“Mommy I’m not tiiirrred. I don’t need to take a nap!”

I give up.  “Fine, go play.”

About ten minutes later…

it’s awfully quiet…

Maybe I can stop all talk of naps and just assume they will happen.  (A bed isn’t that important, right?)

I went shopping tonight. 

My fabulous sister sent me a gift card to Target for my birthday, and insisted I buy something NOT practical with it.  This is REALLY hard for me to do.

But I think I succeeded.  I bought something that I would never just go out and buy, especially at full price.

SO, this is what I now own

I thought it was stylish, while meeting the all important necessity of modest (since the only place I’ll ever have to wear it is church), and above all, it’s REALLY comfortable.  That’s always my most critical selling point.  I don’t want to look like I’m wearing pajamas ever, but I do want to feel like I’m wearing pajamas.

So I love the dress, and thanks to my other gift card giving sister I now have a fabulous black bra (see #6 on the list).  I’m only giving you a link because I felt scandalous posting a picture of it here, but you can guess where it’s from, so be warned…kick the men out of the room if you want to peek.

Anyway, the thing is, you can’t just buy part of a glamorous outfit.  Having one piece of stylish attire obligates you to have equally stylish everything else to go with it, or you kind of look like a frump.

So, if any of you have money to burn, feel free to get me some of these

and more importantly , I could use these as well

I know there are no longer growing babies in my stomach, but my abs haven’t quite figured that out yet.  And did I mention the dress is knit?  So, you know what I mean.

I’ll be eagerly anticipating your little packages of love;).

So does an “unplugged” project count if it’s based on something that is “plugged in”?

I decided I wanted to force the girls to be creative this week, so I handed them these

and asked them what we could make.

Their answer: DORA HOUSES!!!!

I’ve mentioned before the outrageous obsession with Dora in this house. And no matter how long I keep them from watching her, she never goes away.  It’s crazy.

I decided it wouldn’t be fair to shoot down their idea just because it wasn’t quite as scholarly as I was hoping for.

So we made Dora’s House, and Dora’s Tree House.  If you want to make your own all you need is construction paper and a lot of glue.

They had fun putting these together, although Miss E did require quite a bit of help.

At this moment they are still playing with their fabulous creations.  I guess that’s a good thing.

Look here for more fun cylinder ideas.

Twenty-seven years ago today, I showed up…the long anticipated first daughter.  I refuse to go into the story of my birth here because honestly I’ve heard it SO many times, I just can’t stand to tell it.  Let’s just say I really took my time getting here.

But of couse I was the PERFECT baby.  Perfect daughter, perfect sister, now perfect wife and mother…. ok, you can stop laughing. Especially you SIL;).

Anyway, I am now 27 years old, as my sweet girls keep reminding me every ten seconds.  I remember when I thought twenty-seven was REALLY old, and how I just thought it would feel different to be twenty-seven.  You would feel grown up somehow, like a real adult.  Does this happen to anyone?  Because it doesn’t seem to be happening for me.  A lot of the time I still feel like a kid playing house.  Like someone is going to come and tell me I’m not really old enough to be married and have these children and this life.

I’m excited for my b-day mostly because my girls get REALLY excited, so that makes it fun.  Other than that I think I have finally reached the point where your birthday just becomes another day.  I used to think it was weird when my parents acted that way about it.  Now I know…

In celebration of my big day, I thought I would share twenty-seven things.  Things that I know after twenty-seven years of living.  (I’m sure I will look back at this list one day and cringe.)

So, this is where I started…

and now, after 4 years of public education, 9 years of home education, 3+years of college, 8 years of marriage and 6 1/2 years raising three children, this is what I know:

1. I do not like a mess.  I can’t stand it.  It makes me feel crazy.

2. I will always love macaroni and cheese.

3. My sisters and I pronounce the word theater funny…according to some people.

4. It’s okay not to answer the phone every time it rings.

5. The world will not stop just because you wore the same shirt three times in a week.

6. A good bra is well worth the money. (sorry, had to put it)

7. If you go out looking like a mess, nobody will stare if you take the time to be friendly.

8. Cooking from scratch is really fun.

9. The best snack for the movies is popcorn and Reese’s Pieces.

10. I will never get so old that I stop loving Little House on the Prairie.

11. Sometimes “just being honest” isn’t as important as being kind.

12. There will always be something I have to have.

13. Waking up early is never going to get easier.

14. I will always prefer a good book over a good movie.

15. Mosquitos will never stop biting me and ignoring everyone else.

16. My daughter will never learn how to not whine, because I never have.

17. Complaining and comparing will never really make me feel good.

18. I will always be afraid of the dark. 

19.The joy of being content is so much more fulfilling than the joy of getting what you want.

20. Children will always be crazy, according to their own mother.

21. Fighting will never result in anything but lost time.

22. There will always be something else that needs to be done.

23. The peace of being home only exists in the presence of those you love…the place doesn’t matter.

24. Time spent with my girls is never a waste.

25. A day without regrets is a precious gift.

26. My husband truly loves me, and that is really special.

27. Everything in my life is a gift, and nothing can ever satisfy me like the Giver.