dog days

 "woof"

What its all about.

While we try and teach our children all about...

Life...

Our children teach us...

 what life is all about.

  

story time

 My back lighting entry for Rock The Shot. 

Reading with my daughters.
 :)

Thanks to stopping by! 

silhouette

Silhouette of my husband and daughter in a wheat field out by our house.

-------o-------

Awhile back I received the Liebster Blog award from Sara, a fellow blogger.
Wahoo (thanks sara!)!

New shoes make you run faster...dun-cha know?

The first week of school is almost over.

We survived. 

My early morning rising almost did me in.

oh, my daughter??? Yeah, she's doin' good too.

:)

On the first morning, before she left for school, she had to show me how her new shoes greatly increased the speed in which she could run:

Did you think that as a kid?

I clearly remember running like a wild child up and down the isles of the Pay-less thinking my new shoes made me run like the wind.

And now....I couldn't help but smile as my daughter ran up and down the driveway with a big 'ol grin on her face saying, "See mom?! See?!!"

I told her she was running like the wind.

left behind

Being the baby of the family can be rough.

From the hand me down clothes, 

to the always being second to walk, talk, ride a bike...

and a baby book?

for-getta-bout it.

Not to mention your left behind when your big sister heads off to that totally rad place called school.

"Come on Maaaan!"

So yesterday afternoon, this is where you found us two left behinders.

Waiting in the shade a good 30 min early for the bus to drop off sister from that rad place we can't go to.

And when she finally arrived:

I burst out:

"Oh my sweet first grader!! You missed your momma didn't you?! Ahhhhh come here!!"

but....check out the eye contact....I am not who she was running to.

She made a beeline for her little sister.

Who in turn gave her the biggest bear hug on the planet. 

I've never been so happy to not be on the receiving end of a hug.

First Day

So today was the big day.

The first day of school.

The first day of first grade.

The first day I have woken up before 7am. 

(it's the sad, sad, truth...I am just not a morning person.)
*yawn*

As my little first grader waited for her dad to drive her to school she colored on the sidewalk:

What did she write?

I love first grade


awwwww.


I totally miss being in school and thinking it was awesome.
Those were the days.
*sigh*

getn crafty

My mother in law recently had a HUGE yard sale. 

She went through her parents shop and cellar and gathered up wonderful treasures that had been hidden for years.
Well, this weekend  I combed through the leftovers and was ecstatic to see this frame still there:

Why no one bought this is beyond me!

Don't you see its potential? 

No?

Yes? 

Maybe?

(please excuse the terrible photos.. it was late when I took these and all I had was the horrible kitchen and bathroom lighting to work with.)

Originally this window frame had a screen and it was grungy (as in bird poop-a-rama. eww), so I took a razor blade, cut it out and gave the frame a good scrub down.

 

After cleaning and cleaning and cleaning it I got out my supplies:

Jute:

 

Carpenter nails:

(originally they bright sliver and since I wanted a more worn look I painted them black then dabbed some of the paint off with a Q-tip)

A kitchen cabinet door knob from Home Depot:

and some elbow grease....sorry no photo for that.

So I took all those goodies and made this bad boy:

How neat is that?

The great part is that the original paint goes with my rug in the living room.

 SCORE!

So this is what I had in the space before:

 

 boring.

and after:

slightly less boring.

I don't have all the photos to put in it just yet, but I will be adding lots of B&W ones once I get them ordered. I also bought some small clothes pins that I'm going to use in place of the huge honkers I have in this photo.

http://justleesha.blogspot.com/2011/08/getn-crafty.html

'piller pets

A few weeks ago while driving into town I saw the weirdest bunch of things crossing the road.

I wrote about the experience here. (I was feeling pretty long winded that day, brace yourself.)

Soooo, to make a long story short, those weird things were these critters:

 

 and LOTS of them.

Of course, two were promptly adopted by our girls. 

And our new pet's names you ask?

Pillary

&

Catery.

Where super creative in these parts! :)

last and least.

 These are some of the last few shots from our outing this week:

I have been dinking around with my watermark lately.

Could ya tell?

I think I may of found one that I will use for more then a week.

I used to think that watermarking took away from pictures..but since I have found more and more of my pictures popping up places without my permission I figure I better start branding em.

I mean,
I can't let anyone else claim this stinker!

 She's mine... all mine!! 

*cackle*

Okay....she's her dads too. 

And her little sister claims her when they are not fighting..

 So 50% of the time.

Fighting between these girls become a sport, hobby and extracurricular activity lately.

With that said..I would like pass on a message to my mom:

Dear Mom, 
I'm sooooo sorry  for all the times I drove you crazy by picking on my little brother.
I should never of threw his underpants out the window, attacked him with a tumble weed, or stabbed him with a pen... oh wait..he did that to ME! grrrrr
but Im over that..kinda... I have a scar ya know.. 
where was I....oh yeah...

You can rest assured I am paying my dues.
Sincerely, 
Your scared loving daughter

Last and very certainly least...

(though it makes me feel like a freak posting pictures of myself)
....I wanted to share one that my husband took of me:

 "Hi, my name is Leesha and I'm pretending to act casual."

oh dear.

Round and round she goes....

Where she stops,

nobody knows.

snap, snappity, snap

After my husband graciously took my photo this week, I rallied the kids and took a few of them.

My husband wanted no part in my picture extravaganza.

booo.

He stayed in the car and watched Shrek cause the skeeters were so bad he's pretty was sure he gained lift off for a brief second or two while taking my picture.

He may be right.

But, my girls were pumped!

I was pumped they were pumped!

okay, so here we go!

This is one of the very last ones I took

The lighting made the weeds look great!
Never thought I would say that!

 

One of the first pictures I took:

I had told her to give me attitude.
What? I ASKED for attitude? Yup, and she gave it to me then laughed cause it was funny.
*click*

And the little one:

And lastly:

I have quit a few more I will keep sharing over the week. 

I also took some pictures of our rad chickens.

I threw the word rad in there cause I was trying to be polite.
After looking at some photos I took yesterday I couldn't help but think the chicken was giving me the death glare.

I think my girls nabbed a psychotic chicken!

Well here, take a peck..... I mean peek, for yourself:

I think she has it out for me.