Twin Mom

And so a new chapter begins...

2009-06-09T07:34:00.004-05:00

The past few weeks have been busy and filled with a few bitter sweet endings! Where do I begin...

Let's first begin with the girls last week of pre-k; this was a sad week for all of us. It was hard to swallow that my babies have finished pre-k and are heading off to Kindergarten in the Fall. How can that be? It seemed like yesterday they where just taking their first steps and now...BIG GIRLS SCHOOL!!! Where does the time go? I felt like such an idiot, as I cried all the way to school on their last day and all the way home. Gabriella asked if "I was proud of her..." for doing such a good job in school and I lost it! Proud of her...heck that doesn't even begin to describe how I felt about her finishing pre-k. When we started back in September, I questioned if this was the best thing for them and wondered if I was sending them too early. Each day they both bedazzled me with the things they learned and how mature they both had become. It was amazing! I owe all of this to the excellent teacher..what a women! Each day she went above and beyond what a teacher should do and it shows in all of her students. This group of 11 left on Friday ready to face the world and have no clue what Kindergarten has in store for them, but, their teacher has given them the knowledge and strength to take on anything. It was very sad myself during that week...at the picnic, the slide show and finally the last day! As I left on Friday, I kept wondering will we ever be back? I know their new school is a great school and we have all intentions of returning to our Catholic school for first grade, however, a lot can happen in one year. I'm trusting in God, that he will lead us on the right path. One thing I do know, I have met a lot of great people and all of us have made great friends! School or no school, that won't change!

Our next new chapter, my new job! I started yesterday "officially", and when I mean "officially" I mean I didn't wear my ugly blue polo and wore a more business casual ensemble. Just kidding.... Unfortunately, this day was shadowed by the passing of our boss; she succumbed to pancreatic cancer last week. Please do not misunderstand, she didn't die and then they gave me the job a couple days later...she had been out ill since October. We knew the end was coming and with our busy season in full swing, the management started making arrangements for her replacement months ago. She was aware what was going on and as always, she was more concerned about things being taken care of at work, than what was going on with her. She was a great lady, one of the strongest women I had ever met. She had a short life, passing at 58, however led a big life! As for my new position, I am so excited about the possibilities and opportunities. I am saddened that I moved into this position because someone lost their life, and truly wish things where different. But, as I mentioned God has a journey for all of us, we just have to follow his path.

So what does the future bring for our family...who knows? If you would have asked me last year I would have said I am taking the summer off from work and heading to Kindergarten at our old school in the Fall. Hopefully, a year from now things are still idle and the only "changes" we are facing in our lives are changing back to our old school.

What about you...any new things happening? Any changes you would like to share? Do you like change? I know I don't, but, you got to roll with the punches....

EMAIL...THE WORST FORM OF COMMUNICATION!!!

2009-06-01T07:15:00.004-05:00

Need I say more?

Think before you write! Make sure the "tone" of the email comes across in the way you want it to be perceived. When in doubt...DON'T SEND IT!!!

This Lady Is Crazy!

2009-05-29T11:25:00.005-05:00

I was indulging in my daily dose of Perez Hilton and ran across this picture...

Not sure if this lady is this child's Mother, but, regardless of her relationship to this boy, his shirt is totally UNACCEPTABLE!!! If she is his parent, she should be ashamed of herself and if she's not, the child's Mother should re-think allowing her son to be with this women.

I can't believe any adult would allow their child to wear a shirt, in public, with the worst profanity written across it. Clearly, this is some sort of cry for attention from the adult to gain public attention.

What do you think?

PHOTO TAKEN FROM PEREZHILTON.COM

Shake It...literally!!!

2009-05-29T08:40:00.004-05:00

So people often wonder how I stay in shape, or at least stay thin. Well, I am about to give you my secret that I have done for a long time...yet no one...not even family knows this about me.
Are you ready...

I DANCE EVERYDAY!!!

Ok..so it's not a big tada, however, since I have had the girls it has been very important to stay in shape due to the heart thing, however, trying to get to the gym everday is near impossible. My solution..I dance! I go thru waves of songs and currently, my absolute favorite song is SHAKE IT by MetroStation. You can't help getting up and dancing when this song comes on and it has a fast pace, so it really gets your heart going. The girls love this song and dance around with me too, it is fun for the entire family. I think our last song was something from HSM and before that, I can't remember. Sometimes we do it the morning, sometimes the afternoon and sometimes after dinner...Pete will even join in then. We all laugh and have fun and get some good cardio in at the same time.

I have attached SHAKE IT (by Metro Station) for your listening pleasure, I highly recommend turning the music up and dancing around. We usually play it about 3 times before we get tired of hearing it...enjoy!

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2 Hours and NOTHING!!!

2009-05-27T07:04:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned earlier, I was taking Emily to the dermatologist yesterday to have a wart removed. I took her to a very well trusted doctor, in fact, he is the doctor who treated me when I was diagnosed with melanoma and my Mom with skin cancer. To be honest, I wouldn't trust anyone else removing such a thing from child, however, yesterdays visit left me annoyed and frustrated!
Because this doctor has a great reputation, he is always busy. I try to book appts. with him at his first appt. after lunch. Normally, the only people before me are his surgery patients from the morning. It's not unusual to wait for an hour or even two; I have been with my Mom and waited well into three hours. This is was prepared for, but, waiting two hours to have him tell me to use Compound W for two weeks and then come back, that really irritated me. My poor child had resigned herself to the fact that she was going to have this wart yesterday and was so excited. She mentally prepared herself for anything he was going to do, ie...cut, slice or burn. She was so disappointed when he said "that's it", we'll see you in two weeks. I could have started the Compound W two weeks ago if they would have told me this over the phone, it's quit annoying. Oh yeah, did I mention this doctor is well over an hour from my house, so not only do we sit for hours, but, we drive an hour to get there....grrrrrr!!!!
Pete and I decided we would do the compound W and talk to our pediatrician next week. The girls see him next Thursday for their annual checkup, hopefully, he can do something.
This is just very disappointing, Pete and I both wanted to have this removed, because, Emily is getting really self conscious about this, or maybe it's us. She did say to me after we left "Mom, I don't why it bothers you so much, it doesn't bother me...it's just part of me." It's a brave thing for a little girl to say and I know she was just saying it to make me feel better. She's a smart, sweet little girl and I just hope solution works.
Wish us luck!

2009-05-24T09:31:00.005-05:00

MY HOUSE IS A MESS!!!!

Ok, there I said it... I feel much better.

Normally, my house is very clean, almost too clean as I have been told by many. Lately, it is a huge mess. I swear is someone walked in they would think we had been ransacked. There are toys everywhere, beds not made, clothes on the floor. It is a a disaster. There are so many shoes in the mud room, that you have to take giant steps to walk over them to get into the house. I guess in my mind, I knew Pete and I where going to do heavy cleaning this weekend...closets, drawers, basically, getting things organized, so I figured, "ah, I'll do it this weekend." Granted, most of the mess is from the girls and it always amazes me how much mess two little people can make. I can't blame the entire mess on the girls, as the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms...those rooms are a mess too, it's really gross!

Today, after blogging of course, we are going to hit the house hard. We are going to dedicate the entire day to cleaning and organizing. Of course Pete's allergies are so bad, the poor man can barely breathe, so I'm thinking this job may fall heavy on my shoulders. That's ok, as long as he watches the girls, I can get it done before tomorrow.

I do often wonder if other peoples homes ever look so messy, that their house could be confused with a frat house....anyone want to fess up?

They joys of a gardening!

2009-05-24T09:01:00.004-05:00

This weekend Pete and decided we where going to stay home and work around the house. Clean the garage, basement and do a little planting. For anyone who knows me, they know "planting" is a word that is barely in my vocabulary. Each year I try to plant flowers and each year by July they are dead. This doesn't stop me , however, I still go spend about a $100 on flowers and give it a best.

This year, I think I got a little over ambitious and decided to plant flowers in all of my landscape beds. I have never done this before, and now I know why. It's so hard! I don't know why anyone would ever claim that gardening is "relaxing", but, they must lead some pretty tough lives. Yesterday was the most physically, dirty, long job I have ever taken on! Landscapers do not get enough credit for all their hard work. About a half hour in, I recruited the girls to help plant the flowers. Sadly, Gabriella did a much better job than me, it was humbling moment. She must get her "green thumb" from her Grandmother, because, mine is as brown as dirt! Emily on the other hand, she takes after me. Much rather deal with the ugly of mty flower beds, then spend hours and hours planting little flowers everywhere. Not to mention, I doubt any will live much past today, let alone all summer.

I did plant a few planters and I have mastered the art of watering those. Their life expectancy is about 6 weeks, not bad. My goal is to generally have them all survive to Fourth of July. We usually have a party then, so once that is over you most likely won't see me out watering anything.

I am proud of myself that each year I try a little more, but, sad that each year I fail. Maybe this year will be the year I will have a full lush garden full of flowers...wish me luck!

For the Good of the Family!

2009-05-24T08:53:00.004-05:00

If you are a reader of my blog, you are aware I send the girls to private, catholic school. Pete and I choose this route, because, we wanted they to have religion in the daily lives outside of home. Well, I'm sad to say next year the girls will be changing schools. Due to my new work schedule, we would have to go the daycare route and it is so expensive. It was hard to justify daycare and private school, so we decided to move them to a public school for kindergarten.
This was a hard decision for me, however, for Pete and the girls; it was so easy. I really have grown to love their school and really bond with the families. It will be a temporary move, so they will return for first grade. Financially, it just made for sense..public school = full day FREE kindergarten. I am looking at this as another blessing from God, because, if this didn't work out I wouldn't have been able to accept my new job and we would be back in the same boat financially. It's for the good of the family and that is what has to be the priority.
Of course, this could go all wrong after they test for school, however, I feel confident both will pass with flying colors. They are my kids of course...just kidding. Their preschool teacher has established a strong base for both of them and I would be surprised if they weren't accepted. If not, we'll head back to catholic school and I'll quite my job.
It's all what God has planned for us!

2009-05-24T08:52:00.001-05:00

What is that on her nose?

2009-05-19T09:07:00.003-05:00

About 7 months ago Emily started getting a very small bump on her and now has turned into a full fledged wart on the tip of her nose.

I feel so bad for her, as EVERYONE points it out to her and says something about it to her. At first, she didn't pay any attention to what people where saying, but, the more people asked, the more she became uncomfortable with it. I feel bad and have taken her twice to the doctor and each time they said they wanted to try to have it go away on it's own, rather than trying to burn it off. Finally, the past visits I insisted we do something about it and they agreed.

She will be seeing a dermatologist next week and I hope he removes it. I feel bad and must admit it looks really bad. A couple months back I tried some "homemade" remedies to remove it and well let's just say now she has fear of liquid band aid...bad mommy!!!

What kills me about this, is how many adult say things. Not one child, all adults must point out this flaw to a 4 year old. She only became self conscience about this because of the things they said, how awful. Now I understand why so many people have body imagine issues, because, so many people are so willing to point our our flaws. I would NEVER in a million years question something like a wart on adult, let alone a child. People need to think before they speak! Now I have subject my daughter to painful removal of this wart, because, people can't keep their mouths shut...urghhhh!!

Have you ever experienced this with your child, or yourself?

Busy, busy, busy...

2009-05-19T08:46:00.005-05:00

We have had so much going on in the past week or so, I haven't had a chance to blog. I started my journey back to full time work and glad to say got a job on my first interview. It has been 10 years since the last time I sat down and put myself out there and proud to say I did really well.

I start my new job the 2ND week in June and am very excited. The nerves are coming in when I have to decide what to do with the girls. Day care is so expensive and I don't really want to work for day care...what's the point! Luckily, we have a lot of great friends and family willing to watch the girls, so I think we may be in luck for the summer and when school starts. This summer their teachers daughter will watch them and then a close friend once school starts. We are lucky enough to have a friend willing to take the time to drive the girls too and from school, she will care for them like her own. I must say relieved, however, a little nervous that it has worked out a little too easily, however, will take it day by day.

The girls are also nearing the end of their first year of school and I can't believe it's almost over. I'm anxious to have them start school, however, a little saddened my babies are growing up. This subject has been tough in our home, as lately Pete is feeling we should hold them back for some reason. Their teachers have not even hinted they are not ready to move on, however, I he really wants them to be the oldest in the class, rather than youngest. Luckily, I have a way of encouraging people to see my point of view and he is coming around. The girls love school and I really think after 2 years of school, to take them out now for a year would really hinder them... what do I know? Anyway, we will proceed as everyone else and start of new adventure in Sept. ...one day at a time!

This summer brings a lot of things...baseball games, parties, weddings, new babies, vacations and of course my new job. To me this summer is shaping up to be an exciting adventure for our family and I can't wait to get it going. We have 7 days left of school and then it begins! I can't wait!

Do you have anything fun planned for the summer? Starting a new job, traveling or fun plans. I would love for you to share...

Being a Mom

2009-05-12T10:04:00.002-05:00

Being a Mom is one of the best feelings in the world no matter what, but, when it really hits you how much you impact your children's life and can see thru their eyes their perception of you, it's just the best feeling in the world.

With Mother's Day a couple days ago, the kids of course brought home many homemade gifts to show their love and appreciation for me. My absolute favorite was a "My Mom" list of reasons as to why they love me.

This is from Emily ...

My Mom

My Mom is special because: she likes to clean every morning.
She likes to: watch t.v.
My Mom always says: After dinner, it's bedtime.
My Mom can: clean the bathroom and the mirrors until they sparkle.
I know my Mom loves me because: she gives me kisses.
My Mom is the best at: cooking.

from Gabriella....

