Yes, this really is what she wears when she goes out in public. And there is NO changing her mind! At least she’ll never be accused of being a wallflower…

For more Wordless Wednesday, head over to 5 Minutes for Mom!

Well, we’re trying to buckle down here at the Loving house and, of course, one big way to do that is in our area of clothing purchases. With two girls and winter approaching, this is the time when we spend the most on clothes. Thankfully, Ivy has Kai’s old winter wardrobe which pretty much has her covered. But, Kai has outgrown alot of her clothes. Of course, there is no way I’ll be able to make all her new outfits, but I thought I’d try to make some.

She specifically requested skirts and dresses this year. She’s my girlie-girl so I’m gonna try and deliver. My biggest fear, is making her look like a pilgrim child in homemade crappy clothes. But, my plan is to get creative and come up with some fun stuff for her.

Last week we went to the good old county fair. Just another reason Fall is my favorite time of year! And, while we were there we learned a few important lessons…

1. Just because you’re tall enough to get on a ride doesn’t mean you’re ready.

Kai made up her mind that she absolutely positively could not go one more second of her life without being on the swinging pirate ship ride. After insisting on getting on it and paying her 3 tickets to the slightly scary carnival ride technician, she was seated on the ride between her Aunt Tee Tee and Uncle Jared. And, then, she determined that this very ride might just be the end of her. And proceeded to scream bloody murder the entire time. This picture is taken just minutes after she got off the ride (and I promise her daddy was comforting her thus making it less despicable that I snapped a picture of her in her traumatic state).

2. Kiddie rides are perfect for…kids. Unlike the aforementioned grown-up rides.

After the disaster described above, we managed to talk Kai into riding on one of the kid rides and she was much happier. In fact, both of the girls loved them and managed to charm the ride operator into a free ride!

3. If you are pregnant and eat a giant turkey leg, corn dog, french fries, diet coke, funnel cake and fresh squeezed lemonade, you will throw up the next morning. Guaranteed.

Umm…enough said.

Well, friends, we have a tenant in our rental property and that is excellent news right now. It’s a great tenant and a situation we are really happy with.

So, thanks for all your thoughts and prayers ’cause God really answered this one in a big way at the most perfect time!

Thomas and I have been married six and a half years. And, while that may not sound like a long time to be married, let me tell you, folks, it can be.

We got married young amidst some family turmoil (that’s another post for another day), survived some serious bumps in the road and we’ve been through much in our 6.5 years.

We’ve had some low lows and some great highs. We’re very different people but largely on the same page. And though it may be a silly story, I can think of one story to illustrate how often we operate on the same wavelength.

About a year ago we were at a weekend retreat with our married couples small group. During a fierce game of Cranium Pop Culture in which Thomas and I were on the same team, we reached the pinnacle of same-mindedness. It was a beautiful and glorious moment.

The category was celebrities. Thomas chose the letter cubes to convey the clue on his card. He rolled a C. And, then, he looked at me knowingly and said, “Cumin!”

And, what was the first thing out of my mouth 2 seconds later? “The Spice Girls!”

It was a total Vulcan Mind Meld moment. And, ah, sweet victory.

I don’t know whether we won the game (it’s doubtful) but we did win a reputation for obscure spice knowledge and the ability to read each other’s mind.

Have I mentioned I am a lifelong insomniac? I totally understand where Kai gets it from.

But, over the years I’ve come up with a creative solution for solving my insomnia troubles. It doesn’t work all the time, but it is amazing how often it does work. And, it’s weird and slightly embarrassing, so that is why it’s this week’s Total Truth Tuesday.

On nights when I can’t sleep, I sleep in the opposite direction. Meaning, my feet at the headboard and my head at the footboard. Weird, I know.

My poor husband has woken up more times than he cares to admit with my feet in his face. But, if I absolutely can’t sleep there is just something about switching positions that does the trick almost immediately.

In fact, it is some of the best sleep I ever get. I LOVE sleeping in the opposite direction. Have for years. And, I’m fairly certain this is not a common practice for “normal” people. Not that I have ever claimed to be normal…

Okay, so I generally like to keep things lighthearted here. Because, I figure just like me everyone has some yucky crap going on in one or more areas of their life and no one wants to come here to be reminded of how crappy things are in our economy.

