Happy Halloween

From the cutest flamigo I've ever seen.

We hope your family had a safe and fun Halloween.

Happy Birthday

Wow

Turning 30 on the 30th.

I always thought it would be a big deal. I don't feel any different today than I did yesterday. Or this time last year.

My dear girlfriends threw a surprise birthday party Saturday evening for me. Of course I didn't have my camera so there is no evidence of the pink-from-champagne cheeks or the I'm-so-shocked-I'm-giggling face. But trust me--it was a blast and a total surprise.

M had flowers (yellow roses) waiting for me at school when I picked her up this afternoon. I'm pretty sure H had something to do with that, but there is no evidence.

I'm hoping that H will deliver the much desired knitting classes from the local yarn store. He's got dinner waiting downstairs, so we'll see. I'll have to let you know later what surprises he has in store.

So, thirty is really no different than 29 and probably no different than 31. But it's always fun to have a special day to celebrate.

MBS--Nothing

I don't have anything to share this week...I'll be back next week!

WOOOO HOOOOO

Portion 1 of the thesis project is

COMPLETE!

I'm going to take a hot bubble bath before I tackle portions 2 and 3.

YES!

PS: I did the most difficult portion first. It's all downhill from here!!!!!

Oh, yes...and just wait until I tell you about my wonderful suprise last night. I seriously have the greatest friends in the entire world.

Phrase Friday

You're never going to believe this, but my bloggy-friend, Golightly, has started her very own Phrase Friday and we both started last week!
Check it out: http://piercebabyproject.blogspot.com/ Her little guy is really turning out some cute phrases this week.

I need to purchase a Phrase Friday notebook so I can jot down the things I hear. Obviously, thesis-writing has caused a bit of a brain fog this week. Twice at school my students said super cute things that I was going to post about and of course M is her normal cute-funny-smarter-than-your-kid self. Can I remember anything right this moment? No. Nope. Nada. Zip.

Here is a moderately cute M story.
We were looking at pictures from our trip to the zoo. There was a sweet picture of M touching the train before we went for a ride.
M: Yook, shoo-shoo twain! (translation: Look, choo-choo train!)
Me: Yes, that is a train.
M: Baby, shoo-shoo twain! (translation: Baby is looking at the choo-choo train.)
Me: That's M*R#T looking at the train. That's you!
M: No, Mommy (complete confusion as if I have lost my mind). Da Baby, shoo-shoo twain! (translation: That's baby looking at the choo-choo train!)

So, not really a phrase that tickles my funny bone, but a sweet story, nonetheless.

Here are a few local phrases:
Coke: any carbonated beverage; may be referring to coca-cola, or sprite, doctor pepper, diet coke, any other beverage in a recyclable can.
Bless her heart: basically, it means "Oh, dear...she's a doll despite her problem" (whatever the problem might be) As in: Well, she can't help it, bless her heart.


Okay, send thesis-completion thoughts my way. I've worked every night this week late into the night and I'm really tired. Last night, I was so tired, in fact, that I didn't save the work I did and lost at least 2.5 hours of work. I'm heading to bed now with the intention of working extra hard tomorrow to catch up. I just don't have it in me tonight.

Please leave some of your Phrase Friday comments! I sure do need a smile right now!

Help Needed

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know I said I'd be MIA until Sunday, but I've got a little problem--not thesis related.

M is having a major shift in her sleep patterns. As in, she's not sleeping as much or as well as she used to. I've always had the EASIEST time getting her to sleep and she rarely wakes up during the night. Suddenly (as in the past few weeks), M is sobbing at bedtime and is having a very difficult time getting to sleep. She's also waking up once, if not severals times, during the night and crying out for a while before going back to sleep. The other sleep problem is that she's not napping at her school much at all.

Have any of your children had a major sleep shift at or around 2 years old? Is this common? Do you have any suggestions? C'mon...share your blog-mommy expertise with me.

