What's In My Important Manilla Envelope

1. My birth certificate
2. Our marriage license
3. The kids birth certificates
4. My social security card
5. My passport
6. Puddy's vaccination information
7. Puddy's United Kennel Club documents
8. The kids social security cards
9. My voter registration card
10. My college transcripts- I graduated with a cumulative 3.321 GPA. 3 D's an F, and a lot of SEC road-tripping took their toll amidst the A's.
11. Letter to my sister and brother-in-law (legal guardians) and each of my children in case I die.


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Today

1. Stayed up until 4am because of chest pain
2. Slept until 11:30
3. A & kids were gone when I woke up so I watched some TiVoed episodes of "Khloe & Lamar" and "Gangland."
4. Ate lunch- kidney beans and spinach
5. A & kids came home and the kids took a nap
6. I showered
7. I watched more "Gangland."
8. Grabbed a couple groceries at Culinaria
9. Cookout at our friends house
10. I'm in bed now and A's still at friends house with just the guys

How I Best Like My Veggies

1. Bell Pepper- raw cut into strips

2. Tomato- thin slices on sandwiches

3. Squash- sauteed

4. Sweet Potato- baked with greek yogurt and walnuts

5. Corn- grilled in the summer

6. Avocado- guacamole (a chunky mash with lemon juice, garlic salt, and cumin)

7. Peas- steamed

8. Green Beans- steamed

9. Carrot- raw, very cold

10. Spinach- as salad greens

11. Eggplant- sliced and baked with marinara and italian seasonings

12. Beets- pickled

13. Brussels Sprout- roasted

14. Asparagus- roasted

15. Celery- diced in anything- love those guys

16. Cauliflower- pureed

17. Broccoli- steamed

18. Zucchini- sauteed

19. Kale- chips

20. Pumpkin- pie

21. Artichoke- deep fried

Interesting Animal Facts

1. A snail can sleep for three years.

2. It takes a cheetah 1/2 an hour to catch its breath after a run.

3. Flamingos get their pink color from their food.

4. Koala bears fingerprints are so similar to human fingerprints, that even with a microscope, its nearly impossible to distinguish between the two.

5. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

6. Cheetahs don't drink water- they get it from their food.

7. Giraffes only sleep about a half an hour each day.

8. Crocodiles can go a month without eating.

9. A mosquito has 47 teeth.

10. Cows "emit" 400 liters of methane a day. Methane is a harmful pollutant.

11. Most wild birds have a life span of 6 months.

12. The length of an elephant is the same as the tongue of a blue whale. The entire elephant also weighs less than that whale tongue.

13. Certain Chinese and American alligators can survive the winter by freezing its head in ice, leaving their nostrils out to breathe for months on end.

14. A camel can drink 32 gallons of water at a time.

15. Cheetahs catch their prey by tripping it.

16. A rhino's horn is made of hair.

17. When opossums are playing "possum" they are not playing. They actually pass out from sheer terror.

18. A group of monkeys is a troop. A group of jellyfish is called a smack. A group of owls is a parliament.

19. We share 98.4% of our DNA with a chimp and 70% with a slug.

20. Bats always turn left when leaving a cave.

21. Shrimps hearts are in their heads.

22. Cows can have regional accents.

What's On My Panini

1. Dijon mustard
2. Onion
3. Roasted red pepper
4. Avocado
5. Kidney beans
6. Baby greens
7. Daiya shreds
8. Dakota bread from Great Harvest


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My Current Anthropologie Wish List

1. Bento Box Blouse

2. Tied & Tabbed Blouse

3. Dutch Yellow Shift

4. Lane Lines Maillot

5. Hypnotic Maxi Dress

6. With Ease Wide-Legs

7. Chevron Cardi

8. Flourised Hem Tee

9. Sky Stories Dress

10. Poolside Romper

11. Rugby Stripe Blouson

12. J Brand Ankle Skinny

13. Floral Sketch Tank Dress

14. Cultivation Skirt

15. Weekend Worn Pullover

16. Floristy Booties

17. Coining Necklace

18. Beads of Berry Necklace

19. Roped-In Tote

Random Favorites

1. Nicholas Cage Movie- Peggy Sue Got Married
2. Meal of the Day- Lunch
3. Lady Antebellum Song- American Honey
4. Purchase from yesterday - this
5. Bravolebrity- Jeff Lewis
6. Dessert- peach cobbler
7. TV character- Jack Donaghy
8. Today Show host- Natalie Morales
9. Pie attempt of 2011- key lime
10. Font- Archer Hairline
11. Childhood activity- catching lightning bugs
12. Aerosmith song- What It Takes
13. Golfer- Phil Mickelson
14. Thing to order at California Pizza Kitchen- the pear and gorgonzola pizza
15. Real housewife- Kyle Richards
16. Outdoor activity- canoeing
17. Elementary School Teacher- Ms.Ellis, 6th grade
18. Pizza topping- pineapple
19. Farm animal- Calves

