Peaceless Poop

I'll bet that title got your attention...

it's why you're here.

If you are a mommy,
than you know that alone time is precious.
Wanna know one of my wishes for MY New Year?
This year I would like more ME time.
I'm not talking hours and hours...
Maybe just minutes.
Selfish?
I don't think so.
I am not talking about the few minutes
spent at the sewing machine
while I am in the midst of running
(more like trotting, I have VERY short stumpy legs)
from preschool to tweenschool,
wolfing down one,
two, or fourteen cups of coffee,
cramming a Nutri-grain bar in my mouth
and running back to the sewing machine
to get a couple orders out.
I am talking unadulterated, quiet time.
What is that you may ask?
I know Mamas,
it's a foreign concept to me too.
If you are a mom,

you know that quiet time consists
of hiding in the bathroom
with a chocolate bar while your mini invaders
knock incessantly on the door.
That's what I call Mommy vacation.

At least you know that they are all right
and staying out of trouble....
they are still knocking on the door.
Peaceless poop.
Then comes the horrid day
when they don't knock on the door any more.
You know in your heart of hearts that it is way too quiet,
and for goodness sake, you better hurry.
I have visions of sugary icing chocolate face,
a gallon of spilled milk all over the kitchen floor,
toddler hair cuts,
and my purse in shambles on the floor...
because they would die,
immediately, without a piece of gum.
Then there are days when they run around in circles.
I can hear their pounding feet and chirpy little voices
from my semi-potty peacefulness .
Our old, old, old, cabin is built in a circle.
It is just begging
for socks to be sliding through the kitchen,
and for the toddler, the tween, and the dog
to play "chase me! chase me!".
I imagine that children played
the same game 100 years ago in this house.
They were probably much quieter...
making sure not to fall over the butter churn
and the pot belly stove.
Old cabin Mom had to go outside to hide in the potty.
Ewwww.....and brrrrr.......
In super long skirts.
Not pretty I am sure.
Now THAT is desperate quiet time.
This year, I am determined to have
more than the few minutes
of quiet time spent on the potty,
or hiding in the shower.Between the curtain being pulled aside
because a certain adorable toddler needs a tiny barbie shoe
she swears is floating in the water,and the same toddler swearing that you put the
"frosties" on the window purely for her writing pleasure,
showers have become an olympic event.
I am lucky that my oldest child, almost 13,
is old enough to watch her little sister
for 10 minutes while I sneak a "speed shower".
THAT was quite a milestone in this Mommy's bathroom habits.
This year, my wish is for the Mommies.
I wish you a year with more peaceful poos,
uneventful warm showers
(hot may be asking too much),
and at least three minutes to wash your face,
brush your teeth,
and put a little makeup on your beautiful tired face.
After all,
we would'nt trade our bathroom invaders
for all of the chocolate in Wonka's goodie vaults.
Someday when they are all grown up
we will be longing for the days of
"Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, are you done?
Can I come in?
Do you know where my barbie shoes are?
Are you pooping?
I have to go NOW!
Can I have cookies?"
I may miss it someday.But for now,
have a beautiful New Year my friends!
XOXO,
Amber

Eye Candy

I swear this year has simply flown by!

I watch my babies growing up
and wonder where the time is going.
I feel so blessed in this stage of my life.
The stage where I
have accepted the fact
that I won't be having any more babies...
where my oldest child is approaching...
*gulp*
dun dun dun,
the teenage years...
where my baby will be starting Kindergarten next fall.

With this next stage has come some new
and exciting things for Half-Pint!
I have had the pleasure of working with some great ladies this year.
Adding professional pics of my designs
to my listings has kept me busy,
non-stop since August.
Uber blessed!
Uber exhausted...
balancing my family,
my home,
and business.
BUT,
I can honestly say,
I have done a pretty good job with that this Fall.
Not too shabby.
Stop by the shop
and check out
the delicious eye candy
from these talented ladies.
THEN,
head on over to facebook,
like 'em, like 'em, like 'em
and tell 'em I sent you.
They certainly made my job so much more exciting!

Rare Refelctions Photography
Wildly sweet Photography


Simply Sphotography

Rebecca Hall Photography

Natalie Kimball Photography



See?
Are you overwhelmed
by the sweetie cuteness?
I knew it.
Pure eye candy from these awesome ladies.
If you live within a few hundred miles
of these photographers,
run,
don't walk,
and put your family faces in their capable hands.
They will do wonders
with your smilie babes.

I can't wait to share with you
what's in store in the New Year for Half-Pint.
Stay tuned....
in the mean time,
eat up the last of the Christmas cookies,
sweep up the ever growing mound of pine needles,
and .....
Happy New Year!

Kiss it goodbye...

Are we really ready to kiss summer goodbye?
Muwahhhhh!

My oldest little darling goes back to school in two weeks.
My youngest goes back in three.
Sixth grade and preschool.
Gulp.
Deep breath.
Now hold on to your coffee and peanut butter toast.....
I will truly miss them.
I can honestly say that this has been the very best summer.
EVAH.
Have we been to far off lands of whimsy and delight?
Only while playing "dress up" in our princess gowns and combat boots.
Have we eaten exotic foods and sampled gourmet cuisines?
Only if you call pizza with pineapple
and some strange cheap brand of chocolate milk, exotic.
It's been simply...simple.

We DID take a few days away from cabin life
to venture out to the land of craziness!
We went to.....
wait for it....
wait for it......
Sandusky, Ohio!
The hubby found an amusement park called Cedar Point.
Super fun place to be.
We had a blast!
The itty bitty and I spent the day in Kiddie world and rode tiny small rides.
In circles.
For hours.Itty bitty was ecstatic.
Mommy was sticky hot and drippy sweaty.
NOT attractive.
The hubby and our older itty bitty spent the day on the big coasters.

