Friday

People I've Thought (at least for a moment) Looked Like Our Friend Mark

1. Gerald Henderson (Duke basketball player)
2. Phil Dunfee from "Modern Family"...love him!
3. Lee Pace (Ned from "Pushing Daisies")
4. President Obama
5. Lance Donovan (soccer player)
I think it's funny because NONE of these people look alike

Thursday

My Lunch Nachos

1. Tostitos Multigrain chips
2. Frieda's Soy Taco
3. Adzuki beans
4. Nutritional yeast sauce
5. Greek yogurt
6. Green Mountain Gringo salsa

Wednesday

Kitchen Overhaul

1. Need to find some space for my new convection toaster oven and rice cooker
2. Packing away to storage some bigger pieces/serving pieces/decorative pieces that we don't use right now
3. Getting rid of baby stuff- bottles, lots of bibs, restaurant mats, etc. Let W keep a couple bottles for her dolls.
4. Combining my small pyrex/glass food containers into the big drawer with freezer bags, aluminum foil, parchment paper
5. Packing away wine glasses--never use those
6. Getting rid of plastic food storage containers, cookbooks I have never used, and candles that I have
7. Reorganizing some food so that R cannot get into the cereal containers...a constant struggle at our house
8. Need to make our panini press more accessible...we use it nearly every day
9. Laying out my blender to be repaired
10. If I need it, I will no longer have a drawer reserved for our dog
11. There are 3 big cabinets that can be condensed into 1 1/2, I think

Monday

Tomorrow To-Do

1. Finish packing up Christmas. So sad.
2. Find places for all the new stuff
3. Reorganize kitchen cabinets
4. Blog post on our family blog
5. Grocery shop

Sunday

Gifts I Got At My IL's Christmas

1. Rice cooker
2. Countertop convection/toaster oven
3. Owl sculpture
4. Manicure
5. Prints from etsy
6. Cookbooks
7. Pie pan
8. Silverware
9. Ornaments


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Saturday

The Kids Christmas Gifts

1. New Baby Stella outfit for W
2. Magnetic wooden letters on a big jelly roll pan for W
3. Fancy shoes for W
4. Big cardboard building blocks for R
5. Boy Baby Stella for R
6. Blue doll stroller for R
7. R's stocking stuffers: sunglasses, Hot Wheels, Ice Age movie, t-shirt, harmonica, wooden tone flute, flashlight
8. W's stocking stuffers: sunglasses, felt strawberries for her kitchen, Dora silly bands, flower barrette, harmonica, flashlight, little stuffed bird, wooden tone flute, binoculars

Friday

Movies W Has Seen

1. Beauty and the Beast
2. Finding Nemo
3. The Land Before Time
4. Lady and the Tramp III: Scamp's Adventure
5. Babe
6. Spirit

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Thursday

Songs That Remind Me Of My Family

1. You are Everything- The Stylistics
2. Duke of Earl- Gene Chandler
3. Don't Know Much- Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt
4. Crystal Blue Persuasion- Tommy James & The Shondells
5. School Days- Byron Harlan
6. Cotton Fields- Creedence Clearwater Revival
7. Samuel's solo song on Legends of the Fall- I think it's called Twilight and Mist
8. Down in the Valley
9. Dear Mr Jesus (Tracy, that one's for you)
10. Words- Bee Gees
11. A made up song, "The Gown Girls"
12. Romeo and Juliet- Indigo Girls
13. The Chipmunk Christmas song
14. Leader of the Pack (and my sister's re-write)
15. River- Joni Mitchell
16. Leaving- Indigo Girls
17. Thunder Road- Bruce Springsteen
18. Wouldn't It Be Nice- The Beach Boys
19. With a Little Help From My Friends- Joe Cocker
20. Rains Down in Africa- Toto?
21. Lady Down on Love- Alabama (a lot of old Alabama songs)

Wednesday

Today

1. Hit the ground running...baked Rolo Toffee cookies to put with W's teachers' gifts
2. Made cute honey&cinnamon butters for the girls in Andy's office
3. Put together the teachers' gifts
4. Discovered that I had lost a Target gift card (?) so I had to make a mad dash to Target
5. Picked W up from school
6. Baby Hope is spending the day with us. She is the BEST baby!
7. Lunch was peanut butter on crackers, mandarin oranges, pear slices, and green beans
8. Too cold and too many babies for a walk, so we took Puddy to the parking garage for a good run
9. Finally cleaned my kitchen counters off.
10. Want to just perch myself on the counters because they are the only clean surface in my house and the kids couldn't touch me up there
11. Excited about Top Chef All Stars tonight!
12. Andy's not coming home after work...going straight to hang out with friends. That makes for a long Mommy Day.
13. Got a glimpse of my hair in the mirror. Kinda resemble Bon Jovi circa 1990.
14. I might have a vodka and lemonade when the kiddies go to bed
15. Egg burritos for the kids for dinner tonight. Luckily, I made vegan chili for myself last night.
16. I was going to deep clean the bathroom during naps, but instead I piddled around on the computer and ate a bowl of cereal
17. I am excited to spend time with my friends tomorrow night

Tuesday

My Mom, In Honor Of Her 55th Birthday

1. We are a lot alike
2. She is very sentimental
3. She loves Christmas and loves having her family together for the holidays.
4. My mom is an amazing cook. I love everything that she makes.
5. I feel really lucky now that my parents started their family so early, because now I have really young parents
6. My mom takes care of people really well
7. She is very hospitable
8. She is so accommodating...one vegan daughter, one uber-vegan daughter, vegetarian daughter, meat-eater son, and everyone else with specific tastes...there is always something for everyone
9. I think my mom always looks really nice
10. She loves giving gifts. Even if it's something small, she gets joy from giving people things.
11. Growing up, I remember mom being really fun
12. She used to love (probably still does) to roller skate. I think that says a lot about her.
13. She is so loving towards us. I've NEVER heard her say one complaining/cross/unflattering thing about us kids
14. She's a really good realtor and goes above and beyond with all of her clients
15. My mom knows me well. She can always guess what I would like, how I would respond, what would taste good to me, etc
16. She is very selfless
17. Her and my dad love to travel together and always have a great time on trips
18. She loves my kids really well
19. She is extremely generous (time, money, herself...)
20. Family is always first to her.
21. She is my biggest fan. And she lets me know that all of the time.
22. She never judges me, which is a great thing to say about your mom.
23. She cries at bizarre things. It seems like a funny thing to say, but it is really cute.
24. I have a really good time with my mom and really look forward to our visits.
25. Even though 55 is NOT old, she does not look or act like she's 55.
26. Growing up, I never felt pressure to perform or live up to any high standards she had. She's always loved me for who I am.
27. She is also rough when she needs to be...she's not afraid to drop the s-bomb or tell you that you're being a titty baby.
28. She is a trooper...always up for most things.
29. I think that her and my dad are cute together. They've been together for over 40 years!
30. People who know her love her.
31. She always tells me how proud she is of me.
32. She always tells me that I am a great mother.
33. I am proud of her.
34. She is a great mother.

Monday

My Favorite Christmas Treats

1. Mrs. McEntire's wafer cookies
2. Gingerbread cookies
3. Modestly iced and decorated Christmas cookies
4. Christmas morning challah bread pudding
5. Good hot chocolate

Sunday

Arkansas Christmas Stocking Stuffers

1. An orange Kuhn Rikon knife
2. Anthropologie gift card
3. An owl necklace
4. iTunes gift card
5. Peacock ornament
6. French fry slicer
7. Fuzzy socks
8. Body wash
9. Tea tree toothpaste

What I Watched On TV Today

1. 3 episodes of The Wonder Years
2. Bits of the UCA/Mizzou game
3. Documentary on metal coffins
4. Eclipse
5. Dora's Christmas Adventure

Saturday

What I've Done Since 9:00 PM

1. Made a vegan pomegranate pumpkin cranberry fig upside down cake
2. Finished wrapping many gifts for my mom
3. Baked walnut brownies for my dad
4. Vacuumed
5. Cleaned the front rooms
6. Baked vegan thumbprint cookies
7. Watched 3 episodes of The Wonder Years
8. Put my five year old nephew to sleep holding him and tickling his face
9. Did some laundry
10. Took the dog out
11. Filled my mom's stocking

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Thursday

Gas Station Snacks We Bought Road Tripping Today

1. Cheddar Chex Mix for the husband
2. Milk for the kiddos
3. Purple Gatorade for the husband
4. Nutter Butter Bites for me (they are the only store bought cookies I like anymore)
5. Cherry Coke for me
6. I brought along pretzel/cereal mix for the kids to snack on

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Wednesday

The Van Morrison CD I Compiled For My Sister

1. Astral Weeks
2. Cul de sac
3. Straight to Your Heart
4. You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push The River
5. Comfort You
6. Steppin' Out Queen
7. Bulbs
8. Tupelo Honey
9. Wild Nights
10. I Wanna Roo You
11. Crazy Love
12. And It Stoned Me
13. Caravan
14. These Are The Days
15. Brown Eyed Girl
16. Fast Train
17. Everyone
18. Sweet Thing
19. Into the Mystic
20. Starting a New Life
21. Choppin' Wood
22. Real Real Gone
23. Moonshine Whiskey
24. The Beauty of Days Gone By
25. Bright Side of the Road
26. Old Woodstock

Tuesday

Today

1. The kids and I slept in until 9:20
2. So, probably no one is going to nap
3. Have been listening to songs I used to love in high school all morning
4. Am preparing for a big run to Kinkos...color copies galore
5. Need to get W's teacher gifts together. Gift cards and cookies.
6. Think it's officially time to stop listening to songs in front of my daughter that have bad words and questionable lyrics. She's pretty perceptive
7. Excited about the Biggest Loser finale tonight
8. I am freezing!
9. Lunch: orzo with roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, raw spinach, peas, and sauteed zucchini/garlic. I call that Green Pasta.
10. R and W have a new game they play all the time. It's basically fetch, but with R acting as the dog. They think it's great fun.
11. Need to go buy dog food
12. Probably going to pull an all-nighter finishing my little sister's birthday present
13. I haven't taken a shower since Saturday

Monday

My Holiday Baking Grocery List

1. Whole almonds
2. Quick cook oats
3. Maple syrup
4. Pomegranate
5. Fig preserves
6. Dried cranberries
7. Canned pumpkin
8. Vegan jams
9. Canned coconut milk
10. Agave nectar
11. Bananas
12. Applesauce
13. Vegan chocolate chips
14. Earth Balance
15. Almond milk

Sunday

Our Family's Christmas Stockings

1. Are monogrammed and from Garnet Hill
2. R's is dark green with a cute train chugging down the length of it
3. W's is cream colored with Rudolph and his big red nose
4. A's is navy with a snowy hill full of evergreen trees
5. Mine is cream colored and features a partridge in a pear tree
6. Puddy's is red and has little doggie biscuits and bells on it
7. We don't have a chimney, so they are hung on our balcony door with care
8. Are hung with discreetly placed zip-ties, which are my husband's most favorite thing in the world

