And off we go!

Last summer, the husband and I really put an effort into teaching GG how to ride a bike.  In our neighborhood, it's not the easiest thing to do.  If the roads around our house aren't busy main roads, they are giant hills.  Neither is conducive to a beginner bike rider.

Last summer the husband and I discovered a local church parking lot, which also shared a lot with a neighboring business.  After hours, they were perfect.  The husband took GG's training wheels off and began to teach her the basics of riding her two wheeler.  As long as he or I were holding on, she was getting the hang of it, but she didn't quite have the confidence to go on her own yet.

The weather this past weekend was hot, but gorgeous.  Monday we finally had a chance to take the kids to those parking lots to practice.  Little Dude, with his training wheels still attached, whipped around the parking lot like nobody's business.  The husband helped GG control her balance, and after a few tries, she got the hang of it.  She was able to go a few feet on her own before she started to tip.

We decided to gather the kids up and head over to their school's playground.  It's flatter and they have more room to ride.  Once there, GG steadied herself on her bike and before we knew it, this was happening...

Hosted by Daily Dribbles

and Emmy Mom

Until next time...

This is how we do it

On Memorial Day, I hear from friends, online and off, about the picnics they are going to, what patriotic looking dish they are making, which pool they are going to.  For my family, we don't do anything special.  I take the kids and go to a friend's picnic the weekend before Memorial Day, but on the holiday itself, we don't do much more than sleep in and hang out at home.

This year, the husband decided he wanted to cook dinner.  I obviously did not have a problem with that!  He wanted to use our little grill to make dogs and beans.  This grill is meant for tailgating, but that has never stopped us from using it at home.

He pulled out the grill and arranged the charcoal.  He then asked me where the actual grilling piece was.  I had no clue.  While we looked high and low, he decided it would be fun to cook our dogs using sticks.  Of course we found the piece we needed in the drawer under the stove where I keep the cookie sheets, but by this point, Little Dude had heard the stick plan.  There was no backing out now!

The husband went to work sharpening some sticks while Little Dude arranged chairs around the grill for us to sit on.  Once the sticks were sharpened and the coals nice and hot, the kids began to cook their own dinner (how awesome for me!).

While they were busy roasting their dogs, the husband popped open a can of chili and a can of baked beans.  He used a combination of the little grill and a esbit stove to cook his chili in beans.   

And because no cookout is complete without dessert, we made S'mores!  Or one S'more per kid followed by a bunch of roasted marshmallows!

After all the marshmallow goo, chili, cheese, and whatever else the kids managed to get stuck to them was cleaned off, the husband and I took the kids out for some more family togetherness.  You'll have to stop back tomorrow to find out what that was.

How was your holiday weekend?


Until next time...

Poison Ivy and Snakes

What a busy weekend we had. I feel like I say that every weekend anymore, but it's the truth.

As much as I love my sleep, I actually don't mind getting up early.  I am not a morning person, but I do enjoy savoring a cup of coffee (or three) and having everything I need to do done by early afternoon so I can enjoy the rest of the day with my husband and kids.

As satisfying as that feeling is to get things done early, I hate having to wake early and rush out the door.  Not being able to savor those cups of coffee tends to make me grumpy.  A grumpy me is never a fun me.

The chaos of last weekend began Friday afternoon with school pick-up.

Little Dude was complaining of being itchy the night before.  He has dry skin and has had issue with eczema in the past so I thought nothing of it.  I would just lotion him up and he's be good to go.

Not the case.

Little Dude bounced out of school Friday afternoon, happy it was finally the weekend, and that's when I saw it.  Scratches, blisters, and a flaming red neck.  Right then I knew it was more than eczema.  It was poison ivy.  Perhaps letting them run around on the hillside by the husband's work was not a good idea.  Thank goodness I had some anti-itch cream in the medicine cabinet because I didn't have time to run to the store.  I had to get the husband from work and take my boys to the zoo for a Scout sleepover

After we returned home from our drive to the zoo, GG and I prepared for our girl's night in.  I was setting up the DVD player for a few games of Harry Potter Scene-It when I realized Little Dude wasn't the only one who was running around on that hillside.  The proof was beginning to show on GG's legs, hands, and arms.  Thankfully she could make do without the anti-itch cream (I sent it off with my boys).  She was either not effected as bad as Little Dude or she had more control when it came to not scratching.

