Love Is In The Air

Last night we were getting ready to go run an errand and I was cleaning up some stuff in the kitchen. I found a note in Big A's school stuff that had a valentine glued to it and said, "Big A I love you." I asked him who it was from and he said it was from Celeste.

Big A - "Mommy, I like Celeste a LOT! Me and her are actually girlfriend and boyfriend."

Me - "Really? What happened to Olivia?"

Big A - "I like Celeste better because she plays with me more. She actually LIKES me! We might even marry each other!"

Whoa! Slow down, buddy! You're only five!

Hope For Haiti

Today at church, Big A picked up an offering envelope and told me that he wanted to 'give some dollars to Haiti'. I told him that I didn't have any and he said, "I have some at home in my blue piggy bank. I want to give some to Haiti." I agreed that he could do that if he wanted to and I even picked up the donation form for him after the service. I wasn't sure if he'd actually follow through once he had his hands on the money, but he talked about nothing else all day!

After nap he came running in with his piggy bank and said, "Can we give money to Haiti now?!?!" Little A followed with her piggy bank and they both stood at the side of my bed waiting for me to get their dollars out.

I got the money out of Big A's bank and handed it all to him ($15 total) and then got the money out of Little A's bank (about the same amount) and handed it to her. Then I asked how much they wanted to give to Haiti.

Big A (handing me 4 x $1 and 1 x $5) - "I want to give them five dollars."

Me - "Well, Honey, this is $5. See the 5 on it? So if you give them all of this it's $9."

Big A (handing me 1 x $5 and 2 x $1) - "Okay, I'll give them $7."

Me - "Okay."

Little A - "I don't know how much to give him."

Me - "Honey, Haiti is not a person, it's a place. Big A, explain to Little A about Haiti."

Big A - "Little A, Haiti is a place where there was a big earthquake and they lost all of their money. We're going to give this money to them so that when they build new grocery stores they can take this money and buy stuff."

Little A (handing me 3 x $1) - "Oh. I want to give him $3 because I'm 3." (Well, we tried! LOL)

Big A (taking back 2 x $1) - "Well actually I think I'll give them $5 because I'm 5."

Me (putting the rest of the money back in the banks) - "Okay. That's $8 to send to Haiti. Let's go get it ready to take to church next week."

Big A - "Mommy, what address to we send it to?"

I explained that we can fill out the donation form and put it in the offering plate at church and that they'll take care of sending the money to Haiti for us. I guess that satisfied them because they're off playing happily now!

I'm pleasantly surprised that five years of teaching the kids about giving to others and helping those in need has finally paid off. My kids have made their first donation to a worthy cause of their own accord.

Well done, Big A and Little A, WELL DONE!

Everyone Needs Someone... Or Something

Big A and I were at church on Wednesday night for his final communion class (Stay tuned for more on that...) and the youth group was there making fleece tie blankets. Big A asked me if he could have one of the blankets and I explained that they were for people who don't have blankets or for people who are older and are alone and need some extra love.

He then asked me how a blanket could give someone love (GOOD QUESTION!). I told him that it's kind of like when Mommy isn't home and he snuggles with the Mommy pillow (a small pillow I keep on my bed and sleep with at night). Both kids like to snuggle with the Mommy pillow when they wake up in the morning and I'm leaving for work because it makes them remember me (according to them). Big A says it's like snuggling me.

I explained that if someone lives alone and some people visit them and bring them a nice, warm blanket, they will remember those people every time they use the blanket and they'll feel loved. With that I was pretty sure he'd gotten the point, but the subject was dropped.

Later that night I overheard the kids talking as they were falling asleep. Big A was saying to Little A, "At church they were making blankets for people who are alone. If they're alone and they have a nice blanket, it's like they still have people who love them."

Too cute!

Confessions Of A Slacker Mom - Reading To My Kids

When Big A was a baby we had a perfect bedtime routine. Every night I'd get him in his jammies, make him a bottle and then we'd rock. While we rocked we'd read a story, sing a song and then say prayers. Most nights he was already asleep by the time we finished prayers. As he got a little older and he no longer took a bottle, we'd put jammies on and then read, sing and pray while snuggling together on my bed. We did this EVERY night!

