B.S.C.

december daily day 18: last day and baking day

i loved sending the girls off to school this morning with their gifts for their teachers and their lovingly handmade christmas cards. they both get so much joy out of giving presents to others.  as we were driving away from annie's fun friday preschool (an extra day she gets to go and it's pure crafty imaginative goodness) she says "momma, i think we should get my teachers gifts for valentine's day. i am also going to color them big pink hearts."  seriously, could we just get through christmas?  but i have to say she's my daughter because i'd be lying if i told you that i wasn't already thinking about what i could craft up for valentine's day.  i'm a sick, sick person. 

earlier in the week at separate time both girls cried because they did not want school to be out for break.  actually annie thought school was out for good. she just wasn't ready to let go.  i quickly explained "oh honey you get to go until MAY!!!"

and now they're done for two weeks and i am so excited to have them home.  actually, they'll be at grandma's for the weekend. saturday morning to monday around noonish.  but don't you worry, eric and will manage to fill the time.  we've got something up our sleeve...sleeves?

did some baking last night and today...5 pans of carameletos to deliver to neighbors in these darling martha baking boxes

i had heard on the martha radio show about these baking boxes at michael's. i had to run there on saturday and although i was frantically purchasing last minute items for our party in a mere two hours...i just had to check on these boxes.  it must have been fate as there was one pack left AND they were 40% off. SOLD. my only complaint is that they are kind of big and carameletos are kind of flat.  i couldn't fill them up unless i made one bath for each neighbor. and while i love them and think they are great and all. it takes forever to make carameletos cause you have to wait a long time before you can cut them up and package them.  and i only have three 9 by 13 pans. so sorry neighbors if you feel you got short changed.

after delivering to the neighbors and to a friend not far down the road i had to stop and put gas in my car because, according to the gas gauge i had 14 miles left. classic.  and this is when i know that i am truly losing my mind.  i drive by the QFC and glance over to see a man taking a photo of some big cases of soda that are sitting outside the store.  i of course get a little lost in thought about why he might be doing that.  it's a brief moment but when i snap back to reality, i can't remember why i am in that parking lot.  sigh.

december daily day 15: gracie's christmas party and a lesson in giving

of course there was something funny that annie did that i wanted to blog and i told myself not to forget, but i did. sigh.

***gracie's class party was this afternoon. annie and i got invited to help.  gracie was ever so helpful to her sister during the craft.

 

  

*** our athletic club has a giving tree with tags that list children of varying ages and their needs.  the last few years i've pulled two tags around each of my girls ages and shopped for the kiddos. today i grabbed two tags but this time i changed it up.  i took a girl gracie's age and a boy a year older than annie.  we headed to the dreaded wal-mart after school.  this is the one time of year i go to wal mart so i can get more bang for my buck.  

i can't even tell you in words what a great time i had with those girls.  we talked about why were were buying for these kids. what the kids needed most and what kind of toys they might like as well as how much certain toys cost and what the best way to spend our money would be.  they helped pick out coats and mittens and hats and shoes and toys.  i was so happy with these generous little hearts and how much joy they got from picking gifts for kiddos less fortunate than them.  i was doubly happy that they didn't once tell me something they wanted or covet any toys on the toy aisle.  they don't do that very often anyway, but they certainly didn't do it today. 

***we went to barnes noble after walmart.  i surprised them with a little shopping spree--annie had  $50 gift card from great uncle greg (eric's uncle). i kid you not, i think annie was the most excited about that gift than she was over any other gift!  she picked out some books and bought her sister a book with her money.  

***i got most of my christmas cards done.  the ones that are complete are going in the mail tomorrow. yay!

***i have lost 2 pounds in about 5 days.  not a normal thing for me unless i am only swallowing spit for lunch and having a cube of cheese if i feel faint. i would say that eating EIGHT truffles yesterday is definitely NOT considered dieting. i went off my hyper thyroid medication two fridays ago to see if i would go into remission. given that there is only a 20% or so chance of remission, i am thinking not. but on the other hand it's really going to get me through the holidays. apparently i can eat like a pig this month and come through unscathed.  sweet?

***annie scolded me yesterday for wasting water.  it was running while i was putting toothpaste on her tooth brush.  i applaud her concern for the environment but wonder why is it that she can scold me about running water but she can't remember to turn her bedroom light off to save her life. 

by the way, the water was running so i could get it at least luke warm to wash my face.  if you have issues with that talk to the plumber that built the house.

