Happy birthday to me...

I don't know what I thought 45 would be like...I don't feel 45. I don't look 45. Though I do notice a bit more gray, a few more 'cracks' (as Will called them) around my forehead where I scrunch it. Midlife is not at all what I imagined way back when I thought 40 was OLD. I guess two kids under ten will keep you young.

I look back at my teen years: always being the good girl, getting good grades, making it into OU. In my twenties, I was still the people pleaser. Now I was just pleasing my principal and fellow teachers. It took me a year or two to learn to say "NO" to various things I was volunteered to do.

I got married when I was 30. We moved from Oklahoma to Alaska, leaving everything I had ever known. Thank goodness for the good friends we made there. I also had two babies in two years. Now that will make life interesting. It was then that I finally learned to stop trying to please everybody. I also figured out I might not ever fit back into those pre-baby clothes. My body is definitely curvier in places it didn't used to be curvy. But I can find and wear clothes that fit my body and look good. Clinton and Stacy (from What Not to Wear) are fountains of info! A good under garment (as Stacy and Clinton would say) is not something to skimp.

So, slowly, over the past years I have learned to realize while I might not be perfect, I am alright and I have some great bras!

I've learned Husband is the only person who has seen me at my worst, smelled my "morning breath", put up with  my crazy relatives, endured my quirky overly organized anal habits/tendencies and still loves me more than anybody else on Earth.  Thank you Husband for loving me!


Here’s what I want you to do for my birthday. Send someone an e-mail and tell them how much you appreciate them, or love them. Do it right now. Then tell me about it in the comments. That’s what I want. It’s my birthday so you have to do it.

happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to me...I don't know what I thought 41 would be like...I don't feel 41. I don't look 41. Though I do notice a bit more gray, a few more 'cracks' (as Will called them) around my forehead where I scrunch it. Midlife is not at all what I imagined way back when I thought 41 was OLD. I guess two kids under six will keep you young.

I look back at my teen years: always being the good girl, getting good grades, making it into OU. In my twenties, I was still the people pleaser. Now I was just pleasing my principal and fellow teachers. It took me a year or two to learn to say "NO" to various things I was volunteered to do.

I got married when I was 30. We moved from Oklahoma to Alaska, leaving everything I had ever known. Thank goodness for the good friends we made there. I also had two babies in two years. Now that will make life interesting. It was then that I finally learned to stop trying to please everybody.

I also figured out I might not ever fit back into those pre-baby clothes. My body is definitely curvier in places it didn't used to be curvy. But I can find and wear clothes that fit my body and look good. Clinton and Stacy (from What Not to Wear) are fountains of info! A good under garment (as Stacy and Clinton would say) is not something to skimp.

So, slowly, over the past years I have learned to realize while I might not be perfect, I am alright and I have some great bras!

Here’s what I want you to do for my birthday. Send someone an e-mail and tell them how much you appreciate them, or love them. Do it right now. Then tell me about it in the comments. That’s what I want. It’s my birthday so you have to do it.

PS, these cupcakes are definitely in my future. Here is the recipe

Happy Birthday, Will

You've come a long way, baby! 9 months

Happy Birthday, little Man! Six years ago, I went to my 38 week OB appointment. Little did I know that by midnight, I would be holding a precious little boy. I looked over at you with tears in my eyes. I couldn't believe you were here.

Around Christmas time that year when you were almost seven months old, you said your first words. Your daddy walked in your room while I was changing you. You looked up and him and said, "hey Dad!".....I just cracked up laughing. For the rest of the month you continued to say that just for grins and giggles from everyone around you. This was the beginning of your silly boy self.

Tonight when I was doing your bedtime routine, you commented, "Mommy, I am now two hands years old." Holding up your left hand and right thumb, you let me sing your night time song, "Hush little baby".

Happy birthday, Will!

Friday Fill In

...here we go!

1. It's cold and forming condensation on my wine glass, it sure is humid here.

2. I love tomatoes with mozzarella and balsamic vinegar.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is Aveda hair products....if my hair were longer, I imagine I would walk around sniffing a lock of hair all the time.

4. After a nice long ride....and we were at the beach. (taken Memorial Day '08)

5. Well, first of all I did not realize Will's birthday party is in a week. I am on the hunt for some great party favors, since my old standby of the foofoo cookies will take too long. I really do not like putting together that bag of crap kids get at parties.

6. How sad, I don't even remember; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was fairly unremarkable since I can't even remember.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to veggie pizza with the family, tomorrow my plans include menu planning and finding the birthday party favor crap mentioned above and Sunday, I want to sleep in!


Friday fill in courtesy of the talented Janet...

Weekend Update

Hard to believe my baby girl is four! We had a small party with just our family, grandparents, and aunt M and her family. We did invite a few neighbor kids as well. Just enough to have a little fun.

