Great Deal!

Several weeks back, I posted about this awesome "tote bag to end all tote bags" that I bought at The Container Store. Well, I found some on eBay and they are a great price! You won't be disappointed with this Reisenthel Carrybag! LOVE IT! (BTW, I bought one from this eBayer last week!)

See what I mean?

 

Introducing - "STYLISH ELISAN" 

Stylish Clothes

No, this isn't about me and my quest for better dressing. No, this post is about Elisan and her quest for better dressing.

A coupla weeks ago, I brought out some clothing for Elisan that I had purchased while she was at school. It was just a few things I got at Walmart, but I have to admit, they were really cute.

She immediately said, "Mommy, I don't like them, I love them!" and then proceeded to dance around singing, "I have stylish clothes! I have stylish clothes!"

Okay, first up... she's FIVE! Oh my goodness. What's up with that? Stylish clothes? Who told her about that? And how did she even know that word?

Truthfully, it's not a word we use around here. Yes, it's true... none of us are stylish.

But, to use it in the happy dance? I was baffled.

Nonetheless, the moment passed, I forgot about it.

Fast-forward to last week. Elisan is allowed to wear regular clothes (or pretty clothes) on Fridays and forego the boring school uniform. So, last Friday, she said she wanted to wear her STYLISH clothes.

So, I'm thinking to myself... what are we getting into now? Are the days gone where I could pick out her clothes and she'd wear them without complaint? Am I now required to take her with me, as I clothes shop for her, to ensure that she is indeed stylish?

Let me remind you... she's five!

And the final blow... At church on Sunday, our beloved Children's Pastor told Elisan she looked stylish! STYLISH! Of all the words to use, she used "stylish!"

(Insert sigh and groan) I'm so totally finished.

SCORE!

Today, I headed out to the local Goodwill.

All of my friends know that I love Goodwill and why not? It's one of the best re-sale shops around - without the high prices, like some consignment shops. So, imagine my surprise when I found this:


I've never owned a D&B purse, so I can not attest to it's authenticity. However, I've been around long enough and seen my fair share of knock-off's and this is definitely NOT a knock-off. It still has the wonderful leather smell to it.

The only "flaw" if you could call it that, is that it doesn't have the signature D&B fob.

And, the best part? I paid $5.99 for it! SCORE!

I love Goodwill and now you know why!

Getting Organized

Contrary to popular belief, I am not as organized as I appear to be. However, I do like to be organized, but sometimes it only comes when I'm thoroughly disgusted with the (lack of) organization of an area of my house.

This brings me to the girls' craft cabinet. A few weeks ago, I posted on the weekly Blogging Photo Assignment that my favorite piece of furniture to be the antique pie shelf that belonged to Randy's grandparents. The cabinet is a great place to store the girls' stuff because of it's easy access, plus, it's in the kitchen where they do their activities, crafts and projects. It's perfect and if I didn't have this piece of furniture, I know that it would be clutter mayhem around my house.

However, when I posted the picture of the cabinet, I didn't show you what the inside looked like. And, that's because it looked like.... um,... Clutter mayhem. Despite it's appearances, everything inside was not neatly stored. Upon opening the door, something invariably always fell out! Forget about finding anything in there...

So, I tackled the cabinet and it's contents last week and this is the final outcome! I bought those awesome plastic bins at the Dollar Tree. They are neat because the lids close in the center, but do not lock in place, so the girls can easily get inside. I separated all of their stuff and labeled it into catergories - crayons, play-doh, polly pockets, markers, paint, etc. And stuffed their coloring books and paper on the bottom. It looks great and the girls LOVE it! I love it! We're all very happy with the outcome. The best part is that NOTHING falls out when the door is opened! I have one more spot for another bin, for when they take on another activity that requires storage!

Amazing how $11.00 changed my life!

Now, go out and GET ORGANIZED and post a picture for us to see!

Thank you to our tea-sip friends!

My husband is giddy with excitement! That's because he "scored" (his words) tickets to the A&M vs. UT game to be held the day after Thanksgiving. For those who have lived under a rock for their entire lives... Texas A&M and UT play their game on this particular weekend, every year. It's tradition!

A great big HOWDY goes to my dear friend LA and her husband, Matt for the tickets! You see... they moved to NY last year (boo-hiss!) and can no longer go to the games. But, I don't think Matt is ready to relinquish his season passes, just yet!

So, who is Randy taking with him to the game? Well, I can tell you this... I was not invited! Randy, instead invited his brother.

Eh, what do I care? I'm not an Aggie and I'm not a Longhorn.

I'm an Aggie-by-marriage!

With Fall in full swing and Halloween around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate for this week's Blogging Photo Assignment to be focused on the Fall/Halloween Seasonal Decorations! Pick your favorite and show us yours!



This is my Fall decor. Fabulous, isn't it? I know, it's mediocre at best. And, since our family doesn't do the Halloween thing, this is pretty much it!


Show us yours!

Girl Talk

Today I just want to ramble about my girls!

We celebrated KM's birthday last week and here's a picture of her at the party.She had a great time and loved every minute of it. It was wonderful to see my family, even if the trip was brief. I'm glad to be there, but I'm as equally glad to leave. The girls have a fabulous time visitng with their grandparents and the grandparents dote on them non-stop. It also gives Randy and me a nice break from the girls - so, it is a win-win! Elisan says she's going to move there when she grows up, but I tell her that she's going to have to live with us forever and take care of us! Why is it that our grandparent's homes are always some magical place that we love and hold dear to our hearts, even as we get older?

Elisan is loving school and amazes me on a daily basis. She is learning to read and is even more quizzical than ever. Her teacher calls her "cutie-patootie" which is what I call her sometimes, which makes it even more sweet. Elisan's teacher is awesome and we love her. Sending Elisan to private school is the best sacrifice we could have ever made. I realize that now.




Elisan often says she wished she could go to the same school as some of her friends in the neighborhood, but I quickly remind her that she is very lucky to get to go to her school. I tell her that she is lucky because she gets to PRAY at school, learn about the Bible and celebrate holidays like Christmas - and learn the true meaning of it. Since Elisan has been in some type of religious education for her entire life - whether it is at church or pre-school and now, Kindergarten, she really doesn't realize that simple things like saying Grace before a meal, can be viewed as disrespectful to certain sects.

Thank God, and I say that with all sincerity, that she is living a life that teaches her she can pray and she can learn about the Bible and she can live out her life according to what God expects from us. It's just awe-inspiring to me, especially in this day and age. And even though one could argue that I'm forcing "my" values and beliefs on my children, I am not. I am, instead, giving them the greatest gift I could ever give to them.

My girls are so precious to me. Their differences amaze me. It's hard for me to not compare Kyla to Elisan --size, shape, hair color, eye color etc. They are nothing alike and they even look so very different. It's hard to tell who favors who, but I'd venture to say that personality-wise, Elisan is 50% Randy and 50% me... funny how that works, huh? KM...well, I don't know who she belongs too. She belongs to herself, yet, calls me mommy anyway.

Part of my want to keep them little forever, but the other (small) part of me can't wait to see them blossom into beautiful, thoughtful, caring young ladies. That even in this world, in this day and age, that something beautiful can come from it.

I didn't know what to title this post and had three different titles describing what I thought I would write about. This post has evolved from random thoughtless thoughts to a tribute to my girls. I love them and I'm glad to be their mom.

Elisan all-time favorite sandwich is the chocolate sandwich, made with Nutella and peanut butter.

It was one of those things we discovered while in Denmark. We were visiting some friends and they had these neat little thin chocolate and hazelnut wafers that you put on toast and they melted on top of the warm bread. I don't know the name of them, or else I'd link it.

Anyway, I asked my friend about it, and she said it was much like the flavor of Nutella, but Nutella was a spread. I wanted... no, scratch that... needed to buy Nutella after I had tried the yummy treat!

The next thing we know, Elisan is only wanting to eat Nutella and PB. And to be honest, it's delicious! In fact, we've been back to Texas for over two years and she's still eating chocolate sandwiches which is why today's YUMMY FOOD installment is "CHOCOLATE SANDWICHES" made with Nutella.




Be sure to check out recipe sites like ALLRECIPES for more yummy recipes!

Whatta Man!

No, thank God, this is not a post about Randy and his bathroom habits... although, I could write some stuff that would make your toenails curl!

No, this is about Randy, poop and Kyla Mae.

Let me start by saying that Randy is a hard worker and has been rewarded for his hard work and dilligence over the last 10+ years working at his present job. It's no surprise that Randy has worked his way up the engineering ladder and I'm proud to say that he is part of the upper management at his plant.

Because of this, I always want/try to make a good impression when we are around his co-workers. Several weeks ago was Randy's company picnic. The girls and I were excited about the opportunity to meet some of Randy's new co-workers and see the old.

We had a great time. There was all of the cotton candy, ice cream, snow cones, sodas, BBQ (and all the fixin's) you could eat. There were pony rides, hay rides, an inflatable bounce house, a rock climbing wall, games, prizes... It was nice and the company spared no expense.

It was almost a perfect day... until...

Elisan wanted to play one of the games scheduled for the kids, but Kyla Mae did not. So, Randy brought her to the playscape while I stayed with Elisan.

After Elisan's game was over, we went looking to meet back up with Randy. We couldn't find him.

We hollered and hollered and nothing. So, we went to the bounce house and Elisan played a bit. Next thing I know, I see Randy and KM coming out of the bathroom.

Apparently, KM decided that she didn't want to stop playing long enough to alert her daddy that she needed to go poop, until it was too late.

From Randy's account, she emerged from the playscape with her pants and undies down, poop still hanging from her booty and poop on her hands, which was also smeared on the front of her shirt!

(Okay, think... company picnic... lot's of people... Randy's a manager... poop!)

He said, once he got her to the bathroom, the first order of business was washing the poop off of her hands! Yuck!

The second order of business was tossing the undies... they were not salvagable - at least, they weren't because there were no proper facilities to clean them.

Third, he stripped off her poop smeared shirt and washed it in the sink, meanwhile wiping the poop off of her booty with dry toliet paper.

I can just imagine the scene, as I'm sure most parent's can, because this is not the first time a newly potty trained child (or really, any child) has not stopped long enough from playing to go take care of business.

So, ahem... we left after that. That's it, party's over. Let's go.

Kyla Mae, was however, remorseful about the whole thing. She kept talking about how she pooped in her undies and how sorry she was.

(Note for KM: That's okay, baby girl. We all have accidents sometimes!)

With that said,

[CHORUS]
What a man, what a man, what a man
What a mighty good man (yes he is)
What a man, what a man, what a man
What a mighty good man (he's a mighty,mighty good man)
What a man, what a man, what a man
What a mighty good man (gotta say it again now)
What a man, what a man, what a man
What a mighty good man (yeah)
by Salt 'N' Pepa

Blogging Photo Assignment idea courtesy of
NOT A COOKIE CUTTER!

What's your favorite spice - or in my case, seasonings!

I use TEXJOY steak seasoning on everything!


In fact, when I'm back home, I stock up on TEXJOY because it is the best brand of seasonings I know of. The company TEXJOY originated and is head-quartered in Beaumont, Texas.



Show us yours!

Ouch!

Ouch! I've been without internet, and even as I type, I'm waiting for my ISP to bail on me AGAIN...

With that said, I'm here (for the moment) and waiting patiently for the technician to darken my door Tuesday afternoon, so I can get back to the business of blogging and eBaying!

Until then...

Yummy Food!

A new installment to my little bit of internet space entitled YUMMY FOOD! Feel free to grab my button and post your own yummy food recipe on your site.

This recipe is one of my favorite cake recipes. Don't let the layering freak you out. Just pop the cakes in the freezer for a short while and they are a cinch to cut in half.

This cake is beautiful and oh, so delicious! Enjoy!



Luscious Four Layer Pumpkin Cake
by Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr 42 min
Makes: 16 servings, one slice each

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

4 large eggs

1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

1/4 cup caramel topping

1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup of the pumpkin, the milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. of the pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and remaining 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Stir in the whipped topping.

CUT each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife. Stack layers on serving plate, spreading the cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top of cake.) Drizzle cake with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with the pecans. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

First Generation

I received an email from my (non-native Texan) friend Kimi about a recipe book that is going to be published featuring recipes from third generation Texan women.

I've always known my roots, but as I pondered the fact that I'm not a third generation Texas, or even a second generation Texan, it really took me aback.

For those who know me personally know that I LOVE TEXAS. Especially since having lived in Minnesota and Europe - albeit, briefly. But, there is no denying that I am a true life Texan... drawl and all.

So, when I "discovered" that I was only a first generation Texan, it a mild blow to my Texas ego. Only a Texan will understand where I'm coming from. Texas is a state of mind, not just a state.

I think people from other parts of the world will never "get" it and truly believe that Texans are strange cow-folk from the backwoods of some farm somewhere in the middle of Cut and Shoot - (which, for you non-Texans...that's a real town!)

Cow-folk or not, I'll take Texas any day of the week!

There is one third-generation Texan in our household and that's Elisan. Randy is a second-generation Texan, which makes her a third generation Texan (minus my genes!)

My poor little KM... She's not a native Texan at all. She's native Minnesotan and last I heard, there is no prize for that. Hopefully, she'll forgive us for that one day!

In the meantime, maybe I'll submit the recipe in Elisan's name. That is, if I had one! Maybe my Cajun maw-maw can loan me a recipe. Afterall, there's a lot of Cajun's in this part of the world, too.

What are your roots?

Down to the quick

How is it that a little person in all of her five years, can cut me down, right to the quick, in one fell swoop?

How is it that I can hear some of the worst human tragedy on the news or on the home-front, and not shed a tear... but, one comment from my little person in all of her five years, can bring me to tears?

What's worse, is that she'll never know how she hurts me, because she dosen't understand what she has done to hurt me. And really, it's not my place to tell her.

I just pray, that as the years pass and all of the love and nurturing that I show her, will help her to be more careful with people's feelings.

This is what you see as you enter our humble home. I would love to have a new door. In fact, it's on our "to do" list, but it is a low-priority level.

I'd also love to have a fall wreath, but spending money on something I don't get to see, except as I'm driving away, doesn't interest me right now. Ah, such is life.


Feel free to grab my button and publish to your blog!

Also, send me YOUR idea for Photo Assignment of the week!

It's official! I've had the BIGGEST BLONDE MOMENT of my life!

Oh, blogger...how you've betrayed me!

One of my friends IM'd me to say that they left a comment on my blog. So, I bop onto the blog, only to see that, "NOPE" there are no comments.

So I did a little investigating...

Sure enough, my comments were being moderated, which meant that I had to approve them to be published on my blog.

Um. Let's just say, there were over 50 comments that were sitting there waiting for me.

The comments were like little dollops of goodness when I read them, but I'm sad, I didn't see them when they were first posted!

Yes, I'm blonde, and a nerd.

So... comments are enabled! Post your comments people and know, that I'm not a nerd anymore!

(P.S. - Seriously, thank you for all of the comments! I thought I was writting out there to NO ONE!)

Snickers Bush vs. Gore

A blast from the past! This is my favorite all-time commercial! Enjoy!

In honor of my friend Leigh Ann, here's my creative project.

