Santa is Rich!

So, yeah... with each passing day I am closer to 40. Some, who shall remain nameless, have actually passed that marker by a year and then some.  but. for the most part.. it's rare that we feel old. Sure, if we've had a beer or two too many, we don't spring out of bed the next day and bebop into work as we may have done 10+ years ago.  Sure, if I have a particularly hard run, it now takes me two days to recover instead of two hours. (note: the fact that i can still do those runs is a big part of why I don't feel old).


So, that being said, let me ask you a question: when is the last time you did forward tumble/somersault?   (actually - have you ever even written that word? i googled it bc i had no idea how to spell it). Yeah. now you're thinking about it aren't ya? and you want to try it dontcha?  dont. i mean, really. do not do it.  

Eileen is taking Cheer/Tumbling class. It's a complete hoot to watch. On the one hand I sit mesmerized by the older girls flipping and dancing, and on the other I giggle at the little kids learning to say "READY! OK!" and do the splits. and handstands. and somersaults.  Eileen has finally mastered the somersault. Cartwheels. well. lets hope she takes up running. and soon. 


So tonight she was showing us her stretches. which we attempted to do.  My excuse for not being so limber is, of course, the fact that I am a runner. we're rarely limber. we have constantly crazy tight legs. (sounds good right!?)  Bill's excuse? maybe bc he's a male? (heehee)  After our dreadful failure at stretching, Eileen attempted a handstand with me as her spotter. Bill and I did have the sense to NOT attempt this one (tho, i did consider it for a fleeting moment). And then came the somersaults. Eileen did one. And so then Bill realized HEY! I CAN DO THIS! and so he did. Two times in row. And sat up way dizzy.  I got as far as putting my head to the ground. And stopping cold. Not only have I finally learned to not trust my coordination (as in, i was terrified i'd manage to break my neck),... ever since the Evil Vertigo of 2008, moving my head too fast or upside down - not pretty. 

So there you have it. If you have passed the age of 25, I highly recommend you not attempt 5year old tricks. (note: bill then did it again 2more times. no comment). 


In other news, Santa is rich.  
The American Girl catalog came in the mail. Eileen spent the evening scouring it. 




Overheard:
*oh I like THIS doll with the cast!
*oh look. a doggie. she has a leash for the doggie!
*look mom, its one of those beds under another bed (trundle)
*ok i want every doll in this magazine. but i don't want only dollies from santa. well i guess if i ask for only dollies that's ok. oh hey you know. i bet santa is rich! he's so rich he can get Kung Fu Panda 3!!- it was here Bill interjected to let her know KF3 did not exist - to which she replied - yeah but santa is rich so he can  get it anyway. oh my. 

constant chatter. i'm shocked we didn't need to administer cpr. 


soon after the American Girl incident, we were eating dinner and discussing Halloween. The conversation, of course, veered towards costumes. 


E: Guess what I am going to be NEXT year?


me: Umm.  I dunno? Glinda the Good Witch (which is what she'd said roughly 30minutes prior)


E: nope! I'm gonna be Hanna Montana!


Me, a bit baffled:  Oh. Ok then. 


E: AND ya know what else? YOU (pointing to me) can be iCarly, and Bill (she swings around arm fully extended finger pointing smack at Bill) - HE can be JUSTIN BIEBER! 


Then there was that moment. It was most likely not even a full second.  Where the parents just stare at each other. Dumbfounded. omg that's hilarious! how the heck does she know who iCarly and Justin Bieber are? and why do WE know who they are? we have the funniest kid on the planet.  do we crack up now or what?  of course, we opted for cracking up. 


Was I this funny when I was five? 
Tonight was definitely one of those nights I wish I'd had a hidden camera rolling all night long. 


ok then. gnite. 

BOO!

Pumpkin Carving Party. Smashing Success.  I do think we'll make it an annual tradition.  We had so much fun.
I'm almost 37 years old, and fairly certain I have never carved a pumpkin!  I mean- I've sat there while my Daddy carved it, or John or Josh or Bill. But not actually ME. and it was kinda fun! I did two!


Definitely a fun time. We made two kinds of chili (white and regular). We had spider web brownies (which were actually super cute, but actually tasted a tad nasty). We had the Pumpkin Cheesball, which was not only good- but easy to make. And Shannon didn't believe I'd made it! There were Mummy Dogs, which Bill and I almost ate all of...And we were supposed to have Broken Glass Cupcakes, but my glass never did harden. Oh well. maybe next year. And Sarah brought dirt cake- which was insanely good tho I don't have a picture. 

