C'mon Ad, girl power!!

I think I have time for a quick update while my super cute family is downstairs playing Lego Indiana Jones...the cutest thing I've heard so far was "C'mon Ad, girl power!! Good job Addie!!" by a full grown and bearded man, in his MAN CAVE. So darling.

This has been one of the best weeks. I haven't been stressing over orders, or trying to be the craftiest person alive (thought my fingers had that itch today to make something, and since I was at Hobby Lobby for a simple crib skirt order I decided to bring home everything there. Again. Oy.)

This was the first week to kick off our community groups at church, and our group is actually at our house this semester. Talk about finding a good reason to clean your house REALLY well, once a week!! I've heard it before that if you'd like to keep your house clean, just invite people over once or twice a week. So true.

I made this Honey Vanilla Creamer to make my decaf coffee a little more inviting, pretty yummy. I'd suggest a little less milk and a little more vanilla, but I just love lots of vanilla taste :) And this Caramel Creamer is delish too!! I just about steamed my fingers off though, and the whisk took a hit for the team. I of course kept him, since I like defected things and people...

Caramel Creamer Man gets the honor of sitting next to my SIL's plum jam, top shelf treatment right there.

I made dinner for the first group night, and of course trusted the tried and true Chicken Curry in a Hurry. I tossed the spinach and added golden raisins, definitely recommend this to your regular routine meals. A friend of ours that is in group eats gluten free, and this was a great meal to plan that around! Plus, how fun is using coconut milk?!

Spirit Week at Addie's school, one was Toddler (or) Tiara's Day. Basically Lillian was Lillian, and Addie dressed like her. #PublicSchoolFun

Ahhh...this girl. I don't exactly remember having given birth to a Bunny Eared/Snake Tailed/Princess, so that must mean she lives in this outfit. EVERY. DAY. No joke. We're on day 10 of the same outfit. And this ONE pink glove she's managed to find. I'm sure if we could find the other matching, she would wear that one also. For now we're rocking the Michael Jackson look.

Super awesome rastafan look. Noooooooot...I tried THIS Pinterest tutorial, or what I thought was the tutorial. Its what happens when you don't look at the directions again because "You've GOT this". Don't do this, it has to be big twists or you get a frayed ends look. Nothing cute about that!!

So tried picking up pieces of my pride by fixing it back with this Jennifer Aniston Pony tutorial. I can't tell if it was the giant frizz ball hair, or actual body from having two ponies in one. You try and decide.

This was fun hair too, I think I'll try this again. I hate how you can't see braids on dark hair. I think it was a combination of a couple, I can't find the tutorial. Teasing brush, then braid half up half down style and pin. Victoria
s Secret Makeup Tutorial was super fun, I tried lipstick (lipstick is sooooo much less frightening in pink!!) in Baby Pink. I have tried to perfect this "natural" eye look this week, because for the photos on Sunday we have to have more natural makeup (ie: less is more). I love makeup too much to just not wear any.

That's a better shot of the braid...

And of course, you may have a little mini me if you look down and see someone has been playing with your teasing brush and obsessively putting more lip candy on...

Haha, sooooo love her. She's going to be a handful.
Lillian-isms:

"Mom, the coffee is done coughing." (6:30 am couch talk)

"You have beautiful eyes, Lily."
"Thank you. They don't have eye boogies in them." she replies, informative and resolute with a shake of her perfect little head.

I've been reading Judy Moody's Not Bummer Summer with Addie, she LOVES it. Its a chapter book, so we sit and read it on the couch. How great it must be to have someone read aloud a long book to you. I think reading would happen so much more if Doug would read aloud my books I've had logged in my TO READ pile. Its made me realize how sheltered she is, too. Judy talks about zombies, and the concept of scary things or even her calling her little brother "Stink" is just so beyond Addie's realm. I think only butterflies, rainbows, and bunnies are quite sufficient until she's at least 20. Haha, we're going to have the weirdest kid if that actually happens...

OHHHHH, yes!! One last thing!! Try some pomegranate tea!! I know, some of you aren't tea drinker per say, but this is so delish!! And how cute is that sugar jar!! I'm dying to try loose leaf tea from Tea & Spice Exchange in Downtown Bentonville, that's so much more of a commitment though than just warm & steep.


Peace Love!
Kes

"We're walking like movie stars, baby!!"

