TARGETMOMMY DIARIES

2012 Goals Update.

2012-01-14T21:51:00.007-06:00

I'm back. Yeah, I know what you are thinking. A) wow....so one of your goals was to blog. I didnt know you meant once a month. or B) wow....she is back to say that she failed and will no longer be blogging.

Well.....guess what, the answer is C) I am STILL here. yeah its been two weeks. But hey, there are still 2 weeks in the first month of the year. SO HA...just wait and see.

On a serious note, Yeah, I wanted to blog several times in the last 2 weeks, but I have not been feeling very well. One of these days, I will share some of my health issues....both the physical and psychological ones. Yeah, I am slightly jacked up. So back to the point, I am finally feeling a LOT better. SO, I figured NOW is the time to get back in gear. And what better way then to blog. YAY....for me and YAY for you. Humor me. kay?

Even though I havent been well, I still have managed to get some of my goals in motion.

I have not only stuck with my monthly menu, but I have also been cooking a lot healthier. Lots of fish and chicken and a TON of fresh vegatables. Nice...huh? Honestly, the meals have been amazing. Even Jason who is not a major fan of veggies has enjoyed all the meals. AND get this....he has lost 15 lbs in the last 2 weeks. Crazy huh?? must be nice. lol

Next I have been journaling everyday. YAY ME!!! It hasnt been the conventional journaling...you know like a diary. Instead, I bought these....

Both are 5 year memory books. One Line A Day (thanks to my friend Allison) is a nice little book where you just write one line....anything that you are feeling everyday. It is not made for book-like journaling. Just a quick line or two (yeah, can you believe that I can do something like that, considering how much I like to type). The other one is Q & A a day....365 Questions 5 years 1825 answers. Each day of the year there is a new question with space to answer for the next 5 years. Some examples of the questions are:

"You are lucky: how so or not so?"

"Today was tough because...."

"Who do you miss the most right now".

Some are thought provoking, while others are just quick, simple, fun questions.

You can find them here.....

http://www.amazon.com/One-Line-Day-Five-Year-Memory/dp/0811870197/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326602389&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Day-5-Year-Journal-Potter-Style/dp/0307719774/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326602264&sr=1-2

YES, OF COURSE they are amazon prime. Ha....you know me so well.

So, if you are looking for a fun and unique memorymaker, these are perfect. Also, GREAT gifts for friends and family.

I also bought a regular ole notebook to start REAL journaling. We will see what happens with that. lol

hmmm....lets see what else??? nope no date nights. nope.....my life is still as disorganized as ever. umm....yes, I have kicked the freaks ~~asses~~ butts at a couple of board games and wii games. umm...yep, I still am the queen of procrastination. nope....no entertaining at our house. nope....no doc appts, no exercise, & no weight loss. my freaks are well....still freaks.

Oh wait, we are working on paying it forward. The kids and I are quite excited about this. We are working on shoeboxes. We dont have much stuff yet, but the target $1 spot has helped a lot. We are trying to make a variety of boxes, both boy and girls, but with all different age groups. We also have another plan. We are starting to work on Blessing Bags. I read about this on several blogs, as well as on pinterest. Basically you keep large ziplock bags in your car to hand out if you see homeless on the streets. The bags can contain an assortment of items that they may be in need of...snacks, change, toiletries, etc. Once we fill a few up, I will blog about what exactly we added and how they turned out. The kids are REALLY, REALLY excited about these.

So there you have it. I am still here. I am ready to get this year going. AND, for once, I am actually excited about it. Check back soon....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! 12 Goals for 2012!!

2012-01-01T21:32:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year!!! Long time....NO blog!!

Yeah, I know what you are thinking. "Here she goes again, her first and ONLY blog of the year. We get to read all of her exciting resolutions, all her new plans and most importantly her excuses!!! Yay for 2012 and Targetmommy's first and LAST blog of the year!!! WOOOFREAKINHOOOOOOO!"

yeah, yeah....been there. Done that. Said that.

BUT, be prepared, THIS time IS different.

Why is it different??

umm....well....because I freakin said it was.

On a serious note, honestly, I dont know why you should believe me. Just do it. If anything else, just humor me. alright??

thanks!

So, no excuses of how freakishly busy I have been for the last 2012 months. No "new me, new year" bullshit. None of it. I am not saying that I am going to blog everyday for 365 days. I mean, come on, I do have some what of a life, right?? Again...humor me. But I will do my best (yeah, that says a lot) to blog regularly (again...the word of the day.....HUMOR me). I mean come on.....look at me its January 1st 2012...I am here...BLOGGING. WOOOHOOO...I am already 1/1. Batting a freakin 1000!!!

So once again. Happy New Year!! Lets get this year going!!!!

And to start off the year. Thanks to my dear friend Allison (sweet girl, great name, unfortunately, she never learned how to spell her name), I am going to play copy-cat. I am starting my new blog with 12 Goals for 2012.

12 Goals for 2012!!

1) Start blogging again (wooohooo, here we go again. I am 1 for 1) and redesign, makeover my blog

2) Set up a monthly menu (woooohooo...yep, 2 for 2, damn this is easier than I thought).

3) Take care of MOI. I am not saying that I am going to lose 40 lbs (although that would be icing on the cake....yeah.....like icing is going to help me lose 40lbs), but get in shape, exercise, eat right, take my iron (and any other meds that help me to function), make & keep doctor appts., work on my "inner/emotional self (yeah, cheesy), etc, etc.

4) Journal daily. Even if it one single sentence saying "what the fuck??"

5) Work on turning my little freaks into responsible, loving, accepting, compassionate, caring, somewhat intelligent human beings. I know I can do the responsible, loving, caring, blah, blah blah part. The human being part....yeah, they are already screwed. Oh well. But as I was saying.....get them on a schedule, assign chores, make them accountable for their actions, etc, etc.

6) Organize my life....I mean my house. Seriously, put some of my pinterest ideas to good use. What is the purpose of spending 23.5 hours a day on pinterest if you arent going to cook, or bake, or build a freakin house. right??? Organizing also means decorating.

7) Entertain more. No, I am not talking stages and stripper poles. I am talking about having friends over, cook, drink, play games, socialize with real, live human beings that are over 7 years old.

8) Go out on a date with Jason at least once a month. EVEN if it means a lunch or a trip to freakin Menards.

9) Play games.....board games, wii, basketball outside, etc, etc with the freaks. Or have a movie night in or out. They are growing so fast. I need to spend as much time as I can with them.

10) Pay it forward. I have been so blessed in my life. It is time that I do more. Not that we dont donate and help others, but it is time to do MORE. My main goals are to volunteer in the community. I was a teen mom, however I was very blessed to have a wonderful family that helped me survive. Unfortunately, there are a lot of teen moms that do not have ANY help at all. I want to help as many teen moms as I can. I also have a goal of 12 shoeboxes (one a month) to donate next december. Thats just a start. I hope to find many other ways to help others.

11) STOP procrastinating. This is my biggest problem. OMG...if you only knew how bad I suck at this. YIKES.

12) and finally....Figure out what I want to do when I grow up. School, work, buy an island and live a ridiculously lavish life.....who knows???? But, I am ready to find out. At 37....its about freakin time.

2012......Let's Do THIS!!!!!!!!

day #11-30........yeah...yeah

2010-11-30T21:08:00.002-06:00

SO here we are on the last day of November. AND he were are with only 10 days of thankfulness on my blog. BIG surprise??? AAAAHHHHHH shut it. lol Well, the good news is that I never really stopped adding (well, until the last week)to thankfulness posts. NO surprise, but they are on facebook. I know...I know...I am sorry. The REALLY REALLY awesome news is that I am still going to share with my blog peeps.

Here we go...

day #11....thankful for our veterans! To all that have served, are serving or will serve, I thank you for serving our country, protecting our freedom & defending our rights. I am thankful for your courage & bravery. A special thankful to my dad, big Pa and father in law, Mike. Thank you and God Bless ALL of our veterans.

day #12.....thankful for lunch dates with my hubby. Ever since the last baby started school full time, I craved my Friday lunch dates with Jason. Now, I am even more blessed because we get lunch dates 3 times a week (sometimes more). Lunch dates rock!!!

day #13...thankful for sports! Thankful for watching them, playing them & cheering for my kids. Thankful for the excitement, the challenge, the competition, the skills, the goals, the determination, the athletes & their bodies, being a fan, being a player, the blood, the sweat & the tears. Thank you for scalpers, nose bleeds, and childhood memories. Thank you for Sundays & Monday nights, March madness, the Bowls, Orange & Black Octobers, Championship rings & long ass droughts.

day #14....thankful for sunday newspapers. Especially free ones from our hotel. Target ads & coupons. OH, how I missed the little things for the last 4 years. AND the best part...I can get ALL the hotels extra coupon inserts come Monday morning. YES, it IS the little things!

day #15...thankful for being able to pamper myself. Even if it is with simple things like a grande peppermint mocha with extra whip, one touch service to cancel housekeeping, blackout curtains, king size bed, w/5 down pillows & down comforter & the luxury to nap ALL.DAY.LONG.ALL.BY.MYSELF!!! Aaahhhh....

day #16....thankful for looking at my dirty wedding ring and deciding to get it cleaned. Unfortunately, they couldnt clean it. WHY?? because two of the diamonds are VERY loose. WOW.....I never, ever, ever get my ring cleaned. WHY today??? I think it was a sign. SO thankful because I would have been so upset if I lost them.

day #17.....thankful for my deal of the day.....$2.99 year subscription to Weight Watchers magazine. Cant beat that. I told ya....its the little things!

day #18....thankful for November 18th as two of my favorite people were born...my big sis Dawn and Mickey Mouse! I love you and miss you both so much!!!! ♥

day #19...thankful for Amazon prime! free 2 day shipping. 1 day shipping for $3.99. No minimums. PLUS NO tax! AND some of the best deals. LOVE waiting until the last week of christmas when things go stupid cheap. An "prime" example is when I bought Jayden itouch for $167 delivered (no tax)w/in less than 48 hrs. AWESOMENESS!!!!!

day #20.....thankful for my in-laws. I LOVE them SOOO much. I really have NO idea where the bad rap for mother-in-laws comes from because mine is THE best. They never try to get into our "business" or given unwanted advice. They continue to spoil all of us ALL the time. AND if wasnt for them, I wouldnt have my cute ...little kids. Although, I am still trying to figure out how Jason came from them.

day #21...thankful for a realtor that knows EXACTLY what I want.

day #22...thankful for new brakes. And a bigger thank you because my husband & his friends ROCK!!!! They did all of them for just the price of parts. SWEET!!!!

day #23....an AMAZING hotel staff.
They have spoiled my kids SO much w/movie baskets, caramel apples, halloween pumpkins FULL of candy, extra chocolate chip cookies right out of oven & Kay's nightly whipped cream cups.
The housekeepers watch Dom to ma...ke sure she gets on the bus safely & when it is too cold make her wait in lobby because they are afraid she will freeze.
They have no problems with late night t.p. drop offs. The housekeepers work around my schedule & always make sure the room is perfect. The front desk rocks as well.....letting me use their address for UPS, USPS & fed ex deliveries, evening dropping off the packages in my room when I am out. AND they always let me have the extra Sunday inserts.
EVERYONE always has a smile on their face....from maintenance, to housekeepers, to the dining ladies, to the front desk and office management. A special thanks to Elizabeth for making sure our stay was as close to home as possible and to Jessica for all the hugs and whipped cream cups. Kayla will miss her.
I cant believe that I am going to say this....but I am going to miss everyone here, not just the staff, but the "regulars". Especially Jerome, the sweetest little boy that we fell in love with. So thankful that we were able to make the Homewood suites....our own Home SUITE Home. ♥

Day #24....thankful that my hubby is on his way home. That means we can leave as soon as Dom gets home from school. Now...,hoping for good weather for travelling.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was not able to keep up with my final week of thankfulness. Yeah, nice considering it was THE week of Thanksgiving. OH and I had some things that I wanted to share. BUT NO, it had nothing to do with my normal procrastinating, lack of organizational skills, flakiness, laziness, irresponsibility, carelessness, lack of motivation, etc, etc. REALLY, it did NOT! I was actually sick. It started on our way down to Atlanta and progressed from there. BUT, each day, I DID think of something that I was thankful for. Sometimes, I was drugged up on Nyquil (before we found out it was Strep), so my thoughts might not have been "all there". BUT, they were thankful thoughts none the less. So....no one can say that I am a "quitter" (if thats even a word). My final week of thanksgiving.

day #25....thankful for a safe and somewhat sane 11 hour drive to Atanta. Followed by the most "awesomeness" sister in the world. From what I heard, as I was locked away in the back bedroom, she made an unbelievable Thanksgiving dinner ALL by herself. She also managed to entertain my family and keep everyone sane and happy. Also for Jason who braved Walmart on Thanksgiving day for Nyquil, sprite, fever reducer, etc, etc.

day #26.....thankful for a wonderful sister and husband. Both of them continued to let me moan and groan in the back bedroom AND took super duper care of me with meds, tea, heat, air conditioning, whatever I needed. They took the kids to the Aquarium and Korean BBQ, leaving me with a nice and quiet house.

day #27.....thankful for not losing my mind or the liquids that were in my stomach on the LONGEST 11 hour drive of my life. EVEN more thankful that my husband got us home safely and never once thought about opening the passenger door while driving 75 down the freeway. I guess he likes my whining and moaning.

day #28.......thankful for doctors and antibiotics. NUFF said!

day #29.......thankful for that at least ONE of the 5 of us stayed healthy. Still praying that Dom continues to stay healthy.

day #30........thankful that we are finally on the mend and EVERYONE will be back to school tomorrow. MOST of all thankful that we all made it another month TOGETHER.

day #10.....hubbys job

2010-11-10T16:31:00.001-06:00

day #10....thankful for my hubby's job. I know I have bitched & moaned for the last 11 yrs, but deep down I am SO thankful for his job.Yes,it is time consuming, but then again, he is a work-a-holic. But if it wasnt for his work ethics, we wouldnt be where we are today. I really cant complain, especially in this economy. I have been blessed to be able to stay home with our kids for the last 11 yrs because of his job. ADM has been VERY good to us & for that I am thankful.

day #9.....Our Home

2010-11-09T09:00:00.001-06:00

Day #9...thankful for our home. Even though I have bitched, moaned, whined & cried about not having a house & having to live in a hotel, I feel SOOOOO very blessed. No matter where we live, as long we are together as a family, we will ALWAYS have a home. A home is what you make with those people that you love & love you back. We may be houseless, but we will NEVER be homeless. AND for that I am thankful.

day #8....Quality Time with the Boy

2010-11-08T15:39:00.002-06:00

Day #8......thankful for a day with just the boy & me. 1st time that just daddy, jay and me had lunch together. Then new Jordans for the boy, haircut and Baskin Robbins. Thank you Carrie for having Kayla over and giving us this time. It's these little things that make me SOOOO very thankful!

