Junie B Jones for Grown Ups

My sister gave me this book, A Girl Names Zippy, for my birthday and I truly believe that if you love Junie B. as much as I do, you will love this book.

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It's lighthearted, fun, and a quick read and I actually laughed out loud. I don't know if I've ever done that. (other than Junie B Jones, of course)

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Let me list a few of my favorite lines from the book...... if that's okay with you-

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Zippy was procrastinating getting ready for church when her dad said, "I respect every way in which you are a troublemaker, now get up and do what your mother says."

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After loosing terribly in a game of ping pong she writes- I later discovered that in order to be a good athlete one must care intensely what is happening with a ball, even if one doesn't have possession of it. This was ultimately my failure: my inability to work up a passion for the location of balls.

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Another- My fourth-grade teacher was named Mrs. Denver. She collected yogurt cartoons for fun and was the most intellectually free of all the teachers I'd had so far. For instance, when the word caviar appeared in a story we were reading and she didn't know what it means, she didn't try to hide it or lie. She asked me if I knew and I lied and told her it was a kind of Alaskan cookies that no one knew how to make anymore, and she simply thanked me.

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5 Factual Facts About Today

1- The Allergy Fairy has sprinkled yellow allergy dust (pine pollen) about and I am suffering. My head is swimming.

2- Gary, bless his heart, knew that I needed some alone time (and a break (two different things)) so he just left with the 'independix removal' patient Wes to Gramma W's house.

3- My house is suffering since I am suffering, if ya know what I mean.

4- I was suppose to get my hair cut today, a whole new style, but it's been postponed until tomorrow. And now, I am having second thoughts about the hair cut. I don't usually do that.

5- Having friends from high school finding me on Facebook kinda freaked me out. Having friends from middle school (we moved when I was in 7th grade, so I am talking friends from before the move) finding me on Facebook is really freaking me out.

Thanks For Asking

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I got a bunch of emails requesting I share the menu from Rae's surprise par-tay.

.Okay, so not really. Truth be told, in 2009 I got a whoppin' 2 emails about my blog. And that was up from the year before! But can I just pretend I am one of those bloggers???

.Just for this one post?

.Thanks.

.So I got a bunch of emails requesting I share what foods were served at Rae's surprise party.

.First let me share that I did not make the gorgeous cake, her wonderful friend that I like to call CatV did.

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice, huuuh? She's a rockstar when it comes to cake decorating!

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This here is the food table with almost all of the food that was served for the night.

This is what was on the drink table, which is cotton candy cups, there were little 6 ouncers of Sprite chilled and waiting for the guests to pour over their cotton candy cups.

The results-

Pretty, they said, but it didn't taste different.

I made Brownie Bites 3 Ways. (actually, a friend did the baking of the brownies and I topped)

Here on the right we have a Triple Berry Brownie bite with a little Raspberry Sauce and a Maraschino Cherry Brownie Bite with a Chocolate Ganache.

The third Brownie Bite was topped with a Cheesecake Creme and a chocolate R, for Rae.

Then we had a jar of Whoppers. Not because they are Rae's favorite candy (that would be raspberry licorice) but because I could fill this jar for about a buck.

.You got me, I am a bargain shopper. Or something like that.

Rae would have wanted healthy options, so I did chop some veggie sticks for her.

Then I served some Sweet 16 Sugar Cookies.

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And this is about when the party got started and being hostess took over being food photographer (as the hot foods started coming out of the oven and the whippersnappers were looking starved)....

But I did get a picture of this, I served french fries with three different choices of sauce.

.Ever had fry sauce?

When I was in high school I mixed all sorts of condiments in search of the perfect fry sauce. Thank you Training Table for showing me the way!

I hope this post answered all the emails (that I didn't get).

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Until next time.....

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LoW, RN

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Wes is home resting. I am his nurse.

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Well, that's the role I should have.....

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But there isn't much to do, since he's not doing much, except sleeping.

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His stomach is covered with staples.

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Staples in flesh just doesn't seem right, does it?

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Wes had three different incisions. They tried to remove his 'independix' laparoscopically first, which took two smaller incisions, but when they couldn't they did another incision that's 5-6 inches long, starting right below the belly button and going straight down.

