The Greatest Show on Earth

 

As a birthday present for both children, I took them to the circus.  We thought about taking them for the past couple years but really wanted them to remember it.  This year seemed to be the best year for it before Nate was “too cool” to go.  Although, the circus is so much fun, I can’t imagine him telling me that he doesn’t want to go in 2 years but we’ll see.

We made sure to get there an hour early so we could see the floor show and what we got was amazing.  I ordered our tickets over the phone and had them at will call.  Security let all the will call (10 of us) in the lobby before the gates opened so we got in the door FIRST!!!  We made it down to the main floor before anyone else!  OMG!  I was so excited!!!  Even the security didn’t know if it was ok for us to be there.  We were greeted by a clown and the fun began.  Both children were amazed.  I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

 

It was very sad to leave the floor show.  Specially when we found out how high up we had to sit.  But, at least we got to see all three rings without the frustration of being too close.  Don’t you hate when that happens.  Sheesh.  I won’t bore you with all the views from up in the nose bleed section, just a few…

All in all, both of the children were simple amazed and excited about going.  They both would have wanted me to have a wad of hundreds so they could buy every cool toy on display so they could drop it by the door when they walk in that night and never pick it up again.  Yeah!  Isn’t that what toys are for?!?!  Our hand tattoos (picture at the top) I made Steve take a picture of before they got ruined.  Sarah’s lasted the longest, maybe she just is a dirty girl, maybe she washes her hands very carefully.  Your call.

I do have to agree, it is the Greatest Show on Earth.

Sarah turns Seven

Yes, she is 7.  February 16.  Wasn’t she just born?  Geesh, I still remember morning sickness with her. Seven? Really.  Come on!
O.K.  Big girl.  First grade, 7 years old, in advanced reading, likes a boy… (shhh don’t tell Daddy), best girlfriend is Mikayla, loves pink, hates her brother… sometimes, loves to run, loves to art with mom in the art room, is the best-est helper, not a very good sleeper but loves to sleep (go figure), drinks milk like crazy, LOVES chocolate, knows how to “get down”, has every Barbie movie ever made and every Barbie, can’t wait to be a grown up so she can be grown up, thinks she already is grown up and is MY best little girl friend!!





 





Not so sure that this is a moment that either one of them dislike each other.   I can only remember one time that my sister was mad at me and we “fought” so it’s so hard to watch these two fight all the time, every single day.  Sweet hugs like this one warm my heart and make me wish they were like this all the time. 
A Mother can wish, can’t she?!?!?!









 

On her actually day, she got plenty of presents…  She loved all her presents and used them all.
 

 This year, she had a party at the house.  She invited a few friends and insisted on have a piñata.


Cute, huh?!  Poor horse.  Once those girls got a hold of it, only the head survived.  I had to shake the body to fling candy around the yard for all the girls to squeal over.  It was great, so sorry you missed it!









She was a very good hostess that day.  All her guests has a great time and no one went home empty handed or without a proper sugar buzz.  I made sure of that!



 

A heart shaped cake to boot.  What a perfect cake when your birthday is only 2 days after Valentine’s Day?!  Hey, at least it’s not ON Valentine’s Day, I kept my legs crossed for 24 hours making sure that didn’t happen!!  Last year we did red velvet cake, this year she opted for chocolate instead.  She liked the chocolate much better.  A simple girl with simple taste.

Happy 7th Birthday, Sarie Barie! 

Mechanic Wanted: Experience not needed

It’s time for the Saturn to be inspected.  The shop says in order to pass inspection, it will need 2 tires ($190) and a driver side control arm ($120) plus inspection ($16).  Steve says “I’ll take care of it”.  So they put a rejection on it, he pays the inspection and on the way home he buys the control arm to put on himself.  O.K. he’s put one on in the truck but it was with Jason (who knows what he’s doing) and with a special tool that makes it easier.  He tells me “this will be much easier!  The car won’t need the tool.  Should be no problem.  I already saved us money ‘cuz the part was just $70!! *big grin* Aren’t you proud of me?!”

I got these pictures because I ended up being his helper. *shocker*  Notice he’s in a flannel jacket.  It was really chilly out!  There were about 1 trillion other things I would have rather been doing.  I’m not totally sure how long it took him to get this done but I do know for sure it was much longer than the cost we saved. 

BUT, the pride he got by completing the job on his own was PRICELESS! 

My hero! *swoon*

**sad note to post that this car officially died less than 2 months later**

Sarah can cook!

