Visit With Santa!

We took the kids to see Santa! Addi was ok at first and then she looked up and realized where she was and was not happy at all! I told them to snap the pic. I LOVE crying baby Santa pics...they're my favorite!

Diary of a Mad Shopping Trip!

Well, I told you that Jackie and I go on a marathon shopping trip every day after Thanksgiving! My mom started it years ago and since we are all about tradition, we have to keep it up. We do shop, but it's more about hanging out with no kids/husbands, eating and just being out in the crowd. Since I am the one who requires little to no sleep, I am always ready to go hours before she is. She needs her beauty rest, I guess.
Target opened at 5am and I "needed" to be there. There really wasn't much I needed to get, but Sleeping Beauty had a whole list of things that she needed. So I conned my niece, Belinda into going with me. It was a madhouse. The line just to get in the store was wrapped around the building. We had fun though and surprisingly, got everything that we went for except one little $3 item (I really wanted that sandwich maker too).

Jackie figuring out our "strategy"

Lunch at PF Chang!

I took Belinda home and picked up Jackie at 7am. We made a quick run through Chick Fil A and Gymboree (got Addi a coat for next year for under $10!!!) and then headed to Northpoint Mall. We were in the mall by 8:30. We had lunch at PF Chang....free lettuce wraps and a 10% off coupon. Dinner was at Buca D'Peppa with a $10 off coupon (for those of you who know the history.......they no longer sell their Spumoni!!! we almost left without ordering).

Checking out at Target!

Taking a much needed break at target!

Dinner at Buca!

The manager stopped by our table to check on our meal and we told him how disappointed we were that they had taken our favorite ice cream off of the menu so a few minutes later.....these huge desserts showed up at our table.....on the house!!!As always, we had a great time and other than a little mishap at Babies R Us where a lady shot Jackie a bird the day was a blast! This is the clock on my stove when I got home that night! It's blurry....but at that point, I really didn't care! Only 364 more days until our next marathon shopping trip!

Way back When-esday!

This was Thanksgiving 2001 at my dad and Shirley's house. I am almost positive this picture was taken either before or after a wonderful Broadway production was performed as they always put on a show for us (this may explain why the 3 girls are dressed in 4th of July attire on Thanksgiving). L to R: Allie, Katie, Taylor & Drew

Edible Pilgrim Hats

Tonight is our Thanksgiving dinner at church. This is one thing that I am taking. I made these last year and the kids loved them. The platter was empty in minutes! I made a double batch this year and it took me about 20 minutes to finish....super easy!

Pilgrim Hat Marshmallow Treats

Ingredients:

Large Marshmallows (1 for each hat)

Fudge Stripe Cookies

Meltable Chocolate

Yellow Frosting
Directions:Place striped cookies about 1 inch apart on waxed paper and set aside.In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, melt chocolate chips at 3 second intervals until soft and runny. Using a wooden skewer, insert into one marshmallow and dip into melted chocolate to cover top and sides of marshmallow and a little around the bottom to act as glue when placed on the cookie. Using a toothpick on the top of the marshmallow, wriggle over the cookie until chocolate-covered marshmallow is sitting on top of the cookie. Use same toothpick to smooth chocolate over area if a hole shows when toothpick is removed. Place cookies in the refrigerator until the chocolate is hardened, usually about one hour.Using yellow frosting, pipe buckles onto the hats.

Way Back When-esday!

I have no clue what year this even was. Our Bunco group has been together for at least 6-7 years. We always have so much fun! This was our Christmas get together at Aspen's (which is where I think we are going again this year). Top Row from left to right: Katy, Kim, me. Middle row: Lisa, Jackie, Jodi, Shea. Bottom Row: Beth, Julie, Tiffany, Amy.

Way Back When-esday!

This goes way way back. Probably 25 years. This is Todd and my two nieces, Belinda and Jessica (hey Jess). I guess they didn't coordinate kids clothes for pictures back then!!

Nothing Spectacular.....

....but I did actually manage to scrap last night. I really want to get going again so I'm trying hard to get my mojo back!

This was Sept. 2007. Beth and I took Drew and Connor downtown to see "Walking With Dinosaurs". It was a great show...very lifelike and the boys loved it.

Forgot to tell you....

......my LITTLE LADYBUG turned 8 months old last week! Can you believe how time is flying by??? I am already planning her 1st birthday party!

Mystery of The Missing Shoe!

 And now for the "Mystery of The Missing Shoe". For those of you who know me personally....this story will not surprise you in the least and for those who don't, I promise I am not as wacko as this sounds. Aren't these the most darling little shoes? Yeah, I thought so too. Yesterday, Addi wore these darling little shoes when I went to Carrollton to meet my friend , Michelle (hey, MM) for lunch. Well, if you were/are one of "those mothers" who insist that their babies wear shoes, you know that baby shoes do not stay on baby feet very well. I almost lost one shoe in the restaurant. If it weren't for the nice lady who chased us out the door to return it, it would have been gone then.

So I am very aware of the fact that I need to be on the look out for a missing shoe at all times. At some point during the evening I was doing my daily chore of cleaning out the diaper bag and putting things away. I pulled out one darling shoe and reached in for the other. Imagine my panic concern when it was not there. I dumped out the diaper bag and frantically searched through every little thing. Nothing. My mind is back tracking to where I had been and when I had last seen BOTH shoes.

Besides Carrollton, the only place I had gone was to the park but Addi did not wear her shoes there. But what if one had fallen out of the car as Drew got out. Oh my! I searched the car 3 times. Searched the diaper bag again. No darling shoe.

This is 9 something at night and Keith is out of town. How would I ever sleep? I could just picture that little shoe out in the parking lot of the park . So what does every responsible mother do who has lost her baby's shoe??? Please don't turn me in for this....I got Addi out of bed, told Drew to get a blanket and we loaded up and headed to the park. Thank goodness it is only a few miles away. We got there, drove by where I had parked three times and the parking lot was void of all baby shoes.

So, we started back home. Drew said, "Well, I guess we are headed to Carrollton, huh Mom??" LOL!!! Even I am not that desperate (although it did cross my mind). So we got home, I got both of them to bed and after searching a few many more places that I knew it wouldn't be...I gave up and went to bed myself.

At 3 something this morning, I woke up and immediately thought of that cute little shoe. I got up and decided to look downstairs one last time. I walked over to where Addi had been rolling around on the floor and lo and behold there it was in all it's glory. Hidden in the plants that she had gotten tangled up in earlier. I was so happy that I wanted to wake Drew up and tell him...but I didn't. Because what kind of mother would I be if I woke my child up at 3am over something as silly as a shoe???

Way Back When-esday!

There really are no words for these pictures. You just had to be there!