Thank You Thursday

1. I am thankful for all of the birthday greetings, cards, calls & well-wishes.  It doesn't matter how old I get, it's always nice to get a, "Happy Birthday!"

2. I am thankful for experiencing a preschool birthday.  It took me 33 years, but now I've had one.  No one gets more excited about a birthday than preschoolers.... Thank you little friends!

3. I am thankful for the wonderful birthday presents I was gifted with.  Except the Snuggie.  That one is going back.  I am, however, thankful for Lauren thinking of me.  If I wanted a Snuggie, I would certainly want a pink one!

4. I'm thankful Geoff picked up supper for us tonight, then sat with me for the two hours the girls were at gymnastics.  I'm also thankful I did not have to endure those annoying mothers alone.  I'll spare you the names we came up with for them tonight.... they aren't nice.

5. I'm thankful for great TV viewing tonight, and snuggling in my bed enjoying it.  It's been a long day!

Bonus Thank You: To my girls.  They're the reason I want to keep having birthdays!

Gingerbread Man Hunt

I loved Kindergarten!  I have such fond and vivid memories of the activities we did in Mrs. Heath's class.  Everything was an adventure, so I ceased the opportunity with my own girls this week to bring to life an activity I loved when I was five.

Abby and I mixed up the dough for our gingerbread men, and Lauren helped to roll and cut it out.  The real excitement came when shortly after we removed our large gingerbread man from the oven he vanished, leaving behind a trail of clues.

{On the Cooling Rack He Left This Message}

Silly Abby. Silly Lauren. While you were busy, I was exploring.

I’ll give you a clue. I’m somewhere in the house. You’d better be clever; I’m quick as a mouse.

I’m hiding somewhere kind of low. Find me by the toilet bowl.

You’d better run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man.

{On the Floor By the Toilet the Next Clue Read}

I was in the bathroom, then out in a flash. Now I’m hiding by the railroad tracks.

You’d better run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man.

{On the Railroad Tracks He Hinted}

On your trains I went for a ride, but by the movies is where I shall hide.

You’d better run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man.

{Tucked in the Movies He Noted}

Too many movies here for me to choose, I opted to hide out where you keep your shoes.

You’d better run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man.



{In the Shoe Basket the Message Read}

Your tongue is red, your guest room is blue. I’m off for a drink from a mammal who says, “Moo.”

You’d better run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man.

{The Milk Jug's Handle is Where They Found This Tricky Clue}

My body is brown, your body is white. It’s time for a slumber where you do at night.

You’d better run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man.

{And on Each of Their Beds They Found This Note}

Dear Lauren/Dear Abby,

How comfy your & your sister’s beds look. But before I choose one to climb in, I must first pick a book….

You’d better run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!

Found!  By Abby.  Asleep in the bookshelf.

The girls made their way back downstairs to the little table to dig into their gingerbread man and a glass of ice cold milk.

I took the recipe I had gotten in kindergarten, which turned out to be a big hit with the girls, and with their friends at school, with whom we shared our bounty.

The recipe is simple to make, and not too strong and spicy.

It can be found our sister blog: www.feedingthelovelies.blogspot.com/2010/09/gingerbread-men.html

Ten on Tuesday

1. All I can think about are the gingerbread men.... Coming up with nine other random thoughts may be a bit of a challenge.

2. This afternoon, the girls & I baked gingerbread men: one large and a lot of little guys.  While the big one was on the cooling rack and the girls were busy rolling out more cookie dough, the big guy took off.  The girls had a ball following his trail of clues and were especially full of giggles that he would be hanging by the toilet.  I'll post pics tomorrow.

3. Jillian Micheals scares the tar out of me.  Her intense stare pierces me through the TV.  I wonder if she wears that face around her house.

4. I have two vices: Burt's Beeswax & Sweet Tea from McDonald's.  I also like to have a clean kitchen.

5. I fought with Abby, and mind you I won, about what she should wear to school today for her kindergarten pictures.  I never wanted to be that mom.

