Saturday, November 23, 2013

The TToT's 25 Weeks Old! Cake Is Involved.


Happy 25th Week Anniversary!!!

I do believe you were promised cake, so...



Sorry.  I really tried to save it for you, but it's chocolate.  I could only wait for so long.  It totally used to say "Happy 25th Week Anniversary".* 

To celebrate, I'm going to list not 10, but 25 things for which I am thankful this week.  Hope you are sitting in a comfortable chair.  And have some tea to sip.  Perhaps a bag of M&Ms.

1.  I am thankful for my good hair day on Monday.    The curly mullet is starting to grow out, and I finally had one good day with it.  No, I haven't had another one since, but I had one.  There is hope that I'll someday have another.

2.  I am thankful for all you lovely people who read this blog.  COW and I were fortunate to score invites to Kris's 40th birthday bash.  We had loads of fun with all of her friends.  The moment we got in the car, COW said, "Walking into that party, I thought I had walked in with a celebrity, with all these people I never met saying, 'Hey!  It's the Coop!'"   It seems Kris tells people she writes a blog, and many of those people read mine, too.  I am grateful for all the kind ladies (and even a husband or two) who read and enjoy my stories. 

HELLO KRIS'S FRIENDS!!  :)

3.  I am thankful for garlic.  Garlic cooking in butter is one of my favorite aromas in the world.  We grew garlic in our garden the last two summers, and I am loving it.

4.  I am thankful for quality library programs.  Every week, Cuckoo is thrilled to attend the 45 minute free** program at our library.  I am thrilled to have 35 minutes to sit and read a book in mostly peace and quiet.  (Of the other moms, grandparents, and caregivers, I am the only one who stays out and reads a book.  Even though the woman in charge tells us every single time we don't need to go in with our kids.  What the heck??) 

5.  I am thankful for Star and Giant, who consistently do all of their daily chores without being reminded.

6.  I am thankful I have my new "about me" page written.

7.  I am thankful I can finally get Dyanne and a Bible study friend off my back, since I got a new photo of Phoenix on the sidebar.  Sure, it's the wrong size, but it's there.  We can work on the size later.

8.  I am thankful for making it to age 42.  (My birthday was this week.)

9.  I am thankful for Zoe and her hilarious JibJab birthday card.  It looks just like the me from back in my roller skating days!  (Go here to see it.  Or here to see the first one, before she found the birthday one.  (I have got the moves!))

10.  I am thankful for my mom's safe return from her month-long vacation in Florida.  Sure, she had fun and I plan on doing the same type of thing when I'm retired, but honestly, I didn't need another phone call letting me know how gorgeous it was down at the beach.  She's back to the miserable cold and wet weather that is the Midwest(ish) area. Our conversations go much better now.

11.  I am thankful for hot showers in the morning.  Since I don't drink coffee, I need something to get the cobwebs out of my brain.

12.  I am thankful for the warm weather last weekend and my kids' ability to enjoy it before the storms rolled in.  Sure, I had to yell, "Get outside and play right now, and don't come in until the storm is knocking on our door!" but they went out.  And they played. 

Shall we pause for a photo collection?

We shall.

Yes, Cuckoo is wearing shorts over pants.  Every time he wears those pants, he wears those shorts.  I have absolutely no idea why, except that he's cuckoo.
 




13.  I am thankful we made it through Sunday's record-breaking storms with no damage to our property.

14.  I am thankful for the lovely couple who watches our house and animals every time we go out of town.

15.  I am thankful for a great alternative to Elf on the Shelf.  I am not a fan of the elf.  I am not a fan of threats to children to behave in order to please Santa.  (Kids should behave because it's the right thing to do, and because I said so.)  I read on Melody's blog about an activity in which the three wise men go searching for Jesus every night.  They keep looking until the Epiphany, when they show up in the nativity scene.  There's going to be a link-up and everything, in order to give me some ideas for what to do with the wise men each night.

