Before they Rot

We finally cut the cord on the "big ol' pumpkin" and gave him a face. Somehow he became Eli's pumpkin and he choose a "goofy face". I think he looks rather cute! (The pumpkin too.)

 We had a late bloomer with this little watermelon and since the frost came and killed his life support, we took him in and gutted him. Then gave him some eyes. It was the least we could do after taking all that we did from him.

 The middle pumpkin, I believe was Dylan's. And the football....I'll give you one guess.

 Jade and Ash started this Halo pumpkin and I finished it. Mykael and Jade carved their pumpkins at their mom's a few days previous and I think Jade's pumpkin there looks A LOT like this one.

 But hey, if you've got a great idea the best thing to do is spread it. Especially to young influential minds like your little brothers.

Posers. And brotherly love.

Cakey Cakey

This cake was for a daughter of our really good friends. I cut out each individual star with some awesome "plunger cutters". Then I painted luster dust to make them sparkly. You can't really tell because of how fine the powder is, but maybe if you double click on the picture you'll be able to see it.
Cake: Confetti with buttercream frosting and rice crispies as well.

Ashton

Two stories about Ashton (I didn't want to forget them So I'm here):

Every time there is a home football gameat the high school, Jared takes the boys/or Ashton to it. Being on the little league here in the community, we get emails for all sorts of activites football related. So it was brought to my attention that during the homecoming game, all the "future football players" were going to be recognized. I planned on going but something happened, that I couldn't and Jared and Ash had to rush to make the kick off. What happened was something that I wished I was there to witness personally AND have video footage as well. But have neither.

During halftime, all the players from 1st grade and up were invited onto the field in the endzone. Each grade was called one at a time to be recognized. The announcer was standing a few yards away and asked that all the players run out to him. Of course 1st grade was first and Ash starts running. Stops. Looks around and notices he's the only one. Runs back to the other guys and hides. The announcer sees this and asks, "there are NO 1st grade players here tonight?! It's ok. Come on out." Ash peeks out and timidly steps forward. Then runs to the announcer. Alone! Jared says that you could hear a pin drop then every females in attendance let out a loud , "Ahhh". To see this little boy on the field left Jared's chest puffed up with pride and mine as well when he told me the story. Ashton got "THE LOUDEST" cheer from the stands than any of the other grades that were brought to the field for their recognition. I'm so proud of my boy. For finding a passion, (albeit football) and for being brave enought to do that. I know that, at that age, I could NOT have done it. Alone!
This little one may be stretching his wings sooner than what this momma will like.
Jared has a picture on his phone that I will try and download.
***********************************************************
Second story:
Tonight was Ashton's "End of Season Football Party" honoring and spotlighting all the players. It was a LOT of fun. Held at a bowling alley equiped with high tech lazer tag and arcade games. But during our pizza dinner, all the players had taken claim to one banquet table to enjoy each others obnoxious bodily noises  company, when little Eli came a long to join. This didn't sit well with the other players because comments like, "you can't sit here!" and "you're not big enough!" came flying at him. Innocent Eli happily exclaimed, "Yes I am! I'm 5!" was only met with cruel laughter from the "big kids". BUT to my surprise, (I was SHOCKED!), Ashton says, "Hey guys, he's cool. It's ok" And they stopped. Just like that. Little Eli was then welcomed and unbothered after that. I couldn't believe it! But I am SOOOO EXTREMELY PROUD of my boy for sticking up for his little brother like that! Only in my wildest dreams! I guess something is going right, in our home. I won't take full credit for it, cause I really don't know what inspired him to do so.

....Or maybe I do. I kind of wonder if it is acutally a friend of Ashton's that has started coming over every day now. He comes from a tough home situation, so I make acceptions when he comes to play. (like putting off homework to spend time with him) I even had him help us (the family) with walnuts yesterday. He was an excellent helper keeping Ashton on task, and it was during this time that Ash was pointing out faults of Eli's and laughing,when his friend say, "It's ok, he's still little. You need to be nice". I. WAS. FLOORED! I would never expect that to come from this little boy, but it did. So when the boys ran off to play, everyone was included. And everyone was fine with that.

