Monday, December 19, 2011

How Not To Make A Christmas Ornament

I'm not really the crafty type. I'd like to be, but often I fall short. I can scrapbook like nobody's business, but other than that, most of my crafts come out looking like something my kids could have done. (In fact they probably could have done it better.) Still, my Christmas ornament idea seemed foolproof. I'm pretty sure I've figured out where I could improve it, but after all the time I spent on trial-and-error, I really didn't have a lot of time left to make the final product. Maybe next year? Still, when I started the project, I had high hopes and thought, "I can put the how-to on my blog!" So I took lots of pictures as I went along. And since I'm not the wasteful type, I'm sharing them anyway. It didn't work out for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for anyone!
First, gather all your supplies. I had glue, glitter, sequins, cookie cutters (to trace, you can use stencils, instead), and ribbon (in hopes that I would need something with which to hang the ornaments).

Trace your cookie cutter. I used foil. If I do it again, I'll use wax paper, or, if I can find it, something even more slick than that.

Fill in the shape with glue. Cover with glitter.

Be amazed, as the star magically transforms into a Christmas tree! Just kidding... I made a Christmas tree, too.

This is where it all broke down. The star wouldn't come apart from the foil once it was dried. Maybe the glue wasn't thick enough? Maybe the foil wasn't slick enough? The Christmas tree came apart from its foil, but in unusable pieces.
Maybe you'll have better luck with yours!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Friday, December 2, 2011

Food-tography Friday

I don't often get food-bloggy here. I'm not sure why that is. I love getting in the kitchen and cooking and baking. I really should do food-related posts more often! I keep trying to remind myself to take the camera into the kitchen with me and get some step-by-step photos to make a food post, and I always forget. But today is going to be "Food-tography Friday" where I combine my Photography Friday post with food! Excited?! Silly question, right? Why wouldn't you be?!

Remember yesterday, when I said I'd share more about Olette's birthday party at a later date? Well, that date is today! Can you believe it? I said I would blog about something later, and here I am, actually doing it!

Once Olette decided on the theme for her birthday party this year (no kidding, all the way back in June, after her cousin had a 1st birthday tea party), we scoured cookbooks, magazines, and the internet for cute ideas to combine a tea party with a Minnie Mouse party.

I think we did a pretty good job...

Some of the recipes we found, we followed exactly, but most of them were more of an inspiration and set of "guidelines" for us to go by. We served a birthday cake of petit fors, Minnie Mouse cookies, strawberry and Nutella tea sandwiches, white chocolate candy, sparkling pink lemonade, hot cocoa, and, of course, tea.

For the record, I am fairly certain that petit fors will never be made in my kitchen again. Ever. I'm one of those people who, in the kitchen at least, doesn't stop to think about whether what I'm about to do exceeds my actual abilities to do it. Turns out, petit fors fall into that category. Even after dumbing down the process for myself as much as possible, my little plate of cakes looked nothing like any picture of petit fors I have ever seen*. 

Note the lack of uniformity in size... And how they're more orange than pink.





The Minnie Mouse cookies were a much easier task. In the cookbook where we found the idea, they were ladybug cookies. It's ridiculous how easy they were to make.

Seriously. A blindfolded monkey could have done it.

All you need is a box of vanilla wafers, a tub of frosting, a couple drops of red or pink food color, Jr. Mints, white chocolate chips, and a sense of resignation to the fact that you're about to embark on a kind of tedious task. (A friend in the kitchen to keep you company helps, too!)

The strawberry and Nutella tea sandwiches were my absolute favorite part! I am kind of a Nutella addict-- I even have a whole pin board on Pinterest devoted to Nutella recipes!

I made them open-face sandwiches-- I thought it was more visually appealing.

All you need to make your own is thin-sliced bread, Nutella, and some fresh strawberries. (Yes, for the second year in a row, I found myself paying $5 for a quart of strawberries in November. But my baby girl is worth it!) You can also see the white chocolate candy-- just white chocolate bark, a couple handfuls of dried fruit (I used a blend of cranberries and apples), and pink sprinkles.