16.  I am thankful for the people who love our kids.  Cuckoo's godparents took him out for some fun last weekend, and sent him home with all sorts of new-to-him clothes for the Build-a-Bear they gave him a couple of years ago.  Hoosier used to be a boy bear with one outfit.  He's now a girl bear with about 6 outfits, 6 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of pajamas, and two pairs of underwear, all of which are nicer than anything I own.  Hoosier gets changed upon waking each day (from her new cardboard box bed next to Cuckoo's bed), eats every meal with us, and changes back to PJs before retiring at night. 



17.  I am thankful we have finished raking Mrs. G's leaves.  This year, we got help.  Phoenix is being confirmed this year, and COW and I are co-leading the classes.  Service is a big part of preparing for confirmation, so we invited the group to help us with the leaves.  We managed to get 200 bags of leaves bagged up in 3 hours.  

18.  I am thankful for COW's job, which gives us the opportunity to experience lots of things we normally wouldn't, like Pink in concert.  We went on my birthday, and while I would never take one of my kids to a concert of hers, I can't help but be impressed with her ability to perform, her athleticism, and her down-to-earthiness.  At one point, she responded to a fan in the front row with, "You want me to sign your forehead??  Where are we, Talladega Nights??"  I have to enjoy anyone who can pull out a Talladega Nights reference like that.  And then there was the flying... 



I know, they are horrible photos.  During her last song, she was flying and spinning and cartwheeling up high and down low all over the entire arena.  While singing.  At several points throughout the show, she did some amazing acrobatics.  I almost thought we accidentally walked into a Cirque de Soleil show.  I was cringing half the time, as they did these things with no safety harness whatsoever.  But when she did this flying bit, I was jealous.  I want to fly like that.  (Little known fact: I spent a week taking trapeze lessons.  I have a sense of what flying feels like.) 

19.  I am thankful for the new Blue-Ray/DVD player COW gave me for my birthday.  Before tonight, we had a VCR and an old DVD player that did more skipping and stopping than playing. 

20.  I am thankful for the DVD of "The Jerk" COW also gave me.  Everyone in my extended family can quote just about every line.  Tonight, my kids were introduced to it, minus the bit with the carnival worker.  They now understand why I yell, "The new phone book's here!  I'm somebody now!" every single year.

21.  I am thankful for all the lovely people who called or messaged me to wish me a happy birthday. 

22.  I am thankful for our built-in babysitters.  COW and I can go out and enjoy ourselves every once in a while, knowing everyone will be fine at home.

23.  I am thankful for Phoenix's hard work to get himself out of the hole he dug earlier in the semester.  He made some big mistakes, but he has learned from them and is doing much better.

24.  I am thankful for the pizza place 3 minutes from our house.  There are few establishments 3 minutes from our house.  I'm grateful a pizza place is one of them, especially on a Friday after a night of little sleep when I haven't been home most of the day and don't feel like cooking.

25.  I am thankful for my chocolate birthday cake. 

*OK, so the cake above might not have said Happy 25th week anniversary.  It is possible it said Happy Birthday, Christine". 

**  Free for most.  While Cuckoo was in his program, and before I got to sit and read, I got to pay a sizeable fee for a lost book.  We just call these fees "investments in our children's education".  OK, I say it.  COW just says, "What the hell??"

Now, for the big reveal of the anniversary blog hop button.

You know you want to join in just so you can have one.

Have a lovely day!

It's time for the 25th TToT
Please join our hosts so

Everyone's favourite Pig Wrangler Who do you want to be today? Clark? Scott? Roger? She's loving the Sunny side of life Cloudy with a chance of poetry Purveyor of brain-candy, beautiful words and dorky pictures Nutty as a bloody fruitcake! Our Bardic WIZARD, and mascot The Skipenator She'll bake you a mountain of thankfulness What the L? She's deranged! Our very adorkable warrior Image Map

And just for you, a freebie, too:

Ten Things of Thankful


 Your hosts



83 comments:

  1. Lots o thankful there!for some reason the blog switching over to your chicken in the tree episode. I hope you're thinking more about trimming them now. Although it does make good blog fodder! It sounds like it's been a great week. The party sounds like it was a blast and I'm jealous I didn't get to go with you both! And I'm thinking maybe we should just combine the two events and say happy 25th birthday Christine!