20. U.S. city- Asheville, North Carolina

21. College course- Kid Lit (Children's Literature)

22. Snack- Avocado slices, dijon mustard, and a little white cheddar toasted on a seedy, healthy bread slice

23. Outfit- tank top, baggy cropped pants, gladiator sandals, sunglasses

24. Thing W says- "Mama, we're best friends together forever!"

25. Homemade veggie burger- Emily's bean burgers

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R's Favorite Foods

1. Veggie burgers

2. Bulgur wheat

3. Broccoli

4. Green beans

5. Quinoa

6. Puppy chow

7. Pizza

8. Watermelon

9. Mango

10. Lasagna

What W Shouts Out In An Attempt To Not Sleep And Get Out Of Her Bed

1. I need to pee.

2. I have something in my eye.

3. Well, my problem is...(insert anything here that is not at all a problem, like last nights, Well, my problem is I have these things." Or, well, my problem is I think I want to play some more.)

4. I pooped in my pull-up.

5. I peed in my pull-up.

6. I need a drink.

7. I dropped (insert any of her myriad of dolls and animals she sleeps with) behind my bed.

8. My fingers stuck in my blankie. (her blankie is threadbare and she sometimes gets its strings caught around her finger)

9. She will undress Baby Stella, then demand I come back to redress her so that Baby Stella does not get cold.

10. My boo-boo hurts. (most of her boo-boos are just teeny scratches)

11. I'm scared.

12. I just want one more super hug and kiss.

13. I want you to snuggle with me.

14. I think I'm going to puke.

15. What day is it today?

16. What day is it tomorrow?

Tomorrow's To-Do List

1. Buy some bread goodies at Great Harvest
2. Get W signed up for ballet class
3. Iron A's work shirts
4. Bachelorette premiere. I guess I'll watch it since summer TV is kinda slim.
5. Make some puppy chow with the kids
6. Make some homemade doggie treats
7. Take my car in to get serviced
8. Work on our summer calendar- I need to schedule some Arkansas and Branson and Hurley trips
9. Buy a new book

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Brands Represented In My Shoe Collection

1. Steve Madden (lots)
2. Jessica Simpson
3. Bed:Stu (cobbler series-whatever that means-doesn't sound cool)
4. Wanted
5. Toms
6. Bakers
7. Coach
8. New Balance
9. Converse
10. Mia
11. Michael Kors
12. Havaianas
13. Nina
14. Yellow Box
15. Privo
16. Banana Republic
17. The North Face
18. Charlie Horse
19. Uggs


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What Saved Our Ride Home

1. My comfy cropped sweat pants and an almost too-soft David Gray concert tee

2. A raspberry green tea frappucino from Starbucks

3. Some animal flash cards from the Target dollar bins that kept R occupied for about 2.5 hours

4. A Handy Manny (?) and a Disney Princess Color Wonder books with Color Wonder markers

5. Our ever-popular "Find an American Flag" game. R is freakishly good at spotting them.

6. Air Supply Greatest Hits (I always save it for like the 4th hour (out of 5.5) of the road trip- it gives me a boost to make it home the rest of the way)

7. "The Quad Squad," as I lovingly called them, which consisted of my car, a white VW Cabrio convertible a la Cindy Mancini in Can't Buy Me Love, a black Silverado pick-up, and a red Malibu that drove as a speeding pack from Poplar Bluff to Farmington. I loved those guys.

