A Looong Week...

After our walking fiasco of Monday - Tuesday was spent as a prep day... preparing the many ways in which we would improve our Wednesday.  Did you know it's nearly impossible to find a regular tape player these days...  of course all my books on tape are exactly that "on tape" and finding a small tape player was much more reasonable than buying new stories on CD!  Oh, that reminds me - I really need to call Radio Shack in the morning and tell them to go ahead and sell that walkman they were going to hold for me when it came in...  they don't even stock them anymore... because really, who needs one?  In the process of finding all the books on tape I ran across a stash of old 80's music...  which is about as useful to me as that stash of crayons... hmmm, this recycle art project could get really interesting...

Of course things went about half as well as we'd planned (that's pretty typical) since M refused to wear shoes (at least then she stayed IN the stroller) and would not listen to the same book twice... so we have to bring a couple of tapes for the trip there and back.  Whatever works right?  Wednesday was also S.E.P.s - which, for those of you who are not "in the know" stands for Student Educational Plan and is a fancy shmancy way of saying Parent Teacher Conferences.  This early in the year they are basically another back to school night - but you actually get to talk to the teacher in this one.  My brilliant children H and P were of course given good reviews by their teachers and I came home feeling like maybe, just maybe, we will survive another school year.  

Wednesday night was also "game night" at the church building - where a few people who actually enjoy board games can get together and play for a little while.  Seeing as a good friend of mine was in charge and I actually do enjoy a good game - I went and enjoyed myself.  There will not be future game nights as there were just 4 of us, but I may have a few new games that I will have to try out another time!

Thursday - that's today right?  The walk to school felt like a race to see if P could get far enough ahead that I would give up on walking near him.  Apparently being walked to school by your mother isn't "cool" after 2nd grade?  That or the girls just walk unbelievably slow... I'll go with that explanation as I really am unwilling to give up my "cool" quite yet!  I spent a good long time talking with childhood friends and catching up with them - with much thanks to Q's parents who located my long lost calling card - I didn't feel badly at all using minutes that I thought were lost forever!  Q had "ministering night" and M and I went to her preschool open house where she actually acted shy for a few minutes... don't know where that came from, but once good buddy A was there - and C whom she has a little 4 yr old crush on - she was a bouncy flouncy girly girl as always.  I concluded my day by walking with a neighbor around the local park for an hour wishing that the lights would illuminate all parts of the trail!

Now that my week has involved enough activities - I have decided to do nothing tomorrow.  If only - I will actually spend the morning at the car dealership having them repair my left turn signal because I am getting very tired of mapping out every trip around town with only right hand turns!

Enjoy your holiday weekend - I'll see some of you soon (those who live where I am visiting) and you others, well, I'll be back next week with lots of fun stories to tell I'm sure.  Family is always worth at least one good tale!

Killing two birds with one...

oh wait, maybe "killing" isn't the word to use - unless you're talking about my back... 

This morning I decided that we were going to be EFFICIENT and while walking to school we would satisfy one of P's scout requirements by picking up litter on the way.  Nobody was very excited about the prospect but I left the house armed with a backpack with gloves, trash bags, and a water bottle.  M was happy to come along for the walk as long as she could bring "checkers bunny" and a little pet rock who doesn't have a name but is the younger sibling (sometimes sister, sometimes brother) of "Rocky" (always a girl).  

Well, about 1 1/2 houses up the hill (still a mile from the school) M tells me "my knees are getting sleepy" and this is where I should have seen it comin' - but no... not me, we truck up to the intersection where we meet the neighbor and let her knees have a little rest.  Out comes the neighbor with her twins in a stroller and we are off like a herd of turtles...  very determined turtles who happen to be picking up trash!

It doesn't take long before one of the pieces of trash puts a small hole in the bottom of the bag which then releases a steady stream of someone's discarded Hawaiian Punch and other unpleasant liquids - but P carries on with a grimace on his face.  By the time we crossed the main intersection (about halfway to the school) M was DONE.  She wasn't moving, she wasn't even standing anymore - every once in awhile she would go about two sidewalk squares ahead (to see something I was pointing out) but now I am wishing I had never prompted even one extra forward step.

