Last night was so awesome! Hubby plays basketball on Thursday nights, and one of our friends plays with him. I went over to their house with the kids to hang out with his wife and their three kids. They have 2 girls, and my daughter is in between them in ages and plays so well with them! They also have a son that’s a little over 1 year, so soon (I think) he and my son will play a lot together.
My friend cooked us an awesome dinner of chicken, green beans, corn and mashed potatoes. And we sat there, with all our little kids at the table…it was so nice! And it gave me a look at what it’s like for people with 5 kids. Holy.Crap.
The guys got back around 9:30 and ate some dinner and we didn’t end up leaving until around 11:00. It’s so nice to have friends that are the same as us…no schedules! No “my kid has to be in bed by 7:30 so we can’t come over.” I think I will have to do a post on routines and schedules sometime…I have a lot of curiosities about them :)
The best part was that after I got the kids into bed and then hubby and I climbed into bed ourselves it was around 12:30 am. I popped up and said "oh my gosh, I have to make breakfast work everyone at work tomorrow." So the wonderful hubby that I have got out of bed and came downstairs with me and helped me make the casseroles so that all I would have to do is pop them into the over this morning. Needless to say I'm a little bit tired today :)
That’s about it...oh, and we’re trying to play a vacation for the middle of June. We want to rent something that sleeps at least 8, has its own or access to a pool, and is generally a fun place. Other than that, we have no idea. So if you know of cool places to go, please let me know! I want to get this planned so I can stop worrying about it :)
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Are You The Same In Real Life As You Are In Your Blog?
Do you think that you portray yourself the same way in your blog as you are in real life? I’m sure your answers are all over the board on this, depending on why you have your blog in the first place. I think I’m pretty much the same in person as I am here…I might complain a little more here than in normal life, but that’s kind of the benefit of having this blog that hardly anyone I know reads. I don’t like to be viewed as a complainer, but we all know that sometimes we have to get things off our chest, and what better way than to the internet filled with anonymity (for some of us)?
I know that Isabel had a post that talked about one of the reasons she started her blog was so that she could have a place to get her complaints out without people "thinking any less of her." I started my blog to keep a somewhat daily diary of my kids’ lives because I’m horrible at recording those “precious moments” otherwise. So since that’s the main reason, I don’t really have any need to pretend to be someone I’m not. I’m pretty much the same person whether you’re reading about me or having lunch with me…I think. If any of my friends do read this and would like to confirm or challenge that statement please speak up, because I would like to know the truth.
So what about all of you? If I were to meet you for lunch, or in a bookstore, or in Target, would I be able to relate to you instantly because you are the same “you” that you are online? Or would I think that I was talking to your cyber twin?
I know that Isabel had a post that talked about one of the reasons she started her blog was so that she could have a place to get her complaints out without people "thinking any less of her." I started my blog to keep a somewhat daily diary of my kids’ lives because I’m horrible at recording those “precious moments” otherwise. So since that’s the main reason, I don’t really have any need to pretend to be someone I’m not. I’m pretty much the same person whether you’re reading about me or having lunch with me…I think. If any of my friends do read this and would like to confirm or challenge that statement please speak up, because I would like to know the truth.
So what about all of you? If I were to meet you for lunch, or in a bookstore, or in Target, would I be able to relate to you instantly because you are the same “you” that you are online? Or would I think that I was talking to your cyber twin?
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Check It Out...
My post is up on the other blog that I write for - Work It: a blog for Working Moms
Take a look and let me know what you think!
Take a look and let me know what you think!
Strengths and Weaknesses
What skills do you have and what skills are you lacking? This is a hard subject for me because I always tend to think that I’m lacking way more than I have.
Hubby has always told me that I know how to fight/argue. He tells everyone that I taught him. I take this as a compliment because I get into a lot of arguments (I have a hard time letting something go when someone says something untrue/inappropriate, etc.). He always tells our kids that I’m the greatest listener (which makes me so great at arguing he says). As weird as it is, my family fought all the time, and I think after watching them for years and years, I finally grasped the right and wrong ways to do it. Hubby’s family never fought…everything just got “swept under the carpet.” They are horrible fighters…running away screaming when things don’t go their way. And they’re 29.
I’m a great mother. I know a lot of times I question it, and I always will question and second-guess my day-to-day actions, but I know overall I’m a great mom. We had a speaker at our mom’s group last month that was giving mothering advice, and I sat and listened to it thinking “is this for real? Isn’t this common sense? Doesn’t everybody know this?” But looking around the room and talking to some people afterwards, I quickly learned that what comes natural and easy to me, doesn’t come quite so easy to other people.
I try to be a good wife. I do struggle with this, so I have to say this is a strength and a weakness. There are areas of being a wife that I fail at miserably (at least in my mind, hubby always says I’m great). I know that I’m supportive, and loving, and caring. But remember my first strength up there? Yeah, I like to nit-pick a little too much with hubby sometimes.
I am very impatient. This falls through to my kids a lot and it sucks. I get bored really easily, and because of that I might stop playing with them, or constantly have us on the go so I don’t get bored (I think I have ADHD…seriously!)
I am very insecure. As a whole. I am very secure in some decisions I’ve made, but as a person, I always feel so inferior to others. I think I’m getting better at this…especially when I’m in “mom” mode. Since I think I’m a good mom, I feel secure when I’m out with the kids and around other moms. But take me out of that role and I am scared.to.death.
I have a real hard time multi-tasking outside the home. I think this is a recent problem. We went to dinner with hubby’s family on Saturday and only after 2 other people made comments and half-way through dinner did I remember that his uncle had a heart attack a couple of months ago. I couldn’t believe how rude I was to not have remembered and to have said something. Another thing…my sister’s boyfriend’s (who is also hubby’s friend) grandpa died late last week. And only after talking to my sister on Monday, who told me that my mom sent flowers to the funeral home, did I think “wait a minute…why didn’t I send anything?” I have really had a hard time with this lately and really feel like crap about it. I did just mail a card and a pizza gift-card to my sister’s boyfriend…I hope he isn’t too offended that it’s coming a week late.
So what about you? What are some of your strengths and weaknesses? Come on, let them out…no judgment here, I promise!
Hubby has always told me that I know how to fight/argue. He tells everyone that I taught him. I take this as a compliment because I get into a lot of arguments (I have a hard time letting something go when someone says something untrue/inappropriate, etc.). He always tells our kids that I’m the greatest listener (which makes me so great at arguing he says). As weird as it is, my family fought all the time, and I think after watching them for years and years, I finally grasped the right and wrong ways to do it. Hubby’s family never fought…everything just got “swept under the carpet.” They are horrible fighters…running away screaming when things don’t go their way. And they’re 29.
I’m a great mother. I know a lot of times I question it, and I always will question and second-guess my day-to-day actions, but I know overall I’m a great mom. We had a speaker at our mom’s group last month that was giving mothering advice, and I sat and listened to it thinking “is this for real? Isn’t this common sense? Doesn’t everybody know this?” But looking around the room and talking to some people afterwards, I quickly learned that what comes natural and easy to me, doesn’t come quite so easy to other people.
I try to be a good wife. I do struggle with this, so I have to say this is a strength and a weakness. There are areas of being a wife that I fail at miserably (at least in my mind, hubby always says I’m great). I know that I’m supportive, and loving, and caring. But remember my first strength up there? Yeah, I like to nit-pick a little too much with hubby sometimes.
I am very impatient. This falls through to my kids a lot and it sucks. I get bored really easily, and because of that I might stop playing with them, or constantly have us on the go so I don’t get bored (I think I have ADHD…seriously!)
I am very insecure. As a whole. I am very secure in some decisions I’ve made, but as a person, I always feel so inferior to others. I think I’m getting better at this…especially when I’m in “mom” mode. Since I think I’m a good mom, I feel secure when I’m out with the kids and around other moms. But take me out of that role and I am scared.to.death.
I have a real hard time multi-tasking outside the home. I think this is a recent problem. We went to dinner with hubby’s family on Saturday and only after 2 other people made comments and half-way through dinner did I remember that his uncle had a heart attack a couple of months ago. I couldn’t believe how rude I was to not have remembered and to have said something. Another thing…my sister’s boyfriend’s (who is also hubby’s friend) grandpa died late last week. And only after talking to my sister on Monday, who told me that my mom sent flowers to the funeral home, did I think “wait a minute…why didn’t I send anything?” I have really had a hard time with this lately and really feel like crap about it. I did just mail a card and a pizza gift-card to my sister’s boyfriend…I hope he isn’t too offended that it’s coming a week late.
So what about you? What are some of your strengths and weaknesses? Come on, let them out…no judgment here, I promise!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
This Weekend....
This is a good recap of what I did this weekend :) It was wonderful and relaxing and my daughter grew up about 10 years. On saturday she asked me to flat-iron her hair (she has very curly hair), and I flipped it out when I did it...she looked so grown up! And then on Sunday she wanted me to give her a French manicure. It was so hard on those little nails, but I did it, and she was so proud! If you look hard enough, you can see them in the picture. My little girl is growing up so fast!
And my son ran around saying "naked baby" every time I tried to change his clothes.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Would You Trade Lives With Someone Else?
Do you ever wish you were someone else? Is there one or more people in your life that you would really love to trade places with?
