And We Danced / Rhiannon is 14!

Today is Rhiannon's birthday!

She is the big 1-4!

Last Thursday, two of her friends and I pulled off an epic surprise party.  I told them to take care of the guest list and  I would take care of the rest.  We prayed for great weather, (and it came!) I bought a ton of food, sodas, a pinata - if you ever been to any of her childhood parties you will get why - and of course an ice cream cake.  Because my crazy child hates cake.

  The weather cooperating was especially helpful because those gals delivered on that guest list, about 40 teenagers!  

Yikes!

A few days before the party I had set up a hair appointment for Rhiannon that was to start right after school.  On our way there I told her The Mister was going to take us to the city for a fancy dinner (something we try to do often).  

She's grown so much this year. I told her we were just going to run to the store to get her a nice outfit and shoes.  I made sure to bring my make up along so she could be completely ready before we got home, because, you know, we were in SUCH a HURRY!  

(I even dressed up to the part, sporting a fancy dress and heels.)

She had NO CLUE I was actually being a big, fat liar.  

Since we were leaving "as soon as we got back" she was dressed up with her make up and hair all done up cute.  

It was fabulous.  She looked fabulous!

She was so surprised when she opened the garage door.  She screamed in terror and looked at me with an expression I will never forget.  

Since today is Rhiannon's official birthday I am dedicating this song to her, and since it is her fourteenth birthday here are fourteen reasons why!

I'm adding where my comments are directed at in the song.

I love you, my most favorite sweetheart!

 

1. You probably don't remember, but we used to dance around the house to this song together.  Like, a lot.
2. 0:01  This looks like a town you would love to end up living in. 
3. 0:06  Look!  It's The Mister's dream car!  
4. 0:32  I can see a Drive-In Theater experience complete with a terrible zombie movie being a great night out for you.  
5. 0:37  Um....That man in the watermelon shirt!  Purely  awesome! I'm going to make us matching ones...and a Melodica, because YES.
6. 1:10  That lady in the black dress dances JUST LIKE YOUR MOM! (She must be cool.)
7. 1:20   The band dances like your mom, too.  See?  Proof your mom is cool.....
8. 1:54    Unintentionally locking your friends in the trunk == another scenario I can see you getting yourself into.  Lucky for you white lightening has that handy glow-in-the-dark trunk release pull!  
9. 2:47    Old man Hawk Harrelson look-a-like has FAILED at his rescue mission!  
10. 3:15    That love between the concession stand boy and the girl in the yellow shirt.  Get ready for lots of awkward moments like that!  Lol.  Yay teenage experiences!  
11.  3:24    Everyone is dancing like your mom now! 
12. 3:37    Stereotypical motorcycle gang scaring a nerdy boy. 
13. 3:46     Kicking things usually (wont) solve your problems.  Unless your friends are stuck in the trunk, that is.
14. 3:53     The zombie party has officially turned into a dance party.  
15. 
    

(For your birthday, obviously!) 

Happy Wednesday 

and 

Happy Birthday Rhiannon!

Meat Cupcakes

The Mister hates cake.  

And cookies.  

And chocolate.  

But he loves meatloaf!

In the last seven years I have made lots of improvised "cakes" for him to blow the candles out for his birthday.  He calls me ridiculous every year.  However I am a firm believer in celebrating birthdays correctly!  

So far he's had watermelon cut into cake form, mashed potatoes molded into a cake form, a meatloaf cake, a shot lit on fire that he had to blow out and now this year he has had meatloaf birthday cupcakes.  

The Mister's 

Meatloaf Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 lbs Hamburger
• 1 lb Sausage (I used Jimmy Dean's sage sausage)
• 1 M red onion chopped
• 1 M leek chopped
• 4 celery stalks chopped
• 5-6 baby portobello mushrooms, minced
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 C crushed tomatoes
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Chipotle Chile powder
• 1 T Chicago steak seasoning
• Mashed potatoes (made however you like.  I like to put a ton of garlic in mine)

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mince/chop all of your vege's.  I keep mine bigger.  It adds more texture.  (Meatloaf is not my favorite thing to eat.....)
3. Mix everything together in a big bowl.
4. Line your cupcake pan with liners.  I used the "texas cupcake muffin pan" so our meatcakes could be extra large.  (Meeeaaatcaaaaake!)
5. Mold the meatloaf mixture into the pans and bake them for 45 minutes.
6. After they are done cooking, put them on a cookie sheet to cool.  (I pre-made these with the intent to heat them up later.) . 

