Project 365

“Don't let what you can't do interfere with what you can do.” ~ John Wooden

2011-01-01T19:51:00.017-06:00

Anyone else held prisoner to this, or is it just me?

I'm a perfectionist.
I'm anal.
I like to be good at things.
I don't like to "fail".
I take on more than I can handle...at my own expense.
I'm way too hard on myself.
I've been known to make myself crazy.

Sometimes - a lot of the time - I let what I can't do interfere with what I can do.

All this babbling to say that I think that I am officially done with my 365:Photo.a.Day Blog. It's hard to keep up with two blogs. Not impossible, but hard. And I think that I decided that I want to focus my attention on our family blog ... and creating our family blog into annual blog books {which I'm a year behind on right now}.

It's a bittersweet decision for me. I've been pondering what to do for weeks now. And I pondered the same thing last year. What I love most about having this 365 blog is that it forces me to take at least one picture each and every day. And often times gets me to take pictures of things that I might not otherwise...while practicing my photog skillz {or lack there of} in the process. I also love having snip-its of our daily life. All of these reasons are what kept me doing this blog in 2010.

But.

What I don't love is that even though this blog is easy daily maintenance - 10-15min per day - it still takes time away daily that I could be spending on our family blog.

I know that as lists of pros and cons go....these pros seem to win by a landslide. So, what I've decided to do is kind of reformat my 365. I'm not sure if it will be in the form of a weekly post on our family blog with a favorite weekly photo....or if it will be in the form of a weekly post on our family blog with a photo from each day.....or what. I'm still in the process of deciding what my 2011 plan will be, but I do know that what I love most about this 365 blog {the daily snapshots of our life and the different outlook on taking pictures} is not something that I'm willing to lose.

Dang...sometimes I'm so flippin' wordy. Sorry for this long, blabbering post.

Anywaaaayyyy, for now this is goodbye to this 365 format. But I will for sure continue it in some other manner. I have really enjoyed doing this blog for the past two years...I'm just ready to take it in a slightly different direction. Thanks a million for taking this ride with me for the past {almost} two years. It's been a good one!

Here's to 2011 being a year where I do a better job of not letting what I can't do interfere with what I can. xxoo.

365:Day 365 ~ 3 to the 6 to the 5

2010-12-31T19:48:00.000-06:00

Well...twenty-ten was a good year for the Leonard 4.

I really can't believe that it's over.

We ended it with a bang...celebrating with the Bryces, the Scheers, and some close friends of the Scheers!

And I'm so excited to say that I made it to 365 pics this year.

Hasta la bye-bye 2010...it was fun!

Happy New Year!

365:Day 364 ~ My Hottie Hubs...

2010-12-30T16:37:00.000-06:00

I have a date with this stud tonight.

Our second date night in a row actually! Which NEVER happens! TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW?!?! Nice! :) Last night, it was just the two of us for dinner and a movie while the girls had a sleepover at Mimi and Paps' house. And tonight, we're going to one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants with Bill's siblings {and spouses} to laugh ourselves silly and enjoy some good food and yummy margs! {I still promise that we do not drink excessively...pinkie swear}!!! The girls get to hang with our sweet niece, Paige, and they are thrilled! Looking forward to date night numero two with my hot hubby!

365:Day 363 ~ OH BABY!

2010-12-29T14:13:00.004-06:00

Like Macy a few years ago, my parents birthday gift to Carly this year was to go to our favorite near-by teashop {and darling store} to adopt her very own baby. She's not pictured here, but our Carly Anne adopted a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, smiling baby girl...and named her Jennifer Beth Leonard. Carly could not stop smiling ALL DAY! It was all kinds'a cute, and a very special day! Welcome to the fam, Jennifer Beth!

365:Day 362 ~ Cab x2 {again}

2010-12-28T22:38:00.002-06:00

It is slightly alarming how many of these 365 posts I do about wine. I mean, I just took a picture of two bottles of cab in November. And here I am again taking another picture of two bottles of cab. I promise that we don't drink excessively! :)

We went over to Casa de Bryce this evening to chow on some dinner, hang out, and let the girlies play. Of course, this fun night involved wine. Two bottles worth, to be exact. Both cabs...both yum. Nothing better than hanging with our friends! :)

365:Day 361 ~ Oh My! I've Got One Word for You ... MESS!

2010-12-27T21:32:00.001-06:00

Our house was a disaster...the remains of Christmas were everywhere! We spent today cleaning and organizing the girl's new toys, and vacuuming as we went! Bill called it "The Day of Reckoning". HA! We tackled the family room, the playroom, and Macy and Carly's bedrooms. We threw stuff away. We organized all the little pieces. We set up doll houses. We cleaned out closets. And MAN, did it feel good!

Wonder how long it will stay this way?!

365:Day 360 ~ Operation Trouble...

2010-12-26T21:28:00.001-06:00

Santa brought our fam three new games for Christmas! So we had game night tonight and played two of them! It's amazing to think that I was playing these games when I was in elementary school and they're still popular today. Not to mention FUN! I still love Trouble! Can't wait for many more family game nights with our new games!

