oldies but goodies.

from then...

... 'til now.
 time can feel free to stop at any time...well, as soon as she gets through this rotten, no good, terrible three stage. 

♥

all fired up.

ta-daaaaa.

i love ella's pig (it puts my creation to shame, well maybe not shame that's a little harsh, but it is definitely cuter and ella reminds me every time she sees the cup, that i missed a couple spots, nice life)! i have to admit that i was a little scared for her when she started mixing all the colors. i was afraid it would turn out to be one big brown hot mess, but it is so cute. she realized the other morning that she forgot to paint his chin. so she assured me that 'next time i won't forget the chin.' :) 

ps. since you're like still half related to me...the longer you're gone the more we're not related...ok ok we're still always related...softball world series this weekend!!!! who ya got to go all-the-way? 

i have alabama...roll tide!!!!

dad has oklahoma

mom has lsu

brian has cal (so we can all root against him...boo cal!)

let me know, so i can root against you as well.

♥

time flies when you're havin' fun.

has it occurred to you that it's almost june? it hit me like a softball to the face this morning while i was tossing out cream cheese that had expired back in april. as i thought back on exactly how old that cream cheese was, that's when it hit me. as quickly as cream cheese gave me a reality check, so did captain this past week. with a minor hiccup in booby feeding land, i had to pump and give him bottles...to which he started holding himself. yes, you read that right, himself. don't mind his long fingernails in the second picture...that kid's nails need a daily cutting and well, that just doesn't happen. 

if holding his bottle wasn't enough, he has been trying his darndest to roll from his back to his  stomach. the strange part is that he has never has rolled from him stomach to back, until TODAY! major milestone alert. i was so excited to snap pictures of him doin' his newest trick, but of course he doesn't do it as soon as i pull out the camera, so i just have cute pics instead. a little blurry, but cute.

gosh, by the time you get here he might be driving! ♥

back in the saddle.

i have to admit that i have mixed feelings about going back to work in august. i love the teacher prep, decorating my room, and my amaze-balls 5th & 6th team (in fact, i think that they are the main reason i love going to work)...but i am tired of the pacing calendars, constant threat of a pay cut, and leaving my smiley baby does not put a smile on this face. in the mean time, i'm getting ready. armed with scrappin' doodles, time to peruse target, and a new mac, these new kiddies won't know what hit them. 

*crystal effects window markers. i mean, do i even need to explain how fun these will be? i did a whole math lesson on my windows earlier this year (i was doing this lesson with a number line that was hanging by the window, long story short, it was just easier to write on the windows.) changed up the whole math monotony so it worked. moving on, sidewalk crayons super BRIGHT BOLD colors. oh the possibilities.

*i've retyped my get to 50!, survival guide, and story packet covers just because they needed to be in new fancy fonts with super cute graphics. some might think i have a problem. to them i say...you're right. i know you will do a double take on the second picture. we took it upon ourselves to brainstorm nicknames during our grade level collaboration because that's how we roll... next year i will known as mrs. confetti. or mrs. fergalicious confetti. i need something sparkly to reflect my exuberant personality. i've apparently got jokes for days tonight.

ps. ella has been in bed for an hour and i can still hear her 'reading' stories to her stuffed animals and reprimanding her play school comrades for interrupting her. funny, funny girl.

life lately.

you know i love a good excuse to tablescape. nana's bunko night provided that opportunity. ideas are now swirling for ella's fairy birthday party, and the thought just came to me...if i continue to have kids and try to have one for each month of the year, i can constantly party plan! i will be broke, but i would be happy and broke. so worth it.

 i made these chocolate chip surprise cookies from pinterest. the surprise is that there is an oreo in the middle. if it was at all possible for me to get any fatter, this would be it. actually, i ate 2 and sent the rest with brian to work. figured i'd help them give the donuts a break. if  you didn't get that pathetic attempt at a joke...well then you're pathetic. ok just joking. love you.
i'd give these cookies a B+...i read someone used mini oreos so i did as well...recipe calls for double stuffed...they might get an A with double stuffed...but my pants would also be double stuffed. pretty decent though i must say.

other than the above. ella gave herself tats with sharpies, she has played in the toilet (after she used it. nasty.), hid dad's glasses and mom's cell phone, covered captain's face with a blanket....i mean the girl is on a roll. life is dandy :)
♥

insta-love.

thank you. mucho. mucho thank you. thank you tons. ♥

cheese.

this is what i wake up to every morning. my cute boy and his gummy grin. followed by his sister yelling she's awake and begging to see cappy caps. we love our boy.

♥

whoopie do.

this past weekend, to celebrate mother dearest and the good ol fark, i made whoopie pies. ya know...whoopie she's my mom and whoopie dad passed his test (i also added whoopie they raised such an amazing daughter, me not you). good thing they're fat free, completely devoid of calories, because i ate 3 in one day....let's just keep that between me and you.
whoopie pies
2/3 cup crisco
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa (unsweetened)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/14 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
cream shortening and sugar together, then add eggs and vanilla. add dry ingredients and milk alternately. drop on greased baking sheet (wilton baking sheets work best). bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes.
filling:
1 cup milk
4 heaping tablespoons flour
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup crisco
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
cook milk and flour until thick...like can't stir anymore thick. let cool. place in mixing bowl and add margarine, crisco, sugar, salt, and vanilla. beat until light and creamy. place filling in between cookies. (duh)
yummy-ness number 1:

 yummy-ness number 2:

 yummy-ness number 3:

filled with joy.

here were the presents i was showered with for mother's day from a few special people. one of those special people, whose name starts with an e, has snuck almost ALL of the hugs & kisses she gave me. i have been finding random silver wrappers here, there and everywhere...lovely.

♥

happy mom's day.

last night, ella and captain wore the cutest outfits to church for the mother's day service. nothing gives me greater joy in life than having my kids match :) and since it was mother's day, i got to torture them. i cannot take any credit for ella's outfit, but i did make the tie (with tons of help from nana might i add). the tie was not hard to make, but sewing is just so foreign to me. for instance, did you know there is a bobbin? and no that's not slang for bobbing. i need to learn the ropes and stat...they looked too cute ♥ side note the matching purse ella has...and she did have a matching flower for her hair as well...that is m.i.a....and captain thought his tie was a super fun pull toy, so i spent the majority of the night removing it from his death grip. i wasn't annoyed though, the sure matching joy over-shadowed it all. haha

♥

color me happy.

since i saw color me mine in roseville my freshman year of college, i have been wanting to go. that is 11 years ago if you were counting. 11 years of wanting to go to a place. i think that just makes me a semi-loser, but whatever the case...this day, may 12, 2012, i went! i took my sidekick ella and away we went only to find that it was...closed. not closed as in not open, but closed-closed, sign off the wall and everything. gulp. i fought back tears. ella was in the back asking why she couldn't get out and paint, i was about to go all 5150. my sadness quickly diminished to anger and i called brian to vent, but to have him also look it up online and see wth! short story even shorter, they had just moved. :) their new location is way better in my opinion, so high five for them. it was a load of fun. she chose a pig, i chose a peace sign, ella sat still and painted for a good half hour, we got cake pops after...happy mother's day to me ♥

ps. i know the pig and peace sign look a little blah, but the colors aren't at all what they will be once they are fired. no chalky-ness. bright and shiny.
♥