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2012..................Bring. It. On.

2012-01-14T14:17:00.002-05:00

2011 was a bad year. A really bad year. Not just for my family but I'm sure for a lot of other people as well. In 2011 my husband tried a new venture into the world of selling life insurance. Unfortunately with a down economy people just simply cannot afford life insurance. And that is bad. Very bad when the job is 100% commission. So in December he left the world of life insurance for the world of property and casualty insurance. I'm so glad that 2011 is over and 2012 is here and ours for the taking. 2012 will be full of hard work and I'm sure a lot of sweat and tears. But we'll make it. In fact I think this tribulation that we've been through has actually made our marriage stronger. That if we can withstand this major bump in the road we can withstand anything. Its going to be a long road to fixing what wound up broken but we're just going to have to pull our bootstraps up and jump in. Right now we are starting by being on a very very very strict budget. But if we adhere to it we will get out of this whole quicker than we thought. How about you are you looking forward to 2012 as much as I am?

Leggo my Eggo.......

2010-08-25T05:12:00.000-04:00

My son is 19 months old and at the moment has all 4 of his bicuspid's poking through (it's like God is playing a massive joke on me) and is absolutely miserable. We recently took the binky away so don't want to offer it back up for the soothing sensation he'd get when he chewed on said binky. Also I cannot absolutely cannot give this child a normal teething ring as he 1. Doesn't like how cold his hands get as he's holding it after coming out of the freezer and @. He's bitten through most of the ones we had. In an effort to soothe him I ventured deep into the recesses of my brain to vaguely recall an episode of the 90's sitcom "Roseanne" and remembered an episode where Becky was babysitting and the baby was teething and MISERABLE. She called her Dad (Dan) who told her to give him a frozen waffle to chew on and , bonus, built in drool cups. I use this option for the really bad days when nothing is soothing him and he gets a mini snack as well as a quick fix for teething pain. And that's what works for me.....

What works for you? Check out Kristen here for more Works for Me Wednesday

Yowza!!!

2010-08-23T05:31:00.000-04:00

Holy blogging break Batman!!! I just realized that when this posts tomorrow (hopefully) that it will be exactly 2 months since I last posted anything. I would like to blame it on being on summer vacation. But summer and the word vacation going together ended a LONG time ago for me. I could blame it on work. And that would be totally legit as I just started a new job on the 9th of August (8-9-10 how cool is that?!?!?) but mainly it has been that I decided that this summer I wanted to more time offline than online. And that I wanted to really revel in my children's childhood. They are 4 and almost 2 now and when I talk with my daughter I realize how quickly she is growing up. But now that school is going to be getting underway again and we will be on a more consistent schedule I am making a comeback. So without further ado...........stay tuned for part 2.

Uh Uh I didn't just do that......

2010-08-22T19:46:00.002-04:00

I have taken what I'd call a Blogging Sabbatical for the past two months and now have decided to come back with a vengeance and was stoked that I decided to do it on a Monday so I could participate in Not Me Mondays at Mckmama's place. I love this carnival. It makes every Monday worth it so why don't you head over there when you're done here and check it out but first things first:

I absolutely do NOT call and leave myself voicemails when I get ideas for what I want to blog about. I have such a better memory that I can remember for 20-30 minutes what I want to write down.

It is so not me who looks forward to Sunday nights because that means there is a new episode of Hannah Montana Forever or Good Luck Charlie on and I've got a 50/50 chance that it's the latter. Because I have SO many more pertinent things to do than watch a tv show that is about a great family and has great family values but whose demographic is the tween girl and not the 30-something year old that I am.

It also was not me who in an attempt to not break my daughters heart decided to spell that we could not go on a picnic on Saturday and then said picnic and spelled Wednesday, don't ask why I'm not sure what the mix up was there.

It is not me who every single day when I come home say to my 4 year old who is waiting by the door for me, "Where are your pants?"

What did you NOT do this week?

Snapfish works for me

2010-06-23T08:39:00.000-04:00

As far as photo storing sites go they are bountiful. There is Shutterfly, photobucket, flickr, Kodak Gallery, etc. But the one I use and trust the most is Snapfish. I have been a loyal user of Snapfish since about 2004 when I really started taking pictures with a digital camera. I loved that I could order prints for $.09, that I could make gifts using my photos, and the best part was that as long as I purchased one thing every year (even if it was only a $.09 print) they would continue storing all my digital photos on their site so I didn't have to store them on my poor battered pc's hard drive). But one of the other things I love the most about Snapfish is their customer service. I recently ordered a batch of prints that encompassed Easter, a first Communion, Memorial Day and various other shots of my kids and when I received my order of 79 prints, 6 of them had the heads of the person in the picture cut off. I immediately emailed Snapfish's customer service and was ecstatic to find out the next day, when I got the reply, that they were going to credit my account not only for the 6 pictures that were headless but the entire 79 prints I had ordered and the shipping costs for future use.

Wordless Wednesday...Ice cream brings us together

2010-06-16T10:11:00.001-04:00

Head here for more Wordless Wednesday Posts.

Money, money, money......

2010-06-16T08:12:00.004-04:00

...there's just never enough of it. After paying all the bills and putting some away into savings it seems as though there's really not that much left for discretionary purposes. But there probably is, if you budget right. I work in the financial sector so a budget is nothing new to me and neither is writing one. But I want to have a budget that shows me exactly how much money I have for discretionary purposes ever week and that is where Gail Vaz-Oxlade and Til Debt do us part comes in. Til Debt Do Us Part is a show that is filmed in Canada that I stumbled upon one night while channel surfing. It is a show that is hosted by Gail Vaz-Oxlade that shows as she goes into people's homes and makes them get serious about their finances. She shows them exactly what they're spending (most of it frivolously) and has them fill out budgets. Then she introduces them to the budget binder and the money jars. She essentially takes away all credit and debit cards and makes them live on cash alone. This is where the jars and budget binder come in and where my ramblings are leading you. Here you can find the interactive budget for how much cash is needed in a given week for discretionary purposes, hence the jars (the money has to be placed somewhere) and to track it you need the budget binder. My husband and I have used this system before and now it is just second nature to update it every month. It has saved us a lot of money in the long run and really showed us where we were spending out money. It allows us to put into perspective how much we're actually making and where all our money is going. The interactive budget works for me, how about you? Head over to see Kristen at wearethatfamily.com for more Works for me Wednesday posts.

I am not 25.....

2010-06-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

....and I seriously need to remember that.. To help me with this is my what I learned this week post....

I learned that if you go out on a Friday night and drink like you are still 25 and DID NOT just celebrate the 6th anniversary of your 25th birthday your 4 year old will joyously serenade you with "You are my Sunshine" at the top of her lungs at 5:03 am.

I learned that one smile from a 17 month old can make a day all worth it.

What did you learn this week? Head over to see Julie here for more What I Learned This Week

Ugh, this makes me sick

2010-06-14T12:02:00.002-04:00

This article is all about what is wrong with today's society. This woman is striving to become the world's HEAVIEST!! She is a woman who is the mother to two children ages 3 and 14 and is in my opinion eating herself into an early grave. What kind of an example is she setting for her children? I will freely admit that I struggle with body image issues every single day. But when I gave birth to my daughter I decided that I wanted to be around for her WHOLE life and made a pact with myself to eat better, exercise and do everything in my power to make sure I was setting a good example for my children and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Within this article it states (near the bottom) that she suffers from Type 2 diabetes (which most of the time can be controlled by diet and exercise) and has difficulty with basic tasks such as cooking and showering. I don't want to be at the point where I can't take a shower because that would mean I also couldn't do things like push my kids on a swing or go down a slide with them. I think that she's doing this for all the wrong reasons. She also says that after a friend died of complications from gastric bypass surgery she decided to quit dieting and weight pills and eat what she wanted. It's fine to indulge every once in a while but charging people to watch you chow down on greasy food and walk to your car is a seriously impaired person's desperation for attention. If her fiancee truly loved her and she truly loved her children, she would take care of herself to ensure that she was there for all the monumental moments of their lives.

No Dining Out challenge for June

2010-06-14T08:40:00.004-04:00

Do you like to cook? That's great if you do, I hate to cook. Seriously hate to cook. And I'm all about convenience which all too much falls under the umbrella of eating out or a drive thru meal even if it is a salad. I simply do not enjoy the preparations or physical aspect of cooking. What I do like though is for my children to eat their meals and saving money. That's why I'm jumping on the bandwagon for the No Dining Out challenge for the month of June and will hopefully continue it throughout the summer. You can read more about the guidelines here. I am going to track how much I will save by NOT dining out. If you think about it I paid $4 for a salad and I could have bought 2 bags of prewashed and precut salad mix that would have made lunches for me for the week and a salad to add to one of our dinners this week. When you attach a dollar amount to it it seems so stupid to do that doesn't it? In order to help with the No dining challenge I have committed myself to also writing a menu plan for the week and sticking to it so at the last minute I'm not racking my brain trying to think of what to make for dinner. Are you up for the challenge?

What was I NOT thinking?!?!?!

2010-06-14T05:03:00.000-04:00

It's Monday. Which means it's time for yet another installment of Not Me Monday brought to you by Mckmama.

This is a great link up that grew out of Mckmama's desire to post some of her imperfections if you will. I swear I lose 5lbs by reading the blogs that link up every Monday, so here we go:

That was absolutely not me who dropped off my daughter for a overnight trip that would take her (and my in-laws) over the river and through the woods (literally) to visit her Aunt and Uncle then drop off my son at daycare and drove all the way to work (30 minutes away!!) before I realized I still had the car seat in my car. That was needed. To go over the river and through the woods. For an overnight trip.

That was not me who totally debated about just letting my 4 year old eat herself sick on frosting in a can to prove a point.

That was so not me who had a full on conversation with myself while sitting on my butt while landscaping. So much so that my neighbor asked if I knew my "conversation partner" had apparently walked away.

That was also not me who in order to save face told my neighbor that my "friend" must have gone in to grab a beer. Because I am seriously so not lacking adult conversation that I need to create my own.

What did you NOT do this week? Head here to see more on Not Me Monday

Hungry, hungry hippo

2010-06-14T05:00:00.001-04:00

That's what my 4 year old told me this evening when scavenging the fridge for something to eat. I guess I should probably make my menu plan for this week. And dinner.

Sunday ~ Tuna noodle casserole, mixed veggies

Monday ~ Meatloaf, mashed potatos, fresh broccoli

Tuesday ~ Pasta fagioli, salad

Wednesday ~ Chicken tacos, black beans, spanish rice

Thursday ~ Burgers on the grill, grilled veggies, campfire potatos

Friday ~ Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup

Saturday ~ Family reunion cookout....

What's on your menu? Check out here for more menu plans

Thank you for being a friend,

2010-06-13T20:31:00.001-04:00

traveled down the road and back again, Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant. I know that I am totally late to the party (again) in honoring the unbelievable Rue McClanahan. I can't say that I know of anyone who didn't watch the Golden Girls either growing up or in college. Or now when it's rerun in syndication. I watch it every single time it is on. And some of the best lines of that show were from or directed towards Rue McClanahan's Blanch Devereaux. Rest in peace Rue and enjoy the cheesecake in heaven.

Bring on the FUN!

2010-06-10T21:06:00.000-04:00

Having kids means there is always fun to be had. Whether it be on the jumpoline or playing in the dirt. I was thrilled when I saw Beth's "assignment" for this week's You Capture because in complete honesty it made it so much easier for me :)

Here's what we do for fun around here:

What did you capture for FUN? Head over the Beth's here for more You Capture moments.

Procrastination Nation.....

2010-06-09T10:56:00.002-04:00

That totally describes me. If I have an hour to do something I will wait until the last 5 minutes to actually take the time to work on it. If I have an hour to be somewhere, I will leave with the least amount of time given to traffic delays and what not. Due to this, I am just about horrible in every aspect of time management in my life. Except for really my life. Every thing has a time and date to be done. I have to make myself a "To Do" list for my life. But it ensures that household chores get done, bathrooms get cleaned, clothes get washed and bills get paid. I then plaster these lists around my house. I also leave sticky notes where I can (my favorite is the note in the bathroom on the mirror from my bathroom asking me to please clean it). If I don't write it down I won't do it. And that's what works for me, have other suggestions or something that you do that works for you? Head over to Kristen's for more Works for me Wednesday tidbits....

Mama said what?

2010-06-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

Mckmama is hosting a new link up called out of the Mouths of ~~Babes~~ Moms allowing us mama's the ability to put to paper so to speak the things we say to our children. Here's what came out of my mouth this week:

"Because it's not a good idea to teach Daniel to blow bubbles in bubble bath"

"No you don't need to have a different color for each finger and toe. Because all together you have 20 of them combined and I'm just not into painting that much"

"Leave her belly button alone"

"No it's not the real Beast. I promise you it's not the real Beast that lives with Belle. Because it's steak that's why now please eat your dinner"

"There's no way you're hungry. Because you just inhaled your lunch. No you cannot have a new lunch. Because you just had lunch. No you may not have a snack. No you may not have a treat. Just because you asked nicely does not mean that I will say yes. Yes maybe I am mean and nasty but I am not old and don't call me Mother. Because I said so."

What's to eat?!?!?

2010-06-07T04:45:00.001-04:00

It's the beginning of yet another week (seriously where does the weekend go?) and that means it time for another edition of menu planning. You can check out some more menu plans here and possibly add to your menu as well :)

Sunday ~ Steakumm burgers (these are incredibly delicious hamburgers that Stop and Shop has on sale B1G1 free until 6/24) and salad

Monday ~ Crock pot pulled BBQ chicken from a guest post on Erin's site at 5 Dollar Mom. Potato salad and green beans.

Tuesday ~ Beef Stroganoff and mixed veggies

Wednesday ~ Pasta and salad

Thursday ~ Egg Sandwiches on english muffins, fruit, fried potatoes

Friday ~ Grilled pizza

Saturday ~ Chili dogs and oven fries with corn on the cob.

What are you eating this week?

One shot......

2010-06-03T13:40:00.000-04:00

Beth over at I Should Be Folding Laundry (shouldn't we all?) hosts an awesome link up each week called You Capture. It's all about the photographs that a person "captures" in a week's time, each week with a different theme or challenge. This week it was ONE SHOT. The challenge was to take pics all week like usual but to only submit the favorite of the week. Here is mine:

What did you capture this week?

Calorie Counters

2010-06-02T10:49:00.000-04:00

Wow have I ever been slacking in the Works For Me Wednesday posts....what can I say Wednesday is a busy day for me but that's really no excuse so alas here is a post about what works for me....

Right after I had my daughter I continued to eat like I was still pregnant and put on more weight than I did when I was pregnant. It wasn't until I saw a picture of myself that I realized I had to do something. I am so not one for starving myself on a lettuce diet or even really one for paying attention to or exerting myself for exercise however I found the one thing that I could do is make a conscious effort to see what I was putting into my body every day. I decided to become a calorie counter. There are several sites out there that will track your calories for you but my two favorite are fitday.com and 411fit.com. I love that they have calorie counts for fast food restaurants and major chains. I especially love that 411fit.com will give you a grade every day based on what you consumed for that particular day. With the help of these sites and making the effort to see what I was ~~inhaling~~ eating I was able to lose all my after baby weight and then some and get to a weight that I was happy with. And that's what works for me. How about you, have something to share? If so head over to Kristen's to do so and while you're there take the time to see what works for others!!

What I Learned this week....

2010-05-31T04:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to yet another edition of What I Learned this week hosted by Julie. You can check out her site here to see more WILTW posts. Without further ado here we go.....

I learned that if you spend all week hitting the snooze button on your alarm when it goes off at 4:45am you will wake up all on your own at 4:45am on SATURDAY!! However you will also really enjoy the serenity of drinking coffee in peace before any little people wake up.

I also learned that if you are going to buy your husband a Father's Day gift and use the credit card to do it, you may want to warn him otherwise he will definetely find out what you got him since he decided to look at the statement.

What did you learn this week?

Dandelions are a girls best friend.......

2010-05-19T06:32:00.000-04:00

Hey there!! Not not you, you over there, the lurker.....come on in and join the fun of what I learned this week.....

I learned that dandelions will keep a 4 year old busy for roughly an hour or until there are none left....

I learned that when a sample pack comes from Kotex my 4 year old will INSIST on opening it due to the pretty colors and then Mama will have to figure out a way to tell her exactly what that thing is she opened (tampon)

I learned that just giving a 16 month old the yogurt and letting him feed himself will make him insanely happy.....and very messy

I learned that everyone wants to snuggle with someone...

And the last thing I learned is who needs toys when you have a fire hydrant in your front yard???

What have you learned this week?

Pop over to see Julie at From Inmates to Play dates for more What I Learned this week

Wasn't me..........

2010-05-17T01:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome back to the glorious day that is Monday, ugh, just the word is enough to make me want to crawl back into bed. It's not that I have a vendetta against Monday or even really that I think Monday is out to get me it's just that where it happens to fall in the week is not a good place, too close to Sunday and way too far away from Friday....but at least I have the laughter that comes with Not Me Monday to get my week started right. You can read along and even enter your own over here at Mckmama's place

It was so NOT me that woke up panicked in the middle of the night and ran to the car (which is not housed in my garage)in my pajamas in search of my Nikon, nope not me because I am SO much more responsible than that....

Totally NOT me who bribed my 4 year old with the prospect of listening to Radio Disney because I just couldn't take listening to Sugarland anymore, and they're one of my FAVES!!!!!

I DID NOT contemplate ordering MORE food at Uno's to allow my 4 year old to continue her napping there because I knew full well that the minute I woke her up she would not go back to sleep (and she didn't)

It was absolutely NOT me who totally crashed and crashed hard on eating all the WRONG foods today because I would NEVER do that (suffice to say the healthiest thing was a veggie quesadilla)

What things did you NOT do this week?

If only I knew now EVERYTHING I thought I knew then..........

2010-05-13T11:42:00.000-04:00

How many times have you heard the phrase or a variation on it of: If only I knew then what I know now? Well it got me thinking the other night as I was having a lively discussion with my 4 year old about how she knew everything and of course I as her mother knew nothing. It made me realize how many times I thought in my head that I was going to do things so much differently with my children than my parents were doing with me. How I was going to be their friend as well as their parent. Well I have to say it's a lot harder to have to be their parent than I thought. In terms of children we all want our children to like us as their parents and not want them to die of embarrasment at the prospect of being seen in public with them, but at the end of the day what we really want is for them to become productive members of society, to be happy and to feel loved. I hope that I've instilled in my children just how very much I love them. I tell them as many times as I possibly can and yet somehow I know that in just a few short precious years my ears may be burning with the infamous "I hate you, Mom." I think back to the times I said this to my parents for their utter lack of coolness refusing to let me do something that was probably stupid but that I wanted to do because everyone else was doing it and I wish I could go back in time and take it all back. Take back every mean, vile, nasty thing I ever did, said, or thought when I was younger. I remember thinking that my child would never say anything hurtful to me because I'd raise them better than my parents were raising me. If only to be able to go back to a time when I knew EVERYTHING........

Mothers Day Edition

2010-05-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome back for yet another edition of What I learned this week hosted by Julie (who I seriously think you should follow her blog as she is hilarious!!!)anyhoo......here we go:

I learned that it is extremely hard to find someone I trust as much as family to watch over my two children while I go to work for the summer. Luckily for me there is a wonderful young woman that has been working with my daughter in her Sunday school class all year that I trust completely.

Nothing will make a 4 year old happier than to be told she gets to go on a date with Mommy. To Stewarts. For ice cream. Hey it was her choice.

I learned that my son loves to have his sister blow on his belly but nobody else.

I also learned that while I love the pearls the hubby and kids got me for Mother's Day, the best gift I got was a flower made out of old seed packets, a pipe cleaner, and a button......

I hope all you Moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day!!!!

Being a Mother.......

2010-05-09T00:01:00.002-04:00

The reasons I get up every single day.....

The Girl I Used to Be

Author Unknown

She came tonight as I sat alone,

the girl I used to be,

And she gazed at me with her earnest eyes,

and questioned reproachfully,

Have you forgotten the many plans,

and hopes I had for you?

The great career,

the splendid fame

all the wonderful things to do?

Where is the mansion of stately height,

with all of its gardens rare

The silken robes that I dreamed for you,

and the shining jewels in your hair?

And as she spoke,

I was very sad,

for I wanted her pleased with me,

This slender girl from the shadowy past,

the girl I used to be.

So gently rising,

I took her hand and guided her up the stairs,

Where peacefully sleeping,

my babies lay, innocent, sweet and fair,

And I told her that these are my only gems,

and precious they are to me,

That silken robe is my motherhood,

of costly simplicity,

And my mansion of stately height is love,

and the only career I know,

Is serving each day in these sheltered walls,

for the dear ones who come and go,

And as I spoke to my shadowy guest,

she smiled through her tears at me,

And I saw the woman that I am now,

pleased the girl that I used to be!