It's Monday morning. I wake up with a pounding headache, my entire head pulsing behind my left eye. I have no recollection of how I got home, or how I put my pajamas on. I am thirsty, having obviously slept with my mouth wide open. Who knows how many spiders I may have swallowed in that kind of sleep. (I am not hungry, though that is not likely the reason I have a lack of appetite.)

I peel my eyelids back, they are upset I'm letting in any light at this early hour. Am I hung over? I see bright womens fuschia colored pumps, with overly glittery soles, strewn about carelessly. I sit up, more angry throbbing. There are black pants laying on the floor, one leg inside out, the other still hanging off the bed as if grasping for dear life, before the carpet swallows it up. (This IS the place other socks disappear to, I am sure of it. Perhaps the carpet makes an illusion of a beautiful foot, with dainty polished toes shivering in the cold, something like that to really lure lonely socks down before you never see them again.) The pants have a Lacey floral design, skinny denim you have to peel out of. I've never seen them before in my life.

"We'll, aren't you a ray of golden sunshine this morning?!" ...Kestan.

"Why are you here? What have you done?" I stammer, plunging my thumb deep into the inside of my left eye. It's the only thing that makes the pain stop, if only momentarily.

"I freaking rocked your world, that's what I did. You can thank me with cinnamon monkey bread. And ham/eggs. I need a meal fit for a lumberjack after last night."
She demands, stretching like a goddess. Only she can make stretching a luxurious and well enjoyed pastime.

"No. I'll be lucky if I can down toast before taking Excedrin." I retort, obviously annoyed by her lack of intuitive nurturing.

"We did it, kitten. We're in." She beams, staring up at me, obviously enjoying knowing more than I do. "I signed us up and got us in for Fashion Week 2013. We're walking like movie stars, baby!!!!"

"YOU DID WHAT?!?!!!!" I scream, instantly regretting this motion as my headache worsens. I think my brain might just combust right now.

"I thought you'd be happy. You SHOULD be thanking me. It wasn't easy shutting you down long enough to get through the interview. Aren't you even he least but excited? I was on FIRE. They didn't know what hit them. I walked straight down that runway and bore a hole right into their pigeon eyes."

She slinks around the room, to show me exactly her movements. Slightly dramatic hip rolling.

"I would compare it to making LOVE, but with my eyes..." She's so full of it. I almost gag on the enormity of the BS pill I'm being handed.

"You didn't. You DO know there will be people there, right? Like, people who will be watching you. Deciding your face value. Deciding whether or not you are worth anything by the way you move and whether your nose is straight enough. You know that's how it will be. How did you even pull it off? And WHERE are my kids?!" I yell, wincing again at the sound of my own voice.

"OUR kids. Relax, they're with Grandma. I think." She utters in one breath, admiring her nails, clearly without worries. "I gave you your headphones and put Rihanna's Shine Bright Like A Diamond on repeat. I knew if you even caught a whiff of what we were doing, you would let it all fall down like a house of cards. You really need to work on that self esteem issue."

That makes sense. I vaguely remember jamming to Rihanna yesterday. I very slowly ease out of bed, not leaning either way so as not to disturb the newfound buoyancy of my tender head. I very quietly pad to the kitchen, fumbling in the cabinet until I find the Excedrin.

"Why the headache?"

"Oh. I grabbed a tea and a Dr Pepper while we were out. We were really thirsty while we were running to Fayetteville. I guess that did it." She explains. Not caring that her loud words are grating my eardrum.

"You gave us MORE caffeine after noon? WHY would you do that?! You know it takes us DAYS to recover from the headaches and lack of sleep!!!" I say, letting out a low guttural noise.

"It's, whatevvv..." She says with a few disdainful flicks of her hand.

NWA Fashion Week 2013 clearly will not know what they have signed on. There will be children there. Please pray she doesn't do anything inappropriate...

Kes

"Nailed it!!!!"

I've tried a couple of new looks since last entry, and one of them was actually really fun!! One was a pretty big fail, but I'll share it anyways. Just to mix it up a bit :)
(And wowza, 82 views on that last post!)

Okay, hair!!

How fun is this look?! Super fun updo---find it HERE.


