Happy Halloween!!!!!

Mom's Never Get Sick...They Don't Have Time.

Today, I was sitting at work, minding my own business, thinking about whether I was going to get the oil changed on the car or get hair color on my lunch break, when my phone rang.

Me: "Hello, this is Wife O Riley." (Yep, that's how I answer the phone, it usually makes people hang up)

Other end: "Hi, this is the Nurse from Emerson's school." (DAMN!!!) "Emerson is complaining about a stomachache and I think you need to pick her up."

Me: "Just give her something to eat, I can't remember if we ate breakfast this morning."

Nurse: "I asked her if she had breakfast and she said yes." "You had Fruit Loops."

Me: "Right, right, right, the Fruit Loops." (When did I buy Fruit Loops?)

Nurse: "So are you going to come and get her?"

Me: "But, but...I have to buy hair color."

Nurse: "Walgreen's will still be open after you pick her up."

Me: "FINE! I'll be there in a couple of minutes."

I call Matt.

Me: "Hi, can you go pick up Em?"

Matt: "Why, is she sick?"

Me: "Allegedly." (I've been fooled too many time before)

Matt: "No, I'm at work!"

Me: "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that." " I guess I'll just have to leave my lounge chair by the pool and go get her." "Do you think the nanny or the butler can do it, so I don't have to disrupt my day?"

Matt: "There's no reason to be sarcastic!"

Me: "There's always a reason to be sarcastic." "Fine, I'll get her."


When I picked her up, there was another kid from her class that was complaining about the same thing. GREAT, AN EPIDEMIC!!!

I put her in my bed, gave her some ginger ale, soda crackers and the remote. She doesn't have a fever, so I'm not convinced. She can be very tricky sometimes.

Meanwhile, I get to enjoy the mind numbing drivel that's daytime TV.

Wednesday Haiku To You

Heidi and Spencer

Just go away already!

We're SO over it!

I think I'll stick to the Pop Culture path for the Wednesday Haiku for You, what do you think?

She's No Carrie Bradshaw!

Because today is actually Vivi's birthday, she got to have a special birthday dinner. I would cook anything she wanted or we could go out to dinner. We gave her these options praying that she wouldn't pick Chuck E. Cheese. To our surprise, she wanted to go to Dave's Italian Kitchen, one of the family's favorites. She also wanted to wear a pretty dress that she received as a gift yesterday. So, I dressed her up and put on her black party shoes.

We had a very nice dinner. Although, there was a upsetting discovery made; Vivi won't eat off of my plate anymore. She has to have her own dinner now. I cried just a little, she's getting so big!

After dinner and a candle in the chocolate mousse, we left. The girls were running down the sidewalk when Vivi stopped suddenly, threw her hand in the air and huffed "I can't run in these high heels!"

Sometimes that kid just kills me!!

Vivi Had Fun...Matt Cried.

This weekend was the party. After running around for last minute things all day Saturday, Matt stayed up all night to make the cake. It was much more difficult than he anticipated.

Matt worked so hard!! That's why it kills me to tell you this next part.

The cake (which turned into a two tiered cake) was on a very thick piece of foam board (which was recommended in our research) and in the trunk of the station wagon. On our way to the party, we hit a pothole and the board cracked breaking the cake in half. Matt teared up a little, and when we got there he fixed it the best he could. He made the cake topper out of polymer clay and a small teapot. He is just INCREDIBLE!!!

All the kids and parents had a great time and here are some pictures of the festivities.

Vivi in her Alice in Wonderland Costume.

One of the Topiaries, it doesn't show but the lit up.

The other topiary. In the background you can see the butterfly shaped sandwiches.

Matt as the Mad Hatter, Me as the March Hare (I had no energy to paint on whiskers)

Emerson insisted on being the Cheshire Cat, so I spent the night before make-shifting this costume.

We had to sing "Happy Birthday" fast before the cake collapsed.