I made a set of stationery to give to Elisan's teacher for Christmas.

The Commute

I'm tired of commuting Elisan to school and it's only been 8 weeks!

The drive is horrendous and I'm not exaggerating. I travel approximately 12 miles to Elisan's school and it takes me 50 minutes to get her there.

Yes... Really.

I am a total stress ball by the time we arrive at the school, that I'm nearly shaking like a leaf. If there is a phobia for being stuck in traffic, I have it.

Luckily, I've been taking an alternate route the last couple of weeks and the traffic, albeit, is hectic, it is managed my signal lights, which guarantees movement on a regulated basis. It sure beats sitting on the freeway with no where to go!

However today, I made the terrible mistake of listening to the traffic report and decided that I'd check out the freeway route again, since the traffic guy said it was not too congested. Oh, boy! What a mistake that was!

We barely made it, with two minutes to spare. No unexcused tardy slips today! Whoohoo!


Another thing that irritates me about the morning commute is the amount of people talking on their cell phones.

I'm so sick of seeing people yakking on the phone and not paying attention to what's going on around them. I've had plenty of near misses with people talking on the phone.

It's like an addiction for some. They pick up the cell phone as soon as they get in the car. It's like a smoker, who lights up, in the same manner.

I am not totally blameless in this, since I have been known to use the phone in the car. However, I use good judgment when determining when it is not a good time to chat it up with friends and family.

I'm waiting for "driving while under the influence of a cell phone" to become illegal in Texas... Until then... Hang up and drive or move outta my way you relentless addicted cell phone abusers...um, users.

Mom Jeans

I recently posted about my distaste of shopping for jeans! I even admitted that I like the high-waisted (a.k.a. "mom") jeans.

I came across this video clip courtesy of VERY MOM.

Check it out, have a laugh and have a great weekend!

The tote bag to end all tote bags!

I am a tote bag freak! I love tote bags, all kinds of tote bags and can't seem to stop myself when it comes to tote bags.

I truly have enough bags, but can never seem to convince myself of such.

I have tote bags for all occassions, but I never found a tote bag that was large enough or sturdy enough to carry all of my stuff. I needed a tote to carry my totes. Crazy, huh?

Well, I finally found one and I LOVE it!

This tote is made by the company Reisenthel. It is a German company and this "Carrybag" tote is designed to act as shopping basket type tote. It's very lightweight and mega-durable.

(Sidebar: This would have been awesome for us in Denmark! I don't know how I survived without it. Especially since you had to buy your grocery sacks at the store, if you wanted to -gasp- carry your groceries out of the store!)

Anyway, I bought mine at The Container Store for $30.00. They also had a very pretty floral version too, but I didn't want to get something too flashy, since I'm not a flashy person, but these are really cute too! The Reisenthel website has a really great selection of patterns, etc., but too bad, they are not offered in the U.S.

So, put this on your Christmas list. I know you will not be disappointed.

I'm a Rice Crispy Treat Drop-Out

I'm not trying to brag, but I consider myself a pretty good cook. I can cook just about anything and I'm not afraid to try new stuff. I love to cook and I find great satisfaction in a well-cooked meal.

My mom even comments that I've become a better cook than she is.

So, why is it that I am not successful at making rice crispy treats? Is there some cosmic secret to making them?

I've NEVER been successful at making them. They fall apart, don't hold their shape and are gooey. What gives?

I follow all of the steps according to the directions, and yet... disaster prevails, yet again.

Yesterday, I made a batch for Elisan because she had one of those store-bought varieties and raved at how much she loved it. I thought I would "wow" her by whipping up our very own treats at home.

I was half-way through the process when I remembered how I seem ruin every batch of rice crispy treats I've ever made. But, I pressed on, thinking that maybe this time would be different.

It wasn't.

So, we have a pan of icky, gooey rice crispy treats that can be eaten with a spoon.

Want some?

What's your luxury?

From Angie of ANGIE & ALLEN:

On Survivor, you are allowed to take with you one luxury item of choice. The luxury item may not be any type of survival item, such as a Swiss Army knife, tent, or matches. What would your luxury item be and why?

My luxury item would be Mary Kay Timewise Cleanser.
I love that stuff!

(Yes Kim, I really do!)




Show us yours!

Gecko

Must be something about this time of the year, but we've had our fair share of geckos recently.

The funny thing about geckos is that they're really not that bad. I mean, they eat on the insects in the house and pretty much only come out at night... so, we leave them alone.

I know what you're thinking... yes, it's kind of weird, especially if you know me personally, but eh... I'm getting a little more relaxed in my old age.

The girls, however, kind of freak out when they see them. Elisan not so much, anymore, but KM will release that sheer terror scream that I'm oh so familiar with.

For example, KM was going up the stairs and saw a gecko resting on one of the steps. She freaked out. Randy checked it out, and told her it was okay, because it was only a gecko.

Elisan's fear of geckos was relinquished when she had a friend over who tried to pick up the gecko. She wasn't able to, because it's tail broke off. From what I've read, that's pretty common. Yes, weird, but common.

On Monday, I went to get KM up from her nap and discovered her on the floor between her opened closet door and bookcase. It looked like she barracaded herself between the two 'walls'.

I woke her up and asked her what she was doing on the floor. She said, "Mommy! Gecko in my bed!"

I said, "What?"

She said, "Gecko! In my bed!"

Okay, so she says...

I rummage around the bed covers and lo and behold, there was a gecko, resting underneathe the pillow.

No need to keep that presumptious gecko around! He was captured and flushed.

I tend to draw the line at bed bugs - er, um... lizards.

Money down the toliet

KM had stuffed a bunch of coins in her overall pockets yesterday and while she was using the potty some of her coins fell into the toliet.

She started yelling for me, "Mommy, my money! In potty!"

Then what happened next, I'll never know why... but, she flushed the potty and some of her coins were swept away!

Screams of terror filled the house.

I ran into the bathroom and saw her standing there with her arm wet up to her shoulder with a handful of pennies in her hand, screaming.

I tell you, it never gets boring around here.

Blog Photo Assignment - Week #4

 

What's your favorite piece of furniture?

My favorite piece of furniture is this antique pie shelf. This belonged to Randy's grandmother and grandfather. We inherited it when his grandparents moved in with his mother and father because of their failing health.

I love this pie shelf because it's just practical, functional and quaint.

What's behind the door? No...no, pies in there! It's filled with the girls' arts and crafts supplies. Maybe one day I'll get to use it for myself! 

Show us yours!

New Phenomenon

Have you seen people walking around with these in their ears?

Am I the only one that thinks people look absolutely ridiculous wearing them?

Has someone told these people they look absolutely ridiculous?

If you are reading my blog, and currently own one of these... oops!

Girl, Interrupted

ha‧rass [huh-ras, har-uhs]
1. to disturb persistently; torment; bother continually; pester.
2. to trouble by repeated attacks.

KM, at her young age, as learned the intricacies of harassment. It's quite comical to see her in action, however, I'm not usually the brunt of her harassment.

Unfortunately, the person for whom she is pestering is none other than her sister. I always figured that because they were sisters and so close in age, that they would have their fair-share of arguements, etc.

However, I'm truly astounded that KM, at two, has already begun harassing Elisan -- and with such vigor!

If I haven't mentioned already... oh, who am I kidding, I've mentioned it here and here the fact that Elisan loves to talk incessantly and this is particularly true when it comes to the drive home from school. From the moment Elisan enters the vehicle, she begins talking. That's when KM begins her reign of terror.

As soon as Elisan starts a sentence, KM will say, "Sissy? Sissy. Sissy?" in attempt to be the center of attention. Elisan will quiet her down and begin her sentence again, only to have KM interrupt her again.

