My Arkansas Baby Shower Cake

Maybe ya’lls will be more exciting than mine with people in the picture, but I was tagged by Monica Clifton for the Blog Photo Tag.

Here are the instructions:

Go to the place where you store all of your pictures on your computer and open up the 4th folder
Open the 4th picture

Post the picture and give an explanation
Tag 4 people (or more if you wish… I couldn’t stop at 4)

Not sure anyone else will do this but I tag:

Jenni P(Kailey), Misty McCaslin, Vida Forrest (do you still BLOG), & Kim Masengale

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My oh my what a wonderful day.  For a Monday morning, I’m strangely in a good mood.

Could it be because I had a wonderful Christmas shopping weekend!?  So many good deals, bought all of Tatum’s gifts, plus found some neat ideas for being crafty.  Let’s hope this goes as planned!

Could it be because I was able to take a 3 hour nap yesterday? I was exhausted from the busy week and Holiday parties already starting to pile up.

Could it be because my work/company party was a HUGE success!!! Whew.  Glad that’s over.

Could it be because I had a fabulous conversation with Susanna about a DATE COFFEE NIGHT last night!  YAY!  I’m hoping there’s more where that came from!

Could it be because I have to work in OKC next week - and get to stay the night with the McCaslin’s! WOHOO.

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Just call me Cindy. Cindy Lauper that is.

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I laugh when I’m driving down the road listening to music, and I glance back in the backseat at my daughter throwing punches up in the air, one hand at a time, like in a Jane Fonda 80’s Aerobic Video –  it’s called dancing.

I laugh that today all I had to eat until 6:30 pm was two small Halloween candy bars and a package of sweetarts.  What am I?  Sixteen?

I laugh when I think back to our family Cavendar’s experience Sunday afternoon, after attending an engagement party where half the partiers had on cowboy boots - we decided we as a family needed a pair.  My older brother approved via text of my selection of Tatum’s pink John Deer boots.  I swore I would never step foot into that place, yet I found myself wandering to the super funky cowgirl shirts, and thought, HM, I wonder if Michelle would like this.  I sure do.

I laugh tonight when Tatum began pulling out salad dressing and butter from the fridge door.  The butter ended up in the hall closet.

I laugh when I receive mid-day 2 minute voicemails from Susan about John.  Still laughing…

I laugh from our Saturday park experience on the East Side.  7 little black girls under the age of 6 and Tatum.  They were BFF’s very quickly.  From petting Brodie, to helping Tatum down the slide, to asking me to hold them so they could touch my hair and say ‘miss, i love your hair.’  Extra special moment:  us walking away and them yelling ‘BYE TATUM.  SEE YOU TOMORROW.’  Tatum yelling: ‘BUH-BYYYYYYY.  BUH-BYYYYYY.’

I laugh when my daughter starts having a conversation with us.  She’s sounds like a Chinese woman.

I laugh (and cry) at my husband when he tells me why he wants to take all our Christmas money and pay off our cars - instead of going to CA.  He tells me, “sweetheart, the sooner we pay off the cars, the sooner we can save & have a baby”  Sniff.  I broke down in tears at our Date Night Friday night - I was moved.  Always thinking ahead & taking care of us. I love you.

I laugh when I think of the upcoming holidays and the crazy schedules that we’ll have trying to fit and please all of our family members.  Why do I stress myself out?  It’s our family.  I’m trying to be better about it this year - don’t worry about pleasing and making every single person happy - but worry about spending true time with those we love and allowing them to enjoy us as well.

I like to laugh.

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This is Tatum last year

Now look at her!

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Reflections from this weekend bring a smile to my face.  I’ll post a video of Tatum riding a horsey hopefully later tonight.  The weather in Austin is somewhat beginning to cool down, which gets me excited to run to the hall closet and decide which jacket I plan to wear for the day.  I am in anticipation for the holidays coming up: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course Christmas!

