A Year in Review: My FAVORITE Blog posts of 2009

January: Reason 317 Everything I do I have to start and restart over and over again!
February: Who Does These Things?
March: Tell It To Me Girl  tied with Scripted Sundays
April: My Crazy Kid
May:  Look What Anthony Did!
June: 10 Reasons Anesthesia Makes Me Laugh
July:  shoo fly don't bother me!
August: 1 Madison-ism + 3 Anthony-isms = a peek into my world
September: Top Ten
October: Sometimes I just have to shake my head and ask WHY?
November: Mommy you forgot....
December: ha ha ha Green Giant: Part 2 of the eventful ok DISASTEROUS Sunday.....

I saw this posted on Julianna's blog and I thought it would be a great way to end the year! It's been neat to flip back and read about our past year. The kids seem to have gotten so big!   I can't wait to see what 2010 has indtore for us!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Baby Its COLD Outside

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My new love affair....

My super awesome hubs (well for this week… just kidding) surprised me with a Kindle for Christmas…. I had heard of them but I was just not that into it…. I am not an E-book kinda gal… I like pages, and bindings, and covers, and well you get the point!

He thought it would be the perfect gift for BOTH of us…

Me for the THOUSANDS of books at my finger tips

And

Him for the missing stacks and piles of books on nearly every surface of our house

My books drive him CRAZY. He cannot stand to see them everywhere so this was, in his mind, a perfect solution!

Well, he thought right because I SO LOVE this thing! (Cue me jumping up and down like Anthony in the Christmas video) The screen looks like a real paper page…. Not at all like a computer screen as I had imagined. Another bonus is that brand new books are only $9.00!!! No more $26 hardback purchases for me! :) If you are a “reader” I would HIGHLY recommend the Kindle! It TOTALLY rocks!

The first book I purchased was Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Have you read it? OMG! It was FANTASTIC! I do not know what it up with me and young adult fiction lately, but man this book was so GOOD! I could not stop reading it…. I was so intrigued…. It really was awesome and by far the best book I have read in a LONG LONG time! So if you have not read it, pick it up and if you have did you love it as much as I did?!?

Can you believe its over?

How did Christmas creep up so fast and end just as quickly? Our Christmas was FANTASTIC! I think its safe to say we all had a blast! My parents were in town which was nice and the kids are at such a fun age! They enjoyed all the preparations, traditions, and happiness the Christmas season offers!


The kids received a few gifts early and the video below gives you a glimpse of what Christmas morning was like at our house! Anthony was HILARIOUS!

The kids enjoyed feeding the reindeer and leaving cookies for Santa. However, Madison ate the first set of Santa cookies "cuz her belly was hurtin" lol.... As bedtime neared I tried to gather the kiddos up for The Night Before Christmas story. Anthony DASHED up to bed, but Madison had a job to do first. She quietly whispered up the fireplace to Santa... "We going to bed so you can come now.... K? SANTA? SANTA? Mommy is Santa dere now?" It was so very precious and I think I will remember that moment forever!

Christmas morning was spent in piles of wrapping paper playing games, trains, babies, and barbies. It was the most perfect day!

Santa even left me a gift (which was supposed to be a no no since we just bought new furniture and replaced all the hardware in my house! That was our gift and of course Santa did NOT bring Jason ANYTHNG!) So I was TOTALLY surprised to find a box for me and even more so to discover a Kindle. OMG, I never wanted one but now that I have it I think I am in LOVE!

***

THE Christmas Card Picture

Those of you that REALLY know me… know that I am an obsess over all kinds of random crap kinda girl. I obsess over silly things… I obsess for hours and days over the most stupidest things… Right now I can’t thing of a really good example of something CRAZY I obsess over, but if you ask my friend Sara I am sure she could rattle off a dozen in 10 seconds flat…. Lol

Well at Christmas time the ONE thing I truly obsess over is “THE” Christmas Card picture. It must be PERFECT. I think about it for weeks in advance. I plan, I coordinate, I… OBSESS!

Well those of you that have small children know… It is NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE to get a single decent shot when multiple children are involved… Someone is ALWAYS uncooperative, disgruntled, or just plain IMPOSSIBLE…. Such was my experience this year. My anxiety levels were peaking and I won’t even lie I threatened limb removal… (ok so those who REALLY know me know I am prone to exaggeration as well)

So my card picture stunk, but it was the best of the bunch! See for yourselves!

***

The one I chose.... Anthony is one second away from a crying FIT and missing are their bright BIG happy smiles!

Wordless Wednesday

Story Time:

Reading To Friends

For more WW: Momspective, Five Minutes For Mom, 7 Clown Circus,  MomDot, Wordless Wednesday , , Life @ 30, Three Peas in a Pod, & Conversations with Moms

Easy and FUN Kids Ornamnets

I initially come across this idea on a “blog hop” and LOVED it! I decided to try it out and I do not like mine as well, but I think it’s because my kids weren’t “feeling it” so they stopped putting on all the macaronis! (Check her’s out… they really are CUTE!)