And then there was the sparkling pink lemonade. Which required a simple syrup. Which, in theory, should have been, well, simple: Put equal parts sugar and water in a pan and cook until the sugar is dissolved, then cool. Add to lemonade. Instead, it went like this:
1. Put equal parts sugar and water in a pan and turn on the stove.
2. Step out of kitchen just for a second to check on something.
3. Ten minutes later, remember that you put a pan of water and sugar on the stove.
4. Admire the beautiful amber color of the caramel you just made.
5. Heave a sigh, curse yourself for being so scatterbrained, and empty pan into the sink.
6. Think that, since the sugar is so hot, you should maybe run some cold water with it into the sink so it doesn't mess up the pipes.
7. Marvel at the pretty amber rock candy that is now clogging your sink.
8. Try to un-clog your sink and discover the hard way that sugar crystals are sharp. Painfully sharp.
And that, my friends, is how I managed to slice open my finger while making a simple syrup. Please note that absolutely no one in my family was surprised to learn this. My second attempt at simple syrup? You better believe I watched it like a hawk! And the resulting lemonade was awesome!

Sparkling Pink Lemonade:
2 2ltr bottles lemon flavored sparkling water
1 bottle Smuckers raspberry syrup
1 cup simple syrup, cooled (made from 1 c water and 1 c sugar)
1 lemon, sliced (for garnish)
Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. (I used a whisk to mix in the raspberry syrup, it's pretty thick.) You can add more simple syrup if it's not sweet enough.

All the effort was totally worth it, in the end-- Olette absolutely loved her Minnie Mouse Tea Party!




*All of these pictures are mine and belong to me. Please do not use them without my permission.**
**Pictures with people in them are mine and are not to be used by anyone other than me for any purpose whatsoever.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Five

Back on the 22nd of November, in the middle of the busiest week-and-a-half ever, my sweet, lovely little princess, Olette turned five years old. Five. Five Years Old. Where has the time gone?! Is it really possible that my little bitty baby girl is already five? Apparently so. And to celebrate, she had a Minnie Mouse themed tea party (separate post on that to come soon because I'm really proud of some of the things we created!) with her friends, cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles (and even a Great-Aunt and Great-Uncle who happened to be in town for the weekend).

I'm still trying to figure out where the last five years have gone. Has it really been five years since she was a tiny, kicking newborn? Five whole years since I watched Ben marvel at the tiny person who was his new sister? And Olette would kick me for not adding, five years since she peed on her Daddy. (It's her favorite part of the "when you were born" story. Her Daddy was holding her while the doctor cut her umbilical cord, and, apparently, she had to go.) Five whole years ago.

A Year in the Life of Olette*

Always the girliest girly-girl around!

She loves to hang out in the kitchen if mom's making something sweet!

She got her first ever haircut this year!

She loves any opportunity to dress up!

Hooray for mulberries!


Learning how to make fried chicken...

She used to hate the sand, but now she loves making castles.

This was her first year getting to go out on the boat. She loves going fast, and she loves tubing-- most of the time.

She also got her first-ever jellyfish sting this year. Not a pleasant milestone!

Her first day of school! Little Miss Pre-K, ready to take on the world!

When accessorizing, more is always better.

My lovely little lady, FIVE years old!


*These pictures are mine and belong to me. They are not to be used by anyone other than me for any purpose whatsoever.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Coming Soon

Can I just say that I have never in my life been so relieved to see a Monday on its way? Because I am. So, so very relieved! I'm stuck on the tail end of what I'm pretty sure has been the longest week-and-a-half-or-so ever.

On the bright side, it's given me material for several blog posts!

So, coming soon: Olette's 5th Birthday Party! Thanksgiving! and Christmas Tree Decorating!