6. On the flip side, I waited for her to get up and help me pack her lunch. The payoff: she finally ate it!  Is it a control thing for her?  Is it the crappy "breakfast" all of the kids are given in the morning that makes her too full to eat lunch?  I don't care, as long as she eats her lunch.

7. Lauren is so stinkin' cute. Most afternoons, I can't wait to be done with work so I can take her to myself and squeeze her and kiss her.  I don't want that girl to grow up.  However, she tells me she must.  She's wise beyond her four years of livin'.

8. For some reason when I see Carl Cameron, FOX News Channel's chief political correspondent, I wonder what he was like in high school.  And for some reason I imagine he is a lot like a certain someone I went to school with who was irritating & arrogant.

9. If there is any question of the government's inability to run anything, visit the post office.  Ughh.  Seriously.

10. I wonder what my children will do when they grow up.  Abby will be a leader; she loves to be in charge.  I'd guess a teacher, but she seems to be very interested in doctors.  Lauren's a wild card.  An entertainer?  A fashion expert?  A gymnastics coach?  It's anybody's guess.

Puzzled

There's nothing exceptional about this video, just a capsule in time of the girls doing what they do.

Geoff had been putting puzzles together last night with his little ladies.  Abby is especially fond of the states, and worked on this one by herself.  Lauren had her own puzzling experience, and of course she involved herself in Abby's; typical Lauren!

*Remember to pause the playlist in the right column to hear the video!

{Abby Works on Her United States Puzzle}

Straight River Daze

24 hours of nonstop rain this week has led to the worst flooding my hometown has ever seen.  Here is a collection of pictures and stories I've gathered....

Pictures From Around O'Town

Photos by Eric Marshall: Saturday 9.24.10

{www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=289706&id=528502805}

Owatonna Wasn't the Only City Hit

Slideshow of Southern Minnesota Floods, WCCO Website: Saturday 9.25.10

{wcco.com/slideshows/september.flooding.minnesota.20.1928038.html}

Article in the National Section

Dayton Daily News: Saturday 9.25.10

My Aunt and Uncle's Business

Picture by Maggie Hartle: Friday 9.24.10

The Land of 10,000 Lakes and Counting

Picture by Kathy Bendorf: Friday 9.24.10

{What Remains of a Field on the Way Home From Town}

Ariel and Ground Footage

Posted on the Owatonna People's Press Website: Friday 9.24.10

{www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=120935}

Ground Pictures

Pictures Posted by Michael Connor: Saturday 9.25.10

{www.facebook.com/mnbrookie?v=wall&story_fbid=441300164751&ref=notif&notif_t=wall#!/album.php?aid=29945&id=100000090573570&fbid=161114743901544&ref=mf}

Picture Slideshow

Posted by Scott Wiuff: Friday 9.24.10

{www.facebook.com/mnbrookie?v=wall&story_fbid=441300164751&ref=notif&notif_t=wall#!/video/video.php?v=1510232808077&ref=mf}

Owatonna People's Press Article

By Clare Kennedy Posted on the Owatonna People's Press Website: Thursday 9.23.10

{www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=120908&ref=nf}

Flashback Friday

This Friday we flash back to Abby's first summer feeding the ducks at Morehouse Park in Owatonna.... Before the Straight River took over the town. {www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=120874}

I miss the days my baby wore all those cute little hats!



Thank You Thursdayish

Ufdah it was a busy Thursday evening!  So here I am, Friday morning, with my list.  I'm thankful....

1. My family & friends are all okay, as far as I know anyways.  And I hope all of their homes & businesses survive the ravaging Southern Minnesota floods!

2. Our girls have each other.

3. For Spell Check & Google.

4. My shows are back!!!

5. Everyone in our house got a good night's sleep. Now if we can just shake the remnants of this cold.... and a little cool weather would also be nice!