365:Day 359 ~ 12.25.10

2010-12-25T15:26:00.001-06:00

Hope your day was merry and bright!

365:Day 358 ~ Our Girls Are...

2010-12-24T21:24:00.001-06:00

...locked, loaded, and EXCITED about tomorrow!

365:Day 357 ~ Keep 'Em Comin'...

2010-12-23T20:18:00.001-06:00

One of my most favorite things about the holidays is getting cards in the mail! It started off slow this year, but now we have so many that our kitchen cabinets are OVER-FLOWING! So today {in between Carly's 5yr check-up and taking the pups to the groomer}, the girls and I had to stop by Hobby Lobby to get some more ribbon so I could add it to our coat closet for the rest of the cards we receive! Can't wait until this is full too...keep 'em comin', peeps! I just love, love, LOVE holiday cards!

365:Day 356 ~ Kris Kringle

2010-12-22T20:14:00.000-06:00

We visited The Big Guy today.

The girls were thrilled...to see Santa AND to play in the "snow"! :)

365:Day 355 ~ ironic.

2010-12-21T21:09:00.000-06:00

Today is December 21st - the first day of winter - and fall has finally arrived in Texas. Well, according to the tree in our backyard anyway! :) Yes, this tree always turns red in December {finally}. It's been turning colors for several days, but today it's really red! And I have to say that I just love it. Texas weather and seasons are...ironic.

365:Day 354 ~ The Annual C3

2010-12-20T22:04:00.001-06:00

Tonight we headed to Susan's for our annual Leonard family COLD CUT CHRISTMAS! :) We had a great time, but were sure bummed to be missing Rebecca and William {they were home sick}. I took almost no pics. BUT I did sneak in few of this little nugget...I'm pretty sure that Hunter could not be more yummy!

365:Day 353 ~ she's five.

2010-12-19T22:00:00.001-06:00

Our little Bixie is 5.

Officially...as of 8:01pm.

W O W.

365:Day 352 ~ Shake It!

2010-12-18T21:55:00.001-06:00

Carly's bday party this year was a DANCE PARTY...complete with disco balls and a dance teacher! I think all the kids had a blast at the party, but no one more than the birthday girl! She LOVED gettin' her groove on with all her friends!

365:Day 351 ~ Party Prep for Our Peanut

2010-12-17T21:51:00.001-06:00

I spent the day prepping for Carly's bday party tomorrow. What this {terribly grainy} picture is showing is our living room and dining room furniture shoved into the playroom. Any guesses why this party theme would require a very large, open space?

365:Day 350 ~ Ho, Ho, HOLY 2nd Graders...

2010-12-16T20:54:00.027-06:00

Macy's holiday party at school was today. The kiddos got to have a snack, play bingo, and do several crafts...this cute 'lil bag was one of them. Perfect for holding the other crafts! I kinda wanted a whole bucket of these cutie stickers for myself! :)

365:Day 349 ~ In Summary...

2010-12-15T20:54:00.006-06:00

...I just pretend to keep up.

HA! My friend, Kristi, and I were chatting about how we're flying by the seat of our pants these days...and how the holidays are wearing us out...etc. And when I got back to pick Macy up, Kristi had this little surprise for me. Today was one of "those" days. And this was just the thing to slap a smile on my face! Can't wait to drink my coffee in it tomorrow morning... :)

365:Day 348 ~ Accident Prone

2010-12-14T20:49:00.000-06:00

Oh my. Our little Carly Anne is just an accident waiting to happen. Last week, she scratched her chin on the slide when we picked Macy up from school {how, we don't know, but she managed}. And then today, she got into a knock-down, drag-out with a tricycle during recess, and the trike won. The story is unclear, but she either hit her cheek on the seat or the handlebar.

Um. Can you say "accident prone"?

P.S. She was super excited for me to take a picture of her latest injury! And this shot really doesn't do it justice. I bet that it will be a pretty shade of purple tomorrow. Maybe I can con her into letting me try to get another one.

365:Day 347 ~ I Have Good News and Bad News...

2010-12-13T20:47:00.000-06:00

Bad news ... this picture totally sucks.

Good news ... I mailed our holiday cards today!!! :)

365:Day 346 ~ holiday party #1

2010-12-12T20:43:00.000-06:00

Bill's store holiday party was tonight.

It was in a really cool old building in downtown Plano.

We pigged out on Dickie's bbq.

The girls got to sit on Santa's lap.

Holiday party #1 = success.

365:Day 345 ~ Date Night!

2010-12-11T22:50:00.002-06:00

My hubby and I watched the movie, Date Night, tonight after the kiddos were fast asleep. The movie was hysterical...and the glow of the fireplace and the Christmas tree made it perfect!

365:Day 344 ~ Oh Hanukkah...

2010-12-10T22:33:00.002-06:00

Tonight we celebrated Hanukkah with Mimi, Paps, and Uncle Dude! We had a ball. And we didn't care that Hanukkah ended two days ago. It's not the day that matters, after all...it's spending quality time with family that matters! :)

365:Day 343 ~ All About ME!

