A Very Merwii Christmas Party and Other News

This year, my Christmas party theme was "A Very Merwii Christmas Party." The action centered around the Wii. We played Just Dance and Karaoke. It was so much fun. Just a couple of pictures from the main event.

Mindy and I went to see Jordan Knight in concert (solo). It was a dive bar, small, and not sold out. I felt bad that the crowd cheered the most when he either spoke about another NKOTB band member, or when he played one NKOTB song "The Right Stuff." But not too bad, in his early 40's, he looks amazing, can still dance, and is obviously still rolling in the dough with all the NKOTB reuniting events. They are having their cruise again this year. I really want to go, but it's just a little too rich for my blood. :(

Jordan and I start going on college visits at the end of this month. We are starting with UT. Neither she nor I really want her to go there, but since she hasn't actively pursued any college as yet, it's as good a place to start as any. I plan to take her to the College of Charleston in April, then to Washington University and St. Louis University over the summer. Just trying to get a wide variety of visits in so she can start narrowing down her choices. And figure out how much more she needs to do to beef up her college resume!

Morgan and her friends came to my mom and dad's for their dinner before their winter formal dance. My mom did it up right with the crystal, china, and a delicious menu. I contributed table favors and sparking cider. Since she was out of town, the actual cooking and serving was left up to me. Since we all know how I am in the kitchen, I called in the troops - Nicky, Dad, and Mindy. In the end we pulled it off - probably because mom had every detail planned out, including telling us to remove the plastic wrap from the green beans prior to putting them in the oven! Dad was great and didn't tell Morgan it wasn't a fashion show even though we all knew she would be dying by the end of the night in her cheetah stilettos! The picture below was from last year's winter formal. She has all the pictures from this year on her camera and I haven't gotten them yet.


Mindy and I are scrapbooking today for AYM. I am excited about it because I love to scrapbook and have good page ideas. I am also a little nervous about it as Mindy is not a scrapbooker, and well, is a little Needy! I hope this is relaxing and fun the way I like it and not irritating with me having to do it all for her. Love you, Mindy!

Mom and dad have been traveling like crazy, They just visited the Lapps and now it makes me really anxious for our trip to the Lapps in early June. Nicky, the girls and I are going for a long weekend. It will be so much fun. Sandy and Greg always cook some delicious meals, the kids enjoy hanging out. It is generally a really relaxing time. We are trying to have more family dinners to keep in touch at home. You would think that with all of us here we would get together all the time, but schedules are so hectic it just doesn't always work out!

I guess that's about all from here. Maybe I will work on keeping this darn blog up to date a little better!

Dirty Martini Party!

Last weekend I hosted a Dirty Martini Party. It's a new take on a Dirty Santa Party - with martini glasses! Everyone brought a funky martini glass wrapped up for swapping (and stealing). I made three different martini concoctions: Bubble Gum Martinis, Lemon Cake Martinis, and Chocolate Martinis. Each guest brought either a dessert or an appetizer. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!

The glasses were all really awesome. Aunt Janice had the most original - the Redneck Martini Glass. It was basically a mason jar on a stem! Mindy stole for it and since she was the last to draw, she got to keep it. Here's a shot of all the glasses:


The martinis were super-delicious. Except for the Lemon Cake martini. It was gross with a capital G! Here's a shot of the bartender mixing them up while sporting an awesome fastenator, as well as a shot of the Bubble Gum Martini. (P.S. I think Dad was secretly disappointed he had a tee time that didn't coincide with the party and he couldn't be the bartender!)



Everyone had tons of fun - even the "old" aunts! I am sure they don't like that they are now the old aunts, but if it makes them feel any better, my friends loved them and didn't want them to leave!


Mom was the DD - hope she was ok to drive! :)


A good time was had by all.


Not sure what my next party will be, but I have so much darn liquor left over I might need to host a poker night and serve the martinis again. All that is, except the Lemon Cake Martinis. Anyone in the market for Limoncello liquor...cause I got tons!