My Mom is special because: she loves me and gives me kisses
She likes to: take walks with me
My Mom always says: Turn off the t.v.!
My mom can: make the best chocolate chip pancakes
I know my mom loves me because: she gives me hugs & kisses
My mom is the best at : working in the garden.

It's funny the things that we do or say that are so minor, yet make such a impact on our children's lives. The cleaning thing really hit me, as you wouldn't think kids would even notice or appreciate their Mom cleaning, however, both of my children have. It's kind of fun! Of course, I'm not sure where the "working in the garden" statement came from. We have a lawn service that handles all of our outdoor needs, so they have never seen me working in the garden. Oh well...

Of course, this could have went much different and I would not have been surprised if they brought home something more like this...

My Mom is special because: she buys me things to bribe me to behave in public.
She likes to: talk on the phone, go on FB, blog, nap, watch t.v., get her nails done and shop
My Mom always says: let's go, we're running late!
My Mom can: talk on the phone and drive at the same time!
I know my Mom loves me because: she makes sure I get to bed really early so she can watch her shows.
My Mom is the best at: talking on the phone and doing the computer

I guess other people's perception of us are always different, with children it seems they always see the "good" in everyone. If we where only so lucky as adults to see the world that way, wouldn't it be a greater place?

Happy Late Mothers Day!!!

Maybe I should buy stock in vinegar...

2009-05-07T15:57:00.002-05:00

So I have noticed that most of my tips of the week include the use of vinegar, but, I assure you it's not because I have stock in the vinegar companies.

I really do use vinegar to clean almost everything in my house and it works great! The shower doors and granite counters are about the only things I don't use it on.

It's cheap and goes a long way once you add water; and safe if the kids get ahold of it. The irony in our house, we have recently learned Pete is allergic to vinegar. Poor man, he's allergic to the cats and vinegar, the two things are found EVERYWHERE in the house.

Poor guy, he always seems to get the short end of the stick!

That Darn Mouse...

2009-05-07T15:44:00.002-05:00

Today the girls had a party at Chuck E. Cheese and well, let's just say they spent a good 15 minutes screaming & hiding from the mouse.

I feel so bad for the girls, they love playing the games, eating the pizza, but, that darn mouse gets them every time. They are smart enough to know he only comes out during parties, so when we go as a family it's not too bad, but, when we have a party they just dread cake time. Of course today, the 30 seconds I walked away to get something to drink the mouse appeared and I could hear the girls screaming across the entire place. Luckily, one of the Mom's at the party brought the girls over and poor little Emily was even shaking she was so scared. I felt awful for them!

Thankfully, there was only one party so he only came out once and they could get back to their friends. I know they get this phobia from me, as I cannot stand any type of giant creature dressed in a costume. Once when I was in my twenties, Erin thought it would be funny to tell an Easter Bunny that I wanted a hug and he chased me thru an outdoor mall. I ran screaming and crying , then darted into a store to hide. It was horrible.

Our Disney trip was much like Chuck E. Cheese, so can't see us going back there anytime soon. No need to spend a small fortune to terrorize the kids, we can do that right here at Chuck E. Cheese, for a lot less.

Are your kids afraid of these animals or are yours the type that run up and hug the crap out of them?

My name is Kathleen ....and I am a shopaholic!

2009-05-06T18:57:00.003-05:00

Today after school the girls and I had a ton of errands to do, as I mentioned below the "special" cat litter, and it was raining like crazy. I wasn't happy about running errands in the rain, but, they had to be done.

Anyway, when we arrived at our first destination we had the normal reminder of "don't ask for anything, don't touch anything, don't talk to anyone and make sure you clean your hands before we leave" speech. The girls are great in stores, except for the fact they ask for almost everything the see. I know this is normal, however, I have set a horrible example by never begrudging myself of anything. It's hard to tell them "no" and then indulge in something. For the past few months all of us have been great, trying to keep our budget under wraps. Pete has been quite proud of me and last month I spent ZERO dollars on myself, so I guess I felt I deserved a little something and have gone crazy the past few days. Yesterday I splurged on new clothes, shoes and treated us to lunch. Today, I got the girls more clothes, as if they need any and got a few things for the cats. I'm thinking I'm having buyers remorse now, because, I'm not nearly excited about my purchases as I was in the store. Not only that, but, we had our rings serviced, the cat got fixed and we have eaten out almost everyday since last Thursday...so shame on me for spending money on so many unnecessary things!

I want to set a good example for the girls, however, I find shopping is the only area in my life I cannot show restraint. It's so odd! I suppose it comes from some suppressed feelings I had when I was younger and my parents were always on a budget and we always had to watch what we spent. Once I was an adult, I never held back on anything...never had too! I was single much of my twenties and was lucky to have a great job, it allowed me to afford the things that I wanted. Now, having kids, mortgage and a private school I desperately try to curve my spending and I really need to set a better example for the girls.

The road they are on now is SPOILED, SPOILED, SPOILED...luckily they have impeccable manners, so their spoiledness doesn't show too much outside the house, but, it will soon enough with age. I need help, but, it's so hard to change!

Any suggestions? Does anyone else find themselves having bad habits that are rubbing off on their kids or loved ones?

Free Pet..My Foot!

2009-05-06T18:45:00.003-05:00

Today I had to buy special cat litter for Felix so he wouldn't get an infection in his toes...$20 plus later I am realizing my "free cat" is far from free.

Between all of the vet appointments, vaccines, tests, surgery, micro chip and "special litter", this cat has cost us well over $1000!!!! Don't get me wrong, I love Felix a lot and so happy he is in our home. He has made the past few months really fun, however, a cat or kitten from the shelter would have done the trick too. Not only would the cost be around $75-200 to adopt a kitten, depending on where you get him, but, all of his vaccines would have been done, as well as being spayed/neutered.

I guess my point of this post...adopt / rescue your next pet!!! It's cheaper and most definitely will save an animal from being euthanized. If you have friends or family that has a new litter of animals, encourage them to donate them to a animal welfare or a shelter. They will get a good home and in the long run, it will be cheaper. Kittens and puppies of any kind almost always get adopted and places would almost want babies in their location to get more traffic, which would help with adoption of the older pets!

Just a thought...

Where do they learn this stuff...oh yeah School!

2009-05-05T19:19:00.006-05:00

I think I have said over and over how much I love the girls school, especially their teacher. Not only do my girls know all of their letters, numbers and basic prayers, but, they know all these others things that just blow me away.

Just recently, we were driving somewhere and we saw a firetruck; no biggie we just pulled to the side and let it pass. Gabriella and Emily both quietly made the sign of the cross and said a simple prayer with a big "Amen." I honestly didn't think anything of this, until it happened again, then of course I had to ask...what's up ladies? What's with the prayers? (Not that I am opposed to praying...I enjoy it, it just seemed there was a story behind the praying that I didn't know)...Anyway, Gabriella proceeded to tell me how their teacher has taught them when they see or hear an emergency vehicle they should say a prayers for them and the people they are on their way to help. Amazing!!! Coming from a 4 years old, better yet, teaching a 4 year old this, amazing! This is just one of the many amazing things they have learned this year, all of which blows my mind.

Each time they pull something out of their hats like this, it reminds me why Pete and I are putting so much into their educations. It's the small things like this they learn from private school, that they just don't get from public. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the kids at the public school are getting any less of an education, I just don't think they learn these small little things that really mold someone into a caring, loving, enriched person. With our lives being so focused on ourselves, to teach children to really think about what may be happening to others is huge, it really teaches them it's all not about them.

I am sad the school year is coming to an end, but, looking forward to the new chapter of Kindergarten for the girls. I just hope Pete and I don't screw up and "undo" everything they have learned while they are home for the summer.

Square one...here we come!!!

Wait, I'm 35...not 15!!!

2009-05-05T19:00:00.003-05:00

I have gone my entire life without acne. Never had it when I was younger, not even a little, however, over the course of the past year I seem to get each month around my "time" and I just don't get it!

Occasionally, I would get one pimple here or there, but, few and far between; now it seems to be more often and getting worse. I'm not sure if it's age, hormones or what, but, I don't like it! I pay a lot of money for my skin to look "young" however, this is not what I wanted. I wanted wrinkle free skin, not and acne covered red face. It's just terrible and very embarrassing.

Ahhhh!!! What can I do to make this stop? Someone help...

Anyone know why this happens? Anyone else experience this? Will it ever stop or just get worse?

My Poor Little Man!

2009-05-05T18:41:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a big day for Felix, he lost his "man hood", his nails and now is forever being tracked thru "big brother." It was quite an event!

It was harder than I thought to leave him yesterday and I can't believe how much we all worried about him. I knew the kids would be upset, but, didn't bargain on me being so sad and missing him so much. Even know Pete pretends not to like Felix, truth is he loves the little guy. In fact, Felix prefers Pete over all of us, he snuggles with him at night and when Pete got home from the Derby, Felix couldn't start meowing when he saw him. It was so cute!

Today when we picked him up, he was ready to go the moment he heard our voices. He was howling the entire time we were getting the run down on his recovery. When he saw me and the girls, he nearly jumped out of his carrier. He was so glad to see us and we were just as glad to see him. Even Gus missed Felix...strange considering he loathes him most of the time. He sat by his door almost the entire time, just looking so sad. He walked around crying a little at night, as if saying "where did he go, you know he's not here..right?" I will have to say Gus was very happy about the sleeping arrangements because he FINALLY got to sleep with me again. Ever since we got Felix he has been bullied out of the bed by the little one and ends up sleeping under the bed. I enjoyed snuggling with Gus too, however, did miss Felix.

He's feeling OK I guess, he seems to be in a lot of pain. We have to give him pain medication for 4 days and really watch his paws. He has slept most of today and doesn't seem to want to put pressure on his paws, however, he does a little. The vet said it would be normal and soon enough he would be back to his old self. The girls are excited he's home, however, very gentle with him. They think he had his tonsils removed, like Gabriella, so they are aware he has to heal after surgery. They are so sweet!

I'm anxious to have him back to his old self, but, really enjoying babying him for the time being. Fills a void I guess!

Fluffy Jello (Recipe of Month: April)

2009-05-01T07:20:00.005-05:00

1 Large Tub of Cool Whip (12 oz)
1 Large Sour Cream (16 oz)
1 Large Package of Jello (6oz)

Mix Jello with sour cream and let sit for a couple of minutes until Jello dissolves. Once Jello is dissolved, fold in Cool Whip.
Chill in the refrigerator until Jello sets.

*If you want to add fruit, add it when you mix your Jello & sour cream. Make sure they all fruit is drained before adding or your Jello won't set right. *

This is a HUGE crowd pleaser. I find lime or orange Jello are the two most requested. My staple is lime jello with rasberries. Yummy!

Off To The Races...

2009-04-30T20:37:00.005-05:00

Well, Pete left for his annual trip to the Derby and he was very excited! Me... well not so much! I love when he has "Pete" time, however, time alone with the girls can be quite a task. He does travel a lot, however, most of those trips last only a day or so...never 4 days like the Derby trip.

He travels with his best friend and I can only imagine the things that they do...God only knows I don't want to know the things they do! Tonight I think they are "judges" in a body painting contest. I'm sure they have both studied hard on the art of painting a woman's butt and boobs...how could that not be a good time?

Their seats are really good and often seated close to celebrities or athletes; last year I think they sat next to Michael Jordan. I suppose one of the reason I am never invited is because I would be star struck and trying to talk to every famous person who walked into the room. Pete could care less, he loves his horse racing and enjoys every minute of the adventure.

I do enjoy a little time to myself, however, I am glad when he returns. Nothing beats the girls excitement when they hear the garage door opening. Of course, this year we have a birthday party of a very special friend and the girls are so excited about that; they barely noticed he left. I'm sure by tomorrow evening, they'll ask; but for now I'll let them focus on their friends party.

I'll keep you posted...maybe he'll win big! It is the day of his birthday, perhaps it will bring him luck.

Why the new name & link?

2009-04-30T14:39:00.004-05:00

You are probably wondering why I changed the link address as well as the name of my blog, well to be honest for Internet safety!

I think, cannot say for sure, I had someone looking at the blog that didn't seem trust worthy and with all the scary stories going around, I needed to protect my family...especially the girls! I went back and forth about having friends log in, however, I don't want to restrict the blog that much. I can't live in a state of paranoia, just need to be a little more cautious.

As always, I LOVE comments and followers to the blog, so please don't hesitate to forward on to friends, friends that you trust! I have attached a link to the Federal Trade Commission for reference on how everyone can educate themselves on internet safety.

Thank you again for all of the support and I am working on some new ideas to really make the blog exciting. I would LOVE ideas and if anyone would like to contribute, I would LOVE that as well!

Please check this link out from the FTC:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/tech/privacy.shtm

Easter Bikes Take 3...

2009-04-27T08:17:00.004-05:00

Well, the girls FINALLY got to ride their new bikes and let's just say I'm glad they had their elbow pads. After all of the drama getting them assembled, both girls are little too small for these bikes. They both insist on riding them and both continue to keep falling.

I'm starting to think our great idea was a great big bust!

Oh well, we'll know better for next time!

The Little Green Kickers

2009-04-27T08:04:00.003-05:00

We had our first game Saturday and it was great! All of the kids had a blast, as well as Pete and I. We don't keep score, however, we did score quite a few goals, not as many as the other team, but, a few none the less.