Until Sunday.

Sunday was our end of the year Girl Scout picnic.  It was hot as hell and she was running around almost the entire 8 hours we were there.  A hot and sweaty girl made for an itchy girl.  I again left the cream with the boys because Little Dude didn't seem to understand he shouldn't scratch if he wanted to get better.  A hot, sweaty, tired and itchy child is NOT a fun child!

But just because we were all hot, sweaty, tired, and some were itchy, didn't mean there was no fun to be had.  GG had a blast at the picnic - good food, crafts, and friends.  And Little Dude had a blast on his zoo trip.  He was able to go behind the scenes with a few exhibits and touch animals ordinary patrons might not have a chance to touch.

Holding an armadillo

You'll just have to trust me that GG had a great time at our picnic.  I wasn't able to capture any pictures during the event because I was too busy trying to control the chaos.  All the girls in attendance seemed to have a good time, but events like this make me realize that we do, in fact, have well behaved children.


Until next time...

Shared birthday

Last Saturday was my birthday. I had as much of a birthday as one with kids involved in activities can have. My birthday started off entirely too early. Little Dude had the Pinewood Derby finals that morning. I was not happy about getting up at 7am on my birthday to have to drive through the snow to the race sight. But my boy was so excited to place 2nd within his pack and make it to the finals that I just couldn't say no.

I spent the evening of my birthday with Little Dude, working on his Valentine's Day box for school. GG was off at her Father/daughter Sweetheart dance for Girl Scouts. GG has fallen out of wanting to wear dresses every day, but she was so excited to dress up for the night. She was even more excited when I showed her a picture of how I wanted to fix her hair. She would have left it in forever if I let her!

During the time in between those events, I was able to spend some time at home. The kids and I watched a hockey game. They also colored me birthday pictures. I also had time to tweak my new present to my specifications.

The day before my birthday the husband informed me one of the laptops he had his eye on as a gift for me was finally available at one of our Best Buy stores. He promptly made the purchase and after work, we drove out to pick it up.

I was devastated when my netbook died right before Christmas, but I was lucky enough to be able to use the kids' desktop. Facebooking, blogging, and tweeting are all fun, but I really needed a computer. As a publisher for a Macaroni Kid newsletter, a computer is kind of a requirement. What I hated was being stuck at the table. I couldn't watch my shows and work. I couldn't watch hockey games and work. If I needed a pattern for a crochet project, I had to sit at the table and work or print the pattern out.

Now I can sit on my couch and work. Or play. My couch may not be that comfortable, but it's better than a wood chair with a crappy cushion.

Happy kids. Happy me. Happy birthday.


Until next time...

Sanity Saver

My Thanksgiving was spent with my family. The holiday was full of good food, lots of laugh, and of course, pouring over the Black Friday ads.

My mom and I are Black Friday shoppers, but we're not the crazy ones. We could care less about the big deals and have no desire to stand in line with hundreds for hours over a tv when the store only has 8 in stock. But that doesn't mean we don't hit the mall early - early enough for the good sales, but late enough to miss the crazies.

This year while we were shopping I picked up a hitch hiker - our very own Elf on the Shelf. I have thought about bringing one home for quite some time now. Like every other kid out there, mine go nuts this time of year. I had hoped by bringing this guy home, the kids' behavior would improve, thus saving my sanity.


Friday night we welcomed the elf into our home. I explained to GG and Little Dude that his job wouldn't start until we read his story and gave him a proper name. We read the story, learned the rules, and after much debate, they finally decided to name our elf Geno.

