Today it's hats off to unbearable cuteness. My sweet neighbor brought this tiara to Emma as a belated birthday present. We had to hide it from the cat, who tore it to shreds twice. I kept gluing it back together because I wanted to get a photo of her wearing it in these "tiaras make you taller" pajamas, and today the moment struck. Isn't she the sweetest princess??

What the photos don't show...I had to wrestle her to the ground and pry a nerf gun and filthy baseball from her death grip before I could put the tiara on her head and get her to sit for this picture. The two older brother thing doesn't bode well for my girly girl ambitions. We also have some sincere bed head going on today. Even a foofy tiara can't tame these fly aways. Oh, and make that "the cat who tore it to shreds thrice."

Here's our other fabulous nod to high fashion. I am crazy about this hat that my Mom ordered over the internet! She is going to look so precious wandering about in this next winter.

What the photos don't show...for every one of the above shots I took I got seven or eight that looked a lot like this...

We're lurching back into our school routine after a busy and bustling spring break. I'm decidedly the only one in my house who adores routine and structure. :) It's hard to get back to business after a week of fun and frivolity. This morning Max was grumbling about his reading assignment, and Emma was loudly sharing her opinion regarding the unpopularity of her playpen. Suddenly, all was quiet, which was my urgent cue to investigate immediately. What I found gave me a "mommy moment". Max was in the pen, reading aloud to Emma, who was delighted and held in rapt attention. It just goes to prove that once every 417 days peace prevails.

What the photos don't show...one child was in time out at the washing machine was leaking at the exact moment I took this.

I love to capture bits and pieces of our day to share on this blog. I had to laugh recently when my friend mentioned my "storybook" household. I hope I'm always transparent enough for you to know that there's plenty going on behind these cute pictures! :) But for the grace of God we're plugging along, one day at a time, cleaning up messes and losing our tempers, but finding the joy in the midst of it all and sharing it with those of you sweet enough to peek into the pages of our storybook.