***this evening gracie reminded me that she needed her ear drops.  i am not really sure what i would do with out that kid.  she HATES her ear drops, yet she is so responsible she reminds me.  just who is parenting who?

well ok pilgrim...

how can you not be thankful for this little pilgrim?

 

or this big sister reading to her little sister?

 i needed to take a shower last night right before the girls bedtime. i was soooo cold.  first i slyly asked annie if gracie could read to her and then i slyly asked gracie if she would read to annie. 10 minutes later...and she was still reading...and annie was still listening.  now that's something to be thankful for.

 i am also thankful for the 6 little girls i had in my kitchen frosting cookies today. i hope they had a good time.  

then my second favorite christmas movie.  they all sat on the couch and watched it quietly.  mine and eric's favorite line from the movie..."riding a vixen down a one way street." neither of us think that's appropriate for a children's movie. name that movie.

i'll tell you what i am NOT thankful for.  waiting until i was out of my hyperthyroid medication to call in the prescription.  because my prescription had expired. because i was supposed to go back and see the dr in...oh, march or so. and i can't go without it because it makes me all irritable and headachy and jittery. i know, you're thinking "AND THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL?"  anyway,  i phoned it in on sunday. it wasn't ready monday and when i stopped by today they still hadn't received word from the dr.  i am kicking myself figuring that he's probably on vacation.  the gal says she can give me three pills to tide me over.  phew!  at least i have three days covered...that is until i open the lid to take one out and it falls on the side of my seat in the car.  i can see it but my fat piggy fingers can't reach it.  i wrestle with trying to get it. i almost have it...but no.  i can't get it. ok, so now i have two to tide me over.  

i just called the dr's office to explain my plight...i think i gave her a nice chuckle.  one of the nurses faxed a new prescription to the pharmacy and i should be able to pick it up on my way to workout in an hour (gotta get that last calorie blast before pigging out tomorrow).  all's well that ends well.   and i won't be letting my prescription lapse again.

happy thanksgiving. gobble, gobble.

the party is over...now i can decorate for christmas!

annie had her little "friend" birthday party today.  her birthday isn't for two more weeks, but i wanted to have her party before decorating for christmas. i hope the little girlies had a good time. i know annie did. before the party she said "it's my birthday party today and it's the best day ever."  during the party my mom overheard her say "it was the best party ever."

i tried to get a couple of pictures of annie before her friends got there.

  

 

the girlies started off with a little crafting-paper bead necklaces and a fiesta sticker scene

 

then some presents

i love how her big feet stick out in that picture

she was so happy with this hat.  there is  big puff ball on the top. she likes big puff balls.

and the grand finale...a dora pinata.  we were done in 1 hour 30 minutes.  we called it good and kicked everyone out the door.(not really)

in other news...i was somewhat leery this morning when eric decided to give it another go at the constantly running toilet.  i'll be honest, i thought about programming the plumber's number in our speed dial.  and, looking back i'm still not certain trying to fix the main floor toilet 4 hours before a party at our house was the best idea.  but, i was in NO mood to try to talk him out of it.  

i gave the girls a bath and then we cleaned up the toy room while he was working on the toilet.  i could tell it wasn't going very well.  the heavy sighs and the quiet curse words under his breath that only i could hear gave it away. a little voice in my head told me to get out of the house.

 i decided to take the girls to party city with me to pick up the party balloons AND (this is the kind of mother i am)...get them mcdonalds so they wouldn't make a mess in my kitchen eating their lunch. 

instead, the mess is in my car. 

but i cleaned all day yesterday and i'll be damned if i was going to sweep the floor one more time before the party.

we got home and he was done.  i knew i had made a wise choice in taking the girls out of the house though.  apparently, eric made up some new and unusual curse word combinations when he got shot in the face with toilet water. i am really, REALLY glad that we weren't home. 

the good news is that the toilet is fixed.  he da man. i think he just may graduate to getting a tool belt.

pumpkin patch pics and other stuff

annie's trip to the pumpkin patch with her preschool

I

JUST

 

WANT

TO

EAT

HER

UP

oh look ms. nilsen is in the far right corner!

except for right now...when she comes down the stairs at 9:21 pm and says she can't fall asleep because she is scared to fall asleep.

can't i just watch my modern family in peace?

you may remember that a few weeks ago, i went through gracie's grade school work with her and we started a filing system of sorts.  well, my bff kay c. just busted out a super duper filing system last week, that i just HAD to copy.  thank you for your consent my friend.

