29 September 2006

peek a boo...

guess who's six months old...
(give or take 4 days:)


age...
half
.5
6/12

love...
whole
full
complete


:)

there's a scrapbook page in there somewhere...
(isn't there always?:)

26 September 2006

happy happy...things that make me so very happy...

...portland...
this weekend
just me & my girl
got to rona’s house
new john mayer cd on the bed
(early christmas present she says:)
what a cool mother-in-law!
love her…

saw kate’s wedding dress
oh so beautiful
i had that moment
when you first see the bride
& everything just stands still
it is so perfect
it is just so her.
beautiful.

funny funny bachelorette party
kate was at the helm of that one
monica is marrying a boy named jack
so everything she had to do was jack related
‘split a jack & coke with a stranger’
‘find 2 people to do jumping jacks with’
‘have a cracker jack eating contest with someone’
‘have someone act out ‘jack & jill’ with you while reciting it’
(the guy she did this one with was very good
he even fell down & broke his crown!)
it was great
& monica was totally game:)

fun hanging out with my friend emily
(she’s emily anna:)
when we were in high school
people would call us ‘the emilys’
& we would say
‘emily & emily, we are each individual human beings’
that is exactly the kind of smarty pants girls we were
& as it turns out
still are…
:)

miss m got to spend time with her grandma alone
i think that might be a rare occurrence
just because we usually go up there all four together
so i was so glad that they got to hang out
& rona got to know her 3rd granddaughter:)

