I'm a little Pee-pot

Big Daddy, who has a lot of amazing qualities, also has a handful of annoying ones. For example....he can aggravate you in a heart beat....but the worse part is that he doesn't let up once your aggravated. Instead he just pokes and prods until you are ready to literally RUN AWAY. FOREVER!!! This was my perdicament the other night in the kitchen when this conversation took place.

BD: Come on Babe...I'm not that BAD
Me: Oh, yes you are. Leave me alone and get out of the kitchen
BD: Really, Babe....I just want to be near you...I've missed you all day(remember this is not sweet nothings...its the aggravation game...trying to not only "get my goat" but slaughter it as well)
Me: You know honey, I've been thinking
BD: what about darlin'?
Me: I once heard on a show about self defense that if someone is trying to abduct you, that you should pee on yourself because they wont want to take you anywhere if you just peed your pants.
BD: what does that have to do with anything?
Me: Well, I am thinking about peeing my pants just so you would leave me alone and let me cook dinner.

About Last Night 2/26/2009

It wasn't pretty.

Do you ever get tired of being under attack?

Well, I am.

It came from all sides and unfortunately Big Daddy got served from the "All is fair in War and Migraines" Buffet....and it wasn't yummy love and dessert I was serving, it was nasty, messy, worse than left-overs from the all night truck stop kind of messy.

What kills me, is that we are actually doing the "Love Dare" right now, yeah that's right, he is actually showering me with love, and I am giving back the worst of me.

It is like I am the grave digger, busy digging up ancient graves, instead of openly receiving the love he is giving.

None of which was helped by a horrendous migraine/sinus headache that took me all day to get rid of.

So, this is confession. I gave the worst of me to my love. It didn't really hit me how bad I was toward him until I realized that I did have some really great interactions yesterday. Not only did I pony up and put on a good front, I actually showed love and graciousness toward others. I also had some really funny moments that I shared on Twitter, that were not coming from the same "woman wronged" vantage point that I gave to my Beloved.

Of course, everything in my life is intertwined, and the Lord usually hits me from all sides since I am too dense to see the quiet subtle signs that should keep me in line.

Pete, posted about this very thing and linked, once again to a great blog, about the 8 things that can ruin even the best marriages. Whether you have the marriage you always dreamed of, or are dreaming of marriage other than the one you have, please go read the 8 things...it is very enlightening, and comes from a couple who has been in both places.

So, here is to communicating truth, receiving love, and living forgiveness.

Marriage...it's ALWAYS worth fighting for.

But fight the battles against what tries to destroy your marriage.

Don't fight each other.

Note to self: read and take your own advice!!!

Pretty Woman

Last night I took The Beez to the Ballet for the first time.  

While I am not endorsing the movie Pretty Woman, if you have seen it, think back to the scene were Julia Roberts arrives at the Polo match.  As soon as the team scores, she starts cheering, a la Arsenial Hall with the dog pound style fist pumping in the air.

That was kind of how my little princess acted when she cheered for the ballet dancers.  Instead of just clapping, she started "woohoo-woohoo-woohoo-wooho!!!!!!"  All in a priceless 5 year old high pitched squeal/scream.  

All made even funnier by the fact that we were sitting in the upper section, but on the front row, so every time she started in, the people below us would kind of turn around and try to find the source.

I guess, even at the Ballet, refinement is hard to come by if you live in our house.

About Last Night 2/17/2009

The Beez has lost her first tooth.

While I am appreciative of the fact that she really milked it for all it was worth, in the end the stupid thing fell out anyway, and hence opened the floodgate of my soul.

I distinctly remember when our oldest lost his first tooth...we were calling everybody and counting the days to the Tooth Fairies arrival. But with The Beez, although there were lots of phone calls, as there should be with such a rite of passage, there were also lots of tears...on my part.

