Seven

My blogger friend, Shelly, made a list of her favorite "Sevens" a while back... now that I'm back from Amish country I am going to do one: *These are not in order by any means*


My 7 favorite actors/actresses~

1. Meg Ryan
2. Kate Hudson
3. Emma Watson
4. Julia Roberts
5. Robin Williams
6. Katherine Heigl
7. Dakota Fanning

My 7 Favorite Movies ~

1. A Christmas Story
2. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (original)
4. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
5. Patch Adams/ Mrs. Doubtfire
6. 101 Dalmatians
7. You've Got Mail

My 7 Favorite TV Shows ~

1. Two and a Half Men
2. What Not to Wear
3. American Idol
4. So You Think You Can Dance
5. Everyday Italian
6. Property Virgins
7. My First Place

My 7 Favorite Musicians ~

1. U2
2. Coldplay
3. Rihanna
4. Carrie Underwood
5. Josh Groban
6. Kenny G
7. Nickelback

My 7 Favorite Things to Read ~

1. The Bible
2. Maeve Binchy
3. Harry Potter
4. Magazines
5. Shel Silverstein
6. Devotion Books
7. Any Children's Books
8. Gary Thomas *Sacred Parenting* *Sacred Marriage* *The Beautiful Fight*
I HIGHLY recommend him if you're looking to strengthen your walk with God! It is my goal this year to get through all 3 of these books, I've already started!

My 7 Favorite Places to Shop ~

1. Children's Place
2. Gymboree
3. JCPenney
4. Old Navy
5. Barnes and Noble
6. Target
7. Christmas Tree Hill

My 7 Favorite Flowers ~

1. Tulips
2. Lily of the Valley
3. Roses
4. Alstra Maria
5. Daisies
6. Hyacinths
7. Hydrangeas

My 7 Favorite Indulgences ~

1. Ho Ho Mint Mocha/Peppermint Mocha/ White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha
2. Sleeping In
3. Truffles
4. Yankee Candles
5. Time with my two loves
6. My Gram's Sugar Cookies
7. My Gram's Nut Roll (yummy stuff, I tell ya)

My 7 Goals for the Future ~ (a whole post will be devoted to this New Years Day)

1. Have a better relationship with God
2. Do devotions every.single.day
3. Get healthy the right way
4. Get finances straight, and stop being stupid
5. Be a better wife
6. Be a better mother
7. Keep the house completely clean at all times

Home and Prayers

Well, we are home.. finally! A week away seemed like a year. We were definitely ready to get back to our house, and our beds! Even our munchkin asked for "my bed"! I have a TON of pictures to post of this Christmas... and they are super cute. It was so much more fun this year with our punkins being almost 2 instead of 10 months... a lot more action! I also have some funny stories about a *sneaky* toddler! Those will all come throughout the week!


Please pray for Stellan! Remember, the baby who wasn't supposed to make it out of his mom's womb? Well, the miracle baby is needing more prayer! He is having trouble breathing, and his heart rate is up... head over to MckMama's blog (click on the picture of her and her kiddos on my sidebar).


I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Any fun plans for New Years? Our fun plans consist of being in bed by 10 :o) and I'm NOT complaining!

Merry CHRISTmas

We are leaving at 6:30am tomorrow for my ortho. appt. (I can't wait to get these braces off!), then we'll be on the road to our Northern home (Lancaster County, PA)

I pray that you all have a very Merry Christmas. Enjoy your families, the food, the memories, but remember deep in your heart and soul the real reason for this most wonderful time of the year!!

Loves! <3

HELP US!!!

Are any of you, my blog readers, a big tech junkie? If so, can you please help us?? Even if you've never commented before can YOU PLEASE HELP US? Someone keeps hacking on to our computer, and uploading porn! It's always lovely getting on the computer, and seeing some disgusting picture... So if you can give any advice, please help me!

10 Things ~ Letter "S"

My blogger friend, Becky, had a "Top Ten" using a letter of the alphabet. She assigned me "S", so here is my top 10

10. Sleeping ~ everyone has to love sleep... c'mon... sometimes it's the best part of the day!

9. Sparkling lights shining through my Spun glass ornaments ~ my favorite part of our Christmas tree!

8. Socks ~ I love me a good pair of funky socks!! I have ones for a lot of the holidays (Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Valentine's Day, etc)

7. Sugar cookies ~ my Gram's sugar cookies are the best in the world, and she sends me some every Christmas... they're amazing!

6. Singing ~ I love to sing with my girl, and have her repeat the words back to me.. she's starting to learn a lot of the songs, and it's fun to listen to her own rendition!