When Little A was born we continued our routine but included her. We'd snuggle together on my bed, with me in the middle and a kid on each side. I don't know exactly why or how or when we stopped this routine, but somehow, some time ago, we did and I didn't even realize it.

Last night, as I stood at the kitchen sink doing dishes, I realized that I truly am a slacker mom. I do not read to my kids at night before they go to bed.

Nope! Not at all! Okay... Maybe like once every three weeks, but there is NO excuse for that! I was a teacher. I KNOW the importance of reading to my kids and yet, for some unknown reason, I stopped reading to my kids at night. This is HORRIBLE! AWFUL! This has to change!

So... Right here... Right now... In front of all of you, I am vowing to read to my kids at night. I'm bringing back the old routine! That's right, kids! There WILL be stories at night!

It Was A Dream... It Was ONLY A Dream...

It was a beautiful, sunny day. B and the kids and I were at a pool somewhere. We were the only ones in the water, but there were two other people on the pool deck. I'm assuming they were lifeguards, but I'm not 100% certain.

The kids were enjoying their time splashing and swimming around and out of nowhere (because this was a dream and in dreams you can pull things out of nowhere) B pulls out this blue, inflatable pool toy of some sort. I was LIVID! I started getting on him about spending money on unnecessary items and kept repeating over and over that I didn't CARE how much it cost, we didn't need it. I pointed out how much fun the kids were having with no toys, telling him they didn't need toys and repeatedly demanded that he take it back, the entire time getting more and more enraged that he'd spent money on something we hadn't talked about. I was SO frustrated.

In the midst of my anger at B and the situation, I realized that Little A was swimming right by me, but that I hadn't seen Big A in a couple of minutes. I said to B, "Where's Big A?"

B answered, "I don't know. How should I know?"

At that moment, B moved out of the way and there was Big A floating near the steps just a few feet from us. My 10+ years of lifeguard experience kicked in and I grabbed Big A out of the pool. I laid him on the pool deck, lifted his chin and tilted his head, and started assessing his ABC's. He wasn't breathing. I yelled out to the people on the deck, "CALL 9-1-1! HE'S NOT BREATHING!"

And then I woke up...

And I RAN into the kids' room to make sure that they were both in their beds... Sound asleep... Where they should be...

They were... All is good...

But MAN! That was scary... And vivid... And...

I'm sorry... I just had to get that off my chest and usually writing it down will help...

Thought For The Day...

I saw this post on a friend's Facebook status and couldn't resist sharing it... Not always easy to do, but SO TRUE!

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

I'm Impressed... Another Letter Day Sharing Story

Remember this post about B week sharing? Well this week is V week. Last night Big A and I were talking about what to bring for letter sharing day and he decided to bring his Volkswagen Van.

Tonight I was reminding him to put his van downstairs on the counter so that he would remember it. He brought two other cars into the bathroom where I was cutting fingernails and said, "I'm going to bring these cars for C week." After a minute he said, "But I think we already had C week. I wish I would have brought these cars."

Me - "Yes, I think you DID already have C week. I wonder what you brought..."

Big A - "I don't remember. I wish I would have brought these cars."

Me - "Yeah, I know. That would have been a good thing to bring."

Big A (as the light bulb went off in his head (and NEVER even dawned on me)...) - "MOMMY! I CAN bring these for V week. They're VEHICLES!"

Me - "WOW! GREAT IDEA! You are SO SMART! That was REALLY good, Big A! I'm so proud of you!"

DANG! That boy never ceases to amaze me!

Abstract Art... And Not So Abstract Art...

Last week I decided to turn our easel around from the paint side, to the chalk side (our house is small, so there's not enough room to have it set up so that the kids can use both sides all the time). The kids LOVE it! They've gone crazy 'chalking' every day since I made the switch.

Today we came home from Little A's 3 year check-up (Which was excellent! Clean bill of health AND open tubes (we'll confirm that with the ENT on Wednesday)!) and the first thing Big A said when we walked in the door was, "Mommy, can I chalk?" He immediately went over and started drawing.