Some kids got a little tired half way thru, however, the referee didn't stop after the 1st half so the kids could have a break; we thought that was a little too much for the age group. Never the less, it was a great game. The weather held off too, the rain started just as we were ending.

Our next practice is Wed. and game on Saturday, so we'll see how we do. I think this week at practice we will work on stamina, as all the kids were very tired from running... and all the coaches where too!

GO LITTLE GREEN KICKERS!!!!

All I can say is FUNNY , FUNNY, FUNNY!

2009-04-26T13:03:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure I would post this on You Tube with my kids, but, it sure is funny as heck. My favorite part is when he slaps his butt....nice!

Where do they come up with this stuff?

2009-04-24T10:56:00.003-05:00

I've said it before and I will say it again children say the craziest things...and mine are no different.

This is a conversation I had with my two 4 year old after we got out of the shower:

Emily: Aww mommy, all of your hair down there came back!

Me: Yes Emily, I know.

Emily: What are you going to do about it?

Me: I don't know Emily, get your robe on!

Emily: Mommy, why do you have hair down there?

Gabriella: Emily, that is the way God made mommy...hairy!

Me: Thanks Gabbie! You are right, that IS how God made me!

Gabriella: You're welcome Mommy, God made Daddy hairy too, just not as hairy as you!

Me: ...no words...just a red face!

I'm sure today by the end of school each and every child at the school, as well as all of the teachers, will know I am long over due for a bikini wax!

Don't you just love kids?

Hello Sun!

2009-04-24T07:53:00.003-05:00

Today it is suppose to be a balmy 85 degrees! I can't wait!

The girls are beyond excited because they have Field Days today at school. Of course, the Mom in me, wishes it was going to be a little cooler so they don't get to warm. I guess Mother Nature can never win!!

Anyway, hope you are having a sunny day too!!

TGIF!!!

Oh, yeah tomorrow is the first game for The Little Green Kickers and from the looks of our team, we should do great! They are all so cute and really enjoy playing with each other. I think Pete is a tad nervous about his couching debut, but, he'll do fine too. I have moved into the spot of permanent assistant coach and get a fancy coaching shirt to wear tomorrow...yeah another over sized polo that doesn't fit. (Referring of course to my lovely work polo I am forced to wear...blah!!! )

Anyway, it should be a fun day! We have friends coming tomorrow afternoon for a BBQ and it should be a really good time. We are all looking very much forward to today and tomorrow's events!

We've all been there....but would we do it?

2009-04-22T06:38:00.002-05:00

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Usually, it's an empty threat: "If you kids don't stop fighting, I'm going to stop this car right now and leave you here!" But a mother from an upper-crust New York suburb went through with it, ordering her battling 10- and 12-year-old daughters out of her car in White Plains' business district and driving off, police said Tuesday.
Madlyn Primoff, 45, a partner in a Manhattan law firm, pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of endangering a child. A temporary order of protection was issued, barring her from contact with the children, who were physically unharmed.
Primoff's lawyer, Vincent Briccetti, would not comment Tuesday on details of the case. But he said, "Madlyn is a great mother connected with a great family, and she is grateful for the outpouring of support from friends and family."
There wasn't much support from strangers, however. Mothers interviewed near the scene said they couldn't imagine doing what Primoff did, though some understood the urge.
Iris Gorodess, 49, of Mahopac, who has four children ranging from 10 to 19 years old, said she sympathized with Primoff's actions, right up to the point where she pulled away.
"I used to pull over and make the kids change seats. Also, I make sure the kids have their iPods and their games. And I have a minivan, so they're not up my neck all the time.
"But I can't see pulling away. That has to be too scary for the children."
White Plains police said Primoff ordered the arguing girls out of the car Sunday evening as they were driving home. She left them at Post Road and South Broadway, an area of shops and offices 3 miles from their home, then drove off, the police report said.
The report does not say whether the girls had cell phones.
Police would not say if Primoff ever returned to look for the girls, but they said, without explaining how, that the 12-year-old eventually caught up with the mother. The 10-year-old was found by a "Good Samaritan" on the street, upset and emotional about losing her mother, police said.
The girl gave police her mother's name and their address in well-to-do Scarsdale, and they asked Scarsdale police to check Primoff's $2 million house. Shortly afterward, Primoff called Scarsdale police from home to say the 10-year-old was missing, said Scarsdale Detective Lt. Bryant Clark.
He directed her to White Plains police headquarters, where she was arrested.
Dr. Richard Gersh, director of psychiatric services at the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services in Manhattan, said Primoff's behavior was not appropriate.
"It is a traumatic situation for a child to be abandoned by a parent like that. You can imagine what emotional issues might arise," he said.

By JIM FITZGERALD, AP

Kids are so funny!

2009-04-20T10:15:00.004-05:00

I don't why this makes me laugh so much, but, it does. The girls do the silliest things and I just crack up. Today they decided to put their earmuffs on and pretend they were headphones. Gabriella sat on the couch pretending to read and listening to music.
Too funny!

Easter Bikes Take 2...

2009-04-20T10:01:00.006-05:00

THEY'RE DONE

Finally, after 4 1/2 hours on our rainy Sunday afternoon, the bikes are done. I can't guarantee the brakes work, but, they'll figure it out! j/k... The bikes have regular back peddle brakes, as well as a hand brake; which trying to figure out how to install it was near impossible. So we fudged it!

Never the less, the bikes are assembled and ready to ride. It took the both of us, but, we managed to do it with out fighting or storming off! I consider it a victory ! Of course the kids doubt the fact that they can actually ride them, because they both said "we'll try them later, just to make sure the wheels don't fall off." My poor, poor kids....

Recipe of the Month

2009-04-20T07:45:00.003-05:00

Please check out the new section titled "Recipe of the Month". Each month I will choose one of my favorite, easy recipes for all the enjoy. I am not Martha Stewart, however, I do have a few favorites that people always seem to enjoy or ask me to bring. I thought I would share these with all of you.

Enjoy!

2009-04-20T07:15:00.002-05:00

As most people, Pete and I have been trying to find a way to save money on our monthly food bill, however, each month we fail miserably. No matter what we do, we still seem to go over our allotted amount. This month we tried a whole new concept, prepared food from SIMPLY HOMEMADE.

Over spring break we had a play date with a little girl from school that went a little later than expected. It was a great play date, however, I felt bad that her Mom wasn't going to have enough time to get dinner ready before Dad came home. She assured me it wasn't a problem because her meal was already prepared, all she had to do is cook it! She took a plastic bag out labeled with her meal and explained she goes to a place called Simply Homemade. I was so excited about this and asked if she had a menu or information I could take home for Pete. She explained this meal system works out great for a couple of reasons...1. She always has food prepared for meals & knows what she is serving and 2. She goes to the store less, therefore, she spends less money. I liked both ideas, however, trying to convince Pete was going to be another story. When I got that evening I showed Pete the menu and he thought the food sounded really good and liked the idea of knowing a month at time what would be having. I also explained how my friend goes to the store less, therefore less money spent & easier to keep a budget. He was sold!

My friend and I went last week and what an experience. Not only did I have a good time preparing the food, but, an even better time catching up with my friend. All of the food was fresh and such good quality. Not to mention the store was EXTREMELY clean...this is a huge must for me with food. This is probably one reason why I can't get my grocery bill under control, if it's not clean...I won't shop there! We have a lot of options where I live, however, some places I just cannot get past the messy shelves or dirty floors. Needless to say, my only options are the pricey places. Anyway, the preparation was simple and easy. They had stations with all of your ingredients and directions how to prepare each meal. All you do is follow the directions and add ingredients into supplied Ziploc bags. You can split most meals and some meals are already assembled. Each meal comes with a side and you grab that and toss into the freezer and move onto the next station. It was so easy!

We cooked our first meal last Wed, Baked Potato Soup, and it was yummy. Even the girls tried it and that says a lot. Gabriella tries almost nothing, so for her this was huge. When Pete got home, he loved it! We had tons left, so we tossed it in the freezer for a future meal. Each meal serves 6 people, so our plans are to have Pete take the left overs for lunch. This will save on money he spends on lunch,which runs from $35-$50 a week, not to mention this will be a much healthier option. Yesterday we had the Glazed Pork Medallions for lunch and ate the left overs for dinner. They where so good and so easy to make. We had a delicious, healthy meal for lunch and dinner that only took 20 minutes.

So far so good, today we are having Pretzel Crusted Chicken with baked potatoes. Hopefully, it will be as yummy as the last two. If you want to check out their website, I put the link on the side. Just click their picture.

Yum!

This is Gross!!!

2009-04-19T11:07:00.003-05:00

Each year in the Summer, we have a "mild" ant problem. It started the Summer after we moved in and we just figured it was the area. It was never a huge problem, however, last Summer it seemed to get quite worse.

A few weeks ago the girls started to notice ants in the kitchen and more than normal for this time of year. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like hundreds, just like a few here and there. I figured it was the cat food in the kitchen, so I moved it upstairs. It didn't seem to resolve the problem and it seemed like it was getting worse, so we decided to call Terminix. We would take care of the problem before the Summer comes and it gets really bad.

I called them on Thursday evening and was happy they could come the next day, however, at the time I didn't realize how lucky I was that I called. When the technician came, he walked the perimeter of the house and said "I think I found your problem." I went outside and just to the right of my patio down the entire length of my house...millions of ants!! It was so gross! He said he had never seen this many ants during this time of year. I felt so icky! He asked when I got my patio and said the ants could have come from the sand. He just wondered if we had the problem before we got the patio, however, we got the patio just as we moved in so we had never had a summer without it. I told him we just figured it was the area and paid no attention. I am so glad we called. He used 20 gallons of ant killer and termite killer to get rid of all the ants and colonies. He said from the looks of the length and the amount of ants, it may have went down 10 feet!! So gross!!! He sprayed inside and found the area they were coming in and sprayed a ton of stuff there too. Within seconds all of the ants were dead. I know I keep saying this, but, GROSS!!!!

Thankfully, he didn't find ants anyplace else and we'll have to keep on this problem for as long as we own the home. Yeah...it's so fun to be a homeowner! I am glad they are gone and the girls are beyond glad. Every time they saw a tiny, little ant they screamed and ran. I will say, it was getting to be much and can't even imagine what the summer would have brought.

Thank God for Terminix and don't ever under estimate a "small" bug problem.

Bad Easter Bunny!

2009-04-17T08:51:00.004-05:00

This Easter Pete and I decided the "Easter Bunny" would bring bikes for the girls. The girls have used their current bikes for the past two summers and it was time for new bikes. Their old bikes were still in good shape, however, the girls have really out grown them.

One weekend about 2 months ago, we took the girls to Toys R Us and just let them explore the bike area. They both really like the same bike, so later that week Pete went and purchased the bike...my first mistake! Normally, this is a task I would do, however, it is hard for me to leave the girls, so he stopped after worked. When he got home, I asked if he took them to his parents house and he was like "No, they are in the garage". Naturally, I assumed we had two shiny purple bikes in the garage and the surprise would surely be blown the minute the girls looked outside. He assured me they wouldn't see the bikes, as he covered them with a blanket. I didn't quite understand how he could manage this, so I checked it out myself. To my surprise and dismay, he didn't have either bike assembled. They were both still in the boxes. AHHHH!!

For anyone who knows Pete, you will know why this is a problem. Poor Pete is the least handy person I have ever met. I am more handy and that isn't saying much. When I asked why on God's Green Earth didn't he have them assembled, he was shocked! He couldn't believe I would doubt his ability to assemble two children's bikes. He was like "It was $50 to have these things assembled. I'm not paying that, when we could do it for free! Geese Kathleen, all you do is throw money away! THIS is why never have any money!" OK, so buying two bikes turned into a lecture on my spending habits. Actually, it was his defense system covering for the fact that neglected to ask Toys R US the details on assembling the bikes...see how he is!

Fast forward two months and the time is around 9pm the evening before Easter. I say to Pete "hey, what about the bikes? Are you going to put them together for tomorrow?" He looked at me and was like "Yah, how hard could it be? We'll whip these out before 10pm." WRONG!!!!
After about 30, maybe 40 minutes Pete says "hey, do you think we could bring these back for Toys R Us to assemble? This is really hard!" I looked at the pieces and I felt so sad for my husband. It was like 5 pieces he had to put together to create this bike, yet he could not. I started to help, as if I was Handy Mandy coming to save the day. I tinkered about 15 minutes and was like, "Geese, this is hard! How are we going to do this?" I swear the directions were so hard to understand and the bulk of the directions were on how to install the reflectors, which we couldn't even find in the box. We didn't have any of the tools required to assemble this bike, so things kept falling off after we put them on. All we could do was laugh and I think we both wanted to cry a little too!

Two hours of so passed and this bike is still in pieces on our living room floor and we are both getting tired. We couldn't figure this out and it was getting late, so we decided we would give the girls 1 bike and tell them the Easter Bunny was tired and asked if we could put the other bike together. It sounded good at 11pm, however, at 7am the girls were like "WTF?"

