All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.

Without a doubt, the one physical attribute that gets the most attention on me are my teeth. I have huge, relatively white, straight teeth. Oh my god you guys, what you don't know...my mouth is a big hot mess.

What I am about to tell you will probably make you run directly to your dentist. I've always taken pretty good care of my teeth. I brush twice a day, floss a few times a week. I had braces when I was in grade school and would go to the dentist when my mom would take me. I actually liked going and having my teeth gleam when I left.

Around my sophomore year in high school, I remember my dentist starting to comment on my gums and how they were receding. They began watching them, closely. The next few years they talked about surgery on my gums. I just kept saying that they weren't that bad, that I could wait another year.

Somewhere in there, I went on a spring break trip to Miami Beach to visit my favorite cousin. While we were there he told us that he had just had gum surgery. He hadn't been able to eat much besides super soft foods. His mouth was starting to feel somewhat healed and he was ready to eat! He took us to one of his favorite Italian restaurants and we started with bread. Crusty, delicious, Italian bread. He was being so careful. And then he wasn't. He told us that his stiches had opened. I promptly stood up, walked myself to the restroom, and passed out. On the bathroom floor. Out. My imagination had gone wild and I could just picture what was going on in his mout. Blood. Pain. Gross. But also, I knew I had the same thing in store.

I went to the dentist a few more times, each time with more anxiety about what I'd hear. Then, I stopped. Straight up, just didn't go anymore.

I moved to Florida and didn't want to search out a good dentist.
I got pregnant.
I was busy with a toddler.
I got pregnant again.
I had two kids at home.
I was too busy taking my kids to their dental appointments.

I had all the excuses. I have run out of excuses. It's been 7 years since I've been and I 'd like to keep the teeth that are currently living in my mouth.

Tomorrow I'm starting over. I am seeing a new dentist and I'm ready to face the music. I'll do whatever I need to do- It just better not entail dentures that click when I chew.

I'm Baaaa-aack!

Hi there. How are you? Your hair looks pretty today. Is that shirt new-- It makes your boobs look really perky.

I've missed this, so damn much. I took off when my family found out about my blog and started reading. I tried to keep writing every now and then but I found myself censoring like crazy. And me and censoring, we're like oil and water. It became a chore rather than an outlet.

Now that time has past, I'm hoping that most of them have lost interest and I can write about what's been going on in my little world.

I've got stories. I've got pictures. I've got plans! Are you ready? Things could get crazy up in here...

Purple, Violet, Lavender

Today is a purple sort of day at our house.




We are remembering a sweet little girl who was born a little too early and left a lot too early. We are thinking of the Spohr family today and wishing them strength and peace. We are there in spirit!

Special Report

Let's face it, I am a Martha wannabe. I cook. I bake (thus leading to my ass problem). I need to throw myself into a project every once in a while.
Sometimes my projects don't get finished. Like the one time I had a rummage sale and decided that I had to sell my dining room pictures and do something new and fresh. I sold them for 5 dollars each. The wall is so damn bare, 2 years later, not so much as a shadow on it- Except for the two screws sticking out that remind me everyday of my project failure.
Sometimes though, my projects turn out! And sometimes they turn out so well that I exhume my buried blog to show you! I am not sure how I got the idea. I just know that I was dropping off boxes of things at Goodwill to declutter my home and the next thing I know, I am driving home with two sticky, gross chairs knowing that I wanted them to be pretty again.

I paid 5.99 for each chair.


They were barely worth that.

I stripped them down, sanded them and tried to make them pretty again...

I think it worked!


If you look closely, they are by no means perfect. But they make me happy. I made something so very old and dingy look bright and fun again!

Now if I could just keep my kids and their sticky little fingers off of them...

Adios.

It's time. After over three years I am closing up shop. I have my reasons and I am sad to let my one true outlet go. The one thing I do for me and no one else. I am thankful that I met so many amazing people; many that I consider real friends. I'll miss you guys.

Ann

The Mind of Crazy

Why didn't I remember how totally bonkers the second year is? I swear your mind does something to make you forget, ON PURPOSE. The screaming. The tantrums. The hair pulling. Should I go on? The biting. The spitting. Wait? Have I mentioned the spitting before? The spitting is so lovely, especially when it is done in public to show her dissaproval with the current situation. Mason is nearing 5 and still cannot figure out how to spit his toothpaste so Harpers spitting was one thing she learned all by herself! Whee!

This morning she wanted me to put her shoes on. I put them both on and tied the left on like she wanted. I moved over to the right one and tied it when all hell broke loose. I should have known. Why didn't I know that I should've only tied one shoe? The screaming and crying went on for a good 10 minutes until I offered her a bite of my LIFE. Cereal. But it is ironic isn't it? That she just wanted a bite of my LIFE!

Thankfully though, she is incredibly funny.


She loves to dance, she prefers Dance or Techno. The Hell?

She tells me to stop singing all the time. But also asks me to "sing Nacho", her favorite song from Nacho Libre.

I try not to gush, but The Girl is beautiful. Sometimes I just stare at her in awe.



And the dimples? We have no idea where those came from, but when she smiles, I forget about all those other things.



Well, except the spitting.

Let's Move on Now!

Wow, glad that is over. Now I can move on to something a little less nauseating.

Mike and I finished our third week of running. All is still going well except for raging shin splints. I've been icing when we get home and on days when I feel like I might cry from the pain I take a few Ibuprofen. Is there anything else I should be doing?

I've been cooking up a storm lately too. Since it has been getting colder I've gone back to making a huge vat of soup each week. First I made a Roasted Butternut Squash soup that was so fantastic! Of course we gobbled it down in two days. I tried to make it again and it tasted like ass. That's what I get for not taking recipes seriously! The first time, the time it was phenomenal, I took photos while I made it.



On a baking sheet I cut up a huge carrot, a Butternut squash, an onion and an apple. I drizzled them all with olive oil, salt and pepper and a tiny bit of nutmeg and baked at 425 for around 45 minutes. Really I am not even sure about the time I just kept checking with a fork to see if it was mushie. Because mushie means done for this stuff.

When I got to that stage, I threw everything into a blender and added chicken stock. I then moved everything back into a big stock pot and noticed it still needed more stock so I added more with a few pats of butter. It was smooth and velvety and my kids couldn't get enough!



You really should try this stuff if you can handle squash at all. It warms your insides and screams fall!



How's that for a change of topic?