Bloggy Bling

For me? Aw, shucks. I "met" @CTMom on Twitter several months ago. She's such a fun person to talk to and tweet with. Well, she awarded me with this:

Isn't it pretty?

"The Humane Award honors eight certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted
individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the
sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary
blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis.
I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog
world. Link back to the person who gifted you with the award and share the
love with other bloggers.”

I do like to share the love...so I'll pass this on to:

1. Holly at Tropic of Mom
2. Chelle at Creative Thoughts
3. Amy at Chicken and Cheese
4. Kate at House of Revelry
5. Cathy at Mayberry Mom
6. FADKOG
7. Louann at Calculated Spontaneity
8. Sarah at Slouching Past 40

Thanks to all who come here and read my randomness. Extra hugs to those who comment. Thank you!

Awarding Meme

Here's how the Honest Scrap Award works:

I must thank the person who gave me the award and list their blog and link it.

I must list 10 honest things about myself.

I must put a copy of The Honest Scrap Logo on my blog.

I must select at least 7 other worthy bloggers & list their links.

I must notify the bloggers of the award and hopefully they will follow the above requirements.

Lord knows I love to be like a wild buffalo and follow the herd, so let me see...thank you to the lovely Mrs. Dragon for giving me this fine award.

10 honest things. I can do that. But, like Amanda, I am curious about the origin of this award. Honest Scrap? That makes me think I have to write honest things about my scrapbooking habits. Wouldn't that be scintillating reading? Probably not. So. Here are 10 honest things that you probably didn't want to know!

1. I am a mosquito magnet. Honestly. They love me. I must be very sweet. Also? I react somewhat dramatically to mosquito bites. My bites swell to quarter and half-dollar size. When I was on vacation, one bit me on my right butt cheek. Not fun Friends, not fun at all.


2. I laugh heartily at the wipeouts on Wipeout. Yes. I do. Judge me if you will.


3. I'm not that great of a mother. I'm lazy. I yell too often. I hope that the moments that I do shine as a mother with sustain my children more than my failings will bring me down.


4. I like to be depressing on my blog.


5. I take a lot of teasing about Twitter but much good has come to me from it.


6. No matter how many sales I make in my etsy shop I think more people should be buying. It's very much just a hobby shop for me, but I always think my work is fabulous and should have tons of buyers. Honestly, I do great work! ;)


7. If the bat from a few weeks ago appears again I will go slightly batty.


8. Some of my favorite things include manicures and pedicures. I do not get them often, but I enjoy both immensely.


9. The week I spend "up north" with my family is one of the best, if not the absolute best, of the entire year.


10. I cannot imagine a better life. I am blessed and I know it. I still yell and complain and am unpleasant to be around, but I know that this is truly what life is about.

Nominees:

1. Creative Thoughts
2. Growing a Pair
3. Mayberry Mom
4. Tropic of Mom
5. Calculated Spontaneity
6. House of Revelry
7. You, if you want to do it!

The problem with me doing these kinds of memes is that many of the bloggers I read don't do memes at all, or they are seldom posting anymore. So, while I've tagged these wonderful people, I don't really expect anyone to do it because they are all so busy!

Look! A Shiny New Button!

Thanks to Cindy at MonkeyBoy Adventures I received my first award of 2009! (I think. Right? If you gave me one earlier and I forgot, I'm sorry. What can I say? I'm a jerk.)

As with most things, there are rules involved, so here they are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!

3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Remember to link the person from whom you received your award.

So here are the 10 bloggers I'm passing this to: (it is so hard to pick so few of all the great blogs I read!)

1. Chelle at Creative Thoughts by Chelle

2. Damselfly at Growing a Life

3. Kirsetin at Hip Mom's Guide

4. Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing

5. Cathy at Mayberry Mom

6. Amanda at Tumble Dry

7. Angi at Ahh The Little Things

8. Kara at Phemomenal

9. Stacey at Is There Any Mommy Out There?

10. Louann at Calculated Spontaneity

Thanks for the friendship ladies!

Christmas Spirit Award

The very wonderful Chelle at Creative Thoughts by Chelle, who has been my bloggie friend for quite a while now has given me an award. (And before the other 2 ladies who have given me awards that I haven't yet acknowledged get upset - as if they would - I want them to know that this one is pretty timely so I thought I'd better pass it on quickly before it expires! And I am going to acknowledge the other awards...really I am. And I do appreciate them.)





