"Virtual Girls Night Out!" or "I smelled a fireman..."

Yes, I'm finally not working while I'm on the computer :) So I'll probably be heading off in a few minutes to work on reading Eclipse while I'm curled up under the covers all nice and cozy..

But in the meantime? I stopped by the Virtual GNOs (Girls' Nights Out, dontcha know) at My Trendy Tykes and Ann Again...and again. They've got lots of fun stuff for us all to sit together - virtually - and enjoy :)

Until I see you again, I just want you to know...

I smelled a fireman on your car because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.

Dear Campbells,

I've loved you for a very long time. I still have fond memories of the little Campbell Soup Kids cups that my mom got by sending in soup labels. I probably get something that you've made just for me each time I do my grocery shopping.

But today? You tried to ruin my lunch. I tore myself away from playing Pathwords on Facebook and warmed up a can of what I thought were Spaghettios with sliced franks. Instead? They were 'A to Zs' with sliced franks. The franks were the same as usual. They still tasted exactly the same as the meatballs, but they always have, so I'm okay with that.

It was your new 'A to Zs' that tortured me. Do you know how hard it is to spend hours each day trying to find words from a pile of letters, and then - when you're ready to take a bit of time off and enjoy Os and sliced franks - you find all the letters of the alphabet?

What were you trying to do to my poor mush brain?

Still Kicking!

Just wanted to drop a quick post to say we're still here! ;)

I ended up planning stuff for every day this week, and I'm back to work, so I have no free time left!

Monday we went on a never-ending playdate. Hahahahha....When my friend and her husband heard hubby was out of town, they invited us for dinner too. Maggie and I made it home just in time for her to go to bed and me to watch 24.

Yesterday we just ran a few errands, including getting the ingredients to make these awesome cookie-things that my sister-in-law made for a party at her house last Sunday. Mine didn't work, but a pile of cookie, peanut butter cups, caramel, frosting and nuts can't be bad ;)

This afternoon (after nap and work...) Maggie and I are going to try to go visit GG (Maggie's great-grandma).

Whoa - did you catch that break? The phone rang, and my mother-in-law is coming over around lunch time to hang with Maggie til she goes down for her nap - that may buy me an extra hour of uninterrupted work time! Yay!!

Anyway, tomorrow Maggie and I are going out for lunch with friends, and Friday hubby comes home!! Yay!! It's been two long weeks.

Tired of the Cold Weather!

Ugh! As I said earlier, I woke up this morning all happy about the lack of snow on the ground - don't worry, Polly Nimbus fixed that in a hurry :( I'm so perpetually cold. I assume it's just from being in Michigan forever, but would I be cold if I got to spend extended time south of here?

It just occurred to me how annoyed hubby will be to read this - he's currently in northern Minnesota doing cold weather testing. Really cold. I think it's around zero where he's at, but he started this morning in a vehicle that had been sitting at like 40 below to see how long it would take to warm up. Brrrr!!

Seriously?

Luck has been on my side for much of the day. I was able to go to my party at a friend's before the storm hit (mostly) and back home again without much grief. Maggie had a very fun day with Uncle Bunny ;)

It kept going well when Maggie had refused to go down for a nap until I got back. No problem - that meant I got a much needed nap as well!

And the best of all? I'm back to work! Although there's my major snafu for the day....I went to print out the four documents I'm required to review before starting, and my printer ran out of black. Darnitall!! I'll be able to read what I can from my printouts, but then I'll have to wait to start working til after I review the 'missing' spots online after Maggie's in bed.

At least it was two steps forward and one step back today instead of the other way around!

Comfy and Cozy in the MIDDLE of the bed ;)

Hubby and I are going to need a new bed. It's much easier for me to tell this now, while I'm the only one sleeping in it. This way I can get a better feel for the whole bed, since I can sprawl my sleepy frame right out in the middle. From the middle of the bed, I'm learning things. Like the fact that his side is a bit lower. If I try to roll just a little bit onto my side, I can't. The valley just right of center sucks me back. I'm wondering, when we get a new bed, if a sleep number bed would help prevent this from happening. My brother and sister-in-law got one a couple years ago. While I know they liked it at first, I haven't really asked how they've been sleeping lately. I'd call them and ask them now, but I guess it's just not really that important to me. Definitely not as important as my pregnant sister-in-law getting all the sleep she can now! I know better than to interrupt that....

Words, words, words...

Maggie is at such a great age. Although she's started getting a bit more opinionated and - shall we say - speaks out when she doesn't agree with me, she's still mostly fun, and always entertaining.

She's started talking. Actually, that's an understatement. She talks non-stop, but we can't understand most of it. There are a few very clear words. Apple, ball, Audjee (the cat's name), eyes and Daddy, among others. Two of the very clearest words though are, "No," and "Butt" (which is said while grabbing her behind with both hands.

I don't think it's just a coincidence. If you know me, you may have noticed (okay, hopefully not) that my back side is as flat as a board. Poor Maggie? Literally walked out of her pants today because she doesn't have enough booty to hold them up. It's certainly not one of my traits that I would have tried to grace her with, but some folks say it's better than the alternative. Personally, I would have been happy with just a compromise - enough to not drop her drawers in public, perhaps?

