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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Baby Threshold

When my twins hit the ripe old age of 15 months, my husband and I were ready to have another baby. As I think back on that with my current non-shrunken baby brain I clearly see the insanity. Trust me, it seemed like a good idea at the time. We thought we only wanted 3 and we didn't want the 3rd to be on his own. We wanted him to be close in age with the twins so that hopefully they might be close friends one day.

Since it took 8 months to get pregnant with the twins, we planned ahead and started the process a few months earlier than we wanted to. Of course we got pregnant the first month and we were off to the races. I was crazy sick with my 3rd and the twins were running around like little banshees. Strike that, they weren't even walking til 17 months but they were raising havoc, in any case.

The other day I was thinking about what makes one woman choose to have only one baby while others have 5, 8, 18? I've determined that every woman and every family has a baby threshold. Some are never able to reach their threshold due to unforeseen medical circumstances while others far surpass it. Octumom, case in point.

My friend started having babies 3 years before me. She was one of those moms who could have been blindfolded, with her hands tied behind her back and she made motherhood look easy. Even with 3 children, she was breezing past many of my friends that only had one. Motherhood came naturally to her, I guess. That and it's really hard to ruffle her with stress. She just handles life well.
Then something happened. She got pregnant for a 4th time and that 4th pregnancy turned out to be twins. There went calm, cool, and collected.
Don't get me wrong. Michelle with her 5 kids in under 7 years still makes it look easy but once in a grand while I get to see her flustered. She is HUMAN! =)

Michelle found her baby threshold at 5. Pretty amazing considering most of my friends are struggling with 2. My husband and I have discussed our baby threshold for years now. We were planning to have a tubal ligation during my final c-section but since J wasn't quite settled on a family of 5, we decided to forego. No precautions have been taken in the permanant kind of way but I really can't imagine adding a baby to our home at this point. Little Dude is turning 3 on Friday and the twins are starting Kindergarten. How crazy would I have to be? Freedom is just around the corner.

While I don't know if I've hit my Baby Threshold (which I liken to the Pain Threshold or Pain Tolerance, and for VERY good reason) I may have hit my timing threshold. At some point you have to call it quits. And that might be harder to realize than reaching your Baby Threshold. At some point it's time to face reality that the clock has stopped ticking and it's time to embrace life as it is. I'm not there yet physically but mentally, I think I am. My mind is on to elementary grades, soccer practice and t-ball. I don't know that I have the mental flexibility at the rickety old age of 35 to go back to diapers and baby tubs. God could always change that though. He seems to have some fun in our lives when we think we're finally comfortable. I'll keep you posted.

Whoo-Hoo!

My dear blog readers, I just found out that it's a definite possibility that afternoon kindergarten will be offered in our elementary school. That means no 6AM alarm clocks for another year. You have no idea what that does for my heart. It's a little premature to throw a party at this point but I'm praying for good news. The bus comes at 7:44AM for morning Kindergarten. Ick.

Monday, March 30, 2009

My funny little evangelist

Today was our play-based assessment at our soon to be elementary school. It was 45 minutes. 6 kids, 3 teachers, a school nurse and a principal. The parents were sequestered in the principal's office receiving information from the PTA president.
From what I could tell, the kids read a book, cut things out with scissors, and drew letters and numbers. I think they even did some math.

I received more paperwork than I knew what to do with and proceded to fill it out in duplicate for each twin.

After receiving good news from the nurse that they both passed the hearing/sight screenings, we were on our way. The school secretary (I think) was holding the door as we exited the school. My boy twin turns to the kind woman and says, "You have a cross on your neck." The secretary said, "You are right!" He then says, "You know, Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins."
The woman hesitated, wondering how to respond in this public school. I jumped in and said, "He's my little evangelist."
We quickly left the school and hoped he isn't remembered as the weird kid. You just never know what a child will say and to whom he will say it. At least he knows what he believes. =)

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Deal at Chick Fila-Columbus

If you live in the Columbus Metro, I highly recommend the deal that Chick Fila has going right now. If you buy a shamrock for $1 (supporting MDA, I think???) you will get a coupon for a FREE Chick Fila Chicken sandwich, a 8 piece nugget or a 3 piece chicken strip. This saves at least $1.85 per chicken selection.
Yesterday I took my 3 little people. We ordered one sanwich and 2 8 piece nuggets. The bill was $0 with my 3 coupons, costing me $3 total. Usually that order would be closer to $10. In my excitement, I bought 22 more coupons. Sadly, they expire on June 30th so my family will be eating a lot of Chick Fila in the next 3 months, but hey, we'll be saving mucho dinero! =)

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Home Improvement

Pretty sure I've blogged very little concerning our home. We purchased a foreclosure about 18 months ago. It's in a nice neighborhood, one that we would not have been able to afford, necessarily, without a deal. We decided to take a gamble and see if we could turn this pile of rubble into a gem.

Previous to this home, we had never really done a lot of home improvement. Our parents weren't real handy and there was never anyone to teach either one of us the tricks of the trade.

The only thing we had really done before this house was a deck. Not just a deck, this thing was a monstrous masterpiece. I say this only because most of the work was done by our friend JC. He helped us build this 27X14 foot outdoor paradise (on our previous house.) After this feat of accomplishment, we felt enough self confidence that maybe, just maybe we could do a little more, try a little more.

We didn't know what we were taking on when we purchased this house. We knew it would take work but after almost 18 months were still in the middle of some big projects. So far, we've refinished the hard wood floors, tiled the kitchen floors, had the whole interior of the house professionally painted, had carpet installed, removed 4 skylights, re-drywalled 2 large walls in the lower level, re-graded the entire backyard and had new countertops/cabinets installed in the kitchen.

If that isn't enough, we are presently finishing the renovation of the lower level bathroom and we're ready to tile the laundry room, and re-do 2 more bathrooms.
No end in sight. Recently I've been running into some old friends. Many of them have chosen to live in new houses so they don't have these constant renovations. They go bug-eyed when I delve into our escapades since they don't have to think of such travesties. There's a trade-off though as many of them comment when they visit, "Wow, look at these huge trees" or "look at these old wood floors". As much as the renovations get monatonous after awhile, I choose to be patient and thankful. Soon this house will be finished and we'll have a home. Hopefully we'll even have a little equity. Would that be too much to ask in a housing market/economy like this one?

