State of the Union - Arnett Style

Thought it was time to check the state of our union here on the home front. 

• Yes, I'm still getting up everyday (nearly everyday anyhow) and making breakfast for my very appreciative children.  Today's meal was Ebelskiver (pancake puffs for the laymen) and thick sliced bacon.  Yummy!

• Haven't made it to to gym.  Not once.  Not at all.  Not even kidding.
  
• I have to say that I've felt a bit happier lately.  Could be all the self-medicating I do in the evenings.  Thanks Target Box 'o Red!

• Starting a mother-daughter Bible study next week with Sydney (10 year old daughter).  Very excited about that.  
• Cole (9 year old son) won his school spelling bee and finished 5th in the district bee.  Sweet boy can spell but can't always find his was to the mailbox.  Love that child!
• Georgia Kate (22 month baby girl) has become quite the chatty Cathy lately.  Thankful that I can cancel the appointment with the speech pathologist - for now!  Just kidding about that speech pathologist remark, btw - I'm a bit neurotic.  Must be the teacher in me.
• My lovely husband has been quite the busy bee lately.  He has cleaned and organized the garage (notice the bikes hanging from the ceiling), climbed on the roof (TWICE) and repaired a pesky leak, fixed loose boards in our fence, installed a dishwasher (with the help of our plumber - good try honey) and has spent lots of time putting his culinary skills to work.  Way to go Chris!  

• Anything else???  Happy to be blogging about complete nonsense.  Thanks for indulging me and stopping by!  Later gator!
  

(Cole at school spelling bee - what a champ!)

Yum

What?  Don't you eat your chicken noodle soup like this?  Come on, be honest...

And do you mean to tell me that you don't eat your apples while you gaze lovingly at your reflection in your shiny trashcan? 

 

"I'm so pretty, oh so pretty, I'm so pretty and witty and ...oh my gosh is that apple good!"

I don't even know what to think about this one.  We may have food issues.

Ode to my Kitchen - A Love/Hate Relationship

Ahhh, a kitchen. The heart of any home. Where dear family members gather for food and fellowship. This room should be a no-brainer favorite for me, right? I mean I only spend 96.2% of my time there (exaggeration?). So why then, do I harbor such ugly feelings toward my kitchen?

Could it be the unending amount of clutter that seems to accumulate despite my best efforts to purge all non-essentials (when the kids aren't looking, of course)? Possibly. Could it be the 50 year old cabinets that are chipped, warped, dingy and just plain sad looking? Possibly. Could it be the beige (yuck) laminate counter tops that I am continually hot gluing back together (hot glue - one step above duct tape, in my opinion)? Possibly. Could it be the dated, non-matching appliances that frighten and confuse me to use? Possibly.

Alright, alright, I know that I sound so ungrateful. My kitchen can't be all that bad, right? I mean, it is the heart of my home where dear family members gather for food and fellowship - yada, yada. What's not to love? Let me look at my glass as half-full and list the things I actually love about my kitchen.

1. My PINK shabby chic table. LOVE IT! You can't imagine the sweet talkin' I had to do to convince my husband that a PINK kitchen table was a fabulous idea. Thanks Chris!
2. The size of my kitchen is very generous. Plenty of space for all kinds of clutter. Lucky me!
3. My new, shiny, matching appliances. Once again, thanks Chris!
4. The number of memories that have been generated and continue to be made in this space. I love family meals around my PINK table. Family harmony, a yummy meal, and did I mention my PINK table? Fabulous! Once again, what's not to love???

Happy New Year

Just like I do every year, I have made a list of resolutions that I hope to successfully stick to. I know, I know, why wait until Jan. 1st to make changes that will hopefully transform your life from mediocre to fab? I suppose there is something magical about Jan. 1st. New year, new goals, new me... anyway, here is my list. Wish me luck.

1. I resolve to get my butt outta bed and cook breakfast for my kiddos everyday. Don't they deserve to start their day with a warm and somewhat nutritious meal? Can I really expect them to have a successful day with a pop tart and juice box in the car on the way to school? Hardly.

2. READ, READ and READ some more. It's truly my favorite thing to do. So why haven't I finished a book in over a year. Wait, that has to be an exaggeration. Or is it??? Hopefully my brand new Kindle will inspire me. Thanks Santa!

3. Would you please utilize that gym membership already??? What are you waiting for - Jan 1st? Get movin'!

4. I am such a wannabe sewer, knitter and chef. My crafting and cooking attempts are very, and I mean VERY, basic. I would love to move from wannabe to a girl with mad skillz.

5. Finally, (5 resolutions is plenty, right?) I resolve to be a little happier this year. Sounds simple, but this is an area where I STRUGGLE! This resolution made the list when my 10 year old daughter asked me, "Mom, why don't you smile anymore?" Yikes, time to fix that, eh?

Well, I guess that is that. Happy 2010! May you reach your goals and make it a memorable year! Gotta run, that breakfast isn't going to fix itself.