stuff i saw this week.....

this was not my breakfast but i wish it was.
this looks DELISH.

...................................................


this laundry room makes me happy.
the yellow is perfection.
................................................... 

blowing my mind!!!
in every way. 
i LOVE this shark watermelon.    
i think maybe this would be a rad way to start the summer....carving a shark head.  YES! 

...................................................


does this make you smile???
it does for me.
i am going to make these too!

...................................................


i can't believe that this is her real hair.....but i love it.
i wonder what her profession is that allows this hair??
something that is free spirited for sure.
it's pretty amazing...i think it's because of the pink that i love it so much.

...................................................

i forgot to tell you that as of spring break this year my kids have been doing
all of their own laundry.


i am so happy about this.
they are in charge of it.
if they want clean socks then they need to think about it....
if they need their uniform clean....they had better make sure it's clean.
LIFE SKILLS baby.
they also benefit because we don't have to have family folding nights.
if you wash your own clothes then you only have to fold your own clothes!
 
one of you blog readers were the one who said that you do this and i would love it.
well YOU WERE RIGHT! 

i help annie by putting it in the dryer for her because she is too short.
but otherwise even annie brings it downstairs, washes, folds and puts it away on her own.

 

...................................................

annie came into my dark bedroom to my bed and woke me up to ask if she could have oatmeal.
i sleepily said yes.
"mom....i can't remember how to make it."
i said "yes you do....2 of the 1/3 measuring cups of water and microwave for one-five-zero."

"please can you help me mom?"

"ok....i will be right there"

 i am glad i went.

it's not oatmeal.

HA.

 

........................................................
 

here are our babies this morning....in one day they grew SO much...and have teeny feathers too.
sadly the day that the third was hatching was the last we've seen of it.
there is no third baby any where to be found. 
bummer.

i found this sweet short video on youtube of a robin hatching.
you can pretend it's our robin because it looks the same.
it was interesting to see the mama take the shell after they hatch....where?  where does it go? 
i am going to find out these facts.
and we are going to craft about it for sure!

 

 

happy friday!

Comments

[amy b.]

ok,so now I'm craving french toast...and rainbow hair! And we are outta bread!Dang it!

[Carla G]

Thank you for the new birdie picture. And for finding the video! Very thoughtful, Mrs. D.! School children everywhere will appreciate it! :)

[Jen]

Hi Meg!

I wondered if you could tell me where you found the "french toast kebob" recipie....my daughter is
graduating from high school next week and we are having some family stay with us. This would be
perfect for breakfast.
Thanks,
Jen

[Judy@Considering the Options]

Ok! I think I'm gonna try it...the laundry thing, not the rainbow hair:). I don't think I'm a rainbow hair kind of girl.
I have three teenage boys and LOTS of laundry! The oldest does his own sometimes because he hates his clothes being lost in the abyss that is our laundry piles. Once clothes go in they can be lost for weeks! It is the biggest source of my frustration in our home. I think one of my boys may go everywhere in the same outfit...for a while. Or, maybe it will be me with no clothes to wear?! That would awful. And would probably make my guys laugh:).
Thanks for the motivation!

[Christine]

When I read there was no third baby, I really was sad. I'm curious too where she takes the shells?

And the watermelon shark is too cool. :)

[Terrie]

My nephews are with me this weekend and I was leaning towards chocolate chip pancakes....but man those french toast kabobs look awesome! And what's up with baby #3? Seriously gone?? Strange and sad...

[Sarah Wolfe]

Wow. Love that shark head too. Maybe for a beach party??!!
Love the laundry idea for my boys as they get older.

[kerry]

These pics have all made me smile ;-)

Meg you have added happiness to my day ! Thank you so o o much. Happy Friday to you too x

[Lelia]

So, I was hungry when I first started reading this post .... then I watched the hatching video - yikes!!! That was kind of ... weird - for lack of a better word! I don't like birds much though, but I am intrigued - where does the mama take the egg shells??? Happy weekend!

[Cindy]

The "oatmeal" CRACKED ME UP!!!

