cupcakes, zofran, and bologna sandwiches

you know how people always tell you that just when you make plans, God reminds you of who's really in charge? that was kind of my day today.

all week, we'd planned to make yummy halloween cupcakes for cee's soccer snack today. they were going to be all kinds of cute. i was also going to take cupcakes to my little soccer peeps (jay's team) as a halloween treat.

my mom's 65th birthday is today. all week we've planned on playing soccer, doing her birthday shopping, and then going to pick her up to spend the weekend with us.

it all looked really good when i wrote it in purple in my calendar last week.

but God has been chuckling all week, patiently waiting to unveil his plan for me...

thing one woke up with a sick tummy this morning (extraordinarily early, might i add...4:45 am to be precise).

and from there, our plans unraveled in a very disorderly fashion.

we missed team pictures. we missed both games. we did not bring snack for cee's team. we did not do any birthday shopping for my mom. we paid an unexpected visit to the dr, who informed us that not only was she unconvinced that cee has the stomach bug...there's a small chance she's developing appendicitis.

i love how just when i am thinking i have 'life' wrangled and all of its details under control, the Big Man Upstairs steps in to give me a gentle reality check. it never fails...He's so consistent in that regard.

and i am also pretty consistent: i can make lemonade out of almost any lemon you toss my way.

the dr. gave us a handful of zofran just in case it is the stomach bug.

we turned 9 of the 48 uniced cupcakes into a birthday cake for my mom. it turned out way cute.


15 of the cupcakes will go to soccer practice with cee on monday.

15 of the cupcakes will go with jay to her soccer practice tuesday.

the best part? that leaves 9 for me. :)

we were able to get my mom this afternoon, we took a mini-adventure through wimberley, cee has finally gotten some rest, and jay is full of entertainment.



jay is playing preacher to her barbies...their vows are priceless:

'do you promise to make her great big bologna sandwiches?' (i do.)

'do you promise to make him great big bologna sandwiches?' (i do.)



i am pretty sure this is a line from 'the wedding planner' and i'm also pretty sure i've never let them watch that movie. hmmmm...

i think it's also worth noting that the 'girl' barbie's boobs are hanging out. i asked jay what was up with that.

she said, 'she's the boobie bride for halloween.'

the other barbie has a very shady haircut and is wearing a turquoise & white striped glove for his outfit. upon futher inquiry, i was told, 'oh - we gave her a haircut so she can be the groom.'

since both parties were content with making each other big bologna sandwiches for the rest of their lives, they were given permission to kiss. :)

see?



get a room!

last week they were playing 'wedding girls' and making veils out of toilet paper...girls are seriously too much fun. i love it. every single moment of it.

i sure do hope cee gets some rest tonight and jay doesn't get the tummy funk. wish us luck because we have some super fab costumes waiting to be seen tomorrow evening...

peace, pumpkins, and pediatricians...

phone etiquette

i'm working on phone etiquette with the girls. now that i think about it, we've been working on this for quite some time.

when cee was about four, she would talk and talk and listen and talk more, but when she was done, she would very abruptly say, 'okay-i-love-you-bye!'

-click-

we've made major improvements since then.

jay does pretty well because she has a great older sister to watch. she cracks me up when she leaves a message for someone...she repeats exactly what i say at the end of a more formal message. it goes almost exactly like this:

'please return my call at 864-5789 . again that's 864-5789 . thanks and have a great day!'

jay's newest thing on the phone is the game of who's going to hang up first at the end of the conversation, and she does not want to be 'it.' so she'll say,

'okay. bye!'

long pause... hello?

and then i say, 'i thought you were going to hang up.'

mommmmy. you hang up first. okay?

okay. bye.

long pause... hello?

rinse and repeat.

truth be told, i hate hanging up first, too. what if the other person has one more thing to say? or what if they weren't completely done talking? you don't want to be taken as a hanger upper if that's not your intention.

cee pulled a new one on me tonight when i talked to her.

we told each other about our day. i told her about the outfits i bought her and jay for character day friday. the conversation was nearing its end.

i've been working with her on not just saying 'bye.'

she asked me why that's not okay.

i explained to her that you have lots of room for creativity near the end of the conversation.

you can say something witty, you can say something sweet.

you can mention the next time you're going to talk to or see the person you're on the phone with, or you can tell the person what you're about to do next (after you get off the phone).

i don't think there are any hard and fast rules on this.

i do think my lesson would have been better served had i not mentioned the part about telling the other person what you're about to do next.

her metaphorical dismount from our enlightening conversation tonight went exactly like this:

'okay mommy. i love you and i'm going to hang up now. peace out dude!'

