I'm ready.

I'm so ready for John to be home.

He's been in Europe for the past 6 days. (A fact I am incredibly, unashamedly green with envy about) He's so smart now, they've got him teaching the classes instead of just taking them.

He's been gone on longer trips, and I have dealt much better with his absence on many occasion, but I am just so crabby lately.

Maybe it wasn't a good week to swear off sugar. (But when is it, really?)

I had intended to throw myself a "pity party" and invite some girlfriends over and eat a bunch of junk, to make myself feel better about being left behind, but the week has been stressful and busy, and there just wasn't the time or the energy to pull it off.

So the good news is John will be home this evening, and I've done really well with the sugar battle.

The bad news is I didn't do any laundry yesterday, or make it to the grocery store so I have no idea what to do for dinner tonight, and after dining on all that fine Netherlands' cuisine, John will be so ready for a home cooked meal, (They might be known for their fabulous tulips, but food is quite another story) and I've probably yelled at the kids more in the past 3 days than I have in the last month. (Sorry, kids)

I better get good presents.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I never have a hard time remembering how old my dad is, I just have to add 50 years to Nick's age. I remember when we broke the news to him- he was totally devastated that he was going to be 50 AND a grandpa within weeks of each other. I did however have a hard time finding a picture of him, because even though I have many of the pictures from my childhood, he was generally the one behind the camera.

Not to worry though- he didn't realize how much he'd love being a grandpa at the time. Now he's been heard from time to time saying "If I'd have known how great grand kids are, I would have had them first!"

Happy Birthday to my favorite chemistry/physics/math tutor, car lender, and furniture builder, the man who helped me to appreciate of the wonders of this world, who gave me a life long love of oldies music, and impressed upon me the importance of a good education. Happy Birthday Daddy, I love you.

hi grampa happy birthday its me maddie I hope your having a grate day.Bye grampa .

Heres zack. happy birthday grandpa.

Dear Grandpa i hope that your birthday has been a lot of fun so far and i can't wait to see you , happy birthday love Nicholas.

My cookie monster

So I joined Weight Watchers, again. Detox is always the biggest obstacle for me. My body craves all the garbage I feed it on a regular basis. We're not talking about mass amounts here, just a slow and steady stream of fats, refined sugars, and enriched white flour. A couple potato chips here, a cookie there, a Coke here, a piece of chocolate there.... And my brain is in constant bliss.

Of course I mix in a healthy dose of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grain breads, but it's still that steady input of all the junk my brain craves.

All I want right now is a freaking cookie.

Like one of my chocolate chip cookies. Or one from Paradise Bakery. (Cause a chocolate chip cookie can be that magic mix of fat, sugar, bleached flour and chocolate) I've been obsessing about it for hours now, and it's not even noon.

Of course, standard logic states that when you are dieting, make sure not to deprive yourself, otherwise you will feel punished and then you might end up binging on a whole batch of cookies. And this is where I start to justify things. "Dark chocolate is really good for me, so I'll just eat this one little piece..."

It's just that over the years of practicing at trying to lose weight (and I've had a lot of practice) I do best when I really abstain. I think I'm a real addict. It's like there's this little cookie monster inside of me, and as long as I feed him, even little bits here and there, he won't leave. He just sits there at the back of my brain, sometimes whispering, sometimes screaming "feed me!" But if I can starve him out, he'll leave. Until I slip up again, that is.

So detox is always the hardest. That cookie monster is screaming really loudly now. I even just gave in and fed him one small Girl Scout Cookie. And every time I do that, I'll find myself back to square one. If I can get past this part, I might be able to succeed. It depends on when the next big test comes along, and how strong I am to fight it off. (And that's assuming I'll actually detox in the first place.)

Famous places

San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge-Paris has the Eiffel Tower-
London has Big Ben-
Seattle has the Space Needle-
New York has a whole skyline-

And Belgium has Manneken Pis- (Seriously, he's so beloved he actually has an outfit for every day of the year)

So when John sent me this picture from his trip to Amsterdam the other day, my first thought was naturally "Why are you in Belgium?!?"

Then I saw the word "Holland" in smaller letters on the sign. Apparently they really love their fries. (That and raw herring)

A couple of points of interest about the picture above- Look at the size of those servings of fries! I thought Americans were supposed to be the ones with the out of control super sized fries.

Secondly, They dip their fries in mayo. (I want to gag just thinking about it, John said it "wasn't too bad") Apparently they think Americans are the weird ones for using ketchup.