We have had a few bumps in the road, but behavior seems to be improving. I just hope the mischief Geno causes doesn't influence the kids in how they decide to act!

Geno wasted no time getting into things. The very next morning he was found wrapped in a string of beads, surrounded by pieces of red garland from the railing above.

Little Dude, who wanted to play with the toys in the box Geno was on, decided to move him to another part of the room. Touching Geno is against one of the rules. Warning Little Dude, I told him I hoped Geno's magic wasn't gone and he could still report to Santa every night.

Luckily that warning was enough, because Geno moved onto playing with Little Dude's toys the next morning. It took the kids quite some time to find him. I guess Geno had picked an ideal spot to play without being disturbed.

The kids, Little Dude in particular, wonder aloud every night as to where Geno will end up in the morning. I can't wait to discover the places he can hide.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Geno returned carrying a note from Santa about the things that were reported, good and bad. I hope Geno can hear my wish for a note because that would be a huge boost to my sanity!


Do you have your own Elf on the Shelf? What kind of crazy places does he hide?


Until next time...

Thankful

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. Thankful is something you should be all year, but this time of year it is stressed. I have many things to be thankful for.

Even if they are a pain in my ass.


I am thankful for...


Mount Laundry

Not a day goes by where I don't have one pile or another of clothes to wash. But every time I trip over one of those piles or leave a trail of socks behind me as I walk down to the laundry room, I am reminded of how thankful I am we are able to all have clothes on our backs. Or the floor.


Skyscrapers of dishes in the sink

Or on the counter. GG and I share the responsibility of washing said dishes. If I'm not complaining about the lasagna that burned to the pan and won't come off, then I'm bribing her to actually wash them at a reasonable hour. No matter how much whining and crying I do over those dishes, I am reminded of thankful I am we are able to fill plates with food each and every night.


Children

Whether they are fighting or laughing, I know that they always have and always will love one another. I can't imagine my life without them. It is truly a miracle that the husband and I let them live this long created such beautiful creatures.



Creaky floors and leaky pipes

It is no secret that I hate this house. So many memories have been made here, but most days, it still doesn't feel like a home. Just a house. But no matter how I feel about this house of ours, I am always thankful that we have a roof over our heads.


Alarm clocks

Not a day goes by when I don't want to chuck them into the wall. Yes I said them. This chic loves her sleep! But since one of those alarms is on my phone, which I also love, I resist the urge to throw things at the butt crack of noon dawn. Instead of throwing, I remind myself that hearing my alarms every morning remind me that I am alive. And I am very thankful for that.


Coffee

Do I really need to explain this one?!


***********************

I am taking the remainder of this week off to enjoy a day of good food, followed by a long day of shopping. I hope everyone out there has a happy turkey day. May you gobble til you wobble!



Until next time...

Why I Became a Mom

I honestly don't know.

Some days I think I have it all together. Other days... far from it!


As a thank you for attending PTA meetings and helping out where I could last year, I was given a desk calendar from the officers. Thank you ladies! I know at least one of you reads!

This calendar is set to the school year so I had to wait until August to use it. I came up with a brilliant idea to keep everyone straight. Each person would be assigned a color. GG is purple, Little Dude is red, the husband and I are blue. I can now easily see who has scouts when, what days GG needs to take her flute to school, and where I need to be on certain days.

However, this plan is not fool proof.

The shower is a great place for me to think, assuming little people don't barge in on me because of a pee emergency. Sunday night I was in the shower. As I was washing Garnier suds out of my hair, I starting thinking about what I needed to do in the upcoming week. My mind wandered to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese earlier in the day that I opted out of taking Little Dude to. I really didn't feel like dealing with that place. Also, Sundays are our days at my in-laws house. Opting for the in-laws tells you how much I dislike Chuck E. Cheese!

I started feeling pretty good about not having to deal with that giant rodent when it hit me. Little Dude was supposed to go to a birthday party on Saturday as well. I told the mom we would probably be there, but I forgot to write in on my calendar with the red pen. Oops!

