Happy father's day, Husband

Happy Father's day, Husband. Keeping things simple with a little interview with the kids.

I really love it when my dad:
Will: tickles me.
Olivia: tickles me and snuggles me.....Oh, and makes good food.

My dad likes to:
W: fly planes.
O: love on me.

My dad always tells me to:
W: strip my bed on Sundays.
O: Go to bed because I don't like to go to bed. He is a good daddy, the most good Dad.

The best thing he does is:
W: let me scare him when he gets home from work.
O: make is famous cheesy pasta.

It makes him happy when I:
W: try to make him laugh.
O: help him clean the kitchen.

My dad loves to:
W: hug me and Stister, and you. **tommie note: Will still calls Livi his Stister even though he can say sister!**
O: read. And I like to read too.

I like it when:
W: he cuddles me.
O: he tickles and snuggles me.

The best thing he cooks is:
W: his famous cheesy pasta.,.....Oh and pizza!.....pizza pizza, I love pizza.
O: cheesy pasta.

When my dad shops he likes to buy:
W: Daddy chips (sour cream and cheddar ruffles potato chips)
O: strawberries and blueberries so they can be mixed in ice cream.

My dad's favorite household chore is:
W: Can we just take this one out?
O: to clean the tables.

My dad's favorite TV show is:
W: Mythbusters
O: dangerous shows, NOT our kid shows. But sometimes we watch kid shows together. I do not come in here when Daddy is watching mean shows.

At the hotel he likes to:
W: swim.
O: snuggle me.

If he could go on a trip he would go to:
W: Disneyworld
O: Disneyworld.

Mother's Day: an interview

Picture of Will and me at the Mother's day tea at his preschool. Blurry, but the only one I could get on my Iphone. Also he is smooching his lips, so that I wouldn't see his food! silly boy!

Will: I really love it when my mom tickles me.
Livi: I really love it when my mom snuggles me.

W: My mom likes to snuggle.

L: My mom likes to love on me.

W: My mom always tells me, "Stop, chewing on baby." (**a little baby he sleeps with, no child is getting gnawed on my my little boy!)

L: My mom always tells me to "Clean my room!"

W: The best thing she does is love me.

L: The best thing she does is snuggle me.

W: It makes her happy when I kiss her until she laughs.

L: It makes her happy when I love on her.

W: My mom loves to cook
L: My mom loves to do the house blessing.

W: I like it when she hugs me.
L: I like it when she cooks dinner.

W: The best thing she cooks is pasta.
L: The best thing she cooks is cheesy pasta.

W: When my mom shops she likes to buy Cheese Its and chex mix

L: When my mom shops she likes to buy food.

W: My mom’s favorite household chore is getting it up and down (cleaning both floors)

L: My mom's favorite household chore is to clean the floors and use her new vacuum.

W: My mom’s favorite TV show is 'trash' tv
L: My mom's favorite TV show is the news.

W: At shops she likes to apples and bananas.

L: At shops she likes to buy mommy chips (tortilla chips).

W: At the hotel, she likes to swim in the pool.
L: At the hotel she likes to help us go to bed.

W: and L: If she could go on a trip, she would go to Disney world

W: I love my mom because she is my mommy

L: I love my mommy because I just love her.

This weekend, Will's soccer game got rained out.....so both he and Husband were able to go to Livi's first ballet recital. She is in "creative dance". It was quite cute to see all these 3 and 4 years old dancing to their songs.

Happy Thanksgiving

The kids and I were busy today doing the stuff we could the day before Thanksgiving. Husband does most of the cooking. We prepped the bread for the stuffing. We made carrot cake (This is Husband's favorite! We even had carrot cake as the groom's cake at our wedding.) We made pecan tassies (so much better than pecan pie if you ask me!) We snapped the green beans. I am going out on a limb and trying Pioneer Woman's green beans.

Tomorrow morning we will get up bright and early...oh wait, no it won't be bright. Will usually wakes up before or just as the sun gets up! I will make some light breakfast and coffee. Surely I will add peppermint mocha creamer to it.

I have so much to be thankful. Last year at this time, I was still doing a countdown to when Husband would be home from his deployment. It would be the last holiday we wouldn't share with him.

