Fall/Winter Capsule Wardrobe

I've mentioned the idea of a "capsule wardrobe" before, but today... I actually went and created one on Polyvore. Talk about FUN. 

The prices of some of these items? Ha. Not exactly in my budget, but it gives me an idea of what sorts of items to be looking for. 

To clarify, no, this isn't what my closet looks like, and no, I don't own [only] three skirts or a pair of black skinny jeans. But this was nevertheless very inspiring, and what I'm definitely working towards. 

The American Eagle skinny jeans pictured are, in fact, what I own, and true to this Polyvore set, I own two pairs. So that part is true, at least. I couldn't own only two pairs of jeans, though, if I didn't wash clothes so often!

I hope you enjoy! Let me know if there are any "staples" that I'm missing... 

Fall/Winter Capsule Wardrobe by tricia-regar featuring beaded jewelry

Maurices plaid shirt
maurices.com

Diane Von Furstenberg blouse
$345 - graziashop.com

H M black shirt
$12 - hm.com

Saint James white shirt
halsbrook.com

Long sleeve tee
maykool.com

Pieces long sleeve top
$38 - pieces.com

Hobbs green top
$41 - houseoffraser.co.uk

Maurices plus size cardigan
maurices.com

Aéropostale 3 4 sleeve shirt
aeropostale.com

Maurices plus size top
maurices.com

Fly Girl black cardigan
yoox.com

American Eagle Outfitters white jeans
ae.com

American Eagle Outfitters blue jeans
ae.com

Halston Heritage long skirt
$275 - theoutnet.com

Jane Norman long skirt
$38 - janenorman.co.uk

Boden skirt
bodenusa.com

Frye knee high boots
6pm.com

Glitter Pink flat shoes
$44 - yoox.com

Black pumps
shein.com

Gorjana long necklace
nordstrom.com

Beaded jewelry
amazon.com

Gold jewelry
ylang23.com

Echo infinity scarve
nordstrom.com

Jasmine infinity scarve
zulily.com

Chan Luu scarve
theoutnet.com



Speaking of clothes and budgeting, I'm excited about a post that's in the works regarding just that. Something like, "How to Create a Stylish Fall Wardrobe when You Don't Have Any Money." (And no, I'm definitely not advocating credit cards.) Sounds intriguing, right? Stay tuned.

Basic Rules of Etiquette for Kids [in someone else's home]

I'm finding that as a mom, I have a general idea of what I should be teaching my kids (such as "please" and "thank you"), but there are some areas that I can easily forget about. For example, I may have thought of teaching our kids to be good hosts, but I hadn't put a lot of thought into our children being good guests. The sort of guest that people would want to invite over, and definitely the kind of guest that people wouldn't dread having back.

Although these rules of etiquette are pretty basic, I thought it would be a great reminder (for myself, first of all) of something else we can be working on with our children. 

I promise I won't make the list too long. The best way to work on these things is [definitely] going to be at home, because honestly, most of these are probably characteristics you want your kids to have at home.

Hopefully then if your child is in the habit of practicing these "rules" at home, then he/she will naturally adjust these principles in a host's home. 

When your child walks up to the host's home, ring the door bell (or knock) once or twice if necessary, but not repeatedly. (ding DONG ding DONG ding DONG...)

Say hello to the host. Look at their face (instead of down at their feet), and speak clearly.

Take off their shoes, unless they're told they don't need to.

Don't be overly loud or silly. Don't run inside.

If you've been playing outside, and you're coming inside, wash your hands.

Do not open the refrigerator, touch the host's phone, or get on the computer, unless you're given permission.

Ask where the bathroom is (instead of wandering around the house), close the door, flush when you're finished, and wash your hands.

If a door is closed, knock before entering. Never enter a bedroom unless you're invited inside. If you need to use the bathroom, and the door is closed, either knock or wait quietly outside.

If you create an accidental mess (let's say they drop something, and it shatters all over the floor), they need to run and tell either their parents or the host. Accept the responsibility for what happened, and ask what they can do to help clean it up.

If you need to ask the host something, and she (or he) is involved in a conversation, stand quietly until there's a break in the conversation, and then say "Excuse me."

If the parents aren't going to be present, then tell your child that the host is in charge. Within reason, they'll be making the rules, and your child should be expected to follow them (such as at a sleepover, if the parents say "lights out and stop talking," your child should do so.

