At the beginning of the school year I signed up at the PTA table to decorate a door for Teacher Appreciation week. Last week I got the phone call informing me it was time. I was assigned the main office door. The problem was I had no idea what to do for it and we hadn't gotten paid yet so I had no money until payday. I have to decorate the door today. We got paid yesterday. That's right, I had one day to figure out what I was doing and get it all assembled and ready to go. So yesterday I spent about 6 hours doing a door decoration that they will leave up for a week and then throw away! Except that I put so much (WAY TOO MUCH) effort into it that I think I will get it back and hang it in my baby's room. Anyway, here's the deal. I feel like a total dork for putting so much into it. Madison says that most people just stick some stuff on there and spell out thank you. I can't ever seem to do things the simple way. I have to come up with some fancy design and go to town and now everyone is going to think I am some kind of over-achiever show-off or something. I like how it turned out but I'm kind of embarrassed to hang it up now. Oh well. Our school secretaries really do deserve a good door though because they are great! They are teachers too, teaching compassion when they are so sweet and always make the kids feel loved, or show concern when they come down to the office sick or hurt and they always smile and ask them how they are doing when they are their for other reasons. Not to mention they are kind to me when I come in and if you have worked with other school's secretaries kindness is not always the case! So, I will hang up my door decoration and I will hold my head high and I will be ok with my own dorkiness because it's all in the name of education!

IT'S NOT FAIR!!!

As you have noticed I have buttons on the left side of my blog for what I call my "Blog Babies". These are children who are disabled or sick in one way or another and without knowing them in person I have still fallen in love with them (there have been others who have passed away as well and they're button isn't there anymore.). The Hubster laughs at how attached I get to them. I have been known to sob while reading posts about these babies and when one dies I feel as though I lost someone close to me. The Hubster doesn't understand how I can care so much about a baby/family I have never met. I don't know. Maybe I get attached to people too easily or something. Maybe it's because I am a mother and I know how devastated I would be to watch my child suffer or have to let them go if they passed away.There have been some I have had to quit reading about because it was really getting me down. But there are a few, the ones on the left, that I can't let go of. Sometimes I feel angry. Angry that these beautiful children have to suffer. Most days after I check their blogs I just think, "IT'S NOT FAIR!!!! There is beautiful Gwendolyn who can't move anything but her fingers, who is trapped inside her little body due to SMA and will die much sooner than she should. There's darling Jonah who suffers through his skin blistering and peeling off and his Mom has to worry about G-tubes and dehydration when he gets a simple cold. Then there's Piper. What a doll! She's never lived at home. Reagan and Jake have to visit their baby in the hospital if they want to see her and she's almost 3! I cried everyday when my newborn was in the hospital for 10 days! There's blue-eyed Lucy who will go eventually go blind, and sweet Mason's family almost lost him because of a bad heart and then he started rejecting his new heart. Cute Karmindy might have to have another heart surgery this summer and Tiny Maggie has some mystery disease and is going downhill everyday because doctors can't figure out what she has. Sweet little Cora (The Macs) passed away after a 17 day battle with cancer before she was even a year old. Now her parents learn to live each day with her absence while loving her new baby brother.

I know this all sounds depressing and you are all wondering why I even read them. The other day when Gwendolyn almost died I asked myself the same thing. I thought about how, as silly as it seems, I will be devastated when she does go. To watch my own baby girl, close to Gwendolyn's age, run and jump and play is hard sometimes when I think of that beautiful little girl who's mind is just as sharp as Em's, but whose body is so broken. It breaks my heart and I thought that maybe I should just stop reading about such sad situations, then I wouldn't have to be there if/when the end comes for any of them. Then I thought of all the times I have thought of these kids when I am fed up with everything. I have learned so much through "getting to know" these families. They remind me each day to love my kids. To not take their health and abilities for granted. They remind me that it can all change so fast and that in a blink, life happens and I could have to live without one of my babies. They have taught me about courage and strength and finding joy despite the circumstance. I admire their parents so much for the tireless love and effort they have to put into each day just to keep their children entertained, or alive and sometimes, to go on without them.

