I have some potted plants out on the back porch and soon after I had planted them I noticed that something had taken to one of the pots. I was not sure if it was a squirrel or chipmunk but whatever it was I was not to happy about it. The plant eventually recovered with a little love only to totally disappear one day leaving a large hole. The odd thing about this disappearance was that there was another plant on the other side of the back porch that went untouched! Well I eventually saw the perpetrator which happened to be a squirrel who was just looking for a good place to store his winter stock (why a flower pot seems logical I am not sure). I caught him in the act of burying something and a few days later I had a lovely weed where once had stood a lovely flower. Well the saga continued as the squirrel returned to eat the weed that he had grown. While standing at the kitchen window I saw him rolling around and playing in the dirt while eating his tasty weed. I caught this little picture of him just before I scared the living daylights out of him. I do not think that he will be back anytime soon.

I have been baking a lot (call it longing for cooler weather) lately from one of my favorite cookbooks More From Magnolia: Recipes from the World Famous Bakery and Allysa Torey’s Home Kitchen. These little delectable treats are called Chocolate Fudge Brownies With Butterscotch Chips and Pecans. They really do live up to their big name and are just as tasty as they suggest! Now I am not a big butterscotch fan but it really is not overwhelming at all and it adds to the flavor. Usually I think that butterscotch is way to strong but it is just perfect in this recipe! This is a great little cookbook and I am slowly working my way through it but already highly recommend it if not for the Chocolate Fudge Brownies With Butterscotch Chips and Pecans alone!!!

I have piles for everything and these have been sitting in the finished pile for a good bit. I am hoping that the temperatures will really begin to drop this week, as they are forecasted to, so that Charis can begin wearing them. They are a little funky but I thought that they were pretty fun. I knew from the minute that I spied this Alexander Henry print at Joann’s that they would become these fun little pants. They still have to pass the will Charis wear them test but I do have high hopes.

He brought it today! The mailman brought the fabric that I won last week! It was perfect timing to because I just picked up this pattern this morning. I am hoping to make a little fall outfit for Charis so we shall see if I get to it but I do have high hopes! I always love a good mail day!!!

We have a friend who is getting married soon and for her upcoming shower I decided to go with a little something girly! She will be moving into her finance’s house which is wonderfully decorated but with more manly colors so we needed something a little girly and brightly colored! I finally decided on an apron and then it was off to the fabric stash to settle on a fabric. I finally settled with this Alexander Henry print that I do love. The pattern was easy to follow and it is the first thing that I have made from Amy Butler’s In Stitches book even though the book has been on the shelf for months. The pattern is easy to follow and who doesn’t need a little apron!!!

What a morning! I knew that we would have to hit the ground running this morning but I ended up amazing myself with all that could be accomplished in a morning with a few surprises thrown in. We had to drop Brad’s car off last night to have it serviced as the air conditioner has been on the blitz. Yes, it is fall in some parts but not in this part with temperatures still in the 80′s it can be very hot in a car that has cooked in the sun all day (or so I hear). The kiddos and I had the great pleasure of taking Daddy to work this morning. Normal mornings that is no problem but I walk with a friend regularly and knew that I needed to meet her at 8:15. I prepared last night and had a breakfast bagged up for Charis and ready to go. I got Cai up fed and dressed then it was Charis’s turn. We were all in the car and backing out of the driveway by 7:45 which I thought was pretty amazing for getting up at 7:00! Let me tell you that I had forgotten all about morning traffic! Wow, I am not really sure how I had forgotten about it as it is awful but I did! I usually use back roads a lot but to get Brad to work there are no back roads there is just traffic! It doesn’t help that they are tearing up a perfectly good road to relay the road that does not need to be relayed down the street from our house. Anyways, there are a lot of people out there who just do not care to abide by the traffic laws (or what I consider traffic laws that boil down to just using common since). Lots of traffic and a school zone later we delivered Daddy to work and although it is just about 15 minutes away I was so stressed and I still needed to make it to walk (good thing to have a stress reliever lined up after morning traffic). We made it to walk a little late but that was okay as my friend was running behind as well. We had our walk which was wonderful and then the kiddos and I headed home to feed Cai. I have to pause in the morning story here because if I left this part out Charis would be devastated…We got to drive side by side with a digger and the digger driver waved at us! That is right, he waved at us and he had a scoop and he was yellow! Way to cool!!!…back to the story now. We made it home Charis had a snack and watched a part of Sesame Street while I fed Cai and caught up with a friend that I had been playing phone tag with (multitasking is the way to go). I then proceeded to pack everyone back up and head to Sam’s Club because we were out of many things that we use very regularly. Why you ask did I not go while I was out? Well, they were not open yet of course. We made it to Sam’s and got our essentials there…another side note…Sam’s had up there Halloween stuff (lots of huge blow up things etc.) and it just made me so sad that Charis had to see that yucky scary stuff. I don’t mind them dressing up etc. but I just so want to protect her heart and eyes from the really dark and scary stuff that is out there. She would ask me what a lot of things were and just look at them with a fear in her eyes and it broke my heart for her. It brings me to my knees to continually pray for her and her heart that she would know light and the Give of Life…back to the morning. We finished up at Sam’s and headed home again. We had just gotten all the items in when I noticed the next door neighbors dog across the street. Charlie is a great dog who is spoken about a lot at our house. He is quite the barker and Charis LOVES every minute of it. Charlie though is not supposed to be outside of the fence but sometimes escapes. Charis would be devastated if something happened to him so I donned my dog catcher cape that looks remarkable like a super mom cape (so many capes to wear) and Charis and I called lovingly to Charlie. He is known for not coming when called so I was so thankful that he came to check Charis out. After a little enticing we had him and delivered him back to his rightful owner. I got the kiddos in the house and we all just crashed! Ahhhh! All in a mornings work!