It is no secret to anyone who really knows me that 4 has always been my magic number for children. It has always been four...maybe even 5...but always 4. After we had our boys within 15 months of each other...no I was not on drugs...we decided to wait a few years to have more. I relished that time as Mom to 2 Boys...it was a magical time. I was so young, and thought I knew so much, but in the end I think we all figured it out together.

Then 5 years later, we were blessed with The Beez...I had always thought I would want 3 & 4 as close to 1 & 2, but reality hit, and so we waited. Once again, I relished being a mom to 3...what a difference pink makes.

With a long awaited DisneyWorld vacation on the horizon, this roller coaster riding momma did not want to have to skip out so we decided to start trying on our vacation for my magic number 4.

Well, I guess roller coasters and reproduction don't go well, because somehow, my previously fertile myrtle self was just not cooperating. Finally, A YEAR later, we were pregnant.

I was beside myself...magic number 4 was on its way.

But, only days after our wonderful news, our world came crashing down with complications that ended up with us in the ER. Our friend was the Dr on call, and he said that either I was not as far along as we thought, or something was clearly not right.

Something was clearly not right. After countless ultrasounds and blood work with nothing concrete on the horizon as far as a diagnosis the Dr assumed that it must be ectopic. For the next 4 weeks the needles continued with blood work every 48 hours to see if the methotrexate had worked and would save me from surgery.

It did not and sadly one of the most frightening days of my life ensued. I ruptured at home, in the early morning, alone with my kids who were all sleeping soundly in their beds and never heard my cries for help for over an hour. Finally, my oldest heard me and found me on the floor of the bathroom and called my dearest friend who got me to the hospital.

Magic number 4 was not to be the summer of 2006.

And neither in the winter of 2008 when another early miscarriage took precious life from within me.

And, so now, as I slip on my Fairy shoes to make a night time delivery, I am reminded it will be the first time, for the last time.

The future for Big Daddy and I is laid before us...Crack, Snake and The Beez.

Three is not a bad number, it is just not what my plan had picked.

But none of this surprises The One I serve, and if His "Plan A" for my life is Mom to 3, then I will cherish my first and last with a fierce heart.

My quiver is full and I pray my heart will follow suit.

About Last Night 2/8/2009 AKA as The 80's Revisited

This is me and Big Daddy all dolled up for the throw back valentines banquet. You were suppose to dress like your graduation year....let me clarify that BIG DADDY graduated in the 80's, NOT me. But really, how much different were the early nineties????

He was so channeling Don Johnson....make sure that you scroll down and see what he had on his feet...I was dying when he put them on!!!



This is me and "Candy"...at least that is what my kids call her. We were collectively working the 80's eyeshadow, the gaudy jewelry, the mauve lipstick and the hair by "Aqua Net"

This is Crack and his lady...she did an amazing job during the show. The youth did a flash back to the previous decades, and she was by far the best dancer.

These are the previously mentioned shoes. Do you love the white pants? I guess you should know that he actually had PINK pants on to begin with, but we liked the mint green shirt over the pink Tee with the white pants in the end. This was also taken after we got home, but when we were there, his pants were tight rolled, right above the ankle...just like the ladies liked them back in the day.

We had a marvelous time re-living memories, and making some new ones.

Now, if I can just get my hubby to order me this for Valentines Day, I will be all set.

The Cleft of the Rock

Exodus 33

14 The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."

18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."

19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

20 But,"he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

21 Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.

22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."

It is not everyday that the very presence of the Lord greets us. But sometimes, just sometimes, we are witness to the very power of the Living God.

I have always loved the above passage. I love that Moses says, "Now show me your glory."

I love that in his relationship with the Lord, he felt like he could ask this of him. I love that it reminds me that I too, am valued by the Lord on High, and that asking things of the Lord is NOT boastful, haughty, or for self gain. But, rather, it is the very essence of the relationship we are given through his Son.

I love that Moses realizes that unless the Lord go with Him, he ought not even to go. Oh, that I would have that be my prayer each and every morning.

This week, life for our church family changed with one phone call. It came on the heals of one visit to the doctor, and in that one moment, everything was different.

