4th of July Traditions

Just thought I'd share some of our 4th of July traditions. My kiddos love this holiday (as does Dad). I do too but I still remember the time I burned my fingers while lighting a sparkler. Craig's laughing really bruised my ego! But I digress ....

TRADITIONS:
1. For the last seven years I have been making a flag cake. This involves baking a cake, white frosting, blueberries for the "stars", and sliced strawberries for the red stripes. The orginal recipe called for whip cream but the first year I tried it, it looked like a mud slide. The fruit would not stay in place and the whole thing looked like it was melting. I modified the recipe. I sometimes use sparklers as candles. The last few years each child has set a row of fruit on the cake. Here is how my cake looks even though I don't do it this way.

2. We like to make edible "sparklers." This involves melting chocolate chips, rolling half of a thick pretzel stick in the melted chocolate, adding some cookie sprinkles, setting it on a plate and refrigerating for a few hours. They don't last very long! TRY IT!

3. LEMONADE! After reading the Little House series as a child, I've always associated lemonade with the 4th of July.

4. FIREWORKS!! Especially when we visit family. They live outside the city limit so fireworks are very legal. This is Craig's favorite part. He stays outside the whole time. When we stay in town we watch the city fireworks. We usually park at the mall.

5. 4th of July Parade: Our parade isn't anything grand but the kids love it. We always know a few people in the parade (Church group, girl scouts, Tae Kwon Do demonstrations, etc) and look for them. Kolbe's favorite part is the FIRE TRUCKS! I never knew there were so many types.

6. I read the 4th of July Book to them. Actually, I need to find another one. I think I packed it a few weeks ago!

7. This might seem VERY SILLY, but we say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. You have to remember we homeschool and start our day with prayers instead of the pledge. So this is a VERY big deal. In fact, we say it four times. That way each child gets to hold our little flag.

When the kids get older (maybe next year) I'll have them recite things. This coming year Isabelle will be memorizing the Preamble to the Constitution. Our traditions aren't too original or deep but they're ours. We've been doing them since the kids can remember. That's what counts. I want them to have memories of traditions we did for certain holidays. I used to try to do everything I came across. I now realize a few traditions done consistantly is better than many done sporadically. Can't wait until Tuesday!!

Bella has the right idea. She's using a mini toy version of Craig's RC car and one of Craig's tools.
taken by Lillian

Sophia is using a Polly Pocket van and a butter knife! Too funny!
taken by Lillian

Here's Anna working on a toy monster truck with a Butter Knife!! She actually managed to take it apart (just like Daddy) but not back together. Kolbe is trying to help Craig on his car with a butter knife too.
taken by Lillian

Here is Craig at his favorite hobby ... RC Cars. He is laughing that he's gotten all the kids to join him. The kids brought their cars to "work on."
taken by Lillian

Catherine with her cool baby sunglasses!
taken by Lillian

Smith Sailors! I love putting them in matching outfits. This was taken at Grandma's before going to mass.
taken by Lillian

Craig holding Isabelle on her 1st Communion Day. It had rained and we didn't want her dress to get dirty. This is my favorite picture.
taken by Lillian

Easter Day
taken by Lillian

These are supposed to be stacking blocks. However, Kolbe always uses them as hats for Catherine and himself. He does this daily. Catherine is such a good sport!
taken by Lillian

Batman (Kolbe) and Darth Vadar (Sophia) battling behind homeschooling Anna. Look at Anna's concentration!

Picture Crazy!

Now that I know how to upload pictures, here are some that I have been saving for a while now. Sorry to inundate you with pictures but my blog is as close as I'll ever get to scrapbooking!!

Thank You Jennie

Big THANK -YOU to Jennie for sharing about HELLO. Now I have pictures! My blog will never be the same. Hopefully this will cut down my long essays ;-)

Beauty Salon Grand Opening

Today I trimmed Sophia's bangs. They were covering her eyes. As I was combing her hair the comb kept getting caught in her hair .... she has very straight, fine hair. The culprit was not a knot but food!! Are my kids the only ones who wear their food and toothpaste in their hair??

