Welcome, Marta! : )

We've had a wonderful start to school!  Mary Claire started last Thursday, and Marta, Clay, Ethan, and Carter all started Monday! : )  We are doing well, and I hope we haven't kept Marta too busy.  She's totally fallen right into step, and has done everything we have!  She didn't even take a day of rest after 18 hours of travel from Bergamo, Italy to our little corner of Arkansas! : )  

She's been awesome.  We are blessed.

Clay is still running daily for cross country and practicing early every day for band.  Mary Claire is learning to drive.  She drives every day to school (with me!!) ..although as soon as she masters not turning left on a red light (!!!), and parking, she'll be driving herself and Marta to school.  Ethan is enjoying middle school and changing classes.  He is not thrilled about dressing out in physical education with a bunch of kids..but he'll make it.  We've all suffered the indignities. : O  And Carter loves first grade!  He has earned five WOW tickets (he gets to turn them in for a treat or special event when he earns ten)!

My dinner is almost done, just thought I'd record a little history as it speeds by.  It's been a blast!

American Girl Birthday and Parade of Homes!

It's been an up and down kind of week.  We finished up with the builder last week..for over $13,000.  Gak, I think I just threw up a little in my throat.  Yes, it feels nauseating.  The fact that we still had bills coming in four months later..it was all mysterious.  We had another $5070 bill for brick..and the brick was d-o-n-e last September.  Like..how did that bill not come in before we met, finalized, and closed in December?  ..Ok, I need to move along for my sanity.  Depressing stuff is no bueno.

Mary Claire's birthday was last Thursday, she's TWELVE!!  How did that happen?!  She was just my little girl one minute, and now she's looking into my eyes, and BiG!  And sometimes kinda sassy, and sometimes hilarious, and sometimes shy, sometimes sweeter than pie.  Boy, she's been fun! : )  

Great Wall of Chocolate at PF Chang's..mmm...looks like the momma couldn't wait for some either!

She added candles..and wanted more than 12! : )  More power to her..there will be a day she might subtract candles!

Even though she's big as me, she still loves dolls.  Especially American Girl dolls.  She now considers herself a closet doll lover.  (who makes my kid feel this way?  I'm gonna get you!)  She says none of her friends still play with them.  *sad face*  ..Anyway, she didn't want a party (remember last year's ice skating party or 2012's fun American Girl party?  Ahh..), she just wanted a trip to the STORE and to get Isabelle, the GOTY (her word for Girl Of The Year), since she'll be gone this winter.

They unwrapped Isabelle and handed her to Mary Claire, and we just sat and played for a while!

She says she takes the best selfies, and she's right!  How did she learn this?

So, we went to Kansas City (the nearest store) for a girl's trip!  We stopped by Joplin, and picked up our friends Angie and Andalynn to head north.  We had lunch at Sandstone Gardens (my fave!!), and then only 2.5 hours at the AG Store.  I think we mommas like it as much as the girls!  We got a few extras for their Christmas and upcoming holidays (can you say no shipping?) while they watched the magic at the hair salon.  Late dinner and hotel hunting (after I discovered our room was *smoking*! and I didn't realize there was still such a thing!  My fault, blech.)  Then brunch at Cheesecake Factory, a tiny bit of shopping and back on the road home.

She's so grown up!

but I still love her the same!!

again with her fancy selfie shots!  Thank goodness for those late-in-life braces! haha!

I had bunco at my house last night, and ohh..so much fun!  I do love these ladies, they are all sooo sweet! : )  I apparently made them wild rice and chicken salad before..since Candace said she remembers me making it!  haha, it's been that long we've been playing, that I actually double-made something!  Oops.  Does it help that I tried a slightly newer version?  It had red pepper, purple and green onion, toasted pecans, and a soy dressing..mmm, so much better!  We only played one round, we were so busy talking.  

after their game (against each other!)..and then we went for shaved ice at Shave the Planet!

So..about last week.  The day after we finished with the builder, he called and asked if we'd allow our house to be in the Parade of Homes.  It's not until June, but they had to get it on the roster if so.  I was really nervous for the obvious reasons: lots and lots of people wandering through my home, the actual foot traffic on my floors (even with booties!) and spills or stains, things getting taken and/or moved..and then the real anxiety: my house!  I'd have to have it all perfect, in less than a month!  I have all these things I want to do and redo (but I did get my new breakfast room chandelier up on Monday!), and my landscaping isn't finished, my dining room drapes aren't hemmed, I really need new bedding, what do I do with all these unpacked boxes, should I continue?

soo..will my house look this sweet?  I hope someone equally cute opens the door that weekend! : )

Ok, and the kicker.  My savings money just went to the builder.  So..what am I supposed to decorate with now?  Huh?  Be creative you say.  Ok, I'm really creative, and I'm working on it..but some stuff just costs money.  So here we sit at the crossroad.  Can I just say if you drive to my house and wear the booties and walk around..just please don't judge my house?  Just find something nice to say, and go to the next house.  Thank you.  We actually live and eat and sleep and change clothes here!  (evidenced by the clothes on the floor!) (and crumbs under the table!)