Day #7.....Sisters....Dawn & Steph

2010-11-07T10:50:00.003-06:00

day #7....thankful for sisters, mainly mine, Steph & Dawn. Thank you for being my best friends. Thank you for my 1st tattoo. Thank you for running off softball fields to help me deliver babies. Thank you for sharing your Barbies, even if it was through threats, force or divorce. Thank you for always having a place for us to stay. Thank you for sharing your love of food, shopping & Disney with me. Thank you for yelling every time we swam & getting us in trouble. LMBOPIMP Thank you for putting up with my sarcastic hubby. Thank you for being high maintenance just like me, for I always have a trump card to throw out with my hubby. Thank you for long rides to Aunt Pats that spanned over 4 decades. Thank you for throwing me hundreds of awesome baby showers & wedding showers. Thank you for sharing in my enthusiasm for "$7" sale items. Thank you for the texts of awesome new purses. Thank you for being my biggest cheerleaders.Thank you for the quality time when I "accidentally" locked us in the upstairs bedroom. But most of all, THANK YOU for being the BESTEST SISTAS anyone could ever have. <3

day #6....MY MAN...Jason

2010-11-06T09:02:00.004-05:00

day #6...thankful for the hubby, Jason. "Who'd a thunk" that this 4'11", very liberal, big city, ghetto ass Cali girl would have fallen in love with a 6'4", conservative, small town, New Mexican Asian, "cowboy" in a club in Hollywood?? Well it happened & it has been 11 yrs. He has blessed me with a couple of awesome babies & loved our oldest as his own. He is the best provider anyone could ask for, working his butt off everyday to give us an amazing life. He continues to put up with my crazy, dysfunctional, overly emotional, critical, nagging, fruity, disney freakish self. He keeps telling me that he loves me & that I am beautiful despite my ever changing size of clothes. On top of that he thinks that I am the best shopper in the world. Thank you Jason for loving me....

Day #5....Kayla

2010-11-05T22:55:00.004-05:00

day #5....thankful for the baby, Kayla! After a wonderful pregnancy we received the MOST difficult baby EVER. The 1st night in the hospital is still so vivid, as I remember when the nurses came in to tell me to let her sleep in the bed with me because she was keeping the whole hospital up. I knew right then we were in for a REAL treat. AND boy, were we EVER.....she cried and cried and cried AND CRIED for 365 days straight. BUT then EVERYTHING change, she turned into the most delightful little princess anyone could ever ask for. Being blessed to stay home with her has been truly amazing. I have enjoyed every minute of it. She has made me appreciate being a mommy on a whole other level. But most of all she has made our family
complete.

DAY #4....Jayden

2010-11-04T08:23:00.003-05:00

day #4...thankful for mama's boy, Jayden. A long, difficult pregnancy gave me the most perfect little baby boy. I was blessed to have him sleep all day & all night. From there he turned into an amazing little man, with a kind heart, empathy & compassion for others. His intelligence amazes me on a daily basis. He makes me yell, smile, roll my eyes & laugh all at the same time. He is all boy...from running around in his underwear, to laughing at the words "butt, poop & penis", he can clear the room with the best of them. I love that he is not the "typical" kid, with his love of the 80's, Michael Jackson, Elvis, history & politics. His goals are on top...playing at USC, then the NFL with a back up plan of being the the first Korean president. And one last thankful....he picks all the good teams! ♥

Day #3....Dominique

2010-11-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

day #3...thankful for my baby girl Dominique, a precious gift given to me 16 yrs ago. I truly believe she saved me, she gave me something to live for. She made me want to be a better person. Her Asperger diagnosis has not only taught me, but my other children how to be accepting & tolerant of others differences...to NEVER judge because we dont know their story. She has showed me how to celebrate the victories instead of dwell on the challenges. I learned that "IT" is not a disability BUT a special ability.

30 Days of Thankfulness!

2010-11-02T08:45:00.006-05:00

It is November. Crazy...isn't it? I swear it was just the first of the year a few days ago. Time goes WAY TOO fast. November is a time of being thankful. Thankful for everything that we have. I know all I have done is bitch and whine for the past few months because of this crazy ass move. But, deep down I really am thankful for SOOOO much. To be honest with you, this crazy move has made me REALLY appreciate everything that I do have. Yesterday on facebook, I started my "3o days of thankfulness". Basically, everyday, I will write about what I am thankful for...no matter how big or how little...I will share them with you. To others, some of my gifts may be "out there", boring, expected, etc, etc but each one I am thankful for. SO here we go....since I am a day late on here, I will start with day #1 and #2. Enjoy....

Day #1.. . For my Heavenly Father for He makes ALL things possible. Without Him, there would be nothing to be thankful for.

Day #2.....My life. EVERY part of it. The good, the bad and the ugly. It may be crazy, hectic, unpredictable, stressful, slightly irrational, overly dramatic and extremley emotional. But it is ALLLLL mine. ♥

BULLET FRIDAY

2010-09-17T10:39:00.003-05:00

It's FRIDAY!!!! YAY...I think! Anyways, since it is friday, I will get back to bullet friday. Well, not that I had done this except one other time, BUT, let it be a new tradition. Yeah....I know....me, blogs and traditions?? As always, HUMOR ME.

basically bullet friday is a quick run down of my thoughts and activities for the week. Let the fun begin..

still living in a hotel
still eating out most nights
ate at the hotel one night
still NOT cooking in a kitchen (over a month and counting)
still NO offers on the house
whined a lot about the relocation
facebooked
met a new friend
went shopping with my new friend
taxied my kids around
football practice....football practice.....football practice
Kaylas 3rd week of dance....hip hop, ballet, tap & jazz
went to Starbucks 5 times this week. YES....pumpkin lattes are back. WOOHOO...this is the highlight of my week.
hates living in a hotel
loves living in a hotel (no toilet cleaning, bedmaking, etc, etc)
cried a lot about the relocation
shopped
paid bills
was sick in the beginning of the week
took a lot of naps
bitched a lot about the relocation
facebooked
blogged (I know.....crazy???)
mind wandered (yeah.....my week is so exciting, thats what you get for living in a hotel)
realized that I am getting old (okay, I already knew this....I guess the keyword is "OLDER")
became really pissed about the relocation
so excited that ADM gave 1.3 million dollars to the decatur area schools
so pissed off that ADM's new relocation policy is bull shit
shopped
realized that decatur sucks
misses our old town, school, dance studio, friends,etc.
is not happy
is kind of embarrassed that my busy week consisted of emotions instead of actual events. YES...this is what my life has come to
has cabin fever (okay, hotel fever)
is craving stability and normalcy
prayed a lot.......

Today's Deal ~HANNA ANDERSSON~

2010-09-13T19:48:00.009-05:00

HOW CUTE WOULD THAT BE FOR VALENTINES DAY????? TOO Early to think about valentines day??? NEVER!!

As you all know, besides my kids, shopping is my life. Being that we live in a hotel (yes, I WILL explain later) and 99% of our belongings (ALL of our fall/winter clothes) are in unaccessible storage ( I JUST said that I WILL explain later), I must start shopping for clothes again. I know....poor, poor baby. You also know that I love deals as much as I love shopping. SO, I will start posting some of my daily deals. No better time than to start now.

Todays deal was from Hanna Andersson. Hanna has the BEST casual dresses out there. Their playdresses have been a favorite as long as I can remember. They are so durable. They are cute, cute, cute. They resale great on ebay. I LOVE them. Unfortunately, they are not super cheap. AND their shipping is some of the highest online. BUT, the good news is every now and then they have free shipping WITH markdowns.

Right now the free shipping is through ebates. Ebates is an awesome rewards program. Basically you go through ebates.com to your favorite sites (tons to choose from) and you receive a % back in rewards. Unlike other companies, you are rewarded in an actual $$$$$ (not giftcards). They are mailed to you or deposited into your paypal account quarterly. In the last year, I have been rewarded over $150. Not bad considering I would have purchased through the websites any ways. A lot of times, they have double rewards. Sign up under me and we both get a $5 bonus when you make your 1st purchase. SWEET!!!! It is free to sign up! Here is the link... http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=Q5kY90u6fx33QZfoVHiSCA%3D%3D .

Okay, back to the deal. As I was saying, there are a ton of Hanna Markdowns, including playdresses. Markdowns as much as 30% off. This is the PERFECT time to stock up on playdresses....even Halloween ones. Right now the availability is high, which might not be as high in a day or so. Go through ebates, earn 2.5% of your purchase, purchase $100 or more and receive free shipping. AND if you go through my referral, you get an extra $5 from ebates. WIN WIN!!!

FAILED!!!!!!

2010-09-12T14:32:00.006-05:00

Yep, I have failed at blogging once again. This time I failed more than one level. How about we list them??

1) blogging in general......ooops I did it again. It has been almost 4 months since my last blog. Ummm...how many times I have said I am back and this time I will be serious about my blog???? Dont worry that was rhetorical. So....FAILED!

2)65 in 365.......yeah, remember how excited I was about my new adventure??? All those wonderful things that I was going to do. So....how long did that last?? NO need to answer, I can do it myself....FAILED!!

3) monthly menus......actually I REALLY....REALLY enjoyed my monthly menus. But again......FAILED. HOWEVER, I kind of have an excuse. In May (the last time I made a menu, however March was the last time I posted one), we received life changing news. We found out that after 4 years, we would be relocating. Jason left immediately. I was left trying to deal with the end of the school year and major transitions which left NO time for menu planning let alone cooking at all. DON'T worry, I will update soon. Yeah....let's refer to #1.....don't get your hopes up.

4)Flashback Friday.....ummm how many Fridays have we had in 2010??? How many times have I posted my Flashback Friday?? How about I just answer #2...once. SO again....FAILED!! Actually, I think I will just stratch that one totally considering I have no pictures to be able to keep that one up. Again....I will update that later. But non-the-less...FAILED!

Well 4 FAILURES is more than enough to list. So, to make myself feel better, I think I will stop right there. Geez....I even FAILED on this post.

There is something kind of nice about failing....it is never permanent.

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely."~ Henry Ford

Thus...I will begin again.

TODAY..I ask you to Remember

2010-05-30T11:18:00.005-05:00

I know it has been a long time since my last post. Please forgive me. But, today, I felt the need to get back to my blog.

Today, I ask you to hug your children a little tighter and a little longer.

Today, when you child is yelling "mommy, mommy, mommy" at the top of their lungs, and you want to yell, "BE QUIET!", I ask you to remember there is a woman who will never hear her child speak a single word, let alone the word "mommy".

Today, when your child ignores you and you want to yell, "I am talking to you, do you hear me?", I ask you to remember that there is child who has never heard his mommy's voice.

Today, when you are in the grocery store telling you child to "hurry up", I ask you to remember that there is woman whose child will never take a single step, as she spends her life in a wheelchair.

Today, when you become so frustrated with the mess in the living room, I ask you to remember that there is a woman whose child has grown up too fast and how she would give anything to have one more day with toys scatter all across her home.

Today, when your child asks you to play with her or asks for her 3rd waffle , and you are about to say, "not now....in a minute", I ask you to remember that there is a woman who just played with her child for the last time.

Tonight, when you are crying because your child has awakened for the 5th time and you all want is one full nights sleep, I ask you to remember that there is a woman that would give ANYTHING to become pregnant and STAY pregnant.

TODAY, I ask you to hug....to hold......to love.....to cherish....YOUR....OUR......HIS children, because we MUST remember that on any given day the Lord can decide that He is ready for HIS children to come home.

Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. Heather is an amazing mother with an amazing family and the MOST amazing little boy....Carter.

http://teamcarterjay.blogspot.com/

March Menu

2010-03-10T09:28:00.003-06:00

I did NOT forget to do a menu. Actually, it was finished in February. However, I DID forget to post it on here. SO....here ya go!!

1) m- leftovers
2) t- beef stroganoff, egg noodles & carrots
3) w- (gs cookie pick-up & derby car cutting))ham steaks, juliene au gratin potatoes, rice a roni & creamed corn
4) th- (dance)pork carnitas, rice & beans (and OMG...these were so freakin good and SPICY)
5) f- fried catfish, mac salad, pot salad, mac n cheese & frozen mixed veggies
6) s- breakfast for dinner: bacon, sausage, egg n rice, & mamas homemade fries
7) s- stuffed pepper with rice
8) m- STL (leftovers)
9) t- crunchy onion chicken, baby dutch yellow potatoes & corn w/butter sauce (OMG, this is one of our new favorites recipes...SOOOOOOOO good!)
10) w-(girl scouts) beef tips, mashed potatoes, rice & mushrooms
11) th- (dance) crock pot recipe chicken in honey suace, rice & broccoli
12) f- shrimp kebabs(shrimp, red pot, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, pineapple & corn), angel hair pasta
13) s- (pinewood derby) filet mignon (teppanyakis style), rice & sweet green beans
14) s- PIE DAY.....PIES, PIES, PIES AND MORE PIES
15) m- chicken & peppers OR leftovers
16) t- (dom appt) pasta w/meat sauce & green beans and peas
17) w- crock pot roast, red pot & carrots
18) th- (dance) left overs
19) f- homemade clam chowder with french bread
20) s- ribs, yellow rice, pasta salad & veggies (not sure, either corn cob, carrots or sweet green beans)
21) s- enchiladas (chicken & cheese, both corn & flour), rice and beans
22) m- (appt springfield) leftovers for adults and frozen food for kiddies
23) t- italian chicken with peas over rice
24) w- (girl scouts) beef with peppers over rice\
25) th- (dance) shredded apricot pork roast, sides TBA
26) f- shrimp & crab fettucine (maybe lobster if on sale) & salad
27) s- bugolgi, rice and broccoli
28) s- pepper steak, baked potatoes & mushrooms
29) m- paula deans smothered pork chops, mashed potatoes & green bean casserole
30) t- chicken adobo, rice & brocolli
31) w- jambayala

TGIF & Flashback Friday!!

2010-02-26T11:25:00.007-06:00

It's FRIDAY!!!!! I have not been this happy in ages for it to be Friday. Seriously, this was one of the shittiest weeks that I have had in ages.......literally. It started about 4:30am on Monday. I woke up to Jayden vomiting in the bathroom......or should I say the bath TUB!!! Yep...both ends.

First I must say that when it comes to puking....barfing.....throwing up...vomiting....Jayden seriously ROCKS! Yeah, weird, I know, but really he does. That kid can be sound alseep, wake up and walk a mile to a toilet or trash can and vomit INSIDE of them. Only once can I remember when he could not wait to find the "proper" disposal for vomit. It really is a talent.

Back to the story. So, I was not happy to have to clean up a package of regurgitated NUTTER BUTTERS. Oh yeah, neither he nor I will ever consume or even look at a Nutter Butter EVER.AGAIN!!!