Happy Mothers Day to all........

Double Standards.......

2010-05-07T08:35:00.000-04:00

Last night I got home and flipped on FoxNews like I do occassionally. It was around 8pm when the boob tube was turned on so Bill O'Reilly was on. Now I am not in any way a big O'Reilly fan but the story that he had absolutely floored me. It was the story of how teenagers at a California school were asked to turn their shirts inside out and take off their bandanas because they all depicted the American flag. That's right the school's that wave the American flag asked students to remove their clothing that did the same. The reasoning behind this? The school officials were afraid that it might incite something due to it being Cinco de Mayo. I very rarely discuss political situations on my blog because I like to stay away from the controversy it can create but this I have a problem with. The other issue I have with this is that the administration of this school removed the flag of the United States of America and displayed the flag for Mexico. Here's the video if you care to check it out. And again I'm not doing this to start any fires I just have an issue with students being told that they cannot wear clothing that depicts the American flag.

The not so Happy meal.....

2010-04-28T11:32:00.000-04:00

In complete honesty I was somewhat shocked when I read this article about banning toys from kids meals. I am all for kids eating healthy and what not but I also think the responsibility for an obese child should fall directly on that child's parents. Taking away a toy is not going to stop lazy parents from feeding their kids fatty meals morning, noon and night. I am a full time working mother who probably once a month stops by the drive thru of the golden arches and gets my kids a happy meal because I'm either too exhausted to cook or I don't have anything defrosted. My kids are perfectly proportioned due to the fact that I do make sure they eat healthy meals but once in a while I think I deserve a break and they deserve a treat. Most fast food places have choices in terms of drinks and sides that can be substituted for fries and soda. My children typically get one Happy Meal to share (my youngest is only 1) that is one hamburger, a chocolate or regular milk (depending on my oldest's mood) and whatever the fruit selection is. They are both extremely active children who eat well every other meal. Taking away a toy is not going to make for less obese children it's just going to upset some that they can't have a toy.

Sticky sticker situations

2010-04-28T09:10:00.000-04:00

If you, like me, are the parent of a little girl age 3-6 chances are you most likely have an abundance of stickers in your house. Not because I buy them because that would just be dumb but because she gets them as gifts, samples in mailings I get, or there were several in her Easter Eggs from the church Egg hunt. She has developed a tendency to put stickers everywhere but on paper, they are covering her step stool, plastered on her walls and even made an appearance on the toilet seat. So in my OCD state I HAD to get the stickers off of the walls and at least the toilet seat but how to do it? I found myself thinking back to when I worked the Customer Service counter at our local Menards in high school and many times had to get a sticker off without ripping the packaging the item was in and it hit me to use the blow dryer. To remove stickers from places you don't want them simply take your blow dryer and turn it on the lowest setting and hold far enough away from the surface that you don't ruin the paint or start some peeling wallpaper if you have that and gently use a butter knife or your nails (if they're long enough, mine aren't!) to peel the sticker off. And that's what works for me in sticker situations. Head on over to Kristen's to read more What Works for me Wednesday and learn some tips you may not have thought about!!

I am not indestructible.......

2010-04-27T09:39:00.000-04:00

....as I once thought I was. There was a time where I could do cartwheels for ages and not feel a single muscle crying out in pain, there was a time when I could play on a swing set for hours and not feel any different, there was a time when I could spend eight hours sitting in the dirt pulling up weeds from their roots and not feel sore three days after the facts, oh wait no there wasn't. That's what I did all day on Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm and I'm still feeling the effects of said activity on Tuesday morning.

Welcome to yet another edition of What I learned this week hosted by Julie at Inmates here

I learned that after weeding out the front area of my house for the above mentioned 8 hours I was having a hard time following along to the sit and stand instructions at church

I learned that when pulling weeds I should not position myself directly below my son's room since he can see me from the window and will shrilly screech "MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!" in the hopes of getting my attention to come and get him up from the no nap he's taken

I learned that my two children will have a pushing and pulling hair fight over the shovel (of which we own 4 identical ones) until one of them gives up.

I learned that my 4 year old will find the soap and water mixture in the spray bottle that I've been using to spray my buds to keep ants off of them and will promptly decide the porch needs cleaning and spray down the grill then proceed to attempt to wipe it up with toilet paper....it just makes a mess.

Finally I learned that my 4 year old will kiss the top of my head and say "I'm a big girl momma I'll put myself to bed" when I'm so sore I literally can't get up....

What did you learn this week?

Etiquette in a world where there is very little.......

2010-04-27T08:47:00.002-04:00

I have an etiquette question. Last Saturday (April 17) my daughter turned 4. She had several gifts shipped to her seeing as how the givers were unable to travel to our house for her actual birthday. Should I have had her immediately call the givers to thank them for the gifts or should I have painstakingly sat with a newly christened 4 year old and helped her "write" out thank you notes? Any insight would be appreciated as I always thought that receiving thank you notes was the proper thing to do as long as they were sent out within a week of receiving the gift but maybe with the way modern technology is I'm wrong.....

31 going on 85

2010-04-26T11:31:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my first edition of Not Me Monday hosted by mckmama where we total perfectionast mama's can admit to non-perfectionist moments.....

It was totally NOT ME who walked all over the parking lot for 45 minutes looking for my car and was getting ready to call the hubby to tell him it had been stolen before it dawned on me that no kids were around and that meant that the sedan was what should have been looked for not the mini van. Nope I totally didn't do that.

It was absolutely NOT ME who cruised through the DD drive thru to purchase two dozen donuts for snack for Sunday school because I forgot to make cupcakes the night before for Em's birthday.

And it is definetely NOT me who is walking around like I'm 85 after spending some quality time clearing out weeds because I am in so much better shape than that.....

So what did you NOT do this week? Head on over to Mckmama's for some more Not Me Monday quips here....

Comfort from a 4 year old

2010-04-22T13:12:00.000-04:00

Welcome to yet another edition of WILTW hosted by Julie over at Inmates to Playdates, I am posting this seriously late but I have totally a good reason for it. On Saturday we celebrate Em's birthday, on Sunday we learned that our neighbor was mourning the loss of her husband the very same day. What I learned is one very simple thing: Children are the most empathetic breed out there. My darling adorable 4 year old walked out our front door and walked over next door and simply hugged the grieving widow. Nothing more than just that simple act. The simplicity of knowing that something wasn't right but not knowing exactly what to do about it and letting her actions speak so much louder than her words.

Head over here for more What I Learned This Week

What wonders a belly button can do.......

2010-04-13T09:31:00.000-04:00

Seriously belly buttons are an enigma to kids. An exploration to how far they can push their little fingers in there in hopes of finding hidden treasure or an amusement for a 15 month old for 20 minutes plunging his finger into his sister's belly button and making her laugh like the Pillsbury dough boy and making him giggle in return.....

And some more of what I learned this week

I learned that playing outside never gets old....it makes you want to forget that you are an adult and ignore the chores that need to be done to go outside and play catch with your kids

I learned that being a parent is great in so many ways but mainly in the fact that it allows you to be a child again.

No matter how many times I ask my kids what they want for dinner the answer is always "chicken, french fries, and ketchup" but what I learned is that they enjoy it so much more having a home cooked meal and reliving their day for me play by play (I have an almost 4 year old who LOVES to talk)

I learned that having a 15 month old who is having serious teething pain is enough to rip my heart out but I secretly love that he wants to cuddle up with his mama and no one else because it won't be long until I'm going to have to tackle him to get a hug.

I learned that almost 4 year olds keep NOTHING to themselves. Like when said almost 4 year old gulps down her oatmeal in under two minutes and then rides in the car to church it will decide to come back up. In the church parking lot. And then she will tell her teacher all about it. Luckily she doesn't know the difference between a parking lot and a driveway. I didn't correct her.

I also learned that little girls will change their mind on a daily basis on which Disney Princess they want their birthday cake to look like and will choose the one that we haven't seen yet (Princess Tiana from the Princess and the Frog). Mommy is trying to persuade her to want Snow White since Mommy thinks it would look cool.

Well that's about all I learned this week, how about you?

Head on over to visit Julie at From Inmates to Playdates to check out what other people learned....

Menu Plan Monday (on a Tuesday......again)

2010-04-13T09:08:00.000-04:00

I swear I don't know where all the hours in the day go. I think if I just had a few more hours or if I could clone myself like the movie "Multiplicity" I would totally be ahead of the game. But before I digress much more here is my menu plan for this week:

Monday: Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, gravy, mixed veggies. I LOVE this meal because it's relatively simple and easy and gets a fair amount of nutrition into my children't bellies.

Tuesday ~ Daddy's cooking since he's home all day and he better not be cooking leftovers or take out

Wednesday ~ Baseball stadium food night!!! I love this night and I love baseball so the two go hand in hand....Beer Brats sauteed to perfection in a bottle of Killians then finished off on the grill to get those cool grill marks on them, french fries or tater tots (whichever I have more of or we may make some homemade oven fries YUMMY!!!) and carrots.

Thursday ~ Chicken tacos, fixin's, and rice and beans. My almost 4 year old (GASP!!!) loves taco night.

Friday ~ Veggie Tart Experiment night (I really hope this works) Pillsbury.com has a great recipe for a vegetable tart that sounds delicious. It's puff pastry, ranch dip mix spread across it and your favorite vegetables spread around. I'm thinking of making a Mediterranean one with olives, tomatos, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese and an "American" one for the kiddos with their fave veggies....I'll let you know how it turns out.

Saturday ~ ALL ABOUT EMILY DAY!!! My daughter Emily is turning 4 on Saturday so it will be her choice in every meal and then of course we will top it off with cake and ice cream....

Sunday ~ Pasta night. My kids are simple they like pasta and tomato sauce. We'll have the sauce simmer all day so it's awesome by dinner time.

What are you eating this week?

Head over to An Organizing Junkie to find more Menu Plans and get some great ideas and link yours up too!!

Happy Eating!!!

What I learned this week.....

2010-04-06T08:39:00.000-04:00

Julie from Inmates to Playdates is now hosting the fabulous What I Learned This Week, I love this because it makes me reflect back on the previous week and see what I may have missed when taking life too quickly....so without further ado here we go:

1. I learned that as much as I try to explain the spiritual aspect of the cleansing of the feet on Maundy Thursday service that my 3 year old WILL FLAT OUT REFUSE.....

