That's one BIG, FAT chicken Mommy!

That's precisely what Mr. Landon exlaimed Thanksgiving morning when he saw our big ol' Butterball.  A 21 pounder to be exact!

This is Running Fox.  That's what whe prefers to be called today during "The Feast".  He's named me Chasing Rainbow. Names that originated from his Thanksgiving celebration at school on Wednesday.

This shirt, the feathered head thingy, the beads... also part of the celebration at school yesterday that Grammy was able to attend with Carlos and Ryker.

Back to the the day of the bird.  Mom and I stayed up until 1am working on little pretties for the table and preparation for the meal were so ahead on our Thanksgiving plans that we sat back on Thanksgiving Eve and ate bon-bons until our guests arrived.

Actually, Carlos invited me to Roy's on Thanksgiving Eve (get the feeling maybe he's never prepped for Turkey Day?) and we had a wonderful time talking about the year, the kids, our Christmas plans and life and marriage, in general. 

Thanks to Grammy for taking care of the boys and thanks to hubs for making me stop and take time to remember all I have to be Thankful for this year!

Our guests?...The Campbell's and "Grandma" Janet.  It was our 2nd Annual Turkey-palooza! :) 

Above were the place settings for the adult table.  I sewed bean bag pumpkins with real pumpkin stems and asked everyone to send me what they were thankful for and I typed it up on PhotoShop and then printed it on muslin and matted it on burlap. Everyone had one that was a  a little different.  I think they turned out beautiful...what do you think?

I intended to make these for all three kids...but only got as far as one before I ran out of time.  So Elyse and Maggie will have one next year to pull out for a decoration.

My inspiration was a Pottery Barn Kids Mayflower centerpiece for a kids table. It was $29 for one little tiny felt ship. So, I decided to make one...better.  With a personalized message on the sail...a LOT less.



This was Ryker's Flying Eagle's first Thanksgiving.  Here he is wearing brother's shirt he decorated with puffy paint.

He's just a few days shy of 4 month.  Landon is just a few days shy of losing his 2nd bottom tooth!

The kids had a great time coloring pages during dinner...and boy are they photogenic here! Have you ever seen more 'cheese'??

Last year Landon ate balloons and threw them up in the hall.  Awesome, I know. Parent of the year material in this house.  This year only one child was harmed in the "Turkey-palooza"...and she giggled all the way!

Jen thought it was funny to snap this picture of me and my computer at the table.  BUT! I have an excuse! I was using it to play music on Pandora!  

From our house to yours... Happy Thanksgiving!

The eagle has landed!

Grammy's back in town and she's beaming with excitment!

Landon was equally thrilled.  On the way to school he said, "Mommy I can't wait for Grammy.  I'm so exciting!" (of couse he meant 'excited'...but I can't correct that one, it's too cute!)

Landon made her a sign and put it by the back door

And in case you you were wondering...she hasn't lost her touch.

She got Ryker in his jammies and all cozy-cozy and to sleep in the blink of an eye.

Rub-a-dub-dub, Two Boys in a Tub

Every once and a while I'll see or hear something that happens with the boys and I know instantly it's something I'll always remember.

Tonight, was one of those nights.

At the pleading of Landon, I put the boys in the bath together for the first time. Sure it's unconventional, with the tub and all.... But! it works. 

Landon just loved it. Ryker stared at Landon. Landon made Ryker laugh and there was much discussion between Landon and Mommy as to why Ryker needed to wash his head if it didn't have hair.

I could bore you with our philosophical differences on this one...but instead, I'll let you decide if a nearly bald head really needs soap

Oooor, you could just enjoy the sweet pictures!

Look mama! No hair!

I should have known when Ryker came out with barely any hair that he might have the Stephanie curse.

The curse?...no hair. 

I didn't have more than a little fuzz on my head for nearly two years.  I'm hoping it doesn't take that long.  Big Brother Landon was born with a FULL head of hair that needed to be brushed every day.

But, his curse is my blessing because:

1. I like to rub his soft little head. It's like my blankie.

2. I like hats and have like a whole box of them.  Some new.  Some hand-me-downs.  All intended to keep my little mini-me's head stylishly warmer in the next couple months!

So, here begins the parade of hats.

I got this one here.

Meeting Gonzo...not the muppet

Sometimes at the end of a day at work I sort of giggle thinking that I get paid to do some interesting things.

Today was one of those days.