A few minutes later he ran in and said, "MOMMY! Come look at my abstract art!"

Me (Wondering how on Earth my 5 year old knows what abstract art is...) - "WOW! That's cool! What IS abstract art?"

Big A - "It's when you draw something that isn't really anything in real life."

Me (Still wondering...) - "NEAT! WHERE did you learn about abstract art?"

Big A - " CAILLOU!"

Okay... Gotta love PBS Sprout I guess! Caillou is a show that was banned in our house from the time Big A was 2 until he was 4 1/2. We've noticed that the new episodes of Caillou present a much less whiny Caillou and the kids don't pick up Caillou's traits any more... Well... Not the bad ones anyhow! Caillou has taught my kids about abstract art, increased their love for puppet shows and created many a marching band in my living room, among other things. Turns out that maybe a little TV isn't so bad after all, huh?

Here is Big A's Masterpiece... This could sell for millions some day!

And not to be outdone by her big brother, Little A had to get in on the action (and pose, too...) with a "beautiful rainbow".

I hope they remember their mom when they're selling art in New York galleries!

Dinner With My Mom and I Love My Kids

It's no secret that I've been having a rough week with Big A. I know I expect too much of him and I'm working on lowering my expectations to a more suitable level for a five year old boy but in the meantime I've been down on myself and living in fear that my child, my precious son, will become 'THAT' kid. You know which one I'm talking about, ESPECIALLY if you're a teacher.

Last week my dad suggested that my mom and I go out to dinner to give me an opportunity to talk and to get advice from my mom (She can help me with anything, right? Because she's my mom! Well... At least I expect her to know everything because she's my mom! And I by NO means mean that in a negative way! I REALLY do want her to know everything, and I tell her that all the time and I call her for advice all the time!). Tonight my dad babysat the kids and my mom and I went out for a nice, quiet dinner.

We talked about my ridiculous fear that Big A will become 'THAT' kid, we talked about some steps that I need to take around here to make things easier for me, she reassured me that everyone loves Big A and thinks that he's a wonderful child, we discussed how bright he is, etc. And you know what? She's EXACTLY right. It's not always easy for me to see it, because I'm his mom and I strive for too much perfection sometimes. But Big A is a five year old boy! He's not GOING to be perfect. He's not GOING to obey every single thing I say to him the first time I say it. He's not GOING to sit still all the time and never wiggle around. He's a five year old boy!

That being said... I LOVE MY KIDS! I love them so much it hurts! I thank God for them every day and I would never, in a million years, want to change them. My kids are GREAT!!

Thanks, Mom, for helping to open my eyes to what I know is true but sometimes gets clouded! And thanks, Dad, for suggesting we do this and for making it happen! I love you guys both SO MUCH!

But please... Next time I call you crying about the fact that I'm having a rough time with Big A (Or Little A for that matter... And I guarantee you, there will be a next time), don't remind me about this post. Just let me cry.... And THEN you can remind me about this post. :)

Grammy's Birthday

Yesterday was Grammy's birthday so we had her and Papa over for dinner tonight. We celebrated with homemade chicken enchiladas and homemade Boston Cream Pie. YUM! As a side note, why is Boston Cream Pie called Boston Cream Pie if it's cake???

The kids REALLY enjoyed their time with Grammy and Papa tonight! Can you tell???

Snuggling with Grammy

Grammy's cake

Singing Happy Birthday

Playing monster under the table

Dressing up Papa

And... "Piggy Backer" rides!

Happy Birthday, Grammy! We love you!

"I Can't Hear You... Say It Louder!"

The day after Christmas, both Big A and Little A were seen in 'Urgent Care' because they were complaining about their ears. Of course they both had ear infections, their third ones since September. Don't get me wrong... Three ear infections in three months is MUCH better than an ear infection every three weeks, but still...

They were given antibiotics but the Urgent Care doctor thought that Little A's tubes might be plugged. I must say I was in agreement since Little A kept saying, "I can't hear you! Say it louder. What? WHAT?" That opinion was seconded by a doctor at our ped's office so we called the ENT and he got us in immediately.

