mommy Miranda musings

2011-01-18T13:11:00.002-06:00

Testing testing

was testing out sending blog posts via text message. Looks like I can't really use a title and then the second post with image failed. : / just when I thought this would get easier....

New View

2011-01-18T02:51:00.001-06:00

Secretly, I took a week of vacation last week so that I could.... clean. yep. Isn't that pathetic? And I even looked FORWARD to it. sheesh. I finally got my studio cleaned up. There was so much more I wanted to do over the week, but wouldn't you know it? Two snow days - TWO. Why is it whenever I take vacation time, either there's a snow day (or TWO!) or someone is deathly ill? Anyway, I'm sure hoping I can get the rest cleaned up over the next few months (!)

Bonus: all the Christmas decorations are put up. I thought those might be around until at least Valentines Day.

So here's the favorite part I love about my "new" studio makeover:

We Survived!

2011-01-17T01:04:00.002-06:00

We didn't turn on the tv today!

Something New

2011-01-17T00:58:00.001-06:00

I just discovered a blogging app. Don't want to be overly hopeful, but maybe this will help my blogging... At least during those times when I'm stuck in line or whatever and can't be working. We'll see. Just testing this out...

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2010-01-07T22:42:00.003-06:00

We love you! (even if it's NOT your 35th birthday I'm still using 2009 in my math and it's not 70 degrees out - currently 0 with a -26 windchill! and your tummy doesn't feel so great after ALL those all-you-can-eat-wings) Can't wait 'til we all can celebrate together tomorrow! The little ones are really looking forward to it!

photos are from our Christmas tree hunt the day after Thanksgiving, the last nice day I can remember.

snow snow go away!

2010-01-07T12:48:00.001-06:00

Alright, I admit, the whole "white Christmas" thing was kinda cool... even the story about how we couldn't get in the driveway on Christmas eve was cute and gave us a chuckle... but two weeks and 24+" later.... well, I'm about sick of it. And I could really do without the -14 degrees overnight... and don't even get me started on the windchill.

Do you know it will be 69 degrees in San Diego tomorrow?
*sigh*

A GREEN Christmas Greeting 2009

2009-12-21T14:34:00.007-06:00

(double-click to enlarge)

The Aligator in the Garage

2009-05-14T03:09:00.003-05:00

So it's after 3 am, I'm totally stressed out with about a million things I could rant about, but instead, I'm going to surrender to my blog craving because I've been so delinquent and it might make me feel just a little better to forget my rotten day and remember something fun that happened recently.

We've been spending a lot of time out in the garage lately with having the garage sale and Jack was playing quietly when he came up to me and starting talking a mile a minute about the alligator in the garage. Things like "I'm going to keep him" and "I'm going to pick him up and hug him" and "he's soft, I'm going to touch it" (making the motions with his hands sliding together). I thought, he can't be making this up, it's way too specific to just be a thought. I said, "wait, Jack, whatever it is, don't touch it until mommy gets to see it" (this is the kid that picks up bees) He promptly took me to the corner to show me where it was. Honestly, I was just a little scared. I looked around this rolled up mat for our treadmill, but didn't see anything.... until I walked away and then he popped his head out. Of course, I had to scream a little, it was just a bit freaky, especially when you're thinking "is there really a little alligator in my garage?"

So here he is....

mind you, these photos are from 2 years ago. He's just a scant bigger now, but I didn't have a chance to grab the camera this time. I wasn't about to leave Jack alone with him to come back only to find Jack hugging him or worse. No, I didn't clobber him... are you kidding? I won't show you my spider pics! But I'm certainly not going to be the one to mess with the food chain, that is for sure. He was a little brave getting close to Jack, but I'm pretty sure he's harmless. Anyone know what he is? (besides the alligator in the garage)

Jack and GG's Ducky session at Harrington's

2009-03-16T22:50:00.003-05:00

See the video here how our session went. I was freaking out because getting them to sit still for photos is like corralling two greased up pigs, then you throw in two adorable, super tiny little baby ducks, and my blood pressure was through the roof! I was so scared something was going to get killed because Jack wouldn't stay put on his bottom and of course, they were somewhat uncooperative with the camera. Even so, the Harrington's are really awesome at catching that split second where there's a great shot. Check it out.

Dear Tacoma....

2009-02-25T21:58:00.002-06:00

The best piece of material I've seen in a long while. I love it!
(Double click the image if you're having a hard time reading.)

bye bye baby

2009-02-16T00:35:00.007-06:00

I think I can officially say we no longer have any "babies" in the house anymore. I know, I know, she's still very little, but to see my husband taking apart the bassinette tonight after having it's home next to my side of the bed for the last 36 months, well, to his credit, he tried to get it done before I had finished nursing her and laying her down, but it was hard to see it go. If for nothing else, I'll have to find a new place to put my clean clothes that I'm too busy to hang up. Our room seems so vacant now. I imagine Jack coming in tomorrow morning (this morning) to wake me and asking, "what happened?" his new favorite question for everything.

Things have suddenly seemed just a tad easier lately. It's very odd. I really started to take stock the other day as to what could be attributing to this. It finally hit me tonight just after I said goodbye to the little co-sleeper that was making it's new home in the cold attic. GG is now just a little older than Jack was when she was born. This is the first time I've had a toddler this age without an infant to care for. I had the experience of having a baby until he was 6 months old and then I became pregnant again, so the rest of the next several months had added challenges and by the time Jack was just starting to do things for himself, I had a newborn. This last week, I was finally able to push GG up to the table where she is happily feeding herself almost all of the time. She's also become very interested in potty training when she feels like it, she plays by herself more often now and I've seen some glimpes of her starting to wean from her last two feedings -in the early morning hour and at bedtime- so there's a lot going on right now in her journey to toddlerhood. But then you look at those cheeks and they just scream:
"BABY girl".

Still, this newfound liberation is a bit unsettling. I'm not sure what to do with myself during the new and few minutes I've found. It's not much, but it's like catching my breath. I got to dust the living room the other day, and it wasn't even the weekend!

SUPER SAVER - draft guard for door

2009-02-15T19:37:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I started thinking about lots of creative ways to save money lately. With the economy in a state of crisis and just about everyone I know cutting back on this or that, I thought that it couldn't hurt to post my latest find once in a while. Who knows? It could save you a little money, too!

