Three from the tree

Fred 2012 Week 1

2012-12-08T10:01:00.003-06:00

Guess who's baaaaack??! Well, yes, this blog. But is that all that exciting? Probably not. The excitement is for F-R-E-D, our elf!! He arrived on December 2nd. I'm thinking he was a tad late this year, but I'm sure it's super busy at the North Pole. Maybe even a little bit more this year?! I know it's been busier here this year!

Fred seems a little off his game, which is another reason I think it must be busy at the Pole. He's more laid back. Maybe he's maturing? Do elves mature?? Who knows, but the girls are LOVIN' havin' him here!! And yes, you guessed it, Michael & I are too!!

This year I don't think I can work in a daily post, but I've had so many ask if we were gonna blog that I thought I'd give you a weekly. I hope you enjoy them!! I thought I would also give you a link to Fred's happenings last year. I'll pick some of my very favorites. So, if you want to run down memory lane, you are new to this blog, or whatever your reason....click away: OUR FRED FAVORITES 2011.

On Sunday (the 2nd), Michael & I heard footsteps. We expected a little face to appear in our room shortly after. Instead, the hall light went on & then nothing. A few minutes later we heard elephant feet on the stairs & then it was there. A little face filled with excitement and coming from that little face were squeals.

"Mom, Dad!! Mom! Dad! The tree! The tree! It's up! The! Tree! Is! Up!"

To which we both reply, what?? Again come the squeals. Followed by jumping & the pulling of covers.

"The TREE!! it's up!!!"

"No, Addie, I don't know if we'll have time to get to the tree today", I say.

"NO!! It's already up!!! Get up!! Come see!"

Down the steps we go & sure enough there's our Christmas tree. It's bare, no ornaments, but sure enough, it's up!! And sitting high in the branches is another little face, tinier than the first, it's Fred.

Thank you, Fred, for saving me time & setting up the tree. We love you!

(Please note: times on photos are off. I posted them in order of how they happened, but I didn't notice the incorrect time until after I had taken a few shots)

On Monday (the 3rd), we woke up & found all of Daddy's St. Louis Cardinal hats decorating the tree. I guess Fred was trying to tell us something. A bare tree is not a pretty tree!! His gentle shove worked, because we decorated the tree that night.

Fred made himself comfy in the kitchen

On Tuesday (the 4th), we found Fred perched on the rooster. He left a note saying that he loves riding wild chickens! Ha! Oh, Fred.

Last year, Daddy found a sleigh bell in our yard. It must have fallen off Santa's sleigh! This year, Addie decided she wanted to return it to Santa. She made up her wish list, taped the bell to it & Daddy mailed them off for her.

Along with Fred's note about riding wild chickens was an ornament. The sleigh bell! Fred's note said that Santa wanted the girls to have it & they should hang it on the tree. What a beautiful gift!

Sorry, in the morning rush, I forgot a shot of the sleigh bell ornament :(

On Wednesday (the 5th), I think we snuck up on Fred playing basketball. We must have scared him since he was so "wrapped up" & left him with little to no time to get out of his mess......Oh Fred......I hope you weren't too uncomfy all day!

On Thursday (the 6th), Fred pulled a repeat (possibly because it's a crowd favorite). He drew faces in the fridge!! Katie has asked for "funny faces" everyday since he drew them!! She is running up my electric bill standing there admiring them!

And since Addie was learning about St. Nicholas at school, she left her shoe out that night for treats. Fred left her a little goodie

And Fred? Well, he was comfy above the plates.

On Friday (the 7th), Fred built himself a nice little chair & hung out with the cat.

Which brings us to today, Saturday (the 8th). Ellie & I got up, headed downstairs & turned on the TV. I sat down & listened to a news segment & Ellie waited patiently for me to turn it to cartoons. Finally, Ellie said, "Mommy, I'm really scared."

Did she just say she was scared? I turned, looked at her & asked her to repeat what she said.

"I'm really scared", she said again.

"Of what?"

She looks at me, her pillow (lovey) over part of her face, finger in mouth & slowly turns her head while pointing up at their photos on the wall.

I. LOST. IT.

I think Fred outdid himself. I laughed till I cried. I still can't believe I didn't wake everyone else up.

(Sorry for the glare/flash, not a professional photog here)

I'm not a rocket scientist.

2012-06-21T09:54:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been awhile. I think of this blog often. How I should be posting, but has life been crazy busy. Let's see, I've been preparing for the grand opening of my very own in home daycare business!! And...........oh wait, that's pretty much it. Yep, busy girl right here!

Today I was standing at the kitchen sink doing dishes (this chic does not own a dishwasher....yet) and I was running kiddisms through my head. Or maybe it's mommyisms. I can't really be sure it's either, but any who........

Addie is feeling a little under the weather. She blames it on seeing the dentist yesterday. Pretty sure they didn't give her a sore throat, but I am 100% convinced she is my child now. I'd blame the dentist too! She's one lucky girl. I stopped right in the middle of all the dish doing fun just to tuck her into a recliner & get her new favorite show going (Ruby Gloom for those interested). She was rocking herself & heard the chair making a noise. "Mom, what's that noise coming from?"

OK, ladies & gents, we all know how simple this answer could be, right? BUT why is it every time our children ask a question, it's like they asked us to solve a mathematical equation. "Mom, what's that noise coming from?" sounded like this, "Mom, what is x squared over y double s c equal?" (is that a real equation?) because my answer was this: Um, it's that thingy inside that thingy making that noise & yes, I left the room embarrassed by my answer. Why was it so hard to come up with the words spring & recliner? Beats me!

However, the best ones have to be the 20 questions game:

A: Mom, look at that bird!
Me: Yep, that's a cardinal. Pretty, huh?
A: Yes! It's red! Why is it red?
Me: Well, all cardinals are red. Oh, except for the females, the girl birds, they aren't red red like the male, boy birds.
A: Why?
Me: Well, that's just how cardinals are. They're just red.
A: Why?
Me: I don't really know. They've just always been that way.
A: Why?
Me: I don't know Addie. I'm not a scientist. I haven't studied birds.
A: Oh!!

She actually beats me to the punch now. "Because you're not a scientist?" Yep, that's it. I am not a scientist. You win!

Fred's 16 & 17th Day

2011-12-21T14:39:00.000-06:00

We woke up to a decorated living room on day 16. Fred made LOADS of snowflakes & hung them all around. They are some of the prettiest snowflakes ever!!

Here's Fred hanging out!

Today, day 17, we found this on the computer screen

and this beside the computer.

Addie was first up & she brought Woody down with her! It's always a treat to have Woody with us for the day!!

Addie spotted Fred. He's riding the rooster! Freeeeeeed!!

Let's get started on that craft!!

Look at that concentration!

And finger lickin'!!

Katie's thoughts? Boring! I only want the M&Ms!!

Katie's masterpiece......

Addie's creation.......

Chomp!!

Yummy!!

Ellie's is once bitten........

We had lots of fun today!! Thanks Fred!!

Fred's 13th, 14th, & 15th Day

2011-12-19T17:16:00.000-06:00

It's been a couple of crazy busy days. Not just for Fred, but for me as well. It's that time of the year & I say bring it on!!

Fred decided to spruce up our family photos on his 13th day here. Fred, you little prankster!!

The girls loved seeing all the funny faces Fred drew! I'll agree, it was pretty comical!

I think Fred must be an artsy little elf at the North Pole, because on day 14 he wrote all over our mirrored closet in the playroom.

And then hid on top of the closet. Look at him, spying on us!

Ellie & Katie were first up today, day 15. Of course, they spotted something on the tree right away. It would have been pretty hard to miss. Fred brought each one of the girls an apron & hung them on the tree! They are cute little aprons. I love that Fred had them personalized with the girls' names!!

No picture of Addie in hers. She was still just a snoozin'.

Katie is the same size as her apron.....almost! Ha!

And lil ol' El Bell stuffing the pockets with drinks!

Fred's 11th & 12th Day

2011-12-16T11:49:00.000-06:00

Wow! I have to tell ya, this has been the busiest month I've had in quiet some time! The girls & I spent ~~the afternoon~~ the whole day at my girlfriends house.

The. whole. day.

We've been friends forever & a day. Love her. Alright, I'm sure you're thinking blah, blah, blah....get on with Fred, so here ya go!

Fred is as busy as ever. On his 11th day here, he brought the girls some snowman mugs. How cute are those? And he left supplies to make homemade cocoa. YUM!! I had to make two pots yesterday!! We love cocoa!!

Fred was tricky that day. We all had a hard time finding him. I think daddy was the one who finally spotted him. Great spot, Fred, great spot!!

Fresh cup of hot choc-o-late!! So tasty!!

The girls drank till their bellies were full!!

Today, day 12, we spotted Fred right away. Silly little elf!

Fred's 9th & 10th Day

2011-12-14T10:15:00.000-06:00

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday. I spent the morning grocery shopping, then taking Addie to school. I had my parents pick her up, because I was busy making surprise cookies for her class. Their teachers are planning the surprise. I'm not sure what it is, but Addie has come home, everyday this week, talking about a little gingerbread man that is on the loose at school. I think it may have something to do with him. If it is, Addie is gonna be in heaven! She says the gingerbread man is ornery & when she catches him (yes, she thinks she is going to be the one) she's going to gobble him up!! Too funny! BUT whatever it is, I'm sure all the kids are going to love it!!