Of course you could be like those freaky Utahns and mix 'em together. (mmmm, fry sauce)

more drama

The kids got their report cards today, and with Snap Grades (an online tool where parents can see exactly how their kids are doing, depending on how well the teachers update it) there are generally very few surprises when the actual report cards come home.

Zach's was the same as ever. In the first grade they get number grades- 1, 2, or 3. A one means the kid is performing below grade level standard, a two is at grade level standard, and a 3 is above grade level standard. Zach's report card is full of 2's repeated over and over again. I think the grading is up to interpretation, I have heard many teachers say that they don't give three's because they only teach grade level work. Whether or not the child is capable of doing harder work is another argument, but the work they are actually doing is grade level appropriate. (Because that's what the teacher has them do.)

Nick's report card wasn't too hot, and I don't feel the need to rehash that old topic. We're working on it. We're always working on it.

Madison's grades were all pretty good, and her citizenship was all E's for excellent, but after we looked at her report card, and talked about it, I looked over and tears were streaming down her face. She was totally devastated. Her art teacher gave her a two!!! (Third grade gets letter grades in the academic areas, but music, art, and PE are on the 1,2,3 system) Last quarter she got a 3, and art is one of her very favorite subjects, and something she is very proud of, and the teacher only gave her a 2. She just sat down on he couch and cried. (The fact that she got a 3 in music and only a 2 in PE, mattered little, but the 2 in art was downright devastating.)

She must be an artist at heart. She has the emotions and the temperament of one.

bully magnet

I had originally posted this last night, but then after a half an hour took it down again, I wasn't sure dealing with it on my blog was the best way to go, but after talking to a couple friends and leaders, and I am a little calmer, I am re-posting it, because that's what I do- I write down bits and pieces of our lives, including the crap.

I might not get much sleep tonight. The more I think about it, the more upset I am becoming, (I'm still sick to my stomach, and really angry about it the next day) only I have no idea what to do. As I picked up my oldest from a combined Young Men's/Young Women's activity tonight, the details of an event unfolded before my astonished ears as I drove home.

Nick's leader brought to my attention the fact that there was an "incident" at church, that they dealt with, the other boys were talked to, and that's that. Only I don't think the leaders knew the whole story. (They, or at least one of them, does now)

First a little back story- a few weeks ago, during church, Nick was practically assaulted in the boy's room as some older boys tried to give him a swirly in the toilet. Somehow he got away. We heard his screaming from the other side of the church, and we assumed he was messing around, so we kinda jumped on him afterwards "What do you think you were doing in the bathroom? People could hear you screaming!"

Tonight it was pretty much the same group of boys that walked into the cultural hall and dragged Nick "kicking and screaming" out of there, down the hall and into the bathroom. It was only after several minutes of terror for him, (at one point one of the boys pulled a large knife on him) that he was finally rescued by his leaders. He even said that a couple of adults (that he didn't know) saw him, and did nothing. At one point he ran into a classroom with people in it, begged for help, and they did nothing.

I learned that all this took place after the activity was over. The leaders were busy cleaning up (it was a particularly messy activity) and were focused on their jobs so that they could get done and get home, and there were kids messing around, which can be pretty normal, and nobody would even guess that my kid was being terrorized at knife point in the little boys' room. That just doesn't happen. This is a church. Not a detention center.

Ultimately he did get away, with nothing really hurt but his pride. He didn't know the kid with the knife, and when he mentioned it later ("oh, by the way...") it was too late, (the kid was long gone, and Nick didn't know any names) and who the heck takes a knife like that to a church activity? (He said it was pretty big, several inches, and the kid pushed a button or something, and the knife popped out of the handle.)

Who are these kids and why are they even at a church activity on a Tuesday night, if all they are interested in is terrorizing boys several years younger than they are?

Even though Christ said to "turn the other cheek", is it that terrible that I told him to defend himself in any way he can, like bite off their fingers next time they hold their hands over his mouth to stop him from screaming?

What do I do? I mean really? The truth is, is that the kid is a bully magnet, and deals with stuff like this on a daily basis, but not at this level. Why is it that church and Young Men's activities have become so much more traumatic in recent weeks to my son (and me)?

What if that hoodlum with the knife had actually hurt my kid? I can't even think about it!

I got to give it to my kid though, he said, "I prayed to Heavenly Father for help, and then that's when my leaders found me, so I prayed again thanking Him for helping me."

