Amelie went to a fun VBS program at the church that ran her preschool. She's recently pulled out the video she received from them and the kids have been OBSESSED with it. The songs are super fun--but their favorite, The Books of the Bible has been STUCK IN MY HEAD. It's a good song though--it makes us all happy.

"These are the books of the Bible-

-I read them for my survival.

Everyday I read God's word and pray

and hide it inside my heart...."

This week was longggggg for us. I didn't realize my husband was starting another show in Philly right after the last one he did ended so I was totally bummed to be facing a few more long days. Tonight is his last concert connected with the opera, for the spring, so woot!! He does have two school concerts tomorrow which will make for another long day but I keep telling myself that spring break is just around the corner! I will make it! I will!! =)

We enjoyed a few play-dates this week, a couple days of preschool for Maeve, and Ladies Bible study.

Today, we were also lucky enough to get a special treat delivery from a dear friend who makes amazing delicacies (check it out!), a lovely and perfect play-date during which Ezra did his best impression of a hurricane and got out every toy imaginable and had a short but sweet visit with my bff and her family. 

And when we parted I sobbed because it breaks my heart to be far from people I love so much!

Anyways, on the lighter side--I had to snap a picture of Amelie b/c no one ever sees what her crazy curly hair looks like in the morning--sometimes it is soooo funny--BEHOLD--Crazy Curl Amelie and Tamed Curl Amelie:

That's it for now--the kids are in bed and I have lots of coupons to matchup for tomorrow's shopping. Yawn. Happy Saturday!

 It has been a quiet week around here and I don't mean literally quiet--I just mean we haven't done much. It's actually pretty noisy here most of the time! =) The weather has been cooler so we haven't been outside as much--I'm hoping it warms up soon!! Or, at least in time for spring break which starts next friday! YAY!!!

Last night Mr. Wonderful pulled out the vacuum and Maeve and Ezra wanted to get in on the action:

And Ezra spent most of the day wearing his sister's pink hat. Very Jaunty!

Today is supposed to be a preschool day for Maeve but I'm not sure I have the strength to drag Ezra through the halls screaming. He's just dying to go to preschool with his sister!

Oh well--maybe next year. =)

Happy Wednesday!

EBAY!

It's that time of year again! 

Selling tons of stuff on Ebay for boys and girls-

****-Click the link and check it out! =)****

I had a great week with Ezra and Maeve and the glorious weather! We went to the park and had play-dates with friends soaked up as much sunshine and 70-degree-warmth as possible. I'm trying to ignore the deplorable state of my back yard--our grass is on strike and refuses to grow even though I've been coaxing it to life for the last 2+years. Gah.

Anyways, the kids don't care about the grass (or lack of it) and always have a fine time. =)

The other day I bought them ring pops and they were a huge hit so I snapped a few pictures.

Mr. Wonderful is in Philly playing a bunch of shows this weekend so I better get back to my precious ones--so many needs. =)

i am a perfectionist.
i can't leave well enough alone and 
*if* 
i can improve something--anything, i will obsess over it in my mind until it's done.
but i must--i am compelled to DO. 
i asked my husband, "why am i this way? why do i make these choices? what does this say about me?"
he said nice things, like he always does.
and then i asked him if it is all pride.
he shrugged and said, "probably."
(i think it's more like--*controlcontrolcontrol*)
so what do i do? 
i am only competing with myself and doesn't that seem silly?
i'm not interested in meeting any standards excepting the impossible ones i set for myself, my home, my children and my husband.
i need to let. it. go.
there are other standards, that are not my own, that are infinitely more important.
(Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. phil. 4:8 love your neighbor as yourself  james4:8)
but i just keep grasping so tightly to the things that don't matter that you couldn't pry my fingers off if you tried.

it's a rainy spring morning and i love it!

my husband has been nice enough to get up early to get ready so that i can run in the morning before he leaves for work.

this morning was just perfect--cool but not cold and light/misty rain.

love it!

i'm so thankful for lungs and legs and that are strong enough to allow me to run! 

i was checking my email this morning and glanced over at Ezra and he is looking extra grown up today.

*sigh

it's an equal mix of wonderful and sad.

not much else is new--my husband has lots of extra rehearsals this week so it makes for some long days for the both of us. 

after this week life will be more calm for a while. YAY! =)

happy wednesday!

Oh my sweet girls--they're just the right mix of silly and sweet (although, truth be told there's a good amount of sass in there too!).

Love them! And I love that they have each other--I hope they realize early on how valuable having a sister is!