On the same cookie baking note, I have a tip. NEVER buy store bought tub sugar cookies to make cut outs. Cutting corners led to heart failure. For me anyway. I saw my life flash before my eyes. OK, not that dramatic. BUT it did stress me. I thought for sure I was just queen of crappy cookie cutouts & totally failed the little preschool kiddos. My gingerbread men looked like the Michelin man. It was not good! Lucky for me, I had pinned a sugar cookie recipe on Pinterest. I had everything I needed, minus one thing. And again, lucky for me, DH is a wonderful hubby!! He ran up to get my ingredient & ran again when I thought we needed a second batch. How great is he?!?!?! Turns out, making homemade ones really isn't all that time consuming. I've never been a fan of this type of sugar cookie, but I hope they work for the surprise.

And now for, what this post was truly about, FRED!! On day 9, we found a note at the top of our stairs. Ellie spotted it first since she was up before everyone. I didn't get a picture of the note, but it said:

Addie, Ellie, & Katie~~~Get ready........Get set.......I created a game. A treasure hunt!! Do you want to play? I hope so! All you need to do is: Follow the string to find the treasure. The string starts at the bottom stair, but where does "Fred" mark the spot? Love, Fred

What we found waiting for us was a massive maze made out of string. It started at the bottom stair, like Fred said it would, and worked it's way through every room on the main floor. It was like weaving in & out of downed power lines, minus the risk of electrocution. BUT, you'll have to take my word for it. The pictures don't do it justice. And I couldn't take pictures in the play room. Fred didn't pick up before he began. What was he thinking?

This is the end of the string. Where "Fred" marks the spot.

And the little "treasure" Fred left under the tree.

And good ol' Fred waiting in the tree.

The girls loved this! This day might have topped all the others. They were running around, weaving in & out, & talking 100 miles an hour. Wondering what was at the end? Where is Fred? This isn't the best picture, but here they are looking their new toy over.

This morning, day 10, Ellie was first up. She was so excited to see what Fred had been up to & couldn't wait for her sisters to get up. She went upstairs & got them right way. I missed out on the "real" photo opportunity, so I asked Katie where Fred was. Addie joined in! Ha!

I must have been asleep still, since this was the best photo I took of Fred's happenings. He wrapped our photo frames. Which, come to find out, is why Ellie was so excited. She thought Fred left 3 gifts for them!! Too funny!

Fred must have been practicing his wrapping skills. What do you think?

Fred's 7th & 8th Day

2011-12-12T09:06:00.000-06:00

Being that it was Sunday yesterday, I skipped a day of blogging. However, Fred hasn't skipped a day yet. He sure is a hard working little elf!!

On day 7, Fred was found hanging out in the bathroom.

And while he might look pretty cute hanging out on the light bulb, he left something pretty nasty in the loo. DH vetoed any photos that may or may not have been taken of said nastiness. Let's just say he forgot to flush #1. And it may or may not have been green. And Ellie may or may not have been a tad bit weirded out by it, refusing to use this bathroom until she knew 100% sure it was gone. I'm sure Fred has learned his lesson. One must ALWAYS flush after themselves!

This morning, Fred was a little mischievous!! We walked in to the aftermath of a snowball fight!! And what do you know, Fred had someone taking pictures of the fiasco last night.....oh, Fred. What will we do with you?

Fred is so silly. He wrote his name in his fort!

Ouch!! Woody took one to the face!!

Ellie was the first one down. She said, "What are all those balls on table? I need go see!" Of course the first thing she wanted to do was feel them. And second? Throw them!!! We told her to go wake Addie up first.

Katie checked things over, while waiting on her big sissy.

And was first to spot Fred.

Looks like Fred fled the scene before the girls got up.

Addie's eyes had a hard time adjusting to the light.

Eyes adjusted. Excitement sets in!!

Hey! Now who's having a snowball fight?!? Look what you started Fred!!

Fred's 6th Day

2011-12-10T13:30:00.000-06:00

Ellie & Katie were the first ones up today & I was not prepared! Katie spied Fred right away. While Ellie was too busy looking in yesterday's spot. Which actually worked out to Ellie's advantage, since she spied the surprise that "grew" from the magic seeds first. And me? I took first place in world's worst photographer! Ha!! Seriously though, I missed out on both of their faces. Boo.

Apparently, Fred decided bungee jumping was a good idea! Except for the fact that he's hanging by his waist? Odd. Maybe he's practicing his flying skills? We'll never know, but Addie's pretty worried about how he's gonna get down, since he's "stuck".

And now to the magic seeds......Well, it's the 3rd day & they've grown!!! I should have known, S*W*E*E*T*S!!!!!!!

Fred's 5th Day

2011-12-09T09:32:00.000-06:00

Ellie & I were first up this morning. I have to say, I was still super tired. I plopped Ellie down on the couch & started in on my morning routine. Pit stop at the restroom first. My trusty little thyroid pill next. Followed by anything the munchkins need. Their first need is always the same. A morning cup of milk. What can I say, we're all creatures of habit. Still struggling to get my eyes opened, I headed in to the kitchen to fill Ellie's sippy. The surprise that met me was a pleasant one & gave me a great giggle! No more struggling to wake up, this was just what the elf ordered!!

