Self-discovery

I am planning to make cupcakes for the upcoming baby shower of a dear friend and thought I would practice with my fondant. After baking them, icing the cupcakes, and topping with my fondant "creations" (yeah, I know the pacifier is a little lopsided,) I decided to take a picture and post.

I realized that I have a problem (and we all know admitting it is the first step!) I am constantly inspired to do things. One day I want to paint & redecorate the house, another day I'm going to decorate cakes, another I want to sew my children their own clothes. We won't even discuss the days that I decide I'm going to start exercising each day! The problem with this is that I never really stay with one thing long enough to master it or at least become decent at it. Wonder if I have adult ADHD?

Anyway, new goal for 2009? I'm going to try to stick with something long enough to be good at it!!! But, that will probably change by tomorrow!

PS ---If you think they're even half-way decent, tell me which topper you like best!

Mad Skills

Okay, so I'm sure everyone is a little impressed from time to time at the things their child can do, but seriously, isn't there some type of award for a three year old that can use chopsticks on the first try? Wow! Maybe there is hope that he will not be cursed with my lack of coordination.

Bitten by the Bookworm

Okay, so if your wondering if I dropped off the planet in the last month, well, rest assurred I didn't. Just been disallusioning myself throughout the holidays by reading the "Twilight" saga that has, apparently, had girls of all ages swooning.

In fact, a friend (and fellow addictee) and I joke about how consuming the reading can be. I found myself staying up 'til the early hours of the morning just to spend more time in my imaginary world.

In this world, no one is sick or crying or needs me to fix them dinner. There are no presents that must be bought or places to be..... Only two things, that seem unimaginably important at the time, exist -- the hero and heroine.

Like other love stories I have read before, I find myself longing for that "butterflies in my tummy" feeling again that dissipates slightly after years of marriage. However, after a little more thought, I realized that I traded in (thankfully!) those butterflies for something that won't disappear so easily. Still having that "can't wait to see you at the end of the workday" feeling after 8 years, now that's true love!

And, really! The hero in the book is constantly concerned with her health. Who is really going to worry that much about your well-being ALL the time? Your mother, that's who! No guy is going to worry that every flinch or bruise might be something more. Only a mother can take the verbal abuse of "I don't like you anymore!" and still adore the little, mad person saying it, all the while wondering if he has a cold!!! In case you hadn't guessed, E's been a little cranky today.

Let me just end by saying that I'm glad I got my love story. I'm thankful that my husband still loves me after stretch marks and pounds that weren't always there, after all my clumsiness, after morning breath and no make-up, and let's not forget any hormone induced ravings. I love you, too. Thanks.

Naughty or Nice?

I knew this year's picture with Santa would be a memorable one, with my little one being big enough to be possibly terrified by the man in the big red suit, but this was too funny not to share! As you can see, when closely examined, my hands are holding him and I had to lean out of the picture. This was the best we could get! How funny this will be to show his girlfriends or wife one day. :)

WHAT!!!!!

Panic has just set in as I looked at the Freckled Frog sight and saw the flash banner at the top! I am fully aware that it is December, but it's still somewhere around the first, right? Didn't I just eat turkey and dressing last week? Still plenty of time to get presents and decorate my house for Christmas? I'm sure that the banner flashing 16 DAYS 'till Christmas has got to be wrong!!! That's barely two weeks! Santa's gonna need some coffee!

Christmas Past

Today is just one of those days where I don't feel like doing or going anywhere. I finished decorating our Christmas tree yesterday and the boys' trees and the mantel. I haven't done my dining room, but it's all laid out. It just always seems like so much to do. I need to finish swapping out our winter clothes and put all the summer clothes up, finish decorating, clean the house, start wrapping gifts, finish putting the playroom together, paint some canvases, go to the grocery, the list goes on and on and on. I decided to procrastinate and work on my Christmas cards instead. That counts for something, though, right?

As I looked through our pictures I ran across last year's Christmas pictures. Boy, how quickly they grow. I felt a little like Clark Griswold when he's sitting in the attic watching old movies as I sat on my couch, still in my robe, reminiscing. Here's a few pics from last year. My babies are growing so quickly.

