Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We hope you and your family have a wonderful and happy holiday season, full of incredibly delicious treats, sleep filled nights, and snow, only if it makes you happy.

The J Says Hi

The J would like to say Merry Christmas, mostly because he's wearing his new red winter vest that he purchased specifically for when it snows. He would also like you to take notice of his hair.

I Place the Blame....

of my blogging absence squarely on the shoulders of this little man. In the past two months, he's cut FIVE teeth (a fifth sharp one poked through today), started cruising around the house (the stairs are his favorite danger spot), got the ridiculous nasty, hand-foot-and mouth disease (I know. It sounds like it belongs on some shoddy farm), And, for the most part, charmed everyone within a 10 foot radius. He's been through a lot, but still remains a completely loveable little jolly fellow, who now waves hi. I'm totally smitten.

He told me he feels a little sheepish about the whole thing...

In our Hearts...

Gracie and I were making cookies today and had the following conversation, which sort of made me want to cry and giggle all at the same time. Which turns out is a very weird feeling indeed. The two sort of cancelled each other and made me feel neutral with goose bumps.

"You know the day you were born was one of the best days of my life" I said as I stirred the flour in the bowl.
"That was the day I left Heavenly Father and became a baby."
"That's right sweetheart, and you came to live with me, but we are never really far away from Heavenly Father and Jesus."
"Yeah, Jesus is in my heart. When I go to the doctor, he listens to my heart and hears Jesus."
"That's right, sweetheart, that's right."

I think I might go to the doctor more often and see if he can hear any good advice. Love that Girl.

In another tangent...when I was a senior in high school I found a stray cat. The ladies in my family fell in love with the kitty and named him Scout. Gracie did know Scout. She was one year-old when he died, so that was two years ago. So the other day, Gracie comes up and tells me she has a new cat and his name is Scout. Pretend Scout now has a bed in the corner of our house, a bowl of pretend food and his own little potty. Does she remember Scout from being one? Or is the ghost of Scout really here? I don't know. Either way, I love having Scout around, all the fun, none of the work.

I'm beginning to think Gracie might be plugged into a world I might not be able to see. In the best spiritual way, of course.

As a side note...see if you can find our "junk counter" in the picture.

I'm the Daddy

Hello! Long time no post. I've been doing a lot of housekeeping within myself. You know, a lot of work on my spirit, my creative soul and the like. As a result I haven't spent much time near my computer.

With that being said, Gracie wants a post about her today. We keep playing pretend. She's the mommy and I'm the daddy. The most lovely and hysterical part about this whole thing is that if I lower my voice an octave and sort of grunt she does everything I ask. She's all dressed and ready to go to dinosaur museum. The whole thing took five minutes. It usually takes about 45.

Gracie just said "your earrings look cute dad." I grunted a thank you.

Halloween Gore..I mean Galore....

Sean...The Riddler...Gracie...A Stylish, Mysterious Witch...Jared...A Nervous Tiger...Me...A Big O'l Party Pooper.

In A Rut

Do you ever feel like you're in a rut? I've been feeling like a little something is off. Not sure what, but something. I'm happy, I'm doing good, but I think I need to burst out of my mom mold...a little bit more. Shake things up. Hire a babysitter more often that twice a year. So, I've been thinking, a dangerous pastime...I know...(I still love Beauty and the Beast...to the freakish point where I have the entire movie memorized...not kidding...people...memorized, same goes for The Little Mermaid. Whenever these movies are on, Sean looks at me like he didn't know he married a cartoon weirdo, but nonetheless he did. Maybe he should've dated me longer...). I've been feeling a little lax in the blog department, the house cleaning department, the writing department. Which, if you know me, are all my favorite things. So, something is off. I'll give it sometime, mull things over in this great big noggin of mine and see what I come up with. Who knows it might require me to dress up in a hot pink unitard and run around the neighborhood while singing Les Mes show tunes. Oh wait...I want to break out of my rut...not get arrested. I'll keep you posted (if you want to stay posted...that is) I am interested to see what I come up with.

That being said...here is what Sean is going to be for Halloween. Only he refuses to just wear a belt. Today my big task is to find him some purple shorts...While sewing on the question mark, he's had to try on his unitard at least five times, providing me with at least five guffaws and hardy har..har..hars...Hysterical...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Oh, the anticipation!

Part of Sean's Halloween costume arrived in the mail today. I'm so excited to see him in it I can hardly stand myself. Want a hint? Check out the picture below....mwhahahahaha...Seriously, tears....leaking out of my eyes.Any guesses as to what he is going to be?

Letter from Jared

Dear mom,

I wish the world were covered in one great big pillow. That way I could roll all the way to Africa. While there, I could look for lions and possibly a zebra. As it stands now, the worlds consists of a few slabs of carpet, sharp corners and ridiculously small spots for my head to get stuck. Could you please work on this.