I waited till all the girls were up to share the surprise. I don't think anyone would have been looking for Fred here. I think he may be missing the North Pole & was looking for a cooler climate.

There were giggles all around. Look at what we found!!

You must take a closer look. Funny faces is all it took!

Fred looks pretty cozy in his spot. Hiding somewhere that's not so hot!!

Sorry, Fred put me in a silly rhyming mood!!!

Fred's 4th Day

2011-12-08T14:42:00.000-06:00

Look who found Fred today!

Interesting. Fred left a note, a green envelope & a cup full of dirt. Wonder what he's up to?

His note says, "Addie, Ellie, & Katie~~~Here are some magic seeds. Plant them right away or they'll lose their magic. Water them everyday & on the 3rd day, you'll find a surprise!! Love, Fred"

Katie's doing a little investigating.

What will these seeds grow to be??

Fred's 3rd Day

2011-12-07T09:04:00.000-06:00

Fred has been practicing his hiding skills his whole life. And while he fooled most of us today, one pint size toddler was on top of her game. Katie spotted Fred right away & seemed quite confused why no one else had.

Katie brought everyone back into the room & showed us Fred. Tricky little Fred!

You blend right in with those ornaments!!

What's this? Fred's not the only thing hiding in the tree? We spy a note! Let's see what it says.

Addie, Ellie, & Katie~~~ I had to take the clings back to the North Pole with me. You guys left them laying around. Picking up after yourselves is very important. You're still on the nice list, but Santa & I really hope you'll start picking up your toys. Santa asked me to bring some gifts back from the North Pole, just for you! I chose my favorite item in the world! Elf Pajamas & Slippers!! What better way to get in the Christmas Spirit than dressing as an elf?!? We elves do dress the best, don't you think? Love, Fred

Fred, you've outdone yourself! Those gifts are too cute, if I do say so myself!

I think the proof is in the pudding......err PJ's

Well, almost. Katie decided she's not so keen on the slippers, but she loves being an elf!

Fred's 2nd day

2011-12-06T13:17:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!! Fred brought something to our town today. It's the first time we've seen it this year. Our weather men didn't even predict it!! Boy, Fred is good!!

Here's what Fred was up to after he flew back from reporting to Santa in the North Pole.

Fred wrote on our TV!

Fred's note: "Hi Girls, I had a good trip back to the North Pole last night. Santa was glad to hear you are doing your best to be good. I seen the tooth fairy on my way last night & he is excited about Addie's loose tooth. Santa is getting everything ready for X-mas for the good girls & boys & he hopes you stay on the nice list. Tell your mom & dad not to get mad about the TV. The writing will come right off. Love, Fred"

AND his PS? "Look out your window!!" ............He brought them snow!!!

He didn't stop at the TV though. Fred wrote his name a few places & decorated with window clings.

Finally he got into position, on the curtains, and waited.

The girls' were so excited to find all the writings & decor. BUT the best part was the snow he brought. What will he do next?

An Elven Breakfast

2011-12-05T14:05:00.001-06:00

Our "Elf on the Shelf", Fred, just flew back to us for the holiday season. The whole family was quite surprised to find a breakfast waiting for us this morning. In regular elf tradition, Fred brought lots of sweets. The girls loved it & I have to say, DH & I enjoyed ourselves too. Here's a snapshot of our morning.

The table is set.

Fred gets into position.

Look! They've all spotted him!

Let's get a closer look at those sweets!

Fred had a lot to say to 3 small girls.

Let the family time begin!!

We had a great morning with lots of smiles & laughs. Thank you, Fred, for this wonderful memory!

Turkey Pops

2011-11-29T10:21:00.000-06:00

I've got another tutorial for ya's today! You aren't tired of them are you? I hope not, because we've been having lots of fun!!

Seeing as it is the end of the month, which means the end of fall (to me that is), I wanted to make some turkeys for RD's class snack. I really didn't know, for sure, what I was making until I seen these cuties in one of my many magazines. I was a bit nervous making them too. I have never made rice krispie treats before. I know, amazing!!

Turkey Pops

Let's see, what do you need?

Ingredients to make your favorite rice krispies
Candy corn
Chocolate chips, baking chocolate, OR candy melts
Lollipop sticks OR popsicle sticks
Small white candies
Cookie sheet lined with wax paper

And what I've discovered I need is a professional photographer to take my shots! Man, my photography skills are lacking!! I need a photographer to work for free & be here at my every whim stitch. Is that asking too much? OR maybe I need a photography class or new camera? Better yet, I should do both!! On with the show........

I was super worried about the rice krispies cooling before I could get them rolled, but it went really smooth!To make things easier on myself, I got all my stuff laid out ahead of time. This way, I wasn't scrambling to get, say wax paper, when it was go time.

