"More more more...

...how do ya like it, how do ya like it?"

Stuck in my head. All day. Haven't heard it in ages, but somehow it magically crept into my brain box and made itself a little home.

But since we're on the subject of more, I've got more aprons ready to go! I'm pretty excited to get up to Memphis to drop these all off on Friday. And maybe do a little fabric shopping as well. I'm more excited to eat a peanut butter cookie from Muddy's, to be real with you. It's a cookie I'd drive 2 hours for.

One

and Two

One of those days...again

Yep. It's been one. My problem is that I just want to be able to do it all. I set my sights WAY too high. Unreasonably high. Anyone who knows me at all, knows that this has always been a fault of mine. I'm just so caught up in wanting to be the perfect mom and wife and crafter and friend and cook and martha stewart wannabe, that I consistently go to bed feeling like a failure. It's insanity, I know. No one can always be all of those things. And I guess there's something nice about the fact that I set my sights so high. I don't want to be mediocre. Maybe I wouldn't mind being mediocre if I didn't have the best kids and the best husband. But they're a lot to keep up with.

I got up this morning and it was all going great. The kids were dry and fed and happy and Sid the Science Kid was entertaining the stew out of them and then we went for a walk, they went down for a nap in their own beds, and I ironed all of Joe's shirts for his work week. I was the poo right at that moment. Untouchable. Superwoman. Aaaaand then Charlie woke up suddenly. I think she got hot. And she woke up Davey which made him mad. That was at 10am. I think the crying and yelling and fussiness stopped around 3pm. Nothing makes you feel like you're doing a bad job better than two kids screaming at you. And I wanted so badly to keep all the plates spinning before Joe got home, and he'd be so impressed with me, and the kids would be soundly asleep and we'd enjoy our dinner together and fall asleep blissfully on the couch together watching reruns of Gilmore Girls (because Joe likes to watch it with me just because it makes me happy). But none of that happened. And Joe doesn't like to watch Girlmore Girls.

But here it is - 10:25pm, and I realize that soon I'll be in bed, soon after that it will be tomorrow, and I'll get another shot at being Superwoman. I'll even settle for Pretty Alright woman.

Here's what I do know.

When I feel like this:

I have this:

this:

and this:

...to make me remember that Superwoman or not, I've got it made.

For realz.

Ok, I promise to post crafty things I've been making in my next post. I've got Charlie dresses and throw pillows and aprons I've been working on. And I'm determined, at some point, to make that darn tool belt for Davey. He deserves some handmade swag too, dangit.

How we roll...

One of my favorite things to do lately is taking the kids on a walk up and down our hill we live on. It's a great workout considering I'm pushing a massive double stroller with 30lbs worth of babies in it on a gravel road. We take these walks twice a day and sometimes they really are my favorite part of my whole day. It's a great time for all of us to just quietly look around and enjoy what's surrounding us. It's a nice time for peace and quiet but time together.

Our walks always start with me loading the kids up in the ginormous stroller. And we're hillbillies up here so once they're lathered up in sunscreen, we sure as heck take a stroll sporting the diaper only look. I took some pictures of our typical journey. Davey was so over the camera and so ready to go. Charlie wanted to show off her face as usual, though. I love our time together in the kudzu wonderland around us, down past my favorite little house at the end of our road, to the place where the land goes totally flat, and then back up the gravel and it's home again, home again, jiggity jig.

We live the best life. The kind of life with sunshine and porches and babies and birds and love.

James Taylor - Steamroller Blues (live)

John Cusack makes me feel like such a dork for loving James Taylor the way I do. But I'm old enough or tired enough or dorky enough (or all three!) to not care. His version of Steamroller Blues is my favorite. Well I have a lot of favorites. Maybe it's the Memphis in me and the Elvis in any Memphian, but this song makes me think of my mom and home. Play it, James. Aint no shame...

Noggin fab

Now that I have the new sewing machine, I can get back to making clothes and aprons - a thing I had to postpone a lot because the old machine was so NOISY. But the new one is wonderfully quiet. I will say, however, that having the time to find something new that I loved without using tha machine has really been rewarding. I've really enjoyed hand sewing headbands for Charlie. I love doing anything girly for her. It's our special little thing. Davey and I can jump and kick and make funny noises, but Charlie and I spend our time just being fabulous.

I've started making a few of these headbands for some friends and their daughters as well. Spread the love, ya know? Upon doing so, I've created some new styles and I'll be putting the same headbands up in the Etsy shop soon!

I can't wait for the day when Charlie bird sits in the sewing room with me and we talk about her day and she tells me all her plans for her big life in this big world. I can't wait to teach her to sew. Headbands, dresses, whatever. And I can't wait to teach her that without any of those things, she's the most beautiful girl in the world.

We're gonna have the best time.

We already do.

Happy early birthday to me!

I knew the day would come. It could only last so long. And finally, with no real warning, my sewing machine said "I've had enough!" It was a great first sewing machine. We had the best of times and the worst of times. It was actually April's sewing machine that somehow always stayed with me and now it's been almost 6 years and here we are. I guess I owe April a sewing machine!

So the old gal finally gave up. And Joe mentioned he'd been planning to buy me a new one. It's something we've both talked about for at least a year now mostly because the old machine can do only the very basic functions. We had to run some errands this morning and while we were out Joe said "Go ahead and pick up your sewing machine. I mean you need it now anyway and your birthday's only a month away." So I got it! And its puuurty:


It should be fun watching me learn how to go from, like, 12 stitch patterns to 70. I've already got some pretty servere mom brain after only 6 months, so this could be interesting. But I'm so excited to learn! I'm ready to make skirts for Charlie and superhero capes for Davey. I'm ready to make clothes for Laura Beth and maybe even some for me. I'm ready to learn new stuff so I can make some super rad aprons for the bakery.

The sky's the limit, yall!

"No one's gonna love you more than I do..."

I woke up this Memorial Day Monday thinking "This is going to be the best day". Maybe I was channeling our old psychic friend Ms. Cleo from prision or something, but you guys, I was totally right.

Sunday, Laura Beth and I went over to Batesville and I picked up a kiddie pool for the babies to play in. We all love being outside, but it's getting hot and they are definitely noticing. So I thought "Kiddie pool party!"

So we woke up Monday morning bright and early. We headed out to the porch as a family while the kids played on their mat and Avett Brothers hummed through the porch. The kudzu is spreading green all around us and it smells like honeysuckle. THIS is the life. This surely is the life. Later the kids nap and Joe and I fold laundry and have cheese and grapes and just enjoy each others company. That might be a detail I could leave out, but those moments are rare these days, with two babies, so I feel it's worth the mention. When naptime is over, I am squirming with delight over the approaching pool time. Joe sets it up, fills it with water, I lather everyone up with SPF 5 bajillion and we make our way to the pool (which is covered in dinosaurs for extra awesomeness). Instantly the kids are not happy with how cold it is and instantly my face drops. My big idea was a flop. I get so excited when I think I've really figured out what will make the kids happy. And when I fail, man do I take it personally. But Joe, being the wonderful dad and husband he is, just wouldnt let that be that. He knew it meant a lot to me. So one by one he carried out 4 buckets of warm water to pour in with the cold water in the pool. We tried it again. This time I was less excited and more nervous, not sure my heart could take more rejection. But...THE KIDS WERE SO HAPPY! We played in the pool for an hour and a half, which is a pretty big deal around here. I kept saying to Joe, "This is the best day ever. I am so happy right now."

And folks, I really was so happy right then.

We were all so happy.

I live for this.