wordless Wednesday - Matthew's 3rd birthday party...

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th...

1st...

enuff about Kanye already! seriously!
yes, he's an ass...we all know it...let's move on please


2nd...

look at this beautiful family!
does it get any better than this?
i think not!
;0)


3rd...

is what place i'm gonna b in if u guys don't vote 4 me!
i promise - this is the absolute time i'll hound u about it!
(voting ends 2nite)
but if u haven't already, please please please
go vote for #20 - nobody puts Becky in the corner


4th...

RIP Patrick
u were 1 of my very 1st crushes...Dirty Dancing is my all-time fav movie! there r just so many greats - Ghost, The Outsiders, Roadhouse, Point Break, To Wong Foo (i'm totally serious - he was great in that!) u fought a long hard fight against a vicious cancer...ur amazing relationship with ur wife was the perfect example of what i want my marriage 2 b!
u'll b deeply missed!

weekend recap...

we kicked off our weekend with a little photo shoot...

Corinn was proud of the manicure she'd just given herself & asked me 2 take her picture

i should have known where that would lead us...she's such a ham!

& she loves putting on a show whenever i get the camera out!

she picked this outfit out herself too - she's starting 2 follow in her sister's footsteps & becoming very opinionated about what she will/will not wear

but i love that! u know i'm all about being proud of who u r & doing ur own thing!

i was up most of the night Friday, busting out the Mario Bros cake 4 Saturday...once it was picked up at 3pm, i laid down 4 a nap...Curtis was awesome enuff 2 take the kiddos skating at the park so it would b quiet in the house...then he came home, fed em dinner & did the dishes! seriously, how did i get so stinkin' lucky?!?!

(yes, he washes em by hand & uses the dishwasher as a drainer - he HATES dishes being washed in the dishwasher)

& even better?
he took the camera with him 2 the park & snapped pics of the kiddos skating - a man after my own heart, i'm tellin' ya!

i admit, i about freaked when i realized he'd not only taken them 2 this park instead of the skate park (the skate park has a softer surface - like a tennis court)...but also that they didn't wear helmets! ahhhh!

but there wasn't much falling...he said Corinn busted her butt once & was just fine

it had been a while since they had been skating - guess it's just like riding a bike tho, cause they picked it back up pretty quickly...Curt said he was seriously impressed!

Sunday, we went 2 church...in our matching duds ;0)

then came home & did some moving...
(excuse the rest of these pics - they were taken with my cell)

this 1-room-at-a-time, slowly-taking-stuff-over-as-we-can stuff is working out nicely!

would u like a sneak peek of the inside of our empty (retro) house?
it's pretty interesting!

my parents bought this house from a lady that musta went crazy in the 80's - spending her dough on multi-colored carpet & wallpaper galore! i never got 2 live there - i had moved away from home b4 my parents & siblings moved in...but i spent plenty of time visiting as an adult...my parents didn't change much about the design (which is 1 reason y i think they had trouble selling it), but kept it in very good condition...oh, there was 1 change - there used 2 b carpet in the dining room! yes, can u believe that?! right b4 they put it on the market, my peeps finally tore the carpet up & put down new linoleum (new linoleum in the kitchen & tile in the baths too)

ok, enuff back story - come on in!

u see that there r 2 front doors - the 1 on the left leads in2 the kitchen...the 1 on the right, in2 the living room - complete with it's pink carpet & wood paneling ;0)

but it's VERY spacious! plenty of room 4 our sectional (which we couldn't fully fit in our current living room) plus tons of space left over! u see the door 2 our back porch directly in front of u...& on the left wall is a little open window that sits over the kitchen sink, & then a door in2 the dining room

here, i'm standing in the dining room - the door 2 the living room is on my left...straight ahead is the kitchen...down the hallway on the right is 1st the kiddos' bathroom, then on in2 Jaden's bedroom

let's go in2 the kitchen tho - there's that little window over the sink i was talking about...tons of counter & cabinet space...& do u see that? yes, an almost brand new gas range - oh baby!!! ;0)
straight ahead is a window on the front of the house & beside it is the other front door...if u turn right (by the front door), u'll pass the door leading 2 the basement on the right, then the grown up bathroom...

