Definition of a Good Day

noun:
1) extra 20% off at Michael's store
2) great, uplifting conversation with a woman at cancer center (I was there for an abdomen CTScan)
3) learned the MRI of my brain taken on Friday is clear!
4) Katherine did very well in her first clogging class
5) went for a walk with Tara and her adorable twins
6) Greg was able to repair a doorknob for a neighbor
7) dinner came off without a hitch
8) during Family Home Evening Kat was somewhat attentive
9) I made a 47 point move against Amber on Scrabulous
10) There's still time to read tonight!

"Mom, you look AWESOME!"

This is honestly what Katherine said to me when I walked out of the bathroom last night in this outfit.

Last night our ward had a Pep Rally party and we were invited to dress like the decade we attended high school. I had so much fun putting together my "Working Girl" outfit. I found the black and green check jacket with HUGE shoulder pads at Goodwill as well as the black leather skirt (yes, that is leather). And get this: the glasses are my 80's originals!

The picture doesn't do justice to my hairdo. I always had a perm in high school and college and consequently didn't know I had naturally curly hair. Once I quit perming, I finally realized why my perms always held so well and for so long. So, what you're seeing here is my original, ratted and sprayed curl.

P.S. Just to the right of my ear and above the fence is the back of the house we built and sold. We didn't move too far away, did we!

Pinkalicious

Katherine's teacher has invited the moms to take turns reading to the class for ten minutes over the next few weeks. I was so excited to read Katherine's favorite books and included the lastest "must read" in her list: Pinkalicious. This is the story of a little girl who eats too many pink cupcakes, causing her to turn pink. She thought being pinkalicious was fabulous until she ate one too many cupcakes and turned red. To bring her back to normal color she had to eat green, healthy foods. As a special treat I made pink cupcakes, iced in pink and topped with pink sprinkles and gummy cherries. They were a hit!

"What does one wear to an 80's bands concert?"

This is the question Greg posed before we got ready to go to the Def Leppard, REO Speedwagon and Styx concert on Wednesday night. I'm going to have to say that it doesn't matter what you wear to the concert, but what you wear AFTER a head banging-take you back to high school-good time. My first Rock T-Shirt reads "Def Leppard, Loves Bites, Love Bleeds."

Fire Engine Red

Katherine's class visited the fire station on Thursday and I was so happy to go with them on the field trip. It was fun to watch the kids explore the station and trucks. The boys were especially excited. Katherine only wanted to know if there was a fire dog and once she found out that there wasn't a dog, she lost interest.
And, yes, I coordinated her outfit to match the fire truck. Not a big surprise to anyone who knows me well!

Beach and Brownies Don't Mix

Maui is only a month and a half away and I can't wait to play in the pool, soak up the sun, hike and snorkel! In anticipation of our vacation I've bought swimming suits, cover-ups and sandals. I found this adorable floaty suit and kid-size snorkel and mask at TJ Maxx last week. Katherine wore the mask for a very long time and "practiced" swimming on the family room floor. Of course, I haven't met my Maui weight loss goal and it would help to stop baking goodies. The rainy, and sometimes snowy, weather makes me feel like eating brownies and cupcakes. Katherine shares my love of chocolate and she's a wonderful helper, at least when it comes to licking the bowl.

Feeling Crabby

Katherine is walking around with a baby crab (imaginary) in her hands. Apparently it misses its famly. Wait. Update: there are two crabs, a family of crabs, she says. I'm trying to figure this all out:

This afternoon we went to Costo and there was a seafood market. I pointed out the crabs on ice to Katherine and she became very concerned. Soon she was crying about the crabs wrapped up in rubberbands that couldn't use their pinchers (word emphasized with her hands pinching the air). Then I made the mistake of telling her that it was okay because the crabs were dead. More sobs. Aisle after aisle she held her head in her hands saying,

"It's all my fault. I have to save the crabs."
"If I cry my tears on the crabs they'll come alive."
"Please, momma, can I say 'sorry' to the crabs?"

Finally, I carried her back to the crabs so she could say "goodbye." I explained to the seafood booth guy that my daughter was distraught over the fate of the crabs. That dumb man picked up one of the king crab legs, poked the glass in front of us with it and then roared. Idiot.

So, what do you think? Do I have a future PETA member? I do know it will be a while before we really explain where her beloved bacon comes from. . .

