Last weekend, I learned

1. that LOUD double cheek slobbery kisses may have been the solution to all his belly-aching all along... he was deliriously happy for an entire 20 minutes. Actually, both kids were, so it was a double whammy of fun.

2. that camping with those Mayfly's is to be calendared as much as possible. Every member of my family had a totally stellar time, even though the rest of our friends crapped out on us. We stuck out the questionable weather until a "100% chance of severe storm" threat finally rained on our parade. Thanks so much for the pleasant surprise, Alicia.





3. that preschool summer vacation is already kicking my arse... but I'm determined to kick back.

free pennies

I'm finally bringing my etsy shop off of maternity leave. :) I've had lots of tail inquiries -- and actually am expecting a mention of them on another major blog. (ahem, I've been told that this blog was listed in Time magazine as one of the best blogs EVER!) It's terribly interesting how slowly I'm getting my products made these days -- as all of you with multiple young kids can probably imagine.

On that note - I've decided to accept RME (Revolution Money Exchange) payments at my Etsy shop. There are no fees for receiving money like there is at Paypal & I've only heard good things about it. My thanks to Holli who finally prompted me into signing up! Here's how she did it:

She mentioned RME has a deal going on right now (BE QUICK, it's only until 5/15) where you sign up for free and receive $25 in your account. They also have a referral program so if you click here and sign-up, I'll get $10, which will contribute to my etsy spending addiction:



Here's a list of sellers who are accepting RME in case you want to GO SHOPPING!! There are apparently lots of goodies just waiting to be bought with all our RME moneys!! :)

In closing - Look at this sweetness, from Sam . It took awhile for the wee one to grow into it, but it's a great handmade hooded towel that we use each bathtime! I just wanted to say "Thanks again!!," to Sam and her family for all the sweet little gifts!



AND, I hope all you Mama's had a lovely Mama's Day. I did. I SLEPT until I couldn't sleep anymore.... AND the gal and her daddy gave all our empty pots (about a bazillion) the gift of flowers.



Of course, that means I have to water them all each day... but still, it means she picks me lots of pretties!

Amelia

This silly blog of mine is taking a serious stand today. Look at me complaining about a common illness and the effects it took on a single day (yesterday). While, some friends of ours have a wee little gal, Amelia , who's struggling with a serious disease called Diamond Blackfan Anemia (DBA). Please take a few moments to watch the video below. It's hard to watch the video and not envision your own children in Amelia's shoes.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

For the last 10 weeks, Amelia's daddy has been training for the Hospital Hill Half-Marathon coming up on June 7th. So many charitable causes have organized races, runs, walks, etc… but because DBA is so rare, there is nothing out there like that for them. It’s up to the individual families to do their own fund raising events.

Please consider making a donation in Amelia's honor. A check can be made out to the Diamond Blackfan Anemia Foundation and mailed to the following address:

7769 Rosehill Road
Lenexa, KS 66216

The DBAF will mail you a receipt of your donation for tax purposes. Thanks in advance for any donation, big or small. It will make race day that much more inspirational for our friends - who can’t think of a better way to honor Amelia (just five days before her 4th birthday). Your dollars will aid a foundation committed to improving Amelia’s quality life and ultimately curing her of this disease!

Sick Day

Poof! Today's playdate (& Mama free time) went down the toilet. Literally. Kenzie was feeling sickly this morning. Although she was almost instantaneously better, I would have felt badly sending a dose of the flu to the hosting household.

So, we played with paints. And just as spontaneously - our collaborative artwork resulted in a new banner for my blog. (yay! for naptime-mama-gets-to-play-time!!) I cropped the much larger smooshy-painty mess down to what you see above.

I Noticed

Life got in the way of my good intentions of being a guest. Those silly tornado sirens and a camping trip delayed the downloading of my photos in time to be included in Alicia's project. Oops.

Here's a few photos of what I noticed:

The view from both directions.


A study of lost boots. I wonder how this happened?




Racoon repellant. The last time we camped here (in a tent), our dog chased a 'coon up this tree, where he camped the rest of the night. Not-so-comfy I bet?


I'm also noticing how very little I accomplish with a new babe on board...not to mention how unappealing the smell of baby vomit really is on one's left shoulder.

Yawn.

Just a shout out to all my fellow (& tired) Midwesterners. You OK???
We're fine, of course. But, if I wasn't nursing the babe last night, I was being jarred awake by tornado sirens.



This is the scene I spent a great deal of time looking at last night...desperately wishing we had finished the basement.

As I headed down to there that first time last night, I collected a few "can't live without it items." I found myself carrying the baby, my daughter's "pooh" (security blanket), my camera, and the Mac. Only after we got downstairs did I notice my husband had only carried down a few flashlights (good thinking) & -- get this -- a beer.

So, in summary: if a tornado had taken our home, at least my husband would have had a good buzz, my daughter could sleep, & I could blog about it.

Clearly, we need to work on our disaster plan???

Mama jewelry

A gift from Maize since my necklace became outdated with Rylan's birth. She sent a bracelet this time. Isn't she the coolest?

Jealous?? You can get yours here . Check out her latest idea: Doodle tags.. My Doodle will be doodling up one of these soon!