Looking Back at 2012

    Looking back at 2012...

We welcomed the newest addition to our family, Baby J.

 

 L started soccer and LOVED it. She picked it up pretty quickly, too. Was a bit rough throwing sports for both kiddies into the day to day chaos of having a new baby in the house, but it was so worth it.

First day of soccer practice

Get that ball, baby!!

My God, my son is getting SO big

 M started football this year, as well. That was quite an experience. The majority of the other parents were VERY cliquey, which is just not my cup of tea. Nothing like going to your son's football game as a family and being stared at by the fellow team parents more than the game is being watched. I am glad that M got the experience though, as it REALLY helped bring him out of his shell. He made friends and even has a social life, now. And let me tell you, nowadays, that is some scary shit!

Michael's very first scrimmage game. His very first play, in fact.

My totally awesome kiddies stepped up and became two of the BEST helpers in the world after having Baby J. Helping with breakfast and dinner when my hands were full. Helping me with the baby. They are so much greater with the baby than I could have possibly dreamed they'd be.

Preparing dinner while I tended to J

Cooking up pancakes

Lazy Sunday Morning

 Erecting the Gingerbread House for Christmas. Lucy had SUCH a great time! She is so very creative. I think it's safe to say that she got the creative bug from me.

The kiddies and I goofing around

Lucy with her very first trophy! :)

Soaking up the sun

 We had some very freaky weather this year. This pic was from the end of October. It was gorgeous and sunny and warm. In october. I just sat outside and soaked up the warmth of the sun. Did I mention that this was the end of October? In a suburb outside of Chicago?!?

It's official. Michael has outgrown our Christmas Tree. He's 13. What... the... hell! I just cannot get over how big he is getting. He is already taller than me. And Mike. Hell, he wears a size 13 shoes. In MENS!

Hair in curlers for the party. No shame in my game

Yeah, this is why I don't dress up

Beauty is pain, my ass. Fuck these shoes!

We went to Mike's work's Christmas Party. While so very hard to leave Josie overnight for the first time ever, I had a pretty good time. Aside from having to dress up, of course. I do NOT dress up. Yuck.

Letting my hair down after the party

My hair went from mostly red with black to all blue black. I think it was the first time I changed my hair color in over a year. Let me tell you friends, that is rare! LOL

I took SO many gorgeous sky pics this year as well!

Christmas Morning 2012.

     Present Time! Present Time! Open the present and see what's inside! (Oh hell. I haven't watched Blue's Clues in 7 or 8 years. Whyyy do I still remember that song? Ohhh the humanity!) Here are just a few pics that I quite enjoyed from "Present Time."

     So, here is my M. He opened two presents that were CDs. Note: He did NOT own a CD player. I had him convinced that the CDs were so he could listen to them while we are driving in my van. STILL cannot believe he bought that load of crap. hehehe

"NOOO  WAAAAAY!" he exclaimed.  L's expression back there is just priceless, tho. lol

Looking like he just won a fucking gold medal or something. Lucy was excited for the Blank creatures she got. She is SO creative with that stuff. Just loves drawing and coloring and creating. She is SO my daughter.

 M insanely excited to now have a touch screen smart phone. He was convinced he wasn't getting one. But you know what? He took pretty damn good care of his "starter" phone for a year. I think he deserves it. Tho I suppose time will tell. lol L was just as excited for those damn Squinkie things.

 L freaked out. Nevermind the fact that she asked for an MP3 player. And that is exactly what that was. Nope."I THINK SANTA GOT ME A CELL PHOOOONE!!!" she screamed. Me: "No, sweetheart, Santa is not allowed to bring a 9 year old child a phone in my house. Sorry. But I think he brought you your MP3 player that you asked for."  Lucy: "OH. ok, cool."

Now for the kicker. Here is Baby J opening up one of her presents.

And here is her reaction to it. "Let me see if I've got this right... HE got a CD player and new cellphone. SHE got an mp3 player. And *I* got a fucking bumble ball? Bitch, please!" Lmao

 Ohhhhh, she just looks thrilled, doesn't she?

MERRY CHRISTMAS, FROM OUR HOME, TO YOURS.

Woman attacked with feces on CTA Blue Line

     Check this abc7 news link out:
Woman attacked with feces on CTA Blue Line

     I swear, only in Chicago, man. How terribly disgusting. I would have beat him fucking senseless and then shoved that shit down his throat, I shit you not! Get it? See what I did there? Shit you not? Ok, that may have been a bit wrong of me. It's easy to joke about something this crazy, but can you imagine? Sitting on a train, messing with your phone, minding your own business when suddenly some sick mother fuck throws a sock full of human feces on you?!? Or any other species' feces? I mean, cuz really, shit is shit no matter where it came from. And this moron took the time to fill a sock with it? This is just wrong on so many levels. I mean, a prank is a prank, but this went FAR beyond "prank" proportions and is really not funny at all. What the fuck is wrong with people today? People like this need to have the stupidity beaten out of them and some fucking morals and a conscience beaten IN.

     Ok, I'm done on this one. Ugh!

She...

She's the one that sits alone, suffering in silence

She's the one that feels so cold, but do you even notice

She's the one that cries inside, swallowing her pain

She's the one that does for all, not expecting to receive the same

She's the one that buries her screams, fighting back her rage

She's the one that sticks around, begging God for things to change

That maybe one day you'll open your eyes and then you'll see

I'm the one... That "she" is me.

©RyanAnn LiveLaughLoveBake

Taking Root...

....And she planted her feet, 

firmly rooting herself to the earth below, 

threw back her head and let loose a thunderous cry to the endless sky above....

                            

©RyanAnn LiveLaughLoveBake

Just a friendly reminder from my little L... LOL

Dragon Tales Cake...

     My mom was going to my brother's house for Thanksgiving this year to celebrate the twins' birthday. Of course I wanted to make the cake for them and asked what they were really into now. Dragon Tales. I scratched my head and was a bit stumped for a bit. Thought maybe I could just get some Dragon Tales figurines to top the cake with, but I couldn't find any. Which worked out for the best because it pushed me to attempt something I had wanted to do for a long time, but had never gotten around to actually doing... A Buttercream Transfer. In some aspects it was very easy to do. In other aspects, man did it suck. I was up all night trying to get it just right, my hands were cramping up like crazy, to the point where I could only pipe the icing for 2 minutes at a time before needing another break. Gotta love arthritis. UGH. But after everything was said and done, this was the final result. Maybe not the greatest, but for my very first attempt at this, I'm kinda proud of it. :)

 

I think it's pretty neat to know that you can take something like Buttercream and turn it into something like this!

You oughta know...

Mr called me to let me know he was on his way home from work. We were talking for a lil bit when suddenly:  

• Mr: "Something, something, blah, blah, blah."

• Me: "SHIT! I gotta go!"

• Mr: "Why??"

• Me: "You Oughta Know is on the radio!"

• Mr: "Soooo?"

• Me: "So?!? Ugh! You just don't get it! That's angry bitch music! I gotta go scream it into the soup ladle!! REALLY. I gotta go! Love you, Bye!" *hangs up the phone*

       ....And that is exactly what I did. At the TOP of my lungs. I feel better now. :)

Forgive me Father...

     For I have sinned... I spilled an entire BIG ass cup of coffee. It went everywhere. It was the damn dog's fault, so I guess you should forgive her too. Although I don't think she really gives a fuck. Ugh.