I had this great idea the day before to color two "special" eggs for the girls and when if they found it, they would get a special surprise...the bikes. They both went to bed excited about the idea and just as excited when they got up. The first thing they did was search for these 2 eggs, bypassing every other object in their way. They passed up candy, money and a pluther of plastic eggs. When they both found the eggs, it was like Christmas morning! All they wanted was the "surprise" from the Easter Bunny. So, we had them sit on the floor and Pete went and got the "bike"...their faces...priceless!! He wheeled out this poor excuse for a bike and they were like, "this is our surprise? One bike?" Their first question was "do we have to share it" and we we were like "No, the Easter Bunny left another, but, asked if we could put it together." They looked at each other, knowing the would never see that other bike assembled before the end of the summer. Then they were like "can we ride it?" We were like "well, you can sit on it, but, the wheel isn't attached to the front, so it might fall off if you try to peddle." Our poor kids! They both went from being so excited to so disgusted by us, as if they knew we were the reason this bike was in such a state. They both got on the bike and forced a smile and then "thanks, let us know when we can ride it!" They went back to their baskets and then we heard Gabriella say to Emily " I thought the surprise was going to be better" , Emily responded with "it would have been better, if they put the bike together! I guess we're stuck with our smaller bikes for a little longer!"

Pete and I felt horrible, here we wanted to have a really cool surprise and we blew it! Pete kept saying "it was only $50 to have it assembled, why didn't I do it?" It's not the first thing, our kids have many toys that stayed in boxes for years or things assembled wrong. Poor Pete even put the Light Brite together wrong! I think it's time we both take a class at the Home Depot or hire a full time handy man.

Their first trip...

2009-04-17T08:25:00.006-05:00

To the Dentist!

I don't why I waited so long to bring the girls to the dentist, however, at the age of 4 1/2 they had their first checkup.

I am happy to say it went GREAT! They both did awesome and really loved the experience. We were lucky, one of the Mom's at school was the hygienist, so if they did have any uneasy feelings about going, they were gone once they saw her.

Things have changed so much since I was a child. I remember we were excited to go into the "toy drawer" and pick out some lame toy. I was shocked when they both received a goody bag filled with a lot of really cool things. Everything from a full size toothpaste, to stickers and even a princess tooth brush. It was like going to a birthday party!

Pete and I got our teeth cleaned too and for us it had been a long time. I LOVE going to the dentist, however, with the whole "heart" thing it was always a pain because my dentist wanted me to pre-medicate to prevent infection. My cardiologist has always been opposed to this, so it was a always a battle between the two. Luckily, our new dentist agreed with my cardiologist 100% and felt she knows the best plan of action when it comes to my heart. I had my checkup and all was fine. No cavities , however, I did have a chipped tooth so I have to go back in a few weeks to have it fixed.

Pete on the other hand, did not enjoy his visit so much. It was good they placed him on the opposite side of the office from the girls, because, when he was done it looked like major surgery took place. He didn't have any cavities, but, his cleaning took forever! He'll probably kill me for saying, but, he actually has to go back to finish the cleaning. I don't get it, he is so particular about his hygiene, yet he falls short when it comes to taking care of his teeth.

All in all, it was a great experience for everyone. The girls keep telling everyone how they went to dentist, as if they went to Disney. Poor children! Actually when you compare our trip to Disney to their first dental appointment, Disney comes us a little short!

One down, two more to go as we start our journey to Kindergarten! Hopefully, the eye doctor goes just as smooth and well, their wellness visits are always fine.

I'll keep you posted!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T14:41:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share my all time favorite commerical when I was growing up and I'm not sure why. I just love in the end when the kids say "Thank you Easter Bunny...bawk, bawk". Of course I did think it was from a Catbury Egg commerical and not M&M, never the less, I still enjoy it today. Thank you You Tube!

Do you Hulu?

2009-04-10T09:34:00.002-05:00

By now everyone has seen the commercials for Hulu, with Seth MacFarlane or Alex Baldwin talking about TV rotting our brains and them being aliens and such. I have checked out Hula and it's actually pretty cool. You can watch tons of shows, even old shows from back when.

I will have to tell ya, it's like Facebook and a total time sucker. If you have about 5 hours to waste, check it out!

http://www.hulu.com/

Another great website to fill time is Funny or Die, by Will Farrell. This sight has some of the funniest clips, a lot by celebrities, that you will ever see. Currently, the #1 watched clip is with Zack Efron and it is hilarious. This too is another tie sucker, but, really funny!

http://www.funnyordie.com/

2009-04-10T08:33:00.004-05:00

When I was growing up, my Mom always played Bunco; and like any child my Mom was sooo old, so I just assumed Bunco was some old lady game. She would always tell stories about her Bunco friends and silly miss-adventures this group of 12 ladies did over a course of many years. I only remember my Mom hosting Bunco one time at our house and it was a big deal. I was young, probably 5 or 6, yet I still remember this event. My Mom always seemed to have the time of her life with her Bunco ladies, yet I never thought I would partake in such an "old lady" past time.

Fast forward about 30 years and here I am in my 3rd year of Bunco. I can certainly see why my Mother enjoyed this so much, as I have the best time each month with the ladies I play with. We are a group of 12 that has changed a lot over the course of 3 years, however, we have a core group that has stuck with each other and really have a special bond. We all have very different lives, yet, every 2nd Friday of the month we talk, laugh and sometimes cry about the events in our lives. We let our hair down and act as if we are college girls away from home for the first time. We have little gossip that goes around, which is strange for a group of women and we all look out for each other. Our children play with each other and husbands talk too, it's certainly a special group.

It's funny, I always thought Bunco was a card game, something like Old Maid, certainly not a dice game that I would play once a month and know all the rules like the back of my hand. It's funny how we always warp into our parents, as I have done with playing Bunco.

Do you play? Did your Mom?

No response...

2009-04-10T08:19:00.003-05:00

Well, I have had the Gymboree coupon up for grabs for a week and not one person has asked for it. I don't understand, people sell these coupons on Ebay and people will actually pay upwards of $10 for the thing and I can't even give it away. Due to the lack of response, I won't be doing the clothing give away. It seems like a lot of work when there is no interest. It's a shame, my kids have one of the best wardrobes around and I thought that giving people a chance to get really good quality clothes for free was a good way to help people and get more interest in the blog.
I wish I knew a better way, but, for now everything will go to Goodwill.
What am I doing wrong?

The Smart Car

2009-04-10T07:35:00.005-05:00

I'm going to start by saying "I'm sorry if I hurt any one's feelings", but, what the hell is up with these Smart Cars? They are the silliest of silly cars and people look like damn fools driving them. I couldn't see how anyone could walk away from any type of accident and not be hurt or killed. I get the concept of saving energy for the environment, however, is their goal to make a car to kill off people in these tiny little traps? Less people...less people to pollute the environment?
Couldn't they have made this a tad bigger? Let's face it, we all know SUV's, trucks & mini-vans are probably the worst vehicles for the environment, however, most people purchase these types of vehicles because they require the space. I would love to drive a car, but, when the girls were little I couldn't even get their double stroller in our car. We had to trade that in and get something bigger. Needless to say, 4 years later we still have both of our SUV's. We could move them to a car now or when they move in too boosters, however, with the economy the way it is, we'll be an SUV family for a while longer. When we do move back to cars, I can assure you that the Smart Car will not be on our list of options. It seems with Hybrids you have many choices and they seem much safer. I couldn't even imagine having the Smart Car and putting people in the back seat, let alone my kids. Does it even have a back seat? My kids would think it was a play car, hell their Barbie Jeeps are bigger than this silly car.
OK...my rant is over! Again, I apologize if this hurt any one's feelings. Trust me, I am not judging anyone for trying to do their part in saving our environment, I give you kudos...but...couldn't you do it in a bigger, not so sill car? You could get hurt driving one of those things.
Do you know anyone who has a Smart Car? Do they like it? What do you think?

Pete The Soccer Coach

2009-04-09T07:25:00.005-05:00

Have you ever volunteered your spouse for something he/she may not necessarily want to do? Well, I do that ALL the time to Pete and it drives him nuts!
His current "act of kindness" is volunteering to be the coach of the girls soccer team. Don't get me wrong, Pete loves sports and of course loves the girls even more, however, coaching and putting himself out there for others is not his thing.
At times he can be a little shy, so this is a big things for him. Don't get be wrong he's not some social outcast that doesn't speak to others, he just enjoys staying within his comfort zone with people he already knows. Luckily for him, I am the exact opposite; so in the past 7 years of marriage he has come out of his shell a little.
The girls are beyond thrilled that their Dad is coaching and I think he may be coming around to the idea too! I don't doubt the fact that he will be a great coach, I just hope he realizes it too!
I'll keep you posted on season; we start practice next week and our first game is in two weeks. We're called THE LITTLE GREEN KICKERS and have a mixed team of 4-5 year olds'. This should be fun! I keep telling him, "how hard can it be?", little kids will run around a field chasing a ball for hours. Especially if their motivation is juice boxes and fish crackers!
What about you? Who are you more like? Pete- a little shy, doesn't like to be outside your comfort zone of friends, however, will take a leap once in awhile? Or more like me? Not shy at all, would offer your help to anyone and always putting yourself out there? I would love to hear!

2009-04-07T08:54:00.003-05:00

This Wednesday, April 8th Americans will be lacing up their sneakers for the American Heart Association's National Start Walking Day!

The goal of National Start! Walking Day is to encourage and inspire Americans to become physically active on a daily basis. We invite you to lace up your sneakers and take a 30 minute walk on April 8th.

If you don't have time during the work day, here are some fun ideas to try at home:

Urban walk Start at a slow pace for five minutes. After you're warmed up, alternate between a slow and rapid pace for each city block. Take flights of stairs two at a time. Find a bus stop or park bench to stretch and cool down.

Mall walk Indoor malls give you a safe environment with restrooms, water, refreshments and interesting sights, no matter what the weather or time of day.
Tourist walk Walking can help you manage jet lag as well as explore a new locale. Check with the hotel or tourist information center for safe routes and sightseeing maps.

Meditation walk Focus on the soles of your feet meeting the ground and notice the pressure changes as you stride. Awaken all your senses to what you hear, see, smell and feel.

Forest or creek walk Start with easy trails. Carry bottled water, dress in layers and wear waterproof shoes in damp areas. Look for waterfalls and other natural wonders.

If you are in the Downtown Chicago area, you can join the AHA as they kick off National Start! Walking Day!

Downtown Chicago National Start! Walking Day Rally

11:30 am Meet at Union Station (Canal and Adams) and Start! Walking to...

12:00 pm Rally at the Thompson Center (Randolph and Clark)

GET FIT AND STAY HEALTHY!!!! YOUR HEART WILL THANK YOU!

WALKING FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS (CF) AND AUTISM

2009-04-07T08:08:00.003-05:00

On May 17, 2009 I will be participating in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's annual GREAT STRIDES walk. As a team member for DOLCE RITA, I have made a commitment to GREAT STRIDES to help finding a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
GREAT STRIDES is an event that raises money to help support vital cystic fibrosis (CF) research and care programs. CF is a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the respiratory and digestive systems of tens of thousands of children and young adults. People with CF suffer from chronic, and often fatal, lung infections and have difficulty digesting food. Ten million Americans are symptom less carriers of the defective gene which cause CF. Although recently developed therapies have made a difference in treating the symptoms of CF, it is not enough. We continue to lose at least one precious life to CF every day.
On February 12, 2005, Pete's cousin Rita, succumbed to CF. Rita was a beautiful person who exuberated undying strength, unselfishness and compassion for others. It is in her memory that we walk this year as a team to raise money to stop this disease.
I will be walking at Soldier Field with family and friends supporting the teams 5th year as the DOLCE RITA team. If you would like to make a donation or find out more how you can help find a cure, just click the picture of Pete & Rita on the side.

I will also be walking for WALK NOW FOR AUTISM , on May 16th, 2009 in support of my niece Emma. Autism has such a vast spectrum, that research needs to continue to unlock the mysteries of this disease. If you would like to donate to our team, please click the picture on Emma's picture to side You can also learn more about Emma and her family by clicking the PUZZLE ROOM link on the side.

Yes, the walks are in the same weekend. I will need prayers that I can do it!!!
Thanks bloggers!!!

Who in the world is Cal Jones?

2009-04-07T06:42:00.003-05:00

Well, you might be surprised...Cal Jones is Gabriella's imaginary husband. He is 30, going on 99 and they got married yesterday, on his birthday, and live with me and Pete. She wore a beautiful towel for the ceremony and held the reception in our bathroom. It was quite an event! Too bad her Dad couldn't come,but, he was busy at work taking meetings with his boss....
Don't you just love children's imaginations? My girls come up with the craziest names for dolls, imaginary friends and anything else that requires a name. We have a Coomja, Rajaah, Rocka and of course everyone's favorite Dootdoot. Dootdoot is Gabriella and Cal Jones' baby. Scandalous!!!!
I often just sit and listen to the girls play and smile at the crazy things they do...part reality and mostly wild imaginations! It's hard not to become part of the adventure, as they both are having so much fun. Who wouldn't want to become consumed in a world were blocks are brownies and Post it's are an endless amount of money. Money that can buy EVERYTHING you could ever want, even the green elephant you saw at the store. Last week the girls were playing and Emily came in the office and said "Nonna, can you watch Rocka?" At first I was like "what?" and then I realized she was asking me Nonna to babysit. I thought it was funny because she involved me in the correct context, as the Grandma, to watch her child. Nonna means Grandma in Italian and their Nonna watches them most of the time. It's quite funny and so cute!
To be young again and have such an imagination. I wish I could take it and bottle it and sell it the world. As adults we have to much reality going on...wouldn't a little time in imagination land be great? I guess adults do have something like that, we call it "drunk."
My Challenge to you today, take 10 minutes out of your day and "pretend" something really wonderful. Enjoy!

Should it be snowing in April???

