T.G.I.F.

I really do not have much to jabber about today....so I thought I would just throw in a photo.  I am going for the instagram look.  I love that ap and I wish I had a iphone for just that purpose...  anyway,  I just grabbed a photo from my files and picked this picture. I think this picture was taken near the Cedar Rapids airport.

Have a great weekend!
Till next time....
Laura

Well here it is! The original Post. I thought I lost it

So, I have been working on my blog and tinkerin' around trying to change it and make it pop but I am just not there yet.  I also now have 2 blogs going. ( my recipe site.) I want you to check it out, but I now need to figure out a way to put a link on THIS one to send you to the other one. sheesh. I literally have been driving myself crazy with all this. I have no clue how all this works. I am computer illiterate. I can sit for hours and hours trying to figure all this out and I get so frustrated I end up cussin' like a sailor at the computer and then I am salty the rest of the day.     So anyway, last night my husband in a nice quiet hushed tone politely says to me in a tone one would use to talk to a 6 year old.. ( he will enjoy reading this) ." Ok, now I think you really need to work on your time management...and setting limits on your time on the computer....every time I come home  your sittin on it doing whatever"    Ok.... maybe he's right.......somewhat.   I do spend a lot of time on the computer, but lately it has been to get my Blogs polished up and work on photo editing...and sometimes it takes me a while.   But I also set a timer and it will tell me when to get off and I usually do......ok..."sometimes" I re-set the timer when it goes off but that's not the point.   I DO also do things with the kids, make sure the house is clean ( ok, usually 89% of the time) and dinner is on the table. ( ok so last night got away from me and it ended up being a frozen pizza night.)  Oh..who are we kidding. I am a junkie. But I think for the most part I balance it out pretty good. I enjoy photography, editing and blogging and connection with friends on FB during the day to get adult conversation.   So who am I convincing here? You all or myself? ha! I have no clue. anyway, please tell me sometimes you all do this.  What are your guilty pleasures? I wanna know.  :)  

ok, I am going to boot down the computer now ( a.k.a the anti-Christ ha ha) and get some things done and play with my kiddos. 

Till next time :)

Laura

Changing my blog and TGIF

   So I have been working on changing my blog and so far this is what I have.  I used to be happy with just a plain blog but now I am ready to move on to bigger and better things so this will actually be under construction for a while.  You should see me, I have 16 windows open on my computer flipping back and forth with how to's and my Dummies book out. The thing is... I have no patience ( and my ADD doesn't help matters either)  to sit and read and learn. I want instant gratification...so I guess I would rather sit here on the computer and neglect my children for 2 hours at a time and curse at the computer and ask God why he hates me instead of taking 1 day ( or night) to read thoroughly and actually figure it out . I am a hands on learner. Seriously.  Just give me the dang thing and let me do it.   I have friends that have the neatest blogs and write nice, funny, interesting informative  things and I want the same thing too. I guess I have Blog envy.  So anyway, bear with me. I promise soon, I will have interesting things to write about and show you my favorite things and have links to interesting articles and how to's. I just need to figure out how to do it.
Did I just say interesting things 46 times?  

Here's to the weekend. :)  What are your plans?

Till next time

Laura

Just havin' fun.....

I recently read an article on watermarking your photos. I am not sure if my pictures are watermark worthy yet, and I have no plans to start a photography business ( although I have been asked to shoot some pics and have been offered payment for doing so and I was a little excited ( and nervous) about that....but anyway.... I went to a website that offers free watermark imaging to your pictures ( Pic marker.com)  you can get the free one or you can upgrade and purchase a more advanced watermark and editing file to download) any-hoo, If I did own a business, I think this is the name I would choose. My last name is in fact pronounced "class" so I thought it was fitting..... I can't take all the credit though, I kinda snagged this name from my husband Brad who at one time was going to go on his own and start his own construction company called " First Klaes construction"..    I guess I didn't ask, do you see my watermark on the left hand bottom corner? he he
This picture was taken yesterday at a trip to the pumpkin patch down the road from us....( Colony Pumpkin Patch in North Liberty)  they have GREAT photo ops...( and pumpkins of course)

PS... at the time I looked at my "preview" of my blog I just saw that you can hardly read my watermark- it says "First Klaes Photography"

Have a great day :)

I am having WAY too much fun with editing........

