My Personal Shopper is a Four Year Old

Ella brought home these magazine cut outs as 'some jewelry for you!' How nice of her! Doing a little shopping while at preschool, perusing the PARADE insert, I'm sure.

These aren't too bad, considering some of the horrific things I've seen advertised in some of the Sunday circulars. The family necklace was a rather sweet gesture, I thought, until I asked her if she knew what it was and she had no idea. But still!

At least she didn't choose the garden clogs, the miracle lifts like a crane bra or the Precious Moments Christmas dog!

I Want My Library Card To MELT

I am looking for help, kids.

I went to get Ella some books from the library and I couldn't think of any good classics that she might like. (The standard ones that we normally get were all checked out.) I asked for help from the librarians, and they had some good suggestions, but overall I was disappointed. Maybe you have some ideas for me?

I would prefer something in a series, perhaps, but at this point anything will do. They still need to be in the picture book type category, but can certainly be more complex stories. You know, the kind that are forever long and you have to really prep yourself before reading it out loud? Yeah, those kind.

I know y'all won't disappoint, and I'm looking forward to a trip to library this weekend! There's a glass of water with my name on it for when my throat gets all dried out from reading aloud for 30 minutes straight. I'm READY.

Much obliged.

The Fun Begins (and Makes David Sweat)

We have known for a while that Ella has taken a shine to an older boy named Brett. He's the son of one of our coworkers, and we see him and his family at softball games. Oh, how Ella just loves to chat up Brett and all his 3 years older than her glory. The even better part is that Brett's younger brother is older than Ella too but she just skipped right over him and went for the older man.

This looks like trouble, kids. Trouble with a capital T.

Notice the strategic placement here, wormed right in between the boys.

Little Miss Lean On In for the couple pic!

(Much to her credit, Brett is a really cute and super nice boy. At least she has good taste!)

A & E, in List Format

Ashley Kate:

* Has begun refusing to eat her solid foods. She will only crack that mouth open to laugh and my crazy antics to get her to open her mouth. At which point I quickly jam the spoon in.

* Has had the dire rear for 2 weeks now. And it can quit any old time it pleases. Like right now.

* Still no teeth.

* Is beginning to think about sitting up. She will do it for a few moments at a time, before throwing herself backwards or to the side.

* Is beginning to think about putting weight on her feet for more than 4 seconds at a time.

* Don't even ask about crawling or pulling up.

* Loves to laugh at dogs that come near by, and possibly even grab a handful of ear/scruff/hair.

* Will pull mine and Ella's hair with great ferocity.

* Is one huge tickle factory.

* Makes for the best squishy hugs and kisses.

* Continues to be such a happy, laid back girl.

Ella Grace:

* Will pop off with some dandy phrases that get nipped in the bud before she's done spewing them forth.

* Got a new to her little table and chairs and absolutely loves them. She simply cannot wait until Ashley is big enough to sit with her.

* Is the best mama's helper around, especially when it comes to Ashley.

* Loves to play teacher and hold books like the teacher while I'm reading them to her.

* Can spot an ant at 500 feet.

* Refuses to kill said ant.

* Heard David say 'pico de gallo' and remarked that they sounded like Spanish words.

* Has begun to incorporate three new words into her vocabulary: compromise, appreciate and additional

* Has eyes that turn an absolute steel grey in the right light

* Has begun giving compliments on my attire, most notably 'That is cute, Mama.'

* Mercifully has been going to bed without getting back up for a drink of water/I need to tell you something/my nose is stuffy/can I have some Chap stick.

* Kills us each and every day with her wit, sharp-as-a-tack-ness and compassion. And sometimes sass, but mostly the other good stuff.

Ashley Kate's Catching Flies

Just like Ella, Ashley got her daddy's eyes. And her mama's love for pictures with her mouth open.

Maybelline Maven

Don't these eyelashes make you want to DIE? I sure do hope that this isn't some childhood thing that somehow she grows out of but rather keeps these thick, dark, long lashes for good.