-click-

we have room for growth in this department.

here are the books the girls chose for their character day inspirations. can you guess which is which? i'll post pictures friday after they are dressed and ready to roll...

(the resolution makes me sad. sorry.)

peace and promises of pics...dude.

bye.

-click-

images in this post can be found on amazon.com and bn.com...

the abc's of a fabulous friday

a) awww yeah! rangers to the world series!!!

b) blaring: awesome music in the background.

c) crying - it was a heck of a week filled with lots of tears. thankfully, none were mine.

d) don't worry, it's friday.

e) even if it was a rough week, life is grand!

f) for a bit of good luck, everybody do the ranger rumble!
(ranger... rumble... )

g, h...

i) i don't think you should stop believin'.

j) journey rocks always & forever.

k) k?

l) i love lobster. i crave lobster. i saw a challenge between ed and luke last night about who makes the best lobster rolls. i didn't know what lobster rolls were, so i googled. now i have the recipe. ed won the challenge, so i went with his recipe.

m) mmmm...now that i know about lobster rolls, my life feels a little more complete.

n) nolan rocks. still.

o, p. q, r...

s) soccer tomorrow!

t, u, v...

w) world series, baby!

x, y...

zzzz) i'm about to catch a few.

peace and post-season prominence...

perry and edward

sunday when the girls got home, i promised them we would carve pumpkins tonight.

when i picked them up from school today, they asked, 'mom, are we carving pumpkins tonight?'

this is what came out of their mouths before they even said hi. they were super stoked, so i overlooked their lack of happiness to see me for...me.

this holiday season (and by holiday season, i mean halloween and thanksgiving), i have vowed to give up my control freak reigns...after all, it's the season of giving (up) and giving (thanks) and more giving. que sera sera, trick or treat, and plentiful cornucopias.

in honor of the fact that i'm giving up my control freak death grip, i decided to be very hands-off with our pumpkin carving festivities tonight.

it was *not* the easiest thing i have ever done.

not even close.

this 'hands-off' approach started with me telling them they would have to gut their own gourds. there was a not-so-tiny part of me that hoped this would be the point where i got to take back my proverbial reigns.

but they happily did the gutting...

they each designed their ghoul's face with a sharpie.

jay asked for my help (honestly i think she felt sorry for me, the innocent, hands-off bystander), and i happily obliged.

blog readers, meet perry.

perry, meet blog readers...


cee did not ask for my help. i was, naturally, standing by armed (with a paring knife) and ready (with a paring knife). at one point, i hopped in to offer my assistance with an eye-relocation procedure, and i was very quickly reminded that there were two more pumpkins that i was welcomed to carve.

i was also gently reminded 'mom - i'm almost 8. i can do this.'

and she did.

blog readers, meet edward.

oh yeah - as in cullen.

edward, meet blog readers.

the resemblance is uncanny.

in addition to their newly acquired pumpkin carving skills, jay has recently learned the value of secretly giving someone bunny ears in pictures.

i couldn't be more proud...she's a girl after my own heart. and she's obviously way more excited about their finished products than cee. see?

i really am proud of cee's determination, and i have to admit that her finished product really is better than mine (ooops - i mean jay's...no, i mean mine).


please say a little prayer for us...the Jesus candles were the cheapest way to go for pumpkin illumination purposes. i figure we're keeping it holy.

alright - it's my bed time. happy haunting.

peace, perry the platypus, and plenty of pumpkins...

p.s. - i am working with jay on a very important social skill. every time somebody says something completely outlandish, i am teaching her to reply, 'i'm not a witch - i'm you!' she's doing a pretty great job so far. ♥

p.s.s. - while i was cutting out perry's eyes, jay informed me that she has a 'friend with fake eyes at school.'

i asked her to tell me more. apparently she goes to school with a little girl who wears glasses.

when jay asked her bff why the girl wears glasses, the bff served as the ultimate voice of reason:

'it's simple. that girl's mom pulled her eyeballs out.'

jay asked (mortified) why the mom pulled the kid's eyeballs out.

her friend replied, 'because they were dirty. but something went wrong.'

i asked jay if that would be considered child abuse.

she said, 'well, it's sort of confusing. i mean, it's not cool to pull out eyeballs, but clean eyeballs are pretty important, too.'

to be pc or not to be pc...

