Zoe says...

I was heading out the door to take Zoe to school and I couldn't find my keys. I realized I had left them in the backyard the night before when I mowed the lawn. On the way to school, this is the conversation Zoe and I had.

Zoe: Mom, why were your keys in the backyard?
Mom: They were back there from yesterday when I was mowing.
Zoe: But, why were they back there?
Mom: Because I put them back there.
Zoe: No, Mom, WHY?!!
Mom: Zoe, I don't know!

Pause.

Zoe: Mom, you really need to tell me the truth.

Zoe's Family Portrait

My sweet baby girl is into drawing me pictures lately. I am so proud of what she comes up with. I save everything! I think I need a storage room for everything I save...

*wink-wink* I know my husband is cringing right now!! I love you honey!

What is that?!

Since JT left for deployment I've done a very good job at keeping myself busy. After the kids go to bed, I moonlight out in the garage creating all sorts of goodies!!

My brother and his wife are getting their house re-decorated this deployment. Oh I sure hope they don't tell me to stop! I'm having too much fun!!

Here is my masterpiece. It's an old Ethan Allen hutch that has long been overdue for a makeover. Ethan would be so upset if he saw how it looked.

Note: Its really not blue inside the hutch...its all black. And its nicely distressed courtesy of my very dull hand planer.

Here my friends is a set of closet doors/shutters we slapped a little bit of paint on and added some hooks...walllaa! Now they hide the big gaping hole my brother and I cut in his armoire to get his TV to fit. Shhhh! No one has to know!!

This lovely milk can here had more bondo than a 1977 Station Wagon. My flat black spray can and I had a date night in the garage and this is how it turned out! It now works as a great filler in the corner!

Piece of scrap barn wood laying around the garage + craft paint + a set of stencils = A really cute sign for their great room!

Here is another THING laying around my garage. Its an old cabinet door turned chalkboard. Look closely...I even added a few square nails below for them to hang their keys on!!

Sleepy girl!

I went upstairs a few days ago to wake Zoe up from her nap. This is what I found...

A beautiful sleeping princess.

And everytime the flash went off, I got a new look.

And this is when I knew she had enough.

I love you Zoe Marie. I miss you so bad when you are sleeping...I couldn't help it honey!

10 things I've realized today...

1. I'm stronger than I think I am.

2. My waistline is expanding quickly. Seriously, he's been gone 5 days and I've gained 7 lbs.

3. I need a walking buddy.

4. 3-year-old girls have a very hard time when their daddy's leave.

5. Mommy's dealing with that 3-year-old have it worse.

6. The yard is getting taller in between mowings.

7. Decorating my brother and sis-in-laws house is keeping me busy. I just hope they don't get tired of me!

8. I work more than 40 hours a week.

9. My work from home job has ruined my ability to ever have a job outside the home.

10. Just when I think I have it rough, someone else has it worse.

Um, where is the pop-tart?!

So this is a beautiful cabinet my husband bought me (off CL) to store the kids' scarves, hats, mittens, and snow gear for the winter. Its also a great antique piece to add to my decor! My plans were to paint it black however, when we got it home I really like the distressed look of it...so I'll leave it just the way it is...this week!
When I opened up the cabinet doors to take a picture to show everyone...there WAS a pop-tart right here. Smushed in between the drawer and the cabinet doors. I quickly ran to get my camera because I thought it was a perfect blog moment. I also wanted to send the picture to my husband (who is on deployment) to show him what the kids do while he is gone.

I thought for a second that my new cabinet came with a mouse. Until I realized that my toddler was just a few feet away with the remnants of a pop-tart still on his face!

The Culprit:

I maybe a little premature...

But I've come up with more reasons to love Fall...

SLIPPERS! My kids love their slippers!

P.S. Don't mind the littl girl in the background. She was just confused why I was so excited to take a picture of Jaxon's slippers!

Creative indoor activities! Zoe was painting this morning and didn't want to ruin her dress. However, I couldn't find her painting smock so she wore my painting apron!

And trust me, I'm not done with the "reasons to love Fall" posts!

I just have to show you this...

My lovely computer has been in our family for 5 years now. Its served its purpose well and has been used and abused by every kid in the family. I havebeenexperiencing major problems with the keyboard lately. You'll notice that occasionally the spacebar doesn't work and quite often random letters on the keyboard stick or just don't type at all. Ironically,they are all functioning just fine right now, except forthat silly spacebar!

Here is a test of the keyboard system at the Fair FamilyTimes. There goes the spacebar. Come on lettes, there goes he R and the T in the. Oh how amusing! I could type all day aughing t this thing. Do you see the L and the A missing?! I'm telling you...my 85 wpm makes it difficult to catch these mistakes! It takes a lot of backspacing to clear thoseerrors! See the spacebar showed its behavorial problems in that sentence! I swear, it really isn't user error There went the period. I am even making sue I hit all te buttons - the R and H messed up in that sentence And theregoes the period and the spacebar again! Does anyone feel bad enough to searh for a keyboard at the next garage sale?! Thanks for listening. I'm done now.

