Santa Claus is coming to town...and I found out what he is bringing too.

It has been pretty busy for me both at work, at home and with my extra-fun activities.

I can't tell you how many pricing requests I have had, contracts I have written and hours of meetings I have attended.  No really, I have no idea any more.  It.is.just.a.lot!

I took last Monday off - I was at school to meet with the team reviewing our school's IB accreditation and for parents to pickup poinsettias from the fundraiser.  But I worked the whole time due to the crunch I am under, so yeah - that was 8 hours of PTO well spent.

My director was in town - we report to someone in Boston now - and he took us out to dinner Wednesday. That was actually really nice and I enjoyed being out with him and the members of our team who could make it, there was about 6 inches of snow, so....

I went to a FUN cookie exchange on Thursday after working until 7pm. My son has been eating ALL the cookies. Yesterday I put a stop to any further consumption of the Russian Teacakes.

Friday night - a real live, grown-up, dress-up, holiday party with the other couples from our church!

Saturday? All us moms, and some dads, get up for 9:30am  Christmas Pageant Rehearsal at Church. Cuz we are JUST THAT SMART in our planning of fun!

Then off to see Santa with the in-laws:

It was a good thing we got to see Santa too - I had NO idea he was bringing a Crayola Crayon Maker!

Then Saturday Night? Oh YES. More real-live holiday fun. This time with SAILORS!

My friend Julie married a Navy guy - he has Navy buddies and they invite along my Sailor and I to the fun!  I think I almost peed my pants twice. 

Sunday - church and then ALL THE ERRANDS I had no time to do the rest of the week.  

Please do not look to closely at my floor.  I have not vacuumed in - ummmm. yeah. 

Laundry? I will get to the mountain. 

PTO tonight - Girl Scouts tomorrow night - then I give up. Oh wait, I promised Boo Boo La La we would make peppermint cocoa to give as holiday gifts to various and sundry lovely people. 

And I need to stop and pickup gifts as they arrive for my ship-to-store orders.  

What have a gotten my self into?  I remember when I actually used to blog about

1) Hot guys I would want to sit on.

2) Which scooter should I purchase?  

3) Daddy getting chased by Old St.Nick! 

4) AND SNOW!!! 

I hope your holiday season is not nearly as hectic, but just as fun!

Joy to the world, peace on Earth, and Merry Christmas! 

Robbinsdale Eggstravaganza!

There are a lot of fun events in Robbinsdale - Whiz Bang Days, the Lighting of the Christmas Tree, but the one that Boo Boo likes best - probably now more than ever - is the Eggstravaganza!

The first year my husband saw something about the event he just took Boo Boo there on a whim.  She came home with stuffed animals and candy and a huge smile.  So the next year I went along...she got some candy and a couple dollars in cash.  She was happy and smiling, we got CANDY and she got to hang with us doting on her for a few hours.

I have to tell you, from a parents perspective this event is not all that awesome.  You stand in line, it is usually cold, your child runs around some, complains about the wait some.  Parents who are first timers get WIDE EYED at the line, they don't understand.  Why is there a line?  Isn't this an Easter Egg Hunt?

Nope.

It is the Eggstravaganza.
 

I need to give this to the Easter Bunny!

It is not a hunt.  Here at the Eggstravagaza the kids wait and dance to the dj - parents sipping their free hot chocolate.  Then at 1pm all are ushered into City Hall, family by family.  Children are shown where to select their four plastic eggs from a laundry basket festooned with ribbons and spring-y touches, then swooped up to one of the many volunteers behind the counter who help them open their precious plastic eggs.


We got it down now.  T-bone goes up about noon.  We join him later to minimize the whine.

She LOVED my egg.

Boo Boo read her Captain Underpants book and waited.