If you're offered something you wouldn't like, say "No, thank you," instead of "I don't want that" or "I don't like that." Same would apply to if someone asks if you'd like to do something that you wouldn't prefer to.

After playing with toys or a game, clean it up. To the best of your ability, put all the pieces back exactly how you found them.

At the dinner table, do not dominate the conversation. If you need something, ask politely, but otherwise, sit quietly and eat your food. Stay seated at the table unless you've asked to be excused.

Don't touch anything (especially decor, books, furniture, movies, etc.) unless you've been given specific permission to.

If you are doing something, and the host asks you to stop, don't talk back. You're in their home; be respectful of their rules.

Don't climb on the couches, or jump off the coffee tables. Don't slam the doors.

And lastly, say thank you. Say thank you for the food, for being invited over, for all the time and effort the host may have put into your time in his/her home. 

I hope that list didn't overwhelm you. I certainly didn't mean it to! Generally, I think most of principles are deep-down about respect... respecting both others' privacy, and their property/possessions. 

This topic has definitely been something I've been thinking a lot about, and I was excited to share it with you! I'm sure there are more "basic rules of etiquette" that I missed... let me know if you think of some!

Guest Post for The Gender Experts Blog!

I know, I already published a post today, but I wanted to share this as well...

Recently I was contacted by The Gender Experts, asking if I might write a guest post for their blog. Although many of their blog posts deal with gender prediction and pregnancy, they graciously allowed me to write about motherhood in general... and specifically, how I feel like four kids has been easier for me than one was!

Yes, I've written about this before, but I chose this topic to revisit, because I love encouraging young moms! And though I'm still very new at mommy-ing myself, hopefully I can pass along what I've learned so far along the way. :)

Here's what I shared over at The Gender Experts Blog:



Looking back, I don't remember anything "easy" about being a first-time mom. Everything seemed to overwhelm me--the overfull diapers, the puddles of spit-up, and especially my daily chores, which never seemed to get done.

Then when Rachel was only 3.5 months old, I conceived our second daughter. Our son came fairly soon after that, followed by another daughter. And before we knew it, we had four kids, four and under.
The transitions between kids weren't easy at first. I'd guess my hardest adjustment was probably going from 1 to 2 kids (especially because they were so close together!), and I remember crying a lot the first month after Matthias (#3) was born.

So understandably, you can see why I was a little nervous about adding a fourth baby to our already busy family! My days as a stay-at-home mom were full, just caring with three small children. How could I add a fourth child, without surrendering our house to complete chaos?

But much to my surprise (and relief), we welcomed our fourth baby with [relative] peace and calm! The tears were few, and within the first couple months, I was feeling better and more on top of my "life" than I ever had before as a mom. I felt completely comfortable taking care of four children, and I even had the time to start "officially" homeschooling my two oldest.

Happy as I was, I was also a bit shocked to realize that four kids was somehow easier for me than one had been. This of course led me to wonder: why? Shouldn't I be four-times more stressed-out and overwhelmed?

Now Caroline (our youngest) is nearing a year old, and although we have plenty of bad days, and moments where I feel like I'm drowning, I'm still convinced that this time around, life has been easier for me than it ever was before.

I'm sure you're as curious to hear the why, as I was to try to figure it out for myself! We are still growing and learning (always the goal, right?), but here's what I've come up with so far...

1. I have five years of experience in the mommy-hood world now! I don't need to be nervous about changing diapers, considering how many hundreds (thousands?) I've changed. I've tried out many different ideas (I can't tell you how many laundry methods I've tried), and found which ones work best for our family. I've made many mistakes, and hopefully learned from them!

Also, the more I've learned, the more relaxed I am about certain areas of motherhood. Breaking up fights and nap-times and changing diapers and feeding multiple kids has become less of a "big deal" and more of a every-day-all-day-long occurrence. 2. We teach our kids obedience, and strive to be consistent with this. I just mentioned above about being "relaxed" when it comes to motherhood. Having the kids obey me, though, is something I've definitely become more insistent on. Whether the kids are standing in a parking lot, or riding their bikes in our driveway (which is next to the street), they know that they need to listen to my voice and obey the first time I ask them to do something. The best way I've taught them this is with an obedience "game" where the kids are in a different part of the house, I call their names, and they yell, "Yes, Mom!!" and come running to me. If your kids know that you expect them to listen and obey, it will make your life as a mom THAT much easier.

