Neighbor Goodies

Well, I feel like I haven't done much lately, but rest here and there. I did get to some cookie making. They are some of my favorites... Ginger cookies topped with vanilla frosting and crushed peppermint. Yum!

I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Embarrassing Moment

Have you ever said anything that you wish you could go back in time and try it all over again? I did this last weekend. I told myself I never would never assume, not even mention... but it just came out! I asked the cashier when she was expecting... and she was NOT expecting. Can we say awkward? I had to talk to her for several minutes after that while the transaction was going through too- and I felt TERRIBLE. Her response was dead, straight face- "I'm not pregnant" as she pulled her shirt down.

Oh goodness.

Oh Lollipop...

The Lollipop

You were never my friend.
I always wanted you to be my friend.
My Dad never let me.
He would not let me buy you at the store.
He would never bring you home from a trip.
He would even take you out of my Halloween bag every year.

And yet, I know you.
I savored every taste of you when I got you from a friend.
When I got you in a Brithday bag, I would eat it quickly before I returned home.
I tried to save all your wrappers that had stars on them so I could get a free one at 7- Eleven.
I even kept a few of you hidden before Dad looked through my Halloween bag.

My Dad said that I could fall and choke on you because of your stick.
I think I could pull you out of my throat because of your stick.
He said I would just keep you and rot my teeth out.
But I thought you were my sweetest friend.

I have never bought you for my daughter.
Yet she knows you oh so well.
I can count a handful of times where she has tasted you.
I think she likes you too.
The Christmas Ringer at the Store gave her one of your own today.
Yes, I think she likes you just as much.

Princess Tent

Our sweet neighbors are moving. They have 2 little girls (now 9 and 11) and we get all of their handy-me-downs. I'll miss it when they actually go. Today she shows up at the door with this: A Princess tent. Caroline isn't quite into the whole princess thing like other girls (yet), but she still loves it.

Problem: It's dirty. It has dog hair and yucky stuff on it. Any suggestions? I plan on vacuuming it. I can't just throw it in the washer. I could steam clean it- but really? What do you think?

Girls Night Out

Have you seen it?! You'll love it- if you haven't! My Mother-in-Law, Elaine and Sister-in-Law Sarah and I had a wonderful time on Saturday night! We went to the Yummy Cheesecake Factory, had dinner and shared (one of my favorite's) Keylime Cheesecake! We then saw the fantabulous play Wicked ~ The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz. I loved it! I loved the storyline, the humor, the music.. it was just awesome. I would see it again in a heartbeat. What an enjoyable evening. And I would love to do it again!

77 Degrees

My brother calls it Random, but I like to call it pleasant. Last week it snowed almost 2 1/2 feet. Today, Caroline and I went to the Zoo in 77 degree weather. It was beautiful. I love the blue skies and the sun. Is it really November? (Already? This baby thing is coming up faster than I think I realize. I am 29 weeks.) Well I guess we will soon finish raking up our leaves and cleaning out our garden. Care to join us?

Clean-Up

The previous story reminds me of something that happened a few weeks ago and I want to record it for me.
We went to the Rockies baseball game with Aaron's parents. At the door we received white towels that said 'Go Rockies.' Caroline was sitting with Aunt Sarah most of the time playing with her towel and enjoying all of the action. Grandpa was four seats away. She went over and played with him a bit. He cracked open peanut shells on his leg and they ate the insides together. The peanut shells were (obviously) making a mess on his leg. So Caroline hurried to Aunt Sarah (it is not easy to walk in front of someone when you are sitting down at a baseball game- no leg room), grabbed the towel from her and scurried back. She informed Grandpa was 'dirty' and wiped his leg clean of peanut shells.
I would consider Aaron and I are clean people, but I never thought my two year old would be the same way. She always puts her toys away and cleans-up if her eating area is dirty. She loves to sweep and vacuum. Helps me dust. Helps me with the laundry. She always is helping me. And I just love her for it. (My Mother-in-Law says that Aaron was the same way when he was a kid.)

The Most Interesting Thing

Caroline and I were at Michael's craft store yesterday. I told her we were getting ribbon at the store. While I was looking at the Christmas selection of ribbon, she found the dollar ribbon bins and played around it with another older lady for a few minutes. I found the ribbon I was looking for and went to get Caroline. The lady that was there, also looking at the bins, said to me...

"I saw her do the most interesting thing." She threw 2 spools of ribbon in the bottom bin, where there were only stamps. She continued, "There was ribbon just like this and she (Caroline) found them and picked them up and put them in the ribbon rack where they belong. I don't even do that at my house!" She was shocked.

Breakthrough

Yesterday at church, I dropped Caroline off at the DOOR of nursery. I told her I would be back later and off she went to play with some toys!! Wow! It only took 6 months. I or Aaron or Grandma have been in there every Sunday before yesterday for AT LEAST an hour! How nice it was to go to Sunday School and listen to the whole lesson and then Relief Society after that! I did have to peek through the window during the break to see how she was doing. I saw her choose her stickers for her Birthday present. I just hope it goes well next week too. And then I will experience the joy of doing it all over again when the baby comes in January!

Wasp Sting

Caroline and I were pulling dead flowers from our garden yesterday, before the snow hit today. She was sitting on my lap nice and calm until, what I can guess now, is that she was stung by a wasp right in between her nose and cheek-close to her eye. She bawled and bawled. We went inside and I held her in my lap until she fell asleep. Last night at dinner, we noticed the area it was stung was getting puffy. I don't know if you can tell, but she doesn't look like the same Caroline around her eye. Poor Caroline.