  Just a heads up, the liners you put on the meatcakes will not be pretty

Once they are cool enough to handle, put your mashed potato frosting on them.

Since I made these in the morning, I heated them up again by putting it in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  

These would also be great for work lunches!

*The Mister is actually older then the candles on his cake imply.
*He's also really enjoying his serenade as you can tell in this picture.

Birthday Madness!!!!!

Happy Monday!

Meadery

Once upon a time there was a boy and a girl who REALLY liked to drink beer.  This duo didn't like to drink just any beer, though, they were more of what you would call "beer snobs".  

If you have ever shared this duo's love of delicious beer, then you will know that it is not a frugal love to have.

One day the boy proposed that they start making their own delicious craft beer at home for only a fraction of the cost.  The girl agreed but secretly didn't think they would make anything drinkable, let alone delicious.  

She was soon put in her place as the duo made many delicious IPA's, Belgium style ales and quite possibly the most delicious Pumpkin Brew known to man.  

Northern Brewer is the company we used the most.

Then one fateful day, the duo was told that one of them had been stricken down with the worst ailment any beer snob could ever receive.  

Celiac Disease.  

What does that mean?

No.  More.  Delicious.  Beer.

Since then, they (we) have been trying other forms of 

"gluten free beer".

Gluten free beer is all terrible.  
So we have moved on to trying different types of mead. 

One in particular has blown us away.

Necromangocon

This is a mango black pepper mead.  

It is incredibly delicious.  

It is also $12 a bottle

What exactly goes in mead?
That would be honey, yeast, honey, honey, yeast and then more honey.

Since we don't necessarily want to hand our entire paychecks over for a few delicious drinks we are back at our brewing business. Only now we are trying to recreate this wonderful mango black pepper taste.  We started brewing this over two months ago.  I am hoping we can make delicious mead as easily as we made delicious beer.  Bottling starts next week.

Wish us luck!

Brew baby, brew!

Today is The Mister's birthday!  

If you see him today make sure you give him 32 pinches!

Before we went to bed last night I tried asking him what his favorite song ever was. First he said it was this really shitty rage against the machine song, but he only liked it for one line which he sings in his head while being told what to do by *someone.  (*most likely me.)

The lyric?  

"&;%#$ you I wont do what you tell me!"

I told him I was super embarrassed to be associated with him at the moment and to try again.  I told him he has to like something that wasn't god awful terrible. 

Then he made me listen to Tupac for the next hour.

Happy Birthday Baby!

I love you!!!!

Happy Wednesday!

Four

Clara turned FOUR this weekend.  

The fact that she is this old already blows my mind.

Investigating sprinkles that were dropped at the party the night before....

Here are some of my favorite things my FOUR year old does these days....

• Price-a-be - I'm never allowed to be in the bathroom by myself.  Ever.  But if she goes in one, even if it is just to wash her hands or blow her nose, she say's to me, 

"Get out, Mama!  Shut the door!  I need my price-a-be!"

For her birthday, Rhiannon made Clara an amazing fort.

• Hos-ti-ble - If she, or any other person, animal (stuffed or real), or sometimes even her imaginary friends Lisa and Ana ever fall, get a headache, a scratch etc, we have to pretend to take them to the hostible, and right away, too!

Constructing her pizza at her "make your own" pizza party.

• Sleep - Okay, I don't actually appreciate this one.  Clara inherited my night owl and The Mister's early morning personalities.  What does this mean?  It means it doesn't matter if she stays up with you until 1 am.  She will still wake up smiling, laughing and wanting to chat at 5:30 in the morning.

I tried to remedy this by telling her she's not allowed to get out of bed until the sun comes up. She takes this literally.

(The sun sure does rise early.)

All her friends helping her open her gifts!

