Monday, October 31, 2011

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Last weekend we went to Boo in the Zoo. It is exactly what it sound like. A halloween thing at the local zoo. Next year, I want to go to ATL's Halloween zoo thing. Anyways. We were all Super Heros. Pax and K were Pirates. It was fun! The best part was riding the pony of course. I am pretty sure if Kayla could have gotten away with it, she would have hoped up on the pony. Sorry Kayla.. you don't look that young.

Halloween Party 2011

As always, the annual Halloween Party has come..

and now gone.

Last night was a blast though. It never gets old dressing up and getting silly with friends!

The Good, The Bad, The Thankfulness

The Good
I have not actually looked at my current GPA but.. last quarter I made 100s on every single thing. This semester I have made 100 on everything in every class except one test in Med Law. The good thing is, I made a 95 and this past Friday I got 5 extra credit points to go to any grade I want. I am putting it on that 95 grade.. sooo.. The Good is.. I still have 100 on everything in every class for last quarter and this quarter.. I'd have to say, my GPA is prob. pretty good at this point!

The Bad
I have not worked out in 1 month. I had to stop working out due to schedule and I needed that money for school. I also have slipped with the eating habits. I can feel my muscles loosening up. I can feel the not so healthy food in my body.. this is bad.. soo.. Monday morning, it all begins back. Working out at home though. I have the time and the equipment so it wont be a problem. Eating is going back to the healthy meal plans. From morning to dinner. 5 to 6 times a day.. This is a bad that will turn into to a good..

The Thankfulness
I am thankful to have a sister. I have been spending some time with here and after not having her around for a few years.. I really am learning that a sister is a best friend. I enjoy her. I understand her (for the most part) I am thankful that Mady has her as an Aunt. I am thankful for you Kayla!!!! ily!

Part 2

A few days ago I went on a little tangent about Oprah.. most of you are probably asking yourself. Where is this pointless post going? Why and I readying all this stuff.. Well, like I said, part 2 is way more worth your time!! This is where that blog came from:

Oprah has a new show called Life lessons. She teaches life lessons based on past shows, people she has learned from, and experiences. I love the lessons she has taught so far. This is the first (and only) show I have actually watched on her network OWN. :::note::: I do not look or think she is speaking or teaching as a professional. I believe she and her team, have learned how to say things in ways that make sense to me. They have learned not from just their own mind but from other people that have made an impression on them.

Moving on to some life lessons!

Lesson 3: You Become What You Believe

This is true. I actually learned all about this in school last quarter in Career Development. It is true though. In my life this is how I know it is true and this is how I plan on using it for my future. At one point in my life I felt "stuck" I was a mom and then a wife. That is all I felt that I had going for me. As my friends began to graduate, as I began to wonder what example I would be for my daughter, as I started to wonder what my role in my own life was (not in my daughters life or my husband's.. but what my role was for myself) I hit what felt like a mid-bottom. I saw mid-bottom because my life was wonderful, there was no rock bottom for me. But as I tried to figure out myself, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted and needed to get back in school. School is where my heart was. At the time though, it was not possible for me to begin school. I waited and waited for the right time. I knew I would go back though. I wondered if other people just thought I was talking but wasn't actually going to go back. This is when I decided to start believing. I put my trust into God and knew the time would come. I started to believe that I was a student.. a student waiting for the right time to enter my class room. Aug 2011, I became what I believed. A student. As I walked into my first class with NO nervousness. With no feelings of first day butterflies or should I be here instead of working. Without a second thought about what I was doing. I KNEW. I knew right then and there that I was what I believed I was. (now there have been many other times that I have became what I believed, this is just the moment that I realized it. This is the great turning point into the life I was struggling to figure out) For my future, after Career Development which by the way was an amazing class to have as my first class of school in over 7 years of being in a classroom. My teacher taught me great things about becoming what you believe. Like Oprah, he truly believe that your head and your heart create who you will become. If your heart is in it and your head believes it then you will become it. He always said that you must think in the present and not in the future. Do not say things like... I hope to be on Honors. say things like.. As an Honors student, I am proud. We had to put our self in the present of our future 4 days a week for 6 weeks. It is still really hard to say the affirmations the "correct way" but my heart is presently in my future. I see myself in a dentist office. I know that I fit in with the other girls there. I know the success is going to be more than I could imagine. I am successful. I am proud. I am making my future better for myself and my family. If you believe it, you will become it!