At first, I didn't realize that KM was intentional in her acts, until I saw her sneaky little grin, when Elisan would get beyond annoyed at her.

I always knew KM was a little stinker, but I didn't realize how much trouble she's going to cause for Elisan until we realized her torturing capabilities.

I'm sure my brother will tell you, that she learned this trait from me.

Blog Photo Assignment - Week #3

What's on your 'fridge?


What's in your 'fridge?

September 11th, 2001

I will not forget.

It's been an exciting day!

Today, Elisan's teacher informed me that Elisan's name was drawn as the GRAND PRIZE winner of their school's fundraiser. The kid won an MP3 player! What luck!

Then as we were pulling into the garage this afternoon, I noticed a snake in the garage. So, what'd I do? I killed it with a shovel!

I did take a picture of it, but since it's head is, well... annihilated, I'll spare you.

I think that's all for today!
Have a great weekend!
E

Do something creative everyday

In honor of my friend, Leigh Ann, here's my creative expression for today. This is for a friend's birthday party this weekend.

A good buy!

All of my friends know that I LOVE H-E-B. And if you are not a Texas resident, you have no idea what you are missing, so move along please!

Nonetheless, last year one of my friends introduced me to H-E-B's Raspberry Chipotle Cream Cheese and I've not been the same since.

Another good buy from H-E-B is their flavored water. You cannot go wrong with any of the flavors, although one of my friends said the peach is only so-so.

Anyway, so there ya have it. Put these two on your grocery list this week and try it out and let me know what you think.

One final plug for H-E-B and no...I'm not being paid for this glowing endorsement... is their Points Club Reward Program at the H-E-B Plus! Store. If you swipe your points card everytime you make a purchase, you earn points. But, rather than getting the store's reduced price for "member's only" - which is phooey, anyway... you earn CASH! Well, it's cash that can be used in the store. So, yesterday, I got my "reward" in the mail and it was $40.00! That so totally rocks! (Which by the way... the H-E-B Plus! has cool stuff like electronics, furniture, housewares, etc.)

I love free money!

Okay, so this is what my blog has become... a big ol' advertisement for a grocery store. I'll admit it, I'm a housewife and proud of it!

Have a great weekend!
Later,
E

The Jeans!

As as I mentioned yesterday, I'm in the market for some really great jeans.

I hate trying on jeans. Low-waist, no-waist, ultra-low-waist. They need jeans that are made for hips that have birthed two kids. I've looked... they ain't out there! Until...

I was at one of my favorite stores and I came across these jeans.

I noticed the waistline was high (or "classic" or even "natural", which let's be honest... it's the same waistline we've all worn until the the low-rider jeans became popular) and the legs were roomy, but not baggy. The bottoms were boot cut, which I like, because I've said it once, and I'll say it again...I will not wear peg-leg jeans.

Side bar: I'm sure next we'll see those same skinny tapered leg jeans with zippers on the backs, circa '86 which will gag me with a spoon, but I digress...

But, anyway, I was intrigued with these jeans, so I tried them on and HOLY COW... I loved them! So, I bought them!

I've had a shopping victory today!

Thursday's Laugh

This morning KM was in her chair eating breakfast. Randy comes into the kitchen to gather his stuff before he leaves for work. Here's the conversation:

KM says, "Hi Daddy."
Daddy says, "Hi Kyla Mae."
KM, "Daddy, work?"
Daddy, "Yep, I'm going to work."
KM, "Got shoes on right feet?"

A whole lotta nuthin'

I'm updating for the sake of... well...updating.

Currently, the house is quiet except for a few giggles coming from the kitchen table. KM is playing play-doh, so I have a few minutes to spare.

Speaking of KM, she's potty training, or rather, trained. I began yesterday - full throttle - and she's got it. Yes, she is almost three... yes, I coulda/shoulda done it sooner, but you know what? I'm lazy like that and hated the idea of asking, "You gotta go pee-pee?" a hundred zillion times a day. My method? Bare bottom training. Works every time... well, at least it's been proven to work twice with me.

So, the very same day I posted Fashion Frump someone complimented me on my hair! I about died! So, maybe I'm not as bad as I imagine myself to be?

I'm so ready for Fall I can't hardly stand it anymore. I've resorted to buying Apple Cinnamon and Pumpkin Spice candles because that's about as Fall as it's gettin' around here. And now that Summer is unofficially ended now with Labor Day behind us, I'm really ready to get this Fall show on the road.



Speaking of Labor Day? Does anyone still follow the fashion rules of Labor Day - no white shoes, white pants, white accessories? Or is that a thing of the past? I know that my good friend Angie still acknowledges it, and truthfully, I do too... but just wondering if we're the only fashion fogies around. (Sorry, Ang!)

Later,
E

Blog Photo Assignment - Week #2

Blog Photo Assignment - Week #2
Where are you most likely to be in your house?

My Kitchen!

Fashion Frump

For the first time in a long time, I'm feeling like a fashion frump.

I don't like my clothes, I don't like my hair and I hate almost every pair of shoes in my closet.

By the end of the day my make-up looks dreadful and my hair is completely un-done from the morning. I can't even put it into a pony-tail because it is still growing out from the hair cut mistake I made back in February!

Why am I in such a rut, you ask?

Probably because I loathe shopping these days. Gone are the days of shopping for sheer enjoyment. It's now about schlepping the kids, stroller, lunch, snacks, various drinks and diapers and wipes - just to go out on a 2-3 hour excursion.

Now, with Elisan in school I know I'll have more time to try to do a little shopping here and there, because it is a lot easier shopping with one kid.

The other reason I am in a fashion rut is because of the styles the stores are touting this season!

Um, hello? But, did I fall asleep and wake up in 1986? I bought the recent People Magazine Fall Fashion preview and apparently it is 1986. They (whoever "they" are) are bringing back skinny jeans, bulky sweaters, flat shoes, big ol' belts (to help fluff out your bulky sweater) and baby doll dresses w/leggings. Ick!

It's hard enough finding clothes that I like now, but to bring back the 80's is just terribly dreadful.

Finally, I'm in a clothes funk because I'm thrifty. Okay, I'll admit it...I'm cheap! There, I said it. But, I can't see spending $45.00 on a shirt and $80.00 on a pair of jeans. I don't care if they are the best fitting jeans ev-ah! I just can't do it. Also, what if, I do spend $80.00 on a pair of jeans, only to find out the my cute little boot cut jeans are no longer "in"! Oh, the horror!

I look at the other moms at Elisan's school and they don't look much better than me. Most of them are in t-shirts and capri pants--which I am beginning to loathe. Only a few of them would I consider "fashion conscious" individuals - and by that, I mean, no t-shirts or capris. (Is this what I've become - a t-shirt and capri wearing mama?)

I want...no, scratch that... I NEED a wardrobe over-haul. I'm about to the point of forking over major dinero so I don't look like a frumpy mid-30's SAHM - you know, the image that most people have when "they" (there's that word again) envision a SAHM.

I am not hip and I am not cool, and I don't pretend to be. But at some point I stopped caring. It's time to start caring again.

Off with the old, and on with the new...

Now, hun? I just need to the credit card and a day's worth of shopping - sans kids. You think you can handle that, for the sake and sanity of your lovely wife?

Welcome! My name is Erica and I'll be your server today!

Instead of saying, "Good Morning!" to my girls each morning, I should be saying,

"Welcome! My name is Erica and I'll be your server today!"

I de-clare... it seems as if my entire day is spent waiting hand and foot on them.

"Mommy scoot me!"
"Mommy, can I have a cup?"
"Mommy, can we have a snack?"
"Mommy, I thirsty!"
"Mommy, can we have a lolli?"
"Mommy, I poo-poo'd. Change my diaper?"
"I can't reach it!"