2. I learned that at 31 while I am still physically able to climb the dogwood tree in my in-laws front yard to retrieve the 6 year old neighbor who climbed up too far and could not get down, I will feel the after effects still on Tuesday.....

3. I am the worlds worst person at keeping caught up on pictures and it will take one of my sister in law's to ~~nag~~ point out that I have been back from NYC for almost weeks and still have not shared my pictures (it's now been done)

4. I learned that Easter Egg dyeing NEVER gets old. At 31 it's still one of my favorite things to do....

5. I learned that I have a very respectful 3 year old. When the Easter Egg hunt started at church and there were eggs a plenty clustered all together she only took one from each "station" so that other kids could according to her "get some too"....LOVE HER!!!

6. I learned that my mother in law runs faster than anyone I've ever seen when a baby (mine, of course) decides that he needs to me outside and opens the porch door and starts walking down the steps......Thank goodness for her speed as she got to him when he was only down one step since it ends in concrete.

7. I learned that HUNDREDS of people go to church on Easter Sunday but if you go to the Easter Egg hunt first you don't have to wrestle with someone to get your regular seat....

8. I learned that sometimes there is nothing better than sitting outside on a BEAUTIFUL day sipping beer and spending time with family.....

What did you learn this week???

Head over here to check out more

NY's "Fat Tax"

2010-04-01T08:04:00.000-04:00

Absolutely unbelievable. NY State is in a deficit. In trying to keep the state in the black, David Patterson (our governor) has instituted the "fat tax". He is taxing sugary sodas and now is going to tax people who the state deems are overweight. According to the state that means the average weight of a man should be 185 pounds and the average weight of a woman should be 140 pounds. For every pound that a person is over they would have to pay $10 per month per pound. I am 5'8 and I weigh 147 pounds, but according to Patterson I am technically 7 pounds overweight, that means I would have to pay an additional $840 in state taxes for the fat tax. This is ludicrous. Especially coming from a governor who has a probe going on for spending $600K on Yankees World Series tickets that came from state fiscal funds. Get your head out of your you know what and do your job. Stop taxing me because all it's going to do is put more of a burden on the state when I have to work solely to pay my taxes and then have to go on welfare.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-03-23T09:08:00.000-04:00

Again my late Tuesday edition to Menu Plan Monday but since I wasn't home this weekend I decided that I get a break on this (although I'm not sure what excuse I'll be able to use next week)

Monday ~ was Mommy and Daddy are drained night and we splurged and had Chinese

Tuesday ~ Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans

Wednesday ~ Chicken parmigiana (we have a ton of chicken thighs in the freezer so we'll use that and I found some mozzarella too so perfect dinner), with spaghetti and salad

Thursday ~ Breakfast for dinner (pancakes, sausage, toast, and eggs for mommy)

Friday ~ Homemade pizza

Saturday ~ Daddy's home on a Saturday night (that rarely happens) and he likes to cook so I'll let him decide on dinner

Sunday ~ Crock Pot chili

Head on over here for more Menu Plans

What I learned this week

2010-03-23T08:44:00.000-04:00

Ok so I'm so totally late again with my WILTW but whatever.......

The NYC What I learned this week edition:

I learned that unless you want to be run over by a taxi that you pay attention at crosswalks

I learned that the Empire State Building is magical even during the day with the tourist groups and student groups it's still awe inspiring to get the view of Manhattan and to remember what the original workers finished in just over a year and WAAAAAYYY under budget

I learned that Grand Central Station is just what Marty from Madagascar said "It's Grand and it's Central". It was beautiful to see Jackie O's vision put to canvas per se

I learned that it is entirely possible to walk off all the bad food you eat and the alcohol you consume while in NYC since you walk EVERYWHERE, I think I dropped 7 pounds this weekend

I learned that even if you are not Catholic you cannot NOT see the beauty and love and spirituality within St. Patricks Cathedral

I learned that nothing I cook will ever come close to the food I had at Umberto's in Little Italy

I learned that 5 women can still giggle like school girls when out and about for dinner

I learned that my sisters in law (those women above) are amazing and I had a wonderful weekend with them in NYC.

But the most important thing I learned was that as much fun as I had and as much as I needed a break from my life nothing beats the smiles and hugs I got from my babies upon my return....

What did you learn this week?

Head on over to Musings of a Housewife for more What I Learned This Week

So EXCITED!!!!!!

2010-03-18T12:55:00.000-04:00

This weekend I am embarking on a girls weekend. This is exciting for several parts; 1. I'm going with my four sisters-in-law and yes we do all actually really like each other, 2. As much as I LOVE my children and family I need a break from them that doesn't involve me going to work to obtain said break, 3. We're going to NYC, now I live in NY state but the last time I was in the city was in 2004 (before I moved here, got married and had babies)in January and during a blizzard when Mayor Bloomberg had no choice but to literally close the city down, and 4. this may be my very most exciting thing about girls weekend, I am going to find a way to eat here How COOL is that????? Pictures and stories to come later.

Menu Plan Monday (on a Tuesday)

2010-03-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

I honestly don't know where the time goes as I always have ideas of grandeaur in making sure that I get my menu plan down and written out on Sunday night and then the day just gets away from me and all of a sudden it's Tuesday morning. So I'm a little late, sue me.

Monday ~ Chicken a la grandma (chicken breasts saturated in olive oil and covered in breadcrumbs)stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn. This is one of the easiest ways to make chicken IMHO and the kids LOVE it!!

Tuesday ~ Bad Mommy night, I have a ton of errands to run (I'll tell you about why later) and will probably be hitting a drive thru for the kids to eat in the car

Wednesday ~ Turkey loaf night!!! I love making meatloaf while using ground turkey as it isn't as greasy and my kids don't know the difference, we'll have green beans and au gratin potatoes with it

Thursday ~ Sandwiches, in the car (I know bad mommy again) but it is because we will be travelling to my SIL's house to drop my kids off for the weekend so all my Sisters-in-law and I (5 of us) can head to NYC for the weekend!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

I have no idea what they'll eat this weekend but seeing as how two of the brothers are chefs and the other one really likes to cook they'll be well taken care of.

Head on over here for more Menu Plan Monday

I need them....

2010-03-13T11:48:00.000-05:00

It's true that every child needs someone to love them. That no child should ever have to endure not knowing what true unconditional love is. But I think for me, as a mother, I need my children more. I need them to point out the beauties that are in life amidst all the hardships and sorrows. I need them to love me unconditionally as only children can do. I need them to show me the beauty in despair, to show me the face of innocence in evil, to show me how to live and love fully.

Two bloggers that I regularly follow (Kristen and Mckmama) recently embarked on a trip to Kenya with Compassion Bloggers for two weeks to witness the despair, slums, and hope that their sponsored children live in. What these two women do and open their hearts to amazes me. But it also got me thinking as I do sponsor a child as well that as much as that child needs the money that I send to them, I think I need them more. I need to know the wealth that I live in that can be deemed not very much, but when compared to the slums that they live in and the hardships that they go through and are witness to every day I live like royalty. And maybe I do. In their eyes. I'm sure that my modest home, that is heated by the gigantic oil tank in my basement, that has electricity that I so frequently forget to turn off, the hot and more important running water that flows through my house that is clean that I wash my babies in, the hot meals that I can cook, the abundance of food in my home that allows for my 3 year old to "snack" all day long, would be viewed as a palace to these children that huddle together at night just to stay warm, whose families try to keep an impeccably clean living arrangement which can be difficult when the "floors" are made of dirt or even worse garbage. I implore you to read the stories here and here and if you are able sponsor a child through Compassion bloggers. It may not seem like a lot to you but to these children you'd be their hero.

And to my children who have the ability to open their hearts so freely and openly and willingly share everything that they have, you are my heroes.

Works for me Wednesday

2010-03-10T15:54:00.000-05:00

I have two beautiful children who have a massive amount of clothes. To ensure that they wear all the clothes that are their size and are gifts and what not we hang up their daytime clothes in their closets and reserve the dressers for socks, underwear, and pajamas. This helps me see when they need to have their laundry done and to make sure that all the clothes that they own are worn before they're outgrown. To find more Works for me Wednesday head here.

Blessed

2010-03-05T14:05:00.001-05:00

bless·ed
–adjective
Divinely or supremely favored; fortunate: to be blessed with a strong, healthy body; blessed with an ability to find friends.

I am very, very blessed. I have two beautiful children who are in excellent health. I have really no worries in the world when it comes to my children. But I also know that for every child that is healthy there is also one that is not healthy.I have not had to experience the heartbreak that goes along with a child getting sick and there not being an easy cure to it. Today and tomorrow (March 5 and 6) the Hudson Valley radio station WRWD 107.3FM has joined up with N&S Supply for the 20th annual St. Jude Radiothon. This is a truly remarkable event for a truly remarkable and inspirational place that is taking place across the country. There is no child that is turned away due to their parents not being able to afford medical care. It was at St. Jude that they found a way for a 75% cure rate of Sickle cell in children. St. Jude was founded by Danny Thomas and his daughter Marlo Thomas is still very much involved in this hospital that deals with childhood cancers. This is a charity that is very near and dear to me as I lost a friend to Leukemia when she was just 13 and had spent much of her life battling this disease. You can become a partner in hope for less than it cost for a cup of coffee a day. For $25 a month you can make a difference. If you are able to donate please click here and make it just a little easier on the parents and children that have to go to St. Jude. If you want to read more about St. Jude click here

Works For Me Wednesday

2010-03-03T08:21:00.000-05:00

I drink coffee. A lot of coffee. And I have to have creamer in my coffee. So the end result is that I have quite a few coffee creamer containers (primarily International Delight and Coffee-Mate) and while waiting for the recycling man to come one week when he didn't we decided to play a game using the containers. Now I can't take credit for this because it was really my nephew's kindergarten teacher's idea but they used them for bowling!!! Yes bowling! The creamer containers specifically the ones I mentioned are the perfect size for mini bowling pins!! I'm sorry to say I don't have a picture of this since my camera battery decided to die last night when I decided to upload at about midnight but the general idea is that you line up the containers the same way bowling pins are set up, find a small ball (we used a wiffle ball since it had holes for my 3 year olds fingers and no her fingers didn't get stuck) and roll it down the lane. That's what works for me when you're stuck inside for 7 days in a row and are having a major case of cabin fever. Head on over here for more Works for Me Wednesday this week and next as Kristen is headed to Kenya with Compassion Bloggers for the next two weeks. If you want to read about Kristen's journey click here, you can also read about Mckmama's journey of the same trip here. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they share their love in Kenya.