5. Starbucks ~ I am a huge coffee fanatic... I especially love their Peppermint Mocha in the winter.. I could seriously have one of those things every day

4. Stained Glass~ If you have read my blog at all, you know what a huge fan I am of glass... one of my favorites is stained glass, and watching the light shine through it ~ it's absolutely STUNNING

3. Snuggling ~ with my husband, daughter, and doggy.. there is no better place to be than sitting nice and close to one of those three, and feeling the love radiating out of them!

2. Sins being forgiven ~ it amazes me that God loved me so much that He sent His only son to die on the cross for me.... His love is so incredible, and I don't deserve any of it...

1. Savior ~ without Him, nothing in my life would be here... I wouldn't be here.. I am so eternally grateful for my life, for my family, and everything that my great God has blessed me with here on Earth, and I am even more grateful for my home that He has waiting for me with Him in heaven!

So... if you wanna join in, either ask me for a letter or click on Becky's name above, and she'll give you one! It's kinda tricky, but fun!! :o)

Trying to Love

I am trying to be a good Christian, really I am trying! Christ instructs us to love everybody, just as He loves everybody. My only problem is that I am totally 100% completely HUMAN! I try to get along with everyone, and find at least some good in each person I come across. I try to remember what My Father instructs me to do, but sometimes it's just so hard. Obviously this is leading to something, so I'll just get on with it... one of the women I work with drives me nuts. It's so hard having to be around her every single day. It is always so nice when she has lunch duty, and we don't have to listen to her. She's so self centered it's ridiculous. Everything has to be about her, or her son, or anything that comes close to encompassing her life. If someone asks you a question about yourself or your child, you can't even get a complete sentence out without her blurting out, "Well, I did...", or ,"My son does..." A conversation can never be about anyone else's life because she constantly.butts.in.and.talks.about.herself! I'm not the only one that is totally bothered by this, either. Whenever she does something, she wants huge recoginiton for it, even if someone else has already done the same thing. She also won't hesitate to make you look bad so she'll look great (even when it comes down to giving false information about someone, and not finding out the truth before she opens her mouth). She is recently divorced, and has lost a lot of weight. Yes, she looks great, but that doesn't give her the excuse or permission to hang all over our married vice principal (even at school functions like the PTA Holiday Concert). She also didn't hesitate let people know that she may be pregnant, but didn't know which one of 4 guys would be the father; YET she is seen in the community as a Godly, loving, empathetic, sweet person. I don't know how many times I've heard what a wonderful person she is, and I only want to mutter back, "you should try working with her, and your point of view will do a 360 degree change".

My husband and I went out to dinner tonight. After going to this "girls" house last night before my faculty Christmas Social, can you guess who was the main topic of our conversation? I am trying so hard to have a positive attitude toward her, but there are times when it gets so hard because of the things she does. It offends me when someone asks ME how MY daughter is doing, and I can't even get "She's doing well, she has been..." out until I'm cut off so she can tell everyone yet another thing about her child.


Please pray that God will help my attitude, and that He will put in my heart to be a more loving example. Please pray that His presence will fill my heart and mind, and that I will not be so negative about this person. I know she's not going to change, so I am the one that needs the attitude adjustment in order to be more like Christ, whom I try and want to emulate!

Christmas Teacher

Since Christmas is right around the corner (hard to believe it's a week away!), my students are starting to bring in a plether of gifts for me. I love it when they come in, carrying the brightly colored bag, with a glorious, shining expression on their faces. It's so cute because they can't wait to give me the gift, and watch my face as I open their present. Over the last 5 years, I have received some pretty interesting presents, and I have also received some really awesome presents. I teach in a very poor area of Virginia, so a lot of the presents are hand-me-downs. I don't care because it's the thought that counts, but I get a kick out of some of them. Here are my top "interesting" and "favorite" presents:


Interesting~
* A Christmas teddy bear that had dead bugs throughout it; like implanted in to the fur!
* Cookies with cat fur hanging off of the plate and in throughout the cookies (and, yes, she asked me to eat one as soon as she handed the plate to me)
* A Christmas mug that was chipped, and obviously used numerous times

Favorite~
* Barnes and Noble gift card ~ that rocked
* Candle with stained glass shade (the first two were from the same kid... he got an A for the semester, for sure! JUST KIDDING)
* Snow globe ornaments
* A tin of "International Delights" powdered coffee mix because he knew I loved the stuff, and drank it daily (sweet and very thoughtful)
* Rubber duckies for my baby girl
* Truffles


All Time Favorite
* A note thanking me for being an awesome teacher, for loving him "as my own child", for "being like a mom" to him, and for "touching his heart and soul" That made me bawl, for sure!


