All Smiles: Playing, Reading, & Pets

No one believes me when I say Ralphie smiles. Here is some proof:

Not enough proof? Here's more:
He shows his bottom teeth when he smiles. He does this whenever he's getting some loving! Too cute!
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Today we've been playing Lincoln Logs.
The kids are great when it comes to making messes...not so good with the picking up part. Usually I am left to do the picking up.

While I pick up, they move onto other things:
Moe got on one computer, while Mimi on another. They know how to find their games.
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I scored a huge stack of books at Goodwill.
And I started this one:
It's great. Already I am hooked. I tried reading Matters of Chance, but quit. I couldn't get into it. It did get decent reviews. I found it boring.

I gotta go work on gifts....and finish Moe's blanket. He is wanting it!
Karen

Mimi and her Daddy!

Once he gets home from work, she becomes his shadow. She dumps her momma!
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Here is Moe running around like a wild boy:

As usual, he is a blur in photos!
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Weekly deliciousness:

Fly away little dog!
( A side note: I highly recommend the rat terrier to anyone wanting a little dog who is good with kids. They are easy to train. And they have very short fur, so shedding is not a huge issue.)
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I am making progress on Moe's blanket. I am almost half way done.

I like the colors in it.
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Finally I finished this:
It drank up the primer and paint. I probably could have done more to it, but I figure the kids will be hard on it anyway, so why bother! It houses most all the kids' art supplies. And I have a nice top shelf for my favorite cookbooks. Sweet!
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Life is sweet. We are all good, and I really can't complain. Lots of blogs talk about "keepin' it real." To be honest I have a lot to be thankful for, and very little to be upset about, so I guess I am keeping it real.
Have a great week! I hope it is filled with love, laughter, and FUN!
~Karen

It's Friday!

Look at this face:

It's been a rough day here. The kids kept coming into our room all night last night. They wanted to play. They weren't tired. They wanted to sleep with us. And now they are grumpy.
I am too.
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Mimi has been spending her birthday money. I like this wood dollhouse. It came from Tuesday Morning. All the furniture and two dolls were $15. I thought that was a good deal. She's been playing with it a lot.

She's also been playing with my least favorite toy: Slutty Barbie Doctor.
Her high heal leg wrap shoes made the outfit so glamorous. I think Ralphie may have eaten one.
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I found this at Goodwill for $8. It is maple, I think. And stained very dark. So, I decided to prime and paint it.
It has cute little shutter doors:
I am so tired. Last night reminded me of late night nursing sessions. Glad those days are behind us, and I hope we all get a good night's sleep tonight!
~Karen

Moe's Blanket

Moe is happy now. The blanket is no way even close to being done, but he knows I am working on it. He was so hurt that it hurt my heart! I had no idea he would be so upset.

Otherwise nothing new here....

~Karen

It's December??!!

I started a blanket for Moe. He seems quite hurt that Mimi got one, although he showed no interest in one while I was making hers. SO, maybe later in the week I will have some pictures to show...and some progress made...
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I still can't believe it is December. Soon I'll be 35. How did that happen? It goes fast. Seems like yesterday we were married.

I love this. It is hand carved. It must have taken forever to make.
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This is our family in the fishbowl with Fred. I don't know why our heads are floating, and then reattached to our bodies at the bottom. The artist is 5, and I suppose artists can take such liberties when depicting their family!

~Karen

Finished!

It's done! Finally I finished Mimi's blanket. She loves it. I hope it keeps her warm this winter!

Now I am working on new projects. I will update later with pictures!
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We had a great T-day! I fixed salmon, cous cous, butternut & acorn squash stuffing, and spinach casserole. We ate like royalty! It was fun.

Have a great week!
Karen

If I can avoid going to a store, I do it. I prefer online shopping. So, when we decided to purchase a new toilet, I did some research and found one I wanted based on reviews. Yes, there are oodles of toilet reviews. And there are toilets that cost more than a thousand! Finally, we decided on this one: the Toto Drake

It arrived without incident in a massive box. I opened it and found another box! Here it is:

The instructions were easy, and Kevin installed it rather quickly. It is a good toilet, so if you are ever in the market, consider a Toto.

I've ordered a refridgerator and a washing machine online.
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Mimi has been reading a lot these days.

She will be 5 soon. I can hardly believe it. She is so grown up & smart. I can remember the day we took her home from the hospital like it was yesterday. Kevin said he couldn't believe they let people take home people without even taking a test!