2010-12-09T19:59:00.000-06:00

So...like most mamas I know, I rarely do things for myself. And I mean extremely rarely. I had SUCH a fun afternoon today...shopping with my sweet friends, Trish and Cody ... for US ... the mamas. We went to a place called Frisco Mercantile {a big warehouse with really cool and unique stuff}. We did find a few gifts for other people, but we did a little shopping for ourselves too. Then we had lunch. And then we headed to Distinctively Hers {a fun little boutique} and we all got a new pair of jeans!!! :) I wear jeans approximately 97% of the time, and I'm so excited that the pair I picked was a new brand that I'd never heard of before! I so needed today in the middle of all this holiday craziness! We had a blast on our MAMA outing!

365:Day 342 ~ Moose Reindeer Antlers

2010-12-08T21:33:00.000-06:00

Guess what makes a quick shopping trip with an almost 5 year old go extra smooth?

Christmas light-covered moose antlers that above mentioned almost 5 year old insisted were reindeer antlers, that's what!

And yes. Thank you for asking and I couldn't agree more.

She is, in fact, the cutest almost 5 year old ever.

I'm quite certain that all the people in the mall that saw her sporting these antlers would agree, too! :)

365:Day 341 ~ Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

2010-12-07T19:31:00.000-06:00

Do you ever feel like your life is just a big ball of repetition?

And I'm not just talking about the laundry.

I'm overwhelmed with all the birthday, holiday, everyday stuff right now!

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

I'm pretty sure that I've even already used this post title before.

Oh the repetition.

365:Day 340 ~ Glamorous Fashion Design

2010-12-06T19:26:00.001-06:00

Macy was on the verge of getting a cold all weekend at the dance convention. I'm pretty sure she was running on raw adrenaline and pure mojo for a good portion of the two days. This morning when she woke up, the adrenaline and mojo were gone! Her throat was hurting and she couldn't stop sneezing {it's unfortunately going around the dance studio}. BUT...after resting all morning, she started feeling better after lunch.

I pumped her with Emerson-C and Airborne all day, she watched a movie, read for an entire HOUR, and busted out this crafty Fashion Design Desk. It has a mini projector that outlines outfits and accessories that can be designed however Macy's little fashion designer heart desires! She had lots of magical creations and it was the perfect activity to keep her still and resting. Back to school tomorrow...sometimes there's just nothing better than a day to rest!

365:Day 339 ~ Stinky Feet!!!

2010-12-05T20:03:00.001-06:00

Macy and I spent a second day at the Nuvo Dance Convention with the Prodigy Prep Company. These chicks might be small, but when they all come over to change their shoes at once, they can clear a room. All us mamas could smell was FEET! Ew. And wow.

And would you look at the condition of these jazz shoes. They're downright worn out. Scuffed up. Holes. Worn soles. Mercy me.

Little girls...big stink! :)

P.S. This convention was an OUTSTANDING experience for Macy. Like over-the-top, exactly what she needed, awesome weekend! Crazy proud of our girl with the stinky feet!!!

365:Day 338 ~ Moving Right Along...

2010-12-04T19:59:00.001-06:00

...onto the big tree! Macy and I spent the day at a dance convention and I wanted her to get to bed early because she has another full day tomorrow........SO, we continued our holiday decorating in parts, and stuck with just the big tree tonight! I gotta say, it turned out totally FAB! The ornaments are in random clumps and stuck every which way. Complete glowing 8 & 4 year old perfection, if you ask me! :)

365:Day 337 ~ Holiday Cheer

2010-12-03T19:55:00.000-06:00

We began our holiday decorating tonight. It's going to come in stages due to our crazy busy schedule. So, we kicked the decorating off with the girls little pink trees and other cute stuff for their rooms! They were TICKLED to crash in the pink glow of their trees...definitely at the top of their list of favorite things about the holidays!!! Next up...the big tree!!!

365:Day 336 ~ Jump Start!

2010-12-02T20:47:00.002-06:00

So. Adventures are never in short supply when Erin and I are around.

And today was no exception.

It's a long story why, but Erin picked Carly up from school for me and I met them in the parking lot.

Of course that meant that we had to chit-chat for a bit.

Well. Erin didn't realize it, but her car was only on the first "click"...not turned all the way on.

I looked over at her right before I was about to pull away and saw her mouthing something to me.

"My battery is dead."

I mean seriously.

We've talked for endless hours on the phone a million times.

We've worn our husbands out with all our chatter.

We are never, never, ever at a loss for words or run out of things to talk about.

But, we've never managed to drain a car battery ... until today.

And for some reason, the whole situation cracked.me.up.

Our hero, BB {H1 and H2 respectively}, walked us through jumping a car.

Cuz I haven't had my hands on jumper cables since high school, and Erin had never jumped a car before.

I about wet my pants from laughing.

I don't know why exactly, but I thought it was down right hysterical that we killed a car battery.

So, of course, I had to snap a pic.

And then Erin did too.

Since, after all, these are the kinds of hilarious friendship memories that must be documented.

365:Day 335 ~ Mack Attack!

