The Rickard Roundup

"This is Chuck....and He's a Weather Guy"

2009-06-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

I kept my friend Christina's kids yesterday while she went to the doctor. Annabelle is one of Allison's best friends, and they have so much fun together. Preston is almost eight-months-old, and he is just so precious and sweet.

I was playing with Preston on the bed. He was rolling around, giggling, and generally having a good time. The girls ran in and jumped on the bed. They were so cute all laying up on the pillows (I didn't have time to grab my camera.)

Chuck came home while they were laying there. Allison saw the garage light come on, and she got so excited. She said (screamed), "Annabelle, my daddy is home. His name is Chuck....and he is a weather guy." She is so proud of her daddy. It was ADORABLE!

Swim Lessons

2009-06-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

Allison started swim lessons at the YMCA today. She has been so excited about this ever since I signed her up two weeks ago. As you can probably tell, she loved it:

Fruit Vegetable of their Labor

2009-06-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

You may recall a few weeks ago, I posted pics of Chuck and Allison planting a "garden". Well, when we checked on our two lovely little plants today, this is what we found:

Allison was so excited. She started jumping up and down saying, "I gotta go tell my daddy! I gotta go tell my daddy!" Then she got really somber and wanted to know why the tomatoes were not red "like in the picture". It was so cute. Here she is with her precious tomatoes:

Movie Day

2009-06-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today was Family Movie Day at the Rave Motion Picture Theater. They do this every Tuesday & Wednesday during the summer. They show a different movie each week, and it is totally free admission. This weeks showing was "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa".

It was absolutely hilarious. I got so cracked up just watching Allison giggle. It is getting to be so much fun taking her to the movie. She is sitting all the way through them, and she is really mesmerized by the story.

I have to say though that the funniest thing about the trip happened before the movie started. I was trying to send Chuck a text, but I ended up accidentally sending this text to the wrong #: "there is a lot of kiddie body odor up in here." I got a text back: "wrong number - but I hope you get the BO situation under control." I thought it was hilarious!

Marble Painting

2009-06-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

I posted on Facebook yesterday that Allison and I were painting with marbles. I had a few people tell me they had not heard of this. Well, to be honest, I had not heard of this either until Allison did this at Mother's Day Out a couple of months ago.

It is super easy. I put down a piece of newspaper, then a piece of white construction paper on top of that. We used three colors. I put a little bit of paint in the bottom of a plastic cup, then we each dropped a marble in and swirled it around with a plastic spoon until the marble was completely covered. Once the marble is covered in paint, you scoop it up with the spoon and plop it on the paper and start rolling it around. We had so much fun doing this yesterday (I had almost as much fun as Allison).

Here is the result (mine is on the left; Allison's is on the right):

"Boomerang Express"

2009-06-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

That was the theme of Vacation Bible School last week.

It was so much fun! I haven't participated/worked in Vacation Bible School in 20+ years. I had forgotten just how much fun it is. I worked with a great group for first graders the entire week, and I absolutely loved them.

Needless to say, this was Allison's very first time at Vacation Bible School, and she love it too. She had some great teachers, and I can tell she really learned a lot last week.

Amateur Photo Editing

2009-06-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

I have had Corel Paint Shop Pro for over a year now, and I have been determined to start teaching myself how to use it.

After two nights of reading and playing, this is my first try: (Mr. Bill, if you are reading this, PLEASE don't tell me how hard you laughed).

Before:

After some lighting and blemish correcting:

And, this is the final one. I love the look of a out-of-focus background. This was my meager attempt:

AND ONE MORE
Before

After:

"You Count - I'll Hide"

2009-06-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

That is all Allison says when she is ready to play Hide 'n Seek...which is usually a couple of times a day. Well, she found a new hiding place today. These ice buckets were sitting in the living room, and they became a great place to hide and play this afternoon:

Yes, she is in here:

Celebrating Annabelle's Birthday

2009-05-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday afternoon at Allison's sweet friend's birthday party. It was Annabelle's 3rd birthday. We all had so much fun. Here are just a few of my favorite pics:

Just a Little Something

2009-05-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek at a little something I've been working on...I made this for our little friend Annabelle. She will turn three years old tomorrow:

Planting a "Garden"

2009-05-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

We decided to plant a garden....of two tomato plants. We picked out the plants over the weekend, and Allison could not wait to "help" do some planting:

It's Friday - but Sunday's Coming

2009-04-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

I saw this video on Kelly's Korner. I thought it was one of the most moving Good Friday tributes that I have seen in a while. I hope you will take the time to watch it today:

Spring Break - Day 3: Garvan Gardens

2009-03-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Spring Break - Day 2: A Visit from Annabelle, Preston, and Brayden

2009-03-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

Preston thought I was funny:

A little love for each other:

And plenty of love left over for Brayden:

Spring Break - Day 1: A Trip to Burns Park

2009-03-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

And They Was Good

2009-03-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Allison decided that she wanted to read the bible to me last night before she went to bed. Here is how it went:

"In the beginning, God created the mommies and the daddies. And they was good."

So sweet, but completely cracked me up!

The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

2009-03-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

After last night's dinner, I will never view the humble quesadilla as a quick, ok-tasting Mexican/Tex-Mex meal.

I found a website a month or so ago called The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Let me just tell you, the girl can COOK!

I have made a couple of her recipes, but I tried the quesadillas for the first time last night. They were so good that I am still daydreaming about them today.

Now, I'm just going to tell all of you Martha Stewart-loving people (oh, who am I kidding? Only two people read my blog), the Pioneer Woman is no Martha Stewart. You will find all of the ingredients called for at your local chain grocery store. And the food is anything but stuffy.

The other thing that I love about The Pioneer Woman? She is an awesome food photographer, and she shows pictures of every detailed step. She even gives you a printer-friendly version.

Go take a look - she's my new favorite cook.

Daffodil Day

2009-03-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so warm the last couple of days, so Allison and I got to FINALLY get outside for some fun with our friends Christina and Annabelle.

On Friday, we headed over to Burns Park where Allison and Annabelle did the slides, merry-go-round, and swings. Unfortunately, my camera forgot to make the trip so I don't have pics.

Yesterday, though, the camera did make it to Wye Mountain with us to see the daffodils. The girls had so much fun. Nana and Mimi met us there as well, and Allison thought that was just grand.

Here are a few of my very favorites from Wye Mountain:

A Super Happy Heart

2009-02-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

Allison and I were looking out the window tonight at the late snow that was falling. I was thinking how sweet she looked, and I was enjoying her excitement over the snow.

After a few minutes, she looked up at me and said, "Mommy, you make my heart super happy."

And my heart melted.

My laugh for the day

2009-02-27T17:56:00.000-08:00

The two of you that read my blog know that I LOVE Beth Moore and her bible studies. I also love keeping up with her Living Proof Ministries blog. It is always so thought-provoking.

Well, today, Melissa (Beth's daughter) asked people to leave six-word comments that would sum up their life. I thought it sounded interesting, so I decided to browse through them a little to see what people were coming up with. Who knows, I might even be able to come up with something myself.

Here is the funny part: I read the very first comment from "Anonymous". Her six-word summary:

NOT ROOMING WITH HUSBAND IN HEAVEN

I died laughing. I thought it was HYSTERICAL.

Our New Maid

2009-02-26T22:39:00.000-08:00

Chuck is in the process of training Allison to vacuum (HA)! Today was her second lesson, and I managed to grab my camera for today's session:

Once she masters this, we can move on to mopping!!!!

A Real Wonder

2009-02-25T23:20:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of my very favorite pics from our play date at The Wonder Place with Christina and Annabelle:

This penguin is going to time-out:

I'm not going to lie, I just love this one:

The next Thelma & Louise:

I have a job for Mrs. Obama.....

2009-02-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

....she should be The Chairwoman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness. You know, that committee that people made such a big deal about Arnold Schwarzenegger being on back in the late 80's/early 90's.

There has been an uproar regarding Mrs. Obama going sleeveless to the State of the Nation address. I say, "If you've got it, flaunt it." And, my friend, she has got it. Look at her arms:

Did I mention that I LOVE having a first lady that doesn't show up to everything in a boxy suit?

Ellen and Gladys

2009-01-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've been on a blogging break, but I HAD to post this today. This was possibly THE FUNNIEST thing I have seen in a while:

Have a great day!

A Bushel of Fun

2008-12-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

A fun afternoon with Christina, Annabelle, and Preston (oh how I love them!):

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2008-12-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

Allison got a real treat this afternoon: she got to see her first rainbow. After a couple of unusually warm December days, we had a lot of wind and rain this afternoon. We were treated afterward to this:

Christmas Day!

2008-12-27T21:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day was so much fun. I sat in the chair watching Allison before everyone started arriving, and I told C how happy it made me just to be able to sit and watch her play.

Here's just a few snippets from our fun day:

Santa's Letter to Allison

Peeping to see what is underneath "that big blanket"

Getting the kitchen in order

Winning the Lottery

Allison's new BFF

Finally, a powdered donut break

"Twas the Night Before Christmas

2008-12-27T21:29:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, we had a wonderful time visiting and having dinner with The Lewis family and friends. As usual, Allison had a grand time. It really is a shame that she doesn't like daddy's friends (HA)!

Playing Elevator with Mr. John:

A sweet, sweet time with Ms. Cindy:

The first Christmas Eve that we ever had with Allison, I started the tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve, and everybody gets the same thing: a new pair of pajamas (or in C's case, a pair of pajama pants). Allison was so excited this year about getting to open her gift - she could do it by herself, you know. She also got a special treat of a new Christmas stuffed animal to sleep with. She has slept with her new reindeer each night since.

Dear Santa, Please Potty Before This Pitstop

2008-12-22T00:22:00.000-08:00

Allison informed me this afternoon while we were getting ready to go see Santa Claus that Santa would not be using our bathroom because it was "messy, messy, messy." (She's been watching too much "Frosty the Snowman"). She came to this conclusion because there were two cotton balls that had fallen off of the counter and were laying on the rug.

Thank you for your input, Molly Maid!

Ho Ho Ho Time!

2008-12-22T00:12:00.000-08:00

We finally took Allison to see Santa Claus tonight....as in for her to actually sit on his lap. She has been admiring him from a distance since he arrived at the local mall back in November.

She has been refining her response when asked "What would you like for Santa to bring you?" Besides the camping trip, Allison has now decided that she would like for Santa to bring her a baby doll. She was very excited when we told her late this afternoon that we were going to go see Santa so that she could tell him exactly what she would like.

Now, I was a little nervous. Allison's previous encounters with Santa have not been exactly pleasant. Tonight was different. I have to tell you it almost brought a tear to my eye to see her joy and excitement.

And my personal favorite (it just makes my heart MELT):

Getting My Jingle Jam On

2008-12-21T23:54:00.000-08:00

On Friday evening, our friends John and Cindy Lewis invited us to the Top of the Rock Chorus' Annual Jingle Jam. Top of the Rock is a women's barbershop chorus of which Cindy is a member.

We have been to hear Top of the Rock sing several times, and I never get tired of it. They are really quite phenomenal.

Besides getting to hear the chorus sing some great Christmas music at Jingle Jam, we also got a wonderful meal and were able to participate in a silent auction to help raise money for the chorus to go to the international competition this coming year.

Top of the Rock:

John and Cindy Lewis:

I always wanted to be a Rockette!

2008-12-21T23:40:00.000-08:00

...but since that obviously didn't happen, C did a wonderful thing for me by taking me to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular last Thursday. Let me just say, it was really SPECTACULAR!!! I loved it!

After the show was over, C took me out for a lovely dinner. Thank you, C. I had a great time.

Speak No Evil!

2008-12-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

I promise. She did this to herself.

Deck the Halls!!

2008-12-15T16:21:00.000-08:00

Come on in! Welcome to The Rickard House as part of BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes.

Come on in to our living room. Here is our Christmas Tree that I love to decorate. I changed it up a little bit this year, but overall, I like it:

I never quite know what to do with my mantle, but I decided to display Allison's Christmas pictures. That was all fine and dandy until I couldn't put my fingers on her Christmas picture from last year. My very favorite pics are the two on the left:

I took the minimalistic approach to Christmas in my dining area (that sounded like I know what I'm talking about - don't kid yourself):

Finally, I have a lovely tree in my kitchen where I stick my hodge-podge of ornaments. Allison loves this tree, and I love it being in the kitchen. That is our gathering place:

Thank you for going on our tour. Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

P.S. I almost forgot a quick-and-easy recipe. And it doesn't get any easier than this:

Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint Knockoffs
1 pkg of mint chocolate chips
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers

Melt the chips. Dip the crackers. Dry them on wax paper.

It doesn't get any easier than that, and they are "slap your mama" good!

And friends of mine, did you really think you were going to get the Peanut Butter Buckeye recipes?.....Not on your life!

Showin' A Little Love

2008-12-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

C even got into the spirit tonight and gave Frosty a big hug!

Christmas with a "Capital" C

2008-12-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

We made our annual venture to the state capital tonight to look at Christmas lights. It always looks so amazing. Allison LOVED it!

Pure JOY

2008-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

This was Allison's face last week when Santa walked up to our car as we were driving around looking at lights. She has talked all week about Santa giving her a candy cane. This is truly priceless:

Shower 2 Shower

2008-12-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

Allison and I ventured out today to a double baby shower in honor of Sean & Tabitha Clarke and Brian & Sarah (or Sasa, as Allison likes to call her) Smith. Sean, Tabitha, and Brian all work with C....and Sasa - well, we just love her.

Sean & Tabitha:

Brian & Sasa:

Allison was very excited that she was getting to go to a "big people" party. She even helped me make their presents yesterday. It was the first time for me to make diaper cakes, and she was very eager to lend her assistance. I think they turned out pretty well though:

I'm sure we all know, though, that Allison's favorite part of the shower was the cake...and not the diaper kind:

Jolly Sleepy Little Elf

2008-12-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

Fairy Wings & Pixie Dust

2008-12-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

I took Allison to Olivia's 4th birthday party yesterday. She had a Tinkerbell theme, and it was so stinking adorable! Olivia was so pretty in her Tinkerbell dress and fairy wings. They had a really good time - Allison talked about it all night.

And this is my favorite. I love the way she is covering her daddy's mouth because she wants to do it herself:

BEWARE!!! You are about to see the sweetest thing EVER

2008-12-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

Allison does not quite understand the concept of Daddy being sick and not wallowing all over him. She is convinced that he will be all better if she just gets up in the bed with him and reads him some books.

Allison was getting upset last night because I wouldn't let her in the bed with him (I mean, I'm pretty sure he has the flu or pneumonia or something contagious. And I will do anything to keep the whole house from getting sick - including sending C to a hotel room if it is necessary.) The only way she settled down and agreed to leave daddy alone was when I told her she could sleep in her sleeping bag under the Christmas Tree and mommy would sleep on the couch. She was so excited about this - it was the easiest time I have had getting her to bed in ages!

I could not resist taking a pic...it's not the greatest....but I didn't want to wake her up.

And I present to you, PURE SWEETNESS:

The Greatest Show on Earth!

2008-12-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

I took Allison to see Ringling Brothers' Circus last night. C was suppose to go, but he is sick - what a bummer! Allison and I had a great time though.

I didn't tell Allison that we were going to the circus until yesterday morning. She was very excited. I told her we would see elephants, and tigers, and maybe even some clowns. Allison said, "What about ducks, mom? Will we see some ducks?"

There were no ducks, but there were plenty of other things for us to see. She loved it!

"He'll Be SOOOOO Proud of Us, Mom"

2008-12-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

.....the Gingerbread Man, that is.

Allison and I have been constructing our gingerbread house today. Allison was very inquisitive as to how, exactly, were we going to get this gingerbread house together...and when does she get to eat the candy (also of utmost importance.)

I was explaining how this was going to work to her as we were putting the sides and the roof on. She looked up at me with her big eyes and said, "He'll be sooooo proud of us, Mom. Just so proud."

"Well, Allison, who is going to be so proud of us?" I asked (not knowing that it was a dumb question.)

"Mom, the gingerbread man....he lives in the gingerbread house."

Well, of course, he does.

UPDATE:
Here are the pics of our gingerbread house:

Santa's Happy Elf

2008-12-02T23:15:00.000-08:00

While C and I were in the kitchen getting ready for dinner, Allison got into my box that I had some of my Christmas decorations in and found my Santa hat. She put it on and came into the kitchen to model. She was sooo excited!

Sneak Peek!

2008-12-02T23:05:00.000-08:00

I have been working on decorating for Christmas, but I'm only going to give you a sneak peek of my tree. You'll have to wait to see the rest on December 15 when I am going to participate in BooMama's Online Christmas Tour of Homes:

TYO ISO SS

2008-12-02T22:45:00.000-08:00

(Three-Year-Old In Search of Scooby Snack)

A Little Thanksgiving Recap

2008-12-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Christmas Eve is three weeks from tomorrow, and I can't embark on my Christmas blogging without a little recap of a wonderful Thanksgiving week:

IN DESPERATE NEED OF A SOUS CHEF
We had Thanksgiving dinner at our house, and as in the past few years, dinner includes family and anybody from C's office that might not be heading home for the holidays. That meant that this year there would be 12 for dinner. I began preparing on Tuesday and quickly discovered that I really needed some assistance. I didn't have to look far:

And the best part:

That's right. She cleans!

WHAT HAPPENS TO TWO THREE-YEAR-OLDS WHEN THE TRYPTOPHAN KICKS IN:

GIVING THANKS
We really did have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year, and we had many reasons to be thankful.

We certainly have been blessed this year with health - including the successful removal of cancer in C's dad. We are also so thankful for the recovery of our friend Sarah's dad. That was nothing short of a miracle.

We were blessed with a family addition. What a joy it was for my sister to call me on August 1 to tell me that her baby girl had been born, and she was on her way to meet her for the first time. And how I loved meeting her for the first time last month. I was also so thankful for the healthy pregnancy and delivery of my sweet friend Christina's baby boy on November 5.

I am immensely thankful for the time that I have had with my family this year. I truly cherish watching Allison grow. Her little personality is a delight. How I love her so!

MOST REQUESTED RECIPE

Cranberry-Pear Chutney (C: Just call it what it is. It is fancy cranberry sauce)
1 lb fresh or frozen cranberries (4 cups)
2 small pears, peeled, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup water
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

In 3-quart saucepan, mix all ingredients. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring frequently.

Reduce heat to medium. Cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Cool at room temperature 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Chutney will thicken more as it cools. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Huh?

2008-11-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

Conversation at the Rickard dinner table last night:

Mom & Dad: "Allison, what would you like for Christmas?"

Allison: "A Christmas Tree"

Mom: "Oh, that's sweet. We're going to do that this weekend."

Mom & Dad: "But what presents would you like there to be for you under the tree?"

Allison: "I want to go camping with my dad under the twee...outside...and put marshmallows on sticks by a fire....and dad, we could sleep on pillows and mats (nap mats)...."

Huh? Where is she coming up with this?

Mom: "Well, what about mommy? Where is mommy going to sleep?"

Allison: "In your bed...you stay here, mom."

Whew! What a relief! I'm not a camping kind of girl....unless it involves cabins with electricity!

I'm a little Speechless

2008-11-13T22:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure that I can really write anything that adequately describes how hysterical that I thought it was when I walked into our bedroom and found my two favorite people watching cartoons looking like this:

"Hey, Mama Goose"

2008-11-13T22:18:00.000-08:00

This is another installment of "Allison's Favorite Books". I checked this book out on Monday along with 10 others, but this is the one that she has had me read EVERY night this week. She loves it! And I think it is adorable!

Here is what the inside flap of the book says:

When the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe runs out of room for her big family, who does she turn to? Her friendly real-estate agent, of course!

Mama Goose has the perfect house for the old woman and her children: Snow White's cottage complete with seven small beds. Snow White and the seven dwarfs take over Rapunzel's castle. Rapunzel moves in with Rumpelstiltskin, who spins her hair into gold; and so on, until all of the residents of Fairy Tale Land are bumped into a different dwelling.

Despite Mama Goose' best efforts, somehow the new abodes don't feel quite right. Will they all find their way back to Home Sweet Home?

Narrated in rollicking rhyme and illustrated with cheery, unique artwork, this house-swapping adventure is too good to pass up!

This is definitely one that may have to become part of the permanent Rickard collection!

Green Eggs and Ham

2008-11-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

I'm just now getting around to discussing the fantastic weekend that we had this past week. It was like Thanksgiving...only early. It was one of those very rare times when my entire family was together. I'm talking Nana; Mimi; me, my brother, and my sister; each of our spouses; and all of our kids. It was fantastic!

It had been so long since we had all been together that I forgot that my brother has turned into quite the storyteller. You know, every family has one. He gets his storytelling pose going on:

And this is how he begins: "Do you remember reading Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham when you were little? Well, it wasn't just a book for us. It's what we had for breakfast." He then goes into a diatribe of the weekly specialties in our house growing up which included: Wednesday nights - fried Spam with ShowBoat Pork & Beans; Thursday nights - VegAll with biscuits on top.

Now, my sweet little mother takes Bubby's exaggerations about her cooking really well. No, my mother did not inherit the cooking gene that my grandmother and my aunt have. And yes, Spam and VegAll did make their appearance on the table in our house - although not every week. Like most working moms, she did the best she could with what she had to work with.

There is one thing that Bubby didn't exaggerate though: I would literally kiss his feet when I was little to get him to cook my eggs because I did not want "Green Eggs and Ham."

Crockpot, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways

2008-11-13T12:12:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I love my crockpot. Let me rephrase that: I LOVE my crockpot! It makes me seem like a great cook on occasion, when I really haven't done much. You just dump stuff in it....and voila!

Case in point: dinner last night - Swiss Steak. My sweet C thought I had slaved over it. And I must say, it was delicious!

So, without further ado, let me share:

Crockpot Swiss Steak
2lb round steak
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons oil
1 can tomatoes; 16-oz chopped
1 onion; finely chopped
2 celery stalks; finely chopped
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoon wine vinegar
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt Pepper

Season meat with salt and pepper. Dredge meat in flour. (Note: I like to cut the meat in 1-in strips before browning). Heat oil in large skillet. Brown meat in batches. Add to crockpot with remaining ingredients. Cover pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

*C loves to have mashed potatoes with this. He was in some heaven last night!

Tigger Broke the Cake

2008-11-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

My friend Cindy and I took Allison to see Disney Live!'s Winnie-the-Pooh Friday night. Allison did much better than when we went to see The Backyardigans. It was a great story: It was Winnie the Pooh's birthday, and all of his friends were planning him a surprise birthday party. The story had several twists and turns, but there is only one thing that Allison is going to tell you about the whole show: "Tigger broke the cake!"

Bed Head

2008-11-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

This just cracked me up yesterday when Annabelle went in Allison's room to wake her up. They both had some serious bed head:

With a Heart Full of Joy

2008-11-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

I just want to pass along that my dear friends, Christina and Josh, had a beautiful son this morning shortly after 6:30 a.m. Preston Randy Morden was 6lb 10oz and was 19in long.

Their daughter, Annabelle, spent the night with us last night. I will be taking her to the hospital shortly to see her new baby brother. I will try to post pics later this afternoon when I get back.

Thanks to all of you who prayed for her.

UPDATE: Here are some pics of the BEAUTIFUL baby and family.

Just Say "No"

2008-11-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

I have desperately tried to stay out of politics here on my blog, and I suppose it is probably a little too late to get into it here since the polling places are open already. But, I have decided to say something about one of the initiatives on the Arkansas ballot.

Arkansas Proposed Initiative Act 1 reads:
"A proposed act providing that a minor may not be adopted or placed in a foster home if the individual seeking to adopt or to serve as a foster parent is cohabiting with a sexual partner outside of marriage which is valid under the constitution and laws of this state; stating that the foregoing prohibition applies equally to cohabiting opposite-sex and same-sex individuals;"

The original act that was proposed for this simply was trying to exclude same-sex couples from adopting or serving as a foster parent. The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the act was discriminatory, and the organization placing this act on the ballot went back and amended the act, provided the necessary signatures to have the amended one placed on the ballot, and here we are.

I am urging you to vote "no" on this initiative. I have done some serious soul-searching on this, and I am convinced that this initiative is NOT in the best interest of the children of our state. This initiative excludes same-sex couples, heterosexual couples, and singles from fostering or adopting in this state. It even excludes someone who might tragically become a widow or widower at a young age and choose to foster or adopt.

Unfortunately, this is a case where politics has hijacked christian values. We throw around words in politics like "homosexual" and "same-sex marriage" to energize an entire segment of people to vote to undermine what I believe is one of the most basic of christian values: caring for children.

I urge those who are dead-set against same-sex marriage adoptions and foster care to vote "no" on this initiative today and go back to the drawing board if that is what you so choose to do. Let Arkansans vote specifically on that issue. (And, I am in no way advocating my position one way or another on that issue here). And, if you voted "yes" and this measure passes, I would urge you to consider signing up for foster care yourselves. I can't even think too long about the number of children in this state on the foster care rolls without getting a little weepy. And if this bill passes, that number will grow exponentially.

Park It!

2008-11-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

Allison and I ventured over to Lakewood Park this afternoon after Mother's Day Out.I experimented with my camera (I took almost 300 pictures of Allison - most of which are now in the trash bin on this computer); and true to Allison's outgoing personality, she met a new friend at the park.

And this is probably my very favorite:

"Giraffes Can't Dance"

2008-11-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what has gotten into me, but I have become obsessed with children's books. Maybe it's because Allison has become obsessed with me reading them to her - and they better be good. So, I decided to post our favorite book of the week. It is Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae.

Here is what amazon.com writes about Giraffes Can't Dance: Gerald the giraffe doesn't really have delusions of grandeur. He just wants to dance. But his knees are crooked and his legs are thin, and all the other animals mock him when he approaches the dance floor at the annual Jungle Dance. But an encouraging word from an unlikely source shows this glum giraffe that those who are different "just need a different song," and soon he is prancing and sashaying and boogying to moon music (with a cricket accompanist). In the vein of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Gerald's fickle "friends" quickly decide he's worthy of their attention again.

I LOVE this book....and Allison loves it, too. It's got a great beat to it (be careful, you might find yourself sashaying along as you read it). And best of all: it's got a good lesson in it.

Trick-or-Treat Kitty Style

2008-11-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Allison dressed up like a kitty for Halloween. I made a black tutu (which she loves to dance around the house in) and attached a boa tail. We made her some ear and then painted her a cute kitty cat face.....and voila.....we have the cutest kitty in town.

Our first stop was the Park Hill business district where I use to have my shop. All the businesses hand out candy in the afternoon to trick-or-treaters. Allison loved looking at all the people dressed up. This was really her first ever trick-or-treat excursion.

Our next pit stop was at daddy's office. He took some candy to be able to give her. It was so sweet, because some of the other people that he works with also had candy to put in her bucket (like she needed more). Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera into the office.

Next stop: Bine and Sasa's (Brian and Sarah's). Allison thought this was grand because the "no-no" puppy was dressed up like a pumpkin, although I didn't get a good pic of him either (I need to get on the stick with my picture-taking skills):

After a quick stop at home, we headed to Sherwood Fest where they had lots of games for the kids to play in order to get their candy:

And, last but certainly not least, was a visit to The Lewis House. Allison got all the M&M's she wanted, played unmercifully with John, and even helped him hand out candy to the rest of their trick-or-treaters:

An 80th Birthday Celebration

2008-10-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my Aunt Helen celebrated her 80th birthday. In a style true to this family, we have been celebrating since Sunday.

Aunt Helen became "Mimi" about two years ago when Allison was first learning to talk. She couldn't say "Aunt Helen", and since my mom and aunt were living together all of a sudden, we had to find something for Allison to call Aunt Helen. So, Mimi it was. "Mimi" won out over "Toots".

I admire Mimi so much. She has a quite strength about her. She always has. And although her body may be aching, and sometimes it seems even failing her, Mimi is as sharp as a tack.

Mimi reads all the time. I'm convinced she reads the newspaper word for word. Don't get into a discussion about the current economic conditions in this country unless you want to hear from Mimi how we got here and what needs to be done about it.

Here are a few pics from Mimi's party on Sunday. Happy Birthday, Mimi. I hope you have many, many more:

P.S. - I forgot the funniest thing about Mimi's party. About 15 minutes before people started showing up, my mom broke her front crown off - tooth and everything. I'm talking nothing was there. My mom and Mimi were dressed just alike, and everybody kept commenting that they looked like twins. Mimi's reply: "She's 15 years younger, but I'm the one with all my teeth." It was hysterical. I'm still chuckling about it. Also, I do have a picture of my mother with no tooth. I'm saving it as bribery.

BooMama's Souptacular Crockpotalooza

2008-10-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

This sounded like a very fun thing to do. Just click on the button above and it will direct you to everyone that is participating in this Souptacular Crockpotalooza carnival.

PULLED PORK - ROOT BEER STYLE

1 2-3 lb. boneless sirloin pork roast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
2 cup root beer
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Barbecue Sauce

Trim fat from pork. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Transfer roast to a crock pot. Add onion wedges, 1 cup root beer, and garlic. Cook, covered, on low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

Using two forks, pull pork apart into shreds. Spoon barbecue sauce over pork and onions to desired taste. Serve on buns with lettuce and tomato or coleslaw.

*Note: I made this for my next-door neighbors when they had their second child. Within six months, they were expecting their third child. When they told us they were expecting again, Mike put in his order for more barbecue.

WILD RICE SOUP

2 tablespoons butter
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup water
1 can (10 1/2oz) condensed chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half

Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. cook celery, carrot, onion and bell pepper in butter about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Stir in flour and pepper. Stir in wild rice, water and broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in half-and-half. Heat just until hot. (Do not boil or soup may curdle.)
*This recipe is from Betty Crocker's One Dish Meals

Praying for MckMama and Baby Stellan

2008-10-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

*Update: Baby Stellan was born at 10:19 this morning. He weighed 6lbs 10 oz. At this time, they can find absolutely nothing wrong with him!

Many of you may have noticed the button over to the right of my blog with an adorable family that says "Praying for MckMama and Baby Stellan".

If you haven't clicked on it and read their story, you have missed an enormous blessing and testimony of faith and the power of prayer. I committed back at the beginning of August to pray for this family everyday.

Here is a small description of the background for MckMama and Baby Stellan written on another blog that has set up a prayer vigil for today:

Mck Mama is a wonderful Jesus loving mommy to three kids, ages 3, 2, and 1. Tomorrow she will be delivering her fourth! Here's a quote from her blog about this special little guy: "He [Stellan] was quite unexpectedly given to us, and even more unexpected was his diagnosis of heart failure: Premature Atrial Contraction at 20 weeks; Supraventricular Tachycardia, hydrops, and intermittent advanced secondary heart block at 23 weeks; and enlargement of the heart at 32 weeks. We were told at 24 weeks that he would surely die. God performed a miracle and MckMuffin is still with us! The doctors are unsure about what will happen to our baby when he is born. But God is not unsure!! We are praying for MckMuffin's full healing, but we know that God is good no matter what He decides."

Today, October 29 at 9:30 am, baby Stellan will be born.

There are literally thousands of people all over the country, and yes, world that are praying for this family today. I would like to ask you, my friends and family to pray for this family as well. Pray for them to be filled with peace, not anxiety as they prepare to have Stellan. Pray for the many doctors and nurses that will be on hand to attend to MckMama and baby Stellan. And, finally, pray for the complete healing of baby Stellan.

Again, if you haven't clicked on the button on the side, please do so. You may need a little time, because you will be hooked. MckMama is one of the funniest, engaging, faithful, God-loving women I've encountered in a long time. It has been such a testament to her that so much glory to God has come out of such a difficult situation.

I hope everyone has a great day - we are heading to take MiMi out to lunch for her 80th birthday. I'll post some pics later.

You Showed Up Right On Time!

2008-10-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

If you are a mother, you know how challenging the job can be sometimes. Don't get me wrong, it's the best thing in the world - but it's challenging.

And we all know there are no shortage of critics. The key word there is "critics": "why aren't you doing this?"; "you need to put a stop to that"; "I'd tan my child's behind if she acted like that." They question whether you are honestly trying to do what is best for your child or not. I could lay out a whole list. And sometimes it is particularly difficult when your biggest critic is somebody you respect - maybe a family member, or a friend.

Here's the problem: Critics demoralize. They wear you down just when you are at your wits end anyway.

But, there is an opposite to this, and it is what we as mothers need the most: encouragers. (I'm getting to my point here).

I was at Hobby Lobby on Friday afternoon. Chuck was coming home that day after being gone for six days. Allison and I had been to order Mimi a birthday cake; we went and picked her out some new music for the car (mom's, you know you have to change the cd every couple of months); and we went and bought Daddy a few of his favorite cookies to welcome him home. Our last and final stop was Hobby Lobby.

Now, I don't know about you, but Allison cannot go into Hobby Lobby without getting into a cart; otherwise, this story would be far worse. So, I put her in a cart. Things were going pretty well on our way back to the fabric department. All I needed was some orange tulle to finish a tutu for a neighbor. But once we got to the fabric department, Allison wanted DOWN!!! And she pulled out every trick in the book including: "Mommy, I just need to get out so I can hug you and kiss you better!" Yeah, right.

Well, she ran out of excuses why she needed to get down by the time we got to the checkouts (where there were two very long lines). Her excuses turned into very LOUD pleas; she started trying to climb out of the cart herself (which I stuck to my guns and made her stay in). To make a long story short, I stayed very calm, but I was at my wit's end by the time we left. And now, the point of my story is here:

A lady came to my car as I was getting my screaming child into her car seat and she said this: "I know you are probably frustrated, but I just wanted you to know that you are doing a good job." What? Excuse me? She continued. "You were in a tough situation. You stayed calm. You didn't give in. You can't. Once you do, she'll scream even louder next time. And I just wanted to let you know that, as a mother, you did a good job."

You see, this lady was an encourager. I'm sure there were no shortage of critics in that line, but this lady knew what I needed. And she, without knowing, has taught me a valuable lesson. She was an encourager just when I needed it the most. A stranger. I can only hope and pray that I might be an encourager to, as well as friends and members of my family with kids, complete strangers when they need it most....on the spot.

Thank you Lady at Hobby Lobby...I don't know your name, but I have no doubt that I will remember your sweet face for a very long time!

It's Out!

2008-10-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

....the stick (aka splinter) that Allison got at the Pumpkin Patch on Sunday if finally out of her hand. I do have some new heroes in this: Ms. Cindy and Ms. Shelley. Those are her Mother's Day Out teachers, and apparently, they have a lot of experience getting splinters out of hands.

Now, I thought Allison was just being a drama queen again when I picked her up yesterday and she had this neon green band aid on her hand. So, I asked Ms. Shelley if that was the case. "No, before she even knew what happened I held her hand down on the table, and Ms. Cindy plucked it out. She didn't cry or anything. She didn't want us to throw it away though. It's in her cubbie in a tupperware container. She wants to take it home to show her daddy." I thought it only necessary to share it with all of you as well:

Something we can all agree on!

2008-10-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Start talking about politics, and it becomes apparent very quickly on just how much division and differences there are in this country. We all have an opinion on the environment, the economy, whether we are rescuing it or bailing it out, whether Barack Obama has enough experience or not, whether Joe Biden has a little "work" done to his face on occasion or not, whether John McCain is too "erratic" or not, and Sarah Palin.

But, I would like to say that I have come across the one thing that I think that we can all agree on: dessert! I found these on Hostess with the Mostess. Now, if we could just get Mickey's to make these with a little amaretto frosting, the time left until election day might just be a little less painful.

Trauma at the Patch!

2008-10-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

If you come to my house today and ask Allison about her trip to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday, she will look at you and say "I Not Go Back!!"

After church yesterday, Allison and I drove to Conway to meet up with Nana before heading to the pumpkin patch. Allison was soooo excited about going....she didn't even want me to get her any lunch. "Allison, are you ready for some lunch?"...."No, I just need to get Nana and go to the pumpkin patch." So, that is where we headed.

It started out pretty good. Lots of swings and slides to play on:

Then, we set off to pick out a pumpkin to take home. Things are still going pretty good:

Here is where things started going downhill. My mom wanted me to take her picture with Allison in front of this little set-up:

And this is what Allison got after messing around on the log my mom was sitting on:

That's right. A Big Splinter. Right in the fatty part at the bottom of her thumb. It's still there if you would like to come over and help hold her down for me to take it out.

It only gets better.

Allison decided she wanted to ride the kiddie Tractor pull. She was very excited about it at first:

Then the tractor took off:

And went down here. Between "those big corns". "Far, Far, Away":

And this is her face when they came back around:

The End. The Pumpkin Patch 2008 - "I Not Go Back".

Happy Anniversary C!

2008-10-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

This is what happened four years ago today:

Also, it rained like seven inches in 24 hours and we were suppose to get married outside (I digress - but it still gets me since there was only like twenty meteorologists at our wedding).

C, so much has changed and happened in the past four years, but one thing remains the same: there is no one else that I would rather spend my life with than you.

We have laughed a lot. We have cried. We have learned what being together in sickness and in health was all about. We have learned what it means to be together for better and for worse. It has been fun. It has been hard work. It has been the greatest adventure of my life.

Happy Anniversary C! I love you!

A Home for Opie

2008-10-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today was the day for finding "Opie" a home. He spent the night on a table in the garage, but Allison and I decided to make "Opie" a more permanent home on the front porch. We brought out some friends from last year...."Sam" and "Libby" (ok - I was dreaming about shoes this afternoon and ended up with these names for the scarecrows). We went to the garden center down the road to buy a bale of hay and cornstalks. We also picked up a "crazy green gourd" (C's desription) to decorate the place up for "Opie".

The Making of Opie

2008-10-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Opie....that is what Allison has named our very first Jack-O-Lantern that we have ever made. Now, if someone could tell me where she got the idea to name it Opie, do tell. Keep in mind, she has never watched "Andy Griffith".

When I was growing up, I can't really ever remember us carving pumpkins. So, I thought this would be a grand thing for us to do today. Allison was excited, too....until I cut the top and took it off. She thought it "smelled like a skunk".

Anyway, here is the great transformation from "pumpkin from Wal-Mart" to "Opie":

Do It Again!

2008-10-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

Our friends, John and Cindy, came over last night for a belated birthday dinner for Chuck. Every time they come over, after dinner turns into "The John and Allison Show". John gives Allison a run for her money, with Allison constantly saying "Do It Again".

42 reasons to love Mr. C

2008-09-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

Mr. C.....that's my husband. Today, he celebrates his 42nd birthday. It's pretty low key - nothing like his 40th birthday when he got an armadillo cake in honor of all the armadillos he had trapped that year.

Today, it's just the girls celebrating with C. We're taking him to our trusty old favorite restaurant: Casa Mexicana. Trusty, because it will be the food we love and the waiter who waits on us every week when we go in there. Exciting? Yes, maybe. It will be our first visit to the new location. Unfortunately, C does have to work after that though.

I would like to leave my list of 42 reasons why I love C:

1. He is handsome.
2. He is a wonderful husband and partner in life.
3. He is a wonderful father.
4. He is very predictable - which keeps things calm and steady.
5. He is just enough unpredictable to keep me on my toes.
6. He is my biggest cheerleader.
7. I love the fact that he has 40 + polo shirts in his closet but they are all in varying shades of only 4 colors.
8. I love the fact that he turns 42 today; yet, he maintains friendships with people he was friends with in high school.
9. I love the fact that he is passionate about what he does. He truly loves being a meteorologist.
10. I love the fact that he doesn't think twice about sitting down and having a tea party with Allison - and that means everything to her.
11. He's a news junkie....and so am I (although we don't always have the same opinion about what is in the news).
12. I love him for being the rock in the storms of the sweet, but sometimes, difficult moments of our life together.
13. He is a great painter (not artistically. I'm talking walls - take a look at my living room - it looks fabulous!)
14. I love the fact that he had NEVER changed a diaper until the day Allison was born - and he was hooked. He has changed diapers all the time.
15. I love the fact that he never complains about helping around the house. He totally does what he can, when he can.
16. He is a GREAT landscaper and yard caretaker. Drive by....you can see. It's beautiful. He keeps probably the greenest yard on the street.
17. He loves my cooking which makes it easy to cook for him.
18. I love the fact that he refers to Allison and me as "my girls".
19. We both love Bill Maher - for better or worse.
20. I love the fact that he stockpiles New Balance tennis shoes. He wears a pair to work until they are not fit to wear to work. Then they become his yard shoes until they wear out. And he's always got a spare in the closet.
21. He keeps our vehicles immaculately clean (and you have no idea how hard that is when I am the one that drives one of them.)
22. I love the fact that when Allison and I visit him for dinner at his office, he sits Allison on his lap and colors with her for a few minutes before we go.
23. I love it when he gets tickled....especially at something on TV. He will rewind the TiVo a million times just so he can keep laughing (like when Roseanne was on Bill Maher a couple of weeks ago).
24. I love the fact that he is the most trustworthy person that I know.
25. I love the way he loves Allison.
26. I love the fact that he's not a booklover, but he's always on the lookout for something that I might like to read.
27. I love the fact that he surprises me when I least expect it. See my "Fall into Reading 2008" blog.
28. I love the fact that he calls me "mama" and I call him "daddy" like we're some old and tired couple....(oops, maybe we are old and tired)
29. I love the fact that he still remembers what I wore on our first date.
30. I love the fact that he is loyal - he asks for the same waiter at Casa Mexicana; he's had the same hair dresser for 20 years; etc.
31. I love the fact that he refers to going to the symphony as "getting some culture".
32. I love his dry sense of humor...he can really come up with some zingers.
33. I love the fact that my husband willingly missed Monday Night Football last week just so I could watch "Dancing with the Stars".
34. I love the fact that the last time my husband sent me flowers, he had the florist replicate the flowers that I carried on our wedding day.
35. I love that C never misses an opportunity to tell me that he is proud of me (unfortunately, I miss way too many opportunities to tell him).
36. I love that C's nickname for me for the longest was SweetT (pronounced Sweet Tea). Don't ask me why....but I loved it.
37. I love that he calls me occasionally when he's at work or when I'm out and about just to tell me that he loves me.
38. I love that C brings me a Route44 Diet Coke from Sonic if he is running errands just because he thinks I might like one - and I would.
39. I love the fact that C has been known to accommodate my love of Christmas by letting me put the Christmas tree up the second week of November....just six weeks to go. (Just kidding)
40. I love the fact that it does not phase C for people to tell him he looks like Drew Carey.
41. I love the fact that C is Allison's hero.
42. I love that all of these things boil down to the fact that C is loving, kind, considerate, and fun.

Happy Birthday C!!!!!

There's A Monkey in the Jungle

2008-09-22T20:22:00.001-07:00

Fall into Reading 2008

2008-09-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

*Update: I was out playing in the driveway with Allison this afternoon when the UPS truck stopped in front of our house. I thought, "I haven't ordered anything recently." It was a box from Amazon with the last three books on my list. I was really just kidding with my husband when I asked at the bottom of this post if he would get them for me because I am perfectly capable of purchasing my own books. But isn't he just incredibly sweet for doing that?

I have decided to join the "Fall into Reading 2008" reading challenge at www.callapidderdays.com

I am doing this for a couple of reasons: 1. I use to read all the time, and I do love to read. 2. I don't think I have read a single book from start to finish since Allison was born.

So, I thought this would be a great way for me to get back onto the reading bandwagon.

I have always thought it is so important to read to your kids at least 20 minutes a day. But, I think there is one step further to take with that: I think it is important for your kids to see you reading and to see that books are important to you.

When I first read this challenge, I thought the challenge was to read 10 books from during the fall season. Well, I wasn't going to sign up for that - and I wasn't going to read callapidder's blog anymore either, because I need people to keep it real. But, thankfully, I went back and reread and I just need a goal and it can be ANY BOOK - even my bible study that I am doing.

Then the dates for this reading challenge snuck up on me: today is the first day of fall. This may not come as a shock to some, but it came as a shock to me for a couple of reasons. First, it is 85 degrees outside and HUMID. Second, my husband is a meteorologist and I had to look at the calendar to see that today was really the beginning of fall.

So, without further delay, here are my books that I am going to read between now and December 21st:

1. The Living Beyond Yourself bible study by Beth Moore
2. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
3. The Gentle Art of Communicating with Your Kids by Suzette Haden Elgin
4. The Shack by William Young
5. Three Cups of Tea: Once Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Olive Relin

Do you think that is a varied enough list? Gotta go....gotta get reading.

P.S. - Husband, can you order the last three books for me from Amazon? Just click on the link....I love you!

Thought for Today

2008-09-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

"God reveals His majesty most clearly against the backdrop of apparent hopelessness." - from Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself

I'm going to try to write some of my thoughts on this a little later over at www.blessedmourning.blogspot.com

Move over Miss Arkansas....meet Miss Allison

2008-09-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is what Allison came up with when she decided this week that she wanted to be "a pwincess too and ride on the cars":

Allison's 1st Parade......

2008-09-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

.....and she LOVED it!!!!!

There were bands with "drums and trombones":

"Wots of Pwinceses":

"Floats":

"Tractors with big wheels AND little wheels":

and lastly, there were "horses that needed some potty pants":

Rainy day.......

2008-09-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

......means art day.

That's right - when it looks like this outside (thanks to Ike):

We have to pull out all the art supplies inside:

And we even tried a new faux paint trick on the kitchen tile:

Allison Graffiti

2008-09-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

We have a graffiti driveway that has been in the works for about a week now.....Allison and I tried to put some finishing touches on it this afternoon before Ike heads over this weekend:

Recent blogs that have made me giggle!!!!

2008-09-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have absolutely nothing witty, funny, or cute to say (do I ever?), but I have read some VERY witty, funny, and cute things lately. Take a peek at some posts on blogs that I read on a regular basis:

I can't believe we haven't talked about this by BooMama
I did not @ Mycharming kids
Chicken @ Bring the Rain

I hope you have a GREAT giggle too!

Fun Times at Funland!!!!

2008-09-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

The Morden girls and The Rickard Girls took a little trip to Burns Park and Funland this morning. Can we all collectively say that it was time to get out of the house?

After a long week indoors, this was so much fun!!!
+

Before we build the ark.....

2008-09-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

.....we might as well look cute playing in the rain. Don't worry, mom, we just went to get the mail. And then she just looked so darn cute that I had to take her picture.

An Apple A Day....

2008-09-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

All of this rain from the former Hurricane Gustav has really put a damper on all of Allison's outdoor play. So, I decided to pull out a little painting activity that she had never done before.....we painted with apples. At first, I wasn't sure what I might have gotten myself into, but it turned out to be a FUN project. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I didn't even realize that she still had her "apple" pj's on until after I started taking pictures of her. We had such a blast doing this!

Needless to say, we had to take a bath after this one!

It is a Man's World!!!!

2008-09-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our friends with the bambinos on their way: Brian & Sarah and Sean & Tabitha. They have found out this week that they are expecting boys in January. I'm so excited for them!

I guess I have subconsciously been wishing for some more estrogen around because I was convinced that Sarah was having a girl, then when she found out she was having a boy, I was really convinced that Tabitha was having a girl. What's up with that?

Brian and Sarah

Sean and Tabitha:

Meet our new friend Isis

2008-09-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Isis is celebrating her 2nd birthday today. Isis' grandmother and my aunt are friends and old neighbors. They invited our family to Isis' birthday yesterday. She had a princess party, and we all had so much fun. We hope to be able to play with Isis again soon.

Meet Isis - the birthday princess:

Allison and Joy (my niece) strategizing on prize selection after a round of Crown Toss (think bean bag toss) and musical crowns (think musical chairs):

Isis' mom is from Honduras, and she made this great pinata for the kids to take a swing at:

Meet Baby Ruth (check out that follow-through after she swings):

Happy Birthday.......

2008-08-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

....to Tabitha! Here is our sweet friend that is having a birthday today. She works with Chuck, and she is pregnant with her first child. She is finding out on Tuesday what it is. My guess: a girl. I'll let you all know if I'm wrong on this one. Anyway, Happy Birthday, Tabitha. We hope it was fabulous!

Week in Review

2008-08-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted all week....it has been way too long! I've missed you!

We have had a great week:

We went swimming last weekend at a friend's house. He graciously allowed us to spend some time there while he was away. I have got to get Allison some swim lessons next year. She LOVES the water!

Please allow me to pose for you while I get in the pool:

But getting in this way is way more fun:

And now I'm tired, so I think I'll relax like a mermaid here:

Big Babe, NOT Allison, came down with a fever virus at the beginning of the week. Big Babe had to go to the doctor on Monday and get her ears, throat, and lungs checked. Because Big Babe, NOT ALLISON, came down with the fever virus, Allison had to miss the first day of Mother's Day Out on Monday. We did get to go on Thursday though. She LOVED it! She was getting sooooo bored here with me ALL the time. She was a little bit upset when I picked her up. She wanted to stay some more. This is her beautiful artwork she made on her first day:

We got a new helmet and kneepads this week, so Allison spent some time on her new scooter:

Then she was done with the scooter:

And moved on to her bicycle:

And what did I get accomplished this week? (It's a burning question, isn't it?)
I made this:

Happy Birthday (L)ance!

2008-08-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Today is our friend, Lance's, 38th birthday...Allison just calls him Ance (pronounced ants).

Lance does not have any family here, so Allison and I decided to step in and bake (L)ance some cookies for his birthday.

And, in honor of (L)ance's birthday, I thought I would try to come up with 38 reasons that our family loves (L)ance:

1. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
2. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
3. He lets me take his hydrangeas (ok, maybe I steal them...but that's a mute point).
4. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
5. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
6. He loves Casa Mexicana almost as much as we do.
7. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
8. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
9. He helped me hang my dining room curtains after I tried and stripped out the screws that hung the rods.
10. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
11. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
12. He LOVES to fish.
13. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
14. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
15. He had a scooter before having a scooter was cool (it is cool now, isn't it?)
16. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
17. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
18. If he is there, it's a party.
19. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
20. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
21. He made up a song called "The Wheels on the Scooter" to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus" all for Allison's benefit one time.
22. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
23. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
24. He is one of Chuck's dearest friends. (Do guys have dear friends, maybe it's just one of his closest friends).
25. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
26. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
27. He unashamedly licks the ice cream off of paddles when my mom is here and makes homemade ice cream.
28. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
29. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
30. He danced with Allison on her third birthday and then led her around the house on her new scooter. She loved it.
31. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
32. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
33. He pretends like everything I cook him is the best thing he has ever eaten.
34. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
35. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.
36. He is so sweet to my almost-80-year-old aunt that she invited him to come to Conway and visit her sometime.
37. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably.
and......drumroll, please........
38. He laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably without consuming alcohol.

And, if you're single out there, (L)ance is STILL single. How could anybody resist him?

Just Indulge Me as I Reminisce

2008-08-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

Three.....it's been three such short years. But I can't imagine them being any more fulfilling. I can't write a whole lot without getting just incredibly sappy (there's time for that later).....so, I just have to share a few of my very favorite pics of my baby over the past three years.

And, drumroll please, my all-time favorite photograph of Allison:

Welcome to Candyland!!!!!

2008-08-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Allison's 3rd birthday party was so much fun!!! She has been waiting for this since May. We have a lot of friends and family with birthdays between May and now, and Allison just has not been able to understand why it has not been her birthday yet. Well, baby, it's here. I hope you had a great birthday party!

Candyland was the theme:

We made rainbows with fruit loops:

(Although some of the kids thought it was better to just eat the fruit loops:

Then we made gingerbread women (although Allison's turned out to look like a plate of spaghetti with colored meatballs):

Allison was so excited about opening her presents. This is the first time that Allison has been able to open presents by herself. She's turning into such a big girl - and she even said "thank you".

Then, she blew out her candles and everybody ate cupcakes:

The kids played a lot, and they played so well together:

The final big event of the day was to jump on Uncle David:

Then everyone did their hugs goodbye:

What a fun day!!!!

Saying goodbye to Hannah

2008-08-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

It was such a treat for us to have Marty, Hannah, and Evan come on Friday, spend the night with us, then stay for Allison's birthday party on Saturday. It was a bit hard to remember what we did when Marty and I would stay at each other's houses before we had kids. We concluded that we sat around, ate bonbons, drank margaritas, and watched "American Idol". I have to say this is way more exhausting, but WAY MORE FUN!!!! Thanks Harvey family for being our friends, and thank you Marty, for being my friend for many years now.

Towards the end of the birthday party, Marty and I had two tired girls. It was time for the Harvey family to go, but Hannah and Allison had to have their final words together before Hannah departed:

Then Allison walked Hannah to her car:

The many faces of Allison

2008-08-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about Allison is that she is VERY animated. She has sooo many different faces, and today was no different. As I was uploading pictures from the party, I just got cracked up watching how excited she was getting over everything:

Recipe requests from Allison's Birthday Party

2008-08-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here are the recipes for the two things that I made for Allison's birthday party. These requests were mainly from my sous chef, Marty. Thanks Marty for helping me slice and dice.

Chicken Salad

2 1/2 cups diced and chilled, cooked chicken breast
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced, seedless grapes
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

In a medium bowl, whip cream to soft peaks.

Combine chicken, celery, grapes, almonds, parsley, salt, and mayonnaise with whipped cream. Chill.

Luscious Spinach Artichoke Dip

3 (14 oz) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 1/2 (10 oz) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups and 1 tablespoon sour cream
3/4 cups and 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
3/4 cup and 1 teaspoon cream cheese
3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic

Preheat oven to 375. In a small baking dish, mix together artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, Romano cheese, and garlic. Cover dish. Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Cupcake Taste Test

2008-08-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

I made cupcakes today for Allison's birthday party tomorrow. Allison and Hannah got an uniced one for dessert at dinner. Allison didn't care too much for hers, but Hannah ate hers and then decided to go in for a top-secret mission to eat Allison's:

A quick "hello" to Tina

2008-08-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

I received the sweetest email last night from a customer from when I co-owned Lads & Ladybugs. The last time I saw her was about two weeks before my last day at the store in May, and I had given her my email.

Now, I don't usually do that. I've been in retail longer than I would really like to admit (try 15+ years), and there have only been a handful of customers that I really even thought I would miss.

Well, Tina is one of the people that I just loved. She has a beautiful little girl named Madison who will be three in November(?). Tina and her husband adopted Madison as a newborn just a few months after Allison was born. We just got to talking and discovered that we had so much in common. (Namely that we both LOVE to spoil our kids, and we both think they have to be the cutest ones in a bunch).

Tina has a smile that lights up a room. It was a true, true joy for me to get to know her over the last year or so at L&L.

I emailed Tina back last night with my blog address, so she could see what the Rickard clan has been up to this summer. So, Tina, if you are reading this, thank you for emailing me last night. It just made my day!

(P.S. Tina, I hope you don't mind me sharing this photo with my family & friends).

Madison in the tutu that I made for her (she just couldn't be more adorable):

What ever happened to all the great blogging I was doing?

2008-08-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

That's a good question! I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that all of Allison's birthday festivities are this weekend and needed some preparation; and Allison and I have been soloing it for a little over a week while Chuck completed "The Summer of Rickard" in New York.

Speaking of NY, most of you saw how Allison cried when we took her daddy to the airport last week. Well, I'm just sad to say that I did not have my camera with me when we picked him up on Wednesday afternoon. It was like a scene from a movie. Right after we walked into the airport near baggage claim, I saw Chuck coming down the escalator. I said to Allison, "Ok! I see daddy. Do you?" Well, she started searching - looking around so intently. Then - she saw him. And there was no stopping her! She could have ran in the Olympics this weekend with the way she took off across the baggage claim area. Chuck had to put his carry-on down in order to catch her when she leaped into his arms. The whole time she was screaming "My daddy! My daddy! My daddy" and just smiling from ear-to-ear. It brought a little tear to both of our eyes, and everybody in the airport was just looking and grinning like they had seen something really special. And they had!

Anyway, I will leave you today with a few pics of the fun we had at JumpZone on Monday. Nana took us there to get Allison's mind off of missing daddy and to start the big birthday week celebration.

(P.S. - Get ready....I'll have lots of things to blog about over the weekend. My friend Marty and her two beautiful kids are coming today, and the big party is tomorrow morning.)

A mother's dream.....

2008-08-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

.....sometimes turns into a horrible, horrible nightmare. A funny nightmare, but nevertheless a nightmare.

That is exactly how Wednesday went (ok, I'm a little behind on the blogging.)

Christina and I had this wonderful vision of taking Allison and Annabelle to their very first live show. I think we were even trying to tell ourselves it would be like introducing them to "the theatre." Yes, we were going to introduce a just-turned-two-year-old and an almost-three-year-old to "the theatre." "The theatre" was actually "The Backyardigans Live!"

Then, we were going to take them to this fabulous lunch at Mimi's (think the very opposite of Chick-fil-a, where we should have gone.)

Here's how it went:

We arrived at Robinson Auditorium; got our tickets from the will call window; and proceeded to find our seats - each of the girls with their Tasha dolls in hand:

The show begins, and Annabelle starts crying because it was dark. I did not realize that she all-of-a-sudden has become scared of the dark:

We get through the first half; the girls run WILD (and I do mean WILD) during intermission; they do not want to go back in for the second half, but we insist on completing this lovely trip to "the theatre". Minutes after we get our seats for the second half, Allison starts insisting (rather loudly, I might add) that she wants to go home. Then Annabelle catches on to this. Christina and I oblige, and we exit a little early. Can I tell you this was probably a good thing since we could not find our car in the four-story parking deck?

Mom, where is our car?

We finally find the car, which Christina and I basically kissed when we found it. And off to Mimi's we went....for a twenty minute wait for a table at noon (past the girls lunch time). But Christina and I still had on some kind of rose-colored glasses and decided to wait. Once we got seated, Allison decided to lay down in the booth with her booty in the air to try to take a nap. It was lovely.

After our meal, we left Mimi's and headed for Garden Ridge. That's a shopping experience for a whole different blog.

A Flare for the Dramatics

2008-08-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Daddy...

Hello Crocodile Tears:

And that's the way things went when we dropped Daddy off at the airport this morning for his trip to New York.

Allison's Salon Day

2008-08-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

Allison spent the night with Nana last night. When they got up this morning, they had a morning of pampering (as if Allison never gets pampered). Nana painted Allison's fingernails and toenails. After that, my brother's family came to Nana's, and my sister-in-law, Lisa, french-braided Allison's hair. Let me just tell you, she has thought she is hot stuff all afternoon. She had such a good time.

Poor Ninny

2008-07-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

I had to take down the mean picture of Ninny. She was ticked because I put it up, and I have to say, I really didn't care.....until she broke her foot yesterday afternoon.

So, instead, I'll put up my very favorite picture of Ninny. And Ninny, I hope your foot feels better.

I'm just telling you.....

2008-07-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

.....somebody is going to have to put me in for a mental evaluation when Allison goes to kindergarten. I'm all weepy just at the thought of her growing up, having a birthday soon, and it being her last day of school.