Every woman's dream, right here...

Apparently Ella gets these beauties from her daddy, because it sure isn't me. Doesn't it almost look like she's wearing falsies?

When She's Not Sucking Her Fingers

Ashley Kate has every other thing under the sun crammed in her mouth.

And not a tooth in sight!

Scattered Pieces

Found outside the building I work in, post tornado:

* multiple photographs, including some from the 50's, baby pictures, group shots, school pictures and kids in the snow

* pages from a preschool workbook for practicing writing letters

* payment stub for Travis N.'s insurance bill

* Rhonda C.'s work performance review

* page from a general maintenance handbook for the Manhattan Airport

* several pieces of homework or class notes

* installation instructions for a light fixture (one local hardware store got leveled)

* piece of cardboard box for frozen Tyson chicken

* more insulation than you could ever imagine

* one diamond-esque stud earring

* a broom handle (hardware store)

* an Open Letter to Uncle Sam from someone ticked about Social Security, typed on a typewriter

* the backing for a package of wire strippers (hardware store, again)

* a front vanity plate: DELISHA

* a work agreement between Southwestern Bell and a business

* photocopy of check to Dr. Somebody, who used to lived at Fort Hood

Don't worry, we are turning in all of the photographs to collection sites that are scanning and posting them on a web album for victims to look through. DELISHA, however, is out of luck.

This is a Bad Sign

When this sign gets posted in the building you work in, it could lead you to get a little nervous. And start imagining a itchy cough. And that your skin is crawling.

But it's OK, the symptoms of asbestos don't show up for 20 - 40 years.

Fantastic.


(The Health and Safety people tell us it's ok, just as long as we don't go into the classroom.)

Happy Father's Day!

Ashley (in a slightly blurry glow) wishes her daddy a Happy Father's Day!

And HFD to all the dads out there, mine included!

Ella Let the Dogs Out

All I will take responsibility for in this show is the sunglasses, since I gave them to her a while back. Where in the world the words and hand motions come from, I have no idea.

PS: Ella wore this dress to preschool, before which I told her 'Don't show your underwear!' When she got home I asked about showing of the panties... And she told me YES and LAUGHED.

Heaven. Help. Me.

Here's How It Went

From this weekend:

* You know there isn't anything on TV when my husband is watching E! about Lindsay Lohan.

* After our foray into the garden I came back with three mosquito bites, one of which was particularly nasty and made my elbow swell. A lot.

* Also after our foray into the garden, I made a strawberry poke cake with the home grown Mother's Day beauties. And it's delish.

* I have discovered a new favorite pair of jeans, and they were only $30.

* Ashley Kate surely must be getting teeth, although I don't feel any, because she was a bit of a pill, for her usual charming self

* We watched Big Brown lose the Belmont Stakes, and were a little sad about it.

* At the grocery store a nice lady tells Ella that Ashley sure does look like her, and boy don't they have the exact same eyes. To which she responds "We have the same eyes as my Daddy." Just as sweet and syrupy as you can imagine.

* Ella showed off her mad skills doing the alphabet in sign language.

* I try to broaden my food horizons and make fish for supper. Fish, which I generally do not like as a rule. And after one bite, currently still do not like.

* I can't buy regular fresh tomatoes, for trying a new recipe for salsa, due to the salmonella outbreak. Only on the vine types.

* $56 to fill up my Honda.

* These, from hanging out with Ashley Kate while Ella slept in until a remarkable 8:30:

I Can See Your Green Eyes From Here

Gorgeous Haul from the Garden

One Hail of a Day, part 2

FYI:

Our area is poised to get some very, very ugly weather this evening and night. Strong winds, torrential rain, large hail and... of course... tornadoes.

Fear not! While we do not have the best accommodations for riding out storms of this magnitude, we do have friends who do. We will be holed up in the safe room at the home of our very wonderful friends Angie and Scott. And we might even spend the night and make a little party out of the whole deal.

