Blah & Blogs

Sorry for not updating lately. I've had a cold and have just been feeling really blah (sick and otherwise). Not much to update about anyways, things are kinda boring around here.

The girls & I have taken a few trips to the park. Saturday, Bill even went with us for a bit. Aubrey is still iffy on slides, somedays she loves them, sometimes she wants nothing to do with them. Same with swings....she hated them, then loved them, now she is back to hating them. She is an odd little girl lol. I'll try to post a few pics of our park visits at the end of this post. Right now I'm going to stick to the typing part to get it in before Bree wakes from her nap.

Lately, I've been coming across a few new blogs. I find that I love to look at food blogs, and I love blogs with interesting fun ideas. Once I find one, I spend way to much time viewing EVERY PAGE, and bookmarking yummy recipes and interesting ideas. I'll share a few of my favorites with you...could you pass on a few of your favorite food and fun craft/idea blogs to me too? Here are some I really like:
Bakerella
Big Red Kitchen
Annie's Eats
Rookie Cookie

Not So Idle Hands
The Idea Room
No Time For Flash Cards

Those are just a few of my faves, I have many more I enjoy viewing too. I hope you are able to share some of your favorites with me too!

Here are a few pics to hopefully brighten your day...
Yo, What up dude?






Thats it for now...Toodles

This & That

I've been busy, and I've been lazy. Either way, my blog was ignored for a few days.

I had a cake to make for my friend, her son turned 1 over the weekend. I did a big bird cake, along with a big bird smash cake. They turned out ok, not great, but ok.



Over the weekend we went to the orchard. Not the far away one we wanted to try, but a different one, not our usual. The one we went to was ok, not as great as I thought it was going to be. The new playground that was supposed to be up and ready, wasn't. I didn't see any hay rides like their site says...maybe I just overlooked it. Anyways, we got a buttload of apples, some donuts, cider and a few other things. The kids had fun.
Here are a few pics:




I have made some applesauce with our apples. Not once, but twice. Today I did a double batch since the first went so quick. We've had some microwave baked apples too. Yummy.

Had to go to Hobby Lobby yesterday to get stuff to make Kelsey's homecoming dress. Wish me luck with that lol. We have a vision, it "should" be easy, but things that should be, never really turn out to be when it comes to me. If it doesn't turn out, Kels will just have to wear last years dress (God forbid!).

I was happy to see the return of Dancing with the Stars last night. Going to be watching again tonight, and tomorrow. I do hate the first week taking up 3 nights. Actually, I hate that the show takes up 2 nights every week. I wish it could all be done in one night. I'm looking forward to the return of Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice, and a few others that I can't think of at the moment.

Miss Aubrey has gone pee in her potty about 5 times in the last few days. She only seems to do it around bathtime...but hopefully that will become more frequent soon. Right now as I type this, she has on no diaper or big girl pants, but she grabbed Kelsey's clothing, panties, skirt and shirt and 'put them on' all by herself. She is sitting in her little chair all proud of herself...I wonder if she'll be so excited she'll pee in Kelsey's clean clothes :) haha

We took a quick trip to the park the other day, but it started to rain...Here is a pic of Bree on the slide before we left.


Thats really about all I have to say at the moment...things aren't very exciting around here...

Toodles

Long day

Wow I'm so ready for today to be O V E R. I've been sick to my stomach most of the day and spending way to much time with my rear on the toilet. LOL TMI I know. Jilly played me today. I hear the "mom my stomach hurts, I feel like I'm going to puke" cry cry...so I let her stay home...mistake. She was totally fine, not sick at all! I should have been cruel and taken her lil'butt back to school. Maybe if I felt up to it I would have.

Bree has been SUPER CRANKY all afternoon/evening. My luck she's getting sick again. Oy. I hope she has worn her self out and will go to sleep soon and sleep good for a change. All these wake ups are really wearing me down.

