With a 2nd week of Safety City in full swing, Little Dude and I met my hubby out for lunch at Quizno's (with a BOGO coupon, might I add). Anyway, we got up to leave and a woman rushes into the restaurant (with a DOG!) and throws the leash at my husband. He takes the leash reluctantly and she yells, "I've got diarrhea, where's the bathroom?"
We point to the back of the store as she hauls passed the cash register and the clerk.
J and I stared at each other, both wondering if that really did happen. Our proof was the dog leash in my husband's hand and the dog attached (in Quiznos!)
Reluctantly, we stepped outside since we now had possession of a dog. We waited over 5 minutes and the woman finally returned, thanking my husband for watching the dog.
There are a lot of strange people in this world.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Holy Calories Batman
While I've been trying to save in my pocket book, I've been explanding my waistline. Today was absurd. I went to Panera for breakfast with some friends since 2/3 of my children were at VBS. I had a gift card so I didn't spend any money but I did eat a whole grain bagel and lite cream cheese. Not bad, I thought. I just looked it up and I consumed 440 calories, just for a tiny breakfast! What?
Off to lunch to meet my mom while the twins were in Safety City. With all this raving about 5Guys, I just had to check it out. We ordered the Little burger with everything as well as a side of fries. Turns out I consumed 900-1200 calories in one sitting with the 5Guys! This isn't a review on 5Guys or anything but I wasn't all that impressed. It was CRAZY crowded and the choices were limited. If you are single and looking for a man though, it might be the place you want to spend every lunch. There was a heavy amount of testostorone in that place!
Because I had a few minutes to burn (and a gift card) I ran through the Wendy's Drive thru where I ordered a Wendy's Frosty-cino. Oh, these things are delish! I highly recommend that one. Yum. Beware tho, 390 calories. Oops.
Grand total: I consumed over 1800 calories by 1:30PM. And it was that easy. Guess I'll be exercising a lot while on my little vacay to Lake Erie this weekend!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Deal or No Deal
For about a year now I've been living vicariously via MoneySavingMom.com and DealSeekingMom.com I check out their sites and drool over the deals that they have earned. I've wanted desperately to follow in their footsteps but honestly. 3 kids under 5...none in preschool? Do I have time to WORK for my deals much less grocery shop at every store in town? That's a resounding NO!
I vowed this week to hunt me up some deals. Sorry, had to get some Texas out of me. I went to Giant Eagle today, armed with a few coupons, one known deal and a $5 off $15 special.
This is what I bought for $16.44:
5 sodas for $10, 2 bunches of bananas, a bunch of grapes, and 2 cucumbers. (Not pictured: One box of Kellogg's Mini Wheats). Ah yea!
Put this with the $10 I save at Bed, Bath & Beyond and I'm spending...I mean saving a lot of $. Yep, still gotta spend to save but we gotta eat too. Head to Giant Eagle if you need sodas. They were almost gone when I was there today!
I vowed this week to hunt me up some deals. Sorry, had to get some Texas out of me. I went to Giant Eagle today, armed with a few coupons, one known deal and a $5 off $15 special.
This is what I bought for $16.44:
5 sodas for $10, 2 bunches of bananas, a bunch of grapes, and 2 cucumbers. (Not pictured: One box of Kellogg's Mini Wheats). Ah yea!
Put this with the $10 I save at Bed, Bath & Beyond and I'm spending...I mean saving a lot of $. Yep, still gotta spend to save but we gotta eat too. Head to Giant Eagle if you need sodas. They were almost gone when I was there today!
Little Twits
Today my lovely boys locked me out of my house. It's 90 some degrees here in the Buckeye state. Not a big deal for you Southerners but it's freaking HOT by MidWest standards.
I was unloading groceries (oh, how I loathe the grocery store) when I approached the door with my hands completely full, only to find the door was LOCKED (a door I don't have a key for, btw). I was fuming. My daughter was with me as she was helping with the unloading process. We both POUNDED on the door for more than 5 minutes. Giving up, I found my keys and went to the front door. There was hades to pay when I finally got inside. I was livid.
After getting the whole story, I determined that it was Little Dude who locked the door but Boy Wondertwin didn't even bother to come down and unlock the door. I'm still fuming. It's a bazillion degrees outside, my hands are full and I'm left to kick the door a million times, hoping someone will have mercy on me.
Who knows what my neighbors thought. I must have appeared to have lost my marbles. I don't even want to know but I'm pretty sure they are used to these antics around here!
I was unloading groceries (oh, how I loathe the grocery store) when I approached the door with my hands completely full, only to find the door was LOCKED (a door I don't have a key for, btw). I was fuming. My daughter was with me as she was helping with the unloading process. We both POUNDED on the door for more than 5 minutes. Giving up, I found my keys and went to the front door. There was hades to pay when I finally got inside. I was livid.
After getting the whole story, I determined that it was Little Dude who locked the door but Boy Wondertwin didn't even bother to come down and unlock the door. I'm still fuming. It's a bazillion degrees outside, my hands are full and I'm left to kick the door a million times, hoping someone will have mercy on me.
Who knows what my neighbors thought. I must have appeared to have lost my marbles. I don't even want to know but I'm pretty sure they are used to these antics around here!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Faith Like a Child
Overheard while Little Dude was playing alone:
Dear God,
Bu a ka tium wid Bakugan balls.
Amen.
I have no idea what he said but I bet God understood.
Dear God,
Bu a ka tium wid Bakugan balls.
Amen.
I have no idea what he said but I bet God understood.
Another thing I've learned...
I'm learning a lot this week. It's amazing how much time I can have for myself when it's only me and Little Dude. I stopped by Bed, Bath and Beyond for some mattress pads. The woman ahead of me pulled out (I'm not kidding) 12 of those coupons that BB&B sends out on a weekly basis. Her total savings was over $50. Granted, she spent a lot of money to save that $50 but it's nothing to sneeze at.