I know, I know-- you're just hanging on to the edge of your seat, aren't you?! Well, mark your calendar, because it all starts Monday. Or Tuesday. Monday might end up involving a lot of sitting on the couch and enjoying the sweet, sweet sounds of a perfectly empty, perfectly silent house!

Monday Edit: Time for a winter cold! And I'm not talking weather. I'm talking chicken soup, cheesy movies, and napping on the couch-- in between blowing my nose and eating cough drops like they're candy. I knew I was jinxing myself by declaring that Monday would be the day of bloggy awesomeness.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Hiatus

Yeah, I know, how are you going to even tell the difference?

Enjoy your family and friends this Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Busy, Busy

I love that I have a job. I really do. And I even kind of like my job, most days. But I'd forgotten how much even a part time job can cut into my spare time!

And yet? I am hosting Olette's birthday party here in a couple days. And then four days after that? Thanksgiving. I'm excited-- Olette's having a Minnie Mouse tea party birthday. And this will be my first time ever hosting Thanksgiving. I'm making my first turkey! And, oh yeah-- constantly taking breaks from my preparation to go to work. Which wouldn't be a huge problem if I happened to be one of those perpetually-on-top-of-things people. I'm not one of those. By a long shot. So this might get interesting.

And in between all that? Work (including the oh-so-fun "we close at midnight on the weekend for the holiday shopping season" shift). Getting my house not just clean, but company clean (I shampooed my carpet yesterday. So that's one thing off the list, anyway). For two separate occasions. Getting the kids to school and back every day, and keeping up with everything they've got going on right now.

So I'm a little [more] scatterbrained [than usual], lately. And since I missed my Photography Friday post last weekend (as part of an overall effort to be as absolutely lazy as possible until I had to go in and work until after midnight) I thought I'd give you a pretty picture today*:

I love a bright, bold, colorful sunset!

*This photo is mine and belongs to me. Please do not use it without my permission.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Conversations Kill (Me... From Laughing So Hard)

Me: You're up, you got your breakfast, you're almost done, and it's not even 7:00, yet. Who are you, and what have you done with my son?
Ben (in a spooky voice): It's a mystery that will remain mysterious forever...

Olette: Hey Ben! When we get home today, we should play some feetball!
Ben: That's dumb. And it's not even funny.
Olette: YES it is! It's like football, but you use both of your feet!!
Ben: Like I said. Dumb and not funny.
Me: Oh please, Ben. Most of your jokes involve the words "balls" or "poop." It's not like you're the authority on comedic genius.
Olette: Ok, I have a better one for you. Knock, Knock.
Ben (unenthused): Who's there?
Olette: Zombie Poop!
Ben (trying to sound as unenthused as before): Zombie Poop, who?
Olette: Fart!
Ben: *snickers*

*Loud Thud* *Sound of Olette crying as she comes out to the living room*
Olette: Moooommmmmyyyy.....
Me: What happened?
Olette: I walked into... *giggles, tries to go back to crying* I walked into the... *cracks up* never mind...

Ben: Cran-Apple juice?
Me: Yes, it's short for Cranberry Apple.
Ben: They should just call it "crapple." That's even shorter. *giggles* Crapple....

Olette (singing loudly in the bathtub): What's inside a phone? Batteries! What's inside a phone? Battieries! Batteries are inside a phone! Bat-ter-ries are in-side a phone! Oh yeah!

Ben (talking about the bonfire he went to at a friend's house): ...and we needed sticks to roast marshmallows, so we climbed a tree. And I almost fell, and I was just hanging there, so they put a wagon under me and I just landed in that.
Olette: That sounds dangerous.
Ben: Yeah, but it's really ok. See, tree-climbing is something kids used to do for fun. You know, way back before they invented video games and dvd players and stuff. Right, mom?!

