Living With Sticky

Boy Oh Boy... Oh Boy!

2010-08-02T00:21:00.000-04:00

The writer of this blog has:
a) Fallen off the face of the earth.
b) Been locked away in her son's bedroom (the room where she turned the lock around to keep them in.)
c) Quit blogging.
d) None of the above.

If you guessed "d," congratulations! You are correct! What then, say thee, has happened? Well, you should find it no coincidence that the current last blog post is dated May 18th... the last day of preschool for the 2009-2010 year. It turns out that being home with 3 children ages 5 and under day after day after day after day after exactly 74 days is incredibly tiring. I've tried the pool, and while that seems to wear the kids out, it wears at me even more. I've tried the parks, but let's face it, this summer has been hot. Super hot. Too hot for me, too hot for them. I've tried craft projects, but I am out of glue and out of patience. I've tried the library, once. Mistake. I've tried the mall, twice. BIG mistake. Same thing for Target, the grocery store, and any other retail establishment.

Lately I have resorted to DVD's, previously recorded shows on the DVR, and Nick Jr. Do I feel guilty? Absolutely NOT! Afterall, I still have to get the cooking, and cleaning, and laundry, and everything else done around here.

And then there is this other "little" project I have been working on this summer. Turns out, that things are about to get a ~~little~~ lot more sticky around here. You see, our family, {insert drum roll} is expecting another baby!! I am currently at 20 weeks and we already know that we are having a third BOY! Oh boy!! The due date is December 23rd, so I expect this Christmas to be very eventful!

I have enjoyed the reactions from close friends and family as we have shared the news. Some of my favorites include:

"Was it planned?"
"Better you than me!"
"Are you excited?" (accompanied by a shoulder shrug and wince)
"Are you getting fixed after this one?" (accompanied by head tilt, chin down, eyebrow lift)
and my favorite... "You know what causes that, right?"

And then there are those that have asked if we are working on our own reality show. Specifically, if we are trying to be like the Duggars. You've seen them, the family with like 14 or 17 or 18 or 20 or so kids and Still Counting. The answer is NO. And at my age, the only way we could ever catch up to the Duggars would be to pull an Octomom stunt twice over. However, those questions did get me to thinking. If we did have our own reality show, what we name it? I thought of some adaptions of current reality shows.

Four Kids and Counting (Subtitled: The amount of money they will cost us thru college)
The Real Housewife of O.C. (Organized Chaos)
Tot Chef
Big Brother (and Little Brother, Sister, and a Baby)
Project Runaway
Wiped-out

I could keep going, but I think you get the idea. For now, I will just keep blogging. And at some point, I am going to "backfill" some blog posts that will prove we really did have a life in the month's of June and July. Fan us on FaceBook to keep up with our latest post. And one more thing, wish me luck and rest. Lots of rest.

Graduation Day

2010-05-18T22:06:00.024-04:00

My little man "Big Sticky" graduated today. Not from college, not from high school, not from kindergarten... from pre-school. The Fours. My big little guy is now five and headed to the big "K". The preschool had a graduation ceremony along with cap and gown pictures.

My mom and I arrived at the ceremony a full 45 minutes early so we could get a seat down front and have room for Princess in her umbrella stroller. (Without being strapped into the stroller, she would have never made it through the ceremony.) And thankfully Little Sticky was having a year end beach party with his class.

Big Daddy arrived just in time before the ceremony started. All the Fours walked in to Pomp and Circumstance (and yes I got a lot teary!), and then proceeded down front to sing a few songs for the parents.

Overall, we were so very proud. With one exception. As each graduate approached their teacher for their diploma, the Director shared the child's future aspirations. Most of Big's classmates dreamed of becoming a Firefighter or an Olympic Athlete or a Teacher or even a Doctor. Big? He aspired to "Put his shoes on by himself." Since he was the very first one to step onto stage and accept his diploma, I thought, "Oh, that's so (kind of) cute." Soon after though, after hearing everyone else, I was a little embarassed, mortified, hoping no one would remember that first kid...

That got me wondering, why he would aspire to put his shoes on by himself? Afterall, he had been doing it since he was three. Then I remembered, a few days earlier, Big had left his sneakers on the trampoline in the back yard. The sprinklers came on, soaked the already tight shoes, which when dried, no longer fit.

The only option was a pair of canvas sneakers with a super thin tongue that Big struggled un-bunching each morning as we were rushing out the door in our usual late manner, causing me to assist him. So there you go. The mind of a pre-schooler. The future is the present and the present is all that matters.

Notice how all the little children are facing forward... except Big.

He's the one on the corner... talking.

Getting his "diploma."

This is what a preschooler looks like when he stays up until 11:30 the night before.

With a few buddies.

His cap and gown picture. SO grown up but still SO cute!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T00:12:00.001-04:00

I typically only buy greeting cards for birthdays and the two "big" holidays. Not Christmas and Easter, but those other two that were seemingly created by the greeting card companies just so you would buy their overpriced paper products... Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Choosing the right Mother's Day card is no easy task. First, you have to jockey for position in the Hallmark store. And if you are also buying for a Grandma, or a Great Grandma, or a Mother-in-Law, or a Sister-in-Law, or a Sister, or an Aunt, then you have to fight positions several times. And if you go to the greeting card store during lunch or just after work, that makes your struggle all the more difficult. Waiting until the Friday or Saturday before said holiday more than quadruples the crowd. Lucky for me, I was able to go early in the week and early in the day so I only had to throw a few elbows and "excuse me's."

When choosing my MD and FD cards, I use the chuckle factor for my dad, and the choke factor for my mom. When I say "choke," I am referring to the lump you get in your throat when you find just the right card.

Before I tell you how this year's perfect card reads, I must give you two background notes. One, when I was a tween, my mom tried her hardest to french braid my super fine hair. She literally would spend nearly an hour twisting and combing and tucking and huffing to get my hair to stay... only for it to fall out before second period was over. Two, in the last week, Princess has grown just enough hair to sport two of the cutest, crookedist, teeny-weeny, pig tails.

So here is the "choker." A photo is affixed to the corner of a brunette mom french-braiding her blond little girl. Props and credit go to Hallmark for this tear-jerker.

When does a daughter need her Mom?
She needs her when she's little...
to kiss her good night
and sing the lullaby...
to do her hair
(and get the pigtails just right)...

A girl needs her mom
when she's finally ready
to set out on her own...
to give her lots of good advice,
to hug her and tell her
she knows she'll do just fine...

A gril needs her mom
when she's not really a girl anymore...
to smile at her
when she tries on her wedding gown...
to hug her through teary eyes
at news of a baby on the way...
to sing her kids the lullaby
(and get it just right)...

When does a girl need her mom?

Always.

Happy Mother's Day!

This is what three generations looks like.

Princess with her Grandma.

Mommy and her little Princess.

And if you ZOOM out on the last photo, you get mommy and all her babies.

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

You Might Be a Redneck...

2010-04-12T22:53:00.008-04:00

Below are four completely random details that eventually collide to make for one good adaptation on my part. Work with me.

Detail #1
I've been referred to many times as a Southern Belle. I think it's my accent, err, I mean drawwwwl. In fact, I have very few one syllable words in my vocabulary. Truth is though, I'm not really a Southern Belle. I'm actually just a redneck who never left "the city" after college.

Detail #2
When I had my boys 18 months apart, my mom bought me a Peg Pergo double stroller. My husband said it would be great for me to take the boys shopping. What he meant to say, was "This will be a great opportunity for me to go play golf and for you and your mom to *enjoy* yourselves shopping with the boys." Get real. With two young boys, shopping and fun do not go together. Period.

However, I really liked the stroller. It was compact and light, and remarkedly roomy for the growing boys. The bottom storage was also adequate for lots of shopping bags and once I added S-hooks to the push bar, I could tote even more bags.

The only thing I didn't like was the fact there were no cup holders. Who makes a stroller with NO cup holders? Apparently the stroller was made for structured families who have unbreakable rules as to "no food or drink away from the table." I tried several different attachable cup holders, but none worked to my liking.

Detail #3
My husband (bless his heart) needed to travel out of town for a last minute presentation. He asked me to go buy him a Sports Jacket at the mall (since I didn't have anything else to do). Like I'm just gonna walk into the mall toting two kids under 3 and *presto* find a nice jacket, in his size, at an affordable price and all in time to pick up big brother at preschool by 1:00.

Detail #4
Little Sticky apparently sprained his hamstring at a friend's birthday bounce house party on Sunday. Rendering him unable to walk.

Collision
This morning I pack up the double stroller (after dusting 80 pounds of pollen from it) so that after dropping Big Sticky off at preschool and stopping to get a much needed cup of coffee, I could take the youngest babies (one who cannot walk) to the mall to find a last minute Sports Jacket.

I had not used the stroller in quite some time and the last cup holder I used apparently had fallen off (like the previous five or six or seven or so.) I had to do something with my coffee cup since I needed both hands to steer 60 pounds of little people. Here is where the redneck comes out in me. I grabbed a Toy Story sand bucket that I found in the back of the van and placed it in the S-hooks I had previously bought to hold shopping bags and VOILA... a cup holder.

I put two baby wipes in the bottom of the bucket to keep the cup from moving around and to absorb any potential coffee spills. And when I was finished with my coffee, it became a great holder for my cell phone and the Buzz Lightyear and Woody action figures that the kids kept throwing to the floor.

And as we were leaving the mall (in a big hurry mind you) I remembered one other thing that I loved and hated about this stroller. On good days, I could literally collapse the thing with one hand. On bad days or times when I was just in a big hurry, no amount of flicking or pushing or squeezing or cursing or kicking or shoving or forcing or crying or screaming would get that thing to fold for me. This of course, was one of those days. So what does a girl do?

She picks it up and shoves it in the mini-van that she swore one day she would never, never, never, never, never, never, never, NEH-VERRRRR drive!

Hoppy Motoring!

2010-04-04T22:28:00.002-04:00

Exxon used to have a saying "Happy Motoring" over all their garage bays. As a tween I always wondered what did "motoring" even mean?   That just seemed like a strange saying to me. Then, low and behold, when I was in high school one of the biggest ballads of the day was "Sister Christian" with a line "You're motoring, what's your price for flight..." Being the total geek that I was, I had to buy myself a Tiger Beat to know what they were actually singing. I mean who uses the word "motoring" anyway?

So, on Easter Sunday, I decided to get the kids all dolled up in their Easter Sunday duds and "motor" an hour and 40 minutes west to my "home" church for Easter service. Since we had just motored home from a week at the beach late Saturday evening and I knew there wouldn't be any food in the house for breakfast, we stopped at Krispy Kreme for not one, but two dozen original glazed. After we arrived home and got the kids out of the car and into bed and the van unpacked, I decided to scarf down a few donuts.  HeHe! Then, I got serious and started ironing their clothes for church, packing a change of clothes for an Easter Egg Hunt at my brother's, and then played errr, the Easter Bunny.

I was so proud of "my team" Sunday morning. Everyone got up and dressed with enough time to see what the Easter Bunny had brought them. A bucket of Toy Story soldiers for Big Sticky, "The Princess and the Frog" movie for Little Sticky, and a Buzz Lightyear for Princess. (BTW, should I be concerned that Little wanted the Princess movie while Princess is totally infatuated with Buzz and Woody?)

With all the crazy rush of the morning, I mistakenly didn't pay enough attention to how much of the Gummie Eggs or Marshmallow Bunnies or Krispy Kreme donuts the kids ate before we took off motoring. My husband helped me load up the kids before he needed to not surprisingly work unexpectedly. I headed out of the driveway on time and off we went. About half way thru the trip, I called my dad to give him our ETA and have him reserve a seat for us.

About three minutes after hanging up with him, and while elevator music was playing in my head, I longingly looked back at my sweet and adorable children as they are watching their new movie. {insert DJ scratch here} Instantly my heart sank as I see Little Sticky with clenched shoulders and a sour pickle look on his face. "Oh no!" I thought. Seconds later, you can only imagine what came out of that child. I guess all that sugar combined with sitting in the back seat of a vehicle travelling at highway speeds was not the best combination.

From the front seat I tried calming Little down while telling Big (who has the most sensitve gag reflex on the planet) to cover his ears and look away. Frantically, I try to figure out where to pull over. Once I realize the next exit is two miles away, I call my dad back before he heads into Sunday School to tell him what has happened. I kid you not, the moment I hang up the phone, Princess starts throwing up. Are you kidding me??? This is NOT happening. Ok, okay, calm down. Keep your composure. It's Easter Sunday, watch your language young lady!

I finally pull over and start to triage the situation. With guarded hands and held breath, I climb into the back of the van (in my heels and a silk dress mind you.) I pull Little out and ask him how he's feeling and if he thinks he might get sick again all while peeling off his layers. He had been so proud of how handsome he looked in his little navy vest, button down, and khaki pants (minus the bow tie that he flatly refused to wear.) After I undressed him, he looked down at himself and said with the biggest most disappointed pout "Oh no! Now I'm just all messed up!"  I thoroughly wiped him down, cleaned off his shirt, vest, pants, shoes, and socks using about 75 scented baby wipes. I then gave him a suuuuper big hug and a kiss on the forehead.

Surprisingly his clothes didn't smell bad at all, they smelled like, well, a Krispy Kreme glazed donut. (hope that doesn't spoil your future appetite for a KKOG). Luckily, I had a clean undershirt packed with the change of clothes so I put that back on him and laid his tops in the passenger seat to dry from the baby wipe scrub down.

Keep in mind that Princess is screaming this entire time. However, Little was the priority since her bib caught most of her mess. I climb back into the back of the van so that I can wipe down the car seat, straps, the floor, the back of the seat in front of him... did I miss any place? I put him back in his seat and cover him with his blanket just in case he's not finished.

I then turn to Princess. She was a little easier since her bib, bunny, and blanket caught most of her returned donut. Fortunately, I had her dress on a hanger (since I didn't want it to wrinkle) and her cotton slip faired well thru the ordeal.

I was so glad I had put a new pack of wipes in the car the night before. I literally used the entire pack cleaning up ALL that mess. I tossed all the dirty wipes in a grocery bag, and all the dirty washables into another bag. I then took the biggest sigh EVER before straightening my dress and getting back in the van. Another deep breath before putting the car in gear and taking off into the land of motoring. Hoppy Easter Motoring.

BTW, some how, some way, we still made it to church on time. The second miracle of the day.

The first being the Rising of our Savior! Happy, Happy Easter!

Beach Bound

2010-03-28T11:57:00.069-04:00

With three small children, "FOR-ever" is a gross under-estimate of the time it takes me to pack for a roadtrip. And let's be honest, with at least one kid wearing diapers and using sippy cups and bottles, it doesn't matter if it's an overnighter to the grandparents or a month in a wildreness camp, kids need lots of stuff.

Adding to the choas and the need to take more things, is a transitional season beach trip when the day to day, sun up to sun down temperatures range from 52 to 92. Not only do I need to pack everyone sunscreen, shorts, and bathing suits, but we will also need long sleeve tees and hoodies.

I despearately wish my nitpicking non-decisive self would take packing advice from my three year old (who actually sat in his car seat for two hours prior to departure). He was SO ready to GO!

Surf board for self.... check.
Surf board for brother.... check.
Baby gate for sister.... check.
Buzz Lightyear wings.... check.
Toy Story sand bucket.... check.
Teddy.... check.

All packed and ready to leave for the beach!

And then once we got there...

All dressed and ready for a day on the beach!

Horsing Around

2010-03-27T23:10:00.138-04:00

Big Sticky was invited to a "Dress Like a Cowboy and Ride a Horse" Birthday Party. We didn't have any "cowboy" gear, so I Facebook'd and emailed several neighbor's that had boys.

This is what we came up with.

Don't he and the birthday girl look so darn hootin' tootin' cute in their cowboy gear! Aren't they just adorable?

And here he is with his "other" girl. :-)

Can you kind of tell he was tired of all the picture takin'? I mean really, he just wanted to get on and ride!

And here he is on his Buckin' Bronco, Whiskey.

"They" (the clueless people at the horse farm) actually asked me to "lead" the horse. Seriously? You want me to lead? All I could think of was "What if I do something wrong and the horse goes from trot to gallop in less than 60 seconds taking my baby through the woods and off to the next county all the while dragging me behind still holding on to the lead?"

