Let the good times roll

This smarty pants






and her little creatures






would like to wish you and yours
a happy Halloween.



I don't know about you, but I've learned that this holiday is a big reason why I had kids in the first place. In my world, candy, chocolate in particular, comes only second to coffee! And we all know that 2 little people cannot possibly consume all that chocolately goodness by themselves. Someone has to help them. Why not me?



This post is linked up with parenting BY dummies Halloween photo contest. Wish me luck!





Until next time....

Time to tie up the kids

I know a lot of you out there are well aware of the lovely weather most of the country had yesterday.

Tweet after tweet yesterday morning - I knew it was bad. Seeing all those tweets led me to watch the noon news. That's when I found out that the lovely weather was going to hit my town last night. It was predicted to be not quite as bad, but some level of bad was very possible.

As I pulled into the parking lot to pick the husband up from work, I saw dark clouds starting to roll in. I prayed the whole way home that the skies wouldn't open up while we were driving on the highway.

We made it home with not much time to spare. I made sure to tie up the kids and bring the plants in to prepare for the worst.


Batten down the hatches!
Here it comes!

Midwest cyclone


I'm not sure I like the look of those clouds!

Midwest cyclone


Pardon my fingernail.
It likes to be in all my pictures apparently!

Midwest cyclone


Oh ninny!
That's funnel-like!

Midwest cyclone


Right after I took these pictures the wind picked up and the rain started to fall. Our lights started to flicker. That's not good because I was in the middle of making dinner and we have an electric stove!

5 more minutes! That's all I needed! Please?!

And that's all I got.

5 minutes later the nastiness was done and it was just a steady rain the rest of the night.

I must say, this storm lover was a little disappointed!



This post is part of Wordful Wednesday.



*No children were harmed in the making of this post. As tempting as it was, I did not actually tie them up!*


Until next time....

I was attacked and I don't have time for that!

I missed youOh sweet internets, have I missed you! I typically don't blog on the weekends, but I do like to read a few blogs or play some games. I have been so crazy busy the past few days, I'm lucky I've had time to think!

While I don't feel the need to apologize for not posting a damn thing since last week (we all know life gets in the way sometimes), I would like to apologize for not visiting any of my favorite bloggers. If you have a post that needs some love, leave me a link. I promise to visit because I refuse to add anything to my schedule for at least the first half of the week.


Why have I been so busy as of late, you ask? Well, it all started Wednesday.

I got a phone call asking me if I would volunteer for a seminar. It took more time than I expected and you can read about it over here. Because of that seminar, I spent the whole weekend either catching up on house stuff or taking the kids out to enjoy the unseasonably warm, gorgeous weather. Thank you Mother Nature!

Just when I thought I was finally getting somewhere over the weekend, I was attacked. I have never been more scared in my life. I tried to run. I tried to hide. But I just couldn't seem to get away.


My house was being invaded by what I am calling "warriors". Out of the blue I am attacked by this...


Warrior attack


Fleeing for my life, I run as fast as my legs will carry me out the back door. I run to the front of the house. In the dark with nothing to defend myself. The warrior keeps chasing me! Just when she thinks she's cornered me, I find an escape. I run to the back of the house. But before I can reach the safety of the back porch, I am attacked again!


Warrior attack

I'm not quite sure how to defend myself from shin guards, jack hammers, and Nerf guns, but hopefully I can figure it out before they attack again!


Until next time....

Glitter and Braids

GG is a funny girl. One minute she's out digging for worms with her brother. The next she's playing dress-up.

Last Friday was all about her being a girl. One of her bestest friends was having her birthday party. She was allowed to invite only a few friends. The lucky group of girls were being treated.

Treated to a mini mani/pedi and a new hair-do.


This may not be the best picture, but cut me some slack. I was using my phone! Her nails are purple, pink, and all kinds of glittery!


Manicure

Look! Her toes match her feet! Too bad Mother Bitch Nature is giving us the chills. Her piggies would look so cute in her flip-flops!


Pedicure

And last but not least, her hair. You can't tell from this picture, but those braids were just like her nails - all kinds of glittery. As a matter of fact, I think she still has glitter remnants in her hair!


French braids
When I went to pick her up at Pizza Hut after the party, I was greeted by a table full of giggly, glittery girls. They were all just too cute!


