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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Have you ever seen...

...those bicyclists that ride throughout Athens? In big packs? Like a team? Well we saw them this morning on our ride in to church. All I have to say is that I would hate to be the guy in the middle because I know that I would be the one responsible for making the whole team crash. In the middle of Prince Ave. So I said this out loud to Chris and then he gave he this little gem of knowledge. When you bike in a group, they put the "weak links," or the new guy, in the middle. This way they can help them. Like if you are tottering (like I would) they help keep you from not falling. They will also hold onto your handle bars and somewhat drag you along if you start to get tired. So, there's one more reason why I will never be a cyclist. My first reason is that they expect you to ride on grown up bikes (like a 10 speed for example) and I prefer a banana seat.

Here is something else to ponder about today...our sermon at church was about love. And in the sermon, Lisa (the pastor) made mention of a quote (and I wasn't fast enough to write down who wrote this, but anyway) that resentment is just irritations that have been memorized. Oh man. Looks like I have somethings to work on. Sheesh. Isn't that great though? Not that I have a lot of resentment or whatever, but the quote itself.

Changing subjects...So we were sitting in the living room yesterday morning and the doorbell rang. Chris and I just stared at each other because we were not expecting company. I drew the short straw and went to answer the door.

When what to my wondering eyes did I see? A box on the doorstep from Anthropologie!

Chris was ticked because it wasn't supposed to be delivered until this week and he had high hopes of intercepting it before I got home. But, no such luck. And now he is making me wait the two more weeks until my birthday. And he is keeping the box in plain sight. It is a form of torture.

I will conclude this post by making note that I have now blogged for 31 days in a row. A whole month. And a long month at that! It has become part of my daily routine, so I just might keep it up. We shall see. Thanks for reading this month. And thank you for all of your comments. I do so love to get comments. Almost as much as I love getting boxes from Anthropologie.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

An Inside Look at my Organizational Skills

No doubt, there are many areas of my life that are disorganized. I know this. I also know that (like my mother) I am a stacker. I create stacks of things then have no idea what things are in the stacks but think that the stacks at least look organized, so it is something that I continue to do. When I was growing up there was an area on the kitchen counter by the phone where my mother kept her stacks. When she would have dinner parties she would move the stacks onto the top of the dryer. Afterward, she would move the stacks back to their place on the counter. I have inherited this from her and I am ok with that. But that's not what I was intending to write about...

These are my three organizational skills that I excel at. Call me anal if you want to, that's ok with me.
1. We make a weekly menu. During the school year this is just for dinner. During the summer it also includes breakfast and lunch.
2. I make my grocery list according to the menu. And then I shop, with list in hand, and cross things off.
3. I lay out all 3 kids' clothes for the week. By outfit, in order.

I do these three things on the weekend so that our weeks (especially the crazy busy ones) run as smoothly as possible. When one of these items is not done, the week sucks. Not for me really, but for the rest of the family. Mainly because I am the planner and Chris is the doer. He takes all 3 kids to school, so I feel that I am contributing by laying out everyone's clothes. He does all of the cooking, so I feel that I am contributing by planning the menu (he has A LOT of input in this) and buying the groceries.

Because I have done these three things every weekend for almost the past 7 years, it should go without saying, that I can't handle it when something gets in the way of these three things. Like today, we made a menu, I made a grocery list and then I went to the store. The store was out of chicken. Not all chicken, just the kind that I needed. See, we're supposed to be eating roast chicken tomorrow night and then a chicken and broccoli ring on Monday. Its hard to make those 2 meals without the chicken part. I really don't understand why there weren't any chickens. We live about 30 minutes away from Gainesville - the chicken capital of the world. Sadly, because I could not buy the items on my list, we have no food for 2 nights this week. Without the list I am incapable of figuring out food items to buy. A little too organized for my own good.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Conversations....

Chandler: No, Quinn, no! Daddddddyyyyy! Quinn has done something to the copier thing and I do not know of which button he pressed.

Chris then looked at me and said, "quoth the child."

While watching the major press release of the ipad last night, Casey, incredibly engrossed, made the remark, "That is big! There is no pocket in the world could fit that!"

And tonight, before I left to run into town and buy our turbo tax, I asked Chris if there was anything else that we might need and with a completely serious face, without cracking a smile, he responded, "Yeah, can you grab an ipad for me while you are out?"

Big sigh. Sure, Honey, right after I win the lottery (and immediately following my shopping spree at Anthropologie).

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Looking Through My Father's Eyes

I really am a Southerner. I say this somewhat begrudgingly though. Not that this is a bad thing, its just that I hold my hometown of Chicago very near to my heart and I love my summer vacations there. I love my Northern family. I love the museums and Lake Michigan and Portillos. I love deep dish pizza and thin crust pizza, Wrigley Field, Schubas and all of the fests. So even though I have lived in the south since I was eight years old, I have never truly admitted my southerness....out loud and on the internet. How's that for a coming out party? Now granted, there have been times over the past 24 years that I thought well, maybe I am Southern. Like when I began calling a shopping cart a buggy. Or when I write my check to pay the power bill instead of the electric bill. Or the time I mentioned to my father that I had stopped by the package store and he had no idea that I meant the liquor store. I have been known to throw around words like ain't or fixin, y'all and I do enjoy eating grits and collard greens and fried okra. I have been known to sing a little "Devil Went Down to Georgia". In the days of my youth, I was not opposed to goin muddin, skipping school to spend the day at the dam and I know that in order to throw any sort of a party in the fall one must first consult the SEC schedule and plan accordingly. And of course, there was the summer when I first started listening to Jimmy Buffet and none of my northern cousins had any idea who I was talking about and thought that it was a form of country music and turned their nose up at it. (That might have simply been them, not a north v. south type thing.)

Point is, I love the South. I have adjusted quite nicely to the southern way of life. I married an Athens local. My children are most definitely Southerners and well, this is my life. In the South.

