all in a day's work

and ya'll didn't think stay-at-home moms had any fun...
now i can build that castle, sweet!

the baby

k just said she wanted to take a nap. and then she did.

"third" children don't even need parents, they just raise themselves...

more fun with three

pajama mom trivia - my hubby is a twin. his twin sister has TRIPLETS. yes, TRIPLETS.

AND - she is the single most organized person i know - IN THE WORLD.

so we shuffled off to buffalo for their 5th birthday party. we stayed at their house, which was perfect. lots of toys and animals. they have 2 cats, a dog, and a hamster. my kids were in heaven, as we only have one old, fat, lazy cat. it was great to have all the kids together, loud, but great.

the party was a gymnastics party. all the kids got to jump on the trampolines and climb the "rock" wall. the party room was decorated with princesses, tinker bell, and transformers. three different birthday cakes, and tons of presents. the kids had a blast.

sometimes i wish i lived in western new york. weird, but true...

miscommunication

this is not really what i had in mind when i said,
"let's play with the beads..."

la ti da

before our vacation, i spent some time in gabe's wandering. it is one of my favorite new hobbies. i picked up this outfit for k - i thought it was beachy and cute. it was on a rack marked "sweet potatoes". i also got her a blue and green flowered dress. the next rack was the same brand, bigger sizes. so i got m hot pink and lime green floral-ish marimekko shirts. i did not buy the skorts that matched because they were a little to short for my liking. each piece was $4.99, and after i racked up $25.00 worth of clothes, i figured i'd better stop. old age has done this to me...

little did i know...

fast forward to the "la ti da" boutique at hilton head. i don't remember the actual name of the place... so i'm walking around looking at all the expensive kids' clothes, and on the back wall, a whole display of sweet potatoes! the outfit pictured above - $44.00! i also saw the dress, and the shirts i bought for m, all weighing in at $20.00 or more!

let's hear it for hobbies! la ti da!

a new oven

ok - getting new kid furniture was fun.
a new washer - glorious.
service engine soon light - not so great.
now - a new oven? - you've got to be kidding.

is it possible to just use the microwave and stovetop to cook all meals?
i'll let you know.

update - i am happy and sad at the same time - oven is fixed for now, got a new ignition? chicken nuggets for dinner!

14.333 infinity

number of hours spent coming home from an otherwise perfect vacation...

saturday - spent some time swimming in hotel pool, then headed on to hilton head. walked on the beach in our clothes, i personally think there is nothing better than hopping out of the car and heading straight to the ocean. unpacked our car and went to the grocery store. some highlights of our house - a 3-hole putt-putt course in the basement, foosball table, and air hockey, although we never found the paddles. a swimming pool, that i think i liked almost better than the ocean, and SPACE. all of the rooms were huge. very cool.

the rest of the days go something like this - mornings on the beach and afternoons in the pool. eating something really yummy for dinner - chicken parm night, mexican night complete with homemade guac, bbq night, surf and turf night, etc. food was a real highlight, as everyone took turns making their favorite dishes. playing games and talking until way too late.

a couple of nights we got the kids ready for bed and the moms went shopping. one night we all went to harbour town to see the lighthouse and gregg russell. one of the kids in our group got picked to come up on stage! he sang country roads. everyone cheered!

we had a couple days of scattered showers, and one day of all-day rain. the kids and dads went to the beach anyway.

saturday - driving. a lot.

i could go on and on - crafts with the kids, getting some sun, diving for quarters, t-shirt shopping, i really couldn't have asked for a nicer vacation.

"ah, how good it feels! the hand of an old friend."
henry wadsworth longfellow

a gift of proactiv

actual mall conversation...

"there's the proactiv machine."
"yes, that's cool."
"want me to buy you some to try, my treat?"
"no, i'm trying some organic stuff right now."
"are you sure?"
"yes, i'm 30-ish, i shouldn't need acne medicine."
"betty buys it for her daughter-in-law."
"really?"
"she mails it to her."
"cool."
"let's try some."
"not today, thanks."

so guess what just came in the mail? a package from my mother - proactiv. thanks for giving me a push in the right direction, i guess denial is not just a river in egypt...

i still think i am way to old for acne. (and really too old to say "cool" so much) it doesn't seem very green, seeing as i am trying not to put chemicals on my face, but i will try it and keep you posted. change could be good. maybe mothers really do know best, vanessa williams does look great...

a minor inconvenience

i finally sat down to read the selection i made at the library -
LAST WEEK.

i have wanted to read "an inconvenient truth" for a while, he did win the nobel peace prize after all, beating out this outstanding woman...

http://www.irenasendler.org/facts.asp

so i start reading... pictures? simple theories? how did this dude win anything?

oh - wait - look closer - ADAPTED for a NEW GENERATION...

dang it! no wonder it was in the kid section. now i have to go back to the library for the real deal.

note to self - go alone...