Here's my flop...You know when you're really excited to try something, and you have in your head how it looks, and then you sort of pull it off? (this definitely goes under those "Nailed it!!" posts floating around on Pinterest. Pretty hilarious, check them out)

I tried the big teased hair/half up bump and ruby red lips. It was great for about an hour...

Then this happened. My hair fell, and my lips turned out more like Lucille Belle from I Love Lucy. I'm guessing lip liner would have kept it from bleeding. Like I said, lipstick is hard for this chick. (Sorry to everyone who had to talk to me that day afternoon!!) Best part: flopping like this at church. So this is how Amy Winehouse felt...

I've been trying this new technique called "Threading", its like waxing, but great for sensitive skin like mine. I waxed recently, the sides of my face especially and ALWAYS break out in bumps. Even if buying the gentle facial was for sensitive skin. It was sort of awkward at first, my fingers just wouldn't listen...

Thread. That's all you need. Cheap cheap cheap. And more clean than wax. It was originally only done when a woman was getting married or for special occasions. In ancient Persia, threading was a sign that a girl had reached adulthood and become a woman. (I love random facts!!)

HERE is the tutorial. She's annoying, but practical.


I drank honey in my coffee this morning...mostly because I used all the sugar to make no bake cookies. I could seriously kill a plate of drop cookies. I mean, annihilate. I tried a new recipe for making coffee creamer, I feel like such a hippie. A CLEAN hippie. Well, if you consider heavy whipping cream "clean".

Pretty simple, it has heaving whipping cream, whole milk, and honey. I still added more honey, but I really like my coffee to not taste like coffee. Someone posted "If you have to add more than 2 packets of sugar, and 2 creamers, maybe you should be drinking something else..." Its always in my head now when I'm making my coffee.RECIPE.

Is it lame to wear clothes you've made? So fighting myself about this. Its a hard balance. I think its definitely okay if you make your kids clothes, and MAKE them wear it since you've taken the time to make them...

Here's what I mean. Lame "I made this at home" dress? (photo credit: my 6 year old. God bless her for making me look tall and leggy because of her height :D)


I looooooooooooove dinners. Correction, I loooooooooooooooove GOOD dinners. Or more aptly, awesome recipes. Doug thinks I have a knack for picking out awesome recipes, and the tummy agrees :) We had some really delicious meals this week, and these are definitely recipes to keep:

Chicken Parmesan Bites. OH. MY. WORD. Doug wants to open a Chic-Fil-"B" with this recipe. There are no words to how yummy this is!! If you try any of my favorite recipes, do yourself (and your family) a favor and let it be this one!!! I also put a little onion powder and garlic salt in...

Tender Pork Chops. My uncle, who loves to cook and whom we clamor over when he's home so we can try his cooking, introduced me to this recipe. Again, no words. I'm allergic to rosemary, which is a bummer, but I tried a little bite and it just fell apart in my mouth. Doug also wants me to throw this in the recipe queue again!!!

British Beef and Onion Pot Pie. If you were in my freezer swap group, I was going to make this recipe. Its a little time consuming, and I cut it out since we were cooking for 9 families. This is sooooo worth the time. Seriously. I was afraid there was too much broth because it was watery, but when you're serving it the crust ends up soaking up most of it and you're left with a lovely finish!! Add a little jalapeno salt, which was been a must around here!! Excellent comfort food :D

Hoping to get in on and share a fun opportunity soon!! Just maybe!!!
Peace love.
Keslyn

If you are a man, this concludes your creeping time.

After months of blogging slumber, I've got time for a quick update. (Okay, let's be real...I've had time, I just refused to spend it on here. I'd rather be creeping on impressively strange and total judgement-worthy "friends". Or my extended family, which is equally as entertaining.)

Its now January 11th, and I only just took down my tree. I ate the good luck beans, received a midnight kiss (via MMS), and slept in merrily. We decorated cookies, attended the ugly sweater party (I'm sure you think I'm lying, as there are no pictures as proof as of YET. CAAAAT. :), put the children all snug in their beds, etc, etc...I stress ate, then vainly attempted to run, which led to more cookie eating to replace the calories lost while running. Vicious circle that exercise is. Best quote over break: "Hey mom!! I didn't get a potato this year!!!" -Addie. Hahaha...