All in all, it was a great time. Vivi and Matt fell asleep as soon as we got home. By the way, the cake tasted delicious!!

Johnny Depp Monday

Because it's Vivi's birthday, she got to pick the picture today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIVIENNE!!

Will post birthday party pics today or tomorrow.

OMG!!!!!!!! It's Finally HERE!!!!!

Today is the day certain people in my house have been waiting for for months!!!! It's finally here and I thought Matt was going to burst with excitement.

High School Musical 3 Senior Year starts today and there are just so many questions that we need to know from this 3rd installment.

Will Troy and Gabrielle stay together?

Will Sharpay be thwarted for the final time in her attempts to be in the spotlight (with Troy)?

Will bitter Taylor keep her big trap shut and let Gabrielle be happy?

Will Ryan and Chad finally realize their love for each other and head off to Hawaii for a same sex union?

Will I go to my grave having the songs from this one ringing in my ears?

We shall see. But to Matt's disappointment, it won't be this weekend. Disney did not clear it with me when they opened the movie on Vivi's party weekend.

Wednesday Haiku to You

Madonna and Guy

Divorcing isn't easy

But try to be nice.

No, No, No, This Just Won't Do!!

Last night I was up all night. I just couldn't sleep a wink! One thought just kept going around and around in my mind...I HATE THE PLATES!!! They looked terrible! You guys were being so nice, but I could not live with them. So, I changed them.

That is SO MUCH BETTER!!!! Now I can go to bed. Good Night.

Ahhhhh...Progress!

I came home from Wisconsin last night instead of this morning. (OK, 3AM this morning) I had overwhelming guilt over both my children getting flu shots and having all this stuff to do for the party and here I am whooping it up.

So, this morning Matt and I were able to get an early start on some of the projects. We hit the dollar store with the hopes that they had tea cups (they did) and mini tea sets to put in the goodie bags (they didn't). We did get a bunch of "necessities" and headed to the Halloween shop with hopes of finding a Mad Hatter hat for Matt to wear...Nothing! We are going to have to figure out an alternative, or hit more Halloween shops this week. Off to Marshalls where we were really lucky to find a cute teapot and small teapot to put on top of the cake. (hooray!!)

Next stop was Michaels where we got some more supplies for all the "handmade" things we are making. Then the grocery store.

This is where Matt dropped the BOMB. He refuses to make a practice cake!!!!! He is going to do the whole thing on Saturday and Sunday. (the day of the party) I am so nervous! If he doesn't do it right...OFF WITH HIS HEAD!

So, on to the progress. Because Alice in Wonderland is not vastly popular, they don't really have plates or anything for a party. (of course) So, I came up with this idea; I took clear plastic plates and decoupaged small Alice in Wonderland pictures on the back. (the only pictures I could get were small and I couldn't enlarge them or they would get all blurry. I also made napkin rings by cutting toilet paper rolls and hot gluing fabric to them. And I only burned myself about 16 times. Here's how they turned out. (please don't criticize too harshly, I don't think my nerves could take it)


The fabric on the napkin rings has flamingos on it as a shout out to the croquet game that Alice and The Queen play.

One of the games we are playing is Pin the Watch on the Rabbit. So Matt DREW BY HAND this White Rabbit. It's not colored yet because all the markers in the house mysteriously dried up. So I will post a colored picture of him along with the watches.

That's what we have done today. Tomorrow, I will finish the rest of the plates and napkin rings and I will start on the topiaries.

Update on the Doctor visits; Emerson age 9 is 50" tall and 56lbs. Apparently, that's small and if she doesn't have a growth spurt within a year they are going to run tests.

Vivi, will be 4 next week, is 30" and 28lbs. and nothing was said about running any tests on her. (Thank Goodness) they both got flu shots and then candy from their guilty mother.

I went to the diet doctor, with my head hung in shame, and low and behold I LOST 4 LBS!!!!! Now I officially would not even be a consideration for the prize winning sow at the state fair.

