I got BURNED!

I don't know why I do these things to myself. When I say "things" I mean party planning things. I do love to plan parties, but I always get a little bit stressed.
I've been working on the My Little Pony party for Emily this week and I'm pleased to say, I'm almost done! Earlier this week I was assembling the "pony tails" and "pony manes" that each girl will be wearing at the party. I got a great pattern for the manes on a website. It just calls for headbands, yarn and felt. Pretty easy, right? I thought so too...that is before I received 2nd degree burns while using my hot glue gun. Let me give you the blow by blow.
Ok, so I've got my supplies all set up and ready on Jimmy's grandmother's Secretary desk in my front room. I've already pre-cut the "manes" if you will and I'm preparing the headbands with the felt ears. I of course have come up with the brilliant idea to make each girl's pony ensemble a color of the rainbow. And because Emily is the "birthday girl", she will be the "rainbow" pony. Ok...so back to the story. During this particular incident I was working on the "blue pony" ensemble. I had managed to get the white felt ears attached to the headband with know problem. This was the 3rd mane out of 7 that I was to make for the party. In making the first two I had been able to straighten out any kinks that always come with trying to make something from looking at directions from a print-out pattern off the web. I hate it when they just write out the directions and expect you to know exactly what their supposed to mean. Where are the pictures? I need pictures!!! And I mean step-by-step pics, not just the picture of the finished product. How does that help?
Ok, so I guess by the third mane I was getting lazy and distracted. The girls were bugging me...."Mom, can I have a snack?" (guess which one that was)....."Mom, can I help you? I'm really good at cutting stuff." Meanwhile, I don't know how many times I had to tell them, "Don't get close to this glue gun. It will burn you!" I lost track at around time 17. So...to make my point....I was distracted!
I was trying to put on the center of the ear. You know the piece that is usually pink that represents the inside of the ear. Anyway, I was making the blue mane so I was making the blue pony's inside ear blue. Makes perfect sense right? So...here we go...I'm aiming the gun...the "glue" gun...and I squeeze out just enough molten lava glue (that's what it should be called) onto the bottom half of the blue ear piece. This is wear I get lazy! I go to place it carefully (at least I thought "carefully") onto the ear and something's wrong! What is that smell? And what is that excruciating pain I'm feeling on the tip of my right hand index finger? Oh, My God! I have a blue felt ear attached to my finger with "molten lava glue"! I immediately jump up out of my chair, shaking my finger ferociously up and down hoping that the stupid thing will detach itself from my finger. I realize now I must have looked like a "spastic retard" as my sister would say. Finally, after what seemed like 5 minutes (probably only 3 seconds) the blue ear flew off my finger! Whew! What a relief! Wait a minute? Oh, my God....what's "that" smell? Why is my left hand thumb burning! That stupid blue ear had conveniently flown off my right hand index finger only to land on my left hand thumb. The "molten lava glue" was still plenty molten too! What an idiot! And what are the chances?
Meanwhile, Peyton and Emily see the whole thing. I'm sure they were wondering what in the heck "Momma" was doing dancing around flayling her hands every which way. It was an awful experience. I wanted to throw the stupid glue gun out the window! But, I knew I still had 4 more manes to make. Oh, the life of a PARTY PLANNER! It's a dangerous one!
I will refrain from showing you pictures of my wounds....I am afraid they are too horrific and graphic in nature!

I'm really going for the food

Most of you know that I'm making a trip home to Louisiana in May, and I'm very excited! I'm going to see my little sis graduate from high school as the valedictorian of her class. I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends. But most of all, I'm Going for the FOOD!

I know I've been making Colorado seem like the perfect place to live, and I'm still convinced it is just that. But....it does have one major flaw. It lacks all of my favorite food!
Everybody knows that "Southern" cooking is the best! It doesn't get much better! So, I just thought I would share with y'all what I'll be dreaming about until that wonderful day when my plane touches down in my own personal "food heaven"!

First and foremost on the long list of yummies, is CRAWFISH! I can't wait to get my hands on 10-12 lbs of the spicy little critters. I've been deprived for way too long. For any of you that have dined with me over a steaming hot pile of crawdads you know all too well the seriousness of the event. There is a fine art in partaking of these things. And don't let the price per pound fool you. You would think that with the money you have to spend to get enough of these things to fill your belly that it must be like fine dining. You couldn't be more wrong. There is nothing fancy about peeling off a crawfish's tail (crawfish guts and yellow fatty substances flying) and plopping them in your mouth. A serious crawfish fan would order 5 lbs., a large coke (with straw), extra potatoes and corn, and only one napkin. Why only 5 lbs, a coke with a straw and one napkin? You people disappoint me! First, like I said I can put away a good 10 lbs of crawfish, but it takes a few minutes to get through them all. The last thing you want to do is order 1o or more pounds and then let them sit there and get cold while trying to eat them. Thus, the "5, 5, 5" plan. Always order 5 pounds at a time! The coke with a straw thing should be self-explanatory. This is to prevent you from having to stop peeling when thirsty. Just lean and sip. Finally, the one napkin is for clean up naturally. Put you just need one. Crawfish eatin' isn't for sissy people. You don't have time to worry about the fact that you have crawfish juice running down your hands and passed your elbows. Or that some of the yellowy fat stuff has been ejected onto your shirt and upper eyelid. It will all still be there when your done. Don't risk the crawfish getting cold and rubbery to take care of these minor details. Just eat them and enjoy!