John and I are discussing putting Nick in some kind of self defense Karate or Tae-Kwon-Do class, and calling the police. Hazing is illegal, (if that's what they want to call it) and so is aggrivated assault. I have the names of the boys involved, but I don't know which one is the knife wielder. Yet. I'll try and have Nick point them out in church.

Renaissance Festival

About every 5 years or so, we break down and take the kids to the Renaissance Festival. In fact, it had been so long, that all of my kids asked "Have we ever been here before as a family?"

We all had a good time, with the possible exception of Christopher. I think he was ready to go home an hour after we got there. Zach was ready to go home after three. Madison and Nick could have stayed all day. In fact, on the way home Madison was asking "Can we come back next year, and the next, and the next, and the next?"

Madison found a fairy she needed to have her picture taken with-

While the younger two played on a slide,
the two older kids enjoyed the "bungee jumping" thing they had. It took Madison about halfway into the experience to really enjoy it. Her expressions for the first few moments were of sheer terror, but was able to enjoy it enough that she spent the rest of the day begging to go again.
We found a "kid friendly" show (anyone who has been before knows not everything there is PG rated) and John took the older three to see a pirate show while Christopher and I went and got fries. Then everyone else joined us for lunch and Madison confiscated my icee before getting one of her own.
A wandering "elf" entertained the kids with magic tricks for a few moments while we ate.
We ended the day by checking out some shops, and taking in a jousting tournament. There was so much more to see, but Zach and Christopher were so completely done we left early, but not before stopping off for some chocolate covered raspberries. (priorities)

my walkman

(A couple of people have commented on my use of a walk-man over the past few months, so I thought I'd expound a little bit on the subject-FYI)

Back in the late 80's/early 90's I had a walkman. A cassette walkman. There were many nights that I would pop in a favorite mixed-tape, put on my headphones and some walking shoes and just go for a walk. I loved it. I never really worked up a sweat, (it's hard to listening to Simon and Garfunkel or Depeche Mode) but I would walk for a mile or two until my feet hurt, or it was too cold, and then I'd go home. It was cathartic for me. I loved my walkman.

I don't think John could have known this, as this was before he was a part of my life, but a couple of years ago when we were in the market for a new cell phone for me and he showed up with this little baby, I could not have been more delighted. It goes without saying that it's so much better than my first one. For starters it holds a ton more music, I don't have to press the fast forward or reverse button to find a particular song, and I don't have to flip the memory card over when it gets to the end of that side.

My only problem now is that I do consider popping in those headphones and putting on my gym shoes and going for a walk, but while I consider this a totally safe neighborhood, it makes me a little panicky to think about going for a walk, alone, at night, with music blaring in my ears so that should some attacker try and sneak up behind me, I'd never hear him coming...

My two year service contract expired last December, so technically that makes this little thing a dinosaur already, and I toy with the idea of getting something new, but I am the kind of person who is comfortable with what I know, and have a hard time adjusting to change. ( We have the newest version of Microsoft Office for the computer, and Nick is begging John to install it, but John's response is generally "It'll freak out your mom".)

On the flip side, John cashed in a bunch of his American Express points to get himself one of those ipod touches, (not the phone) and I have all but claimed it as my own.

you've been warned.

Christopher has this obsession with notebooks. Preferably the hand-held top spiral bound kind (as in similar to the kind on Blue's Clues), but really any wire spiral bound notebook will do. He confiscates them all. I find them all over my house, in every room, and they all contain copious amounts of his artwork. This picture happens to be the floor of my bedroom. That's where a majority of the notebooks seem to end up at some point. I had to turn some of my cookbooks backwards because he was going after those. Even John's computer books aren't safe. But then most alarmingly of all, I found this one the other day-We are now stealing notebooks from other kids?!?

The 50 bazillion notebooks lying around our house aren't enough? We have to steal from other little kids when we get invited over to their house for a barbecue?!? The sad part is, is that I don't remember seeing him with that notebook when we left. I think I am just so used to seeing him holding one that I don't even notice anymore.

So this is just a warning to anyone who might invite us over in the near future. I'll be more diligent in watching him, but you might want to hide your notebooks.