I recently upgraded Picknics ( I think I just spelled their name wrong) photo editing site to Premium and my goodness am I cracked out on photo editing. I could sit for hours and do this non-stop.  If I didn't have kids, or if they were gone all weekend, this is what I would be doing. My husband would have to scream at me to take a shower and eat and go to bed. I am really getting into the whole photography thing.   As I stated in yesterday's post, I am excited for the leaves to change full bore so I can get some awesome shots.  Am I annoying? Maybe some of you are thinking "Ok, get over yourself...we get it..you like to take pics"  ( that's OK if you DO think that. I have been the same way and have done and occasional eye roll myself a time or two at some of the things people post)  I don't care. I am having a blast.   I am actually finding something I enjoy doing and I'm pretty stoked about it :)

Laura

Been a while......

I am totally behind on my blogging.....I knew this would happen. I still blame it on my ADD.  I do have good intentions..... I have like 62 projects started and haven't finished. ( another classic ADD symptom- I am glad I have something to blame it on )     So anyway...fall is in the air. I just put up a random pic here, but I can't wait till I get a nice picture of a tree bursting with yellow and fire red leaves. I have been tinkering around a lot lately with my camera ( a friend of mine recently let me borrow 2 of his lenses that also fit my Canon Rebel and I am havin' a hoot.)   I want to start posting a lot of my pictures I take. Not that I want to be all braggy...mostly so I can get input from any of you and see the progress I make as I go.  I don't know what it is lately, but I have been wanting to just shoot and shoot away with my camera and I have some friends that are just amazing at it and they get me motivated.      

So anyway, this is all for now.  This post was kind of a yawner wasn't it?    I promise to come to life here again soon and keep more active.  Enjoy the last few warm days :)

Laura

My poor neglected children....and finally an outing.

My husband and I have both been sick this past week and the kids I think, have gotten the crappy end of the deal. The older boys are at their Dad's till the end of summer so it's just us 4 for now so in a way it's a blessing because I am not sure how I could handle all 4 while sick. Anyway..... all you parents and caregivers know how hard it is to take care of little ones when you feel like crap. It has been a challenge for me since both Brad and I were sick and I guess in times like this, you have to decide who is sicker ( in this case was Brad, he had a horrible weekend almost emergency room worthy) So game on for me. I get a whole new appreciation for single parents and add to boot if they are sick and do not get any help. It's so hard. I commend all of you and pray for peace and relief for those hard times.   Anyway, I am hoping we are on the mend. Whatever this nasty "thing" is, its holding on for a long time. I cannot remember ever being sick in the summer. I thought all illnesses took the summer off? lol. I know that's not true, but I've never been nailed in the summer. ( I think I just jinxed myself and will be plagued for the next 12 summers from now)  So anyway, while we were sick it was literally us throwing a piece of toast to the kids for breakfast , microwaving a hot dog and throwing some grapes on the plate and calling it lunch and for dinner re-heating anything we could find to at least not let them starve and then putting in DVD's and letting them watch cartoons non stop to keep them entertained. I felt horrible, but had no energy. 
Anyway, I told myself that as soon as I was up to it, come hell or high water, I am taking them out on a "field trip" and so this am we did just that.   We took a trip down to Iowa City and played in the fountain at the Ped Mall, a trip to the Library then some lunch at the Bread Garden then played on the play equipment before venturing back home with tired crabby kids. They had a great day. My house would qualify for the "Hoarders" show.....and you could climb to the moon on top of the laundry that is piling around here....but it was worth it.  Sam even told me thank you as I was helping him into is booster seat in the van to go home :)

Sam at the Library's book house

Water fountain-lots of fun

gotcha!

not sure about this...oh well...here I go!

Lunch at the Bread Garden

kid's yummy lunch

Mommy's yummy lunch



There's a "dummies" book for everything

I ordered this book off Amazon this am. I have been trying to tinker around and learn how to post all the stuff I want on my blog and really want to make it pop but was having no luck ( and the time to dig around and learn it myself) I am impatient and I want instant gratification and want it now!  How I am going to read this is another story.  So I got to thinking...I bet they have a dummies book for everything so I just randomly typed some topics and most of them have a dummie book. I even stumbled upon on that said " How to feed your goat" for Dummies" ha!  Go ahead... Type in how to make your children mind you...for Dummies and see what pops up. I think there's actually a book for that but was titled differently. Whatever you need to learn.....theres a Dummies book for that. You know you are gonna go type in a topic and try and find it now if you are reading this blog. So anyway, I hope to really get into this blogging thing. I at least have been trying to make sure I post something every day or every few days even if is just a few pictures or to bitch about my hectic life as a Mom (j/k)

So this am I took the little ones to The Children's Museum and met a friend there with her kids and we played a while then ate lunch and then we went to Tar-Jay ( Target) and picked up a few things....hair color, swim diapers, cotton balls, and a Barbie for Abby to be exact.......ok and a Snickers bar for me. I am weak.

