Friday, January 31, 2014

January's Favorite Things

1. my birthday dinner, as chosen by my kiddos
 
2. nye
3. usual morning dilemma
 
4. these two never leaving each other's sides
 
5. colorful dinners
6. watching my loves play basketball together
 
7. cheap food and expensive wine
8. four in a bed (five if you count Bear)

9. em's first sleepover birthday party
10. it's cool guys, I didn't want to wash my hands anyway
 
11. two friendship necklaces in one month! She gave half of a necklace to charlotte, and she received half of a necklace from amelia; love my girl and her bffs ♥

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Narls' 7th Minecraft Birthday Party

 
Have I shared pictures from Narls' birthday party? It was a boytastic time full of friends, Minecraft, laser tag, rollerskating, pizza, presents, and cake. 
 
Party snippets:
 
 
 
 
 

 
My boy had the best time ♥
 
Party details:
 
It was hard to find Minecraft party stuff so I had to make almost everything.
 
Invites were made on photoshop and printed on cardstock,
 
goodie bags are just green bags with the creeper image sharpied onto them (which is also what I did with the kids' party cups),
 
the sticker was found at a dollar store and the candy labels were made on photoshop then printed on cardstock,

the amazing & delicious cake was made by a friend,
 

and I also made the thank you cards on photoshop then printed on cardstock.
 
Narls' past parties:
 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

The Winter That Killed Me

Ok, so it hasn't killed me quite yet, but if Mother Nature keeps up like this then I will surely die. I heard somewhere that Michigan has gotten more snow this year than any other state. And our temps, with this crazy wind chill, are colder than Alaska's. Aint that some shit? I love the snow as much as the next person, but this bitter-cold-instantly-freeze-any-exposed-body-parts can gtfo.  What fun is winter if the snow is harder than ice and it's too cold to actually go outside and play?
 
And playing we've been doing, because school has been cancelled multiple times. It was called off again this morning, making it number ten.  TEN DAYS, YOU GUYS. The first few were fun; I was actually even wishing for them. But now they're awful. Long stretched out days of whining and sibling fighting and severe cabin fever and moments where I'm pretty sure Narls and I aren't going to be friends anymore (that kid's mouth lately, maaaaaan; no one told me seven was the age kids kinda turn into jerks).
 
I managed to work from home most mornings, getting a lot of my stuff done while they're sleeping, and either dropped them off to Clay so they could hang out at the station or took them to their friend's house, so I could make it into the office for the afternoon; the days I can't do that I've had to use PTO time for the afternoon (oh, my precious PTO). We've read every book, played every game, colored every picture, and honestly, all Narls and Em really want to do is fight with each other and mess up my house and play this really annoying game of tell mom you're hungry the very minute she gets the dishes done and everything put away from the last meal.

I've taken to the streets to entertain them; at this point of winter, driving on sheets of ice is preferable to staying home and wanting to kill each other. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hoping for a sun day tomorrow.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Happy Thoughts

 
Happy thoughts, good vibes, prayers- we'll take them all today as my brother-in-law undergoes surgery to remove cancer in his colon.
 
You can read more of his story here.
 
We love you, Scott.  You will win.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Counting Down the Days

In exactly thirty days, I will be rolling my leopard luggage (thank again, Melissa!) through the Las Vegas airport with my sexy husband for a few days of sunshine, debauchery, and this bitch right here.

 
It cannot get here soon enough.

 photo brithatewaiting_zpsbcc4d671.gif

Monday, January 13, 2014

Happy Birthday, Sweet Narls

 
Somebody turned seven yesterday.
 
A curious, determined, hilarious, serious, silly, brilliant little boy.
A little boy who loves Star Wars and Minecraft and science and his dog.
A little boy with an sensitive soul and endless questions.
  A little boy who hangs the stars.

 
He had a sleepover with his best friend, cake & presents with the family, cupcakes were brought to his first grade classroom, and dinner was had at his favorite restaurant.

 
A very happy birthday indeed.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Snow For Days

 
We are under 18 inches of snow. One and a half feet has fallen on the lower half of my state in the last two days. This is the most snow I remember ever getting at one time.  It's been advised that people refrain from driving if possible, because of the numerous accidents and pretty much impassable roads. 
 
We were celebrating a late Christmas with my husband's family this past weekend and decided to make the 2-hour drive home on Saturday, a day earlier than we planned, because of this impending storm. We stopped at the grocery store for a couple things and the shelves were bare.  Snowfall was getting heavy just as we made it home. 
 
Clay shoveled our driveway three times on Sunday. Three times in one day. And he still got stuck just outside our drive on Monday morning as he attempted to drive our SUV into work. I helped him shovel the snow out from around the wheels at 4am that morning so he could pull it back into our garage.  A coworker with full-wheel drive came and picked him up. They're in broadcasting; they have to go to work, especially during bad storms. Be still my heart.
 
My kids and I haven't left our house in three days. They were supposed to go back to school on Monday after a 2-week winter break, but schools have obviously been cancelled.  In fact, officials have already cancelled school for tomorrow morning, making it the third snowday so far. It isn't looking like they'll go back on Thursday either.
 
I cannot complain though, besides my worry about Clay driving, because we're safe and warm. The snow is coming down in huge billowy puffs, making everything look enchanted and magical, like it's straight out of Frozen
 
We've change out of the night's pajamas into the day's pajamas. We have watched movies, played the Wii, read two whole Magic Tree House books, made icecream out of the snow (vanilla on Sunday and chocolate on Monday), did about six science experiments (Narls got a science kit for Christmas), and it's been great.
 
 


 
 
I have completely loved being snowed in with these guys.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

A New Year.

It's a new year. 2014. I'm a year older. 35. If there is any one arbitrary thing I love in this world, it's being born on New Year's Day. Of having my new year sync with the world's new year and having a birthday filled with goals and resolutions and fresh starts. Cake and sparkles are nice too, but motivation and inspiration for the best year ever! are particularly appealing to me.
 
So much possibility.
I love that.
 
Last year I was sick on my birthday. I rang in the year while in bed with the flu and bronchitis as a beautiful pair of sequin hot pants hung sadly in my closet.  I heard a lot of complaints about 2013. It wasn't kind to many of my friends, but I cannot complain. It's dismal start did not foreshadow the year for my family, thankfully.  2013 was good to us.
 
This year, Clay and I had exciting plans to ring in 2014 with dear friends and I traded in my beautiful sequin hot pants for sexy leather leggings, but like they often do, plans changed and babysitters fell through and somehow again I ended up welcoming the new year while in bed. No flu or bronchitis this time around, just the three people I love most in this world.
 

 
Hey, it worked for us last year.
 
I'm keeping my resolutions simple this year. No promises of balancing the budget (I can't, it's proven itself impossible), no plan to climb the corporate ladder (that's not where my heart is), no desire to further my education (masters smasters), no driving intention to find god (my religion is inside my home), no compulsion to learn a new skill or master some daunting task (I'm exhausted just typing that).
 
In 2014, I simply want more.
 
more sex.
more dinners with friends.
more time with family.
more yoga.
more walks with the dog.
more kind words.
more books.
 
Simple enough.
 
And that, my friends, is what I hope to see in 2014, in my 35th year. More of what I already have. I think this means that I am completely happy with myself and where I am. Of being here, in this moment, in this year, in this body, in this age, with the these people I have in my life; of not wanting new, just wanting more (there's a difference).
 
 
Here's to 2014. To happy birthdays. To new years.
May it be our best year yet.