Happy Halloween!!!

These are the yummy treats I made for Marissa's class party.....

Wouldn't you give candy to these two??

Who could resist these cute faces??

Happy Halloween!!

Twas the Night before....Halloween!!

Believe it or not this is our 1st year carving pumpkins. We've waited so long because we thought the girls were too young to enjoy it--what were WE thinking?? WE did ALL the WORK!! They just supervised! Marissa was the foreman--making sure Daddy didn't slack off on the job....
BEWARE of Mommy!!!!
Our 1st attempt at something like this...came out pretty good if we do say so ourselves!!
Pumpkin grin!
Can you find the hidden Mickey????

We cheated on the 2nd one...we were tired not realizing how much work went into these masterpieces!! Gianna wasn't as into it as Marissa was. She came in to see the end result though & got a charge out of seeing them in the dark! Next year we're getting SMALLER pumpkins!! The 1st one took FOREVER to scrap the inside of because it was SO BIG! When we were done we left them inside because it's "Mischief Night" or "Goosey Night" what ever you want to call it. This year was the 1st time our house got hit too. Luckily it was just toliet paper in the front trees. We'll see if there's anything worse in the morning....

Baked cupcakes for Marissa's class party & they came out cute. I made them look like cobwebs & put a plastic spider ring in the center. Of course I didn't think to take a pic until now but I'll make sure to take some tomorrow. For Gianna's class party there wasn't much left to sign up for so we're just bringing in pretzels for her party. Should be fun! Can't wait to see the girls all dressed up! They're going to have a BLAST trick or treating tomorrow night! Can't belive how fast October flew by & that November's here! Time flies when you're having FUN!

Random Questions...

Found this on Laura's blog & had to give it a try. I know these are cheesy & a total time waster but what the hell--they're FUN!?! Let me know what you come up with!!

1. are you taller than your best friend? not really about the same

2. do you have a favorite type of pen? anything that works...mostly paper mate....as long as it's ball point. Been known to buy pens that are "CUTE" just because!

3. look at your planner for october 28, what are you doing? had a baby shower for my girlfriend from high school. She's just glowing!

4. what color are your toenails usually? Usually something pink during the summer towards the fall more reds/burgundy.

5. what was the last thing you highlighted? does my to-do list in Excel count??

6. what color are the curtains in your bedroom? blue blinds

7. what color are the seats in your car? beige

8. have you ever had a black and white cat? yes many many YEARS ago

9. what is the last thing you put a stamp on? my credit card payment

10. do you know anyone who lives in wyoming? no

11. why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time? don't use it... does the debit card at the register count?

12. who is the last baby that you held? Joey--my cousin's little boy...

13. can you spell well? yep. I'm pretty anal about it but it doesn't bother me when people don't

14. do you like cinnamon toothpaste? It's ok...more of a minty fresh kind of girl

15. what kind of car were you driving 2 years ago? Toyota Highlander...still am

16. pick one: miami hurricanes or florida gators? gators I guess if I had to choose not much of a football fan unless it's the superbowl! Even then it's only for the commercials!!!

17. last time you went to Six Flags? maybe about 15 years ago....more of a Disney fanatic

18. which show currently making new episodes should be cancelled? ANY reality show!!!

19. closest thing to you that is yellow? A yellow flip-flop picture frame

20. last person you gave a business card? a distant cousin with my contact info...not really a "business card"

21. who is the last person you wrote a check to? my younger daughter's preschool...every week!!

22. closest framed picture to you? I'm surrounded!! They're mainly of my 2 girls or family.

23. last time you had someone cook for you? does ordering in Chinese count? then tonight for dinner!!

24. Have you ever applied for welfare? nope

25. how many emails do you get in your inbox daily (excluding spam)? guessing, maybe 10-15 ...

26. last time you received flowers? Sept. 28 from my hubby for our 10 year Engagement Anniversary!! (see blog)

27. what is the weather like? right now (at 8:45pm) it's 62 degrees out ...

28. do you play air guitar? nope ... but i dance around the house a lot!

29. has anyone ever proposed to you? yes see #26

30. do you take anything in your coffee? Light & sweet...multiple cups a day!! (& I wonder why I can't lose weight)

31. do you have any Willow Tree figurines? Nope but I collect Disney snowglobes & figurines!

32. what is/was your high school's mascot? I went to 2 different schools...at my fav school we were the "Braves"...the school I graduated from were the "boilermakers"...so dumb!

33. last person you spoke to from high school? My girlfriend Patrizia yesterday at her baby shower!