I've already been told that I'll be getting more things tomorrow. One of my little boys knows that I am crazy about glass stuff, so his mom found a glass fish and spun glass angel for me.

It's so cute to see what they bring in, and how excited they are to be giving me something that they chose. I give each of them a huge hug, and a big thank you because I appreciate their effort to think of me.

I Bombed!! :o(

Have you ever thought you said something really amazing and encouraging to someone, then thought back on what you said, and in reality it was totally horrific? Well, that is exactly what I did this morning. After reading the plight the Freeman family is going through concerning their precious baby Kayleigh, (Click the words, she really needs prayer) I was an emotional wreck. Hence, instead of leaving an uplifting message letting them know that their precious baby girl is still fighting, and is still being taken care of by the Master Healer, I go and give her a death sentence!

"As I sit here and read this, my heart breaks for you. I have prayed for your family starting the second I read about Kayleigh's story, and have never stopped since. I'm sorry that you have to go through this. No parent should ever have to go through this. But, it's God's plan. And His plan is the best plan there is. And, wheI hope you find peace in knowing that you will be reunited with your sweet girl again in Heaven. And when you see her, she will have a healthy heart, and won't have to suffer through everything her poor little body has been through the last 5 months. You are being uplifted in my prayers so much, and I pray that you will continually feel God's amazing presence with you during this time. I wish that I could hug you, cry with you, be there for you, and tell baby Kayleigh what a precious angel she is to everyone. Please just know that you have touched so many people's lives. It has been an honor praying for your baby girl, and getting to see the pictures of her beautiful little face. Your baby girl has shown what a true fighter is, and has inspired so many. May God's peace be with you.


For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11


Kayleigh's future is holding hands with the most amazing being ever. That in itsself is amazing!"



How insanely disgusting is that? I could have told them other, more important, comforting things, and I acted as if their daughter was taking her last breath! I am so disgusted with myself. I hate it that I let my emotion get the best of me, and when I read that "Kayleigh's body is starting to slowly shut down", it was automatic death for her. NO! It is NOT automatic death. God is the one who chooses that, not the doctors, and nobody here on Earth! Why couldn't I have said something to that effect? I wouldn't want someone to act as if my daughter was already gone. I would want someone to tell me that she still has a chance, and to trust in God for Him to heal her, and give her that chance.

I blew it... like majorly blew it, and I feel horrible!

Five Dollar

Yes, this is a hand. My child's response every single time she sees a hand of any kind that has all 5 fingers showing would be "Five doddar (dollar)"... meaning Subway's "Five dollar foot long"... which would also be her favorite commercial to sing to, dance to, and basically get her groove on to while listening to it on the TV! We've shown her a myriad of hands and "Five doddar" is her response every.single.time! AHHHH

So, Where Do You Shop? I Shop at the Mall in the Lost and Found Bin

One of my boys cracked me up today, and I have to share. First, an explanation of the kiddo is needed. You know the guy on the show "Lost".... the really big, insanely-afro-hair-looking, white dude? Yeah, well, I have a kid like that in my room. He looks exactly the same as that dude, just he's biracial. He fits the name of the show in which he looks like he comes from, too. "Lost" is the perfect word to describe him.

So, this morning, he comes in proudly clutching a Superman lunchbox with all of his goodies neatly tucked inside thrown in every which way. He was proud as a peacock to be carrying that lunchbox. After he sits down, unpacks, and gets ready for the day, he comes up to show me his new digs... "Look, I have a Superman lunchbox!" "Oh, cool, where did you get that from?" "Well, I saw it in the "Lost and found" in the cafeteria, and picked it up since I needed my lunchbox". Thinking that it was HIS lunchbox, I told him I was glad he found it, and told him to go work on his morning work. He went on his merry way, and I thought that was the end of the whole "lost and found" business.