• Spunk - I have no idea where she got it from, but this kid has perfected her sarcastic looks and snarky comebacks.

Making slides for her new microscope.

Playing with balloons before that beautiful fire filled the house with smoke...

• Stories - Clara tells the best stories with some pretty intense details.  She also likes to tell me things like, 

"Mama, when I grow up I'm going to be a doctor.  Yup, I'm going to be a doctor who works in the grocery store."

Always eat cake for your birthday breakfast.  Always!

• Time - She tells time like a champ. 

 In case you are wondering, it's 49 'o'clock.  

Always. 

Figuring her new microscope out.

• Rocks - I didn't know this was a hereditary thing, but apparently I have passed this gene on to both of my girls.  

They collect rocks.  

Not just pretty colored rocks that you can use to decorate with, either.  I have baggies upon baggies of rocks they find everywhere.  

Nobody should be forced to house concrete chunk collections for 10+ years.  

What is that they are using my mortal and pestle to grind so they can look at it under the microscope?

Oh, that's right.  They're grinding up some rocks.
But not just any rocks, these ones were from a trip to Beverly Shores Rhiannon and I made.

 (We made that trip before I ever met The Mister.)

Happy birthday little miss Clara!  

We love you to the moon and back!!!!

You Are My Sunshine

Happy Birthday to this lady right here!

 We thoroughly enjoyed making a copious amount of bad decisions with you this weekend!

Welcome to the old lady club!

Happy Humpday!!!

31

I have to say thank you to everyone who sent me facebook messages, texts, emails, snapchats, presents, called, etc. etc. for my birthday this year.  

It means the world to have so many lovely people who took the time out of their day to wish me well.  

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

We did a low key birthday this year.  

(We are supposed to close on our house Tuesday, so when the Mister asked what I wanted this year, I could only tell him that I wanted a house.)

I really wanted to go to Wildfire for lunch because their chopped salad is AMAZING and they have a really extensive Gluten-free menu.

However, once we got there, we found out they are renovating, and therefore closed during lunch hours until October 1.  Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be to much of a problem, unless, of course, you have Celiac Disease.

Then it's a HUGE problem.

(If you are ever in Chicago and you have any kind of gluten sensitivities, all Lettuce Entertain You restaurants have great gluten free menus!)

After walking around and grumbling a bit, the Mister said we were going to Joe's.

Not a good start for low key, I know.  

But it was fabulous.

And who am I to argue?

 AND I got free desert.  

(My ass thanks you, nice people at Joe's.)

 We spent the rest of our afternoon checking out the Rebuilding Exchange, 

(Not as cool as habitat for humanities in St. Louis,  but still pretty cool)

and thumbing through a few used book and record stores

I was able to find some steals on a few record's.

I love it when that happens.

Then we spent the rest of the evening at the ball park.

Does your Mister keep score while at the game?

Mine does. 

And let me tell you......It's the  Cutest.  Thing.  Ever.

And although the Cubbies didn't pull off a win, it was a fabulous way to ring in year #31 in this life. 

Thank you again for all the birthday love!  Next time I post, I will no longer be a city dweller...but a crazy forest living suburbanite. 

holyshitholyshitholyshit

Have a great week, everyone!

 

They/Superhero City

My days are officially filled with packing up a house and all the worries that come with buying your first home.  

After all is said and done, and whatever may happen when all of this is all behind us, I am going to pour my Mister and I the stiffest drink possible.  I'm thinking a Gin, party of two, will be in order.

(Some shots of us at our friend's boy's birthday party from this weekend.  It was superhero themed.  And awesome.)

Pictures taken from this photographer, here.

 Scaring the Mister into thinking I want another one of these.

NOT!

Clara and her superhero, girl-power friend.

Taunting Clara, telling her we are taking the baby home.

She totally didn't buy it.

Thanks for once again outdoing yourself and throwing a fabulous bash, Breiers!

Jem - They by mejhed

Happy Humpday!

New Order: Crystal

Tomorrow is our home inspection.  

Wish us luck! 

I still feel like this is to good to be true and the deal will fall apart. 

That's normal, right?

Pretty in Pink with her birthday cake

Happy Humpday!

