March 27, 2008
our little jokster
March 25, 2008
Tuesdays are really busy for me. I usually work Monday and we have bible study at our house Tuesday nights. For some reason, I wait all week to do the major house cleaning stuff and I end up running around all day Tuesday, grocery shopping, cleaning, taking care of kids, doing laundry. I am doing a little better about doing the chores ahead of time, so today I thought I was on top of it all. I was so proud of myself. Everything was done and I had it all together. I made dinner at 2 while Tegan napped and put it in the fridge to cook later in the day. I made the dinner and we all sat down to eat. While making the meal, I thought it seemed a bit different than the times I made it in the past (Chicken Tortilla Casserole). We ate, it tasted good, but not quite right. I cleaned up the dishes after dinner. I opened up the microwave. There it was, a plate full of the chicken I defrosted and forgot to put into the dinner. Oops. So we just had tortilla casserole, I guess. Bummer. I guess I didn’t have it as together as I thought I did.
March 24, 2008
I just finished reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls last week. It was an amazing book and I could not put it down. It is hard to believe someone who grew up with such crazy parents could actually turn out okay. And if you think you had a weird childhood, yours was nothing compared to hers. I highly recommend it.
March 20, 2008
I have pretty much decided that I am not going to make Easter baskets for the kids this year. I am feeling a teensy bit guilty about my decision, but last year, there was way too much (not from us, necessarily, but the sum total of us, both grandparents and then some). This year has already started, with Shane’s dad and wife bringing the kids these enormous baskets yesterday containing moon sand and dollies and piggy banks and clothing! It was like Christmas! I received an email from my aunt saying she hoped I didn’t mind, but that she had picked up some things for our kids from the Easter bunny. My mom said she had a few little things for them and an Easter egg hunt with plastic eggs is in the works.
So, with all that, I am not sure I need to do anything. The kids are still a little young to really get it and realize anything is missing and I wasn’t planning on going out to get anything until after payday, which is tomorrow, and leaves me with very little time to shop (especially minus Ethan). And on final excuse to top it all off and make me feel like this is all ok…last year, all the plastic eggs I filled with stuff…no time to hide them. They were a bust. There were so many other eggs at my mom’s, mine weren’t needed. I think Ethan and I hid them later in the week (a few times). I think I am in the clear. We will dye a few eggs and I will rely on others to bring the joys of the Easter bunny to my children.
March 19, 2008
The kids and I were at Dollar Tree today so I could look at the Easter stuff and Ethan had a ball and a puzzle in his hand by the time we were ready to go. I told him he could have one thing and he was really having a hard time dealing with it. He was fussing and couldn’t decide between the two. I was dealing with Tegan and this man who I am presuming heard me tell Ethan we couldn’t afford to buy both things (I only had a $5 bill) walks up, hands Ethan $5 and says, “buy yourself some more stuff,” and walks away. Before I have a chance to say anything. I don’t think I could have recognized him in the store if I looked for him. Thankfully, Ethan said thank you. I felt kind of bad about it, but I also thought that this man had blessed Ethan and went on to talk to him about it and how he can do kind things like that for others himself. It all kind of surprised me and I don’t think I would have let him accept it had I had time to process it, which is why the man probably took off so fast. Shane thought it was “a little creepy” when I told him the story, but the guy seriously was gone before we saw him and I don’t think it was creepy at all. I think it was pure kindness that we don’t see often anymore. And I hope it made an impression on Ethan. It made one on me.
When I was little, I had a friend (also named Erica) who had a topsy-turvy doll. It was Little Red Riding Hood on one side and the Big Bad Wolf on the other. I loved it. I wanted one, but never had one. I don’t think I realized they were out there at the time, since her dad was from the Netherlands, I just assumed it was something from there.
All these years later, I have been thinking about them and I really want one (for Tegan, of course). So, I have been looking around, but I don’t really like the modern, fairy tale ones they have out there. I really want to make one. I have seen some where they are a little dolly sleeping on one side and awake on the other. They are too cute and I could pick the material for the dresses and I think it would be so great. I just need to figure out how to do it…I have never made anything like it. Maybe I will have to enlist my doll making mom’s help.
March 12, 2008
Shane’s dad and his wife brought over some birthday presents for Tegan and a little Cinderella cake. I could not believe what happened. Unbelievable.
March 9, 2008
Tegan loved loved loved the chocolate hearts I used for the ears on her kitty cupcakes. That is about all she ate from the whole thing and it was all over her face when she was finished.
It’s unbelievable to me that she is a year old. This last year has gone by so fast. She is the most precious little girl and I can’t imagine life without her. Happy Birthday, Teegee!
March 4, 2008
This is one of Ethan’s newer creations. I asked him what he had drawn and he told me it was the sewer. It is the most colorful sewer I have ever seen.
