He said what?!?

There are two little girls (Anthony and Taryn) that Anthony is friends with and the girls look SO similar. They could be sisters; if not twins! They are about the same size, their hair color and cut are the same, and they have very similar facial features.

Today, Taryn came over after school. As I was buckling Anthony into his carseat we had a brief and silly conversation:

A: Mom, Katie and Taryn are both girls.
S: Yes, they are both girls...
A: Mom? Maybe Katie can come over and play too.
S: Maybe one day bud, but not today...
A: But mom, they are both girls AND they share the same head!

Let's Build a Word: Word World!

NCircle Entertainment sent me a Word World: My Fuzzy Valentine DVD and let's just say I LOVE it (as do the kids) First, Word World: O.M.G! I heart this show! The animation is adorable and I LOVE how they stress Phonics! Anthony has been so into making words the past few months and Word World is a great show to foster this word building curiosity!! Madison is not a HUGE TV watcher, but Word World is one of the few shows she will sit and actually watch from start to finish!! We love some World World in this house!!

This DVD is adorable! There are two fun heartwarming episodes; "My Fuzzy Valentine" and "The Love Bug". I loved how Frog used patience, encouragement, praise, and guidance to help Bug gain the confidence he needed to learn to write his name in "The Love Bug" episode. What a good lesson for kids just learning to write!

The DVD, Word World: My Fuzzy Valentine, is a great addition to your holiday movie collection. Not only is it cute and fun, but both episodes leave viewers with a great message! It has 2 episodes and a FUN music video! The movie has been available since December 29, 2009 and has a suggested retail price of $6.99!


I would HIGHLY recommend Word World: My Fuzzy Valentine! This awesome preschool DVD can be found at Toys R Us, Amazon, or NCircle Entertainment I am sure your kids will love Word World just as much as mine!! :)

NCircle Entertainment gave me a copy of Word World: My Fuzzy Valentine to review. This did not shape or influence my review at all! This product was Kid Tested & Mother Approved :)

I'm gonna be on survivor!

well... Kinda... Ok, not really , BUT I am playing Supah's Survivor Heroes vs. Villians Game! I am pumped and I am gonna kick some butt!!! I have always wanted to be on survivor, but lets be real.... I would be the first one kicked off and my ego would not be able to handle the rejection. So instead,  I watch from the safety of my couch and say how I could do such and such so MUCH better... (insert eye roll here)

I was 4th in the lottery and I was able to pick my MOST favorite survivor EVER: Boston Rob....

Oh how I loved him! He was a "villain" but I've got a thing for those bad boys! Did you know that he and Amber are still together and now have a BABY GIRL! I love them and their whole "story" So all you survivor fans root for my Bean Town boy because I SO want to win!!!

Wordless Wednesday

The Joy of Bringing a Friend to School!

*he totally buckled "Little Bear" all by himself

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

Second Guessing

As a mom I feel like I second guess myself… A LOT! Every day decisions are to be made; some big, some small, some easy, some hard, some major, and some minor. