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...

Paint and Blow

This past weekend Little Dude has his first big Boy Scout event. I said from the beginning that I wanted nothing to do with Boy Scouts because it seems a little more disorganized than Girl Scouts can be. But that didn't stop me from attending this event with my boy.

The big scouting event of the weekend was the Rain Gutter Regatta.



Like we tend to do with many things, we waited until the last minute to purchase the supplies. I'll spare you the hell I went through to get said supplies. But I will say that Pat Catan employees are idiots! I finally purchased the paints Wednesday evening and began painting Thursday afternoon. The plan was for my to paint the boy's boat with a base coat of brown. He would do the details. The paint I bought was definitely not easy to work with (or clean up), but by Friday evening, that part of the process was complete.

Saturday morning the husband gave the boat one final sanding job before he applied the acrylic sealer to waterproof the boat. I'm not sure if the paint or the sealer caused the problem. Perhaps both. The paint looked smudged after a coat of the sealer was applied. Luckily, Little Dude wasn't upset. He said the cannons he painted on the side could still shoot. I guess that was the important part of the boat!


After lunch, the four of us headed to the library where the race would take place. Two rain gutters were set up on poles. Two boys at a time would race and it a double elimination. Each boy had to use a straw to blow air on the boat's sail to move it from one end of the gutter to the other.




Just knowing that Little Dude's boat floated made us all very proud. Watching my boy come so close to winning made us even prouder. He ended up coming in a close second. If his boat had not tipped over at the end, he would have had it.

All week, Little Dude was telling us that racing is not about winning, it's about having fun. The smile on his face, and the blue ribbon in his hand, definitely shows how much fun he had.

Boys were allowed to wear Halloween costumes.
Which worked out since we have yet
to buy his actual uniform. Oops!

We now need to prepare for the Space ship race. I think we'll need some luck for that since neither the husband nor I have any experience with this race. He never did it in scouts and my brother never did either. I have a feeling a blog post or 2 may come out of this race!





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...

It should be illegal

For the past 4 years, GG has been playing soccer. When Little Dude turned 4 a year and a half ago, he also started playing. They play both in the Fall season and in the Spring season.

We're not supposed to keep score, but as you can imagine, every single kid does. And sometimes the parents! The point is for the kids to have fun and be active. This is why they continue to play each season.

However, I have started to reconsider the Fall season. I'm not a fan of the cold. Our practice field is way at the bottom of a big hill, so it feels colder down there than it really is.

After last night, I am ready to petition the league to push back the start of the Spring season. Last weekend was absolutely gorgeous - perfect soccer playing weather. Last night? It felt more like November.

Let me explain in further detail via my tweets transferred to post-its...










Yes, I have to do it all again tonight with the other child. I know we're supposed to make sacrifices for our kids, but this is getting a little out of hand!






Until next time...

Please send help

Here's my dilemma...

I finally jumped on the Feedburner bandwagon. I realize that not everyone reads a blog the same way. Why not give more options, right?

With the help of some Twitter friends, I finally figured out what I was doing. I signed up, I burned my feeds, and I added the little widget thing to my blogs. It's over on the right if you care to subscribe (hint, hint!!).

Just like a good little blogger should do, I subscribed to my own blogs. And that's when I realized I have failed. I don't like to fail, so you need to try and help a girl out here! Please?!


First off, I can't seem to get the timing right on when posts from this blog are delivered. I keep selecting the time I want and saving, but it doesn't want to work.

But that's not my big issue. The big problem is exactly what is delivered. When I open the email from yours truly I see nothing but the title of the post. I subscribe to a few blogs via email. Of those I notice one of two things. There's a snippet of the post with a clickable to link to read more on the blog itself. Or the entire post is in that email.


What the hell are you people doing that I can't seem to figure out?!?


Please help me fix my blogs?!


And subscribe? No pressure, or course!







Until next time....

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Ok, there may not really be a yellow brick road, but I got the follow part right. I'd love to have a bagillion few more followers here on my little ole blog. Especially since I'm trying to gt back to writing what's really on my mind instead of copping out and doing memes all the bloody time. But this is more about Twitter than my blog.

