When Ree came to town...

Ree was here. Heard of her? Ree Drummond, aka Pioneer Woman. A book signing was held at The Kings English last week and it was absolute madness! Gazillions of screaming, hormonal women, trying to push their way through lines and crowds. Grumpy bookstore workers who hadn't done their homework. Funny friends talking to strangers about boobs and IBS. And Ree. We're friends now.

Ree was lovely. She had a big smile on her face because she knows all the crazy women in the room bought a book!

With some help of friends, I was able to sneak my way in to Ree's Q&A period. The gallery was filled to capacity and the Bookstore Nazi's were forced to face the mob and turn people away. Scary, scary job -- people were not happy. Luckily, one friend showed up early and made it inside and was able to talk a not-so-nazi worker into letting me in. I feared for my life. Really.

Jessica, Allison and Me. Waiting ....
After the Q&A session, Ree signed books. In order to get a signature, you had to have a ticket. Luckily, I had my golden ticket ... really, they were golden! If you saw the chaos, you would understand how appropriate that really was! This is how it worked -- pay attention. Every ticket had a letter, A-Z. Each letter had 20 tickets. They called you in by your letter to try and avoid injuries and to keep things running nice and smooth (what a joke!) I had a Q ticket, but somehow (Thanks Jess!) was able to to bump up to F. With my invisible F ticket in hand, we waited for over 2 hours! Thank goodness I didn't get stuck with the Q's!! Crazy thing, there were many, MANY people who didn't get a ticket. Who still waited until the end for the chance to meet PW! A little ridiculous, I say.

Ree added that heart after we talked for a few seconds. Love at first sight.

One of the best things about it -- I'm famous! We made the blog! Check it out --
Pioneer Woman meets Lacey and friends.

It was a long night, but it was sure fun! Allison, thanks for coming with me and for not making fun of my fear of the Nazi's. Jessica, we truly could not have done it without you!! So, so fun to be with you both!

A little boy and his big sister

We had a good Halloween. The weather was perfect, the soup was good, and the kids were excited! On the other hand, are there more brats being born into this world or am I getting more sensitive? Honestly, I had so many kids ask for different candy, complain about the one they got or insist they pick it out themselves. Oh, and are thank-you's not mandatory anymore? Sheesh! What gives?

Anyway, a quick story for you. There's a little boy I know who likes to hit people ... and an occasional bite. He has an incredible burping talent and lives in a home where spit can often be found on the floor. He's proud of his bum and likes to run around in only that. He likes tools and spiderman and can jump really high and run really fast.

This boy also happens to have an older sister who likes princesses and dresses and loves the color pink. Unfortunately, since she's older, there happens to be a lot more dresses, princess and pink stuff hanging around the house.

So Halloween comes around and the costume options are endless. You know, manly options. What does the handsome, studly little monster pick?
*sigh* When he saw that Ella got to wear wings there was no going back. A last minute trip to Walmart, 1 last pair of bright orange sparkly wings, and we were good to go. At least he didn't want the skirt, right?


Ella was a perfect butterfly! Thank goodness for easy costumes!

Hope everyone had a fabulous, sugar overloaded Halloween ... bratty trick-or-treaters and all!!

Winner winner chicken dinner!!

JoAnna!! You are going to need it with all the spit-up and poop coming your way!

Email me your address and I'll ship it on over!
lls_gatherum@hotmail.com

Thanks for playing, everyone! Glad to see there's still a few blog readers left out there!

Drum roll, please ....

In honor of the 1800 batches of laundry that must get done today, I am giving away my amazing laundry soap!! Disappointed??

This jar should last through 30+ loads of laundry (depending on how grimy and smelly you are). No more than 2 Tb. per load, safe for front loading washers (so I hear) and will absolutely knock your ridiculously clean socks off!

Anyone interested? Leave a comment by Saturday night and you'll be entered to win. For the three people that actually read my blog, your chances are high! Winner will be announced Sunday.

the state of my ....

1. Kitchen. A big fat mess. I'm in the middle of a kitchen re-vamp. I have grand plans but things are not going as quick as I thought they would. The biggest lesson I've learned? Never start a big project while you still have kids hanging around all day!