After a long rest the neighbor had caught up (after going all the way to the school and delivering my children for me) and it was time to go home...  it's all downhill so M should be happy right?  Oh no, now she is sitting on the sidewalk and refusing to move a muscle... especially those muscles which cause the corners of her mouth to turn up.  This could get ugly.  Despite much begging I finally picked her up with the agreement that I would carry her until we got to the red car and then she could walk to the corner where I would carry her again until another red car showed up.  Thinking we would turn this into a learning opportunity we discussed the color of each car along the way:  "Is that a red car?"  no, it's black  "Is that a red car?"  no, it's silver  "Is that a red car?"  (it WAS)  no, it's green.  Suddenly my daughter is colorblind as well as lazy.  If you could have seen the grin on her face when she was insisting each red car we saw was actually green, you wouldn't worry about her intelligence as much!  She did get put down a number of times - and occasionally took a few steps, but mostly I was glad for neighbors with more patience than I was in possession of this morning.  We spent a lot of "rest breaks" in the shade waiting for me to feel able to cart around a 4 year old again.  Amazingly, about 3 houses from home she got a burst of energy and began to run down the hill - which lasted up until she was told that No, it is a little too early to go bugging A if she can play!

So now you know why my back is killing me - and I'm going to take a moment to have gratitude for Ibuprofen.

Tomorrow, I'm staying home and letting her brain rot in front of the television - take THAT you educational opportunities!

Update!  Tomorrow we will try again - with stroller along, some books on tape, and her very own water bottle - I need the exercise!

Lazy....

I have been meaning to get my house more organized the past few weeks... more than one fellow blogger (tracey and laura) have posted their successful before and after pictures and try as I might, my after pictures were looking, well - worse.

So yesterday - my dear sweet spouse took all the kids for an evening hike (after they did their own chores... with a little prodding and pushing) while I finished washing and folding all the laundry, straightening up my scrapbook room, and going through the "trash stash" - which is what I affectionately call the pile of important papers that resides next to my bedside table... usually they're not as important by the time I get around to them as they were when they went into the pile.

It's far from perfect - and no, I didn't take any before and after pictures - but it was a nice relaxing evening getting things done that stayed done...  until of course the children came home and took their Saturday night showers - I now have a load of towels and a load of hiking clothes all waiting to be washed.  I love that they all came home exhausted - straight to bed!  They'll be waking up soon though, so I'm enjoying the last few minutes of peace, quiet, and clean!

Celebrity Fashion Influence

Back to School has already happened here - all the school shopping is done, and what a close call!  It's a good thing I didn't know about the money saving tips that were on CBS this morning - The little boy wearing a $45 messenger bag over his $35 corduroys, $35 plaid shirt, $25 graphic tee and $30 newsboy hat (with apologies if I misremembered - or purposely overstated - any of the numbers)...  and then the lovely trend of metallic shoes - inspired by celebrity fashion trendsetter Suri Cruise, who wore her silver Mary Janes all summer and has set the fashion world on end thereby.

I think I'm going to be ill...  but maybe that's because I'm wearing my $7 pants from Ross and two shirts that were less than $20 combined...  I'm apparently underdressed even for the toddler set!

Is our world really this shallow - or is it just the news?  I spend a LOT of time at my kids' schools - and I have yet to see a little boy come traipsing in with his GQ inspired newsboy hat (ahem, hats aren't even allowed in any schools my kids go to) or a little girl with her metallic flats (yeah... play kickball in those!)

I'm sure T would love it if I had that kind of a back to school shopping budget, but then he'd just buy more of the reasonably priced stuff and not blow it all on one outfit!  

Okay - I'm done venting... almost - you should have seen the little $70 dresses that these kid models were supposedly going to wear to school... what little boutiques are they shopping at - and don't they have Targets in New York???

A Major Award

My award for witty writing arrived in the mailbox yesterday - with much thanks to ColdCocoa and her daughter A for awarding such a prestigious honor - and for those who are just joining us you can see the contest here to check out all my stiff competition!  The promised prize was this:

As you can see by the next picture - the prize which arrived was MUCH better... don't hesitate to participate in contests sponsored by this blogger - she will not disappoint.

To be perfectly honest, the melting together of all the gummi worms was entirely my own fault for many many reasons:  1-I never check my mail... this extends to never getting around to mailing anything, which is what prevents me from doing my own giveaway until I am more disciplined  2-I did choose to live where the heat extends until Halloween (ahhh... gotta love costumes with shorts) 3-okay, there are really no more reasons - but just to set everyone's mind at ease I did not let M consume that entire blob, we pulled of a few for her and P has laid dibs on a significant chunk for after school!  Of course, being the poet laureate of cloudy days, I will have my own share as well!

