From 3 to 5

1 week, I mean, the nerve of me.

2010-11-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

So last week I declared with a vengeance that I was back. I have shaken off the blogging funk that I was in and I was BACK BABY…and then I went missing for another week. Last weekend we had a birthday party for the two most precious 2-year olds I know. Then I was knocked on my tookus with strep throat. It was all I could do the past two days to get to work and make it to bed-time.

Now look it's Friday again. Time for one of my very favorite blog hops, 5 Question Friday with Mama M.

1. What Christmas song do you loathe?

Christmas song?? Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet, Christmas is in December…

What song…What song…

Ahh yes..

Why did Wham ever record a Christmas song?

Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart, hands down least favorite song.

2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?

Cuddle, HA!!

Opposites sides of the bed under separate blankets, yes you read that right we don't even share covers. Thank goodness for king sized beds.

3. Have you ever had surgery?

Yep. 5 (c-sections count, right?)

Tonsils out, Ovary removed, Cyst removed from other ovary, kid removed and cyst discovered and removed, 2 more kids removed.

4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done?

I usually start and finish in one day, sometime in December. I do a lot of shopping on-line because I really dislike shopping and I don't want to be tempted to buy more that what is budgeted.

5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be?

Hmmmmm just one thing….

A fancy pants camera would be really nice but if it's only one thing I wouldn't be able to take classes to learn how to use it.

Pampering at the spa, like a lifetime supply of cut, color, massage, mani/pedis ohh lala…but then that is kind of selfish.

I'm gonna go with my dream house. A bedroom for everyone, on a lake, with a pool and an in-law suite (wink wink Mom and Dad)

That's all I got. Be sure to stop by Mama M's little spot of the World Wide Web. I'm laying low this weekend trying to recover and be healthy for Turkey Day with the fam.

Tap tap tap

2010-11-12T16:57:00.000-05:00

Test 1 2...is this thing on...

My name is Heidi and I was once a much better blogger.

Did ya miss me? Do you want to know what my deal was? I tell ya, but not today. Today I got my funny back and want to participate in Mama M.'s Five Question Friday.

1. What is the most physically painful thing that has ever happened to you?

Have you had your abdomen sliced open? It's pretty painful, but you know what worse, coughing after you have had your abdomen sliced open. The absolute most painful thing I have experienced thus far is coughing after surgeries, the pain shoots up and down, as well as feeling like my guts will spill out. Whew, just thinking about it made me twinge and sweat.

2. How much sleep do you get at night?

Recently (for months and months) I have been suffering with insomnia so on a good night I get about 5 solid hours, but it's usually less.

For the record, Insomnia SUCKS!!

3. How long did you believe in Santa Claus? How did you find out that he does not exist?

What?!?!?! Santa isn't real, oh please say it ain't so!!

I guess I was around 9 or 10 and I suspected that the jolly man in the red suit was not really the fella whose lap I sat on at a Christmas party. I waited up in my room in the dark until I heard rustling in the hallway. I flung my bedroom door open to find my father standing there arms loaded with packages in his underwear. He turned to look at me and said, "Yes Heidi, there is no Santa Claus. Now go back to bed and do not tell your brother.

4. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?

Toy Story 3 for my baby boy's 4^th birthday. It was his first movie in the theater and he loved it.

5. What do you wear to bed?

Usually a t-shirt and pj bottoms, sometimes sweats, never nothing {gasp} and only occasionally socks, but usually not.

So, how are you? I've been awful at keeping up on everyone's blog but I hope to be getting back to my old ways very soon. Be sure to check out the other lovelies that linked up with Mama M.

Have a great weekend.

Bringing it Back

2010-08-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm fighting hard to get out of this blogging funk. I love blogging and I miss it, but I'm just in a general funk with life right now. More on that some other day, today is the day of five random questions with Mama M.'s Five Question Friday.

Do you have any nicknames and if so how did it come about?
Heid- because sometimes that extra "i" is just too much to say
He-Dee- that is what my cousin has called me for years
Sweetie- what my husband usually calls daily
H Dubs, Mrs. Dubs or something including Dubs or Dub-Ya- Our last name begins with a W and is very difficult to pronounce so it gets shortened to Dubs

What is your birth order amongst your siblings?
I am the oldest of 2, my brother is 5 years younger than me.
In a movie of your life, who would play your significant other?
Oh the options....
Tall, dark and handsome for sure...
Some options Tim McGraw (have I mentioned him before?), John Krasinski, Harry Connick, Jr.

Ok, Harry is my final answer..
What is currently your favorite song?
I can't pick just one. I love music, specifically country music.

If I'm feeling a little salty or fired up it's definitely "Pray for You" by Jaron and The Long Road to Love

Let's go ahead and add Jaron to the list in question 3.

If I'm feeling contented and ready to jam out, "Southern Voice" by Tim (like he and I are on a first name basis)

Feeling chill and ready for the weekend, "Toes" by Zac Brown Band. Not that I have seen the sand this summer but the song is great.

Are you saving your money for anything right now? Big or small purchase?Yes for something fun and exciting..

you ready?

Blinds for my house, don't be jealous..

I told you was exciting, but I didn't mean for you to fall on the floor in amazement.
Go ahead pick yourself on up.

Happy Friday Ya'll...

If you are feeling spunky answer the questions and link up with Mama M.

Just Thursday..(8-19)

2010-08-19T21:46:00.001-04:00

Outside my window.. it was 90 degrees today but there was no humidity a beautiful day to not have been at work, but unfortunately that is where I was.

The time is.. 9:35pm

Today I feel.. exhausted. Jon was at work until 12:30 something last night and I couldn't sleep without him here.

I am thinking.. the Starwberry Fruit Bar I just ate gave my tongue freezer burn.

At the moment, I am thankful.. that everyone is asleep, the kitchen is clean and I have a moment to relax before hitting the hay

I am going.. to be buying toddler beds this weekend.

I am wearing.. a black tank top and black PJ pants.

I wish..I took better care of myself.

I am reading.. nothing, nada, zip, zilch, zero

I am working on.. birthday thank yous!

I am hoping.. the transition to toddler beds isn't too painful.

I am hearing.. Iron Chef - Battle Citrus, I think

I bet you didn't know.. I really really do not like summer at all. The break from cold weather to warm is nice but I can not stand hot and humid.

One of my favorite.. movies is Pure Country with George Strait

My weekend plans include.. transitioning the girls to toddler beds, hopefully haircuts for the girls (if I can persuade their Dad), and we hope to make to our church's Baptism picnic.

So what's up with you this Thursday? You really should link up this week because Abby is dangling a pretty cool prize if she can break her link up record.

One week ago..

2010-08-18T08:00:00.002-04:00

My sweet boy, my first born, the one who made me a Mama turned four. I'm not the sappy type but just typing four makes me a little teary. I can hardly believe the boy that he is becoming. The way he expresses himself, his quirky sense of humor and ferocious desire to be heard. He is my heart outside of my chest.

In keeping with our family tradition I took Dade's picture the day before his birthday.

The years in review---

Going home from the hospital.

The day before 1.

The day before 2.

The day before 3.

August 9th, 2010 the day before my big boy turned 4

No more chubby cheeks or baby face he is a real bonafide boy.

Tasty Tuesday Treat

2010-08-17T21:50:00.001-04:00

I'm ~~stealing~~ borrowing an idea from my girl Kate's blog and bringing you a Tasty Treat this Tuesday. I made these d-eeee-lish chocolate cupcakes topped with homemade marshmallow Fluff frosting for Dade's birthday and thought I must share with all of you.

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl heat the heavy cream in the microwave until steaming, about a minute add the cocoa powder to create a thick mixture. Let cool to room temperature.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla extract. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Homemade Marshmallow Fluff:
3 egg whites
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, corn syrup and salt.
2. Mix with mixer on high speed for 10 minutes (or until thick).
3. Add in confectioner's sugar
4. Beat on low speed until well blended.
5. Add vanilla and mix until blended.

This makes a lot of Fluff and can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Just be make sure to mix it back together if you choose to re-use it the corn syrup has a tendency to separate.

Fluff Frosting:

1 cup Homemade Marshmallow Fluff
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 c. water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine all the ingredients in your mixer and beat until stiff peaks form.
2. Beat in vanilla.

**I was able to make the Fluff and the frosting while the cupcakes were baking. I recommend frosting the cupcakes and storing them uncovered in the refrigerator to allow the marshmallow to set and if you are feeling super spunky sprinkle some Heath chips on top.

Just Thursday..(8-12-10)

2010-08-12T10:02:00.000-04:00

Oh how I had grandiose plans to post galore in celebration of my sweet boy's birthday and now here it is ~~Wednesday night~~ Thursday and you haven't hear from me since last week, I mean the nerve...

Outside my window.. I see the street lights.

The time is.. 10:02 pm (Wednesday night)

Today I feel.. annoyed, with myself, my intentions and many other things

I am thinking.. I should upload pictures but I'm too tired

At the moment, I am thankful.. that Dade felt super special for his birthday.

I am going.. to have a four day weekend and take the kiddos to a local water park and the county fair.

I am wearing.. uh-ohh Red and White Christmas PJ pants and a super comfy Third Day T-shirt that is black with tan lettering. I am the epitome of fashion.

I wish.. still wishing for independent wealth and not having to work.

I am reading.. yeah, still don't read and I'm sure you don't count the most recent issues of Lucky and Parents Magazines

I am working on.. packing up kids clothes that don't fit.

I am hoping.. for great weather this weekend.

I am hearing.. the dishwasher running, Psych! on the TV and the husband snoring on the couch.

Around the house.. it's surface level clean, but please don't touch the chairs, the girls leave gunky fingerprints EVERYWHERE!!

I bet you didn't know.. I absolutely can not sleep with my bedroom door open, not even for a nap.

One of my favorite.. favorite wines is Moscato by Barefoot. I'm no sommelier but that stuff is the yumminess.

My weekend plans include.. whoops answered this one up a little further. Yeah for a few days break from work.

Have a great Thursday and be warned there will be birthday pictures...

Not Any More...

2010-08-04T07:45:00.001-04:00

Today I am linking up with Shell and pouring my heart out to share some of how I have been feeling recently.

It's almost two years since we walked out of the house, closed and locked the door. I was VERY pregnant with the girls and felt no emotion to the huge change that we were making in our lives. After all we were only renting the house out, there was a chance that we could move back one day. I couldn't bring myself to believe that we would never be back. Never park in the garage, cook in the kitchen, hang my clothes in my closet.

In September of 2005, just three day before we got married Jon and I went to settlement on our first home together; a beautiful, newly constructed home that we had picked out and tailored just for us. We saw this as a huge blessing, never knowing given the state of the market if we would be able to afford a single family home and it was all ours. I moved in thinking this was our forever home. God willing we would fill it with babies, finish the basement, put in a pool and just be.

Then life happened Jon had been laid off twice for several months each time, we were now expecting twins and we needed to cut costs. In September of 2008 we moved out, just three years after buying our forever home.

I am so very grateful that we have a place to live, but so much is not here. We are five people in a much smaller home. There is no more gourmet kitchen, sunken family room, his and hers closets. That was the house where we started life together, filled it with new furniture, shared our first Christmas, celebrated birthdays, brought our first baby home to, it was meant to be forever. Now, it's not ours anymore. I know it's just a building just four walls in my head, but my heart is so very sad at the death of a dream, of a life only imagined in a much different place.

Have you ever experienced the mourning of a lost dream?

Little Pockets of Yummy

2010-08-02T23:41:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday in our house was Empanada Day. Empanadas are savory fried turnovers. Sometimes you can find savory empanadas, but my husbands specialty are a Paraguayan tradition. Making empanadas with three children turned into a most of the day experience, but it was so worth it.

Jon started the process at 7am by hard boiling 1 dozen eggs. I then peeled and chopped the eggs. After the eggs cooled we shredded a whole block of Monterrey Jack cheese and mixed it in with the eggs. For the meat filling he took a 2 pound should steak trimmed the excess fat and ground it up in the food processor. Also grind up 2 large onion and several cloves of garlic. Before browning the meat finely dice a tomato in Olive Oil in the pan until fragrant. Add the meat and brown. To the browned meat add rice, no mambie pambie minute stuff, real deal long grain takes 20 minutes to make, you will thank me for that tip.

Once the fillings have cooled, you have taken your monthly trip to Costco, unloaded and put away all your wares, feed your littles and put them down to rest it's time for the real work to begin.

First, we clean. Scrub, scrub, scrub..

Now dirty up that freshly cleaned counter top with flour, sprinkle, sprinkle

<---- You will need some of these, ours came from the local Hispanic super mercado.

Sprinkle with a little Paraguayan love. (Not sold in stores, sorry I have no suggestions where you can pick some up.)

Place a heaping tablespoon in the center of the shell, moisten half of the shell with water using your finger tip and fold over.

Press the edges with a fork. This may or may not require a "hmph" noise to escape your lips.

Watch as your husband runs circles around you press out the empanadas.

All done, and ready for the fryer.

Action shot, frying.

We are just a couple in and I can't help myself.

Yummy eggy cheesiness....

Mountains of Empanadas

The best part of the whole day was seeing my husbands face when the kids loved them. Coralee in over dramatized fashion said YUM-YUM-YUM with every bite and ate the whole piece that we gave her.

You Know Your a Mama

2010-07-28T15:05:00.002-04:00

If you celebrate things like being bottle free. (It finally happened, WOO-HOOOO!!! 2 Days and never looking back)

You curse ABC when Wipe-Out is 2 hours. Knowing that a holy temper tantrum will ensue when your, near, 4 year old is told its bed-time and he hasn't seen the wipe-out zone.

You will negotiate watching the second hour on the computer, that your husband has hooked up to the TV, after baths on Wednesday to stave off at least a tear or two and possibly a wail.

You threaten privileges when your negotiations go unanswered.

You've proclaimed that your children sweat like thier Mama

People..It’s Just Thursday

2010-07-22T13:36:00.000-04:00

Outside my window.. it's hot hot hot and humid humid humid (it does wonders for the hair)

The time is.. 1:15 pm (lunch-time)

Today I feel.. wiped out from this heat

I am thinking.. about abandoning blogging, twitter and facebook.

At the moment, I am thankful.. for such a sweet husband

I am going.. to Charleston in a few weeks for an overnight trip with work.

I am wearing.. multi-colored cotton top, black slacks and patent leather sandals

I wish.. life came with an instruction manual sometimes.

I am reading.. ok, I admit it, I'm not a reader {hangs head in shame}

I am working on.. software implementation. It is OH so fun! or not.

I am hoping.. we have beautiful weather this weekend!

I am hearing.. country music.

Around the house.. it's empty

I bet you didn't know.. my baby boy turns 4 on August 10^th. I'm not ready for this.

One of my favorite.. times of year is fall and it can't get here soon enough.

My weekend plans include.. my best girl from work is coming over with her little boy on Saturday, then church on Sunday

Biker Babies

2010-07-20T23:38:00.000-04:00

Coralee

Dade

Brennan

Friday...Friday...FRIDAY!!!

