When there is time...

I am not quite to the mid point of my winter break from school. It helps to give me a glimpse of the good life to come. When there is time what will I do? It's actually been nice to have time to make dinner, even though I hate cooking and am the absolute world's worst. It's sad really. How did I not inherit one good domestic skill from my mom? No good at cooking. Can't clean like she does (she's like that arm and hammer, We can do it! only I think that whole thing had a different message). Don't sew. I can do laundry, but who can't? Maybe when I have time I should challenge myself to becoming a better cook. Do I want my children to grow up dreading their mother's cooking? That's a sad thought. "Mom's making dinner? Oh man! Dad, I really was hoping that you were going to grill the chicken tonight! Can we just order a pizza?" :(

I also think it would be great to develop a (my) green thumb. I know it's silly to be envious of other people's talents when I have so many of my own (HA!) but I really am jealous of people with gardens and beautiful flowers and plants in their yard and on their porch. Our one plant died because I didn't water it enough. Jesse did most of the time and kept it alive through most of the summer, and then I think he just wanted to test me. And I failed. And the plant died. My mother's day plant. Bummer.
So yeah, when I have time maybe I will become a better cook and have pretty flowers and a few homegrown carrots. Not a huge garden. Probably just a planter box. And about the cooking, not sure that I'll ever really WANT to have Christmas dinner responsibilities. But I could continue to bring the Ginger Ale and maybe someday graduate to like, a pie. No...maybe the veggie tray. I already tried cranberries (from the can) one time and that was just frustrating. Pretty sure I could handle a veggie tray though.

I think my iron is hot. Back to the board to iron my shirt for work tomorrow. I hate those shirts that have to be ironed but they also happen to be my favorites to wear. Such a dilemma.

You know...now I'm wondering, am I just using school as an excuse? Should I step it up and make dinner and clean more often anyway? The other day one of Jesse's clients came to our house (19 year old football player) and later he told Jesse that he thought are place was cool but that we could do a better job of decorating! Ok first of all that is really funny coming from him...but second of all, it's true. We moved in and just sort of threw the house together and it's not very well decorated at all. I blame that on school too. But really...in the aggregate time that I spent blogging and facebooking I probably could have had a few dates with Betty Crocker, watered my plant, cleaned up the living room and fixed the decorations. But what brings me more short term satisfaction? Apparently blogging and facebook...once again distracted.
Back to ironing. Nah, I'll just wear a sweater tomorrow instead.

Pink Boots, Cute hats, Colorful Stripes...so fun to have a girl!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

We took off Wednesday night after I finally got my homework done; got to Brian and Becky's at 2 a.m.
We had a great time staying at Brian and Becky's - they grilled us some steaks for lunch one day! We also ate waaay too much at Keith and Cyndee's for three days.
It was so much fun to have Paige try to keep up with Josh and Ashton. They taught her a few cool things about being a kid :) She started out calling them "kids" - and then switched to calling them "Boys." She thought they were pretty cool except when she had to share any of their toys with them. Wonder how she thought that worked?
I hope that K&C's couch is recovering well.

The Lineup

Paige is always busy either lining things up or stacking things up...anything...blocks, blankets, shoes, crayons, books, pillows... Tonight she has her stool and chairs and rocking horse lined up, and brought her teddy and her puppy to her self-made reading circle. She is going back and forth and getting a book, bringing it back to her chair, and reading through the book, then bringing the book back and actually putting it away! before getting another one to bring back and read to her little pals.







Does it get any sweeter than that?

Bzzzzz

Pretty scary little bee. Jesse took her daycare in her costume for the Halloween pizza party and then took her trick-or-treating at the mall.

I know it's early - but I won't be here for halloween...so I had to put on her costume early and take some pictures.

Busy Girl

It must be fun to be Paige -



Very proud of her "blockwork"

Laying out the dusting rags - She loves to get out the dusting rags, dishclothes, placemats and her wipes and carefully lay them out, one on top of the other...sometimes on the stairs, sometimes on the couch, sometimes on the floor, sometimes on the bed...very funny 'hobby'

Wonder how long she'll like to help out with the dishes?

Another month went by...

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Picture of the Year

This is one little spot in Kevin and Marcia's backyard - they have a BEAUTIFUL backyard!!!

Time for something a little easier on the eyes

This was a plant given to me for Mother's Day from Dad and Mom; I told Jesse that HIS mother's day present to me was keeping it alive. So thanks to him - we have managed to keep a plant alive and well since May (uh, is that when Mother's Day is?)
Now - this is some type of ivy I am told...So who knows anything about ivy's? Not me!
It's alive and well, but it's like a grown-out hair-dye job, the roots are ugly. About 3 inches up from the dirt every part is brown, crispy and seemingly dead. BUT - flowers are still blooming and the vines(?) are getting longer. What do we do next?
It's almost too long for the planter it's currently in. Hmmmm...If it were roses I'd just hang the roses to dry and decide a few weeks later that I have no use for dried roses and toss them. But this...this is different. Heeeelllppp!

Brendan & Jessica

Playing in the Rain

Paige gets a huge kick out of standing in the rain and then running to the door under the porch. As you can see in all of her expressions that she really has a lot to say about it; At this point it was just a lot of jibber jabber...My interpretation was that she was having fun so that's what matters!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

To All of my Wonderful Friends

1. When you are mad -- I will help you plot revenge.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are thinking of something that I would probably want to be involved in.

4. When you are scared -- I will rag you about it every chance I get until you're not.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will try to use only little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I will laugh but I'll help you up.

Friendship is like peeing in your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth.

Doing Laundry

Doing a load of laundry...and this is what I first see when opening the washing machine lid:

Little tiny pieces of newspaper? How did a newspaper page get into our washing machine? We don't even get the newspaper... Wait, WHAT is THAT lining the entire tub of the machine?...Not just a page but an entire newspaper? Strange...

Oh, wait, maybe I can read some of the shavings stuck to this dish towel...
Hey! That one right there in the middle says, "Austen" - Paige was "read-read-read" reading the Baby Names book earlier, maybe she put it in the clothes hamper....but really is that what it is?

And the mystery is solved when I find the spine of the book that once was, "Baby Names"

Apparently I put items in the washing machine without looking at what I am dumping in. I'm just glad it was just a load of dish rags and dish towels and not a load of Jesse's favorite shirts or something!

Disclaimer I: Do not jump to any conclusions about why we had a Baby Names book floating around the house...we have a few other things to clear off the agenda before Paige gets to be a big sister.
Disclaimer II: I don't do silly things like this ALLLL the time...

P.S. Do not tell Paige that her favorite book was destroyed by the washing machine or she'll never let us give Stinky Teddy a bath again!

Coloring?

When Paige was 18 months I decided she was old enough that she might want to start coloring with me so I invested in a large crayon collection and a care-bear coloring book. I was so excited to start coloring together; She did not share my enthusiasm for coloring. Still at the age of 2 it is apparently more fun to throw the crayons and scatter them across the entire house, step on them, break them and peel the crayon wax with her fingernails? I don't get it. She won't even let me color on my own! She takes the coloring book away from me and takes the crayons out of my hands. WHEN will she start coloring with me?
Moms? Am I totally premature with this?

-Bummed Mommy

Happy Anniversary to us! 4years July 8th

My beautiful and wonderful bridesmaids - 4 of us have kids now! Might I add that Becky was a worthless bridesmaid because she was on the phone with her new boyfriend the entire time (taking a brief break for the wedding ceremony) - her new boyfriend happens to be her husband now, so I guess it was time well spent!



These kids were SO ADORABLE and were perfect wedding participants! They have changed so much since (still adorable though)!