Once you get your batch of rice krispies ready, use a quarter cup measuring cup to scoop out equal amounts of mixture. Lay on wax paper. Make sure to spray your measuring cup with cooking spray. After it's all divided, you'll roll them into balls. Again, make sure your hands are coated with cook spray. Then insert your stick of choice.

Now is the time to fire up your chocolate melter. You can also melt them in the microwave or your double broiler. I have finally learned the secret to perfect chocolate dipping. Add oil. Who knew?

This particular chocolate, I used, already had oiled added (it is made for a chocolate fountain). But, the recipe called for 1 tablespoon of oil. You can find the recipe by going here.

I also got all my candy corn (noses & feathers) & white candies (eyes) counted out ahead of time.

Once your chocolate is melted, you'll dip your pop, half way, into the mix. Tap off excess chocolate & let it set up a few seconds before adding your "eyes". Once the pop has cooled completely, you can add your "nose" & "feathers". Dip the tip, of each candy corn, into the melted chocolate & then attach to your pop.

When you're done, you'll end up with a blurry little guy like this. OK, so he won't look blurry to you. This is my photography skills at their finest!!

And here are half our turkeys waiting to be munched!! I hope you guys enjoyed this!!

Milk Paint

2011-11-25T15:46:00.000-06:00

It's official. I've joined the "in crowd" & signed up for Pinterest. I don't regret it at all!! Oh the things you'll find! Today, we actually got a chance to do a pin. What I love about this particular pin is, I had all the supplies on hand. No running to the store or extra money spent, equals one happy momma!! I hope y'all enjoy it as much as we did!!

Milk Paint

What you'll need: milk, tupperware lids, toothpicks, dish soap, & food coloring.

Simply pour milk into tupperware dish, making sure to cover bottom. Drop in a few drops of various food colors.

Dip your toothpick into the dish soap & then into the food color droplet. Then watch the action!! The dish soap repels the food color. It's Amazing!!

This was the neatest one I caught!! The pin was titled "Magic Milk Paint" & let me tell you, it is!!

And this was my favorite color mix. I don't know who's more excited to try this again, me or the girls!

Two Terrific Tips

2011-11-10T08:15:00.000-06:00

I seen the coolest tip on one of the hair blogs I follow. However, I feel it may have been missing a second tip. Maybe not quite as cool and awesome, but a second tip none the less. And if I may add, a very important one.

OK, so moving on to the tip. If you are a non-makeup wearing lady, like myself, this tip will be helpful, new, & exciting for you. Well, I guess I do apply makeup, on occasion, but very little. I'm sure I never picked up the "makeup habit", because my mom didn't didn't wear makeup. Which means, no one to show me. I've found myself stalking a few vlogs to learn how to apply makeup. Gotta love the Internet!!

Did I go slightly astray again? Sorry about that. So, my hair blog lady was talking about how jealous she is of her DD's eyelashes. How full and long they are. How she wishes she had them. Anyone else ever feel like that? I know I have. The 3 apples have the most beautiful eyelashes I've ever laid eye on! Seriously, don't dispute it, because it's a fact.

Here's the trick she let us in on. Heat your eyelash curler up before you curl your eyelashes. Use hot water OR your blow dryer as your heat. And voila! Beautiful eyelashes. Two days ago, I put this little tip into action. I chose the blow dryer method. ONLY because I couldn't understand the water concept. Um, so how does a wet eyelash curler work exactly?? My DH suggested blotting it dry after. D'oh, why didn't I think of that? Oh, right because I'm no good with makeup (and if "no good" is improper English, you can go ahead & put it right in your dictionary).

All this leads me right up to my second tip. If you'll remember, this is the important one. DO NOT heat your curler up, so much, as to burn your freaking eyelid off. Mmmmm, K???? Seriously, not good. I am still in shock that I walked away WITHOUT blisters.

And for those of you still wondering, YES the tip works. I had nice full and thick lashes for the day.

Flower Headband Tutorial

2011-10-29T12:40:00.001-05:00

Here's a fun & easy headband tutorial. I made these up for the girls' fall photos. Enjoy!!

Things you'll need:

Felt

Scissors

Hot glue gun

Cheap fake flower bouquet

Alligator clips

Different style hairbands (elastic & cloth)

Start out by cutting a piece of felt into a circle. I used the bottom of a small cup for my template.

Pull one flower off the bouquet & disassemble it.

Here's the flower all disassembled.

Next, start hot gluing the flower back together, starting from biggest to smallest.

Flower all glued.

Now you'll dab a small amount of glue onto the piece of felt & attach your flower.

At this point, you can add your flower to anything you'd like. Like a cloth headband.

Or an alligator clip.

Or a basic headband. If you choose this style, cut a 2nd piece of felt & glue it over the headband. This gives it a more finished look.

And lastly, an elastic headband. Again, make sure to complete the look w/a 2nd piece of felt.

