Our Springtime...

 Well, we are all happy to report that kitty made a full recovery from his UTI and is back to his usual frisky, stinker-of-a-self.  He is back to playing, lounging in the sun, getting into mischief, hanging out with the boys, and sleeping...a lot. 

He also has a new habit (as do I)...Candy Crush.

I have become quite addicted to this new game on Facebook, LOL!

And it never fails...as I sit down to play...kitty is on my lap.

(I secretly think he enjoys playing too, hehe!)

 And then he usually konks out fast asleep on my arm...

 In other news...

We got rid of our sectional.  It took up so much room in the living room/daycare room.

And we never used the sleeper sofa in it.

And so...we sold it on Craig's List...and bought these two new recliners!

I love them!

 I did some cleaning, rearranging, and organizing in the daycare as well.

I can't wait until it's warm out and I can haul everything outside for my annual spring cleaning.  Everything needs to be deep cleaned and aired out in the sun!

 The weather has been completely unpredictable.

One day it will be sunny and in the 60s...the next day will be pouring rain...

(or even SNOW!)

Yes...we're still getting snow flurries here and there.

Kitty enjoys the nice days that he can get in the window and get some fresh air!

 I can never resist snapping a picture when kitty is relaxing/sleeping in his bed that Nate made him all those years ago.  It still amazes me that he sleeps here after all these years!

 In other news...

I have been consumed by a large baking order.

I have baked, decorated, bagged, heat-sealed, tied ribbons, and added thank-you tags to...

Wait for it...

1400 mini cookies!

 A bride contacted me and asked if I'd be willing to make favors for her wedding.

I was hesitant at first...I had never taken on an order this size.

But I agreed to do it.

It has been a massive project.

And you are getting a sneak-peak at the finished project...even before my baking customers!

I haven't even posted it on my baking blog yet!

I will be sharing the whole process/journey on my:  
Sweet Ivy Confections blog 
in an upcoming post.  I will let you know as soon as it's ready.  I think those of you who enjoy special desserts, creations, or baking will enjoy the post.

Well that about wraps up what we've been up to this spring.

Until next time...

Melody

Easter Eve...2013

 I don't care how old my boys get, as long as they're living at home...we're dying Easter eggs!

 And don't let your teens fool you, I think they enjoy it just as much as their younger siblings!

 Nate was giving his egg "bunny ears"...haha!

 Ev's lookin' a little sleepy...better get to bed soon...the Easter Bunny will be hopping by!

 The finished product!

Pretty!

Oooooh!

Some'bunny must have been a good boy!

Looks like the Easter Bunny stopped by after all!

We had a fun Easter Eve.

Easter Sunday we went to church and had a nice dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

We hope your holiday was blessed as well!

 

A medical scare with kitty-boy...

 For those who don't follow my blog on a regular basis...

This is Oreo...my "third son"...ok, he's my pet kitty...but I am so in love with my kitty, he might as well be my third son, hehe!

We had a little HUGE medical scare with him last week.

He stopped going potty.

He'd go into his litter box...and come out with only a tiny dribble left.

It got to the point where he'd meow these horrible sounds when he'd come out.

I was so worried!

I did my research online and of course they gave me everything from "a minor UTI infection that antibiotics will simply clear up" all the way to "serious disease with deadly repercussions".

OMGOSH!!!

 Of course this happened on Saturday night...Easter was the next day...and so we had to wait it out until Monday morning.  We called the vet first thing and they told us we could bring him in immediately, thank goodness.

Turns out, it was indeed, a UTI...very severe...but antibiotics for two weeks would most certainly clear it up.  Can we say, "WHEW!"

(big sigh of relief)

Well, he came home and he was not a fan of taking his pills...but Jam and I got it down to a science and reward him with Friskies each time he takes them.  He got one full day of pills in and was starting to show some improvement...but by night 2...he was acting like he was on his death-bed!  He wasn't showing any personality or emotion, didn't look at us or respond to us, he quit bathing, eating, and drinking.  We seriously thought he was going to die.  Then came the vomiting and diarrhea.  I talked with a friend who works at an animal shelter/vet and she told me that he was possibly having a reaction to his antibiotics.  She told me to keep close watch on him and call the vet if he didn't snap out of it soon.