Rotten fruit?!

I have to say that I am SUPER DUPER excited for Fall! I love this time of year! I love decorating for fall, the changing of the trees, crisp dewy mornings, good food, coffee, and family and friends gathered around tables! Instead of the weekly banana nut bread my kids get from the rotted bananas on my counter...I tried Banana Muffins! My poor kids, right?! Nonetheless, the muffins were excellent!

Let me just say that I've baked over 3 batches of cookie in the past week. I can already feel my waistband expanding. I should have taken my summer diet a little more serious.

I love this stage!

Zoe and I were negotiating bath time. She really wanted to take a bath but I wanted to take a shower. So I ask her if she wants to take a bath in the jacuzzi tub while I'm in the shower. Zoe says, "Well that's a very good idea!"

Through the Mouths of Babes

As JT is preparing to leave for a VERY long deployment Zoe tells him, "Daddy, when you leave it really hurts my heart."

Interview with Zoe

Out of the blue, Zoe says: Mommy, I'm gonna date when I get older.

Mommy: Oh yeah? What is the guys name?

Zoe: Jacob & Justin. Well I'm just gonna be the mom and they are going to be my kids and I'm gonna take care of them.

Mommy: Really? Well are you gonna have a job when you get older?

Zoe: Yes.

Mommy: Well what are you gonna be?

Zoe: I'm gonna work on my dad's ship.

Mommy: What is going to be your job there?

Zoe: I'm going to play with my toys.

Mommy: What toys?

Zoe: My babies.

Mommy: Hey Zoe, where does your mom work?

Zoe: In the office and on the couch.

Mommy: What do I do when I work?

Zoe: You click a mouse.

Mommy: Really?! What does daddy do at work?

Zoe: He takes care of us. And he saves us from monsters. And mommy will save us from a fire if the house fires. And you don't get fired if you are good. You only get fired if you are bad.

Mommy: Oh ok. Zoe, who do you know that used to fight fires?

Zoe: Grandpa McFair used to be a fighter-fighter.

Mommy: Honey, its just Grandpa Fair not McFair.

Zoe: Hahahahahahaha.

Mommy: Zoe what did Grandpa McClain used to do?

Zoe: Um, he is your dad.

Mommy: I know he is and what does he do?

Zoe: I don't know. Hahaahaha.

Mommy: He is a businessman.

Zoe: Oh yeah, a businessman. And he protects us and keeps us safe too.

Overheard at the Fair House

The Stage: We were up early yesterday morning to go pick-up Daddy from work. Zoe came downstairs to sit on my lap and wake up a bit.

The Sound: booowuero

Zoe says, "My butt-butt sounded like a tuba!"

Blogworthy!

First the after shot of my poor baby boy...

Then the story...

The kids and I drove up to Everett, WA yesterday to pick up JT for his two-week leave period before he goes on Deployment. We stopped at Wal-mart in Marysville, WA to get the oil changed in the truck and while in the waiting room Jaxon tripped and hit his face on a metal chair. OUCH! Needless to say, he has 4 stitches now and coincidentally I took him to the hospital he was born in!!

Super Easy Recipe

We are all looking for inexpensive alternatives to everything these days! This is a super easy, inexpensive, and satisfying alternative to your favorite pizza place!

Here are the 4 simple ingredients!

I have a tendancy to go with the low-fat options...however, you can choose your variation of ingredients (including Canadian Bacon and Pineapple!)

Throw it together...

Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Dinner is ready!


Enjoy!

Finished Project

The tables are finally finished and in their room! The room surely isn't finished however we are getting there! Can you believe I made them...start to finish?! The hardest part was getting them up the stairs by myself. *sigh* The room eventually will have sort of an americana feel to it. Not THEMED...please no...don't think I meant themed...just sort of americana.




Note: Kitty's name is Kitt. Any ideas who named him!? Ohhhh another blog idea...introductions will be posted sooon!!

Before & After

Before: Ewwwww! Plain!

After: Awwww! Vamped up!

Ok can you see it?! It says FAIR in wooden black block letters! Hung by black wire with little scraps of fabric tied to the wire! Cute, eh?!

Summer Love *GASP*

Zoe and Jaxon enjoying their popsicles outside!

Until Mommy realized the air quality might not be so good!

A Family Outing

A few weekends ago I made the trek up to Everett to see JT instead of him driving home. It gives him a break and gets me out of the house. We took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese and they loved it!

Jaxon's favorite event was buckling his seatbelt. Not the ride, but just buckling his seatbelt.



And this is what happens to a 3-year-old with no nap before Chuck E. Cheese...



And this is what happens to a 1-year-old and his Mommmy after Chuck E. Cheese!