Diary of an Overachieving Mom

Orthodontics in Baltimore City

2010-12-13T03:58:00.000-08:00

The other night when we were going to 34th street in Hampden, Tyler told me his splint (glued in retainer) broke and that the wire was poking him. So, I did what any other mom would do...pulled out my scissors that I happened to have in the car.

Checking out the damage.

Seeing if I could simply pull it out.

Hoping he doesn't move quickly.

Got it. Sorry about the bad lighting here...I was working under a street light.

Pulling.

I am so thrilled that I can add Orthodontist to my list of skills.

15

2010-12-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

It' s officially December 12, 2010. Happy 15th Birthday, Allie!

We love you very much (especially Tyler)

Hope you have a GREAT day!

I Always Knew Having 5 Kids Would Come In Handy!

2010-12-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I came home to this in my driveway...

This morning, my kids woke up to the fun job of stacking the wood.

No one fought. ( a miracle)

They used their creative thinking skills to figure out how to move the wood from the driveway to the back of the house. (by the way, trash cans work really well...much better than my Pottery Barn basket that one of the kids grabbed from the house!)

The work ethic was amazing...no one was slacking.

Tyler was the stacker.

Isn't this a beautiful sight?

The best part of all, I didn't have to lift a finger!

Help Support Tiny Sparrow Foundation

2010-11-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

Going to Disney? Check out these personalized Disney shirts. A percentage of your purchase will be donated to Tiny Sparrow Foundation! Available at Shoppe Ray of Sunshine (etsy.com/shop/shopperayofsunshine) Tell them Tiny Sparrow Foundation sent you! Other vendors that will donated a percentage of your purchases are:

Arbonne
www.arbonne.com
Contact losack5@gmail.com to place order.

Close to my Heart
http://alisontunison.myctmh.com/
Please mention that you are from Tiny Sparrow

Cookie Lee
http://www.cookielee.biz/esuite/home/carolkern

Froggy Pants Creations
www.froggypants.com
Put TS after your name in the shipping address box.

Juice Plus
https://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/content/Home.soa?site=lh23565
Under shipping information put your fist name followed by TS (“first name/TS”)

Mary Kay Cosmetics
http://www.marykay.com/lshively

Ray of Sunshine – Custom and Personalized Appliqued and Monogrammed Shirts and Baby Products:
www.shopperayofsunshine.etsy.com
Please note that order is for Tiny Sparrow in the message to seller box when checking out.

Silpada
www.mysilpada.com/ninawetzel

Stampin’ Up
www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/scrappinriri
Contact scrappinriri@verizon.net to place an order.

Stella & Dot
www.stelladot.com/rene
Click “Find Hostess”. Type “Tiny” for the first name and “Sparrow” for last name

The Pampered Chef
www.pamperedchef.biz/chefmarian

Willow House
http://www.janapearcy.willowhouse.com/

Word of Wear-personalized hand-painted hats, coasters, baby headbands and tutu’s
http://www.mywordofwear.com/
Please select Tiny Sparrow under “Where did you hear about us?” on the order form.

Just An Ordinary Day

2010-11-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

With each day that passes, my oldest is getting closer to leaving for college. UGH! How did it happen so quickly? Came across this video today...it made me cry. So worth watching though!

The Gift Of An Ordinary Day from Katrina Kenison on Vimeo.

One of THOSE days

2010-11-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

I'm having one of those days...actually weeks!

Halloween

2010-11-02T10:53:00.001-07:00

Hair for a Cure

2010-10-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

The latest rage...

Pink hair extensions.

Hey, it's for a good cause!

How I Spend My Saturdays

2010-10-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

And Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Ammy plays for Team USA...

Tyler coaches Team USA with two other guys.

Kellen plays on Lutherville Grey...

This was an awesome goal--his second goal of the game and his third in 2 games!

And Tristan plays for the McDonogh Varsity Team.

Now you know why my e-mail is sportzmom!

It's Been Awhile...

2010-10-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

Lots going on lately. Will post soon, but came across this today on Vicky Bell's blog
and it is way too good not to share. Below is an excerpt from a letter she wrote to her college-age daughter.

You may or may not have heard about the NJ college student who killed himself last week because his room-mate had posted videotape of him having sex with another guy. A terrible, senseless tragedy.

My mommy job requires that I remind you of two essential things:
One:
Nothing ruins your life forever. NOTHING.
Two:
Nothing ruins your life forever. NOTHING.

If that young man had only waited a couple of weeks nobody would have cared- he'd have gotten past it. People have short memories- life would have gotten better, much better. His parents and friends? They loved him prior to the tape- they would have loved him afterward too. A few awkward moments and then life goes on.

But when you are young you don't know that even the awkward moments are fleeting. On this, you just have to trust the old people. Remember when you were really small and cried and cried over something? Well, it didn't last. That's kind of what it's like- awful things happen, you feel like there's a rock in the pit of your stomach, somehow time goes by and it gets better. I promise you, it ALWAYS gets better.

The students, a girl and boy, who were involved in the taping and posting-- they are being charged with bias crime, invasion of privacy and possibly other things. Their college life is over. They will have to live with this death the rest of their lives-- and their families are devastated. What they did was so wrong- but also so kid-stupid. Not to mention mean. And so their lives will be different forever- but even so- their families will love them and they will have time enough to hopefully live in such a way as to make meaning from their mistake.

So, my beautiful girl, never, ever think something is unfixable. NOTHING you do will ever keep us from loving you. NOTHING you do could be so awful you can't get past it.

And if someone is mean to you, and it isn't something you can ignore-- seek out people to talk to about it. Surround yourself with people who are supportive. If you ever need help and don't know how to ask- try writing a letter instead. And right now- before you might need such help- think about who you would talk to if needed. In the midst of turmoil sometimes we don't always think as clearly- having a plan makes it easier to find help in crisis. And remember there are always alternatives. Always.

Finally, don't be mean. Don't let other people be mean. Stand up for the underdog, protect those who aren't as smart or confident or easygoing as yourself. Treat people's feelings like fragile little puppies- if you play with them- be gentle.

I love you so much and I know you really don't need me to tell you this stuff.... but it's my job.

Love and hugs,
Mommy

So, so true! Please share this with your kids.

Can You Say Soccer Mom?

2010-09-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

After 14 years of driving a SUV, I am driving a mini-van again! We have found that we rarely all drive in one car anymore and at $75 per tank of gas, we've been spending a small fortune.

Last week I traded in my Ford Expedition for a Toyota Sienna.

I LOVE IT! It has two sunroofs, windows that open in the second row, a dual screen tv (so you can watch a movie and play a game system at the same time (which won't be happening since all of my kids are big pukers in the car and that would put them right over the edge), reclining captains' chairs in the second row, and a navigation system that was great the other day when I got lost.

The kids LOVE it! As do their friends. Every time someone new gets in the car, Kellen acts like a salesman pointing out all of the cool features. The twins also let their friends ride in the reclining seats!

Yes, those are snacks you see, but I didn't let them eat in the car...at least not this week!

The Newest Member of Our Family

2010-09-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Meet Oreo...

She joined our family the last week of August. I hesitated to mention our latest pet because I wasn't sure that she would make it past the 14 day guarantee. We were in the pet store getting Allie a fish for her room and we saw this hamster running on a wheel in the cage. The hamster was rather hyper--she would hop off the wheel, run around the cage and then hop back on the wheel and run, run, run. Kellen fell in love with her and just had to have her for his birthday.
Since we already have Charlie, I figured it was no big deal to get another one.

As we were getting the hamster to take home the employee told us that she was so happy we were taking this hamster because she was constantly picked on by the other hamsters in her cage. To get away from them, she would run on the wheel ALL THE TIME!

She spent the first 24 hours in our house running on her wheel. She was completely freaked out. The second day, every time we tried to touch her she would run away and get back on the wheel. When we tried to pick her up, she would bite us.

A friend suggested we wear socks on our hands when we pick her up. These pictures were taken yesterday--we've had the hamster for a month and we still can't pick her up without them! Kellen also wears a dress shirt so that his arms are covered.

It's a good thing she's so cute.

You've Got to be Kidding Me

2010-09-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

This is what greeted me this morning when I went to have a muffin....

Really? You couldn't eat the rest of the muffin?

Calling All Letter Writers

2010-09-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

To all of my blog readers...

Please help me out...These beautiful young girls are undergoing cancer treatment and would love to receive mail from you! They have to spend a lot of time away from their friends and families, and getting mail makes their days!

This is Cami. Read about Cami's story here.

And this is Millie. Read about her journey with childhood cancer here.

Please take a moment to send a postcard or a letter! Leave me a comment and I will email you their addresses! Thank you internet!

Sunflower Fields Forever

2010-09-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues
all the utilities of the world. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have lived in Maryland for 21 years and until last weekend, I never knew that this sunflower field existed. Yellow as far as the eye can see.