While Big looks a little brave here, I don't think he's quite ready for a bull ride. Whiskey was quite the tame horse. Although I did have a little trouble keeping him (the horse) away from the grass. Apparently grass is like candy to a horse. I had no idea.

I also had no idea that when a horse eats a lot of grass, it makes him poop.

And if you are ever by chance leading a horse and he stops, it might just mean he has to poop. And if he does, you might want to stand back a bit.

At first I thought "Why our horse?" Then I quickly realized, better our horse than the horse in front of us.

And if you are ever leading a horse that is following another horse and the horse he is following stops to "relieve" themself, you might just want to watch your step...

And don't he look just so grown up in this one?

And while I've got you looking at this last photo, don't you think the people that make horse ridin' helmets should make one that looks like a cowboy hat? I mean he kind of looks like a kid that got dressed up in cowboy gear only to change his mind at the last minute and go skateboarding instead. Still cute and all, but I'm just saying...

Soooo 2010

2010-03-23T23:50:00.000-04:00

I cannot tell you exactly what my brother and I may have done on a typical Saturday morning when we were 5 and 3. More than likely there was a conversation in front of the TV that went something like this.

"Mo-mmy! Da-ddy! There are fuzzy things on Bugs Bunny again! Can you fix the TV?"

I can tell you it did not look anything like below.

Yes. That is my 5 year old on an iTouch playing games and my 3 year old watching himself pretending to be Buzz Lightyear on the Flip Video.

Soooo 2010. I don't even want to think what my grandchildren may be doing in 2050. Dear Lord! I will be 80 then. I'll be lucky if I'm still breathing.

Reuben Casserole

2010-03-17T21:54:00.001-04:00

I am 40 years old and not until today did I realize people made cabbage and corn beef to eat on St. Patricks day. I learned this from the most trusty sources... while talking to other moms on the playground after preschool and reading several Facebook posts today. And I thought I was good on March 17th by simply consuming a Green Beer and wearing a shamrock lapel pin because at the last minute I forgot I was supposed to don the earth friendly color. Oh well, I guess you learn something new every day!

So, in honor of this tradition I thought I would share a suuuuuper easy casserole with you.

Layer the following in a 9x13 baking dish:
:: 1 pound of shaved corn beef
:: 1 14 oz can of sauerkraut
:: 1 1/2 cups of Thousand Island Dressing
:: 2 cups shredded or 8 slices of Swiss Cheese
:: 6-8 slices of cubed and toasted rye bread

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until cheese melts.

This recipe is SO easy, that you CANNOT mess it up. In fact, you can easily change it to your liking with no fear of ruining the final product. If you like yours more or less meaty, add more or less meat. If you like it more or less tangy, add more or less kraut, if you like it more or less creamy, then add more or less dressing. Well, you get the idea. You really can't mess this one up.

Come to think of it, any other day of the year you can subsitute Pastrami for the Corn Beef. OR, you could even use Ham and maybe Gilled Onions and BBQ sauce with Cheddar Cheese and Texas Toast. Mmmm! Or how about Roast Beef with Peppers, Horseradish, Provolone, and Sourdough? Okay, okay, I'm getting a little off track, but hopefully that will give you a few ideas of some things you could do to switch up this super easy concoction.

I hope you enjoy the meal and all the time you will save!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Happy Birthday Blake!

2010-03-16T00:52:00.008-04:00

My nephew turns eleven years old today!

He had a super fun Survivor Themed birthday party.

All the kids (ages 3-12) were divided into two teams for Survivor Challenges.

My boys gearing up for the Curling inspired Bocce ball contest.

The teams were evenly matched. The Yellow Team won the Bocce contest 3-0 while the Green Team filled their container from the water ballon toss in record time. In the end, the Green Team pulled out the overall victory by completing their "TRIBE" puzzle necklace relay ahead of the Yellow Team.

We ended the festivities with some super yummy cake!

(Seriously, the cake was quite yummy!)

I dug through my archives and found this picture of Blake

on one of his first attempts at fishing.

How cute is he??

Oh, they grow up SO fast!!
Happy, Happy Birthday Buddy!!!

Five on Friday :: A Week in Photos

2010-03-12T01:23:00.002-05:00

These photos represent a somewhat typcial week for us.

1) Little Sticky attends a birthday party with classmates. Notice how he is hanging with the girls. Turns out he has at least 2 girlfriends. Hay-a-nah (Hannah) and Tay-wor (Taylor.)

2) Since Little has a summer birthday, we celebrated his "half" birthday with cupcakes at preschool.
3) Big Sticky in his Martial Arts attire. Watch out Ralph Macchio!!
4) Princess after her bath. She loves looking at "Flower Girl" in the mirror!
5) The boys caught me touching up my piggie polish. They decided they wanted their piggies painted too! (Don't tell their daddy!)

Five on Friday :: Night at the Oscars

2010-03-05T10:29:00.003-05:00

Five on Friday. In honor of the upcoming Academy Awards, this list gives tribute to Mr. Oscar with a few of my own categories and nominees.

And the nominees are...

Best Director
:: Big Sticky in his role as Big Brother (aka The Boss)
:: Little Sticky in his role as the Middle Child (aka No, I'M The Boss)
:: Princess in her role as the Baby (aka The Real Boss)

Best Supporting Cast
:: Four Lambies

:: Lamby and Teddy

:: Bunny

Foreign Film (not the kind with subtitles, more like, something very foreign to reality)
:: Big Sticky for "Boy Who Goes to Bed Early and Can't Imagine A Thing"
:: Little Sticky for "Quiet One That Eats His Veggies"
:: Princess for "Girl That Wears Hairbows and Plays With Dolls"

Costume Design

:: Big Sticky --> Karate Kid Remake

:: Little Sticky --> Urban Cowboy Remake

:: Princess --> Pirates of the Carribean

Best Adaption
:: Little Sticky quoting Buzz Lightyear, "To Infinity and BE GONE."
:: Big Sticky saying the blessing at dinner, "And thank you for our DA-VID (daily bread)"
:: Princess of Sticky with "Hmmm bah wha" (your guess is as good as mine)

Make-Up

Sound Editing
:: Mommy for remembering not to say dirty words when driving in traffic
:: Mommy for realizing that the oldest will ask what I am saying when I try to spell a "code" word aloud.
:: Mommy and Daddy for remembering not to raise our voices when "discussing" important topics.

Picture of the Year

And just for the record, if I happened to be a member of the Academy, then all of these nominees would be winners!

The Final Rose... Are You Kidding Me?

2010-03-01T21:50:00.000-05:00

"Hold on everybody. This is my friend Molly. She's home watching The Bachelor, The Final Rose. I need to take this."

"Hold on Molly.

They are singing that silly Happy Birthday song again!

It is SO loud in here.

Can you speak up?"

"So what's the deal. Who did he pick?"

"WHAT? He picked Vienna? Are you kidding me???"

"Ewww! She is just sooooo trampy.

I mean with the fake boobies

and the nudie calendar

and the ex-husband

and everything!!

What is he thinking??"

"I saw all the rumors that he was going to pick her,

but I just couldn't believe them!"

"And how could he do that to Tenley?

She dreams in cartoons and has rainbows in her diapers!!"

(according to Gia anyway)

"I mean really, how cool is that?"

"And OMG she even made his dad cry! CRY!

Are you kidding me??"

"I'm just in shock over this one!"

"I am SO not watching that show anymore!"

Five on Friday :: Five for Five Years

2010-02-26T15:05:00.009-05:00

Today we wrapped up a week long (literally) birthday celebration for Big Sticky. He had 5 different birthday "parties". I think last year he had something like 6 or 7? So at least the number is coming down.

So this Five on Friday recaps his celebrations.

1) El Magueys. Sunday after church we hit this little Mexican place in my hometown. Approximately 7 guys came out with their "Mexican Orchestra" singing some version of Happy Birthday. (at least that is what I think they were singing.)

I kept trying to get Big Sticky to lift his head so that I could take a "good" photo. But he just would not look up?? When they were finished singing, my dad lifted the hat off Big's head to return it to the Band Leader. Turns out, that hat weighed about 37 pounds. No wonder he couldn't lift his head!

And this is a photo of Princess sleeping at the table. She slept just like this while all those fellows were singing and banging tamborines and playing guitars! I guess growing up with two boisterous big brothers, she is used to sleeping thru lots of noise!

2) Pirate Party with cousins. OK, let's face it, the only thing "Pirate-y" about this party, was the cake, his hat, and the cousins... as they were decked out (pardon the pun) head to toe in matey gear and even performed a sword fight for the adults. BTW, the cake was quite tasty!

3) Red Robin Party. We've been doing Red Robin on his actual birthday since his first. So why break the tradition now? It was a Monday night and apparently every family in town had the same idea. I'm not exagerating when I say that we heard no less than ten times in one hour, "Happy Happy Birthday! May all your dreams come true! Happy Happy Brithday from Red Robin to you!"

4) Preschool Party. You have to party at school with your buddies! His teachers made this suuuper cute hat for him. He wore it home and for the rest of the evening (he even wanted to wear it to his Karate class!) Not sure where the kind of girly looking sunglasses came from. I have since bought him some (ahem) more manly/boyish looking frames.

5) Monkey Joe's. His last party was BY FAR his favorite. This was his first friend's party. I originally thought of inviting his preschool class over to our house for a Pirate Themed Party. After thinking more about the possibility of 12 five year olds in this unpredictable February weather and therefore possibly being confined to the interior of our home running around the house and breaking lamps and spilling juice and going potty , I thought "Arrrgh don't think so!!"

Instead, we opted for a party at Monkey Joe's. One of those bounce here, slide there kind of places.

And how suuuper cute are these ALIEN cupcakes? The kids loved them! If you are interested in getting your own, you can contact the baker/creator at kristen@wingenbach.org.

The Great Frame Up

2010-02-23T23:05:00.006-05:00

I am a sucker for cute picture frames. The sad thing is, only a very small percentage of all the bagillion photos I take actually make it to "print and framing." The rest end up in email, Facebook, Blogger, or they just sit and sit and sit in a little folder on my computer until the end of eternity or until my hard drive hopefully never crashes.

When we were expecting Princess, I didn't change the green wall color in the nursery. Instead I converted a lot of the accessories - basket liners, lamp shades, and of course picture frames, to girly pink. Before she arrived, the frames were sitting empty - just waiting for her sweet face to grace them. So instead of staring at empty picture frames, I had an idea to fill them with memorable things.

Some of those things included gift cards received with baby gifts. Like this one:

And this one:

And then there was gift wrap, like this:

And "artwork" that her big brothers created just for her:

And her monogram that I scribbled in magic marker on a piece of paper:

And then there was this cutie booty that actually came with the frame. I thought it was so cute I left it. I would replace it with one of my own baby's booty but I don't have lighting that good in my bathrooms (nor do I have a claw foot tub.)

And when we were expecting Little Sticky and moved Big Sticky out of the {same} nursery and into his own big boy room, he had an Elmo Sports theme decor. I had a hard time finding coordinating artwork. So on one of my regular trips to Kmart, I found the following Martha Stewart picture frames on clearance. I bought Sesame Street brithday cards, cut the character out of the card and then glued the character onto brightly colored paper and framed them. Voila! Sesame Street artwork! By the way, I found the GIANT stuffed Elmo at Kerr Drugs on clearance for 3.00! He is as big as the kids! They love to throw him down on the floor and lie all over him!

And just in case you were wondering if I actually had any photos of Princess in the nursery, you betcha'! Here is one of my favorites. Look at that cute lil' dimple!

I hope this inspires you to get creative. And you don't even have to limit the idea to your kid's rooms. I've got one photo frame that holds a cute cocktail napkin! If you have some good ideas for picture frames, please include them in a Blogger or Facebook comment to share with and encourage others!

A Pirate Looks at Forty

2010-02-22T14:49:00.010-05:00

So actually, it should read "A Pirate Looks at Five." As in my oldest. Big Sticky, turns 5 today! Yesterday started a week long birthday celebration. We had a super cute pirate birthday cake to share with cousins. Tonight we do an immediate family party at a burger joint (so they will sing to him), Wednesday he will have a giant chocolate chip birthday cake cookie at preschool, and then Friday we are doing our first "friends" birthday party at Monkey Joe's! Oh what a fun week we have planned!

I took this picture last week of my big little guy. He was {kind of} dressed up like a pirate, so I asked him the obvious, "Are you a pirate? Arrrgh!" He replies, "No, mommy. I'm Buzz Lightyear just pretending to be a pirate." Oh! I guess I was supposed to know that.

Here he is last night with his little brother who were both fascinated by the Pirate ship birthday cake.

In case you were wondering where I got the cake, I bought it at Lowe's Foods. Yes. This was a grocery store cake!! They have a new line called Signature Cakes. I thought it was super cute and it included mini-pirates with bendable joints, a canon, a treasure chest, a bandana, ship deck, and a mast. And that's exactly what we needed, more little toys for my little boys to sprinkle all over the floor so that I can step on them in my bare feet. I think they do it on purpose just to try and get dirty words out of me!

And here is a close-up of the crew. Don't their hands just look like they are waiting to be served a frosty beverage?

And here is a photo of my little matey when he was only 9 months old. His first Halloween. I forgot how chunky {and super cute!} he was..

Happy Bithday Buddy!

Friday Free-For-All :: Five for my Five Y.O.

2010-02-19T21:22:00.000-05:00

My first. My oldest. Turns FIVE on Monday. Five! Where has the time gone? So I just have to dedicate this list of five to him on his fifth. I struggled with what items to list. Do I include his 5 biggest accomplishments this past year, my five favorite all-time memories, his five favorite toys, his (only)five knock-knock jokes that he tells over and over, the five movies that he watches again and again? In the end I decided to use 5 adjectives that best describe him this past year. Funny that they all begin with the letter I. "I" just love him so much!

Intelligent - I was worried this time last year that my little guy just wasn't getting his letters. Boy, has he shown major improvement! Not only does he recognize all of his letters now, but we routinely play letter games for fun. "Buddy, what letter does ball start with?" He will snicker and respond "G." "G? Is that correct sweetie?" "No, mommy. That's silly. Ball doesn't start with G! It's a B! I was just playing with you! {snicker, snicker}"

He is also adding. Not sure who taught him that much needed skillset, but he received two $5 bills in the mail for his birthday. He immediately says to me as he shakes the money over his head, "Mommy, five and five is ten!!" Me thinking to myself, "Hmm, how much longer now before I can train this kid to go online and pay our bills?"

Independent - Not only does he like to make his own jelly, mayo, and cheese sandwich, but he likes to choose his own clothes, buckle himself into the car, and push all the buttons on every electronic device in the house.

Independence also translates to bravery. While at Great Wolf Lodge, he scared us all when we couldn't find him, only for him to come barreling down one of the giant slides by himself! He then did it over and over and over again. He is most comfortable in the water and has been swimming face down for the past two summers and has been full out body surfing in the ocean for the past three summers.

Imaginative - This little guy thinks BIG! He is constantly making up stories, and pretend playing, and saying things that absolutely blow my mind.

Some of these things he says are intellectually amazing. While others are just down right cute. Like the time he hit his eye with a water gun. I asked him if I could kiss it to make it feel better. He responded, "but Mommy, a kiss won't make this boo-boo stop hurting. I need a cupcake. One with sprinkles on it."

Innocent - I love that he is NOT into Spiderman or Batman or any of those seemingly more "grown-up" feeling cartoons. He still loves Olivia, Max & Ruby, and Franklin. And when his little brother or sister wants to watch Elmo, he's still cool with that (for now anyway.) Oh yeah, and I love that he still loves to cuddle and kiss and hug with his mommy and daddy.

Impatient - This trait actually tickles me. I hear it several times a day, "but Mommy, that will take too long." It doesn't matter if I have asked him to pick up his toys before he can watch a movie, or finish all of his lunch before heading off to the indoor playground at Chick-fil-a , if he is in disagreement and ready for his next adventure his response is always the same. The whole birthday party thing has been doubly challenging for his patience. "Mommy, how many more days until my party at Monkey Joe's?" 10 days, 8 days, still 8 days.... "But mommmm-eee, that will take way too long!" "It's okay buddy, you will be off to college before you know it!"

Whew! I don't even want to think about that last thought right now! It amazes me how fast they grow up!!

Happy President's Day!

