4.30.2009

ummm...well i didn't get anything done on my post from yesterday -

the outdated zyrtec from 2005 is still under my bathroom sink,

my broken salad tongs are still lying around taking up space and valuable real estate in my kitchen utensil drawer, my millie vannie cd is still somewhere in justins closet between the broken globe and leg warmers,

my pantry has stale hamburger rolls, outdated salad dressing & spices that have made the journey from jewett to hoyt to patton to texas,

my leftover makeup basket has more than one tube of dried mascara, one jar of "pale" foundation and nail polish that looks like oil and vinegar in the bottle and

my wood miniblinds (in every single window) are still dusty enough to write my name on them.

my to-do list did not get any shorter today.

oh well.

theres always tomorrow.

print todays motto here.

4.29.2009

talk about a challenge. spring cleaning on steroids. a marathon run. a purge. are you strong enough? can you handle it? can you accept the challenge?

i came across this blog today and it hit me.

clean out the broken/old/not worn stuff and move on. now. today.

clean out your stuff/space/mind and move on. now. today.

heres the details...

this week, get rid of:
10) articles of clothing that don’t fit, don’t flatter and will never be worn. 9) books or magazines you’ve already read or know you aren’t going to get to.
8) excess items from your bathroom – anything from outdated makeup to old cleaning supplies and near empty bottles of lotion.
7) unloved DVD’s, CDs, or VHS tapes that you haven’t listened to or watched in years.
6) items from your fridge or pantry that will never be eaten or have passed their ideal freshness.
5) useless pieces of kitchenware – anything from old pots and pans, outdated appliances- or that weird wiry thing you’ve never been able to identify.
4) items on your to-do list that you keep avoiding. Dive in headfirst and either do it, or delete it (if it’s really not worth your time after all).
3) regular chores (at home or work) that are no longer necessary, or that someone else can and should do instead of you. Yes, this means delegate, even if you live alone—look for low-cost services, hire a teen, barter with friend.

2) obligations in your schedule that make you cringe when you see them. I.e.- committee work which is no longer rewarding, meetings you regret having booked, or a social engagement you are genuinely dreading.
1) time-hogging habit that is no longer serving you. I.e.- procrastination, chronic lateness, or constantly checking email. You may not slay your habit monster in one day, but make the commitment today and comment on this post publicly proclaim your resolve.

-

can you relate/clean/toss and move on. now. today.

can you do one/two/three or more and move ahead. now. today.

try just one.

now.

today.

4.29.2009

{photo from toms web site}

saw this commercial last night while watching american idol.
(yes, my name is carol and i watch american idol.)
i am inspired by his story and his philosophy.
i am buying a pair of tom shoes because.
just because.
i am humbled.
even the times noticed.
nathan noticed.
colin noticed.
we talked more about tom than idol.
now thats good stuff.

4.28.2009

random thoughts just floating around.

colin is still into legos. look what he built this weekend. he went online. found the directions to create this by combining two kits he had. and step by step from the screen he made this. not sure i could do it. nathan is in the taks mode with one test today & one test tomorrow. justin is into the pokemon thing again - creating his own deck online which is pretty creative stuff.

colin is back on the 'my name is colin, not curly' thing.

nathan bought a new ninetendo game on friday and he od on it this weekend.

justin is still into the long hair and hoodie (despite its 85 degress).

all love going to the library. i let them roam the shelfs independently and enjoy watching the library bag fill with books. justin tends to gravitate toward certain authors and the wrestling section. nathan hits the series books & the adult football section. colin has several authors he adores and just rechecks the same books out over and over. this week he found out that books with a green sticker on the spine are 'second grader' level and hence we have lots of green sticker books this week - i can't wait for him to read some new books.

justin ordered a book from barnes & noble online last week and it was great to watch him track its progress from time of order to time of shipment to time it was out for delivery (it arrived while we were at football practice)

all three boys are into playing outside with all the neighborhood kids. as i look around our yard, there is a worn path of grass circling our house that reminds me of the worn path on the hardwood floors from the boys driving their cars, firetruck and snuglebug around and around on the first floor on patton...and now they are running around and around the yard...good stuff...

this is now.

just now.

just today.