Lately I've been hearing, "She's her mother's daughter." Whether it's because she enjoys a Bloomin Onion at 18-months, or shares some of my physical characteristics (or lack thereof), I'm glad people can tell, and she is definitely mine :)

Wordless Wednesday

Wowie!!

If you've ever thought about having your own chocolate business, controlling your own income, or just having fun while making a few bucks instead of spending them, this is the PERFECT time to sign up as a chocolatier with DOVE Chocolate Discoveries. We're having a special now through the end of March. You can get the chocolate, drinks and mixes, and all the paperwork and catalogs you'll need for your first four shows for just $99! For more information, please feel free to contact me or visit my site here

Happy VD (Valentine's Day, that is....)

Found this over at Tammy's blog too and thought it looked fun :)

Here's a few questions I've answered about hubby and I, in honor of Valentine's Day this weekend.


♥ How long have you been together? We'll be married three years on Monday (February 16). We first started dating in March of 2004.

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? We first met in the spring of 1997 when my boyfriend at the time and I went to visit my brother at school. Hubby was friends with my brother.

♥ Who asked who out? I think it was sort of an expected thing...The first few times we went out, we were just meeting up with a group and both happened to be there. We stayed together when the rest of the group dispersed.

♥ How old are each of you? I'm 36, and he's 33.

♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most? Probably about equal.

♥ Do you have any children together? One adorable girl.

♥ What about pets? We have one cat.

♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Probably cash-ola (or the lack thereof!).

♥ Did you go to the same school? Nope.

♥ Are you from the same home town? Not really.

♥ Who is the smartest? We each have our strengths :)

♥ Who is the most sensitive? Probably me.

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple? We get carry-out Chinese a lot.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? We've been to Germany together a couple times.

♥ Who has the craziest exes? He does.

♥ Who has the worst temper? Me.

♥ Who does the cooking? We both do. He usually makes breakfast on the weekends, and will make dinner some nights too :)

♥ Who is more social? Him.

♥ Who is the neat-freak? Neither of us.

♥ Who is the more stubborn? Probably me.

♥ Who hogs the bed? Him.

♥ Who wakes up earlier? He does, except on the weekends.

♥ Where was your first date? Uh-oh. I'm not sure. We just sort of started doing everything together, so I don't know what to count as our 'first date.'

♥ Who has the bigger family? He does.

♥ Do you get flowers often? Not often, but I've gotten them a couple times.

♥ How do you spend the holidays? However it happens to fall that year...

♥ Who is more jealous? Neither of us.

♥ How long did it take to get serious? Ten minutes or so. :D

♥ Who eats more? He does.

♥ Who does/ did the laundry? I do.

♥ Who’s better with the computer? He is.

♥ Who drives when you are together? He usually does.

Blog Love Award

What a bright spot in my week! Tammy gave me the Blog Love Award! Awwww!! Now it's my turn to pass it on :)

Here are the rules:

* When you receive the Blog Love Award, you should place the logo on your blog proudly!
* Link to the blogger that awarded you the love.
* Nominate your friends and bloggers you read regularly, as many as you like.
* Finally, let them know you’ve nominated them to receive the award.

I am officially passing on a little Blog Love to the following exceptional bloggers:
1. Sonja at Can You Keep a Secret?
2. Marty at Don't Take the Repeats
3. Amanda at ABC...West
4. Girl at Fertile Mertile

Well, YOU'd Know!

Hahaha.... Judi at Where the Road Takes Us posted this quiz on her site, so of course I had to take it too ;)

But she would know better than anyone what kind of kid I was ;)

You Were an Outgoing Kid

When you were a kid, you had no problem expressing yourself. There's a good chance you started talking early - and never stopped! You had a lot of friends, and unlike most kids, you weren't shy around adults. You were well adjusted and confident. You enjoyed speaking up and participating.

What Kind of Kid Were You?

Well? Are they right?

Still Flighty...

No like absent-minded sort of flighty, but just can't settle and concentrate on any one thing very long.

I remember years ago, when I could sit down and write a post that at least felt like it had some substance to me. And both of my readers liked it too! HAhahahaha.... Now I feel like every post is a grocery list, or a to-do list, or another summary of a day in my life.

I find myself doing the day to day stuff with Maggie - changing another diaper, nursing again, folding yet another load of baby laundry from the dryer - and wishing she were older so we could go out and do more 'fun' stuff together.
But then she starts making things in her tupperware, stirring it with her toy spatula, and feeding it to herself, me, and the cat.
Or she crawls up onto the couch and starts meowing at her dad until he will meow (no talking!) back.
And I wonder instead what on earth I'll do with someone as confined by reality as adults are expected to be.

