Saturday, September 30, 2006

Growing up....

What a blur the last couple of days have been! 
 
It is official:  My baby is not a baby anymore...
Picture from Hometown   Picture from Hometown
Picture from Hometown 
Friday, after dance class, Gracie and I hit the mall to celebrate her 5th birthday in style... as only mommys and daughters can  :)
 
We spent over two hours wandering around.  I have not been to the mall, other than going in Lane Bryant for bras and back out again, in at least ten years.  I am not kidding.  And honestly, I still don't like it...
 
But it wasn't about me at all.  It was about my big 5 year old, so I put my feelings aside ;) 
 
First stop was Universi-Tees because she wanted the yellow sweatshirt she saw in the window display.  Luckily for her, it was a Purdue one so I went for it.
 
Picture from Hometown
With my brother~the bigger Purdue fan! (And Alumni)
 
Then a 30 minute pause for the cause: the mall playground :)
 
On our way to our first ever Build-a-Bear trip, we went by a store just for girls.  I think it was called Libby Lu?  Anyway, everything in this store is pink and glitterized... perfect way to draw a girl's attention... and grab my girl's it did.  There was a sign by the door and she asked me to tell her what it said.  I did.
 
The next words out of her mouth were "can I do that?"  I said I'm okay with it, if she really wants it.  After I explained the whole process, she was still game... so, she got her ears pierced!
 
Picture from Hometown
 
She was so brave... and being there was only one person qualified to do it, she had to get them done one at a time!  I was so proud of her.  A little reluctant after the first one was done.. she tried to escape, but sat back down and had the other done!
 
Picture from Hometown
 
Now she just keeps marveling how she can't believe she got her ears pierced :)
 
We stopped at the Croc store for new Crocs.  She picked out 'Uncle Charlie's car yellow'.  That's how she asked for them at the store... LOL
See why:
 
Picture from Hometown
With my brother's baby~his '64 Ford Fairlane covertible he restored :)
 
We finally made it to Build-a-Bear, where she chose a dog she named Iloveyoudoggie... LOL... who she says is a boy, but came away sporting a pink jeweled t shirt, a pink skirt, pink striped panties, and pink tennis shoes.  ;)   She loved the place, no doubt.  She wanted to go back today.  I told her next year on her birthday.
 
By then, it was time for lunch.  Where did she choose?  Anyone care to guess?  Ah, I won't make you strain your brains~ Bob Evans, of course.  Her most favorite place to eat.  She even turned down Applebee's, which happened to be right by the mall playground and smelled so friggin good...
 
After that venture, we headed home where I assembled the first of two cakes for her party today.
 
Which cake won thebirthday battle?
 
The cake I made last year, with a slight variation...
 
I really don't have an official name for this cake yet, so I am going to make you work a little.  It's modeled after an 'inside out cake' I saw, but totally different ingredients from that one, only the shape and the assembly are the same.  This one consists of: pound cake, chocolate mousse, ice cream (we had one vanilla and one chocolate), and chocolate ganache on top of it all.  Here's a picture:
Picture from Hometown
 
Should it be called 1) Chocolate Mountain or 2) Dirty Igloo?  You choose :)  Majority wins...
 
The party today was really good.  Gracie was so wound up, she was bouncing off walls.  But, she kept in check for the most part.  Her Grandma Carter came!  The first time my parents met her, too.  She got to meet my whole family... LOL.   Mr. Carter had things to do, so he couldn't come.  Neither could Grace's Dad, which I expected, but he hasn't called her either... so I'm a little disappointed, but there's always tomorrow.
Picture from Hometown
With her grandmas
 
More pictures from today.  Enjoy :)
 
Picture from Hometown
Tree hugger... LOL
 
Picture from Hometown
Reading cards with Poppy (my dad)
 
 
Picture from Hometown
Gracie fairy
 
And just in case you're not entertained enough, here's some from a couple of weeks ago.  She found the phone at a yard sale.....
Picture from Hometown
When I asked who she was calling she told me her boyfriend....
Picture from Hometown
When I asked why, she said she was making.... Picture from Hometown
A booty call!   
Picture from Hometown
Don't ya just love the things your kids pick up from their classmates.  But, I laughed once she wasn't looking  ;)
 
Cat

Monday, September 25, 2006

A rarity anymore...

Ahhhh....
 
