See You There?

I'm going to Creative Estates!  Are you?  I would so love to meet you!

Want to go?  Head over to Groopdealz today and save 30% off your ticket :) 

L'alfabeto Giveaway!

Happy Monday friends!  Little Gal and I just got home from a long weekend visiting my brother and future sister-in-law in Detroit, and boy oh boy, I am so happy to be home!  It snowed.  I mean snow snowed.  And I drove in it and almost had a heart attack.  I don't know how you all do it, but this Arizona gal was freezing!!!  The 78 degrees and sun welcomed me back nicely (as well as two sick Crazies... poor things).

In other news... head over to Angel Face Designs' blog for a $20 shop credit from my little shop.  Good luck!

p.s.  This little travel buddy is one dreamy baby... I think she cried once, otherwise it was all smiles.  Love this crazy lady.

Why I'm Smiling

I love mail.  Like love love love it.  The good kind that is (... that IRS notice saying that we owe'd $1500 from last year...hated that).

Natalie, from over at Natalie's Sentiments, and I had a crafty swap.  The only rules were to send 2-3 handmade goodies, so neither of us had any idea what we would receive.  Well, she must really be an over-achiever because I received a whole mess of wonderful goodies, including a few for Sweetpea too. 

This was so fun!  SOOOO fun, in fact that I would love to do it again!  If you are interested, please email me at lalfabeto@gmail.com (I'll take the first one or two to respond, so don't wait!) 

Secondly, my college friend Erin sent me a card out of the blue.  She and I are both lovers of real mail.  I covet this awesome stamp of hers.  Thanks Erin!  You made my day!

And lastly, because my husband is awesome and humors my oddities, and despite his better judgment... he brought home this little beauty.  I'm a sucker for the infomercial.  I have been talking about this gal for weeks ("It's like a carwash for your feet!"...  "A pedicure everyday!"), and my man brought her home just for me.  Even though he thinks it is ridiculous.

Random Bits

Buddy Boy lost his other front tooth, making him look a whole lot less hillbilly, and as Gary and I agreed last night, a whole lot more bat-like.  He has officially entered the Awkward Phase, the great equalizer of childhood that even the most adorable of kids cannot escape.  I still think he's adorable, but let's face it... Snaggletooth's a'comin.

We went hiking with all three kids and it was fantastic.  The weather was perfect, the kids hiked like champs, and Babycakes dangled there like a little gem.  It was so fun.  My favorite part was watching Sweetpea run, RUN, up the last incline and jump around, Rocky Balboa style, at the top in victory.

Last night I fork-stabbed my thumb. I was poking holes in raw potatoes to bake them. Do you know the force involved to stab a raw potato, with a dull fork? A lot. I jabbed my thumb full force, and literally had to pull it out. Yes there was blood. And maybe a few not nice words. Even in the pain, Gary and I were totally laughing because who fork-stabs themselves?! I mean really, I would like to know.

The Crazies got some Michigan gear from their Favorite Aunt Katie.  They love their new shirts!

Did you notice my little blog makeover?  I think Sharon of Redbud Designs is so talented.  She redesigned my etsy shop too, and it's as if she crawled inside my brain and came up with exactly what I wanted.  I'd love for you to stop in :)

Babycakes, Grammy, and I will be headed to Detroit this weekend to attend the bridal shower of my soon to be sister-in-law.  I can't wait to see these two crazy lovebirds...

32.5

Have I mentioned that we celebrate half birthdays around these parts?  We do, and I love it.  This year my mom took me, and The Crazies, out to lunch at one of my favorites.  I was gifted the traditional "my age in gift certificates and/or cold hard cash", $20 to Starbucks, $10 to Chipotle, and $2.50 in cash.  Sweet.

Then, in typical Pam fashion (that's my mom), she did what Gary and I like to call, "Pulled a Pam".  Martha Stewart she is not.  Creative?  Yes.  It's the follow through, the details in which she lacks.  You see, each year my mom makes me half a birthday cake on my half birthday.  See, I told you she was creative.  She's been doing this for as long as I can remember.  On our way to the car after eating, she tells me to come to her car so she can give me something.  At this point, I assume it will be half a cake.  We reach her car door, when she pulls out a virtual kitchen.  Oh she baked a cake alright, only it wasn't quite done when she ran out of her house, willy nilly, to meet me for lunch. 

On her car floor, I see an angel food cake, upside down on a wine bottle, a paper plate, and a knife.  "Here, hold this while I cut it in half" she says.  So in between two parked cars, we flop half a cake onto a paper plate.  Happy Half Birthday!  I tell her, "I'm so blogging this."  I really don't think people believe half of my stories about my parents.  Don't even get me started on Bob (my dad)... a treasure trove of embarrassing high school moments.  So mom, thank you for the great laughs on my half birthday.  Truly memorable, which I'm positive is what you were going for ;)

Monumental Events

February has already been chock full of monumental events for The Crazies.

For weeks leading up to Sweetpea's third birthday last April, all she talked about was riding a pony at "Cowboy Town".  We planned her entire day around this ride.  When we arrived, she was devastated to be rejected because of her short stature.  She was just too darn short.  I tried to convince the 16 year old attendant that he was crushing my baby girl's dream, but alas, he said he would lose his job.  Fine.  We went to our friends' daughter's party last weekend, and there were ponies!  This girl rode that pony until the other kids were crying for another turn and he had nasty horse froth around his crazy pony teeth.  She was in heaven.

Buddy Boy has been in Kindergarten for 112 days.  The 100th day was monumental.

This girl discovered a new trick, a spectacular source of slobbery entertainment. (Don't worry, the video is short enough that even non-grandparents can tolerate it)

Secret Weapon

Am I the last mother on earth to learn about Muffin Tin Monday?  I first learned of this genius idea over at Funny Days With Mommy and Maddie, and ever since, it has worked like a gem.  I have yet to plan far enough ahead of time to serve any sort of a theme lunch, but the variety of items alone is all my kids need to be excited for lunch.  They ask for "the tin lunch" almost every day, but I have to hold them back to one or two days a week, lest they get sick of the novelty and revolt.  Buddy Boy has always been an excellent and adventurous eater, but Sweetpea on the other hand likes to stick with bread or bread-like substances.  She even ate everything in the tin!  It may just work for your picky eater too!

Muffin Tin Lunch: 

 cucumber slices, blueberries, carrots, pretzels, Annie's Organic White Cheddar Shells, sugar snap peas