Okay...back to the story. So, after about 30 minutes. He is finished. I clean the bathtub. Settle back in bed. Next thing I know it is 6:30 and time to get up. He gets dressed for school and BAM....it hits again. Jayden who NEVER, EVER misses school is staying home. I take the girls to school, which takes 1 hour round trip (that is a whole other story thanks to a man that I have never met....Lonny Lemon, I am not even going there). Surprisingly, I make it home in one piece, unlike 1/2 of Quincy who either got stuck or slide across town. I come home to Jayden hugging the porcelian god. My tough little boy was in tears. He was complaining of his head, arms, back, everything hurting. He couldn't breath. He could stop vomiting. So, off to the doctors we go. Mind you, he has not been to the doctors (except for his glasses) in about 3 years. YEAH....he was DEFINITELY sick. The doc gives us a couple of prescriptions and sends us on our way. Jayden was happy that he would be "all better" after some meds. THEN, I announced that one of the precriptions were suppositories. " What are suppositories?", my dear little 9 year old boy asks. Umm....I explained. "Mom, I don't think we will need those, I am already feeling better!" LOL....that is fine son, because I know YOUR DAD might have a difficult time helping you out. MEANING.................I AIN'T DOIN IT!

Drop the kid off at home and head to Hell. I mean Walmart. I drop off the prescriptions. How long?? oh, only about 15 minutes. Cool, I can pick up some gaterade,chicken soup, popsicles,etc,etc. I head back to the pharmacy about 30 minutes later. You know I wanted to give them a little extra time...yeah, yeah...I was shopping (yep, even at walmart). Ummmm....not ready. okay, I can wait 5 more minutes.........try another 35 minutes. Seriously??? My kid is puking up Nutter Butters!!!!!Finally....done...head home...unload and off to get the girls.

That was Monday! We still have 4 more days left in the week.

But, like EVERYONE said, "Don't worry, Tomorrow is a NEW day!"

All, I can say was Tuesday and Wednesday was full of Jayden not feeling well. Jayden waking up in the middle of the night. Jayden vomitting. EVERY.FREAKIN.DAY! Not to mention Asperger attitude, a 5 year old diva germ-a-phob, cranky old plant manager and a pmsing mommy who some how had to play doctor, nurse, chef, girl scout leader, taxi cab driver, etc, etc.

Remember, "Tomorrow is a NEW day!"

Yeah a new day for SHIT!!!

So finally Thurday rolls around. Today is a good day. THINK again!!!

Yep, tired from another night of NO sleep thanks to the sounds and smell of vomit. But that is nothing compared to what I was about to walk into......Jason's garage......the same place that every morning at 8:45 am, I go and feed my "dear" dog Anakin. Instead I see the garage flooded. WTH???? How did the snow melt and drain in my garage??? Open your eyes dumb ass??? Oh, I see, Jason left the faucet on. The one above Anakins water dish. Nice. So, I call my dear husband and start to go off on him, when he says he never gave the dog water. Forget WTH....how about WTF????? Well, who did it?? Jayden has not left the toilet or his bed. Dom doesn't even know there is a faucet in there. Kayla can not go within 15 feet of the dog. This was my first time in the garage since the day before. Who is left???? Anakin???? Yep.....the world's dumbest dog just became the world's smartest dog. He turned on the freakin faucet. Oh, but as quick as he became the smartest dog ever.....he regressed and became the dumbest dog ever and left it on.....humor me. No biggie, get the broom sweep it up. Yeah, right after you pick up the biggest pile of shit on the planet right in the MIDDLE of the garage. You know...right there "saying, ha ha look at me!" Seriously???? No problem....hard shit. OH wait, I forgot to mention all the small mushy pieces of shit ALL.OVER.THE.GARAGE!!!! Yeah, he decided to do the electric slide all over the garage. Seriously dog, you just shit out a weeks worth of shit. Fine. I can do this. OH, yeah, after I pick up the TWO piles of dog vomit. YEP....my "smart" dog also likes to eat insulation, metal barrettes, our wooden steps, basically anything that is NOT edible. Oh, did I mention that it was -10 degrees with the windchill outside? WOW....and was only 9:15.

Tomorrow is a NEW day......

FRIDAY......AND SO FAR SO GOOD.

Somehow I managed to survive Thursday as well as the 3 days before that. I am still alive. I still have 3 kids. I am still married. The dog is not in the pound, nor did I leave any chocolate bars in his dog food.

SO......TGIF has never been so true.

AND to start a new tradition....FLASHBACK FRIDAY!

Each Friday, I will post a picture from the past...whether it is last week, last month, last year or last decade.

Lets start with the boy,considering he took up most of my week.

This was when he was about 5. How he has grown and filled out. Although after this week, he might have slimmed down a little. lol

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

TIDBIT THURSDAY!!

2010-02-18T11:02:00.002-06:00

It's been a while....so let's see how things are going or how they have changed since my last tidbit 7 months ago..

10 things i like right now

The Singing Bee....especially Gerad
American Idol
putting on warm clothes right out of the dryer
Fuji
New Orleans
typing mania
reading party blogs
my kids school
sweet tea
eggs & rice

10 things i do not like right now:

the snow
dog shit
whiny kids
smart ass remarks from children
arguing
winter
mornings
pork
band aids wrappers left everywhere
not listening

10 things i do not care about right now:

the olympics (I know....I know....sorry, just not feeling them this year)
other peoples opinions
drama
Heidi Montags new face or Kate Gosselins new hair. Seriously enough already
John Mayers apologies (dont say stupid shit and you won't need to cry and ask for other's forgiveness
Tiger Woods and his Hoes
excuses
gossip
farkle
looking cute when I go out (right now, I am too fat and gray to even try to look decent)

Video of the day...week...month......

2010-02-13T19:24:00.003-06:00

MY DEAL OF THE DAY!!

2010-02-12T10:35:00.010-06:00

Have I ever told you that I LOVE....FREE stuff?? Come on...who doesn't???

My deal of the day was a FREE...yeah.....you read that right... 2 YEAR subscription to Good Housekeeping!! First of all, I LOVE....LOVE magazines. At one time I had over a dozen subscriptions. BUT, I realized that I did not need so many....renewals were costing be a boatload of money. I decided to ONLY subscribe to magazines if they were super DUPER cheap. Well....what is cheaper than free???

Right now you can get a 2 year subscription to GOOD HOUSEKEEPING for $10 at Amazon. $10 for 2 years is an awesome price for a great magazine. I was lucky that I had 2 $5 giftcards to amazon which were waiting for me to buy something cool with. I earned those giftcards from swagbucks. Just click on the link on the top right hand side of my blog...sign up under me and you are on your way to earning cool items including giftcards just from doing normal everyday searches or your regular online purchases. SO....using those giftcards made my subscription......FREE!!!!

I LOVE FREE!

CLICK on the MAGAZINE to go directly to amazon!!!

WHO DAT??????

2010-02-08T09:41:00.004-06:00

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez

FEBRUARY MENU

2010-02-05T16:20:00.003-06:00

1)m- (girl scouts)pasta & mini meatballs, meatsauce, peas and homemade garlic bread
2)t-lemon chicken, red potatoes w/buter and parsley, and broccoli
3)w-(boy scouts)pork chops, au gratin potatoes, egg noodles w/butter and mixed veggies
4)th-(dance) beef & peppers with rice
5)f- (family night) homemade pizzas
6)s- (date night)....FUJI!!! kids-frozen foods...chicken & fries
7)s-(superbowl) apps....mini sweet & spicy meatballs, bbq mini hot dogs, layered bean dip, mozz sticks, crab/shrimp dip
8)m-TDF roast w/carrots & potatoes and rice
9)t- tilapia, wild rice and basil carrots & beans
10) w-chicken N peppers w/rice (kids chicken & fries)
11)th-(dance) crock pot night- pork carnitas, with rice & beans
12)f- spicy chicken casserole, and peas
13)s-costco.....fast food night
14)s- seafood lasagna (new recipe)
15)m-(no school) red beans & rice (shanks & links) cornbread
16)t- (mardi gras) leftover RBR, jambayala
17)w-(ash wednesday) tuna casserole, green beans and peas
18)th- leftovers
19)f- italian shrimp, rice and corn
20)s- bulgolgi, rice and broccoli
21)s- pork steaks, yellow rice, sweet green beans w/cranberries & almonds
22)m- breaded chicken tenderloin w/vidalia sauce, rice and carrots,cauliflower &broccoli
23)t- breakfast crepes (peach & strawberry)
24)w- (girl scouts) crockpot taco soup w/rice
25)th- (dance) left overs
26)f-lemon pepper salmon, red potatoes w/parsley, rice and broccoli
27)s-ranch chicken, smashed potatoes and corn
28)s-(new recipe).....still looking........send me your ideas!!

JANUARY MENU

2010-02-05T15:56:00.004-06:00

JANUARY 2010

1)f- left overs appetizers from NYE & black eyed peas & rice
2)s- hamburgers, homemade fries, homemade macaroni & cheese, corn
3)s-(basketball) breakfast 4 dinner, sausage, bacon, homemade fries, eggs/rice, biscuits & gravy
4)m- pork steaks, au gratin potatoes, cream corn & carrots
5)t- mushi chicken w/flour tortillas kids frozen chicken & fries
6)w- pasta, meat sauce, green beans, peas and homemade garlic bread
7)th- crock pot night (dance) bbq pork roast sandwhiches
8) f- home made clam chowder
9) s- tilapia, wild rice & my sweet green beans with cranberries & almonds
10) s-(basketball) ham steaks, mashed potatoes, frozen veggies
11) m- beef stroganoff, egg noodles, peas and green beans
12)t- chicken N peppers w/rice (frozen chicken & fries for the little ones)
13)w- (anniversary & girl scouts) t-bones, rice & garlic mushrooms/carrots/red pot
14)th- (dance) hot dogs, boxed mac & cheese, baked beans & peas
15)f- tri-tip (japanese w/teriyaki), rice a roni, home made fries & corn
16)s- fajitas, tacos & burrito bar (rice, beans, beef-ground & strips, chicken, corn & flour tortillas & all the fixings)
17)s-(basketball) left overs
18)m-(no school)homemade chinese food-fried rice, broc/beef, generals chicken, s&s shrimp, mongolian beef
19)t-pork chops, hashbrown casserole & veggies
20)w-links, potatoes, peppers and rice
21)th-(dance)crock pot night cream cheese chicken & rice
22)f- date night (movie & dinner) kids frozen
23)s-date night (qnd trivia night) kids frozen foods, apps...crab/shrimp dip, mini sweet & spicy meatballs, layered bean dip, mini cheesecakes
24)s-(basketball) chicken casserole
25)m-italian shrimp, rice & corn
26)t-red beans & rice & cornbread
27)w- (girl scouts) country fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy & cream corn
28)th-(dance) crockpot night (new recipe night) pork roast, carrots, & potatoes
29)f-swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, peas & green beans
30)s- bulgogi, rice and broccoli
31)s- (basketball) appetizer night....mozz sticks, crab cakes, fries, popcorn chicken

several things changed due to boy scout events that were not listed above. this was the initial plan. It worked pretty well.

MONTHLY MENUS

2010-01-30T20:40:00.007-06:00

THE DILEMMA

How many times a month do you eat out??? What are your reasons for eating out?? Convenience.....too many evening activities....forgot to thaw something out for dinner.....tired of the same ole recipes??? Is your grocery bill too high?? Are you wasting money on fruits and veggies that you are throwing away? Have you ran out of dinner ideas?? Are you working on trying to organize your life with simple ideas??

WELL......a monthly menu can solve ALL of the ABOVE!!

THE SOLUTION

I listened to several of my friends talk about their monthly menus. I thought they were all full of shit. LOL....there was no way that anyone could plan a whole month of dinners and actually follow it. BOY...OH BOY, was I wrong. Honestly, it is a lot easier than I thought.

First of all, I LOVE to eat! I love to cook! I love to save money (really, I do!) I hate spending tons of money on fruits and veggies just to throw them out because they are not being used. My life is totally overscheduled. Thus....the importance of a monthly menu.

THE BENEFITS

There really are so many benefits to a monthly menu. First and foremost...you can save a TON of money. If you are following a menu...you are eating out a lot less. You save money, because there is less waste. You buy what you plan on cooking...NO EXTRAS!! You also can cook around your coupons and grocery ads. Another great benefit is that you will eat healthier. You are no longer making those drive-thru runs or pizza stops. When you plan ahead, you are more prepared. More prepared by having a variety of different meals, no more forgetting to thaw food out, no more looking at the clock at 6pm and wondering..."hmmmm...what's for dinner?" (not only prepared, but saving money because in the past it was so much easier to just pick up some take-out at 6pm). And FINALLY...you are on your way to a more scheduled and organized life. Yes, even a little tiny menu, can make a world of difference.

HOW TO MAKE A MONTHLY MENU

I have been making a monthly menu for almost a year. It really has made my life so much easier.

To start off, you need a calendar. You can print up calendars off the internet to make things easier. You can use your pretty frou frou calendar that you MIL bought you for Christmas, your weekly planner (aka my mommy bible), a spreadsheet (I am not smart enough for one of those)...whatever you want. What I did was buy a large tear-off desk calendar from the dollar spot at Target. It is large enough to add your activities as well as the menu and ingredients. There is also a large section for notes...perfect for your grocery list or the "extra meals" section. I keep my menu in the laundry room on our activities bulletin board (this will be in another blog when I am finished redecorating the laundry room) Use a pencil! The first few times you make your menu,you will be making a lot of changes.

If you think a monthly menu is too much.....I KNOW....I KNOW....you are thinking "umm freak....I do not know what is happening tomorrow, let alone the rest of the month!" Yep, I said the same thing. SO try a weekly menu to start. Then slowly move up to 2 weeks...then 3 weeks...then finally a whole month. Really, you will be amazed at how this can work out.

Usually a few days before the beginning of the month, take a couple of hours to go over your cookbooks, recipes, magazines, the internet, the grocery ads (present and upcoming) and in my case, my last months menu. Last months menu is very important (actually, I save all menus) because you can look and see what meals worked for your schedule, what are your monthly staples (the meals that are MUSTS in your house), what new recipes sucked or were total hits, etc. Then look at your work, school and family calendars and work around those. For instance, thursday nights are dance nights, therefore I make a crock pot meal. If I know that Jason and I are having a date night, I plan on frozen food for the kids and add our "dinner out" to the menu. I try to add meals that will correlate with our activities. I am not going to make a huge turkey dinner with all the fixings when I know we have a boy scout meeting. Instead, I either make sure the night before was a large meal where we can have leftovers the next day(yes, I add leftovers to my menu, with time you will know what meals are large enough for leftovers or what meals your kids will scarf down in minutes), make a crock pot meal, something quick and easy like frozen kids food (popcorn chicken/fries) or pasta or make that our take out night. Usually I save more extensive menus for the weekend when we are home or planning on having guests.

Once your menu is made and your week or month is about to start, look at the menu, see what fresh fruits/veggies that you need and what other ingredients that you might be out of and write out your list for the grocery store. Make sure to take out what ever meats need to be thawed 2-3 days before your meal and put them in the refrigerator to thaw. When you are at the grocery store...STICK to your list. If possible, make a couple of trips to the grocery store a week. If a meat that is NOT on your menu is on sale at a super duper price...go for it...freeze it...you just started your next months menu.