In other news - I am shocked and dismayed at the amount of time I can now waste on the computer... even without playing boggle here or pictionary  -ACK!  I removed a link here because after not playing it for a long time I remembered in the middle of the night that it's sometimes a little hard to find decent people to play with - and that I can't stand the language...  THAT's why that didn't last long!  Now I've discovered Facebook (had to check it out for the kids after all...) and it's a weird kind of trip... you pick whether it's a trip down memory lane or a trip to the loony bin.  I have officially put myself on a 30 minute a day MAX diet or else it will likely become an obsession.  Frankly, with the life I have - there's no time for obsessions!  On the plus side - that little bit of a guilty "ugh, I need to DO something" feeling really gives me the kick in the pants I need to get the house spic and span :)

It Goes Both Ways... a.k.a. - TWINS!

Just to prove that it's not just my girl being a bit obsessive - M got dressed this morning and went (where else) next door to A's house.  On arrival there A took one look at her and realized she had that exact same shirt... and pants... and barrette... I'm not going to ask if they were both wearing Tinkerbell undies - I don't want to know.

  

They even ended up with the same hair-do, yellow pony-tail holder and all!  I think I could take them out and claim to have twins - well, except that the fact that A is 4 inches taller than M - and they really don't look alike - and the fact that I would have to give up the claim immediately knowing that I am ever thankful that my own children have come in singles!  

Staying Out of It!

okay, so really I'm all worked up over IOC rules, age controversies, ridiculously backward scoring procedures, politics that I'm quickly tiring of, meetings that I don't want to be at, kids who won't just pick a pair of shoes and get on with it, and laundry and dishes that never seem to stay clean for more than 5 minutes.  But listen up - I am officially Staying OUT of all such volatile conversations and keeping my aura clean...  I have been known to be a hothead in the past sure... but not this time - after saying some choice things to the TV last night I'm done.  

Now I'm going to go and play Ponies and Pollies until my biggest gripe is that those darn Polly Shoes are too tiny.

Playing with a 4 year old is a nice way to relieve stress.  Unfortunately - she's next door with her "best friend ever" and Mom is left to decide:  Play Ponies and Pollies alone, or do the dishes... I wonder if Lila's dress will look good on the Pony?

That Girl Needs A Restraining Order!

My sweet little M-girl is obsessed.  She wants to play with the next door neighbor girl beginning at 7 in the morning.  She mopes when I suggest that maybe we should wait for A to wake up first... and has been known to sneak out of the house to go next door if she doesn't like the answer "no" - These two will play all morning and afternoon and still M has a little fit when A has to go home (at 4:30).  The tears are a bit much, especially when it's just a 20 minute separation because we're off to pick up H & P from school!  If A comes over wearing something pink - M has to change into something similar.  Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately) A's mom and I have hit a lot of the same .97 sales at Old Navy and they have a few matchy outfits.  Today M even had me putting in one pink ponytail holder (for A's favorite color) and one yellow (for her own favorite color)... hey, whatever gets her to let me do her hair right?

Wikipedia describes stalking as "the obsessive following, observing, or contacting of another person, or the obsessive attempt to engage in any of these activities.  This includes following the person to certain places, to see where they live or what the person does on a daily basis, it also includes seeking and obtaining the person's personal information in order to contact him or her; e.g. looking for his or her details on computers, electoral rolls, personal files and other material containing the person's private information without his or her consent."

Should I be worried?  Are the neighbors on the verge of leaving the state because my little girl is driving them crazy?  (really, they DO play at both houses... I even have the glitter covered bedspread today as evidence!)  Can you even GET a restraining order on a 4 year old?  

Hmm... maybe I'll worry more when they stop looking like they're having so darn much fun.

On the "isn't that cute" side - I have been informed that when they grow up they are going to be "best friend Barbies"

Except they're both blonde... 

A Gold Medal for the Danish...

And no - I have no idea how the Danish are doing in the olympics - instead I dedicate this lovely blog to the sweet yummy pastry pictured below:

Last Saturday - in preparation for Sunday's brunch treat - I dropped by my local CostCo and purchased a variety pack of Danish... they actually looked nothing like the above Danish but were yummy all the same.  The family ate them up happily (well, most of them ate happily at least) and we all appreciated the treat.  