New Order - Crystal by scootaway

Teen

Last night, while the girls and I were driving, Rhiannon commented on how fast this year has went by.  

I told her to hang on.  

Once you start feeling the years go by faster, they never slow down!

Well..... 

Today my sweet little girl has officially turned 13.

I have a teenager.

What. The. Hell.  

Where did all of the years go? 

How is this even possible?

(Please make it slow down!)

3 Months Old

6 Months Old 

One Year

I don't know about you, but I remember being 13. 


(It was painful.)

(Probably not as painful as trying to make this holiday card, though!)

December, 2005

2003, dancing at Grandma's

2002, Halloween 

3 1/2, Being goofy on the worlds scariest staircase.

Rhiannon, I hate to tell you this, but the next eight years are going to be the most confusing times of your life.

Lucky for you, your mom knows all the answers.

2010

Seriously, I may not be the typical "Mom knows best," but I have screwed up enough in this life for the both of us.

From friends to jobs to school to feelings...if you are confused by any of it.....ask me.

I may not always know what the right thing for you to do is, but I can ALWAYS tell you if you are doing the wrong thing.
(Because I always did the wrong thing!) 

Here are a few suggestions to get you on your way during the teenage years.

1.  Never-ever lose your sass.

(But always know when it is time to put it on a shelf.)

Having sass is good.  But never use it to hurt someone. 

Stay humble and stay sweet, but never lose your sass.
As long as you have that you can never be treated like a doormat.  

Age 5

2.  Don't be afraid to feel things.

For some reason, most people think becoming a teenager means you should turn into a stone pillar.  Life is to short and goes by to fast for you not to feel the emotions in every situation.

It is okay to feel sad about things.  It is okay to be overly ecstatic.  It is okay to fall head over heals in love.  It's okay to feel anger.  Don't try to suppress your feelings, from crying to laughing to everything in between!

  Remember, you will never get today back.  You will never get those feelings back.

Emotions are good.  They are meant to be felt.  

It means you are alive!

Christmas at Grandma's, 2006.

3.  Make new friends.

Every single encounter you have will shape your life, but none will shape you more then the experiences and memories you will have with your friends. 

And this is very important to remember - you will have some friends for two weeks, some for two years and a select few for two+ decades.  

Every single person you meet is meant to be in your life for a reason, but not every single person you meet is supposed to be in your life forever.  

The quicker you learn this, the happier you will be.

Rhiannon and her best friend, first day of 3d grade.

4.  Have good, clean, wholesome fun.

You have your whole life ahead of you to act like an adult.  

Don't try and act like one in your teen years.  

Once you lose your innocence, you can never ever get it back.  And that is a big deal.  

Treasure it.

After the color run, Age 12

5.  Give plenty of time for yourself.

One of the hardest parts of being a teen is how spread thin you will become.  

It is important for you to make time for school, extracurricular, friends, family etc.  

However, the most important person you need to make time for, is you.  

If you don't have a clear head you will be of no use to anyone.  

You are the most important person in your life.  

This is not selfish, it is essential!  

Try and give yourself some extra time each day!
(Even if it is just for ten minutes!)

The day before 7th grade

6.  When in doubt, always dress it up.

(It's always better to look well put together then to look like a slob.)

Always.

December, 2012

7.  Always dance to the beat of your own drum.

Dancing makes you happy. Dancing keeps you young.
Why would you ever want to stop either of those things?

Wherever you go and whatever you do in life, never stop dancing to your own rhythm and beat!  

It is what makes you, you!

Summer of 2010

8.  Never forget your #1 fan.  

(I'll give you a hint, it's me!)

• There will never be anyone in your life who will be rooting for you more then me.  
• No one will hold their breath as they watch you try new things.
• No one will cringe as hard as they watch you fail.
• No one will cry as much when they see you hurt.
• No one will be more proud as they watch you succeed and see all of your wildest dreams come true.

Even when you hate me.

Even when I want to shake you.

I will always be there for you.

I will always be proud of you.

I will always love you.

2011

Happy Birthday, Rhiannon!  
Welcome to your teenage years!

May 28, 2013