What To Catch Up On First................

How about a little Birthday Cake?

I posted SuperStars food fight party and the cake that we had at the party......it was a basic yellow & chocolate with butter cream. Yummy........but let's be honest -
BORING!!

So here is a thought about something SUPER easy to do with a cake - I did not make this up I am sure..........

White Cake Mix - made white, no yolks
Oreo Cookies - half the pack all crushed up

* Mix the cake mix as the directions call for
* Add the crushed Oreo's into the batter - mix them in well
* Bake in whatever size pan you are using

Butter Cream Icing - made from scratch - shame on you if you are using tub icing (gross!!)
Half of the remaining Oreo's - again crushed up

* Mix the Oreo's into the Butter Cream
* Ice cake nicely - there are so many crumbs that you really don't have to worry....

Use the remaining Oreo's to decorate the cake...........tah dah





This cake is Very Very good - but incredibly Sweet - almost too sweet - so you HAVE to eat a small piece and you HAVE to have milk to temper the sweetness.

However...........it is worth it.

Where Are You?

So I haven't blogged since August 20th - and lets be honest - that one was kinda a terribly easy blog - SuperStars birthday. Not that it wasn't sincere - she was with me when I did it and she love love loved every inch of it - and I meant how much I loved her too - but that has been part of the problem.......

See we moved our computer.

Huh? Why should that matter? Well it matters because the placement of the computer is very public now - where as the placement of the computer before had the potential for being very private if you wished.

If you have been here you can picture where I am - in the dining room - right next to the giant wall of windows & glass doors. I now look over the cow field and it is very nice to sit here and work on the computer. And I do WORK on the computer. I know a lot of people think that I stay home and PLAY on the computer - and I do that too. See being the PTO Treasurer, the Girl Scout Leader planning events and budgeting our finances, now having the family finances as my larger responsibility and then just having preschool info and contacts, the high school reunion stuff that I am working on and general this and that's - like downloading sheet music for musical auditions - signing up for classes and events for the kids - and blah blah blah - I am on the computer A LOT.

And while I am doing all that - I keep my email open. When my email is open I can see the moment someone sends me a note. And I answer them. And I type a lot. And if it is from Facebook - I have to log in to answer those - and then I peek around and see what everyone else is doing - and I end up wasting time. Then...........after all that work and play............I feel guilty blogging.

So that is PART of the reason I have disappeared. And it is kinda lame and not completely honest.

The other part (I think there are 3 parts) - is also part of the reason we moved the computer - I can be more "in" what is happening. Dawson likes to be outside - and when he goes out to play in the backyard it is a perfect time for me to do some work. Being in the dining room I can see the backyard and open the door to hear what he is up to. I can also be seen by him. And he comes and asks me to "play" - and sometimes I do - and he comes and asks me to "help" - and I do - and he comes and just throws a tantrum for whatever reason - and I stop to help with those too. Older kids too - "Mom can I have", "Mom can you help", "Mom when is it my turn on the computer", "Mom I don't understand this homework"...........and this is exactly why we put the computer upstairs - so we can work and still be really close to the hub of the action...........only it is also a big hindrance to getting anything done.

The final part..........and this is being really really honest - I have a TON on my mind. And I really do want to blog about it..........but some of it has to do with people in my life that I really like and might misread my intentions in blogging it. So I want to blog it - but I am afraid to blog it - and because they are issues that are being worked through currently if I don't blog them then all the blogs I do seem superficial and boring...........so I just haven't blogged. Like I said though - I am working on them - and I think I have gotten to the comfort level of "I can blog them" - so I will - and hope that anyone that wonders what the heavens I meant........asks.

Which is why I am here right now at 6:30am blogging.........because MJ sent an email and said "Where Are You?"........

Happy Birthday SuperStar!

Today my Baby SuperStar turns Double Digits!! That is a huge deal to her - and to us/me. She is now 10! 10 years have passed by since we welcomed her into the world. That seems completely UNREAL!!

Happy Birthday SuperStar..................know that you are very very Loved!

Sorry for the Lag Time - Food Fight Pics

The days are flying with the Start of School, Last minute sleepovers, Back to School Parties and such.................I am just now getting the actual pictures up!!

Sorry.............enjoy!

Food Fight - The Video

Yesterday was SuperStars Double Digit Birthday Party. She has been planning this party for 2 Years!! It was a big deal to her - NOT because she was turning 10 - but rather because of the theme that she had picked out - FOOD FIGHT!!

There was absolutely no problem getting kids to want to flock to this party - shoot we had kids inviting themselves. Boys and Girl BOTH loved the theme so throw that "Boys are Messy" mind set out the window. And if you listen closely as you watch the video - you will see that the parents were hollering to the kids what to throw - which leads me to believe that they WANTED to be on that field as well.

It was a Hoot - and as MrsG said, "This is classic and they will remember this forever."

It Has Everything To Do With Leaving Again.

This year we have actually come back to STL a few times now. 3 maybe? Not sure - not really worried about it. And honestly at the beginning of summer I completely dreaded it and didn't want to do it. This feeling had nothing to do with organizing time, organizing seeing people, packing, money, time - it has everything to do with leaving again.

We loved our life in St. Louis. All of us. Me. And as much as I like going back and doing all the free fun things and seeing all the free fun family and friends - I hate leaving again. I hate leaving so much that I find myself dreading being there. If I am not there - then I don't have to leave. If I am not there then I don't have a feeling of needing to see every person I love - because I do feel this way - I feel like I have to squeeze each and everyone of you in St. Louis into the time we are there - invite you to whatever event we are attending - eat a quick meal with you at your home or in a fast serving restaurant - stop at your work to say hey - as we skip onto the next event - stop by your house even if it is just basically to use a bathroom and talk for 20 minutes - because this is what we have basically done for most everyone there within the last 2 years. Sometimes the trip includes staying at a house - whose house - who would be the least upset if we don't stay at thier house and whose house could fit all 4 or 5 of us and stand the insanity of the children tromping things? How hard is the holiday going to be if we go to St. Louis - how many stops will we need to eat at - will they get mad if we Just Can't Eat A Single Bite even if they made what they know is our Favorite Meal? Will they make us feel bad by saying "oh honey wish you could stay longer". How can we get enough of so many important people and places in so little time? How can we stand to not get enough of so many important people and place in so little time? Is it just easier NOT to put ourselves through the effort, exhaustion, emotion of it all? Will our family hate that we don't come? Will our family and friends come visit us if we can't make it there? Not a question of is it Worth It - because it is Totally and Completely Worth It. But is it going to send us into another Tail Spin once it is over? Will the time remind me (them) that we don't live there anymore. When we leave will all the heartbreak of leaving the first time start All Over Again? Will I (we) miss them all over again? Will I (we) have to readjust to not having them in life every day? Will I be able to handle that?

Will I - Can I - Certainly I should.

But it is hard.

And sometimes it is just easier not to. Just to stay home here and wait for them. Then they are leaving - something that is easier. Much easier.

This Is Why We Love Him

When we went to STL for our Girl Scout Day at the Stadium event we also stopped by The City Museum (which I recommend everytime I hear someone say "We are going to STL this weekend" and I never hear them say "Oh, we did that!" - which they should because it is a gem) for some time with my very wonderful friend BEG and her son - who were visiting from FL. BEG and I were standing near the train with TheKing and her BlueEyedBoy and just across from the train was a wire tunnel (it was part of an elaborate tunnel that crawled over and under things) that reached up and over the train track - and our names were called - when we looked we saw SuperStar and Spidey - the little boys smiled at them - TheKing waved and shouted their names and then the olders began the climb up and over the boys who were by then sitting on the train.


As I took pics of SuperStar & Spidey I noticed a larger kid - much larger - and BEG laughed and said, "That isn't BigGuy is it?" and sure enough - it was BigGuy - squeezing his 6'5" form into the tunnel and climbing over. Good thing the tunnel was steel - very strong steel. TheKing thought this was great - he squealed and giggled his dads name.


and BEG and I watched as BigGuy squished and wiggled himself through the tunnel. It was funny - as BigGuy went up and over I took a pic of BlueEyedBoy and TheKing - TheKing looks non-plussed that his dad was crawling over them - BlueEyedBoy though - he looks somewhat shocked and concerned as he watched BigGuy emerge from the tunnel.

I kinda figured if BigGuy had his druthers he would not have picked climbing through tiny tunnels - because that was a crawl along the floor tunnel for a bit before they went up and over. So I asked what got him in the tunnel - he said that Spidey was afraid of getting lost, but that he didn't want him to miss out on the fun of going through the tunnel so BigGuy went with Spidey to help him feel safe (it was crazy crowded this day - so the concern was valid kinda).

This is why we LOVE BigGuy.

Forgotten Camp Drop Off Pics

Geez Louise - I was going to post Camp PICK UP pictures and totally realized I forgot to post Camp Drop Off pics.