2009-04-05T19:54:00.002-05:00

This is my 5 minutes to crab about the snow. Shouldn't we be done with snow already? I mean it is April 5th for crying out loud and we are suppose to get 3 inches of snow from now until tomorrow am. WTF??? All I have to say is, we better have 80 degrees until November!
Is this what they mean by global warming? If so, were do I sign up to help make it stop?

Ok...I am done!

Have a good evening.
:)

Want 20% off at Gymboree? Gymboree give away...

2009-04-03T09:53:00.009-05:00

Anyone who knows me or follows the blog knows I have an enormous amount of clothes from Gymboree. My kids really only wear clothes from Gymboree, except the occasional "holiday" shirt from Target, maybe Janie & Jack or their swimsuits that are all Kate Mack. I'm not sure why this, but, I once I get on something I can let it go. I myself only purchase clothes from Old Navy, Black House/White Market, Anne Taylor, Target and ALL of my handbags are from Coach. I'm not sure why, who even knows if any of these places have good quality of clothing or the best prices. For whatever reason once I have my mind set on how something should be, I can't even consider another option. Hence the reason I purchase all the girls clothes from Gymboree.
Anyway, I must have some sort of hoarding problem too, because, I cannot bring myself to get rid of any of the clothes. I desperately want to give these clothes to a friend or family member, however, everyone seems to have boys. The few people I have offered them too with girls, their kids are around the same size as mine, so they wouldn't fit. Ahhhh!!! Normally, Pete and I take every bit of clothes we haven't worn for a year and bring everything to Goodwill, yet this has not happened in a long time. Our clothes, the girls clothes just keep accumulating...it's becoming crazy. Pete wants to have a garage sale to sell all of these clothes or wants me to sell them on Ebay. Erin and I tried the Ebay thing for a little while, however, for some reason that fizzled too. At first we sold a lot, but, then it started to become a lot of work for little money and people really take advantage of sellers. I actually thought of a a fun idea that I saw on one of my blogging buddies sight and she gave away a few things off, it was really cute and nice. I was wondering if maybe I should do the same thing. I would be willing to start small with a Gymboree coupon for 20%, that expires April 12th. If that goes well, each week I will take a new outfit and give it away free to the best candidate...what do think?
Hopefully, this will get more friends to my blog and help some people who could use clothes in these hard financial times. Pass it on to yours friends and anyone who wants to be considered must sign up to be a follower.

HOW IT WILL WORK:

Each week I will post a picture of an outfit and indicate new, used, etc.. Anyone who is interested in the outfit will post a reason in the comment section as to why they need / want it. I will read everyone's reasons and get opions from other and they make my choice. For the coupon, I can email the code or mail it, if there is time. The only thing I ask, anyone who does not live withing driving distance, they pay for shipping. I will make sure I sent the cheapest possible way.

(The Gymboree Logo is sole property of Gymboree companies and I am in NO WAY AFFILIATED with Gymboree)

Almost there...

2009-04-03T09:32:00.003-05:00

I gave up facebook for Lent and so far I haven't given in to temptation. With only 9 days until Easter, I really feel I am going to achieve this. It has been a very long time since I have been able to truly give something up for Lent and keep my promise to God.
I will have to say, at first, it wasn't easy. I was curious to see what was going on with everyone and when I was bored I really wanted to get on to waste time. I doubted I could do this, as I am week when it comes to the computer. I put my faith in God and never looked back. The urge passed and literally days / weeks passed without the thought of facebook. I now question if I really need this distraction in my life just to fill time. I honestly do enjoy talking people and keeping in touch, however, I could use this energy in a much different way.
I must have an addictive personality, because, once I start something I become consumed. I am glad Lent came, because, facebook was taking over my life. I know myself and if I return I will find myself back in the same pattern. I'm not sure what to do, however, if it was up to the girls they would want me to toss the computer in the trash for good. They both think I spend too much time on the computer in general, they're 4...so observant!
Never the less, no matter what I choose to do when Lent is over I am proud of the fact my faith was strong enough to help me get over a huge temptation and addiction in my life. It's minor, but, at least I know God is with me even thru the small things...imagine how much he is there in the big things!!!
Anyone else give anything up for Lent? How did you do?

Tips!

2009-03-31T16:22:00.004-05:00

Do you have a special ingredient you add to your meatballs that make them "yours" or a trick to keep your windows clean? I would love to hear them and make a weekly posting on the blog and give credit were credit is due.

I love little tips and ideas for cooking and cleaning, heck I even love that trick on your fingers that help do the "9" time tables.

Let me know what you think.

Is gardening the way to go?

2009-03-31T15:58:00.004-05:00

You can't go anywhere or do anything without thinking about money. This couldn't be more evident when going to the grocery store. Each week it seems the price of fresh fruit or veggies continues to rise, yet my grocery budget continues to go down.
I thought, what could be the solution to this problem...A HOME GARDEN!!! No sooner where those thoughts out of my mind and my sister Theresa called with information on planting a home garden, then my Mom and then the news. I guess everyone is thinking the same thing and really trying to find solutions to saving money.

Now, I don't have a green thumb, not even a little green. I buy a ton of flowers and plants each spring and most are dead by 4th of July. If they make it to August, it is a true miracle. I wondered how I could grow my own garden without making a huge mess of my yard and spending more money then buying things from the store.

My sister, Theresa, sent me a great website that has a ton of ideas on how to make a home garden. Some as simple as plant box gardens, to a full fledged garden. I think I may start small and plant a few things in pots and see were it goes. Theresa is getting ambitious and going for gold and converting part of her yard into a garden. I wish her luck! If it goes well, I can do my "shopping" in her yard and not worry about planting or buying...just kidding.

Anyway, here is the website....
http://www.weekendgardener.net

You can also purchase supplies from Improvements Catalog or Home Shopping Network.

Spring break...really???

2009-03-31T13:35:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we returned back to school / work from a week off for Spring break. I don't know if you can really call it "Spring Break", as it was cold, snowy, rainy and windy.

I can understand public schools having break in March due to separating church & state, however, with the girls going to Catholic School I cannot understand why we couldn't have our spring break after Easter. We have off Holy Thursday and Good Friday and then return back to school the day after Easter. It would be nice to have the very long vacation from work and school and chances are the weather may be just a little nicer. Oh well! I guess that is a battle I won't ever win. I'm sure schools have their systems in place for a reason, it just seems their reasons don't make sense. Give kids a week off, go back for a week and half and then two more days off...crazy!

Anyway, we made the best of the stinky weather and had many of play dates. The girls were beyond excited to see a school friend, a neighbor friend and ALL of their cousins. I enjoyed visiting with everyone too. We also used last week to make up a few gymnastics classes the girls missed and of course cleaning the house. Saturday we did something a little different and took the girls to something they each wanted to do. Not too often do they both get to choose an activity they want, so this was pretty special. Gabriella choose seeing Dora Live with Pete and Emily wanted to go to American Girl with me for lunch. I must say it was quite enjoying. Our morning started a little scary, as both girls got sick. I felt so bad for both of them that they both would miss their special day, luckily with some prayers and a little faith we made it through the entire weekend sick free. THANK GOD!! We decided to use this opportunity to stay down in the City and let the girls go swimming at a hotel. The weather so poor all week, swimming was just the trick to get their minds off the sleet falling outside. The next morning we were lucky enough to see the Shamrock Shuffle and cheer on all the runners grudging thru really bad weather. We ended our weekend with pizza with a few more cousins, just as we started vacation. It was really nice!

We were all excited to get back to school / work yesterday and figured the weather was the nicest of the past 9 days. I wonder if you can really call Spring Break "Spring" when it snows. I personally think we should go back to Easter Break and do it the week after, at least if the weather stinks we'll have two extra days to enjoy some time off!

That darn Felix!

2009-03-31T13:26:00.003-05:00

We have officially had Felix 2 full months and boy has he changed!

Our sweet, little, loving baby has turned into a hellion! Don't get me wrong he is still cute as a button, but, he has definitely adjusted to the us and the house and runs around like crazy. He is actually the 4th cat I have owned and he is nothing like any of the others. He is almost more "dog" like than cat. He begs for food, tries to run outside and chews on everything. It's driving Pete crazy, as he has never lived with a kitten. He is use to Gus, who is the most easy going cat you will ever meet. He and Felix are like night and day.

Pete says it's time to banish Felix to the basement at night, however, I don't feel he is ready. Too much for a baby to get into and he will get hurt for sure. Pete and I will have to come up with something at night though, as Felix is keeping us all awake at night.

Oh well, he's only a baby once and I wouldn't trade him for the world. He has still brought so much happiness to all of us in the house, well maybe not everyone...Gus doesn't like him at all!

I'm back...

2009-03-31T12:57:00.002-05:00

It's been a few weeks and I am back to blogging. I wanted to take a couple of weeks and re-organize the blog and see what direction I wanted to take. Erin is going to focus on THE PUZZLE ROOM for now, so you can still find out what is going on with her by following the link on the side.

I have gone back and forth about what to do with the blog...delete it, change the format to be more about me or keep it the same. I have never done anything like this on my own, so I really questioned if I had it in me to keep it up. Erin has done all the technical details of the blog and all of that seemed very overwhelming. After much thought, I have decided to keep it a general interest blog and hopefully that work. I would love ideas of different things anyone would like to see or perhaps contribute. I think hearing everyone opions is fun and interesting.

I am glad to be back and I hope you enjoy the new path with MISH MASH MOM.

Did she get her money's worth?

2009-03-04T13:19:00.006-06:00

Check out this story about Jennifer Aniston & her $50, 000 haircut. Yes. $50k. Insanity.

No Nuggets! Call 911!

2009-03-04T09:20:00.001-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Keeping up with the Jones'

2009-03-02T14:39:00.010-06:00

At a recent family get together after talking about the economic crisis..my sister in law was angry.."Why can't people just live within their means?" "How come people are buying houses they can't afford?" She states that she & her husband are practically debt free. They pay a mortgage and utilities..that's it. No car payment, no student loans, no credit cards. If they want something..they save for it. My husband explains to her that she is in a very small percentage of this country. Great for them, but, it's not easy to get to that point. If everyone lived within their means, we wouldn't need credit card companies, right? Right. But, people don't. So, people spend, spend, spend. My mom used to refer to it as "keeping up with the Jones" Everybody has that feeling, once is while. How can they afford that and we can't? Why can't our kids have that too? It is jealously..pure and simple. So, they charge it and deal with it later. Until, all that comes back to haunt them in the charge statement. We are guilty of too, from time to time.
I find it interesting that people now are willing to tell you "we don't have the money". I think in the past, people wouldn't feel comfortable talking about their finances..now, I think it is overboard. Everybody is having trouble and wants to share it. I think people who don't even have financial issues say they do....to keep up with the Jones. It's the American way.
I find this insulting sometimes. My husband and I have never had money. I am a stay at home mom and he is a public school teacher. A great profession, but, let's face..teachers are underpaid...big time. That's a whole other blog post. It's what we have chosen for our life and are ok with it. But, now, people understand what we go through. A budget, tuition assistance, shopping second hand...they "get" it now. Yeah,ok. When this finanicial crisis is over, most people will go back to overspending and not look back. We will still be here..budgeting, tuition assistance, discount shopping. That's just the way it is. The American Way.

What do you think?

2009-03-01T17:36:00.002-06:00

Rihanna and Chris Brown Are Back Together

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20262240,00.html

My journey begins...

2009-02-25T09:52:00.005-06:00

You're probably wondering what "journey" I am taking, well it's really not that big of a deal, however, in the end it will show me if I have the will to stop something I enjoy for my faith.
Being a Christian, Catholic to be exact, today starts the Season of Lent. Each year I choose to "give up" something for my faith and each year I fail. This year is going to prove quite challenging, as I have chosen to give up FACEBOOK!!! It has only been a few weeks since I joined facebook, however, I have become very addicted. I spend most, if not all, of my free time on this sight. I love talking with old friends and acquaintances, as well as family. I have realized this is becoming a problem, as the girls continue to say "Mommy, please stop looking at facebook". With Lenten Season approaching I toyed with the idea of giving facebook up, however, wasn't sure I was ready to take on such a challenge. Yesterday ,out of nowhere, a friend posted she was going to "give up" facebook for Lent and I felt inspired, so I decided I would try too.
I was very surprised at the support I received, as well as the lack of support. I had many people wish me luck, as if I was going to climb Mt. Everest. I wondered if in fact this challenge would prove much the same as climbing the world largest mountain. So many people claimed they couldn't do it, as they were addicted as well. A good friend even took a bet of $50 that I would fail miserably. I do feel as if I have a lot of support this Lenten Season on proving I can in fact "give up" something I enjoy so much for my faith. My sister in law has also decided she will try to "give up" facebook, however, Erin wasn't quite ready.
When April 12th arrives I hope in fact I can say I succeeded, but, fear I won't. Addiction is hard to overcome, even with faith being the motivation. Today hasn't been bad, as I have been busy, I fear when a slow day approaches I may give in to temptation. God give me strength!!!!

Have you seen this girl?

2009-02-24T13:31:00.003-06:00

AMBER DUBOIS

DOB: Oct 25, 1994
Missing: Feb 13, 2009
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
Eyes: Blue
Race: WhiteAge Now: 14
Sex: Female
Weight: 140 lbs (64 kg)
Hair: Brown

Missing From: ESCONDIDO, CA United States

Amber was last seen on February 13, 2009. She may still be in the local area.

If you see Amber, Please, call : National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)

Amber is a second cousin of a dear friend of one of our fellow bloggers:

http://pastedtogether.blogspot.com/

I thought this was very powerful...

2009-02-22T18:29:00.004-06:00

Their big day!