I will be sure to post as I am able as to how we emerge from this ugliness. Hopefully it will blow right past (get it?). Ah, even in the face of danger, puns are never inappropriate!

One Hail of a Day

I don't know how much national news our big hail storm got, but check this out. It was taken at the Manhattan airport on Monday and is just unreal. There is an auto dealership just down the road from the airport that had to total out 100 vehicles due to this craziness. The cars looked like a baseball bat and/or machine gun had been taken to them! Fortunately, we only got marble, and some golf ball, sized hail where we were.

I've Been Tagged

Andria tagged me, so here we go:

I love the smell of – Baby Magic lotion, magnolias, the beach

People would say that I - talk, a lot.

I don’t understand why – American Eagle quit making my favorite jeans

When I wake up in the morning – I brush my teeth.

I lost my willpower to – clean the house.

Life is – NUTS.

My past made me – a Georgian til I die.

I get annoyed when I – procrastinate.

Parties are not a good time to – put your keys in an illogical place. Trust me.

Dogs are – so freakin' funny.

Cats are – for catching mice.

Tomorrow is – a good day to quit procrastinating and clean the house already!

I have low tolerance for – misbehaving children (mine or others).

I’m totally terrified of - becoming complacent.

I wonder why I thought my life would be – sane.

I always knew I would – marry a real man.

Never in my life have I – owned a brand new car.

High school was – a pretty good time.

When I’m nervous - my mouth gets dry.

One time at a family gathering – my Grandaddy almost lost a finger while rescuing me after being pushed into the bay by someone who will remain nameless but has blonde hair and is pregnant

Take my advice – you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar.

Making my bed - happens most of the time.

I'm almost always – finding a reason to laugh.

I’m addicted to – Diet Coke, my girls, those damn chicken biscuits at McDonald's

I want someone to – clean my house.

If you have a blog and have not been tagged, consider yourself so!

9 o'clock

At 9 o'clock tonight it was 85 degrees in my house. You can imagine how well that goes over.

At 9 o'clock tomorrow morning, I will be making a slightly urgent phone call to the a/c people.

At 9 o'clock tomorrown night I had better be putting on a damn sweater because it's so freaking cold in my house.

That is all.

Big Waste of Six Bucks

So I hear on the radio how the new car wash in town has a dog wash with it. And I decide that that sounds like a pretty fun outing for me and Ella. Maybe not so much for Lilly, but that's how things go when you're a dog who likes to roll in poop. Other creatures' poop. Which happens to smell worse than just everyday poop. (Yes, I know that I can wash her at home for free, but that's not the point. A little mother/daughter QT, a little getting messy, a little Lilly love, that's the point.)

Ella was pretty excited about the whole deal since she really likes to help us do anything, but especially Lilly related activities. So off we go to the car/dog wash having absolutely no idea how this show is going to run.

It's a pretty nice looking place, all set up like a groomer's with the sink, spray hose and blower. But the shampoo, conditioner and whatever all else function is set up like a car wash, which I found pretty damn funny. Also just like a car wash is the fact that you have a time limit, in this case 8 minutes.

I immediately feel the pressure of an 8 minute wash and blow.

After Ella got her stool set up so that she could reach and I clicked the little thingy over to rinse, away we go on our 8 minute march. Lilly's not too keen on getting sprayed but I'm after speed here so we might have skipped some of the niceties. Perhaps.

Sufficiently wet dog; click the thing for shampoo! Shampoo! Shampoo? No shampoo, no lather, no nothing from three different shampoo options. Damnit! Time check? Double damnit! Umm... The only options left were conditioner and blow dry with a clock that seemed to be operating at warp speed. Blow dry a rinsed off dog it is. Flip the thing to blow out!

Who knew the air coming out of that hose was going to be so cold? Certainly not one wet little dog I might know. Poor Lilly. Ella, however, thought it was great!