The ornament was easy enough…. I gave them each a chip board ornament, random noodles, and some glue. When it was all dry I spray painted them silver, place a photo in the middle, and stung red ribbon through…. EASY!

***

I knew we were having a play date so I wanted something fun to do with the kids and knew all three of them LOVED painting so I decided on salt dough ornaments. The kids and I made them up the night before since they take so LOOOOONG to bake! We rolled them out, made a ribbon hole with a straw and baked them…. So easy and not too messy!

All you need is:
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour

Mix and roll out! Once you cut your ornaments and make the holes, bake for 2 ½ hours at 250 degrees

The next day the kids painted them and it was a hit…. They painted forever and some beautiful ornaments were made!

Out of the mouths of babes.....

Madison has become our resident Tattle Tale! Everyone is fair game: Jason, Anthony, Murray (our pooch) and even me! After hearing her tattle all day I told her she was becoming quite the tale tail to which she squinted her eyes, scrunched up her nose, and said:

No way I not have a tail!

***

I was hosting a home party and the kids were upstairs with Jason.... The party lady arrived and rang the door bell and Anthony SCREAMED as he FLEW down the stairs.....

Hurry Mad! It's Santa! It gots to be him! RUN!!!

***

Anthony was asking for a drink and Jason and I were too lazy to get up so Jason handed him his water bottle. Anthony begrudgingly drank the water all the while mumbling that he did not like water.... Jason tried to explain to him that it is good to drink water and that our bodies are made of water. Anthony was NOT buying it!

My body is not of water, he explained, it is all of a BOY!

STOP: Blizzard time!

All before 11:00 this morning and it is STILL going strong! Anthony is in heaven and Madison HATES it! She is just like here mama, but I will admit we had fun and I am looking forward to some more sledding!

6:30 this morning....

1:00 this afternoon....

I wanna go in....

His first snowman by himself!

Catching flakes!

I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in....

Really, sadly, you could! Our gingerbread house kept collapsing in on themselves and were a HOT mess, but fun was had by all!

Last year we made a gingerbread train and it was an instant hit with all of us! We had so much fun working on it... (Look how much they have grown in one year! :( It looks like JAson and I REALLY helped out last year lol)

I decided to continue the tradition, except this time I decided to get a ginger bread village so every one could have their OWN house to decorate.

Mistake number one: The houses were DINKY!! I mean so tiny a matchbox car cannot even THINK of fitting inside one!

Mistake number two: Not pre-making the houses prior to having the kids decorate them!

Mistake number three: Too thin of frosting... Talk about a RUNNY mess!

Oh well, live and learn! In spite of all my mishaps, once everyone got a chance to actually decorate our cute little village, we had a BLAST! They turned out really cute and we laughed all evening! :)

***

My happy little guy! Always so excited and ready for anything!!

Daddy hard at work :)

Finding just the right spot.....

My cutie with a mouth FULL of candy.... She ate more than she placed! :)

Hmmmm....

Sticky gooey fingers :)

Our MINI village.....

Suzi Homemaker gots nothin' on me....

ha!


This Christmas I have attempted to be craftier.... In my attempts I have made some pretty cool things or so I think :)

I made my Christmas cards..... To WAY too much time, but I think they are cute! And yes I did place each and every rhinestone...

My friend Sara found a SUPER easy recipe for homemade bath salts and I decided to make those for our teachers. In case you are interested here is the recipe:

2 cups of Epsom Salts

4 Tablespoons of Baking Soda

10 drops of essential oils

4 drops of food coloring

I also wanted to include a gift card for our teachers and found a cute tutorial on how to make a gift card holder out of a tab top can.... (This is not the original one I found, but it gives EASY directions!) I stuck the gift cards in and filled the cans with Hershey's Kisses. I hope the teachers like them!

I have made some more cute projects, but some of you are receiving them so they will be revealed later!

Wordless Wednesday

Anthony + a Wet Baby Wipe = Instant Wall Art

(caught mid-name.... at least when it dried it was gone!)

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ha ha ha Green Giant: Part 2 of the eventful ok DISASTEROUS Sunday.....

So, I filled you in on the whole 911 fiasco right? Well because of all that I was late for my class at the gym.... I ran to class and Jason checked the kids into kids club. He felt a little bad because our kids were the only ones there...

We got our workouts in and went to round up the munchkins. As we walk into kids club I notice that my kids are NOT there and that there were 3 older (8-10 year old there) That's when a little girl walks up to me and whispers, "Your kids are in BIIIIIIIIIIG trouble!"

