Starting Off the New Year on the Right Foot

I had well over 1400 emails in my inbox.  Approximately 1333 were junk/sales emails, 62 were emails to myself of various reminders (kinda like on the Friends episode where Ross calls his apartment and leaves himself a reminder message...but way cooler than that), and there were maybe 5 or 6 "real" emails mixed in there.  I moved them all to a new mail folder I created called, "crap i need to sort through."

It's kinda like scooping up a bunch of junk around your house and throwing it into a closet right before company comes over to visit.  You are no more organized, but you have deceived yourself and your guests into thinking you have an orderly home.

Not that I would ever do such a thing.

Happy New Year, my friends!

Chugga Chugga...Choo Choo!

Happy LOVES himself some trains.


Aunt D and Uncle T had some passes to a nearby park that has, among many attractions, a train you can ride.  That was the main attraction for us.  So we took Happy there today.

He was beside himself with excitement.  I'll just let the pics tell the rest of the story.

After the ride was over, the engineer came out and greeted us. He lifted Happy up on the locomotive. I think that was Happy's most favorite part.

It is such a treasure to see your child enjoying himself so thoroughly over something as simple as a train.  What a wonderful blessing. My heart is full.

Thanks Aunt D and Uncle T!  What a fantastic day! 

Fess Up Friday

Fessin' up on the wrong day of the week.  It's a gift.

I know it is not Friday, but consider this an early entry to next Friday's Fess Up and not a late entry to yesterday's.



I have lamented about Hub's plaid blanket in the past.  I hate it.  However, I may have to change my tune towards it.  A couple of weeks ago, during a frigid week, I had taken "my" blanket (since Hubs and I are unable to share blankets) from our bed to our couch downstairs to watch some cartoons with Happy one morning.  When I went upstairs to bed that night, I had forgotten my blanket.  It was a sad realization.  I didn't want to go back downstairs to get it.  Neither did Hubs.  So, gasp, I stole the plaid blanket from Hubs that night.  Even gaspier? He let me.  What a sweet man.

On some days when I am getting a little stir crazy (read: everyday), I take the kids driving in search of trains (after our requisite trip to Sonic, of course).  Following the roads near the train tracks lends itself to some interesting, um, scenery in the housing department.

One of my favorite sites was an abandoned trailer park with a bubba gump shrimp boat type trailer/mobile home thingy.  It was awesome.  Basically, it was like a large boat that had been converted into a home.  It was overgrown with vines and mildew.  I kept wanting to take a picture of it, but I couldn't get the nerve up to stop the car to take the picture.

As you can imagine, I was devastated two weeks ago when I looked over at the trailer park on our drive and the boat was gone!  I keep looking for it to magically reappear since it so magically disappeared. Sadly, it has not.  I am starting to think it was just a vision.

I even tried to google pics of something similar to it and apparently it was truly one of a kind because there are no pics on google (you know, in my extensive 5 minute google search) that accurately depicts its loveliness. Or even comes close.

Sad day.

All I Want for Christmas...

is for my blog feeder to work. 

Update: It works. Finally.

Update #2: What I REALLY want for Christmas is 10 minutes to take a shower without an interruption from my sweet blessings.  Can I get an Amen?

Amen.

Gettin' Crafty with the Kiddos

This week, Maranimal and I got our broods together to do a somewhat organized, intentional activity.

Neither Maranimal or I are particularly organized.  Or intentional.  (Except maybe when it comes to Sonic.) But we persevered and had ourselves a little activity for the kids. 

Here is the original idea:

http://www.aokcorral.com/projects/how2nov2007.htm

Please go look at it.  Because the picture won't load on my blog.  And it is making me nutty.  Well, nuttier than usual.

Did you look?  I'm not messing around here, people. 

Ok, good.  Glad you listened.

Moving on.  Now we are realists, if not possibly pessimists, and knew our versions would be nothing like that.  But it's nice to reach for the stars, isn't it?

Chili happily listening to the story of the birth of Jesus.

Child (Maranimal's sister) kindly helping us with our adventure.

Jensky loved the eating portion of the craft.

Lil Miss swiped Sassy's blue candycane.  You can't tell, can you?

She was thrilled about her score and the fact that I didn't take it away from her.

Sassy's proud of her project.  Sassy's quote of the day?  Mary looks delicious, but I won't eat her.

Jenksy's Stable and Manger.  He ate it all, save the walls of the stable.  See the two marshmallows and gum drop? That's Baby Jesus.  And that was Jenksy's third or fourth Baby Jesus we had to make for him.  Because he kept eating them.

What a great day with friends!

Fess Up Friday

Texting and driving is against the law here in these parts. However, I am unclear as to whether online shopping and driving is.  I ordered a book for Happy through Amazon mobile while driving.  Not by best moment.  Not even close.

I've mentioned my Sonic love before and how my carhop knows my order.  I don't bother to order, I just say, "Hey, it's me" and he gets my order ready.  Because of this, I actually haven't hardly said my order for months (except maybe when my carhop isn't there, which is always a tragic day).  However, every time we pull into Sonic, Happy says, "die-die-pur".  I used to think he was saying diaper.  I now realize he is placing my order.  Diet Dr Pepper.  He hasn't gotten the "with vanilla" part down yet, but that's ok.

His beautiful hair pre-hair cut insanity.

Happy was in desperate need of a haircut.  I usually cut his hair myself but then after a few haircuts, take him to my hair lady for her to do a more thorough job. I took him to her this past week.  It was disastrous.  She couldn't even touch him.

His mullet was getting out of control, so I attempted to cut it on my own this afternoon before Hubs got home.  It was even more disastrous.  There was foaming at the mouth, wailing and gnashing.  He was like a rabid dog. I was unable to finish the haircut.  It looked worse than when I started because I basically just cut wherever I could whenever I could during this insanity. 

Plus, I had given him a piece of chocolate cake to try to distract him while cutting it.  As he was flipping out, he would maniacally rub his chocolate-y, gooey hands all over his head.

What made it even more comical (comincal and stressful) was that Lil Miss thought he was being silly since he was acting so crazy, so she was hysterically laughing at him.  Belly laughing, like couldn't hold herself up laughing so hard.

Once Hubs got home a few hours later, we double-teamed Happy.  It was horrible.  I held him tightly and had him pinned down between my legs while Hubs buzzed his head since trimming it with scissors was impossible.  He totally flipped out when any loose hairs got on his face.  It seemed to make his skin crawl or something.   He reminded me of the Tasmanian devil cartoon character a bit with all of his craze.

Oh, the massacre.

He eventually recovered with the comforts of a lollipop.  I can almost see him in the counseling for this one.

Poor sweet Happy.

Notice Lil Miss in the background on the jumpy thing, trying to get in the photo.

I haven't quite recovered myself.  Plus, I am sad to see his luscious locks buzzed off.

Do you think he looks grown up or younger with his new 'do?  I can't decide.

I am still in mourning over the hair, though. 

Motivation By Humiliation Works for Me, Part 2

It's been a few weeks since I mentioned my shame.

But, I finally did finish this last quilt!

The coloring isn't stellar on the phone pics, but you get the idea.  I'm happy to have that accomplished.

I am now working on two dresses for Lil Miss.

Here is one I did a few months ago.  It's fun making stuff for those you love, even if it takes some extra time.  I am excited to see how the new dresses will look on her.

Happy Thursday!