I am thankful...thankful for my Husband, for our kids, for friends near and far, for a home that makes me feel "at home" no matter if it is in KY, TX, KS, OK, CA, AK....okay, you get the point. My home has always been in a state of evolving. But it is a comfort all the time.

I am thankful for this adorable rusty turkey that sits on my porch. I am thankful for the friends that were with me when I went shopping for it (miss you Juliette and Arlene!).

I am thankful for all the people I have "met" through this blog. Thank you for taking time to read and comment each day.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours this holiday season.

Happy fourth, y'all

We have had a great start to the fourth of July. There was a great little fair downtown in Husband's hometown. The kids had a great time riding roller coasters and ferris wheels. I couldn't resist a funnel cake. Dang, what is it about some fried batter sprinkled with some powdered sugar? Gets me every time.

We MADE the kids nap last night since the fireworks didn't start until 10PM. My sister-in-law M lives downtown so we parked at her house. That saved tons of frustration of trying to find a parking spot and get out of downtown! Though no one told me we were walking out to BFE. I have a little tiny blister where my flip flops were rubbing. Who gets a blister from flip flops?

I have to note: Will took most of these. I had the camera on a tripod. All he had to do was push the button, but still.....his were much better than mine!

Happy fourth, y'all.

cheers!

cheers!, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

We had a great Christmas.....how about you? The kids got us up way before the sun came up. I had a "make ahead" breakfast casserole in the fridge....so I just popped it in the oven. They had a great time finding stuff in their stockings. I don't think that they even realized there was stuff under the tree. It is in the office, so we had to go to another room!

We just kind of vegged around all day. We even all took naps!

For dinner Husband grilled the steaks . He was kind of worried since he hadn't used it the last year. I like my steaks medium with a teeny tiny thin line of pink. He likes his just barely thrown on the grill. He did have to take them back out for a bit! But overall, there were awesome.

We had this wine that Husband's parents brought back from their tour of Europe this summer. It is a vintage of Husband's birth. We were going to save it for out 10th anniversary and his birthday....but he was still gone. So we thought Christmas was a better time to have it. I have not ever had a wine this old. It was really good with much 'deeper' taste than my normal $10-20 bottles!

Have you started packing up the Christmas decorations yet? I have at least gotten all the wrapping stuff put away!

Happy tenth anniversary, Husband

Happy anniversary, Husband, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

***These are pictures of pictures in our wedding scrapbook....I don't have a scanner!***

My version of how we met:

I was a single teacher in a junior high that the kids from the military post went. Over Christmas break this one military wife I had become friends with needed a house-sitter. They had a huge third floor that was basically an apartment. They got home a few days early to throw an impromptu New Year's party.

I was cleaning up empty beer bottles to help Debbie out. (I have always compusively cleaned!) Some little Lieutenant (Husband) kept asking me why I was cleaning. I had no desire to meet some single soldier. They had been hitting on me at the mall since I was 13 years old!

I was only staying at the party for a bit because we were driving to Bricktown in OKC to a party as well.

Later on that week, I called a friend of that little Lieutenant to get the scoop on him. By Spring break, I knew we would be married it was just a matter of when. The when turned out to be engaged just before the fourth of July, and married the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I don't know what changes lie ahead or where our shared path will lead. But what I do know is that I'm here for you today to listen or talk, to applaud or console, to want, need, and to love you with all my heart. It hardly seems like it has been ten years. Love you, Husband, hurry home.


His version of how we met:

What do I remember about when we met...I remember getting invited to the Clark's for New Years and thinking that I wouldn't go. I ended up going with the intent of making an appearance and then going out. I remember it was free beer and some good food. Since I was single, good food and free beer was very important. I remember seeing you there and thinking you were cute. I figured you were there with someone else and wondered why you were spending so much time cleaning up. I remember talking to you and being sad that you were leaving because I wanted to steal you away. I ended up staying at the Clark's until late and the colonel and I sat around listening to a Pink Floyd album until Debbie kicked me out.

I remember we called each other a while later and I was suprised you remembered me. I got stood up one time and was really disappointed. I think the next time we went out was valentines day. I can;t remember the details, but I remember we weren't apart much after that. I know that I fell in love with you pretty quickly because of your pretty smile and your just a nice person. I was amazed that you liked me and wanted to hang out. I know I love you more each day and I'm proud to be your husband.