2010-02-15T16:19:00.004-05:00

Normally I don't go around wishing people a Happy President's Day. And unless you are a postal worker with a Monday vacation day, or a shopper looking for good bargain in the middle of February, President's Day is mostly well, just another day.

The boys have been busy this month at preschool learning about Groundhog Day (which became a snow day), dental hygiene, Valentine's Day, and President's Day.

Big Sticky came home this afternoon with the following artwork. I was so impressed, I just had to share. He doodled a picture of good 'Ole George and Abe. George's hair is little more spiked than his normal powdered wig and Abe is missing his signature top hat and beard, however, I thing my almost five year old did an excellent job representing their character. I know, I know, they look just a little like aliens, but hey, what do you expect?

Good job little buddy!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2010-02-14T00:15:00.000-05:00

Friday Free-For-All :: My Valentines

2010-02-12T10:41:00.001-05:00

On this edition, I pay tribute to my Top 5 Valentines.

5. My parents. My mom who travels two hours each way nearly every weekend to see her grandbabies. And while she's here, she typically ends up helping with laundry and picking up toys and preparing food between hugs and kisses and silly stories from the little people in our house. Then there is my dad who travels the same distance in less time (HeHe) to see his grandbabies. And while he's here, he will build out an addition to the playset, or powerwash the fence, or mend our broken gate between hugs and kisses and silly stories from the little people in our house.

Not surprisingly, there is a three-way tie for second (listed in reverse birth order).

T2. Princess. My sweet little girl who greets me every morning with the biggest dimpled grin, gives me real kisses and loves to bury her head in my lap while she gives me big hugs. And like any true valentine, she loves to share milkshakes - both chocolate and strawberry.

T2. Little Sticky. I love, love, love, how this little guy throws his arms around my knees, squeezes as hard as he can, looks up at me with his bright blue eyes and says, "Mommy, I wuuub you!"

T2. Big Sticky. This is my sweet valentine. He gives great big bear hugs and likes to cuddle on the couch while I read him a story or play the missing number game. He is a true big brother and loves to shower his siblings with gentle hugs and kisses.

1. Honey. That's what I've called him since early on. I love how he makes me laugh and plays with the kids and works so hard for our family so that I can stay home with the babies AND he doesn't mind when I add a few pounds here and there (or at least he doesn't seem to mind). And let's face it, if it weren't for him, I'd have a lot less Valentines on my list!!

Happy Happy Valentine's!!

Here We Snow Again!

2010-02-02T13:05:00.020-05:00

What does SNOW mean to a northerner? NORMALCY. My husband who recently returned from Vermont said that it snowed all week. No big deal. They showed no concern of taking to the road and don't even lift from their seat at work to peak out the window when it begins to flurry.

What does SNOW mean to a southerner? PANIC. The mere thought of the little white stuff sends us all scurrying to the grocery store to purchase every last loaf of bread and any remaining jugs of milk no matter the size of the carton or percentage of fat. You know, because we have to eat cereal and sandwiches while we're holed up for 3-4 days.

What does snow mean to a mom of preschoolers? PUNISHMENT. Obviously I have recently done something so terribly wrong to deserve this prison sentence. You might as well lock me up in a messy Lion's Den after rubbing me down with a rare Porterhouse steak and let them chomp at me. Entrapped in the house with the flurry of children bored out of their minds is making me lose mine.

So let me break it all down for you.

Saturday - Day 1: We wake up to approximately 4 inches on the ground. The stuff is still coming down sideways. However, it is no longer snow. It is sleet. The only snow that we do see is from the wind gusts blowing the powder off the roof. When the precip finally stops early afternoon, we start dressing all of the kids. It takes about 30 minutes per child to get them covered in 4 to 6 layers. By the time you get the last one dressed, the first one either needs to go to the bathroom or has already kicked off their boots or mittens. Even so, we charge forward with our wintry adventure. The boys immediately start scooping up the powder to try and make snowballs. When that doesn't work, they start diving into the snow. Everything they were doing led to one thing... after 20 minutes (less than the amount of time to dress each of them) they were wet and cold and ready to go in. Ugh.

We go inside and toss wet pants and mittens and socks and hats and jackets and scarves all over the place. After making hot cocoa, the boys and their 4 year old friend head upstairs while the adults sit down and warm up by the fire. Ahh! Now this is more like it. We talked about adult things all the while naively thinking the children were upstairs playing nice. Little did we know the boys were very busy throwing toys - lots of toys - out of their second story bedroom and onto the snowy ground below. OMG! I was horrified! So, after quickly back, back, backing the kids away from the window, I lean thru the same opening trying to grab the toys off the roof. I had to use part of their train track to flick the remaining toys onto the ground to join their toy friends. I then grabbed a bucket to trek out into the snow and pick up all the toys. The boys were then promptly put in their pjs and ordered to bed.

Day 2 - 4 (as they just announced school is closed again tomorrow) coming soon! In the meantime, enjoy pics from Day 1.

And as a sidebar, we have purchased additional safety locks for the windows as the children have obviously figured out how to unlock the ones originally provided by the manufacturer.

The picture above are the toys that landed on the roof.
The picture below are the toys that landed on the ground.

And below are all the toys that were picked up off the ground. Still covered in snow.

And of course I have to include pictures of my little snow bunnies all bundled up.

Friday Free-For-All :: The Airport

2010-01-29T11:22:00.009-05:00

My husband has recently been travelling for work which involves frequent trips to and from the airport. This Free-For-All list is all about the airport with preschoolers.

1) Little boys think that moving pedestrian walkways are the coolest thing ever. And mommies think that moving pedestrian walkways are the coolest thing ever for keeping little boys busy. How much do you think it would cost to have them installed in the backyard? Better yet, it would be super cool to have a bi-directional one installed upstairs in the hallway. That might just make laundry more fun.

2) One evening while my husband was gone, we decided to try Skype. The boys got so excited because they were going to get to see Daddy. However, when Big Sticky realized it was on the computer, he said "But I don't want to talk to that Daddy. I want to talk to the Daddy we left at the airport." (Rest assured folks the two daddy's he is referring to is one in the same. No breaking news stories here... just a little boy who thought he was going to see his daddy in person.)

3) When trying to get your sons to be careful on the escalator, you might want to make sure that you are also doing the same. Especially when wearing wedge shoes and toting a child on your hip. Yes. I tripped up the escalator. Fell on my bum. L'edMAO. Made a quick glance around to see who was looking, and then brushed it off as if one of the boys accidentally fell into me.

4) Immediately after getting daddy, piling all the kids and luggage into the car and then taking off, Princess decides she is overcome with emotion and gets sick... very sick. It was yucky and stinky. And because of airport security, you can't just pull over anywhere to clean up everything. We finally pull over at the observation deck so that Daddy could get the boys out and keep them safely preoccupied while I cleaned up Princess, the van, and her carseat. It was so smelly, we had to drive home in the freezing cold with the windows cracked open. Ugh.

5) Speaking totally from my husband's perspective, there is probably no better feeling than to arrive home after a long week of unfamiliar people and places to hear two little boys yell at the top of their lungs, "Daddy! Daddy!" as they dart thru strangers to get to their very own Super Hero. Oh yeah, and then there is Princess who is practically leaping out of her mommy's arms to get to her Prince Charming.

Welcome home Daddy! And just in time to play in the snow!

Fourteen Baby Dolls

2010-01-25T00:11:00.000-05:00

This Christmas, Princess received no less than 14 baby dolls, a giant head stuffed Mickey Mouse, and a super soft fluffy puppy. Her toy(s) of preference?

Still the planes...

...the trains

...the automobiles

...the Gator

...the trike

...and the Leapsters that Santa brought her brothers. Notice a Lightning McQueen Cars game cartridge.

I see a future President of the "Tomboys of America" Club.

Friday Free-For-All :: Kitchen for Dummies

2010-01-22T10:39:00.004-05:00

Second edition of the Friday Free-For-All. This one should be dubbed the Kitchen for Dummies list. And away it goes.

1) Cream of Tartar is a powder. It is also a vital ingredient for Play-dough (if you ever need to make your own). Inquiring minds like myself had to to know exactly what this stuff is and does. So, like any true research analyst would do, I wikipedia'd it. Also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate, CoT is a byproduct of winemaking. Hmm. I was quite fascinated with my new found knowledge. You really should look it up the next time you are feeling a little bit inquisitive and have an extra six minutes to kill.

2) I use one of those nifty little microwave splatter guard toppers to keep my food from, well, splattering of course. It works great and I hardly ever have to wipe down my nuker anymore. However, I recently learned that you shouldn't pop a bag of popcorn on top of it. Turns out the two will melt together. Oops.

3) Canned pumpkin is not found in the canned vegetable aisle. After searching two different grocery stores, I learned that it is shelved with the pie fillings. So there you go. And just in case you are ever told that you can substitute a can of pumpkin for the egg and oil needed to make a chocolate cake from a box, you absolutely can. The texture is almost identical. However, it will have a slight pumpkin taste which can easily be masked with a topping of ice cream. But that kind of defeats the purpose. Right?

4) Diapers can double duty as a pick-up for large liquid spills in the kitchen - especially for those spills that are so far from the sink or trashcan that while running with a gianormous pile of dripping wet paper towels you would leave a greater mess of sticky polka dots all over the floor that, if missed during clean-up, will eventually morph into what I like to call "floor velcro."

5) Spring mounted cafe rods can be used to make your own pantry platter organizer. Simply place two rods on the vertical between shelves. I added a rubber drawer liner to keep my platters from slipping. See photo below. You can thank Martha for this one.

Friday Free-For-All :: Randomness

2010-01-15T20:33:00.001-05:00

I recently learned that a blogger friend of mine does a weekly list. Since the purpose of me blogging is to record and share memories, tidbits, and tiny tales, a weekly list affords me a "quick" avenue for adding more content to this site.

For now, I am calling it Friday Free-For-All. Why Free4All? Because the list is totally random in nature. You may see something one of the kids said or did, something I learned, a milesstone met, or just some indiscriminate mommy moment. I will try and keep it short and limit the list to five items. My plan is to make the posts each Friday - just because I try to flush my brain over the weekend.

Thanks to Melissa for the idea!! So here goes.

1) Princess can now open doors. Apparently, we are raising a future cat burglar. Since she (at only 17 months) has already figured out how to get past child proof cabinet locks, navigate the step ladder in the pantry, climb out of her crib, and can now open doors, we are at a total loss as to how we keep unfriendly kid products out of her reach. I am SO open to ideas on this one...

2) If you happen to run out of glue and by chance have a box of Strawberry Milkshake Poptarts in your pantry, the inside filling will adhere virtually any porous and non-porous substance. That stuff literally sticks to anything.

3) The dollar store = cheap entertainment. Each child gets to choose two items for purchase. One to keep and one to share. I normally get out of there for 6 bucks or less. However, I need to make sure the boys go potty beforehand. Our last visit, they allowed us to go back into the storage room, only for Big Sticky to hit the Emergency Exit door handle. (You may recall he did this once before at Macy's.) Not only is the siren SO loud, it is SO embarassing!

4) Little Sticky announced earlier in the week that he no longer liked Lamby and Teddy and that Sister could now have them. Of course, by the end of the week he had a total change of heart and was back to carrying his two best friends all over the house. Oh how I love that little guy!!

5) Realization. Santa's bounty of toys has caused an increase in potty accidents. Both boys seem much more interested in playing with their new toys rather than listening to their body. Since I can't bare to let eventual boredom resolve this problem, I have reverted back to setting an hourly alarm. Sigh.

Little Boys Caught Making Puddles

2010-01-11T12:09:00.010-05:00

When I was younger (a lot younger), I remember having framed "art" in our bathroom that said "Little boys caught making puddles, Are surely going to be in trouble."

After having a plumber just leave our house, I know two little boys who are surely going to be in trouble! It all started innocently enough with a bath. No, actually it started two weeks ago with mother nature. Frigid cold air and boys being kept inside. So boredom and a bath was the combination for the latest fiasco at this address.

It was late in the afternoon. Neither boy had taken a nap. I had bunko later in the evening and wanted to help my husband out by getting the kids fed, bathed, and worn out. So I feed them lupper (late lunch/early supper) and then put them in the bath, more specifically, I put them in our bath, the big garden tub. And let's face it, for kids, those tubs are like a mini swimming pool. The boys didn't want bubbles 'cause "they're too scratchy?" So after I filled the bath they both dove in and started playing with their water toys while I finish sorting laundry on our bed. That should wear them out for daddy! The last thing I say to them is "No splashing or you will have to get out."

In the meantime, Princess, who also didn't take an afternoon nap, starts getting a little fussy. I take her downstairs to fix her a quick bottle before putting her to bed a little earlier than usual. Just as I am screwing the top on her bottle, I hear a strange noise in the family room. I peak around the corner and nearly gasp all of the air from the downstairs in one breath. Water is pouring through the can light over the fireplace and onto the floor!! O.M.G!!!

I take off running up the stairs and find the two boys still IN the bath and nearly half the water OUT of the bath on the floor. I am paralized. I don't know what to do first! Do I grab a bunch of towels for this floor or the downstairs floor? Do I get the kids out of the tub or just stand there and scream at them? Think! Think! No, take 10 breaths and calm down, nevermind, you don't have time for that! Just get moving lady!!

Okay, okay. So I realize the tub is draining. I plug the tub and start grabbing towels and throwing them on the floor while politely scolding the dear children. Okay, I admit it, I was screaming at the kids. There goes that new years resolution! I pull the boys out of the bath, grab a few more towels and march them downstairs naked and shivering to see the water pouring from the ceiling. I explain (insert little white lie here) calmly that this is why we are NOT supposed to splash. They both look completely puzzled and ask "Mommy, why is there water coming from the ceiling?" BTW, young children don't understand the phrase "DUH!" along with the head nod body language that normally accompanies and the really curious ones will innocently follow with "Mommy, what does duh mean?" Insert deep breath, huge sigh, big eye roll.

I then put more towels down to soak up the water already on the floor and to catch the water still falling from the ceiling, which is finally starting to taper off. I get them back upstairs and dressed and order them to sit on their bed. I head back to the bathroom to start investigating.

Where exactly is this water coming from? I notice there is water everywhere and two different cracks in the caulking. I'm not sure if the water is coming from the cracks or if there could possibly be a leak in the plumbing. So I decide to do a test. I unplug the drain (as there was still about two inches of water left in the bath). I run back downstairs and sure enough water starts pouring thru the light again. It must be the drain pipe!

So just before 5 on a Friday, I am calling a plumber. Not wanting to pay for emergency service, I make an appointment for Monday. The plumber on the phone indicates that when a TV speaker was installed just under the tub 5 years ago, a screw could have pierced the drain pipe and could have recently rusted out leaving a hole in the pipe. Believing his theory, I feel just a little bit guilty for blaming the boys and their splashing.

That guilt all changed this morning when the plumber who cut a HOLE in my ceiling and ran some "drain" tests could not find any leak. Thus, coming to the conclusion that the splashing and the small cracks in the caulking did in fact cause the pouring water thru the ceiling. So as I look up into the 9 inch square hole in my ceiling revealing a pipe and a lovely fiberglass tub bottom, I recall once again "little boys caught making puddles, are surely going to be in trouble!"

Anyone know a good drywall guy?

17 Months Old Today!

2010-01-08T00:11:00.004-05:00

Our little Princess of Sticky is 17 months old today. She could also be called Princess of Mischief. Princess Copycat (she will try anything she sees her brothers do - which is NOT good!) Princess of Happytown. Princess of Sillytown. Princess Dimples. She also answers to Love Bug and Sister Pie (Little Sticky calls her the latter).

Mommy's little multi-tasker!

Just don't text and drive little lady!

Is she sticking her tongue out at me? Is that THE finger?

What IS she doing here?

READERS CHALLENGE: Add the best caption to this last photo in the comments section by Tuesday the 12th and win free editing of your favorite snapshot!!

Editing may include any of the following: Removing stains on clothes, boo-boos on skin, distractions in background, minimizing wrinkles and even taking off 10 pounds!! (depending on clothing pattern as plaid is a little hard to disguise).

Winner will be announced here and on our FB fan page.

Thawing out...

2010-01-05T14:38:00.004-05:00

Brain freeze. Normally associated with sucking down a super creamy chocolate shake too fast. In my case, it is the result of 2 1/2 weeks of Christmas chaos with the Holiday hooligans who because of the outdoor freezing temperatures have been forced to stay inside and resultingly have ransacked my house with their new planes, trains, and automobiles. And I mean that in a total literal sense.