Fall Fashion

When I asked Lauren the inspiration for today's festive Fall fashion she told me simply, "I wanted to show Miss Lisa."  Well Miss Lisa, I hope you and the rest of the preschoolers enjoyed today's treat.

{Trick, Or....}

{Treat!}

Kissed

Today it happened. Abby's first kiss. Who else, but Brent. Fitting that she is dressed in her pretty pink number, the same dress Lauren wore to school the first week to impress Connor.

It happened on the playground, or so the story goes.... On The Lips.

Mini Mother Goose

Move over Mother Goose, these minis have penned their own nursery rhymes, Madlib style.....

{by Lauren}

Little Miss Lauren

Little Miss Lauren
Sat on her Rocket Blanket,
Eating her Lunch & Milk;
Along came a Sponge Bob
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Lauren away.

Connor & Lauren

Connor & Lauren went up the cloud
To fetch a pail of water.
Connor fell down and broke his belly
And Lauren came tumbling after.

Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The tiger ran up the kitchen.
The water bottles struck one,
The tiger ran down!
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Connor Connor Pumpkin Eater

Connor Connor pumpkin eater,
Had a friend and couldn't keep her!
He put her in a carrot shell,
And there he kept her very well!


{by Abby}

Three Hungry Mice

Three hungry mice, three silly mice,
See how they run up the hill, see how they run up the hill,
They all ran after the bear's wife,
Who cut off their bodies with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life?
Three fat mice.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Thunder

Twinkle, twinkle, little thunder,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the trees so high,
Like a house in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little thunder,
How I wonder what you are!

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a chair,
Humpty Dumpty had a small fall.
All the king's horsies and all the king's boys & girls
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

Jack be Low

Jack be low
Jack be high,
Jack jump over the moon.

Ten on Tuesday

Random is as random does....

1. I love keeping track of people on Facebook, especially my cousins. As great as our quick check-ins are, nothing beats getting a hand written letter. What a treasure.

2. Everytime I see anything Spiderman I think of the day Geoff & I were standing outside a lecture hall before class. Two mysterious students, dressed in full body Spiderman suits, walked silently side-by-side with notebooks in hand, and into a random lecture hall, finding seats front and center. Somedays I really miss college. I still laugh about that one.

3. Most of the media manufactured for kids is crap. If you saw the trailers that ran for Toy Story 3 this summer, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Thank goodness for movies like The Polar Express. Yes, we are watching that this afternoon; AC on and all.

4. This morning while we were getting ready for school, Lauren told me she had a bad dream last night. She said it, "Played in the dark." In the words of her teacher, "I could have twenty of her!"

5. I find it an odd coincidence that the author of this month's book club selection used to send her daughter to the same small private preschool I work at & send my kids to.

6. This month's selection is Haunted Ohio. And it makes me think, I know I've been to places that are haunted on one level or another, yet I've never run into any spirits. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough? Maybe I just set myself up.

7. I am so pleased Lauren speaks with a Minnesota accent and not a Southern drawl. The problem is, she doesn't hear it enough in everyday life and gets some of the words confused. For example, roof is pronounced ruff--yep, spoken just like our native ancestors. But instead of wolves she says woofs. So stinkin' cute.

8. Abby got mad at a girl at school today. Something about untying Abby's shoe.... Abby told her, "Shame on you." Oh, boy. Right out of my mouth and into hers.

9. Staying up late last night is kicking my rear end this afternoon. It's lights out early for me tonight.

10. I have already transitioned my supper menu for Fall. So why are temps pushing 90°? Ughh. I just want some chili, some stew.... comfort food. And to turn the fireplace on. Yes, Katie, this is my whining. Go away warm weather. Go!

Cooler Than Me

I'm approaching the one year mark on my last big e-mail update. Yowza!

Abby successfully navigated through her year of preschool and is now embarking on the adventure we call kindergarten. She loves riding the bus. She loves her teacher. And she also seems to be in love with a boy named Brent.