Saturday

What I Ate For Dinner

1. Lots of chips and Mexican layer dip
2. Wheat Thins dipped in cream cheese and chipotle raspberry sauce
3. Pumpkin dump cake
4. An Oreo cream cheese chocolate ball
5. Vodka Kool-Aids

Friday

Things I Don't Like About Christmas

1. Inflatable yard decorations
2. When we lose the spirit of Christmas. Even if you don't believe the whole baby Jesus thing like I do...there has to be more than fighting over toys at the mall.
3. Christmas ham
4. When girls wear Santa hats
5. Similarly, when girls dress like a Slutty Santa. So wrong and awkward and it doesn't even make sense.
6. Christmas cards that when you open them, it's like a glitter factory exploded inside
7. Yule log. I don't know what it is, but the words just freak me out a little bit.
8. I hate candles. I feel like candles are the go-to gift for a girl you don't know what to give. I feel like I've gotten a lot of candles over the years.
9. When people do a poor job with Christmas lights on the exterior of their homes. No "A's" for effort here.
10. Egg nog

Thursday

My Favorite Christmas Songs

1. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
2. So This is Christmas- John Lennon
3. River- Joni Mitchell
4. Baby It's Cold Outside
5. Merry Christmas From the Family- Robert Earl Keen
6. Away in the Manger
7. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree- Brenda Lee
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
9. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
10. Silver Bells (I did a solo in the song in elementary school at our Christmas program..."City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style...in the air there's a feeling of Christmas"
11. Frank Sinatra singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Wednesday

What I Bought Today On My Last XMas Shopping Run

1. Christmas present for my mom
2. A little stocking stuffer for the hubs
3. Christmas present for my father-in-law
4. Batteries at Walgreens
5. Recordable cards at Walgreens
6. Stocking stuffers for my mom
7. Clothes for a little girl in a family W's class has adopted for the holidays
8. Silly Bandz for the little girl, because apparently, every 5 year old girl is in the know
9. More stocking stuffers for R- sunglasses, Hot Wheels
10. Pajama pants for me
11. THIS CUTE PURSE for me--it doesn't look cute online, but I LOVE it in real life. And, my new best friend...faux leather!

Tuesday

Things R Says

1. Mama
2. Dada
3. Nana (for banana, but don't tell our Nana)
4. Papaw
5. Yeah
6. Dean- Andy said this in conversation, and R kept repeating it
7. No
8. Neigh (for horse)
9. Night night

Monday

Things That Make Me Cry

1. Flash mob videos
2. Little House in the Prairie episodes
3. When Winnie comforts me
4. "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" -David Gray
5. Reading the book "Someday" to my kids
6. Wonder Years episodes
7. Hearing "Little Drummer Boy" or "Mary Did You Know," which happen to be two of my least favorite Christmas songs. (the lyrics are good)
8. When I speak, if I am standing up for myself
9. Thinking about my Grandpa and his life of service
10. "It Is Well With My Soul"
11. Remembering my great-aunt and great-uncle
12. Extreme Home Makeover and The Biggest Loser
13. Looking through old photos

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Sunday

Chili Ingredients

1. diced tomatoes
2. can of red beans
3. can of black beans
4. can of kidney beans
5. frozen corn
6. sauteed garlic
7. sauteed onion
8. sauteed bell pepper
9. water
10. roasted butternut squash
11. cumin
12. chili powder
13. salt and pepper

Saturday

Crafts W Made Today

1. Painted a candy cane with rolling marbles in paint
2. Decorated a christmas tree cookie with icing, skittles, and m&ms
3. Drew a Santa Claus on a ceramic paint with paint pens (this is something I will treasure FOREVER)
4. Made a hot cocoa mix packet
5. Crafted an ornament out of a sweetgum ball and gold toothpicks
6. Assembled a Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer ornament out of old-fashioned clothespins
7. Made a jingle bell necklace

Friday

What's In Our Freezer

1. Two bags Trader Joes organic wild maine blueberries
2. Four frozen black bananas
3. The bowl to my ice cream maker
4. A bag of beet cookies
5. A bag of chocolate chip cookies
6. A container of orange juice concentrate
7. Package of Whole Foods whole wheat tortillas
8. Box of Trader Joes organic brown rice
9. Bag of sweet peas
10. 3 packages of Gardein strips
11. Box of Quorn cutlets
12. Box of Quorn chicken-free nuggets
13. Some deli chicken
14. Box of Nature's Path Hemp Plus waffles
15. Morningstar fake bacon
16. Morningstar Meal Starters- "chick'n strips"
17. All of our ice is probably funky because we never use it

Thursday

Holiday To-Do For December

1. Drive through Tilles Park to see the lights
2. Go see the Gardenland Express at the botanical gardens
3. Cookies & Carols at the art museum
5. Go to Wild Lights at the zoo
6. Decorate Christmas cookies with the kiddos (well, maybe just Winnie)

Wednesday

My Favorite Christmas Decorations

1. Our monogrammed stockings from Garnet Hill
2. Our Advent calendar--it's huge!
3. All of my Christopher Radko ornaments
4. A tiny little ornament hanging on the tree that was my great-grandmother's
5. The photo of Puddy with Santa when he was a teeny-tiny puppy
6. The ornaments that my great-aunt Mert crocheted
7. This Hallmark thing with penguins and a snowman that sings, "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"...it's actually kind of annoying, but it brings my children SO MUCH joy that I love it
8. My nativity set. My mother-in-law bought it for me--it was made by someone in Africa

Tuesday

What My Kids Are Up To These Days

1. They always fight over who gets to play with the little stroller
2. R is really into cars and horses
3. It's Christmastime, so W is back to being obsessed with the Baby Jesus. She carries hers around from her nativity scene everywhere she goes and goes to "check on the other Baby Jesus" from my nice wooden set.
4. R spends most of his bath time "wearing" cups on his feet like little shoes
5. R has gotten really good at puzzles and loves sitting to read books. I think he's going to be a patient boy.
6. W can write a "W" on paper and identifies them when she sees them out of context
7. W is right smack-dab in the middle of the terrible twos. I don't know if we all will make it out alive!
8. R can't keep his hands off the Christmas tree and ornaments. My cousin sprays her cat with a squirt bottle when it touches an ornament. That might be my next step.
9. They both love pizza, pasta, popcorn, pears, PBJs...hmmm, all p's.
10. They love chasing each other around the hosue...screaming and squealing the whole time. I love it!
11. I'm beginning to see bits of me and bits of A in both of them
12. They are both a little too smart
13. W just said her favorite food is strawberries
14. She said her favorite song is "Jesus Loves Me", but I think it's really "Pokerface"
15. R is a momma's boy and loves to give me a ton of kisses and gives the best hugs
16. R doesn't like to go shopping
17. R likes to play this game at the supper table where he does something, then waits for all of us to do it, too. Reminds me of a scraper game at kamp.
18. They both love to run around the house naked after a bath.
19. They both love letting Puddy give them kisses.
20. R can get into his high chair all by himself.
21. W is in the business of memorizing her books.
22. W has the most amazing memory about the most random of details
23. They both LOVE when Daddy gets home from work
24. They both love playing hide-n-seek. R carries the flashlight and is really good at finding people. W rings the bell when she finds someone.
25. R sleeps with a little monkey blankie and his dog blahblah doll. W sleeps with a ton of "friends," but mainly with her Baby Penguin and her pink Little Giraffe brand blankie.

Monday

I Went To My Neighbor's House And Came Back With...

1. Some of her delicious homemade tomato soup
2. A loaf pan
3. A roll of aluminum foil
4. A little Mickey Mouse car and Mickey mouse himself that R insisted on bringing home
5. A little airplane W brought home because since her brother had something, she needed something, too

Sunday

Today

1. Decorated house and trees for Christmas
2. Homemade pizza for lunch
3. Huge nap made possible by my gracious husband
4. Feeling sick
5. Salad for dinner
6. Christmas gift planning
7. Sitting alone watching "The Family Stone" all by myself while A and the kids are at church

Saturday

All The Questions My Cashier At Culinaria Asked Me Today

1. Where's your coat?
2. Are garbanzo beans the same as chickpeas?
3. How old is he?
4. Where's his coat?
5. Where is there a Whole Foods around here?
6. Have you ever made your own hummus?
7. Do you always bring your own bags?
8. Do you want to donate a can to our food drive?
9. Do you need help out?
10. Do you like all kinds of beans? (this one almost threw me into a hilarious fit of laughter)
11. What's his name?
12. How did you think of that?
13. What's your favorite Christmas song?
14. Do you travel for the hoildays?
15. What are you going to do with these cranberries?
16. Do you have any coupons?

Friday

What I Ate For Thanksgiving

1. Stuffin and gravy
2. Mashed potatoes
3. Broccoli rice casserole
4. Corn casserole
5. Roasted asparagus
6. Almond green beans
7. Sweet potatoes
8. Sweet tea
9. Half a piece of apple pie (just the apple filling...I skipped the crust)
10. Half a piece of pumpkin cheesecake
11. Half a piece of pumpkin pie
12. Crackers and baked brie with carmelized onions
13. Cranberry sauce

Thursday

What I'm Thankful For On This Traveling Holiday

1. Babies sleeping in the car
2. Family
3. My Mom's broccoli rice casserole
4. Pumpkin pie
5. A husband to drive when it's raining
6. How you can isolate the heater in your car to just feet
7. Healthy children
8. That my kids have cousins their age
9. That Branson's not that far away
10. Our electric blanket on the bed
11. W's fruit juice organic gummy bears
12. Jesus
13. A generous husband
14. My car. I really like my car.
15. My brother and sister-in-law who host Thanksgiving each year
15. My trusty Jessica Simpson faux rattlesnake ballet flats. We've been everywhere together.
16. That God's "mercies are new every morning"
17. An iPhone

Wednesday

Magazines I Have Waiting For Me To Read

1. Taste of Home's Holiday Best Loved Cookies & Bars
2. Taste of Home's Best Loved Cookies and Candies
3. Family Fun
4. O Magazine
5. Self
6. VegNews

Tuesday

Why I Love Hwy 65 Between Branson and Conway

1. Breathtaking scenic views
2. Windy, hilly roads that are so fun to drive
3. One stop shop for things like walnut bowls and black apples
4. Sonic drive-ins galore!
5. Memories at every turn: that's the gas station a bird pooped on my head, that's where Katy had to puke out the window, that's where I got a speeding ticket, that's the pay phone where I got dumped by my boyfriend-over the phone...
6. Memories of adventures: that's where we went canoeing, that's the turn off to where I used to go climbing, that's where our favorite swimmin' hole is, that's where my friend's cabin is...
7. Awesome church signs
8. The scan function on my radio only picks up the most awesome of country stations
9. Rocky cliffs cut out alongside the road is beautiful...especially when the water makes little waterfalls
10. Road kill is like a game of Wildlife Guess Who featuring deer, armadillo, possums, coons, dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, and coyotes
11. Fun antique stores to stop in at
12. Driving down it means I'm going home
13. Road side stands with items that are marvelous in their strangeness...like today, one featuring a lion blanket, dixie flags, camo coveralls all for sale
14. I like to make a game trying to pass people in the tiny stretches of 2 lane highway
15. When you get behind a big (slow up the hills) truck, it's like a mini little break
16. It reminds me of speeding back to kamp by 6:00 pm when I crammed a trip home during a Kanakuk 2-4

