It’s a crazy-good time!

So…  I’ve been a single mom for the past week or so, gives me a whole new respect for the moms that are handling life on their own on a normal basis!  Only a few more days, though, and I’m ready!

I love to bake.  I mean, LOVE to bake- something about taking all the seemingly-random ingredients and combining them to make something warm and yummy and usually chocolately- it’s therapy to me!  One thing I can’t seem to get the hang of, though, is anything with yeast!  And I’m a total bread fanatic, I just can’t seem to get the hang of using yeast.  I found a mix yesterday at the store that seemed promising, though, so I thought I’d try it.  Screwed it up.  Only I can screw up a box of mix!  It didn’t rise a bit, but it’s still yummy!  Guess I’ll stick to cookies!

I know it’s early, but I’m gearing up for Halloween!!  It’s one of my favorite holidays, such fun picking out costumes and watching spooky shows and hello- anytime you get candy is a good time!  Andy is too old and Alec and Kate pick out their own costumes now, but I get to pick out Mallory’s and I’m getting my creativity ready for this year now!  Here are a few contenders (not really!!):

No, there’s no way those are an option, but how funny!

So this happened…

My first ticket in many years of driving!  Ready for what it’s for??  Using my cell phone in a school zone!  Really?  I NEVER talk on my phone!  How crazy is it that the one time in weeks I’m actually talking on my phone I forget and use it on the way to get Andy from school!  UGH- $170 I would have liked to spend on anything but this!

So here are some random pictures of the kidlets this past week, look how cute they are!

Alec teaching Mallory to make a face!

Kate and Mallory riding motorcycles at the movies!

A tantrum!  It’s tough being two!

Self portraits!

That’s it for now, hope y’all have a great week!

My week in pictures!

Busy!  It’s been crazy here- I think it’s always feast or famine, there’s no in-between! So most of you probably know we’re moving, AGAIN!  Turns out Texas wasn’t quite for us, so Jamie accepted a great job that’ll move us to Warrensburg, Missouri.  He’s been in training in Indianapolis for the past two weeks, and is finally working at his permanent hospital starting today.  He was home over the weekend, so we crammed as much as we could in two days!

Lunch at our favorite sushi and hibachi restaurant!  Mallory had more fun playing with the chopsticks than she did eating! Then when we got home she dumped the whole box of leftover fried rice and edamame into my diaper bag- huge mess that looks like someone puked in it…

And this happened:

That’s my first baby, now he’s 16.  When did that happen??

So we did this:

That’s my version of a cookie cake- bottom layer is a chocolate chip cookie, topped by a chocolate cake!  YUM!  The icing was overkill, but he asked for it.  And yes, the One Direction card is a joke!

So have y’all seen the blog about Beyoncé the chicken?

http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/  SO funny!!  I think it’s just the thought of someone opening their door to a gigantic metal chicken that amuses me, but who knows. Well, we were heading to run some errands this weekend and I saw this:

Can you see them??  I started laughing so hard I think Jamie almost left me at the gas station!  Look!!

That’s hysterical!  And expensive!!  $300 for this size, and what’s the fun in having a smaller one??  Go big or don’t bother!  And no, Jamie wouldn’t let me have it….

Or any of these.  Something about being hazardous having semi-rusty metal sculptures in a yard with a toddler.  Whatever.

So here’s something fun!  Can you guess what this is?

That’s my hand with BURN marks on it!  From my hairdryer!  It caught on fire IN MY HAND, y’all!  I have the dumbest luck.

This happened and made me cry:

That’s a little bowl one of the kids made me out of clay in school.  Mr. Nobody (lives in our house, he’s the one that does all the bad stuff no one else will admit to) spilled a bottle of water on the kitchen counter and my little blue bowl turned to mush.

Well that’s it from last week!  I’m sure we’ll have more crazy stuff this week to share!  I think I need a nap first!

Dinner time, also known as a do-over!

So when we were newlyweds, way back when, I decided I could be Betty Crocker.  I thought I was an awesome cook, and tried all kinds of “fancy” recipes to please my new husband.  One night meatloaf was on the menu.  Fancy, right?  So I try to remember how my mom made it all those times, left out the onions that I never liked, and threw a HUGE pan of it in the oven!  My mom’s meatloaf is the best, aside from the onions, of course.  We sit down to dinner in our little, tiny kitchen at our little, tiny 2-seat table and dig in.  Somehow J ate 2 big pieces before I tried it, and he didn’t say a word.  I took a bite…  it was AWFUL!!!  I mean seriously disgusting!  It was like a giant, solid mass of hamburger with no seasonings, topped with ketchup!  Awful!  And my poor husband was trying not to hurt my feelings and ate what I’d put on his plate without saying anything.

Times have changed!  18 years have passed and now our table seats all 6 of us.   J doesn’t hesitate to tell me when something I’ve made is gross.  I have picky kids and not-so-picky kids, plus a husband that I apparently scarred with my early cooking, so meatloaf has never been on my radar since.  One of my favorite recipes is for BBQ Meatballs, so tonight I decided to make it into a blob and try my luck!

It was a limited success, but I’ll take it!  Mallory won’t touch it (or the HOMEMADE mac & cheese with PANKO, hello YUM!) but she also didn’t get a nap today, so that’s probably why.  Andy and Kate had seconds (on both!!!!) and Alec didn’t eat anything at all.  It was a little too bland, so I may have to break down and add onions next time!

 

 

 

So this is us!

Hey, y’all! This is me, and I’m married to him:

Cute, aren’t we?? We also have a few of these:

Right now we live here:

But in a month we’re moving here:

Some of our favorite things:

and, of course:

So that’s us!