MIA

I'm here, but will be MIA until Sunday, when the last pieces of my thesis project are due. I hope to do Theme Thursday and will definitely do Phrase Friday (hosted by yours truly for the entertainment of yours truly).

I can't wait to catch up on all of you. Maybe I should take a day off work next week so I can catch up on all my blog reading!!!

See you soon,
Me
The frantically-writing-fingertip-blistered thesis author

MBS

I couldn't choose my favorite this week. After all, these pictures are of two of my favorite things: the pumpkin patch and M! My goal is to start working on more artistic shots, but these will suffice for this week. Some weeks posting for MBS is intimidating because so many contributors are fantastic (and even a few professional!) photographers!! I'm not so much intimdated this week as I am wishful that I had something more artistic. But I do like these pictures very much and am glad to share them with you.

For other MBS, pick up your favorite fall beverage and head on over to Tracy at Picture This. You'll be in for a real treat and no tricks, I'm sure.

Oh, and just a side note: Forgive the wispy ponytail. We're in hair training for when M has more hair. She's learning not to touch her ponytail or hairbow.

Phrase Friday

Since every other day has a theme that goes with it, I'm instituting my own theme for Friday: Phrase Friday. I might post a funny phrase I heard at school, something particular to my area, something M says, or maybe not a specific phrase at all.

Feel free to leave a comment and post a phrase of your own either on your blog or in the comments section. I'd love to hear your phrases.

M's phrases that tickle my funny bone right now:

sugar: anything candy-ish.
As in, "I want sugar!"
Or "M, what do you want for dinner tonight?" M: "Yogurt, milk, sugar!"
She knows the word for cookie and ice cream, so I'm assuming sugar is anything else that is sweet.

up: really means down
As in, "Up, mommy!" when I'm holding her and she wants to walk.

Holdyou (all one word): I want you to hold me, please.
This phrase is particularly effective when I'm trying to get her to crawl up the stairs and my hands are full...actually, anytime my hands are full. It seems to divert my attention away from whatever task I'm working on so I pay attention to her. It's just so darn cute that I want to throw everything to the wind and "holdyou" right then!!!

What phrases tickle your funny bones? Make you smile? Are particular to your area? C'mon, folks...share a little.

Theme Thursday: STAR

Wow! I'm actually participating in a Theme Thursday!!! I don't usually have a great idea to match the theme until AFTER Thursday, so I was completely bedazzled when I saw the theme for this week was STAR! When I saw these stars at the fair last week, I took about a dozen pictures. I don't often wish I had a tripod, but I would have given anything to have taken a great picture with a slow shutter speed so I could show the lights transferring from one star to the next. I even looked around for something to prop on, but didn't see anything with a view that would work. Not to mention, M was like a Tasmanian devil by this time of the evening and it took both of us to contain her!

So, I took a mediocre shot and edited the mess out of it. I'm rather fond of the results. Maybe not something I'd scrapbook, but definitely something I'd keep messing around with. So here, my friends, is my contribution for STAR theme Thursday.


(Yes, I'm posting early, but my mornings are rushed, so I'll want to contribute Thursday morning and won't have time to upload AND post!)

Check out Picture This for more Theme Thursday pictures! ( http://picturethis.clubmom.com/ )

My new toy (?) and a trip to the fair

Wow...I'm using a new photo program (Picasa) to make this cool photo grid! How fun!! Lots of photos, easy to do, more eye candy for my faithful bloggers.

We're trying to establish a birthday ritual with M. The national fair is about 30 minutes away and is in the area from the beginning to middle of October. We really want to celebrate her birthdays by making them as memorable as possible for our family. Last year began the tradition of the fair. We enjoyed it much more than she did last year, but we were glad we took her. I know you're wondering where the pictures of the rides are, but she's just not into rides. And quite frankly, I'm not into making her miserable by forcing her to ride. She LOVED the petty zoo and had so much fun feeding the animals. She even enjoyed riding a horse after much cajoling from her mother and father. But her favorite part? Eating the corn dog. With nacho cheese. You did know that eating corn dogs and nacho cheese is the new way to enjoy that fair food, right? I, myself, couldn't choke it down that way, but she thought it was pure heaven. Until we gave her a fried oreo. Yep, you got that right. A fried oreo. Another delicacy for another day.