Flash Forward to about 15 minutes ago when my phone rings and it's someone calling from CostCo...  my thoughts are wondering if I left my membership card, my credit card, or something vital - and then the guy says that they're calling because I purchased Danish...  now my thoughts are going really wild and I'm wondering if we'll all need to be tested by the CDC for something we ate - but NO - and I hope you're sitting down because this is amazing.  This nice fellow is calling because we were inadvertently overcharged for our Danish (an error I never would have caught) and he would like to offer us either the $1 refund or a free package of Danish on our next visit.

Am I on Candid Camera?  This is downright amazing customer service and in thanks for their honesty in business I am awarding them their own virtual Gold Medal from blogworld!  See... sometimes life is good... of course, I really shouldn't eat those fattening things, but they're so yummy...

and yes, I am aware that this is a Knitting Champion medal... it was funnier that way don't you think?

Creativity goes SPLAT!

Being in a far more productive mood today I have tackled my closet (it won the fight - there's a re-match scheduled for tomorrow), done some dishes, and attempted to clear the cobwebs out of the scrapbook room!  In all of this fussing and straightening I have located a LOT of stray crayons.  (I think they're like bunnies)

Besides thinking "wouldn't that photo make an awesome jigsaw puzzle" I'm wondering what on earth can be done with all of this fun colored wax...  I did find out that I can ship a whole box to the gal over at crazycrayons.com where she will recycle it into funky shapes of crayons and firestarters (wax covered crayon wrappers).  I could also attempt this process on my own - T or W (can't frankly remember which) even has one of those crayola crayon makers that does just this... slowly and tediously...  but that doesn't solve my problem since I want FEWER crayons in the house.  It is okay to just throw them in the trash right?

Wrong:  apparently that's not "green" enough these days - The World Environmental Organization has some ideas here that are nifty but I think they are for people that have 3 or 4 crayons left and not for those of us who used to teach preschool and have issues with throwing things away!

Maybe there's a way to turn them into something cutesy that I can attach a ridiculously sappy poem to for neighbor gifts?  Okay, somebody has to come up with better than that!

If I knew how to make crayons like those - this wouldn't be an issue, I'd keep 'em all... however I have to wonder if that's just a photographic trick and boring crayons are what I'm stuck with.  If anyone has any brilliant ideas - or just wants a pound or two of crayons - let me know!

OH!  I almost forgot the comment that prompted this post - M came in while I was checking e-mail and wanted blank paper... then some more blank paper... then her little friend A wanted some paper... just 2 more... just 1 more... just 2 more... and after about 1/2 a ream I wanted to know what was going on (I'm a little slow sometimes), so M describes her activity as "we make pictures with the black naked crayon" - and scarily enough, I totally understood that they were making crayon rubbing pictures.  See... finding all those leftovers has already come in a teensy bit handy.

A Day in the Life (subtitle: Could I BE more lazy?)

I had great plans for today - and until about 11:00, I was rocking them!  Let's go back and see where it all went wrong...

6:30 a.m. - the kids are milling about getting ready for school

7:20 a.m. - family prayer

7:30 a.m. - W is out the door for another year of learnin'  (it was boring, they just sat and talked about rules all day)

8:10 a.m. - T gets driven to his school for some education  (don't know how it was... the boy hasn't decided to come home... someone's in trouble)8:45 a.m. - Another trip out to take P & H to their classes.  P's favorite part of the day was lunch - probably because he was too excited to eat breakfast (really!) and H loved the fact that in 1st grade they get 3 recesses!!
Next comes the part that I was dreading... you see, when I was a young child (probably 8) I distinctly remember going to school with my older sister in 6th, me in 3rd, and my younger brother in Kindergarten... this left little 4 year old sis at home alone... and she cried, and cried, and cried...  (sorry K - I've outed you on this one...)  I wanted to avoid that so we've been talking up our exciting day of Mommy and M time - so it was off to breakfast at 9:15 - 

9:45 is where it all took a bad turn... because I actually ate all that food on my plate!

10:30 - after picking up a few things at the grocery store I head home (feeling a little groggy)

11:00 - M wants to watch her channel (KBYU... except I picked the other PBS so I didn't get complaints about the devotional) so that's what she does - while I sleepily answer her many questions

11:50 - a friend calls to make sure we're on the same page about picking up our kids this week...  yeah sure says my half awake self

(insert dream sequence fog here... frequently interrupted by moving up and down the stairs to keep M entertained by computer games and changing channels when something boring comes on)

1:55 - My still sleepy self realizes "shoot, W gets out of school in 5 minutes!"... so much for a day of getting lots of stuff done around the house... maybe tomorrow?