Oh, you get it.... I could go on forever, but I'll spare you the monotony. I just hope they leave me a good tip, because this waitress business is tough stuff!

Drive time conversation

I have to literally pull information out Elisan regarding her day at school.

I ask her, "What did you do today at school?" and it mainly consists of the highlights of the day - recess and lunchtime!

(Daddy's little girl, for sure!)

When asked, "Did you learn any letters today?" she tells me that she didn't learn any letters because she already knows them all.

(I'm sure the teacher thinks she is a peach. Yes?)

When asked, "Were you a good girl today?" she'll say yes, then tell me about the student's who had their names written on the board. Today she said there were five names written on the board. I asked her if her name was one of the names on the board and she said, "Nooooo Mommy! I never get my name on the board!"

(At least she learned something at home!)


P.S.
Don't forget to join me in this week's photo assignment!

Blog Photo Assignment - Week #1 - Where do you blog?

This is my office! We recently purchased a desktop computer because the laptop died due to overload.

My Dell laser printer rocks and I got it at a great deal of $89.00 and free shipping -- no, I haven't had to buy toner yet... yes, I know it's outrageously expensive!

My iPod rules and if you don't have one, GET ONE!

The pink standing files hold everything from my camera to school papers to stuff that needs to go into the trash.

And finally, my beloved stool. I just bought the stool about a month ago.

Now...since this is an assignment, complete it and turn it in and link your site below! Have fun!

Good Bye BMW... Hello Mini-Van

The title says it all.

On of my friend said, "Welcome to the Club" in a recent IM exchange! WHAT? There was a CLUB? Had I known there was a club, I would have joined sooner!

So, it's official... I'm a Mom! Whew... that was a close one. I'd hate to think that I was just impersonating a mom by driving a fun sporty little car!

Goodbye my friend! Have a nice life!
You were a great companion!

My very own personal trainer!

I'm excited to announce that I now have a personal trainer to help me get into shape!

I've been needing to get some kind of exercise program going, but I'm not the kind of person who does well in organized classes and/or gym atmosphere... there's something about doing aerobics in a class full of women that intimidates me... not to mention that "white girl has no rhythm!"

So, I bought myself a pair of roller blades from my favorite store and a jogger stroller from my favorite online classifieds ads.

(Sidebar: I know, I know... roller blading behind a jogger stroller seems like a recipe for disaster, but really it isn't! Even with my history of roller blading, it's really easy and oh...how my booty burns! But, I digress...)

And now, to complete the equation, I now have a personal trainer!

Who, you ask? It's KM!

As soon as we come home from dropping Elisan off at school, KM brings me my skates. She reminds me to grab a bottle of water and off we go!

She even coaches me! She will say, "Fasta mommy, fasta!" over and over again.

Then as we come to an intersection, she asks me if I'm ready for "watey" and we share a drink together.

When we're done doing our mile lap (because that is all I can muster right now!) we go inside and she tells me, "I hot, mommy." and I agree. It's nice to have someone to commiserate with.

So, there you have it. My very own (free) personal trainer.

I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship.

Oh my! I've been critiqued!

I was perusing through my site meter hits and came across this! Read this (totally unsolicited) critique from Billy Mac about my blog (no! seriously... totally unsolicited!)

Thanks goodness he was very generous with his critique, otherwise I would have left the computer crying, swearing to never return to blog-world again!

Thanks Billy Mac...who ever you are!

Fit Over Function

The last time I wrote about a new car was back in July and in the end, I resolved to keep my super teeny tiny sports sedan another year.

But worry no more people, because this weekend, WE'RE GOING CAR SHOPPIN'!

Those who know me best can remember the mantra that I professed over and over (and over) again...

• "We'll never get an SUV or a Mini-Van. Period. End of discussion."
• "No, I don't care that a car cannot haul 8 passengers."
• "So what, that I can barely fit my stroller in the truck of my car."
• "No, I don't really care about carpooling. Why would I carpool, my car gets super duper gas mileage (and that was when gas prices were a measly $1.30/gallon)."
• "No, I don't want to drive a big mom-box down the freeway!"
• "I love my car because it is sporty and I can go 0-60 in 7 seconds!"
  

So, my friends and family members stopped asking me about it.

Well, 'fit over function' finally won out. The car is just too small for us. That, we can all agree upon.

What we (Randy and me) could not agree upon was what. So, after internet shopping and comparing various makes/models of every car, SUV and mini-van known to man, we just can't deny the fact that a mini-van is second to none in size and function.

So, there ya have it, people who know me best. A mini-van... yep... I'm joining the ranks of moms everywhere! Carpool here I come.

(Stay tuned. More vehicle updates - with photos! - coming soon.)

Just a little bit of pride

Randy loves the fact, that by Springtime, his yard is full of green lush grass, while most of the neighborhood's grass is still coming out of hibernation.

He drives down the streets comparing the green-ness of his grass to the other yards and beats himself on his chest and says, "Me man!"

This Summer however, has yielded nearly no rain whatsoever... translation: dead grass abounds. And to top it off, our grass has some kind of grub worm that is destroying the grass at it's root.

Enter new neighbor: Mr. Buford (the names have been changed to protect the unaware!)

Mr. Buford is a nice old man. He's a retired minister and he and his family are super nice.

Anyway, one day Mr. Buford comes to the house asking Randy to take a look at his lawn mower for him. Well, come to find out, Mr. Buford put the gasoline into the oil tank. Randy was able to help him out and drain the gasoline for him.

Randy came back and was chuckling that Mr. Buford probably didn't know too much about lawn work. And truthfully, being a minister, he probably didn't do too much lawn tending, since his former parishioners likely did it for him as a courtesy.

Fast foward a month or two... Randy's lawn is getting crispy and dry and is on the brink of death. Randy is outside surveying the lay of the land when Mr. Buford comes over and they begin to chat. Mr. Buford gives Randy some lawn tending advice that perhaps, Randy is cutting the grass too short. Randy, being the gracious one in the family, tells him he is probably right.

Fast forward to the weekend, Randy is setting up the sprinklers outside, when Mr. Buford comes on over and fires up a conversation. He tells Randy that watering the grass in the heat of the day is not good because it evaporates immediately. Randy, the ever gracious one, tells Mr. Buford, that yes, he is probably right.

I asked Randy if Mr. Buford has given him anymore "handy" lawn tending advice. But, Randy being such a gracious, God-fearing man and knowing what the Bible says about honoring and holding to the highest regard the men of the church, he didn't have a foul word to say about Mr. Buford. He just shook his head, said 'yeah' and went on with his business.

There's a lesson to be learned here somewhere, but I'm not sure what. My original intent of this post was to poke fun at Randy, but really, I think I can learn from him instead.

There's a reason why I love this man, even if his grass is dry, crispy and on the brink of death.

Bugs

Since having kids, I've been the victim of stomach bugs/viruses that apparently my kids are picking up from other germ infested rodents, er...um...I mean, kids and bringing them home to spread generously around me.

I used to never get sick...not like this, anyway. I can recall, just in the last six months having been plagued with the nastiest stomach virus imaginable - which included diarrhea and vomiting. That was fun.

And, so I write to say, that yes... I'm sick with a stomach virus... again, making my day today pretty miserable.

And what's worse, is that we're leaving this afternoon to travel three hours by car for an overnight trip. So, right now, I'm eating Kaopectate like it was candy, hoping that by this afternoon I'll be travel worthy.

Until then... I need to get some rest while KM is being babysat by the tube!

I laughed, I cried... It moved me

Today was the first day of kindergarten.

I laughed...

