A Girl Can Dream...

I have seen a few bloggers with lists of things they want to do/accomplish. Some have bucket lists, some have lists of things for fun... or whatever. I have a "30 Before 30 List" that I have written down. But lately I've been thinking of things I'd like to do.. some might be far-fetched or I might be too chicken to do them, but It's fun to think about anyway.. so here is my *latest* list of things...



***Attend a Birth. Wouldn't that be cool? I have given birth 4 times but never actually seen one and been "there" to totally experience it. I wonder which of my lovely friends would be comfortable enough for me to share in that? Start thinking now ladies! ha!

***Wait all morning at Black Friday & Score an awesome deal. I have been Black Friday shopping. ONE time. I waited with my sister-in-law at a few places, and didn't even end up with much at all. I just went for fun basically. Not cool. It was freezing and I had a bad experience. But one of these days I'd love to actually plan ahead and go get that one item with the "wow factor" that either the kids or Arnold are wanting, and surprise them with it :)

***Cook Christmas Dinner. Now, this is actually *hopefully* going to happen this year! I have started cooking more and mom has been teaching me some things. Also, Pinterest has become my best friend at finding recipes and entertaining ideas. We usually do our Christmas get-together on Christmas eve, so that leaves Christmas evening open. I am hoping to have Arnold's parents and sister over that evening if all works out. Wish me luck!

***Deep Clean House. I mean to the point where there is NO clutter left. Nothing. The old clothes and toys are donated. All trash and broken items are out of here. If it's not "useful" or "beautiful" it will not be in this house. I want to re-claim my home!!

***Take a gun safety class. Learn how to use and respect a gun. I actually am deathly terrified of guns, but I know that is not healthy. And eventually Arnold wants us to own one, for our own defense. Can you tell we are big Conservatives??? Ha.

***Tattoo on my wrist. Now this is one of the most far-fetched on the list. I saw the cutest tattoo online of a little owl. If I got one, it would probably be on my wrist. It would be small and able to see, but not so "flashy" that it looked "trashy." And it would be black.. no colors for me!

***Get a Massage. Can you believe I've never had one? I mean a real one at a Spa? My mom actually got me a giftcard a long time ago for one, and I never was able to find a time to go. I heard the GC doesn't expire, so I need to get my butt over there! I have SO much tension in my neck and shoulders it's crazy.

***Mow the Grass Once, for Arnold. Arnold takes care of all the yardwork. I am just not that type of girl. That may make me look spoiled. But I mowed ONCE when I was a teen living at home, and I made a big ol mess of the yard. I am just not that focused and precise. Call me lazy. Call me ditzy. i don't know. I just don't like it!

***Buy something off Etsy. So simple.. yet I want to do it. They have some TALENTED sellers on there! They make absolutely everything you can imagine, and more. Sometimes the prices are a little steep, but it's worth it to get unique items with that homeade touch. I specifically want crochet hats for the kids.. maybe Brobee for Rachel, Hello kitty for Brooke, and a monster for Caleb!

***Learn to Play Piano. this has always been a dream of mine. But I honestly think this ship has sailed. Don't they say the older you get the harder it is to pick up a musical instrument? Oh well.

***Dye my Hair-- I have never, ever dyed my hair a different color. I am serious. The most I have ever gotten done are some blonde highlights in the summer. I am very weary of change, and like things the way they are. But I think it would be cool to dye it a pretty auburn red color.. IF I could even pull that off. Think: Julianne Moore. What do yall think?

***Adopt a Puppy. Yes we already have 2 dogs we adopted a few years ago. Big dogs that live outside. But one day down the road when we are more finanically stable (we already have a lot of living things to supprt as it is!!!) I want to adopt a puppy! Actually my dream would be to get a puppy with a big red bow at Christmas like you see on movies, but I know Arnold would never do that for me :( I want a dachshund! I grew up with weenie dogs and love them!! :)





So there is my list! What do yall think? Are these things do-able? What would be on your list if you made one???? I want to know!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

~I'm loving that we had heating oil delivered yesterday. It is starting to feel really chilly in the mornings and evenings around here!

~I'm loving all the new shows that have come out this season, and that I am getting to try out. I tried "Ben and Kate" and "The Mindy Project" last night. It is still a little too early to tell if I love the shows enough to watch them regularly, but they were pretty good.

~I'm loving that Brooke's girlscout troop has officially started their Fall nut and magazine sales. Speaking of-- anyone want to buy any?! ;) This year they came out with "peanut butter bears" and they look delicious! I know I will be trying them! I am mad however, that they didn't have honey-roasted nuts this time?! What is up with that?! I ALWAYS order them!

