I might be a Reject...but I have great friends!

Remember the crazy blinged-up sling we did for Mary Claire with a monkey and imperfectly-spaced rhinestones?  Well..my friend Jenifer had rotator cuff surgery a week ago, and we had to Bling her Sling! : )

For the first one, I just monogrammed it-very preppy with navy and hot pink-too sweet!

And then.  Before Bunco tonight, I loaded up a (really glitzy, sequined-appropriate for the occasion, don'tcha think?) bag with my iron, and blingy iron-ons and rhinestones! : )  I got to Candace's house (our lovely host), and heated up the iron.  (She can't really be without a sling, so we have to keep them close to her-she wore the monogrammed one while I blinged the rockstar one:

This is the only pix I got!  We were just enjoying the moment, and I never took my own picture!  Can you see the sequined guitar, the glittery Rock Star words and star, and wild rhinestones?  Perfect for a night out with the girls!

We had so much fun today, shopping at Hobby Lobby, lunch with little Ethan at Jose's (we were so hoping for Doug to notice we were there-Jen even "checked us in" there for a free dessert!  but he didn't notice till this evening.), and blinging, and Bunco.  Precious moments with friends are SO worth the time (and the hair washing, at least ten clothing changes, getting out of slippers, forgetting the chocolate cake calories, and braving the chilly cold!).  Thank you, God, for friends and honesty...

I emailed my "paragraph" that I intended to send into Bethany Christian Services to my friend (yeah, that preliminary application I sent in last night?), and I asked for her honest opinion.  I won't quote her, but I laughed!  She said she was glad I loved kids, but I might be moved really low on the list! : )  She said, "they don't make loving, peaceful, caring kids!"  "Don't you remember Mary Claire's colic??" (ha-yes!  I also remember ALL of my kids having at least a month-long bout with that crazy "illness" that drives you over the edge with panic, worry, and hair loss.  It is NOT fun.  But we made it through!  I think I meant to convey we couldn't handle drug-withdrawal babies.  I did complement it with my desire for any race (biracial included), and my insurance company's acceptance of all pre-existing conditions.  But, that wasn't enough-we'll be last on the list (if we get any further!  Ha!).  I LOVE a friend who can give me what I need-honesty included!  I love that we know each other well enough to ask, and to give those hard words.  Even if I don't get a baby due to my stupidity, at least I can be thankful for knowing why! : )

I gotta get you a picture of this game my friend Susan got for Ethan-we've been playing it most days.  It is murderous and hilarious all at once.  It's called Smashed Potatoes (by Play-doh):

You make these little potato people in these forms, then you start on the bag of potatoes.  Spin the spinner, and move along little dinner plates.  If you land on the Mash spots, and your playmates land on the green squish spinner spot, they get to mash everyone (on Mash spots) into french fries, waffle fries, scissor them up, or chop them with a green knife!  (you can also choose not to butcher your playmates, sweet afterthought).  If you die, you go back and get molded into a new potato.  So, you are back to square one plate one.

Ethan laughs hilariously when he gets to chop them up, but they have faces, and he just cuts them in two!  My job is the potato-maker.  He likes to have a small army of at least three of each color, at the ready.  I really love the game, but can you imagine being the inventor-lets cut up the little kids' potatoes!  (bahahahaha..Evil Laugh)

I love the game, would totally play it a million more times, and might even get if for another little boy, but girl..probably not!  She might cry when her sweet little purple potato gets the ax.  (and mine wears a bow)  Sadness.

Can I add that we just checked Mary Claire's blood for her midnight check (I know it's only 11:30, but we are tired, People!), and get this: she was 100!  First.  Time.  Ever.  We are real Rock Stars!!! : )  Sometimes the stars line up!  About every 6.6 years?

Blinging of the Sling

So.  We live in Arkansas, and weird things happen here.  We just had a tornado, and today it's dead birds falling from the sky.  Yes, up to 5,000 birds to be exact-within a one-mile radius.  I told them not to shoot off fireworks on New Year's Eve-it should be reserved for Independence Day, when the birds expect loud bangs.  You can check here to read more from CNN, or to see the Video.  It's crazy times, people!

Alrighty, back to my reality.  I've been monopoly-busy!

still early in the game-notice the abundance of money, and the lack of hotels to visit?

We played again on New Year's Day-with the kids, till midnight!  We finally quit, but Mom won.  I think it I were to do some research (for fun), I'd probably do some gaming research.  My hypothesis would be that whoever gathers the most property on their first two trips around the board will win the game (providing they are at least 9, and they buy at every opportunity).  If you land on Chance, Just Visiting (jail), and Income Tax, you aren't going to last long, FYI.

We ate dinner at mom's house, and I brought my friend's (Kathy) amazing Sweet Potato Casserole.  It's WoNdErFuL!  I just love it (even for dessert, but shh..don't tell anyone!)  I called her yesterday after I bought lots of sweet potatoes (on sale!  only 38 cents a pound-guess they overestimated Christmas sweet potato sales?), and called Kathy for that elusive recipe!  She said she was on her way home, and told me to boil, cool, and peel them while I waited.  Just when I was ready to call her, she called-I had no idea she was driving home from Nebraska!  I thought she was out running errands.  I felt kinda bad, but I loved her sweet potatoes, so all in the name of food. ; )

Here is the mixture before the baking:

After baking (with that yummy topping!):

And a close-up of that topping (with optional coconut!)  Ahh, a masterpiece, who'da thunk a veggie could be so delicious?

Ok, I think I talk about food too much.  Maybe I should join the ranks of millions with a weight-minded goal for New Year's?  Nahh.

To update you, here's Sissy's current mouth situation, since you've all been missing those braces-pictures.

Yes, I thought it was a pretty clear picture too!  See how nicely her front teeth have lined up?  And she chose turquoise this time (good invention, orthodontists!)

Don't know if you can see it, but she lost a tooth!  See the front four?  Look to the left-there's a socket right in front of the back two. (Remember she got the two around the Front Four pulled this past spring.)

And then we had the excitement of Clay finally finishing his train!  It was the Lego Toy Story 3 Train, with all the cute little characters.  Ches and I argue over the pig.  In the movie, his name is Hamm, and Ches thinks his name is Evil Dr. Porkchop-but that's only when they are playing!  There's such a difference.  ..Yet..he is wearing the hat.

Do you see how short Buzz is?  Ches says (and he's the authority) that he's smaller than Jessie and Woody even in the movie!  Do you remember that?

Ethan just loves all things Toy Story, and wanted to get his sticky fingerprints all over this shiny new toy, but Clay would have none of that.  He did finally show us the train-see the gray car?  It has a trap door on top-you pull the stick, and the floor caves in!  And inside that car, there is a box of red dynamite sticks-adorable! Umm, I mean cool.


And then, there was the blinging of the sling.  We had to get it all spruced up to make it Worthy, heehee.  The mom (Jana) of one of her friends brought over her magic bling-er (GeMagic!) so we could make some shiny, rhinestone magic happen!  We used some of her little 4-pronged rhinestones with the big stapler-like contraption-so cool!-and I didn't do the best job.  I tried to get them evenly spaced, but it was hard!  I couldn't tell where the center would be, so I felt like a bling-failure.

You can't even see the sparkle.

I decided to finish on a good note, and we went to Holly Lobby (she renamed it in my honor), and bought an iron-on sequin monkey (try to contain your laughing!).  I stitched it in place, and ironed a monkey onto her velcro arm-holder.  He is cute.

And she loves him.  Doesn't that count?