2010-07-16T11:02:00.002-04:00

Alert! Alert! It is Friday, yahoooo for being off the next two days. I'm sad to report there will be no vlog from me today. I was overly tired and riddled with back pain last night so I took some Tylenol PM, let's just say that speaking and sitting upright weren't in the card after that. Let's get this started Five Question Friday with the one and only Mama M.

1. Do you collect anything?

Hmmm dust bunnies and crumbs, do those count as collections?

No, didn't think so.

Nope I'm not a collector, I'm a purger. I have a hard time even keeping the crafts my children create.

2. Name 3 celebrities that you find good looking.

Not to beat the horse, but Tim McGraw {swoon} and to be equal opportunity Mrs. Tim McGraw, Faith Hill {so pretty}

And ummm… I'm not so much of a celebrity follower, so ummmm

John Krasinski, I think he is really cute. I'm probably more attracted to the roles he plays, but I like the quirkiness.

3. Do you have any scars? If so, what's the story behind it (them?)?

I have a scar on my shin from slipping between two rocks while hiking. It swelled up like a golf ball under my skin and was super gross.

I have a scar in my belly button from surgery.

I have a c-section scar and a repeat c-section scar. Do I really need to explain the story behind those?

4. What is a food that you like to eat, but others might think it's gross or weird?

Sauerkraut, not as a condiment to a hot dog, just sauerkraut straight up as a side dish, preferably with mashed potatoes. Yumminess!!

5. Have you ever seen a tornado in real life?

I recall riding in a truck through a cornfield with this new fangled contraption trying to chase a tornado… no wait that was a movie… Nope, I have never seen a tornado in real life, and I'm ok with that.

It's Thursday the 15th of July

2010-07-15T12:40:00.001-04:00

I am taking 5 minutes from this crazed day to tell you it's "Just Thursday"

Outside my window…it's sunny and hot.

The time is…11:50am

Today I feel…~~tired~~, ~~exhausted~~, zombie-like

I am thinking…5 o'clock really CAN NOT come soon enough.

At the moment, I am thankful…lunch time, Motrin and pay day.

I am going…to bed early tonight.

I am wearing…a teal baby doll shirt, black slacks and patent leather sandals.

I wish…weight loss could really be granted with a wish.

I am reading…nothing, still, slacker..

I am working on…being more compassionate.

I am hoping…that my husband is planning something special for our anniversary. (HINT HINT!!)

I am hearing…a little Travis Tritt. "It's a great day to be alive." AMEN to that..

Around the house…it should be clean when I get home. Woo-hoo I have a special affection for every other Thursday.

I bet you didn't know…I really don't think I could hack it as a stay-at-home mom. I really like working. I don't feel like yesterday at home with my kids went so great and it's hard to admit that.

One of my favorite…pieces of furniture is a corner shelf from my great grandmother. It's a great knick-knack holder.

My weekend plans include…nothing too exciting. Maybe that ever elusive trip to the pool, except it is supposed to be oppressively hot.

Look at that almost an hour later I actually got this posted. Let that speak to how hectic my day has been. Be sure to check out Abby and the others that have linked up.

You Know Your a Mama

2010-07-14T14:06:00.000-04:00

It's Wednesday, already. I'm at home with the littles today. My nanny was in a horrible car accident last night, if you would please say a prayer for her and her family I would appreciate it and I'm sure she would too. With that said I'm am being reminded anew today that I am a Mama. With a demanding almost 4 year old and one cranky 20 month old I'm so very glad it's nap time right now. You know what else reminds me that I'm a mom... When I'm at a country music concert (like it happens that often) and I hear a harmonica solo. I immediately think of my son and his new favorite instrument rather than immensely enjoy my time away from my child.

I won this harmonica from Erin aka Goldylocks, it's from CSN stores. It has an amazing sound and is great quality.

What's reminding you of your Mama'ness today? Be sure to check out Arizona Mamma and the other ladies that have linked up.

When you think Tim McGraw...

2010-07-13T22:13:00.000-04:00

You should think about how I got to see (well kinda, not really) him on Saturday night.

You should think about his amazing ability to put on a show.

Or maybe you should think about how dashingly handsome he is and the CAH-Razy way he moves his hips. (Faith is one lucky lady, just sayin)

Or maybe you should just cry like a baby when he loves on his little girl Maggie while she sings the end of Last Dollar.

5QF- Vlogging in a Uniform

2010-07-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

Oh, she's Baaaack!!

It's Friday. I'm going to do a little tailgating and see my friends Lady A. and Tim tomorrow to celebrate my friend's 40th. I can't wait.
It's 5QF people. I'm rocking it vloggy style and making a total fool of myself. If you haven't ever vlogged and you are jumping on the 5QF train today I strongly encourage you to bust out the webcam and JUST DO IT!

Either way if you participate make sure you head over to Mama M's and check the others that are linking up, she may be offering up best friendship today. She does that every once in a while.

Oh look a semi normal freeze frame, why thank you YouTube.

Have a great weekend!!!

Just Thursday

2010-07-08T09:32:00.000-04:00

Hi! my name is Heidi. I have been M.I.A. from this blog for almost two weeks. I haven't been writing, commenting or reading blogs. (Well I have been reading a particular blog, but it's hard to look away from a train wreck) I've just been re-evaluating what I share and who I'm sharing with; hopefully I will share more about that soon. Today though, well today is Just Thursday with Abby aka Murdock's Mama.

Outside my window…cars and it's hot as blue blazes and humid to boot.

The time is…8:30am.

Today I feel…melancholy

I am thinking…I need some change, not the jingle jingle kind

At the moment, I am thankful…that my husband is driving.

I am going…to see Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum in concert on Saturday.

I am wearing…a white blouse, navy Dockers and navy polka dot ballet flats. (It's ALL about the shoes.)

I wish…my back didn't hurt and I could get a good night's sleep

I am reading…nothing. ugh, lame

I am working on…getting my motivation for change back.

I am hoping…we will be able to pay the electric bill next month. Our poor air conditioner has been running 24 hours a day for 4 days straight.

I am hearing…news radio.

I bet you didn't know…the smell of lemons grinding in the garbage disposal reminds me of starbursts.

One of my favorite…mottos is "Fake it till you make it." It applies to many aspects of my life.

Not, Gonna Miss This

2010-06-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a run of the mill Sunday. After lunch I had a list of things to do that was longer than nap time would ever be. I had just finished my grocery shopping and was putzing around on the computer before I moved to finishing the dishes when one of the girls started crying over the monitor. The hubs was snoring away on the couch enjoying a Sunday afternoon nap, which I wish I could have been doing, but I had that list and all.. I was a little miffed as I headed upstairs, the girls had just spent an hour after they were put to bed chatting and I knew that all of their blankets, pillows and lovies would be on the floor. I walked in a covered Coralee, then picked up crying Brennan and went into my room to snuggle her back to sleep. I ran my fingers through her hair and gently stroked her face, my feelings of frustration melted away and I was overwhelmed with the feeling that these times are numbered. I tried to burn the image of her in my mind. I stared at her sun kissed face, her kissy lips, button nose and to die for eyelashes. I listened to her take deep sleepy breaths as it sank in I'm going to blink and she is going to be in school/a teenager/in college/married/a mom herself. It reminded me of this song...

So instead of worrying about washing the dishes, working on dinner in advance, paying the bills, or doing laundry; I snuggled up next to my sweet little angel faced girl and rested. I don't want to miss this.

5QF

2010-06-25T16:40:00.000-04:00

It's Friday!! WOOT-WOOT, I'm gonna knock off work around five and take the next two days off, hope they don't mind.

Big BRR BRRRR here, I saw all the encouragement and suggestions on twitter last night for vlogs today and didn't get my act together enough to do one. Hey, at least I'm returning from my brief 5QF hiatus.

You know the drill answer the questions and link up with Mama M. at My Little Life.

1. Do you know how to play a musical instrument?

Currently I can play a mean Twinkle, Twinkle on the xylophone.

Back in elementary school I played the clarinet, though I was never really good.

During our 5^th grade assembly I faked it and didn't even blow in the instrument.

2. What is your pet peeve while driving?

Blinkers

They aren't an option that you have to pay for, they come on every car.

USE THEM!! & when you are down turning SHUT THEM OFF!!

Not that I'm really bothered by that or anything...

3. Would you rather have a housekeeper or unlimited spa services?

Hello, housekeeper, no more kitchen duty, no more laundry to put away.

HELLLLLOOOOOO housekeeper.

4. Is there a song that you hear that will take you back to the moment, like a junior high or high school dance?

"I swear" – All 4 One

It was the song I shared with my high school boyfriend and the only song I remember dancing to at my senior prom.

5. What song best represents your life right now?

Ain't as Good as I Once Was – Toby Keith

Free – Zac Brown Band ('cuz all we need is love)

Have a great weekend Ya'll

Just Thursday...

2010-06-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

Outside my window.. it is HOT & HUMID!!

The time is.. 12:53 pm

Today I feel.. ready for the weekend, even if there are no big plans.

I am thinking.. about planning our vacation.

At the moment, I am thankful.. for air conditioning.

I am going..to Costco on Saturday. (don't be jealous)

I am wearing.. Black slacks, a teal baby doll shirt & jeweled flip-flips

I wish.. I would have remembered to write this up last night.

I am reading.. notes taken from a meeting to write a report.

I am working on.. software implementation, {sigh} still.

I am hoping.. to make it to that elusive pool this weekend.

I am hearing.. MARTINA on the radio..

Around the house.. brrr brrrr… not there but they were watching Toy Story 2 at last update, hopefully they are sleeping now.

I bet you didn't know.. I can not stand liver and onions, not even the smell {BLECH!!}

One of my favorite.. things to eat is steamed crabs. Every year on the 4^th we have a big family get together for my Grandfather's birthday and we have a crab feast, so looking forward to it.

What's happening with you today? It's Just Thursday with Murdock's Mama.

You Know You're a Mama..

2010-06-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

When your kitchen counter tops become gym equipment.

'Nuff said

P.S.- Coralee was feeling camera shy for showing offer her hanging/swinging/heart attack inducing skillz.

Yeah we're cute

2010-06-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the beautiful dresses Abuelita!!

We're cute and we know it, you better recognize!

Cheese!!

"Excuse me?!?, What are you wearing?" - Coralee

"Oh Yeah!, I rock this sissy." - Brennan

Little Miss B

Little Miss C

Monday Minute with Ian and Brittany Ciara

2010-06-21T13:19:00.003-04:00

1 - Have you ever had any feelings towards one of your teachers back in the day?
Nope, no feelings. There were a few that were nice eye candy, but that's it.

2 – What's the most embarrassing thing that happened while at work?
Hmmm…

There was the time I worked in the show department at Sears. We had a special tool with a medal hook on the end to shimmy boxes out of huge stacks. One Saturday before Christmas my shimmy was off and about 8 boxes of shoes came tumbling down on my head. This was witnessed by two co-workers.

Or there was the time I was venting to my boss about someone being useless as they walked into the office.

Could be the time I went to the restroom and noticed I could see the tile floor through the hem in the crouch of my pants. No one said anything to me and the check in the mirror showed no evidence of my badonkadonk, but I was so nervous of full exposure I refused lunch and just sat at my desk the remainder of the day.

3 – When was the last time you ~~crapped yourself~~ sharted?
Mine is not a story of sharting, I did indeed crap myself as an adult. A little back story, I had committed to be a driver for the youth group, I was a leader, to do a 5K walk in DC for Help the Homeless and I was one of two female chaperones. Later in the week I fell ill with the stomach bug and it was bad. My mom called it Lucy Goosey when I was younger; let me tell you that Lucy had never been that goosey. No meds were working it was just, yuck. So it's the day of the walk and I follow through with my obligations. I was as prepared as a girl could be but well it happened.... leakage….

4 – What is the one thing you have always kept a secret and why have you kept this secret for so long?
See the split pants incident in question 2 and all of question number 3. Why were they secrets, because hello they are embarrassing!!!

Ultimately though if you can't laugh at life you aren't living, so I'm sharing my laughs with you.

5 – What's your best advice for us habitual coffee drinkers to not have to poop right after drinking it?
I'm an avid coffee drinker that does not suffer from this affliction.

Just Thursday

2010-06-17T10:12:00.001-04:00

I'm playing along again with Murdock's Mama, it's Just Thursday, peeps.

Outside my window....

Don't be jealous of the view from my corner office!

The time is..9:49 am
Today I feel...tired still, always, it's the story of my life
I am thinking...I really need a haircut and color, preferably before the 4th when I will be outside all day picking crabs. I don't want to constantly be sweeping my hair out of my face.
At the moment, I am thankful..to have a job, when so many do not.
I am going..to run errands at Target for lunch.
I am wearing...cute black patent sandals, black capris and a white blouse, with a super fantastic brand new coffee stain.
I wish..we were independently wealthy
I am reading..letters for work that are sent to the customers with erroneous spelling and grammar issues.
I am working on..importing some letters.
I am hoping..for a trip to the pool this weekend
I am hearing.. Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band
Around the house..I'm not there...:o(
I bet you didn't..know that I love when a recipe tells you to scrap the brown bits in a pan. (Yeah! I'm weird)
One of my favorite... sounds is the pitter patter of toddler feet playing

Weekend Recap

2010-06-14T23:10:00.000-04:00

I'm recapping my weekend, but only because I actually did something other than chores and a trip to Costco. After running around like a crazy woman packing up the kids and heading to Kohl's to find clothes to wear to the wedding Jon and I hoped in the car and headed to Baltimore's Tide Point for a beautiful wedding.

Being the great photographer that I am, none of my pictures include people. (NICE!!)

The view during the ceremony.

My cousin Bev married Ric, the man of her dreams, on the pier facing the water. Rather than a unity candle they mixed sands from different beaches where they spent their younger wilder days. As the ceremony closed and they kissed a ferry sailed by and blew it's horn. It was P-E-R-F-E-C-T.

Then the party started..

They danced to I'm a Believer by the Monkees, there were smiles all around. Then a little later all the Ravens cheerleaders that were in attendance preformed to "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC. Unfortunately there is nophotographic proof from me, I'm sure it exists. The drinks were flowing. A couple of shots of tequila made it into my gullet. It was Patron, the good stuff, the oh so delightful, made me consider opening the bottle that has been in the back of my fridge, man I like Patron.
Jon and I didn't dance much because we were sweating already and it was all outside, but it was a wonderful time with wonderful views.

Oh! and I forgot to mention on of the guests at the wedding David Modell, yes minority owner of the MY Ravens. He was wearing his Super Bowl ring. I wanted to ask to wear it, kiss it, just hold it close to my heart, instead I just didn't speak to him at all. So that is probably how I would handle all celebrities.

5 Questions, kinda late, on Friday

2010-06-11T22:49:00.000-04:00

I know what is Friday without 5QF, I nearly missed it. It's short and sweet because I'm feeling pretty tired. I meant to mention the girls both have sinus infections and Brennan also has a pretty nasty ear infection. Both were given a Z-pac, but Brennan still had a fever around 102 this afternoon. Thank you all for the prayers for my babes.