Those coupons can be piled on top of eachother AND they never expire. There IS an expiration date but apparently it's just for show. After I watched the lady fork over coupon after coupon (many of which were expired), I dug into my coupon organizer and busted out an expired $10 off of $30. It worked. What a deal.
Just FYI.
Also, if you have some fancy way for organizing coupons, pass on your ideas. I'm starting to use those crazy CVS bucks and other such ways to get "free" things, as they say. With the kids heading to school, I might actually be able to go to the grocery with a list, coupons AND save some money. High expectations abound.
Those coupons can be piled on top of eachother AND they never expire. There IS an expiration date but apparently it's just for show. After I watched the lady fork over coupon after coupon (many of which were expired), I dug into my coupon organizer and busted out an expired $10 off of $30. It worked. What a deal.
Just FYI.
Also, if you have some fancy way for organizing coupons, pass on your ideas. I'm starting to use those crazy CVS bucks and other such ways to get "free" things, as they say. With the kids heading to school, I might actually be able to go to the grocery with a list, coupons AND save some money. High expectations abound.
100 Calorie Packs
I don't know when these things swept the nation but I'm guessing they have been around a while. I've always shy'd away from these in the past because they are EXPENSIVE. Recently I've been buying them at Costco as pool/park snacks. I found pita chips in 100 calorie packs during yesterday's peaceful trip, and since my entire family LOVES pita chips, I bought them.
I busted out a pack for my post lunch snack. I couldn't believe how small the pack was or how little made up 100 calories. (So deceptive since they brag how healthy they are...baked, sea salt etc). Turns out I've been eating more like 500 calories when I buy the big pita chip bags at Costco (note: they are way cheaper at Costco than Whole Foods or Trader Joe's).
Moral of the story, even though the 100 calorie packs might seem like a rip-off, my waistline might be thanking me in the future. Something to chew on...so to speak.
I busted out a pack for my post lunch snack. I couldn't believe how small the pack was or how little made up 100 calories. (So deceptive since they brag how healthy they are...baked, sea salt etc). Turns out I've been eating more like 500 calories when I buy the big pita chip bags at Costco (note: they are way cheaper at Costco than Whole Foods or Trader Joe's).
Moral of the story, even though the 100 calorie packs might seem like a rip-off, my waistline might be thanking me in the future. Something to chew on...so to speak.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Save Ohio's Libraries
If you live in Ohio and love your library, contact your political officials! The Governor is trying to cut the Library budget by 50%! As a family with young children, we practically live at the Library! Please make your voice heard!
The Perfect Mom
Today I was the perfect mom. Okay, so I might be exaggerating but I have to take these little victories where I can get them since my kids have been simply wretched as of late.
The twins went to VBS #3 of the Summer which left me with Little Dude. We ran errands, went to the athletic club and even stopped by the Dollar Store. When we parked outside the club, I held hands with Little Dude and we calmly walked into the edifice. There was no screaming, yelling, rushing or corralling. We just walked in like normal people.
When we went to the Dollar Store, other than a tiny fit when Little Dude wanted to buy dish cloths that we didn't need (I have No idea why!) we had a very pleasant experience in the store.
We picked up the twins from VBS #3 and dropped them off for 2 more hours at Safety City. Little Dude and I then headed to Costco. Yet another successful trip. He stayed in the cart for 90% of our shopping time (which has never happened EVER) and we even got to stop at EVERY sample station.
What a nice day we had. And although I took one giant leap into the land of exaggeration when I titled this post "The Perfect Mom", today gave me a little boost. I'm not a complete and utter failure at this mom stuff. I might just have a little too much on my plate.
Today also made me look forward to the twins' Kindergarten commencement but also made me sad ( and feeling a little guilty) that I have been such a madwoman for the twins' entire memory. They will never know life as a Singleton and will only experience rare opportunities when they can be alone with mom or dad. The bonus, I guess, is that they will never know what it is to be alone. They will always have each other, no matter what life throws at them. Not a bad trade, I guess.
The twins went to VBS #3 of the Summer which left me with Little Dude. We ran errands, went to the athletic club and even stopped by the Dollar Store. When we parked outside the club, I held hands with Little Dude and we calmly walked into the edifice. There was no screaming, yelling, rushing or corralling. We just walked in like normal people.
When we went to the Dollar Store, other than a tiny fit when Little Dude wanted to buy dish cloths that we didn't need (I have No idea why!) we had a very pleasant experience in the store.
We picked up the twins from VBS #3 and dropped them off for 2 more hours at Safety City. Little Dude and I then headed to Costco. Yet another successful trip. He stayed in the cart for 90% of our shopping time (which has never happened EVER) and we even got to stop at EVERY sample station.
What a nice day we had. And although I took one giant leap into the land of exaggeration when I titled this post "The Perfect Mom", today gave me a little boost. I'm not a complete and utter failure at this mom stuff. I might just have a little too much on my plate.
Today also made me look forward to the twins' Kindergarten commencement but also made me sad ( and feeling a little guilty) that I have been such a madwoman for the twins' entire memory. They will never know life as a Singleton and will only experience rare opportunities when they can be alone with mom or dad. The bonus, I guess, is that they will never know what it is to be alone. They will always have each other, no matter what life throws at them. Not a bad trade, I guess.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day...or maybe not so much.
We collected the kids and headed to church. It was a successful morning in that we arrived somewhat on time and enjoyed a nice service. We left the church in order to have Father's Day lunch at the Pig Iron, J's favorite restaurant. With all the traffic detours and construction going on, it took us FOREVER to get there. We pull in the parking lot, only to find that it didn't open for 40 more minutes!
We got back in the car en route for Chili's, J's 2nd favorite restaurant. We'd been in the car so long, at this point, that one of the kids asked if we were on our way to TEXAS. Ugh! After more traffic issues, detours and construction, we arrive at Chili's. 2 kids were in their emergency pee-pee stance, needing a bathroom at this stage. We run in to Chili's and go straight to the bathroom. Fortunately we have 1 girl and 2 boys so I always get the easier end of this deal, even on Father's Day. My daughter and I arrived at our table a full 5 minutes before the boys. Apparently Little Dude was disciplined 6 TIMES in the bathroom. I didn't ask what he did.