Heartbreak

2010-02-27T19:25:00.000-05:00

Who knew it would happen so soon? That my little girl, my princess would break my heart? Shatter is more likely. Into a million little pieces. But that's just what she did at the ripe old age of 3 and a half. She wants me to ask my boss if I can stay home everyday with her so I can watch her grow up (her words, not mine; I have a very mature 3 year old). She wants me to tell my boss that I'll keep working for her but that I won't be physically coming into work anymore. I never imagined a life where I wasn't working and now my child has me questioning it and questioning whether or not I'd be good as a stay at home mom. I've always been one of those mom's that would take a bullet for my children but who also wants a little bit of time away from them and work allows me that freedom. But as they are getting older I realize that I may be missing important milestones because I'm at work. I missed my daughters first step because I was at work (and it wasn't really a step seeing as how she walked clear across the kitchen to find her grandmother), I missed my son's first word because I was at work. And now I'm trying to figure out a way to get my daughter into a pre-K because she wants to go to one but I haven't found one yet conducive to my work schedule. How do you say no to that?

Christmas can be free.......

2010-02-26T09:14:00.001-05:00

It is known about me that I can be a very frugal person. I don't like spending money I don't have to. That doesn't mean that I have a lot or a little of it. It means that I have enough to live a life I want to comfortably. One of my goals this year is to not spend a lot of money out of pocket on Christmas. My family is HUGE so this is a big deal (I have 5 nephews and a niece, a goddaughter and her brother and soon to be determined sibling, a best friend, my kids, my parents, my in-laws, and oh yeah did I mention that I also have 2 nephews, a niece, a Dad, and my son's birthday thrown into the month of December as well? 1st, 20th, 26th, 30th, and 31st.....whew.) I would love it if there really were trees made of money that I could just go and "borrow" from whenever I felt the need but since there isn't I look at alternate ways to avoid having to use those priceless pennies. A few of the ways that I "earn" cash (it's not even really cash but giftcards since they are so much more practical for me) is through a variety of rewards sites. Here are a few that I enjoy and have worked very well for me over the year. Be careful on a couple because there may be limitations to how much you can redeem in a month (make sure you read the terms and conditions if you're not sure)

Swagbucks- Swagbucks is a search engine like Google but this search engine allows you to get swagbucks when you search and accrue bucks. Then when you're ready you can redeem those for prizes such as $5 Amazon gift cards or $5 Paypal cards. There are other ways to win on swagbucks and the administrators do a great job of offering out random codes to earn more. Every Friday is Mega Swagbucks day where you have a chance to earn even more than usual. I would suggest signing up for all the possibilities for them as there are often codes lurking in the blog, newsletter, twitter, and their facebook page. Make sure you read the conditions on this one as there are certain things you are expressly prohibited from doing (such as tweeting an actual code or posting it on your fb page or blog) and they will cancel your account. Head on over here to see what new things are going on with Swagbucks 3.0

Mypoints--- I love mypoints. I've been a member since 2006 and have traded in points for numerous giftcards. Mypoints sends out emails (that you pick the amount you want) and just for looking at them you can earn 5 points. They also have the mypoints daily deal that allows you to shop from their site and earn points per dollars spent. This year I'm stockpiling my points until probably October when I'll start redeeming them so I can utilize the giftcards for birthday and Christmas gifts. If you are interested in this please leave me a comment with your email address so I can send you the invite.

Inbox Dollars - This is another one that I've been a member of for awhile. It is basically what it says. They send you emails you click through them and typically you'll earn a couple cents. There is a $5 sign up bonus and when you're ready you can cash in. You do have to have $30 in your account to request a check but still they will send you a $30 check. This works similar to mypoints in that they send you emails to read and you can also earn money by shopping through their site. If you are interested in this one check out the right hand side of the blog for the graphic that will take you to their site.

There are several others out there these are just a few of the ones that have worked very well for me. And who doesn't want something for nothing?

######################### FCC DISCLOSURE ########################

To the FCC dude who might be looking at this. No I didn't receive any compensation from anyone for posting this. These are all my own opinions and thoughts.

live like the pioneers

2010-02-25T13:16:00.000-05:00

While watching Arthur with my daughter one morning, Francine had to write a book report on what it must have been like to be a pioneer and just then there was a massive blizzard and everyone had to work together. They had to get by without modern day conveniences and got to see how cool it was to NOT have all those conveniences. This is almost what I felt like this morning when I woke up at 5 am to no power in my house. The only reason that I knew it was 5am was because the power was intermittently unavailable last night and I brought my cell phone to bed with me for fear that I would oversleep and not have an alarm. And as I was emailing my boss from my cell phone it made me think of how dependent I am on conveniences such as the telephone, the television and the internet....Oh Lord the internet. I basically felt non functional yesterday without it. I couldn't tell you anything without it. Thank goodness for my internet enabled cell phone but still that didn't do justice when I was trying to write emails from a tiny touch pad. Maybe I need to get reacquainted with simple living where all these electronics aren't necessities. I think I'm longing for the simple way of life again where for fun you went to a person's house since that was the only way to get a hold of them, where you played cards against other people not computers, where you went to bed when the sun went down because there wasn't anything else to do without light, and where all you had to get by was your family. What do you do without power?

What did you learn?

2010-02-23T16:55:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my super late edition of What I Learned This Week.

I learned that even though my 3 year old begged me to take her to Ash Wednesday, she will not be quiet or sit still for the whole service. She also will not know how to use her whispering voice and will say in her regular voice (which echoes throughout the Nave) "Why are you always yelling at me?"

I learned that working from home with a 1 and 3 year old is a million times harder than going into work in a blizzard.

I learned that giving up soda for Lent will lead to a major caffeine withdrawal headache but that after 3 days of not having soda I really don't miss it.

I learned that my husband will go out and buy me the things that I tend to put off. Like a new glasses prescription that I have been putting off for about 5 years.

I learned that said husband will do that because I can no longer read the info on the television without being right on top of it.

I learned that spice cake made with an apple filling and homemade cream cheese icing is the best cake ever, even though I don't particularly like cake.

I learned that if you take a 3 year old birthday shopping they will then spend all their time trying to tell you what was bought.

And the most important thing I learned this week is that after years of birthdays with friends that were a blast and most of the time held at a bar, the birthdays that I'll remember the most are the ones I spent with my family.

What did you learn this week?

You can head here to find more.

Mistaken Identity?

2010-02-12T16:23:00.000-05:00

I remember when I was younger and I had a serious case of mistaken identity. Honestly it was really not knowing what identity I wanted to be mine. Was it the loyal follower, astute leader, easygoing laid back along for the ride, or something else? I got my answer on April 17, 2006 at 4:45am; I wanted to be MOM. My children have enriched my life so completely that I can't and don't want to remember a time without them. Everytime I have a conversation it inevitably turns to my children. I have elaborate hopes and dreams for them and aching fears for them. I know that in the end it's in God's hands but I want to know that I gave them everything they would need while here. I think that mother's as a whole are an entirely different breed; we ache for others children (of people that we have never met), our heart skips a beat when we hear that announcement in a store that a child is up at customer service even though you know you left your child at home, we pray that all the children in the world have parents who love them as much as we love our children, we would step in front of a speeding semi if it meant trading our life for that of our childs, and to me as a mother my greatest fear is that somethign will happen and I won't be there to see my children make the biggest decisions of their lives. Or the smallest for that matter. And for that reason I cherish every single day I have with them. Even when I'm arguing with my 3 year old (who I'm sure is already eyeing the top spot on a debate team) or feeling exhausted just by the weight of it all, there is no place I'd rather be than exactly where I am.

She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. ~Margaret Culkin Banning

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

Works for me Wednesday

2010-02-10T17:41:00.000-05:00

Kristen over at wearethatfamily has a great idea going called Works for Me Wednesday (WFMW for short) where all kinds or bloggers link up something they do that works for them and it turns into a learning experience. Here is my WFMW:

In our household there is an abundance of movies and little fingers don't always work when trying to open DVD cases (who am I kidding, sometimes big fingers don't work) and so that little girls (I mean you Emily) who can't make up their mind have the ability to flip through DVD's without Mommy having to open every single one, we took a CD carrier (one that's used to hold about 150 CD's) and put our DVD's in it. This way she can flip through until she finds that one movie that she's been waiting a week to see (words straight from my dramatic three year old)and Mommy doesn't have to open any DVD cases.

Divide and Conquer

2010-02-03T15:52:00.004-05:00

I'll be totally honest and let you know that I hate housework. With a passion. A HUGE passion. Now it's not that I don't want my house to be clean, I just don't want to be the one to have to clean it. There are certain aspects in every marriage where spouses argue.. the one that stands out in my marriage? You guessed it HOUSEWORK!!! My husband and I both work full time and while he "technically" works more hours for which he is paid, I do more of the "mama" work. Case in point: I do almost all the laundry, when my husband needs clothes for work he does do a load of wash, but of ONLY his clothes. Last time I checked there were three other people in this house who need to wear clothes. Preferably clean ones. I take the kids to and from daycare so while my "real" job doesn't actually start until 8am and ends at 4pm, I'm up and out the door by 6:40am and home no sooner than 5:20pm. Did I mention that I also get those two little grumpy morning people (I mean RAYS OF SUNSHINE) dressed every morning? My husband has apparently an allergy to loading or unloading the dishwasher (that seems to be reserved for me since he will WASH the dishes by hand before he will unload the dishwasher). He doesn't empty the diaper genie, instead he will leave hints for me that it's full(the diapers on top of it) Well now that I've gone off and stepped up onto my soapbox of things my hubby doesn't do, I should point out that hubby does a majority of the cooking (because in all honesty I'm not very good at it and he likes his cooking more than mine), he painted my kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedroom all by himself (I went shopping), he's installing my lighting fixtures in my kitchen and dining room (I'm going shopping) and he's a wonderful father and I love the fact that my children's faces light up when they see him. I just want him to empty the dishwasher!!!!

Got Giftcards????

2010-02-02T15:27:00.003-05:00

With Swagbucks you can. Swagbucks is a search engine where you can earn swagbucks and then in turn redeem those bucks for gift cards. This site lets you get "paid" for what you're already doing online.

