so long 2011

At some point I will write about Christmas.

I'll write about the stress of Christmas shopping with a 2 year old.

I'll write about how you can't buy anyone a present while he's around because he'll tell them what it is.

I'll write about the fun we had with our families.

I'll write about Jack's darling fondness for Santa Clause.

I'll say the Christmas season seemed much shorter than it did when I was a kid.

I'll tell you I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas.

And that I wrote a new song with my new 25 key midi controller this morning.

I'll say I've switched from Splenda to Stevia and how I don't like it but I'm trying to.

I will tell you about how the Tracy Anderson Method with ankle weights hurts my ass and my soul.

I'll say I'm ready to get a rebounder. 

(that's a mini trampoline that Tracy recommends.)

I'll say Jack is going to spend New Year's Eve with my mama and she got hats and sparkling grape juice for them and it's cute.

I'll add we still have no plans for NYE and I have not one thing to wear.

And that when Jack sees a gingerbread man, he calls him "The Muffin Man."

And...

I have money to start recording.

All new stuff.

Super happy.

♥ jp

oh. 

And someday maybe I'll tell you about the week I had the stomach flu, Jack had strep throat, and Husband had a minor surgery that left him with lots of stitches.  

Yes, it's Friday and we've survived!

And we're all better.

Thanks.

the graduate.

We haven't been doing our morning pictures lately.

We've been busy.

We were sick.

All better.

We've been Christmas shopping.

Christmas wrapping.

All done.

My brothers and sister-in-law are in town.

I love it.

It's cold here and yes, he does have a coat.

On this particular day, he wanted to wear a blankie instead.

Who am I to tell him no?

He made a break for it and tried to run down the street.

Tried.

Mommy is faster than baby.

We (Husband and I) had an evening off.

Went to dinner at a new place.

Went for a drink.

Turned into pumpkins earlier than midnight and settled ourselves on either side of a sleeping baby.

It was a nice night and honestly-  the kind I love the most.

Jack looked sharp as knives for his first Christmas program.

Upon waking, he cried and declared he would NOT go to school on a weekend day.

No way.  

NO freaking way.

He even made me carry him in to his classroom before the program-

and decided-

he could stay.  

I GUESS.

I mean, there WAS a real life chicken in a cage waiting to be looked at in the classroom.

He looked.

He liked.

He decided school on Saturday was awesome.

Bock bock.

(go away, Mommy.)

He knew all the words and all the hand gestures to the 2 songs his class sung.

This 2 year old had 10 people come to see his performance.

He didn't disappoint.

He was rewarded with a quick trip to the mall and spaghetti for lunch.

A few fits were thrown but his fatigue caught up with him and he snoozed the afternoon away.

Me.

I had a Toys for Tots benefit to play that night.

Husband came down with a really bad cold.

I had to brave the show by myself.

We went on a lot later than scheduled.

I was so exhausted.

Kinda annoyed.

Raised 1,600ish dollars though so I stuck it out.

Glad I did.

Glad I wore flats.

Maybe the first time in The Oh Johnny! Girls' history I have not worn heels.

"Wow.  I thought you were tall."

Thanks?

Jack loves his pretend shotguns and anything he can pretend is a gun, really.

What a little boy.

As of today, he's officially a grown up little boy.

He moved to the big kids' classroom at school.

He will miss his other class quite a bit but he's so excited about his new friends in the new class.

He even let me take his beloved binky home while he went to school.

I almost cried when he walked away from me, towards the brilliant light of the big kids frolicking in all of the big kid toy glory they were caught up in.

Man, being a kid is awesome.

And exciting.

And adorable.

This is a little sweet piece of Oklahoma, y'all.

Out by Husband's office.

I hope you're all ready for this weekend.

I'm super pumped to spend time with my family.

Super pumped to see the look on Jack's face when he wakes up to Santa gifts.

This will be the first year he really gives a crap about any of it.

Speaking of crap-  Jack stayed with my brothers last night for a while.

He went to the potty (like a big boy!) and afterwards.

He told my brother.

"Look! I made a boat!"

Oh man.

You figure that one out.

Merry Christmas.

♥ jp

pander king.

At some point I'll get back to actually writing about stuff on here.

We've all been sick.

(we're almost all better, thanks.)

Been reading children's books and eating lime sherbet w/sprite with the kid.