Well...this lasted one night...by next morning...it was as if he got the will to live again!

He started eating and drinking.  His personality was back.  He was cuddling with us.  Giving us kisses.  He was using the litter box again.  It was like night and day.

And ever since...he has been back on the road to recovery!

It was a long, stressful, exhausting week.

Sometimes I think taking care of a sick pet is as exhausting as taking care of a sick child.

We are all very thankful to have our healthy happy Oreo back!

Yay!

New Shades... ;)

I love accessories.

I just do.

I recently came across a new store at the mall called "Glitter" and they have uber cheap accessories.

I'm not one for expensive, name brand items.

I figure, the less expensive, the more I have to chose from, haha!

I got some really cute headbands for a buck each!

I'll have to share pics of those later.

But these sunglasses...I am in love with, ha!

They remind me of retro...kind of.

I'm lovin' the color, the shape, and the little red bow!

I've always loved jewelry and hair accessories...

But I think sunglasses are going to be a part of my new addiction!

Oh yeah!

Happiness Is...Contentment...

 Happiness is...

Contentment.

Being at home...

With my family...

My boys...

My hubby...

And my kitty.

Nothing brings me more joy.

Than being home with the ones I love.

ADD/ADHD jokes and cartoons...not cool.

 Before my son was diagnosed with a couple of medical issues, I have to admit, that I was probably unaware of the careless words, phrases, jokes, and cartoons that were out there (or that I may have even been guilty of for that matter).  After a discussion with a friend several months back, she enlightened me to how some of the words that are used can be disheartening or hurtful to people with disabilities of many kinds.  And now that I have son that struggles with ADD, I too have become more aware of the hurtful jokes that are out there.  My son struggles with ADD.  The inability to focus and concentrate.  It affects his memory, causes forgetfulness.  It creates disorganization, losing things.  He does not have the "hyper-activity" aspect of it, which is why he went undiagnosed for so long.  He is quiet, laid back, well behaved...and when I inquired to teachers or doctors, they were like, "No way.  There's no way he has ADD."  So I had to really push for testing.  Come to find out, he has one of the most severe cases our psychologist had ever tested.  Our psychologist couldn't believe he had found so many "coping mechanisms" to get by and make the honor roll, no less!  But back to my point...as we have struggled over the last three years, finding ways to help him remember things, organize things, regulate medication...there have been some...less than kind cartoons and jokes that have been circulating the internet...Facebook, Pinterest, t-shirts, and more.  It's really amazing that more people don't speak out about how hurtful this is to someone who struggles with this.   These are a couple of the cartoons, jokes, and sayings that seem to really be making the rounds on Facebook and Pinterest...

Funny?

Well, maybe you might chuckle...IF...you have never dealt with the heartbreak of watching your child struggle with this disability.  Imagine you are sitting in your high school classroom.  The teacher is trying to explain complex problems in Algebra 2.  You are trying so hard to focus...concentrate...understand.  But a bird flies by out the window...BLIP...gone is your focus.  Someone drops their pencil...BLIP...gone is your focus.  You see someone's watch making a reflection on the ceiling...BLIP...gone is your focus.  All day long.  This is what it's like for someone with ADD.  I have to admit, before my son's diagnosis, I thought ADD/ADHD was just a behavioral issue.  I didn't know it was a real MEDICAL problem in the brain.  It's not that ADD kids don't WANT to focus...they CAN'T...they are INCAPABLE...their brains WON'T allow them to!  Does it mean these kids aren't smart?  NO!  So many kids with ADD are brilliant!  My son generally makes the honor roll!  I bet you didn't know there were a lot of famous people with ADD/ADHD...the following is a list of people who have or believed to have had ADD/ADHD:

Pablo Picasso

Vincent Van Gogh

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Malcolm Forbes

Henry Ford

Samuel Clemens

Emily Dickenson

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Christopher Columbus

Lewis and Clark

Alexander Graham Bell

Thomas Edison

Benjamin Franklin

Albert Einstein

John F. Kennedy

Abraham Lincoln

How about some more modern day ones:

Michael Phelps

Jim Carrey

Jack Nicholson

Ty Pennington

Elvis Presley

Justin Timberlake

Robin Williams

People with ADD/ADHD are very intelligent, creative, and talented!