Monday

My Favorite Celebri-Ladies

1. Gwyneth Paltrow
2. Zooey Deschanel
3. Gwen Stefani
4. Natalie Portman
5. Heidi Klum
6. Nicole Richie
7. Victoria Beckham
8. Kelly Wearstler
9. Amy Poehler
10. Michelle Williams

Sunday

What The Kids Had For Breakfast

1. Bananas
2. Mom's zucchini bread
3. Dad made buckwheat pancakes- one in the shape of a W and one in the shape of a R
4. Greek yogurt
5. Milk

Saturday

Things I Love About Arkansas

1. My family
2. Stobys
3. All these great flea markets and antique stores
4. Kroger
5. Sigh, the Razorbacks
6. This perfect weather
7. Maggie's cookies
8. The Heights and Hillcrest
9. Northwest Arkansas
10. Friendly strangers
11. Small town feel (even in the cities)
12. What I think is unmatched scenery
13. I love Little Rock
14. The Rivermarket and riverfront
15. A sense of statewide Arkansas pride
16. I think it's different than people who've never been here think
17. Good pizza places
18. Good smoothie places
19. Great Wal-Marts
20. How outdoorsy and outdoor sporty it is
21. I like the state flag

Friday

Why I Can Barely Move Right Now

1. Two pillows flanking me
2. Tracy's bag is right beside me
3. Empty water bottles where my feet should go
4. My Dad's man-bag is under where my legs are
5. My Mom's coat is on me
6. The kids bag-toys, books, and such- underneath Dad's man-bag
7. R and I are sharing leg space
8. When I need to adjust, my leg space is shared with my Dad's arm space

Thursday

What We Used To Buy From Our Schwan's Man When I Was Little

1. Chicken strips
2. Little deep-dish cheese pizzas
3. Patty melts
4. Orange push-ups
5. Raspberry push-ups
6. Ice cream drumsticks
7. Vanilla ice cream gallons
8. Chocolate ice cream gallons

Wednesday

Names Of W's Dolls and Animals

1. Baby Penguin
2. Baby Penguin's Mommy
3. Maggie
4. Leah Ballerina
5. Baby Chicken
6. Mopsy
7. Abby
8. Peter Rabbit
9. Baby Stella
10. Baby Hope

Tuesday

What's In My Roadtrip Bag

1. 2 magazines
2. A king size package of Starburst
3. Crossword puzzle book
4. 2 diapers
5. A pack of wipes
6. Burts Bees lip balm
7. Pack of tissues
8. 6 bars- assortment of Larabars, Kashi bars, and Luna bars
9. A small wallet
10. Ear buds for my phone

What I Loved About My Sister's New Apartment

1. It was so completely her
2. Amazing green walls
3. Bold purple walls
4. Little things from our past that only our family would recognize
5. Her creepy childhood bear, "Pebbles"--still on the bed
6. Never have I before admired a shower caddy. It was serious.
7. Cool record player
8. My artwork was hanging in her dining room
9. Lots of plants
10. Her Little Boy Blue print. It's a very special painting in my family.
11. You could spend hours studying all her curiosities.
12. Her bed looked cozy, and typical her, she sleeps with 10 pillows.
13. Organized kitchen
14. Seeing her guitar propped up reminded me of what a beautiful singer and musician she is
15. I'm really picky about big rugs, and hers was cute
16. This little mouse house scene painting that hung in our room growing up is on her kitchen windowsill
17. She uses as her comforter the quilt that was on my parents bed when we were little
18. Tons of great books
19. She might be the only person left who still has an actively used VHS collection. Including the movie "Roxanne". A classic.
20. The whole place smelled pleasant.

Sunday

W's Outfits Today

1. Started the day in navy and purple striped pajamas with an owl on the front
2. Changed into gray sweatpants and a Woot t-shirt--orange with a piece of cake on it. It says "The Cake is a Liar" on it as the cake is saying, "I am Nutritious"
3. Went to see a performance of Strega Nona and changed into black tights, black dress with red poppies on it and black cowboy boots
4. Is now wearing a red and white striped Old Navy long-sleeved shirt and gray yoga pants
5. Soon will change into her "momma fish and lots of baby fish" pajamas for bedtime after dinner and bath

Saturday

Some Things I Love

1. The giraffes at the zoo
2. Watches
3. Bright green grass
4. Old school country music
5. Spring forward
6. Avocados
7. John Krakauer novels
8. My fancy lunches
9. W's new denim leggings
10. Big conch seashells
11. A good cry
12. The "America Windows" at the Art Institute in Chicago
13. My husband's beard
14. One 19 North in Kirkwood
15. Southern Living magazine
16. Snow skiing
17. Fried pickles
18. The "Modern Family" Halloween episode
19. Breaking the "don't mix black and brown" fashion rule
20. My hair stylist
21. Tote bags
22. W and R playing together
23. The Netflix app
24. Organization
25. Nutrition
26. Clear nail polish
27. Kale chips
28. Form over function
29. Secrets
30. Empty laundry baskets
31. "Fringe"
32. Skinny jeans
33. Super baggy jeans
34. Grave rubbings
35. Cacti
36. Dark purple
37. Sudoku
38. The Mamas and The Papas
39. Memories
40. Rappelling and climbing
41. Coupons
42. Tea tree dental floss
43. Converse All-Stars
44. R's dancing
45. Crime shows
46. My Grandpa
47. Gladiator sandals
48. Janice from "Friends"
49. Almonds
50. A hot summer



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday

What To Do, What To Do...

1. Finish watching Pretty in Pink
2. Sync my iPhone to the computer
3. Make CDs for my sister
4. Make a pack list for North Carolina
5. Schedule dentist appointment
6. Take a shower
7. Pick up around the house
8. Plan weekend meals
9. Watch last night's shows
10. Do laundry

Thursday

Target Purchases Today

1. Hairspray
2. Mascara
3. Cereal
4. Big jug of OJ
5. Guacamole
6. Christmas gift tags
7. 2 kids books from the dollar bins- The Lion King and Alice and Wonderland
8. A princess coloring book with stickers from the dollar bins

Wednesday

7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

1. Canned tomatoes
2. Corn-fed beef
3. Microwave popcorn
4. Nonorganic potatoes
5. Farmed salmon
6. Milk produced with artificial hormones
7. Conventional apples
*read the entire article with explanations HERE

Tuesday

Supper Tonight

1. Sweet potato, spinach, onion, zucchini, and cheese quesadilla for me
2. Sweet potato, zucchini, and cheese quesadilla for the kids
3. Chicken and cheese quesadilla for A
4. Tortilla chips
5. Pinto beans
6. Pear slices

Monday

If I Were All Alone Today, I'd...

1. Go to Kaldi's and get a chai tea
2. Go on a drive around some neighborhoods I like
3. Have lunch at Vegadeli
4. Get a manicure
5. Browse around Borders for a good cookbook and a history book
6. Hop over to Maplewood for some antique shopping
7. Shop at Alice's on the Loop
8. Supper at Fitz's for fried pickles and a veggie burger
9. Try on shoes at Nordstrom
10. Stop at Cyrano's for bread pudding for dessert
11. Go to bed early

Sunday

What My Kiddos Got To Do This Weekend

1. Go on nature walks
2. Pick turnips
3. Feed chickens
4. Throw rocks into a creek
5. Collect eggs from the hen house
6. Call for deer and turkey
7. Ride on a tractor
8. Watch frogs jump around in a pond
9. Go on a picnic
10. Eat dinner out at a trout fishing lodge
11. Feed deer
12. Gather pinecones

Saturday

What's In The Backseat Floorboard Of My Car Right Now

1. Abby Cadabby doll
2. My purse
3. Abby Cadabby purse
4. A Dr. Seuss bag full of books
5. Everyone in my family's coats
6. A small rosemary tree
7. A tiny magnifying glass

Friday

Food I'm Dreaming About Eating In Asheville, NC

1. The grilled triple-cheese with sun-dried tomato pesto panini and sweet potato fries from Mayfel's
2. An ice cream cone from Kilwin's
3. "Pate" from Green Light Cafe
4. The ginger cornbread with peach butter at Tupelo Honey
5. A Roman's panini
6. Vegan chili cheese fries from Rosetta's Kitchen
7. The year-round farmer's market
8. Breakfast at Early Girl Eatery
9. Portabella Melt from Rosetta's Kitchen
10. A burrito from Mamacita's
11. Fried pickles from Burgermeister
*In two weeks, it's all mine!

Thursday

Random Memories Of Birthdays Past

(per Cathy's request)
1. I always think I remember receiving this rabbit and gnome musical figurine, but I got it when I was 2. Is it possible that I remember that? My only other really early memory was when I was about 3 or 4.
2. I always had a pink birthday cake. Every year...strawberry cake with strawberry icing.
3. Our family friend Chris K. used to take me to eat Shoney's breakfast buffet for my birthday.
4. One year he also took me to the SMSU bookstore and I picked out a really nice SMS Lady Bears sweatshirt. It was my favorite shirt for years.
5. I had a party at the skating rink in Springfield. My mom had a panda bear cake made for me.
6. I got in trouble by my 2nd grade teacher for not inviting one of my friends to my party. She made me. That's weird now that I remember it. The girl did come. I don't know why I didn't invite her, because she was one of my best friends.
7. My friend Tasha got me a "Get in Shape Girls" set once. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It had a cassette tape, hand weights, etc. Tasha was really good at presents.
8. My favorite party was one where I invited friends to play at the park, my mom made spaghetti, and I had a sleepover. Guests were: Tasha, Shawna, Rachal, Elizabeth, and Amber.
9. At the above awesome party, my little sister also invited her friends Tara and Reagan.
10. Again, same party...I wish I could post a photo of my little sister's outfit for this party. Unbelievable.
11. My only surprise party was my 16th birthday. It was a bit lame. My mom really didn't know who to invite, so she left my best friend Katy in charge. Katy knew it might be social suicide, so she only invited some people from church (let's face it, they were dorks) and my 3 best friends at the time.
12. At that party, my friend Whitney stood on my kitchen counter with a German beer stein of my dad's and sang a German beer song. My dad loved it.
13. On my 17th birthday, I was really drunk at a party and kept wandering around saying, "It's my birthday, see my new shoes?!" I later passed out in my friend Sam's Jeep. He got me home somehow.
14. My 21st birthday was less wild...went to the local coffee shop with my 15 year old small group girls. They bought me a really nice pair of roller blades. Loved it!
15. For my 30th birthday, I was super pregnant with R. We ate dinner at my choice, Fitz's, and bought some furniture for our house at Good Works.
16. A sent me to Chicago with my big sister for my 31st. So fun!
17. On my 16th birthday, my parents got me a beautiful dark gray Honda Accord. I LOVED that car. I would drive it happily right now. Too bad I totaled it 2 months later.
18. My parents got me a beautiful diamond necklace for my 18th birthday.
19. For my 20th birthday, we had K-Life club (I was a volunteer leader) The K-Life guys wheeled out this huge cardboard cake and this really weird (at the time, I'm sure he's totally normal now) guy busted out and danced on me.