4.27.2009

{the lastest addition to the refridge door}

colin the composer.
last night colin was very busy after dinner.
last night colin was being very secretive while he was writing away.
last night colin was writing a song.
last night colin not only wrote a song but sang it as well.
last night colin sang and steve & i had front row bar stool seats.
last night colin sang for us from his lyric worksheet.
last night colin thought maybe he'd be a singer when he grows up.
last night colin went to bed knowing he could be anything in the world.
last night colin was on his very own american idol show.
colin the composer.
colin the writer.
colin the singer.
colin the world is yours!
-
life in that of a seven year old.
filled with dreams without limits.
filled with innocence without barriers.
filled with hope without fears.
go. colin. go.

(check out this musical fun place)

4.26.2009

double birthday balloons today.

happy birthday willa.

may your day as good as poppas cinnamon rolls and

a trip to the crescent beach candy store rolled into one.

happy birthday paul.

may your day be as good as signing the last dotted line

on april 15th and walking in to darcy mcgees rolled into one.

happy days x 2.

enJoy!

4.24.2009

special delivery #3.

look what we found in our mailbox last night.

a little taste of home sent south.

we have a starbucks at the corner but its not the same.

i miss my tim hortons coffee.

i was truly addicted to it.

i often had more than one cup a day.

it was worth putting 3 boys in car seats for.

it was worth leaving for work 10 minutes early.

it was worth waiting in long, traffic stopping lines for.

tim horton days.

hot and a lot.

thank you deanne & kevin for sending us

a jumbo can of delicious memories.

4.23.2009

{picture from here from flickr}
6 cool ideas.
plant some grass
wacky calendar tape
green growing frames
mail this fun card
creative rubber stamp
single serve krispie treat

4.23.2009

birthday wishes x 2 today.
adirondick memories is celebrating with bloody marys & prime rib.
cousin melanie is celebrating is the warm florida rays.
enJoy your mary rays!

4.22.2009

5 things to do on a hot sunny day:

#1) stop at walgreens for last minute 'cool' ideas

nothing screams summer like water balloons and freezer pops. #2) celebrate 100 on the math taks test
#3) go blue on a 'go green' earth day
our first official swim of the season.
heres to swimming trunks hanging on doorknobs everywhere

for the next 5 months

#4) lazy strolls around the block before dinner.

#5) dust off the banana boat sun tanning oil
bye bye sunscreen
hello texas tan

4.22.2009

happy earth day

great ideas here

great savings here

home depot specials here

walmarts top 10 list here

go

be green

brush your teeth without running the water

actually turn off your computer tonight

use 1 less light switch today

turn off all lights at 8 pm tonight

4.21.2009

{image from listograpy for kids}
nathan: sorry. monopoly & twister
colin: battleship. electronic monopoly & mastermind
justin: monopoly. payday & battleship
mom: othello. mastermind & blokus
dad: clue. mastermind & monopoly

-
hot. sunny & 91
football practice x 2. tuesday folders & office work
barnes & noble. hallmark & walmart
dry cleaners. post office & j.crew
finished season 4 greys anatomy. little children novel & laundry
cleaned out purse. inbox & pantry

heres to your list today

special delivery 2

arriving in november.

look whos one big sister now.

congratualtions ryan. julie & hannah!

special delivery

we gently opened the large brown boxes that had been patiently sitting in the front foyer today. we were waiting for lauren so we could see them together. they are so beautiful. they are classic simple and elegant all folded into one thick lovely cardstock and completed with a pacific blue gentle ribbon down the side.

wedding spirit is in the air today.

special thank you to justin for his great video hand and nathan & colin for their commentary.

4.17.2009

happy 16 years.

heres to all the pillow talk. finishing each others sentences. early morning phone calls.

3 boys. 3 houses. 3 goldfishes.

moving forward. moving to texas. moving together.

walks around the block. walks around the paths. walking together.

'i love walking'

growing old. growing family. growing love.

laughing. contentment. simple.

happy 16.

-

"love doesn't make the world go 'round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

franklin p. jones

-

heres to the ride !

