oh the joy...

thought i would share my "loot" from cvs this week. i'm telling you...this is a bit addicting, but i can't even believe how much "bang" i got for my "buck" this time around. this is my 3rd cvs attempt since i discovered all the savings, and it really does start to make more sense each week. if you thinking about trying this out, you will have to spend a bit "out of pocket" the first week, but you will end up with extra care bucks "ecb" to begin rolling the next week. if you have a cvs nearby and are wanting to start out this might be a good week if you have interest in softsoap body wash. they cost $4.99 each, but you receive $4.99 back in "ecbs" on each one purchased (limit 5)...so you would spend $24.95 (or less if you have coupons from this weeks coupon insert--there is also a coupon online for $1.00 off one--check at moneysavingmom for the coupon link) but then have almost $25 of ecbs to begin "rolling" for deals in the coming weeks. anyway...i hit cvs after we got home from church and our flock group lunch (once the girls were tucked away for naps). i had done some planning ahead as to what my transactions would look like (to maximize coupons)....here's how i made out (like a bandit!).


TRANSACTION #1

1 softsoap spa radiance ($1.50 off coupon)--this was free after ecbs (plus i had $1.50 overage w/coupon!)
2 scrubbing bubble cleansers ($.75 off coupon x2)
1 shout stain spray ($.75 off coupon)
1 fantastik heavy duty cleaner ($.55 off coupon)
2 lady speed stick 24/7 ($1 off coupon x2)--these ended up free after coupon and ecbs
1 palmolive dishsoap ($.25 off coupon)
*i also used a $4 off $20 purchase coupon--printed on the in-store coupon printer

TOTAL
spent $14.95 extra care bucks
then i paid $0.40 out of pocket and earned $12.99 in extra care bucks!
*i did "lose" 2 or so ecbs, but i think it was worth it for all that i got!--plus i still have plenty left!


TRANSACTION #2

3 softsoap spa radiant shower gel ($1 off coupon and $1.50 off coupon)--free after ecbs, plus $2.50 overage!
5 deoderants ($1 off coupon and $.75 off 2 coupon x2)
2 zone bars ($1 off coupon x2)--these were "fillers" to reduce my out of pocket expense...w/ coupons they only cost $0.19 a piece
*i also used another $4 off $20 purchase coupon printed from the in-store coupon printer

TOTAL
spent $18.85 in extra care bucks...
i paid $0.28 out of pocket and earned $20.97 in ecbs (pretty much "making up" my loss of ecbs in transaction #1!)


TRANSACTION #3

1 softsoap spa radiant shower gel
1 24.7 facial cleansing scrub (no coupons...but it ended up being just $1 with ecbs and $4 off $20 purchase coupon from in-store coupon printer!)
*i used one $4 off $20 purchase coupon

TOTAL
spent $16.97 extra care bucks
then i paid $0.01 (yep...one penny!) out of pocket and earned $14.99 in ecbs


TOTAL OUT OF POCKET FOR ALL 3 TRANSACTIONS....
$0.69...yep...69 cents!

after all of this, i still have over $22 in extra care bucks to "play" with next week!

want to try your hand at cvs...here is the link once more (its where this madness started for me)! cvs 101
fyi: if you don't have a cvs nearby she also posts deals for walgreens, meijer, target, etc...and often links to others who post those kind of deals....other regional stores that we don't have in indiana as well. might be worth checking out for those who are trying to pinch pennies (or just be more frugal in general!--really, who doesn't like "free" stuff!

Ten Smile...er...Wednesday

I really did have the best intentions of posting my smiles yesterday....but really, someone tell me...where do the days go?! Guess we were just too busy creating new smiles!

