Being the terrible mother that I am, I have resorted to "calling" Santa Claus when I need help trying to get the kids to cooperate. I can't be blamed for it - Jon started it!! The other night when the kids were out of control (screaming, yelling, throwing food/toys), the phone rang. It was Jennifer checking to see if I was ready to walk, but the kids didn't know that. They kept asking who I was talking to, and Jon (who had had enough at this point and had lost his seemingly never-ending supply of patience) finally told them that it was Santa. He said that Santa was calling to check in - to see how everyone was behaving. Gabriel was confused - he knows when Santa comes (winter), and it's not winter. He said as much to Jon. Jon reassured him that Santa does, indeed, call throughout the year to make sure everyone is being nice to their mommies and daddies, brothers and sisters, cats and dogs, toys and dinners.
This morning, the kids were acting like mini-fools (once again throwing food/toys, screaming/yelling), and before he left, Jon told them they'd better behave. Santa might just call again. Or worse. Mommy might have to call him. Gabriel immediately stopped throwing and screaming. Elliott stopped screaming, but said she still wasn't going to eat her waffles. Janna, obviously, didn't care and continued to throw her food on the floor and spray milk everywhere.
After things calmed down a bit, Gabriel came into the kitchen to actually ask if I was planning to call Santa. I said no, but that I would if he really didn't behave himself. He said he would. His reason? He wanted to make sure Santa was bringing him a Polar Express. I told him that behaving would be great! It would make everyone happy and proud - especially Mommy and Santa.
So far, so good. Gabey and Elliott are in the playroom playing "Nice Guy/Nasty One". Apparently Elliott is the Nasty One and Gabey is the Nice Guy. He is chasing her with a magic wand (an Aida cross-stitch fabric tube filled with rainbow colored beads and duct taped at the ends) and a piece of pretend pizza. I guess those are the tools needed to reform the Nasty One.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
2 Weeks Notice
Just in case you weren't already aware - Janna Ellen will be 1 in 2 weeks! How is it possible? She's growing up so fast (sometimes I think it's too fast). This morning when she got up she had 2 new teeth. They sprouted overnight. She also looks like a "kid". She just doesn't have that baby look anymore. Erin has been gassing about that fact for a few weeks now, and I finally have to agree. My baby isn't such a baby anymore.
I was all ready for a good "brag" about my kids (because, after all, they are the best kids in the world. And the cutest. Yours are great [and I love reading about them and seeing pics of them] - but they're yours. Mine are, well - mine. And therefore they are better!! Biased?? You bet!!) - and then we sat down to eat dinner. And of course, sitting down to eat dinner with my kids is nothing short of chaos.
I've already touched upon the topic of my Sweet and Petite. And while she's amazing, she's also utterly disgusting. She's a hog when it comes to eating (hog as in she eats large quantities of food, and hog as in she eats like a hog). She will try anything you put in front of her, and actually seems to prefer the greenest vegetation I can find. Give the kid an asparagus spear and she's in heaven! So while I applaud her excellent eating, I loathe her "puke speak". It's kind of like "burp speak", only she makes barf noises while she chatters. She then usually manages to bring something back up after about 15 minutes. It's so gross. Tonight her "offering" was a nice blend of chicken noodle soup, applesauce, and cracker. Yum! Janna has taken the title of Puke Queen away from her sister.
Speaking of Elliott - the girl is growing like a weed! Her legs are so long that all of her shorts look almost obscene (if she wasn't 2, I would never allow her to go out of the house in them). She's also growing more and more disgusting every day. She's got more nasal drippings than any kid I have ever known. And instead of willingly getting a tissue, she plays with it. She's also fascinated with poop. She wants to inspect Janna's diaper at every change. She asks if it's a "big, huge, corn poop" (thank you, Devin and Zak), and when it isn't, she asks if Janna can have corn for dinner, "so that the next poopy is a yellow corn one". I'm not kidding. She actually says that. It almost makes me want to never serve corn again.