When I was little, around 6th grade, there was a group of girls that I would have given anything to be. I actually weaseled my way in their group and became friends with them, and the more I knew about each one, the more I wanted to be them…it didn’t matter which one, all of their lives were better than mine. They all had older siblings, so their parents weren’t near as strict as mine; they all had a lot more money, so they had clothes for school (we went to a private school with a dress code) and different clothes for church (my parents figured that I had to wear skirts to school and you dress up for church…no need for two sets of clothes); the boys loved them; and they were popular no matter where they went.
One time we were all sitting around and someone brought up this very question, if we would want to be anyone else. I said “yes” right away, but everyone else just shook their heads and said they were happy with who they were. I felt like total crap. No only was I an outsider trying to make my way inside, but I just basically said I didn’t like who I was.
Sitting at my desk here just a few minutes ago I over heard Vegas-trip-planning-girl trying to find a place to temporarily adopt her dog because she’s trying to sell her house. She’s trying to sell her house because she and her husband and separated, and headed for divorce. I have learned a lot about this lady from the phone calls she makes, and my heart goes out to her (although her trip-planning calls still annoy the heck out of me). I thought to myself “I’m so glad I’m not her.” Then I realized that I really do love my life. It’s not completely perfect, but in today’s world, it’s pretty darn close. And I realized that there is NO ONE in this world that I would trade places with.
It’s amazing how my priorities and thoughts have changed between my teenage years and now. So what about you? Would you want to trade lives with someone? I don’t think you’re a bad person if you do…I know a lot of people that would easily trade right now. Did you ever want to be someone else? Did that desire go away? Let me know!
When I was little, around 6th grade, there was a group of girls that I would have given anything to be. I actually weaseled my way in their group and became friends with them, and the more I knew about each one, the more I wanted to be them…it didn’t matter which one, all of their lives were better than mine. They all had older siblings, so their parents weren’t near as strict as mine; they all had a lot more money, so they had clothes for school (we went to a private school with a dress code) and different clothes for church (my parents figured that I had to wear skirts to school and you dress up for church…no need for two sets of clothes); the boys loved them; and they were popular no matter where they went.
One time we were all sitting around and someone brought up this very question, if we would want to be anyone else. I said “yes” right away, but everyone else just shook their heads and said they were happy with who they were. I felt like total crap. No only was I an outsider trying to make my way inside, but I just basically said I didn’t like who I was.
Sitting at my desk here just a few minutes ago I over heard Vegas-trip-planning-girl trying to find a place to temporarily adopt her dog because she’s trying to sell her house. She’s trying to sell her house because she and her husband and separated, and headed for divorce. I have learned a lot about this lady from the phone calls she makes, and my heart goes out to her (although her trip-planning calls still annoy the heck out of me). I thought to myself “I’m so glad I’m not her.” Then I realized that I really do love my life. It’s not completely perfect, but in today’s world, it’s pretty darn close. And I realized that there is NO ONE in this world that I would trade places with.
It’s amazing how my priorities and thoughts have changed between my teenage years and now. So what about you? Would you want to trade lives with someone? I don’t think you’re a bad person if you do…I know a lot of people that would easily trade right now. Did you ever want to be someone else? Did that desire go away? Let me know!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Kids Clothing
OK, I just read someone post something about kids not wearing clothes for that long (and I know it's heard between moms everywhere these days) and it got me thinking about how lucky I am. My daughter, up until about a month ago, was wearing the same pants she wore last year (but then she decided to grow "up" and they're now too short). My son has some sweaters he wears that he wore last year too. And my kids wear their clothes, and I mean WEAR them! They are not looking very sharp when the season (or 2) is over for them. So I have such a hard time when people try to tell me to buy them clothes from a thrift shop or to get them from a friend. Because those clothes are starting out worn, and then once my kids get in them, they don't last very long.
Maybe I do laundry too often? I know my kids aren't that messy (except for my baby, he's still drooling with 4 teeth coming in), but once they wear it once, or heck, if it's not on a hanger, it gets thrown into the washer. I'm very picky about my kids walking around in clean clothes...no food stains on them or anything like that. I have a bunch of their shirts in the laundry room right now that I keep running through the washer with each load trying to get stains out, because I will not let them wear them until they are gone!
I also have fun shopping for new clothes for them...I do it in place of shopping for me. I can't remember the last time I bought myself more than one thing at any given time. But each season I go out and buy the kids their wardrobe for the season coming up (I do it twice per year...once in the spring and once in the fall).
But here's where I save some money...I head to the outlets. Luckily, I have some that are about 1 hour and 20 minutes away. I go to the good stores and get them good clothes that I know will withstand all of their playing, and my washing, and will last me through each child I have. All at outlet prices. I got my daughter beautiful GAP socks to match some of her outfits at 3 pairs for $3 (not just solid color ones...a beautiful print on them). I don't (unless I have a gift card) go buy something for them in a regular GAP store...just the outlet.
Maybe that's another reason I like to buy new clothes...we want 4 kids, and so far (crossing our fingers) we've been able to have them in the same season...so my son wore all of my daughter's neutral stuff (we didn't find out the sex with either one of them) and then we bought him boy clothes after he outgrew those. So hopefully, these clothes that I'm buying will get a second or third use out of them.
Is there anyone out there that thinks like me? Do you like to shop for new clothes for your kids? Do you sacrifice something else so that you can do it?
Maybe I do laundry too often? I know my kids aren't that messy (except for my baby, he's still drooling with 4 teeth coming in), but once they wear it once, or heck, if it's not on a hanger, it gets thrown into the washer. I'm very picky about my kids walking around in clean clothes...no food stains on them or anything like that. I have a bunch of their shirts in the laundry room right now that I keep running through the washer with each load trying to get stains out, because I will not let them wear them until they are gone!
I also have fun shopping for new clothes for them...I do it in place of shopping for me. I can't remember the last time I bought myself more than one thing at any given time. But each season I go out and buy the kids their wardrobe for the season coming up (I do it twice per year...once in the spring and once in the fall).
But here's where I save some money...I head to the outlets. Luckily, I have some that are about 1 hour and 20 minutes away. I go to the good stores and get them good clothes that I know will withstand all of their playing, and my washing, and will last me through each child I have. All at outlet prices. I got my daughter beautiful GAP socks to match some of her outfits at 3 pairs for $3 (not just solid color ones...a beautiful print on them). I don't (unless I have a gift card) go buy something for them in a regular GAP store...just the outlet.
Maybe that's another reason I like to buy new clothes...we want 4 kids, and so far (crossing our fingers) we've been able to have them in the same season...so my son wore all of my daughter's neutral stuff (we didn't find out the sex with either one of them) and then we bought him boy clothes after he outgrew those. So hopefully, these clothes that I'm buying will get a second or third use out of them.
Is there anyone out there that thinks like me? Do you like to shop for new clothes for your kids? Do you sacrifice something else so that you can do it?
Misc. Thoughts About Yesterday
I got to work from home yesterday, which was very nice. One of the subcontractors was coming over to fix some of my flooring. My kids are down with my parents, so I truly had a day to myself that I could work and not feel guilty that I wasn’t playing with them.
I slept in until 9:00 which was AWESOME! Then I put some laundry in and did some work. I met hubby for lunch, and then came back and did more work until the flooring guys got there. Once they got there, I was trying to tell them what needed to be done but we had a little problem…
They.didn’t.speak.English.
Here I had three guys in my house and none of them had any idea what I was saying. I had the hardest time, but after about 20 minutes, and me talking to their boss on the phone, they understood what they were supposed to do.
2 hours later the carpet guy go there, and thank goodness he had no problem with English. He did notice that the other guys got some dirt or something on my carpet when they were working on the wood flooring, but the guys couldn’t understand it when we tried to tell them. Thankfully towards the end of their work our construction supervisor pulled into my driveway and took over. I was so frustrated!
After they all left my designer came over to talk more about window treatments. It will be expensive, but I think it will really add to our house, and since I’ve stated it before, I have no decorating abilities at all, so anything that adds to making my house more “homier,” the better.
After hubby got home there was a knock at the door. This girl says that she works for this designing company down the street that supplies all of the artwork for the model homes and stuff. She said that they had just finished an art show and were offering the artwork at low prices to new homeowners. So I went out and looked at the pieces and they brought in the ones I liked and we picked which walls they would go on and I wheeled and dealed them. I got 10 pieces for $545, which I think is a bargain…especially since my walls are bare! They are by real artists (I got a couple by this one that’s studying under Thomas Kinkade) and are still cheaper than I could get them from a home decorating store. One of the best parts about this too is that anytime during the next two years I can go into the store and switch out the prints for different ones for free! So if I get sick of one of them, I can drive myself two minutes down the street to the store and pick out different prints. I will post pictures after I hang them up, which should be this weekend!
I slept in until 9:00 which was AWESOME! Then I put some laundry in and did some work. I met hubby for lunch, and then came back and did more work until the flooring guys got there. Once they got there, I was trying to tell them what needed to be done but we had a little problem…
They.didn’t.speak.English.
Here I had three guys in my house and none of them had any idea what I was saying. I had the hardest time, but after about 20 minutes, and me talking to their boss on the phone, they understood what they were supposed to do.
2 hours later the carpet guy go there, and thank goodness he had no problem with English. He did notice that the other guys got some dirt or something on my carpet when they were working on the wood flooring, but the guys couldn’t understand it when we tried to tell them. Thankfully towards the end of their work our construction supervisor pulled into my driveway and took over. I was so frustrated!
