A Few of My Favorite Things

This post is dedicated to a few of my favorite things I have come across over the past few months! Stuff I love, need and want...because I am a woman...and I am greedy! Let's face it, there is a difference between products you use and products you use that you love and can't live without! These are products that I don't want to live without! (And I always love to hear what everyone else is using and LOVING. So, if you have something please share.)

Two words: Sephora and BeautiControl.
First up---- Sephora......

I really don't need to say anymore...but in the case you don't know what I am talking about, you are missing out. I wandered into the store last Friday and ended up having a great conversation with a young lady who works for Urban Decay. She was visiting Sephora to talk with customers and check up on product displays. She not only gave me some great ideas for their products but pointed me in the direction of a great tinted moisturizer. I was introduced to a line of products I probably would have never paid much attention to...but now adore.

Go online to http://www.sephora.com/ or sprint to a store nearby! (Sephora is also having a huge blowout (75% off) on the Bourjois line of make up)

Laura Mercier - Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer (More coverage than I expected)

Laura Mercier - Lip Stain in "Mulberry" (my new favorite lip color that does not kiss off and feels good)

Laura Mercier - Stick Gloss in "Brown Sugar" (Yummy Color)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer (Which I also use on my lips to keep stuff on my lips)

Urban Decay Brow Box in "Beige Betty" (It's a lighter shade than I would have tried on my own, but it actually makes me brows look more natural)

Second up ------ BeautiControl.....

I was introduced to these spa products in July when I hosted a spa party for my sister. If you are interested in learning more go to her website at http://www.beautipage.com/beautiaesthetics/index.asp or e-mail at beautiaesthetics@yahoo.com . (She is offering 25% off all orders through 9/30/08. Tell her Katie sent ya!)

Herbal Serenity Body Scrub (The absolute best body scrub ever... which I also use for shaving)

Show of Hands Instant Manicure (I use this almost every night before bed and its a great hand massage. I would hand this out to everyone for Christmas or birthdays its that good)

Spa Warming Trend Green Tea Masque (Feels great right after I clean my face)

Do You Remember....

What you were doing on this day 7 years ago?
I think most everyone can...and I like hearing others recall their experience.
I was 4 months pregnant with Simon and I remember getting up late for work that morning. It was after 6:30am and I was in the kitchen making French Toast. Luke flipped on the "Today Show" (as usual) and was sitting on the coffee table, getting dressed for work. I am flipping my breakfast and Luke says to me "Thats the World Trade Center!" I had no idea what he was talking about and continued making my breakfast. He continued mumbling a few things and seemed to be startled by what he was watching. This got my attention so I stopped making breakfast and headed closer to the TV. We stood there and watched the live footage of NYC and the replay of the planes crashing into the buildings.
The rest of the day is etched in my mind. (As my husband says, I always remember the "trivial garbage.")
I work for a large oil company and the news was playing in all of the conference rooms. I sat down at my desk but couldn't get into "work mode." There are hundreds of people in the building and no one seemed to be working. Groups were gathered in conference rooms with no lights on watching the news. Some were just sitting at their desk reading headlines from the Web or listening to their radio.
I can remember picking up China Bistro (barf) for lunch and bringing it home to watch the news some more. I had a terrible headache and I cried for the first time all day. I was having the same thoughts every US citizen was having.
Not the best day that I can recall, but when I see how far we have come since that day, it makes me very proud to be an American. I will never forget this day, not just because of the pain and suffering...but because there were so many heroes on this day. Where would we be without heroes.....?

Would You Wear This?

This is the question of the day?

I saw this shirt in the October issue of "Fitness Magazine." I didn't "get it" at first so I showed the article/picture to Luke and he chuckled....and then had to explain it to me. (I must live a sheltered!) :)

Anyways, after he explained what the shirt meant I thought it was cute. At least its for a good cause. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and along with the good information that is circulated I always enjoy seeing all of the interesting (pink) gear that companies market.

To see more products that support breast cancer awareness and are mentioned in Fitness Magazine.com go to http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/conditions/breast-cancer/fitness-products-that-support-breast-cancer-research/

How Rich is the Tooth Fairy?

This is the million dollar question in our house this weekend!

Simon lost his 3rd tooth on Friday night (at a friend's birthday party of all places).... but it seemed like a bigger deal than normal because it was his first top tooth to come out. Luke and I didn't discuss monetary "compensation" for this tooth and since Luke went to a late movie that night, I was left to put the boys to bed and make the tooth "swap." I took a buck out of my wallet and felt this was sufficient. Simon woke me up bright and early Saturday and showed me his little plastic bag that previously held his tooth. When I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes I could see a five dollar billed.... and mama's original one dollar bill folded up next to it. Simon declares, "The tooth fairy left me six dollars!!!"

When I found Luke a few minutes later I gave him "the look." If you are a woman you know what "the look" is. Its the look that means "what the heck were you thinking?" When Simon leaves the room this conversation takes place:

Luke: "How much did the tooth fairy leave you when you were a kid?"

Katie: "I don't know..... I can't remember. Maybe 50 cents.."

Luke: Okay... that was 30 years ago. You have to adjust for inflation!"