3. The older kids are learning to help around the house! They sort and put away their own laundry, make their bed, they can load and unload the dishwasher (we use plastic dishes!), and (possibly the kids' favorite) they can operate a hand vacuum! Obviously, the floor isn't going to look as crumb-free as if I had vacuumed, and their quilt is almost always crooked on their bed, but I'm still thrilled with their efforts! And it gives them a sense of accomplishment, too. "Look what I was able to do!"

4. I don't worry about the kids needing me to entertain them: they entertain each other. Almost everything my kids do, they do together. They build blanket tents, and block castles, and they chop papers to shreds. Now that Caroline can crawl and play, too, there will often be moments that all four of them are playing together, and I'm able to work on whatever's most pressing at the time.

5. Lastly, I think motherhood has gotten easier for me, the more I embrace that this is my life. I've gotten used to the idea that it's "normal" to type and hold a baby at the same time, or breast-feed while reading to the other kids piled around me. I think once a mother realizes that there's no other task more important in her life, or more worth her time, than investing in these little people... then I think motherhood somehow becomes easier. Of course, not everything is easier with four than with one. Such as, grocery shopping--or buckling and unbuckling car seats! But while I feel like with multiple children, there is more noise, more crying, more arguments... there is also more laughter and snuggles and fun times.

I can say without a doubt that I enjoy being a mom more than I ever have before. But what would I say to the new mom, perhaps who is feeling the way I did when my first was a baby?

I wish I could give you a hug, and say that everything will be okay! Don't be afraid to make mistakes or to ask for help! If you feel like there's so much you need to learn, or you're feeling inadequate, just know... this is normal. I am sure every mom has gone through this. You have many wonderful years ahead of you as a mother! And I certainly hope for you, the same that has been true for me... that the road of motherhood will gradually get easier.

I hope you enjoyed this post! And while you're sitting at the computer (or reading on your phone :)), go check out The Gender Experts, especially if you're expecting a baby... and you're curious as to the gender! Using an ultrasound scan, they're able to predict your baby's gender as early as 6 weeks old!

Well, that's all from me for today. Have a great weekend!

Downstairs Half-bathroom Remodel

When we moved into this house, our downstairs half-bathroom was in the top-five worst-looking spots in the house.

It was covered in outdated, pink wallpaper, the floor was ripped, and the faucet + sink just. looked. bad. "Neglected" is actually a great word for this room. It didn't look like it had had any care for quite some time.

Last year, a week before Caroline was born, my mom and youngest sister stayed up very late at our house, peeling down the wallpaper and repainting the room white. The absence of the wallpaper obviously made a huge difference for the better, but the room still needed some attention.

Matt started by ripping everything OUT (toilet, vanity, medicine cabinet, and flooring). The most time-consuming part of this job was definitely removing the glue from underneath the linoleum floor. We scraped, we sanded, we poured boiling water in an attempt to loosen the glue, we did more scraping... Finally the floor was flat enough to start laying the new flooring.

Once the floor was laid, the fun began. Shopping for and buying the vanity, faucet, white hand towel, mirror, decor... that's all the "best part" for me. It's SO exciting to watch a room go from outdated and ripped-apart to new and clean and fresh!

 

 

 

 

 

One by one, we are crossing off areas of our house that need updated! Downstairs half-bath complete, we are off to the next project!

Source List

Paint: Valspar Ultra White
Vanity and faucet: Lowe's
Mirror: Walmart
Soap dispenser and hand towel: TJ Maxx
Decor: Hobby Lobby

I'm Furthering My Education

Back in the days when I'd recently graduated highschool, when I would tell people that I was not attending college, I think most of them assumed that my education was over. Sometimes I'd go on to explain that I was still learning... just not in an actual school building.

As a matter of fact, I hurried through my final highschool courses because my post-graduation goal (at the time) was to read and write for hours a day. Feminism in the United States intrigued me, and I remember standing in front of the "feminism" section of our local library, staring at the hundreds of books with that subject, and thinking, "I want to read every. single. one."

And I gave it my best attempt, too.

So no, even though I wasn't enrolled anywhere, I kept researching and writing and learning. 

Because I don't think, no matter what my age or what I'm doing in life, there's ever going to be a time when I'll want my education to be over.