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    1. Oh now that's sneaky! I like that. :D There, Christine, you can be 25 again. I shall no longer be the baby of the gang :D

      Delete
    2. We aren't going to clip them, but we have a new net coming in the next couple of days. We're going to trap them inside the fence. My chicken chasing days are almost over.
      That is the best idea I have ever heard, Zoe! Happy 25th birthday to me!!

      Delete
    3. you know I think that is a super idea.. I no longer clip ours because I wanted them to get away from preditors if they could ... so we capped the outside coop with screen... Happy 25th!

      Delete
    4. Oh good! Validation from a person who understands chickens! yes, I'm not good with the idea of them not being able to fly if necessary.

      Delete
  2. I hope COW was suitably impressed with your Celebrity status - I LOVE that you had that evening. How incredibly cool :D

    25 Things after a week in which you already did 42 Things...there's an INCREDIBLE amount of THINGS right here this week, and I'm dead impressed that you managed them.

    Trapeze lessons huh? That's pretty awesome! No wonder you're so good at climbing trees now - they'd need some upper body strength! P!nk does 'flying' amazingly well. I do vaguely remember all the Cirque-style bits, and loving them (through the haze of pain), and so glad you had a lovely time :)

    Cuckoo's a nutter, and I LOVE that pic of him and Buttercup snuggled on the swing. That's B.E.A.Uuuuuuuutiful :)

    Hats off to you for your wonderful 25th TToT (or 25th Birthday) post.

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    1. He was impressed and creeped out all at the same time. :)
      Yes, it is a lot of things. I'm just glad people stuck around to read them all.

      Yes, back when I taught 5th grade in Bloomington. The PE teacher was in a trapeze group. She brought the whole kit and caboodle to school for a week in order to give the middle school kids a try at it. Teachers were allowed to do it as well. I was the only one who took her up on the offer. It was so much fun.

      He most certainly is. I was thrilled the photo came out. It's one of my favorites of all time.

      Thank you!

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    2. Well, who WOULDN'T read them all? You're a celebrity now! I call dibs on the first interview!

      Why am I not REMOTELY surprised that you took her up on the offer. Even though no-one else did :D I'm glad it was fun - sounds amazing.

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    3. You already interviewed me many, many weeks ago when this little hop was just a bitty baby!

      Not surprised? Huh. I thought I came across as timid in this blog. :)

      Delete
    4. Yeah but now you're famous...first FAMOUS interview.

      Timid? Hells BELLS no! You're FIERCE :D

      Delete
  3. The cake looked delicious and so glad you had a wonderful birthday. Love that you got to see Pink in concert and seriously must have been an awesome experience. Have a great weekend and thanks as always for hosting!! :)

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    1. It is yummy. It is my favorite chocolate cake from a local restaurant. It was an event, that concert. Pink knows how to put on a show.
      Thanks for linking up, especially on this weekend of party fun at your house.

      Delete
  4. So clever...I thought about doing 25 things too...but alas I did not. But I did include cake...was that a requirement? Yours looks FABULOUS (it's no Chocolate Almond Raspberry but I probably could have managed to choke it down).

    And yes you are a celebrity in my circles. Stick with me, kid...you'll go places!

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    1. Not a requirement, but you get bonus points for doing so.
      It's from Jonathan Byrd. So much chocolaty goodness.

      Ha! Such lovely people at your party. I enjoyed it immensely.

      Delete
  5. Wow, epic post! Happy Birthday again! So glad it was awesome and that you did enjoy that Pink concert! I figured you would. She's amazing.

    omg...I love garlic. GARLIC. I put it on everything. Even garlic.

    Your photos are so beautiful. I love non-posey photos the best. You really "feel" them more. So precious, and what a gift the warm weather is.