SAG Awards honor Betty White

2010-01-27T12:19:00.003-05:00

I am a huge fan of Betty White. Have been since I was about 7 years old and watched "The Golden Girls" for the first time. I immediately was drawn to the Betty White character of Rose Nyland for the simple reason that she spoke about St. Olaf and I knew where that was. It is still one of my favorite shows to watch in reruns on Lifetime and WE tv.I bought the "Mary Tyler Moore show" DVD set so I could see Betty White in it. I watched "Boston Legal" because she was in it. And now I am contemplating watching the "Bold and the Beautiful" because she has a stint on it. So I was ecstatic to read that the Screen Actors Guild was going to honor her with the Lifetime Achievement Award and even more delighted when I read that Sandra Bullock (my other favorite actor) was going to present it. I think Sandra Bullock was great in her introduction of Betty White and that the SAG did a great job showcasing Betty White's career. The only thing I don't understand is how it took 60 years for her to get this.

Text messages and social media raise $1.2 million for Haiti in a day

2010-01-14T11:09:00.000-05:00

This is awe-inspiring

Text messages and social media raise $1.2 million for Haiti in a day

The Great Gallon Give

2010-01-13T13:19:00.004-05:00

I love milk. My daughter loves milk. My son loves milk. So much so that I buy about 4-5 gallons of milk a week. There is a great promotion going on right now here where even if you don't win milk for a year you do get a coupon for a BOGO of milk....how COOL is that?!?!?!? Plus everytime you "Pass a gallon" on facebook $1 will go to Feeding America to help families in need. It may seem like a silly game to you and you can only "pass" 4 gallons a day but if you do that and get 4 of your friends to get 4 of their friends and so on it could really help out this great foundation. Thanks to Freebies4Mom for this heads up

Haitian Tragedy

2010-01-13T12:15:00.005-05:00

On January 12, 2010, at 4:53 p.m. EST, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, the country's worst in over 202 years.[22] The epicenter of the quake was just off the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, sparking a tsunami watch for parts of the Caribbean, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.[23]

Widespread damage has been reported from the quake, with many buildings near the capital collapsing due to poor structural design. The capital city was largely destroyed. The Associated Press first reported that a hospital had collapsed. The Presidential palace was badly damaged, but the President unhurt. The quake had a reported magnitude of 7.1, with the focus being about 6 miles (10 km) underground

If you have any extra money lying around, I implore you to give to this small country that has dealt with enough strife to last a lifetime. Below are some of the ways you can donate:

UNICEF
Red Cross

Wyclef Jean's foundation

If you don't have the funds necessary to give money then give blood if you can, every little bit helps.

Keeping all of the victims, survivors, and those yet to be found in my family's thoughts and prayers and hugging my children a little bit tighter.

To nap or not to nap?

2010-01-08T16:22:00.002-05:00

Dear 3 year old,

Please stop arguing with me when I tell you it's time to nap. Please don't tell me that you're not tired, that you just want to play for a bit more. Please don't start to whine and make the word please a much longer word than it is with the emphasis on the "a". Please just listen to me and take a nap. Otherwise you will be doing this when it's time to eat as you are doing now.

2010.......

2010-01-06T12:30:00.002-05:00

2010 Resolutions

The year I finally shed my post baby weight (remember Daniel just turned 1)
The year I finally start cooking meals for my family instead of letting the friendly people of Mickey D's do that for me
The year I finally get caught up on my laundry (never mind that in almost 5 years of marriage, I have yet to be caught up on this)
The year I finally stop eating fast food.

Ok so maybe the last one will be attainable for me. I have a feeling that I would save so much money (and my body so much heartache) if I could just give up my junk food habit. So with that said I'm starting my resolution today that I'm going to (try, really really try) give up fast food.

There it's written down and therefore set in stone.

PS Is pizza considered fast food?

Happy Birthday Lil' Man

2009-12-31T11:17:00.003-05:00

The snow outside is gently falling, exactly like it was one year ago today when I met the little man who would steal my heart away. Lil' man was a scheduled c-section and was scheduled to arrive between 8 and 8:30 but he decided to make a grand entrance when the doctors lost his heart rate and he rolled onto the umbilical cord so at 7:19 am on December 31, 2008 I met the man of my dreams. I can't tell you how much I love you because there's just not enough time in a lifetime but know that you and your sister have my whole heart. You were a perfect 9lbs and 2 oz and 21.5 inches of all boy. You have learned so much in your year it amazes me (and frightens me somewhat), you're starting to walk and have mastered the art of climbing on anything and everything, can say "mama" with absolute conviction and are one of the happiest babies I've ever seen. Happy Birthday baby boy, and remember the whole world is celebrating with you!!!!

12/31/2008

12/31/2009

Emily's world

2009-10-24T13:05:00.010-04:00

Seriously why is it that the minute the leaves start changing colors the stores think they need to put out Christmas decorations? Luckily this year we were able to procure a Halloween costume for Em with 2 weeks left to spare before the event. Last year we had a very hard time finding one for her with that much time left. She's going to be a witch.....here she is trying on the costume:

Sharing a popsicle with Daniel who is having MAJOR teething pain.....

And finally entertaining Daddy and I with her song about Cinderella and the number 3:

Freezer/Pantry Challenge Take Two

2009-10-21T09:21:00.002-04:00

Ok here we go again. Let's see how this week works out for my challenge since last week not only did we have Chinese one night we also had pizza.

Monday: Homemade Hamburger Helper
We had some leftover ground beef, shredded cheddar, elbow mac, and milk and voila Hamburger Helper at a fraction of the price. Plus it allowed both me and E to have lunch on Tuesday

Tuesday (aka Daddyless dinner night) Breakfast
I bought eggs on sale at A&P for a buy one get one free and we had a ton of pancake mix. So the kids had pancakes and syrup and Mommy had eggs and sausage (I don't like pancakes)

Wednesday: Pot Roast
We bought a HUGE pork loin at BJ's when it was on sale and have slowly been eating away at it.

Thursday: Baseball food night
Hot dogs and fries.

Friday: Chicken a la Grandma
Chicken thighs in olive oil and breadcrumbs, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies

Saturday: Musgoes (leftover night)

Sunday: Chili
Chili is pretty much a given on Sundays once football starts. It's easy to make, both my kids eat it, and it makes enought for leftovers.

Let's see how this goes since I actually had a menu plan ahead of time.

Freezer/Pantry Challenge

2009-10-14T12:01:00.005-04:00

As some may know my husband and I are planning to move at the end of November. To make life easier (and in all actuality cheaper) on us we are conducting a freezer/pantry challenge to reduce the amount of food we have in our freezer and pantry and to try not to go grocery shopping every week except for necessities (milk, bread, eggs).
To do this we need to make a menu plan and in complete honesty we're really, really bad at that. So far this week here is what we have had for dinner

Sunday: English Muffin Pizza
(I got the english muffins for $1.99 at Hannaford, the mozzarella for .99 at Hannaford and I had a can of crushed tomatoes left over from when stop and shop had them for .50)

Monday: Chicken a la Grandma, homemade stuffing, mixed veggies
(I got boneless, skinless chicken thighs for .19 a pound (!!), we had some white bread that my kids won't eat so we turned it into stuffing, and we had the frozen veggies from a s&s stop when they were .50 a bag)

Tuesday: Stuffed Peppers, garlic knots, alfredo noodles
(The hubs made dinner with ground beef we bought on sale a month ago, we bought a HUGE bag of rice at BJ's about 6 months ago and are still using it, the peppers he bought yesterday, I bought pizza dough on Sunday in the hopes of making homemade pizza but had a problem getting it to roll out so that's where the garlic knots came from, 1.99, and the alfredo noodles were a pasta roni package that I bought for .50)

Wednesday: This we will call my "Adrianne didn't have a menu plan" night. Chinese food. 'Nuff said. Except that I also got a replenishment on my tupperware. Oh and that I got enough food to have dinner for hubs, mini-me, me and enough for lunch for all three of us the next day. And well, breakfast for me. There were vegetables in it so I deemed it healthy.

Thursday: Musgoes (whatever is in the fridge "must go" or leftover night to a normal family) And now I realize that in order for this to work I really, really need to make a menu plan and not try to fly by the seat of my pants.

Conversations with a 3 year old

2009-10-11T12:32:00.004-04:00

E: Mama, can we go to Heaven?

This was the question asked of me by my 3 year old on the way home from Sunday School today. It's her first time being in Sunday School and she LOVES every minute of it and apparently she's listening when they go to the chapel for song and story time. I pondered how to answer this for her as Heaven is somewhere that she should want to go, but is not somewhere that we can go right now. While I thought of how to answer her over our shared lunch of nuggets and fries she asked another question:

E: When can I meet God?

I tried to tell her that she sees God everyday. In the flowers by the side of the road, in the leaves that are now starting to change color, in the bright blue sky and the fluffy white clouds that are shaped by elephants. I tried to tell her where I see God; in her smile, in her brother's baby blue eyes, in watching them learn and grow every day. How do you give answers to a 3 year olds questions when you're not so sure you know the answer? How do you tell her that you don't know and she responds with "why?". How do you explain to a 3 year old who sees everything in matter-of-fact that you can't drive by Heaven just to see what's going on? Or that you can't schedule a meet and greet with God? I started to tell her that going to Heaven and meeting God are going to be direct reflections on how she lives her life. She sat and thought about this for a long time and then asked a question that I could answer:

E: When I go to Heaven will you be there?

Absolutely baby, absolutely.

AL CENTRAL CHAMPIONS!!!!

2009-10-07T14:18:00.002-04:00

Most that know me, know that I am originally from Minnesota and a big fan of the Minnesota Twins. Especially when my dad used to take us to games in the Metrodome and watching my favorite player of all time #34 Kirby Puckett and being able to be in the state when they won the World Series in 1987 and 1991. Two years in a row now the Twins have come from behind to force a one game play off to enter the playoffs within the American League. Last year was a heartbreaker as the Twins lost to the Chicago White Sox 1-0. This year no one thought they would be able to catch the Detroit Tigers who had a 3 game lead heading into the last 4 games of the season. But with an amazing (17-4) record for the month of September my beloved Twins forced a playoff in the Metrodome. I must say that when Miguel Cabrera hit that hot 2 run shot off of Baker my heart sank a little but the way the Twins stuck with it and kept answering runs with runs of their own reminded me a little of how this game is supposed to be played. With a lot of heart. Both teams played with a tremendous amount of heart rallying from being down one run each and eventually forcing extra innings. In the end it was the Twins who came out on top 6-5 in the bottom of the 12th inning on a single by Alexi Casilla that scored Gomez from 2nd. I think that both teams played last night like the players of yester year and each would have deserved the win. Congratulations to the Minnesota Twins. Everyone else please pray for my hearing as my hubby is a NY Yankees fan (as is the rest of my in-laws) and it should be interesting in our household starting tonight.