Lesson 5: Joy Rising (while giving)
I actually didn't see this entire episode but, the part I did see was about joy rising while giving. Here is a daily question to be asked.
What's the smallest joy you had today? Mady wanting me to lay with her at bedtime. She loves her daddy very very much and she has her moments where he is all she wants but when it comes to laying with her after we read books before she falls asleep, it is always me she wants. Always. When I lay with her, she puts one arm underneath my head and the other over my head. It is not comfortable, I cant breath usually, and she pulls my hair.. but I lay there.. feeling the love of my child. As she pats my head or randomly kisses my cheek. The joy that comes across her face every time I say yes I will lay goes directly from her heart and face right into my heart. The joy is pure
After thinking hard about what I give to others I realized something. It is extremely hard to give without wanting something in return. To give out of the pureness of my heart. Even if it is just the feeling of being appreciated. I want to bring my joy to people's life. Not to my own life but to the people around me. For November I am going to try and do 26 acts of kindness. (I will be 26 this month) I saw an article about a lady who did 30 acts of kindness on her 30th birthday. I envy that. 26 acts of kindness with nothing wanting in return. Just joy for another person. Ill keep you updated!

Lesson 8: When You Know Better, You Do Better
This is the lesson that broke into my heart and has lingered there. This is what made me want to write about these life lessons. This is the life lesson that I want everyone to know. When you KNOW better you DO better. How true is this? Starting from when we were little babies. If you go to touch a hot oven, the next time you know better, therefore you don't touch the oven, so you do better. This part of this that truly hit me was not for myself knowing and doing better. It was for me judging others on the things I feel like they should know. The "common sense" things. But really, people might common sensly know something but they don't know better. With knowing better comes learning. Everything in life is a learning process. We know that if you leave an iron sitting on your shirt as you walk away, when you come back the shirt will be burnt. BUT, how many of us know this still do it? It isn't until you burn your favorite shirt that you actually know better. Get it? I can not judge people or even myself on mistakes that happen when I should have known better. There is know should have known better. There is only know better. You can not "should have" .. you can guess what will happen... you can use other people experiences on what can happen to make your decision. The decision that you make based on the obvious might be a correct decision but if it is not a correct decision, you can not beat yourself up about it. Big or small mistakes, good or bad decisions, they are only there to learn by. One you know better you do better. Amazing.. just amazing.. I love this! If you put something in the microwave for to long and it burns.. you know better.. next time you wont do it for that long.. you do better! When you drive one way to work that has 10 stop lights and you are late to work.. the next time you leave 10 mins early.. you know better, you do better. I could go on and on with the little things. The everyday things in my life that I know better and do better for. Please watch this episode online somewhere..

These are the only episodes that I have watched so far.. I have more recorded and will watch one tonight before bed. I will probably just continue to add to this post for the other "life lessons" she teaches. If you do not like Oprah, you should at least give it a try. This is the only show I know of like this. It is worth watching. I wish there were more shows like this. I would watch them over reality or news anyday!

.. to be continued!!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

To Hate or Not to Hate Part 1

This is going to be a two part post. I actually started this post with a different thought and title. Then it lead to needing to address a few things in my opinion first.. Get the ugly out of the way to say what I really want to say.. part 2 is way more worth reading than this part 1 post!!

As you know, and the entire world knows, Oprah ended her season of the Oprah Show to start OWN, her network. I have always like watching her shows. There have been many season I have not been impressed with and other seasons I have just loved loved loved.

After 25 years of doing the show she has gained "480 million" (so they quote) fans. She also has millions of "haters" which to me sounds normal. People don't like Oprah for many many reasons. I looked up tons and tons of reasons.. Too many to address, so I am just using two sites Ihatethis.org and nerve.com . I am putting the reasons these sites list and a few words from them. This is their credit.. you can check them out to read more.