Hope you have a good day today. We can celebrate and find something nice for ourselves when I get back.

The stockings were hung.....

I finally got some decorations hung. The night before we went to my mom's for Thanksgiving, I had pulled the bins down from the attic....so they were just sitting in the entry waiting. I went through the house and put away all the fall stuff. Whew hoo....where do I start?

I figured I would start with something big that would make an impact....OOOPPPS, let me back up....We are not decorating the tree until Husband gets home. I set it up, but that is it....Yes, it is fake. I have massive allergies.....anyhow...back to the decorating.

I pulled out the bins labeled "French doors garland" ....Well, this was where it was used in our home in Kansas. But here I am going to use it around the fireplace mantle. A little peek into some 'Tommie madness'....I take a picture, print it out, and stick all the things that are in that area in the same Rubbermaid tub. So, a year later when I pull the bins out, I just try to figure out where that 'french doors garland' is going to go. In this bin was the greenery, ornaments, snowflakes, and silver ornaments.

In Kansas this was on both sides of the French doors, so they didn't have the stockings. I will probably print this picture out as well since we could use this around a mantle wherever we are next year at this time.

By the way, all these decorations are from Nell Hill's. If you are ever near Kansas City, it is an awesome store. I don't think a month went by that me and my neighbors didn't load up and drive over to the original one in Atchison, KS. Husband would see the familiar black shopping bags and wonder what was new in out home.

So, are you done with decorating???

happy Tuesday

Happy Halloween

Did you know there were dinosaurs in Texas.....well technically it is a dragon, but Will has called it a dinosaur this whole time.
Livi wasn't sure if she was a fairy or a princess. Either way she was really cute....cranky but cute. These last couple of weeks she has decided she is done with her afternoon nap....which is all fine and dandy EXCEPT by 4:30 she is falling on the floor, melting into a little puddle crying over the smallest thing.

So today after an hour, I had to give in....they had gymnastics at 3:30.....

What am is getting around to saying is.....No naps + gymnastics + sugar high from ten thousand pieces of candy + trick or treating JUST our street = one tired little fairy princess. She couldn't hardly stay awake for her bath.

Happy Halloween! As of tomorrow, we are at 50 days. I am really moping around tonight....this is the second Halloween Mike has missed. I know, I know....we are on the home stretch. I can seriously see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Happy Birthday to Will

Will had a great birthday. When he woke up he saw his dinosaur shirt hanging on his closet door. The first thing he said was..."Is it June 3? Is it my dinosaur party day?" I asked him what he wanted for breakfast....

"cake"....uhm, this is not Bill Cosby's house...try again.

"cheese eggs"....that's more like it. I usually make it with cheddar cheese, but he really LOVES it the way Mike makes it with Velveeta. So since he was king for the day, I made it that way. As I was tearing some to put on the top, they were shaped like little triangles, so I told him they were dinosaur teeth. He got a kick out of that and couldn't believe that there were "real" dinosaur teeth on his Daddy-cheese-eggs.

His cake turned out very cute. Though I did notice when I picked it up I failed to tell them to put "Happy Birthday Will"....but as you can see, there really wasn't any room. Those little plastic dinosaurs roar. This is a cupcake cake from Walmart. We discovered these cakes a few birthday party's ago. I love it, you simply pull a cupcake off....no messing cutting. I was really impressed with how much detail there was.

These are the foofoo cute cookies. They are from Weddingcookie.com Laura Poland, the owner was great to work with. I emailed a copy of his invitation, and she customized the colors. They come already wrapped in clear cellophane and a matching ribbon! I simply put these in a little dinosaur tin bucket with a balloon tied to them for the favor. The cookies are amazingly good! I will definitely be ordering some in October for the Princess birthday I am sure Livi will want.

Mike sent Will a video of him singing Will happy birthday. He wanted to see his "daddy birthday song" while everyone was there. He knows how to manipulate the laptop to play it over and over.

The party went very well. We had a bouncey house that a neighbor owns. She offered to let us use it Saturday morning. I am glad I took her up on it, it wore the kids out! The dinosaur dig was a big hit, but very messy. The sand dried out, so it is now spread all over the porch. Oh well....it all in good fun and a bithday I am sure Will will remember.

