OH HOW I LOVE PEOPLE...

Daddeee and I went Christmas shopping yesterday.

We left the house at about noonish and the temperature was holding steady around, oh, let's just say freezing.

First stop, the pawn shop. (did you know you can buy decent stuff there at decent prices...ipods, laptops, jewelry...?)

I'm a people watcher. I'm forever amazed at how rude and stupid people can be.

I know, you'd think after 40 years I'd be used to it but nope. I'm still in awe of human nature.

Kansas City winds were horrendous yesterday so every time someone opened the door at the pawn shop, the wind would catch it and blow it open.

A couple walks in and she heads straight for the iPods. He, on the other hand, lingers by the door which at this point has flown open and the cold wind is blowing inside the store.

He looks back. He takes another step into the store. He pauses.

He looks back again. He takes another step into the store. He pauses again. All the while, the door is still blowing in the wind.

Finally, he goes and closes the door.

A span of about 30 seconds has passed while he contemplates this door and the cold wind. What the heck was going through his mind?

A short while later, a mother and her daughter come through the door. Once again, the door is caught by the wind.

They didn't even bat an eye and walked on into the store.

In comes her son next. Does he close the door?

Nope. Walks right on in as if the store owner has used the wind to prop the door just for him....on a freezing cold day.

Next comes the father. Well, I guess like father like son because father did the same as the son. Where's the red carpet for this family?

Are people that stupid????

Don't answer that because there's more to come with this story so stay tuned...

DON'T TOUCH MY CHILD???

Yesterday, The Kid and I spent the day together.

We had tons of errands to get done but had a fantastic time doing it.

We played games and sang songs in the car. He's getting really good at singing Christmas tunes thanks to karaoke on the Santa Tracker on Uverse.

One of our errands was to get The Kid's hair cut. It's always a struggle but in the end, he's so proud of his new look.

I caught him several times yesterday checking himself out in a mirror.

Another errand was the grocery store.

While at the store, in the milk section to be exact, an older gentleman touched the top of The Kid's head. I didn't see it since I was turned around to grab the milk but The Kid was fast to speak up and say, "That man touched me!"

I know it was just a friendly gesture on the part of the man but I've always taught my children to speak up about stranger danger.

Where, as a parent, do we draw the line? How do we explain to our children that "Oh that's ok for him to ruffle your hair" and the child to understand that some things are ok and some are not?

Do we retrain those of the elderly generation that touching children in this manner is now not ok?

It tests my faith to think that there are such people in this world that I have to worry about being around my child and it angers me because I know, deep down, that this man was only being friendly.

It's a relief to me that The Kid was only bothered by the gesture because the man "messed with his spikes".

MAKING ICE CREAM ALA THE KID...

According to The Kid ice cream is made like this:

You take butter and smush it up and mix in some ice cubes.

Hmmm. I don't think I'd like The Kid's ice cream.

MOMMEEE'S FRIDGE...

We have letters on our refrigerator. Two incomplete sets to be exact.

The first set was with the first kid. The second with the second. We've lost a few a long through the years (letters, not kids).

We leave random notes for each other all the time.

Random holiday messages.

Messages I've done when one of my boys is out of town.

We've even done a few messages that are completely inappropriate to take pictures of. Let's just say Daddeee and The Teenager have a gross sense of humor.

These letters can be purchased in the dollar section in the Toy Department at Walmart. I'm sure they can also be purchased for pretty cheap at any other store.

They're fun.

They're entertaining.

Today's message.

Because everyone knows Mommeee doesn't cook on Mondays.

(Like I said, they're partial alphabets so sometimes we have to improvise on the spelling.)

SUCKS TO BE SICK ALONE...

Today was just an ordinary Monday.

I got up, got dressed. Got The Kid up and got him dressed, too. That's how we roll.

Coffee was already made (thank you coffee pot with timer).

Lunches were already made too thanks to my overly efficient brain yesterday (why are you not always present?).

I took Daddeee to work, dropped The Kid off at the sitter and that's when it happened.

I barely made it home.

Never in my life has a stomach bug hit so fast.