Wednesday

To -do Today

1. Boil up some pintos
2. Find W some winter shoes
4. File and paint my LONG nails
5. Fight the temptation to not clean my kitchen countertops (I'm for no reason at all trying to see how long I can go...it's been four days)
6. Vacuum and dust
7. Straighten my hair. It's been curly for 2 weeks now.
8. Decide on Christmas gifts for the kiddos
9. Cheer on the JBS Bombers football team

Tuesday

My Favorite Insult Names I Wish Were More Popular

1. Skank bag
2. Carpetbagger
3. Liver lips
4. Rat bastard
5. Fat face
6. Redcoat
7. Titty baby

Monday

Some Of The Characters We Trick-or-Treated With Last Night

1. Indian
2. Cowboy
3. Yoda
4. Hamburger
5. Banana
6. Monkey
7. Firefighter
8. Witch
9. Velma (from Scooby Doo)
10. Hannah Montana
11. Storm Trooper
12. Princess Leia
13. Clown
14. Elmo

Sunday

Savings I Experienced Grocery Shopping Today

(this is dedicated to Kerry)
1. $1 Off Organic Valley Cheese
2. $1 Off Organic Valley Butter
3. $1 Off Nasoya Tofu
4. $1 Off Food Should Taste Good Chips
4. 75cents Off 365 Brand Pasta Sauce
5. $2 Off Gardein strips
6. Chex Mix coupon...don't remember
7. Saved 50cents at Whole Foods for bringing my own bags
8. Odwalla Juice Smoothies were 2 for $4, so we stocked up
9. Apples were 1/2 price
10. 75cents off Buttermilk Biscuits
11. $1.50 Off Gorilla Munch cereal

Saturday

My Lazy Day

1. Slept until 11:30
2. Ate lunch- Gardein strips and brown rice with cheezy sauce
3. Took a two hour nap
4. Quick run to the grocer
5. Popcorn and movie with the kiddos...The Land Before Time
6. Supper- PBJs and apples for the kiddos, baked sweet potato with greek yogurt, walnuts, and salsa for me
7. Watching the Razorback game on the computer. GO HOGS!
8. Bath and a magazine

Friday

Things I Don't Like Thinking About Because They Freak Me Out

1. How telephones work...how do our voices travel along phone lines???
2. Don't even get me started on cell phones
3. Acrobats and Contortionists
4. And, how do radios work?
5. Kidnapping
6. The production of weird foods like Twinkies and Cheese Puffs and marshmallows
7. The solar system
8. This weird recurring dream/image/daydream I had my whole childhood that years later showed up in a David Gray song
9. How our bodies work...we don't really think, "You have an itchy leg. Okay, brain, make your arm scratch that itch." It just all happens.
10. Airplanes
11. Boats
12. My information that's just out there for anyone to hack into
13. Lady Gaga's meat outfit
14. Those big black round earrings that guys pierce their ears with
15. Okay, and how do TVs work? Clearly I have a problem with any type of technology

Wednesday

What I'm Stocking Up On To Brace For The Colder Months

1. Magic Nuudles
2. A beading set
3. Disney/Pixar movies
4. Dried beans (for me to eat:)
5. Root vegetables
6. Tickets to COCA Family Theatre Series shows
7. Blocks
8. Fingerpaints
9. Dance music
10. Frozen fruit
11. Musical instruments
12. Snuggly socks and slippers
13. Max and Ruby episodes
14. Stickers
15. Bath toys
16. Pasta to dye
17. Snowsuits and snow boots
18. Yummy recipes to try


Tuesday

What I've Managed To Do Today Despite My WHINY Children

1. Clean all of the glass tables
2. Clean the kitchen
3. Make some lentils
4. Do 4 loads of laundry
5. Take a shower
6. Do all the dusting
7. Watch the Today Show and The Best Thing I Ever Ate
8. Unload the dishwasher
9. Straighten up the bathroom

Monday

Updated Celebrity Crushes

(to accompany this previous one)
1. Fred Savage
2. Bob Harper
3. Matt Lauer
4. Should say Taylor Kitsch, but I will insist only on Tim Riggins
5. Tyler Florence
6. Tom Colicchio

Sunday

What's For Lunch At Our House

1. Gardein strips
2. Brown rice
3. Pumpkin puree
4. Lentils
5. Salad

Saturday

(Debatably) Interesting Things I Know

1. I can recite the states in alphabetical order pretty quickly.
2. I can name many of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
3. I remember many of my childhood friends phone numbers.
4. Psalm 62
5. I had a strange obsession with the stages of mitosis when I was younger. I still go over them from time to time.
6. I know almost every word of the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding."
7. I memorize license plate numbers of the cars in front of me and recite them keep them in my memory for a while for some reason.
8. I remember most of the people's addresses who came to our wedding.
9. I remember what everyone gave me as a wedding gift.
10. I can say the Greek alphabet really fast (thank you DBS)
11. In the 6th grade, I knew all the capitols of every country in the world.

Friday

Appearance Changes

1. Trying to let my hair be more natural- not as much straightening, letting it just be curly or wavy
2. Using my Chi straightener to tame the frizz
3. No more nail biting. This is really hard for me...I'm trying so hard. Even painting them to keep them out of my mouth.
4. Also attempting to not wear make-up. I will always wear mascara, and I need to put something under my eyes to mask my huge dark circles. They are not from a lack of sleep...I've had them since I was little.

Thursday

Why I Don't Drink Coffee

1. It tastes disgusting, mostly.
2. I would not want one more thing (coffee maker) on my pretty minimal counter.
3. I hate the breath that it gives people.
4. It would be too tempting to always stop by Starbucks and pay $5.00 for a coffee. It does not cost anywhere near that to make a coffee drink. Highway robbery.
5. I have no room in my cabinets for coffee cups.
6. I have no room in my budget for coffee beans.
7. I feel as if there is a 30 second window between when the coffee is too hot to drink and when the coffee is too cold to drink. I wouldn't want to drink a coffee in 30 seconds.
8. I wouldn't like it just black, and I hate to drink my calories.
9. I was behind someone on the road today that had a bumper sticker that said, "Watch out...I haven't had my coffee." I would never want to be that person.
10. I avoid caffeine.
11. At Kanakuk work week one summer, a girl I was raking with kept numbering about "needing her coffee" or "needing her Starbucks." It was like 90 degrees outside. It makes people crazy.

Wednesday

Movie Sequel Trivia From The Today Show This Morning

1. The highest grossing animated movie sequel is "Toy Story 3."
2. The 6 Harry Potter films have made more money than the 22 James Bond films put together.
3. "The Godfather: Part II" was the first movie sequel to ever contain a number in the title.
4. Renee Zellweger gained 30 pounds to reprise her role in "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason."
5. Carey Mulligan plays the daughter of Michael Douglas' character Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps."
I found this to be completely uninteresting, but I've got nothing else

Tuesday

What's On The Counter Right Now

1. Panini press- it's A's new thing
2. My dirty lunch dishes
3. Laptop
4. Cloth napkin
5. Sugar pumpkin
6. Container of muffins
7. Yesterday's mail
8. 9 apples
9. Fruit basket with the following:
10. 2 avocados
11. A spaghetti squash
12. 2 cloves of garlic, waiting to be roasted
13. 3 sweet potatoes, waiting to be made into fries
14. 8 bananas
15. 2 googly eyes

Monday

Right Now

1. Eating a bowl of cereal...Kashi Go-Lean Crunch mixed with Uncle Sams mixed with Nature's Path Blueberry Cinnamon something
2. Watching R eat his breakfast...O's and a banana
3. Telling Puddy to stop begging for food
4. Freezing
5. Listening to "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
6. Needing a shower
7. Remembering my dream last night...I was in high school and in Beauty Review, but when I got out on stage, I had one of those t-shirts that made you look like you were wearing a bikini and everyone was boo-ing
8. Thinking about our day. Monday Funday.

Sunday

What's In Our Bathroom's Top Drawer

1. A comb
2. My contacts case
3. Contact solution
4. Contact cleaner
5. My Alba facial moisturizer
6. A's Crest toothpaste
7. The kid's Tom's fluoride-free toothpaste
8. My tea tree toothpaste
9. My glasses
10. My deodorant
11. A's deodorant
12. R's eczema cream
13. Tweezerman tweezers

Saturday

Ways My Dad And I Are Alike

1. We both love coconut cream pie
2. We are both practical jokers
3. We are both married to people who do not like practical jokes
4. We love North Face coats and jackets
5. We both have a lot of clothes
6. We love a good breakfast sandwich (PB, smooshed up banana, fruit, cereal/granola)
7. We love Mexican food
8. We are both bad dancers, but think we are good dancers
9. We both appear first to be quiet or shy, but are not really
10. We both desire to eat very healthy
11. Well, we both eat really healthy but love a sweet treat
12. We love history
13. We like things to be nice and organized, even to the point of being anal
14. We both are slaves to our routines
15. We like getting gifts
16. We both love to travel
17. We both love small towns
18. We are both extremely cool

Friday

Things I Like To Make In Bulk And Have On Hand For Easier Meal Prep

this is a nod to my sister's vegan blog
1. Homemade veggie burgers
2. Soy Taco or some type of meat alternative crumbles
3. Beans (I like to have a couple types at a time)
4. A grain like quinoa, wheatberries, bulgur wheat, brown rice, etc.
5. Cheezy Sauce from Veganomicon
6. Baked sweet potatoes
7. Cubed watermelon
8. Oatmeal
9. Pancakes
10. Pressed and cubed tofu