Bubble Gum Martini:
1 oz Three Olives Bubble Gum Vodka
2 oz Lemonade

Run lemon slice over edge of glass and dip in sugar. Mix vodka and lemonade in shaker over ice. Pour. Garnish with a pink gumball.


Chocolate Martini:
2 oz Trader Vick's Chocolate Liquor
2 oz Creme de Cacao
1 oz Half and Half
2 oz Freezing Three Olives Chocolate Vodka
White Chocolate Shavings

Combine the chocolate liquor, Creme de Cacao, and chocolate vodka into a cocktail shaker half full of cracked ice.
Shake for one full minute. Add the half-and-half to the shaker and gently swirl (circular motion). Pour. Top each martini with shaved chocolate.

Mom and Dad - finally redeem themselves from buying the Dining Room furniture!

We all know that I am a HUGE New Kids on the Block fan (go Joe!). When I was 12, I begged my mom to send me on the New Kids on the Block cruise (to the tune of probably 3,000 dollars or so). Naturally they said no. But my mom said it was because we didn't have the money. The next week (really, the very next week) she went out and bought a whole new dining room suite. I was so mad! In fact, I harbored this grudge for a long time. Like, forever.

Skip ahead 22 years...New Kids reunite and there is an opportunity to meet the boys!! This time, mom and dad pulled through in a major way! Dad surprised Mindy and I with VIP tickets to the concert - which included a meet and greet with them! It was completely surreal and one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I just wish I had planned better how I was going to react and what I was going to say.

Before it was out turn to go in, Mindy says, "Now Steph, you cannot cry and you cannot say you love them." Well hell. I didn't think I was going to cry, but now she had me worried. And if I can't say I love them, what am I going to say?! See below to see my remarkable interaction with the guys so you can really understand the memorable impression I left.

To Danny: "Thank you for having us." (This is code for I think I am meeting my grandmother's friend and I am such a polite southern girl). From Danny, no response.

To Donnie: "You single-handedly got me through junior high." (Not even true! So stupid!) From Donnie: "No, you got you through."

To Jonathan: Nothing. (Clearly the first two exchanges had left me speechless.) From Jonathan: Nothing.

To Joe: "Always my favorite. Y'all are gonna rock it tonight." (This doesn't need any interpretation. It's just plain dumb!) From Joe: HE PUT HIS ARM AROUND ME AND KEPT IT THERE FOR LIKE 20 SECONDS! We basically go married. Even if he was talking a whole lot about the hype of the show.

To Jordan: "Y'all look a lot skinnier in person than you do on tv." (Like I watch them on TV! Who says that??)

So overall, I am really happy they meet hundreds of girls at every show. They won't remember me. You know what it means, though? Dad and mom will have to send me again so I can be better prepared and redeem myself!

THANKS MOM AND DAD FOR THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME! IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE!!

Mindy and Steph - Twins?!

Ever since Mindy moved back home and started working at HCA, we have been getting so many comments about how we look exactly alike. Not one, not a couple, but like 1 incident a week. Seriously!

The first week she was here, some woman I did not know saw me in the cafeteria and said, "There is a girl on the second floor who could be your sister!" My response: "She probably is!" All of the people I work closely with immediately started talking about how we looked exactly alike and had the same mannerisms.

Next incident - the cleaning lady at work (who is so sweet and seriously knows all 450 people in our building by name) said, "Stephanie, there is this new girl who looks just like you!"

A couple weeks in, the COO approached Mindy and said, "I couldn't put my finger on why you looked so familiar to me. Then I saw your name and I realized - it's because Stephanie's your sister and you look just like her!"

Once a total stranger approached her cube and said, "I saw you in the cafeteria this morning and I was so confused because you had brown hair when I thought you had blonde. I see you do have blonde hair, so clearly your double works here!"

Mindy and I were out shopping recently, and at the checkout lane, the sales clerk asked us if we were twins!

Mindy went to a Sounds game with her friend this Saturday and a woman from work (whom she didn't know) recognized her and said, "You're Stephanie, right?"

