a day with The Girls

On Tuesday my two littlest sisters came over for a visit. Anicka loves it when they come over.
We stayed busy all day.

Making puffy paint

And then painting with it.

(The dots on the bottom left were painted by Anicka. "They're not dots, Mom! They're germs.")

Making cake balls

And decorating cupcakes

I love the cupcake picture, because it sort of showcases each of the girls' personalities. Serious Sienna, Goofy Anicka, and Shy Kaycee.

And any moms who have little kids at home for the summer should check out Skip to My Lou's Craft Camp.
There are a bunch of ideas on there to help keep the kids from getting too bored at home.
I would also recommend The Artful Parent, Angry Chicken, and Filth Wizardry for inspiration.

Hey, Mr. Postman!

Big thanks to Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made, who put these envelope writing sheet templates on her blog. For free. I love her blog! She's always sharing great graphics that she finds (or makes!).
Anyway. She gave me the motivation that I needed to write a letter to my brother, who is in Texas over the summer. We miss him! As far as I know he doesn't read my blog very often, so I think it's safe to post this here before he gets its. And if not...well, enjoy this sneak peak, Eric!

This was a lot of fun. Maybe I'll start writing more letters! It's always a treat to get something besides a bill in the mail, after all.

Fortress of Solitude

If you were to to see this:

You might assume that it was nothing but a regular cardboard box.
But, in fact, it is Anicka's Fortress of Solitude.

The perfect place to curl up with a good book and a flashlight, while her little brother takes a nap.
:)

P.S. No, I didn't put her in there to keep her quiet, haha! She set it up all by herself, and then asked me for a flashlight. 

Get over it

Yesterday was a big   fat  failure   of a day.
For some reason, when life gets messy, instead of diving in and getting my hands dirty I tend to dig in my heels and resist the change.
When I feel overwhelmed, I self-destruct. And that's not the sort of person that I want to be.
So. I'm done with that.

Today will be a success.

I will finish projects,

I will play with my children,

I will focus on the things that really matter.

I will accomplish something.

If the unexpected happens, I will meet the challenge head on.

And I will be happy, because I CHOOSE to be happy.

Because I have so many things to be happy about.

Because I love my life.