Here's where there's a problem though and it's something I have struggled with most of my life (long before Blogland even existed). I want to know why. And I'm not just talking about my "Blog Babies". I'm talking about abused children around the world and orphans in Russia, and starving babies in Ethiopia and young girls raped and tortured in Africa and on and on and on... Why them and not my kids or me? How could a loving Father in Heaven allow them to suffer? How could he take these beautiful babies away from families who love them so much after they've already had to watch them decline day by day? How could he allow His children to suffer and starve?

Although this post is in no way meant to be religious I cannot help but bring God into it, seeing as I believe in Him, and thereby my personal beliefs. I am a Latter-Day Saint (Mormon). I believe in the Plan of Salvation. I believe we were sent to earth to get a body and be tested and return to Him. I believe that God loves His children and that families can be together forever, even in the life after this one. I believe in free agency and I believe in miracles. But I still don't understand why, or maybe how, He can let them suffer. I know His own Son suffered more than any of us ever could.  I know that there can be no joy without suffering and I know that miracles can only come when there is faith and situations where a miracle is needed. I know all of this in my head, but my heart still wonders why. Honestly, maybe I'll never really understand on a deep level until I meet my Maker. I'm sure it's one of those things I will just have to have faith about and let my very human mind trust in His higher knowledge. I just wish that all of these families could get their miracles and that none of them would have to suffer in order for those around them to have their lives touched because of them.

I'm probably not making a whole lot of sense. I know my posts are usually lighter and more amusing so I hope I didn't bore you with all my "serious talk" today. If any of you have any enlightenment for me on this subject I'd love to hear it.

Thanks.

The terrible two's...

E

Woooooowheeeee! Have we hit the terrible two's! My easy going baby girl has found her inner diva and watch out! It's been coming on little by little with tantrums over getting in her car seat and her insisting she decides where to sit while I put her shoes on. Tantrums over being put in the cart at the store and the high chair at restaurants. Now when I say tantrum I mean laying on the floor (or the street, or the middle of the sidewalk/store aisle) crying and screaming with her face buried in her hands, looking up periodically to see if I am still watching. Anyway, this morning started with a doozy of a tantrum at Hobby Lobby over getting into the cart after we tried it outside of the cart (which didn't go well-what a surprise!). Oh yeah, people were staring. Then a tantrum in the bath tub after we got home (she usually loves baths-but not lately). Then a tantrum over not getting to play with my iPhone.  The tantrums continued after naptime when I couldn't take her outside at the exact moment she wanted to go out, when I was making dinner and couldn't pick her up, when I didn't get her out of her chair fast enough after she had eaten and then when I did. Finally I took her outside hoping that it would sweeten her up a little. Bad idea. While I was talking to my neighbor she (Em, not my neighbor ;) threw a mighty impressive half hour long tantrum that started on the grass, then moved to the middle of the sidewalk, then she walked down the middle of the cul-de-sac crying as she went. I had to chase after her when some other neighbors came driving up (yep-Stellar Mom Moment). Now lest you think I am an uncaring mother, I tried to comfort her but oh no, there was no comforting to be had. Finally, after she had calmed down and then melted down again repeatedly we went inside to get a sippy of milk (thanks to my FAB-U-LOUS older daughter) and things calmed down a bit. Daddy came home which is always a treat and things were considerably better until bedtime (which went smoothly as well).

So here I sit  by the bluish glow of my laptop not entirely enthusiastic about what tomorrow might bring. I am trying to give her lots of choices and not pay attention to the tantrums (which is what landed her in the middle of the cul-de-sac...stop laughing Nicole!) but good criminy! It's a darn good thing she is starting to talk so much in that cute little voice of hers ("Tinkoe, Tinkoe, Tinkoe, Tinkoe..................Star....."), right now it's her saving grace. That and her incredibly entertaining facial expressions! But if you should see me in the middle of the sidewalk, face down crying, you'll know why. Just walk on by....I'll be done in a minute.