Yesterday, the kids had off school so we drove up to the corner of Jarrettsville Pike and Hess Rd, parked the car and got out and walked around.

Kellen and his friend, Tucker.

Tyler and his girlfriend, Payton.

Allie--her friend had to go home early so she missed out on our sunflower adventure.

Me and my girl, Ammy.

If you have the chance to go see these flowers, I promise you that you won't be disappointed.

Can You Ever Have Too Many?

2010-09-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

Ammy's collection of Silly Bandz.

Do you think she needs more?

French Braids

2010-09-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, my friend, Andie, taught me how to french braid hair. I have been waiting for 14 plus years to have a child of mine allow me to french braid her hair. It has finally happened!

Ammy asked me to french braid her hair today!

So cute! That is until the posing started!

This one is going to be the death of me!

Biscayne Bay

2010-09-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Kimberly and I went out on a 78 ft. catamaran, the Caribbean Spirit ,with other people who were attending the conference.

We sailed around Biscayne Bay and dropped anchor in an area that was about 6-7 feet deep. We got off the boat and swam with noodles and played on a trampoline that was tied to the back of the catamaran. People also swam to a nearby sand bar where they could stand.

Kimberly and I hanging out on the deck. At these meetings, we are always together--we are often mistaken for sisters.

These guys were swimming and playing around the boat. Unfortunately as soon as we got in the water, they were gone.

On the way back to the dock, we were leaning against the windows on the front of the boat. Someone took this picture of us from inside the boat! Very cool.

Escape from Reality

2010-09-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

About four times a year, I get to go away with my husband for meetings that he has to attend. They are always in great spots and it's fun to catch up with friends from all over the country. On Wednesday (after I sent the last of our 5 kids to school), I met Tony in South Beach for a few days of vacation. If you are a friend on Facebook, you know that I spent 6 1/2 hours sitting at BWI airport waiting for my flight to Miami. I got in around 11:30 p.m. after arriving at the airport here at 1:15 p.m.

South Beach is an interesting place and it is stinking hot. I haven't been that hot in a long time, and let me tell you that Baltimore is no picnic in August.

The sunsets are beautiful though!

We went to a reception on the lawn at the Lowes hotel where we were staying. The fake grass turf was absolutely smoking. The men were sweating so badly that their shirts were changing colors! The liner of my dress was sticking to me and the back of my hair was dripping wet...gross!

I did get to catch up with my friends, Julie and Kimberly, so it was worth it!

More of our adventures in Miami to come...

A Friend Sent Me This

2010-09-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

I am still laughing...

10 Misconceptions of Moms and Back-to-School

Misconception Number 1: Moms miss their kids when they go back to school

Seriously. I’ve had enough of you by now. Every morning with the “what are we going to do today, Mom?” is finally over. I’ve had looked at your face twenty-four seven for the last 77 days. It’s time to go learn something. No more asking me about the pool, when is the next snack or if you can stay up late and watch a movie. It’s over….You’re going back to Hogwarts and I get to have a life again. There is a Christmas morning for parents and it’s called “back to school”.

Misconception Number 2: Moms like to go school shopping.

Are you freaking kidding me? Why do I pay taxes?…so I can rack up a 200 dollar bill at Staples for crap that we have laying around my house in junk drawers. Why does it have to be new pencils? What’s wrong with the chewed up, broken strawberry shortcake pencils sitting in the bottom of the toy box for the last 6 months? And how many subject books can you possibly need? What happened to reading, writing and arithmetic. If they added a couple of things for parents to that list I wouldn’t mind so much….why not pencils, erasers and vodka …..or some Nyquil.

Misconception Number 3: Moms like back to school night.

Why must we do this every year? I got it already. You’re the teacher…I’m the parent. My kid is either going to be smart or dumb. If he gets a certain number or colored dot on his discipline chart, he can’t get a prize from the prize box. Pretty simple stuff. Listen, I’m pretty old school. If he doesn’t listen to you…you can throw something at him. I don’t care. But I got a lot of work to do at home and I’m paying a babysitter right now. Plus, I’m pretty sure you are going to assign some project on wigwams made by some Indian tribe I’ve never heard of, so I need to get home and start my research. So, I got it. We’re all here for the betterment of the kids. Blah Blah Blah. Can I leave now?

Misconception Number 4: Moms like school paperwork.

How many trees are you planning on killing to tell me the same stuff I had to pay a babysitter to listen to the other night? You know our name, where we live and our emergency phone numbers. He doesn’t have a nickname….call him “stinkbutt” for all I care. We don’t have any “special circumstances” that you need to know about. He lives in a home with two parents who may or may not like each other at any given time and they will fight. If that qualifies as a reason he can’t get his homework done on time then he won’t be able to function as an adult and have a real job so you may want to “educate” him on that life lesson.

Misconception Number 5: Moms like covering books in that annoying sticky paper.

What exactly will you be doing with these books that I have to cover them in a plastic laminate? Do you often teach in the rain? Or while the children are drinking soda and eating soup? Do you know how long that takes? Has any parent in the history of education been able to do it without any air bubbles in it? From now on I’m covering it the old way…brown paper bags. That way I can cover the books and pack their lunches at that same time. Who says moms can’t multitask?

PS. Please tell my son if he can’t find his lunch to look in his science book.

Misconception Number 6: Moms like helping you with your homework.

What? I am scared out of my mind. I’m pretty sure that I forgot everything I learned in fifth grade by the time I was in sixth grade. I have no idea what you are talking about most days. I don’t really know my 12 times tables, I read the cliff notes to all your summer reading and I don’t know how to conjugate anything but I do know that song “conjuction junction what’s your function” if that helps at all. And please don’t even say the words “new math” to me. What the heck was wrong the old one?

Misconception Number 7: Moms can’t wait to pack your lunch every day until we die.

I hate doing laundry. Making dinner every night is the bane of my existence, so making your lunch every day for an entire year, in terms of “mom fun”, lies somewhere between brushing plaque off the dogs teeth and scheduling my annual pap smear. Listen, as a child I hated what my mom packed me for lunch. But, like every kid before me, and every generation to come you will find a kid to trade with…I’m sure someone likes sardines.

Misconception Number 8: Moms love after school activities.

I don’t know who made up this idea of organized clubs and sports but they should be the ones in charge of carting your ass around. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against all after school programs. I just wish they would offer it during hours that would work best for me so that dinner wasn’t at 8:30 at night followed by 4 hours of homework. Why not do it on the weekends and call it “after-hours activities” so mommy and daddy could actually go out one night and pretend that we have a life of our own. Don’t worry about us though I’m sure that me and “what’s his name” will be married a very long time.

Misconception Number 9: Moms don’t mind taking you to school if you miss the bus

Your bus comes at 7:10 am….which means that you should be standing by the door at 7:05 am. Not eating breakfast , chasing the dog around the house or in the bathroom, asking me to check your homework while I’m taking a shower. Get it together! I don’t like running down the street in my jammies at 7:12 screaming “Please wait” or “If you stop I’ll show you my boobies.”

Misconception Number 10: Moms cry on your first day of school

We do cry but they are tears of joy. I have done my job. I have successfully kept a human child alive for at least 5 years without doing any major damage. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world!! Sure, doctors save lives and CEO’s run million dollar businesses but…you teach a kid not to poop their pants and then you can say you’ve made the world a better place.”

Yipee!

2010-09-01T04:38:00.000-07:00

In the order in which they appeared...

Tyler's first day as a Junior...he's thrilled.

Tristan's first day as a Senior!

Allie's first day as a Freshman! Don't you love the uniform? I do because you have to buy them at a specific store...you can't just wear any old skort...no more fighting... about that!

The group shot.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to dance in the streets!

2 Down, 3 to Go!

2010-08-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

A Public Safety Announcement

2010-08-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Beware of flying cardinals that crash into the grill of your car, bounce onto the windshield and then through the sunroof of your car.

Apart from being heart attack inducing, said bird was very difficult to remove as he was wedged between the passenger seat and the front console. Thank God for chopsticks!

Nine

2010-08-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

This was a picture of me on August 23rd, 2001. This picture always makes me laugh because I was so huge and my friends were/are so tiny.

Five days later, I went into labor (on my own for once--it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I was seen kicking a soccer ball before Tyler's soccer tournament). The twins were born 3 1/2 weeks early weighing in at 6 lbs, 15 oz. and 7 lbs, 3 oz.

They learned the "Who Me? I didn't do it." very early on.

The babies, as everyone called them for the first 6 years of their lives, spent many hours sitting together like this on the sidelines of all the older kids' games.

During Hurricane Isabel we lost power for several days...Tony was in a trial so he moved downtown to a hotel. We spent time at Alden's house and wore her kids' clothes.