Call me crazy, but there were moms (and dads) there with video cameras filming the child as they were walking into the class and finding their seats. I told Randy that we must be bad parents because the thought did not even occur to me to bring my digital camera, much less a video camera.

I cried...

The teacher had a "Parent's Care Package" sitting on the table at each child's assigned seat. It consisted of a tissue, a note from the teacher and a tea bag. The tissue, well...that is self-explanatory. The note thanked us, the parents, for entrusting our precious children to them as they travel the learning journey together. And the tea bag was for us to go home, have a hot cup of tea and relax while we know that our children are in good hands. (I'll admit, my tea bag is still in it's original package. I opted for errands instead.) So, yes, I cried... more than what I expected I'd do. I'm such a wimp.

It moved me...

I breathed a sigh of relief when I picked up Elisan today and the first thing she said to me was, "I had fun today!" All that worry for nothing.

Now, if I can just get that drop off/pick up thing down, I'll have it made!

The Diarrhea Loophole

WARNING: Poop talk ahead...




Elisan has just recently learned to wipe herself after having a bowel movement.

I know, I know, she's five!

But, blame it on her anal mother (no pun intended) who is just a little, well...anal... when it comes to bathroom cleanliness. I would rather take matters into my own hands, so that explains why I've waited so long to teach her how to wipe.

Well, that... and the fact that Elisan hates to wipe herself.

With Kindergarten starting this week, I'm glad that she has finally learned to wipe herself. I don't imagine that the teacher would be impressed with Elisan (or with me, for that matter) if she was still hollering, "I'm donnnnnnne!" once she finished her business.

But, leave it to my little girl to discover a loophole in the B.M. wiping department.

It's diarrhea.

She knows me well enough, to know that I will wipe a diarrhea poop because... well...I'm anal like that. And because of this, she uses the diarrhea loophole A LOT. Even when there isn't just cause.

So, now, instead of hearing "I'm donnnnnne!" I hear, "Mommy, it's a diarrhea and it's naaaaasty!"

I can't wait for the first note to come home in Elisan's backpack explaining that in Kindergarten, they do not wipe the student's rear-ends.

The Family Pet

"I'm really, really, super really, telling you the truth!" she says. "Mommy. Really. I am!"

Okay, I have fallen for this little performance before, I'll admit it. But, not anymore.

Yesterday, I asked her what she wanted for lunch and she told me, "Chocolate sandwich." So, when it came time to sit down for lunch, she said, "I don't want this."

Me, "Well, you asked for it, so you are eating it."

Her, "I didn't! I super really didn't ask for a chocolate sandwich! Really!"

Randy joins in, "Yes you did, I heard you. Now, eat."

This, of course, goes on for a few minutes, which resulted in a final ultimatum from me, "You don't get down, until you eat it."

So, about 20 minutes later passes, along with a potty break and she finally decides to eat her lunch. KM has finished her lunch, but is hovering nearby.

I leave the room for two seconds... Okay, more like 2 minutes and I come back and see KM with a mouth-full of food.

I ask Elisan, "Is she eating your food?"

Elisan, "No. She super really isn't!"

I ask KM, "What's in your mouth?"

She opens her mouth to show me a mouth full of chocolate sandwich and says, "Chwocwate sawich."

So, now, not only is Elisan just lying for the sake of super really lying, and meanwhile, KM is now the family pet.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby Girl

Today is my baby's birthday!

She's five, going on fifteen.

I love you my sweet baby girl!

Love, Mommy

Inspiration

For the last year, at least two of my posts have been about the grocery store. (Read about them here and here.)

Yet again, a post inspiration centers around the check-out line.

Yesterday, I had some last minute shopping to do before my folks and two nephews arrive for their 3 day stay. I needed to get those items that are a must for two growin' boys - soda, chips... you know, the staple food.

So, I get to the line and I see the check out guy doesn't have anyone to bag the groceries for his lane.

(Sidebar: If you are reading my blog and do not live in Texas where they BAG YOUR GROCERIES for you...well, I'm sorry. It's just another reason to love living in Texas!

I didn't realize this was NOT normal, until I moved out of Texas!

But, at least in Minnesota, they provided the bags! In Denmark, heck... you had to buy your own grocery sacks AND then bag them yourself! Hmph! Europeans! But, I digress.)

I happily jump in and begin bagging my own groceries because I didn't want to hold up the line with all of my stuff piling at the end and no one there to bag it.

So, I'm bagging my stuff, albeit, not properly, and a girl comes up and tells me she'll take over.

Well, then I noticed, that she is taking my stuff out of the grocery cart and is re-bagging it. Um? Hello?

I mean, I know I didn't do it right, but geez, y'all were short handed! I was helping you! And now... you are showing me, that I was doing it wrong!

Okay, so I was put in my place, that I don't belong in the bagging end of things, but that's okay. I mean, I hated bagging my own stuff in Minnesota and in Denmark.

So, from now on... I'll let my stuff pile at the end and hold up the line! That will show 'em!

Me? Jealous?

This afternoon, the girls and I headed out to one of our favorite local restuarants.

Unfortunately, it was also "Happy Hour" and we were there with a bunch of business types taking advantage of the cheap margaritas and dollar drafts.

So, I'm sitting there, looking all 'mom-like' with my almost dry hair (still wet from the swimming pool earlier), barely a stitch of make-up on and the same clothes I've been wearing since 7:00 a.m. this morning. The girls... well, they didn't look much better than I did.

I couldn't help but look around at all of the stylishly dressed women and one in particular caught my attention. She was sitting at the table next to ours, so close, in fact, that I could overhear bits and pieces of her conversation.

She was talking about her day, and apparently it was her first day on a new job. I could hear her tell her husband how "they" thought she was "one of the girls" and how "they" - the staff - talked about her all day long. I gathered that she was some sort of hot-shot at this new job, by the way she was talking about "them".

Eavesdropping on her conversation made feel somewhat jealous. I don't know why. Maybe it was because she was a 'big-shot' and wore fancy clothes? Or maybe because she was having a conversation that didn't start with, "Today, the girls did (fill in the blank here)."

But, then I noticed that she didn't seem very happy at all. She only laughed when she refered to the staff members when they thought she was "one of them". She looked tired and she was not smiling.

Then I looked over at my dinner guests and they were happy and they were smiling, which in turn, made me happy and made me smile. They were talking (even if it was incessantly) about the ice cream they were going to eat after dinner and the fun they had today with their friends at the pool. They were even grabbing my hand and giving me wet sticky ice cream kisses on my hand.

So, jealous that I was not having an adult conversation? Yeah, sure.

Jealous, that I was not wearing fancy designer label clothes? Yeah, for sure.

Jealous that she is a big shot at her new job that will indelibly create unwanted stress in return? Maybe...

But, jealous of not being happy? Of not smiling? No way!

I love my life and my job as a wife and mother. It's a job I take very seriously. And, although the pay is low, the reward is high.

It's a reward that lasts a lifetime!

Big K (no, not K-Mart)

Kindergarten is starting NEXT WEEK. Yikes!

I am really nervous about Kindergarten! And, how is it that I'm old enough to have a kid in Kindergarten?

I know Elisan will love, love, love it. Me? Not so much.

I worry that I will fail. How's that for turning the tables?

There's so much pressure now... getting there on time, packing lunches and/or remembering lunch money, picking her up on time. And what's worse, our commute is on the worst stretch of road imaginable in Texas, so traffic will be horrid some days.

What about the teacher? I mean, do I try too hard for her to like me? Or do I step back and just observe? Should I make efforts to be (overly) involved in Elisan's class and be the mom that does everything and not give anyone else a chance? And should I try to out-do the other moms? Or just go with the flow....?

It's so hard! Will I be the goody-goody mother? Or the slacker mother? Or will KM preclude me from doing anything remotely related to the school because she will run hog-wild in any situation that requires thought and preparation?