The Hubster flips!

This past weekend held some firsts for our family...

Emilia's first time diggin' with her big brother and sister in the sandbox...

The Pirate's first time mowing (a patch of) the lawn...

And... The Hubster's first back flip on a trampoline since he was a teenager. Yes, he landed safely and yes, the kids were highly impressed. In fact, afterwards, I heard T declare it, 

"An amazing day"!

        

         

             

Happy 18th Birthday Nikki!

This is Nikki. She is our FAB-U-LOUS babysitter! She has faithfully watched my children for the last 6 years, first every Friday night, then every other Friday night (give or take a few due to sickness, vacation, etc.). Now I know when I say "babysitter" you all think of some teenage girl who you hire to watch your kids for a period of time, hoping she does not spend the entire evening watching TV and ignoring the kids, and then leaving a mess for you to clean up when you get home from Date Night. That is a babysitter, I am talking about my kids' surrogate mother. Granted, she is a teenager, but we would gladly leave her guardianship of our children in our Will if we didn't know that it would seriously complicate her future ability to find a husband should Matt and I both kick the bucket together. Now this all might sound crazy so let me explain...

Back when The Hubster and I got married we lived with his sister and brother-in-law in a beautiful basement apartment. We attended their ward while living there and that's when we first met Nikki, a cute little 7 year old girl with a blond bob. Fast forward 5 years. We had since moved out of that home, had 2 children, bought and sold our own house and were now living in my parents' basement while building the home we are in now. Matt and I wanted to go on a date and we needed a babysitter. We couldn't find one in my parents' neighborhood so we called his sister (the one we had lived with who also lives about 10 minutes from my parents). We asked her who she got to watch her kids and she told us Corey, Nikki's older sister. We got her phone number and made the call. Corey informed us that she could not babysit that night but asked if we would like her sister Nikki to do it instead. We agreed and went to pick her up. She came out of the house, no longer a little girl but a beautiful 12 year old with long blonde hair, holding a box full of activities and games for my kids. From that first night my kids ADORED her...and so did we!

I have never had a worry with leaving my children in her care. She loves them as much as I do! I even left Em with her when she was 4 weeks old. People thought I was crazy....but they didn't know Nikki! She has always gone above and beyond to love my kids. They have colored Easter eggs and decorated sugar cookies. They have made Piñatas for Cinco de Mayo. They have made homemade fortune cookies, and origami and a homemade Chinese dragon out of blankets and construction paper for Chinese New Year. They have gone on Ghost hunts at Halloween and made Valentines each February. She has given them birthday presents and Christmas presents. She has kept track of them at Lagoon (a local amusement park) and was even supposed to go to CA with us but for some reason her and her parents thought that Finals were more important....priorities! She has sung songs to them and read scriptures with them, she's prayed with them and kissed them good night in my place.

She has served me countless times too. She has helped with birthday parties and cleaned my house for Em's blessing day. I never worry that my house will be a mess when I come home from a date night. When I get home my house is always cleaner than I left it and if there's any mess still out she won't leave until it's clean (even when I try ordering her to stop cleaning). When I was pregnant she would do my dishes and sweep my floors while I was away. She reminds my children to speak more kindly, to choose the right and to say please and thank you. I could go on and on but mostly I just want to her to know how much she has meant to our family.  She isn't "the babysitter", she's one of us.

There are two reasons I am sharing all of this. Number one, today is Nikki's birthday. I cannot believe that she is 18 years old (makes me feel old...Although this does mean she can now legally stay overnight with the kids, which means, vacation here we come)! Yay us! The second reason is because she will be graduating from High School this May/June (with her diploma and her Associates degree with straight A's I'm sure cause she's cool like that) and leaving for college in the fall. It hurts just to type that. A member of our family will be gone. Sure, it will be a pain to find a new babysitter and we will never be able to find one as good as her, but more than that we will just miss her. We've tried to talk her into letting us finish our basement and having her move in but for some reason she wants the whole college experience...go figure!