I have to post a small "Mommy-Brag" about my Elliott Jane. She is the sweetest little person I know. She loves to hug anyone - and anything. I love that about her. Today's huggin' story is as follows. Jon and the kids were playing out in the field, and there was a bunny just sitting in the grass. The kids all crept up quietly to it, and when she finally hopped away they were thrilled to see baby bunnies. Elliott came in to tell me about it. "Squeaky animals, Mom! But one has blood. I think it needs a band-aid. And a hug." Her face was so sincere, and she was so serious. It broke my heart a little. It turns out that the bunny was dead, and after we told Elliott that the bunny was too hurt to play, she said she needed a hug, too. It was so sweet.
Gabriel was also very concerned about the bunny. But his concern was based around the "yuckies" getting on him. He doesn't like to have dirt and gross stuff on him, but he picks his nose (and then eats the "treasure") like a champ. He's also taken to non-mouth-covered fake-coughing. He saves his "coughs" for dinner-time, too, so they are filled with spit and partially chewed food. I have the seat of honor next to him. Tonight he coughed on my plate at least 7 times. There were damp cracker flecks all over. It was repulsive. And since I am so even-tempered, I coughed back in his face. This sent him into complete hysterics (the hysterics happen at least 3 times a day - now that he's4, his temper tantrums have increased 10 fold. Crying and screaming hysterically is like his job now.). However, I think I may have gotten my point across. He didn't like it when there was spit flying at his face, or his Klondike.
And since I have bragged about Elliott, I have to brag about my Boy. He's huge. And handsome. And far too smart. Every day he amazes me with his stories about random things he's picked up in his "travels", or with things that he's somehow remembered. I swear that the kid can remember every "exciting" thing that has happened to him in the last 4 years. It's insane.
Now that he's "older" he's able to get out and do things without his sisters - or me - tagging along. The Summer Rec program he's enrolled in has been wonderful. He's making new friends, learning to listen to authority figures other than Jon and I, learning to wait his turn - and he loves it. It's preparing him for UPK in the Fall. I am super-excited that he got into the program (due to the large number of kids in the school district, there is a lottery to see who gets in). He will go to school every weekday morning, and Elliott will be in school on Tuesday/Thursday mornings. On those days, it will just be Janna and I. Can anyone say, "Heaven"?
I was all ready for a good "brag" about my kids (because, after all, they are the best kids in the world. And the cutest. Yours are great [and I love reading about them and seeing pics of them] - but they're yours. Mine are, well - mine. And therefore they are better!! Biased?? You bet!!) - and then we sat down to eat dinner. And of course, sitting down to eat dinner with my kids is nothing short of chaos.
I've already touched upon the topic of my Sweet and Petite. And while she's amazing, she's also utterly disgusting. She's a hog when it comes to eating (hog as in she eats large quantities of food, and hog as in she eats like a hog). She will try anything you put in front of her, and actually seems to prefer the greenest vegetation I can find. Give the kid an asparagus spear and she's in heaven! So while I applaud her excellent eating, I loathe her "puke speak". It's kind of like "burp speak", only she makes barf noises while she chatters. She then usually manages to bring something back up after about 15 minutes. It's so gross. Tonight her "offering" was a nice blend of chicken noodle soup, applesauce, and cracker. Yum! Janna has taken the title of Puke Queen away from her sister.
Speaking of Elliott - the girl is growing like a weed! Her legs are so long that all of her shorts look almost obscene (if she wasn't 2, I would never allow her to go out of the house in them). She's also growing more and more disgusting every day. She's got more nasal drippings than any kid I have ever known. And instead of willingly getting a tissue, she plays with it. She's also fascinated with poop. She wants to inspect Janna's diaper at every change. She asks if it's a "big, huge, corn poop" (thank you, Devin and Zak), and when it isn't, she asks if Janna can have corn for dinner, "so that the next poopy is a yellow corn one". I'm not kidding. She actually says that. It almost makes me want to never serve corn again.