*Ben and I are working on his science project-- putting together a paper skeleton*
Me: Ok, good. Now he needs a spine... good, now a pelvis.
Ben: *giggles*
Olette (who has been learning about rhyming words in school): A pelvis! Pelvis... Elvis! Hahaha!
Ben: What?! A pelvis Elvis?!
Together: Pelvis... Elvis... Elvis... Pelvis...
Me: Ok, enough.
Ben: Isn't Elvis a real person?
Me: Yes. He was the king of rock and roll. And he was famous for shaking his pelvis.
Ben: (Looks at me with a mixture of shock, horror, and disbelief, all rolled into one)
Me: What?
Ben: (Gets a little shifty-eyed) Nothing...
Me: (Lightbulb moment!) Oh, no! Ben, no! Pelvis! Not penis!
Ben (With a look of ultimate relief): Oooohhhhh.....



Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Halloween 2011

The kids were super excited for Halloween this year, since living in a neighborhood means we could trick-or-treat door-to-door. (Before, we would have to drive to town, and usually ended up going to a church trunk-or-treat. Which is fun, but not door-to-door exciting, apparently.) Preparations began halfway through September when the first Party City costume catalog arrived in the mail. Ben and Olette scoured the pages, trying to decide on the perfect costume, and changing their minds twelve times a week. In the end, Olette was Sleeping Beauty and Ben decided to be a ninja (breaking his three-year Star Wars streak).

We had a mini pre-trick-or-treat party here, with a couple of their friends, and then costumed-up and went on our merry way. Unfortunately, it turns out that our neighborhood isn't really awesome for trick-or-treating. But there is another subdivision right across the highway, and between that and our neighborhood, the kids made out pretty well.

Once the kids just couldn't walk another step, we headed home, where we had hot cocoa and the kids busted into their candy, and commenced the craziest sugar-high I've ever seen. It was a great night. (The morning after was slightly less awesome, and consisted of a lot of, "But I'm sooo tired, I don't want to go to school...")

Ben, rocking the Ninja costume...

Olette, wearing her Princess-ness with pride...

I had to share this one-- My little Ninja walked right into a tree as I was taking the picture!

Trick-or-Treating with friends.
**These pictures are mine and belong to me. They are not to be used by anyone other than me for any reason whatsoever.**

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Photography Friday: Memorial Edition

I had a lot going on last week. And, as always, my blog plans got pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. So forgive me for not getting around to Photography Friday until Sunday afternoon.

On Friday, our sweet dog Wilbur died. He got extremely sick, and couldn't pull through. It was so hard to see him so miserable, and to not be able to do anything more than keep him as comfortable and loved as we could. I miss him so much, already. I'm normally not the type to cry over lost pets, but Wilbur was such a furry bundle of sunshine and fun and had one of those "in love with life" attitudes. We're not the type to treat our pets like people, but this really was like losing a part of the family.

So you can find today's Photography Friday post here.

And hopefully by next week I can get back to a normal blogging schedule.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Lame

I should have a Photography Friday post up today, shouldn't I? I've been wanting to get out with my camera lately but my to-do list keeps laughing at me. So...

But if all goes well, next week I'll have photos and things to blog about. In the meantime, I'm going to put on some fuzzy socks, curl up on the couch with some coffee, and try to keep warm. (And, ideally, wash, dry, fold, and put away some laundry.)

Friday, October 14, 2011

Have I Mentioned that I Love the Beach?

Today's pictures actually came from a trip to the beach back at the end of August. I had planned to share the pictures several weeks ago, but forgot where on my computer they ended up. Finally, yesterday, I remembered that I took those pictures on my phone because I'd forgotten my camera that day. So, I've found them! And I'm sharing them with you. 

The quality isn't excellent, since they were taken with my camera phone, but I still like the way they came out.*

Dead Tree with Pinecones


We have the most beautiful beaches in the world around here!

The Intercoastal side... when we were little we called this "the calm side" and would ask Mom to take us there if the Gulf was too rough for swimming.

View of the Intercoastal Waterway from the top of the bridge.

*As always, these pictures are mine and belong to me. Please do not use them without my permission.

It's Coming...