I was fine this morning.

So now I'm home with no one to take care of me.

No 7-up. No crackers.

Just me and 2 worthless dogs.

Ranger, when will you ever learn to drive and take care of Mommeee?

(I don't ask Dexter because it's well known that he's just a 'tard.)

LET YOUR SPIRIT SING...

Henry David Thoreau wrote:

I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.

It is something to be able to paint a particular picture or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful...

But it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do.

To affect the quality of the day...that is the highest of arts!

We can show our Christian enthusiasm by:

• smiling
• caring
• listening
• kind words or deeds
• simply by loving each other

The Bible also says:

Ephesians 4: 25- 5:2
²⁵ So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.
²⁶ And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,
²⁷ for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
²⁸ If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
²⁹ Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
³⁰ And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption
³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
¹ Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.
² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

A modern trend is to dump our problems on others, to carry a chip on our shoulder, to honk our car horns, to flip the bird, to blow the whistle. All of these behaviors add stress to both the life of the giver and of the receiver of these negative communications. It is a lose-lose proposition.

Before you vent it next time, ask yourself these questions. Am I thankful that I am safe in spite of the apparent danger? Will it matter a hundred years from now or even next week? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? And so on.

Anger, sorrow, and hatred are not worth our limited time. Life is too short, too precious, too important for these.

Of course we will always have our many problems in health, occupation, human relations, and our relationship with God. But if we ignore the petty troubles we may concentrate on positive solutions to the major problems.

By adding cheer to our own lives, we lighten both our own stresses as well as the stresses of those around us!

PASSING THIS ALONG...

This was a fwd fwd email I received. I don't normally pass along these sorts of emails but this one amazed me. I love the story and wanted to share it with all of you.

Enjoy!

My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.

As we bowed our heads he said, 'God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!'

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, 'That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!'

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, 'Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?'

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table.

He winked at my son and said, 'I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.'

'Really?' my son asked.

'Cross my heart,' the man replied.

Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), 'Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.'

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life.

He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, 'Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already.'

SUN CHIPS...

Remember this post about Sun Chips and their new biodegradable bag?

Well, according to The Onion, they are going back to their original bag.

Evidently, my harping and whining got the attention of Frito Lay. (OK so it wasn't just me.)

For the record, I was actually ok with the bag. My post was actually just an FYI, go buy some, have a good laugh too kind of post.

My only gripe about the bag was that every time we passed a display in the store, The Teenager felt the need to make a bunch of noise with the bags. Annoying!

Did you know that they tested the bag and it actually measured at something like 95 decibels?

The subway in New York measures around 90.

Amazing.

So go out and buy a biodegradable bag of Sun Chips fast before they change it. That bag might be worth something some day.

If you want to buy me a bag, my favorite flavor is Garden Salsa.

TRIP TO WALMART...

The Teenager and I took a trip to Wally World today to purchase my new electric skillet, courtesy of AT&T Uverse.

It's always an interesting trip with The Teenager in tow. He's sometimes worse that taking a whining child.

Can I have this?

Oh can I have that?

I need one of those for school.

Anyway, we got our shopping done and headed for the checkout. Of course, I went in for a few items and made it to the check out with a cart full.

But as everyone knows, you end up spending more time standing in line at the check out than it took you to shop for your items.

Anyway, today, while killing time waiting to drop our dimes (by dimes I mean twenty dollar bills), we noticed this.

Applesauce on the go.

When was the last time you were out somewhere and thought to yourself, "Boy, I really could use some applesauce."?

I've never really thought about it.

So is this a product that will really sell?

Maybe since it has a nifty price of 67 cents.

Affordable.

So, GoGo squeeZ, what's the idea behind this product? Is there really a demand for applesauce on the go?

Inquiring minds want to know.

WHAT'S HAPPENNIN'...

Not a lot. (which is why I haven't posted much)

The usual suspects.

Today I updated my Farmville character.

Tonight: cards and dinner with friends.

Tomorrow: Church and possibly an afternoon at Red Barn Farm.

See. Like I said. The usual.