I feel as though I should address MY opinion on a few of the 1,000 reasons people hate Oprah

Her idea of happiness involves a lot of spending
Yes, she does her show of her "Favorite Things" and it does turn businesses into overnight successes. She does talk about spending this amount or that amount on a good pair of socks. I agree, she does take her logo and put it on something to sell it. She is overtop with her products and endorsments. but PEOPLE.. she is doing a talk show. A talk show to grab peoples attention. She is not threatening you that if you don't buy it your world will come to an end. She does not have control over what you or another person decides to slide their credit card for. People want to see the cool and even expensive products out there. Who says that cool and expensive things don't make people happy. I know my computer was not cheap, it makes me happy. Can I be happy without it... OF COURSE.. could I live without it.. DUH.. (although sometimes I feel like I couldn't) She is not saying that your life will not have any happiness without spending money. She is just showing fun things that personally I would have not known about if I did not see on her show.

She fat-shames
The most powerful outsider ever to become an insider, she has the unique opportunity to show women that it's okay to be overweight. But instead of leading by example, she's punished herself with years of yo-yo diets, celebrating her low-weight victories by running a marathon, endorsing her chef, and famously bringing a wagon of fat onto her program
Are you kidding me. This one really got me. She is hated because she "fat shames" she has done yo yo diets. You mean to tell me because she is famous. She is a role model means she should be 100% happy with how she looks. If she doesn't feel happy about how she looks, should she be fake about it. So what! So what! What person, that is unhappy with how they look, has not tried to fix that. What person that is overweight has not done a yo yo diet? She ran a marathon.. omg, you hate her for that? Endorsing her chef? DUH she is famous, she has a chef. perks of being a chef to a famous person.. can we say jealous "haters" and the last one.. famously bringing a wagon of fat onto her program.. why is that bad? I dont get it? It could have opened up 1 persons eyes. How many eyes have you opened up in your day?

Her perceived infallibility
Her most devout admirers watch her religiously, quote her as an expert, and scramble for every product she endorses or even mentions.
This just sounds like people don't understand the world. First, people scramble to buy products that she endorses or mentions just like people scrambled (and then trampled on other people and killed) to get that damn tickle me elmo a few years back. Just like people scramble to get American Eagle jackets. Just like, people pay $150 for Jessica Simpson purses. This is how the world works. This is how people make money. Hating her because she has dedicated followers? So does the NFL. They have men that will not miss a game. They have men that put their guy friends and the game ahead of their family. omg, really... people that are on t.v. people that are famous.. people that are in the spot light will have followers. In my part 2 of this post, I am going to be quoting her. I do not look at her as an expert.. I know she does not have a degree, but she does have at least 25 years of experience. She does have good advice. Some people may quote her like an expert but people can argue that with anything in the world said by another person. It all depends on how you take it. I personally take it as good advice, as you will see in part 2 of this post.

She popularized the word "vajayjay
"Vajayjay" implies that there's something wrong with the word she's replacing. There's nothing silly, dirty, or wrong about the word "vagina." A journalist should be able to say the word "vagina." An adult should be able to say the word "vagina." In using "vajayjay," she's dumbing down her speech and infantalizing her audience, and further stigmatizing a body part about which many women already feel embarrassed
Nope, don't agree at all with this. Maybe she uses the word vajayjay because people are unconfortable with saying vagina and she wants them to be comfortable enough to talk about it. Don't judge someone for being uncomfortable or weirded out by not wanting to use a certain word. There are a ton of other words out there that mean vagina and I personally thing vajayjay is the least of our worries for demeaning or stigmatizing that body party. Enough said about that. Hate her because she doesn't say vagina. Really? Get a life!

