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?

Sugar Makes Me Crafty

GrEaT photo shoot, thanks, Jeremy Cavness!

Here is the picture from the photo shoot:

At some point, they'll get the quote added and send them to be printed (this is where I want to get in on it!)
Then, we did something even BETTER!  We walked down to the corner, and enjoyed a small reward for our good deed (well, you know).  We each had a specialty cupcake at Kupcakes and More on the Bentonville Square!

 They were absolutely scrumptious.  I had Chocolate Peanut Butter, Mary Claire had Red Velvet (with cream cheese frosting), and Ethan had a chocolate Army Man (from Toy Story) cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting.  All delish.  And then we got to sit at one of the tiny, child-size tables.  It reminded me of when I was little, and my brother and I would go to our friends' house-they had this tiny table set in the kitchen, and I loved to eat in there!  So, I sat on a teensy chair, and we had a cupcake party-fun! 

(I only wish Clay had been with us.  I missed him so much today!  He's staying with Gigi.  I called him when we left the cupcake place, but he's still having fun, and not wanting to come home yet.  Grandmas are always better than home.  He says I'm no fun-I make him clean his room, make his bed, and get dressed-I'm so mean!).
So, then we went back home, got our library books, and went to the library.  We read books and checked out new ones.  I helped Mary Claire this time-she got too many non-fiction last time!
Then we picked up Ches for lunch and went out to US Pizza in Fayetteville-so good!  I must be having a great day-cupcakes and pizza, in one day!  We were all tired after that, but the day must go on.  We headed home for a little bit, then made our way back to Mary Claire's orthodontist appointment.  Just a check-up, so it was pretty fast.  She doesn't go back until August, but we are supposed to do ten more turns on her palate expander.  She wasn't worried-she wanted me to do two tonight-Ha.  Strange girl.  She used to hate it!

Then, our relaxing included some crafts...
I have a prayer partner (a Bible study friend I'm secretly praying for-we drew for names), and I wanted to keep track of all the times I'm thinking of and praying for her.  I resurrected an old idea-paper bag scrapbooks!  I made these for each of the kids in Clay's first grade class, but as I discovered today..that was before I was blogging.  So!  I took a couple pictures so you could make them too.  Super Easy.
You use two or three plain paper bags (you can use white too, if you have them), some ribbon, a hole punch..

Stack the paper bags end to end, with the bottoms at opposite ends.  Make a cardstock cover that is the same size as your bags.  Hole punch through the cover PLUS the bags in the center fold.  Run about 14" of ribbon through the holes, and tie on the outside.  Now, you can get creative, or keep it simple.  I add little matching ribbons tied on the spine ribbon, knotted-add as many as you like.  I usually add at least three or four.  Then, when you close the "scrapbook", you'll have openings in the bags on the right side.  I make tabbed pull-outs to journal or put pictures on.  Cut a piece of cardstock to fit inside the "pocket" (end of a bag), and put a stapled tab on it.  (I have a nifty little punch from Stampin' Up, that I LOVE!), then punch holes (I used this punch), and tie a ribbon through the front and back, to hold all that fun inside!

Here are a couple I made (I had to make Mary Claire one as a bribe for her to go get an old one upstairs-so I could remember!).  You can see the tabs on the pull-outs in the above picture.

I had to cover my prayer partner's name, since it's supposed to be a surprise!
Ok, so it wasn't quite dinner (and I was still sugared up?), and Ethan was still begging for his own backpack (see yesterday!).  I was resisting, since they were a little girly, but I made him one.  He was so happy to see it stitching his name-he is just precious.  I didn't do all the process pictures, but took one of the end product!  His name is in green (his choice) on the tractor fabric, so it's hard to see.  He wanted me to combine fabrics, so here they are:

Then we had dinner, swam, and I researched *wait for it*...going back to school.  I have some time this fall, so I looked into finishing my masters degree.  Except, I have 18 hours in one subject, and am thinking I would switch majors/areas.  Umm..only three hours would transfer, and it's a Maybe/Probably.  So, it'd be at least two years.  But..what else am I doing?  (besides making backpacks and scrapbooks...)

Does more shopping = Less eating?

I should try to write earlier-I feel like I'm always saying how tired I am!  (since I wait till last thing at night..)
I cleaned Mary Claire's closet this morning, threw away at least 20 pairs of shoes, and packed up about 20 pairs and some clothes to give away.  No, I am serious.  She still has tons of shoes left-I just like to buy her stuff.  Totally my problem. (I'm starting to think that when I'm shopping for her..I eat less.  I'm eating lots now, and not shopping for her.  =  It pays for me to shop more for her.)
We played around, swam all afternoon (well, Ethan and Mary Claire fell asleep outside on loungers-and we shaded them!), grilled dinner (more potatoes and corn I told you about and pork chops-yum!), and then I headed out to the grocery store.  I was there for two and a half hours!  I didn't realize what time it was, or that the sun was down.  So, time warps in Sam's and Wal-Mart!  What is it with me?  I had to back-track around the store since my (premade) list is out of order now-they moved the store around!  (well..about a year ago, but I've yet to reorder my list!)  So, I end up wandering around-I might as well be list-less.
  But..then I'd pick up lots of junk.  If I make the list before I leave the house, after I've eaten, I do better.
Do you have trouble finding ladyfingers when you want to make your favorite dessert: tiramisu?  I get so mad.  I've looked all over, repeatedly, and only found them ONE time at Sam's-years ago!  What's up with that?  I looked up substitutions, and found you can use angelfood cake, Nilla Wafers (but someone else said not to), and Twinkies.  Aren't Twinkies good enough on their own?  Who needs to coat them in chocolate, coffee, and cream cheese? (since you can't get marscapone at Wal-Mart either!)
Ches forgot to brush Mary Claire's teeth and turn the key to her palate expander (to stretch/widen her the roof of her mouth)..to wake her up or not to wake her..that is the question.
ps-My answer is no.
pps-if you get lucky, I might post a picture of me turning the teensy key in the roof of her mouth!  But not tonight.