Ammy's hair finally started to grow! We spent a lot of time with our twin friends, Cameron and Connor who are two weeks younger. (Funny story, but their mom, Sharon was in my wedding. We lost touch for a few years and we ran into each other at our OB on the day that we both found out that we were having twins!)

Ravens fans from an early age!

The first day of preschool.

We spent a lot of time playing dress-up when the babies were 4! Let's just say that I have many pictures that will come back to haunt Kellen in his later years!

The first day of Kindergarten, back when it was only half-day.

1st grade was the first time the twins were separated in school...it was also the beginning of calling them the twins instead of the babies!

Second grade...a lot of time spent riding scooters and bikes outside on the driveway!

The first day of third grade...moving up at school and into the portable classrooms...a BIG deal at school.

This morning...the day of their ninth birthday!

Happy Birthday Kellen and Ammy! I love you!

Please stop growing up so quickly!

Practice Makes Perfect

2010-08-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Kellen and his lacrosse team are playing during halftime of the MLL (Major League Lacrosse) championship game. I decided to rent a sports lens for the weekend and today, I spent a little time playing with it.

Ammy's friends, Isabel and Oona game over to play for the afternoon. I had them do cartwheels and somersaults in the yard.

Then they were walking and posing.

Oona had no idea I was taking this picture. I love the green background!

Being goofy.

Friends...

I love this lens! I can't wait to see what I am able to capture tomorrow!

It Looked Like A Good Idea

2010-08-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Tony decided to play hookie today, so we took the entire family downtown. We ate lunch in Canton and then went down to the Inner Harbor to ride the paddle boats.

Waiting to board the dragon boats...it was boys in one, girls in another.

Life is still good...pulling away from the dock.

The life jackets sure are hot.

At least Tony could take a work call while getting paddled around...do you think the person he was talking to had any idea where he was? Gotta love the mobile office.

It was hot, it was hard work and Ammy summed it up when she said, "It looks like so much fun, but once you get out there, you hate it."

Um, Yeah. She's so right!

True Rumors

2010-08-15T20:05:00.001-07:00

If you live in the area, please join us to support Tiny Sparrow Foundation.

Funny

2010-08-14T15:11:00.001-07:00

There is a church in our neighborhood that has the greatest signs. Last week, this was the one I passed no less than 100 times and every time it made me smile!

Please help!

2010-08-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

On September 27, 2007, after a 26 month battle with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Mitchell Whitaker passed away. His final words on earth were "Keep Fighting".

Mitchell's parents founded The GoMitchGo Foundation and to date have raised over $330,000 in Mitchell's honor for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Here's where you can help...my blog friend, Stephanie , is running a half-marathon in San Francisco on October 17, 2010 in Mitchell's memory. She needs to raise $3500 in order to participate. Please go here and make a donation in memory of Mitchell and all those who have lost their battle to blood cancers.

Thanks!

Also, please keep Kaci Ronne in your prayers. She is a young mother of three and her cancer has spread.

Walker Jack Rainy

2010-08-11T03:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Walker Jack Rainy earned his angel wings. To read more about this sweet boy, visit his Caringbridge site.

To view an amazing tribute in memory of Walker Jack Rainy, go here. Walker was one of the first babies Tiny Sparrow Foundation photographed.

Shoes

2010-08-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I bought these obnoxious shoes. I read a review online about the Nike Free shoes and decided I had to have a pair. On Sunday, I started walking again. It's been a while (like 8 years) since I walked regularly.

I heart them so much that I signed up for this:

Actually, I will be doing the half-marathon and no worries, I will not be running!

Established 1992

2010-08-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I came across this project on Today's Creative Blog. I thought it was awesome so I contacted Emily and ordered the vinyl from her company, The Piccadilly Peddlar. She made her family sign using old wood.

I didn't have any wood around my house, so I went out and bought a canvas to put my vinyl on. I purchased a 24" x 24" canvas at Michaels.

I used Valspar Suede spray paint to paint the canvas. Then I applied the vinyl decal. I will admit that it was a little tricky because the canvas does not have a hard back. I cut the vinyl into three parts...our name, the tree, and established to make it easier. Then, I rubbed the vinyl onto the canvas using a ceramic coaster behind the canvas while I rubbed.

Not as cool as Emily's, but not too shabby! Everyone who comes in my house comments on it and they can't believe I made it! The best kind of craft project!

I'm linking up to these parties today: Made By Me Mondays, DIY Project Parade, Just Something I Whipped Up, Making Your Home Sing Monday, I Made the World Cuter Today, Motivate me Monday, It's A Blog Party

A New Pet?

2010-08-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

We keep finding these lovely toads in our yard. Thankfully, no one in my house will go near them...in fact, the three youngest run away any time they are around!

She/He is kinda cute...from a distance.

Waverly Farmers' Market

2010-07-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

Tristan's girlfriend works at the local farmers' market on the weekends so we decided to go visit her today. It's been a long time since I've been and I realize that I've been missing out.

There are some really cool booths like this one, Wheely Good Smoothies.

I like the bicycle wheel above the menu.

Even better is that the blender is attached to a bicycle. You order a smoothie and then you get on the bike and pedal to blend it. For 50 cents extra, they will pedal for you! I can't wait to get the twins on the bikes!

And, there's great people watching. In the background of this picture you will notice that the woman is pumping up her truck tire with a bicycle pump. Wasn't working too well for her, but it was entertaining for those of us watching her.

I'm looking forward to going back next week...and to eating the beet salad with goat cheese that I am making with the beets I got from Gardeners' Gourmet.

Mila's Daydreams

2010-07-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about Mila's Daydreams?

Check out this creative genius here. All I can say is WOW! My favorites are Candyland, Wonderland Mushroom and Surfer Girl. What about you?

Peace Out

2010-07-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

I have always loved kids' artwork and my office is covered in masterpieces that my kids have created over the years. Ammy, my 8 year old, is always creating, cutting, drawing, painting, gluing, etc.

Recently I came across a photo project on someone's blog. I can't find the link right now, but the person took old black and white photos and used a circle punch to cut the photos. She then made a collage out of them in a shadow box. I decided I wanted to do that with old family photos and pulled my circle punch out. It's been sitting on my desk for several weeks.

The other day, Ammy got my circle punch and started creating. She, along with every 8 year old girl, is totally into peace signs. She made an entire pile of peace signs and then I had an aha moment.

I gave her the shadow box and here is the end result: I love the colors!

It will be hanging in her bathroom...she just informed me that I have to paint the bathroom before she hangs it up in there!

We are linking to: The DIY Project Parade, Making the World Cuter, Between Naps on the Porch , Made by You Mondays, Keeping it Simple, Today's Creative Blog

American Idol

2010-07-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

I have been going to the American Idol concert every summer since Season Five (Taylor Hicks, Katherine McPhee, Elliot Yamin, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, etc.) Three years ago when we went, we stayed after the show and got autographs. We have stayed every year since then.

This year we decided to make shirts that the girls could get signed. We used the freezer paper stencil method along with fabric paint and glitter.

We went to Sabatino's in Little Italy for dinner before the show.

Everyone was very excited to see the show.

After the show we waited outside for autographs. Here are the girls with Tim Urban.

The winner, Lee DeWyze, signing Allie's shirt.

Crystal Bowersox signing Gabby's shirt.

The gang with Casey James.

Ammy's favorite, Big Mike, signing her shirt. He also gave her a huge hug! (Her life is now complete!)

Everyone with Big Mike.

We had a great night!

Guess Where We Went Last Night

2010-07-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hardware

2010-07-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Bill Clarke Tournament at Hillendale. Four of my five played in it--Allie is in North Carolina right now so she couldn't play (and probably wouldn't have if she was here)

Ammy was one of two girls in the 7-10 age group. She lost to a 10 year old, but she got the runner-up trophy!

Both Tyler and Tristan played in the 15-17 age group. Tyler didn't place, but Tristan won the tournament with a score of 76.

Kellen played in the 7-9 group with 6 other kids. He won his first threesome with a shot of 4 for the hole. (The little ones play a one-hole tournament) Someone in the other group shot a 4 also, so he had to play a play-off. He lost the second time around, but he too got a runner-up trophy.

3 out of 4 with trophies...not a bad showing for the Meaghers!

Sugar Overload

2010-07-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

Tristan's 18th birthday was this past weekend so we had a party for him yesterday. Family from as far away as North Carolina came, as well as family members that we rarely see. I have wanted to do a candy bar for a long time and I figured this event with tons of kids would be the perfect opportunity.

Allie made the golf hole cupcakes. She was going to do a golf hole out of multiple cupcakes like The Funambulist Damsel, but it looked like too much work! Instead, I googled images of golf hole cupcakes and then she created these. Green frosting, a black dot, a small spinkle for a gold ball and a red flag that she made out of paper and toothpicks. Ammy added the number 18 to all of the flags.

At 2 a.m. I came up with the idea to use astro turf for the base of the buffet. I purchased this lovely indoor/outdoor carpet at Lowes. I was going to cut it to fit the top of the table, but we liked the way it looked hanging down.