34. how often do you use hand sanitizer? never ... but i do wash my hands ALL the time.

35. would you like to learn to play the drums? not really my girls make enough noise thankyouverymuch!!!

36. what color are the blinds in your living room? don't have any in the living room--gives me the creeps but hubby says it would ruin the look of the windows...got some white ones in the den....

37. is you furniture cloth or leather? cloth

38. last thing you read in the newspaper? comics, sales circulars & coupons!!

39. what was the last pageant you attended? never been to one

40. what is the last place you bought pizza from? Pizza Man...it was real greasy but our favorite Stefanos was closed--the NERVE of them!

41. have you ever worn a crown? Do the ones from my girls dress-up clothes count?? How about my wedding veil???

42. what is the last thing you stapled? some receipts to my credit card statement (cause I'm anal about keeping things.)

43. did you ever drink clear pepsi? don't think so...maybe

44. are you ticklish? YES!!!!! so BACK OFF!!! hehe!!

45. last time you saw fireworks? At Disney World-they are SPECTACULAR!!

46. last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut? At Disney World...SOOOOO good! Don't have any near me that I know of (don't NEED to know)

47. who is the last person that left you a message & you actually returned it? My older daughter's Brownie troop leader

48. has your mailbox ever been full? yeah but not often enough with "happy mail"!!

49. do you have a black dog? nope no dogs for me the girls are enough to keep after!!!

50. can you give one reason why David Caruso is allowed to keep acting? He's holding out for a contract buy-out??

51. are you an aunt or uncle? Yep 4 kids on my side & 5 kids on my husband's side!

52. who has the prettiest eyes that you know of? my girls or my hubby

53. last time you saw a semi truck? on the highway that I live right off of...

54. do you think people lie on these surveys? They BETTER NOT!! Don't think so ... i know i'm pretty honest

55. what is something you know you need to do, but you keep making excuses? Clean my house on a regular routine...& exercise...& clean out the fridge...& put clothes away....shall I keep going???

Yummy Treats

Don't they look YUMMY??? Well they ARE!! These are the treats that I struggled with last night. I REALLY tried making them like Becky Higgins but they just weren't cooperating. I ended up nuking a couple of giant Hershey bars in a zippy bag & squirted it onto the pretzels them topping them with the candies. Not as cute sounding as Becky's recipe but it worked AND they came out CUTE!! They were a hit at the Halloween party.
Marissa wanted to be Mulan again for the party saving her new Jasmine costume for Halloween. She looked too stinkin' CUTE! I used some make-up on her eyes & WOW have we got ourselves a problem when the boys start getting their hormones in gear! Gianna looked so sweet & cute in her Aurora costume. She had so much fuun in her little heels clip-clopping everywhere!
Here are just the girls from the party. Can you believe how BRAVE my friend Samantha is to have a boy/girl party??? Her son had about 6 friends over vs the multitude of girls her daughter Ariel had. She had me & her M-I-L helping out but STILL those boys were little TERRORS! As much as I used to want a little boy of my own I'm so glad I have girls...yes i know all the benefits of having boys BUT it doesn't matter because this baby machine is SHUT DOWN!! HAHA!!!
Aren't they CUTE?? All the girls were so well behaved. They played bobbing for apples only instead of bobbing they had to use the opposite hand they write with & close their eyes while using a spoon. They also painted their own little pumpkins & got their faces painted by the grown-ups. Boy the girls wanted all this fancy stuff but had to settle with hearts, pumpkins, flowers, or ghosts from ME! The paint brushes weren't fine enough to get detailed work so I cut them down on their options REAL quick! Later they knocked open a pinata & scurried around for candy. OF COURSE there were SOME kids who shall remain nameless that complained because they only got a FEW pieces of candy. What the???? COME ON it's ALMOST Halloween you'll be getting your share in a few days can't that hold you over???? Actually it was one particular girl that was whiny...she happened to also be the girl that was VERY picky about what I painted on her face! So between all the pizza, candy & sweets the kids had FUN! I came home & felt EXHAUSTED!! I'm torn between wanting to go to bed & wanting th finish the LO that's sitting on my desk! What to do what to do!! I know I'll pop another couple of those yummy pretzel treats into my mouth to help me decide as I crunch into the yummy goodness!!!

Utter Failure....

