One of those days

I can't seem to get anything done today. It's 1pm and I still haven't showered, i'm having oatmeal for lunch, and we did something only resembling school work this morning.

Mason and Natalie have yucky, stuffy noses. Natalie feels fine other than the constant sniffling. Mason is okay other than being very clingy and not sleeping more than about 30 minutes at a time. He is sleeping terribly at night, though.

But i'm not complaining! I'm very thankful for all of this. And thankful that I don't have to be at work today (at least outside of the house) and that I didn't have to send my kids out in the cold rain to school. And that Ben will come home tonight and we'll all be happy to see him.

And look at this sweet face...how could I not be happy?

Look What I Won!

I sometimes enter giveaways on blogs, but it's not something I do too often. I just never really win. But, I came across this one and just had to--aren't these sets cute? And we won! I chose the set above for Mason. I can't wait for it to come!! And you should spend some time browsing around Piera's blog. She has lots of great info and some really cool giveaways! And you can visit Olive Kids and check out all of the other designs--these would make great Christmas gifts!

Mason

Sleepy Sun

What family doesn't love a good bedtime story? We certainly do in our house, and we are always on the lookout for a new book to add to our nightly snuggle time. That's why we were thrilled to have the opportunity to review Sleepy Sun, by Mari Priscilla Hanson.

This adorable book is geared toward children ages 4-8, but i'll go ahead and tell you that I enjoyed this book as much as the kids. The illustrations by Kathleen M. Hanson are unlike most that you see in children's books, and the bright colors kept even our 8 month-old baby's attention! We enjoyed going back through the book over and over again, just to look at all of the details in the pictures!

You can follow the sun as it makes a journey around the world, and you'll learn that it's favorite part was warming you in your backyard! As a homeschooling mom, I appreciated being able to point out different landmarks and cultures to the kids. The words in the book are soft and soothing, just what we need in a bedtime story!

When asked what their favorite part of the book was, Wyatt was quick to say the bright colors. Natalie especially enjoyed the Sleepy Sun tucked into a hammock at the end, ready for bed!

I think this book would be a great addition to anyone's bedtime library, and I see it becoming a fast favorite in our house!

Sleepy Sun is published by BookSurge Publishing and retails for $14.99 on Amazon.

Thank you so much to Mari Hanson for sending us Sleepy Sun to review!

*Disclaimer: We were given this book, free of charge. No other compensation was received.

Kid Stuff Yard Sale

Remember how in the spring it was advertised that there wouldn't be a fall one? Guess they changed their minds! All I can tell you is GET THERE EARLY! We had to walk way too far last time!!

***Kids Stuff Yard SaleThis huge yard sale is back by popular demand! Don’t miss the chance to purchase clothing, furniture, toys, and other items for children on Saturday, October 10, from 7:00 am to noon at Volvo Powertrain in Hagerstown. For more information, visit www.antietamhealthcare.org/yardsale or call 301-790-8631.

A few weeks ago (I know, i'm so behind!) the kids wanted swords, so Ben whipped some up really quick! They love them and fortunately are nice to each other--no one has gotten hurt, yet!

And while they were busy sword fighting, Mason was playing on the hammock!

I can't wait to upload some video of him when the charger for my camera comes in the mail!

Monday Madness

I thought it would be fun to participate in this new Meme over at Mama Buzz (I was recently selected to be a reviewer for this site, so you'll see some fun things soon from that!). Maybe this will help me to stick to my goals!

The highlight of my weekend was: Time with friends on Friday night!

The goals for the week are: Get our fall/winter clothes out of the attic and make a list of what the kids still need, finish organizing my room, and take down the baby cradle :(

My marriage goal for the week is: Have Ben's work shirt ironed for him every morning :)

A parenting goal for the week is: Getting Mason back on some type of good bedtime routine, and read at least 2 books with the kids each day.

A personal goal I hope to achieve this week is: Go to the gym twice. We just joined and I really need to figure out how to get there during the day, so twice shouldn't be hard.

The thing I'm most looking forward to this week is: finishing a book I started last week!