    CAKE. 'nuff said.

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    1. Thanks for sticking around to read all of the epicness. :) She is a fabulous performer. We had a good time.

      I especially like that the aroma stays on my fingers after I work with it. I haven't done it yet, but I have often though about just rubbing it all over myself. That's how much I love it.

      Thank you! I never take seriously posed photos of the kids. Even the "formal" photos are simple, "Hey kids, get outside so I can take a picture!" I like to see their personalities in the photos.

      CAKE. Perfection.

      Delete
    2. Damnit! I should have set you a 'naked with garlic' photo task instead...now why didn't I think of that?

      (Oh, right, because it's completely bat-crap crazy...)

      Delete
  6. So much to be thankful for! You have a wonderful life. That chocolate cake looks so delicious. I am seriously drooling over it. Happy Birthday! Your kids are gorgeous.

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    1. I certainly am living a blessed life. It is a fabulous cake from a local restaurant. It weighs approximately 30 pounds. Do much chocolate.

      Thank you!

      Delete
  7. You are quite the accomplished roller skater!

    As for the shorts/pants combination, they obviously go together--you just have to match up the stripes on the side! (Now if only he had short- and long-sleeved shirts to complete the outfit.)

    Happy birthday!

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    1. Back in the day I was. :)

      Every time I see him from afar, I do a double take. I always think for a second that he's wearing boots. And as a matter of fact, he has several long-sleeve-short-sleeve T-shirt combos.

      Thanks!

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  8. It's good to be thankful and if we just look around there are so many things that are blessings.

    I took a small piece of the cake.

    Have a fabulous day. :)

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    1. So many things to find if we pay the littlest bit of attention.

      Wasn't it yummy?

      Thank you!

      Delete
  9. OMGoodness aren't you people clever!! The new button is AWESOME sauce!!!

    You never cease to amaze me with your positive outlook! :D

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    1. I had nothing to do with it. I was told to send in a photo of a T. Lizzi and Zoe did the rest. They are wonderful.

      Aw, you're sweet. Thanks.

      Delete
  10. Christine! A belated b'day to you and anr awesome 25 lister. Thanks for sharing it with us!

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  11. Happy belated birthday - that concert looks awesome! And garlic? Yum! I LOVE roasted garlic cloves right out of the oven - they're kind of like popcorn. HAHAH.
    And libraries. Yes, I had that on my list of thankful things this week, too. :)

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    1. Thank you! It was a great show. We've never roasted garlic. How silly is that? We even received a garlic roaster as a wedding present. Never once used it. We finally gave it away several years ago. Kicking myself now.
      Libraries are great. I'm guessing you don't have quite the fines we've accumulated, though. :)

      Delete
  12. Oh, yes, #3. That is something to be thankful for.

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  13. I'm with Lizzi - 42 plus 25 is a whole lot of thankful. It's wonderful that your life is so full of good things.

    Garlic and butter are awesome. They are awesome together, separately, or in any other form or combination.

    Thank YOU for thanking Melody for the Wise Men thing. I like the idea of the Elf on the Shelf, but not really the overall message. We try to keep our religious holidays focused, well, on the religious part. So I'm checking out that king thing right now.

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    1. Thank you for sticking it out through all 67 things!

      They should be all on their own on the food pyramid or circle or whatever shape we're on now.

      Ooohh! Join in!

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    2. OK, don't let me miss it!

      Delete
  14. How cool, your list is as long as mine! :-) Great minds think alike!

    Happy belated Birthday! Hope you were celebrated adequately! xo

    Aw that chocolate cake looks utterly delicious!!

    Pink must be awesome in concert, I have heard that very often!

    Have a great weekend!

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    1. They do!

      Thank you! As Giant just said, "It's been your birthday night three nights in a row now." The older you get, the more celebrating you get to do, dear boy. :)

      It is as good as it looks.

      It really is. She is a great performer.

      Thanks!