Ella! Man the blower hose, I've got to go put more money in because we are running out of time. Are you kidding me with this? I don't even get my dog washed in the allotted time but I've got to pay more so she's not soaking wet?


I refuse to pay the machine any more money even though Lilly's still damp and decide we'll just put the windows down on the ride home. She'll get a 50 mph blow dry with much warmer air.

Six bucks, fed to the machine, so that I could wet my dog and then blow her with cold air. No thanks, I'll pass. Next time, we'll just head down the way and let Lil ride on the roof as we go through the automatic car wash.

Car and dog cleaned for the bargain basement price of... six bucks.

I took Friday afternoon off

to spend it with Ashley Kate. That little girl just makes me smile.

She's a regular comedian, she is

From Ella Grace:

What do you call a pair of bananas?

Slippers!

Blow, blow, blow your bubbles

The weather this past weekend was absolutely gorgeous so we found ourselves spending a fair bit of time outside. One such endeavor involved lots of bubble blowing for Ella Grace. She was chugging right along with the blowing of about a bazillion bubbles and then chasing them down for popping when the excitement of the chase was too much. And bubbly liquid went flying.

She's a keeper, for sure! Look at those skills!

Lightening quick photo snapping skills.

All over her feet too.

Sippy Cup Sippage

This took some coaching, but overall I was pretty proud!

Maybe she's putting that big ol' noggin* to use! (If this is not, in fact, exemplary for a six month old, I would like to live in the illusion that it is. You see, my memory from four years ago is a bit hazy due to four years of one Miss E.G. and I don't quite recall when she started using a sippy cup. Pretty convenient, no?)

*Big ol' noggin reference is not made unjustly. At Ashley's six month check up last Monday the doctor informed me that her height and weight (16.5 lbs.) are pretty middle of the road. Her head, however, is at the 90th percentile. So, cranius gigantus, she is!

Exterior Flowerizing

Woo hoo! The landscaping crew showed up this weekend!

The outside of the house was looking a bit drab with all the dandelions taking over the place, so flowers were purchased last weekend in a Mother's Day 'do good' spree (along with other fixing up the house type items). The weather was just about perfect yesterday so the crew felt it was prime time for replenishing the dirt supply and planting flowers.

This seems to be a regular event for David and Ella. I think it might be the third year in a row that they have been in charge of walkway beautification, or as I like to call it, trailer-skirting-cover-up-ification. Ella really gets a kick out of helping David, especially when it requires getting her hands dirty, and she does a fantastic job!

Up next... the garden! *insert imposing music here*

Things going along rather well on the landscaping crew...

until one member decides to slack off. And jump in the bucket of the tractor.

Strawberry Daiquiris Anyone?

Remember last Mother's Day? I can't believe it's been a whole year! The time flying past like it has has helped my impatience with the strawberry plants. The little tag said that you had to wait a year to get your first crop. And would you look at that, one hot summer, one big belly, one not so big belly, a six month old baby and here we are!

We hardly messed with the plants once we got them in the ground, maybe just making sure that the weeds didn't totally choke them out. No special tending through the winter, no nothing. Thank goodness strawberries are tough little boogers and can take all sort of abuse because looky looky at what we have tempting me in the garden:

These pretty little flowers...

turn in to immature strawberries! Yay!

Ella is already talking about making strawberry cake with these. I don't think that's going to work out so well, but I'm sure she won't mind when we march out to the garden and eat them straight off the vine!

Sitting up AKA falling over

The quest to sit up properly just isn't on Ashley's mind. She's so laid back that she just content to, well, lay back. I have been putting her in the sitting position to try to get her to strengthen her back. Sometimes these sessions go well, sometimes she ends up eclipsing my expectations and throws herself backward, to my horror.


Yesterday I thought I would try to document her progress... That just lead to her falling over and me trying to catch her without getting in the picture. Priorities, people!

So cute, leaning slightly to my left

Again, falling to the left

To the left, just about to topple

Oh no! She throws me for a loop and throws herself to the right!

