No No No No No...

I did it.

I swore I would never do it.

When the fad started I thought it was ridiculous and casted it aside as tacky.

I shook my head every time I saw them...especially on men. eeek.

I knew I was smarter, had more self-respect, and didn't need them at all.

It was a given they would be uncomfortable...binding...unflattering.

Boy, was I wrong.

I did what I swore I would never ever do.

I poured myself into a pair of skinny jeans...and I love them.

They are cute, they are stretchy, they are flattering.

Now ~ I just need the courage to wear them in public...ten pounds lighter now. So maybe, just maybe they will actually be inspiring.

Inspiring enough to help me lose the next ten pounds.

Skinny butt signing off.. (figuratively speaking, not literally yet)

Sweet spot...

This little boy~ I don't seem to ever have photos of him since he spends most weekends doing tournaments with his daddy. But every Sunday, I get to see him kick around the football for 60 minutes of high-stress (that would be me) entertainment.

I am usually the nut-so mother on the sidelines yelling until her voice gives out. Ladies, I know you have ALL been there.

He has found the sweet spot at least twice this season, and yesterday I watched him assist in a beautiful goal. So here he is...

...stealing...

...kicking...

...and giving it everything he's got.

Signing off loud and proud...

Mo's Mad Skills...

Remember the self portrait from yesterday? Well, here he is in the flesh showing off his mad skills at the Imagine Children's Museum.

This boy is ALL BOY.

He's silly...

He meditates...

He's got poise...

He does Kay - Ra - Tee... (albeit pretend)

and he's got superhero like moves for any job...

If I had to give him a superhero name, it would be Mad-Mo...

...and that, is mainly because of his temper. I promise (and those that know him can vouch) this kid can set any human off like a Roman Candle. Lordy, Lordy, I feel extra sorry for all his teachers.

Go get 'em Mo!

Morgan's Self Portrait...

Have you ever tried to draw a picture of yourself? I have and let me tell you, it ain't easy.

But you know what is even harder? Trying to draw someone that you love.

PROVEN FACT: You can never draw an accurate picture of those that you love because you are too blind to draw their physical flaws. (At least that is what I was told by an adult in High School Art Class and Adults ALWAYS tell the truth...uh huh)

I like that though...but on a lighter side, I think this little guy did a great job with his self-portrait.

Man...I would KILL for these eyelashes.

My little man has skills...

Calling it as he sees it...

An afternoon discussion with Morgan Rowan, 5 years old.

Morgan: "Mommy, what happens when people eat too much?

Me: "Well, they can get sick or get a tummy ache."

~Thoughtful pause~

Morgan: "What happens when people don't eat enough?"

Me: "The same thing. People can get really sick if they don't eat."

~Longer Thoughtful pause~

Morgan: " I thought that if humans eat too much they end up looking like an upside down balloon."

I am sad to say that I laughed. I am such a bad human.

Cass Cooks!

I. love. to. cook.

really.

I. just. don't. do. it. often. enough.

Well, tonight I did. But two stories first.

Story 1.

Today, people don't think twice about going to a restaurant for dinner. If you go back to the seventies & eighties (when I grew up), going out to eat was a novelty...a really treat! We had several favorite restaurants that I went to with my family. Pizza Inn...Williamsburg Square...Furr's or Wyatt's Cafeteria (I adored the assembly line format to get your food!).

Mostly though, we stayed at home and mom would cook for us. She was good like that.

(Mom- do you remember those awful vegetable pancakes? I will never forget those.)

I remember my Mom's homemade pizza the most. You know why? Because I would eat the crust and my sis would eat all the toppings. We were quite the team! and mom NEVER complained about that. Now my sis and I? We would complain about the fennel seeds Mom insisted on putting on the pizza. Boy, we were awful (not the same awful as the veggie cakes).

So as I made dinner tonight I thought of my mom and her pizza. Thank you for taking such good care of us!

Here was dinner...

...and here it was NOT!

Story 2.

My Granny, she pretty much rocks. I don't think there is anything that she has cooked that I haven't liked...well, there may be a few congealed salads that I have chosen to block from my brain.

She. makes. the. best. cinnamon. rolls.

So of course I thought of my Granny tonight when I needed to figure out how to use the rest of the dough left over from the pizza.

So in honor of the two women in my life that have shaped me the most...

Cass. Cooks. Tonight. For. You. Both.

Wish you were here to enjoy it.

Bring on the Annoying Duck...

Sunday is the day...

Can I do it?

Will my time be a new PR?

Will the rain please, please, please hold out?

Can I [gasp!] run without music blasting in my ears?

Will I get distracted by all the pretty homes surrounding Green Lake?

Will there BE another place in the US with such a high concentration of Estrogen? [I doubt it!]

I will find out tomorrow @ the AFLAC Iron Girl 5K fun run...

Off to get some shut eye...

Pretty & Tiny, just to name two...

My boys, they scored big points tonight...

My mini-Einstein, Morgan loves to do flash cards ~

I never have to force him.

He likes them in spanish,

in english,

upside down (him, not the cards),

and running with scissors legos.

Tonight ~ in my own, self-premoting way I used this word to describe me:

Morgan: Laying sideways with legos stuck in both ears, "Pretty."

Me: "Good Job! Pretty, just like your mommy."

Morgan: sighhhhh, "No Mommy, you're not pretty ~ your cute."

Me: In my head, well 'cute' makes me sound 20 years younger...I'll take it!!!

And then...to top my evening, my hubs called me tiny. Not because I am skinny, which I am , of course (in my head) but because I was SHORT all 5'-7" inches of me! without my butt kicking heels on...

This 17 year old signing off!

