swap swag

a few weeks ago i signed up for my first swap

hooked

loved it

fun

well today

my package came

it was FABULOUS:

compliments of aubrey

and to top it off
it came today,

the day i took off!

so i am enjoying it ALL...

after a preschool field trip this am!

(post of that to follow...)

So, thanks aubrey!

love it all!

especially the awesome purse!

now...off to veg in the recliner

and read my gossip mag

housework can wait!

whoa

last night

cleaned my purse out

although

it should be called my 'mom' bag

'cause 90% of the contents

not mine

couldn't tell you what all was in there

so, what lurks in your bag?

random ramblings

nothing unusual going on here

get up

go to work/school

come home

dinner

homework

bathe

bed

and on it goes

here is what has been happening in between:

olivia's teeth

2 are loose

one hanging on for dear life

dentist today

showed her how to really work it

tooth fairy may visit soon!

mason's cuddling

lord is this kid a cuddler

and i love every minute of it!

he is my 'cuddle-bug'

i'm his 'cuddle-mommy'

he has made a habit

getting in our bed in the night

i oblige him

we cuddle back to sleep

i asked why he comes in

he said

"mommy, we can't cuddle if i am in my bed and you are in yours!"

well said big guy!

mason learned

'eenie-meenie minie mo'

except he is missing a few words

cute as can be though

my dvr is getting full people

no time to watch anything i enjoy

too tired to stay up late

took the day off this coming thursday

mason's preschool field trip

to the pumpkin patch

can't wait!

halloween costumes

intended on wizard of oz

got to costume store

went with pirates!

yo ho ho!

both pirates

very cute

pics later!

that is about it

unless you want to hear about

the laundry

the dishes

the poop needing scooped

the floors needing swept

you get the picture!

makin' whoopie...

...pies that is!

pumpkin whoopie pies

a hit!

in the bag!

i. love. purses.

i have my bag picked out, do you!?

visit HandBag Planet...they are giving a bag away every hour for 24 hours!
they sure know the way to a woman's heart!

she is my mirror

i've been watching my words

choosing them carefully

doesn't take much thought

as it shouldn't

i'm just more aware

so tonight

before bedtime

we talked

i told her mommy is not perfect

that i have been paying more attention

talking carefully

and i feel better already

she said:

"maybe sometimes when you need to say something,

it can be a little bit mean and a little bit nice.

but i don't know how to do that"

guess we are all human honey!

she is my mirror

i hope that what reflects is something beautiful

what reflects in your mirror?

nobody said this job is easy!

my girl

love her to pieces

she is our oldest

big sister

'sissy' as he calls her

often times

especially lately

i ask myself if i am harder on her

than on him, the baby of the fam

i don't mean to be

don't want to be

it happens

makes me sad

if i feel it

she must

right?

i have been listening to myself

do i ask her to do something

the same way i ask him?

does my tone change?

does she hear that?

why do i expect so much more from her?

she is older/oldest

bigger than him

but not by much

but is that fair?

i am so aware of my words with her

i want her to hear

love

compassion

you're special

my girl

she deserves that

i don't want her to grow up

feeling she was treated different

they are different

yet the same

they are my kids

i love them

i know she knows that

i hope she feels it too

i will work on it

my voice will show her

i am her mom

not perfect

but learning

love you livs!

one man's trash...

is a teacher's treasure!

i was at our county office of education today, and the nice gals in the curriculum and materials dept were cleaning house! for those of you who are not aware, textbook publishing companies package their teacher's edition kits in some pretty creative, snazzy, colorful, yet wasteful, boxes. recently, i have noticed some publishers moving towards a dual purpose container...kudos!

so these nice ladies were lining MANY of these dual purpose, and not so dual purpose, boxes up in the hallway to be disposed of.

enter...teachers on a lunch break from a workshop. like moths to a flame, we flocked to the piles and this is what i got...

...two little rolling boxes, kid sized! olivia got the yellow one with the green pouch around it and mason got the school bus. perfect for toy clean up! since most all of their toys are in their rooms now, they can bring them out in these and return them in these!

of course, daddy has not seen them yet...he loves my teacher scavenger ways!

so that explains it...

my earlier post, the wedding picture by our resident artisit, is now a bit clearer to me.
I thought it was just a cute picture dreamed up in the mid of a girl who likes all things girly.
perhaps not...

here is our bedtime conversation:

olivia: i told jacob, (friend at school), that my mom and dad will never break up
me: well that was nice to say, because we don't ever plan on breaking up honey
olivia: well he told me that's not true, and you will one day

holy schmoly jacob! thanks for the confidence!

i explained to her that he does not know mommy and daddy, and that sadly, maybe he has had to deal with this in his own life.

aren't kids just grand reality checks sometimes!?

for those of you who were not there...

...here is a picture of what olivia said is her daddy and i getting married...

come to think of it, nobody was there! we got married at the courthouse many calendar years ago!

so romantic, i know!

(tiny man in between us is "the priest who gives out answers like you will treat her good if she is sick")

priceless...