a kitchen for my girl.

I want everyone in the world to see my daughter's play kitchen. 

I'm so proud of my mom for making it.  From scratch.  

It's so perfect!!  

It was a surprise for E on Christmas morning.  So fun!  

Having dressed herself this morning, with blueberries all over her face from our breakfast muffins, she gave me a quick demonstration of how she works in her kitchen.  

"Take a piture me, Momma!"

She threw a figurine from her doll house in the oven...

"I cook my girl, Momma! Hahahahahahahaha!"

"No, I cook muffins yike you!!!"

Then she put in her measuring cups.  

"Take a piture me turning the water {wa-der} on."

"I wash my hands yike you! See!?!?"

She's quite the little domestic goddess,in her froofy, pinky outfits with all her gadgets.  She'll make her prince charming a happy man someday.  

I made these three prints to hang above it for a little more colorful cuteness (as if it needed it).

I used free fonts from dafont.com and the stripy background for the mixer print was a free download from Pugly Pixel.  The other stuff I just worked up in photoshop.  

And voila!  

Probably the cutest little corner of my home.  

the day we got mabel.

On the Sunday afternoon that we got Mabel, Britton went to get her while the kids rested.  They were promised that when they woke up there would be a BIG surprise.

They loaded up in the wagon and I told them that there were 5 prizes scattered around the yard for them to find.

As they spotted each gift sack, we'd open the "prize".

Prize #1: a bag of puppy food

M : Dog food?

Us: Maybe that's for CJ?

M: Oh yeah!  A prize for CJ!  We'll give it to her.

Prize #2: a new set of dog food/water bowls

Us: What's that?

M: Maybe some bowls for Ella's new kitchen?!

Us: Maybe so.

Prize #3:  green & white rope chew toy

After opening it...

M: (*deflated*) These aren't very good prizes.

Us: What were you expecting?

M: Maybe some trains and princesses or something?

Us: Hang on buddy!  There's more!

Prize #4 : one of those kong chew toys

Response: another deflated sigh

By this time, Britton had snuck around the corner and placed the puppy in a box in front of our garden gate.  We were close and I could hear her crying.  I hurried over and when M finally saw her he couldn't get out of the wagon fast enough.  He threw his coat hood back in excitement!

Miles had been talking about getting a "new pup" for weeks.  We watched the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Christmas shows about a billion times over the holidays.  One time he told me "Mom, I wanna a silly and crazy dog just like Snoopy."

Prize #5: thumbs up!

Us: Ella!  What IS that?

E: A puppy!!  

But, she was quickly freaked out when the puppy left the confines of the box.

Big brother was brave with the pup...

So she decided to give her a chance.

We rode back to the house because it was windy and cold and everyone was shivering.

But you should know that not everyone is as excited about little Mabel. 

Our 14-ish year old CJ vacates the premises if Mabel gets within a one foot radius of her.  

She's not got time for all the yapping and biting and pouncing.  

She's got naps to take.

So, Miss Mabel has quickly become the queen of our world. 

I hate to break it to her that in less than 3 months, she'll be in the shadow of another new kid on the block.

But until then, the spotlight's all hers.

january weather.

Crazy Oklahoma weather has us indoors one day with freezing cold temps and out the next to enjoy 65 degrees.  We take advantage of the sunshine and warm temps when we can.  These pics are from earlier in the month but show how much the kids enjoy their swing set.

M had to convince E that it would be OK for him to push her for a bit.

She quickly approved.

Then before she lost her momentum, he jumped on his swing.

And I did my best to push both of them and take pics at the same time.

May I just say though, no matter how much fun we have on the swing set on a 70 degree day in January, this little boy prays for snow every single night. "For a BIG snow storm so we can build lots of snowmans and have a snowball fight.  Amen."