Birthday Weekend

Saturday was hubby's birthday. The girls and I got up early to bake him a cake and make him breakfast in bed. We spent the afternoon playing miniature golf and then went out for dinner at TGI Fridays.
One of the many great things about having kids is that birthdays become special again:)

Sunday afternoon was Fall Fun Fest at the girls' school. Apparently the excitment of sliding down a huDge inflatable slide makes one's eyes bug out;) Why can't they just smile nicely?

We had to leave right from the Fun Fest to go to Bill's neice and nephew's birthday party.
They weren't the only ones who got to blow out the candles on the cake! Bill was included as well as four other family members! One big cake + 6 family members blowing out candles = me choosing not to eat any of said cake. Blech. The last couple of years this has kind of been a family joke. With so many people celebrating birthdays so close together, you hate to leave anyone out so the Happy Birthday singing goes on and on and on until the candles are melted onto the cake!

This tree was right next door to my sister in law's house. One of my favorite things about this time of year are the changing trees. I especially love the ones that aren't fully changed, with just a hint of colorful leaves here and there. After looking at the weather for the week, it's apparent that summer is finally gone. Here's to hoping that we will actually have a fall season and that winter isn't too close upon us.

Fall: Day Two-HA!

You couldn't tell by how my girls were dressed but it was 850 degrees here today. Yes, that's just a slight exaggeration but still! It's FALL now! Where's the FALL weather?? It was picture day at school today. Hence the picture above. Every year I feel the need to dress them this way. Thanks to global warming I'll probably be sent home pictures of the girls with sweat dripping off their foreheads! Maybe I'll have to change my ways?? On top of them being overdressed, Natalie woke up with about 5 mosquito bites on her face. How about that for picture day. The poor kid looked a mess. I tried leaving her hair down to hide some of the bites. And look at those scrawny legs:) I know she's had a growth spurt lately but I'm thinkin those socks are accentuating her bird legs? Or do I just not know how to dress her? God love her:)

My non-scrapbooking scrapbook room has been getting quite a bit of action lately! I saw these little place card holders at Target and couldn't resist. I had to dress me up some little place cards. The pictures don't do them any justice:) Can't wait for the girls to see them!

Natalie's looks a little wonky because there wasn't enough lower case letters. I'm thinking I'm going to have to change it out with some different stickers that I already have. Oh well! Now if I could just find some placemats that I actually like!

This pumpkin has found a home on my dining room table. Quite a few years back my mom made these with some stuffed fleece, twine, raffia and a paper bag for the stem. Each year I have to plump them up after being shoved in a rubbermaid. After looking at this picture though, I'm thinking that raffia's probably not supposed to be all willy nilly. Maybe she needs some tweaking! Thanks Mom:)

I also want to thank everyone for always leaving me kind comments. I started this blog because I needed an outlet. I wanted a place where I could just be me, whether it be to document things my girls say or do, post photos or just to vent. I hadn't really given a whole lot of thought about people other than my family actually reading it;) Along the way I've met some really great people. Great people who have made me laugh. I'm talking belly laughs;) And because of all of you creative bloggers, I'm feeling crafty again. Something I haven't felt in quite some time. Thanks for inspiring me!

7 Things

Since I have nothing new or exciting going on I thought I would come up with my own "sevens" like http://neweveryam.blogspot.com/.

Here goes! Blogger is acting up again!

7 things I love:

chai tea

a cold beer on a hot day

watching a good movie in a movie theater

a good book

reading a magazine cover to cover

shopping

date nights

7 pet peeves:

the weird noise my husband can make with his mouth

lip smacking while eating

my girls talking to me while I'm on the telephone

asshat drivers

anyone rubbing or touching my hair/head

when people don't listen to me

nail biting

7 things I can't do:

clean vomit without gagging

measure acurately

exert will power around food

walk away from a good bargain

wake up the first time my alarm goes off

watch a movie at home in an upright position

stay awake through an entire movie at home

7 things I can do:

shop until I drop

talk in the devil voice when necessary

dream big

be a good friend

talk a lot

laugh at myself

love unconditionally

7 characteristics I want to have:

less judgemental

more forgiving

more patient

more spontaneous

more outgoing

more confident

more laidback

7 things I can't live without:

my family

music

reading before bed

my computer

shopping money

snacks

my friends

7 things you might hear me say:

Are you serious?

Alright, Alright, Alright(Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused)

We'll see.

How many times do I have to tell you?

What part of no don't you understand?

What do you have a taste for? (said after looking through pantry, fridge & freezer numerous times & still not finding anything I want to cook/eat)

WTF(when the short people aren't present)

It can only get better, RIGHT?!

This past week has not really been the greatest with the girls and I having the intestinal bug. There is really nothing we can do about it but just let it pass. Natalie was the first to have it but I think she is pretty much over it now. I'm worried most about Sydney. As a child I was plagued with the worst stomach cramping and intestinal issues. I always had a stock of Pepto in my lockers at school. I never knew when it was going to hit. As an adult I now know that I have a milk allergy among many other food allergies. Chocolate is one of my highest triggers! Chocolate?! Can you believe that?! That should be a sin! Anyway, seeing Sydney moaning over her tummy problems brought me back to when I was a kid. It was hard sending her out the door to school this morning knowing that it could possibly hit her again and I won't be there to talk her through it! Thank goodness this is temporary! UGH! Parenting is hard!