Lauren is now a preschooler and basking in its glory. She rode the bus on her first field trip last Friday and loved it. She is also in love. At first it was Connor, but she also is quite fond of a little guy named Jacob. As far as I know she is also still in love with one of the hockey players living at Mom & Dad's. She has a big heart!

Both girls made it through their first year of gymnastics. Not only did they love it, but they were successful enough at mastering skills that they were invited to participate in Level 1; they are now pre-team.

Geoff is still in the job he started last September. It's a high-stress, management level position. A lot of overtime. A lot of trips to DC & San Diego. A lot of comp time he was able to use for vacations this summer to Washington & Minnesota, so there was some payoff.

This summer was honestly our best summer yet! We started it off with a bang: two weeks with Geoff's family in Washington. We followed it up with our usual journey to Minnesota for a month. I went with my cousin, Shawn, to a Twins game (love Target Field!), we also went up to the cabin for a little R&R, and Geoff made a surprise trip home for our last week there--the two of us took a short trip to Duluth. While one month sounds like a long time, I had my car in to be serviced FIVE TIMES in those four weeks, so needless-to-say I didn't get to do nearly as much as I would have liked. Out of all we experienced this summer, the girls will both say their highlight was seeing a bear at the cabin. It was one of my highlights, too. But honestly, the entire summer was a blast!

Our summer was cut shorter than most. I was offered a job at the girls' preschool, so we left Minnesota just before the big Steele County Free Fair (a cardinal sin in Owatonna, I know) to get my affairs in order for work and school. School starts earlier in Ohio than in normal places, so we've been back into the groove for a month now. My new job is a perfect fit for me. I don't start until 9, which means I am home to put Abby on the bus. And I get off work at 2, so I'm home before she returns in the afternoon. Lauren goes to school five days a week, versus the three days Abby did last year, and Abby can come to work with me on her days off. Perfect! I work with toddlers, so it's a bit of a stretch on my El Ed degree, but then again, so was teaching high school. I work with a teacher who is honestly the best at what she does. I'm learning a lot, working in a great environment, and while I deal with a lot of body fluids and personal illness (I've had one healthy week out of four--ughh!) I enjoy my new job. Being a working mom is a bit of an adjustment, but I get to eat lunch with Lauren and see her smiling face throughout the day.... She gets me through.

I love people in Minnesota and their Minnesota Nice. But I've learned something about Ohio this past year. People in Ohio are very welcoming and happy to accept you as one of their own. I've been a part of a stamp group, comprised mostly of ladies on base. I'm also rejoining my old Bunco group from Hanscom AFB that has now relocated here to Wright-Patt AFB. But there is one thing Minnesota has that I can't get here in Ohio.... the lower temps I long for! It is unreasonable to be enduring 90+ degree temps at the end of September, yet here we are. Not only do I miss home, I miss my hooded sweatshirts. But those of you lucky enough to be livin' in the North Star State probably don't, because you're cooler than me. Hahahaha. I had to throw that in there, that song has been stuck in my head all summer.

So much for keeping this short & sweet. I hope this update finds you all doing well.

stay cool.
*brookie

Birthday Banner

Sometime this Spring I decided I was going to scrap the ghetto birthday banner I grabbed on a whim at the commissary before Abby turned one and replace it with a much chicer, personalized model.

I hunted for paper in Wenatchee, then spent some of my down in Ohio tracing an Olive Garden coaster & cutting out the pieces. After that I took it to Minnesota where I did all of the Mod Podging (that's a fancy phrase for super-strong glue). Then it was back to Ohio where I printed pictures of the girls on their birthdays to use as end caps, and tied all of the circles together with ribbon. This banner is as well-traveled as the girls are, and finally, it is ready and waiting for their birthdays!

{Celebrating Abby on One Side}

{And Lauren on the Other}

Flashback Friday

[Like father, like daughter]

September 2008

Lauren's Butterfly Song

Honestly, this girl.... I couldn't help but catch this on a moving picture. Here she is, Lauren singing her butterfly song from preschool.

