Twirls 'n Curls

 This year we had an amazing week leading up to Easter Sunday. With so many great memories and new traditions, I just had to share: 1. We began our celebration of the resurrection by attending a Passover Seder with our Jewish neighbors. The girls each got their own kippa (yamaka) and a coloring book explaining the dinner. The food was amazing, and it was such a moving experience to see Old Testament traditions actually performed by some of God's people. The feast celebrates how God led His people out of slavery in Egypt to their own nation, and there are many parallels to the cross as well. 2. On a slightly less spiritual note, the girls loved coloring Easter eggs with a dear friend from church. We did this while my 1-year old napped one day, and it was great just to be able to focus on the older ones for awhile. 3. I let the girls dress up for their Easter egg hunt this year, so a ladybug, a lion, and a cute little rabbit scampered across our yard looking for candy. 4....

Hugs and kisses at the door, Laundry sprinkled on the floor, Pillow fights with giggles galore, My favorite place to be is home. Little feet run down the hall, "Mama, I love you the most of all!" "Treasure the time your children are small..." My favorite place to be is home.   A place where booboos are always kissed, And chances to laugh are rarely missed. The place that's at the top of my list Is our amazing, crazy home. Where the weary find some rest, Where I don't need to pass the test. I think that Dorothy said it best, There's just no place like home.

In whoopie cushions, as in life...   Not every great idea needs to be acted upon. =)

I can't believe our youngest will be two next month! She is bubbly, energetic (keeps me on my toes!), and incredibly photogenic.  Here are a few of our favorite recent pics: I <3 Dora!!   I <3 Grandma's house!   I <3 doing things myself!! I <3 music!

"Be ye kind, one to another; be ye kind one to another; be ye kind, one to another - Ephesians 4:32." We sang our hearts out during Bible time, then we each told something we could do that day to be kind to each other. Linsey was especially thoughtful, "I can do something with Hannah that she wants to do, even if I don't want to." I was excited to see how this played out during our day, and several times as I reminded the girls to "be kind," it actually seemed to be working!  That afternoon, though, Hannah really wanted to play something Linsey thought was 'babyish.' When I heard them arguing, I pulled Linsey aside and reminded her of the lesson we'd had earlier. "You said you would be kind to Hannah by doing something she wanted to do, and now's your chance." "But Mama," she cried, "I didn't really mean it!" To her credit, she soon relented and played with her sister, but her honesty got me th...

If you're trying to send something back, always use the original packaging.

 I love magazines. I'm convinced that Good Housekeeping will one day publish an article that will solve all my organizational problems in 3 easy steps, and I fear that if I canceled my subscription to Family Fun , my family wouldn't have any fun. So when the magazine in question promised five "tried and true romance tactics," I eagerly read on. This article assured me that simply replacing the regular lightbulb near our bed with a red bulb would both create a sensuous ambience and cleverly conceal any personal flaws I might be self-conscious about. Just what I needed!! So on our next trip to Wal-Mart, I went all out and bought the party pack of red bulbs, feeling adventurous already. (I'm blushing, knowing that my mom is reading this right now!) The bulbs did their job, I suppose, but the real adventure came a few months later. I was watching a friend's three kiddos along with my three, and they were all quiet. You know, tooooo quiet. I realized something...

Hannah and Linsey went to the dentist last week, it was Hannah's first time. They looked so little in those big chairs! Linsey showing her sister the ropes first Hannah dutifully obeying Linsey's, "Open wide!" The dentist told them they did a good job brushing (no cavities!!) and to make sure they brushed twice a day, every day. So to celebrate, I sprang for battery-powered toothbrushes rather than candy. These came with sheets of stickers so you can customize them, how adorable is that?? When we got home, the girls begged to use their new toothbrushes. Hannah finished, turned it off, and told me she needed to brush again. I told her once was fine for now, and her big eyes filled with tears. "But Mama," she said, "the dentist said I had to do it twice!!" Good, clean fun!!

I made a super easy craft super hard. Go figure. We were studying Abe Lincoln in history - "Was he the President before Obama, Mom?" - and there was a super cute idea for making stovetop hats. After seeing a few pictures of Lincoln with one on, Linsey was all in - she is obsessed with the Presidents, probably because her long-term goal is to rule the world. My only glitch was that I had 12" paper instead of 18." I am the queen of improvising, and they have small heads. No problem! They customized their hats and I cut out the brims, mildly concerned that the holes for their heads were about 3" wide. When the girls tried the hats on, immediate giggles ensued. It was a balancing act just keeping them on their heads, they looked like really bad tightrope walkers. After 12 shots I finally got one of each girl w/the hat actually on, then after the pics we punched holes in the brims and looped yarn around their chins bonnet-style. Even Lincoln would have been proud!...

I know, I know, you'd think this was obvious. But recently, while at several different stores/restaurant (aka PUBLIC PLACES), my kiddos have taught me several new tricks: 10) Sing "Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Star" at the top of your lungs, followed by "It's Raining, It's Pouring." 9) Flush 5 times consecutively, while other people are seated on the potty. 8) Repeatedly wave your hand in front of the paper towel dispenser so that a l-o-n-g sheet comes out. Then leave it. 7) If there is a hand dryer rather than paper towels, stick your head under and yell as loudly as you can. 6) Offer to get other people in the stall toilet paper, but only give them one square. 5) Rummage through your mom's purse while she is unable to stop you. 4) Take out the toilet seat covers one by one and sit on them on the floor, to test them out before actually using them. 3) Strategically unlock the stall door and exit when your mom is extremely exposed. 2) L...

That's the name for Southwest's lowfare tickets. And it's appealing - who doesn 't need a break from the busyness of life? There are non-negotiables, like work and school. And the great things, like family activities and church. But too much of anything, even something good, is still too much . And many times, our marriages get put on the back burner because those seemingly urgent matters crowd it out. The good news - you don't have to have loads of time (or money!) to make your marriage a priority, just a little creativity. Here are a few habits we've developed over the years that may be a good place to start:   1. Stolen Moments Tom and I rarely pass each other without touching. A friend came over the other day and was amazed that in a short conversation, he had called me 5 different pet names! We flirt while we do the dishes, and we kiss whenever we leave. We set the kids' bedtime and stick to it, ensuring we have a couple hours of (almost) alone ti...