Thursday

Top 10 New Foods At The Arkansas State Fair

(from Serious Eats, if you want to see slideshow photos. Or Little Rock through this weekend if you want to taste)
1. Chocolate Smoochies- battered and deep fried Hershey's Kisses, dusted with powdered sugar
2. Battered and Deep-Fried Hard-Boiled Egg
3. Bacon Bombs- deep-fried cream cheese and bacon served on a stick
4. Cabritas Wraps- goat meat and tomato chunks with barbecue sauce, served in a tortilla
5. Tater Dog- hot dog on a stick inserted into a spiral cut potato
6. Steak Hubcap Sandwich- one pound country-fried hamburger fried steak on a bun
7. Chocolate Cream Cheese Bites- deep-fried milk chocolate and cream cheese, dusted with powdered sugar
8. Beer Butt Chicken- whole chickens roasted over coals on a beer can. Served with the beer can.
9. Cheeseburger on a Stick- just like a corndog, but instead of a dog...hamburger and cheese
10. Giant Cream Puffs- pastries the size of a baby's head with Bavarian cream filling...you can get them chocolate covered (Aaron, that is right up your ally)

Wednesday

Today's To-Do List

1. Go to Wal-Mart, buy Mason jars
2. Go to Banana Republic, exchange shirt
3. Go to grocery store
4. Pick W up from school
5. Make pumpkin bread and cinnamon butter
6. Make my little sister some David Gray and Van Morrison cds
7. Shower
8. Head over to in-laws for dinner
9. Organize bathroom cabinets/drawers
10. Download photos from digital camera

Tuesday

Some Righteous Tunes I Belted Out On My Road Trip Thanks To My Radio's Scan Function

1. Almost Paradise (from Footloose)
2. For A Little While- Tim McGraw
3. The Rhythm is Gonna Get You- Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
4. Red, Red, Wine- UB40
5. Break It To Me Gently- Brenda Lee
6. I'll Be- Edwin McCain
7. Don't Close Your Eyes- Keith Whitley
8. I Can't Dance- Phil Collins
9. Someday We'll Be Together- Diana Ross and The Supremes
10. Livin' On A Prayer- Bon Jovi
11. Forever Young- Rod Stewart
12. Fool Hearted Memory- George Strait
13. What Might Have Been- Little Texas
14. Sundown- Gordon Lightfoot
15. Fast Car- Tracy Chapman
16. Right Here Waiting- Bryan Adams
17. Love Shack- B52's
18. There She Goes- Sixpence None the Richer
19. I Can't Remember- The Thorns
20. Is This Love- Whitesnake
21. I Want To Know What Love Is- Foreigner

Monday

Numbers

1. 2- number of avocados I ate yesterday
2. 116- pounds I weigh
3. 9- pairs of black yoga-style pants I own
4. 14- cardigans hanging in my closet
5. 67- apps on my iPhone
6. 3- trees I'm excited to decorate for Christmas (one little one for the kids, 2 big)
7. 5- times I woke up last night to go to the bathroom
8. 15- months my two children are apart in age
9. 80- dollars of "fun money" I have to spend each month
10. 2- Mason jars in my pantry that have unidentifiable powders/flours/grains (?) in them
11. 14,580- dollars that my favorite private elementary school in STL charges for a year's tuition
12. 4- what I consider my "lucky number"
13. 90- years old my sweet Grandpa is
14. 7- nieces and nephews I have
15. 37- recipes I have bookmarked and am waiting to try
16. 15,500- liters of water it takes to make a kilogram of beef
17. 12- things of my Christmas list so far
18. 13.1- days of music I have in my iTunes library
19. 15- emails in our inbox
20. 10- on a scale of one to ten how much I love Little House on the Prairie
21. 11- number of Leonardo DiCaprio films I love
22. 24- my favorite age that I was
23. 2000-pieces in my puzzle
24. 7- R.E.M. albums I have
25. 40- people in the US who share my name, according to howmanyofme.com
26. 107- million dollars Robin Carnahan's brother got in stimulus dollars for his wind plant (do you think they overplay that commercial or what?)
27. 4- unwatched episodes of "Caprica" we have in our queue
28. 1- surgeries I've had
29. 2- snacks I have each day
30. 32- years I will be old on my next birthday

Sunday

A Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner For This Vegetarian

1. Stuffin'
2. Mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy
3. REAL cranberry sauce (with a little bit over my stuffing)
4. A big soft roll with honey and butter
5. My mom's broccoli and rice casserole
6. Sweet potatoes (I'm trying a new recipe this year from the whole deal flyer from Whole Foods)
7. Collard greens
8. Pumpkin pie

Saturday

My Favorite Bravo Stars

1. Bethenney Frankel
2. Jason Hoppy
3. Trace from Flipping Out
4. Brad from Rachel Zoe
5. Jeff Lewis
6. Zoila!
7. Tom Colicchio
8. Gail Simmons
9. The whole Novogratz family
10. Tabatha the hair lady
11. Nina Garcia

Friday

Qualities I Especially Dislike In People

1. People with chips on their shoulder
2. Overly defensive people
3. People who have a short fuse/quick to anger
4. When people always think their opinion is fact
5. People who flaunt their intelligence as a way to feel important
6. People who always play the victim
7. People who can't take a joke

Thursday

This Weekend

1. A's leaving this afternoon for a weekend with his man friends
2. Puddy, W, R, and I are leaving tomorrow after preschool for Branson
3. Dinner and spending time with my brother and his family
4. My whole family and a family we grew up with- reunion in Crane, where I grew up
5. Over to Hurley to see my Grandpa and Grandma Winnie
6. Silver Dollar City on Sunday morning
7. Come home Sunday night or Monday morning...I don't know

Wednesday

The Recent Text History Between Me And My Neighbor

1. Me: It was in the fridge
2. Her: Oh good! Thank you so much for checking!
3. Her: Do you have my baby monitor?
4. Me: Yes. I have had it lying here for a week.
5. Her: Oh good bc I have been trying to find it for a week! Sorry Beau must have left it there.
6. Me: Yeah. Linda left it here last week when Beau got home I just turned it off.
7. Me: Are you home this morning?
8. Her: Yes till 1130...what's up? It's just me and Hope.
9. Me: Can we come over later- like at 10? I haven't seen you in forever!
10. Her: Come whenever...door is open!
11. Her: Will you bring me a bread pan when you come?
12. Me: Yes
13. Me: Could you feed the fish?
14. Her: Sure!
15. Her: Do I need to feed the fish today?
16. Me: We are back. You are relieved of all fish duties.
17. Her: Hey...Mom is in town and she brought her Canon camera but forgot the battery charger. Could she borrow yours?
18. Her: How was your trip?!
19. Me: Yes! I'll bring it over in a minute.
20. Her: Hey, my mom needs to get Al, but Hope is sleeping...is there any way you could listen in for her?
21. Me: We're at Forest Park. Sorry
22. Her: Can I borrow some butter?
23. Me: Just saw this! If you need some still- text Andy. He's home.
24. Her: I called him! Thanks, I owe you some butter
25. Her: Hey we are going to the market this morning too! When are y'all going?
26. Me: We're not going anymore bc we are going to the greentree festival in kirkwood.
27. Her: What is that?
28. Me: We'll come by after nap! I'll call you.
29. Me: Are your kids awake?
30. Her: yeah
31. Me: May I borrow your food processor? BTW, Grey's starts tonight!
32. Her: Yes...I am not there, just go grab it. I am so excited. I get home at 930 want to watch it?
33. Me: Sure. Just call me!
34. Me: We're taking the kids to Laf. Park in about half an hour if y'all want to go.
35. Her: Oh, I didn't get your text! Thanks for the invite.
36. Her: We are going to the park around 9, want to join us?!
37. Me: Sure. See you there!
38. Her: Can I borrow an egg?
39. Her: This butter is amazing
40. Her: Do you have a skinny belt I can borrow?
41. Me: No. I only have a thicker brown leather one.
42. Me: I can't figure out tour food processor. Help!
43. Me: Your food processor. Not tour food processor.
44. Me: Got it! Hallelujah!
45. Her: Yeay!!!
46. Me: If you were going to a "business casual" party, what would you wear?
47. Her: Slacks
48. Me: Sometime can we borrow that toy horse that R could ride on? Also, the cinnamon butter=good on sweet potatoes!
49. Her: Yum...need to make some...And I am happy to continue having you make the butter for us, it's just that we go through it so fast you might not be able to keep up.. :)
50. Her: I will have Beau bring home the horse
51. Me: W ate your family (you were biscuit bites today) for breakfast. Baby Hope is always first to go.
52. Her: That is scary.
53. Me: Aren't y'all going somewhere this weekend?
54. Her: I could smell the biscuits this morning in the hallway...yum
55. Her: Iowa
56. Her: Did you taste my soup?
57. Her: I don't like it...need to cook the rutabaga longer
58. Me: It's good! Linda called it a "bowl of health." Works for me!
59. Her: Haha
60. Me: And I agree about the rutabaga

Tuesday

Recent Art Purchases

1. A medium-sized Alicia LaChance painting that is darker than our other ones. Her black flowers, a red block with a navy curve, green flowers, a mustard stripe, and a orange ring over a tarnished black square.
2. An Aaron Hequembourg 2D piece...old hymnal pages on wood salvaged from a cotton gin. It has a plower and horse etched on it. It's definitely not my "style," but I love it.
3. A Nathan Falter, from Springfield Pottery, piece. Black and white container shaped like a trough that has the number 33 painted on the side.
4. A black and white photo of a grasshopper's body from the side. It's been colored with pale green pigment. It's tacked onto a piece of plaster with these old tacks. I wanted it for two months. That's as long as I could wait. The artist, Michael Paul Cole, is resetting it for me, because I did not like the frame he was showing it in.

Monday

Right Now

1. I am wearing gray socks, black yoga pants, and a volunteer t-shirt from the St. Louis Art Fair
2. R is a little stuck in Puddy's bed. I'm letting him work it out.
3. W is watching Diego save the baby polar bears
4. Puddy is stalking R because he is holding onto the last bite of his beet cookie
5. It's cold in here
6. I'm listening to Ray LaMontagne...God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise
7. I'm drinking the last of the orange juice
8. R got out and has moved on to the books and puzzles
9. I need to clean all the glass tables and vacuum the rugs
10. Maybe I'll make some cookies
11. Puddy has seen something outside and is standing at attention at the balcony window door
12. W just told me not to sing so loud

Sunday

What I Have To Do This Week

1. Clean out my car
2. Pack for SW MO
3. Deep clean the bathrooms
4. Do all of my handwashing
5. Wash my car
6. Get a hair cut
7. Make muffins, lentils, and veggie burgers
8. Find a big piece of cardboard so I can start my puzzle
9. Figure out what I'm going to be for Halloween

Saturday

How I Stayed Way Up At Blackjack Last NIght

1. A 90-year old taught me the way of the game
2. The dealer liked me
3. My husband's co-worker and I were exchanging/loaning cards
4. The owner of the company was stealing chips and passing them out
5. The dealer would sometimes tell us his secret card
6. If I had a good hand/number/whatever, I would add lots more to my bet
7. My dealer was quoted as saying things like, "You don't want this next card," or "I would just stay right there," and "We're gonna need to burn this one."

