Conversations in the Explorer: #1

I am starting a new series of posts revolving around the ridiculous conversations that occur in my Explorer between my two daughters and myself....sometimes even the hubby. I can't make this stuff up, and why would I? My kids are quirky and so am I. We really can't help it.

Here is tonight's conversation:

Me: Avery, you need a bath when we get home. You smell like the outside.
Avery: What does that mean?
Me: You know....that outside, boy smell. You smell like sweat.
Avery: No, I do not. How do you know it isn't yourself that you smell?
Me: Because I know.
Avery: I don't smell like sweat.
Me: Yes, you do, and you are taking a bath.
(enter Piper into the conversation....she is notorious for joining conversations late in the game and for her witty one liners)
Piper: Well, I smell like chicken.

There you have it, friends. Conversations in the Explorer: #1.

Have a good night!

Change of Plans

I came home tonight with every intention to go back to my classroom tonight. Tomorrow about thirty second grade teachers (every single one from our school corp!) will be watching a model lesson in my classroom given by a corp trainer. My classroom is in a crazy state of affairs. Twenty three kids and three projects in my room means that you cannot even see the counter top or tabletops at all. Oh, then there is my desk. It looks like the absent minded professor took over my room. A messy classroom is a learning, creative environment....right? Yes, absolutely! However, there are some neat freak teachers out there that would have an absolute cardiac if they saw my room!

The problem with going in tonight is that I have a backache. My lower back is really hurting tonight. I have been chilling out in the recliner with my laptop while my girls played happily together. Hubby worked late....the dreaded tax season has begun. When he finally got home, he asked me if I wanted some ice cream before I left for work. Hmmmmm.....let me think. I never turn down ice cream! He brought me some of my favorite Blue Bunny ice cream called "Red Velvet Cake." It is to.die.for.

Okay, so sitting in the recliner and eating ice cream.....
You can see why my plans of organizing my classroom have gotten sidetracked. So I made a change of plans (thanks to my friend, Elizabeth's, suggestion). She suggested I just go in early tomorrow, so I will! My change of plans consists of red velvet ice cream, my warm slippers, a blanket, the recliner, and lots of Pinterest inspiration.

Don't judge.....

Food for the Soul

Sometimes I come across truly amazing things in the blogosphere. Tonight, as I was checking in on blogs that I have followed in the past, I found this amazing post by Marisa over at or so i feel. I loved her post so much, that I am posting it myself! Please, please follow this link and read her post. It is such a good message for women! This piece of writing, "Awakening" is written by Sonny Carroll. Click below!

Awakening

Convertibles, January, Indiana

Now those are three words that you never see together!
Today, since our temps were in the high 40s, I took the girls out to drive the cars they got from Santa. Avery got a hot pink Barbie Jeep and Piper got a hot pink Barbie Mustang. Later I will attempt to post the video of the girls when they opened the letter from our Elf on the Shelf, telling them that Santa brought gifts that were too big to fit inside the house. Their reaction was priceless.


As I followed the girls around our culdesac and down our street, I was hit was some Mommy tears. I got all teary watching them, which rarely happens! I got caught up in the pure joy of it all! Long hair blowing in the breeze, glamorous sunglasses, big imaginations. I want to freeze these moments in time. Two sisters just loving life and each other!

I loved that the girls stopped to "get gas." They also discovered that you can open the hood of the cars, which led to several "repairs." I was a proud Mama when we discussed how girls can fix their own cars because girls can do anything! Duh!

I would like to thank global warming for making this post possible!

Hmmm....

So I just read the comments on my previous post. One of the comments was from my mother.

It said:
"Stay on the plan for all your ideas you shared with me regarding your goals."

I vaguely remember a conversation with her about some goals. Now what were those goals exactly?

Seriously, is this what my life has come to? I can't remember a recent conversation regarding some personal goals that were important enough to tell my mother about....
I only tell her things that I want her to hold me accountable for, but here I am trying to remember what the heck I told her.

I had this same problem at work today. I was racking my brain to think of a word. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't think of the right word. Much later the word popped into my head. The word was "intervention."

Maybe I need an intervention! I remember telling my mom something elaborate with a definite goal attached to it, but I am not sure what the goal was or what I told her.

I know you, sweet reader, will say that every mom has these brain issues. You will make me think it is okay because I have two kids, two jobs, etc. However.....

IT IS JANUARY 4TH, PEOPLE.

How did I already forget?

Mom, please email me about this one.

Deck the Halls 2011

I have not yet put away all of our Christmas decorations, but probably will this weekend. Last year I shared some of my favorite pictures of our Christmas decorations, so I thought I would do the same now.

This was a fun little corner near our dining room. I put my collection of Lenox snowmen all together, along with the wall decoration that I bought at Target last year. I wanted everything to have a retro/vintage look to it, and I think it did! You can kind of see my vintage window frame....I put vintage wrapping paper on each pane of glass for a fun change just for the holidays.



This year a dream came true for me....having a white Christmas tree! The new white tree was such a bargain. I love having two trees now. The white tree is in the sunroom and is my fun, girly tree. The larger traditional tree is in the family room and has all of our colorful family ornaments on it. The day we bought the white tree, I also saw this stunning tree topper that looked like a giant Swarovski crystal. Hello, bling!



Here is a close-up of the white tree with white lights. Even before the ornaments were put up, it looked beautiful!






I was EXTREMELY picky about what ornaments were to go on my special girly tree. I wanted the ornaments to have a certain color and have a vintage quality. I dragged my entire family (poor hubby!!) to every store I could think of to find ornaments like the vision in my head. I finally found them at Michael's! I love how the tree turned out. It almost looked good enought to eat....if that makes sense, considering it is a Christmas tree!



Don't get me wrong, I love my family ornaments. However, there is something really special about having a tree all to yourself!

Daily Purpose

Some of you may be waking up tomorrow with lots of worries on your mind. Some of you may be waking up tomorrow and returning to work after holiday time off. Some of you may be waking up tomorrow with the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Whatever it is, you CAN do it.