We had some of Eileen's buddies & their parents come over. Awesome weather so we got to set up tables out front and go to town! At one point one of the kiddos was bored.. I asked him if he wanted to pick the seeds out of the Cauldron (filled to the brim with innards) so I could roast them.. and magically, he was no longer bored. Heehee. 

Check out  <---THIS pumpkin! do you see that half of Hannah's body is in that thing? (and previously mentioned cauldron of innards..)  That pumpkin was a hit. 


So Friday night, Eileen was upstairs playing. Bill and I downstairs talking about what to cook when.  Chili, mummy dogs, cupcakes.. WHAT CUPCAKES?!  that's what we heard from above the moment I innocently said "I'll probably make the cupcakes tonight" - and it was not loudly that I said it.  Apparently Eileen not only has Eagle Eyes she also has the ears of a BAT. 

Baby Stella was there.. she's about six mos old. And as you can see, this blue haired child to your right - aka Eileen - is fascinated. I missed a lot of it, but rumor has it that Eileen hung out with Stella quite a bit.  I think she's quite excited for Edith to be here. Too sweet.

<--- this one cracks.me.up.  When some of her friends arrived in costume, Eileen decided to go put hers on. So this is her coming back outside, and Lucas and Jonathan are super excited to see her. She's not the least bit phased by the Ninja and the Masked Boy set to pounce. 

 On Saturday, we'd gone to services for a friend who'd lost a family member. Eileen was incredibly good, not counting when she was sitting directly behind my boss and sighed an 'annoyed sigh' quite audibly.  I'm fairly certain fire came out of my eyes at that moment. But considering the circumstances, she was good. 

So after that, we went to run errands while Bill was at the Farm. She's generally quite the shopping buddy when it's just she and I. But after wandering Target and then hitting Ross to see what dresses I could scour, she was losing patience. As we walked to the checkout, I spotted The Boot Section.  And really, one can't have enough boots. I started to walk in that direction, and Mini Me grabbed my hand, stomped her foot, and said "NOOOOOOOO MOMMY!"  She was ready  to go home. (luckily, I am taller and bigger, and dragged her anyway to look at boots. Much to the security guard's amusement. They had none I liked/wanted. But honestly, the girl needs to learn endurance with shopping. I mean, as her mommy, it is my duty to pass on these life skills). 

So, raise your hand if you constantly have a camera in your kid's face. Clearly I do. And clearly I am not the only one. Take, for instance, this shot to the right ---->.  These two were moving like freight trains through the yard. I attempted to get a shot. Without skipping a beat, they both came to a complete stop. Arms around each other. And smiled. HILARIOUS. I cracked up. At this rate, candid shots will become non-existent. 

In other news, Eileen's class has some new rules (with nineteen 4-5 year olds, and more boys than girls, a dictatorship is not out of the question..).  So now there is Student of the Week. (a good thing). So Eileen has decided that THIS week she will win it. She said she will not have any red points (red points= bad, green points = good).  Now don't be shocked - she generally gets one red point a week.. for talking too much.   heehee.  You think she's my kid or what? What's funnier is she tries to hide it from Josh/Sarah/Bill/me.  She wont tell us- even tho we clearly see it on her chart. Then when whichever parent has come to get her DOES see it, and asks her about it, she says "but mommy, you can't tell daddy!" (or Bill, or Sarah, or Mommy...).......

That falls under the "oh I want to giggle but I'll suck it up and make this a teaching moment" category.  She did it to both Josh and I, and we both made it clear that we don't lie to Mommy and Daddy, and she needs to be able to tell us things. We'll see how well that works out in about 8 years....


ANYWAY - I got off track.  Back to Student of the Week. So she has decided this will be her week. As we walked in this morning, she asked if I ever lost points when I was a kid, and did I ever get Student of the Week (note: I have limited recollection these days of anything more than one hour old, so I really don't know...)

But being Mommy of the Year and all, I promptly told her that I was always good in school and often won Student of the Week. and then I next promptly told her that Aunt Sissy was always getting red points and never won the Student of the Week. OH how she cackled. HEEHEEHEE.


In other news - check it out. Look in this shot <---  behind Bill- you can see the beginnings of our new screened in porch!  Like the idjits we are, it did not occur to us to take before and after pictures. Me, the camera queen, didn't even think about it (in my defense, chaos has reigned of late..).  Anyway.. we think it will be done before the week is over. It will be wired, we bought the ceiling fans at lunch. Yep, two. And we plan on a small TV out there (blatantly stealing that idea from Dottie and Croft) so we can chill outside and watch football.  We have at least another few weeks of decent weather down here. I grew up with a screened in porch. They rock. 

