31 December 2009

My New Year's Words.


image via encefalus.com

Instead of a resolution...
choose a word.

For myself, this is VERY hard.
ONE word.
Are you kidding me?

I've chosen 3:
calm
simple
positive

The second word is a bit of a contradiction
considering I couldn't even pick just one word.
But, I could've have easily chosen 17.
So, see?
I'm already keeping it simple.
For me, anyway.

I, also, need to start focusing on the positive.
In every situation.
In every person.

Calm is something that I am not.
Usually.
I am pretty high strung.
Well, about some things.
But, however you wanna slice it,
I need more calmness in my life.

Hope you can choose a word.
Let it be your mantra in 2010.

Happiest of New Year's!


30 December 2009

Christmas recap.

The holidays were full of lots of fantasticalness...

 muggin' with the family on Chirstmas Eve at my folks' house...


 hand written Christmas stories...


complete with captive audiences...


fun with those crazy zhu-zhus...


imaginations in overdrive with mini skateboards and bikes...


special gifts for my pops, aka grandpa sarge...


 some good old fashioned fun...


 sneaking in some treats, like, dark chocolate raspberry covered Oreos...


back at home, twas the night before Christmas, and it looks like everyone was on the nice list...


 more goodies on Christmas day from grandparents and aunts, like tickley Elmo gloves...

 
handmade soaps from Jessica and Derrick (Rosie's fav)...


lots of Wii goodness...


along with some friendly competition...


plenty of snuggles...


and one glorious mixer for one very good girl!
Thank you to my dear, sweet husband!
And to think...we WEREN'T supposed to be exchanging gifts this year!
***
Although we didn't get to see everyone this year,
we sincerely hope everyone had an equally fantastic Christmas!
Happy Birthday, JC!




27 December 2009

Crazy day.


photo from londonphotos.com

Today was just one of those days. 

I went to the laundromat with the boys to get some of our BIG items clean in those big triple load machines.  Comforters, quilts, mattress pads, throws, etc. No one was there when we arrived this afternoon, but soon after, two men came in.  They reeked of alcohol, and were smoking, and were very obvioulsy intoxicated.  Mind you, we were in a good neighborhood, right across the street from where my mom works in St.Louis County.

They started talking to me and the boys, and were pretty harmless at first.  All too soon, though,  they started getting out of hand and it was making me very nervous.  One of the men was talking to the boys about the books they brought with them, and the other was touching my arm and calling me sexy, and talking about how long and nice my legs were.  He was pawing at my laundry and making me very uncomfortable.  I was FREAKED!

Earlier that day, my mom had agreed to meet me, so you can imagine I was eagerly awaiting her arrival.  I didn't know what to do.  I knew I needed to call the police, but didn't want them to hear me on the phone, and I wanted the one to leave the boys alone. I told the boys to come over by me. 

At about this point my mom arrived, as well as an older man there to finish his laundry.  The men skulked off to the corner near the change machine.  I told my mom what had been going down, and she told me to go ahead and call the police.  Just as I was ready to, one of the men slammed the change machine to try and break it open and an alarm went off.  The two men exited and walked down the road out of sight.

I called the police, and they arrived very quickly.  One left immediately to see if he could find the men.  I was asked a few questions, and later had to drive with the one of the other officers to go and identify the men they caught. From a distance, of course, in the patrol car as to protect my identity.

What an afternoon! 

I have never been so scared in my life.  I felt like control over the situation was slipping away from me the more the one man kept talking.  I felt like he could snap at any moment, and do something bad.  Either to me, or the boys.  Probably rob me just to be able to buy more beer or cigarettes.  But bad nonetheless. 

All of this happened in a matter of 15 minutes or so, and with the cops being involved, maybe another 20, but I can't stop thinking about it.  I keep thinking about how sad it was that the disease of alcholism or drug addiction had made these men what they are today.  Loitering in a laundromat to keep out of the cold.  Homeless or kicked out of their home temporarily, looking for someone to rob or pickpocket, or a women to take advantage of in a horrible way. 

It was a dose of reality I could have done without.  I still think my heart might expolde. 

It's over now, and I am so thankful nothing horrible happened.  The boys left the laundromat with my mom, while I stayed behind because I had a bit more to finish up, but they asked my mom if I would be okay.  I think they were a bit shaken up, as well.  I am remaining hopeful that they won't think much about it.

Needless to say, anything can happen anywhere at anytime.

Life is precious.

Remember that, peeps!



25 December 2009

From our home to yours...



Let us not forget what Christmas truly means...
"For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord."  Luke 2:11

24 December 2009

23 December 2009

Christmas cookies. A photo essay.




Take note that if my fingers were a bit fatter, I would, indeed have man hands. 
Now, laugh heartily.



That bottle up there is your new best friend.  It's a little, um, medicinal looking (think gastroenterology), but it is indispensable for piping a well to flood cookies with royal icing.


Recruit all the "help" you can. 
This will make clean-up much easier, and less time consuming.


Ice and paint till your heart's content. 
Try not to sneak drinks of the vodka that you used to mix with the luster dust.
At this stage, you may find this difficult, but remember, you're using cheap vodka,
 and, in the end, a cheap vodka stomach ache/headache wouldn't be worth it.


Enjoy the prettiness and the deliciousness,
but save some for the guy in the red suit that breaks into your house on Christmas Eve,
or you won't get any presents, that, and he might steal your dog!



Stand back and cringe at the mess and shocking lack of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer,
but know it was well worth it because the kids got to eat so much cookie dough
they'll have diarrhea for days,
and your youngest broke out in hives becuase you think she's allergic to royal icing,
but she keeps dipping her fingers in it anyways, and stuffing them in her gob,
and you are perfectly okay with that because... 

this is what memories are made of, my friends.


22 December 2009

the long and short of it.

Much to my dismay...

Betsy may have to be medicated for 'self-injurious' behaviors. 

That, and NOT sleeping.

Who would've thought my child that used to sleep 14-16 hours a day, would not sleep at night?!?!

The neurologist tells us that we need to calm her central nervous system. 

That, or get her adenoids & tonsils removed.

What?  Wha-WHAT?!?!

I have to trust that there is a method to such medical madness.




In other news...

just when I can't take the 'awkward' stage of growing out my hair...

I stumble upon a picture of me taken in July (the one on the left).

For those of you that are too lazy to count, that's a mere 6 months ago.

I compared it to photos taken of me in the last handful of weeks (middle & right)  and got a new a vote of confidence.

I may get to cross another thing off of the list, yet.







21 December 2009

ruffles, ribbons, and sparkles. oh, my!



With a little silk french wired ribbon, you can make these.  Or many variations of them.  Like here.
 I whipped up some, real quick like.



 These are for clips for the girls.



These are for a shirt for moi.
I added some ruffles, too. 
There's a quick tutorial, here.






Pretty.

 I am not going to lie...
I am a ruffle tramp.






20 December 2009

These kids got mad style.

I have never been prouder of my childrens' choices in footwear than I was yesterday. 

These crazy kids are really developing their own sense of style and it's fantastic. 

Don't believe me?

See for yourself...





They'll be kickin' it old school for awhile.

Wowza, they never cease to amaze me.

And, because I know someone out there will wonder...

Rosie did not get new shoes, because she is an Ugg girl through and through.

Luckily, in the summer months, she prefers 'fwip-fwops'.