Fast forward to lunch..... I had lunch duty today, so I was sitting in the cafeteria the whole time. The same kiddo came up to me 5 minutes after lunch started, his soup all over his face, shirt, pants, and shoes (no kidding), and asked me if he can go somewhere. I asked where he needed to go, and he told me to the lost and found box. I told him that he needed to go sit and finish his lunch, then wipe off his entire being so he wasn't drenched in vegetable soup. He went and sat down, and I saw him up like 5 minutes later... can you guess where he was?? Nope, it wouldn't be the LOST AND FOUND BOX. Then, I decided to stroll over and see what he was up to, and tell him to sit back down. He looks at me excitedly and goes "Oh, man, look I have 4 hats... one for me, my mom, my grandma, and my sister". I asked him how he had lost all of those hats at school, and he looked at me kinda stunned. I proceeded to ask if those were his original hats that he had lost throughout the year so far. His reply "Ummmm, well, no". So I ask why he has them. I get "Well, because they are in the lost and found, and when you lose something, people put the lost stuff in the box so other people can go and found it". I politely explained to him that the lost and found wasn't meant to be a shopping spree. It is for items that students have lost to be placed so they can go look there, and try to find items that they have lost. He looked at me sort of perplexed, and didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to use the lost and found as a mall type of deal, but I told him that unless something started out as being his, he had lost it, and it was in the box, he wasn't allowed to take anything out of the box. He tried his next trick, and asked if it would be ok to go and get a hat if "on days like this, and it's raining, and your mother forgets to give you a hat and your hair is all wet and poofy, can you go to the lost and found and found a hat?" I told him no, once again, and thought it was over. Being a pretty sentimental kid, he looked kinda depressed, and then his final reply was "But, that doesn't make me a feef (thief) does it?"

My Girl <3

I decided that all of my blogger friends need to see how cute my girl was from the beginning much my girl has grown in the past 2 years.



This first picture was taken a day after she was born. She was born 2/27/07.

This picture was from her first Christmas. She was 10 months old... she was still unsteady sitting up on her own!!























Now, she's 21 months old. I can't believe she's almost
2 years old. I also can't believe how insanely much she has
changed!! She's such a great kid. Just looking at the smile
on her little face shows you what a vibrant personality
she has, and what a sweet girl she has grown to become.
She's so so so much fun!!
































Mommy loves you, baby girl. I thank God every single day
for blessing me, and allowing me to be your mommy. You are
the light of my life, and I couldn't imagine what life would
be like without you. You are such a sweet, loving, amazing, beautiful
girl. Mommy and daddy are so fortunate to have you, little one!!

We love you! <3

PLEASE PRAY!!

Dear Friends,

I am asking you to, please, get down on your knees, and pray your heart out for the Freeman family! You can link to their blog on my "Pray for Kayleigh" button on my sidebar. Kayleigh is a 5 month old preemie, and she is in desperate, desperate need of prayer. She has already had heart surgery, and is suffering from hypertension. Her hypertension is causing her pressures to become "fixed", and that is NOT a good situation. This little girl has the chance of not making it, which is insanely scary and incredibly sad. Please pray for her parents, Adam and Aimee. I can't even imagine having to watch my daughter go through this, and there was nothing that I could do to help her. Their recent blog is heart wrenching. Please also visit their blog, (CLICK HERE) and let them know that you're praying for them. They need this now more than ever!! Please, please, take a second (or a lot of seconds) out of your day to send a prayer up to God for baby Kayleigh!

Ornaments

I don't know if I have told all of blogdom about my obsession with ornaments or not, but you're about ready to be told! Ever since I was born, my parents and paternal grandparents have gotten me a Christmas ornament each year. I basically have a ton of them, and was able to decorate my own Christmas tree when I moved out and got married. I cherish this collection. It's one of my absolute favorite things I own. My mom and dad still get my brother and me an ornament every year. This year, mine was a set of spun glass (my favorite favorite type of ornament) icicles with Mickey Mouse's head at the top. They went to Disney World the week before Thanksgiving, so that was one of my presents. We've even started the tradition with our little angel. She's not even 2 years old yet, and has 4 ornaments of her own already. I look forward to the surprise of what kind of ornament my mom has picked out for me each year.

Well, my husband knows I love ornaments, especially glass ones. There is a glass studio 2 hours north of us in Staunton, Virginia. They have a cool thing where you can come and blow your own glass ornament. These two pictures (there are more, which you'll see) are of MY ornament that I BLEW (not to sound disgusting or anything, but there really isn't any other way to put it)!! I got to choose the colors, so I chose multi-colored OF COURSE. Then, I got to watch him take my glob of scorching hot glass, put it back in the fire and rotate it to shape it in to a ball, he blew in to it a little bit, dipped it in to the multi-colored glass bits to make my colorful ornament, then I got to blow a steady, low pressure flow of air in to the ornament while he shaped it. These two pictures are of the guy putting an extra glob of glass on top to make the hole for where the hook goes. I think this is going to become a tradition because I loved it.