I write today, not because our greatest and most fervent prayers were answered. But instead because regardless of the medical tests and observations, we SERVE a MIGHTY KING.

I write today because Emily is awaiting a diagnosis.

I write today because Jud was healed not in life, but in death.

I write today because Audrey Caroline is in heaven with the Lord, and Stellan is not.

I write today because Pam is now living a life she never foresaw, but is walking it none the less.

I write today because prayers are answered, and because they are not.

I write today because none of this surprises our Mighty King.

I write today because there is no "Plan B" in the journey of life.

I write today because someone fought the good fight, and won.

I write today because someone else fought just as good a fight, but lost.

I write because when you are in the cleft of the rock, it is because His hand is upon you, not because He has forsaken you.

I write because even though I have not seen His face, I have indeed seen His GLORY.

About Last Night 1/23/09

Last night we celebrated Crack's birthday with family dinner here at home. The Outlaws were here, and the birthday boy choose the menu. I made Grilled Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo, garlic bread, and blue cheese wedge salad with bacon bits and balsamic vinegar.

As we sat down to eat, The Beez asked if she could say the blessing. This is how it went.

Me: "Go ahead Beez, we are ready to eat."

Beez: "Is everybody ready? I am going to pray now."

Me: "We're ready."

Beez: "Reeeeaaadyyyyyyyy? OooooooKaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!! Dear Jesus............"

The poor child is so excited about being a cheerleader, that it has overtaken everything, even her prayer life!!!

Ants in my pants...or something like it.

Last night, in order to watch 24 uninterrupted, I gave the kiddos permission to finish the cupcakes that I had made earlier by icing them and decorating them. I know, what was I thinking????

But actually, they did a very good job. What I did NOT tell them was how many they could eat AFTER they finished with the decorating. BIG MISTAKE!!! I should first mention, these were no measly cupcakes...these were my highly sought after JUMBO Celebration Cupcakes.

So this morning, while I was cleaning up the mess(don't miss the fact that it was this morning...not last night) I realized that there was only 5 left. After some quick addition(or subtraction) and searching, just in case I missed them and they were hiding, I realized that between the four of us who ate them last night(Beez was full from our yummy homemade soup and cornbread..which she said "rocked") we consumed 7 cupcakes...remembering that they were of the jumbo variety should bring a look of shock across your face.

But I KNEW that Big Daddy and I only ate one a piece....which left the culprits Crack and Snake eating two each.

That, my friends, is the equivalent to 4 PIECES of CAKE EACH!!!!!!

Dashing through the snow...

Well, here I am again....just barely. We have been so busy the past two weeks, I have not had the chance to take a breathe, let alone put pen to paper here on the blog.

The kids are through with school....THANK YOU LORD!!!! I need a break, and with family coming in and out over the next three weeks, it couldn't come soon enough.

Here is what you missed. The Beez, my M-I-L, my grandmother and myself all attended a Mother-Daughter Tea last weekend. It was divine. It was held at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast and the three course tasting was marvelous.

The same weekend, the family participated in our annual church Christmas Celebration. More on that when i can get the video downloaded. But to be sure, it was something truly special. It was the Beez's first program, and I was so proud of her singing her heart out....and so was she!!!

I also tackled our bedroom, and believe me tackle is the only way to describe it. I spent all of Monday in my bedroom cleaning from top to bottom and everywhere in between. I was actually very proud of myself, because nothing got stashed away, everything was put in its proper place, and I am happy to say, it has stayed that way.

It was also our 13th anniversary this past Wednesday. It usually sneaks up on us, and this year was no different. I did wake up to a message on my bathroom mirror from my beloved...I need to buy him a tube of Bonnie Bell dollar lipstick so that he will leave my Lancome alone, but who am I to regulate love notes on a bathroom mirror???