You'll need:
two strips of styrofoam insulation or thick foam (cut to the width of the door)
quilter's batting (the width of the door x about 18")
old pantyhose (just one leg per door)

This was inspired from a commercial for a draft guard that fits under doors. If you have a drafty door, it's very much like having a leaky faucet. You don't really see the money dripping away, but if you added up the gallons you're wasting over the course of a year, you would definitely do something about it! We have a doggy door from the mud room to the garage and then another from the garage to the back yard. So, there's a bit of a draft coming in : ) (see the titanic opening under the door?)

I started with two pieces of scrap insulation styrofoam (from Lowe's or if you know someone who is building or a site where you could find enough discarded). We have an awful lot of construction in our area, so this type of thing is plentiful here, but you could buy a 1/8 of a yard of foam from JoAnn's or local fabric store. Measure your styrofoam to your door and trim excess.

Cover each piece with batting by rolling it over the styrofoam like this:

Then roll up your old pantyhose as if you were going to put your toes in and start at one end, working your way up. Cut excess and knot shut.

Carefully ease the guard under the door through the "trough" between the pieces of styrofoam with the batting that goes between the pieces next to the floor.

It's not the most beautiful thing I've ever created, but the kitchen is soooo much warmer now. I'm shocked how much air we didn't realize was coming in!

Nearing :::500:::

2009-02-06T13:16:00.002-06:00

The blog is getting very close to 500 hits (thanks, Cindy!)
and I promise not to do this again until we reach 1000, but it's been fun watching every new century mark getting closer and closer together. If you are lucky #500 (see counter) leave a comment and say "hey! it was ME!" Thanks for stopping by : )

Still Riding My Obama High

2009-01-27T22:34:00.006-06:00

President Obama has been awfully busy for one week....
(1. Scrub 2. Rinse 3. Repeat)
What an amazing start. I'm as excited today as I was a week ago. My favorite word of the week: "follow through". Okay, that's two words, but whatever. I don't see him going down in history as "the president with the most vacation days". His predecessor holds that at 34% of his days in office. Can you imagine taking off 3 1/2 months out of the year? What a farce.

My second favorite word? "Diplomacy"
ooo, that even sounds just a little sexy ; )

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Not Me Monday (3)

2009-01-26T15:30:00.011-06:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday, where we can be brutally honest with each other, and live to tell about it. We all take shortcuts in life and so many of us moms think that if we admit to it, then we will not be the supermoms everyone sees us to be or expects us to be. Well, here is the place where hundreds of us are not exactly admitting to our shortcuts as almost a form of therapy. MckMama started it all here, on her blog. Join in, learn how and to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

1. I was horsing around with Jack and while I had my back on the floor, I hoisted him up on my feet to do the "helicopter ride". He's finally big enough for me to do this kinda stuff with him, and of course it was "do it again, Mommy" over and over. Finally, I thought it would make a fun photo for my 365 blog. That was until I saw my legs in it... because of course I shave my legs EVERYDAY now that I work from home full time, hardly ever go anywhere in anything but pants because it's oh, about an arctic 11 degrees here! So, obviously, I did not crop out most of my legs in the shot so people could not decipher just how long it's been, like rings of a tree.... not me!

2. I am not still listening to Christmas music because the CD's are still in the stereo and the kids always ask for it. Jeez, it's nearly February. Not me!

3. My son did not point out my dirty floor to my friend (with grown children) during lunch Saturday. Because of course, after having a crawler who wouldn't walk until she was 15 months old and even then, not 100% of the time, I am not taking a break here and there from having to keep the floor food-friendly.

4. My baby daughter let several rather unpleasant bouts of gas just rip during a quiet, intimate memorial service Wednesday. And I did not wave my hand in front of my face nor shake my head at her just so everyone that heard (and smelled nearby) would know that it was not me (seriously, it wasn't me, it WAS her and it was pretty mortifying!)

5. I don't think there is a rule that I have to list 5, but I usually do. I can't remember what 5 was supposed to be. I've been doing this all week.... I almost only had 3. But it's pretty funny that since I've been doing my NMM, I have been hearing the narrative of my blog posts in my head while I'm going through the actions thinking "yep, this is going to be one for NMM...ugh...."

An Unusual Post

2009-01-24T22:42:00.002-06:00

If you have some time to burn, check out this unusual post over at my Project 365. I think I was inspired by Tammie when she wrote about her bag and the story it tells about her. What does your fridge say about you?

Pay It Forward

2009-01-23T01:54:00.005-06:00

I really wanted to do this (from Lindsay's blog) but she doesn't really know me, so I didn't sign up immediately... until she still needed a good Samaritan tonight. (I'd hate for her to think I was a stalker! But she has the cutest little family (so do I), she loves to cook (so do I), she loves to make super cool cakes (so do I), she's awfully crafty and resourceful (so am I), her oldest son's birthday is September 18 (so is mine) and her last name is Miranda (so is mine!). We have a few things in common. I accidentally found her (the very first blog I stumbled upon) when I was looking for a blog name to use. So now I follow her blog and smile when I can relate and chuckle at her little monkeys!

Read closely...this is how it works...

{The Rules}

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!

2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Counts!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!
If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Please take the button and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

SO, REMEMBER... it is good... :) Pass it forward.

GG's tantrum goes global

2009-01-23T01:47:00.005-06:00

GG's story was featured on McMama's site! (she's had about 3,395,882 visitors to her blog, roughly 30,000 a day?) GG's the "toddler girl" that's mentioned in the first paragraph.

"We Shall Overcome"

2009-01-21T01:08:00.006-06:00

It was just me and my girl today for the inauguration. I thought it was fitting. She and I alone went to the caucus, and then it was just us when we voted early and then today, just us girls for this historic event. I was moved and I am so excited for our future. It will be a long haul, but I have faith in giving him some time to get it going, even though he hit the ground running 2 months ago and I don't see him having a problem with that. I don't think he'll be the president with a record vacation days. I think he's more "like us" than any other president in modern times and I love that two Kansas women raised him. I love that my children will grow up in a changed world, especially given that their heritage is the same as Obama's, with an immigrant father. I think people will be inspired to move more than ever, but more importantly, I believe he will be sure to guide us and show us the ways that we can be a part of this change. Tell us what to do, Mr. President, we are sooo ready.