And it goes on and on. All the time random people we don't know stop us. It is truly bizarre! Mindy's friend from New Orleans said that if he closed his eyes while I was telling a story, he would swear it was Mindy.

I think it's so odd since we've never gotten this in our lives, we are 8 years apart in age, and I don't think we look anything alike! Don't get me wrong, I think it's a compliment - but boy do I feel bad for Mindy! :)

Happy Spring!

I am so ready for spring this year. More so than usual. We had a few days of nice weather, but back to cold for Nashville this week. Maybe when it's pretty and warmer I will be motivated to update my darn blog! :)

Interim at St. Cecilia

So what exactly are they teaching the girls these days at SCA? Zumba, Manners, and Cake Decorating!

Jordan's Cake:


Morgan's Cake:

Jordan Turns 16!

And celebrates with 16 presents for 16 years! Actually she got 17 presents since she got her belly button pierced. I really had no problem with her getting her belly button pierced, but I wanted to do it at a reputable, clean location. So I went online and did something I normally scoff at - I read all the reviews about all the tattoo parlors in our area. I chose the location that had the most positive reviews and appeared to be clean. But it was located in a seedy part of town. I figured that was because all tattoo parlors were located in shady areas!

When we were ready to go, my mom and dad were a little worried about us two girls going there alone, so we decided to make it a family affair. Mom, Mindy, Dad, Jordan and I set off. I had made an appointment, but when I got there, a sign was on the door that they would be back in 45 minutes. No time was listed as to when they had left, so who knows how long they had been gone. Apart from the empty beer cans and cigarette packs in the drive, and the fact that it was clearly a residence, not a place of business, I was willing to wait - after all, it got the best reviews! But the family wasn't, and this time, I'm glad it didn't work out.

I ended up taking Jordan to a location in Midtown - a much more respectable location. The family didn't accompany us this time, which was a good thing because this was a way cool place. We would have looked like total nerds! The guys in the shop were fabulous, and there were awards all over the walls, so I felt pretty good about it. Jordan was a trooper, even though I know that it hurts like hell!

Lesson learned: When deciding on venues based on reviews, remember the audience giving the reviews. After all, what do a bunch of tatted up / pierced up people know about the kind of establishment I was looking for?!

Reason 5,372 Why You Should Never Procreate

I work with two young, fun single girls who are obsessed with finding men, settling down, and starting a family. It's become the office joke now that I can give them at least one reason every day why they should never procreate. And I must say, they are pretty convincing! Here's just a few most recent reasons.

Yesterday, on MY birthday, Jordan forgot and didn't even wish me a happy birthday. She made up for it, though, when she thoughtfully brought home THREE ferrets. [Yes, I marched her right back out of the house to the pet store to return them.]

About a month ago, we had a houseful of kids. As usual, they were playing "grab ass" (my dad's favorite term for kids horsing around) when one of the boys decided to light the gas fireplace. Without opening the flu. Turning the gas to full steam while he looked for a match. The explosion was so loud, I seriously couldn't fathom what had just happened. When the girls started screaming and the smoke detector started going off, I knew it was worse than that thing I couldn't imagine! I ran downstairs in my nightie - who had time for a robe?! - to discover I still had a house. One of the boys smartly turned off the gas, but I didn't know that and with my adrenaline rush I thought I was turning it off (later discovering I had actually turned it on again!). I seriously thought I was going to have to take the boy to the hospital, but when I looked at him, he had only singed his hair (body, head, and facial) and it just looked like he had a bad sunburn. Then I noticed the gas smell, and realized I turned it on and it had been running for like 10 minutes! Nothing like a little carbon monoxide poisoning to end the evening! [I told my work girls that this reason was good for a whole week at least!]