FOR REALZ!!! I made that face for less than a second..

Please remember to hop over to Mama M.'s place and check out some of the other lovelies that linked up as well.

Just Thursday

2010-06-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

I read about this hop from my girl Goldylocks (aka Erin) who's harmonica giveaway I happen to have won. I'm excited and nervous about adding a harmonica to our already loud home, but I'm sure my kiddies will love it.

For now it's Just Thursday

Outside my window..

It's dark, I'm doing this on Wednesday night to post on Thursday. Geez I've already broken the rules.

The time is.. 11:21p.m..

Today I feel.. a heaping helping of mom guilt for having not taken my babies to the doctors and I came home today to a resurgence in fevers, snotty, clingy, cranky sick babies.

I am thinking.. that I should really already be in bed.

At the moment, I am thankful.. that everyone seems to be sleeping peacefully and the coughing has subsided.

I am going.. to my cousin's wedding this weekend without any kids.

I am wearing.. black pajama capris and a well worn t-shirt.

I wish.. we had made some different decisions in the past.
I am reading.. So Long Insecurity, well kind of reading I haven't picked it up in a while. I did read if you give a Moose a Muffin for bed-time tonight.

I am working on.. ~~this post~~ picking out paint colors for our house.

I am hoping.. for our old house to sell.

I am hearing.. some show about Las Vegas on the Travel Channel (I don't even know why I still have the TV on.)

Around the house.. it's quiet, the toys did not get picked up and there is a Rubbermaid pitcher in the middle of the Family Room that I am going to leave there.

I bet you didn't know.. I have never been to Las Vegas and have absolutely no interest whatsoever.

One of my favorite.. places to vacation is in the Caribbean. (think I'll get there anytime soon?)

You know you are a Workin’ Mama When-sDaze

2010-06-09T10:06:00.002-04:00

It's Wednesday peeps or should I say Whens-Daze with Arizona Momma. Today I bring you some reminders that I am a workin' Mama.

Before leaving for work:

You have swept the floor twice from the rejected muffin that your young ones ate just two days ago.

You have brushed four sets of teeth and administered 4 sets of vitamins.

You have ironed one shirt.

Missed every single weather update on the news

Have listened to Monster Jam while putting on your make-up

You have bathed a yogurt vomit covered kid who shares your same gag reflex and had to change your shirt

You gather many kisses and hugs before walking out the door.

When walking to the car you wave, blow kisses and flash a peace sign.

You arrive at work to find yogurt/granola spoo remnants on the cuff of your pants. (Can I get a woot woot Andria?)

Upon arriving home:

You are welcomed home to frantic screams, running, and the cutest ever toddler chatter.

Before changing out of your work clothes you prepare a snack for the littles, prepare dinner, set the table, clean up toddlers, strip toddlers, eat dinner, clean up the table, scrub the floor, scrub highchairs, wash the dishes, & pre-treat food stains, usually with the assistance of the most handsome man on the planet.

You melt when your son asks to read Bible stories before bedtime

You melt when two little girlies say nigh-nigh and blow kisses.

You melt when just before you fall into bed wiped out from another day you peak in on your sleeping children and hear nothing but deep breathing.

What is reminding you of your mama-ness today? Be sure to head over to Arizona Mamma and check out the other Mamas that linked up.

The Big "O"

2010-06-08T15:49:00.000-04:00

Don't even go there that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking Organic.

My sister-in-law and her family were in town this past weekend and she was telling me how they have moved to an organic diet, as much as they possibly can. She reassured me that they are not sticklers when it come to organic only all the rest of the world be damned, but she did say the majority of the time they try to eat there food as close as possible to it's natural state meaning raw milk, hormone and antibiotic free meat, as well as pesticide free vegetables.
I have to admit I am pretty ignorant to the organic movement. I have heard of the Dirty Dozen. I do buy milk not treated with growth hormone and steroids. Occasionally I buy organic fruits and veggies when they are on sale. Jon and I have discussed purchasing a butchered cow and pig from a local farmer, but mostly to defer costs. I have also looked into gardening co-ops truth be told we just don't eat many of the vegetables that would be offered. A girl can only make so much zucchini bread in a summer. Then there is the whole other matter of over processed white flour, sugar, quick easy meals that add very little nutritional value.

Organic is not something I'm for or against it's just something I don't know enough about. Can pesticides be washed off of vegetables and fruit with soap and water? How do you find articles that aren't spun to one side or the other?

Finally the whole argument begs the question for me is the farming industry using the same pesticides and technology that was around when I grew up? Have things changed? Is the food industry really worse or is my generation looking for a solution to a problem that never really existed?

I do not begrudge my sister-in-law's beliefs she feels better, she is eating healthier, her kids eat veggies (salad even). I want to do what's best for my family and my budget. I want to be educated.

So I'm asking for your thoughts, are you all "O" or a combo or neither?

You NO your a Mama When-sDaze

2010-06-02T13:17:00.004-04:00

What??? It's Wednesday! How in tarnation did that happen?

Thank you everyone for the lovely birthday wishes. We did a whole lot of nothing this past weekend and I loved it.

My sister-in-law and family are in town this week, so I will obviously be light on my blog interaction. I do hope to have some pictures of our trip to the Zoo. Who knew it was free? Not this girl.

Anywhoodles, let me tell you a little sumthin'sumthin' bout being a Mama. It's fun little linkable hosted by my friend Arizona Mamma.

You have out of town guests coming to town the rest of you house is ~~clean~~ presentable, including the kids room, when you walk into your room at 10:30 at night and realize that all the "organization" has left a mess load of crapola in your room.

As a Mama you look forward to all the milestones that your little one will experience in just a few short months then it happens they learn how to talk and they learn how to say, NO. My girls are stuck on NO. It is the answer for everything.

Me- Brennnnnnn-aaaaaannnn.{sing songy voice}
Brennan- Nooooooooo

Me- Do you want a cup?
Brennan- Nooo
(sit the cup down)
Brennan- Screams

Me- Coralee are you all done?
Coralee- No
(sit back down to eat)
Coralee- Screams accompanied by throwing of food

Coralee- akndoiahsdgoiandolaroiahgofknalkfdhgsoitu (baby gibberish) NO aisodihtaondfgaiftoaijdfgoij NO ajdiotahroiughaofj NO

Brennan wagging finger- NO

Dade crying from being whacked on the head
Brennan- No NO NO

Yeah, I know I'm a Mama today because I am SO over the word No. (though it is pretty darn cute how they say it)

Today you get to know me.

2010-05-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

Today is the 30th of May
Memorial Day in the U.S.
Not the day observed, but the actual holiday
Today is also my birthday
It's also Sunday and on Sunday's we get to know each other with some fun little questions.

1. Have you ever snooped around someone else's house?
Without self-incriminating too much, yes I have.

2. Can guys and girls be friends? ( thanks Jen!)
If neither one is in a committed relationship sure. If you have a partner in a committed relationship out or respect you should make sure they are ok with it. I personally would be very concerned if my husband were to have a female best friend, not that I believe he would be seeking anything, but the temptation would be there. The same would go for myself.

3. Can you curl your tongue?
Sure can.

4. Have you ever stolen anything?
Velamints, I was about 8 years old and stole them from the pharmacy. I hid them in my purple Jordache purse and then ate them while hiding in the clothing racks at the Dollar Store.

5. Would you rather talk on the phone or text?
Definitely text or e-mail. I don't care for the phone at all.

6. Memorial Day plans?
Right now nothing. My parents are here visiting and will be leaving on Monday. Maybe we should go to the community pool since it is going to be blazin' hot here on Monday.

7. What do you do to relax?
Watch TV and blog, really that's about it.

8. Do you do anything to honor those that have died fighting for our freedom?
No I can't say that I have ever done anything before. I would love to participate in something like Rolling Thunder one year.

Be sure to stop by Keely's and peep at everyone else's answers.

Oooops I Vlogged it Again!

2010-05-28T08:15:00.001-04:00

Ladies and Gents it's the official kick off of summer also known as Memorial Day weekend. What better way to celebrate than with the lovely inverted Mama M. (FYI that's a lame reference to her hair, she isn't actually upside down, at least I don't think.)

GOT TO LOVVVVEE youtube, what is with picking the worst frame EVAH!!

Yikes!! I lied the link is actually above the video.

Have a great weekend ya'll!

A regular Thursday evening in suburbia

2010-05-27T20:29:00.000-04:00

Had Ravioli and Sausage for dinner
Cleaned up the kitchen
Washed the dishes
Saw 25 S.W.A.T bust down the neighbors door across the street
Played a little ball with the kids
Ate some popcorn

You know the regular.

Wait, what..back-up S.W.A.T.

As I was cleaning up the kitchen and Jon was trimming fingernails I glanced out the back window to see 25+ S.W.A.T. officers in riot gear with rifles and guns blazing. For a split second I was really hoping we weren't going to witness some sort or mistaken house and have them knock on our door. They hurried across the street from us and spread out around the house. The officer knocked several times, no one answered so the busted the door right in off the hinges. We still don't know anything regarding what is going on but it made me nervous for our little quiet neighborhood. The most interaction we with any of our neighbors is exchanging pleasantries while we walk up the street or get in the car. I'm more inclined to keep it that way after tonight.

How has your Thursday evening been?

You Know!!

2010-05-26T21:18:00.001-04:00

Arizona Mamma is on vacay this week from her little hippity hop, but some other regular attendees have post up today so I though I would sneak my in right under the When-sDaze wire.

You know your a Mama when your oldest refuses to take a bath after witnessing his little sister relieving herself in the bathtub and you agree that a shower really is probably the better option.

You know you are a Mama when you successfully bath 2 children and shower one child at the same time.

You know you are a Mama when you can recite all the words to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Moose a Muffin and If You Give a Pig a Pancake by heart.

You have an agreement with your son that he can only bring one blanket and one animal downstairs for the day.

You know all the names to all the animals and blankets that sleep with your children.

Rather than fight you allow your child to sleep with a soccer ball, helium balloon or plastic bat from the dollar store.

The logistics of washing a stinky well loved lovey is comparable to an act of Congress or a game of Risk.

What is reminding you of your Momminess today?

A Tale of a Monkey

2010-05-26T12:17:00.014-04:00

You may have noticed this button popped up on my blog last week.

Do you see that sweet little baby face? Monkey is a 16 month old little girl who has been touched by cancer.

Let that settle in for a minute – 16 months old & cancer.

A month ago Michelle, Monkey's mama, discovered a lump. Things moved quickly the lump was removed but there were lasting effects Monkey has lost the use of her left arm.

Then on the 4th of May the words no Mama ever wants to hear—

ganglioneuroblastoma, a form of cancer

later corrected to Neuroblastoma

I don't know the differences between the cancers I just know that I cried for this little girl, her Momma, her sissys and her Daddy. There are too many things in this life that I don't understand. This precious little one is so close to the age of my girls when I see them I think of Monkey and I pray.

On May 13th Michelle wrote-

Monkey knows the doors of the doctors office and refuses to walk through them.

Monkey knows the nurses and doctors will blow bubbles and make silly faces to make her happy but she still screams when they touch her.

Monkey knows that nothing fun is coming out of us being at the hospital and holds my hand pulling me towards the door saying "c'mon".

Monkey knows at the end of the day when we are saying our goodbyes is the best part of the day and waves bye-bye and blows kisses.

Diva knows that momma is busy taking care of sissy and has become my little housekeeper helping out wherever she can.

Diva even offered to do the laundry yesterday and not being able to touch the buttons was going to stop her.

Feather internalizes everything and she worries.

Feather has left little notes all over the house that say "Monkey has cancer. Can you help her?"

Her words, the pain, it took my breathe away and I wept. Cancer hasn't just touched Monkey it has stolen the innocence of her sisters.

On the 18th a glimmer of good news the cancer was caught early, but the battle is not over. Monkey will be monitored for the next two years, she will continue to see too many doctors and hospitals. Life for their family has a new distorted normal that includes cancer something that they don't just deal with, but have to live with. Monkey also now has to have intensive physical therapy in hopes that one day she will use her arm again.

Please pray-

Pray for no more cancer for Monkey

Pray for restoration of Monkey's Arm

Pray for Feather and Diva

Pray for all three of these girls that cancer is not a memory to them as they grow older

Pray for Michelle that each bump, bruise or tumble doesn't cause her to panic

Pray for their marriage, that they would hold strong and steady

Just Pray.

You don't need to know them. I don't.

Please stop by Michelle's blog. Leave her a prayer or encouraging comment.

If you feel so inclined a pay pal account has been set up to tackle the mounting medical bills of the past month as well as the required physical therapy which is barely covered by insurance. Michelle has promised to pass these funds along to another family if they are not used. As an added benefit the blogging community has pulled together a raffle of donated items, those that donate receive entries in the drawings. For information on that please click on this link to Ian's site for all the details.

Click on monkey to donate...please help!

Monday Minute for Daffy (My first)

2010-05-24T21:47:00.000-04:00

The blog community is so vast and yet so small. I found Ian through a horrible blogging mishap and stuck around to find a man, yes that's right a man that blogs, with an amazing heart and love for people.

You can find Daffy by clicking on the button above. Daffy lost her older sister last week suddenly, please stop by and leave her a prayer of supportive word.

1.- Do you snort?
When I find something terribly funny the snort happens after I am doubled over in hysterics and right before I start to cry. Usually the snort causes additional fits of laughter and the tears.

2 - Our friend, has a nickname and it's Daffy. What's your nickname?
Mama, obviously. H-Dubs is a pretty popular one as well.

3 - Do you know sign language?
I know the signs for more and all done which I taught all of my kiddos.
Occasionally, I have also used the universal flip off sign.

4 - What's a sample convo from your hood?

At work:
Employee- Can you remind me how to ______? (insert stupid request)
Me- You mean the same thing I showed you the last 4 days in a row.

At home:
Dade- Mama I gotta poop, good times Mama, good times.
Me- Yeah good times buddy.

5 - Do you sleep with electronic devices - i.e. laptop, Blackberry, iPhone, etc?
Negative, the Droid is on the floor charging the only thing on the night stand is the baby monitor.

"This is my temporary Home

It's not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through.
This was just another stop,on the way to where I'm going.
I'm not afraid because I know... this was
My temporary home."

Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood

I Wonder..

2010-05-24T14:44:00.000-04:00

· Am I making a difference?

· What will my children say about me when they are my age?

· How does one shoe make it into the middle of traffic on a busy highway?

· Does my husband understand I really need him?

· If I wasn't here anymore who would fill my shoes?

· When something smells dreadful why do I smell it several times to confirm?

· Why does the radio station play the same songs every.single.day?

· Will I ever "get" Twitter?

· Will we take a vacation this year?

· Will I ever feel like I have arrived as an adult?

What are you wondering today?

What, I'm a Mama?