The ENT put a little funnel like 'thing' in Little A's ears and whipped out his camera which he uses to look inside of ears, noses and throats. The camera projects the images on a giant television screen in front of you. It was pretty cool! Well... The findings weren't cool, but seeing inside her ears was cool.

Her tubes were DEFINITELY plugged. It looked like a lava flow of.... Well... Of whatever comes out of ears when they get infected. It looked like there was sap coming out of her tubes. CRAZY! I'm amazed the poor kid could hear ANYTHING!

Next step? Ear drops, five drops in each ear, three times a day for three weeks until we have another appointment. If this doesn't work she goes back to surgery. Now I know the surgery is 'no big deal' and I can handle that part, but I don't like the idea subjecting my baby girl to more anesthesia.

The other night she told me there were 'guckies' in her ear. I looked and looked and got a flashlight and looked some more. I couldn't see anything but residue from the drops which I believe is what she was referring to as 'guckies' but I COULD see the tubes if I got the right angle and they SEEMED to be looking better... Or so I thought... Tonight she's back on her, "I can't hear you! Say it louder!" kick.

So... I ask you to keep Little A in your prayers, that we'll be able to resolve this problem with the drops and that she won't need to go back to surgery.

Thank you!

A Red Day For Softie Dog

Meet Softie Dog, Big A's stuffed dog. Softie is a SHE, please don't confuse that or you'll hear about it! I automatically say, "He/him," and I get reminded CONSTANTLY that 'Softie Girl' is a SHE. : )

Notice Softie's brand new red collar that Santa brought her? Yes, Softie is basically a member of our family, at least in Big A's eyes she is... Not being a dog person in the least makes it very difficult for me to accept this at times, especially when Softie talks back to me or gets an attitude with me. She has such a whiny voice! In all honesty, sometimes I want to smack that dog across the room but I wouldn't!

Tonight after bath, I heard Big A talking to Softie. I didn't think much of it until I walked in the bedroom and he said to me, "MOMMY! Softie was watching TV when I told her not to! I turned it off and she turned it right back on after I said no!"

Me - "WOW! REALLY!?!?! That's AWFUL! Now you know how we feel when you don't listen to us. Did you like it when Softie didn't do what you asked?"

Big A - "NO! I'm SO frustrated!"

Me - "Yes, it's frustrating, huh? What do you think you should do about it?"

Big A (Picking up Softie) - "Yeah! I'm going to spank her butt!"

Me - "Well... I don't know if THAT is a good idea. Do I ever spank you when you do things I don't like?"

Big A - "No, but I'm going to spank her."

He walks over to Softie's 'dog house' (which he's now telling me is not big enough and we could throw away some toys to make room for a bigger one), puts Softie inside it, makes a motion towards the window and says, "I threw that TV RIGHT out the window! I told Softie twice and she didn't listen. She didn't get to finish watching that commercial and now she's crying but I threw that TV RIGHT out the window."

Me - "WOW! Well hopefully she learned a lesson from this. Hopefully next time she'll listen to you the first time you ask her to do something."

And with that he was off to get his pajamas on.

I Am Slowly Going Crazy...

Have you ever heard this song (sung to the tune of Ruben and Rachael)?

"I am slowly going crazy, 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 6.. Switch!
Crazy going slowly am I, 6.. 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. Switch!"

This is how I've been feeling quite often lately, ESPECIALLY on Sunday morning when I had a little mini break-down. So... This is your chance to shine! I'm looking for tips on how to handle Big A's sometimes frustrating behavior. He and I have been butting heads quite often lately because you know... He's a five year old boy, and I'm... Well... I'm a mom who wants her son to behave all the time.

I know, I know... TOTALLY unreasonable. But seriously, I am tried of red and yellow days. I'd like to see a bit more green in our future. He really needs to focus on listening and on following directions the first time they're given.

Do you have any tips or tricks that worked for you? Are you willing to share? Please send them my way!

THANKS!

What Is God's Plan?

