they

they

did

not

have

any

fun

today

not even their ponytails

fast like a puma...

today after church and lunch at an actual restaurant...some members of our family needed new shoes.  the daddy needed new work shoes.  and since the store was having a "buy 1 get 2nd for 1/2-off", i took littlest to look at some shoes for spring running and soccer.  she only had a couple of requests.

pink and sparkles.

she has a couple of friends who have matching shoes and they are bright, lots of shades of pink and they light up.  but those aren't exactly soccer suitable.  so we compromised.  she got some pink.  she got some sparkles.  and the momma can now say things like:

  "you are fast like a puma!"

and she is quite proud of her new kicks!

the daddy's shoes had to be ordered, so i cannot post photos of his.  maybe at the end of the week when they arrive, okay?  his criteria was pink & sparkles, too "brown" and "not too casual". 

and so...since this is all about the littlest...here's a photo of our patio door.  one of my sisters gave the girls some easter window clings (over 2 weeks ago...and they looked good for a few days...and then the girls got to playing with them...and well...) and there is just one wee bunny left.  and nea decided that the bunny needed some spring flowers to bounce through:

she made them out of some of the "bend-a-roos"...i love her creativity!

irish eyes are a'smilin'

that's about as irish as we are

we did all wear green today

and we had corned beef, cabbage and carrots last night

(b/c i am working tonight...is it April 15th yet??!!)

**** 

and here is some utter randomness...

ruby, the lil dog

she enjoys story time almost as much as the girls.  all snuggled up with the daddy.  if ruby is not on one of ours laps, then we can find her snuggled up in our bed. (this would be pre-snuggled-down)

unless, of course, someone has left their circus up on the bed, in which case ruby will sit on her steps.  until it is moved.  all the way off the bed.  she is a bit persnickety.

but we love her anyways!

these are the girls' new rain boots.  wren had outgrown her old ones (and blew a hole in the sidewall...) and well, linnea made it clear that her "boy ones from a garage sale" were much better suited for doing farm work with grandpa james in a couple weeks...so they both got a new pair, because who would argue with that logic?

except that you cannot trust a 5-yr-old to tell you the truth about theirs fitting well.  b/c if you do not check for yourself, momma, you will then become slightly annoyed when your 5-yr-old is walking all weird and dragging her feet.  well, truth be told?  yeah, she was just trying to keep her new boots on and not fall!  so, wren actually had 2 new pairs of boots (shhhh, don't tell the daddy) - one that is the right size and one to grown in to...

today at bible study there was an "adoption drive" to find homes for some poor lost sheep.  two came home with us.  because, well....what's one more stuffy?

i do try to at least wash off the big crumbs from their faces before leaving the house.  this is marker.  because not only was it fun to use the markers to color her noodle necklace, apparently she tasted it too.  please note:  the markers that are scented are maybe not such a good idea for littles...they think that if it smells like a pineapple, it will taste like one, too.  thank goodness for non-toxic marker, right?

the girls still have christmas cd's in their players...so, yep, i finally decided it was time for some new cd's for them.  the company that sells these cd's has such a great concept (besides the obvious one...).  every cd has a 2nd cd that you can tear off and share!  so each of the girls have their own cd.  no deciding who gets it in who's room first.  and no "unauthorized duplication" being done.  and the girls are LOVING them!  linnea just came out to tell me:

"MOMMA MY TD IS TINGIN' ALL ABOUT JESUS!  DID YOU KNOW THAT??" 

i love how high-pitched her little voice gets when she is all excited!

that's what i love about thursdays...

craig morgan sings the song "what i love about sundays"...and he talks about going to church, being with family, enjoying some relaxation...and although we do love our sundays around here...it is our thursdays that this momma loves the most!

why?

because i schedule nothing on that day.  seriously...not.  a.  thing.  no preschool.  no appts.  no nothing.  mandatory nap time.  and there is a good reason for that:  the other days of the week we are going.  we have some place to be.  every morning.  between preschool.  bible study.  swim lessons.  tumbling.  church.  sunday school.  (shwooooo. makes me tired just to type all that!) 

****

we have been to the rose and enjoyed their production of "there's an alligator under my bed"...

the girls really like going to plays and musicals at the rose.

****

littest has been enjoying her tumbling class.  so much so that we may look into an actual gymnastics class.