Sure, when Rachel and Jemima were super little, and I was pregnant with Matthias, I was probably doing more "surviving" than "learning" every single day, but there are stages for everything, and I'm definitely entering a stage where I feel like I'm "furthering my education" more than I have for years.

There are two main reasons why this is so. The first one is probably obvious, and that is... I'm homeschooling two-going-on-three kids.

I discovered that once you start teaching your children, you realize how much you've forgotten or... how much you never knew! As soon as I started reading to the kids about figures in history, I found myself continually going, "That happened THEN? Before THAT war? She did WHAT?!"

And THEN, we discovered the documentaries on Netflix and Youtube. Often in the afternoons (when most of our "work" is done for the day), we'll sit and watch shows (or short videos) about a National Park, or animals, volcanoes, the Holocaust, ships and why they sink, the "Men Who Built America" (Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, etc.), the US Presidents, the Easter Island statues, and so on.  

The exciting part is that we are learning together--Mom and Kids. 

Ok, and the second reason why I've been researching and "educating myself" is... I'm a homemaker who happens to be making decisions all day long. If I want our house to run smoothly and efficiently, I'm going to need to do some research! Three easy examples here would be food, clothing, and our house. 

Planning meals, shopping for groceries, and preparing healthy and yummy foods, three times a day, for 6 people, 7 days a week, is a fairly big responsibility all by itself.

And honestly, I don't love cooking. I'm constantly searching for inspiration and trying new ideas and methods (whether it be freezer cooking, gluten-free every now and then, or whatever).  

Onto clothing. We had a couple chilly mornings and evenings last week, and I realized that I was responsible for the fall and winter wardrobes for four children. When I'm looking for clothing for the kids, I'm considering how warm it will be, if it's good quality, how stylish it is, and... how I can achieve all of that for the best prices. 

I'm not done yet, but I've already spent hours researching the best brands and looking into capsule wardrobes for the kids. I want simple, inexpensive, and yet stylish for the kids, and this takes time!  

And lastly, our house. So we bought a fixer-upper, which means that almost every room has needed some sort of renovation project. Matt's the one who does most of the heavy work, but he also has a full-time day job, which means... it's often up to me to figure out what we'll do with each room. I read tutorials and reviews and stare at before-and-after pictures and watch the Property Brothers. Since it's in the back of our mind that one day we'll sell this house (once we're done renovating it), I got very excited about home staging (for whenever the time comes), and I've watched as many videos on Youtube as I could find on how to stage your home before selling it.

I love this sort of education, because it's very pertinent to what I'm doing now in my life. I'm teaching my children science and history... and learning alongside them. I'm discovering ways to bless my household (and all who live in it), based on our needs now and what my interests are. 

What I described here is obviously going to look different for every mom out there, but I'd encourage you--even you moms of little ones!--keep reading and discovering and learning. Your education is a life-long event!

Seven Ways to Style a Striped Dress [Toddler Girl Edition]

You've all heard of the capsule wardrobe concept, right? Basically you have 10 (or however many) basic pieces that can be mixed and matched to create many awesome, creative outfits! It's such a fun idea, and--more importantly, it would help with the frustration that comes from picking out a fantastic skirt or pair of jeans, and then not knowing what top would match it!

Summer is hard on kids' clothes (with all the playing outside in the dirt!), and I knew I'd gotten rid of a few of the girls' tops as the summer went along. But, I had no idea how bad this situation had gotten until we were leaving for the afternoon, and one of the girls announced that she didn't have any tops to wear. I opened her drawer, and she must've had 10 (or more!) skirts and shorts, and not a single presentable shirt. 

With the cooler weather coming, I decided it was high time I re-did the girls' wardrobes. And because I had to buy clothes anyway, I decided to give the "capsule wardrobe" idea a try. 

I didn't go completely hard-core, but I did find around six tops, and four or five skirts or shorts that could be easily interchanged to create some cute outfits! 

I also had the idea to find one item that could be could be styled in a variety of ways, to make it appropriate for summer and fall! That's when I found this striped dress. It was exactly what I was looking for!

It's cute all by itself with sandals, or with a fun bubble necklace!

No one would guess it's the same dress, if it's tucked into a bright skirt!

Here's some fun belt action, along with mint-colored leggings...

I especially love how this dress is a perfect transitional piece between summer and fall. Layer a long-sleeved shirt and sleeveless jacket or a cardigan, and you're still looking fresh and bright but with the right amount of warmth for the cooler weather. 

