Put it to a Vote!

I can not control every thing that happens in life, but I can control the length of my hair. I definitely know I want a change but I am seriously debating whether or not to get it cut short again...the only drawback: not being able to put it up in a black twistie. I need some input.
(My current look.)

(My short cut in 2008.)

A Mommy's Paycheck

I used to have a full time career as an elementary school teacher. Twice a month, I received a paycheck for my services. It's been five years since I've received one. Don't get me wrong. I am NOT complaining.

Now,as a full time mommy, my paycheck consists of sorting through all the daily details to find the rewards of my work...the intangibles.

I get paid in:

smiles
hugs
kisses
tickles
giggles
snuggles
potty-trained children
three children napping simultaneously
an infant falling asleep against my chest
toddlers cleaning up toys
unprompted apologies for a recent tantrum
listening ears at story time
little voices singing a song I taught but didn't think they heard or cared
"Mommy, this food is yummy!"
"May I please have a..."
"Thank-you."
"I love you too, Mommy."
little hands reaching up to hold mine
twirling skirts
a husband who sees when I need a break and says, "Go out. I'll take care of everything."



The list could go on and on. My point is, even though I don't earn a "paycheck," I do get paid in ways that have more value than any dollar bill could ever give.

Getting Motivated

This one's for my big sis, Katy:

Just to let you know, I was very motivated today and got working on the twins' baby books. It doesn't look like much, but I've gotten all the pages pieced together for both...I won't have them done to send with Mom, but I'll definitely have them done for their first birthdays. I can't wait to see all your pictures on these pages. Next steps: print text, cut out and place titles and embellishments. By the way, all the papers look great together.

 

 

Birthday Wishes

Dear 30th Birthday Fairy,

This year, for my birthday, I will ask for practical things, like money for my upcoming business conference. However, I will be turning 30, and with that many candles on the cake, I'd like to put in a few extra special requests...


1. A fabulous hair cut and color done by Stacie Snipes.
2. A new Spring/Summer wardrobe consisting mainly of cute cotton dresses, skirts, perfect tees/tanktops, and flip flops (Shopping spree at Old Navy-holla!) .
3. Dr. Pepper supply for a year.
4. A date night to the movies with my beloved.
5. Three to five straight kid-free days to sleep in, read, clean, paint, sleep, eat, shop, sleep, etc.
6. An iPhone.
7. A Flip Video.
8. A professional home organizer to help me get rid of all my piles, find a place for everything, and make it look like something out of Pottery Barn.
9. Coffee and creamer supply for a year.
10. A tropical beach vacation complete with the perfect bathing suit, the perfect book, and,of course, my Aron.

I don't think that's too much to ask for. Simple requests, really...

Sincerely yours,
The soon to be birthday girl,
Becky

Busted!

Last night, Aron and I got the kids through the normal bedtime routine and Abbie was already fast asleep in her crib. All was calm until we started to hear....bump, footsteps, footsteps, footsteps, and then...little voices. Yes, our children share a room and were having a grand ol' time together. Aron went up first and then I heard everyone calling for me. This is what I found when I came upstairs:
 

(Aftermath: Ellie fell asleep first, Abbie got a bottle and went down next, and John Palmer got to stay up late and watch March Madness with Daddy until he personally requested to go to bed.)

Flea Market First-Timer

 

Yesterday, on the first official day of Spring, I ventured out, at the invitation of a friend, and went to a flea market held weekly at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. It was the first time going since moving here over twenty years ago. To begin, the weather was amazing. I think it was probably close to 80 degrees, clear blue skies, and no humidity - PERFECT!

My friend, Stephanie, who frequents this market and others around the country, knew all the best spots to stop. She's a fan of the furniture...she'll buy it, strip it, and refinish it. (Steph has an amazing sense of style in decor.) There was one booth in particular that we stopped at where most of the above pictures came from. I loved that one in particular because lots of things in my house are "country" in nature. As we went along, we noticed that I was drawn to all the little clocks...maybe when I actually have room to display a collection, it will be a bunch of cool old clocks. Another favorite at the market was an indoor booth selling baked goods. The vendor had made a thin layer cake with that homemade fudge frosting. We got some samples...it was amazing. (Note to self: Go back to that booth VERY SOON!)

I didn't actually make any purchases, but I got some ideas for the future. It was a great afternoon for this flea market first-timer!