10:30 service at southlake
(i love that church)
&
a stop at my favorite scrapbook store
on the way home
to complete a lovely weekend
girlie all the way:)
~~~~~~~~~

...20 minute makeover...
my new thing…
i put both kids down for a nap
set the timer for 20 minutes
then clean up all i can in that amount of time
when the timer goes off i’m done
& free to do what i want
any old time:)
it has been so good for me
i can now blog & surf with no guilt
cause i already did my 20 minute clean up
i love this
it fits me just right:)

...grey’s anatomy...
a tv show that makes you
laugh
cry
want to download music

all in one episode?
that is my kind of show…

...Q...
‘i want to see my liver’
after asking ‘what?’ 12 times
i finally realize he wants to drive over
& see ‘his’ RIVER again
i am half disappointed, half relieved
‘my two year old KNOWS what his liver is?!?’
(i always knew he was advanced)
‘my two year old wants to SEE his liver?!?’


...sharpies...
brian brings home
new colors
every time
a rainbow to choose from
a charmed life i do lead…

...prison break...
i
like
that
show
A
LOT.

...oregon/oklahoma game...
don’t care if it’s fake win
a win is a win
(that’s what fake winners always say:)
& it was so fun & crazy
we were hugging everyone around us
plus
toby keith was there
& i saw him
he’s a country singer
& a oklahoma fan
poor toby keith

...hershey’s caramel kisses...
trouble
big trouble

...the jiggles...
a song
(not a description of my tummy
well, actually it is a description of my tummy
but not what i am about to talk about here
& everybody said 'phew!')
by bradley whitford (of 'the west wing' & 'studio 60')
& jane kasmerick (of 'malcom in the middle')
they are married
& this song is great
if you have itunes & a child
this is a must have.
it'll be in your head for days
& yet you won't care...

...clean closet...
equals
happy mommy:)

what’s making you oh so happy today?

:)

25 September 2006

cuttin' for the very first time....

i’ve been a weird al fan
(don’t even think i’m going to attempt his last name:)
since ‘like a surgeon’

if you can recite all of the words to
‘eat it’
this is for you…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xEzGIuY7kw

thanks to Jessica
my dear hilarious friend
who is herself
whiter than sour cream:)


:)

21 September 2006

there's a pattern here somewhere...


we laugh
& talk
for hours
about
nothing
& everything

cheerleader barbie
& plus size nancy drew
post quarter life crisis
nothing unsaid
nothing held back
everything real
everything love

questions
& comments
feel happy
feel history
feel better
feel cuter

husbands
& kids
true love
true challenge
true life

heritage
& future
mom’s daughters
daughter’s moms

margaritas
& cute cake
2 bar stools
6 years past 26
& $20 each
equals
everlasting friendship
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i love you, gwenie
(with a heart over the i)

:)

20 September 2006

the hills are alive….

i love music
& thanks to me
my children will have quite a variety of it
in their musical memory…
ABBA to veggie tales:)

& may i also say that ipods rock?
we were given one by a kind benefactor
who can’t resist new, fun electronics
(love you dad!)
he bought a nano
& we inherited the little white machine of tunes…
for a mixed tape lover like me
this is heaven
& no hitting rewind
then play
then rewind
then play
then fast forward
nope
i hit one button
& i’m back to the beginning of dancing queen just like that
& if i want to listen to knarls barkley
over & over & over
i can.
this is love…

so here are my favorites right now…
(i want to emphasize RIGHT NOW
(that is why i capitalized it:)
these are not my favorites of all time
(so don't go freaking out that there's no mj or whatever:)
just on my playlist at the moment
best songs of all time?
that is another day….)


‘we’re all in this together’
high school musical

this song is stuck in my head all day
& i love it
i haven’t seen the movie yet
but it’s in my queue at netfilx…
can’t wait:)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

waterfalls
tlc

great lyrics
great message
great beat
try to,listen to this without
just MOVING
it is absolutely addicting
& after you’ve listened to it 20,000 times
you just feel so cool…
rolling down the street…
radio blasting…
two carseats in the back seat…
whaaat?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

daughters
john mayer

i loved this song before i had a daughter
now?
forget it…
can’t even make it through without a hankie…

ps i will listen to anything john mayer wants to sing..
phone book?
grocery list?
crime & punishment?
bring it on.

pps anyone heard his newest album?
want it…
waiting:)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i guess that’s why they call it the blues
elton john

always a forbidden song in my mind
(the ‘rolling like thunder,
under the covers’ line)
but i love it
& i’ll sing it loud too
watch out…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

such great heights
the postal service

‘i’m thinking it’s a sign
that the freckles
in our eyes are mirror images
& when we kiss they’re perfectly aligned’

come on…
one of the best first lines ever
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

mmmbop
hansen

not a recognizable sentence in the whole song
but i can’t take it off my
‘em’s listening to…’ playlist
it’s just too good
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

forever
ben harper

‘give me your forever
please your forever
& not a day less will do
from you’

wish wish wish
i had known this song when we got married
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ain’t no other man
christina aguilera

‘do your thing honey!’
never heard anything like her voice
& this song is just the cutest thing
in a bad-ass way:)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

mama mia
abba

this is just a crazy song
& a crazy band
& just one of the best things ever

‘mama mia