My phone needs a phone doctor.

The camera apps have all gone crazy so when we were in Nashville, I only got a couple of pics.

Also left my Nikon at home, all packed up and charged.

Why do I do it.

Jack at the Ryman with crazy hair.

Maybe he'll play on that stage someday.

A mother can only hope.

Grammy and Big T bought him a little guitar to add to his collection of guitars.

He insisted on sitting by Minnie Pearl.

He threw about 30 dollars worth of coins into water fountains while we were in Nashville.

Look on the bright side.

At least he didn't crawl in for a swim.

Regretting not buying this dress.  

I know.

JUST BUY THE DAMN DRESS already, Jaguar Paw.

(like my socks?)

It's hard to buy things for myself.

I didn't have that problem before I was someone's mommy.

No worries!

I finally found the new Prada and fell in love.

It's called Candy.

(calorie-free candy!)

I bought it.

Yay for Mommy!

you go, girl.

If you steal it from me, I will kill you.

Just so on the fence about these bangs.  

I like them.

I like them not.

I like them.

I like them not.

I like them?

My chicken is almost rid of his sickness.  

I let him stay home from school one more day because he said he 

"weally want to stay wis mommy today."

He knows how to turn on the cute to get what he wants.

Did he get that from mommy or daddy?

One last thing.  Jack says he's the pander king.  I think that's like king of all panda bears but I'm not sure.

♥ jp

current. obsessions.

Jack is sick.  I'm sick.  Husband is sick.

cough cough

Spent the last week/weekend in Nashville.

In love with that place.

Love that every stop in Arkansas and Tennessee has multiple flavors of moon pies.

I ate 1 bite of a chocolate one.

(There's 300 calories in a whole one so no thank you!)

Jack and I are being sick and lazy today so I thought I would share some things I've been loving lately.

Jack in a bow tie.

This kid's shirt never stayed tucked in.  

Really wanting to find toddler suspenders!

Nars lipstick in Schiap.  

I bought it last week and love it!

Lightly layered over lip balm (i like Burt's Bees) it's a pretty wash of cheery pink.

A couple layers of it by itself and it's a semi-matte, almost fluorescent, hot pink.

My longtime favorites include MAC lisptick in Fanfare, Chatterbox, and Lustering.

Those are in my bag at all times!

For polished & slept in kind of hair.

Bumble and bumble brilliantine.

Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange

Nars blush in Super Orgasm.

I've had this for a while but just now swapped out my Too Faced Sun Bunny bronzer for the winter.

If you don't want glitter everywhere, buy Nars blush in Orgasm.  

I love sparkle, myself.

Remember the white dress that I loved but didn't buy because I had no place to wear it?

I found the same dress in hot pink.  

Still no place to wear it.

Still didn't buy it.

Someone, quick!

Have a party!

And invite me.

So I broke down and cut my bangs.

I always do.

Super cute dress from Rebecca's in Arab, Alabama.

Husband had Rebecca send it as a surprise.

Totally obsessed with this panda bear.

♥ jp

under cover.

wasting Saturday, playing guitar.

no baby around.

no husband around.

sort of learned that one adele song.

Santa Baby

Dear Family.  If you haven't gotten me anything yet and insist on a gift, please just donate to the Infant Crisis Center.  Honestly, I don't need a single thing and would rather sweet little babies have diapers and formula.  I'm begging you.  I do not need anything.  I'm a daydreamer, I like to make wishlists in my mind but I don't care if I get any of it or not.  Always appreciative of gifts, never disappointed if I don't get them.

So, on that note.

I am a girl and these are the things I want but don't really need.

At all.

Money for recording.  I got an awesome deal for my solo recording from a studio I've worked with before.  $100 = 1 song.  AND I can record song by song so I don't need to raise all the money up front.  Now I just need 10 x $100 for my album.  It's going to be a hit.  This is at the top of my WANT list.  Believe it or not.

...it's so rude to ask for money, isn't it?  gosh.

I love magazines.  Allure, Vanity Fair, Fitness, Women's Health, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Elle.  

Bobby Brown beach Body Oil  

Marc watch I really love.  

Fitbit Ultra.  This thing tracks everything you do.  Even your sleeping patterns.

pretty shoes 

Backdrop stuff for photo shootz.

This keyboard thing for my piano recording.   Dorky?  Yes.

