Um...hi!

Yeah, I'm still alive, I haven't been strangled by yards of ribbon or glued myself to the sofa--yet. But per usual, I am busy. So busy in fact that I have tons of stuff to share, but will have to keep it brief since I have about three minutes until BWB comes home with dinner.

My eldest is going to be FIVE on Friday, 5! How did that happen? He's going to go to kindergarten this year, Ack. Did I mention he's started reading words, and adding numbers? It's just too cool. He's still my sweet boy, gives hugs and kisses as freely as ever, though he has acquired a slight four year old attitude that makes me want to throttle him on occasion, but really, he's such a good kid. He got to choose what he did this year, so we and several kids are heading to the Chuck on Saturday (ugh), but I know he'll be happy throwing tokens into cames and eating greasy pizza.

Then on Tuesday we're leaving for Florida, just me and the kiddos headed to my mom's for two weeks. I'm looking forward to the trip, but not the flight, Ms Gert is at that age where she hates being confined and will absolutely detest the plane ride. Oh well, it's only two hours of hell, right? At least I'll get to see to of my very best friends and drink some wine with my mom who will spoil me as rotten as possible with three kids running around.

Hip Clips is going really well, matter of fact I just bought a laptop to take on my trip so I could keep up with my workload. Plus? It's so cool, I've always wanted a laptop. :) I've been lucky enough to score several boutique clients and have been getting a lot of repeat business. So much business that I ran out of hours in the day and hired my babysitter to come a couple afternoons a week after school to help out with the kids. She's awesome and I'm so lucky to have found her.

And what else? Well, the whole clan is headed to GERMANY in May for a family reunion of sorts. I can't believe I'm taking three kids, ages 5, 3 and 18mos overseas. I know my mom did it will me when I was a kid (several times), but at least it was just one of me, how are we keeping three kids occupied for eight hours in close quarters? :P

All these things have created a To DO list of epic proportion, and combine that with all the day to day grind and several wee fun tasks like renewing my tags and license and I've been just about insane. Here's a sampling of what I've had going on:

Tag renewal--emissions, inspections, property taxes...
Driver's License renewal
Passports for five people
plane tickets to Florida and Germany
Rental cars
Kindergarten registration for DB
Preschool Registration for GB
Bows to make, tons actually
Kids to care for
Laundry to do
house to clean

Just to name a few. And now my husband is home with a meal I didn't have to cook, so hopefully I will be back soon!

Because I Can't Sleep

and I've actually somewhat caught up with the life whizzing by me (for now), I'll waste some time with this meme borrowed from Veeg.


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa.
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer (Are there people who DON'T do this?)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured an ancient site
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played Dungeons & Dragons for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently well enough to have a decent conversation
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (yes, but not all at one time)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
151. Finished a marathon

Oh Hey, you still there?

Yeah, it's been a LOOOONG time. Sorry about that, but I have really good excuses this time! Basically I suck at everything not bow-related. OK, maybe not everything, but definitely blogging.

The BWB just finished studying for and taking his CFA exam up in Chicago, yeah he had to leave the day this happened:



Yeah, that was nerve-racking.

Then he left for NYC for four days so I've pretty much been absorbed in three kiddos, household duties, getting our NEW PLASMA TV *happy dance* installed (which meant getting lots of fun holes cut in our wall by the electrician and having to patch, sand and paint those in, oh, ONE DAY before they hung the tv--oh yes that was while BWB was absent). But that's finished. And of course the bowmaking, the ceaseless, never ending bow making that has absorbed every free second of my life. How did I manage that? Here I'm thinking, oh a nice a little hobby, a little extra money to buy ribbon for Ms. gert, no big. Um, no. But, it's good, just exhausting.

Then the plague struck, like it does every Winter, everyone but DB got rotavirus--yes BWB and I did too. I of course got it while BWB was in NYC. Yeah I know *bitch moan*.

Ultimately, life is really good, even with the chaos. We're finally able to focus on Christmas and *maybe* relaxing a little. But in case I disappear for the next month or so, Happy Holidays! I'll leave you with a somewhat recent pic of the kiddos.

GO CARDS!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLY SHIT, we won the World Series! This is so huge for St. Louis, we're a big baseball town and the Cards are just an easy team to love. I actually got to Tuesday night's game, my first World Series game and can I tell you what a total rush that was? From the flyover during the National Anthem to the last out, I felt like I was on top of the world. The energy, the vibe, the amazing collective cheers and sighs of the crowd, just wow. It's an experience I will treasure.

Last night it was just me and the BWB watching the game at home, but it didn't matter, when that last strike was thrown he and I jumped up yelled and hugged each other like we'd just had a baby or something. Yes, we love us some baseball.