8. Barbara's Snackimals

9. My Burts Bees chapstick that was passed back and forth between the two kids

What's In My Wrap

1. Wholly Guacamole
2. Grilled vegetables- broccoli, corn, green beans, shallots, peas, spinach, and carrots
3. Two Gardein strips
4. Lime juice, lime zest
5. Cumin and garlic
6. Whole wheat tortilla

My Dad's Favorite Songs Of All Time

1. If You Could Read My Mind- Gordon Lightfoot
2. Fire and Rain- James Taylor
3. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother- The Hollies
4. Thunder Road- Bruce Springsteen
5. Whiter Shade of Pale- Procol Harum
6. Have You Ever Seen the Rain- CCR
7. Mudslide Slim- James Taylor
8. September Morn- Neil Diamond
9. Long and Winding Road- The Beatles
10. What Is Life- George Harrison
11. Bridge Over Troubled Water- Simon & Garfunkel


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While Reading Celebrity Gossip Magazines I Always-

1. Roll my eyes at myself- really, who cares about this celebrity world
2. Keep turning the pages, because yes, I do care
3. Pick which dress I would wear when they dedicate a whole 2-page spread on ladies in dresses and gowns
4. Laugh at the ridiculousness of the "Stars- They're Just Like Us" section that shows them pumping gas, looking for their keys, or shopping at the farmer's market. Is that sort of thing supposed to give my "boring life" some sort of validation?
5. Think- I could be friends with her!
6. Get anxiety thinking about how awful it would be being photographed in a bikini. For a magazine. To me, that earns them some sympathy and million-dollar paychecks. If someone snapped away while I hoisted my 25 pound toddler up at the Webster Groves pool toddler time, I would expect something pretty awesome in return.
7. Am thankful I only read these mags on vacation because if they were always around me, I'd always want to buy more clothes, wear ball gowns, jet of to the south of France (can't we just say south France?), and dress my children like hip-hop stars. None of those are really a possibility. Except dressing my kids like hip-hop stars, but that's a bit ridiculous, as our life is opposite of hip-hop.
8. Often disagree with the Fashion Police's Worst Dressed photos
9. Consider how awful it would be with a drawn-on arrow pointing to my belly with "is that a bump?" written next to it. I only weigh 118 pounds, and I often have what could be perceived as a second trimester bun in the oven.
10. Get irritated when the editors try to feel better about what they are doing by publishing a 3 page story about a cancer survivor, a rape victim, or a serial killer brought to justice. What does that have to do with celebrity gossip? Sadly, that might be the only real "news" some people expose themselves to. Sorta like the old ladies who refer to the National Enquirer as "the paper."
11. Pleasantly shocked with random bits of celebrity trivia like that Diane Lane has a permanently dilated pupil or that Olivia Wilde was a former competitive eater.
12. Reminded that the most talented people in Hollywood aren't at all the most photographed.
13. Proud of myself for not recognizing any "Teen Moms" that are so popular in those magazines.
14. Gag a little when they show a typical day of eating for a celeb. Yeah right, I say. But maybe you say that about my "What I Ate Today" lists. I don't know. I just can't believe regular people eat that much salmon and broccoli, says the girl who eats that much bulgur wheat and garbanzo beans.
15. Love when they show close-ups of their feet. You can be styled and made-up to be beautiful perfection, but there is nothing you can do to hide gnarly feet in a strappy heel (sorry, Katie Holmes, but you know it's true)
16. Hate when they show stars without make-up when they are clearly wearing make-up
17. Love when they show the inside of someone's home
18. Think the crosswords in the back are too easy to be considered crosswords.
19. Get ideas for future lists, like "Reasons Why I Love The Kardashian Sisters." Because I do.
20. Wonder if I would win out in a "Who wore it Best" battle between me and the lady at Whole Foods the other day who was sporting the same Lululemon tank and cropped pants as me.
21. Reminded that Jessica Simpson is one of my least favorite celebrities, despite her super cute shoe line and seemingly pleasant demeanor.
22. Like when they do the "look for less" pieces.
23. Love a special wedding issue

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R's Words

1. Mama
2. Dada
3. Winnie
4. Mine
5. No
6. Yeah
7. Dog
8. Flag (sort of)
9. He can name all of the Reinbergs
10. Pawpaw
11. Please (sort of)
12. Truck (sort of)
13. Drink (sort of)
14. Night night
15. Yay!
16. He can do several animal sounds
17. Car
18. Choo choo
19. Eat
20. Banana
21. Cheese!
22. Ernie
23. Bert
24. Down