You are probably thinking...."ummm...my life is not as perfect as yours (totally LMBO), and things change. Don't worry...at the bottom of your menu put a couple of easy meals. Meals that take little to no thawing, with ingredients that are staples in your home. For an example check out the bottom of my menu. Some of my extra/easy meals are pasta/meat sauce, chicken/peppers/rice......quick 15 minute meals. Also, if things get really hectic, you can always switch things around during the month. If your den/troop leader decides on tuesday to have an unplanned meeting on thursday....the day that you planned a large steak dinner, switch it around. Trade a difficult meal for an easy one, switch nexts week take out, whatever will work for you. This menu is NOT written in stone....hence the PENCIL above. Seriously, I am a mom 3 VERY busy kids and a wife to a work-a-holic.......nothing ever goes as planned........

My life is completely over-scheduled. My monthly menus have been a life-saver, one less thing that I have to worry about each day.

Trust me....this can be life changing!

Stay tuned....January and February menus coming VERY SOON!

WHY....OH.....WHYYYYY????

2010-01-30T14:14:00.006-06:00

WHY OH WHY is it SOOOO hard for me to keep up with this freakin blog???

Seriously?? I mean, I spend most of my waking day on the internet, updating my facebook status....... talking to 264 people...some that I know very well, some that I do not know very well, play typing mania, commenting on other peoples status updates....... keeping up on my forums, doing a little internet shopping, reading and WRITING emails.......AND reading OTHER people's blog. WTH????

SO why can't I keep up with darn blog?

I have 6.5 hours a day, 5 days a week to myself. YES, you heard that correctly...6.5 hours a day....5 days a week. That is a total of 32.5 hours a week. During that 32.5 hours a week, I can do ANYTHING that I want. YES...again, you heard that correctly, I have 32.5 hours ALONE during the week. I have NOT had 32.5 hours a year alone, let alone a week for umm....15 years. I know that I keep saying 32.5 hours a week, but it is quite exciting and a little frightening. Don't worry, I will explain why I have 32.5 hours of free time a week at another time. You know in about 2 or 3 months when I decide to update this blog again (yes, roll your eyes, I can take it). OR, you might already know this, considering I share everything on facebook and my forums.

SO....again...same question...why the heck can I not keep up with this little blog?

I have NO ONE to talk to during my 32.5 hours a week(yep...did it again). Well, I talk to myself. There...right there....THAT should be a reason for me to keep up with this blog.....MY SANITY. Maybe if I stopped talking to myself and started writing down all of my crazy thoughts on THIS BLOG than the question would be solved. Oh, but wait one more minute....I do write down my thoughts...on facebook and my forums. Major eye-rolling going on right now.

Seriously, this is bothering. Especially, because of that darn 65 in 365. I am actually getting quite a few things accomplished from my 65 in 365. BUT, how would YOU know, considering I can't keep up with this stinkin blog. All I had to do was ONE stinking blog a week. Easy...right?? Should be, considering the FIRST week, I did...GET THIS....THREE!!!!!!

What is up??? I know how to type. I have all kinds of stuff that I want to share. I mean, I even write down what I am going to blog about almost every day. Yep...I have about 30 different things that I was going to blog about this past month. Yeah, you are wondering....where all those blogs are...right??? Don't worry, they are on the internet....just not here. So, I can waste paper, ink and make my arm hurt, waste countless minutes of time, yet, I can't take 5 minutes to TYPE it out. OH wait...I do....just not here.....just on facebook and SHFB.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR................getting REALLY annoyed at MYSELF. Okay...breathe.....let it all out...................................

hmmmm....notice anything.....

yep, I just blogged. lmbo

I am back...again....FOR REAL.......?????.......

maybe...

to be continued.......

UPDATE ON 65 IN 365!

2010-01-06T18:35:00.008-06:00

SO......day #6 of 365! ummm.....yeah...soo....how are things going for YOU??? Yeah, I know the point of YOU visiting MY blog is to see how I am doing. right???? Well, I am doing okay. Literally...OKAY. Luckily it is ONLY day 6 of 365. lol

The good news is that I completed 1/12 of a task. lol I have my January menu all set up. AND it is going quite well. I am staying on track. I went grocery shopping and only bought for this weeks meals. We have NOT eaten out.....AT ALL! Not even a starbucks trip. YAY!!

NOW for my first failure. lol Well, not really a failure because luckily I still have 11 more months to redeem myself. My little uh-oh was for the NO-SPENDING January. NOPE...didn't happen. BUT, that's okay, because I still have 11 more months to complete this horrific task.

The GOOD news to the NO....NO-SPENDING January is that I actually placed a couple of orders. BUT, in my defense the orders were "good" orders. SO good, that I feel the need to share. As many of you know, I am a shopaholic. BUT, I am a deal-finding, bargain-hunting, name brand buying at deep discounts shopaholic. SO, kind of a good thing. Right??? humor me....PLEASE. IF....I still lived in the shopping capital of the USA....california, then I would be able to share all of the awesome deals that I used to find on a daily basis. BUT, I live in a small-hick town with literally NO SHOPPING. SO SAD....I know.....cry with me. You have to drive 2 hours to STL for "real" shopping. WHICH, makes it almost impossible to bargain shop on a daily basis like I once did. SO, for now, I must shop online and can only share a couple deals every now and then, instead of a gazillion a day, like I used to and like so many of my blog friends are able to do. :( Okay, done with my sob story....back to my deals.

First off, I placed a gymboree order. I am actually quite happy with my order. It is very similar to one that I placed last year. Right after Christmas during gymbucks earnings, Gymboree has their Big Red Balloon sale. This is when stuff goes cheap....dirt cheap. THEN on top of the dirt cheap items, you can use a 20% off coupon. AND still earn gymbucks. SO...it is a win-win time to order. At this time a lot of the uniform items go on sale. YAY for all of us private school peeps!!!!! Last year I ordered Kayla about a dozen white & navy blue sweaters and sweatshirts for about $3 a piece. Pretty awesome when they retail for $30ish. SO....now you are wondering what I ordered. I ordered 4 pair of navy blue leggings (two different sizes which are perfect for wearing under jumpers and skirts!), 2 red cardigan sweaters (almost $30 each), 4 pair of white biker shorts (again, 2 different sizes, perfect for under skirts/jumpers or for summertime), 4 navy blue uniform skorts, 5 pair of socks, 3 pair of underwear for Jayden and a couple of christmas leggings. WITH my coupon, I paid .80....YES....80 CENTS a piece for the socks & underwear (boxer briefs), $6ish for each sweater and $4 a piece on everything else. I saved almost 80%!!!!! AND I earned gymbucks, which I will sell for between $7-$10. NOT TOO SHABBY!!!

NOW for my second order..... this is cool because I will using my purchase towards my 65 in 365. I just placed an amazon order. Basically my Christmas gifts to myself.....3 items that I wanted for Christmas but was waiting for them to go on sale. AND guess what??? yep, they went on sale. YAY for ME!!!

Here is what I bought....

paid $20.99

paid $8.99

paid $7.49

AND you are wondering...how does this relate to the 65 in 365...well, naturally, I will tell you. I LOVE my wii. I need to work out. I hate the gym...more like I have social issues that cause me to be scared to death of the gym. BUT, I need to lose weight...soooooo THE BIGGEST LOSER for wii takes care of ALL of that, as does the 30 day shred. THEN, we have my mommy planner...schedules, appts, calendar, etc, etc! BAM.....that helps out with a TON of my 65 in 365. I get one of these EVERY year, I call it my Mommy Bible....it is my life saver. It literally saves my sanity from all of my over scheduling.

NOW, for why these were such awesome deals. First off, if you know amazon, you know....NO TAX! YAY for no tax. Secondly, all the items were ON SALE....the wii game is regularly $40...almost half price. The dvd is regularly $15....again almost half price. AND finally the calendar is regularly $15...so AGAIN half price. AND on top of that.....NO SHIPPING!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!. BUT, I am NOT done! I also had $15 in amazon gift cards that I earned through swagbucks. WHAT??? taking my total to $22.47!!!!! WOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!! SCORE!

And if you are interested in swagbucks. Head over to the right and click on my link for more info on earning gift cards from your everyday internet searches. Make sure you sign up under me. Thanks!

SO....sometimes a NO....NO-SPENDING month is okay! Right?? Maybe????

check me out in a few to see where else this 65 in 365 takes me.

65 in 365!!!

2010-01-03T13:24:00.012-06:00

Thanks to some of my favorite people (tara, stephanie, bridget, etc, etc), I am saying SCREW "new year's resolutions". Instead, I am going for 65 and 365!!! You are probably thinking....."um, Alison....wake-up..... one or two new years resolutions might be a little easier than 65!" OR....."um...if you can't stick with ONE....why try 65???" But wait just a minute... I can do this...really I can.

First off, my 65 are NOT resolutions. Instead it is a SIMPLE LITTLE list of things that I want accomplish in 2010. Okay, so 65 things may not be a little list, but in all honesty, it is quite simple. It is simple because these are things that I actually WANT to do. Yeah...a few are things that I NEED to do. BUT, those needs are things that I kinda want to do deep down inside or am hoping that I will want to do them by the time they come along. Humor me...kay?? The other thing, is this list is actually quite attainable. Unlike most resolutions that are just not reasonable or feasible....lose 50 lbs....put $10,000 into savings, stop shopping (yeah...sure...eyes rolling)....stop drinking soda....you get the drift. This list is a compilation of things that can be done or should be done on a daily basis. NOW, you are thinking...okay so why are you posting this on your blog. If these are everyday things, just do them. Well, if you know me at all, you know that I am a lazy bum. lol Okay, not a lazy bum just a MASSIVE procrastinator. I am actually quite creative and full of all kinds of ideas. I just sometimes (well, alot of times) lack motivation or self confidence. SO...by me adding this 65 in 365....I am looking for ACCOUNTABILITY!!! Yep...from the 2 people that actually read my blog.

This should be fun. Make sure you come back and see what I have accomplished throughout the next 365 days. Everytime I accomplish something, I will highlight it in red. AND if it is something really exciting, I might even take pictures and blog about it (aren't you lucky).

SO HERE you go....my 65 in 365. (and thank you tara, as always, I am a copy cat, I am categorizing mine.

THE FREAKS (the kids)

1. family night at least 2x month (1/24)
2. craft time at least 1x month (0/12)
3. go to STL zoo
4. do a 3 BIG jigsaw puzzle (0/3)
5. go to the drive-in movies
6. take Kayla for a mani or pedi or both
7. go on picnic
8. have a dom day w/just me or jason & me
9. have a jayden day w/just me or jason & me
10. have a kayla day w/just me or jason & me
11. make new rules....chores...charts
12. make a family handbook
13. camp out with the kids after a movie night (living room or family room)
14. redecorate Kaylas room with Kaylas help
15. buy new bedding for Doms room
16.make 12 shoeboxes w/help of the kids w/goal to make 36 next year (0/12)

MOI (me...duh)

17. get medicated ( you may be laughing now....but just wait)
18. lose 20 lbs
19. make dentist appt and actually GO to it
20. take my vitamins/iron EVERY.SINGLE.DAY
21. make a pap appt (yeah, yeah TMI, but remember...ACCOUNTABILITY)
22. figure out what I want to do when I grow up
23. work out at least 3x a week (wii fit/active, gym, walk, etc)
24. blog regularly (at least once a week 0/52) & reorganize it
25. find a new activity or hobby just for ME
26. shower daily....yeah laugh all you want, but some days, I run out of time
27. make a daily schedule and actually stick to it
28. read at least 5 books...not including kids (may be hard since I have not read 5 adult books in the last 5 yrs) 0/5

STUD MUFFIN (aka Jason....this is how HE wanted to be referred too)

29. date night at least 1x month (2/12)
30. lunch at least 1x month (1/12)
31. playboard games.....at least 1x month (0/12)
32. spend more quality time with Jason....minimum 1x week.....ACCOUNTABILITY....SO SHUT IT

THE LOONEY BIN (projects for the house)

33. redecorate the laundry room (including painting the cabinets)
34. paint kitchen cabinets
35. regrout kitchen floor
36. buy new towels & washcloths for the whole house
37. landscape backyard
38. curtains/window coverings for dining room & living room
39. redecorate kids bathroom

ORGANIZATION OF THE LOONEY BIN(cleaning/organizing/etc)

40. send out christmas cards (09 was our 1st year w/o them, NOT happening again)
41. make another 65 in 365
42. clean & organize my office ( I am so scared just thinking about it)
43. organize all closets (0/8)
44. iron all uniforms for m-f EVERY sunday night
45. organize storage room
46. update frames & pictures
47. organize family room
48. keep house clean enough to actually let someone in if they knock unexpectadly

BREAKING OUT OF MY TEENY-TINY LITTLE BOX(socializing/entertaining/etc)
49. have a game night/bbq/drink night at OUR house at least 6 times (0/6)
50. go out with friends as couple at least 6 times (2/6)
51. girls night in/out at least 3 times (0/3)
52. make a new friend (this will be the hardest out of everything)
53. have a mommy & me day with a friend and her kid

GRUB (food/kitchen/cooking)

54. make a monthly amenu (2/12)
55. go through cabinets/both frig/3 freezers and toss expired food 2x (0/2)
56. make at least one new recipe a month (3/12)
57. start cupcaking...or just baking in general at least once a month (1/12)

$$$$$$$ (there is no other way to put it)

58. sell consistently on ebay & amazon with minimum sales of $1000 a month
59. payoff ALL doctor bills....a zero balance by end of year
60. learn to coupon....& actually DO IT
61. have a garage sale ($500 goal...should be easy considering we have never made under $700)
62. sell stroller & china (weird...I know, but this means something like craigs list)
63. simplify.....realize that .97 suave works just as well as $20 brand names
64. start garage saling for resell....this should be interesting considering i have only been to 1-2 in my whole life (0/10)
65. have a NO spending month....and REALLY stick to it!

NEW YEAR.....NEW ME.....NEW BLOG!

2010-01-01T18:25:00.004-06:00

how cliche is that.....New Year....New Me???? yeah, you can laugh, because I know I am busting up as I type it.

In all seriousness (is that a word??), I honestly, and truly want to make a new start. This is not only a new year but a new decade as well. This will be the 5th decade that I have been blessed to be a part of. Let's see....70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and NOW 2010's. WOW, that makes me sound a lot older than my acutal 35 years. I have had some major ups and downs during each of those decades. Actually, more downs than ups. Of course, a lot of those downs are a direct result of the choices that I make....but downs...non the less. Honestly, I am tired of the downs...I want the next 10 years to be my greatest ten years yet. I mean, I am not getting any younger. I know that the next 10 years won't be perfect, but why can't I at least strive towards that. I won't be disappointed if they aren't perfect because first of all....NOTHING and NO ONE is ever perfect. Also, as long as I know that I am truly trying to live my life better, than that is enough for me. . But it is not just for me, it is for my kids, my husband, my family....everything that is important to me.....everyone that relies on me.

There are so many changes that I want.....NEED to make. From my physical health to my mental health. From how I am as a mom to how I am as a wife. Spiritually....I need to make changes or maybe not necessarily make changes but find something that I may be missing. Organization......NUFF SAID. lol There are soooooo many more changes, adjustments, modifications....etc, etc that I need to make.....that I WANT to make.

SO....with this new me....comes my "new" blog. Well, not "new" just resurrected. hmm...kind of like me.

