life lessons...

Two weeks ago I broke a cusp off one of my molars. I was biting on a cough drop when it happened. Oops. I've never broken a tooth before and for some reason it made me feel really old. And stupid because, ironically, February is Dental Health Awareness Month and I was smack dab in the middle of a whole week of preschool curriculum about teeth and taking care of 'em. It wasn't painful at all, but I still had to go through the whole restorative process at the ol' dentist office.

Well, some good has come from the ordeal. Though I barely remember mentioning the cough drop incident to her, my eldest daughter has apparently learned a valuable piece of wisdom from her mother's folly. This came home in her school folder this week with a bunch of other papers. I'm so glad I noticed that 5th square...it made me grin.

I'm sure all mothers want their life experiences to prove useful in teaching their children. I always hope and pray my daughters will not suffer the things I have...and be spared certain kinds of pain and heartache...and that the hindsight wisdom I've learned from my mistakes will guide them through their lives and their journeys will be quite happy and useful to their Maker...

If nothing else, at least I know Anna Kate got this:
(you may have to click on it to read #5!)

conversation between sisters while playing computer games

Elle: I'm marrying Rafe.

AK: You can't. Mom already did.

Elle. Well, who are YOU gonna marry?

AK: I dunno.

Elle: Well I'm going to marry Caleb. (kid in her preschool class)

AK: You'll probably marry someone else.

Elle: Who? Who am I gonna marry, Anna Kate?

AK: Probably someone you meet in college. I dunno.

Elle: I think I'll marry Luke. He has better manners than Caleb anyway.

sk8r grl

Those pics bring back memories for anyone?

AK had a church thing last Saturday at Hot Wheels Skating Rink. It made me realize...nobody really roller skates anymore, do they? That's too bad. Can you say F-U-N?

It was such a big deal when when we were young. THE prime social scene. I wasn't really cool enough for it in the eighties--although I wanted to be--but that was then. Oh but now...now I can definitely hold my own in a group of mostly homeschooled 1st-5th graders.

Toward the end of the party, the kids were playing arcade games and drinking icees while the parents skated laps and reminisced about the hokey pokey, roller races, lock-ins and "couple skates." (My memory of those was that the intros to the love songs were always my cue to sheepishly skate-walk to the sidelines, as I was either too young or unsure to partner up. I did sometimes skate with my BFF; I do believe that was acceptable.)

Back to modern-day. Oh, yes...it's all about the music (Colbie Caillat is perfect to skate to, I learned)... the disco lights...the wind in your face as you lap around. And best of all, it's great exercise--I'm still sore.

AK enjoyed her first time roller skating, but I liked it even more and in a nostalgic way she can't yet appreciate, and probably never will, seeing as how she is a child of the '00s.

So now I'm dying to go back.

How 'bout it, girls...want to make a d8 to sk8? I know a great little place just down the way. PLEASE???

challenge

Found these photos snooping around the internet and I dare any of you to find something cuter than this!

I meeeean.....seriously. (just click on this one:)

Is there a kid out there who can compete with this fluffy slice of heaven pie? :)

I don't know her...but I'm so envious.

I reeeally want that dog!

Heard and Overheard, volume 4

Since the writers here at Photographs on the Dashboard often feel completely unoriginal and even downright boring, we figured we could exploit the children that roam around our house in hopes of entertaining you, our faithful visitors and sometime-lurkers. So here you go--real-life, actual-factual quotes from the ever-amusing Anna Kate and Elle. Enjoy. ....................................................................................................................

Me: "Elle, do you want a banana?" Elle: "What do you mean, a banana?"

Anna Kate: "I meeean...seriously."
Anna Kate, in English accent: "Mother, put my shirt on right now or I'll have to raise my voice and get bitter."

Elle, after being asked what she did in Sunday school: "Drew a picture of Adaman Eve eating the no-no fruit."
Elle: "I didn't eat my boogers at school today."
"Good."
"I wiped them on my jeans."