After they all left my designer came over to talk more about window treatments. It will be expensive, but I think it will really add to our house, and since I’ve stated it before, I have no decorating abilities at all, so anything that adds to making my house more “homier,” the better.
After hubby got home there was a knock at the door. This girl says that she works for this designing company down the street that supplies all of the artwork for the model homes and stuff. She said that they had just finished an art show and were offering the artwork at low prices to new homeowners. So I went out and looked at the pieces and they brought in the ones I liked and we picked which walls they would go on and I wheeled and dealed them. I got 10 pieces for $545, which I think is a bargain…especially since my walls are bare! They are by real artists (I got a couple by this one that’s studying under Thomas Kinkade) and are still cheaper than I could get them from a home decorating store. One of the best parts about this too is that anytime during the next two years I can go into the store and switch out the prints for different ones for free! So if I get sick of one of them, I can drive myself two minutes down the street to the store and pick out different prints. I will post pictures after I hang them up, which should be this weekend!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A Letter of Confession
To My Little Princess,
Last night you had your final gymnastics class of the session…but you weren’t sad, and you told me “it’s OK Mommy, we’re signing up for Buckeye Gymnastics next.” I laughed – you are always so right!
You were so proud out there doing all the cute little gymnastics moves that you are working so hard to master. I see your independent personality come out as I want to show you how to do everything…I’ve done it, I know how! But you are set on teaching yourself; and making up your own moves. You were so proud of the ribbon that you got…it’s just like Carly’s! I told you I would put it in your scrapbook :)
You are so attention deprived right now, and my little angel is not always my little angel because I have to cook dinner, and Daddy is playing with your brother…because he’s a boy, and he’s finally old enough to enjoy the stuff Daddy enjoys playing – you do whatever you can to get our attention. I ask you to help me cook, and you do a great job…sometimes I get impatient, and I’m a perfectionist, and when you get distracted I quickly do as much as I can so that it can get done fast, instead of cherishing the moments I have with you. You are starting to notice this. And it makes you mad.
You wanted to help me bake Daddy’s birthday cake, but I quickly did that while you were downstairs too. I told you that you could help me frost it, but by the time it was cool enough you had to go to bed. But I let you help a little.
You lied to me last night, and I heard Daddy yelling at you, very loudly for it. My heart was broken…I wanted to run up and say “it doesn’t matter, don’t yell at my princess.” But I knew a lesson had to be taught. You are such a good girl, and I know it’s because these lessons are taught.
Every day I promise myself that I will let all of the work go, and just play with you. But there’s always something else…how can I make myself stop? God, please help me stop! You shouldn’t be so excited when I say I’m going to play with you…it should be an expectation of yours that is constantly met.
I’m pretty sure you know how much I love you…I tell you all the time – at least I do that right. And there are always lots of hugs and kisses. I do that right too.
I’m going to try, even harder, from now on, to enjoy every second that I have with you pretty princess. I know I dream of you being one of the rare teenagers that actually likes her mother, but in case that doesn’t happen, I only have about 8 more years of you left, and I want to make the most of each and every second of those. I love you so much, and my heart is breaking just writing this…to know how much I have failed you, and you’re only 3 ½. But I’m trying, and I know that I can do it…it just takes a lot of work! Will you help me? Help me to remember that the dishes will be there later, and if we have to eat food out of a box it won’t kill us; but you - you won’t always be there for me to play with. And I always tease you that the only reason I had kids was to give me someone to play with. I'm only half-kidding when I tease you.
I love you pretty princess!
Love,
Mommy
Last night you had your final gymnastics class of the session…but you weren’t sad, and you told me “it’s OK Mommy, we’re signing up for Buckeye Gymnastics next.” I laughed – you are always so right!
You were so proud out there doing all the cute little gymnastics moves that you are working so hard to master. I see your independent personality come out as I want to show you how to do everything…I’ve done it, I know how! But you are set on teaching yourself; and making up your own moves. You were so proud of the ribbon that you got…it’s just like Carly’s! I told you I would put it in your scrapbook :)
You are so attention deprived right now, and my little angel is not always my little angel because I have to cook dinner, and Daddy is playing with your brother…because he’s a boy, and he’s finally old enough to enjoy the stuff Daddy enjoys playing – you do whatever you can to get our attention. I ask you to help me cook, and you do a great job…sometimes I get impatient, and I’m a perfectionist, and when you get distracted I quickly do as much as I can so that it can get done fast, instead of cherishing the moments I have with you. You are starting to notice this. And it makes you mad.
You wanted to help me bake Daddy’s birthday cake, but I quickly did that while you were downstairs too. I told you that you could help me frost it, but by the time it was cool enough you had to go to bed. But I let you help a little.
You lied to me last night, and I heard Daddy yelling at you, very loudly for it. My heart was broken…I wanted to run up and say “it doesn’t matter, don’t yell at my princess.” But I knew a lesson had to be taught. You are such a good girl, and I know it’s because these lessons are taught.
Every day I promise myself that I will let all of the work go, and just play with you. But there’s always something else…how can I make myself stop? God, please help me stop! You shouldn’t be so excited when I say I’m going to play with you…it should be an expectation of yours that is constantly met.
I’m pretty sure you know how much I love you…I tell you all the time – at least I do that right. And there are always lots of hugs and kisses. I do that right too.
I’m going to try, even harder, from now on, to enjoy every second that I have with you pretty princess. I know I dream of you being one of the rare teenagers that actually likes her mother, but in case that doesn’t happen, I only have about 8 more years of you left, and I want to make the most of each and every second of those. I love you so much, and my heart is breaking just writing this…to know how much I have failed you, and you’re only 3 ½. But I’m trying, and I know that I can do it…it just takes a lot of work! Will you help me? Help me to remember that the dishes will be there later, and if we have to eat food out of a box it won’t kill us; but you - you won’t always be there for me to play with. And I always tease you that the only reason I had kids was to give me someone to play with. I'm only half-kidding when I tease you.
I love you pretty princess!
Love,
Mommy
Monday, March 19, 2007
My Materialistic, Drama-Filled 3 Year-Old
We watched the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway last night (because I entered, and come on, 1 out of 41,000,000 are great odds of winning). My daughter watched it with us and we explained to her about the dream house, and then about how we were looking for clues to try to win the $100,000. She said she loved the house and wished that she could live in it. She then asked us what a “dream house” was. We explained it to her and then told her that we were living in our dream house…but apparently our dream house is not good enough because it didn’t look like the one on TV, and she had no problem telling us this.
When we didn’t win the $100,000 or the dream house she…burst into tears. And I mean real, falling down her face at lighting speed tears. I asked her why she was so upset, and she said she wanted to win, and when could we try again? She said that she wanted money that she could play with, and she wanted that house, because it was nicer than ours.
She was still crying her eyes out when I put her to bed. She did fall asleep fairly quickly, thank goodness. I just can’t believe how upset she was over the fact that we didn’t win.
And I’m feeling so good about the values we are teaching her and how material things are of no importance :)
When we didn’t win the $100,000 or the dream house she…burst into tears. And I mean real, falling down her face at lighting speed tears. I asked her why she was so upset, and she said she wanted to win, and when could we try again? She said that she wanted money that she could play with, and she wanted that house, because it was nicer than ours.
She was still crying her eyes out when I put her to bed. She did fall asleep fairly quickly, thank goodness. I just can’t believe how upset she was over the fact that we didn’t win.
And I’m feeling so good about the values we are teaching her and how material things are of no importance :)
Friday, March 16, 2007
Radioactive Girl tagged me for this meme
Real Moms. Getting a "treat" out of giving their kids treats since the beginning of time.
Here's how it works: Put up a post "Real Moms [insert what you do here]", followed by an explanation, a picture, and a "Real Moms. Making ....". Then tag five people.
Here's mine:
"Real Moms Sometimes Feed Their Kids Junk Food"
Real Moms. Getting a "treat" out of giving their kids treats since the beginning of time.
I was trying to think of what to do for this, and when I walked in my kitchen to make dinner last night I saw the enormous bowl that is overflowing with candy on my counter (yes, there is a bowl under there somewhere). This has been on our counter since we have moved in (it was started with all of the Christmas candy). I can't make myself throw it away...what a waste of perfectly good candy. Here's another shot if you're not quite understanding how much freaking candy is there:
And the brownies and cookies are leftover from my girls' weekend.
My kids hardly ask for any of it, which is probably why it's still on the counter. But when they do ask for it, unless it's right before a meal, I will give them some. A little candy is not going to hurt them, and they get so excited! I thought my son was going to jump off of his chair last night because I gave him 2 emmies (M&M's). My mom seriously deprived us of sweets, and while I won't go overboard, this has influenced my decision to allow my kids to enjoy something sweet on more than "special occasions."
So now I tag Amy W., My Little Corner of Life, Dribble and Drool, One Mom's Journey, and In My Shoes.
Have Fun! I can't wait to see what you all come up with!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
I Think My Sitter Is Hating Me Right Now
I had to have a talk with the sitter this morning, and I’m pretty sure it went horribly. Our daughter has not been taking naps, and she needs naps. So I asked her why she didn’t take one, and she told me that one of the other girls was being loud. Now she always takes a nap at our house…she walks right up to her room and lays down and goes to sleep, so I’m thinking that the putting the girls on the couch and putting a movie on is not quite working.