Oprah is just like that rich girl at school that buys her friends, just on a much larger scale. If she would use half the money she spends on the poor, she would still have plenty left over to buy other important items for herself
I do agree with this. I think since she has sooooo much money, she should donate.. But on the other hand, how do we know for sure what she does or doesn't do. She could donate very little or maybe she donates millions. God will judge her and what she does with her life. The people that hate her for this. You have $10 in your pocket.. do you donate at least a $1 every time you are asked at a store or restaurant? My name is on all the little things you sign for donating. Always! Every time. If you have $10 in your pocket, donate 10% of it and you still have some left over. Everyone should help out with money or with time. Your heart is what matters. Don't judge her on something that over half of the U.S doesn't do themselves. Just because she has millions doesn't make her a target for hitting her up for money. Just like the person that wins the lotto.. Do they donate? Like I said, God will judge her life, not us. She has done a lot that we know about. What about what we don't know about? Good and Bad..

Arrogance
Just because Oprah’s show is popular, she thinks she is always right. Oprah does not have any degree(s) of education in psychology. She imposes her poor advice always on people, and what’s unfortunate is most people that watch her show believe it because, well it’s Oprah, and she is rich and famous, so she must be right. How pathetic.
I take my friends advice the same way I would take Oprah's. (maybe take my friends a little closer to heart since they know me) but I 100% disagree that she "imposes her poor advice always on people" Her advise is good. She doesn't get it from just her head. She has a team. A TEAM. that works on the advise. She gets her advice from other amazing people she meets and learns from. aka.. where this post first started was from some advice.. again, part 2! I believe it because it makes sense, NOT because it is Oprah.

Deception for Personal Gain
Do you remember that show were Oprah “gave” away all those cars?! People thought she was the best! So generous! After all, 276 cars is a lot of cash to give away! 8 million to be exact. Guess what. Oprah never paid for them, she just wanted it to appear that way. General Motors wanted to launch the new Pontiac G6 in a big way, so they stuck a deal with Oprah
I actually never thought she paid for them in the first place. Just like when she gives away anything. I figured they were donated by the company to launch or give their product a name to millions of viewers. If people thought she paid for them, I don't know, that's their thought.. and this is there "AhHa Moment".. (had to quote her somewhere in this part 1 post)

Oprah Morphing Ability
Oprah is so fake. When an African American women or man is on the show, Oprah talks like “Yo, what’s up girl”, or “Aight ya’ll” but when theirs a white guest, she morphs into Jackie Kennedy and is composed and talks so conservative.
I actually never noticed this. I will have to watch closer. If she does do this just because of the people she is around well, I don't thing she should. There are ton of people that do that though. I talk differently with my husband than I do with my girls. We have our own jokes and sayings.. but again, if she does this in a way to be fake or to fit in.. I don't agree that it is right. I have just never noticed it.

Oprah is a Proven Liar
Oprah said on her show she never did drugs. Then a media company finds out and is about to expose her. So Oprah does a 180 and confesses her drug (crack) use.
As a role model she should not lie about these types of things. She is human though and people lie. I didn't see where she said she didn't do drugs but if she did and then later said that she has done them, well.. at least she ended up telling the truth. She might not have felt comfortable telling people at the time. I don't know. As a role model though, if she is going to take on that role, she should be honest as much to her ability. Her life and her past is hers regardless of what role she takes on though.

She is a racist
well, I kind of agree .. sort of.. I do not think she is a racist in a way that she hates on other people. White, Indian, etc. I think she favors Black people. I am not being a racist but don't a lot of blacks favor blacks? This could get me in trouble if taken the wrong way.. I do not mean this in any wrong or racist ways. I have thoughts on all people regardless of their skin. I think that she favors them because of the hardship that they have had to face even to this day. I think her point might be to help and to share the hardships and the accomplishments. She, just like other black people (just like other Whites for Whites and Mexicans for Mexicans) want to be accepted and want everyone to understand the feeling of not being accepted. So racist? maybe.. again, depending on how you look at it.. but everyone can be looked apon as a racist in more ways than one. In ways that some people would not consider racist and others would always consider racist. Racist is such a touchy subject in so many areas of peoples self worth, peoples self beliefes, you have to be careful.. I think everyone should embrace everyones differences, hardships, and feelings.. regardless of if we agree or not, we should consider it and where it came from.