I might post some pics one of these days soon. It's pretty amazing how a property can atrophy and then be brought back to life. There's something inspiring about that.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

New Year's Resolutions

It's the end of March. A good 3 months have passed since the New Year's Resolutions kicked into high gear. I'm not big on these but when I do start one, I like to think of it as more like a new challenge than a resolution. Resolutions are made to be broken, right?
Well, 2 challenges were set in front of me. 1. Watch less TV. 2. Complain less.

Since neither of these are the easiest accomplishments ever, I needed some reinforcements. For number one, I recruited my hubby to join in. He unplugged the TV in our bedroom and brought it to the lower level of our home. Amazingly, this decision has changed my life. We now watch way less TV because it's just so inconvenient. I'm in mourning though. I miss my HGTV and a few other shows I used to VEG out on but really, my life is much more productive presently. I did feel dumb though when I said today that I just found out Shawn Johnson (I LOVE SHAWN JOHNSON) was on Dancing With The Stars. People...it's like living in the early 1900's around here. I have very little contact with the outside world beyond my internet access. Thank goodness for internet.

Resolution #2? Well, I know have an outlet for my complaining...my blog. That doesn't count, right?

The things a Mom will do...

Since Blogger Jen over at Diagnosis Urine thinks I have it all together (and she is sorely mistaken, by the way, as proven by yesterday's blog entry) I realized I must not be vulnerable enough here at Ventalicious. Being an anonymous blog (yea right!) I can let it all hang out here, right?

I struggle with being on time. I'd like to blame this on my 3 children. Unfortunately, I was born 3 weeks late and I've been running late ever since, nothing has changed. I've grown a little in this area. Now I'm not as late as I used to be but I'm still running a good 5 minutes behind the rest of the world. Dang it. Try as I might, I'm late. At least I have 3 little ones on whom I can blame by iniquity.

I've learned a few tricks of the trade that have cut down on those rushed mornings. I blush as I reflect on what I've resorted to, just to be on time. Being a Thursday morning, we were in a huge rush. Wednesday nights are late for us. The kids weren't asleep til 10PM and BSF starts at 9:10AM on Thursdays mornings. I woke up before the kids this morning (miracle of miracles in itself) and threw a few frozen waffles in the toaster. I then woke up the troops, throwing clothes their way while rushing into the bathroom to ready myself.

Realizing that Little Dude has the ability to dress himself (IF WE HAD A MILLION YEARS) I decided it was necessary to call him into MY bathroom. Horror of horrors. Just 2 minutes alone to do my business and brush my teeth...it's all I ask. But no, while attempting to enjoy my few minutes alone, Little Dude crawls up on my lap for me to put on his socks. Why didn't anyone tell me this was motherhood? Seriously? Not even 5 minutes to myself? Am I really asking for too much?

Would a man EVER in a MILLION years allow that? My husband is VERY giving and incredibly unselfish but he would never dream of allowing a little person anywhere near his THRONE while he's on it. Do I have it in me to lock the door while I'm in the bathroom? And if I did, would we ever have ANY hope of being anywhere on time? I'm all for multi-tasking but I'm seriously taking it too far. How many things can one person do in the restroom? I think I've hit the limit. You don't even want to know what else I do in the interest of time. Blogger Jen, if I keep reading your blog maybe I'll become more transparent. You're a good influence but you might not want to know my antics. Before I know it I'll be Kramer from Seinfeld. All I need is a garbage disposal in my shower.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

All out MeltDown in Walmart

And it wasn't even me this time. Usually Walmart makes me want to hurl but this time it was ALL 3 of my kids. Should have known. My kids just don't do well in stores like Walmart. They are either all WANTY...I want this mommy, I want that, mommy or they are playing cops and robbers in the aisles. Some shoppers give me those understanding eyes while others stare me down like I'm evil incarnate. How dare I run to Walmart for 10 items while dragging 3 kids in tow. Almost none of them have had 3 kids in 25 months so their stares roll off my back.

The screaming that ensues from my 2 year old does not pass through me as easily. After 15 minutes in the store, we get to the check out line. Of course every line is occupied with carts that are more full than mine. As we're waiting for seemingly EVER, Boy Wondertwin decided he HAS to go to that bathroom in the emergency pee-pee dance kind of way. Ugh. Seriously? I have a cart full of groceries that are almost ready to be unloaded, 2 other kids to keep track of and he has to go to the bathroom. Grr.

I make the kids stand in the line with a cashier watching while I escort BWT to the bathroom. I take a peek inside to make sure nothing inappropriate is happening in the restroom and I send him in alone. I then rush back in line to unload groceries onto the conveyor belt while trying to keep and eye on my other two with another eye on the bathroom door, waiting for BWT to make his exit.

Just as BWT comes out of the bathroom, I'm yelling (ACROSS WALMART, MIND YOU) for BWT to come to our line. Other shoppers begin to join in on my call. Finally after a chorus singing his name, he sees me and runs back to our cart. Just as he returns, Little Dude decides to bust out a complete and utter meltdown because he wasn't able to reach the groceries to put them on the converyor belt. As his screaming continued, he found the shredded cheese that had fallen to the floor. He proceeds to pick up the cheese like a running back picks up a fumble and he busts it away from the cashier and past 8 other cashier lanes toward the book section. He's now at least a half football field away and his older brother is chasing him. Of course this makes him run farther and faster.

I peek out of line to see the disruption just in time to see a jar of sweet potatoes crash to the floor, smearing all over the place. BWT knows he's in trouble at this point but Little Dude is not that quick. He's still running til he realizes that his brother is no longer chasing him. Now, we not only have the chorus watching but many other onlookers as well. We were quite the entertainment as I'm pushing a cart and carrying Little Dude by anything I can grab, just to get out of Walmart. He is wailing and I'd be surprised if someone didn't alert the authorities because somehow, this all has to be Mom's fault. It always is, right? Hope some older mom got their kicks watching me flail while she fondly remembers "those days". At least no one said anything to me. You know they knew better at this point and you can bet that these little people got what was due to them when we got in the car.