After sitting at the table for 5 minutes, Little Dude has to go AGAIN. He asked "DadYee" to take him but I stood up. It's Father's Day. J deserves a peaceful lunch. As if on cue, Little Dude begins SCREAMING, "NO, me go to boys womb wit DadYee" repeatedly, over and over. I picked him up, kicking and screaming, and dragged him to the "gull's womb".
Another 5 full minutes passed of screaming, followed by discipline before he finally did his business. We finally return to the table, 10 minutes later. I sit down to take a few more bites of food when my daughter announces that she is in yet ANOTHER emergency situation where she needs a bathroom immediately. I'm at my wit's end at this point and J is more than ready to go home.
I finally threatened her saying she will NOT go to the church carnival tonight unless she finishes her dinner before the next trip to the restroom. Somehow I finished my sandwich in the midst of all of this and I took the twins to the bathroom. Little Dude begged to come but I made him stay with "DadYee". Grr.
Anyway, it wasn't the lunch I had imagined and Daddy walked away bitter and dismayed. When will it be exactly that we can sit down at a restaurant for a decent meal? I'm not even asking for a fancy dinner. We're talking Chili's here. Also, I'm requesting a booth near the bathrooms next time.
Happy Father's Day, all and especially to DadYee!
We got back in the car en route for Chili's, J's 2nd favorite restaurant. We'd been in the car so long, at this point, that one of the kids asked if we were on our way to TEXAS. Ugh! After more traffic issues, detours and construction, we arrive at Chili's. 2 kids were in their emergency pee-pee stance, needing a bathroom at this stage. We run in to Chili's and go straight to the bathroom. Fortunately we have 1 girl and 2 boys so I always get the easier end of this deal, even on Father's Day. My daughter and I arrived at our table a full 5 minutes before the boys. Apparently Little Dude was disciplined 6 TIMES in the bathroom. I didn't ask what he did.
After sitting at the table for 5 minutes, Little Dude has to go AGAIN. He asked "DadYee" to take him but I stood up. It's Father's Day. J deserves a peaceful lunch. As if on cue, Little Dude begins SCREAMING, "NO, me go to boys womb wit DadYee" repeatedly, over and over. I picked him up, kicking and screaming, and dragged him to the "gull's womb".
Another 5 full minutes passed of screaming, followed by discipline before he finally did his business. We finally return to the table, 10 minutes later. I sit down to take a few more bites of food when my daughter announces that she is in yet ANOTHER emergency situation where she needs a bathroom immediately. I'm at my wit's end at this point and J is more than ready to go home.
I finally threatened her saying she will NOT go to the church carnival tonight unless she finishes her dinner before the next trip to the restroom. Somehow I finished my sandwich in the midst of all of this and I took the twins to the bathroom. Little Dude begged to come but I made him stay with "DadYee". Grr.
Anyway, it wasn't the lunch I had imagined and Daddy walked away bitter and dismayed. When will it be exactly that we can sit down at a restaurant for a decent meal? I'm not even asking for a fancy dinner. We're talking Chili's here. Also, I'm requesting a booth near the bathrooms next time.
Happy Father's Day, all and especially to DadYee!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
I shalt not want
Since we are eating, breathing and sleeping VBS around here, it seems to be all I can blog about...when I get a moment to blog that is. The theme this year is "The Lord Is My Shepherd". Via songs and lessons, the kids are learning the 23rd Psalm. I think it's a little complicated so I was trying to talk it through with my kids.
The first line is, "The Lord is my Sheherd, I shall not want". My daughter said, God is my shepherd Mommy and I do want him. I like him actually. I said, "Well, it really means that you won't want other things. You will be satisfied because God will be leading you. She said, "Yea, well...I do want other things Mommy. I really want toys."
I'm pretty sure she's missing the boat on this one and if I'm honest with myself, I am too. How often am I satisfied with all that He has given me? Regarding my daughter, I decided to stop the explanations there. I will trust that this year of VBS is imprinting the famous Psalm onto her consciousness and maybe, just maybe, she will begin to understand what God is trying to say to us through this song...and maybe I will too.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
The first line is, "The Lord is my Sheherd, I shall not want". My daughter said, God is my shepherd Mommy and I do want him. I like him actually. I said, "Well, it really means that you won't want other things. You will be satisfied because God will be leading you. She said, "Yea, well...I do want other things Mommy. I really want toys."
I'm pretty sure she's missing the boat on this one and if I'm honest with myself, I am too. How often am I satisfied with all that He has given me? Regarding my daughter, I decided to stop the explanations there. I will trust that this year of VBS is imprinting the famous Psalm onto her consciousness and maybe, just maybe, she will begin to understand what God is trying to say to us through this song...and maybe I will too.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Is life flying or standing still?
I ask myself this question quite often. Every grandma in the grocery insists on stopping me (because I don't have ENOUGH going on with 3 kids aged 5 and under at the store!!!) and they say (usually in some Southern accent even though we live in the midwest...funny isn't it?), "Oh, honey. Enjoy every minute of it. It goes by fast. Before you know it they'll be having babies of their own." My fangs come out every time. Partially because i GET THIS at least twice every grocery trip (and I'm not kidding) and partially because they are outright LYING to my face.
Nothing about the last 5 plus years (6 if you count my wretched pregnancy) has flown by. NOTHING. It has definitely been the longest 6 years of my life. It feels like forever and forever ago that I found out I was having twins. In fact, that wasn't even me. That was a young, spy, energetic girl with an awesome bod. That girl left me a long while ago and the days have crawled right along since then, we're talking sloth pace.
Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade the past 6 years or my 3 awesome kids but I would like to catch a glimpse of that spry young girl with the awesome bod again. I really liked her. Instead, I'm older and wiser, right? A little less patient and a few more lines in my face (can't bring myself to call them that dreaded W word) but definitely more fulfilled and living an abundant life.
I state right here and now, IN WRITING, I will never tell that young girl in the grocery store that "it will fly by" because maybe, just maybe, it won't. Maybe each moment will be lived to it's fullest and cherished...or at least endured. As my friend Jen's blog states, "The days are long, the years are short". Oh, the wisdom of that statement is ringing in my ears.
Nothing about the last 5 plus years (6 if you count my wretched pregnancy) has flown by. NOTHING. It has definitely been the longest 6 years of my life. It feels like forever and forever ago that I found out I was having twins. In fact, that wasn't even me. That was a young, spy, energetic girl with an awesome bod. That girl left me a long while ago and the days have crawled right along since then, we're talking sloth pace.
Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade the past 6 years or my 3 awesome kids but I would like to catch a glimpse of that spry young girl with the awesome bod again. I really liked her. Instead, I'm older and wiser, right? A little less patient and a few more lines in my face (can't bring myself to call them that dreaded W word) but definitely more fulfilled and living an abundant life.
I state right here and now, IN WRITING, I will never tell that young girl in the grocery store that "it will fly by" because maybe, just maybe, it won't. Maybe each moment will be lived to it's fullest and cherished...or at least endured. As my friend Jen's blog states, "The days are long, the years are short". Oh, the wisdom of that statement is ringing in my ears.
The Best Gift
Someone has offered to take my kids from me. Can you imagine a better gift? My husband and I have been juggling kids all week long because for some reason I volunteered to help at VBS. We have a drop-off VBS for kids ages 6-12 and a parent/family attended one from birth-age 5.
When I signed up to work the VBS store, I assumed that my mom could help 3 days and my hubby could help two. Well, my mom decided to take a trip this week so she was only available one day. My poor hubby. Anyway, he had the kids two days, my mom had them today and thankfully, the church agreed to take Little Dude in the nursery while the twins attend the Kindergarten VBS (one year premature but hey, they will pass for having finished K, right?) I told them NO thumb-sucking because 6 year olds don't suck fingers and they will get kicked out. Girl Wondertwin proudly announced that she did not suck anything in front of any 6 year olds!
If someone would have told me that they would take my kids ALL week, I would have volunteered morning, noon and night! I'm gonna have some fun TH and F! Can't beat this VBS thing. Get this, I get to have adult conversations for the next 2 days without juvenile interruption. I love it!
When I signed up to work the VBS store, I assumed that my mom could help 3 days and my hubby could help two. Well, my mom decided to take a trip this week so she was only available one day. My poor hubby. Anyway, he had the kids two days, my mom had them today and thankfully, the church agreed to take Little Dude in the nursery while the twins attend the Kindergarten VBS (one year premature but hey, they will pass for having finished K, right?) I told them NO thumb-sucking because 6 year olds don't suck fingers and they will get kicked out. Girl Wondertwin proudly announced that she did not suck anything in front of any 6 year olds!
If someone would have told me that they would take my kids ALL week, I would have volunteered morning, noon and night! I'm gonna have some fun TH and F! Can't beat this VBS thing. Get this, I get to have adult conversations for the next 2 days without juvenile interruption. I love it!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
busy busy busy
Sorry, it's VBS time! This week has been so crazy! Our VBS is the kind where the parents stay too. We have a show at the beginning and end with crafts/activities in the middle. For some crazy reason I volunteered to help out, mostly because I'm a total VBS junkie and my guilt has finally gotten to me.
This is summer number 2 where I have registered my kids for 4 plus VBS weeks, each at a different church. What a great place for my kids to spend a week (or 4 weeks!)and I actually get to take a trip to the grocery. Can't beat that.
Anyway, I'm running the VBS store at our church this week while the kids are watched by my hubby who is also trying to work from home. Hmm. Not an easy task. As a family we are attending VBS in the evening. The great thing about that is dinner is served every night so I don't have to figure out what we will be eating for a whole week. Gotta love that.
So, keep checking in but my posts might be few and far between this week. Life is crazy but hey, what do you expect? I have 3 kids aged 5 and under. That's life, right?
This is summer number 2 where I have registered my kids for 4 plus VBS weeks, each at a different church. What a great place for my kids to spend a week (or 4 weeks!)and I actually get to take a trip to the grocery. Can't beat that.
Anyway, I'm running the VBS store at our church this week while the kids are watched by my hubby who is also trying to work from home. Hmm. Not an easy task. As a family we are attending VBS in the evening. The great thing about that is dinner is served every night so I don't have to figure out what we will be eating for a whole week. Gotta love that.
So, keep checking in but my posts might be few and far between this week. Life is crazy but hey, what do you expect? I have 3 kids aged 5 and under. That's life, right?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Inspiring
This story aired on Glenn Beck last night. It's definitely worth a few minutes. It's about a Columbus boy and the trial he has endured.
Friday, June 12, 2009
WWDD
So today is the day that the big "switch-over" begins. You know, the day that will (hopefully) cease all of those obnoxious government commercials regarding Americans needing a converter box to see their television without cable.
It made me wonder WWDD or What would Daddy do?. He died in 1995 so I have no way of knowing his reaction but my dad had an almost RELIGIOUS objection to paying for television. He thought humans had a right to free TV because of the commercials we were forced to watch. He had no need for 100 channels or more like 1000 these days. He wanted his nightly news, Cheers and Seinfeld. It's all he really needed.
I'll never know if he would have finally forked over the $10 per month for basic cable or if he would have purchased the converter box. I'm not a big cable fan either. I wouldn't have it if it were up to me but I was outvoted. Like father like daughter, I guess. Anyway, just wondering.
It made me wonder WWDD or What would Daddy do?. He died in 1995 so I have no way of knowing his reaction but my dad had an almost RELIGIOUS objection to paying for television. He thought humans had a right to free TV because of the commercials we were forced to watch. He had no need for 100 channels or more like 1000 these days. He wanted his nightly news, Cheers and Seinfeld. It's all he really needed.