Now, to take it a step further. I no longer live in the metro Atlanta area. I live in the country. I live in a place where by the time the girls were 3 years old they knew the difference between a barn and a chicken house. I am quite used to seeing trailers for houses and kudzu growing over the power poles. But today, as I was driving back to my school from a meeting at another school, I started looking at the area as if I were looking through my father's eyes. His Yankee, son of Italian immigrant, eyes, and realized that while I have adjusted, this place would be culture shock to him. I made this realization as I passed by a large warehouse building with a green roof and in really large letters on the front of the building was the name of the store, "Dave's Goody Barn." I can only imagine what might be inside such a large "goody barn." And I can only imagine what my father's reaction would be to seeing "Dave's Goody Barn." I don't think it would be good.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Random Bulleted List of Information

  • Quinn can climb out of his crib onto the bed next to his crib and then back into the crib. While this shouldn't be surprising to me - the girls were climbing into each others cribs at this age - it is. My baby is growing up.
  • Even with this new found fun, he has begun refusing to go to bed. So, that's awesome.
  • Frankie wants to take your picture. You should go see her. www.stylizedportraiture.com/blog
  • I spend my days thinking about what to write on the blog and find that I wish that I could update about 5 times a day....mainly because I know that I will forget by the time I am able to post something and then have to resort to writing out a bulleted list because I don't have an actual story to tell.
  • Casey's favorite response to any question we ask her... "Nokay." It is by far one of the most annoying things ever. And what makes it even worse is that Chris and I have picked up using it frequently at home.
  • I went to the gym tonight. I'm tellin ya, the riders behind me must be giddy with excitement when I step onto the treadmill. Time for the booty shakin show. I also saw a couple that were wearing matching work out clothes. When I got home I asked Chris if we could do this. He just stared at me. I'll take that as a no.
  • The most exciting news of my day....wait for it....are you ready? No really, I am SUPER excited about this. In a way that Chris just doesn't understand. But I am quite sure that you will. In fact, he just said, "Are you blogging about that?," in a mocking sort of voice. And yes, yes, in fact, I am. Because I love it. I love the fact that my new friend Crystal B named a fantabulous necklace after me. If she were here and not, you know, in California, I would kiss her face. You can see it here. How cute is that???? How lucky am I to have such a nice cyber friend??? Love her.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

A Real Conversation

Chandler: Daddy, can you sign my reading log?
Chris: Yeah. Bring it and something to sign it with to me.
Chandler: Here ya go. (hands over items)
Chris: Ok, on your log you have chapters 1, 2, 3 and 5 listed. Did you read chapter 4?
Chandler: Um, well...let me think...um, ok (counting on fingers) (mumbling to self) chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3...um, chapter 4...hummmmm...
Chris: Either you did or you didn't.
Chandler: I think I might have read that one in school.
Chris: During your reading time?
Chandler: Well, let's see. Um...yes.
Chris: So you did read chapter 4. And then you read chapter 5 tonight?
Chandler: Chapter 5? Wait a minute. (counting on fingers some more)
Chris: Did you skip chapter 4?
Chandler: No, no, I read it.
Chris: Yesterday in school? And that's why you didn't have your book baggie last night and got to read whatever?
Chandler: No. I got to read whatever because nothing was assigned. But some of us in my reading group have read ahead. I have definitely read chapter 4.
Chris: And then you read chapter 5 tonight?
Chandler: Where does it say chapter 5?
Chris: Right here. (points to chapter 5 listing)
Chandler: Ohhhhhh. Yeah, yep, I read chapter 5.
Chris: Are you sure?
Chandler: Pretty sure.
***Chris now signs the reading log***

I need a drink.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Blog Material

I must say, I need to go to the gym everyday because it is full of the most perfect blog material. When I met with the trainer (almost 2 weeks ago) she told me not to worry about looking stupid in front of other people in the gym because no one is paying any attention to anyone else because everyone is concentrating on their own work out. This, I know, is a crock because I, for one, am there only to be entertained by the people around me. I also do not practice proper gym etiquette because I am all up in other people's business. Beware! If you are on the treadmill next to me, I have scouted out your mph, incline, minutes on and how far you've already gone and what music you are listening to one your ipod. Yep, I'm that Nosy Butinski.

Today, I enjoyed watching some college age guy doing some of the craziest moves I have ever witnessed. God knows I can't even begin to image what this technique would be called, but he was on some kind of apparatus, and then bending over from side to side over some cushioned piece with one arm over his head. I stared. Why would someone do that? I sure as heck have no earthly idea.

Then there were the two teenage girls that flanked me on the treadmill. They were each running about 5.8mph and were flipping through some US Weekly magazines. How do you read when you are bouncing up and down? This is beyond me.

I love that the treadmill area is right next to the weight benches. Men make very funny noises when they are lifting heavy objects.

And I must admit, I am also goofy looking at the gym. I listen to my ipod and walk at a 4.0mph, clocking in my 3 miles. It is all that I can do to not jump my feet out on the rails of the treadmill and break it down. Seriously. Blame it on the Boogie was a groove tune today. I showed the mystical machine riders behind me some serious hip action. I also catch myself singing out loud from time to time. As I am sure that I have mentioned before, I love Dr. Dre (and all things Dre). I also love some old school rap. During two different songs today I caught myself singing out loud....like this...

"Get my drink on. And my smoke on. And go home with...something to poke on" and then later in the same song... "We're gonna rock it till the wheels fall off. Hold up. Heeeeeeeyyyyy."

What???!!! Did I just say those things out loud while bobbin my head??? Ugh.

OR this one...

"I'll serve your a** like John McEnroe. If your girl steps up I'm smackin the ho. Word to your moms I came to drop bombs. I got more rhymes than the bibles got psalms."

So I catch this nonsense coming out of my mouth and then quickly look around to see if anyone noticed. But the girls reading their magazines next to me have their ear buds in and are absorbed in the fashion of the Golden Globes, and college boy with his side crunches is very involved in his bending moves, and the guys lifting weights....they couldn't hear me over their grunting. And then I said a silent prayer of thanks that no one seemed to notice. And that none of my former students were around...because that would be disastrous. But of course, someone could totally be writing about me on their own blog right now....the white girl who couldn't stop spitting out rap lyrics while power walking on the treadmill pretending she was rollin in a 5.0, with her mind on her money and her money on her mind. Sheesh. *shakes head, rolls eyes*

Sunday, January 24, 2010

So Very Tired

Unfortunately, it was a busy day....and its a Sunday...and we go back to work tomorrow...so there is no time to recover from the hecticness. Is that a word? Well, I'm going to use it because it should be.

