Tuesday, October 30, 2007

It's the great pumpkin....or not

We planned on taking the kids to the pumpkin farm this past weekend. We were going to spend Sunday afternoon picking out our pumpkin, taking pics of Bryce and Callie with pumpkins of various sizes, drink apple cider, and have a wonderful fall afternoon outside. That did not happen. What did happen was a flat tire. At least it was in our driveway. And since the last time the tire was changed was when they put new one's on the tire was stuck on. Really, really, stuck. After many attempts Bryan finally excepted defeat and went and got some fix a flat. Then drove it up to the gas station and put some air in it. Thank goodness it held and we were able to head out on our family adventure. But when we got to the highway we realized that the afternoon was gone and most places were going to be closed. Bryce started crying that he wanted a pumpkin and wanted to make a jack-o-lantern. That he really, really, really, wanted to see it light up that night. So we gave him an option....go to the pumpkin farm the next day or go to Walmart and get one right away. He chose freakin Walmart. So we hauled both kids in to the store, put them in front of the pumpkins, and let him choose 2 small ones for him and Callie and one big one for the Jack-o-lantern. No photo ops....or at least I decided it would be really weird to take pictures of my kids in the walmart pumpkin section. Now that I think about it I really should have. It would have been funny to see their smiling faces holding a pumpkin right next to the express check-out lane. But Sunday, it was definitely not funny.

Bryan and Bryce did make a jack-o-lantern Sunday night (see pic above). Bryan let Bryce pick which pumpkin he wanted (a spider) and they spent the night working on it. It actually looks pretty good.
And today I broke out the kids paint (washable and non toxic) and let Callie and Bryce go to town on the two small pumpkins. Bryce had a great time picking out the colors he wanted. Callie actually used the paintbrush instead of her hands ( I was amazed). She also decided that pink paint looks alot better then it tastes (once again..nontoxic).


All three pumpkins are proudly displayed outside our front door and are ready for tomorrow night. And no one will have any idea that they came from Walmart instead of the pumpkin farm.

my new favorite thing

My new favorite thing is cough syrup. Love it, love it, love it. Why, you may ask? At 3am last night after hours and hours of coughing non-stop I remembered I had some from the last time I was sick. I filled the prescription but never used it. I took the recommended dose (plus maybe a little...) and 30 min later I finally fell asleep. I'm pretty sure I was still coughing in my sleep (my throat has that morning after a really smokey bar where you are yelling at your friends all night feel). But who cares if they are coughing if they are asleep!
I do find it funny that it took 4 hours of coughing before I realized I should take something. If Bryce or Callie were coughing like that I would have had medicine in them the first hour!
So, we are home again today. Me recovering from a really sore throat and exhaustion and Bryce recovering from 2 days of 104 degree fever. Thank God the coughing and fever are gone...at least for now.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Aggravation

Here is a funny story from yesterday.

I was picking Bryce up from school yesterday. They have this bell outside of his school that all of the kids love to ring. Pretty much the routine goes like this: walk out the door, parents stand around making small talk, kids run to the bell, stand in line, and then ring it 3 or 4 times. Yesterday as I was standing with the other parents waiting for Bryce to have his turn, 2 of the little girls from his class (Reilly and Elizabeth) came running over hand in hand. Reilly ran right over to Bryce who proceeded to hug her. Elizabeth watched this unfold and then turned sharply and marched right up to me. Here is our conversation.
Elizabeth: Are you Bryce's mommy?
Me: Yes, I am
Elizabeth: What is your name?
Me: Caren. and I know yours is Elizabeth!
Elizabeth: Yes.. I have to tell you something
Me: Okay, what is it?
Elizabeth: Bryce really aggravates me!!
Me: That's okay Elizabeth. He aggravates me too sometime!!

I laughed the entire way home.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Handbags and Shoes

It's funny how some things are just natural. People joke that all girls love handbags and shoes. This, for the most part, is a true statement. Put me in the shoe section of any store and I am a happy girl. I could stroll around, trying on different styles, for hours. One of my earliest memories is standing in my Nana's room admiring the huge shoe collection she had. I could stay in there all day trying them on, attempting to walk in her high heels. And don't even get me started on handbags. How can you not love them? And I know that I sound like a complete girly girl...which I am not. Or at least I don't consider myself to be one. Anyway, Callie has a new obsession...or two new obsessions. Handbags and Shoes (Like Mother like daughter I guess). She has taken to "stealing" random shoes and "trying" them on. Yesterday she dug Jason's running shoes out of his gym bag and attempted to put them on her feet. At one point she actually sat down and shoved her entire leg in each shoe. She found this hysterical as did Jason and I.
Today she discovered the world of handbags. My dad brought her a little purse that has a stuffed horse inside. It is the cutest thing...denim with red bandanna trim and fringe. Sooo cute. Callie LOVES it. She puts it on her arm, holds her arm up in the air, and lets the bag hang from her elbow. How does she know how to do that? I always thought girls were taught how to carry a purse, I never realized that we were born knowing!!
I hope that her love for handbags and shoes continues. I know someone in NYC that can't wait to take her shopping!!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

someone else in the family is walking

Callie is soooo close to walking by herself. After all of the hoopla of my walk I guess she has decided to give it a try. Tonight she tried taking several steps at once. We broke out the video camera and caught a little bit of it on tape. Watch her go!!!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