Kellen, Allie, Ammy and I picked out the candy at Fresh Market. They have M & M's and jelly beans separated by color. I wanted to use colors that you would see at a golf course (green for fairways and greens, white for balls and sand, blue for water) . The lollypops, pixie sticks and gold coins were just extras!

We used a bunch of vases, mason jars and candle sticks to put the candy in.

"Look out Mom/Aunt Kim! We are all sugared up and we have silly string!"

I am linking up to:
The DIY Project Parade,
Making the World Cuter
Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap up Party

Extreme Makeover Home Edition

2010-07-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

Last week, a girl who went to my high school mentioned on Facebook that Extreme Makeover was coming to Baltimore. I absolutely love the show and watch it every Sunday. I knew that I needed to find a way to get to the site and volunteer.

I signed up online along with my friends, Alden and Kim. The recipients were announced yesterday and the build started. We volunteered to work from 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. today.

I was surprised to see Ty there today. So cool that he was though!

Raven Symone from That's So Raven was the celebrity on this episode.

Alden and I spent four hours working in the catering tent. We served all the volunteers on the build.

After lunch, we went outside to work. On my way to the port-a-pot, a man told me to come with him for a minute. I ended up being an extra in a shot that they were doing with Michael, the designer, and Raven!

We also moved piles of wood and stocked coolers. The rest of the time was spent hanging out while the cement trucks came in. We got to see other celebrities...Paige and Xzibit on the build site.

The experience was everything I hoped for and more! Thanks girls for going with me!

Yum, Yum

2010-07-08T04:32:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than the combination of summer tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil?

I made this recipe the other day and it was out of this world.

Insalata Caprese Kabobs with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction and Eros Pista Paste (recipe from Tassa Hampton on Grill It! with Bobby Flay)

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small container cherry tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) container fresh mozzarella
1 bunch large fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 teaspoons Eros Pista or fresh Hungarian paprika, optional
Special Equipment: 4 (18-inch) metal skewers

Directions

Preheat a grill to medium heat.

To make the sauce, pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and reduce very slowly on low heat. Stir occasionally until it reduced to the consistency of syrup, approximately 10 minutes.

Onto a skewer, layer 1 cherry tomato, 1 piece of fresh mozzarella and 1 large folded basil leaf. Repeat this pattern until 2 inches are left on the end of the skewer. Push the ingredients down towards the bottom tip for easy handling of the tops. Repeat with the remaining skewers and ingredients. When the skewers are ready to grill, put them onto a large piece of foil, brush them with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the sheet of foil with the skewers onto the grill and shut the lid until the cheese begins to melt, about 3 minutes. When finished, pull the skewers from the heat by gripping the sides of the foil. Drizzle each skewer evenly with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of Eros Pista. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy!

I also made Turkey Burgers with lemon honey mustard and goat cheese. They're a new family favorite.

It's Hot!

2010-07-06T18:11:00.001-07:00

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.

Russell Baker

Fourth of July T-Shirts Through the Years

2010-07-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

It used to be that we would be at the beach for the Fourth of July with our extended family. It was always my job to make the Fourth of July t-shirts with all of the kids.

In 2002, we made shirts with rubber stamps and paint brushes.

In 2003 , we tie-dyed t-shirts.

It looks like we rubber stamped again in 2004.

Not sure what we did in 2005, but in 2006 we tie-dyed again!

We haven't been back to the beach over the 4th since 2006, so I haven't done shirts since then.

With all of the blog parties I've been checking out lately, I came across this blog about reverse applique and this tutorial on how to do it. I was at Michaels and t-shirts were 2 for $5. I am not much of a sewer, but even I could make these! I asked the twins (they are the only ones who will still dress up for the holidays) what they wanted on their shirts. Ammy wanted a peace sign (semi-patriotic) and Kellen wanted the Raven's logo (not in the least bit patriotic)

I whipped these up in no time and they wore them to Oregon Ridge to see the BSO and the fireworks on Saturday night.

Ammy sporting her peace shirt.

Kellen in his red, white and blue Ravens shirt.

I am linking up to these parties today:

How I Spent My Birthday

2010-07-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

Lions

tigers

and bears, oh my!

Orangutans walking over head.

Gorillas hanging out.

And a gator in the muck!

Go here to see more pictures from my day at the National Zoo.

Save the Date

2010-07-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

Lidia's foundation, Tiny Sparrow, has taken flight! If you live in Texas (or not) come out for an evening of great fun and support this worthwhile cause. I am so excited to be attending this event and to meet all of the people behind Tiny Sparrow!

For more information about Tiny Sparrow Foundation, please go here. If you would like to make a donation for this event, please leave a comment.

Silent Library

2010-06-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of anything on MTV...that is until yesterday. They were showing back-to-back episodes of Silent Library and my older boys were watching it. I kept hearing laughter and screams so I sat down with them to see what was so funny. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. (which just might indicate that I am not right)

Silent Library is modeled after a Japanese game show. On each episode, a team of Six friends performs stunts to earn cash prizes for the team. For each round, team members draw cards to determine who must perform the next stunt. Whoever draws the skull and cross bones card is "it". If the teammate performing the stunt does not make it through the required time limit or their friends are too loud, the cash prize is not awarded for that round.

Here are some examples of the stunts performed:

Crushin' and Stompin': "A member of the Giants' football team, dressed as a monster, must crush a small scale model city using only his bare feet"

Ball Pedaler:

Boys Will Be Boys

2010-06-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

The other day when we went to the stream, Kellen got in with the dogs. It wasn't long before he was totally drenched and in full-on swim mode.

Look mom, I caught the ball.

I love that he can still find joy in the simple things!

I Love Wordle

2010-06-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Wordle? ( It is another new obsession of mine. ) According to the website, "Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends."

We were looking to create some cheap art for my sons' rooms. Since they are both golf fanatics, we entered in a bunch of golf terms. Note: I have had trouble when I used the paste in text box. Half the time is doesn't work. I prefer to use the advanced option where you enter in your weighted text. Give the words you want to be bigger a larger weight. (Golf is 1345 on mine.) The numbers I used for each word were totally random.

One result. Once the wordle comes up, you can hit randomize and another wordle with the same words will appear. You can also change your original wordle by clicking on the menu options.

Another one.

In order to save your wordle so that you can manipulate it, you need to download a third-party software program like CutePDF. You also need to download the converter. Once you have done this, select print on your wordle and change the printer to the CutePDF. You can then name your wordle and save it.

This is the wordle that Tyler wanted for his room. I opened the wordle in Photoshop and enlarged the wordle. I made it slightly smaller than the finished size that I wanted. I then copied it and placed it on an 11X14 black background. I did this because Wordle places the words all the way to the edge of the box and I wanted a little more black around it.

I then printed the wordle and placed it in a cheap frame from Walmart. (not the best pic, but you get the idea)

Total cost was around $6.

I also used Wordle to make invitations for Tristan's 18th Birthday!

The possibilities are endless. Now go forth and create!

I am linking up to these blog parties today:

Sniff Fest 2010

2010-06-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is Bosley, our 5 year old Portuguese Water Dog.

Bosley has three loves...water, people and other dogs. He believes that every human and every dog was put on this earth to play with him.

Imagine how happy he was to swim in the stream yesterday

with all of these new friends.

He spent over an hour running

playing

chasing

jumping

and swimming.

He's still asleep today.

A New Obsession: Landscapers Lunch

2010-06-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

In an effort to get my kids off the couch and myself away from the computer this summer, we have started geocaching. My friend, Kimberly, started geocaching about a month ago and blogged about her addiction here. She promised I would love it and she was right!

Geocaching (for those of you who don't know) is a worldwide game of hide and seek. A geocacher (anyone who plays this game) can hide a geocache (a container) and pinpoint its hiding spot with a GPS. The hider share the geocaches and its location online and then anyone with a gps device (that would be us) can find it. The coolest thing is that I can use my phone to play this game. (Download the Geocaching by Groundspeak app)

For our first trek into the geocaching world, we went in search of Landscaper's Lunch. We had to go about 80 feet into the woods near a local convenience store.

We kept walking around in circles until Kellen happened upon this. Our first geocache find!

Kellen opened up the geocache and found the log inside. We wrote our geocache name (Meagher7) and the date that we found the geocache. Inside were several small items. It is my understanding that in some geocaches there are trackable items...travel bugs and geocoins. These items have numbers on them and can be tracked from cache to cache online. Other items can be taken as long as you replace them with another item. Since Kellen found this one, he got to choose which item to take. He took a wooden cross.

We are officially addicted...

Enjoy the Day

2010-06-25T05:29:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday!

Giga Ball

2010-06-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is a Giga Ball. It is a life-size inflatable ball that you can get in.

You can roll around in it--and yes, even I could get in it.