I love how many fun printed leggings there are to choose from. Pair the dress with some cute leggings and BOOTS and you're definitely ready for fall!

And finally, the classic jean jacket, some gray tights, and matching accessories. This ensemble looks completely different from the first summer-y outfit, and yet at the heart of all these outfits is the same basic, striped dress! 

I hope you enjoyed these seven ways to style a striped dress! Even if you don't have a toddler girl to dress, I'm sure you could use these principles to style your own clothing. 

Happy Friday, folks!

A Tale of Two Couches

[For those of you who also read M is for Mama, I already had thought of my title before she published her latest post. And she clearly had better luck than I did... but I'm getting ahead of myself.]

I wasn't looking for couches, when I saw that set of "Brand New Gray Leather" couches, advertised on a local Yard Sale Group. 

I had so much fun re-doing our master bedroom, that I was planning to fix up our downstairs one day, too... including switching out our fabric, red-and-green couches (that are super comfortable, smell awesome, recline AND have foot rests) for something more modern--specifically gray, leather couches. 

But couches are expensive, and I had no intention of buying "new" ones any time. Until, of course, I saw this set of "brand new" couches, which looked exactly like what I'd been wanting!!

Excitedly, I began writing back and forth with the owner, only to find out that this set was NEW, never sat on, and she was selling them for one-fifth of the original price. I couldn't believe our good luck!

My plan was to sell our current couches for MORE than what we'd buy these leather couches for, and use the difference to buy some decor to fix off the downstairs' new "look." My hope was that we wouldn't spend ANY money on the downstairs remodel, or--at the most--$100.

We went to look at the couches, and I missed all the warning signs. The owner said she'd never had animals in her townhome, and when she smoked, it was always outside. I can blame the circumstances... the room was dark, I was very pumped, the lady seemed nice. Considering how much she said she'd paid for this set (and how it had NEVER been sat on!), I thought we were getting an incredible deal.

So we bought them. The second they entered our garage, though, we smelled the awful, terrible smell coming from these couches. But I was still excited. They looked great, right? 

But we couldn't get past that smell. I researched how to remove a smoke smell from leather couches, and we got to work. 

I dumped three boxes of baking soda all over those couches, mixed in some coffee grounds, and went to bed for the night.

By the next morning, I'll admit--the smell was MUCH better. I got a bucket of vinegar water and Rachel, Jemima, Matthias and I worked for several hours, wiping down every inch of those beautiful couches.

We repeated the wipe-down-the-couches process with Saddle Soap. By now, the couches were seriously smelling better... but still. Not appropriate for sitting on, hanging out, relaxing, you get the idea.

While removing the cushions, I found the original tag, and called the manufacturer of these couches.

And... Bang. These couches originally cost nothing like what the owner had claimed. These were cheap couches. 

But we figured that one out on our own, after Rachel climbed onto one of them, in her flip-flops, and nicked the fabric. Sad day.

By now, we'd concluded these couches were NOT for us. Besides the smell (which we couldn't fully get rid of), they weren't durable enough to stand the daily wear-and-tear from small children.

So I listed them for sale. But I felt I'd been deceived, and I didn't want to be anything less than fully honest with anyone. I advertised this set as (what they were): From a smoker (and possibly) pet home. 

Guess what. No one wants them. I first advertised them as the price we purchased them, and no one was remotely interested. So I lowered the price--and again, and again. It's a real possibility that we may be listing these gray leather couches as FREE, or (at best) making $100 off them--just to get them out of our garage.

Considering how I love being frugal, and how much I watch our finances, this was a blow. If I were pregnant, I would've been a crying mess. Since I'm not, I just thought about crying, and wanted to cry--and couldn't. 

On the bright side, I've learned three [very expensive] lessons from this whole process.

1. Don't buy a couch that smells bad--whatever the price. I had no idea how difficult it was to remove cigarette smoke from leather furniture, but yes, it's difficult. Hours of my life are lost in cleaning, and they still reek.

2. Even if it means you have to act awkwardly, if you're offering a wad of serious cash for couches, it's definitely worth the time and effort to sit on them and lay on them and smell them and remove the cushions and turn on all the brightest lights around to get the best look possible. And only then, if you're fully satisfied, offer your cash.

3. If you think a room of your house "needs something," it might not necessarily be the most expensive items IN that room, i.e., the couches in your family room.