(Cue the screaming children track) As I was getting ready to ask where they were, I hear them screaming, hysterical, TOTALLY upset! I see the "teacher" behind them and she looks not real happy and that’s when I fully comprehend the situation....

My formerly peach colored son is now GREEN. Like really GREEN! Up to his armpits and all over his face GREEN! I look and his clothes are ruined. I cringe and die slightly from the horror that my kid is green and from the embarrassment that he somehow DID this.... I glance at Madison and she too is green just not as green as her darling brother.

The "teacher" tells me that Anthony got into the paint and made a HUGE mess.... I apologized profusely and HIGHTAILED it outta there..... Totally Mortified!

In the car I informed Anthony that he was turning a card (more on that another day) and as we drove home I replayed all that had happened...

There were 6 children in the kids club. Four of which were school aged children, my two were the youngest at 4 and 2 1/2.... My question is this: Why and how were my kids left unattended long enough for them to break into the art supply cabinet and make a mess that huge. I mean it had to take quite a few minutes to get paint in your armpits when you are wearing a hooded sweatshirt!

So now I am torn. I am upset that my kids did that as they SHOULD know better, but they ARE still LITTLE. I am also annoyed that the "teacher" did not keep an eye on them as she should have. I know my kids weren't the only ones there, but if you are really watching them she would have caught the mess in the making and it would not have been near as bad....

This my friends was all before 10:30 A.M.!

Of course I had to hit up the grocery store after the gym to buy all the stuff for a cookie swap I was participating in on Sunday. Amidst all the stares from shoppers, I was able to get the needed ingredients!

We went home got them bathed and then I set out to make 7 dozen cookies for a cookie swap, but had to do that twice as my first attempt was a complete and utter FAILURE! It was a disastrous day. One thing after another. I had never looked forward to my bed as much as I did on Sunday!

Our eventful Sunday....

It started off as any other day, but then something ok SOMEONE changed the whole dynamics of the day!

We were heading to the gym bright and early and as I was filling my water bottle the phone rang. I chatted with my mom for a few then went on the obligatory shoe scavenger hunt that we have each and every time we leave the house! I heard buttons being pushed on the phone and in true "MOM" fashion I loudly requested that "someone put down that phone!" as I continued on my search.

Once shoes were located, I went to make sure the phone was hung up and found Anthony still playing with it! So, of course I took it and placed it on the charger.... The second I set it on the charger it rang.... Caller ID informed me that it was 911!!! What the... I answered, but no one was there.... every few seconds I would just hear a beep... I hung up. The instant I hung up the phone rang again and it was the same call. This happened FOUR times!!!

Finally, I unplugged our Vonage box and let the phone reset.... Thinking that my darling pushed something on that damn box that I still cannot figure out 2 years later.... (ok sorry digressing as USUAL) After about 3 minutes (the time it takes for the Vonage box to reboot!) my phone rings again except this time it was the Sheriffs Office! Oy Vey! This time when I answered I spent 15 minutes on the phone assuring the dispatcher that:

A. There was no emergency

B. That my 4 year old was playing with the phone

and that

C. There REALLY was NOT an emergency!!!

911 is not a joke in yo town ;)
Get up, get, get, get down

Sadly this all occurred BEFORE 8:30 A.M.!



Stay tuned for part 2 of my DISASTEROUS day.... It really is a DOOZEY! Even for my family! For a visual... my kids were green... Really! Green like the grinch green! Oy!!!

Fun Firsts Fridays

We found ourselves at the mall unexpectedly one day and we happened upon Santa! Anthony was STOKED, Madison? Not so much! Anthony bounded down the empty path (no one in line? YAHTZEE!!!) and hopped onto Santa’s lap! He went on and on and ON about all the trains he would like. His "very most favorite is a fry train with lots of fries"... Your guess is as good as mine! lol He hopped off Santa's lap and was allowed to pick an ornament to color and a pack of crayons.

When we got back to Jason and Madison, Madison INSTANTLY wanted to see Santa. Why the sudden change of heart? She saw and WANTED the crayons that Anthony received! Shockingly, she ran over to Santa, hopped on his lap, and asked for.... Crayons! lol....

Warning, these pictures stink as they are from Jason's phone....

 

No Tears This Year!

 

Easy Peasy Christmas Craft....

I made this during my MOPS meeting last week and OMG so easy and super cute.... I think anyway!

First take a clean can and put two rubber bands around the middle. Then stick candy canes under the rubber bands until you cover the entire can (you will needs about three boxes). Tie a festive ribbon around the can. Finally, fill with fresh pine.... Super easy and super CUTE!

Wordless Wednesday

The Future Oversized Sunglass Wearing Diva

For more WW: Momspective, Five Minutes For Mom, 7 Clown Circus,  MomDot, Wordless Wednesday , , Life @ 30, Three Peas in a Pod, & Conversations with Moms