Even though it was the middle of the day I REALLY wanted to wash her hair. So I told the girls we were going to play Beauty Salon!! We moved the kitchen table and set up a "waiting area" complete with magazines (ASK and Highlights) and refreshments (banana bread and RED PUNCH ....... it needs to be used up before we give it up entirely ;-)

We used Catherine's high chair since it can recline. All of the girls and Kolbe had their hair shampoed, conditioned, and combed. I then curled the girls' hair. My salon even served lunch!! After lunch they had their nails painted. I'm so happy their hair is clean again! Now I need to be careful about what I serve for dinner! This has been a very fun day!!


Beauty Styles waiting room



State of the Art Salon Chair



Anna is my first client.



Kolbe didn't want to be left out. Love that Kool-aid mustache!



Sophia getting her hair washed.



Isabelle LOVES getting her hair washed. We had some good conversation.



My girls posing with their curls.

Sophia vacuuming. She loves using the sweeper!
taken by Lillian

I played too! Here's the breakfast I made.
taken by Lillian

Bella posing with Belle. Notice the play-doh hat the doll is modeling?
taken by Lillian

Kolbe is making ???
taken by Lillian

Smiling Sophia!
taken by Lillian

Sophia cutting up her pizza.
taken by Lillian

Anna's brownies
taken by Lillian

Anna's Gingerbread Man

Play-doh time!

I Love Play-Doh

I just love Play-Doh! Unfortunately, I didn't always feel this way. Once I learned how to "play" with Play-Doh my opinion changed. The following are MY cardinal rules for playing with Play-Doh:

1. Have LOTS of cookie cutters, knives, rolling pins, and MOLDS!! Especially the molds! Right now we have molds for making a breakfast: toast, waffle, eggs, bacon, butter, fruit, etc. I've been looking for the "haircutting" Play-Doh kit.

2. Don't be afraid to mix colors. In fact, expect it! And teach your oldest child this rule too. I used to try (in vain) to preserve the colors.

3. Don't be afraid to take out all the play-doh! I used to assign each child one color but that's like giving out one crayon for coloring.

4. Remember that Play-Doh is cheap!! This is what helped me to follow the first three rules. I always pick some up whenever I'm al Wal-Mart.

5. Play with them. My kids used to whine and complain they couldn't make anything. My mother-in-law, during one of her visits, sat down and played with them. She showed them how to make LOTS of stuff. Now, they can play without any help. Kolbe watches the older ones and is learning. I sometimes sit and make my own creations too!
* Kolbe and Sophia play by themselves during homeschooling. Its actually incentive for the older ones to do homeschool diligently. Isabelle usually picks out her color and "saves" it so she can join them when she's done with her schoolwork.

6. This is the most important rule for me. Honestly, I'm all about making things easy for myself. So, I taught them to clean up the big pieces off the floor, put away the play-doh cutters, put back the play-doh as best as they can, and vacuum the floor (usually don by 4 yo Sophia). I just supervise. I 've told them that whatever doesn't get picked up gets thrown away. There are some days when LOTS of play-doh gets thrown away. I don't think I could be as cool about play-doh if it wasn't for my cordless shark sweeper!!

My kids normally work with play-doh 1-2 times a week. I keep it locked up. They use it mid-morning (like 10:30am) while I'm homeschooling or (like today) making dinner and preparing lunch!!

Cute Spelling

Sophia is feeling a little under the weather today. So, Anna decided to make her a card. This is Anna's spelling:

"To Sofeu"

That's pretty good and so cute! She's entering 1st grade. Notice she wrote down all the sounds she heard!

KID QUOTE OF THE DAY

Isabelle: "Mom, when I get a chance I'm going to run for either queen or president 'cuz I have a few things I want to change in the world."

Me: "Oh, really? What?"

Isabelle: "First, I would make all movies without violence or bad things. Then I would make things only modest. And I would bring back the Mousekateers so I could join them."

* Yesterday I found an old B&W video of the Mickey Mouseketeers at the homeschooling store. My kids love them and can't believe they no longer exist. I think I'm going to search Ebay for more of these videos. I get nostalgic for the good old days even though I wasn't alive then. Why did it have to change so much??

Fun Times and Ramblings

Yesterday was the way I imagine all Saturdays should be. In the morning we picked up the house a little. Craig went to the RC car racetrack with the four older children. I went to the local homeschooling store with the baby and took my time sifting through the used section. We all met back at home and chatted and played until our friends came over for dinner (BBQ ... yum!). Why can't all Saturdays be like this?