Now they're all (minus T) home and getting homework done (yes, on the first day!) and I have to get my act together!!!  Between Scouts and EQ meetings tonight I'll get a second shot at being a productive member of society :)  

That is... unless there's something REALLY good on the olympics tonight...

Update: T made it home minutes later...  how do you ground a kid on the first day of school...  but tomorrow...

Oh - and how could I forget that I actually made chocolate chip cookies for the kids to have when they got home (the instant break and bake kind were on sale for $2)... so I must be a good mom today on some level at least!

an unpopular opinion...

I know, I know... I should be sad that my kids are going back to school tomorrow.  Really, part of me is reeling and wishing we could have another few weeks of summer fun - but the fact is that "Summer Fun" stopped being fun when it became "Summer of Kids arguing and Mom acting as Referee"  So that other part of me is humming "it's the most wonderful time of the year..." and making plans for tomorrow!  

At 7:20 W has to leave for Intermediate School - with binder, violin and gym clothes in hand - at 8:00 T has to get out the door and off to Middle School with his backpack and gym bag - then at 8:40 I will be driving P and H to elementary...  after the first day I will be walking them to school to save a little gas and to give myself a little exercise, but on the first day - I just don't have that kind of patience.  M (being just 4) will be the only one home this year and it has been so long since I tried to entertain just one child that I don't know what to do!  For the first day at least we have a full day of going out for a treat, playing a game together, reading books, popping popcorn, watching a movie, and going to the library scheduled...  that is, if she hasn't added to the list by the time we wake up!

I am looking forward to: being able to make a doctor's appointment for myself without trying to figure out who will be baby-sitting - running to the store without wondering where the groceries will fit around the children - and most importantly...  cleaning the kitchen table off and having it stay clear for more than 10 minutes!

Kudos and double admiration to those of you who can do all of these things while your children are home...  now you know why home schooling is not my cup of tea... if I drank tea that is.

So - I'm open to any suggestions (reminders) on how to entertain just one child... right now I have a feeling we're going to become a "foster family" for the neighbor girl just so M can play with somebody whose' idea of playing barbies doesn't end at sorting them into their proper boxes and making sure they are all clothed!!  

Finally made it up there...

Who's up for a theatre review?

I've been trying all season to get away to the Neil Simon festival...  for those of you who don't live anywhere nearby you have to know about this little gem - it's the only festival dedicated to America's most prolific playwright and hey, they plays are hilarious!  Cedar City (the home of this festival) also has a Shakespearean Festival and probably some other stuff... but I've gotta laugh sometimes, and this is the perfect opportunity.

This years' offerings are: Fools, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and I Do, I Do...

Despite NOT being by Neil Simon (a festival first) I Do, I Do fit right in with the humor level - and as much I'd love to run up and see Fools today (ugh these gas prices are killing me) I think I'm just going to have to be okay with calling it good with I Do, I Do as my show for this years' run.  

We knew from the moment that the recorded message over the speakers encouraged patrons to remove their electronic devices (cell phones) from their pockets and smash them into the floor to avoid interrupting the show that we were in for a funny night.  

The show follows one couple through their transitions of life and marriage.  Act I kept us laughing - even when the tone turned serious - maybe because we could relate to everything in this act...  Act II's tone was more slanted toward the serious but still hilarious.   The "business" of the actors (all that non-scripted stuff they do...) was by far the funniest of the show - watching Jan Broberg (who played the wife) trying to get into her "old lady" dress, I think I bruised a rib laughing.  

This show is actually a musical (another festival first I believe) and luckily both Jan and Rick Bugg (who played the husband and yes, is my uncle so I'm a little biased) have good voices.  My favorite song (probably because it's the only one I'd heard before) was "My cup runneth over", though they were all a riot... especially the one that bridged Acts I and II that talked about Men improving with age while Woman... go to pot. 

With apologies to both MC and MS (who live near this theatre), I would have loved to get together for dinner and chat pre-show - but it was a last minute trip and we barely made it in time for curtain :)  Speaking of curtain, that was a fun part of the show - both actors were just chatting with the audience as they got ready for the show, greeting friends and family...  getting each other breath mints... lots of fun!

what MUST they be thinking

first off - I have to apologize for blogging so much - it's just that suddenly I have an outlet for all the funny things I think that Q doesn't really want to hear about when he comes home... or in this case - the funny things that happen in our day to day travels.