So this morning I wake up with a giant headache. I feel like crap. The phone rings at 7:30 and I see it's my mom. Seeing a family member's number on caller id at any odd, random time makes my stomach do flip-flops. I know something is wrong. And it is. Alicen is in the hospital again with pnemonia. Last March she had it so bad we almost lost her. I don't like that I live 4 hours away and can't go give her a giant hug, kiss her sweet cheeks or stroke her soft skin. Ok, now I'm crying. Please get better AJ! And Christina, stay strong like you always do!

This picture is from last year. It's one of my favorites because she is laughing so hard and the girls were there right in the middle of the action. Through everything she has been through in her short little life, she has been such a happy little girl. Here's to praying she gets better quick so she can get back to being her silly little self! Now, I'm smiling:)

Two New Family Members

While I did not give birth to these girls, they have become a part of our family. Meet Shirley.

When I saw Shirley over at Chris's house at http://j-a-girl.blogspot.com/ I just knew I had to have her! While in a state of panic after not finding her where I thought she should be at TJ Maxx, I not only found Shirley, but also her long lost sister. Meet Lucy.

Now Lucy used to be Shirley and Shirley used to be Lucy. While having dinner last night, Natalie declared their names should be switched because this little girl up here looks like she had a loose tooth:) Hence the name Lucy.

This little guy just happened to jump in my cart too. He does not have a name, but with a face like this how could you pass him up?!
Now here is where the problem lies...I.Should.Not.Be.Shopping!!! My husband is still unemployed and you know how much money stay at home moms make!!! So what's a girl to do? Rationalize. My birthday is in October. Someone will undoubtedly give me money, right?! Birthday money could pay for what I already bought! Right?!?! Mom, if you are reading this, cash is king:)
When we moved into this house three years ago the one thing that disappointed me was the lack of a fireplace. Not only are fireplaces warm and cozy but you get the added benefit of a pretty mantle to decorate. This CD case was meant to be in our basement but has found a place in our family room because we needed something of height in that area. It most certainly is not pretty but I treat it as my "mantle." In my dreams, I would love to have a fireplace installed. In reality I hope to someday at least have a faux fireplace. Until then I'll live with it and continue to move my furniture and accessories around every other week until I find a way I am happy with:) I hope my little, stuffed girls like their new home!

September 11, 2001

Seven years ago I watched as the second tower was hit. Sydney sat in her high chair while I watched and listened to the horrific details unfold on Good Morning America. I was panicky as Bill was in Chicago for the day. I was able to get ahold of him and his building was already being evacuated. No one really knew what was going on, whether a big city like Chicago could be hit next. For the next several days, weeks, I was glued to the tv. I will remember this day until the day I die. It is momentuous for more than one reason. The day before I had had a D&C after having my first miscarriage. On the first anniversary of 911 I watched my grandma die. I cried for the families still grieving. I cried for myself.

Feeling Creative

Since all my bloggy friends are pulling out all their fall/Halloween decorations I figured I might as well join them. I don't like feeling left out of the loop you know:) I've really been likeing the white pumpkins with Boo! written on them but since I'm really trying not to buy any new decorations, I thought I'd make my own very inexpensive & very small version.Since I'm a non-scrapbooking scrapper I had the supplies. Just used some rub-on letters, ribbon and the spider button with a pop dot. Unfortunately she's a real pumpkin so she'll end up in the trash soon. I also made these for the girls. Well, I didn't make them. Hopefully they came from a local farmer. Every year the girls have at least one with their names on them. All they need is a little ribbon to top them off. Too bad I couldn't tie a bow to save my life!

While I was in my non-scrapbooking scrapbook room I found these Halloween rub-ons and made a little tag. It was like shopping in my own house-didn't even know I had them. I liked the saying, "It's all about the candy." And since I had just bought the candy corn today, there you have it.

That's all the decorations I will have out for a while. The entance to the crawl space where I have my 542 rubbermaids full of decorations has so much crap in front of it I can't even open the door. Said entrance to the crawl space also happens to be in my non-scrapbooking scrapbook room. Not cool. So not cool that I actually fell in there today while I was trying to get to my desk. Why is it that the one and only room in this house that is ALL MINE has turned into the storage room?!

Parties, wonky toes, and lots of bitching!

Well, here it is almost a week after all of my family has left and I am still not recovered. I. Am. Tired. My family most certainly knows how to have a good time:) We ate, we swam, we ate some more, we indulged in a few beverages, then a few more, then a few more (right mom?), and shared lots of laughs. I would share some pictures but I think I would become an orphan:)

I'm still cleaning up from the aftermath, which is hard to do when you want to lie down and have a nap every 2.2 seconds! Said clean up is also difficult when DH(the D is not at all what you think it is) stepped on a thorn that went through his shoe causing his toes to get all wonky and thus requiring medical attention. Almost a week later he is still gimpy and "in pain." I love the guy to death and I am sure it did hurt but I have given birth to two large babies, with forceps mind you, and I've also survived brain surgery that left me with a partially bald melon and an 8 in zipper up the side of my noggin. I'm not sure, but I don't think I "winced" and "oh, I've got to lay down" as much as he has. So, needless to say, everything that has needed to be done thus far has been done by moi! Oh, and he's still job hunting. Can you tell we have been spending entirely too much time together for the past two months?! By the way B, I love you:) Even when you make me crazy! Oh, and thanks for not bitching to the world when I make you crazy, which we know is hardly ever right?!