For my birthday, Morgan and Carson wanted to take me out to dinner to Red Robin. Isn't that sweet? They invited Jordan and Nicky. It was supposed to be a surprise, but they couldn't keep it secret. Which was ok...until the bill came and they realized taking everyone out to dinner was a little more expensive then they could afford. Happy $60.00 birthday dinner to me. (If I was going to give myself a $60.00 birthday present, it most definitely wouldn't have been dinner - it'd have been a new pair of shoes!) And because I didn't want a whole meal to myself, I didn't even get the burger I wanted because I had to share with everyone else!

Those are just a few of the most recent reasons I've given the girls at work why they should never procreate. What I don't tell them, though, are all the reasons you should procreate (which somehow outweigh those reasons that you shouldn't). Like...

Singing along to the radio in the car with the girls

Our dinner-table conversations

The notes they write me when they are apologizing for something

The sheer fun we have in our house of 3 girls

Sharing makeup/clothes/shoes with much hipper persons than I

Decorating the house for holidays

Celebrating when they make the honor roll

And the list goes on! I guess when it's all said and done - YOU SHOULD PROCREATE!!

Diving Board Safety 101

When the guy came to install the new diving board at my parent's house, he left behind a safety DVD that "must be watched before anyone uses the diving board." Ok, I rank directions like those right up there with reading the user's guide for your toaster. At any rate, we all laughed at how stupid it seemed, and no, we didn't watch it.

I guess the joke is on us!! (See pictures Morgan and her friends took one day at the pool below.)






Seriously - teenagers don't think! Truth be told, they look a lot like me and my friends did when we were teenagers at the pool! :)

The best part is that my dad actually witnessed them playing "grab ass" [dad's favorite term for monkeying around] at the pool, but didn't say anything to them because he didn't want them to think he was spying on them!

A Little Hard Work Pays Off!

So it's been a while since my last blog - over a month to be exact. It's not that I haven't had anything to blog about - it's just the opposite - I've been too darn busy! I've been traveling some for work, Morgan graduated, we had Mother's Day, Morgan's birthday, and a trip to Six Flags over Georgia just to name a few things that kept me from blogging last month. Anyways, things are finally settling down (as much as they ever can) now that it's the summer, so I finally had time to tackle a big job that's been hanging over my head: my deck.

My deck is very nice and large. When I first moved in, the owners had several varieties of flowers/plants/vines (not sure which as I am no gardner!) that were prettily growing up the posts and draping nicely over the rail. As I said, I'm no gardner, so they pretty much haven't been touched for two years. For those of you who are gardeners, I think you can see where this is headed. Long story short, my deck had become the Amazon! I didn't want to be out there because you could hardly move without the vines touching you. There were birds constantly in and out of the mess. And there were bugs! About the only thing I was doing anymore out back was using the grill. It was time to take back the deck!

Nicky helped me out (thank God - I could not have done the pruning myself, the stalks were 2-3 inches thick) and together we put in about 4 hours to get my deck looking beautiful. It was 92 degrees and humid as h***, but we accomplished:

- Cut away all the overgrown plants (including some not associated with the deck, and weeding the tubs the plants originate in) We found two birds nests and other unidentifiable objects hidden in the brush. The mess left behind was pretty gross.

- Pressure washed the deck and patio furniture (ok, the pressure washer I borrowed from my dad was crap, so pressure wash really means Nicky power sprayed the deck the old-fashioned way while I used the scrub brush on my hands and knees to get the stuck crap/stains removed)

- Removed the old broken table umbrella

- Restrung the party lights (although we did lose a few strands I will have to replace due to all the chopping at the brush!)

- Spruced up the place with s few potted Petunias and a cute little pillow

The deck looks awesome! I am very pleased with the end result and have already gone out there twice (even though it's 100 degrees and hot as Hades) since we finished it. It was backbreaking work, so today, I'm treating my sore muscles to a day at the pool!

Enjoy the final product of our labors. (I didn't think to take a before picture, as that would have made this after picture really impressive!)

Check out Jordan's New Teeth!

They only cost me $5000.00

Braces - who knew they'd be so expensive! And all she had was the normal treatment, nothing fancy, done in 18 months. The trouble - my insurance at HCA only covers orthodontia after a year of employment, and Jordan had the braces put on when she was still on my Kohler insurance. So, basically, I got stuck with the entire bill!