So pretty much how I feel is that Oprah is human. I am sure there are die hard fans that would buy every product with her name on it, feel and live by what she says, and continue to support her no matter what. I am nt like that and do not think because you or I am a fan, we should not be put in the catagor of thinking she is God. She is not God. I do think she comes across in a way sometimes like she is the most powerful women in the world. She might be in some aspects. People might have a worship like sense with her. There are so many things though that people have that same attitude towards. There are so many other people that think they too are the most powerful. She does good though. She does more good than bad I think. She might have an ego, she might think she knows everything, she might have a power struck out of touch with reality personality, but she has also gone from nothing to a millionaire. She has become one of the most known if not the most known black lady in the world. My point though is she is human. If people look at her as she is perfect and knows everything, that is their problem.. not hers. If people think she should not mess up or lie or say the wrong things, that is their problem.. not hers. The haters should stop taking the time to write about her and waisting energy to hate her.. move on with their life. It is all about the fans. How the fans take her, what they see in her, what they learn and take away from her and her stories, what impact the guest have on viewers. She opens peoples lives, she opens peoples eyes, she opens peoples brains, she changes people, even if it is 1 person isn't it worth it? Isn't helping a person worth it? I ~~think~~ know she helps people or at least changes their way of thinking. She has changed thoughts in my head. For the better. It is good advice.. put in good words. It is amazing stories.. stories to give hope or show how the world is different. It is "things" that I would have never known about or heard of with out her. Her stories of peoples life and situations stick with me. They stick with me more than she does in most cases. I was glad she ended her show though. I was tired of her. 25 years is a long long time. I think she is amazing and shows how you can change.. change yourself and others.. how you can try to change the world.

So to hate or not to hate? That is your own question. I don't hate. I embrace.. just like I embrace quotes I find on pinterest. or stories I read on the Internet, books, or newspapers. It is kind of like, take it or leave it.. do what you want with it. To hate though? How about just move on.. don't give your time to her.. try to see a positive side if she is for some reason pushed into your life. She is a human making a difference in someones life if it is yours or not, who are you to hate her for it?

part 2 will come tomorrow.. it is way way more interesting than this post though.. it isnt really about Oprah.. it is about some life lessons as she calls them that have hit me over the past month. It is quotes from her and others that she has made me "rethink" how I think. Good quotes to live by regardless of who said them..

and so she says

(October 2011)

Zak, Mady, and I are sitting at the dinner table. Actually let me back up.. Mady has learned how to be mean. On purpose. Mean while she is kidding around, mean out of spite, and mean because I assume she thinks it is fun. She has this little mean look with a little mean tone in her voice. (she is sooo freakin cute when she is mean) so back to the dinner table.. Mady looks at me all mean like and says something. I do not even remember what she said. I looked at her and said; can you say that with a little less attitude please? She looks at Zak, tilts her head to the side and begins to say it again. This time with more attitude, head bobbing in a back and forth motion, one eye brow raised, and I swear if she could have snapped her fingers she would have. That girl had more attitude than I have ever witnessed in her. We laughed so hard. I saw a little glimpse of her at age 13. (hoping 13 is the earliest she will start to show attitude like that) It is times like that when I wish my life was recorded to play over and over again.

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

Zak is in the bathroom shaving and taking a shower. I am in my room doing my hair. I see Mady walk out of my room, into our bedroom, right up to the bathroom door. Then I hear her.
::knock knock:: Zak answers "yea?" Mady responds in a high pitched voice "It's Traci" bahaha.. I burst into laughter. She run up to me and says, Mommy..pretend it is you.. I say ok.. then, she does it again.. ::knock knock:: Zak answers "yea?" Mady responds in a high pitched voice "It's Traci" bahaha.. I laugh harder.. The things she thinks of.. Do I really sound like that though? She is so cute!

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

I am sitting across from my Mom and Mady in a booth..
Mady is up on her knees right next to my Mom.

