Making Fun Out of Nothing at All.

Memorial Day Checklist:

BBQ -no

Beach - no

Swimming - nope

Torrential downpour - check

Flooded shop - check

Flooded office - check

Lemon ginger cookies, stale chips and Izzies for lunch - check

Industrial fan (to dry carpet) - check

Two girls ecstatic about the fan - check

Fun day with the family stranded at the shop - check

Chuck E. Cheese N Me

My little Avery is five.  I honestly cannot believe it.  Her one request was to have a Chuck E. Cheese party.  I thought, well, I will let you have one in your lifetime, so bring it on.  I fought the idea until I realized there is no shame in letting Chuck E. and his friends help out a 36-week-pregnant woman out.  

As parents, you like to feel like you've hit a few home runs for your kid's birthday.  Well, do you see that gold box in front of Avery?  Yes.  That is her Golden Ticket to freedom.  Ben felt it was wrong to have Aves sneaking around the house with Téa's Nintendo DS when she wasn't home. So Avery got her very own.  No more hiding out.

Worth the mad-dash to three stores to get the right one


Avery seriously felt like a celebrity and there was NO question in her mind that she was the Birthday Girl. Chuck E. pulled through for me.  I won't trash talk him anymore.  

I Think I Just May be Back

Major major major computer difficulties.  Well, computer death, really.  

Ben witnessed first-hand that my computer really was dead. Not just "slow dead" or "annoying dead," but "dead dead."  So he came home with a "present" for me tonight.  Perfect timing too seeing how it is 4:23 am and I am wide awake due to insomnia. (Well, it may not actually be insomnia but maybe my 6-year-old in bed with me trying to use my head as a pillow and incessantly sneezing because she is allergic to our down comforter, or the baby kicking me until she is nice and comfortable as well. The only way to get her to stop . . . get up.)

The good news is that we luckily backed-up my photos and such recently. But I did lose all of my Mother's Day photos, emails, and email addresses. This is where you guys come in.  I realize I asked this back in October (it crashed back then) but if you have my email address, I need you to email me yours.  Because I don't have yours. And that makes me sad.

Out with the Old, in with . . . The Old.

Saturday night was a good night.  Ben was home before midnight; all limbs, fingers and toes were in tact.  Same goes for our incredible friends and neighbors who spent the day moving Ben's shop.  It's no small feat.  And every time he moves, I am a little shaky until it's over.  

We are excited for The Mandate Press to have a new home. 

The new place is twice the size.  I went down this past Tuesday and couldn't believe my eyes.  The building was FILLED.  It was one of those things where you couldn't get everything back into the old place if you tried.  

It was definitely time, and we couldn't be more excited.  

The girls' first look at the new place. 

They had to do a quick "run-through." Of course.



The first press in its new home.

Happy 8th Anniversary!

8 Years Ago
9 Years Ago
13 years Ago

Love you Ben.