I have to post a small "Mommy-Brag" about my Elliott Jane. She is the sweetest little person I know. She loves to hug anyone - and anything. I love that about her. Today's huggin' story is as follows. Jon and the kids were playing out in the field, and there was a bunny just sitting in the grass. The kids all crept up quietly to it, and when she finally hopped away they were thrilled to see baby bunnies. Elliott came in to tell me about it. "Squeaky animals, Mom! But one has blood. I think it needs a band-aid. And a hug." Her face was so sincere, and she was so serious. It broke my heart a little. It turns out that the bunny was dead, and after we told Elliott that the bunny was too hurt to play, she said she needed a hug, too. It was so sweet.
Gabriel was also very concerned about the bunny. But his concern was based around the "yuckies" getting on him. He doesn't like to have dirt and gross stuff on him, but he picks his nose (and then eats the "treasure") like a champ. He's also taken to non-mouth-covered fake-coughing. He saves his "coughs" for dinner-time, too, so they are filled with spit and partially chewed food. I have the seat of honor next to him. Tonight he coughed on my plate at least 7 times. There were damp cracker flecks all over. It was repulsive. And since I am so even-tempered, I coughed back in his face. This sent him into complete hysterics (the hysterics happen at least 3 times a day - now that he's4, his temper tantrums have increased 10 fold. Crying and screaming hysterically is like his job now.). However, I think I may have gotten my point across. He didn't like it when there was spit flying at his face, or his Klondike.
And since I have bragged about Elliott, I have to brag about my Boy. He's huge. And handsome. And far too smart. Every day he amazes me with his stories about random things he's picked up in his "travels", or with things that he's somehow remembered. I swear that the kid can remember every "exciting" thing that has happened to him in the last 4 years. It's insane.
Now that he's "older" he's able to get out and do things without his sisters - or me - tagging along. The Summer Rec program he's enrolled in has been wonderful. He's making new friends, learning to listen to authority figures other than Jon and I, learning to wait his turn - and he loves it. It's preparing him for UPK in the Fall. I am super-excited that he got into the program (due to the large number of kids in the school district, there is a lottery to see who gets in). He will go to school every weekday morning, and Elliott will be in school on Tuesday/Thursday mornings. On those days, it will just be Janna and I. Can anyone say, "Heaven"?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Happenings...
Seriously - what the hell is wrong with me? My life isn't so busy that I can't find time to Blog. I guess I'm just lazy!! So please bear with me - this post will be on the long side. My goal is to fill you all in (you know you've been waiting for a new post) on what we've been doing for the past two weeks. And I will totally steal Erin's picture-caption-story-thing so you can see my Hosers in action.
Now - where did I leave off...oh yes. We were in PA on "vacation". Our trip to the Bloomsburg Park was awesome. My kids (and my hubby) had a blast.
Friday was spent at Knoebel's. If you grew up in the area, then you were basically forced to work there as a teenager. So going to "the park" was like a rite of passage. You went there as a child to ride the rides. Then you worked there for as long as humanly possible (for me it was from age 14 to 17). And then you make the pilgrimage back to Elysburg so your kids can revel in the wonderousness that Knoebel's is. And to my kids - Knoebel's was wonderful! They are still talking about it. They rode everything they were big enough to ride (that park has the most awesome kiddie section I have ever seen), they gorged themselves on cotton candy and ice cream, and they happily fell asleep on the way home. I think we spent maybe $25 on the whole day. It was yet another shared piece of my childhood. There are far too many adorable pictures to upload - if you want to see more, ask nicely!! Maybe I'll share!
We came home with Gramma and some "extra" baggage on Saturday. This is the extra baggage I am referring to:
Kuzco was found in the middle of the road by a little girl who lives up the street from my Mom. It was very tiny and malnourished, so Mom brought it with her so she could keep an eye on it. Elliott was (and still is) in heaven. She loves her. And Kuzco (she's a she) is quite possibly the nicest little kitty girl in the world.
While my Mom was here, the older kids and I got to do some MOMS Club stuff. Strawberry picking was lots of fun - at least for me. The kids were so excited to go, and then they each picked two berries. I picked about 6,342. When I came home, I turned those sweet berries into delicious jam.