Friday

This Weekend

1. Zoo this morning with Susannah and some kids
2. Casino night at Andy's office tonight, and the kids spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's
3. Working at the Shaw Art Fair tomorrow morning-afternoon
4. Over to Kirkwood Saturday night to spend family time with our friends, the Lacinys
5. Sunday morning pumpkin patch with the Reinbergs
6. Church on Sunday night

Thursday

InStyle Mag's Style Questions

1. What's the secret to making yourself stand out?
Laughter
2. Is there one piece of jewelry every woman should treat herself to?
One statement piece that is you. It can be diamond earrings or a chunky stone necklace. Something that you can save for special occasions that instantly allows you to feel like you are doing something special.
3. What do you splurge on?
Art. Art. Art.
4. The one piece of advice most women need and don't get?
It's you, and only you, who decides if you are beautiful or not.
"Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical."
-Sophia Loren
5. Who is your style icon?
Kelly Wearstler
6. What is your favorite brand of jeans?
Citizens of Humanity
7. What is one thing a woman can do to her wardrobe to make it look chicer?
Belt a cardigan or sweater vest over one of your usual shirts
8. What is your secret talent?
Looking through recipes, which I do a lot, and knowing which ones will be good or not
9. What is your favorite beauty product?
Aveda products. I love them all...their hand relief cream, rosemary mint shampoo and conditioner, blue oil, foot cream...
10. What is your guilty pleasure?
TV. I watch a lot of it and love it. No excuses or apologies.
11. What do you sleep on?
Pure Beech modal jersey sheets. They are heavenly. And Dwell bedding--so cozy!
12. What is your secret cheapie?
Plain white mens undershirt tees from Target in the packs. They are comfy and versatile and CHEAP. You can cut them up or layer with them or just rock them plain. I love them.
13. What is one piece every woman should have in her wardrobe?
A perfect pair of dark jeans
14. What is your signature scent?
I go back and forth between Gucci II and Origins Ginger, that I've been wearing for ages.
15. What is your go-to accessory?
A watch. I could get rid of all other jewelry (rings, earrings, necklaces, etc.) and just be happy with a good watch.
16. What is your must-do when traveling?
I love to visit an art museum or art festival in that city. I love checking out a vegan or vegetarian restaurant. I also can't pass up visiting their Anthropologie store. In my defense, they are all different.
17. What is your favorite flower?
Right now, light pink/white peonies
18. What is your favorite comfort food?
A big ole veggie burger and a pile of sweet potato fries
19. What is the secret to having great style?
Being brave! And being yourself.

Wednesday

Today's To Do

1. Go through R's clothes and find out what fits
2. Go through Al's old clothes and see if any of that works for R
3. Read my new InStyle mag
4. Make veggie burgers
5. Lunch picnic
6. Clean the bathroom
7. Wash all bedding
8. Fold all laundry
9. Call my sisters
10. Call my brother
11. Put together Christmas lists!

Tuesday

Top 10 TV Mini-Series Of All Time (taken from listverse)

1. Roots (Liked. I watched it when I was way too young to, which would also describe most of the tv and movies of my childhood)
2. Jesus of Nazareth
3. Band of Brothers (Loved. My grandpa bought HBO just to watch this)
4. The Winds of War
5. North and South (We watched this when it aired originally. My sisters and I can act out many scenes. To say it is a "dean classic" would be a gross understatement. LOVE)
6. Lonesome Dove (Also, a family classic. I made my husband watch this with me because he had never seen it, so now, he loves it, too. I own it. And North and South)
7. Shogun
8. Shaka Zula
9. Thornbirds (Another family classic. I remember wishing I looked like Meggie)
10. I, Claudius
11. V (We were into this one, too. I remember it being good, and I remember them eating mice whole)
12. Star Wars: Clone Wars
13. D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers
14. Gulliver's Travels
15. John Adams


Monday

My Favorite Glee Moments

1. Rachel losing her voice singing "The Climb"
2. The old lady librarian (in response to them singing "Whoomp, There It Is")..."That was cute! I'm going to talk to my pastor about you all performing at our Sunday service."
3. Sue and any time she makes fun of Mr. Schuster's hair or hair gel. (like "I think I smell cookies wafting from the ovens of the little elves that live in your hair.")
4. Mr. Schuster and Neil Patrick Harris doing "Dream On."
5. Kurt's dad (on not obeying the "stay out..." sign on Kurt's door)..."I thought it was just the beginning of one of your murder mystery dinners!"
6. Anytime Brittany says anything.
7. "So you like show tunes. It doesn't mean your gay. It just means your awful." -Sue Sylvester, to Kurt.
8. I Am A Winner And You Are Fat, Sue's book title.
9. Rachel and Finn doing "Faithfully." That whole Journey medley was good.
10. Brittany's Lady Gaga costume with the silver lobster claws.
11. Rachel's Gaga costume her dads made with the stuffed animals falling off. "We've got a jumper," says Kurt.

Sunday

Top 11 Favorite Movies Of All Time

1. Lars and the Real Girl
2. Almost Famous
3. Hoosiers
4. Coraline
5. Remember the Titans
6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
7. The Royal Tennenbaums
8. My Best Friend's Wedding
9. Zoolander
10. Big Fish
11. Moulin Rouge

Saturday

600th Post

1. 600 posts = 600 days
2. 51 followers? I would've thought I'd be on Oprah by now.
3. A favorite list of mine is THIS ONE.
4. Of course, I like THIS ONE, TOO.
5. I went back and tagged my posts (I skipped a few) so that it can be fun to look back using the tags that are on the side of the blog.
6. A lot of my posts are about food. I'll try to get more creative.
7. My memories (especially the ones I did about my childhood) posts are my favorites.
8. THIS ONE made me cry a little bit.
9. I also do a lot of whining on here!
10. I like THIS POST. It's very me.
11. And THIS ONE.
12. The Saved By The Bell Post, Favorite Office Moments, Favorite Friends Moments, and that Lost list are good, too.
13. Thanks for reading.

Friday

Randoms

1. Yesterday, some girl looked at my two babies and asked, "How do you do it?" and I replied, "I don't usually feel like I'm doing it well."
2. W poops almost every time she pees.
3. My parents bought R these two cute little horses. He has barely put them down.
4. Some people say imitation is the highest form of flattery. I find it annoying.
5. I might give myself a pedicure tonight.
6. I have white begonias and English ivy growing on my balcony.
7. I now have to watch The Office online next day because our 2 TiVos are not enough to record all of my Thursday night shows.
8. I made black beans yesterday because I had a dream about them. I woke up craving them and had some for lunch with diced onions and celery in them.
9. R is such a good "reader." He will set on the floor with a pile of books for such a long time, thumbing through the pages and looking at the illustrations.
10. W has wore her new black cowboy boots all day yesterday.
11. While my parents were in town, we ate out at Chevy's, Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, Houlihans, Fitz's, The Old Spaghetti Factory, and had sweet treats at a cookie store in St. Charles and Chill in Clayton (so good!)
12. My dad's birthday was Wednesday. He is a young 58. We gifted him a little Asian fountain that he liked.
13. My elbow is throbbing with pain right now because I landed on it in the bathroom. My toddler took me down.
14. I just spotted myself in the mirror. My hair is laughably ridiculous right now.
15. I think we'll have homemade pizza tonight.
16. I'm not getting good sleep lately because I've been having terrible nightmares and an overactive bladder.
17. I have 6 loads of laundry to fold tonight.
18. I am counting down the days until I get to decorate for Christmas.
19. I get really excited when those "real men of genius" commercials come on the radio.
20. I love the farmer's market. It's only going to be here for 3 more weeks.

Thursday

Unwanted Animals In My Houses

1. My childhood house turned out the occasional mouse.
2. That same house also had spiders and scorpions.
3. When we first moved to Arkansas, we returned from vacation to find a bird that had taken up residence in our house.
4. That house had a few mice, too. I did not like that house.
5. My first house in college- we lived through a month long roach infestation. I did love that house.
6. Our second house had a teeny-tiny ant problem. They were so tiny that they were almost loveable. We were able to easily get rid of them.
7. I walked in on a squirrel jumping out of my ficus tree in my first apartment in St. Louis. It was embarassingly one of the most frightening days of my life.
8. A blue-tailed lizard was in the bathroom of my parent's current house when I was home visiting this summer.


Wednesday

Grocery List

1. Bread
2. Yogurt
3. Milk
4. Orange Juice
5. Soymilk
6. Canned pumpkin
7. Canned green beans
8. Dry black beans
9. Cereal for kids, cereal for A
10. Strawberries
11. Bananas
12. Spinach
13. Avocados
14. Asparagus
15. Sweet potatoes

Tuesday

Animals That W Is Knowledgeable Of Because Of Diego

1. Blue Morpho Butterfly
2. Pygmy Marmoset
3. Sloth
4. Puma
5. Llama
6. Chincilla
7. Tapir
8. Iguana
9. Macaroni Penguin
10. Porcupine
11. Flying Squirrel
12. Spectacled Bear

Monday

My Favorite Desserts

1. Banana Pudding (it has to be good. the real thing.)
2. Stoby's Strawberry Cake
3. Sacher (?don't know how to spell it) Torte that they used to sell at Wild Oats in Little Rock
4. Coconut Cream Pie
5. Chai Milkshake from Koffee Kartel
6. My Great-Aunt Mert's Fudge Biscuits
7. Peach Pie from Katie Pie's at the Farmer's Market
8. My mom's carrot cookies with pineapple frosting
9. Blackberry cobbler from Cracker Barrel or anywhere else that makes good cobbler. I like my cobbler and pie cold or room temp. (not hot!) with vanilla ice cream.
*What are your favorite desserts?

