random stuff

Things are getting back to normal around here.

She is almost feeling like herself.

She is still tired and cranky.

With not a lot of appetite.

But at least she isn't doubled over in pain or throwing up.

I got a very last minute, very quick job.

Which I should be doing right this minute.

It's a lot of work with not much time to do it.

But exciting!

 This is Gertie.

Girtie-Girl.

The newest member of our family.

We bought her after leasing different cars for the last few years.

She seems special cause she's mine outright.

And she keeps my butt warm.

Do you name your cars?

Or are we weird?

 Yesterday I snuck downtown and met a friend for lunch.

The sun was shining.

It was almost not freezing.

It was lovely.

I was early (cause I always am)

and stopped into Drudgers Union.

Holy Loveliness.

Then after lunch (grilled ceasar salad and the best wings in the world),

I took my leftovers to Chris.

A little walk downtown is always nice.

He works in the same building as Homeland Security, so getting in is like trying to enter a locked vault.  It's nuts.

After that, I stopped in a little shop and bought us both tshirts with some city love on them for Justice of the Peace Day.

11 years yesterday.

Wow.

 It is crazy hair day today.

Every day this week is something nutty for Dr. Seuss' birthday.

This is what we went with.

She wasn't so sure.

But mama overslept and we were out of time.

Ok.

I gots some work to do.

Happy Leap Day!

weekend

 It started out all smiles.

Daddy had to work late so E and I stayed in and watched movies on Friday.

Saturday found us playing in the snow...

 and saying goodbye to an old friend.

Bye Blackjack.

You were a good car.

Mama got a new car!

Her name is Gertie.

You will meet her soon.

Let's just say, I am happy to have leather seats and butt warmers again.

 Saturday afternoon, as we made us some jewels, I could tell that something was amiss.

Then I found out that a little girl had thrown up in class.

And another boy was stricken.

By 6 pm she started vomiting.

It is now 7:30, over 24 hours later, and she is still vomiting.

With severe stomach pains.

It's super fun.

We shared a spoon yesterday.

Uh.huh.

Yeah.

I am just waiting to throw up.

Did I mention it's super fun?

This is how pitiful she looks.

It's really really sad.

I hope she feels better soon.

Poor little girl.

old man

If I've said it once.  I've said it 1000 times.

I adore my husband.

He is 35 today.

I have known him my entire life.

We traded baseball cards.

Danced at high school dances.

Flirted during softball games when I played 3rd base and he was 3rd base coach.

Made out in his car behind a barn.

Went to 2 proms.

Played golf and ran track together.

Graduated.

Went to the same college.

Got drunk together for the first time.

Took a summer apart to make sure.

Hated every single second of it.

Graduated again.

Moved to Virginia.

Lived in sin.

Got Hoosier

Got married by the Justice of the Peace.

Worked and worked and worked and worked.

And lived in the greatest little apartment.

Got married for real in a church.

Got a new job.

Moved to Cleveland.

And lived in a not so great apartment.

Lost my mother.

Bought a house.

Worked and worked and worked and worked.

Made lots of great friends.

Went to Aruba.

Had Ellie.

Worked and parented, worked and parented, worked and parented.

Lost his grandma.

Got Atticus.

Went to Mexico.

Still working, still working still working.

There is our life in a nutshell.

The bare bones of it.

The best parts are all the days in between.

The kisses and dinners.

The card games and bedtime stories.

The date nights and beers on the front steps.

I wouldn't trade a single day with him.

Not for anything in the whole world.

CLICKHERE to read my very favorite post about him.

Happy Birthday Babe.  

I love you.

getaway

We got ourselves away this weekend.

We headed a whole 2 hours from home.

Stayed in a hotel with a pool.

Went to COSI, which is a pretty awesome science center.

Did some shopping.

Saw a movie.

Went to the zoo.

Slept in.

It was great.

I would have many more pictures, but I seemed to have misplaced the camera upload thingy.

As soon as I find it, I will show you more.

However, most of them are of this.

All she wanted to do was swim.

And the pool was so overchlorinated, it irritated her little face.

So we went in spurts.

But seriously, she could have done this the entire trip.

 COSI had this great water area.

So she suited up and jumped right in.

 And we saw The Secret world of Arrietty.

It was good.

On the way out, we got our pic with the Lorax.

We are tired.

I have 36 loads of laundry to do.

She will probably get sick again.

My house is messy.

I had to have gained at least 4 pounds of fun food weight.

But it was totally worth it.

I love my little family.

There is no other people I would rather be with.

this girl

It's been at least 3 days since I waxed poetic about this girl so I am past due.

She seems to be changing daily.

Letting go of the baby just a little bit more each minute.

She makes me laugh and drives me crazy all at the same time.

She knows about the 13 colonies

and that porpoises have rounded teeth and dolphins have pointy teeth.

I didn't teach her either of these things.

Her favorite color changes daily.

Today is yellow.

She loves oranges now.  And my chicken tortilla soup.

She can write and leaves me notes that make me swoon.

We have been having serious talks lately.

About standing up for yourself.