Wrapping my head around this.  I sooo much more enjoy having the bunco girls over, they are super sweet, and wouldn't think of noticing my crumbs, footprints, and laundry!  Love those girls!!

Furniture, Frosting, and a big FiVE!

Oh gosh-I'm so out of the habit of writing! : (  I have to get better.  So many things happen in a day!

My sweet boy is FiVE!

..and Jump Zone is the best for birthdays! ; )

We had Ethan's FiFtH birthday-he's growing so fast!  He chose Jump Zone, and requested shrimp..my boys are fishy-eaters.  ; )  He also still has an aversion to cake after throwing up this summer after my dad's birthday-he's just SURE it was the cake.  So..we got a big cookie! 

(all covered in frosting..so same thing!)

make a great wish! : )

He had two bites of the big green train frosting engine, and declared he was going to throw up.  He went out to the car, and held the trash can to his face all the way home.  (but..no throw up!)

And..I've finally been getting to work on the baby room!  We have partially cleaned out the room..and ta-da!  We put the baby bed together.  : )  When we had Clay we bought nice furniture, and we've used it for every child.  But now?  They don't sell the baby beds with the sides that come down anymore (..they are DaNgErOuS!).  I know they are dangerous, but I hate to buy a new one for the last baby..I mean our kids never got out (ok, well, not until they were old enough to crawl over the side and run down to see us!).  Is it worth a new bed?  I do like that they are lower to the ground, and easier for shorter moms to reach over the sides. ; )  But for now, I am happy with our bed.  (Counts, right?)

It's starting to feel like a real baby room-but we are still calling it the office.  I'm sure when it's all ready, we'll start to call it a baby room-just not yet.  We also had to order some new furniture for Ethan's room since we need the baby furniture he's still got!  : )  Since I've been stalking Pottery Barn's website, they've been sending me reminders about stuff I've looked at, and they sent a 15% off my entire web purchase!  (So..I had to order since the furniture was already marked down a little!) ; )  Can't wait to get furniture and get Ethan's traded out!

I also shopped a little..since my computer was all warmed up with all those after-Christmas sales. ; )  I only got some baby bedding (since I'm not feeling like I have time and energy to make baby bedding this time!) and I found bedding with the fabrics I was going to order anyway! (Central Park toile in Horizon)  Bonus! : )  I went and bought some coordinating fabrics today.  I'll need to make an extra blanket, a pad for the changing table..cover a lampshade, etc. ; )  Love extra fabric!

And...we think we might be close to a NaMe.  Yesterday, Ches asked if I was considering any other name (other than Carter), and I said not really. ; )  I feel like it's supposed to be his name.  He told me Merry Christmas, and said he could be Carter, heehee. :o)  Now he gets to pick the middle name (and he's torn between Nicholas, Maximilian, and Xavier), since I'm happy over just having Carter.  We'd decided together on John Carter, but there's a stupid movie coming out this spring (around his due date, no less!) by the name of JOHN CARTER!  Can you believe that?  We were all into the double boy names (love Jean Luc-say it with a French accent! but it doesn't fit us, and Jean Marc, and Ben Luca, and Finn Niclas, ahhh..they are all so lovely and romantic, but alas, not us.)  But, John Carter was different. (American, that is.)  And John Ryan (reminded me of Jake Ryan though!) (Bonus ten points if you can name the movie!!).

ps-We have this really cool Snoopy ap (Snoopy's Fair!), and you can click on the photo booth and take pictures (only Mary Claire can find the photo booth..I've yet to find it myself!), so here are a few of our fun shots:

Such fun..even for a little iPhone ap-turns dinner into a party! : )

Sweet little Ethan-we are so happy you are in our family.  You bring us joy, tons of laughs with your big personality, love with your bear hugs (and Angry Bird attacks!), and even your big mistakes are so forgiven with those precious "I'm sorry's" that come so easy now.  You are precious, and we are thankful for the gift of you!

and as Mary Claire likes to pray..we hope you have another 100 happy, healthy birthdays!  Love you, baby!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Sweet, sweet day..a much better birthday than the past three. ; )

Let's see..last year Ches was sick, and I cleaned the garage on my birthday after just having had uterine surgery.  Two years ago, I had just miscarried, and it was awful.  Three years ago, my grandmother's funeral was planned for MY birthday.  It was a long, hard day.  It was about time I had a restful, calm day.