Today I was offered multiple opportunities to think about God's plan. I found myself wondering why, if God loves us so much, he puts us through trials, why we suffer, why there is disaster, why we are faced with temptation, etc., etc., etc. Of course I can think of a zillion reasons why we are faced with these challenges, a zillion reasons why life is not roses and sunshine every day, but it still makes me stop and reflect.

A portion of today's sermon in church focused on the earthquake in Haiti. We discussed how we should not view the earthquake as God punishing the people of Haiti, but rather as God taking care of the people of Haiti by how much support has been rallied to send aid to them.

Later in the day I was talking to a friend about the trials and tribulations she's faced in her life this past year. She was telling me that she knows God has a plan for her but that she hasn't yet figured out what it is. She's chosen, although it has not been easy by any means, to view these difficult times as part of God's plan rather than viewing them as God punishing her in some way.

I think part of the reason that I've been thinking about this so much today is that I had an extremely rough morning with Big A... Small scale compared to the earthquake in Haiti and the troubles my friend has faced, but a snag in my well being and happiness, nonetheless. I was at my wit's end and wondering why God wasn't helping me by either making Big A act better, or helping me be able to handle the situation. I know that it's not that simple, really I do. But in the heat of the moment...

So what's my point? I don't really have one today... Just kind of rambling and sharing what's on my mind.

I guess my bottom line is that nobody knows the plan God has for them but if we can all remember that He DOES have one, perhaps we can rest just a little easier. And on that note, I'm going to go rest and think about the plan HE has for me.

A Farm Kid In The Army

I received an email today (a forward) titled "A Farm Kid In The Army" that I'd like to share with you. Interesting comparisons, and a VERY interesting ending!

Dear Ma and Pa,

I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Army beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you get to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m . But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.

Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.

We go on 'route marches,' which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A 'route march' is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6' and 130 pounds and he's 6'8' and near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Alice

What do you think???

Beautiful Ballerina

Little A has been looking forward to turning three for MONTHS because she knew that when she did, she could start ballet. The time has finally arrived! For her birthday, Grandma and Grandpa got her a leotard, tights, ballet slippers, a tutu and a bag to carry it all. Here she is showing off her new digs and her fancy dance moves (Note to all... Don't take ballet lessons from Grandpa. He's good, but he doesn't QUITE have correct technique.).




Last Saturday Little A started dance classes at Rhythms Elite She was SO excited. Every day in the week leading up to that Saturday she would wake up and tell us she was going to ballet that day. We'd have to correct her, tell her she was going Saturday, and tell her how many sleeps were left until ballet started. Here she is on the way into her first class.


It turns out that they do both ballet and tap in her class. I can't wait to watch Little A blossom as a little ballerina. How much fun will that be?

Her first show will be June 12. Anyone want to come???

He Didn't Eat

This afternoon Big A and I were talking about his day. I was going through my standard list of questions... "How was school? What did you have for snack? What did you do at Grandma's?"

I came to the question of, "What did you have for lunch," and after a few seconds of him trying to remember what they'd had I asked, "Did you have pizza?"

Big A - "Yes! We had pizza!"

Me - "Oh good! So daddy realized there was pizza in there for you guys?"

Big A - "He didn't eat."

Me - "What? He didn't eat?"

Big A - "Yes, he didn't eat."

Me - "Daddy didn't eat?"

Big A - "I TOLD you! He did indeed!"

That Red Day That Almost Wasn't....

Remember this post about going green? Big A's school day works on a color system and of course we strive for green days since they're the best. Yellow days are so-so and red days? Well.... They are JUST. PLAIN. ROTTEN!

Big A has been working towards Coldstone, Chuck E. Cheese and Disneyland. He's achieved the Coldstone goal but the closest he's gotten to Chuck E. Cheese is 4 green days (out of 10). That was last week, and I truly expected him to keep up the pattern this week. I had complete confidence and faith in him until he woke up before 4am Monday morning. I knew right then and there that we were in trouble for Monday but hoped he'd turn it around today. NO SUCH LUCK! The last two days have been red days.