We took Tatum to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday in Elgin, TX.  Our trip to this place last year turned out to be a bust.  First of all, it was H O T.  None of us do well in the heat - we get red cheecks, extra grumpy, and ready to call it quits in less than 1 hour.  Thankfully this trip was not as hot.  With Tatum older and no longer breastfeeding - this trip was so much more enjoyable!  We ran through the hay mazes, rode a shetland pony, swang on the baby swings, sat on pumpkins to capture the perfect pumpkin picture, took a hayride through the Christmas Tree Farm, and watched Chris eat a huge piece of corn on the cob.  Video and pictures to come, I promise.  They are priceless.

Categories: Thoughts
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Mommy:  “Tatum, can you say….. Lena?”

Tatum:  “LLLL - NANA.”

Mommy:  “Tatum, can you say….Vida?”

Tatum:  “Rah Rah.”

Mommy:  “Tatum, VEEEE - DA.”

Tatum:  “Rah Rah.”

Mommy:  “Tatum, how about Be-Da.”

Tatum: “Rah Rah.”  (Tatum Giggle)

Categories: Thoughts
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I’m grumpy.  I make the same morning stop at Exxon Mobile off Hwy 290 & Congress - five months now.  Every morning.  Same coffee.  Same Exxon Mobile lady.

I walk in today - my normal morning ‘hello’ - give her my debit card - and as she’s punching my Rewards Card (two more punches, and one free coffee!), she says, ‘I need your ID.’  I didn’t hear her b/c she’s very soft spoken - and since when do I need to show my ID for a $1.29 purchase?  AND I’m coming every morning at the same time and get the same thing.  I say, ‘what? Sorry, what do you need my ID for? I come every morning.’  Aka:  Don’t you remember me!?

She says very bluntly while staring at me ‘I need your ID.’  URRRRG.  So I stomp out to my car, grab my purse, stomp back in the Exxon store - and show her my ID.  For $1.29. 

Have you changed your policy?  Has your store experienced possible Identity Theft among your other customers?  All comments that could very nicely be stated to me (and the other morning regulars) - instead of ‘I need your ID.’  Does Exxon Mobile not send their cashiers to Customer Service School?  Apparently not.

And.  I think I’m drinking Hot Chocolate, not Italian Cappacino.  Did they get switched in the machine?

I’m grumpy.

Categories: Thoughts
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A few things popping through my brain:

1.  I just drank some chocolate milk - and it was goooood.

2.  I was sick on Monday - and peeps in my office thought I might be preggo. Hm…I’m not.  But what if I was? How would I feel about that?

3.  My mom’s bday was (is) today & my BF’s bday was Monday.

4.  ACL starts in 1 day - and my hubby is thrilled - and making arrangements with his friends to park in my office’s garage off mopac & bee caves as I type this.

5.  I’m hoping to visit my little brother during our stay in AR over Thanksgiving - a little anxious & nervous about this - he currently resides in a SuperMax Prison Unit.  Why you ask?  That’s a whole other blog.

6.  I learned that I can save 8% off my phone bill b/c of my Corporate Account at work. Cool.

7.  Both our cars will be paid off this Spring. Wow. Please God let these cars last us a LONG time. I hate car payments.

8.  I have cable now.  Which means I now love Rachel Zoe Project (Brad, you might get fired), Project Runway, Top Design, and of course: Dr. 90210.

9.  Speaking of Dr. 90210 - there are a few things I’m seriously contemplating having done after I have all my kiddos.

10.  I wish Tatum was awake so we could keep dancing together.  She’s so funny.

11.  Pillows - got them!  Now on to curtains.

12.  I found out last week that I got a promotion & pay increase at my job of 5 months. WOOHOO.

13.  I have a girls’ brunch this Sunday - and I am so excited.  I get some big girl alone time away from Tatum.

14.  Is it bad that I get a tad (ok maybe a little more than tad) bit jealous when I hear of friends about to have babies that will stay at home with them?  But my jealousy is out of love.  I’m glad I have a good job.  Otherwise, it’d be a bad jealousy.

15.  Super wonderful people from CA are coming to visit in just a few short weeks. What o what will we do?  What o what will we NOT do?

16.  One of my other BF’s just told me she lost 10 pounds on this particular shake diet.  Chris…I need $50 to buy these shakes.  If Shell can do it, I can do it.

17.  I can’t believe I’m still awake.  I’m going to bed.

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