My internet is kind of iffy this morning. I have a Photography Friday post prepared, but with everything taking forever to load, it may be awhile before I actually get it posted. We may end up with Photography Saturday instead. In the meantime, cross your fingers with me that Century Link isn't about to totally crap out. (It would make the third time since we got service in May. Not a good track record, Century Link. Not good at all.)

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Photography Friday: Sunday Night Edition

We spent most of the day at the beach, yesterday. And of course I had my camera at the ready! So I'm posting a Photography Friday post this week, after all. Just, you know, a few days late.*




*As always, these photos are mine and belong to me. Please do not use them without my permission.

Friday, October 7, 2011

The Evil Stomach Bug

Is there anything in the world more miserable than a stomach bug? Ok, probably yes. In fact, I'm pretty sure I recall childbirth being tough. And that time I somehow picked up parvo (people kind, not dog kind-- there's a difference) and all of my joints rebelled against me and every movement felt like a slow death for weeks. Or the time I had an emergency gall-bladder removal. So, yeah, sure... there are things that are more miserable than a stomach bug. It's just that it's really hard to remember that when you're in the middle of playing host to one. And that's what I was busy doing for the past couple days.

I woke up on Wednesday feeling a little queasy. But it was my first day of work, so it's not like I could just skip out. And I thought maybe I was just a little nervous. Granted, a couple hours of orientation is a really odd thing to be nervous about. But it's not like it would be the first time in my life that I got all nervous and freaked out by something small. I do that sometimes. But by the time I made it home a few hours later, it was extremely apparent: I caught a stomach bug.

So I spent the rest of my Wednesday and the entirety of my Thursday curled up on the couch or in bed, watching cheesy movies on Netflix and wishing I could temporarily remove my digestive system from my body until that mean, miserable stomach bug was ready to leave.

All of this is to say: I haven't been able to put together my Photography Friday post yet. And I have a whole lot of stuff to catch up on around here, so it probably won't go up at all today. And tomorrow is my mom's birthday party (she turned fifty yesterday!) at the beach, so we're spending the day down there. And I work Monday (and Sunday is devoted to family and football). So. See you sometime next week!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Farewell, Stay-at-Home-Mom Status!

I finally have a job! It's pretty much perfect for me-- decent commute, good pay, part time. The only downside is that it's retail, but it's a big department store, and (aside from Christmas-shopping season) shouldn't be too crazy. (Business-wise and clientele-wise.) I start orientation on Wednesday.

The downside to this is that I'm in a tizzy to get my house and family to be working-mom friendly. That means catching up on some little around-the-house jobs I've been putting off, signing the kids up for after-school care, making sure everyone's got clean clothes, and other things like that.

Blogging is not high on the priority list right now. I like to think I'll at least keep up with my regular weekly features, but we'll see. Once I find my groove though, I promise I'll be back!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Pretty Little Lady

I feel bad for ignoring my blog all week! I had a lot of ideas swirling around, but I just couldn't nail any down long enough to expound on them. It was just one of those weeks where my head was somewhere else, and the rest of me was left here to try and muddle through. I really don't want to take inventory of all the things I've probably forgotten-- although I'm sure they'll all be obvious soon enough!

I did, however, take a few pictures this week, so I can at least put up a Photography Friday post. Olette loves to have her picture taken, and the files on my computer are FULL of what she likes to call her "model pictures." (Ben, on the other hand gets extremely awkward when the camera comes out, so the pictures I have of him are only the ones that didn't come out too blurry, because he's always on the move!) So today's Photography Friday comes to you courtesy of my pretty baby girl.

(Normally, I would put up the asterisk, with the note that these pictures are mine and belong to me, and ask you not to use them without my permission. However, since this is my baby girl, I'm amending it a little: These pictures are mine and belong to me, and are not meant to be used by anyone other than me, for any purpose whatsoever.)

This happened as soon as she realized I had the camera in hand.

"Oh, let me do a pretty pose!"