I am convinced the best part of Christmas break, is actually after Christmas when we're not running around, or planning things to cook. Vegetating with my little family is quite possibly the best part of the year. We slept til 8, ate at 9, showered at noon, and played movies/video games ALLLL day. This is really only possible when your kids are old enough wipe themselves (which 3/4ths of our family now can), reach the water dispenser, rummage through the pantry, open plastic, and take simple orders. Amazing. Do we need a third? Don't answer that.

So, here are some of my favorite things, because being a girl can be so fun. (If you are a man, this concludes your creeping time. Risk testosterone loss otherwise, some of you really can't afford that. "Just saying.")


"Happiness in a bottle"-

Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat (you will be quite the entrancing siren if you bring this home to your husband)
Apothic Red Wine (use your aerator, quite yummy)
Bogle Sauvignon Blanc (or "Sav Blanc" if you're a trendy wine connoisseur)


I love pretty things, and things that really sort of make you feel like a million bucks. There's so much out there, so I thought I'd just put my favorites down and you can take it for what its worth. For me, these are tried and true...

Bare Minerals foundation.
Bamboo application brush (found mine at TJ Maxx. LOVE that place)
Loreal True Match blush in Sweet Ginger (not too pink.)
Maybelline Eye Studio pod liner in black, with application wand. So fun, you just dip it in and "paint" it on. I say paint, but its not runny stuff. Just like regular liner. You get the picture)
CoverGirl brown eyeliner pencil (I use it to make my brows look nice and thick. Really, this can only look right combined with the eyebrow brush to smooth away to avoid the painted geisha look. ha. I may just like mine more au natural...)
Maybelline "The Falsies" in waterproof very black.
Physician's Formula concealer in yellow (I have dark undereye circles)
And of course, eyelash curler. Girl can't be caught without that.
Almay Intense I-color (I mean really, just follow the directions on the back. They even color coded this to compliment your eye color with the best shades for your eye)

I'm not saying I'm a makeup artist, or even an amateur makeup artist. Girls like to share their beauty secrets. Period.

HURR. Everyone has it. Everyone likes shiny and manageable. My stylist today told me I have Pantene hair. Have I mentioned how much I love this girl? She's so great anyways, but when she said that...it was like...like we were sisters...

Possibly the BEST hair regimen gifted to (wo)man. Truly. I don't even need to use anything else besides these three things for shiny, extremely healthy hair.

Burt's Bees Super Shiny Shampoo
Clear Total Care Conditioner (this you can even massage into your scalp. They're breaking all the rules with this one. I feel like I'm walking on the wild side)
Chi Silk Infusion (There are no words for how much I love this stuff. They even put a little Calvin Klein perfume in it to make it smell good. YES!!)


My favorite at home Workout, because I desire killer thighs and butt:
HERE

Victoria's Secret Hair Tutorial:
HERE

This girl is just gorg anyways.

And quite possibly one of the best love stories written:
Anna Karenina by Tolstoy

Extremely long, I'm not even done with it, but I keep coming back to it. People just don't write like this any more, every facet of life is explained for each character, and the propriety and charm during the early 1900's is incomparable to anything presently. I find nothing more exquisite than the way they dress, talk, treat one another, or even their daily schedules. Ahh to be born of the wrong generation...

Favorite Shows/Series:

Downton Abbey (1900's, much like the book I just described)
The Tudors (Netflix that baby. Henry Tudor and his lovely entourage. Much like 50 Shades, keep this hush hush to yourself. You're welcome ;))
Duck Dynasty (Hey, I'm married. He likes it. We're from the South. Its hilarious.)

Big NO-NO's:

A Christmas Story (the original DVD cut. Not appropriate for anyone under 10!! Clear as a bell my 6 and 3 year old heard "Son of a B*tch!!" from the 8 or 9 year old main character. I didn't even remember that. I guess I always watched the tv version..)

Home Body Wax (I have a... "friend"...who tried this. "She" attempted her first brazilian wax at home, because she was horrified at the thought of someone else doing it. "She" later confessed suffering from a bruised vagina. "She" would also warn anyone else not to do this at home...) I would assume its much like cutting your own bangs. Please, PLEASE let a professional do it!!!

Okay, and my favorite new tool:

I don't even know what its called. Wait I do, its called "AMAZING". I'm sure of it. My stylist introduced me to it, you scrunch your hair down on the crown of your head moving backwards one inch wide sections at a time with it, and you get big beautiful southern hair with it. So pretty and chic looking. On the top layer you smooth it down, but not brushing through so you don't deflate it. I always wondered how to create that pretty look!!

