A Pajama Mama

Haiti. I can't imagine any one seeing the desperate need in Haiti today...the faces of the children, the women, the men....and not feeling a deep compassion and desire to help. A heart FOR the people of Haiti. My brother and his family spent a few years in Haiti as missionaries. He has been back several times and I fully expect him to return....sooner rather than later. His heart is for Haiti. Therefore, my heart is for the people of Haiti. My sisterfriend adopted a little girl from China last year. I feel like Chinadoll is part mine bc we were so involved in the process of bringing her home. My friend's heart is for adoption. Therefore, my heart is tender towards orphans and adoption. I was RIVETED, bordering on OBSESSED and a Googling maniac with the unfolding events surrounding the Haitian orphans of BRESMA and the McMutrie sisters. Forever families not just in the USA but in other countries had adoptions in progress with these 150 children. I can not imagine the rollercoas...

Mommy's little chef! Rayray played the background music at our neighborhood Christmas party. We enjoyed a great Christmas weekend at the beach with our SWEET friends! We took the girls to a sweet Christmas village at Sandestin. After our homeschool co-op party, we joined two more families to visit the Bethlehem Village presentation. Isn't it darling?? Best kit we've ever done! Enjoyed a fun night with our litttle cuz... Two grown cousins and my little Appledarlin. We adore these people. I loveloveLOVE having all the kids home and having a full table. I took advantage of all the hands and put them to work in the kitchen. They made oreo balls, pecan meltaways, and choc covered pretzels. Don't stand under the mistletoe with anyone else but me! Jojo and his freds. The girls declared Monday to be "Crazy Sock Day." Little old men. We laughed until we cried during a rousing few rounds of Catch Phrase. I think this one just finished his orangutan impression. More to c...

My pilgrims wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble Gobble! Buncha turkeys! Hope you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for.

I made soap today!!! Woohoo! 4 whole bars. FOUR. You see three bc one didn't work out. The idea really is a fun one. I followed AnneMarie's tutoria l but my experience didn't exactly go as smoothly as hers did. She's a professional, though! She made it look so simple. Do you see the FOUR layers? Yep, this took a LARGE amount of my time on this beautiful SATURDAY...between the layers and the detailing. But once I started, I was committed to see one batch through to the bittersweet, cranberry-scented end. I think they turned out really pretty and the cranberry-fig scent is delicioso, but these cute bars will not become part of our seasonal line-up. It's a time thing. We will be offering our peppermint oatmeal massage bars and our beautiful Sleigh Ride snowflakes, though. Here's you another picture so you can ooo and aaaaaah. And aaaaaah and oooooh. So...where will these three bars end up? Maybe wrapped up for Christmas for YOU!

What have we here?? 330 of my exquisite hand-dipped fall soap leaves. You will FALL IN LOVE with the pecan pie scent that smells good enough to eat...but please, don't try that. I added vitamin e to the glycerin soap to keep our hands nice and soft. Of course, some choose to never use these to wash hands...they simply put them on a pretty dish and let the scent waft through the air. These beauties will be gently bagged up, tied with a pretty bow and sent to a fall festival on the other side of the state.

Meet Paul E. Pocket. The boy Polly Pocket. Look closely and you will see long, curly strawberry-blonde hair all tangled up on Paul. WHY? Doodle somehow managed to get Paul E. tangled up in her curly locks. I had to cut him loose and set him free with scissors. Twas a bit disturbing that his only coverage was painted on. My peeps on Facebook have been offering suggestions for a possible name for boy Polly Pocket, whom I dubbed Paul. E. I've seen OlliePocket. HubbyPocket. And my fave...."Bob, with no last name bc when he became famous, all the other Pockets started asking him for money." One friend offered up a song..."I'm gonna CUT that man right outta my hair." Paul E. is now covered shamefully with an aqua hair scrunchy, standing with one foot in our electric pencil sharpener. Let that be a warning to all Boy Pockets as to what will happen to you if you mess with my girls! Hmph.

After a near record-fast bath, I commented to our 6 year old Doodle that surely she was not even in the water long enough to get all the way wet! She smugly replied,"I even shampooed my own hair without even wetting it!" I checked her head....Sure enough, there was shampoo rubbed into the top of her half-dry hair....little bubbles popping and making that "shampoo not rinsed out good" sound. I don't think it worked out too good for her. She didn't much like having her long curly hair washed by Mama in the kitchen sink! She's definitely our innovative child....gotta give her credit for that!