Anna Kate, after I suggested which color paint she should use on a homemade Christmas ornament, "Mommy, this is MY experience...MY life.......my dream."

a concerned Elle: "Mommy, why are you taking down the Christmas tree? You don't like Christmas?"
Elle: "I reeeally want Jesus to hold me up so I can touch the stars, Mama."

Anna Kate: "Mom. Elle doesn't like French fries?!? That's not American."

Elle, out of the blue, to AK: "You're my best friend."
Anna Kate, thinking a second: "You're MY best friend."

still here!

Dear long lost friends,

I won't waste time with apologies and long explanations for my hiatus. Basically, I have just been uninspired to blog and even considered shuttin' her down. But instead (!) I discovered this fun new template last week, and it encouraged me to give the ol' blog another try. Cute, huh? I'm not making any promises to do better, because I refuse to set myself up for failure. :) But I certainly hope to. Thanks to those who have kept up your blogs...I've been reading and have enjoyed keeping up with you. So we've been connected...you just didn't know it :)

An update on life at our house:

We all enjoyed nice, long breaks from school during the holidays. It feels like I've hardly been working between Christmas, New Year's, parish-wide inservices, and now MLK. The girls have loved being home, sleeping late, and riding their bikes on our days off. AK finally put aside her fear of the bike sans training wheels--with lots of tough love from her dad--and is now enjoying riding in the open air! I soo remember the feeling of independence and freedom that came with bike riding and I can see that same rush in her when she rides. It's been a milestone for us! (Meanwhile, Elle's dominating her training wheels.)

After a month off, Rafe started back to school last week and the end is in sight! He finished last semester with very high marks, though he won't be quick to tell you that. I will do the boasting for him, however. He's done great.

My house is finally back in some semblance of order since Christmas. I think all the new toys have homes now. Speaking of toys, the grown-ups got some pretty sweet ones for Christmas this year--namely, a new camera for me (*YES*) and a new computer, both thanks to the generous, selfless people on this Earth I call my parents. Neither gifts were necessarily needed, but both are very much being enjoyed and appreciated. Having two computers has been quite the luxury--it's especially wonderful to work side-by-side with Anna Kate while she plays online with her Webkinz. I'm loving the Webkinz thing--what a great concept!

Little AK is about to be 7 (!) on the 14th of next month. I've scheduled a party at a paint-your-own-pottery place and she's so looking forward to it. I'm accepting clever ideas for party favors if you've got 'em. Like I said...unispired. Creativity has escaped me here lately. By the way, Bekah should post about the fabulous pajama party she threw for Emily--it was so fun...so many cute ideas... and Bekah was sooo laid back with all those hyper girls running around her house.

Elle is doing great...still as silly and insanely charming as ever. She is obsessed with knowing who is good and who is bad, who is nice, and who is mean. Jesus and Santa are the top two on her nice list, and I'm on there somewhere--she tells me at least 20 times a day, "Oooh, sweet little momma, you're so goood." Which is nice to hear :) She is liking school, and is not the least bit humiliated by the fact that she still sucks her first two fingers when she so much as thinks about her blanket. Which is all the time. It's sort of an issue. But only sort of because, really, why sweat the small stuff?

The girls were in Ruston with Grandma all weekend so I've been busy sorting through all their clothes and bagging up ones that can be given away. 4 trash bags full of clothes and toys that will not be missed. It always feels so good to get that stuff out of my house! I also rearranged Elle's bedroom furniture so her bed is no longer on the wall because it's nearly impossible to make up a bed that's shoved against a wall. I've had enough of that. Not that we make up beds that often around here. Anyway, what a productive weekend with no kids at home to demonstrate the completely totally thank-you -someone- for- saying- that absolutely true phenomenon.

Rafe went camping this weekend as well, so I really hit the jackpot for "me" time. (I hate that expression, but am using it anyway.) I missed him, of course, but there is something so satisfying about sleeping diagonally in the bed. Don't tell him I said that.

So nice, too, to crawl in bed with the laptop and watch all the ABC shows I've missed in the last month. Not that there were that many...I'll be so glad when the writers' strike is over. I NEED my programs. Ha.

