i’m so needy…

Notice the new little comment block in my sidebar? I mean it, ya’ll… I love to read your comments. It makes me feel loved and appreciated. Seriously - leave me some comments. I thrive on them (what few I actually get).

Last night, Daddy put the girls to bed and read them a story, Barbie’s Pet Shop (or something like that) because I was working on some birthday party invitations for Shannie’s little girl. Anyway, when I went back into Abby’s room to tuck her in and tell her goodnight and she was looking at the book still and had tears rolling down her cheeks. I gave her a hug and our conversation went like this:

Me: Sweetie, why are you crying?

Abby: Because I want a bunny and a turtle.

Me: Well, maybe we can go to the petstore and look at them this week. You know you have a birthday coming up and if you wanted a little pet, maybe we could do that for your birthday - and let you pick it out.

Abby: but I want a bunny and you’re allergic to it and if I get a bunny you’ll get sick and I’ll have to keep it outside, but when it gets cold it’ll need to come inside and we can’t do that because you’re allergic and will get sick. ((SNIFF - SNIFF))

Me: Abby, it’s ok. There are tons of other pets out there we can get. We could get you a little turtle, or we could get a hamster in a cute little cage and keep it in your room… whatever. They even make a hamster house that looks like a princess castle. If you think you’re ready to take care of a pet, we can go look.

Abby: Tonight? Please? Can we go tonight to look at bunnies and turtles and hamsters… the fluffy ones?

Me: We’ll see. We’ve got lots to do tomorrow.

Abby (sniffling again by this point): can I just hold the bunnies and play with them?

What funny things they get emotional about…

short health-rant…

Sorry about this, but I just have to rant about this sinus crap. It’s driving me up the wall, people!  I started about a month ago sneezing in the evenings and in the early mornings. I’ve always had allergies, but it consists of sneezing only… so that’s what I thought this was (to begin with). Now it’s progressed to sinus pain and pressure. When is it going to end? At what point do I put a stop to it and go to the doctor? I can control it with over-the-counter medication right now, but for how long? Patrick went last week and he had a sinus infection (but was much more miserable than I am)… should I go too?

I hate to go, because it’s a waste of money. I know he’s going to tell me I’ve got a sinus infection. Why can’t I just call him, tell him what I have and get him to call the pharmacy? Why do I have to go in to see him and pay my co-pay? Because he is the doctor - not me. Hmmmph…….

happy dance!

happy dance, happy dance…

I just took an order from a girlfriend at work for her daughter’s first birthday invitations, calling cards, magnet party favors and thank you notes… it’s going to be over $300! Woohoo! Lots of work involved, but lots of money too! This is like 6 normal jobs…

Happy Mother’s Day…

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there - young and old.

Whether is was kissing scraped knees, cuddling on the sofa watching movies, making sure my night-nights and goat boy and googies were all in their proper place at bedtime, cheering at ballet recitals, helping out when the homework got too hard, drying tears over boyfriends lost or crying tears of her own when she found out she was going to be a grandmother… my Mom was (and is) the best friend I have ever had. I lost my Mom 6 years ago - only 8 months before I became a mother myself… yet I feel her presence everyday and think about her all the time. I wish my Mom had lived to meet and know her granddaughters and to see the mother I have become. I hope that I would make her proud…

Mommy & Me - about 1981

Because without my mother, I myself would not be a mother…

What is it about cupcakes that make everybody happy? Cupcakes are so inviting and always make me feel so good - eating them, decorating them, baking them… They are the perfect proportions of cake and icing wrapped up in a neat little paper cup. Who can resist them? Surely not my family. The kids actually start foaming at the mouth at the mere mention of cupcakes. I have a tried-and-true recipe for basic cupcakes that I always follow and I’ve talked about it before. It’s so easy and it calls for everything you should already have in the house anyway. It’s a recipe by Nigella Lawson that I absolutely adore.

Super Simple Cupcakes

1 stick soft butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Take everything you need out of the fridge in time to get to room temperature (This makes a huge difference to the lightness of the cupcakes). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Put all of the ingredients for the cupcakes except for the milk into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pulse while adding the milk down the funnel, to make a smooth dropping consistency (I usually use all 3 Tbsp).

Divide the mixture between a 12-bun muffin tin lined with muffin papers, and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes (18 minutes in my oven). They should have risen and be golden on top. Let them cool a little in their tins on a rack, and then take them carefully out of the tin to cool in their papers, still on the wire rack.