And we still have Sunday ... YEAH! Gotta go get ready for mass! The girls are all wearing pink today. I love matching them. Not sure how long Isabelle will continue to go along.

Maybe today I can learn how to get pictures on my blog. I actually know how, I just need Craig to show me how to make the picture files smaller before I upload them.

I really like this blogging! Although the more blogs I visit the more I'm amazed with all the fancy stuff I see. Music playing, scrolling signs, etc. Amazing!

I've Been Tagged!

Jennie tagged me so here it goes!

1.Grab the book nearest you, turn to page 18 and find line 4.
"..exploration of language in a written form." from Montessori Read and Write by Lynne Lawrence. I'm currently working on making new sandpaper letters for Anna. By mistake I threw away the one's I had made for Isabelle. ARGH! They take a long time to make. This book is FABULOUS!! I hope to do more from it for Sophia (4 yo).

2. Stretch out your left arm as far as you can. What can you touch? Actually, nothing. But when I first read this ques. I didn't notice it said "left arm" until Craig pointed it out. So here's my original answer: My bookshelf, which holds my homeschooling how-to books, syllabi, math manipulatives, board games and puzzles.

3.What is the last thing you watched on TV? Hmmm ....West Wing Season 6 episode 5.

4.Without looking, guess what time it is. 9:30pm

5.Now look at the clock. What is the actual time? 9:32pm

6.With the exception of the computer, what can you hear? The air conditioner running. All the kids are asleep and Craig is working on his RC Car which takes lots of concentration.

7.When did you last step outside? What were you doing? 6:30pm tonight. I went to the mall and Barnes & Nobles. I brought Isabelle and Catherine with me. Isabelle came along to get some shoes (she's grown 1 1/2 sizes!! .... poor girl ..... I didn't believe her at first when she said her shoes were tight). I went to pick up some books for 3rd grade history and ordered the ones they didn't have in stock. We also had an ice cream from Marble Slab. Lots of fun!

8.Before you started this survey, what did you look at? My email, Aggie Catholic website and some blogs.

9.What are you wearing? White and green striped tee shirt with denim capris and new sandals.

10.Did you dream last night? I'm sure I did but I can't remember.

11.When did you last laugh? About an hour ago. Isabelle was taking her bubble bath and wanted all the baby toys in the tub. I laughed because I think its so adorable how she is still a little kid at heart even though she tries so hard to act grown up.

12.What is on the walls of the room you are in? Mostly the children's artwork. My computer is in the homeschooling room. So lots of saint coloring sheets, Isabelle's Reading Rainbow certificate, a slogan from Leading Little One's To Mary, "Mary always did things with a smile." That's about it. I'm actually trying to clear the walls as we get ready for the move.

13.Seen anything weird lately? We were just at the mall!!! Of course I did!

14.What do you think of this quiz? It's fine. I'd ask different q's if I were making it.

15.What is the last film you saw? See Dick and Jane Run? or something like that with Jim Carrey. Its been a very long time since I laughed uncontrollably like that!! I didn't think I'd like it. I'm NOT a big fan of Jim Carrey like Craig. We were both laughing so hard its amazing none of the kids woke up.

16.If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy? A vacation with the whole family, a pony (and I guess a farm to go with it), and LOTS of anonymous donations to Catholic organizations, convents and churches (especially St. Mary's in Aggietown ... WHOOP!).

17.Tell me something about you that I don't know. I'm VERY afraid of shots and needles so I have had natural childbirth to avoid shots, I.V.'s, etc.

18.If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt and politics, what would you do? Other than sin in general? Keeping it light I'll say library fines ... I owe a ton!! On a heavier note ... abortion.

19.Do you like to dance? YES!! Tejano, Salsa, Merengue. I don't go out dancing anymore but the kids wear out the living room floor with their dancing and Craig and I usually join in.

20.George Bush: Daddy Bush--; Baby Bush-- Anheuser Busch? Not exactly the same "Bush." I don't get this question.

21.Imagine your first child is a girl. I'll imagine my first three and fifth are girls! Isabelle, Anna, Sophia and Catherine.

22.Imagine your first child is a boy. I actually wanted my first to be a boy. I imagined he would protect his baby sisters. I like the way it worked out instead. My fourth is a boy and he's spoiled by his older sisters ... and father .... and mother ..... and grandmother ....Kolbe James is his name. And that's Kolbe after St. Maximillian Kolbe. NOT COLBY as in the cheese.