All in all, I am happy with how the weekend turned out. With all the running around (and partying) I was able to get some of the party stuff done. Because with my big idea for this party, we are constantly flirting with disaster.

Johnny Depp Monday

Multi-State Bank robbery never looked so HOT !!!

Ready...Set...GO!

Really big day today. The girls go to the doctor today for check-ups. I had to wait almost 4 weeks to get the doctor that I wanted. This doctor doesn't panic when she sees Vivi's size. (4 at the end of the month and a size 18 months) The other doctors in the practice want to do a bunch of tests on her that I don't find necessary. My doctor (who was her doctor since she's been born) thinks she's fine, just small.

Then I get to go to the diet doctor. I am dreading this so much, because other than taking my pill everyday religiously, I have been very bad.

After the diet Dr. I have to go buy new pants. My pants are too big and they sag in the butt. (maybe I'm doing better on the diet then I thought.)

Then the girls get dropped of with my Mother-in-Law for the night while I go to a Bachelorette Party in Wisconsin. I am really looking forward to it, because I have crazy friends, but I still have so much to do for the party. I will be spending the night in Wisconsin and then leaving at the BUTT CRACK OF DAWN to get back here and do party stuff.

I will post whatever I get finished.

Have a great weekend.

Lookie, Lookie What I Found!

I was introduced to a new blog where the whole thing is visiting new blogs and getting new vistors. You can find the button on my sidebar. It's called The Secret is in the Sauce or SITS for short.

I'm very excited, because I know how everyone loves the recognition that a comment on your blog brings. We could all use the validation.

Try it, you may like it!

Here's the link http://thesecretisinthesauce.blogspot.com

I Got Tagged

My good friend Jess over at Smiles in Easy Open Packages tagged me. This is my first time, so here it goes...


Top Four Wishes

Health and Happiness for all family and friends. (make that an All Skate, health and happiness for everyone! I'm buying!)
Unlimited amount of patience
More romance in my life
All spa and anti-aging treatments at my disposal


Four Places I Want to Travel To

Italy
Fiji
Scotland
All the way down Route 66 (But that might be a way to travel... I dunno know)


Four Careers I Want to Try

Heiress
Celebrity Stylist
Photo Journalist
Professional Beach bum

Four Things I want God to say at the Gates of heaven

There she is!!
OK, once or twice, I may have given you a little more than you could have handled, but I had faith in you.
You were a good person and made me smile a lot.
Your skin is RADIANT and so youthful for a 98 year old!

Now I'm suppose to tag 4 other people. I truly don't think I have 4 people who read this blog, so this will have to do.

Amy at Bryant/Satoskar Family
Intense Guy
Capitola Girl
Marvelous Kiddo

Have fun, and remember that it's completely optional!

Text Message from Matt

I kid you not, this is true!!

Matt: Some old lady just got mad at me for something the company did to her & she hit me with her cane and chased me out of her house

Me: Did you hit her back?

Matt: I did accidentally yell “What the F*ck lady?!!” It was like when the penguin was hitting Jake and Elwood in her office!!

Me: LOL! I needed that laugh! Where did she hit you?

Matt: Once on the leg & then once on my right arm, that’s when I yelled.

Me: You let her hit you twice? What kind of man are you??!!

Matt: It came out of nowhere! She swung that thing like a Jedi Master! She was all over me like a Spider Monkey!

Me: Stop picking on old ladies!

Matt: She started it!

Three-Way Conversations, Part I

This is something new that I am going to post periodically. The three-way conversation is in reference to when I am on the phone with Erin (my sister) and Matt is listening in and yelling out contributions to what we are talking about. Here is the first installment;

Matt: “Who are you talking to?”

Me: “Erin”

Matt: “What are you talking about?”

Erin: “Tell Matt to SHUT UP!”

Me: “I’m helping her with her vocabulary words for school.”

Matt: “Vocabulary words??!!” “The only “vocabulary word” Erin needs to know for her Massage Therapy class is Happy Ending!”