Once the party was almost over, there were still a few friends from his school here. I knew one present from his Aunt Mary and Uncle Anselmo was this (this is the picture from the PBK website)....so he opened it and they played with it for almost an hour. I was hoping to burn off some of that sugar they had consumed all day!

It worked on Will, he was exhausted and went right to sleep. Livi on the other hand, didn't go to sleep until almost 9:30.....these are my kids who are usually in bed asleep by 7:30!

Note to self: After action report:

* The only thing I would do differently is move the sand activity off the porch.

*Also, a big thanks to nice neighbor J who I asked to take pictures. She loved playing with my new camera. I was thankful to be able to run the party and not worry about pictures. This deployment has shown me that I need to ask for help when I need it.

birthday.....checklist to self

OKay, for the birthday boy this weekend, I have

* Ordered cake....dinosaur theme please, he says so nicely way back in January.....I even got the cupcake cake and the dinosaurs roar!
2. Printed out chart for thank you notes....AND put them in my control journal!!!

5. Get helium tank for balloon to tie on favors....can say done...BUT only after cornering the Walmart employeeee...here is a hint....don't ask the household lady where the party supply stuff i s in a Super Walmart

11. Buy plastic ware and paper goods. ***though I still cannot find dinosaur napkins.....note to napkin printers....print dinosaur napkins and ship them to TX....some moms will buy them!

13. Buy cute dinosaur shirt for birthday boy.......as well as cute school shoes for Liv for the fall. Who can't buy 75% off Striderite shoes she can put on herself??? heck, if I lowered her clothes bar, she could do her morning routine herself!!

8. Buy sand for dinosaur dig activity.....did this, but the sand is wet, it totally will not sift....which is what we need to find the 'bones'...do you think it will dry out by Sat??

7. Track cookies ordered from foofoo cookie place to see if where they are.....these are delivered....and we even gave some to the neighbor kids moving....because we are on top on things like that....or I would like to think I am!!

8. Buy sand for dinosaur dig activity.....did this, but it is wet...can sand dry out in two day with 85% humidity???

I still need to do:.....

3. Let me back up, make hand print for thank you notes.,,call it OOyey gooyeey Friday, I will do this tomorrow afternoon, hopefully Livi will be napping.



4. Assemble thank you notes.....yeah still need to do this one!...so if you are holding your breath for a thank you note.....here is a hint....take a breath, we haven't even made them yet!

6. Assemble favors.


9. Drain water from the sand and water table.

10. Fill sand and water table with new sand and dinosaur bones.

12. Buy ice cream and pick up cake day of party.

Okay, substitute four year old boy in this pic.....I want him to have a great party!!

Just a few more things to do!

Thursday 13....number three

Thirteen things I need to do before Will's party on Saturday.......yep, this Saturday....like in two days. Hard to believe he will be four on Sunday.

This is the face I get when I ask him to say cheese for his dad.....lovely!

1. Order cake....dinosaur theme please, he says so nicely way back in January.

2. Print out chart for thank you notes.

3. Let me back up, make hand print for thank you notes.

4. Assemble thank you notes.

5. Get helium tank for balloon to tie on favors.

6. Assemble favors.

7. Track cookies ordered from foofoo cookie place to see if where they are.

8. Buy sand for dinosaur dig activity.

9. Drain water from the sand and water table.

10. Fill sand and water table with new sand and dinosaur bones.

11. Buy plastic ware and paper goods.

12. Buy ice cream and pick up cake day of party.

13. Buy cute dinosaur shirt for birthday boy.

I think I can get most of this done over the next two days. I can't believe my baby is going to be four!

If not, this will be me with my cute foofoo cookies from foofoo place online.

Memorial Day

While Memorial day normally marks the beginning of summer with celebrations and grilling out with friends and family, this weekend I am reminded of the many families that have lost hubands, fathers, sons, wives, mothers, and daughters. I want this weekend to be about showing respect for those fallen soldiers who have given up all of their tomorrows.

Carmella LaSpada is executive director of the White House Commission on Remembrance which was set up by Congress in 2000, and urges Americans to remember and honor the true spirit and purpose of Memorial Day:

"The national Moment of Remembrance is a time for Americans to contemplate those things that bind us together by remembering the legacy of those who died to better our country... We encourage all Americans, no matter where they are and what they are doing, at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, to stop and give thanks [via a moment of silence, or something symbolic like ringing a bell]."

