Tag: blog

Yes Yes, I GOT IT.

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This year for Halloween, Baylor has been passed down a great (and might I add very well accessorized) costume from her cousin Madi. She is new to Minnie, but she’s becoming a big time fan. The costume has everything, except for the ears. No biggie, right? I’ll just cruise on over to the Disney store at the mall and pick up a pair.

As I stroll into the store, there in the very front are Minnie ears. Except they have a pink bow instead of a red one. Bummer. So I ask the woman behind the desk…here’s how it played out:

“Excuse me. Do you have any Minnie ears with the re-”

“No! We are totally and completely sold out. Totally.”

“Oh. Ok. Thank yo-”

“And every store is sold out too!”

At this point, I’m pissed. I was sad that they didn’t have what I wanted, but to go and really shove it down my throat that they didn’t have it is a little much. And that’s when I get a little snarky..

“Oh. Do you think you could check to see if another store has it?”

“No. I just said that everyone is out.”

“Everyone? Even online? Like there are no more anywhere?? ANYWHERE??”

And that’s when she turned and helped another customer. So much for being the happiest place on earth. And the joke’s on her because I did find them at Party City for $6.99 rather than the $16.00 they charged at the Disney Store!!

This much excitement may mean that it’s time for some vacation….

 

 

Weekend Recap

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There are a thousand adjectives I can think of when describing our weekend; fun, exhausting, sweaty, family oriented, precious, memory making…the list goes on. We planted flowers, played in the yard, made waffles and watched College Game Day, went to a friend’s surprise birthday brunch, to a school carnival and read lots of books and snuggled in to watch a movie. In a word, I need a weekend after our weekend. But my favorite part is this picture of B after the St. Theresa’s carnival:

The look of sticky satisfaction over the cheap stuffed animal she won and her sucker is priceless!

One Sad Puppy

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Mr. Bear, our sweet old man Wheaton Terrier had a little doggie lypo suction this week. He has had two fatty cysts for over a year and one keeps getting infected. The vet said they were having a teeth cleaning special that included anesthesia and then while he was under, they would lop off the offending lumps.

I was nervous dropping him off yesterday. All I could think was “Are we being silly about this? What if he doesn’t make it through surgery? What if he doesn’t recover because of his age?”. But I trust our vet and have always appreciated her realistic approach to pet care so we kissed him and he scooted through the swinging doors.

They called a few hours later and said he did great. The surgery went very smoothly and the cysts didn’t look cancerous so that’s another win. I picked him up that afternoon and they carried my old man to the car practically held together by what seemed like 1000 metal staples. He sat next to B in the backseat and she said softly “I no touch your ouchies, ok Bear Bear? Feel better Bear Bear” all the way home.

After removing his cone and making him a special dinner of kibble and chicken stock, he started moving around. He is standing awkwardly which I’m praying it temporary, but he’s wagging his tail and moving around so I think he’s on the mend. I can’t believe I’m actually excited about the return of our kid toy eating, jumping on guest, rug peeing fur face. But I am. Get well soon Mr. Bear!

“Seriously Girl? Pictures? I’m trying to recover here. I’m so peeing on your rug when you leave today.”

Wall ‘O Baylor

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I love this. I hang each hand painted animal she brings home from school on the office door. She loves seeing her handy work and it makes me smile each time I walk by. 

Gambling with Appliances

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About 6 months ago, our dryer started beeping. Like all the time. Whenever it’s running, it’s beeping. And they dial never turns to the right setting unless you really shove it in – and even then you have to quickly push start with your other hand to get it to a delicate setting that won’t nuke they clothes.

I finally broke down and called Sears appliance repair. The guy on the phone was actually very through and very nice. He explained that they sell a 1 year warranty that will cover all the parts and labor and that includes whatever is currently wrong with it. The cost? $145. The visit itself was $129…so there was a chance that I just needed a new knob that costs $10 and I would get out for $140 bucks total. Oooorr I could buy the warranty and if there was some astronomically expensive part, it would be covered….decisions decisions. I felt like I was at the blackjack table trying to decide if I was going to hit on 12 when the dealer was showing 13.

Not being a gambler – or I should say a good gambler – I did not buy the warranty. And you know what? I was wrong. Dead, stinking, ridiculously wrong. I hit and got a Queen and the dealer got an 8.