My daughter has also been coming home a lot saying that she was in time-out…3 times yesterday. She told me that one of the other girls hit her, and she did nothing wrong but got put in time-out anyway. Now most of you out there are probably thinking “what’s the big deal?” Well, I’ll tell you…first, if this only happened once in a while, I wouldn’t think anything of it. But like I said, it’s been happening a lot. Second, my mom never defended us…if she heard something bad about us she automatically punished us and took the side of the complainer. I have vowed ever since I was little that I would always be my children’s advocate…I would defend them until I had concrete proof that my child did something wrong. My sitter apparently does not agree with this philosophy because she just kept looking at me with this look of “I can’t believe you’re telling me not to punish your daughter.” And that’s exactly what I said. I asked her what the problem was and she told me that my daughter provokes the other little girl, and so she retaliates by hitting my daughter. So I asked my sitter what my daughter had done this time to provoke the girl to hit her and she told me that she didn’t know because she didn’t see it. She told me that she put them both in time-out because they were fighting. I told her that if she didn’t see my daughter do anything wrong, I don’t want her punished. Period. If that means she needs to make the girls play in the same room as her, then so be it. She didn’t like that.
I just kept saying that my daughter is so good at home (hello, I brag about her all the time!) that I can’t believe she turns into this monster at the sitter’s house. The worst part about the whole thing is that my daughter used to be her girl. She would always talk about how great she was, and how cute she was, etc. Now I just hear about how good the other kids are and how great my son is, and all the bad things my daughter does. Something isn’t adding up. I’m starting to think that maybe my sitter is a “baby” person, and isn’t quite sure what to do with them when they’re older.
I don’t know…but I do know that she wasn’t happy when I left, and I hate that feeling of knowing that she’s upset and watching my kids. But I had to tell her…I had to be honest and defend my kids…right?
My daughter has also been coming home a lot saying that she was in time-out…3 times yesterday. She told me that one of the other girls hit her, and she did nothing wrong but got put in time-out anyway. Now most of you out there are probably thinking “what’s the big deal?” Well, I’ll tell you…first, if this only happened once in a while, I wouldn’t think anything of it. But like I said, it’s been happening a lot. Second, my mom never defended us…if she heard something bad about us she automatically punished us and took the side of the complainer. I have vowed ever since I was little that I would always be my children’s advocate…I would defend them until I had concrete proof that my child did something wrong. My sitter apparently does not agree with this philosophy because she just kept looking at me with this look of “I can’t believe you’re telling me not to punish your daughter.” And that’s exactly what I said. I asked her what the problem was and she told me that my daughter provokes the other little girl, and so she retaliates by hitting my daughter. So I asked my sitter what my daughter had done this time to provoke the girl to hit her and she told me that she didn’t know because she didn’t see it. She told me that she put them both in time-out because they were fighting. I told her that if she didn’t see my daughter do anything wrong, I don’t want her punished. Period. If that means she needs to make the girls play in the same room as her, then so be it. She didn’t like that.
I just kept saying that my daughter is so good at home (hello, I brag about her all the time!) that I can’t believe she turns into this monster at the sitter’s house. The worst part about the whole thing is that my daughter used to be her girl. She would always talk about how great she was, and how cute she was, etc. Now I just hear about how good the other kids are and how great my son is, and all the bad things my daughter does. Something isn’t adding up. I’m starting to think that maybe my sitter is a “baby” person, and isn’t quite sure what to do with them when they’re older.
I don’t know…but I do know that she wasn’t happy when I left, and I hate that feeling of knowing that she’s upset and watching my kids. But I had to tell her…I had to be honest and defend my kids…right?
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Weekend Recap Part II
OK, now for the weekend recap you are all interested in :)
After hubby and the kids had left I ran around the house making sure that everything was perfect. I had decorated the guest room and bathroom a little, made the kids’ bathroom more grown-up by getting rid of all the toys and putting pretty towels and soap out, and I put mints on all of the pillows. I really wanted everyone to feel like this was a retreat to a bed and breakfast. I also made goodie bags for everyone, and this is what was inside those goodie bags.
I washed all the sheets and towels and then just laid on the couch until hubby and the kids got home around 8:00. He had promised my daughter that we would go to Buger King (Burger King, but she calls it “Buger king”). We then came home and put our son to bed and hung out with our daughter…I showed them all of the pages that I had done!
Yesterday we overslept…big time! Hubby’s supposed to leave the house at 6:40 and I woke him up at 7:00. Oh well, we got through the day alright and I think we are back to normal. It was such a great weekend, and it’s amazing how much patience I have with kids after just a couple of days of taking care of myself! You are all invited to the next one!
After hubby and the kids had left I ran around the house making sure that everything was perfect. I had decorated the guest room and bathroom a little, made the kids’ bathroom more grown-up by getting rid of all the toys and putting pretty towels and soap out, and I put mints on all of the pillows. I really wanted everyone to feel like this was a retreat to a bed and breakfast. I also made goodie bags for everyone, and this is what was inside those goodie bags.
Around 7:15 the first of my guests arrived. Sometime after that the other two came. One of the girls was not able to make it because she was sick. We basically spent the whole night eating, watching movies and talking. I can't believe how much food we had! We had the chocolate fountain (which, I'm embarrassed to admit it but it took me a while to get it going good, with a little help from my friends :) ), Dorrito Dip stuff, pizza calzone things, cheese ball, cookies, Reese's Peanut Butter cheesecake and the 7 layer dip. We probably had more but I can't remember now because there.was.so.much.food.all.over.the.counters! We kind of started to get our scrapbooking stuff out, but we didn’t really do anything. A couple of the girls went to bed around 1:00, but since I had been up the night before, I stayed up until about 2:30 printing pictures out and watching TV.
The next morning we all got up and got right to scrapbooking. We ate breakfast, and then scrapped some more! Before I knew it it was after 1:00 and the one girl from North Carolina was heading out, and one of my other friends was coming in. I didn’t take a shower until 3:30! I think that’s some kind of record for me…I always have to have a shower right away!
Around 4:30 we headed out to a new scrapbooking store that opened by my house. I got some cute things but they were a little pricey compared to other places I could go. We then headed over to another scrapbooking store where I bought even more stuff :) Before we knew it we had to head home to get ready for dinner. We had reservations at this cute little local place that I had heard was good. I had gotten on their website and it said to call for reservations, so on Friday I did that. We walk in and I tell them my name and the girl leads us to this table right in front of the door! She tells me it’s the only table, and I said “I thought since I made reservations I would have gotten a better seat.” She informs me they’re not really reservations, it’s more like call-ahead seating. Whatever! She found a table that was a little better, but the night had started off not so great. I then proceeded to look at the menu and notice that the prices are at least $2 higher on everything than they showed on the website! I’m writing an e-mail to the manager today…don’t put things up on your website if they are not accurate! Anyway, we started looking at drinks and my one friend and I decide to split a bottle of wine. It was Selbach, a Riesling from 2003 and it was the best wine I’ve had in a long time! We had no problem finishing off that bottle. Luckily for us we had a pregnant girl with us, so we didn’t have to worry about driving :) Our dinner was fabulous, I had the shrimp bisque and a Panini with all kinds of Italian meat. The other ladies had different pizzas that looked wonderful. Then the girl I shared the wine with and I shared chocolate lasagna for dessert :)
We went home and got back to scrapbooking while drinking some wonderful Smirnoff Twisted Raspberries. After about an hour I made us some mudslides that were OK (I had forgotten to buy more Baileys, but they were still pretty good). We finished scrapping and finished watching the movie that we had on (we had movies on all the time!) and two of the girls headed up to bed around 2:00, I think. But then the one girl and I stayed up and talked until 5:00 am! I couldn’t believe how late it was, but it was nice to feel like I was back in college again :) I felt bad because she woke up with the others came downstairs in the morning around 8:00 or 9:00. Me, on the other hand, I slept until 11:30. When I came down I started scrapping again, and shortly after that two of the girls left. Then a couple of hours after that the other girl left. It was about 3:00 and I was home by myself! I finished scrapping and here are all of the pages that I did:
The next morning we all got up and got right to scrapbooking. We ate breakfast, and then scrapped some more! Before I knew it it was after 1:00 and the one girl from North Carolina was heading out, and one of my other friends was coming in. I didn’t take a shower until 3:30! I think that’s some kind of record for me…I always have to have a shower right away!