2. Backyard. Pumpkins! I love that our yard has a knack for growing pumpkins! This year we got about 13 good sized melons off our plant. I used my own cornstalks to decorate and we have our neighbors beautiful red leaves blowing into our yard! Love, love, LOVE fall!!
Wait, are pumpkins in the melon family?

3. Needles. My give-away item is halfway done. Another project that's taking me longer than it should. Oh, and I am loving how it's turning out! Loving it so much, in fact, I'm tempted to not give-away and keep for myself .... we'll see. Here's a teaser:

4. Give-aways. Speaking of, I'm going to do a small one tomorrow. Not as fancy as the previous picture of deliciousness, but still, something I love. Check back in if you wanna!
5. Car. I need to sell it. Fast! Anyone interested? Anyone know someone who might be interested? Fabulous car, great condition, 4x4, $8000 (negotiable). Let me know if someone will buy it!!
6. Face. Hives! I keep breaking out in them! Every day since Friday. Honestly, can't figure it out but it's starting to tick me off.

That's all I've got for now. Come back tomorrow!

Christmas List

What happened to Barbie's and dress-ups? Two items on Ella's list this year:
And one item on mine:

Seriously?

Don't be fooled.

You know those days where it's just one of those days? Oh, I hate those days. Today, just happens to be one of those days. It started out good. I got to bed at a decent hour, got my butt kicked during a Bootcamp torture session at the gym, showered and put on some passable clothing items, had a good hair day ....

And then came Jack. *sigh* Oh gosh, I complain about him a lot. Don't you just hate it when people gripe about their kids ALL THE TIME? Spend a little time with Jack and I think you'll cut me some slack.

It starts with his 6:30 wake up time, then the whining, then the fits, the hitting, the screaming - oh the screaming! Little boys should not be allowed to scream at such a high pitch. And then what if, by some crazy chance, you might actually have to get something done, or might actually need to go somewhere -say, the grocery store that carries Sponge Bob cheese sticks that actually keep a certain someone quiet for 15 seconds? Multiply the whining, fits and screaming by three because he knows I'm not really going to kill him out in public. Today, for example. A quick trip to the grocery store ended with me in tears, cursing my head off and holding back every F-bomb that is going through my head. Lovely picture, isn't it? Sadly, I did the same thing yesterday.

So, here's the golden question -- Is this normal?

Is it normal to love your kids so fiercely and yet want to knock their blocks off at the same time? Is it normal to want your kids to go to sleep so badly so you'll have a little time to not hear their voice? Is it normal to curse and cry with frustration and still want to add another monster to the mix? Is it normal to keep hoping and praying they'll grow out of something, knowing perfectly well that they won't?

Jack just went down for a nap with a double dose of Benadryl. This doesn't really work for him, but I'm going to try anyway.

Oh, I love my kids. So much that I'm getting a little boo-hooish thinking about it. I am lucky to be a mom.

But seriously? SERIOUSLY???

I'm thinking...

...hmmm...maybe of a give-away. Sometime soon. What do you think? Something to do with these little pretties?

shake shake shake

Delightful

That there is a half eaten marshmallow stuck to the inside of my bag. Thanks Jack.

got my lunch packed up and my shoes tied tight ..

Finally. She was so excited. I was so excited. It was way harder than I thought -- I cried, but no one saw. I think.

Bathing Beauties

Just some last minute ripening before my kitchen is plastered with tomato juice. My tomato plants ended up suffering from Late Blight. Late Blight = crappy. Late blight is what cause the potato famine in Ireland and caused everyone to starve to death. I may not be starving to death but I'm pretty sure I'm just as ticked as they were. Before ripping out my plants, I tried to rescue the good fruit (or vegetables. what are they anyway?), and now have a kitchen full of tomatoes I wasn't planning on picking for a couple of weeks. So ..... extra tomatoes = salsa!
I will be up till the wee hours of the morn, slaving away over a hot stove, making delicious salsa. Anyone care to join me?