So...  as I'm driving around with sweet 4-year old M one fine day and paying attention to all the cars around me I hear a soft whimpering whine from the seat behind me.  Turns out while I was being a responsible driver she was busy blowing me kisses which I was ignoring and not catching.  Luckily, this is the point in our travels where I come off the big hill and can play a little more.  So each time I hear a little smacking sound from the back seat I make a wild grab into the air to "catch" her kiss - she is giggling and happy and I'm feeling like I have earned my Mom award for the day.

Until I think about the drivers behind me and wonder what they are thinking - did I drive through a hornet's nest?  A car full of mosquitoes?  We were getting close to our destination so I just kept it up until the parking lot and put all those unknown people out of my mind.

I think we're lucky we didn't cause this:

with thanks to traffic-accident.blogspot.com :)

So there it is, my daughter was happy - I was only slightly chagrined, and hey - at least I wasn't picking my nose or wildly weaving in and out of traffic right?

They keep getting bigger!

my son T grew about 6 inches this year - and hit his official teenager-hood - and being the person I am (read as SHORT) this means that he passed me up in height.

Yikes....  I am taking this well... sort of.  The good thing is that I have learned a wonderful parenting lesson - and stay with me here, it's a deep one :)

You can't See Eye to Eye

If You insist on going Toe to Toe...

of course, since most of you don't need 4 inch heels to look in your kids' eyes, that may not apply in the same physical way :)

(and if anyone notices that this photo is pre-my latest haircut... it took me awhile to decide to post photos of myself on here... I didn't mind everyone thinking I looked like Audrey Hepburn!)

*with special thanks to my teenage neighbor for the hand-me-down huge shoes and my sweet grandmother for fixing that skirt after it sat in my closet for close to two years with a broken zipper*

Hobbies and Talents... or just ways to waste time.

H got invited to a last minute birthday party last Friday - and although I wasn't thrilled about running and trying to find an appropriate gift at the last possible second, I did want her to go since it was at the gymnastics studio I keep considering for the girls.  First they played "chicken" on a balance board - H rocked at this game - you go girl!

H jumped right into the fun, M kept back for awhile, testing the bouncy floor and such - but they allowed us to stay in the gym and observe while the party was happening... it wasn't long before M was jumping into the foam pit (repeatedly) and needing help to get out.  She's convinced that gymnastics is a lot of fun - I'll worry about letting her in on the discipline side if Q ever comes around.

T & W like to fill their spare time - when I don't allow video games - with anything that will also fill their tummies.  On this occasion they decided to bake a cake, and I caught them before they could remove the pink aprons (but the pink baker's hats were ditched faster) ... hmmm, should have cropped out that cluttered counter before putting the picture up 'eh?

As anyone familiar with the Po-boy knows, his favorite hobby is eating - and complaining about food... he did both as soon as the cake was done.

Myself - I decided that it was time to use some of the many scrapbook supplies that I have been "collecting" and I have successfully caught up to last years' back to school pages!  This is pathetic I know - but it is a step in the right direction.  Maybe when the kids go back to school I'll be getting closer to caught up...  yeah, right :)

All Megan's Fault

Okay, Meg's blog reminded me of the upcoming holiday "sneak a zucchini onto your neighbor's front porch day" on August 8...  Lacking the ability to actually grow any of these monsters (and since I can only really use 2 per year) I am going to be skipping that celebration this year.  Don't ask why I knew about this holiday - it is really a truly long and boring story... that and I don't remember.

In lieu of that rockin' night-time fun - I decided to find out what else is out there for me:  August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week and again, I'm going to be feeling left out of that one.  I was starting to feel a little like the whole world had reasons for a parade and it was just going to be me... all alone...  NOT having a parade - when Lo and Behold - the next item on the list was made for me!  August 1-7 is ALSO "Simplify your Life Week" - Don't laugh, my friend Tracey recently posted a bunch of ideas for doing just this... so that's it - look out world, I'm going to ParTay with this one :).  Hmmm... actually, now that I see the things I CAN'T celebrate I realize my life is getting simpler all the time :)

You want something to celebrate:  Check this and see what August has to offer you.  Then let me know which day you're celebrating what so that I can eat a cupcake in your honor.

This is a Stick up...

Hand over all your cash and no-one gets hurt.

or at least that's how it feels...  and trust me, my monster car stuffed with my monster kids hurts more than that little thing in the cartoon!