"Probably" makes it ok that I forgot to take my boy, right?



Someone please remind me of this post if I ever start to think about another child. I can't even keep the ones I have straight!


Until next time...

A camera can't always capture magic moments

In my nine years of being a mom, I have had the joy of experiencing countless magic moments.




hosted by Shell


The first words from my child's mouth. The first steps of their tiny feet. The first time my youngest tried to say his sister's name. Coincidentally, my boy is why I call my daughter "GG" on this blog.

As my children got older, I realized that the magic moments continue.


The fist time my daughter learned to ride her skateboard





The street fair where my son experienced a moment in time with a fire fighter.





The moment my children realized they had limitations






I often try to capture these moments on "film", but sometimes things happen that a camera can't quite capture.


This past weekend I was hosting a Tupperware party at my mom's house. The husband was out of town which meant I had to take the kids with me to the party. We packed up some of their favorite toys before we left home and I hoped for the best. We had a busy day and I knew their ability to get a long would only last so long.

The party went well, however it was much longer than any of us planned for. Our consultant was a talker. Four hours after the party had started, my friends began to make their way home while my mom and I cleaned up. While we were helping the consultant pack her stuff away, she mentioned how well behaved my kids were. My children did bicker, I won't lie. It is impossible for siblings to get along all of the time. The three of us all being moms, we knew some disagreements were to be expected. But in general, my kids played well all night and kept their noses out of the party. The four hour long party!!

Many days I have my doubts about how well I manage this thing called parenthood. Hearing someone I have only met twice compliment my children like that boosted my confidence in myself. It also made me very proud of my children.







Until next time...

Recovery mode

I'm happy to report that we all made it safely back home from our vacation. We had a fairly easy drive down. The skies were blue and sunny the entire way down, we didn't get lost, and I survived driving on the Beltway. That last part I'm especially excited about.

Our first night there we didn't have much planned. We picked up some Metro tickets and made our way into town. I wanted to get an idea of the city's layout since I would be on my own with the kids the first 2 days we were in DC. The husband had a conference to attend.

I can successfully say we easily found the White House and the Washington Monument. Walking back to the Metro station? Not as easy. Even with directions on my phone we managed to get lost. I'd like to say that was the only time we got lost in the city, but it's not. I was hell bent on finding a Caribou so I could get my coffee. Don't take offense, but I'm not a Starbucks gal in the slightest!

Over the next few days the kids and I explored the great city of DC. Thank goodness for tree-lined sidewalks and the Metro because it was so incredibly hot!

The kids were able to see all of the monuments, including a few I never knew about. We had some awesome food, and saw a bunch of animals at the zoo. I'm still trying to figure out a way to kidnap those pandas! So damn cute!!

I'd love to show you pictures, but I still have to unpack. Any takers on helping me would be greatly appreciated. And the laundry, too, please! Also? All that walking and driving is finally starting to catch up with me. If you're friends with me on Facebook, you can check out pictures from our adventure. If you're not, fix that! you might have to wait a day or 2 for me to find a routine before I can put together a decent blog post.


By the way, Caribou turned out to be right around the corner from the Metro stop we got off at every single day. Yes, I felt like a dumbass when I realized that.



Until next time...

Whirlwind

Yesterday was Little Dude's family birthday party. I would love to share some pictures of the awesome gifts he got, but I was too busy being anal about wrapping paper being all over the floor enjoying the moment.

He did get some pretty awesome, and much needed things. There were Legos, bug catcher equipment, airplanes, and tons of clothes. Little Dude didn't care much for the clothes, but I was over the moon about them. That means one less kid I have to buy school clothes for!

The best part of this party, at least in my opinion, were the cupcakes. With the exception of 2 or 3 birthdays for GG, I have always made their cakes. I think it's more personal and the kids love helping me decide what to make. Having them decide their cake can be good or bad depending on their choice.