Sittin' in the morning sun

We are so lucky to have a family boat! It was so fun growing up and I hope my kids learn to love it as much as I do. We went out Saturday - probably the last time this summer - and had a fabulous time hanging out on the lake.

Fibermania

Love these colors! I picked them up from the yarn store the other day. My fingers are itching to get started ...

Heaven helps the man ....

I don't like to talk about myself. Ok, scratch that. I totally like to talk about myself. However, I don't like to brag about myself. Really, they are two totally different things. I promise. And if I'm really being honest, I don't think I usually give myself enough credit. Well not today, folks! If you don't want to hear me do a little boasting, exit now, because I can guarantee this thing is going to be dripping sap!

So I did a triathlon. Did you know that? If you've ever talked to me at all, you would know that. I've wanted to do one for a while, but I have a slight problem with anxiety, competition makes me puke, and running with others just about sends me over the edge. So what in the world would inspire me to sign-up for something that involves anxiety, competition and running (swimming, biking) with others?

Peer pressure. I've never been good with it. Someday I'll tell you about swallowing a living, breathing, swimming fish.

Some friends helped convince me it was a good idea. We found a race 12 weeks away, found an 11 week training schedule and we dragged our butts out of bed, 6 days a week. In case you've never talked to me, let me tell you -- it was exhausting!!

5 days before the race I found out I had a stress fracture in my right leg. I was told not to run on it, cried a little bit, and then asked what my other option was. Tape and pain meds became my new best friends. I iced all week, cried a little more, and gave myself a pep talk.

Saturday morning I picked up Steph (my other two triathlon friends ended up prego), and we got to the starting line ... 2 hours early ... I also have a complex with being on time. Fortunately, thanks to our early arrival, we got prime spots in the transition area. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain and absolutely freezing!

So, to make a really long story a little shorter, we started. The run was crappy and my leg hurt. But I did it. And honestly, I don't think I could have gone faster even if my leg was fine. I'm not that strong of a runner.

The bike was fun! I made up some time and other than a minor incident with horse poop and a train, it went a lot better than I expected.

The swimming. Ahh, the swimming. here it comes .... I'm a good swimmer. I've had a little training in this area and I knew swimming would be my best event. I ran down to the pool and I was excited. As I entered the pool area and quickly surveyed the scene, my excitement turned into bewilderment. It was a circus! People of all skills (and no skill) were everywhere doing who knows what! Now look, I'm not being mean (mostly). I don't care if people have to doggy paddle across the pool, as long as they stay to the correct side of the pool and not swim all crazy-like. It was a gauntlet. Flailing arms, smacking hands, kicking feet - pure craziness. But I faced the gauntlet and I liked it. A little jostling, a few wide elbows and an ankle pull here and there (all in self-defense, I assure you) was my added bonus. Totally worth the extra minute on my time!

I had a good day and I had great company. The weather turned out perfect and I had family and friends cheering me on. And you know what? I'm proud of myself. Cheesy, I know, but I can't help it. It was hard, the training was long, my body hurt and I faced my social-exercising fear. It has been an amazing experience.

A few unflattering pictures to share:

Me and Steph freezing our butts off before the race.
p.s. Xi Babes Rule!

Oh the loveliness.
Coming in from the run - I'm pretty sure I'm trying not to cry. By this point my leg was on FI-YAH!!


Ok, back to my bragging rights. Here is the play by play swimming portion. It was absolutely my favorite part! If you can't read the notes on the picture, you're lucky.

So fun! Probably the best 8 minutes I've had in a long time!

Can't wait for the next one!

The Final Countdown

5 more days. I'm excited it's here. I'm very excited it's almost over. I get a stomach ache if I think too much about it ... I just need it to be over!! The bad news is that I have a leg injury that's going to require a doctor visit tomorrow. Boo!! Keep your fingers crossed that there's enough tape and drugs to take care of it!
Wish me luck!

So you think you can dance?