Katie: (Thinking to myself, "it was only 20-25 years ago, thank you very much.") Rolled my eyes and decided it was not worth a battle. "OK...Whatever."

I am glad that Simon was excited, but I need to know what the going rate for a "beaver" is these days. (Yes, at my house, we have always called teeth "beavers." At bedtime or in the morning I say "Come here and brush your beavers." Call me weird.....it wouldn't be the first time!)

So, if you are reading this post, you have a moral obligation as a parent to share your tooth fairy secrets! I need to know. I think 6 bucks was a little steep, but was a buck too cheap? Do I give more for certain teeth??

My deeper question is do I encourage Simon to pay tithing on his tooth fairy money??? When I asked him this question yesterday he wasn't too happy about it, but I got 60 cents out of him just the same. Am I the tooth fairy Nazi? Is my son going to be scarred for life every time he gets a visit from the tooth fairy? :)

Thank Goodness for "Old" Friends!

What defines an "old" friend?

I am not really sure, but I know who my two oldest friends are: Jenny and Julie.

Jenny lives about an hour from me and Julie lives about 8 miles away. But I don't see either of them as often as I like. Today I had the pleasure of having lunch with Jenny for the first time since she has moved back to the valley. It was fun to catch up on friends and family...and laugh. Nothing can make me laugh like storytelling with an old friend.

When lunch was about over and it was time to part ways, Jenny asked me if I remembered the trip to the Las Vegas Temple dedication in 1989 and taking pictures in the photo booth at the movie theater. I did remember.... and in fact, I was able to dig out the snapshots after I got home! Wa-la!

So, this post is a tribute to my "old" friend and good memories I have from the Lake! Once I started digging out photos I couldn't stop!!

Warning: The below pictures are going to make you laugh hysterically....

because frankly, some of them are darn scary. (What was I thinking when I did my hair...and got dressed every morning??)

Las Vegas Temple Trip - Dec 1989

Las Vegas trip - Dec 1989

8th grade dance? Nice dresses....

Julie and Katie - 7th grade??

8th Grade Dance - Am I high??

Julie, Katie and Dustin - 4th grade Halloween

Wallace Jr High - 1990

What was I wearing??

My dear friend Sarah!!

Sadie Hawkins - Freshman Year

My new college roomies - my sister Sarah and Leah

Super Bowl 1995 - Go Chargers!

Julie's Wedding - Kristi, Mollie, and Amy

Who Wants to Be My Friend.....I Missed the NKOTB on the Today Show..and Other Misc. Crap!

Friendship Bread (or Amish Friendship Bread)!

My boys are addicted and I have been making it every 10 days since April. When I think about it, thats a lot of bread. The standard recipe calls for vanilla pudding. But why use vanilla when I can use chocolate ....and add lots of mini chocolate chips. Anyways, if you are familiar with the recipe, I am supposed to make 3 bags of starter dough and give it to 3 friends. BUT...being I am selfish (and a pig) I usually keep them for myself. But, I have decided last night that my family doesn't need this much bread anymore...plus I am a little burnt out. So, I have 2 starter bags available if anyone wants to be my "friend." Just let me know! If you want to see the recipe, here it is: http://www.armchair.com/recipe/bake002.html

OK...on to more important matters of business. A friend left a comment on a previous post which states she is watching the NKOTB on the Today Show. Comments on my blog always go to my work e-mail. So, one minute I am working diligently, the next my mouth is hanging open and I am trying to find my friend's number so I can find out what the heck is going on. They were SUPPOSED to perform on Monday morning, but the stupid hurricane in New Orleans somehow overruled a performance in NYC. How that happens I don't know....but it did. So, they must have rescheduled for today (and didn't tell anyone). If you have read my previous post on the NKOTB you recall that I missed their first reunion performance on the Today Show in May because my satellite went out. Now I am forced to "YouTube" the performance from today. Arrrrrrrrr!!!

Lastly, has anyone tried ice skating before? I had visions of it being a lot easier than it actually was. I made one whole lap around the rink on Monday before I gave up and gave back the borrowed ice skates. I even borrowed a "walker" that a friend's son was using to make his way around. That lasted a few feet before I figured out it was easier to just hold on to the side of the wall and look like a fool!

.

Okay..I lied. I have another item of business.....FOOD. More specifically, Baja Fresh's -Taco Trio and Chili's Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers!

Baja Fresh - I received some coupons in the mail from this joint and decided to hang on to them just in case (I am a pack rat)! I am not a huge Baja Fresh fan, but have to tell you that I have a new craving and surprisingly it comes from Baja Fresh. If anyone else is like me, I find things I like and I eat them for every meal...or at least everyday. (It could explain the extra 5 pounds I am packing this month. Hmmmm) This trio comes with one steak, one chicken and one shrimp taco. But they aren't your average taco. When I order this trio I don't get the steak. My husband LOVES the shrimp taco and asks for some of their fis sauce on the side. Its delicious. Try it out. If they try to charge you extra for ordering 2 or 3 shrimp tacoes instead of getting one of each, just tell them that you weren't charged extra last time! :) I think I get a different total every time I order!

