Soon I have to get my tripod out of the closet, and attempt some family shots to include in the massive amount of paperwork needed for our adoption. Last April, I got to take some family pictures for friends on their own adoption journey. I never posted any from that time because about 2 hours after we took these, I was on the way to urgent care with FireCracker…and then in the hospital. It was the first time we had them over for dinner. They got a front row seat to crazy in our house. Thankfully, with 4 boys of their own, asking them to leave, so I could go to Urgent Care wasn’t quite as bad.
Meet the Parkers. A family of 6…soon to be 7.
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There is a point in sharing those pictures. Jaime has an etsy store with all kinds of vintage finds. When I mentioned I was searching for a printer’s tray to store Legos…she called and had one for me. The boys were pretty excited about seeing it hanging on the wall. Who knew getting kids excited about organization could be so cute & easy! This idea is from MondoCherry.
FireCracker is a tough little girl…but it is NOT because she has big brothers picking on her. She is constantly in their business. When her oldest brother wouldn’t let her comb his hair and put in barrettes, she tried pulling him across the room with her teeth. “FireCracker.”
I try not to let too much get under my skin. However, amputated Legomen DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!
Why must my kids remove their tiny hands and arms?
While we were playing I kept smelling an awful odor. I looked all over thinking maybe someone brought something dead into the house. Then, I realized it was my 5 year old’s feet. The smell filled the whole room. Mrs. Gates….I am so, so sorry if that stinky odor is filling up your classroom. I promise to find mini odor eaters for his shoes.
Monkey See. Monkey Do.
This is my favorite most recent photo. It is one I will look back on in years to come with fondness. This is the story of my days right now. I wonder if in 10 years when I look back on it – will it still make me tired just looking at it!
Sponsor Giveaway Day here tomorrow!
Another SnapShop giveaway going on over on The Anderson Crew
by AshleyAnn
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andy - the lego men look like they are in some pain from their amputations.
Anne - Try soaking those stinky feet in vinegar… it works for my 13 year old who would be mortified if I mentioned her name!!!
erika - My 6 year old’s feet smell like a rotting skunk corpse. Please share whatever odor fighting solution you decide on.
Yanet of 3 Sun Kissed Boys - Amputated Lego people gets to me too! I have a Lego Indiana Jones as my key chain and it looses his hand every once in a while. I have to sneak into their stash for parts because the boys don’t want to give up their coveted non-yellow body parts.
I blogged about their yellow parts in a post called No More Yellow Heads
annie - If I had a dollar for every lego hand I’ve found imbedded in the carpet just moments away from being vacuumed up, I would be a rich, rich woman. So nice to see that it isn’t just my boys that like to totally dissemble their lego people – complete with legs. Ugh! I do try to remember that in a few years they won’t be laying around for me to pick up and that I will miss it. Some days it’s easier to think this way than others.
Jess - I so inspired by how you’re able to capture your everyday chaos (that bit of motion blur adds so much).
(And you make me wish for a wider angle lens too!)
Jenny - Ashley, your playroom seems like such a warm, fun environment! I’ve been meaning to ask you for ages about Lego storage. My main question is, if your boys get a set (like a house or a spaceship, etc) do you try to keep all the bricks together for that kit or do you just put everything together, look at the directions and hope you can find all the pieces??
Great post, as usual.
Lacey - I think the bigger question about the Lego Men is … “Is one of them wearing a bikini???” Hah! The day I don’t step on at least 11 Lego Men will be a sad, sad day.
Elisa @ What the Vita - Absolutely love the last photo. I want to pull it just a little back to include you smiling and taking photos of it all.
DebZorn - On Tuesday, I helped my grandsons put all their Lego guys back together. I will be seeing the boys today, too. I’m almost 100% sure that we will be putting the Lego guys back together – again.
cailan - Love it much – such a fabulous room – very inspired to capture similar pics of the everyday story.
Caroline - Ashley, this has gotta be, to date, my favourite post!
Not the perfect perfect kinda post, but it’s just so awesome, showing the real life thing, in your daily life.
I love it so much!
and Firecracker is really one tough girl. I adore!
and i envy her so much. i have no older brothers!!
Robyn Lee - What an inspiration! Finding joy in the most overlooked things….stinky feet. lol!
lindsey g - Ashley Ann- i love this post! it made me smile when you said will i look back on these pictures and still be tired! i feel that way with one little one! wheew!! and thank you for all your oppurtunites to win snapshops!
rachelzana - I feel the EXACT same way about amputated LEGO guys. I love that your kids are jumping off a chair onto a cushion. I’m going to try that activity the next time my kids are cooped up and driving me nuts.
Laura - great picture to keep and look back on….maybe i’ll take one of my three today. love these posts on the mundane!
Miranda - Fun room and fun kids!! I think I might pull the couch cushions out today and let Simon do the same thing!
