From Chaos Comes Happiness

Well . . . yesterday, my beloved PG who I wrote so endearlingly about, was . . . mad at me. I KNOW!!! My mother-in-law warned me, though. She said, "You know, you wrote such a nice post about him on Monday that he is making up for it now." I told her that he doesn't even read my blog, so that can't be it. She said, "Doesn't matter. You put it out there in the universe, and now it backfired." I TOTALLY get that. Augh. I don't even understand why he got so frustrated with me. Well . . . ok, maybe it had something to do with the fact that he decided to take yesterday off of work and get some rest at home, and I just happened to ask him to go and pick up my licensce plate vehicle sticker. Yes, I know . . . it expires TODAY, and yes, I know . . . .I waited to the very last minute. But when I got the notice in the mail, I put it on the clip on the SIDE of the fridge, and just completely FORGOT about it (should have put it on the FRONT of the fridge.) M

My blog post for tonight comes fresh out of a brief conversation I had with a few good friends this evening. (Thanks Kath, Mar and Jor for the inspiration!) You see, tonight I had an opportunity to do what so many moms DREAM about doing when having those "Calgon, take me away!" weeks. Tonight I had an opportunity to leave the kids at home with the hubby, and enjoy some true girl time at my dear friend Kathleen's house, for wine, a lovely lasagna dinner, and great conversation. But, I didn't do it. I couldn't. You see . . . I miss my man. Yes . . . . This man. This PG. The one who still makes my heart flutter. And while PG was totally supportive of me accepting the invitation to Kath's for dinner with my friends, my heart told me that I really wanted to be with him and the girls . Even though I was burned out and starved for adult conversation after the past 2 weeks of his business trips, the thought of leaving him tonight made my heart a little . . . sad. S

HELLOOOOOOO Dear Friends!!!!! Oh, how I missed you so! How are YOU?!?!? I'm so glad to be posting again, after a much needed week of R&R (including Mom duty, of course!) I thought about my blog about 100 times this past week, with little moments here and there that I wanted to share with you all - however I really stuck with my commitment to get some much needed rest. I'm feeling loads better and am finally breathing better (probably because PG is HOME!!! . . . although, it may have to do with all the antibiotics I've been taking.) But whatever the case . . . the universe, once again, is in line. Here are a few of the things we did in our house this week . . . Lots of reading! We made some really cool bracelets (although I got a little confused and put the letter beads on wrong . . . all of our names came out backwards. Must have been the cough medicine I was taking. Yeah, that's it. It was the cough medicine. It's ok. Katie said that she didn't mind. An

I can usually tell when I'm about ready for Phil to return home from a business trip . . . because it is usually around the time that I start talking to Strangers . A lot of them. I don't know what happens - it's like I crave that adult conversation and will look for it from anyone I see passing in the street . . . . or in the grocery store (that tends to be where I get myself in the most trouble.) I remember a particular shopping trip at Costco one day this past summer, when Phil was out-of-town for work. I was walking next to a woman who was pushing a cart full of beer, wine, soda, bottled water, chips, and salsa. I very obviously looked at her cart and said, " Ooooooo . . . . s o m e b o d y is having a party!!!" Well, you would think that if she was having a party, she might have been in a festive mood right? WRONG. This Party Pooper (that's what I call her now) kind of glanced at me and said, very hesitantly, "Umm . . . yes." And walked awa

Every once in a while . . . I have to listen to my body . . . and stop . Gees, I hate when that happens. But the older I get, and as I am now at this ancient age of 38. . . ;) , the more I am realizing that I am h u m a n. And with that, I must S L O W down. This cold has got a hold on me. After a trip to my trusty doc yesterday (and, no, NOT Dr. WebMD !) I was reminded that last year I had pneumonia. With a slap on the wrist I was told if I don't STOP and take care of myself, I am heading in that direction. So, I will do just that. Because I am a good girl. I listen to my doctor. Well . . . sometimes . . . But this time, I will. So, with PG out of town, I am logging off from Blog land until he returns (on the 28th.) Need to really just take care of my girls, and myself, this week. Will miss you all and I can't wait to read all your updates when I return (especially all of my recent new friends!) Until then . . . I encourage YOU to take some time this week and STOP . Even if

Gotta love Chicken Soup. Gotta love Chicken Soup more when you have a cold. Gotta love Chicken Soup EVEN more than before , when you have a cold . . . AND you don't have to make it. Someone else makes it for you. Gotta love Chicken Soup EVEN MORE than the EVEN MORE than before when you have a cold, someone else has made it for you, and they have given you enough for dinner the next night. Gotta love Chicken Soup MOST OF ALL , when all of the above has taken place and PG, your partner in marriage-life-parenthood-and-house chores, is out of town. And GOTTA LOVE your sister, REALLY MOST OF ALL , for saying those little words, "Why don't you bring the girls over for dinner?" and you get not only some absolutely delicious home made Chicken Soup (when you are feeling like garbage and could really use it), but also get someone to play with your kids and take the load off of you for a couple hours. So you can sit and have some peace. Yes, once again I am reminded of my m