Side note: The origin of "flea market" comes from fifteenth century Paris markets where secondhand, flea-infested merchandise was being sold.

Disaster Averted!

Today, we had a first...we almost lost a favorite toy. We were at Chick-Fil-A for lunch and John Palmer and Ellie were playing in the Play Space. John Palmer had brought his backpack full of Little People toys. I knew he had brought it in, but as I was packing us up to go, he came out of the playground area quite distraught. He said that Ankley was lost.
(Meet Ankley.)

I found out that he had taken out a few of the toys and Ellie had accidentally let one fall through the cracks on the wall. We could see Ankley, but I couldn't reach through to grab her...how frustrating. We went outside, around the corner of the restaurant to see if there was a door that could be opened to get the toy. There wasn't, but again, we could see her clear as day. I was heartbroken as John Palmer told me through tears, "Mom, Ankley says don't leave me!" I know it is just a toy, but for a moment, I felt helpless, like we were actually leaving a dear friend behind. With the help of my friend, Darcy, I was able to get the kids in the van and go back in to get some help. A very kind manager got some keys and unlocked a secret doorway on the play place wall, walked in, and grabbed Ankley. It took all of three minutes. When I came back out and showed the kids, they were shouting and celebrating. Whew! Disaster averted! Now we know why we don't bring our favorite toys out of the car and into public places...

St. Patrick's Day

Today is St. Patrick's Day-shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, rainbows, dancing a jig, wearing green to avoid an annoying pinch from someone I barely know, and realizing that I know VERY little about why Patrick is a saint and that I have very little connection to him or anything Irish, besides the fact that my mother's maiden name is Scollard, that my Grampy used to have red hair, that I have freckles, and that I think I am a quarter Irish. So, I did a couple of things with the kids today...we wore green. We made a special snack: Leprechaun Snack Mix from the 2010 Mailbox magazine.

(Mix includes Lucky Charms, Corn Pops-gold, and Skittles-rainbow...lots of sugar, I know, but lots of smiles and a good toothbrush make it okay!)

I think I'll have to do a better job explaining the whole thing to the children next year or when there's actually a St. Patrick's Day book to be had at the library. Today, I've enjoyed the fact that my kids are excited about a really fun snack and that they all look great in green!

(Kiss me...I'm pretty sure I'm Irish.)

Yes You Can!

After I posted "Dino Days," I got a couple of questions like, "How do you do that?" and "Where do you get all your ideas?" A lot of my ideas come from:

(Search for it on www.themailbox.com)

Reasons I love this book:
1. It's theme based through the seasons, so it's easy to pick up at any time.
2. It gives easy instructions for each activity.
3. Many of the activities are also literature-based. I just go online, reserve the books about a week in advance, and go pick them up at the library.
4. When you register the book online, you have access to "online extras" you can print off at home to go along with many of the weekly activities.
5. There is a version of this book for Pre-K's and Kindergarteners.
I don't follow the weekly theme-based units to the letter and I don't do them every week, but it is great to open up the book and get some quick ideas.

To all of you out there searching for ways to work with your children at home or supplement their schoolwork, find a local home-schooling resource store or a teaching materials store. In Raleigh, I love the "Teach Me" store off of Spring Forest and Capitol. That's where I purchased my "Day to Day" book for $25 and it's been worth every penny!

Happy Birthday George!

It's hard to believe that our bestest doggy friend is 8 this year!

We observe George's birthday every St. Patrick's Day (although I think his actual DOB is March 12 or 13.) We are so LUCKY to have a dog like George. He's always been so sweet and snuggly. George is a true and loyal friend and he's been great with the kids. (Ellie is really connecting with the idea that George is her dog.)

(Mary meeting George. He's always been a lap dog.)
Rewind 8 years ago to 2002...I received George as a graduation gift from my sister and brother-in-law, Sherrie and Lane Parker. They own a beautiful farm in Asheboro, NC, and, among other things, they raise Corgies. I met George on Mothers Day that year when the Parkers brought some of their puppies to our picnic. They were for sale (pretty expensive because of their breeding, color, etc.) Aron suggested that Lane give me one as a gift. He said yes and we took George home that afternoon.

(What a sweet baby!)

(Oh George, you are my little gentleman! Happy Birthday, bud!)

Dino Days

 

Vocabulary overheard in the Hall Household last week: herbivore, extinct, and triceratops.