You can push it, bounce it and climb on it.

However, I don't think that Kenscott Ltd. had this in mind when they designed the Giga Ball.

Now this kid kind of missed the hole.

and went right over the top.

Do you think his mom is surprised that he has a broken arm?

Tickle Therapy

2010-06-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Today, Ammy decided to join the work force.

These are the business cards she made up.

She's Got Mad Skillz

2010-06-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

My kids have been watching Minute to Win It a lot lately. I have to say that it is a pretty fun show to watch.

This morning I found Ammy playing Ka-Broom in my kitchen. The object of the game is to hit the marshmallow off of the plate with a broom handle and catch the flying marshmallow in a cup.

She must have practiced it 1,234,789 times.

SUCCESS!

We're taking this show on the road!

Show Me the Money Lei

2010-06-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last week my brother-in-law turned 21 and we went to a surprise party for him. Rather than write him a check, I decided to make a money lei for him to wear at the party. It was super easy to make, but took awhile to assemble. It's the perfect thing to do while sitting around watching tv.

First, cut a 10 foot piece of ribbon (this will seem really long, but trust me when I say that you can always cut some off and you don't want to realize that you don't have enough ribbon when you are half way through.) Fold the ribbon in half. Tie a knot leaving a loop at the top.

Take a dollar bill and lay it flat.

Fold the dollar bill in half horizontally. Then unfold the dollar.

Then fold the dollar vertically. Fold the end in about 1/2-3/4 inch.

Continue to accordian fold the dollar bill until you get to the other end. (Kids love to do this part--the folds don't have to be perfect.)

Fold the folded bill in half. (this is where the horizontal fold makes it easy to fold in half)

Place the dollar bill in between the two ribbons.

Tie a double knot at the bottom of the dollar bill.

Take a plastic drinking straw.

Cut a small piece (1/4 inch) of the straw.

Thread the piece of straw onto the two pieces of ribbon. The straw will serve as a spacer and will give the necklace some structure.

Tape one side of the dollar bill together.

Tape the other side together.

Repeat with another dollar bill.

Keep adding bills until you have the amount that you want on the necklace. The necklace above has $62 on it--I was going for $100, but it would have been too long. $50 is probably the perfect amount.

When you are finished with the necklace, tie it together and cut off any extra ribbon. You can add a medallion if you want. I printed a 4" x 4" white 21 on a black background. (I used photo paper so it would be glossy) I then used my circle cutter to cut it out. I attached it to the lei using clear elastic thread.

It was a huge hit!

I am linking up to these parties today. Go check out all the great crafts:

It's All Fun and Games

2010-06-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

until you come near my goal.

'Nuff Said.

P.S. The kid on the ground was not hurt!

Graduation

2010-06-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

She did it! Allie graduated from 8th grade with straight A's for the quarter!

Allie and some of "the girls"... Sierra and Meghan.

Ali and Allie

A hug from her big brother, Tristan. As nice as this looks, he really was torturing her by hugging her in front of everyone.

I can't believe I now have 3 kids in high school! Where has the time gone?

You Can Dress Them Up, But...

2010-06-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

don't expect them to stay that way! The kids found the playground at the reception.

Bond, James Bond.

Cousins being silly.

Cousins being cute.

Cousins being wild.

Ammy's dirty feet at the end of the night.

Just Dance

2010-06-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

The twins and all of the cousins had a blast dancing at the wedding. These two were killing me with the way that they were dancing together.

They made up a bunch of dances to do prior to the night of the wedding. Here they are doing the "Stanky Leg" (whatever the heck that is)

The "Donk"

And the "Seizure" known to the rest of us as the "Gator".

Something tells me that Kellen is going to make a great frat boy!

Autographed Pillowcases

2010-06-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I came across That Artist Woman in a blog hop and discovered her tutorial for glue batik. It looked really neat and I decided that I was going to try it when I got a spare moment. Then an e-mail request came out for an end-of-year craft and I decided that it was necessary for me to try it sooner rather than later.

I decided that we would use the glue batik method to make autographed pillowcases. I bought a bunch of pillowcases at Walmart--They were the cheapest ones I could find. The first thing I did was draw a border around each pillowcase--the artwork would be done in the middle and the signatures would go around the outside of the artwork.

I printed out each child's name on 11 x 17 paper. I also included shapes such as stars, hearts and polka dots. The kids placed the papers inside the pillowcases and traced their names and the shapes that they wanted to have. Many of the kids got creative at this point...slanting their names, making peace signs, happy faces, etc.

Once they were done, I took the pillowcases home and traced around their designs with Elmers Washable, No-Run School Glue Gel. It's blue! Let the glue dry for at least 12 hours...it was very humid on the day that I did this so it took a little longer to dry completely. The kids could have done this step, but I had limited time in the classroom with all of the other activities I had going on.

I then took a large piece of posterboard and cut it in half. I placed the posterboard in a tall kitchen garbage bag and placed that inside the pillowcase to keep the paint from bleeding through. Then it was time to paint. I used acrylic paint and fabric paint that I had left over from other projects. I water the paint down a lot and let the kids paint away. They had a ball. (note, I used painter's tape to tape off the borders. Because the paint is watered down, it tends to bleed and I was trying to keep the border paint free...it sort of worked!)

The paint dried pretty quickly, but I hung them up for awhile longer once I got home.

Once the paint was totally dry, I stuck them in a hot bath and let them soak until the glue washed off. I then washed and dried them. At the end-of-year party, the kids went around and signed the pillowcases using sharpies.

The end result...aren't they adorable? The kids loved this project and so did the parents. It's a great keepsake for the kids.

I am linking up to these blog parties today:

Lindsey's Wedding

2010-06-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

So. life has been CRAZY! In the past week, Lindsey got married, Kellen played in a lacrosse tournament, Allie graduated from 8th grade, Kellen played in his last in-house lacrosse game, I spent 3 days in the classroom working on an end-of-year project, Tristan went to prom, I worked the after-prom party and then had the after-after-prom party at my house and I had to start and complete a scrapbook for my niece who had a graduation party yesterday. Yikes. It makes me tired just thinking about it!

Lindsey's wedding was an absolute blast. Her photographer was Jennifer Longo and she was awesome. Lindsey was a beautiful bride!

Ammy was the flower girl. It took over an hour to do her hair. I couldn't believe she sat still for that long.

Kellen was the ring bearer. He was all about the tux! He handed out programs before the wedding started.

I made the programs. Remember the photos I took of Lindsey and Frankie? I used one of the photos and printed it at 50% opacity onto cardstock. Then I printed the wedding info onto vellum and put them together using ribbon.

The ceremony...check out the tear on Lindsey's face that the photographer captured. Pretty cool.

I love this photo because of the look on Kellen's face....crying and kissing all in one ceremony...gross!

Crunch

2010-06-05T19:13:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Dress

2010-06-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

These are the stores that I have visited since Sunday in search of the "perfect" 8th grade graduation dress (it must be white or light colored and cannot be strapless):

Nordstrom's (2 different malls)
Nordstrom Rack
Macy's (3 different malls)
Lord & Taylor
XXI Forever
Limited
Express
Delia's
Ann Taylor
Loft
Cache
White House Black Market
New York & Company
Talbots
Aeropostale
BCBGMAXAZRIA
Soma Intimates
Gap
H & M
J. Crew
Arden B

I think she has looked at no fewer than 100 dresses. This is the one she chose.

Please excuse the sour look on her face....we both were done.

Dr. Seuss Cake

2010-06-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

First, may I say that Allie is so my daughter. I see glimpses of an overachiever in her all the time and it scares me!

Allie's best friend, Ali's birthday was coming up and she wanted to make a cake for her. She watched this video on youtube and decided to go for it. Now, she has made many cakes in her 14 years, but never anything like this.

The woman in the video made it look so easy. Let me be the first to tell you that it was not! What a nightmare. First of all, fondant is not so easy to work with. Second, no one told us that you had to put it back in the refrigerator. We went out for awhile and came back to a droopy cake. I am proud to say that Allie stuck with it when it would have been just as easy to sweep it into the trash. I think it turned out really well considering all of the difficulties she encountered!

Tony called it the Dr. Seuss cake because of the wire things sticking our all over. Her friend loved the cake.

It was very tasty too!

The Ace of Cakes had to start somewhere.

Now if I could just get her to clean up after herself, I would be a happy camper!

Happiness Is...

2010-06-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

the first fresh, local corn of the season!

Kelly Post Fun Day

2010-05-31T05:46:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Kelly Post Girls' Lacrosse held their Family Fun Day for the clinic and tyker teams. It was well organized and so much fun for the girls. They had stations set up and three teams traveled to a station at one time to compete against each other.

The first station was the Water Balloon Toss. Ammy and her partner did quite well and decided to pop their balloon on their own.