Still struggling to get out of my blues, I knew today's show would be interesting.  On the agenda? Interviewing The Grinch.  You know...'you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch', the one who hates Who-ville and Cindy Lou, the one who stole Christmas?

He pretended to pee on my couch, turned around and pretended to throw up over the back of the couch  consequently putting his butt to the camera and making a tooting nose and picked his nose and licked it with his long furry green fingers, and burped. 

He also asked where he could get a wax and well, generally was the most difficult interview I've done in a loooong time because I was afraid of what he'd do next!

I'd say the only equally difficult interview are Mickey Mouse and Elmo...neither of whom talk.

So, when I went out later in the day to a new movie theater opening up in Scottsdale (with seats that actually move with the movie like a ride) and was told I could interview Gonzo.  I replied...(with embarrassing enthusiasm) "From the Muppets???!"

The VP of Operations at the theater pretty much laughed in my face... and deservedly so.  I quickly realized he meant Luis Gonzales formerly of the D-backs and Dodgers and now back with the D-backs. 

But, if I'm being completely honest. I was a little disappointed. There.  I said it.  Because, truthfully  I still love the Muppet Show.

I interviewed him and he was gracious enough to say he had seen me on TV. (a shameless lie on his part, for sure) and he was very, very nice.

The theater itself is really cool!  Gourmet flavored popcorn, delish food, reserved seating and they serve beer and wine!   I also met Young M.C (again...he was on my show) there.

Perhaps the coolest part of the theater are the "D-box seats".  They move with the movie much like a ride only more subtle.  I'll be taking Carlos to see Tron in D-box in December to get my good wife card punched.

We loved Tootsie

Talk about a tough day today. 

We decided to put my sweet dog Tootsie Roll to sleep after she got very sick.   She stopped eating or drinking water four days ago.  I tried making her bacon, putting peanut butter on a spoon and offering cheese. But, she didn't have an appetite and would turn her head.  Those who knew her know this is not like her. 

Her tail was drooping, her breathing labored and she would cry at night.  A couple nights Carlos slept in the kitchen holding her to comfort her.  We had to keep her there because she was vomiting a lot. 

We took her to the vet and then onto the ER.  They gave her the equivalent of canine morphine for her pain and and IV of fluids and an x-ray.  That x-ray showed she had a mass and they were hoping it would move or pass.  But, it didn't an exploratory surgery would have been the next step to determine if it was cancer or something she ate.  The vets couldn't give us very good odds.

Carlos and I thought that would not be fair to her.  She was weak, 12 1/2 years old and wasn't herself.  She hadn't wagged her tail in days and just could barely walk from whatever was in her stomach.   But, selfishly I wanted just a little more time with her.

We opted to put her to sleep this morning so she didn't have to suffer anymore. 

I said good-bye before I left for work and so did Landon.  Then Carlos came and took her to the vet.  He says he held her the entire time and long after she was gone.  He said he told her we were sorry and that we loved her.

But, I like to believe she knew that already.  Even when we didn't have as much time after Landon and then Ryker, she took whatever we would or could give her, and took it unconditionally. 

Mom remembers when her jaw dropped because we would SPELL out the word "cookie"...which is what we called her dog biscuits and she came running to get one.  Maybe the only dog out there that knows how to spell! ha! 

Dad remembers taking long walks with her.  She would go a few miles.  But, when she was done she'd sit down and would NOT budge.  So, dad would have to pick her up and carry her miles home! You'd think she wouldn't want to walk the next day...but you'd be wrong.  She'd be crying by the door when it was time to go.

I remember buying her in El Paso in August of 1998 after I got my first prime time anchor job.  I remember thinking NOW I can afford a dog and I "deserve" one. She went to Houston with me and then to Phoenix and has put up with to babies that have come to her house.

We don't know what the mass was in her stomach.  It would have taken exploratory surgery and we simply didn't want to put her through that at her age because there were simply no guarantees.

We loved her so much and she'll always be a special dog to our family.

It was a very hard day for all of us. I turned to friends for Bible verses to carry me through the day and it worked to focus on God promises for peace.  Landon is taking it just fine.   

Carlos told him that "Tootsie went to heaven."  She seemed shocked at the "speed" in which she got there and responded to that with "she's in heaven, ALREADY??"  Silly boy is probably envisioning some sort of super dog powers that catapulted her into heaven.

Tootsie ...you're a good dog. 

Halloween 2010!

So our Halloween morning started out at the park with the boys.  We had not been to the "dump park" by our home...called as such because it's built on top of a dump and has lots of recycled materials ...like the green tires in the picture below.  I was in shutterbug heaven because they'll make an awesome backdrop when I go back and take pictures.