So, here it is:



Pretty isn't it?


Here is what I'm supposed to do:

Christmas Spirit Award rules:You must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award. The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas. You must link back to the person who gave you the award. You must list 5 things that you love about Christmas. If you can’t limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space! Pass the award along to as many people as you like.That can be 1 or 45; it’s up to you. But, you must pass it on to at least one person in order to keep the Christmas cheer going! Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment.

So here we go:

1. I love getting the kids in their pajamas and heading out in the already warm car to look at Christmas lights. We pop popcorn to bring with us and try to remember to bring some water to drink. The kids fight over who gets to see what light display first, but it's fun because they care about who gets to see the lights first. It's a dumb thing to fight over, but it means they're into the spirit and want to see the lights.
2. I love the anticipation of knowing I've bought/made a really great gift (at least in my mind) and waiting to see the person I've bought/made it for open it. The spirit of Christmas for me (at least as an adult) has always been giving to others and seeing that I've given something special.
3. I love making the goodies with the kids. We make at least two kinds of Christmas treats each year and the kids seem to enjoy it so much.
4. Much as I complain about it, I really enjoy wrapping the gifts and making them pretty. I often don't have time to make the gifts really as pretty as I'd like to since I've had kids, but I still enjoy making the "things" pretty in the paper.
5. I love seeing the wonder in my children's eyes. Baby D won't really understand this year, but she will still take in the sights and sounds and be enthralled with it all. M and K see Santa and are in awe. Then Christmas morning, when they see all those presents? That is pure awe.
6. For the first time, this Christmas Eve, I will see two of my children sing in church (on Christmas Eve). We usually don't attend on Christmas. There will likely be tears. (Yes I know we're backwards.)

I'm going to pass this on to two of my good friends: Sandy and Kara. Merry Christmas friends. I hope you know how much you mean to me.

Have a Royally Good Christmas

Last year for the first time I decorated a Christmas tree long before most think of doing so. I did it for Hiawatha Homes' annual Festival of Trees. Three of my friends and I made a tree filled with Candyland dreams .

This year I'll be decorating two trees. One with two of my friends and another with my husband and kids.

I actually really enjoy decorating the themed Christmas trees because our home Christmas tree is filled with a modge podge of decorations ranging from the first ornament I received from my grandmother as a baby to the latest ornament I bought for my kids on clearance at Target. These trees I decorate give me the chance to decorate a tree that is coordinated and unsentimental.

The kids go to see the trees and are immediately enraptured by the themes. Last year, M loved the Barbie tree for its pure pinkness. K loved the woodcarver's tree that had a barn at the base.

So this year the theme for the tree with my friends was "Have a Royally Good Christmas."

Here are the pics:

If you're in the area, please visit. It doesn't cost much to see the trees and the kids are usually quite impressed with the trees.

And we hope you have a Royally Good Christmas.

One tree done. One to go for the festival. I'll post those when it is done.

I Think to Myself What a Wonderful World

Do you remember in high school when someone in the “popular crowd” would say hi to you or ask you to be in their group in a class so they could copy off your work and you felt all special like a really important person had acknowledged your existence?

{crickets}

Uh, yeah. Me either ‘cuz I was totally one of those popular girls.

{whistling}

Anywho…

Last weekend was pretty exciting for my little old blog and me.

First, I got my very first award from Holly at Tropic of Mom. (Now if I could only figure out how to put the button in my sidebar!) Thanks Holly! You’re the best! Mwah!

Then, I got my little old blog added to the moms topic on Alltop. Seriously. Alltop! Thanks Guy! You’re the best! Mwah!

Then, Gunfighter asked me to write a guest post for his blog. I’ve never been asked to write a guest post before! And me, sitting there in my pajamas all unprepared for the love! Thanks Bill! You’re the best! Mwah!

And finally, to top it off (huh, I should have left the Alltop for this one…get it?) I got an email from Julie saying that I am now a blogger for the Parent Bloggers Network! Thanks Julie! You’re the best! Mwah!

{pushing up my taped glasses and pulling up my trousers}

So, how was your weekend?

Tomorrow I'm answering one of those questions you asked...

...I'm also here today!

Spreading the love...