Around 4:30 we headed out to a new scrapbooking store that opened by my house. I got some cute things but they were a little pricey compared to other places I could go. We then headed over to another scrapbooking store where I bought even more stuff :) Before we knew it we had to head home to get ready for dinner. We had reservations at this cute little local place that I had heard was good. I had gotten on their website and it said to call for reservations, so on Friday I did that. We walk in and I tell them my name and the girl leads us to this table right in front of the door! She tells me it’s the only table, and I said “I thought since I made reservations I would have gotten a better seat.” She informs me they’re not really reservations, it’s more like call-ahead seating. Whatever! She found a table that was a little better, but the night had started off not so great. I then proceeded to look at the menu and notice that the prices are at least $2 higher on everything than they showed on the website! I’m writing an e-mail to the manager today…don’t put things up on your website if they are not accurate! Anyway, we started looking at drinks and my one friend and I decide to split a bottle of wine. It was Selbach, a Riesling from 2003 and it was the best wine I’ve had in a long time! We had no problem finishing off that bottle. Luckily for us we had a pregnant girl with us, so we didn’t have to worry about driving :) Our dinner was fabulous, I had the shrimp bisque and a Panini with all kinds of Italian meat. The other ladies had different pizzas that looked wonderful. Then the girl I shared the wine with and I shared chocolate lasagna for dessert :)
We went home and got back to scrapbooking while drinking some wonderful Smirnoff Twisted Raspberries. After about an hour I made us some mudslides that were OK (I had forgotten to buy more Baileys, but they were still pretty good). We finished scrapping and finished watching the movie that we had on (we had movies on all the time!) and two of the girls headed up to bed around 2:00, I think. But then the one girl and I stayed up and talked until 5:00 am! I couldn’t believe how late it was, but it was nice to feel like I was back in college again :) I felt bad because she woke up with the others came downstairs in the morning around 8:00 or 9:00. Me, on the other hand, I slept until 11:30. When I came down I started scrapping again, and shortly after that two of the girls left. Then a couple of hours after that the other girl left. It was about 3:00 and I was home by myself! I finished scrapping and here are all of the pages that I did:
I washed all the sheets and towels and then just laid on the couch until hubby and the kids got home around 8:00. He had promised my daughter that we would go to Buger King (Burger King, but she calls it “Buger king”). We then came home and put our son to bed and hung out with our daughter…I showed them all of the pages that I had done!Yesterday we overslept…big time! Hubby’s supposed to leave the house at 6:40 and I woke him up at 7:00. Oh well, we got through the day alright and I think we are back to normal. It was such a great weekend, and it’s amazing how much patience I have with kids after just a couple of days of taking care of myself! You are all invited to the next one!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Weekend Recap Part I
Wow, what a fabulous weekend! I just can’t believe how much fun I had and how relaxing it was.
To add to my excitement for the weekend, my boss’s boss told my boss and me that we could have Friday off since we had been working so hard over the past couple of months. I was so excited!!! I had a dilemma though…send the kids with my mom as originally planned and have a nice, relaxing day to myself to get ready for everyone to come over, or keep the kids and have them just go with hubby down to see his parents after work. What can I say? I love my kids and I wanted them to stay with me. I knew that I was going to have an entire weekend without them, so I was looking forward to an entire day with just them. After my moms’ meeting Thursday night, I came home and did everything that needed to be done for the weekend until 2:30 am. I had promised my daughter that I would work really hard so that the next day was just for them…no working! And I kept that promise! I did laundry, made beds, picked up toys, etc. I was tired, but I knew it would all be worth it.
The next morning hubby left and as he was kissing me goodbye he whispered in my ear “the house looks wonderful.” That just made my day…the fact that he noticed how hard I had worked while he and my daughter had blissfully slept in my bed made me feel so appreciated. Anyway, at 8:00 my daughter came in to my room and I had her watch an episode of…whatelse? The Doodlebops, while I got another ½ hour of sleep. When it was over I could hear my son calling for me, so my daughter ran up to talk to him while I brushed my teeth. Both of the kids were in such great moods! We played for a long time upstairs and then I asked them if they wanted to go to the Y, and they both got very excited. So I got them dressed and got everything together and headed out. Let me tell you, after going there I totally want to be a SAHM. All these mommies had their kids in the pool, talking and laughing, and then exercising…I was very jealous! Anyway, it was a very good workout and afterwards I took the kids to a couple of stores to get some last minute items for my weekend. Can I just say, again, that I have the best kids in the world!!! My son really should have gone down for a nap, but being the mother of the year that I am, I kept him up so that I could go to Wally-World for my Ghirardelli chocolate chips for the chocolate fountain, some fruit for the chocolate fountain, and some Smirnoff Twisted Raspberry and Kahlua for mudslides, because come on, a bunch of moms with no kids for the weekend. The kids sat in the cart and played with the kiwis that I got them, and my daughter played with my purse, and my son had a blast playing with the instant coffee jar I had picked up. After this store we ran into Bath and Body Works because I wanted to exchange some stuff. I needed to get some anti-bac hand soap which was just as much as the stuff I was exchanging. Unfortunately, my daughter caught a glimpse of the anti-bac hand gel and wanted it. I could have bought it for her, but I’m really sick of her expecting me to buy her whatever she wants. There happened to be a lady from the corporate office (which is here in Columbus) doing a marketing survey and she came over to ask me a couple of questions. The kids were fantastic and patient while I gave her my answers, and then she proceeded to give me a $5 gift card! So I told my daughter since she had been so good while I was talking, she could pick out her hand gel. Both of them had been so good in that store, especially since they weren't in any type of stroller or anything!
After this we headed home for lunch and naps, and I worked as fast as I could to finish the kitchen floor and other miscellaneous stuff while they were sleeping. Then hubby came home and they all left for the weekend.
Wow, this is a long post, so I think I’m going to finish it up tomorrow…. :) Aaahhh, the suspense! I will tell you that tomorrow’s post will involve wine, Smirnoff, mudslides and staying up until 5:00 in the morning! Oh yeah, and we scrapbooked too!
To add to my excitement for the weekend, my boss’s boss told my boss and me that we could have Friday off since we had been working so hard over the past couple of months. I was so excited!!! I had a dilemma though…send the kids with my mom as originally planned and have a nice, relaxing day to myself to get ready for everyone to come over, or keep the kids and have them just go with hubby down to see his parents after work. What can I say? I love my kids and I wanted them to stay with me. I knew that I was going to have an entire weekend without them, so I was looking forward to an entire day with just them. After my moms’ meeting Thursday night, I came home and did everything that needed to be done for the weekend until 2:30 am. I had promised my daughter that I would work really hard so that the next day was just for them…no working! And I kept that promise! I did laundry, made beds, picked up toys, etc. I was tired, but I knew it would all be worth it.
The next morning hubby left and as he was kissing me goodbye he whispered in my ear “the house looks wonderful.” That just made my day…the fact that he noticed how hard I had worked while he and my daughter had blissfully slept in my bed made me feel so appreciated. Anyway, at 8:00 my daughter came in to my room and I had her watch an episode of…whatelse? The Doodlebops, while I got another ½ hour of sleep. When it was over I could hear my son calling for me, so my daughter ran up to talk to him while I brushed my teeth. Both of the kids were in such great moods! We played for a long time upstairs and then I asked them if they wanted to go to the Y, and they both got very excited. So I got them dressed and got everything together and headed out. Let me tell you, after going there I totally want to be a SAHM. All these mommies had their kids in the pool, talking and laughing, and then exercising…I was very jealous! Anyway, it was a very good workout and afterwards I took the kids to a couple of stores to get some last minute items for my weekend. Can I just say, again, that I have the best kids in the world!!! My son really should have gone down for a nap, but being the mother of the year that I am, I kept him up so that I could go to Wally-World for my Ghirardelli chocolate chips for the chocolate fountain, some fruit for the chocolate fountain, and some Smirnoff Twisted Raspberry and Kahlua for mudslides, because come on, a bunch of moms with no kids for the weekend. The kids sat in the cart and played with the kiwis that I got them, and my daughter played with my purse, and my son had a blast playing with the instant coffee jar I had picked up. After this store we ran into Bath and Body Works because I wanted to exchange some stuff. I needed to get some anti-bac hand soap which was just as much as the stuff I was exchanging. Unfortunately, my daughter caught a glimpse of the anti-bac hand gel and wanted it. I could have bought it for her, but I’m really sick of her expecting me to buy her whatever she wants. There happened to be a lady from the corporate office (which is here in Columbus) doing a marketing survey and she came over to ask me a couple of questions. The kids were fantastic and patient while I gave her my answers, and then she proceeded to give me a $5 gift card! So I told my daughter since she had been so good while I was talking, she could pick out her hand gel. Both of them had been so good in that store, especially since they weren't in any type of stroller or anything!
After this we headed home for lunch and naps, and I worked as fast as I could to finish the kitchen floor and other miscellaneous stuff while they were sleeping. Then hubby came home and they all left for the weekend.
Wow, this is a long post, so I think I’m going to finish it up tomorrow…. :) Aaahhh, the suspense! I will tell you that tomorrow’s post will involve wine, Smirnoff, mudslides and staying up until 5:00 in the morning! Oh yeah, and we scrapbooked too!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Getting Nervous....
OK, countdown to people coming over: 34 hours and 20 minutes
I’m a little panicked. We have our monthly moms’ meeting tonight, so I’m probably going to be up pretty late after that getting everything ready. I could easily take tomorrow off, or do a half-day, but I’m a little funny about PTO (paid time off)…even though I really do have a good amount, I’m always worried that I’ll need more at the end of the year and won’t have it (refer back to this post about having a “plan” and then unexpectedly getting strep throat). Last night I was up pretty late but got a lot done. I filled up my buffet in the dining room with pictures (we have no table, just a buffet and hutch, so I use them to house decorations because my china is in my beautiful glass kitchen cabinets). I also got our guest room decorated pretty nicely (as nicely as you can without hanging anything or painting). I also washed the sheets and blankets and duvet cover from the guest room (which proceeded to run onto my towels), so that room is just about ready. The rest of the house…not so much. I’m going to grocery shop during lunch today and then rush home, do as much as I can before my meeting, and then come back home and finish it.