I am forever changed

The breast cancer 3 day walk was this past weekend. I can not even begin to express how amazing it was. it was an experience that will be etched in my heart forever. Yes, it was hard. By Sunday I thought my feet might actually fall off. But I did it! I did not take one bus. I walked every step of the way. And along the way I cemented friendships that will last forever. And i heard stories that moved me to tears. and I held the arm of a 65 year old survivor as she marched towards the finish...determined to walk the entire sixty miles. She was and may always be my inspiration.
I laughed more, cried more, and had more fun in one weekend then I ever have. We slept in tents and it was soooo cold, but Heather (my tent mate) and I fell asleep laughing both nights. The food wasn't gourmet but at the end of a twenty mile walk it was great. Even the portapotties were okay....never mind, I take that back. I hope to never see another one again. Or at least until next year. I can't wait to walk again in 2008. And if you want to know why just read the statement below....it was part of opening ceremonies.
"We walk because we must. We are strong because the journey demands it. Together in body and united in spirit, we lay down our footsteps for this generation and the next. This is our promise: a world without breast cancer."
Here are some pictures from the weekend. You can click on the picture for a brief description.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

bryce goes missing

A little while ago I went upstairs to do some packing for the big weekend. I decided to stick my head in and check on Bryce. I cracked the door, looked at the bed, and then turned to leave when I realized he wasn't in his bed. I scanned the room....no Bryce. I checked the bathroom...no Bryce. I hurried down the hall to our room...no Bryce. I then frantically checked my bathroom and Callie's room...still no Bryce. In a panic I yelled down to Bryan that Bryce wasn't in his bed and I couldn't find him. He came upstairs and we checked again. I decided to go to the other side of his bed to check in his tent (yes, he has a tent in his room) and there he was. Half under the bed with his legs sticking out. I had to take a picture to share with everyone.
I also thought you would enjoy seeing a pic of Bryce and Callie on the way to school today (don't worry....I was stopped at a light). Bryce just figured out that my phone has a camera on it. He loves to ask me to take his picture. After I do, he insists on seeing it and then says, "wow, I look handsome". Crazy kid!
on a separate note...can you tell we were running late this morning? Callie is eating her waffle in the car.

Monday, October 8, 2007

mommy and bryce time

Before Callie was born I totally took for granted all of the one on one time I got with Bryce. With our hectic schedule I find it hard to find time to just spend with him. He is such a fun kid and sooo funny. I think I enjoy our one on one time more then he does.

This evening I got to spend some time with just him. He is the "star" student this week. Gets to have a special poster of him outside of the classroom, gets to keep the class mascot all week, got to fill up the estimation jar (a jar that he fills up with whatever he chooses and the class spends the week trying to figure how many items are inside), fills out the class journal with his weekly events, and can bring in items for show and tell. He also can bring in a special treat for the class. And guess what he choose?......cupcakes. Yellow with white icing and lots and lots of sprinkles. It was a fun project that we did together...he even cracked the eggs himself. His favorite part...licking the cake batter. Some things about being a kid never change!

Friday, October 5, 2007

i heart cupcakes



I love cupcakes....who doesn't? and recently i have really enjoyed making them. Trying different recipes, icing them all different way....dorky, I know, but so yummy. Today I helped out at a fundraiser for the 3 day. One of my friends was having "pink day" at her office to raise awareness of breast cancer. We brought in goodies to eat and to sell to help raise money. I made the cupcakes in the above picture. They were soooo yummy. I used the Magnolia Bakery vanilla cupcake recipe and canned white icing that I tinted pink. They were a hit!
Speaking of the 3 day....It's next weekend!! I am so excited. I'm trying to get together my stuff and start packing. I'll keep everyone posted thru out the week on how preparations are going. Again I will say that if you haven't made a donation and would like to do so you can follow this link https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=202305&lis=0&kntae202305=669B8D1F4A11475EB5F4B3802EB65316&supId=170529671
October is breast cancer awareness month and donating to this cause is a great way to pay tribute to it!
I'm getting hungry just looking at the cupcake picture...too bad I gave them all away!!

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

say cheese

This week is school picture week at school. Callie had her pictures today (Bryce has his tmrw). They asked me to stay and help out getting the kids back and forth from class. Because I was helping I was able to get Callie's picture done first. That is the only reason that we got a good smiling picture. 3 kids in her class didn't even take a picture because they were crying and would not sit for the photographer.
All in all it went well. The group doing the pics was not my favorite. They did the regular backdrop, fake rock wall thing. And they had really dumb ways of trying to get kids to smile (tickling each other with a long fuzzy duster.....that's just weird). And they had the most annoying kiddie music playing in the background. I'm sure they will turn out just fine. It's just that we have been spoiled with really great photographers the past 2 years. They always did the pics outside and they were smiling but more candid shots. So much cuter then your typical school pics.
I will say that she had on the cutest outfit of the day. A great fall outfit with the most adorable hair clip....She is soooo cute!! I took this picture after we got home from school today. I'll post one of Bryce tmrw.
On a separate note.... She took 3 steps today... She's getting closer to walking everyday!