Morgan is in them now - I made her wait until the insurance was in effect. But even still, hers will end up costing me about $2500.00 since insurance only covers half. What a rip!

But well worth it - Jordan's smile is beautiful!

Happy Easter!

This year we did a little something different for Easter. Instead of putting together the traditional Easter basket and letting the girls wake up Easter morning and search for it, we did an Easter egg hunt. Now, I was a little skeptical the girls would like it since they are older now, but it just goes to show you are never too old for an Easter egg hunt [Mitchell!].

Each year, we dye eggs and have a contest to determine the best egg. Morgan's best friend, Addison joined in the fun [the child basically lives at my house - which is ok by me - she's sweet and I like that I know where my kids are!]. It was her first time to ever dye eggs, so we really gave her a hard time about it. This year, Morgan's egg was the winner. I was a little miffed since mine took way more skill to make, but I admit hers turned out better. We had a nice time, good laughs, and friendly competition. Morgan was mad that there was no prize, but bragging rights turned out to be ok!

Then it was time for the hunt. I kept it a surprise for the girls, so when I told them, I didn't know what response to expect. It was a response far more enthusiastic then I had envisioned (and you know teenagers don't get excited about anything family-related that often). "We're having an egg hunt? Can we run?" So clearly they thought it was a great idea - and it was a huge success. The eggs were stuffed with more than just candy - you know, things teenagers would want. For the prizes that couldn't fit in the eggs, I put numbers in their place. Some of the prizes included money, nail polish, a magazine, their favorite expensive shampoo, stickers, and gift cards to Starbucks, iTunes, and Panera Bread. Jordan found the most eggs, but Morgan found most of the gift cards. The rule was that everyone got one of those since they were the "Golden Eggs". The girls were good sports and it ended up being a lot of fun. I told them that the hunt was in place of their regular baskets, and they were all right with that, too!

Which goes to show - you are never too old for an Easter egg hunt [Mitchell]!

Conversations with the Girls on a Typical Tuesday/Thursday

M - Morgan
J - Jordan
S - Steph

Setting: In the car on the way to Target. We are listening to a Lady Gaga song that is somewhat Hispanic. Morgan is singing along, Spanish accent and all.

J: Please stop - you're ruining the song.
M: No I'm not. I was complimented today on my beautiful Spanish accent.
J: By who??
M: Mrs. Morrice [the Spanish teacher]
J: But I thought she had told you earlier this year that your accent was bad - that you had an Italian accent? [true, she did get in "trouble" for having the wrong accent]
M: Well, I got a new one [accent]
S: ?????????


Setting: At home on the couch. Jordan is grounded and bored now that it's the weekend. I had just invited Jordan to go to the movies on Saturday.

J: I guess - what else do I have to do?
S: It's your own fault that you can't hang out with your friends this weekend.
J: Yeah, but no matter how hot I look, it's still not cool to go to the movies with your mom!

Snowed In!

We finally got a really big snow last weekend. 5 inches - which is huge for Nashville! I love the snow, so I was thrilled. We were pretty much snowed in since the city is not equipped to deal with the snow. It was fun. It's been a while since the girls and I spent such a concentrated amount of time together. How did we pass the time:
1. We blew up the air mattress to turn the family room into sleepover quarters and watched two movies - Surrogates (really good) and Saturday Night Fever (I forgot how raunchy it was!) This led to a dance "competition" because everyone wanted to prove they could move like John Travolta. He is my number 1, and I must his younger-self was looking fine! Of course, the girls thought he was gross...they just don't get it!
2. We played a family game of poker - Addison (Morgan's best friend and my adopted daughter) won, which ticked everyone off since she was the only one who didn't know how to play! But she was thrilled with her $12.00 winnings!
3. We ate. A lot. Pizza, cookies, crap...
4. We went sledding - which was so much fun! I haven't been in years. What a thrill. Of course walking up the huge hill wasn't, so we really only went about 4 times. What a workout!
All in all, it was really fun. Even the girls would agree. Maybe I should make us "snowed in" more often! Enjoy the pics!