[sarah]

i used to wake my mom up to ask what the weather was going to be like. i know one day my payback will come... hopefully it has a funny ending like your "oatmeal" story

[shelly]

Ok...if little Annie can do it, my boys sure the heck can...but what happens when they wash a crayon...or toilet paper (don't ask...I don't even want to know)

Love the shark watermelon!! Just need an excuse to make one :)

[Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails]

What a great post- F.T.Kebabs(gotta try em!), rainbow hair(I flippin LOVE it but would never do it), that laundry room(I have it pinned in Pinterest myself...total LR envy here), the shark watermelon(so fun, esp for a pool party!), Annie doing her own laundry(go Mama Meg!), the birdies( I almost cried when you said the 3rd one is nowhere to be found...sniff sniff) and the onion soup mix/oatmeal story...awesome.
Have a wonderful weekend!
xo,
Sarah

[Leah]

That's great about the laundry! My daughter is only 3, but I've started getting her involved by having her bring her laundry down and she puts it in the washer. We make it a fun thing to do. Hopefully she'll still think it's fun when she gets older!

[Jemm]

That hair is amazing! I would love to have the kabob recipe too. Yum! And I think I'm going to make granola and buy some clementines and mangoes to have on my yogurt!! :) Fun random post.

[Jodi @ The Un-Soccermom Blog]

Okay... that video freaks me out a bit.

And now... I MUST paint my laundry room walls yellow.

Hurray for your kids doing their own laundry!!! It's high time I teach Christen, she's a senior in HS and will be moving out next summer to attend college. She needs to learn. :o)

[Kate S.]

We have a bird garden and the birds greatly appreciate it. Every year robins nest in the Silver Maple there, above a large stone birdbath. And, every year, I find the cracked robin's eggs in the birdbath . . . a sweet little sign the chicks have hatched: ) Supposedly, the robins are supposed to carry the eggshells and fecal matter far away from the nest to help deter predators from finding their hatchlings, but ours seem to figure the birdbath below is far enough.

[elisa]

Great post.....you sure saw a lot of stuff this week.

Love the video, can't wait for the kids to get out of school so I can show them.

[happygirl]

Love the post. Awesome mom teaching of life skills. Laundry on their own. Perfection. And now, all I can think of is mango.

[Esther Dee]

what a great Friday post!!!! little bits of everything from food to decor to baby birds!!! Happy Friday Meg <3

[Mandy]

Oh how I wish we werent STILL having those family laundry folding nights! I also have five kids, so I know the amount of clothes we're talking about here. Ahhh, maybe this summer they can begin to learn this task, only two weeks of school left, hooray!

[Heather R.]

Love the rainbow hair. I let our girls get a couple of strands of colored hair put in for the summer only. They think they are cool. I'm glad you went and checked out the oatmeal situation. LOL. AND I'm so all over the do your own laundry. Great idea. Are you doin' your summer list this year? Love the shark head, and birdies, too. :)

[Karen]

Oh how funny (the onion packet)! And just today I was thinking (while dealing with mounds of laundry), this is silly - one person taking care of 5 people's laundry. Not silly... INSANE! So I will be training my troops this weekend!!! Yay for me!!! I think I will be making the French toast kabobs this weekend too! Thanks for sharing! Have a happy weekend!

[Jenny B.]

The laundry. Wow. I am in awe. I have hope for the future! Too funny about the "oatmeal." I didn't even notice the words on the package until you said it wasn't oatmeal. :) Oh, and I'm pinning that laundry room!

[alamama]

Meg, I know I don't comment here much but I read your blog ALL of the time. Anyway, the kids and I just made silhouettes, inspired by you. Here's the blog post: http://pressedpetals.blogspot.com/2011/05/profile-of-inspiration.html
Have a great day!

[Tam]

HI Meg, I believe Kate S. (above) is right about the egg shells. We have a robin family nesting on my truck tire and I found the egg shells in my melon patch about 50 feet away from the nest.

I love the colored hair, for the last three months I've had some of my hair dyed (teal and now purple, next hot pink) it's fun and unexpected! I love it.

You are an awesome, inspring Mama-I'm going to teach my boys laundry this weekend!

The food looks delicious, thanks for sharing! :)

Have a great weekend.

[sara @ it's good to be queen]

wow, i'm impressed with how independent your kids are. i'm thinking i need to give my kids some more responsibility. thanks!

[Terrie]

P.S. - Thanks for stopping by! Sorry it made you cry...if it's any consolation...I cry every time I read it too, and I wrote the darn thing! LOL!! I'll say it again...you are easy to be kind to! I LOVE your blog...I can't tell you how many days you have perked me up with your pictures and words. I went back and got 'caught up' so to speak. It's a little sad, your blog was my before bed read. My husband is probably glad though...'cause now I don't wake him up with my laughing out loud!! Seriously...thanks for your kind words! hugs!

[Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode]

I don't think it was me that gave you the idea of having your kids do their own laundry, but mine do too. I used to feel guilty, like I'm a bad mom for making them do their own, but it really is a great thing. Not only do I not have the burden of making sure it gets all done and keeping track of what they need when they need it, i.e. baseball uniforms, etc., it does give them life skills and responsibility. I think we are actually good moms for having them learn to do their own. Yay for you Meg, good mom award! P.S. that is a really fun watermelon monster...might have to try that one!

[julia]

So, when are you going to do your hair like that?? It would probably make a hair dresser cry.

What do you think happened to the third baby? Sad and strange.

[Su@The Intentional Home]

an older mom of 6 told me the secret of each kid keeping their laundry basket in their own room. .and then each doing their own clothes. . .it has transformed my life!!! We used to all just throw our clothes down this laundry shoot and a mountain would grow in the basement. . not anymore. I sometimes will do a load for a kid as a special way to love up on them. . .but even that is way easier cause you do not have to sort and try to figure out whose socks are whose. . .I love this laundry system!!! And yes, our kids will leave the house knowing how to do laundry!! Thanks for your regular posts. . I stop in almost daily. . .love the inspiration and happiness.

[Holly]

My kids are starting their own laundry also. Its good.
That first picture with the fruit and yogurt....yummo!

[erica]

omgoodness! i am so trying to make that shark for the last day of school party!
thankyou:)
you're the bomb for the laundry!
laughing about the oatmeal:)

[katie]

just watched that video (and saw annie doing her OWN laundry) with my 5 year old. we were both very impressed by both. i was explaining to her what "instinct" means...like how the mommy bird knows to take the shell out of the nest. too bad it doesn't mean that kids automatically know how to do/want to do laundry.

[Dawn]

I love the food. So creative and fun. Also I have loved looking at all the bird photos. Thanks for those.

[becky@oursweetpeas]

"did I ever tell you you're my hero"

kids doing laundry LOVE LOVE LOVE it

mine are 10 months, 4 years and 4 years but they help me as much as I can stand (not the 10 month old) :)

seriously meg, that is "wind beneath my wings" stuff, sister!!!!

amen!

[Jenna]

Hello Meg!

I am new to your blog, and I'm lovin' the oatmeal story! Can't wait to read more :)

Jenna
momofmanyhats.blogspot.com

[Cassie]

I totally saw that rainbow hair on Pinterest a few days ago and thought of you! :)

Cassie
lifethroughthislens.blogspot.com

[Karmen]

The mother (and father) clean the nest! Crazy! Not only do they take away the eggs once they've hatched... they clean the poo too! I included our story in the link with my name, we just saw our first 2 babies leave the nest successfully!

[Mrs.]

I know it's weird but we have a collection of robin's eggs in my family. When we are out for a walk or anything, if we see them, we pick them up. I will e-mail you a photo.

[Amy Petz]

I can only go from personal experience with our pet chickens, but I think the mama ate the shell. Our chickens do it all the time, but maybe robins are more sophisticated than that.

[Quinn]

I found your answer... unless someone else already posted it hhahahah.

"The female robin could not have moved the chicks to a different location. However,
adult robins will try to detour predators from their nest site if they can by using
a fake injury behavior as if the females wing was broken, or make a lot of noise
and lead the animal away from the nest. Females will even remove the egg shells
after hatching to a far away location and collect the fecal pouches the young
deposit and drop them far from the nest site. Both of these behaviors are to
avoid detection of the nest site. Yes, the young birds deposit their waste in
little pouches! "
(via. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00904.htm)

[Karmen]

In response to Quinn's post... It is amazing to see (although it's poop)... they position their little bottoms toward the outside of the nest! Then when mom (or dad) comes to feed - they clean the nest too!! These birds are fantastic!

[Michele]

That laundry room could be my happy place, for real. The watermelon shark is rad. I don't think I've used the word rad in 10 yrs. I may just need to bring it back to my vocab. If Annie accidentally ate the onion soup instead of oatmeal she may have never ever wanted oatmeal again. That experience just might ruin a person. Glad you stopped that from happening. Have a great weekend, Meg!