The next station was a Dress the Dad Relay. Each team has a box of dress up clothes that they had to place on their designated dad. Each child ran up one at a time with a piece of clothing until the dad was dressed in everything in the box...including lipstick! There will be incriminating photos on Facebook, I'm sure!

Then it was on to the Over/Under Water Relay. Each team had to pass a cup of water over then under until they got to the end of their line. The last person in line had to run to a bucket (trying not to spill the water along the way) and pour it into a bucket. The team to have the most water in their bucket at the end of the relay won.

Anyone remember this game from college? This relay involved running to a lacrosse stick and putting your forehead on the butt of the stick. Then you had to spin around 5 times and run back.

Can you say DIZZY? I was crying laughing watching the girls spin around.

There was a break with Rita's Italian Ice and the girls also got to decorate pillowcases. The girls drew on the back of their pillowcases and then each girl from the team signed their names. Super cute and much better than a cheap trophy (which would be broken in a matter of hours in my house)

They climbed fences...

and got piggy-back rides.

Another station was Crab Soccer. I think Ammy was a little tired at this point!

The last station was the Drop in the Bucket Relay. The girls had to put a lacrosse ball between their thighs and hop down to a bucket. Then they had to squat and drop the ball in the bucket.

It was HILARIOUS! They looked like they were laying eggs!

The morning ended with a picnic lunch.

At 8, life doesn't get much better than a day of games, Italian Ice and junk food!

I Heart Martha

2010-05-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, I came across this article for photo centerpieces in Martha Stewart Living. At the time I was working on a donor dinner for my kids' school and made 60 of them--I used photos of the school from the late 1800's to current day. They were a total hit.

When my sister-in-law asked for help with her party, I immediately thought of this project. I used old photos of her in-laws for the centerpieces. They were pretty easy to make.

First, buy a bunch of black frames. I prefer those that are flat on the front and back. It makes them easier to attach to each other. Michaels has a bunch of sizes that are very reasonable. 4 x 6 frames and 5 x 7 frames are the easiest to make. 8 x 10's are more difficult.

Print your photos onto vellum. Martha suggests using ecru vellum--Michaels only has white and it is called Translucent Specialty Paper. Terrifically Tacky Tape is the perfect thing to use to attach the photos to the inside of the frames. It comes in several sizes, but I buy the thinnest size.

Take out everything in the frame (find another use for all of the glass and cardboard backs. If you come up with one, let me know since I have tons of supplies from the last time I did this!) Place the tape on all four sides of the inside of the frame. Remove the backing of the tape. Then place your vellum photo down onto the tape. This can be tricky with the 8 x 10 photos--work slowly and only attach one side at a time.

Once you have the photos taped down into each of the frames, tape three of them together using electrical tape. Fold the frames into a triangle shape and put a votive candle inside of the frame. I will post pictures of the frames when they are lit up on Saturday at the party.

I also made stickers for the fronts of the buckets that are being used for the prizes for a trivia game about the couple. Again, the buckets are filled with some of their favorite things.

I am also creating a memory book at the party--there will be some super fun mannequins that will be used. Check back on Sunday to see what we have planned!

I posted this idea on:

For Dayna

2010-05-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law is hosting a 50th wedding anniversary party for her in-laws this weekend. This video is one that I put together to be shown at the event. I need her to see it (and youtube won't allow you to upload a video with music) so all of you followers get to see it too.

Check back tomorrow for more cool things you can make for a 50th anniversary party.

Confirmed

2010-05-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

After two years of classes, Allie was confirmed this past Sunday. There were only 3 girls in her class... Allie, Kaylan, and Emelia.

Allie with Pastor Jim after the service.

Allie with her super supportive brothers!

Allie giving her confirmation speech to the congregation about the Bible verse that means the most to her.

Three down, two to go!

Joy

2010-05-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

This is it...the last of the Bahamas beach pictures, I promise!

After the wedding, we took some couples shots on the beach. We are so rarely in pictures together--it is really nice to have pictures to remind us of the great time we had away from the craziness of our everyday lives!

I love the way these turned out.

This is my favorite one! (He still makes me laugh after 21 years!)

Joy is not in things; it is in us.

Richard Wagner

I Am All About The Destination Wedding

2010-05-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

After spending four days in the Bahamas, I would have no problem with one of my children getting married in some place tropical. The beach and ocean provided a spectacular backdrop for the wedding. The resort set up chairs right on the sand.

This was one of the flower arrangements that lined the aisle.

Here we are waiting for the bride and groom.

These are the groom's parents, Jack and Rose. I loved them. They were so happy for their son and so excited to welcome their new daughter-in-law.

The flower girls walking down the aisle. The one in front alternated between smiling and looking absolutely terrified.

The bride was walked down the aisle by her older brother.

Exchanging the vows. The bride is Catholic and the groom is Jewish. The ceremony included traditions from both faiths.

The lighting of the unity candle was a riot...the mothers spent a great deal of time lighting the individual candles only for the wind to blow them out immediately! They finally gave up.

Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Ty Laurie.

Congratulations Ty and Alana. Thanks for including us in your special day!

Junkanoo

2010-05-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

Junkanoo music is the local music of the Bahamas. Junkanoo music is a rich, expressive style of percussive music with heavy African influences. Traditional Bahamian weddings often include a Junkanoo rush-out, which is a parade of musicians dressed in masks and armed with cowbells, whistles, and drums.

This group of musicians was our "surprise" entertainment at the rehearsal dinner.

After they marched around the pool most of the guests joined in the dance. The headresses were passed from guest to guest.

These are our friends, Connie and Dan, from Chicago.

Tony in his headdress!

The bride and groom led the festivities...

Abaco

2010-05-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

An island of

pastel houses and palm trees

beautiful blue water unlike any water I have ever seen

white sand beaches

rustic island bars

gorgeous sunsets

bonfires on the beach

fresh grouper wraps

and total relaxation

You Know You're On A Small Plane When...

2010-05-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

You look out the window and you can see the reflection of the entire front of the plane in front of the propeller.

All it takes to hold the engine together is a thin piece of wire.

There is no door to the cockpit and the flight attendant is also the pilot!

This is the airport where you land.

This was the plane that we were on...I am not a big fan of flying as it is, but this plane about put me over the edge!

My discomfort was so worth it!

Momma

2010-05-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

The other day, I went out to plant flowers in my flower box and look at what I found.

She did not move when I opened my door. She actually didn't move until I got really close--I just wanted to see if she had built a nest.

She has (although it's not much of one) and there are 2 eggs inside. The kids are excited to see what happens in the coming weeks--apparently it takes 12-14 days for a mourning dove egg to hatch.

Guess what I just found out? Male mourning doves incubate the eggs during the day and the females incubate the eggs at night. Who knew? Guess this is a picture of poppa!

Lindsey's Shower

2010-05-11T10:09:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, my sister-in-law, Dayna, and I hosted a shower for my sister-in-law, Lindsey. I had a lot of fun searching the internet for bridal shower ideas--it's been a long time since I've attended a shower and I wanted to make it fun for everyone.

I came across this towel wedding cake and decided that I would try to make it. I love the way it turned out.

The tutorial here is pretty good and there are step-by-step photos to help you out. Some thoughts to make your life easier if you try this. Get really large safety pins. The towels are pretty thick and it is hard to stick the pins through. Put the cake on a platter of some sort--it makes it really easy to move. I used corsage pins that I found in the bridal section of Michaels to hold the layers together. Then I wrapped the ribbon around the layer and tied it in a bow. (the bows became the back of the cake) Then I placed corsage pins around the ribbon. This cake takes a lot of flowers--I happened to hit a sale at for buy one stem get one stem for free...choose a stem with a lot of buds!

The back of the cake.

Have you ever seen Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade magazine? She had a tutorial in her latest magazine for this strawberry topiary. It was really cute and super easy to make.

Gather your supplies:
pot
foam to put in your pot
3 12" dowels
6" green foam ball
moss or stones
ribbon
hot glue

I placed the foam down inside the pot and stuck the dowels down inside the foam. Hot-glue was a must here to keep the dowels in the foam. Then I stuck the green foam ball on top of the dowels and used hot glue again. Once it was together, I started sticking strawberries into the foam ball. Use toothpicks and place the strawberries close together. Place the strawberries all over the entire ball. Then I wound a ribbon around the dowels and added a bow. Super easy!

Here are a few variations I found out on the internet while looking for Sandra Lee's tutorial: strawberry and wheatgrass topiary and Tammy's strawberry topiary.

We decided to play two games at the shower. The first was Bridal Bingo. We made up these buckets to use as prizes. Each bucket contained some of Lindsey and Frankie's favorite things. I used my xyron machine to laminate and create a photo sticker to put on the bucket.

The other game we played was Wedding Night Preview. Lindsey did not know that her maid of honor, Jackie, was writing down all the things that she said while she opened her gifts. After Lindsey finished opening her gifts, Jackie presented us with a list of things one might hear on Lindsey's wedding night.