I really need to dish on my gift from my love, but I do not have the time to do it right now. Just know this, I washed my Katana II in the washing machine a few months back...it was horrible cause I LOVED THAT PHONE...and my husband has been saying that until our contract was up I would just have to suffer through with an ancient phone from years ago. He has really been laying it on thick...you know me not being able to take care of nice things and all....and it was all for show because guess what he bought me for my anniversary???? Are you ready??? I got an iPhone....yep, little ole me is now the proud owner of an iPhone. I have no idea what to do with it, but I own it!!!

Yippee!!!

Gotta run.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas, I wish I could sit around the fire and chat with you all face to face, both family and friends that keep in touch via this blog...you all mean the world to me.

Until that time, be safe, laugh a lot, and Praise the One we Celebrate this Season.

April

Not Me Monday 12/8/08

Is is Monday already??? Goodness, where did our weekend go??? Here are my official confessions for the week...oh wait, I mean, my official denials for the week.

+++UPDATED at 10:47pm Monday Night+++++++
I had to add one more Not Me since it is so fresh and the evidence is still on my lips...literally.

I DID NOT send the kids to bed and then go into the kitchen and make a batch of chocolate chip cookies just so I could eat the raw dough.

I did not get literally giddy while shopping when I purchased $2195.00 worth of high end clothes from Dillard's for only $225.00...cause that would mean that I only paid 11% of retail...and as good of a bargain shopper as I am...I am NOT THAT GOOD!!!!



I did not run over my sisters FAVORITE stroller...cause that would be ridiculous...surely I would have remembered that I placed the stroller behind the car, so I would not forget it....and having NOT forgotten it, I surely could NOT have backed over it.



I did not sleep till 10:30 on Saturday while my husband got up and not only watched over our boys, but also over their friends who had spent the night...and he made them breakfast. Oh, I did not have the same husband bring me coffee in bed(@ 10:30 am) cause I was surely up and about.



I did not watch iCarly when I was home alone last week...cause it is a kids show...and I am so not into that kind of stuff...truth be told I LOVE iCARLY!!!!



I did not show my kids the "safe" way to be pyro-maniacs last night while we sat around the fire pit...."because ONLY YOU can prevent forest fires"

TIMBER!!!!

Every year we head out to cut down our Christmas at a local tree farm. It never fails, it is either raining or freezing...this time, it had just finished raining and was now in the low 30's. We hopped on the "Sleigh" and headed for the same field we found our tree in last year. The cold egged us on, as did the setting sun, and we had her picked out in no time. Every year I claim to have found an even better tree than last year, and of course this was no exception. My one request was that it be on the skinny side, as not to take up the whole living room like it did a few years back.



This is Big Daddy, Laughing Momma and Beez freezing their booty's off.



This was Beez's first year helping with the cutting...she was really excited...and so strong!!



This is Crack taking a whack at it. He informed me today that all my blog readers would think he is a drug addict with his code name...but I assure you...drug usage is NOT where that comes from.


Snake getting into the action...that other guy is not my kid..I am NOT THAT old yet.

Big Daddy always gets the first and last cut...He is Man...Hunter and Gatherer...Man of steel and all that stuff.


Me and My Girl

Me and Crack

Momma and Snake

Here it is just before its life is forever changed...It'll never be the same after a season in OUR house!!!!

Oh, and just in case you are wondering....this outing marked the millionth time I have tried to get a FAMILY photo...but it was too cold and even I couldn't make everybody suffer through countless automatic timer photos in the hope of a good family shot.

Thanksgiving,Black Friday,and Krispy Kreme

Here is part 2, if you missed part 1 you are so out of the loop, you may never recover. Just kidding, I am the one out of the loop and this is my attempt at catching up. Today's make up topics include Thanksgiving, Black Friday and even our "field trip" to Krispy Kreme.