The rest of the week:

1. get the car fixed. Something about a strut and a bearing. I don't know. All I know is it's expensive.

2. get Daddeee to the dentist to have a "suspicious" spot on his gums looked at per the endodontist.

3. make it through the week.

What's on your agenda?

HAPPY MONDAY!...

It's only happy for me because I don't have to work today.

I am, however, going to the dentist.

Which I hate doing but I'm trying to psych myself into it.

So while I was browsing the web, I went to The Pioneer Woman's photo contest. Her category is favorite photos.

I have to enter one.

I was surfing through my photos trying to find my favorite, which believe me was not easy to do since any photo of my kids is my favorite.

I did run across this one.




This is a haunting photo for me.

Those are my dad's eyes staring back at me.

Dad passed 20 years ago. Many, many years before The Kid was even thought of.

Now let me explain a little. I have green eyes and Daddeee has brown eyes. Both which are dominant over blue.

According to statistics, The Kid only had a 6% chance of having blue eyes.

My dad's eyes.

And he's been on my mind a lot lately.

So I chose this photo as my most favorite today.

THE GREAT PARENT ESCAPE!!!

Yes, I'm escaping.

I'm off to White Cloud, Kansas for a kid free, drama free weekend with my darling husband and some friends.

There will be nothing but adult conversation, a little drinking, a little gambling, a lot of eating and tons of fun!

Look out, White Cloud because here we come!

WHAT IS MY PLAN...

I know I've posted in the past what my daily plan is to be. I've shared what my future intentions are in regard to plans to go here or plans to get this done.

Today, I'm pondering what my life plan is. I'm not talking about who do I want to be when I grow up.

I'm referring to what sort of person do I want to be from today forth.

I've been struggling lately because of the "hand" that I've been "dealt" this year. Where I am now is completely different than where I had planned six months ago.

Why is this? Has God planned something for me that I just don't know about?

How do I see what this plan is and know that what I think I'm seeing is what truly is?

I had an incident take place late last night with some friends. They're struggling in their relationship and I've been watching it for a while now but I've kept out of it.

Until last night.

I blew up and let it all out. My feelings. My knowledge (because I've been in their shoes).

I woke up hopeful this morning. I was thinking that maybe this was God's plan for me. I was to help them through this time period in their lives with the knowledge I've gained through the years. It felt good.

Then something else happened this morning. There's no helping them because one thing happened and everything I shared with them went out the window.

They are right back where they started.

Did I misread God's plan? I somehow misunderstood?

I'm so sad over this.

Does God have a plan for us but his plan for someone else intercepts it?

I just don't know anymore.

TODAY'S PLAN...

Grocery store

Make Potato salad

Bake a cake

Cook hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill

Chow

Enjoy cake

Imbibe in a little alcoholic beverage

Love my friends and family

Come join me!

ALL IS GOOD...

We enjoyed a good weekend.

We went to SantaCaliGon Festival in Independence, MO.

We cooked out.

We (the adults) drank a few drinks.

We sat outside with neighbors.

We cooked out some more.

We even drank a little more.

The Teenager enjoyed brotherly love time with his youngest furry brother.

And he enjoyed some time with his not-so-furry younger brother. (This is a rare thing to see these days since they're normally arguing about something)

They shared silly bands.



We even got to see this. Isn't it adorable?

I think if I had a Volkswagon Bus, this is how I would paint it too. Complete with surf boards on top!

LABOR DAY...

I love Labor Day.

It means:

a day off work.

an end to a hot summer.

kids are back in school.

things are back to a normal routine.

I should have slept in.

I want to make the most of an extra day off so I'm up.

I think I'll make a good breakfast for my loved ones.

Fall's right around the corner and I LOVE LOVE LOVE fall!

What does Labor Day mean for you?

CAKE POPS...

I found this recipe on Bakerella's website and thought they'd be fun to make.

All you need:

1 red velvet cake mix (water, oil, & eggs)
1 can cream cheese frosting
Melting chocolate
sucker sticks

Prepare the cake according to the box. I'm still learning my oven so my edges were a little done. It didn't matter though.

