That Time of Year

I realized while grmbling to take the last christmas stuff down that I had to do it.  Why?  So I can crack out the Valentine's Day stuff!  Hallmark Holiday my ass. I collect heart shaped things so if you give me an excuse to decorate for it... I sure will. Starting right here..

Happy New Year!

A Few Moments of Value

Last week when we baked a zillion cupcakes, that morning Emmy lost a front tooth. (The Tooth Fairy really works overtime here!) Maya was kind enough to call her a hillbilly & that was it- they couldn't stand each other all day long.

See?

Emmy momentarily forgetting that she's a hillbilly & decorating her cupcakes. Those are the ones that actually made it to school unscathed- at least those are some of them!


These were not so lucky.


B with Fluffy Bear


B acting normal.


She got Bella for Valentine's Day and only parts with her to go to school.


A new girl started in B's class, her name is Mackenzie. She gave B her phone number today which I ASSumed was not legit. They are 6 for cripes sake! For 2 hours I heard, "Can I call her?? Can I call her now??" Finally I said yes, dialed the phone & handed it over (telling B exactly what to say) as it began ringing. I figured it would be a wrong number. I hear:

"Hi this is Bridget can I talk to Mackenzie?" Then comes a big grin as she & Bella skipped off to talk on the phone. "Isn't it cool that you can pick up the phone and I'm there??"


So cool that within a one hour period B called her twice & Mackenzie called us 3 times. I suspect the novelty will wear off. I also fear this will be like making popcorn for B. Miss Independent likes to do things herself. She'll ask me for things but if I hesitate she takes over. Like making microwaved popcorn. She has put the plastic covered bag in the microwave & set the timer for 22 minutes. If I hear that little door slam I RUN. She crawled up onto my bed when I was sick a few weeks ago, looked me in the eyes while rubbing my head and said, "Can I make you soup?!"

My response was to hold onto her tighter.

Speaking of...

Em & B sleeping a few nights ago. Both snoring, hand in hand.




(Cell shots suck, no?)

The Great Cupcake Massacre

Yesterday we made 5 dozen cupcakes. 5 dozen. Valentine's Day Funfetti with white or pink frosting, heart candies, pink, red & purple sprinkles, matching M&M's, Hershey's Kisses. Each one was a wee little masterpiece. Em frosted & decorated each & every one for her class, herself. I helped B do hers & they were PERFECT. We also did 3 trays of chocolate covered pretzels. After everything was done I figured school would be cancelled. We got a call last night revising the entire schedule. They were supposed to be off at 11am today, now they went to school at 10 & are there all day. Two 11am dismissals will happen next week to make up for parent confrences that were cancelled in the snow. GREAT! No school tomorrow, none Monday & they are now out at 11 on Thursday & Friday. This makes the third consecutive week of pretend school.



Anyway, so the kids slept late this morning & we left early. We walk the two blocks because I'd end up needing to park at my house anyway with the morning drop off rush. So out we go. Emmy has two trays of cupcakes in a big bag with a nice handle. Perfect fit & I have her school bag over my shoulder. Em's mission, carry your cupcakes & stay upright. I have Br's cupcakes in one hand, am holding her hand in my other & off we go. One block down...two blocks...we got about 8 inches of snow but its all snow except for slushy intersections. No ice which is good. We get to the school yard & it's a slushy mess everywhere. I don't know what the deal is because last year it used to be much cleaner, plowed & salted. This year its always an early morning mess. I see 3 moms wipe out as we are heading for the gate.

"Don't fall Em, just don't fall!" She keeps saying she won't & I figure she's going down. I have a hold on everything but her.

As we're walking into the playground again (as I see someone else go) "Don't fall Emmy be careful."

Then I felt it- you know that slomo feeling you get as you know you are falling & nothing can save you?

Yeah, redhead down. Cupcakes fly out of my arms & go bouncing. Thank god I taped the containers shut.

B screams, "MOM! MY CUPCAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Me? I'm flipping over containers while laughing my head off. The cupcakes are all conjoined. Sprinkles, M&M's, kisses everywhere. Stuck to the wrappers. Stuck to the lid. Everywhere. I walk into the school to bring them to Tracey's room still laughing. Actually laughing & crying simultaneously. I show her them & she looks and goes, "OHMYGOD! Look at how much work went into them?!" I tried to reposition them. Pointless attempt if you ask me.



I came home, made more pretzels & returned with them before 11. I tell the office chick what happened & she says, "You fell?? I missed it???" Yes, she is a total bust ass. She carried the pretzels across the hall to Tracey's room, opens the door & says (no lie), "BRI! Look what mommy didn't drop!!" Loves the staff.

I leave the school still laughing, hit the corner & who is heading for me? That's right.

Crushdriver

I'll fill you in on that later on!

Red.

Quizzes Girls Games

Already knew this.

Real post later (As in AFTER teacher confrences but BEFORE our incoming "Snowblizzrd" as B is calling it.).

Don't Mess With This Redhead

Guess what? No one was sick today! I know, I'm shocked too! Anyway, I decided late this afternoon to take the kids for a quick run to the grocery store nearby. It's not a huge one, just a neighborhood, family owned place. (Think a parking lot that accomodates 50 cars) I wanted to grab stuff to make red velvet cupcakes & Emmy (who refused to eat for almost 3 days) wanted roast for dinner. We're leaving and there is a couple coming out the door right on our heels with a shopping cart. I had a hand held basket, no cart so I was carrying two small bags & had B's hand in my free one. Emmy notices the cart, apparently the couple left it right outside the stores door. It is rolling, rather quickly into traffic. It's a busy street, traffic steady in both directions as the cart stops dead blocking both lanes. Traffic came to a halt. I look back & see this, I also see a man get out of his car from a Rite Aid across the street. He climbs thru the landscaping, runs into the middle of the street, grabs the cart & starts yelling- at ME.