Between my mom and my sister-from-another-mister, I found a few cute ideas. When I presented them to Little Dude, he went with the corn on the cob cupcakes.





I think the trick candles put them over the top. I don't think the Dude really thought I would buy him the trick candles he kept asking me for.




I really wish I could have some down time after this party. Parties (and family) are always exhausting! Instead of taking a day to rest, I need to get ready for vacation. The panic of what to pack and me pre-departure to-do list is going to kill me. It probably wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't such a procrastinator! That and we haven't taken a vacation in 7 years. I'm freaking over the possibility of forgetting something little yet trivial, such as a toothbrush or Tylenol.

I know I'll get it together on time to leave. Just because I'm panicking doesn't meant you have to. I am taking my computer, but I probably won't get a chance to blog, Facebook, or tweet. I promise to come back next week with a proper vacation post as well as a post on how I made those cupcakes.



Until next time...

Rockin' my babies

My fabulous friend Shell from Things I Can't Say recently hosted a Rockin' the Bump meme. I, unfortunately, did not participate since I am usually the one behind the camera. With how big I was with Little Dude, that was probably a good thing!

Since the event was such a huge success, she has decided to follow up with

Who doesn't love to share baby pictures?!

GG, our first, was born in a rather traumatic fashion. At least for me. Quick delivery would be an understatement! Even though I may have been mentally scarred, she came into the world perfectly fine at just over 7 pounds.

2 months

However, that teeny, perfect sized baby did not last long. At her first doctor appointment at 4 weeks, she weighed in at 12 pounds. And she continued to pack on the rolls as the months went by.

7 months

I have to point out that after seeing a the above picture, a former co-worker honestly thought I put rubber bands on her arms. No, my dear, she was just my not-so-little chunky monkey!


A few years later we added Little Dude to our then family of 3. Thankfully he granted me with a little more time with his delivery, but I still wasn't able to get a damn epidural!

3 weeks

He entered the world just a little over 8 pounds. Because of that I expected to raise another chunky monkey.

Little Dude was such a happy baby. Just as we did with his sister, we had to instill some important values.

6 months

Even though he never acquired the rolls as his sister did, that didn't mean the boy didn't know the proper way to eat a cupcake!

Happy 1st birthday!

If you have pictures to share, head on over and link up with Shell. I just hope you don't have the same problems I did. Little Dude suffers from 2nd child syndrome with his lack of pictures. And baby book, but we don't need to discuss that issue right now, do we?


Until next time...

The battle has begun

What a crazy weekend, as the 4th usually is! We could all use an extra day just to catch up on sleep. I know it won't happen, but at least it's a sign that the weekend was a fun one.

Saturday was just a bunch of running around, but Sunday is when the real fun started. After visiting my in-laws, I took the kids to the local Street Fair.

Our street fair isn't anything huge, but it's fun. Each of my kids got a free airbrush tattoo as well as a turn in the bounce house. I "treated' them to free hot dogs and free cotton candy. Free is good. After visiting the vendors I took them to the police station to find a spot on the curb to watch the Battle of the Barrel.

Every year someone asks what this Battle is exactly. Local fire departments gather and have a battle. A barrel is strung up in the middle of the street. Using their hoses, the teams of firemen (and women) they try to push the barrel to the other side of the wire.

Kids gather on the sides of the street to watch knowing full well they will get soaked to the core. Many of my friends we passed along the way asked if I was taking the kids to the pool because they were each carrying a towel. No pool, we're just pros at this battle thing. We come prepared!

Well, almost fully prepared. I failed to check the weather before we left because I was under the assumption it was going to be a gorgeous night. We all know what happens when one assumes, right? In the end, I was just as wet as the kids - them from the hoses, me from Mother Nature.

Rain was a running theme throughout the holiday. Thankfully it held off for the parade the following morning. The rain held out long enough to almost ruin the fireworks.