Erin: “He better knock it off!” “I am now considered part of the medical community.”

Me: “Erin says she’s part of the medical community now.”

Matt: “BAHHHH!” “Yeah, the same way the guy who cleans up the elephant crap at the circus is part of show business!”

Erin: “That’s it!” “Not only is he not getting any massages from me, I’m going to kick his ass!”

Me: “Erin says she won’t massage you.”

Matt: “So I guess the happy ending’s out?”

Me: “What do you say, Erin?”

Erin: “I’m hanging up now.” “You people are sick bastards!!”




Some of the other posts I am working on are text messages between Matt and I, text messages between Erin and I, and text messages between Matt and Erin.

Wednesday Haiku to You

What is going on??!!

That better be some foreplay!

Vintage ads are fun.

Where There's A Need...

The other day on our way home from apple picking, Matt pulled the car into the parking lot of Blaine's Farm and Fleet.

Now, I was pretty sure we were good on all of our farming needs, so I wasn't quite sure why we need to go here. Here's how the conversation went;

Me: "What are we doing here?"

Matt: " I have to pick up some MonkeyButt."

Me and Emerson: "What?"

Matt: "I have to pick up some MonkeyButt."

Emerson: "They sell monkeys' butts here??!?!!?" "What do they do with the rest of the monkey?"

Vivi: "Heehee...monkeybutt."

Matt: "It's powder."

Me: "What kind of powder?"

Matt: "Is this the Spanish Inquisition?" "I just need some, is that ok?!!!"

Me: "Fine, you don't have to be rude."

Vivi: "Monkeybutt..heehee..monkeybutt..haha...MONNKKKEEYYBBUUTTT!!!!!"

Well, it turns out that because Matt job consists of a lot of outside work in the summer, a lot of crouching down in basements in the winter and a lot of driving around in a truck all year round, he had developed (for the lack of a better term) SwampAss.

He had heard a cure for this on the radio (I have no idea what station he's listening to) and wanted to try some. Hence the trip to Farm and Fleet. I guess farmers and fleeters have the same problem.

But now we can't get Vivi to stop saying Monkeybutt.

Johnny Depp Monday

What do you think of the new layout? Be Honest!

Cake, Shmake!

We were going to bake today...BUT it was 81 degrees here in Chicago. Matt convinced me that this will be the last great weekend and we shouldn't spend it inside. So, we went apple picking!!! We had such a good time. Here are some pictures.

This is really gross and cool at the same time.

Some of them were too high to reach.

We will get to the cake sometime this week. I am going to make the actual cake part and put it in the fridge tomorrow.

What Do We Have to Lose?

So, this weekend Matt and I are going to try our hand at a couple of the harder things for the party. Just as a dry run.

We were online last night, reading about how to make one of those 3 tiered lopsided cakes. Matt seems to think he's Duff from Ace of Cakes, but I'm not quite so sure. We couldn't figure out what torting was and had to look that up too. And did you know that you just can't pile these cakes on top of each other? There is a whole process in which you cut a hole in the cake and everything.

It might take a couple of trys to make this cake. The first attemped will be on Sunday and I will take pictures.

If anything else, we will probably have a good laugh after all is said and done.

Wednesday Haiku for You

You STUPID freight train!

I am stuck here forever.

I have to go pee!

Ladies & Gentleman...

The invitations are DONE!!!

I think they turned out pretty cute, what do you think?

(For obvious reasons I blocked out the address and our phone number). Like I really need some stalker showing up for cake! LOL!

My back hurts and my fingers are bleeding... But at least they're done.

Some One Needs to Smack Me in the Head with a 2 X 4!

I don't know what it is, but I have a thing for birthday parties. I have to have these parties for my girls and they have to be exactly what they want. (Even if they don't know it)

When Emerson turned 4 we had a Princess/Knight party. This consisted of handmade (by me and Matt) princess capes for the girls and knight tunics for the boys. Each child got their picture taken in their costume and they decorated frames for it. They also made glitter play-do. The "cake" consisted of cupcakes with glass slippers on the top and wand cookies. All of it done by me and Matt.

