Let's try this again...

The frustration of posting a really cool blog only to somehow completely wipe it out is, well, FRUSTRATING!!!! I don't have time to re-cap much, but to say that my brother got married last weekend, and my two sweet babies were quite gorgeous in their duds....they were waited patiently and had so much fun, but as we all were, they were quite ready to go home when it was over. I also got a nice case of pneumonia right in the middle of everything and even though it's a week later, I am still not 100%.....working on it. Here are a couple pics of the kids.

Oh nuts.

I know I am weird. I just don't dig hot hot weather. I am great with summer in the beginning, but by mid-July I have checked out of the 100 degree weather. Fall is my favorite time of the year, granted with global warming it certainly seems that we almost go from HOT summer to COLD winter without seeing much of Mr. Fall.....but those few weeks he is here are oh so wonderful. Pumpkins, Halloween, long boots, and sweathers OH MY!!!! Puts this girl in a great mood. I love to wake up, walk outside and take a deep breathe of crisp fall air. Not too mention blasting up that fire pit outside! So, the weather seems to be heading in that direction and so many other things are happening at the Rice house......it's almost too much to even mention! Everyone is doing well for the most part...

I usually include some 'kid' stories, b/c quite frankly they are so funny and I feel like if I don't write about them, I will forget! The latest OBSESSION in our house primarily with Dalton is his Halloween costume. He is going as the 'lost phantom' or something freakishly dark and disturbing this year....Tatum is going as 'lo' Perseus' love in Clash of the Titans... this was the conversation in the car this weekend:

Dalton: Mommy..Daddy...hey guys??!! Why can't kids trick or treat by themselves? Alone and stuff?

Us: Because you are too little and someone could take you....so you don't do anything like that without mom and dad around...or an adult that you know.

Tatum: I would scream and run away if someone tried to take me!

Dalton: I would Kon Fu them (Kung Fu) and hi-----yaaaaa them!

Tatum: I would kick them in the nuts.

Us: Looking at each other in dismay and trying not to laugh and realizing they both had NO idea what that means b/c they weren't laughing at all.

I sat there and thought, do I tell her not to say that again when she doens't know what it means? I am sure she heard it at school,,,and my next thought was..nope, when push comes to shove, a good kick in the nuts to a 'bad guy' isn't so bad after all!!!

Going Organic

I think we all know that eating organic would be the ideal--fruits, veggies, meats, everything void of pesticides and crazy antibiotics. Lately, I have tried to make even better choices for our family meals and snacks. Like making buffalo burgers (much healthier and so delicious), pad thai with gluten free tofu, organic sprays instead of tons of olive oil, etc. Unfortunately going organic also means a hit to the pocket book. For example, the buffalo meat from Mama Jean's was appr. 3 times the price of it's ugly step sister ground beef! I also made this fantastic sandwich the other night! Focaccia bread thinly sliced down the middle, light brushed with olive oil and put on the grill, then 3 whole red peppers lightly dusted and grilled whole, egg plant, goat cheese and a garlic spread lead to a tasty finish! I am loving to cook (when I can) and try out new recipes. It is cool to make food FRESH...and I like that Tatum can't wait to have sushi with miso soup tonight(because she loves the kale and tofu in it!) What are some of your favorite dishes?

A happy coincidence

Five years ago today my sweet angel boy was born. He was about 2 weeks early, but big and healthy and ready to meet his family. We were so thrilled. This day also marks the 16th anniversary of my dad's sudden death. As I think about how out of all the 365 days of the year that a baby could be born it would be on that day, I feel that this 'coincidence' is a blessing of promise, and of new beginnings. So often I wonder what dad would think, or I have dreams that he and I have conversations about life in general. August 27th will always be a bittersweet day for me. Bitter with the loss of a great dad at such a young age (for all of us)---sweet that a little angel was born on that day to help represent love, hope and promise.

We miss and love you dad!

Happy birthday to my HYSTERICAL, brilliant, adorable little man....we love you so much!

Look Ma....no hands!

The one thing that seems to be constant here in SW Missouri...IT IS CRAZY hot outside. You hit the door and immediately at 7:30 a.m. the heat and humidity starts to make you sweat. In my case, that usually means in work clothes...yuck. It's really gross when you are wearing heels and your feet sweat and you slide around. I almost lost it twice on the walk into work the other day.....I have always said by mid-July I am ready for this part of summer to be over.

Last Saturday was no exception. We were up at the booty crack of dawn to head down to Joplin for my soon to be sister in law's bridal shower. I loaded up both kids and we were off. After a long day, we were back in Springfield by 4:00, and hit Sam's Club. Of course it was 'no tax weekend' and we had to park 8 blocks away and walk in the heat. That place was crazy busy, lines were 10 poeple deep and our quick little stop ended up taking over an hour. I was practically dragging everyone back to the car and Dalton said, "Mommy, I think our car needs a bath."

In fact, our car DID need a bath, so I took it over to the Sam's Club car wash and after pulling up realized it had been newly renovated, adding the 'put your car in neutral' and let the machine take over. COOL! I hurriedly ran my debit card and waited for the light to turn green, all the while telling the kids..."WATCH THIS...MAMA ISN'T USING HER HANDS AND THE CAR IS GOING TO KEEP DRIVING!!!"

Tatum and Dalton both started saying: "nu uh....I bet you can't do that........SHOW ME MOMMY!" (appropriate for living in Missouri).....so I pretzel myself around the steering wheel dangling my arms and....then my legs to prove that this was some car wash magic going on.

Then the blast from the car wash hits me in the side of the head. Yup. I forgot to roll up MY WINDOW after paying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so distracted trying to prove my 'no hands, no feet' trick I forgot the number one rule in car washing.....roll up your window before proceeding.

Dalton did ask me after we had finished the car wash....'Mommy, was THAT part of the car wash show too?"

Uh...not really!

A pain in the neck

I woke up this morning early... turned over, and bellowed out with pain. It was a VERY badly pinched nerve and the bottom line was I could barely move around. Driving into work in the pouring down rain and not being able to turn my neck also proved quite a feat. Dalton said "Mommy, you look funny, like (he mimics me here turning like frankenstein---then giggles profusely)...this and this and this!!"

My very large, big strong 4 year old who I (yes, I still do) carry into his pre-school class, put his arms around my neck and I about lost my cookies with the pain. I am not sure how I did it. Might it be the new 50 minute hard core workout I mixed into my routine? Maybe. Or how about the 1.5 hours of cleaning up a very strong little weiner dog (Zipper), who single paw-dly crapped in his crate, got himself so covered in it and then with the hot weather let it bake into his fur? That could have also been part of it. Either way, ibuprofen, biofreeze gel, etc. is not doing the trick.

Back to work, and also making plans for the weekend! Stay cool in this horrible Missouri heat!