The ones that make me puke.
Violently.
Vomitrocious.
I will take riding in little cars in circles any day.
The question of the day?
"When are we going back to the motel to swim in the pool?"
We could have saved a whole lot of money,
stayed in boring ol' York, PA,
and just gotten a motel room.
Lesson learned.

My favorite part of the trip?
No cooking,
no cleaning,
and Daddy taking the girls to the pool to play
so Mommy could read a book.If you are a Mom with young children,
you understand the value of being able to read a book
that is'nt simply for information....
"How to" take care of poison ivy,
"how to" get chocolate milk out of silk,
"how NOT to" lose your mind when there are two whiners whining.

We ended the trip with a tiny little carousel museum and a picnic on the waterfront.
THAT is my idea of a great day.
We could even see across the water to the
vomit inducing pukie coasters
that kept us entertained the day before.
Ahhhh.....memories.
Pizza,
gastric bypass,
roller coasters.
NOT a yummy mix.

I am excited to see what this Autumn holds....
for my family, for my business, and for our band.
As corny as it sounds,
yep,
it's a wonderful life.
I intend to spend every day of this Fall in a pumpkin induced stupor.
Pumpkin bread, coffee, soap.......
I'm freaky like that.As far as the business goes,
I have so much to share with you!
That will have to wait for another day.
I am adding two Fall hats to the shop this morning!
Yes, I probably need new pics,
these are two years old,
but I can NOT part with them.My baby has grown so much in two years...
although, she still has very little hair.Thank goodness she's pretty.
I'm not saying that just because she's mine.Those lips...

Have a fab day friends...
time to start the school shopping!

Coffee...Chocolate...Diva moments...

Summer is upon us.

Yes, dear ones, you heard me correctly.
Summer.

Do you believe
that the last time this lazy blogger posted
was the beginning of the New Year?
Blog neglected.

Yes,
I can make plenty of excuses for the blatant disregard
of putting words to keys.
Let's have at it.
I am Mama,
wife,
business woman,
singer, .....

and the list goes on.
Enough said.

Has the panic and anxiety at the thought
of having your children home full-time set in?
The delightful thought of them
arguing over what's mine and yours
and his and the dogs?
Ugh.
Don't get me wrong.
My girls have fun together.They are 4 and almost 12.
Sometimes the mind blowing fun
turns to full fledged diva moments
and this mama's lip starts to twitch.

Chocolate and coffee....
possibly some Xanax....
are my standbys that will allow me
to sail through the summer.
Let's pray I'm not 20 pounds chunkier
due to the partaking of these on an hourly basis.We are lucky enough to live in the woods.
(It is especially beautiful in the fall
when the big yellow school bus arrives.)
Oh come on,
don't act like you don't do the
"happy first day boogie"
when that day arrives.
I am getting ahead of myself here.
Let's get back to the serious reality here.
Summer Momentertainment.
I have promised the girls some serious fun this summer.
I am a fun Mom.
Please no laughing
or choking on your own spit.
I may make muffins from a mix
and pancakes with bisquick,
but I can be amazingly fun.
I am so much fun,
that I still hug and kiss my tween goodbye
in front of her friends
while smiling at the fact that
she feels both loved and disgusted at the same time. I am THAT kind of mom.
My toddler is the fun one.
She still lets me hug and kiss her goodbye
in front of her friends without too much animosity.

As difficult as the first week is for us,
we soon fall into a routine.
Ahhh...routine.
My girls have been routine babies from the start.
THAT is when the true summer fun starts.
Trips to the farmer's market for our weekly stash of fresh fruit...
Trips to the local water ice shop to cool down...
Blenders full of smoothies...
A short but loaded July vacation....

Yes,
I do believe this mama and her itty bitties
will survive the heat,
the bugs,
and the diva moments
until the big beautiful yellow school bus arrives in the fall.

I am reminded that they are only young once,
and I am determined to make some memories
with them this summer....
and enjoy myself in the process.My two best friends will be joining me daily.
Coffee and chocolate.
They will get a girl through anything...
even the diva moments of summer.
Strap on those flip flops girls!
Enjoy the ride!

A New Year for Puppy

He has been smothered in maple syrup,

rubbed with cherry blossom hand cream,
dropped in mud puddles,
lost in a Virginia Hampton parking lot
only to be found by a good Samaritan
and turned in to the front desk.
He has been to Hawaii,
the Jersey shore (many times),
and Oklahoma.
He was with her for her first steps,
takes naps with her every day,
and stands by for an occasional hug when needed.
Puppy waits patiently in the car while she is at preschool.
He is the first thing that she grabs in the morning
and the last thing that she hugs at night.
To say that puppy is a member of our family is an understatement.
He is ragged and worn,
has had his tail reattached,
and gets a bath whenever he can sneak away
from her for a few minutes.He is loved.
Unconditionally.
Am I concerned she may be dragging
him off to college when she's 18?
Not at all.
Will she outgrow him?
Maybe, some day.
For now they are buddies.If only we could love as she loves him.
To be able to see beyond all appearances,
to see with our hearts the way that she does.
This world would be such a beautiful place.
Happy New Year from Half-Pint Creations.
May you choose to see people with your heart,
love them unconditionally,
and give your inner child
a big fuzzy maple syrup,
cherry blossom hand cream,
mud puddle hug.

XOXO,
Amber