"Look, I'm a Butterfly"

{Per usual, pause the play list in the right column to hear the video without the musical interruption.}

Thank You Thursday

1. I am thankful for the new like-minded mommy friend I met at gymnastics tonight. We were both disgustingly ill. An oddly pleasurable treat.

2. I am so thankful for the five little fingers that grab onto two of mine when we walk. I also happen to love the little person attached to those fingers, and her buddha, too!

3. I'm grateful Abby holds my hand in a different way: full hand-holding. I appreciate each in their own way, true to form.

4. I'm thankful that being sick yields a vacancy in my bed that I am more than happy to offer to Abby. Geoff won't sleep with me because he claims it sounds like he's bunking with Mr. Ed, and Abby couldn't take Lauren's snoring. I love snuggling with my Abby.

5. I'm thankful someone else makes my lunches. With only a handful of minutes for lunch, it's nice to eat someone else's home-cooked meal. Seriously, it's two thumbs up for our school food!

More Random Ramblings

by Lauren


I'm not sure what is floating around in her head, but we've encountered another day of random Laurenisms....

· "Next time I'm gonna get a poler. Because I saw it with my little eyes at Target. It's for fishing."

{We were on our way to preschool. But spoken like a true Bendorf grandkid.... always got cabin on the brain.}

· "When we dump milk in the bucket at preschool that makes sad comes. I don't like sad cows."

{I've got to find out who planted this one in her little head. I love it!}

· "On your next birthday are you gonna be old?"

{Guess we'll find out when I turn 33 at the end of the month, won't we?!}

· "I like me. That's why I want to be me."

{I like her thinking!}

· "I just look cute now in this kinda hair."

{Who doesn't love good bath hair?!}

· "Accidents happen, right?...But now everything is taken care of."

{I'm leaving the subject of this one up to your imagination.}

{I told her Amanda would like her socks.}

Songs from School

The girls show off songs they learned at school....

{Remember to pause the play list in the right column.}

Lauren sings

"A Friend is Someone Who is Kind"

Abby sings

"What's the Weather Like Today?"

Ten on Tuesday

1. I wish I could give my grandma a hug. My grandpa, too. Darn being in Ohio!

2. If you lined all of the Dairy Queen hot dogs consumed in a year, they would stretch from Los Angeles to New York City. I find this odd because they make me vomit. They are the only hot dogs I have such an aversion to. Obviously a large number of the population does not.

3. My favorite ice cream treat at Dairy Queen is a toss-up between a cherry-dipped cone & a Buster Bar.... It just depends on my mood. I will enjoy both even more the next time I eat them knowing DQ ice cream is low-fat. Who knew?!

4. I hate getting the kind of news that weighs heavy on your heart.

5. I don't talk about my job much, but this preschool conversation made me giggle. This afternoon, in the bathroom, two four-year-olds sat in neighboring stalls. One said to the other, "Toilet paper is just weird." The other agreed, and they continued on with their business.

6. I didn't realize how much I needed last night, and I was so hoarse I almost missed it. Five years of Bunco-free living is way too long. I'm glad the Hanscom Bunco girls are back together at Wright-Patt, and making new friends. It still would have been fun if I hadn't racked up a whopping 48 points.... But I'm not going to say no to that cash payout!

7. I'm pleased & impressed with Abby's bus driver. What a saint! At the very least, he is a nice guy who is good at his job.

8. My body is tired and aching for bed. But first, what to serve with our steak & macaroni salad?

9. Still looking for good ideas for my Halloween costume.

10. I have a nose like a dog.... Someone was making something amazing in the neighborhood tonight. I was tempted to follow that smell to the source and make friends with the talented chef, securing an invitation to dinner. I didn't, but I truly wanted to.

Today's Random Quotes

by Lauren

"Bye. I will have fun on the playground again."

