The anniversary we don't celebrate.

Yesterday was Mary Claire's diaversary (May 23, 2004).  Diabetes just turned seven (yes, we lived every minute of it-it didn't fly by).  We did not celebrate.  We celebrated our little life, but not its big ugly birthday.

After blogging about chocolate yesterday...yum!...I had to dip pretzels!  The kids came home, and we melted chocolate.  (This is not something we normally do.  It's reserved for Christmas gifts, company, and PMS..oh, and sometimes emoting about diabetes ; ) We opened a big bag of pretzels and got started.  I had the best helpers.  They got kinda dirty, but they loved cleaning themselves up (with their tongues!).  I was so chocolatey, I couldn't wield a camera, so you'll have to imagine our mmm-ing and and chocolatey-brown-temporary-freckles.

This is after hand-washing and blood-checking.  She's ready to eat some! :o)

We even try to keep it clean-we use whole pretzels, and use one loop to dip and keep it clean, but try to web the other two holes with pure chocolate!  (We have to have an equal chocolate to salty pretzel ratio!)

If you need some, send me your address!  We can't leave these laying around our house-they are dangerous!! : )  (both for me and Diabetes!)

**I have to say, D behaved herself on Sunday for dance recital, I forgot to brag on her.  Totally controlled, and she even ended the day at 107-we didn't know whether to be worried (for a low!) or thrilled we'd made it.**

So last night (during the very bad storm we had again!), we worked more on Mary Claire's thank you notes.  She told me what to type, then we printed, cut, tabbed, stamped, glittered (with a clear embossing sticky pad!), and stickered!  (Yes, in that order.) heehee

my incredibly messy desk while we're working..

*love* this tool!  It comes in a set with two sizes, but it's a glitter tray from Stampin' Up!.  You just pour till your heart's content, then open the little plug at the bottom, and sweep right back into the vial! : )  Easy-peesy!

I know this isn't very clear.  Sorry!  They are made to go into the invitation paper bag book things!  We also added photo collages to the envelopes! : )  We just make these on Wal-Mart's one-hour photo collage page.

So sweet.  She loved her party and her friends, and it was so much more fun to think about pleasant things rather than diabetes things.  Goodbye, D-Day.  See you next year. (and every minute between now and then.)

Ps.  I may have figured out how to post printable .jpg thingies!  WooHoo!  Wouldn't that be fun?  I'll try to make you something for tomorrow. ; )


PPs.  I didn't forget Engagement Chicken.  I purchased all my herbs ($2.88 each if you don't grow them!), and got my chicken, but baseball was from 5-6 dinner hour, so we reconfigured.  I've postponed until Thursday! : )  I promise to let you know how it goes!  ...Will she or won't she get engaged?  Stay tuned...

Decisions, Decisions...

Ever have such a big decision? Like whether to make dinner or make a quick trip to Fabric Gallery? heehee Decisions, decisions... My kids (well, the big ones) have already had a popsicle and two Go-gurts each. Isn't that dinner enough? : ) I just asked Ches when dinner is, and he said, "5, 5:30?" Umm, it's 4:30. And I'm kinda busy. With thoughts of making a run to Fabric Gallery.

I'm planning to make Mary Claire a couple of jumpers and decorated pants/jeans to match. I always plan for summery (jumper only), and winter (jumper, shirt under it, with jeans!). So versatile. I haven't made anything in a while, and my machine is missing me. I'm planning to make some cups tomorrow anyway.

Maybe we could eat out again today? Then I could stop by there on our way out! Kill both birds with one stone! I am SO on top of my game! It's that power nap I got! : )

Update-9:30pm:
I am sad. They were closed. : ( Big, fat, pout-y, sad face. I ran out the door, took MC, ran a late book back by the Springdale Library, then hurried down there. But, they close at 4pm on Saturdays. Boo Hoo. I ran into WM for MORE batteries for a little girl addicted to a small cd player attached to her head, and then to Hobby Lobby for a small tin purse/carrying case (think metal lunch box, but purse-shaped that opens from the top). I didn't want her to see it since I'm making her a little kit (that I'll explain in a minute) that'll be for our trip. My sweet husband spoils our kids. It's tough to limit him, since it's so sweet and all. He already got Clay a new Transformer, level 3, Bumblebee, which is a Camaro (and have you seen the new ones, btw? They are sooo cool!) I remember there was a year where I wanted one, but I got a Mustang. Cool, but it was beige. My parents way of keeping me cool, but not too cool.