Crumble the cake up into a mixing bowl. I've had this particular bowl since I moved out on my own in 1990. It's had a few or more cakes mixed up in it over the years.

Mix in the container of cream cheese frosting. Now here's the fun oops I mean incredibly messy part. Roll small amounts of the mixture into balls. I found this to be a big pain in the butt process. A small tip: stop after about 5 and wash your hands and you'll find they don't stick as much. Once some of the batter is on your hands, the balls tend to stick to your fingers. Place the balls on waxed paper.

I went ahead and poked the sucker sticks into mine but I don't think it matters.



Place the tray of balls into the freezer for about an hour. This will help them firm up so that you can dip them into the melted chocolate.

Melt your chocolate in the microwave. Dip each one into the chocolate. Once again, another pain in the butt process. If you like doing chocolate dipped pretzels, you won't mind this.

And here's the finished product. Definitely not as pretty as Bakerella's but I'm an incredible amateur baker so for me, they look fabulous!


And oh do they taste yummy!

I wish you were here to try one. Or two. That way I don't eat them all!

ADVENTURE OASIS...

It's not enough to say we had a good time yesterday.

It was more than relaxing.

It was more than fun.

It was an entire can of spray sunscreen (I love, love, love this stuff!)

We had a wonderful time at the water park and are looking forward to going again soon.

At first, The Kid didn't want anything to do with it. All week he swore he wasn't going and if he did, he wasn't going to get in the water.

We made him go and we made him get into the water.

He didn't want to get out of the water and he didn't want to leave.

He said he wasn't leaving. We told him he was.

He pouted.


He sulked.

Eventually, he gave up.


The Teenager check his phone every chance he got.


Daddeee check his phone every chance he got.

I used mine to take pictures.

I didn't want any calls or texts. I was there to relax.

And relax I did.

PLAN FOR THE DAY...

We're taking the family to Adventure Oasis today.

Packing a picnic lunch and trucking on over to Independence, MO for some water fun (lots of sunscreen already in hand).

Not a bad plan for a day that's going to be in the 100's.

HOT HOT HOT...

Yes, I said hot.

As in, it's hot outside.

The web says it is 95 degrees in Kansas City.

My outdoor thermometer says it's 96.
I think it's 124.

I can remember as a kid, the news would always send a newsreporter, usually the newest of the bunch, outside to see if it's hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.


I haven't seen them do that on the news in years.

The bit must have gotten old.

Today it's hot enough to fry the egg, the bacon and some potatoes too.

I SURVIVED...

...my first Water Wednesday.

This is how it started: I was listening to a radio program a while back that was talking about how groups of people are trying to get other people to stop eating meat on Mondays. They're calling it Meatless Mondays.

This is definitely not for me. I need meat.
But my little brain began to buzz and I thought of another route I'd like to try along the same lines and that's to drink more water.

So I came up with the idea for Water Wednesday.



On Wednesdays, I don't drink anything but water.

No coffee.

No soda pop.

No tea.

It wasn't easy but I survived.

I spent a lot of time in the bathroom.

But I survived.

I plan to do it each week. At least for one day out of the week, I'll be doing something healthy.

Join me next week for another Water Wednesday!

CATCHING UP...

It has been so busy here the past week I haven't had time to sit down and catch you up on the Twilight-New Moon Party.

It was a hugantic success. Yes, I know that's not a word but I'm using it anyway because it gets my point across.

We all had a good time, lots of spaghetti with meatballs and Italian sausage was ingested, the movies were enjoyed and prizes won.

Uh huh. Prizes.

The Teenager put together 2 slide show presentations with trivia questions for the end of each movie. I was so proud of him and his computer skills. He's a computer genius.

T won the first game for Twilight. She knows WAY too much about the movies so she can't play anymore.

I won the second game.

We each now have a handsome Twilight cup from Party City. (Pretend I'm showing you the cup in extreme Vanna style).



But the reason I've been so busy is because I was getting The Teenager ready for his almost annual vacation with the Grandparents.