Last night I decided to make 2 different kinds. One basic vanilla (see recipe above) with store bought (heaven forbid) vanilla icing and colorful sprinkles, and the other recipe was a mango cupcake with vanilla icing topped with toasted coconut. It was good: I added about 1/2 cup of mango puree’ (1 whole mango) to the batter and upped the flour to a whole cup. They were good, but a little mild - they needed some kick. Maybe next time I make the mango ones, I’ll add a squirt of lime juice to the batter… something to liven them up a bit.

Mommy’s little helper was in full swing last night too. She was sitting on the stepstool laying out paper muffin cups. Big helper! Only problem is that the cupcakes were already in the oven by this time. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts, right?

Friday-fun

Last night (about 10:30) Patrick informed me that I had to go to “Muffins with Mom” this morning at Maggie’s daycare and that it started at 8. No problem. We switched duties so that I could take her to daycare and he could take Abby to school. We get there and the muffins are late - 8:30 late. Great, now I’m going to be late to work

Today was also the teacher appreciation luncheon at Abby’s school and not only did I volunteer (I got roped into it) to take a vegetable side dish, but I also was ASKED to watch her class while the teachers went to the luncheon. I also had to take them to lunch during my time there. Now, I’ve taught her class before and have loved it. Today was no exception - I really did have a great time… until we got into the lunchroom. What is it about passing through the doorway into the lunchroom that changes kids? They turned into raving lunatics! One kid (I had to move him to another table) was repeatedly stabbing his fork through his styrofoam (ozone killing) tray. After that, I turned around to see one boy STANDING ON THE TABLE! What the hell? Do they not have any home training? These kids are INSANE! Anyway, lunch was finally over and we walked unusually quietly back to the classroom for them to read their library books until the teacher got back. All-in-all, I had fun. I have always wanted to be an art teacher and would still love it… as long as I would NEVER have to take any of them to lunch!

Whew, I’m tired!

edited to add: That kid that was standing on the table got suspended Monday. Apparently he hit another kid Friday too.

Happy Mother’s Day to me…

… only a few days early! For me to get my Mother’s Day gift, Patrick had to literally rip apart my van.

He tore out the sideboards, pulled up carpet and took off panels under the pedals. All so that I could proudly display my new window sticker…

Yes, I am now the proud owner of Sirius satellite radio! Yippee! He’s had it for about a year now and I’ve been SO JEALOUS. I love it when he lets me drive his truck so that I can listen to it. It’s wonderful not having to fool with commercials and crappy local stations.

While we were outside fooling around with the van (which got a whole lot cooler tonight, in my opinion) the 2 “princesses” blew bubbles and rode up-and-down the driveway on a scooter… singing High School Musical songs.

Have I told you lately that Abby is obsessed? I mean, she’s always been slightly obsessed with HSM, but lately it’s gotten out of control. She wants to dress like them (which I don’t mind because they dress like nice kids and not belly-bearing Britneys), wear her hair like them, sing like them… everything. Tomorrow she insists on wearing her cheerleader uniform to school b/c the Wildcat cheerleaders wore theirs in the movie. Whatever - as long as she’s happy.

They are finished!

Yes, finally! I’m done! I’ve been working on these autograph scrapbooks for Abby and her friend Katie to take with us to Disney World next month and I’m finally done! I’m not going to show you all the pages because you’d get bored… there are just way too many. I’ve already shown you the first few I did, but here is a picture of the cover and a few other inside pages. Notice Abby’s has an “a” and Katie’s has a “k” on the cover. Too cute!

This last page is my personal favorite. It says “Disney - where dreams come true” and has a cute little pocket with a few extra blank autograph tags in it… it’s the perfect place to store extra Disney memories (maps, napkins, etc).

I can’t wait!

we’re all in this together…

Well, for the second morning in a row - Miss Abby woke up in a splendid mood! She decided she wanted to wake up to High School Musical’s We’re All In This Together this morning and by the time I got back there, she was sitting up in her bed JAMMIN’! Another day that she started in a GREAT MOOD! She got dressed, I fixed her hair, she helped me wake Maggie up and then took her medicine before I could even blink an eye. Maybe we’ve turned a corner…

Patrick is home sick today and I had to wake up early enough to get ready, fix Abby’s lunch, get both girls ready and get both of them to school on time. Not too bad. I even had time to spare to do a load of laundry. Woohoo! I like waking up a bit early. Anyway, I fixed Abby the cutest little lunch today. She has a toasted cinnamon mini bagel, carrots and ranch (which will probably come home - but at least I made the effort), blueberry applesauce, a grape juice box, 2 marshmallows and 2 midgie tootsie rolls. She’s going to love it!

sorry it’s a bit blurry…

Now I’m going to be singing those darn songs all day… Go Wildcats!