Born to Text

I really love this "moment" scrapbooking concept. I ran across a picture of Jordan when she was about 1 - and it looks like she's texting on her play phone. I have a million recent pictures of her texting (since that is how the girls spend the greater portion of their days) so I knew I had the perfect layout!

Pictures from My Very Successful Dinner Party!!

If you want to hear about the details, read my mom's blog! But here are the pictures from our evening. It was tons of fun and I would definitely classify it as a success. My mom left me with a time-line and we sat down to eat at 7:59. My target was 8:00! So see, mom, you can have a sit-down dinner party for 17! (Of course, only if you have a "Barb!") The food was delicious, and everyone was complimentary of my mom and her abilities.

The tables:



Merrill, Tucker, & Matt:


Nicky, Me, & Jimmy:




Some friends from work:

My baby's all grown up!

Jordan had her first formal dance yesterday. She looked absolutely beautiful - and so grown up! Her boyfriend is as big as a grown man - which is good for Jordan since her 4" heels makes her tower above most. I should have gotten a picture of that - Jordan towering over me!

We went shopping together for her dress and shoes. After last year's fiasco with dress shopping (graduation and confirmation), we were both reluctant to go. We put it off until the last minute, but we made a game plan. It was pretty simple (and was modeled after my mom who had taken Jordan shopping after me last year and had fabulous results):
1. Eat lunch together first (so we remember that for the most part we like each other)
2. Start at Macy's (No independent mall stores - too long and pricey!)
3. Try on at least 5 dresses (even if they didn't look so great on the rack)
4. If none are good, hit next department store
5. Repeat
I told her I'd spend up to $150.00 for both the shoes and the dress, so if she wanted something more expensive, she would have to pay the difference. With those rules in place, we went shopping.

We had a nice lunch (Mexican, which we both adore). Then - Macy's. We went straight to the Juniors dress section. Jordan didn't really know what she wanted, but she did know she wanted a short dress with fun color. We pulled about 6 dresses to try. Then, right before going into the dressing room, we saw one that was black and steel grey. It did not meet her requirement of color, but it met my requirement of try it on even if it doesn't look awesome on the rack. Several of the dresses were really cute, but the black and grey one was by far the best. She loved it. I loved it. It was well within the budget. Bought it.

Moved to shoes (always easier, but usually pricier). Tried on 2 pairs, loved the second. Were within budget. Bought them. The total shopping experience lasted less than 45 minutes and she came in about $10.00 under budget!! We were both thrilled.

The day of the dance, I let her get her nails and toes done, and I helped her with her hair. She looked so beautiful. And I'm not one to usually gush about my kids - but I was proud. As it turned out, some of my friends were here (long story - another blog perhaps), so I think we sufficiently embarrassed her and Nathan (remember Greg and Sandy?!) Merrill cried - which made me tear up - but I kept it in check!

Nathan had purchased a really beautiful corsage - Calla Lilies. They were dusted with a shimmery something - really gorgeous! Nathan's a good kid - he had purchased his "outfit" to match Jordan's - and it did, perfectly! So they really looked great together. Here are the pictures.



Jordan said she did not have a great time at the dance. For one, she doesn't like to dance. Plus, her boyfriend doesn't know any of her friends, so she thought he wasn't as interesting as he usually is. She had brought along a pair of flats just in case her feet started to hurt, which of course they did. But the chaperones wouldn't let them go out to the car and get them and then come back in the dance, so she was miserable. But the most "awful" thing was that a girl she really doesn't care for had the same dress as her! I know to a teenager that can ruin a dance, but I told her to think about how much better she probably looked in it than that girl! The thing I was most upset about: she didn't take any pictures of her and her friends so I could do a scrapbook page for her album, nor did she get the professional picture at the dance! She said she didn't think they had a photographer, but it's not like she looked for one! Leave it to Jordan to be so oblivious as to the fact that every dance has a photographer, and getting the pictures is a must!! That girl, I swear!