We kept GG's hair in as long as we could, which was Saturday night. Combine all that product with a girl who plays in the dirt and it just had to come out and get washed. I tried to redo that hairstyle Sunday night so she could show her friends at school, but it just wasn't happening. And it didn't matter anyway because I ended up with a sick little girl Monday morning.

I guess I shouldn't feel too bad. From what I understand, the birthday girl cried when her mom took the braids out of her hair. Although, on second thought, crying is better than throwing up.

I guess what really counts is that GG had fun. Which she did. Now only if I can convince her to do this for her birthday next month. I really need to talk her out of a party where she can invite boys!





Wordful Wednesday~ parenting BY dummies



Until next time....

Dance your cares away; Worries for another day

Monday morningAs if Mondays aren't bad enough, let's just add to it, shall we?

I don't always get to sleep as late as I would like on the weekends, but it's still later that I sleep compared to the week. Mondays are always rough. No one wants to get up. Especially those non-morning people, like me and Little Dude!




This morning I was greeted by a tallish shadow figure with blond hair. Apparently she had been throwing up during the night. Put that with the fact that's she's been complaining off and on over a sore stomach since Friday night, I figured I let GG stay home from school.

We still had to get the husband to work and the boy to school, but she could stay in her PJs. I did have plans to do some stuff outside of the house today, but dragging her around is probably not the best decision. I guess I have to switch my plans around and work on things inside the house today.

But there are perks to having a sick child.


Fraggle Rock


A few weeks ago our cable provider added a new channel. One for kids and their families. I am in love with this channel for the old school factor! Yes, I just watched Fraggle Rock with GG. I plan on watching another episode with her later in the day.

I may even try to sneak in an episode of The Wonder Years or Doogie Howser later.

Monday may turn out to be a good day after all!



Please don't think I am making light of my child being sick. She is doing better as the morning goes on. Thank goodness because me and throwing up do NOT go together at all!



Until next time....

I'm what?!?

I may or may not have mentioned this before. Forgive me if I have. I have a few friends who are pregnant or just had a baby.

For a couple of reasons, we've decided to not have any more babies of our own. But that still doesn't stop me from getting baby fever. I'm not going to do anything to pursue it, but sometimes I do miss the baby days. Especially now that my baby is in Kindergarten.

My friend J recently had a baby. He's 2 weeks old. He's so teeny and still has that newborn look. Of course anyone and everyone who notices her carrying him has to stop and look. Myself included.

The first day that she brought him up to the school to pick her daughter up was like a circus. Everyone wanted to meet him. When GG walked out of school, I told her to check out her friend's new baby. She smiled, said he was cute, and off we went. I guess 8 year olds don't care much about that stuff.

On our walk home, I asked her what she would do if we did decide to have another baby. If that were to happen, of course GG would want a little sister. No girl want to be outnumbered by boys. At least not at 8 years old! Then she told me that another baby would never happen. Of course I had to ask her why. Her reply...


"Mommy, you're too tall to have a baby!"


I suppose that's better than saying I'm too old! Where do kids come up with this stuff?!


Until next time....

Dedicated to the one I love

9 years ago



dedicated to the one I love


dedicated to the one I love


dedicated to the one I love




We may have looked different, but one fact remained the same. We loved each other.

9 years ago we said "I do".

It was a rainy Thursday as we walked hand in hand into the JP. It was a whirl wind kind of day, as were the following weeks. During the next month we would adjust to living together as newlyweds as we prepared for the arrival of a daughter.

I wouldn't change a thing about that day. Rain on your wedding day is supposed to be good luck and so many good things have happened n the 9 years since.

Happy anniversary honey. I look forward to many more happy years together!



Only Parent Chronicles



Until next time....

Where does the time go?

I'm slipping and I don't like it!

Not one bit!

For the longest time I had a great schedule going. I would post almost every day. I usually did my posts at night and set them to publish in the morning. Things started getting crazy towards the end of the summer. I was trying to get in the things I wanted to do with the kids before they went back to school. That made for one very tired mama. When I'm tired, the last thing I want to do is think!

I really was ok with that. I figured once the kids went to school, I would have all the time in the world to blog. Apparently the kids took that time to school with them because I sure as hell don't have it with me at home!


I need more time



If I'm not trying to catch up on laundry, I'm doing the dishes. A leaky dishwasher isn't helping with those! I really don't enjoy doing all the dishes by hand, but it's much better than mopping the kitchen floor! If it's not those, it's vacuuming and putting toys back where they really belong - not where the kids think they should go! I am home more than anyone else who lives in this place. How do the others manage to make such a mess in such a short amount of time?!


