Scientific Proof

List making is genetic! 

Now, for those of you who cannot decipher 9 and 7 year old, allow me to share The Bugs' To Do List for Monday. My notes in italics:

1. Played on the porch  This would have been outside but THE RAIN!!!
2. Play Pokemon games (6)x  I would assume this is frequency?  But I am proud of the ( ). Nice use of punctuation!
3. Watch TV  Again, THE RAIN!!  This is a last resort for these back yard lovin' Bugs.
4. Play Pokemon games by D.S.  Take it easy...all in moderation and in 1/2 hour intervals.
5. Color Dragon  Fancy new velvety notebook with a dragon on the cover
6. Webkinz  If only they cleaned their room, planted and harvested vegetables and cooked in real life like they do for their Webkinz.  Silly Mom, that's crazy talk!
7. Play pokemon by person  In person, by person...same difference.  Still Pokemon.
8. Read about pokemon  As if you couldn't tell, the Pokemon craze has been revived!  Glad I've been brushing up on my attacks and evolutions.  My Magikarp can so beat your Onix.  Sorry.
9. Mighty beanz  Again, our 2nd go around with these odd, unbalanced humanoid beanz.
10. legos  At the younger Bug's request; notice the placement on the list
11. Draw giant paper pad  Or draw ON giant paper pad - fragment either way.  But fun!
12. HAVE FUN TODAY!  I do not see this checked off the list, so they either got distracted or we need to have a chat :)

Seriously awesome.  Now, add something like #12 to your to-do list and have a great Tuesday! 

The Weather Rained on My Shoe Carnival

So my wonderfully, well, wonderful mother, who is hereby dubbed Little Madre (thank you 7th grade Spanish class!) and I were on a mad wedding shopping expedition Saturday and managed to make a small dent in the list. 

• Cupcakes?  Baking.  Chocolate and vanilla.  Cupcake bar.  Sprinkles and fancy sugar!
• Centerpieces?  Decided.  Still flowers and fruit.  And pictures, I think.  Many not so decided... 
• Table runners?  Struck out!  Buying fabric is tough for a non-sewer (so-er, not soo-er, though I am neither, but just for clarification!) like me.  I was very out of my element.  Pattern or solid?  How much yardage to buy?  Where would I even take this bolt of fabric? 
• Favors?  Still cashing in on them; still deciding.
• Flowers?  Made a fun decision that will remain undisclosed...oooo, the mystery!
• Food?  Bought plates, cups and napkins.  And nuts.  Not done yet.
• Guestbook?  Ideas are still milling around, but this will probably be on the back burner until Spring Break.  Spring Break next week - woo hoo!!

Oh but Sunday.  It was overcast and drizzly and I with no umbrella.  But I was on a mission.  A mission that I knew I would triumph over.  I mean, it involved shoes!  Shoe shopping could be on my resume!  I heart shoes!  My shoe radar was turned on, scanning, scanning.  Shoe Carnival?  Ross?  Marshalls?  Stein Mart? Target? Old Navy?  NO SHOES!  And I with my shoe budget burning a hole in my pocket.  And after my six mad dashes in and out of the rain, I was in no way mall ready.  It was a sad, sad day. 

Luckily, The Bugs and I are going to be hanging out all next week.  Spending tons of quality time together doing all the fun activities I've got planned:  lunch at the park, sewing lesson, football outside, shoe shopping, movie day, stamping favor cards, Wii Olympics, flower arranging.  Just kidding.  You don't think I play football, do you? 

Goin' to the Chapel and We're Gonna Get Married...Again

So, almost ten years ago The Saint and I tied the knot.  No white dress, no church wedding, just a handful of our closest friends (at the time) and family by a lake.  We always talked about renewing our vows when we had been married for ten years.  

Holycowthat'snowifwe'rereallygoingtodothiswebettergetstarted! 

This go around we are getting married in our church (that we love and adore!), the Bugs are going to walk me down the aisle and I am wearing a white dress.  My 'wedding', my dress. 

That being said, I have never planned a 'wedding' - which is what I'm going to call it because ten year vow renewal and celebration reception is waaaay too long to type - so in true Pressed Down, Shaken Together style, may I present...a list!  Of my wedding observations.  In no particular order.

• There are a lot of wedding-y type ideas blogs and websites out there.  A lot.  Like I have to stop looking because otherwise this thing is not going to happen on April 10th because I can't stop browsing.  And clicking.  And copying pictures to email to myself.  But I can't!  Can't.Avert.My.Eyes! 
• There are some BIG budget weddings out there.  Gorgeously, beautifully, fantastically so far out of my price range that my poor little budget will need therapy.  It's okay, budget, I love you just the way you are.   
• I do find that, like a lot of other things in my life, I tend to lean towards the funky, unique, DIY stuff rather than the cookie cutter, run of the mill.  Oh, the wedding I would plan with an unlimited budget!  Seriously!  Like a photo booth - with the little strips of photos that print out.  So, so fun! 
• Martha is good.  I don't care if she has been locked up, that woman is talented.
• This is going to be largely DIY.  Because I am creative and crafty!  And the budget mentioned above.  No, don't stare, it's already very insecure. 
• Things left to do this weekend, between baseball, practices and church (oh, and sleep!):
• Cupcakes - buy or bake?  Cupcake bar?  Sprinkles or fancy sugar?  Pay $7 to ship $3 cupcake papers?
• Centerpieces - apples and limes and flowers, oh my!
• Table runners - I think this will be the first time I actually buy fabric.  So grown up.
• Favors - if anyone owes me, just let me know, I'll cash in on those favors now!  Anyway, debating on these, but I just love the little somethingorother that you take home from a wedding! 
• Flowers - yes, there will be some. 
• Food - yummy and sort of important, but please note the first item on this list (AL, just for you!)
• Guestbook - I want to know you were there, but I cannot read your handwriting!  No store bought guest book for me...which means another DIY project. 