Enjoy - I will post PickUp soon.

I DID IT!!

Finally! This is not exactly breaking news - but I keep everyone updated on the growth of the kids - thought I would talk about my growth. My Hair Growth that is. I have been growing my hair out for about Two Years now. Pretty much since the Fall of 07. For the longest time I was going with the thought that you should continue to get your hair trimmed every 6 months because the trim will help the ends grow and thrive. Eeeehhhh! So Wrong.



Apparently there is a conspiracy. I do believe that it is Hair Designers (what is the PC term for Beautician these days?) who have put that false belief in our heads. "Make certain to keep your ends trimmed for the health of your hair". I do believe that if your hair goes wonky and grows at different lengths you should trim it up to be evened out - but for a bit I kept going in - kept saying "I am growing my hair out - so if you could just trim a tad" and then they recut it basically into the reverse bob I had!!! So frustrating. So I quit having my hair cut. Started cutting my own bangs again (just so I could see). And waited................for a year..........and Voila!!
I have long hair again!! Yea me. Yes, terribly exciting isnt' it? Hey - I take the small Victories and celebrate the crap out of them so that the daily Victories I loose seem not so incredibly overwhelming. BigGuy likes my hair longer (although he very wisely loves my hair no matter how I have it because he says I am ALWAYS beautiful to him - smart man). I like my hair longer in summer because I can pull it up. But now that it is grown out I would like to shape it a bit....................that means going to a Hair Stylist (would this be the correct pc term for Beautician?).

Should I chance it?

Do As I Do Now

We have ALWAYS recycled..............the problem was we weren't doing anything with it. We let it sit there - recycled - sorted - cluttering up the garage - and then eventually we would become frustrated and throw it away - in the Regular Old Trash. So technically we were Sorting Trash - not Recycling. There were tons of good reasons to claim that it wasn't our fault
* The Trash Company Doesn't Offer Recycling
* We don't live really close to a Recycling Center
* I would get my car dirty carting the Recycling to the place that takes it
* Cans go to a different place then the rest of it does - and we can get paid for the cans so why not take them to separate places
* Never quite have the time
* Frustrated with ourselves and not wanting to deal with it
* Easier to just throw it away

And then the neighbors offered to cart our recycling off for $10 a month. It was just OUR recycling they are carting - they are carting off any other lazy recycling peoples recycling. And we took them up on it. We dedicated ourselves to the effort and actually purchased these really cool stacking bins - just like the ones in the picture (except ALL blue because 3 colors would make me crazy - I mean let's be serious - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - but let's do it in a nice looking organized matching manner - right? Or is that just me?). These things were super cheap too - $10 a container - so there is way less sorting - we fill 1 container up with paper/cardboard stuff - 1 container up with plastic & glass - and one with cans & aluminum. Then on pick up dates I set it outside and TheY's come by and take the stuff inside - Easy Peasie.

For 3 months now we have recycled and I was floored the first 2 weeks of doing it - our trash container was only 1/2 filled!!! Prior to we were filling it so completely that the lid didn't shut and there were sometimes a bag on the side. If you have the option to Recycle - please Take it - every little bit helps.

Some of My FAVORITE Summer Faces!

I figured you daily readers might be tired of looking at Ass - and I was sorting through my pictures and came up with these.............some of my Favorite Summer Face Pictures............

Some Things Are Just Funny

Take It Where You Can

Sometimes I am reminded to just Take It Where I Can Get It. Baseball and Softball seasons are over - yipee!! Did I enjoy sitting at the games and watching all of it - well...........honesetly the only part I enjoyed were the parts that my kids participated in - like Spidey getting his first 2 hits ever in the last game - SuperStar squatting down as catcher for the first time and then coming up and loving the game - stuff like that - or last night - Spidey was standing in the space between 1st & 2nd - the ball came right at him........he dove for it.......it rolled right through his legs and he fell to the ground (classic) - then right through the legs of the next kid who fell to the ground trying - and finally past the final kid in the outfield who also fell to the ground. We were giggling.........and then I looked back at Spidey - he was STILL on the ground, only making dust dirt mounds - having a good ole time. That is what I liked about the season - the accomplishments and the silliness - the rest of it was sitting in a chair telling TheKing what he could or could NOT do. Not so fun.