Speaking of the cranky one...gotta go.

Toodles

Copy Cat!

Aubrey is such a copy cat lately. Some of the things she does is really cute, some not so much lol. Some of the cute things:

When I dry my hair, at the end, I bend over and dry the back top of my hair as I'm flipped over kinda....Whenever I do that, Bree bends over and puts her head on the floor to try to do what I do. Other times when I dry my hair she shakes her head a bit like I do.

The other day there was a big branch that fell into our yard. Bill picked it up and broke it over his knee into a few smaller pieces. Of course Bree watched this, then went and got a stick and tried breaking it over her knee just like daddy father (thats what she calls him) did. The stick was to big for her to do it, so Bill got her a thin one to do, and helped her, she thought she was totally cool!

Thumbs up! Zach is trying to teach Bree to do the thumbs up thing, except Bree can't get the concept quite right...she points her index finger up and says "thumbs up!" lol

Peace! This is another thing Zach is teaching her, the peace sign. Of course she hasn't quite got that concept either, but she tries very hard. Usually she ends up just hold her hand up with her fingers all spread out and says "peace!".

Maybe once I clean up a bit today I'll try to get video of some of this stuff...she probably won't cooperate once the camera is out though, thats usually how it goes.

Just thought I'd share :)

Toodles!

TuTu's, cakes, photography, and babies

Last week I entered a contest on a blog, the prize was a tutu of choice from this certain Etsy store. I looked at all the tutu's and fell in love. I'm very girly girl and like my Aubrey to be pretty and girly girly too, so I really wanted one for her. The one I wanted was a black and yellow one and it came with a black shirt and wings, it is a bumble bee costume. Bree looked at the Etsy store with me and she kept wanting me to go back to the Bee one. Unfortunately, I did NOT win the give a way :( But I'm really really wanting tutu's!! So, I think I might make some.

A year or so ago, I had some left over tulle from other stuff, and I wanted to take Bree's picture, so I quickly made a tutu in about 20 minutes. Considering I didn't really have enough tulle, nor pretty ribbon, it wasn't a spectacular tutu, but for pics it worked ok. So I CAN make them, I just need proper supplies. It would be so much easier to buy from the etsy store, maybe even more cost effective by the time I get all my supplies to make the 2 I want to make...but by doing it on my own, it lets me release some of my creative energy...which is something I miss doing.

So, wish me luck, in my tutu adventures :) If/when I complete them I'll be sure to have Bree model them so I can do a photoshoot and I'll post pics.


On other creative release news (lol), I have a cake order to do for next weekend. Yay. I haven't done many for my friends lately since I moved out here to Mendota. The one I'm making is for my friend that lives near my mom. My friends son is turning 1 so I'll be making something big birdish I think, and I'll be sure to make him a little smash cake. I enjoy doing cakes, but I hate the mixing of frostings & colors, and the clean up! I also hate when my daughters hang over me watching. I know they are just curious and fascinated, but it totally messes me up, I can't concentrate on what I'm doing...(I have the same problem typing lol, if someone is watching me I make a gazillion typos!)

I've been in the mood to do a photoshoot lately. I'd like to get some pics of all my kids together, but that is difficult without major fighting. I like doing photos outside because lighting is much better, gotta get as many in as I can before cold weather comes. Zach isn't much for his picture being taken. Kelsey isn't to bad. Jilly is a total poser, the camera comes out, Jilly goes into pose/model mode. Bree is a beautiful subject, but getting her to be still is very difficult!

I really wish I could win the lottery. I have bunches of things I'd do with the money (house, new cars, pay off debts, etc). One thing I'd really like to do is buy a GOOD camera, take classes on photography, and set up a little studio to take pics of my kids and friends & family. I really like to do photos, I just don't know proper ways of doing it, lenses, settings etc.