1. Health. Yep...we are finally getting over the "sickies" after a week and a half of feeling quite "icky" and blah.

2. Getting out of the house Thursday...for MOPS and an afternoon with my parents. My mom's birthday was Friday...so we celebrated with a little lunch at a barbeque place near them...and, of course, my gift to my mom was a few rounds of canasta while the girls were tucked away for naps. This day has particular "significance"...you see, I don't think I have shared, but my parents are moving...in just a couple days...not far, really...just a couple hours....to their house at the lake. We always knew the day would come...and, oh my, I am so thrilled about all the memories to be made at the lake...and all the new special days to come--days when grandmommy and poppy can come down and visit...or perhaps the girls can go for a weekend stay...but, it is definitely bittersweet. Grandmommy and poppy...we will miss you! Thanks for so many terrific Thursday (and beyond!).

3. Elizabeth's first egg hunt...I really cannot believe how quickly those kiddos picked the field clean of eggs and candy! She definitely had fun...even though it did snow during the hunt (see the past a couple days back for pictures).

4. Having daddy home for a couple extra days...a nice bonus of the sickies....proof that good things can come from not so desirable circumstances!

5. Easter...He is risen! What a terrific message our pastor brought to us...a reminder that Easter is not just one day...rather it is a "firstfruit" of more to come...the taste of the hope we have for all of eternity.

6. An afternoon with Mike's family and some good food...

7. Bedtime...it just keeps getting more fun as Kate gets a bit older and more able to join in...then again, this smile is more about capturing my two cuties peering over the rail at us....so precious!

8. Snuggling up with my hubby and watching a movie...

9. Cleaning...not something I usually love...but after being "down" with the sickies for what seemed like an eternity, it was great to tackle some housework...especially our bedroom, which had grown to a disaster area! Amazing how great hard work really feels...once you get going!

10. Spring is peeking in once again (will it stay this time?). Elizabeth and I spent some time outside this morning while Kate napped and we waited for Miranda to arrive....oh dear friends, how lovely the sun felt on our skin and that still-a-bit-chilly but refreshing spring breeze...surely we will be back outside this afternoon!

how much?

happy easter! we had a wonderful easter....a lovely church service, an afternoon of hanging out and enjoying lunch (ham and the fixins') at our house with mike's parents and brother, and even an evening visit with my parents....definitely a full day (in all senses of the word!). how fun to be able to host the lunch...our first ham (we really are adults now!). i also made some delish rosemary foccacia bread (i'll post the recipe sometime this week)....and a rich and tasty dessert....pecan dream bars....yum! best of all though, celebrating that Christ is risen! we were blessed to have our brand new pastor with us this Sunday, bringing a message about the importance of the ressurection to the Christian life...hope, life, everything. what better to fix our minds on....not just for this week....but for life! thought i would share a couple pics of the girls in their matching easter dresses.....we aren't really the "frilly" type...but i think their simple dresses and sweaters were just right!
now to the title of my post. after our wonderful day, kate and i ran to CVS to capitalize on some of their deals this week (i find this MUCH easier to do without both girls...especially since our CVS has tiny carts!). here's our loot...5 tubes of colgate total (which also happens to be our favorite toothpaste brand) and four toothbrushes. grand total out of pocket.....(drumroll please).
$.33
yep...33 cents! this was after $5.50 off using coupons and then paying much of the remaining balance with extra care bucks (ECBs) from last weeks trip. i still have $12 ECBs left from last weeks trip (no other deals thrilled me this week).
PLUS...in addition to only paying 33 cents, i also walked out of the door with $14.95 in ECBs from this purchase. that's right...i spent $.33 ($12.97 in previous ECBs) and walked out the door with $14.95 in ECBs! you do the math...i "earned" more in ECBs than i spent--free money plus toothpaste and toothbrushes! i call that a good deal!
sorry if you don't have a CVS nearby...apparently walgreens also has a program somewhat similar to this...so if you have a walgreens you might want to check out the walgreen's 101 on money saving mom's blog. (for those wondering how to get in on the action at CVS, check out her CVS 101)

on the hunt

this morning was Elizabeth's first egg hunt...who would believe that it would be snowing during an easter egg hunt. yep...snowing. just before they sounded the siren to start the hunt the flakes started sprinkling down. good thing we were bundled in our warm wintry clothes....oh well, rain or shine elizabeth had a blast picking up the eggs and candy (and didn't seem nearly as overwhelmed by the massive (i mean MASSIVE) crowds of kids and their parents--and holy cow...some of those parents were pretty "intense" (if you know what i mean) about their kids doing what they wanted them to and gathering the eggs! anyway...definitely a fun time!

daddy and libs

scope out the eggs

while katers looks on from

her warm cocoon in the stroller

one for the money, two for the show,

three to get ready, and.....