Love, Jared.

P.S. Please tell Gracie that my feelings get hurt when she only shares her lame toys with me.

I knew it!

So, I would like to blog about how much I loved the little bit of LDS conference that I heard, how Gracie offered to show her burn scar to a little girl that hurt her hands at the playground. So cute. Tears sprang to my eyes. Barely three...and she's showing off her scars. How Gracie had a wonderful birthday party (more pictures to come), but alas, I am tired. And the results from this quiz made me chuckle out loud. So...it's officially been confirmed.

You Are a Chicken

You are a naturally curious and inquisitive being. You are often poking your nose where it doesn't belong! Collecting nuggets of knowledge is important to you. You enjoy knowing everything you can. You are very independent and strong willed. You don't like to be bossed around, and you do as you please. You are quite determined and able to take on challenges. You will “peck away” at a problem until it's gone.

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatanimalareyouquiz/">What Animal Are You?

We're Back!

Introducing...again: Putter Wall!

You may have visited Putter Wall before or you haven't visited Putter Wall at all, either

way come give us a call!

www.putterwall.blogspot.com

And if that clever poem isn't enough, to kick everything off we're going to have a drawing for one of our very own and very cute (hopefully)

"feeble attempts at domesticity"

Slightly Alarmed...Again.

Sean: Are you going to have a good day?
Gracie: No.
Sean: Why not?
Gracie: I'm worried about mommy.
Sean: Why?
Gracie: Because she made a mistake.
At least I won't have to worry about the day when Gracie realizes I'm not perfect. She's already figured that one out.

Here's more in the on- going hilarious saga of Jared's camera phobia. He was having such a good time, giggling and laughing....but then I pulled out the camera and the fun stopped there.

Getting Bigger

So the other day, Gracie kisses Jared and then tells him "you're getting so big!"
Anyway. It's the truth. Honestly, it's one week and then it's another and everyone is growing and I can't remember when I've blogged last.

That being said, Jared has the best hair of anyone I've ever seen. He is barely 7 months old and needs a haircut. As do I. But that is another story all together.

Little boxes of Love

It's a pity my anniversary has come and gone...I'm going to have push for one of these boxes next year. After all, I need a place to put the absolutely perfect cards the hubby gives me. Let's also hope we are making more money by then...because they aren't cheap. But a girl must have her dream of little boxes that look like ottomans...right?

(Thanks to http://absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com/)

Seriously Cute...

If I didn't already have five million projects I didn't know how to make, I would order these, make them, and give them to all the ladies I love for Christmas. I'm seriously in love.

Project Home Life

Dear Gracie, Instead of perfecting my non-existent sewing skills and pinning all my hopes on becoming the next star of Project Runway, I thought I could best serve my community by becoming your mother. That being said, there are some side effects. Some unfortunate side effects. However, if I didn't have a bizarre desire to design clothes, then I would never have discovered that you popped out of the womb ready to be America's Next Top Model. I am not sure what to do about your new found talent. I think I will pretend that it doesn't exist...like my sewing ability. Love, your mother.

So I had some leftover curtain material and made Gracie a rather fabulous dress. Which is perfect because I now have a Halloween costume for her. It took a little forcing, but I figure this might be the last year when I'll have the ability to manipulate my child into being something she'd rather not be...

What do you want to be for Halloween?
A wolf (there is now way I can make that costume).
Mmm...What else do you want to be?
A Shadow (which, I personally think is awesome, but I already have a dress made out of curtains).
Mmmm...how about a princess, a fairy or a beauty queen?
A beauty queen.

On second thought I think I am going to push for an angel, because I really want to do some cool white/silver glitter eye make-up, as opposed to heavy make up for a beauty queen. Maybe I'll make Jared be a shadow...

As a side note...Gracie came up with the pink scarf idea all by herself (thanks Bethany, we love that scarf, I mean really love it). After I dressed her up, she tottered away and came back with it. I think it makes a lovely addition.

Be Fierce my love, be fierce....

Stylish Villager

Okay, so I am in love with this scarf (the one above). In fact, I'm almost always having some type of love affair with some scarf or another. My daughter's closet would attest to it. My daughter's closet you ask? Yes. That is where they eventually end up...as belts for my two year-old. I buy them, then I'm not sure exactly what to do with them. I've tried tying them like the picture above...then I look in a mirror and discover that instead of looking like Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe, I look like I've just bustled in from the outskirts of a Russian village. Maybe I'll take a class. Until then, Gracie will continue to have fantastic belts.

Alarmed

So, I don't know...but my gut feeling is telling me that Jared might find the camera a smidge alarming.

In other country news...Sean just sprayed a GIGANTIC spider, what made the experience even more delightful was the bucketful of baby spiders it dropped while running away....