I heart those cheeks! (Obviously this has nothing to do with sitting up,

or falling down for that matter, I just thought it was cute!)

Westbound and Down

The weekend before last Ashley and I took a little trip down south. A visit with my Georgia fam was in order and I had a nice slow paced trip. Ashley was an absolute dream on the plane, both ways, and pretty much was just kickin' it the whole weekend. She was happy to see all sorts of strangers and let each and every one of them get doughy hugs from her.

David and Ella had some father/daughter Q.T. while we were gone, but he was rather happy to have us back home, safe and sound. (He even baked a cake and had Jamie over for hot dogs for her birthday! Awww...)

Celeste, Daddy and Ashley, who looks very concerned

Marisa and Ashley, who looks very concerned slash happy?

Rusty and Ashley, who looks very concerned slash surprised?

Marisa's belly. It's as big as it looks. Baby Estes (with the testes)

has got all sorts of room to swim

Marisa and Ashley, who is laughing quite hard (and not concerned)

Marisa encourages Ashley to enjoy the merits of a beer, I am concerned

Sweet baby Ashley after too much O'Douls

Mother's Day flowers, they ain't

We appear to be fighting one nasty battle with dandelions this year. (Actually, I don't know that it's necessarily a fight because that would imply that there are two sides participating. We pretty much just watch the dandelions take over the place and then moan and groan about it.)

David and I have never really treated our 'yard' like a yard because, well, it isn't one. It's two steps away from being a field. Maybe that's why we have never fertilized or treated or whatever it is that you do to a yard. Either that or the fact that we're lazy. That could be it...

Now we are paying the price with one of the most horrid dandelion outbreaks I have ever seen. Going out and mowing the little fuzzy boogers down only perpetuates the cycle and will multiply your numbers. Damn Mother Nature and all of her wicked, wily ways!

I tried to convince Ella to go pick all the yellow flowers she could and I would pay her a penny for each one. That didn't fly. Looking at this picture, I wouldn't take me up on it either.

Yep, that's Lilly in there, almost hidden in the field of fuzz.

Is this happening just here in my area (because it's not just my little piece of neglected ground, these suckers are all over town)? Is there a dandelion epidemic?

Dimples make me smile

Of course I love all the parts and pieces of my baby girl, but my most favorite at the mo' has got to be her elbow dimples. TWO dimples in the midst of all that pudgy goodness are more than I can handle. I find myself wanting to rub Ashley's super soft, super squishy arms because I don't know how long the baby fat stage will last and it's just too cute to resist. Wouldn't you want to get your hands on this?!

(While I was changing Ashley into her pajamas. I asked David to hold her so I could get a picture of her elbow dimples. I ended up with the picture I was after and a couple more that I just love. The last one kills me.)

Caramelicious

Today I published what is surely one of my new favorite recipes over at Smartini. It's for Caramel Bars and they will make you close your eyes and say 'Oooh, that is good!' I have it on several people's authority that they are fantastic, since I was nice (or stupid) enough to share with a whole hall full of people at work.

Check 'em out. They are worth another lap around the track to make up for all of the naughtiness. But wait! They have oatmeal! That makes them health food, right?!

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Broadcast...

I will be on a slight blog hiatus for the next few days... But until I return, I leave you with this:

Last night while jogging, the song "No Air" pipes in through my headphones. Is this ironic or do the local DJ's know exactly what I'm doing?

On the way home from aforementioned jogging experience, I get behind a car that has the vanity plate "R2D2LVR". And it's a chick. Are you serious?! Wow, I bet you are quite the popular gal at all the Star Wars conventions.

Ella tells me "I just as soon you ". What? Really.

Tonight Ella asks "What's yapping mean?" followed by "What's constant mean?". I'm guessing that she has been told (at preschool?) that there was constant yapping. Uh. Huh.

I filled up the gas tank on my HONDA ACCORD and it cost me fifty dollars. Fifty-freakin'-dollars! I know that there are plenty of you out there who it's not uncommon to spend that much at the pump but for pete's sake, FIFTTY DOLLARS on an ACCORD? Good. Grief.