My Everest

2009-10-07T14:12:00.003-04:00

So the other day I got an email from active.com asking what my "Everest" was and it really got the wheels turning thinking about what I want to accomplish in my lifetime. I'm married to an amazing man (who can seriously drive me nuts but I know loves me for everything that I am and in spite of everything that I'm not), have two wonderful children (who I watch with amazement every day when they surprise me with how great they really are), and I'm really not looking to accomplish much more than raising my children to be the best they can be. So thinking with this in mind (and knowing that I want my kids to know that anything is possible) I've decided that I have two "Everests" 1) I want to run a 5K, followed by eventually running the NY marathon and 2) I want to complete a triathalon. Now for anyone who knows me I'm extremely stubborn and when doing something I usually do everything in my power to get it done and that I can be extremely lazy and working out is really not my cup of tea. But as I said before I want to show my kids that hard work and perseverance can overcome anything so here's to completing my Everest. What's your Everest?

Fall

2009-10-05T18:12:00.004-04:00

I love fall. Just about everything about it, changing leaves, falling leaves, apple picking, the pumpkin patch, eating or drinking anything with the hint of pumpkin in it. Wearing sweaters and jeans and being comfy. Football Sundays and Mondays (and sometimes Thursdays and the occasional Saturday college game too which means then sometimes on Friday night as well), Sunday school is in full swing. But most of all I love it because it's a time when my kids are a little more likely to want to snuggle up to a warm body and because that means its time for fall pictures.

What a whirlwind

2009-10-02T17:52:00.006-04:00

.....and I have loved every minute of it. Last weekend I took the kids to the Hyde Park Quadricentennial. This has importance in two ways for me especially first its a free thing to do with my kids, second it is believed that Henry Hudson anchored his ship in the Crum Elbow Creek in 1609. It was a nice day without it being too warm, fall was definetely in the air especially when the wind blew. It gave Emily a chance to go from table to table and come away with a souvenir from each. There was the paper rose she got to make (marking the rose gardens in FDR's lawn), the piece of wooden furniture stamped with Val-Kill (a la the furniture at Val-Kill Eleanor Roosevelt's estate), a wooden sailboat (to commemorate Hudson's Half Moon ship), and a dutch hat. It was a wonderful event and really got the kids and community involved.

Here are some of the pictures from the day:

Busy Saturday.......

2009-09-26T09:16:00.002-04:00

So today is both the Hyde Park Quadricentennial and the Arlington Street Fair. Both are about the same time. The Quad is 1-4 and the Street Fair is 12-6. I've decided to enrich both my childrens lives by going to both. Alone. With a 3 year old and a 9 month old. God help me. Stay tuned for pics of my amazing kids having an amazing time!!

Free samples

2009-09-11T14:57:00.017-04:00

I LOVE free stuff. Mostly because it's free. But also because it gives me a chance to try something that I most likely wouldn't buy without trying first. There's an that has amazing free samples. This site updates every day and always has something that I'm interested in. Below is a picture of just some of the samples I've received. The best part is I haven't paid for deodorant in over a year due to the free samples I get.

That's 10 magazines, a formula sample, a bookmark,a Betty Crocker warm delights sample, and three full size cans of Chunky soup......who can beat that????

Miles of Hope walk

2009-08-27T14:38:00.002-04:00

I have said for years that I really wanted to do a Race for the Cure walk, a relay for life, etc., etc., but I have either not had the time or was just lazy in doing it. Not this time, I am all registered for the Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Research walk on Sunday September 27 at James Baird Park. I'm totally looking forward to doing this walk with my kids and even more so to raise money for a stellar cause. I'm hoping to start instilling in my children the desire and need to support causes such as these. We have always donated to St. Judes, the American Cancer society and our local food banks but doing activities such as these and seeing all the awesome supporters, not to mention survivors is equally thrilling. Now I only have to get my rear in gear to prepare for a 5K while hauling two kids.....

Already breaking hearts.....

2009-08-23T16:43:00.002-04:00

...unfortunately it's my heart. I type this as I listen to my son not cry himself to sleep. He hasn't napped all day, is cutting teeth, and is incredibly tired. I know he needs to sleep and I think even he may know it, but at 7 months old it's way more fun for Mama to hold you than it is to nap. If it feels like my heart is breaking now what in the world am I going to do when he starts dating?

2009-06-28T14:09:00.000-04:00

What a whirlwind of a weekend!!!!! Emily was DYING to go in the pool and lucky for her (and me) Aunt Denise was very willing to take her in...Below are the highlights

I suck

2009-04-16T13:10:00.003-04:00

I mean I really suck at blogging. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done that I want to and blog. So here I am trying to do it while on my lunch break. I've decided that yet again I need a swift kick to the keester to drop the last pesky 15 pounds of my pregnancy weight. Why are those last 15 always so hard? Probably because I decided to have my son at the end of December and in the midst of all kinds of eating holidays and birthdays I just haven't managed to remember that I'm no longer eating for two. With that said I had a lentil burger (no bun and it was delicious) and a salad for lunch but I'm seriously debating about rewarding myself with the Reese's peanut butter egg that is mockingly calling my name. Maybe I'll find willpower somewhere and resist the temptation. Tomorrow we are taking Emily to the Bronx Zoo for her 3rd birthday----seriously she's 3 already when did that happen? Pics to come soon.

Massive blogging catch up

2009-01-28T12:01:00.010-05:00

SNOW!!!!!

2008-12-20T14:18:00.005-05:00

Mullet Head Carves a Pumpkin

2008-11-01T11:16:00.002-04:00

Attention Daddy's everywhere if you are going to cut your daughters hair DO NOT CUT IT ABOVE HER EAR.....IT WILL RESULT IN A MULLET

Are you kidding me?

2008-10-22T12:17:00.001-04:00

I took my two year old to the store to get a Halloween costume a full 2 and a half weeks before the actual day and was surprised to find that the costumes were marked way down (yay for me, the selection was paltry (boo for me) and the reasoning behind this was to put out Christmas stuff. Can we please get through one holiday before getting the next one crammed down my throat?

How we are dealing with the economy

2008-10-13T14:08:00.003-04:00

Well that title should really be how "I" am dealing with it since my hubby apparently knows of a never ending money tree that he has not decided to share with me. Last week after spending $200 at Wal-Mart (that included $40 worth of fall clothes for Em) we took out $20 from the ATM and gave each of us $10. Well lo and behold at the end of the week I still had $4, he had none and had spent $35 in two days by using the debit card. Now my husband didn't come from a family made of money so I don't quite know where he gets this idea that he can just spend on a whim and not think of the repurcussions (namely me when he gets home). I have created for him what I call my reality check budget that he is going to have to adhere to especially with a new baby on the way, me not working for 3 months, and increased daycare expense. When I told him that it is possible to go 5 days on ten dollars and have money left over he looked at me like he though I had lost my mind. So I'm writing this to show him how I did it.

Starting with:
Breakfast. Since I take Em to daycare everyday at 6:30 it leaves little time to eat breakfast so I've started taking instant flavored oatmeal to work with me.

Lunch:
I bring my lunch everyday. Most of the time I bring whatever leftovers we had for dinner the night before. That way I get to eat and I never really waste anything by losing it in the fridge. We also don't buy food storage containers. What we do is when we order chinese food (about once a month and that counts as dining out for us but it's amazing what $20 will get you at the Chinese place) we keep the containers that they send the food in. They're nice containers and can take a few rolls through the dishwasher.

Drinks:
I buy a one liter bottle of water every 2-3 weeks and just keep refilling it with either tap water or filtered water that came from the tap. I'm pregnant so not having coffee is really not a problem.

In my household all loose change is put into various piggy banks throughout the house and then put into a savings account once a month. It's not the world's best savings program but it works for us.

How are you pinching pennies?

Catch up time

2008-10-04T10:20:00.009-04:00

We've had a busy last month and a half or so around Casa De Rydell. There was the 2nd annual Rydell/Louiselle bash in Vermont for Labor Day weekend, then the fun of welcoming in Fall which always includes a trip to the Apple Farm in Poughquag.

And my hubby and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. Hard to believe it's been 3 years. We already have one child with another due shortly. Should be a great year for memories.

And of course there was the all important move from a crib to a big girl bed.

Here's hoping that there's some time to just sit back and enjoy the leaves falling before the onslaught of the holidays is upon us.

Farewell to Summer

2008-09-10T09:49:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe that summer has come and gone so quickly. I remember complaining in March that all it was doing was raining and how I couldn't wait for the summer and the pool and the camping trips to start. And now it's over. Come and gone just like that. I for some reason always thought summers would last a little longer when I got older since I'd still have to go to work but they just seem to go by faster. So many things have happened this summer. We found out we're having a son in January, we learned that Emily is no longer a baby and on her way to becoming a big girl, and we also learned how rewarding it is to have a child no longer in diapers. We discovered how much Emily likes to kill ants (no idea why), how fearless she is when it comes to water, and in general how much of a good kid she is. So now here we are at another autumn and can't wait to find out how much we learn and discover this season.

VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-19T10:42:00.003-04:00

My 27 month old is POTTY TRAINED!!!! Took her two weeks and the only issues we have is maybe a small accident right before she wakes up in the morning. Now she gets to go on a special shopping trip with mommy to pick out sheets for her new Big Girl bed.

Summer lovin'

2008-08-13T11:36:00.003-04:00

Where has the summer of 2008 gone? I realize time goes by much faster when you are an adult but you've got to be kidding me. It seems like just yesterday we were complaning of the weather and when it was going to be nice enough to go swimming and now here we are already almost at the end of August. I think my brother in law put it best when he said "When you're a kid there's all kinds of great things to do in the summer and when you're an adult you get to go to work when it's hot".

Heart attacks a-comin'

2008-07-11T17:35:00.003-04:00

This is my two year old daughter being thrown about three feet in the air before plunging into the pool. See that complete and utter expression of joy on her face? My face was the complete opposite as I tried to convince myself that my 2 year old wasn't trying to give me a heart attack with her fearlessness. I hope I'm right.

Is it just my kid that does this???