Random

So, I finally feel in the mood to blog a little today. Lately I've really been out of the blogging habit. I find the mood just doesn't strike me. I feel as though this is completely normal. Hobbies and interests generally come in waves. I feel fairly positive I'll get more into the habit. Maybe in winter.

Anyway, today is one of those days I wish I had a maid. I rarely wish for those days as I love cleaning, but seriously. I'm really behind and those messes just keep coming.

I find that little indulgences during the day keep me happy. I record Gilmore Girls to watch at night. I allow myself a special snack. I work on something to make my house prettier. I find if I don't do these, I get really cranky by the end of the day.

I totally over-microwaved my burrito. It's hard now.

I'm not ready to get Gracie in preschool yet. She's close in age to the girls across the street and they are in preschool, but I'm simply not ready. Sorry Grace, your going to have to wait for you mommy to mature.

That's it for now. I know, not much of a post, but at least it's a post...right?

Wow...

So, Michael Phelps eats around 10 to 12 THOUSAND calories a day. I think I might start my quest for the gold tomorrow starting with a real big breakfast.

Can anyone else feel the change of season coming? I swear fall almost has a smell...a beautiful smell. I can't stop going outside.

Never Truer..(truer...is that a word?)

That saying "don't go to the grocery store hungry" is as true today as it was when some wise person said it. Undoubtedly that person went to check out line and came out 100 dollars over budget and when they couldn't figure out what was wrong, they felt a slight rumble in their stomach region. This might also explain why I came home with the following items I generally NEVER purchase.

2 pints of Ben and Jerry's - I've really been so good about this...not today, my friends, not today.

2 pounds of grated cheese.

2 pounds of fresh fettuccine

Jello Pudding Snacks - This is the first time I've willingly bought these. I'm still not sure what overcame me.

4 pounds of strawberries - This is not so unusual.

3 things of frozen lemonade. I'm dying to try a new recipe (thanks to my cousin Bethany who made some cookies and apparently they were the best thing my mom has had in a long time. I'll let you know how they turn out). Why buy one, when you can buy three?

5 Hoagie rolls. I usually just use cheap wheat bread

Finally, and probably most oddly, the pound of Ambrosia salad from the deli that I am currently shoving into my face. Why coconut and marshmallows was all of a sudden my favorite food, I will never be able to answer.

And now, I must go. I've got a lot of food to eat.

We're Back!

Somebody enjoyed their vacation. He really did. He was as happy as ever and when he got tired, he tanked out on mom...or dad. Last week we did our annual family vacation, which means we don't go very far and eat good food. We hit Lagoon, The Days of '47 parade, the Children's Museum, the exhibit at the UMFA (if you go, get a sitter. Live and learn my friends, live and learn), and I did a lot of shopping. Anyway, it's good to be back.

Oh the Horror!

So, this photo is mainly for my mom and sister who've asked to see my new hair-do. The last time I was at the stylist I was in a "Go Big or Go Home" sorta mood. Also, you can see my new pretty blue kitchen in the background. All of that is well and fine, except, I am not sure if you noticed or not, but I have a huge splotch of powder on my nose. I am willing to bet that nine times out of ten this is how I leave the house....seriously.

Just Doing My Job...

Gracie: When Jared grows up he's going to be a doctor and he's going to help all the people feel better and give them medicine.

Me: Oh really, that sounds great. What do you want to do when you grow up?

Gracie: Play in a band.

Oh man, I laughed out loud for twenty minutes. Of all the things that might prove Gracie is my daughter, this might be the very best. Who knows, maybe she'll actually play real live drums that exist in some place besides her head. I also truly appreciate how she made Jared want to be the doctor.

(The above photos is of Gracie with her piano. She's currently trying master "Itsy bitsy spider".

I Need a Nap...

In a fit of mad rage I just ate a plateful of semi-stale tortilla chips drenched with cheese and sour cream. I now feel blech. I blame my behavior on my ever increasing sleep deficit. That's right. Jared is slowly decreasing the number of hours he sleeps as opposed to increasing. I am beginning to feel like we are back in the newborn stage. As a result, I am starting to scare myself with my ever increasing scatter brainess. Please consult the following.

1. After packing my kids into the car, I realize I have no keys. I thus unpack my kids, take them back into the store and find my keys sitting by the cash register. That made me feel sheepish. Imagine my horror when on my way out, I spot my day planner hanging out at the end of a counter. Sheesh.

