random stuff

In an effort to stick with my scrapbooking/crafting goals I made in January, I have to brag on myself and say that I made 10 birthday cards yesterday! Woo hoo, good for me right? They're pretty basic/plain but the best part of all, they're done! Now I am so excited to have them on hand ready to mail.

Now this morning, I had another brush with creativity, not my own. Parker decided to "color" black crayon on the walls. Three big black blobs and numerous streaks throughout the living and dining room. It took me an hour to "touch up" all his work. I can't believe how angry I can get over things like wall scribbles. Whew, it's mornings like this that make me wish I could just crawl back in bed. Oh the joys of being a SAHM.


update: Wednesday morning
***My husband suggested we go out for dinner after he heard about my day of painting, how sweet! When we came home we found all the trash cans had been turned over and their contents spread all over the house thanks to my little doggie Max. When I yelled at him, he went in the living room and in Parker's room and peed all over the carpet. Ever have one of these days? I counted the minutes until the kids went to bed and I could relax on the couch. Urgh!

what a relief

I am all for civic duty and being a good citizen and all that stuff but I have to say, I am feeling a huge weight off my shoulders for something I don't have to do... serve jury duty. About two months ago I got a summons to be on the grand jury (the ones who decide if a trial should take place or not, not determining guilt/innocence) and I must say I was not liking that one teeny bit. It's not that I don't want to serve, in fact I think it would be an interesting thing to participate in, I like learning new things, but it was for three weeks! I don't know any stay at home mom (or other moms for that matter) who can get reliable child care for three weeks! There was no way my husband could take off, he can barely make it home for my ob visits. So, I was totally stressed about how I was going to be excused. I wore my most obvious looking preggo shirt today and hoped they'd take one look at me and say, "no way, that chick is going to have to pee every 10 minutes" (which by the way is true)! Thankfully, there were enough people who volunteered to serve and I didn't have to get questioned by the judge as to why I could not serve. I left that courtroom in such a hurry I think there was smoke coming off my feet! Honestly, I hope I get called again someday (in about 10 years or so, when my munchkins are older) because I would like to participate and learn. Another example of my true nerdiness!

back to school ads

Today I was reading the newspaper, mostly the ads, and I found myself staring lovingly at the back to school supplies. I can remember as a child getting that new Trapper Keeper and new pencils (I loved those ones where you took the little lead out and put it in the top to get a new sharp one!) and new crayons and feeling like I had won the lottery. In high school, I couldn't wait to start school and get my supply lists from my teachers, it was off to Target for a spree. As a college student, I tried all kinds of ways to keep myself organized so back to school shopping was a fun challenge for me. I used binders, folders, tab dividers, note cards, you name it, I had it! And as a teacher, I literally took stock when the bins at Wal-mart filled up with $.10 folders. I taught in a poor area and many of the kids did not have money to buy their own supplies. Now as a mother of a kindergartner (argh, how can it be?) I find myself scanning the ads for the best deals. I know she won't need a three ring binder or highlighters, probably just some pencils and a folder but I can't help myself. I love to start fresh with new supplies, brand new Crayola markers, Bic pens in every color, crisp loose leaf paper just begging to be doodled on... ahhh! Now if I only had a reason to buy some of these things! Surely something in my house needs to be hole punched and color coded and filed neatly in a binder, I'm off to find something that will warrent a trip to Target's back to school aisle...

home again

We're back from our vacation lots of sun and fun was had by all. I don't know what it is but no matter how fun a vacation is, I love to come home, despite all the laundry, cleaning, and reorganizing that has to take place. I'll be posting again soon, I do have lots to do right now...

off we go

We are headed off on our trip to the lake, don't I sound so refined? "Ah, yes, dahling, the lake is simply wonderful..." anyway, if I can hijack my husband's cell phone(s) we're sure to have a fun time. I will seriously maim or injure anyone from work who calls him, he (and the rest of us) needs a break from everything. We haven't been to Lake Erie since I was pregnant with Parker, isn't it amazing I can remember stuff based on when I was pregnant/nursing/carrying a baby in the Baby Bjorn? I am so excited to go to Put-in-Bay and some of the local antique shops in the area (my hubby gets to go on a fishing charter one day and I get to go "tique-ing"). The kids are ready for swimming and sand, Zoe says we are going to "north Florida" this year, he he he! Relaxation... here we come!!!

zoo

It isn't often that we get all of us in one picture so I thought I'd share. This is from our trip to the zoo on Monday. Boy it was an interesting trip... tons of rain and cold weather (only about 72 degrees!), my hair was a total fuzzball (not good considering we ran into Paul's ex-girlfriend that he dated before me! Why do we have to see people like that when we aren't looking totally hot and skinny?)! We had fun and saw all the animals. We were walking for about 5 hours strait up and down the massive hills at the Cincinnati Zoo. I guess the cold weather kept them active and wanting to get out and have fun. I don't know if anyone agrees with me but I think the zoo animals always look so sad. I just want to pet them all and talk baby talk to them, like I do to my own pets. I swear they do not want to be there all enclosed in a small area and not free. While I love seeing them all in person, there is a part of me that thinks it just isn't right.

our favorite animals 2008:
Zoe: baby peacocks following their mommies
Parker: the ducks in the pond
Paul: giraffes (fresh in their new "giraffe ridge" area where you stand on a platform to observe them up close!)
Me: the apes: gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, gibbons, I love them all!

cute cupcakes

Lookie at what I made! Ignore the Christmas wraps, I was all out of plain ones... I am super excited to have made these cute cupcakes. They are just normal cupcakes but the icing swirl I made using my Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator. (I swear I love their stuff, they never have to suggestive sell to me, I'll take it all!) I think they look so cute!!! I will say if you try these at home, make extra icing, it uses a lot more to make these swirly things. I even think they taste better or was it my excitement at their utter cuteness? Who cares right?!