Last night we went to the Y and worked out and then went swimming. I really didn’t want to work out since it was the first time since this, but thankfully, hubby, the wonderful support that he is, got on the treadmill next to me and motivated me! And swimming was nice because by 8:00 the pool was pretty much empty and the water is much warmer at this Y than it was at our other one! But here comes mother of the year…we didn’t eat dinner until 9:00. Go ahead, just give me the award now :)
I’m a little panicked. We have our monthly moms’ meeting tonight, so I’m probably going to be up pretty late after that getting everything ready. I could easily take tomorrow off, or do a half-day, but I’m a little funny about PTO (paid time off)…even though I really do have a good amount, I’m always worried that I’ll need more at the end of the year and won’t have it (refer back to this post about having a “plan” and then unexpectedly getting strep throat). Last night I was up pretty late but got a lot done. I filled up my buffet in the dining room with pictures (we have no table, just a buffet and hutch, so I use them to house decorations because my china is in my beautiful glass kitchen cabinets). I also got our guest room decorated pretty nicely (as nicely as you can without hanging anything or painting). I also washed the sheets and blankets and duvet cover from the guest room (which proceeded to run onto my towels), so that room is just about ready. The rest of the house…not so much. I’m going to grocery shop during lunch today and then rush home, do as much as I can before my meeting, and then come back home and finish it.
Last night we went to the Y and worked out and then went swimming. I really didn’t want to work out since it was the first time since this, but thankfully, hubby, the wonderful support that he is, got on the treadmill next to me and motivated me! And swimming was nice because by 8:00 the pool was pretty much empty and the water is much warmer at this Y than it was at our other one! But here comes mother of the year…we didn’t eat dinner until 9:00. Go ahead, just give me the award now :)
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!
I write for another blog...sometimes :) Anyway, there is an outstanding post up there today that you HAVE to go and read. Now you look me in the eyes and tell me that as a mom you don't battle with those thoughts constantly! Go take a look here.
Who's Ready to be Very Jealous???
Just so you know, I did not leave work until midnight last night. And I’m back again.
Anyway….
Have I mentioned what I’m doing this weekend? I haven’t? Oh wow, then prepared to be extremely jealous as I describe this wonderful weekend that I will be having. First, hubby and the kids will be leaving the house Friday evening. Then about 6 of my friends will be coming over to do this, and this, and more of this, and some of this.
That’s right, it’s a girls’ weekend with no kids! We have been planning this for about 1 ½ months now, and I’m so excited! Since my new house is a little bigger than my old house, I have the room to comfortably host this gathering, and I couldn’t be happier! I love to entertain, so this gave me the perfect opportunity…a weekend getaway that doesn’t cost us anything! Friday night we are having a potluck (I still haven’t decided what to make…I think I’m going to order a pizza, but I would like to make something too) and I will bring out the chocolate fountain! We will scrapbook and hang out and watch TONS of girly movies and enjoy some adult beverages. Saturday we will sleep in (my plan anyway) and then scrap some more. I’m also going to volunteer to give manicures and stuff like that because I love doing that kind of stuff (I’m definitely the high maintenance girly-girl of the group). Then Saturday night we’ll go to dinner somewhere, and then come back and scrap and drink some more! Hubby and the kids won’t be back until later on Sunday, so I’ll have the whole day to relax!
All of these ladies and I are part of a moms group that meets once per month. We have our meeting, and then we also try to do a dinner out once a month and then try to get together to scrapbook as much as we can. The majority of them have all been in this group for a while and then I joined a couple of years ago and I have been friends with one of the girls that was part of our group for a little bit for about 3 years now. And our friend that moved to North Carolina in December will be coming up to see us! I’m so excited that she has a great husband that will watch the kids while she makes the 7 hour trip up here to hang out with us!
Do you understand how excited I am??? I will definitely post some pictures!
So here’s my plea to you guys…what are some semi-easy but good appetizers that I could make for our potluck? There is no theme or anything, just a free-for-all! Let me know…I need ideas!
Anyway….
Have I mentioned what I’m doing this weekend? I haven’t? Oh wow, then prepared to be extremely jealous as I describe this wonderful weekend that I will be having. First, hubby and the kids will be leaving the house Friday evening. Then about 6 of my friends will be coming over to do this, and this, and more of this, and some of this.
That’s right, it’s a girls’ weekend with no kids! We have been planning this for about 1 ½ months now, and I’m so excited! Since my new house is a little bigger than my old house, I have the room to comfortably host this gathering, and I couldn’t be happier! I love to entertain, so this gave me the perfect opportunity…a weekend getaway that doesn’t cost us anything! Friday night we are having a potluck (I still haven’t decided what to make…I think I’m going to order a pizza, but I would like to make something too) and I will bring out the chocolate fountain! We will scrapbook and hang out and watch TONS of girly movies and enjoy some adult beverages. Saturday we will sleep in (my plan anyway) and then scrap some more. I’m also going to volunteer to give manicures and stuff like that because I love doing that kind of stuff (I’m definitely the high maintenance girly-girl of the group). Then Saturday night we’ll go to dinner somewhere, and then come back and scrap and drink some more! Hubby and the kids won’t be back until later on Sunday, so I’ll have the whole day to relax!
All of these ladies and I are part of a moms group that meets once per month. We have our meeting, and then we also try to do a dinner out once a month and then try to get together to scrapbook as much as we can. The majority of them have all been in this group for a while and then I joined a couple of years ago and I have been friends with one of the girls that was part of our group for a little bit for about 3 years now. And our friend that moved to North Carolina in December will be coming up to see us! I’m so excited that she has a great husband that will watch the kids while she makes the 7 hour trip up here to hang out with us!
Do you understand how excited I am??? I will definitely post some pictures!
So here’s my plea to you guys…what are some semi-easy but good appetizers that I could make for our potluck? There is no theme or anything, just a free-for-all! Let me know…I need ideas!
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Where I've Been....
I just wanted to put up a quick post stating how busy I am. It's currently 9:30 PM and I am still sitting at my desk at work. It's not as bad as it sounds, the day has gone by extremely fast, and my boss and my boss's boss both know that I have been here so late, so brownie points for me! I'm just here to help the auditors with any questions they have...they have to send something to someone tonight, which is why they are working so hard and so late. Hopefully I'll have some better postings soon and I won't be so busy!
Monday, March 05, 2007
I Hurt All Over!!!
My weekend was not relaxing. I feel like I got hit by a bus. No, I’m not sick, I just hurt all over due to my obsession with working out.
Let me back up. Friday night we went to dinner with my mom and my sister to this place. I love it there…the food is so good and the service is fantastic. The wait was an hour, so since it’s right in front of the mall, we went over there with the kids while my mom waited at the restaurant. My sister and I took my daughter to Sephora. She loves to play in there…and she has to do her own make-up. So she came out of there with very pink cheeks and very proud of herself. My husband took my son to the play area and they had fun. I ran into Pottery Barn Kids and found these cute little silverware pieces with knives that have serrated edges. My daughter is really into cutting her own food now, and I thought these would be a perfect substitution for adult knives. Anyway, we went and ate dinner and the kids went to bed as soon as we got home. The kids decided to get croupy through the night, and by the time morning rolled around, there were 4 of us in a queen bed.
Since I didn’t make it to the Y on Friday, Saturday morning I noticed that there was a step aerobics class that I wanted to try. So hubby took the kids to the store and I went and got.my.butt.kicked. It was a hard class, but I felt so good afterwards! Afterwards I played with the kids while hubby spent about 5 hours in the garage cleaning it up and organizing it. My son was definitely not feeling well because he wasn’t acting like himself, and it took me three times to put him down for a nap.
My dad got there and played with my daughter until my son woke up. And then my son was very clingy to him and my poor daughter was feeling a little left out. So hubby and I decided that we would take her out with us! She was so excited! She got a little dressed up, did her hair all cute, and headed here. The wait was about 50 minutes and she was a complete angel! We waited by the lobster tank and she kept asking all kinds of interesting questions about the lobsters. It really reminded hubby and I of how easy one child is! Especially when they’re as good as she is :) Afterwards we went to Blockbuster and rented A Bug’s Life because she hadn’t seen it yet. Then we proceeded to watch it and then fall asleep on the couch.
Did I mention I was starting to feel a little sore already?
Iwoke up Sunday and I couldn’t walk. I haven’t hurt this badly since we moved in and I was working around the clock. I got ready for church and got my daughter ready and headed out. I could barely walk from the car to the Sunday school room! After church we decided to go to the Home and Garden show with some friends, and let me tell you, walking around that place was no picnic!
When we got home, after popping tons of Advil, I tried to get dinner out for everyone and clean up the house a little since it had been neglected all weekend. We all went down and played trains for a little bit and then sent the kids to bed while we watched a little TV.
I woke up this morning and am still having a hard time walking. I can’t believe how much my legs hurt…and I even sat in our Jacuzzi last night. The thing that’s making me really mad is that I can’t work out, and I have been doing so good…I lost almost 2 lbs. last week! Hopefully my legs will feel better tomorrow :)
Let me back up. Friday night we went to dinner with my mom and my sister to this place. I love it there…the food is so good and the service is fantastic. The wait was an hour, so since it’s right in front of the mall, we went over there with the kids while my mom waited at the restaurant. My sister and I took my daughter to Sephora. She loves to play in there…and she has to do her own make-up. So she came out of there with very pink cheeks and very proud of herself. My husband took my son to the play area and they had fun. I ran into Pottery Barn Kids and found these cute little silverware pieces with knives that have serrated edges. My daughter is really into cutting her own food now, and I thought these would be a perfect substitution for adult knives. Anyway, we went and ate dinner and the kids went to bed as soon as we got home. The kids decided to get croupy through the night, and by the time morning rolled around, there were 4 of us in a queen bed.