Chili's - These babies are not new to the menu (I don't think), but I just found them. The sauce is delicious and again, I could eat them for every meal. I would be poor, (big as a house) and unable to make my mortgage, but it would be worth it!!

Conversations of the Day

(Before school this morning)
Mama: "You're having hot lunch today."
Simon: "Whats for hot lunch?"
Mama: "Chili Mac"
Simon: "Is it hot or cold?"
Mama: (With a strange look on my face) "It's hot."
Simon: "Then why is it called chilly?"


This is why I wish these boys would never grow up!! These are some of my favorite conversations!

(I just picked Sawyer up from school)

Sawyer: "Brett and Cooper said a bad word today!"
Mama: (I first ponder if I should ask him what the bad word was and I go for it) "What did they say?"
Sawyer: "They said they were going to kiss the girls."
Mama: (Relieved and smiling) "What did you say?"
Sawyer: I told them it was a bad word and we shouldn't kiss girls."
Mama: "Did you tell the teacher?"
Sawyer: "Yes."
Mama: "What did the teacher say?"
Sawyer: "She told them not to."
Mama: "Did they do it anyways?"
Sawyer: "Yes...but not me. I just followed behind them while they chased and kissed the girls."

Snoring Bug

I took this video over a year ago and came across it last night. I loved it so much at the time I had to share it! I asked Simon what daddy sounds like when he is sleeping....and he does a pretty good job. We still love you daddy!

I Don't Love Mama

We had a very lazy Sunday afternoon, which was very nice. Luke was curled up in the den watching a movie, so I was playing "Go Fish" and "Uno" with the boys at the kitchen table.We were about halfway through a game of "Uno" when Simon up and decides to quit. I call him a quitter and try to taunt him into continuing the game. Of course he is unphased and walks out. I clean up the cards and go find something else to do. Luke rented the boys a new video game this weekend (Kung Fu Panda) and Simon decided he would rather play that than cards with his dear mother. He tells me he wants me to play King Fu Panda with him and I tell him I will after he finishes Uno with me. Simon heads back to his bedroom and he and Sawyer begin writing and scribbling on the chalkboard. He calls me back and points out his message on the board:

"I love daddy and Sawyer. I don't love mama."

I walk out quietly and head to my bedroom, hoping he'll get the message. I lay down on my bed and put my face in the pillow, waiting for him to find me. ("Man its hard to breathe" I am thinking to myself, He better hurry up.") A long 5 minutes later he starts calling for me and finds me in the bedroom. He calls my name but I don't say anything.

He comes back a few minutes later and again says "Mama....Mama.....Mama!" I lift my face out of the pillow and say "Yes Bubba?" He says, "I made you something." He lifts up his "Cars" Magna-Doodle pad and shows me a picture he made of me and him laying down together. My heart melted. (It doesn't take much) I tell him to come lay by me and snuggle. I ask him why he wrote that on the board and he says "Because I wanted to you play Kung Fu Panda with me." I told him it hurt my feelings and asked him if he loved his mama and he said "yes." (Good thing!) The snuggling lasted only a few minutes (which is a long time for Bubba to hold still) before he runs off to go help Sawyer in the living room.

After he leaves I get up and head out to the dining room. Luke had just finished his movie so I tell him the story and how the magna doodle picture came to be. A few minutes later Simon surprises me with a piece of computer paper that he signed "Love Simon" and taped my favorite protein bar to it. It was so adorable I had to take pictures of everything. I didn't realize he knew which kind I liked, because I mostly eat them at work. Simon must have felt bad for not having anything for daddy because a few minutes later he returned with a page he took out of a toy catalog, signed it and taped Luke's favorite protein bar to it too.

Oh Bubba!

Clearly Canadian???

Does anyone else (besides Julie) remember this beverage?

Those were the days when our moms would give us a little over a buck and Julie and I would cruise down to the "Bottle Shop" Liquor store on our bicycles and pick up the necessities:

• Clearly Candian
• Box of Boston Baked Beans
• Box of lemon drops
• Willy Wonka Dinosaur Eggs or Gobstoppers
• Skor candy bar

I haven't seen a Clearly Canadian beverage in YEARS. If anyone knows where to find one (aside from ordering some off the internet) let me know!! I went to AM/PM to buy a candy bar a few weeks ago and I was stunned to see that a normal size candy bar was 90 cents!! Now I feel like my dad when he woul tell us about picking up candy for a nickel. I think they were 45 cents back...a while ago! :)

Dinna' Time Fun

Luke was home late last night because he had a back to school function. As a mother I love these things.... but as a wife I despise these events. Call me selfish. I want him all to myself!
Anywho....it came time to prepare dinner and I never miss an opportunity to tease the boys. I love hearing them "coke and joke" (as Grandpa Baer calls it) and laugh with each other.

Mama: "What would you like for dinner? Daddy won't be home until later."
Sawyer: "What are our choices?"
Mama: "Eggs and Toast...or poo poo nuggets."
Sawyer: "Eeeeeeeeewwwwwwww. I want eggs and toast."
Simon: "Yum...I want eggs and toast."

So, I slave away in the kitchen making PB toast and scrambled eggs. We all sit down to the table and eat. I decide to try and engage them in a little conversation to get them going.