Girl Wondertwin just sat back and watched this all unfold, while begging for some princess gum. Who says girls are harder to raise? These boys are trying to kill me.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Award Winning What?



Shock and Awe. That's how I would describe it. I started this blog about 3 months ago. I've been blogging since 2006 but it was just a family blog. The equivalant of scrap-booking, if I even had that kind of creativity/ability. I really needed a corner of the world that was truly mine. A place where I could say the things I'm thinking and (hopefully) not be hated. I have a tendency to say things here and there that aren't welcomed by some ears. Take today for example. There is one person in my life who I tend to offend every time I see her. I can't help it. I really try to be on my best behavior. It's possible that she is extremely sensitive but it's also possible that I say more than I should...or in a way that I shouldn't.

In any case, I'm in complete shock and awe that anyone is out there reading my humble little blog much less giving me an award. Viv somehow found my little niche and for some reason enjoys my oddness AND/OR opinions. Hopefully I haven't made her cry. =)
Check out her blog for some insight into life with twice as many kids as I have. God bless her!

Boys and Underwear

Potty talk has taken over our home. I grew up with a sister. There was no potty talk...well, it was rare and it wasn't me. This whole raising boys thing is a new experience at every turn. After sucessfully potty training 3 children (well...maybe 2. Little dude pretty much potty trained himself)I thought potty talk was done. WRONG. My boys will not stop. Everything ends in poo-poo, pee-pee and other less presentable words. Besides potty talk, they are obsessed with their underwear. Yep, underwear. It's a big discussion (EVERYDAY) what the 5 year old and the (almost) 3 year old will wear for underwear. Some days it's Spidey, other days it's Hulk. Since Little Dude started dressing himself, he has been putting his underwear on backward. I didn't get it until he went streaking through my house on Saturday night in front of the guests. Our friend said their son does the same thing and it's because he wants to see the pictures on the underwear. Duh! Who the heck makes underwear and why would they put the pictures in the place where a toddler can't see them? It all makes perfect sense now. My Little Dude IS a genius. =) Dear Mr. Fruit of the Loom, you seriously dropped the ball, love a 3 yr old.

It's all about the underwear. Every morning Little Dude has a conversation with his underwear. Depending on what he wears he addresses them by saying, "Spiderman, me no pee-pee on ohh da-day!" Translation, "Spiderman, I won't urinate on you today." Spidey releases a sigh of relief and Little Dude puts on his underwear. I'm not sure but I think that little ritual trained my dude on the potty. Whatever it was, it worked. My twins trained on the same day. Girl Wondertwin trained in a matter of minutes with few accidents, even overnight. Boy Wondertwin trained off and on for a year after that with accidents every couple of months and the accidents would last for a week or two at a time. He's five and finally trained...although he's still wet at night...and still pretty excited about his underwear. So odd. Is this a boy thing?

With boy/girl twins I have the luxury of watching them develop side by side. It's interesting to see how alike they are in some ways, while drastically different in others. So far the underwear obsession has strictly been male...and limited to my little people, not my husband, thankfully. =) No Hulk for him! Although they do sell adult sized Underoos...that's for another blog.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Winter is away and the mice will now play

Amazing. I've been begging friends to meet me to play (with my 3 children of course) all Winter long. Often I hear, "Uh, not today, I have laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning etc". I'm the person who will drop anything almost any time just to get out of the house. I really don't care how messy my house is or how dire the hunger is. We are ready to play, no matter what and no matter when. If you don't believe me, just stop by my house sometime and you'll see the spontaneous disarray I live in just to be social...that and I'd rather do anything than clean.

Anyway, my friends came out of the woodwork over the past few weeks. Since the thermometer has been flirting with 60 and 70, friends are calling, texting and facebooking. Everyone wants to play. Not only did they want to play today but they are making plans for all week long. Not that I'm complaining but where was everyone all Winter long? Crazy how weather affects a personality.

As much as I'm loving the Spring weather, I do have a tiny (minute...like practically non-existent) longing inside for the darker days of Winter when I feel less pressure to accomplish as much. When the weather is good I feel like I need to be on the move, like I need to be outside enjoying the weather instead of loading the dishwasher. As social as I am, the realities of life do catch up with me and eventually it's time to dive into the responsibilities of life. I'm caught up on the laundry and we did finally finish tiling the shower in our lower level so I am getting a few things done. Unfortunately, I left washing the sheets til 8PM and now (11PM) they are still in the dryer. That means we can't go to bed til the sheets are dry. So sleepy.

Oh yea, it's gonna be 65 tomorrow. We're going to the Zoo baby!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

UGG!!!

During a recent trip to New York City, I noticed a disturbing trend. I'd estimate that one in three women on the streets were wearing Uggs. Uggs. I wouldn't call myself the most stylish person on the planet. Before the birth of my 3 children, I had a hope and maybe a prayer of being in style. One of my co-workers once said my style resembled Jackie Kennedy O'nassis. I'm pretty sure she was a meth user though. I've never had the latest clothes or trendiest style but I was decently put together...at least before the kids came. After kids? Not a hope!

I was aware that these UGG boots were trendy but I really thought that was 3 or 4 years ago. Guess Im wrong. These boots were all over that city. I posted on Facebook a status that said, "So many Ugg boots in NYC...they are so Ugg!" Amazingly, 5-6 people responded. 2 of them have UGGs and LOVE Them! Interestingly, these two women all live in big cities (London and Boston.) Apparently Uggs are all about the pragmatic side, although 1 other women who posted on my status LOVES her Uggs and she lives here in Columbus where you go from a garage to a building with very little trekking through ice, snow and smog. I don't know. Uggs will run their course, right? Or will they win me over? Nope, not for $100 bucks or whatever crazy price they cost. Guess I'm just out of style...or am I old?