This year he's headed to Washington state. They left yesterday.

Today he's in South Dakota at the Corn Palace.

Nope, I have no clue what that is.

He's keeping in touch with me by texting which is extremely nice and helps with my not-having-him-home sickness.

I have lots of it when he's gone.

TWILIGHT-NEW MOON PARTY!...

Tomorrow night we're going geeky and throwing a Twilight-New Moon Party.

I've finally talked Daddeee into watching the movies with me and since I know he loves parties, I'm turning it into one.

We're going to have Bloody Marys, I'm making Spaghetti and Werewolf Balls (I know, that is so lame!), Garlic Toast, and possibly Red Velvet Cupcakes.

The Teenager is putting together post-movie trivia.

It's going to be a blast.

Geeky, but fun.

Two of my favorite things!

BIRDIE BUFFET...

Belly up to the bird food buffet, little birdies.

A few weekends ago, I discovered we had a cardinal visiting our deck.

I bought a $1 bird feeder and a $3 bag of bird food.

Saturday morning, The Kid and I were snuggling in the recliner when we noticed the birds lined up for food. He called it a "Bird Buffet".

Sunday morning, while watching the news and drinking my coffee, we were once again visited by the cardinal at the bird feeder. He brought along his mate.

It was adorable watching him feed her with his beak.

I tried to get a picture but as soon as I moved, they moved.

So this morning, I caught some of the birds helping themselves to some free grub.



I had to take the picture from way across the living room and through the sliding glass door so it's not a fantastic photo but you get the idea.

How's that for some cheap entertainment?

And yes, those are fingerprints all over the door. Hey, I have a 4 year old and 2 dogs. I couldn't keep the glass clean if I washed it every 5 minutes.

And Daddeee, who squawked when I wanted to buy all this, now wants more feeders. Too funny.

BODY PARTS...

We had a rather bizarre conversation at work today while on break.

It had to do with body parts.

Or actually, missing body parts.

I had to think about it.

We decided baby teeth do not count.

I had my wisdom teeth removed when I was 18. So that's 4.

When I was 18 months old, I stuck my right index finger in the spokes of my oldest sister's bicycle and cut it off.

The doctors reattached it - without the knuckle. No one knows why.

That brings my count to 5.

That I can think of.

What's your count?

I know. Something you've probably never thought about before.

INDEPENDENCE DAY ANTICS,,,

We had a blast celebrating the 4th of July even if the rain kept us from doing the fun nighttime fireworks. Daddeee and the kids made their own fun.

Daddeee made a sparkler bomb and blew up a toilet seat we had ready to go to the garbage. ***KIDS: DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME***

And this was the end result.



I hope you had a fun and safe Fourth just like we did.

FOGGY...

And I'm not talking about the weather.

I'm referring to inside my head.

It's foggy with a complete chance of storms.

At least, that's how I've felt today.

And that's all I have to say because I'm afraid if I went any further, you'd all think I was nuts.

Ok. Nuttier than normal, anyway.

MUD PIES ARE OUT...

When I went to pick up The Kid from the babysitter today, I found a treat on her front porch.

I wondered what it was but didn't give it a lot of thought.

It was hot out and my mind was in search of the closest air conditioning.

Since the new craze these days is health, the kids made "salads" today instead of the traditional mud pies.

Mud pies are out.

They don't fit in with the new health conscious group of kids.

And I must say, they're much easier to clean up, too.

NO CLOTHES...

The Kid has decided it's time to be almost naked. All of the time.

The moment we get home and he makes it to his bedroom, he strips of all clothing except underwear.

It's become a nightly event.

The Teenager thinks it's gross.

I like to remind him that he went through the same stage.

Of course, The Teenager sits around in lounge pants with no shirt.

I also like to remind him that's not much different than sitting around in your underwear. Lounge pants are just longer.

So at dinnertime, I have to remind The Kid to go put on some clothes before coming to the dinner table.

The Teenager is kind enough to add a shirt to his ensemble before sitting down for chow.

After dinner, it's right back to near-naked time.

For both of them.

BP...

