America's Next Top Model? No.

I think it is safe to assume that my lovely daughter Lucy does not have a future in modeling.

I was begging, yes begging, for a nice, genuine smile, but the situation only got worse.

Thank God for digital cameras!

The Fan Club

Last night I was part of an enormous fan club- or maybe a book club- full of men and women (okay, mostly women), young and old (okay, mostly young), who could not wait even one more day- not even 12 more hours- to see the new Twilight movie, New Moon.

I'm a fan and all, but I've got to admit that I had my doubts about seeing a movie that began at midnight. Sure, I was very excited to see the movie, but I've never been to a midnight movie before, and I was kind of dreading waiting in line for hours, and I couldn't ignore the voice in my head that kept reminding me, "you are too old for this!" Like all tired mamas, I like my bed! Bedtime is happy-time!

But these ladies, my girlfriends Katie and Mary Beth, are Twilight fanatics, and I am so happy that I joined them for this late-night adventure, because it was wonderful! We met up with another group of friends who had saved us a place in line, and waiting in line for hours was fun; we enjoyed some Starbucks, we enjoyed some girl talk, and we enjoyed the buzz that flowed through the very, very long line of people who share a common interest in the wonderful story that is THE TWILIGHT SAGA!!

When the theatre doors finally opened, the crowd cheered as if Edward Cullen himself had opened them. The line slowly moved through the black ropes, zig-zagging back and forth, and once we were in at last, our friend Robin ran, literally ran, and got great seats! Throughout the film, girls would hoot and holler whenever Edward or Jacob were on the screen. It was really fun to experience the camaraderie of the fan club, the time with my friends, and the entertainment of the beloved Vampires and Werewolves that brought us all together :)

Tuesday Tip! Put It On the Menu!

It is the return of the Tuesday Tip!

If you know me well, you know that I'm not much of a chef. I've got a couple of recipes that I've mastered and have therefore claimed as my "specialties," but, really, my kitchen skills are limited. In fact, next week my parents and my sister will be coming up for Thanksgiving, and as the holiday hostess, I've made RESERVATIONS for Thanksgiving dinner at Claimjumper! Yes, we are having Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, and we all feel pretty good about it!

Anyway, back to my inadequacies in the kitchen... every so often I get inspired to try a new recipe and see if I can "wow" my critics, Devon and Joseph. If they like what they taste, they exclaim, "put it on the menu!", meaning that if we were to ever open a restaurant (which we won't), this dish would be a featured item.

So, I've recently tried 3 delicious new recipes: Creamy Potato Soup (thanks Sadina!), Chicken Enchiladas, and tonight we have homemade chili cooking in the crock pot (thanks Andrea!).

Yum, yum, and yum!!! Put them all on the menu!

My Tuesday Tip is the recipe for the Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas:

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup salsa

2 tsp. chili powder

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

6 flour tortillas (6"), warmed

1 small tomato, chopped

1 green onion, sliced

1. Stir the soup, sour cream, salsa and chili powder in a medium bowl.


2. Stir 1 cup of this mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.


3. Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place them seamside up in an 11x8" shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining salsa mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish with foil.


4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with tomato and onion.

Enjoy the enchiladas, and enjoy this cute picture of my peeps :)

Picture Perfect!

Yesterday I took my little Princess Lucy to see Disney on Ice! She was delighted that we left the boys at home-even Max!-and that we listened to her favorite song on repeat in the car (Taylor Swift, "Love Story").

Sometimes I wonder if I get more enjoyment out of such an outing than Lucy does.

I get to see my pretty girl dressed up like a princess!

I get to see her starstruck and nervous when we meet the REAL Cinderella!

I get to see the delight on her face as Ariel and Flounder gracefully dance across the ice!

I get to surprise her by saying "Yes!" during intermission when she asks me for a $12 snow cone! (The tickets were free, so I figured that I could splurge on some souvenirs, but $12!?! I felt robbed!)

And when the show reaches the finale, and she asks me, "Mom, can we see it again?" I get to know that she had a wonderful time.

And when we get in the car, and all of her princess loot is piled on her lap, I get to hear her call her daddy to tell him all about the show.

