This is why I adore my job!

I spent years in corporate finance and it was good. Not great, but good. It’s great for other people, but it took me a bit to figure out that it was never my passion. I liked being good at it, but I wanted to be great at something else. I just didn’t know what….

And then B opened this Kitchen and all my wildest dreams came true (you’re welcome for the Napoleon Dynamite reference). I get to manage calendars, and plan parties, and bake, and help kids bake and cook, and then maintain our books, and pay taxes and do some marketing and pretty much a little bit of everything. I get to do everything that I like and a few things that I didn’t even know that I would like and a few things that I don’t like and I still have to do a few things that I hate. And it is GREAT!

I should also note I have great friends who are willing to take a chance on us. We hosted a birthday party for a friend’s daughter and they did an amazing job. The girls took their cupcake wars party very seriously and it was fun. AND I have a really, really good family. Top notch, really. My dad and Melissa were visiting and spent the day with the girls so we could throw this party. I’m going to stop thinking about how lucky I am for all these stars to align and I am just going to be so very, very thankful. 

Cupcake wars party rocks!!!

I hosted the last of my Love Monster Little Cooks and Books events today. I absolutely LOVE these events. The kids are wonderful. Combining my love of books and baking — what better job could I ask for? This was the youngest of my groups, but they all did a wonderful job. They listened so sweetly to the story and then ate their way through the cookies, frostings, and sprinkles. There may have been a little decorating, but it was mostly sprinkles right into little mouths. 

After school Annabelle was an amazing helper and helped me build a lollipop box for the bookfair. We are doing a fundraiser this year to help underprivileged students receive books. Annabelle was so excited to help and a BIG help she was. I cut the holes in the box and she loaded up the entire thing with lollipops. 

Taking her job very, very seriously. 

After Gwyneth’s dance classes this evening, we swung by the Kitchen. Sheila hosted a demonstration for her friends and although I couldn’t stay long because of homework, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to say hi. I was able to enjoy a delicious salad before heading out and  my goodness, it was so yummy.  

Tomorrow is the 101st day of school. The 1st graders celebrate by bringing in 100 snacks and 1 little treat. Gwyneth really wanted Cheeze-Its and a tootsie roll.

The 1st graders get to watch 101 Dalmatians while they eat their snack tomorrow afternoon. Gwyneth LOVES that movie….and that may even be an understatement. She was so excited. She had the hardest time falling asleep. Once I finally got her to sleep I added this little note to her snack and couldn’t wait to see her excited little face tomorrow. 

I spent a few hours watching TV and putting over 500 tax stickers on book fair flyers. What?!? Are you thinking well that doesn’t sound very exciting? Well, then you would be absolutely correct. 

The finished tootsie roll pop box. We are ready for the book fair!

Gwyneth gets some extra reading time on Wednesdays after school. I drop her off for 45 minutes. It is just far enough from our house that it’s not worth going home and then turning around and going back. Last week I had to drag Annabelle quickly through the grocery store. That made me more than little anxious about being late to pick up Gwyneth. I was barking at Annabelle to “hurry! hurry!”. That is no good for any of us. 

This week we packed up homework and settled in for hot chocolate at Starbucks. We slowed things down, did a little people watching, had some good Annabelle/Mommy time, and Annabelle got all her home work done. This may start to get pricey. My sanity may be worth the price of a weekly hot chocolate. 

Since I didn’t hit the grocery store, we didn’t have food for dinner at home. Oh well. After Gwyneth’s dance class we had dinner at Lazy Dog and B was even able to join us. 

Annabelle and B share a love of Buffalo and BBQ wings. They got some tonight that were HUGE and Gwyneth found it hilarious. 

The girls received quite a surprise after school: a trip to the Flutter Spa. I purchased a groupon last summer and they finally had an opening for us that worked with our crazy schedule.The girls received the full glam package which included facials, manicures, pedicures and hair tinsel. They were quite pampered and loved every minute of it. 

Annabelle’s feet are so ticklish! 

Her favorite blanket, her favorite peacock pj’s, and a couch full of princess books = 

one very happy Gwyneth!

After dinner we decorated rocks. Yep, rocks. Gwyneth found an article in a magazine about glitter rocks. 

They were very serious about their decorations and they turned out quite well. 

Starting inventory. The girls are opening their own glitter rock store as they must be a very high demand for such things. Ever the entrepreneurs. 

Really, what could be more fabulous than a 12 pack of glitter glue???

Have I ever mentioned that I have a really good husband? Yeah, he’s not so bad. I woke up with a horrible migraine on Sunday. Horrible. I get them a few times a year and I have tried so many different things and the only thing that makes me feel better is sleep. We all got up, got ready for church and to go visit his mom and my head was just throbbing. He took the girls and sent me back to bed. I woke up with a dull headache which was leaps and bounds better than how I started the day. Yeah, he’s a keeper. 

We joined the Conley’s for the Super Bowl. Tom smoked some delicious ribs and B made some fabulous potato pancakes sliders and artichoke dip. It was all about the food and friends for me because I didn’t care about the game and the commercials were so horribly depressing this year. We were in good company though and still had lots of  laughs. 

Why doesn’t the Super Bowl start 2 in the afternoon? It sure would make the Monday morning afterwards a lot easier on the kids…and let’s be honest, the parents too.

Gwyneth came home with gem of literature today. That girl is such a jokester. She’s been memorizing some real classics from this book. 

She also came home with this fabulous picture of her “cuses” or cousins. It’s the Paz girls on the beach in their matching orange dresses. I love how she has perfected the heights, hair color, hair length and even gave Madison, Maeva, and Lily curls. That girl sure does love her cousins. 

Kaylee watched the girls for me tonight so I could attend B’s Mother Sauce class. It was a blast and the food was delicious. Lisa even got involved in the action and helped make the soup. I can’t wait for him to do more classes like this. 

More Gwyneth ballet hair pictures. I have a lot of these. She always requests pictures so she can see the back of her hair. I have a camera and phone full of them. 

Annabelle carries Gwyneth’s backpack home for her from the bus stop. Every single day. Just to be a good sister. 

Annabelle has been begging for little peppers. I was doubtful, but curious. 

Yep, she loves them and is enjoying the bag full of these. Good for her (I’m not a huge fan).