2009-02-22T10:37:00.002-06:00

Well, not "THE BIG DAY" , but, a pretty big first in my opinion. The girls went to their first dance last night, their Daddy/Daughter Dance. They were beyond thrilled and so was Pete. They danced, played with friends and even did crafts...that I didn't get , but, oh well!

They both wanted "fancy & fluffy" hair, so they both looked liked the stepped out of the 80's. Never the less, they both looked very cute and Pete looked quite dapper...as he always does!

I remember being in High School and enjoying these dances with my Dad, it brings back a lot of great memories. It has been well over 20 years since my last dance with Dad, but, the memory is still fresh in my mind. I hope the girls will remember this for many years to come. I know we'll never forget the date, as it was my older sisters 40th b-day! A fun day of memories.

Just freaking me out

2009-02-22T08:05:00.004-06:00

By now I think everyone has heard about the chimp who savagely attacked that poor women in Hartford, Connecticut and caused serious injury to her face and hands.

I personally must be spending too much time on FB to have heard this story, so I didn't learn about it until yesterday. I did a little searching on Google and was able to find the 911 call by the chimps owner. It was bone chilling! This women who had raised this chimp for 15 years, was screaming "shoot it, shoot it" over and over. I can't describe the feeling I had after hearing this call, however, I do know I felt so uneasy. All I could visualize was this women sitting in her car, watching her best friend be torn apart by her "beloved" chimp. The owner thought her friend was dead and feared for her own life as well. A scary thing about this tape is that, in my opinion, I don't think the 911 operator believed what was happening and at was scale. It almost seemed like he hesitated sending help. I hope this was not the case, as this may make a huge difference in the victims recovery.

Anyway, I can't seem to get this story out of my mind. I went to a party yesterday evening and we were talking about it there. Some people had seen an actual live video on YouTube of the attack and said they had never seen anything like it. I had dreams about this last night and just cannot get this poor women, the women attacked not the owner, out of my mind. To think her life will be so severely altered because she was trying to help a friend. Of course, you have to ask yourself why was someone would allowed to have a wild animal in a suburban setting. I don't care if she was Grandfathered in, you shouldn't be allowed to keep a 200 lb chimp in your home, especially if he has caused problems before.

I know you cannot blame the chimp, it's sad he lost his life due to the lack of respect his owner had for wild animals, but, I do continue to ask myself could this have prevented? What do you think? On a side note, have you ever read something or heard it on the news and just cannot get it out of your mind? This happens to me all the time. If a friend tells a story that tugs at my heart strings, I become consumed with finding out all of the details. The same thing happened when a very sad incident happened years ago at a college party. I thought about all of these young people who died or hurt and how this effected the people in their lives. Strange thing, as an adult I have met people affected by this tragedy and their lives have never been the same. I always want to put my arms around them and hug them, because to me it's still so fresh on my mind. For them, they have to put the horror in the back of their minds to push forward in life. It's sad. All of these tragedies we see on TV happen to real people, we have to remember that.

Keep this women and her family in your prayers, as they must need all they can get.

What ever happened to Mrs...

2009-02-20T09:07:00.002-06:00

Something that continues to drive me crazy is when people have their children or my children call them Mrs. or Mr. and then their first name! It drives me nuts! What ever happened to addressing an adult Mrs. or Mr. and their last name?

Obviously my kids are only 4 so when they started talking all I could do was the same thing other parents had their kids call me...Ms. Kathleen! I assumed that this was the new formal way children are too address adults. All of the dance classes, tumbling classes or anything up until this year they were involved in , they addressed the adult in this fashion. I didn't know any better, as all of my friends had their children doing the same.

I never felt comfortable having my children address people this way and some of my friends didn't care for when my children addressed them in this way either. In fact I have one friend who asked for the girls to call her a very cute nick name, I like this idea better to be honest. They still address her by this fun name and it seems for them to have a closer bond with her as well. Anyway, when the girls started 4 year pre-school this year they addressed the teacher as Mrs. Johnson! Not only that, but, Mrs. Johnson address' all the other parents by the formal greeting and their last name. My question is, if our children are still using formal salutations when they enter school, why the hell are we having them do the other? It just drives me nuts!

I know on the "driving me nuts" scale, this isn't a huge thing, however, I want my girls to address adults as Mr or Mrs Last name! Why is so hard for parent to do? Do we not know our friends, neighbors or soccer coaches' last name? Growing up there was only one adult that we addressed by his first name and it was because he did have a very hard last name to pronounce. Until this day when we talk about our old neighbors, we still call him Mr. & Mrs. Al, however, he is the only one.

I don't get this and really don't know when it started, however, it will be something my children will not do. In this day in age our children seem to be lacking so many manners and show little respect for adults. Maybe this is because we as parents have been allowing them to address adults by their first name. To me this seems to make an adult more on their same level, rather than as a more respected figure.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think anyone's children are going to grow up as physco killers because they address' adult in thiw way, however, I think adults deserve respect from children and in my opinion I think starting with this may help. What do you have your children do? How do other children address you or your husband?

Are we really watching our money?

2009-02-19T14:18:00.004-06:00

You can't turn on the TV without hearing about the economy and job losses, however, are the American people really cutting back due to these economic times?

Luckily, I only know of 2 people who have lost their jobs in my circle of friends, however, at my job I have come across quite a few. What has surprised me about most of these people is the things they cannot part with...cell phone, Internet, cable or entertainment. Don't get me wrong, I am not judging, I am no different. I have had several conversations with my Mother on cutting monthly expenses and I had a "good" excuse as to why I couldn't live without these things. My vice is the Internet and TV, I could NOT live without these things....or can I?

Sometimes I feel we have all gotten ourselves into this mess because we show no restraint to the things we want...not need. My husband and I are no different and almost never deny ourselves of anything, especially when it comes to the girls. I fear my kids will grow up thinking they can have anything they want, just because they ask. When I tell them things like "we didn't budget for that", they says "just charge it." They are 4!! Yes, I understand this is our fault, but, the mind set with everyone is "just charge it". Maybe I am wrong, maybe Pete and I are careless about our money, however, why are the charge card companies sending us cards with limits that exceed what I paid for my house. When someone continues to tell you that you "can" afford something...ie charge card companies...they you feel like you can. You tend not to watch your money, because, you feel like if someone is willing to trust you with a limit over $200k, you feel like you can spend like that...does that make sense?

I'm not blaming creditors, it is our responsibility to manage our own money. If Pete and I used every card send to us and maxed all to the limits, we would be close to owing $700-750k...that is a lot of money! Creditors should take some responsibility fir their actions, credit limits like this are uncalled for. Thankfully, Pete and I know credit cards are our downfall and never accept these cards. We have one card that we use and that is basically for gas and Pete's travel, however, if he lost his job today we would in fact use all of these cards. Our cash on hand would go all to our mortgage...why because I can charge EVERYTHING ELSE!

I guess the point to this post is basically to see what others think. Are you good with money? Do you get credit cards in the mail everyday? Do you have more credit, than tangible items that can be sold to pay off debt? We keep asking for help, but, I don't think a chunk of money is going to solve all the problems. Education, restraint and loosing that opinion that we are always entitled to everything we want must change. What do you think?

I know we should be much better with our money and we are trying. We have cut expenses a lot, but, we have a long way to go. We still eat out a lot, don't budget for food and spend money on pointless things for the girls. Are we the perfect example of the American Population or the exception to the rule?

What do you think?

2009-02-19T13:34:00.002-06:00

In the March 2009 issue of Allure Julia Roberts says,

"I think it should be against the law to take a picture of a celebritys child," notes Julia. "And all the, like, 'Who's got the cutest baby?' I had to restore my faith in people when, one night, I was on the computer, and I ended up stumbling upon some pictures I had never seen of my children playing at a park. What upset me was all these comments like, 'One is cute; that other one sure is ugly.'" People can be so mean!

Should celebrities kids be off limits?

Memory Lane

2009-02-18T10:31:00.004-06:00

I have been thinking lately about 1988. With all this Facebook stuff, it is hard not to. I am glad to connect with girls I haven't spoken with in almost 20 years, but, it does make you realize how fast time goes. I heard a Def Leppard song on the radio this morning and made me think of my friends from senior year. We loved listening to "Pour Some Sugar on Me" constantly. No, I was not friends with strippers. We were just suburban wannabe head bangers..if that makes any sense. And, it was 1988..hair bands were big. Def Leppard is still playing together after all these years. Still sounding great. I did feel very old when I ran across this performance with the band and Taylor Swift singing "Photograph". If you haven't heard of Taylor Swift, she is a young country singer and I mean young. She was born in 1989..6 years after this song was released. After the performance " Swift called the Def Leppard collaboration "a dream come true," and said she was introduced to the band when she was still in the womb by her mother, a huge fan.
I think she does a pretty good job keeping up with these old guys.

I can't believe they are starting Kindergarten...

2009-02-18T09:41:00.004-06:00

Today is sort of a bitter sweet day for me, I am registering the girls in Kindergarten. Don't get me wrong, I think they are both ready and very excited for the new adventures they face, however, I am a little sad that my "babies" are going to be in school everyday.

"When" they start school has always been a very fine line, as their b-day is very close to most school cutoffs. I have the luxury of starting them or holding them back. Pete and I have always felt very strongly about not holding them back, however, have received a lot of negative remarks in regards to this. We get a lot of parents saying we are going to scar them for lives and they won't keep up with the others. Maybe I live in some delusional world, however, I don't feel a child who turns 4 or 5 in the beginning of August will be acclimated to school better than my girls, who's b-day is in the beginning of Sept. They are both in a very advanced preschool class and keep up better than most, in fact they seem to be more advanced than some of the Kindergarten kids from other schools.

We do send them to Catholic School, which was more willing to accept them over the public school. Our local district school wouldn't even consider letting them start this past fall and our "choice" school felt the same way. Now the "choice" school did say they would test the girls early for Kindergarten,however, not for pre-school. That didn't seem to make any sense, therefore that option was off the table. We are both happy with the school and feel God sent us and the girls on this path for a reason, however, it is financial struggle at times. By the time our local district school would accept our girls, they would be starting 1st grade and by then, why would we change schools? I think sometimes schools have these rules in place more to manage population and over crowding, rather than the best interest for the child. The fact that the principle wouldn't even meet my children, turned me off. Yet I have a friend who is the Principle of one of the top Elementary Schools in the country who wrote a recommendation for my girls to start school this past fall. He said if we lived in his district, he wouldn't have thought twice about accepting the girls early. Makes no sense!

I have never doubted our decision or felt we have made a horrible choice for our kids, however, only the future will tell. My feeling have always been, I can hold them back if they are not ready, but, cannot move them up if they are! Does that make sense?

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think it should be parents choice as to when they start their children? Earlier or later? Should each person be tested no matter what their b-day is?

Meatloaf Cupcakes With Mashed Potato Frosting

2009-02-17T12:41:00.003-06:00

A neat way to get kids to eat dinner..

For the cupcakes:
Make your favorite recipe for meatloaf. However, instead of putting it in a loaf pan, place into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 until brown and pulled away from sides—about 20-25 minutes. Cool.

For the frosting:
7.2oz box instant mashed potatoes
Milk
Butter
Prepare two sachets of instant mashed potatoes according to package instructions. Cool. Spread onto meatloaf cupcakes, or if you are feeling extra fancy, pipe on with pastry bag or Ziplock baggie with a hole cut in the corner. Garnish with diced green pepper or chopped parsley.
Reheat "frosted" cupcakes in oven or microwave before serving

source:http://www.cafemom.com/dailybuzz/food_party/3009/Meatloaf_Cupcakes_With_Mashed_Potato_Frosting

Pretzel Log Cabin for Presidents Day

2009-02-16T07:56:00.007-06:00

What you'll need:
Small empty milk carton
Pretzel sticks
Chocolate frosting or peanut butter
1 Rolo or other tubular shaped candy
1 square cracker
Scissors
Hot glue or tape

How to make it:
1.Cut the top flap of the milk carton off and tape or hot glue it closed to form the roof.

2.Spread chocolate frosting or peanut butter on one side of milk carton then cover with pretzels.

3.Repeat this step all over the milk carton until log cabin is complete. You may need to break the tips off of some of the pretzels to make then fit up the sides.
4.Break a square cracker in half, then break one of the halves in half. Spread some frosting or peanut butter on the back of the first half. “Glue” it to the front of the cabin as the door. Repeat this step with a smaller broken piece for the window.
5.Spread some frosting or peanut butter to the bottom of Rolo and stick to the roof.

Tips:
You can make this a larger project using any box and large pretzel logs.
This is an edible craft project, just be sure you check for allergies, especially if using peanut butter as your glue.
Ask children to save their milk carton from their school lunch and wash them out thoroughly before using.

My daughter made this is her 1st grade class last week. The cabin in the picture is her creation. She says it was easy to make and alot of fun.

It's official...I'm boring!

2009-02-16T07:15:00.004-06:00

We are driving to school one day last week and we were talking about a little girl in their class who wore a very "fun" dress to class...OK a Mickey Mouse costume...something I would never in a million years let the girls wear. So I said to them "blanks Mom must be so fun & relaxed if she lets blank wear her Mickey costume to school". The girls both agreed and I admit too, blanks Mom is very fun, in fact most every other Mom I meet is more fun than me. Of course this led to the questions "am I fun"? Emily, never sparing any one's feelings, said "no", "you are NOT fun". "You make us wear itchy clothes to school, we can never get messy and you never play with us." I was certainly taken aback by this discovery, however, she was not wrong. I run their little lives as if we were the First Family and had to always been seen in a certain way. Erin can attest to this, as I freak out when the girls get messy, I just cannot let myself go and be "fun".