We went to church, came home, had lunch, CB stopped by for a visit/jewelry shopping trip, went to the grocery store, got laundry going, then left with the girls for the birthday party. You know, the one that I tried to take them to yesterday. And really, yesterday just would have worked better for me. So we went to this birthday party - it was fun, really, it was - but ugh - I am just so tired now.

We drove through a torrential downpour on the way home. For those of you that don't know this about me, I am not a great night driver. I am also not a good rain driver. So night+rain= panic. There was hail. I couldn't see the road. My arms went numb. I had to remind myself to take deep breaths...really just to breathe at all. The girls were whimpering in the back seat and Casey may have been crying at one point. Like that makes it better. For those of you who know the road, I drove from Oconee Heights Baptist on Prince Ave to the Shell station in Arcade, without going above 20 mph. True. I have also decided that part of my night/rain driving problem is that I can't see the road because it is so dark where we live (lack of street lights) and when the rain is going sideways across the road and I am trying to find the road, it makes me seasick. I think that might be the major cause of anxiety. Its my professional, official diagnosis.

I am looking forward to this week though. I feel like last week was just trying to get back on schedule from not having the kids and the MLK holiday. But this week, I am ready. I ready to get back into the groove of going to the gym, of doing laundry during the week, of you know, just living my life...on schedule.

Also, FYI, if you make a purchase in my etsy shop between January 27 and February 14, I will be donating 20% of my sales to the American Heart Association. Valentine's Day...Heart Association....get the connection? :)

AND, don't forget to go into the studio this week and have Frankie and Heather take your picture! www.stylizedportraiture.com/blog

Saturday, January 23, 2010

There's a New Gangsta in Town...And We Fail as Parents


...and apparently you only need to wear one shoe and pants are optional to be a member of his gang.

At lunch today, he decided it was best to just let it all hang out.

And today, Chris and I both received F's in the parenting department. All week the girls have been pumped up about going to one of their friend's birthday party. I told them it was today. I threatened them with it all day. You know, "If somebody doesn't get in the tub, we're not going to the party." "If you don't finish picking up your room, we're not going to the party." And so on. Back to the story...so we left the house with just enough time to swing by Target to pick up presents, wrapped them in the car in the parking lot and headed on our way. As I was wrapping the presents, I was contemplating the fact that on my check I wrote the date as 01/23/10. I was fairly certain that the party was supposed to be on Sat, 1/24/10. But that wouldn't make any sense. The 24th is tomorrow. But today is Saturday. So, I called Chris and had him pull up my email. Yep, the party is tomorrow. The girls were heartbroken. I told them to look on the bright side, at least I didn't think the party was today and have it really be yesterday. At least now we have a 2nd chance to get it right.

Chris gets an F because he started eating food off Chandler's plate before she was finished.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Faces

This is Casey giving me the stink eye. I am on the receiving end of the stink eye (from all 3 of my children, actually) pretty much all the time. I like it better than having eyes rolled at me. After 7 years of teaching middle school, I have had enough eyes rolled at me for a lifetime.


This is Chandler and her dancing face. It is the same as my dancing face. Which is the same as 95% of my Krueger family's dancing faces. It is seriously hilarious to watch my cousins and I all dance together...same (white kid) moves, same faces. Just like Chan's. I believe dancing is a genetic quality. And we allllllll got it goin on.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

New Necklace Style!

I am Waiting...

...for the doctor's office to open. I hate it when my bladder does not function correctly. And it comes on with no warning. Went to bed last night just fine, felt a little odd this morning, drove to work and about half way there I felt the urge to stop at every bathroom along the way. Thank God I live in the country and my route to work is through even more country, so there really aren't any bathrooms to stop at. Or else it would have taken me 6 hours to get to work.

So, I have this to share with you...

1. If you live anywhere near Athens, you should do this next weekend....My bestie, you know, Frankie (the photographer) is having a Valentine's Day card photo shoot next weekend. All you have to do is round up your children, take them into her studio, have pictures made and make a donation to the American Heart Association. In exchange for your donation you get 10 free (super awesome) Valentine's Day cards. Amazingly cute stuff! Here's where you can find more information...
www.stylizedportraiture.com/blog

2. I have debated on telling you about this. A new friend of mine is having a giveaway on her blog for a super, super cute necklace that she made. I don't really want to share this information with you because, well, no lie, I have entered in the drawing myself and if you win and I don't, well, it could get ugly. But I like her (Crystal B) and I think you should like her (and her jewelry) too. So here's the link...

http://ideasandgiveaways.blogspot.com/

Today might be a 2 post day. We'll see. For the time being, I will be laying on the couch, sipping my cranberry juice, pretending its a cocktail.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

A Story About Elvis...and Waterboarding





Before I get to Elvis and waterboarding (I know you are anxious to hear about that), I just wanted to share with you some of my latest creations. How cute are these??? They will be up in my etsy shop by the weekend. Prices ranging from $6 to $8 a pair. :)

Really, its two separate stories...not one about waterboarding Elvis, so don't start getting upset with me.

Story #1....

Chris took Chandler to dance tonight which left me at home with Casey and Quinn. Casey wouldn't leave my side, so that meant that Q had to show off for her during bath time. His big trick tonight was filling the cup up with water and then dumping it on his chest, his face and eventually his head. He did this over, and over, and over. Casey was laughing and egging him on so much that he began to do it faster and faster and faster....until the point where I began to think that my 18 month old was waterboarding himself. So the cup had to be removed (much to his dismay) from the bath tub.

Story #2....

At dinner tonight Chris and I were discussing things that he needed to share with his students about the 1950's to help them build background knowledge for a novel that they are reading. I mentioned Elvis. The girls began furiously whispering among themselves. It seems that their background knowledge of Elvis consisted of the fact that on an episode of Hannah Montana, Jackson dressed up in a black wig and white jumpsuit and called himself Elvis. I was incredibly concerned that this was all that my children knew of Elvis. So, immediately following dinner, I pulled up Jailhouse Rock and Blue Suede Shoes on youtube to show them. They wanted to know more about the white jumpsuit. So then we watched a Suspicious Minds performance. They were not as impressed as I had hoped they would be. For good measure, I then found Beatles' performances on there and we watched those as well. It warmed my heart that they sang along with Blackbird and recognized it as something that I often sing to them. We also listened to Good Day Sunshine and reminisced about how I walked down the aisle to this when I married Dad. (And its true...I did....instead of the usual bridal march, I thought Good Day Sunshine was a better pick. My bridesmaids came in to Across the Universe, our parents walked in to When I'm 64. True story.)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Complete Randomness

I am feeling in the mood for some complete randomness...so bare with me. :)

1. My dad had a doctor's appointment yesterday - a follow up to his last scan. When I asked what the doctor told him, he replied, "It's all cool." Really? Did the doctor really reply with those exact words? Maybe, maybe not. But regardless of which words she used, the bottom line is that nothing has nothing has grown and nothing new has appeared. Now that he has year 1 behind him, he is moving from every 3 month scans to 6 month scans. I think that will be the plan from here on out. Very good news!