So if you're looking to meet some new people and love Twitter, than you need to do Yo Tweeps. I realize I may have mentioned a few sentences ago that I am trying to avoid doing memes all the time, but this is more about meeting new people. And I actually did a non-meme post today about golf balls. Pretty good story if I say so myself.

Anyways, every Thursday SupahMommy hosts Yo Tweeps.

Here are the directions...


1. Follow the first FOUR Twitter Twaffic hosts listed on the linky on SupahMommy's blog. Netiquette and courtesy! They'll reciprocate your love on twitter!


2. MAKE A BLOG POST like I am doing. Copy and Paste these directions.


3. Grab the YO Tweeps Twaffic Exchange Button pictured below. Put him in your post.
Encourage your readers to come to our page and grab the button too!

<center><a href="http://supahmommy.blogspot.com/2010/03/yo-tweeps-twaffic-exchange.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq250/smiles4jude/Buttons/all-you-need.jpg" /></a></center>

4. Put YOUR OWN twitter icon / link on your blog post like I have below. It should directly link to your TWITTER PROFILE.





5. Now link up your post over here!


6. Visit some other #Yotweeps linkers on the list.


7. Follow them if you choose and shout out to them on twitter that you are following so they can instantly follow you if they're on.
(Follow their blog as well if you're interested.)


Example:
@personsname #yotweeps I'm following!


8. If someone follows you just reciprocate on twitter. It's that easy.


Now go forth and tweet!



Until next time....

Have We Met Yet - yo tweeps

I love meeting new people. I also love to tweet! SupahMommy came up with a great way to fulfill both of these needs. It's called Yo Tweeps. If you want to meet new people and feed your Twitter addiction, here's what you need to do...


1. Follow the first THREE Twitter Twaffic hosts listed on the linky on SupahMommy's blog. Netiquette and courtesy! They'll reciprocate your love on twitter!


2. Make a blog post like I am doing. Copy and Paste these directions.


3. Grab the YO Tweeps Twaffic Exchange Button pictured below. Put him in your post.
Encourage your readers to come and grab the button too!

<center><a href="http://supahmommy.blogspot.com/2010/03/yo-tweeps-twaffic-exchange.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq250/smiles4jude/Buttons/all-you-need.jpg" /></a></center>

4. Put YOUR OWN twitter icon / link on your blog post like I have below. It should directly link to your TWITTER PROFILE.





5. Now link up your post over here!


6. Visit some other #YOtweeps linkers on the list.


7. Follow them if you choose and shout out to them on twitter that you are following so they can instantly follow you if they're on.
(Follow their blog as well if you're interested.)


Example:
@personsname #yotweeps I'm following!


8. If someone follows you just reciprocate on twitter. It's that easy.


Now go forth and tweet!


Until next time....

Yo Tweeps

Every Thursday SupahMommy hosts Yo Tweeps. If you love to tweet like I do than this is a great meme. Here are the directions...


1. Follow the first THREE Twitter Twaffic hosts listed on the linky on SupahMommy's blog. Netiquette and courtesy! They'll reciprocate your love on twitter!


2. MAKE A BLOG POST LIKE I am doing. Copy and Paste these directions.


3. Grab the YO Tweeps Twaffic Exchange Button pictured below. Put him in your post.
Encourage your readers to come to our page and grab the button too!

<center><a href="http://supahmommy.blogspot.com/2010/03/yo-tweeps-twaffic-exchange.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq250/smiles4jude/Buttons/all-you-need.jpg" /></a></center>

4. Put YOUR OWN twitter icon / link on your blog post like I have below. It should directly link to your TWITTER PROFILE.





5. Now link up your post over here!


6. Visit some other #YOtweeps linkers on the list.


7. Follow them if you choose and shout out to them on twitter that you are following so they can instantly follow you if they're on.
(Follow their blog as well if you're interested.)


Example:
@personsname #yotweeps I'm following!


8. If someone follows you JUST reciprocate on twitter. It's that easy.


Now go forth and tweet!

If you are participating and follow me today, I will get back to you to return the follow as soon as I can. I have to go get new glasses today since genius me broke my only pair yesterday.



Until next time....