Tomorrow Marissa's best friend Ariel is having a Halloween party. She also invited Gianna & me, although I have NO idea if I'm gonna wear a costume...come to think of it I really SHOULD but I digress... Her mom Samantha & I met last year through the girls & have really hit it off. I told her I was going to bring brownies & then I got the idea to make these cute looking treats I found on Becky Higgins' blog http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2007/10/pretzel-hugs.html
They sound easy enough right?? I wanted to make them "Halloween-ish" so I was going to use candy corn & those pumpkin candy corn like thingys instead of the M & M's.

1 bag pretzels
1 pkg. M&Ms
1 pkg. Hershey "Hugs"

Place pretzels on baking stone or sheet. Place a Hug on each pretzel and bake at 200 degrees for about 8 minutes (just watch for the Hugs to melt). Remove from oven and promptly place a couple of M&Ms on each pretzel, pressing into the melted chocolate. Allow to cool before serving, you can put them in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

So I gave it a shot. It sounded easy enough that the girls could help. Gianna was surfing the Nick Jr. website so it was just me & Marissa. She was a good sport peeling all the kisses while I laid out the pretzels on the cookie sheets. I put the first tray in the oven & instead of 8 mins I put them in for 6 just to keep an eye on them. After 6 mins. I tried putting a candy corn but the chocolate wasn't melted. AT. ALL. So I put them in for 30 second intervals BUT it wasn't melting. AT. ALL. At this time Joe gets home & I quickly cook dinner (good thing we were having the chicken strips with the Hot sauce I mentioned in my last post). I kept thinking how I could fix this but the only thing I could think of was to take the kisses & put them in a zippy bag & melting them in the microwave then squeeze them pastry bag like style onto the pretzels. Well after dinner I tried that. But it was TOO LATE. The chocolate was burnt. Not crispy burnt. Just chocolate burnt when it's all grainy & lumpy. Disgusted I threw it out. What a WASTE of good chocolate!!

Since I'm not one to give up without a fight...I took some of the big Hershey bars that I have for when I make chocolate covered strawberries & melted that in the microwave in a zippy bag & this time it worked!! TRIUMPH!! Joe helped me by putting the candy corn on them because by this time it was past 10pm & the girls were in bed. So much for a happy little mother daughter moment in the kitchen! I'll take pics & post them tomorrow along with the party pics. I can't believe that I couldn't do this! It's so easy sounding! I refuse to believe that I did anything wrong & have to blame the chocolate! I must've gotten a bad bag. Yeah that's it....it's Hershey's fault!!

Nice to know...

If you like hot & spicy hot wings you've got to order the sauce from Anchor Bar in Buffalo NY. I found this place on the Food Network supposedly this is where "Buffalo Wings" originated. Now my darling hubby LOVES hot food so a few years ago as a surprise for his birthday I placed an overnight order for "SUICIDE" wings they came on time the next day & Joe was SUPER excited about them. All I had to do was heat them up in the oven. Let me tell you they SMELLED HOT so you can just imagine how spicy they are. I like spicy too so not to be outdone I gave it a try to & I have to say they are THE HOTTEST wings you will EVER have (to my knowledge)!!

Now keep in mind you don't have to order the wings alone. If you want to make them anytime you can order the sauce alone. This is what I've been doing for a while now & I use chicken strips instead of wings. A few weeks ago I noticed I was running low on the sauce so I placed my order the other day & got it today. In addition to the Suicide sauce I also order the Honey BBQ which is sweet with just enough heat. I received my order & went to put it away when I noticed they sent me Honey Mustard instead of Honey BBQ along with my Suicide sauce. I called them up told them what happened & the girl I spoke with was SUPER nice & said she would ship me out the right sauce today AND I could keep the other sauce. NO PROBLEM!! I was expecting her to tell me to ship the wrong one back but NOPE I can keep it! I get a bonus sauce which is kinda cool because I've never tried it. It's nice to know that there are STILL nice people in the world doing the right thing! Now I've got to hit the sauce!! hehe!!!

An Apple a Day...

Yesterday we drove up to a farm about 45 mins. away to an apple farm. Marissa has been wanting to go apple picking since LAST year so we made sure to find a place to go this year. It was SO MUCH FUN! I've never been apple picking before but this is definately something I want to make a yearly tradition. We each got our own bag & went in search of our favorites. Marissa discovered golden delicious this year at school & wanted that kind. Gianna well she's still into red delicious so we kept it simple.

