gobble gobble gobble

Thanks to my friend Michie, I finally dusted off my running shoes (or rather, referred to them as running shoes, rather than sneakers, heh) and started getting my butt out of bed to get myself stronger for this race.*

Kyle's said he's going to run it with me. Melanie and Ryan said they might be interested in joining us. Any other takers? There are also kids races. Woohoo! You can sign up online here or at Runner's Corner, maybe? I thought there was an earlybird discount, but I'm not seeing it now, so I don't know. I'm registering tomorrow. yes. definitely. Unless I remember I'm a cheapskate and decide to not pay the extra online fee and sign up in person to save a few bucks. In which case I will probably put it off so long I'll have to pay the extra late registration fee. HA. That is so like me.

Also. I have found I LOVE running to Sigur Ros. I never would have thought, but it is absolutely perfect. For me anyway. Thanks, Kevin! So if you see a "waydy" (Ollie's pronunciation of "lady") with a gigantic goofy grin on her face with her shirt on backward bobbing to some music--well, that's me, and if you look away and pretend you don't know me, I totally understand. And if you wave and grin goofily back, I love you forever!

*Note: I will not be racing. I'm just your average middle-aged turkey hoping to waddle to the finish line without any disasters and only a little more huffing and puffing than usual (as it is 4 miles--not the usual 3.1 or 3.2 or whatever it is).

This is not the post that I have been composing/imagining in my head for the last three months. Oh, well. Delusions of grandeur.

P.S. There is also a Nutcracker 5k the next weekend. You can wear a tutu and you get free tickets to the nutcracker. Kids races, also. Anyone want to do that one with me?

better late than never

you're invited

Hey, everyone, I was going to make up a cute digital invitation for y'all but I can't seem to string five minutes together to get anything done these past few weeks, unless I'm at my parents' place, in which case, my computer is never with me. So, here's the boring no-visual invitation.

You're invited!
Please come to a pedicure party.
Thursday, September 18, 6:30 p.m.
Come for some pampering, chatting, and cream puffs. Or, if you are of the healthier type, come for fruits and veggies. If all else fails, though, there's always the cream puffs. Or donuts. Or brownies...hmmm, maybe some cheesecake? Something good, anyway.

If you read this blog, have ever read this blog, or will read this blog sometime in the future, you are invited, and I would be tickled pink if you could make it. It's at my place, and if you don't know where I live let me know and I'll get you the info.

So if you could let me know in the next few days if you can make it (either call, email me, or leave a comment) so I can get enough pedicure supplies, (those little toeseparatorthingermajiggers, basins, cottonballs, etc.) I would really appreciate it! Let's have a good time and get our feet all prettied up for the remaining sandal-wearing days. Though, I could be wrong, is it after Labor Day fashion "etiquette" says you shouldn't wear sandals? Or is it just white shoes that are the no-no?

Just bring your beautiful little selves and perhaps a nail color to swap or share or keep all to yourself. :)

Things to do before I die

Things to do before I die, preferably before I'm 65 years old:

• Amanda and Jared's portrait (this could be portraitS if I could just get the first one done. That they've been waiting 5 years for. Ugh. I actually felt physically nauseated typing that.)

• Illustrations for Marci's two darling toddler stories.

• Mom's painting that Dad commissioned not last Christmas but the Christmas before that.

• Cathie's Halloween book scanned and cleaned up and typeset and set to go at LULU.com

ª Hi-D and Dal's announcement and thank you card finished and sent to print.

• Murals in Monica's kids rooms.

• Melanie's logo. (Don't worry, Melanie, I'm getting to it this week. It won't be five years, I promise!)

• And if I could finish all that, then maybe I could actually agree to do the illustrations that Maecy asked if I would like to do--which I would really love to do, unless she has found someone else already.

And so what I don't get, is, I love painting and drawing and crafting, etc. But dang it, why can't I get these things done? It's because there is no time! Where is the time? I just don't get how people do all that they do, and still sleep and have time to watch movies or go to events.

A-HA

Red handed. Or rather, butter handed.

evidence

Somebody has been in the butter again. I'll give you 2 guesses. The first guess doesn't count.

back to doodling

Thought I'd get back to posting some doodles. This is the back of a Ward Directory that I was doodling on (yes, during church) in 2005. The ward is probably 70% different now then it was then. We were brainstorming ideas for cards to "announce" that we were expecting. It was before we knew we were having a boy or a girl. Ah, I was so innocent and idealistic then. Now I'm just jaded, so if I were to create a similar announcement card these days, it would probably be a lot different!

If I recall correctly, I think we went with the very last idea at the very bottom of the page. Heh. We're crazoweirdies. (For you, Mollie's mom, ala Nikki.)

happy birthday yesterday, mom

So I was lucky enough to get a scrumptious chocolate orange cupcakes recipe from Melanie, who is starting her own cupcake business! I made these cupcakes last night for me madre's birthday. I wasn't able to get the correct ingredients for the frosting, so I just made the same kind for both the chocolate cupcakes and the cotton candy cupcakes. They turned out delicious. How could they not, when they have the word "scrumptious" in the title? Thanks for sharing with me this time, Melanie!

family reunion

I suppose I fancied myself a photographer. Well, it's humbling to find a photographer I am not. But we do have a wad of photographs not only to prove that, but also as a bit of a record of our trip together. This is just a selection of the many photos. Someday I'll post some more or figure out how to make and post a slideshow while simultaneously doing dishes and laundry, attending to Ollie's every whim (what a pill the last few days he has been!), and finishing every painting I ever owed anybody, keeping up on the news, living green, preparing sharing time and making sure Ollie doesn't eat junk. All without losing a stitch of sleep.

Wish me luck. Heh.

the last of the chores

I know, it's getting kind of old, so I'm just going to post the rest of the batch now.
There are a few that are lost, like, "scrub tub" and the big "vacuum" (Ollie's toy vacuum actually does pick a tiny bit of dirt up, heh). And I realized I also don't have the big odious chores, like, "Clean Refrigerator" or "Clean Porch/Entryway/Door" or "Clean out and Vacuum and Wash Car." I suppose I have to break those big ones into little steps, too.

more chores

(I had to put something fun to do in there!)






(The "wee" trash just means the "little" trash. When Ollie first started talking he would use the word "wee" for something small, and use the sign for "little" at the same time. It was very cute.)

ollie's bedtime routine

Here's a photo of the chores after I had them laminated.



We also did the same thing with Ollie's bedtime routine. "Brush Teeth" has been lost probably since the day I tried to use our little velcro system. It never worked, and Ollie has to pull them down if I ever try to tidy up, so I've just given up. I guess at least I was trying, huh?

If the chores are cute, maybe I'll actually do them

Back in December last year, when I was sinking to some new lows in housekeeping, I decided I would make myself a chore chart, and maybe that would help me. Here are a few of those chores. I never worked out a chart, and still haven't used these, even though I have them laminated and thought I would make some fabric pocketed deal of "to do" or "done" and one for Ollie and one for me. Now I'm thinking I might print them smaller and steal my niece's idea. She has a big metal board on her wall and has made a bunch of darling little magnets. (For an example and instructions, click here.)

Yeah. That'll happen. Heh.