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Relationships

A question was brought to me tonight. Why do some people find their significant other early in life and others struggle through many relationships in hopes of finding the right person? Someone close to me just broke up with her boyfriend after 2 years of dating. Not only dating but she moved across the country for this man. She dropped her life in Columbus to pursue this relationship. Got a new apartment, a new job and a new life just to see what God might have in store for her with this man. Well, that relationship has come to an end and she finds herself in utter despair. Where to next? Does she leave her newly acquired life only to start over again at home? Or does she continue her current life even if it wasn't what she would have chosen for herself initially?
I don't have the answer for her and sadly, the answers may not be easy to come by. All I can do is pray for wisdom, that God would lead her in His perfect way. My words of advice for her are better now than later...not much consolation, I suppose.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Equal Time for Equal Twins

Since I posted my little girl's responses to the questionaire, I feel it's only right to do the same for her twin brother. This is the constant tension I feel to do the same for each of them. It's not the same with their little brother. Often he is not included in certain things for one reason or another. This year we are "homeschooling" which simply means we read a LOT of books and practice writing letters and numbers. Currently we are using "Teaching Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". It's stressful to balance time with each twin and to design lessons/time based on each of their personal needs. And then there is the compettition aspect. It's one thing if the twin gets an answer right and their brother (2 years younger) does not. He's little. No pressure. When one twin gets something and the other does not, all Hades can break loose. It's especially hard on my son. Can't let a girl beat ya! We've never told him that but somehow, it's innate in little boys, I think.

Okay, so I had to vent that because it's a current struggle here in twinland. But back to my original purpose for post, here are Boy Wondertwin's answers to my 21 questions:

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you.

2. What makes mom happy?
When I kiss her.

3. What makes mom sad?
when someone hits her

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
you tickle me.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
played with her stuffed animals a lot

6. How old is your mom?
35

7. How tall is your mom?
This tall (he stretched his hand up as high as it will go)

8. What is mom’s favorite thing to do?
work out.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
She goes to the twin sale.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
She would be famous for me. (Let's hope that's for good things!) And she would tell everyone in the whole world her name.

11. What is your mom really good at?
gymnastics

12. What is your mom not very good at?
she can't do flips

13. What does your mom do for her job?
she works out a lot

14. What is your mom’s favorite food?
talapia

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
tickling everyone a lot

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Jennifer, the girl Hulk

17. What do you and your mom do together?
go to the athletic club

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We both end with (insert last name here)

19. How are you and your mom different?
I have short hair and you have long hair.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
b/c we kiss e/o and I'm really cute.

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Costco

What do you call a Christian?

I was just reading an article from Newsweek. It was titled, "A Christian By Any Other Name". It discussed how believers in Jesus Christ have gone by many different names over the past few decades. Titles included evangelicals, Christians (which only appears 3 times in the Bible), fundamentals, decriptions based on denomination (Lutheran, Catholic etc) and now follower of Jesus. According to the article, the titles have evolved along the way due to the media and it's influence on their image based on any given title. The article references the terms "evangelical" and "religious right" which definitely conjure up images, mostly negative, even for Christians (or followers of Christ which is the true definition in Greek.)

According to this article, it's now hip to call someone who professes Christ a "follower of Jesus." I don't know when this became the official title just like I don't know when Americans of African descent officially African-Americans. No one called to tell me about the change of title but as a "Christian", I feel side-swiped. Why didn't anyone tell me that I am now a "follower of Christ". Where was I when this decision was made and do I get a vote? Was this a decision based on the Bible? Does it come from 1 Corinthians 1:12, "What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[a]"; still another, "I follow Christ."

I'm okay with saying that I follow Christ. That is the role of the Christian to do as Jesus did and as He would have done, thus the creation of WWJD. I guess I hesitate because it's another attempt to group us all together and give us a title. As a society, we long for titles to simplify life. group like-minded (or like-looking) people together. There is something rebelliious in me that wants to break away from the stereo-types and the molds. Maybe that is where this title originated. People want to be seen as individuals, people who try to do what Jesus does/did. Therein lies the problem.

On earth we will always mess up whatever title we give ourselves. We are not Christ. We are not perfect and we will sin whether in big, visible ways, or small ways only seen by God. He lived perfectly, without sin and for that reason, He is THE sufficient sacrifice for our imperfection. As Easter approaches I hope to dwell more on this, thanking Him for His gift of propritiation of my sin. He alone is sufficient.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Spring

After college I spent 7 years in Texas. I lived in Dallas and Austin (with a brief stint in Illinois during that 7 years.) I got to see how the other half lives. I've always known 4 seasons. I've always known that the snow in movies (and cartoons) is NOT like the real snow that comes from the sky. I've always known how to build a snowman.

This is not so for J, my husband. He moved to Ohio at the age of 32 with no prior experience in sledding, snowman building, skiing or any other wintery shananigans.

In fact, his only sledding experience happened on his (very FLAT) driveway in 1989. It snowed (less than an inch...we wouldn't even call that "a snow" here) and his Chicago friend brought over a sled. They decided to pull each other around. Until 2004, he thought this was sledding. J was 18 in 1989, by the way. Sad, I know.

The intention of this entry was NOT to dwell on winter. I'm done with that...at least I hope. This 70 plus degree day makes me smile and live in denial. Summer is here, right? Well, after 7 years in Texas, I've grown to appreciate all 4 seasons, yes, even Winter. When I lived in Austin, life was missing something. 300 sunny days a year just didn't do it for me. I think I know the problem as I sit on my deck on a very sunny late afternoon. If I don't get the snow, ice and blizzard, I don't sufficiently appreciate the other 9 months a year. I don't know if I could be more thankful for a beautiful day than I am today. Truly blessed.

And not just because it is finally nice outside but because I got to spend 2 hours at the park chatting with 2 good friends while my kids played with 2 other sets of twins. The kids had a blast, I had a blast. Who could ask for more?