I haven't been able to think, let alone write or blog. But today things have changed. The boys finally returned to preschool this morning and despite the outside freezing temps, this one event has caused my brain to move into defrost mode. Inside my head feels a little more like slush which means we are ever so close to normalcy.

I cannot believe the Season of Christmas is already over. The only reminders that linger are a few pieces of evergreen and glitter that the vacuum missed, several presents still in their opened boxes that I haven't put away, and just under three hundred cardboard boxes that need to be de-twist-tied and flattened so that I can take them to the local recycling center.

Now we move officially into 2010. I haven't even thought about resolutions. I just know that I need to eat less, exercise more, and yell at the kids a little more softly. So far, I have eaten less, but only because I refused to go grocery shopping until the kids were back in school. The only exercise I have gotten so far is dodging nerf bullets and remote control cars, so I'll have to keep working on that one.

And how about that yelling thing? Well, I must say 5 days into the new year and I have done pretty darn good. After ratting me out the last day of preschool before the holidays, Little Sticky's teacher didn't greet me this afternoon with "Did you talk ugly to him this morning?"

Happy New Year everyone!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T22:20:00.002-05:00

Thankfully, I was able to get at least one photo of all three kids (together in one frame) that worked for our Christmas cards this year!

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!!

Mommy's Wish List

2009-12-15T15:53:00.003-05:00

Dear Santa,

I've been a really good girl this year. Except for that one time when I was screaming and yelling at the children for screaming and yelling. Anyway, I'd like the following for Christmas this year:

** A $3,000 gift card to AutoBell. I know it seems like a lot, but those guys will vacuum out the van for me and I need it done at least twice a week.
** Unlimited hours to that drop-in child care center around the corner. (No explanation needed.)
** A spa visit. Just an hour will do... every week.
** Patience. I know you gave me some last year, but I totally ran out. In fact, could you double what you gave me last Christmas as that stuff was completely gone about six months ago.
** Housekeeping. Now this one's a little tricky. I need a thousand hours. However, I need it broken up into three 1 hour trips a day. Preferably after each meal to clean the floor.
** Gourmet food delivery. That's actually for me and my husband. I can handle cooking up the chicken nuggets and jelly sandwiches for the kids. But I would really like to slop up some epicurean delights with the hubby and I just don't have the time to whip it up myself.
** Clothes. I need lots and lots of clothes for the entire family as one of my new year's resolution is to no longer do laundry.

Oh yeah, one more thing,
** Peace on Earth. I know that's a tall order. And I totally understand if you can't do the whole Earth thing. But could you at least concentrate on the 3500 square feet under my roof?

Thanks Santa!! And I promise to leave out more cookies for you. I left a whole plateful last year, but I think my husband ate most of them before we went up to bed.

Most sincerely,
Sticky Mom

Look Mom, I've Been Published!

2009-12-11T16:53:00.003-05:00

Well, in another blog anyway. I have been asked to participate in a new mommy blog called Southern MOMentum or SoMo for short. The blog is all about Moms hitting their stride in life. It has all kinds of useful and witty information for Moms. It's cute & sassy, and best of all, it will show you that none of us are perfect in the world of motherhood. We are hoping it will encourage you to give yourself a break and to inspire you to live simply and to love and laugh your way through life and the wonderfully, challenging journey of raising children.

Check out my article titled "I Want, I Want, I Want..." and then if you like, bookmark the site and also look for us on Twitter and Facebook!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2009-12-03T01:32:00.016-05:00

A picture is worth a thousand words. But in the case of a Christmas Card photo, a picture is worth a thousand stories. Whether it's a photo from a vacation showing the kids building castles in the sand, or hugging Mickey Mouse, or waiting at the top of a ski lift, most photo card givers try their best to depict a memorable event from the year. Some use a photo with Santa, or a picture of their pet, and some get real fancy, create a photo collage of several pictures and even include a letter of all the exciting things they did throughout the year.

Then there are those of us who go all out. You know who you are, present company included. The Christmas Card photo must depict your little *angels*, all decked out in Holiday appropriate matchy matchy (or at least coordinating) attire, hair perfectly groomed, and just the right background setting. If you will notice, most families that attempt these photos have children under the age of 5. Why? Because parents of young children are naive, no brave, no, they have too much time on their hands (Ha!) and need to spend hours of prepping and planning for the perfect photo.

But shouldn't we want our photo to be more realistic? Why stage it with all the fluff and stuff? Because nobody wants to see my real life children. That would be a photo of three runny nose kids with crazy wake-up hair, still in their breakfast stained pajamas sitting on the floor in a big pile of messy toys. We'll just hold onto to those photos for screensavers and emails to the grandparents thank you very much.

So, as this story is going, the story behind the photo is not at all about the perfect children in the picture. It is the story of what it took to capture the image. My first attempt of this year's Christmas Card photo was at our Fall beach trip. I got all three kids up and dressed and out on the sand. After my sister-in-law and husband jumped up and down and did every trick imaginable to get the kids attention while I clicked away at my shutter approximately 400 times, I got nothing. OK, maybe one or two that might work - with lots of help from Photoshop. Ugh. I will have to try again.

So this past Tuesday, the weather forecast was sunny, not too cold, and no wind. None of the kids had runny green noses or scratches on their face. Perfect! I'll pick the boys up from preschool, change their clothes, bribe them with a trip to the park, and get this task crossed off my To Do list. It took me approximately 45 minutes to get all three kids dressed and cowlicks combed out and crust scraped off their face. We jumped in the van and drove to a nicely manicured green space in our neighborhood. Lots of room for the kids to run off and not get too bored with my "photo session." I reminded the boys about 6000 times about the trip to the park if they cooperated. Do they even know what that words means? Apparently not.

So, I get all three kids sitting on a pretty little iron bench, remind the boys, "Hands to ourselves," (never works BTW), get myself into position, and then pull out my secret weapon - wait for it - the rubber chicken. Say wha? A rubber chicken. Shh! It's this gross looking rubber chicken that makes the strangest noise - Bagaaawww - or if you squeeze it really hard - Bagaaaaawwwwww. The best part? Kids think it's hilarious. I got the tip while attending a photography session with Sandy Puc. And it works. At least for 1-3 photos. Then I learned it backfires. After I squeezed that bird about 6 times, my boys wanted it. That is when our short lived session first began to unravel.

Then they came. The landscapers. Or better described - the leaf blowers. Our neighborhood is about 1000 acres with tons of greenspaces and parks and they choose the 20 foot radius near me and the kids to blow leaves. Are you kidding me? So Princess starts crying from the noise, which then makes her nose start running. And the boys jump up and run away. Far, far, away, down the greenspace. They can't hear me yelling to come back because of all the leaf blowing noise polution. So I just decide to put my camera down for a few (count to 10 before I lose it) and let the boys roll around in the wet grass to work off some energy. When we finally regroup, I get the kids posed once again, and what's that? A lady. A curious lady and her granddaughter. Standing dead center in the background pointing at us. "That's so cute!" I see her mouth to her granddaughter. Big sigh. The thought of photoshopping out this lady and child is not appealing to me at all. So I dismiss the idea of another group shot and send the kids off to play while I bury my head in my lap. We're done.

Below are a few "Best of the Worst." These (if any) won't be making it on our 2009 cards.

"Mommy, I want to hold the chicken, now."

"But mommy, I already said cheese!"

"Mommy, hold me pl-ease!"
THE chicken.

Big Sticky appearing to choke his siblings.

I sat the boys on the corner, posed Princess facing me.

I quickly backed up, focused the lens, and "click."

Perfect. Just what I was looking for.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-26T23:12:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I could just gobble her up!

Hey! Wait a minute! That's not turkey!

The boys sang some Thanksgiving Day song they learned at preschool.

Couldn't really make out all the words or you know I would share!

Would it be so hard to get both boys to look at the camera and smile? I know, you're thinking, "Hey, you should thank your lucky stars they sat still!"
The reason?
I purposefully waited until their cousins wore them out running up and down the stairs, wrestling, searching for leaves, and throwing rocks in the creek!

Walkie no Talkie

2009-11-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

At 15 months, Princess is finally walking on two feet (my previous post from 08/30 showed she was walking on all fours.) I was hesitant in wishing her to walk. You know, once they start, you can't make them stop. But I was tired of carrying her all the time. And as soon as we were in public, or at least any place with a nasty floor, she would want to get down and crawl. It was killing me.

Now she looks "oh so cute" getting around like a little Frankenstein (as she doesn't bend her knees and simply sways from her left flat foot to her right flat foot). The only difference between her and young Frank, is that rather than holding her arms straight out, she bends the right one at the elbow with her hand up in the air - as if she is carrying a phanthom purse.

Now to the Talking. Currently, she is making lots of noises, but not a single audible word. Just sounds. Weird sounds. In fact, I have dubbed her the Princess of Eghh Neghh. There must be somewhere out there an imaginary Land of Eghh Neghh's. That's the kind of stuff she says all day long. From the moment she wakes in the morning until the time she is ready to turn in, she talks to the Eghh Neghh's. In the morning, I can hear her in the nursery. She sits in her crib with Dolly, Lamby, Bunny, Bear, and Froggie and hams it up. "Eickk neck whick yock." "Gaah gaah yaah yaah." "Leck ik nyick yock."

The phonetics are quite strange. It's not a Mork from York Na-noo Na-noo kind of thing. Instead, everything ends in ck, gh, or ah. The only distiguinshible sound that anyone has been able to discern is "Keeck." Her version of "Thank you." At least she has manners about her.

Am I worried... you know... that someone may think she is a little slow? Oh to the contrary! This is a sign of true genious. How many 15 month olds have created their own language and rule over so many (I count them 8) stuffed animals?

So, with hesitation, I wish to hear just a "Mama" or "Dada." Or anything that consistently refers to the folks that care for her on a daily basis.

I know, I know. Be careful what you wish for. I've already got one that says "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" about 5, 364 times a day. And another that says, "Ma-e, Ma-e, Maaa-eeee" just under 400 times a day. Who knows, maybe soon I'll start hearing "Magh-magh, Magh-magh, Maaaaagh-maagh".

Third Time's a Charm

2009-11-15T21:10:00.006-05:00

So this past Thursday, I get all three kids, school bags, lunch boxes, diaper bag for Princess, my jeans for the tailor, and a bag of stuff to return to Target, all packed in the car. We are SO close to being on time today. Whoo! Hoo!

I go to crank the van and Rerrr, Rerr, Rer as the dashboard lights slowly fade to nothing. Are you kidding me? NOT a dead battery. I jump out of the car as the boys let me know that the movie is not on. Duh! More than likely, THAT is the reason for my dead battery. I had noticed the sliding van door was open as we entered the garage. Most likely that means one of the boys had gotten in the van yesterday while we were home all day for Veteran's Day, left the door open, which lead to the quietness of my engine this morning.

Ugh! I opened the hood, grabbed my charger pack and hooked it up to the battery. Tried the starter and Rerrr, Rerrr, Rerrr. Nothing. OMG. Seriously? I grabbed the house phone and tried my next door neighbor. "Are you busy? Can you please drive over?" I frantically start moving all the stuff, no junk, ok, I admit, its just a bunch of crap out of the way, so that my neighbor can pull her car far enough into the garage for my jumper cables to reach.

She opens her hood and I am surprised by the size of her teeny little battery. Hmmm. That's odd. Oh, well. Let's get this going. I hook up red to positive, black to her frame, then red to my postive, black to my frame. We start her up, then me, and again - Rerrrr, Rerrrrrr, Rerrrrr. It's getting worse. My neighbor then says, "I think the black on mine is supposed to be hooked to the negative charge." Duh. Ladies rule. We can do this! I'm sure that's the problem. We try again, same thing. Uggh. Then she mentions that maybe it has something to do with her car being a hybrid. Hmmmm. As we stand out in the driveway discussing, we see my otherside next door neighbor out in the yard with his dog. We yell him down, explain my dilema and have him drive over. Somewhere in all this, I called my dad a few hundred times who makes sure I have connections in the right place and wonders if my starter could be loose?

While all this is drama is going on outside the van, I've got even more drama inside the van. My screaming kids, all still buckled into their seats asking "what's wrong with the movie", "why aren't we moving", "why is the car broken", "mommy can I get out now", "mommy are we going to preschool", asking my neighbor they've seen a bagillion times, "What's your name again?"

So my other neighbor pulls in, verifies with me that red is positive, black is negative, hooks up to his battery, then to mine, again n.o.t.h.i.n.g!!! What the heck??? In fact, it is getting worse!! So I politely thank a second neighbor and send them both back to their days and resolve to being at home with all three kids for another day. My dad on the otherhand, has plans to drive almost two hours to come help me, because he can't have his baby and her babies be without a motorized vehicle in the event an emergency were to arise.

"Wait" I say. You see, I have one more trick in my back pocket. Not my husband...are you kidding? He is in meetings from the time he enters his work premise until the time he leaves. And because I have emailed him way too many full size 8 MB pictures of the kids, my email and full i.p. address (so I can't make up new emails - trust me, I've tried) have been blocked so that I basically cannot call him or email him the entire work day!

My last option, is my surrogate husband - A neighbor friend, golf buddy, and co-worker of my husband. One of those "Jack of all trades, master of none" kind of guys that can rig most anything to work. So I give him a call, thinking maybe he is off work today or working from home? Turns out he is off on vacation, and currently leaving BJ's wholesale club, headed home.

While I wait, I let the kids out of the car. The boys start playing in the yard in the windy and drizzly remnants of the nor'easter that has lingered for DAYS. I then call preschool to let them know we aren't coming today (since they are more than an hour late into a 3.5 hour school day.) Just as I'm getting off the phone, Big Sticky announces that Little Sticky has pooped in his pants. Well that's just what I needed right now. And to top it all off, I'm about 2 hours past a good cup of coffee. So I get Little in the house, take his dirties off, clean him up, leave him bare bottomed as my third neighbor has now pulled up.

He opens his hood and I gasp with excitement at the size of the battery under the hood of his SUV. It's twice the size of the hybrid, and a third as large as my own. He hooks the cable to his battery with the car cranked, I walk over to my battery and ZAPP!! I squeal as sparks fly. Apparently, I crossed my positive and negative, a big no-no. Anyway, we get it hooked up, and VOILA! It works first try! Yipee! I am ecstatic! An hour and a half late, but ecstatic!

I then run upstairs, get Little some clean pants. Get all the kids back in the car as fast as my arms and legs will allow me and we are off with the movie now playing. I call preschool back to sing, "We're com-ing!" I know they will only get to stay at school for just under two hours, but their lunch is packed and two hours is just enough time to drink a suuuuper large cup of coffee, head to the tailors, and the grocery store, all without preschoolers!

Floored

2009-11-07T22:29:00.016-05:00

I've always enjoyed giving unwelcomed advice tips and I am a less than subtle huge promoter of stuff that works. So, every now and then, when I run across something that I think you may find useful, or I think is good value for your money, I will send out the 4-1-1 (information).

We have hardwood floors downstairs. Dirty, sticky, and scratched, hardwood floors. I started out using Swiffer Wet Jet. The product claimed to be safe for hardwoods and it came with appealing disposable pads. After going thru two bottles of the stuff, my floors started looking incredibly dull. Almost as if they had been stripped of their varnish.

So, I switched to a new product. Orange GLO Hardwood Floor 4-N-1. This stuff is awesome! Not only does it remove the sticky spilled orange juice residue but it leaves my floors quite shiny. Polished, if you will.

The only thing I didn't like about this product is it recommended using a mop head with a micro-fiber cloth. The cloths need to be laundered after using which I felt was a waste of a precious (I've got too many dirty clothes around here to be wasting a) wash cycle. I went ahead anyway and bought a couple of the cloths. I noticed after a few cleanings and subsequent runs thru the washer, they turned crunchy on me. And crunchy cloths no longer make for a nice polished floor.

Hmm. What now? I didn't want to spend more money on cloths. So, since I had a few of the Swiffer Cloths remaining, I decided to try one on with the Orange Glo. Voila! Shiny floors AND disposable cloths. The best of both worlds!