I'm still in the middle of moving so I'll leave you with this video.

TRIP TO JAMESPORT...

Tuesday, The Teenager and I took a trip to Jamesport, Missouri.

Jamesport is a small Amish town in Northern Missouri. We dropped The Kid at the sitter and took off for our small journey, just mother and son.

The town is so small, their biggest boast on the welcome sign is that maps and public restrooms can be found at City Hall.


It's a quaint little town that takes you back to olden times. If it weren't for the cars, you'd think you could just walk outside and hop on your horse.


As a matter of fact, some people could. This is the parking lot for horses and buggies. (The Teenager asked me what the "No Hitchin'" signs meant.)



We ate at a small restaurant owned and run by a Mennonite family, The Gingeriches. Mrs. Gingerich waited on us. They served homemade food that was to die for. The Teenager says it was the best fried chicken he's ever eaten.

I think I'll cry now.

As you can see, the lunch consisted of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, scalloped potatoes with ham, salad and homemade bread with their own jams. Not pictured is the rhubarb cake we had for dessert.

The Teenager asked me what rhubarb was and I couldn't even tell him if it was a fruit or vegetable. I could describe what it looked like but not much more than that.

We also shopped while we were there. We bought candles, room spray, embroidered dish cloths, and lotions.

All and all, it was a fabulous day.

After that huge lunch, the ride home was a little miserable because all I wanted to do was take a nap.

Psst. Rhubarb, per Wiki, is botanically classified as a vegetable; however, in the United States a New York court decided in 1947 that since it was used in the United States as a fruit it was to be called a fruit. A side effect was a reduction in taxes paid.

BAD NEWS...

I'm depressed. I didn't want to write this post at all.

We lost the house.

The mortgage broker messed up some paperwork that would have moved our closing back a week or so and since we're dealing with the VA as the seller, they wouldn't give us an extension on our contract.

So we're back to square one.

It's a sucky square one, too.

It's been a bad weekend. All I want to do is cry. I've spent a lot of my time doing just that.

So now the crunch is on to find a place to live while we search for another house. This means we'll have to move twice.

Pardon me while I scream!

And go cry some more.

WILL IT EVER HAPPEN...

We're supposed to close on the house at 4pm today.

But the broker decided to wait and tell us that the paper work may not be ready in time because of a large backlog of people buying houses right now.

We're in limbo.

The house is half packed up. We can't continue because we don't know now when we'll close.

I have no decent groceries. I haven't shopped so that we can use up as much as we can of what's already here.

Monday nights dinner consisted of random frozen snack foods. Wednesday night we all had soup. Each of us a different kind.

Stay tuned for more madness...

IT'S NOT ME...

Nope. I'm not like The Pioneer Woman.

I don't travel all around the country and have cool things to take pictures of to share with you.

Right now, I'm not cooking because the kitchen is half packed away.

To be honest, since I've been packing up a household and "Losing several things in the move" (more on this later), I haven't really even had time to post.

But I am still out here in my little niche of the world and will begin posting again soon.

I remember I owe a sneak peak of the master bedroom.

Please be patient with me.

The move is this weekend.

The last few weeks have been so busy.

We've had inspections. We've waited. We've had more inspections.

We're still pending our last inspection. This one is the big FHA. They won't tell us when it will be. For all we know, they've already done it.

Now we wait some more.

In the meantime, do we pack? Do we not pack? What can I pack now that won't need to be used?

I've collected boxes. And more boxes.

The downstairs stinks like cardboard because of all the boxes.

It's madness.

Can I fast-forward to next month? Preferably a time when all the moving is done.

Wouldn't that be nice? At that time, I might actually be able to sleep again.

Coming up: a sneak peak at the master bedroom decor.

FINALLY!!!...

Back to that big news again.

Remember? Me...rambling on about something like trying to buy a house?

Well. It's happened.

We close a month from today! Wooohooo!!!
Want a sneak peak?

Say pretty please...

Oh naw, you don't even have to do that because I'm just so darn excited.


