Arts and Crafts and Cakes, Oh My!

Lately, I've been feeling the itch.  Hmm, that sounds bad.  Scratch that.  [heh].  Let's start over.

Lately, I've been feeling the urge.  Is that better?  I don't know.  ANYWAY.  The urge to what, you might say?  Please, say it?  So I can go on? 

K thanks. 

I'm somewhat artistic. I like to draw, paint, scrapbook, write stories, do "stuff" with my hands.  And by having 3 kids in 6 years, I'm not able to express myself as artistically as I would like as of late.  We've moved states, built a house, started new jobs, had more kids, etc and my crafting urges have continued to be pushed to the side.  I'm to the point where I *need* to do something.  I've continued to be able to read and love my books, but I need to DO something. 

So what did I do?  I signed up for some cake decorating classes at Michaels.  And I L.O.V.E. them.  I think that some of my love for this is because I get to buy "tools" to do the crafty stuff.  And Michaels keeps giving me 50% off coupons - how am I to resist?   I'm going to need an additional pantry to store all my cake decorating paraphernalia. 

What am I going to do with a cake decorating class?  Well, honestly, probably just make fan-frickin-tabulous cakes for my family and friends.  I'm 32 now (oy) and I have a LOT of cake making years ahead of me.  So far, just one cake down.  By my calculations, I could have 872 *decorated* cakes under my belt before I kick the bucket.  Not to be confused with all the *random cake that I like to make* (and eat, again, oy).  Here's my first creation - hubby's birthday this week.  He wanted yellow cake with chocolate frosting (yes, he's an original type of guy....). 

I know you professional bloggers out there won't appreciate my cell-phone quality picture (because hey, I took it on my cell phone, at class, with decorating crap all around) but here you go!  And guess what - he loved it! :)  

Don't buy the 5-cheese variety!

I think I have an addictive personality. Perhaps it’s the Irish in me. Or would that be “methinks its ‘cause I’m an Irish lass”? Either way, there you have it.


Now, I don’t have addictions that will get me fired from jobs or thrown in rehab (*cough* Lindsay Lohan *cough cough*). Mine are a lot more domestic. Like reading. I think I’m addicted to reading.

And eating. OH, how I love food. MMM, that could be an addiction right? I’m addicted to Facebook and reading other blogs. I’m addicted to celebrity gossip sites and lately, cookbooks.

Are you noticing a pattern here? I’ve got my addictions. And they’re all very sedentary activities. Son of a biscuit.

I’ve got friends who say things like “I’m addicted to running” or “I’m addicted to the gym.” Um, really? How is that possible?!?? When you have to FORCE yourself to get up and out the door, it’s not like it’s a willing addiction. It’s a battle between your mind (oooh comfy couch) and your body (oooh size 8 – in some cases. Not mine. Hmph. Anyway). And then you see those people out running in the cold and the rain and all I can think of is how happy I am that I am not them at that point in time. And then I start thinking about curling up with a book and a blankie, near a fire (well, when we install a fireplace I guess). And that is bliss to me.

Hmm, where’s that box of Wheat Thins?

On the Road Again!

This past weekend, DH and I took an adults-only mini-vacation for our anniversary. It was a long holiday weekend, so perfect timing. Pawned the three kids off on Grandma and Grandpa and away we went!

Wait, it wasn’t quite that fast.

First I made a list. Yes, I like lists.

First list included headings for me, T-Dogg, Jay-Bird and Secret Agent Sam (no, DH didn’t get a heading – he can pack for himself. Usually. Hmph.). Then the sub-lists began (did I tell you I love lists?).
 Clothes – socks, undies, jammers, pants, shirts, shoes, and hoodies,
 Hygiene products – toothbrushes, toothpaste, wipes, diapers, pullups, Tylenol, motrin, thermometer
 Toys – gotta keep ‘em entertained
 Equipment – stroller, exersaucer, pack-n-play (how does the smallest body get the most equipment!?!?!)
 Food – baby food, formula, bottles, spoons, rice krispie treats for the car ride
 Etc – blankies, burp cloths, bibs, nuks
Some of these of course were not on MY list, but on the ones for the boys. Heh. Anywho. Best part of lists is crossing items off. AmIright?

We pick up the kids early from daycare and school on Friday. We get the car packed. The entire trunk is full of their stuff for A 3-DAY STAY at Grandmas. FULL. Stroller, pack-n-play, and exersaucer take up the most room. Then there’s a box with diapers, wipes, food, bottles, formula, thermometer, pacifiers, spoons, Tylenol, and motrin. And these were just for the baby. Good grief. Throw in the boys’ Elmo and Diego suitcases and we’re stuffed to the gills.

Big boys had their backpacks full of Buzz Lightyear paraphernalia and toys. Just what Grandma needed in her house. Have I mentioned that the car was FULL? And we hadn’t packed our own stuff in there yet. Oh well, guess we’ll stop at home on our way out of town and get ours as well.

Why is traveling with kids (or even just a weekend at grandma’s) such an ordeal? AND I forgot a favorite blankie AND the nose sucker (aspirator)!!! ARGH!

Best part of the trip? How quiet the car was when we left Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Second best part? How loud the car was when I picked them up 3 days later. :)

Ah.....finally.

"Back to school.  Back to school.  To prove to Dad that I'm not a fool.  I've got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight.  I hope I don't get in a fight..."

School started today.  T was very excited to be starting 1st grade.  Adn while I am super happy he likes school, I still worry.  I'm a worrier. 

What if someone is mean to him?  What if he loses his snack?  What if he eats his snack on the bus and goes hungry at snack time?  What if he bites it during gym class and cracks his big ol' noggin open?  Will kids play with him at recess?  What if they don't? 