Not Me Monday (2)

2009-01-19T00:00:00.002-06:00

(If you don't know what Not Me Monday from MckMama is, check this post.)

1. I decided with this nasty cold weather we're having that it was high time to bust out the massive ham bone from Christmas out of the freezer and make a yummy soup. Mind you, this was from a 20 pound ham, a WHOLE ham. The bone was waaaay bigger than I remembered and not only did it not fit into my largest stockpot, but it wouldn't come close to fitting in the crock pot either. The bone was at least 1 1/2 inches thick. My wheels went to work. Of course, this did not lead me to the garage full of tools where I might find something to improvise with. And I did not proceed to clean the blades of our tree trimmer and then with everything I had, snap that bone in half. Nope, not me. Man that soup was good.

2. My mother in law brought over a bag of pre-popped kettle corn from Sams on her weekly Wednesday visit. I was skeptical because I make sure the kids eat very healthy and I thought it was probably loaded with sugar and fat. Surprisingly, it wasn't all that bad and you could eat a hefty 2 cups for a serving. I should have known better than to ever have tried that stuff. It was the tastiest blend of crispy sweet and crunchy salty goodness. I have never been one to binge on anything (that is not a facetious statement, I really mean that). About 10 minutes into that bag I did not look down at it and realize that about half that bag was missing. Because like I said, I'm not one to do that. Ever. Not me.

3. I did not bribe my son to sit on the potty in exchange for playing games on my iPhone. Couldn't that really screw him up? Well, you wouldn't catch me doing that. hmm, mm. Not me.

4. My cable news addiction has not returned with a fever pitch leading to the big party Tuesday night. And I absolutely have not googled 24 hour coverage of the inauguration. I also have not thought of several dinner dishes for Tuesday that would include red white and blue. I'm not THAT excited. Not me. Besides, that would make all our republican friends and family just disgusted.

5. I did not begin this week putting plastic covered training pants over the kids' diapers at night so I don't have to change the sheets every morning (including ours) any more. That might be considered lazy parenting and I would die if someone thought that. I'd bet (because I've NEVER actually seen this, but I'd bet that GG's little bubble butt would look pretty funny!) I have to admit, though, the damn diapers are just not holding up anymore to the 12+ hours of sleep. And it's not the greatest way to wake up when a little one crawls into your bed in the morning sopping wet.

Sad News

2009-01-18T00:21:00.006-06:00

Our dear friend, Kellee, lost her father this week. I did not know him long, but he was a kind and gentle soul and I am grateful for the time that Kellee had with him most recently. Our hearts go out to you and your family, we are thinking of you.

In his honor, a small tribute to our friend's father....

(with wiggly-monkey-girl, GG last spring)

Wheeler W. Cornwell

ELLSWORTH- Wheeler W. Cornwell, 88, died Thursday, Jan. 15, at Midland Hospice House, Topeka. He was born July 28, 1920 in Crandall, SD to Carl and Mabel Burgess Cornwell. He was a resident of Ellsworth since 1939. He was a US NAVY veteran of WWII. On Jan. 15, 1946, he married Lena (Lee) Landry in New Orleans, LA. She preceded him in death Mar. 10, 1986. He was also preceded in death by a brother Ernest in 1996. Survivors include sons Larry and wife Cheryl, Henderson, NV, Carl and wife Nancy, Leawood, Bill and wife Tina, Singapore, Scott and wife Sally, Littleton, CO and Casey, Wichita; daughters Corliss Fulton, Oceanside, CA, Kellee Thiessen, Topeka and Holly Fries and husband Rodney, Ellsworth; sisters Theola Novak, Wichita and Dorothy Rehm, Rockland, CA; 15 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Visitation will be 1-8 p.m. Monday at Parsons Funeral Home, Ellsworth with family receiving friends 6-8 p.m. Service will be 10 a.m., Tuesday at the American Legion Hall, Ellsworth, with burial in the Ellsworth Memorial Cemetery. Military honors by US Navy Honorguard and American Legion Post 174. Memorials may be made to Alzheimers Assn., in c/o Parsons Funeral Home, Box 45, Ellsworth, KS 67439. Wheeler W. Cornwell

((¯`•.¸400¸.•´¯))

2009-01-17T10:11:00.002-06:00

We had 100 more visitors in less than 1 month!
Check the counter on the lower left sidebar, does it say 400? If it does, leave a comment below, because you're lucky 400 : )
Thanks for stopping by!

Not Me Monday (1)

2009-01-12T01:51:00.005-06:00

You can see the complete rules for "Not Me Monday"s here at MckMama's, and about 400 other bloggers' NMM's, but I thought I'd give this a whirl since my friend Lara was brave enough to try it, too!

What is "Not Me! Monday"??

This is how MckMama put it:
"Are you feeling ashamed for letting your child go to bed without brushing his teeth...again!? Did you eat a Snickers bar during a meeting without anyone knowing? Are you feeling embarrassed that you kicked the dog? We'll don't be. Not Me! Monday was born out of a desire to admit some of our imperfections and reveal a few moments we'd rather forget.

Why?

Well, for one, because it's just plain fun to pretend that we really did not do the things that we actually so did do. And, two, because reading through great tales of other people's Not Me! Mondays each week is a great way to level the playing field. We're all human, we all take embarrassing shortcuts, and so we may as well show each other that we're all in good company!"

However, with caring for two very little children for roughly 65-70 hours per week (yes, I adjusted for the hours that Pepe is here) and then another 40 with my grown up job, I may not actually post this ON Monday, but I'll try my best to get it on here at some point in the week (I'll cheat and post date it for that Monday though). You must know, however, this is excruciating for me because of my "A-type" personality, and admitting my faults and embarrassing moments is like having my fingernails slowly removed. Hopefully, though, this will be therapeutic in helping me to relax a little about things and become more open and less perfectionistic. (yeah, right)

and now.... for my FIRST Not Me Monday (deep breath, swallow pride).....

1. We moved our fridge from the garage over the weekend and put it in the basement to have a more convenient place for drinks and ice and such nearer to the bar. We discovered a big box of Russell Stover's chocolates in the drawer that we'd forgotten about. This was from my baby shower from GG when we did the "sugar and spice" theme. Everyone knows that she's 16 1/2 months old now, so you can do the math. Granted, they looked perfectly normal. But of course, I did not dive right in, nor have I been rationing myself ever since. Not me!

