This vaccuum sucks!

One of may favorite things to do is vaccuum (see side panel). If all the toys were picked up, I'd vaccuum twice a day at least. I love the look of the vaccuum tracks in the carpet and I'm consumed with clean carpet. What I really dislike is feeling crumbs and such under my feet, like broken pretzels sticking to my calloused heels.

It might have started when we had the carpets replaced. When we bought this house, I think the carpets were the original ones installed here. We pulled back the padding and there were PILES of sand and dirt. It looked like the beach. We could have buillt castles. So since then, my vaccuum "problem" has only intensified. Imagine my horror when I wore out our last vaccuum and had to borrow other people's vaccuums. You can't just keep someone's vaccuum for a week.

My dad told me he fixed this vaccuum which I had given him a couple of years ago because I thought it was such a piece of junk. Well, apparently he fixed it because it works awesome now and I love it! Supposedly when he took it apart, there was a three inch screw stuck up in there somewhere.....hmmmm.... wonder how that happened.

VD

I suppose all you pro-bloggers out there get your Valentine pics up the day of Valentine's but I like to keep my readers in suspense, so I wait four days.

Valentine's day is my favorite holiday of the year. I love the colors, I love the chocolates, I love all the attention my husband gives me, and I love the potential of a really expensive dinner that we have to make reservations for. I just LOVE Valentine's day. I always have these high hopes of making VD something really special and then, like everything else, I procrastinate and all of the cool balloons are sold out and all of the heart shaped everything is gone. And that was pretty much the story this year. I decided to fore-go the dinner out and stay home with all my little valentines. I did happen to find some really cool heart shaped tins at the dollar store (last minute, of course) so I made some chocolate chip cookies in those for the kids. And I called the pizza shop early in the day to order some heart shaped pizzas, so I guess I should pat myself on the back for that one. The cool balloons were, of course, sold out and all that was left were some ugly red heart/blob-looking creation. Oh well. The kids were thrilled with them because they had helium. (So easy to please).

The kids were able to make Valentine cookies at Nanny's house on the 13th. I thought that was really cool that she took the time to make the mess and to make the frosting! I guess you can do that when you're a grandma :) Someday.....

To top the day off, though, I arrived home to find a quaint little package on my doorstep. My dear friend Dawn had made a cake for me! I was totally impressed (Thanks Dawn). It made me chuckle because I had seen this heart mold on her wall as a decoration and had commented on it so when I pulled it out of the package, a smile came across my face. And then I devoured it (Okay, I shared a little).

I would show you a picture of the beautiful chocolate bouquet my husband ordered for me but......well, its the 18th now and they are looooonnnnggg gone.

New perspective

We are planning a move soon. The papers were signed today. We can't wait to get to our new paradise! It is so beautiful. These are the views out my two huge front windows! The house sits about 100 feet from a river. What did I do to deserve this!



Here's the living/dining room. The kids love to run and run and run. Its totally empty so they really pick up some speed.

And one of the big selling points is this rope swing. Its funny because about a week before we found this place my kids were at a gym where there was a rope swing and they LOVED it. And I said maybe if we ever move we could find a place where we could put a rope swing. When I saw this, I was thrilled! We have really high hopes of making good use of this thing with some additions of a crow's nest and some rock climbing holds. Again, high hopes....we'll see if it actually happens or if it loses it's cool like the trampoline. :)

And here are the trees to climb! We haven't had any trees at our current home and I felt like the kids were getting robbed of their childhood. But, fear no more, they can climb to the tippy top!

Wanted: Three front teeth

We have fully entered the land of missing teeth! Brooklyn has lost six so far. And, if you can even beleive it, the toothfairy has been late on two occasions! And as soon as I get ahold of her, I'm going to have to have a little chat about her promptness! One morning Doug and I heard this 'Oh no! The toothfairy forgot' Oops....

Ty has three loose teeth. He's five now and its probably about time they are going to be falling out. Its all happening much too fast for my liking. And Madelyn (3) is just sure she has a couple of loose teeth, too.

I'm reminded that this is a short but very sweet time in the life of my kids - when they have that goofy grin with all the spaces and they don't quite talk right because the air escapes and they bite into apples from the sides of their mouths. And then the too-big-for-the-mouth teeth grow in and they look awkward for a year or two. :) We'll post that picture, too.