Leah is 3!

Leah,

Oh baby, baby, baby girl. You're just NOT a baby anymore are you! How did you go from a bright eyed wee one with a mohawk to a sassy little preschooler so quickly? I still want to hold you and cuddle you and I'm SO incredibly thankful you still let me, but I'm noticing it happens less and less and the time in my lap is shorter and shorter. No matter how big you, your sister, or your brothers get you will never be too big for my lap. Remember that.

You are the sunshine to our family these days. You're at that age where everything you say and do cracks me up, or is so sweet or is just utterly infuriating. You know when I'm sad and you hug me and tell me it's okay. You say funny things like how you said that Grayson drinks chocolate milk, and when I asked how that was possible and you said I put chocolate in my armpits. You're definitely hitting the "Terrifying 3's". You never really did go through the terrible 2's, the sassyness and tantrums didn't hit until just recently. I hate it. But you're such a sweetheart it's easy to put up with.

You're so sensitive, a stern look or talking too and crumble you to tears and I can't help but sweep you up and hug your tears away even if you just spread butter all of the kitchen floor and cabinets. Yea, you do things like that. Or sneak and get into red velvet cake batter and try to tell us you didn't and when we point out your red face and mouth you say, "Oh" and give us a little giggle and then a "sorry".

You're growing into such a beautiful and gorgeous little girl! Between you and your sister I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm in trouble that's for sure. You were SO excited about starting school! Or "thool" as you pronounce it. You got your lunchbox from Mamaw and it was all you talked about for days! I love your lisp and mispronunciations and they're coming fewer and far between. More proof you're growing before my eyes. My heart can't keep up with you and your siblings!


We love you SO much Leah bug! Thank you for being our sunshine!



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Brianne's Favorite Things

I've got music for Mondays, food and recipes for Tuesdays, the other days need stuff too. So I'm going to be introducing ya'll to "Brianne's Favorite Things". It's like Oprah's Favorite Things. On a very miniscule scale. Like what Oprah's Favorite Things would be if she was a stay at home mom with limited funds and a budget tighter than Brad Pitt's ass. Like what Oprah's Favorite Things would be if she wasn't...Oprah. Just someone's favorite things. No giving away of cars or trips to Australia or anything. Just posts to share my...favorite things. I said "favorite things" entirely way too many times in this paragraph.

I know of some pretty cool things for moms and just awesome people in general and I don't find it fair to keep these things to myself. It's kind of selfish if you ask me. This will be like "What I'm Loving Wednesdays", only not. And while I'm no Oprah, I am going to try and share at least some of my fave things. So be on the look out for that.

That is all.

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My Preschooler

Today marks a big day! My baby girl is officially a preschooler! My heart ached as woke her, gave her breakfast, and helped her dress for her big day. I smiled as she helped me pack her lunch and bookbag, wanting to cry, but pride totally chumped any sadness. My baby wasn't a baby, she was a big girl. A big girl helping me put her shoes on and get ready for her first day of school.

On the way to school she asked me if i was going to be staying with her at school. I told her no, and waited for the tears. They never came. "Hm"...she said, "It's okay, I'll be okay." I think she was talking to herself, but it was what I needed to hear more than anything.

We got to school, where we met up with my nephew Milo...

They're so big!! I swear they were just babies yesterday.

Showing off their back packs.

Walking to their classes.

One more goofy smile.

Deciding what to do in her classroom.

SUCCESS!

We have a happy girl!!!

The first day was definitely a success. My heart soared when I sat down to get on the computer once arriving home and found a photo of Leah, hands covered in paint, with the biggest smile on her face. The school director had taken it and tagged me to show that she was, despite my fears, having an awesome time. I wasn't worried, the preschool is full of the some of the most awesome people I know.

When I picked her up she excitedly told me about her day, and the picture she had made. "It's the sun! It's GOD'S SUN! He made the sun, and he made our food too!" Of course it doesn't do it justice without hearing her little chipmunk voice and lisp, but it was the cutest ever.

My baby girl, just 2 days shy of 3 is no longer a baby, nor toddler, she is a PRESCHOOLER! And I'm one proud mama.

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Tasty Tuesday- Num Num Desserts

Holy wow! Another Tasty Tuesday post! Maybe I'm more Betty Crocker than I thought? Hm? No, I still blame Pinterest. I see yummy fewds every day when I log on for some pinning action and I'm left wanting to bake and cook. Pinterest is a dirty enabler to my addiction.

After making dinner the other night I came across a box of cake mix and a can of frosting. Cupcakes sounded like a super yummy dessert so I got to work. When I pulled the snacky paraphernalia out of the cupboard I noticed a rather intriguing recipe on the side of the box. A recipe for Funfetti Cookies. "YES!", I thought, "COOKIES WE WILL HAVE! NOT CAKE!". I almost shouted. But then I remembered that yelling "cookies" and "cake" would be stupid as crap. I'd have kids up my butt asking 78,564 questions about what I'm making, when they'll be done, if they could help, someone would be burned, messes would be made, and chaos would ensue! I wasn't in the mood for cooking with the kids. So sue me. Let's get back to the cookies people.

