this next week should be fun.  ryan’s off work all week, there’s the whole thanksgiving thing, and i’m starting off tomorrow with an overnight trip to stay with a good friend in orlando.  she and some of my other friends who sell things on etsy have decided to join forces and sell things in “real life” for a few hours tomorrow.  i’m so excited.  what could be better than craftiness and time with girlfriends (away from my kids…thanks to my sweet husband)?!  i can’t wait.  hoping to have some fun pictures to post when i get back.  in the meantime, you can check out what’s new on my other blog.

• something i accomplished today:  not to brag, but…i spent 2 hours deep cleaning my kitchen and also cleaned both bathrooms
• something i screwed up today:  raised my voice at harper a few times
• something fun i did with the kids:  made them chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast…a rare treat
• something funny or cute one of my kids did or said:  layne is just the cutest thing lately trying to talk.  she obviously knows what alot of things are called, but when she says the words, they all sound the same (baby, bubbles, and boo-boo are all “buh-buh”)
• something yummy i ate today:   double-stuf golden oreos dipped in milk
• something i read today:  a few friends’ blog posts
• a tv show or movie i watched today:   just watched some random morgan freeman movie called “the code”.  not memorable.
• something i did today that i hardly ever do:  cleaned most of the day.
• something i did today that i do every day:  kissed my husband the second he came in the door from work
• something i am thankful for right now:  my new niece who was born tearly this morning, molly katharine buerke.  can’t wait to meet her in person at christmas!

my birthday cake (on sunday night)

spontaneously decided to go to the beach today during the time frame we’re usually at the gym.  layne’s had a fever and a runny nose so i didn’t feel right putting her in the kidzone.  it had just poured down rain so i knew all the playgrounds would be super wet.  decided that we should get to the beach before it gets too “cold” tomorrow.  we were only there for about a half hour, but it was alot of fun…really just us, the lifeguards, and like 20 long-boarders.

this girl LOVES her some beach…

post-diaper, pre-shower…

so i’ve been thinking.  i’m trying to figure out why i’ve enjoyed blogging in the past.  is it an outlet?  is it because i know other people read it (attention)?  is it because i like keeping a journal of my life/my kids’ growing up?  maybe all of the above.  even still, after my month of posting every single day on my other blog, i’m still a little burnt out.  i’ve decided to come up with a questionnaire that i can use anytime i feel that i’m lacking “good material” (which could potentially be alot).  here goes:

• something i accomplished today:  washed, folded, and put away 75% of the dirty clothes in the house
• something i screwed up today:  layne’s calcium intake (it’s so hard to get it in…she doesn’t drink milk)
• something fun i did with the kids:  we went to the turtle hospital and then to the playground right outside
• something funny or cute one of my kids did or said:  after i prayed with harper, she tacked on the end, “and thank You for this nice bed to sleep in.”
• something yummy i ate today:  just had a bowl of birthday cake ice cream
• something i read today:  nothing yet…hoping to do my Bible study before i go to sleep
• a tv show or movie i watched today:  sex rehab with dr. drew…VERY interested show about sex addicts in treatment…really sad
• something i did today that i hardly ever do:  painted my fingernails (they’re clear, but still!)
• something i did today that i do every day:  have a terrible attitude about where i live (i am so sick of the elevator smelling like pee).
• something i am thankful for right now:  amazingly great friends and family (yesterday was my birthday and i felt very loved)

ps.  if you ever check this blog and there’s no post, it’s very likely that i spent time that day on my other blog.  so check both! 

sesame street turns 40 today.  i have said numerous times that i will be heartbroken when it goes off the air.  it is one of the very few tv shows/group of characters that several generations have strongly in common.  it is a big part of my preschool memories and it warms my heart to see it becoming the same for my daughters.  the writers/actors for this show somehow possess the rare ability to transcend time, musical styles, art, and culture, and they still are able to effectively TEACH simple reading, counting, and life concepts.  they still show old skits and shorts within new episodes and i love that…they show things that i remember seeing when i was 4 years old.  if i had to pick one show for my kids to watch every day, this would be it.  happy birthday, sesame street!

who is your favorite sesame street character, and why?  mine is a tie between grover and cookie monster.  i love the way grover talks and that he loves to travel.  i love that cookie monster loves to eat (mostly cookies), but that he is also very sweet whenever there are kids around.

dear blog,

did you miss me?  i hope that you didn’t feel neglected because i’ve been paying so much attention to your sister over there.  since you’re nice and rested, let’s jump right back in.

love, katie

okay, guys, for the month of october, i will probably be neglecting this blog in order to meet a challenge on my other blog. the challenge (extended by a photography “club” i’m a part of) is to put up a photo every day for a month. whichever sofly member gets the most total comments gets a prize!! help me out!! bookmark (or google reader) my other blog and leave me comments, please!!

head over to the business blog for my newest posts…

yes, it’s been a full week since my last post, but i haven’t been sitting around.

here’s a list of 10 things that have kept me away from wordpress over the past week:

1. drove from tallahassee to orlando with harper (layne stayed in tallahassee)
2. flew from orlando to springfield, MO
3. took harper to her first hibachi dinner (courtesy of my generous brother and sister-in-law)
4. took harper (and my nephew owen) to barnes & noble to meet maisy the mouse
5. photographed a 90 year old’s birthday party
6. photographed a wedding reception for a couple who got married at the top of the Sears tower in April
7. photographed a couple and their sweet baby boy
8. atteneded/photographed an awesome hyms concert  (i took 1131 pictures in 2 days!)
9. flew back to orlando (where we were reunited with layne)
10. drove home. 

WHEW!!