Sunday

What's Hanging On The Refrigerator

1. W's art-- four of her handprints she made with finger paint colors all mixed together
2. A Cat in the Hat magnetic notepad I got in the Target $1 bins
3. A stainless steel clip
4. A Chicago Art Institute magnet
5. A Paul Klee magnet

Saturday

What I Ate Yesterday

1. Banana bread Larabar
2. 4 strawberries
3. Glass of chocolate soymilk
4. Kashi 5-grain crackers
5. Pinto beans with red onion, celery, and orange pepper
6. Glass of water
7. Granny Smith apple
8. Roasted vegetable sandwich and garlic mashed potatoes from McGurks
9. A Magner's cider
9. A chocolate chip cookie ("just one cookie! what great self-control!" -yeah, it was about 6 inches in diameter)

Friday

The Mess That Has Completely Hidden My Island Counter

1. Camera bag
2. 2 pairs of pants and one shirt and their receipts I need to return
3. W's first preschool art piece
4. Bag of crayons
5. Some poster or something rolled up (it's A's thing, I have no idea what it is)
6. A lab request for R's bloodwork
7. Whole Foods receipt
8. Our camera (not in it's bag, clearly)
9. W's birth certificate
10. Southern Living
11. A's bike owner's manual
12. Artist bios from the art we purchased last week at the art fair
13. Bubbles (from Gymboree...those are the best)
14. A bag of Billy Goat chips
15. 4 Preserve toothbrushes (we just got a yearly subscription)
16. My sunglasses
17. My tote bag filled with a bunch of randomness--waiting to be cleaned out
18. 3 big cookies in packages
19. A pile of napkins
20. Our fruit basket with a granola bar, 3 Granny Smith apples, 3 sweet potatoes, and 4 bananas
21. Laptop
22. A cardboard envelope needing to be in the recycling

Thursday

All My Fall Weekend Plans

1. Parents and aunt coming into town
2. Volunteering at the Shaw Art Fair
3. Casino night at A's office
4. Branson weekend
5. Conway week
6. Keithley/Dean reunion
7. Bonfire in Washington, MO
8. Halloween Party
9. Trick-or-Treating
10. Apple picking
11. Pumpkin farm

Wednesday

My Cookbooks

1. Veganomicon (Moskowitz and Romero)
2. Pizza (Franco)
3. Super Smoothies (Barber and Whiteford)
4. Fast Fixes With Mixes (Taste of Home)
5. Deceptively Delicious (Seinfeld)
6. Biggest Book of Cookies (Better Homes and Gardens)
7. From Our Family At Ozark Wal-Mart (sounds weird but it is a favorite of mine)
8. Spice of Life (Quilter's Guild of Plano)
9. The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen (Berley)
10. Vegetarian Cooking (Betty Crocker)
11. Organic Baby and Toddler Cookbook (Vann)
12. The California Pizza Kitchen Cookbook
13. Vegetarian Food For Friends (Noralika)
14. Gather At The Table (First United Methodist Church of Pine Bluff, AR)
15. Simply Irresistible (Junior Auxillary of Conway, AR)
16. Cupcakes! (Klivans)
17. Panini, Bruschetta, and Crostini (La Place)
18. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (Garten)
19. Top Chef: The Cookbook

Tuesday

What's In My Bowl

1. The last of my spinach...not very much
2. Red pepper
3. Red onion
4. Celery
5. Bulgur wheat
6. Wheat germ
7. Olive oil
8. Sauteed garlic and mushrooms
9. Two cut-up Gardein strips
10. Italian brown rice
11. Sauteed zucchini

Monday

List From My 8th Grade Diary

(listing even back then...don't hate- I was pretty cool)
1. TV Show: The Wonder Years
2. Song: Love is on the Way by Saigon Kick or When I Look Into Your Eyes by Firehouse
3. Clothing Store: Maurices
4. Books: Island of the Blue Dolphins or The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
5. Teacher: Mrs. Grubbs and Mr. Redus
6. Food: Fried mushrooms at the Dairy Lane in Crane
7. Saying: Sha-reet/Sha-right (I think this was a substitution for saying "yeah right")
8. Restaurant: Trotters (I think that it really should have been the Italian restaurant at the Battlefield Mall...oh goodness, was that Pasta House?)
9. Movie: Can't Buy Me Love
10. Place to hang out: Braum's or Amber's downstairs
11. Game: Cards (??? I think I was grasping here)

Sunday

Why The David Gray/Ray LaMontagne Show Was Amazing

1. Back-to-back "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" and "This Year's Love" from David. Then "Babylon" and "Sail Away." It was some sort of one-two punch that felt wonderful.
2. Ray performed "Jolene." It was almost too good to be true.
3. Ray actually talked besides saying just "thank you." He told a funny story. Three shows of his under my belt, and that was a first.
4. David knocked "Nemesis" out of the park during the encore. It was artistic and beautiful.
5. Outdoor amphitheater, under the stars in Santa Barbara
6. Made me cry three times
7. As usual, "Please Forgive Me" in the encore was amazing...David's best concert song of all time
8. David's set list is always so thoughtful and wonderful. I've been to 9 of his shows, and they are all always so different from the next.
9. Went with some REALLY good friends
10. Ray played a great mix from all four of his albums
11. I think every one of the 4500 people there were singing at the top of their lungs and dancing to "Babylon"
12. David was pure energy the whole time, double-tapping his foot and swinging his head around the way he always does.
13. Ray's "Like Rock & Roll and Radio" was beautiful and had everyone in the amphitheater silent listening
14. The show started at 6:30 and was over at 10:00 sharp. I could have stayed all night long, but it was nice to not be out so late!
15. Both artists gave us the two songs we were longing for from their sets during their encores.
16. Great concessions- I had veggie pizza waiting for Ray to come on stage.
17. A and I went a little crazy with merch...I got a cute little David Gray t-shirt and we got two posters for our concert poster collection (one was signed!)

Saturday

If I Could Go Back In Time, I'd...

1. Attend Monterey Pop in 1967
2. Get married again (same husband, though)
3. Go to original Broadway "Wicked"
4. Spend more time with grandparents/family/friends who actually matter. I now know who actually matters.
5. Be nicer in high school
6. Have studied abroad for a little while
7. Be a British spy for the American Army during the Revolutionary War
8. Go see David Gray in some tiny pub when he was young and unknown
9. Taken my golf lessons more seriously
10. Seen Bob Dylan perform at the Newport Folk Festival
11. Invent the internet

Thursday

5 Reasons Avocados Will Make You Healthier Right Now (from this month's Southern Living mag)

1. They protect your eyes from disease (because of their carotenoid lutein)
2. They will lower your cholesterol (because of their beta-sitosterol)
3. They help regulate and reduce blood pressure (potassium)
4. They are a great source of Vitamin E
5. They will moisturize your skin (avocado butter and oil)

Wednesday

Things I Like About Fall

1. Cardigans
2. Apple crisp
3. Successful 2 point conversions
4. Leaves that change colors...makes me long for Northwest Arkansas
5. Pumpkin pie
6. Arkansas Razorback football
7. Any event that sitting on a hay bale occurs
8. Getting close to Christmas decorating
9. Buying school supplies
10. Taking walks and not worrying about the kids overheating
11. Dallas Cowboys football (I'm still dreaming of being a cheerleader)
12. Butternut squash ravioli
13. Cider

Tuesday

What My Mom's Cooking For Lunch

1. Fried chicken strips (special for A because they are his favorite)
2. Mashed potatoes
3. Grilled carrots, squash, zucchini, and onions
4. Oven bread (my favorite)
5. Collard greens
6. Green split peas
7. Sweet Tea

Monday

What I Can't Decide Between On The Smell Of This Plane

1. Doritos
2. Vomit
3. Meat pizza
4. Spicy body odor

Sunday

Animals I Saw Today

1. Sea gulls
2. Pigeons
3. Dolphins
4. Sea Lions
5. Fish getting cleaned
6. Dogs

Saturday

What You See A Lot Of In LA

1. Scientology centers
2. Spanish tiled roofs
3. Smog
4. Palm trees
5. Houses built into hills
6. 60s and 70s style architecture
7. Sprawl
8. Signs in other languages
9. Sunglasses

Friday

Today

1. Brunch at "the best place to eat breakfast in California"
2. Shopping on Robertson Blvd.
3. Driving around Hollywood
4. Watched some FNLs on Mark's computer
5. Dinner at Barneys in Pasadena
6. Games and ice cream with friends
7. More FNLs. Feeling sick.
8. To bed at 1:30, then remembered to do this list. Goodnight.

Thursday

People Waiting For Our Flight

1. Man in a Razorback t-shirt and two types of camo
2. Two teenagers with brown hair and dyed red bangs who I just explained what volunteers on a flight were
3. Man in full army fatigues
4. Guy named Muhammed who brought too many personal items. Including his "pillowbag"
5. Guy in a t-shirt featuring a widemouth bass about to take a bite
6. Two types of camo guy has a fancily-dresses wife
7. Big guy dressed in all black wearing a Omaha Nighthawks jersey
8. Some lady who looks like she stepped right off the set of Real Housewives of New Jersey
9. An old lady who was so nervous about her luggage
10. College boy wearing a flourescent pink Delta Gamma hat
11. College girl wearing an Aggies jersey and knee high gladiator sandals
12. Two men, both shoed in what I would consider "waders" I would've worn to teach canoe at Kanakuk
13. Man wearing a t-shirt that says he's an "Amazing Dad with Magic Money"
14. A girl about my age who made me think "we are going to LA, not St. Barts"
15. A guy who clearly idolizes The Situation.

Wednesday

My Favorite STL Restaurants

1. McGurk's
2. Il Vicino
3. Maya Cafe
4. 1111 Mississippi
5. Vin de Set
6. Fitz's
7. Almonds

Tuesday

What I Just Hand Washed

1. Big cookie sheet (used it last night to make blueberry scones on)
2. Skillet (eggs yesterday)
3. Vegetable steamer (broccoli yesterday)
4. Small saucepan (A used it to make rice for his dinner, I made orzo with spinach, broccoli, and peas for my dinner)
5. Drying rack (cooled my scones on it)
6. Big metal mixing bowl (scones)
7. Two rubber spatulas (I think they've been in the sink for a couple days
8. Two melamine plates (W's lunch and dinner plates)
9. Small metal strainer (orzo)

Monday

Weird Things I've Done On Road Trips

1. Was so hungry that I ate the only thing I had in my car, an avocado. Peeled it bit by bit with my fingers/teeth and ate all the way down to the pit.
2. Went the wrong way on HWY 40 in Tennessee on the way back from Carson-Newman College. I had stopped for gas in Nashville and accidentally drove all the way back to CNC...added an additional 7 hours to my trip home.
3. Peed into a diaper (I wasn't wearing it, just stuck it in there) on the way to Branson because I didn't have the mental strength to deal with two babies in a gas station bathroom
4. Always ended up in Oklahoma on my way home from Fort Smith in college
5. Lost a dare and had to ride to Memphis in the backseat floorboard of a friend's car
6. Have a bit of nightblindness/photophobia, and always had to drive at night wearing sunglasses
7. Evanescence's "My Immortal" used to calm W when she would cry as a baby (it was unbelievable) So, I listened to that song on repeat once the entire 6 hour drive to my parent's house.

