I think I'll take my fruit for a little stroll

Look what I made! It didn't take long, frankly because I didn't have much time to cut it up. I kept saying while I was helping prepare for the baby shower that I needed to run home and cut my watermelon. Little did everyone know that I was going all fancy on them.  The wheels are the ends of Honey Dew melons, hooked in place with skewers, capped off with grapes.  The handle of the buggy was a piece of the melon, from the middle of the water melon.  I have it hooked with two skewers thatI placed on both sides of the handle. One skewer in the middle and one on the underside to keep the handle up.  I just cut off the extra bamboo skewer off so they were not sticking out.   It only took me 15 minutes to put it al together. Luckily I had all the other fruit chopped up and ready to pile in.

What I woke up to!

The Elves were busy last night!

Sparky's 8th birthday is on Friday. She had to bring her cupcakes to school on Thursday morning because Friday they are having a holiday cookie decorating party. That meant that I had to bake BLUE cupcakes for her. She also has her birthday party on Friday...so if I'm baking a ton of cupcakes on Wednesday, I just as well bake more.  72 cupcakes in total.   I was very tired last night and decided to get up early to frost the cupcakes and what a surprise I had this morning. Our Elves took it upon themselves to frost and decorate all of the cupcakes.  All of them!  Oh, was I a happy camper or what! Super happy!  Sometimes its the little things in life.

I'm currently packing for my trip home to Nebraska for the Holidays. I just found out that they are talking about a large snow storm hitting the area this weekend, possibly dumping a foot of snow. I'm glad I'm flying out tomorrow afternoon.  I'm planning to deter the snow in the way that I always do.  I'm packing my snow pants, heavy jacket and gloves and snow shoes. That way it will probably just rain a lot.  Usually works. I pack for snow and I never have to use it. Fingers crossed.  Although, if it does snow, I can take Rue and Phin sledding.  Hmmm...that could be fun.

Oh blogging, how I have missed you! Alas, it has been way to long. I had the best intentions when it came to blogging, but there were several reasons why it just didn't happen.

Reason #1 I was feeling uninspired.
Reason #2  I was using a slow laptop that was prone to crashing. Annoying.
Reason #3  I was busy living life.

I've been feeling more creative lately, thus more inspired to create my nonsense.

I finally used a year an a half worth of gift cards and birthday/Christmas cash to purchase my new MacBook Air.  No more crashing. I can sit in my bed, type to my hearts content and post until I'm blue in the face. Not that I would do that and technically I would be rosey cheeked because I'm tucked under my down comforter. Can't get better than that, right.

I'm still busy, but for some reason...probably he fact that I'm feeling inspired, I'm feeling like I'm able to squeeze more in. It's not feeling like a chore to post on my blog.

I can't promise that this will last. I hope it will though. I've missed blabbing via the world wide web and spreading my angelic evil, both far and wide.

OK, I have to go move some elves.

Put a little glow in your bath time

Glow stick bath time!

A while back, I saw a pin on Pinterest. It suggested having a glow bath. I thought that sounded like a fun idea so I suggested the idea to Sparky and Skippy. After all, you can usually pick up glow sticks at the dollar store cheaply. I think I bought packs of 5 bracelet glow sticks for a dollar each. We used 2 packages to create a brighter affect and Sparky chose not to make them into bracelets, which create a nice circle. I have to admit, they loved it more than I thought they would. Sparky was so cute in the tub, lights off, curtain pulled closed. She was using a glow stick to stir her magical glow potion in the tub. The glow sticks in the water were swirling and Sparky was chanting magical phrases. the only real draw back was I had to set a limit in the tube. She didn't want to get out. I don't blame her but I didn't need her turning into an ice cube. Granted, I did warm the tub up for her, but she could have spent the entire night in there.

Clarence, Virgil and Martha showing off their snowman.

Well, another year when by with zero blogging from me. It's sad, but true. There are many reasons for my absence. None of them really matter right now. All that matters is that I have cashed in all my birthday and Christmas gift cards and checks to purchase my lovely new Apple Mac Air. I can blog from the comfort of my bed and nobody will be any the wiser. (Insert evil laugh here)
I plan to start blogging again and keep blogging. Sure plans change, but all we can do is roll with it.

Currently my live is very busy with out visiting friends, the Elves.  They surprised the girls by building an elf sized snowman after our first substantial snowfall of the season  Skippy and Sparky were at school, learning stuff. What stuff? You will have to ask them. Maybe you will get more out of them that I do. I usually get stock answers, like...."I don't know." or "Nothing."  I love to ask them the same question everyday. "Did anyone get in trouble today?" I get zilch from them. Now if we have a play date over, that's when I get all the dirt. Their friends fill me in on everything. It's a glorious event.  My favorite story was when Skippy's friend ratter her out. She said Skippy got in trouble for walking around eating her carrots at lunch. Ha ha! She tries walking around the house, eating all the time. The girl would never sit still if we didn't make her. No, scratch that, if she was trying to listen to an adult conversation, she'd be as still and quiet as a church mouse on Sunday. Any other time she's on the move.  I started taking her snack away every time she got up and started her strolling. Skippy likes her snacks, so she was a little pissy about it, however she soon figured out she needed to keep her rump planted on that chair.

Skippy's little sister Sparky has been sick every other day. Ear infections, strep throat, pink eye, wheezing...ugh, its never ending. Maybe if the girls could keep their fingers out of their nose and mouth, that would help cut down on sick days. Sigh..tis life.

What have I been up to? Well, that's a big order to fill. Alas, that is a project for another day.  Yep, along with updating my blog side bar and wrapping some Christmas presents.

By the way, its good to be back.

Nett

katies1sexymofo [11:53 AM]: i have another poem for you

Auto response from Asknetter1970 [11:53 AM]: OK, if you must!

katies1sexymofo [11:53 AM]: Auto-reply: poetry shizzle

katies1sexymofo [11:54 AM]: The Unsaid by Katie

I just—

shh

wanted to—

shh

tell you—

shh

that I—

shh

love you.

I'm back

It's the second of December and so far I've posted everyday of 2012....WOOHOO! I'm using the free wifi at the Omaha airport while I'm waiting for my delayed flight. Luckily my flight is only 11 minutes delayed and I have a 2 hour layover for my second part of my flight. If I get in early enough I will try to post some more. I have some pictures to share. Bet you can't wait to see them.

Happy New Year!

I hope your year has started out with a bang...or atleast a little fun! I had a nice visit with family and think it would be nice to do the same things next year. It was just low key...can't beat that.

Getting a head start...

I am now operating a sweat shop in my Mother's house. She's my main employee. She didn't get a choice in the matter, I just put her to work with little to no pay, just patience and understanding...for the most part I threatened to have her family deported if she didn't raise her productivity, but she kind of liked the idea, since she doesn't get a lot of peace and quiet. I personally kind of like the USA and I can't keep an eye on her when I'm half way around the world, since I forgot that I was her daughter. She's a good little worker though. I set her up with making a triangle template on the back of a bunch of circles. Then I had her folding them while I glued.

Three down, a million to go. I should be done with 2012's Ornie Exchange project by midnight, which will put me ahead of the rest of the gals.

The sky was pretty interesting yesterday evening. The sun was sinking below the tree line and it was sprinkling which created a double rainbow behind us. I was driving so I wasn't really thinking about pulling over to get a shot of it when the rainbow was doubled and super bright. I took these pictures after the rain had stopped so I really missed the prettiest part of the sunset and only caught one ring of the rainbow, but it was still super bright and pretty, none the less. That's the one thing I love about Nebraska...the sunesets are usually lovely. It's because there is nothing blocking its view, just miles and miles of farmland. The second thing I love about Nebraska is the people. Not all of them, but the ones that remind me that its a great place to live. You know, the people that always say hello or wave, even though they don't know you. The people that stop and help a person with car problems, those are my kind of people. They hold doors open for you instead of letting it go in your face. Yep, good people. It's home. It's home and its a good place to come from.

The Annual Christmas Ornament Exchange

I didn't take a lot of pictures at our Annual Ornament Exchange this year...I guess I was busy laughing. Anyway, I bet Tami will make sure I get a copy of her pictures. I can't wait to see them. That is Amy and Tami holding up one of the ornaments I made this year...I usually make more than one because I'm crazy. Anyway, this year I used combed wool that I needle felted. It took a while but it was fun and I like trying new things.
We took our exchange to a hotel in Lincoln this year. It's kind of our new thing, though I'm not sure Amy will ever want to sleep in the same room as me again. I was smacked with a pillow AT LEAST 8 times between 2AM and 7AM. It seems I snore...lol, which I knew but its always worse when my allergies are acting up. I knew it was bad when I got up and looked in the mirror. My eyes were red and puffy...not a pretty sight. The best part was when Michelle tried to tell me that nobody hit me with pillows because she would have seen it happen. She was up all night and didn't sleep at all. I told her she must have been dreaming because I was indeed snoring. We went around and around before Amy came to breakfast and admitted she was whacking me with pillows all night. I'm pretty sure that our summer camping trip is going to be tanked after that nightmare. Amy and Tami would end up sticking the whole pillow in my mouth if they have to listen to me roar another night, especially if its hot out. Although, now that I think about it, Amy should be happy to put up with me. After all, I was the one that told her that she still had that silver bow in her head when we walked into the resteraunt last night! lol.

Anyway, a good time was had by all. I'm excited about next year!

Want to meet our friend Katie?

Skippy likes to decorate for holidays. Sparky does too but not as much as Skippy does. You see, decorating takes a lot of energy and after a long day of kindergarten, Sparky only has time to grump and complain. The kid is exhausted. So, while Skippy and I stuffed the scarecrow that we named after our own Katie Leach, Sparky sat in a chair and tried to supervised. Sheesh that kid needed a nap. I finally had to tell her that she couldn't complain about our scarecrow not looking the way she wanted it to if she didn't help make it. That zipped her lips for about a minute. I also got a dirty look out of her but that I'm used to...silence, not so much.

Anyway, we wanted a scarecrow but we didn't have the clothing to make one. I ran over to the Salvation Army Store and found the jeans for $3.oo, which still had the tags on them and the shirt for $4.oo. It was more than I wanted to spend but the colors were fun for out fall decorating. I had purchased a burlap bag at the local flower nursery and a straw hat on sale at the craft store. I had a skinny board that I hammered into the bale of straw so the Scarecrow would sit up straight, then I cut a hole in the seat of the jeans so the board would act as a spine. I didn't paint the face on "Katie" until the following morning...because grumpy needed to go in the house and relax. She wouldn't go by herself...go figure. We attached the yarn hair with safety pins as well as the hat. I think she looks pretty good. We tossed on a few crows that we bought at the dollar store for added amusement.

I think she turned out great.

Sparky is an actress!

Sparky has a cold. No biggie, just a little cold. She also loves to watch TV. We have a strict 1/2 hour a day policy here. Now on the weekend when she is being a pain in the you know what, she seems to get away with a couple hours added to that limit. It's not on my time, so I don't really care what goes on...but I run a tight ship. Anyway, She was bouncing off the walls the entire weekend. I guess she also was enjoying her extra viewing time. She had asked her Mom if she could stay home from school if she was really, really sick. Of course the answer was yes. We don't send kids to school if they are really sick. You just can't function if you are feeling so poorly that you can't think straight.
Well, Monday Morning, Sparky was mad at me because I had the nerve to wake her up. She was moaning more than usual...she's not a morning person lately. She told me that Mommy said she could stay home. I felt her head and she wasn't running a temperature. So I asked her what was making her feel bad. Did her tummy hurt, her head, her throat...ect. Nope, none of those she just didn't feel good and wanted to stay home. I told her I would call Mommy and let her know...but I thought she should know that if we stay home sick, we don't get to watch TV all day. When we stay home sick, we relax in bed and look at books if we are bored. She tried to tell me that she was going to watch TV and I told her in no uncertain terms that she would not be watching TV, she would be in bed, getting better. That is what sick people do after all. I then told her I had to go make Skippy's breakfast and call Mommy to let her know that Sparky was sick and that I was going to make a doctors appointment for her. I hadn't even finished making Skippy's oatmeal, when who bounds into the kitchen, completely dressed and looking for breakfast. Yes, all the moaning and groaning was a thing of the past. Sparky recovered in less than 3 minutes. She announced she was feeling better and was going to school.

Hmmmm, I guess she wasn't sick after all.

Sad news

Today, my Mom's little brother lost his battle with cancer. He's no longer in pain.

Uncle Richard is now in a better place.
I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa Slater will be glad to see him.

When it comes to friends,..I'm blessed,

Every time I get together with my bestest (I know that's not gramatically correct, but I like it better than best) friends from High School, we try to take a group picture. Sometimes we forget...but that's life. This summer, we decided to be a little goofy, since we are getting older, though you'd never know it by the way we act. Michelle's husband had a bad motorcycle accident earlier this summer and so we used his wheel chair, walker and krutches for props. Since I'm the oldest, I got to be the one pushing Tami in the wheel chair. I thought it was fitting, since I'll probably be the first one in one. Michelle is on the krutches and Amy is behind the walker. I can't speak highly enough about each of these gals. They are the best. Truely, the best. They have the kindest hearts, biggest laughs and the craziest stories...all true stories too. If everyone had friends like mine, the world would be a better place I wouldn't trade them for all the riches in the world.

The Phin

My Nephew is a little goofball. I love him to pieces but oy vey, he's a turd. The thing about Phin is that he's not the kind of kid that warms up to you fast. Don't get in his face or think you are going to walk in the door and have him climb up on your lap or have him drag you off to play with him. Nope, he takes his sweet time deciding he'll allow you to be his pal. Most likely, he'll spends the first half of the day telling to piss off in 2 year old fashion and then if you are lucky, he might spend the end of the day laughing with you, hugging you, and chasing you around the house. Don't be a fool and think its going to carry over to the next day...oh no, he'll want nothing to do with you, until he gets used to you all over again. It kind of feels like Groundhogs Day. Oh and if his Papa Allen is around, forget about it. He's a Papa's Boy. I seriously want to have a chat with Phin about his choice of pals and good influences. I mean, really...Papa?! Whatever! Once, he decides you are OK, you are in...until then, stay away from him and zip it. He'll let you know when he wants you to entertain you. It annoys the crap out of me....but I still love him. It's really worth the wait for those hugs and kisses.

The Rue

The Rue is growing up fast. I just don't get to see her as much as I would like. Let's face it, two times a year isn't enough. Thank goodness I get three weeks int he summer to spoil her and annoy her and load up on Rue hugs and kisses. It breaks my heart when she tells me she doesn't want me to go and that she'll miss me. Oh how I love that Rue!

School starts tomorrow!

Oh people, I'm a happy woman right now! Yes, school starts tomorrow and Skippy and Sparky are BOTH going to be in school a full day. It's about time. The summer was great, I went on vacation and I came back to a couple of girls that thought all the old rules no longer applied. Oh, let me tell you, its been an interesting couple of weeks. It's like I had to retrain them. They yelled, they stomped, the cried that fake cry they think sounds real. Alas, they got nowhere fast.

Pickled Sun Tea...yum, my favorite!

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I like ice tea, UNSWEETENED! I really can't understand why people put sugar or any kind of artificial sweetener in the a perfect creation like Ice Tea. It doesn't need it. Honestly, gags me, just thinking about it. Ewwww! Anyway, I've been drinking a lot of sun tea lately. We finally ate the last pickle out of a HUGE industrial size jar of dill pickles. I washed that jar really well, filled it up with water, stuck a couple of tea bags in it, screwed the lid back on and stuck that sucker in a nice sunny spot in the back yard. Well, as soon as that tea was brewed, I stuck it in the fridge to cool and waited. Later,I took out one of "my" big glasses (I don't share my big glasses) and filled it up with ice, poured it full of tea, and grabbed a book. Well, from the very first gulp, it tasted strange, yet familiar. I sat there for a while and tried to figure out what that taste was and whether I liked it or not. I finally decided I did, but still wasn't sure what it was. I figured it was the type of tea I used. I hadn't really paid much attention to the brand. When I checked, I ruled that out because it was one I'd used before. It was a run of the mill tea, nothing special. Hmmm....then it came to me. I tasted dill pickles. I had washed the jar super well with hot water and soap but it still had a dill pickle taste. The crazy thing is that I decided I really like it. No, REALLY, I did, I liked it! I'm sure sooner or later, the taste will leave my little jar behind...but for now, I'm going to enjoy every sip of my Pickled Sun Tea-Unsweetened of course.

It's getting easier!

The girls and I were inspired to Tie Dye again. Actually, it was there idea. We did a Dye project last summer which consisted of socks, spaghetti undershirts, and t-shirts. They wore them a lot, especially the socks. Skippy was very fond of the socks, but only wears them in the colder months because they are pretty thick. This year we were inspired to make strappy beach cover ups, t-shirts and Sparky dyed one of her white denim skirts. It wasn't really white anymore...after 10 washings, I still couldn't get the dirty butt clean, even bleach didn't cut it. I don't know what she sat in or slid in, but it did a number on that skirt. The kid I bought was super easy to use...and you didn't have to leave the dye for 24 hours, just a mere 6-8 hours...so I was able to wash it out that evening.
I had forgotten what a mess it was to wash out all that extra dye bofore you can wash the clothes. Yikes what an ordeal. My fingers are still slightly blue/purple and that's after I took bleach directly to my skin. One of these days, I'll get a picture of the girls in their new creations. If I can get them to stand still long enough.