So far this week has been only slightly busy. Gabriel is enrolled in Summer Rec at a local park, and everything has been going well with it - the only exception being the "war wound" that he received on Monday. He and a buddy were tackling each other and it escalated. I guess he'll live! So while Gabriel was wrestling, Elliott and I went to a different park with my MOMS Club. We stayed for about a half hour. It was too stinking hot - and annoying. I was melting! We went to Erin's instead, and the girls had a blast splashing in Tuggy. Erin and her girls raided our house this morning. The kids played sooooooo well together. They all ate well, too. My three napped well, but Erin's Biggest Smallish Person was not quite as enthused about nap-time. My kids will have to try harder next time to wear her out!
So there you have it. The last week-and-a-half in an e-nutshell. I promise I'll try harder to blog more frequently!!
Now - where did I leave off...oh yes. We were in PA on "vacation". Our trip to the Bloomsburg Park was awesome. My kids (and my hubby) had a blast.
Jon and the Hosers having fun on a tire swing.
That evening, we let the kids stay up extra late to catch lightning bugs. Far too much fun. I think Elliott liked it more than Gabriel did!
"I caught one!!"
The next day (Thursday) we hung out with Grampa. The kids love going to Nana and Grampa's house - there are so many cool toys!! And no one cares when Janna breaks into the cupboards.
Janna breaking into Nana's cupboards.
Friday was spent at Knoebel's. If you grew up in the area, then you were basically forced to work there as a teenager. So going to "the park" was like a rite of passage. You went there as a child to ride the rides. Then you worked there for as long as humanly possible (for me it was from age 14 to 17). And then you make the pilgrimage back to Elysburg so your kids can revel in the wonderousness that Knoebel's is. And to my kids - Knoebel's was wonderful! They are still talking about it. They rode everything they were big enough to ride (that park has the most awesome kiddie section I have ever seen), they gorged themselves on cotton candy and ice cream, and they happily fell asleep on the way home. I think we spent maybe $25 on the whole day. It was yet another shared piece of my childhood. There are far too many adorable pictures to upload - if you want to see more, ask nicely!! Maybe I'll share!
The clown sign says it all.
We came home with Gramma and some "extra" baggage on Saturday. This is the extra baggage I am referring to:
Elliott and her kit-na, Kuzco.
Kuzco was found in the middle of the road by a little girl who lives up the street from my Mom. It was very tiny and malnourished, so Mom brought it with her so she could keep an eye on it. Elliott was (and still is) in heaven. She loves her. And Kuzco (she's a she) is quite possibly the nicest little kitty girl in the world.
While my Mom was here, the older kids and I got to do some MOMS Club stuff. Strawberry picking was lots of fun - at least for me. The kids were so excited to go, and then they each picked two berries. I picked about 6,342. When I came home, I turned those sweet berries into delicious jam.
The "fruits" of my labor.
The Fourth of July was spent very quietly. My pal Katie came over, and we spent the evening playing outside with Janna's new wagon. Gramma won't be here for Janna Baby's First Birthday, so she got to have her gift early. It's pretty neat!
My sweet babies!!
We took Gramma back home on Saturday. Then we drove all they way back up here on Sunday. It sucked. It was very hot, and the AC in my Hog still doesn't work properly. Jon complained that his nether regions were far too sweaty to be cozy. Since I can't commiserate, I really didn't care a whole lot.
So far this week has been only slightly busy. Gabriel is enrolled in Summer Rec at a local park, and everything has been going well with it - the only exception being the "war wound" that he received on Monday. He and a buddy were tackling each other and it escalated. I guess he'll live! So while Gabriel was wrestling, Elliott and I went to a different park with my MOMS Club. We stayed for about a half hour. It was too stinking hot - and annoying. I was melting! We went to Erin's instead, and the girls had a blast splashing in Tuggy. Erin and her girls raided our house this morning. The kids played sooooooo well together. They all ate well, too. My three napped well, but Erin's Biggest Smallish Person was not quite as enthused about nap-time. My kids will have to try harder next time to wear her out!