Easter, toddler style.

On Thursday morning, we went to Will's easter party at school .....while the parents hid the eggs, the kids played a bit on the playground. I loved this picture of the baskets.

Livi didn't take her basket to Will's school party, but she helped him find eggs. Imagine nearly 40+ kids finding eggs in a courtyard...you couldn't take two steps without stepping on one.....eggs, not the kids.... They had fun though. After a quick lunch of cookies and rice krispie treats..(the carrots and ranch, and sandwich seemed to get overlooked in all the sugar overload both were on) we got on the road.

We trekked down ......oops, I meant up to Oklahoma for Easter...

First and foremost, the road trip.....I was geared up the the DVD players installed, snacks in a cooler, and some caffeine for me. The kids don't eat fast food like McDonalds except for the fries and chocolate milk, so I quit spending $20 on fries and milk many road trips ago. I pack things that I can pass back easily that won't end up on the carpet the carseats. I have mastered moving my arm into unnatural angles to hand either kid something.

Fastforward to Easter morning, the kids woke up to their filled baskets....more sugar...can you see the gleem in Will's cheeks as he is dreaming of yet another sugar filled day??

We went to my aunt RoseMary's for the Easter egg hunt. Will's teachers had made this little rice krispie treat with peanut butter and jelly beans.....I thought they were so cute, I made them for us. The kids helped by making the dip in the nest and placing the jelly beans. They are actually pretty good. Note to self: rub vegetable oil on your hands while forming the nest...not nearly as messy!!

Will was so proud he found 14 eggs...he even counted them all. He opened up the plastic prize egg with a dollar bill in it and said, "Hey! I got one with a ticket!"

Livi found a prize eggs too and said, "This one has paper!"

Welcome to my world of the debit card...I hardly ever carry cash anymore....I guess I should show the kids what real money looks like.

The kids had to get in all the trampoline time they could. We decided not to get one until Mike came home. I don't plan on being outside all summer in the Texas heat....so we are waiting. Livi looks like she is practicing for a sky diving trip...

While we were gone it snowed 4 inches here in TX....reminded me of the guy that told Mike not to plant in late March because it would freeze one more time....who knew?? It had been in the high 80's already. My awesome neighbors covered my flowers, winterized my sprinkler system, and took in my urns and flower basket things. I love this neighborhood!

happy tuesday y'all

happy missed birthdays....husband style

Happy Birthday to us.....or to all the birthdays Husband will miss.

For as long as I have know Mike, he has asked for this cake for his birthday. It is a chocolate chocolate chip bundt cake. Needless to say it has become a kid favorite as well. We made this Saturday evening with dinner. Sunday morning the kids asked for it for breakfast...I don't think so! Even if it was a Cosby episode.
We each put in a candle for the birthdays Mike will miss. Hopefully he will be back before Livi's birthday in mid October. He left on the 8th, so I am hoping for an early October return.

Make a wish!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

Livi wanted to send her daddy a kiss. I told her she would have to blow it all the way there. She sat down and started blowing......that was 20 minutes ago. She is still blowing. So, husband, I hope you got it.
I told her to do a nice pic....this is what I got.
Will had to take a treat to his school for his party today. So while Livi napped, we made rice krispie treats. Will got to cut them out with the cookie cutter. After two or three though he got bored. Now I think I have a permanent indentation of a heart on my palm.
Note to self: next year buy some valentines....or better yet, start the week before. The afternoon before you need 24 valentines is not the time to start. Will did put the puffy heart sticker on them, but MAN, this was alot of work! But aren't they oh so cute!

I'll add a pic of Will later when he gets home from school.

Okay, want to see what a cupcake, a cookie and a sucker does to a three year?? He is literally rolling on the floor. He was on the bed, but fell off....cackling like the evil witch in The Wizard of Oz!

When I laid Livi down for her nap, I had told her she could have a sucker when she got up....welll, in her little two year old interpretation of that, I said..."Stay awake and play in your bed, and in an hour you can have a sucker!" So much for naps today. I guess that means an early bedtime.

Happy Wednesday y'all,