I begin to tell my Mom about the other day when Mady got in big time trouble. As I start to tell her I see this look on Mady's face.. so I stop talking. As I stop talking, I see her little mouth whisper these words to my mom

"Here She Goes Again" (with a little eye roll)

WHAT?! are you serious?! REALLY?!

The look on my Mom's face was priceless
The look on Mady's face when I burst into laughter was priceless

My child.. is priceless!!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Loving Life

My Husband is amazing

My Daughter is more than amazing

My life is beyond amazing

everyone else that is apart of my life

you too are amazing!

Thank you God

for believing I deserve the amazing!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Next Tattoo?!?!

It has been 6 years since I got a tattoo. I got my first one at 18 and my second one at 19. Before I had Mady, I wanted to add to my second one, make it more meaningfull, and get the coloring touched up. Time passed by.. Mady was born. Then I knew, my next tattoo would have something to do with her. It has been 4 years. 4 years of me thinking what do I want and where do I want it? I have the answers!

Actually, I am wanting 2 tattoos!!

Now, I am not getting them until 2012. My family is going to Hawaii, my sister and I are getting tattoos together. Lame? Not to me.. 1) she is my sister, why wouldn't we get tattoos together (not matching ones) and 2) I still have a year to think about what I have decided on.

First tattoo: Mady

not HER.. but having to do with her

I want it on my side.. as in the spot below

Mine will be Mady's birthday in roman numerals. I am not doing 2007, just 07.. so it will look like:

VIIIXIIVII

Madyson Jade

her name will be small under the roman numerals.

Pretty badass huh? and this is just on a computer screen! Not sure what font I want yet but I do want the roman numerals to be in a pastel solid color and her name in every other letter pastel or reversed with Romans in every other color and her name a solid.. but pastels. I want it to be light and simple

Now for the 2nd tattoo.. not 100% sure.. really I am only like 50% sure this will happen because I have never wanted a visible tattoo. The side tattoo can be covered, and when I am old, my wrinkly side will not be seen by other people.. they wont judge the old lady with the tattoos.. but I am in love with this. I love hearts, always have.. and I love it on the finger! Not sure which side of my finger though. Maybe not even the ring finger, although that is what I love about it. who knows, I have a year of thinking..

That side or this side? I want the heart though

The Good, The Bad, The Thankfulness

The Good
I don't know if this is good or bad or to be thankful for. I am busy every single weekend (most weekends on Friday night and Saturday night) until the 2nd weekend of December. Really, I have never been so dang busy.. that is not including Holidays from now until New Years Eve. That is just busy weekends. That is not including school. Just social/family/friend stuff. It is good though because it will make the rest of this year fly by. I can count down the year by weekends. It is bad because I don't feel like I have time for anything else AND I don't know if this year passing by this fast is good or not. I am just going to stay positive about it all, it is all good things going on! Things I am excited about. Memories in the making!

The Bad
I can not stand one of my teachers. She can not read the words she is trying to teach us. She can not understand the words that are coming out of my mouth.. (ok.. ok.. I just had to say it.. "Friday") Really though.. for example... Today- She asked us who did or at least looked over the study guide. Out of 16 people, I was one of 3 that not only looked at it but finished it.. The long, dumb, confusing study guide. So, she asked us to define a word. I spoke up and read my definition. She looked at me and said.. "ok, now what does that mean?" after a long pause, a little giggle from behind me prob from the I'm not sure face I was giving the teacher, she asked again. "Can anyone tell me what that means. Put it in your own words.." again, pause.. from everyone. (Simply put, the definition is what it meant) so she stands there, looks at us me like duh.. and then tells us The exact answer, word for word, what I just read to her. Umm.. really? Then she ask us if we understand. What I don't understand is her teaching ~~skills~~ technique. Moving on, she asked if we have any other questions.. Of course, I do.. because I did the study guide.. I ask her exactly another question. She says, ok.. Ill give yall one question from the actual test.. (it is the question referring to what I am asking about) she ask the class true or false, blah blah blah.. we all say true.. she looks at us like duh.. I thought she meant duh like correct.. nope... it was false.. the entire class would have said true.. Then she says, I want yall to know more than the definition.. So the next question she ask.. I give her more than the definition.. then she says, you don't really need to know all of that, just know a few words of what the "word" means. (now, isn't that a definition? a few words that the "word" means?) at this point I give up.. I do not ask or answer anymore questions.. Before we leave class, she says, you all have to get an A.. it makes me sad when I grade papers that are not an A, it brings me to tears.. Well Teacher (not using her name because I do not think she is a bad person, she may teach other subjects well.. just not this one.. not for me at least) but anyways.. Teacher, it bring me to a throbbing headache when I spend hours and hours on your long stupid confusing study guide.. then, it brings me to even more headache when you don't like my correct answers. After all is said, I only have 15 more classes with this teacher (at least for this class) and I am going to do everything in my power to ace her test! Even if I leave with a pounding headache!