Speaking of chaos.. we have a little left. We have the Pumpkin Patch trip on Thursday (with Eileen's class), we have the Halloween Party on Friday afternoon at Eileen's school. Then, this will be the first weekend since before Labor Day (that was eight weekends ago) that we have not had some plan/wedding/event/obligation to do.  And if that new porch is done, I plan on parking there Friday afternoon, and I may not get up until Monday Morning. (ok fine, that's extreme, maybe I'll get up to run and take a shower and refill my beer or wine). 

Then Monday will be Halloween. Can't wait. And then, it begins. The Holidays. Which, in all honesty, I am excited about.  A new baby, friends and family, a graduation, baking, days off from work, sending out (and getting) cards, and Chuckie The Elf.  I figure we have 2, MAYBE 3, years left before Eileen wises up.. so we'll have fun with it.


Til next time.. Happy Monday. Watch out for goblins and ninjas. 

On the one hand I want to blog. On the other, I'm tired, overwhelmed, exhausted and feeling like the to-do list is growing at an alarming rate. 


And this is on a week where Eileen isn't with us. I've had the 'luxury' of staying at the office late to get caught up. Yet I'm only further behind. I thought after yesterday, after my last 'event' of the season, that I'd be able to see straight and focus. Don't get me wrong - in no way am I complaining.  I'm just a little overwhelmed. 

I worry that when Eileen's home if I'm in this distracted state that I rob both she and I of quality time. Then that stresses me out even more. 


And then there's a day like today, when news of a friend losing a loved one made it's way to us. And then my head spins more. Why am I fretting about these petty things when others are figuring out how to keep going and stay strong for their children? 


And I guess at that point my head spins in a complete circle...thoughts running at mach speed... from the stack of invoices to be paid on my desk at work to what will i wear to the funeral to where the heck is the blue laundry basket how does one lose a LAUNDRY BASKET  to I really want to read my book to I need to find that Broken Glass Cupcake recipe to who on my staff can cover the web assets and content QC to what must our friends be dealing with to I miss Eileen to OMG it's already almost Thursday and I need 3 more days... and on it goes. 

I know it will pass. I'll figure it out and with some help make it all happen. I dug up some somewhat recent pics of the Monkey, and then found this gem from a couple of Christmas's ago.. and it never ceases to crack me up. 


On that note, I'm off to get through some emails and dig up that recipe and make the grocery list and finish my tea and start one last load of laundry and then, I hope, pass out into the bed. 

must read

Not to take away from my own hilarious self... 
but you really must follow this blog.. I generally find myself in hysterical laughter and/or crying from laughing when finished reading... 


(and must figure out how to blog more often, get sponsors, and get rich!)


Go here. (but first read MY latest post!)


You can thank me later.

Quality Time with Your Child...

I literally have a two page list of Eileen-isms sitting on the coffee table at home, waiting to be blogged. I have to write them down as they happen or I will never remember them. When I get around to posting all of them, you'll be rolling laughing. 


In the meantime, I have two gems to share: 


Coming home from Aunt Sissy's house the other night, Eileen in the backseat.  Out of nowhere, "mom, we have GOT to get the house decorated for Halloween."  (i so wish i could recreate the facial expressions she makes...)

So I looked at her as if she had 12 heads. This would be because the house IS decorated. We have the bale of hay, the little scarecrow, the pumpkins & mums in the front yard. Oh and the flag from Aunt Mary. :) And the little ghost lights. (admittedly, as I read this, it sounds horribly tacky doesn't it?! it's not. you all know me better than that).  So I remind her of the state of our Halloween Decor. AND of the various ceramic pumpkins and fall candles strategically placed inside the house. 

She goes on to elaborate: "no mommy! i mean, we need to make it SCARY. you know, like with scary stickers on the windows and ghosts and stuff."  

Where does she come up with these things? 

So this week has been one of the crazier of late. And between a busy weekend, bad weather & after school activities, Eileen hadn't really gotten to play with her neighborhood buddies all week. So the kids were all out last night - AND they're on Fall Break so they were allowed to be outside later. She knew if she ate a good dinner & practiced her manners, she could go back outside after dinner and play more, and we'd do tubby and stuff in the morning. She heartily agreed. Ate a solid dinner. Made a point to practice those manners (really working on: chew with mouth CLOSED, elbows OFF the table, fork DOWN when not eating, left hand IN LAP for entire meal, and lastly, yes ma'am/no ma'am/yes sir/no sir).  And headed back outside.  We let her stay outside until about 8:20 (which is past her bedtime so this was a big treat).  I went out to get her and tell her it was time to come in. She bursts into tears. 

E: "that's not faaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiirrrrrrrr. me and ryan didn't even get to play brother and sister. we only got to play basketball. that's not fair!" 