So now we are watching......yep...Toy Story. We are trying to crank through my Netflix Video queue before they start charging me a separate fee for DVD delivery and instant streaming ( thanks a lot- we will be dropping the dvd service) This is a whole new blog topic though. Isn't that a bunch of crap-ola?

Stay cool Midwesterners...or I guess all of USA for that matter. I saw the map on the weather last night and it looks like the whole US had a heat blanket over it.

Till Tomorrow

Laura

http://mommymishmash.com/

http://mommymishmash.com/

Heat wave

It's hotter than blue blazes outside today and the next few days bear no end in site. I even received a recorded message on the phone ( cannot remember who it was from, or who organized the call) but the recorded lady on the other end stated the heat index was currently 111 degrees and to stay indoors if all possible and to check on the elderly and drink plenty of water and offered a phone number to call if we are needing shelter and a place to go for relief. This must be serious....as my husband is coming home to work on our patio in the back yard. ( thunking my forehead)   and I don't know about you, but it's days like today that bring me the lazies... I am not joking, the babies and I have been lazin' around all day. I did take them out in the back yard to swim this am..but then we came in and have been watching tv and just chillin all day....( I did have a little carpet picnic with them then demanded we at least watch one "learning" show ( I pulled up a video from Netflix instant streaming and it was a National Geographic program about night creatures, then a Dolphin one. Its SOMETHING...right? Anyway, I had planned a possible outing to the Children's Museum.... or maybe do some crafts and I even offered to build the kids a fort but they picked and poked and we just plain crabby and so here we are....watching Toy Story 3 for the 897th time today. Please tell me you all have day's like that? I sit and stew and feel guilty and promise myself I will double up on "structure and stimulation" tomorrow.  But I will confess.... it is hard for me to be THAT Mom that takes their kids to the library, checks out books, reads at least 20 min a day, organizes outings and crafts and makes sure they are stimulated all the time.  I have good intentions....but it's hard to follow through.  Abby and Sam are 2 and 4 and I swear they are in the beginning stages of getting Mom's ADD, it's so hard to keep them focused..... I wonder if it's because they are 2 and 4? hmmmmm.    So anyway, If  you have some tips or even simple ideas for crafts and anything fun and cheesey to do, I would love to hear about it. And if you have "slothed" around all day a time or two I would like to hear that too. I'll feel better.  Now if you will excuse me, I need to boil water for my kids's boxed mac and cheese.

Baby it's hot outside....

This morning I hosted a play date.  We all put the suits on our kids and they splashed in the pool and did a couple runs down the water slide and then we munched on my friend Robyn's yummy homemade bran muffins ( no they were not dry, they were awesome, I know, I was worried also) and had some fresh fruit and cold drinks ( was 9:30 too early for cocktails? j/k...... ok but it DID cross my mind. ) Anyway,  it was nice to have some adult conversation ( between getting food for the kids, slathering on sunscreen,  putting them in and out of the pool, reminding them that we share toys and not push and shove ( Abby was the main culprit here)  My friend Lisa also came with her darling little daughter ( Lisa used to cut my hair at a salon in Iowa City but recently left to stay home with her daughter and is pregnant with her 2nd child)  Robyn brought her 2 sweet little guys also.  Robyn and Lisa are actually sisters. I had sort of known Robyn from MOPS a few years ago and when I was going to Lisa to get my hair cut found out what a small world it really was when I learned they were sisters. I want to post a pic of these two ladies, but I promised I wouldn't post pics without them liking how they looked before posting ( I am the same way)  these two gals are young and gorgeous. I am the grandma of the group..well actually I think I am a few years away from being their Mom ha ha- but they are fun.  Anyway...... I wish I had a huge back yard to host ALL my friends together at the same time for play dates. I have to split it up and have a few Moms at a time or I feel so crammed. I love to host...I just wish I had more room. 

So anyway, here's a darling photo of Abby and her new friend Lyla and one of Robyn's boy Ezra.... ( I hope I got the names right and the spelling if you see this Robyn) many a time I put the wring name with the wrong kid..... I am horrible at remembering names of the kids...why is that? Do you have that prob too? My friend Tara has 4 kids and I have known her like 3 years and I STILL call them the wrong name. 

Hope you all are having a great day and staying cool.

Summer is halfway over....:(

I have been horrible about blogging. Here I go and "start a blog" and I have only a few posts.  I do not have much time to blog right now either ( I am going to have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn if I want to get any blogging done) But I thought I would check in, and share a couple recent photos that I took of the kids doing some fun activites.