Looking at the calendar last night, I was in shock to see that Easter is just about 2 weeks away. 2 WEEKS! Seriously! So, it appeared time to change the whole blog look (again, sorry, I know!) and get ready for Easter! Wahooo! I then took some time and looked through our digital pics of Easters past . . . or, Easter Egg Decorating, really. And I came to see that we kind of approach Easter Egg decorating like we do most things in this house . . . with a great deal of laughter and fun. Decorating Eggs for us has turned into quite an ordeal. It's not just some Paaz coloring for our family. NOooooo!!!! We start with this . . . And add some ribbons, googly eyes, feathers, and lots hysterical laughing, and you get something like this . . . The "Like Groovy" egg, circa 2008 Mr. & Mrs. One Eye, circa 2009 Mr. Bunny Egg, circa 2008 And PG laughing hysterically at one of his creative eggs, circa 2008. There is even more where these came

So, let me tell you why this whole Leprechaun thing kind of caught me off guard. I guess, since Katie is now 6 1/2 and we have never done the whole Leprechaun contraption, that I never really thought (or prepared) for St. Patrick's Day. I mean, I've written about my wishes to BE Irish here , and I've shared our celebrations with you here , but the whole Leprechaun thing just kind of got lost in our house. Until THIS year. As I've told you - on Tuesday evening at around 8:00PM, Katie announced that we HAD to put together a trap for the Leprechaun. Well, I jumped into action . . . because, why not? It sounded like a great idea. With an old box, some markers, a couple of gold dollars, and a wish . . . we had a pretty great trap. A short while later . . . the girls were in bed and I was sitting quietly on the couch looking at our design. Truly, a well thought-out approach to catching the Little Green Guy (aka the Leprechaun), I thought. Then . . .it hit me. Uh - oh. Shouldn

Ok, so at 8:00PM last night. . . this Non-Irish Mom was asked to build a leprechaun trap by her 6 year old Non-Irish Daughter. After a little searching through the house, we had it. Here it is, friends . . . what I think is pretty much the BEST Leprechaun Trap in town!!!! What is the bait? Gold Dollars, of course!!!! Keep your fingers crossed that I have green food coloring . . . I think the toilets need a little green water!!!! (Yes, I just wrote that!) Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My blog friend, Leslie, has been in a funk the past few weeks (check her blog out: Words of Me Project ). Leslie loves Words , and her blog is about living an inspired life . . . "One Story, One Quote, One WORD at a time" (isn't she clever???) Love that Les! But, she's been in a funk. She knows it. She talks about. And her WORDS for the past few weeks prove it. Words like - Frustrating. Grouchy. Lazy. That's Leslie. But not really. You see . . . what she doesn't realize, is that while she is going through her "frustrating" or "grouchy" or "lazy" weeks, and as she writes about how she is feeling, she somehow makes ME feel better. Because I, too, have been feeling frustrated, grouchy, and lazy. And knowing that my blog friend is feeling the same way I am somehow makes me feel better. What is that ol'saying, " Misery loves company" ? Nah. . . we're not miserable. Just in a funk. That's all. I think Leslie and I

What do you get when you cross PG, Katie, Ella and I with a photo booth? . . . tongues sticking out . . . crossed eyes . . . silliness . . . lots of dimples . . . laughter . . . a little pushing . . . some incredibly sweet moments caught by the camera . . . and some wonderful memories of the City of Chicago's 2010 St. Patrick's Day Parade, when we all wore our shamrock beads, enjoyed green cotton candy, and celebrated the day with some wonderful friends during a work event for PG's company. I think photo booths are pretty much one of the best things ever invented, and seeing these pictures above make me want to stop at every photo booth I come across from now until forever. What an idea - a tiny little booth that you cram inside of, close a curtain, and patiently wait (with great anticipation, and with a smile on your face) for the flash to go off and your photo to be taken. Then, after a few pictures are taken, you step outside and wait anxiously for the results (hopin

Tonight I realized that my Katherine actually is listening to me. Well, sort of. As part of my 2010 "TaDa" List , I've been trying to teach my girls more about our religion. Kate is enrolled in Religious Education at our church, and I've been talking more and more about my beliefs and how I see religion fit into place in my life. She asks few questions, and just listens to what I say. And sometimes I wonder if she gets it. Religion is hard to comprehend for her very logical mind. But, I'm trying. Tonight we took the girls out for dinner . . . a pretty special thing to do, since we really don't go out to eat very often. Katie was especially talkative during dinner. She tells stories like her Daddy (LONG stories) and just when you think she is finished and winding it down, she'll continue with an even longer chapter of story to tell you. She was on a roll tonight, talking about her day at school and this and that. Recess. Lunch. Art class. On and on. All of