So, to start off, I am starting to blog again. YEAH, YEAH....how many times have I said that??? Well, today IS the day. yeah, facebook has taken over my life. BUT, it is still not "blogging". With blogging I was able to share what was going on with my family and friends that we moved away from. It was a way for me to talk to adults (yeah, even if it meant imaginary ones). It was my therapy.....a way to talk to MYSELF without Jason looking at me like I was crazy.

SO....why not let today......January 1st 2010....be the day....the decade for change. A NEW YEAR....A NEW ME.....

starting with my NEW BLOG!!

BULLET FRIDAY

2009-07-11T00:53:00.003-05:00

okay...here is a new thing . YES, I took the idea from someone else...HEY...I am not very creative. SO if you want me blogging, then deal with it. lol

basically bullet friday is a quick run down of my thoughts and activities for the week.

3 games...2 for jayden & 1 for kayla
i got my hair done...finally...still need a color, but with my relaxer, i have to wait 2 weeks
finally figured out when we are leaving for vacation
graceland is booked :)
totally dreading the thousands of miles driving with 3 kids in jasons truck. at least if it was my car the kids could spread out.
i have a new healthy snack and meal....a tortilla with lettuce & kraft light asian seasame salad dressing...sounds simple and boring, but TDF
dead fish suck
humidity sucks
the weather channel is NEVER right
i need a new purse
i love the priests at my church
i spend way too much freakin money on groceries
i do not think that i ever want a real job
i DO want my own store or party biz
i just don't want to work for someone else
tv is dumb
but i was feelin the MJ memorial
missing the 80's
went to the driving range with the whole family. i sucked, but everyone else did well. i was pleasantly surprised at how well dom did considering her motor skills issue.
back on iron
i am fat & i hate it
ready to get in shape
wish I did not procrastinate so much
i really do not care for stuck up rich people
even though i do not like where we live, we have done more socially here than we did back home
i really do love date night
i have mixed feelings about summer being almost over
kayla got a fat lip this week. bruised. swollen. cut
my house is a mess...why can't it stay clean for more than a week
need to start looking for a new house again
i need facebook intervention
my kids are driving me freakin insane....but i love them more than life itself.
i LOVE how quiet the house is.....too bad has to be 1 am for it to happen

RANDOM TIDBITS

2009-07-08T16:18:00.003-05:00

I stole this idea from my dear friend Heather. I thought it would be fun to see how I am feeling about some things right now. Knowing things can change by bedtime. lol

10 things i like right now:

ice cold filtered water
Farkle
my kids
fresh pineapple & watermelon
funky colored toenails...mine of course.
cuddling with Kayla in the middle of the night
Etsy
Billie Jean, Remember the Time, Dirty Diana, Rock With You, Thriller, P.Y.T, Man in the Mirror, The Way You Make Me Feel....you get the drift
date nights
magazines

10 things i do not like right now:

allergies
my kids attitudes and behavior
being so far away from my family
gnats & mosquitoes
pork
getting old
that my baby is 5 years old
doctor bills
asperger meltdowns
arguing

10 things i do not care about right now:

having to be right
politics
reality shows
forums
snobby people
bejeweled
drama
planning another party (unless it is for money)
ebay
buying the kids clothes.........SHOCKING...I KNOW

Yeah....Yeah...

2009-07-07T15:20:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I am a little late....well, more like 5 months late. But hey, who's counting??? Seriously, I am so sorry for neglecting my blog. It is not like I have forgotten about y'all. It is just that I have been preoccupied. Yes, facebook IS part of it. BUT, NOT all of it. Things have been crazy for the last couple of months....from lots of visitors in spring, to tons of end of the year school activities, to a busy summer. Yet, during all the hustle and bustle, I realized that I was missing something. Well, I am always missing something (mainly my sanity), but something that I truly enjoyed.....my blog. I know it has not always been the most exciting, or most glamourous, or funniest, BUT to me it was enough. It was my way of letting things out. It was a way to talk to myself without people looking at me like I was crazy. It was a way to show off my kids and family without looking like a total arrogant snob. It was a way to "connect" with all of my family and friends that I miss terribly. I guess in a way it was my release....it was a way to keep a part of my sanity. SO, I am BACK. YES....this time it IS for real. I can not promise that I will up date every single part of my day, each and every day. But I will keep up with all the important stuff, or at least what I feel is important. I will try my hardest to keep up with pics, since not all of my family is on facebook. It may be 3-4 times a week, it may be once a week. I will do everything possible to update at least once a week. So.....ready or not...here I come......AGAIN!

YES...we ARE alive!!!!

2009-02-02T19:53:00.003-06:00

Okay...SO....it has ONLY been 2.5 months since my last blog. Yeah...Yeah...I don't want to hear it. Like I don't already know that I am a tad bit behind. Come on, it is NOT like you missed much. I mean we only had a couple minor events in the last couple of months. Nothing big....only Thanksgiving, Christmas, my dad & sissy visiting, winter/snow in the "lovely" midwest, New Years, oh and that little thing called the Inauguration. Only a few hundred pics of the kids. You, know nothing big.

Okay, Okay. I am just trying to make myself feel better. It is not working. I feel guilty. I feel like I have abandoned a loved one. It is not my fault though. Well, it is.....kind of. The truth is that I have been cheating on all of you. I am sorry. I never meant for it to happen. But....it was so tempting. I told myself it would ONLY happen ONE time. ONE time. JUST once. Yeah.....sure, you have heard that before. That one time turned into once a week. Then once a day. Then once an hour. Next thing I knew I was totally wrapped up in my new love affair. This NEW love that I am talking about......the one that has kept me away from all of you.....my newest guilty (but OH SO fun) pleasure.................

..........................FACEBOOK.

Yep it is true. That little devil is what has kept me away from all of you. And it has been bad. I have shared EVERYTHING over there, from our pics to what we have been doing. AND for this I apologize. BUT, I will redeem myself. Starting right NOW. I am OFFICIALLY back to blogging. BUT, I must say, that I have to keep a little "somethin'-somethin' " on the side. You know...a little back up. I can NOT just walk away from FB. I can't. Not just yet! SO for now, you will have to share the Smith Family.

I have so much to update y'all with. Tons of pictures to share. SO...here we go. Let the fun begin.....AGAIN!

HALLOWEEN 2008

2008-11-16T00:16:00.005-06:00

Okay, so I am a little late. Only 2 weeks. Hey, at least you get to see them......right??? I posted them on my facebook, but forgot about y'all.

Sorry, but I never got around to uploading and editing Kayla halloween party at school. She had a blast. Jaydens party was cool too. You would think after 10 years, I would be over being a room mom. NOPE, still love it. We had a blast with games, crafts and food. Can't wait until the Christmas parties. MAYBE, I will find the time to actually upload and post party pics. lol

As we all know, the boy freak was Elvis. The littlest freak was Dorothy. AND the oldest freak was too old to dress up. BUT, she found a couple of minutes to throw on a wig and join in for a little laugh with the other Halloween freaks.

First we have some pumpkin craving pics. Kayla and Jayden loved playing with pumpkin guts. lol NO, he did NOT eat them!

ENJOY!

PURPLE THOUGHTS

2008-11-10T19:41:00.005-06:00

Today, was NOT a good day. I will NOT go into it now. Maybe tomorrow. But being that the day sucked, what is the ONE thing that makes me better.......yeah, yeah............shopping. No place to shop in hickville usa. I think I have out-shopped every store online lately. What's next? Ooh, the 5 dozen catalogs that I have received in the last week.

So, as I am flipping through the catalogs, turning corners on the things that I "need"........ I come across something that take my breathe away..............GRANS. OR at least something that makes me think of Grans. Purple...............shoes.................hat............sequins.................Yeah.....GRANS. For some reason, everything that made me sad and mad started to vanish. All of a sudden I had purple thoughts. My purple thoughts.....................

What would Grans do?

1) first and foremost, she would pray (probably with her rosary)

2) she would forgive

3) she would NOT judge

4) she would cry and not be ashamed or embarrassed to do so

5) she would hold her head up high

6) she would laugh

7) she would NOT lose faith

8) she would have NO regrets

9) she would take it as a lesson learned

10)she would KNOW that "it IS what it IS"

11) THEN, she would send pa to 7-11 to play the lotto because something would be telling her that what just happened meant that something big was coming.

12) Then she would say what she said often in the last couple years of her life........"when I am an old woman, I shall wear purple"

Grans did wear purple. She loved purple. However, she NEVER, EVER got old.

As I sit here, I am laughing through my tears. I find it SO ironic, that MY shopping obsession......your shoe, hat and purple obsession got me through a very difficult day. The same way that YOU got me through most days in my childhood. You were here with me today, like you were so long ago.

Thank you Grans!

ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!

2008-10-24T18:35:00.006-05:00

I had to share some early costume pics. Jayden is TOTALLY obsessed with the TV show FULL HOUSE. I mean this kid will sit at the computer and take FULL HOUSE trivia tests. AND get every question right. He has ALL 8 seasons on dvd. He watches them daily. He even has to fall asleep to them. He pretty much has them memorized. Yeah......weirdo! But hey, I could think of worse things and/or tv shows to be obsessed with. Jesse(john stamos) is his favorite character. Well, since Jesse is his favorite character it is only appropriate that Jayden would love Elvis. SO, out of ALL the halloween costumes that a little boy could choose.....darth vader, indiana jones, john mccain (SO kidding, my boy is too liberal for that), yada, yada, yada, Jayden chose the ONE, the ONLY.........................

ELVIS!!!!!!

Tonight was his boy scout halloween party. Check out my little dude! I LOVE this kid! He was MADE for this costume!

SPIDERS, SPIDERS, EVERYWHERE!

2008-10-16T09:17:00.013-05:00

I hate spiders. Seriously, they are disgusting. I do not see the purpose of them. I am NOT afraid of them like some people in my house...........(rolling eyes at jayden and jason). BUT, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY do not like them.

Well, ever since we moved to this house 2 years ago, we have had MORE than our share of spiders. As always, I am the one who has to kill the spiders. Jason will reluctantly kill them if need be, but like most things he does, he does not do it correctly......okay, okay, he just does not do it MY way. Like I said the correct way. I am kidding, I am kidding. (well, kind of). He smashes them instead of squeezing them. I do not like blood and guts on my walls. When he "tries" to squeeze, they, ummm...fall....yeah, he misses them. Then they are lost. Then someone is freaked out. Then someone can not sleep in their bed. ETC, ETC. Hmmmm.

SO, I am the spider killer. I will give him credit, at least he tries. Unlike, Mr Macho Bad Ass Jayden who runs and screams like a.........................(fill in the blank). Then there is Dom. Remember this is the child that used to be afraid of anything with more than 2 legs or well......that flies.......dogs, cats, moths, white ibises at WDW. lol Okay, NOW, this child picks spiders up and practically plays with them. I am not talking little tiny ant sized spiders, I am talking mambo, jambo, big ass, baby tarantulas. So big that IF you step on them "stuff" will squirt a few feet away from you and you will have to throw away your shoes. I will give you an example............

ISN'T HE LOVELY??????
AND was about the size of a half dollar, nice and hairy. OH, and he is one of the "little ones".

These big ole suckers are also VERY fast and quite adventurous. One night we found a HUGE one on the stairs. Jason and I started arguing about WHO and HOW we were going to kill it. The mini monster got tired of waiting for us and decided to try to escape. That sucker JUMPED....I swear I am NOT exaggerating.... off the freakin stairs. I am not talking one step at a time....I am talking 2 steps at a time. Sometimes landing on his back. Flipping over and running for dear life. I was quite impressed, although I was hoping that one of those stair dives would have resulted in his TIMELY death. Oh well, we had to "help" him out on that.

SO, lately, we have had EVEN more spiders. I mean we are killing up to a dozen a day. They are everywhere. It is quite disgusting. All around our drive-way we have dead mini-tarantulas. If I dare walk outside, my face is covered in lovely spider webs. NOT COOL!!! BUT, Jason just sprayed, so hopefully this will get better. Especially because winter is coming and those suckers LOVE our house. UGH!!!

NOW, if this infestation of spiders is NOT enough, Kayla had spider day at school a couple of weeks ago. SO, fitting, don't you think? It gets better. Guess who had snack that day???? Of course....moi, spider-woman. (seriously, rolling my eyes). SO, being the spider-lover that I am(double eye rolling), I went all out! Yep...spider custom, spider snacks, spider dessert. Spider-Freak!

NOW, if ALL spiders were as cute as this one, I might welcome them into my house!

PUMPKIN PATCH FIELD TRIP

2008-10-14T21:27:00.006-05:00

Today Kayla had her first "real" field trip. Her class went to the pumpkin patch. I am still not sure which she was more excited about, the field trip OR riding on a bus for the first time. She was SO excited to be a big girl in a seatbelt instead of a carseat. I met her class at the pumpkin patch, as it is 2 minutes from our house. We went on a tractor/hay ride, learned about how pumpkins grow, and picked out a pumpkin and a gourd. We had a blast.

Excuse my little bragging moment. lol When she arrived, we headed to the barn to learn about pumpkins. As soon as we walked in, the owner fell in love with Kayla (and her outfit, lol) The owner needed two volunteers (a boy & girl). Every kid, except Kayla raised their hand. The owner kept looking at Kayla, but Kayla did not raise her hand. So, the owner picked two kids with raised hands. Then she needed two more volunteers (boy & girl again). AGAIN, Kayla did not volunteer, yet everyone else did. The owner grabbed Kayla and volunteered her. OMG, Kayla was SOOOOO excited. As you will see in the pics by her smiles when she had to "cover" the pumpkin seeds (the other volunteers). She NEVER stopped smiling!

Be prepared for picture overload. ENJOY!!! OH, notice, Kayla "HAD" to be a princess before we left. lol My baby is NOT a baby anymore. :(

TUESDAYS!

2008-10-09T08:45:00.004-05:00

Kayla LOVES Tuesdays.She has school, ballet, tap and acrobats on Tuesdays. Tuesday is by far Kayla's favorite day of the week.

I do NOT love Tuesdays.

I think Tuesday is my most hectic day of the week. First off, like most weekdays, my day starts off at 5:45am, which comes WAY too quickly considering I usually do not get to sleep until midnight sometimes later. From 5:45, it is NON-stop running. We are out the door by 7:30 am.

First off is Dom. What really sucks is Dom needs to be to school before 8am, but Jayden does not start until 8:20 and Kayla does not start until 8:30. It may seem like a lot of time, but it is not enough time to go back home. SO, I either sit in the little kids parking lot for 30 minutes, which is NOT fun with 2 bored kids OR we get gas & run to Starbucks. Jayden runs in to school about 8:15ish and Kayla sits and play NDS in the car for 10 more minutes. Then I walk Kayla into class.

From there I run to the grocery store. I have just enough time to grocery shop, run home and put the perishables away, some food in the crockpot and run back to pick up Kayla at 11am. After that, Kayla and I run errands for another 1-2 hours. Then if we are lucky, we have 30 or 40 minutes to run home, eat lunch, put away the non-perishables (remember the grocery shopping earlier) and go potty before we have to pick-up Dom and Jayden. From there we run to the post office to drop off packages. We get home in time to bathe Kayla, put her in her dance clothes and leave AGAIN. Jayden usually comes with me and does homework in the car or at dance. Sometimes, Jayden and I have some errands to run while Kayla is dancing.