~I'm loving "Harry Potter" so far. Yeah I know I am waaay behind the times. But I eventually get around to reading all the "big" books, even if just to see what the hype was all about!

~I'm loving that Brooke's teacher sent home the October flyer for Scholastic books. Every month they feature different kids' books you can order at great prices. Great, just one more thing to suck up my money! I saw so many books in there I wanted to get the kids!

~I'm loving that we all sat down as a family last night and actually had a nice, leisurely dinner together. We had spaghetti and meatballs, and salad. We even all helped out in the kitchen before-hand. Arnold chopped up sweet peppers to add to our salad. I am lucky to have a husband who doesn't mind helping cooking!

~I'm loving that tomorrow is pay day! Enough said!

~I'm loving that tonight are the season premieres of "The Middle" and "Modern Family." Both are hilarious shows that Arnold and I have to watch every time they come on. And I can't believe they are making Gloria pregnant. But you know I'm all for it since I loooove me some babies ;)

~I'm loving Sour Patch "watermelons" candy. They are sooo yummy. Ate way too many last night while I was watching tv.

~I'm loving that we are on the countdown now for Christmas. As of yesterday, only 3 months! Isn't that crazy?! I LOVE that time of year! I can't wait to start buying gifts for everyone, decorating the house, setting up the tree... ahh! I know I am getting ahead of myself. But I can't help it :)

~I'm loving that I have to dress Brooke up on Friday as a Librarian. They are doing "community workers" day. What exactly does a librarian even look like?! I know they aren't all old, but when I picture one, I see someone with her hair up in a bun, glasses, a sweater... it should be fun to dress Brooke up. She told me she wants to wear her dress-up high heels too, haha.

~I'm loving that Justin Bieber wrote a book. Is that sad?! Brooke has been begging for it ever since she saw it at the School Book Fair. I looked it up on Amazon and it says for ages 8 and up. Arnold says I could get it and read it to her, haha!

~I'm loving that Friday night I am going out with the girls! A few of us are going to our highschool's homecoming game. I can't wait to see everyone, and also be back at our old stomping grounds. Who knows who all we will run into? Plus the food they have at the concession stands is pretty good too...

~I'm loving that I got to break out my favorite hoodie to wear yesterday! It was actually pretty cool outside! I like the cool weather as long as it's not TOO cold where I am uncomfortable.

~I'm loving how easy it is to make Rachel happy. I brought her home a new sippy cup last night, with Dora on it. She got all excited and just had to have a drink in it right away :)

Favorites in Pictures

 

Favorite Candy Bar

 

Favorite Letter

Favorite Smell

Favorite Holiday

Favorite Soda

Favorite Vegetable

Favorite Subject in School

Favorite Word

Favorite Movie

Favorite Color

Favorite Icecream

Favorite Month

Favorite Place

Favorite Snack

Favorite Number

Favorite Animal

Favorite Item of Clothing

Favorite Past-time

Favorite Nail Color

Favorite Flower

Favorite Season

Favorite Fruit

Favorite Drink

Favorite Food to Cook

Favorite Shoes

Favorite Gum

Favorite Store

 

 

Favorite Current Tv Show

 

 

Favorite Book

 

 

Favorite Pizza

 



Weekend in Review!

 

Friday morning my mom came over and Rachel and I went with her to school to have lunch with Brooke. Poor Brooke has lunch at 10:20, and that is way too early in my opinion! They were extra good this week and their teacher let them eat lunch in the classroom and watch tv while they ate, so we sat back there in the little chairs with her. We got to talk to some of her friends, and my Mom got to see her classroom and meet her teacher. While we were there, Brooke's teacher went ahead and showed me her spelling test. That morning the kids had had their very first test ever. We had been studying the words all week and I knew Brooke was good. But the teacher gave me the paper and it was a B! She deducted points for sloppy handwriting, and Brooke had written a lot of her a's really poorly. I was really bummed out, because Brooke had gotten ALL the words spelled correctly, and thought she had done great. Which B is still good, but not what I was expecting! So we had to explain to Brooke later what had happened. I am surprised her teacher was so strict on that test, she seems pretty laid-back. But I am still proud of Brooke for doing so well! Who knew as a mom spelling test days would become such a big deal, huh? :)

 