I also found a local potter in town (pottery is another one of my obsessions), and I got a new awesome purple and tan pottery coffee mug yesterday. He's also going to make me a set of stoneware dishes; which is something I've longed to have for a very long time. All in all, yesterday was an amazing day. Crazy, but totally amazing!

Only My Child Husband

We were all having fun playing with different toys tonight. Reading books, watching Noggin and playing/singing along, blocks, and Play-Doh were some of the activities going on in our house. After we got everything cleaned up, and it was time for the kiddo to get her bath, I looked over to ask my husband a question. Fortunately, I looked over before I spoke because I caught him doing something that made me about wet my pants. My husband, yes the grown, 30-year-old-man child that resides in my home, was using the purple Play-Doh to make an imprint of his nipple. Yes, folks, unforunately, you read that 100% correctly. He then went on to make imprints of his ear, nose, and belly button. After that, he was advised to stop while he was ahead, and before he got anymore ideas! So, there you have it ~ an evening at my house.... never a dull moment!


P.S. As soon as I cracked up, his first comment was, "You BETTER NOT put this on your blog". YEAH RIGHT, DUDE!

Not Me! Monday :o)

It's been a while since I've done one of these!!

* I absolutely did not leave a bag of cucumbers out in my classroom since before we left for Thanksgiving.... and I didn't walk in my room this morning, and about keel over dead because of the stench!

* I didn't find every excuse possible to not clean the house this weekend because I had a cold/fluish sort of thing going on, and I just felt like laying around and being lazy.

* After taking medicine for the aforementioned cold (Vicks 44D PM), and having the meds knock me out~ I didn't pretend that I didn't hear our daughter screaming her lungs out in the middle of the night last night because I couldn't drag myself out of bed. My hubster was feeling fine, and I didn't think that he could take care of her all alone.

* Once I finished making peanut butter rice krispie treats, I didn't oblige my adorable little munchkin everytime she went to the counter and asked for "butter, pease" because she LOVED them. I wouldn't let my child eat that kind of stuff. (Really she doesn't get that much sugar, and when she does, she goes hogwild).

* I wasn't a mean wife, and I didn't laugh in my husband's face when his mother told him that his brother was back with his pathetic, psycho, looney ex-girlfriend. I also didn't rub it in to my husband's face that this is going to be his sister in law (I'm not claiming her), and that he'll get to deal with her every time we're at their house. (I also didn't totally go off on said lunatic the Christmas that I was pregnant because I wasn't about to pop, my patience weren't a millimeter thick, and she didn't get on my nerves). I totally wouldn't have told my husband that the second she gets on my nerves (now that she's basically in the family for good because this is like the 10th time they've broken up, and neither of them can find anyone else... sorry but it's true) this Christmas, I am going off on her. She sits there and says inappropriate stuff, and asks him every other second "do you still love me?" Can you TELL WHY SHE DRIVES ME NUTS??? Sorry.... rampaging a little!

* In the last 2 weeks I haven't had a Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks twice, and a Hoho Mint Mocha from Caribou! I wasn't in heaven at all while enjoying my pepperminty, holiday goodness!!!

* I haven't slacked off in putting up my Christmas tree. It wasn't supposed to be up Saturday, and it's not still sitting in our shed!

* I was not exhausted today, and did not keep mixing up my words while teaching. One of my little boys, who knows way too much for his age, didn't look at me and ask, "Have you had too much to drink already today?". Because, you know, I'm always on top of my game, and I always know what I'm doing and saying because I'm cool like that :o)

Head on over to MckMama's blog, and see what other people didn't do this week!

Christmas Princess

Well, here you have it ~ my little chica's outfit for Christmas!! My mom got the dress (orginally $65.00) for a KILLER deal at Boscovs (a PA department store). It also comes with a headband, which is perfect! And we had fun finding sparkly Dorothy shoes to go along with it. Now all we need is a white sweater so her little arms don't get cold.

You will definitely be seeing pictures of her sporting this attire the weekend after we get back from Pennsylvania. I can't wait until she wears it! I love love love having a girl because I can gussy her up, and make her all cute. It doesn't add to her Mommy's fun that she's a total girly girl at the age of 21 months, either! I know this means we're in trouble when she's 13, but for now, I love it when she asks me to paint her nails or put pretties in her hair.

Hello, I'm Rudolph Brianne, Nice to Meet You!

<------------ I'm officially his twin :o( I wish this cold would go away. Plus, my girl caught it from me, and she's miserable, too!!