I know I've preached this kind of treatment to my children till I was blue in the face, but sometimes different teachers reach kids that you/I couldn't. Even if this teacher was another child. I just need to remember that. And have more trust.

Perhaps that's what needs to take place in our own lives. Just a simple statement of accepting/(sticking up for) someone for who they are, then people following suit. Regardless of politcal views, relgion, ethnicity, or whatever the circumstances may be.

I get my camera back any day and I now feel like I can blog again. I've been busy and wanted to share but it's just boring without pictures.
A few things to look forward to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
...............................Uhhhhhhh.............................

Ok, well. I guess I haven't been as busy as I thought. Guess I better go find something to do. :o)
Happy Halloween BTW!

Just venting....

I was reading a friend's post with pics of her little one at the dentist...and instead of writing a post on her comments page, I figured I'd just come here and share with all of you Ash's nightmare of an experience. He had been complaining about a tooth hurting so we took him in. He had been in a few months back for a checkup and I knew there were a few "problem" areas. (Yes it took me that long to get him in, just list it under the other terrible parenting things I've done in the past and will do in the future...) So we got him an apt with a dentist. I guess when the dentist people come to the school every year they don't explain what could happen when you go to the dentist because once the dentist laid him back and started shoving tools in his mouth, Ashton freaked!! But held it together...for a minute. He wasn't "introduced" to the tools that would be used. He was told to raise a hand if it started to hurt. He held up the wrong hand and the dentist rudely corrected him.

I'm totally jumping ahead....So I'll back up. We are taken back and the assistant tries to confirm with me that  I wanted silver. NO! I want the white! NO SILVER! I thought I made that clear, and apparently didn't. You'll see why later. The dentist comes in and says he'd need a root canal. UGH! the bottom of my stomach gave way after that. And the feeling of a nonqualified parent instantly replaced that. I will take FULL credit for not being harder on my sugar addicted child about brushing regularly, but that doesn't justify a dentist to get all jerk like on my SON! I assure you now, he brushes twice a day and even encourages his siblings to do likewise. But then who wouldn't after a visit like this.

As we're sitting, I hear the dentist on a patient next to us. An older man, and he is asking him something. The man doesn't respond and the dentist keeps asking, insisting on an answer. Finally the man answers and the dentist then goes off about wanting to know why the man didn't answer. Totally lecturing this poor man. He seriously wouldn't let it go. I felt embarrassed for the man and the way he was being treated.

It was then our turn and the assistant came back in with a box full of silver crowns. (I didn't know that's what they were for, so i didn't question it.) And she drops them, scattering them EVERYWHERE! Mistakes happen so I start to pick them up, she said not to. Ash then got the dreaded shots and was left to get all numb like. It was funny watching him make fish lips and smacking them together and poking his cheeks. Hard!

They come in and instantly shoved a drill, mirror, water, and suction in his mouth. OH and a wedge to keep his mouth open. He freaked a little and started shaking. Mr. Dentist sternly told Ash he "can't do that" and if it hurt, to raise his hand. SO, he raised his hand. But it was the wrong hand. Apparently the dentist didn't like that hand and corrected Ashton's mistake. SO, he raised the other hand. "Does that hurt?" he asked Ash and he shakes his head yes. He continues to drill and asks Ashton if it hurts. And Ashton continues to raise his hand. Dentist man was getting annoyed with how much Ash was raising his hands and even tested it. He would, without touching the tooth, turn the drill on and ask if it hurt. When Ash raised his hand, he and Miss Assistant would laugh. He took the drill out of the mouth and did it again. Ash said yes, then shook it, no. Again, the two nut heads thought that was funny and stuck all those tools in again and started drilling.

Ashton was crying, shaking, and clenching. Totally scared to death! ANYBODY could see that. Unless of course you were the dentist and his assistant. When it came time for putting a crown on, they pulled the silver things out and stuck it in his mouth, DROPPED it, then panicked a little, telling Ashton not to swallow, "don't move", and trying to snatch it out with tweezers. (Ashton has a terrible gag reflex, just like me! And I was waiting for it and everything else from the day to come up.) Finally they sat him up and told him to spit it out. After choking on it, he spat it out and was allowed to take a break. He saw the blood  on his bib and got worried. The doctor did nothing to sooth his worries or explain to him what was going on. Just another shot, and another filling to torture through.