Oh, wow, this is such a rambling, random, all over the place post. But if I worry about that, I'll never post!

Stay tuned for pics and funnies from the little girls.

Love,
Lauren

new favorite

It's hard not to notice the smart retailers who've hopped on to what I think is a great marketing trend: commercials with sweet, catchy female vocals. Like the Old Navy one about the sweater? So I was watching TV the other day and a JCPenney commercial came on with this really cool song. I loved it and had to hear more. (Smart, too, for the artists loaning out their songs, right?) Some online investigation pointed to "All That I Want" by The Weepies. I've been hearing talk about them for a while and since I finally found them for myself, I've been playing the running tracks from their website over and over. Thanks to Rafe for buying me the CD today! Cute story about how these two independent singer/songwriters met and formed their lovely little duo. Read it in the "about" section here. "Gotta Have You" (which I would personally like to dedicate to Anna Kate) is a must-listen. DO IT!








And the Old Navy sweater song, by Ingrid Micaelson:

Oh yeah! this one too: the commercial with the "eternity (correction: journey) diamond pendant", which happens to be Catherine's favorite piece of jewelry ever :) The man puts it on his wife's neck while she's sleeping...

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written on Thanksgiving Eve, posted today. Aforementioned CD is on constant play in the mini-van, even though it's a bit melancholy. And unfortunately, "All That I Want" and "Somebody Loved" are on their first album. Yay for iTunes...
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You know you're a teacher when...

You've been sneaking behind your husband's back for weeks purchasing things for your classroom. He doesn't like it because, geez, you're not getting paid very much as it is, and you're going to spend your hard-earned discretionary income on school stuff, really? Don't they provide you with sufficient supplies? Well, yes, but...

One evening, after the kids are in bed, you make a late-night trip to Wal-Mart for groceries and essentials and find yourself in the craft section. "Oooooh, plastic glittery snowflakes! $1.97 for 12! Sweet! When winter comes, I can hang a bunch of these from the ceiling at various heights and make a WINTER WONDERLAND! Now I need fishing line to hang them..." After fishing line and snowflakes are in your buggy, you waltz over to the jewelry aisle. "Oh, look!" You agonize for minutes over which Christmas earrings you could wear this season, yes, dangling from your ears, Christmas EARRINGS. You've spotted some silver ornament earrings but those are kind of small and if you're gonna wear SEASONAL JEWELRY, you might as well commit and make a statement. There are gold jingle bell earrings with red bows, but the jingle might surely get annoying, right there at the ear...Candy canes? No. Santa? NO. You decide on the white snowflake ones because you will get more mileage out of those (the winter season is longer than the Christmas season.) You put the earrings in your buggy--along with a SNOW. GLOBE. NECKLACE--and PAY MONEY FOR THEM, with full intentions of wearing them come December.

What has my world come to?

Here's to you, little friends, Taylor, Bailey, Natalie, John Hunter, Macie, Anna Claire, Madison, Austin, Jenna & Todd. I will be wearing Christmas jewelry this year because, apparently, I think you should have a preschool teacher who wears silly jewelry and colorful socks and a big smile every morning. (Not because I particularly enjoy sporting such things. Except the smile...I like the smile!)

You are definitely worth it.

how 'bout them dawgs!

UPDATE: cutest nephews ever...Logan, a cowboy, and Cole, a MALE Indian:
Conjure up the bulldog thingy you do with your hand. Now imagine Rafe saying, as he likes to go around during football time, in his most proper of accents, "Have you considered those dogs?" -pause- "Have you considered those dogs?" That's probably something you have to hear to think is funny. But believe me, it is. Or at least....strange. Strangely funny?

(He's also been routinely announcing to the girls as he puts them in their carseats, "Hello. My name is Rafe, and I will be buckling you in this morning" and also has the kids asking for "nature's candy" when they want raisins.)

So now, showing their Bulldog pride (or a desire to get treats for being cute), two little Tech fans, if only by association:

par-tay

Elle turned FOUR last week. We had a joint party with my 2-year old "nephew" at the wonderful Gymboree Play & Music.