So Nikki, I know how you LOVE to have everyone make a fuss about you and your birthday but....Happy 18th My Dear! Words cannot express our thanks for what you have been to our family. I know you don't actually leave us for another few months but I still want you to know how much we love you. I have to admit, I can't wait to leave the munchkins with you for a weekend, or a week, or if worse came to worse, a lifetime (hee hee hee...) but more than that thank you for being someone I trust them with. I've always said that if my kids turn out as good as you I'll consider myself a success and I mean that. You are an example to them and you are an example to me of kindness and  honesty and service. 
                                                                            
Thank you just isn't enough but.....thanks. We love you!


                                                 Love- M (&M&M&T&E)


P.S. Good luck in the marathon this weekend! You're my hero...crazy!....but my hero.


Matt added (in the comments section):Nikki is all that and more. She is the big sister Madison doesn't have, someone to look up to, to learn from, and to be loved by. I am so grateful for the wonderful, love filled, example that she is to our family. She makes all of us want to be better people. We love you Nikki, and hope you know how great you really are!

12 Years!

This past Sunday The Hubster and I celebrated 12 years of marriage! 12 years! Now I know in the whole scheme of things that's not much but in today's world of divorce that's the equivalent of like 20 years....kinda like dog years ya know? Anyway. Since our anniversary fell on a Sunday we didn't do much, but I have to tell you about the gifts I got prior to our actual day. About 3 weeks ago I was doing the dishes and I dropped my cell phone in the sink. Now honestly, I am not addicted to my cell like some, so I went without it for a good week or so before I finally told Matt to just pick up a new one for me while he was out. I told him I wanted a colored one but didn't care which kind. He came home with this:

I was shocked! He told me that it was an early anniversary present. Yay me! Of course, the day he brought it home I barely even got a chance to check it out in between him and the kids playing with it. I love that it's red (my favorite color), but my FAVORITE thing is that I can entertain The Pea with the toddler apps I have on it. Again...Yay me!

Then on Saturday I came home from running errands to find the most bea-utiful red roses waiting for me! Yeah, he's a keeper. He sends me flowers all the time! The best thing about it is he knows that I love all different kinds of flowers so sometimes it's tulips, sometimes it's roses, sometimes it's Gerber Daisies and one time a few years ago he even sent me flowers twice in one day! I know ladies....(as Reagan always says) don't be jeal!

I have to tell you, when I married him 12 years ago on a lovely spring day I had no idea how lucky I really was. He was fun and cute and made me laugh. Now that we have been through depression and pregnancies, bed rest and child birth, raising kids and job stress, car accidents and sick kids, etc, etc, etc...I can honestly say that he's "The One". Not in a twitterpated all hopped up on pre-wedding hormones kind of way, but in a "wow, he stuck by me through all of this and he still loves me" kind of way. And on top of all that--he still thinks I'm beautiful. Yep, he's a keeper....

I love you Sir! Thank you for all you do for me and our kids. You made a promise to me way back then that you would make me laugh everyday and you've kept that promise. Thank you for seeing past all of my craziness and faults and believing in the best in me. You are my best friend and my life is wonderful because of you. Here's to the next 12 year and counting! 
                                                                                                              Love- M

One of the good days...

FYI-Lest you should get confused...The pictures with this post have absolutely nothing to do with the post itself, other than the fact that they are of The Pea. I just thought they were cute!

Tuesday was one of the good days. You know the ones? The days where you feel the magic of being a mom. Where for just a little while the laundry and dishes don't matter and the feel of your baby in your arms and the sunshine on your face stops time for a little while.

Wanting to be outside with the big kids on the trampoline...