Out came The Easter Bunny - giving all the kids Twizzlers and waving and hugging.  She was SO pleased to get the hand drawn gift - she waited for us to get the right picture of the hug.  :)


We then went inside.  The room was already buzzing with sugar and joy.  Cheers going going up from the volunteers when certain colors of tickets were revealed.  I mean, how fun to give a kid a scooter or a bike, or the biggest stuffed bunny you ever saw?

Boo Boo selected four little plastic eggs held together with tape.  Then we went up to the counter.

A nice lady bubbling with excitement said, "Should we see what you got?"  And she and Boo Boo began to open them.  She SHRIEKED!!!!!  "WE GOT AN ORANGE TICKET!!"  and suddenly we were pretty popular.  A lady behind said, "Is this the girl who won a BIKE?"

Boo Boo was in shock.  A bike?  And I have three more EGGS??? She could barely speak.

Lots of pictures were taken after Boo Boo surveyed all the bikes on the platform and selected the cute white one with pink and blue swirls.  She barely remembered she got THREE OTHER prizes including two stuffed animals and a pencil case.  

Would you if you were seven?

Did she need the bike?  No.

Do other parents complain that this is a zoo and kids from other towns come?  Yes.

Do I care?  No.  Because my Boo Boo had just as much fun the year she won two dollars and some candy as she did when she won the bike.  

How can you argue with that?

I wonder who's turn it will be next year to be so lucky.

P.S. There are other fun things at this event.  Cookie decorating, Easter Egg craft, people to talk to from the community.  Our Chamber does a great job of it - and I personally would love to be in their shoes making so much joy.

I live with a Rockstar & Boo Boo too.

I didn't tell you guys.  It was during the dark ages when I was posting a blog about once a month - you know the last year or so?

I have to stop mentioning that, right?

A friend of ours works in Social Media Marketing and asked me on Facebook if Boo Boo could sit for some pictures to use in a new website redesign.  They had asked him if he knew any cute little girls and OF COURSE Boo Boo came to mind.  To be fair, he sees her everyday as his boys go to the same daycare.

So my dear baby got to have a very glamorous experience.

The let her wear PURPLE

She got hair and makeup!!

She got to see the results.

....and then back to normal in the parking lot.

And just a few weeks ago my friend sent me a message via Facebook once again.

The site was live...

And Panda - Stole the show.  He is a Rockstar of keeping his chin up, what with that head injury and all....

She is a true gem.

BBLL: Momma, I found this purple gemstone.  See?

ML: It is very pretty sweetie.

BBLL: Momma, you can take it to work with you to show your friends.

ML: Oh, okay. 

BBLL: Yup, you can take it and show it to them, and they CAN touch it, but make sure they don't steal it okay?

ML: Oh SURE.  I will keep it safe.

BBLL: Okay Momma, because I want it back.  It is REALLY valuable. 

Courtesy of Sugar Jets Photography

So are you baby, so are you.

p.s. Sugar Jets is one of my favorite women to hang with IRL - like our kids are besties, we love to hang out with each other and stuff.  If you are in Minnesota, try her out.

Forgotten, but not missed.

We were driving down the road to the highway and as I was turning on I realized I forgot my phone.

Huh?

Go back?

It's not far...

Nope.  Forge on to the zoo.

Yes, I went to the zoo with my child, no phone, no camera.  She asked me one time to take a picture and I said, "I forgot my phone remember?"  Oh yeah.

Then we just walked around and looked and talked and talked and looked.

Petting and feeding the goats, the one with HUGE curly horns got all of Boo Boo's goat nibbles.  Petting the cows and reading all their names, "Look Mama, Mary - just like Grandma."  Marveling at the roosters - a SUPER fluffy one we decided was Chicken Little's papa.  Riding in the tractor simulator and chatting with the nice young man from a farm in SE Minnesota who is studying agriculture at the U.  And making a craft of pig ears to wear on our soaked heads.  ;)

It was raining the whole time - and at one point pretty speedy drops were hitting our umbrellas and Boo Boo said, "It sounds like pop rocks hitting my umbrella."  It DOES!  "I would eat up all those pop rocks like NUM NUM NUM!"  I would too.