Gabriella on the other hand looks at me so different and really tried to spare my feelings. She said "Mommy, you are too busy to be fun, because, you are so busy taking care of us. You drive us everywhere, make us pancakes, gives us baths and make sure we are safe. If you were fun, you couldn't be those things either". I was touched my her caring nature, however, taken aback by her insight...she is only 4! She ended her touching speech with "Mommy, I love you just the way you are, even if you are not fun!"

I suppose there are worse things in life then not being "fun", however, I do wish Iwould relax and try to be more fun.

Maybe today I will let them go out in their costumes, I mean what is the worse thing that could happen...they have fun?

Facebook Update

2009-02-12T09:05:00.004-06:00

So, it has been a little over a week since Kathleen and I joined Facebook. It started out great, finding old friends, connecting with far away relatives. Well now, for me at least, it has lost some appeal. It is too much pressure. How many friends do you have? How many posts on your wall? Has anyone commented on your pictures? Did anybody send you a water balloon? a hug? a shot? It is like high school all over again. But, my husband, reminded me that I am a grown woman with four children, should I really care if somebody doesn't send me an online shot? I tell myself no, I don't. But, you can't help feel that way. A friend recently told me she is thinking of going back to school, because, a guy she went to school with ( 20 years ago) is a doctor according to his Facebook page. What has she accomplished? I told her plenty, but, she now thinks her life is boring and useless. I also reminded her that just because his Facebook page says he is a doctor, doesn't mean he is. I could say I am a botanist that enjoys scuba diving, red wine and we own a vacation home in Maui. Only my family knows that I am a stay at home mom in the burbs, haven't drank in over 10 years and can barely afford my current home, let alone have enough money for a vacation home. Ok, I am getting off track..sorry.
I have enjoyed re-connecting with some friends from the past. I have also found some relatives that I haven't spoken to in 20 years. So, that aspect has been positive. The rest..I am going to try and just remember it is just a website.

What do you think?

2009-02-10T09:09:00.003-06:00

By now, you have heard of the women in California that gave birth to octoplets. Some people are really upset. Where the doctors wrong? the woman?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Not Krispy Kreme!

2009-02-09T12:59:00.003-06:00

Krispy Kreme Donuts is just one of the many companies that may not survive 2009. The company over expanded in the 90's and took on alot of debt and now requires high sales to pay the bills. They have apprx 4000 employees and their stock is down 50%. They have cut costs, but, haven't earned an operating profit in 3 years.

Yahoo Finance has complied a list of 15 companies that may not be around by the end of the year. In addition to Krispy Kreme; Rite Aid, Six Flags and Blockbuster make the list.

So she cheats a little...is that so bad?

2009-02-09T06:48:00.003-06:00

YES!!!

OK...probably not, but, cheating at games drives me nuts! Now that the girls are getting a little older, we play games more often and I am learning that Emily not only cheats, but, is a very sore loser.

Last night we played Monopoly Town and my sweet little Emily continued to cheat over and over. I kept trying to explain to her that I won't play games with them if they cheat, because, we have to learn how to do things the right way. Don't get me wrong, I know kids cheat at games because they enjoy the feeling as if they won, however, I strongly feel it is my job to teach them how to play games the correct way. Pete on the other hand, well let's just say he helped her take a few extra dollars from the "bank".

I'm sure in the long run cheating at games will not make her a hardened criminal, however, I do think she will never learn the value of winning something on her own. I also feel we play games for a reason...playing games. I hate seeing the girls make everything a competition to see who is going to be "better" at something. I'm not sure if all kids are so competitive or my girls because they are twins. It drives me crazy! I'm one of those people who always loses and I am OK with that, because, I usually have a good time. By no means does this mean that I don't like to win, but, I don't have to win to have fun. I'm trying to pass this message on to my girls and it seems to be falling on deaf ears with Emily.

Maybe if she didn't get so angry when she lost, maybe she wouldn't want to cheat so much. Does it ever set in? Will this be her nature? Will she be competitive her entire life? I hope not!

Have I ruined my kids?

2009-02-07T09:40:00.006-06:00

Ever since the girls have been born Pete and I have been germ freaks. I'm not sure if it was because they were premature, I was sick or it was just our nature, but, we are obsessed with protecting them from germs.

We are crazy when it comes to public places and sanitize like crazy. We are obsessed with having them wash their hands and bring small cans of Lysol every where we go. At any given time you can find 3 cans of Lysol in my purse, as well as plenty of hand sanitizer. We won't allow them to go places that we know people have been sick or allow people to come to our home either. Sometimes I feel I have offended people because of this, however, for the first 3 1/2 years of their lives they were never sick.

This is where I came to the Have I ruined my kids question. This cold & flu season has been much different. I can't remember the last week that I didn't have one of the two coughing or sneezing. It is driving me nuts! I don't give them anything for their colds, as their pediatrician does not recommend it. The humidifier runs like crazy and pump them full of liquids. My girls eat extremely healthy and we keep a normally extremely clean home. I just don't get it! My only assumption is the lack of germs they have been exposed to have made their immune system so low.

This drives me crazy because Pete and I have tried so hard to keep them healthy and now I feel like we have done them no good. It kills both of us to hear the girls up all night coughing, knowing that we did this to them.

I fear once they start school full time that it will get worse and wonder if their is anything I can do to prevent this. I don't want to expose them to sick people, however, I don't want them always sick...does that make sense.

I am frustrated...any suggestions?

GO RED!!!

2009-02-06T11:11:00.002-06:00

Please remember to GO RED TODAY!!!

THANKS!!!

Car seat death leads to charge: Police say mother installed baby's seat improperly

2009-02-05T13:14:00.004-06:00

A very sad story....

Spokane County prosecutors charged a Post Falls woman with vehicular homicide Tuesday in the death of her infant daughter, who was severely injured by a car's air bag while riding in a rear-facing car seat in Spokane.
If convicted, it could be the first time in Washington a parent has been held accountable for the death of a child stemming from an improperly installed car seat, prosecutors and police say.
Eileen Jensen's daughter Chloe was riding in a loosely installed, rear-facing car seat in the front passenger seat during the 2006 collision, police said. The car's air bags deployed, which — combined with the impact of the crash — caused the baby's injuries.
She died from her injuries 10 months later, but "her brain stopped developing that day," said Spokane police Officer Teresa Fuller.
In a court document, Jensen, now 24, says she "blacked out" just before the collision.
The charge was filed in Spokane County Superior Court on Tuesday, said Deputy Spokane County Prosecutor Mary Ann Brady. Jensen has not been arrested. She is scheduled for arraignment Feb. 18.
The case had been under review with the prosecutor's office for about a year, authorities said.
"We reviewed police reports, looked at the statute and discussed it with my supervisor," Brady said. "It fits the criteria" for the charge.
On March 22, 2006, Jensen was driving her 2001 Honda Accord on North Freya Street with her three daughters. According to court records, Jensen caused a three-car crash when she smashed into the back of a stopped minivan. Chloe was in the front seat while Jensen's other daughters were in the back, also improperly secured, police said.
When Jensen's car crashed, its passenger-side air bag deployed and caused Chloe's head trauma, authorities said.
Putting a child's head in front of an air bag is like "putting the child's head in front of an explosion," said Alan Korn, director of public policy for Safe Kids USA, a national nonprofit organization focused on preventing childhood injuries.
Child deaths caused by air bags during collisions are extremely rare, Korn said. Since a major educational campaign was launched in the mid-1990s, the incidents have dropped tremendously.

According to Washington law, all children under 13 must sit in a vehicle's rear seat when practical.
After the crash, a witness told police Jensen said she had the baby in the front seat because she only planned to drive a couple of blocks, according to a statement of facts filed in Spokane County Superior Court on Tuesday. Witnesses also told police Jensen was driving erratically right before the crash, according to the court document.
The Honda was "racing out ahead of me and other traffic, but there were cars stopped up the road: I couldn't see why they were stopped, but no one was movin'," Matthew Dixon told police. "I started to slow down, and then saw her crash into the back of that other car."
Jensen, who lives in Post Falls, could not be reached Tuesday for comment.
In the court document, Jensen said she was sleep-deprived, which may have contributed to her blacking out. She also told police she regularly put Chloe in the front seat. Regarding the air bag, "it just wasn't something I was thinking about," she said.
Washington state law says a driver can be charged with vehicular homicide for causing the death of another person by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, in a reckless manner, or without regard for the safety of others.
"This is an area of prosecutorial discretion," Korn said. "Criminal negligence has to be present. In most circumstances, I feel the loss of a child is punishment enough. That's a tough one. It does happen, but it is not common."

source:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008706648_webvehicular04m.html

I'M ADDICTED TO DR. PEPPER

2009-02-04T11:20:00.003-06:00

I LOVE my husband, but, hate when he goes shopping. He always buys soda and now I can't stop drinking it. I can go for months without buying soda, he goes once and it's like a soda store in my garage. Everything you can imagine.

I can restrain myself from Pepsi or Coke, but, throw Dr. Pepper in the mix and it's all over. I have had a soda every day for lunch since Saturday and I can't stop.

I feel my teeth rotting, my stomach getting bloated and energy level peeking!

I know it's bad, I just cannot stop!

Our first week with Felix

2009-02-04T11:07:00.004-06:00

Well, it's been a full week with Felix and it has been so much fun. I didn't realize having a kitten would cheer us all up and make us laugh so much.

The first day the girls couldn't get enough and well that hasn't changed much. Emily cannot keep her hands off him and she has war wounds to show. Her face is covered in scratch marks from him. Not so much because he is scratching in anger, but, the poor thing is usually holding on for dear life. He has taken a liking to Emily and tends to go to her over Gabriella. Something Emily really needs, as she often feels like second fiddle to Gabriella. Emily is gentle and kind with him and sees him like her "little brother". It's quite sweet and warming to see.

Gabriella...well shall we say little monster? She's not mean to the kitten, just rough. She doesn't realize how tiny he is and how strong she is, it makes for a bad situation. Felix will come to her now and then when Emily, Pete or myself isn't around, but, not often. She still acts very silly with him and plays with him as if he was another child. She play hide n seek, "it" and freeze dance. It's hilarious to watch her play with him.

Pete is NOT an animal person, especially cats. We do have Gus, but, he came with me as part of the package. I will say, he does like Felix. I think most of what he does is an act, but, deep down he loves him. Felix does run to Pete for cover whenever he feels scared or threatened, usually when Gabriella is chasing him around the house.

Me, I LOVE HIM!!! I didn't realize how much I would enjoy having him. I have had a smile on my face all week and people actually have noticed. I guess I must have been a crabby B%^ch for sometime now. I think park of me treats him as the baby boy I have wanted and can't have, so I guess Felix fills that void.

It's been a good week and I think Felix is adjusting very well. He has fallen twice from the upper landing, so we are going to have to block that off in some way. The first time Pete caught him, but, the second he was just too fast. Thankfully, he was fine, but, it scared all of us. Gus is adjusting well and actually starting to play with Felix a little. I think they will be best buds in no time.

So, Thank You Theresa for Felix...he was thing we needed to lift our spirits.

(You'll have to excuse the girls, as they just woke up and look like a crazy mess)

FACEBOOK

2009-02-03T13:54:00.002-06:00

A friend recently suggested I check out Facebook and to be honest I was a little hesitant. No because I didn't like the concept, but, it overwhelmed a little. I accepted her offer and now officially on Face book.

I'm not why I didn't join this earlier. How great to reunite with old friends, family and meet new people. What a blast! I have chatted with people that I haven't seen in at least 20 plus years and of course chatted with Erin. I think she and I need help. No only have we IMd each other on Facebook all morning, but, we have talked about 10 times on the phone. Tuesday is the only day the girls don't have school, so we use it as a relax day.

The only thing about Facebook that may be a negative for me is, so many people seem to have accomplished so many great things in their lives. I guess that makes me feel kind of like a loser!! I know Mom, wife, kids...bla, bla, bla... it's all great! But it would be nice to say "I have traveled the world" or "written a novel". Well, I'm only 35 so , hopefully, I will have plenty of time to add to my Face book page.

Thanks Lisa for suggesting. I am truly enjoying connecting with everyone.

Do you do Face book? What is your favorite things about it? Any tips?

(picture copyright of Facebook)

Great SuperBowl Moments

2009-02-02T09:33:00.001-06:00

That Darn Groundhog

2009-02-02T07:46:00.003-06:00

The world's most famous groundhog saw his shadow this morning, predicting this already long winter will last for six more weeks.

Happy Groundhog Day!

GO STEELERS!!!

2009-02-01T14:44:00.003-06:00

GO STEELERS!!!!

Any plans for the Super Bowl?

Friends of ours have a small party each year and it's a lot of fun. The guys watch the game, we play Scene It and the kids have a blast with each other.

As you can see we are cheering for the Steelers, well my husband bet on them, so that's who we cheer for!!!

Have fun and be safe !!!

The Greatest Snack Food Stadium Ever Built

2009-01-30T13:28:00.002-06:00

Ingredients:

The Field:
1 Pound of Guacamole
15 Oz. Queso Dip For The Steelers End Zone
15 Oz. Salsa For The Cardinals End Zone
2 Oz. Sour Cream for the Field Lines

The Players:
15 Vienna Sausages
Helmets - 3 Oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese

The Goal Posts:
1 Slim Jim for Each Goal Post
1 Oz. Monterey Jack Cheddar To Anchor (each)

The Stands:
58 Twinkies
1 Pound of Bacon
1 Bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos
1 Bag of Cheetos
1 Bag of Corn Tortilla Chips
1 Bag of Chex Mix

The Blimp:
20 Oz. Football-Shaped Summer Sausage (optional) (on second thought, no, this isn't optional. Go buy one.)

