A Blog Reader's Request!

Curtis asked me the other day if I took blog requests. I told him I suppose I would. So this post is for him! He wants more kitty pictures. To the rest of my readers...this blog will not turn into a kitty blog. I promise! If he wants a blog of all kitty pics, then maybe he can blog himself. Wait! I can see it now. His bog would be titled "Curtis, Cars & Kitty!" Hmm, maybe not a good idea. I'll just post the occasional kitty pic to keep him happy. So here honey, I hope you like these pics!

This is mostly how Allison carries Princess. Her "cuddles" are when she rubs cheeks with the "cuddler" and moans an "mmmm." She does this with her babies, stuffed animals and us. I don't know how it started but it's one of the cutest things. She has been asking for a pet snake. Can you imagine her trying to cuddle a snake? Not to worry...as long as I am around, you'll never see a pic of that!

Allison is trying to watch television in this pic. Of course, Princess just can't leave her alone. She attacks Allison and I mean ATTACK her. She jumps and jabs at her. She wants her to play. I took a 30 second video of it yesterday on my camera but there isn't enough light. If I can figure out how to do it some day, I'll post it. It's so funny!
As you can see by this next pic, again she can't leave Allison alone! I should be grateful of this. If she is bothering Allison then she is leaving me alone, right?
This is the part of her that drives me nuts! I know it's just her being a kitty but UGH! Does she have to pick on MY things?

Have Fun!

"When I play with my cat, who knows if I am not a pastime to her more than she is to me?"

- Montaigne

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Lists, Thoughts, Notes, Info & Sweet Peas!

I have found as I get older that my memory fails me quite often. I use the excuse that I gave Allison my best brain cells and that is why I am not as sharp as I used to be. I still remember a lot but the day to day happenings are slipping from my memory. I forget things. Little things. Things that I wouldn't before. Just as an example, I set out to run errands and know I have three errands to do but then I forget one of them. How does this happen? Why does this happen? Maybe it's because life is so much busier these days. I used to have to only worry about me but now there are three of us. My brain just can't handle it all! So I have gotten into the habit of writing things down. I have to do lists (daily and weekly), grocery lists, projects I want/need to complete, decorating ideas, scrapbook ideas, recipes, menu ideas, Christmas ideas, phone numbers, cleaning lists, etc. etc. etc.. I guess this is good but I need more. As you can see in the picture, I am working off of 2 steno books, a magnetic pad, post-it notes (I can't live without them!), and miscellaneous sheets of paper that I grab from anywhere when I have an idea or thought. This is not working! I need to consolidate all of them into one easy, functional organizer thingy. Something that will make my life easier and have everything in one spot. I can't tell you how many times that I end up searching for that little slip of paper that I wrote "it" down on. Sometimes I never do find "it" and have wasted precious time looking for "it". I end up getting frustrated at myself because I missed a detail or something important. Oh, I know they sell all sorts of organizers at the office stores. I have purchased several over the years. None of which was as efficient as I needed them to be. I am hoping one of you can help. Maybe you've seen one that you liked and was user friendly? I'll need it to have a calendar and sections that I can label myself. I don't need the standard expense/mileage sections. I only WISH someone was reimbursing me for my mileage! I've seen them made with Moms in mind but they never have even half of what I need. If any of you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. I'll probably end up making my own and if I do, I'll be sure to share it with you.

This next picture is of my Sweet Peas! When I put Allison's end of year teacher gift together, I picked up a pack of these seeds for myself too. I don't think I have ever grown anything from seeds. I am excited! This is at 2 weeks and I'll probably transplant them sometime this week. I just need to figure out what to put them in and where I want to put them. They are not the climbing ones. They are the "Little Sweetheart Mix" and are of the dwarf variety. I'll probably end up putting them in the front of the house because the package says they are very fragrant. It will be nice to smell them when we enter and leave the house! I can't wait for them to grow and bloom!

Have Fun!

“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.”

~Benjamin Franklin

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A Plethora of Pictures!

I finally got my pictures off of my new digital and onto my computer! Yippee!!! Here are the pictures of Kennywood that I promised.

(As always, click on any of the pictures to see them larger.)

Allison with my niece, Mya, and my nephew, Derek, at the beginning of the day. Mya is 4 days younger than Allison and Derek is 23 months.

