OMGAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's the day before Christmas Eve!

How does this happen (every year(with glee)) we arrive at the day before Christmas Eve, and I am in awe of my lack of preparation? Note to self: definitely be more prepared next year. Also occurring at this moment, sharp pains in my wrists. Not liking that. Anyways, enough of that because there are so many things for these wrists to do.

Today I shall make:
A turkey
Sweet potatoes
Radish/ brussell sprouts with bacon and onions
Cornbread dressing
green bean casserole
Salted Honey Pie

Crazy to think I will make all that in a delicious manner since it is 8:18 am and I am at work and nothing is cooked yet? Perhaps so. But, I am going to give it my best go.

Let me just add that this Christmas is most awesome! Not only am I surrounded by people I love and am sharing the season with K,  but I am decked out in some new bling and fancy stuffs that I love!

<<<--------------- A few of the lovely items! Fossil Rose bracelet, Levity heels, MixNo6 heels, Gucci Guilty, the new Bridget Jones Book Mad About the Boy, Teeki Pants (yay!yay!yay!), awesome new bra that really makes the girls look nice! LOVE IT ALL!

It's so nice having a Santa ;)

I am ready for Christmas, the gifts are almost all wrapped, the tree is trimmed and the fridge is stocked. All systems go.

Today, I will try and work and sort details for the week, head to Sur la Table for some vanilla bean paste, then scoop up Ayanami and head to the house to start cooking!

I am torn because the woman I love quite possibly will not be at my dinner tonight and it breaks my heart and makes me feel awful at the same time. I hope that in the coming months and years I grow stronger and learn to stand for what I want.

When it rains, it pours...literally.

There are moments when you are waiting for a response and all motion and time cease to exist and you are so focused on wanting to know if all is okay that you totally step outside of the world and you enter this hypertime period until you are able to exhale.

Sunday afternoon was one of those moments. After a tumultuous morning and lots of baking and yelling and anger, I went to work and had a serious thinking and relaxing session. It was great. The weather was awfully cold and rainy and not conducive for outdoor activities. On my way home from work I wanted to go somewhere but due to the rain, I went home. I was home long enough to pop popcorn when my dad called. He said he was in a wreck and wasn't sure he was okay.

Immediately, my mind raced to doom and gloom and I just wanted to get there (safely) and make sure he was okay. I arrived on the scene to see his brand new truck wrecked and immobile. Luckily, he was okay. Just a few bruises and really shook up. Mainly, heartbroken over the truck.

After what was quite a long while, state troopers showed up, wreckers arrived and we were off to change out of our wet clothes and map out the evening and next morning.

The next day, I drove him to work early in the morning and saw this beautiful site after dropping him off and my little girl was asleep in the backseat.

So, that night, the best thing I could do was make waffles.

Also, my little man is sick. I hope he recovers quickly.
And so is my grandpa, I hope he gains strength and makes it home for the holidays.

<------------this kit is super cute.

TGIF

Flashback to 1990! I loved some TGIF! The shows and Mr Gatti's pizza. Sleepovers with friends, staying up until all hours of the night and eat rice krispy treats out the bowl before they cool. (that is kind of still amazing!)

Lowdown on the weekend:
Friday
noon- dentist
2pm- back to work to finish docs
3pm- cookies due for bake sale
6pm- Festival of Lights (unless canceled due to weather)
9pm- make food for wrestling tournament

Saturday
7am- wrestling tournament begins (send food for hospitality room)
8am- pick up CSA box at Farmer's Market
9am- bowling tournament
1pm- wrestling tournament
6pm- dinner
7pm- work on cell project (Bai)

Sunday
8am- laundry/clean/grocery
1pm- Massages (2)
3pm- Magnolia Mound (Bai singing)
6pm- finish cell project

Umm and I would like to have some mat time and some K time in there too :)

RIP Nelson Mandela, thank you for spreading so much peace, love and knowledge across this universe. We honor you.

King Khaliq, I am honored...

Sometimes the universe puts an amazing connection in our life and then, there is an alternate force that changes the composition and said connection is transported 100s if not, 1000s of miles away to a new, improved life. Sometimes when this happens, the connection is severed, lost or just vanishes....But other times, the bond is so strong that mountains move and the heavens open and a quick reunion has you feeling like you never parted and you are up to speed on the most important details of life....And so, my visit to meet King Khaliq. Precious Khaliq was born in January in cold Cincinnati, and the crazy workerbee that I am did not make it up there to meet him. Lucky for me, his mama and daddy still feel the pull of Nola and like to come home. I am most grateful because I was able to meet him for a lovely afternoon at Audubon Zoo and some sweet time at Sucre. I also popped in the antiques mall on Magazine to get my vintage glass fix. Did I mention that I am even more in love with this little guy than ever before? He is such a joy!

Ambitious turkeys, sweets and now...sleigh bells?

Just turn on some jazz and all will be okay. That seems to be my mantra these days. And also, breathe. I find that I remind myself to breathe lately. Not as in a oh dumb blonde moment, clearly, since my hair isn't blonde anymore and with that change alone my IQ increased. But with a oh fuck, is this really happening, yikes ok, just breathe kind of breathing. Things seem to happen quicker, does that mean I am getting older? Seems like my little boy was just little and now, he is quite big. And I grew that. And the cute, spicy, sassy little miss is well all those things and bigger and louder and the cuteness is a different level now. And I am as I type this wearing a blazer with shoulder pads. Throwback 80's moment happening now! Did I mention said 80's blazer was like $3 bucks, so score for the trendy mama.

Thanksgiving Recap:

Fun

Food

Family

pretty much sums it up... Joy.

I had an ambitious list of items to create:

Cheeseball (didn't make but I bought the ingredients)

GF Cornbread dressing- made and delicious

Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Coconut Flour - made with coconut sugar instead and delish!

Pralines- made and amazing

GF Brownies- made and consumed with delight

Pumpkin pie smoothie for K- not made

Pumpkin and Vanilla donuts- not made

Chocolate nutmeg donuts with chocolate glaze- MADE AND AMAZING when dunked in coffee!

Wrestling tournaments are not for the faint at heart. You must first, have some sitting strength and some power to not let the stench get to you. Packing hundreds of teen boys into a gym, encouraging them to wear sweats all day and then compete in the conquering act known as wrestling, is maybe considered by some insanity, here...it is called sport.
<----I love that these tough boys just fall right asleep next to their moms. love

Bash did really well in this tournament, despite the awful weather outside.





All in all, it was a great week. Lots of work, lots of family, lots of food and a whole lot of fun. I still can't believe it is almost 2014. Seems kind of crazy. She --------------->  is so big!