So there you have it. The last week-and-a-half in an e-nutshell. I promise I'll try harder to blog more frequently!!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Ahhhhhh...
That was me sighing contentedly. Did you hear it? Today has been such a wonderful day.
We spent the earlier part of the morning (my kids didn't wake up until 7 that's very late for them) playing inside with all of Gramma's cool toys. I don't think there is a single piece of new Fisher-Price anything in this house - all of it is from circa 1970. And the kids love the stuff. I have a few older items at my house that the kids are allowed to play with, but it's nothing compared with what Gramma's house (and Nana's, too) is filled with. And because they are allowed to play with the vintage toys (not only F-P, but also lots of Raggedy Ann & Andy stuff and other toys, books, and games), my children are already gaining an appreciation for antiques. I love that.
After breakfast and a few falls on the sidewalks (Gabriel was the first kid to get a scraped knee on this vacation), we went to Kidsburg in Bloomsburg. The kids were in heaven. They were so well behaved, too. There was no time-out, no yelling, no nothing. Jon, Gabriel, and Elliott played on the equipment while Janna and I took a walk. I haven't walked up and down the streets of Bloomsburg since I was in college, so it was a nice change from all of the trail walking I do at home. Janna liked it, too. After our walk, we went back to the park and played with Big Brother and Sister. Everyone took turns on the swings (including me), and then we had a picnic. Everyone ate, then we played some more. When it was time to leave, everyone piled in the van with no complaining.
My afternoon was spent being idle. Jon was working on his laptop, the kids were sleeping soundly, and Devin was mowing the lawn. I literally had nothing to do. No dishes, no laundry, no cooking - it was so peaceful. I finally dragged myself away from the computer (damn that eBay with their tens of thousands of Vera Bradley listings) and forced myself to sit in the sun and crochet.
The kids got up from naps after 4, and each kid had their own "afternoon event": Jon took Gabriel running, Elliott went to the grocery store with me, and Janna chatted with Gramma. So when everyone reconvened on the back porch, each kid had their own exciting stories to tell about their afternoons. While Gabriel and Jon were running they saw a rattlesnake in a tree! I was freaked out just hearing about it, but everyone else thought it was cool (I hate snakes - HATE them. I am so afraid of them that just thinking about them makes me want to pull my feet up underneath me.). Jon pointed it out to Gabe, and thinking it was a black snake, poked it with a stick (it was at head level in the tree). It started rattling, and Jon made sure to tell The Boy to never, ever poke snakes with sticks!! Elliott was very excited to let everyone know that she saw a huge, big truck carrying lots and lots of hay. She was pretty sure it was going to find some hungry horses and cows. And Janna was just chattering up a storm to anyone who would listen.
The only bad part of the late afternoon/evening was when Gabriel pushed Elliott over in a lawn chair. She smashed her head on the sidewalk (she's just fine), and of course he had to be sent to time-out. Gramma also decided that since Gabriel didn't know how to be nice with the chair (a very cool Thomas chair), that the chair got to go to the garbage. We'll see if it comes out...
Dinner-time was totally uneventful. The kids ate their steak, rice, broccoli, and watermelon without whining. Gabriel entertained everyone with his stories about tornadoes. The kid has never seen a tornado. But he knows an awful lot about them. I guess I need to monitor how much Weather Channel he watches.
Jon and I decided that since it was such a beautiful evening (and because the kids had been so good all day), we would let them chase fireflies. It was a first for the kids, and they loved it. Elliott kept running through the yard screaming, "I got one!! I got one!!" When you asked if she had really caught one, she replied, "Nope. But I'm tryin'!!" It was hilarious. Gabriel was much more calm about the whole thing. He would look for one bug, and then spin in circles trying to find it after its light went out. And when he wasn't looking for bugs, he was singing about goin' on a bug hunt (sung to the tune of "Goin' On a Bear Hunt)A neighbor girl, Allie, was helping the kids catch a bunch. She was so sweet and patient (she was probably 8 or so), and Elliott thought she was very cool. By the end of the "Bug Hunt", the kids had about 20 lightning bugs in a ball jar. Yes, I let them go!!