{We hadn't even left the house yet for school this morning.}

"These jeans are going to be perfect for my beautiful little butt."

{So much so that she opted shorts.}

"I look great. I look just like a Betty."

{Who is Betty?}

"Mommy, I told you I'm losing some teeth."

{Okay, no she didn't.}

"Why did you lost your voice? Where did your voice went? I will find it for you. Here it is; I will sweep it into your mouth. Now you can talk not like that now."

{Obviously losing my voice annoys her.}

"Leave me alone. Go somewhere else. I'm going to look for my Q-change."
{She's mad, and on a hunt for her key chain.}

"Mommy, can I tell you this? When I get a new car then I am going to be happy. And that is going to be fun."

{She is not giving up on that red car she saw at the BX.}

Family Portrait

Sometimes I sit back and wonder just how a boy and a girl in college became real grown-ups with a house, two kids & a dog. In light of the girls' straying affections (yes, they both have boyfriends) it's nice to see she knows just who is most important in her life.

Here we are.... our family portrait, by Abby.

{Left to Right: Daddy, Mommy, an Icee, Lauren, Abby & Down in Front, Lizzie Dog}

Using Your Noodle

At home we make a point of reinforcing the skills the girls are learning in school. This evening while I was making supper, the girls worked on math concepts. Abby was caught up in cleaning up her mess, so Tiny got a head start.

The first task was to put 20 noodles in a bowl. It took several tries to get exactly 20, but finally she got it. Next she moved on to sorting. With a variety of five different noodles in her bowl, she carefully categorized them. And in true Lauren fashion each group of noodles came alive into it's own special character....

Starting with the group in front of her and moving clock-wise: Elbow Noodles--a crab, Rigatoni--a noodle thing, Farfalle--a fairy, Rotelle--a Christmas tree, cut Spaghetti--a Snort (a large machine from the book Are You My Mother?)

{Lauren & Her Noodles}

Love that noodle!

A Diner, An Icee & A School Desk

I had big plans for today: laundry & watching coverage of 9/11. That's it. I finally got my house cleaned yesterday. Completely cleaned--floors scrubbed and all; I was looking forward to a down day.

Geoff decided he needed a Daddy Date with his Lauren this afternoon, and Abby was more than happy to stay home and veg with her mom. But then she fixated on an idea.... she wanted an Icee. Of course that turned into, "I know, Mom, we can go downtown Fairborn to some of my favorite shops." Sure, Abby.

So what started out as my day of vegging turned into a pleasantly pleasurable afternoon with my gal pal, Abigail. We stopped at the little diner downtown and split a sandwich, moved onto my favorite scrapbooking boutique for a few odds & ends, then made an exciting find at our favorite antique shop--a school desk for Abby!

The laundry is almost finished, and there are two little girls relaxing their bodies late this afternoon after spontaneous quality time alone with their parents.

I love these days!

{The Little Diner}

{The School Girl & The Icee}

Flashback Friday

Judging by the abundance of these videos on file, Abby spent a healthy portion of one evening dancing in circles reciting ABBA tracks. Did I not realize how tired my children were? I am honestly not sure. I know that for five years we spent many nights enjoying their company in our family room (in whichever house we happened to be living in).... Now that it's lights out early on school nights, I treasure our snuggle time on the couch even more. And I can always make room for a little ABBA.

{October, 2008}

{Pause the play list on the right side of the screen before playing the video.}

I apologize for two things: one the video on here is much darker than the version on our computer.... funny. And the ridiculously high volume of the O'Reilly Factor in the background. But make no mistake, you can hear ABBA Abby loud & clear!

Thank You Thursday

I'm not crabby today, thank God. That one's a gimme. Here are five more things I'm thankful for this Thursday....

1. Abby's teacher. What a gem!

2. My husband. He made popcorn. The Vikings are on. The windows are open and I'm curled up with a blanket. It's like a little mini date in the family room we've hardly touched in weeks. Now if we can just beat New Orleans; I really don't care for that town.