But, I've saved the best for last. I get to enjoy this silly, terrible picture of Lucy for the rest of my life :)

I can't help it! It makes me laugh!

Tommy Boy Would Be Proud!

Remember when Chris Farley sings, "Fat man in a little coat" in the movie Tommy Boy?

Well, think "Big baby in his newborn clothes," and sing it with me now!

Just for funsies, I pulled out the clothes that Max wore home from the hospital after he was born. They are so tiny! I was completely amused (I stole this idea from my friend Jami)! My big boy looked so silly, and it is so hard to believe that he was so small just six months ago!

Devon didn't find the humor in my little activity (it may have been because the Seahawks game was on), but Joe and Lucy thought it was funny, and Joe said, "Get Lucy's first outfit-- let's try it on her!" Okay, that is where I draw the line!

Operation Christmas Child

Today the kids and I set out on a shopping adventure. We were shopping for items to fill shoe boxes that will be sent to underprivileged children in another part of the world.

One Sunday at church, we saw an Operation Christmas Child film of how these boxes are collected, shipped, and distributed to various areas, and then eventually handed to children who have lined up to receive their gift- perhaps the only gift that they will receive at all! You can imagine the delight on their faces as they showed off their new toothbrushes, toys, pencils, etc. It certainly made us feel like we are so very spoiled! We truly are spoiled, but lets use the word "blessed" instead because it sounds better :)

Anyway, Joe put a lot of thought into each item that he selected for "his boy", and though Lucy took a while to understand that these gifts would not be for her, she eventually caught on and began helping find things for "her girl."

If you are interested in filling a shoe box for a boy or girl, you can find info at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ. There are many drop-off locations all over the country, and the final collections will be on November 23rd!

Bring It!

I am very happy to announce that Devon has just completed 90 days of the P90X program!

Wait, wait, let me start from the beginning...

One night, Devon and I were watching an infomercial on TV about a workout that had amazing results, and I only remember laughing at how many times I heard, "GET RIPPED!" Sure, the before and after photos were impressive, but, come on, this was an infomercial!

Well, a couple of weeks later, there was a P90X box on my dining room table!

Devon had decided that he wanted to be in the best shape of his life by his 40th birthday, next September. He had been thinking of how he was going to make this happen, and P90X looked like something that he could try at home, during his "free time," which happens to be at 6am :)

90 days ago, Devon looked like this:

And today he looks like this!

BEFORE (8/10/09) 220 lbs!! and AFTER (11/10/09) 192 lbs!!

I am so proud of him! He has worked so hard in the garage (his gym), doing the DVD workouts, and he has changed his eating habits, and he has even abstained from ice cream! The discipline has been inspirational! As a graduation gift to himself, he ordered a P90X t-shirt, and I bought him some "skinny jeans" :) The t-shirt has already gotten some attention in public from a man who just started the program. Devon was so happy to share his results and give encouragement.

Great job, Devon!!! Way to "Bring it!"

Adventures in Parenting

"The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home."

I noticed this sign right away as I walked into Common Folk Kids at Crossroads Mall. What a lovely encouragement to moms! I thought to myself as I looked around and took in all of the adorable clothes and colorful toys of this fantastic store.

Every Thursday morning, Common Folk hosts a free craft in their store, and as I was determined to get out of the house today, I thought that this would be a fun activity for Lucy. We have never attended this event before, and I was hopeful that it was going to be such a thrill that it might even become a weekly outing for us!

We weren't there for a full minute before Lucy shouted out, "Mom! I am going pee!"

"No! Wait!" I begged her as I grabbed her hand to race to the public bathrooms. She was so distracted by all of the toys in the store that she definitely didn't feel the same urgency that I did to get to the bathroom. Her neck was completely turned around looking back as I pulled her down the hall of the mall. Max was in a cheap little umbrella stroller that I keep in my car, and it is nearly impossible to push it in a straight line while using only one hand to steer. The dumb wheels kept getting stuck sideways!

We made it to the bathroom, but Lucy's pants were already completely soaked. Ahhh, crap!

Should I just go home? No! We just got here!