Mama: "So, when you get married, will your wife have yellow hair or dark hair like mama"s?
They giggle and I get these strange looks as they peer at me and then each other.
Sawyer: "Awwww Maaaaan! .....Lello hair." (I chuckle because I love the way he say yellow)
Simon: Points to me and says "Hair like mama."

Mama: "Are you going to have a fat wife or a skinny wife?"
Sawyer: "Awwww Maaaaan! He mumbles "I'm not having a fat wife..."
Simon: "I'm not having a fat wife
Sawyer: "Changes his mind and says "Fat wife!"

Mama: "Is your wife going to be tall or short?"
Sawyer: "Tall... like all the way up to Jesus? (This make me laugh)
Mama: "No... no one is that tall. I mean tall like mama.
Sawyer: "But I am little."
Mama: "You are not going to be small when you get married. You will be big like papa."

Simon begins to get very quiet and I all ready know what Peter Pan is thinking.

Mama: "Is your wife going to make you cinnamon rolls and Friendship bread like mama makes? Or are you going to learn how to make it from mama and make it for your wife?"
Sawyer: "Awwww Maaaaan! She is going to make it for me!
Simon: "I am not getting married. Daddy told me I don't have to grow up."
Mama: "How are you going to stop from growing up?"
Simon: Thinks about it for a few seconds and says "I know...I'm not going to have anymore birthdays!"
Mama: Thinking to myself, "I don't think thats going to work. Hmmmm..."
Mama: "If you don't get married who is going to take care of you?"
Sawyer: Points to mama
Simon: "You are."
Sawyer: "How about Daddy takes care of you, you take care of me, and I will take care of Bubba."
Mama: Laughs...and laughs.... It all makes perfect sense.

Looks like my bugs are going to be with me for a long, long time! :)

T.G.I.T.

Thank Goodness its Thursday!

Yes...since I have every Friday off, Thursdays are my Friday!
This week was less than desireable. Thats a nice way of saying it abso-tutely stunk. No, I am not dying from some disease (at least I don't think so) and a lot worse things could have happened... But work just SUCKED. (Hopefully no one from work reads this, but I am sure they would agree with me). But for those of you who work ....or have spouses who work away from home, you know how important it is that a person enjoy being at work. On an average day, a person who works 8 hours a day like I do, spends more awake hours at work than at home (with the people they love).
How scary is that?? I may be wrong, I technically haven't done the math, because I just like to spout off random statistics that may or may not be true! :)
Thats the kind of week I'm having! To top it off, I got a NKOTB alert this morning in my e-mail and saw that they were at the Best Buy in Burbank at 7pm tonight. (Thoughts of going home "sick" and driving to Burbank crossed my mind. I tried to enlist Julie, but she decided teaching her class was more important than experiencing this with me!!! Ha!) So, as I type this, Joey-Joe is signing autographs and taking pictures with someone other than ME. How could I have received such late notice? I will have to write the President of their fan club and let them know this is unacceptable.

Since I have an appt in LA on Tuesday, I don't go back to work until Wednesday. (YIPPEE)Here's what I am looking forward to over my 5 day weekend:

• Not packing lunches (Yes, I am going to force my son to eat cafeteria food tomorrow and Tuesday)
• Snuggling with my boys
• Sleeping in past 5:45 am. Can I get a Hallaleujah?!
• Swimming and more swimming (Labor Day weekend is usually the last weekend we really use the pool)
• Taking a nap
• Reading lame celebrity magazines for mindless entertainment (and to help me appreciate my life and faithful husband)
• Going to 24th Street Cafe for breakfast (Gotta get my cinnamon roll and chicken fried chicken)
• Catching up with my shows on the Food Network
• Going to church (and not having to give the lesson in YW :)
• Watching my boys play Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Star Wars on the Wii (and still not understanding how the heck they know where they are going or what's going on)
• Not thinking about work
• Taking my boys to Toys R Us and watch them deliberate between Legos or Indiana Jones memorabilia for an hour (They completed a row on their star chart today. Yay!)
• Trying to talk my husband into giving me a neck rub or a foot massage.
• More snuggling with my boys

I know this isn't one of my perkiest posts...but it picked up a little at the end! Have a great (safe)holiday weekend.....

Care "Baer" Cousins

The First Day of School started later for my nieces and nephews. They all live out of town, so I always enjoy getting pictures and seeing how good lookin' they are!

Jody & Eddy's Big School "Bugs"

(12 and 10 yrs)

Sarah & Mike's School Bug

(5 yrs)

(Baby Bradyn is home all alone now)

Robert & Lindsay's School Bugs

(Almost 9 and 5 yrs)

Throw Me Daaaaaaddy!

There is no admission charge, but if you come swimming in our pool, you are bound to get thrown up at least once by my husband. The boys and their friends seem to love this and its especially entertaining to watch my husband try to throw older and/or "larger" children. This weekend was no exception and after watching him throw all the kids over and over I said jokingly, "Throw me daaaaaddy!" Luke looked at me and said "OK... you're next!" I promptly told him I was kidding, but he went into shark mode and started chasing me in the pool trying to grab a hold of me. Thanks to my religious, daily Dove Cream Oil lotion regimine I was in Luke's words "slick as a dolphin." (Those were Luke's words). He tried grabbing a hold of me several times, but after a good 3 minute chase I gave up.