We have used Laura at WeddingCookie.com for Will's dinosaur cookie and Livi's princess cookies last year. I emailed her a copy of the invitation. Then she does some frosting magic! The princess dress looked exactly like the invitation. She even puts a pretty little bow at the top. I tie a balloon to these and use them as party favors. Much easier than finding a bunch of crap to go into a party favor bag. She does an amazing job. We even ordered enough to share with her preschool class.

She received a couple of the Disney princess polly-pocket sized dolls.....I guess my Polly Pocket sized world is getting bigger!

Overall, it was a great time and a fun weekend. While things get hectic with ten people in the house, I do have to remind myself: It is so far and few times in between that we get to see family, that it is going to be crazy. Get over it and let the kids enjoy being around their grandparents and cousins.

I can go back to my simple little life until the next holiday....well, the next next holiday.

Happy weekend, y'all!

Photostory Friday- have a little cupcake

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Happy Birthday to my little princess. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, all she said was chocolate cake. We usually make this as a bundt cake, but we had them as cupcakes at my surprise party this summer. This has been a favorite of our family for as long as we have been married.

Trust me, this is a cupcake you want to know. It is a chocolate chocolate chip cupcake.



1 box devil's food cake mix

1 box of large pudding (the cook and serve kind)

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. water

12 oz. chocolate chips

Mix all until thoroughly mixed. Just stir in the powder of the pudding mix (don't prepare it like the box says). Add in the chocolate chips after everything is mixed. For a cake, bake at 350 degrees for one hour. I made these as big muffins and it took almost 35 minutes. Mini muffins only take ten minutes.

edited to add: the cream cheese frosting is simple: one brick of softened cream cheese, a splash of milk (probably 2T or so)....then just keep adding powdered sugar until stiff enough to pipe through a bag. I used probably 2 1/2 c. , but could have used more. Mine was a little soft. Mix until combined. To pipe it on the top, I put it in a ziplock bag. Snip off the corner. Pipe in concentric circles on the top. Enjoy!

Hey hey, back away from the cupcakes. I am still trying to get a good shot! Boy, yeah, you...get your little mitts away from my princess sprinkles.

PS, why is it every time I say bundt I think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding? I love that movie!

Finally the big day.....my name is tommie and I am 40

Happy birthday to me...

I don't know what I thought 40 would be like...I don't feel 40. I don't look 40. Though I do notice a bit more gray, a few more 'cracks' (as Will called them) around my forehead where I scrunch it. Midlife is not at all what I imagined way back when I thought 40 was OLD. I guess two kids under five will keep you young.

I look back at my teen years: always being the good girl, getting good grades, making it into OU. In my twenties, I was still the people pleaser. Now I was just pleasing my principal and fellow teachers. It took me a year or two to learn to say "NO" to various things I was volunteered to do.

I got married when I was 30. We moved from Oklahoma to Alaska, leaving everything I had ever known. Thank goodness for the good friends we made there. I also had two babies in two years. Now that will make life interesting. It was then that I finally learned to stop trying to please everybody. I also figured out I might not ever fit back into those pre-baby clothes. My body is definitely curvier in places it didn't used to be curvy. But I can find and wear clothes that fit my body and look good. Clinton and Stacy (from What Not to Wear) are fountains of info! A good under garment (as Stacy and Clinton would say) is not something to skimp.

So, slowly, over the past years I have learned to realize while I might not be perfect, I am alright and I have some great bras!


Here’s what I want you to do for my birthday. Send someone an e-mail and tell them how much you appreciate them, or love them. Do it right now. Then tell me about it in the comments. That’s what I want. It’s my birthday so you have to do it.

Surprise, surprise, surprise

I am not big on surprises. Being the planner that I am, well, surprises just don't fit into my well thought out plans. Yesterday Husband wanted to go to Easton to do some shopping and let the kids play in the sprinkle areas. I must have eaten something funky on the 4th because my tummy was a bit queasy. I promptly told him I really wasn't in the mood to drive 40 minutes to take the kids to run around in some water fountain just because I needed some of my Bobbi Brown makeup. He tempted me with shopping at Nordstroms and my old best friend, Ann Taylor Loft. I did need a couple of things so I gobbled some tummy meds and off we went after lunchtime.

I scored some super sales at GapKids. I was able to buy one, get one half off of my favorite flip flops. Best of all, the Bobbi Brown sales girl didn't have my tinted sunscreen makeup in stock, so she gave me the sample one she had just opened that morning for FREE! I had told her it was almost my 40th birthday. She kept saying, "You really don't look 40!" All I could say was thank you.

We finally headed home around 3:45.....Husband takes the kids the long way on this super windy road with mongo hills. He is whipping around the curves in my mom-wagon like its some race car. We pull up into the driveway and I notice his sister's cars amongst others...some even parked on the street. What the??

We walk around back to the porch area....every old family friend of Husbands I know is there. Sister-in-law M and J, along with my mother-in-law pulled off a surprise 40th birthday party. I was quite surprised. They made this board with random pics through the past years....yes, even those scary prom pics were on the board. Everyone signed it with a silver pen.

They had all of my favorite foods: sushi, my Greek pasta salad , beef tenderloin, beer butt chicken, and chocolate chocolate chip cake (made into muffins) with whipped cream cheese frosting.

