Middle of the Night Shower

It is 1:15am. I hear Jake coming up the stairs. He had fallen asleep on the couch and I in the bed. As I'm drifting back off I hear thunder.

Damn!! I asked him twice to bring in the four wheeler, I bet it's still outside.

I jump out of bed, run down the stairs and onto the back porch. The rain is REALLY coming down. Adjust contacts, ADJUST!! Yup, there it is, out in the rain.

I open the door and almost turn back. The gutter must be clogged because in front of the door is a wall of water. I step out, I am wet, like just got out of the shower wet. No turning back now.

I run down the sidewalk into the yard, grab up the miniature 4 wheeler that my son loves so much and head back in under the waterfall thereby assuring that there is not a dry spot on my body.

I head into the bathroom, strip down to my undies and grab a towel. I head up stairs and turn on the closet light in an effort to find something new to wear back to bed.

1:28 I climb back into bed.

"Next time.... Please. Bring. In. The. 4. Wheeler.... !!" (Said through clenched teeth)

"Did you go out and get it? I didn't even know you were gone."

Grrr.....

Make Room for Baby

My sister's baby is due in three weeks. Three weeks.... EEEEeeee!!! (Squeal of excitement)

Anyhow, when I sent her a text message a couple of weeks ago I got the impression that they were not quite ready for the arrival of the little bundle of joy. So, Saturday my big sister, niece and I all piled into my mom's Tahoe and headed the two and a half hours to her place. (Yeah... that's right it's a good thing we love you... FIVE hours in the car!!)

When we arrived we could immediately see why they were a little overwhelmed. They had a rocking chair and a cabinet for the baby's room kind of hanging out in their living room and while the crib and changing table were put together, they were also filled to the gills with baby stuff.

We started in the living room, shampooed the carpet and moved things around, I didn't get before pictures because I forgot my camera, while they went to the fire station to learn proper car seat installation. When we were done in the living room they now had room for the baby swing and the treadmill (which had to be relocated from the baby room/office.

Since they only live in a two bedroom apartment the baby room has to do double duty as an office too. I think she was kind of worried that it wouldn't be cute but in the end one side is all baby, and one side is all office. I think it turned out really cute and we hope that she is now able to relax and know that baby can come any day now and all of it's stuff will be ready.

(Sorry for the blurriness of the pictures. I used my camera phone because I couldn't figure out the flash on her camera and I forgot mine.)

Zack's Website

For those of you who stopped reading because I stopped updating, ok, lets face it. That's all of you. I've seen the hit counter. I wanted to let you know that I have begun updating again. I will try to put something up there every day so I don't loose track of the cute moments that make me remember why I don't want to give him away when he is SCREAMING at me!! :-)

I will probably cross post some things but leave most of the daily stuff just over there. Adorable daily stuff none the less. Like this little thing from this morning:

"Cup..."


Jake heads into the kitchen with Zack right behind him and gets his cup out of the fridge. He turns to walk back into the living room and notices that Zack is not following him.

J: "What do you need buddy?"


Z: "Coffee...."

J: "What?"


Z: "Coffee...."

H: "Does Daddy need Coffee?"


(Grinning and shaking his head up and down...) "Yeah..."

Even at this age he knows that daddy is much happier after coffee!! :-)

So, head on over if you want to see what he's up to on a daily basis. Yes mom, that means you!!

HELP!!

I was doing some fall cleaning on my blog and I accidentally erased my cute slogan over there to your right. I tried to re-create it but I know it is not the same. Does anyone have my slogan... the one from this morning, hiding somewhere? Or can you remember it because I think it was phrased MUCH cuter than that....

Thank you!!

Wordless Wednesday

5 years

Five years ago last Saturday I walked down the isle and said I do...

So much has happened in five years.

We bought a house...

We remodeled a house....

We had a baby....