What a gorgeous day--it's been an amazing winter--even if a lot of it was amazingly-horrible with sickness! 

The girls are outside now making a "worm habitat" and Amelie is hoping that if she "takes really good care of them" that they will live forever. =)

Funny girls!

 Maeve says, "The sun is so bwight it's hewting my eyes!"

Ezra has been fully the terrible two-boy lately--I hope we can exit this phase soon because he's killing us with the public tantrums. Maeve was such as easy toddler that we're out of practice dealing with them!

Here's evidence of evil-Ezra: 

HA! Love that naughty little guy! It's a good thing he's super handsome! Mr. Wonderful tried to renew our library card today and had to leave before getting any books because the entire time E-boy was screaming at the TOP OF HIS LUNGS. Oh man. We might need the Super Nanny. 

Luckily, he is cute sometimes!

In other news, my husband is working today on a new show--The Wild Things--which will be performed next weekend. I'll be glad when it's over because it's so nice to have him home more!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

What an astoundingly gorgeous day! In the 70s and sunny and during March? Pretty ah-mazing! Mr. Wonderful has a super long field trip today (to Lancaster, for ACSI Competition) so I got to take Amelie to school today! I've only ever done it one other time and it's so hard for me to drop her off! Ezra cried and cried when she went into school--we love having her home with us and miss her during her long school days! They were all cuddled this morning watching a tv show before we left:

We were lucky enough to spend some time with our dear friends and all took long naps to recover from Ezra's 5am wake up call. Stupid daylight savings time! =)

After Amelie was dropped off (Thanks Janet!!!) we spent some time outdoors and the kids are now pj-ed and peaceful. Favorite!

I could really really REALLY get used to days like this!

Oh Weekend! Why must you fly by so quickly!?! 

We've been so spoiled lately and have had my husband home a lot--favorite!!! 

Unfortunately that's all about to end soon and his busy days are coming back around again. I'm so thankful for him and what a hard worker he is! (And that he has many opportunities to work! What a blessing!). 

***

Yesterday I finished a project I've been dreaming up for a while. I have never really been thrilled with the art work we had in the living room--I've tried a lot of things and nothing ever spoke to me (yes, when I decorate I frequently get spoken too by curtains, pillow, fabric--totally normal. Right? =). 

Also, I take hundreds of pictures a month and never really do anything with them except scrapbook them and forget them so--I decided to frame some of my prints! I priced large prints and they were SUPER expensive--like, I could by art from an actual artist expensive. 

Then I noticed that Snapfish (the site I've been using for years to make my albums) makes large posters and when they emailed me a 40% off coupon I couldn't resist! So I picked three of my favorite shots of the kids, converted them to black and white in photo shop and printed them off! When I got my posters I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. At first I thought I might mount them on something to make them look like photo canvases but when I went to Joann's it was going to cost a TON to buy all of the materials. On my way out the door I walked by the frames and noticed they were all on sale for 50% off! No coupon needed!! They had exactly three of the perfect size, perfect color frames for $12! I couldn't believe it! So here's the finished product! 

I LOVE it!

Love my babies!

Anyways, now it's Monday and I am yawny but looking forward to a week of lovely warm weather and lots of walks and trips to the park! =)

Today was a lovely day--it was a bit chilly to enjoy ourselves outdoors so we ran errands as a family. I LOVE days when we are all together and are on our own agenda. So fun! Well, fun aside from the CRAZINESS of the children. They were wild today! HA! We went to Target and Barnes and Noble and they each got to pick out a book--Ezra chose a book about cars, Maeve chose a Barbie sticker book and Amelie chose a chapter book! She is such a wonderful reader--I even have some of my favorite books that I pulled out for her that I used to enjoy! She's been reading my collection of Gail Carson Levine (she wrote Ella Enchanted)The Princess Tales --

I also got a chance to take out my new running sneakers on their maiden voyage. Boy, I may not actually run like the wind but sometimes I feel like it! They felt great and running felt amazing. Love that runners high!

And because I didn't take any pictures today here is a picture I took one year ago today--apparently I was potty training Maeve--I must have blocked this all from my memory!

That's all for now! Just going to watch a movie with my precious husband and eat Cheesecake Factory Burgers. YUM! Goodnight!

It was absolutely gorgeous out today! In the 60s! I love open doors and windows and fresh air and sunshine! We had friends over this morning and it was fun to catch up and watch the little boys run around. =) We also got a surprise package today with presents for the kids from their Southern Granny--Thanks Granny!