I also did a two flower headband. For this, I cut a rectangle piece of felt.

Made 2 flowers.

Glued them to the felt & added an elastic band. DON'T forget your 2nd piece of felt, like I did here!! See how unfinished that looks?!?!

Here's a bonus, the girls sporting their bows :)

Our address is what?

2011-10-09T10:04:00.000-05:00

A few months back we cancelled our DISH services. Upon doing that, we had to send back all of our equipment. They send us the boxes, we send it back. Since I don't wanna bore you with all the details, long story short, the first set of boxes they mailed to our old house. We had been living at our new for over a year & they had been sending the bill here. I don't know what the deal was. How can they have the wrong address??

Fast forward to last night. My darling hubby has been hard at work painting the foundation & trim work on the outside of our home. He's close to the finish, with only the front porch area to go. He swung out by our local home stores after work yesterday. He was in the market for more paint, brass address numbers, & a brass mailbox. He has a vision.

At the first of the three home stores, he grabbed his paint & address numbers, but had no luck with the mailbox. He headed to the second & third only to be crushed. No mailboxes there either. When he came home he showed me the numbers & was toying with the idea of returning them. Why? He liked the looks of some others at the second & third home store better. Deep sigh.

I go on with making supper and he's still contemplating. He heads outside, with numbers in hand, to do a quick look see. And he's right back in, laughing. "You're never gonna believe this," he says.

I think I have a pretty good idea........

He begins to lay out all the numbers on the counter. Yes folks, he got our old address numbers!! Um, how long have we been here now? Almost TWO years. Count them. TWO years. How is the stinking DISH company supposed to keep up if my DH can't?

No need to worry, this post isn't gonna cause any hard feelings or fights. We actually had quite the laugh & he's well prepared, knowing this is going up :)

A Christian Pumpkin

2011-10-08T08:25:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. All the leaves are turning color & falling. Our days are cooler, for the most part, & shorter. Halloween is right around the corner. Time for apple festivals, hay rack rides, & cider. My favorite time of year!! It's also pumpkin carving time! Today, I want to share a little prayer with you. One you can do with your children, a tradition you could start, while carving pumpkins.

I had never heard of this prayer but a friend shared it with me and I want to do the same. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Now I'm really looking forward to carving ours & roasting seeds this year!!

A Christian Pumpkin

Lord, open my mind so that I can learn new things about you. (cut the top of the pumpkin)

Remove the things in my life that don't please you. (scoop out the insides)

Forgive the wrong things I do and help me to forgive others. (can talk about taking the "junk" and making something good from it -pie, roasted seeds, whatever you do w/ the insides of your pumpkins - or do nothing with this line)

Open my eyes to see the beauty you've made in the world around me. (carve the eyes)

I'm sorry for the times I've turned my nose up at the good food you provide. (carve the nose)

Let everything I say please You. (carve the mouth)

Lord, help me show your light to others through the things I do. (light the pumpkin)

Amen

I did not write this prayer. I am only sharing it for educational purposes. Enjoy!!

The nightmare visit

2011-09-28T09:17:00.000-05:00

My husband is from a small town about 40 minutes from our house. We normally try to visit his parents on his days off but since RD is now in school those days, it will be a little more difficult. This past week we decided to try going when he got off work.

He left work about an hour and a half early so we could make good time. I had the girls ready to go when he walked in, he changed clothes, and we were off. There's quite a few little towns in between our hometown and his childhood home, which means several ways to get to our destination. My hubby has been wanting to show me this little "health food" store that sits in one of these towns, so we took the scenic path instead of the highway. Mistake number 1.

All the roads through these town are two lane, which means slower speed limits and windier roads. That translates into more time in the car and more belly flops for car sick kids. Did I forget to mention the girls get car sick? Mistake number 2.

About 3 miles, I'm guessing here, from our destination, we see a sign that says, "Road closed ahead, bridge out." Are you kidding me?? How in the bleep did we forget this?!?! We knew this road was closed since the last time we came down we were going to take the scenic route home. Mistake number 3.

Instead of turning around and back tracking a couple miles on the two lane, Darling Hubby decides taking the gravel will be an adventure. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that gravel roads mean even slower speeds and even more jostling, right? Mistake number 4.

Of course, I'm fine with taking gravel until I realize Darling Hubby has no clue where these gravel roads lead or where we are going to come out. What?? Are you kidding me?! You grew up on these roads!! His response? "Right, that was years ago, everything is different." Mistake number 5.

On our ~~third~~ ~~fourth~~ fifth right or left hand turn, HC started spewing. CRAP! I unbuckle, climb through the car to the very back and try my hardest to comfort her. We brought the handy dandy puke bucket but obviously I didn't get to her in time. We didn't bring any paper towels this time though so I have no way to wipe her mouth or hands. Poor baby. Deep sigh. Mistake number 6.