2010-12-01T19:42:00.001-06:00

Mack is BACK! Our little elf always rejoins our family on December 1st and the girls have literally been counting the days {not exaggerating...they have asked me, "how many more days til Mack gets here?", for the past week and a half! So, his arrival this morning caused some good ol' fashioned hysteria around here! :) And he decided to park it for the first day right next to the paper bag pumpkin that Macy made in preschool. Do you think Mack is trying to tell me that it's officially time to ditch the fall décor? :)

WELCOME BACK, MACK...the girlies have sure been missin' you!

365:Day 334 ~ Right on Target...

2010-11-30T13:44:00.011-06:00

I spent this morning going through all of my Black Friday holiday purchases to see what I have for who, what I still need, how much I've spent, etc. You know how I love to be organized...plus Erin, Gina, and I are taking a trip to the American Girl store tonight, so I really needed to know what was going on in my top secret gift closet!!! :) For the moment, I think that I'm right on Target!

365:Day 333 ~ Early Birds...

2010-11-29T19:34:00.000-06:00

Don'tcha just love Beauty Brands?!

It makes me smile every time I go in there!

Wanna know what really made me smile today and love them even more?

They open at 8AM! What a fantastic discovery! There's not too many places that I can go that early after I drop the Peanut off at school, so I'm happy to add Beauty Brands to my list!

365:Day 332 ~ Photo Shoot Mascot

2010-11-28T14:25:00.009-06:00

We went and took pics for our holiday card today and we met a friend! The girls were THArilled to have a mascot at our photo shoot! Yep...this turtle's name is Shelly Miley. Has a nice ring to it, right?! :)

365:Day 331 ~ Howdy Partner!

2010-11-27T22:13:00.002-06:00

A huge group of us went to the Mesquite Rodeo tonight...Carly and I are the only people in our fam that had cowboy boots! We're going to have to do something about that! Can't live in Texas without cowboy boots, right?! Yee-haw!

365:Day 330 ~ WHOOT, WHOOT!

2010-11-26T16:23:00.002-06:00

FULL CAR = outstanding BF DEALS for Erin and me!

WHOOT, WHOOT!

365:Day 329 ~ Thanksgiving Wishes

2010-11-25T20:01:00.009-06:00

Hope all your Thanksgiving wishes came true.

Happy Turkey Day!

365:Day 328 ~ Thanksgiving Pasta Bar

2010-11-24T22:39:00.000-06:00

Our 3rd annual Leonard Thanksgiving pasta bar was tonight. The food was almost as good as the company! :) I love Thanksgiving.

365:Day 327 ~ Seasons Change

2010-11-23T19:08:00.001-06:00

I spent the morning changing out the seasons in the girls closets.

Out with {most of} the spring/summer ... in with the fall/winter.

It's a big job, but somebodies gotta do it!

Yes. The hangers in both their closets go pink, white, pink, white.

And yes. I realize that's quirky and compulsive and anal.

But that's just how I roll. :)

365:Day 326 ~ I Need a Fave

2010-11-22T22:41:00.001-06:00

Raise your hand if you wanna swing by and put away this basket of clean girlie laundry for me

{to include the stuff that's hanging to dry}.

Raise it up high.

Anyone?

Bueller, Bueller?

365:Day 325 ~ Wish Lists

2010-11-21T22:12:00.006-06:00

We looked through catalog after catalog today ... and went to Target and walked up and down

almost every aisle ... not to mention perused a few websites. Wish Lists are F U N!

365:Day 324 ~ You're Welcome In Advance.

2010-11-20T21:34:00.002-06:00

Erin, Bobby, and the girls came over to have dindin and hang tonight.

We {the adults, of course} sampled these wines. The kids drank milk.

Fab Cab x2 ... yum. :)

I feel like I do quite a few posts about wine. What do you think that says about me?

365:Day323 ~ Family Fun Night =

2010-11-19T21:07:00.000-06:00

. hot dogs .

. hamburgers .

. How to Train Your Dragon .

... HOLLAAAA ...

365:Day 322 ~ Yellow Squash...

2010-11-18T20:31:00.000-06:00

Carly has a Thanksgiving Feast at school tomorrow. Her class is making "friendship stew" and all the kiddos are in charge of bringing in one ingredient today...Carly's job was yellow squash. And for some reason, she made me spell * s q u a s h * about 38 times tonight. :) Funny girl. She said that they prepared everything for the stew today - all veggies are chopped, etc. - and she is PUMPED for her Thanksgiving Feast and friendship stew tomorrow!

365:Day 321 ~ BLAST OFF!

2010-11-17T22:24:00.003-06:00

Get it?

321...Blast Off!

Cuz it's Day 321.

Get it?

Sometimes I reeeaaalllllly entertain myself. Ahem.

... ... ... ... ...

ALTERNATELY TITLED:

365:Day 321 ~ Fall Clothes

Last week, I took advantage of several of the Veteran's Day sales and did some online shopping for fall clothes for the kiddos! I was pretty successful - in finding cute stuff AND with in getting good sales! Packages started arriving today! :) Now, hopefully I guessed right on their sizes! :)

365:Day 320 ~ I'm Taking a Poll

2010-11-16T10:14:00.012-06:00

How many times a week would you say you clean your kid's bathroom?

. water spots on the mirror .

. toothpaste in the sink.

. teetee on the toilet seat.

. etc .