[Redeux] First Day of School...

This tall 3rd Grader...

...got to start his year one day late...

...and his brother...

...experienced a [redeux] at the 'picture tree'.

Night...

First Day of School...

This Cute Little Boy...

...is now on his way to becoming...

...a full time Kindergartener!

Who can already read and write {so proud!}

Cade is now a 3rd Grader...

{Insert Photo of Cade as a Monkey here}

...and I would have a picture...

{Insert Photo of Cade as a bouncing ball here}

...if this little boy...

{Insert Photo of Cade as a jackhammer here}

...wasn't missing the first day because of a stomach virus!

Stay tuned for Cade's photos tomorrow...

Morgan-ism Number 1...

Setting: Woodland Park Zoo

Characters: Cade, Me (aka Mom), and Morgan

Morgan: "Mom! The Toucans!"

Me: "Yes it is. I see one."

Morgan: "There are six of them, see the picture..." (pointing at the zoo display of different toucans.)

Cade: "Morgan, there are only two in the cage."

Morgan: a nano second of silence. "Ohhhhh! That is why they are called Two-cans!"

Me: snickering, "Brilliant Mo...just brilliant!" (That's my Boy!)

Off to chase after my Two-cans!

The Horse & the Cowboy...

An Open Letter to Mothers,

Playing with our children is one of the great joys of life.

The tickle laughs bring on the biggest smiles, but let us not forget the huge tears that fall down their cheeks when you accidentally sit on them with your full weight...only because they push you over of course.

Then there is their love to play airplane and fly high above us...perched on our 2 feet and balancing similar to Humpty Dumpty before his fateful fall. Now, it is very true that our children's heads are a little more resilient than that looney egg, but it still sounds bad on impact.

Ahhhh, the Horse and the Cowboy is was new favorite in our home. My knees and my hands carefully move over the carpet and wood floors trying desperately not to cause bruises. Of course all the while, the cowboy on your back is whipping you into submission or grinding their heals into your side. This is all for the love of laughter right? Never forget that when a horse gets annoyed it is their choice to buck off the rider and move on. Think carefully mothers, when your horse is 37 years old they can strain muscles down both sides of their back...I am just saying ~ be warned.

It takes 48 hours to recover.

Sincerely,

The Horse

Enjoy the pain laughter...

Allergic...

...this is just crazy.

Me, who:

1. has never sneezed because of high pollen levels.
2. can roll, sleep, and bathe in poison ivy without any affects.
3. loves honey, peanuts, and all other foods that cause many people to shake with fear.
4. has never felt the sting of a needle to treat seasonal allergies.
5. always thought Allegra was just the name of a a girl I knew in college.

...I have a problem.

I am allergic to....

my wedding rings. Yes, I am aware that this is a picture of my RIGHT hand. I tried to trick my body...it didn't work and I ended up with both ring fingers swollen and blistered.

After 11+ years of wearing these perfect circles of gold...who would have ever guessed!

C - R - A - Z - Y - !

I will attempt to wear them again in a few weeks. Wish me luck...

Autumn is back (almost)...oh, and so am I

6 MONTHS...has it really been that long? I guess it has...

I know everyone hopes I have a great story, about how I was off saving the world, or going on a tour of (insert name of exotic country here). Truth is, I was tired. That's it!

So what did I do?

1. I visited my family... in Arkansas (gasp, it is hot)
2. I sent my oldest baby off 1200 miles to his grandparents for 3 weeks. (hard!)
3. I took a spa weekend with my girlfriends...
4. I went on a million couple diets...
5. I booked a trip to Hawaii...
6. Started running again...

What did I accomplish?

1. Jarred some old memories and found out that I could live in the South and the heat again. (But I will always be liberal so that doesn't work so well)
2. I lost 8 lbs...just 22 a few more to go.
3. I am tan...that is saying a lot for the girl who was nicknamed 'Snow White' in school.
4. I signed up for my first race in 9 months. Aflac Iron Girl...can't wait!

So get ready, I am back and you will hear me roar again!

Night all...

March's Monday Morsels...

ahhhhh, another successful night for something 'new'...

These potatoes were yummy and easy peasy...



Of course I had to start with homemade salsa, which is by far the best salsa I have ever made, tasted, smelled, imagined...you name it.


Main meal was cheeseburger on the new sandwich flats. It is the PERFECT ratio of Bread to Beef... sorry, no picture because they just looked like burgers!

Stay tuned because tomorrow night I am making Filet Mignon with Garlic Toasts (only 3 points!)
oh...that sounds good!

I made...

...Chicken Vegetable Soup! With only a couple Modifications...

1.) I am not a big fan of onions (unless they are fried...but that does not work on diet land) so those were removed...

2.) Then there was the zucchini. Really? Why would I put THAT in a soup? (Now zucchini bread is another story, but soup?) So I substituted corn, which is much more palatable for me.

AND...voila! 2-point soup (Weight Watchers)



IT~WAS~YUMMY!

Stay tune, because I will be cooking ALL week. Too bad I forgot to take a picture of the Orange Scented Strawberry French Toast this morning. It was yummy too.

Sunday's Happy Times...

at the skate park with my boys.

...had to remember not to run after them when they fell. Can't make them look like sissies in front of the 'other skaters'...or in Mojo's words ~ 'scotterers'.

...at the beach with my boys.

...we enjoyed throwing rocks, finding jewels, playing with sticks, and just balancing on the driftwood to avoid 'the laza sand'. Of course, Mojo could walk in the sand, because he was wearing hot laza shoes...what a wonderful imagination and...

W H A T ~ A ~ W O N D E R F U L ~ D A Y !!!