I'll never know if he would have finally forked over the $10 per month for basic cable or if he would have purchased the converter box. I'm not a big cable fan either. I wouldn't have it if it were up to me but I was outvoted. Like father like daughter, I guess. Anyway, just wondering.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Never living it down...
Said by my husband, to me, in reference to the banschees' recent wretched behavior, "So, do you think they are being REALLY bad or are you just sick of having kids?"
It goes without explanation that hubby hasn't been with the kids much this week due to a lot of work and a deck remodel. I have a feeling he won't be saying that again.
It goes without explanation that hubby hasn't been with the kids much this week due to a lot of work and a deck remodel. I have a feeling he won't be saying that again.
America's Best Selling Car
Okay, so this news isn't original. It's on NPR, NBC and many other news outlets. It cracked me up though so I had to post this.
With all the issues American car companies are having recently, guess which car is the best selling car in America? Yes, the one and only Cozy Coupe. Most families with children have had this little bugger in their garage at one time or another. The Ohio based company sells 450,000 plus Cozy Coupes per year. Granted the color choices are red/yellow and there is no leather option. Nor is there need for the use of gasoline.
So maybe the Cozy Coupe isn't the world's best response to gasoline shortages but wouldn't life be interesting if we all drove Cozy Coupes? It may become reality if American car companies keep going in the direction they are currently.
Bring on the Cozy Coupe!
A Lesson From Caillou's Mom
In light of the recent failure in appropriate behavior in my home, I've been reflecting on my own parenting styles. I'm realizing that my first impulse these days is to YELL. I don't know that it's my preference necessarily as much as it is my natural instinct. When kids don't listen it seems that talking louder will rectify the problem. There's a failure in logic here and thanks to Caillou's mom, I've learned the error of my ways.
You may have seen Caillou on PBS or what my kids call "PBSKids.org" because of their constant advertising of their website. She is so calm. When Caillou was BANGING on a drum and not listening, she calmly approached him and asked him politely to stop. At my current emotional I might have thrown the drumstick across the room and sent Caillou to his room.
I don't know what kind of help Mrs. Caillou has around the house but she seems to have endless time to spend one on one with Caillou. I guess the baby is left up in the crib while Mommy and Caillou take a trip to the Library. Anyway, there the two of them held hands and toured the Library. When Caillou was too loud the mom said, "Shh, Caillou. We need to use our quiet voices in a library. People are reading." Then they stopped by story time and also picked out books. Mrs. Caillou was calm and collected the whole time, patiently correcting Caillou when he needed it. I can promise you that my visits (with 3 kids under 5) never go the way Caillou's did.
Yes, I would love to have a visit to the library with one child, being able to pick out books and hold hands. Maybe next year when the twins are in school Little Dude will benefit from being a singleton, finally. We'll see.
As time marches on, I realize that there is a bit of jealousy in me. It stems from never having only one child. When I embarked on parenthood, it greeted me with 2 screaming babies. There was no switching off from mom to dad when a baby was fussy. Our hands were full from day one. As toddlerhood advanced, I was constantly scurrying to make sure no one broke anything or drank any poison. Currently in the preschool years, I go from bedroom to bedroom practicing reading lessons with my 5 year olds.
I will never know what it is to have just one child but on the bright side, I'll never know what it's like to have 3 or 4 screaming babies at once either. Always looking on the bright side. Thank you Mrs. Caillou for your lessons in parenthood.
You may have seen Caillou on PBS or what my kids call "PBSKids.org" because of their constant advertising of their website. She is so calm. When Caillou was BANGING on a drum and not listening, she calmly approached him and asked him politely to stop. At my current emotional I might have thrown the drumstick across the room and sent Caillou to his room.
I don't know what kind of help Mrs. Caillou has around the house but she seems to have endless time to spend one on one with Caillou. I guess the baby is left up in the crib while Mommy and Caillou take a trip to the Library. Anyway, there the two of them held hands and toured the Library. When Caillou was too loud the mom said, "Shh, Caillou. We need to use our quiet voices in a library. People are reading." Then they stopped by story time and also picked out books. Mrs. Caillou was calm and collected the whole time, patiently correcting Caillou when he needed it. I can promise you that my visits (with 3 kids under 5) never go the way Caillou's did.
Yes, I would love to have a visit to the library with one child, being able to pick out books and hold hands. Maybe next year when the twins are in school Little Dude will benefit from being a singleton, finally. We'll see.
As time marches on, I realize that there is a bit of jealousy in me. It stems from never having only one child. When I embarked on parenthood, it greeted me with 2 screaming babies. There was no switching off from mom to dad when a baby was fussy. Our hands were full from day one. As toddlerhood advanced, I was constantly scurrying to make sure no one broke anything or drank any poison. Currently in the preschool years, I go from bedroom to bedroom practicing reading lessons with my 5 year olds.
I will never know what it is to have just one child but on the bright side, I'll never know what it's like to have 3 or 4 screaming babies at once either. Always looking on the bright side. Thank you Mrs. Caillou for your lessons in parenthood.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Another day...
The hooligans' hideous behavior has continued for yet another day. Somehow I still treat them to the pool. What's wrong with me? Today, I put all 3 of them down for a nap because they were exhausted. After 30 minutes of drinks and bathroom stops, I thought they were down. I turned on my noisy fan and began to read (The Book Thief...not sure if I recommend it yet.) Anyway, one twin snuck into the other's room to entice. She talked him into sneaking out of the house and onto the playset.
Glancing up from my book in my bedroom, I notice that Girl Wondertwin's bedroom door is ajar. Never a good sign at naptime. I check downstairs and began to panic. No GWT anywhere. I peeked out in the backyard to find not one but two twins on the playset. Yep, there was hades to pay.