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  15. I am so glad to hear that you made it through the storms with no damage. That must be terrifying. I have never had and Elf on the Shelf and was thinking of getting one this year, not to threaten since only my five year old still believes in Santa but to think up some crazy antics for the Elf to get into. The kids would get a kick out of that. I'm so glad that you enjoyed your birthday and let me just say, the cake, looks fantastic!

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    1. When we heard the next day that there were a record number of tornado touch-downs in Indiana that day, we were even more grateful to have made it through with no damage.
      Yes, I do like the thought of the elf getting moved around each night just for fun. I think I'll like the wise men even more.
      It is one yummy hunk of chocolate.

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  17. I just so enjoy reading your blog..and you have been immensely responsible for my taking the time everyday to think about the things I am grateful for....You always make me smile..Sometimes when I look at Phoenix. he reminds me so much of COW....and what a cool cool character you are.....and such a neat person.....your attitude is infectious.... P.S. I slipped over and read Kris's blog...

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    1. Aunt Kathy!! Welcome to commenting! :)

      Aw, you are so sweet. Getting me all teary-eyed. Thank you for all the kind words. I only wish I could simply tell you these stories in person.

      Ha! Kris is a lovely lady. She'll be glad to see this. :)

      Delete
  18. Trapeze? ( lol… I mean this in the best of all ways…but… I immediately got a 'visual' from the episode of 'Bones' where Booth and Brennan go undercover at a carnival….)

    Great list this week. Great cake-remant!!

    Thanks for being such an excellent co-host for all these past 6 months (which we all know is 5 years in blog-years). Nice

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    1. I can only take it as a compliment, since I've never seen that show. I always assume the best. Flying through the air with the greatest of ease was loads of fun.

      Thanks!

      6 months of blogging DOES seem like years of my life. :)

      Delete
  19. Oh my goodness, Christine, that picture of Buttercup and Cockoo is so precious! Glad your hair is doing better. And Happy Birthday to you again!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

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    1. I love that picture, too. It really shows her loving personality, and the reason all little kids adore her.
      Oh, the hair. Still can be a pain, but it is getting better.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  20. Thank you for sharing your Pink experience. When I grow up I want to see her in concert, until then, I will crank her music up and dance around my house.

    Trapeze lessons?! I am speechless. Shorts over pants are a thing- my Zaney was like that.

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    1. She does have some great dancing music!

      If you ever have the chance, I would absolutely encourage you to fly on a trapeze. So much fun.

      I never had a shorts over pants kid before. Glad to know other kids have done it.

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  21. What an incredible list of happy things! Sending you enormous wishes for your birthday this week! That's so awesome that you saw Pink in concert. She came to Perth this year, which is a three hour drive from here, but because I was/am still breastfeeding, I didn't organise to go. I love hot showers too - they're one of my favourite parts of the day, and I really admire you for not drinking coffee! Your photos are spectacular, as always. xx

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    1. Thank you!

      Yeah, if it was three hours away AND I was still nursing, not a chance in this world I would have gone.

      A hot shower is a beautiful thing. We are especially grateful since we only had a tub for the first five years in this house. I froze my butt off each and every morning. While it did wake me up, it wasn't nearly as pleasant as a hot shower.
      Thank you!

      Delete
  22. Happy 25-week blogiversary! I don't think it occurred to me to observe that one myself, but hey. Note to self: Bake myself a cake for my 4th blogiversary (coming in February). We should all occasionally make a long list of things we're thankful for. Life is good! (And so is cake.)

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  23. Oops! Just realized TToT is not the name of another blog you have!

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    1. Ha! Thanks. Sorry, TToT is short for 10 Things of Thankful. We're a little excited to have done this bloghop for 25 weeks now.
      However, you do need to bake yourself a cake for your 4th blogiversary.
      You are welcome to join us any weekend! We are up and running both Saturday and Sunday.

      Delete
  24. Happy, happy birthday week! And yay for garlic... and for chocolate cake. Yum!

