As Requested:

Cinnamon Roll Recipe (courtesy of Sarah Lynn):

one 1/4 oz pkg active dry yeast
1 c warm milk
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c butter - melted
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 c flour

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour; mix well. Knead dough. Cover and let rise about 1 hour. Roll dough on floured surface to 21 inches long and 16 inches wide (about 1/4 inch thick). Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 T cinnamon
1/3 c butter, softened (and no, I can never quite bring myself to use this much butter)

Mix sugar and cinnamon. Spread butter on dough. Sprinkle sugar mix over butter. Roll lightly with rolling pin to flatten. (Or plastic cup, if you have no rolling pin like me!)

Roll dough. Cut into 1 3/4 inch slices and place 6 at a time on a lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes (at 12 mine were still a little doughy).

8 T butter, softened
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 c cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla

While rolls bake , combine all ingredients. Beat until fluffy. Coat rolls generously while hot. Makes 12 rolls.

Once again, I made no pretense of this being a healthy recipe. So... enjoy!

So Apparently...

... you're supposed to do something grand on your 100th post.

Hmmm.

I thought about it.

Then, I thought about it again.

I thought that maybe I would post about all the yummy food I've been making lately. And that's not even sarcastic. (I think Laura is laughing hysterically, by the way). But actually I have been cooking the past two weeks. I don't know what exactly is wrong with me, but Justin seems to enjoy it. Anyway, I think the cooking spree is over. Tonight we went and got Wendy's with the last of our food budget for the week, and I made Sarah Lynn's cinnamon rolls. Extra healthy... ha ha ha. I'd post the recipe, but not only would I have to type it in, but you would also wonder if I was going to drop dead of heart disease. I guess tomorrow we'll have to scrounge for leftovers since I don't have any ingredients for a real meal. Tragic.

Okay, so that's not an exciting 100th post.

Then, I thought of not even mentioning the 100th post. Like any of you are keeping track with baited breath. And that just meant I didn't post anything at all, because not much has been happening. And I don't feel that funny or verbose lately. In fact, my writing regime has gone steadily downhill since January. I nap when the girls nap, and quite enjoy it. As a result, I've written two new sentences. Everyone clap!!! I've even edited them. They go like this now:

"When she would remember that part of her life - later - it would be in snippets. Snippets tinged in blue and pink."

The "later" used to have commas instead of dashes.

In case you were wondering.

And then I thought maybe I just wouldn't post again. You know, the whole avoidance thing.

And then, I took these cute pictures of the girls today, and decided they were perfect.

Because, honestly, today they played for an ENTIRE hour upstairs while I sat downstairs. And when I finally went up to see what they were doing... (Was E holding M hostage? She had screamed a few times, but I'd just taken that as proof she was still alive)... I discovered them doing this:

According to E they were going on a boat ride. And true, I did eventually have to step in when E piled blankets on M's legs and then proceeded to sit on her... but really, an entire hour without any parental supervision. Talk about the joy of sisterhood. I mean, I used to play board games by myself. (I know, pretty pathetic. But at least I always won.) I'm looking forward to this Thing One and Thing Two business.


Even if it does result in a few "Cat in the Hat" disasters. And by the way, Libbi, I hope you see the visual proof that I do let E make messes at my house. And, no, this is not a singular event. I'm really not as OCD as you make me out to be.

Anyway, back to the point.

Hmmm.

I don't think I had a point.

But, this is a cute picture of E on Valentine's day:

And I guess that about covers it.

I suppose I should offer some exciting prize for anyone who makes a comment. Or whatever.

I do have extra cinnamon rolls...

Bears

Yesterday I remembered - kind of an epiphany moment - that bears sleep through the entire winter season. What a good idea!!!! Do you think I could feed M enough to last through four months of sleep?

Closet Klepto

Um, I think there's a scripture somewhere that says that if you borrow something and you don't return it then you're pretty much a thief and robber.

I'd look it up, but wouldn't that just condemn me more to write it all out in black and white?

Speaking of which, is it considered black and white if the writing is just floating around in the netherworld of the world wide web? I really think not. So, I promise to disavow all knowledge of this post of admittance in any future moments.

Let's consider the evidence:

E: Mom, isn't that purple Barbie the one we can't play with because she's not really ours?
M: Um, yeah.
E: I saw her in the trunk.
M: Yeah. We need to take that back...

But have I taken it back. Not really. Even though we "borrowed" her in early December. Even though the true owner lives two doors down from me. Apparently walking ten steps to return said Barbie is much too difficult.

More evidence? Oh, don't worry. It's plenteous.

Consider the pillowcase currently hanging out on one of my pillows. This pillowcase dates back from the first month of our marriage when Justin and I house-sat for some family friends in Vegas. While there are several reasons these kind people probably regret allowing us newlyweds to house-sit (let's just say I hadn't learned to tell Justin that we were in fact turning the air conditioning off of "freeze the house down" levels) one that they don't know of is my horrible thievery. Yes, I have their pillowcase.

Honestly, I tried to return it once. But no one was home. And I just never got back to it. Finally, a few years later, I gave up and started using it. Call out the police.

Or, there are the two pair of underwear I have of E's cousin.

Or, there is the movie I have of my Aunt Becky's. (I told her once I had it, she insisted she'd never owned the movie.... I guess I've had that one a long time.)

I could go on.

Really, I could. And I would, if Justin weren't home, and it weren't much more exciting to talk to a real person.

So, if you're missing anything... I probably took it. Sorry. Really. I am.

Tinkerbell Sprinkles

Miss Amy (E's ballet teacher) shared the following story with me:

She had given each girl some invisible Tinkerbell sprinkles to throw around the room while they did their gallops. Pretty soon E came back to her.

E: I only threw some of my sprinkles, Miss Amy. I'm saving the rest for later.

Anyone Need A Chair?

M is very in to finding a nice spot for a good sit. It didn't matter if we offered her a bench, she preferred this basket: toys and all. I didn't get any other pictures of the Pretty Pink Princess Party. I'm still figuring out my new little camera. It's in my purse in case I forget the real one, but it's hard to tell what you're actually taking a picture of. I only got half of E's head. Maybe next time!

A Queen... Take That!

Sometimes E gets to have sprinkles in her applesauce.

Two days ago she asked for sprinkles. A few minutes later she refused to eat her applesauce because - GASP - it had sprinkles in it! Can you believe it?

So, this morning when she asked for sprinkles I said, "No, because last time you wouldn't eat it after I put the sprinkles in."

Apparently this was very upsetting to the order of the universe.

Said E: "Well, I am going to be a princess. And you can't be one. You are a.... a..... you are a QUEEN!

Which, when you consider the past behavior of the Disney Queen's should be taken as quite the insult.

"And then, the horrible Queen refused to give sprinkles to the Princess in her applesauce."

Oh the horror!

Funny Items

******

Says (yells) E from the far-back seat of the van: Mom, when I'm a grown-up will you drive me to the mall?

Mom: Sure.

E: Because I'll need to buy a wedding dress then, and I won't know where to find one.

(This is funniest when you understand there was no context. This statement came completely out of the blue)

******

Things I am happy about:

***A full week of sunny weather. We left the backdoor open on Monday. Oh the happiness. Maybe I am not such a pox on humanity. Maybe January just really is extraordinarily depressing.

***And that I was pregnant when the following comment was made:

5-year old Girl in Ballet Class: Miss. Jamie, it looks like you have another baby growing in your tummy.