The Thankfulness
Life.. just simply life.. being alive.. ability to love .. have hope.. and feel joy. Thank you God for life

Sunday, October 16, 2011

September 2011

Monday, October 10, 2011

DIY Halloween Decor!!

Today I actually made my first Halloween decoration! I decided I was not going to decorate much for Halloween and instead I am going to decorate for Fall. I found this awesome wreath thing on Pinterest that I wanted to recreate in Fall colors. They had used Christmas colors. I did not have Fall colored paper but I did have Halloween paper.. I love love love my wreath!

Check it out, and it was super easy!

What you need: 8 to 10 pieces of 12 X 12 paper (or 8 X 8)

glue and stapler

paper slicer

Cut the paper in half with the paper slicer

Pinch one end of the paper and glue it together

It should look like this at the other end

staple three papers together at the pinched end

repeat this over and over

staple or glue the top edges together to get rid of the gap in between

it will get hard to staple the pinched part but keep on

The middle will not nicely go together, that is alright as long as the outside edges fit together nicely

add a center piece to cover up the ugly middle

(all I had was my chicas foam pumpkin and some stickers)

Then hang in house or on door!

I am soooo doing this for every Holiday.

I will hang it in my house once I get the actual door wreath made that I am about to start working on.

With smaller paper, a small one would be cute in my chicas room!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Food!!

Click here to see what I have been cookin!

Just a normal weekend

A game of candy land with Dad while mom cooks...

I just happen to walk in at the end, and she won.. Can you tell she is excited?!

Then, after doing homework, this is what I find.

Only real dads dress up with their daughters.. regardless

Only real husbands let the wife take a pictures.. regardless

if I turn up missing, I'm in the backyard, buried, because I posted this and he found out..

j/k .. kinda

This is my first chalk picture..

I have seen a ton that I want to do but I only had a few mins so this is what I got.

Kind of cool though! She is such a trooper with my ideas!

Also, Mady got a new cd today. I made it and am pretty proud of the playlist on it...

I wanted all rock/soft rock/popish but she wanted some country too..

p.s. I love Norah Jones' voice

Amber- 311

Heaven- O.A.R.

Lullaby- Shawn Mullins

Marry Me- Train

Better Together- Jack Johnson

Butterfly Kisses- Bob Carlisle

Don't Know Why- Norah Jones

I'm Yours- Jason Mraz

I Will Follow You Into the Dark- Death Cab for Cutie

My Front Porch Looking In- Lonestar
Savin' Me- Nickelback

Yellow- Coldplay

3 AM- Matchbox Twenty

God Gave Me You- Blake Shelton

Like My Mother Does- Lauren Alaina

Cowgirls Don't Cry- Brooks & Dunn

These Are My People- Rodney Atkins

I Love You This Big- Scotty McCreery

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Halloween.. Halloween

Halloween is here in 25 days.. Wait.. our Halloween PARTY is here in 25 days. OMG!

This is a big deal!

Halloween is one of our favorite Holidays. Dress up.. who doesn't like to dress up? All the cute sexy short skin showing costumes.. at least at our parties. I am not talking boobs and butt out. ok maybe just a little but not like strip club costumes.. just short and sexy. Anyways.. like I said we only have 25 days..

What to be.. what to be..