here i go again…’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

sexyback
justin timberlake

since i heard ‘rock your body’
a few years ago (4 to be precise)
i have just loved him…
downloaded this today
but i can already tell it’s going to get heavy rotation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sweet potatoe pie
ray charles & james taylor

i don't even know what to write
a few years ago at the grammy's john mayer
introduced james taylor
'& now, the blueprint'
i love jt
& this duet is just awesome

& as my dear friend theresa said one time
'when i was growing up it went
air
water
james taylor'
yes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

just like heaven
the cure

high school
ahhh high school
some songs take you back…
yep that would be this song

‘i’ll run away with you…’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

so go ahead tell me
what’s got you singing in the shower?

:)

18 September 2006

i'll be more light hearted...tomorrow...:)

‘We often fantasize about the perfect day- something exotic & far away. But when it comes to those we miss, we desperately want one more familiar meal, even one more argument. What does this teach us? That the ordinary is precious. That the normal day is a treasure.’ Mitch Albom

this was in the parade section of the sunday paper
an article written by the guy who wrote tuesdays with morrie
it was about what you would do
if you had one more day
with someone who died

& of course it made me think of my mom
but beyond that
it made me think of my kids
& that every day does not have to be disneyland
or even the enchanted forest:)

that every little thing we do can be a little treasured memory
(hopefully the mommy mess ups become little forgotten memories:)
this is practically my friend ali’s scrapbooking mantra
she does pages all about ordinary days
& simple things.
one time she did a layout about
what everyone in her house was doing
on a random day at 10am…
what an awesome little slice of life
that her family will love to look back on…

& you don’t have to be a scrapbooker to do it
thanks to that sweet little magazine
that i love to mention
wondertime
i have started a little memory jar
whenever Q says something great,
fall over laughing hilarious,
or just does something i never want to forget
i write it on a random piece of paper
date it
& put it on a jar above the fridge.
no frills
just throw it in there.
no pressure.
but later on
maybe even in a few months
taking those out
& reading them is going to be so fun
a little snapshot of who he was at that time…
(& miss m will have her own soon, too:)

i want to remember
& i want them to remember…

:)

oh & just in case you’re wondering…
we would go for a jog
(slowly because i’m just starting up again)
get starbucks
(i’d take her to the drive through one
that she would have no doubt been a regular at;)
eat a cookie
shop at nordstrom
watch tootsie
go to zenon for salad & dessert
& introduce her to her grandbabies…
a very good day.

:)

15 September 2006

pouring...

we had rough midmorning…
by this i mean to say between the hours of 10:30 & 12:30
i wanted to be anywhere but with my dear sweet children
i would have gladly pitched a tent
in the sock section at fred meyer the day after thanksgiving…
at least someone maybe would have acknowledged my existence
even if was just to kick me on their way to a pack of tube socks

many things happened
which i will not recount here
because some day i would like you to read this blog again
& not because you are interested in hours of SAHM complaining:)

anyway…
on the way home from
breaking up countless
‘that’s mine!’s at play group
& not going to soccer
& not having lunch with my sister
i was feeling pretty icko
&
it started to rain
& it rained
& rained
it rained so hard

every time it rains like that
i think of lloyd dobbler in ‘say anything’
after she gives him the pen
he’s sitting in his car
& it’s pouring rain
& he says
‘the rain is a baptism…
the new me…
power lloyd!’

& though, to the disappointment of many
i am not going to start referring to myself as ‘power lloyd’
i did let those drops
help me
& i felt better
& when we got home
we ran from the car
through the rain
laughing all the way
& when we got inside we were drenched
& we laughed some more…

& we started over again
& this part of the day?
not so rough…

:)

14 September 2006

it only comes once a year...

our play group has 7 mama birthdays in august & september
& because i love our play group
& each mama
(even the ones whose birthdays aren't in august & september)
i’m going to wish them a happy birthday…
(only the ones whose birthdays are in august & september at this time...:)

in order of birthday appearance…

emily h…
let’s just say it
she’s a wonder woman
canning, baking, keeping a house running
tearing apart their deck
all with 2 active little boys & one baby on the way…
& one time in the middle of february (is that right breanna?)
she called the gents & brian & i
& asked us if we wanted to come over for dinner
because she had an extra turkey
when we got there she had prepared
an entire thanksgiving dinner
down to mashed potatoes
(don’t even think that they were out of a box…)
let’s all say it again
wonder woman.

emily g…
out of all 7 girls on this list
i am the only one i wished a happy birthday to
on the actual birthday day
hmmmm….
self centered much?
:)

nozomi r…
sweetest girl in the world
hands down
she makes an effort to talk to everyone in a room
& every time i look over she’s just having the greatest conversation
with whoever it is that is lucky enough
to get her at that particular moment…
& she always says
‘Q is the neatest boy’
& i am pretty sure she says that to everyone about their kids too.
but not in a smarmy
kiss up way
she truly believes & knows
that he is the best Q g. who has ever existed:)
a real gem
she is
:)

erin f…
the day after Q broke his arm
& had surgery
we got home & she called