Finally, we get home about 6-6:30. From there it is....feed the kids, make lunches for the next day, check homework, get clothes and paperwork ready for school the next day, bathe the kids and FINALLY do MY work(ebay). AND on rare occasion Jayden has boyscouts which puts a MAJOR kink in the day.

SO, as you can see, I do NOT like Tuesdays. It is exhausting. We are running NON-stop until someone LITERALLY hits the sack! On somedays, certain little princesses do not even make it to the "sack". On many occasions, while doing my nightly chores, I call for Kayla just to find her like this.................

SOME days, she still has her shoes on standing on the floor with her head on the mattress knocked out dreaming of next Tuesday.

IGNORANCE SUCKS!

2008-09-30T18:00:00.004-05:00

I just finished reading a story about Ohio getting ready to vote.

Directly quoted from the article.............

Diane Ferguson, a nursing home director in southeast Ohio, says she likes Obama but isn't sure she can vote for him. She's troubled by his early resistance to wearing a flag pin, his race, and a resume that looks thin to her.

"It's a hard decision," she said. "I don't know if we're ready for that one."

You know, I can "handle" the resume looking thin being a reason for not voting for someone. BUT.......resistance to wearing a freakin pin. I am VERY patriotic, but when was wearing a flag pin a requirement for being president? AND then the race issue............. I will just say that ignorance SUCKS! It really is a shame that in the year 2008, that race is STILL an issue! :(

MY LITTLE FREAKS!

2008-09-28T13:59:00.014-05:00

The other day I was taking some pics of some crafts that the kids and I made, when Jayden & Kayla wanted me to take some pics of them modeling. They chose the lovely poses. They are definitely NOT camera shy.

Here they are SEMI-normal.............

FREAKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU....THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!

2008-09-24T17:20:00.004-05:00

Okay, this one is for my family back at home. I was in the process of cleaning out my SSB photo files when I came across this. It is from Dec of 2006. Do y'all remember when Dom would have to do her Elvis impersonation at every family event?????? Now, she is going to dances with boys!!?!?!?!?!?!?! I am seriously LMBO!

LIBERALS!!!!

2008-09-23T20:41:00.003-05:00

I try, I really do.....NOT to get caught up in political debates. Trust me, I have had my share. Usually, (especially on forums), I watch and listen....then keep my mouth shut. IMO, there is NO point is arguing or trying to sway someone else. Most people that know me, KNOW my political views.

I received this from a wonderful friend today. I HAD to post. It is SO true. It made me smile, ESPECIALLY because on many occasions, I feel that people with "different" views from me often view liberals as people with NO morals or values. To me, the bold says it all! I have been called a "bleeding heart liberal". It was meant to be offensive.

A liberal is someone who is concerned about the needs of others rather than just the wants of one's self.

Healthcare for the sick.
Food for the hungry.
Housing for the homeless.

You know... all that stuff Jesus was in favor of.

By the way...............
bleed·ing-heart lib·er·al (plural bleed·ing-heart lib·er·als)

noun
Definition:

soft-hearted liberal: a political liberal who is thought too sympathetic or sentimental ( informal ) ( sometimes offensive )

Ummm.........okay, I could think of worse things to be called.

PLUS.......

HOMECOMING 2008

2008-09-23T12:31:00.008-05:00

So last week was homecoming week for Dom. TONS of activities.......pep rallies, assemblies, NO homework, float building, parades, the big football game and THE dance. Not sure it is just here OR I am just getting old, BUT things are definitely different from when I was in high school. I mean, they go ALL OUT for homecoming week. It was CRAZY. Dom helped build the freshmen float. Then Jason, the kids and I went to the football game. It was a great game. Our team scored in the first 13 seconds of the game. lol At half time it was 41-0, so we left. Dom was poed, though, I am NOT sure why considering she did NOT watch the game. She was too busy running around with her girlfriends. lol

Well, umm....yeah....okay, let's get the point of this post. I do not even know how to start. Okay, Okay, my baby girl just went to her first dance with a........................................................REAL BOY!!!! Just thinking about it makes me want to bawl. Her "friend" Corey asked her to the dance. COOL for her, NOT cool for daddy and moi. OH and freakin HILARIOUS for an annoying little twerp name Jayden.

The dance was Saturday night. All 5 of us headed over to Corey's house for pictures. It was SO cute, he had a corsage for Dom. We tooks pics. LMBO because Corey was SOOOOOO nervous. Come to find out, he was MORE than just nervous, he was scared SHITLESS. hee hee.

Okay, a little recap....Dom is NOT allowed to date until she is 17 or if Jason had his way 37. BUT, she is allowed to go to movies, etc with a male friend as long as we go with her OR she goes with a group of friends AND we must drive or there and pick up her up. Well, a few weeks ago Dom was going to go to the movies with Corey. It was with the understanding that Corey's 17 year old sister would chaperone. So, I drive her to the movies. She goes in. Then I receive a phone call that Corey's sister just dropped him off. Ummm.....ok. So, not being able to get a hold of Jason, I made the executive decision to let her go, with the understanding.....NO holding hands, NO rubbing elbows, NO drinking water....thus NO going to the bathroom, etc, etc. Well, she made it through the movie. However, the night did NOT end well, as Jason was livid. His daughter just went on a date with a boy. UH-OH! I still can not tell who was in more trouble, Dom or me.

SO...back to picture taking for the dance. Come to find out the reason Corey was so scared of Jason was because our lovely daughter told Corey, "I am not in trouble, BUT I think it would be best if you NOT come around for a while". Poor kid. However, why should he be afraid of a little guy like Jason???? lol

So, after pics, we drive back to the house so the kids can play Wii for a little while. Then we head to Jimmy Johns so they can eat. Doms friend Taylor shows up. Jason, the kids and I sit in the car and watch. Seriously, we dropped them off in front of the place, then Jason backs up across the aisle to we can see directly into the restaurant. We find out later that Dom, told Corey. " I think my dad parked like that so he could spy on us." Too funny!

After dinner, we drop them off at school. They danced and danced. Dom said Corey was a gentlemen, pulling out her chair and bringing her sodas. SO, she made it.......WE made it!

AND now for pics................ you can tell that poor kid is nervous AND scared. AND the arm around Dom was a "pose". Corey did NOT want to do it.........YEP because of dear ole dad!

The best part is Jason decided not to clean his gun. That one is for you, Mike. lol

FRIEND SURVEY.........

2008-09-17T12:42:00.003-05:00

So, while cleaning out my 27 pages of emails, I found this friend survey from my sister Dawn. Instead of responding weeks, if not months later, I decided to post it on my blog. Feel free to fill it out and pass it around.

1.What is your occupation right now? SAHM

2.What color are your socks right now? NONE, barefoot as always

3.What are you listening to right now? the dehumidifier

4.What was the last thing that you ate? a cookie from the bakery

5.Can you drive a stick shift? NOPE, who drives a stick these days anyways?

6.Last person you spoke to on the phone? Jason

7.Do you like the person who sent this to you?It depends on what time of the month it is. JUST KIDDING! Of course, I like her and love her

8.How old are you today? 33

9.What is your favorite sport(S) to watch? I can NOT believe that I am saying this, but..............lately........it is football.

10.What is your favorite drinks? arnold palmer

11.Have you ever dyed your hair?duh, I think it is about time to dye it again.

12.Favorite food? another duh............RICE

13.What is the last movie you watched? at the movies...batman dark knight. at home...Goonies

14.Favorite day of the year? Christmas and then depending on what kid is asking...june 2nd, June 21st and June 30th.

15.How do you vent anger? SHOP....cuss and yell, not necessarily in that order.

16.What was your favorite toy as a child? MY barbies and the Barbies of my sisters

17.What is your favorite season? It depends on what state I am living in. In cali, it was winter. In Illinois....autumn.

18.Cherries or Blueberries?Cherries

19.Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? nay. I'll just check their blogs. lol

20.Who is the most likely to respond?hmmm...no one

21.Who is least likely to respond?hmmm....everyone

22.Living arrangements? hmmm.....still alive. in a house. umm...married

23.When was the last time you cried? this morning. anyone that knows me, KNOWS this is an hourly occurrence.

24.What is on the floor of your closet? Jason's work clothes. hangers. boxes of pictures.

25.Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? my sisters, although, technically, I am not sending it to anyone.

26.What did you do last night? It depends on the time. Let's see...made dinner, cleaned the kitchen. got the kids school stuff together, "kind of" helped Dom with her math, did laundry, played on the computer, went to sleep.

27.What are you most afraid of? myself

28.Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Cheese with bbq sauce or ketchup with NOTHING else.

29.Favorite dog breed? black lab

30.Favorite day of the week? it used to be sundays, when I lived in cali because that is when the new target ad came out. BUT, now that I live in hickville, NO ads. :(

31.How many states have you lived in? One too many! (2 total)

32.Diamonds or pearls? Do you even need to ask????

33.What is your favorite flower? Buttercups

KAYLA'S FIRST DAY OF 4YR PRESCHOOL

2008-09-15T21:36:00.021-05:00

First off, be prepared for picture OVERLOAD!

So, I just realized that I never posted Kayla's pics from her first day of school. Ummm, considering she has been in school for two weeks, I figured I better post pics before she starts Kindergarten. lol

Kayla had her 4 yr old preschool orientation on September 2nd. It was only 25 minutes. Jason met us at school. She looked like such a BIG girl compared to when she started 3yr old preschool last year. Oh how time flies...just thinking about it is making me cry.

Orientation was the same as last year, so Kayla felt like a pro.

Check out the pics!

Of course we had to get a picture of the awesome custom. lol

some close ups...oh, I am listing it in my store this week, if anyone is interested. lol

Waiting in the hall with Jason. She is such a daddy's girl.

Can the backpack be any BIGGER???

Meeting her teachers (same teachers as last year)

Listening attentively (why, oh why can't my kids do this at home????)

A pic with moi, in the back ground. I figured I should post my fat arse, since I am never in any pics. lmfao! (btw, the F stands for fat NOT the other f-word, lol)

Daddy helping Kayla make a back-to-school crown.

Leaving with daddy.

Here is a picture after her second REAL day at school. The diva is talking to her auntie Steph!

I HAVE BEEN TAGGED!!!

2008-08-25T16:07:00.005-05:00

Stephanie, one of THE sweetest people that I know tagged me long time ago. LOL Sorry Mrs. Huntley! lol

8 THINGS I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT (except for #1, no particular order):

1)My children.....Dominique, Jayden & Kayla

2)Jason

3)My family (immediate, extended, yada, yada, yada)

4)God

5)SHOPPING

6)Food (cooking, eating out, tv shoes, etc)

7)Being a SAHM (even though on most days, I suck at it)

8)Holidays & Birthdays (if you REALLY know me, then you KNOW what I am talking about)

IF, I had a #9, It would DISNEY & Target. LMBO

8 BOOKS I HAVE READ & ENJOYED:

I am NOT much of a reader. lol

AGAIN, NO ORDER!

1)To Kill a Mockingbird

2)Twilight

3)The Color Purple

4)The Bluest Eyes

5)The Giving Tree

6) Pinkalicious

7)Fall on Your Knees

8)Love You Forever

8 WORDS OR PHRASES I SAY OFTEN:

1) "I LOVE YOU"

2) "LEAVE YOUR BROTHER/SISTER ALONE!"

3) "STOP IT!"

4) "IF YOU DON'T STOP IT, I AM GOING TO CALL YOUR FATHER!"

5) "I BETTER NOT GET TO 3.............1...........2..........."

6) "SHIT!"

7) "STOP IT BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS HURT!"

8) "DID YOU WASH YOUR HANDS?"

8 THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE (In no particular order):

1) Move closer to family

2) Open my own boutique

3) See my kids graduate from college & be successful adults

4) Get skinny

5) Truly be happy with MYSELF

6) Plan my kids weddings.

7) Live a more Christian life

8) Buy a nice piece of property and build our own custom house.

8 THINGS I LEARNED IN THIS PAST YEAR

1) No matter how "great" your medical insurance is, it still SUCKS!

2) That I am TRULY blessed.

3) That being a mom is TOUGH! ( I already knew this, but I have been reminded on a daily basis)

4) That I will NEVER, EVER stop missing grans.

5) That some people will NEVER, EVER change..........PERIOD!

6) Who my REAL family is AND who is NOT

7) What it is like to REALLY be fearful of the safety of a loved one.

8) It IS WHAT IT IS............... Deal with it. Curse it. But ultimately, embrace it.

8 PEOPLE I WANT TO TAG

WELL, SINCE I AM SO LATE, EVERYONE HAS BEEN TAGGED. LMBO

BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

2008-08-20T20:52:00.007-05:00

Dom started HIGH SCHOOL yesterday. I am still in shock that I actually have a kid in high school. Where has all the time gone???? I was a lot more nervous than she was. I think I cried more sending her off to high school then when our baby Kayla started preschool. I thought with time it gets easier. YEAH RIGHT!!!!!!! Jason is afraid that I with have to be committed when our last one starts college. AND he is NOT joking.

Dom said everything was great. I hope it continues to be good for her. She goes to the Catholic High school in town. It is a small school. It is just what she needs. The teachers and principal are amazing.

Then Jayden started 3rd grad today. He was SUPER excited to be back with his friends. He has a new teacher. It is her first year as a full time teacher. She is just as stoked (if not more) than the kids. I can tell that she will be awesome.

After I picked up Dom, we headed over to Jaydens school. Dom was excited to go back to her "old" school. She felt so "old and mature". She went and visited her old teachers. Again, something she needed. :)

Kayla does not start school for 2 more weeks. So, I will update when she starts.

Her are some pics!

Dom's 1st Day!

Jayden "NEEDING" to be in the picture!

Kayla "NEEDING" to be in her OWN picture!

Jayden's 1st day!

MINI CARAMEL APPLES

2008-08-15T18:39:00.003-05:00

A few days ago, the kids and I made MINI caramel apples. Well, actually...caramel, chocolate and peanut butter. We decorated with sprinkles, coconut, and nuts. We each made 6. The kids picked their flavors and toppings

They were quick and easy. The kids had a blast. AND unlike regular sized apples, where the kids eat the "GOOD" stuff and throw out the apple....they ate the whole thing.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
4-inch lollipop sticks
Melon baller
Granny Smith apples (one apple makes about 8 mini apples)
Butterscotch or peanut butter chips
Chopped nuts, nonpareils, sprinkles, shredded coconut (optional)
Small paper candy cups
Step 1 - Mini Caramel Apples 1. First, cut the lollipop sticks in half at an angle (the pointy end will go into the apple pieces easier). With the melon baller, scoop little balls out of the apple. Each ball should have a section of apple peel. Push half of a lollipop stick into the peel of each ball. Pat the apple pieces dry.

Mini Caramel Apples: Variations 2. Melt the chips according to the package directions. Dip and swirl the mini apples in the melted chips, then roll the apples in nuts, sprinkles, nonpareils, or coconut, if desired. Place the mini apples in paper candy cups to set.

We are still ALIVE!!