So, this is the first of many I'm Wearing White posts to come.  Now, I'm off to make a list, do laundry and wash the dishes.  Sssshhhhh...it's our little secret!

I is for Me

I am...up really early
I think...daytime savings time stinks these first few days
I should...eat less, exercise more, talk less and listen more
I dream...about going to Ireland, England and Scotland one day
I want...to make a difference
I know...a lot of stuff, the key is to understand it
I don't like...that I am impatient and that I yell sometimes
I smell...coffee, coffee, coffee
I hear...quiet, early morning sounds
I fear...that my children will make the same mistakes we did
I miss...free time, I don't have nearly enough
I always...make lists, it's how I get things done
I crave...salty snacks most of the time and attention sometimes
I remember...things at odd times
I need...to make time to be creative and crafty
I forgot...what it is like to be 7 or almost 10
I feel...like 31 is just the beginning
I can...do all things through Christ who strengthens me
I can't...believe The Saint and I almost have 10 years of marriage under our belt
I am happy...most of the time, truthfully
I sing...ALL THE TIME
I listen...oh, I'm sorry, what?! 
I shop...in my mind way more than my bank account allow me
I eat...when I'm hungry, and sometimes when I'm not
I love...without reservation

Inspired by a new blog I found...Tater Tots and Jello.

Now, it's your turn.  Tag, you're it. 

Yes, We're Fine. Why Do you Ask?

We've decided to buy stock in CVS.  Or otherwise known as:  "We're out of cough medicine again?  ~Sigh~  I'll run to CVS."

Holy medicine, Batman!  We've had a sinus/ear infection combo (Bigger Bug), an unknown viral menace that rendered me speechless (literally!) and has been hanging around for almost 3 weeks now, The Saint has picked up your stock winter cold and the other Bug has been thoroughly antibioticized as well.  May I offer a few observations:

1. The size of the Bug is not proportional to the sound of their cough.  Or the amount of snot that is produced.  I am just saying.
2. There is, however, a direct correlation between how bad you feel and how irritating everyone else is. 
3. The concentration of germs was so high at one point, I really do think I heard their death throes as I coated every hard surface in our house with Lysol.  RIP.
4. I am immune to the sound of sniffling and snuffling and snot induced snoring.  In fact, I am pretty sure I have proven you can sleep through a hurricane. 
5. The obsessive list making comes in quite handy when four people in the same household are taking several meds a day.  Alex, I'll take Motrin in 8 More Hours for $400.

Really, we are on the tail end of this mad, medicinal roller coaster and other than the excessive use of my poor FSA card, we have come out unscathed.  Happy Health to you and yours!

A Duck May be Somebody's Mother

I was on my way to work this morning, singing loudly, looking forward to breakfast, basically on auto pilot…a normal Tuesday drive in. 

And something caught my eye.  A green headed mallard paused in a lane of traffic, his fluffy brown wife waiting patiently behind him.  (Smart woman!  HE rushes in, but she sits back and waits, ha ha!)  But, beaked bravado and all, he was still right in the middle of a busy road, with morning traffic building and four lanes between them and the lake…!

As the light changed, and hoping my exaggerated facial expressions and fluttering hand signals (how exactly do you communicate to oncoming traffic that there is a duck in the road?!) would get some attention, I frantically tried to get my message across.  As I moved forward in the row of vehicles through my intersection, I looked back in my rear view mirror and saw a City of Orlando truck stop and put its flashers on to stop traffic and escort the duck duo safely across the road.

So, little ducklings wherever you are, I was kind to my web footed friends this morning. My good deed for the day is done.  And that song will be stuck in my head for days!!

Never Eat 2 M&Ms that are the Same Color and Other Weekend Revelations

The Pressed Down, Shaken Together household had a great weekend.  One of those weekends that goes by too fast, you don't get many things done on the "to-do" list but it was fantastic and makes you really bummed that Monday's here.  Weekend highlights commence:

• Two Saturday morning baseball game that start at 9am and end around 11am.  Hello, rest of the day!  Where have you been!?
• Two of the cutest second cousins on the face of the planet!  Little E is 1 year old and uses sign language..."more" and "finished" and "milk" are nearly enough to kill you from the cute.  I told Miss E that hopefully we'd be able to come and visit them soon at their house and she said, "Okay, it is white with brown things and a big light." insert animated hand gestures "And if the light is not on and I'm not there, just wait for us."  Just.too.cute.
• Dancing with complete abandon in the Little Madre's kitchen, singing Mama Mia! songs, moving on to Taylor Swift, a little Footloose and Grease thrown in for good measure and ending on the classic Oakridge Boys hit, Elvira.  Oom pappa maow maow, indeed! 
• Highly educated and contemplative weekend conversation with the family included:
• Scholarly debate on the proper ways to eat M&Ms
• The formula to my aunt and uncle's long and healthy marriage:  Mrs. Dash = Sleeping on the Couch.  Who would have thought the avoidance of a certain spice mix was the key?! 
• Types of drinks and their scientific probability of rendering you completely out of commission (ex. tequila - 3 out of 3 times I puked!)  And for the record, neither the Bugs nor Little and Miss E participated in this portion of the conversation ;)
• Sunday afternoon:  DVR reality TV, listening to The Bugs play football in the back yard, windows open and sunshine and 70* weather (FINALLY!), steaks on the grill...life is good!