Cookie Fiasco

Today, I discovered a crafty activity that not only do I not love, I loathe it. And by the time I quit, I swore I’d never do it again. What was it? Making cookies. Actually, the making cookies portion of it was not bad. I like making cookies. Icing said cookies? Totally different story.

I'll back up and explain a little. Neely wants a Hello Kitty birthday party this year, so I saw a Hello Kitty cookie cutter online and thought, "How cute! I can make Hello Kitty cookies for the party." I decided to give it a trial run, so I'd have some practice, know how long they take, etc.

Everything tastes great, the icing that I had the patience to pipe onto the cookies even looks okay, it is just the single most tedious thing I have ever tried to do. I spent the entire day working on them, with only minor interruptions here and there. By 4pm, I threw in the towel. Sorry, Hello Kitty, you don’t get a face. Well, three of them do, but only because I had a handful of mini M&M's in the right colors. And they don't look cute. I nearly lost the feeling in my right hand from squeezing the darn pastry bag. I don’t know how people do this and enjoy it. It is not for me.

Here are my goofy-looking Hello Kitty cookies. If you want to see cookies that actually look pretty, go visit Bridget at Bake at 350. She makes it look like a breeze. I make it look like an exploding mess of crazy. Her Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookie and Royal Icing recipes are good, for those of you who are handier at this baking business than me.

My poor kids suffered for it, too. After spending the entire day standing in the kitchen, I couldn't bear to even think about cooking dinner. So we went to Taco Bell. The end. 

Rainbow

You can barely see it up there, but a few nights ago, Neely came running into the house saying, "Mommy! Mommy! Come outside! You have to see this!" And even though there had not been a drop of rain at our house, there was a rainbow in the sky. I wish I could remember what rain is like. 

First Day of School

I had to turn him loose today. He's not just mine anymore. I have to share him with the kindergarten teacher, and with 21 other children he doesn't really know yet. I know that I can do this, that I have to do this, but I'm not sure who was more terrified - him or me.

Until now, I have only shared him a little, giving him up for a few hours to his teachers at church, the babysitter, grandparents, his preschool teachers. This, kindergarten - five days a week for most of the day - feels more substantial. We survived our first day. Both he and I shed tears as I left him for the first time this morning, but when I picked him up this afternoon, it was clear that the little chatterbox enjoyed himself.

Good luck, little man! Hopefully Mommy won't cry so much tomorrow.

Neely's First Haircut

I took this little blonde mess to have her hair cut for the first time today. Up until recently, if I mentioned having her hair cut, she'd have a meltdown. It finally dawned on me that the only haircuts she's witnessed are Aidan's. She must have thought I was threatening to shave her head. Last week, I took her with me to get my bangs trimmed, and she thought it was awesome. We made her an appointment that day.

Up top there, those are her "before" pictures. I tried to take some at home this morning, but you really couldn't tell how long and stringy it was getting in them.

Neely was awesome for her haircut. I do not remember Aidan's first haircut - or his second, third, fourth, etc. - with fondness. He was a nightmare. Neely was so excited. She sat in the chair by herself and was completely quiet and still. It took less than ten minutes, she was so good.

Her "after" pictures turned out a little blurry, but you get the general idea. The back has been cut blunt so it will grow back out more evenly, and that little swoop she's always got across her face has been trimmed, too. My lovely little girl has been made even lovelier. And her reward for being such a good sport? She picked out blue crackle polish at the salon. Little diva.

What's keeping me away

I am an epic failure with blogging lately. I know. I have good excuses, I promise. My hubby just came home, and I'm sending my boy to kindergarten this week. I'm spending all my time with my babies. 

Here's something else that's keeping me busy...my new business! Neely Bug Boutique is still going strong, but I decided to become a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts on the side. I've been doing it for about six weeks now, and I am loving it. I adore all of the products, and I have started meeting lots of fun ladies at the parties I've had. Win-win! The picture up above is from my fall open house. Anybody want to party? ;)

School Uniform

My little boy starts kindergarten in a week. Today, I took him in for his kindergarten testing, and he had to wear his school uniform for the first time. He was so excited, and he looked super adorable. Of course, I'm not biased or anything. Anyway, here he is. I can't believe it's time for him to start school. I will, no doubt, be beside myself when the day actually comes. Maybe on his actual first day of school, I can get him to look at the camera instead of the ground.