2. When I went to the dentist and they asked me how I was feeling after a few minutes of administering the gas, I was not already thoroughly enjoying it and I did not reply "this is SOOOO worth every penny, hahahahaha!". And then, when they asked me if I was feeling okay after I could tell they turned the oxygen back on, I did not say "do we have to stop? Do I have to go home, is that all, are you sure?" I didn't say that, Not me!

3. We had the most amazing ham ever for Christmas dinner. I cooked a 20 pound ham from my parents farm, pretty much organic, no antibiotics, no bad feed, humanely killed, etc, etc, and we used an Alton Brown recipe that was UNbelievable! Anyway, I'd frozen some leftover slices and was on the very LAST one when I decided to make a ham, egg, and cheese grilled sandwich using range free eggs and soy cheese. I go into all this to illustrate just how important this sandwich was to me. You must understand that on any typical day, I take 5 seconds to pour a couple of healthy brands of cereal into a bowl, douse it with soy milk and run to my computer to get some work done while the babies are napping. So this was an extremely rare occurance for me to actually COOK my lunch. The children were finally snoozing and the house was quiet, the kitchen smelled of warm Christmas ham all over again. It was shaping up perfectly, with the egg just the way I like, seasoned to my delight, bread toasted just enough, cheese beginning to get soft and melty... mmmmm.... I moved all the elements to my plate with the spatula one by one, and then finally, the pièce de résistance... that scrumptious thick slice of warm ham..........
slips off the damn spatula and falls *SMACK* on the floor! You obviously know what I did not do next. Not (munch, munch, munch, mmm) me!

4. I did not put off taking down the decorations until the 10th of January. (That would be a total of 7 weeks exactly that the dried up prickly tree was up and I would never allow that to happen!) Not me!

5. I did not restart the Baby Einstein "First Signs" DVD a second time so that I could finish checking work emails. I would never allow my children to watch THAT much educational television! Not me!

The Pie was on Fire!

2009-01-07T23:45:00.001-06:00

I died when I saw this photo of Jack reacting to all the smoke after Daddy blew out his candles!

Daddy's Birthday

2009-01-07T23:39:00.004-06:00

This one was kind of a big one.... 35!
We made his favorite- French Silk Pie from scratch. Jack and GG devoured it. I put it in front of them, went back for my plate, came back to the table and theirs was both gone. Seriously. (GG's "I'm FULL" expression in the last one cracks me up!)

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

I hate football

2009-01-03T23:21:00.008-06:00

Okay, I know this is our "Family blog" but, let's face it, the husband never looks at this thing nor contributes to it, so I figure I can vent a little steam now that we're in full blown playoff season. Can I get an "amen"?!

I secretly hate football.

It's probably not a huge secret. I think he knows I dislike it, but I don't think he knows just how deep this has gone now. Let me tell you just a few reasons why and if any of you other fellow "widows" understand, give a little shout out in the comments section.

1. It's the only place 15 seconds can last another 10 minutes. And I'm not even talking about OT!
2. It's on Friday-Monday on at least one channel, but usually at least half a dozen. (yes, I'm counting high school, too, because he'd watch that as well if he thought I wouldn't divorce him.
3. There's no new plot. It's the same crap every game.
4. The only game he's ever taken me to was the 2nd coldest game in Chiefs history -30 windchill and he was pissed because I didn't want to sit outside to eat tailgate food when it was a heat wave at whopping -10 inside the car. (this one pretty much sealed the fate of this post's title)
5. He has favorite teams ranked higher than I care to count. (9th favorite, 15th favorite, etc)
6. His mood will revolve around which teams lost/won that day, this is how I know and believe what I've heard about there being more abused wives in this country on Monday nights.
7. I conceded a few tasteful fan-artifacts for our newly finished (and beautiful, if I could be allowed to so boldly add) basement. I was trying to be nice with these concessions. Gradually, though, it's beginning to look more like a Dolphins bar, not a family room, and it's about to put me over.
8. I enjoyed football in high school and college. I really did. I think because it seemed to have a season (ie: AN END). I guess that's because I didn't live with someone who followed it YEAR ROUND.
9. Superbowl is the best game of the season. But for only one reason. It's the LAST.
**music screeching to a halt** But it's not the last, that's how they fool you, see, there's always the frickin' probowl crap and then, what, like two weeks later it's the draft and then some stupid reality show that watches them at summer camp and then bam! preseason is on again. I'm so stickin' over it, it's ridiculous.

(that's me, 2nd from the left, the one that looks the warmest, or the least happy to be there, however you want to interpret that) I had on an Air Force Arctic weather parka under that Starter jacket, AND 3 sets of USAF long johns. I WAS STILL FROZEN! Don't tell them I fell asleep during part of it, it was mostly because the fog from my breath had frozen on my sunglasses and I couldn't see the game anymore. (Their beers were freezing by the way and they could hardly drink the slush.) just look at him.... good times he says. riiiight, uh-huh, sure.

••~>>> 300 <<<<~••

2008-12-27T19:32:00.002-06:00

Someone has been our 300th visitor at our blog!
If you know it's you, leave a comment and tell us you were lucky 300!
thanks for stopping by : )

Christmas morning

2008-12-26T02:50:00.006-06:00

So fun this morning seeing them enjoy all the goodies from Santa.

Asian Coleslaw Recipe

2008-12-26T01:28:00.003-06:00

1 package coleslaw mix
4 green onions
1 package ramen noodles (chicken flavor)
¼ cup margarine or butter
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
¼ cup slivered almonds

Brown margarine or butter on stove. Schmoosh ramen noodles into small pieces (while still in package). Put in pan with melted butter and ramen seasoning packet & brown along with sesame seeds & almonds. Toast until light brown.

Dressing:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ cup oil
¼ cup white vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar

Mix together & chill.

Note: You can make the "crunchy" part a day ahead of time. Cool after toasting and leave on countertop in tupperware. This is the step that takes the longest, so it helps to have it done ahead of time. I also make the dressing the day before and keep in fridge, then mix everything together right before serving or leaving the house for a get together.

I could eat bowls of this stuff! It's so yummy and crunchy. enjoy : )

Playing Tag

2008-12-25T21:47:00.005-06:00

I'm jumping in on a game of tag with a fellow favorite blogger, Tammie. I'm off work (and actually truly taking a little break) so I have a bit of time for something fun....