The elephant ride!
On the whip around ride thingy...or whatever it is called. Mya is 2 behind Allison and Derek is in the blue one.
My sister, Alesia, and my baby brother, Albert. Doesn't he look like my Dad?
Derek is such a sweet boy!
I don't know what this pose was all about but I am glad that I caught it!
The girls on the Lil' Phantom roller coaster in kiddyland.
Allison riding the Log Jammer...her first water ride. She told Aunt Alesia to hold her tight! LOL!The girl behind my sister is Allie. She is my brother's girlfriend's neice. The girl in the back is my brother's girlfriend's daughter, Abby.
I got pleasure of riding the Raging Rapids. We got DRENCHED! I wanted to take a picture of us when we got off but Allison had to go potty really bad so we didn't get a chance for a picture. You really can't see Allison on here because I was holding on to her so tight. I was afraid that she was going to get thrown overboard! Abby, Allie and Donna (my brother's girlfriend) rode with us.
We are not quite dry in this picture yet but I like this picture of the two of us anyway. It's in the section called Lost Kennywood. You can see the top of the swing ride in the background. It looks like an old time ride.
I love these next three pictures of Allison. She is just enjoying the water while watching the Pittsburgh Plunge ride.


The cousins late afternoon. Mya and Derek have fresh dry clothes after the water rides but my little one didn't want to change. Look at her soaked sandals!
Allison can't go to Kennywood and not enjoy a bag of cotton candy!

The S.S. Kenny is a new ride in kiddyland. It was hard to get a picture because it moved so much but you kind of can see Allison. She has the orange shirt.

Just a quick photo with the statue of Kenny the Kangaroo!
I am so good the three kids could ride this by themselves. Last year I got off of it and was sick to my stomach!
I'm not sure what this look is all about. I know it's blurry but I had to share it! They were on the turtle ride.
Hmmm, which one do I want?
Allison doesn't get to drink soda. Once in a while she can have root beer if we go to dinner but for the most part it's no soda. Well I bought the souvenir cup of Pepsi and refills all day were only a dollar. I gave her the cup and she took a sip. She looked up at me and smiled and said "That's Pepsi, Momma!" I told her I knew and that she could have it. She was so excited! I made sure she knew this was a special treat only for that day! I don't need that little one to be all caffeined up! We left the park 3 hours later than we normally do and she talked all the way back to my sister's house. Last year she fell asleep before we were out of the parking lot! NO more Pepsi for her!
I think the high dive show kept their attention, don't you?
This is what they were watching. It was a pirate high dive show so Allison was right at home...since she loves pirates!
A close up of the girl on the top in the above picture.
Allison realized at the end that we had not gone on the adult merry-go-round. She said she was sad because we forgot to do it. So her and Aunt Alesia took one last ride before we left the park.

Have Fun!

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A Blog Roadblock & Breakfast for a Daddy's Day!

So many times I sat down to blog this week in the early morning and this is what happens! Yes, that is Allison's new kitten, Princess! She goes under the the keyboard tray and climbs on top of the scanner (usually hitting the scan button and turning that on) and then crawls up behind my keyboard. UGH!!! I guess if she would just lay there, it would be fine and I could go along my merry blogging way. BUT NO, then she has to play and frustrate me!
It's kind of hard to type or concentrate when you have this furry little paw with claws trying to attack your finger! When I try to take her down, she'll leave out this really long MEEEEEOOOOOOWWW. She wants me to know that she is not happy with what I just did. Who does she think she is? She may be the Princess Kitty but I am the Queen of this house! She needs to learn to obey my rules! Ya, right! I would like to think that but when I take her down she goes right back to her climbing. If she is not climbing up to the keyboard, she is climbing behind the computer table to play with all of the cords. This goes on for about an hour until one of us gives up! Usually it's me! If I walk away from the computer, so does she. Curtis thinks I don't like her. That is not true. The truth is that I get up between 5-5:30 to have some "me" time before everyone gets up. I like to throw some clothes in the wash, go through the mail, read a magazine, watch the morning news, read my email, catch up on the blogs I like to read, redd up and any other stuff I like to do uninterrupted. SHE disrupts this quiet time for me. I feel like she has stolen my time that I use to "regroup" before the day begins. I know it's only because she is a kitten and she'll most likely grow out of it but for right now....Momma no like it!

Today is Father's Day and Allison wanted to make Daddy breakfast in bed. Okay, she really wanted ME to make him breakfast in bed. She usually is so eager to help but we went to an amusement park yesterday for my sister's company picnic and Miss Allison is one tired little pup today! We were out in the sun for 10 hours and didn't get home until 11:30...way past her bedtime. I thought it was best to let her veg on the couch while I cooked. We go to a local chain restaurant around us named Eat 'n Park and they have a Bananas Foster French Toast that Curtis just loves. I went searching for a similar recipe to make for him today. I found a recipe for Banana Nut French Toast on Martha Stewart's web site. It sounded yummy and looked easy enough so I went for it! OH MY GRACIOUS! It was OH SO GOOD! It also was very rich and we didn't need the optional maple syrup. I used Hawaiian bread and dipped it into the egg and cream mixture since it's not that dense of a bread. Martha instructs you to let it soak for 10 minutes on each side. If I would have done that, it would have been mush. If you decide to make this be careful that the cooking method matches the bread you choose. I also used pecans instead of walnuts and only about a 1/4 of a cup. I wanted the nuts to be a compliment to the bananas not an equal if you know what I mean. Curtis loved it!I served it with Bob Evans sausage links because to him and Allison....there is no other sausage! Allison decorated his card with a heart, a little animal, a rose and a cobra snake which is so Daddy's Allison. My Allison would have stopped with the heart and the rose! The cobra even had "sssssss" coming out of him to simulate the sound a snake would make. Yuk! It's not very original but we got Curtis a gift card to Summit Racing. He appreciates that more than anything so why not give him what he wants. He has been hoarding them and now has a nice amount to spend when he makes the trip to the closest store. I think it's about 1 1/2 hours from here and he is excited to be going there soon with his brother, Bill. I think I'll find a craft show or some yard sales to go to that day!