If you could see me, you'd see my blush. I was given the Mwah! award ("a chaste kiss given to say thank you for friendships and comments in the blogosphere") by two of my favorite bloggers, Alex Elliot and Slouching Mom (Sarah). There is a cute kiss-shaped button that goes with the award, but I'm apparently not savvy enough to figure out how to post it here. (Click on Alex or Sarah's blog to see it!)

Because I love comments so much, and because I was honored twice for my comments, I'd like to pass on the Mwah! award to some of my most consistent commenters. I appreciate that you take the time to read my blog AND comment so often. It helps me to know that I'm writing to more than just myself!

So, I award a big Mwah! to the bloggers at:

Slouching Past 40 (back at you)
Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting (ditto)
Crazy Thoughts by Chelle
View From the Cloud
Growing a Life
Pantsfreesia
Wherever Ewe Go There Ewe Are
Mother Nature

I'm sure I forgot someone, just because I have that pregnant brain going on, but rest assured I want to give anyone who comments a big Mwah!

Thanks!

Random Thoughts #14

Edited to add link to online news article re: Hannah Davis.


Yeah, it's supposed to be 13, but I don't do that number because I'm a freak.


An item in the paper that made me laugh:


Parking lot of RCTC's Heintz Center, Thursday. An 18-year-old man smashed the windows and taillights of his car with a crowbar because he was frustrated when it broke down. Later he lit it on fire. The man was arrested and faces arson charges.


I think he might have some anger issues.

So the graphic is a little large, but I am not so smart about this web stuff anymore. My BabyCenter friend Angi called me a Rockin' Girl Blogger a while ago (thanks Angi!) and I'm a terrible bloggie friend and didn't do my duty to pass on the award since I was busy letting my kids get older.

So. I bestow the "Rockin' Girl Blogger" award on:

Sandy, Betty, Elizabeth, Kara and Bon777 (Sorry, don't know your name!).

A blog you must read:

I heard about this blog on another blog and her story makes my heart ache. Have tissues handy when you read it. Trust me. I keep going back because it makes me cherish my days with my kids.

I looked up the story online and found one article about the incident. She was 5 1/2 years old. My daughter plays the same game in the water. I write about it in this hodgepodge post because I want it to be not real for this family...but it is. I pray that I never know their pain.

I'm behind.

I am waaay behind on reading the Harry Potter books. I have just started book 5, The Order of the Phoenix. So far it's much darker than I remember Harry Potter being. I'm fairly sure I know who dies in the last one because I stupidly had some news program on while making supper last night. Oh well. I'm a big girl and can handle it I think. Is it like knowing who/what Rosebud is? I don't know. I have never seen that movie either, maybe because I know Rosebud. Don't worry Sandy, I was fairly certain he was a good guy already.

Reunions:

My family has TWO family reunions coming up. The first is Craig's family reunion this weekend. The last reunion they had Miss M was only about one month old. She barfed all over herself in the car as we were about to leave. It was lovely.

Next weekend we have a reunion with my Dad's family. We're supposed to bring things like sunscreen, photos of our families and tape recorders. Who has a tape recorder? What are we supposed to be recording? Photos of our family? Why? Hellooooo! Just look at us! We're here! This is what we look like.

Kindergarten:

My daughter loves kindergarten, but it's wiping her out. She is not sleeping enough because she says the sun wakes her up. I put up curtains and it is DARK in her room. As dark as it can be. She still can't sleep past sunrise. This makes for an over dramatic, tired child by 6 o'clock. Enter lots of crying over little things, to the point of the sniff, sniff, sniff hyperventilating-type cry. Not fun. I have told her to come in and sleep with Mommy after Daddy leaves for work in the morning. We'll see if that helps. She never took naps before, so I'm not sure why Kindergarten is wiping her out so much right now, but I suppose it's just a lot of new stuff and it's emotionally draining to be a big kid suddenly.

She tells me "Tony" has had "time-outs" both Friday and today. Apparently "Tony" has issues. I wonder if M has had any "time-outs." She says no but you never can tell with kids. I hope she's doing as well as she seems to be.

Seriously?

Knock me over with a feather, someone actually thought my blog exchange post was good enough to suggest that I was one of the best of the blog exchange. Whoever you are, thank you! This is my first and only "award" per se for blogging.

Frankly, I feel pretty proud. Because I like it when people think I'm great.

It feels good.

So check out the swanky new button under the "blog exchange participant" button over there on the right. (scroll down if you need to!)

Click on it to read my post if you haven't already...