I clean the girl's bathroom every couple days {but could probably do it everyday}.

Neurotic, normal, or not often enough?

365:Day 319 ~ Flash Cards {and a Sneak Peek at the Gourd Bowl}

2010-11-15T16:59:00.001-06:00

We got Macy some flash cards this weekend. Her teacher told us at her conference a few weeks ago that she's encouraging everyone in the class to try to increase their speed with addition and subtraction facts by practicing with flash cards! So, when we spotted these packs of 86 on Saturday, we snatched them up! And mercy...you woulda thought we struck gold with how excited MG was! She's totally loving doing these flash cards! :) Kids are a hoot, huh?!

{Oh, and my new display of gourds is behind Macy's "gold"...I like this MUCH better than the hurricane! Thanks again for the advice!}

365:Day 318 ~ Why Stop at One?

2010-11-14T16:25:00.000-06:00

Reading one book is for sissies.

Why stop at one when you can get all 793 books off your bookshelf!?!?

That's right, people...Carly is no sissy.

365:Day 317 ~ Craft Time...Family Style!

2010-11-13T12:46:00.000-06:00

This morning was craft time for the whole Leonard4.

It was also the beginning of a brand-new November family tradition.

Love.

365:Day 316 ~ Silly Sock Day

2010-11-12T20:17:00.002-06:00

Today was Silly Sock Day at school for the Bix. She chose these adorable thigh-high socks at Target yesterday, and I don't think they could have been more perfect paired with her glitter ballet flats.

You wanna munch on those darling little bitty legs too, don't you?! :)

365:Day 315 ~ Is There ANYTHING That Target Can't Do?

2010-11-11T19:53:00.001-06:00

I love guacamole. Especially fresh...but I've been known to pound Holy Guacamole too. Tonight we were having rice bowls for dinner and I decided that chips and guac were in order. So I grabbed this Target guac, and let me just tell ya...it can give Holy Guacamole a run for it's money! Dare I say I like it better even. And it's cheaper too! I just added 3 dollops of pico, a touch of lime juice, and a smidge of sea salt...and it was YUMMO! Oh that Target. It never lets me down! :)

P.S. Thank you for the hurricane/gourd advise yesterday. I moved the gourds into a more shallow bowl instead. Looks much better. You guys were right...sticking out of the top was a no go. But do me a favor...don't tell my hubs I agree with him! *wink, wink*

365:Day 314 ~ Tell Me the Truth...

2010-11-10T17:00:00.001-06:00

...is this ugly?

As you know, I put our Halloween decorations away yesterday. These gourds were in a jack-o-lantern bowl, and I wanted to keep them out {because they're not gross yet and I like their fallish look} a little longer. So I put them in this hurricane.

When Bill saw it last night he said, "What the h.e.double.hockey.sticks is that?", with a big smirk on his face. I was all, "What do you mean...they're my gourds." And he laughed. Nice, right?!

So, dear friends...I need the truth. You will not - I repeat, NOT - hurt my feelings whatsoever. If it's butt, please tell me. And I will find something else to house my gourds.

Honest opinion, please and thank you. :)

365:Day 313 ~ It's Hard to Say Goodbye...

2010-11-09T17:18:00.000-06:00

I sadly took down our Halloween decorations today. I was planning to take them down last weekend, but things were just too hectic around here. So today was the day. And it's hard to say goodbye. It is, after all, my favorite time of year, and I love all the decorations. My only consolation is that I left out the "fall" decorations until the end of the month. Hard to say goodbye.

365:Day 312 ~ Girly. Fun. Cute.

2010-11-08T21:35:00.001-06:00

We got Macy some new headbands this weekend. And she was delighted to wear one to school today {with her new Wild tshirt}...I wasn't a bit surprised when she chose the zebra one. I have a feeling that one will be gettin' lots of use! I remember LOVING headbands when I was a kid. They're so girly, fun, and cute...right up Macy's alley!

365:Day 311 ~ Let's Get WILD!

2010-11-07T20:29:00.003-06:00

Macy attended her first ever dance convention today! It was a full 8 hours of dancing...a really long, but really good day for our girl! She learned a lot and had fun, too! Let the world of competitive dance begin...

365:Day 310 ~ Ecstatic

2010-11-06T20:25:00.002-05:00

Macy was literally ecstatic that we got her company sweats today! I mean THArilled. Beyond excited. Positively tickled. Pumped. Over the moon. Perma-grin.

Completely ECSTATIC, I tell ya!!!

365:Day 309 ~ Will Work for Food Shake for Birthday Bone

2010-11-05T20:22:00.010-05:00

A certain sweet pup turned ELEVEN today.

And she wasn't above performing a few tricks to get her paws on this birthday bone!

We sure love her...Happy Birthday, Sadie!

365:Day 307 ~ Ahh…The Game Cabinet

2010-11-04T20:43:00.001-05:00

As all you mamas can relate, there are just some toys you dread your kid playing with. Am I right?! Barbies, Play-Doh, anything with 378 pieces…and so on. Well, one of my dreaded toys is our game cabinet. Why is it that the girls {mostly Carly} insist on getting every.single.game/puzzle out at one time…with every.single.piece tossed everywhere? This pic was shot after I started helping our littlest mess-maker reorganize the *dreaded* game cabinet. It’s such a beating to put back together. But I sure can’t stifle creativity and fun, now can I?! I guess it will just continue to be one of those "things"! :)

365:Day 307 ~ Fall = Soup

2010-11-03T22:26:00.000-05:00

I'm a soup girl. All the time. Even when it's 103 outside.