I wasn't kidding when I said this boy has moves!

dear readers,

Remember when I said I was going to blog more? Well, I am. Just not yet. Over the last couple of months I have been quite concerned over the loss of my cleverness and humor ... which wasn't much to begin with, so yes indeed, I've been concerned. But, I've finally figured it out what my problem is, why I can't blog, why I can't crack a joke -- ok, when I typed joke I actually typed jock and that totally made me laugh! Back to the point. I've figured it out. I'm EXHAUSTED! I like to talk about how tired I am. I'm very aware of that. But this time I'm serious. My point of exhaustion is a step below having a baby (nothing can be that tiring). Last week I fell asleep on the floor right after changing a diaper -- just decided to rest my back a bit and woke up 1/2 hour later to a Barney seranade. Today I woke up 1 1/2 hours later, in the middle of my living room amidst the piles of laundry I was folding. Normal? No.

Triathlon training is not all it's cracked up to be. Sure, it's been fun. Sure, I feel stronger. But the "agressive" training schedule I so unsmartly picked is sucking it right out of me. 2 weeks ... maybe 3, not quite sure ... is all I have left. A couple more weeks to suck it up. Then, I can get back to normal. Then, I can have a little bit more energy, Then, I can stop falling asleep in the middle of my daily duties while my kids run like crazed monkeys through the streets. Right? Please tell me this is so!

In the mean time, I'll be hoofing it down the roads, dreaming of the day I can sleep till 7. Any maybe, just maybe, I'll throw in a post or two.

Oh, and I'll be doing some stretches. Just like this one.

Belated Birthday

Ella turned 5! Yes, in May, but whatever. She is the funniest, sweetest, sassiest little 5 year old I know! We had a last minute birthday party with a pinata and cupcakes and a surprise trip to Disneyland. What else could a girl want?

Once Upon a Time

Back in May, during Ella's birthday, we decided to surprise the kids with a trip to Disneyland. Ella has been begging to go for the last year and has been saving every penny so she can help pay for the trip. We knew she'd be so excited! We didn't tell them where we were going, said we had some errands to do, and just drove until we made it to St. George -- where we learned Jack throws up when enclosed in small spaces. Like elevators. Ella thought the surprise was to sleep and swim at the hotel and was sorely disappointed to have to get in the car and drive even more. Luckily, the kids were really great. No major meltdowns ... except for me. I hate long car rides!

We stayed right across the street from the entrance - perfect for our trip. Ella kept commenting on all the Mickey Mouse stuff and the fun music but could still not figure what we were doing. We made it all the way through the ticket entrance until she started to get the idea. Even then we still had to tell her. Her response was quite disappointing. I guess it took her a little while to realize exactly where she was but once it sunk in she was thrilled!

When it was time to come home, Ella, Jack and I hopped on an airplane and flew home while Gator drove the car back. Sure beats the heck out of a 11 hour drive!

This must have still been at the beginning of the drive since Ella is still smiling!

Poor Jack Jack. Stuck in that rotten car seat.

Our attempt at a family picture.

We had dinner with all the princess. Ella was so excited! This is Ella trying to learn a dance from Snow White.

Jack was exhausted the entire trip. Poor kid would not take a regular nap!


We had such a good time! Can't wait to go again!

p.s. There's going to be a lot of catching up around here. Just so you know.

Going to the Chapel

Holy smokes, can I just say I'm exhausted?! A few late nights, hair spray fumes and some Electric Slide moves can really take it out of a girl! Gator's sister, Ashlee, got married yesterday. It was a beautiful day, perfect weather and we had a lot of fun.

Ella & Ashlee
The girls got to spend the morning playing Beauty Shop. I've never seen so many curling irons in one place!


Ella, Jack and Gator were part of the wedding party. Ella was so excited. She walked down the isle tossing rose petals and Jack walked down the isle after her, picking up the petals and eating them.My handsome boys.


The Family dressed in their finest.


We love to dance in our family. We got to show off some of our moves last night.

Here's Gator right before his signature move - The Tootsie Roll. Really, you should see it.


Where my hot, sexy red shoes ended up. Not on my feet. My toes are still tingling. Seriously. Is that normal? Is that what you high-fashioned ladies have to deal with? If it wasn't for the multiple compliments, I would have ditched these babies long before I did.


The Gatherum Family

Congratulations Ashlee & Kory! Thanks for letting us be a part of your day!