2010-05-19T00:30:00.000-04:00

It's Wednesday peeps and I've been such a slack on this blog, please don't put me in time-out.

This past Saturday was particularly wonderful weather though a little breezy. I was feeling spunky and the need to get out of the house. I thought it would be a nice treat to take a walk to the playground. So I lotioned up the kids and got them organized outside. We loaded up in the beast and headed out, which also happens to be up a hill. (It kind of looked like this) -->

We made it to the park with much chatter, singing and eagle watching. After everyone got un-strapped they were off. The girls were sticking with the small slide and having a great time minus the occasional tumble into the mulch. We then took a try on the swings, which Brennan completely hated. We headed back to the slides only this time the girls were feelin' sassy, very sassy, like give your mama heart attack sassy. Brennan didn't stop at the little slide, she ventured up the next set of stairs to the big momma-jomma slide. I finished helping Coralee down the little slide then ran to the large opening the Brennan was near and prayed she didn't think it would be cute to fall the three stories to me. I was safe, she instead decided to go down the longest, highest, fastest slide at the park. I felt my heart lodge in my throat. As the girls headed up the steps to the play equipment again I tried to coerce them to the baby slide, but they weren't having it. Brennan was up the next set of steps with Coralee hot on her heels. Coralee headed down the slide followed quickly by Brennan. She was going to fast her body flipped up out of the slide, thankfully it was near where I was standing and I was able to keep her on the slide. I was convinced I was going to pass out or have to call 911 for one of my kids. As they tried once again to climb to the higher slide I wrestled my children off the playground and bribed them with Fruit Snacks. The crying, wailing, and gnashing of teeth subsided rather quickly as they shoveled gummy treats into their mouths, but it was the whole walk home before my nerves were able to calm a little.

Dade asked to pick a flower for me on the way home. It was the most beautiful dandelion ever.

The moral of the story is, you might be a Mama if on a beautiful Saturday morning you think you will have a fun uneventful trip to the park. Reminder to self, lose the word uneventful from your vocabulary.

Please be sure to visit my friend Arizona Mamma to see what is reminding her that she is a Mamma today and be sure to check out the other parents that link up.

Happy Birthday Uncle Buddy!!

2010-05-17T08:00:00.001-04:00

Today is my brother's birthday and Dade has a little message for him.

Love to my little (much taller) brother.

Sunday Funday.

2010-05-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

Lately I have been quite the meme- (just for you Keely ;o) a-holic. I hope to soon have some posts with more than just random factoids about me, but for today it's getting to know me.

1. The most expensive thing hanging in my closet is.....?
In the closet where we keep all our clothes it would be my husband's suit. If we are talking any closet to include a storage closet it would be my wedding dress, which actually it's even really hanging.

Final answer the suit.

2. Have you ever played a team sport?
I played rec softball in 4th and 5th grade or maybe it was 3rd and 4th grade. Either way I sucked. I played catcher because it really required the least amount of skill and the extra gear was punishment (I think) for sucking so bad. I only ever hit the ball once in my entire {ahem} career and it went foul. Yeah real nice. Wait though it gets better the girls on every other team we played would say "easy out" when I walked to the plate. I mean I already sucked why did we need to remind everyone.

3. If you were a bug, what kind would you be?
First thought, ladybug, they are very pretty and fashionable but oh so swarmingly annoying. So second thought I'd be a something with a stinger that way if I was gonna die I could cause someone a little sting in the bum first.

4. Where on your body is the worst place to get sunburned?
It's a tie between the tatas and the arse. If you are on vacation you can play off the bum because there won't be much sitting but if your burn came from a tanning bed and you are at work. Yee-ouchy, not that I know or anything.

5. Are you happy?
If you wrap my whole life up in a package, yes I am ultimately happy and satisfied where it's been, where I am and where I appear to be going. It's when you get to the details that the displeasure comes out with certain aspects.

6. People are always abbreviating..are there any abbreviations that make your skin crawl when people use them?
IMO, IMHO the second one especially I'M HO now there is something you want to brag about. I've never seen an instance where this statement was used and it wasn't blatantly someones opinion only.

7. Do you love where you live..or could you live anywhere?
Love it no. I live in a run of the mill neighborhood with cookie cutter houses.
I would love to live in a home more customized to our needs, not necessarily bigger, but laid out different on some land with no viewable neighbors. Though I do desperately miss old, much larger house, but not the area where that home is located.

8. What, if any, extreme measures do you go to to keep yourself from overeating when you're full?
I got nothing. Lately I've been eating less because I still do not have an acquired taste for cold food and just as my plate is ready a kid needs something. Then someone else is done and by the time I sit back down my food is cold. My bigger problem is snacking, anyone have a suggestion to combat snacking?

So now you know me a little better. Don't forget to check out Keely and the others that linked up.

Toodles!!

It's Friday and I'm at Home.

2010-05-14T08:30:00.002-04:00

**Edited at 10:51am to include reality in my fantastic delusions from last night

It's about 10:48 on Thursday night, give or take a few seconds, I have a lemon pound cake baking in the oven. It was not done until 11:45, I was thoroughly exhausted by the time I made it to bed. I'm putting together my Five Question Friday tonight because tomorrow I have every intention of being out somewhere doing something with my babies. No, I'm at home. Barely awake and functioning. After falling in bed around 12am I was wakened just 2 and 1/2 hours later to screaming and spent the next 3 hours in various states of awake and asleep with teething 18 month olds. GOOD TIMES!! The kids however are raring to go, their voices at a pitch only one decibel below that sound that only a dog can hear and all three of them want to be carpenters this morning. If I could I would prop my lids open with toothpicks. My coffee is not working, you ask why, well because I chose this week to switch to half-caff in hopes of breaking my addiction. Again, GOOD TIMES!!

That's right people, I HAVE THE DAY OFF! WOOT! WOOT! Still happy to be with my kids, but AM SO ready for nap time.

Five Question Friday how I missed you so. I know it was only one week, but it feels like it's been oh so much longer. Pssst, I was hoping to be able to vlog this (it's addicting) but my niece is staying over and she crashed out on the couch. Not really looking for an audience to laugh at me.

1. Take your pick...date night, girls night out, or night out alone?
Date night for sure. With the littles and sparse access to weekend babysitting I would love some one on one time with my husband.

2. Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
No, people can do that? I better see some pictures, I just don't believe it.

3. What is your favorite flower and why?

(source)

I don't know why they are my favorite flower. I love the way they smell and think they are beautiful.

4. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?
Don't eat the food if you aren't hungry.
Middle school really won't matter in the whole scheme of things.
Be true to yourself and really truly don't care what others think of you. Their opinion will mean so much less as you age.
Finally, for the love of all things holy. Save your money. You do not need every.single.copy of Bop, Teen Beat, Tiger Beat and every other cotton picking magazine with a picture of the New Kids on the Block in it. Really get a grip! you are never going to meet them and spackling those pin holes in your bedroom will suck.

5. If you won the lottery, what is the very first thing you would do?
Take a seat 'cuz this one is gonna wow you...

Are

You

Ready?

Take the day off work to find a lawyer and a financial planner. I would not quit work until the Lotto Authority verified ~~50 million times~~ that we had truly won. I know that is a shocking answer, I'm just so stinkin' practical.

There you have it. I'm probably off looking at paint colors or something as you read this on Friday. Right now my cake isn't quite done yet and now I'm super-di-duper tired.

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? I do. Since our nieces are with us for the weekend we asked them if they would mind watching the kiddos while we went on a date. This got the kibosh, too. My niece got called into work on Saturday night. Not so, Yipppee!! any more.

Happy Friday Ya'll!!

An Ode to Jeff Foxworthy

2010-05-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Arizona Mamma created this little hippity hop and I participate.
It's easy peasy lemon squeezey.

So in Jeff Foxworthy fashion I present:

"You might be a Mama."

If you have perfectly good furniture that you never sit on and have all the cushions pulled down to ensure that your small children don't run, jump or stand on. You might be a Mama.

If you scoop together corn kernels with graham crackers crumbs from the high chair tray and continue to feed your children. You might be a Mama.

If you have turned on the Disney Channel for "just a minute" to collect your ~~marbles~~ thoughts. You might be a Mama.

If leaving the house means you are the last one to put your shoes and jacket on while everyone else stands at the back store and screams (not the hubs). You might be a Mama.

Now it's your turn---- If ____________________. You might be a Mama.

Oh! and please be sure to check out Arizona Mamma's site for the other link ups.

Toodles!

My Frayed Rope

2010-05-11T21:41:00.001-04:00

Hi There! {waving frantically}

Remember Me? Yes, it's been 4 days since my last post.

Life has been chaotic to say the least work is stressful. Past the point of stress that I have dealt with before, but there is no down time. I go from dealing with whiny people at work, to frantically making dinner in hopes of ebbing my whiny children. Leaving no time to catch my breath.

I feel like everything in life right now requires me to look, touch, remember, sign, clean, make right, fix, finish, or just generally be exhausted by. I know it's only for a season, but right now I'm in the thick of it and I'm whooped.

I've even been too tired for my cathartic relief of blogging. That makes me sad, but it was it is these days.

On another note I have again jumped on the bandwagon and Intense Debate is gone.

Not Today..

2010-05-06T10:03:00.001-04:00

I'm back for another round of Mother's Day Mania with Mama M. Today we are sharing birth stories, I am going to stick even further with Mama M.'s theme and tell you the story of the boy that made me a Mama.

Without further ado the story of Dade.

On the 9th of August I was scheduled to be induced. The reason for the induction was the measurements of the "wee" one that was growing in my womb. At my 20 week ultrasound our firstborn was measuring 22 weeks, since I was without a doubt sure of my last cycle my doctor scheduled another ultrasound at 35 weeks to check growth. At the second ultrasound our bambino was measuring at 38 weeks.

At 4 something in the morning the Hubs and I woke to begin our journey to the hospital. We turned off our cell phones listened to music and talked about how the day; how we thought it might go and how much our lives were going to change. We arrived at the hospital promptly at 7:30 to be greeted with, "Why are you here? Didn't you get the message? We don't have any beds." You see the night before had been a full moon and while I'm told it's just an old wives tale that such an event can bring on labor, I saw said tale in action. We were told to drive around, eat the lightest of breakfast and come back around 10am. No dice, nothing, time to go home. Not before we had to walk the length of the hospital twice over and take 7 or so elevators rides to get to my doctor's office for a "check" to see if I would need to come back that night for Cervidil. No worries I was "ripe" and could go home to re-try in the morning.

August 10, 2006, It's Labor Day

We get to the hospital again bright and early in the morning, are escorted to admissions to get the party started. Around 8am I am settled in my room getting my IV full of Pitocin. At 8:30 the doctor breaks my water. During the meeting with our nurse she asks why I was being induced. I explain to her that they believe the baby is large for gestational age. As she feels of my abdomen she says she guesses our little man will be about 8 and ½ pounds.

At first I don't really feel anything. Thinking this labor business is pretty easy breezy, then I feel the call of nature. I tell my nurse and she says she will get a bed pain. I beg and plead to let me use the potty. She obliges and good googity moogity it was on. The action of pottying made some things happen. Around 11:30am the pain was too much to bear and I was beyond tired. The anesthesiologist talked and talked for what felt like forever then finally some pain relief and I pee'd on my self. Right after receiving the epidural my parents and in-laws showed up. My nurse told them to leave, that I needed to rest and rest we did. I didn't really sleep given that I was on my back and excited to meet my baby, but I did doze in and out.

Around 4:30 no less that 8 people rushed in my room. Someone threw scrubs at my husband. Two nurse flipped my entire body back and forth. As my bed was raising I felt cold cold cold medicine enter my back. My doctor came in looked me in the eye and said, "The baby's heart rate has dropped. It's very low and we are going to do a c-section right now." After she finished this statement she pushed my son the wrong way down the one way street. Let me tell you, pain meds or not that hurt. At some point in the commotion I heard 60 beats per minute and I started to cry.

There were feeling of sickness and nausea as my body was filled with medicine, then finally at 5:24 pm our sweet boy was born. Weighing in at a whopping 9lbs. 8ozs. The reason for his heart rate deceleration, the cord was draped across his shoulder and with each contraction his blood flow was being restricted.

See that melon, 37 cms in diameter, there is a pretty good chance that even without the cord issue he would not have made it through the 10cm entrance way.

First family photo, super tired Mama, very Proud Papa.

Dade Juan

August 10, 2006

5:24pm

9lbs. 8ozs.

21 inches

Whoopsie Daisy..

2010-05-05T16:38:00.000-04:00

Mama M. Of 5QF fame is at it again. Back in February she hosted the Valentine's Extravaganza where I wrote posts laden with more information than any of you really wanted to know about me and the hubs. This is month is Mother's Day ~~and my 33rd birthday on the 30th~~ so we are celebrating with blog hoppin' Mania.

Today's theme is Whoopsie Wednesday, if you want to check out the themes for the rest of the week click here.

Being honest here, 'cause that's what I do, when I first read today's theme I thought there would be no way that I could contribute. I am the closest to perfect Mama that ever walked the planet.

{Whoa! that lightening nearly hit me.}

Ok, so the truth is I block moments of failure from my mind, it's easier to live with a false sense of perfection. So I traveled to the recesses of my mind ~~asked my husband~~ and was able to recall a whoopsie or two ~~thousand.~~

I could tell you about the that time when Dade was a baby sitting in his car seat unstrapped on the kitchen table and flipped himself over onto the floor. Or there was the time I forgot to put the baby gate up at the top of the steps and didn't realize Dade could open the bedroom door until had fallen face first halfway down the hardwood steps when I heard his crying.
How about the time I put the twins in their bouncy chairs, not strapped in because they were to little to move, went to prepare their bottles and came back to find Coralee folded in half between the chair and the sofa. Then there was the time that I confused the girls one night before bed, they slept in the wrong crib and I called them by the wrong names until I was getting them dressed after breakfast and saw Brennan's birthmark. Maybe, I should choose the fun time that occurred just a few weeks ago while bathing the kids Brennan was standing in the tub. I told her to sit down and turned my attention to rinsing Dade's hair. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her feet, time slowed down, I attempted to use my leg to break her fall to no avail and she ended up smacking face first on the tile floor missing the gigantic rug that covers nearly the entire area.

Say it with me, "WHOOOPPPPSSSAAAYYY!!!"

Do you have a Whoopsie moment or two? Do share and link up? Make the rest of us feel normal. Let's commiserate.

You Know your a Mama When-sDaze

2010-05-05T00:04:00.002-04:00

I'm a Mama, here's how I know--

You have the ability to hold your bladder and bowels until everyone has been wiped/changed/fed/bathed/occupied. Then suddenly your body senses everyone is taken care of no amount of kegeling or clenching will hold back the call of nature. (Really, never happened to you?)

You have learned to enjoy warm meals cold and cold meals warm. (I now am well aware why my mom was always the last one to get up from the table)

Where you were once offended by puke, poop, pee, boogers and snot you now pull out all the stops.