2. The children sucked the life out of me yesterday afternoon, so I went to bed at 7:45. I woke up briefly at 10 with a migraine and the feeling that I could puke at any minute. I stayed awake long enough to take some tylenol and whine and complain to Chris.

3. The alarm clock went off, I dragged myself out of bed, took a shower, got dressed, made up and my hair dried. Chris showered, got ready, woke the girls up. I raced down stairs and started taking out things for my breakfast and lunch while the girls sat at the island, eating breakfast with their coats and book bags. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the clock on the stove said 5:31. 5:31???!!! So I checked the clock in the living room. Yep, 5:31. I raced back up the stairs in time to stop Chris from going to wake Q up. We all went back to bed for an hour. It threw my whole day off.

4. Q can now reach and grasp things from off the kitchen table. We found this out when he dumped a whole glass of sweet tea on himself (and the kitchen floor).

5. I am heading back to the gym tonight. My schedule has been off and I honestly dreaded going back after my work out with the trainer. But, enough excuses already, I am heading back up there tonight.

Monday, January 18, 2010

They Have Arrived

They have arrived home and it is hard for me to believe that less than 24 hours ago I said, "I miss my children." We picked them up from the drop point, went grocery shopping, came home, ate lunch, tried to get Q to take a nap (to no avail) and then spent the rest of the afternoon begging for mercy.

I had a friend of mine say to me recently, "You really are in the trenches of parenting." And its true. I have the oldest children out of my old circle of friends. I am in the trenches. And this weekend was like Christmas - when the battle takes a pause and the soldiers gather around and celebrate instead of worry for their lives. (You know, this is how it worked at some point...like in WWI, I think.) So, this weekend there was a pause in the battle, but now it is back on, and I am dealing with this things like this....

"No, Quinn! No! That could kill you!"

The girls were supposed to be coloring with him. Instead, he wanted to play with the stapler. I'm not really sure if it could have killed him, but its better not to try and find out.

It is really amazing though how peaceful and quiet our house was 12 hours ago. My sanity was restored, only to be depleted within 2 hours of them being home.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

My Day in a List

1. I woke up at 7:45 this morning. This never happens on the weekend. Getting up this early, I mean. I was just too excited by the thought of there being no children in the house.
2. I worked on jewelry stuff while Chris slept.
3. I made a pot of coffee.
4. He woke up and we cleaned downstairs.
5. We watched the movie The Hangover in the middle of the afternoon and laughed a lot (and loudly since there was no one here taking a nap).
6. I stayed in my pajamas until 4pm then took a shower to go over to Frankie and Greg's for dinner.
7. We stayed out late and came home to an empty, quiet house.
8. I miss my children.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

A Day With No Children

It has been a VERY long time since Chris and I have been without all 3 children for an entire day with no time limits on what we plan on doing. We met my parents at Perimeter Mall for the hand off, so since we were already there, we decided we should do a little window shopping. They have an Anthropologie there. This is my happy place. Although I have never bought anything there, when I win the lottery, I will shop there exclusively. Just so you know. Today I fell in love with the above hat (oh so cute!) and the below glasses. One of my friends went through a phase where she wore fake glasses...everyday...and even reached for them before she would read something. Today I considered joining her. I don't need readers, but I wanted them. Badly. You would not believe how cute I looked in these. And then with the hat.....big sigh.
And then for lunch we went to The Cheesecake Factory. The one in Atlanta (when there was just one) used to be a very hot date night when I was in high school. It was a "special occasion" restaurant. Today felt like a special occasion to me, so we ate there. I believe that I could eat their avocado eggrolls every day of my life. Seriously. Heaven on a plate. And the roasted vegetable pizza that I had wasn't too shabby either.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Perhaps Chandler Is the Star of the Blog


And I'm not really sure what that says about my middle child. She is indeed the middle child - Casey is one minute older and Q is 6 years younger. We have noticed that she has some distinct speech patterns. For years she dropped the first letter of a word and replaced it with a K. As in...

kaprise
kassert
kajamas

And now there is this...the addition of the "wl" to words where there should not be a "wl" like these statements....

Chandler: Mama, when can I start wearing a brawl? Can we go to the mall this weekend so that I can buy a brawl?
Me: No Dear. Not until you know the difference between a bra and a brawl.

Chandler: I sawl Savannah at school today.
Me: Well, I am not really sure what the word "sawl" means.

Big sigh. I wish Q would say things incorrectly. I would even take him to the mall to buy him a brawl if he said it.

Back to Chandler though, she really is a wonderful child. She is the one that is the most empathetic. She is my most laid back, fun loving child. She refers to herself as the silly one or the weirdo one. While she tries her best at school, she doesn't worry over it too much. The girls went to the same daycare from the time when they were 18 months until they were 4. Before they started at their new school for pre-k, we talked with them about helping people be able to tell them about. Chandler's idea was that she tooted and her sister didn't. And that is the perfect example of how Chandler is - not worried and not taking life too seriously. I love this girl.

And just in case you were wondering about how day 2 post trainer was....OMG! My legs feel like they belong to the Hulk. Seriously. My thighs feel so brick like and huge that they could possibly rip through my jeans at any moment. Just so you know.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

My Boy...

...loves his food. He worships his food. (That's what he is doing in this picture.) He loves eating food (all food) with a fork, no matter what it is. (Like the bread in this picture.) I told Chris the other day to put the camera down when Q was eating because I feel like all I ever post of him are pictures where he is eating, or without clothing, or (like in this picture), is eating and without clothing. He does do things other than eating, I promise. He also has a whole dresser full of clothing and does wear clothes everyday. Some days he even wears multiple outfits. I just don't seem to take pictures of these things.