Whoa. Hold up. Big friggin mistake.

Mr. Well dressed that just jumped out of his 5 series car is yelling at me.

"You just gonna leave that there? Just gonna leave it in the middle of the street you little bitch?"

Wait. This arrogant fukc just called me a bitch? How does he know? How do strangers know??? We'll figure that out some other time, back to the matter at hand.

One, it was NOT my cart. Two, I never even had a cart. Three, he has traffic stopped even though he moved the cart simply because of the scene he is making. Some lady intercepted & took the cart from him the second he hit the edge of the parking lot. I guess she thought he was gunning for me & frankly it looked like it.

Me? I was momentarily stunned. I stood there in my comfy sweats (ok it IS Saturday & I'm coming off 2 days of the flu gimme a break besides I was still very presentable) staring at him with my mouth half open looking like a DEE DEE DEE until he crossed the street & was as close to me as he would get, then I YELLED back:

"Do I look like I needed a cart? (Lifting my little bags) I had a carry basket, THEY (pointing to the idiots watching from inside their no-doubt locked car) had that cart! And, quite frankly even if it was mine I would have let it roll once it hit the street because I would NOT leave my three small children unattended in a PARKING LOT!"

I stood there staring him down. Once he was BACKING UP into the middle of the street he starts apologizing and waving his arms at me:

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, sorry! I'm sorry, is it ok? I'm sorry!"

I suspect he isn't used to women standing up to him.

I explained to the girls that I had to say something because no one yells at me or treats me badly, especially if I've done nothing wrong.

Fast forward to dinner...

We are sitting at the table & Emmy starts making fun of how B was dancing god knows how long ago. B is clearly getting agitated and finally picks up her glass & SPLATS her lemonade in Em's face!

WTF? Am I know hosting The Little Bad Girls Club??? Should I call the Oxygen Network? Seriously. Emmy is ballsy & I have NO doubt she'll have many drinks thrown on her but I think 7 is a bit too young don't you?

B's brilliant defense?

"She was making fun of me & I had to stand up for myself JUST LIKE YOU DID TODAY!"

God help me because they are consistently smarter than I am.

Oh and the cupcakes? They came out great ;c)

Cupcakes

I have to admit, I'm glad my kids were sick this week & not next. We're on a long weekend, no school Monday. Then it all gets crazy. Tuesday-Thursday school is out at 11am because of teacher confrences. Friday & the following Monday, no school. Next Thursday morning is their Valentine's Day parties & being a homeroom mom means I'm in B's class all morning. I'm bringing a cupcake tower so I'vebeen collecting cupcake ideas all week. I'm going to do the Valentine's Day Funfetti cake (Red Velvet for the batch that stays home) & I want to decorate them all differently.

Some ideas:

I'm Like A Firecracker- I Make It Hot

See those people up there?? They shimmied up to Nay Aug park, spread out blankets and waited with a few hundred other people for the fireworks to begin. They ignored the dudes selling overpriced cotton candy & REALLY avoided the crazy ass selling 4 DOLLAR glow sticks. (Kids were not happy with all the avoiding going on) After waiting for about 30 minutes one lonely cop on a put put motorcycle came driving thru. He told random people (by random I mean, NOT us or anyone near us) that the fireworks were cancelled for no apparent reason. So of course the 4 people that the cop told before speeding out of the park himself before the pissed off revolt started- those 4 people spread the word, fast.

The kids were not happy. I was not happy because while there were big fireworks popping overhead as we drove, no where publicized having them so it was guesswork as to where they were coming from.

Anyway, independence day. Quite the theme. This feels like the first one that I'm really FREE of all the extra BS. It was emphasised by the fact that my ex had a courtdate last week. His Gagnon hearing for probation violation. The original hearing was a month ago but they continued his sentencing because he decided to play crazy as opposed to actually being his crazy self. They did a mental evalustion and of course decided the histrionics from last month were a show. The judge told him she has no doubt he has serious mental problems but is still in control of them enough to try & manipulate the system. He played psychotic last month but his eval shows depression only. He is still knowing what to say when, not being honest and wanted a free mental health pass out but doesn't really want the help. 9 more months but it runs concurrent. His attorney was interesting. She campaigned for his RELEASE to his mothers home. From there probation, alcohol monitoring, etc. Oh and he owes 5 grand to domestics. He has to pay up before his release. His attorney wanted to erase that debt & have him do community service instead. Now I KNEW the judge was going to give him the max because the DA talked to her beforehand so I was at ease with what would come but the community service thing pissed me off so very badly. You owe money to care for your CHILDREN but lets foreget that & go clean trash off the side of a highway & call it even??!! What the fuck. How could that even be right?? His debt isn't to society but to his KIDS.

Ugh.

But. I knew I had grown accustomed to court & unphased by it. This time around I was BS-ing with the DA & his assistant, with MY advocate while in the courtroom waiting for the judge. Very at ease. I was sitting there thinking, yes, I can work here. Yes, I can do this. Easily. So that was a good thing. I want that job.

Today is my cookout. I should be cooking already because you guys know how I am. Macaroni, potato & pasta salads plus the grill stuff. Dessert? Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes, Apple Pie w/ ice cream & whatever else Pat is bringing. I see Vanilla Martini's in my near future.