Today was a perfect summer day. Watching my children enjoy the things that I loved as a child is so awesome. I loved my Fisher-Price toys. I loved going to the playground (but only when my Mother didn't shove me out the door at 8am every week day during the summer). I loved eating drippy watermelon outside. I loved spending time with my Gramma. Catching lightning bugs with my Mom was one of the best things to do on a summer evening.
Some of the most memorable summer moments of my childhood were played out in front of me by my children today. And it was sweet.
We spent the earlier part of the morning (my kids didn't wake up until 7 that's very late for them) playing inside with all of Gramma's cool toys. I don't think there is a single piece of new Fisher-Price anything in this house - all of it is from circa 1970. And the kids love the stuff. I have a few older items at my house that the kids are allowed to play with, but it's nothing compared with what Gramma's house (and Nana's, too) is filled with. And because they are allowed to play with the vintage toys (not only F-P, but also lots of Raggedy Ann & Andy stuff and other toys, books, and games), my children are already gaining an appreciation for antiques. I love that.
After breakfast and a few falls on the sidewalks (Gabriel was the first kid to get a scraped knee on this vacation), we went to Kidsburg in Bloomsburg. The kids were in heaven. They were so well behaved, too. There was no time-out, no yelling, no nothing. Jon, Gabriel, and Elliott played on the equipment while Janna and I took a walk. I haven't walked up and down the streets of Bloomsburg since I was in college, so it was a nice change from all of the trail walking I do at home. Janna liked it, too. After our walk, we went back to the park and played with Big Brother and Sister. Everyone took turns on the swings (including me), and then we had a picnic. Everyone ate, then we played some more. When it was time to leave, everyone piled in the van with no complaining.
My afternoon was spent being idle. Jon was working on his laptop, the kids were sleeping soundly, and Devin was mowing the lawn. I literally had nothing to do. No dishes, no laundry, no cooking - it was so peaceful. I finally dragged myself away from the computer (damn that eBay with their tens of thousands of Vera Bradley listings) and forced myself to sit in the sun and crochet.
The kids got up from naps after 4, and each kid had their own "afternoon event": Jon took Gabriel running, Elliott went to the grocery store with me, and Janna chatted with Gramma. So when everyone reconvened on the back porch, each kid had their own exciting stories to tell about their afternoons. While Gabriel and Jon were running they saw a rattlesnake in a tree! I was freaked out just hearing about it, but everyone else thought it was cool (I hate snakes - HATE them. I am so afraid of them that just thinking about them makes me want to pull my feet up underneath me.). Jon pointed it out to Gabe, and thinking it was a black snake, poked it with a stick (it was at head level in the tree). It started rattling, and Jon made sure to tell The Boy to never, ever poke snakes with sticks!! Elliott was very excited to let everyone know that she saw a huge, big truck carrying lots and lots of hay. She was pretty sure it was going to find some hungry horses and cows. And Janna was just chattering up a storm to anyone who would listen.
The only bad part of the late afternoon/evening was when Gabriel pushed Elliott over in a lawn chair. She smashed her head on the sidewalk (she's just fine), and of course he had to be sent to time-out. Gramma also decided that since Gabriel didn't know how to be nice with the chair (a very cool Thomas chair), that the chair got to go to the garbage. We'll see if it comes out...
Dinner-time was totally uneventful. The kids ate their steak, rice, broccoli, and watermelon without whining. Gabriel entertained everyone with his stories about tornadoes. The kid has never seen a tornado. But he knows an awful lot about them. I guess I need to monitor how much Weather Channel he watches.
