12.29.2006

Ho Ho Holidays are Ho HO OVER!

YEHAW! Another Christmas come and gone!!! For some reason, this year didn't feel much like Christmas to me. I don't know if it was because I worked my tail off virtually EVERY day to get ready for it, or the fact that I didn't even take my kids to see Santa this year (baaaaad mom), or because I was so stressed about not getting everything done on time. You can't imagine the times my kids asked me if I could sit down and play with them this month....and I am ashamed to admit the times that I said "In just a few minutes baby....." then, before I knew it, those few minutes had turned into hours and it was bedtime again.

I have started making my small list of resolutions for the new year. My top resolution is based solely on my performance as a mother this past month. I am making a promise to myself that I am going to spend at LEAST 15 minutes an afternoon doing absolutly NOTHING but what my kids want to do with me. I know 15 minutes still doesn't seem like a lot of time, but it's more than they've gotten this past month. In all the hustle of "doing it all for them", I've lost track of them. They have been in their own happy little worlds and I am somewhere in the background fussing about the floor not being clean enough, baking ANOTHER batch of cookies, running around shopping for every imaginable person....folding anouther load of laundry....

So starting this year.....today.....I am vowing to spend more time with my babies. TIME is my most valuable resource....and it can't be replenished.....I don't want to lose those precious minutes because I know I can never get them back.....

and with December already gone....why am I still typing at this computer????

Happy New Year everyone! Be sure to spend it with someone you love!

12.16.2006

Living my lessons learned

I love life. I believe in taking it by the horns, letting it jerk me around to the point that my shirt comes undone and my hair gets messy. I don't believe in letting go, ever. Life is all about happenstance. It's what you make it, and I have learned through love and loss that we're not put here to simply take up space. I believe we are here to first figure out WHO we are, to find our comfort zone, then step out of it. Life happens when we're wondering what's next. Life happens when I am standing in line at the grocery store....maybe that's why I feel the compulsive drive to talk to the lady in front of me. I don't want to let a chance to live it pass me by. If I've learned anything in my short (almost)28 years on this planet, it's this. When the bull of life is trying to buck you off it's back, that's the time to hold on. That's the time that you learn the most about yourself. That's the moment in your life that you'll look back as your proud and shining moment....the one you made it through...the one that made you who you are.

Life is only good for one thing...

LIVING.....to the absolute fullest.....grabbing onto as much as you can hold on to and letting it go when your arms get so full of happiness and contentment that you really can't hold on anymore.

12.11.2006

Chocolate Crinkles



Our playgroup had our annual Cookie Swap today at my friend's Carrie's house. We had a great turnout, and the cookies were fantastic! My printer is out of ink so I couldn't print my recipes, so I printed a little card and placed it inside the cookie bags....on it I wrote "For recipe, visit alishalife.blospot.com!" Now if THAT'S not the 21st century (and a shameless plug!), I don't know what is:) So here is my recipe! I hope everyone liked my little cookies!

Chocolate Crinkles

1 3/4 c all purpose flour 1 1/4 white sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa 2 tbls light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda 2 squares unswt chocolate bar, melt and cool
1/2 baking powder 2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c butter, softened 1/2 confection sugar

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. I seperate bowl, beat butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Reduce to low speed and add chocolate, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Slowly add in flour mixture and beat until blended well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Place confection sugar in shallow bowl. Shape cookies into 1 inch (or less) balls and coll in confection sugar. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. If cooked any longer, the cookies will not be as soft, but will be great dipped in a tall glass of ice cold milk!!

Christmas Art

I had an amazing time Friday night!! We met over at Anne and Alex's for a bit of food and drink, then headed down to the Art Bar for some fun and dance. We danced allll night, Erica swapped more cherries than I care to know about, Lori let loose and dance danced, Michelle sang every word to every friggin song, Alex's friend Craig (who had realllly nice teeth...lol) and a penchant for relieving himself outside, booty danced with almost every chic in the group (and subsequently made their nights..hehe), Alex realllllly let loose and I LOVED it!, Brandon had a great time and had his bum grabbed by some guy, I danced with some guy who was dancing by himself and then Jenay, Erica, and I "sandwich danced him"....I think we made his night, no...his week! Here are a few pics from our night of debauchery!!





11.30.2006

Pop Pop....and goodbye

Most everyone who knows me knows that I adore Star Wars. They also know that my son does as well....he lives, eats, breathes, and sleeps Star Wars. He plays this Lego Star Wars game on his Gamecube every chance that I let him. We've beaten the game several times, but he loves playing the last level, where Anakin and Odbi-Wan fight in the "hot-laba"....I played with him tonight and noticed something that I've never noticed before and it made me laugh for a good 10 minutes. At the end, they picture a Lego Padme having her babies. The screen veers over to C3PO looking on and then you hear, "POP, POP!" literally, a high pitched "POP! POP!" which is supposed to symbolize twins "popping" out.
I don't know WHY, but tonight it struck me as incredibly funny! If only having kids were so easy.....but the sound is unforgettable....I keep replaying the sound in my head and I just laugh tears, literally!!! Maybe you just have to hear it, but trust me, it is super funny!

Anyhow, I found out today that my good friend Casey will be moving next week. She was hoping to be able to stick around for the holiday parties that we have lined up, but things aren't working out.....they've decided that they should go ahead and move so they wouldn't have to spend Christmas in boxes. I want to share "our story" here tonight.

I am not really sure HOW she came across me, but Casey sent me a friend request on MySpace sometime early this year. Her screen name was Yummy Mummy. We talked a little back and forth about helping her start her own playgroup. I knew she lived in Columbia, only I had NO idea WHERE she lived. I told her about the playgroup that I started and gave her pointers on how to start her own. That really was the jist of all of our conversations.

One afternoon, I was home sick with both of the kiddos. I hadn't bathed or brushed my teeth all day. My hair was a wreck and I was dressed in baggy old pj's. I heard the mail truck go past so I decided to brave the outside and hope that no one would drive past while I ran out barefoot and freaky headed. As I was standing at the mailbox, I heard someone say,"ALISHA??" I don't know anyone on my street, so I was taken aback trying to rack my brain who would know my name around here. I turned around and saw....."Yummy Mummy??" She laughed and said, "Actually, my name is Casey, but yes, I am Yummy Mummy."

Come to find out, she lived 6 houses down the road from me. She was pregnant with her 3rd child, and had two kiddos at home with her. We talked for a few minutes, and I, being embarassed that one of the blinds in front of my house was a little torn, made a comment about it. She said that she'd just put up faux wood blinds in her house and that I was welcome to her old ones. I said thanks, but honestly never thought she'd really give them to me, and promptly forgot about them. Imagine my surprise when I came home from the store the next afternoon to find a box of blinds sitting in my living room. She'd dropped them off while I was gone and my hubby was there to take them from her.

From that day on......we have become near inseperable. I gave her the link to my playgroup, she joined, and the rest is history. She, along with a handful of girls from my playgroup, have become super close. We've shared LOADS of laughs, drunken nights of fun, we've talked smack about people, spent hours on the phone....our kids have become friends...I made a new friend, Rachel, through her....She held my hubby's feet at a fourth of July party.....I was the first to hold her baby girl, MY Ella Bella.....we've shared deep dark secrets with each other (yes, some are blackmail worthy!!)....her husband even has a pet name just for me :) (yes, YOU George!)....

I have fallen in love with my friends down the road.....bubbly, ADD, blunt, outspoken, silly, crazy Casey. Sweet Zia, Mean little Logan, eat her up with a spoon Ella, cheeseball Z.......I don't like getting this close to someone and them having to say goodbye to them. I will miss Casey and her family SOOOO much. I know we'll still talk on the phone, constantly as usual. I know we'll have email to send pictures.......but I'll miss sitting on her front porch every afternoon waiting for the kiddos bus.....I'll miss being able to walk down and just talk for no reason. I'll miss being around her and the kids. I'll miss holding my Ella Bella.......I'll miss you Casey.