The kids and I had Dino Days...everything we did related to something they love: dinosaurs. I bought some fresh play doh and broke out the dino cookie cutters...Ellie spent hours flattening and cutting, flattening and cutting. I cut out different colored dinos. John Palmer enjoyed sorting them and counting them. We read books like If the Dinosaurs Came Back and Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs. We made hats. We watched Dinosaur Train, Umizoomi, and Ice Age. Dino Days doesn't stop there...I've already found more dinosaur books to read and the DVR is set on record for new episodes of Dinosaur Train on PBS. Maybe a trip to the museum soon...

Up, Up, Up and Away!

I can't believe it, but this past week, Abbie started pulling up on the couch, the dresser, the chair, etc., etc., etc. She's so smart, it shouldn't surprise me. Abbie watches her older brother and sister play all day long and she just can't wait to join in the fun.





Watch out world, here she comes!

Made New!

Spring always brings out the idea of new life. Whether you share my faith or not, there is no denying the flowers shooting out of the ground, the buds bursting out of the barren branches, and the dead grass replaced by a softer, more vulnerable green. I am thankful for these visible reminders that if I have a "winter" of a day, I CAN shake off the deadness, and put on new life.

Yesterday, I had a particularly "wintery" day, ridden with guilt, confusion, self-condemnation. Today, sitting by my computer, I got sucked into Facebook, and I thought, "Stop doing this and get on with taking care of your house, you slacker..."

Thank God that "no condemnation" popped into my head. Quickly I reached for my Bible and looked up the reference and found Romans 8:1-2 just in time. It reads:

"So now there is NO condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the LIFE-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death."

(Insert HUGE sigh of relief!)

This also brought up memories of a song I used to sing in Church taken from Lamentations 3:22-23:
"The steadfast love of the Lord NEVER ceases,
His mercies never come to an end,
They are NEW every morning,
NEW every morning,
Great is thy faithfulness."

(This makes me cry and literally want to hug Jesus, my Rescuer. Negative thoughts averted!)

Today, I rest in the assurance that God loves me so much that He WILL make me new everyday because of the enormous amount of mercy He possesses no matter how "wintery" I was the day or even the moment before.

Remembering Easter

I really want it to be Easter...if you can't tell. Here's some Hall House Easters from the last four years.

2006 (John Palmer at 6 months)



2007 (John Palmer at 18 months and Ellie at 3 months...it was literally freezing that year!)





2008 (John Palmer at 2 and Ellie at 1)



2009 (John Palmer at 3, Ellie at 2, and Abbie due in 3 month...the warmest Easter in a while, it was beautiful!)

I Want Spring!

(John Palmer and Ellie at the Schoch's for Easter 2008)

Good Things about Springtime:

1. New beginnings.
2. Green, green, green everywhere.
3. Soft, warm, clean air.
4. Flowers.
5. The smell of earth turning up.
6. Good basketball and brackets.
7. The Easter Celebration.
8. Easter gatherings.
9. Easter clothes.
10. My birthday.

Abbie in Action

These are some great pictures Aron caught this week. They really show off Abigail Rose's little toofers and how she is now crawling on her hands and knees. No doubt about it: Abbie is definitely "in action."

 
 
 
 

Braggin' on my Man!

 
Number milliondy, billiondy, trilliondy why Aron is amazing: He remembers the little things. For instance, last night I asked him to pick up dinner. So, not only did he pick up some yummy food, but he remembered the Dr. Pepper for me, and, threw in a little extra bonus of Turtles (my most beloved candy!) Sometimes it's just the little things that make me so loved and appreciated. Aron, you really are the best. Thank you for taking the time to show me love in so many ways, but especially today, with Dr. Pepper and Turtles.

Animal Bums

 

John Palmer has an excellent imagination! He is great at turning a toy into a new game. Yesterday was no exception. He got UNO Moo for Christmas and turned it into "Animal Bums" (I think he meant "Bombs"). The object was to throw the little animals down the hallway to the doormat to see if they would land on the tan square. After all of them were thrown, we'd go down to the mat and collect them for another turn.
 

George was not pleased that we chose his favorite nap spot to wreak havoc.
 

For John Palmer, UNO Moo is so multi-purpose. Not only does he use it for "Animal Bums", he also loves to sort the pieces and line them up in order. (Additionally, UNO Moo is great if used as it was originally intended.)