The picture doesn't really do it justice. It makes it look small but it's really not. It has a living room, kitchen, dining room, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a family room, and most important: a big walk in closet just for me.

I've already taken dibs on it.

So now my mind is racing. Colors, furniture placement, packing...

Oh how I hate packing.

I wish I could just take a vacation to The Pioneer Woman's lodge and come home after it's all done.

But, alas, that won't happen.

I did take a week off work so I can enjoy our new home.

Oh, and The Kid's first question? "Can I bring my Game Cube?"

Priorities LOL

GIRLS NIGHT OUT...

Several months ago, I began joining my sister for Girls Night Out with the girls she grew up with.

On our most recent outing, we went to Olive Garden where we enjoyed wine tasting, fattening hors d'oerves, and even more caloric main courses.

The wine tasting was exquisite. I tried a Muscato (Castello del Poggio) for the first time and found that I truly love sweet wines (as if Arbor Mist didn't already know that).

The salad was as good as always and the bread sticks were divine. I ordered Chicken Parmesan. I know, kind of boring but the menu was overwhelming and I just couldn't decide so I went with easy.

But, most of all, the company was charming, delightful, amusing, engaging, and even more that I can't even begin to put into words.

I've come to really enjoy and look forward to our monthly girls nights out. I can't wait for the next one.

TOO FUNNY...

Last week my sister picked me up from work to go to dinner with some friends.

We were on our way to Olive Garden when we came upon this:

We had been stuck in traffic and I even had my sister hold up everyone behind her because I wanted to take this picture. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. How on earth had the driver even managed to get his vehicle into that position.

Here's a close up so you can see what I mean:

He is wheel-to-wheel, ground-to-bottom-of-car stuck on that median. To top off his dose of bad luck (or judgment), notice the police car behind him--in rush hour traffic.

And as we drove by, boy was he arguing with the passenger. Do you suppose it was his wife and she was giving him an earful? If that were me and Daddeee, I know I would have been.

It made for a good chuckle to start off a fabulous evening -- for us anyway.

Oh. On a side note. Back to that original photo:

My sister cracks me up because I think she's the last person alive that still buys scented trees and hangs them from her review mirror!

I love her anyway.

BUSY WEEK...

Boy has it ever been a busy week.

I got my car back. After close to $6000 worth of work, it's back to normal. Seriously, thanks to CarStar in Raytown, it is as close to the way it was before the wreck. They did spectacular work.

We've had other really exciting activities going on but I'm afraid to even speak of it -house- for fear I'll jinx it -house-.

We'll know more about it -house- Monday evening but until then, I'm not mentioning it -house-.

I spent this morning having eggs and pumpernickel toast with The Kid. We watched Handy Manny and looked through the grocery ads.

He's a joy to have breakfast with. He's such a morning child.

The rest of this weekend is going to be spent relaxing, doing a few chores, making some kabobs on the grill, and enjoying some of my favorite Apple Sangria.

And not thinking about it -house-.

FAVORITE SPRINGTIME ACTIVITY...

...and summertime too.

We love to go to the River Market on Saturdays. It's been a tradition for us since The Teenager was a little toddler. Today was a gorgeous day for it too. I found a few items I want for the house once we find one (that's a whole story I'm not wanting to talk about right now).

I thought these little yard-bling items would be spectacular in a garden.


I don't know what they're called but the beaded yard decor are adorable. I liked the bumblebees too.My favorite were the flamingos. I have a dream of one day having a yard with a white-trash flamingo smack dab in the middle of it. I know it's wrong but my warped mind just loves the thought of it.


So, of course, while we're there, we HAD to stop at our favorite, River Market Coffeehouse.

The Kid patiently awaited his "little boy" coffee. He doesn't know it but it's really hot chocolate.

Two of my three favorite guys enjoying a cup of coffee and watching the people at the market.

There wasn't quite as much out there yet as there normally is. Most items aren't quite in season yet but I did buy some farm-fresh, organically raised chicken eggs.

I also bought some green beans from someone's garden somewhere out west (at least that's what they said and I'm pretending to believe) that I plan to blanch and wrap in bacon for the grill later.