And then the last year and a half happened. On Sunday Jake celebrated his 18 month sobriety birthday. Things aren't perfect. It's the part they gloss over in "How to celebrate recovery 101." When people get sober things do not get perfect.

They get better in some areas but they also get worse in others. For 18 months Jake and I have been re-learning who we are. Together and apart. And I won't lie to you, it hasn't been easy. The road has been long, hard, and filled with a million pot holes.

Hopefully, when we make it to the end of this road we will find one that is paved and smooth. We are both committed to trying to make it there. In the mean time, I would like to say Happy Anniversary to a man who is my son's hero. Who has worked so hard to turn his life around and who is doing better every single day.

I love you, and I hope to meet you at the end of this road for another 5 years on a much smoother journey.

Cupcake Fun

Well, 5 hours and four frosting colors later... the cupcakes were done. (Next time I'm thinking Hy-vee...)

I started by making the cupcake tree that I wanted to put them on. I had found some pre-made ones at the store but I didn't think they were "quite" as cute as I wanted them to be. So I set out to make my own. I started at M!chael's but couldn't find what I wanted. So I moved on to a local little arts and crafts store.

Four cake plates, three styrofoam cake dummies, and 9 yards of ribbon later this is what I ended up with.

Then it was on to the cupcakes. The plan was to bake them all Saturday morning and then to decorate them Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, things often don't go according to plan. Friday night Jake informed me that he had to work on Saturday for at least part of the day so I would have little to no help.

So I started with the easy stuff. I had decided to make at least part of the cupcakes into rattles. (I know, I know... just bake and frost... lesson learned.) So, I started on Saturday morning making the rattle sticks. I thought this would be easy. A little dab of superglue on the end of the stick, pop on a lifes@ver and boyola. I was wrong. (As I so often seem to be.) Superglue does, in fact, bond instantly to everything. Fingers, tables, paper, foil, but not, apparently, to lifesavers. No it just sits there and wiggles about aimlessly.

So I had to prop the lifesaver and stick up and wait for them to dry (about 10 minutes) Then I CAREFULLY had to pick them up and add another layer of superglue to solidify the bond. When that was done I added ribbons. This is what I ended up with....

After nap time (for both of us) it was time to start with the baking. Jake showed up just in time to sit on the couch and nap while I tried to simultaneously bake and watch Zack. Good times. (Oh, did I mention it was our five year wedding anniversary?)

After I got the cupcakes baked, Zack helped me clean up a bit

In fact, he got it so clean I didn't' even have to wash it later. Note to self, when at my house do not use the wooden spatula. (Kidding people... just kidding...)

After cleanup it was on to decorating. I had this grand idea in my head that I would make green, yellow, pink and blue frosting. (Mental note to self, white will suffice next time) In the end, I think they turned out really well, but they were a lot of work and we have a LOT of them left over. (I tell myself it was because they were too pretty to eat.....)

Creativity

On Sunday we are having a baby shower for my little sister. Yes, that's right, my baby sister the one whom I'm not even sure is old enough to be doing things that LEAD to babies, let alone old enough to be married and having a baby of her own is, in fact, having a baby.

And I, along with my aunts and mom and other sister, are hosting this baby shower. Oh and did I mention that somewhere in all of this I got the idea that I was Martha Stewart. I'm not. In fact, I'm not even CLOSE.

When the idea of getting a cake was brought up I thought oh, why don't we do cupcakes and then I could make them into this adorable little cupcake tree like you see at so many of the fashionable showers. Umm... yeah. So guess who has managed to attempt to build her very own cupcake tree on which to put these cupcakes? Yeah... that would be me, the creatively challenged one.

I found a pattern on-line, but I have to tell you the finished product does not look so much like the pattern as perhaps a kindergartners attempt at the pattern. Ok, perhaps it's not that bad, maybe there will be older people at this shower and they will have failing eyesight and THEY will think it's adorable!!