Okay, so SUPER mega simple recipe here. Even more easier than making cake!

Here's what you need:

•1 (18.9-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury® Moist Supreme® Funfetti® Cake Mix
•1/3 cup oil
•2 eggs
•1/2 (15.6-oz.) can Pillsbury® Creamy Supreme® Funfetti® Vanilla Frosting

What you do:

•Preheat your oven to 375°F.
•Dump all of your ingredients into a bowl. {Captain obvious says to leave out the packaging and egg shells, tee-hee.} 
•Stir it up! Stir it up! Stir it up yo! Make sure to be really theatrical in stirring. Jump up and down while singing obnoxiously, "Stir it up!". The enthusiasm will make the cookies just that much yummier. Stir with a spoon {because socks make horrible stirrers} until everything is moist. {I'm sorry, but I have always, and will forever hate the word "moist".}
•Form the dough into 2" balls. This is the perfect time for middle school humor. Take advantage.
•Place the dough balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2" apart.
•Smursh the balls into cookie-like forms. You can use the bottom of a glass. I just used to my hands.
•Stick those mo fo's in the oven!
•Bake at 375°F for 6-8 minutes or until the edges are a pretty golden brown.
•Take the cookies out of the oven, {don't forget that oven mitt!} and let cool for 1 minute.
•Frost to your hearts delight. 

This is after I smurshed the balls into cookie-like forms.

These are my over-baked cookies fresh from the oven!

These are my finished product! My frosted Funfetti Cookies of yummy goodness.

The recipe supposedly yields 3 dozen cookies. I made 9 and they weren't even THAT big. Okay, they were pretty big...but there's not way you would get 3 dozen normal sized cookies. Maybe 3 dozen tee tiny baby cookies.

This leaves me wanting to try this with other cake and frosting flavor combinations! I'm thinking red velvet and cream cheese icing! Yum! I will be sure not to over-bake next time. They weren't nearly as good as they could have been. {Even well done they were yummy though.}

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Wait...what?!

My denial couldn't withstand any longer. Grayson's sleep 'n plays were being pulled off of his shoulders when he stretched his legs, all of his long sleeves were entirely too short, and buttoning his onesies was growing harder each day. I knew it was time to make the switch to the next size up. 3-6mo., or 6months as Carter's calls it. "But my baby will swim in 6 mo.! There's no way he could ever fit in them!" I told myself. "He's in between sizes, I can keep him in 3 mo. for a little while longer." Yep. Denial isn't just a river folks. It's a sad washed up mom crumbling over the end of baby growing days.

So, reluctantly, and with the "there's no way it's fitting him" attitude I put Grayson in a 6mo. sleep 'n play. It took all I had in me not to burst into tears. It fit. It fit so well, that he probably won't even fit into it for very long. I was so stubborn in keeping him in the smallest baby clothes possible that he almost basically grew right through 3-6/6mo. clothes and right into 6-9mo./9mo. clothes.

How did that happen?!

I need a button. I need a pause button. Life needs to have a DVR and needs to be paused. RIGHT NOW. So I can keep on enjoying tiny little toes and tiny little feet and tiny little hands, and snuggle time, and baby smell, and everything that Grayson is out growing so quickly.

And this is all happening on the eve of Leah's first day of preschool. As though that isn't enough!

Come on God, cut me a break here!

I'm telling you time really is a dastardly villain and he's having NO MERCY on me these days.

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The Costume Nazi

You would think, based on years past, that I could really care less about costumes, and what my children chose to wear or dress up as for Halloween. In fact that is not at all true! I am so, incredibly anal retentive about costumes. It literally makes my skin crawl to buy cheap itchy,plasticy, rubbery, cheesy costumes from Walmart/Target/Party City. Just thinking of it gives me an eye twitch. Ugh. I hate it.

I try, so hard, to give my kids liberty to dress as they chose, but I can't help but butt in and give my opinion and try to talk them into something BETTER! I really hate that Joshua and Hailey have grown out of the super cute, and awesome quality costumes from Old Navy and Children's Place. I HATE it! Now they're pretty much stuck in icky plasticy cheesiness. I think Pottery Barn Kids is the last place to have good costumes go up to Joshua and Hailey's size, but I'm not paying $80 so my 6 year old can dress like strawberry for a few hours to collect candy. Not doing it.

I'm on the hunt, googling my little heart out, but internet pics can be SO deceiving. I just KNOW that the awesome costume I'm looking at online is going to arrive looking to' up from the flo' up. I just know it! This is where my longing for sewing know-how really kicks in. I would make the most awesomest costumes ever if only I knew how!

The first step is finding out what it is the kids actually want to dress up as this year, the next step is finding it. Leah is somewhat vetoed as I have found the most awesome costume ever for her. I know she'll love it though. Stay tuned...Halloween costume hunting posts and updates are among us...

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Happy Labor Day!

M'yes, this! This exactly! Farewell summer! Stupid, hot, sweltering, good for nothing because I don't have a pool summer!

Fall is so close, if I squint my eyes I can see it! And it can't come quick enough.

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