This continued on until he recieved two SILVER filings, leaving behind a tear streaked face, and a stupid cheap toy that broke an hour after we got home. Didn't even get a toothbrush. (Not that he needed one. I just thought that was part of the deal.)

The last thing the dentist said to me was, "he probably needed nitrus, so when you bring him in next make sure you mention that." YA THINK!????
And the last thing the assistang said/asked me, "do you want me to go ahead and schedule apts for the rest of his work"?

Uhhh...."NO, I'll just call you later." (or not.)

I don't know why I didn't stand up for my son and explain to the Dentist that this was his first cavity visit, or tell the Dentist to explain to Ashton what he was doing or putting in his mouth, or insist on the white fillings like I had wanted in the first place, or to talk nicer to my son, or even request a little compassion for Ashton's sake....But I'm still angry now and HOPE I get a "survey call' asking me how my/our visit went. It was such a bad experience but wonder if I was being overly observant/sensitive with it being my child. Although that dentist definitely proved to this child that going to the dentist is a very bad thing. I'm gonna need a saint to rectify this one.

How I made a Lego Batman Cake......

I started with the people. Because of the thickness, the more days they had to dry, the better.

 Robbin

 Joker

 Batman

 Batgirl's head

 Ta-da

 Lemon juice and food coloring

 Painting the windows

 We're going for the "building-looks-on-fire" image....It'll come together later.

 One of my favorites, the gutter!

 My all time favorite...trash bag!

 Gluing a thingys that hold the gutter to the wall.

 Tiny details....or big fingers. (like the color on my fingers from coloring fondant?)

 Trash can

 Trash can lid! Hee hee

 :o)

 Most (not all) the embellishments for the cake.

 Ok, so I was messing around with the royal icing and I had seen this done once (on a much more professional and perfect level) and wanted to try it myself. You drape the frosting from an edge and the let it dry. Then do the next layer and so on. Once it drys, you're good but if bumped it shatters!

 The hard part!

 The yummy part

 Squaring it all up.

 Cheeser. Gotta have proof I DID in fact spend this ridiculous amount of time making the preps.

 I was having to freeze and refreeze this cake. It just kept thawing out too fast! So much so that by the time I got the fondant on it, it started drooping and sagging and looking distorted. BUT...it's Gotham..nothing's perfect in Gotham. Right?

 Rice Crispies weren't a problem at all!

 So I bought this "impression mat" for brick pattern. L.O.V.E IT!!!! Totally made the whole cake!

 When I first cooked the cake and "assembled" it, it was WAY too small, so I rushed to the store for rice crispy stuff. Bottom level is just that, while the top (and soon to be shown second layer) was the cake.

 Angelle came over today to see me mess with fondant and try it out for herself. I totally took advantage of her artist abilities and steady hands and had her paint the cracks! PERFECT-O!

 Loving it even more now! Even the droppiness!

 Close-up of Catwoman and my awesome kicked in trash can!

 Batgirl

 Perfect imperfections!

The End!

Today is the day...I guess.

As soon as I changed Dylan's diaper this morning, he said he needed to "pee in toilet". I never object to that so off he ran. Nothing came out. So I put a diaper on him and he ran off to play. A while later he says he has to pee again and runs to the bathroom, rips his diaper off and I guess he peed because he came running back to tell me. (I was having to cook something) I praise him and he runs off to play....naked. A minute later he yells at me again and runs to the bathroom. At this point I'm figuring he's just playing so I don't give it another thought. He then comes running in yelling excititedly that his poop came out. I ran back to the bathroom, scared to find something unpleasant. Yup...he did, but no unpleasantness. I get him cleaned up and put "underwears" on. I'm not going to stop this one!!!!

Since then he has ran to the bathroom two more times. No accidents. (Fingers crossed!)