So how was your rainy day?

Boo Boo Saturday - revisited for a special occaision

People (M & M) were super excited because we got on a TRAIN to go to the biggest celebration in the country for the little organization called

Even The Peeps! Got dressed up to celebrate the organization that has 3.2 MILLION girls learning fun things about the environment, being a good citizen, and of course about how to have fun!

 There were fun activities in the Build Your World area...

Picking flowers, digging for silver keys!

And they got to build - for real and pretending with tools at the Taj Mahal.

I was so worried we would be packed into the MOA like sardines, but it actually was pleasent - if you did not want to buy any Girl Scout items in the stores or kiosks.  We didn't.

And now I still have to order the pin online.

 We made wishes, shared hugs.

 Got into "swapping" pins with other Girl Scouts.

And found our own little corner to be silly.

Were you a Girl Scout?  Do you feel pride over the Centennial?

Early and Cold

My child has a strong relationship with the donut.  This kid LOVES her some fried up flour and water and cinnamon, or apples.  Or both.

I USED to love donuts too...then I got old and well, my tummy does not love them any longer so I usually avoid them.

This morning I wanted coffee and thought - you know my local Wuollet bakery is not much farther than Caribou, they have good coffee and Boo Boo could have a donut....

So out I went.  

The car thermostat registered TWO BELOW ZERO.  But I am a Minnesotan, so it barely registers...

*snort*

I got a fried cinnamon, two apple fritters and a raspberry bismark.  The nice man made me a latte.  I was the ONLY car downtown besides the Star Tribune paper delivery truck.  Doesn't anyone else go out for donuts in the freezing cold early on a Saturday?

When I got home Boo Boo ate about three bites of her fritter...

I ate TWO donuts.

Now she is running around care free...

And I am on the couch with a lump in my stomach.  

Go away bad food baby.  Go.A.Way.

Our State Fair is a Great State Fair!

Last Monday at the Minnesota State Fair was Senior and Kids Day - so I convinced my Dad to take Boo Boo and I for some fun.

Yeah, not a lot of convincing necessary, my Dad loves the Fair - for people-watching and Pronto Pups!

@Iambooboolala had to pet EVERY sheep in the sheep barn

Grandpa had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb....

They had a "working" farm for the Li'l Farm Hands to get feed chickens for the eggs, ride tractors, pick vegetables, get wool from sheep, sell all of their wares at the market and then shop for an item.  It was fun once we got through the massive initial line!  AND they moved our wagon ahead as the other wagons and strollers were taken by their owners.  It was cool to just pick-up the handle and go!

 Also I had never been in the Butterfly House - Boo Boo saw it and begged to go inside.  It was AWESOME.  Loved every minute gazing at the butterflies...and they loved me!  At any given time I had  three or four attached to me somewhere.

Radio Disney was in the house!!!  Boo Boo wanted a photo op with Phineas, Ferb, Candice and clan!

And it was a celebration of Mr. Bubble at the Fair too!  She would have been happy if we stayed there
ALL.DAY.LONG - but Grandpa got hungry for some fries.

If you haven't gone to the Fair, are you going before Labor Day?  What is YOUR favorite thing?

Mine.  The memories.

Oh and the Giant Slide!  We went TWICE!

Talk to the hand!

....that is what my child said to the the other day.

I was in shock.

I looked down over the other side of the counter at the girl who used to be my baby and said,

"Boo Boo!  You don't talk to your mother that way EVER!"

*face*

"I mean it Boo Boo if you EVER say that to me again you will be in your room for a loooooong while."

*lip out - stomp away*

It is such a disrespectful thing to say, don't you agree?

Flash forward to the car later that day and I tell T-bone, "Do you know what Boo Boo said to me?  'Talk to the hand!', can you believe it?"