Who knew Kindergarten would be so hard?

But, as far seeing my big girl head off to Kindergarten... I'm proud! She will love it, because that is the kind of kid she is!

Her mother on the hand...she's had 33 (nearly 34 years) of neurosis built up... just enough to make her a little loopy sometimes!

The Nerd Test

Brought to you by Amanda, my lightly nerdy friend.

Here's my score:
"Not nerdy, but definitely not hip."



**UPDATED: Randy scored an 80! Haha!

Mixing it up

This afternoon, Elisan asked me if I would play a game of Candyland with her. I told her I would, but I needed to finish up some work before I was able to play.

She said okay, and told me that she'd mix (or shuffle) the cards for me.

So, I sit down to play with Elisan and KM. KM goes first because she is the youngest and draws a gumdrop. Whoohoo... she's half-way there.

Next, it's Elisan's turn and before the card is even turned over completely, she's whooping and hollering because she drew the ice cream card - which takes her to 3/4 of the way to the end!

Hmmm, something's fishy.

She's all giddy because she's going to win and of course I called her out on her cheatin'.

So, all that time she was supposed to be mixing the cards, she was actually 'fixing' the cards.

The little sneak!

Everyone gets a turn

When it comes to meal time blessings, we all get a turn.

Recently, KM has shown an interest in saying the prayer and here's how it goes:

"Jesus. (mumble mumble mumble) food. (mumble mumble mumble) Mommy and Daddy. (mumble mumble mumble) all th' blessin's. (mumble mumble mumble) Mommy and Daddy."

(At this point, I'm usually having to guide her to the Amen part.)

Then she raises both arms and says, "I did it!"

It's sweet and so super cute. It's one of those moments you wish you could capture forever.

But, then reality sets in, when you hear your oldest child chime in and say, "No you didn't! Mommy had to help you!"

Ahhhh, those sweet, sweet memories!

Business Order

Yesterday, I sent KM to the bathroom before we headed out to the pool.

KM ran to the bathroom and Elisan, on her own accord, followed her into the bathroom to supervise.

KM got out potty seat and positioned it correctly over the toilet. She pulled the stool up to the toilet and then sat on the seat.

She reached for the toilet paper and pulled off just the right amount of paper and THEN...it happened.

She wiped BEFORE she peed.

Mayhem broke out.

Elisan started screaming, "That's not potty training! You don't wipe yet! You have to pee first!"

This is my life.

Perseverance

"Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist
but the ability to start over."
~F. Scott Fitzgerald

I witnessed a perseverance in Elisan that I've never seen in myself. She must get that from her dad. Truth be told, she is much like her dad, when it comes to perseverance.

Elisan finally learned how to swim. It was not by the help of anyone, other than herself. And the only way she learned was by trying over and over and over (and over and over and over) again. Literally.

Until finally, she looked up and said, "Mommy, watch me (for the 100th time) I'm swimming!"

And what do you know, she was.

My heart was bursting with joy, because I saw a quality in my child, that I do not possess, but often times wish I did.

Watch Elisan swim here!

There's a reason why...

I've finally figured out the beauty of playdates and the reason why the exist!

Elisan had her very first playdate at our house today with a neighborhood friend.

And get this... It was pure bliss!

It was 3 hours of straight, uninterrupted, non-disputing play! I even had to check on them a few times to make sure they were still alive, because they were so quiet.

And... And... they even included Kyla Mae in their play, which before, has been an issue at the playground, etc.

Hello? Is this the dirty little secret of mom's everywhere?

And why am I the last to know about it?

I always considered the thought of having another child destroying the house as a... hmmm, I don't know... a burden? Yes?

But, no! It's the exact opposite! It was bliss! Pure bliss, I tell you!

I've invited her over again for next week because there's some stuff that just ain't getting done otherwise...

It's fun when Daddy's not here!

That's what Elisan said today.

Shocking!

Let's see... they get to stay up late, since it's just us girls.

They get to eat a chocolate (Nutella) sandwich for lunch and dinner, since I don't cook while Randy is gone.

They get to go fun places and do fun things, since I am trying to wear them out so they'll be too tired to fight.

They get to take long luxurious baths in my tub, since I am grabbing a shower at the same time.

They get to rent a DVD from the video store, since I need at least 75 minutes of quiet.

And finally, they get to live in a not-so-spotless-home, since I put the cleaning on hold until Randy returns.

So, yes... perhaps it is fun when Daddy is not here, and not just for them, but for me too!

Sweet Little Bedtime Prayer

Last night, Elisan prayed for Daddy, that while he is on his business trip...

"...he won't get the poops while he is away."

It took everything I had to not bust out laughing!

(Read about the poops here!)

Dignity

I think I lost my dignity this weekend.

I bought a pair of roller blades last week, because we're getting Elisan some roller blades for her upcoming birthday. I figure, she'd be more apt to learn, if she saw that Mommy and Daddy could both roller blade.

So, this weekend, we all gear up on our wheels and we take to the streets.

Well, back up... they take to the streets... I am lying in the grass because I fell getting off of the driveway.

So, with some assistance from Randy, I make it to the street. Once there, I'm waving my arms like a mad-woman trying to maintain balance. Randy gives me few basic pointers and I begin to skate. I'm doing pretty good for a beginner and then I try to stop.

Let me just say, that I'm an 80's girl, and when I skated as a kid, the brakes were on the front of the skate. So, what'd I do? I didn't stop! Unless you consider hitting the pavement, as stopping.

So, shortly thereafter, we called it a day. We tried again on Sunday, and this time I did a little better, but I created my own stopping style, by doing a little turn. Its working for now.

It bugs me that I can't roller blade, because I was a great skater at one time. That was like 20 years ago, though. But, this roller blading thing... wow, it's really hard.

And, I'm sore. Now, that's pathetic!

Called Out

I've been called out by my husband!

Randy has been complaining about my alleged snoring as of late, and truthfully, if anyone has any room to complain, it is me, me, me! Randy sometimes snores so loud, I don't know how he doesn't wake himself up with his own noise... but, that's not the topic of today's discussion.

Today's topic is about my snoring.

Yesterday, after the alarm went off, and we were lying in bed, Randy began fumbling around with his phone. The next thing I know, he puts it to my ear and I hear this awful snoring!

My husband recorded my snoring on his cell phone.

The nerve! How dare he knock me down from my "I DO NOT SNORE" pedestal!

So, now, I must finally come clean with the fact that -gasp- I snore.

Oh, the shame of it all.

A Moment of Silence

I am a genius!

I had a moment of silence yesterday and I just had to share it with the world!

Yesterday, Elisan was particularly chatty. Okay, really... everyday she is particularly chatty, but I needed to get some work done and I couldn't concentrate for all of the questions and commentary.

So? What'd I do? I put her mouth in time-out!

And you know what? It WORKED!

I told her she could play, but for five minutes she could not talk! Again, let me reiterate... it WORKED! Hello, I'm a genius!

Feel free to re-create my genius in your own home!

Who are you?

Have you ever had one of those moments when you look at your child and say,

"Who are you?"

I have those moments often. Especially now, that Elisan is almost five. The things that come out of her mouth amaze me - and sometimes not in a good way.

But mostly, it's the stuff that she does that is so far reaching from my personality (or Randy's) that it makes me wonder where she gets this stuff.

For example, Elisan never meets a stranger. Me, however? I'm slowly coming out of my shell - at 33! Randy? To him, everyone is a stranger - sometimes even his own family!

Elisan talks incessantly. I talk A LOT, but not nearly the amount as Elisan talks. Randy never talks. Which kind of makes things hard, when you have an incessant talker, an average women talker, a newly talking talker and a no talker in the house.