Sorry the video is so shaky--I was laughing while I took it!

I am linking up to other blog parties today. Check them out and get your craft on.

Lindsey

2010-05-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

This is my sister-in-law, Lindsey.

She is marrying Frankie, the rocker, in June.

They watch my kids for me when I go out of town.

My kids love them and they are a lot of fun to be around.

I am hosting Lindsey's bridal shower this weekend and I needed a picture of the two of them together for one of the favors. (More on that later)

I love this picture of the two of them because they were obviously having fun together. Note Kellen's shoe in the top right of the photo. He was in the tree above them!

Thanks for coming over yesterday! We love you guys!

Go Vote!

2010-05-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I love service work.

One of my favorite things about the school that my three oldest attend is their focus on service and helping those in need. My kids have participated in many projects since they have been in Kindergarten: they have made sandwiches for shelters, provided Christmas presents for families each year, raised funds to build wells in third world countries, raised money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, raced for the cure and much, much more.

Howard Johnson's Give Happy Challenge has recognized the community service work of eight finalists from the U.S. and Canada, including a classroom of first graders from McDonogh! This class has picked bushels of apples and delivered them to a shelter, collected well over a thousand cans of food, made blankets and hygiene kits for the homeless and made and sold friendship pins to raise money for a school in India to provide healthy snacks.

The first graders need you to vote for them daily between now and May 16 at HoJo's Give Happy Challenge. Look for the image of the girl in the purple top, click the box below her picture, and vote for the first graders' video "It Starts With Me." Nationwide voting will determine which four go on to the next round. The winner will receive $15,000 to donate to their favorite charity.

If Mrs, Irving's first grade class wins, they will use the money to buy a new-used van for a group called Loaves and Fishes run by St. Ignatius Church in Baltimore. The group travels through the streets of the city on weekend nights feeding many men and women who are homeless and the van they use is literally falling apart. There are nights when they cannot get the door to stay shut and other nights when it just will not start.

Please, go out and vote for "It Starts with Me" today and every day between now and May 16th. Thanks for supporting this group of first graders!

Things You Only See in Texas

2010-04-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

A BBQ restaurant where you order and pick up your food before you go sit down at a table. You can grab a beer to go with your brisket right out of the cooler by the cash register. (If you are ever in Austin, check out Iron Works Barbecue.)

A golf cart with horns.

The Texas Capitol. It is the largest in gross square footage of all state capitols and is second in total size only to the National Capitol in Washington, D.C. The 1888 Texas Capitol surpasses the National Capitol in height, rising almost 15 feet above its Washington counterpart.

Table side guacamole at the Iron Cactus made with avocado, jalapenos, cilantro, onion, tomato, salt and pepper, lime juice and the secret ingredient...juice from half of an orange. The guacamole was so good that I ate it 3 times while I was in Austin!

Stacked pork enchiladas...A New Mexico style favorite...Pork carnitas stacked on red corn tortillas and layered with green chiles, rajas, and Monterrey jack cheese. Topped with a homemade verde sauce and a fried egg. I did not order this, but Tony said it was very good!

Entire stores devoted to boots. These were just the ones they had in size 9.5!

Me in a skirt and a pair of cowboy boots with my friend, Kimberly, and my new friend, Julie.

98 Years Young

2010-04-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

Last night, the twins' school held their annual art show. This year's theme was Got Art Hon? (If you are not from Baltimore, click here for the meaning of the Baltimore Hons) All of the items in the show were related to life in Maryland and specifically in Baltimore. There were painted crab shells, painted brick row houses, painted screens and much, much more.

We are blessed with an amazing art teacher and she rallies the troops unlike any other teacher. Below Is Ms. Kirschnick (blue hair) and some of her helpers.

One of the activity stations at the show was a hon dress-up station. Our 98 year old step-great-grandmother, Francis, attended the art show and went along with getting dressed up. She started off with a pink boa.

Then a leopard headband, glasses, gloves, a pink wrap and some bling and she was good to go.

As Gram and Chris wheeled her through the crowds she did her princess wave. It's a shame she didn't have any fun!

Welcome to Bawlmore, Hon! (Don't you think this would make a great Christmas card?)

Bull and Boots Decorations

2010-04-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

We decided to rent the lodge at Oregon Ridge for our Bull and Boots Benefit. The lodge is very rustic--thus, we went with a "rustically chic" theme. There were two heads mounted on the wall in the main room that were just crying to be decorated.

This is the main room where everyone ate and danced the night away. We used the boots from a previous fundraiser and Rutland Beard Florist donated the flowers for the boots (we had to arrange them). We also took mason jars and glued burlap around the jars. We tied the jars with twine and put a candle inside. They were really cute. The icing on the cake was a silver horse shoe that would hang down from the twine....only problem is that I failed to notice that I was ordering them from Turkey and they arrived the Monday after our event!

There were benches that lined the room. Since they were rather stark, we took pillows from our houses and wrapped them in bandanas. (BTW: Walmart has the cheapest bandanas at $1 each!) We tied each corner with twine.

We all gathered buckets, jars, crocks, etc.from our homes and we used them for additional flower arrangements. We used Forsythia, Cherry Blossoms, twigs and grasses that we found along the side of the road...again, at no cost to us!

We also got western playing cards that we had on the table. Our hope was to have a list of games that people could play along with the rules for each game on the tables, but we ran out of time...oh well!

One afternoon after working for hours (We were quite punchy), we looked over and saw Chico sitting in the corner of my office. I pulled out a western shirt, jeans, a bandana and a hat. We decided that all "he" needed was a face. Since our assistant principal, Pat, was unable to attend the event, using her face was only natural. Our plan was to move her all over during the event and take pictures--like Flat Stanley. Flat Pat was born...only she didn't move all night because if you lifted her up, she was likely to lose her jeans and boots! None the less, she was a huge hit and people stopped to take pictures with her all night long!

One of the coolest things that we did was the boot pin raffle. We found wooden boots, decoupaged them with scrapbook paper and then hot-glued pins on the back. We then blinged them up with scrapbooking gems. We sold them for $10 each and everyone who bought a pin, won something of equal or greater value. (some prizes were a total bust, but we had a lot of great gift certificates and gift cards that were upwards of $50 each.) This was the perfect way to use those donated items that didn't fit in with the auction packages. We had 57 pins and we sold out in 28 minutes! It didn't hurt that they were so stinkin' cute!

Our committee minutes before the event started! This is the first committee that I have ever worked with where everyone did what they were supposed to do. It was a true honor to work with each of these awesome women.

You girls rock!

Bull and Boots Class Auction Items

2010-04-25T18:32:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we held an event for the twins' school and we had each class make some of the items that were to be auctioned off at the event. Our event raised over $20,000 for new technology!

Below are some of the items the classes made...

We bought a large beach bag at Lands End and a Kindergarten class put their hand prints all over the bag. We turned the hand prints into fish and added the kids names. We then stuffed the bags with everything that a family would need for a day of fun at the beach!

A third grade class painted their hand prints on white felt and then their teacher turned it into a blanket. Our school colors are green and white.

Oriental Trading sells these photo quilts. Instead of photos, one third grade class did self portraits. They stamped around their portraits. Another third grade class drew their favorite things and decorated around their pictures using fabric markers. We had one of our committee members tie the quilts together and hang them on dowels.

A fourth grade class made these aprons. We made hand print crabs for the principals (Head Chef) and the fourth grade team (Jr. Chefs) and then the baby crabs were made out of the kids fingerprints.

This was my favorite project to do with a class. This was done with a Kindergarten class. I painted the checkerboard table and then another committee member went in and did the bumblebees using the kids fingerprints. Each child wrote his/her name on a checker.

We made mosaic benches with a fifth grade class. The designs were drawn onto the benches and then the kids filled in the designs with the tiles. Then the benches were grouted. If you are looking for a good place to buy tiles (or to learn how to tile), check out Maryland Mosaics in Glyndon. I can't wait to go there for a girls' night out!

Another fifth grade class made this mirror. The room mother painted the mirror white and then the class glued on tiny toys as seen in Family Fun magazine.

One of our committee members made these pillows with her third grade brownie troop. Each of the girls painted fabric that she then turned into the flowers on the pillows. These were beautiful!

A fourth grade class made these mosaic trays that were paired with outdoor entertaining things.

A first grade class made this quilt of their favorite things.

We made this stool with a second grade Brownie Troop. We painted the stool and then the girls painted the petals on the flowers and the designs on the legs using Zig Posterman Markers. We tied on ribbons and wrote the girls' names around the stool.

A first grade class made this stepping stone using a kit that they bought at Michaels. The kids pictures were underneath the glass stones and they used a design that was created by a classmate.

More pictures from the event coming soon!

Wiped Out

2010-04-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

And yes, she is sleeping in my sock basket!

Au Revoir Julien!