....four to go!

she's got it!

showing off her "loot"!

as a sidenote...i am finally starting to feel better. today is the first day that i actually would say i am feeling significantly better. i can breathe....i have some energy....i'm actually sleeping more soundly at night. finally!

since i highly doubt i will blog again this weekend...happy easter! may you have a delightful weekend celebrating the reality that (as elizabeth would LOVE to tell you), "JESUS IS ALIVE!" as for our family...tonight we'll be making "tomb cookies" (they go in the oven tonight and "bake" overnight...then in the morning elizabeth will open the oven to get them out and find that they are hollow!--there are even wonderful Scriptures to go along with the steps for mixing them...so fun!). tomorrow we will enjoy a wonderful easter sunday service...with the girls in their matching dresses, and then mike's family is coming by for lunch with us, and we might even see my parents later in the evening. i do hope you enjoy your day as well!

ten smile wednesday

well...still sick but definitely on the mend (i hope!). man, whatever this is...it is horrible! i honestly don't remember when the last was that i felt as bad as i felt yesterday...ugh! anyway....onto our smiles....

1. these lovely flowers mike brought home the other day...enough to make several bouquets throughout the house...including one in lib's bedroom (which she thinks is quite special!).

2. our fabulous trip to the children's museum with friends on thursday...this time we visited some areas we have missed out on during our last couple trips...no worries...we did visit our tried and true favs....the carousel and the curious george room.

3. healthy girls...seriously...i am so thankful the girls don't seem to have what mike and i have had...the only thing worse than being sick is being sick with sick kiddos!

4. having a baby shower for my dear, dear friend jill on monday night....okay, so i didn't feel the greatest and maybe should have skipped out...but, really, can you miss your best friend's baby shower?! it was so much fun...and i can't believe she is really going to have a baby in less than 12 weeks...holy cow!

5. saving money...so this has been my new "excitement". i've heard people talk about shopping at CVS to save money...but i discovered this site (this is what i was talking about when i blogged sunday). i took my first trip sunday and walked out with all kinds of bargains....and $25 in ECBs to start using next week...hopefully this can seriously cut back our out of pocket expenses on toiletries and even some groceries. the info at money saving mom is also transforming the way i think about coupons. the best part...she does much of the "legwork" for you...telling you where to find many of the coupons she mentions, even setting up scenarios for how you can save money each week at various stores. i also saved some serious money on cereal and granola bars with a special our kroger was running (plus some coupons i found on line...via money saving mom!)

6. a wonderful husband who stayed home to take care of me...and the girls....yesterday.

7. coloring easter eggs....

8. buying elizabeth's swimsuit for this summer....and the fact that this means summer truly will come! she was so cute...talking to me about everything she would do in her swimsuit..."i go swimmin' in the lake...grandmommy and poppy's." "i ride boat in my swimsuit."

9. the chance to spend wednesday afternoon playing outside!

10. crawling 101...these pictures were caught while daddy and elizabeth "helped" kate work on her crawling skills. she's kind of getting the idea of inchworming...but you can tell she just wants so badly to figure it out and start keeping up with big sister!

i know...it is ten smile tuesday...and we do have smiles. however, considering i spent the vast majority of the day in bed i most likely won't post them until tomorrow. our house has been hit by this respiratory flu...and i now know just how horrible my husband was feeling on friday! foretunately mike stayed home today so i could ask get some rest and start feeling better....a good thing, because as badly as i was feeling first thing this morning i'm not sure i could have picked kate up from her crib and carried her downstairs. anyway...stay tuned for smiles tomorrow!

what a week...