Amazingly, he did get my big butt out of the water and threw me a good few feet to the deep end.

Thankfully, since I am the official family photographer there is no evidence of this throw actually occuring. But as always, I have a few good shots of the boys soaring through the air.

Sawyer's Day with Mama

Since the little whipper snapper is only in pre-school, mama has the perogative of keeping him home with her on Fridays. I asked Sawyer this morning if he wanted to go to school or stay home with me. I was worried for a few seconds because it seemed like he had to put some thought into it. Who would possibly rather go to school than stay home with fun mama!? I thought it was a no brainer. Needless to say, he did decide to stay home... so that made me feel good. We took Bubba to school and walked him to his classroom and then headed back to the house to do a few chores. The goal today was to spend the least amount of time possible at the house because we have no AC. Of course I was supposed to head to LA early this morning for an appt but I cancelled it yesterday because I was pooped. This week had me exhausted. I wanted to stay home and do almost nothing.

Sawyer and I headed to Target to pick out a gift for a birthday party tomorrow...and then I had this brilliant idea. Let's head to our favorite breakfast spot for a breakfast lunch. Sawyer only gets one thing when he goes to 24 Street Cafe....the cinnamon roll. Its the best thing EVER!! I could eat it for every meal. It wasn't the best option for lunch....but

1) He did have a Jamba Juice for breakfast and

2) selfishly I knew I would get his leftovers! So, what the heck.

We raced home (after eating our healthy lunch) to wait for our AC to be worked on. It was definitely warm in the house and at one point we were both sitting on the couch, watching TV and Sawyer mustered all the drama he could find in himself and said, (imagine him whining and throwing himself onto my lap) "I don't have any AIR!" I laughed at him and told him he was going to live. He must have what I call the "polar bear" gene like his father. Unfortunately we didn't get to do much more together after this before it was time to pick up Bubba from school. But I am looking forward to more Fridays together with Tubbs this year before my big boy starts Kindergarten.

"Its Getting Hot in Here....

So take off all your clothes...."
Yes, in the words of Nelly, this is what I wanted to do last night ...and unfortunately this is the song I had in my head when I woke up this morning at 6am. Its a horrible song (and its a few years old) so you might be wondering why I would have this stupid song in my head. As lame as this song is, when I opened my eyes this morning (wondering & hoping for the night to be over) this is the song that played in my mind.
So...let's see..... it all started about a month ago when our AC at home started "teasing" my husband (as he liked to call it). The fan would turn off for no reason and warm air would blow out for sporadic periods of time. But we could always mess with the thermostat and seem to get it to work again. After rigging up a few things with tape, buying a new thermostat, replacing batteries, Luke getting shocked a few times....it finally just quit yesterday afternoon. We pressed buttons, Luke messed with more stuff and nothing! We were dead in the water.
So, at 9:45 last night we were loaded up in the car and on our way to Wal-Mart to find some cheap fans for our room and the boy's room. (See.... Grandma Hogue this is another reason why I couldn't move somewhere like Bear Valley! :)) Needless to say, we all slept horribly. I woke up at 1am to check on the boys and the thermostat said it was 88 degrees in the house.
"Are you kidding me?" I thought to myself.
The good news of course is I am sitting here with a blanket wrapped around me while I am typing because it is nice and chilly in the house....just like my polar bear (aka Luke) likes it. We got the AC fixed this afternoon and its a brisk 72 degrees in our house. I can't tell you how we did it, but it was legal. Thats all that matters! Its one of the few perks that I can honestly say is worth the stress of my husband's job. Its not always what ya know...its who ya know!

Don't Roll Your Eyes But....

I got this e-mail in my work e-mail this afternoon...and I was so excited. I laughed and told my boss "Guess what? I have great news." He walked over to my desk thinking it had something to do with our project and I gave him the headline: Pre-order The Block from the Official NKOTB Webstore & Pick-up an Exclusive T-Shirt." He laughed, rolled his eyes I'm sure and walked back to his desk.
Yes...NKOTB and I go way back! I was one of those teenagers who obsessed over "Joey-Joe" and had every poster up on my wall from Teen Beat magazine. If my husband could have seen me then!! The year was 1990 and while Luke was a senior in HS, I was in 8th grade talking my dad into taking me, Julie and Leah to the NKOTB concert at the Convention Center. Julie and I had our matching Joey McIntyre T-shirts and pins on.....we thought we were so cool (I still wish I could have recorded Julie's dance moves that night) Anyways, as you can tell, Luke and I are a match made in heaven. I told him that Joey-Joe is the only man I would eer leave him for! :)

One last lame story...

Our satellite went out on the TV the evening before the NKOTB were set to reunite on the Today Show a few months ago. I was stunned....I was spazzing out. I called the Satellite people and they couldn't send someone out for 5 days. 5 days...are you kidding me?! I thought it was the end of the world. Bottom line, we called a friend from church (who set us up with the satellite service) but by the time he got the message it was too late. I missed the performance on the Today Show!! I was reduced to watching bits and pieces of it on YouTube. Nevertheless, when our friend from church got the message he sent a technician to the house, named Mickey. It was Friday evening and after 2-3 minutes he was able to diagnose the problem and fixed it.