But as soon as it gets cooler, I start craving soup all.the.time. Yesterday we finally got to wear long sleeved shirts. Today too. So I craved soup all day yesterday. And I craved soup all day today.

I was sure delighted with my genius dinner plan tonight. Since Bill works on Wednesday nights, I'm on my own. We usually have randoms or cereal, but tonight...Carly and I headed straight to Cafe Express after we dropped Macy off at dance and got me a bowl of Creamy Potato Soup for dindin. It was delish. Love fall...love soup.

365:Day 306 ~ FYI...

2010-11-02T17:18:00.002-05:00

...just finished this book today. And it totally sucked. I mean...it was poorly written. It was difficult to read. I basically didn't enjoy it at all. Not a single bit. Disappointing.

I got it because it was $4.95 and I like to read about celebs. Plus the thought of a behind the scenes look at the whole feud on The View intrigued me. But this book stunk.it.up. PEE-U! I'm so glad I'm done reading it {I only finished it because I wanted to know how the "fight" ended}. And because I'm a very giving person, I highly recommend that you do not read it. You're welcome.

365:Day 305 ~ A Candy Corn Treat

2010-11-01T20:24:00.001-05:00

Since both girls were home from school today, I decided to give them an extra special treat ...

a CANDY CORN MANICURE! How fun is that!? They thought it was pretty cool!

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Update ...

Macy is fine today and has been fever-free since yesterday. She ate pretty normally, is perky and cheerful, has glowy pink cheeks, and is headed back to school tomorrow. She definitely got the lesser case of the bug and shook it off a bit more quickly.

Unfortunately, poor Carly is still under the weather. She was still feeling pretty cruddy this morning, so we headed to see the doctor. Turns out that on top of the tummy bug, her allergies manifested themselves into a little virus, complete with an ear infection! FAAAANtastic. Bless her little heart. She is pale as a ghost, her lips are white, she looks like she lost about 10lbs, is still running a fever, has almost no appetite, and is an all around grump-a-dump. Hoping that tomorrow she starts to feel more like herself! :(

365:Day 304 ~ A Less Than Spooktacular Halloween

2010-10-31T20:45:00.000-05:00

So Carly's fever yesterday. Well, it turned into a tummy bug...for not only Carly, but for Macy TOO! Yes, that's right. Both our girls had a stomach virus in the nick of time to celebrate Halloween. Nice, right?!. And so not spooktacular.

We did our best to make the most of it...one of the highlights for M&C was painting these pumpkins and creating some seriously cute jack-o-lanterns. Boo to you and Happy Halloween!

365:Day 303 ~ Dance Party

2010-10-30T21:06:00.001-05:00

Macy had another Halloween party this afternoon ... this time for her Dance Company! We made these {slightly over-cooked - ahem} Halloween cookies to share with the Team. But then 30 minutes before we were walking out the door, Carly started running a fever and ended up falling asleep...so we had to skip the party. BUMMER!

365:Day 302 ~ Candy...Round 1

2010-10-29T21:59:00.000-05:00

Macy had a Halloween party with her friends from school this afternoon...it was SPOOKY and FUN! Macy brought this bag of candy with her to pass out to her peeps!

365:Day 301 ~ BOOtiful Ballerinas...

2010-10-28T20:30:00.000-05:00

The girls were THArilled to wear their Halloween costumes to dance this afternoon! I'm always happy to have them wear them more than once...makes me feel like we get our money's worth! :) Let the Halloween festivities begin...

365:Day 300 ~ A Visitor...

2010-10-27T21:08:00.001-05:00

We had a visitor come home from school with Carly today. This cute little brown bunny's name is Maxine, and she and Carly had lots of adventures together today! It was all kinds'a fun!!!

And btw...today's the 300th day of the year.

That means that we only have 65 more days left in 2010. WHAT THE?!?!

365:Day 299 ~ PC: Round 2

2010-10-26T21:02:00.000-05:00

Since the Daddies didn't have time to carve two pumpkins each on Sunday evening, my hubs carved a pumpkin tonight for his most favorite 8 year old! Pumpkin Carving: Round 2 ... COMPLETE!

365:Day 298 ~ I'll Pass . No Thanks . Drugs Aren't Cool!

2010-10-25T19:58:00.000-05:00

It's Red Ribbon Week!

All of the students at Macy's school got a bracelet to wear this week. The message on one side is, "Say Peace Out to Drugs", and the message on the other side is, "I'll Pass . No Thanks . Drugs Aren't Cool".

SUCH an important lesson.

SO glad the schools do this.

365:Day 297 ~ Pumpkins, Pumpkins, PUMPKINS!

2010-10-24T20:25:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin patch. Pumpkin carving.

Pumpkin-rific!

365:Day 296 ~ Twice the Fun!