Lovely Sight

While I was driving to get the girl that I work with today (yes, I had to work on a Sunday ~ and had to be an hour away at 9am..bleh), I saw something similar to this picture. I didn't have my camera, so this will have to suffice. But, I did enjoy seeing *SNOW* on the ground, and thought it was cute seeing all of the cows standing around in it. I haven't seen snow on the ground in maybe 3 years! It was definitely exciting... I could use a little more of that!

I'm Ready for the New Year!

I'm ready for January 1st to arrive. I have already sat down and made 4 lists of goals for myself and my family. I have my personal goal list, a goal list concerning my Christian life, a list about the things that need to be done and maintained around our house, and a financial goal list. I've shared all of them with my boy, and we're both really excited to try and accomplish all of these goals throughout the new year. We both think all of the goals are attainable with a lot of hard work and dedication, which feels good not starting out feeling defeated. Do you make goals for each new year? I think it's kinda fun. So, January, I'm ready for you, and 2009, I'm gonna kick YOUR butt instead of you kicking mine :o)

New Rendition

Here's a new song (to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree")


Oh kidney stones
Oh kidney stones
Why dost thou ail my husband?

Oh kidney stones
Oh kidney stones
Why dost thou ail my husband?

All the pain you put him through
Doctors visits and the ER, too

Oh kidney stones
Oh kidney stones
Why dost though ail my husband?

We patiently have deal with him
His attitude really makes us grim

Oh kidney stones
Oh kidney stones
WHY DOST THOU AIL MY HUSBAND? :o(

Not Me! Monday ~>

It's that time again... already?? Now you get to find out all of the things I absolutely did not do this week (picture version)!



* I did not cut 2 inches off of hair off of my own head today at school while my children were watching Cinderella! Because school is NOT a beauty shop, and it's inappropriate to cut your hair while at work.

* I definitely did not spend an hour dressing, fighting, cajoling, sweet talking, pleading, and bribing my 21 month old to get her picture taken for our Christmas cards. She didn't decide to smash two of the ornaments together and shatter one of them. A 21 month old wouldn't have glass ornaments anway, because her college educated mother would know better than to give her one ~ even if it did add holiday spirit and cuteness to the picture!

* I will so totally not be scarfing down one of these meals on Sunday!

* Or any of this on Thursday

* This wouldn't go with the picture right above it... with a Jack Daniels honey glaze....

* I'm also not enjoying this Wednesday night after we arrive at my parent's house. Because I'm on a diet, and I am strictly watching what I eat... even during this holiday season.

* My MIL didn't purchase me a one pound box of Gertrude Hawk assorted truffles for part of my present, either!

* The ladies I work with and I didn't have a conversation today about how we couldn't wait to stand out on the bus landing tomorrow, and wave at the yellow stretch taxis that whisk the children off to their own little places for 5 whole days. Because none of us need a break! And none of us (in MckMama's words) have gone freakin postal on these little lovelies that refuse to listen!

* I wasn't mean, rude, and disrespectful by telling my husband that I don't want to have to eat at his parent's house this coming Saturday. I didn't complain that his mother's turkey is always dry, and her stuffing is gross. The sad thing is... my husband totally didn't agree with me!! :o) Because eating scrumptous food isn't something I look forward to on the holidays, and thinking about eating things that are gross to me doesn't put me in a semi-grumpy mood.

Well, that's it!! Head on over to MckMama's blog, and read some more fun stories of what people didn't do this week.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, too! I won't be posting again until at least next Monday. I hope your Thanksgiving is awesome, tasty, wonderful, full of great memories, safe, and full of thankfullness to our great God for our many blessings!

New Digs for the Kid

So I entered a contest at Step Into the Sun to win my munchkin a new Christmas tree shirt and hair bow (both hand made, and totally adorable!). She would totally LOVE them because she is such a girly girl (yes already at 1 1/2), and loves having pitties (bows) in her hair. She asks me to put them in her head every day. Just look at that face.. how cute would she be in that shirt with matching bow? She'd be pretty spiffy, I think :o)

I Challenge You

Wanna know how to help someone? Wanna feel totally grateful for all of the wonderful things God has given you and blessed you with? Wanna show God how thankful and appreciative you are for all of His blessings?? Click the button below, and go help.





I am donating money to try and help. I am so thankful for all of the blessings God has richly bestowed upon me and my family. This is the least I can do!

MckMama Contest

So, if you've got any clue here in blogdom, you know who this insanely cute child is in the picture. This is MckMama's daughter (the only girl out of 4 kids, may I add), Small Fry. Isn't she insanely cute? It looks like she's had her jaw dropped from finding out her Mama has announced that she's pregnant yet again.