"Boo Boo!  You don't talk to mommy that way.  WHERE did you hear that?  Sair???  Where?"

*face - instant sobbin - wail*

AM I IN TROUBLE???? *WAIIIIIL*

No no no - we just want to know where you heard it.  Its fine.

*snort - sob - snort - sniffle*

I heard it on .... sniffle .... Phineas and Ferb .... WAIIIIIIIL!

"Really? Huh."

See I love the Phineas and Ferb so I was kind of sad.  I had to google it and I found it.  Can you believe she got it from the seconds in this clip?

Kids.  They have selective hearing.

Penquins at The Minnesota Zoo

My Dad was supposed to get some one on one time with Boo Boo La La - but Mommy lost her job so he got the bonus of Mommy tagging along to the Minnesota Zoo.

We all wanted to see the new PENGUINS!

Boo Boo has become quite the little photographer - much to Mommy's dismay at having to delete so many shots of, "I just want to take another picture of the sea otter's toys Mama!" and "That girl won't mind if I take a picture of her nostrils along with the ceiling of the dolphin area!"

Most of these are her photos.  Enjoy!

p.s. The penguin exhibit is NOT as large as I imagined.  I have no idea why I thought it would be huge, I mean it's not like penguins are emus or something.  Right?

Boo Boo at SEA LIFE Aquarium

So with time on my hands and daycare on vacation I accepted the invitation of SEA LIFE Aquarium's Ms. E to explore the newly revamped aquarium.  She told us the aquarium was purchased by the corporation that owns many types of attractions around the world - Merlin Entertainment out of England.  They have over two dozen SEA LIFE Aquarium's around the world and participate in breeding programs to protect creatures like turtles and sea horses.  It's pretty amazing.

Plus?  We got to see jellyfish.  Man are they beautiful.

This is actually what the jellyfish area looks like - tubes of jellyfish for you to gaze at in a beautifully lit hall of mirrors - even Pacific Jellyfish just like in NEMO!  (Boo Boo loved that.)

You can really buy these fish...

SEA LIFE Aquarium has over 10,000 creatures as of its re-opening last March and it included the funny fish above called Shrimpfish.  Fish of this variety swim nose to the ocean floor.

I forgot my camera - and my phone was low on bars - but Boo Boo took some pretty cool pictures in Atlantis - the shark tunnel!  The shark tunnel is home to Sand Tiger Sharks, Loggerhead Turtles, Green Seat Turtles, Moonfish, and...

SAWFISH!  Boo Boo was having fun capturing pictures...

Really, she was having fun...just didn't want to be in front of the camera.

See? Goofball.

My dear friend Amy brought her charming Mr. D (photo above) to tour the SEA LIFE Aquarium with us.  He is 18 months and kept saying, "Fish, Fish, Fish!"  It was awesome.

After the private tour with Ms. E explaining all the cool fish along the way we were on our own.  We could leave or go through again!  Boo Boo and I went through one more time - determined to touch the Horseshoe Crabs in the Rockpool - but Mr. D and Amy left us...you know, toddler!  ;)

They did miss feeding time in the shark tunnel - trust me its WICKED.

So while Boo Boo, Amy, Mr. D and I got to tour SEA LIFE Aquarium for free I would TOTALLY go back again and buy a ticket.  And be sure to talk to the helpful SEA LIFE employees while you are there - they know their stuff.

We are about to go on vacation.  So I will be posting sporadically again...I will try to pull from the archives when I had about 2 followers and share some cool old stories of Boo Boo La La.

Happy Weekend Peeps!

Rockin' The Baby! (it should work now)

I hope all is forgiven...I have but ONE baby and will only ever have this one baby.

So you get her first year of life condensed in 13 photos - up to the professional photo shoot on exactly her First Birthday! Just in case you are wondering - she is now 5 and a half.

Enjoy my fellow momma's!

"Rockin' The Baby"

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