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  25. Ah! I so could have added "good hair day" to my list too because I had a great one yesterday - which worked out awesome for my date night. It even survived a nap :) As for garlic - I adore that smell and so we always have it on hand for cooking. My husband picks wild garlic as well - so we make garlic butter from that and pickle those on years we're organized. The picks of your kids are lovely - and the Pink ones give a good idea. As for free library programs - we have those here too and I use them with my kids - so wonderful. I also use to run them pre-kids - so I have a soft spot for them (and reading with kids in general).

    Have a great week and happy belated birthday!

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    1. Perfect timing! Your hair just knew it was a special night. :)
      Wild garlic?!?! Where does it grow wild? MAKE garlic butter? and pickle garlic?? So many things I've never heard of or tried doing!!

      Thanks.

      You used to run library programs? I have been taking kids to them for 15 years. I'm always impressed with the work the ladies have put in to making them fun for the kids.

      Thank you!

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  26. First things first...HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! The cake looks like it was wonderful. I commend you for not having already eaten the whole thing. LOL
    A wonderful list today Christine. And the pictures are wonderful. It looks like you live in a beautiful area. And hey, a pizza place 3 minutes away? No, nothing better than that:)
    How excellent you got to see Pink. I didn't know she did the aerial thing at every concert. Pretty cool.

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    1. Thank you! It is yummy. It's almost gone. Another piece tonight and tomorrow and it will be finished off. I'm just excited to get a cake this year. Normally, my birthday falls so close to Thanksgiving (when we travel) I don't get one. We'd never have time to finish it, and it's just sad to waste cake.
      Glad you liked it. Our property is a lovely little oasis in the middle of corn fields.
      Have you seen her in concert? It just amazes me that all that work is put into transforming a basketball court for a one-night aerial show. It all gets torn down and moved to another arena in another city. Craziness.

      Delete
  27. I am SO SO SO jealous...ok, for one -- you got to go to Kris's Birthday party (my invite must've gotten lost in the mail) ;) and two, you have The Jerk ON DVD!!! Awesomeness!! One of my all-time favorite movies! ...and the cake...I'm jealous of that too. ....and the P!nk concert...that would be really cool!

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    1. I wish you could have come, too. I'm sure you would have gotten the celebrity treatment, too.
      COW had to go to 4 different stores to find that DVD. At every one, the guy at the counter was clueless as to what movie he was talking about. One even had the nerve to say, "Oh, I think I've heard of Steve Martin. He's a comedian, right?" Ack!
      It was a cool concert. Aaaand I love that you wrote her name the "correct" way. According to Buttercup, her name is not spelled with an "I", but an "!". You are so hip. :)

      Delete
  28. Yay! Happy 25th TToT Anniversay! Well well well... it seems you made a list of 25 things as well! I have competition!

    HAPPY belated :( BIRTHDAY!

    I feel so bad, because I knew your birthday was this week (hinted, I think, at last week's TToT) and told myself to somehow try to find a way to message you, and Thursday I was so busy focusing on getting out to write-ins for NaNoWriMo it's about all I did. NaNo ruins ALL the things! Not really... but then I felt so bad... I've just wallowed in shame like a pig in mud (but they like it, and I don't, because I like to be clean) since then. I'm glad you had a great birthday and some awesome cake to boot! I'm honestly shocked with how big your family is that you were able to have that much left over cake. I suspect it [pic] was taken in mid-gorging once evidence of what the "Happy" referenced was gone, and that it died soon after the picture was taken...

    You are definitely a celebrity... COW best recognize! Has he warmed up to the blogging aspect of your life and the connections and friends you've made through it? I know before (though the barriers were already wearing thin, this was months ago) that it was kind of an awkward topic; "real" and online friends.

    Love all the pictures! It seems your little man is making a fashion statement. Doesn't Superman wear underwear over tights? Maybe he isn't so odd after all :-)

    I've never seen Pink live, but I have always thought she would be a great entertainer and put on a good show. I'm glad everyone had a great time. Aren't her lyrics, a lot of times, pretty vulgar?