Jon and I decided that since it was such a beautiful evening (and because the kids had been so good all day), we would let them chase fireflies. It was a first for the kids, and they loved it. Elliott kept running through the yard screaming, "I got one!! I got one!!" When you asked if she had really caught one, she replied, "Nope. But I'm tryin'!!" It was hilarious. Gabriel was much more calm about the whole thing. He would look for one bug, and then spin in circles trying to find it after its light went out. And when he wasn't looking for bugs, he was singing about goin' on a bug hunt (sung to the tune of "Goin' On a Bear Hunt)A neighbor girl, Allie, was helping the kids catch a bunch. She was so sweet and patient (she was probably 8 or so), and Elliott thought she was very cool. By the end of the "Bug Hunt", the kids had about 20 lightning bugs in a ball jar. Yes, I let them go!!
Today was a perfect summer day. Watching my children enjoy the things that I loved as a child is so awesome. I loved my Fisher-Price toys. I loved going to the playground (but only when my Mother didn't shove me out the door at 8am every week day during the summer). I loved eating drippy watermelon outside. I loved spending time with my Gramma. Catching lightning bugs with my Mom was one of the best things to do on a summer evening.
Some of the most memorable summer moments of my childhood were played out in front of me by my children today. And it was sweet.
Monday, June 23, 2008
So Lucky!
I am feeling like the luckiest girl in the world today. Today is my 7th Anniversary (isn't 7 a lucky number??). Jon and I met almost 11 years ago, and it's kind of surreal to me. When I first met him (if you want to know how we "really" met, ask), I wasn't really interested. I mean, come on. He was such a dork. Yeah he was kind of cute. My Mom was instantly planning our future together - she thought he was perfect. But I just wasn't feeling it. Thank goodness I stopped smoking whatever crack I was on!! I also consider myself so lucky to have my kiddos. The three of them are amazing. And aggravating. My life obviously wouldn't be the same without them.
I am also so lucky to have a great group of friends. My "besties" (I feel like such a 13th grader for using that word) keep me sane. Keelie, Ang, Jennifer, Katie, Amanda, and Erin are seriously some of the greatest women on the face of the planet. Each one is so different, yet they all have the same exact traits - boisterousness, intelligence, and compassion.
Totally unrelated to the above is yet another reason for feeling lucky. As you are all probably very well aware, I have a slight problem with Vera Bradley items. And my problem I mean addiction. They are my crack. I don't bother counting the items anymore (let's just say that I can change bags every day for over two months and not carry the same bag twice) - I just count the patterns (I have over 35 different patterns at this point). Today my "collection" grew. I WON a brand new tote in one of the new fall patterns!! Last week I went to a fall preview and signed up to win one. I never thought I would win, so when the lady called this afternoon, I was floored! I woke the kids up a half hour early so I could make sure I got the bag I wanted (there are four new colors, and I really only like one of them - Puccini). Here she is. Isn't she beautiful??
I am also so lucky to have a great group of friends. My "besties" (I feel like such a 13th grader for using that word) keep me sane. Keelie, Ang, Jennifer, Katie, Amanda, and Erin are seriously some of the greatest women on the face of the planet. Each one is so different, yet they all have the same exact traits - boisterousness, intelligence, and compassion.
Totally unrelated to the above is yet another reason for feeling lucky. As you are all probably very well aware, I have a slight problem with Vera Bradley items. And my problem I mean addiction. They are my crack. I don't bother counting the items anymore (let's just say that I can change bags every day for over two months and not carry the same bag twice) - I just count the patterns (I have over 35 different patterns at this point). Today my "collection" grew. I WON a brand new tote in one of the new fall patterns!! Last week I went to a fall preview and signed up to win one. I never thought I would win, so when the lady called this afternoon, I was floored! I woke the kids up a half hour early so I could make sure I got the bag I wanted (there are four new colors, and I really only like one of them - Puccini). Here she is. Isn't she beautiful??
I know I posted a picture of bag instead of pictures of my divine hubby, wonderful kids, and awesome pals. Oh well. It's my blog, and I'll blog how I want to!! The hubby and I are off to dinner sans children...maybe we'll manage to squeeze in some dessert, too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)