Thank you God for a beautiful day.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Facebook

I have this love/hate relationship with Facebook. I detest it, talk behind it's back, and pretend I could live without it. Something evil about it lures me back in. I check it daily.

Admittedly, I read the other posts, wanting to know what is going on in a person's life without really having to interact with them. Sad I know. Some of it is the vicarious living that we all have turned to over the past decade. Why do something yourself when you can read about someone else doing it? I guess blogs are kind of like that too and I so love blogs.

Well, if you know anything about Facebook, you know these "forwards" are going around, like the infamous 25 random things. I don't post those.
1. I don't want most of my 500 plus friends to know my whole life.
2. You never know what someone could do with that kind of information.
3. I like being difficult.

For some reason though, I feel perfectly safe posting a thing like that on my "anonymous" blog.

A cute forward came along this week. What will your kids say? The directions were to ask your kids these questions and see what kind of answers they get. My daughter was more than happy to oblige. My little girl loves attention and after answering these 21 questions, she was more than ready for 21 more. Here are the questions and her answers: (Oh, and after each answer she looked up at me with sweet brown eyes and said, Right Mommy? I always, said, "Right, sweet girl".


1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you.

2. What makes mom happy?
When I kiss her and hug her like I'm hugging her right now.

3. What makes mom sad?
when I lie.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
you tickle me.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
she screamed and went crazy and wanted to go to the ice cream shop

6. How old is your mom?
35

7. How tall is your mom?
taller than me.

8. What is mom’s favorite thing to do?
hug me.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
she buys something special for me b/c she misses me.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
She would have a nametag with her name written so everyone would know who she
is.

11. What is your mom really good at?
working on her computer

12. What is your mom not very good at?
bird watching

13. What does your mom do for her job?
work on her computer and write things

14. What is your mom’s favorite food?
salad

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
b/c she hugs me and tickles me.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
a lady in bugs bunny...like a girl bunny who marries Bugs Bunny

17. What do you and your mom do together?
go to the athletic club

18. How are you and your mom the same?
we have brown hair like each other.

19. How are you and your mom different?
our eyes are different

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
she hugs me.

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Chick Fila

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Third and Final Day in New York City

Today we decided to check out a church that we've heard about. It gets national attention and rave reviews. It's called Redeemer Presbyterian Church and they meet on the West side as well as the East, with many services throughout the weekend. We attended the Upper East Side Service at Hunter College Auditorium. The auditorium was completely full and we barely got a seat as we missed the train by a split second. The pastor preached on the blood of Christ and why we need a sacrifice for our sin. It was eloquent and intellectual with a spiritual lesson intertwined. Jason and I could both see ourselves attending this church.

Next we ventured to Serendipity, made famous by the movie of the same title with John Cusack. Lunch was excellent as I had a Virginia Slim Open Sandwich and Jason enjoyed a cheddar omlette. No Mimosas though and that was the downside, sadly. They must be known for their desserts because I noticed many schmancy coffees, hot chocolates and sundaes passing our table. I wasn't ready for dessert so early in the day though and totally missed out. I'm regretting it now.

We then went into the first Macy's store where they had wooden escalators. Amazing. We took pictures in front of Bloomingdales and the Empire State building. We decided not to go up in it because Jason has already done it and I'm waiting until we can bring the kids. It's free for kids under the age of 6. Free! We're definitely coming back! =) When we do, I'll have to blog all the great things there are to do with kids in this grand city.

We then took the subway to Union Station just to see it. Finally, we took our last subway ride back to 51st and Lex (East Midtown) to load up the car and head out of dodge. 9 hours home and I plan to SLEEP. J's gonna love that.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Only in NYC

Okay, I'm sure every tourist sees a few things on their Big Apple Adventure that might only happen here. Well, today there were a few.
First, we were walking down toward Grand Central Station from the United Nations when we heard more cars honking than we've heard in our lives. It is New York, but jyeesh! We walk a half block farther to find one of those doubledecker red buses. It was STUCK underneath an overpass. Yep, stuck. The tourists had already exited the bus and emergency vehicles were arriving as we walked up.
We asked a police officer (who was laughing at the whole situation by the way) how often this happens. He promptly replied, "It doesn't." Just for us. In case you are curious, they had to deflate the tires of the double decker bus and then push it out from under the bridge. In the driver's defense (a weak one at that) there was an extra shelter on the top layer of the bus today to shield the passengers from the open-air level of the bus, although it seems like he'd be used to that. It is March. =)
2nd, we were traveling from Greenwich Village to Midtown around 10PM. We were seated across from a woman who was laying horizontally on a bench that should have seated 3 bottoms. After further inspection, it became apparent that she was drunk or high, or both. At the next stop a disabled woman got on the train and attempted to sit on the legs of the heavily impaired woman. A war then ensued between these 2 women while J and I sat helplessly watching the whole thing. Fortunately the drunk woman was too high to do anything substantial and the disabled woman was too disabled to cause much damage either.
Free entertainment in the city that never sleeps. Just jump on a train.

As far as what we did today:
1. United Nations
2. Grand Central Station
3. Time Square by Day
4. Rockefeller Plaza...NBC, NewsCorp
5. Saks 5th Ave
6. Zara (ah yea!!!)
7. Tiffany's...where I saw a 2.3 million dollar pair of earrings.
8. American Girl Store (no, I didn't buy anything)
9. Trump Tower
10. Carnegie Hall
11. Central Park
12. Lunch at Rock Center
13. Ice skating rink...no ice skating for us tho.
14. Columbia University
15. The Dakota...where John Lennon was shot.
16. St. Patricks Cathedral
17. St. John the Divine
18. President U.S. Grant's tomb
19. Dinner at Tom's Restaurant (from Seinfeld)
20. Time Square by Night (totally different than by day)
21. Greenwich Village (lots of drunk people there btw)
22. Pinkberry (YUM!!!!)
23. Back to Midtown to update the blog.