Each was sent to his/her room for the rest of naptime and forced to eat both their broccoli AND their carrots for dinner. Grr.
It's like they are all about pushing the envelope. Now, my kids are NEVER perfect but generally they have a healthy respect for my evil twin who peers her ugly head when they misbehave. Lately though they are testing and testing. Is this a sign of things to come? Kindergarten is just 2 months away...
Glancing up from my book in my bedroom, I notice that Girl Wondertwin's bedroom door is ajar. Never a good sign at naptime. I check downstairs and began to panic. No GWT anywhere. I peeked out in the backyard to find not one but two twins on the playset. Yep, there was hades to pay.
Each was sent to his/her room for the rest of naptime and forced to eat both their broccoli AND their carrots for dinner. Grr.
It's like they are all about pushing the envelope. Now, my kids are NEVER perfect but generally they have a healthy respect for my evil twin who peers her ugly head when they misbehave. Lately though they are testing and testing. Is this a sign of things to come? Kindergarten is just 2 months away...
Monday, June 8, 2009
Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth
Someone rescue me. Wow, something is in the water around here! Ever since Little Dude's bunny park incident, all hell has broken loose. J and I are convinced that our kids work on cycles. Like the moon has cycles, like women have cycles, kids too have cycles. Instead of monthly cycles, it's more like every 3 months or so for us.
Two weeks ago marked the start of a new cycle and oh my! Let's just say PRAY FOR ME! Or rather, PRAY FOR THEM...that I don't give them away. Their behavior has been nothing short of atrocious as of late. My daughter SCREAMED her head off today b/c she had to ride in the minivan instead of daddy's car. It was at least 20 minutes plus of screaming. She is 5. There really is no excuse for that. We then sat for an hour and watched her twin brother's TBALL game. There is nothing more boring on earth than a 5 yr olds' TBALL game.
J needed a workout so he went to the athletic club and I was to take the kids home. Realizing that I needed a circular saw for the destruction of our deck (for another blog post) I had to run 2 suburbs over to our dear friends' house. They are our construction buddies and have gotten us out of many home improvement jams...one of the many reasons we love them. Anyway, my kids were embarrassing at her home. They were chasing the cat, getting games out of storage, trying to steal cat toys...you name it. Atrocious behavior.
Not even 2 minutes into the ride home 2 out of 3 kids were asleep...and it was the 5 year olds. I can't even remember the last time they fell asleep in the car like that. Thankfully they went to bed pretty well which left the rest of the night free.
Anyway, someone promise me that this will be a short cycle. I don't know how many more days I can deal with this insanity!
Two weeks ago marked the start of a new cycle and oh my! Let's just say PRAY FOR ME! Or rather, PRAY FOR THEM...that I don't give them away. Their behavior has been nothing short of atrocious as of late. My daughter SCREAMED her head off today b/c she had to ride in the minivan instead of daddy's car. It was at least 20 minutes plus of screaming. She is 5. There really is no excuse for that. We then sat for an hour and watched her twin brother's TBALL game. There is nothing more boring on earth than a 5 yr olds' TBALL game.
J needed a workout so he went to the athletic club and I was to take the kids home. Realizing that I needed a circular saw for the destruction of our deck (for another blog post) I had to run 2 suburbs over to our dear friends' house. They are our construction buddies and have gotten us out of many home improvement jams...one of the many reasons we love them. Anyway, my kids were embarrassing at her home. They were chasing the cat, getting games out of storage, trying to steal cat toys...you name it. Atrocious behavior.
Not even 2 minutes into the ride home 2 out of 3 kids were asleep...and it was the 5 year olds. I can't even remember the last time they fell asleep in the car like that. Thankfully they went to bed pretty well which left the rest of the night free.
Anyway, someone promise me that this will be a short cycle. I don't know how many more days I can deal with this insanity!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Food For Thought
"Hey, Obama has just nationalized nothing more and nothing less than General Motors. Comrade Obama! Fidel, careful or we are going to end up to his right," said President Chavez.
So, it's a joke by a madman. Food for thought, nonetheless.
So, it's a joke by a madman. Food for thought, nonetheless.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
A Scolding
As a parent, I'm all about discipline. Everywhere I turn there is a child to reprimand. Well, today I watched my husband be schooled by an very old and very grumpy man.
It was a kid-less day for the two of us. Those are rare but when we get one, we try to live it to it's fullest. Today we were given free tickets to the Memorial Golf Tournament. Not only did we get free badges, but we also got free passes to the Experience Columbus hospitality tent where we were treated to free food and drinks (all we can eat/drink) all day long. Fabulous.
We arrived just in time for lunch to be served. We were the 3rd and 4th in line. I love that. It means no one has touched the serving spoons yet. Sorry. I'm somewhat of a germaphobe. =) So we ate and drank. Finally we remembered we were there to see golf so we entered the greens. Our tent was located on the 3rd Fairway so after going through security, we went straight to the 3rd hole to wait on Tiger Woods and Ben Curtis. After watching for about 30 minutes we were in dreadful need of a bathroom and more water.
We returned to our tent for more goodies (at least a week's worth of calories) and spent about an hour there. When we heard an uproar from the crowd on the 3rd hole we decided we should get back out there. This time we decided to walk a few holes to see what we were missing. After spending quite a bit of time out among the people, we realized that Tiger Woods would be finishing the course soon. We high tailed it up to the 18th hole to finish off the tournament. Since most people follow Tiger (or Ben Curtis in this town since he's a homeboy) we had to fight the crowds to get a front row spot to see the end. We did just that. With a perfect spot to watch the 18th hole, J pulled out his cell phone to check the time. Much to his chagrin, a very old and GRUMPY man turned to him and said gruffly, "You have 2 choices son. You can either turn that off right now or I will take it from you." J responds, "Are you serious?" (not the best response, mind you.)