I can't help it.  I think I've worried ever since I found out I was pg with him.  And it's not just him, it extends to all 3 boys and their dad as well.  Thankfully DH keeps me pretty grounded, but he doesn't ever hear the half of what I'm thinking and worrying about!  There've been times when he's let me know after the fact that he was worried as well, but thankfully he keeps that to himself at the time. ;) 

If the shoe fits...

There are times when I am definitely not a “girly girl”. I live in a house with 4 males after all. But other times…I swoon at the sight of something pretty. I gasped audibly at Carrie’s remodeled closet in SATC. Part of that might be from my love of organizing (which is slacking right now, but that’s again, a tale for another time). I think part of it was also the gesture of it. But another part of it was definitely the fact that it was a closet built for a girl’s girl. The shoe racks, the lights, the bright white clean décor. Ah. Beautiful.


I have a tendency to buy shoes and purses. I don’t know when or how this started. The purses I will at least use. The shoes – I love them but won’t wear half of them because they’re too high, or don’t fit *quite* right. But if it is on sale, I’m buying it. As my husband likes to say “we’ll go broke with all the money you save us.” I’m an impulse buyer, it’s true.

So I happened to be near Minneapolis for work earlier this week. There was no way I wasn’t stopping at the Coach outlet. No way. So yes, I stopped. And yes, I bought. In my defense, it ended up being discounted twice – first 15% off and then 50% off that reduced price. I snatched it off the shelf. Looked inside, put it over my arm and continued to walk the store. One of the sales staff told me not to put it down if I truly wanted it as it was the only one like it in the store. Oh don’t you worry, I will not let it go. Found a couple other cute things but I couldn’t put down my first choice. It is khaki and pink – but more of a peachy pink. So cute. So perfect.

I will never be mistaken for a fashionista, but that doesn’t mean I can’t go nuts for a pretty purse.

Feelin Hot Hot Hot

How can a child go from 98.6 to 102.7 in the span of 2 hours of SLEEP?


Why do they always get a fever in the middle of the night? When they’re tired, you’re tired, and you have no idea what just woke you up?

J woke up last night and comes crying up the stairs. I meet him halfway, and you can feel the heat radiating off of him. So I tell him, let’s go into the bathroom and take your temp and get some medicine. He says no.

What?? No?? You LOVE medicine!!

No, he reiterates. Crying, with snot running down his face. Great. He has to go to the bathroom he says. So we go in, he does his business and then is ok to have some medicine. Ok, fine. So I lift him up to the counter and get out the thermometer (the ear kind, I can’t do the recommended kind – shudder). BEEP. 102.3 degrees. Awesome. So I grab the Motrin (well, generic since it was all recalled a couple months back).

No, no medicine he says. I want water first.

So I get him a glass of water.

Not THAT glass! I want Mickey!

Ok….deep breath. I go to the cupboard. No Mickey. He’s in the dishwasher. So I grab him out and wash him out. Mind you, we’ve got other Mickey Mouse glasses in the cupboard, but I *know* that they are not the one he is talking about.

Walk back into the bathroom where he’s still sitting on the counter. He can’t even hold the cup, he’s shaking so bad. Breaks my heart.

So I help him drink. And pour the Motrin.

No, no medicine he says. Oh for Pete’s sake. Immediately, I go from pity to pissed. Come on. Take your medicine. No. What about this medicine (holding up the generic Tylenol). Do you want red medicine instead of orange? No. I want another drink. This time he can hold it. So that’s good at least. Then I start the coaxing. You can have your medicine and then another drink and then you can sleep with mommy and daddy. Doesn’t that sound good?

He stares at me. Finally, he nods. YES!

So I pour the medicine in his mouth, hand him his water and then we head to my room.

Where I proceed to get kicked the rest of the night and end up with a heel in the eye.

But at least he’s not hot anymore, right?

Hi ho, Hi ho, It's off to work I go!

Unless of course, I miss the plane.


A few years back a friend of mine was flying for her first time ever. She was extremely nervous about it. So nervous, that she was super early to the airport (DIA, nice airport). Since she was SO early, she decided to go have a drink at the bar in the terminal. Well, one drink turned into…let’s just say more than one. Eventually decided to say her farewells to the people she met at the bar and go back to her gate. She found her flight had left without her.

I’ve flown my fair share of times. Not a newbie, but not a real seasoned traveler either. I’ve flown for work, for pleasure, and for displeasure (traveling with kids, but that’s another story). I’m a bookie. Love to read. So I find airports and plane rides are perfect for me to catch up on a book or two.

When I’m at home reading, I can multi-task. I’m reading, watching tv, listening to the boys, listening to my husband, texting and surfing the interwebs. Get me into an airport and apparently I turn into a hermit and have no idea what is around me!

This past fall, I got to my gate at the Chicago airport and sat down with my book. I had two more in my luggage since I knew I’d finish this one quickly. I became immersed in the book. To the point where I didn’t hear them calling my flight. And you know airports – they call the flights NUMEROUS times before you have to run for the gate. Ah, I’m sitting at the gate, there’s no need to rush. Or pay attention.

Pretty soon, I think I hear my name. Hm, what was that? I look around. I don’t hear it again and I don’t see it on the screen. Huh, oh well. Must not have been. As I look around, I notice that it’s pretty dang empty at the gate now. Crap. Then I hear my name again. Yep, that’s me. So I get up and walk the 10 feet (yes, 10 feet) to the counter. Oops. I got to be the last one on the plane! Yay me!

I'm set to fly next week.  Let's see how this one goes! :)