Taking a moment to breathe.

I forgot how much I needed a moment while ALL the girls are sleeping (or reading quietly in their rooms)
to breathe
to quietly sip a dr. pepper
to read my blogs
to look at cool layouts on 2peas
to order my ali kit from CK
to listen to the wind howl outside
to just sit
and breathe.
it is good
and now it is over, but it is still good. Maddie is going to read to me now. :)

I didn't forget

I know, everyone would like to see pictures of my lovely visit, but I don't have my cord (Bj are you reading this? I need my cord please...) So Lily isn't settling in as well as I would have hoped. I can't seem to leave the room for more than 1.5 seconds before the extreme screaming kicks in. Unfortunately her scheduled separation anxiety has kicked in just in time for this trip, and no one except her Mama can help. And I think that Gracie has finally found her match. Poor thing has been spending the last few weeks planning all the things she was going to do with Lily, but Lily is definitely a child with her own mind. At one point Lily was hitting the ottoman while Gracie was cowering in the chair. While Lily was growling. Sigh.
I am having a wonderful time with my two nieces however. Lots of reading and swinging and little people and puzzles and goose bumps and giggling and chasing and watching them have a blast running under the sprinkler. Such joy.
And such a face of surprise when Lily accidentally got caught underneath. Not a fan of it apparently.
So here's to a less grumpy day tomorrow...

I made it...

I'm here, in once piece more or less although I really don't suggest traveling by yourself with a 20 month old if you can at all help it. SERIOUSLY. Actually I really don't suggest sitting in front of a 20 month old unless you would like a very interesting chair massage. Uncle Matt had some really unpleasant entertainment on the way home. But you know what makes it all worth it? Seeing Lily hug and kiss her cousins, and the hugs I got from the girls were just so lovely too :)

Random Thoughts (Five on Friday)

1. Lily discovered her shadow today. We stood on the sidewalk and waved, danced, and bounced to our shadows for about five minutes...in front of some random person's house.
2. I really like Mika.
3. I went to see Les Misérables at the high school I used to teach (and attend back in the day) and all I can say is wow. Those are some highly talented kids. Amazing.
And I found out that five of them are going to major in music. Makes my heart happy.
4. I am going to be across the country in two days.
5. I am going to be scrapbooking ALL DAY long tomorrow with friends and celebrities-two of the newest Hall of Fame Winners and one new guest designer of a super cool kit club. I can't wait.

In need of another must read book of the year

Any suggestions? Only requirements is that it is a paperback.

you rock::heidi swapp scrapjack

you rock chickie...and i knew it all along ;)

Just in case there was any doubt

about how long I have known Nancy, the girl who should really, really start a blog because I will not stop hounding her until she does, here is proof. (She is on the right)
And for the record I do realize that it is Tuesday and I owe some 10 odd ramblings, but my day was just stinky stinky and I just don't have the energy plus it would be all complaints, thus the trip down memory lane instead. Perhaps I will have a cheerier outlook tomorrow. And yes, E and Nancy, you will both be getting a copy of the picture :)

A Friday the 13th MYSTERY

Something mysterious has happened. Something completely inexplicable. Something so unfathomable that I would rather it not be explained.

I own a magical pair of jeans. Yup. You read that right, magical. Actually it may be the "traveling pants." They are perfect. Long and Leans from The Gap. Pre-pregnancy jeans. In fact the last jeans I ever bought while working at The Gap. And they fit. Like a glove. And I am talking perfectly. And they are a six. Yes, I said a 6.

So why is it that the jeans I am wearing today that are TWO sizes bigger are so uncomfortably tight that I am sure I will have the "button" mark on my belly when I take them off? No I am not talking obscene tight where you can't look away because you are sure there may be some kind of explosion, but definitely tight. *sigh*

And for the record, I do know that I do not actually own the real traveling pants as something magical is supposed to happen when you wear them. That would mean something magical would happen every single day...huh.

Tickle Me Elmo XT

Oh. my. goodness. Boy do I wish you could have seen Lily's face when I gave her the new Tickle Me Elmo XT to look at in the store.
She laughed.
Then she gave it a puzzled look.
Then she jumped about three feet.
With this face like "whatintheworldisthisthinggoingtodotomegetitawayrightnowrightnowRIGHTNOW."
Is it bad that I was laughing the whole time? Sorry but it was FUNNY.
OK so perhaps it's bad that as we were leaving the store I gave it to her again...
Don't believe me how funny this thing is? Go here.

Grumpy McGrumperson

Yup. That's me lately. Don't know if it has been the constant cold and snow in April causing us to just look longingly at our backyard play oasis, trying to actually be healthy and workout but have Lily fuss and cry so much that I have to leave before my workout, having to skip babynastics and take Lily to the doctor instead, or if it is the slight cold and gross cough I have right now, but I have been a grump. So. Instead of concentrating on what is making me grumpy, how about some things that make me smile?

1. Did you know that She-Ra is now on DVD? YES.
2. Am I allowed to say that this makes me happy? It does.
3. A fun new crafty blog.
4. I am going to see Ben Folds for the first time ever on Saturday :)
5. I FINALLY have collected enough Pampers points to get my three set Sesame Street DVD including Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. I have been saving for months and months...so excited that I will now only have to wait...oh, 8-10 weeks for it to arrive (and for the record I DO realize that I could have ordered it. But getting it when you want it? Where's the fun in that? ;)

Friday Five

As you may or may not know I am a TARGET girl. WHOO HOO to whomever invented the place, and shame on me for not having stock in it. At least I could (kinda) pay myself when I shop there...anyway, here are my top five things about Target this week.

1. I can get Chocolate Covered Altoids there. OHMYGOODNESSGRACIOUS these things are soooooo good. An Altoid lovers dream. :)
2. I am LOVING Archer Farms Blueberry Granola with flax. Can't get enough.
3. The dollar spot. From cute birdy bags to cute mini buckets to handy dandy cosmetic bags that will come very handy when I go visit Elizabeth, I am a FAN.
4. My old friend Brett works there now and I just love how even though I haven't seen him in at least two years, we can talk forever and it was just like yesterday. It makes me a happy girl.
5. I just went to return a pair of shoes that didn't fit and I walked out BUYING NOTHING. I don't actually know if that has happened before. And it just makes me love Target more.

Ten on Tuesday: Special Brainstorming Edition

Well it's over. Once again, I don't really want to talk about it, but I do have to celebrate as it happen again. The unexpected. The unimaginable. The seemingly impossible. I. Beat. Matt. AGAIN. That's right folks. AGAIN. So I guess I have yet another year of superiority over my dear brother-in-law, at least in basketball that is. So here it is. My top ten possible names for next year's tourney.

1. Mattlosapalooza
2. My random picks still beat Matt, twice
3. Double trouble
4. Could it be a three-peat?
5. I pledge allegiance to the United States of Beating Matt every year
6. I beat Matt last year...and the year before
7. At least I can beat Matt
8. I measure success one win over Matt at a time
9. Marie > Matt
and finally
10. Entering the basketball pool- Free, Checking scores everyday- Free, Beating Matt every year- Priceless

It is just so easy to tease, trash talk, and blatantly blow raspberries in his general direction while online, safely on the other side of the country...I do need to remember that I will actually be in his presence, at his mercy in just a few short weeks, seeing this face in front of metee hee hee....