Stella Roo

Stella is one of my very favorite little people.  I bought a desk from her mom three years ago, before I had any clue who she was, and asked over the phone, "I don't mean to sound weird or anything, but did you do a good job of putting it together?"  Little did I know that a few short weeks after I went to Brittany and Steve's house to get the desk, Brittany and I would be co-workers.  She later said, "I wondered what the crazy lady from the phone was going to be like!"  

Brittany has very quickly become one of my best friends and her husband Steve is a fabulous guy.  I might have called him one night because I couldn't get my DVD player hooked up {insert embarrassment here}.  I just might of.  And, being the fabulous guy he is, he came over and took care of it...while Britt and I gossiped like usual.  I swore I wouldn't tell that story because I hate looking helpless, but it just shows what a keeper Steve is.  As for Brittany, we are basically the same person and she is the first person I call when I need to know if something is ugly or need an honest opinion.  And Stella, well she is full of attitude and is too cute for her own good.  

Last night, Brittany and I got together to snap some pictures of Stella {translation: we got together to chase Stella around and hope to get her to stand still for a second} in her tutu and tights.  We started at the park and quickly found that was way too much open space for an almost two year old to handle!  Run...run...run... 

We quickly decided Steve and Britt's backyard, along with candy bribery, was the way to go. 

Love a little crooked smile! 

A quick snuggle with Mom.  If you haven't noticed yet, Stella Roo has some serious blue eyes.  I told her to look fierce here and look how well she listened.  Gifted I tell you.  She's gifted. 

A true belly giggle. 

The two year old version of working it. 

All Stella really wanted to do was play in her kitchen.  Can't say I blame her.  It's a pretty good kitchen; it has more utensils than mine.  And, I'm sure she's already a better cook. 

I'll end with a snap of "I'm going to get you!" 

Stella, you are a real treat and I love you.  Brittany, I might go crazy without you to vent to.  Steve, can you put together patio furniture for me next? 

Good for the Soul

There's just something about kids and horses.  We have had the most beautiful spring weather this week and of course, I have been busy with a whole lot of not enjoying the weather.  I decided that whatever needed to be done yesterday after work could wait.  I went to the farm because I'm still adjusting to the enjoying outdoors in town concept.  And, I knew that the neighbor kids were going to be riding in the arena and there's just something about kids and horses. 

It was SUNNY and it was good for the soul. 

Sister Pister is busy getting her horses in shape for the upcoming rodeo season so she rode around and around and around and around while the rest of us took over the middle.  Ummm...Sister Pister, your horse has a dirty rear.   

My parents' neighbors have five children that are very close in age and that are unbelievably cute and that are hilarious.  I was thoroughly entertained.  Did I mention it was sunny? 

That black cat was given to Dad-o by those kids when it was little and Dad-o still can't get close to the cat.  But, it came right up to the kids like it was the tamest cat since Garfield.  I guess Dad-o doesn't speak cat. 

Sister Pister was still going around and around and around and around. 

The littlest of the littles is a girl after my own heart.  She's a stinker.  In fact, Mom told her mom that indeed, it would turn out just fine because look at her {as she pointed directly to me} now.  I laughed.  Stinker was totally into the dirt. 

 

Hello horse nose.  Yes, I'm fine.  How are you? 

More whole lotta cuteness. 

Now, if this doesn't make you smile, then you need your pulse checked.  Go find someone real fast...you might be dead. 

The oldest of the five rode the entire time and the oldest of the five is Mr. Responsible and the oldest of the five let me take some pictures right before they left.  He picked a crazy amount of rocks the day we built the arena.  Dad-o offered him a full time job...he's still waiting to hear back. 

Sister Pister was still going around and around and around and around.   

Hello horse tail.  Yes, I'm fine.  How are you?

I said goodbye to a fellow stinker and the kids headed home.   

Sister Pister quit going around and around and around and around.  At least on that horse.  

Thinking about all those dishes she would do later in the night.  Especially the gravy ones.  Or thinking about how much she misses me when I'm not around with a camera.  Or thinking about going around and around and around and around on the next horse.  Or thinking about tooting.  I don't know; I'm not a mind reader. 

I so did not want to leave the beautiful evening so I did what I had to do right there outside.  No, it was not to go to the bathroom...get your mind out of the gutter people.  My geography homework.  Turns out I'm missing one credit of geography because I went to undergrad in Minnesota.  Dang you Minnesota.  Dang you. 

I looked up and saw Sister Pister going around and around and around and around on the next horse.  She was riding real nonchalantly as I thought, "Does she realize there's a blazing fire behind her?"  Didn't look like it. 

So, I yelled, "FIRE FIRE FIRE!!" and they ran to safety, narrowly escaping with their lives in tact. 

No, not really.  That's not really how it went at all.  Sister Pister just kept going around and around and around and around because it was a planned burn.  At least that's what we thought, but then, hmmmm....it was on the other side of me too. 

Sister Pister and I...we like to live on the edge.  So we stayed out there even though we weren't quite sure if it was going to roar up on us.  She kept going around and around and around and around and I?  Well, I looked for which country the city of Samarkand is located. 

Kids and horses.  And sun too.  They're good for the soul. 

If you really must know.  Samarkand is located in Uzbekistan.  Use that information in your next conversation.  It'll spice things up a bit. 

Kids, Knobs, and Cupcakes

Welcome to an edition of My Random Thoughts for the Day.  If you don't enjoy randomness, then don't keep reading. 