Hope you are staying cool. We are having a heat wave in Iowa.

-Laura -

     

Future Mr. and Mrs.?

My friend Shannon and I joke about setting these two up and at the wedding, displaying this picture on their wedding table..ha!

Yesterday was a pretty decent day and we had a play date and Toby came over for a swim. Today is going to be sunny too and I would imagine more pool time.

I am looking forward to a 3 day weekend coming up ( July 4th) seems like July 4th marks the half way point till summer is over and school starts again.

That alone is bitter sweet.

Enjoy your day

Laura

Rainy Day

Today was kind of a blah rainy day, so we went to the library this am and loaded up a fresh batch of books, did a little painting, watched a few videos and kind of hung out.

To me, this has been a weird spring/ summer. It's been raining a lot and seems more fall-ish than summer...but I will take this over 16" of snow and -40 anyday.

I found a couple rainy day projects to do with the kids on the internet for the future rainy days...... sometimes it's nice though so theres an excuse to just sit home and kick back. :) So grab the kids, a blanket, a good book, pop some pop corn and have a tickle fight under the covers if you wish.......

Here's hoping tomorrow is sunny..... the pool is calling

Laura

Father's Day, a trip to Grandpa's farm and some new loot

Yesterday, we went up tho Brad's parent's for Father's day. The kids had a blast there. ( Brandon and Jayden are at their Dad's for part of their summer visitation till next Sunday) We gathered together, and as usual, ate a lot of yummy food. When we were there, Brad's Mom gave me a old toy box ( its all wooden and beat up looking like I like it) and it was also filled with Brad's toys from when he was a kid...so we brought that home as well...the only down side to this is I'm having a panic attack over the extra toys cluttering the house and it's sending me into a cleaning and organizing frenzy...... But at least the kids are happy.

Abby also got a tub of hand-me-downs from her cousins and in the tub was some very cute little costumes for her to play with.....this was one of them. She loves it ( thanks Aunt Angie ) It's like Christmas time around here.

I hope all you Dad's had a great Father's Day. :) Now, if you will excuse me. I need to go de-hoard some more

Laura

A morning hike.....

We took a morning hike this am.....we went with a friend of ours and her kids.....love getting out in nature......bugs and all :)

Good Morning

Nope. Didn't make these pancakes today.....cereal and milk here folks. But I do love me a good pancake. The pancake pictured is a a homemade from scratch recipe I made from a cookbook my cousion June gave me. I love family and Church cookbooks....

Ok so anyway, I laid in bed last night thinking about my new Blog and my first post. I always second guess myself.....constantly......." Did I sound stupid?" "How many spelling errors were there?" ( And I just saw you can do a spell check on here so I will DEF be using that) " Will anyone read my blog?" ( I see I already have 3 followers thanks guys :) " IS the layout ok?" "Did I remember to stick the load of clothes in the dryer?"

I think practice makes perfect. I had a few people tell me they hated their Blogs when they first started. I have so many ideas buzzin in my head. I have a friend Ivy ( I am trying to figure out how to post her as one of my favorite blogs I follow on my page) anyway, she has the most amazing blog.....and she's an amazing photographer...IF I can get her "tag" on here....You should go check out her blog. Actually a lot of my friends have neat blogs and I need to tag them all.

Anyway ( do I say anyway a lot?) It is a beautiful morning here and I may go out and sit on my front porch and drink my coffee and watch all the cars, joggers, and runners go by) Enjoy your day......take a hike, read outside on a blanket, blow bubbles, run barefoot in the grass.. :)

See you again soon

Laura

Here we go

Ok... so here I am....starting a blog....I have no clue what I am doing...I think I have actually attempted this a couple times and just gave up. Ok so, the purpose of a blog I guess is to basically just rattle off things that come to your head or talk about your daily struggles, or share wonderful news with friends and family.

First of all..all that know me, know that I cannot spell or use correct grammer to save my life. I also have ADD...so most of my blog posts will be all over the board..... " today we made cookies, played in the yard, read books oh look theres a little birdie sitting on the deck...... oh and we watched Franklin in the Dark and then blew bubbles and then...did I remember to thaw meat for dinner tonight?" that's how I think all the time.....

I love a clean home.....is my home clean? hell no. That wont happen till my kids are long gone from the house..... I enjoy baking, beer tasting, running, and photography... I recieved a new camera for Christmas from my husband and am still learing.

So anyway, this first post is cheesey , I know. It will get better. I will share photos, my favorite things, and my thoughts and happenings with you.....

Well I better go. I have my 2 year old grabbing my arm and my 4 year old screaming at me....(enter xanax)

Laura