Minky Dots and Shrinky Dinks

Somehow I'm super tired today-I think that turkey-effect carried over a day.  I still accomplished a lot, it just required lots of sugar to keep going, since I'm staying away from caffeine!  (but, I did have just that one green tea at Panera..)
I know, it's all wrong-the whole sugar roller coaster, but it was that or carbs, and they are both awful (well.. kinda the same!).
I got my hair done, and took a shrinky dink bracelet (a scalloped shrinky dink with Stella's name and "Mommy and Daddy's Princess" on a pink gingham ribbon) to her sweet parents, the Taylors.  They are the cutest family, and just adore each other.  It's precious, really.  And I got my hair super-straight--so straight, I pulled it back-I'm used to bounce, and it was s-m-o-o-t-h (the one thing I can't do myself-pull my hair out and get it flat, but I can curl to save my life!).
(I forgot-I took some Shrinky Dinks on ribbons to school too for Ethan's teachers-they are all crafty and appreciate the teensy souvenirs of my Craft Time with Kids (I don't send crafts to Working Women-they are way too professional to "get" my excitement over shrinking plastic, no offense).  I mean, I love working women (sometimes wish I was one), but I feel crafty bits are below them.  Ha!  Come on down here with me! : ) heehee

Anyway, I ran errands, and found the "snuggly, soft, comfy green blankey with the green bumpy dots" of Ethan's dreams.  He told Angie yesterday after being asked what he wanted for his birthday the above.  He doesn't see things and decide he wants them (well..he does that too), rather he dreams things up.  I called my favorite, Fabric Gallery, and asked if they had any green minky dots (their real name), and had to ask for clarification-Kyle said FOUR!  What?  They had four different greens!  I booked it over there to see for myself, still slightly in disbelief.  (Sorry, there's no picture.)  I chose a lovely lime, the one Ethan would have picked for himself.
Then...decisions...what to back it with?  We checked out some navy dots, navy/off-lime circles, navy gingham...not quite.  Then-Aha!  I got some royal blue minky dots to back it.  Ethan'll be SO excited!  (and bonus: they will shrink equally, so no prewashing!  Hooray!)

Then groceries, and Mom's Shuttle Service.  Two schools, three kids, and a van full of groceries and errand fodder.  Of course, they wanted to Shrinky Dink the world again.  Animals, dogs, more cars, a Pac-Man...I just left our oven set-up in there.  I keep reheating the oven to 325, so if I'm not baking (no chance of that today!), why not leave it all in there?  (Remind me of this when I mistakenly preheat and catch parchment on fire.)

I was trying to find little pictures of Toy Story characters this afternoon with the plan to make all his little friends characters for their goody bags, but it's hard to find good pictures the right size.  I found a coloring book online, but they were unauthorized, and not real.  Then, I checked Disney's site, but they wanted you to color Jessie on Bullseye, and you couldn't turn the page to another picture.  He (like Andy) loves Buzz Lightyear!  Jessie just won't do.  My new idea is to cut some shrinky dink plastic, print some instructions and let the kids take and make their own! : )  Isn't that a great idea?  Will they know it saved me time?  Nahh, it's so the kids can choose their own little icon, and maybe the parents will get some craft time too? heehee

Then dinner (in the Dining Room again!) (the kitchen chairs are still misplaced after my mopping yesterday-I want them to KNOW I mopped!).  Baths, and then Monopoly began again.  Oh yeah, that's the other reason-the monopoly board is still set up on the kitchen table, and no one is allowed to touch it.  I mean, would you let them touch it? and run the chance that the pawns get moved, or your money is out of rainbow order (Mary Claire's current distress!), or your property falls to the floor, and goes up for auction?  Agh-that's Monopoly Mayhem!

I promise to let you know more about the contest as I know more.  There will be (I think) a $25 gift certificate up for grabs shortly (hopefully tomorrow?).  I'll give you a week to comment/register to win, then it's all yours!  What will you buy?  They have everything from kids' toys to kitchen gadgets to furniture!  Check out CSN.com, and you can let me know.  I'll let you know when we officially begin, just check back tomorrow!

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?