Anywho.. I am entering this contest and here are my reasons why

1) I would love a blog header (I'm assuming Jennisa is doing it, and her stuff is amazing) with my cute kid's picture on it, but I can't afford one, so why not try to win one.

2) Cool tools for photography can never hurt anyone's collection

3) I NEVER WIN any of the contests anyone has online ~ MckMama, Lisa Leonard, 5 Minutes for Mom... NEVER. So I'm desperately trying again. At some point I will end up giving up on everything completely, but not yet!

4) I like using the excuse of doing this contest to have the honor of posting this beautiful child's face on my blog.

So, if you're a slacker like me, head on over to MckMama's blog, and get the rules because who knows when she's going to say time's up.

Even if you don't want to enter the contest, just take a bit of your time to read about her amazing family, and see how the Hand of God has miraculously touched their newborn, Stellan. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll smile, and your heart will be thoroughly warmed by this mother of 4 insanely adorable LITTLE children (her MSC, as she likes to call them ~ Many Small Children). Their story is great!

Today's Lesson (AKA Attention Ladies Who Want to Know About Calories)

Who said that a 21 month old can't teach us a good lesson about dieting and calories? My 21 month old has made me see the light, and now I'm going to share the lesson she taught me today to all of you! (You can thank me later). My husband is one of the Odyssey of the Mind coaches for the middle school (it's a competition team, they receive a problem, only the kids can solve it, they have a budget, they have a certain amount of time to solve it in... and so on). Since he's a nice coach, he spends our money, and buys the kids a snack (7 cans of Pringles, a couple boxes of popcorn, and 4 cases of soda later... I'm broke, but that's another post). And, since he spends so much money on snacks for his team, we don't have money to drive back and forth from school to the house then the house back to school to pick him up, so the kiddo and I just stay there with him (not really cuz of the snacks, I'm just cheap). After picking up my lovely little punkin, we went in to the room with all of the crazy children. (I do promise, this IS going somewhere... so stick with me). All of the crazy children were eating Pringles and drinking soda (of course), so the kiddo decides she wants a "cacker" (Pringle). I hand her one, and she scarfs it down (it was tasty because that is the first chip she's ever had). She asks politely for another one, and I oblige. But, this is where my child taught me a valuable lesson in dieting and calorie intake. She held the Pringle in her hand, and was walking around conversing with all of the students, and trying to take a ball away from them while holding a Pringle AND a Nunny (her bunny blanket) in her hands. So.... a few minutes later, she comes back and hands me the Pringle with just a few nibbles out of it, and I thought... oh that's wonderful, she doesn't like them! However, the Pringle was all wet and partially mushy. My genius child licked all of the yummy flavoring off of the chip, but didn't eat the actual chip. Do you know how many calories a day you can save yourself if you just lick your food instead of actually eat it? What a novel idea. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to lick my cereal, lick my pizza (weight watchers, of course), and lick my pork chop and baked potato. I still get all of the flavor, and just a portion of the calories! Now, aren't you glad that I enlightened you? :o)

Prayer Warriors ~ UNITE!!

Baby Kayleigh is in desperate need of prayers!! She has had a really rough time the last two days, and has been moved back to the NICU. She's having a very difficult time breathing, which could be the result of a few different things. PLEASE PRAY FOR HER AND HER FAMILY! Also, please visit their blog (you can click on the button on my sidebar, and it'll take you directly to her blog), and let her parents know that you're praying for them. They need to know that they have people from all over the world uniting together to pray for their precious girl... especially now! Thanks for your help! Now, get off of blogger and go storm Heaven with prayers for Kayleigh! :o) (Thanks)

Not Me! Monday :o)

Yay!! It's that time of the week again! Here is what I didn't do this week ~

* I so totally did not freak out loudly when the Steelers won yesterday. I didn't freak out louder and didn't yell at the TV when they took the last touchdown away.

* I didn't take my girl outside, and cover her in leaves just to get a few really cute pictures. My little girl also didn't have a major allergy attack after being covered in said leaves; and Mommy didn't feel bad at all.

* I didn't laugh uncontrollably when, in the middle of a lesson, one of my students ripped a loud, smelly fart. Because I am an adult, and farts aren't funny.... especially not when you're in the middle of a story, the room is completely quiet except for one child reading, and the kid's eyes get the size of quarters. It wasn't a funny situation at all.

* I am not purchasing red, sparkly shoes for my kiddo for her Christmas dress. And, I'm not the least bit excited about it.