Also, somewhere along the way I also got the idea that rather than buy these cupcakes I should make them. And not just make regular cupcakes. No, no. Make cupcakes and then try to DECORATE them. I see a possible emergency trip to Hy-Vee tomorrow afternoon trying to beg someone behind the pastry counter to PLEASE, PLEASE make me two or three dozen beautiful cupcakes before Sunday at 2:00. But, perhaps I will surprise myself.

I only need about 30 - 35 cupcakes and the two boxes I bought say they will make 24 each so I figure I have a few to practice on before I decide if I need to scrap the idea entirely.

Hey, if I get really ambitious perhaps I will try to dye the frosting on the cupcakes to match the shower theme. (I'm remembering a time my grandma tried to make a cookie monster cake and he turned out green. Green is not really a becoming color on cookie monster...) Perhaps, that's not such a good idea!! :-)

I'll post pictures next week for your viewing pleasure.

My morning

I step out of the shower, wrap the towel around me and head upstairs to get dressed. I pass Jake on my way, and as I enter the living room I see Zack sitting in his PJ's on the couch. I sit down to say good morning to him.

Z: Cup?

Jake hears him and starts pouring milk into a cup.

Cat: Meow... meow.... meow.... meow.... meow.... meow....

Finally I can't take it anymore. I get up, go into the dinning room and tell him to knock it off!!

I head upstairs.

Cat: Meow... meow... meow... meow... meow...

H: Seriously cat what is your deal??

Z: Deal? Deal??

I need to clean the litter box. It's only 6:55 I think I can squeeze it in before I need to leave. I get dressed. Go to the bathroom plug in the curling iron and head into the living room to put my socks and shoes on. (You've seen the pictures of our basement you wouldn't venture down there without footwear either....)

I sit on the couch. There sits Jake in his underwear and Zack in his PJ's. I put on my socks and shoes. It's now 7:00 and he is showing NO signs of moving. I go upstairs to get clothes for Zack. Heaven forbid HE do it......

I bring them down and drop them in his lap and head into the dryer to try to find some socks.

J: What? No socks?

H: I'm working on it!!

No luck with the dryer. I head back upstairs to look in the laundry basket. I'm pulling out sock after sock. Are you kidding me? I have six socks and NONE of them match. SIX!! Do you think they would notice if his socks didn't match? Oh wait... there's another one... whew, it works. I go downstairs and give it to Jake.

J: You know this is kind of small.

H: (yelling from other room) WHAT is kind of small?

J: The socks...

H: Then YOU go and try and find another pair!!!

J: I was just telling you...

H: Well next time, don't tell me.... ok??

It's now 7:10. So much for being on time....

Save My Place

So, work is crazy. There is a 9/15 deadline and on top of that we are working on converting our time and billing software and we basically have to redo a lot of things to work with the new software. And I... well, I get to help. :-)

So please, save my place here for me will ya? Don't delete me from your list of things you read and don't go away for too terribly long. I'll be back, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Until then, please save my place in line!!

Daycare Conversations

M: We have to get ready so we can go to daycare.

Z: No

M: But you like daycare. You will get to play with all of your friends.

Z: Play?

M: Yes you will get to play at daycare.

Z: Eat?

M: Yes, I'm sure they will let you eat at daycare.

Z: Toast?

M: Yes, I'm sure they will let you have toast at daycare.

Z: Go. Eat Toast.... (Pulling my finger leading me out the door....)

***************************

Daycare Lady: Oh Heather, I wanted to let you know that we will be moving Zack up this month.

H: But he's only 20 months. Isn't that the two year old room?

DL: Yeah, but he's bored in the 1 year old room. He's starting to be naughty because he's bored.

H: But isn't he still kind of young?

DL: No, he's pretty smart. It gives him a good challenge and he's been playing in there really well when we let him visit this week. He's ready.

H: But I'm not ready!

DL: I don't think you ever get ready.

Wordless Wednesday - Man on a Mission