& said ‘what do you need?’
this is the essence of erin
she will do anything you ask of her
she has a true servants heart.
she is really really fun to just hang out with
& she reads every dang book on the book list
darn her…
:)


rachael p….
so there are a few people in life who you just
can’t do justice to in words
they are just irreplaceable
& fill up a part of you that needs it…
rachael is that person for me
we have been through a lot together
mostly awesome, fun, crazy laughing good times
our kids love each other
& we have been pregnant together twice
she is just too cool
i love her…
& i love how she often starts her emails with
‘howdy’
makes me remember my farm girl roots
:)

janna s…
this girl has the most incredible email décor
like even on a little
‘how ya doin’?’ email
little things dancing around
& colors galore!
you don’t need a dvd player or netflix
when you have janna to send you emails:)
she is a busy girl
& we hardly ever see her
but she’s a boatload of fun
& the garage sale queen:)
(i am a mere princess in comparison;)

emily w…
oh you know about emily…
she’s the third emily to join playgroup….
she’s the one with the blog that throws my blog on the floor
& wrestles it until it says ‘you rule the blog world, oh great one’…
she’s the one who has the amazing frye boots
which she wore to a wedding reception with a cammo mini skirt…
she’s the one who had her birthday party at El Vaquero last night
& ordered every amazingly described appetizer on the menu,
but loved the mac & cheese the best…
she’s the one who has an awesome (faux?) fur coat…
she’s the one who makes me laugh…
& tells me tales of her life BE (before eugene)…
she’s the one who insanely loves her son,
even as she’s calling him a deranged tree monkey…
she’s the one who’s my newest friend
& i’m hoping will be an old one…
:)


so there they are
happy birthday to them…
(or as Q always makes sure…
first you have to put something on your head
napkin, cup, sock, anything will do
then & only then can you sing happy birthday)
:)

by the way
to anyone who lives in or is visiting eugene
El Vaquero is excellent
it’s across from joe federigos
on 6th street
so so yummy…

11 September 2006

another one of those serious ones...

i just didn’t want this day to pass
without saying something
i really don’t know what to say, though

i was thinking about it
& all of the people who lost family members way too soon
& hey, i’ve had experience with that
& how certain things just hit you at strange times

like walking through target
& seeing a red sweater for sale
& thinking
‘that would have looked so cute on my mom’

that is normal
& it’s good too
good to remember

but when i think about
all of the footage
& seeing the planes hit over & over
i just ache
for the people who had loved ones die
how would i feel if i could just randomly turn on the tv
& see my mom’s car crash?
i would feel like i was in hell...

so today
as i remember
what happened
on septemeber 11, 2001
i’m also going to say a prayer
for the friends & loved ones
for strength
& good memories
& more happy times to come
& permission to keep the tv off…

& god bless you, too…
what ever you’re going through today
big or small
you are loved
:)

06 September 2006

hey, where ya been?

this morning i stopped right before
i put baby formula into the dishwasher
so
that’s how my week is going…

how ‘bout you?

i’ve been working on wedding invitations
for my faux little sister, monica
(sister of my friend & friend of my sister…
read that again…
tricky…)
& every time i am just about finished
doing invitations for someone
i think
‘i will never do invitations again
i hate them’
& then someone asks me & i say
‘oh sure!
i would love to’
help!

if i just had some little elves
that did all of the putting together work…
i love designing them
but putting together 200?
that is not artistic
that is hellish repetition
that is like watching
the 30 second preview for the movie ‘cars’
over & over
because it is on the dvd of ‘the incredibles’
that you borrowed from your neighbor
but i wouldn’t know anything about that…

& the house
ughhh
one word:
pit

it is messy
messy
messy
not to the point of the lady on oprah
just left the dog poop everywhere
(speaking of... i haven't seen the dog in weeks...)

but it's not good...

at one point
the pile of clean laundry was taller than Q
& i was so crazed that i didn't even take a picture
you know that is bad...

&
&
&
my shirts in my closet
are hanging out of order

those who know me well
may be surprised to learn that
i always have my closet rod organized

first
patterned/new shirts
then
tank tops
sweaters
(i know they should be folded)
short sleeved
¾ sleeved
long sleeved

the rest of the closet can be hideous
clothes all over the floor
shoes in a pile
but the shirts are always in order
you may be surprised at this sudden onset of OCD
only in the closet
only on the hanging rod
or you may want to refer me to a counselor…

anyway
tank tops are next to long sleeved shirts
there is a sweater touching a patterned shirt
& don’t even get me started
on where the ¾ sleeved are hanging out…

life is messy
& that sums it up…

on to cleaner & better things…

some new spots for you
to spend all of your hard earned
time & money...

few new favs…

visionphotography.blogspot.com
a really great photographer…with a lot of creativity
he also has a lovely assistant…oh & he sleeps right next to me!
check him out (the site i mean…not him…he’s mine:)

kateandryan.name
see what kate & ryan are planning for their big day, check their registries,
send them a congrats….fun to see their cute pictures…

andriahigginsdesigns.com/IFP010/P8.asp
my friend andria is so talented…she designs & sews clothing & purses…
she also makes jewelry & cards & journals & anything else
that pops into her cute little head…crazy affordable…& cute/cool as can be:)

that’s all for now…

but watch out…
more excitement to come…

:)