We were out on the town over 10 hours...time for bed! =)

Friday, March 13, 2009

Itinerary YaYa

We're in the Big Apple. Just me and hubby. Yep, left the 3 banschees at home with Grammy. They are loving it, we are loving it and Grammy might be ripping her hair out. If so she'll just give them some more chocolate and give herself a glass of wine. She'll survive =)

We arrived in NYC at 2:30 in the morning. We parked at a $41 dollar a day garage. At first I thought that was insane but it sure beats finding a free spot in this city and moving the car every 24 hours or so. We are living it up. Thankfully my sweet friend Yaya (named by my kids) has a flat in Midtown Manhattan. She happened to be traveling to Austin (where I lived for a few years) when we wanted to visit her in NYC so somehow, J and I ended up with a free place to stay for our 3 night, 4 day adventure sans kids.

When we arrived we found the 4 day itinerary (created by Yaya) with a map and just about anything you'd ever want to know about this grand city. Yaya rocks!

Today we started out with a trip to Brooklyn (by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge) where we ate at Grimaldi's Pizzaria which is underneath the bridge. Excellent pizza, by the way. It's one of those "must eat" places when you come to NYC, so we hear. Next we went to Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. Okay, so it's not Graeter's Ice Cream (let's face it...nothing is) but it was darned good. I'd eat it again in a heartbeat. A generous sized cone (1 scoop) was $3.50. A little steep but hey, we're on vacation.

Next we took the subway to Wall Street and thankfully no one was hanging themselves today...it's been a positive week, finally. After Wall Street we ventured into SOHO (South of Houston Street...pronounced House-ton...not like the city in TX as you probably know) where we ate at Mexican Radio
I had a bowl of Tortilla soup (fabulous btw) and Jason had chips, salsa and 2 margaritas. Nice dinner. I did help him with the margaritas, I must admit.
Our bill was over $37. This is not a cheap city.

I begged Jason to step into Aroma Expresso (a chain of coffee shops with pastries etc) and I had an amazing chocolate souffle with dripping chocolate inside the cake. If it would have been hot it would have been to die for. I also had a cafe au lait. Jason ate nothing and simply watched me down 750 calories of dessert. Dang it! He gave up desserts for the month...nice timing.

That was day one. These little fish are surviving the big pond...barely. =)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Am I a girl or a boy?

I have a 2 year old. He's going through that stage where he's figuring out that there are girls and boys out there. He's pretty sure that he's a boy (and a big boy at that...you can't call him a baby boy or there will be hades to pay, I assure you!)
Today he found my makeup. I let him unzip the makeup bag and take everything out. He asked what everything was. I let him put on some lotion. Then he put on some chapstick. Then he wanted to put on blush. Oh, what could it hurt.
So I put on a little (very little) blush. Then he wanted lipstick, mascara etc. I appeased him and helped him with a tiny bit of everything.
I tell you, this boy has KILLER eye lashes. I knew they were long but they looked so good with mascara (a tiny tiny tiny tiny bit...please don't call CPS...in fact, you wouldn't even know it was there unless you knew I put it on him.)
My 5 year old boy was watching all of this happen and he was saying, "Mom, Daddy is not going to be happy." I said, "It's okay, we won't tell Daddy."
C'mon, there are other moms out there who have done this right?

Daddy may find out anyway though because the Little Dude was running around the house saying, "Me a girl, Mommy, Me a girl." We'll see what Daddy says.
I took a picture. I'll post it when I get it off my phone.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Deep thoughts while brushing my teeth...

I had this great blog idea while brushing my teeth this AM and for the life of me, I can't remember what in the world it was. That's a mom brain for you. I really thought I was recovering too. Guess I'll always be this mush-brained shell of my once lively, quick-witted self. At least I can blame my kids.

Instead, all I can think about is our coming trip to New York City. My mother happily agreed (well, happily might be a very strong word) to take our 3 kids aged 5 and under for 4 nights and 5 days. We're heading to NYC for a little get-away. Our friend has an apartment in Manhattan and she happens to be heading to Austin, Texas for the weekend. That means we get her apartment to ourselves. I wish she was going to be there because it would have been super fun but I know she needs that trip to Austin. So, Jason and I get to pretend we're that DINK couple living in the Big City (double income, no kids) without the dispensible income of course. Should be fun. We plan to do all the tourist sites like the Statue of Liberty and what not. I want to sleep a bit and drink a few cups of coffee while relaxing. If all I do is relax, I will call it a successful trip.
Unfortunately, NYC is not known for relaxation. We're already stressing over where to park the car, how to get from the car to everywhere else...and 100 other things we have yet to think of.

My friend has been in NYC for 8 months now. Way to go YaYa (that's what the kids call her) for tackling that monster of a city on her own. It may eat me alive over a weekend much less a year. We'll see how it goes. If you have any NYC tips, please fork them over! Thanks!

Monday, March 9, 2009

The Liberation of Women

On my way home today I was listening to Rush Limbaugh. I know, I know. Don't hate me. I like to be well rounded and informed by many different sources. You can't tell me Rush isn't entertaining...very full of himself but interesting.
Rush referred to an article in The Australian (obviously an Australian newspaper) that stated something like, "The washing machine has been more liberating for women than the pill."
First of all, very odd statement. Apples and oranges, right? Second, I was amazed by Rush's reaction. He was livid. He expressed that this was one of the more sexist statements that he's ever heard and how to even say this was an abomination to women.
Did I miss something? Is it sexist because it assumes that it is only the women of the home who do laundry? I'm sorry but in my home, that IS the case. Yes, J has been known to throw some clothes in once in a marriage or so but I do at least one to two loads a day, just to keep up.
When I lived in Mexico we had 2 choices. We could either take our clothes to the backyard where there was a laundry sink and board. Then we hung the clothes on the lines. The 2nd choice was to take the clothes into town where we dropped them off in a garage where 2 Mexican women did our cleaning. I think it cost a dollar per pound or so. It was a no-brainer for me as a care-free college student studying in Merida. Now that was liberating, I suppose.
Am I thankful for a washer and dryer? Heck ya! Could I live with out them? Maybe but it'd be tough...really tough. Could I live without the pill? Oh yea, and I have for 33 of my 35 years. I don't plan to ever touch that thing again. It wasn't liberating...more like mood shifting, or maybe even personality changing. I HATED that thing. Washer/Dryer or the Pill? Duh!
Take that Rush!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Spring Ahead!