Ok, so I have to share an incredibly silly moment with you, because I actually found myself laughing hysterically at my kitchen table last night. All alone. But seriously . . . laughing out loud. Let me set the scene for you . . . With the DVR/Cable box down for the count (bummer!), and after Charlie Buckett won his chocolate (and the girls were tucked in their beds for the night), I found myself doing something I rarely do - sitting at the kitchen table (in a very quiet house) reading a magazine. It was a lovely moment. Peaceful. Pleasant. Chaos-less. All of a sudden, something caught my eye. I looked up, and saw what brought instant laughter to me. Now, do you remember my Poinsettia post from last week? (Click here to be reminded.) Well, it turns out I'm not the only one a little sick of the poinsettia. Looking up from my magazine, I found Ellie's favorite Easter Bunny (from last year) set up in a very interesting position towards the Poinsettia. Well . . let me just show

I am bummmmmmed!!!! For REAL! (Ok, before I begin, let me tell you that in the reality of it . . . this post is NOT a big deal. I totally get that - For REAL! Allow me, if you will, to tell you anyway . . . that . . .) I . . . AM . . . BUMMMMMMED! Because just about 50 minutes ago, my DVR/HDTV CABLE BOX BROKE. And American Idol started about 44 minutes ago. And I can't watch it. BUMMER!!!!! Because, you see, I really enjoy Idol . I think I might secretly LOVE Idol . For REAL. Because . . . somewhere deep inside I believe that if Idol was on about 20 years ago (yes . . . I actually said 20 years ago), if it was on 20 years ago . . . I think I would have auditioned for it. And I am confident (in my oh-so "not" confident way) that I would have been selected for the top 24. And then I would have made it to the top 20. Then the top 10. And I would have had extensions put in my hair and I would have had pretty nails and I would have sung something like, "Me and Bobby McG

I wasn't planning on blogging today . . . however, when I quickly went into Comcast to check my email, the following header caught my eye that I just HAD to share with you . . . SERIOUSLY?!?!?! DRINK MORE WINE, GAIN LESS WEIGHT? Is that the secret???? Well . . . that explains it!!! Sorry, friends, but a glass of Cabernet is CALLING MY NAME!!!! Talk to you tomorrow! ; )

Have I ever told you about my Poinsettia? THE Poinsettia to END ALL Poinsettia's? That's MY Poinsettia. Well . . . allow me, if you will, to share the story about this plant. (Is it a flower? Is it a plant? I just looked up the definition and actually - it's a flowering plant. Duh! You probably already knew that.) Anyway, my dear neighbor and friend, Christina, works in the floral section at the local Jewel store. Around the first of December she rang my doorbell and handed me the most beautiful Poinsettia to enjoy for the holidays. So sweet and so festive - it graced our table all Christmas season and was the centerpiece of our holiday. Here is a lovely photo of THE poinsettia taken the end of December. Still going strong . . . Well . . . let me tell you. I do love this plant/flower/flowering plant. I enjoyed it SO much and it was a beautiful addition to our house LAST year. Eh-hem . . . But, seriously. Isn't it time to . . . um . . . go? Here is a picture of THE poin

Well, Hello There!! Can you believe it? It has been almost 1 week since my last blog. No reason at all for the absence, other than I have been feeling really "BLOG-Challenged" and truthfully could not find any inspiring stories to share with you. Oh . . . I have STORIES for the week (which include, in no particular order: broken bones, eye infections, business trips, lots of work, Tastefully Simple Goodies, laughs, tears, and all of the above), but I couldn't bring myself to write of any of them as they were happening. So, 6 days No Blog. But . . . that's over! (Yeah!) Today was a NEW day. Full of . . . HAPPINESS!! Oh, how I LOVE Mother Nature. Yes, my letter to the dear M.N . must have done us some good. For today, we were met with that lovely yellow glow outside that warmed my heart so! You remember that glow, don't you? It's called SUNSHINE!!! And while I enjoyed some of the time outside, I was reminded of my sunflowers. These sunflowers . . . As the SUN

Tis the season . . . for Being not IRISH !!!! Wahooo!!!! McDonald's Shamrock Shakes are BACK!!! (What is it about those shakes? Seriously, though - I haven't had one in about 10 years . . . and I have no intention OF having one this year. But as I was driving past a McDonald's this weekend, they had a sign up that said, "Shamrock Shakes are HERE!" and it made me laugh.) Yes, tis the season. Yet . . . I am "not" Irish . Heck, I really should be. But . . . I'm not. Never have been . . . never will. However, one of my oldest and dearest friends is "my darling" Kathleen Mavourneen Touhy-Hughes . . . whose first, middle and last name each sound like a chip off the ol'Blarney stone. (By the way, Mavourneen is "my darling" in Irish, and Kath's Dad gave her that wonderful middle name. Kath's Dad was the most wonderful Irishman I have ever known. Just loved that man. God Bless you Mr. Touhy!) I remember way-back when, after