Spring Break (so far)

People from Utah are frequently surprised that our summer vacation from school is only about 2 months long. Pretty much just June and July. "That's okay," I say. The only things to do in Arizona in the summer are swim, play video games, watch TV, and leave the state. Besides, we get extra time off during the year, when we can enjoy ourselves to make up for it. A week off in the fall, 2 weeks off at Christmas, and a week off in the spring. My only complaint is I think they could shave an additional 3 weeks off the summer vacation, and add a week to each of the breaks like one of the neighboring school districts.

This year we had some friends come and visit us. I've mentioned them before- our good friends from Utah- the Brooksby's. We've known each other for so long now and spend enough time together despite living in different states that Zach gets confused and keeps asking me if they are his cousins.

It was a good week. John played golf until his knees couldn't take it anymore. The kids played video games until their brains started leaking out of their ears. Mindy and I shopped and baked and ate and talked, and talked and ate some more. We had several get-togethers with old friends that we don't see often enough. (I know, it really stinks. I should be better about that, but somehow it generally takes Mindy traveling hundreds of miles to visit for me to see some of my friends who only live a few miles away. The joke has now become "See you next time the Brooksby's are in town." It's sad because sometimes it's true) The kids have played and played and played. They even got some swimming in a couple of times. Once in a heated pool, once not. (crazies)

Like always, the time was too short and there is never enough time to fit everything in. The next time we see them it will most likely be us visiting them, unless we can figure a way to join them in San Diego in May. There's even talks of us crashing their family reunion (and we wonder why our kids are confused about whether or not we're related).

Oceanography Club

Last year the 5th graders got to participate in Oceanography Club. They met for several weeks after school learning oceanography things and earning the right to go on the field trip at the end of the session. Nick was an active participant. He was so excited about the whole thing. About Everything. Not just the field trip to Sea World at the end of it all.

I didn't let him go.

His grades just weren't good enough for me to fork out that kind of cash. I said he had to get A's and B's. It wasn't even close. Not by a long shot. I felt bad but stuck to my guns.

This year, they opened it up to 6th graders as well. Once again he was an enthusiastic, active participant. Once again his grades stunk, but this time I let him go.

I thought long and hard about it, but in the end I decided that he needed the experience and the opportunity.

So I signed myself up as well. I figured that he's going to be going to jr. high next year, and I might not have that many more opportunities to spend quality one-on-one time with him.

I figured we needed time together before he turns into a teenager, doing something he was excited about, where I'm not nagging, yelling, screaming, lecturing, grounding, criticizing, etc.

We had a really good time. He found a friend who was a kindred spirit that he was able to hang out with. That's good for a mother to see.

We drove out to San Diego on a charter bus Friday evening and arrived late that night.

The next morning we spent some time out on the ocean on a "floating lab". They let down some nets and brought some creatures up for the kids to look at and touch. We saw dolphins and sea lions swimming out in the ocean. Only a couple of the kids got sea sick.

After that we headed off to Sea World for a few hours. I was in charge of 3 boys including Nick. They were a good bunch of boys, and we had a fun time even if we didn't have enough time to do everything we wanted to.
At first I was a little irritated that one of the boys was too chicken to ride the "Journey to Atlantis" (a roller coaster) and so I sat out with him. But then later peer pressure won over and the other boys convinced him to go so they could go again, which meant I got to go (yay!) except I was in the front of the ride and I got totally, completely soaked. (really wasn't happy about that.)

Fortunately that was pretty much the last thing we did, and I was able to change clothes about an hour later.

For dinner we went to the beach (one girl asked "Is this the same ocean as before?" "Uh, you mean the Pacific?" ) where we had pizza by a bonfire and listened to ocean related stories. (sharks and dolphins and ghost ships and the like)

After the bonfire we got back in the bus and headed for Los Angeles to our motel for the night. In the morning we headed out to an aquarium to learn more about sea life, ate hot dogs on the beach again, and then went to a marine mammal (pretty much just sea lions) rescue center.

We made one quick stop off at the Korean Friendship Bell which was pretty neat. (it was a birthday present given to the US on July 4, 1976) The view was also pretty spectacular.

After that it was time to head back home. The bus ride was long, and at times pretty horrific (the talent show I could have done without) but I had a book and my walk-man, and thank goodness because I think they kept me sane.

Besides the fact that this experience only reinforced the fact that I'd take my own kids over most others any day, it was a lot of fun. I'm really glad I gave in and let Nick go, and I'm glad I went too and got to spend that time with him.

But you can better believe he will be doing a lot of babysitting and extra chores around here to help earn that trip since those grades of his were less than acceptable.

On any given day...

