Vampire Masquerade Ball

College Football!!!

It's college football time!!! Woohoo!!!! As such I have no time available on Saturdays - unless you want to sit beside me on the couch, drink soda, eat football appropriate food and yell and scream at the referees. This last saturday there were some pretty good games and some pretty lame games. Alabama (Roll Tide!) positively SPANKED Ole Miss, Texas shut down Colorado (but just barely) and Florida handed LSU its first loss. Now Alabama is the only undefeated team in its division! Oh yeah - and Arkansas put the beat down on Auburn.... WOOHOO!!!

So that's probably enough of that... our weekend was fun and mostly low key (if you don't count my and roommate Eric's screaming, jumping and hollering at the television)... Ben made an AMAZING pot of chili and we took Mia out to eat for the first time. By first time I mean it was her first time to order something for herself - through me of course. LOL She had a delicious grilled cheese sandwich while her daddy and I drooled over our bar b que.

HG and I haven't started our costumes for the ball yet, but we are planning on beginning on Wednesday. I'm coming up with all kinds of good ideas - or so they seem - we'll just have to find out. As I mentioned we are making the costumes from duct tape, but they won't be completely duct tape. I am taking some old things I have and incorporating them also - so it will be fabric and duct tape. :) I went and looked at vampire teeth and man - the good ones are EXPENSIVE so we decided that our story would be that we were just coming to the library to check out some books and were attacked as we walked in - hence the wounds but no teeth yet... O:) Claire's has some awesomely fun halloween jewelry that we are going to get... I'll try and remember to post pics of the process. :)

I think I mentioned before (although it may have only been on Mia's blog) that my brother is living with us right now - well, he is still here and we have adopted another one too... We now have two guys living with us. The house seems extremely full, but I am more than happy to help them out during this rough spot. They both just got excellent jobs and will hopefully be back on their feet in no time.

Last ramble... I have finally decided on my tatoo!!! Now I just have to get Ben to decide on his so I can go and get it... I'm getting this symbol on the inside of my left wrist. It is the "Compass of the Heart" symbol. The picture is from an amazing jeweler on etsy who makes her stuff by hand.

Ok - so I think that about covers all my ramblings for today. I hope you have a super week!!!!

Funny Story

So Saturday night Ben and I were sitting on the couch after putting Mia to bed and catching up on the day's football games. We kept hearing a cat meow and it sounded like it was right outside the window. I kept getting up and looking out the door (our front door was open letting in the lovely weather) but I never saw the cat. I was like "wow! that is one fast cat!" I figured it was just running off when I came to the door - but it kept "coming back". Well, after about 30 minutes of this I told Ben that it almost sounded like the cat was in our house... He looked around and then all the sudden he moved the couch and HELLO! there was a cat!!! She was hiding under our couch; having obviously come in the screen door (which is missing the glass in the middle part as my brother and his friend broke it)... We shooed her out of the house and I hope she made it home okay. She was obviously a house cat and was scared.

On other news my sis, HG and I are going to Huntsville Public Library's Vampire Masquerade Ball this month!!!! There is a costume contest, food and fun! We are making our costumes (i know - you are surprised) out of ... (ready for it???) DUCT TAPE!!!! No stealing my idea now!!! We figure no one else will be there with duct tape costumes... we shall see. We are both seriously excited about it. Wish us luck!!

My latest Window

I finished my latest window project today. My little sis, HG, is currently redoing her room so what better present than a custom done window by me?! LOL Her birthday just passed so I decided to combine the two events and do a window. This window is totally different from any others I have done, but I still enjoyed it.

Other news - I'm off tomorrow! It will just be Mia and me! Tay (my bro that is living with us) has class and then work so it will just be the kiddo and me! We shall make use of our time wisely; I assure you. :) Lots of teas parties with apple juice flavored water (LOL) and whole grain oatmeal cookies. :)

Mia showed her cute little butt in public for the first time today. HG, Mia and I went grocery shopping and for some reason it just did not fit into Mia's time schedule. Generally when we go she is just fine... chattering away, playing with "dog" and munching on gold fish (i never leave the house without them!). Today was not "general" though... Oh well - she was adorable all the way through and lots of people were laughing - at least I didn't get any mean looks!

Let's see - what else can I ramble about? thinking, thinking - OH! I joined a local mom's group and have so far gone to 2 meetings... yes, I know - 2 isn't a lot ... I have meant to go to more, but either something comes up or I sike myself out. I'm really not good at meeting new people - in fact it pretty much terrifies me...but hey - I'm trying!!! Saturday Ben and I are taking Mia to the Madison City Festival to meet other families that are in the moms group - it should be great fun. They are also having a halloween carnival for the kiddos. Mia is going as a Ladybug (i know - big surprise...lol) and Ben and I are going as employees of "Dyers Cute Little Bug Catchers" .... LOL I am going to get us some painters suits and stencil that on the back. Hopefully they will turn out as cute as I see them in my mind. :) For actual halloween - Mia is going "trunk or treating" with her aunts and uncle and Ben and I are going out on our annual Halloween dinner with friends. We still haven't decided what we are going as. I am voting on Zeus and a Greek Goddess Zombies... hee hee hee - seems original to me... O:)

Well, I must sign off... I hope you have had a fabulous day!!!!

Children

I grew up in a very large family. There are 7 children (6 of which were home - as my older sister is 11 years older than I am) and for about a year or so my 2 cousins lived with us. So needless to say I am used to being around lots of kids of different ages... although maybe I should restate that and say I used to be use to being around lots of kids of different ages. :)

Since resigning from my job to stay home with Mia I have felt kinda lost. I am used to earning my own way - bringing in money, etc. Not making any money is really weird to me. I feel like I should be contributing somehow. Of course through it all Ben said No - that's his job - he'll handle it - my contribution is now taking care of Mia, the house and finding ways to save money. :) I listened - I swear... but I must admit I jumped at the first viable opportunity to make money myself.

A friend of mine from high school has a daughter that is almost exactly 1 year older than Mia. She was having to go back to work and was looking for someone to keep her little one during the weeks that her husband is on day shift. I said ME!!! PICK ME!!! LOL

It never crossed my mind that I had gotten used to a quiet house and my own little schedule (what there was of one). But it is going fine - the girls are getting used to one another and are even beginning to play together.

Now my Mom has gotten a job and needs someone to watch my 3 younger siblings. She is working 12 hour shifts and doesn't want them home alone the whole time. Plus as they are homeschooled someone needs to monitor their schoolwork and be available for any questions...

So I have gone from my quiet little house "full" of just Mia, myself and the laundry to 4 additional kids.

You know how they say the grass is always greener on the other side? Yeah, my life is the epitome of that right now. Before I was so lonely and now I'm like AHHH!!! hahahaha.

I am absolutely loving the extra time I get to spend with my younger siblings, but I find myself getting stressed with all the noise. It's not like they are louder than normal - it's just the fact that there is noise outside of quiet music in the background and Mia's babbling.

New chore for myself - getting used to a lot of kids again! Wish me luck!!!!