Halloween 2K13... the plan according to Ella

It's almost October and Halloween has become a topic of great interest for Ella this year.  Last year was Ella's first Halloween to go trick-or-treating and she LOVED dressing up and made the cutest bear EVER (I'm not biased or anything)...see below.

This year, she is deciding what she wants to be.  And she also thinks she is deciding what everyone else in the family is going to be.  Disclaimer... When Ella talks she hasn't quite figured out the "F" sound.  She uses a S instead of a F.  Here are some examples of how she says "F" words (the appropriate kind of F words):

Favorite--> Savorite

Fun--> Sun

Funny--> Sunny

Fresh --> Sesh

She often makes the comment, "I just so sunny (aka funny)."  It always makes us laugh just a little bit.  We try to work with her on the F sound and I think she'll get it soon...but in the meantime it's kind of cute. You'll need to know the above translation for the conversation below.

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We were driving to school the other day and I was asking her about what she wanted to be for Halloween.  The conversation transpired as follows:

Me: So what are you going to be for Halloween, Bells?

Ella: A kitty cat.  I'm going to be a kitty cat.

Me: Oh really.  That will be fun.  You'll be a cute kitty.  We'll have to figure out your costume.

Ella:  And Ava Jane's gonna be a cow.  And you're gonna be a goose, Mommy.  And Daddy's gonna be a puppy doggie.

Me: Wow... Mommy and Daddy are going to dress up too?

Ella: oh yeah.  We all gonna dress up.  We're going as a SHARM (remember the F thing so she is actually saying FARM).  Yeah.  We gonna be a sharm.

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So that was our conversation.  According to Ella, we are going as a family farm.  It's actually a very cute idea and rather creative.  I only have one complaint-- why do I have to be a goose??  I definitely got assigned the worst costume!!   

We shall see what comes of it.  She's been sticking to the family farm idea so we may just ending up ALL going as farm animals.  I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime I guess I'll practice my honking, Ella will practice her meows, Brent will practice his barking, and Ava Jane will practice her mooing.  I think we've got this!

The days are long, but the years are short...

 Time.  That illusive bandit that sneaks up on you before you even know it.  One second you are meeting your precious newborn baby for the first time, the next she is telling you she has a great idea.  Where does time go?  Not sure, but it goes so fast.  By the same token, when it comes to parenting, there are days when you just want to pull your hair out, throw in the towel, get them to bed-- and start over the next day.  It's a funny thing.

The passing of time has become all more apparent to me working in Brent's dental office.  Naturally, he sees his patients every six months for cleanings and check-ups.  Once you see people in increments of 6 months and it seems like you just saw them a month ago, it really starts to click that life is moving FAST-- with no signs of stopping.  A particular parent of two of our patients is such a delight.  She's always calm and collected.  She goes with the flow.  And is just a nice person.  I have been in the office the times she has come and we always chat. Somehow we got into the conversation of time and raising two small children.  And she said..."It's like my Dad always use to say, what's that quote...oh yeah...the days are long, but the years are short."  I hadn't heard that phrase before.  Maybe I've been living under a rock...but this was new wisdom...and, in my opinion, this quote just nails it.

There are some days when you feel like you can't do anything right, some days when you feel like your kids are just going to stay in meltdown mode the entire day, some days when you are staring at the clock wondering if 6 o'clock is too early to start bedtime, and some days when you raise the white flag and vow the next day will be better.  And if you are like me, you are harder on yourself those days than anyone else will ever be and go to bed dwelling on what you could have done better.

Other days, everything seems to come together, everyone is happy, everyone is getting along, dinner is on the table at 6:00 p.m. sharp, bedtime goes off without a hitch, and life seems miraculously easy and simple-- and you think, yeah we could manage another child (or two)...not sure Brent ever had this thought though (ha)...

I guess all these days mix together to make this little thing we call L.I.F.E.  And in the long run, some days may seem SO long, but time truly is so short.

That quote and concept is something that has helped me a lot lately.  I was struggling with balancing working and time with my children.  I ultimately decided to cut back on my time in the office during conventional work hours and have opted for a more non-traditional schedule a.k.a. working while my kids are asleep or on the weekends when Brent is home to fulfill my office manager duties.  I still have a sitter 2 afternoons a week (she was coming 5), but I am spending more time with my children.  Being home can be challenging--It requires me to be unconditionally patient and unconditionally "on" with the two little people I influence the most and love more than words could ever say.  Mommies aren't really allowed to have grumpy days.  But, Ella and Ava Jane are growing so quickly and I don't want to miss out on their littleness and all the precious moments that are fleeting.  I'm so fortunate that Brent is supportive of this schedule shift and is happy that I am spending more time with the girls.  All in all it's been a good thing for our family.  For a while there I was feeling overwhelmed and guilty that I wasn't home when I could be.  So yes, some days are LONG... but ultimately, the years are much too SHORT.