[Natasha]

Thought you might like to make these for your robin-inspired crafty thing... your nest photos reminded me of them. http://oakhillsacademy.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/im-nesting/

[Stephanie]

We did that exact shark watermelon about 2 years ago, I saw it in the newspaper and my husband said he could do it. We made it for a party and had to transport it (that was kinda hard). It sat on my lap the whole drive to the friends house!! Hit of the party though!!

[Danielle]

I love the french toast kabobs! We did those for my husband on Father's Day a few years ago and were a big hit:) I saw a lady at the grocery store today that had rainbow hair and it looked totally cute! I think you should still do the pink:)

[lindsey]

Hello Meg,
I just wanted to let you know how much your blog means to my wife, Lindsey. Our entire family, including 4 foster children we love as our own, has been through a lot in this past year. Nobody has bore more of the burden than my wife. She is the glue that holds our entire immediate and extended family together, a true example of a "salt of the earth" woman who exudes love to everyone. We lost a very beloved brother in law to a long, tough battle with cancer. He was 22 and only married to my sister in law for 6 months. My wife is/was the main person taking care of her sister in this very tragic situation. Her sisters situation continues to be a struggle. We then found out our babies (then our 5th foster child) mother was murdered, and after caring for him for nearly a year he went back to an uneasy situation, to put it best. We continue to struggle with that reality. Lindsey's very beloved grandmother also died amidst this mess. All of this while opening a new business. But God is Love, and God is good, and he continues to be with our family. You just never know how big of an impact your blog, or any other act of random kindness, can have. You have been a friend without knowing it, thank you for that. I have a story for you, from page 262 of The Hole in The Gospel, by Richard Stearns. But it won't fit here, so i am not going to type it. But it is about the conversion of Billy Graham. Please read it sometime.
Thanks for Everything and May God bless you and yours,
Dan

[x♥x♥, gina]

LOVE the laundry idea - the best part would be the no mountains of laundry to fold!!! And I bet it would cut down on number of outfit changes per day - I have four girls -the number is RIDICULOUSLY high!!!

[Molly]

In case you wanted to see more of the rainbow hair, here is her photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisely-chosen/

[Rachel Newswanger]

The laundry room--awesome! The rainbow hair--eww. Tell me how a mother robin can just bop around the nest & poke & prod & her baby thrives, but whenever bb birds were discovered in my childhood we could never keep'em alive, even the best of efforts. Must be God.

[Erica]

So, I clicked on the picture of the french toast, then clicked on the picture again, then clicked on the link in that post, then read the original author's post, but she never says exactly how she made those french toast kabobs. I assume she just made regular french toast and then cut it up and stuck it on. They must have been cold by the time she served them. The bridal shower she made them for looked awesome, though!

I love seeing what people link to in their blogs. The bloggy world is getting so big; there are so many fun things I would never see otherwise. Thanks for sharing, Meg!

[Christie-Childhood 101]

That shark is awesome! My three year old loves watermelon and would love a shark like that :)

[mandi@herbanhomestead]

Wow! that video is awesome! The mama taking the egg shells- that explains why I sometimes find robin's eggs in random places, with no trees about! I think they must just dump them wherever to keep the nest clean.

Oh- and french toast kabobs! Genius! That is going on my birthday breakfast list for my little buddy!

[Karen Lehmann]

YOU MAKE MY DAYS HAPPY :) that is all. oh..except.... Can a person who is not crafty but wants to learn to be crafty come to the craft weekend? just checking. {insert giggle}

[Jessica Jackson]

Are you on Pinterest? I would love to follow you if you are. :) I've seen that rainbow braid on there is why I ask. And oh lordy, when my babies are old enough for laundry it.is.on!

[ashley jensen]

First I have to tell you my husband took me to Target to buy a new purse and I picked up this cute yellow bag. When we got home with it I thought it looked familiar and sure enough it is the same one you got from The Pleated Poppy (only without the cute flowers)! Second, my inlaws have a birds nest that had 7 eggs (3 blue and 4 brown) and now there are just 3 babies. No sign of the brown eggs or birds. It makes me wonder if there were 2 different birds going to the same nest.

[Jennifer Rubeck]

I love this shark watermelon!!! My son is a huuuuge sea life/shark fan. He is going to love this. Thanks for posting it.

[elisa]

You have been on pinterest- I marked that shark watermelon too. Love it!