then u're led in2 the master bedroom...check out that black/dark blue carpeting!!! imagine putting up a black light up & tripping out in here! ~lol~

ok, let's turn around & go back thru the kitchen...here we r, looking in2 the dining room (door 2 the living room is on my right)...& on the other side of the dining room is the girls' bedroom

it's actually a den or office space, but will work perfectly for our 2 high maintenance girls that need lots of space! ;0) it's got windows all around the room & is super bright! & it's the only room in the house with neutral colored carpet ;0)

if we turn left from the dining room instead, & head down the small hallway...u pass the kiddos' bathroom on the left...u can see it goes all the way across the house, 2 right outside our bedroom...it's connected 2 our bathroom by a separate little room in between, with the shower stall...yep, no more baths 4 the kiddos!

wallpaper, wallpaper EVERY WHERE!!!
~lol~

past the kiddos' bath is Jaden's room...look, now here's some green carpet! & u know he's totally thrilled by the flowery border in here! ;0)

& that's it! well, i didn't show u the basement or the huge closet just outside Jaden's room...but i'm sure u've gotten ur fill of Retro - that's totally what i'm calling the house from here on out - a nickname of sorts ~lol~

regardless of it's crazy 80s vibe, we still love it...it's gonna fit our family so well! & once we get some furniture in there & put some pictures up on the wall, u'll barely notice the black carpet or flowery wallpaper! ;0)

i hope u guys had a great weekend...ours went way 2 fast yet again! we're creeping closer & closer 2 the end of September - our official move date...so say a prayer 4 us as we try & get everything taken care of

i may even b posting here a little less frequently too - we've still got lots 2 do once we get home in the eves & get dinner/homework/bedtime out of the way...never a dull moment in the Skates home!
;0)

ps. yet another reminder 2 go vote for me - #20 Nobody Puts Becky In The Corner...there's no chance i'll get back in 1st place, but i hear there's some honorable mention prizes - so please help keep me in 2nd place! 2moro is the last day 4 voting too - go tell ur friends! ;0)

Super Mario Bros Airship cake...

i get 2 make Garrett's birthday cake every year (here's last year)...he's the son of the other "cake sister" - the 1 that doesn't blog ;0) this year, Garrett is in2 video games!

this is an Airship...

cause it doesn't float on water...it flies thru the air!

this Airship belongs 2 naughty Bowser (the turtle looking guy)...he's kidnapped Princess Peach & tied her up - some of the Koopa Kids r keeping watch & manning the cannons...

but here comes Mario & Luigi 2 save the day! they board the ship by catching a ride on the ship's anchor

Bowser & the Koopa Kids r no match 4 the Mario Bros! ;0)

the base cake is actually 4 cakes...2 yellow 9X13"s on 1 side & 2 chocolate 9X13"s on the other (serves 80)...it's iced in blue butter cream & has butter cream clouds surrounding it

i pulled a Duff, & cheated by using styrofoam 4 the ship...i was afraid that with all the characters on it, it would either split or topple over if i had used cake or rice krispies...it's covered in fondant & has wooden dowels 4 masts...i made all the characters by hand, using 50/50 fondant/gum paste

thx 4 looking!
♥

random Friday...

1st, i just wanna say i will definitely NEVER 4get!
& i'm praying 2day, 4 the families & loved ones of those injured or killed in the tragedies of 9/11

God bless!

-----

it's almost here!

no, not Grandparents Day (which btw, is this Sunday the 13th) - that's definitely an important holiday! but no, the holiday i'm talking about? the 1 that is not only my favorite holiday, but also my son's?

Halloween!!!

we LOVE Halloween!

& Jaden is already busy planning...he's drawn up some costume ideas 4 us...well, not so much ideas, as plans...he's convinced that this is what we'll definitely dress up as...& i've been given the task of making/sewing all these costumes! we'll see how that goes ;0)

this is dad...he's an "Evil Bee Keeper"

& me? i'm a Mummy of course...get it? ~lol~

this is Jaden - remember, he's really a fish boy...so this is him, as a fish boy, dressed up as a Ninja 4 Halloween

this is Jaden's best (imaginary) friend, Dino...he's dressed up as an Alien

this is Deandra (my sister's daughter - Jaden's 1st cousin & favorite person on earth)...she's a "Mermaid Ghost"...which i actually think is sweet - he refers 2 her as a Mermaid all the time...but of course she's gotta b scary 4 Halloween! ;0)

& lastly, this is Jaden's (imaginary) "werewolf brother, Manuel" (i know, i know - what can i say?! ~lmao~)...he's dressed up as a Gorilla

we're going 2 participate in V's Halloween Bash this year too...

the kiddos don't know about this yet - we haven't even talked about what sort of trick-or-treating fun we'll get in2 this year either...i guess we've got plenty of time 4 that (right now, i've got moving on the brain)...this will b a special little shindig that Mama will cook up & maybe even surprise the kiddos with...anyway, u can look 4 that post on October 17th...it should b fun!