How I Feel

This is how I feel lately: like I'm juggling a lot of different responsibilities and projects and not doing any of them very well. Just when I start to get control of a project, I toss another into the mix.

I'll share the past couple of days as evidence: Greg is out of town but I had to get to the office to to prepare K-1's to be sent out to the investors. To acquire the tax returns I met our accountant in the parking lot of Bed, Bath & Beyond. I chose the location because I had 3 coupons for the store and wanted to use them on a couple of things I wanted.

So, with Katherine in tow, I went out to the office to prepare the mailing and to work on some smaller projects. We then had to take checks to the bank and make a stop at the post office to mail the K-1's. I also had to mail out 12 DVD's I sold for my mom on Amazon. We were close to Kimberly's house, so we dropped by for a short visit.

I made homemade macaroni and cheese but used mini shells as the pasta. It was really good, but Katherine refused to eat it because she was convinced legs would emerge from the shells and walk away. Thanks a lot Tifani! Now my daughter is convinced all shells have legs that may or may not fall off.

Since dinner was a bust, I decided to be crafty for family home evening. I cut out a pre-colored lesson and activity kit to laminate on the Xyron 1200 that was delivered that day. I was so excited to use the machine, I skipped a step and ruined the whole project. I couldn't go to bed without trying to do one of the projects correctly and thus redeeming myself. It worked, but now I have to scrape layers of spray adhesive off my granite countertops.

This morning we rushed to get to pre-school and the office. We actually made it on time, but I forgot to eat breakfast and only had a Diet Pepsi so I had the jitters for hours. I picked up Katherine from school where I learned she has been telling her teacher about her horse named "Eston." This is an imaginary horse who lives with Grandpa's horses. Next we washed the layers of dirt from our black car, drove out into a rainstorm, picked up prescriptions and then dropped off Katherine at my mom's.

When I arrived at my nail appointment, I was told that the manicurist was home sick and that a message was on my home phone-that phone I never use because I'm never home! So, I thought I would take used books to Hastings to turn in for credit and then hit Michael's craft store next door.

I haven't been into Michael's in a very long time, but decided to go to get supplies I'll need for the new group I joined: a card exchange group. While there I ran into my friend who invited me to join and our mutual friend. So, naturally, a 20 minute trip to Michaels turned into nearly 90 minutes. This group is stressful to me because I have to be creative AND make the cards.

Katherine was having so much fun at mom's so we stayed for a while. They were thrilled to have the trampoline up at last. It was time to leave when Katherine and Haylie began fighting about who owns the rights to the "Hokie Pokie." The argument ended with Katherine throwing a plastic monkey at Haylie's head. Play time OVER!

Too lazy to make dinner, I opted to get a $5 deal at Subway, where I ran into another friend from my old neighborhood. Standing out in the cold, talking, I decided I really wanted to just go home to my house filled with unfinished projects. There are the bins of winter clothes to go to the basement, half finished laundry piles, stake conference music folders in the corner, ebay piles under the grand piano, fabric laying out to be fitted for window treatments, wood pieces to be spray painted, ETC.

I have a problem of taking and embracing too many projects and not finishing very many of them. Sometimes I think I avoid being home so that I don't have to face the facts and just get things done. Maybe my perfectionism gets in the way? Who knows. . . At least I have a nice purple Aura (see below). Which reminds me, I need to paint the "Feminine Floral Retreat" (scrap/treadmill room) its two shades of purple. Once I'm nestled in my purple room, my aura will be at peace and I can be at peace. And so I sign off now to be at peaceful sleep as the Ambien kicked in during the first paragraph.

Katherine Cheesepants

Any mothers out there have any advice for the latest in my daughter's individualism? (That's what I'm choosing to call it.)

Katherine likes to eat "sprinkle cheese" (grated) and she is quite messy with it. While I was blow drying my hair she came and stood in front of me with just her panties on. She said, "Mom, the cheese is all gone." I thought, good, now I can sweep up the mess. Then she smiled at me, pulled down her underwear and said, "See it's in my panties!" Out fell about a cup of finely grated cheese.

As exclaimed in "King Bidgood's In the Bathtub," . . .

Oh, who knows what to do?
Oh, who knows what to do?

For now, she is on sprinkle cheese probation.