Ahh, now we come to my next favorite yummy! Southern Maid donuts! Again, a true staple in any southern home. I grew up enjoying this deep fried delicacy. What a treat it was to see my mom or dad walk through the door holding a couple boxes of these "rings of joy". I was so hooked on these things that I could smell them when I walked into a room. I remember coming home from ball practices or late nights out and one of my parents would have purchased the donuts a little earlier and hid them some where in the house. It never failed. I could smell them every time. To this day if there is Southern Maid within 100 yards of my nose I'll find them, or die trying! I'm comin' Southern Maid!

Every once in a while God smiles on me and says "Here Melissa. Why don't you enjoy another one of life's finer things." And I say, "Ok, I think I will God. Thank You! One of these times was when I was anxiously awaiting the delivery of my Southern Maid donuts in the drive-thru window at the local S.M. on Mansfield Rd. when I noticed the wonderful red, white and blue ICEE sign in the window. "You've got to be kidding me! They sell ICEE's here too!" I couldn't believe my eyes. Not one, but two of my favorites in one fell swoop! Those Southern Maid people have my number.....and lots of my money!

It wouldn't be a trip to good ole' Shreveport without a few lunches or dinners at Nicky's Mexican Restaurant. The best mexican food ever! And I should know because I've probably eaten there a few 100 times. This is a Templin family tradition. You want Mexican. You go to Nicky's. There is no other! We ate there so frequently that by the time we were seated we each had our drinks, the basket of chips, bowl of queso and chile con queso were already there waiting for us. And our dinner orders were already hanging over the cook's grill in the back. Nicky's Rocks!!!!

It's just not fair, why do the southerners have all the good food. Maybe the fact that all the good food is down there is why Colorado is the "second skinniest state" in America. These mountain people don't know what they're missing! I can't wait to come down there and each a peanut butter sandwich on a Mrs. Baird's piece of bread. It's really just the simple things in life that I love!

Last, but certainly not least! BLUE BELL ice cream! Oh, the joy! Another Templin family tradtion. After a long day of stuffing your face on the aforementioned items above, we all snuggle up in our recliners with a good movie and a MASSIVE bowl of Blue Bell ice cream. My favorites: Chocolate Sundae and Milk Chocolate. It just doesn't get much better than that!

Man, am I gonna have some "sweet" dreams tonight!!! It's all about the food!!!

Counting sheep just keeps you up!

Ok, it's late. 12:18am to be exact. I'm still up! What's the deal? I mean I know that I'm a night owl, but for someone that has to be all the way across town by 8:30 in the morning (all three kids too) shouldn't I be in bed asleep by now. You would think! But no, instead I'm sitting in my front room blogging on my computer.
The whole "counting sheep" thing is a crock! Has any body really ever done it? Honestly. I tried it once and it just postponed the inevitable! I don't want to count to 1, 539....I just want to SLEEP!
I don't know what else to blog about so let me just tell you what I did today.
1. My son woke me up at 6:15am. This is not normal. I hate mornings!
2. Finally got my son out of his bed at 6:53am. He wouldn't shut-up.
3. Layed next to my son in bed while he took his bottle. I slipped in and out of consciousness for the next 5 minutes.
4. Bam! Knocked on the head with the empty bottle. Good Morning to me!
5. Went down stairs to fix breakfast for the girls. Those Pop-Tart packages can be hard to open.
6. Listened to my son scream at me from his exersaucer while trying to get ready.
7. Gave him some cheerios to muffle the screams.
8. Picked up the last 10 out 45 that he decided he didn't want to eat off the floor in my living room.
9. Debated if I wanted to shower now or later. Decided later.
10. 9:15. Yes! Back to bed for my son. Don't you just love morning naps.
11. 10:30. Crap! Got to be at the ballet studio by 11:00.
12. Get dressed. Get girls dressed. Ah, man. Get the still sleeping kid dressed.
13. 11:02 arrive at ballet. Combining classes today. Not good, Emily cries.
14. Console my daughter for 20 minutes. Not working. Spank daughter for not stopping crying.
15. 11:24 leave ballet studio really mad!
16. Cool off period for Mommy!
17. Lunch
18. Play with my son. Finally, he's in a good mood.
19. Amazed at my girls ability to play computer games without knowing how to read.
20. 2:00pm. Another bottle. Another nap. Good times!
21. Girls in bed. Son in bed. Me in bed (yeah, whatever!).
22. Iron huge pile of clothes that I've been putting off for a week.
23. 3:00pm. STILL IRONING!
24. 3:45pm. STILL IRONING!
25. 4:00pm. Done.
26. Next. Put away clothes pile that is in the basement.
27. Kids wake up.
28. Start thawing chicken for dinner tonight.
29. Spill $10 worth of formula on the floor while trying to fix another bottle for son. Managed to save about $3 worth off the floor. Don't tell Andy!
30. More playing with kids.
31. Start dishwasher over again, because the first time the soap dispenser didn't dispense! Love that!
32. Cut up vegetable and chicken for my Cajun Chicken recipe.
33. 6:00pm. Jimmy's home. Relief!
34. Eat dinner. Make Banana bread for tomorrow's bible study brunch.
35. Bath time.
36. Pull out banana bread too early.
37. Put banana bread back in oven. Go dry girls hair.
38. Forgetting about banana bread in oven.
39. Oh, yeah. I forgot the banana bread. Run down to get it out. Almost burnt.
40. Finish hair.
41. Put Emily's recital costume on to take some pics.
42. Have talk with Emily about "ballet breakdown". Last one? We'll see!
43. 8:15 kids in bed.
44. More cleaning.
45. Download pics.
46. Do some blogging.
47. 11pm. Take shower. Dry hair. Curl hair.
48. Watch t.v.
49. Try counting sheep.
50. Not working. Blog.