And here's where I come to the happy part in this whole story. While preparing our family room for the "new look," my mom and I removed the black, broken blinds on the windows and painted the dark-colored trim white. Already, this [free] project made that wall look SO much brighter! 

After we realized we were keeping our original couches, though, our windows needed some sort of window treatment--as now the light was pouring in, and there was no privacy.

I really wanted curtains that looked modern, but still somehow matched our current couches.... and yet, were neutral enough to match any couches (whenever we would find replacement couches).

I had no idea if this was possible, until I saw these in the curtain aisle at Target...

White curtains, with a pretty gold-dotted pattern. Modern, neutral, will match couches present and future. EXACTLY what I wanted!

As soon I ironed the curtain panels, and Matt hung them, I realized these long, light-colored, pretty curtains was what this room needed. Not necessarily new couches, at least not right this minute. Why, oh why, did I not think of this before we paid for the couches?!

But without the purchase of those gray, leather couches, I wouldn't have learned these lessons. And hopefully, I won't soon forget them.

Life Lately

I haven't typed here for so long, that I'm having trouble even remembering what font I normally use.

But "usual" font or no, it was high-time for an update on the blog. 

A New Job

Our biggest news is this: after 5 years of Matt working [mostly] afternoon shift at the FBI, he has become a Property Manager here in town. What does this practically mean for him?

No more 50 minute-long commutes.
No more getting home at 2 AM.
A new job, with [of course] new challenges and opportunities!

You can imagine this has been a big transition for Matt, but it's obviously effected our whole [small] family. The biggest adjustment so far has been Matt's new schedule--leaving in the mornings (as opposed to sleeping in), coming home for lunch (I know, right?!), and then having him home in the evenings. I haven't enjoyed Matt's company (and help!) consistently in the evenings since having children. It wasn't easy in the evenings, but I had gotten used to the whole dinner/bedtime routine/several hours alone by myself before MY bedtime.

So this is very different.

I'd say our biggest struggle so far (if you could call it that) is what to do in the evenings. By the time we've put the kids to bed, we are both tired, and yet we want to use our next couple hours wisely (i.e., not watching Netflix). Because of Matt's new job requirements, we started reading How To Win Friends and Influence People, and we're really enjoying it so far. The author is so knowledgeable about both people and history, I felt 100% smarter after only reading one chapter!

House Projects

On hold for the moment. Sunday afternoon, we wrote up a list of all the specific remodeling "needs" our house has, and eventually we need to keep working through that list. Unfortunately, almost all of those remodeling projects requires $$ (example: remodel bathroom. Remodel kitchen. Replace garage door. Etc.)

There were some bushes that needed torn out, and Saturday afternoon (with the help of Kiddos 1, 2, and 3) we started cutting them down and bagging them up. Although it was ridiculously hot out, chopping up bushes still felt relaxing to me. I love working when I can see instant results--not something that often happens when you're a mom. 

[snack on the front lawn]

Homeschooling

This is something I'm very excited about. Not every single day, but in general, I'm pumped about teaching my kids. Rachel just turned 5, and she's already doing school work in two different grades. I remember this well from when I was homeschooled, and I'd stare at people confused when they asked what grade I was in. "I'm in sixth grade math, fifth grade science, seventh grade English..." 

I'm loving ABeka from what I've done with it so far. To supplement, we practice flashcards every day (numbers and letters for Jemima, addition for Rachel, US Presidents for both girls), and I just created a YouTube playlist of educational songs for them to listen through while they're coloring! (Speaking of flashcards--which I'm in love with--I found the US Presidents cards in the $1 section at Target! I've heard there are also Famous Landmarks and Space flashcards, which I'm going to be looking into buying ASAP. I guess I'm just a flashcards fan.)

[school time]

Since I wasn't able to find a history and geography textbook that I liked for the girls' age levels, I decided on simply finding and reading library books that dealt with countries or people throughout history. We've read about Helen Keller, Christopher Columbus, Joan of Arc, Daniel Boone, and Anne Frank. It's embarrassing how much basic history I'd forgotten already! I'm learning along with the girls.

[Matthias and Caroline hanging out while I work with the girls]

There's an update for now. Oh yeah, and last week, we took advantage of Chik-Fil-A's Cow Appreciation Day, and received something like $35 worth of free food! Woo-hoo!