First, yesterday after work I watched two out of the three of Brother and Sil's kids.  The four year old and the three week old baby.  They took the two year old with them.  Usually I watch the kids at their house, in their natural habitat, but this time they came to my house.  Within a few minutes of the parents leaving, the baby had a blow out of poop which covered his clothes, blanket, everything.  I got that cleaned up and then the four year old dumped out a whole huge thing of little tiny legos onto my floor.  Now, if you will remember I have all wood floors.  So, the dumping of the legos was LOUD.  Then, the four year old played with the legos and left finger prints all over the wood floors.  Now, if you will remember, I have a serious case of OCD.  Then, the baby cried.  Then, I fed the baby.  Then, I told stories to the four year old and the baby because I don't have a lot of toys.  I'm sure the four year old loved hearing about magic horses and a village that only had one seed left to plant.  Then, the parents came back. 

I will just say this.  I love my niece and nephews more than life and I LOVE, LOVE when I get to watch them, but good gosh almighty, kids are a serious amount of work.  And, messy.  Kids are messy.  I will have to give up my OCD {I think I can.  I think I can.  I think I can.} if I ever have kids.  I will also buy toys because stories of magic horses only go so far.  Also, I can't imagine if the two year old would have been here too.  Sil...you rock. 

Moving on from the land of poop and kids, it's no secret I love Anthropolgie.  However, it seems the career I picked for life is not lucrative enough to shop there frequently {until I find that dream, wealthy man who loves to hear about no neutral in cars and batteries}, but the sale section on their website is pretty fabulous at times.  I found these knobs for 2 dolla each.  Yeah!  A simple little change goes a long way and I love the colors. 

I put them on a piece of furniture I have which I "inherited" from my room when I still lived with the parents.  It is completely hand crafted by my cousin and I love it.  The knobs gave it a funky little pop.  I put the green and yellow together because I do love me some John Deere. 

Another fun thing I did recently was make these cupcakes...

The adorable wrappers and bird stick in thingamabobbers came from a website called Meri Meri; if you love a theme party as much as I do, then it's your place!  These are the Tweet Tweet cupcake kit and they were a hit. 

Many people at my little party asked, "Did you make these?"  Like there's no way I could handle such a culinary task.  I would then reply, "Yes, I made them and I used a Ziploc bag to pipe on the frosting...take that."

 
In a quick recap of my random thoughts for the day:
1.  Kids = a lot of work.
2.  If I ever have kids, I'll cover this wood floor with a rubber mat...I really will.
3.  Change up some knobs because it's fun.
4.  Theme parties! 
5.  Is there anything that can't be solved by a Ziploc?

Prom Preview and a Funny

Prom was yesterday and I followed Sister Pister and her friends around all day being their "photographer."  It was a pretty sweet deal for all of us; they get some fun pictures and I get to practice on good looking subjects who actually like to take pictures and will do whatever I ask.  It's a perfect combination!  Here are a few of my favorites so far...

A far cry from the dirty, rock - picking girl. 

With her date, Kyle, who is also her boyfriend.  I'm not sure how he puts up with her crazy antics.

I'll write more and post more pictures of the rest of the day later, but first...first, I must tell what happened at prom a few years ago.  The junior class of that time asked me to take the pictures of the couples before grand march.  I had just entered into the land of "big camera" and wasn't super confident in my abilities, but said yes anyway because I do rather enjoy a challenge.  My mom is pretty tech savvy so I asked her if she would help me on that day {basically, I needed the moral support}.  She said yes. 

Then, about a week later, Mom and I realized she would be in the air that Saturday.  Dad-o, Mom, and Sister Pister were planning a trip to Hilton Head Island and they would be flying back that day.  Mom assured me their flight would be in on time and she would be there to help {aka "keep Amy from going crazy"}. 

Finally the day arrived and I made a quick trip to Walmart that morning to load up on batteries for my flash.  I checked what kind I needed before I left my house and knew it was double A's.  On the way to Minot, I get a call from Mom in which she informs me they are stuck in Nashville.  Now, if you know me at all, you know I am a "fly off the handle-er."  I don't stop for reason or sense much.  I freaked out.  Mom told me I was going to be fine and I told her that. no. I. would. not. be. fine.  

Once at Walmart, I went to the battery aisle and looked for the double A's.  I found them.  And, before I continue on with this, I want you to remember I was freaking out inside and was only 23 {three more years has really done me wonders}.  I look at the double A's and see a lot of packages that say AA on them, but they also say this.  AA 4.  AA8.  AA 20. 

I panic.  Big time panic.  This is what ran through my head, "WHAT?!!  There's different charges of double A's...I thought there was only one kind.  I don't know if I need the 4's, the 8's, or the 20's!"  And, at that point I was pretty sure my picture taking for prom was going to be a disaster, because I couldn't even buy batteries for my flash. 

I did the only thing I could think of doing; I called Mom.  Because really, don't all kids revert back to calling Mom when they have a problem?  Yes, they do and don't try and pretend like you don't.  Anyways, I called Mom FREAKING out into the phone, "Mom, I don't know what charge the double A's need to be!  I didn't look at that part!  What am I going to do?!  This is so a disaster!"  I was a hot mess. 

Keep in mind, Mom is stranded in an airport in Nashville and she has her 23 year old daughter on the phone freaking out about batteries.  I'm sure the people around her didn't think it was strange at all when she calmly said, "Amy, that's how many batteries are in the package.  Do you want to buy 4, 8, or 20?" 

I went with 20.

Turns out the people at Duracell like to tell you how many batteries are in the package and they like to put that on the label so you know.  Also, turns out that Mom, Dad-o, and Sister Pister didn't make it back on time.  Also, turns out that taking pictures at prom went just fine on my own.  I had 20 double A batteries after all.  How could it not?