    A trapeze? Let me guess... this occurred during the period of time when the parental units had no love for COW and tried to disallow your burning love for one another to come to full fruition and you both vowed to run away with the local circus that just happened into town that very weekend... Am I close? Such an emotional attachment, it's no surprise that passion still exists and resurfaces when being exposed to similar stimuli.

    Great list of Thankfulness! Glad you have been doing so good!

    I forgot to mention, but I think it's pretty cool the 25th weekend landed just before Thanksgiving :-)

    The Cryton Chronicles & Dreams in the Shade of Ink

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    1. Jak! I wondered if I was going to get a visit from you this week! Crossing my fingers, I was.

      Do not feel guilty in the least about not messaging on my birthday. Shoot, half the time my own mother forgets. It's a busy time of year. No big deal.

      The cake photo was taken after everyone had enjoyed one piece. The trick is, I cut the cake. I can make the pieces as small as I want, ensuring that there is plenty for me to inhale after everyone is in bed. :)

      He has accepted it a bit more. The party helped. It also helps that I'm in a book coming out in December. While he still doesn't understand it completely (I don't think any non-blogger can.), he's making an effort.

      Thanks! He makes lots of statements, with his clothes and with his mouth and with his behavior. :)

      Yes, there is some vulgarity. And lack of clothing. It's why I most certainly wouldn't take my kids.

      Haahahaha!! I wish the story was that good. The trapeze was after we were married. He was in law school, and I was teaching. the PE teacher at our school was in a trapeze group, and brought the rigging out for the middle schoolers to try. Teachers were invited to take the lessons, too. I was thrilled to bits to have the chance to do it.

      Thanks! You wrote a great list, too!

      Delete
  29. Garlic is so awesome! Also pretty awesome is your photo break. It made me miss seasons & that last picture is precious. I saw Pink's tour too & it was soo much fun! I was up in the rafters but I didn't care. She totally brought it! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

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    1. Hmmm, missing the seasons. I don't know... I think if I could live in a climate that was consistently, pleasantly warm all the time, I could be pretty happy. :)

      Yay! Someone who's been to Pink's show! I don't think it mattered where a person sat. The show was big enough to be good from anywhere in the arena.
      Thanks! I hope you enjoy yours as well.

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  30. Happy birthday. Love this report. Great photos of your children. And the Pink concert. How fun. Can't remember the last concert we went to. And you can never go wrong with an evening spent watching The Jerk.

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    1. Thank you! I have been to more concerts in the last 18 months than I have been in the 40 years prior. As much as I don't want my kids to grow up, it's a great thing when your kids are old enough to stay home alone.
      Woohoo! Another fan of The Jerk! I don't know how much the kids enjoyed watching it with me, seeing as how I kept laughing before the funny scene happened.

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  31. Hi, happy birthday. Wow, the Pink concert looke exciting.

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  32. Happy birthday this week! For real! Also I'm older than you, which would have been cool 30 years ago but not so much now. Just saying. I wouldn't pay for Pink tickets right now either but had a job where hubs and I were able to get front row seats to a bunch of concerts, back before being parents to Tucker. It was awesome. No pressure, no craziness that went along with caring about the tickets, ya know?
    Also, your photos are fabulous, as always. I especially love that Cuckoo is wearing shorts over his sweats. We have that, here, too.

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    1. Thank you! Front row seats? For free? Very cool. The only time I had a chance at free front row seats was when I went to a Billy Joel concert. In the bathroom before the show, two extremely drunk girls left their front row tickets sitting on the ledge by the sinks. My conscience got the better of me, though, and I ran out to give them to the girls.
      Thanks!

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  33. What a great list! You had me at The Jerk. And the cake. Happy belated birthday, and TToT anniversary!

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  34. I made the list! I made the list! I don't even care if it's to report that I have been badgering you! Love the new picture of him. And I think the one of Buttercup and Cuckoo is about the sweetest thing ever.

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    1. you did! You did! Isn't that a precious picture? Love it.