This really ticked the old guy off. He proceeds to lecture J on the rules printed on our tournament badges (that happened to be covered by a HUGE sticker that got us into our hospitality tent.) Under the sticker it said "No CAMERAS, CELL PHONES or PAGERS on COURSE". Oops. So we missed that part. The humorous part was that Scrooge would not drop it. He continued for 5 whole minutes (even though we're at a golf tournament...hello! SHH!!! No talking!) to tell J how he should know the rules, how EVERYONE knows that there are no phones allowed on the course.
Whatever. I saw phones everywhere I turned. I'm pretty sure that this one week a year is the only time this grumpazoid has any authority whatsoever and he takes his job (or volunteer job as the case may be) mega seriously. It's just a crazy odd feeling to be disciplined at this stage of life. You get that feeling at the pit of your stomach...you know, the one your 4th grade teacher gave you when she caught you whispering to your neighbor in class?
Grump!
It was a kid-less day for the two of us. Those are rare but when we get one, we try to live it to it's fullest. Today we were given free tickets to the Memorial Golf Tournament. Not only did we get free badges, but we also got free passes to the Experience Columbus hospitality tent where we were treated to free food and drinks (all we can eat/drink) all day long. Fabulous.
We arrived just in time for lunch to be served. We were the 3rd and 4th in line. I love that. It means no one has touched the serving spoons yet. Sorry. I'm somewhat of a germaphobe. =) So we ate and drank. Finally we remembered we were there to see golf so we entered the greens. Our tent was located on the 3rd Fairway so after going through security, we went straight to the 3rd hole to wait on Tiger Woods and Ben Curtis. After watching for about 30 minutes we were in dreadful need of a bathroom and more water.
We returned to our tent for more goodies (at least a week's worth of calories) and spent about an hour there. When we heard an uproar from the crowd on the 3rd hole we decided we should get back out there. This time we decided to walk a few holes to see what we were missing. After spending quite a bit of time out among the people, we realized that Tiger Woods would be finishing the course soon. We high tailed it up to the 18th hole to finish off the tournament. Since most people follow Tiger (or Ben Curtis in this town since he's a homeboy) we had to fight the crowds to get a front row spot to see the end. We did just that. With a perfect spot to watch the 18th hole, J pulled out his cell phone to check the time. Much to his chagrin, a very old and GRUMPY man turned to him and said gruffly, "You have 2 choices son. You can either turn that off right now or I will take it from you." J responds, "Are you serious?" (not the best response, mind you.)
This really ticked the old guy off. He proceeds to lecture J on the rules printed on our tournament badges (that happened to be covered by a HUGE sticker that got us into our hospitality tent.) Under the sticker it said "No CAMERAS, CELL PHONES or PAGERS on COURSE". Oops. So we missed that part. The humorous part was that Scrooge would not drop it. He continued for 5 whole minutes (even though we're at a golf tournament...hello! SHH!!! No talking!) to tell J how he should know the rules, how EVERYONE knows that there are no phones allowed on the course.
Whatever. I saw phones everywhere I turned. I'm pretty sure that this one week a year is the only time this grumpazoid has any authority whatsoever and he takes his job (or volunteer job as the case may be) mega seriously. It's just a crazy odd feeling to be disciplined at this stage of life. You get that feeling at the pit of your stomach...you know, the one your 4th grade teacher gave you when she caught you whispering to your neighbor in class?
Grump!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Dang Bunny
My 3 kids are obsessed with dragging junky things all over creation. For my oldest son, it's usually a Bakugon ball or some little figurine (and don't you dare call it a doll...it's a figurine when it belongs to a boy...if it were my daughter's, it would be a doll, says daddy anyway.) Little Dude usually has whatever his bro has or some type of ball. Today it was a golf ball.
My daughter insisted on bringing 2 large stuffed animals to the athletic club today. With the help of the childcare worker I was able to convince her to leave them outside the center. No such luck once we got to the park to meet our twin friends. Without me noticing, she snuck "Dang Bunny" as I affectionately call it, out of the car and was running around the park with it. The part I left out is that this park is practically in Michigan. It is so far North of my house and I am bitter every time I have to drive that far. It's a nice park though and our friends really like it.
After searching for 85 pairs of shoes and 25 balls, we finally loaded the van and headed home through mega traffic, mind you. As we pulled into the driveway, my daughter starts BAWLING..."Bunny's at the park." "Bunny's at the park."
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time you can predict my reaction. I flipped on her! I just couldn't take driving all the way back up to this park AND I had asked her not to bring Dang Bunny in the first place. Grr. I told her to say goodbye to bunny because she would not be seeing bunny EVER again.
You can guess what ensued. She started crying harder, as if someone had died. It wasn't pretty. Compassion somehow took over and I called my mom. Being a sucker for anything related to my daughter, my mom (who lives in the far North suburbs, aka Michigan) offered to go get Dang Bunny since she would be running errands anyway.
Thanks to Grammy I don't have to listen to "I want Bunny" for the rest of my life. Is it possible that she learned her lesson and we won't be fighting this same battle tomorrow?
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
It's not an obsession but...
Has anyone noticed that the promos now for J&K plus 8 have the song, "..am everyday people" because everyday people have a gigantic bus with a driver at their beckon call. Hmm. Just an observation.
UPDATE CORRECTION: The everyday people song is for TLC in general, not just J&K. FYI. I feel better now.
I was an interpersonal communication major and I tell ya, this whole thing has me intrigued. I paid very little attention to this show until the most recent hoopla. I have to admit, all the "hubbub" (as one friend called it) as me hooked. I'm so consumed with figuring out how something could go so wrong so quickly. I'm convinced that money and fame are the root but Wow. I'm still intrigued.
UPDATE CORRECTION: The everyday people song is for TLC in general, not just J&K. FYI. I feel better now.
I was an interpersonal communication major and I tell ya, this whole thing has me intrigued. I paid very little attention to this show until the most recent hoopla. I have to admit, all the "hubbub" (as one friend called it) as me hooked. I'm so consumed with figuring out how something could go so wrong so quickly. I'm convinced that money and fame are the root but Wow. I'm still intrigued.