Ok, so we were at Pottery Barn again on Friday night (I think we go EvErY Friday night!), and Ches loves to shop too (Closet Shopper, though, unlike me-I'm totally out of the closet!). He found me some cute acrylic straws (only $10 for 12), and I found new deck chair cushions, but they were kinda thin. Anyway, he found a little (kinda cheese-y) kit for Mary Claire for her gift for the trip. (I know, I know, the trip is a big fat gift, but he likes for them to have something new for the plane ride(s). Anyway, it was a kit with gold ink, a stamp alphabet (so not cute), some twine, and some tags to make for place cards, drinks, or whatever. It was on sale for $14, but I just thought it was too much. Afterwards, we had a few minutes to run by Hobby Lobby ('cause I'm a do-it-now person), and since I had a *coupon*, I got her a new stamp alphabet in a tin box, some hot pink ink (So much better!), and then today I got her the little tin purse thing to put it in. I just have to make some tags (super easy with my cool Stampin' Up! punches!), and add some precut twine! See, super easy, and all for (let me do some quick math....) $12. So, not so cool, but it's a way-better set! : ) I'll post a pix when I'm done with it!

And. I got some fabric to make her a quick jumper (never quick in my book), but I'm still more excited about making one with fabric from Fabric Gallery, since it'll be less maintenance (probably non-iron!). Alright, gotta get to work on the cutesy set! : )

Long Post, Long Day

8am: I have started laundry, half-cleaned two bathrooms (Clorox tabs!), am working on sending photos to WM to pick up to go with thank-you notes (already written-we rock!), but I can't find my password, so they are emailing it in 5-10 minutes (eternity when you're waiting!). I'm also on my way into the school to reload Mary Claire's snack box and drawers with waters, Propel mixes (both for highs), and applesauces, fruit snacks, juice boxes (14g and 24g) for lows. And other carb-y snacks (some with pb) for after she's back up, and has a while till she eats. The pb helps keep her from crashing again right away. It's a slower carb, so it slows down the juice-fast carb. Enough info! I posted a pix of one of the bags of labeled snacks that are headed to school. And, noooo, I don't do that at home. : )
Anyway, still waiting on that email from Wal-Mart...
Got it! -Commercial Break while I upload cute pix of my babes!-

Tomorrow we are scrapping again! I'll see how much I can get done. I don't know how long I can stay though.

9:50pm: I'm just now getting back! See how busy I can get? I got the floors mopped FinaLLy! after the kids went to bed. Ethan dumped the pencil sharpener, so I felt it was a great "opportunity" (silver lining and all).

The other HUGE thing I've been doing (most of the day!) is putting my receipt amounts onto my Quicken software. I also have balanced two months' worth of income/expenses-umm..October thru December! So, I'm a little behind... We had a busy Christmas season, and who wants to bog down the fun with checkbook balancing?? NOt me! : ) So, in the melée, I had to put on the charges for going to France. Okay, ya'll-if you've been, you get it, if not-aaahhhhh! For every charge at a restaurant, grocery, etc. there are TWO charges that you have to locate (usually 5-8 transactions away from each other!) and add together to get the real charge. (This is why I put it off for so long. I've already taken two stabs at that first statement, and failed miserably. Today, I was ready!! I have a new pink Pilot Precise V5-from my stocking!-and it was awesome!) (They come in a three pack of Turquoise, Hot Pink, and Purple. I use up the first two super-fast, and the purple gets relegated to the kitchen drawer...I have more favorite-er colors than thee, oh-no-so-pretty-one!)

So, Wii Fit got ditched today in honor of Bank-Ish-Reconciliation Day. I worked out enough on my floors! My back was really starting to hurt! Feel sorry for me... : ) I even left the chairs out so that when Ches got home after class he'd ooh and ahh. Well, maybe in hopes that he'd wipe his shoes and Respect the Work.

Last bit of news-Patty. Yes, she really had a heart attack! She was getting a stint/heart catheter put in this am, but I got an email update this evening that she didn't have to have it! Prayers Worked (thank you!). She was released, and is resting at home. Take your 81mg aspirin tonight! And thank God for the medical knowledge He reveals! : )

New background again, you like? I do it for you. : )

Ok, maybe last thing! I'm going to be taking a month (February) to host a catalog Stampin' Up! party if you would like to faux-come to my house, and order. Or you can really come over for chips and (Sam's awesome) salsa and we can chit chat. There's a new catalog -gasp!- and I'm so excited! They have the most adorable stuff! Do you remember my crafty book with cutest tabs? I used the tab punch? Have you seen my cutest tags? I use the corner punch and oval punch, then tie in ribbon on ANY gift, or make a tag, attach it to cardstock and make a card (need pix of that one?) or I type my scrapbook journaling, then make a tag of it, tie ribbon, and mount it in my 'book! So cute! Okay, and they have stamps! I have 19 sets. I have to admit, I don't use them ALL the time, but the ones I use, I LoVE! : ) I'll make it a goal to add a pix tomorrow.

I must go to bed, for tomorrow, I get a MOTHER'S DAY OUT!!! I haven't been able to take Ethan to MDO since Thanksgiving-well, the week before. He's been sick, have I mentioned that?? Anyway, mom is coming (Yippee!) and I'm headed out into the world, sans kids! Woo-hoo! What shall I do? First, is scrapbooking! Tiny bit of shopping (for I'm going to Branson on Friday-tell ya tomorrow), nails done possibly? Lunch out? If I call you, please say yes! : ) And we shall order dessert!