But most of all, I'll miss my chair on the front porch :) hehe





11.28.2006

Our Christmas angel

The Christmas after momma died, I took the kiddos with me to pick out a special ornament to symbolize what she meant to us. We went to several stores but couldn't agree on an ornament. Our last stop was Target and Brooke spotted this sweet little glass spun angel ornament. When I first laid eyes on it I knew it was the one. Bub loved it too and said, "It's our Gramma angel! We can call HER angel now!!!" He was thrilled, but when he said that, Brooke burst into tears. She is very sensitive when it comes to talking about her gramma, so I knelt down to hug her and to ask why she was crying. Brooke told me that Gramma always called her "my angel" and that she was sad because now Gramma was now "her angel".

My momma had several pet names for her kids and her grandbabies. One was "my heart" and the other was "my angel". Of course I am sad that my mom is not still here to call us by our pet names, but it makes my heart smile knowing that my children remember what she called them. They remember her calling them, "my angel". They remember her.

Every year our "Gramma angel" is the last ornament that goes on the tree......but it's the first that my kids look for. It's almost a contest as to who finds it first. Gramma angel goes at the top, so she can watch over us during this crazy holiday called Christmas. It's so easy to get caught up in everything that is going on this month... the hype of spending and taking, the bustle and fuss, but each time I look at our tree, I can see my "Gramma angel" sparkling from it's special place on top....and I am reminded that the good things in life don't involve money or things. I'm reminded of the things that meant the most to her. Family and love.

The best things in life are sitting right there under the tree.....laying on their backs and looking up at all the pretty lights twinkling against the glittered snowflakes the adorn our tree.


Oh Christmas Tree.....






I was forced to buy a new tree this year since I snapped ours in half last year. I took Lori with me to pick one out and she helped me decide on a 7.5 foot PRELIT tree!!! YEHAW! that sucker was sooooo easy to put up!!! I can't believe I didn't get one sooner!! The kids and I put it up (B was tooo tired) and I let them put their own ornaments on. I loved opening the Christmas storage boxes to see what little treasures I'd bought on clearance the year before that I'd forgotten about....this year I was surprised to find two cute espresso cups that I'd bought at World Market. The are candy cane striped and come with their own little white plates. They are adorable and I'd forgotten all about them! I do the same thing every year though, so it's never a surprise when I open up the box to find something new that makes me smile! This year I put some small red and silver oranaments in some clear glass ice cream bowls that I got from a friend....I have them sitting on my bar and I think they look so cute! Here are some pictures from our night of putting up the tree.

Old friends, same old same old

Friday afternoon I went shopping in Destin with Beth, Rachel, and their mom. I hadn't seen Beth in two years and Rachel in about 4! It was sooooo much fun being back together. What is so great about them is that no matter how long it's been since we've seen each other, it's always right back to burping and farting within 30 minutes of laying eyes on each other!! Time has changed who we are on the outside, and on the inside......but deep inside some part of our heart we are still goofy girls who knew everything about each other while we were growing up. Laughing over the memories, making fun of people, talking about how we've all changed....this day is etched on the special memory section of my heart! Beth is my oldest friend (we're working on 20 something years here....) and I love being able to spend time with her. Today she is 28 years old!!! She's is officially 2.5 months closer to 30 than me:) YEHAW! Happy Birthday to my dearest old friend.....I love you BEFF!






Thanksgiving in Florida

We spent Thanksgiving in Florida this year and had a really great time! I started the trip out super sick with the flu, but got better on Friday. We drove down after Brandon got off work on Wednesday, got there super late, got up the next morning and I was still sick!! After dinner/lunch, I went back to sleep because I was so doped up on Benedryl. After figuring out that benedryl was drying my skin out, I switched to Claratin and felt MUCH better by the next morning. It was a good thing because I got up at 3:30 to go shopping:) I got everything I wanted, and a few more things.....then Friday afternoon I went shopping in Destin with Beth, Rachel, and Debbie (their mom). We had a lot of fun, and I'll post those pics later. Saturday afternoon I went by my Granny's old house to take some pictures. I also went to see my cousin and I saw his new baby boy for the first time. Tony, my father in law, was admitted to the hospital on Saturday with super high blood pressure due to his kidney stone/meds so I stayed in with the kiddos.....funfun:) My dad in law is home now (they removed the stones yesterday afternoon), but he spent his time thnking he ruined our Thanksgiving, bless his heart. We love going back home and even though he (and I!) was sick a lot of the time, I still had a really great time just sitting around the house.