There are a few more tools in my floor cleaning gear bag. They include a broom and a dustpan (duh) and baby wipes and a pizza stone scraper. ???? No explanation needed on the broom and pan. On to the baby wipes. They are for getting up the stuff that doesn't sweep... noodles, lettuce, pop-tarts, sticky buns, you name it. And the pizza stone scraper? That's for when I miss the stuff that doesn't sweep and days later find it adhered to the floor like super glue.

Happy Mopping to you!

Trick or Treat, Sick from Sweets

2009-11-02T06:54:00.001-05:00

Excuse me if I read a little sluggish this morning. The kids and I are coming down from a nearly week long sugar high. We were actually on vacation last week and as of Saturday night, participated in three different Halloween Costume Festivals in four nights. On Wednesday we visited the NC Aquarium on the Crystal Coast. The kids all dressed up and Trick or Treated at different booths, walked a Spooky Trail, and watched an underwater pumpkin carving contest!

Friday night we went to a Halloween carnival at the community center at Emerald Isle. The kids got to don their costumes again and play games for candy which included bowling with a decapitated head, a cake walk, and a donut eating contest. Lots of sticky sweet fun!!

Saturday we headed home, arriving just in time to unpack the car, find our costumes in all the mess, and redress again. By now the Rocket costume was getting saggy, the Angel's tights were tattered, wings were floppy, halo was crooked, and the Dinosaur, well, actually the Dinosaur was fairing quite well. However, Big Sticky, after seeing his cousins dressed twice as pirates wanted to change his costume to a Dinosaur Pirate. Hmm. So, we added a foam swoard and voila, a Dinosaur Pirate! Roaarrrrgh!

Since we were returning from an extended family vacation, my nephews stayed over for Trick or Treating. Another neighbor came over, so we had a good group of seven ready for Trick or Treating.

It was quite funny watching the kid's different personalities come thru as they Trick or Treated. The pirates (my nephews, ages 9 & 10) would grab handfuls of candy. On the flip side, Big Sticky was a total candy snob. If he was handed a particular piece of unwanted candy, he would say "No, I don't want that one." And would reach in the bowl and make a trade. Little Sticky (Mr. Personality), seemed less interested in actually getting any candy, and more interested in greeting everyone. He would yell out "Happy HALLO-ween!" to the generous homeowners. And then would always follow with a "Tank-koon!" as he struggled to reach around his costume and put the candy in his pumpkin. Princess (dressed as an Angel) kicked back in the wagon and carefully watched everything that was going on while she gnawed on a lollipop.

The youth in our neighborhood sponsored a Haunted House. Since it was a sweltering 80 degrees, the pit-stop was a nice little break. While the mid-kids waited in line for the Haunted House, the little kids jumped in a bounce house & the adults took in some much needed food & drink .

After making our way home, my husband pried a sticky eye from the wall (an obvious trick from one house) while I ran bath water for all the kids. I'm not sure if the kids had more fun getting candy or diving thru the bubbles.

Since Saturday, the kids have been going thru their candy stash singing the "I don't like candy corn" song from Nick Jr. I'm right there with them... never been a fan of the candy corn. Oh, and to keep the kids from "suffering" from more sugars highs and crashes, I've limited them to one candy per age per day. So 4 for Big Sticky, 3 for Little, 1 for Princess. Don't worry, with this low rationing the piles and piles of candy won't be around 'til Valentine's Day. Afterall, mommy's ration is 40 pieces per day, so this stuff won't see the end of next week!

A donut eating contest. Big Sticky getting very sticky!

Little Sticky seems a little creeped out by the head bowling.

The only time we saw Little Sticky in full costume. The paci wasn't part of the original costume. However, it was the only way we could get him to put on the glasses without screaming.

The whole gang ready for Trick or Treating. Well, actually, we had a Wow!Wow!Wubzy! that had already escaped at this point.

Prying the eyeball ball off the wall.

Nothing like a warm bubble bath after a long night of going house to house, wearing a hot costume, collecting lots of candy, and consuming tons of sugar.

Spooky Couture

2009-10-27T22:27:00.001-04:00

Halloween is almost here! This is a picture of Princess from a year ago. Our little "Boo Bunny!"

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T22:06:00.004-04:00

Fall is here! The boys were recently playing on my computer looking at videos of themselves. I think there are no other children more interested in themselves than my own. They love to watch themselves in video just as much as they love to look at themselves in every mirror in our home. With Halloween quickly approaching, obviously we turned to the folder from last year's Trick or Treating and our visit to a Pumpkin Farm.

In looking at the Pumpkin Farm photos, I was surprised at how much the kids have grown in a year. I recalled our Farm excursion and remembered how the boys had lots of fun milking a pretend cow, running thru a corn maze, riding the hay ride, and picking their own pumpkins.

While we had a great time, I have to admit, I got a little impatient with Big Sticky as he kept rejecting every pumpkin we chose. I searched and searched for a pumpkin with no blemishes, the brightest orange color, perfect symmetry, yet none of them were good enough. Finally I asked, "Buddy, why don't you like any of these pumpkins?" Through his tears of frustration he said "Mommy, none of these pumpkins have faces on them!" Preschoolers are so cute!! :-)

DYSON vs CUISINART

2009-10-20T10:44:00.004-04:00

Question 1: What household appliance would you most likely use to crush Cheeze-nips?
Question 2: What household appliance would you most likely use to exfoliate your feet?

Before you ask, why would I crush Cheeze-nips or why would I use an appliance to exfoliate, work with me. The correct answer to both questions is the Dyson. You mean, Dyson the vacuum cleaner? Yes, THE vacuum cleaner. I learned yesterday while trying to vacuum a half a box of Cheeze-nips off the floor, that not only will the Dyson pulverize the Cheeze-nips into a bagillion micro pieces, it will spray those same pieces out the back of the machine and exfoliate your feet and ankles! A two for one!

And if you were by chance wondering why there was a half a box of Cheeze-nips on the floor to begin with... Little Sticky, who lives in the pantry, pulled out the box to snack on while I was trying to figure out how to light the burner to our furnace. Apparently, he pulled the foil bag out of the box and laid it on the coffee table. Princess, who was making her way around in her walker, was obviously attracted to the shiny foil substance, picked up the bag, and accidentally dumped it all over the floor. Not yet knowing that she should pick up her own mess, she instead decided to roll over and over and over the Cheeze-nips before getting stuck back behind a chair in the family room.

Hearing her cries for help and unknowing that Cheeze-nips were all over the floor, I ran to her aid and was quite surprised by the crunch, crunch, crunch, under my feet. Trust me when I say, it was a big fat yucky mess.

And in all fairness to the Cuisinart, I guess the Dyson's abilities cannot be accurately measured as the Cheeze-nips were considerably crushed before I tried to vacuum.

Climate Confusion

2009-10-14T21:14:00.007-04:00

The weather this time of the year is like a roller coaster. Take for instance the past two days. Yesterday's high was 76 and sunny. I nearly broke a sweat after a shopping trip to Walmart while loading the van with kids and bags of stuff that I don't really need. Today, completely different. High of 53 and drizzly. Not enough to really need an umbrella, but enough to make your hair a raging mess. Yesterday, I wore short sleeves, capris, and flip flops. Today, I needed more. I needed stuff that about a half a year ago I had tucked away. "Tucked" into the top of my closet, and under the guest bed, and into some bins stacked miles high in the garage.

And it wasn't just me. The kids needed more clothing covering their tiny little bodies. The challenge(s)? Big Sticky is tall and skinny. The new athletic pants I just bought him this weekend had a "fake" drawstring? Who makes a fake drawstring? They fell half way down his legs! Luckily I had bought him a pair of adjustable waist jeans this past Spring. I just had to find them. And then I had to actually "adjust" the waist band. Not an easy task when the clock is tick, tick, ticking as you rush to get everyone out the door.

Moving on to Little Sticky. He should be a little easier since he can wear Big Sticky's long pants from last year. I just needed to find a pair of elastic waist band pants so he can be Mr. Independent in the bathroom at preschool.

And Princess should be a total piece of cake. After all, I had just bought her some long sleeve tees and tights that I could layer with the clothes already packed into her closet. I just needed to find that Target bag. I did get the bag out of the car, right?

If I were more organized, I would have watched the 11:00 evening news, realized the change in weather, and searched high and low for appropriate clothing the night before. But NO, I waited until the 7:00 morning news and in a panic started tearing through the house searching and searching and searching for proper attire.

Adding to the chaos, we dropped my husband's car off for service last night so that it could be worked on while he was travelling for work - like 10 states away. Meaning, I had to get him to the airport as soon as the kids were dropped off.

So after finally getting all of the kids and myself appropriately dressed for the weather I got them into the van and at the last minute remembered to throw into each of their school bags a pair of long pants that will probably not fit. All by myself mind you as Sticky Daddy was responding to urgent emails on his blackberry.

As we head down the road (very late I might add), my husband who is flying to the Northeast for a three day work trip says, "I probably should have brought a jacket?"

And I was worried about the kids.

Could you Spare a Square?

2009-10-12T14:49:00.000-04:00

"Could you spare a square?" A famous line spoked by Elaine of which an entire episode of Seinfeld was written.

In this house, there would be no squares to spare as Princess has likened to unravelling the entire roll. What toddler hasn't squealed with excitement as they spin and spin and spin and spin (all of) the paper off that tiny little roll. Even more fun is when mommy magically transforms the empty roll into a telescope, or microphone, or a rocket ship.

So, after tiring of throwing away perfectly good tissue (and expensive, as we get the kind with added aloe and lanolin), or instead rolling it all back onto the roll, I decided I was going to show little Princess who was THE REAL BOSS around here. I did like any normal man does, and simply set the roll on top of the tissue holder. Hmm! Showed her.

Well, not exactly.

PLAN B: "Boys! We need to close BOTH lids!"

Cash for Gold

2009-10-07T12:11:00.000-04:00

While cleaning out my closet, not figuratively, but literally. Well, actually it was figuratively related considering it is my constantly changing figure that prompted me to clean out my closet. The closet was full of pre first baby clothes, winter maternity clothes, post first baby spring and summer wear (which were BIG), spring and summer maternity from babies two and three, and fall and winter post baby two and three clothes. And sweaters. Tons of sweaters. Sweaters I hardly ever wear because I am almost always so darn HOT (literally not figuratively). And now that ruffles and straight leg pants have made it back on the scene there was a ton of out of style clothes. And then there is the accessories - shoes, handbags, and jewelry. Most of the jewelry is costume, but I came across a bag full of REAL GOLD jewelry.

The jewelry was mostly from the late '80s and early '90s. Pretty stuff - you probably have it too - the Shrimp Dome Ring, the San Marco Bracelet (the one that ALWAYS broke and had to be repaired), the super large Herringbone Necklace and Bracelet SET that would grab at your hairs and make you wince, a most attractive rope necklace, a Gold Coin Ring (is it all coming back to you?). I've seen all the commercials and ads in the paper about selling gold for cash. So I started researching the idea.

I had heard from Dateline or 20/20 or one of those shows to stay away from the Cash4Gold and Hotel Dealers so I immediately marked them off my list. I saw RedSwan on Rachel Ray which is a similar concept of sending in your stuff, except, you have a party at your house and you get a portion of your invitee's proceeds. That sounded attractive, but I couldn't find any reviews on it and didn't want to expose my friends to a bad deal. However, I did think it would be super cool to host an 80's throwback party and have everyone show up with way high hair, acid wash jeans, ruffled shirts (yes, they've come back minus the shoulder pads), and wearing all of their gold jewelry to sell. Fun huh?

Anyway, back to reality. So I simply started going to different local jewelry shops with my bag of stuff and my mom's bag of stuff. The first place carefully separated the pieces into 10K and 14K piles, weighed the separate piles, and then offered me $700 for my stuff and $650 for my mom's. OMG, did he say $700?? I tried to act really cool like I didn't even NEED that kind of money. I then scribbled down the total grams per karat he had weighed and the price per gram he offered me. This is important, because I learned that not all jewelry stores weigh stuff the same.

When I went to the next store, I got excited because they offered "home parties." While he was weighing my stuff, I started thinking of who I would invite to the party, what appetizers and drinks I would serve and all of that fun stuff. Then he came back with his offer. $450. Did I hear him correctly? Thanks but no thanks. Once again, I wrote down the calculations (which he rudely took from me!)
No more business with these guys!

The third place offered me $750 and I immediately took it. Interestingly though, he weighed one of my pieces with the 14K stuff instead of the 10K. This is why you should write down their weights.

A couple of additional notes:
- Call first and ask what they are paying per gram before driving all over town.
- Let them know you are getting other quotes.
- Don't bring your silver, 'cause it is currently not selling at good prices.
- They base their price solely on weight, not craftmanship.
- Some shops pay per penny-weight instead of grams.

So, I took my $750 straight to the bank. I was so excited. I haven't had this much money that I "earned" on my own since I was laid off two years ago! So what did I do with the money, you ask? I bought more clothes! :-)

On My Hands and Knees

2009-10-04T21:55:00.001-04:00

Separation Anxiety: The smiling infant who would happily be passed from lap to lap at the family reunion just a few months before, now becomes visibly anxious and fretful when Mom or Dad hands her off to someone else. Until the infant develops the realization that Mom and Dad are permanent figures, known as object permanence in developmental terminology, she will continue to cry or fuss when she cannot see them.

Little Princess has a Big Gianourmous case of Separation Anxiety. If ever I want to please, please, please, let someone else hold her (since she is still not walking) just for five minutes, so I can rest my aging and aching back, I must sneak away. Just this past Sunday, I dropped her off in the nursery at church, crossed my fingers, said a little prayer, and whispered in her ear "If you please don't cry, we will take you and your brothers to McDonald's after church." (in case you were wondering why she would fall for that one, she is already addicted to fries.) The caregiver handed me the parent pager and off we went to "preaching" (as we call it in the South.) Two minutes into the sermon, and I hear buzzing. As I arrive at the nursery, the caregiver says to me, "She did good until she just 'come apart' on me." "Come apart" being another phrase one might only hear down here in the South.

Not only does this anxiety make it hard for anyone else to hold her, it makes it a little difficult to get her in the bed at night. In fact, my husband has not yet been able to get her down successfully. Until now, I have not let the secret of my success out of the bag. You see, without a trap door in the floor, or a hyperspace button, or training by the master Houdini, or the ability to twinkle my nose and bewitch myself out of the nursery, my husband has been amazed at how I get out unnoticed.

The trick is, I give her a bottle with 4 ounces of milk in the left hand, her paci in the right (so she has another plug when her bottle runs dry), tuck her blankie under her right arm and then - drumroll please - I crawl out. On my hands and knees. Say wha??! Yes, I must craaawwwwl out. At times I feel like a Tiger on the prowl, or a contestant on Survivor - working my way thru an obstacle course to win one for the team, or an aerobic instructor who has created a new exercise for toning the buttocks (only wish it worked).

This bedtime technique works 90% of the time. The 10% of failures are usually caused by one of my knees cracking, or my hand landing on a squeak toy, or my stomach growling, or when Princess decides she doesn't want her bottle and instead jumps up in the crib, drops her paci onto my head, and looks over the crib railing at me as if to say, "Mommy, what in the world are you doing down there?"

So there you go. Another parenting tip for you.

Supper Club

2009-09-22T11:41:00.009-04:00

Every third Wednesday for the past 12-13 years, I've had a standing date on my calendar.

It started out as a group of co-workers getting together once a month for dinner. A few dropped out early on and a few were added a little later. But for the past several years it has been the same 9 friends and former co-workers getting together. Only 3 still work at the same company. So now the evening gives us a chance to keep in touch with each other.

The "Club" started out very official. We rotated homes, had a spreadsheet of who was bringing what and when, and exchanged "Ooh, that was SO good" recipes. As friends, we have been together thru marriages and new homes and divorces and remarriages and babies. LOTS of babies.

So many babies it has changed our club over the years. We no longer get together at someone's home - that would mean one of us would have to clean for a month. We no longer bring dishes - that would mean juggling food prep along with school and ball and dance.

We do however, still get together choosing a different restaurant each month. We meet for good food, great fellowship, and most importantly, a night of no picking up sippy cups thrown to the floor, OR taking a pre-schooler to the bathroom just after your meal has arrived, OR asking the waitress for another red crayon because the kids are fighting over the one, OR eating at a particular establishment just because they have chicken nuggets on the menu or arcade games in the waiting area.

Better yet, we get to lose the sweats, play dress-up for an evening, and carry that cute little bag you just bought from TJ Maxx minus the baby wipes, the extra diaper, and the cell phone you purposely left in the car so daddy can't call and ask what time you will be home.