I'll share more about that tomorrow. Right now, I think I need a nap.


I hope you had a good holiday!

Until next time...

One to remember

I never like Mondays, but yesterday was particularly rough. When your sleep schedule is thrown off course, you eventually pay for it.

I woke up too early Saturday morning. From the moment my feet touched the ground I was off running. The husband had an all day conference, the kids had soccer, and I had to go shopping for my mom in the afternoon. Shopping with two kids who were not only exhausted from playing soccer, but were also still recovering from being sick was not a pleasurable experience. Thank goodness they played nice in the car on the way to pick the husband up. After that, they were all over him because he was gone all day.

Saturday night the four of us went out to finish our shopping. The husband had some ladies to buy things for. The husband bought his mom a Kindle, which I think she's excited to use. His parents aren't always comfortable with new technology. Or technology period. While at Best Buy I noticed that they also carried what I wanted. Not only was I excited to walk out of the store with a Keurig in hand, but also a box of k-cups from Caribou Coffee (my addiction!).

On the way home I informed the kids that their present to me the following day would be to let me sleep in. Thinking they would hopefully allow that, I decided to stay up entirely too late that evening. On a side note, my new Keurig may have contributed to that!

Sunday I woke at the crack of noon. Not only was I excited that the midgets actually let me sleep in, but I was excited to see them greet me with breakfast in bed. GG was first to the bed. In her hands was a plate holding a big, fat omelet stuffed with cheese, mushrooms, green peppers, and red onions. Little Dude followed her with a big glass full of orange juice. I would have stayed in bed to eat, but once again, my new toy beckoned. Might I say that Dark Magic coffee is quite delicious!

The rest of the day was peppered with pictures and cards from the kids and a big basket of flowers from my in-laws. I'm not sure what kind of flowers they are, but I do know they attract humming birds. Hopefully we will see one for the second summer in a row.

When I wasn't collecting trinkets from the kids, I was sprawled out on the couch with a good book. It was definitely a Mother's Day to remember.

How was yours?





Until next time....

Our own aviary

In my city we have a wonderful aviary. There are all kinds of birds there. I love going in to the tropical room. It's like Where's Waldo, except with birds. You could stand in that room for hours and never see the same bird twice.

But my absolute favorite are the Lories. Those are Lories over there on the left. Everybody gets a cup of nectar before walking into their room. They perch on your shoulders and arms, as well as drink the nectar from your cup. Loud, but beautiful birds.


I have decided that this summer we may not visit the aviary. The price of everything is going up. I'm ready to have another child just so I could sell it to be able to put gas in our car.

Instead of going to the Aviary, the kids and are going to line our camping chairs on the back porch and watch what is already out there.

Last week I shared pictures of the robin nest forming on a shelf on our back porch. This thing is a monstrosity! Originally I decided that robins are the hoarders of birds. Other than twigs, there were wrappers and dryer sheets up in that nest. Upon further investigation, I realized that they are not hoarders. They are very resourceful birds.

The mass of twigs, from what I can figure, is a make-shift tree. Building on the shelf provides stability. Tucked in the way back of the mass of twigs and garbage is an actual nest.




I'm sure before we know it, that little nest will be full of tiny blue eggs. Let's just hope that the birds don't try to fly in the house. Being right next to the back door, this could be a real possibility.

Not only do we have the robins to sit and watch, but I have noticed the beginnings of yet another nest. This one is being built by tiny birds. Wrens perhaps? Their nest is tucked up in the awning of our porch roof. I can't take a picture and I can't knock it out even if I wanted to. And I kind of do!

These wrens are so skittish. I can see them sitting in the trees with nest materials in their beaks, patiently waiting for me or the kids to disappear. So different from the robins who, quite frankly, couldn't care less.

This summer we will be bird watching from the comfort of our back porch. You are more than welcome to join us. I may have to charge you a small fee. I do need to put gas in the car if I want to get food to feed my family.


Wordful Wednesday by

and



Until next time....