* Being invited to an Advent dinner at my parent's church the Sunday after Thanksgiving hasn't gotten me all giddy with excitement. It's just a dinner, after all, and it's nothing to be excited about.

* While picking our munchkin up from the babysitter on Friday, I totally didn't miss the last step and make a hard, crash landing on the cement. I also didn't sprawl out for the rest of the parents to see. It was a totally graceful thing, I swear it was. As you can tell, I'm not clutzy.

* My child's mouth didn't get stuffed full of "dold shish" yesterday in church so she would sit down, and shut up. She wasn't yelling loudly in the sanctuary "Yook, Mama, yights... pitty yights". She also didn't see a baby in front of us and demand to hold the "baby doll" because he was "cuke". When she was told she couldn't have the baby, she totally didn't scream out loud, and the congregation of about 100 didn't stare directly.at.us. for about 2 minutes. I also definitely didn't deserve this horrifying experience because I don't make my child sit in church so everyone can see my cute kid. It doesn't fill me with pride when people compliment us on how adorable and smart she is.

* I'm not excited that we have exactly 1 week from tomorrow with children, then get a 5 day break. I haven't been counting down the days since October.

*I wasn't a bad wife, and pretended to be doing something was working really hard on something while my husband dealt with a screaming, tired child. I hadn't had enough of her tantrums, and didn't decide that it was his turn since he doesn't deal with them very often and it was high time he had a turn because I had something important to do.

I think I've confessed enough about all of the stuff I didn't do the last week. Head on over to MckMama's Blog to see more great posts!!

Cute Kid Vid

The Steelers finally won a game, which means everyone has the honor of seeing my cute kid cheering them on in her Steeler cheerleader outfit. She gave a big yell for the "Teelers"

She also likes Swiper the fox on Dora, and says "Oh Maaaaaan" any time you say his name to her. It's quite hilarious.

Enjoy my insanely cute kid (hey, I gotta brag, cuz she is cute)!

A Note in a Card

The little girl I work with made a card for her guardian because her birthday is December 1st. I won't be working with her again until the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend, so she wanted to make one now so she didn't forget. Here is what the card said ~



Happy Birthday

You may be 50 years old
But don't worry
You still look as good as you did when you were 47





I almost laughed hysterically out loud at that when I read it. But, I kept my composure, and didn't laugh so she thought I was making fun of her.

Granted, she is in 6th grade, but it was still funny. A couple of weeks ago, she told me that a project was due on "November Toooth" instead of the second.

PLEASE HELP US!!

I just set up an account on Rate My Space on HGTV. I am trying to get a TON of votes so maybe (just maybe) we'll win a bathroom makeover. Our bathroom desperately needs a makeover. We don't have the money to get it redone because we spent $5600 on a new heat pump when ours blew, and another $4000 on a new roof when ours blew off (yes, it really blew off) last February. When we moved in to this house, they sort of forgot to tell us sneakily didn't tell us that the bathroom had major mold and mildew issues. The entire bottom row of tiles that surrounds the tub has fallen off due to mildew, and we have mold growing all along the ceiling. Therefore, our 20 month old STILL takes a bath in the kitchen sink because I refuse to let her in that bathroom. So, this is where you come in, blogger friends, (AND SERIOUSLY PLEASE HELP!!!)

I need you to do the following~

* go to Rate My Space
* create an account (yes, it's a pain, but if it helps us, it's worth it, right?)
* in the search area type moldy, mildewy
* use the pull down menu to choose bathrooms and hit enter
* my entry is the one that says "Worst Bathroom EVER! EWWWWWW"
* my user name is bwolf229
* look at my disgusting pictures (I'm embarrassed for people to see these, but maybe it'll help us get a bathroom redo that we desperately need)
* and RATE MY SPACE. I think the lower rating you get, the better chance you get at a redo (not sure though)


Seriously, please please please please please please please please help us! A ton of you look at my blog, and if you took just a minute out of your day to go and vote, we may actually have a chance. I want my daughter to be able to take a bath in a normal bath tub, and not have to worry about what she's being exposed to! Thanks!

My Husband is a Genius Dork

My husband likes to talk about his genius IQ (as does my MIL). My genius put his daughter's shoes on the right wrong feet, and did not notice. Should that occur if you're a genius? Yeah, I pretty much didn't think so, either!

Leafy Fun

Yesterday we took the munchkin outside to play in a pile of leaves. She absolutely loved it. Here are a few of my favorites ~























I LOVE her face in this one


































She was twirling in "seekers" (circles) in
the leaves, and was having a ball

I <3>