Jess - Your chaos seems so organized! Ha! Your children may be flying off of chairs but everything else seems to be in it’s perfect place in that play room! I’m so impressed! With two girls, I don’t have to worry about amputated lego men but it’s the brand new broken crayons that give me a little anxiety!
Lindsey@ Piecefully Home - ok, now i NEED one of those printer trays for my sons lego men. and i’m with ya’ it drives me crazy to find lego men without arms and legs. i KNOW i’ve sucked up too many little yellow arms in my vacuum. i can put up with a lot, but for some reason i hate when little parts get separated from the toy.
Mandy Jones - I have entered ALL of the contests, hoping I can win a spot in your Snap Shot class. I love your work and find inspiration in your stories and in the way you live your life. Thank you for sharing your journey with the world. Through your words you are making a difference.
amanda torres - Ahh, the famous jumping off furniture to land on cushions. You are lucky if you actually find my couch cushions on my couch during the day. It drives me crazy picking them up all the time, but I try to remember the kids are having fun.
Prairie Mama - I just laughed out loud!!!! The caption for the last picture it hit me. Yes, I’m sure you will look back and still *feel* tired, a little sad but tired. (:
I signed up for September Snap Shot and I’m sooooo excited!
Blessings and Rest!
Staci - I LOVE this because I can totally identify with it right now. My daughter turned 2 in July & son turned 5 in June. She has recently started BITING!!! I was mortified when she actually left marks on a little boy in daycare. UGH. Then the other day, she was following her big brother around doing everything he did (even sitting on the potty, LOL) Don’t worry his feet stink too!!! Thank you for putting it all into perspective for me!!!
Michelle - Gotta say, I love the random, everyday-ness of it all.
Makes me happy. I do have to ask though, does it freak you out just an eency weency bit to see Firecracker jumping off of chairs considering her recent leg debacle?! lol! I have 6 kids so I know you pretty much can’t stop it, but I sorta held my breath when I saw that one!! lolol!!
Michelle Z - Ashley, how did you hang your printer’s tray on the wall? I’m just wondering how you keep the kids from knocking it down?
Carissa Miller - If you decide against the tripod C.C. Miller could snap a few pics of the Campbell family for your adoption. It would be an honor!
Amy - Dr. Oz recommends soaking stinky feet in black tea!
Alice H - oh boy do their feet stink!! I go around behind my son (especially when he has his friends over) with spray. I spray the room up and down and have a Scentsy warmer in there also. Try putting some baby powder in their shoes each day after they take them off. It kinda helps. Kinda!
Mindy - ok, so you get tired too?!
angie - thank you, thank you, thank you! I was in dire need of a good laugh. Firecracker latching onto her big brother was absolutely priceless. I’m still smiling.
Jen - I have 3 boys and I totally agree with your dislike for dismembered Lego men! I guess there are some things we’ll never understand, huh?!
amy jupin - i have to say, these scenes remind of my own house.
a while back, a nice lady emailed me and asked me why i let my kids jump on our furniture.
i wrote her back and said, why not? life is too short to NOT let them.
Julie B - Hahaha! Amputated Lego men drive me crazy as well and then they are always finding a broken one and bringing you arms to put on it bc they are too hard for little ones to put on. I’ve tried to organize the legos and have all but given up, lol! My kids jump and play all over everything. I never want my house to be stuffy or for them to feel like they couldn’t snuggle or jump on any pillow and they can and will use every blanket in the house for forts.
Tonpia - Depending on your level of amputee frustration, ebay sells spare heads and limbs. I’m sure lego does too.
Clare - Love your printer’s tray – it looks as though it is in much better condition than mine was, I don’t think I would have painted mine if it was such a nice colour! Thanks so much for linking to us. My boys think it is ever so cool that other people are using their idea for lego people storage!!
Your kids look like they are having so much fun jumping off that chair. Who needs toys when a chair and a cushion can be that much fun? You’ve reminded me to take the time to get some more action photos of my kids. They grow too fast and the everyday moments are so worth capturing.
Suzanne - Hey Ashley, I featured one of your DIY projects on my blog, just stopping to let you know. Thanks!
able mabel - I’ll take lego men over naked Barbies any day.
Jenny B. - I love all your moment in time photos.
I have a question about your house… I *think* I’ve noticed in other photos that some of the rooms in your house don’t have wood trim around the windows like the playroom does. Did you add it? Our house has drywall around the windows, and I would love to add trim, but I don’t know how to do it without completely re-doing the windows. If you have a DIY story about that, I would love to know! 
Jenny B. - Well… I commented too soon.
I just found your list of DIY projects and saw the playroom tour. I would still love to know how much of a feat it was to add all that trim around the windows, though. 
Joanna - My husband solved the amputated lego syndrome by super-gluing hands and heads on the guys the first group of little men we got. Now our sons doesn’t even know they are supposed to come off. It might be a little harder since your boys know they come apart, but it could slow them down.