Little Miss got herself an easy bake oven from Santa for Christmas.  She was really, really, really, really wanting one.  Really.  I mean really.  O.K. let’s move on.  She made us chocolate chip cookies first.  That batch wasn’t enough to fill a mouse.  Oh but the fun of it all!  Yippee!  Everything is so tiny and I had to put on my reading glasses to work with the little tools.  Oh the fun!  She kept saying “I wanna do it!!!” but she didn’t know HOW or WHAT she was doing.  Then there is very specific directions.  OH the fun!!

 

Here we made pizza.  The dough had to make 12 little balls that were smooshed down on the pan.

Notice that is HER hand!

 

 

 

 

 

Then the “yummy” sauce is lathered on top of each dough blob crust.  Mmm.

 

 

 

 

Yes, that is my thumb, squeezing “cheese” out of a plastic baggie.  Mmmm.  I couldn’t wait to eat her creations.

Mind you, she’s so proud!  No laughing.  Cover your mouth so she doesn’t see you smile.  I did.

 

 

Here is our Chef at work!

 

See, she even liked it!  She didn’t die from it.  No one did!  She wasn’t full that’s for sure.  I even tried one, see….

I acted as if one as sooooooooooo much I could barely make it.  She wasn’t impressed.  Seven is a hard age to impress.  The “cheese” was interesting to say the least.  But, Little Miss is on her way to becoming a wonderful chef with her amazing Easy Bake oven that Santa brought her at Christmas.  I think after chocolate chip cookies and pizza, pretzels are the only thing we have missed and she hasn’t mentioned them…. YET!

Nate the Great

This year Nate started liking football.  The New England Patriots to be exact.  So for Christmas, we ordered him a jersey.  The NFL store had other ideas and decided to back order the jersey and mail it to us the middle of January instead.  Good thing we weren’t counting on it, right?!?!  Thanks, NFL shop! 

Without further ado, here he is showing off his amazing new jersey. 

Oh and as an added bonus, he requested to be called “Tom” all day.  :-)

January 19th, 2012

Did you know that today was National Popcorn Day? I did not.  But now I do.  My best-est phone phone friend, Tina  L.O.V.E.S. popcorn.  So, here’s to you, Tina…

January 17th, 2012

Ever have one of those days? 

Today is one of them. 

I didn’t think so when I got up but it’s turned out to be. 

I feel like a mess. 

Let me lay it out for ya.

Sarah started it out.  She was doing good. 

She got up.  Got dressed.  Ate. 

She was in the bathroom taking her for. ever.  long to brush her teeth. 

“COME ON, SARAH!!!”  (oh and she doesn’t want the “H” anymore, too bad! it’s staying) 

She is just a slow poke.  She is MY daughter.   Slow Poke was designed by me.  Duh.

She comes out and plops down on the chair.

“Let’s do your hair”.  She snail walks back to the bathroom.  I put her hair in a ponytail. 

Then the real drama begins. She hugs my side and hides her face in my shirt.

“What’s wrong?”  Tears.

Steve says “We have to go, you take her later.  Come on, Nate”  “Bye, MOM!”

The long and short of it all is I had a long chat with her about sharing how she is feeling instead of just moaning and groaning all the time, let her sleep for an hour and off to school she went.  With that drama over, I thought I was ready to face my errands drama free…. WRONG!!!

I have been carrying around 2 rebate checks for 2 weeks because no one will cash them but my own bank.  Every time I’m out, my bank is not convenient so I was determined to cash them today!

Pull in the the bank and park.  Walk across the parking lot and over one of those island thingies and KA-BLAM.  I fell.  I actually think I lost my footing on the soft ground but either way I ended up on the ground.  I gathered the things that fell out of my purse and walked into the bank. 

I was greeted by 2 employees and I just lost it.  I almost left.  If I didn’t need those stupid rebate checks cashed I would have been out of there.   I told the teller I had fallen and she was very nice.  She offered to have me sit while she did my transaction for me. 

How embarrassing.  I am a grown woman. 

I got my cash and got back to the truck and just sat there and cried.  Is it one of THOSE days?  Or just one of those day?  I have no idea.  Does Topamax do this to people?  I was fine yesterday.  I was fine when I got up.

Anyway, yes, I did get hurt.  Nothing life threatening.  My finger is scratched up, I broke a nail.  My leg has scratches all down the side (my thigh, knee and ankle).  I tore a hole in my capris (it’s 65 today!).

So, when the children get home from school, I’m gonna curl up with a blanket and watch something and forget the whole thing happened.  Yeah.  That is what I’m gonna do.  Thanks for listening / reading…. whoever you are.