Since I didn’t make it to the Y on Friday, Saturday morning I noticed that there was a step aerobics class that I wanted to try. So hubby took the kids to the store and I went and got.my.butt.kicked. It was a hard class, but I felt so good afterwards! Afterwards I played with the kids while hubby spent about 5 hours in the garage cleaning it up and organizing it. My son was definitely not feeling well because he wasn’t acting like himself, and it took me three times to put him down for a nap.
My dad got there and played with my daughter until my son woke up. And then my son was very clingy to him and my poor daughter was feeling a little left out. So hubby and I decided that we would take her out with us! She was so excited! She got a little dressed up, did her hair all cute, and headed here. The wait was about 50 minutes and she was a complete angel! We waited by the lobster tank and she kept asking all kinds of interesting questions about the lobsters. It really reminded hubby and I of how easy one child is! Especially when they’re as good as she is :) Afterwards we went to Blockbuster and rented A Bug’s Life because she hadn’t seen it yet. Then we proceeded to watch it and then fall asleep on the couch.
Did I mention I was starting to feel a little sore already?
Iwoke up Sunday and I couldn’t walk. I haven’t hurt this badly since we moved in and I was working around the clock. I got ready for church and got my daughter ready and headed out. I could barely walk from the car to the Sunday school room! After church we decided to go to the Home and Garden show with some friends, and let me tell you, walking around that place was no picnic!
When we got home, after popping tons of Advil, I tried to get dinner out for everyone and clean up the house a little since it had been neglected all weekend. We all went down and played trains for a little bit and then sent the kids to bed while we watched a little TV.
I woke up this morning and am still having a hard time walking. I can’t believe how much my legs hurt…and I even sat in our Jacuzzi last night. The thing that’s making me really mad is that I can’t work out, and I have been doing so good…I lost almost 2 lbs. last week! Hopefully my legs will feel better tomorrow :)
Friday, March 02, 2007
Thursday Night Recap
Last night my mom and sister came up because they are watching my kids today. We went here for dinner and I ordered something from here. It was the Cheeseburger In Paradise and it was soooo good! Then we came home and hung out with my sister and her boyfriend. They had just come back from Vegas so they had a lot of interesting stories to tell us, including running into this guy.
This weekend we are probably going to the Home and Garden show to get some ideas for our new wonderful home. We came from a house with a huge deck, and I’m not sure if we’re going to be able to put one on this summer or not because of how much money went into the stinking house! I hope we can though, because I loved being outside and sitting on it and having the kids’ parties out there. I’m hoping we get some ideas at the show tomorrow. My dad is also coming up tomorrow night to watch the kids so that we can either do stuff around the house or go out. Hubby wants to plant himself at a bar :)
Not much else going on…I just called home and kids sound like they are having a blast playing with their aunt! I wish I was home instead of at work…only 4 more hours to go :(
This weekend we are probably going to the Home and Garden show to get some ideas for our new wonderful home. We came from a house with a huge deck, and I’m not sure if we’re going to be able to put one on this summer or not because of how much money went into the stinking house! I hope we can though, because I loved being outside and sitting on it and having the kids’ parties out there. I’m hoping we get some ideas at the show tomorrow. My dad is also coming up tomorrow night to watch the kids so that we can either do stuff around the house or go out. Hubby wants to plant himself at a bar :)
Not much else going on…I just called home and kids sound like they are having a blast playing with their aunt! I wish I was home instead of at work…only 4 more hours to go :(
Thursday, March 01, 2007
I'm going to kill myself!!!!!!!!!!!
Remember this girl? Well she decided to make tuna for lunch today. Now I kind of like tuna, certain ways, but an office environment is no place to make tuna for lunch. It smelled so badly in here.
Now she has popcorn, which she burnt, so it smells bad. And she eats it just as loudly as she does her chips. I hate my job right now, I just want to go and tell her to get some manners.
Chomp...chewchewchewswallow
Chomp...chewchewchewswallow
Chomp...chewchewchewswallow
Now she has popcorn, which she burnt, so it smells bad. And she eats it just as loudly as she does her chips. I hate my job right now, I just want to go and tell her to get some manners.
Chomp...chewchewchewswallow
Chomp...chewchewchewswallow
Chomp...chewchewchewswallow
Finally....
OK, I was tagged by a couple of people for this, and because I procrastinate, and because *drama* comes up in my life, I'm just now posting this...like 5 months after everyone else did it. But nonetheless, here it is:
1. Are you parents married or divorced? Married, but I have no idea how…all they do is fight!
2. Are you a vegetarian? Not in a million years. I don’t really like meals that don’t contain some type of meat ;)
3. Do you believe in Heaven? ABSOLUTELY!
4. Have you ever come close to dying? Not that I know of ;)
5. What jewelry do you wear 24/7? None. I can’t stand to have anything on when I sleep. I also usually take my watch and wedding ring off when I cook dinner and it usually doesn’t go back on until the next morning as I’m heading out the door for work.
6. Favorite time of day? Hmmm, definitely NOT mornings :) I would have to say nights. No matter how tired I am during the day, something kicks in at 8:00 and I can easily stay up until midnight.
7. Do you eat the stems of broccoli? yes
8. Do you wear makeup? At all time. I just feel so much better with it on. The last snow day we had I didn’t put any on and I just hated the way my face felt. I also didn’t like the way I looked. Hubby always yells at me and tells me how pretty I am without make-up (come everyone, together now…Awww) but I just can’t not wear it. I’ve already started my daughter on it…she has her own little make-up case with all of my old stuff and she and I will sit in the bathroom in the mornings and play with it all…we have so much fun!
9. Ever have plastic surgery? No.
10. If you did have plastic surgery, what did you have done? I want a boob job when I’m done having kids and feeding them for the first 12 months of their lives. Don’t get me wrong…I am all for nursing, but I hate what it has done to my one-time wonderful boobs. So I’ve warned hubby!
11. What do you wear to bed? PJs. My favorites are a cami with satin pants. Right now (as in when I go to bed tonight) I’m wearing Snow White fleece ones…I got them for Christmas so that I can match my daughter :)
12. Have you ever done anything illegal? Yes, I went to college :)
13. Can you roll your tongue? Yes
14. Do you tweeze your eyebrows? I get them waxed and then tweeze in between.
15. What kind of sneakers do you wear? New Balance.
16. Do you believe in abortions? Nope. I understand there might be rare cases when the mom’s life is on the line…I don’t know what I would do in those situations, but I believe that every baby is a baby at conception and that they are a gift from God.
17. What is your hair color? Blonde (thanks to my sister-in-law!)
18. Future child's name? I don’t know. For some reason I never think of my kids’ names until late in pregnancy. My daughter’s name was chosen by me in the 8th grade (thankfully hubby loved it :)), but other than that, I always wait until like the 7th or 8th month to decide. And we’ve used up our two favorite names, so now it will get harder. I like the name Cohen Mark for a boy (we’ve named our first two – middle names – after my parents, now it’s time for hubby’s parents, and his dad’s name is Mark. His mom’s name is Joanne…not sure how I feel about this name).
19. Do you snore? Not really.
20. If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be? I honestly don’t know. We’re not big travelers, so I don’t really have any big dreams of seeing anything. I would love anywhere tropical, and Italy maybe. I would love to go to Aruba. I also would love to go back to the Sandals resort in St. Lucia which is where our honeymoon was.
21. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Does my 3 ½ year-old count?
22. If you won the lottery, what would you do first? Buy hubby his dream car, which is this.
23. Gold or silver? I love silver, but my wedding ring is gold, so I usually end up mixing them.
24. Hamburger or hot dog? I like both, but if I had to pick, it would be cheeseburger :)
25. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Not a clue. Probably Dippin’ Dots.
26. City, beach or country? City or beach…I’m not really a country-type of girl.
27. What was the last thing you touched? The mouse
28. Where did you last eat? At my desk, a bowl of oatmeal
29. When's the last time you cried? Hmmm, oh, on Saturday because my husband was acting all weird and really started taking his frustration out on me. Work has been really stressful for him lately and he’s been having a hard time dropping it off at the door on the way in.
30. Do you read blogs? Yes!
31. Would you ever go out dressed as the opposite sex? No
32. Ever been involved with the police? Yes, and we will leave it at that :)
33. What's your favorite shampoo, conditioner and soap? Hmmm, I don’t really have a favorite because I like to use different stuff each day. I have 3 different shampoos and conditioners and about 5 different body soaps in the shower. No one understood why I wanted a bench in my shower, but now when they walk in and see all of my different soaps in there, they get it! I really like the Sunsilk line for anti-flatness.
34. Do you talk in your sleep? Yep, and hubby has too much fun messing with me!
35. Ocean or pool? Definitely swimming pool. I will swim in the ocean, but I hate all of the sand!
36. Sauna or whirlpool? I really don’t like saunas, so definitely whirlpools
37. Starbucks or Krispy Kreme? Krispy Kreme in a heartbeat…or 2 or 3. I don't like coffee.
38. Aisle or window seat? Window seat! I love looking down and seeing everything from way up high.
39. Ever met anyone famous? Not really…I’m not very starstruck, so I’ve never tried to meet anyone famous.
40. Do you feel you've had a truly successful life? I feel it’s successful for being 27. I have a great husband, 2 awesome kids, and great job on a great career path. However, my life is hopefully only 1/3 over, so the definition of “successful” may change.