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Numbers

1. 7- sinks in my parent's home
2. 3- movies I've watched in 2 days
3. 3- little dogs running around the house today
4. 11- age of my oldest nephew
5. 8- how old W said she would be when she got married
6. 100- dollars I saved at BabyGap yesterday
7. 4- chapters I read from my book last night
8. 393- miles to my parent's house from my house
9. 8- my shoe size
10. 55- my Mom's age
11. 64- recorded episodes of The Wonder Years in my parent's DVR
12. 9- strawberries I cut up for dinner
13. 10- bed pillows my sister sleeps with
14. 15- broccoli florets R has eaten today
15. 1- brownie I plan on eating when I get done with this list
16. 6- slices of strawberries I plan on pitting atop said brownie
17. 4- bottles of water I drank today
18. 1- episode of "Army Wives" I've watched while in AR
19. 0- episodes I hope to watch of "Army Wives" in the future
20. 4- special treats W brought home from a Kroger trip with Googie (Goldfish, pink yogurt, pink ice cream, and Clifford cereal)


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Today

1. Slept in until 9
2. Breakfast at Stobys- French toast, banana, and a spritzer
3. Rivermarket farmer's market and park
4. Boulevard Bakery for some lunchtime hummus
5. Shopping at The Green Corner Store
6. BabyGap for some 40% off purchasing
7. Picked up my little sister and her carload of laundry
8. Whole Foods for groceries- excited for some home cookin'.
9. Family time
10. Watched "The Kids Are Alright."


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Road Trippin' Snacks

1. Pomegranate seeds
2. Trail mix bags for all of us- soynuts, Kashi cereal, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and walnuts.
3. Lemon water
4. A banana
5. Almond butter and crackers
6. Strawberry slices
7. Sixlets


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What I Want To Do While I'm In Arkansas

1. Sleep in! I love staying with my parents.

2. Go to the Box Turtle

3. Eat at Stoby's, Oak Street Bistro, Bossanova, Jason's Deli, ZaZa's, and US Pizza

4. Shop at Wilkinson's, my favorite place to buy shoes

5. Go to the Farmer's Market and park at the River Market

6. Let my sisters cook me vegan feasts

7. Check out the new Boulevard Bakery

8. Spend quality time with my sisters and parents

9. Let W and R enjoy their cousins

10. Go through some of my old stuff

11. Work on my photo albums

12. Read my new Tina Fey book

What's In My Mini Wallet

1. AmEx card

2. Banana Republic Visa card

3. Driver's License

4. Silver Dollar City season pass

5. 15% off coupon to Banana Republic

6. My brother's school photo from this year (he's a principal)

7. City Museum season pass

What I Need At Babies R'Us

1. Seventh Generation baby wipes- forgot them on my diapers.com order and we are out, out, out.

2. Baby shower gift off of my friend's registry to go with the cute outfit I bought her upcoming baby boy

3. A booster seat for R--he's growing up so fast

Little Phrases W Says Because I Say Them A Lot

1. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
2. Head 'em up and move 'em out.
3. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.
4. Let's hit the road!
5. I love you all the way to the moon.


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This Week's To-Do

1. Make some bulgur wheat, quinoa, and adzuki beans
2. Clean out refrigerator
3. Clean light fixtures
4. Work on our summer calendar
5. Get W signed up for ballet
6. Get R signed up for some class- gymnastics?
7. Pack for our week-long Arkansas trip
8. Buy groceries for Andy while we're gone
9. Buy some new music
10. Go get fitted for my new contacts


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My Mother's Day

1. The kids gave me the greatest gift of all- they both slept until about 9:00!

2. Andy made us a pancake breakfast.

3. Andy gifted me beautiful flowers, a very sweet letter, and Tina Fey's Bossypants.

4. Church for an amazing sermon. We are in the midst of such a good sermon series!

5. We went to Fitz's after church for a veggie burger, fries, and root beer.

6. A P.M. cookout with great friends--the kids played hard and the grown ups got a lot of visiting time

7. Ted Drewe's for dessert

8. I am now off to curl up in bed and watch some TV.

What I've Been Into Lately

1. Baby carrots

2. Bluegrass music

3. Dateline and 48 Hours Mystery

4. Brownies

5. Waiting on this to come in the mail

6. Soy nuts

7. Dream vacation planning

8. Summer plans

9. New hair color choosing

Branson Highlights

1. When we were pulling into my brother's driveway, W exclaimed, "My happy mouth (smile) is so big to see Uncle Matt that my face is going to explode!"
2. Especially, W attacking Owen with hugs and kisses whenever he is around
3. Staying up until 2:30 am! with my sister-in-law and brother, just chatting because I love visiting with my family
4. Going to Silver Dollar City and having a nice time
5. Cinnamon glazed almonds at SDC--I'm going to be testing recipes on those this next week
6. Jumping on the trampoline with the kids- R loved getting bounced
7. Seeing W & R have the best time with their cousins
8. My sister-in-law's (I wish their were a better name for SIL's--I don't like writing that out) fruit pizza. Heaven!
9. Seeing W and R LOVE on my Grandpa and Grandma. I think it made their year! (hugs, kisses, tickling, sharing strawberries...)
10. Using pure wits to recover from getting lost in rural SW Missouri without a car compass or phone reception