Now, RD and Gala are starting to gag from the fumes (you know the ones I mean) filling the car. I ask the hubs to crack the window. He rolls them all the way down. Did I say it was a chilly day??

Guess who's not a happy camper any more? ME!
Guess who still thinks we're on an adventure? Darling Hubby!
Guess who just wants to be dry and clean? Poor little HC.
AND guess who just wants to go home? RD and Gala.

All these mistakes don't even come close to this one....................

I. Did. Not. Pack. One. Single. Change. Of. Clothes.

Here we are 40 minutes from home, no fresh clothes, soiled car seat, and a car full of unhappy people.

Hi! Grandpa and Grandma, we're here!!!!

Not an everlasting gobstopper

2011-09-25T09:28:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, RD has a huge crush on Sharkboy. You know, from Sharkboy and Lavagirl? The movie? Haven't heard of it? It's really good *sarcastic eye roll*. You should check it out.

Since seeing this movie, RD will have days were she IS Sharkboy. Yesterday, I couldn't even call her by her name. "My name is not RD", she'll say. Yeah, whatever kid. She even has an outfit that she calls her "Sharkboy's". The sad thing is, she's ran them in the ground. The pants are now floods and have a hole in the knee. The jacket's pocket is hanging by a thread. Not to mention her tummy hangs out the bottom of the jacket. Did I say she wore them to her DeDub's yesterday? Deep sigh.

I have my eye on a brand new set for her. It's really cute and dark. It'll fit and be hole free. *swoon* The problem is I don't think she's gonna be ready to hang up the originals. I guess I did the same thing with my Def Leppard tee, but that's another story.

DeDub: the girls' grandma

AJB2Me Weight Loss Record #2

2011-09-19T08:22:00.000-05:00

Here I am, 4 more weeks (8 total) into my "Live-it" and feeling wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if I have been off plan for a little over a week. Someone send me some thinspiration, please?!?!

I thought I'd share a picture with you. I'm going to be using this picture as my thinspiration!! But, by all means, send more my way!! The picture on the left was taken July 9th, 2011 at my niece's wedding reception. This was the picture that made me think "Wow, I'm really F-A-T!" I mean, I thought that everyday, but when you actually see a picture of yourself, it's like a light switching on. I've spent lots of time hiding behind the camera because I didn't want to face facts. Now, here it is staring me in the face.

The photo on the right was taken at my bridal shower in 2005. I don't recall the exact date, but I'm thinking it was sometime in February. This was me at my goal weight of 130#. What can I say about this picture? I felt wonderful at this weight!! After 3 kids, I don't know if I'll ever be that thin again but I'm gonna work toward it. Only time will tell.

8/28/2011, a Sunday (end of week 5)

189.8# taken @ 6:30 AM (down 1#, 7.8# total)
Energy level is higher then it's been in a long time

This week was slow going. There were a lot of times I felt like caving to crap. And a few times, I actually did. Sneaking a bite of the girls' mac n cheese or tots. But, all in all I'm pretty happy with the week. I made my 190# goal!! I'm (almost) half way to taking off the 16# I gained this past year. I've decided that's my first goal and when I hit that, I'll be close to having 10% of my weight off. I'm thinking a haircut and brow wax are in order once I hit my 10%!! Here's to a good week!!

9/4/2011, a Sunday (end of week 6)

188.2# taken at 7:30 AM (down 1.6#, 9.4# total)
Yahooooooooooooooooo!

Today is 9/6/2011, a Tuesday

I hit a marker today! I could actually fit back into a pair of my maternity jeans. Are you confused? I had gained so much weight, even my maternity jeans were too SMALL!! I got them up today! Do a little dance......are you singing? However, you won't spot me in them.......Oh and one more marker: I am now .8# (point 8) lighter than when I got preggers with HC!!

I set a few goals:

1st, I told you this one already, but.....take off the 16# I gained this past year. I was 200# the day of my doctor appointment (not the start of this WWLR) and on weigh day I was 188.2#, so I only have 4.2# to go. That one's so close I can taste it!!
2nd, to hit 173#. That's what I was when I got preggers with Gala.
3rd to hit 157#. That's what I was when I got preggers with RD.
4th, hmmmm, let me think on it.........dare I say 130#?? IDK if I can ever get back there but......

I'm feeling really good, y'all! Here's to a great week!!

9/11/2011, a Sunday (end of week 7)

187.4# taken @ 7:00 AM (down .8#, 10.2# total)

I'm gonna take this weight loss and run!! I had a very crappy week. I let the excitement of hitting a few milestones get the best of me. I decided to grab a package of my favorite cookies and told myself I'd have just one. I ended up skipping lunch two days in a row, to have iced sugar cookies @ 180 calories a pop instead. Then I spent the rest of the week paying for it. I honestly don't know why I do that to myself? OK, yes I do. I'm an addict. I just cannot keep this stuff in the house. PERIOD!! Next time I want one, I'll get ONE and ONE only from the cookie shop in the mall. Moving on. Here's to a great week!!!