I pulled Mickey aside and said, "Mickey, how old are you? Do you know who the New Kids on the Block are?"

He smiles and says "I'm 31... but I guess I'm not cool because I don't know who they are."

My husband chuckles and says "Mickey....its because you ARE cool that you don't know who New Kids on the Block are!"

My husband is so cruel.

Here was the e-mail I received today!! YIPPEE!

To go along with our upcoming release, "The Block", we are offering a webstore exclusive tee which is only available when you pre-order the Standard or the Deluxe version of "The Block" in the Official NKOTB Webstore. We will begin shipping the Friday before release so be sure to place your order today as quantities are limited! Click here for all the details.

BE SURE TO CATCH NKOTB PERFORM LIVE FROM THE TODAY SHOW COURTYARD, MONDAY SEPTEMBER 1ST! CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR AIRINGS.

Why Is It....

Taking the kids to school on the first day is harder on the parents than the kids?! Of course I did see quite a few mothers who were practically skipping out of the school parking lot this morning with huge grins on their faces! On the other end I have been a nervous wreck. (I began to wonder if my mom was like this with us. I was a close to perfect child :).... surely she was as hesitant to leave me in the hands of the public education system as I am!!)
Hmmmm..... That's a question for a future conversation!
Anyways, maybe its because my big one has Peter Pan syndrome. When I woke him up this morning, I pulled down his covers and whispered in his ear, "Its time to get up for your first day of school." He threw the covers back over his head with a scowl on his face. I thought to myself, "This is the first day of school....This isn't good." He eventually got himself out of bed and informed me that daddy told him he didn't have to go into the 1st grade if he didn't want to. Since daddy left early for work this morning, I was left wondering..."Why the heck would daddy tell him this...when did daddy tell him this....and how can I get daddy on the phone to convince him to get his butt dressed and ready to go??" Of course we got daddy on the phone, he gave me all the buzzwords and things to do and Peter Pan was ready to head to school! Thank goodness for daddy! Of course when I was walking him to his class I tried holdng his hand and IT'S OFFICIAL: He no longer wants to hold his mommy's hand! I about lost it. (I should have asked my doctor for some kind of anxiety medication if I knew my first day of school was going to start like this!) :)
My 4 year old of course was the first one out of the shower, dressed, teeth brushed and ready to go. Going to school is no big deal for him. Its his 2nd year of pre-school and he walks in like he owns the place. As I drop him off, I take a few pictures, try to get a few kisses, and smile and wave from the door (about 10 times). He is pretending not to see me.....probably wishing I would just walk away. So I did...after I blew one last kiss.
I have this tradition I started 2 years ago when Bubba was in pre-school and that is I take the boys out to breakfast on the first day of school. Its not a fancy breakfast, but they love it. Last year it was Jamba Juice and McDonald's. This year it was Jamba Juice and Carl's Jr. I was taking pictures everywhere we went this morning. I think the boys are about ready to snag my camera and stomp on it. But I can't resist.... Love those little boys of mine!

Have You Ever....

• Had to discipline your 6 year old with a pink, frilly shower cap on your head?


• Had to break up a fight (thats occuring in your living room between your kids) while you are in the shower trying to shave your legs?


• Threatened your children with a consequence that is more of a punishment to yourself than to them? (i.e. If you don't start getting along I am not taking you two anywhere today!)


• Had to tell your 6 year old to stop following you around in the house because he thinks you are going to leave him behind?


• Looked in the mirror after you got out of the shower and thought to yourself "I think I have lost a pound ot two." Only to put on your favorite shorts on and say to yourself, "I guess not!" (Maybe it was the weight from all that hair on my legs...)

You can see how my Friday morning is going..... :)

Dance Moves

The boys can't resist dancing anytime they hear music playing...even if its only a commercial. (I think Bubba stole some of his dance moves from his papa!) :)

Tag....You're It!

•I'm happiest when...I am doing what I WANT to do....(which includes not being at work, thinking about work...or listening to my boys fight).
•Someday I'm going to...Have the body from the cover of the Victoria's Secret Clearance Catalog I got in the mail today.(Mommy Makeover here I come).
•When I'm really down, what I want to do is...Have Luke talk some sense into me.
•A person really should....Try to think of the needs of others.... in addition to themselves.
•I feel anxious when...I think about my boys getting older and actually being able to make important choices on their own...(Like picking out their own clothes. I think they are color blind like their dear mother.... The horror!).
•It would really be wonderful if....My boys stayed this age forever (and Luke and I too while I'm at it)
•I like people who....are honest and work hard.
•I'm afraid that....someone/something will harm my boys and I won't be able to stop it.
•All it takes to make me happy is...feed me some dessert and take me shopping.
•I just hate it that...I have to pay taxes! LOL
•What I really want to do is....make my husband & boys happy everyday of their lives.
•I wish that... I had magical powers like Tabitha on "Bewitched" (......and could see what my boys will be doing 20 years from now).
•I don't like people who... are intentionally mean and/or want to harm others.
•I'm really hoping to... raise my children in a way that will make my Heavenly Father happy.
•I have everything I need, however....a personal trainer (and/or extensive plastic surgery J/K), a workout room in my house and a masseuse would be nice.
•If I could do whatever I wanted, I would...quit my job and travel (whenever and wherever) with my family.

