Being A Mom

It ain't easy (I have gone on almost two weeks of uneasiness).

Yes, Abigail is trying to hit me in this picture.

That absolutely beautiful girl has been giving her parents some major headaches (I thought it was just me, until Todd confirmed the same frustrations this evening after a night alone with the kids).  Who knew that something so small and pretty could be so devilish.

But I will try to do a better job of clinging to the moments where it is entertaining.

Advent Calendar

The other day my dad called and asked if I would be home to accept a special delivery.  Of course I would be home, I have no car to get me anywhere...I am stranded dailly (can you sense any resentment in that sentence?).

He showed up with a Diet Coke (thank heaven) and this really cute Advent Calendar for the kids.

I asked him how he came up with the idea for it and he said that he was standing in the check-out line at Expedex looking at the last minute items up for grabs one of which was your standard advent calendar and beside it was some bubble wrap.  Wah-lah...a creative genuis at work!  (You can see in the middle picture the bubble-wrap better)

He came home, worked on the creation and gave one to each of his grandkids and a few other special kids in his life.  I love having a dad that is so creatively gifted (and knows a thing or two about photoshop/illustrator/etc).

I know that there are a few of there out there that create amazing works of art on your own...so give this one a try!

You're Invited

Please Join Us For A Holiday Boutique

Saturday, November 22nd

Open House 9:30 – Noon

Vicki Alexander's Home

521 E. Evesham Dr. (5850 South)

Featuring:

Blooming Blossoms Hair Clips by Whitney

Scentsy (new winter warmers and scents!)

Shoes from Sole Desires

Jewelry by Cousin Lara

A Wedding

My brother recommended me for the job, and I took it, and here are the results:




The couple wanted to incorporate their heritage so we put pictures of their parents/grandparents/great-grandparents on each of the tables with a saying that went along with the theme.

We took branches and limbs from the trees behind my parents house and used them around the perimeter of the chapel and hung seed balls from them.

Above each table was a half circle with flowers stuck in them and below each "nest" was the centerpiece.

The guest book has pictures of the bride and groom together and got filled up fast...I should have put more pages in it. Many lessons learned for next time.

Very fall-like and outdoorsy, I'd say. The bride was so wonderful and kind, so easy to work with. I would hesitate doing another wedding because I would expect every bride to be as agreeable and organized as this one.

Carly Turned 1

It's been two weeks since Carly's first birthday, and here are the first pictures ever to be published for the event (I only wish people would dish out millions to be the first to show them...alas I will pay myself in the form of a Diet Pepsi and Peanut Butter M&M's).

The Braby Girls are like family to us. They took Carly for the 11 days Todd and I were in Hawaii for his graduation and have begun to love her like their own. They gave Carly this fat little doll that looks just like her...wrinkles, dimples and all.

After the Braby girls bathed Carly, she gave a good cuddling to her Grandpa Riches, she never cuddles me like that. I wonder why?

Why no picture of her with the cake or opening the gifts...because her mom doesn't get paid enough to take those kind of important pictures.

For the K-Baird

I am sure you all must be familiar with the 6th folder and 6th picture one, right? Well here is mine:

A little background on the photo...It just so happened to be my 27th Birthday and Father's Day! We were up at a chalet in Brighton having a Riches Family gathering. This was taken at Silver Lake while we all took a nice Sunday walk around it. Connor is almost 18 months and I am 6 months along with Abigail.

So, now, as I understand it, I must tag 6 people and they are to go to their pictures folder on their computer, select the 6th folder and the 6th picture, than post it for all to see! Tag, you are it!
Suzy
Reading Armadillo
Margaret
Becca Olsen
Becky Windell (luv ya cuz)
Cortnie Potter

I am anxious to see what you girls come up with.

8 Things

This one is for my Miranda:

8 Favorite T.V. Shows:
(we don't have a television, so I am just listing the ones I watch on-line)
1. Ugly Betty
2. Dancing With the Stars
3. The Office
4. Pushing Daisies
(the last four are the shows I wish were still going)
5. The Cosby Show
6. American Idol
7. So You Think You Can Dance
8. Kids Incorporated

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Spaghetti Factory
2. Moki's
3. Ted's Bakery
4. Texas Roadhouse
5. Italian Village
6. Cafe Rio
7. Arctic Circle
8. Chik-Fil-A

8 Things That Happened Yesterday (Tuesday, November 4th)
1. Watched Scooter & Mimi
2. Disciplined Connor for hitting Scooter, Mimi, & Abi
3. Cleaned the office
4. Washed 4 loads of Laundry
5. Explained to Connor that he couldn't wear his costume anymore & hid said costume
6. Disciplined Connor for not listening when he walked upstairs wearing his costume
7. Fumed when I went downstairs to put the costume away only to find the newly cleaned office in complete dissaray (I hid the costume in the office, which, when Connor left the door open allowed Carly to come in and unload one of the file cabinet drawers).
8. Waited outside until Todd came home from work, so I could leave for work, as I could not look Connor in the face.

8 Things to Look Forward To:
1. Todd coming home from work
2. Date night
3. My next Diet Pepsi
4. The kids faces when I let them play in the snow again (please don't melt)
5. Watching the kids play in the snow
6. Carly sleeping through the night for a whole week
7. Mom's meatloaf
8. Bedtime

8 Things I Love About Fall:
1. The smell
2. The changing colors
3. The change of wardrobe
4. Fires
5. Hot Cocoa
6. Cooler weather
7. Wearing socks to bed
8. Sitting on the heater with a blanket around me

8 Things on My Wish List
1. Pay off Student Loans
2. Get Todd licensed
3. Decorate, Decorate, Decorate
4. To be a full-time mom
5. Put in a sprinkling system
6. Manage time more wisely
7. Be a better wife/mother
8. Get the Camry fixed

8 People I tag:
1. Suzy
2. Becky Windell
3. Tenille
4. Jeanette
5. Patrice
6. Ashley
7. Celeste
8. Jamie

Halloween and other things

I don't know what to write about as I have no gumption to begin the whole writing process right now. So I will just post a few pics of the kids and stuff and maybe tell you what they are about.

For Halloween we had our own little zoo with Connor being a Parrot, Abigail being a Tiger and Carly was the infamous Giraffe.

Connor climbed into Carly's crib one afternoon and took a nap. And on a different day, he pulled Carly's bouncer out of storage and created a fort for himself and fell asleep while reclining and watching a musical of one-kind or another.


I took the kids to the aquarium one morning in the hopes that getting us all out of the house would release energy and exhaust the kids. Which it did. In this picture I asked the kids to show me how old they are. I guess they showed me how mature they act. Abi seems to think she is three and Connor believes he is one. Carly thinks they are nuts. She's right.

For Witches Night Out at the Village I put on too much eye make-up, lipstick that only stayed on for twenty minutes (maybe that's a good thing) and ratted my hair. It was a fun and exhausting event for me. I came home wiped out, but the energy and excitement buzzing around that place is so fun!

And here are just a few super-duper cute pictures of the little ones in my life, as it just would not be complete without them.