All those things, however, do not mean there haven't been blog worthy material going on around here. For example, I got my hairs cut last week. It was a long time coming! As in a year since my last cut. I really need to do something about that! Taking 5 inches off my hair made me realize that it's curly. Who knew? I love it and most other people seem to as well. Little Dude upon seeing me said this...


"Mom, you have crazy hair!"


New haircut



I'm not quite sure how to take that! Hopefully he's just referring to the fact that it's different and shorter. It's not like I can add the 5 inches back on just because he doesn't like it.


Of course I can't end this without a quote from GG. Keep in mind she's currently 8 years old.

We were discussing birthday ideas. I thought taking her and a few girlfriends to get their hair done (curled and fixed, not cut) would be a cute idea. Or maybe her and a few friends out to lunch followed bu a movie. But, no! My ideas apparently suck! She wants to go ice skating. I asked why, and this is the answer I got...


"Because I want boys at the party!"


Oh lord, the teenage years are going to be oh so fun! Do you think there's any way I can possibly bypass the years of 13 to, oh, I don't know, 30?



Until next time....

A call for help

This just breaks my heart! I am posting this to help Gucci Mama spread the word about a dear friend.

Bloggers, when they band together, are a force to be reckoned with. Just imagine if this was you and your family?

If you can help in any way, please do. Times are tough for a lot of us, but if you can spare a few bucks, it would be awesome. If you can't do that at this time, please feel free to copy and repost this to help spread the word. You can link to your post in the McLinky at the bottom.

Please do not link up if you have not reposted this plea for help!

________________________________________________________



Oh, my Gucci babies, I've been staring at this blank screen for almost an hour trying to figure out where to start. I don't know how to fix this; I can't fix this and I don't know how to deal with something I can't fix.

I am devastated.

I hate being helpless. I hate seeing my loved ones hurting and struggling and being powerless to take the pain away. I can't fix this. I can't fix cancer. I can't heal it. But I can help with the struggles this family faces. And so can you.

I've known Renee a few years. Though I've moved out of state and we haven't seen each other in quite sometime, I just love her. She is sweet and loyal and smart and talented and strong. She is a giver, a fixer, a helper. Her heart is as beautiful as her face. She loves fiercely, she works without ceasing, and she sacrifices without complaint.

And her husband has been diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. He was the sole breadwinner and is now too sick to work. We all know the state of the economy. We all know how difficult it is to find work and to complicate things for Renee, willing as she is to do whatever she must to keep her family afloat while her husband fights for his life, she homeschools her three children, one of whom is autistic. She's been a homemaker for so many years and when employers have the luxury of choice, as they do now, they are not interested in a woman who's been out of the workforce so long.

They have lost their house. They are currently living in an RV in the parking lot of the hospital where her husband is being treated. Because they have no running water, Renee and her children are going to Sassy's house, which is thankfully close by, week after week to fill buckets and jugs with fresh water. The children are growing rapidly out of their clothes, and the clothes they do have are becoming worn with use.

Right now the hospital is generously allowing them to keep their RV in the parking lot and use their electricity, but this is a temporary solution to what is rapidly becoming a permanent problem. And winter is coming. Montana winters are cruel and long.

The amazing thing about Renee is, she remains hopeful. She finds the good in the midst of this nightmare she faces. She squares her shoulders and raises her chin in the face of this overwhelming adversity even though the stress of this situation must be almost intolerable. She is holding her family together, taking care of her husband, teaching her children, and trying to make a home out of a travel trailer parked in a hospital parking lot while stretching six hundred dollars a month to feed and clothe a family of five.










She needs our help. It's time we help her shoulder some of this immense burden. Her need is great, but our power to meet her needs is greater. This blog has 511 followers as of this writing. If each one of you donates five dollars, Renee and her family will have $2,555 to give them a start toward finding more permanent housing, nutritious food, clothing for the children, and so much more. This blog averages 1500 hits a day; if each person who reads the words on this page donates just five dollars, Renee and her family will have $7,500. Imagine that! Imagine the difference a sum like that could make to this family.

Renee has done so much for all of us who know her and she's done so much even for those who don't. She's an immensely talented photographer, and she's donated her time and skills to organizations like Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, The Human Society, and Montana Mamas. She is always first in line to lend a hand where a hand is needed and now it is time we extend a hand to her.