Has anyone started thinking of Christmas yet? Tonight while Bree was playing outside I kept thinking of something creative I wanted to do. I would LOVE to make some kind of ornament with special meaning and a special saying on it and I'd send it to all my members in my December Due Date group. We've all been together for a few years now and they are truly my friends, and I thought it would be nice to do something special for them. Money is super tight around here so I'd have to be creative on a budget... Still thinking....

Have I mentioned lately that I'm really in the mood to have another child? I know, crazy right? Where would we put another? Could we really afford it? I wish I didn't have this overwhelming urge... My husband is feeling it too I think. He's made a few comments lately on having one. I do know this...I'm getting OLD. So if we want another we'll have to do it soon. I also know this...my mother will NOT be happy. She thinks I have enough kids, and that another will be to risky. Whenever I have something important to tell her she always says, "Please tell me you're not pregnant". :(

I guess thats enough rambling for now...Toodles.

ok maybe I am slacking now...

Oops. Just noticed I haven't posted since Monday. Probably because I don't have much to say. :) Imagine that.

Just been busy with kids. Kels has been sick the last few days. Bree has been somewhat cranky, and Jilly has been wild.

Been busy working on putting stuff onto Flickr too. Very time consuming! But it will be worth it in the end.

Thats it for now...I'll try to post something a little more interesting later.

Toodles

I wasn't slacking, I swear!

I know, I haven't blogged in a few days, but that is only because I was away. Friday we went to the local fair and on Saturday, the girls & I went to visit my brother and his wife in Springfield. They bought a house a year ago in May, and I had yet to see it...finally I got to! It's a 2 1/2 hour drive to their home.

Friday:

We walked around the fair, Bree liked most of the animals...except for a yak/ox type of thing. It kept sticking its tongue out, and I think one time while we were looking at something, I think it licked her! She got freaked out all the sudden and kept saying, "Guy, tongue, scare me". She called that animal a guy. Talked about it all night! I thought for sure she'd have nightmares!

Here is a picture of the tongue "guy":

Saturday:

I get super nervous traveling to unknown places. I have absolutely NO SENSE OF DIRECTION. So I get worried I'll get lost, then stop for directions and still be clueless because they'll say, go west, then turn and head north, or whatever...lol I'll be like ummm is that left or right? I'm a ditzy blonde. My sister in law sent me directions that were pretty good, and she even talked to me on the phone to explain the confusing areas of the trip...but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. We made it there and back in one piece.

They have a HUGE beautiful home. I'm so jealous. 2 1/2 of my house would fit into theirs. Bree had a blast running around. The girls played hide & seek indoors too. We had a great visit. I was worried Bree wouldn't sleep well away from home, and well, she didn't, but she doesn't sleep well at home either LOL. We had 5 wake ups while there that night.

Sunday:

Sunday morning we lounged around a bit then headed out to see the town on the way to the mall. We saw the capital building, Lincoln's home and law office, the governers mansion, and a few other historical things. When we went to the mall, I finally found some black high tops for Jilly, she's been wanting them really bad. Kels needs shoes too, but she has giant feet, and their selection for her size was slim. Then we hit up Build a Bear, where Aubrey got to make her first bear, she got a panda, she LOVES it.

After shopping we went to lunch, at Charlie Parkers. It was featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives on the Food Network. Unfortunately it wasn't nearly as good as I had hoped. Our waitress must have been on crack, she was so bizarre, and totally messed up everything.

We went back to Robb & Beth's and relaxed a bit, and packed up. Before leaving the girls went out for a bit. They found a toad, and a HUGE GROSS slug. My nephew found a snake too. Yuck. Aubrey was very afraid of the snake.

The drive home seemed to last FOREVER. We went slower because I didn't want to get a ticket lol. We also had to slow down for some heavy rain at one point. About half way home we stopped for a break at a McD's with a play area outside. Aubrey loved the playplace, so did Jilly. Thankfully, before we left, Bree pooped, so I was able to change her before we headed back on the road.