Today is 9/15/2011, a Thursday

It's been one long week. It seems like it should be Saturday already. The girls have been sick. Nothing major but it's thrown the week out of whack. I've even felt "off" all week. Less energy and simply run down. I've skipped lunch everyday so far and I haven't had one single smoothie this week. I weighed this morning to see where I was. Up 2#. Deep sigh. I'm hoping I can get a groove back for the rest of the week.

9/18/2011, a Sunday (end of week 8)

188.4# taken at 7:00 AM (UP 1#, 9.2# total)
I'm not gonna let this get me down

If you can't tell by my stats above, I've gone off plan. I don't want to make any excuses because it's really my own actions and choices but it's been crazy hectic feeling since RD started back to school. I'm hoping we can get back into a rhythm soon. Any encouraging words are welcome!!

Certified Suck-up

2011-09-15T08:53:00.001-05:00

Here we are 2 weeks into school already! Remember me saying, just yesterday, how I couldn't wait to get RD back to school? Yeah, so it wasn't yesterday, but it sure feels like it!

I stupidly thought I was going to have tons of time to get a few things done once school started, but in reality, it's been more hectic. I'm sure once we get back into the swing of things I'll get something done. That is, if I can stay away from the computer!! (see how I beat you to the punch, Darling Hubby?)

Today, I wanted to share a few of our back to school highlights:

First day of school was a short 15 minute meet and greet. I forgot my purse in the car so I had to run back out. RD's teacher was letting everyone in when I got back so I missed this but DH shared it with me. RD told her new teacher how pretty she was!! How sweet is that? She loves blonde hair and even imagined her new teacher with blonde hair so she was excited to finally meet her.

Day two was the first full day of class. All the parents wait in the hallway until the classroom door is opened. Here we are, all parents and their wee little ones waiting patiently, when RD's friend from last year arrives. RD is so excited to see her and quickly tells her that they have a new teacher, to which her friend replies, "yep, I know." I'm pretty sure RD felt discouraged that she didn't have some sort of new and awesome news to share with her friend so she decided to belt out, "She's A LOT younger than my mom!!" Yes, of course all the parents in the hall started laughing, myself included. However, from this moment on, I'm pretty sure RD is a suck-up and I'm pretty sure she's sucking-up to the wrong person! Don't you think she should be sugar coating me?!?!?!!

On the serious side, kids say the darndest things and we are really pleased with our new teacher. It's going to be a fun year for sure!

Introducing the pink.....

2011-09-13T08:57:00.001-05:00

Apple!!! Have you ever seen a pink apple? No? Well, today is your lucky day, because it just so happen that I have seen them & the proof is right here........................

You didn't think I was gonna show them to you that fast, did you? Today is "Apple Day" at RD's preschool and our snack day. Lucky for me, September's "Family Fun" issue had the cutest apple themed snack idea:

"Candy Apple Cookie Pops"

Nine pretzels sticks snipped into half to three-quarter inch pieces

Several green fruit chew candies, flattened (we used Jolly Rancher)

Eighteen round sandwich cookies (we used generic Oreos)

Brown mini M&Ms

Vanilla frosting

Red meltable candy wafers

Here are the supplies I grabbed from our local craft store.

My AWESOME hubby lending a hand separating the brown minis from the rest.

All the cookies awaiting dipping

PINK APPLES?!?! Remember the ingredient "red candy wafers"? Our craft store only had white and while I added red food coloring, pink was all I could get.

Here's our happy little apples waiting to be eaten!

Of course ours didn't turn out as neat as the magazine's. I can't seem to get hit the right temperature on the candy wafers. I either get it too hot and end up pitching OR not hot enough and end up spooning the coating on. But, I have to say they were pretty darn cute anyway. Pink and all!!!! We really hope the kids like them!

Right around the corner

2011-09-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

It's getting so close and I can't wait!!! What's getting so close? Halloween!!!! What? It's still a month and a half away?!?! Oh well, a girl needs time to plan doesn't she?!?!

Who was here with me last year during our "All Hallows Eve" costume contest? We had some really cute submissions last year and I'm dying to see what you guys do this year!! With that said, I'm gonna host another one! I'm not sure what the "gift" will be but bragging rights are still on the table!!! So, let the brainstorming begin!!!!

(details and dates to follow)

Here's some of our many costume changes from last year. RD was 3 things!! Can you believe it?!?!

RD as a Scarecrow for "Scarecrow Day" at Pre-k

RD as "Cindy Lou Who" for the Halloween party at Pre-k

RD as a "Vampire" on Halloween. This is what she wanted to be all along but Mommy got her way with "Cindy Lou" and since RD was such a good sport, I let her be a Vampire.

AND me with my girls on Halloween. We didn't dress HC up. She was only 5 months.