And how to call 911.

She was coughing so hard last night she threw up.

Afterwards, she looked up and said...

"well, that was fun."

I interrupted her on the phone the other day

(she was wishing Tanner T a happy 16th birthday)

and she threw a finger up all

"I am busy here.  Wait a minute."

We have contests on who can compliment the most people during the day.

She always wins.

Our new obsession is buying a scratch off lottery ticket at the grocery store.

We finally won!

$2.00.

She takes baby polar bear in the car to school every morning,

so he can be there waiting for her when I pick her up.

I was emptying out her piggy bank the other day.

And found $85 dollars in bills.

I had no idea she had that much money.

Holy cow.

Sister needs to take me out for coffee!

I love her to the moon and back.

Forever and ever.

weekend

Weekend highlights in no particular order:

Movie night at school.

Homemade banana fritters.

Sleeping in.

Dinner parties.

Cozy kittys.

Donuts.

Cuddles with Daddy.

Reading a book from cover to cover.

Breaking Dawn Pt. 2.

Walking Dead.

Wine.

Sledding.

Shoveling.

Blankets.

Love.

happy little things

Today is one of those days.

Days where you only see the happy little things.

I love the happy little things.

Like for instance.

I don't know if I have ever shown you the chandalier that hangs in our dining room

She is so pretty.

I have toyed with the idea of painting her.

But am terrified of hating it.

Plus, I might be the only girl left alive that still likes the gold look.

Tis true.

Sadly.

And coffee.

Coffee will always be a happy little thing for me.

Forever and ever.

Especially when paired with cinnamon toast.

Yessirree.

These two were made to go together.

I think I am only seeing the good because I have been sleeping lately.

(Cue the Hallelujah Chorus)

It is truly amazing what good sleep will do for a girl.

So my bed right now has been a wonderful little happy thing.

And not the torture device it usually is.

Other notable happy little things include:

Good winter weather.

We have been spoiled this year.

Warm(ish) temps.

Not a ton of snow.

It's been nice.

Buying a birthday present for a certain cousin that I know she is going to LOVE.

Being completely out of my comfort zone on a project I am working on.

And realizing how exciting that is.

People buying from Ellie's school fundraiser.

I don't like school fundraisers.

But you gotta do what you gotta do.

Lots of good friend time lately.

And more to come.

Have I mentioned how much I love my friends?

New bottles of shampoo that smell like coconut.

Finally getting a great pair of boots.

Finally. 

Geesh!

And lastly, this video, that show the love between this girl and her Atticus.

Happy Friday my blog people.

sunday via instagram

I think we may be on the mend.

Ellie is better, though still coughing her brains out.

Chris just got his stents out and can breathe.

He says it's amazing.

He has never been able to breathe out of his nose before.

Can you even imagine?

Anyway.

Here is our Sunday.

 Early morning snapshot.

Someone has been getting up super early.

All bright eyed and bushy tailed.

 That someone is not me.

 I did finally get my asteroid out of bed and make us a nice breakfast.

But how's come to get this....

 There has to be a this?

He kept us company during breakfast.

I think he was hoping for some bacon.

Dream on brother.

 Then we played and played and played and played.

Like, for real.

 And E and I went to see Big Miracle.

I love the fact she likes "bigger kid" movies now.

It was a great movie.

 Then we got home and mama needed a break.

I hightailed it out for a run.

That turned into a walk.

Cause I didn't want it to go to fast...

 Then it was time for dinner and homework.

She missed 2 and a half days of kindergarten this week.

Kindergarten.

She had a ton of homework.

Like 10 pages.

Did I mention she is in kindergarten?

Add that with all the 100 day stuff that is due Tuesday and we were busy.

 Then we watched the Superbowl.

We are Colts fans,

which makes us Manning fans,

which makes us Giants fans.

Weren't no way Brady was winning nuthin' in our house.

Just sayin'.

 It was a good Sunday.

As an aside:

My kid talks a lot.

I know I have mentioned this before...

but it's really a lot.

Last night, after a full day of constant conversation,

I looked over at her and told her to not talk.

"What Mommy?  Why not?  Am I driving you crazy?"

"Yes.  You are.  Be quiet for 10 minutes."

Not my best moment...

However, she only lasted about two.  Bless her talkative little heart.

As another aside.

"Tons of Fun" (aka Hoosier) here decided to get all cuddly one night.

It's a scary thing.

I never know whether to pet her or not.

She could smother me in my sleep is she wanted to.

It's early morning.

Saturday.

One of us has just had surgery.

Another of us woke up with a 104 fever and the sicks.

And the last of us has a long day ahead of her.

Can you guess which is which?

Today I see:

lots of cinnamon toast

and coffee

lots of reminders that the sleepover that was missed will be rescheduled

a trip to the store cause we are completely (and I mean completely) out of toilet paper and kitty food

movies on the couch

 lots of pain meds

grouchiness

laundry, lots of laundry

forehead feeling

temperature taking

book reading

nap taking

and more coffee

Happy Saturday to us.

Boo.

Hiss.