Enjoy!

How would YOU celebrate?

I'll tell you how WE celebrated. On top of our 6th anniversary (10/13) and M's 2nd birthday (10/12), H finally finished all the major projects in the back yard. He has a few TINY one-afternoon projects to do, but all the major stuff is done: the deck, the fence, the fountain, the stone walkway, the plantings.

So, tonight we celebrated. Bellini's on the new deck, after dark and with candles. The quiet surrounded us, enveloping us in it's silky darkness. We enjoyed sweet conversation, broken only by the sound of the fountain.

Our little piece of paradise.

MBS

A little girl and her granddaddy.

Ah...to be the mother and the daughter.

For other MBS, click:

Mocking me...

Just a quick post to get something off my mind. Pictures and fun stories later this week.

Last Friday night (9 days ago), I read a blog post by a friend of a friend who miscarried one week before me. She was so open and so honest about where she was emotionally and physically and how she was healing and dealing with her loss. She said EVERYTHING I wasn't allowing myself time to deal with or time to think about. The busier I am, the less time I have to think. That's always my motto when dealing with stress or emotional situations that I can't deal with. I get REALY busy and sleep alot. It's always worked before.

It's not working this time. As I read the post of this friend of a friend, it was like hearing my own words and questions echo in my head. And I fell down--emotionally, mentally, physically. I was FORCED to think all the thoughts I was trying not to think. I can't quite get all the way up again. I'm wearing the smiling face. I'm laughing at the jokes. I'm holding my sweet M close. But I'm still crying inside.

We went to the zoo Saturday for M's 2nd birthday. How is it possible that every single woman there was pregnant EXCEPT me? Why did every woman have that sweet little baby swell in her midsection EXCEPT me?

I could hear those bellies mocking me. And the sound is echoing in my ears. Over. and. over. and. over.

Na-na-na-na-boo-boo.

And the winner is... (and more)

Andi!!!

I put all the names in a cup and drew one out. Andi, I'll e-mail you the specific instructions for choosing your alphabet set and stamp pad!

Now a few confessions:
1.) I did make the cake, but about 1.5 hours before the party, I had MAJOR cake crisis. My friend Susie was coming to the rescue, but life with two sweet babies happened, so Donna was the Cake Rescue Queen. I did the cake part and the initial icing, but Donna totally pulled it off for me. I owe her BIG time. And the idea was from Susie, so I owe both my dear friends an entire bottle of wine on the deck once we get enough chairs for the three of us!

2.) I couldn't have pulled off the party if it weren't for my amazing friends. Joe (Susie's husband) and Wes showed up about an hour before the party with tables for us. They stayed and blew up balloons and kept the mood light. Andi and her daughter, Aubrey, showed up about 30 minutes before the party to help with last minute decorations, etc. My sister-in-law and precious nephews showed up early and stayed late with Andi and Aubrey to help clean up. Anything I needed, they were right there waiting to help. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing friendship.

A funny teacher story.
Maybe you won't find this hilarious, but it still cracks me up, so I must share.
Imagine: 20 students on the carpet staring at their adoring teacher (Okay, okay, so it wasn't quite like that, but you get the idea--19 kids were wiggling on the carpet and I was TRYING to keep control, but let's go with scenario #1). Got the image in your mind? Oh, yeah, add a student teacher sitting at my desk and a retired teacher sitting in the other corner of the room. Here we go:

Me: Boys and girls, do you know why we didn't have school yesterday? It doesn't have anything to do with the fair. (A few shocked faces, but they are hanging with me) Our country was celebrating an important person. (Hands waving in the air. I'm feeling good, like maybe they really do know)
S1: God!
Me: Well, God is important, but not God.
S2: Jesus!
Me: Well, Jesus is important, but that's not who we were celebrating. (Even more hands. I'm beginning to realize they don't have a clue!)
S3: Martin Luther King, Jr!
S4-7: Yeah! Martin Luther King, Jr!
Me: Yes, Martin Luther King, Jr. is very important to us, but that's not it either. (I'm laughing so hard at this point that the kids are completely confused)
Me: A long time ago, way before your mom or dad or grandma was born, a man sailed across the ocean and discovered America.
S8: (Handing waving in the air so hard I think it might detach and fly across the room) I know, I know! (Thank God, I think to myself) George Washington!
Me: (laughing so hard now that tears are rolling down my cheeks) No, this person was even before George Washington. His name is Christopher Columbus. Have you ever HEARD of him?
S9: Oh, yes, I have. He was the first president of the United States of America.

Enough said, people. Christopher Columbus not only discovered the land of the free, but he was also the first president almost 300 hundred years later. That's some good history. Let's just say, we had a great Social Studies lesson today and my stomach still hurts from laughing so hard.

MBS

Good-bye, little baby.

Hello, big girl.

For other MBS, click below:

Birthday Picture

Wow--she's not two until the end of the week, but she's sure not a baby anymore.

200th post, help needed, and a prize

Hello bloggy friends!

This is my 200th post, so I'm offering a contest, but you MUST read the entire post and leave a comment by Saturday evening at 12:00 (EASTERN TIME). I don't know how to turn off my comments, but I'll check at 12:01 and write down the name of every commenter, then I'll draw from a hat for a super prize (to be named below).

HELP NEEDED:
M's 2nd birthday party is Sunday afternoon. So far, this is my menu for the guests:
Pumpkin shaped cake
Pumpkin/gingerbread trifle for the adults
Party mix (Chex mix, candy corn, plain m&m's, reese's pieces)
Hot toddy for the grown ups
Juice for the kiddos
Some type of salty appetizer (maybe a dip?)

You (YES, you) can be the winner of a great prize if you'll leave a comment with the recipe for your favorite (preferably easy) appetizer. Not only will I make your appetizer, but I'll send you a prize--just for leaving your favorite recipe in your comment! But you MUST leave your comment by Saturday evening.

PRIZE: Since I'm a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I'm offering a new Stampin' Up! alphabet set ($27.95) and stamp pad ($5.25) for the winner of this prize. (Check out www.stampinup.com and look at the online catalog at the amazing alphabet sets!)

And I'm doing this because this is my 200th post. And I love my bloggy friends. So, pass the word along. I'm in great need of some good appetizer recipes!

M pooped!!!

I can't believe it. (Oh, yeah...if you're not a mom or a mom who doesn't like to talk about poop, STOP READING NOW. )

Okay, you've had you're warning.

We've had two tee-tee's in the potty. Tonight, around 5:45, M started telling me she had poop in her diaper, but she didn't. Before her bath, I put her on the potty, but she kept getting up and running around. I told her if she didn't sit down, I was going to put her in the tub. Being a two-year-old, she continued to get off the potty, so I plunked her in the semi-warm bath water.

She stood up a few times and said, "Mommy, POOP!" I ignored her, of course, as any good mother would.
After about the 15th warning from M, I finally said, "M, if I put a diaper on you, would you poop?"
"Yes, Mommy!!!" She started to get herself out of the tub.
When she was standing on the towel, I smelled the tell-tell smell and her little cheeks were clenched so tight. I KNEW I'd never had a chance to get a diaper on her, so I put her skinny little tail right on her potty. AND SHE POOPED ON THE POTTY!!!

YAHOO!!! We had poop in the potty!!! She hated the wiping process, but enjoyed flushing her poop away.

Now I have some sanitizing to do.

MBS

I'm proud of this picture because it's SOOC. I usually have to do some editing, and I probably could on this one, but I really like it just the way it is. We're having a pumpkin decorating party for M next weekend. These are SOME of the pumpkins.

For other MBS, check out: