Scratch Off Cards

I just love "scratch off" cards!  

The anticipation is so much fun!

Voila....

Just For Today.

Just for Today



Smile at a stranger.
Listen to someone's heart.
Drop a coin where a child can find it.
Learn something new and then teach it to someone.
Tell someone that you're thinking of them.
Hug a loved one.
Don't hold a grudge.
Don't be afraid to say "I'm sorry".
Look a child in the eye and tell him or her how great they are.
Don't kill that spider in your house; he's just lost. Show him the way out.
Look beyond the face of a person and into their heart.
Make a promise, and keep it.
Call someone, for no other reason other than to say, "Hi."
Show kindness to an animal.
Stand up for what you believe in.
Smell the rain, feel the breeze, listen to the wind.


Author Unknown

What do you do with a lot of ribbon?

You make a ribbon topiary!
Of Course.

As we prepare for another household birthday, I wanted to create a unique "centerpiece" that could be used for four out of five birthdays in our home.  (And if you live nearby, I would be happy to lend you our newly decorated centerpiece for your pink festivities.)

I love. love. love. PINK and GREEN.   Love.  Thus, Pink and Green is our color scheme. 

Have a 'looky' at the fun ribbon:

In progress:

And the final product:

"A Birthday Celebration Centerpiece"

HappY CelebratinG !!!

Answer the Door.

Here I sit, after an unexplained leave of absence, and ponder.

It has taken some time... and I have finally accepted the reality that...

PUBLISHER'S CLEARING HOUSE IS NOT KNOCKING ON MY DOOR!

Nor is Oprah.

Nor is Dr. Oz.

Nor is Dr. Phil.

I don't even hear so much as a tap, tap, tap.  So, it is time to take control of my life and start pounding on their security-guarded, ten-camera, fiberglass doors.  I am going to pound until they answer their dadgummit door!

I am not quite sure what I wlll say to Dr. Oz or Dr. Phil.  But I am going to beg Oprah for just ONE of her favorite things (the amazing t-shirt bra?).  And beg that PCH will hand me a well-earned gigantic check for 1,000,000 dollars. 

Dear PCH,
It's Me.  And I am patiently waiting to be surprised.  Please make it a great surprise. 
See you on 2/29!

Out to Lunch

Hurry.  Hurry.  Hurry.
Always in a rush.
Rushing for nothing, really.

Anybody else have those kind of moments?

After school, we were in a "rush" to start and complete homework.  We were in a hurry to start, complete, and eat dinner.  We were in a rush to finish a project.  To do dishes.  To make lunches. 

My daughter unpacked her backpack and brought me her lunch box.  I checked it.  Pretzels left over from today's lunch.  Check.  Water bottle replaced with a new water bottle.  Check.  I put the lunch box in the refrigerator.  To get it off the counter and out of the way.  And there it stayed.

Daughter:  "How was your day?"
Me:  "Busy.  And yours?"
D:  "Do you really want to know how my day was?  Because I am tellling you that it was great until 11:45am.  And do you want to know why it was horrible after that?"
Me:  "Wellllll...."
D:  "I'll tell you why.  BECAUSE I'M STARVING.  I MEAN REALLY STARVING.  LIKE SUPER, SUPER HUNGRY!" 
Me:  "Oh no!"
D:  "I wondered why my lunch box was so light.  I had no idea what was going on."
Me:  "It's an early April Fools!"  ha ha ha.  "Thank goodness you had pretzels and water still in there."
D:  "My friends couldn't believe their eyes.  How embarrassing!"
Me:  "You could have at least eaten your pretzels!"
D:  "I couldn't eat after looking inside my empty lunch box."

double. Or plus one?

I really really suck at my part-part-part-time job.

I am never punctual.
I am never consistent.
I am never remembering.

Being a "Tooth Fairy" is tough!!

My daughter has lost 5 teeth in three weeks.  Who does that?  And what does she have -- "Super Teeth"?  Or is it just a test of the reality of the "Tooth Fairy"?

OK, I know, being a "Tooth Fairy" is not difficult.  Actually, it's quite easy.  You wait until the newly detoothed child is asleep.  You slip into their room.  You grab the tooth.  And replace it with the monetary gift of choice. 

So, HOW can I possibly mess this job up ... each and every time??

1.  Totally forgot about the tooth.  Even though it was pulled at the Dentist office less than 6 hours ago. 

2.  The tooth fairy forgot again.  Tooth Fairy slipped money under pillow during breakfast.

3.  Tooth Fairy went to bed and never woke up ... until she heard the "SHE FORGOT AGAIN" scream at 6 o'clock in the morning.  Tooth fairy came the next evening.