I woke up to three very happy children!  It is so sweet that they wanted to spoil me today.  They are precious.  Here was the table (our Birthday Central):

there was a small crowd of fluffy sweetness and they were holding up a sign.

It says, "Happy Birth Day!" (3 sections!)

and?  There was a "cake":

A triple-layer cake! ; ) (and yes! that IS a Brighton bag back there!) heehee

So, we sat in the floor, and opened presents, cards, and coupon books (for hugs and massages and help cleaning and even laundry!).  They went out with their daddy and bought some thoughtful things: a glass vase with an "H" etched in it, a rhinestoned stapler, tape holder, and pen cup, and some jewelry!  They were thinking of me. ; )  I'm buying a Silhouette SD machine online, but I'm having trouble deciding and committing.  I want the adhesive acrylic to go with it too-and I have to make a decision about colors and length of acrylic rolls...DeCiSiOnS!

Anyway, we had lunch and dinner out, enjoyed a fab-u-lous cake from Rick's Bakery!  (and my daughter somehow thought it needed embellishing?  She added an "M" and a heart.  In red.

We seriously didn't get a picture of it pre-M, or even out of the box.  But it was DELISH! : )

And in the afternoon, everyone settled in and we all did our own thing...and I made baby shower invitations. ; )  I know, but it was fun!

I started with blue baby footprint paper, added a cute poem about tiny baby feet, printed on vellum, then tied them with sheer baby blue ribbon:

Ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes, with love and grace the Sloat family grows..   God bless them!

And..I hesitate to tell you.  But I've known a couple weeks, and it's all that's on my mind right now.  I didn't make a birthday wish, and didn't blow out candles.  I got a happy wish-early.  We had totally stopped trying and thinking about it..but I'm pregnant.  My lab tests week before last were very good (772 and 1637, with progesterone at 21.7), and I have an ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday morning.

I'm totally fine, and now that I've passed my first hurdle (six weeks), my next one is twelve weeks.  Only God knows the plan He has for me, and He'll follow it through to completion, and I'm only here for the ride.  

I know how I feel when I tell no one and miscarry.  I know how I feel when too many people know, and I miscarry.  The fact is I have too much experience at this.  But, I'm willing to take my chances.  I just feel different.  And if it doesn't go well..Well, I may need to talk about it. : )

Thankful for a day of joy with my three sweet kids and my thoughtful husband-and ready for what God has planned for the next year of my life.  : )
Hope you had a great day too!

Hollister, right outside Branson

Let's see..where did I leave off?  I had an amazing time in Branson, spent a day at the outlets, then a day down on the Landing. : )  Excellent girl-bonding time!  We adopted some friends a few years ago, and they live in Branson.  So..whenever we are there, we call them up and spend some time together!  We took Dina to lunch and did some shopping at a little purse/wallet/watch/jewelry boutique next door.  (It was overwhelming...even to me!)  It was full of stuff wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling!  And the colors..turquoise, orange, red, black and white, purple, leopard, and tons of silver.  A real girly-girl place...and they were getting ready for Christmas!  Ornaments and MORE color.

Down at the Landing we went to a bunch of stores that aren't at the Outlets (some of them are though, strangely enough).  And I checked out another "cool" store, at Dina's request.  Her son shops there, so she's in-the-know!  It was Hollister (please ignore the kissing couple on the website).  I know a million people already shop there, but I'd never been in.  I thought it was just a man's store, or for teens.  After all, the shopping bags look like Abercrombie, all chesty guys with low pants!  How on Earth could that be for ME?

But, aloha!! It was for me. ; )  It was first of all, Dark.  Second, it was 9 or 12 little rooms..trying to remember.  The employees (guys leaning on tables with no name tags looking "cool") couldn't leave their Rooms.  (hahaha!)  So, when I wanted to try a shirt that was on a mannequin, first he told me to check the back room (Sale).  Then, when nothing resembling the shirt I wanted was back there, I went back to His Room.  He yelled to the next room (over the super-loud music!) to ask someone else (Manager, maybe?) if he knew where a shirt was.  Let me tell you, it was a creamy white shirt with some ruffles and buttons.  They had a table full of about 8 designs of creamy white shirts.

Mangager Man came, and they looked all over.  (kinda funny that they work there, and don't know where stuff is!  Maybe it's because they aren't actually looking at the stuff in Other Rooms?  Or they are too busy looking cool to actually work?)  (And I have to tell you..there are two young guys parked in the big leather chairs in the entryway.  They.  Never.  Moved.  There when we went in, there when we came out.  Are they paid employees too?)

