Cookies for Breakfast

Lila ran for President of her school.  She lost.  She lost to a girl who made crazy promises she couldn't keep.  Just like real politics. 

Emry woke me at 4:30 am this morning to make cookies for her to take to school.  Couldn't say no.  Made a million cookies and she took them all.  8th graders apparently love chocolate chip cookies.

Ethan and Lila came downstairs this morning for breakfast and wanted cookies.  Couldn't say no.  At least they had orange slices too.

I read all the time.  I am in school and it's taking all the free time I used to have to plan out real blog posts. 

We got a bunny, he's so cute.

Ethan won't tell me what he wants for Christmas, why would he, Santa knows all.  Hope that works out for him.

I haven't used my real camera in months.  Haven't really taken any pics but the ones I post on Instagram. 

Decided not to send Christmas cards out this year.  I am pretty sure people see enough of me on Instagram.  Plus I am too cheap right now to buy stamps. 

I am about to have a teenager.  Tomorrow.  Yikes.  She's having a party tonight.  A swim party.  It's raining.  It better stop or at least not be coming down in sheets because I have no plan B.

Emry did this last night.....

.......... jello hockey?  I am just going hide in the other room while 20 teens stain my walls and carpets.  Emry's full of great ideas right?

Ethan is missing $40 from his money jar and I am pretty sure I am the one who took it.  My memory's shot. 

I am obsessed with 'Replay' by Zendaya.

Tomorrow morning at exactly 10 am I am officially on Thanksgiving break and it couldn't come soon enough.

I have a feeling that at exactly 10:01 I'll be scrubbing jello stains out.

The unbirthday birthday party

{Lila opening her gifts, donut cake, cracker jack favors, birthday girl at breakfast}

This was the year of the 'family birthday dinner'.  You know, the year we skip the friend party.  Well unfortunately for me I saw a groupon for the trampoline park for $32 for 2 hours of jumping for 4 kids.  That's a savings of $70!  So I told Lila that after school on Friday I would take her and 3 friends to jump, no problem.  The day I went to get the groupon it had expired.  But the seed had already been planted and the jumping turned into a play date and then morphed into a full on party for a dozen girls before I even knew what hit me.  Huh?! 

Honestly I don't like planning kid birthday parties.  I don't go on pinterest and make the triangle banners or get the fancy color coordinated paper straws.  What I do is thank my lucky stars that Lila wants a donut cake ($3.75 at Walmart for a dozen glazed) and pizza (also at Walmart, $6.98 for a huge cheese), and am glad I picked up those cute cracker jacks at Costco ($5?) a few weeks ago.  Since I only used half the box of cracker jacks, that brings my grand total for this party to $13.23.  Of course the candles have been around the block a few times.  Waste not want not.  And I served water. 

What I lack in fancy details I make up for in fun!  It's the most fabulous thing to have a creative tween who loves to help with the entertainment.  Emry created the invitations & planned out all the games for the party.  There was a fun scavenger hunt all around the neighborhood, a group dance contest, and lots of trampoline jumping & music. 

So Lila had a fabulously fun party with all her girlfriends in attendance. 

But next year, really I promise, I will not be duped by a sweet little cherubic 11 year old.