When you hear the tell tale sounds of regurgitation you offer up your hands cupped in hopes of saving the carpet, even as the vomit projectiles and over flows your feeble "basket" you keep them there because by gummit you are going to keep at least two peas off the floor. (Come On! Whose with me; are you a vomit catcher?)

While changing a diaper you have, with the quickness, barehanded a rabbit pellet back into a diaper. (I mean not that I have bare handed poo. Wait this isn't Not Me!)

You have been pee'd on, by others, more than you can even count. (I don't even shudder anymore.)

Unbeknownst to you, it's is perfectly socially acceptable to pick other's noses the only caveat is they likely at one point in their life resided in your womb, puked, pee'd and/or pooped on you. (Pick away people, get those nasties)

At the sound of nasal blockage the nasal aspirator becomes your new best friend (Anyone else have a hip holster for yours?) and your child's worst enemy (What's with the extra arms and legs when the little blue guy shows up?)

Be sure to check out what is reminding Arizona Mamma that she is a Mamma today, and be sure to check the other links ups too.

Happy Wednesday!!

Randomness - Post-It Style

2010-05-04T10:11:00.000-04:00

Dun Dun DUNNNN!!! (5QF)

2010-04-30T09:38:00.001-04:00

I vlogged. I got called on the carpet last week by one Mama M. (you can read that here) for not vlogging my 5QF. This week I rose to the challenge ~~nearly passed out~~, fiddle with the lighting(to the point of making my husband cranky),figured out all this technology mumbo jumbo, and vlogged(in one take, for realz).

Yes! I did.. Without further ado.. Me in recorded color.

THANK YOU, YOU TUBE FOR STOPPING THERE!!! LOVELY, JUST LOVELY...

So there you have it kids, me. It wasn't too awful was it?

Don't forget to check out Mama M.'s answers and the others that linked up. If you have a blog go ahead and type up a post and join the fun.

It's going to be fabulous weather here this weekend, I can't wait to get the kiddies outside.

Happy Friday Ya'll!

"A Breathe of Fresh Air."

2010-04-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

Have you seen this commercial?

I know Febreze is just trying to sell a product, but the first time I saw this commercial I literally let out a guffaw and proceeded to choke on my Cherry Coke. Not at the giant fish no, no at the rest of the environment of the commercial.

Let me describe how this commercial would really play out in my house.

I'm in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes from dinner. The hubs is on the kitchen floor cleaning up the never ending mess left by the two littles. In the front of the house three barely dressed children are running around, squealing, maybe throwing things.The TV is on. The kitchen counters are cluttered with dirty dishes. The floors on the entire main level are smattered with toys. As I continue with the dishes my super sniffer detects something.

Me- "Do you smell something?"
Hubs- "No." (Maybe he smells it, maybe he doesn't, but he knows he doesn't want to investigate)
Me- "Can you check?"
Hubs- "Huh?" (The noise level is at about 8 million decibels)
Me- "Can you please check the girls for poop?" (Sounding a little irritated because it's noisy and I had to raise my voice)
Hubs- "GAH! You don't have to yell."
Me- "Apparently, I do." (Because I still haven't learned you don't need to have the last word, it's a first born trait.)
Dade- "MAMA!, MAMA! the babies not poopy."
Me- "Ok, buddy."
Dade- "Can Papa play ball with me?"
Me- "No bud not right now. We need to clean up."
Me- "JON! What is that smell?"
The hubs re-enters the kitchen with little shadows who seem to think the dishwasher needs to be "fixed".
Me- "Coralee, Brennan, NO!" "Jon can you get them?"
Jon- opening the trash can, "Do you want me to get them or find the smell?" (Maybe with a little bit of snip in his voice) "OH Gah, it's the trash can."
I have now stopped washing the dishes to usher my children back out of the kitchen.
Me- "Please for the love of all that is holy take it outside."
Jon- "Huh?" (again with the 8 million decibels)
Me- "Take out the trash PLEASE!" (irritated again)
Jon- "I am, stop YELLING!"
Me- "I'm not YELLING!"

Fast Forward to after bed-time craziness and the parents are sitting at their respective computers, toys still all over the floor, TV on....
Fade to Black
"Febreze, A Breathe of Fresh Air"

What do you think could we sell the product?

Did you ever pay attention to what the family is actually doing in the commercial or the tidiness of the house? Is there a commercial that cracks you up by the way the environment is represented not necessarily the product?

You Know Your a Mama When-sDaze Week 3

2010-04-28T07:00:00.002-04:00

It's Wednesday and that means we all need a little reminder of what makes us Mamas (or Daddys or Papas, in our family) My friend Arizona Mamma has this great blog hop where we can all share something that reminds us of being a parent.

Some things you might hear me saying around our house that would only be uddered from the lips of a mama

-Yes that is your nose, NO please don't pick it
-NO don't pick my nose either.

-Who pooped?

-I need to wipe your butt more because it's dirty.

-No, I don't want you to touch your butthole.

-No, I REALLY don't want you to touch my butthole.

-That is a nice large poop

-Please stop hitting/pushing/biting, your sister/brother
-Please stop running/screaming/banging

-Yes I know you love her but you don't need to squeeze her that hard

-Take a bite. Take a BITE. Not that big. Ugh, spit it out

-Chew, chew, chew, no don't gag, chew.
-That's right if you can't listen to Mama you will lose your privledges.
-Ok, everyone off the sofa. If we can't sit on our hineys no one is on the furniture.

-No, don't bite my finger
-No, I love you more. ;o)

So what's reminding you today that you are a parent? Be sure to hop on over to Arizona Mamma's to see what she wrote and all the other Mamas that linked up.

I'm off my game

2010-04-27T23:17:00.002-04:00

I may have mentioned a time or two ~~500~~ before that I don't go to the grocery store. Instead I shop from the confines of my home on my laptop and let the lovely ladies at Harris Teeter (Emma and Rebekah if you care) shop from the list I meticulously enter in on Sunday night. Then on Monday evening after work I swing through the drive-thru to pick up my groceries saving oodles of time and money. It's a splendid relationship, when I'm on my game.

This post full of nonsensical stuff on post-its is brought to you by the one and only Supah Mommy. Click on that there little button below to check out her post and all the others that linked up today. Oh and any ideas what I should do with all these tomatoes?

Ugh, What a Weekend (GTKY)

2010-04-25T23:10:00.000-04:00

Once again this week I asked Keely for the GTKY questions early hoping that I would get my post typed up on Saturday after our church picnic, but I went to bed. Then I was going to type it up after the kids went to bed, but instead I went to bed too.

Today the opportunity didn't present itself until now. So Let's get to know each other...

1. If you could star in any movie genre..what would it be..romance..horror..comedy..suspense or action?
Definitely a comedy. I love to laugh and find the humor in life

2. Do you recycle?
Yes, plastic, papers and metals that are accepted by our sanitation handler. I have a passion to do more. I really, really want to compost. What stands in my way? Home Owner's Association, here in VA they rule. I despise this.

3. Have you ever been to a strip club?
No, and I have zero interest to ever enter one.

4. Do you have a nickname?
Mama- to my babies
Sweetie- to my hubs (He only calls me Heidi if he is ticked or needs to get my attention)
Heid (Hide)- to many
H-Dub, Mrs. Dubs- at work
He-Dee- to my cous Bevy

5. What's a name you can't stand to be called?
Ma'am {sigh} I not old. I still have pimples.
Pretty much anytime that someone tries to say our last name. It ALWAYS get butchered
6. What are your Summer staples?
Capris and flippy-flops

7. What was the last thing you bought for yourself?
Uhhhhh, ummmmm... Oh! I know fudge covered graham crackers. Not what you meant? How 'bout the dress and shoes I bought to go to the wedding in March. Yeah that was probably the last thing.
8. Are you happy with your boob size?
Yes, I'm A-O-K-A-Y with my tatas.

So know you know me a little better. How's bout you?

Keely sorry I was so late linking up. I'll do better next time.

It's Friday...

2010-04-23T09:00:00.002-04:00

My Mama and Daddy are coming for a visit this weekend, Dade is getting a big wheel from them, We have our church picnic this weekend and I'm making P. Dub-ya's (Pioneer Woman for those living under a rock) Tomato Soup Cake, because it sounds so durned intriguing and I love shocking the socks off people.

Oh, Yeah and it's time for FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY!!!!(think Tina Fey doing Oprah's voice, that's how I heard it in my head) with Mama M.

1. What was the first car you owned?
1980something, two tone Plymouth Sundance

It looked just like that only its was ~~taupe~~ ~~tan~~ brown on the bottom. I worked so hard to save up and pay for half of a car. My dad and I went to the used car lot and I fell in love. We drove it, it ran great. That didn't last for too long the air conditioner stopped working about 2 ~~minutes~~ weeks after we brought it home, then the tape player (yeah that's right) then the whole radio and there may have been some shimming and shaking while driving. All-in-all a pretty good first car.
Photo Credit

2. What song are you embarrassed to know the lyrics to?
Ok, maybe not so much embarrassed because I think it's a good quality for a mama. I can sing pretty much every single song that comes on Disney morning shows.
Including-- Ooo Ooo Ahh Ahh Buh-bye, Ooo Ooo, Ahh, Ahh Buh-bye.

The embarrassing part is when I bust our in song when the show is not on or worse while out shopping{GASP!} without the kids. {DOUBLE GASP!}

Ok, now that I'm all blushed up, moving on...

3. Have you ever had stitches?
Yes.

When I was 16 I had an ovary removed
When I was 21 I had cysts removed from my ovary
When I was 29 I had a kid removed
When I was 31 I had two kids removed

4. What was your first job?
I started baby-sitting when i was twelve. I look at 12 year olds now and wonder "What in the heck were those parents that trusted me thinking?".

My first real job the IRS knew about; as in I got a paycheck, paid taxes and received a W-2 was when i was 16. I worked for the local video store. Nope not Blockbuster. I grew up in a small town with three traffic lights and a Main St., four after the "big" shopping center was build. The video store was called Network Video and it had an adult movie room. EWWWW! Just to think of that now gives me the he-be-jeebees. You had to be 18 to enter the room, but I was 16 and working there, usually by myself. That is so crazy to me now... Yeah, so, there you have it my first job was at a Video store.

5. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
"Me want cookie!", "Me eat cookie!", "Om Nom nom nom"
A ~~man~~ blue fuzzy guy with googly eyes after my own heart. I mean what is more important than the C-O-O-K-I-E!! Learning schmearning on Sesame Street. Bring on the baked goods!!
Image Credit

So there you have it. My 5. Don't forget to pop over to Mama M.'s and peep at her answers. If you choose to participate please remember to link up.

This weekend will be a little busy for us, hope ya'll have a blast. What are you up to this weekend?

You Know Your a Mama When-sDAZE Week 2

2010-04-21T09:45:00.006-04:00

In my eyes last week was a smashing success I sure hope my girl Arizona Mamma felt the same.

So I'm back this week for a second installment of You Know Your a Mama When-sDaze.

You are so proud that your 3 ½ year old picks out his own clothes and dresses himself and its one less ~~cotton-picking~~ thing on your plate in the morning, that you squash your inner fashionista and let him wear:

Purple Track Pants,

Cream colored shirt with hunter green cap sleeves and a Beaver on the front of it in brown and orange, and

Socks that are covered in various colorful sports balls

OR

A blue and kelly green striped sweatshirt
Maroon Sweatpants
On a 75 degree day

These are just two of the many clothing choices my son has made in the past week.

Clean up on Aisle 5!!

2010-04-20T10:26:00.000-04:00

I kind of eluded to the purpose of this post on Sunday in my Getting to Know You post. It's all about the plans for my blog or lack there of...

Several weeks ago I participated in Friday Follow. Friday Follow introduced me to many wonderful new blogs that I follow and helped that little follower number over there on the right climb to 140+, but I have some ~~buyer's~~ participant's remorse. I never realized how many giveaway/review blogs there are out there. When I initially participated I thought that number over there was somehow associated to my blog's fame and more importantly to my self-worth. For the longest time I thought I wanted more from my blog.
I thought maybe just maybe this blog could be bigger. Nevermind the fact that I'm just an ordinary overweight middle America woman, it could happen to me. I could add advertisements, and wow the masses with my wit and storytelling. Then I got to thinking about the women that do that for a living and evaluated what they deal with. Many "famous" bloggers have turned off their comments so there is no interaction with their readers ever, some now travel and have to (choose to) leave their families/children for extended periods of time, all of them appear to be under a microscope. Let them not say one thing then change their mind, make a mistake, or pick their butt the wrong way someone will surely write about it somewhere.
That's when I had my epiphany, this blog is for me. My objective to blogging is not to enter every and any giveaway ever offered. I do occasionally participate on the giveaways where I already read regularly. While I will always long for more comments the truth is that I have come to enjoy the friendships that I have forged in Blogland.

Like---

Kate and knowing that her fur baby just graduated from obedience school. GO WILLOW!!
Arizona Mamma just won an on-line photo contest and is facing a difficult decision about selling her horses
Adriane may or may not be teaching her 18 month old twin girls to curse like sailors or they don't say shirt so well
Mama M. is apparently an inappropriate giggler and frequently chatter about having a baby, like the pushing part.
Megan just finished the busiest part of her working year and is now enjoying ball games with her boys.
Keely is currently schlepping her babies back and forth across town because she is a good mama and doesn't want to change her kids school near the end of the year.
Brianne (aka The Photog Nazi) has a love for punctuation, making up her own awards, and snapping photos of her babies
Courtney who apparently takes her children to casinos and all around the town.

There are many more blogs that I read regularly so please please please don't be upset if you aren't on the list it does not mean I have stopped reading your blog.

So while many others lament over the loss of a follower, I say if you don't read here (though I guess it's not likely that you are reading this) un-follow or unsubscribe. I promise I'll be ok, I'll put on my big girl panties, and I'll get over it. Oh! wait I only have big girl panties. BAAAAhAHAHAAHA...

I will also be overhauling my blog roll to include the blogs I truly read and invest my time in. I will not un-follow anyone knowing that it can cause such upset feelings and my objective is not to upset anyone. Finally I have hosted my one and only giveaway here. I doubt there will be anymore but, if an amazing opportunity presents itself I hope to not having becoming a follower as an entry. (Uh-oh I think I just picked my butt wrong with those two sentences)

Why do you blog?

Getting to Know you, 'cuz that's how I roll.

2010-04-18T07:00:00.001-04:00

I've got the inside track. I had these questions last night to get my post all ready to go live. You say, "Do Wha? Why do you get the questions early?" Pssstt.. I'll let you in on my secret, just ask Keely really nice like and she might send them to you too.

It's that time ya'll and we got some crazy ones this week.

1. Mens chests..hairy or hairless?
I would prefer hairless or just a few hairs but if you are sportin' a blanket {shudder} no gracias.