At our latest meeting, we decided to go "family" style. No, that doesn't mean we met at Golden Corral and had huge bowls of mashed potatoes and country style steak. We decided to get together and include husbands AND children! The end result was 16 kids under the age of 7!! (Two girlfriends were not able to attend and one other child was sick.) So it would have been 20!! WOW!!

The kids had a lot of fun playing together and at the end of it all, we moms were so happy that only one band-aid was required. Our next change of venue? A girls weekend AWAY!!

Professional Stuntmen. Do not attempt at home!

2009-09-21T10:58:00.007-04:00

Top 10 potential dangers associated with this photo:

10 - No helmets or elbow pads or knee pads.
9 - Bungee cords as tow gear.
8 - A covered swimming pool.
7 - Night-time scene lit only by the occasional flash from the camera.
6 - No brakes on the scooter.
5 - Roller blades a little too close to the grass.
4 - Non-attentive "I'm in my own little world" 4 year old behind the wheel.
3 - Mischievous "what's he gonna do next?" 3 year old riding shotgun.
2 - Imaginative "what's his next bright idea" 8 year old on the scooter.

and the number one potential danger in this scene...

1 - Fearless "hey ya'll, watch this" 10 year old on the roller blades!

The Guiding Light

2009-09-17T00:08:00.005-04:00

My brother and I were latch-key kids. (It was ok though as our aunts and grandparents lived next door to us.) Once we got off the school bus, we would grab a box of Fruit Loops, plop down on the floor in front of the TV, and wait for 4:00. That's when our shows (all reruns, of course) would come on - Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Six Million Dollar Man, Charlie's Angels, Eight is Enough, and of course The Andy Griffith Show. The show line-ups would change with the season. And we were only disappointed when the After School Special would pre-empt our 4:00 - 6:00 time slot. We suffered the same disappointment on Saturdays when Wrestling would interrupt our cartoons. Afterall, the only time you got to see cartoons back then was on Saturdays.

The one thing that stayed constant about our afterschool television viewing, was that the Guiding Light was on from 3:00 - 4:00. Because we lived out in the country, had no "cable", and CBS was the only channel we could pick up without fuzz or speckles or wavy lines, we really had no other choice. On most days we could get ABC. NBC, however, was a trickier beast and was dependent on the weather. And just forget about anything on the UHF dial.

Like most people 30 years ago, we had a "console" TV, which was more like a piece of furniture. On top of the TV you would find a lamp, a candy dish, a plant, and this plastic box with a big round dial that resembled a compass in the middle. For those of you who were too young to remember or too city-fied to know (because you had cable), that big round dial helped you get your picture less fuzzy. You would turn the dial to the correct direction - NNW, or maybe SE, or maybe just to E, and wait for the Chi-clunk, chi-clunk, chi-clunk as the lightning rod antenna on top of your house turned to just the right spot. Bringing back memories?

Anyway, I got a little distracted. Back to the Guiding Light. My brother and I would sit and watch these characters day by day. A lot went on with their stories, but not a lot changed. People loved, they lost, they died and came back, they were born on a Tuesday, went to boarding school three weeks later, then returned in another month to run their daddy's corporation or perform brain surgery at Springfield General. My affection for the show carried over to college when I watched it along with the other soap favorites - The Young & The Restless, The Bold & The Beautiful, and As The World Turns.

So, I was very disappointed to learn that after 72 years of story-telling, the Guiding Light would end this coming Friday. "Ohhh, that's so sad!" I thought, "What a shame." So, for nostalgia purposes, I decided to use modern day technology and DVR this entire week of the show. Last night (after the kids were finally in the bed) I turned it on. I was pleasantly surprised to recognize 75% of the characters. And honestly, the story hasn't changed much. Vanessa and Billy are getting married again. Alan Spaulding is in the hospital - don't worry, I don't think it's anything serious. He didn't have an IV, or an oxygen tube, and was wearing Ralph Lauren navy pajamas. He was also sitting up in bed talking to some lady that I didn't recognize while she introduced her, er, life partner, to Alan. OK, so the story lines have changed a little bit in 20 years.

The character recognition, however, is where my pleasure ended. The show looked as if it was filmed in the producers backyard, and in a local grocery store parking lot, and in front of a run-down country club. All the while being recorded with a hand-held video camera. The actors weren't wearing the glamourous Lillie Rubin costumes from days of old. They all seemed to be sporting their own "duds." And what about the other 25% of the characters that I didn't recognize? I believe they were all high school students that had just been picked up at a nearby bus stop. Seriously. It was that bad.

As bad as it was, I will still be watching on Friday to see how this one ends.

Look everybody. It's Phillip Spaulding. He's still there, looks exactly the same, and I believe Princess is developing a quick crush on him just as her mommy did back in the 80's.

Look closely in this photo. The woman pictured is Jeanne Cooper, aka, Mrs. Chancellor from the Young and the Restless. She is 90+ years old. You should remember her, she (and her character) had an actual face lift on the Y&R. Apparently, she is making a guest appearance for Guiding Light. She's still going strong after all these years! Bless her heart!

Big Little Boys Don't Cry

2009-09-14T21:05:00.000-04:00

Unless you put them in a foo-foo outfit with a gigantic itchy collar, clean their nose, and tell them they have to sit still while we take a picture with their new baby sister.

Later (after bribing him with cookies, donuts, and Skittles), he gained his composure and we were able to capture this sweet shot.

These photos were taken a year ago today when Princess was just six weeks old. They grow SO fast!

Time in Lock Up

2009-09-10T22:34:00.006-04:00

I just spent the last 40 minutes in lock up, the slammer, the clink, prison, well actually it was just the boys bedroom. You see, sometimes the best laid plans can um, backfire on you. Since we were are still having problems with the boys getting out of their bed and coming to ours in the middle of the night, we decided to switch their door lock around - so it would lock from the outside. Mind you we have never locked the door from the outside. We just haven't been able to do it yet. Call it paranoia, the thought that something may happen in the middle of the night; a fire, a burglar, a monster, a tornado, an earthquake, I dunno, any number of things could happen. Right?

As I said, we have not used the lock. The boys use it all the time. It's so cute how they think they are locking me out of the room so they can secretly jump on their beds. Or how Big Sticky will "lock" Little Sticky out so he can play with the trains all by himself. Tonight, Little Sticky used it on me. I was reading Big Sticky a story before bedtime. Little (who took a late afternoon nap and was not interested in going to sleep) came in, interrupted the story only to announce that he was "going down-tairs to be wif da-ye." On the way out, he locked the door, and then slammed it shut. Just like in prison.

I kept my cool and finished reading to Big Sticky. Once he fell fast asleep I started thinking how I was going to get out. I didn't want to bang on the door or scream call out to my husband only to wake Big Sticky (and most likely Princess). I recalled predicting this scenario to my next door neighbor. I warned her that if she ever heard me yelling or saw me hanging out from the second floor window that I probably needed assistance in getting loose. But it was dark out. What were the chances that she would actually be out working in her yard? Although she does live so close that I could probably throw a HotWheel (or two) at her windows. I then remembered that I had "hidden" a wire hanger behind one the boy's headboards. Ah Ha! It was still there. I poked and poked, and poked and poked, (and cursed) and poked, and turned the hanger around six different times, and poked (and cursed) and poked a few more times before it finally popped. Whew! That was a close one. I felt a little like Andy Dufrene from Shawshank - minus the digging thru miles of stone walls, and swimming thru sewage, and the weeks in solitary confinement, the clever framing of Warden Norton, and of course the escape to a peaceful, white sand beach somewhere in Mexico.

Just in Time for Potty Time

2009-09-08T20:35:00.016-04:00

We were down to the wire, so close to being shut out from pre-school, turned away at the door, or worse, called to come get your child just as you were half way thru your grocery shopping, but we made it. We my friends, are POTTY-TRAINED! Little Sticky has now made it a full week with NO accidents. I put an emphasis on accident, because we did recently have an incident.

While at "The Hill" for the Labor Day weekend, we had a minor episode. After returning to the house from a boat ride up the lake, I went to retrieve the boy's swim trunks from my brother's house - briefly leaving the three stickies with my dad. Just after I left, Little Sticky announced to Pops that he needed to go to the potty. You must know that Little's bathroom routine currently involves getting completely undressed from the waist down. He then climbs onto the potty and sits as far back as he can go, with his back resting against the back of the toilet. Pops stepped out of the basement restroom and told Little to call him when he was finished.

A few minutes later I returned from my brother's house with swim trunks and towels. Just as I came around the lower driveway on the golf cart, I see my dad emerging from the basement wringing out Little's shorts. Apparently, Little needed to go #2 and when you sit all the way back on the seat, there is not many places the #2 can go. So, it seems that "it" rolled down his leg and onto the floor. At least that is what my dad and I can assume by using our best CSI skills. While we didn't taken any pictures, rope off the area, or officially gather any evidence, we pieced together the scene of the crime enough to get a good idea of what actually happened in there. So there you go. A potty incident. One to tell the future girlfriend. One that we can now laugh about. It wasn't very funny on Saturday when we were wiping poo off the floor, the shorts, the mirror, the shoes, the toilet, the door knob, the underwear, the walls, and the boy.

I tried working with him last night to get him to scoot up a little further on the seat. However, it was half way thru his bath, his butt and legs were wet and slippery and so he literally fell into the toilet. He was actually wedged into the seat. All you could see was his head and his legs from the shin down (or I should say from the shin "up" since his feet were up in the air). In true Little Sticky form, he actually thought that falling completely into the toilet was funny. Luckily all this happened before we finished his bath. I am seriously hoping I don't get a call from the school saying that my son has injured himself by falling into the toilet. Now that would be embarassing.

Anyway, I am very excited to be down to one child in diapers. And even more excited that my Target bill has been reduced by 13.63 with each visit. And even most further ecstatic that I am able to take him to pre-school.... starting tomorrow!! Who-hoo! Yipee!

Double the Trouble

2009-09-04T00:00:00.001-04:00

For some reason, I am always asked "are they twins?" Given that Big Sticky is almost a FULL head higher than Little Sticky, I can only assume it is because I always dress them alike? Anyway, the next question that may or may not follow but I am sure is often thought "Why then do you dress them alike?" Well, here ya' go.

Reasons I dress them alike.
Safety Reason #1 - It is easier to train my eyes to look for one outfit. With two boys, they will dart off in a milli-second.
Safety Reason #2 - If one were to get away, when asked "what was he wearing?", I can always show the exact outfit.
Timesaver #1 - I only have to choose one outfit in the morning.
Timesaver #2 - I only have to choose one outfit when shopping.
Copycat Rule - Little Sticky will do anything that Big Sticky does. I always dress Big Sticky first, then I do not have to worry about Little deciding he doesn't want to wear something. To keep Big Sticky from not wanting to wear what I pick out for him, I give him a choice, Red Shirt or Blue Shirt. He has yet to respond with Green Shirt.

The next question I get is, "But can't Little Sticky just wear his brother's hand me downs? It seems like you are wasting money."

Defense #1 - By the time Big goes thru a season of clothing, everything is too worn or too stained for public viewing. Little does wear Big's hand me down play clothes and PJs. But these are almost always worn around the house or in situations where we don't have to worry about any of the other issues listed above.
Defense #2 - I buy almost all of their clothes at Target, KMart, & Wal-Mart. I also hit the sale and clearance racks at Old Navy, Children's Place, and Gap. I can buy CUTE stuff at these stores for sometimes less than consignment prices.

The final reason I do it is, because for now, I can. I am sure in the not too distant future, the boys will NOT want to dress alike. More than likely they will want to dress like their favorite super-hero or cartoon character or the like. And when that time comes, I will embrace it. But for now, I do it because I can!

Riding the neighbor's Hummer.

At a local park. This shade of green is easy to spot in a crowd.

Admiring the horses in Colonial Williamsburg (after they had run thru the horse's poop in the middle of the street - thank goodness for crocs!).

Even at the beach. Dressed just alike.

One difference here - Big is wearing SPF 50, Little SPF 70.

I hope everyone has a Great Labor Day weekend.

I am offline for the Holiday.

I hope to see you back here next week!

Housework (times three)

2009-09-01T23:01:00.000-04:00

Except for laundry, having three children does not triple my housework by three. However, it does take me three times as long to do any house "work." Take for instance - unloading the dishwasher. Under normal circumstances (i.e., no distractions), this task would take me no more than 12 minutes to complete. With three young children it is considerably longer.

As soon as I opened the dishwasher, Princess toddled over in her walker. Miss Curious needed to see what was going on. She immediately started pulling out all the colorful plastic forks and spoons. Before I could get them out of her hands, she started putting them in her mouth. When I finally pried them from her tiny little fingers, she began wailing her head off started crying. I closed the dishwasher and set off to find her an appropriate "chew toy." After searching thru the playroom, I finally found a gi-normous plastic spoon that came in an egg & spoon race game. That should keep her busy for a few (and its big enough she can't gag herself or poke her eyes out.)

Back to my task. I slide out the upper basket and start pulling out the tons of sippy cups and lids and bottles and nipples and tiny plastic bowls. While the three blue Lightning McQueen sippy cups with twist on lids look identical, they are actually ever so slightly different. If you don't get the right top with the right bottom, they will leak - everywhere. Keep this in mind the next time you are out purchasing sippy cups. Either buy enough at the same time and better your chances of them all being made from the same lot - OR - risk it and buy more later only to find out they were made in three different plants somewhere in China and have the slightest difference in the groves around the lids. While screwing and unscrewing, I am distracted by Big Sticky who has found an old Lightning McQueen push button night lite (do we have enough Lightning McQueen stuff?) that he insists needs new batteries. I reluctantly replace the 4 AA batteries. I say reluctantly only because I am sure that after running off with the night lite, he will turn it on, immediately put it down (with it still on), and forget about it. I will then find it (with the batteries now burned out), hide it, only for him, or them, to find it again later.

Back to dishes. I finally get the upper drawer unloaded and move on to the bottom when Little Sticky announces that he needs to go pee-pee on the potty. I am ecstactic to assist him as this gets me ever so closer to having only one baby in diapers. He asks for privacy on this trip (which sometimes indicates a #2) so I linger around the hallway waiting for him to finish. When I return to the bathroom, I find half the roll of unused tissue all over the floor. I guess since he can't read magazines he needs another way to occupy his time in there. So, after getting him cleaned up and the floor cleaned up, I return to... oh yeah, the dishwasher. It's been so long now I forgot what I was doing.

Forty-five minutes later, I finally get the dishwasher unloaded and all the dishes put away in their rightful spot.

Now, to reload with all the stuff that has piled up in the sink. Get your stopwatches ready...

She's Walking!!

2009-08-30T22:34:00.001-04:00

Er, just not yet like a human. It seems that she is a little confused and has started this new milestone on all fours. I haven't figured out where she got the idea since we don't have a dog, or a cat, or even a turtle. (which is what she looks like). She is excited though and knows that she is really doing something special (Most likely from all of the stares that she's getting).

I guess I should ditch the legwarmers for a pair of gloves.

She's a Maniac

2009-08-27T23:30:00.000-04:00

"She's a Maniac, Maniac on the floor,

And she's dancing like she's never danced before."

From the looks of this photo, one might think that Princess just danced her heart out in an audition for the toddler remake of "Flashdance."

And if you can't possibly believe that she just finished sliding across the floor like Jennifer Beals, then you MUST be thinking, "It's August, It's HUMID, my goodness, why the legwarmers??" Well, you should know that like every real Princess, my baby girl has suuuuuuper sensitive skin - just like her bigger brother, Little Sticky.

If it weren't for the legwarmers, her knees would look like, um, well her feet. See the red marks on the tops of her feet? The red blobs are from crawling on the floor. The red lines are from where mommy tried to put some adorable little pink leather slippers on her piggies to keep them from getting even redder. Apparently, the elastic in the slippers dug into her pudgy little feet causing the red lines. What's a mommy to do? I guess I'll keep slathering her with lots and lots of creams and lotions and moisturizers. Afterall, a girl's got to start primping sometime.

As for the nap? Well, she just wore her cute little self out eating lunch. I think the world would be a much happier place if we were all lucky enough to make time for siesta everyday. You think that's why little ones are oh so happy? Something to think about...