I'm also going to start trying out lipsticks. Lipstick scares me, I've always done gloss but I'm trying to branch out and try new things. Here's a red. The fabulous makeup artist Bobbi Brown says one or two shades darker than your natural lip color is perfect. And, if you're olive complected like I am, a deep red is a daring and fun look. Read it HERE.

I'm also loving the leopard print scarf, black leggings and brown riding boots look. Ahh, its good to be a girl. Or a woman. Or that painful spot in your life where you're not old enough to be a "woman" but sound creepy if you call yourself a girl. Aka: age 24-29.

Peace love.
Kes

Kestan spews sardonically, licking her lips from the spit bursting forth with her crude and hateful tone.

What is it about doing things with the second child, and realizing it was so much more fun with the first? Is that just how it works? Lillian and I are doing "school" a few days a week, working from a pre-k book and doing flashcards, then discussing days of the week and weather on our (handmade!)chart. Teaching Addie was always so new, so fun, and I loved it all. While its still enjoyable to see her little mind at work, and to know the wheels are turning by observing her week to week, there are moments like this that make me...cringe...for lack of a better word. (Insert video I can't figure out how to upload, in combination of lack of patience for such things this close to my 10pm bed time) I've been crafting up a storm lately, making fun chevron projects and bows. A little over a month or so ago the owner of Vintage Crush found me on etsy and asked me if I'd like to put some things in their new boutique. Of course, extremely excited and flattered that someone would ask ME to put MY items in THEIR shop, I said yes. We're doing things on a trial basis, put some things in their shop and see how it goes for a few weeks before I know for sure if it will be a more constant thing. It turns out her husband actually runs the shop, and he used to be a project manager at walmart before quitting to make this dream of theirs come true. He's very nice, very easy to talk to, and REALLY enjoys visiting. Like, really. I almost feel I should bring my porch rocking chair and gallon of sweet tea to the shop to make it a proper setting for the conversations we have. I know about his wife, his two year old, his house that flooded, the crafter that he had to let go (who was also a personal friend of theirs), his previous position, his hours he spent doing it, how much it costs to add a shopping tab to your facebook shop page, his bank account, social secur...well, you get the picture. Just a really trusting, good natured guy. I love people like that, honestly. Addie wants to be a cheerleader, and will be going to a "cheer clinic" next week. I get to watch her give their surprise performance next Thursday at a game! She practices after school for three days before the game. Part of me screams "NO!!! NO KESLYN!! REMEMBER THE CHEERLEADERS YOU KNEW ABOUT!! HOW THEY SECRETLY LAUGHED AT YOU WHEN YOU TRIED OUT AND FAILED, AND PROVIDED NO TISSUES FOR YOUR UNDESERVING TEARS!! NOBODY UNDERSTANDS LATE BLOOMERS IN HIGH SCHOOL!!! YOU SHOULD BE GLAD YOU WERE CORRUPTED LATE!!" yada yada yada...and I know this is the same for Doug, because he was the football player that dated THOSE cheerleaders in high school, or at least was the communal "scratching" post for all those vixen felines, whose hormones were shocked into action the very second he turned the hall corner. Or so he puts it. (I can so just see him hamming it up, and if it was even around at the time, quoting "Laters, Baby" with a wink. Bahahaha...) I can hardly poke fun, I remember being the "exotic looking new girl from Southside (considered a preppy school at the time, certainly false advertising that maybe I fit in there at all) who captured all the tenth grade boys' hearts (obviously because I was a year older, and older chicks are hot when you're a tenth grader)". Or something to that effect. What was my point? Oh, right...cheering-totally on the fence about it.