Here are The Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Here are the weird/random things about me:

1. I save all kinds of crap for scrapbooking and I'll probably never have time to make a page until I retire.

2. I absolutely hate flying. I white knuckle the whole trip. For those of you who knew I served in the Air Force for 8 years- shut it.

3. I love to eat good food. I really appreciate the whole culinary experience, especially if it involves painstaking work on presentation or foods that I've never tried or a wonderful bottle of wine. I have a lot of respect for people that are willing to branch out, brave enough to try new things and step away from burgers or wings and things cooked from a box. If you suggested sushi, thai, authentic mexican (not like On the Border) or something like The Melting Pot or Kona Grill, or Genghis Khan... I'd be there! mmmm, yummy

4. I cry watching tv and movies all the time, anything based on a true story or about kids just kills me. and I enjoy reality tv probably too much. Favs: Celebrity Rehab, Intervention, John and Kate plus 8, Survivor, 17 Kids and Counting, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Ice Road Truckers, COPS, Extreme Home Makeover, Run's House, Punk'd, True Life. And probably half a dozen others I'm too embarrassed to list. No, I don't watch all of them all the time, but I try to get a weekly fix of one or two.

5. I just got the new iPhone to help make my life easier with work. hated to give up the money right now, but this tax year is coming to a close. I'm glad to have gotten it over the break to figure it all out and research all the cool apps available. I love it. LOVE it!

6. I don't sleep. People I work with probably know this since they get emails from me at all hours, and most people that I'm really close with know this as well. Working from home and having babies over the last 2 1/2 years have made me very accustomed to it. oh, and a LOT of coffee : ) there's always that.

Well, there you go. 6 random/weird things.
YOU'RE IT! Nichole, Joleen, Lindsay, Cindy, Heidi, and Lara!
Jump into this game if you want to play, too!

2008 Christmas Card

2008-12-16T00:34:00.028-06:00

You can see the card better here if you click on these:

(front)

(inside)

(back)

2008 Miranda Family News

2008-12-12T23:00:00.010-06:00

My Christmas cards have evolved over the years somewhat. one of these days I'll do a "news of Christmas past" and put them all on here, that would be fun. Before I got married, I sent out Anne Geddes cards. I love her work and her Christmas cards were adorable. I bought those for several years, but then the designs ran out just as we were celebrating our first married Christmas. I decided to take the plunge into a huge endeavor. I began creating hand made cards for each person on our list. The list was already around 50 families back then. I had always wanted to make a "Newspaper" Christmas newsletter. It was a bit weird at first to write in the 3rd person, but I really wanted it to read like it was a newspaper, and unless it was an editorial, it wouldn't sound like it was written in the first person, the way most people would write their newletters. Anyway, the paper was a huge hit with friends and family, so it became a Christmas tradition. I continued the handmade cards for four years, but when GG was born, I had to be realistic. I couldn't fit in the hours it would take, but I also couldn't accept the feeling that I was being defeated somehow by giving up making the cards. So I decided if I still designed them, they would be more personal, but I'd have the digital design printed instead of making each by hand, one at a time. I loved the result last year. Still beautiful, still a design from the heart, a bonus with the wallet sized photo on the card as a keepsake, a fraction of the time and about the same amount of investment.

This marks our 7th edition of the newspaper, but it's the first year we're producing a "green" Christmas newsletter. Couple reasons for this. For starters, we're avid recyclers, have been for years and we really understand the benefits of paperless communications. Second, and this one has a more immediate impact on our family, the economy obviously has seen some better days and I don't know about all of you guys, but we're feeling the pinch. We've trimmed down all we possibly can and have come up with some pretty creative ways to make a dollar stretch. Normally, I love going all out on our cards because I feel like it's the one gift I can give to everyone even if we've never been able to buy a real present for everyone we know. Our card list surpassed 75 families last year. But this year, when I started thinking about the fancy labels, the envelopes, the printing charges for the cards and the newspapers, and of course all the postage (usually extra required for weight) I just couldn't figure out how we could afford so many. They're typically around $2.60 for each card, including everything.... now think about it, that's really not that bad when you figure you're getting a totally custom card, and you pay probably $2.75- 4.50 for a greeting card at Walmart. But you've probably never gone in there and picked out 75 cards at once.

Time to get creative.

We knew there were lots of people on our list who would not only be supportive of this "green" movement, but were also tech-savvy enough to be receptive to the idea of a digital card and able to actually check it out. So we're moving again on the evolution chain. Hopefully we can add a few more green recipients to our list next year.

We thank you for your support and hope you enjoy the card and news. If you have any problems viewing the Newspaper, increase your zoom under "View" in the top menu.

Happy Holidays!

Santa's coming, Santa's coming!

2008-12-10T00:22:00.004-06:00

Heidi Wise is a wonderful photographer! She graciously offered her services today to take photos of all the children in my MOPs group with Santa. What a fun time! See more of the images here:

http://imagewise.smugmug.com/gallery/6785598_RtTv4/1/433560344_Km8uy

and order prints!
call her if you're looking for a photographer : )
www.imagewisephotography.net
I also have her blog listed as a favorite on the blog roll to the left here.
enjoy!

Giving Thanks

2008-11-20T23:47:00.005-06:00

This was on a blog I follow, she had seen it on her friend's blog, so we're all paying this one forward. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving week and get a few minutes to focus on it's true meaning.

No Better Time

Author: Unknown

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, then some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. THEN life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So... treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you share it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with .... and remember that time waits for no one. So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you loose ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids grow up, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or a new home, until your car and home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on to decide that there is no better time than right now.... to be happy.

HAPPINESS IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION.

So, work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like there is no one watching.

So maybe we share some genes?

2008-11-07T01:27:00.003-06:00

This photo of me (on the left) always cracks me up when I see it. I think I see a little of both of them in this one. I added the one on the right, too, because I think the resemblance changes depending on the age. funny.
What do you think? Double click the photo to zoom.

Just Do It Already!

2008-10-30T12:54:00.002-05:00

Do You Feel It?

2008-10-29T01:57:00.003-05:00

We are on the cusp of an historic, historic week in our country.