Each day the kids bring something home letting the parents know what kind of day they had. They started out bringing home construction paper cut outs of stars, trees, butterflies, etc. and now they are bringing home foam animals and bugs and things. Do you notice any differences between these two red day notices??

Look closely.... Do you see it?

Yes, today's has no head and only 3/4 of a left wing. Anyone care to try to guess why?

It seems that in an effort to hide from us the fact that he'd had a red day today, Big A attempted to rip up the foam ladybug and throw it in the trash.... Thus, the red day that almost wasn't.

Let this be a lesson to you, Son... Foam is stronger than paper and I keep trying to tell you that parents ALWAYS find out. *SIGH* Some day you'll learn, it only took me 34 years!

A Little Boy's Prayer...

In our house, both kids have a chance to bless our food at every meal. We go by odd days and even days to determine who goes first, and today was Big A's turn. Here's what happened...

Big A (In a quiet voice, almost a whisper...) - "Mommy, can I say the words that Grandpa always says?"

Me (Scratching my head and wondering what in the world was going to come out of his mouth...) - "Sure, Honey. Go ahead."

Big A - "Dear Heavenly Father..."

Me (In my own head...) - "OH! THOSE words! WHEW!"

Big A (These are his own words, not Grandpa's) - "Thank you for this food and please let Uncle Roy be safe in Heaven. Amen."

Um.... PLEASE PASS THE TISSUES!!! What a sweet boy!

Fun With Food

Around these parts we are really 'INTO' our food... SEE!?!?

Birthday Donuts

Yummy Maple Mess


The Tostito Bandito


And His Stealthy Alien Sidekick

Birthday Cake... Good To The LAST Crumb!

Family Fun - Blowing Chunks

Geez, people! Not THAT kind of chunks! I'm talking about dry ice chunks.

My sister sent my dad some Chicago style pizzas for his birthday. They arrived packed in dry ice so Grandpa thought it would be cool to show the kids what dry ice does when you put it in water. Grandma and I found the three of them in the back bathroom putting chunks of dry ice into the toilet then blowing down into the toilet bowl to make huge clouds of steam. TOO FUN!

Big A thought it was AWESOME... Little A was not quite as sure.

Shopping Spree - Boys vs. Girls

The kids are old enough now that when the receive money as gifts, they want to spend it. You In the past I've been able to put it all all into their college funds and they were none the wiser, but now they're onto me. The new deal is that they can spend half but they have to save the other half. So far, so good.


Since Big A's birthday he's been wanting to go to Toys R Us to spend his money but I made him wait until after Christmas so that we'd only have to make one trip. Since the day after Christmas he's asked every day if we could go but for one reason or another we didn't make it. Monday after work, I finally took them on their shopping spree and was it ever eye opening!


Our first stop was at Toys R Us. Big A decided that we were going to look at his stuff first and made a bee line straight for the Legos. The shelves were virtually empty but they did have one large set (Lego City Farm) that he has wanted. As an added bonus, the set was on sale for $40 off! Good choice!


He picked that immediately but just HAD to have something John Deere to go with it. We headed off to the trucks/cars/tractor aisles as I braced myself for what was sure to ensue.... Twenty minutes of, "This is nice. OH! Look at THIS! What about this? Oh! Maybe this! No... I like this! Wait! What about this? OOOH! Look, Mommy! This is AWESOME!" Sure enough, he looked and looked and looked and picked up and put down and picked up and put down and picked up and put down... And Little A waited patiently only asking a couple of times if it was her turn yet.


I finally had to tell Big A that it was time to go and that he needed to make a decision. He finally decided on a John Deere pick-up truck pulling a trailer that was hauling a tractor. Another good choice!


On to the princesses and dolls! Little A looked around for a minute and came up to me with a plastic purse set. The set contained a plastic purse, fake sunglasses, lipstick and keys, and some play money. At that point it dawned on me that Little A didn't HAVE to spend her money at Toys R Us (Big A had a coupon and gift card for there so he didn't really have a choice which was FINE with him!) so I asked her if she wanted to go to Target and get a REAL purse and REAL sunglasses to put in it and she agreed.