As I have been going through summer this year I have felt a bit disconnected. There are a lot more activities for the older kids this year - a few for TheKing, but potty training has seemed to be a bit time consuming.............and then BigGuy has had softball and switching positions and his own stuff to think about............and I have just felt like I am drifting a bit between all of them. Lost a bit. Trying to figure it out. Take Time For Yourself.........yes, I have heard that OVER and OVER and OVER. Take Time For Yourself, but where do you fit it? One has to go here - another needs to go there - BigGuy needs to be gone to his thing - which leaves me to drag the others about to this and that................Claim The Time.....yep......easier so much easier said then done as I sit at a baseball or softball game.......

I mentioned Spidey hitting his first 2 balls. It was the second to last game of the year. It was so cool. And unfortunately BigGuy missed it because he had his own softball game. Spidey was so proud. For SuperStar the night she made a hit she got do celebrate. She got to stay up an hour past her bedtime. Spidey had been so upset. It was an awful celebration with one very whiney 7yr old in our midst. But then he got his - and he remembered he needed to be celebrated and he wanted ice cream. TheKing and I were more then happy to accomodate him...........so I offered up Gene's or DQ on the way home. Nope. He did not want to go with me - he wanted BigGuy. BigGuy wasn't the only one who helped with batting - or catching - or washing his uniform - or getting him to games when SuperStar had her own - but he did help coach when he could - so he got the SpotLight when the big time accomplishment was made. And I get that - but to be told that hurts your ego a bit - and adds to my feeling of discontent.

Then last night - the last game of the year - I contributed a cake for the team. Spidey had gotten another hit - AND - he made a run (which was his big big big big goal). He ran out and hugged BigGuy - or high fived - whatever it was. He was beaming and his eyes were all for BigGuy. It was super sweet to see. After the game Coach gathered us to the pavilion and he gave a speach about how each kid had been a Champion and MVP - and handed out trophies. And then he started naming the parents who had helped coach and everyone clapped for them...........and out of no where Spidey said, "And clap for my mom who made the great cake."

That made it all better. I will take that - tuck it into my heart and save the happy tear it brought.

Oh My Goodness I swear she came home a SuperStar

It is the morning after picking SuperStar up from camp. I got the privilege (yea me). Spidey and TO came with us. TO had spent the night and we were meeting MO since CO had gone to camp with SuperStar. We got there before they opened the gates again - just like so many other parents whose daughters had been there for 6 days and they were missing them like crazy. Funny how that work - I don't remember all those parents sitting there early to drop their girls off. We are never in a hurry to rush them off. As we waited Spidey and TO leaned on each other - sat on each other - discussed the benefits of Carmex - told some butt jokes - typical. Cute. They also discussed the song I Make The Good Girls Go Bad - whole other blog and HILARIOUS!

But nothing was really stirring in my head other then - we are here to pick up SuperStar - then lunch at camp - then my appointment - then packing - then school supplies - then dinner - then...........the gates opened.

We parked - we grabbed the two tents we were donating - we stood in line to check in - I did not even need an ID to prove who I am I am such a Girl Scout junkie - Bugs the director told Tippy the counselor checking in that I don't need one - because I am one of the SuperStar leaders (funny she would use that term). Really I am just a volunteer-a-holic, but CB would say sweet things like Bugs did (thanks CB - that comp you gave the other day really made my day).

Back to camp.

We walked back to where the girls were behind the lodge. I walked with one of my friends who is one of the scouts parents, MB. We heard them singing. They learn literally a MILLION songs and SuperStar will be singing them for weeks and weeks. We rounded and saw all the parents gathering around the girls listening, clapping, laughing..........and I stood with the boys (who were bumping into each other and watching for their sisters).............and looked - then all of a sudden they were both on top of me - mist from the crowd. Both SuperStar and CO were hugging me and saying how much fun they had........how I just HAD to meet Critter and I just HAD to see the lanyard weaving they learned.........how they had the greatest time ever and how they cried all night the night before because they were so sad to leave. And I teared up. I was so proud. I am tearing up now thinking about it.

She wasn't a little girl anymore. She had made these big girl friends without me. She hugged me and said, "I missed you so much and I loved being at camp - thanks for helping with the cookie sales." and I knew she meant it. She lead me from one counselor to another and I watched as she talked to them like a friend, mentor and an adult. She had created these really tight bonds with these women and these girls - these role models - these people she hopes to see again and hopes to be like - she created memories and experiences that I am not a part of and I will not have a memory of - and I don't get an inch of it. It is all hers. And it kills me and at the same time I know it has to happen - and I am soo soo soo soo proud of her.

She just felt confident.

She felt alive.

She was proud of herself.

She was growing up in front of me.

She is a SuperStar - owns the moniker 100%.