I didn't realize how easy it would be to pick the apples off the tree-I guess I thought the trees would be taller & we'd need to hold the kids up to pick 'em. This turned out GREAT! Gianna would pick the apple & if it didn't meet her approval she'd toss it to the ground! We had to keep our eye on her but what she picked she carried. She wouldn't part with her bag for nothing! When we switched to the golden apples she didn't want anything to do with them & kept picking the red! Marissa was so into it all! She talked about baking pies & making applesauce! Luckily I found an applesauce recipe there that sounds super easy!

She posed for the pic like this without ANY prompting from me! She's so trained!


Too yummy to pass up!
Stuffing our faces!!

When we had our fill of apples we went nearby to a corn maze. That was another first for me! We had a lot of fun getting "lost" The maze was HUGE!! We didn't even cover the entire thing because the sun was setting & we were TIRED from all the walking! It was a lot of fun though! Afterwards we went to dinner at Fuddrucker's. It turned out to be a FUN day!

Literally...lesson learned

Friday nights are big around here for the girls. We let them stay up late & they get in our bed & "cuddle" with Daddy. That means they watch TV while he falls asleep!! Last night was no different.

I told Marissa that she couldn't fall asleep in our bed because she's getting too big for me to carry back to her room (I have a bad back). So time got away from me (I was on a roll with a new layout that was coming along nicely) & before I knew it, it was 11:30. I closed up & went upstairs. They all looked so snug & cozy so I went to get ready for bed & turned down their beds to make it easier to tuck them in. By the time I was all done & back in our room it was about 12:00. I look over & see Marissa WIDE AWAKE!! I asked her why she wasn't sleeping & she said "Because you said not to fall alseep in your bed anymore"!!!! She FLOORED me with that!! I told her that meant that when she was tired to go in her room & go to sleep NOT to stay in our room waiting for me!! She tricked me with that!! Never again little girl...never again!!

Just a little something...

I found this wreath kit from Making Memories at Target (yes the NEW one that JUST opened!!) It's themed for Halloween but since I've got plenty of Halloween decorations & not a lot of everyday "fall" decorations I altered some of the embellies in the kit. I think it came out pretty darn CUTE if I do say so myself! I posted it on 2P's but haven't gotten a lot of feedback on it....WHATEVER. Sorry but I'm just in a griping kinda mood lately...kinda why I haven't blogged in awhile but I digress....

On a happy note....Gianna's finally adjusting to school! YEAH!!! This whole week she's been good when I dropped her off! She's also been "accident-free" at school too! WOO-HOO!! My little baby's growing up! I think one of the reasons why she's been good about it all is Marissa had this BRILLIANT idea to tell Gianna that "Santa is watching you & you have to be good at school AND go pee-pee & stinky on the potty." She must've gotten that line of thinking from me BUT I give her ALL the credit for that doozy! It seems to really be working! The last couple of nights Gianna has done stinky on the potty!!! WOO-HOO-HOO!!! I think it's safe to FINALLY get the diaper genie out of her room!

As I mentioned above the new Target FINALLY opened!! I am SOOOOO happy about it! This year Christmas shopping will be a lot easier. 1. I won't have the girls with me. 2. I'm not going CRAZY buying the girls EVERYTHING (really I'm NOT) 3. Have I mentioned that the girls will not be with me!! hehe!! I hope to start my shopping soon. Usually I'm already started & almost done. I'm slacking this year.

My latest creations....

I've been wanting to do this since last Halloween. I found the sign this year at Michael's & was motivated to work on it last week finally. Had a lot of fun doing this!

Not super happy with this LO but it's done & in her album. Still have more to do for the birthday albums but we're getting there!

Welcome to my pity party...

Ever feel like you're insignificant? That's how I've been feeling lately. It seems like I could exist in this world without ever being noticed. Joe's been very busy at work with a lot of craziness & I keep reminding myself that it's not his fault (it's REALLY not) but I feel lonely. I need more attention but not in a diva kind of way...Even my friends have been hard to get in touch with. It's too hard to reach them at work & afterwards I've got the girls pulling at me so I don't get a chance to call them at night. On the other hand the phone DOES work BOTH ways-so what's up with them??

On a brighter note-I've got some work done that's been calling my name. I'm hoping to get more done today so I will have tomorrow to just sit & SCRAP! Yes that's what I said SCRAP! I think I've got my mojo back! I'm in the mood to scrap again. I think it's been helping that I've been reading the new Becky Higgins sketch book. I just LOVE using her sketches! My only problem with the book is that it doesn't have pic measurements but I'll survive! I hope to have some fantastic looking layouts to post soon! OK that's it...the parties OVER!

Seriously...

