Holiday Giveaway

You don’t have much time. 

In fact, you only have until Tuesday, November 27th at 11:30 am EST to enter.  Design Mom is giving away a necklace from Superhero Designs.

Who wouldn’t want one of those beauties wrapped around their neck?

Daily thankful thinking

As I meander along this week, I have been trying to be present with my thoughts; being especially mindful of whom in my life I am thankful for.

After I dropped KP off at school I thought I would treat myself to a coffee while I figured out the logistics of the 20 person Thanksgiving feast we are about to embark on.  For some reason I skipped right past Caribou Coffee and their delicious lattes and signature blends and found myself at Bruegger’s Bagels with a nice cup of hot hazelnut coffee in my hands.

As I sat down and started sipping my coffee I thought of Erik, who if he were sitting next to me at the table, would first set out to tell me the errors of my coffee drinking ways, then would gag or maybe even vomit a little in his mouth at the fact that ANYONE (especially someone who considers themself a friend) would dare to think of drinking flavored coffee.

Erik…I tip my lovely, steaming hazelnut coffee to you today.

Under the bed

I’m not one to store items under the bed.  In fact, it really bothers me.  I like to know it’s clean under there, that there are no scary monsters and no extremely large dust bunnies that might eat away at my toes during the darkness of night.

Today I cleaned under CT’s bed.  Now what you need to realize is that he is not the slob, he shares a room with a slob.  His little brother, the slob.  Or maybe, maybe he is just being three, but it is not like any other three year old I have raised.

KP uses CT’s bed like a squirrel uses a hole in a tree to store and horde his nuts.  He sneaks out of his room during his quiet time and stealthily grabs things from around the house, plays with them, and then tucks them under the bed so I am none the wiser that he has escaped.

Here is a short list of some of the things I found today:

• An assortment of sea creatures
• the sea creatures empty container
• 2 starburst wrappers
• an ice pack
• a rotting pumpkin
• PJ’s lip gloss & eye shadow
• a hand mirror
• numerous bath toys
• a pink hair binder
• a brush and comb
• a small beaded purse
• CT’s Legos
• a fitness magazine
• one torn book
• playdough
• marbles
• shredded pieces of someone’s artwork
• a half used bottle of body wash
• an old toothbrush
• a pair of pants, PJ’s and two unmatched socks

What’s under your bed?

Shifting expectaions

This is the year, the year where all three of my children are in school.  In my mind I thought I would have the time to get everything done, do things for myself and maybe even just sit still if I was so moved.

But what I have found is that the two days a week that I have a whopping two hours to myself, I can’t live up to what I thought it would be.  The dream of getting it all done in one foul swoop without the interruption of needs has not become a reality.

It’s on days like today, when I am feeling off, crabby and slightly nasty because things on my list are not being checked off the way I want, it’s on days like today where the deepest of breaths is needed, it’s on days like today where a shift needs to occur.

Today, instead of cleaning the closets and getting uptight because KP is unfurling my magnificent piles of summer clothes to be stored for the winter.  Today we will play.  Today we will enjoy our free time.  Today we will find the beauty of the few leaves that are left on the trees and the sun in the sky.  And today together we will enjoy this glorious day.

And this is what we decided to do!

Tomorrow I can get the rest of it done.

When I’m an old lady, I shall weild a knife

Nana’s birthday was yesterday…Happy Birthday Nana!  She turned 61 years young.

I must say she is one of the best looking 61 year olds I know, and I’m NOT just saying that because she reads this blog…she really is.

Over the past couple of years she has shared stories about her group of gal pals and their adventures.  She has been friends with these ladies for many years and do they ever know how to whoop it up. 

But recently, at the end of some of the stories, Nana has eluded to the fact that they indeed are getting a touch older and maybe even a little crazier.

As case in point, one of her friends handed her an unwrapped gift straight out of her pocketbook.  On the outside it looked like a pen, until you took the top off.

Her parting words to Nana were, “You can carry it in your purse, just don’t bring it to the airport with you.”

Thoughts of a crazy woman

Why do I keep this pair of cords on my body that gives me a muffin top all the way around and red abrasions on the inside of my leg?

Why did the white head on my face show up again this afternoon after I had popped it out onto the mirror this morning?

Why does my youngest son recklessly destroy everything in his path?

Why do I think a “bun” is a good idea for a hair style?

Why does the day fly by yet the “to do list” drags on?

So many silly questions…so little alone time to contemplate them. 

Gotta go, KP is shampooing his carpet again with hand soap.

Last bloom, first snow

I had a hard time stopping myself

Yesterday I caught up with my Mighty Goods reading and ran across these wonderfully sweet pendants.  It was one of those gifts that I really wanted for myself but found a small handful for some of the girls in my life. 

Check them out; I am sure there is someone in your life that would LOVE one too.

What have you heard lately?

Thanks to Erika for sharing this funny little site.

Happy circle

Have you ever had a weekend that was filled with good new and BIG things?  I certainly hadn’t, until last weekend when some of my nearest and dearest friends had great things happen to them.

I’ll kick off the great news with one of my oldest friends, Anne Marie.  She and her lovely husband enjoyed the birth of their first born son; we’ll call him HP at c-lunch.  She called me from the hospital a few hours after having him to announce the good news and give me the stats.  As she spoke and recounted her experience you could hear everything pour out of her, the emotion, the love, the anxiety, the shear excitement and the anticipation that a new life brings.  She sounded drunk with happiness.  And I think she put it best when describing this new little wonder lying on her chest…”He is just perfect.” 

Congratulations, we can’t wait to meet him.

Secondly, our good friends Nick and Lynn are getting hitched!  After six years of dating, Nick like a perfect gentleman, got down on his knee and asked Lynn for her hand in marriage. 

We are so very happy for both of you!

And finally…Nathan.  Our friend Nathan turned 35 this weekend!  Not only did we get to hang out with him at his surprise party but then we went out and listened to his band Kubla Kahn and party like we were 23.

To all of you, cheers, love and all the happiness life has to offer.