Yummy recipe we tried recently, salmon stuffed tomatoes!! The stuffing also had orzo, cucumber, and ranch. It was a great summer recipe, so light and fresh!! I'm making dog food. Every bit of that sentence is true. Don't laugh. I feel like such a freaking hippie, and Doug already thinks I'm all hippie anyways...but apparently this is cool, because its a part of "self-sustainability", which he is ALL about. But seriously, who makes dog food? "Well SURE, go ahead and start telling people you're doing something as STUPID as making your own dog food. Like they don't already think you're ridiculous, or trying to make up for something you are apparently and obviously lacking. 'Oh my gosh, I'm so perfect, I never do anything wrong, look at all I have, and my perfect children, and my husband who lets me stay at home, and all these nice friends, and my crafting abilities, and how I like to cook, and now look, I can make dog food...' JUST BUY THE DAMN FOOD AT WALMART LIKE EVERY OTHER NORMAL PERSON!!!!", Kestan spews sardonically, licking her lips from the spit bursting forth with her crude and hateful tone. (she's whipping her head around, using that fake high shrill voice like Annie (Kristen Wiig) from Bridesmaids, just before being pulled over because she's swerving as she's making fun of the 'perfect' Helen)

Would I lie to you? Want to know what's in it? Soooo easy, I portion out her correct daily recommended portions and freeze them. Here's the kicker, I warm it by nuking chicken broth in the microwave (so she doesn't get thirtsy, she's not been drinking as much water since starting the home diet) and pouring it over her food. Noooooow you can make fun of me :) No more fat sausage chihuahua!! Home Diet Totally looking forward to meal swap again, if you haven't actually tried it before, I really encourage you to give it a whirl with some of your friends. Its SOOO handy when life gets busy, and its sort of like someone has made you dinner, but you don't have to sit and have awkward chat with them!! :D haha Want to know what I've been reading? Where We Belong-Emily Giffin Perks of Being a Wallflower-Stephen Chbosky (total hipster book) East of Eden-John Steinbeck (definitely recommend) The Age of Innocence- Edith Wharton (definitely recommend) Game of Thrones- George R. R. Martin (good so far) I'll close with a line I've used recently that will make everyone instantly feel like better parents, which is the sole purpose of spilling my guts about the days nobody enjoys... "You had BETTER listen, or I will COME AT YOU...and it WON'T BE TO GIVE YOU A HUG!!!!!" hahah...you're welcome. You may now enjoy random pictures of sleeping wild children and other things I felt like uploading. :)

This is Addie after school, unfortunately exhausted like this at the end of the week because of the outrageous amount of time she has to spend away from me...

This is Lillian, on the way to pick Addie up, unfortunately exhausted because she has to pick up before said sister (who has to spend an outrageous amount of time away from her momma during the week).

Blue chevron bag I made, at Vintage Crush...

"Addie, DON'T BE A WEIRDO. Kids don't like that."

It's been SO long since I've blogged, and its all changed up. Bear with me, so hate change!! This summer has been so unexpectantly busy, and MAN I'm so glad to finally be slowing down!! Because its been so long, I'll just give updates in bullet points to highlight the good stuff :) -We went to Minnesota and spent a week with the WHOLE family, which meant 15-ish of us together in a 5 bedroom house, with one bathroom!!

-I turned 27...NOT 28. I've been telling people all year I'll be 28. -AquaBloom has been doing awesome, featured in an online magazine with 17k+ readers. I've been pretty busy with it, and even had to beg help from my SIL. Feeling like God knows when I need to slow down, I have a break from projects and am catching my breath...may even attempt a book I've had for a bit!! -Doug got a raise!! He's also been recruited for the HDUP team, which (from what I understand) will be a new system Walmart will run on. It will be more technical, but maybe different hours. SO praying about which path is right for us as a family!! -Doug ALSO got accepted at JBU as a business undergrad!! He found out not only will this put his masters in business within 3 years reach, but it will also be covered by his GI bill, which means he will be going through graduation for free!! We will only pay for the masters program. PTL!! -I've applied for my Indian Blood Card, and expect it soon. My mom finally got through the application process, she's been researching forever and had trouble since she was adopted and there were apparently some not so great people on staff for a while at Alaska's Indian Affairs. I don't totally know what it means, aside from possibly being able to have help with college for both of the girls. -Addie started kindergarten!! Short update on that in a minute :)

-Lillian turned 3!!! (Well, Tuesday she will. We already celebrated!)

