Memorial Day Weekend - Part 1

We've been pretty busy at the House of Sprout! We are taking full advantage of the three day weekend and having one less child (Tater is still at Papa and Mimi's!). Yesterday we headed to IKEA to get the girls bunk beds only to discover they are back ordered until late July. But it wasn't a wasted trip...because when is an afternoon at IKEA ever wasted?!? I found plenty of new little projects for both Mommy and Daddy and some fun new toys for the little ones.

Here's Wiggles eating lunch at the IKEA cafeteria like a big kid!

And that's Bruiser in the background playing instead of eating...what a surprise!

After the disappointment over the bed, we headed to Lowes to buy wood to make a new dining room table. Yes, I said make! I discovered this amazing site, Knock Off Wood, that gives you detailed plans on how to make all sorts of furniture - right down to your shopping list and cut list. We'll see how it goes...because there are plans for a loft bed that might appear in the girls' room!

But, by the time we made it home, it was raining. So the wood stayed in the car and we finished some projects in the house.

The cords are hidden...finally!

Art Room shelves are hung and filled.
Now I have to decide if I want to stain them...hmmm!

Bruiser was already "doing art" this morning.

He gave his seal of approval!

Meanwhile, as soon as we clean up Wiggles from her messy breakfast, we are heading outside to build a dining room table!

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Can You Guess What Daddy Got?

We spent the weekend shopping and spending a bit of "fun" money. I finally splurged and picked up this little beauty...and I love it and so do the kids! The hot chocolate is so yummy!

Then it was Daddy's turn to have a little fun...

Can you guess what he bought?

Any ideas? Can you get the "big" picture?

I'll post an "installed" picture later...he had lots of little hands to help!

And there is more exciting "fun" things arriving! We ordered a new washer last night...I decided it was finally time to have more than one cycle that worked on the machine I use on a daily...and sometimes hourly!...basis! Oh, and wait until you see my new shoes and Miss Wiggles new stroller...that we may or may not have needed!

Daddy Day!

Since Daddy had the day off with the rest of us today, we spent it out and about! Tater couldn't wait to take everyone to the Audubon Society so we headed there first. Tater and Bruiser had a great time making a cute craft and then we headed into the exhibits. Bruiser had a blast seeing the animals and looking for snakes "SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS" and "fishes"!

They loved seeing the live pheasant outside the one exhibit.

Miss Wiggles was all smiles because Daddy let her keep her Nuk!

And Tater loved carrying around the clipboard and doing the scavenger hunt!

We can't wait to go back for all the special activities and the story times. We bought a family membership and are looking forward to the warmer weather and the fabulous walking trails!

After our exciting tour, we headed to IKEA! We shopped for a few little things and one large purchase! Daddy and I finally broke down and bought a real bed frame - not a yard sale find or a hand-me-down from family! We feel so grown-up and frivolous! Now, let's hope I don't fall out of the bed tonight...it's so HIGH!!!

And, on a special note, keep Bruiser (and Mama) in your prayers tomorrow! He has his very first dentist appointment and I'm not expecting it to go well. I mean, what child with sensory issues is going to respond well to someone in his face and in his mouth? And I still haven't figured out how I got stuck with this task...the dentist is Daddy's area!

So, tune in tomorrow for a play-by-play of the big event!

A Mommy Day...Much Deserved!

So, in spite of Tater's H1N1 status, I managed to get in a much-deserved Mommy Day! What started out as an annual trip to a local tag sale, turned into a full day of shopping with lots of exciting venues!

A good friend and I left the house at 7:00am (I know, crazy!) so we could hit Starbucks before the tag sale. The best part of the tag sale? You get to pay $5 and get in an hour earlier than the regular shoppers...well worth the five dollars!

I found some good bargains and some cute outfits. We decided the price had gone up a bit from previous years, but you still can't beat the deals!

I came away with several wooden Melissa and Doug puzzles for $2 a piece. Here is where this one has been since it came in the door!

Here's a great NOISY one! Obviously, I wasn't thinking clearly at 8:00am!

This was my best find - and I left many jealous Mommy's behind...isn't it too cute?


Anther bargain...$20 for a box of Fisher Price Rescue Heroes...Bruiser is thrilled!

We left the sale and panicked because we thought it was 10:00...who spends 2 hours in a tag sale! Then we realized that the clock in the car did not reflect the time change! So we headed off to...

...and arrived 10 minutes before it opened. When the ropes opened, we headed through the children's section and down to the Marketplace. I could spend a small fortune at that place! Here are a few of mine finds...

The best storage containers EVER! Wheels, plastic and lids! Oh, and they stack!

I was thrilled to buy an art light for my entry way...makes me feel fancy! Daddy saw and asked how that was going to work...didn't you have to plug it in? I gently reminded him that he had just put an outlet in my entry way...perfect!

I added these blue cube boxes to my IKEA shelf that I already owned for a punch of color!

Then we took a detour to a fancy mall and visited some much-drooled-over stores. Few purchases were made but we had fun "window shopping"!

If only I could outfit my kids in these clothes! I settle for hand-me-downs and tag sale finds...and I have found these hidden treasures! In fact my friend walked out of today's tag sale with two set of Hanna jammies!

All I can say is...WOW! And then when we were leaving, we witnessed 10 10-year-olds climb out of a stretch limo for a party at the store! Unbelievable!

We ended the day by full-filling a life long dream and visiting this store...

...and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven! But my only purchase is below...and I do love it!

When we got home, I borrowed my friend's wagon to pull my purchases to my doorstep...I wish I had gotten pictures! What a sight!

Thank you Daddy for letting me have a great day and for dealing with the trials of our little ones! I think we should make this a weekly event!