Caution: Clippings Ahead

2009-08-26T15:22:00.003-04:00

Not clippings like you would see along the roadside with a big tractor mowing the median. I am talking about fingernails. I need a sign to post outside my house warning neighbors what is going on inside the premises. One would think by the screaming coming from each of my children that I am not only cutting their nails, but the entire limb. I have never heard such a raucous. I am afraid that one of my neighbors will eventually call the local police, 911, or Child Protective Services.

I have finally made a game of it with Big Sticky. It started out with us sitting at the craft table and we would "snip" his nail and see how far it would fly. Even though it was totally grossing me out, it worked for a short while. Now we play Snip, Snip, Tear. I make two snips on each nail and then he tears it off(you can read that as "tares" or "teers" because he is doing both at the same time). Anyway, it (kind of) works for him.

Nothing seems to work for Little Sticky. I literally have to straddle him like you would a horse with the hand that I am not cutting between my legs. This is the only way I can keep him from hitting and kicking me. Yes, I said kicking. Then there is the screaming. The decibels measured may equal that of one stranded on a deserted island, bitten by a poisonous spider, facing inevitable amputation without anesthesia or whiskey. Perhaps I should try cutting his nails next time from an interior closet... to minimize the sound to the street.

Princess on the other hand doesn't kick and scream (yet anyway.) The only problem with her is that her hands are so wet and slippery from teething, that it is not only hard to get a grip, but it is hard to tell what is nail and what is not. A friend once tipped me to place baby powder in the palm of your hand and then rake your child's fingers thru the powder. The powder gets stuck under the nail making it easier to see for cutting. This works especially good for tiny little newborns who don't have much of a nail to see. Just remember to wipe the powder off their fingers once you are finished.

Happy Clippings to you!

Lashin' Out

2009-08-23T22:15:00.000-04:00

You can see from below why Princess gets anything she wants. She just has to bat those little lashes.

Note: Her lashes have not been surgically enhanced, the child is not taking Latisse (the latest craze in Hollywood), I did not tape these on, I did not use a lash curler, I did not put mascara on her, nor did I paint, darken, sharpen, or otherwise enhance these lashes using Photoshop. These are the REAL DEAL!

Mama has total lash envy.

Offensive Parenting

2009-08-19T13:50:00.001-04:00

Not Uh-ffensive as "meaning to offend," but Ah-ffensive as "opposite of defense." I normally pride myself in the latter when it comes to parenting. I try and have lunch ready before they ask for it, baths run before they anticipate it, and pajamas ready before they know what hit them. Anyway, just recently, I fell into defense mode. I'm not sure at what point the kids created their game plan but the end result was a shutout on their part.

20 minute Play by Play:
* Get all the kids out of the van from running errands
* I place Princess in her high chair and give her some (store brand) rice chex to snack on until I can fix her lunch.
* Big Sticky climbs into the pantry, he also wants cereal for lunch.
* I throw a Hot Dog into the microwave for Little Sticky.
* On the way to get Big Sticky a bowl, I realize Little Sticky has gone back out to the garage.
* While in the garage convincing Little Sticky that it is too hot to ride his Gator and that he needs to come in for lunch, I hear china clammering and the microwave beeping in the kitchen.
* After running back in the house I find Big Sticky on a step stool that he has taken from the hall bath and is climbing onto the counter to get his own bowl, "No, No, No" I say.
* Little Sticky has followed me back into the house, I remind him for the 1000th time that we close the door when we go in and out.
* I pull the hotdog out and start cutting it into pieces.
* Big Sticky states that he needs his milk for his cereal.
* Crunch! Upon approach to the table, I step on a piece of cereal that Princess has thrown onto the floor.
* "Mommy I want some OJ" exclaims Little Sticky.
* He opens the "plastic" drawer, pulls out, and then drops the entire stack of sippy cups. OUCH! as they land on the bone on the top of my foot.
* I start to pour Little Sticky some OJ. "NO, I want to do it!" he exclaims as he tries to pull the carton from my hands.
* I reach for the wipes to clean up the spilled OJ.
* By this time Big Sticky wants another bowl of cereal. He tries to pour it himself and surprisingly misses the bowl.
* I go into the pantry to retrieve the dust pan and small broom to clean up *all* the cereal off the floor.
* "Down, down, down" I yell at Little Sticky who has now climbed onto the coffee table with his sippy cup.
* Big Sticky reminds me he needs more milk in his bowl.
* Back to the fridge for more milk.
* Princess starts crying. She is ready for her lunch, pl-ease!!
* I mix up her oatmeal and grab her jar of peas.
* I ask Little Sticky to sit down and eat his lunch. "I don't want to eat." he claims then jumps on a push car that I had "hidden" for a consignment sale.
* Big Sticky is finished eating and jumps up to push his brother.
* Round and round they go while I feed sister.
* The joy ride ends when Little Sticky spills onto the floor and starts crying.
* I quickly put down Princess' bowl to take Little upstairs and place him in sisters jail cell to lock him up crib for a nap.

* When I come back downstairs, Princess has completely excavated her bowl, the contents now in her hair, eyelashes, and nose.
* I clean Princess, change her diaper and lie her down in the pack-n-play in the former office switched to playroom.
* I realize I haven't seen Big Sticky since I took Little Sticky upstairs. I find him in the bathroom. "Mommy, I need some privacy please." Know what that means, I'll be back to check on him shortly.
* Sister is now up and crying. Really? It hasn't been 5 minutes. I can smell why she is crying. I pull her out and change her business. Lie her back down.
* Head back to the bathroom to check on Big Sticky and make sure he is "clean."
* Walk him upstairs for "quiet time." Turn on his TV to Noggin, and get him under the covers.
* Back downstairs, I finally sit down at the island to edit some photos for a friend. Realize I forgot to put the milk back in the fridge. Crunch! I obviously missed a piece of cereal when I swept earlier.
* At least all is quiet... for the next 20-30 minutes or so... Uh-oh. Only seconds later I hear Big Sticky coming down the stairs, his easily identifiable cadence on the hardwood risers, already?
* "Mom-my, can I have some straaw-berries, pl-ease?"

Game Over, Final Score
Kids: 36, Mommy: 0

Lightning McGreen $$

2009-08-17T11:19:00.009-04:00

I would buy stock in Dole Foods if they could figure out how to make the likeness of Lightning McQueen in a broccoli floret. You see, Little Sticky will act on nearly anything if it can involve Lightning, Thomas the Train, Mickey Mouse, Wow Wow Wubzy (the list goes on...). We have numerous products in our home covered in the Licensed image of McQueen. Coloring books, pajamas, bubble bath, crackers, hundreds of different vehicles, Legos, yogurt, a boo-boo freezer friend, and most recently, the bicycle he received for his third birthday (along with a helmet covered in Thomas). He got so excited, he immediately put on his gear, jumped on his new bike (with a little help from Daddy), and made several hundred gashes in the hardwood floors laps around the downstairs of our house.

But the best products of late involve potty products. Yes. Potty products. Lightning has helped get Little Sticky to use the big boy potty by donning the #95 and his signature Lightning Bolt on Pull-ups and big boy underpants. We have made it several days now with little or no accidents. This is very important, because he has to be trained before starting pre-school in the next three weeks. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Ca-chow!

Now, if we could just work on the broccoli thing...

Little Sticky spitting blowing out his candle on his "Madagascar 2" cake. (or Madagascartoon as he calls it.)

Enjoying the icing from his Mickey Mouse cake (party #2).

Happy Birthday Little Buddy

2009-08-14T09:15:00.004-04:00

Little Sticky turns three today. I awakened this morning just before sunrise to find him lying next to me. (Both boys journey down to our room between 1 and 3am, but that issue deserves its own post.) Little was talking to himself. I have no idea what he was saying, but he was obviously dreaming about something in playland.

While listening to him mumble, I thought about the very first time I saw his sweet little face. Remembering it so vividly, three years ago - my baby boy. I smiled to myself and placed my arm around his - not as pudgey as it used to be - belly. They grow and change so fast it is becoming harder to remember each stage and milestone. I breathed in the smell of his freshly washed hair, and wondered "Would I remember this sweet moment as well as I did the day he was born?" Probably not, but journaling about it will likely help.

Happy Birthday Little Buddy!

The Icing on the Cake

2009-08-12T20:54:00.003-04:00

Like the saying goes, "it's the icing on the cake." In the case of Princess' 1st birthday, she was only interested in the icing. She scooped and scooped fingerful after fingerful of strawberry flavored pink icing. I think she would have done this all day had she not rubbed her fingers in her hair which caused her crown to fall down. Even with all that sugar on her face, she just couldn't get any sweeter. :-)

I'm ready now for a bath and a (sigh) nap...

One Year Later...

2009-08-11T14:58:00.005-04:00

Time certainly flies. It is hard to believe that a year ago today I was preparing to leave the hospital with our baby girl. Other than the actual arrival of Princess, I distinctly remember three occurences during my stay in the hospital. 1) The start of the Beijing Olympics as our Princess arrived on 08-08-08, 2) The nurses trying to convince me that I was able to leave the hospital a day early if desired (since I was recovering nicely and apparently they needed the room.), and 3) I clearly remember why I wanted to relish another night of peace and quiet.

You see, during the few trips my boys made to see me and their new little sister in the hospital, they managed to set my bed alarm off (the nurse actually had to call engineering to fix it), locked my bed so that I could not raise or lower the bed, pulled the telephone out of the wall, spilled grape juice all over my bed, used the pull out sleeping chair as a trampoline, and used Princess' nursery carrier as a race car. Needless to say, while I was so happy to see the boys and anxious to get home to daddy, I relished in the nearly spa like atmosphere of my 4 evenings in the hospital! Below are some snapshots of their visits and a photo of Princess taken day 1.

Princess is One!

2009-08-08T22:35:00.001-04:00

Little Princess is now one (going on six...)!! Cake pictures to follow later...

Goin' Bananas

2009-08-06T10:49:00.003-04:00

The way my family goes thru a bunch of bananas, you would think we were, well, a bunch of monkeys. Bananas for breakfast, banana sandwiches, bananas for snack, you name it. So why then, when I buy two bunches of bananas (to keep from going to the grocery store every 12 hours), does my family suddenly decide they don't want any more bananas? So they sit, get brown spots, and smell, and turn to mush? It happens EVERY time I buy more than one bunch?

How do I keep from going to the store every other day and at the same time keep from tossing out a bunch of super stinky fruit? Before you go there with the "just make banana bread" thing, I am NOT a bread baker. And even if I were, my family is particular about their bananas and does not eat them in baked goods or even pudding for that matter. In fact, I would call them banana snobs. They like them not too green, but certainly with no spots.

I did, however, recently convince Big Sticky that the banana with the brown spots was a giraffe banana. He thought that was SO cool and actually fell for ate it!

Six Minutes of Freedom

2009-08-04T13:18:00.005-04:00

This event actually occurred a little over a year ago. But since we are less than a week away from Princess' first birthday, I thought it was appropriate to post.

In an effort to get ready for Princess, we decided to mistakenly? move the two boys into a room together. They now occupy the former bonus room so they have a large bed/play room. We were naive to think hoping this would minimize clutter throughout the house. (it didn't work, but that's another future post).

So at 7+ months pregnant, I spent two weeks decorating the boy's new room - painting (using non-toxic paint), hanging bulletin boards, putting together beds and cubbies. Below is an after of **my** decorating but before the boys attempt at **re**decorating.

Cute huh? Well apparently the boys thought the room needed a little something extra, an added "edge" to the space, and decided to redo some things. The below photos are completely unretouched. What took me 2 weeks to complete, took them the time to take a load of laundry from the room next door, down the hallwall, sort into a pile of mine, his, theirs, and take a quick potty break only 6 minutes to change.

I didn't know two little people could be so capable of destruction. When I asked Big Sticky what happened he blamed his brother said he was looking for his dolphin?

Car seat - Get it back together Girl!

2009-08-02T21:10:00.006-04:00

So, Little Sticky lost his cookies (actually it was French Toast and a banana) in daddy's brand new luxury SUV yesterday morning. While daddy used an entire box of baby wipes to clean out the car, I took Little upstairs for a bath and a nap. In the process of cleaning out the car, Daddy took the car seat out (chunks and all) and left it in the garage with the garage door still open. Daddy mentioned when he came back in the house that the seat cover needed to be washed, but I was in the middle of feeding Princess and had no idea it was sitting in the "elements" of a hot August day. Two hours later, it occurred to me that I probably needed to take the cover off and wash it before we needed to pile everyone into the van for an excursion.

Upon entering the garage, I see flies. Lots of flies. About 40 as a guess? And then there were the ants. About 2000? Seriously. About 40 flies, 2000 ants, and about 300 mosquitos. The flies were all about the bananas. The ants were all about the pop tart, cracker, and gold fish crumbs that were in the tray beneath the car seat. And of course the mosquitos were all about me (to a mosquito, I am the equivalent of the buffet at Golden Corral.)

So, if you have ever taken a car seat cover off, you know you need a flat head screw driver(to pop out the clips), patience, and a camera. A camera? What's that for? I take pictures of how things are assembled so that when it's all clean again, I can try and put it back together to the satisfaction of highway safety laws. I would post the photos as an example, but they were gross. Anyway, in this case I also needed mosquito repellent. I used this new product for the first time and it worked like a champ. Mosquitos literally feast on me, always have. Two weeks into summer and it looks like I have track marks on my legs even with Deet spray. Mosquitos laugh when I put on Deet spray (by biting me in the face).

Anyway, so two what seemed like years hours later, I finally got the cover off and in the wash. I then got out a bucket of soapy water and the tire brush to scrub down the rest of it. After it was all clean, it took me another two what seemed like years hours to get all of the straps and clips and hooks and belts going the right way. Now I've just got to get those darn hooks in between the folds of the seat and the seat in snuggly enough to allow no jiggling... Wish me luck.

The Very Last Photo

2009-07-29T12:46:00.000-04:00

I am sad to report that my trusty little Sony point and shoot has been laid to rest. This camera has recorded a lot of memories of our family - both photos and short videos. I loved this camera because it recorded with 7.2 megapixels, had a 2.8 aperture (better than my $1000 nikon w/ kit lens), and was small enough to slide into my pocket - making it easy to carry EVERYwhere.

What happened might you ask? Well, I am not exactly sure, but when I found the camera lying on the floor in the kitchen next to the island, the lens was bent (as you can see in the below photo) and the glass was covered in finger prints. Upon further inspection, I found 70+ very closeup photos of different objects around the house... including several of Big Sticky's face and the backside of his fingers. I will be bringing him in for interrogation questioning as I am sure those are self-portraits...

Although not desired, the camera does now produce some interesting, but very out of focus, photos.

Sony Cybershot DSC P200
February 2005 - July 2009
Enjoy your new life as a toy for the boy

RIP

By the way, below is a picture of Big Sticky taken when he was one week old. This was one of the first photos I ever took cherished with my Sony camera.

Harry Potter Replacement

2009-07-28T10:16:00.000-04:00

Don't you think Daniel Radcliffe is getting a little too old to play Harry Potter? Does anyone know where they are conducting casting calls for the next movie? I have someone for consideration. I am currently looking for an agent and brown hair dye...

Dear Mr. Grocery Bagger

2009-07-25T12:18:00.002-04:00

Deat Mr. Incompetent Teenager Without Children Grocery Bagger,

In case you don't remember me from all the commotion we caused in your checkout line, I am the one with three screaming young children (one of which walked out of the store carrying an unpaid, but returned without questions, box of Dora vitamins). Each time I return home from visiting your current employer, I have choices to make as to what comes out of the car first -The crazies children that can run off to a neighbor's house, the child that is unable to walk and needs assistance, the groceries that will melt and/or ripen in the heat and humidity of the south, or the other items (non-perishables) that can sit in the car for the next 100 years without much change in their state of being.

For this reason, I need you to bag my groceries together just as I have carefully sorted them onto the belt. Freezer stuff, refrigerated stuff, produce, and non-perishables.

The next time I find a 6-pack of spoiled kiddie yogurt hidden under a bag of uncooked egg noodles, I shall promptly bring them back to the store for exchange, kids in tow.

Thank you for distracting yourself long enough from your texting reading this message.

Sincerely,
Mommy with attitude
Woman on a mission
Your friendly neighborhood shopper

Three Little Monkey Jumpin' on the Bed

2009-07-23T16:07:00.000-04:00

Ok, so actually it was only Two Little Monkeys... and a Princess that chose to watch.