I'm a little annoyed with Grey's tonight. What is with the George & Izzy storyline?? They just DON'T fit! SERIOUSLY! I can see her with Alex or Denny but NOT George! And speaking of Denny-whatever happened to her undying love to him?? She couldn't have him so she wants another woman's husband???? SERIOUSLY! Not for nothing but if I were bleeding & had to go to the hospital & found out that she was my Dr I'd just want to continue bleeding. Give me a bucket & I won't drip on the floor but DO NOT let her work on me!! SERIOUSLY!! Now Derek Shepard just makes me love him more each week! I love the speech he gave McSteamy & the Chief after the surgery!!! HE can stitch me up & kiss my boo-boo!! I would NOT kick him out of my exam room OR bed--EVER--SERIOUSLY!! Full disclaimer--I told Joe that McDreamy is on my "freebie" list! He just shakes his head.....

Had a crazy day....my rear driver's side window wouldn't close in my car (thanks to the girls messing with them all the time). Took it to the dealer & found the window is off the track & it's bent BUT they could order me a new one & it can be tomorrow morning IF I'm willing to shell out $337!! Can you hear me cracking open 2 little girls' piggy banks from where you are??? Had to scrap (no not SCRAP) my food shopping---we will not eat until my window is fixed!! LOL! No sorry I just ran short on time!

An hour or 2 after I got home I got a phone call from Marissa's school nurse. Her ear is bothering her & the nurse says it's red inside. Great-possible ear infection. Call me "MOTHER OF THE YEAR" but before dropping her off at school she told me her ear was bothering her but in my rushing around packing her lunch I forgot to giver her any Tylenol. She even TOLD her teacher AND the nurse that I forgot to give her medicine! I asked her WHY she told them that & she said that it happens-everyone forgets now & then! She floored me with that! I just couldn't throw back at her how JUST yesterday SHE forgot her homework at school. I was speechless!

Finally get her to the Dr & there isn't any ear infection thank GOD! But the Dr. says she's got swimmer's ear. My daughter doesn't even SWIM! It was my fault after all BECAUSE just last night I cleaned Marissa's ears & the q-tip must've irritated her ear. Just give me my 2nd "MOTHER OF THE YEAR" trophy-I've EARNED it! The Dr. checks her throat & says it's red & irritated--I must've gone REAL deep with that q-tip!! LOL! She does a strep test & luckily it comes back negative BUT they're gonna run another test overnight just in case. So now I have to call the office to get the results before I take Marissa to school in case she's contagious. Keep your fingers crossed.

I'm leave off on a positive note....This morning when I dropped Gianna off at school she skipped in & was playfully hiding behind me when we walked into class. She told me she had to go potty & when she was done she grabbed onto me a bit but Meredeth quickly distracted her & while she DIDN'T cry she gave me dirty looks as I left! I think I'm up for ANOTHER "MOTY" award! What a day...TGIF tomorrow!!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

The Royal Princesses.... Princess Jasmine
Took these tonight of the girls trying on their Halloween costumes. Marissa got her's today. Her BFF Ariel's grandmother was at Disney World & picked this up for me (better than UPS-ANYDAY!) They're going to have matching costumes--how cute! Marissa has been wanting to be Jasmine since last year. I noticed that if you turn Marissa sideways you could use her for a toothpick! She's got abs of STEEL! I am SO jealous right now! Princess Aurora

Gianna has been Cinderella every year since her 1st Halloween. Even this year she has been saying that's who she wanted to be but then tonight she says she wants to be Princess Aurora aka Sleeping Beauty. She looks too frickin' CUTE! This was actually Marissa's costume when she was 3 but Gianna doesn't need to know that!

And another thing.....

I have just one last comment for the evening & that is I want to scrap like Laura Vegas & Amy Williams! These 2 ladies create THE most AWESOME layouts! They simply ROCK! I wouldn't mind a smattering of their creativity...

I want my mojo back!

I still haven't scrapped in awhile. Don't know what's with me. Sometimes when I feel REALLY guilty about not doing housework I tend to feel less creative. That's probably what's got me all bothered. In the hopes to get some inspiration I've been re-organizing my ribbon drawer. I've got all those yummy ribbons I got from Michael's $1 bin that I keep separate from the rest because the spool are bigger & don't fit nicely in the drawer. I've finally decided to take them off the spools wind them up & put them in the cropper hopper boxes. It'll make searching for ribbons a little easier.