What I Ate Today

1. Larabar and apple juice
2. Cinnamon almonds
3. Peanut butter and honey sandwich, water
4. Tortilla chips and mango salsa, pop
5. Cheese tortellini with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and almond green beans
6. A lion's share of fruit pizza


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My Elementary School Field Trips

1. Kindergarten- Springfield Dickerson Park Zoo
2. First- Shriner's Circus in Springfield
3. Second- I don't remember. It was a bad year.
4. Third- Silver Dollar City and maybe "Peter and The Wolf" at Evangel or Drury?
5. Fourth- Fantastic Caverns
6. Fifth- Wilson Creek Battlefield & the Fish Hatchery at Table Rock Dam
7. Sixth- Skating rink in Springfield

You're Invited To My Dream Wedding

1. You'd get this in the mail

2. If he was game, Joshua Jackson- groom. If not, I guess I'd marry Andy again.

3. Would have the ceremony in Bella Vista, AR at the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel

4. I would have pink dogwood trees placed in the front of the chapel instead of flower arrangements

5. I would wear Vera Wang's Esther gown (no bow in the front, however. I think this was Ivanka Trump's gown) with blue heels underneath

6. Twilight and Mist played by a violin and piano when I walk down the aisle

7. No bridesmaids or groomsmen...I love the idea of having just the bride and groom and pastor at the front of the church

8. Our friend Mark would marry us

9. Be Thou My Vision and Just As I Am sung at the wedding. Iron & Wine could do that because I'll need them later, too.

10. I would have Mark read our "Story of Us"- our stories up until the wedding instead of doing a homily/sermon

11. People would throw flower petals when we walk out of the chapel. I love that. And the band would play Flightless Bird, American Mouth as we left (it's lyrics aren't really in line with a wedding, but I love that song and it's my wedding)

12. The reception would be in the Fountain Garden at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs

13. White tents and little Christmas lights and dogwood trees with antique lanterns hanging from them everywhere

14. Guests would pick a penny from a Mason jar to toss into the fountain and make a wish to us newlyweds

15. During the reception, I'd change into THIS DRESS and a pair of cowboy boots

16. Food would be a burger bar and sweet potato fry station and fruit kabobs and macaroni-n-cheese in cups and Arnold Palmers for everyone

17. For dessert, I would bring in a funnel cake stand from Silver Dollar City and the cake would be coconut cream with flaked coconut all over it and decorated with pussy willow branches

18. Alison Krauss + Union Station would play us some bluegrass at the reception, and we'd dance, dance, dance

19. We'd have an old-time black and white photo booth that spits out the strips of photos

20. The party favors would be little trees you can take home and plant

21. All of our guest would stay the night at the Crescent Hotel and we'd have a huge brunch the next morning

22. Honeymoon in Vancouver

This Weekend

1. Friday night- I caught up with my TiVo queue. And ate a lot of brownies. All while in bed.
2. On Saturday, dressed up for a "destination wedding" in Farmington, MO with a carload of great pals. Saw a lot of old friends. Lots of laughs thanks to Sam Coalier.
3. Slept in! on Sunday because the kiddies spent the night at their grandparent's house.
4. Leisurely morning watching Fringe & eating donuts with Andy.
5. Church for a great sermon
6. Napped while the kids napped
7. Homemade pizza dinner
8. More Fringe with Andy- we were behind 2 weeks. Love that show!
9. Watched the news of Bin Laden's death, but to be honest to you, my faithful blog readers- I thought the guy was already dead. I guess I should watch more CNN and less Bravo.
10. Now, because of the nap, I can't sleep.


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My Go-To New Baby/Baby Shower Gifts

1. Aden + Anais blankets

2. Bla Bla dolls

3. Sophie the Giraffe

4. Brown Robeez booties

5. Harry the Dirty Dog- my favorite book when I was a wee one

6. Pack of Trumpette socks

7. I usually get one thing off the registry and one thing from above