I love this one-- this was right after I told her that the "shooting star" she just made a wish upon was actually a jet!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Sunset on the Eastern Shore

I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. There is no shortage of breathtaking scenery around here, and lately I've been loving sunsets. Sunsets around here are particularly awesome, especially now that it's started to cool off a little. Sunset at 85 degrees is a lot more pleasant than sunset at 100 degrees! Earlier this week, I happened to be over on the Eastern Shore (of Mobile Bay) just as the sun was starting to set. And, I just happened to have my camera in the car with me.

So, enjoy the sunset for this week's Photography Friday.*





*As always, these pictures are mine and belong to me. Please do not use them without my permission.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Is There an Open Season on Neighbor Kids*?

When we lived out in the country, the subject of neighbor kids wasn't much of an issue. There was one girl, whose house was up near the end of our driveway. When she wanted to play with Ben and Olette, she would stand at the end of her yard and yell for them. They would play happily, and loudly, without breaking any rules. I only needed to peek out of the window every once in awhile.

Now we live in town. In a subdivision. With lots of neighbors, who have lots of little neighbor kids. Some of them are nice, respectful, well-behaved children who I don't mind having over to play with my kids. Others of them-- and, unfortunately, the ones who show up the most often, are very much less awesome.

I've pretty much reached the end of my rope with the not-so-awesome ones. They don't listen. They don't respect the rules. They wander into our (fenced in!) yard and play on the trampoline and swing set even when my kids aren't out there. (I'm dreading how much worse it's going to get once we set up a swimming pool next year... we might be getting a taller fence!) They're constantly knocking on the door, asking if Ben and Olette can play, and after we tell them Ben and Olette will be out after dinner (or homework, or chores, or whatever they're in the middle of), they wait three minutes and knock on the door again. These kids are going to drive me insane!

I've tried being nice. I've tried being firm. I've explained that failure to follow the rules will result in being sent home. I've sent them home! (It doesn't help, they just move on to the next kids' house, instead.) What can I do about these wild neighbor kids?! Should I just ban them from our house and yard forever? They're not the only kids my kids play with in the neighborhood, but they all have fun together. So banishing them kind of punishes my kids, too.

So I'm turning to you, oh great and wise internet, for answers. If anyone has any helpful advice, that would be great!

*No, I'm not actually suggesting I would start shooting neighbor kids. That would be illegal. And wrong.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Google +

I have that now. So... come find me? I guess? I dunno, I'm still trying to figure out how to work it. I realize that this blog post wasn't very helpful in any way. I might have gotten ahead of myself here.

Letters to People and Things That Can't Actually Hear Me

Dear Baby Snakes,
You're not welcome in my house. I realize that you're tiny and since your mouth is so small, even if you were poisonous, you wouldn't actually be able to bite anything bigger than a fly. You're still not allowed in my house. I'm tired of removing you. I know, I know, I've only had to do it twice. But that's two more times than I ever had to do it in our old house, and it was surrounded by woods and a pond! Now we live in town. I should not be chasing random wildlife out of my hallway. (Or my closet.)
Sincerely,
Not A Snake Wrangler

Dear People Stuck Behind the School Bus,
I know it sucks. You're just trying to get to wherever it you need to be. I understand. But I also know that when you're stuck behind a bus in the morning, that the half-mile stretch between where I'm trying to pull out onto the highway and where that bus will finally turn is ten minutes of stop-and-go-three-inches-forward-then-stop-again. I can see how you would be very territorial of your place in line. But, you see that little blinky thing on the front of my truck under the headlight? It's telling you that I don't want to cut in line, I want to cut through the line and drive the other direction. All I'm asking for is about three seconds of your wait time. Just pause, let me through, and you can get back to waiting. In the grand scheme of things, is ten minutes and three seconds really that much worse? Your unselfish cooperation is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Already Running Late This Morning Owing to the Need to Remove a Snake From my Hallway.

Dear Other Parents of Pre-K Kids at My Kids' School,
The sign says "Enter Only." And the street is narrow. I think that about covers it.
Sincerely,
At This Point Everything is Annoying Me. Don't Take it Personally.