2. How often do you run red lights?
Not very frequently. I have a great three year old back seat driver that keeps me very informed of the colors he sees and what they mean for me as the driver. Including demanding that I go regardless of the cars in front of me; after all the light IS GREEN.
There was this one time though, when I was sitting in first position at a red light when the turn arrows turned green I took off. Thankfully as I blew through the 4 lane intersection the people turning the other way only blared there horns at me, but it could have been very bad. When I realized what I had down I past the point of no return to back up and pretty shaken, I mean what the heck was I thinking??

3. If you could raid any celebrity's closet..who's would you raid?
Uh-yeah again with a celebrity question. Hmmph, I don't really follow celebrities, so yeah I got nothing.

4. Would you rather have more followers/friends on Facebook, Twitter, or your Blog?
Truthfully, none. I would rather have followers that become friends. People that know me and that I know. I really need to get better at forging these friendships, but there are a handful of ladies whose blogs I read that I consider friends. I care about them, their kids, and their families regardless of the miles that separate us.

5. What makes you feel sexy?
Compliments from my husband, the ones that aren't prompted but just because. When I walk into a room and I can see the shine in his eyes before he even says, "You look really beautiful today." That's sexy, for sure.

6. I get excited when...........?
My kids do something new, it's quittin' time, I have a day off, I get to go out on a date, holidays, my birthday {ahem, ~~May 30th, in case you are keeping track~~} just to name a few

7. Are you the "outdoorsy" type or more "indoorsy"?
Indoorsy, I don't do extreme temperatures, pollen, bugs, grass on my bare feet, heat, sweating, frigid air, camping, outdoor bathrooms....and the list goes on and on

8. Would you rather have your dream home or a million dollars?
Still want the money. I'd rather be paid off, free and clear. If nothing else I'm consistent, last week I passed up my dream vacation.

Look at me!! Last week I was late due to my own poor planning and this week scheduled baby, WOOT! WOOT!. Now if I can just be the first link-up. It's a new challenge. Hopefully my kids don't want breakfast or something.

Now don't forget to go check out Keely and all the others that linked up today.

A whole new world..

2010-04-17T09:14:00.000-04:00

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
Now I'm in a whole new world with you

You heard that right a three word sentence. I'm in trouble. Trouble I tell you.

Friday 5QF style, Like No DUH!!

2010-04-16T09:20:00.001-04:00

Mama M. posted the question as per the norm on Thursday night in hopes that us die hards ~~overly obsessed~~ ~~overly prepared~~ can have our answers ~~vlogged~~ ready first thing in the morning. Yeah! you read that right I DID NOT vlog again this week. Maybe everyone will give up on me. {wink, wink}Mama M. to answer your question heck-to-the-yeah I am happy it's the weekend, even if it is suppose to rain.

One of the questions is my suggestion, and I think it is the easiest one to answers the question this week are doozies for sure.

1. What words do you use on your blog/online that you don't use in real life?

None, I actually use more words in real life that I just don't feel translate well when typed out. The lose of voice inflection and facial features leave alot to be desired when reading the typed word. For example when I say giggidty or ZINGA!! they could be translated all kinds of wrong. It appears this entire answer is now all the more reason to vlog. So that I can give you the famous stink eye as my husband and co-workers lovingly refer to it.

2. Do you still write checks?
I wouldn't if it weren't for this blasted house we are trying to sell and we have to keep the utilities on so I do write checks for that. Hopefully, the house will be sold and papers signed at the end of the month. Even then I will still write checks for my church tithe, but I use web bill pay for everything else.

3. Who was your favorite President and why?
Ummm.....

{crickets chirping}

It's bad to admit that I don't have a strong tie to any president. I kinda sucked in schools, not grades perse, but retention surely was not there.

If push came to shove I suppose I would say Ronald Reagan and his speech when the Berlin Wall came down. Oh! while were on it's JFK's Inaugural Speech is pretty awesome, it gives me goose bums to hear and to read it and see that he quoted the Scripture {gasp}. I wonder what has happened to our country. Finally, good ole G-Dub yes I'll admit he wasn't the most polished but I liked that he seemed strong and sensitive in the face of adversity. Like the kind of guy you could have over for dinner and he would enjoy burgers and dogs from the grill.

4. Are you a yeller?
Unfortunately, I do have moments of weakness when the straw breaks in the camel's back and my voice raises. Usually in circumstances of great disobedience with my children or when someone continues to not listen to me and I feel what I need to say is very important ~~which is all the time~~.

5. Have you ever dumpster dived?
Taken something out of a trash can or picked up items that have been set out for pick-up, yes. Actually IN the dumpster looking for buried treasure, no. I've seen shows where that type of thing can be very profitable and rewarding if you can get past being ~~knee~~ ~~waist~~ neck deep in garbage, which I can not.
And if Mama M. answers yes to this question I will fall out of my chair, she can't buy consigned clothes so I doubt she can dumpster dive.

K, peeps it's Friday. What are your weekend plans? Have you ever been in a dumpster? Please be sure to check out Mama M.'s answers and the other chicas who have linked up.

Happy Friday ya'll!!

Top 3 Thursday- Eye Candy

2010-04-15T16:55:00.001-04:00

I've seen this little blog hop co-hosted by Elizabeth at Confessions From a Working Mom and Tamara at The (Un)Experienced Mom and today I'm joining in.

Who are your Top 3 "guilty" celebrity crushes?

#3- Well I guess he isn't truly a celebrity. I might have mentioned a few ~~hundred~~ times how addicted we are to reality TV. This man has been on Survivor once or twice ~~not enough~~ and though he isn't truly a celebrity and doesn't have millions, my oh my oh my..mmmHHHMMMMM.

#2- Don't really like his movies and I don't think he is a terribly good actor but I'll admit I have watched Fast and Furious just because it was on a few too many times. And his voice, WOWZA!!

#1- This one is a bit of a throw back, he sang about "Good Vibrations" and modeled for Calvin Klein.

"Can I be a part of your Funky Bunch?"

Click on the Top 3 button above and find out what the other ladies that linked up have to say. Do you have and celebrity crushes?

**Edited to include this guy, he might not that look that tasty to the eyes but he can make one mean fudge covered graham cracker and I AM IN LOVE!!!

I love you E.L. Fudge (4-EVER)

You know your a Mama When-sDaze

2010-04-14T09:43:00.001-04:00

Today is the inaugural kick-off of a new blog hop hosted by my BBB (Best Bloggin' Bud) Arizona Mamma.

In her words-

As parents, we constantly find ourselves saying things that we just can't quite believe came out of our mouths, or misting up over a few scribbles on a page, or finding ourselves in situations that could only be the result of having offspring. So today I present "You know you're a mom (or dad) When-sDAZE." The possibilities of this are really endless...the creativity is all yours. That is part of what I think will be so fun with this...the posts will all still be unique. In order to play along, all you have to do is either post a picture of something crazy, wonderful, endearing, or just plain cute, that your kids have done...explaining how it made you feel or the story behind it. Or, write a little post fashioned after "You might be a redneck if...," but of course it is "You know you're a mom when..."

You know you are a mama when your seventeen month old screams out in the middle of the night; even after weeks of illness and poor sleep you seemingly hop out of bed to cuddle and snuggle her, instead of tagging in your husband. You bring her back to your bed and hold her till she calms down while you rub her back and stroke her hair. When she begins to babble and talk you speak to her in a sweet voice and encourage to go back to sleep, even though in your head you are questioning your relationship to this child since she seems to not want to sleep at night. (Because hey we all think crazy thoughts when interrupted from a good nights sleep) When she holds out her arms for you to hold her you let her lay across your body even though you are now limited to short quick breaths. Finally, when she chooses to lie back on the bed you quietly sing “Jesus Loves Me” when she whimpers at the end you sing again. Feeling at your wits end you decide to demonstrate sleeping to her and turn your head away but are still awake. After you hear her breathing change into long deep breaths; you roll back over and lay awake staring at the features of her china doll face, stroking her hair and realize at 4:30 in the morning just how truly blessed you are….And just as you are falling back to sleep your husband’s alarm goes off.

That friends is how I know that I am a mama this morning.

What reminds you that you are a mama (or daddy) today? Leave a comment or write a post and link up with the Arizona Mamma (you best be supporting my girl, just sayin') Her entry is hilarious and all about #2, that's right poop. Be sure to check it out.

Post-it with whining

2010-04-13T17:07:00.002-04:00

**I was in such a hurry to get this posted yesterday that I completely forgot Supah's button. Let it be known post-it note Tuesday is not my idea it's all Supah's. Sheeeeww!! So glad I got that out there.

Yeah I said it.. I'm going to whine a little today...It's my blog, it's ok to have an off day sometimes, right??

According to this lady, cough drops and ceiling fans... Too funny!!

Procrastination at it's finest.

2010-04-11T22:32:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday Ya'll and since I procrastinated on doing our taxes until today, I was not able to answer Keely's GTKY (Getting to Know You) Questions at nap time. It is still Sunday so I'm gonna link up anyway..

Here we go.

1. What color do you wear the most?

I would say black, but my inner geek revolts that black is actually not a color. So ummm probably brown or blue, after of course the non-color of black.

2. Would you rather have $10,000 dollars or a dream vacation?

"Show me the MONEEEEEEEYYYYY!!!!!!"

3. Do you have a weird, quirky or unusual habit?

You mean like all the switches on a panel being in one direction, checking door locks multiple times, being fanatical about boy toys being in the boy basket and girl toys being in the girl basket. No, I do none of those things.

4. I really need to start..........?

Working out, excercising, shedding some LBs, not doing so good on my ~~resolution~~ project 2010.

5. What was the first blog you ever read?

Noah Steven "Crowned in Peace", I remember crying the whole way home the day he was taken off of life support. Noah was born 2 months before Dade and I fell in love with him and his family.

6. Do you collect anything?

Other than blog awards, HA!! No I am a purger. Have you looked at this? Played with this? Touched this? Worn this? If the answer is no the item is recycled, trashed, passed on, tagged for a consigment sale gone GONE GONE.

7. How old were you when you had your first kiss?

Prude here, 17 thankyouverymuch... For the record he was SOOOO not worth it.

8. Do you text/twitter while driving?

While driving no, at a red light or stopped in traffic, uhh-hunh.

So did you answer the questions?? Go ahead answer here in the comments and don't forget to check out Keely.

Today...

2010-04-11T08:24:00.000-04:00

is a day like any other.

Today is a Sunday.

Today is April 11th.

Today is a friend's birthday.

I've never met this friend.

I've never had the pleasure of sharing a phone call with my friend.

She however has inspired me, encouraged me, helped me laugh at myself and laugh at her.

She is a Mamma, a wife, a little bit quirky and a little bit rock n' roll.

She is on my short list. (to meet)

She is bloggerific and blogtastic.

She is fully deserving of every word of this post.

So I ask you to tip your hat and join me in song.

AHEM!!! mi mi MI MI MI MI

Happy Birthday to you!!

Happy Birthday to Arizona Mammmmmmmaaaaaaa

Happy Biiiiiirrrthday to ah-youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!

Five Questions (I got nothing creative)

2010-04-09T09:25:00.001-04:00

No vlog again today, I'm still (HACK! HACK!) ~~milking it for all it's worth~~ sick. Maybe next week ~~not on your life~~ I will give it a try.

So we all know the deal. Five random questions, answers, link love, go see Mama M.

1. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Ummm, hmmm I don't have any girl crushes. Whoever it is would have to have cute hair and some junk in the trunk. I got nothing... how lame am I to start off with a no answer.

2. Did you ever go to summer camp?
Negative, not a camper, don't like the heat, don't like bugs, don't like competitive sports, not really into organized physical activity, or wearing a bathing suit in front of boys. For all those reasons and many more I didn't ever think camp sounded fun.

3. What sends you running and screaming in the other direction?
Not a big fan of snakes, spiders, crumbs on the floor, vomit, clothes that can't make it to the hamper but running and screaming in the other direction I'm guessing a bolt of lightening near my tookus would warrant that type of reaction.

4. What is something you do that drives your spouse nuts?
Not a gosh durn thing. There is no spouse closer to perfect than me. Maybe that statment should send me running and screaming, where is the lightening?
Ok, so that may not be the whole truth, or maybe it's nothing like the truth. His biggest pet peeve that I do ALL the time, is leave food in the sink instead of putting it in the disposal and running the disposal, it makes him bonkers for the sink to be dirty especially with food remnants. I promise I try not to leave it that way, but I get distracted..ususally by ~~his~~ our children.

5. What is currently your favorite song? Yeah this is SEXY...mmmmmHHHHmmmmm

Steel Magnolia |MTV Music

Peeps you know the deal. Leave me a 'lil bloggy love in the comments, peep out Mama M.'s answers, write your own and link up.

Could you do me a solid today and go check out my friend Andria's blog and show her some love? She recently came out of blog seclusion and I think I'm the only one that knows. She writes some pretty funny stuff.

Have a great weekend.

Yummy in MAH Tummy

2010-04-07T11:00:00.001-04:00

This is one of my very favorite dinners and so so Yummy.

Creamy Penne with Sausage-

Ingredients-

1 package of mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion chopped
1 and1/4 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups frozen peas
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese OR 6 TBSP cream cheese and 5 TBSP whipping cream
16 ounces penne pasta
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Several dashes of italian seasoning, basil leaves and oregano

Brown the sausage over medium-high heat until brown and crumbly.

Place sausage in a bowl and reserve 1 TBSP of drippings in the pan.

Add onion to saucepan. Cook until golden. Add cream, italian seasoning, basil leaves and oregano. Simmer until slightly reduced. Add broth. Simmer until thickened.

Action Shot (simmering)

Return sausage to saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add peas and mascarpone (Or cream cheese and cream combo). Cook uncovered, until peas are tender.

Meanwhile cook the pasta and drain.

Combine pasta and sauce in a larger serving bowl. Add Parmesan, salt and pepper. Serve to Blend and serve immediately and say, "Git in MAH Belly."

Snoopy bowl is completely optional.

They tried to make me go to rehab...

2010-04-06T22:21:00.001-04:00

Rehab?? For WHAT??

{sigh}

Hoarding...again...

I recieved Happy 101 from Linds and Courtney

10 Things that make me Happy

1. My Huusss-band

2. My Bebes

3. Cherry Coke

4. Being Healthy

5. Warmer Weather

6. Yummy Food (Making and Eating it, especially the later)

7. Making changes in life to make me a better person

8. Finishing a project

9. Sleep

10. A good cup of coffee

Linds also thinks my blog is Kewl, she is pretty awesome too and you should surely go check her out.

I received the Beautiful Blogger award from Lee-Ann and Brianne

This one requires 7 Interesting Facts

1. I want to eat at every single restaurant that Guy Fieri visits on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. That guy makes everything he eats seem amazing.

2. I am a newly converted LOST junkie, I blame my recent obsession of the "devil" show 100% on my husband.

3. I have a new phone, an Android, I'm pretty sure the phone is smarter than me. Bonus though...

4. I think I have finally figured out Twitter. Ok, not really but I do know how to tweet.

5. I do not have a bucket list

6. I never plan on owning a pair of Crocs

7. I lurve Dark Chocolate

Dondi

What is a Stiletto Award??? Click here to find out from Jill

I've got to say when I read the description of the Stiletto award it brought a tear to my eye that Dondi would bestow this hot award to me. I pass the Stiletto award to all the ladies above that showed me award love AND my book club gals for all their inspiration and comradery.