Yadi, Eckstein, Puji--love you guys, you make watching this game fun, and like it's supposed to be, old school.

Because I SUCK

Here is a make up entry for two very important dates that I neglected to blog.

Oct. 7th:

Happy 1st birthday to my baby girl. I feel so blessed to have you and all your chubby goodness. You added a new dimesion to our lives with that lack of penis, and I'm loving every second of it. Who thought mommy would ever start a bow business, I blame you and your beautiful red locks. The need to dress you in everything adorable? Ouch. (good thing about the bow business). But aside from all the surface stuff, and boy do you have plenty of surface Fatty Boombalatty, you are my snuggly sweet girl who loves her brothers fiercly, eats with voracity, and makes her demands known to all. I love your slobberly kisses, you joyous grins and emerging personality. I just want to devour you everyday. I hope your personality stays strong, your will stronger, you have a long road with a big father and two older brothers, but I have feeling you're going to be just fine. I love you Ms. Gert.

Oct 14th:

To my husband on our anniversary,

Six years have come and gone since I walked down the aisle to you. Busy, crazy years of work, exams, kids and family drama, but I wouldn't trade a single thing about them because I KNOW I'm the luckiest woman in the world to have you in my life. We're both well aware of our own shortcomings, but together we have strength and purpose. I know I could do anything as long as you are with me. I love that we are constantly learning and evolving. I love our ability to really talk and listen to one another. I love that we can, in one night, go from having a dressy fancy meal to sitting in a bar watching a ballgame and drinking beer. That our personalities are that diverse and flexible to enjoy all aspects of life. That we still have fun together, good childlike fun that keeps us young.

I love that I get to spend the rest of my life with you. Happy anniversary.

VEGAS BABY!

T minus ONE DAY until I'm on a plane for Sin City. I haven't even had time to get excited about it because I've had so much to get done before boarding that plane. And hell, if they had outlets on the plane, I'd probably be making damn bows during the flight. BUT I'm glad they don't because I need a break today. Since this venture of mine began 4 short months ago, I haven't had a day or weekend where I wasn't entwined in ribbon, covered in hot glue tendrils and busily weaving my little creations together. That's not exactly what I expected when I started making bows for Ms. Gert. A little hobby, some money to feed my ribbon habit, but certainly not a day in day out business. I'm not *really* complaining, just griping a little, I'm really happy with the direction things are going and feel very lucky to have stumbled on this little niche market in the bow world. (We'll not even talk about the bowbitch subculture, good lord, just think too many women with too much time on their hands to stir shit).

But, VEGAS, YAY! It's that annual trip with my board gals, that I had to miss last year due to Miss Gert stubbornly residing in my belly. So, be prepared for a crazy, photo filled report when I return, sort of like this one. Yeah, but worse, since DQM and I won't be nursing and Veeg in Training won't be knocked up and certainly only in training for a chugalug contest. I'm truly sad though that my compadre HG will not be spotted anywhere. :(

Speaking of 10

It's October! How in thee hell did that happen? Not that I mind, it's my very favorite month of the year, even moreso this year! In a few short days my wee baby girl will be turning one, ONE! Commence uterine aching, must.resist.procreation.urges. Also, my mom is coming in town, TONIGHT!!! Yay mom! And if that isn't enough, the Slacker's sixth wedding anniversary is on the 14th AND I'm going to Vegas on the 19th AND then it's Halloween.

And this doesn't even begin to hit on all the October type activities that fill our calendar: apple picking, pumpking picking, lots of hanging out on the deck in the cool night air, leaf peeping, FOOTBALL, too much to even mention.

So, when my blog gets further neglected this month, just smile because if I'm not making elventy billion bows, I'll be doing something darn fun.

10!

I'm a ten! OK, not in the usual sense of the word, but I went into Ann Taylor today to try on some clothes and fit into size 10 jeans. You cannot understand how incredibly happy that makes me after 5 yrs of being in either maternity or 12-14-16s. My pants from last fall are FALLing off, hahahaha,ok, that was a horrible pun, but YAY! I've lost about 15lbs from strictly changing my eating habits. Gone are my lunches of peanut butter and jelly crusts and a pint of Hagen Daaz, my dinners of saga and crackers, my snacks of as many cookies as I could hold at once... But, I don't feel deprived, I indulge certain meals, then stick with a lean protein/low carb diet the rest of the time.

I'm hoping to lose another 15lbs, which with the holiday season upon us, might take longer than the first 15, but I'm ok with that. And to toot my husband's horn, he's lost 25lbs as well! Yay slackers!