*phew* i can mark frozen peas off the grocery list.

so, yesterday, i'm cleaning up the kitchen and see a perfectly flat paper towel peeking over the top of the spice cabinet above the stove. curious as to what it was, i pulled it down and found this:


please tell me you're laughing as much as i was? i mean, yes, it's wrong on so many levels, but dang is it funny. how's that for a little creative motivation? hahahaaa.

we moved the paint easel out to the garage last spring so they could make all the paint messes their little hearts desired. and there it stayed until they ran out of paint. but recently, ashlyn used some of her Christmas money to restock all 14 colors. she likes to paint.

over the next 4 days she begged doug to bring in her easel so she could paint.

well, being freeeeeeeezing cold 'round these parts, with 12-18" snow drifts against the garage door, he kept telling her "tomorrow". well tomorrow came and went for 4 very.long.days. then, she had enough of the "tomorrow" promise. so she had a little meltdown ranting about how "you always say tomorrow and you never do it tomorrow......" you know how it goes---going in a hundred different directions after work.....dinner, homework, chores, etc., etc.

to own up to his promise and help divert her whining, he decided to draft a contract. one that she determined the punishment for. punching in the tenders??? niiiiiiiiice. i shouldn't laugh, but it does crack me up. if that ain't motivation to keep promises right there, i really don't know what is. am i right?

ya'll have seen kung fu panda, yes? maybe not. well, we have seen it twice. it's one of the very few movies we have ever purchased without ever watching it first, and maybe that wasn't such a good idea. because from the whole movie, the only thing the kids remember is panda dude hanging spagetti noodles from his snout---so now, you can imagine, trying to make it through dinner with these two girls and all the spagetti hanging from the nose that goes on. and the other thing...."oh, my tenders" when he gets inadvertantly hit in his unmentionables.

anywho. he agreed to her punishment and they both signed it.

and i'm thrilled to report that he won't be down for the count with a bag of frozen peas to soothe his misery, but instead i'm tripping over the well-loved paint easel sitting in the middle of my kitchen.


and i have two little artists that are loving the fact that it's a weekend and they can paint all.day.long. so far this is all they've come up with.

emma's blue monster and ashlyn's flower.


perfect in every way.
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Winner of the BOY Collection from Karen Foster Design is: Leslie in TN!!! Leslie, please email me using that link under my photo in the right sidebar and leave your mailing information. i'll forward it to the design team coordinator to ship out your goodies!