Here are some pics......Jamie and Vicky carving the turkey, Brandon and Hobbes wearing matching THRILLED expressions on Thanksgiving, Bub playing with his new glof clubs, Hobbes helping Brandon drive down, and MaryJo fixing Thankgiving Dinner.







Thanksgiving at school




I didn't get to school in time to have Thanksgiving breakfast with Brooke's class, but I did get there in time for lunch with Bub's. Bub was a pilgrim and I think he was the cutest in class! The parents all volunteered to bring in a variety of dishes and everything was just great! Bub had a fantastic time taking pictures with all of his pals.


11.16.2006

finally posting pics from the basketball game....

ok, I'm not blogging here since I've already written about the game (scroll down). I am now able post pics onto blogger, so here are some pics from the Bobcats/Cavaliers game....





More Halloween pics....late too:)




Here are a few odd pics from Halloween this year. We went to Lori's again and had a LOT of fun! Lori, Carrie, Jo, and I all dressed up as 80's girls...you know, big hair, leggings, blue eyeshadow, scrunchies...THE WORKS! This year Carrie also got to pat me back for flicking her off last year! We decided that NEXT year, Lori will have to flick the two of us off just to even the score:) The kids had loads of fun and got way too much candy....It was a great night with even greater friends~

life laughs....part duex!





Ok, these are about a week late, but I have been too busy to post anything:) Last Friday we had another "mum's night out" at Casey's under the pretense of "book discussion"....you have to understand that we always come with full intentions of discussing the book, but things simply get so crazy that one hour runs into another and before you know it, the night is gone, daylight is on the way, and the book is sitting untounched under a pile of teabags and bananas! We had a lot of fun that night...here are a few pictures to document....:)

11.08.2006

laughs

We had a great evening~~ unless you count the 2 hours I was getting Brooke to finish her homework :) It's mind boggling as to HOW a SIX year old girl already hates homework! It's a daily fight getting her to finish 20 minutes of home work within an hour...UGH!

After dinner and after we were all cleaned up and ready for bed, the kiddos and I played a game that we've played since they were little babies. I lay on my back with my knees bent up to form a chair like curve. They usually lay across it facing me and we play animals....they say what animal they want to be and I bounce them around, swing them around, jerk them around making that animal sound, then I flip them over in a half circle over my head and they squeal with laughter. I love this game but it is quite a workout!!! Anyhow, a few weeks ago, Brooke "invented" a new way to play our special game. I would lay in pretty much the same position only my toes would point UP instead of being curved down with my legs. They lay across me, with my hands planted on their chest and their ankles balanced on the tips of my toes. The effect is almost like they are floating over me and they have complete control of how each limb so they can flail around and still not fall. It looks much neater than I am descibing but it's the best I can do.

The first time Brooke "discovered" it, she said "I'm flying! I'm a superhero and you are my Robin (by this I assumed she meant her sidekick...lol)" She was so excited that she ran into Bub's room to tell him that she learning how to fly on mommy's legs.

Tonight when Bub was on his new flying ride he started flopping his body up and down, with his head going up and his legs went down and vice versa....he yelled "I'm a WHALE!!! WHOOSH WHOOSH! I'm a WHALE!" His body movement was sooo much like the graceful "stride" of a whale moving through water that I laughed my head off at my boys' genius! He is a little riot and I am always surprised at his, and at Brooke's, cleverness. I know it was a simple little thing....a game....but it made my night!

