A Bunch of Somethings

When the girls were younger, if they called each other "a bunch of nothing," that was the ultimate insult. "You're a bunch of nothing!" That is mean. Good thing they're past that.

Here are a bunch of everyday somethings.

I've mastered the waterfall french braid. Here it is on Raleigh's hair.

Madeline, did you forget to put your napkin on your lap??

Choobies and Dallas enjoyed some bonding time during Valentine's Day week over a homemade apple pie (homemade crust!) that I made with love for Dallas.

Raleigh and Madeline loved their little cakes and treasures for Valentine's Day. (I will never buy the "Red Velvet" cake mix from ALDI again, even though I still love ALDI. It causes cancer - I just know it - because there was hardly one recognizable ingredient in the whole thing, and it tasted terrible. Don't ask me why I bought it in the first place.)

Food just tastes better when it is a monkey food face.

Grammy and the girls enjoyed looking at my old scrapbooks. We couldn't believe how much Emery looks like me when I was her age. I love your new haircut, Mom!

Raleigh can do the splits! Dallas can, too. See him in the back?

Dallas and Madeline changed the brake pads - woot woot! I love a man who can take care of his family!

Raleigh put Emery's swimsuit on over the top of her sleeper, and she felt beautiful. She went into the living room and spun in circles.

Mirror tricks . . .

Raleigh

Choobers

Madeline

Raleigh's always up to something. Emery is clueless here.

We had a really FUN, well-done talent night for the Activity Day Girls called "Talents, Skits, and Banana Splits." And that's what it was - a night showcasing the girls' talents, mingled with corny skits, and then we had banana splits for dessert. It was such a low-key, great activity, and our wonderful group of girls did an amazing job! Raleigh and Madeline performed on the piano, and here is Raleigh with her friend Caroline.

It's been awhile since I worked on a creative project, but last week, a couple of hours before a baby shower, I made this:

Outside

Inside

And this:

She had a nautical theme, so I went all out - down to the packaging:

The label is from The Graphics Fairy.

Lue Lue had a big-girl birthday . . . she's TWO!

She's holding a cute dress that Grammy made for her.

But I have to say that this owl (also made by my mom) is even cuter. And so is Kenda's new haircut!

Emery had some good bonding time with BoBo. Can't get that girl to hold still sometimes.

The birthday beauty.

I thought I was such a cool mom that I had to take a picture of this one. We had our first warm-weather-Saturday with nothing scheduled, and we were all home all day long. The girls went outside to play around 9:00 a.m., and to encourage them to stay outside and BE KIDS (and not have to rely upon Dallas and me for entertainment), I brought them and their friend Priscilla a picnic on the trampoline. They devoured it all and stayed outside until 5:00, even helping our neighbor prune trees and bushes and haul branches out into the woods. Those Matthews girls know how to work!

And that's what we've been up to.