We are trying to live life embracing this concept so that just maybe, when our kids are grown, we can say that it all went too quickly, but appreciation each day (long or short) made our time together more meaningful with less regrets and more wonderful memories made...

And my...they grow fast!!!  Some picture comparisons from just a year ago... and I promise next post will be more light-hearted.  It's about Ella's Halloween plan...and it involves the whole family dressing up...it's pretty funny.

Once a week...

September brought a little change around here.  Ella goes to school two days a week and Ava Jane goes to school once a week.  That means that once a week I have THREE whole hours to myself!! Let me say that one more time...THREE whole hours to myself!!!!  On those mornings I grab Starbucks-- a grande white chocolate mocha and a cinnamon swirl coffee cake (yes, one of my guilty pleasures that I really don't feel that guilty about-- I guess that makes it not a guilty pleasure then??) and head home to the silence of our house.  Once I am in my house that movie theater screen always pops into my head, you know the one before the movie starts-- "Silence is Golden."  Yes, AMC, sometimes silence is golden.  I realized the other day that must have been created by a parent of toddlers-- and it certainly is applicable to more than just the movie theater!

When I get in the door I am promptly met with cheerios everywhere, pajamas scattered about, and all the other evidence of the amount of determination it takes to get both girls ready and on time for a morning at school.  And in that moment, I feel kind of like I accomplished something getting them there and making it home for some me time-- I know it sounds ridiculous-- but it's true.   I can do housework, prepare dinner, work-out, shower (like a real shower-- not just a 5 minute one), blog, or just sit for a few minutes in silence and it is GREAT!!! Even doing laundry seems relaxing without little ones around!!

Please don't get me wrong-- I ADORE my kiddos-- I love the hustle and bustle, the laughter, and the vibrant sounds of childhood-- but every parent needs a break-- and once a week I get mine!!  So cheers to Starbucks, and kicking my feet up for a second, and taking a real deal shower today!!  I'm thankful my children have an amazing place to go to school while this Mama gets a little break once a week!!

Thrifty Finds...

Decorating a home is seriously expensive.  Like out of our budget expensive!! Luckily, I LOVE discount items, consignment stores, and antique markets and have made it a personal challenge to decorate using the smallest budget possible.  I love a great deal and refuse to pay full price for home decor.  I have a few antique stores that I frequent regularly and love browsing through "old treasure" wondering about the previous lives of the items in the store.  I get this trait from my Mom-- she loves it too.  Lucky for me she lives 20 minutes away and we can do it together now.  And of course TJ Maxx/HomeGoods is always a good idea.  And I never forget to check out the clearance section in stores like Pottery Barn and Serena & Lily-- sometimes they have amazing markdowns! Thought I'd share some of my bargain finds of late.  None of the rooms in the house are "complete" but it's a work in progress.  Decorating on a budget takes a long time and lots of patience.  I hope to share the finished product someday, but for now, here are some of my favorite things I've found!  Happy Wedensday...stay dry!!

This is in our sunroom/playroom.  We keep a changing table in here so it's obviously not very fancy.  Everything is kid friendly and can be lived on.  Our new wall cluster is lots of fun.  I got the bird pictures at a boutique in Seaside for $12 each!!  The mirror was a hand-me-down from my Mom.  The framed H is my favorite part of the cluster.  The frame is vintage and refinished and the H is actually an old H that was used in a old timey movie marquee sign.  Love that it has a fun history!

 Not the greatest picture, but the orange bench was $60 at my favorite "budget friendly" antique store.  It was a shell of a bench that someone found and repaired then painted bright orange.  The baskets under the changing table are vintage storage bends that my Mom found and gave to me.  We have a yellow, red, and green one and they are fun way to store the girl's toys.

My favorite piece of wall decor-- A chicken wire, distressed picture board from TJ Maxx/ HomeGoods!!  It was $50 and takes up the whole wall.  The kids love to look at the pictures and so do we.  It's our favorite find!!

Someday this shelf will be filled with something--but, I haven't gotten there yet.  It was another fun find from A Classy Flea.  And I love the runner on top that I found super discounted on Serena and Lily!  The photo cluster is made up of frames my mom picked up different places.  I love the reclaimed wood.

