible, or book, in which case I often throw the small purse in the bigger bag and carry it all together. This is the new one. It isn't as light and bright as I was hoping for, but fits all the other criteria and is slightly larger than the black one above, which will be nice sometimes. Those sunglasses are kind of big for that purse and they will fit better in this one.

So what's in your purse/bag? Let me know if you share!

Self-portrait ...day and a snowy walk

Sneaky, huh?

It was pretty nice out this afternoon and we had one of the most productive days of school we've had in a long time, so I decided we all needed to head out for a walk. The kids (well, Little G specifically) started off in tennis shoes across this area where we often walk, except that it is still under a few feet of snow. I was stepping very gingerly, being somewhat heavier than the three of them and wary of one false move landing me up to my hip in the wet, icy stuff. But fortunately no, we all made it back fairly dry and not too cold.

Self-Portrait Friday and Saturday

This one was taken a few weeks ago and is a true snapshot of my life...on the computer!

I know that this one isn't very flattering, but I was already drinking coffee this morning when the kids came and handed me this large glass of Diet Coke. Geoff calls it "Caffeinated Mom" (but isn't going to win any photography contests in the near future). They had just dropped Mentos in a bottle of Diet Coke and this time it was a flop. Possibly because it had been dropped on the ground? Fortunately when Little G did it for his science fair display and presentation yesterday, it worked!

A start

So...an area I wanted to grow in this year was to step out of my comfort zone a bit in the area of color choices in fashion. My general goal has been to be as inconspicuous as possible. It's an area where my insecurities are displayed (or not, perhaps).

But I've taken a little baby step in this area.

You just wait! By the end of the year, I'm going to be all crazy!

Self Portrait Friday...a few days late

L and I were coloring a picture together while she sat on my lap. I haven't done that with her for a while. The critical importance of spending quality time with the kids and just enjoying them was on my mind a lot this week. Then refreshed there again when listening to the first song on the playlist here (Slipping Through My Fingers).

Page of the week 2

A few days "late", but done never the less. (This picture of it would have turned out better with the flash!) The original is here, and the journaling was inspired by the first layout here. I have a bit of a jump on #3, but need to find pictures to finish it off and remedy a little problem that occurred when it was shoved into a page protector while the glue was still wet.

Self-portrait Friday (or Saturday...)

Self-portrait Friday

I think I might have a problem with "peer pressure."

Why else would I do this?

I mean if someone told me to go jump off of a bridge...who knows?

A Day in the Life...

It feels like we didn't accomplish what we should have today. But that got me to thinking about what we/I DID accomplish:
...up, showered, dressed, ready to go
...a Bible study lesson
...folded one load of laundry
...started another and dried it later
...helped one child make a William Bradford hat
...helped another child make a Native American outfit - paper bag vest, feathered headband
...took all three children to a geography bee practice at the library - 2 hour practice, plus 40 min driving time
...answered at least 100 questions
...broke up and mediated what felt like that many arguments/disagreements/etc.
...made a batch of pancake mix up to have on hand for easier breakfasts
...oversaw 3 violin practices
...oversaw 3 grades of school
...made a pumpkin cake for Thanksgiving play get-together
...made maple hot chocolate for same
...washed dishes multiple times
...ate dinner
...went to fore-mentioned Thanksgiving play
...helped keep 8 kindergarten and 1st graders on track with their lines and parts in the play
...made spaghetti sauce, noodles, and roasted asparagus for dinner
...stayed up too late skimming a library book for a few minutes in the quiet that is only available around here after about 10pm
...gathered school books for L to work on during the geography practice, and snacks for after
...placed an order on the internet
...answered a few emails and checked facebook
...and so much more that I can't even remember at this point