2008-08-12T11:48:00.006-05:00

Okay, so it has been 2 months since my last bog. NO, I did not give up. lol It is summer time and well....ummmmmm.......life is CRAZY hectic. The kids do not give me 2 minutes to pee let alone sit and write about our crazy arse life. lol

The good news is, school starts in ONE WEEK!!!! I know I should be a good mommy and be sad. But, even if I am not a good mommy, at least I am an honest one. I am VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY excited that school is starting. I love my kids. I love them being around me. BUT, I HATE their constant arguing and fussing during the summer. They need a break from each other. Shoot, I need a break from them. I think the start of school will be good for everyone. No more wild children, no more cranky mommy, a decent schedule, early bedtimes, yada, yada, yada. YEAH right! Okay, at least a little better.

So with the start of school, I will get back to my blog. I need it. YOU need it. Humor me...please.

Not only will I be able to fill you in on what is going on this fall, BUT everything we did this summer. I will even upload my 500 pics from our Cali vacation after 2 months. lol Check back often. You KNOW you miss me......I mean us!

JUNE 2, 1994

2008-06-02T23:54:00.004-05:00

Yes, the story continues. Well, I will spare you all the painful details. Just know that about 24 hours after that initial cramp at Toys R Us, I, received the most precious gift EVER! At 7:36 pm weighing 5lbs 15oz, and 20 inches long, Miss Dominique Aliyah was born! Some days, I think wow, it has been a LONG 14 years. Then on days, like today, I just cry because actually, they have been the quickest 14 years of my life. My little girl will be starting high school in just a couple of months. WOW, where does the time go........here are a few pics to let you know!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOOBIE!!!

JUNE 1, 1994

2008-06-01T19:38:00.004-05:00

Fourteen years ago this evening, I was at TRU in Fairfield, looking at Little Tikes slides and playhouses for my 2 year old Nick (for those that do not know, Nick is my nephew that my parents have raised since he was an infant). We had just found the perfect set when.........BAM.........

What the heck? cramping??? gas??? poop cramping??? NO......CRAMPING??????Is it time???

My mother said, "NO, it is just indigestion". Umm...okay.....although, we have NOT eaten yet!

So, we drive back to Vallejo. Oh, let me rephrase that........I drive back to Vallejo, all the while not feeling too good. Maybe she is right.....indigestion.

I get back to my dads and start decorating the kitchen like I always did the night before someones birthday. I remember this SO vividly, I was standing on one of our ugly arse "wicker" 80's, maybe it was a 70's chair when........

OH SHIT....... I start to........... pee my pants??? I jump, okay, almost fall off the chair and waddle my way up the stairs and "finish" peeing. Ummm....I have indigestion and I can NOT hold the pee. OKAY?????

YELLING from upstairs........."DAD....I think I "might" have peed my pants"......................................................................

to be continued........................

DOMINIQUE'S GRADUATION

2008-05-26T15:43:00.007-05:00

SO, my "baby" graduated from 8th grade last week. I have not stopped crying. It really is hard to believe that she will be starting high school in the fall. As we all know, Catholic schools treat 8th graduations like high school graduations. lol The graduation consisted of a full Mass, graduation and awards ceremony. It lasted almost 2 hours. Dominique received "B" honor roll for her entire 8th grade year. Following the graduation, there was a reception with a slide show of the kids. After that, they had a party just for the kids. Dom skipped that party. Instead, we headed to AppleBees for dinner. It was a nice LONG evening.

Here are some pics of the ceremony, and a pic of Dom with her favorite teacher, Mrs. Walker. Mrs. Walker has LOVED Dom since the day Dom arrived at St. Francis School.

Kayla's Recital!!!

2008-05-19T18:07:00.006-05:00

Kayla had her first dance recital on Saturday. She danced twice.....tap and ballet. For Tap she danced to "I'm a Cute Little Girl". It was the second dance of the recital. Then for Ballet, she danced and sang to "Kitty Kat". It was the 28th song of the night. UGH! Luckily we were able to leave after her ballet dance. I do not think we would have made it through all 59 songs. OH and that was only the first night. There was just as many dances the second night.

Kayla did awesome. We are so proud of her. We could NOT take pics OR video tape at the recital. However, I was able to video tape at the rehearsal. IF, I can ever figure out how to post a video, I will add it to my blog.

Here are some pics, including her professional pics. Also, notice where she is asleep. lol We had about 2.5 hours between her first and second dance on the night of the rehearsal. She fell out within 10 minutes of her first dance. lol

My baby is NOT a baby any more.

Confirmation Pics!

2008-05-13T22:06:00.003-05:00

It is late and I am exhausted. But I wanted to post some pics before I hit the sack. Dom had her Confirmation this evening. It was REALLY nice. The Bishop came from Springfield to say Mass. There was a reception after Mass, however, we stayed just long enough to get a picture with the Bishop. Then we headed to the Chinese Buffet for dinner. It was a REALLY nice evening. We could not take pics in church. Here is one before we left for Church and then one with the Bishop.

DIAMONDS!

2008-05-13T10:31:00.006-05:00

As we all know, Kayla is quite the diva, princess, girlie girl, etc, etc. She loves to dress up whether it be in one of her many custom or boutique outfits. She also loves to play dress up. Besides her MAJOR love of clothes and shoes, she also adores jewelry. She loves everything from her plastic dollar store jewelry to my diamond ring and earrings. She is ALWAYS "oohing and aahing" over my earrings. She has a MAJOR fascination with DIAMONDS. YES, diamonds (yep, I am raising my daughters well....hehehe) For the longest time, I have been trying to get her to get her ears pierced, but she has been scared. Unfortunately, "holes in yours ears" sounded too much like the "hole in her arm" (from her last surgery). So, I decided to hold off a while until some of her fears went away. Then, one day we were watching our favorite show (J & K plus 8), when they showed one of the oldest girls getting her ears pierced. I was so excited because I knew if Kayla saw a "big" girl get her ears pierced, she would follow suit. NOPE....did NOT happen. lol

Well, a couple of weeks ago, we decided to head to STL to do some much needed Costco shopping. Before we left, Kayla started to throw a fit because she could not find her diamond ring (a little plastic blue ring that is shaped like a diamond........not a diamond like a girl's best friend, but the shape of a diamond). Finally, she had her jewelry and we were off. While driving, I asked if she wanted to get her ears pierced. Naturally, she said "NO!". Hmmm......I had an idea. "Kayla, what if we bought you DIAMOND earrings, then would you get your ears pierced???" I really did not think she would say yes, BUT she DID!!!!!!!! What a girl will do for some diamonds.

So, we make it to the mall. We do a little shopping. Jason is relaxing in one of those massaging chairs, when we notice a Claire's store. Hmmm......I wonder if she remembers agreeing to getting her ears pierced??? YEP! So, we head over to Claires, just as a little girl is sucking on a lollipop with red little ears. She had just finished getting her ears pierced and thankfully survived without any tears (or at least any noticeable tears).

Next thing we know, Kayla is picking out her diamond earrings (actually they are cz, but we will not tell her that until she is married and her hubby can buy her real diamonds) is in the chair, I am signing a consent form and asking 101 questions about the ear piercing degree that the employees have, yada,yada, yada. I think Jason and I were more nervous than Kayla. I am already planning on taking her to TRU and buying her everything in the store because I KNOW my drama queen will be in tears, whether it hurts or not. Trust me, that girl tries to milk me for EVERYTHING. Well, the next thing we know, Kayla has 2 earrings in ears and is seriously LAUGHING HER BUTT OFF! She did not shed a tear. My freak actually started to laugh, which by the way, saved me a trip to TRU and a whole lot of money. lol

Now, what to bribe Dom with in order to get hers done???

Here is a pic of Kayla showing off her new studs!

News from Miss Dominique

2008-05-12T22:46:00.005-05:00

Things have been quite hectic the last couple of weeks. I have SO much that I need to catch up on, but have not had the time. Things will only be getting worse in the next two weeks. I wanted to at least give everyone a quick update on Dominique.

As many of you know, my "baby" will be turning 14 in less than a month. She is also hitting two "major" (major when you are 13 years old, lol) milestones before that. First is her Confirmation and second is her 8th grade graduation.

Dominique will be Confirmed tomorrow (May 13th). She has spent the last 8 months getting ready for this special day, including several hours of community service. Her community service included helping to bring Communion to local homebound parishioners, babysitting young children while parents were with older children at communion or reconciliation meetings, helping out at our parish Christmas bazaar, and other activities for our church. Besides community service, she had to be involved with several events within our Parish, as well as our town. She attended Easter Vigil Mass (a VERY long Mass, where adults are baptized, receive the Eucharist and our confirmed), she visited Quincy University Friary,volunteered at our Quincy Bridge the Gap event (a 5 & 10 K event that raises money for physical, mental and spiritual health in our area), attended several religious retreats and many other spiritually enriching events. For each event and service, she had to write how she was effected spiritually from being involved in each event. I am REALLY proud of how loving, caring, and selfless Dominique is. Unlike several of her classmates, who only volunteered because they "had" to, she really enjoyed helping others. Dominique is also very lucky that we found a wonderful lady in our Parish to be her sponsor.

Besides Confirmation, Dom will also be graduating from 8th grade. Which means....my baby will be starting HIGH SCHOOL in the fall. I still can NOT believe it. She graduates on May 22. Her last school day is this friday, the 16th. Then on Monday, she heads to STL to spend the day at Six Flags for her 8th grade trip. Let me say, she is SO excited. I have not seen her this giddy in ages. I love it! Seeing her excitement puts a smile on my face.

I also wanted to share some pics of her science fair. The 8th graders have to make an invention. The invention has to be a completely new product that has NOT been patented. Well, this was NOT easy. Luckily, we came up with a product by ACCIDENT. When Jason was painting Kaylas playroom, he put tape on the baseboards to protect them. When he tore off the tape, we noticed how all of the dust (yes, I SUCK at house cleaning) came off the baseboard. So, Dom decided to make a cleaning product. Well, since both Dom and I are vertically challenged, she decided to incorporate our "height issues" into her product.

The name of her invention is called "THE ADJUSTABLE ROLLING BASEBOARD CLEANER". It was made using an adjustable handle (extends for us short people), a paint roller and a "sticky" lint roller. Since the lint roller has "sticky" tape on it, it helps remove all the dirt and dust without any chemicals. It rolls back and forth, so there is not a lot of work (quick and easy...YEAH BABY!). The handle can adjust not only to help us short people BUT to reach high spots like above the doors. Her cleaner can be used to clean baseboards, crown molding and above door ways. Her invention was a MAJOR hit among teachers and moms. Honestly, I am NOT being bias, but her invention was definitely one of the top 3 out of both 8th grade classes. She had to do an oral and written report, as well as turn in several other assignments for the project. Then she had to attend the science fair, where she displayed her product and had to be prepared to answer questions. Out of over 300 points, she only missed 2 points. NOT bad!!!

Here are some pics from the science fair as well as her demonstrating her product.

Check back as I will be posting confirmation and grad pics!!

WOOOOHOOOO....MOTHER OF THE YEAR...............

2008-05-09T13:53:00.004-05:00

NOT!!!!!!

Yep, I am OFFICIALLY the "WORST MOTHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD!"

I was awarded this honor NOT by ONE, NOT by TWO, BUT by ALL THREE of my perfect, angelic, loving, offspring......ALL WITHIN a 24 hour period. AMAZING!!!

How stinkin lucky can one mom be???? They could have NOT picked a better time....2 days before mommy's day. I guess I will not be expecting any diamond earrings, pearl necklace, or Tiffany charm bracelet. I guess the silent treatment will have to do. Hmmmmm.............that does NOT sound half bad.

OH the joys of mommyhood! (rolling eyes!)

WARNING GRAPHIC PICTURE (and language)

2008-05-09T09:30:00.003-05:00

So, Gymboree just came out with a new boys line last week......SHARKS........VERY COOL. Jayden is getting older and it starting to be "too old" for Gymbo. SO, I thought the shark line would get him a little excited and MAYBE bring him back to Gymbo. I showed Jayden the pics and he said, "I really do not like sharks." Umm, okay,a little sad, BUT money saved.

Well, it seems that Big Gymbo has pulled one of the shark shirts due to "complaints" by parents. It seems that many parents are "concerned" because one of the Shark shirts looks "questionable". QUESTIONABLE???? Rumor has it, that the shirt has a shark on it that looks like a PENIS. Yep, I said it......PENIS!!!!!! WHAT THE HELL????

Here is the shirt...

UMMM....OKAY!?!?!??!?

Am I the ONLY one that sees a SHARK??????

Have these phallophobic moms ever seen an actual PENIS??? As one of my online friends said. "if they think that looks like a penis, they really should talk to their husbands about seeing a plastic surgeon!"

Come on! That looks nothing like a penis. OR could it possibly be that I have not seen a Penis for so long that I can not recognize one?? Have they changed? Do they have a HUGE mouth and SHARP teeth?? Do they have fins?? Do they have two nostrils?? Do they have eyes popping out of their head???Do they look that scary?? (well, I guess it depends on who you ask!) Seriously, do you know any Penis that would be in the same vicinity with 4 dozen razor sharp teeth??? Ask any man....HELL NO!!!

COME ON PEOPLE....that is NOT a PENIS!!!! AND it looks NOTHING like one!!!!

SO, if anyone is going to gymbo and finds a size 8 that has not been pulled yet, I want it.

Jayden does not like shark shirts, but he would LOVE a penis shirt. I will just tell him it is not really a shark, it is a penis dressed up like a shark. He will love it!

Friday Spelling Test

2008-05-03T19:56:00.004-05:00

So, on the way to school every friday morning, I give Jayden a practice spelling test. Our conversation after he finished this week's test:

MOI: "I love compound words, they were my favorite when I was your age."

JAYDEN: "My favorites are CINNAMONS."

MOI: (laughing) "You mean synonyms, right???"

JAYDEN: "Oh yeah, synonyms!"

LOL, he really pronounced it CINNAMONS. By the way, after a little longer conversation, we found out that he actually prefers homophones.

OH, just so you know, he REALLY is smarter than he sounds. lol He has 103% in spelling right now AND straight A's in all of his other classes. :)

Jayden's 1st Communion

2008-04-28T16:56:00.008-05:00

Yesterday (Sunday, April 27, 2008) Jayden received his 1st Holy Communion. We had been preparing for it for the last couple of months. It was a very special day for him. We are so proud that he was able to receive Jesus' body and blood.

It rained on and off all day, but I was able to take a couple dozen pictures on our front porch. Unfortunately, NO pics were allowed during the Mass. Also, NO Bibles, rosaries, prayer books, or etc were allowed while processing into the Church. The Church was PACKED. People were even standing up on the balcony. I have NEVER seen so many people for a 1st Communion. It was beautiful, BUT it made me miss my family back at home. Also, seats were assigned. Unfortunately, I was not able to see Jayden processing in or singing because, well, I am vertically challenged. BUT, we received Communion as a family, so I was right next to him as he received the Body and Blood of Christ. It truly was beautiful. I (WE) are SO proud on him. Dom and I received communion as well. Jason and Kayla were blessed. It was SO cute because she walked right up to the Priest thinking that she was going to "eat" also. lol

After Mass, Professional pics were taken. We also took a picture of Jayden with Father Kurt who said Mass, as well as Father James (Jayden's "favorite" Priest). After pics, we went to dinner. Then we headed home for cake and presents.