I gotta run but I may be back with pictures of our day yesterday. I got a new digital camera back in February but I haven't figured how to put the pics on the computer. I'll work on that today and hopefully, I'll have some pics to share.

Happy Father's Day to all the Daddy's out there!

Have Fun!

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It's a Lazy Day at My House!!!

Have you ever had one of those days where you have things to do but you don't want to do anything? Today is that day for me! I really haven't done much of anything but I thought I would share a few pics because I love blog entries with pictures and I'm sure you do too!

This is a butterfly that Allison colored online. She wanted me to take a picture of it so here it is!

I did manage to take a shower today and when I came downstairs this is what I saw. I guess I'm not the only one in this house who is lazy today!

Now who has it made in this house? I want to be a cat in my next life!

That's it for now!

Have Fun!

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A Scrapbook Project, Flowers, Flowers, and More Flowers!

While Allison is out of school for the Summer, my Mom watches her for us. Since my parents live an hour from us in another county, Allison spends the night 2 times a week. I drop her off Monday morning and pick her up Tuesday night. I also drop her off Thursday morning and pick her up Friday night. My job is flexible therefore I make Monday and Thursday my long days. The only part of this whole thing that stinks is that my 2 hour a day drive to work now ends up being 3 hours. I did the drive from the time she was 10 weeks old until 5 years of age so these next few months should be tolerable. Anyway, Allison's kitty, Princess, will not be going with her to my parents. I'm sure Allison is going to try to talk us into it but I don't think it's a good idea. So instead, I thought I would make her a scrapbook to take with her. I haven't bought any scrapbook supplies this year...at all! I know pretty amazing, isn't it? I was only in my local scrapbooking store once this year and that was for the bulletin boards at work. I just figured that if I wasn't actively scrapbooking then I had no reason to buy new supplies. Right? Right! OH but the new supplies I've missed in the last 6 months! I could have spend all day in the scrapbook store! I was just drooling at all the beautiful patterned paper, flowers, embellishments and ribbons! I better get scrapbooking so I can use up some of my stash and buy some of the new items that I like! The scrapbooking industry moves so fast that it is impossible to keep up with all of the trends. I buy and use what I like. I am not one that has to have the latest in scrapbooking supplies or all of it for that matter. I've never been one to believe that the one with the most toys wins. Wins what? A lot of debt? No thank you! ...Oops, I got off track! I picked out the most adorable supplies for the scrapbook. I originally thought I was going to do a 6 x 6 album but then when I got home and printed off some pictures, I changed it to an 8 x 8. Because of my change in album size, I'll be needing some more cardstock so I'll have to go back....pitty, isn't it? Do you think I'll just walk out with only cardstock? We'll see!

Allison and I ended up going to Brenckle's Nursery on Friday to get some flowers for my pots. I decided I am not doing as many as I did last year. Just a few pots for the front of my house and I might do the one big one on the back deck, but I am not sure just yet. I always get geraniums. I'm not sure why. Maybe because my Mom always did? She always does red but I think she did some pink this year. I am sure it's because pink is Allison's favorite color!

I, myself, gravitate to the "Hot Pink" geraniums. I just love their vivid and bright color. I put a single one in my chicken planter because it doesn't look good if I overcrowd it. In my other planters, the more the merrier! I love the mismatch wild look. I think it's more rustic and doesn't look as planned. I put my big container on an old weathered ice cream shop chair in my front bed. I am hoping that the coleus and vinca will fill in and trail down. Can you see Allison's marigolds towards the back? She was excited to see them planted in with the other flowers.

I don't like things uniform so I like different planters. This one is probably my favorite. It's plastic but looks like an old bucket. I filled it with a geranium, the rest of the petunias and a couple of the small coleus plants. I can't wait for them to grow!