A rare day off!  Why, you ask? Because my Mommy is off at a Euchre tournament until tomorrow  :)  So, with her being away, I have to stay here for Gracie.  She's just too much for Dad to handle all day, so here I am writing a journal entry, in the morning, through the week!  A rare occurrence anymore...
 
The girl is in school until 11:30, then she has Speech Therapy at 1:30.  In between that time, we're running to the party supply store to get things for her birthday this Friday (party on Saturday).  She's taking treats to her preschool and dance class friends and she's very excited about it all.
 
I can say this is the first birthday she's been off the wall about!  She's been bugging me for a week to get her party things and not to forget her presents!  Like I could forget...
 
She's put in at least five cake requests by this point.  Not sure which I'll be making yet, but she'll be happy no matter which one it is.  She'll be making a trip to Toys R Us on Friday, as well.  Her Grandma Carter (her Daddy's Mom) gave her $50.00 last week, half of which I deposited in her savings account, so she'll have $25 to spend on herself.  More than enough, if you ask me.
 
I'm still trying to comprehend that she's 5!  It doesn't seem that long ago I was bringing her home from the hospital... and yes, part of me is missing having a baby around.  Not that I'm gonna go and do anything about that... just missing it, that's all...
 
Picture from Hometown
 
What else?
 
I've been playing the Goldrush game here on AOL.  I like those kind of things.  I don't play to win the big prize, just to play...  if I happen to get lucky enough to be a finalist, that'd be a bonus.  Though I doubt my boss would let me off work to go compete for it... but oh well, someone out there needs it more than I do :)
 
Work is going okay.  We got a new bunch of kids in the class in August and they're still not adapted to the rules of our room.  Makes the day kind of hectic, but it goes by fast.  The troublemakers in the room leave fairly early, so I don't have to deal with them in the afternoon. 
 
One boy makes me want to beat his bottom on a daily basis.  I'd love to video him so you guys can see, but obviously, I can't do that.  He's okay one on one, but get him in a group and he HAS to have all the attention.  He will not cooperate at circle time, and is constantly having to be redirected or put in timeout.  Drives me and my Lead teacher crazy....  If he doesn't come around, its gonna be a long year.
 
Everything else around here is pretty much as always.  My brother is buying our friend's house because it went into foreclosure.  He's been living there for a couple of years now, so he won't have to move anything :)  Except for that, everything else is the same.. which I'm happy about...
 
Have a great week, if I don't get back here before it ends!
 
Cat
 
   ^  ^
>(*^*)<
 (       )~~~

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Curiosity. It kills me...

I'm being nosy...
 
Tell me what grocery stores you have in your area and which ones you like most :)
 
We have:
 
Kroger
Meijer
Lo Bills (formerly Marsh)
Safeway
WalMart
Target
Aldi's (forgot them!  Very low end, but great for snacky type items :)
 
My favorite is Meijer.  The original 'one-stop' shop in these parts.  Until WalMart started breaking out the Supercenters....
 
Price wise, WalMart may be (a little) cheaper than Meijer... but its a bitch to park, so I avoid that place like the plague.
 
Just a curious Kitty today  :)
 
Cat

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Remembering differently...

Well, its upon us once again.  The 5th year since the World Trade center was demolished.  While skeptics still argue over the facts, and ABC is still airing the movie based on the 9/11 Commission Report starting tonight (which was still being edited as of last night to please the powers that be), most of those who lost loved ones, are still mourning.  I think our nation is still mourning. 
 
Still trying to place blame and maintain that they made no mistakes.  Still trying to convince us that Iraq was to blame, despite the facts that have been aired again and again, stating otherwise.
 
Why haven't we found and captured Osama bin Laden yet?  If you've been reading me awhile, then you know why I believe Osama roams free today.  Here's a refresher:  I KNOW that our intelligence agencies know where he is.  If our beloved dumbass of a President wasn't sucking Osama's Daddy's ass, I think Osama would have been killed 4 1/2 years ago. 
 
Remember that Daddy bin Laden is a billionaire, and being that they live in (and own most of) Saudi Arabia, one of the places we get large quantities of oil from, well Bushy-boy isn't gonna shoot that relationship down any time soon.... not by killing the man that did this to us
 
But that isn't where my heart and head lie today.  Me~I'm mourning for different reasons....
 