...i have so much i want to say, but i'm not sure how to tactfully begin.

i saw a great movie yesterday (waiting for superman) and i was going to write about that, but there is just so much more going on right now that needs to be said.

i don't know where to start. and i think i might be the world's hugest brat for even thinking what i'm thinking. so i'm pondering whether or not to share. i'm torn and confused and worried.

but doesn't my mantle look cute?

let's play 'where's jfk?' (similar to 'where's waldo,' except there is no waldo in this version)

he's a really good hider, but he's there. i promise.

the girls will be home in a couple of hours. i can't wait to see them. maybe after i get my arms around their little bodies i'll be able to say what i need to say.

perhaps. we shall see.

peace and possibilities...

**hint to puzzle:

yummy, happy, delicious day

1) both girls were in the funniest cookiest (not cookie - cooky with an -est at the end) moods this morning. they had me laughing from the time they woke up until i dropped them off at school.

2) got a text from my teaching neighbor that she was sick...wondered who her sub would be. was beyond happy to see that it was a friend of mine!! remember the cute soccer pic of jay with her teammates? it was the little boy's sweet mamma. nice to have fun, new faces at school - and she did a fab job.

3) went to visit my favorite classroom and one of the boys read dr. seuss's 'abc' book to me. i was seriously floored at how well he is reading (sniff, sniff!).

4) while visiting said classroom, another kid who i adore (but he never talks to me) called me by my name and had a full conversation with me. wow!!! melt my heart. seriously.

5) forgot my lunch and went for the cafeteria...the lasagna totally rocked.

6) had a mini-intervention with one of my kiddos. when i say 'i made her cry,' that's a good thing because now i know she cares and she wants to turn her life around. this girl has the world at her feet, and i hope she can start making some changes that will help boost her to her full potential. the sky is seriously in trouble when it comes to this child's limits.

7) had time to catch up with amazing teacher friends after school.

8) treated myself to a yummy bottle of wine.

9) tempered an egg...because i felt like it and because i knew how!!

10) made hard rock cafe baked potato soup (your life isn't complete if you haven't had this).

11) heard from a very sweet friend that she is going to coach soccer for me tomorrow since the girls are out of town... ♥

12) looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning!!

13) about to curl up with 'the 19th wife.' side note: i didn't think this would be my cup of tea, but i am hooked on this book. who knew historical fiction could possibly be my niche?

14) thirteen is traditionally not the luckiest of numbers and i have had a very lucky day, so i would much rather end on 14, 15, or 16 than 14's sly predecessor.

15) happy friday and i hope you have a perfectly satisfying weekend.

16) sweet 16 - peace, perfect days, and pacifying evenings...

17) amen. :)

(p.s. - willie is on larry king, and 'the holiday' is on tnt...perfect end to a perfect day)

one year ago today...

...i was thinking about what the girls would wear for our christmas pictures for the 2009 holiday season.

and today i am thinking about what the girls should wear for our christmas pictures for the 2010 holiday season.

i can't decide if i want to go traditional or hipster or way out in left field.

or perhaps this year i'll go (gasp)...professional.

i have several good friends who are seriously skilled, blessed, amazing photographers. their work knocks my socks off. they are so talented - i love their work. i wonder if it's too late to book a sitting...probably so.

i don't know...i guess maybe i should snag some pumpkin patch pics before i move on to christmas photos. i love the pumpkin patch. my friend trevah lives in santa barbara...they have the most picturesque pumpkin patch i have ever laid eyes on. it has a very norman rockwell feel to it.

it's been a doozey of a week from a work standpoint. the girls are going to waco this weekend, and i will be alone.

i'm gonna find something super fun to do. like paint. or clean. or catch up on laundry.

and practice using my new microwave.

and scout out rockwell-esque pumpkin patches that are within a 90 mile radius of my house.

or travel to an exotic country.

okay, i'm not going to travel to an exotic country.

but i'm gonna live with moderated, yet reckless, abandon.

i think.

or i might just sleep a lot.

it just depends on how tomorrow shakes out for me.

yeah.

my posts have been pretty lame and boring lately. i just decided that this weekend i am going to *write*!! w-r-i-t-e, write. my kids read 'the phantom tollbooth' today. i tried to explain to them that it was straight up 1960s work, but it didn't register with them (and when i say that 'it didn't register with them', i mean that i didn't tell them it was a straight up cracked out piece of literature).

i love 'the spelling bee' from that play.

p-l-a-y, play.

peace and pandamonium...