A meal at the Waffle House is in my future and I couldn't be more excited! :)

Barefoot Wine = yummy. Also, a dab of peanut butter on ginger snap cookies = yummy.

We turned on the AC for the first time tonight. It was a really nice evening, but the girls' rooms don't have that great of air flow, so AC it is. Spring, I welcome you with open arms! And a glass of wine!

Four new tires on an old ass Explorer leave us slightly lighter in the pockets. But bring on the snow! Bring on the water! My ever faithful green girl is ready! I, however, will be too busy to drive due to a) the out of control cost of gas, see above, and b) the fact that I now have to clip coupons til kingdom come to pay for said new tires.

Who wants more wine and cookies? Me! Who cares if the next time she runs to work off that wine and those cookies she has 'no air'? Not me!

Tweezed

I think that there should be a universal rule that any vehicle a woman is in should have a pair of good, sharp tweezers in it. They are a handy tool, to be sure, but nothing else will do when you happen to glance in the mirror while you're stuck in traffic and realize that there are just some eyebrow hairs that don't show up under your bathroom light no matter how hard you look and posture yourself. And now that these things have come to light, they are glaringly obvious to everyone on the planet as well as the fact that you haven't had a good wax in a tiny bit too long. It becomes a matter of national emergency, really.

Maybe just a little glove box kit that contains all such tools that a girl really needs when out and about? I think I smell a sure fire hit... And won't I have the neatly plucked eyebrows to show for it!

Favorite Website

The Weekly Special at Smartini is for each of us to post about our favorite website. Below is my post about my fave. This really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone... I pass along recipes from here all the time! How's about y'all do me a favor, in return for all the fabulous recipes I have sent your way, and go to Smartini and tell us about your favorite website? We are all fiends of the Internet and just looove to check out new stuff!

From Smartini:

Mmm... There's always something cooking over at Allrecipes.com. (Or at least about a million things I should be cooking.) This is my main go-to site for anything that's going on in the kitchen and favorite landing spot on the web. As I stated before, you really shouldn't drink on an empty stomach, and this cooking site on crack is there to help. It is so crazy good that not only is food involved, drinks are too!

I really enjoy making good food and All Recipes just feeds the need. You can search for recipes by name, ingredients, type, occasion, etc. and come up with loads of results. Gotta love those moments when you stand in your kitchen with the cabinet doors flung open saying to yourself 'Now what can I make with rice, chicken and peas?" Seventy-three meals, actually!) Also, once you are a member you can keep a virtual recipe box of your favorite recipes and find them easily when you need them.

But perhaps the best thing about All Recipes is the user reviews. Users can rate the recipe by awarding stars and leave comments about their results and any suggestions. These are just so handy for helping me determine if I want to try the recipe and any alterations I should make. While there is advertising on the site, it is subtle and easily looked past with no pop ups. (Newsweek: take note!)

Now, who feels like cooking?! Here are some recent favorites from All Recipes (with some personal adjustments):

Monster Cookies

Dill Dip

Apple Butter

Mexican Style Meat

Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs

And now that I look at the homepage, that Chicken Peanut Mole with Cilantro Rice is looking rather good... must add that to the list of things I should be cooking!

400 Posts!

Woo hoo! Four hundred times I have hit the 'Publish' button. Ok, 399 until I get done typing... Let's all celebrate by making some Texas Caviar!

I posted the recipe over at Smartini, a site that you should be checking regularly for sheer brilliance on everyone's part. Many thanks go out to Laura, Karen and Susan who already are regulars at the bar. I knew I could count on you girls to imbibe with me!

Fridays are WTFriday at Smartini and I have just finished creating a fantastical WTF? post that includes a serious wardrobe malfunction on the part of a semi famous musician. The picture is worth a thousand words... The three main ones that come to mind are W. T. F. ?!