Friday evening we dropped Brooke off at the church where she has her girlscout meetings. They were headed to camp for the weekend. Brooke went last year, but only for one night. This year she was staying the full two nights. She said she was a little nervous earlier in the week, but by the time we got there she seemed excited. We made sure to pack her "Sally" doll she sleeps with every night, so she was good ;) I am always less nervous when she goes on trips with scouts because my sister-in-law is the troop leader. So that really puts me at ease! Anyway, after we dropped her off we took the little kids down the road to get some dinner at Wendy's before we went back home. That night Caleb got to play some video games before bed, all without fighting Brooke for the remote, I know he loved that, ha. I ended up going to be REALLY early that night... I am still shocked at how tired I get some nights... It used to be lame to go to bed so early but since being a mom I am always ready for sleep! ;)

 

Saturday morning we got the little kids ready and went down the road to a festival our town was having. They have it every year to celebrate the town, it's called a "Heritage Festival." We actually ran into the kids' grandparents there, so they were happy about that. They were giving out a lot of free stuff at some of the booths we went by, and the kids got some toys, stickers, water bottles, popcorn, and all sorts of things. We went by to see the Fire Truck, and both the kids got to sit in it so I could take pictures. A lady gave them both balloons.. and 5 minutes later Caleb's was seen floating up in the air.. ha. The lady ran back over and gave him a replacement balloon right away.. guess it helps to be a little cutie ;) We walked around the rest of the festival, and then got in line for the hay ride. The kids sat together on one side, and Arnold and I sat together across from them. And this guy in a tractor took us on a ride around town. The kids LOVED that.. so much fun for no cost.. gotta love it ;) And before we left the festival we had to get sno-cones of course... CHERRY ones.. yum! :)

 

That afternoon I headed to the mall with my friend Jess. One of my friends that works at Dillards in the mall had told me about a promotional thing they were doing, and they were making appointments for facials and makeovers. So I signed myself up and got to take a friend... hence why Jess went with me ;) She took us into this back room that I had no idea was even there! They had it set up really nice with flowers, candles, and all sorts of stuff. Then they let us lay back on vibrating beds and rest for awhile.. it was strange but I was loving it! It was a mini-spa day! Then she cleaned our faces and tried all sorts of products out on our faces. It felt so great, by the end my face was tingling (in a good way!) and my skin felt so smooth. I swear I almost fell asleep on that bed! Ha! Then we sat in a chair and she did our makeup. I usually don't wear a lot of makeup, so I was a little shocked at how it looked, but it looked really pretty. She even put stuff on my lips (which I NEVER wear anything on my lips) and I loved it. jess and I took lots of pictures of course, and we had a great time. It was fun to slip away for some girl time, and not have to deal with any kids or problems for awhile!!

 

That afternoon after I got home, I ended up falling asleep and taking a long nap. Thank goodness for Arnold never working weekends and being able to help out with the kids! I didn't know I was so exhausted this weekend! That evening after dinner and we had put the kids to bed, Arnold and I watched a movie I had rented.. "The 5-Year Engagement." I was expecting it to be a lot better.. and especially a lot more funny. Arnold complained alot during it. It was ok, but seemed like it dragged on. It's one I wouldn't watch again. Since I had taken a nap that afternoon, I wasn't very tired, so I stayed up on the computer. Then "Austin City Limits" came on tv (which I am NEVER up for) and Coldplay was on that night! Yay! I love me some Coldplay, so I listened to that for awhile. Around midnight I was laying in bed reading, and the power suddenly went out. Everything was PITCH black dark, and silent, it was creepy. Arnold had been in the basement playing guitar, so he had to stuble around in the dark to find his way back upstairs. We used our cellphone for a little bit of light, so we could find some candles to light. We finally went to sleep anyway, and an hour later the lights all came back on and startled the crap out of me. It turns out they were working on the power on our whole street that evening. If I was asleep it wouldn't have bothered me, but since I was still awake it was a pain! Oh well!

 

Sunday morning we didn't go to church, because we were waiting for a call that the scouts were back home, and to come pick up Brooke. We hung out around the house and watched old episodes of "The Office" on Netflix. I miss the days when Michael Scott was on there! That was seriously one of my favorite shows back in the day. But now it is just not the same! Anyway, we got a call around 11 that the girls were back, so we went to pick up Brooke. It turned out the girls had all given Jenn a hard time about taking showers that weekend, so she let it slide. Brooke was caked with dirt and looked horrible! Her hair was spray painted green and pink, too! But it was camping.. what can you say?? She had a great time, she told me all about them making smores, sliding down the cascades, and getting notes from "fairies" (older girlscouts-- it was so cute!) As the day went on I also realized that she must have not gotten much sleep that weekend, because she was VERY cranky. But I remember those days from when I was a girl scout, it can make for some great memories! And I am glad they had fun! :)

 



 

 

Rachel in the firetruck on Saturday

Daddy and Caleb at the Festival



 

 Rachel enjoying her cherry sno-cone!