23.Would you ever consider living abroad? Definitely! I would want to live in Italy. I lived in Germany from ages 4-7.

24.What would you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate? "I forgive you and I love you."

25. 3 people who must also do this quiz in their blog: Well, I still don't know too many people. I'm the new kid on the blog. I tag Karen at Cirque de moi and Carolyn M. at Guilt-Free Homeschooling (unless they're on base, of course). Unsure about the third. I need to get to know more blogging people!!

In Memory

This has been a sad week. A young mom in my Mom's Group had a child pass away a few days ago. M.C. was 2 years old. She had gone to bed with a fever and never woke up. How devastating for her parents. Her rosary was tonight and her funeral is tomorrow. Ever since I found out on Tuesday I've been examining how much I take my children for granted. I've been thinking about how I spend more time on other things than with playing with them. This week Craig and I have been spending HOURS and HOURS cuddling with them, reading to them, rough housing with them and sleeping with them. Such shocking news change your view of reality. I don't question God's wisdom but I'm confused about how parents can deal with such a blow? It all comes down to faith and God's love. They have been in my thoughts and prayers. I don't know what to say or do but offer up prayers and sacrifices and hug and cuddle my own kids.

Today was our 10th wedding anniversary. Craig took the day off and we just spent time with the kids, playing and soaking in all their energy (that's a lot of energy). Energy that I used to "tolerate" is now reassuring and welcome. When you get a chance please offer up a prayer for M.C's parents. Although she's in heaven now, her parents and baby brother miss her terribly.

OUR LADY OF SORROWS, pray for us.

LIVED in Home

As I was over at Guilt-Free Homeschooling, I had a chance to read this. It was exactly what I was needing. I know I can get caught up in wanting the "magazine lay-out" home. With five kids under eight, that is not a reality for more than 2 mins! No sooner have I cleaned up a room that I turn to find purses, dress up clothes, dolls and Tonka trucks strewn all over!

On the days when my home is ship-shape my kids are miserable! "Don't touch the table I just polished it! Don't pull out all the books I just organized them! Don't EAT I just cleaned/mopped/vacuumed, etc!" You get the picture. I had a friend once tell me that with lots of kids the goal should be to have a clean house, i.e., toilets, sinks, kitchen counters, floors, etc. Clutter, however, will happen. I've been trying to embrace this concept but never knew what to call my new ideal. Now I know: "LIVED in Home."

Yesterday I TOTALLY cleaned my refrigerator! Freezer, bins, shelves .... EVERYTHING! Boy did it feel good. And the kids can't mess it up (unless they try to help themselves to the open pitcher of Red Kool-Aid!) Okay, so maybe they can mess that up too. But at least having a clean frig is good for them and enhances their quality of life (and food) which the perfectly organized book shelf does not.

I'm glad I found this post. I'll probably be referring to it often. Thanks Carolyn!

Happy Father's Day!!

Just want to wish a Happy Father's Day to my sweetheart and all the fathers out there!!! My kids were so excited and couldn't wait to give him his gifts so they actually gave them to him last night. Isabelle, Anna and Sophia went shopping with me and picked out their own gifts. Isabelle bought him a red tie (pretty nice looking I must say, she almost picked out a hideous green and pink one .... although I wouldn't have said anything if she had). Anna bought him a clock that doubles as a jewelry box. Sophia bought him a travel bag. I was really surprised to see them really think about his needs and pick out nice gifts (within their budget of $10). Right now we're visiting family in SA and Craig is out to lunch with his Dad.

Also, just want to say how proud I am of him! Last night he finally took part in a race and won. He's REALLY, REALLY into Remote Control Cars. They're his hobby and he's been fixing/building RC cars for a while now. He's always wanted to race but never has. Last night he did (despite the butterflies) and creamed everyone!! Unfortunately, he had some mechanical issues and had to stop racing after a few rounds. In the beginning, I really hated this hobby of his! It can be time consuming and he spreads his stuff all over the table. I never realized he loved them as a child but didn't have the means ($$$$$$) to have them and fix them up. When he works on his cars I realize that this is his down time. It engages his mind and is something other than work, children and YES, even me! Kind of like my sewing. So when he said he was going to race I was excited for him. I have to remember that he still needs to have his interests just like I have mine.