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  35. Okay, first I have to say, "Happy Belated 42nd Birthday!!!!!" Yep, we're all getting old, aren't we? lol C'mon, smile ... it's not that bad. When I hit 40, my daughters gave me all these black balloons and a cooler that said, "Hey, I'm over the hill!" (I wonder where they got their sense of humor, anyway?) Now, a Pink concert? Oh, well, at least you're not sitting at home in your rocking chair knitting! :) I can hear you know, "Look, Honey, I got rhythm, I got rhythm! I can dance!" I do hope you didn't try to hitchhike there. Great job!

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    1. Thank you!
      How nice of your daughters to remember you on your birthday in such a thoughtful way. :)
      Most nights, I am sitting in my PJs at home. My aging body can't take too much excitement.
      And I do have rhythm. Just so ya know. :)

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  36. Love number 15. I'm not a fan of the elf, either. Love the wise men hunting around. Happy belated 42! You are a spring chicken!

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    1. Give it a try! Our wise men are on their way to my house as I type.
      Thanks!

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  37. My kids are grown and I've never really paid attention to the elf theme. Now that you explain it, I wouldn't like that either. But I can't talk about anything else until I talk about that yummy looking chocolate cake picture. With all this talk about cake on the blog hop and the adorable 25 new button, I'm so in the mood for cake. Craving cake. Chocolate, white, carmel. I don't care, but I must get some cake. It looks like the dark chocolate that I adore. Wish I lived closer and could show up and whine until I got cake. Like halloween. Instead of begging for candy, I'd beg for cake. So happy birthday to you in so many ways. Thanks for hosting. Your family pics are lovely and your kids look like they have lots of fun together.I think it is awesome that you raked leaves for someone else. What a wonderful lesson in being kind. And who wouldn't want pizza within 3 minutes of their house. If they wouldn't, I'd say they were unAmerican. :-) And I must comment about Pink. My uncle (right before he died at 71) he always talked about Pink being his favorite group. I'm not as familiar with her but when I do hear a song, I'm impressed with her abilities. Maybe in my next life I'll come back as a singer. One with really, really long legs so you won't notice that I'd eaten an entire chocolate cake. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. A lovely list.

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    1. From what I gather, the elf watches the kids and reports to Santa on their behavior. However, many people don't focus on that part and just make it a fun thing for the kids to look for. I'd rather do the wise men. I'm a bit worried about thinking of new things each night, so I'm glad there is a linkup with ideas.
      I wish I could send some cake to you right this second.
      Your comment about your uncle liking Pink made both my husband and me laugh. Sounds like he was quite the "hip" uncle!
      I really hope there is cake at your Thanksgiving. Have a lovely time!

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  38. Oh this is just increidible!! I am SO glad I am meeting you Christine!! With a name like that, you must be amazing!! LOL

    LOVE the pictures- such beautiful children you have!! I am anxious to see your Wise Men series!! It sounds awesome!! My kids actually know to the day, when the Elf returns. I don't know how they remember these things..... "Mommy- Little Chris (our elf's pathetic name) came on the 24th last year so he MUST be coming then!!" Uh no. He will come the Sunday after every Thanksgiving my dear... I am not doing it for an ADDITIONAL week! Good Lord. I am dreading the nightly rituals and morning craziness that ensues.
    That Pink concert looks SO fun! And yum to your b day cake! Happy Belated!! XO

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    1. Well, that's a great first line for a first comment! I have yet to meet a Chris I don't like. :)

      Your elf's name is Little Chris? ha! Who named him? We'll see how our wise men thing goes. It could be a one year deal, depending on how well I like it (or remember to do it.)
      It was fun. Thank you!
      And thanks for stopping by the blog!

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  39. Hi Christine...what an awesome list!!!! How awesome that you got to go to a Pink concert! I love the bday cake..can I have some? SOrry for not visiting much lately...just haven't been feeling the blogging vibe much...:) I love the photos. I agree with about the Elf...it is a little creepy, and yes, kids shouldn't be threatened to be good.

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