Thank you all for your well wishes and prayers I am finally starting to feel better. I have pulled a muscle in my back/shoulder area from coughing and it hurts bad, but it's better than having trouble breathing.

Knowing you, knowing me with Keely.

2010-04-04T21:02:00.000-04:00

On Friday I asked Keely for a sneak preview to her questions in hopes that on Saturday amidst the craziness of preparing for traveling on the Easter holiday I would schedule my getting to know you post. SCCRRRREEEEECCCHHHH!! (that's me typing brake noises)

There is no traveling. We are at home, we didn't even go to church. After two days of a fever I went to the doctor on Friday and found out I have viral bronchitis. Since my grandfather has emphysema and asbestos poisoning I could not in good conscience take myself or my family to be with our extended family today. I'm heart broken to not spend the holiday with them. Dade was so excited to go see everyone, we had been counting down the days for a week. An egg hunt was planned for my kids...such a bummer..

I hope everyone else is enjoying their Easter, we are enjoying our time together as a family. We have read Bible stories and this book many times today to help Dade understand what Easter means to the best of his ability.

Onto the questions..

Showers or baths?
Showers all the way, baths give me the eebie jeebies. You sit in your own dirt, YUCK!

Do you have any crazy urges?
You mean like to bake something at 9pm, or re-organize a jewelry box to the point of being over focused on it, the need to clean air ducts to the point that anything else I'm doing stops until that task is completed. Yeah! I've had a urge or two that I have acted on.

What is one thing we don't know about you?
One thing, well there is alot more than one thing. Am I suppose to share it?

Exercise..love it or hate it?
Love the way I feel after exercise, the energy it gives me how it makes sleep better but the actual excercising part notsomuch.

Do you think you have a good body image?
See the aformentioned question, no notsomuch there either.

Flour or corn tortillas?
Generally prefer flour, Mission brand to be exact.

How do you celebrate Easter?
Go to Church, then travel to be with family in Maryland. None of which we did today because of my illness, sorry I'm still having a pity party for myself.

Hard boiled Easter eggs or plastic eggs?
Plastic eggs for the Easter egg hunt Dade would have participated in, otherwise we are still trying to decide what family tradition we want to have in this area. I don't really feel like the bunny or the eggs have a single thing to do with the true celebration of Easter. It is what I grew up with but I feel the Truth can so easily be lost. The book I mentioned earlier What is Easter? has a pretty good explanation for young kids. So I guess I'll have a better answer next year and we'll see if we dye eggs.

Happy Easter!! He is RISEN indeed!!

Be sure to check out Keely and the others that have linked up this Sunday.

It's Celebration Sunday!!

2010-04-04T07:00:00.003-04:00

Christ is RISEN!!

THAT'S MY KING!!

RISEN INDEED!!

GLORY BE!!

I did not Vlog -5QF

2010-04-02T11:38:00.000-04:00

Apparently Mama M.'s 5QF has taken on a whole new aspect, the vlog. I'm scared of the vlog, I'm not even going to lie. My husband has advised me that we do indeed have the equipment to facilitate a vlog, but again I'm scared. Luckily, or not so much, I'm sick this week. I am using my fever and newly acquired smokers cough to excuse me from vlogging today because really no one wants to see that. Here's to hoping I have a good excuse next week and the week after that and the week after that....

Do you sing out loud in the car when you're driving?
You know it. With some caveats however-

I can’t be in heavy traffic (I don't want people to think I'm crazy and yelling at myself or my kids)
I can’t be driving behind someone I know (I don't want anyone I know to think I'm weird)
I have to really know the song; I don’t fake it or sing up til the part I don’t know. (That's just my perfectionism talking)

What would you never be caught doing?
If I'm lucky vlogging, but I've seen Kate's determination "payoff" on multiple occasions so I'm not holding my breathe.

I really can't think of anything...hmmmm

I got nothing.

Will you go #2 in a public restroom?
Prior to having kids I would never ever ever go in a public restroom. Then I got pregnant and my ahem schedule got all out of whack and well I had to...
So in emergency situations I have and I would again, but always always with a courtesy flush.

Have you ever broken a bone?
Yep on a youth retreat as an adult chaperone I broke the bone in the tip of my middle finger. It had to be splinted for weeks. It gotten swollen and turned purple, it was truly lovely.

Do you prefer cooking or baking?
Yes please all of the above. I love to make yummy things either from a recipe or concocted in my head.

I was all pumped to promote my friend from works blog. She was going to unveil from the private blog realm and participate in 5QF for the first time this week, but I'm not at work to lean on ~~brow beat~~ her to participate.

Oh Andria!!! I'm gonna get you...MU HAHAHAHA!!

Don't forget to check out Mama M.'s answers and all her link ups.

Writing assignment

2010-04-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

Imma Dork Imma Dork Imma biiiiiiggggg dork (sing-song)

I've seen this little writing assignment floating around the blogosphere and kept holding my breathe that someone ~~anyone~~ would please tag me. Thanks be to Courtney at Perfect Imperfection for satisfying my inner dork.

How to play along-
Answer the following questions, but write them down. Snap a picture and then post it!

1. Name/Blog Name
2. Right Handed, Left Handed or Both
3. Favorite Letters to Write
4. Least Favorite Letters to Write
5. Write: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
6. Write in Caps:
CRAB
HUMOR
KALEIDOSCOPE
PAJAMAS
GAZILLION
7. Favorite Song Lyrics
8. Tag 5 People
9. Any special note or drawing

So there you have it, my writing, and my inner dork can now stand down. Thank you for humoring me. Courtney, Thank you so much for tagging me.

Pouring Out...

2010-03-31T15:30:00.001-04:00

On Wednesdays, Shell at Things I Can't Say hosts Pour Your Heart Out. There is no real theme just the bearing of ones souls and heart

So there is a disclaimer-
I hate that I even have to say this, but, whether you are participating or just reading, please keep in mind that the people linking really are sharing something from the heart. So, please, BE RESPECTFUL. We might not agree with each other, but we can all accept someone's right to have a different opinion than we do and NOT attack someone because of this. Play nice. :)

My faith is a huge part of who I am; however I do not frequently blog about it. Why? Because I make mistakes, I curse and I judge. I live in my own glass house and don't want to supply my own faults that would induce stone throwing. I'm not perfect and I'm just not confident enough to "preach" to the masses. This is my story though, my testimony, my witness, my mercies are new every morning.

On Friday nights we host a church small group in our house. This past Friday our pastor posed the question, "What does Easter mean to you?"

When I was growing up we went to church every Sunday. I remember Easter lessons replete with Easter bunnies and egg hunts. Occasionally, a play or puppet show with the actual stone being rolled from the tomb appears as a glance in my memory. It wasn't until I was 29 years old and holding my 7 month old baby that I really "got it". God looked at the innocent face of his baby and knew that in 33 short years he would willingly face an unjust trial, incomprehensible beatings, undeserved judgment, and ultimately death.

I looked at my son and thought, "How?" It is beyond the limits of my finite mind to think I could or would allow such things to happen to my baby. Mary, Jesus' Mama stood and watched him die. Did she understand the fullness of his mission? How was she not a distruaght mess? How does God love broken sinful me that much?

I pray that I can show my children, family, friends and strangers that kind of love.

I pray that I can impart just a sliver of the amazing sacrifice made for my children.

The story doesn't end with death however it ends with a celebration even death could not hold my Savior. Glory Be!!

Christ is Risen, Risen indeed and living in ME!!

The weekend in numbers

2010-03-29T21:57:00.000-04:00

103- The highest registered fever
24- Medicine Droppers ("puckers" as Dade calles them) filled
21- Cups of water prepared and drank
7- Loads of laundry
5- Times someone vomitted
4- Times I ate the very best chicken salad ever made
3- Bible stories read
2- Showers taken by me
1- Bridal shower missed
0- Chapters read in my book

Unlimited number of snuggles for my poor sick babes

Spidey 7th Sense?

2010-03-29T01:00:00.001-04:00

We've all heard of 6th sense, no I'm not talking about the movie, I'm talking about the intuitive feeling that you feel in the pit of your stomach. Most mama's have it, some of us listen to it, some of us are hyper sensitive to it and some of us ignore it. My kids seem to have an extra sense as well and since 6th is already coined we'll go with 7th. Let me give you some examples-

Example 1 - My three children are laughing and have a grand old time with there Dad in the family room. Wrestling, tickling, just general silliness. When lo and behold I feel the call of nature so I head to the bathroom. After all they aren't paying me any mind, that is until I'm behind a closed door with my pants at my ankles. It starts with the abrupt stop of the laughing. Then I hear the pattering of baby feet through the kitchen, across the wood floor to the bathroom door. I hear the flick of the door knob. Thankfully the girls don't know how to open doors yet and by now I know to lock the door. Then a gently tap on the door. The first inquisitive child has made enough noise to cause brother and sister to come investigate. Dade is now full on trying to open the door, asking me what I am doing, both girls have begun to bang on the door. Then they proceed to shove toys and fingers under the door as if they can somehow rescue me. After I finish, wash my hands and open the door you would think that I hadn't seen these three in a month. It's like a homecoming celebration. (I'm not gonna lie, I have stayed in the restroom for an extra min or two knowing I was safe behind the locked door.)

Example 2- I listen to the girls play and laugh downstairs every morning while I'm getting ready. They talk, squeal, yell and have a hoot of a time. Occasionally I hear their Dad say, "No don't put your dolly in the trash." or "Please don't push, smack, bite your sister." In general they are just having a smashing time that is until my leg comes over the gate keeping them from playing on the steps. Then the whining and crying starts they each attempt to tell me of the great injustices their father has imposed on them and demand that I pick them up.

Example 3-It's a perfect lazy Sunday afternoon. I've washed the lunch dishes, finished my grocery shopping, folded any outstanding laundry and all my babes are sleeping. There are a few minutes where I can steal a nap before they should be waking up. I head to my room take off my glasses, get snuggled under the covers and just as a drift off to sleep. There is crying, coughing, or talking. This same scenario could play out at night as well. I'm all prepared to drift off when someone needs to be tended to..

We will call this the umbilical sense. The unwavering need to be connected to mama regardless of her situation. Most days I love the extra special connection that my children have with me, but sometimes... well you know. Do you have any silly stories of your child(ren)'s 7th sense?

Life's a Dance..

2010-03-27T12:45:00.002-04:00

Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go
Lyrics courtesy of the one and only John Michael Montgomery

Today I follow those that have gone before me and am installing Intense Debate as my new commenting system. I like to reply to comments that ask me questions, but many times the commenter has no e-mail address attached to their blogger account. Sometimes it can present a awkward situation when the commenter has posted something funny or witty and I am there to answer a serious question.

My hope is that I will now be able to be more interactive with all of those that stop and comment. If you would be so kind and let me know if it is working I would be oh so appreciative.

Happy Saturday Ya'll!

Woot Woot, the week is nearly over.

2010-03-26T10:50:00.002-04:00

At post time I will be 6 or so short hours from two days of no work. That is cause to celebrate. How do I celebrate Friday, why answering five random questions provided by the oh-so cute and talented Mama M.? Don't believe me about the cuteness or the talent, well click right here. She put herself in a fancy pants vlog (video blog) and SANG. So brave, Mama M. I bow to your greatness and your hot hair.

To the questions tangent girl--

Did you pass your driver's test on the first try?

Sure did, but was nervous as all get out. I grew up in the country where there was no need for parallel parking and really no place to practice. I was sure that I would hit the curb and poles representing the cars OR be too far away from the curb. Neither ended up being the case and I ~~whipped~~ slowly and painstakingly pulled up reversed my little car right into the spot.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
Most embarassing evah??
I'm gonna go with the toot heard round the dining room. (Originally posted here.)

What TV show would you like to be on- Oprah, Biggest Loser, or What Not to Wear?
As hard as it is to admit, I'll say the Biggest Loser. I would miss my family like crazy and oh how I would whine, but what a priviledge to be so focused on one goal, the results, and getting to the bottom of the emotions that caused the weight gain. Of course winning the whole thing and the money would be a nice perk too.

Would you ever get plastic surgery and what kind?
This is also a question I have answered at some point. Even if I get on the Biggest Loser and win (which I so would), there are some things that just can't be rescued. Like the overly stretched out skin of my abdomen. Remember with two in there I looked like this.
Yes, a tummy tuck.

What are your favorite jeans to wear?
Lane Bryant, because they cover my badonkadonk, there is no such thing as low rise with the aformentioned extra skin. Lanie (we are like that) knows how to make a curvy girl feel good in her jeans.

Soooo how about you? Did you answer and link up? You know you can answer here if you want, but be sure to pop over to Mama M.'s and show her some love.

Get out your spoons, cuz this is yummy.

2010-03-25T21:41:00.002-04:00

Remember just a couple of weekends ago I may have overbooked my family and mentioned some professional pictures. I have some to share. Heather from A Juicy Pear Photography and a close personal friend of the family has got mad skillz.

P.S.- If you click on the link to her web-site there is a picture of me with the girls. In her portfolio under the connection tab.

I'm all a flitter

2010-03-25T01:00:00.000-04:00

when it comes to twitter.

I admittedly don't get it. It seems like a great way to really really connect with all the people I've grown to admire and care for in this here blogosphere, yet I feel like ~~all the cool kids are doing it~~ I'm standing on the outer circle.

Don't get me wrong I do understand the 140 character limit, I know how to log in and update, replying and messaging is super easy when I'm logged in. But there are people that tweet (is that the correct term?) all day long. Tweet that come from txt, tweetdeck, ubertweet and tweetie, what the heck are those things? How can I ~~twitter~~ ~~twit~~ tweet from my phone? Is it like text messaging? Where is the manual? If you tweet from your phone do you type in the person's user name or is there a phone number?

"@from3to5- Really you don't get it? It's really not that hard."

I'm sure it's not but I feel like a twitter ninny. I think I understand DM (Direct Message) & # (not sure the point).

Do you need a smart phone? Am I in trouble if this is what I'm working with?

Yes the buttons really are that huge. Yes I really do need to push #7 4 times to make a 's' appear. I washed my other, better phone and I will continue to blame post pregnancy brain. Thankfully our contract is due for renewal which means a new phone hopefully this weekend.

So do you tweet? Do you have any suggestions for this relatively intelligent struggling gal?

A winner and a picture

2010-03-24T22:07:00.001-04:00

Winner!! Winner!! Chicken Dinner!!!

Lucky number 13!!

LAURA!!!

I'm sure Alexa and Braden will love playing with their new doctor kit. Laura e-mail me at from3to5 at gmail dot com so I can get some info from you and you can have a doctor in the house.