When Emerson turned 5, we had a luau. At 6 she had a "Around the World" party. The kids pretended to get on an airplane and go to different "countries" where I had an activity for each country. They got a passport that they got stamped at each country, a sticker for their "suitcase" and a huge "guide book" I created that had fun facts and pictures for each country.

At 7 she had a "Rock Star Makeover" party with Karaoke. At 8 she had a 50's Sock hop. (We went to Disney world as a family for her 9th birthday, so no party)

Now Vivi is turning 4 at the end of October and I am in the process of planning her shindig. And Boy, what a shindig it's going to be.

I don't really have "kid" parties until they are 4. I do however have family parties for their first 3 birthdays. For Vivi's first birthday, we had it in a funeral home. Her birthday is so close to Halloween (October 27th) and there is a funeral home right by our house that has a huge indoor mini golf course in the basement. The owner originally built it for his sons and now they rent it out for parties. (Of course you have to be flexible on the date, you can't have the room if there is an actual funeral) Her 2nd birthday was pretty tame by comparison, we just had the family for dinner and cake. Her third birthday did have kids and we made it a costume party. (I hate spending time and money on costumes and the kids only wear them once.)

Now it's NUMBER 4!!! The Biggie! Originally, Vivi wanted a Princess Tea party, but I felt that was a little boring. With a little lobbying by Emerson and me, we convinced her that an Alice in Wonderland party would be much better. (It didn't actually take that much coaxing, all we did was show her the movie and she was hooked!)

Now I'm in BIG TROUBLE!!! I was doing a little research and I have so many ideas for this party!!! I have no idea how I'm going to do it in three weeks!!! Matt LOVES to make cakes, especially with the fondant frosting, so he's going to make the cake. He also graduated from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and he he can draw any Disney character perfectly. These are skills that I can and will use to my fullest advantage.

I'm not going to share all my ideas at this time. I'm afraid I might be a little too ambitious and if I write about them and I don't do them, I will be completely disappointed in myself. I will, however, put each idea on this blog one at a time when I get them finished. Then, of course, the finished party with it all put together. For our first installment, I will hopefully have the invitations done tomorrow night.

Wish me luck!!!!

Johnny Depp Monday

Pool anyone?

What a SMARTASS!!!

I don't cook in the summer, PERIOD. I will microwave and I will make sandwiches, but I go no where near the stove.

In the fall and winter, I cook a lot. On a Sunday, I will usually make a soup, bread and a pie. I like to freeze the soup for those days I don't feel like making anything. I LOVE to cook, just not in the summer.

So, the weather here has started getting cooler, and I dusted off the pots and pans.

The other day I made stuffed chicken breasts and acorn squash. It was nothing special, honest.

Well, you would have thought that Matt was starving for 3 months and I just handed him a cracker!!!

After I served it, I went back into the kitchen to get something and when I came back, HE WAS TAKING A PICTURE OF HIS PLATE WITH THE DIGITAL CAMERA!!!!!

Here's how the conversation went;

Me: "What are you doing?"

Matt: "I'm taking a picture of my dinner."

Me: "Why?"

Matt: "Because it is the best thing I ever ate and I want to remember, just in case you stop cooking again."

Me: "Give me the camera."

Matt: "Why?"

Me: "Because I'm going to stick it down my shirt and take a picture, that's something you are going to have to try to remember if you don't stop dogging me about not cooking!"

Matt (with mouth full): "mff....um"

Me: "What?"

Matt: "That's ok, just keep cooking."

Me: "Smartass!"

It is nice to be appreciated, but it won't last long. Maybe I'll give up other things for a while, how about bathing or shaving my legs? I bet I will be greatly appreciated when I go back to one of those after a hiatus. (Probably from my husband as well as a bunch of other people.)