-----

here's 2 things that i wanted 2 share with u...they're sure 2 make u smile!

the 1st is called "where the hell is Matt?" this guy traveled to 42 countries in 14 months - danced his way around the world...all i can say is wow!
(thx 2 (Love) Notes To Self 4 this 1)



unbelievable, right?!

u've got a huge grin on ur face right now, don't u?

no? well, how bout we try this...

this is from Oprah's 24th season kickoff party - the BEP's gave her a lil surprise
(thx 2 SJ 4 this 1)

i LOVE these flash mob videos...i could watch em all day! i have a dream that someday, somehow, i'll get 2 b a part of 1 ;0)

-----

& lastly, just another little reminder...if u haven't voted yet,
please go click on #20 for me
(scroll all the way 2 the bottom of the post where it re-lists all the entries, & click on the little button beside #20 - Nobody Puts Becky in the Corner)

voting runs thru next Tuesday - so tell ur friends! ;0)
thx guys!

i hope u all have a FABULOUS weekend!!!
xoxox

shameless begging...

u guys r awesome! thx soooo much 2 those of u that have already voted!

u kept me in 1st place 4 a good part of yesterday...then slowly, that evil #24 (no offense Mrs. Soup) crept up from behind...i'm barely hanging on to 2nd place right now...1st place is leaving me in the dust!

i'm also working on figuring out y my co-workers can't vote...i know, right?! apparently, us being in the same bldg/on the same network is screwing with the poll thingy...they don't see voting buttons, only the results of the voting - like what u see after u vote :0(

so, if u haven't voted yet, please go over 2
Mommy Wants Vodka &
click on the little button beside entry #20 - Nobody Puts Becky In The Corner
(u have 2 scroll all the way down 2 the bottom of the post)
u don't have 2 register or login or anything like that...it just takes 1 little click ;0)

thx again 4 ur help guys! i know it's not 4 some fabulous cash prize or anything like that, but it's fun...& i'm proud of my entry - i think i did a good job

i've said it b4, & i'll say it again...my friends r the best!
♥ ♥ ♥

we're moving - vote 4 me!

so i mentioned in my last post that we're moving...at the end of this month, 2 b exact

well see, my parents have had their house on the market 4 a year now - & unfortunately, no luck...it also turns out that their contract with the RE agent AND the lease with our current landlord run out at the end of September

dad's been talking with us about possibly taking his house off the market & renting it out...he ultimately wanted a tenant that would rent both the house & the shop beside it, as a package deal (it was a gas station when my parents 1st bought it, then was turned in2 a small engine repair shop that my brother ran his business out of - b4 he bought his farm & moved his biz there)

but then my brother started talking about moving his small engine repair biz back in2 that shop, & renting the building off of my dad again...he's not crazy about it being in the shop on his current property, because of customers having 2 drive on2 the farm...they will even come up 2 his house & ring the doorbell at 9 or 10pm sometimes...he'd just rather have it in a totally separate location

so, it's worked out now that my brother will rent the shop & we'll rent the house!
:0)

i'm sure u remember seeing this house & yard in tons of my posts in the past...it's where my parents lived 4 many years...where we had Christmas dinner, birthday parties, cook-outs & rode 4-wheelers...our kiddos know (& love) it well!

we'll still have 3 bedrooms (the girls will still share) - but we'll have much, much more space!

there's also the unfinished basement where the washer/dryer, our freezer chest, etc. will go...the attic 4 storage...& 3 out-buildings (the middle 1 is set up as a work shop)

the playhouse is gone, but the swings & shelter area r still there...we just need 2 add our picnic table & fire pit ;0)

& look at that yard...all the way 2 the fence dude!
needless 2 say, the kiddos r THRILLED!!!

i'll share more details of the house & our move as the month progresses...even tho i HATE moving, i think this 1 will be really good 4 us!
let's just hope it's a smoother move than the last 1 was! ;0)

-----

now, on2 y i need ur votes...

remember my post about Aunt Becky's visit?

well, her contest opens 2day!

u can only vote once throughout the whole contest, so i just need u 2 hop over there today &
vote for #20

that's it!

please?

it only takes 1 click on her little poll thingy...scroll down past all 28 entries...unless u want 2 check out some of the other contestants - but really, what's the point?!
& click on the radio button beside #20
please vote only once per computer, er, i mean person ;0)

i'll love ya 4ever!
& i'll b ur best friend!
;0)
thx guys!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox,
♥ sharon