the title says it all...the week started with the eating of the rock and ended with "sickies" for mike and i. in between we had elizabeth's discovery of the black sharpie, her first trip to the hospital (nothing "urgent"...i promise...but her first visit nonetheless), and so many other "moments". so i think my last entry was wednesday...right? okay...so just after i typed that blog she got up from her nap and was playing while i went upstairs to get kate up. i came back downstairs to find her sitting at the kitchen table coloring with the sharpie...bless her heart, she was trying to color on a paper...to color a picture for daddy, who was working a wee bit late...she missed him and wanted to make something for him...however, the sharpie must have been a bit harder to handle than her crayons (which she never uses "off" the paper)...she had covered her hand and scribbled on the kitchen table. off course, minutes later she had an "explosion" of sorts (i'll spare you the details) which involved a shower and change of clothing (yeah...that kind....most likely thanks to the good ol' rock)...so when daddy walked in the door elizabeth was pant-less at the top of the steps, hand covered in black sharpie, and having a melt-down because the marker wouldn't wash off. bless her heart, kater kater alligator was as happy as can be...playing on the floor. should this scenario happen to you....magic erasers really are "magic"...they took the sharpie right off the kitchen table....and rubbing alcohol took it off elizabeth's hand. as for the "explosion"...well friends, lets just say i decided the best approach was to just toss the undies and chalk it up as a loss!

on to thursday...spent the morning at the children's museum a few friends...stayed much later than typical...meaning elizabeth caught a cat-nap in the van on the way home (translation: no long afternoon nap at home). then we had a doctor's visit to check on the progress of the rock...especially since she seemed to be having some intestinal "issues" (ie...explosions...or the big D)...the doctor decided we should head over to the hospital for x-rays. so we did. i must say, both of the girls were FABULOUS the whole time....elizabeth made several people's days...smiling, telling them hello, even sharing her veggie fruit snacks with the lady at the registration desk (which is a BIG deal--she loves those veggies). she proudly sported her little hospital bracelet and cooperated wonderfully when she got to lay on the table to get the "picture of her tummy". on the drive from the doctor to the hospital i had been preparing her by talking about the story where Curious George goes to the hospital (when he eats the puzzle piece). so i think elizabeth's biggest disappointment of the day was not seeing george at the hospital. she kept asking..."where's george mama...george get picture of his tummy too?"

anyway...the verdict on the x-ray...the rock has either already passed and we missed it, is there but not causing any trouble (and therefore not visible since it isn't metal) and could take up to two weeks to pass, or there was never a rock (perhaps it was actually asphalt or something else that could deteriorate (ugh...i cringe to think of the possibilities...but i promise, it LOOKED like a rock!). the big D issues could have been a stomach virus totally unrelated to the rock or could possibly be from whatever she ingested...but again, not causing major problems, not serious, nothing to worry about (in the words of the doctor).

friday...hmmm...mike had the day off...finally...we were planning to spend lots of fun time together...perhaps outside. alas, i went to bed thursday with a scratchy throat, not feeling great...and woke up friday morning with a cold..ugh! but my poor husband...he woke up feeling horrible...couldn't even make it out of bed until 1:00 or so...and then fell back to sleep on the couch shortly after. so much for those "plans"....

saturday dawned with the hubby a bit healthier...and i felt good enough to make it to a baby shower in the morning...and then by afternoon we both crashed. (perhaps my crash was aided by my decision to "push it" and go out for a run since it was decently warm (any chance to get away from the treadmill!). needless to say, i came back from my run and just felt beat! (but what's a girl to do...it seems lately that every time i get in a good habit on the treadmill i find myself with a cold or other illness...then i take a break from the treadmill to get better and have to start all over...ugh!)

and here we are...sunday....we made it through the week. mike is feeling much better...as for me...well, i'm still here. stuffy nose (you know, the kind where you can only breathe out of one nostril)...and we both have that "hacking" cough...we did make it to church this morning. and after dinner this evening i did some errands...bargain shopping. i will have to share more...but i found a blog with lots of great money saving ideas...including taking advantage of CVS and their extra care bucks...that and a terrific deal at kroger (combined with coupons that made it super-extra-terrific)...i think one of my goals is to work to become much more frugal with our family's grocery/toiletry budget. i promise to share for those who are interested!

and now...i'm off...to bed.

little friends....