Now that I have Kolbe (3 yo), I understand that boys and girls are different. As children we play at our dreams. We are lucky if we get to live out that dream. I'm so glad Craig realized one of his dreams last night. Congratulations Craig!!!

Side Bars, Links, Books and more!

** NOTE **
This post has been updated and links have been added below.

Well, I'm getting the hang of this thanks to Jennie C. at Far Beyond . I've included some books I'm reading for myself as well as to the children on my side bar. A few comments/reviews ....

George Washington's Teeth is hilarious! It chronicles Washington's journey during the American Revolution while losing his teeth. The information was obtained through actual journal writings. Not only do the girls laugh while I'm reading, they're learning history! I even love this book! And seeing how Isabelle and Anna are losing their teeth around here, they can really relate. Even looking at a dollar bill has taken on new meaning for them! I HIGHLY recommend this book. I got it at Barnes and Nobles using my teacher's 20% discount.

Splendor in the Ordinary by Thomas Howard has been a God send for me. Its not a how-to book (like Mother's Rule of Life ) but rather about how to see holiness in the ordinary. So even if you never change how you live, you can radically change your home by how you see the ordinary things you're doing. This was EXACTLY what I needed! I will always have to wash clothes, make beds, cook dinners, clean house, etc. no matter if I develop a Rule or not. This book helped me to see that my heart needs to serve with love and that what I'm doing is VERY HOLY! I eventually want to develop a "Mother's Rule" but right now this book has met me where I'm at. I think I'll be able to follow a Rule once I can change my heart. Unfortunately, God is undergoing open heart surgery on me right now!! This book is helping me tons!!

Please share any books that have changed your life. I find that I am what I read!!

Blessings,
Lillian

P.S. Two other books that have helped me on my journey (although I'm not currently reading them) are Zig Ziggler's Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World, and Michael H. Brown's Seven Days With Mary. I'll get around to adding recommended/favorite books on my sidebar later ... actually I could start a whole other blog, I have SO many books I love!!

Received West Wing DVD's! YEAH!

I just love West Wing! I don't have cable and so I didn't discover this series until over a year ago. At the time I could only watch it on Sunday nights at 11pm. So I started buying the seasons on DVD and was able to watch it from the beginning. I don't know why I like it because I totally disagree with their politics! I just find it fascinating (and very scary) to see how policy that will affect millions and millions is made by a few. I know the series is fictional but I still enjoy it.

I actually have read Karen Hughes autobiography Ten Minutes from Normal, as well as George Bush's (can't recall name) autobiography when he was still governor. I've REALLY enjoyed General Tommy Franks autobiography American Soldier. I'm currently reading a biography on Laura Bush. I love reading biographies and autobiographies. I majored in history and one of my all time favorite classes was "History through Biography."

This year for Isabelle's history (3rd grade) we will be reading TONS of biographies and D'Aulaire history storybooks.

Anyways, I digress. I love West Wing! Craig and I started watching last night and will be watching more tonight. I think in a few years we will volunteer on a campaign. Funny story:

Craig works for a biotech company and was a sales manager. He was then promoted to a bigger regional manager position. His boss (VP of sales) is ALWAYS calling the house since the VP is based in California and we live in Texas. Whenever his boss calls during dinner (remember 2 hour difference) Craig will take the call while I remind the kids to quiet down since the Vice President is calling. Well, somehow Isabelle got the impression that it was VP Cheney!! So she was telling everyone that her dad worked for VP Cheney!! She even commented once that "if Daddy ever wants to become VP we will have to help him campaign by calling everyone we know and telling them to vote for him." She now knows that Craig's boss is not Cheney but we still tease her.

Off I go to watch my series! I know its late but I waited over 5 months for season six to be released!

Blessings,
Lillian

Catherine's Crawling!!

Just wanted to announce that Catherine is officially crawling!! She is my first baby to actually crawl on all fours. My others have always crawled on their bellies like G.I. Joe. This is exciting! She just turned 9 months a few days ago. Now we HAVE to keep our floors clean! Picture(s) soon to follow!

Grass is Greener on the other side (from far away)

Today the girls went to Vacation Bible School. We have all been looking forward to this week. They were excited about the idea of being around other kids. I was looking forward to some quiet and productive hours. The grass is always greener on the other side ...... however, one never thinks about all the ant hills, sewage problems and other unpleasantries that lie waiting in that field!