We've already made history just with the names on the tickets, but my God, how blessed are we that we have made an enormous stride over the chasm of racial divide with the way the vote seems to lean? (at the moment, anyway) Do you know that in a world wide poll, there is only one country that has not yet had a mandate for Obama? It is the US. I certainly believe this election could help heal our image in the world. For the world to see us as fair, equal-minded, level-headed... couldn't hurt.

Ironically, I just came across some notes in an old notebook yesterday, and I was shocked to see what it was about. I had seen this young senator on Oprah a few years ago and he made me think of how my mother's generation must have felt when they listened to the Kennedy brothers or Martin Luther King, Jr. He was inspiring, he was uplifting, he was impressive. I was so taken by him that I actually got out paper and made some notes about him and wrote down his book and his name because I was afraid it might be too hard for me to remember how to spell it....
Barack Obama.

"The Arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." (MLK)

GG's First Steps

2008-10-17T23:38:00.004-05:00

Luke and Sandi were over tonight, so they helped us out and we were able catch GG on video trying out a few first steps. Now that she sees how fun it is, she wants to do it more! Plus, she's trying to climb on things, and I'm thinking we may have to move her out of her crib before Jack really has to!

oh, and one other thing....

2008-10-12T23:17:00.002-05:00

GG slept all night last night, without ever waking to nurse, not even at 6 am. TALK ABOUT MILESTONES!

One sleeping through the night and another on the potty?!? What?! something about pigs... flying....

They went to bed around 7 and she got up about 7:45 this morning. WHAT IS UP?? I'm not even going to inch my hopes up that she is finally going to sleep through the night at nearly 14 months old! But it sure would be nice. She's slept til six a few times and ate and went back to bed but never the whole night until we're up for the day. please, please.... let this be the light. (sigh)

He's Gettin' It Down!

2008-10-12T22:33:00.009-05:00

This was the view from my kitchen the other morning when I was caught off guard by a great chuckle : ) I left my shoes out from church and Jack found them the morning after. I'm so proud of this kid, he's saved us $27.40 in diapers in the last few weeks!

I'm just so excited, I have to post this one to our main blog, since this new adventure is a bit momentous for this rookie-mom! I just heard Jack upstairs rolling around in his bed and when I went up, he said "potty?" He was still dry and he went right away in the potty! But trying to stay dry through the night? It can't be.

So... this could be a fluke, but that's how all of this started, so I'm hoping we're on track for more successes. We haven't been setting the timer for pottying over the last few days because he's started telling us. YES! I thought it would never happen. Its more like an "out-loud" thought though, with Jack. "Potty?" its almost a whisper, like... "uh-oh, is that what I'm feeling?" So if we hear it, we don't even ask, we just run with him. (He even went TWICE in the Johnny on the Spots at the JDRF walk! Not a single accident!)

Today, we installed his new potty seats in the house. I finally found something that I'm really happy with. In fact, this is one of the best products I've ever brought into my home. (next to my Foodsaver, my baby sling, and my Mac! and if you know me, you know I rave about great products, IF I really believe in it.) This is the "Flip-n-Flush". It installs on the seat and there is no extra clean up of a potty bowl or awkard fitting of the seat every time or where to put it afterwards. This is AWESOME! Here is the cheapest place I could find it, because I've just got to share this with all my mommy-friends out there! Best of luck to you, too, if you are embarking on this grand journey of eternal patience with bottomless stickers and praise!

And for all of you that don't have children yet.... I know this is probably waaay too weird to wrap your head around. I hope you'll experience this level of joy someday- its worth it!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=170243119592

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2008-10-09T22:27:00.000-05:00

Jack and GG really enjoyed the Pumpkin Patch this year. It was great to go on a Thursday afternoon when there were no crowds or lines for the little rides. Jack was big enough to enjoy more of it and GG was big enough to be awake for it : )

Taking pictures really made it feel like a family tradition. Jack picked out all of our pumpkins and did a fine job at that, he also did well at pulling around our wagon full of pumpkins. GG was very curious and picked her first little pumpkin on her own this year.

¸,ø¤º`200!`º¤ø,¸

2008-10-03T22:33:00.002-05:00

Our blog has had 200 visitors!
wow : )

Jeremy's Journey

2008-09-24T18:34:00.004-05:00

Hello, Friends.

This is the story of Jeremy's Journey.
(photo: Burd Family at the JDRF Walk in '06)

Jeremy is only 6 years old and lives with Type 1 Diabetes everyday. I am collecting pledges for him for the annual walk in October to fund research. His mother Brandi is a friend of mine and has a special place in our family's history. She helped deliver both of our babies and actually helped to save both their lives, when Jack was in distress because the cord was wrapped around his neck and when she was the primary assistant in the emergency surgery to rescue Geneviève. I am privileged to ask for your help in Jeremy's honor. This little boy has endured over 8,500 finger pricks since he was diagnosed with diabetes 3 1/2 years ago. He must have his blood sugar levels checked up to eight times a day, even when he sleeps. This affects him all day, everyday. He does not get a break from it.

Could you imagine how you would respond, as a parent, if your child said "I wish I didn't have diabetes," as Jeremy does from time to time? It breaks my heart to think of an innocent child having to endure so much.

Fortunately, this is a disease that has a very attainable cure with the proper research. Research funding has already given Jeremy ways to check his own levels and an automatic insulin pump to help his life be as normal as possible by helping to relieve him from multiple daily injections. This has allowed him to be able to attend school! For more research to continue, more funding is needed.

This is where we are asking for your help!

Join us for this year's JDRF Walk for "Jeremy's Journey" which will be held at The Legends at Village West in Kansas City, Kansas on October 11th at 9am.
If you cannot join us, I will walk for you! You can send checks to me by October 10th made out to JDRF and our family will deliver it personally to Jeremy.
The Burd family has a goal of $3500 in donations and to help with this effort, they are having a raffle this year! For every dollar donated, your name will be entered in the following drawings, all prizes were donated by family friends.

1st Prize: A Broil King Gas Grill, valued at over $400 from Patio Pool & Fireside
2nd Prize: A handmade K-State or KU throw
3rd Prize: Beautifully made Swarovski crystal and glass beaded bracelet, valued at $35
4th Prize: Bag or purse filled with name brand hair products from Allure Salon & Spa

Remember, your contribution is tax-deductible and ANY amount, even $5, will benefit Jeremy and will enter your name 5 times in the raffle.
If you will join us at Legends for the walk and want to wear a Jeremy's Journey t-shirt, designed by Jeremy himself, they will be $5 each. Please let me know so I can tell Brandi.