We also discussed the blog a little bit tonight at dinner. Chandler thinks that she is the star of my blog. I said, "Yeah, right. Only because you got your comb stuck in your hair!" She was ok with that. The star part is what is important. What kind of star is not important. As her mother, this kind of worries me about her future. (The dancer part is what is important. What kind of dancer is not important. etc.)

Look! How perfect is this necklace with this outfit? It's outstanding, right? I actually bought this super cute sweater at Target. I love Target. Have I mentioned that before? I also really love this one collection that they have right now that is black, white and this lovely lemony, sunshiney yellow. I had just made this necklace with these fabulous vintage beads that I found online when I stumbled upon said collection at Target and knew that it had to be a part of my wardrobe. To wear with this necklace. Now, really, don't tell me that you have never bought clothing to match an accessory. I know that this would be a lie, so don't even try it. Wearing this sweater/necklace combo made me feel wonderful today...but not so wonderful that I forgot about my session with the trainer last night. No sir. My arms were quivering when I began typing this morning at work. My legs shouted obscenities at me every time I moved. I wanted to cry when I walked up the stairs to take Q to bed tonight. My body is not made for this kind of pain. It just isn't. So, today is my day of rest and but tomorrow... I will be back. (Go ahead, say it like Arnold. Its ok, no one is watching you.) Early release from work and then I will be hitting the gym. That's right. You heard me. Take that - High 10 Trainer Lady!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Dying A Slow (and Painful) Death...

So I had my free one hour session with the trainer tonight. That really should be the end of my post, but I know you want more, so I will oblige.

She told me to get there a few minutes early and hop on the treadmill to get my heart rate up and my blood pumpin'. Awesome, I thought, I am totally rockin it out on the treadmill these days. Then she waved me over, we went to the back section of the gym and the ass kicking began. They have a wall up around this area for a reason...so that unsuspecting people (like me) have no idea that they should fear stepping on the other side of the wall.

I did reps and sets and squats, something with a bar on the "meaty" part of my back. I didn't know this part of my back existed until tonight. Tucking my booty in, trying to knock the back wall of the gym with my booty, don't push your knees out, line your knees up with your toes, pop your chest out...Then I did pull ups and chin ups and some kind of machine with a half ball on it to work my ab muscles. I felt very proud of myself at this point. And then she said these three words...Do It Again...and I wanted to cry. Please, let me out of the Thunder Dome, I don't want to die! So, I sighed, moped and complained. I told her she was mean. And then I did it again. From there I went onto push ups and crunches and some maneuver with a dumbbell over my head. She started me with a ten pound weight, I cried uncle, begged for a lighter one, citing my fear of dropping the dumbbell on my head (it could've happened) and she switched it for a 7.5 lb weight. Not really the three pounder that I was hoping for. And then we stretched. Then she told me to go home, eat a protein bar and be prepared to be sore tomorrow and even worse on Friday. I gave her a "High 10" and then crawled out of the gym.

We have no protein bars at home and Chris had dinner on the table when Chan and I walked in. Chris reassured me that there was plenty of protein in our dinner. I somehow doubt that meatloaf is on the trainer's list of good protein.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

It's all fun and games...

...until someone says "Damn It." And that someone is under the age of 8.

It all began when Chris had Quinn sing the ABC's for me. It went like this....

lalalalalaaaaaaaaaaaa -ugh - ugh - mehmehmehmeh - ugh

Why the "ugh's"? Because he was leaving a present for me in his pants. I called "not it" and Chris said that wasn't fair, so we settled it in a much fairer way - rock, paper, scissors. One, two, three, shoot and I lost. So then the girls started playing it too. One, two, three, shoot and Casey lost. Which naturally made her exclaim, "Damn It!".

And so there went our fun, laid back, evening. Back to parenting. Now, I have no idea where she would have heard this. It might have been me. It might not have been me. No bets please.

She is not earning daddy dollars for the rest of the week. My mother thought we were too hard on her and made this comment...

Awww, Honey, she doesn't know what that means. She is only 7. Don't be so hard on her.

But, she a. used it in proper context b. said "sorry" followed by "I meant to say darn it" c. followed by "I didn't know that was a bad word"

And if that was the case why was there a b. and a c.???? Her voice also rose 8 octaves while defending herself and her microexpressions where through the roof (according to my Lie To Me training). So, I think we were fair. We also had a very serious discussion about "grown up words" and that they may use those words when they can....

drive
cook for themselves
work a 40 hour work week
pay their own bills
and qualify for a mortgage

I also went on to inform her that her teacher would know about it so that if she were to use another "grown up word" on the playground or in the lunchroom that she would know that it was not the 1st time and that her teacher should call Dad right away. That got her. Score.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Snow Day '10 Part II

This is a picture of my out of control children. Yes, Quinn is indeed wearing a headband. He likes them. He likes them more than he likes hair clips (which he also wears). And this is why I was ever so grateful for my 2nd snow day of the year. There was (still) no snow where I live, so Chris and all the children went to school and like Friday, I had a very peaceful day. Unlike Friday, aside from 2 loads of laundry, I did nothing around the house. (On Friday, I did straighten up the kitchen and living room and clean the bathrooms.) Instead, I did a little alone shopping in Athens. Then, I picked the girls up from school, took Casey to dance and took Chan with me to the gym. She sat in the waiting area, doing homework, while I walked 2.1 miles in 34 minutes (with a warm up and cool down) on the treadmill next to my sweet friend, Anna. *you may applaud now* And then, Chan and I went through the McDonald's drive-thru to pick up dinner, got Casey from dance, went home and chowed down on cheeseburgers and fries. I just finished my peach and cool whip dessert (the same thing that I had last night). It was outstanding. So, two days in a row with fruit, two days in a row at the gym. Of course, the McDonald's kind of cancels that out, now doesn't it?

I do have this to say about the gym. I love people watching there. Today there was a guy on the pull up machine wearing a belt around his wait with a chain hanging from it and some huge steering wheel kind of weight attached to it. I mean really, a steering wheel hanging from his waist. How awesome is that??? It was the funniest looking thing ever.

I have also spent some time working on these today.....
I really do love this one with the fancy black beads on the side. Usually I am a very symmetrical kind of girl, but I just couldn't help myself with this one.


And then there is this one. I love, love, love it and may very well keep it for myself. The large, clear, beads have a really lovely cucumber coloring to them. It makes me very happy.


