...+17...

   

It was cold and Connor asked for these for breakfast...

I think I bought them because they were on sale and I had a coupon and they ended up being like 59cents...

...so I figured...whatevs...

I didn't think they looked all that appetizing, so I skipped them...Connor ate 4...but said they were just "ok" :)  

I wonder how many he would have scarfed down if they'd been good?!?!

Sanford got his served in bed with a glass of juice since he's still not feeling well.

At 3:00, Sanford had to go to work to help the ASB set up for a special dance promotion thing they were doing on Monday morning.  Connor wanted to go with him...probably because I kicked him off the screen since his eyes were bugged out and his attitude was foul.

Of course as soon as they left, it started raining...I didn't notice because it was just a sprinkle and I was reading.

I did get a little chilly so I went to make a cup of coffee and noticed that not only was the trash can FULL, someone had piled trash on top of it and started just setting trash on the kitchen counter next to it...ReaLLy?!?!

So...I took the trash out...cursing someone's name the ENTIRE time.

As I was going back in for the second load, my neighbor from across the street called me over to show me this...

 

...WoW...

How cool is that!?!! 

A RAINBOW that went right over our house

I guess it's supposed to be some kind of message from above telling me to be grateful and showing how I would have missed out if it hadn't been for doing someone else's chores...I should be all touchy-feely and glad to have taken out the trash...it's a real shame I'm shallow and nasty and got none of the true moral...

all I got was cold, wet feet

Other than feeding the 3 animals yesterday (one 4-legged & 2 of the 2-legged variety) all I did was read.

It was a lovely way to spend a wet Sunday. 

Here's my stack as of Sunday night.

Books on the left still need to be read.

Books on the right are finished.

I read all of Molokai and  The Girl With The Pearl Earring and most of The Birth of Venus just on Sunday :)

I would recommend all of them....4 stars...good stories...all historical fiction...all book club worthy.

That bottom one on the pile...YiKeS!! What a HoT mess!!

With a title like

The Cursing Mommy's Book of Days

I was thinking it had to be hysterical...NOT.

ok...honestly I was thinking that perhaps it was actually written about me :)

NoPE

To tell the truth...I was tempted to crop it out of the picture because I'm embarrassed I even read it.

-2 stars...please note the (-) NEGATIVE in front of the 2

Luckily...that was the first book I read and the others totally washed it out of my mind :)

I'm definitely hoping the rest of the book are NoTHinG like that one!!

...+16...

Slow morning...lazy day...

 ...just a little crafting...after the obligatory bulldoze from my last crafting venture...
I made this card for a daycare dad who has a BD this week...I'll make some cupcakes to go with it...

Then I went to the library...I had a big list of books I was interested in, but I couldn't find a single one at my local library....I did manage to come home with a stack any way :)

Once I got home, I went online and ordered the books I was interested in to be shipped to my branch...8/11 were available...one has 92 people on the waiting list and one has 138...I left them on the list, but I'm pretty sure I'll just break down and buy those...I'm not patient enough to wait 6 or 7 months to read a book.

Connor got kicked of the screen and asked us to play tabletop pool with him.

Even Mack got in on the action...he attacked the cue every time Connor walked by..soooo funny!

...+15...

The day started off great!

I don't know any one else who gets Friday Starbuck's deliveries! :)

I got a late start Friday morning...I was  up for several hours listening to Sanford cough and trying to find something that would help him...since I knew I only had two boys at daycare (who never get there before 8:00) I slept in a little bit.

I got a text at 7:00 saying my coffee was waiting for me on the porch.

ThAnKs Ricky!!  You RoCK!!

One of my nice neighbors borrowed our special -get the Christmas lights down- pole...no big deal...but sweet and generous woman that she is, she brought over this...

BeaUTiFuL loaf of Challah bread...isn't it GorGeOuS?!?!?!?!?  She mentioned it makes the best french toast ever...soooooooo....you know what had to happen the next morning....

sorry these pictures are so awful...

I learned a valuable lesson today about importing and saving photos...do NOT delete things from your camera until you are absolutely CERTAIN they have successfully loaded onto your computer and you have edited them and done whatever else you are going to do...I lost stuff this morning...just one day's worth of pictures and it made me want to cry...all I have is a tiny version of some of the pictures left...I have no idea what happened and Sanford...our resident tech guru can't find them or figure it out...sigh...

there was a cute picture of Connor in his footie jammies enjoying his syrup-laden breakfast that should be right here...but it's not...because it's MIA...again...sigh...

Connor went to hike Torrey Pines with some friends in the afternoon...I'm hoping Laura will send me a picture or two to put in right here :)

She takes the most AmAZinG photos and I'm sure SHE never loses them!

For dinner,  the boys were on their own because I went to Happy Hour

The boys went here...Connor's choice

...and I went here...

 Here is the tiny version of a picture from last night...

Of course I was supposed to forward the picture to all the girls there because this is the photo that turned out the best of everyone...to quote Connor...EpiC FaiL...sorry ladies...I SuCK...

We had a great time and laughed incredibly hard all night.

It's always nice to spend some time with estrogen after being surrounded by an overwhelming amount of testosterone all day long!  Plus there's nothing like putting on some make up and doing your hair to make you feel better.  It also didn't hurt that the Artichoke Fritters were absolutely DeLiSH!! :)

...+14...

...two week of successful blogging...Woo-Hoo!!  so far the picture taking resolution is going pretty well...I've started putting the point and shoot in my purse any time we leave the house :)

I made eggnog pancakes for breakfast this morning...

I just used eggnog for most of the liquid and the usual bubbly water for the rest...

All plated up and ready to EaT!!

Ok...is it wrong that I keep buying this syrup just because it's always happy to see me?!?! :)  which is more than I can say for the boys on school mornings...

Of course, this face is cuter...and he's  happy to see me when I make pancakes...or waffles...or french toast...the boy LoVES  syrup-covered breakfast food!

Connor went to the beach today with some friends...

They didn't go in the ocean but had a great time playing in the dirt...guess at 11 dirt is still an attraction for boys :)

The BOY SCOUT Blast Car derby was tonight.  Sanford was in charge so it was held in the Mt Carmel gym.

It's very ExCiTinG!!  

The cars were rocketing down the fishing line they were hooked onto to keep them straight.  It was AweSoMe and the boys all had a BLasT...{pun intended :) }

There were 11 cars racing.  Connor's car was pretty speedy...he came in 4th...not bad considering he said he just wanted to have fun and didn't need to win.  His car was completely competitive...the heats he lost were close.

The cars had eyelets on the bottom that threaded onto fishing line which was  run from the starting line to the finish.  The boys each loaded their own cars and took turns pressing the button that punctured the CO2 canisters. 

It was a fun night...no stress...potluck dinner...smiling boys...the only downer was that Sanford still isn't feeling well...but he was awake for 9 hours straight today which is a new personal best for him on this break! :)  I'm sure he'll be completely better just in time to go back to work on Monday...

...+13...

January 2nd is always a tough day...it usually means I have to go back to work.  It was especially rough this year since I took off so much time for Christmas...I haven't had this many days off in a row since I had Connor!  It was AwESoMe!! It sure wouldn't be hard to get used to sleeping in and just puttering around every day!

Sanford is still sick, so no picture there...piles of dirty kleenex and his sad face are only funny so many times...poor guy!

The Boy Scout Blast Car Race is tomorrow and Sanford is in charge.

He did get up long enough to go help Connor with his car.

Connor's is the turquoise one in the foreground...I painted it the color he chose last night after they finished working.  

I'll be taking lots of pictures at the big race tomorrow.  It's like Pinewood Derby on steroids.  The boys still build the cars, but instead of a gravity powered race, they put CO2 canisters in the cars and that's what propels them down the track...should be fun :)

While the boys were woodworking today, I made this....

I am the world's worst crochet-er...so I'm especially proud of this because I was able to successfully count stitches and the whole thing is amazingly even and straight (for me)...I am pretty much a window licker on the little bus when it comes to anything with yarn.

This isn't done yet...it's going to get a few cute felt embellies and be a Christmas present for this year.  One of my goals for this year was to NOT stress the holidays...I figure starting early is a good way to do that :)

I'm really hoping that we get to just get on a boat for Christmas 2013...but I'm not sure the boys...big or small...are totally on board with that...especially when I said it meant I wasn't putting up a tree or doing any baking...sigh...

...+12...

Here is a quick picture of Connor's last treat of 2012...

Sanford must have really felt LouSY since he didn't want any ice cream...both boys are incredibly grateful that I used to work in an ice cream parlour.  :)

The whipped cream mustache was killing me!!

I bought the best calendar...

It has the CuTeST cookies for each month...and it was one of the few times when being a procrastinator paid off because it was only 90 cents at Michaels!!  I have these hat and mitten cutters and just looking at the picture makes me want to bake! :)

Here's a photo of the front page of the paper...since Sanford is sick, posing for this picture is the only action this newspaper had!  The papers for the last 3 days are still in their plastic bags...I guess reading the paper is too taxing when you aren't feeling well.  I'm hoping tomorrow's paper gets read!  

I'm tired of being Sanford's  nurse...I'm good for a day...two tops...then I'm annoyed by it all...I can hang in for 3 or 4 days for Connor...but I have serious appreciation for people who nurse people for a living...it's a ROUGH job! :/

...+11...

...New Years Eve...

Sanford...the PaRtY AniMaL is prepping for a WiLD and CRaZY evening...bwahahahahahahahahahaha...

He's still sick.  He must be feeling a little better though because he's moved upstairs.  He spent all of yesterday in bed...poor guy. 

I'm thinking we're going to be lucky to make it to 

the East Coast ball drop. 

Connor must think it's Y2K or something...he's all armed for the zombie Apocalypse :)  

He's really just get ready for a play date over at a friend's house... everyone takes a full arsenal to a buddy's house right?!?

I asked the boy's if they were making any New Year's Resolutions this year...

Sanford said 

~I'm going to say more nice things to my wife.

After I finished laughing...I went ahead and googled it for him and sent him several links listing nice things to say...I am in NO way holding my breath waiting for that to happen...

When I asked Connor if he was making a resolution this year...this was his response...

I'm taking that as a big ole NO.  

oh, and yes....he is under the bed...and no...I don't know why...probably because he's Connor :)

What the boys don't realize is that my resolutions
~Eat better
~Move more
are going to be their resolutions too...unless of course they suddenly begin cooking for themselves...cue uncontrollable laughter...

They already only eat organic meat, but I'd like to add more veggies and fruits and less processed foods to our diets...I think it's going to be a struggle for the two McDonald's junkies I live with...and I've become guilty of picking up a lot of prepackaged Trader Joe's meatless items for myself...which are better than the golden arches....but still not a great choice.

My other resolution is to
~Take more Pictures

I've noticed that as I become more reliant on my phone to take pictures, there are less quality photos and almost nothing gets printed out...it gets texted, and shared, and emailed, and instagramed...but I'd like to do a better job of recording our daily life and taking more pictures with more people...life is short...and you can't have to many pictures with the people you love.

Sanford woke up long enough to play video games with Connor while counting down...

I gave them both glasses of sparkling cider to ~ChEeRS~ in the New Year...there's no photo of that because -No Fun Bobby-  thought it looked like he and the boy were drinking...so you'll just have to use your imagination on that one :)