This next picture is of my gazing globe. I always liked them but never could decide on one. They are all just so beautiful! This one was my Aunt Carole's. It's perfect. I love the way it looks in my front garden. You can read about their history here. Also in the picture, you can see Allison's gorgeous roses. So far we have 10 flowers this year. It was supposed to be a yellow rose bush but this what it grew into. The bush is very tall and adds to my casual front flowerbed.

Allison came home from Grandma's yesterday with more flowers for me. Daisies! Aren't they beautiful? There is just something so wonderful about a child picking wild daisies for their Mom. It's so sweet!

Have Fun!

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Fun for All, A White Cap, Last Day of School, A Teacher's Thank You Gift, Marigolds, Cupcakes, Sleeping Babies & A Rooster Ride!

Whew! As you should be able to tell by the title, I have lots to report! You might want to take a potty break and get something to drink! I'll try to be minimal with my words (hahahaha) and focus on the pictures but you should know me by now...I'm a talker...or writer in this case.

Ugh! I have tried to upload these pictures 3 times and they still seem blurry! It must be blogger because it's the only place the pictures are blurry. I'm going to post them anyway and as always, you can click on them to enlarge and hopefully they will be clearer for you.

I'll start with "Fun for All" portion of my post. Tuesday was the school picnic at Allison's school. I was asked if I could help and of course, I couldn't say no. The day started with setting up our stations. Next the students did their traditional 1 mile race around the property to start the festivities. Below is Allison with her class. She is the one that's waving. We then served the students pizza, potato chips, watermelon, cookies and drinks. Maybe the thought process was to wear them out with the run and then fill their bellies and they would be calmer for the stations. Ha! That didn't work. I was in charge of the craft table. They made bead necklaces. I had the kindergarteners first. What a joy! They are too cute! All I have to say is that thank goodness I had two 8th grade helpers. I couldn't have handled all 21 of them by myself!

As if the school picnic wasn't enough on Tuesay, Kindergarten graduation was Tuesday night too! Here is Allison before the actual ceremony. Her smile is what I get when I ask her to smile for a picture these days. No teeth!
This is of Allison in her white cap receiving her diploma and crossing the bridge to 1st grade! Yes, the picture is VERY blurry and didn't come out at all! I am bumbed about it but I am praying my sister's comes out better. If it doesn't, I'll still be putting this in her scrapbook.

Wednesday was the last day of school. It was only 1 hour and 45 minutes. Allison commented that all they did was go to school, had chapel and then back to their room to leave to go home. "That's it" she said. I took this picture to see how far she has come from the last day of school. Click here to see her first day of school picture to see how much she has changed. I picked her up after school and we went shopping for a little until it was Daddy's lunch break. We picked him up and celebrated the end of the school year with lunch at The Runway. Yummy! It's the restaurant at the Butler County Airport. We saw 6 airplanes, 1 helicopter, 3 birds and 4 bugs! It was a "child's paradise" as Allison put it!

Allison's teacher has been wonderful and we wanted to make sure that we recognized her. I put together a thank you gift for Allison to give to her on the last day of school. It was a sort of flower "basket" with the basket part of it being a flower pot. The contents included a pair of gardening gloves, one of those round pop-open sun hats that matched the gloves, a pack of "Sweet Pea" seeds (because we think she's such a sweet pea), a pack of "Forget-Me-Not" seeds (because we are sure she won't forget Allison) and a gift certificate to Brenckle's Nursery. The tag consisted of a flower that I made out of cardstock and I put Allison's picture in the middle of the flower. I wrote on it.."Thank you for helping me grow."


Check out Allison's marigolds that she grew from seeds! Aren't they beautiful? I've been so bad and haven't done any flowers outside yet this year so these have been the only ones that I have to look at. Hmm, maybe a trip to Brenckle's Nursery would be a good thing to do today with Allison. She seems to have the green thumb!

Want a cupcake? Go ahead and take a bite but be careful, you might break your tooth on one. They are fake! They are cool, aren't they? I purchased them from a lady named Kim and she makes all sorts of fake goodies. You can check out her blog here. Since my cupboard space is limited in my kitchen, I keep my covered cake plate out on my baker's rack. I hate that it is empty. It just looks like there should be some sweet goodies in it. Yes, I could bake regularly and keep it full at all times but this is just so much easier and more figure friendly!

Every morning when I get up, I check on Allison. However, yesterday I found this! Curtis had put the kitty in her box at the bottom of Allison's bed the night before. Apparantly Princess didn't like the box. She crawled up to be with my baby. By the way, don't you just love Allison's lovely bed hair? She looks like a wild child when she wakes up!

Have you ever seen a cat ride a rooster? Well now you have! Princess seems to like my rattan rooster! UGH!!! The fun of a kitten! And YES, that is foil on top of the pot of my tree behind her. She likes to crawl up there and I'm afraid she'll dig in the moss and use it for a litter box! So far she hasn't touched it but the rooster is another story!

Have Fun!

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