Every year we head to the Outlaws house down south and spend the Thanksgiving holiday with them. It is not really a HUGE gathering, usually just the Outlaws, my husbands two uncles and their wives, and the 5 of us. BUT, you would NEVER know that by how many things we prepare every Thanksgiving, or the shear quantity that we surround ourselves with on this day every year. Here is the rundown:

Turkey
Spiral Ham
Dressing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Homemade Mac-N-Cheese
Green Bean Casserole #1 with water chestnuts
Green Bean Casserole #2 with artichoke hearts
Corn Salad
Fruit Salad #1 with coconut
Fruit Salad #2 without coconut
Deviled eggs - appetizer
Pinwheels - appetizer
Pickles and Olives and Pimento Cheese on celery
Raspberry Jello Salad
Panseet-uncles wife is Filipino and this is like a rice noodle chow mein....so yummy
Lumpia - same wife, these are like tiny egg rolls, more like a taquito...also super yummy
Rolls and Gravy
Pumpkin Pie #1
Pumpkin Pie #2
Pecan Pie

So, basically we had 13 people and 20 items....that is so INSANE!!!! In our defense, this is the ONLY big meal we make all year. We don't do an Easter meal or a Christmas Feast...we just do Thanksgiving in a HUGE way.

This year we also had a first.

This photo is serving as PROOF that my husband actually helped with the cooking once in 13 years. Of course after this photo op he was back to watching the parade and eating the deviled eggs(his normal activity of choice during the prep)

This photo is NOT a first. My F-I-L (half of the Outlaws) ALWAYS cleans up behind me on Thanksgiving day...I love a man with dishpan hands!!!!



This is Crack and Mamaw(the other half of the Outlaws)


I love this pic solely because it looks like I am shorter than my Man...which I am, but only by an inch...this pic either makes me 5'8" or him 6'4"...I'll take either.


Saturday we trekked to Krispy Kreme, where the boys handed in their report cards(yes, even homeschoolers get report cards) and received a donut for each "A". Beez was not pleased that I left her out of the report card/donut give-a-way...but cut me some slack, she only eats the sprinkles off the donuts, not the donuts themselves(such a travesty, I know) I promised her next time I would have her a report card too.

Husband and the Outlaws...can you tell he loves Krispy Kreme?


Mamaw, Beez, and Pappy


He is his fathers son...the kid LOVES Krispy Kreme.

He is SO NOT JOKING...he claims the fallen glaze is like fries in the bottom of a Micky D's bag...you have to eat them..and so it goes with the glaze. Although I did make him restrain himself enough from actually LICKING the box...instead he licked his finger and dipped it in the pile of yummy goodness.

Last but not least, and really this should be a post in and of itself. We are those crazy people who go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. We are the REALLY crazy ones. We were up 2:30am, and were the FIRST in line at Target at 3 am. By opening time (6am) there were 500+ people. We split up and had all of our loot and were checking out at 6:04(me) and 6:07(him). We had everything in the car and were heading back into Target at 6:09 for a potty break when the local TV station stopped us for an interview for their live broadcast. (we had already been interviewed for being the first in line)

After that we headed across the street and made a quick dash into HomeDepot. I grabbed a buggy full of items, and even three 99 cents poinsettias and checked out. While I was doing that, my husband found one more item and got in line himself. Now, while we do set aside cash for Christmas shopping every year, we actually charge everything the day of because the one year we carried cash I was a nervous wreck. It also makes it easier for returns so that way if we buy something and then find it for less somewhere else, it is no problem and doesn't tie up twice the cash.

Anyway, I say all that because when he got to the checkout our credit card was declined, which was shocking beacuse I KNEW we had 4x the amount of what we had budgeted for Christmas free our our credit card, and it was weird since his amount was only $20. I told him not to worry, just use the debit card instead.