The costumes I like are anywhere from $60-$200. I would never spend $200 on a costume. I promise. I would and have spent $60 though. I only wear it once a year.. heck I wear it once in general but golly geez the fun is so worth the money spent. Every year since I think 07 we have had a party. Same place.. kind of the same people.. I always seem the be one of the very last awake, dancing, rollerblading, or just running around. Ok, NOW I am excited!

So my problem is this year I can't figure out what to be. Money is a little more tighter than usual right now with my school payments so $60 bucks on my outfit and then $40 on is.. that is $100 bucks we don't have. Not for Halloween at least. What to do.. what to do..

2007 .. hooker

2008 nurse.. this is my fav costume ever!

2009 witch

2010 cowgirl.. my other favorite costume

2011 What shall I be?

Circus clown

Eskimo

(I already have the outfit.. just unsure if I love it)

Phantom of the Opera

Alice in Wonderland

STAY TUNED

25 days!!

(UPDATE!!... I got my Halloween costume.. it isnt any of the above.. but I love it soo much! Prob. my favortie other than the nurse! check back after Halloween to see what I am)

Monday, October 3, 2011

I just realized..

I was looking back at my first few post ever and as I got to the end of the post I remembered! I use to say how our day ended or put a quote of the day from Mady. Why have I not done that in a while? OMG! I am going back to ending with a quote of the day... Sometimes they will be a convo since she talks more now..

Todays convo:

Mady: Mommy, when you are a dentist.. will you still love me?
me: well yes
Mady: You will still see me right?
me: of course, you will go to Kindergarten while I go to work
Mady: I GET TO DRIVE TO KINDERGARTEN
me: no.. Ill take you
Mady: :::crying::: I want to drive!!!

moments later.. out of no where:

Mady: Mommy, is everybody peach like me
me: no, not everyone
Mady: what color are other people
me: well, you have brown
Mady: I knew that already
me: there are some people that are kind of yellow.. not like the crayon yellow but have a yellow tint to them
Mady: like peachy yellow?
me: exactly! Like peachy yellow. Then there is redish.. and some people turn green when they are sick
Mady: I never seen a green person.. have you every been green when you were sick
me: no, I turn pale.. which is like white white.. Oh! Some people are dark brown and some people are tan
Mady: you are tan sometimes
me: true I am tan sometime.. what am I today?
Mady: defiantly light peach

(Guess I need to go to the tanning bed.. who wants to be "light peach"??)

moments later.. after we pass Zak's work:

Mady: Mommy! That is Daddy's work
me: it sure is
Mady: I miss Daddy
me: I know.. he is a good daddy isn't he?
Mady: yes
me: am I a good mommy?
Mady: yes
me: is there anything I need to do better as a mommy?
Mady: no, I like you just like this
me: I like you just like this too

Screw the radio.. the car conversations are wonderful!

Such a pretty girl

Just a few pictures from the past few days. She is so pretty it blow me away. Everytime I look at her, EVERYTIME, I think to myself how amazingly beautiful she really is. Her round cheeks, small nose, texture of her skin, the long eye lashes, green eyes, gapped teeth, blong messy hair.. Simply Beautiful!

I love her side profile. I could not get my camera to focus on the

view I was laying there looking at bu still so beautiful!

Halloween Treats.. We made something good to eat

Halloween Treats..
We made something good to eat!

On Pinterest I came across a Halloween rice krispy treat. Today, my chica and I made it! I followed the link from pinterest to the website for the recipe. Now, this is the first time I have ever made rice krispy treats that I can remember.. I have to say, I nailed it! In the reciepe it called for a break dish but I did not have one. Also, it looks like hers are big and I wanted small ones. The best part, the rise krisp cereal is gluten free. It is new and not that we have to have it but it is much healthier. The sugar in the regular is like 6 or 8 grams.. in the gluten free it is less than 1 gram. SCORE! Side note.. I did not dip mine in the white chocolate. Mine did not turn out as good as hers (looks) but I didn't have the right pan or the experiance in making rice krispies! Im still proud though.

So these are the picture from Pinterest.. Cute huh?!

This was the GOAL