So..back to my shirt.  I finally found it..Myself!  (Yes, they are only paid to look like they are hanging out there.)  It was cute, and I found some shorts to go with it.  BUT you can't take accessories into the dressing area.  I had to come out, try on the belt (Braided is Back, BTW!!  Do you remember it from the late 80's, early 90's?  I had a homecoming date wear the matching braided Polo belt and braided suspenders in the Fall of 1988!)  Crazy!  Anyway, I took it off, went and tried another pair of shorts, and retried on the belt.  Weird rules.

Then.  The checkout.  We had gotten in a hurry since Angie's husband called to say that her dog had fallen down the stairs, and he might have broken his hip!  She had to get home fast (it was already 7pm!)  We found a Manager Man, and he came to ring us up.  I loved the smell in there so much...I bought the perfume at the counter.  It's very light, smells store-y, and very fresh.  Not musky, not too floral, but perfect.  I also got the little old-fashioned squeezy ball that mixes the perfume with air as it comes out.  It even wheezes a little. ; )  Very Audrey Hepburn.

I have to thank my friend, Leigh, for keeping me in the game.  I've had some really Off days lately.  Mary Claire is now in the school choir, and has to be at school at 7:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Ethan has to be in Rogers by 7:55am (25 minutes north of here), and my van is getting the hail damage repaired, so we are sharing a van till Friday.  It means everyone leaves at the same time, so we are getting up really early!  We've also had boy and girl scouts, and the boys' baseball/t-ball teams are just starting up.  Overwhelmed yet?  Add to that the JDRF Walk (and tshirts!), planning a baby shower, I'm teaching PRE this year (helping my friend Tiffany with the First Communion class!), getting ready for our school's Husky Hoedown, and finish our Bible study's book group book (Come Be My Light, by Mother Teresa..she's SO humble, and begging to help the poor, and they won't let her yet-it's slow, but good reading)..none of it is too big, but all together = A Lot!  Trying to Keep Calm and Carry On.

And Mary Claire gets her braces off Thursday! and we see our endocrinologist on Friday! : )  Pray for a great a1c! : )

I have some other stuff brewing...but it's not time to talk about it yet. : )  We'll get there, slowly but surely.  God is good, and He hears my heart.  He knows I'm trying to take it day-by-day, and I'll make it.  I just have to keep my expectations lower (like Homer Simpson) so I can reach them easier ; ) haha!  ..I'm a virgo, it'll never happen.  Oh!  And my birthday is coming up, and it's a dilemma!  I have about 4 choices of what to do over Labor Day weekend, and do I:
a.) grow up and do what they want me to do on my day/weekend?
or
b.) enjoy my day and do what I want to do?

Growing up sux.
And to answer your question: Hollister is a real city just south of Branson, in Missouri!  So, I always thought it was stuff from Missouri, didn't know it was a Store. ; )
And to answer your other question: 38.


Sending you hugs!  (and S.W.A.K. mail!)  Hoping to get caught up on thank you notes today!! : )

Happy Birthday, My Princess!

My goodness, we've had fun! : )  We had a sleepover birthday party last night for Mary Claire and her ninth birthday is today.  Sweet, sweet girl.  I was so proud of the girls-they really slept! ; )  From about 11:30 till almost seven, sleep-heavenly-sleep.  And they were all very good, it was so easy taking them to the movies (to see Rio since Soul Surfer was sold out!!), and I thought they were wonderful.  Maybe it was a smaller group, maybe it was me?  Who knows!  I totally didn't clean up the house (I left it pretty clean when we left on Monday), and we went to the grocery store and got junk (I just let her put whatever she wanted into the cart..it was her birthday!), she threw in Cheetos, Cap'n Crunch, mint chocolate chip ice cream..we didn't even get to eat it all!  It was just a relaxed evening doing whatever she wanted.  We even made lip balm this morning from a kit she got for her birthday! : )

After the movie, we came back to the house to have Hello Kitty cake! 

Rick's Bakery has amazing cake artists!!

She chose H-A-P-P-Y  B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y candles!  There were sooo many to light!

And he really wanted to make a wish ; )

She had a great party!

..and she is incredibly blessed to have wonderful, well-behaved friends! : )

Momma loves you, Sissy!

I will always remember her this way: sucking her thumb, holding her lamby.  We were trying to get good pictures of her (sans Lamby), and she kept sucking, so I just told the photographer to go ahead and take the picture.  This was my girl.

But here's one minus Lamby.  With my cutie boy.  They were precious!  (Notice the glare?  They are pictures of pictures in frames!) ; )  (yeah, kinda lazy today!)

Happy, happy, happy birthday, Mary Claire!!!  I'm so thankful for the gift of You.  Diabetes and all.  And super thankful for the 88 blood sugar this morning-I didn't totally mess you up last night! ; )  ..after pbj, popcorn, Reese's pieces, fruit snacks, cake (..and a 304!!)  Now we can still enjoy your dinner choice: IHOP!  Hahahaha, only when you are nine! :)