We hope you will join us to support Jeremy, thank you in advance for reading and for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Heather
(please email me for my contact info to send your donation if you don't have our address)

(photo: Brandi taking Jack's stats after delivery)

(photo: the Miranda family walking for Jeremy in '06)

(photo: Jack and mommy walking for Jeremy in '07)

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

2008-09-18T23:59:00.002-05:00

Well, we didn't get a very good photo today, so I thought I'd conjure up some ghosts of birthdays past, and a few other oldies for good measure...

thank you, friends, for such a great birthday, I appreciated all the well-wishes and nice thoughts today from emails, to voicemails, phone calls and facebook, and especially my "secret sister" -it was super. Thanks, Kellee, for caring for the babies so we could sneak out. And thanks, Mom, for EVERYTHING!
I also have a wonderful family, and they really treated me up this year, thank you, thank you!

Happy Birthday, Gamma Meyer!

2008-09-10T18:05:00.002-05:00

This is the big one, Gamma!
5-0!!
Congratulations!! we love you

GG Featured at Harrington's Blog

2008-09-02T13:15:00.003-05:00

http://harringtonphotog.blogspot.com/
You may see this as advertised at Dickerson's in Fairlawn Plaza. (if she got some decent images)
They sell the cute tutu's there that she is wearing in this photo, plus a really nice KU one!

What a Big Girl!

2008-08-21T01:44:00.001-05:00

Sunday was so fun. GG had an awesome party. See more at GG's Journal.

Birthday Girl

2008-08-12T13:51:00.002-05:00

We have a birthday coming up! Just had to post this photo. I can't believe she's nearly one. Its a shame that is goes by so so so fast. I'll have more photos and birthday news over at GG's journal as soon as I get a chance.

Empty Nesters Now

2008-07-13T01:58:00.003-05:00

This was the final photo of the babies before they made their way into the world. It was really fun watching their progress and seeing them grow so large that they couldn't hide in the nest anymore. Me and Jack had a good time making a bird feeder together when the eggs hatched. Unfortunately, my beautiful mother's day baskets were sacrificed, partially because it was hard not to disturb them when I watered either basket, and partially because it is just so stinkin' hot outside. The geraniums are barely hanging on. Jack still asks "babies, babies?" every time we go out to get the mail. Maybe we'll see them again next year.

He's okay, he's okay

2008-06-30T03:49:00.000-05:00

He looks so pitiful and cute all at the same time, doesn't he? He'd get away with anything if he looked like this for long. Thank goodness he didn't. CLICK HERE for the story over at Jack's Journal.

Day at the zoo

2008-06-22T03:31:00.007-05:00

Jack loves the zoo. GG doesn't seem interested at all like Jack was when he was even younger than she is now. (sigh) I have a hard time just leaving her in the stroller the whole time, especially with the heat, but she was perfectly content just as she was. The most action she saw all day was the duck that nearly assaulted her! We ate in the park afterwards and Jack played on the equipment. Later, we invited Peyton and Madi over to swim in the front yard. CLICK HERE to go to GG's Journal to see how that went.

Banana Split Trifle

2008-06-20T03:17:00.000-05:00

So many people asked how to make this, I thought I'd post it. So yummy! Perfect for summer, and maybe not the worst thing you could eat.

So, start with a pineapple cake mix and cut out 1/2 the oil recommended, use crushed pineapple instead, plus juice and use this to also replace the amount of water you would normally add. You'll only use maybe 1/2 cake. I slice my two rounds into shorter thickness so I get a nice flat surface, cut out a couple of inches in the middle lengthwise and put the left over halves together if the solid piece won't fit in the bottom of the trifle. For the chocolate layer, mix a fluffy chocolate frosting with a tub of cool whip. (you'll have lots left over here too, so be creative- I always put my extras in between small cookies and make little sandwiches - they're great for pot luck or school stuff) Slice bananas and strawberries and layer as see in the photos with the cake. Pipe in the chocolate, its a lot less messy, trust me, its worth the little effort of squeezing it out of a zip lock bag. Top with cool whip and favorite banana split toppings. Its a hit!

5 New Mouths to Feed

2008-06-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

Daddy's 3rd Father's Day...

2008-06-18T01:07:00.008-05:00

...but the first one as a father of a daughter! We had a fun and full weekend. Saturday we met with the other Dads in our Parents As Teachers group for breakfast before we headed to Gage Park for Dad's Dad at the Park where we met up with our friends, Brian & Courtney and their two, Peyton and Madi. There were lot of things for the kids to do and GG even won the drawing for a prize. She won American Girl bookends from Catholic Charities. We haven't picked them up yet, so I don't know what they look like. Looks like she's a lucky girl already! I think I was 8 before I ever won a prize : )
After those events, we rode the train and then Jack had his first pony ride! We finished up with a couple of rides on the carousel which is having its 100th birthday this year.

See us here at Gage Park on WIBW News!

For more photos:
http://www.slide.com/r/4hfatP-A7D8T9YxCRTZBl647dF2mEu2Y?previous_view=lt_embedded_url

Since we had a late birthday party to go to Saturday night, Sunday was more of a take it easy day, per Daddy's request. We watched "Who Killed the Electric Car", our first Netflix rental. Great documentary, highly recommended! Check out the trailer:
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, too!

Father's Day Greetings

2008-06-15T01:24:00.004-05:00

I found two funny cards that I couldn't resist.
One is for Pepe since this is his first Father's Day as a father to a little girl and the other card is for my step-dad Brad.
You'll figure out which is which....

More on Father's Day later....

Babies on the way!

2008-06-14T02:14:00.001-05:00

Look what I discovered in one of my hanging baskets! That will teach me for getting behind with my watering duties. We have a house finch pair that have decided to delight us with the impending birth of five little babies. We had a family visit us annually at our old house, so this is a nice treat, especially for Jack, who is fascinated that he can hear her singing in the distance every time we are in the front yard. (she's probably terrified- but their songs are about my favorite of any bird I can think of, so pretty)
We'll let you know when the babies arrive....