It's nearly bedtime now and I am ready for some peace so that I can have a conversation with my husband! It seems impossible to do when the kids are running around crazy! =)

I *knew* if I wrote that we'd been healthy for one week someone would get sick! Luckily it was just a 12 hour fever Sunday night-Monday morning for Ezra with no other symptoms. I am sooooo ready for spring!! =)

On Sunday we got to celebrate the littlest cousin's 1st birthday! Happy Birthday Xander! All the cool people are born in March! =)

 What a bunch of cute cousins!

Not much else is new--just thankful Ezra's cold was short lived and that the sun is shining brightly today! I'll leave you with a video of Maeve doing what she does best--weird stuff. This happens far too often at our house--so funny though!

*I'm a broccoli cupcake original composition by Maeve*

My birthday was an emotional day for me--it always kind of it--I can't help but severely miss my parents and brothers (and SIL and nephew!) and being *home*. It's so hard to continue to grow and move on from the people and place that shaped me. And I can't help but think about my far away friends that I love so dearly and wish I could spend time with more often. But then, I think about how THANKFUL I am for my sweet and lovely and wonderful NJ family and my near and dear friends. God has blessed my life to overflowing and I will focus on the positive! =)

I had a great day with my family--enjoying *free* pretzel day at Auntie Ann's, a quick birthday purchase at Old Navy and my free birthday gift from Sephora. After lunch my Mother-In-Law treated me to some new and amazing running sneakers! She took me to this special store that fits your shoe and they watch you run (which I was unprepared for...HA!) and get shoes that work for your gait. Pretty cool! 

And then the grandparents came over in the evening to watch the kiddos so my precious husband and I could go out to eat! What a treat! We were both pretty yawny but it is always wonderful to spend time with my favorite guy even if we're tired! =) What a blessing our parents are to us!!

And finally, to commemorate the must important thing(s) I've had a hand in as a person on this earth--pictures of my darling children! My precious treasures--so thankful that I've been around for 33 years to meet them!

Sweet babies! What a blessing! And, if you look closely in the background you can see my pillow fabric! =) Happy Sunday!

The day started with a lovely, yummy cup of steaming hot coffee....and you know that feeling when you pick up your favorite mug and lift your cup to take your first sip of the day and then....it slips out of your fingers and covers the computer, desk, keyboard, mouse, your entire outfit and splashes on your husband's pants 5 seconds before he was going to walk out the door to work. Ay ca-rumba!! Only me. So I ended up spending the day smelling faintly of coffee and my keyboard keys are sticky. HA. Oh well, it could have been worse! A friend of mine wrote on facebook today that she saw her first tornado spinning from outside her basement window so I will not complain and take the little things for what they are--very. very. little.

In other news, it was haircut day in the Wonderful household!! Ezra was long overdue---his hair just doesn't look that great long--it gets super straight on top and super fluffy on the sides. I couldn't take the flat mushroom look anymore so I buzzed him. My clippers died 2/3 of the way through so hopefully they'll charge up tonight so I can finish it off tomorrow!

He's so handsome with his short hair!!!

Maeve and Daddy got trimmed up too. Amelie gets her turn tomorrow. =)

Maevey started preschool back up this week and it's been a treat to have time to run an errand here and there again. Her school only lasts an hour so it's not long but it's just enough time to run to the grocery store or Jo Ann's. 

Speaking of Joann's--I picked up some perfect fabric for my porch-pillow-makeovers there. I will post pictures when my project is complete--it looks so happy--I love what a difference $10 of fabric makes! I couldn't find a picture of the fabric online...and I'm too lazy to take one but you can imagine that the background is dark blue with red/yellow large floral print and green leaves. Love.

***

I'm so glad the weekend is here--I'm so thankful my family has been healthy for one week--it's a miracle! It's been a long time since we were all healthy at the same time!! My birthday is tomorrow--which isn't very exciting now that birthdays mean getting older, hardly any presents and no excitement. Did I mention the getting older thing? Eh, that number certainly is getting BIG!!!

***

My birthday always makes me homesick and nostalgic for country life and family and home in NY. I miss it so much it hurts. I can't even breathe properly in NJ. I know the Lord has a plan for me here but sometimes I want to run away to the country and hide in the wilderness like I was able to do every day of my younger-years. I love my home and Jersey family so much, but there is just something about the country that speaks to my soul.

***

Anyway, enough rambling for one night. Happy Friday--hope you get to spend the weekend with people you love! It's pretty much the best gift ever!