It was a beautiful day, the sun shining and birds chirping. I took Em outside for some fresh air and playtime. We wandered around the cul-de-sac while she discovered bugs and rocks, all the while jabbering in her little toddler voice. She found a baby "roly-poly" bug as it mozied across the sidewalk. She watched it until it crawled down the other side of the curb into the rock garden below while she pointed enthusiastically and jabbered in her own little language, seemingly asking it to come back. We waved and told the bug "bye-bye" and went on our way. Ten feet later, after saying "bugs" repeatedly she had to turn around and go back to squat down and point some more at the spot where our insect friend had been seen last.

At last we continued our walk and a moment later she stopped me rather urgently in front of the neighbor's lawn, handing me her egg shaped purple sidewalk chalk that had hitched a ride in her little fist, and I drew a heart and a kitty because those are the shapes that always make her smile. Eventually we found our way back to our driveway and she ran across the grass to our neighbors gate, thinking it was ours, and I knew she wanted to go jump on the trampoline. I opened the gate and before she could get to the trampoline she had to climb the steps of our RV and go inside. We sat for a little while in the cool interior and she explored the beds and seats that smelled of past family camping trips. Soon enough she was ready to go! We re-entered the bright sunshine and she pointed to the trampoline while running on her little legs. I hoisted her up and one of her trademark grins lit her face. We bounced and bounced and she laughed and squealed.

Then I layed back, and she climbed onto my stomach, laying her head on my chest. Soon, in her little binkie hindered toddler voice, she started to sing "Tink-o...tink-o...tink-o..." I joined her and we sang "Twinkle Star" and "Itsy-bitsy Spider" over and over. If the neighbors heard me they probably thought I was crazy, singing to myself. By this time she had quieted to just humming and then silence. In that moment, with my baby girl on my chest, both of us bouncing softly with the sun warming us, I wanted time to stop. I complain. I whine. I get tired of it all. But I do realize that this time is fleeting. My last baby is growing and I can't stop her. Too soon the moment was gone. She needed some lunch and a nap. The day moved on with chores, making dinner, bath time etc. But that one moment has stayed with me since then. I need to record it forever somewhere in my mind and heart and I need to create more moments like it on a daily basis.

One more thing. As I was making dinner The Princess said, "Look at the sky Mom!" This is what I saw:

I love that my girl loves beautiful things like sunsets as much as I do. 

          Loves!
       

American Girl Store....

So I know our CA vacation has long since passed but I did promise I would show pics of our trip to the American Girl Doll Store. I just finished the scrapbook pages yesterday so I thought I would post them for those who have little girls who might want to see pics of the store.It was so much fun to see Madison get to go somewhere that she had dreamed of for a while!

         Have a Happy Day!
                          

Stitches...**Warning:Contains kinda graphic wound pics**

       So we had a little drama around here the other night. I had this brilliant idea that Madison could take the dog in the shower with her so that they could both get clean together. While in there The Princess was kneeling down, rinsing the soap off the dog and she slipped and fell backwards. Her elbow came crashing down onto the drain. We laughed about it at first (her and I) not knowing there were any injuries sustained...then the pain (and blood and tears) hit. I took a look and my first thought was stitches. It wasn't very big, but it was kinda deep and wide open. I helped her get out and dry off then settled her on the bed and called The Hubster who was on his way home. He was close so I decided to wait. He took a look and we both hoped that some butterfly bandages might remedy the situation. He ran to the store, I dished out sympathy and an ice pack. Upon his return we set up shop in the kitchen and then took another look. Conclusion: The cut looked worse than at first and was right on the elbow. Yep. Right where it would stretch and twist every time Miss Madison so much as bent her arm. I looked at Matt, he looked at me and I broke the news to The Princess who promptly dissolved into a puddle of tears. You see, her last experience with stitches was not pleasant, albeit 6 yrs. ago, and the memories were coming back with a vengeance! That time she got 16 stitches inside and 12 outside and had to be put under conscious sedation up at Primary Children's. It was horrible!