2010-10-23T21:01:00.001-05:00

This fall, it seems like that we can't have a "birthday weekend" with just one birthday party...we have to have TWO, which I guess is TWICE the fun! :) Carly celebrated her ~~boy~~friend, Parker's, 5th birthday at Woga...a gymnastics place! She seriously loved every single second -- of being with Parker AND of doing gymnastics! :)

365:Day 295 ~ Pampering...

2010-10-22T21:56:00.000-05:00

Macy and Carly got pampered tonight at Celia's SEVENTH birthday party! It was a "slumber party" at Sweet-n-Sassy, complete with facials, manicures, and making beauty products! They had a BLAST!

365:Day 294 ~ Wanna Know What P8 Stands For?

2010-10-21T20:15:00.000-05:00

Perfect Park Playtime with my Pint-Sized Princess Peanut and her PreK Peeps.

P8.

365:Day 293 ~ My {Almost} Daily Addiction

2010-10-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

Hi...my name is Jodi...and I'm a coffeeaholic.

It seems like in the last several months I've become slightly addicted to making myself a cup 'a jo. Like almost daily. I think that it has something to do with my kids getting older - and let's face it, me getting older. They're involved in more activities. I'm volunteering my brains out. Plus the rest of our daily life. So, I'm tired. And need a little pick-me-up. Like almost daily. I do believe that I've developed a bit of an addiction. It was an accident, I swear.

365:Day 292 ~ I Got Nothin'...

2010-10-19T23:25:00.000-05:00

I'm out of interesting things to take pictures of.

So you'll have to settle for this shot. Sorry 'bout that.

365:Day 291 ~ mail.

2010-10-18T19:14:00.000-05:00

Is there anything better than the American Girl catalog showing up in your mailbox?

Nope...not it you're Macy and Carly! :) Happy Monday!

365:Day 290 ~ SunFUNday!

2010-10-17T20:24:00.001-05:00

Macy and Carly's ~~Sun~~FUNday in review...

Slept in til 8am.

Donuts for breakfast.

Bike rides and playing at the park.

Watched the Wizard of Oz.

First time at the ice cream truck.

Pedicures.

The end. :)

366:Day 289 ~ A New Fave...

2010-10-16T14:17:00.000-05:00

I found this guy in Canton a few weeks ago, but I didn't buy him. Then, I had total buyers remorse for not bringing him home ... but luckily enough for me, Erin was going to Canton the next day and happily grabbed him for me. He's my new favorite Halloween decoration. Fall is my absolute favorite time to decorate my house, so Candy Corn Jack-o-Lanturn is the perfect addition! And today was the perfect day to take a picture of him because Bill and I are going to a Halloween Party tonight! I think that he "represent" pretty well! :)

365:Day 288 ~ "Howdy, Folks...Welcome to the State Fair of Texas!"

2010-10-15T22:17:00.005-05:00

We went to see all 52 FEET of Big Tex at the State Fair today!

It was loads of fun...the perfect weather...and yes, the sky really was that blue!

365:Day 287 ~ Half Day, Baby!

2010-10-14T21:13:00.000-05:00

Macy had an early release day at school today.

The weather was B.E.A.utiful.

So the kids ran around and played on the playground.

And the mamas chatted and giggled.

We sadly headed home after an hour, but could have stayed all day.

Love. this. weather.

365:Day 286 ~ minus one.

2010-10-13T17:49:00.002-05:00

You might remember that Santa brought the girls two frogs for Christmas last year. We named them Nick and Hollie...to remind us of when we got them. Well, for a frog, Nick is a bit of a hog. He's been snatching all the food, and Hollie just got thinner and thinner and tinier and tinier for the last several months. On Saturday, I noticed that Hollie wasn't looking so hot. And today after lunch, Bill discovered that she had died sometime last night or this morning. Carly and Macy are both bummed, but took it pretty well. Death is just not the funnest thing to talk about with kids. So the Leonard fam is minus one today. I sure hope that Hollie was happy for the 10 months she was with us. Looks like Nick is going to be lonely now...doesn't he seem a little sad in this pic?

RIP Hollie.

365:Day 285 ~ Hot-n-Ready.

2010-10-12T22:53:00.002-05:00

You didn't think this was going to be a post about pizza, now did you?! HA.

Tonight Little Caesar's did a little last minute cookin' at our house for an extremely expensive price of $6. Can't beat that...quick, easy, yummy AND cheap! :)

365:Day 284 ~ Once Upon a Time Child...

2010-10-11T21:11:00.000-05:00

Carly didn't have school today, so she was my little helper! I've been collecting things in my dining room to sell to a kid's consignment shop for the past two weeks. So this morning, I got everything organized and bagged/boxed up to drop off at Once Upon a Child...two bags of fall clothes, a few toys, and a box full of books and games! And my sweet itty Peanut helped me load all of it into the car! Next to this adorable girl being my assistant, the best part of this trip was that they bought almost everything and I made a whopping $150!!! Now that's what I call a happy Monday!!!

365:Day 283 ~ What Would I Do Without Target?

2010-10-10T21:02:00.006-05:00

Wanna know what's better than finding chocolate brown boots in both Macy and Carly's size?

