Look!

Look, Melanie! I took pictures of my food! Aren't you proud?



I only took a picture of these eggs to document my fabulous and frivilous time-waster. They were a lot of work and tasted the same as any other old egg. Won't be doing them again, but at least got a picture to show that I did.

Oh, and I also took a picture of this.

He is being a rebel with his hair. He wants to leave it long.

I want to cringe.

Still cute...even with a porcupine sitting on his head.

Mountain Out of a Mole Hill

I have inherited many a great quality from my family tree. One of them being moles. And lots of them. I can't panic about moles 'cause I'd have an ulcer. So, I have resigned myself to the obvious...make sure they are all behaving themselves, not growing, changing...and definitely...no new ones.

Well, I found a new one.

Before gracing the sweet girls at our bank with my early, early visit, I decided to make myself a little less scary and put on some make-up. As I sat applying my face while belting out to some Little Texas, I saw a speck out of the corner of my eye.

There was a new mole on my ear.

Gulp.

I have to admit, it made my heart skip a beat. I reached up to rub my ear in investigation of this new found speck.

It smeared.

Apparently, some of the Muddy Buddys that I had snuck for breakfast found their way to my ear lobe.

I {heart} my chocolate mole.



What will you let make your day today? ;)

It's Great To Be Eight

Eight random things I love about this 8-year old:


I love his hands. There is something adorable about his hands; the way they move, the way he expresses himself with them.

I love that he still holds my hand...in public. His principal was agog when he caught Chase not only holding my hand...in the cafeteria, but also sending me off with a kiss and an "I love you"...in front of his friends. The principal told me to cherish that. I do.

I love that he his named after his Grandpa Glenn. I really, REALLY love that.

I love that this boy watched nearly all of the Harry Potter movies, scary parts and all, without even flinching. The only time he covered his face with a blanket? The kissing parts. LOVE that!

I love how you catch him making a crooked "yikes" face when reading family scriptures and he has to say a "bad" word.

I love how he is a perfectly, down-the-middle, fifty-fifty, Even-Steven split between his dad and I. So far, that makes him a shy, Lego-loving, tool-toting, snoring, football-loving carnivore, perfectly blended with the crafty, goofy, outgoing, dramatic, holiday tradition observing extraordinaire, with a pretty great sense of humor. Sounds pretty fabulous...right?

I love to hear him pray. If you have ever heard him pray, you know what I mean.

I love it when he giggles. It seems especially cute when it is done at a most inappropriate time. Darn it.

I love that he is a rule follower. He takes doing what is right pretty seriously...most of the time. Let's be honest. He is a kid. And a boy. 'Nuff said.

I love that there are so many things to love about this boy that I can't stop at eight. There is just too much to love about him. But, most especially, I love that he is MY boy.

I SERIOUSLY love that.

Accomplishments

Before I attempt to catch up on an entire summer and fall in picture and word, let me attempt to tell you of another accomplishment.


I have managed to pull off every woman's nightmare. I've seen it done in Hollywood, but nothing in Hollywood is real. No one actually does such embarrassing stuff in real life. I know stuff like this happens, just not to me.

Until yesterday.

I was in a hurry to get to church yesterday. Procrastination from the night before had me all a-flutter to get to the church on time. I paraded in front of my husband, and the mirror, gave myself a semi-passing grade, then flew out the door.

As I barrelled into the parking lot, a quick survey of the scene found only a good friend helping his family out of the van, and a rather shy church member heading for the front door. I rushed to the door, in too much of a hurry to say hello to my friend. I arrived at the door the same time the shy man did. He being the gentleman that he is, opened the door for me. I gushed a thank you in a dramatic flurry toward the chapel. I rushed up to the front, breathing a heavy hello to the handful of choir members already seated in the stand, pretty proud of the fact that I was "on time", which is translated to say that I was late, just not as late as everyone else.

As I gathered my overly dramatic wits about me while setting up at my post at the piano, I chatted with another friend who was already seated in the choir seats. Seeing that I had a few seconds to spare, I headed back down the stairs to put my bag on "our" bench to save it for my family who would come later. Upon turning around, my friend gasped.


The back of my skirt was tucked up in my panty hose.


Crap.


I began doing what most of us do when faced with absolute mortification. I acted all nonchelant as a I reconned my rogue piece of clothing, then mentally retraced my steps from my van to the church to take mental note of the poor souls that had been unfairly mooned on their way to church.

I was instantly horrified to remember some poor choices that I had made that morning. You know thekind. The kind of choices that you feel silly about making, but choices that shouldn't have any consequences, nonetheless. Like when you choose not too shave your legs above the knee,or to wear pantyhose shredded beyond recognition, not really caring 'cause who is going to see up your skirt anyway?

Yeah.

Those choices.

I then thought of my poor friend unloading his family in the parking lot. And the poor unsuspecting do-gooder just trying to be nice, not realizing that volunteering to open my door meant standing behind my bare behind.

I am pretty sure I wasn't imagining things when neither of those men made eye contact with me that morning. Apparently one shot of your bare derriere does an uncomfortable moment make.

Sigh.

When I finally got to go sit down with my family, my husband got a little reproach for not being a better detail checker. He sympathetically snorted and chuckled as I told him my terrible tale. My son just looked at me in horrible disbelief.

"Oh, Mom. I am soooo sorry", was all he could muster.

His was the only genuine sentiment I would receive for the rest of the day.

I have been blessed with such sympathetic friends.

A Little Less Gross

Wow. If I didn't post for any other reason, it would be having a picture better to stare at than a big hair ball on the floor.

Sorry, folks.

For the last day of school, I got to bring homemade (I know...GASP!) treats to school to share with Chase's class. I found these ADORABLE cookies on familyfun.com.

Uh, CUH-YOOT!! Of course, they were slightly more adorable on line. But, only SLIGHTLY.



Oysters with raisin pearls. Not my favorite, just cute-ish, I guess.

These? Oh, yeah. THESE were my favorite! With every pair of flip-fl0ps, I cooed and gushed. They just kept getting cuter and cuter.

The "beach towel" and brown sugar sand finished out the look.

They were a big hit...to say the least.

A Little Gross

I was organizing my 2011 pictures and came across this one. Eweeeuuu.

When I got my haircut in January, I cut off 14 inches. No, I was not able to donate it. I still had an old perm in it...which puts a big "don't" on my do.




Just felt like sharin'.

Spring Break

For spring break this year, we stole one of Chase's good buddies and headed to Salt Lake to the Gateway Children's museum. We chose to go on what could arguably be the busiest day of the year for the museum, and the worst day for driving conditions. All that aside, we had a great time. If you have ever been there, you know all of the fun things that they have for kiddles to do;



play newscasters




do the weather in front of a green screen (this was actually quite funny. I about wet my pants at how funny these two (and some random child) were being)





this, whatever this is called

build structures on an "earthquake" plate

fly a rescue helicopter.

Whatever it is we did, it tuckered them out. They slept on the way home...which was kind of a blessing for me as it was white-knuckle driving with the pouring, driving rain.

All in all, we had a great little break from school and work. Chase and I nearly shed tears when we said our good-byes at the school on Monday. Always so dramatic!

All I can say is...

Summer Vacation...here we come!!