However...the cruel cartoons, jokes, and saying about their lack of concentration and focus have got to stop.  Most people have NO IDEA how much ADD/ADHD affects the daily life of the people who struggle with it.  I am sure "most" people who post such jokes and sayings, don't mean to be hurtful...which is why I did this post...to educate.  ADD/ADHD is a very real, very challenging, very difficult, very troublesome thing to work through on a daily basis.  The quote in this bottom picture is DEFINITELY a more accutate description of an ADD/ADHD person.  They are smart, creative, hard-working, and talented.  Let's learn to watch our tongues, our postings, and what we share on the internet...because the jokes and cartoons are NOT COOL.

 

 

If you or someone you know has struggled with ADD/ADHD and would like to leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you!

God bless and have a great day!

...and...another little obsession...NAIL POLISH!

 I think it's safe to say...that most people who know me, know that I have an obsession with baking supplies...especially cookie cutters!  Show me the baking aisle at any store, and you won't hear from me for quite some time!

But...

I have another little obsession...

NAIL POLISH!

 Do you think I have enough?

Can a girl EVER have enough?

NOOOOOOOOOO!



 I love experimenting with fun manicures.
And since the invention of  Pinterest...there are a MILLION tutorials out there!

I must admit, I'm not the best...but it's fun to try!

The above picture was a pink and silver glitter.

(What could be better?  PINK AND GLITTER!)

NOTHING beats a french manicure!

 I love the look of a fresh clean french manicure!

 I like doing variations on the french manicure too.

This one was a pink and silver glitter french manicure!

 This one was a fun one...bubble gum pink...

And then I did a little flower with a rhinestone center on my thumb!

 LOVE LOVE LOVE the "crackle look".

I bought two bottles of crackle nail polish from Avon.

(White and black)

This was a coral base and white crackle.

Black with silver glitter.

CLASSY and CHIC!

Confetti fun!

White base and multi-colored polka-dots!

This was a two-tone.

I took my scrapbooking scissors with a scalloped edge and cut out piece of Scotch tape.

Painted the whole nail pink...let dry...then placed the cut tape on my dry nail...

And painted the other half purple!

Voila!

More pink and glitter!

Festive!

Red and gold accents!

Springtime fun!

Polka dots!

Another variation on the french manicure...

Baby blue polish and silver glitter tips!

More crackle...

Coral with white...

July 4th fun!

White base...red, blue, and silver polka dots!

Fall fun!

Gold metallic base...

Black crackle!

Fun with appliques!

Pink and blue base coat.

Butterfly and heart appliques!

Nautical look here!

White base coat, navy stripes, and little red hearts!

Holiday glitz!

Red base coat with gold glitter!

Halloween fun!

Orange base...black crackle!

Dazzle!

Silve metallic polish with silver glitter top coat!

By fluke, I call this the "peacock manicure".

I have a peacock ring and necklace...

And when I went to paint my nails...I found this aqua blue that matched the base of the ring/necklace.

Upon further digging through my polish, I found green glitter!

So I did the aqua top coat and then added green glitter on top!

Purple with pink/purple glitter!

FUN!

If you love fun manicures, check out Pinterest...

There are a million gazillion manicure tutorials!

I have a whole board dedicated to nails.
Come follow me on Pinterest.

You can find me here:

http://pinterest.com/mommicakes/

My name is mommicakes.

I'd love to follow you too...just leave your username in the comments section!

See ya there!