So, I write about chasing chickens and kids who use Sharpies for body modification. But, this last week has been so bad that I can’t tell my Kai-versation without at least explaining a little.

I think I’ve mentioned most of it (or at least alluded to it) but here’s the deal. It’s Thomas’ slow season at work. Except, this year, its a dead season. Which means, for now, we’re living on maybe a quarter of his regular income. And, we’re soon to be paying two mortgages because the house we couldn’t sell two years ago and have since been renting no longer has a tenant (they broke their lease unexpectedly). And, oh yeah, I almost forgot, we’re pregnant and have no maternity insurance. Which means we’re paying cash for a c-section (that is if we still have cash once it’s time for the baby to be born).

Each of these things on its own I could handle. And, if I just put on my big girl panties and shut up I could probably handle them all together. But, last week I just melted down. Bad. I’m blaming it on pregnant hormones and I dare you to argue with me…

I melted down in a “where are you, God?!” kind of way. And, actually, rather publicly, too. Which is embarrassing. The worst part is that Kai had to hear it. Well, she wouldn’t have had to if her mom had acted like a grown-up, but she did hear it.

So, later in the weekend (post meltdown) we were grocery shopping and she suddenly called me over to the cart.

Kai, in a loud whisper: “Mom! Come here! I have a secret I’m supposed to tell you!”

I was kind of expecting her to tell me a secret like Deebai and Heehaw invented pickles or something equally silly, but I got this instead.

Kai, still whispering: “God is very powerful and He can do anything that you ask Him to.”

Then she smiled sweetly and went back to torturing her sister in the grocery cart. She left me speechless and kind of stunned in the middle of the Kroger aisle. It’s not like I’d never heard that before, but coming so unexpectedly from my 4-year-old it kind of threw me for a loop. I don’t know what prompted her to say that, but I do know that it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment and that her childlike faith did my heart more good than anything else I experienced this weekend.

That, I think, is why God gave me this girl. And, I am so thankful He did.

Here’s what happens when the baby sister gets revenge!

(and on a side note, my whole house does NOT look like this playroom. i promise. the playroom is the girls’ room where they can paint on walls and generally make as big a mess as they want. that way it stays in one room as opposed to the whole house…)

Yesterday was beyond horrible. In fact, words can’t even describe how horrible it was. But, I’ll try.

I’m pregnant and hormonal and sick with some horrible respiratory infection and Thomas’ job has slowed down suddenly and he got 8 hours as opposed to 40 hours (he’s a contract designer) and my house is a MESS and my kids won’t nap and then in the middle of it all Ivy poops on the floor and proceeds to dance in it. And I think. That’s it. I’m moving away. And, I’m giving the kids to my mom.

Then I have a Diet Coke and get a really good Greek salad and things start to feel better. But, it’s when I get this photo CD in the mail that I think, “awww…look at that family. they are so happy.” and I realize how blessed I am.

So, I’ve decided to give it another try today. Wish me luck.

(BTW, these pics were taken by the AMAZING Kyle Hale here in Atlanta. Seriously, people, if you are in the ATL and you need photography done you have to call this guy. His prices are insanely good and his quality is, well, you can see. He does a beautiful job.)

Since we’re studying the weather, I’ve been looking for some cool weather related craft ideas for Kai to do. One of the coolest ones I found was the Rain Stick craft. It was easy, fun, and not something that made a big huge mess in my dining room (not that I’m opposed to big huge messes in the name of creativity).

It didn’t turn out stunningly beautiful (it’s the process not the product, right?) which, of course, could be because we didn’t quite follow all the instructions. But we did have a fun time making the rain stick and it lasted a whole 48 hours before being completely destroyed by my kids.

Insert toothpicks at various locations/angles on the rain stick.

Add rice to the tube and seal up remaining end.

Break off ends of toothpicks and wrap tube in duct tape.

Add stickers, paint, glitter, and ribbons.
Shake it up and enjoy the sounds of the rain!