I Won't Be Plugging This Recipe Into the Weight Watchers Point Calculator!

Snickers Snack Cake! Its not really a snack because you want to eat the whole pan. But needless to say, thats what Paula Deen calls it. A few weeks ago I picked up an issue that Paula Deen dedicated entirely to chocolate (Do you know how much I love this woman?!) and this recipe was calling my name. I didn't buy the issue, but came home and googled it...and there it was. So, I made it for the first time today for a Young Woman's treat at church tonight. The girls and their moms played Family Feud and then they feasted on the snack cake. I think it was a hit! Mmm mmm mmmm!

You can find the recipe at http://www.stephanieskitchen.com/2008/05/snickers-snack-cake.html

"You Broke Into my Blog!"

Those were the words spoken by me to my husband when I found his post last night. I am sure they were not the words he expected to hear, but thats what came out. He just laughed at me. I should have known something was up when he told me I needed to update my blog to remove the double jogger I posted and sold within 2 hours time. But what can I say....I love this man. Of course if you're single or know someone who is, I am willing to clone him for a nominal fee.

A few of his MANY (mentionable) talents include:

• Making the best chicken parmesan ever.
• Making our bed almost every morning (which is phenomonal since I NEVER make it).
• Knowing what I am thinking about.... before I can even make sense of it.
• Making me feel like I am beautiful on days when I feel like wearing a mu-mu and a paper sack over my head.
• Loving my curls more than I do.
• Shopping at the mall and going into every store with me to help me pick something out. (Ladies...come on..... you know this is big)
• Remembering the anniversary of the day he asked me to marry him...(and reminding me)
• Making the best boats, ships, and aircraft (or practically anything) out of Legos.
• Making the boys laugh and giggle when all hope seems lost.
• Making mama laugh for no particular reason.
• Appreciating the fact that I cannot cook AND be beautiful. (This is a joke between him and I)
• Loving me more than possibly imaginable!

MY WIFE

This will be my first and last stab at what is “the blog.” Since Kate has learned how to blog, it is a constant topic in our home. Not a day passes without Kate saying ”did you see the blog?” or ponders the day for things “she can “blog about!” She says it with such excitement I would bet my life that she was earning air miles or some sort of monetary compensation for doing it. Just recently, she was extremely impressed with herself that she had already thought of the “title for her next blog,” which you will find below. This was followed with several pictures of the nuts to display, which upon viewing the blog I see did not make the cut. So what’s my point? I wanted to take a few moments to enter a quick thought about my wife. I wanted to publicly blog a few thoughts, and if you know me, this is very rare.

As you may or may not know, we were without our boys for a few days, which seemed like an eternity. During this time, however, I was able to spend a little time with my beautiful wife. While I do not want to be rude, or burst anybody’s bubble who visits here, I do have bad news for you. I have the most beautiful wife in the world. As you can see by the nifty little counter that Kate has placed on the blog to the right, I have had the good fortune of being married to Kate for nearly 9 years. To this day I still am amazed that she said “I do.” I clearly married up—although I think she was really only after my seed to create perfect kids! Nevertheless, I lucked out.

Nearly every morning when I wake up, Kate is already up, and standing at the counter in our master bath applying the latest and greatest “anti” something to her face. Unbeknownst to her, I get to just stare and watch her sweet face as she does her thing. I have never, nor will I ever get tired of this. It is important for me to let all you know how much I genuinely love Kate. She is my wife, she is my love, she is my best friend! Sound cliché’? Sure, I could have said something really lame like “she completes me,” or “I need her like the needle needs the vien” but that does not do her justice. I could have said, “I need her like my rig needs the rocks” and that would be a close second, but still not good enough. So, I will settle with a cliché, but again you must know me. It is important for Kate and everybody to know how special she is to me, because I all too often let my affection go unspoken. I all to often let my love for Kate go unexpressed because I simply can’t find the words to tell her just how much I really love her. So this brings me to “the blog.” I figured I could use this media as a way to publicly say to the world—as you do know the entire world visits this site via the world wide web—I have the most beautiful wife, I have the sexiest wife, I have the wife who is the greatest mother to her sons, I love my wife!

The Boys are Back in Town....and We Paid with Nuts!