Caleb and Rachel held hands during the hay ride! How sweet!!!!

Hanging out on the vibrating bed on Sat. afternoon during our "spa" time!

Jess and I after our makeovers!

Thursday Randoms

 

The past couple of days the weather has been a lot cooler, especially in the mornings. We have gotten to break out some of the Fall clothes finally! Brooke wore the owl shirt I found her at Kohl's the other week. Green and owls.. what's not to love?!

Arnold was able to have the afternoon off yesterday, and we took the kids to a park down the road from our house. The girls love to swing as long as we will let them! They also found some kids to play with while we were there. Brooke is so social!

We celebrated my Father-in-law's birthday this week. They had us over to their house for pizza and homeade chocolate cake. The kids sang Happy Birthday to him. Then they got all sugared up (and right before bedtime, too!!) But it was a fun family get-together. Happy Birthday Pop!

Brooke and Caleb had their school check ups this week. I finally got around to making the appointments when they sent home a letter from school, oops! Their birthdays aren't until August so we don't have long to get them done. They both grew about 2 1/2 inches last year! They are going to be SO tall one day. Caleb thought it was hilarious that he had to pee in a cup, but Brooke didn't want to, and actually cried. We never could get a sample from her! Both the kids did well, and Caleb was brave through the shots he had to get. They both aced their hearing test, but Caleb didn't do too well on the vision test. The bottom few lines were blurry to him. They are wanting him to go to the eye dr now for an exam. Little buddy will probably have to wear glasses like his Mama! But we aren't surprised since I have worn them since I was around 8 years old.

Love that a Country Music Special came on this week. Kept me busy while Arnold was at band practice! I didn't even know it was on until I saw a friend's status about it on FB! So thanks! ;) I was dancing around the living room when Luke Bryan was singing, ha! Love me some country music. I am even more into it now that the band Arnold is in plays it, too.

I saw this cute idea online and knew I was going to have to try it for the kids. So the other afternoon, I made these "Spiders" for them as an afternoon snack. They actually used raisins in the ones they pictured, but my kids don't really care for them, so I substituted Reese's Pieces. They ended up looking more "Fallish" anyway! The kids really liked them. I even sent an extra batch with Arnold to band practice that night, and the guys ate them as a snack. Haha! :)

Put up a few Fall decorations around the house this week. Can't believe it is that time already! I love stores like the Mighty Dollar this time of year, because you can get some cheap decor stuff. I got the fake flowers and leaves on the right from there. And I also filled a bowl with pinecones and leaves that I put on the kitchen table, along with my Fall placemats. I already had the owls, so I put them up there. The frame on the right is the one I found brand new in box at Goodwill the other day! So cute.

I also tried a new recipe this week, I actually found it on someone's blog. It sounded easy enough, so I thought I'd try it. Everyone knows I really don't like to cook, so it is big when I actually want to try something. Anyway-- it was just a layer of penne pasta, a layer of marinara sauce, a layer of shredded mozarella cheese, a layer of veggies (I chose red and yellow peppers since my kids will eat them), sprinkled on some basil spice, and then after I baked it I sprinkled parmasean cheese on top. It turned out pretty good. And Caleb even ate it all and asked me to make it again sometime! That was quite a compliment since Caleb is usually a picky eater! ;)

This is a picture of the Butterfly costume that Rachel is going to wear for Halloween this year! Isn't it cute? Love all the pink. This is the costume I found at that kid's consignment sale last weekend for $5! What a steal! I love Old Navy costumes because they are so cute, but they are also good quality and warm material. 

One of my friends, Amanda, had her baby boy this week! His name is Gavin Oliver, and he is precious! I haven't gotten to go see him yet, but hopefully next week. She did post some pics of FB though, for everyone to see. Makes me miss mine being so little! :)

A couple of afternoons this week Rachel and I have been able to sneak in a little afternoon nap. It has been raining alot, so the perfect weather for it! Of course we don't lay there that cute and perfectly... it's more like snoring, spread out, and drooling, ha! But it's nice to get some rest when we can!

I am proud of Caleb, because he is doing so much better lately at his handwriting, and particularly writing his name. He has to practice it every night for homework. Of course he isn't writing in cursive yet, ha! ;)