Well, 8 hours later, when we got home I was checking email and I received a notice that our card had been frozen due to fraudulent usage. I was worried because my credit has been hacked into before and it is such a headache!!!! But, I called the number and this is what the nice lady told me (after verifying like 100 different things from age, address, 2nd born's birth weight, what I ate last night(see previous list) and so on....and I quote, " Mrs. Laughing Momma, we froze your account because BOTH of the cards assigned to this account were used minutes apart at the same store, and then again just a few minutes later at a different store. Can you verify if you did indeed make these purchases???? They were at Target- 6:04 am and 6:07 am and then HomeDepot at 6:13 and then 6:15" I replied, "Yes, I am happy to say that my waiting in line for three hours paid off, we are guilty of power shopping,(and later dropping) the day after Thanksgiving" Mrs Credit Card closed our conversation with, "Well, Mrs Laughing Momma, I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you(that would be a glare from my husband...you know the kind that turns him into the Incredible Hulk...and a hundred questions on whether or not our last bill had been paid....not so pleasant) and we hope that you continue to enjoy our services...I will flag your account so that next year when the computer tries to falsely accuse you, the card holder of fraud, it will overlook the fact that it is practically impossible to be 4 places almost simultaneously, we will remember that you are Super Woman...just out looking for a good deal."

"Thank you, please see to it, cause I may be Super Woman, but I am no match for the Incredible Hulk"

What we did last night(and this morning) 12/3

We decorated our Christmas tree last night. You would think we could do somethings normal but there is always HIGH drama at our house. It started with one male child, who will remain unnamed, deciding that behavior worthy of a good whooping was the best way to start the evening. We actually had to stop the video camera so that he should get some "wise council" in our room.
Once we did get back to it, I was so excited because I bought some new lights day after Christmas last year and I was excited to see them on the tree. I should stop here and say that my Mom was kind of a Christmas Nazi when it came to decorating our tree when I was little. Every year the tree had a theme, usually based on a common color theme....Red and White, Blue and Silver, Purple and Gold. So we never were able to just go hog wild...until she finally wised up and got us a tree for our room that we could decorate with anything we wanted(except that years themed items) In the end, I was not warped or anything, and actually I really love symmetrically decorated trees. Even ones that are multicolored but maybe only have glass balls, or stars, or Santas, or Crosses.
If I was brutally honest I would have to say that I would love to have a tree like my Mom use to do, but my husband is a purist when it comes to decorating and that means ANYTHING goes.
For years, my only say so was that we had white lights. I lost that battle when the boys got older and decided that they wanted multi-colored lights(one of my least faves) and so the past 3 or 4 years, rainbow lights have adorned our tree.....But last year I found solid red lights and solid blue lights for like a buck a box. I was so excited to have unity at least in the light department. SO there I am, ready to do the lights...when I open the boxes and find that the cords are WHITE!!!! Hello, my tree is green!!!! How in the world am I going to cope with WHITE electrical cording all strewn through my already cosmically created explosion of every color and type of ornament known to man??????
The answer...colored lights again this year. I knew the white cording would bug me in an OCD neurotic way from now till tear down day and I couldn't do it...even for red lights.

Now for my pictorial review of the night. Every year the Outlaws buy the grand kids Hallmark ornaments. They usually buy something that represents what each kid is loving or into that year. Well last year was the best year ever because Hallmark did ornaments from DC Comics. You all know that we are secretly a family of Super Heroes right? Especially Beez...She loves Wonder Woman. Now, while the rest of the DC crew had really cool figurines-each hero in a really cool pose- I guess the best they could come up with for WW was her clothes.
Yep, in case you were wondering if you missed the rapture, here is proof. Hallmark designed the WW ornament to be a testament to her outfit and nothing else.


Don't ask me why, but I guess since we got married the week before Christmas 13 years ago, somehow we thought that a laminated copy of the newspaper announcement should be stored with the Christmas decorations...that makes sense right? So here it is...don't laugh.


Halfway through the kids decided we needed some comedy relief...so they posed a few times...They are total nut cases when it comes to Christmas...that is SO not my side of the family!!!!


Lastly, I have been itchen' to get my sewing machine out and I finally did this morning. I whipped this up in about 2 hours, half of that was spent ironing the the seams and basting the initial on....isn't it adorable?????

If you are on my Christmas list...you might be getting one of your very own if I can find time between now and then.

