8.18.10

I thank my lucky stars for coworkers who know a sense of humor can lighten the emotional load of our job sometimes (& thanks for the bracelet. Laurisa, it's like a secret on my arm!)

8.17.10

A great quote to live by :)

8.16.10

This is Monkey's favorite thing in the world right now, thank goodness we live in G-town where we can see them all the time!

8.15.10

Our first glimpse of fall, the high was only 87! We hit the park and I loved watching my two favorite guys swing :)

8.14.10

We weren't able to go to a very special wedding in Indiana today, but I hope it was a beautiful start to a long & happy future. Congratulations Mr & Mrs Walker!

8.13.10

Each time I hold a newborn, I am still awed by the miracle that a baby truly is...welcome to the world, Jacob :)!

8.12.10

Nothing like a train ride, a high speed chase, and flying a banana with a good buddy :)

8.11.10

Perk of being a kid: Rain Boots look good with everything :)

07.22.10

I can't believe July is almost over! Today was a perfect summer day for us: long afternoon at the pool with some friends of mine from work, then home for dinner and some ice cream, and finished up by working outside and enjoying the summer evening. Monkey was waving frantically to The Hubs as he mowed but the two just couldn't seem to coordinate their timing so Monkey and I went out and sat on the front steps and watched The Hubs finish up. Then Monkey wanted to help water the flowers... and the house... and himself
For a good 20 minutes he entertained himself by making a line with sidewalk chalk with one hand then watering it down with the hose in the other. After pushing his dump truck across the lawn a few times and making multiple trips down the slide, it was time to get this muddy, grassy mess inside. Needless to say that between pool time, no nap, and lots of yardwork, he was asleep in no time:"You belong among the wildflowers,
You belong somewhere close to me.
Far away from your troubles and worry,
You belong somewhere you feel free."

--"Wildflowers" Tom Petty

07.21.10

Love (& hormones) must be in the air because it seems that a LOT of my friends are preggo right now! Mean old Joann Fabrics keeps making cuter and cuter fleece that I can not resist and so my closet has morphed into a bit of a fleece tie blanket making sweatshop. Yesterday was prep day and I have scissor handle bruises on my right hand I think:

This is my supervisor:

"Tie 'em up" day is much more fun and requires me to sit and tie each one, usually in front of the TV and with a cold beverage :)
Can't wait to meet all the sweet little ones that these are going to!

07.20.10

I have a folder entitled "Chuckles" with links to some of my favorite sights that can cheer me up (or in the case of People of Walmart, feel much better about myself) in mere seconds. The above pic is from Faces in Places (<--click to see). Some other awesome recommendations are:
People of WalMart
Awkward Family Photos
Lovely Listing
Oddly Specific
Passive Aggressive Notes
FailBlog
Cake Wrecks
and a newly discovered one from my friend Jenny:
Catalog Living

Enjoy these new and amusing sites that will help you be more distracted and less productive at work & home :)!

07.19.10

Ahhh, thank goodness for technology :)! Last night after Monkey's bath (and after he wanted to "air out" by running around naked wearing his Robot box), we Skype'd (I think it is a new verb) with our Indy Hupps. We got to watch Papa open his birthday present, see Auntie Jess & Derby dog, and finished up by making Mimi some coffee:

and feeding her a cupcake:

I'm so glad that even if we can't see them every day, at least we can talk to our Indy Hupps "face to face" and share an imaginary cupcake :)

02.11.10

With Monkey having less than stellar behavior at his first trip to Toddler Story Time (I am his mother and I adore him and even I was appalled!) and no nap, I was more than a little nervous taking him to meet up with some of my coworkers and their kiddos tonight. I am so glad we did, Monkey was a gentleman and I had a great time!

Part of the reason I love my job is getting to help people, learning new things, and all that it entails...but part of why I love my job so much is because I get to work with amazing people like these lovely ladies. You couldn't ask for more supportive, inspiring, and hilarious people than the ones I get to work with every day.

On the way home, we stopped at a Quik Trip to pick up some Gatorade and Ice cream for the ailing Hubs. When Monkey saw where we were he immediately said "Chocolate Milk and Nonut!! Pleeeeeeese??" I have bought him chocolate milk and a donut at a gas station ONCE in his life, it must have made an impression. He was out so cold when we got home that I took his coat off, carried him upstairs, changed his diaper and put PJ's on him and he didn't stir!

02.10.10

Today was a rare day when I was home and awake during the day and Monkey had daycare so I got to get a bunch of stuff done. One of my fun tasks was making his Valentines for his class... not such a big undertaking since there are 9 kids and 3 teachers :). I had him fingerpaint with Crayola ColorWonder paint and then cut hearts out of it. Since we had all the supplies at home, we only paid for the suckers:

The Hubs came home with a present and decided he wanted to give me my Valentines gift early:

(Angels singing)
We have one of these bad boys in our breakroom at work and ever since we got it, I have been making my own ice tea and drinking that instead of soda. We enjoyed a few cups of coffee and then I got online and ordered my new favorite ice tea flavor:

Yes I got a coffee maker for Valentines Day and I love it :)!

02.05.10

I am not saying that The Hubs is perfect, but he is the perfect man for me. After all, how many guys do you know will shovel the driveway, fix anything in the house, carry all the heavy stuff...
and then turn around and make you some banana bread?

I am the luckiest :)

02.04.10

Don't get me wrong, I love living in the Midwest and experiencing each of the four seasons. I love the snow, I happily chuck sandbags in my trunk and use my 4 Wheel Drive so that I get about 2 miles per gallon. It is worth it to see the snow falling gracefully and the way it illuminates everything at night. However, this year is getting a little out of hand. I mean I drove to work in Blizzard Warning for crying out loud. And now I am afraid PETA might show up at my door for the horrible plan of action I had against the groundhog if he saw his shadow.

Cabin fever has got me coming up with all kinds of fun things to keep Monkey entertained and not feel like I could give a synopsis of each show on Nick Jr that day :). So today we put up a tent in the living room. And filled it with balls. Then added books, a blanket, a pillow, and Monkey's BFF Syrup the pig. Then we added construction equipment to move the balls. I finally had to say no when Monkey asked for water to start a construction equipment car wash.

I think the cabin fever is making us a little crazy...

02.01.10

Houston, we have a problem....again.

For the second time in the 6 years I have worn my engagement ring, my main diamond fell out. 3 years ago, we were helping my brother in law and sister in law move and I hit it on a doorway as I was carrying a box. I immediately looked at my hand, saw it was gone and found it. This time wasn't so easy. Flashback to Saturday night, The Hubs and I are watching the KU vs K-State game and I trying to rally my team to victory by drinking some wine out of my awesome K-State wine glass my friend Tennille gave me. As I put some ice cubes in it (because I am classy like that!), I heard a faint sound like something had fallen on the floor. I looked all over, but didn't see anything. The next morning I got up early with Monkey, cleaned the house, swept the kitchen, and took out the trash. I was blow drying my hair when I saw the big gaping hole in my ring where the stone should be. I didn't say anything until my in-laws had left because I was sure it was in the bag of trash I had taken out after I'd swept the kitchen. The Hubs told me to go tuck Monkey in for his nap and we'd look when he was sleeping. Monkey and I dozed off after reading and singing and I woke up to The Hubs nudging me and showing a ziploc baggy with my diamond in it. I gently threw Monkey in bed and threw my arms around The Hubs, my hero :).It was the ring he chose, the one he put on my finger when he asked me to marry him, and the one I wore when we said I do... that little rock has a lot of sentimental value :)

01.31.10

And now for

Cheap Ways to Entertain Your Toddler,
Part 2* Be warned that no matter what you pack in your bag to keep your toddler entertained when you go out to eat, remember that NOTHING will be as fascinating and sought after as the condiments on the table.
* Build Jelly container tower
*Knock down tower
*Repeat until the bill arrives or they kick you out at closing time.
Today was a great Sunday, the house was clean, we got a little visit from my in laws and had a great breakfast at one of our little hometown restaurants. Monkey took pictures of his Grandma and got lots of coffee from his Papa :).

01.30.10

And now for

Cheap ways to Entertain Your Toddler!
ICE FISHING
* Fill sink with cold water
* Add ice cubes
*Give your toddler some tongs, mixing spoons, and bowls.
*Do not allow to your child to take a bath with the ice cubes,
even if he tells you they are lonely.
*Watch for signs of frost bite if utensils keep falling in and must be retrieved.
* Marvel at how this will entertain your child for an hour when none of his toys will :).
(I used the tongs to retrieve a spoon that had fallen in the ice...Monkey showed his appreciation by thanking me and then thanking the tongs.)

01.29.10

So downtown KC is now home to the Sprint Center and I have been dying to go see a performance there. Today was the big day and I got to see a living legend AND Monkey got a pic with him!

Okay, so not my first choice but Monkey loved it and I had a great time with some friends of mine and their kiddos, L & J.

Sweet little L is such an affectionate little gal, once she gave J a hug, the "J & L Hug and Kiss Fest" began, it was adorable :)

Oh and I can't lie, the show was pretty good:
**Note the Security officer to the left of the stage... bet Taylor Swift wished she had that kind of security! Kanye's not crashing this performance!**