I was happy to be home finally. It was a tiring trip. Fun though. The girls want to go back again. Maybe we will make one more trip before bad weather comes. If not, maybe once Beth has the baby :)

I was really looking forward to bedtime last night. I finally had gotten Bree to sleep and was going to relax a few minutes at the computer...then it happened....I heard coughing...which always leads to....PUKING. I headed to the bedroom hoping I'd get there in time. Bree was sleeping/coughing, and as I walked into the room, barfing. I picked her up really quickly and ran to the bathroom, hoping to get some into the sink, if not the toilet. She & I ended up wearing most of it. It was so gross. I wiped her off, got her in the tub, Jilly helped in the tub too. She felt really bad that Aubrey barfed, because Jilly is the one that gave Bree her cold, which lead to the coughing fit, and the barf. It was kind of a sweet moment. Jilly kept saying she was sorry to Bree for getting her sick, and that she wishes she could trade places with her so she wouldn't have to barf. Sweet sister moment. I got myself cleaned up while Bree was in the tub. Then came the task of changing bedsheets and laundry. When everything was done and cleaned up we came out to the living room to rock & cuddle. At that point we heard KABOOM! It was the fireworks down at the fair (2 blocks from our house). Bree, Jilly & I went out to the swing in front of the house and sat and watched the fireworks cuddled up in a blanket. Bree sat so quiet, just watching, I thought she was going to fall asleep. She did on July 4th. LOL After the fireworks were done we returned to the living room to cuddle, and Bree fell asleep. Thankfully she barfed no more last night, and didn't cough either. AND here is the best news of all...she slept all night! She has done this less then a dozen times since she's been born. It made me a happy camper.

So, how was your weekend?


Here is Bree feeling baby Trinity kicking:


Here is Bree & her Panda she made at Build a Bear (pic from after we got home)

Toodles

Pissed off!!

I keep my photos on a certain photo site, it starts with the letter *P*. Lately they have gone delete happy with some of my photos. They say they violate terms. I say BULLSHIT. It was bad enough when they deleted here and there, a picture of Bree in her diaper talking to her dolls, comeon! She rarely is in just a diaper, because I just don't like that. But on the off chance she is, and does something cute, I take a picture. Apparently its wrong/nasty/pornographic to have a 1 1/2 yr old in a diaper, GOD FORBID! Are you telling me that all the diaper companies should stop advertising their diapers? Babies are diaper clad on the boxes and packaging, and in the commercials. What about the diaper clad roller skating babies for the water company's commercial? My gosh, what perves they must be to have done that!

So anyways, before it was a picture here and there. It ticked me off. Then today I went to my *P* albums to add some pictures of Bree, and I discover not just one or two pics have been deleted, but bunches!! One was Bree wearing pants but no shirt eating a Klondike bar. Oh the horror, baby girl boobies!! Not sure what all the others are because I didn't have them all labeled...I know one was of Zach's graduation. Umm no one was naked in that picture, I'm sure of it! So, what the hell gives? I'm just so damn mad. My albums are private, only people I invite can see my pictures, it has a password to protect it. I should be able to have my daughter in a diaper in that album. PLUS I PAY for their service. Screw them. I will be moving my photos elsewhere as soon as possible, and I will make sure to tell everyone I know how sucky *P* is. Once I make all my arrangements I'll be giving *P* a piece of my mind, and I'll tell them where they can stick it...Heck, I might even send a picture of it! HA!!

Bugs

I. Hate. Bugs.!

My 15 & 9 yr old daughters think bugs are cool. They enjoy collecting discarded cicada shells, and sometimes they get hundreds of them! Eww. They get super excited when they come across a cicada emerging from its shell...which I guess is kinda cool, from a distance anyways.

Kelsey & Jilly think its really freaking hilarious that I freak out and run away screaming when they come at me with a bug or its shell. They are so mean.

Are you afraid of bugs?