Gingerbread Mess

We made our first gingerbread house, like so many others, this year. It was VERY hard for me to let the boys do it themselves (as particular as I am,) but they did a pretty good job. My lil' man just played "Hanzel and Gretel" and ate the candy most of the time. My big boy decorated as he pleased, as I globbed the oh-so-very messy icing all over.

The next morning, he had his dinosaur pretending it was eating the gingerbread house. I couldn't resist snapping a shot of what appeared to be "Godzilla meets the Gingerbread Man." Boys!

Bright and Shiny

I was a little apprehensive about our first visit to the dentist, but my big boy proved to me just how big he really is. He did great! It also helps to have one of your best friends as your dental hygentist. He knows her so well that he didn't even flinch at the thought of her putting that cleaning tool in his mouth. We really trust our mi-mi (that's what my children fondly call her!) She gave him his own "cool shades" to wear to help block the bright light and, boy, did he love the water dispenser and spitting in the bowl. Little boys seem to love spitting! Thanks to our favorite dental hygentist and dentist for doing such a great job!

So long SUCKER!

We finally lost our beloved "pappy" this week. I didn't think we would use one before we had children, but after reading how pacifiers helped prevent SIDS, I stuck that thing in his mouth right after he was born. In fact, there was one on the cart at the hospital! We put it to good use, too. It's been my friend in so many ways......to help stop tears, to help him go to sleep, to help me get some quiet time in the car:) But, alas, it's time we said farewell.

I had planned on us giving it to the baby monkey at the zoo this summer, but that never happened. My next plan was to leave it for the baby reindeer this Christmas, but fate took over. After searching and searching for it Monday night, I just had to send him to bed without it. I think I worried about it more than he did. While I'm glad that he's finally given it up, I'm a little sad that we are moving on to a different stage and he's not a baby anymore. Next thing I know, he won't kiss me in pubic. Agghh! I think growing up is just as hard for parents as it is for kids.

Cold Turkey

First, let me begin with a joke.

Why can't you take a turkey with you to church?

Because of his FOWL language! He, he.

The cold weather kept us in today, so I decided we'd make a craft. You would think as a former school teacher, crafts would be second nature to me, but I really don't do them with my own children because they are such a pain at school. Making 25 of anything is a pain. And, generally, at least half of the work is done by you. Anyway, I have to promise myself I will take on the challenge (and the mess) and do it more often because my kids LOVE it.

I decided that lack of Thanksgiving decor and lack of funds would inspire our idea, so I spray-painted an old canvas that I had and did the "hand print" thing. I snagged up a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote off the internet and stuck that baby on the kitchen wall. It's whimsical enough and I dated their handprints. As you can see, the little one decided to smear his first handprint. Oh well, that just means it's authentic! I think we'll make turkeys out of toilet paper rolls next ---just kidding!

Red, White, and Blue?

Our post-election week has been rather eventful. After the stress of election and the hubby being out-of-town, I thought I would make his return as nice and stress-free as possible.

I worked to get the house nice and clean, the kids fed, dinner ready on the stove, and chocolate chip pecan cookies in the oven. All was going so smoothly. As I stripped the kids down to nothing but a diaper and underwear and stepped into the laundry room, I heard cries.

My big boy had fallen into the corner of a small table and had a decent size gash in his forehead. Well, with blood everywhere, I knew there was no point in dressing him. As calm as this sounds, you might think I actually thought that. In reality, I was shaking and knew there wasn't time to get them both dressed and wasn't exactly how to do it all by myself. I had one on each hip and loaded everyone up and raced to the emergency room. The one time I had a reason to turn my hazard lights on and I didn't even think about it. I just made him hold a dish towel to his forehead and drove as fast as I safely could without using up what little gas was in the car because my gas light was on.

Let me just tell you, if you walk into the emergency room with your children barely dressed and covered in blood, they take you straight back. I'm just lucky my mother-in-law was able to meet me there and take the little one. Poor thing was scared to death (as was I.) I had to get my mom to go get the boys clothes and turn off the cookies that I'd forgotten about.

And, I must give credit where credit is due, they did a wonderful job. They gave him stickers and a Hot Wheels car and got him all calmed down. They were able to glue it and get us out pretty quickly. Guess that'll teach Daddy to leave us alone.

The only thing now is to get it to heal. He's already made it bleed once since we left. Boys!!