"Randa"--as Elizabeth calls Miranda was with us today...and the weather was gorgeous, meaning lots of outdoor time this afternoon. The girls were so cute, climbing into the same chair together and lovin' on each other...priceless candid moments.

(p.s....still no rock! ugh! *for those who haven't been by for a couple days...check out monday's post for the humorous "rock story". we did have another adventure this afternoon...with a sharpie marker...ugh!--foretunately magic erasers clean tables and rubbing alcohol cleans little girls...let me tell you; its been one of those weeks!)

{hugs}

{kisses}

ten smile tuesday

Lots of smiles once again....and for those who are wondering, nope, we haven't "found" the rock yet...but all seems to be "moving along" okay...so no worries! I did, however, google "my child ate a rock" last night, just to see what came up....not much. Apparently Elizabeth is unique. I only found two references to children eating a rock. For those who have no clue what I am talking about, check out my post from yesterday...I promise it should make you laugh a bit!

1. Our funny Elizabeth...seriously, this girl has given us our fair share of laughs this week. Just this morning I was doing some "tidying" in our front room while Elizabeth colored (so I thought!) in the other room. When I walked into the other room I found a naked little girl trying with all her might to reach her doodlepro toy...when I asked her what happened to her clothes, she pointed them out and then told me she was "taking a shower". Get this, she even told me she had to turn the water off (which she proceeded to pretend to do) before we could put her clothes back on. Crack me up! I love this "pretend-play" stage! (She also decided the ottoman needed some new diapers this morning--one wasn't enough to cover it!)

2. Thursday marked Kate's 7th month "birthday"....can you believe it!? I can't! What a blessing this smiling, giggling, contented little girl is...I just love this picture I caught this morning.

3. Having daddy home for three whole days! They finally wrapped up their project late Thursday evening...meaning Mike was able to take the day off Friday and didn't have to go in over the weekend either! We enjoyed an impromptu trip to the museum Friday morning and lots of together time the rest of the weekend. The picture is from Friday morning...when Elizabeth came downstairs and saw daddy she rushed to give him a hug...then wanted to spend the rest of the morning "glued" to his lap!

4. Enjoying Sunday lunch at my parents...with our dearest friends. My parents invited our friends over to partake in some food and fellowship...fun was had by all...of course!

5. A wonderful MOPS meeting Thursday morning...great speaker, great discussion, and some time away (something I so appreciated after being a "single" parent much of the past week or so).

6. The fun of watching Miranda and Elizabeth interact and play together more and more each week. This week the three of us had a BLAST creating play-doh friends while Kate was napping. We made Bob and Larry (veggie tales), a dinosaur, Mugho, a cake, and and elephant...good thing the girls are two...they appreciate my "artistic" creations!

7. Discovering loads of new recipes last night at my church's annual "taste" event. Everyone submits a favorite recipe ahead of time, and the recipes are copied and combined into a "book" of sorts. Then on the night of the event, you bring your dish, separate it into dixie cup "tastes", and sample them. Always fun...and tasty...and a great way to find new recipes that you can actually taste ahead of time!

8. Watching Elizabeth and Mugho play this morning....and listening to the shrieking giggles and gails of laughter from Elizabeth...oh to be able to capture those giggles in a bottle to replay back over and over again!

9. The sun is shining and spring seems to be on its way....in fact, this afternoon I am hoping we can spend some time outdoors when the girls wake up from naps. (Which reminds me of another smile...the fact that they nap at the SAME time in the afternoon....blessed respite for mommy! Today I got to run on the treadmill for a half and hour when they first went down, now I'm typing my smiles...and I will still have the second hour of nap-time to grab a shower and do some cleaning!)