Within literally 2 minutes of being in my laundry room, the man had an estimate of $450. Four HUNDRED and fifty dollars. One f word crossed my mind and it was not fifty.

Despite the repair man being very nice, he did look a little smug when he realized I had busted on my bet. So I took my chips and went home – or more accurately said No Gracias and decided I’ll keep my beeping drying until it croaks (hey, it’s made it 6 months!) and put that chunk o change towards a new dryer.

Who knows, maybe Baylor and I will form a band with the dryer as our beat box…

 

 

When a Door Closes

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There is an old saying that when a door closes, a window opens. That’s true with life, but not in our house.

You see, we remodeled a late 50’s home a few years ago. And what was hip in the  fifty’s (long, rectangular windows) isn’t really hip today. However, the length of all the windows in our house were the exact width of double doors. So everywhere there was a window, there is now a set of french doors. And even where there wasn’t a window, we threw in a few more doors. The result? We have a 10 to 1 ratio of doors to windows. Yup, we only have one window in our entire house.

Normally this is no problem. Having an exit (or several) from each room is actually very comforting to me – you know, for all those pesky home invasions. But during this time of year, we kick ourselves. The weather is so beautiful and cool at night. But we don’t want to sleep with the doors open so we’re forced to close up the house and turn the air conditioning back on every evening.

When I pass the pretty doors with long skinny windows on either side at Lowes, I sigh and think what could have been. We could just have a little window with some fresh air blowing in, but no! We had to have french doors – not doors with windows. Arg.

Fall Crafting

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I always find this time of year that there is a little more quiet time in the afternoon. Too late in the day to go do somthing…but not quite time for dinner. This is the perfect time for a little craft project. Like these little pumpkins.

I hate things that are too messy, too difficult or take too much time. I like something quick and simple that the kiddo and I can do in 20 minute time frame. If you’re like me, then you’ll love my post on Scottsdale Moms Blog this week: http://www.scottsdalemomsblog.com/.

This week I featured three crafts; two are simple and fun to do with even small kiddos and the third is all for the moms, but the kids get the benefit! Check it out and let me know what you think. Happy crafting!

Fall Has…

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Fallen? I guess if Spring has Sprung, that makes sense.

Anyway, it’s finally cooled down a little and we’ve been so happy to have all the doors and windows open all the time. This also means we’ve been playing outside as much as possible. We broke out the water table and toys, the sidewalk chalk and the paint brushes. Yes, I said paint brushes.

We discovered at the Children’s Museum one of the simplest and most fun activities – painting with water. Yes, you read that right. We get out the paint brushes, rolers and sponges, get a bucket of water and head out to the patio to get our paint on:

No clean up. No mess.

Also another all time favorite, the  sidewalk chalk. And PW showed Bay how to make a hop scotch pattern and jump around:

 

I love this…

So if you’re looking for us, we’ve gone chalkin’. Be back soon.

Dear Weatherman

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Dear Weatherman,

STOP IT. Stop telling me that there is a “cool down” on the way. Stop telling me that there’s “a chance for showers”. Stop saying that “we’ve seen the last of the triple digits!”. Stop saying it because you know they are all lies. Vicious, filthy lies. Every time there is a blessed 80 on the seven-day forecast, it keeps moving. It starts out on Thursday. And the next day it’s not coming until Friday. And on Friday, it’s coming on Monday. And suddenly it’s 105 again and the “cool down is coming!”. I can’t take it anymore!

So until you’re ready to come clean and be honest about the fact that even thought it’s October, it’s still 102 and that’s just the way it is, then I think we need some time apart.

Best,

Beth

Homemade Applesauce

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This recipe is so simple and so good. It’s easy to make quickly or ahead of time.

Ingredients: 4 apples – I like Honey Crisp. They are sweet, but have a little tangy-ness Cinnamon (0ptional) No seriously, that’s it. Chop apples into small 1/2 inch chunks. Steam for approximately 8-10 minutes or until fork tender. Reserve the liquid from steaming and use to smooth out mixture while blending. Add in a little cinnamon for flavor. Start with a quarter teaspoon and add more after tasting. That’s it! This is so simple and yet so good. It’s delicious as a side dish or served warm for dessert. If you want to get fancy, reserve some of the steamed apples and mix in with the blended for a chunkier version. You could also bake in a ramekin with a piece of puff pastry on top for a quick and easy version of apple pie. Enjoy!