now why has no one bought this for me before?

Okay all of you out there who call yourself my friend...
either you did not know this existed or you just didn't think I could handle the perfection?

Where have I been the month of November?

The month of November has turned out to be the busiest month yet of 2011.  Right after Halloween we decided to drive to Dallas and visit Ikea.  The master bedroom was the last place in our house that really needed attention.  We had hand me down and even dumpster furniture that we had been using for 20 plus years.  I finally saved enough mad money to have a room makeover.

I forgot to take pictures of the bedroom looking normal.  These pictures were from when things were already in a state of deconstruction.  But it gives you a general idea.

Then we spent 2 days in Ikea shopping and measuring and planning.  If you have never been to an Ikea, it is an adventure.  To say that everything is do-it-yourself, is an understatement.  "You can configure everything just the way you want it" is code talk for "you are on your own, sister." 

We did find some people to help us but for the most part you have to make sure that you write down the correct number, then pull the correct box from the warehouse, load it in your truck all by yourself, and then put it together all by yourself.  I think they want you to have a sense of accomplishment when you finish.  Anybody can go to a furniture store and say "deliver that to my house on Saturday."  But it takes real stamina, perseverance, and moxie to keep two kids entertained for 2 days while configuring what you hope will be your dream bedroom; then haul it all home and assemble it each night for 10 nights while hoping that your husband will still want to stay with you in your new dream bedroom when all is said and done.

But it was worth it.  Yes.  I said it.  It was worth it.  I have a beautiful bedroom that was built by us (cut to me beaming with a sense of accomplishment) and is functional with a ton of storage.

Now for what is behind those gorgeous wardrobe doors...
Behind the wooden door is all the technology.  TV, DVR, surround system, tech drawer!

And behind the mirrored door is my favorite cabinet of all.  I have hanging space for my dressy outfits.  There is a place to hang scarves, long necklaces and felt lined jewelry drawers!  And the light automatically comes on when you open the door!  I love it!

I have a dream bedroom.  It is my sanctuary.  The blues and greens are very calming and since everything can be hidden in the immense storage, it feels very clean.  The room feels so much larger than it used to.  It took me 20 years, but I finally got the bedroom of my dreams.  Yea!

Know what this means?

Emma Jane fixed Lucy's hair

Happy Halloween!

Last night we went trick or treating for Halloween.  I DID NOT make the costumes this year.  I DID NOT dress up this year.  I DID NOT over achieve this year.  I was a normal human mommy who drives a minivan.

Lucy was a fairy princess and Emma Jane was a vampire princess.  They had a great time and the weather was perfect!

Earlier that day I went to St Francis to run mock codes on the simulated baby.  The physician and nurse who were running the scenarios decided to run all the things they typically see on Halloween night.  So we had a "simulation" that was a kid choking on a piece of candy, a child being run over by a vehicle on halloween night, a child with a sucker impaled in the back of her throat, a baby who aspirated a peanut, a burn from a flammable costume too near a pumpkin.  Now keep in mind there were all fake scenarios that we ran, but they were all real things that the hospital has seen on Halloween night.

Let's just say that by the time I left the hospital on the evening of the 31st of October, I no longer wanted to take my children out into the death trap that is Trick or Treating on Halloween  night!

Want to see Sim Baby?

By the way, nothing bad happened to my kids on Halloween night, save for them getting too cool when the temperature dropped into the mid-sixties...burrrrrrrr!