TOTAL CALORIES: 24,375
TOTAL GRAMS OF FAT: 1,285

Check out : http://www.holytaco.com/ultimate-super-bowl-snack-stadium for assembly instructions.

Have you seen it?

2009-01-29T10:23:00.003-06:00

NBC will not be showing Peta's racy commercial during the Super Bowl this weekend. According to NBC, the ad "depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards"

Click Here to check it out. Too much?

This is uncalled for!

2009-01-28T13:31:00.004-06:00

I'm sorry, this is very mean and uncalled for. I would love to see what the person looks like who made this picture & published it in the New York Post!

RUDE!

GO RED!

2009-01-28T09:14:00.005-06:00

GO RED IN SUPPORT OF WOMEN'S HEART DISEASE!

FEBRUARY 6TH

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the US and can be prevented with the right education. Take a step in leading a heart healthy lifestyle. It's easy and your heart will thank you!

Tell a friend !

http://www.goredforwomen.org/index.aspx

What do you think?

2009-01-28T07:25:00.002-06:00

Is she too heavy? Are people being too harsh on Jessica? I think she looks like she is in great shape..but, those jeans gotta go!

INTRODUCING...

2009-01-27T15:57:00.004-06:00

FELIX "SPARKLE"
1 LB 1 OUNCE
6 WEEKS

We finally picked up the kitten today and words cannot express how excited the girls are right now. Emily is like a little Mother Hen and Gabriella is so silly with him. They were a little disappointed to find out Sparkle was a boy, but, that only lasted a moment. We did convince them to change the kittens name to Felix, so from now on his middle name will be Sparkle. I must say, he is sooo cute! Gus on the other hand has hissed twice at the poor little thing. Hopefully, in time they will become best buddies. We set up the spare bathroom for the kitten, so he will be nice and safe at night & when we leave.

On Line Coupon codes

2009-01-26T17:15:00.003-06:00

I use this website a lot to get on line coupon codes...

Check it out!

http://www.retailmenot.com/

Girl Scout Cookies

2009-01-26T15:13:00.005-06:00

It's that time of year again. Girl Scout Cookies! My daughter is selling this year and I am the "Cookie Coach" for the troop. It has been an experience. There is much to know about selling cookies!

My personal favorite cookie is the Carmel Delites. I don't normally like cocunut, but, man, I love these cookies.

I came across a site that had recipes for Girl Scout Cookies...here is just a sample of one:

Fudgy Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients:
1 1/2 boxes (24 cookies) Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patties

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2/3 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

Instructions:
Place cookies in food processor or blender; process until fine crumbs. Combine crumbs and butter; mix until well blended. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place peanuts in small narrow bowl. Roll each ball in peanuts, gently pressing peanuts into balls. Store in covered container in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Makes:28

Puppy Mill Bill

2009-01-26T07:01:00.005-06:00

Please take a moment to follow the link below and read the proposed bill to stop puppy mills. It gives you an option to send your vote to your local leaders. Thanks!

https://secure2.convio.net/aspca/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2459&JServSessionIdr006=n5xuulo861.app27b

This would ONLY happen to me!

2009-01-24T17:41:00.003-06:00

We all have had those days were someone beeps and it just sets off our anger and I am no different.

Thursday while driving home from school I saw a young man stopped on the side of the road, so I pulled over to attempt to ask him if he needed help. Just as I started to roll down the window, some crazy guys beeps and throws up his arm as if he was saying "move over you dizzy lady". I pulled over and as he passed I kindly showed him how my horn worked and how pretty my nail polish was on my middle finger. WELL.... he did not like that! As we both pulled away, forgetting the stranded driver, he stops his car and starts walking up to my car yelling at me. I really wasn't paying much attn. , as I was quite scared with the girls in the car. However, this did not stop me from telling him I WAS A GOOD PERSON and he was a big ass for passing a stranded driver. He got back in his car and I then took a picture of licence plate.

When I got home I called a friend who suggested I call the police. I took her advice and called our local department. The officer who answered was very nice he asked for my name, address, phone number, asked if I worked in the area. I told him "yes" and mentioned I had a picture of the car, but, I didn't want the person to get in trouble. The officer took a very long pause and said "Well Kathleen..... THAT WAS ME!!!!!" WTF!!!! The police officer that I was talking too, was no other than mister jack ass from earlier. He proceeded to not only lecture me about beeping and flipping people off, but, then told me I was wrong for stopping to ask someone if they needed help.

First of all, I had never felt like such an idiot in my life and second this guy really scared me. Why did he ask all of my information before he told me he was the driver. I of course convinced myself that he was going to come over and do something horrible. I started to cry and told him he should be ashamed of his behavior and all he had to say was "I'm sorry you had to learn such a hard lesson!". Nice, really nice! After a very awkward conversation and him asking if I wanted to come in to the station to talk, we both apologized for our poor behavior and hung up.

I was shaken my the event for the remainder of the day and of course Pete was not going to be home that night and we had gymnastics, so I had to come home alone with the girls into a dark house. All was fine and I'm sure he feels like an ass as much as me, but, boy do I feel stupid.

I guess the moral of the story is don't EVER stop to help anyone, no matter what!!! You may end up pissing off some cop at the local police department.

Life Lesson #45893: Always check your child's homework before it gets to school!

2009-01-23T13:16:00.006-06:00

Just a funny...coutesy of Lorraine..

When asked to draw a picture of what they wanted to be when they grew up, second-grader "Sarah" turned in the lovely drawing shown below. Needless to say, the teacher was a bit surprised -- Mrs. Smith had always seemed like such a conservative woman. So she sent a note home to the girl's mother asking for clarification as to the picture's meaning.

(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people werefighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot. From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smith

5 things I let my kids do...that I shouldn't!

2009-01-21T16:12:00.005-06:00

Not all of us can be perfect parents, most of us fall into the mediocre at best category. Needless to say I do have 5 things that I allow my children to do, even know they probably shouldn't.

1. Listen to certain songs. ie... Single Lady, Shake It, Womanizer and Sexy Back. All clean versions, yet no more appropriate. You can find my children at gymnastics or catholic school school singing "All the Single Ladies, put on ring on it..." I crack up, however, other parents look at me like I am having them read from the book of Satan.

2. Eat junk food as a meal and don't make them eat veggies. Ok...what parent doesn't give in when their child isn't eating a meal? So they refuse to eat dinner and you give them Lifesavers instead, they'll make up their nutrition in the morning. If not then, I'm sure they'll give them something healthy in school.

3. Bribe them with material items in order to get them to do things. This has really bit of us in the ass, as they always say "what are you going to buy us if we do it?" Or "let's just go buy it". When they started school I had to bribe them with "treats" when I picked them up. Needless to say every time they get in the car they ask " what did you buy us". When I don't, which isn't often, we stop at the bakery for cookies.

4. Let them wear pull-ups if they don't feel like going potty before bed. Ok this doesn't really hurt them, however, teaches them laziness. Ok, teaches them that Pete and I can be lazy. Who wants to get up and change the sheets at 2am? Not me! They sleep together so when you get one up to change, the other wakes up and they NEVER fall back asleep.

5. Let one of the two have a bottle whenever she wants...yes, she is 4! This one is actually funny, because, she knows she shouldn't be drinking from a bottle. I even caught her lying to friends at school about drinking a bottle. I guess Pete and I shouldn't give in, but, she is stubborn as hell and it's not like we are putting Vodka in the bottle.

6. Turn the TV on before bed in lieu of reading books. I loath reading and Pete tells a story like a ... I don't know a bad story teller. Don't get me wrong, the girls love books and love when they are read too, but, I just cannot stand reading to them. I always say "tomorrow I'll read 2 books, just watch Arthur". Thank God for DVR!!!

OK, so I have more than 5, probably a lot more than 6 too, but, of course all my parenting traits aren't so bad. I do have a couple of things that I think aren't too bad.

1. They drink TONS of water.

From what I hear, allot of people can't get their kids to drink any water.

2. They eat tons of fruit. Fruits good, who doesn't like fruit!

3. They have GREAT manners and are very polite. Always "yes, please" or "excuse me"...very polite!!

4. Very kind and loving. They never want to see anyone with hurt feelings or sad. Anytime they see me cry, they always comfort me and bring a tissue. They just have the sweetest little hearts.

5. They are excellent at washing their hands and understanding germs. Germs Bad...clean good!!!

6. Hmmmm... have I only done 5 things right in the past 4 years?

The point is as parents we are always too hard on ourselves. Yes, I know my kids should eat more veggies, but, in time. They are healthy and eat a very well balanced diet otherwise. Sometimes other parents are the first to judge you. We all have our good points as parents and we all at sometime think we are failing miserably. My theory is if you love your child(ren) and everything you do for that child is out of love, than you can't possibly be doing anything wrong!

Do you ever feel as if you are having a "bad parent" moment...or life? Is your best friend the "perfect" Mom or Dad? Or worst of all...do you judge other parents????????

Tick, tick, tick...

2009-01-21T10:24:00.004-06:00

Just 2 more hours and the girls head back to school after a very LONG week of snow days and sick days.

Don't get me wrong, I love being with my girls, however, when they are bored all hell breaks out. We have had broken dishes, paint messes, doing things they would never do and staying up way too late. As much as I dread when they start going everyday in the Fall, it's what they need. What we all need.

I never thought I was a routing type of person, but, I guess I am.

So the clock is ticking down and we are all a little excited about getting out of the house. I'm sure by tomorrow our "busy day", we'll be wanting to hang out at home in our PJ's and watch TV.

You can never win !

(ps...our paint mess wasn't as bad, but, it wasn't pretty!)

President Obama

2009-01-20T12:33:00.004-06:00

What do your kids watch on TV?

2009-01-19T07:28:00.006-06:00

Just admit it..your kids watch tv. Mine do. The tv is probably on more than it needs to be at our house. Sometimes, nobody is watching, but, it is on. I am finding out that what my kids watch is different than other kids. My kids are 6, 5, 3 and 22 mos. They watch PBS, Playhouse Disney and occasionally NickJr. NickJr is rare...I don't think they need to be watching all those commercials. No Cartoon Network, regular Nick or regular Disney. Now we are starting to find that our oldest is probably getting a little tired of these programs. But, what to watch? She loves stuff on HGTV and Food Network. She would like to watch more Disney & Nick, but my husband & I don't like think Hannah Montana, Zoey 101, Zach & Cody are really that great for a kid her age. Some of the humor she doesn't understand and when she watches it, all the kids want to watch it. My 3yr old certainly doesn't need to watch them and my 5yr old has no interest in them. But, there is nothing in between for a kid too old for Dora and too young for Hannah Montana.

So I'm wondering....what do your kids watch ( or kids you know) and how old are they?

Vacation Ideas

2009-01-16T17:59:00.002-06:00

HELP! We are trying to plan a family vacation with my husbands family in July, however, it is proving challenging.

We would like it to be 5 hours or less, via car, from Chicago, kid friendly, pet friendly, active adult friendly and preferably on the nicer end.

We thought we found the perfect place in Mackinaw Island, MI, however, after much review the resort we choose that will suit our needs does not have air conditioning. With two seniors and me with my heart, air conditioning is a must. Unfortunately, the resort we choose is the only pet friendly location, so now Mackinaw Island is out of the question.

Any suggestions? I have looked at several options in Michigan, however, it's hard to make a choice when you've never been.

Thanks!

Update...Adolf Hilter taken from parents...

2009-01-15T06:46:00.002-06:00

We previously posted a video regarding a child named Adolf Hitler was denied a birthday cake. See update..children were taken from the parents.

So good even Gus likes it!

2009-01-13T17:23:00.004-06:00

I make this jello everyone refers to as Kathleen's Fluffy Jello and it is always a huge request when I am asked to bring something to a party. It does not travel well, so for those who live more than 20-30 minutes, they are SOL!

Anyway, I made my world famous Jello for my Fathers in laws birthday on Sunday and as always forgot it at home. Even know they live about 5 miles, we all refused to go back and get it. Needless to say everyone at the party was disappointed, but, for us we were glad to have fluffy Jello for a few days. I will have to say this, the Jello is good and very easy to make, it must be if I make it! Anyway, Back to my story....

So, today I have Emily home sick with a really bad cold so I have been fussing with her all day. She wanted Jello with lunch and also wanted myself and Gabriella to eat with her up stairs. (Sick days are spent in Mom & Dad's bed). This was no problem, however, I had a ton of stuff when I went up stairs and forgot to put the Jello in the fridge. A short while later I came downstairs and found my big, fat cat Gus on my counter eating the Jello out of the container. Ah, he ate almost the entire bowl...he's going to be so sick.

I shooed him away and gave him a stern yelling, then tossed the remainder of the jello in the trash. I was actually very surprised because he never eats people food or gets on the counter. I guess it's a true testament of how good the Jello actually is!

If you are interested in Kathleen's Fluffy Jello, here is the recipe... enjoy!

1 Large tub cool whip
1 Large Jello (the crowd favorite is ALWAYS lime)

1 Large Sour cream

Mix Jello with sour cream and then fold in cool whip. Tada...it's done. Refrigerate until firm.

Tomorrow I'll bedazzle you with the best salad recipe you will ever have!