Sad news

2008-06-13T23:09:00.006-05:00

Tim Russert was one of my favorite journalists. I remember how intensely passionate he was during the 2000 presidential election— so much, that the Smithsonian actually has the little white board he used that night. What I remember though was how excited it made me about the process that I was participating in. Tim was a front-runner in his field and so, so talented. I will miss watching the politicians squirm on Sunday mornings when Tim is not there to ask the pointed questions that made Meet the Press famous, and served all of us, the public, to educate us. He was also an amazing family man, as I have witnessed as I've followed his career. Poignant timing with having just come home from a trip to Italy with his son as a graduation present and moving his father to a more comfortable care facility, and Father's Day this weekend.
This year's electoral race will just not be the same without Tim.
Very sad news today.
Tim Russert 1950-2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25145431/

Oh Happy Day!

2008-05-25T01:41:00.008-05:00

Linda and Marcos wed. What a celebration. These are two people who truly know what commitment means. They waited for this day for so long and finally, what a joyous occasion- a party all day long!

We went to the wedding at 10 in the morning and then I stayed home with the babies after they had lunch and Pepe went back when the reception started at 1. He came to get us when they woke up from naps and we all headed over. I came home with them for baths and bedtime because my family was on their way up from Hesston to stay with us, but Pepe didn't make it home until around 12:30 I think. Those newlyweds must be exhausted!

GG danced her first dollar dance, and just so happened it was "our song" from our wedding, The Way You Look Tonight. They was quite a surreal moment for me. She had so much fun dancing with her Daddy while he swung her around. She couldn't smile any bigger in this picture, she was SOOO tickled!

So how much do you think she adores her Daddy?

So precious. What an adorable moment in time. Glad I caught that one.

Well, here are some fun moments...

Best wishes to Linda & Marcos!!

Big Girl

2008-05-21T03:15:00.004-05:00

She's 9 months old! And since GG's such a big girl now, I decided it was high time we painted our piggies.

She's doing so much this week! She started clapping her hands, pushing up into the crawling position and into sitting position, and most nights this week she only woke for one feeding. Yay! GG's discovering and exploring her voice right now, too- quite a treat : )

We really enjoy spending time with her, she's so sweet and affectionate.

Happy "birthday", little girl!

feeling nostalgic

2008-05-15T04:08:00.008-05:00

Our anniversary is this weekend and its really been on my mind because of the anniversary book I've been working on this week. I'm almost done with it, just working on the sample spreads now so that we can order a press run. For that, I've had to look through some old photos of us. What a trip. Amazing how fast 11 years go by. We've now been together longer married (6 years) than we were before we were married. Hard to believe I was that 21 year old kid with my whole life in front of me and along he came and completely swept me off my feet just when I'd sworn men off for good.

June 1997

May 18, 2002

and today....

nothing in particular

2008-05-12T23:05:00.000-05:00

Don't really have much to post, just trying to stay in the habit. I finally finished up the Anniversary book today. I had a lot of work to make up after spending way too much time helping Pepe with the book for Grandma. I shouldn't feel too guilty, they'll still use it for a sales sample, so in a way, I was helping Jostens, too. Anyway, I really wanted to have the Anniversary book done for review today because I didn't get it finished last week. I stayed at it until 4:30 (yeah- this morning) and still had another hour at least to go. Well, that's nothing new, but this time, I had been in the family room with Pepe while he worked on the bar and since I was full steam ahead when he went to bed, I never moved back into the studio. To stay fresh, I changed positions several times and one that I stayed in too long towards the end when I was starting to fade was to put the laptop on the coffee table and lean over it. ugh, big mistake. I have had the WORST chest pain! Not good when you have to carry around a couple of kids all day. It was so severe, I looked it up. Its called costochondritis. Inflammation of the cartilage of your rib cage near your sternum, usually due to prolonged repetitive motion or leaning over a computer for long periods of time, putting stress on those muscles. I love the internet. At least I feel a little better that I'm not having a heart attack : ) and there isn't a whole lot I can do about it.
Hope you like the music, I tried to find something that I could do fast and imeem.com was quick. She always interrupts my blogging, how funny.... gotta run for a feeding.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T03:29:00.000-05:00

My first one as a mother of two. I love it. oh, and there she is as I say it, up for that feeding. Well, here is a video of a funny card that I'm giving to Nichole for moms day... gotta run.

I GET TO SLEEP IN THE GUEST ROOM!!!

2008-05-10T01:45:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right. I'm not ashamed to say it. I'm not sleeping with my husband tonight. I've been looking forward to this for months. I think it was actually the only gift I really asked for. Why, you ask, would I want to NOT sleep in my own bed, especially when me and my husband are on speaking terms? Easy. Because its the only room in the house where I can sleep in! YAAAAAYY!! sleep. peaceful, uninterrupted blissful sleep. Before you get too jealous... I'm still taking care of the 3am feeding, so don't hate me too much just yet.
I found out about two other little surprises for this most awesome Mother's Day weekend... I'll be having breakfast in bed on Sunday morning- fun! Of course, again, don't kill the messenger, its only going to be a bagel and coffee since Jack & GG won't sit through Pepe making or me eating a 5 course brunch before we'd both lose our minds. So we're starting the tradition small. I just want the pictures. I also got these gorgeous flowers delivered today.

He does pretty good when he gets them.

Oh, and by the way, that is our brand new bar in the background. Should be finished up on Monday. I can't believe I'm going to post pics before people see the big reveal, or even before its actually finished. But I'm just so stinking excited. I love it. Entertaining will be so fun. Well, hope all you other mommies have a fantastic weekend! I've got my pillow and I'm off to the guest room. : ) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

wait, before i go, did anyone else see Survivor this week? We just saw it on the dvr. ok, could he BE a bigger idiot? craziest thing I ever saw... well, after the fake idol. okay, okay... where was I? Getting closer to that feeding....
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Like a virg....

2008-05-08T03:23:00.000-05:00

So this is it. My first post. I finally did it. Its 3:23 am, but I did it. And I think that is about all the time I have, since I spent forever trying to figure out a decent name for my NEW BLOG! This is going to be great, I hope I can put a few words down at least once in a while. I'm really excited about the video part. How fun to get to share those. Let me see if I can find something cute from my mini-Mirandas to post....

oh, yes, this one! She had discovered Jack's sticks and was quietly playing on the floor and then suddenly broke in to nearly a song of "dada"'s. ooo, I could just eat those cheeks!