This night goes down in the book of my life right along side "man-days" and "tee-gotchee-got-chee-gaaa"

I love my babies :)

11.05.2006

Cavs vs Bobcats (meooooow)

Brandon and I met his friend Jody in Charlotte yesterday. They played 18 holes at this crappy course, as I sat in my own cart reading the ENTIRE time. I'm so glad I had my book in the car (thank God for small miracles) or else I would have been bored to the point of plucking my EYELASHES out. I did get to hear someone yell FORE! for the first time though. Unfortunately it was at ME....the ball landed within one foot of where I was sitting (so thank God for more small miracles and for hardtop golf carts)

After they were finished, and my fingers were so numb I wasn't even sure they were still attached, we made our way to the Bobcats arena to watch the Ohio Cavaliers and Charlotte Bobcats play ball! It was my first basketball game EVER so I wasn't sure what to expect. I seriously thought I would be bored out of my mind having to watch a game that I knew NOTHING about. (Thank GOD I am so adaptable) because I was psyched even before the game started! I caught on quickly, it was MUCH easier to figure out than football or baseball~ The place was huge and being around all those people was just incredible! I love being in big crowds if my kids aren't with me, otherwise I am a nervous wreck. I immediately knew who Lebron James was (another small miracle) and got butterflies in my stomach seeing him! The game horn sounded and they were off.....the game was pretty intense, and the score was ALWAYS close. (tied most of it actually) It was fun being one of the only (THREE) people on our side cheering whenever the Cav's scored. I really got into it and had a blast! In the first timeout the camera zoomed in on the "celebrity guest" Liv Tyler...I would love to know why she was there....I thought it was cool that she was. After I figured out where she was sitting I found myself turning my eyes down in her direction often.....:) Well, the Cav's lost the game (sorry D and L, God wasn't granting you guys small miracles last night....lol!).....but we made it out of the crowd ALIVE (btw, the crowd was the biggest they'd EVER had at the arena (which may not be saying much since it was only opened last November, 5th to be exact!) and we made it home safely too! I am looking forward to the next game we go to....Brandon already told Jody that HE would have to buy US tickets to the Panthers game :) HOOK ME UP!!!!

**For some reason my pics won't post on blogger just yet, dunno if they are having problems or WHAT, so I'lll try to get them up here sometime later.

11.01.2006

Some Halloweenish pics

Our playgroup had it's fall fest over the weekend and the kiddos had a really great time. BOTH of my kiddos even sang karaoke!! WOW! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Sunday night. For Halloween night we went to my friend Lori's but I will have to upload those later~~enjoy these for now!







Pumpkin carving....







Brooke was FINALLY into pumpkin carving this year! Each year it's a fight to get them to help because they HATE the sliminess....well, this year Brooke was chomping at the bits to get down and dirty with her pumpkin! Bub gave it a go, but as you can tell from his expression, it wasn't quite to his liking! Ah well, maybe next year! I wish I could have taken a pic of the finished product, but I forgot and now the thing is rotten and on it's way to the dump! Oh, and brooke never wears a shirt around the house, and I always forget to tell her to put one on for pictures....sorry if it offends anyone:)

weekend....with D and G

Daryl and Ginger came for a quick visit over the weekend!!! As you all know, I was INSANELY happy! I adore my brother and his new wife is seriously growing on me! (have to say, he couldn't have chose better because she is AMAZING!) We had a really great time......listening to Jack Black pass gas, watching Jessica Alba's infamous pole dance, hearing about how BADLY he beat B's butt at golf, visiting multiple candy shops downtown....and just sitting around the house. Ginger even taught me how to knit and I am currently working on TWO scarves (yay me!)

Anyhow, the worst part about them coming is seeing them going....my fingers are crossed that G will be accepted into USC next year so I can have them here at my fingertips all the time! I love you guys and miss you soooo much already! See you next month!





Daryl and Ginger came for a quick visit over the weekend!!! As you all know, I was INSANELY happy! I adore my brother and his new wife is seriously growing on me! (have to say, he couldn't have chose better because she is AMAZING!) We had a really great time......listening to Jack Black pass gas, watching Jessica Alba's infamous pole dance, hearing about how BADLY he beat B's butt at golf, visiting multiple candy shops downtown....and just sitting around the house. Ginger even taught me how to knit and I am currently working on TWO scarves (yay me!)

Anyhow, the worst part about them coming is seeing them going....my fingers are crossed that G will be accepted into USC next year so I can have them here at my fingertips all the time! I love you guys and miss you soooo much already! See you next month!