Certainly the best thing we can do to help Renee and her family right now is to open our pocket books. But there are other ways we can help her. We can send gift cards, clothing, blankets, and other sundries.

I've set up a Paypal donation button so you can give what you can conveniently and safely online. If you are more comfortable sending a check through the mail or you'd prefer to send gift cards, email me at admin@mamastillwearsgucci.com and I will give you my address. If you come to my house and try to watch me through my windows, that will cost you fucking extra, you pervs. Apparently they let just about anyone through the gate here, so if I give you my address, you'd better not be a freak. Similarly, if you would like to send clothing for the children or other items, I will give you the specifics on sizes and such if you ask me.

Please stand with me in making whatever difference we can for my sweet friend Renee and her family. We may not be able to fix the cancer, we may not be able to fix the troubles she faces, but we can at least remove some of the seemingly insurmountable financial burden so she no longer has to worry about getting her children in clothes that fit, being able to make real meals of nutritious food for them on an actual stove, and getting them into nice warm beds with a strong roof over their heads before the snow flies.

It's time to put our money where our mouths are. We are a community. We are bonded together even though most of us have never met. One of us has stumbled, and those of us who can need to help her get back up.

Please give what you can to Renee, her husband Carl, her daughters Inger and Kelda, and her son Benjamin. They need us. Thank you.









*As an added incentive for you to make a donation, if we raise $5000 for Renee's family by December 1st, I will do a random drawing from the names of everyone who was generous enough to give, and that person will win a gorgeous pair of Gucci sunglasses.*



Until next time....

Ghosts and Oreos

I don't know how people do it!

I suppose the answer to that statement is you just do what you need to do.

The husband went out of town this past weekend. He usually does this once a year to go and see a Bears' game with a buddy. This time it was for business. The Bears' trip is coming up, which means I'll have to go through this all over again.

I absolutely hate when he's not home. I try to keep myself busy during the day to avoid dwelling on his absence. It's all good. That is until I go to bed. Sometimes the husband watches tv in the living room when I decide to go to bed. It's comforting seeing the light reflecting from downstairs and hearing bits and pieces of his shows, usually Family Guy.

This weekend there was none of that. It was dark and the only sound I heard was the tv in the bedroom. And Little Dude snoring - he's loud!!! And to make matters worse, I did one of the stupidest things Friday night.

I am addicted to watching Ghost Adventures. Not only do I like all that paranormal stuff, but that particular show offers some pretty good eye candy!

Ghost Adventures

As I'm laying in bed, with all the lights out, every single shadow made me jump. I don't necessarily believe in everything on those shows, but being alone in the dark can make you a believer!


So long story short(er), we picked the husband up Sunday night. We were so happy to have him home. The kids even made him a bunch of "Welcome home" cards. They are so sweet sometimes!

As happy as I am to have the husband back home where he belongs, he made me one grumpy mama by stealing my stuff.

Monday morning I go into the kitchen to see a cup. A cup with remnants of milk and cookie crumbs. The jerk ate my Oreos!!!


Oreos

Not cool, man. Not cool at all!!!



Until next time....

Apparently he was hungry!

My afternoon routine consists of getting the kids from school, loading them in the car, shoving snacks in their faces, and driving to pick the husband up from work.

It's a long drive and rarely a fun drive. The snacks keeps them from yelling at each other keep me sane make them happy, and sometimes 1, maybe even both kids, will sleep for a bit. Yesterday, however, was an exception. I don't think I have laughed so hard ever!

Or at least not for a long time.

Little Dude was tired. This does not surprise me. I see the work he brings home daily. I swear his classroom kills a tree every.single.day! Rain forests, I apologize!

We get to the husband's work. We're waiting in the car because it's raining, just like it has been all week. Sigh...

GG starts asking Little Dude what he's doing. She likes to strike up conversations when he just wakes up. It's never pretty. My boy is like his momma - don't speak to him for at least a half hour after waking. Time of day is irrelevant!

I turn around to hush her because the last thing I need is them fighting. When I look at my Little Dude, he's chewing something. I ask him to open his mouth. His tongue is covered with little specks of blue.

The little monster ate a flippin crayon! He's 5! What 5 year old does this?!?

Maybe he was dreaming about food? I'm not sure, but he doesn't remember a bit of it. In fact, he adamantly denies the whole incident! I, for one, will remember that for a long time!



Until next time....