These days

Match the bullet point to the picture.

• The gorgeous queen's crown.  Being the costume director for a ballet (especially if you've never actually seen said ballet) is an adventure in creativity.
• Seriously the best salad I've had in recent memory.  There were grapes, oranges, and strawberries along with feta cheese and some incredible glazed pecans.  It was dressed with an incredible raspberry vinaigrette with a bit of a kick to it.  I still think about how good that salad was.
• The three older kids taught themselves how to ride a bike.  With no parental involvement.  That means the husband and I scored big time.  No hunching over running after the bike... we are blessed.  Part two, notice Grant's bike.  I found it a consignment store.  For $25.  Quite possibly the greatest score ever.
• The dollar aisle at Hobby Lobby contains treasures.  Especially useful for rainy days.
• Our floor project has continued to morph.  We, meaning I, figured that while the family room couches were out in the garage that we, meaning I would take advantage of the chaos and paint the family room.  I'm tired of the brown/ tan/ beige/ boring walls.  So we're upgrading to a gorgeous yellow.  I had to re texture the ceiling (thank you builders).  Friday night I painted the freshly textured ceiling.  Saturday morning I thought about crying because my arms hurt.  I'm planning to paint the walls tonight and the trim sometime later this week.  That means that if we're lucky and I remain motivated, the kids might be able to sit on couches instead of camp chairs to watch PBS kids.  Maybe.
• This is Rothbart's hood.  He's the bad guy in Swan Lake (but I've never seen it so I couldn't tell you exactly how bad) and his costume is incredible.  I say that with a certain amount of pride because somehow I, along with divine help from above created something pretty amazing.
• My oldest girl, Anna is incredible.  Someday I'll write a mushy post about how much I love her and how wise beyond her years she is but for now just know that she's amazing.  She's the kind of person that just makes me want to be better.  She's a blessing.
• Nathan hasn't mastered the two wheel bike skill yet so he's banished to a bike trailer that is technically too small.  We need to upgrade to a bike seat but I'm having a hard time finding one in my price range, $0 to $30.  There doesn't seem to be much in the lower end of that range...  Jennie however has completely mastered the dual arts of bike riding and matching her shoes to her shirt.  She's got skills.