Linds @ A Dollop of my Life tagged me in a easy peasy photo game. In your picture folder post the tenth picture in the first folder and give the story behind it. Then tag 5 people to post their tenth picture.

This picture was taken by our nanny on the girls first birthday. It was actually warm enough in the beginning of November to go to the park in light jackets. This is one of their first experiences at the park after they were walking and able to investigate. Clearly they were more interested in investigation and less interested in the camera.

I tag-

Brianne @ Photog Nazi
Dondi @ Confessions of a Housewife (because she is super busy with studying & school and this is an easy peasy post idea)
Adriane @ Gracie and Gabby
Helga @ My World
Courtney @ A Mom's Perfect Imperfection

This is it..

2010-03-24T11:30:00.000-04:00

I'm closing down the my very first giveaway at 5pm tonight. That means no more entries. No more comments. If you are in your in and if your not well then your out.

The original post is right here.

This or That

2010-03-22T23:45:00.001-04:00

I found a new meme, well actually Shell found it and I found it from her, but isn't that how a meme gets started.

Chelle the Winey Mom wants to know-

Do you buy your makeup at a discount/drugstore or some type of specialty makeup store?

I am a make-up snob. It started when I was still single and could blow money on frivolous things. I was regularly receiving micro derm abrasion treatments and using a retinol product through a service offered at the salon I frequented. They also sold Bare Minerals and so I was hooked. For the longest time I thought I could only get this make-up at my salon. Then a co-worker who had a part-time job told me about Ulta. That's where I started to go. Even though we have made many cutbacks I still use Bare Minerals because I like the look and I like how it feels on my skin. The last time I needed make-up I went to Sephora, because it was right next to Stride Rite and the kids needed shoes.

SOO all that to say I do indeed shop for my make-up at a specialty store, well except for my mascara that comes from Target and is usually purchased with a coupon. I know my limits..

Go check out Chelle's site to see what others have said.

Ahhh the weekend..

2010-03-22T23:25:00.001-04:00

wha? it's over...

It was way too short. The weather was way to nice. The kids and I played in the backyard on Saturday then after nap we took a walk around the neighborhood. The windows were open. LOVELY!!

Sunday, I was on nursery duty at church, we had lunch at Red Robin to celebrate a dear friend's 40th, I got a nap in..WOOT WOOT!!

Then today it rained, I went back to work, and realized I'm going to be more busy this week than last. GRR!

I'm trying, trying, trying super hard to get some posts written.

To Linds, Dondi, Brianne and Lee-Ann I have not forgotten the awards you have blessed me with, this week I hope to post them.

To Kate, the Crayon Wrangler and all the other book clubs girls I haven't read Chapter 3 yet. Silly me took my book out on Saturday with the kids, I had ~~delusions~~ visions of lounging on the blanket while they maintained civility on their own. notsomuch
I do promise that I am praying for all of you. I have been talking to a dear friend in addition to reading the book and am excited to see the changes in my life I hope you are too.

Til tomorrow?? I sure hope so..

P.S.- I forgot the shameless plug for my giveaway. Click here.

I couldn't miss this..

2010-03-19T11:00:00.006-04:00

So in love with the Thursday preview, thank you Mama M.

It's FRIIIIIIDDDDAAAAAYY! I'm excited that I won't be at work for the next two days, but of course I will be working, because ya know I'm a Mama and that's what we do. Hopefully the 70 degree weather will really happen and we can go to the park or just have a picnic lunch. Saaaa-weet..

So you remember how to do this right? I know I missed a week.

Quick Recap:

Visit Mama M.
Copy the Questions to your blog
Answer them (DUH!, right?)
Visit Mama M. again to link up with your actual post name.

Four easy peasy steps.. I beg you to participate it's fun and more funner (word? no, don't think so) to read everyone elses answers.

Have you ever had a celeb sighting?
I'm gonna go with no, because I don't recall any.

What temperature do you keep your house?
Ususally 69 or 70 when the heater is needed, right now there is still a slight need for the heat at night, but we've been roughing it due to a little issue I mentioned here. 70 to 72 when we are running the air conditioner

Do you notice dust at other peoples homes?
Well, how thick is the dust? I'm mean if they haven't dusted since Noah landed his boat I'm probably gonna notice, but if it's just regular old maintenance dust probably not. I do notice cob-webs though and they drive me nuts, but I don't think it's socially acceptable to ask for someone's duster or broom to help them out with their housecleaning when you are over for a visit.

What's the worst job you ever had?
I'm gonna go with food service in a nursing home. The combination of the things the residents enjoyed eating and the smells that go along with it. GAG!! The various states of puree that were served, ranging from something that resembled canned dog food to liquified lamb. GAG!! Finally, dish duty. Finding teeth (real and false), pantyhose, hair pieces and such when cleaning off delivered food trays. GAG!!
The only positive were some of the residents that were so sweet and had such wonderful stories about life.

What is your most sentimental possession?
For obvious reasons I feel like I should pick my wedding ring and I promise it is very important to me and I love it, but the most sentimetal is a small rose gold diamond ring that I wear on the middle finger of my right hand. My Mom-Mom gave it to me before she passed away. She asked that I always wear it. It was given to her by her rich Aunt and Uncle when she graduated from the 8th grade. She told me she knew from the day I was born that she would give me this ring. I remember her when I look at it, I miss her still and always. I wish she had met my husband and my babies, but rest in the fact that we will all see her again one day.

So how 'bout you? Are you gonna do it? You know you want to? Remember it's 4 simple steps.

P.S.- Please don't forget my giveaway, it's open until Wednesday of next week.

Girlfriend!!! Where you been?

2010-03-18T23:19:00.001-04:00

Sorry for my absence friends to say that taking off for three days last week was a bad idea would be an understatement. I have mentioned before that I am working on a pretty major project at work. For the record the wedding was in the works loooonnggg before the project.
Let me give you a few quick details on this project. Myself and one other full-time person are responsible for implementing a complete database change for the entire company. WOW!! that is alot of pressure. So Monday started with frantic clean up of the three days I missed and preparing for our implementation specialist who would be visiting from out of town on Tuesday and Wednesday. Did I mention this system is supposed to go-live on the 5th of April. (That's two weeks) I also left work early on Monday because Dade had been complaining of hurting ears since Sunday morning. The poor boy had the beginnings of a double ear infection.
Tuesday went off without a hitch.. then came Wednesday morning. I come downstairs after getting ready and my husband says...

Coralee threw up
The heater probably needs to be replaced. We have no heat it appears the humidifier leaked into the furnace and on to the carpet downstairs. Now it doesn't come on.
I'm (Jon)dry heaving

Top O the morning to YA!! aye?

Everything is fine now, except the heater. Luckily the weather has warmed significantly and we haven't needed it. Someone came out and looked at it today. Jon needs to follow up with them in the morning.

In the meantime at work I'm working my tail off in the office and the decision is finally made that we will do a phased roll-out, but the pressure is not off. After the implementation specialist left we have more to do than when she came.

Then personally I'm reading So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore and doing a book club co-lead by Kate and the Crayon Wrangler. The book is rocking my world. The bullying post a wrote was just the tip of the iceburg of the healing I need to go through, but it's such a good thing. After talking to my mom I believe that some of the things I am dealing with are generational, but I'm willing to confront them to spare my babies. It's been awesome.

All that to say I apologize for my absence. I miss you, I miss my Google Reader, I don't like when it says there are 300+ posts for me to read. I have awards to accept, comments to make (I've been slacking this week), and drafts to finish.

Thanks for not giving up on me and please check out my giveaway. By the way, the giveaway was post 200- I really have that much to say??

Doctor, Doctor give me the news...

2010-03-17T23:08:00.001-04:00

I've got a bad case for a giiii va-wayeee...

You read that right peeps. Lil' 'ole me has a little somthin' somthin' to give away.

Have you heard of CSN Stores? They have over 200 stores and offer oodles and oodles of stuff. Kids bedding and toys can be found at allchildrensfurniture.com. Since Dade just moved to a twin mattress on his bedroom floor, but soon hopefully we will purchase a double mattress for his conversion furniture. I was super excited to find this and this as options; two of my boys favorite things. CSN also offers funky fresh home decor at allmodern.com I particularly lusting after this. At diningroomsdirect.com I found this great piece to hold my china that is currently residing in a pack-n-play in my room.

You definitely need to go check it out, but only after you finish reading this.

So giveaway you say? Why yes, yes I did?

Is there a doctor in the house?

Well, no but I do have this doctor kit.

You can read for about this little doctor kit here.

Tell me this isn't just the cutest for your little boy or girl to play doctor. I know it warms my heart to watch Dade adminster pretend medicine to his sisters and listen to my heart by placing his stethoscope on my arm or foot.

So now you want it don't you??

Here's how to enter.

-Check out CSN stores tell me what you like in a comment.
-Be or become a public follower, 'nother comment
-Follow me on twitter and you know leave a comment.
-Tweet or status update on facbook about this giveaway and of course leave a comment with a link.

I will the leave this fancy little giveaway open til Wednesday the 24th at 5pm. I will number the entries in the order received and use random.org to pick a winner.

This giveaway is sponsored solely by CSN Stores. I was in no way compensated monetarily, with goods, or services.

The weekend in Pictures

2010-03-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

My crazies on Saturday morning on the couch. You can see now why the girls are always rocking the Pebbles hair-do. Yes their hair really is that long.

Me and the most handsome boy evah! (Pay no mind to my closed eyes, just look at my HOT hair)

Oh!! yes he did sport that mohawk, at the bride's request.

Soo Cute.

The beautiful bride being escorted by her Dad.

The rings.

They are husband and wife AND my camera sucks.

So sweet.

We are in trouble, we have a lady's man on our hands.

Who needs a girl when you've got moves like this?

There were several times that we lost Dade to the dance floor and several times when he was dancing with the brides girlfriends from college.

Let's not forget sisterly love.

We did also get some professional photos taken on Friday evening I don't have any to share, but trust me when I say AH-MAZ-ING!!

Brain Dump

2010-03-11T22:22:00.000-05:00

-I'm exhausted
-We will be busy all weekend, my girlfriend's oldest daughter is getting married. Dade is the ring bearer, can't wait to post pics.
-I'm nervous about the number of posts that will be in my google reader after the weekend is over, it might make me twitch.
-I have a giveaway coming up, if I can ever get the post written
-I am once again hoarding blog awards, I hope the givers don't think I'm ungrateful
-I bought the book about insecurities for an on-line book club with my bloggy friends, hosted by Kate and the Crayon Wrangler
-I'm excited for the changes and scared out of my gourd to open up and lay myself bare to complete strangers.
-I'm bummed that I will probably miss 5QF.
-I'm learning to twitter, I think, @from3to5
-I'm fading
-I'm rocking hot mom hair again
-The kids are getting professional pictures taken tomorrow and I may be included in some.
-Hopefully I will have pictures from the wedding
-I really like the dress I got and SPANX to make it look fantastic
-It's from Target.
-I need to fold laundry
-Instead I'm going to bed

Some things I learned today..

2010-03-10T17:35:00.000-05:00

- I can take all three of my children unassisted to the mall to get sized and fitted for shoes

- Once on the waiting list at Stride Rite you will likely have enough time to leave the store wander around the mall looking for a bathroom, find said bathroom, manuever your gigantic stroller into the family bathroom, allow your three year to use the bathroom and wash his hands, while not losing your spot on the waiting list,

- Stride Rite is a busy place on a rather innocuous Wednesday morning right after the mall opens.

- The Stride Rite sale of Buy One Get One half off is a dream to a mama of three kids with super wide feet.

- Missing my exit on the highway give the babies a few extra minutes to sleep and puts me closer to a McDonald's reward for listening so well.

- I really need to move Brennan's crib away from the wall in her room. So that when she doesn't feel like sleeping she can't bang her crib and make the noise reverberate throughout the house.

- That laying down on Dade's new big boy bed to snuggle him makes me realize just how sleepy I am, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

- Sacrificing my nap to snuggle with Coralee whose teeth hurt was really no sacrifice at all because these moments are so fleeting.

- No matter what the temperature, coffee is not for chugging.

A lesson in running errands.

2010-03-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

On Saturday after a trip to Costco, for entirely too much stuff and Target to find Dade a pair of shoes for the wedding this weekend, Jon and I decided to check out all the hub-bub that is Wegman’s. We have heard from many people how exceptional the food is; in addition to being a Grocery store Wegman’s has a food court type atmosphere. There is also a second floor café with observation area to look out over the grocery store. The place is GIGANTIC and if I’m honest pretty overwhelming. Jon and I walk around taking in all the option open to use for lunch. I wonder how in the world we will make it to the second floor with food and our kids when carts aren’t allowed. We settle on a pizza combo for the kids, and then take the elevator; yeah you read that right an elevator in a grocery store, to the café. We settle on a table near the glass overlook for Dade and away from other families. Jon heads back downstairs to the Chinese buffet to get his plate. The girls are situated in high chairs and begin to caterwaul because I can’t seem to move fast enough for them and they needed food in their bellies instantly. As Jon returns to the table with his eyes bugging from his head due to the cost of his meager plate. Apparently the Chinese buffet was pay by the pound. As Jon returns Dade announces to anyone within the million square foot store that he has just dropped a rose. Wow! do we take these banshees out enough? I head off to get my food and return $13 lighter (OY!), with a plate of Chinese food that was not all that great. As we are finish up the girls start flinging things from the tables making a gigantic mess on the tile floor. I look at Jon and say, “I really think we fit in better as Costco hot dog people. You know where we can feed the whole family for $8 and that includes dessert.”

As we are packing up to leave Dade asks where we are going. When I tell him it’s time to go home he starts to lose it.

D- “I want to go to Erin’s house.”

Me- “Buddy, who is Erin?”

D- “You said run to Erin’s”

Me- “Buddy we are running errands and now they are all done.”

D- “When we go to errands house?”

Me- “Errands are a list of things to do. We had to go to Costco, Target and Wegman’s for lunch. Now we are all done and going home.”

D- “Ok, we go to errands house tomorrow.”

Me- “We’ll see buddy, but I don’t think so.”

Sunday morning Dade woke up explaining what running errands means. Jon and I also decided that we will give Wegman’s a second chance this Saturday. We are going to go for breakfast and bonus my mom will be here as an extra set of hands.

The day my words bit me in the badonkadonk.

2010-03-08T22:16:00.000-05:00

Last night as I was getting up from dinner Dade smacked the bottom of the paper plate that held his half eaten chicken patty sandwich. The chicken patty and unnumbered amount of crumbs splattered on the table and all over the floor.

With a touch of irritation in my voice I asked my son, "What is wrong with you?"
As quickly as the words escaped my lips he retorted with, "Mama my ears not working."
Jon proceeded to lose it. I frequently ask him if his ears are on when I am about to ask him to do something.
I try to hold it together after I clean up the mess when he says, "Mama did you see that chicken patty POP off the plate." With that all our authority went out the window for the evening. Jon and I could not pull ourselves together. This kid is sometimes just to quick for his own good.

Have you ever cracked up when you should have been disciplining?