2. Three weeks ago I bought a bunch of stuff for a church event I am planning. This week I go to organize my stuff only to realize I am missing most of the things I bought. That explains why I was at Wal-Mart at ten at night trying to avoid a knock-down drag out fight with the manager. I was just standing there trying to be nice and mild as she looked at the book that registered stuff left at the check out stand. She found my list of items, but proceeded to give me nasty looks and a five minute lecture about how I should've called the minute I noticed the bags missing. When I tried to explain that I just noticed the missing bags and rushed over, she cut me off and gave me more crusty looks. At this point I stopped talking. There was no point telling her I wasn't thrilled about taking bags of paint out my trunk the minute I got home. I eventually recovered all my missing items and stumbled out to car, once again horrified at myself.

3. Today at Target I couldn't find any sandals in a size 7 for my daughter. I feel certain there are 5 million girls Gracie's age roaming about the general area. This has nothing to do with my lack of sleep, but is adding to my frustration and needs to be mentioned.

4. Last night I WENT TO BED EARLY and SKIPPED "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE". This not only horrified myself, but Sean as well, who actually asked me if I was feeling okay.

5. On my recent vacation, my sister did an imitation of me. It included rubbing eyes and complaining about how tired she was. That is how I come off. Once again, I am horrified.

6. I haven't done my hair in three weeks. Not that this is new, but now it doesn't bother me whereas before it bothered me a little.

7. On a similar note, it was 4 o'clock in the afternoon before I realized I was wearing my glasses, had uncombed eyebrows and was wearing my pajama type outfit. I had just finished visiting three neighbors. HORRIFIED.

8. I am actually putting my old sweaty running shirts in the crib next to Jared hoping my smell will make him sleep longer. Now, he is horrified as well. Dear me.

There you have it. If you see a confused scraggly haired woman muttering to herself in front of the pop-tarts section of the grocery store, please call my husband. You'll find my cell phone on some random counter.

Need a Fancy Schmancy House?

My friend Tiffany needs to sell her home so she can move across the country. In order to make that happen she's asked the bloggin' world to help her out. So, do you know of anybody looking for a gorgeous house? Send them here. Also, if you advertise on your blog about her house and if the person that buys her house got referred from your blog, you'll win a $250 gift card to Amazon.com. Now who wouldn't want that?

Personally, I'm a big fan of the bedroom with the cool wall, the spectacular kitchen, and the t.v./playroom. It has a wonderful area for kids and toys.

Very Important Letters

Dear Mama Birds,

I wanted to drop you a note and let you know that I am on your side. I am not your enemy. I too am a mother and know that protecting your babies is muy important, but, once again, I am your friend. In fact, if you ever need me I will be there protecting your babies. Heck, if you and Mr. bird ever want some time alone I will sit for you (not on your nest of course as that would be the opposite of protecting your babies... you get my point.) Now, for the love of everything that is beautiful please stop trying to poke my eyes when I jog past you.

Love, innocent, friendly jogger

Dear Jared,

If someone were to feed me to my heart's content, wrap me up in a snuggly blankie and place me in a luscious, spacious bed, I would sleep for twelve days not twelve minutes.

Love, your mama.

Dear HGTV,

I just want you to know that I blame you for making me want to paint my house weird colors.

Love, constant viewer.

P.S. It's okay if you want me to have my own show. I'll totally do it. (Same goes for Food Network. Wait, they deserve their own letter.)

Dear Food Network,

I think I should have my own show. Paw shaw on those people trying out for their own show. You should hire me because I would spunky and humble as I don't know how to do anything. I would call my show "Autum the Amateur". I would be more than willing to wear my ribbon that my brownies won at the state fair. It was first place and I was 11. Like I said, I would be humble...

Love, wannabe baking goddess.

Dear Gracie,

Please read the letter I wrote to Jared.

Love, your mama.

Dear eye doctor,

Thank you for changing my prescription. I now realize that I was wandering around this big beautiful world totally and completely blind.

Love, the patient that you totally ripped off for contacts. Rebate and insurance...yeah whatever.

Dear June,

There are supposed to be a few days in the 80's. I need time to acclimate to change.

Love, still sweating

Dear Hair,

I grew you long so you could be sensual, beautiful and make me feel like a fairy maiden queen. Today you felt like a big nasty wool blanket covering my greasy scalp. You've got ten days to make me feel luscious or I'm taking a pair of scissors to you.

Love, 45 minutes to blow dry.

Dear reader,

I love you and can't believe you've made it this far.

Love, me.

These are for you...mom!

I thought you might enjoy a couple pictures of our very own, very tiny, Mr. Hollywood.

Can't believe We're so Lucky...

Happy Father's Day! It's true, some days I can't believe I'm not only married to the best, most considerate, hard working man but also to the man who turned out to be a wonderful, remarkable dad. We love you!

Somebody's found their toes...

Sweet Jared has found his toes. It's wonderful to have toys on the end of their legs. When he first discovered them, his toes kept him occupied for at least an hour. He is also our G.B.- giant baby-. He is only 3 months and is fitting into 6-9 months clothes. Sheesh!