On any given day you might see this sight in the entry way of my home-

Which means that Christopher has dumped out the laundry hamper in the boys bedroom so that he can walk around the house like this-

(Older brother's crocs are optional)

zach's turn

After going on field trips with my other kids in the last few weeks, when it was time for the first graders to go on their field trip to the zoo, Zach looked at me with those big blue eyes, and asked, "You're gonna come with me, right?" So how could I say no?

And so that is how come I was in charge of 4 cute, highly energetic little kids last Thursday at the Phoenix zoo.

Before I go any further, I just have to mention that I LOVE the Phoenix Zoo. Growing up in Salt Lake, all we had was the Hogle Zoo, and now I refuse to take my kids to that place when we go back there to visit. It's pretty sad and depressing to me how those animals are kept in such comparatively confined spaces.

Anyway...we had a good time. We rode the school bus there in the morning, and the kids were so thrilled about this part. Things I overheard on the bus- "Wow! This is just like going on a vacation!" "No! It's just like going to college!" I brought a backpack with me and carried all their lunches around with me so we could eat when they got hungry.

The kids got to see all their favorite animals- elephants, monkeys, tigers, lions, giraffes, rhinos and zebras (Zach's favorite).Because of Zach's fascination with maps he practically took possession of mine for most of the day. (only the adults were given the maps) I saved the best for last, which was the petting zoo (I actually rather dislike the petting zoo) but the kids thought it was pretty neat to pet goats. I think it was a highlight for Zach.I really enjoyed all their enthusiasm. I was exhausted from chasing them all day, but they were so exited about EVERYTHING. On the trip home I sat there on the bus all hot and worn out from the day, and one of the little girls from my group looked up and me and said, "Don't you wish we could just do it all over again? Don't you wish the trip was just starting instead of ending?"

Oh, to have such energy again.

The Ugly Truth

Our book club book of the month is The Birth Order Book. The basic premise is that your position in the family (oldest, middle child, baby) influences many aspects of your personality. I'm only 1/3 of the way through it, and am finding it a very interesting read, because the part that I have been reading has been focusing on me, the oldest child in my family. I'm definitely reading the book with a skeptic's eye, and am not ready to jump on the bandwagon, but it has given me a lot to think about.

For starters, he lists the characteristics of a first born child- "perfectionist, reliable, conscientious, list maker, well organized, hard driving, natural leader, critical, serious, scholarly, logical, doesn't like surprises, loves computers."

Concerning myself, I found a few that I believe could maybe fit, and many that were laughable. I don't know, maybe others might think that list fits, maybe not. Maybe I am being too "critical" of myself. The well organized and perfectionist adjectives made me laugh out loud however. This is not the kitchen counter of a well organized person-

And this is the cabinet just above that counter- His claim is that because I am a perfectionist, (which he says is a bad thing, striving for excellence is good, but expecting perfection from yourself is very bad) I can't get the counter to the perfect state I think it should be, so I disguise it as a mess. (huh?) But in reality I actually know where everything is and can find it. I don't know about the first part, but the second part is fairly true. I get really aggravated when people "touch my piles". (I HATE those piles by the way, I just can't seem to figure out how to deal with them, so they exist much to my great irritation. And don't even ask to see my closet. )

The part that really got my attention though was the part about procrastination. He said that first born perfectionists tend to procrastinate because we don't feel we are up to the job. That somehow we can make ourselves better and more worthy to accomplish the task. Um hello? Is THAT why I procrastinate? I couldn't figure that one out. I love to cook, I get excited about trying new recipes, I have the desire to try new things, and want to learn new skills, but I don't.

Did you know that I have been wanting to make peanut brittle for more than two years now? I've taken lessons from my grandma on two different occasions, she supplied me with a big stone slab almost a year ago, because my excuse was that I didn't have anything to pour it out on, and still, my slab sits, on my counter, collecting dust. WHY??? Why can't I bring myself to just try? So what if I fail? We're only talking about an hour of my time and a few dollars in ingredients. I have all the necessary equipment, notes, ingredients, desire, etc. So I over cook it, or under cook it, so what? My mind says take notes, and try again. However, just thinking about trying it, makes me a little panicky. I get stressed just thinking about it. And it's not like I've never made candy before either.