I was super pleased...I didn't use a pattern. I am kind of pattern illiterate sometimes...all the sewing jargon throws me, so when possible I just wing it.

Cakes and Closets

Every year, just before Christmas, I do a thorough closet cleaning. This year was no exception, and Snake's room was the one I really had my eye on. The kid is growing so fast I can hardly keep him in clothes(hint to a OK friend...need more 12's and 14's?) Anyway, I tortured him and required him to try on EVERY pair of pants...which of course is pure misery for an 10 year old. I finally wittled the massive pile down to just what was needed and even made him give up all but four pairs of shorts for the winter.
The best part about the whole closet and clothes ordeal was that the following weekend, my husband was volunteering at a local ministry and as he was leaving someone was unloading a BEAUTIFUL maple dresser with matching mirror that the manager said he could buy for $60 bucks!!!!....did I mention that Jake is the only one without a dresser???? He has had a 3 drawer Rubbermaid on wheels in his closet for underclothes and jammies but everything else was either hung up or on shelves in his closet.
It was perfect timing since everything was cleaned out and gone through...I couldn't be happier to say that all the closets are cleaned out and toys gone through...that is always such a huge undertaking and to have a checked off my pre-Christmas list is a weight off my shoulders.

Now to cakes. I make cakes as a hobby. It is very relaxing for me and I love the creative part of it. This month I had a bunch of cakes to make and even had a Wilton character cake in the mix...which I have not done in years. In addition to the following cakes I also made two cakes and 4 plates of gourmet jumbo cup cakes for a cake auction that our church has every year. My Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake went for $75 bucks and a Red Velvet Crumb Cake similar to the one below went for $65. Each plate of (4) gourmet cupcakes went for between $20 and $35. I was super excited...mine didn't catch the highest bid(that was $120 for a cheesecake) but they were highly sought after which made my day.

Red Velvet 4 layer Crumb Cake....it was suppose to have five layers but in the middle of making-baking-frosting 5 different items...I misplaced one of the layers...I found it after I had frosted the stupid thing!!!!

My Niece, the Beast turned 2, and we celebrated with a Wilton Dora Cake. The recipe called for a different color for her skin, but it was super orange....so I altered it and ended up with a Caucasian version of Dora...I was cracking up...totally not a politically correct thing to do..but it was so funny to me after a late night and cramping hands from icing the darn thing.

Well, that was not so bad. I knocked two off of my list...more later.

What we did last night(actually what we have done the past two weeks)

I know, I know....I am fired. I do not think I have ever gone TWO WHOLE weeks without a post but it is not because I don't have anything to post...it's because I have SO MUCH to post. I really do not even know where to begin...how about I bullet point the topics and then try to touch on all of them this week.

• Closet Cleaning
• Birthday Parties/Cakes
• Cake Auction
• Christmas Shopping
• Black Friday shopping(1st in line a Target...3am)
• Christmas Tree Cutting
• Thanksgiving Prep
• Krispy Kreme Field trip
• Flat Stanley Musical
• Garage Cleaning
• Jane Austen Reading
• Christmas Decorating
• Writing on the bathroom wall
• 5year old joke gone awry

What we did last night....11/4

It's ELECTION CENTRAL at our house tonight. This was our first real family themed night -a la Whittaker Woman. The kids painted a HUGE flag for our table cloth...hand prints for the red stripes, and cookie cutter blue stars...yes there were 50...and do not fret about the white stripe at the top...it was cut off so the 13 stripes were right too!!!!

(technically the red was mixed with pink...but work with me here...I have a 5 year old girly girl and pink rules!!!!)

These were Stars and Stripes appetizers...homemade Stripes a la mozzarella sicks and Homemade Stars which were cheddar, artichoke, and bacon cheese.

Blue pasta, with Maverick Meatballs, and Red Sauce

Then we did Alaskan/Palin Moose Munch...in three different flavors...the perfect Election Night Snack. This one was Chocolate/Caramel.

This one was Chocolate and Caramel, dusted with powder sugar.

This one was just Caramel