That brings me to KM. She is our newest talker and boy, is she LOUD! I mean, for such a petite little girl, she can definitely get your attention. Perhaps she is having to compete with the incessant talker. Yes?

I can safely say that KM is not like Randy or me in the "loud" department.

And yet, there are so many ways in which our kids favor us, mimick us, and carry out our traits. But, I'm glad that I often pause and say to myself (or even outloud), "Who are you?" because it reminds me that they are not clones of Randy and me (thank God!), but unique little beings, in and of themselves!

The Trade Off

I've HAD IT!

I've HAD it with my car! It's small, we're cramped and the glove compartment rivals the trunk in storage capacity!

Over the 4th of July holiday, I began my campaign for a new vehicle. And, when I say campaign, I should really say tirade, because it was not pretty. I'll admit it.

But, I needed to get my point across to my husband, who is a self-proclaimed tight-wad. So, I lobbied hard for a new vehicle. But, it wasn't working, because he had just bought a new truck last year that was designated as our "family vehicle" and we had just spent a bucket load of cash tuning up the (ever reliable) BMW, plus, not to mention new tires all around.

Then, he had a light bulb moment! He decided, rather than trade in my car, he'd trade in his (almost) brand new truck for ME (that's right, folks! FOR ME!!!) a new SUV.

His Saturday was spent going from dealership to dealership. I was not there, because I was on the road traveling back from our hometown. And truthfully, the way Randy car deals... I wouldn't want to be there anyway! He's totally hard-core!

So, anyway... our first choice was a TOYOTAL FJ CRUISER. Well, if you live in Austin, then forget it, because there is a 6 month long waiting list!

After test driving several vehicles, my husband settled on a Nissan Xterra. The dealer give him a great deal! They are in the office, doing the dealership song n' dance, when it comes down to the trade in. The dealer offered my husband only $12K for the truck he paid over $20K for last year. And, it only has a little over 10K miles on it!

Um, what? Tell me you are kidding, right?

So, he walked. And one thing I know for sure... when Randy walks out, he ain't coming back! He is done with you, you miserable car dealers!

So, no new SUV for me. But, I did finally cool off enough to come up with a nice trade off, for the lack of a trade in.

I told my husband that I'd hang on to the car for another year and in that compromise, I promised not to complain relentlessly about how small the car is, or how cramped we are, or how I can't even fit the groceries in the trunk, or how the a/c just doesn't cool enough anymore. I mean, don't get me wrong, I will be thinking it, I just won't be saying it outloud - unless you count low mumblings... and then it will be so quiet only I will get the satisfaction from it.

So, there... that's my trade off.

I'm already shopping around for my next vehicle. I think I'm going to pass on the FJ Cruiser. I don't know if I can get with the gun-slit windows and the suicide doors.

Oh! The Pressure!

So, for those that know me, know that I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I've been getting better.

I've got a church dinner club party on Friday, a church team party on Sunday (at our home!) and a lunch with two church friends (here!) on Tuesday.

For someone like me... that's pressure!

The last few dinner club meetings I've attended, I've brought excellent side dishes and three, count them, 1-2-3, fresh homemade dips and salsas! I so totally rocked on this one! But, for this one...I'm blank. I can't repeat what I made the other times, but they were sooooo good, that I kind of want to take the low-road and duplicate my genius!

Okay, so the team member party here at the house will be a lot of fun, IF, I can keep myself from fretting over everything. That, in and of itself, will be a challenge. I figure, if only the downstairs is clean, that will be good enough. Everyone is bringing a snack to share, so the food will be handled by the group. Drinks - no brainer... Soda all around!! But, I just know I will clean, clean, clean until the minute they walk in the door, so I'll be so totally exhausted! Oh, the joy of hosting!

The lunch - well, it's a working lunch to brainstorm ideas. Shouldn't be too stressful, but I'm preparing the meal. I'm planning on doing this yummy light pasta salad, but it has every veggie imaginable. Okay, well maybe not every vegetable imaginable, but close. One of my biggest pet peeves is making something and seeing the people who are eating it, pick out the items they don't like - like olives, onions, tomatoes, etc. Okay, so the pet peeve is not really with them, it is with me, because I didn't make a dish that everyone RAVED about. Oh, the horror!

As I'm sitting her making my grocery list, I know I've got nothing in my mind that will blow everyone away. So, if you are reading and have a 'blow-them-away' recipe, please share. But, it has to be a SIDE DISH for Friday and a LITE LUNCH IDEA for Tuesday.

Okay! So, I'll be waiting, but I only have until 9:00 a.m. TODAY before I head out to the grocery store! Thanks!

Adventures without a babysitter!

Over two weeks ago, Randy came home and said, "Hun, we're going out! The company is rewarding my team for work that we accomplished and they are treating my crew (and one guest) to dinner."

Okay, first of all... Randy's company spending frivolous money? Is the sky falling? Second, spending frivolous money on guests? The sky is falling!

So, I get busy working on getting a babysitter, because this is truly a monumental event to be included on a business dinner/reward thingy/spouses invited/at a fancy resturant.

I send out one email - get rejected. Second email, rejected. Third email, rejected again! It is soon becoming comical.... Fourth email, rejected. I think I sent out a total of 7 emails to some of the teenagers from church and NUTHIN'! Not one person could babysit for us - on a Monday night, no less!

It wasn't like I was trying to set up a babysitter for New Year's Eve, the day of... it was for a Monday night! Argh!

So...the gist? I didn't get to go. But, Randy promised me that he'd take me out on another night, once I could scare up a babysitter!

Meanwhile, Randy rolls in around 11:00 p.m. from his dinner. He has learned not to gloat about the yummy food that he has had, unless he is asked...which I did, because I have to be able to "gauge" the amount of food he ate, to the amount of money that was spent so that he can make it up to me.

I mean, what's the point, if I cannot go to an equally yummy/expensive resturant as he did?

What? What was that? Am I keeping score, you ask?

Ummmm, yeah, you're darn tootin' I am! I'm totally immature that way.

And I wonder why Randy calls me "spoiled" sometimes!

Road Rash

As I type, I am resisting the urge to scratch my skin into shredded bits! I've got a rash and it is driving me nuts!

While I was on the road to pick up Elisan from her grandparent's house, it seemed as if my mild skin irritation, turned into a wild flaming rash all over my body! Only my face is spared!

What I thought was a chlorine rash, has turned out to be something more. It turns out, I am allergic to amoxicillin - which is odd, because I have never been allergic to this particular antibiotic before.

I looked amoxicillin up on the internet and found out that a potential side-effect was "rash". Of course, "rash" can also be found under aspirin and tylenol. It didn't describe rash as "the most irritating skin condition known to man", but just simply as "rash". What does that mean?

Meanwhile, I am still trying not to scratch...ooops, I just did!

I'm going to the dr. today, so hopefully by the end of the week, I won't scare away women and children with my hideous-ness!

Deprogramming

Oh, you know what I mean by "Deprogramming." It's when your kid has had waaaay to much time with the grandparents and needs to be deprogrammed from the candy high and bleary television eyes.

So, was the week long haitus from Elisan - oooops, did I just say that? I meant to say... was the week long vacation for Elisan worth it in the end, if the next two weeks will be spent deprogramming my girl?

We'll see. In the end, it was a quiet week for us. I think KM loved having our undivided attentions and totally used that to her advantage. She may only be two, but she's a smart one, that's for sure. In fact, it may be KM that needs to be de-programmed once Elisan returns.

As for me? I'll be honest... it's been nice not having the fussing, fighting, whining and complaining that comes from having both girls here. But, it's just not the same without my big girl home.

I miss her and can't wait for the chaos to begin again!