Overall, she rated the anticipation and getting ready a 10. The actual evening, not so much. But I have hopes the next dance will be better for her. After all, my mom's offered to teach her how to dance! :)

Steph's Stressed - & the Season's Just Begun!

I can't believe that we are only 3 days into the Christmas season, and already I am totally stressed out!

Our tradition is to decorate the house the weekend after Thanksgiving. Usually my dad and I go to get our trees on Saturday. We have our favorite seller where we've gone for years. Dad and the owner know each other by now, and I think they both get a kick out of the haggle. I don't mind so much seeing as since dad gets such a big tree, the owner almost kicks mine in for free! But this year, dad didn't want to get the trees this weekend. I don't know why, but I can't go without him - that's the tradition! So that has thrown me off. I thought I may go ahead and do all the other decorating, but I had so much to do this weekend that I wasn't really "free" until about 2:00 Sunday. Even with the girls "help" I'm not sure I could have gotten it all done by the evening, and the cleaning ladies come tomorrow, so it had to be done and out of the way so they could clean...the outcome - I haven't started decorating yet! I hate putting it off - that means less time to enjoy it before I have to take it down. Plus, next weekend I have agreed to help a friend move (I know, what was I thinking?!), Morgan has a basketball game, and Jordan has winter formal. It's not like it will be less busy than this weekend was!

I decided to be a good mother and make memories this year. The girls and I haven't done any holiday baking in years. So, I bought the stuff to make the peanut butter cookies with the hershey kisses on top and gingerbread cookie dough & cream cheese icing. Ambitious, I know, for a non-cook! I decided we would make the peanut butter cookies today. Of course, the girls didn't want anything to do with the baking, only the eating! So much for making memories...The first batch I undercooked and put the kisses in too soon so they totally melted. The second & third rounds went a little better, but they still aren't as pretty as when my mom makes them. At least they taste good! But that sucked up an hour and a half of my day.

Moving along to the shopping. I am actually in really good shape. I am done with my family's gifts. All I have left is the girls, my boss, and maybe a friend or two. And I have the money to shop (thanks, Dave!) so that's no big deal. But when will I have time to go shopping?? I would rather shop online, but then I'm peeved when they charge you an arm and a leg for shipping and handling. I like the mall this time of year, so I will probably venture out soon, but the girls have asked for items that I won't really be able to get at the mall, but rather at places like Walmart and Target - which are not fun this time of year!

My calendar is filling up, I haven't bought an ornament for the ornament exchange (& you know I'll have to cook for that, too), my friends want to have a Christmas celebration so I guess I'll be planning that! Yeah - it's official - the holidays are here!

The Girls Visit Me at Work

A few days ago, the girls had to come to my office at the end of the day. This is always stressful as my office is pretty quiet and the girls are, well, not! As I led them to my cube Jordan blurts out, "Oh my God! I would die if I had to stay cooped up like this all day!" I agree, but that's not the point. The point is that everyone heard her. As if we don't feel bad enough about our lame station in life! Then they began picking apart my desk space. Neither were happy with the pictures I had of them, but Jordan did comment (again, loud enough for everyone to hear), "Wow, I'm really busting out in that shirt!" And they think I 'm embarrassing!

I needed to finish a couple of things before leaving, so the girls occupied themselves by writing on my whiteboard. At first, they were writing silly stuff, then Jordan decided to write "I 'heart' Women" - like it was some funny joke on me. I started muffle yelling at her to erase it - that I work with lesbians, and didn't want HR to pay me a visit for sexual orientation slurs in the workplace. I said, "You want me to get fired?"

So they decided to play hangman. They were pretty good, but still a little loud. As we were living they only caused a minimal stir tromping through with all their crap.