4.  Tooth Fairy remembered the MONEY.  But she forgot to take the tooth.

5.  Tooth Fairy took the tooth but forgot the money!  She needs to revisit.

In our house, we have a tooth fairy rule that was established at the very beginning... 5 years ago.  "IF the TOOTH FAIRY doesn't come, then she brings DOUBLE the next night."  

So that brings us to the fifth tooth...
And that brings me to my question:
If the detoothed child receives one dollar, and the tooth fairy forgets one night, then the following night she brings two dollars.  But what is the amount to be received if the tooth fairy forgets to visit on the second night?  Does she double the two dollars, now making four dollars for the third night?  Or does she just add one dollar, making three dollars for the third night?  I know how to double.  But does an eight year old? 

Let's vote:
A.  Four Dollars    or      B.  Three Dollars

I now propose a toast to all past, present, and future "Tooth Fairies".    Because being a tooth fairy is tough!
And financially draining, in my situation!

wacky wednesday waffs - my all time favorite

wacky wednesday waffs

wacky wednesday waffs

Go and get yourself a bottle of wine.  Hurry, it is exactly:  1-11-11 at 1:11 a.m.

And open a second bottle of wine on 1-11-11 at 1:11 p.m.

{Pause "Days of Our Lives" and ... oh, wait a minute!  I realized it was the wrong year AFTER the second bottle of wine.  At least, I didn't remember before the first bottle was tapped.}

HaPpY fErMeNtInG dAy!

wacky wednesday waffs

Now that the holiday season is officially over, I say, "Screw the New Years Resolution"!

wacky wednesday waffs

My New Years Resolution:  MORE LAUGHTER! 

Screw fine lines.

I am looking forward to craters!

Oh, and new panties!

Merry Christmas

wacky wednesday waffs

To honor and cherish the upcoming holiday:

wacky wednesday waffs

wacky wednesday waffs

Happy December 1st

Hope your 1st of December is extra sweet!

And as the old cliche goes:  ONLY 24 more shopping days til Christmas!

December also means that we are on the downhill slide to an end of another year.  2011 will be closing another chapter in everyone's personal book of life.  I want to cherish the memories.  The laughter.  The love.  Because in 20 years time, I don't know if I will remember the "little things" that make each day special.  And frankly, that makes me want to cry.  The kind of crying that can only make one look absolutely and dreadfully UGLY. 

So, there are also plenty of moments I don't want to remember either or for you to remember.   Like the time I had surgery.  Three surgeries, to be exact.  Just 6 weeks ago.  Three incisions.  This was so NOT elective.  I had two hernia repairs and another prolapsed something or other.  For some unknown reason, my 45 minute surgery was 180 minutes in length.   And my wakeup was not easy.  In fact, I did not want to wake up.  The recovery nurse spent five hours trying to get me to wake-up and go home.  Apparently, I had overstayed my welcome.  Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I only slept three hours the night before surgery.  I sure was tired! 

Now that I am somewhat healed.  I ventured out on a 5K with my family.  The Turkey Trot was a great way to begin the Thanksgiving holiday -- running before a day of feasting.  It was a beautiful morning and I believe that is what the other 11,995 people were thinking too as they donned their running shoes.  The crowd!  I don't believe the streets in my city are wide enough for that many people.  Perhaps, 2000 runners wore chips to actually try and compete... while the other 10,000 runners were just there for the *fun*.

At the race's end, my darling husband and elated eldest daughter were waiting for me and my two riding littles to cross the *finish* line. 

Me:  "How did you do?"

DH:  "We did okay, but there were a lot of people to *run* around?  How was your run?"

Me:  "I don't know... WHY don't you try SHOVING 120 POUNDS UP SIX HILLS?  Oh, and did I mention that the front wheel sprung off its quick release hinge and I had to carry the wheel while balancing those 120 pounds of children and stroller?"

Other than the mishaps and the hills, it was a great run.  Luckily, the endorphins were kicked in and I was just happy!  And then the results:  My eldest placed in her age group.  I am so proud of her. 

What I Have Realized

...that on school holidays, when all 5.3 of us exist in one common area called the "home", I have realized this:

There is NOT enough CAFFEINE in the house to get me through a day!  Coffee, hot tea, iced tea, diet coke... really, it's just NOT enough!   My body does not even respond to anything less than 52 ounces of some sort of caffeine. 

But on the flip side, my bladder is probably thankful.

wacky wednesday waffs

Happy Thanksgiving

What we're really talking about is

a wonderful day set aside on the fourth

Thursday of November when

no one diets.  I mean, why else

would they call it THANKSGIVING?

{Erma Bombeck}

wacky wednesday waffs