It Never Ends

When Maggie goes down for her nap, or to sleep for the night, I've actually been having a couple minutes of 'unplanned' time lately. I'd love to just play games or read a bit, but that's pretty minimal. I've been working on trying to fix some stuff up around here. I wish I was better at it! I tried to put those corner water guards in our bathroom shower so I can then fix some icky looking moldy spots on the wall (luckily they aren't actually wet, so I just need to keep them dry!), but the silly guards keep falling, or only pressing on part of the wall or tub. Apparently I need some silicone or something....

Someday I'd like to try and do more outside too. We don't have much landscaping. We tried putting some shrubs along the dirt road, but somehow they all started dying last year. Maybe I'd have more luck with pretty Mulberry trees in the rock circle on the corner? With my success rate so far, I'm afraid to invest in much!

Happy Saturday!

I've got nothing to say, really.

My head is racing, and I'm exhausted. The baby isn't sleeping well and wants to nurse CONSTANTLY. Luckily the weekend means hubby is home some of the time. So when he gets home in a bit, I'm taking my turn leaving the house unencumbered. Never mind that I'm going out to run errands that were just too difficult to do with a sick baby in tow.

If you've got extra prayers or positive energy to toss my way, I'd really like Maggie to be well by mid-week so we can go meet our forum friends next weekend. I can't drag her halfway across the country if she's sick. And I was going to pick up another friend on the way, so it's really important to a bunch of us that Maggie be well enough for the trip! We already canceled our weekend trip this weekend - I'd really like to be able to go next weekend....

Silly Girl!

Darn me for not working harder all the time! I took most of December off from my Chocolate business because I figured it was easier than trying to get people to book around the holidays, and because I wanted to take some time off for my own family and holiday stuff. Fair enough, and I'm not really complaining now.

But we have a new catalog next month! It's time to get excited again, and I don't have spending money for promotional product and stuff because...um, yeah...I took at least a month off! Oh well. Luckily I earned some free catalogs with one of the shows I actually did submit in December. I'll just have to wait before I can put fun stickers and stuff with them.

Last but not least!

After this post, I believe I'm finally caught up on my awards! Yay, me!

Thanks so much to Tammy for giving me the Lemonade Award for showing gratitude or a good attitude (from "if life hands you lemons, make lemonade").



Here are the rules:

Put the logo on your blog or post.
Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Each of the people listed below has impressed me in a different way. All truly deserve the Lemonade Award for having a great attitude. Here are the ten I've selected:
Carolyn's Lost Sanity - I always especially love her 10 Random Things for a Friday. She has a great attitude and adorable pictures of little ones!
Rudstrom Family Blog - They make the 'up north' that hubby's heading to look like the Caribbean! I think Alaska needs more sunshine and lemonade (for now, but certainly not in June!). The Rudstrom's keep up their positive attitude and share it with their beautiful son every day, even up in the frozen tundra.
Ranting Radish - Amy is raising a very cute, bright dude and gets to work at a job she actually seems to enjoy! No wonder she always sounds so cheerful about her life!

Three? Is that even close to ten? Sorry...I'd like to give it to everyone on my blogroll, but I'm fighting a headache tonight and ready to turn in early. Good thing I've been looking at the lemonade blogs to cheer me up :)

And that's not all!

I know I haven't been around here much lately - even hubby has commented that my blog is looking a little lonely :(

But my office is definitely looking...well, better, anyway. I've moved around the office furniture to try and use my space (and store my..er...stuff) better. I found an awesome one of those step-tables from the 50s down in the basement and brought it up to put with my grandmother's old leather chair. It works much better over on the wall where the computer used to be, and now I can see out both windows from my computer desk - yay!

Now I just have a few more piles of paper in the middle of the floor that need homes, and some chocolate stuff in the corner needs to be organized. But all in all, it's much better than it was.

Yay?

Well, after only a few days off, it's time for me to get back to work! Luckily I'm on a new project while the one I'm usually on is being 'reviewed.' Unfortunately the email telling me this was sent yesterday, and I was busy out running around! But now I've already gotten so much accomplished this week!

Monday the baby and I headed to the doctors' office for her 18-month well-baby visit. She's still well :) Tuesday was my dental appointment while Maggie played with Papa. Then the three of us went out for lunch together (and she ate like a champ!).

I hope that's enough 'fun' to get me through, because now I've got to put my nose back to the grindstone...

On the Road Again...

Whew. We were just looking at our schedules for the rest of the month, and the one weekend that he's home, chicken little and I are hitting the road with our Zero Halliburton luggage! Hahaha... At least our trips don't overlap, right? Actually one week he's just working crazy long hours, but then the next two weeks he has a trip north, then a trip even further north. And he leaves for all of it on our three-year anniversary. We'll barely be able to have dinner the night before since Maggie and I will be getting back from our girls' weekend with friends a few states away.
Hopefully absence makes the heart grow fonder, eh?

Wifey

Found this over at Where the Road Takes Us.

What Kind of Wife Are You?
	You are a(n) Stepford Wife. If you look up perfection in the dictionary you are bound to see a picture of yourself there! You are absolutely flawless and make all the other wives look like trash. You are a super woman and get everything done without even a hair getting out of place. You are always in control and keeping appearances are the most important thing. You cook and clean and lavish your man with so much attention that the other husbands are jealous.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com