Luckily this time the cut was much smaller....Anyway, by this time it was about 9:45pm and the InstaCare closes at 10:00 so I loaded my sobbing princess into the car and we made the trip in record time. When we got there they put some gel on the wound that was supposed to numb it while we waited (didn't work) and she worried herself almost to hyperventilation. I tried everything to calm her down, including downloading new games on my fancy new iPhone (more about that later), but she was so anxious there was no reasoning with her. By the time they called us back she was complaining that her stomach hurt and she felt light headed. The nurse that came in to see if she was numb was a bit strict with her trying to get her to calm down, which she didn't like, but it worked....for a minute. Upon realizing she was not numb, Nurse Grouchy left to get the Doc. (Dr. Valentine) who we've seen before and really liked. She came in and broke the news to The Princess that they would have to numb her with a few injections to the wound itself (OUCH!). Drama, drama, drama. However, after some sudden loud cries the injection was done and it was smooth sailing from there! The stitches themselves were a piece of cake! While the Dr. stitched we all tried to make up dramatic stories that Madison could tell her school friends about what happened. After her elbow was sufficiently sewn (four stitches in all) we thanked the good doctor and walked out into the night, with The Princess in a much more chipper mood. We breezed through the McDonald's drive-thru, having earned a couple of hot fudge sundaes with nuts (me for sanity maintained, her for no fainting spells and bravery in the end) then headed home to bed, both completely exhausted!
                                                      

Honestly, I just have to say that though I did maintain calm through the whole "ordeal" it really was hard to watch my poor girl go through all of that! I can't imagine how much those injections must have hurt and I am so proud of her for bouncing back so fast once the numbness descended. What a trooper!

Much less muchy...

I saw the new "Alice and Wonderland" last week. Have you seen it? There's a part where the Mad Hatter tells Alice that she is the right Alice, she's just not as much 'Alice' as she used to be. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asks. "Just that you are much less muchy than you used to be," he answers. In that moment, in that theater, that resonated with me. I frequently feel like I am much less muchy than the "real" Misty (although The Hubster might tell you I'm a bit too much sometimes!:). I feel like there are so many things I used to be and so many things I want to be and the person I am now is just not enough. Sometimes when I look in the mirror I don't really recognize the person I see and I wonder how I became this person. I used to feel pretty and smart and fun. I used to have energy and enthusiasm. I used to be more creative and more motivated to accomplish things. Sometimes I feel like a lost cause. I want to change so many things about me and the way I do things and I get so overwhelmed and discouraged and I do nothing. I get so frustrated that things don't get done around here but I can't find the energy or uninterrupted time to get anything done. I know as mothers we all feel discouraged at times doing the same chores and saying the same things over and over but I've reached a whole new level of discouragement lately. I don't want to do any of it--ever again! How do you overcome that discouragement and be productive?  Some days I feel like if I have to do one more load of laundry, or one more batch of dishes, or read the same lift-the-flap book for the 10th time again, I am going to have a nervous breakdown!


I don't know if you noticed but The Pirate and The Pea are about 6 years apart. No The Pea was not an accident, and I've actually quite enjoyed the gap. The other two are such huge helpers with Em that it's made things so much easier this time around. The problem is I forgot how frustrating it is to get anything done or made or cleaned with a toddler around. For years I counted down the days until Thomas started school so that a) I didn't have to play Play-Doh anymore and b) I could get something done in a timely, efficient manner. I know I probably sound like a terrible mother but this is how I feel. It is so frustrating to clean up one mess while The Pea unloads a cupboard across the room ya know? There are so many projects I would like to get done but every time I try she "helps" and it's just more trouble than it's worth. I am a creative person by nature and I miss having the time/energy/freedom to do anything. So lately I find myself completely discouraged and unmotivated and I just don't get anything but the bare minimum done...it's sucking the life out of me! Every night I lay in bed and think of all the things I would like to change about me and how our household runs and how I spend my time with my kids and how I eat and how often I (don't) exercise and blah blah blah....and the next morning it's all the same. I used to have dreams too. I dreamed of owning my own photography, or wedding planning or gift basket business. I was a Home Stager for about a year. It was so fun! People listened to what I had to say and I used my talents in interior decorating and I got paid to shop! The people who bought one of the houses I had decorated liked it so much they actually paid for everything I had put in the house just so they could keep it the way it was! I know that motherhood and homemaking is so much more important than decorating homes but it sure felt good to know that what I had done was appreciated, admired, worth paying for, and stayed done for an extended period of time....and that I was actually doing something I loved.