We capped the night off with sparklers....remember I think all fireworks are for me!

I was genuinely thankful to be surrounded my Husband's lifelong friends. It was a great surprise, even if I didn't plan on it!

dinosaurs and muffin celebrations

On Sunday the last thing I wanted to do was to get out and do some fun activity. I really just wanted to veg in my pjs all day. BUT the kids next door told Will about some dinosaur exhibit here in town.....

Dang, my pj-lounging day was blown. Oh well....let's go have some fun.....it was kind of a cheesy little thing. The kids loved it though.

Livi was holding the little silver rail just a bit too tightly.....it knocked over a faux palm tree ....(Can you see where this is going??) which nearly knocked over a dinosaur. I saw it falling, so I kind if hit it to the right so it wouldn't hit it. Kind of freaked her out ...I finally got the palm tree upright, and we made a quick exit!

After naps we made made some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Livi needed them for her celebration at school. Here is the link: Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip-Muffins Of all the things she could have taken, these are what she wanted. We first had these at a bake sale about two years ago. It is one of the many things I love about fall....all that cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin in the air.


During the celebration, the teacher reads a life story, Livi got to walk around the circle to show everyone her picture that described each year of her life. I took the first two pictures from her baby book...so last night at almost ten o'clock, I had to make two more pages. Good thing I use the 7x7 albums!! **Little note: she is always so goofy, trying to make people laugh...but during her walk around the circle, she was so serious!!

The preschool they go to is multi-aged, so Will is in her class. He was on the other side of the circle. I was trying to take a picture of him without him really realizing it. As soon as I picked up the camera, I get this.

No, really, let me take just one picture. Okay, maybe not. Once I put the camera down, he did our secret gesture.....a little thumbs up with a kiss. I was like, you goofy nut!

See that little scrunched up nose?? She not only looks like a mini me, but I do that scrunchy nose thing too when I am really laughing at something. Mike calls it a squirell grin.

Happy Tuesday y'all.

Happy Birthday baby girl

I flip on the laptop as the coffee is brewing first thing every morning. Husband sent Livi a movie of him singing Happy Birthday. She listened to it several times before she started talking to the screen...."I heard you the first time....Daddy!" I think she must think it is like the video teleconferences we have done.

Anyhow, I asked her what she wanted for breakfast since she was princess for the day. I fully expected her to say pancakes. But she surprised me. She wanted strawberries and bananas with yogurt. Normally she gets to pick just one fruit, so she really thought she was getting all kinds of special treatment since she could pick two. Whew hoo, easy breakfast!

We had the party mid morning....I love that time for a party. Order some cheap pizza, serve some cake...all done. I decided against doing a craft and went for the pinata. I found a princess one at Hobby Lobby. It was even one with the pull string ones...no wild kids swinging a stick around here! The kids lined up smallest to biggest.....sadly enough the second kid pulled the right string. Here is Livi examining her loot. ***Note the cute pink boots! She looked adorable in pink boots, with a little corduroy skirt, and a top with pink and green flowers. We had to stick with the color theme.***

I hope your birthday wish comes true, baby girl. Later that night while we were doing our bed time routine, she said, "Mommy, can I tell you my wish? " If you want to, baby girl. "I really want Daddy to come home." I know, baby girl, so do I. Only 66 more days. By now, I am really trying not to cry in front of her. Then she kind of groaned and said, "But Mommy, I only know how to count to 20!"

Like all great divas, there had to be an outfit change......just kidding. After the party, they were playing in the ice, and she got soaked.

All in all, it was a great party. Princess cupcakes, princess and crown cookies, great friends, what more can a three year old princess want? Except her daddy....hurry home, husband!

Friday fill in #8

If you play, please link back to me and leave me a comment letting me know you played, so I can come visit! I get this from janet at Fond of Snape.

1. Once upon a time there was a girl, she married a boy and popped out two kids in two years.

2. Crying, screaming and whining is how I started my day.....the kids, not me.....though I did feel like doing all that as well.

3. I think I would like the smell of white tea and ginger.

4. Way down south, the little girls wear big bows made to match outfits.

5. The battery to my Keys remote fell out today; so the locks wouldn't open. (When I opened it with the key, the alarm went off.....loudly, in the parking lot to the bakery!!

being crazy for dad, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

6. Have you seen the kids being crazy for Dad lately? They're so goofy! Will looks like he is mastering the "white man's overbite" along with his Billy Crystal moves. Livi is going to give Gene Simmons a run for his money with that tongue of hers!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the kids going to bed, tomorrow my plans include Livi's birthday party and Sunday, I want to take the kids to the dinosaur exhibit visiting a museum here!

Happy Friday!

1. Once upon a time ______________.
2. _________ screaming and _______________.
3. __________ white tea and ginger.
4. Way down _____________.
5. Keys _______; locks _______
6. Have you seen ________? They're so _______!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

Just a sneak peak into the princess party happening tomorrow...