Then there's this French dessert cookbook I picked up. I was so excited about it. I sat on the couch and read it. It was a page turner. But actually attempting a recipe is another story. First I didn't have the right equipment, so I spent an afternoon driving all over town, and finally found the right size tart pan. Then this came up, and that came up, and John started eating healthier, and I joined Weight Watchers (don't ask me how that's going) and blah, blah, blah. Then I started reading the birth order book, and I had wanted to take something to a friend who is having a rough time, and so I thought, "I'll just do it. I'll just jump in, and ignore the frantic beating of my heart. And then I will give her the tart, without even knowing if it is any good, and just hope for the best. And it doesn't matter if it's perfect, my best will have to be good enough for now." It took two days. (the dough had to refrigerate overnight, blah, blah, blah) And I didn't even go near the homemade marshmallows.

The only casualties are the knot in my neck because my stove is stupid and I am supposed to bring the pastry cream to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. AN HOUR LATER, it still hadn't boiled, but was very thick, and my arm was tired. I could have raised the heat, but I swear my stove hates me, and sometimes things boil when I don't want them to on the lowest setting, so I was afraid of burning it. So I waited, and waited. And whisked, and whisked. Oh, and while working on the crust, I totally screamed at my kid when he asked for help with his juice box, "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!! I"M BUSY HERE!!! QUIT BUGGING ME!!!"

According to my friend (I begged for "constructive criticism") she said it was wonderful. The good news is is that now that I've done it once, and so I know I can do it, and hopefully it will be less stressful next time. (I'm going out of town this weekend, but when I get back I will post more about it on my food blog.)

So I was mulling all this over in my head as I was heading off one morning to take my first born, Nick, to the doctor's to figure out how to help him succeed in school, and I started explaining, and apologizing to my "practice child", why he is probably going to need to spend years in therapy because his "first-born, perfectionist, critical, hard driving" mother was messing him up. I asked him what he thought of all this, and his response was-

"I think you sound like someone who reads too many parenting books."

Maybe I've got a problem

I'm wondering if maybe I've got a problem with this whole blogging thing when I start to dream about blogging regularly. Most of the time I have no idea about what, like last night, (which bothers me because "maybe it was a good idea", but I highly doubt it) and it's a little disconcerting to wake up in the morning and try to sort out reality from dreams. But that can totally be said of me on many mornings and dreams in general. Of course as the minutes tick on, and the dreams slip farther and farther away, and reality becomes more real, it's easy to distinguish between the two. But there are always a few moments when I sit at my computer the very first thing in the morning (cause I am a little OCD) that I have a more difficult time sorting out reality vs. dreams, and I am thinking, "I dreamt about blogging? Again?"

Redecorating

Please, please, please, I'm begging for some feedback here. Anybody, everybody. This summer we (mostly me) will be undertaking the project of re-doing the kids rooms. Nick is ready to give up his big bedroom that he shares with Zach for the privacy of the smallest bedroom, but isn't so thrilled about the pale green walls and jungle theme Christopher's got going on right now. I haven't the foggiest clue what to do for him in that room. I saw something once in a model home where they had sort of "wallpapered" the middle third of the wall with cork board so the kid could stick whatever he wanted on the wall and it looked good.- Where would I find something like that? (any thoughts, ideas, etc would be welcome!)

I think the boys room will stay the same for now- it's a generic "little boy" room- sports and stuff. (but I'm always interested in new ideas).

It's Madison's room that I am desperately seeking advice for right now. When I decorated it the last time, she was four and a half. Now she's nine. She's not hating the whole princess theme going on, because there's still a bit of that little girl left in her, but she's ready for a change. Ready to grow up a bit.

I blew glitter into the wet paint on those purple castles and yellow crowns stamped all over the room. They're sparkly. The canopy is gone already, and was replaced with posters.

The one thing I know I want to do is on that wall where her dresser currently is is to put up some beadboard about 2/3 the way up, and top it with a big picture ledge so she can display all her "stuff". (The same thing I did in the office, but taller)

Other than that, I don't have a whole lot of ideas- these are the two ideas I am currently tossing around- an "American Girl" type of theme- bright colors, stars, etc. This is my inspiration-Or maybe a pink and black "travel chic" type of thing. I found this stuff at Target, and there is supposedly a Paris picture that goes with the London one, and I think I am going to have to hit quite a few Targets to find it, soon, if that's what I decide to go for. That's all I've got. Any thoughts, comments, suggestions, ideas, advice, help, etc would be greatly appreciated. (Madison likes both ideas, btw) Also, I'm not against tossing both ideas out the window and going in a totally new direction either. Help! Please!