Please Vote!
A fellow twin mom friend of mine is an amazing blogger. She is "auditioning" for the twin blog, www.howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com. She is blog post #4 for June 2nd. She is so talented and clearly a great choice for that blog. Please jump over there and vote for Jen at DiagnosisUrine! Thanks!
Twins
So I was just on this twin blog. Currently it's full of posts from guest bloggers trying to earn a spot as a writer for this blog. Each blog post was full of familiar experiences that most moms and all multiple moms can relate to. Anyway, one post I read was regarding the double stroller...well, many of the posts were about the double stroller. It brought me back to one of my first outings with the twins.
At the time, my best friend lived in town. She had a 3 year old and a 15 month old while being pregnant. She was great at pursuing me during those first months with the twins. All I wanted to do is crawl back in bed but Jen made sure I was out and about as much as possible. Anyway, she talks me into loading the twins up and taking them to the zoo. Keep in mind the twins were 1 month old at the time. They could barely focus a foot in front of them much less see the gorillas.
I had no problem getting the stroller out of the car and we tooled around the zoo seeing more than my post pregnancy, c-section recovering body could handle. I remember Jen and I packing up our cars and for some reason, she must have been in a hurry b/c she pulled away. I had the twins in their infant seats and snapped into their bases but then I was left with that big, honkin' stroller. Sweat beaded on my forhead as I realized that I'd never closed the stroller by myself before. Panic struck as I tried a million different ways, trying to get that thing into my Honda Accord. I even tried to get it in the back seat without folding it. You know that didn't work. I can't even explain to you how I felt at that moment.
By God's grace, a man came by who clearly had multiples...or at least children who were close in age. He could see my dilemma. He came right over to me, pushed a few (well hidden) buttons and had the thing closed in seconds. I could have kissed him..I didn't of course. Oh the panic.
Every new mom can tell a story like this one, I'm sure. In fact, if someone asked me to close a double stroller today, I'd probably endure the same fate.
At the time, my best friend lived in town. She had a 3 year old and a 15 month old while being pregnant. She was great at pursuing me during those first months with the twins. All I wanted to do is crawl back in bed but Jen made sure I was out and about as much as possible. Anyway, she talks me into loading the twins up and taking them to the zoo. Keep in mind the twins were 1 month old at the time. They could barely focus a foot in front of them much less see the gorillas.
I had no problem getting the stroller out of the car and we tooled around the zoo seeing more than my post pregnancy, c-section recovering body could handle. I remember Jen and I packing up our cars and for some reason, she must have been in a hurry b/c she pulled away. I had the twins in their infant seats and snapped into their bases but then I was left with that big, honkin' stroller. Sweat beaded on my forhead as I realized that I'd never closed the stroller by myself before. Panic struck as I tried a million different ways, trying to get that thing into my Honda Accord. I even tried to get it in the back seat without folding it. You know that didn't work. I can't even explain to you how I felt at that moment.
By God's grace, a man came by who clearly had multiples...or at least children who were close in age. He could see my dilemma. He came right over to me, pushed a few (well hidden) buttons and had the thing closed in seconds. I could have kissed him..I didn't of course. Oh the panic.
Every new mom can tell a story like this one, I'm sure. In fact, if someone asked me to close a double stroller today, I'd probably endure the same fate.
Monday, June 1, 2009
More about feeding kids...
So, 2 posts ago entitled Feeding the 5000, I mention I hate to feed my kids. Or maybe I wasn't that blunt but you get the idea. Anyway, I'm all about kids becoming self-sufficient before the age of 18 (not before the age of 5). My kids have caught on to that I guess because they try things that I never would suggest or even guess they would have the ability to accomplish.
Case in point, when my twins were 3.5 years old, one of them decided Terrence was cold and he needed to be warmed up in the microwave. This was before I had my laptop and I was in the basement working on my computer. I hear screaming from upstairs..."BWT made the kitchen on fire".
Of course my ears perk at that one so I run upstairs to find the microwave engulfed in flames. Fortunately when I opened the microwave, the flames went down and I was able to put the rest out with a towel. No firetrucks needed.
This is what I found in the microwave...RIP Terrence.
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Case in point, when my twins were 3.5 years old, one of them decided Terrence was cold and he needed to be warmed up in the microwave. This was before I had my laptop and I was in the basement working on my computer. I hear screaming from upstairs..."BWT made the kitchen on fire".
Of course my ears perk at that one so I run upstairs to find the microwave engulfed in flames. Fortunately when I opened the microwave, the flames went down and I was able to put the rest out with a towel. No firetrucks needed.
This is what I found in the microwave...RIP Terrence.
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Update...
The guilt overtook me so we took Little Dude to the Bunny Park after church on Sunday. It was still chilly because of the wind but he had a blast. No more "Me go to Bunny Park." Thank goodness! My head still hurts from that incessant whining and crying.
Feeding the 5000
That's how it feels around here. Technically, I only have 3 kids but you know what I mean. Even if you one child, you know feeding time is a nightmare. Dinner time I can handle. I make one meal for our family of 5 and if the kids don't like it, they don't eat.
Lunch is different though. For some reason I've allowed myself to become a short order cook. I make what they want to eat...and sometimes they want 2 or 3 of whatever it was. I can handle the cooking part but afterward, my kitchen looks like a bomb went off. How can 3 little people make such a big mess? I would love to go for just ONE day without sweeping my floor. A girl can dream, right?
Seriously this parenthood stuff would be a lot more fun if I didn't have to feed these banschees.
Lunch is different though. For some reason I've allowed myself to become a short order cook. I make what they want to eat...and sometimes they want 2 or 3 of whatever it was. I can handle the cooking part but afterward, my kitchen looks like a bomb went off. How can 3 little people make such a big mess? I would love to go for just ONE day without sweeping my floor. A girl can dream, right?
Seriously this parenthood stuff would be a lot more fun if I didn't have to feed these banschees.
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