I practically stole it

So I'm going to brag about my craigslist find for just a bit. As you know the girls are growing. Growing so much that they were out growing their adorable loft beds(made my Chris and Glen)I hated to see those go but they really did need more space to move around in the bed. So my hunt for bunk beds started. I really hated the thought of bunk beds. Why? Because I knew that I would be the one that would be having to make them MOST of the time. Sadie did make her bed the other day(we've been working on that ) and she did a very good job! Regardless, my OCDness would have to go back and fix it a bit so I really didnt want to go the bunk bed route BUT seeing how the room is only an itty bitty 11X11 size I knew that anything else would virtually leave them no room whatsoever to play or for other furnture. So I started looking! I basically looked and waited about 2 weeks till I found a steal. I knew what I didnt want. I didnt want to spend $200 on cheap, pressed particle board frames from Wal Mart. I wanted solid wood, sturdy and I wanted it for a steal. So this is what I found.....

1992 ETHAN ALLEN Bunkbeds. Solid wood, heavy and very durable. She said she'd had several people inquire about them but no buyers. The picture from craigslist was the bed frames leaned up against a garage and not put together. Some people cannot visualize what something can be with a few spraycans. I could envision something different. They were a light, pickled looking wood color. Basically, UGLY!! I sanded it down and chris sprayed them black with spray paint. I also got a narrow desk that goes with it. Cost: $150 Twin Sheet set on clearance at Target $7.48 2 Twin mattresses bought at Mattress Frim (used a Groupon) $50.00 Not too shabby if I must say so myself. I love a good find!!

Of Course I can tell them apart

Its been almost 4 years and I still get the question, "Can you tell them apart?" Of course I can tell them apart. I am with them from barely sun up till sundown. Seven days a week with an hour break a day. Going thru their clothes and shoes the other day I kinda chuckled out loud when I saw their shoes. I can tell who wears which shoes. The shoes on the LEFT are SADIES and he shoes on the RIGHT are TRISTAS. Sadie likes to scrape her shoes on the edge. Hence another reason NOT to spend a lot of $$ on shoes. I can tell who is who by their: TALK, WALK, THE WAY THEIR HAIR LAYS, VOICE, even by their WHINE!!!! But I love their differences.

Spider Man & Woody...to the rescue

There comes a time when you just have to let go and let them be. And thats what I did. I was really pushing for Punky Brewster or Rainbow Bright but when asked....they or I should say Sadie consistantley said, "Spider Man." I know Trista would have been whatever I wanted her to be but she did mention Woody a few times and my friend, who has BOYS, just so happen to have both costumes! Thank you Kendra for saving me $40 on costumes. Costumes are not cheap and yet they are cheap material. Sadie was so excited when I picked her up from childcare and showed her the spider man outfit. I wish I'd had a camera to catch her expression. I knew then that it was so worth just letting her be what she wanted. I think the inspiration came from when we went to a friends house, who are also twin boys, had both Woody and spiderman costumes that they dressed up in. The crazy thing is that it was a year ago they did that. They evidently did not forget. We brought the cosutmes homes about a week before Halloween. Of course they wanted to play in them right away so I let them. Big mistake. Trista lost the Woody hat within 30 minutes. I combed the yard, the neighbors yard, the house but the hat was not be be found. So, the day of Halloween I set out to find a woody hat. I found that LOTS of people, like me, wait till the day of Halloween to get their costumes. Long day short I tried 4 different places and the last place I checked had a Woody Hat. We were set. We went to a neighborhood just a few miles up the road and walked for about an hour. Race their best bud and playmate went also. Plastic pumpkins were full of candy, their tummys already ached and it was 1 hour past bedtime, so we headed home. Jacob and Katherine, our new neighbors, were ready to greet....SCARE any tricker treaters that came to their door but were very disappointed when we told them that we'd been here 6 years and never had a tricker treater. So they scared the girls. Trista did fine but sadie did not like their face paint and fake blood at all. I know. My pumpkin carving was not real original or creative but that's as good as I get;)

Disney On Ice

A huge THANK YOU to Uncle Phil for the girls early Birthday gift and our Christmas gift. Thank you Uncle Phil. The girls LOVED it. We talked about it all week telling them that we were going and to see the expression on their face when Mater(from CARS) and Buz Lightyear(from Toy Story) came out on the ice was worth all the crazy $$ spent on concession stand goodies. Of course we couldn't leave without getting a Tinkerbell Snowcone Cup!! We were 10 feet from the Ice which made it even more spectacular! Did I already say that the girls LOVED IT!! Chris and I enjoyed it too. I love stuff like that! It was a fun family/date night for all of us. The last time we went to Disney on Ice was with our friends(Jonathan and heather Landers....pre kids:)8 years ago.

Papa (Art) Carlson pays a visit

Papa, We loved having you visit. You made that trip from Chattanooga in that sleek, red, Cadillac of yours and we are so glad you did. The girls loved having you read them their bedtime story and the delicious bread you made for us is requested daily. We put just a little butter, cinnamon and sugar and top it with just a dab of peanut butter. If I must admit I had a bite of Tristas and I decided to slice myself a piece with that same goody goodness on it. While we were eating it Sadie said,"I love Papa." to which Trista said in between bites, " I love Papa's bread." Me too, girls!! Thank you for visiting Papa. Know that you are welcome and have a place to stay anytime!