And then there is this one. I actually bought a necklace early in the fall with these beads - vintage beads made in Czechoslovakia - that are a delightful powder blue. I paid (by my standards) an arm and a leg for this necklace. And then, while on a vintage bead hunt on etsy, I found the exact same beads! And so I bought them! And I made a necklace for you with them! $20, please.

I mean really, how can you not love these beads? Talk about making me happy. I almost want to keep them for myself, but that would be silly considering that I already have one...that I paid an arm and a leg for.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

All Is Well

All is well. It is true. I have a list of things to worry about, but at the end of the day, all that matters is that really and truly, all is well.

We went to church this morning and I realized as I sat there, looking around me, that when tragedy (of one kind or another) strikes me or my family (because all families face some kind of tragedy at one time or another), I know that these will be the people that I will be able to turn to and lean on. Even looking at the empty space where certain families were missing today, I counted them on my list. I watched the girls sing with the children's choir, surrounded by their little friends, and realized that the mothers of these children know where I am in my life and understand because they are there too. I know that this sounds like a no brainer, but really, it consumed my thoughts as we sat together in worship. We have been regularly attending our church for almost 7 months now and I had yet to have this feeling. But I had it today and I don't think that it is one that will pass. I am grateful for their friendship, for our shared faith, for the strength and comfort that I find sitting next to my dear mother-in-law more Sundays than not. And again, all is well.

We came home, fixed lunch for the kids and then I hit the gym. The first person I saw when I walked in was the husband of one of my best friends. He and his wife helped me through some of the most trying times in my life and I was genuinely glad to see him. We talked while we walked on our neighboring treadmills then his wife and daughter met him up there. We had our normal, catching up, conversation...again, it hit me, all is well.

After the gym I did our grocery shopping for the week. I stocked up on our usual veggies and even threw in some fruits for good measure. Peaches. I do like a sliced peach. Perhaps I will eat them (with some whipped cream, of course. What do you think? That I was seriously going to make the jump from potato chips to fruit without a step in between???) tonight instead of my chips. Chips were even buy one get one free and I walked right passed them. At that point I figured I need to hurry on home....Chris was probably thinking that I was running away.

Q was down for a nap. I ate my salad and read a little and now this. No matter the worries, fears or anxieties that I have in my life, I know this one thing to be true....all is well.

***note - this statement can also be found on a most delightful necklace here.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Carousel Ride

It was a carousel ridin' kind of day. We took the kids up to Mall of Georgia just so that we would not all be stuck in the house together all day and took Q for his first spin on the carousel. He loved it for the first 38 seconds. Then he didn't want the strap around him and he really wanted to switch horses. He didn't understand that it doesn't work that way. The girls have outgrown the horses and have moved on to the spinning cup.

Following the carousel ride, we returned home. Q had spaghetti for lunch. It is something that he will never have for lunch again. He was covered in orange. Bath time immediately followed lunch which was then followed by nap time. Only Q decided that a nap was not on his schedule for today. He stayed up there "talking" for a good twenty minutes before the screaming began. Chris went up to check on him. Then there was this...

"Eeeewwww, yuck! Um, Ang? I think I'm gonna need your help."

So, I raced up there stairs to find Chris standing in front of the crib and Q standing in the crib, grinning from ear to ear. Next to Q in the crib was a giant turd. He had pulled his diaper off and then rubbed the turd on his sheets. Awesome. My only thought was, at least sheets are easier to wash than walls...which is where the girls rubbed a turd one day during their nap time. So, we got him all cleaned up, sheets in the wash, paci back in his mouth and now he is taking a nap. Hopefully with his diaper on this time.

My mother has requested that I use larger pendants and make some necklaces a little longer... for people that have a "swimmer's neck" - like hers - instead of a "chicken neck" - like mine. (Chris said my neck was more like a "swan's neck." That's very sweet of him, now isn't it?) So I worked on this large pendant, longer necklace, last night.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Snow Day '10

Yes, its true. I am home from work because our county has a snow day. I actually live in a different county where there is no snow on the ground...much to the dismay of my children. We did let the girls go outside yesterday before dinner to run around in the flurries. When they came back inside, Chandler was very disgusted...

"There wasn't even enough snow for a smidge of a snowball!"

Yes, I know. I failed to mention to her that Grandpa got at least 5 inches of snow just yesterday in Chicago...and it was just yet another day with snow for him. As a child, snow is wonderful. I know this because I spent the first 8 years of my life in Chicago. And even more than that, I was super lucky - we lived on a corner lot in a subdivision and when they plowed, they dumped it all in my front yard! Yay! I spent many afternoons creating tunnels through the 6 feet of snow in our front yard (wearing snow boots, ski bibs and a ski mask - things my children have never had to wear before). As an adult...thank God we don't live in snow! I can't imagine how my parents felt about the 6 feet of snow in the front yard. Yikes!

So, I am preferring to call this my "Cold Weather Day." This justifies me staying in my sweatshirt and fuzzy slippers all day. I am not going to leave the house (even though I did contemplate it) because it is my Cold Weather Day. I am not going to the gym today because today is Cold Weather Day.

I did, however, spend the morning dreaming of spring. I love spring. Let me say it again, I love spring. I love my skirts and cute sandals. I love wearing a cardigan over my t-shirts and feeling plenty warm. I love bright colors and the promises that I spring always makes to me. You know, the one that says the school year is winding down, a visit to Chicago is on the way, my children will get to swim soon...those promises? And because of my thinking of spring, I felt that I needed to put these lovely lime beads to good use. You should click on my etsy shop link and take a look. It will make you dream of spring too. :)

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Flurries

This is my big boy, Quinn. Yes, he is eating his food with a fork and yes, he is eating at the table. This is not an everyday occurrence, mind you, but he is getting there. He loves (loves, loves) eating with utensils even though he doesn't know how to use them properly yet. More often then not he holds the fork puts his food on the fork with his fingers and then hurries to get it in his mouth before it all falls. He has also tried eating crackers with a fork and it took awhile for him to figure out that that just wasn't going to work out.

And look! Straw mastery! And look! What bad parents we are for giving our 18 month a juice box! Honestly, I never would have thought to do that at this age with the girls, but things are different for the 3rd child. I am sure that I will have many more of these examples to come.