2008-06-27T15:37:00.002-04:00

Yep that's my daughter wearing my swimsuit and my crocs. Can't wait to show this off at her graduation

Menu Planning

2008-06-22T20:19:00.003-04:00

With being a working mom and not getting home until almost 5:30 most nights, I love the idea of menu planning. Unfortunately I am not the world's greatest cook and in actuality only cook out of the necessity to eat. However, I have come to love the the web and the blogging world for sharing their menu plans, I just have a itty bitty teensy weensy complaint.......most of the blogs that I've found that do menu plans are stay at home moms. Not that there is anything wrong with it, believe me I would LOVE to be a SAHM, I just wonder if there are any parents or even just people who like me work during the day and want to eat at a relatively decent time that might have menus that can be made in a Crock-Pot? Something that I can put in in the morning when we're leaving and have it cooked when I come home. Anyone have any suggestions?

PS. Just a side note being the so not culinary person that I am, I would also need the recipe.....thanks

Where do you find the time to blog?

2008-06-21T10:15:00.003-04:00

I swear I think I need to clone myself like in that Michael Keaton movie "Multiplicity". I would be so much more efficient. I wanted to have a blog to be able to keep friends/family and some random strangers up to date on the happenings of our life but am finding that I don't really have all that much time to dedicate to blogging. Believe me I wish I did. But between work/church/daycare/wanting to play with my kid/making dinner/doing dishes/doing and actually folding the laundry, I'm lucky I get to watch the news. And I think one of my issues for not finding a time niche (I type 110/wpm it's not like it takes me long to type something out) is really that after spending all day long in front of a computer at work when I get home that's the last thing I want to do. It's my same issue with the phone. I spend a majority of my day at work on the phone so that when it rings when I come home I almost never ever answer it. Unless it's a family member or the bff because they usually only call when there's an emergency. Does anyone else have this issue? Or is it just me?

Why I think my kid is smarter than the average two year old

2008-06-12T10:40:00.002-04:00

My daughter is 2. She just turned 2 in April and for the longest time has loved watching the PBS show Arthur. Granted I think most of it is over her head since it's geared for a kindergartner or higher grade level but she enjoys it and learns some cool stuff too. Case in point on Tuesday night I was making her dinner of Macaroni and Cheese (which she LOVES) and she says to me "I hate macaroni and cheese" I reply no you don't and please don't say hate, she shoots back "No mommy binky hates it" and I must have looked at her with my what are you talking about look because she rolls her eyes puts her hands on her hips and says "Binky on Arthur". And I wanted to V8 slap my own head because she was right. A week prior we had watched an episode where Binky explicably says "I hate macaroni and cheese".
My kid is smarter than a two year old. Sometimes I think she's smarter than her mother.

Ultrasounds rock!!!!

2008-06-06T15:21:00.002-04:00

The fact that I can see my new baby forming at 9 weeks and hear the heartbeat amazes me. What kind of person can say that this is not a living creature at this point in time? So excited to be welcoming a new member to our family in January

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-05-23T12:01:00.002-04:00

Ok so it's been a month since I blogged and it was all about how much I love food that's not very good for you. But I now have a reason as to why I was craving all that stuff..........I"M PREGNANT!! Again, with number two. My hubby and I are overjoyed and peanut appears to be excited as well although she keeps telling me it's a boy. Not only are we prego but last night we traded in my Saturn (small sniffle---it was the first car I ever bought) and got a Hyundai Elantra. With the impending arrival of another child we finally bit the bullet and decided that we needed two reliable cars. And the Elantra was ranked in the top 10 safest vehicles.

Healthy Eating Challenge

2008-05-01T09:36:00.003-04:00

I love fast food. I love greasy diner food. I love anything that's fried. Unfortunately all the stuff that I love is going directly to my hips and that I don't love. So I am starting my healthy eating challenge today. I specifically didn't start it on Monday since what's the fun in that plus this way it will give me the 60 days to see if I can do my own challenge. I've done this a few times before, the first time was with a great friend of mine who also happened to be my roommate we had a bet with Dixie Chicks concert tickets on the line (we were always going to go it was just a matter of at who's expense) and that was I couldn't have fried/fast food and she couldn't have rice, we wound up breaking even but it changed my eating habits for quite some time. So I've decided to do that again and this time have come up with a spa day as a reward if I stick to my own challenge. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.

$48.57 ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?!?!?!?

2008-04-29T09:43:00.002-04:00

$48.57. That's what I paid for 3/4 of a tank of gas yesterday. Yep that's right it wasn't even a full tank. I don't have some massive SUV or truck or anything. I have a small SUV a Mazda Tribute. But when gas prices in upstate New York are $3.79/gallon that's what you pay for gas. It's ridiculous. Gas prices in California are $3.95, in Hawaii they are $3.88, in NYC they are $3.80, in Minnesota they are $3.44 why am I paying almost the equivelant of what people are paying in CA and HI when they make so much more out there? Because Dutchess County has a major gas tax. I'm so glad I'm getting a stimulus check so I can pay for more gas so I can go to work and barely afford to pay my bills.

Today is a day that I love being a Mom even more than I thought possible

2008-04-25T13:46:00.002-04:00

I was given the greatest compliment that I think a parent can get. I took my two year old to Wendy's for lunch, and since she insists she's a big girl (really what two year old doesn't?) she sat on the chair next to me at the table and ate her lunch. An elderly woman was leaving (about mid to late sixties) and told me what a refreshing sight it was to see such a well behaved child and that it has been a long time since she has seem such a well behaved child in a restaurant. I'm absolutely over the moon, this made my week.

How time flies

2008-04-19T12:32:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that my little princess turned two years old on Thursday. It's weird when you become a parent that you feel as though your children have always been a part of you and you don't really remember what life was like before you had them. And then you think of all that they're going to do when they are older and in an instant they are another year older. One thing that I did with Emily that I hope to be able to do with my future children was to take a picture of her on the 17th of each month to show her age progression.....it's pretty cool, I hope you enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoyed taking it.

I fell off my wagon.......

2008-04-04T11:52:00.002-04:00

and bruised not only my butt but mainly my ego. For those of you that don't know for about the last year and half or so I've been really focused on losing my baby weight and getting in shape and if I do say so myself (and I do) I did a phenomenal job. However the last few weeks have been majorally stressful for me and I hate to even admit it but I've gone the route of quick, easy drive-thru eating. Which is never good. And so it has enhanced my waistline instead of minimizing it sadly enough. But I'm getting right back on by making a menu plan for the week. That way I will already have an idea of what to make for dinner and not go the easy route of I'm too tired to cook so I'll get a pizza. Here we go, goal is to lose 15 pounds by June 1. Wish me luck (I'm going to need it........and maybe a cookie)

Easter

2008-03-28T15:10:00.004-04:00

Since I'm so not on time with posting I figured since I had a few moments today I'd play catch up with some pics and latest Rydell happenings.
Easter this year was really great since peanut finally seemed to be grasping the whole concept of it. Case in point: I had decided against taking her to see the Easter bunny for the sole fact that she would not go near Santa and I wasn't so sure how she'd react to a six foot tall Rabbit, so we're on our way to the mall last Friday (Good Friday of all days) and she and I are talking in the car, since she and I are talking I've got the radio on but very low volume which is why I was surprised when there was an announcement to see the Easter bunny that peanut replied "I go see bunny". This is my same little girl who when she woke up on Easter morning asked "bunny here?" Mind you my little one is going to be 2 in April but it amazes me what children retain. She was fairly good during Easter service which amazed me, then it was off to Casa de Rydell for the Easter Egg hunt which she didn't seem to get the concept. All the eggs were filled with change since the kids get enough junk in their baskets and since she's the youngest by 4 years she got about 5 minutes by herself, she would pick the egg up, shake it, dance with the jangling change and then throw it away!!!

She had an amazing time coloring eggs with her cousins. Of course she dyes them by throwing the egg into the dye and then trying to drinke the dye....eeeks!
But all in all she had a good Easter and I think she looked adorable.

Oh yeah and Easter baskets are more fun after you pull all the grass out

Sushi Dinner

2008-03-28T14:58:00.004-04:00

My husband is a Culinary trained chef so tonight he finally put those skills to good use. We both LOVE sushi but don't like the cost of having it out, so he decided to make it and this was the result:

Ew, gross

2008-03-05T16:22:00.004-05:00

That's what my two year old said to me this morning after she had vomited her dinner of spaghetti-o's all over her bed. While her daddy took her to the bathroom (puke-free I might add). I cleaned up the mess that was all over her bed and her blankies and her "babies". That was the hard part having to wash her "babies" and still trying to get her to go to sleep. Yeah that wasn't gonna happen. She invaded my sleeping area. And this means that Daddy gets plenty of room and peanut gets plenty of room but then there's none left for Mommy who took a hard right punch from the peanut. Alas, Pukeapalooza 2008 has begun and I unfortunately have front row tickets. Anyone care to join me in the Mosh Pit???

A big cry-baby

2008-02-26T13:53:00.001-05:00

This is what I've determined my hubby is. Now don't get me wrong i love him with all my heart I just want him to act his age or any age that's preferably over 25.

Snow day

2008-02-22T19:06:00.002-05:00

I use to think that snow days were great. No school, all that fresh snow to go sledding in, make snowmen and snow angels, but somehow that hasn't carried through into my adult life. Maybe it's because I know that if I take a snow day I also have to give up one of my precious vacation days or maybe it's because when I go to work it's almost like a little break from my life. I don't have to worry about cooking, cleaning, laundry or even that adorable 2 year old who is hanging onto my leg. It's almost a sort of escape, to escape just for 8 hours to a place where I'm not the one in charge, I'm not the wife or the mother or the CEO of my family. Someone else is in charge and it's kind of nice. Don't get me wrong I love my life and my family but sometimes I think that escape is needed. If I could go back in time and not change one thing that has happened so as not to take away all that God has blessed me with, I think I'd go back to a snow day.

NIU

2008-02-15T09:03:00.001-05:00

It's always sad and tragic to hear of a school shooting but it hits a little closer to home when you actually attended the school in the news. Now I haven't been an NIU student in many years but that doesn't stop the loyalty to the mighty Huskies. It's scary to think someone was able to walk into a lecture hall one I might have attended a class in and open fire for no apparent reason. At the same time it scares me how violent the youth of America are or are becoming in this day and age and makes me want to protect my children at all costs and never let them out of my sight. I know this isn't possible.......but how can you have so much anger and rage that you just take innocent people's lives? This is all so reminiscent of Columbine almost 10 years ago, the Jonesboro school shootings, all the miscellaneous shootings that are still happening, Virginia Tech that claimed 32 lives, a local high school in NY (seriously I drive past the school on a daily basis) where 3 students were planning an attack for the 11th anniversary of Columbine and had amassed a huge cache of firearms that were kept in their houses, and now NIU. When is all this madness going to stop? God bless NIUand my thoughts and prayers go out to them