As for little Miss Gianna-she had ANOTHER fit when we got to school. The only way I got her out of the car was to tell her she could put the check in the "mailbox" for me. After she did that she threw a fit & cried. I brought her into class & got a lot of sympathic looks from the center directors'. **SIGH** On the flip side when I picked her up she was still dressed in the clothes she had put on in the morning-that means she was accident free.....until dinner time! I was cooking Joe's FAVORITE dinner of veal parm when Gianna comes to tell me that she did a stinky in her underwear. ***SIGH*** I made her wait a few minutes while I finished frying the veal. I asking her if it felt disgusting hoping to make her more aware & she said yes. After I cleaned her up & made her sit on the potty anyway. I've heard this helps so I'll give ANYTHING a try!

Marissa had a good day at school. She told me she had art & gave me a guilt trip for forgetting to send in a smock for her. The NERVE of me!! Like she can't frickin' REMIND me ahead of time! Last week she forgot her library books at home & did the same thing when I picked her up. I told her that we have to work as a team & I'll help her but she's got to remember too. This girl needs a secretary! Then when she doesn't remind her of something she can pull a Donald & say "You're FIRED"! LOL!!

Rant...

So what's with kids & their fear of being potty trained?? I. AM. SICK.TO.DEATH. of cleaning of crap-literally! Tonight right before bathtime Gianna had an accident. The killer? She was RIGHT IN the bathroom when it happened! Why can't she just sit on the potty & be done with it?? For punishment I took her blanket way from her. For those of you not in the know it's her security blankie that I took away. I told her it's only for one night but she has to poop on the potty! I've already mentioned to her that tomorrow she has school. She said she doesn't want to go. I told her she has to go & no crying or accidents when she's there. AARRRRGGHHH!!!!!

On another note...I have scrapper's block. I have no desire to scrap & the last LO I finished was eh. I only finished it to get it off my desk. I need a break of some sort.

Since I didn't mention it yet, the block party was ok. It wasn't as fun as last year. Someone had the bright idea to bring out a tv because the yankees were playing. That means a bunch of people sat in front of the tv & watched the game---they can do that at home!! At a block party you should have fun, mingle & talk! I had to miss Desparete Housewives-why can't they miss a frickin' ball game!?!?

Did I also mention that my coffee maker is broken?? I have been without coffee since Fri!! Joe tried his best to replace it but that didn't happen. AAARRRGGHHH!!! So that's it. I'm done ranting & raving like the lunatic I am...for now!

WOO-HOO!

YEAH!!! I FINALLY figured out how to add the slideshow to my blog AND music too! I am entering the hi-tech world FINALLY!! Why I didn't figure it out sooner is BEYOND me! I am one happy camper now!

Yeah...it's the little things in life!

My Pumpkins

Here are some of todays pictures from the pumpkin patch...

Marissa & Gianna...How Tall This Fall? We get pictures here every year.

Marissa's little pumpkins...

Gianna watching the talking scarecrow
Gianna & Daddy waiting for Marissa to pick her pumpkin

This caught Marissa's eye....

We had an OK time at the patch. Marissa got in such a MOOD when we got there. She insisted on picking her pumpkin by herself which we WERE letting her do but she apparently didn't think so. All we did was veto a few that she chose only because it didn't look like it would keep until Halloween. She put a bit of a damper on the day for me & Joe but Gianna had a BLAST! She's pretty happy go lucky overall. She seems to be getting closer to Joe lately. Maybe that's why Marissa was in a mood.

Last night before I left to go to the jewelry party Marissa said to me I wish you could take Gianna with you so it could be just me & Daddy. Do ya THINK she's jealous??? She's always been close to Joe & doesn't like to share him (she must get that from me)! Joe took the girls to the chinese buffet in town for dinner--their favorite. Then they got in their pj's & watched a movie with Daddy in our bed-PARTY! You KNOW they had a good time!

I had fun last night too. I ended up buying 3 sets of earrings. It was fun talking to people without hearing "MOMMY" or "I'm wet" or "she hit me" or "I'm hungry"...see where I'm going with this? Anyway a lot of the people there were from where I used to work so it was good to see them & catching up. My friend Carolee is a blast to hang out with & the jewelry was pretty too!

TGIF

I am so ready for the weekend!! I've done a lot of running around this week & I'm beat! I'm not complaining I'm just sayin'!

Tonight my friend Carolee who started selling "Silpada" jewelry is having a party at my sister Marie's house. I was looking over the jewelry online at http://www.silpada.com/ (that's a plug---check it OUT!) & found some pretty darn CUTE earrings!! I'm not into silver jewelry but a girl can never have enough earrings...or shoes!