Funny thing about having kids. It makes you appreciate things you would never appreciate otherwise. Take Daylight Savings Time for example. I always look forward to Fall Back, or at least I did before kids. Now I dread Fall Back for a few different reasons. 1st...I detest darkness at 4:30 in the evening. There is something really wrong about that. 2nd, even though I set my clocks back an hour, and my body is ready to sleep an extra hour, my kids aren't on the same renewed clock. They take all the fun out of Fall Back.

Spring Ahead on the other hand is a beautiful thing. My trio slept til 9:30AM...but we missed church. That's also a downfall, I'll be dragging them out of bed for the next week or two (not to mention trying to convince them to go to sleep even though it's still light outside, but that's for another post.) My goal is to get to the atheletic club by 9:30AM. I should have dressed the kids in tomorrow's clothes tonight instead of putting PJs on them tonight. Moms out there, please tell me I'm not the only one who does this. If we have an early morning appt and I'm nervous about getting all 3 kids there (ON TIME!!!), once in a while I've been known to do that.

My sister's boyfriend's comment was, "OH!" said in disgust, "Aren't you afraid the clothes will be wrinkled?"
I think my 2 year old's Spiderman Tshirt and jeans will survive a night in the crib...maybe not her boyfriend's Sevens jeans and snazzy dress shirt though.

Maybe we'll just skip this week's commitments and sleep til Noon. Doesn't that sound nice? I could use a week of rest...I'll take it while I can get it. Thanks Spring Ahead!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

To those of you with kids...

If you are in need of clothes for the Fall, get to a Children's Place Outlet immediately. I hit the Lodi Outlet (b/t Cleveland and Cincy) last weekend for just a few minutes. Long enough to get teased by all the great prices so 2 girlfriends and I headed to Jeffersonville today! I bought 16 things for $45. Mostly girl clothes mind you, but I did find a few very cute things for my son too.
I even found a few sales at the Polo Outlet but nothing to write home about...shouldn't that saying be officially changed to, "nothing to blog about?"
My only consolation to my Polo splurge is that I'll be able to sell them at the consignment sale for about half of the new purchase price. I RARELY buy anything Polo but the boys just look so cute when they wear it...so preppy and innocent or something.
Spring ahead so I'm off to bed. We'll see if we make it to church tomorrow. Yikes!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Wow...

My kids were watching Noggin...what I always turn on when I want them to leave me alone. Unless Sid the Science Kid or Word World is on, of course. Anyway, I glanced up to see a charicature of who I thought was Barack Obama. Guess what? It was. I turned up the volume to find a poem about the president and how he likes to go for walks on beaches. He also loves Scrabble. Who knew? The things you learn on Noggin. It directed kids to NickJR.com for more info on Barack Obama.
Politically, I'm not an Obama fan...although I liked him better before he allowed 8500 earmarks in the current budget bill. Don't get me started. I really don't want to pay for studies on Swine Odor via my taxes!
Sidetracked.
Here is my question. Does Nick Jr do a segment on every president? Was there one on Reagan, Clinton and the Bushes? Uh...I doubt it. (And I realize Noggin was not around back then.)
My kids knew exactly who it was when the cartoon came on and they started talking about Barack Obama...although it sounds more like Raback Obama.
Just thought it was interesting.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Coquettish...

I love that word. Hopefully I spelled it right. I knew the meaning of the Spanish word (coquetear) before the English one I think, but I've always known how to be coquettish. It always came easy to me for some reason. You know those Senior Superlatives? Well, I got "Biggest Flirt". I was shocked but not one of my friends was surprised in the least. It took 4 years of high school for me to learn something about myself that friends had always known?
My best friend and I were discussing the proper way to raise a daughter...or a son for that matter. When do you allow them to date, what is the proper age for a car date and so forth. She wished her parents had been more strict...how many people say that? I see what she means though. Kids find themselves in situations that their little brains (and bodies) just aren't ready for. Of course the conversation turned to the Duggars (18 kids and Counting, TLC) and how their kids don't date until engagement, and then it's with a chaperone. I have many more thoughts on that show and that issue but it's for another post.
My point was to write concerning a friend from the SUDAN named Yassir. He studied in the U.S. and has spent much of the past 20 years here. He just became an American citizen 2 months ago but continues to live in the Sudan in order to be a minister of the Gospel to the Sudaneese.
Today is his 40th birthday. Apparently his parents want to (and have WANTED to for SOME time) arrange a marriage for him and he has finally agreed. He prefaced his statement with, "this is very foreign for Westerners but I think it is best for me." He also goes on to say that his family will NOT choose a Christian girl so he asked for prayer concerning his future wife.

Whoosh! That puts the Duggars on the liberal end of things, doesn't it? I was amazed by Yassir's attitude, that he would subject his 40 year old self to the will of his parents like that. Gives me something to think about as I process my children's future and how we will raise them. More on this soon.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

A Few Random Thoughts...

Biggest news...today was kindergarten registration. Pretty simple. I just had to collect a million papers...times 2. So far mine are the only set of twins in the 57 child kindergarten class (well, really 3 classes.) I was floored. Seemingly, there are sets of multiples everywhere I go. I'm happy to be unique for a change.

In other news, I finally rented Sex And the City. Yes, not sure why I'm posting this for the world to see. I never really watched the show so the movie was not on the top 10 list of must-sees. I just thought I might as well catch up on the world since it's been out for a year now. The odd thing is that I have to finish my Bible Study homework after I post this blog. Can a person study the book of Numbers at the same time as watching Sex and the City? Uh...maybe not.
UPDATE on Movie: turning it off...I can't watch this. Someone tell me how it ends.