4.16.2009

i am at that wonderful place where i am finishing up a book and anticipating the search for my next book...i sometimes spend more time looking for a book than actually reading it...i enjoy walking up and down the aisles of barnes and nobles with a latte just touching all the possibilities...i read to escape...when steve and i were first married we actually had a 'no tv' night where we would just load the platter cd player with 6 great albums, hit shuffle and read the evening away...not sure how long we carried this out - a week, a month, a year - but i loved knowing that there was a date with my hubby & my book...i read because i love seeing the boys read...nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than watching them at the bookstore or library as they search for their next great read...love to see them sitting on the back patio reading in the afternoon sun long after their required reading minutes have passed...love finding them hiding a book light under their pillow so they can just finish one more chapter...love hearing them quote their favorite lines from a book or poem...today i'm hanging out here to start the hunt...creating a couple of these to keep my place in my next book or maybe this personalized one here...printing a page of these...starting to keep a book journal...make a list of books i want to read or add to the list i already have...off to get lost in my next great adventure.

4.15.2009

look what i found on my front step today.

any ideas whats inside?
i'm getting excited about a special day coming soon.
i'm getting out my party dress and dancing shoes.
i'm looking forward to our growing family.
happy {wedding} day ahead lauren & aaron.

4.15.2009

the wedding can now proceed.

mom found her dress.

in austin.

again.

plus she gets to come back in a couple weeks

for the next fitting.

good stuff.

win/win.

gotta love the domain.

gotta love the dress.

more wedding love in the air.

see you soon mom & domain.

4.14.2009

lunchtime surprises with nan & granddad.

stuffing tuesday folders with nan & granddad.

model homes with nan & granddad.

patio lunches with nan & granddad.

minivan rides with nan & granddad.

this is the stuff memories are made of.

the simple stuff.

the silly string stuff.

the poker game stuff.

the zigity card stuff.

this is the good stuff.

4.13.2009

{ 3 dresses today - invites. bridesmaid. mother of the bride - wedding is in the air}
no school today. no need for a clock today. domain trips. wedding dress fittings. golf clubs. long walks in the sun. bridal shower invites. finding a tennis ball. joe dimaggios patio. modeling bridesmaid dress. time together. hanging. swinging. laughing. assembling.

4.12.2009

hoppy easter.

church & live in the dash today.

egg bake & ham.

mustard sauce & egg hunts.

confetti eggs & silly string.

rainy morning & sunny afternoon.

round rock & park walks.

masters on tv & poker at the kitchen table.

4.11.2009

possible captions for this photo:

tom cruise impressions.

wear your matching sunglasses.

a day with nan at the movies.

scarey sippel stories.

-

answer: monsters and aliens 3D adventure with nan at the movies.

4.10.2009

no school & sleeping in.

outlet shopping & starbucks coffee.

breeze brows & target errands.

airport runs & early flights.

buffalo wings & daffodil cakes.

talk about special carry-on luggage.

4.9.2009

{justin and jared}

{nathan and spencer}
{nan and me}
busy and day.
awards and ceremonies.
domain and tiffanys.
michael and kors.
neiman and marcus.
st and thomas.
north and patio.
victoria and secret.
j and crew.
nathan and football.
tgi and fridays.
good and stuff.

4.8.2009

double birthday wishes going out to adyson and austin.

the hutton hut will be celebrating this weekend in true texas style.

heres to smoker grilling, water games and birthday candles!

enJoy.

4.7.2009

steve & justin.

a little father/son activity.

guess where they went?

smackdown & ecw.

honest.

this is what memories are made of.

this is why i blog as not to forget these days.

4.3.2009

{today at school - awards ceremony}

possible titles for this picture.

colin 'the man' sippel

colins got the whole world in his arms.

colin loves everybody.

the sippel gene

awards ceremony at school - 3rd quarter.

cafeteria action at 8am.

taelyn. colin. emily & grayson.

ms. morgans first graders.

dog tags rock.

this is today.

filled with first grade memories.

filled with a shock of reality that time does truly fly by faster than one can imagine.

filled with the ticking of not seconds, not minutes, not hours, not days, not weeks, not months but years.

i can't remember yesterday.

i can only remember yesteryear.

it seems as like colin was just born on a cold february morning in buffalo.

i can see him as a baby just going with the flow.

he probably spent more hours in a car seat that allowed by law.

he loved chocolate timbits.

he had an ambulance ride when he was two? three?

he went to speech therapy.

we went to mommy & me class together.

he was an angel on a long plane ride here when he was almost four.

he kept me going thru those first couple crazy texas months.

kindergarten & school bus rides to union hill.

flag football games. basketball games. riding a bicycle.

curly colin.

loosing teeth. loosing curls.

first grade homework. helping arriton everyday at lunch.

lego. lego. lego.

yesteryear.

a flash.

this is now.

time speeding by.

me trying to catch a glimpse of it here. in pictures. in words.

today i caught a second of it.

and put it down in pictures and words.