Me: (struggling not to laugh): "Eileen. It's already past bedtime, you knew the deal. That when we said time to come in you couldn't complain"

E: "I know Mommy. But I was inside at dinner too long and didn't get enough playtime!"

Me: "Well. you took too long to eat."

E: "That's because you guys talked too much and kept talking to me and making me talk!" 

   cracking up right?!  also thinking to myself.. POOR KIDDO. Her parents love her so dang much, we eat dinner together and actually TALK. 

She's hilarious. I'll get around to sharing the other Eileen-isms. Happy Thursday!

yes. still blogging..

yeah yeah yeah. I know. it's been almost two weeks since the last post.  short of me locking myself in a room every other day to write, that's just the way it is.  we've had grandparents come to visit, a big ol' birthday party, a bedroom redecorated, some serious cleaning out of closets, Halloween decorating, and starting at some point this week.. a new roof/screened porch/deck and fence, courtesy of repairing damage done from April storms.  and we'll roll right into a Halloween Party, and then its The Season. + a graduation. + a baby (quit getting all excited, you KNOW I'm not preggers.. I'm referring to Edie Kay). and i have two major events at work in the next two weeks, and then two smaller ones right after the two big ones.  but i wouldn't have it any other way. 

also since my last post, my boys collapsed in a major fashion. my man peyton is most likely not gonna see a helmet and pads this season.  i still love football in any way, shape or form. but for the man who is the heart and soul of the nfl to be out for the season, well.. the season just lacks. 

and while i had very much hoped to be healthy enough to run the St. Jude Half Marathon in December, i'm not quite past the IT Band issues. but i so very much want another full under my belt.. so i have NYC and Chicago in my sights. For 2012. 

know what else is ridiculous fun? painting. I did it over the summer for a work thing, and then again earlier this week with some friends. you start with a blank canvas, and a teacher walks you through how to paint. I'm no Picasso, but I can manage a pretty decent Black Kitty Popping Out of a Pumpkin! A glass or two of wine and some hilarious girlfriends help. 

So as you can see from some of the pics, Eileen's room turned out spec-tac-u-LAR! I couldn't have dreamed it would be so perfect. A friend from work helped us pick all the stuff, and it came together so nicely.  Eileen was a tad overwhelmed at first, I think she had no idea what to think.  Within about five minutes she was running around the room like mad. She loves her bunkbeds, and twice has attempted to sleep on top.. but then she gets a little weirded out and ends up on the bottom.  And she loves her little table - which she's had for years but apparently I never placed it in a proper place.  

It seems smack in the middle of her room - on top of a bright pink rug (not pictured) under a sparkly crystally pink chandelier IS the proper place. We have colored lots of pictures up there in a week. YAY!

She and friends had a blast at her gymnastics party. Admittedly, we went over the top on the bday this year. Two new bedrooms, pierced ears, cupcakes at school, gymnastics party, endless gifts, gum. It definitely went to her head. By Saturday afternoon, the constant whine of  'But I'm the Birthdaaaaaaaaaaaaay Girl' had worn thin.  but hey, a girl only turns five once. (thank God). 


The gum. Well THAT has been a hit. Every morning, before she's even had time to get the sleepies out of her eyes, she's asking for bubble gum. And on a mission  to learn how to blow a bubble. Every afternoon, before I've even said hi to her teachers, she is asking for gum.  So, maybe we'll never have to give her an allowance? Just reward her with gum? Who needs a car? Just give more gum! (I'll enjoy it while I can...)

And then there's the pumpkin bread. Oh the girl loves it. About three weeks ago, one Saturday morning, Bill asked her what she wanted for breakfast. She said something along the lines of 'Isn't it about that time when we get to have Pumpkin Bread?'  She wasn't even five yet- but she associates Fall with Mommy's making of all things Pumpkin.

Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Seeds.. and so on. It should be noted, I have made the soup every year for at least the past 7 or 8.. my friend Kristin found the recipe in Southern Living and to this day when one of us makes it we text each other. Dorks, we know. Also, two years ago my friend Tim told me of a shortage of pumpkin. Something to do with weather that year. And canned pumpkin was hard to find. I remember going to the store and buying roughly TWENTY cans of pumpkin. not lying. I'm still using some of them.... hoarder, what? 

Well anyway- I did finally get my first batch of pumpkin bread made. As always there were multiple loaves and we shared the wealth. As always Miss Thang got the biggest loaf to keep at home and ate pretty much the whole thing. And Heaven forbid you don't cover every inch with butter, she will let.you.know. (and since the kid has gained all of 3lbs in 3 years, and weighs as much or less than some of her 3 year old friends, let her eat butter). 


So there you have it. No doubt I left out some random story. I'll remember it and share it. Until then, Happy Fall Y'All.