Winning fabric is kind of like winning the lottery to me! With that being said you can imagine my excitement when I won a FREE yard of fabric! A whole yard; plus I even got to pick which fabric I wanted! Wow! I like to check out Sew, Mama, Sew and she was having a Free Fabric Friday last week. Sew, Mama, Sew has great info on sewing and pattern reviews as well as a great little fabric shop check it out if you have time. Anyways, I was so excited to find out this afternoon that I won! How fun! I ended up choosing an Alexander Henry print (of course) called Mocca Chocolate! I am not sure what this yard of fabric will become but I am thinking along the lines of maybe some pants for Charis or some fun bibs/burp cloths we shall see how it all comes together when it arrives. Yippeeeee!

He did it! Cai took his first roll this past week from his back to his tummy! The kiddos and I were playing in Charis’s room and Cai had been rockin’ a bit and I thought that he was getting pretty close. The next time I looked up he was on his side and Charis ran across the room to stop him! Yep, that is right she caught him in mid roll and pulled him back onto his back. I was so sad! The poor guy had worked so hard to get to his side only to have his ever so helpful sister pull him back. I had a little chat with Charis and explained that he was learning to roll and that it was a good thing. Charis and I continued playing and the next thing I knew Cai was at it again and he did it this time (as I held big sis back)! I was so excited for him. It is sad as he is growing but exciting that soon he will be able to stand his ground with big sister! After all my excitement Charis looked at me and said, “Mama, I can roll to!”

We have a local meteorologist who refers to Absolutely Beautiful days as A B Days and that is what today is! This is the first day in months that we have not seen temperatures in the high 80′s we are actually at 70 degrees as I type. Ahhh! There is a lovely breeze and the most beautiful blue sky! We took advantage of the weather and had a picnic lunch outside. Charis loved it as we got to use her new picnic table. I must say that she was quite anxious to finish lunch though to run around and play ball with dad for a bit. We have been couped up in the house for to long with some rainy days (not complaining on this one) and way to hot temperatures (little Cai heats up quickly). She was sad to head back in for nap and Cai even seemed a little sad as well but maybe we will head back out after nap time. I hope that your day is an A B Day!

When Charis finds something that she really likes and is desperate for she will come right up to me and stare with large eyes saying, “I want it Mama”! Well, that is how I feel about this doll by Corolle. I know I know I am pretty old to be wanting a doll but I just fell in love with her. We first met earlier this week at a local toy store. I thought about trying to get Charis to fall in love with her but I knew that there was not much of a chance with stiff competition from Baby Mickey Mouse, Baby Cai Doll and Big Girl (again, we are so creative with names at our house). I do not have any use for this little doll but she just seems like a doll that you could tell many a story to (it is my inner child speaking) and experience many firsts together . I do love her outfit as well. She seems to have a funky style but yet oh so cozy as well. I just wanted to share her with those of you out there that might have a little girl who is looking for the perfect “friend” to tell her secrets to and cuddle with at night.