windfall woes

my father-in-law sent this article to us last week. i had to find it online and share because it was so humorous.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121426179372898217.html

my in-laws' windfall disappeared with fixing the air conditioner, the washer/dryer, and a hail storm that left little divots in their brand new car...

our windfall experienced a similar demise. we finally ordered g some bedroom furniture, so of course, the washer died. now we are experiencing the "service engine soon" light in our car. wonder what the third thing will be? i am afraid to think about it...

anyone else experiencing dwindling windfall?

parent's delight

ho-tel mo-tel hol-i-day inn...
if your kids start actin' up...

ahhh fourth of july weekend - spending the night in a hotel room.

i have to admit, it went way better than i ever thought, although g kicked me for almost 6 hours straight. that child is restless. i'll make sure not to bunk with him on the way to the beach.

we also didn't get free breakfast, what is even up with that?!?! fortunately there was a 7-11 next door with coffee, pop tarts, and chocolate milk. plus doughnuts!

the kids loved the pool, and i enjoyed the hot tub, i tried not to think about the fungus, and just chilled.

the best thing was the "green" i saw in the hotel. light bulbs, fabric shower curtain, low flow shower head. probably saving them a ton of cash, but still kind of cool.

we got pizza sauce and marker on the sheets, but so what? gotta love it.

oh - AND - we weren't the loudest people there... hip hop hippie!

the underrated ramekin

a few years ago i received some ramekins from my mother. they sat in my cupboard and collected dust until her friend sent me this recipe from oprah. it is one of those super-yummy desserts that is easy to make, and makes a good impression on guests. like you worked all day...

http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/food/recipes/food_20030718_chocolate.jhtml

when i saw that fiestaware makes ramekins also, i bought some more. they have to match my dishes, no?

real point of the post - since we have purged our house of all plastic, these little ramekins have become indispensable. the kids haven't broken one (yet) either. some examples of what we have used them for just in the last few weeks...

mac 'n cheese bowls
rice bowls
chili bowls
strawberry shortcake
pudding
cheez-it containers
small cereal bowls
fruit salad
regular salad
syrup bowls
veggie dip bowls
ice cream bowls

they are the perfect kids' size. love them! does anyone else love their ramekins?

she is me

she steps down onto the grass and makes her way to the tent. her heels sink into the ground, but these are the only black shoes she owns. she is not prepared.

whose shoulder will she hide behind when the wicked witch of the west is on the screen?

just minutes before she had left the room. the room was happy enough, but the people were not. they all had sad hearts. she thought she could be grown-up, walk right in and be brave. she could not. she could tell that it wasn't him as soon as she glimpsed his pale skin. she could walk no further. she leaves. better to remember him the last day she saw him, his wife combing his hair, and sitting on the porch talking. like always.

who will let her eat fudgesicles for dinner?

under the tent she waits. family sobs. she cannot. through the prayers, the songs, the military rifles, she stands and stares at her grandmother, who is shaking with grief. she still thinks she is dreaming. the presentation of the flag, "from a grateful nation." she thinks they should have said, "from a grateful family." memories, too many to count, replay in her mind.

who would ever buy her another pony?

back at the house there is a picnic. not unlike many she has attended here. but it is different. everyone is different. changed. forever. the usual air of joy is sprinkled with moments of solemn reflections, tears. it is a different concept for her. for all of them.

who is going to let her ride in the back of the truck?

she leaves. back to her life. her young family. but she is different. grown-up some more. she doesn't like it. she leaves behind a grandmother. a grandmother that is sleeping alone tonight. and for many nights to come. she doesn't like it. she is crying as she writes this. it is finally time.

he will be missed.

28 minutes

i just spent 28 (count them) minutes at the library with my kids. i signed k up for a storytime and *thought* the other two could read some books while she listened to her story.

mind you, i am not frazzled because these things happen to me, i am frazzled because even with mountains of scientific proof that i shouldn't, i still leave the safety of my house...

our 28 minutes, broken down -

2 minutes in the parking lot, trying to unbuckle everyone who is crammed in the backseat of mm's car. the suv is with mm.
2 minutes checking in - one to actually check in - one to find my kids after checking in.
1 minute to get k settled into a spot.
1 minute to get g settled into a spot.
1 minute to get m settled into a spot.
4 minutes k stayed in her spot and listened to a story about butterflies.
2 minutes with g while he looked for a lego book.
2 minutes with m while she whined about not getting a turn on the computer.
2 minutes to change k's pull-up, that has already soaked my shirt.
1 minute to get our craft "to go".
2 minutes with m to pick out a book to take home.
1 minute to pick out something for me to read.
2 minutes to check out.
1 minutes to fill out summer tickets to put in the raffles.
2 minutes for kids to decide what raffle basket they want to put the tickets in.
2 minutes in parking lot cramming kids back into mm's car.

seeing it all typed out it doesn't look THAT bad. maybe i'll try again tomorrow...