Above is one of the "cooler" playground activites that he loved.  He was belly laughing as he was spinning around.

The evening was the much-anticipated Trick or Treating.

I bought an Ironman costume for Landon in late September because he insisted he wanted to be the "red one".

But, come Halloween night he switched to a hand-me-down Captain America costume...minus the mask. 

We went with Heather and her daughter Makayla and a group of Landon's friends in the neighborhood.  It was a little crazy with all the kids and after a morning at the park, a party with a bouncey in the afternoon and playing at the park in costume before the trick-or-treating...he only lasted about 30 minutes.  Just enough time to get some candy ...but not too much.

Here's a slideshow of the day! 

And a little bit of Fairy Dust!

Meet the new smile on my favorite little 5 year old. 

We went to get Landon's haircut and as I was paying he walks up to me an says "my tooth is gone!"

I saw a mouth full of blood and essentially started to panic.

He had been telling me his tooth was loose.  But, when he would tell me which one it was and I would try to check. But,  I was wiggling the wrong tooth!! Plus, I didn't really believe him. I thought he was too young.  I'm not sure why since there is a big tooth with kids' names on it in his classroom.

So after we picked up the tooth from the floor we went to the bookstore and bought a book about losing your tooth. 

We go home and Landon rings the doorbell and Carlos and Ryker answer it.  Landon asks for Carlos to read it to him because he's lost this 1st tooth and below is his reaction! Priceless!

So, after riding his scooter outside waiting for the neighborhood kids to come out so he could "share the good news"...we put the tooth in a little red bag and put it under his pillow.

The tooth fairy sprinkle a little bit ...okay a LOT of fairy dust on his head. (And a week later?...I think it's still stuck to his scalp!

How is it that a missing tooth can make you look SO much older!?!

Zonkey Down On The Farm

Less than 5 minutes away from our home you'll find Marley Farms...where we spent Saturday evening, down on the farm!  It was our little friend Gavin's 2nd birthday party.

Many times we've tried to get Landon to go on pony or horse rides.  But, something about them must be intimidating because he's never wanted to ride...Well, I finally got him on a horse!!! How, you ask???

I paid him.

(hanging head in shame.)

I said I'd pay him a buck and he could use it for the ice cream truck that comes around every Tuesday. Soooo, he gets off the horse and I enthusiastically ask, "did you have fun??!"  He said, "where's my dollar."

Back to the Zonkey on the Farm.  What do you get when you eh-em..."cross" a Donkey and a Zebra??

A ZONKEY! 

I assure you it's not a zebra...Cowboy Jamie told me so.  Says Zebras have smaller ears and a different mane.

 Oh ...and this farm happens to have one BIG ol' Camel.  So, in all...goats, horses, a duck, emus, chickens, sheep, cows, pigs, donkeys, bulls,  and a zonkey and a camel...oh my!

Pumpkin Perfection...albeit a year late

Last year I was browsing through a boutique in Mesa called Bella Fine and spotted this beautiful tiered pumpkin on an urn.

Loved it!  Reached down to check out the price because after all...some crafts are just too much work to make and (gasp!! $300) you're better off buying  going to have to make on your own.

So, off to Michael's I go ...only after waiting for the pumpkins to go on sale. Scoop up the supplies and bring them home to my craft room. ...where they sat, and sat and sat some more...for like a year....or more....until this week when I finally got it put together. 

You likey?  Boutique price $300. My price $80....including the urn.  And the pumpkin is just sitting on top so you can come steal it  I can take it off an use it for Christmas with a little tree.

 If you want to make one too you'll need the grand ol' pumpies, leaf garland (I used 1 longer and fuller one), maybe 15 - 18 fall floral picks, 3 rolls of $1 store wired ribbon and while you're there pick up some sunflower stems.

Lastly, frequent Tuesday Morning for an urn for like a year and then when you find one for $39.99 grab it like you're robbing a bank and run to the cashier.

With supplies in hand begin by wrapping the leaves one tier at at time hot gluing in a few places along the way. (I don't recommend the 3 hot glue burn blisters that I added), add the picks for fullness, make bows with thin gauge wire and insert for dimension and throw a few sunflowers in for color.

Then put it on your porch and walk inside. Then walk outside and take a picture. Then, walk inside and then outside again...because you like it so much and continue to do this for no less than saaaay....10-15 minutes? 

Then, you're done.