10. Our messy little eater...these pictures make me smile....there were so many more taken during this little photo session that I'd love to share...but I just picked four (I know, that in and of itself is a bit overboard...but I couldn't resist!)

rocks..yumm-o!

maybe you read the blog title and thought...what!? well my friends, let me share....today elizabeth ate a rock. yep, you read that right...she ate a rock. and by rock i mean about the diameter of a nickel...but kind of more square shaped....no pebbles for this girl. so now you are probably wondering how this came about....let me share.

we were out and about and decided to pick daddy up for a lunch date. afterwards as we were walking to the car our little rock lover (this is NOT her first rock...she LOVES to pick up rock and carry them around...she found one about a month ago that she just adored...carried it with her, asked for it as soon as she woke up in the morning and after nap time, made "rock soup" with it to share with mommy and daddy) found a rock and picked it up. i didn't think much of it, afterall she has picked up lots of rocks and never tried to eat any of them before. so we get her strapped in and head toward the grocery store. en route elizabeth pipes up from the back, saying "i eat a rock"...but honestly, i didn't think that much of it...just thought she was playing. of course, both daddy and i said, "elizabeth, don't put the rock in your mouth."...and glancing in the rearview mirror i didn't see a rock anywhere near her mouth. so i left the girls and daddy in the car while i ran in the grocery and grabbed a couple things i needed for a recipe.

when i came back to the van daddy was sitting the backseat with the girls. he had elizabeth out of her seat and seemed to be searching...i opened the door, and here is the conversation.

mike: i know what you're doing this afternoon.
me: what's that?
mike: going to the doctor. she really did eat the rock.
me: (with a bit of panic...but kind of laughing too...not really believing mike) no way...she
couldn't have swallowed that rock; it was way too big.
mike: i've looked everywhere...and she keeps telling me she ate it.
me: umm...what do we do? i know, i'll call jill (my good friend and pediatric consultant...she just
so happens to be a pediatric nurse)...she'll know.

mike continued to share the conversation he had with elizabeth while "searching" for the rock. "elizabeth, where is the rock?" "i ate it daddy." he continues asking, she continues insisting. he talks to her about how lying is disobedient. she sticks to her story. but what finally convinced him. she asked daddy if mommy was in the store buying curious george fruit snacks...seizing the opportunity (now mind you, we don't promote bribery...but some occasions necessitate creativity, right!?) he says, "sure...but elizabeth, you can't have a george fruit snack unless you give daddy the rock." what does elizabeth do...she starts spitting in mike's hand..."daddy i ate rock!" i think that is what convinced mike.

anyway...we did call my dear friend jill, interrupted her lunch, in fact; she told me not to worry too much...just to watch and see that it "passes" in 2-3 days...i won't go into the details of what watching for it entails for me (you can guess, i'm sure!). if it is too big to pass without help then we will most likely have to visit the doctor, perhaps get an x-ray to see how it is moving along, and "help" it out (whatever that means...honestly, i didn't have the heart to ask!). needless to say, when we dropped mike off at work he checked the car-seat and vicinity for anything else that could be "eaten"...

once we were home and the girls were tucked in bed for naps i did some serious searching in the van...trying to find the rock, hoping this was all some big mistake....nope...no rock to be found...anywhere. i even removed the car-seat and check in all the cracks.

lessons learned....
-don't let your two and a half year old "collect" rocks in the parking lot (or at the very least, don't let her carry those rocks)

-elizabeth can swallow far bigger things than i ever imagine...too think i was worried about silly things like grapes and hotdog chunks....sheesh!

-the eating of rocks is a good impetus for a thorough "cleaning out" of the van

-you really do have to laugh at yourself (and your children)...you'd go "bonkers" if you didn't!

needless to say, we've been laughing a lot today. so add this one to the list of moments to be shared at many a family gathering for years to come...right alongside the day that elizabeth locked me out of the house...and the night i locked her in the van....and the list goes on.....

ten smile tuesday

God is so gracious...and I have so much to smile about...even in the midst of a quite l-o-n-g week (Mike had to work both Saturday and Sunday on top of his 12 hour plus days). Without further ado...(sorry for the strange formatting in some places...not sure what the deal is!)