****

big has been being her usual school-loving, buddy playing with self!  we have kindergarten round-up later this month and she is just about beyond excited.  me?  not so much.  i cannot wait to send my babe to school.  al day.  every day.  i promise i will try not to cry at the meeting.  i'll save that for the next day when she goes all by herself for an hour...

and, of course, we have apparently grown in the past few months.  busting the seams of our old swim suits.  so, new ones were needed for swim lessons.  and goggles, too.  some girls have assured me that the goggles will make them fast little swimmy fish.  even if it doesn't, they sure look cute trying, huh??!!

i was surprised that big did not choose a suit full of pink...but she loves the pretty flowers on this blue one AND that it is all "x"-y in the back...

littest went for the usual:  pink and hearts!  that's my girlie-girls.

****

aand wren has fallen in some deep love for her new phant-phant.  "pinky-ariel-phant-phant" is not only an adorable elephant, but!  she trupmets, giggles and blows lovey-dovey kisses.  almost too cute.  this was a late birthday gift from some friends and it has been a huge hit!  she has garnered the coveted snuggle spot right beside "lil white kee-kee".

****

and this is how our thursday is looking:

not that this thursday is without it's "stuff to do"...we have a couple desserts to make and a dance routine to practice for the preschool "talent show and dessert auction" tonight.  but at least we did not have to drive anywhere this morning in the fat, slushy, slickery snow. 

that's what i love about our thursdays...

meanest mom ever. that's me. fo' sho'...

yup, i have had it.  done.  not going to do it any more.  they are on their own.  seriously.  i am not kidding folks.  i am officially the "meanest mom ever".  and here's why:

i made my 3 & 5 yr olds make their own lunch yesterday.  yeah, that's right.  no more of me serving up a healthy, delicious made-by-momma lunch.  they are on their own!

and here are the photos to prove it:

happiness is a pb&j, folks.

i even made this one clean up.

she was quite thorough too i might add.

and she gave herself "two thumbs up".  wwhoa, careful there i see some pride spilling outta that 3-yr-old body.

heck, i even made the dog fend for herself.

it was a nice repreive from mothering.  sigh...

are vs. were

we are having sunshiney weather!

we are seeing naki digits...because i let the girls wear their sandals yesterday for awhile.  we were wondering if the sun and warm weather was ever going to come.  and now we are finally enjoying it for sure! (regardless of whether it is here for "good" or if there will be more cold, wintry weather...we don't much care!  we are in the "are" not "were", okay!!??!?!?!)

more naki toes...

even more naki digits...

and well, even more naki-ness...of toes...

and how about seeing them both.  in the sunshine.  in short sleeves.  and yep!  those naki digits!

linnea called me into her room. 

"and bing your camra, momma!  pleeeeeeze!"

she was so proud of how she had gotten all her bud-buds ready for their naptime.  this seems to help linnea get herself ready for naptime, too.  and yep, we are still nappers here.  or at least we have some afternoon "quiet & alone time" in their own rooms.  one always snoozes.  the other?  not so much.  but if there is no nap, there is early to bed.  because both need a good amount of shut-eye to function well the next day.  and well, i like to stick to the routine that works for us.  so, we are nappers here.

and we are enjoying some laughter in the midst of some quite serious & not-so-funny situations:

after spending a couple of hours at the e.r. a few days ago b/c the littlest of us thought putting a tiny teacup in her nose (when she was supposed to be napping...ahem...) was a good idea that went very wrong and led to a bunch of blood and some "quality time" at the hospital...when we drove by a billboard for methodist hospital she says, "MOMMA DAT IS DA HOPITAL WHERE DAT DOCTOR PICKED MY NOSE AT!".  most of that sentence is correct.  nose was picked.  by a doctor.  just not at that particular hospital.

driving to pick up our babysitter yesterday, bigger girl tells me that she needs to get out and fix her pants when we get to the sitter's house.  when i asked why, this is the response i received:

"BECAUSE MY TOOSHIE IS CRACKIN' OUT, MOMMA!"

and then, of course, because copying is the best form of flattery, littlest decided that she, too, needed to fix her pants because, yep, you got it:  her "tooshie was crackin; out, too".

so...i guess it could be said that all 3 of us cracked up in one way or another yesterday. 

'cause

that's

just

how

we larson girls

roll

apprarently.

hey, hey, it's your birthday!

someone has a birthday today...

this is one of the family members that will wish him a happy day.  of course, only if he gets his treats.

here is another family member that will wish him a happy birthday.  and try to count up all those birthday spankings.

and...these other 3 family members will be the most animated about the daddy's big birthday.  they wrapped their gifts today.  made cards with their crayolas.  and will be ready to do a daddy pile and sing "happy birthday"...of course, only if when shares his cake.

happy birthday to you, dear hubs!!