41. Do you twirl or cut your spaghetti? Both
42. Rikki Lake or Oprah? Oprah…is Rikki Lake even still around?
43. Basketball or Football? Ummm, neither really, but hubby is a great basketball player. Oh wait, and he plays flag football. I guess if I’m being nice, both of them :)
44. How long do your showers last? About 15 minutes…I have to shave my legs every day.
45. Do you drive automatic or stick? Automatic
46. Cake or ice cream? I can’t pick…both!!
47. Are you self-conscious? All.Of.The.Time!
48. Have you ever drank so much you threw up? Oh yes! My first time was on my 21st birthday, and I’m glad I did because I was not hung over the next day.
49. Have you ever given money to a beggar? I don’t think so…I really don’t go downtown too often, so I really don’t see a lot of them.
50. Have you ever been in love? ABSOLUTELY
51. Where do you wish you were? Somewhere very warm, laying in a chair, reading a book and watching my kids play.
52. Are you wearing socks? Yep, black ones under my dress shoes
53. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Yes, and unfortunately it was for my daughter. Thankfully everything turned out to be fine.
54. Can you tango? Umm, no.
55. Last gift you received? My friend bought me lunch yesterday at Chipotle, it was great!
56. Last sport you played? Gymnastics, in high school and college (not competitive in college)
57. Things you spend a lot of money on? Childcare and my mortgage.
58. Where do you live? In a suburb of Columbus, OH
59. Where were you born? Las Vegas, NV – I’m so proud! I knew there was a reason I’m drawn to poker!
60. Last wedding attended? My college roommate's on Saturday.
61. Favorite position? Laying down in bed watching TV :)
62. Most hated food(s)? Fish. I love shellfish, but not regular fish.
63. Most hated soda pop? Dr. Pepper Vanilla
64. Can you sing? Hubby told me I could back in high school…I don’t think anything’s changed.
65. Last person you instant messaged? I don’t IM
66. Last place you went on holiday? Virginia Beach, VA
67. Favorite regular drink? Diet Mountain Dew
68. Favorite alcoholic drink? Kahlua and cream
69. Current favorite song? I don’t really have one right now
1. Are you parents married or divorced? Married, but I have no idea how…all they do is fight!
2. Are you a vegetarian? Not in a million years. I don’t really like meals that don’t contain some type of meat ;)
3. Do you believe in Heaven? ABSOLUTELY!
4. Have you ever come close to dying? Not that I know of ;)
5. What jewelry do you wear 24/7? None. I can’t stand to have anything on when I sleep. I also usually take my watch and wedding ring off when I cook dinner and it usually doesn’t go back on until the next morning as I’m heading out the door for work.
6. Favorite time of day? Hmmm, definitely NOT mornings :) I would have to say nights. No matter how tired I am during the day, something kicks in at 8:00 and I can easily stay up until midnight.
7. Do you eat the stems of broccoli? yes
8. Do you wear makeup? At all time. I just feel so much better with it on. The last snow day we had I didn’t put any on and I just hated the way my face felt. I also didn’t like the way I looked. Hubby always yells at me and tells me how pretty I am without make-up (come everyone, together now…Awww) but I just can’t not wear it. I’ve already started my daughter on it…she has her own little make-up case with all of my old stuff and she and I will sit in the bathroom in the mornings and play with it all…we have so much fun!
9. Ever have plastic surgery? No.
10. If you did have plastic surgery, what did you have done? I want a boob job when I’m done having kids and feeding them for the first 12 months of their lives. Don’t get me wrong…I am all for nursing, but I hate what it has done to my one-time wonderful boobs. So I’ve warned hubby!
11. What do you wear to bed? PJs. My favorites are a cami with satin pants. Right now (as in when I go to bed tonight) I’m wearing Snow White fleece ones…I got them for Christmas so that I can match my daughter :)
12. Have you ever done anything illegal? Yes, I went to college :)
13. Can you roll your tongue? Yes
14. Do you tweeze your eyebrows? I get them waxed and then tweeze in between.
15. What kind of sneakers do you wear? New Balance.
16. Do you believe in abortions? Nope. I understand there might be rare cases when the mom’s life is on the line…I don’t know what I would do in those situations, but I believe that every baby is a baby at conception and that they are a gift from God.
17. What is your hair color? Blonde (thanks to my sister-in-law!)
18. Future child's name? I don’t know. For some reason I never think of my kids’ names until late in pregnancy. My daughter’s name was chosen by me in the 8th grade (thankfully hubby loved it :)), but other than that, I always wait until like the 7th or 8th month to decide. And we’ve used up our two favorite names, so now it will get harder. I like the name Cohen Mark for a boy (we’ve named our first two – middle names – after my parents, now it’s time for hubby’s parents, and his dad’s name is Mark. His mom’s name is Joanne…not sure how I feel about this name).
19. Do you snore? Not really.
20. If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be? I honestly don’t know. We’re not big travelers, so I don’t really have any big dreams of seeing anything. I would love anywhere tropical, and Italy maybe. I would love to go to Aruba. I also would love to go back to the Sandals resort in St. Lucia which is where our honeymoon was.
21. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Does my 3 ½ year-old count?
22. If you won the lottery, what would you do first? Buy hubby his dream car, which is this.
23. Gold or silver? I love silver, but my wedding ring is gold, so I usually end up mixing them.
24. Hamburger or hot dog? I like both, but if I had to pick, it would be cheeseburger :)
25. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Not a clue. Probably Dippin’ Dots.
26. City, beach or country? City or beach…I’m not really a country-type of girl.
27. What was the last thing you touched? The mouse
28. Where did you last eat? At my desk, a bowl of oatmeal
29. When's the last time you cried? Hmmm, oh, on Saturday because my husband was acting all weird and really started taking his frustration out on me. Work has been really stressful for him lately and he’s been having a hard time dropping it off at the door on the way in.
30. Do you read blogs? Yes!
31. Would you ever go out dressed as the opposite sex? No
32. Ever been involved with the police? Yes, and we will leave it at that :)
33. What's your favorite shampoo, conditioner and soap? Hmmm, I don’t really have a favorite because I like to use different stuff each day. I have 3 different shampoos and conditioners and about 5 different body soaps in the shower. No one understood why I wanted a bench in my shower, but now when they walk in and see all of my different soaps in there, they get it! I really like the Sunsilk line for anti-flatness.
34. Do you talk in your sleep? Yep, and hubby has too much fun messing with me!
35. Ocean or pool? Definitely swimming pool. I will swim in the ocean, but I hate all of the sand!
36. Sauna or whirlpool? I really don’t like saunas, so definitely whirlpools
37. Starbucks or Krispy Kreme? Krispy Kreme in a heartbeat…or 2 or 3. I don't like coffee.
38. Aisle or window seat? Window seat! I love looking down and seeing everything from way up high.
39. Ever met anyone famous? Not really…I’m not very starstruck, so I’ve never tried to meet anyone famous.
40. Do you feel you've had a truly successful life? I feel it’s successful for being 27. I have a great husband, 2 awesome kids, and great job on a great career path. However, my life is hopefully only 1/3 over, so the definition of “successful” may change.
41. Do you twirl or cut your spaghetti? Both
42. Rikki Lake or Oprah? Oprah…is Rikki Lake even still around?
43. Basketball or Football? Ummm, neither really, but hubby is a great basketball player. Oh wait, and he plays flag football. I guess if I’m being nice, both of them :)
44. How long do your showers last? About 15 minutes…I have to shave my legs every day.
45. Do you drive automatic or stick? Automatic
46. Cake or ice cream? I can’t pick…both!!
47. Are you self-conscious? All.Of.The.Time!
48. Have you ever drank so much you threw up? Oh yes! My first time was on my 21st birthday, and I’m glad I did because I was not hung over the next day.
49. Have you ever given money to a beggar? I don’t think so…I really don’t go downtown too often, so I really don’t see a lot of them.
50. Have you ever been in love? ABSOLUTELY
51. Where do you wish you were? Somewhere very warm, laying in a chair, reading a book and watching my kids play.
52. Are you wearing socks? Yep, black ones under my dress shoes
53. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Yes, and unfortunately it was for my daughter. Thankfully everything turned out to be fine.
54. Can you tango? Umm, no.
55. Last gift you received? My friend bought me lunch yesterday at Chipotle, it was great!
56. Last sport you played? Gymnastics, in high school and college (not competitive in college)
57. Things you spend a lot of money on? Childcare and my mortgage.
58. Where do you live? In a suburb of Columbus, OH
59. Where were you born? Las Vegas, NV – I’m so proud! I knew there was a reason I’m drawn to poker!
60. Last wedding attended? My college roommate's on Saturday.
61. Favorite position? Laying down in bed watching TV :)
62. Most hated food(s)? Fish. I love shellfish, but not regular fish.
63. Most hated soda pop? Dr. Pepper Vanilla
64. Can you sing? Hubby told me I could back in high school…I don’t think anything’s changed.
65. Last person you instant messaged? I don’t IM
66. Last place you went on holiday? Virginia Beach, VA
67. Favorite regular drink? Diet Mountain Dew
68. Favorite alcoholic drink? Kahlua and cream
69. Current favorite song? I don’t really have one right now
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