I know I'm rambling and I probably sound whiny too. I don't mean to. I know how blessed I am to get to stay home each day to manage our home and raise my kids. I just frequently feel like I am in a position that I am extremely under-qualified for and am hopelessly screwing up! *dramatic sigh* Anyway, now that you have been thoroughly uplifted by todays post I will wrap things up with a promise to The Hubster that I will be here when he gets home tonight, and I will not beat the children in his absence, and I will not be curled up in a fetal position in the corner sucking my thumb and twitching when he gets here.


That's all I have to say about that!

For your viewing pleasure...

Madison and Thomas made
a little video to make you smile today!

(It's a little dark...sorry! Don't forget to pause the music on the left before clicking play on the video.)

P.S. Mason got his new heart!!!! In Sept. his family was told there was no hope, that a transplant would not be an option, and they would have a few months left with him. Go read about the miraculous journey that took him from that day....to Stanford....to a heart transplant on Easter. 

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

My first born turns 10 today. Where has the time gone? Since the sunny spring day she entered this world she has changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. 

She has always been beautiful but more importantly she has taught me to be kinder, to be more patient, to love more, to see the world with more enthusiasm and more wonder. She is the kindest person I know. She is a sensitive sweetheart who always considers others' feelings. 

She is so much fun to be with and she is funny too! Her teachers tell me how much they love it when they are sarcastic or make a joke and none of the other kids in the class laugh, but Madison gets it. 

I have to admit, The Hubster and I have fairly sarcastic senses of humor and I love knowing that The Princess hasn't fallen far from the tree. 

I love you sweet girl. I hope you have a fabulous birthday today. You are so smart and funny and beautiful and talented and I couldn't be more proud of you! You are a wonderful sister and daughter. Thank you for being such a good girl, for always trying to do what's right and thank you for being one of my best friends. Happy Birthday!    


Love, Mom

Betty Crocker I ain't!

 
I hate HATE cooking. I really enjoy baking, maybe because there is a delectable sweet treat at the end (my rear end really enjoys it too!), but cooking....UGH! Frequently, what I make just doesn't turn out very good. I also don't have the patience for it so I tend to cook it too hot to speed it up and I burn it, or I burn it because I have a toddler hanging on my leg while I am cooking it and I get distracted. Sometimes, when the smoke alarm goes off while Matt is testing it or something, the kids will holler from somewhere else in the house, "Mom! Are you cooking something?" Yeah. Anyway, I would much rather go out every night and let some restaurant chef cook for me, then clean up for me too! I know I sound lazy, maybe I am, but cooking is one aspect of homemaking that I could definitely live without. I've tried to change it, to think of it differently. So here's where you all come in. What do you do when it comes to cooking each day? Do you have a system? A schedule? Do you have chaos and meltdowns while you're cooking(either from you or around you) or do you have a secret I don't know about? Now all you lurkers better comment because I really need some help here (at this point, about an hour before dinner rolls around, I'm hatin' life)....and we're spending way too much on restaurants (although in my defense Cafe Rio tastes WAY better than anything I cook!).

Your Sister in Homemaking,
                           

P.S. While we're on the subject of cookin'... check out my friend Ashlee's new cooking blog. It's way cute and she has some darn good recipes on there!