(p-a-n-d-a-m-o-n-i-u-m, pandamonium)

new love

a.) the chilean miners.

seriously - how amazing is this entire rescue effort?

how amazing is it that these men have survived for 68 days underground?

i am absolutely amazed at this entire example of fortitude and kinship.

what an incredible testament of faith, strength, hope, and promise.

i am impressed and speechless and inspired at the sheer strength of the human spirit.

i am crazy in love with every ounce of their story. i wish them all peaceful reunions with their families and easy adjustments as they adapt to life on the earth's surface instead of beneath it.

talk about life changing experiences...

this might be the pinnacle of them all.

b.) new blog.

there's one more super cool thing i found tonight.

don't miss it.

i promise it will make you smile.

kelly rae roberts = tres fab.

it won't disappoint.

i want to deck my halls with her inspiration...

all year long.

peace, paintings, and rescue pods...

dress rehearsal

i like it.

i'm feeling pretty good about it.

how about you?

okay - time for glee!!!

peace & happy dances...

fortune cookies lie

last year, i ran into 'budget issues' thanks to my frequent trips to mama fu's. i didn't realize how much i was going there until i finally counted the obscene number of fortunes i had collected courtesy of their very yummy fortune cookies. the number was in the triple digits. not good. but soooo good at the same time.

yesterday my mom and i went to mama fu's for lunch. i hadn't been in awhile, and she loves it as much as i do. the food was fabulous, but i am still floundering trying to process my fortune.

how is it that one little sentence on one little piece of paper can be so tumultuous for me? i just don't get it.

a little background info on me: i think that fortunes aren't ever actually fortunes. usually they are more like generalized statements. but 'generalized statement cookie' doesn't roll off the tongue in quite the same way as 'fortune cookie'. it loses a little bit of its magical appeal.

here is my most favorite fortune i have ever, ever received:

(notice: it's a statement)

fortunes are fun. like horoscopes. i know there are some people who place truck loads of value on them, but i think of them as fun. and if they happen to come true or coincide with my actual life, then they're even more fun!!

one day last month, my horoscope said that i was going to have a 'sensual, romantic encounter.' except i didn't read it until the next day. which explains why i spent that night drafting my fantasy football team in my pj's with my dog instead of looking for love in all the wrong places.

yesterday, my mom and i grabbed fortune cookies for the girls since they weren't with us. and an extra for my mom because she extra likes them. here was our collection from yesterday's dining experience.

it's the one in the very middle that is driving me insane right now.



what in the heck is that supposed to mean, anyways?

and who gets fortunes about love and frogs and princes?

not me.

and not anyone else i know.

not until now.

and it has me very irritated.

i can't quite figure out why i am so irked by this 'fortune', but i can't stop thinking about it. i realize the absurdity in fixating on it, and i still can't make it go away.

i didn't tell the girls about it, but they insisted on watching 'the princess and the frog' last night.

what are the odds of that?

maybe it's annoying to me because i don't believe in a prince charming for me...i think that lots of people find their own special version of a prince charming and spend their entire lives with that version, but i don't think that a prince charming was put on earth for me. and i am perfectly okay with that.

oh well...i'm gonna try to let it go.

the girls and i spent some time at the park today with browning. it was nice. i love fall. it's my most favorite time of year.

here are some pics to take your mind off of the weird-o fortune cookie statement generalization command fiasco.

taking these pics, bathing in the autumn sun, listening to my girls giggle, and enjoying mother nature definitely took my mind to a happier place!!!







on a happy, chipper note, i love fall. cee and jay both played *awesome* soccer yesterday, and today we are decorating our home for fall. and we bought halloween costumes. oh yeah - it's a good, good day!



minus princes.

and frogs.

peace out, yo.

(my fantasy football team is winning!!!)

i ♥ soccer

not gonna lie. i love it. i do.

i love seeing my girls running around and having fun with their friends.

i love the people we see every weekend...i miss them in the off-season.

cee and jay both did awesome today.

here are some pics...





cee with her soccer friends...

and jay with one of her faves...



i might complain about not getting to sleep in on saturdays during soccer season, but these pictures make it all worthwhile. i love how much they love playing soccer and hanging out with their friends at the field. i love small town life. :)

and (insert dorky photo comment) i love the lighting in the fall. love it...it makes the best color in pictures. or maybe it's just because i love fall.

peace and pictures...