Just a silly Friday musing over here at EV Moms. After a crazy week, I’m looking back through the photos I took. They nearly all involve the children.
There’s the field trip I took Monday with my son and his class to Chase Field, the face-painting my baby did on her own on Sunday and magazine article with the skirt I want to sew this summer.
But then, there’s a slew of photos from Wednesday’s rain storm.
I live in Arizona, in the Valley, which means rain doesn’t come often (and recently, even …

So I got this e-mail and just had to pass it along. Check out this link for lots of FREE stuff for moms this weekend (my favorite: Redbox). FYI, the TCBY in Scottsdale is participating. They also sent me an e-mail.
 
Happy Mother’s Day!

It’s almost here. A day just for moms! Well, almost.
My kids like Mother’s Day because of a tradition that began, what, five years ago? And now, it includes our extended family.
The year it began, I was sick with a cold (hmmm… much like I am now!). My husband asked what I wanted to do that Sunday morning and all I could muster was, “Please go get me In-N-Out Burger.”
Thus, a tradition began. We started inviting my husband’s family shortly after that.
Earlier this week, as I discussed weekend plans with my …

If you have kids, you’re likely taking photos.
If you’re taking photos, like me, they’re likely stuck somewhere in a camera, a computer, or – eek! – your phone. I just checked. There are 400 pictures in my phone. Wow.
With a winter storm coming down on Arizona this weekend – maybe we’ll get RAIN! – I think we’ll be spending time indoors Sunday. A lot of time.
I wish I had a photo to show you – that would make 401 on my phone – of my dining room table. It’s covered …

So when you’re out of milk, and you have three hungry kids, you run to the store, right? I confess, that exhausted from being up since 4:30 with my toddler, I just loaded them all in the car and went to the store at 8 a.m.
Did I mention I didn’t even have matching shoes on? In fact, I had two left shoes on.
So if you saw me, now you know.

Oh, I love good craft ideas.
So I was so happy when I looked over at Finley and Oliver on our EV Mom Bloggers Connect page.
There are not one, but two adorable Valentine’s Day crafts. You have to check them out. Plus, they look super easy.

What’s your escape when the house is messy, the dishes are calling your name and you have no idea what’s for dinner?
Life is chaotic. It’s messy. Sometimes, it can be loud.
I felt all those things this weekend. So I sought an escape.
I threw on my shoes, put baby in her stroller and stepped out the door.
My pulse calmed as I stepped outdoors. A sweetness filled the air in the late afternoon. It wasn’t quiet outside (yes, I AM the mom whose children started the water gun fights), but there was …

In the past few weeks, the kids and I have hit several public pools in the East Valley. This weekend, we hit three: Mesquite Groves in Chandler and Mesa’s Skyline and Brimhall.
Mesquite Groves is a favorite because of the lazy river, play structure and multiple pools. I love it because the play structure provides shade for me and the baby. We arrived at 4:30 and, while busy, it wasn’t overwhelming. Then the 6 o’clock hour came and it was packed. Apparently, it was free swimming. I had a hard time …

This is NOT a New Year’s resolution posting.
It is more of a “get back on track” blog that happens to come, well, a few days before New Year’s.
I don’t have exercise equipment in my home. I’ve belonged to a gym a few times in my life, but we don’t now. We live in a neighborhood with a beautiful park that I can see outside my bedroom window.
But I have three ACTIVE kids, a full-time job, a husband who works more hours than I do sometimes, and a busy calendar.
So fitting …

This morning, dozens of parents and children filled the lobby at one of Maricopa County’s courthouses.
Boys were dressed in ties and sweaters. Girls donned their best sparkly dresses and shoes.
Families and friends awaited their turn to enter the small room with the judge.
It was adoption day for at least half a dozen families.
The Lonkar family of Gilbert arrived a few minutes before their scheduled appointment. They were joined by aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and many friends.
It was my first experience at a hearing to finalize an adoption. I knew from …