It was four years ago today, that my Grams died.  Here, in my house.  It seems like yesterday she fell off the commode, after having a fatal stroke.  On the bright side, she died where she spent most of her last months-in the bathroom.  She was obsessed with the bathroom, going in there at least 25 times a day, "just to make sure."  Being wheelchair bound didn't slow her down.
 
She died in the house she was born in, where her mother had passed so many years before, while Grams was a teenager.  She died with her family present, in a loving environment where she was still allowed to smoke her cigarettes at will.  She died after she got almost a whole year with her first and only great granddaughter, who seemed the only bright spot in my Grams' demented mind.  The only time she smiled is when Gracie was around, chasing her wheelchair  :)
 
I loved that lady.  Though, the last few years were hard to love her because she had become so hateful and bitter.  I think this was because her life had not turned out the way she thought it would. 
 
The daughter of a well-off Accountant turned very successful candy maker (wonder where I get it from.. LOL), Grams married my Grandfather, a college grad ,turned professional ball player.  I think Grams thought she married a rich man.  Such was not the case.  Grandpa came with his own issues, including drug addiction and alcoholism.
 
He played college basketball for Butler University and led them to a Championship (or two), before giving up basketball for baseball.  He played in Cincinnati for a while, which led him to be traded to the Yankees, back in the glory days of The Babe, Lou Gherig, Joe Dimaggio, etc etc.  Grandpa played beside the best.  But, if you've ever seen the movies about ball players in the 30's, then you know where he ended ~morphined up or on some other type of injectable drugs... and boozing.
 
Yes, I believe my Grams was unhappy for most of her life.  She and Grandpa got divorced in the late 70's.  He died seven years later, and my Grams moved back into their home. (She left and lived with the gay couple she worked for at the time) 
 
She had a great time then, socializing with her friends.  Tossing back her Southern Comfort Manhattans or Bloody Marys, with her freshly painted red nails gleaming.  My friends thought I had the coolest Grandmother ever!  And I would have to agree.  She was the life of the party.  The Belle of the ball!  Always had her nails and hair done, always speaking what she thought... and telling people off when they deserved it.
 
This is the woman I remember.  This is the way she should be remembered.  Regardless of how her last years with us on Earth were, our perceptions of her then... I'll always remember that I had the best Grandmother ever!
 
Rest in peace and love, Grams....
 
I love you~
Catherine

Monday, September 4, 2006

Knock three times...

Hello!  And Happy Labor Day to you all :)
 
Not much going on around here, as usual.  I'm not complaining by any means... I've come to learn that hum-drum can be good....
 
I have some new videos of the girl, but my camera batteries died, so those will have to wait until I recharge them.  The song she sang in the last vid, she learned from 'Danger Rangers'... and she 'memorized' that last one after only watching it twice.
 
If you have On Demand, look under Kids, then Tot Spot and you'll find them there. 
 
The next vids are all about Safety Rules.  That seems to be where her interests lie these days  :)  Okay by me...  Hopefully, I'll get them posted soon.
 
She starts Pre-K tomorrow :)  Then Dance and Speech Class start Friday!  So, we'll be back to a routine... finally!  I love Fall  ;)
 
On another note, she turns 5 at the end of the month!  Wow.  My baby is already half a decade old.  I might cry.
 
Yes, folks, that's right.  Birthday and holiday season are upon me. 
 
For those who don't know, Grace's b-day is 9/29, followed by mine on 10/6, Mom's on 10/8, Aunt L's on 10/16, Dad's is 10/23, my bmf is on 10/30, then Halloween... and onto Mom and Dad's Anniversary (43 years! on 11/9), Thanksgiving, then Christmas.
 
I save 1/3 of my paychecks just for this time of year.  Believe me, its very busy... and expensive :)
 
Well, I'm off to discuss birthday cakes with the girl.  She's already asked me to make her a black and white cake... which I'm okay with, except we have different ideas on what that may be... LOL
 
See, I just made a chocolate bundt cake with choc. icing between the layers, and vanilla icing on the outside.  Usually for her birthday, I do a more elaborate type thing, using ganache instead of regular icing... I get pretty creative with them.  I was thinking of an inside-out cake this year... but we'll see.
 
Okay, now that I have most of you craving cake, my job here is done ;)
 
Hoping it won't take me another two weeks (or longer) to get back here!
 
Have a great day....
 
Kitty~