4.2.2009

{colin practicing his egg cracking techniques with 8 out dated eggs}

this is today.

the sun was playing hide-n-go-seek with us this morning as we drove up the hill to school. the sky was divided in two by an imaginary line separating the dark blue night clouds from the light blue early sky. we could not even see a shadow of a ray at this time although we could feel her presence - somewhere - like a pair of eyes watching you as you sneak an additional cookie out of the jar. it is so windy that the sprinklers were watering the clouds, the ponds were trying to keep the water from running away and the van was swaying despite the double hand hold. the chairs in the backyard gave up early and turned themselves over long before the miniblinds blinked open. the ground was still spotted with rain drops from an early morning thunderstorm and the grass was still holding the water as mini rain bubbles ready to burst.
one meeting cancelled at work and i was a girl with a block of 3 hours unscheduled.
what to do with found time?
so many options.
it felt like a mini snow day.
i wondered the card aisles at hallmark without a list.
i tested all the lotions at bath & body works without buying a thing.
i browsed the shelves and racks at marshells just because i could.
i purchased a starbucks coffee and grabbed a stack of books at barnes & nobles and just looked.
i checked out the new joannes in case i have a late evening craving for yarn, fabric or paper.
i checked out all the new releases at the redbox without anyone standing behind me.
i walked around walgreens in search for the perfect drink for 2pm on a thursday.
no lists.
no missions.
no goals.
just looking.
just thinking.
just recharging.
good stuff.
good snow day.
off to middle school orientation.
off to football practice.
off to homework.
balance.
no balance.
just balance.
good balance.
balance.

4.1.2009

"one day a fish saw a octopus. A octopus saw a fish. The fish told a knock knock joke to the octopus. The octopus laft and laft and laft. then they swam away form each other."
colins story from this weeks writing assignment at school

this is today.

the morning sun greets us as we turn the bend heading for school as a big perfect orange circle low on the horizon momentarily blinding us. we adjust our wednesday smiles. we adjust our backpacks. we adjust our attitudes to get ready for another wonderful day ahead of us. we review our day and realize that no one has football tonight. we can feel the relaxing afternoon ahead of us even though we have not yet reached the drop off zone. elf is playing in the background - 'its very purplely' -
it is going to be a purplely day!

i make it to the hospital without spilling my coffee on me,
without forgetting my paperwork,
without forgetting my cell phone,
without forgetting my badge -
it is going to be a purplely day ahead.

birthday songs.
outdoor games of tag.
cheeseburgers on the grill.
troys grilling filling our kitchen.
americal idol winds us down.
it was a purplely day indeed.

happy birthay mom

{nan hanging out on the path - may 2008}

happy birthday mom!

wishing you a special day because you know how important it is.....

to have a special homemade snoopy cake on your 7th birthday.

to watch sony & cher on sunday nights while eatting dinner on tv tables.

to be a cheerleader in 8th grade at catholic school.

to buy dollhouse furniture at claytons on elmwood.

to wear five layers of clothing starting with the white turtleneck with little hearts on it.

to be on the front steps after the first day of kindergarten in the rain.

to have homemade halloween costumes.

to have breakfast in bed on your wedding day.

to wear sunscreen.

to always write a thank you note.

to have 'ice house' jewelry.

to have a pedicure before a c-section.

to give those nerve-wreking first baths to a baby.

to hear 'captain zooms' voice on your birthday.

to have homemade lemon cut out cookies on christmas.

to spoil your children & feed them lots of sugar - then send them home.

to keep your priorities straight & God first.

to enjoy today & everyday.

enJoy.