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.

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

To -do Today

1. Boil up some pintos

2. Find W some winter shoes

3. Enter my sister's CSN giveaway

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

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

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