On the way home Jordan informed me that she wouldn't get any work done if she was me because she would spend the whole time writing on the white board. I told her that I like it, too - and in fact Jeremy and I do play hangman every now and again when we need a break! To which Jordan responded, "So you're not worried about getting fired for playing hangman during work, but for having 'I "heart' Women' on your board?" From the mouths of babes!!

More Stimulating Conversations With the Girls [and their friends!]

On Friday nights, the girls usually go to the Father Ryan football games. I try to carpool with some of the kids that live close to us so I don't have to drive both legs - trust me - being the girls' chauffeur is exhausting! Thank goodness they have lots of friends whose parents are willing to share the burden.

This Friday, I had just picked up the last rider - making a total of 4 girls in the car. We were pulling out of her neighborhood when Morgan says, "Oh crap! I'm totally on my period and forgot tampons - anybody got some?" Surprisingly enough, no one had any, but I had a pantyliner in the console of my car (don't ask me why, no I don't usually stash pantyliners in my car console!) so offered her that. I said, "It won't replace the tampon but will give you back up if you start to overflow." To which Morgan responds, "Let me tell you, I used to have such a heavy flow, but this time, I have such a low flow that I am using the regular tampons instead of the supers! I am so loving it!" So what exactly does one say to this you may ask? All I could come up with was, "That's great. I hope it continues like that for you." Seriously! It was the only thing I could come up with. Jordan pipes up telling Morgan that no one wants to hear about her flow. Then launches into a long diatribe about how much she hates living in a household with 2 women while going to school with 200 more, and how her period can't seem to decide to whom it wants to sync with! No one really responded to that - so I guess no one really wanted to hear about her synching!

A little farther down the road, Jordan says,"I hate how whenever I wear lipgloss I end up swallowing so much of it." To which Morgan replies, "Jordan, no one wants to hear about your lipgloss flow." Touche. This exchange must have reminded Addison (Morgan's friend) about mouths, and she tells us all about the cut she has on her lip. Morgan (my brightest child) says, "Don't worry, I'm sure Griffin [Addison's boyfriend] will wound it!" "You mean heal it?" I ask - obviously the grammar freak in me running her mouth before I realized I didn't want to explore this topic of conversation with them at all! So we are all laughing and Morgan says, "Mom, you totally have to blog this car ride!"

I agreed that this was definitely blog worthy, but I have a terrible memory. So many times things will happen and I'll think, "I have to blog this" - but then forget and never do. So, I was determined to remember the events. And what better way to do it than with the voice memo app on my iPhone! I hadn't used this app yet - all you do is record a voice memo. So I start recording what I want to remember for the blog, while the girls are howling in the backseat about what a huge dork I am. But I must not be too nerdy, because Alex [Jordan's friend] said, "I want to be in the blog, too!"

The next hot topic was the fact that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were touring Overbrook that day (Morgan said she actually got to meet them and that Nicole was huge). I said how cool I thought that was and that I never see any famous people in a city where a lot of them live. Morgan was like, "We need to add that to the blog." And how was I to remember? That's right - the voice memo app...but this time Morgan wanted to record the details! I guess it's only dorky if you're over 30 and use that app? So she starts talking and says, "Morgan, Stephanie's daughter..." like I wouldn't know who Morgan was when I played the recording back! I may be bad, but I think I can remember my own kids!!

About this time we were getting close to Father Ryan. Who knows what prompted the next topic of conversation, but we were all enthusiastic about it - our favorite months of the year! We were all naming our favorite months, and the only one to name a month other than their birthday month was Jordan. She pointed this out, saying, "What are you, 5 year olds? Only little kids like their birthday month the best! And I guess December, too, for Christmas." Ok, maybe she's right, but is there anything wrong with that? We decided that the worst months were March (mostly cold, teasing of Spring and the end of school) and September (being excited to go back to school has worn off, and who can really remember anything at all from September?) - sorry for any folks with those as their birthday months - they stink!

And then we had arrived at the destination. As the girls were getting out of the car, I heard Addison say, "I love riding with your mom. The conversations are always so fun!" So maybe I'm not as dorky as the girls pretend I am!