in each binder is some of the work i had saved since gracie started preschool. the rest...well, i threw it away. yes, i said it. i threw it away.  

don't you just love it?! i do!

gracie had soccer practice this evening.  to say they practiced in a downpour is an understatement.  and she did it.  the girl did it.  way to go gracie. 

and finally, today marks what would have been mike and elaine's (eric's parents) 43rd anniversary. thank you to them for setting such an amazing example of marriage for their son. 

is this the year

that all is revealed?  

i was making dinner last night and gracie, out of the blue, says "some people at school say their parents are the tooth fairy."  my response "huh, i've never heard of that." gracie, "actually everyone says it." me "huh."

annie greeted us at 5:15 this morning.  little turd.  after at least 30 minutes of "i can't fall asleep, i can't fall asleep" through the wall, i think she came in to our room and crawled in bed with me where she promptly fell asleep...and we slept until 8.

the clouds parted, the sun shone down and i heard the faint song of angels...

when i showed annie the purpose of the pez dispenser.  (i am sure that's not where you thought i was going with this huh?)  apparently no one has ever showed her how to use the pez dispenser.  apparently she just thought it was this cute toy that came with candy you eat out of the wrapper. AND, since she inhales it like a crack addict, there isn't even time to PUT it in the dispenser. 

the other day annie asked me how babies get out of their momma's tummies. "they come out of their bits, annie"  annie: "EEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW"  "why did you ask annie?" " BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW!!" 

duh.

which was followed by "why do they come out of their bits, momma? and "even that happened to you?"  and "WHY DON'T DADS HAVE BABIES?????"  good questions annie...and to answer your last, a man couldn't handle the pain...

enjoy the sun. enjoy your day. be thankful.

gracie's first day of second grade

last night, making fruit salad for her lunch  

her outfit (which she didn't wear, weren't sure about the weather today)

saying goodnight

AND...all ready for the bus!

we *heart* sporty shoes!

it's not annie's first day but she gets to look cute in a new school outfit too.

cute second graders

buh-bye students have a great day!

after the bus left, annie and i got a coffee and choc milk.  hers was sour of course.  i am sure this is like the 6th time it's happened to us AND every freaking time they tell me it doesn't taste good, i lose my head and take a BIG swig.  BARF! then we headed to the uw bookstore to pick up a little gift for gracie's last year teacher who is with child, to frost for a doughnut (hey my kid just started 2nd grade, i deserve it) and then home where i promptly ran 6.22 miles out of sheer guilt for eating a doughnut.  

annie is not doing so well.  she's been crying off and on all day.  so, so, so, so, so, so  sad about everyone going to school.  hoping to make a playdate with the new neighbor girl soon to curb that crying a little.

looking forward to hearing how her day went and praying, praying, praying for no leaks.  i've got so much anxiety surrounding her heading back to school with the encopresis not resolved.  i've been putting her on the potty every 30-45 minutes until she poops the last few days.  clearly that isn't going to happen at school.  i figure it worse comes to worse, i can always head to school right after she finishes lunch and have her try.  trying to keep calm until we see how it goes.  it's really hard.  

the things i hear when i am not in the room

just over heard...annie to gracie "i don't want to throw up on the couch or mom will get really mad!" gracie to annie "no she won't get mad, she just won't want to clean it up."

the tickets

had to get this down quickly before i forget...

yesterday i started a ticket system. the girls are going to get tickets for doing things like making their beds, picking up their bedtime books in the morning, brushing their teeth without being asked, reading every day, doing "mama's school"--memorizing math fact for gracie and writing or tracing letters for annie-that kid has ZERO handwriting skills. it's starting to freak me out! NO tickets though for cleaning the toy room or things that are absolutely expected of them. anyhow, i gave the girls some directions this morning and immediately gracie started following them.  i came out in to the hall and said "i hear someone who wants to earn tickets."  gracie got a big grin and then called for annie.  she said "annie come here. momma don't come in annie's room."  gracie totally helped annie make her bed so she could get tickets too.  oh i just heard gracie whisper to annie "brush you teeth annie."  this could be a good thing.  a really good thing. 

we're heading out to go to the office supply store to get tickets, then to church to help clean classroom, then to the pool , then to the grocery, then home, then back to the gym for mama's class and then some ladies from school are coming over for dinner. tacos and coronas!  ole.