And...

Black Vera Wang wedding dress?  Oh sigh.

I also love nail polish, funny t-shirts, wine (cheap, reasonable, and expensive), candles, anything that smells good, art, handmade stuff, burned cds, Bulleit bourbon, hugs, Merry Christmas texts, letters, most leopard print anything, books, time to read books, dishes, any cooking stuff, fitness stuff-  ooh, i need a new yoga mat really bad, workout gear, my son fully potty trained would be fantastic, a juicer, photos of you, funny stories, vintage barware, a fun night out, and a new car seat for Jack.  His seat is driving this mommy KRAYZAY.  Car seats are a bitch.

FOR REAL though, I don't need any present from anyone so let's get that clear right now.  I'm happy to see Jack happy and to spend time with my friends and family over the holidays.  

♥ jp

Mr. ♥ Mrs.

This old Hallmark box sitting on my table doesn't look like anything special, it's hunter green with pictures of Christmas cards on the front.  Inside are 34 pieces of treasure.  I pick up the first one and it feels as if it may crumble in my hands.  I carefully navigate a piece of faded brown paper, which has been folded twice to make it the size of an index card, out of the torn edge of a tattered envelope.  There's a three cent stamp and two addresses on the front of the envelope-  Box 721, Dewar, Okla. and Mrs. John H. Work, Boswell, Okla.  

The ink that was probably once black in 1940 has settled into a deep navy, strewn in perfectly straight lines of magic.  It's not like bunny in a hat magic.  The kind that Little Girl Jaguar Paw daydreamed about finding someday-  I'm not talking about the last unicorn although I did daydream about that as well.  You know, the kind of thing the greats wrote poetry about.  The thing all of my favorite songs are written about.             ...shoot, the thing I write all of my songs about.  

Today I'm sharing two letters from my Paw Paw to his darling.  My grandma.  She misses him every day.  She still wears his glasses even though they're broken.  One of his shirts hangs in her armoire at the nursing home.  

Be thankful for the time you have with the people you love.

September 18, 1940

Dewar, Okla.

My Darling Hiahwahnah:

I'm so lonesome for you. Golly- It seems like I love you more and more every day. I want to see you so badly. If I can get any money, I will be down this week and I think mother and Robbie are both broke. I wish there was some way for you to come up here.

I went hunting yesterday afternoon with Peck and Monk. We left here about 3:00 and went out east of here about 16 miles. We walked the birds up until the sun started going down and then went to a pond and waited for them to fly in to water. We got 42.

Last night Peck and R. and I went to the show. We saw "I love You Again"- with Myrna Loy and Will Powell. It was a swell picture. If I ever get a chance, I'm going to see it again.


I'm going in to see a guy about a job in a little while. This afternoon I have to make some signs advertising R.'s football team. R. thinks they are going to win all of their games this year. I hope they do.


We are invited to Aunt Daisy's tonight for supper. She said she wished so much that you were here and could come too. So do I. Russell and Aunt Daisy all think so much of you. They say I'm a darn lucky guy to get a girl like you. I know I'm lucky. You are so sweet and beautiful and good. I love you bunches and more than anything on earth. Please darling, don't ever stop loving me.


Gee! I'm so glad that we are married. I will be perfectly happy just as soon as we start living together. Be a good girl and remember, no love scenes in that play.


                                                                                                            All my love,
                                                                                                            John

Paw Paw, Grams, and my Uncle John

(photo taken somewhere around 1944 I'm guessing.)

Dewar, Okla.

September 24, 1940

My Darling Hiahwahnah:

I was so glad to receive your letter this morning.  I was awfully worried about you.  Geepers-  I'm so much in love with you.  You are all I can think of.  I couldn't go to sleep last night because I kept thinking about you and wanting you bunches.

I am enclosing a clipping from the Okmulgee paper about our marriage.  I thought you might like to have it and show it to your folks.

It is now 10 min. until four o'clock.  I guess you are leaving school for the day or getting ready to leave.  I wish I was out in front of the building waiting for you.  Darling, doesn't it seem like a long time until Friday?  I can hardly wait to see you.

I'm so awfully much in love with my wife.  I think you are the most beautiful girl on earth.  You are so darn sweet and precious.  I wish you were here now.  It is cloudy and almost cold.  I have the fire turned on.  If you were here I would take you to bed with me and hold you close in my arms and kiss you bunches and be awfully fresh.  Do you think you would like that?