Wanna see? Click here!

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Ever heard of that? Until now I've only heard of it being off the the side, in a slant.

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I'm sure there's a reason they did it the way they did but in the meantime, his stomach looks like a elementary school teachers cork board with staples scattered about.

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Zoe made this little piece of art for Wes when he was in the hospital.

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And Nolan made Wes one of his famous comic strips.

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If you don't mind, I'll add the words he's written below, because if you are like me, you may be struggling to read it, with his handwriting being.... well, ya know...

*splat*

*pew*

*hee hee hee*

Stop flinging pudding at me


Pssh. What are you gonna do? Hit me with your-

*Tonk!*



Can I get some of that morphine?

Another Big Day

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Happy Anniversary to my honey!

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My sister Darla is grossed out by this picture (as you may be).

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But it's my all time favorite of us. It represents.

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Sadly, I don't have the usual nostalgic feeling on this anniversary. I'm usually petering out by now anyways, after my birthday, Valentine's, Rae's birthday and then Zoe's. (see why I don't much care for Valentine's? It's just one more thing...) But this year with it being a big birthday for me (40! gasp!) and Rae (16! gasp-er!) plus Wes getting his 'independix' removed (that's what Zoe said)..... I am just too pooped to think on our marriage like I usually do, where we've been........ where we are going.

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(except I will be thinking of where we are going to dinner tonight!)

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Maybe I should go back and read our love story.

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I hope Gary writes me a poem today. That's our tradition and it's my most favorite thing EVER!

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But I love this man. And he loves me. Even though.

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I ask him almost daily... (yes, I am one of those wifes)

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"Do you love me?"

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"Yes"

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"Even though?"

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"Even though."

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Even though what, you ask?

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Heck if I know, depends on the day. Even though I made Hamburger Helper for dinner. Even though I got snarky. Even though I am getting crinkly and wrinkly. Even though I've done and will yet do some stupid stuff. Even though, even though, even though.
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I would like to close this post with some pictures of the birthday gift I found for my birthday girl that I was most excited to give her.

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A vintage Fisher Price School House which, I am SO excited to report, she loves!

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Zoe doesn't play with toys much, like my other kids did. Maybe she just didn't have the right ones.

Rae took this picture of Zoe through the school house window.

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Today closes our almost month long celebration of birthday's and love.

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And I could use the break!
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March 3, 2001

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Happy Birthday to my Zoe Lu!

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My Zoe Wu.

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My Zoe WuWu.

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My Zo-Zo.

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My Zobey.

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My ZoBo.

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My Birthday Girl.

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She's SO nine and SO mine! I love her with all my might.

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And she's spoiled and I don't care. (yet)

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The Day I Received Both the Best Mom Award & Worst Mom Award

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Friday.

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That was the day that I was at home throwing my daughter a surprise birthday party.

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Best Mom, right?

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But here's where the Worst Mom comes in.... my son was suffering from appendicitis all the while. (the word suffering may be too mild of a word)

Sure, his dad was with him. But I was not.

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It was just too late to cancel the party, I didn't even have the guest list, if there ever was an actual list, Rae's friends took care of that part. But I would have cancelled the party, if I felt I had to. Or I could have had went with Wes and had Gary stay and throw the party, if he only knew how to decorate a food table. He said he would have though, if I just gave him the word.

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The guilt though......oh, the guilt!

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The next morning, before going to visit Wes, I showed Gary the pictures and video from the party and he said, "Oh, I didn't realize the party was that big and that involved. There was no way you could have cancelled." (not that he ever suggested I should) And I felt like I had his approval (which is usually all that ever matters to me) of my decision and it lifted some (if only a teeny tiny bit) of guilt.

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Meanwhile, it's Tuesday now and he's still in the hospital. He's just not recovering like he should be. His organs, after the (old fashioned 6 inch incision) surgery, are just not kicking back in and doing their thing.

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If you are one that prays, can you throw some of that our way? If you don't mind.... Cause now it's not so much guilt that I suffer from, but worry.

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Thanks.

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