Well, as I said, the boys are back in town! Life seems normal again. I can breathe...and almost relax. But as a mother I never really relax. I just pretend like I do. Anyways, after work yesterday we made the trek north to meet the boys and the grandparents. My parents were FLYING in their little Scion and were about 50 miles ahead of meeting us to the halfway point. Instead of making them wait we asked if we could meet in Chowchilla instead of Merced. When we pulled into the Carl's Jr parking lot they were smiling and waving. It was a sight to see! Another sight to see was watching Grandma load up our car with the boy's gear. I have neevr seen her move so fast. She was throwing bags, blankets, pillows, toys into the back of our car. It was very humorous to watch....in fact I couldn't stop laughing. I wondered if she was actually glad to see the Hogue Tag Team be on their way. (Just Kidding mom)
Anyways...Grandma and Grandpa Baer rocked this week. The boys were busy...and so was Grandma! They played (and fought) witht their cousins Natalie and Cooper, swam (and swam), made t-shirts, painted ceramics and birdhouses (and probably themselves at one point). Uncle Bob rocked! He had some extra PVC pipe in his truck so he made some lightsabers for all the kids! They were the heaviest lightsabers I have ever seen and I think they could actually take someone's head off with one of those puppies...but the boys love them. I was really impressed with the craftsmanship. I think Uncle Bobby has missed his calling in life! :)
Okay...about the nuts! My mother has this addiction with these toffee covered nuts that can be found at this stop off the 99 freeway in Traver. This joint used to be called the "Hitching Post" but are now called "Bravo Farms." There are a million signs leading up to it, so if you have never stopped there...you need to check it out. We picked up two bags for my mom on the way up to drop off the boys and we picked up another bag on the way up yesterday. Not bad payment for 4 days of fun with Grandma, Grandpa and the family! Thanks guys. We love you.

Today's the Day....

As I said this out loud this morning to wake up Luke I was reminded of the movie "Nemo." (I think I have watched that movie about 1001 times) Anyways, there is a scene where "Peach" the starfish wakes everyone up with "Today's the Day...." because its the day they think they are going to break out of the fish tank. Well, we won't be breaking out of a fish tank, but our bugs are coming home tonight. At least they are SUPPOSED to be. Don't want to jinx myself...but we are ready. Its been about 96 hours since I got some kisses from those "lippies" and I need them home.
We have only been away from Simon and Sawyer this long once before and it was in May 2006. Of course Luke and I were in Toronto for my work and this time we were at home either working or staring at the walls...wondering what the boys were doing. The next time we are away from our boys I will make sure we are somewhere fun that doesn't involve any kind of work. Of course how I am feeling right now, I will probably never let them out of my sight again. My mother would remind me of course that this is what the teenage years are for! How true that probably is....

Somebody Help Me.....I'm Gorging Myself on Cinnamon Rolls

As I stated in my last post, I am little meloncholy without my boys here with me. When one of the boys are gloomy we call them a "meloncholy buglet." Thats how I felt today. My husband told me to go "blog." I told him I had nothing to blog about. He suggested I blog about missing my boys and I told him that no one likes to read a meloncholy blog! I am sure I am right, but here it is anyways.
I made some homemade cinnamon rolls Saturday night for my boys to have before church on Sunday. I shouldn't actually called then "cinnamon" rolls because they consist mostly of brown sugar and butter. BUT my boys love them...and they love watching me make them. I made two baking dishes worth but only baked one on Sunday morning. That meant I had a whole pan of 7-8 homemade cinnamon rolls in my fridge that were calling my name. I meant to bake them this morning but as usual I was running late to work. I came home at lunch time, heard them calling for me from the fridge and threw them in the oven. I had two cinnamon rolls...along with my banana and creamy chicken noodle soup. Doesn't that all sound yummy?!(I guess that answers the questions of why I felt kind of crappy this afternoon) Anyways, when I got home from work, I had another one. Luke made me dinner...and then I heated up another one. Luke ran to go get a haircut...so I heated up another one. I better throw the remaining treats away...but I better have Luke throw them in the dumpsters so I don't dig them out!

Childless.....

with nowhere to go! Except work that is (unfortunately)!
Yes... the boys are with grandma and grandpa Baer for 4 whole days! We left church a little early this morning and made the drive 150 miles north to meet my parents halfway to make the "swap." We had some lunch, the guys talked Jeeps, my mom and I talked "scentsy" and we headed back where we came from. Its bittersweet of course because any mom in this situation thinks she is going to bask in the peace and quiet while enjoying only having to pick up after one boy (instead of 3). But I was a blubbering idiot as soon as we got in the car to leave. What can I say....the little bugs are my everything. Thankfully we called several times this evening and the boys were having a great time. They napped on the way home so they were giving Grandpa a run for his money at 9pm, begging him to go "night swimming." I think he eventually broke down and got in with them.
On a sad note, I was twirling my curls like crazy on the drive up (like I usually do) and looked down at my brown shirt to see the ugliest thing----a gray hair! How could it be? Yes it was real and I was looking for every possible excuse for it not to be mine. I looked around the car searching for a passenger with a head of shoulder length, silver hair. But after seeing my husband look at me like I was insane I had to come to the conclusion that it was indeed mine. I have since ordered my husband to examine the back of my head to search for more of these unwanted visitors. He again looked at me like I was insane.

Swim Buddies

I loved this picture so much that I had to find a reason to blog so I could share it. Maybe its because they actually look like they love each other in this picture. I don't know.
Nevertheless, its Friday....and Luke made it through his first week back to work. He took off a few hours early to play some racquetball with a co-worker. He hasn't played in over 8 years so I was surprised this morning when he mentioned he was playing after lunch. Thankfully he made it home in one piece. His face was beet red and I am sure he'll be sore tomorrow... but he was home in one piece!