Whew, that seems like a lot!! Addie starting kindergarten was a combination of about 3 weeks of stress. I couldn't imagine sharing her with the world, watching her become calloused to the way it really is, and having to toughen up. I just want everyone to see the light in her, is that too much to ask? She's such a special girl, and everyone loves her personality, I feel like she's been exposed well enough to the right people and is growing just like I want her to...now its 7 hours a day (which is more than I get with her during the day now) in a classroom where I don't know EXACTLY what's going on. I don't want to micro-manage...I swear...I just want to push the mean kids down and do all her work for her... Walking through the halls one day, we trailed some pretty menacing kids, who were OBVIOUSLY not hugged enough...little thugs in training. (Having children of my own, I now realize the thug life is NOT cool, as previously thought with my gang signs and smoking I used to do as a bad ass in my past life.) Hoodlum "A" had close cut hair, with a 2 inch rattail. He was wearing the classic red and black hoodrat ensemble. Need I say more? I am NOT judging... Hoodlum "B" was equally as menacing, slightly more pleasantly plump and tall, wearing a black collared shirt with tiny crossbones scattered about. No doubt wreckless. They had the thug walk down, I have all faith this will be perfected in the years to come. We turned the corner and walked straight toward a couple leading their youngest around. She was wearing a Minnie Mouse tank top. He was wearing a McDonald's bright red shirt. AGAIN, I am NOT judging... I'm just trying to create a picture for those of my friends whose children are attending a private school, or homeschooling. This is the very reason I have a GREAT dislike for bringing my little flower we've raised and tended to, to school. Do you KNOW how much a private christian school is? $4,500/year. Homeschooling looks appealing right now. Don't judge. I've been concerned about Addie making friends and feeling secure in her classroom, so I always ask her routine questions, like: Who did you play with? Were they nice to you? What did you play? (and of course, Did you potty? Did you each all your lunch? Were you hot? Was the teacher nice to you? What did you do today? What was your special class? ...why are you not talking to me any more?!) I believe she might be boy crazy. She tells me constantly about two girls in her class who have boyfriends (UHM.) I was sad to learn nobody played with her on the playground. Like only a mother can be sad about that. Then she told me she was spying on a boy on the playground and following him around, because he looked like Lewis from Meet The Robinsons movie...

And she just HAD to see him and watch what he was doing. I immediately imagined her being that little creeper kid, who is quiet and spies oddly on other children, who in turn don't know what to think of the kid who darts back and forth in the jungle gym and won't just PLAY... "Addie, DON'T BE A WEIRDO. Kids don't like that." A friend jokingly told me she thinks Lillian might be Kestan incarnate...I'm beginning to see it, her faces are exactly how I feel sometimes...

She's been SO good since Addie started school. We've done our own "school", she's much brighter than I gave her credit. Second child syndrome. When we leave Addie at school in the mornings, they give the biggest hugs to each other, Addie picks her up off the floor, and sets her down, holding her face they bonk foreheads, then she tells her see her later (tear!!). I hope they are always that close!! Lillian cried for her the second day, just a couple of hours after drop off: "I miss Addie, I want Addie!!" through teary eyes. Le sigh.. I've been shutting Kestan up with oatmeal cream pies, brownies, and cookies lately. Sometimes she scours the cabinets for chocolate chips when I forget to grab more of her "special mommy snacks" (which she eats in a closet-like manner, sitting the children down to a show and quietly opening the wrappers, making as little noise as possible in the kitchen). Then she turns the finger and points at me, yelling (which chocolate bits in her teeth, very fattish and snide) "No WONDER you don't have energy!! And you think those ITWORKS wraps are going to solve it all!!!" (for the record, I'm sure if I keep trying the wraps more than once, it WILL work. Mind over body, mind over body...wait...mind over body BEFORE I eat...BEFORE...) So, I might start training for the Color Run in November in Little Rock!! Hint hint, someone sign up with me!!!!!

Wrapping it up now to put the peanuts in bed, plus I just got more oatmeal cream pies and they're calling my name... Keslyn(/tan) P.S. I apologize to any of you who had to endure my humor before I realized I'm not allowed to joke like a fat man. You simply cannot yell "Uhh, Happy Birthday!!!" to your mommy's group ladies on GNO, motioning to yourself up and down like you're a birthday gift because of your presence. You'll just come off as a snotty biz. That joking is exclusively for fat men, because it doesn't work for fat women, much less a petite girl who likes to get frilly and wear her coach purse. You'll just look like an ass. Dually noted, again, my apologies... P.P.S. I didn't actually tell Addie to quit being a weirdo. I told that to Doug and he said "Wow, great motherly advice!!". It was obviously a joke. I love my kid. Really.

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