Finding chocolate brown boots in both Macy and Carly's size ... ON SALE FOR $3 OFF!

I love Target.

365:Day 282 ~ Oktoberfest!

2010-10-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

Tonight I went on a date with my hubby to an Oktoberfest celebration at a nearby neighborhood! It was nothing short of AWESOME...because of an fantastic local cover band called Emerald City! I literally danced my booty off and a great time was had by all!

365:Day 281 ~ Date Night with Daddy...

2010-10-08T20:38:00.001-05:00

Bill had an extremely crazy week at work and didn't spend as much time as he'd like with Macy and Carly...so he decided that he needed a date night with his three best girls tonight! We headed to one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants - Christina's - for a yummo dinner, just the four of us. And I'm realizing now that this picture might be slightly inappropriate to represent Daddy/Mommy/DAUGHTER Date Night! HA! But...in my defense, I had already drank half of this marg when I decided to snap the pic! HA! Happy Friday all!!! :)

365:Day 280 ~ QT with the Fam!

2010-10-07T20:53:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the annual Family Picnic at Macy's school! And it was FULL of fall fun!

365:Day 279 ~ Everyone in this House...

2010-10-06T23:19:00.000-05:00

...is loving this fall weather.

365:Day 278 ~ A {PreK-Sized} Mystery!

2010-10-05T21:02:00.000-05:00

I was met in carpool today by an elated little girl ... carrying the MYSTERY BAG for her class! This is Carly's second time to do the Mystery Bag and it seems like such a great big, grown-up activity to me! Anyone want to guess what letter she had to use to create her mystery? Our little Bix thinks that the Mystery Bag is great! :)

365:Day 277 ~ {evening.backlight.hazy.bixie}

2010-10-04T22:41:00.001-05:00

Just before dinner, I was playing around with my camera to work on a little backlighting and lens flare ... with my most favorite littlest babe. Oh how I just adore that face through the sunshiny haze.

365:Day 276 ~ Guy Girl Smiley!

2010-10-03T23:18:00.003-05:00

I picked up two of these adorable pumpkins on Friday and they've been making me smile ever since. You're totally smiling right now too, huh?!?! And on a side note...it was in the 70s all day today. Have I mentioned that I seriously *l.o.v.e* fall? Cuz I do.

365:Day 275 ~ BOO to You!

2010-10-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

Meet our newest member of the family.

Adopted this little fella today...along with a cute scarecrow.

SO ready for fall! Who's with me?! :)

BOO!

365:Day 274 ~ A Brownie Surprise...

2010-10-01T23:06:00.001-05:00

I surprised Macy with this cute little Brownie necklace this morning because her first Brownie meeting was after school today! She was ECSTATIC and must have thanked me at least ten times on the way to school! I never get tired of that sweet face and happy smile. Love her.

365:Day 273 ~ Canton Baby...

2010-09-30T22:36:00.000-05:00

oh yea.

365:Day 272 ~ Sometimes...

2010-09-29T21:30:00.000-05:00

...there's just nothing better than cereal for dinner. :)

365:Day 271 ~ 3 Words {Plus 4 More}

2010-09-28T20:12:00.000-05:00

sick

homework.

{and it's only September.}

365:Day 270 ~ What I'm Foldin' Tonight Ain't Laundry...

2010-09-27T20:24:00.002-05:00

So. The kiddos are in bed. Guess what I'm going to do...

I'm going to make some land form books for the second graders. 85 pieces of white construction paper complexly folded to be made into land form books - ya know, to be exact. Lucky for me, if I don't finish them tonight I can call in reinforcements tomorrow night cuz they're not due until Wednesday. And extra lucky for me...I have plenty of trashy tv to watch while I fold! :)

365:Day 269 ~ Two. Two. Two. Two. Eight.

2010-09-26T23:06:00.000-05:00

Bill has been trying to teach our {very} unadventurous Macy Gwynne

to ride her bike without training wheels for the past TWO years.

And finally, on the past TWO Sundays, she has been doing just that.

Yep...just TWO days after her birthday, Macy got the hang of it.

Our big girl is officially riding a TWO wheeler!

Apparently, she just needed to turn the magic number EIGHT for it to happen! :)

365:Day 268 ~ A SaturDAY in the Life of Macy Gwynne...

2010-09-25T10:10:00.000-05:00

Today, Macy has a private ballet lesson with Ashton...AND...a tennis lesson this afternoon! I sure love watching our big girl in action doing the things she loves! Yessiree....a SaturDAY in the life of Macy Gwynne! Now, I'm off to slap a bun in my ballerina tennis star's hair! Happy Saturday!

365:Day 267 ~ Two GREAT DANE SIZED Thumbs Up!

2010-09-24T20:59:00.005-05:00

Macy got the movie, Marmaduke, for her birthday! The girls had seen it once, but Bill and I hadn't. Sooooo.....tonight we decided it would be the perfect choice for our movie night! And we weren't disappointed...we liked it as much as the girls did! It's totally funny {to kids AND grown-ups}, Marmaduke the Great Dane and his animals friends are adorable, AND it teaches a really wonderful lesson! Definitely a must-see! :)