Rugs!!  I used a runner in the kitchen I found marked down at Ballards Backroom.  And this hall rug is from the Pottery Barn clearance section.  I can't see ever paying full price for a rug when I have little kids.  Just totally not worth it because they will find some way to get something on it!!

New runner from Serena and Lily summer clearance that's lots of fun!  The rug is another Ballard's Backroom find.  It's 9 X11 and $143!!  It's indoor/outdoor, but again-- I'm not paying big money for my kids to ruin a rug!!  The entire dining room is getting an overhaul-- one of my best friend's, Jenny, is an interior designer and she is going to help me refinish the chairs and reupholster, get curtains, and add some umph...but these are two pieces I picked up so far!  I can't wait to see it evolve!!

Vintage french linen framed in a very old, refinished frame.  I love this piece of art.  My mom had to repair the frame for me, but you can't even tell it was damaged now!  She did a great job

 These last two are from my favorite "more pricey" antique store.  The bench is distressed and I love it. My mom gave it to us for our anniversary this year.  I had been eyeing it and she got it really discounted.  And finally, the trunk.  I love this "Louis-Vuitton" wanna-be trunk.  I was lucky to get it...the store worker said he almost bought it for himself!!

Sunday...Praise God!!!

Lately life has become much more routine.  The girls are getting older and things just seem a little easier.  One of the things we promised we would start doing is going to church every Sunday.  For a long time, getting to church was rather daunting-- getting everyone fed, dressed and in the nursery on time was easier said than done.  We made excuses and excused ourselves because of this and that and just kind of let it go.  Then one day I saw this quote and it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks.  If I had ever been looking for a sign, this was it:

How true is this quote?  Once I thought about it, what could be more important than us showing our children the love and grace of Jesus Christ through going to church each Sunday?   We are their models and the excuses needed to stop and we needed to get our family there...every Sunday.  We want our children to grow up in church-- even if it's hard for us to get everyone there.  So we've been going. Sunday mornings look rather chaotic-- I have to admit there are times I wonder if we are going to be able to pull it off, but once we get there and church has come and gone, we feel SO glad that we went.  It is what makes our Sundays and really is the best start to the upcoming week.  

After church, we go out to lunch somewhere.  Today was Houlihan's because we needed to get Ava J diapers at Target.  Lunch is so much fun...We eat outside and talk and sing and laugh and color and it has grown to be our most favorite time of the week.  As we sat outside today singing the ABC's against the backdrop of an impeccably blue September sky, I had this overwhelming sadness for the people in Africa who lost their lives to senseless terrorism this weekend.  So tragic; so impossible to understand. And that overwhelming feeling turned into the sobering realization that one day our girls will find out what the world really like and that horrible things can happen to wonderful people.  What will we tell them?  How will we show them that even though the world is filled with violence and tragedy and heartbreak it is also beautiful and caring and wonderful at the same time?  The answer to that will take a lot of prayer.  But for today, as I looked at Ella, Ava Jane, and Brent singing and smiling on a beautiful fall day-- I felt so grateful that in that moment we had each other and that in the eyes of Ella and Ava Jane the world was still good and beautiful and simple.  Someday they will know.  But not today.  How will we tell them the truth?  I don't know...but I think we are on the right path by teaching them about Jesus' love and eternity and getting them to church.  Until that day comes, we will let them be little and carefree.  

As we continued lunch, I remembered something my Mom told me the other day.  Ella had a sleepover with Nana on Thursday night-- and actually ended up staying Friday night too because she didn't want to leave because they were having so much fun.  My mom called me on Thursday night and said, "Have you seen Ella throw her little hands up in the air and yell "Praise God!!"  I told her I hadn't and she said that we had to ask Ella to show us.  So while we were waiting for our lunch I remembered this and I asked Ella to show us "Praise God!!"  She threw her hand up in the air and yelled "Praise God!!" Like this:

Praise God!

Ava Jane Praising God

And then we all did it...over and over again.  I guess she learned it at school or Sunday school, I'm not sure...but what a blessing to be reminded that we should praise God for all we have been given.  Family time. Each other. A place to worship. A place to have lunch. And for a beautiful Sunday.  The people around us were probably wondering what in the world was going on-- but we didn't really care.

Oh yeah-- here are some pictures from our Sunday lunch.  Ella discovered today that she can work the iPhone camera and take a picture of a subject.  She actually got some pretty decent shots!!  Happy Sunday- enjoy your day!  Praise God!