Girls sure are good shoppers (and FAST, too!)! Here's the list of what Little A purchased with her money:


* 1 sparkly, pink, princess purse
* 1 pair of Hello Kitty sunglasses
* 1 pair of Snow White sunglasses
* 1 pair of purple butterfly gloves
* 2 Tinkerbell necklaces
* 1 pink bathing suit
* 1 pair of white sandals
* gifts for three of her friends

Talk about a great haul! She was THRILLED!


Now... Let me preface this next part before I continue... I am in NO WAY criticizing men or boys or Big A, this is purely an observation.

Okay... Now that I got that out of the way...


I realized after this shopping spree that the way my two kids shopped Monday night, is very typical of males and females (at least from what I've observed). Males are into themselves. They want what they want and they want it now. There was never a thought in Big A's head that he might want to buy something for someone else (nor should there have been, I'm just saying...). It was all about what he could get for himself and how big it could be. Females are great shoppers, get the most for their money and are always thinking of others.

Think about this point for a minute. What do you think??? Do you see male and female shoppers like I do?

Tribute (?) To A Good Friend...

My friend, Roisin, used to sing me this RANDOM song to cheer me up. For some reason the song popped into my head yesterday and I started singing it to the kids. They thought it was HILARIOUS!

So Roisin, this is for you...

Hold a chicken in the air
Stick a deck chair in your nose
Fly a jumbo jet
And bury all your clothes
Paint your left knee green
Stick salami in your ear
Dance around the room
And pretend your name is Keith!

It's good to have friends who can make you laugh!

Thanks, Roisin! You're a great friend!!

Confessions Of A Slacker Mom - Little A's Birthday

When Little A was born the VERY beginning of January, I vowed to make her birthday special and not let it be lost in the holiday madness.

I have to admit, I'm a slacker mom... Little A's birthday gets lost in the holiday madness.

It's not for lack of trying to keep it separate... It's not for lack of being prepared... It's just lack of time or something like that. She knows what kind of party she wants, I buy the invitations, and I try SO hard to keep myself organized and get everything done in a timely fashion but it just. Doesn't. Happen.

I get Big A's birthday invitations out and his party planned. I get his thank you notes finished just in time to send out 125 Christmas cards. I decorate, shop, wrap, shop, bake, shop, etc., all with the idea in the back of my head that I NEED to devote time to Little A's birthday. I take her to the party store to look at the party supplies, we buy the invitations, and that nagging is still in my head that I NEED to get started working on Little A's party.

Christmas comes and goes, and the UNOPENED packages of invitations sit on my kitchen counter. We go to Riverside... We come home... And the unopened packages of invitations STILL sit on my kitchen counter. I have TEN DAYS LEFT before the party. I lock myself in my room and whip out the invitations knowing that I HAVE to get them in the mail December 30 so that they will arrive in people's homes on December 31 or I lose another three days. I succeed.

The invitations get to peoples' homes ONE WEEK before Little A's party.

Sorry, Little A. I certainly don't love you any less and sure hope you forgive me.

Happy Birthday, Princess! (Stay tuned for more birthday pictures after her party!)

Read At Your Own Risk... Not Very PC

*I'll warn you again, read at your own risk!*

A few years back after a long trip to LA, I stepped out of the car and was greeted in the driveway by my aunt who handed me a piece of paper and said, "Read this out loud."

Now... Read this out loud, but only if you're in a room with no kids.

Written on the paper was, "I AM SO WE TODD DID. I AM SOFA KING WE TODD DID."

Get it?

So there have been a couple of long standing jokes in our family and amongst friends... One is "Todd", and the other is "Sofa King".

The other day while driving to LA, my mom was texting back and forth with my aunt (same family, different aunt) and the conversation got a little confusing. I told my mom to respond with, "We are sofa king confused," and I over emphasized SOFA and KING so as not to be mistaken by the company in the truck as having used other words. As SOON as the words left my mouth, Big A started in a little sing song of, "SOFA KING CONFUSED! SOFA KING CONFUSED!"

GREAT! What have I done??? I had to bury my head in my sweatshirt because I was laughing so hard. YIKES!