2010-04-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Frenchies left this morning. We gave Julien this hat along with a bag of goodies to take to New York. They will spend 2 days in the city and then hopefully, they will be able to fly home on Tuesday. (The Geneva airport is supposed to open tomorrow)

The only shot that I have with Julien. I really wanted to take a family shot, but the entire crew was never around at the same time.

The bus as it pulled up the drive at McDonogh.

Many, many goodbyes...

One last group shot.

Sending them off.

How Many Is Too Many?

2010-04-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

I think we figured it out.

Baltimore Traditions

2010-04-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

Now that I am done with my fundraiser, I have time to focus on making Julien's trip a memorable one.

On Sunday, we went to the Orioles game with a group of McDonogh students and their french correspondents to see the Orioles play the Toronto Bluejays. The Orioles were kind enough to give the french students the Orioles t-shirts and floppy hats. (Thus, the sea of Orange!)

Someone in the crowd always buys a foam finger....this one made the rounds.

The group doing the wave.

After the game, we had steamed crabs for dinner (finally, something American!) Julien and Charlotte were not too sure about eating them.

We've been eating crabs for so long that we forget how hard it is the first couple of times you pick crabs. They were troopers though and really enjoyed cracking the claws with the mallets.

Today, I brought a car full of french students home and we stopped along the way for a snowball--a true Baltimore tradition. I tried to get them to get marshmallow on top, but no one was willing to give it a try.

More adventures coming soon...

Julien

2010-04-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Our french exchange student, Julien, arrived a week ago Monday. Ammy was very excited to make him feel welcome. We bought balloons and

attached them to our mailbox and to his bed. He is staying in the twins' room for two weeks.

Ammy drew a sign to hang on the door to his room.

The first night Julien was here, we had tacos for dinner. The second night, we went out for sushi. ( My kids have given me a lot of grief about our lack of American food)

We've had a lot of fun so far...there have been trips during the day and parties every night (it makes me tired just typing that!) More pictures to come showing the adventures we have had!

Shiner

2010-04-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Big brothers rock!

I'm A Little Swamped!

2010-03-29T17:17:00.001-07:00

Sorry I've been out of touch lately...

I have a lot on my plate.

Can you say...

Easter dinner for 24 at my house

French exchange student arrives on 4/5 for two weeks (it is our responsibility to make sure he has the time of his life)

Major fundraising event for elementary school on 4/10-- I am the chair

100 person farewell party for the french students and their host families

Trip to Austin, TX for 5 days

Allie's middle school play the day we return

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival (I put their catalog together) May 1st and 2nd.

Bridal Shower for 60 at my house

Mother's Day

Trip to Bahamas (feel sorry for me) for a wedding

Calgon...Take me away!

College Visit #2: Wake Forest

2010-03-19T05:06:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest has a beautiful campus. We took an official tour (it turned out that another girl from Tristan's class was on the tour with us) and spent some time walking around the campus.

The buildings were really nice...well except for the dorms...the dorm rooms were really tiny.

The dining hall was unbelievable. The food looked amazing for dining hall food. These kids have no idea what we ate when we were in college!

They have great sports teams at Wake and a real sense of school spirit--after every win, the students tp the trees in the main quad! (Hhhmm....maybe that's why tuition is so expensive...they have to buy a lot of toilet paper!)

Tristan was excited to find out that they have a Subway on campus that stays open until 3 a.m.!

Bog Garden

2010-03-19T04:40:00.000-07:00

One really neat thing about Greensboro is that in every neighborhood there is a greenway, a park or some sort of garden. After a day of shopping, we went to the Bog Garden to feed the ducks.

We saw some ducks.

But mostly, we saw geese. Lots of them. Tons of them. We fed them most of our food.

That is until we saw this sign. Oops.

A pound of poop a day...wow, who knew?

Happy St. Paddy's Day

2010-03-18T16:23:00.001-07:00

Every year when we are on spring break, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day at a local pub wherever we are staying. This year, we went to Dugan's Pub in Pinehurst, NC.
Allie and Tyler were the only ones not wearing green. Total party poopers.

Tony is the only one who actually enjoys corned beef and cabbage.

Hanging out with my little leprechauns! I had just come from a massage at the Pinehurst Spa, so I was feeling quite rested.

Posing with a statue in Pinehurst Village. You have to love Ammy's shoes--she's the only child I know who wears basketball shoes with a skirt.

Hope you all had a great St. Paddy's Day too.

How To Torture A Duke Fan

2010-03-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Tyler is a Duke fan. In our house, that is unacceptable! We spend lots of time torturing Tyler about Duke.

While in Chapel Hill, we went to 3 different UNC shops. We had to show Tyler all of the obnoxious anti-Duke shirts we came across.

We tried on Tarheel hair (reminds me of Thing 1, Thing 2 and Thing 3)

We pretended like we were old-time football players.

We bought loads of UNC gear so that we can continue the torture for the coming months!

College Road Trip 2010

2010-03-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

Spring Break started this past Friday. We packed up the car and the kids and headed south to the great state of North Carolina. We stayed in Greensboro with our friends, the Heckmans for the weekend. The boys spent Friday night at the ACC Tournament, where they watched our beloved Terps lose.

On Saturday, we went to Chapel Hill to check out UNC.

Both Heckmans went to school at UNC. Unfortunately, as an out-of-state student, it is a very hard to get accepted.

We spent the afternoon walking around the campus and the town.

This butterfly bench was placed on campus in memory of Eve Carson, the student body president, who was shot and killed two years ago.

The kids had fun running around--that is until we got caught in a monsoon. We were totally drenched by the time we made it back to the car.

Despite the rain, it was a great afternoon.

Wine Tasting

2010-03-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

The other night, we hosted a wine tasting at our house as a fellowship activity for parents at our church. We had 34 people in attendance and it was an absolute blast.

When people arrived we had them take this quiz on the computer (we had two laptops set up in the kitchen) to determine what kind of wine they were. Then they selected the corresponding name tag and wrote their name on it. (I was a chardonnay which is funny since that is my favorite. Pinot Noirs were very common at this party)

Tony and I provided the wine for two blind tastings. We did a chardonnay tasting and a cabernet tasting. We bought a lower priced bottle (under $10) a mid-priced bottle ($15) and an expensive bottle (over $20) of each kind. Each bottle was covered with foil so you couldn't tell which wine it was. Everyone tasted the wines and rated them using this sheet.

We had each couple bring 2 bottles of the same kind of wine and an appetizer that went with their wine. We opened one bottle of each wine and placed it with the appetizers.

Everyone got to decide which wines they wanted to try. I made these wine journals so that people could take notes about the different wines they were trying. I bought little composition books and then used Avery full page labels to make the covers.

With the second bottles of wine we set up a drawing. Each couple picked a number and then they got a bottle of wine to take home that corresponded with that number.

The carnage--all the different wines that people tasted--we were left with a lot of half-empty bottles! Luckily, some people took bottles home when they left!

I loved the concept of the blind tasting. It was a lot of fun to see what people liked-most people liked the least expensive chardonnay and the mid-range cabernet. It was also neat to be able to try a variety of different wines. My favorite quote of the night was from a friend that said, "I haven't tasted a wine that I haven't liked!"

Mission Emmanuel

2010-03-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

International hero Emmanuel Yeboah returned to McDonogh on Friday, February 26 for the launch of Mission Emmanuel, an effort spearheaded by four seniors to ship a large crate of bikes to Ghana. Despite snow showers and high winds, Yeboah joined students as they loaded hundreds of bikes into a shipping container.

We did our part...we took 6 bikes.

This guy really did his part. He heard the four seniors on the radio and drove down from Harrisburg, PA with over 40 bikes!

If you have bikes you would like to donate, take them to Race Pace bike shop in the St. Thomas Shopping Center, 9930 Reisterstown Rd by tomorrow, March 10 or drop them off on campus by March 11th.

The Case of the Missing Goalie Stick

2010-03-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

Our lacrosse goalie stick has been missing for weeks.

Case closed.

Beauty

2010-03-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

Lidia has done it again...She has captured true beauty in a young woman who is a cancer survivor.

Go here to check out all of the great pictures of Gabi and her friends and here to follow Gabi's cancer journey.

Belly Bump

2010-03-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, my friend asked me if I would take pictures of her belly. This is her 8th (Yes, I said 8th) child and she has never done this before. I was honored that she asked me--I was also a bit nervous. I love to take pictures, but most of the time, I really have no idea what I am doing. There's a lot of trial and error involved.

In November, I bought my Nikon D90. I don't love it yet. It is so much more powerful than my D40x and I have so much to learn (and no time to do it). Anyway, I googled maternity shots on line and away we went.

These are some of the shots...

It didn't hurt that my friend loves to be pregnant. She is overdue by several days and she is still glowing.

Thanks so much for letting me practice on you! Now go forth and have this baby!