Tomorrow I *think* we're going pumpkin picking. We'll see if Joe has to work or not first. I love getting pics of the girls picking their pumpkins! I still have YET to scrap any of them BUT that's a different story!

Sunday we have a annual block party with all our neighbors. That should be FUN! Although I STILL haven't thought of what to bring food wise! It's gotta be something that doesn't need refridgeration.....hhhhmmmmmm....better take a look at those recipe books I was working on a few weeks ago!!

More Drama & I'm Hungry!

This morning is pretty much a repeat of yesterday when it was time to drop off Gianna at school. **SIGH** She's such a tough little cookie. I feel bad. I wonder if she thinks we're doing this to her to punish her but we're NOT! She's gotta get used to structure & to behave. It's not like they beat her or anything they just don't give in to her tantrums. I kept telling her that she'll get to play play-do & paint & read stories & have lots of fun there which is all fine & dandy. It's the part about when I start to leave. That's when she throws a fit.

I called the school after I was done with my food shopping. Danielle said that she was crying on the floor for awhile & then she got real quiet (Danielle thought she might have fallen asleep but she wasn't). Then she started playing in Home Living & was still there even though she wasn't supposed to be. I think they let her just so she would feel more relaxed. But she was fine so I shouldn't worry-yeah right! She's my BABY!

Now on to my next problem. I'm hungry!! I just finished making a big pot of sauce--NOT gravy & I also made a big pot of Lentils.....mmmmmm........LOVE those! Now that's comfort food right there! HOWEVER nothing's ready yet so I had to settle for a cup of oatmeal & a yogurt neither of which satisfied me. **SIGH** I'm also making some Pillsbury Halloween sugar cookies for Marissa's playdate later. BUT they don't DO anything for me so I'm gonna pass. I should be baking some chocolate chip cookies from scratch for the block party this weekend but I am a little tired & let's face it a little lazy!

I'm also trying to come up with something to bring to our annual block party this Sun. I usually bring a tomato salad filled with tomatoes & garlic & onions-YUMMY! I also bring hot spicy chicken strips (easier to eat than wings) but I'm not sure if I should bring the SAME thing every year! Any suggestions? I hope SOMEONE is reading this!! LOL!

A little scrappiness here....I got my new issue of CK magazine yesterday & I can't wait to sit & read it! Maybe I'll find some time while the girls play.....I also have to mention...I love reading other people's blogs. I have my favorites one of which happens to be Laura Vegas'. She's so funny & i just LOVE her layouts!! She's just a frickin' creative GENIUS! So I posted a comment the other day on one of her entries & she wrote me to thank me! It made my day! I then wrote her back & probably sounded like a stalker telling her how I worship her talent & idolize her ability to juggle a family, house, daycare AND scrap!! She just ROCKS!

Now I'm going to have a small bowl of lentils because I can not serve this to my girls without trying it to make sure it's OK!!! LOL!!

Drama

It's weird...Gianna has been really good about getting dropped off at school except for today! I have some reasons as to why but it's all hypothetical. Let me back track a little....

Yesterday was her 1st full day at her new pre-school. Unfortunately her teacher Merideth was out & there was a sub. No big deal though I warned her that Gianna needs to be reminded about the potty. OK. I kissed Gianna goodbye & told her I loved her & she waved goodbye...GREAT!

I called after lunch to see how she was & the sub told me that she was fine except when lunchtime came she was given applesauce but of course MY CHILD doesn't like it & got mad. The teacher took it off her plate BUT the damage was done & Gianna wouldn't eat. I don't think she would have eaten it ANYWAY because they were serving Quesidillias & she's a pretty fussy eater. After lunch it's naptime. She napped & everything was ok. So I got off the phone feeling ok about her 1st day. It's not the 1st time she's gone to sleep on an empty stomach.

When we picked her up she comes running to me & I could tell by her face that she had been crying (her eyes were puffy & red). The teacher told me that Gianna was doing the "pee pee dance" but refused to go to the bathroom so finally she carried her to the bathroom & stayed with her in case she wanted help. She started crying but she peed. Yeah I can see that happening-she's a stubborn little kid. The teacher told me that she was fine & had pretzels at snack so she was ok.

TODAY in the car going to school Gianna told me she wanted to go home. I told her she had to go to school & she would have fun. OK no problem we get there & we walk in but as soon as I try to leave she starts crying! I gave her a hug but then she was clinging to me & refused to let go. AARRGHHH! I feel bad but I know I can't be weak or then she'll play me all the time! So I told her I loved her & gave her to the teacher & left. I know she'll be fine.