We are having supper with Aunt Daisy tonight.  Afterwards R. and I are going up to Mr. Lamb's to play bridge with Mr. Lamb and Pick.  He (Mr. Lamb) said that if we would come, he would serve ice cream and cokes.

R. just came in with one of his football players who he believes has a broken arm.  He wants me to take him to the doctor.  Guess I better hurry.  The darn kid looks like he's going to faint.  -Be a sweet girl and write me lots. 

                                                                                                       All my love,

                                                                                                       John

It's Thanksgiving and I'm thankful love exists in the world.  And that my Paw Paw told my Grams he wanted to get "fresh" with her.  Giggles.
♥ jp

count the stars.

You know what sucks?  Being sick the weekend before you host Thanksgiving at your house.  You know what else sucks?  Grocery shopping  in crowded stores, fighting to get to the cream cheese while you feel like you might faint at any time.  Yes, it's true, I do like to exaggerate BUT-  this is no exaggeration.  I thought I picked up some really horrible virus from the germy surfaces of Jack's school but no.  Went to the doc this morning and it turns out the fevers, severe back pain, rib pain, and overall feeling of death is because I have a kidney infection.  A what?!  I've never had one before but did you know they give you pain pills for that sort of thing?  Dude.  I totally understand why.  I feel like I was hit by a bus.  I even cried a few times, you guys.  I didn't even cry when I was in labor for 12 hours.  

What a crybaby.  This is too much information but who cares.

And in addition to going grocery and household item shopping, I would love to say it feels good to come home, clean the house, do laundry, clean the litter box, take out the trash, clean out the fridge, do the dishes, make all the beds, put up the toys, pick Jack up from school, keep Jack entertained and happy, and cook dinner-  but it doesn't.  It's miserable and I just want to go home to my mommy and let her take care of me.  Husbands are not good at this sort of thing.  It's just not on their husband resume.  Don't tell me yours is good at nursing you because then I'll just be pissed.  

I think I already posted pics of this outfit?  I can't remember.  I'm losing it.

These are a little old but I forgot about this outfit and I like it.  Must wear again.  

I think I just like the fur thing though.

I almost went out to watch the OU game at a bar on Saturday night at the request of Husband but I just couldn't pull it together enough to walk out the door.  As my sickness worsened, OU worsened as well.  I tried to sleep instead of watching OU but my back pain and fever kept my eyes glued to the TV.  

Almost 2 weeks ago, I had my first shellac manicure.  If you live in a cave and don't know what that is, it's a gel manicure that dries instantly (under a special magician lamp) and it lasts for at least 14 days.  (The pic above is before the shellac.)  Before going with the shellac, I was a little scared I wouldn't like it purely because of the commitment problem between nail polish colors and I.  I like to change it up every couple of days.  I know that sounds like a big hassle but I actually enjoy doing my nails and it's one of the little things I do with my free time.  (free time meaning around midnight on a weekday, once Husband and Jack are asleep.)  

I wish I had taken a pic when my shellac was fresh and gorgeous.  Of course Ashely from Salon Zen did my nails.  As soon as I walked in I knew I wanted something bright and cheery.  If I'm paying a little extra for this miracle manicure, I might as well get something with some POW to it.  Shiny, glossy, bright red!  I love it.  And it still looks good!  I played a lot of guitar the weekend I got it so it's Oh Johnny! Girl approved!  Ashley can mix special colors or do fun 2 tone stuff like french shellac manicures for you.    I know exactly what color I want to do next.  Of course you'll have to wait and see!  

Like you totally care and stuff.

Today Jack picked out the cutest panda bear hat and gloves at Target.  I'll take pics of the cuteness tomorrow.  He's just looks so happy when he puts them on.  It makes me feel SO HAPPY.  Totally forgot about my back pain for a second.  That's what kids do.  They are hard to handle but they make you so freaking happy.

Watching Husband try and put duck decoys together is pretty entertaining as well.  

He's, like, wrestling them on the living room floor.

That's it for my rambling today.  Lots to do tomorrow!  Mom and Grams are coming over for Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday and I can't wait.  

♥ jp

p.s.  Husband just called one of the fake ducks "bitch."  Too funny.  Time to read the directions, Babe.