You made it your OWN, dawg.

Yes, yes, we certainly did. Including the Idol logos.

Welcome to Hollywood, South Phoenix-style. We had a red carpet leading from the front door and stars hanging from the ceiling, too...The girls totally got into the karaoke...They had a good time dancing, some of them even got dressed up...We played musical chairs...J had a great time being around all the action, and got plenty of love from Grandma... (plus Izzie was there, his very favorite person!)

The boys didn't care so much for the karaoke, though, lol...

Random thoughts.

The American Idol party turned out great! Well, except for my "microphone" cake, which looked way more like an ice cream cone than anything else. I was too embarrassed by it to even take a picture... Turns out that the boys wanted NOTHING to do with the karaoke, but at least all the girls had a great time singing to Hannah Montana songs, etc... I think everyone had a good time. I'm just happy that it's over...

M is turning out to be quite the excellent student in school. She got over her initial "I don't want to goooooo!!!" whining, and I think is having a good time now. She's up super early every morning, with her bed made, and dressed and ready for school, before A even wakes up. She's only been "on yellow" once, she gets every question on every assignment correct - seriously, and her handwriting is amazing! So proud. Turns out this school is the perfect fit for both her and A!

M is jealous of A being in the gifted program and everything she gets to do. A keeps telling her that so-and-so will come give her tests so M can be in gifted too... heaven help us if she doesn't get chosen to be tested, or worse, if she doesn't make it. (!)

J is starting to put two words together - "Daeee tar" (Daddy's car) "hurrr heh" (hurt head) and so forth. He has also started to respond somewhat when we remind him of things with a defeated "Tay..." like, okaaaaayyy, I'll stop doing this, because I know I'm not supposed to...

A is getting BAPTIZED ON FRIDAY! She's so excited. If any of you want to come, let me know so I can give you directions.

I'm so ready for the construction to be finished around our house. My car has been filthy for weeks! Looks like they're widening 27th and putting in curbs and sidewalks and such... should be good!

I'm not thrilled with Costco's "new and improved" baby wipes. They have that dry, Huggies-type of feeling now. Why mess with a good thing??? Time to potty-train!

I can't believe it's the last week of the month, and I have yet to set VT appointments. Again.

We totally dropped the ball on the latest school fundraiser. Anybody want a tub of cookie dough? we have to turn in money tomorrow!

I've done so much laundry today already that we're out of hangers. That's impressive, let me tell you.

Count your (many) blessings

I will be teaching a class for our Super Saturday coming up in four weeks... and making this craft:

There will be two color options - this red/chocolate/cream version, and a lime green/aqua/taupe/white version - a little more modern (I LOVE the other color combo too... I will be making up a sample of that one as well)

There will also be a size option - you can have a 24" board that will hang THREE frames, or you can have a 30" board that will hang FOUR frames, which will say "Count your many blessings".

If you want to pick your own patterns/colors, feel free to bring your own scrapbook paper.

Let me know if you want in on this. I have enough stuff to make about 10-11 kits up, and there are already three spoken for.

I'd like to duct-tape him to the wall.

Little Boy Wonder has struck again. This makes the fifth time in 12 days he has re-decorated our house. It wasn't with poop, or markers, or Trix cereal, or shampoo this time... his weapon of choice today was a brand new tube of Spongebob toothpaste. That stuff is BRIGHT blue. There were landmines up and down the hallway all over the carpet, into his room, all over Manda's shoes, into Mommy's room, all over Mommy's bathroom tile, and in the EXACT same place in Mommy's closet where the big shampoo incident occured. I went through about 5 gallons of water in our carpet cleaner on that one spot alone... and it's still coming up foam.


SHEESH!

2nd Grade Angst

A gets along really well with boys. She chooses to play with boys over girls on a regular basis. She strictly wears pants or shorts to school, versus skirts, so that she can run faster and play easier on the playground, she claims.

She and a kid named "Rueben" have been BFFs since school started this year. I think they started out sitting together in class. He lets her get in lines in front of him, she lets him borrow our Magic Tree House books, they play together at every recess, you name it.

So of course, when it came time to make her guest list for the all-important birthday party this weekend, Rueben was at the top of her list. Since I've seen this Rueben kid all of once, and never met his parents, we didn't hand-deliver his invite to his home, but rather, A took it to school instead.

Rueben threw her invitation away. (!)

I was appalled, and I'll say it, yeah, a little miffed, especially considering I had designed the.cutest.birthday.invitation.ever. I prodded A to find out if this really were the case, and if he truly didn't want to come (Because HONESTLY, who WOULDN'T want to come??)

Honestly.

I finally got the whole truth out of A tonight. Rueben said people think he and A are "boyfriend and girlfriend" - and I LOVE A's response here - she said "but I just don't trust that!" "We're just friends!"

Sigh. Don't you just love her? While Rueben succumbs to elementary school peer pressure and shuns A left and right now, she is exasperated because she just wants him to stay her friend... I fear this is just the beginning of A's heartache and struggles with the opposite sex...

To-do List

Oh Mylanta, I have a lot to do in the next week and a half.

Practice baptism songs on the piano.
Finish baptism invites and send them out.
Get board cut for Super Saturday project (Deirdre - got anything 4" by 24" laying around?)
Finish registering for traffic school.
PTO meeting tonight.
Meet up with Lisa to get vinyl for SS project. Get to Michael's to buy frames while my coupon is good this week. How many do you think I'll need? Hmmm... how many people are going to sign up??
Sign up for produce basket this weekend.
Take cool, close-up photos of my kids this week, edit and print them.
Remember to set the DVR for Flash Forward on Thursday. Looks good...
Find time to finish SS project sample, and figure out a cost. Lisa, how much are you charging me?
Order cupcakes to take into M's classroom on Friday.
Plan b-day party agenda, games, etc.
Rearrange furniture downstairs to make room for a "stage"
Get party favors together for b-day party.
Buy M's gift for party, and figure out somewhere to put it (Amberly's house?).
Decorate the house for b-day party. Pick up red carpet?
Figure out what karaoke songs to offer for b-day party.
Find another adult to help run party (Janna???)
Take cupcakes into M's classroom on Friday.
Get supplies needed to make microphone cake, and frosting, plus candles.
Meet Nonnie and Papa for dinner on Friday night.
Pick up produce basket on Saturday morning.
Have 15 crazies running around my house on Saturday.
Entertain 15 crazies for 3 hours on Saturday.
Go pick up pizza for 15 crazies on Saturday.
Send them all home.
Recover.
Clean.
Work on DVD slide show. Get music to go along with it.
Go to D-backs game on Sat. night and try not to fall asleep.
Take finished sample of Super Saturday project to church on Sunday.
Finish programs for baptism and get them printed.
Coordinate musical number for A's baptism, find time for everyone to practice.
Help Grandma with A's dress??
Finish slide show.
Parent-teacher conferences next week. One on Wednesday, one on Thursday.
Early release from school Thursday and Friday.
Take treats into A's classroom next Friday for her birthday.
Arrange to have DVD player & TV for baptism program.
Make sure someone is going to fill the font...

You make my dreams come true...

My favorite part of 500 days of Summer.