Sunday

W's Favorite Things

1. Go Diego Go!
2. Pizza
3. Pink
4. Swimming
5. Her blankie
6. "Jokes"
7. Playing hide and seek
8. Chasing Puddy
9. Pink ice cream
10. I Like Me book
11. Painting
12. Bubbles
13. Helping me or A do things
14. Swinging

Saturday

What I Bought From Wal-Mart

1. Organic spinach leaves
2. Whole wheat buns
3. Whole wheat penne pasta
4. Deli chicken breast
5. Ground cinnamon
6. Hair combs
7. Crafting sticks
8. Crafting pom poms
9. Eggplant
10. Soymilk
11. Minnie mouse sippy cups
12. Plain sippy cups
13. 4 oz Ball canning jars
14. A's vitamins
15. Bananas
16. Baby wipes

Friday

TV Bad Boys That I Love

1. Duh, Pacey Witter, Dawson's Creek
2. Tim Riggins, Friday Night Lights
3. Puck, Glee
4. Chuck Bass, Gossip Girl
5. Logan Echolls, Veronica Mars
6. Mark Sloane, Grey's Anatomy
7. Jordan Catalanno, My So-Called Life
8. Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother
9. Dylan McKay, Beverly Hills 90210
10. Lincoln Burrows, Prison Break
And, yes, a lot of high school characters...maybe I have issues

Thursday

August 26

1. W woke up at 7, R woke up around 8
2. Gorilla munch and yogurt and bananas for breakfast
3. Spent the morning at The Magic House
4. 3rd Wal-Mart trip of the week
5. Leftovers for lunch
6. I watched 2 episodes of Friday Night Lights while the kiddos napped
7. W watched 2 episodes of Max and Ruby while I cleaned up
8. Took Puddy for a long walk
9. Downtown Farmers Market
10. Citygarden for some fun in the fountains
11. Homemade pizza for dinner
12. Baths
13. Need to call Tracy for some food advice (my little sis is an amazing cook)
14. The husband has his man group tonight, I will watch more Friday Night Lights and Project Runway

Wednesday

Things That Irritate Me About St. Louis

1. No decent Wal-Marts
2. I dislike the whole city/county thing
3. The whole riverfront downtown inaccessible or taken over by casinos
4. The Arch grounds are a total disappointment--what a waste of one of the most recognizable American landmarks
5. The restaurant scene in STL is mostly just Italian restaurants and pubs/sports bars
6. I think people don't consider themselves "Missourians," just "St. Louisians." However, I don't think there is much St. Louis pride here. Forget about Missouri pride.
7. I get annoyed with the whole "Where did you go to high school?" thing
8. Not many great vegetarian dining options
9. The downtown should be a bigger deal
10. Too big/too small...I can't make up my mind. I don't think St. Louis can, either.
11. I am actually fearful to drive on HWY 44 and 40 (especially 40- come on!) People don't know how to drive on the big highways! I do love driving on 55...those folks can do it.

Tuesday

R's Favorite Things

1. Bird Fly High book
2. My Little Pony: Eight Little Ponies book we stole from his cousin Clara
3. His little toy cars
4. Broccoli
5. Bananas
6. Dogs
7. Me
8. Coloring and painting
9. Holding something he finds in my bathroom- pill bottle, thermometer, lotion, travel mouthwash
10. Today, the naked Baby Stella
11. Kisses and hugs from his big sister
12. Getting into things
13. My rubber spatulas and metal mixing bowls
14. Pasta
15. Playing in the fountains at Citygarden

Monday

What I Wish I Would've Known Before Becoming A Parent

1. You shouldn't judge mothers. Because chances are someday if you have kids you will do it and say it, and your kids will wear it, eat it, drink it, or get bribed with it.
2. You should go on as many trips as you can before you have kids. It gets really hard to do things after they come along.
3. You will never look as good as you look now.
4. You will never be as cool as you are now.
5. Never say never.

Sunday

What's In My Make-Up Bag

1. Tweezerman tweezers
2. Plum colored Loreal eyeliner
3. Brown Loreal eyeliner
4. Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara in Black Brown
5. Yes to Carrots! Carrot flavored lip balm
6. Bare Escentuals medium bisque concealing powder
7. Bare Escentuals medium powder
8. Bare Escentuals "Golden Gate" blush
9. Small contoured, big fat, and blush brushes

Saturday

W Is Growing Up!

1. Going pee-pee on the big girl potty
2. Starting preschool September 13
3. Told me today that I am being "very rude"
4. Also told me today that she was "oh so fancy"
5. Picks out her own clothes

Friday

What I Could Go For Right Now

1. A sno-cone from actual New Orleans (not New Orleans-style, it's not the same)
2. A massage
3. Going back to bed
4. A tropical storm from Stobys
5. A sailboat ride
6. Driving a ski boat around
7. A hair cut
8. Kanakuk coffee cake (is that Kanakuk Koffee Kake? probably)
9. Some sand under my toes
10. A float on a lazy river
11. A jigsaw puzzle
12. The kiddos sitting quietly watching Moulin Rouge with me

Thursday

My Next Kitchen Will Have...

1. A fancy rice cooker
2. Lacquered white "brick" tile backsplash
3. A Vitamix on the counter
4. No microwave- just a toaster oven
5. A chandelier
6. A hook under a cabinet for bananas
7. A walk-in pantry
8. Organization that suggests the Container Store came in and threw up everywhere
9. My Strawberry Shortcake miniatures collection beautifully displayed
10. Pale blue walls
11. A warming oven
12. A breakfast nook with window seats around part of the table
13. A window above the sink

Wednesday

What I Bought Today

1. A backpack from REI for my soon-to-be-preschooler (just morning preschool twice a week, but a preschooler just the same)
2. Two Horizon Organic vanilla milk drink boxes from Starbucks to pacify my whiny, tired children
3. A raspberry green tea frappucino from Starbucks to pacify me (I'm also a bit whiny and tired)
4. Veganomicon cookbook from Borders. So excited!
5. A few groceries so that I can actually cook dinner this evening

Tuesday

My Favorite Things In My Kitchen

1. The bird painting
2. Olive oil spray mister- so it's great because only a little bit comes out at a time. It's great for salads and my famous crispy tofu.
3. Ice cream maker- I'm never going back to store bought again
4. My Mason jars
5. Gas stovetop- so much better than every other option
6. Um, right now, these berry muffins
7. Saint Louis Art museum photography
8. Avocado slicer
9. Strawberry huller (I made fun of my mom for buying me this one, but I really like it!)
10. My little green Kuhn Rikon knife--the perfect knife for veggies, and I should know
11. My black and white striped decorative mixing bowls
12. The freezer- it's a huge drawer (with a few pull-outs) underneath the fridge. Love it!
13. Huge electric griddle
14. My fancy pink glass dessert plates

Monday

What's Going On Today

1. Making muffins
2. Preschool tour #3
3. R is getting the last of his year vaccinations (we do them one at a time)
4. W is reading her new Highlights High Five magazine
5. Leftover pizza for lunch
6. Walk to the arch this afternoon
7. Making chickpeas
8. Laundry
9. Watching Bachelor Pad tonight (I can't help it...it's an addiction)
10. Ironing A's work shirts while watching said show

Sunday

Grocery List

Whole Foods:
1. Whole wheat tortillas
2. Cheese
3. Yogurt
4. Extra firm tofu (2)
5. Salsa
6. Xochitl tortilla chips (best chips ever)
7. Ezekiel bread
8. Strawberries
9. Blueberries
10. Gorilla cereal
11. Soy taco
Schnucks:
12. Romaine
13. Spinach
14. Avocado
15. Bananas
16. Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal (yum)
17. Milk
18. Soymilk
19. Graham crackers
20. Cheese

Saturday

Random List About Shoes

1. Reebok was a weird shoe name. Did it stand for something? Do those still exist? I would have cut off a finger to get a pair of the purple high-top princesses in 7th grade. My folks didn't see the draw like I did.
2. My mom and I had to convince my sister to not buy these shoes. But, if anyone could rock them, it would be her. Wait, the more I look at them, the cuter they get.
3. I have really, really tried to avoid buying leather and suede shoes as a part of my vegetarian lifestyle. It's just caused me to not buy shoes at all. It's tough!
4. Speaking of, we just got these for my hubby...I love them.
5. My favorite shoe is a peep-toe short wedge. Versatile and lovely.
6. I used to work for Keds as a merchandising consultant. I think they are cute. Don't hate.
7. So, I think it's cute that W LOVES these shoes that Googie and Papaw bought her.
8. I hate wearing socks. Don't wear even wear them with trainers.
9. I hate when people say, "Mama needs a new pair of shoes."
10. I keep all of my shoes in their original boxes.
11. The most popular brand in my closet is Steve Madden, with 8 boxes.
12. My kids both have chubby (not wide, but chubby-tall) feet and can't wear all types of shoes. I almost cried when after tugs and tugs and forcing couldn't get R's chubs into these.
13. My dad used to wear his railroad work boots everywhere.
14. My mom used to work 10+ hour days walking around in high heels.
15. I don't wear high heels. I don't know how to work it. My knees are all awkward.
16. It creeps me out when dogs wear shoes. In a moment of insanity, I did buy P some expensive rain/snow boots, but I took them back the next day.
17. I wish that we could just go barefoot everywhere when we want. I have no reservations about that.
18. I do have one fab pair of black high heels with a cute bow on the side that I bought for my sister-in-law's wedding. I don't know if I'll ever wear them again, but I'd like to think that I will.

Friday

Words

1. Certain meat describers are so disgusting sounding that I don't understand how people can eat them...sockeye, black and blue, angus
2. I spent about 5 minutes trying to force Words With Friends to accept the word "sfear" because I was convinced that was the correct spelling (sphere).
3. My nephew calls them "taters." A little redneck, but a lot of precious.
4. My MIL says croissant very strangely. Also Costa Rica.
5. I can't talk because I say many words strangely. See here.
6. "Mama" was both of my children's first words. It is my very favorite word. Until they turn 2-and-a-half and say it every five seconds. Over and over for no reason.
7. I wonder if the person who named it the "internet" wished they had spend more time thinking of a different name. Al Gore, sorry, I don't think this goes to you.
8. Why do the hipsters call it internets? Clearly, I'm not hip.
9. I love the concept of onomatopoeia. (zip, drip, pop...especially ones with "p")
10. I also love alliteration.
11. I generally like all the words that are pasta descriptors...cavatelli, macaroni, tortellini, vermicelli, etc.
12. I am pretty good at word games like Scrabble, Catch Phrase, Taboo or my favorite, Scattegories!
13. I used to read the dictionary when I was little
14. I was eliminated in one of the biggest spelling bees of my elementary school career (I ended up 3rd in the conference, I think) with the word "possession"
15. Persnickety is a fun word. As is crotchety.
16. I was attempting to teach W about words that rhyme. It was hilarious hearing the stuff she came up with.
17. I would love the job of naming the streets in a neighborhood. I could knock it out of the park. But I do appreciate city downtown's that use the number/letter system.

Thursday

Things That Are Called Different Names In Our House

(for the sake of my daughter or coined by my daughter)
1. Ketchup bites = Boca burger chunks with ketchup on them
2. Black sprinkles = chia seeds
3. Sprinkles = parmesan cheese and wheat germ
4. Pink ice cream = strawberry ice cream
5. Daddy cereal = Corn/Rice Chex
6. Dusting = flaxseed meal
7. Piggies = either toes or pigtails/ponytails
8. Butt sticks = tampons (that was coined by W-she's the only person who uses that one)
9. Medicine = anything I don't want them to mess with
10. Aaron cereal = Quaker Oat Squares
11. Arkansas = my parent's house
12. Little Rock = Boulevard Bread Co.
13. Mommy job = anything I don't want her to do