Grocery Shopping with Tots

2009-07-21T23:24:00.001-04:00

Back in the day (when I only had two children) the biggest frustration with grocery shopping was the constant "Mommy, can we get this?" "NO", "Mommy, can we get this?" "NO". This question and answer session started just past produce where the grocery stores cleverly start hanging $3.97 bags of reptiles, snakes, fish, trucks, and other "toys" most likely Made in China and full of lead and parts that fall off before you get to the car. I used to "ride" the boys around in one of those carts that looks like a racecar. Cool huh? Well, not exactly. You see, those carts don't hold as much stuff, there is no place for "delicates" (bread & produce), the "steering wheels" are covered with disgusting things (even if you do wipe them down first) AND to top it off the boys were already bored after about 10, no 5, no I'm sure it was only 2 minutes of "driving".

Then once Princess came along, there was no room for her in the cart, so I would carry her in a sling. Try holding 15lbs in a sling, steering a cart with 75 lbs of toddlers and two 24 packs of bottled water (that my husband insists we consume) all while going thru your stash of expired coupons. It's enough to make you call for pizza every night.

Anyway, so, my last couple of trips to the grocery store, I made the switch. Not to store brand - I already did that to the displeasure of my husband. I made the switch to the mini "Shopper in Training" carts. Have you seen them? They are cute and they keep the whining 'cause I told them NO future shoppers BUSY. I give them each a "list." BIG gets the apples, LITTLE gets the bananas and so on. Princess, by the way, just sits in the cart and flirts with EVERYONE. (Don't tell her daddy!)

And because they have a "list", when Little Sticky stopped to add Chocolate Covered Madagascar Puffed cereal to his cart I simply said, "Those aren't on our list lil' Buddy." He responded with "Oh, OK." Did he just say ok and put them back? OMG, pinch me!

BTW, thankfully none of this matters anymore come September when the boys go back to PRE-SCHOOL!! Grocery shopping switches to Tues-Thurs from 9-1 ONLY.

Gator-Aid

2009-07-19T20:02:00.005-04:00

No, that is not a typo as I am not referring to a sports drink. I am referring to our recession friendly GPS tracking system, aka GHS (Gator Home Safely) device.

This is all necessary as it appears that we have raised another Houdini. While working in the yard this past weekend, our second born escaped without being seen. Somehow he managed to drive a 35" Gator thru a 38" gate opening. My husband took off running to find him. He flagged down a dog walker who fortunately had seen Little Sticky driving very fast (in second gear) towards the street corner. By the time my husband had caught up to him, Little had already rounded the corner and was oblivious to his father's yelling concern. In the event this happens again, we posted a note to the future kind neighbor that may find him out on a joyride.

BTW, I wrote the message on blue painters tape. I am sure by the end of the week the Brother's Sticky will color over my message with sidewalk chalk or peel it off and stick it in their sister's hair.

Any other ideas?

Dog Days of Summer

2009-07-09T22:35:00.005-04:00

The boys are aboslutely, positively, not just kind of, TERRIFIED of dogs. In fact Little Sticky nearly jumped three feet into my arms once over a 6 inch high cast iron door stop in the shape of a Scottish Terror, er, I mean Terrior. Normally, they will not go within 100 yards of a moving animal. When we visit The Hill (explained in the previous post), it is always a challenge leaving my brother's house and avoiding sweet as can be Cooper, Duchess, and Mali. Poor pups have no idea the boys are terrified of them. Princess of Sticky, by the way, LOVES them, because they lick her toes while she is swinging on the front porch with Grandma or Aunt Gee.

Anyway, so when Big Sticky reached out to shake Cooper's paw, I nearly fainted (when I realized I didn't have my camera...). Fortunately, one of my cousins had hers and was able to capture this shot for me. Hopefully, the boys are building a little confidence... at least enough to walk out of the house without me dragging them while they are screaming in terror carrying them to the car.

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-05T22:03:00.002-04:00

For the 4th of July, we took the Stickies to The Hill (my dad's family compound). I call it the compound because my dad, his mom (my sweet grandma), two of his sisters, two of my cousins, and my brother all have lake front homes beyond the brick columns. Sounds regal doesn't it? Well this is the country and this ain't The Hills like you see on MTV. All the homes are leave your shoes on, take your coats off (or wet bathings suits in the summer) and stay awhile. There is no pretention here, just good fun, riding around in golf carts or go carts or gators or tractors or pick-ups pulling a boat. Or you can just walk if you feel it's necessary. Anyway, for the past several years, my brother, cousin, and my dad have shot off fireworks. These aren't your normal fireworks that you purchase under a tent in the parking lot of your local discount store. These are REAL fireworks that have to be stored off-site in a magazine designed for explosives. They all went to training, must be approved by the Fire Marshall, and have caution zones for keeping everyone safe. It is an awesome show, coordinated with music (broadcast over the radio). They spend months planning, setting up, firing, tearing down, and cleaning up. The show is all completely funded by donations and T-shirts sales. See photos below and visit their website when you get a chance.

Notice, you will not see any photos of the Stickies as they are TERRIFIED of fireworks. (more so than dogs... that's another post for later.)

I hope everyone had a Happy 4th!!

Please pray for the families of those that were lost at Ocracoke. Seeing behind the scenes makes you understand how dangerous fireworks can be.

Photographing Groups of Children

2009-06-26T19:37:00.001-04:00

How do you photograph nine children ages 11 and under? From the below photos, you will notice that I do not know the answer to this question. If you know a secret to this laborious task, please share...

OK, all 9 are here. Adults with cameras get ready please!

OK, #8 is just not into this. Photographers, hold your shutters down. Be ready!

OK, we lost #8. Let the kids make #9 happy while an adult chases down #8.

He's back. Hurry! Click! Look here everybody! Click! Say "Cheese!" Click!

Durn! Lost him again. OK kids, we're done! Remaining kids respond, "Hooray!"

Bowling at the Beach

2009-06-24T22:31:00.001-04:00

We took the kids bowling while at the beach. They looked super cute in their little bowling shoes. I didn't know they made them that small!

P.S. Click here to see a video of the boys bowling.

Chillin'

2009-06-22T17:25:00.000-04:00

Has anyone seen my US Weekly?

Tink, Tink, Tink

2009-06-21T18:47:00.001-04:00

So we are leaving for the beach. I have created my list of items to pack. (With 3 kids ages 4 and under it may be easier to list items UNneccesary to pack.) One of those items was my little Sony camera. The last time I saw it I had plugged it in to charge the battery. It has been missing now for more than a week.

Little Sticky seems suspiciously interested in my search for the camera. "Have you seen mommy's camera?" I ask. "Tink, tink, tink" He responds as he taps his fore finger to his chin. "Where is it little buddy?" "Duntairs." "Where downstairs?" "N da kee-chun."

I run downstairs and start going thru kitchen cabinets, the pantry, the trash can, recylce bins, you name it. No camera. "It's not here little man, do you know where else it could be." "Outtide?" "Where outside?" "I dunno, uptairs?" "Where upstairs?" The only response is a double blink and a shrug. This back and forth search goes on for days! OMG!! I am being toyed by a 2 year old!!

Would you believe that exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes before we depart in the Sanford & Son look alike van , he shows up with camera in hand (battery charger still attached).

"Hur ya go ma-e."

UNbelievable!!

Still looking for his hiding place...

Bunko = Smart Start

2009-06-11T20:51:00.004-04:00

So I hosted Bunko last Friday. Some how, some way, Big Sticky found the purple Crown Royal bag of Bunko goodies and dumped them onto the floor. "Mommy, lets play the Dice Game." So, after popping a paci in Princess Sticky (to prevent her from choking on a die), I sat on the floor with him to play. Before I knew it, he was adding the circles on the dice and reapeating "Mommy, 5 and 4 is 9." Who'd thunk you could learn addition with dice?

Regardless, I've got to get this bag to the July host before The Stickies lose a dice or run off with the jackpot!! Ding!Ding!Ding!

Sdkljrewoiv Tejipoadf

2009-06-08T23:05:00.002-04:00

I apologize if you were the recipient of an email, Facebook post, or Blog update that made no sense. My laptop was whacked hacked today.

Flyin' N Drivin'

2009-06-06T23:46:00.003-04:00

Big Sticky loves to swim and especially loves to "fly" into the water. Little Sticky prefers to sit on the sidelines and "drive" around on the Gator, occasionally stopping to watch his big brother... and pose for a photo.

Christening

2009-06-01T10:23:00.001-04:00

Princess was Christened on Sunday. Doesn't she look so sweet (and so very happy)?

Delightful Stawberry Cake Recipe

2009-05-29T21:29:00.002-04:00

Big Sticky decided he was going to make a Strawberry Cake for Daddy. Once he decides to do something, he moves quickly. He immediately started pulling all the necessary ingredients out of the fridge - strawberries, grape jelly, ketchup, chocolate syrup, and his secret ingredient, yellow mustard. I thought for a second, do I really let him make a mess? (just something else for me to clean up?) Or do I cater to his imagination and let him make his cake? I decided to cater to his ever growing mind and even suggested Lightning McQueen cookies as a garnishment (afterall, there were two cookies Little Sticky had earlier left on the kitchen island.)

After explaining all the ingredients to his younger brother, Chef Sticky went to work. Daddy being a big sport, actually tasted the "cake" and gave it 4 out of 5 stars. He recommended leaving the mustard out next time. :-)

Strawberry Season

2009-05-27T22:11:00.000-04:00

Before the school year ended, we went to a Strawberry Farm with the boy's preschool classes. You would think being from the south and growing up surrounded by tobacco and other farms I would have at one time picked my own strawberries. Nope. Never even been to a strawberry farm. But I will probably do it again. We had a great time with only one "incident." We had just ventured into the field when Big Sticky announces that he needs to potty. I see a tree close by when someone points out the port-o-potty (about three football fields away). Port-o-potty, really? Yuck. I would rather hangs his pants to dry on the car ride home. However, wanting to set a good example, we take off "running" for the potty. About 100 feet away, my son starts yelling "The pee-pee's coming out!" Fortunately, we were at our van, so after doing a quick look around to make sure there were no preschool girls in eye shot, Big Sticky fertilized the dust by the car.

Little Sticky had a great time as well, and actually picked a few strawberries along with bruising several as he slammed them into the bucket.

The strawberries were awesome and Big Sticky and I ate all but five strawberries before daddy came home from work. Little Sticky ate a part of one before exclaiming "Ooh, those too yucky!" He doesn't know what he was missing!!

Memorial Day Washout

2009-05-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

The sky was confused on Memorial Day. Couldn't decide if it wanted to rain or shine... so it did a lot of both. Back and forth - downpour, sunshine, downpour, sunshine - with a little bit of clouds in between.

The boys took full advantage of the sunshine to go play in the water. Jumping in puddles, followed by a few passes on the big wheels.

Thank you to all the veterans! Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Mommy and a Milestone

2009-05-24T20:49:00.002-04:00

So I celebrated a birthday today. A big one. You know, the kind with a zero behind it. Not the one that rhymes with dirty, but not yet the one that rhymes with nifty. I guess that is how I feel, half way between dirty and nifty. It is scary to think that by the time I am nifty, my oldest will still not be able to ~~legally~~ drive.

Daddy Sticky asked if I wanted a party for my birthday. "No thank you. We'll save those for the children. Instead I would like peace and quiet." So, before heading off to a nearby resort, we dropped the kids off with my mom, dad, brother, and sister-in-law. With four adults and two elementary aged nephews, they should be able to take on the three "stickies".

They did a great job and even managed to fool Little Sticky into going without a paci for two whole days. (Yes, he still uses his paci... that topic deserves it owns blog entry.)

Aunt Gee (with the boys help) made me a beautiful and quite tasty Martha Stewart Lemon Drop cake. It took the boys less than two minutes after I blew out the candles to make the cake look less beautiful. Little Sticky pulled out the lemon drops, licked off the homemade meringue icing, then placed the lemon drops back in the cake. Big Sticky simply took his fingers and poked holes to get his icing fix.

Thanks to everyone for making this birthday very special for me!

Caution: Mobility Ahead

2009-05-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

Princess is now standing. You know what this means - Mobility. I have a feeling this curious little one will be into EVERYTHING.

Mobility + Curiousity = Mess. Everywhere.

Does this diaper make my butt look too ~~big~~ cute?

Last Day of Preschool

2009-05-21T14:30:00.003-04:00

So sad to say that today was the last day of preschool for the year. Soapstone is a great school and the boys have had a wonderful time making new friends and lots of fun while learning.

The boys absolutely loved their teachers and will miss them all greatly.

I will miss the guaranteed nap after the ride home. :-)

Love you Soapstone!!

Apologies to Macy's Shoppers

2009-05-20T00:32:00.000-04:00

You know those shiny red signs that say "Emergency Exit, Alarm will Sound?" Well guess what, they really do make a sound - a shrilly ear piercing hair raising sound that will cause shoppers to run from the store. (Mostly because they thought there was a fire?) Anyway, we were out shopping and as soon as we entered Macy's, Big Sticky ran from me and straight for that shiny red sign. I guess he thought it said "'Push Me Hard and Run." In case this should happen to you, be aware that the clerks don't just push a magic button to turn the alarm off. They call a maintenance man who has a key and takes 20 minutes to get there from wherever.

While we should have run with the other shoppers, we waited so that Big Sticky could apologize as necessary. Plus I was afraid we would have to fill out a police report? He politey and sincerely said "Sorry Lady."

Sidenote: I did find some cute gladiator sandles!

Sneaky Snake

2009-05-19T23:03:00.003-04:00

Big Sticky recently participated in field day at pre-school. They had races and painted faces. He came home with a snake on his face, however, his cat nap on the couch caused the "tattoo" to vanish. So he decided to draw his own snake with an ink pen. Half the time I can't get the same cheap pens to write a check. Not sure how he glided it across his cheek without causing pain or injury (and without me knowing about it). He was very proud to show off his work.

Anyone know if Miami Ink is looking for new artists?

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk

2009-05-17T23:20:00.010-04:00

How many baby wipes are in a pack? 72. How many baby wipes will a 4 year old use to clean up spilled milk? 68. Yes, there were only 4 wipes left out of a brand new pack. I go upstairs to put in another load of laundry and this is what happens. You would think that after 68 wipes, I would at least have a clean counter and floor. No. Most of the wipes were all piled up in one large dripping heap. Much of the remaining spilled milk was discovered under a grocery bag and a serving tray that I had to pry from the counter.

Bless his little heart. He was so proud that he had poured his own drink and one for his brother. He even readliy admitted that he made a spill but cleaned it up with "all the towels." At least he tried. The crazy part is he had done the same thing two days prior with orange juice and a half a roll of paper towels!

Meet the Cast

2009-05-13T23:15:00.005-04:00

BIG STICKY

A sweet and imaginative 4 year old. This little guy has a heart of gold. He loves to pretend play and make up creative stories. Watch out though, this little independent loves to (literally) climb into the fridge and get his own food. This can lead to some super sticky situations, especially those involving jelly or juice.

LITTLE STICKY

This big little guy is 2 and 1/2 going on 15. He loves to entertain a crowd and finds humor in everything (even his own falls and spills.) One day he will be on stage as a singer, actor, comedian, or motivational speaker. (My brother claims he is a Chris Farley double.) Known as Mr. Happy to many, he loves to push his older brother's buttons. Oh yeah, and he absolutely ADORES his baby sister.

PRINCESS OF STICKY

Not yet mobile, this 9 month old is still contained. However, give her some food puffs and she can make a mess with the best of them. This little princess swoons everyone with her sweet smile. Don't be fooled though, she already knows how to get her way.

Living With Sticky

2009-05-11T23:58:00.001-04:00

So I am picking up toys for the 8th time in the same day when my bare foot encounters something suspiciously sticky on the hardwood floor. As I grab a baby wipe to clean up the unidentified mess, I notice a juice box on the bottom shelf of the coffee table. I rest my hand on the table to support my unwanted extra weight when I discover more sticky. Upon further inspection, I see lots of sticky all over the top of the coffee table. This is when I realize that with three children ages 4 and under, my life is full of sticky. I guess you could say that I am "living with sticky."

Cooky Couture

2008-10-31T23:14:00.004-04:00

Eek! Happy Halloween everyone from my newest little Boo!