BEN (and Andrew)'S BIRTHDAY BASH

Here are some pictures from Sunday's festivities:

The cakes. I begged and pleaded for Andrew to pick a CAKE for me to make... after about 20 different "suggestions" from banana pudding to apple cobbler we finally settled on Kaluha Brownies... they were a hit... and then we had soccer ball cakes for those under 21. :)
Ben with his cake... note the fingers. We had the hardest time getting him to even touch it.
"Mom, I DON'T like it, and if you feed me anymore I WILL spit it out again!"
"And get it off my hands too!"
"Ahh! More my speed!"
This is one of Ben's best friends McKenna. All they need is a pitchfork. :) The big eyes are a little misleading... this little girl is SOO darn cute!

So cute. :)
Ben's Sunday School Class. :)

Mr. Potato Head!!! Ben was sick on Christmas... but he really enjoyed opening gifts with dad this time around. :)

Isn't it always the case... Ben's favorite presents were the boxes everything came in and the 50 cent pom-pom balloon. He carried it around for 3 hours after the party!

It was a wonderful party! We had over 40 people in our house, Ben was wired for hours afterward... he definately gets his energy from people! Thank you to all who came!

TWENTY-SEVEN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!

Well, life has not been easy this year, and we won't be celebrating at the Melting Pot, but I love you more than last year... and there is nothing wrong with eating leftovers and going to bed at 9 right? Beats last year... being passed out in a hospital room with a 24 hour old baby. :) Here's to another 27 and more!

Bumpersticker of the Day

BUCKLE UP!

It makes it harder for the aliens

to suck you out of your car.

ONE

CAN IT REALLY BE?

BIRTHDAY MOM? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

CAKE? ICE CREAM? PEOPLE?? WAHOO!!!
I truly can't believe that this little boy was born one year ago today. It has gone SOO fast! We have gone from 6lbs to 22, 19inches to 32+, No teeth to 6, crying to talking (and still plenty of whiny crying), cloth rattles to soccer balls and tonka trucks, not holding his head up to running, just breast milk to fajitas & spaghetti, sleep sacks to footy pajamas, doesn't know he has a nose to pointing to it when asked, and so much more. We love you Benjamin, more every day! Happy Birthday Little Man!

Saving Time

I am IN LOVE with Google Reader. Can I just say that Goggle Reader is the BEST time saver since sliced bread! (I make my own bread, and it isn't sliced, so now what do I say? :-P) I had been using a different rss feeder thingy, but HALF of the blogs didn't update properly. So I was still spending WAY too much time trying to keep up to date. So, just a little plug... if you don't have it... get it. Now I can keep up on blogs AND not waste hours clicking away. :)

Happy Day to You!

L

Frozen

It is amazing how frozen water pipes can completely change your plan for the day, here is what I PLANNED to do yesterday:

6:45 - get up and cut Andrew's hair
7:15 - mop kitchen floor
8:00 - shower
8:50 - sit in on friends chemistry class
10:30 - grocery shop
2 - home
3 - make dinner on A's last day of freedom
5 - eat
6 - watch movie
8:30 - bed (A gets up at 4 and has to leave by 5am)

What DID happen:

6:45 - woke up
6:47 - realized water was frozen
6:48 - crawled back in bed
8:30 - Ben wakes up & we read books
9:15 - get out of bed and wander downstairs
9:45 - boil ice so I can wash my face
10:15 - water in downstairs bathroom thaws!
10:30 - shower
11:00 - cut Andrew's hair
11:30 - Bathe the child
12:00 - Ben sleeps
12:50 visit friends 4th period class instead of 2nd :)
2:30 - grocery shop
4:45 - decide to make big indian dinner for Andrew last night off freedom
5:30 - go back to the store for missing ingrediets
8:30 - finally finish the chicken with cilartro and almonds, pea and carrot curry, chipathi, lassie, carrot hulva and vermicelli payasam... YUMM!
10:00 - finish washing a million dishes and make sure each faucet is dripping
10:30 - crawl into bed

A Splash of Color

I have been horrible at blogging, my back is aching, and my house is cluttery, but we have been busy...

Here are some pictures of what we have been up to... please ignore the clutter in the AFTER pictures... slowly but surely I will get it all clean. I am doing spring cleaning in January. I have been washing cabinets, baseboards, windows, and my knees are burised from scrubbing the hardwood on my hands and knees. (Don't think it is amazing, we have lived here for 2 years and this is the first time I am doing it).

Oh yes, Andrew's sister has also moved in with us. So we have also been rearrangeing a whole bunch of furniture. And Ben has gone from 1-5 teeth in the last 3 weeks. Life is never dull.

And also, please excuse the quality as well, the BEFORE pictures were taken with our SLR and a wide angle lense, and the AFTER were taken with my Nikon point-and-shoot. One day at a time. Maybe I will post good, new, clutterless pictures some day soon... but until then...

BEFORE: MAIN FLOOR BATHROOM

AFTER: MAIN FLOOR BATHROOM

BEFORE: DINING ROOM

AFTER: DINING ROOM
BEFORE: FAMILY ROOM

AFTER: FAMILY ROOM
BEFORE: KITCHEN

AFTER: KITCHEN

Please don't judge the clutter. :) My Christmas present from Andrew was painting and the picture frame you see below, and we filled it with some of our favorite India pictures.

Maybe NOW someone will want to buy my house! :-P

The Bottom of the Barrel

You know you have reached the bottom in the job search when this is the best thing you find that day:

YURT SEWER
Date: 2008-12-18, 1:12PM

we are a small yurt company interested in hiring someone to sew our yurt canvases. the ideal person has past experience sewing large industrial canvases and loves working in community. we currently do not have a sewing machine, and will pay more for someone who has their own machine; however we will purchase a machine if needed. pay is commensurate with experience, please call for more information.

Location: asheville airport

Compensation: depends on experience, starting at $12 an hour and up; also possibility to bid jobs/ per canvas

This is a part-time job.
Original URL:http://asheville.craigslist.org/trd/962797215.html

What Does the Tiger Say?

Laughter

There is nothing better.