Isabelle came home yesterday complaining that a boy kept hitting her. At first I thought, "Oh, maybe he's gotta a crush on her and this is his way of showing it!" She assured me he was just being mean. Today when I dropped her off I spoke with her teacher who confirmed the boy was being mean ... and to other girls as well. So what did she say? She said she wanted to do something but she wasn't sure where her boundries were since he was not in her group?!? Boundries? I would think every kid in that room is within her boundries when it comes to safety and manners. I guess as a homeschooling mom, boundries mean something different to me. They help to define where a child should be and what he can do. They should not limit the teacher. Can you imagine not knowing if you can correct a student who's hitting yours because they're not in your class!!

While all this was going on I was trying to enjoy myself. I thought I would start with sewing. But first, I had to finish the laundry and dishes. Habit I guess. In the end I sifted through my scraps and threw away material that was too small and worn. No sewing done.

So, today I took a different approach. I dropped the girls off (after speaking to the lady), went to daily mass and stayed for the rosary. If I get nothing else done today, I accomplished alot!!

I'm not sure why there is a need for Vacation Bible schools. Mine don't come home with any new knowledge. They seem to enjoy the crafts, singing, and being with other children. I don't really get alot done either. Maybe school moms need the routine of sending their kids to school? All I know is that its only been two days and I already miss mine! I'm glad they're having fun. But every year I realize my side is green too! From far away my grass looks great. You can't see the worn paths my kids have made (they spend a lot of time outside). You can't see the mud pies and dug up holes. You can't see my baking pans filled with "food" (aka grass clippings, rocks and mud). My side looks pretty green from the other side. And I'm sure if a school mom where to venture onto my side she would be surprised to find all these things. Maybe even a little horrified that kids could do so much damage (imaginative play) and that a mother would allow it!!

All I know is, I miss my side. Can't wait to go back. I know where all the holes are and I know where I'm hiding my new cake pans!!

Mexican Shells

We just finished eating a dinner of Mexican shells and I was reflecting on our move back to S.A.. We're moving at the end of the summer and I can't wait! I've really missed my family and the culture. I grew up moving around since my dad was in the Air Force. Even though I was born in S.A., my family didn't move back until high school. My sweetheart, on the other hand, was born and raised there and never moved away until he married me. Since being married we've lived in Boston and various parts of Texas. It's been ten years since we've lived in our home city and we've changed. Months before our wedding my mom was trying to teach me how to make tortillas, rice and lots of good ol' Mexican and Puerto Rican cuisine. Ten years later I have yet to make tortillas.

My kids think they're not Mexican! Isabelle is afraid everyone will only speak Spanish in SA even though she's visited countless times. My kids think they don't like Mexican food since they prefer Italian and American food. So, a few months ago my mother-in-law taught me how to make her Mexican Shells and Fidelo. Today I think I finally mastered it! Nothing will ever be as good as my mom's rice or my mil's Fidelo but I no longer cook like a Gringa. Now, if I could only teach my kids Spanish!

I need to pass on my heritage to them. I haven't missed it in all these ten years because I was trying so hard to fit in with my surroundings. Now that I'm going back to a Hispanic culture I realize I've actually changed more than I knew. My Latin-American history professor from college once had me read a book entitled, "Latinos" by Earl Shorris. In it he noted how the language and culture that had been passed on for centuries could be lost in one single generation. He credited this to assimilating and education. Latinos who attend college (and I am the first one in my family) usually end up being the generation that stops handing down the traditions of their culture. When I read this I remember thinking, "NEVER!" Well, its happened! My kids don't know Spanish and many other things about their heritage. This move back home has strengthened my resolve to rectify this. Today it starts with Mexican (not Italian) shells. Tomorrow I think I'll read them "Oso pardo, Oso Pardo, Que ves ahi?" ("Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?") as well as "Buenas Noches, Luna." I actually have a whole collection of books in Spanish that I started collecting when we found out we were having Isabelle. Its now eights years later and I need to start reading them.

If at first you don't suceed .....

Well, my first attempt at blogging was short lived! I really meant to keep it up. I've been frequenting other blogs and think I will try again. I love the idea of sharing my thoughts and life with others. I haven't figured out how to add side bars or links so bear with me. Maybe I can get Craig away from his remote control cars to show me how. Anyways, I'm back!