In celebration of the Communicants, the Church paid for the 2nd graders to go bowling, eat pizza and then watch a movie at school. Jason took the day off, to hang out with Jayden at the bowling alley. Jayden said that yesterday and today were the best days of his life.

Her are a few pics. When we get the professional ones, I will post.

Jayden REALLY thinks he is a little stud. lol

I LOVE this kid!

OH and this pics shows Kayla's mood for the day!

PEEPS!

2008-04-25T12:17:00.005-05:00

So, yesterday, I picked up the kids from school. As Dom was telling me about her day, I heard "PEEP, PEEP, PEEP!" I looked in my mirror, to see my little princess giggling.

ME: "Kayla, did you pass gas?"

KAYLA:" NO, my butt burped!"

I almost had to pull over I laughed so hard. Naturally, Jayden started cracking up, since he heard some of his favorite words...PASS GAS, BUTT and BURP! My little princess has a burping butt. lol

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!

2008-04-22T09:18:00.005-05:00

GREEN.............growing up this was my dad's favorite color. When we moved to 516 Rollingwood, he put dark green carpet in his bedroom with 2 different green wallpapers (YES, WALLPAPER, obviously this was in the early 80's). Most people probably cringed at the idea of a GREEN room but it worked. Jason hates the color green. He has always said that only TWO things should be GREEN....trees and money. Yet, he loves my green eyes. Not sure if that means he sees me as "earthy" or EXPENSIVE. I will take either one. lol Some of my favorite things are green.....my eyes (only physical attribute that I actually like), peas (YES, I LOVE PEAS), money (DUH). Okay, I guess there really are not too many things that are green that I like. lol Everything else that is green makes ME sneeze or cringe....grass, snakes, frogs, lizards...EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO GREEN THAN JUST THE COLOR!

We are looking at GREEN in a whole new way. EVERYONE is trying to "GO GREEN". It is in EVERY magazine, on EVERY channel, in EVERY store. All of a sudden it is HIP to be a "tree hugger". More and More people are trying to make eco-friendly changes and choices. Changes that will not only help our world TODAY, but TOMORROW as well.

A lot of people use the excuse that one PERSON will NOT make a difference. That one GENERATION will NOT make a difference. OR say "why should I, I won't be around in 60 or 70's years?" If EVERY SINGLE person that made those comments actually started making a conscious effort to make one or two small changes (whether it be changing to eco-friendly light bulbs, recycling, putting a filter on their sink instead of plastic water bottles, getting rid of disposal diapers, picking up trash on the street, buying organic, etc.........it will make a WORLD of DIFFERENCE. They may NOT be here in 100 years, but their children and grandchild WILL. Right there is enough reason for me.

Unlike MOST hip things and fads, hopefully this will be one that will stay cool FOREVER.

SO let's celebrate EARTH, NOT just for ONE day but EVERYDAY. We can celebrate her by preserving and protecting her. She has been nice enough to let us live here, let's be respectful and thank her by our actions!

THERE ARE A GAZILLION SITES FOR MORE INFO ON "GOING GREEN". HERE ARE JUST A COUPLE! JUST GOOGLE..GOING GREEN, EARTH DAY, ECO -FRIENDLY, etc!

FOR MORE WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

http://www.nature.org/earthday/

http://www.thegreenguide.com/

FUN STUFF FOR KIDS
http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb

AS SEEN ON TV!

2008-04-20T20:44:00.018-05:00

SO, how often are you watching tv when an "AS SEEN ON TV" commercial comes across your screen? And how many times do you "think" that you MUST HAVE that item? And how many times do you call that 800 number or run to your local Super-Walmart (OMG, can you believe I just said that???? obviously I live in a small town with no Target) just to spend $39.99 and have that "must have" item break or fall apart???

Come on....Admit it! You know you have a drawer....a closet.....maybe even a GARAGE full of "AS SEEN ON TV" items that you used once...YES ONCE!

Well, we have our share. Besides our Ped-Eggs, we have been gimmicked and suckered into SO many different MUST HAVE products. My kids are always pausing "live tv" just to show me what will make our lives SO much easier (yes, rolling eyes here). Whether it be a new can opener, grater, glow in the dark heated toilet seat with surround sound (yeah, I made that one up.....hmmmmmm????), we are always adding something new to our "As Seen On TV" collection.

Well, this weekend, Jason decided to take Jayden fishing. Wait....back track...In case you didn't know, Jayden has a VERY short attention span (like someone else I know). If there is not much activity or things are too quiet for 2 minutes, he gets quite antsy. He needs to be moving constantly. Seriously, he is NOT happy unless he is LITERALLY bouncing off the walls, throwing things, yelling, jumping, dancing, kicking, screaming, sitting on his head spinning around...you get the picture. So, OBVIOUSLY, fishing is the IDEAL sport for him................NOT!!!! Ever since we moved here, Jason has tried to get Jayden to sit and fish with him. BUT, it lasts all of 1.9 seconds. Someone gets frustrated....okay, they BOTH get frustrated. Jayden ends up playing with worms while Jason fishes alone. So, back to this weekend. Jason decides to run to the Super-Walmart (VOMIT) to pick up some fishing gear. They come home with some gear. In their stash is this.....

A ROCKET FISHING ROD!!

OMG, WTH???? ANOTHER TV gimmick. Another $40 down the drain. I already see it, it breaks as it hits the water. NO not at the 30 feet it is suppose to shoot, but at 4 inches. I am poed. What's new?? Dom rolls her eyes, there goes two more Boden shirts. OH WELL, do what women love to do...humor the men. Instead of sitting outside and watch the two "men" cuss at a toy that "I KNOW" is going to break, I start cleaning the kitchen.......

WAIT...STOP....Jason is running down the stairs of the deck. OMG, Please do not let Jayden have shot himself 30 feet into our pond. I run to the window. HOLY CRAP, they are fighting with a huge catfish. Jason was NOT prepared...no net...they lost it. WOW!! Not even 30 seconds and Jayden had almost caught a fish. He is stoked. Jason is sweating. I am still rolling my eyes. It won't happen again. Next time it will break.

WAIT STOP.......here we go again. Same thing...Jason is running down the stairs (NOW, I am laughing, this thing might be worth it watching him run down the stairs). They have a net.... they will GET that thing. HOLY WOW, it is on land. Jayden is beyond stocked. All I hear is "Get the camera!"Get the scale??measuring tape?? whatever that thing is. 25 inches 6.5 lbs!!! Bigger than Dom when she was born. He did it! He caught his first fish ALL BY HIMSELF!!!! (yeah, he has caught a couple bluegill, but nothing compared to this guy.

OKAY...day two! A gorgeous day for painting the deck and playing with the neighbors. NO fishing. Well, maybe one more cast before mom yells at me to come inside. HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!! EVEN BIGGER! 26 inches 8 lbs! YEAH BABY!!!!!

So another AS SEEN IT ON TV purchase thrown in the garage? NO WAY! Unlike our catfish, the rocket rod is definitely a KEEPER. I can care less if it breaks tomorrow. All I know is that Jason spent one of the best $40 bucks that he has spent in a long time. The smiles, the cheers, the dad/son time, the big ole' ugly catfish, the confidence Jayden gained, his new found love of fishing....all thanks to a tv commercial for a "must have" toy. If only all commercials could do what that one did.

FEET!

2008-04-11T09:25:00.005-05:00

I DESPISE feet! Probably one of the things that I hate more than anything. Seriously, they make me cringe. Just the thought makes me want to throw up. For as long as I can remember I have hated feet. I think I have a serious phobia of feet. Hmmm.....that makes me want to google. BRB! lol

Okay...back! Sorry, I had to go check to see if there was an actual word for the fear of feet. PODOPHOBIA. Okay, makes sense.

So, as I was saying. Plain and simply, feet disgust me. Everything about them....the way they look, the nails, the hair, the dry dead skin (PRE Ped-egg, lmbo), the calluses, the in-grown nails (dh), the SMELL.......LORD THE SMELL! I could go on and on and on.

I can NOT look at feet, touch feet.....NADA! Don't you dare try to put your feet near me. AND LORD, FORBID you try to get Freaky! It AIN'T HAPPENING................EVER!!!

I TOTALLY do NOT understand how some people can get aroused by feet. While googling (yes, another addiction), I found forums and websites decicated to feet fetishes. WHAT THE HELL???? (if I am offending anyone because of their love of feet, I apologize, lol) I seriously need to wash my eyes out. UGH!

Y'all may be thinking, this is something personal. That I have disgusting looking feet, therefore I am taking it out on all the feet of the world. I am not going to lie, my feet are NOT pretty, BUT..............................NEITHER ARE YOURS!!!

When Kayla was a couple of months old, I had to go to the post office. Since I had a ton of packages to mail, I put her carrier in her carseat dragged her along with me. We lived in Fresno. It was hot. She had NO socks on. As I was leaving two VERY nice, attractive well-to-do women start ooohing and aaahing over Kayla.

NO WAIT, STOP! WTH??? One of the ladies starts to touch Kaylas feet....her toes. Okay, NOT sure if I am in shock that a stranger is touching my baby OR that a stranger...ANYONE is actually touching.......................FEET! Okay, hyperventilating now, she starts to kiss my child's feet. Her friend apologizes for her "I am sorry, but my weirdo feet loving (okay,not her words) LOVES babies feet" I am still in shock, NOTHING comes out of my mouth. I can NOT even move to stop her. The weirdo foot freak, looks at me, kisses them again and says, " really, I am sorry, but I love little feet, I MISS little feet, CHERISH little feet!" They walk away. Okay, what just happened? Should I call the cops? That was NOT normal, that was NOT okay??? RIGHT??? Again, what happened? Why did that happen?? Let's just forget it ever happened....kay???

NOPE! I could NOT forget! STILL, I can NOT forget!

Feet!?!?!?!?!? Cherish them?!?!?!?!?

7 or 8 months later, those little feet take their first steps.

1 year after that, those little feet are running up and down the hard wood floors.

At 7 am before anyone is awake, I sit at my computer downstairs in my office. 8 am, I hear them. Little feet! Running across the hard wood floors. "Mommy, where are you?" I hear the words, but they are NOTHING like the music that I just heard. Little feet!

NOTHING, NOTHING compares to LITTLE FEET! They are BEAUTIFUL! The sound is harmonious, yet almost undescribable.

BUT, they do NOT last forever. They get bigger. The steps get louder and harder. They are no longer little steps, no longer little feet. They are now loud, monstrous stomps. No longer that beautiful music.

Some days, I sit (and yes, cry, y'all know me SO well) because my 3 pair of little feet are not so little any more. They are getting bigger, drier, uglier,hairier and YES, stinkier

They do NOT last forever. The pitter-patter of little feet.........are like music.........WERE like music.

CHERISH LITTLE FEET! They are so beautiful! Little feet........one of my favorite things.

I MISS LITTLE FEET!

CHERISH LITTLE FEET!

KAYLA'S PLAYROOM

2008-04-09T23:08:00.005-05:00

SO, after months of trying to get this room together, it is about 90% complete. I still have the closet to arrange and pics for the yellow and pink walls. The sad part is, Kaylas bedroom is STILL full of toys. UGH, we need to have a garage sale..........SOON!

NOW, if ONLY I could get the girl to play in there. UGH!

Out of the Mouths of Babes!

2008-04-09T22:54:00.007-05:00

The things that come out of the mouths of babes, some are hilarious, some are truly sweetest as can be. Others are down right shocking and embarassing (more for us adults than them). Their words can be so innocent and other times well beyond their years. Everyday my kids say something that makes me smile or drop my jaw. For as long as I can remember my dad has been telling me to "Write everything down!" But as always, I have failed to listen. Just as he regrets not writing down his kids famous words, I too regret it. There have been so many things that I should have written down, so many memories that I will never have again, so many laughs that I can not remember. Even though there are hundreds of qwerky little sayings that one of my kids have said, there are very few that I can actually recall. This makes me so sad. Luckily Jason has written down some of Dom's most memorable quotes. He has a little notebook that he keeps hidden. He threatens to read it at her wedding. Well, after almost 14 years, I am finally going to start keeping track of what comes out of my kids mouths.

So, check back often to see some priceless quotes from the Smith crew!

To start things off....as always Kayla educates me on a daily basis.

On the way to school:

Kayla: "Mom, monsters are made of bones!"

Moi: "Really? that is interesting!"

Kayla: "Yep! and ghost are made out of ghost costumes!"

Moi: "WOW, you sure are smart!"

Kayla: "Yep!"

Moi: "SO, what are people made out of?"

Kayla: "Mom, people are made out of bones, blood, body and love!"

Moi: " Oh yeah, how could I forget?"

Kayla: "Because you are a mom and moms don't go to school!"

THE MOM SONG!!

2008-04-09T22:18:00.004-05:00

There are some days when I TRULY believe that NO ONE on this planet knows what I am going through. YES, there are millions and zillions of moms out there. However, on some days, I feel like I am the only one going through whatever it is that I am going through at that moment. On many of those days, I feel like the crappiest mom on the planet. I feel as I am doing EVERYTHING wrong. I also feel as if I say the SAME things OVER......and OVER.......and OVER.......AND OVER AGAIN!! YET, NO ONE is listening. By the end of those days I am in tears.

YET, every once in a while I feel like someone else"GETS IT".

Today, I came across "THE MOM SONG" on youtube. I seriously laughed my butt off because I have said EVERYTHING in that song.....MORE than once.

It is SOOOO nice when another mom is on the SAME page as me. However, I do feel sorry for her. lmbo

ENJOY!!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

2008-04-07T10:48:00.002-05:00

Can I do this? Should I do this? Blog that is! I am so NOT computer savy. I am NOT articulate either. My hand writing sucks....wait, we are typing....right??? (see what I mean) Gosh, until a few months ago I did not know what a blog was. LOL Computers are NOT my thing. I can upload pictures. I can download songs to my ipod. I can copy and paste. I can pay bills. I can sell on ebay. And MOST importantly I can shop online. Besides that I am clueless. Kayla can do more on the computer than I can.

So then…WHY? Why even try? Well, plain and simple, I miss my family back home AND I love showing off my family here. Also, I need to regain my sanity. I can only have so many conversations about 8th grade girls and what is "cool" (dom), butts, penis and boobs (jayden) and princesses and playhouse Disney (kayla). I figure blogging might be a great outlet, someplace for adult conversation....okay well maybe an excuse for me talking to myself. I figure if someone,.......anyone reads my blog, that technically, it would NOT be talking to myself...RIGHT??? Humor me....agree, make me feel normal. thanks! :)

After chatting with some online friends, they encouraged me to start. Okay, after seeing how cool their blogspots were, I thought I would give it a try. They walked me through it, well, at least pointed me in the right direction. So, here I am trying something new that I hope others will enjoy.

Please be kind and patient, as I am a VERY SLOW learner.

So, there ya go…..my first blog. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!