1. Friends who speak truth...even hard truth. I had one of "those" conversations Sunday with a dear friend who wasn't afraid to shake me up a bit. Those kind of friends are such a treasure...the Bible even says so..."Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." (Proverbs 26:7)

2. My "100 things I am thankful for" list...a result of the conversation mentioned in smile #1...her challenge to me. What a huge blessing to really dig deep and think about all that I have to be thankful for...the deep things...to really realize the grass is greenest right beneath my own feet, not on the other side...to come to a point of thanking God for exactly who He made me to be, where He chose for me to do in life, and what trials and challenges He would use to refine me and make me more like Christ.

3. Our delightful "visit" from spring...a welcome afternoon of playing in the backyard! (See the pictures from Sunday's post for a better glimpse of this smile!)

4. Whipping up a batch of "spring-y" cookies to go with our spring day on Sunday...butterflies and flowers...of course, the best part of this was having Elizabeth right by my side to help me out! (And sharing them with my hubby when he was finally able to make it home from work!) Have I mentioned that I am on a hunt for the best sugar cookie recipe I can find...this one was among my favorites so far! If you have a good one, do share!

5. Visting daddy's office after church Sunday...I dropped the girls off and then grabbed a big ol' pizza from Costco for us all to enjoy. Elizabeth loved running around the office (and rolling in daddy's office chair)...I was a nice chance to spend some time with daddy, and Elizabeth couldn't stop talking about daddy's office the rest of the day!

6. Spending a fabulous day with my parents on Saturday...check out Saturday's post to hear more about it...too many smiles to recount here...but truly one of those days to remember!

7. More sock monkeys...two more completed...and two more ready to be stuffed and have their "limbs" attached!

8. Kate's bottom teeth are finally popping through! I knew they were on their way...but it is always nice to actually see some progress!

9. Elizabeth "helped" me (I use the term helped loosely here!) give Mugho a bath tonight...then afterwards she really helped Mugho dry off...running in circles with him, loving on him...they had a blast. But the cutest, hearing her invite him up onto her bed to sing with us and then insisting on giving him the biggest hug and kiss ever..."Love you Mow-go" (as she so sweetly pronounces his name...actually, for any who have wondered it is actually pronounced Moo-go)

10. Independence...okay, some of the independence is bittersweet...however, not this independence. She's got it...going to the potty all by herself! Hooray! I think I almost did a cartwheel yesterday when she ran to the potty, and I heard the tell-tale sound of her little seat being placed on the potty, a pause, then a flush, and my precious girl running out (pants still around her ankles, of course--just to make it all the more precious and priceless) shouting, "I did it...go potty BY MYSELF!" Now she is all about doing it on her own. AMEN!

And now some random shots from the past few weeks...pictures from my mom's camera that she sent my way!

libs modeling the dresses g.g. and b.b. gave her

for valentines--kate got too equally cute dresses...

just didn't try them on right away!

my sister and i--before our haircuts (sorry the afters were

blurry!)...and even better, the lovely michelle, sporting the

super fun glasses she bought for elizabeth!

need i comment...kate is simply FULL of these grins

and giggles these days...they just don't stop!

spring came a-knockin'

wow...two posts in one day...just had to share some pics of our afternoon. spring came to pay a visit (just a teaser, really...since it is supposed to cool down again tomorrow i believe)...but, really, at this point a "visit" is better than nothing....and i suppose that is what we get for living in indiana! what fun we had running around in the backyard...enjoying the fence....ending up covered in squishy mud....expending some of that energy that has been building up all winter long! watching elizabeth run and play was yet another reminder of how much she has grown in the past 4 or 5 months....and made me even more excited for the arrival of spring and summer days! mugho also loved the time to romp around and bark and chase elizabeth (and be chased by her as well!). as for kate...well, she enjoyed her time outside too...swinging, exersaucing.

another new friend...

this is daddy's sock monkey (my second attempt at making a sock monkey)....mike took him to work, so now elizabeth knows that a monkey is watching out for daddy while he is gone. plus, on days like today--when we visit daddy in the office--elizabeth now has a "buddy"!