Ella's photography1...

Ella's photography 2...

Ava Jane: 15 Month Check-Up!

Our sweet Miss Ava J had her 15 month check-up today.  It's hard to believe that she is 15 months old already!!  Brent was home and tagged along with us so that was a treat. Here is a snapshot of Ava Jane at 15 months old:

• on the go; extremely mobile (she's been walking since 10 months); daredevil; taking your eyes off of her for even a second is definitely not a good idea
• loves to read-- especially wants Dada to read to her...
• loves to be outside
• is strong willed (imagine that...another strong willed girl to add to our fam)
• loves to eat...like it's her favorite thing to do
• eats her entire meal with a fork or spoon like a pro!  It's really funny to watch...
• has a milk allergy...today her pediatrician made the executive decision to remove ANY and ALL dairy products out of her diet.  We had just been eliminating milk, cheese, and ice-cream...but she is pretty sure it's a general dairy allergy... boo :(
• loves to dance... she even moves her hips from side to side and shimmies
• is always smiling...is always happy unless she is hungry or tired
• is starting to say lots of words
• loves baby dolls
• copies everything her big sister does
• gives excellent hugs and kisses
• ADORES clothes and shoes...she brings me MATCHING pairs of shoes to put on all the time and makes me change them a million times a day!  She also loves accessories and hats too.  
• is extremely TALL...like 3-4 inches taller than the average 15 month old.  We think we've kind of figured this equation out-- extremely tall, loves to dress up...she's totally going to be a supermodel, right? I kid...but you never know!!
• is obsessed with Baxter...they are besties for life
• And has blessed our family a billion gazillion times over in the 15 little months we have known her.  I am blown away by God's grace in giving us another amazing little girl to experience this life with.

Overall, the check-up went great-- she is healthy and happy!!  34 inches > 95th percentile for height (and the dot was off the chart!!) and 24.4lbs (75th percentile) for weight!  The doctor confirmed she was a busy bee.  And as always...mommy and daddy confirmed she is 100% WONDERFUL to us just like her big sister!! (and sorry, I'm going to re-use some pics from last post...we've been too busy to get as many pictures as I would like lately....)

Smiley angel!!

Daddy and miss long and lean @ her appointment today!

Still happy at bedtime even though she had shots!

Silly girl in the tub!

she loves having me take selfies...

eating...

playing...

loving her big sis

drawing

attempting to pose-- pinterest always makes it
look so much easier than it is,,,

eating and bikini posing...

Hello There!

Hello there!!  It's been almost 6 months since I sat down to blog about the happenings at the Herrin House. A LOT has happened around here, but the blog seems to have been neglected.  Maybe because it's all been such a whirlwind.  Maybe because life travels faster than you can ever really keep up with.  Maybe it's been a case of writer's block. Who knows...but in the meantime, it has already been a little over a year since our dear, dear Ava Jane was born, almost a year since we opened Brent's dental practice, and almost a year since we bought our house.  To put time into startling perspective...little Ella Grace will be 3 in December.  It doesn't seem possible does it!!??

So what are we up to?? Just L-I-V-I-N' and trying to navigate our way through this crazy journey we call life with two very spirited little girls.  We've added a few chapters into our life book-- business owners, home owners, POPS (parents of preschoolers), and oh yeah, have successfully survived the first year of having two little ones under that age of 2!!  Life is complicated, life is messy, life is wonderful, and life is beautiful all at the same time!  Most of all...LIFE IS THE MOMENT....Just this fleeting moment... cease it, live it, cherish it!!  This is what we try each day today (some days look prettier than others).  We're still here...chugging along, writing our story, learning, growing, and changing-- and knowing we are blessed beyond measure for this beautiful life we have been given even when we quite often feel like we are coloring outside of the lines.  I hope this is the start of my return to blogging, but tonight, I leave you with a few pictures of the two little girls that have opened our eyes to a whole new realm of fun-- my goodness they are growing so fast!!

Pushing sis-- seems like she was just the one in the stroller...

Haircut #3.... much better than #2

Taking time to stare at God's beauty

1st day of 1's preschool

TV time.... the TV stare is genetic

After church crepes

little artiste

Bagelicious yumminess

Go Dawgs- sic' em...GAME DAY FACE!!

PB & J Hat!!

Sisters work together...

1st Day of Ella's 2 year old preschool class!

afternoon selfie... our best one

eating...her favorite thing to do!

Bubbles!!

Our little princesses

Posing...with a chicken wing