Listen Up, Guys...

What not to say to a woman you've apparently been stalking:

"Pardon me for saying, but you are REALLY CUTE and probably married, huh? Don't worry, I'm not following you. Ha. Ha."

First of all, telling a woman she's CUTE isn't going to get you anywhere. Confirming that you've been stalking her by denying it certainly doesn't help matters.

Hubby thinks I should be flattered and carry some pepper spray along with an air horn.

Randomness...

First of all, today I heart Home Depot. Yes, the man store. I rarely go in there but Saturday was family day which means we are velcroed to each other for the entire day. That includes barber shop and the man store.

Last spring we got the hankerin (I'm Texan, ya'll) for a propane fire pit. The one we like was tall with a bar around it...for hot cocoa of course...and the pit was in the middle. $299. No thanks! Then hubby saw it this summer. $129. Ooooh...maybe. How bad do we want/need it? Not enough.

This weekend while searching for a spring loaded hinge at the man store, we saw the cool propane fire pit. For FIFTY SIX DOLLARS.

It looks really awesome in our back yard.

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I've never given a music review but I have to now. Did you watch the AMA's? Or did you flip channels and come across the New Kids On The Block trying out new sounds with their old songs? Me too!

Did you cringe? Did you laugh as Donnie Wahlberg attempted to rap to Right Stuff? Did you wonder if he's a wee bit jealous that Marky Mark grew up and is a talented director/producer?

Me too! Sadness, really. Movie sequels are rarely good but boy band sequels? Eeee... From 15+ years ago? Eeeeyew.

Stay in your decades, people! Let our memories remain as fluffy as your hair was, k?

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A child gang is after my daughter. They are ages 5, 9 and 10. They ride in front our house either on their bikes or their heelys (for you geezers, those are tennis shoes with wheels). Used to, they waited to pounce when the my girls ride their bikes in the driveway. Bella gleefully skips up to them to pick flower weeds, talk about school, run up and down the grass at the front of our yard.

Then dear husband hovered on the porch while Bella socialized for a good HOUR yesterday. WHAT? Doesn't he know that just sets us up for begging in the future??

Then today the door bell rang at 1pm. Ava was napping. I peeked out. The gang leader, 5 year old Justin, was jumping up to ring it again. I wished them away with all my might. Then he rang the dang bell 5 more times! This time I opened the door and his backup, 9 year old sister, was there. She merely said "It's us."

And?

Then she asked if "that girl" could come play. At least know her name!

I don't know that I'll ever let my children just run hog wild like these kids do and like I did when I was a kid. Not sure if that mama knows but these are far different times!

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Ava should just be nicknamed Mini B. She walks, talks and acts like Bella. Many say she looks like her too. But I wouldn't know as of late because this is all I see:

Something in the air...

I don't know how but it is not humanly possible for me to ever leave Target without having given them a hundred bucks.

I went in today with a list for 10 things. TEN. Then the One Spot drew me in. $5 there. No biggie. Then the sale rack for the OshKosh Genuine Kids (my favorite for the girls!). $11 there (one striped pant, 2 polka dot leggings). Not bad, eh?

The rest is a blur. All I know is that when it came to checkout time, my eyebrows shot up as the register did. $104.23.

DANGIT ALL!

That target logo is really hypnotic spend all-your-money trickery. I'm on to them now! HAHAHA!

So....see you next week with my hundred?

Oh, Thanksgiving Tree?

I'm chomping at the bit to decorate for Christmas. I think our home is it's prettiest when decked out in reds, golds, velvets and greenery. A crackling fire, evergreen candles, Christmas music classics played quietly in the background.

Love. It.

It is tradition for us to begin decorating the weekend of Thanksgiving. I just don't know if I can wait that long!

Plus our house is super duper clean because friends came over yesterday for a playdate. Their kids and mine, not us adults playing Barbie or anything. Though that might've been fun.

With all this cleanliness and lack of dust bunnies around me, it would be the best time to drag down the attic boxes of Christmas goods, dontcha think?

My friend, C, has a very Southern Living decorated home. It is picture perfect and I get jealous. I imagine any woman who enters her home leaves with decorating ideas and just a weensy bit of love/hate. (Kidding, C!)

Anyway, she takes about a week to decorate for Christmas. Any excuse I have during the holiday season to get inside her house is a good one. Decorated trees in every room! Greenery draped in the most perfect places. Stockings hung by the chimney with care. Sick. Like, awesome sick!

Not only that, C bakes Christmas goodies. Mmmhmmm. Feeling the love/hate yet?

If I could nominate her for one of those Better Homes & Gardens contests to show off her skillz, I would. Then she would love/hate me!

Though I'll be waiting until Thanksgiving weekend to decorate, you can bet your bottom that I will be accidentally on purpose visiting her home for more ideas. Copycat friendships are healthy, right?

Super!

Kidbits...

(Since Bella isn't really a toddler anymore, I think these snippets of funny should be retitled, don't you?)

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Bella surprised me this week by spelling "STOP" upon seeing the sign. I was delighted and we celebrated with lots of commotion on our drive to school.

After school, I got a good giggle.

Bella: Mom! I spelled "STOP" for all my friends and teachers. They were amazed. And guess what? (my children's favorite question) Mitchell can spell "STOP" too but WITHOUT USING HIS WORDS!

Her eyes were big as saucers with amazement at his tremendous gift of spelling. I asked her how that can be. She replied that he spells it with his mouth closed and points in the air for each letter.

She was so mad at me for laughing with his mother as I told her about her it. Ooops.

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Ava: Mama! Guess what! Mmmnn*inaudible* an hoses (horses) take NAPS!

Me: Yes, they do!

Ava: Mama! Guess what! Mmmnn*again with the inaudible* an hoses EAT!

Oookay...this could go on all afternoon, couldn't it?

Ava: Mama! Guess what!...

Me: Look, Ava! Want a piece of gum?

Works every time.

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Halloween was pretty low key but fun. We went with a bunch of other kids to two nursing homes. Yes, two. We're greedy? Let me just say though, that not all nursing homes are created equal and it is not only sad but really stinky (in the lesser of the two).

Even the little ones learned quickly how the trick or treat gig works. In fact, Ava's new little partner in crime would just help herself as long as the nice lady held out the basket. Considering most of these sweet people didn't move too fast, she got plenty of goods.

Ava polished off the candy as soon as it hit her bucket. Bella was too busy twirling and whirling, keeping tabs on friends and hitting up the lady by the popcorn machine for more (oddly enough, the dear woman was giving each kid that passed two kernels of popcorn as their treat).

The kids partied like it was 2008, gobbled up whatever amount of candy their tiny tummies would allow, then crashed before anyone could think about evening festivities. Fine by us. They didn't need those chocolates, caramels or gummy severed fingers anyway. Just let Mommy and Daddy take care of it all, my sweets.