3. Getting back into the groove. It's a new groove for the three ladies of the house, but there's certainly comfort in routine. {I still miss my super-awesome summer vacation, don't get me wrong I'd take it back in a heart-beat!}

4. My stop at the cigar shop. I dread going there and walking out smelling like a stogie. But on this trip they had an abundance of my beloved empty cigar boxes set aside for me, plus some rockin' tins to use for my new project. Lauren was happy I let her come in with me & talk to the resident birds. She was even gifted with a special velvet box, which the Santa Claus lookin' fella told her was for her jewelry & love letters.... that is if her beloved Connor ever gifts her with any.

5. Getting one step closer to completing my Christmas card design.

Lauren's Rectangle

Yesterday on our way to preschool, Lauren cried out from the backseat, "Do you know why I'm having tears? Because I miss my sister." If that wasn't enough to tell me just how important her sister is in her life, there is this. Inside Lauren's rectangle are the things that are important to her. It's obvious her house is the key character, and looming tallest on the left is her sister. I asked her why Rocket Blanket was missing and she said simply, "Because he isn't a person." Hmmmm....

Thank you, Miss Lisa, for labeling her creations. Most objects are difficult to decipher, and I'm glad to know I'm not the one who looks like a tornado!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I just scrubbed my feet. L♥ve that feeling!

2. What is it with all of the story telling today? Abby & Lauren are so full of bologna half the time, it's hard to decipher reality from their imaginations.

3. Lauren didn't match today. Again!

4. How can anyone not love 80s music. I get my dad; he's a child of the oldies. But a 31 year old? I'm blaming it on the Canadian upbringing.

5. What to be for Halloween this year....

6. Pretzel M&Ms. I'm not promoting them.

7. I could go for a day of vegging around in front of the TV. This always sounds good, but inevitably I always end up doing some sort of work. Not this Saturday. It's TV day.

8. Okay, first it's American Top 40 flashback on the radio in the morning. Then it's TV day.

9. I can't get enough of my Abby. Except when she's whiny. But most of the time she's a gem and I just want to snuggle with her, kiss her, and listen to her talk. Love that girl!

10. The same can be said for Lauren. I will forever wonder where that child came from, but I'd never trade her for anything in the world. What a gift!

How a Caterpillar Turns into a Butterfly

by Lauren

"1. First the caterpillar gets in a canoe.

2. Then he sleeps inside.

3. And then he turns into a butterfly!

4. Then they fly to Mexico.

That's it."

Flashback Friday

Okay, so technically Friday is over here on East Coast time, but since I haven't gone to bed yet & haven't posted my Flashback Friday pic, here goes. My Abby on Daytona Beach. Just being.... Abby!

January, 2007

Thank You Thursday

I'm crabby today. It's been a busy transition into life with a full-time school girl, a preschooler, and a part time job. So today to appease my snarky spark, this week's cinco de gracias is going to be my I'll be thankful when....

1. This heat subsides. Goes away. Vanishes. I'm sick of having stinky feet!

2. Obama is out of office. Enough said.

3. A hurricane takes our house away in Florida. Or any other force of nature for that matter. That is the only way we will be rid of that headache.

4. My car is traded in. Ughh. Thank goodness the idiot light on my dash was merely a warning for an extinguished headlight. I honestly wanted to cry. What the heck next?!

5. I get to sleep in. Sunday maybe? Perhaps Monday, too. I want more days.

If Teaching 6th Grade is Wrong, I Don't Want to be Ms. Wright

Per the request of my much-loved, school-teaching cousin, I created some magnets she could use on her magnetic white board at school. They were so easy to make, I decided to put a set together for Abby's kindergarten teacher on the first day of class.

With a sack of flat-backed marbles from Michael's, strong magnets, Mod Podge & random pieces of scrap paper I literally glued together these fun & clever magnets. They were a hit! And another great teacher gift idea!!!