Moms are LIARS

I LOVE my kids. 

They are crazy, and SUPER smart.

It's hard to lie to them, but sometimes it MUST be done.

To be honest, I've lied to them over and over throughout the years.

Not the MAJOR stuff of course, but at certain times in their lives, I've stretched the truth a little.

Grace and her friend and I were riding together in the van a couple weeks ago, and we got talking about this.

We were talking about how hard it was to lie about things like Santa and the Tooth Fairy to Grace cause she's so whip smart.

She was such a light sleeper, I could never send Brent upstairs with the money and pack of gum to put under her pillow in exchange for her tooth, cause his footsteps up the stairs sound like an elephants. 

It was HARD to be the tooth fairy with her. 

With Evan, it was a piece of cake....he sleeps like the dead.

I remember one year close to Christmas, Grace asked me why Santa had the same wrapping paper as me.

At that time, she didn't have a clue about Santa not being real.

I had to think quick on my feet, and I distinctly remember telling her it was because HE gave me the wrapping paper to wrap the presents because he had SO MANY to do.

She bought it.

Whew.

Evan never questioned me as hard as she did, and he took everything I said at face value.

I'm sure there are other times I had to stretch the truth like when they play sports for the first time. 

Sometimes it's painful to watch until they learn it, but you build them up anyway.

My kids are ruthless for answers, and unfortunately like my dad, I'm a terrible liar, so it's made for some interesting answers!

For those of you who aren't parents yet, start stocking up your answers now, think smartly, you're gonna need all the help you can get!

Hands in the dirt

Today our temps were in the middle 20's.  It literally felt like a heat wave!

We haven't seen double digit numbers for a long while. 

The sun was BRILLIANT today, and warmed our whole house.  We opened all the curtains and let it in.

It felt great!

It made me want to get started on the seeds I always plant in the basement. 

It was such a relief to get my hands in the dirt again.

Every year I use the same trays and the same small pots, I just recycle them.

I planted 3 kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, basil, peppers, and cat grass for Oreo.

Once everything was planted and watered, I took them down to the basement and set them up under the light Brent rigged up several years ago. 

I will lower the trays down under the light as the plants get bigger.

Things like peas, lettuce, corn, and all my perennials, I plant directly in the garden, but the other things I start indoors.

Today made me so eager to get things rolling...then I looked outside and saw all the snow drifts, and how my garden is completely covered with snow.

Oh well, it'll be here soon enough and then I'll be complaining about all the weeding to be done.

Things I'm lovin' right now...

My family members are my biggest critics. 

Grace and Brent tell me all the time when it's time to have a new blog post. 

Grace even started browsing my blog today (on our 8th snow day this year) and told me, it was time for a new one since the last one was on her birthday last Monday.

Fine.

She told me to do one about things I love, and then to say that all the things I love are about HER!

Sure, I'll get right on that. 

So, these are the things I'm currently crushing on/loving right now...

1.  Sherlock.  The BBC version on TV. 

Brent and I LOVE it.  We can't get enough.  I'm even getting the past year's discs at the library to catch us up.  It's NOT OFTEN that we like the same show (last series was probably Friday Night Lights), but when we do, we fall hard. 

2.  E.L.F cosmetics, (eyes, lips, face...)  Any, and all.  They are sold around our area at Target, Walmart, and Meijer.
They are cheap, and pretty good quality.  I've had NO complaints.

3.  Anything wire.  Baskets, organizing tools, anything.  I love the industrial, yet vintage look of it.  I myself have plenty of swim/locker baskets that I use up in my craft room.  Pottery Barn sells alot of it.

4.  Aqua/Mint Green/Tiffany Blue.  
The colors.  All of them.  Together or separate.
Clothes, purses, home decor.  Give it to me in any form.

5.  Bling.
I have more of this than I thought.  It's on the collars of my sweaters, in the rings I wear, and on my pants pockets.  Grace THRIVES on bling, and I'm liking it more and more.  I LOVE this vintage pin I found on Pinterest.

6.  Starbucks.
I am a fan.  A HUGE one.  I got a lot of gift cards for Christmas from Starbucks, and you don't have to tell me twice to use them.  Tall.  Nonfat.  White Chocolate Mocha.  Yes please.

7.  Gardening.
I'm getting antsy to get my hands in the dirt again.  It happens every year about this time.  I start some seeds in the basement when I get my garden all planned out.  I'm sure because we've had SO MUCH SNOW this winter, I'm even antsier to have some warm weather.
A staple in my garden every year...Zinnias.  I adore them.  They come on strong and last forever.  I usually have to pull them out in late fall when they are STILL blooming.  All colors, all summer.

To top it off, having a little building like this in the backyard would just be a plus!

8.  Grace's hugs.
They come out of nowhere, and they come often.  Surprising since she's 14.

9.  Grace's humor.
It's usually funny, ALWAYS quirky, and sometimes annoying, but she keeps on bringin' it.

10.  Grace's love for our cat, Oreo. 
It's a love/hate relationship between them.
She's becoming a little obsessed with cats, and keeps telling her friends she's going to grow up to be a crazy cat lady living in a New York apartment with dozens of cats.  Funny.

Since 8, 9, and 10 were for Grace's benefit, my list is done.

Maybe you share some of my favorites?