Dear Air Conditioner in my Truck,
I've accepted the fact that I cannot take you for granted.  I know that sometimes when I turn on the truck, you will start up, too. And I know that sometimes you won't. I have come to terms with this. But deciding to turn on just as I'm pulling into my driveway? Come on, you're just screwing with me now, aren't you? Be nice.
Sincerely,
Oh My Gosh I Can't Wait for my First Cup of Coffee!!

Dear Self,
Unlock the door before trying to open it. Do you like having to do the shameful, quick glance around to make sure no neighbors noticed you walking full speed, smack, into your front door? I didn't think so.
Sincerely,
Your Common Sense
p.s. I'm so sorry I've been missing lately. Short-term Memory and I needed a vacation. Hope you're getting along just fine without us!

Dear Common Sense,
You and Short-term Memory need to cut your vacation short. You've left me looking like such an idiot lately. I need you! And I am not too proud to beg you to return to me, ASAP!
Sincerely,
Me


(I'm still in the middle of the post I was working on Monday. I'll put it up later today or tomorrow... probably tomorrow, because my to-do list is embarrassingly long right now!)

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Stay Tuned...

I started a blog post yesterday, but got interrupted every few sentences. I'll have it up either later today or tomorrow morning, depending on when I have a chance to sit down with it!

Friday, September 16, 2011

By The Way...

...did you know you can find me on Twitter? Not that I think I'm so fascinating that you'd want to hear my every thought, but I just thought I'd share. Just in case. (Not to imply that I share my every thought on Twitter. Although I do tend to wander over there when I feel a need to procrastinate.)

I was thisclose to clicking "Publish Post" when I realized that I didn't tell you where you could find me on Twitter! Go me! I'm right here!

Wilbur

Today's Photography Friday is going to be dog-centric. Specifially, my dog. Because he's a sweetie pie. And I took a bunch of pictures of him yesterday. And the pictures I took of the kids on the trampoline yesterday all came out fuzzy. And really, there just aren't enough pictures of dogs on the internet. (That last one was sarcasm. You got that, right?)

Wilbur is a mutt. Which is my favorite kind of dog. And he is the sweetest dog you'll ever meet. (Although a little exuberant. We're working hard to teach him not to jump.) All the kids in the neighborhood love him, and with a face like his, who wouldn't?*

Please pay attention to the adorable dog, and not the fact that I forgot to sweep the patio after Hubby mowed the lawn!



*As always, these pictures are mine and belong to me. Please ask my permission before using them.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

I Know...

...I missed Photography Friday, yesterday. This week has been kind of weird, between being short and having Hubby home on vacation. Sorry! Next week I'll be back to my normal blogging schedule!

Monday, September 5, 2011

I Miss the Sun!

Today being Monday and all, I should be posting something MommyBlog-ish. Unfortunately, fielding an entire weekend's worth of "I'm bored... why can't I go outside..." (from the kids, and, judging by the looks he's been giving me, the dog, too!) has turned my brain into a non-creative mush. We're on day three of Tropical Storm Lee, now, and I'm really starting to miss the sun. I'm pretty sure it's going to be weeks before our yard is no longer squishy and soggy and hiding beneath two inches of water (more, in the low spots).

Yesterday, I decided to go outside while it was just sprinkling a little bit, and get some pictures of the yard and neighborhood. I took a walk around the block, thinking it was so pleasant outside-- the little bit of drizzle made it nice and cool, and perfect walking weather. Until I got about halfway around the block and the sky decided to really open up. By the time I made it home, I was completely soaked!

As I'm typing now, little bits of sunshine are trying to peek through, but the clouds are putting up a pretty big fight!

Wilbur isn't really sure what to think...

This is how deep it was at the lowest spot in our yard, yesterday. 

We had a river that started on one end of our yard and went all the way down to the end of the neighborhood!

Why you should never assume it's a good idea to take a walk during a tropical storm.