Brain Dump

• AR's birthday is coming up. I'm thinking we are going LOW key. Since we have moved into our house, we have had 4 very large parties/family events. We have only owned our new home for 2 months and have only lived in it for a little over 1 month. Needless to say, I do not want another large "gathering" at my house for a very long time. Just a few people over to watch a football game is one thing but entertaining and cleaning up after 50+ people is the last thing I want in my life right now. So, I'm thinking we may do something I said I would never do....McDonald's Playhouse :) It will be cheap, the invite list will be small, and there will be no clean up. I keep telling myself AR will love it and trying to convince myself that AR does not need or want anything more. Today I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday and she told me she wanted a Ballerina birthday. So maybe a birthday party at her dance studio would be the right way to go. Hmmmm.....thoughts?
• Our kitchen will be one step closer to its final updates by the end of the week. Today, we took advantage of the Labor Day sales, bit the bullet, and purchased all new stainless steel appliances. I am pumped!! We have not had an oven since we moved in and the refrigerator we are currently using is nasty. 

Now if only we could decide what we want to do about lighting and counter tops. Concrete counter tops was our first thought and then I changed my mind and wanted to go with butcher block. Now I am thinking concrete again.....suggestions?

• Our kitchen is really small and poorly designed. Therefore, we are unable to fit a table and set of chairs in there. We cut out a wall in the kitchen to make a bar but we really need a table and chairs as well. I recently remembered I saw a picture in a magazine {can't remember which one and how long ago...I'm thinking Country Living} where they had the dining set placed in the entrance of the home.

I'm thinking a rustic looking rectangular table with bench style seating placed in between the living room and kitchen may work. We shall see. One other option is to place a small round table behind our furniture in our living room. My mom did this in her house and it worked out nicely so that may be the way we have to go as well.... 

• When I went to my classroom today to gather a few things to bring home I found this propped against my computer. I was out Friday because of my sisters wedding and a sweet student left it for me to find. I love my 4th grade babies.

• Speaking of things to bring home. This is what I am working on tonight even though I told myself I would not be working over Labor Day weekend. Oh well...

• AR has become quit a character. She is saying the funniest things lately which will consume a later post.  However, tonight she was annoying the fire out of me so I told her she needed to go find something to do in her room and if she didn't want to play with anything then she needed to go through her toys and start throwing what she didn't want away. Surprisingly, she agreed and ran to her room for a clean sweep. After digging and deciding on what she thought was worth keeping, she came out with this...

The tiny batman figurine is not even hers nor is it Westin's. It was left here and mistakenly was placed in her room. When I told her to go back in her room and find something else to throw away she gave me a blank stare and said, "I can't here you Momma. Sorry Momma, I can't here you." Really??

• That's all for tonight...more to come later but my brain is tired. Roll Tide!