Now here's where I have my theories as to WHY this happened.

1. It's all new to her & it's hitting her that she's there to stay ALL DAY.

2. She was forced to pee when she didn't want to & realizes that she's not going to get her way here.

3. Today was ballet day & a lot of little girls were dressed in their tutus. I had asked her if she wanted to dance too (I'd sign her up in a month after she was acclimated) & THAT's when she started crying. So maybe she got upset that she didn't have a tutu too. (say that real fast!!)

When we picked her up today the teacher, Merideth told me that she had an accident & wet herself. She made it to the bathroom but that's when she couldn't hold it anymore & let loose. So her shoes were soaked but she had fresh clothes on. I think the teacher will be keeping a closer watch on her from now on. LOL!! Today for lunch were hamburgers-you know what my daughter ate? The BUN! She'll eat steak but NOT hamburger! She's got TASTE!! LOL!! One of the directors of the school Danielle (who happens to be Marissa's old teacher) filled me in more about what happened when I left.

Gianna threw an all out FIT on the floor crying. They tried talking to her but it didn't work so they left her there (yeah I would too) finally after 20 mins. Danielle finally picks her up & takes her in the office & tells her to stop crying & asked her "Do you want to stay in here & cry or go back & listen to a story"? Gianna stopped crying & said she wanted a story. What a DRAMA QUEEN!! Danielle also noted that Gianna tries to play up her cuteness to get her out of trouble. Yeah I warned them! So they are all on to HER! I wonder what will happen tomorrow when I drop her off. Hopefully she'll realize she can't pull that shit with them there & she'll straighten out! Yeah not MY CHILD..but I can dream can't I?!?!?!

Another 1st (day)

Today was Gianna's 1st day at her new new school! She's now at the same pre-school Marissa went to & we are all happy campers! I took her to school & talked about it on the ride over & she was happy about it all. We walked in & I showed her the bathroom so she has no problems (my fingers are crossed). It was snack time so she sat with the kids & I said goodbye & left. Very calm, very happy. WOO-HOO!!

Around lunchtime I called the school to check on how she was doing & the teacher said she's been fine. At lunchtime there was a little issue because the teacher gave her applesauce & that got Gianna upset but even though the teacher scraped it off she was mad & wouldn't eat. That's her to a T! I told the teacher how that's typical of her & she said that she's not worried because there's always snacktime after nap. I'm sure this will grow old & she'll start trying new foods...even though it's out of desperation!

I've got to include these pics of Marissa. I got her this Halloween shirt at Target the other day & the socks for me for the class party BUT she confiscated the socks (which were really fun because they had bells that jingled when you walked)! So an idea popped into my head---since the socks look WAY cuter on her we could pair it with a denim skirt & her favorite hat & VOILA! A FANTASTICALLY cool outfit! She was super excited to wear it & I convinced her to wait until Oct 1st so she could ring in the month...sorry no pun intended!!

This outfit has been sitting in Marissa's closet since April! She got it from Marlene for Easter but despite it being an ADORABLE outfit she's been strict about not liking skirts! She only likes wearing dresses! I think it's just to frusterate me! ANY-WHOO--I got her to wear this on Saturday when we went to sign her up for gymnastics & then to church. Doesn't she look like a young lady in this & not the 6 yr old she is?? Joe will be BEATING the boys off with baseball bats since sticks won't be enough!!!

It's settled....

After some discussion this weekend Joe & I have come to the agreement that Gianna should go to preschool where Marissa went. It's more expensive but it'll be longer days & I feel she needs more interaction than 2 1/2 hours twice a week.

I signed her up today & Miss Meghan (Marissa's previous teacher) took her over to the class & she didn't utter a single peep of protest about leaving me like Marissa did. I warned them there that Gianna is very headstrong, defiant & a bully & that she will defend herself if she feels threatened. They laughed & said they like 'em tough! LOL!

They asked if I'd like to start her tomorrow & I (of course) said yes. I'm glad that she won't miss that much more of school by immediately starting tomorrow. They even asked if I would leave her there today to see how she likes it. Sure enough I asked her if she wanted to go home & she said no she wanted to stay. OK. I told them I'd only run to the Dr's office to drop off the health forms they need filled out & come back. I was back in about 1 hour (stopped at Kohl's too) & she was FINE! In fact they were playing outside & when I told her it was time to leave she did not want to! LOL! So now it's settled & I'm happy Gianna's happy! YEAH!