Oh, and no fitness assessment update today. Sorry. I missed it. I had my day all planned. I cooked a hot breakfast, I worked while the kids played and then I prepared the children to run by the school for K registration and then off to the athletic club. You moms out there know how long it takes to get little people ready to walk out the door. Finally after hours it felt like, the kids were ready and we ventured out to the garage...uh, but not so fast. My brilliant daughter discovered the van was locked...AND the keys were in it. No fitness assessment for me today. Bitter. I was crazy frustrated...ask J. He got the worst of my wrath and it wasn't even his fault. That verse always burns on my mind at moments like that..."in your anger, do not sin." Easier said than done.

So, the fitness assessment is rescheduled for next week. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Fitness Assessment

I've finally found enough courage to do it. I've signed up for the Fitness Assessment that is a free service at my athletic club. I was made aware of it when I first toured the club. That was 9 months ago. Exercising in the neighborhood was a 3 day per week activity so I wasn't completely sedentary. I could walk 5-9 miles on any given day but if you were to ask me to run only? I would have gone 3 miles at most.
For the first 6 months at the club I hung out on the treadmill and the eliptical with brief stints on the stair climber. I would walk or climb for an hour or so. Sometimes I stopped by the weights.
Well, for the past 3 months I've been attending the classes that are offered as well as exercising (even running) on the treadmill and other machines. Since I've been spending 5 days a week at the club, I've finally gotten up enough courage to take the fitness assessment. During this assessment, they take height, weight, test cardio vascular potential and flexibility. It's intimidating enough that they access such personal information but I was especially dismayed when they told my 32 year old friend that she was 40 years old physically. 40? If they tell me I'm 40, I may cry. Seriously. 40? So what if I floss daily? Do they take that into account? What if I wear sunscreen? I guess that's another age test. Wish me luck. I'll update tomorrow...unless they tell me I'm 40.

Monday, March 2, 2009

I just had to post...

So the whole budget and stimulus crud is making me CRAZY. I think I've posted regarding this in the past. I live on a budget and I think my government should too.

The city of Columbus had cut their newest recruiting class of police officers who were just about to graduate from the academy. Before they even completed their training they were cut. Then Obama stepped in with stimulus money that allowed the city to reinstate the class and give them their jobs back. The news was all over this story and everyone was elated. Obama was the hero, saving the day.

Fast forward to today. The class of 23 is supposed to graduate on Friday. Guess who will be at the graduation? Yep, Obama. He is coming to Columbus (media photo shoot) to promote his stimulus package and show America the good behind the vast amounts of money (that we don't have and our kids will be paying back for years to come) that we are now showering upon America's cities.

Well, the local news just reported that it will cost the city OVER $100,000 dollars to cover the safety of the President while he graces our metropolis. Seriously? $100,000 dollars? That would cover 2-3 new recruit salaries for an entire year.
Mayor, please call the president and tell him we can not afford his presence...nor his presents for that matter.

On a side note, divorce lawyers are feeling the dip (or should I say nosedive) in the economy. Divorces are down by 39% on average. Really? 39%? Is this a cultural perk to a recession? That's a pretty good sign that things are bad when a couple can't even afford to get a divorce.

The price of shoes these days!

I'm frugal...or at least that's how I like to see myself. Others might say cheap. I don't mind. I consider it a challenge to find a better price. Take Boy Wondertwin's (BWT) shoes for example. This poor child has been shoeless for weeks. Not on purpose, mind you. He went through a huge growth spirt. He went from a size 9.5 to a 12 over the course of a few months without me knowing it. Finally it must have gotten painful because he told me his shoes were too small. That week I went out to find a nice pair of running shoes. I searched the city looking for an affordable deal. After a few days of shopping, I found a pair of NICE New Balance for $18. I was quite happy with the price since shoes seem to run around $30 these days! Completely absurd, in my opinion!

BWT was thrilled with the shoes and wore them quite often over the next 2 weeks. Soon after I realized that a part of the shoe had already frayed. Ugh! That is so frustrating. I returned the shoes, hoping I could find the same pair. Unfortunately since I got a bargain the first time around there weren't any left! I then embarked on a 2 week mission to find a deal on shoes. Finally yesterday we stopped in Lodi (halfway between Columbus and Cleveland) at the outlet mall. After 3 stores *I found a pair of Nikes for $14*! Yes! Only drawback?? They have shoelaces. BWT is now 5. It's time to learn how to tie, I guess!

And yes! I know time is money. I suppose we can afford $30 to buy BWT a new pair of shoes. Honestly it's the principal of the whole thing. It's also psychological, it's even pragmatic. This child will wear these shoes for 6 months at most before I have to embark on a new journey to find another deal. And if I can pay $14 for a new pair of Nikes, why pay $45? My only consolation? At least Little Dude (BWT's little brother) will be able to wear them when BWT is done. (Also, I've got to get the deals when I can. Soon these children will have opinions on what they wear and I won't have as much control over how much is spent. I'm living it up while I can!)

So I'm stubborn, I can't help it. It's genetic. Someday though, I will be able to retire (assuming the stock market recovers...with the DOW at 6700 it's not looking good) and I'll be thanking my 35 year old self for saving all those pennies way back when. If I save $16 on my 3 children's' shoes, then I have $48 extra dollars ($16 X 3kids) per cycle of shoe purchases. That's not new car money but it pays for my haircut...and then some. That's how I justify my stubbornness anyway. =)




* I said a prayer as I toured the outlet mall in 15 degree weather. I prayed that God would provide a sweet pair of shoes for BWT and that I would find a great deal. He provided. Why don't I pray more?

Sunday, March 1, 2009

And maybe they really are normal...and maybe not!

I've expressed in many previous blogs the fear that my daughter is a hoarder. It's mostly a humorous thought, written in jest. Any parent knows though, the fear that maybe, just maybe, there is a quirk in their child that could go very wrong. Maybe I'm just a nervous nelly, although I'm about as type B as anyone could get.
Often I go to the internet to ease my fears. Sometimes the news comes to me. Today I received an email from BabyCenter saying that 5 year olds are collectors. Are hoarders "collectors"? Maybe she is normal after all!