Should I just leave her wet clothes on? No! It is so obvious that is is drenched in urine!

My best idea was that we'd walk to Old Navy and get her some new pants. The shirt that she was wearing was long enough to cover her bottom, so I took off her wet pants and princess panties, wrapped them in a paper towel and stuffed them in my purse.

Lucy was oddly comfortable walking through the mall in just her hot-pink boots and a shirt. I, on the other hand, was completely uncomfortable. My child is naked in public!

I chose some new pants as quickly as I could in Old Navy, but Lucy kept wandering off, NAKED, and I must have sounded like such a psycho mom as I said in my best I-mean-business voice, "LUCY! GET OVER HERE!" "LUCY! DO NOT LEAVE MY SIDE!" "LUCY!!!!" At one point I saw her reach up to touch a display, and her whole butt was exposed. "LUCY!" Maybe I should have just gone home!

I purchased her pants and put them on her, and I felt a sense of relief that we'd overcome that obstacle without too much trouble.

BUT THEN, I saw a familiar look on Max's face, and I didn't even have to check to know that he'd pooped.

Off to the bathroom again!

Back down the hall, Lucy could not keep her hands out of her pants! She kept scratching her butt, and I asked her repeatedly and as calmly as I could to "TAKE YOUR HAND OUT OF YOUR PANTS!"

"But mom, these new pants are scratching my booty."

Because she didn't have any undies on, the tag was scratching her skin. I tucked her shirt in to cover the tag, but she just kept on scratching anyway.

Just ignore it, Annie. Kids scratch their butts all the time.

As I'd suspected, Max pooped through his diaper and up his back. Perfect! Fortunately, I'd brought an extra outfit for him.

The bathroom had a handicap stall that had a changing table, and I was busy at work cleaning the bright orange poop off of Max's back while I could hear women coming in and out of the other stalls. Lucy was spinning in circles between the toilet and the stroller, asking, "Mom, what is that smell? Mom, it smells stinky. Mom, mom, why is it super stinky? Mom, what is so stinky?" Maybe I should have answered her the first time, but as I said, I was busy, up to my elbows in poop, so I finally snapped, "Lucy, it is poop and pee! It stinks in here because it is a bathroom!"

"Oh. Mom, can we go back to the toy store? Mom, my booty is still scratchy."

Deep breath.

We finally returned to Common Folk. I really wanted to vent to the craft-girl, "You won't believe what my last 20 minutes has been like!", but I resisted. Instead, we sat down, and Lucy did a craft, making a scarecrow out of a paper bag. She especially enjoyed using the glue stick.

On the way out the door, I noticed the sign again.

"The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home."

The first time I read it, as we entered the store, I paid particular attention to the words "most important work." Yes, a mother's job is quite important!

The second time, as we exited, my attention went to "within the walls of your own home." Why do I ever leave my house!?!?

We ate Coldstone ice cream for lunch (why not?) and then went straight back to the house, where a potty and a change of clothes is always close at hand, and a girl can roam around naked without giving her mama an anxiety attack!

A Happy Halloween!

My children loved Halloween, yet I may have loved it more. I really enjoyed helping them choose their costumes and get ready, and as I turned Lucy into a princess, I had one of those moments-- one of those "I LOVE BEING A MOM!" moments.

To make the holiday last longer, we went to a local church's Fall Festival on Friday night.

Joseph is a Native American, Lucy is Cinderella, and Max is Superman.

SuperMax was super tired and fell asleep super fast on the one minute drive to the church.

We went with our friends, Katie, Jude, Ethan & Greyson.

Joseph said, "Okay, seriously, no more pictures."

On Saturday night, the kids got dressed up again, and so did Grandma Donna! We bundled up as best we could and then hit the streets for some trick-or-treating! We met up with lots of Lotts! Last year, Lucy tried to enter all of the homes, and this year she was delighted that people were giving her candy. "Mom, they gave me a piece of candy!!"

This time, Lucy was Princess Belle.

Me, Jacqui & Katie :) Love these girls!

It was a successful Halloween, despite a brief downpour of rain, and my kids have reloaded our house with lots of candy!!!