….was a HIT!  she had so much fun and did not want to leave.  john was off this time, and it was nice he was around to help so we could switch off with charlotte when she got hungry.  next week i’m on my own.  we’ll see how that goes!  ha!  :)

….and look at this crazy fabric i just got.  i can’t wait to play around with it.  i just plopped charlotte on it after i took her 4mo onesie pic.  it is wild, but super neat.

she’s getting so big.

okay, so i was never really supermom, lol.  but i sure heard enough people saying it to me at one time.  bet they aren’t thinking it anymore!  i can.not.keep.up.  i  feel like a broken reccord “it’s so busy lately ….”  … but MAN!  it’s BUSY!  i feel like i get more and more behind every day, and my sewing machine is covered in at least 2 inches of dust (not really – that would be gross!) …. i have so much i want to do, all these projects in my mind piling up …. but can barely keep up with the day to day.  i always thought once the kids started going off to school, things slowed down a bit.  THEY JUST GET BUSIER!  lol.

not to mention we’re at that stage with norah where she can’t nap – or she’ll be up until 11pm ….. but if she doesn’t nap, she is a NIGHTMARE from 4-6 every day, then she abruptly stops causing trouble and passes out at 7.  today i just had to laugh about it.  i had a pork loin i saw supposed to put in the crock pot this morning for bbq pulled pork sandwhiches.  time kept getting  out from under me, and before i knew it the clock was saying it was 3:30!  so i threw it in the oven for an hour and tried finishing it on the stove.  during this time, charlotte’s screaming if i put her down, and doing flips in the bouncer (but crying as soon as she rolls over), norah’s throwing all the letters on the fridge on the floor, and picking fights with ethan, then proceeds to spit cracker all over him (where did she learn this?!).  i’m also trying to help kayleigh with homework at the same time (telling time – fun stuff!).  the house is getting messier and messier as i go along (mostly the nor-nado).  and oh yeah – john had to stay at work an hour late for a meeting.  i broke into the easter candy.  couldn’t help it.  lol.

SO, it is 8:30 now, and it looks exactly like it did four hours ago, but i had to come upstairs and take a break.  the dishes and laundry can WAIT.  they will still be there in an hour.  tomorrow is a new day.  norah starts gymnastics!  she is so excited!  john is off work.  groceries beckon.  it will be a better day.  it HAS to.  we usually blame things on thje altitude here, but i’m going to switch off to the daylight savings time excuse for a bit.  it’s gotta be something!  or is this just our normal?  lol!

UPDATE:  yay!  my super duper husband got ‘em back.  did you know, that when you  format your sd card from the camera, it’s only a “quick format?”  there was no getting them back from the computer (most were already fragmented), but he got them back from the card even though i’ve formatted many times this week!  thanks for all your suggestions.  :)

ugh.  i feel sick.  i just deleted a week’s worth of pictures from my desktop & recycle bin.  all the pictures i took of charlotte the other day, everything.  :(  can anyone recommend a recovery program?  free or cheap would be nice.  thanks.  :(

what a sweet little thing to wake up to, eh?  she sleeps so well at night.  that i am lucky for.  even if she doesn’t sleep much during the day.   we’re getting ready to head to the zoo this afternoon, so while john naps from his night shift last night (gotta love the navy!), i’m editing some pictures before we run to pick up some stuff for lunch.

norah is so funny.  she’s our wildest child, by far.  as soon as we walk in the door, she rips off her clothes and runs upstairs to find something more foofy, puffy, and most important, princess-y in the dress up box.  she puts her own swing on it, of course.  like the addition of the upside down purple glasses.  :)  she got into kayleigh’s fingerprint art kit when i was upstairs getting dressed the other day.  she was so proud of herself.  so i figured she was already covered in ink … i might as well get her canvas out that she never got to paint when the big kids did theirs last summer.

i am usually behind the camera, but sometimes my sweet husband pics up the camera to prove i *do in fact exist!

i pulled out the jumper yesterday.  it was a hit! …until of course norah saw it.  it came down not too long after, lol.

played with different processing on a couple of these, too. so she’s a different color in each – ha!  what is sweeter, really, than a naked little baby?  :)  i wanted some sweet simple shots, and am happy with what i got.  she was sleepy, so no token charlotte grins, but i think i like them without.  it’s nice to have some a little different.  : )  although, i’m a little heavy on the close-ups, eh?  i swear, she does have legs!

she is almost 4 months old!  john took everyone out of the house for a few hours so i could take some pictures. i haven’t had much time to lately, and  it is so hard with norah around.  she means well …. but she’s loud, and she likes to be the center of attention.  so today it was just me and charlie girl.  i don’t normally do funky processing, but i sort of liked it on this one.  feels warm  just looking at it(and it was – i had the room up to 90!).

i have a lot to go through.  but here is the first.

we were supposed to go to a new park with a friend the other day, but as it happens so much with kids, one of our combined six kids, got sick (poor guy has rotavirus – poor mama, too.  btdt!).  we ended up going on saturday with john, and then walked to a cute little cupcake shop a couple blocks away.  i can’t wait for spring.  it was so much fun to get out & run around!

nomelie cupcakes in parker.  YUM.  they’re not cheap, BUT … the good part of paying $3 a cupcake, is you only eat ONE.  ;)  they were really yummy.  i finished off norah’s strawberry one.  i definitely want to try making some strawberry flavored baked goods.  never really thought about it before!  i always stick to the safe stuff.  orange, chocolate, banana ….  they have a neat little area for the kids with a nice vintage-inspired table set.  the grown ups get china plates – kids paper.  :P

i was trimming norah’s hair the other day when i realized i really messed up!  i always trim my kids har until it gets too straight.  then i have to start taking them in because as a hairdresser – i suck.  we used to go to a place called lollilocks until it closed.  so we gave sweet & sassy a try.  the girls approved!  norah even kept these sprouts in all day!  when i put her hair up, she rips it right out.

charlotte today.  she will be four months old soon.  it goes by so fast.  she’s sleeping on me right now, such a cutie.  everyone always ooohs and ahhhs over the red hair.  and she gives a huge smile to say thanks.  i think she’s going to be a sweet one.  there are so many similarities between her & ethan, it’s so funny how genetics work!

anyone have any fun kid’s lunch suggestions?  we’re getting bored!  kayleigh picked out a new bento/lunchbox today.  hoping it will  help spruce things up a bit.  we’re definitely in a rut!  i made her a couple chocolate covered strawberries tonight to put in her lunch tomorrow.  i had a bunch of great bento lunch blogs saved, but lost them all when we got a new computer.