We spend many nights like this on the couch. See, blogging can be fun for the whole family! *Please note, Chan had a red eye and I tried to fix it, but I messed that up and left her with a huge black eye, so in my attempts to fix that, I permanently erased her eye. Hence why I am not a photographer. I wipe away people's eyes.*

So I was a lucky one today and only had to work half a day. It really was slightly amusing leaving work at noon and there was not a flake of snow on the ground. But now, there are flurries outside and the reports from the national weather service did indicate that they would be here much earlier. On my way home I stopped at the gym. 12:30 is apparently a hopping time for the treadmills. There wasn't a single one available. So, I decided to use some other machine directly behind the treadmills. I have no idea what kind of machine this was. It has handles and you put your feet on these step looking things and then your legs move kind of like you're on a bike. First I was hypnotized by the fact that it counted the calories I was burning. OMG! 15 calories! This is amazing - and easy! I then I looked at the guy next to me - red faced and sweaty - and thought, perhaps I am not doing this correctly. And then I realized that your legs are supposed to be moving forward - not backwards the way mine were. So, I switched it up a bit and in about 30 seconds I wanted to die. Thank God someone got off a treadmill within 3 minutes because my thighs felt like they were being ripped from my body. I am not kidding. Or exaggerating. So, then I got on my treadmill and walked 1.51 miles. I figured it was ok that I did a little less than last time - I was on it for a shorter amount of time and I did that God awful machine first. You know, the one that I will never get on again that I don't know the name of.

After the gym, I came home, cranked up Dave Matthews, started going with the laundry and started cranking out these babies. Think pink.


Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Snow Day?

The county that I work in has already decided to make tomorrow a half day. We will released at 12pm, so that everyone can make it home in time before the big snow hits. I am kind of excited about it - the getting out early - I'm still not 100% convinced that it will actually snow. Time will tell on this one, right?

I did stop by the store on the way home today. (I was all off schedule with my grocery shopping from the break, so it had to happen, snow or no snow.) Chris picked up all 3 kids. I beat them home and was unloading the groceries (while talking on the phone to my MIL) when they pulled in. Chandler flung open the door, walked into the kitchen and greeted me with this...

"If it snows tomorrow, can we ride our boogie boards down the hill in the backyard?"

Um, hi Honey, how was your day? Really? That's what you've got for me? Yes, Chan. Yes, you can ride your boogie boards down the hill in the backyard if it snows tomorrow. So, following the directions of her teacher she has done a snow dance and is sleeping with her pajamas on backwards and inside out. We'll see if that worked in our favor or not.

Chris took his turn at the gym tonight. He is an overachiever and ran 3 miles in 45 minutes. Jerk. I am quite sure that he will be sore tomorrow and then I will laugh at him. Sheesh. *shaking head*

Aren't you proud of me? Six posts in six days. How am I finding time for this? you might ask. Well, I've decided to stop folding the laundry. Instead, I am just making large piles on top of the beds and we are sleeping under it for added warmth. Yep. No more folded, winkle-free clothes in this house. But we do have lots and lots of blog posts. Chris might not agree, but I think its a fair trade.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Yes, well, um

On my way home I saw a horrific accident happen right in front of me. Literally. At the inter by the Kroger - the light was red, very red, and I slowed down to join the cars that were already waiting at the light. The big gray truck next to me was still speeding along and then drifted in front of me. I thought to myself, he must be getting in the turn lane. And then I thought, maybe his brakes are out and he is going to swerve around everyone to get through the intersection. Only he didn't swerve and he didn't slow down. He didn't tap his brakes even once, and he plowed into the two cars ahead that were stopped at the light. He was going at least 65 mph. They all crunched together and then slammed into the intersection of cars that had the green light. I have never heard the sound of a pile up before and I wish that I never had now. The glass that exploded all over the road was amazing - in a non-amazing way. People were instantly out of their vehicles running through the intersection, cell phones in hand to try and help people. I sat there in shock. I was now the first person in the lane when I should have been the fourth. It was not an ok feeling. My arms were numb. I didn't know what to do. There was already a slew of people on phones, doing what they could to help. Smoke poured from the engine of the big gray truck. I eased over to the right lane next to me and just sat there. And then the police arrived. I turned rt and went through the Kroger parking lot to bypass the accident and get back on my way home. I cannot even begin to tell you the guilt that I feel - I should have stopped. Not to help - I know that there was nothing that I could do - but to tell someone that the big gray truck never even tried to stop. I think that I owe it to the other people in the accident. They did absolutely nothing wrong. Nothing. Big sigh.

I went to the gym tonight. I walked on the treadmill - 1.65 miles in 33 minutes. I did a warm up and a cool down. I have watched enough Oprah to know that this is what I should do. I felt very awesome in my sports bra, work out pants, and new running shoes (Yes, I did also wear a shirt, but that wasn't new, so why mention it?). I called my mother on the way to the gym. This is how our conversation went...

Me: I'm going to the gym to work out.
Mom: Oh. *shocked and speechless*
Me: Yeah, Chris and I thought this would be a good thing to do for ourselves.
Mom: Oh, well, um, don't hurt yourself, Honey. *oozing with honest to goodness concern*

Ahhhh, such confidence in me. But, I did not hurt myself. Although I do have some things to remember for the future, like, I should not try and look at the back of the treadmill while walking. I felt like I needed to know how close I was to the edge. I almost threw up, and I wasn't close at all. Not a good idea. My legs are currently burning. Burning is good, right?

Monday, January 4, 2010

Well, I've Gone and Done It

No, I did not eat any fruit. No, I did not take a vitamin. BUT, I did go and sign Chris and I up for gym memberships today. pause. Ok, you can stop laughing now. It includes use of the tanning beds. (I do not use tanning beds. I burned my hiney in one once and have sworn them off for the rest of my life. A burned hiney is not fun.) And a consultation with a personal trainer. Here are some of my concerns:

1. I fell walking up the stairs in my high school auditorium once. In front of people, while talking.
2. I fell down the bleacher steps onto the floor of the gym in high school. In front of people. I was not even talking or running. I also did not trip over anything.
3. I fell off a curb onto my face my freshman year in college...in front of a lot of people in front of the dining hall. The only dining hall. At dinner time. Fantastic.
4. I fell down a flight of concrete stairs in college - while trying to look cute while waving to some baseball players.
5. I broke my toe on an ottoman. Seriously. A foot stool got the best of my foot. My toe was then perpendicular to my foot and I had to go to the emergency room. The pain was worse than the aftermath of having a c-section. They had to re-set my toe and I spent a few weeks in a boot and visited a surgeon. (no surgery required, thank God)
6. In my life I have also had a broken arm, a broken leg and stitches in my lip.
7. I have never worked out a day in my life. No, no, I take that back. I did take some kind of weight training class in high school. By the end of the semester I could lift the bar. Have you seen my arms? I, personally, thought this was quite an accomplishment.
8. I did, however, run track my freshman year in high school. He had me run hurdles. It was one of the most miserable experiences of my life. I fell daily while trying to run and then jump over something that was designed to fall if hit in the slightest way. Awesome. It was my one event.
9. Many of the people from my old school (both teachers, administrators and those former students that are now in high school or college) attend this particular gym. I could become a laughing stock, especially considering reasons #1-8 on my list.
10. I had my body fat tested in my college health class. The professor then proceeded to test it 3 times before telling me the result. He kept shaking his head and saying "Well, now, that can't be right." But let's remember, muscle weighs more than fat. And I don't weigh a whole lot. If you catch my drift. I am interested to see if the personal trainer responds the same way.

So, tomorrow night will be my first night using my shiny new gym membership, while wearing my new sports bra (I didn't own one), my new workout pants (it was either buy some or wear pajama bottoms...no, I don't even own a pair of sweatpants), and my new running shoes (I didn't own a pair that had a back to them and something told me that I would be a laughing stock if I showed up in my New Balance slide-ons). Yay, me!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

The Things I Miss About Christmas

Most people know that I hate decorating for the holidays. Truly. I grew up in a house where decorating took days upon days - multiple trees, garland and lights up the staircase, lights on the house and the bushes, wreaths, Christmas artwork, centerpieces... So, while I love (really, really love) Christmas decorations, I hate putting them up. I also hate receiving them as gifts - ornaments are one thing, but do I really need a Christmas cookie jar? No, not so much.

Trees are often a source of contention for Chris and I. I prefer a fake tree - he needs a real one. Real ones drop needles, you have to water them, they sap all over the presents, and then of course, there was the year that our real tree had bugs hatch in it - thousands and thousands of bugs - which I then used a bottle of hair spray to cement them to the tree as a prevention tactic to keep them from jumping off the tree. It was horrible. But I digress, what I am trying to say is that this year was wonderful. It took Chris 8 minutes to assemble the fake, pre-lit, tree and 16 minutes for us to decorate - ornaments, angel at the top, and stockings on the fireplace. Perfect.

On Friday we took the tree down and it about broke my heart. I love the lights on the tree. I love watching tv at night with just the glow of the Christmas tree lights on. I felt the need to have the tree lights on whenever we were in the room. Even in the morning before leaving to head out to church or wherever. And now the lights (on the tree) are packed up and in the attic until next year. It really does make me sad. Big sigh. Even though the title of this post is "The Things I Miss About Christmas" it is really just this one thing that I miss. I'm okay without the others. I just miss the lights on the tree making my living all cozy and inviting.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Almost...

It is almost time for me to go back to work. I have mixed emotions about it. I really do. But, there is nothing that I can do to change that. I am grateful for a job and going to work is kind of not optional.

Good news...I did not eat potato chips last night at 10pm while laying on the couch. Instead, I ate a pop tart at 8pm...while laying on the couch. Ugh. I have also not eaten any fruit, taken a vitamin, or exercised at all today. And I can already tell you that it is not happening tomorrow. Tomorrow is my last day before I have to go back to work, so I will be relaxing...not exercising.

Quinn said "dirty" this morning. So his vocabulary includes "dirty" and "crack." Awesome. Seriously though, he said "dirty" in reference to a dirty cup and then proceeded to throw the dirty cup into the sink. He lives for putting things in the sink, the trashcan or the laundry basket.

So, day 2 of consecutive blogging? Check.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Another Year, Another Decade

So, its New Year's Day. I always have all of these BIG plans for what I am going to do in the New Year and then wake up on January 1st and there is not a thing in the world that feels different, so I figure I should save my plans for a day when I feel that something is different. But really, things will only feel different if I make them different, right? Anywho, you may be wondering what the above picture is....well, I will be happy to tell you. It's what I ate for lunch. From the kitchen of the Pioneer Woman - her recipe for Olive Bread. Scrumptious. AND...I actually made it for myself. Chris didn't even have to mix it for me. Anyway, I digress...back to my New Year's plan....
1. I am going to be healthier. I know, that is a very broad statement. I also am well aware that I am a size 2 and some people think that I am just fine. But after 3 children (2 pregnancies where I gained 75 lbs each time), trust me, things just aren't very tone. So its not about losing weight, its about improving what my mama gave me. I also have a tendency to eat things like spinach and artichoke dip and say its "healthy" because there are veggies in it. Or decide to have half a container of salsa for dinner. Chris says the salsa itself is not bad for me, but the chips that they rode in on might be. I also love to eat potato chips while laying on the couch at 10pm. I don't exercise at all, unless you count grocery shopping as a brisk walk. And I have a serious aversion to fruit. I genuinely dislike fruit. I just feel tired and I know that there are things that I need to change so that I feel 32 rather than 72. And I need to start taking vitamins. So, I am going to work on these things. Starting tonight...I will not eat any potato chips while laying on the couch.
2. I really am going to give this etsy project a fair shot. Which means I will probably talking about it a lot more on this blog. I might even do a craft show or two this year. Who knows?
3. I am also going to work on my mothering and wife-ing skills. I have actually considered counseling. I mean, I do come with a lot of baggage. And, this is the first time in my life where things are actually good - I have a wonderful husband, wonderful children, wonderful home, wonderful job, wonderful friends - but I am still in crisis mode and don't know how to enjoy this or work on bettering these things. So, I've thought about talking to someone. To help with bettering myself for the people I love.
4. I am also giving myself a challenge. I think that I am going to blog everyday for the month of January. Feel free to give me grief when I throw in the towel on January 15. Also, be prepared for some rambling on about nonsense.

On to other things....here are a few of the pieces that I've been working on. They'll be listed in my etsy shop later tonight (after the young guns go to bed), so you should head over there and take a peek. I know you want to. So you should. If for nothing else than just to humor me. Please.




Can you guess what color I am currently in love with? :)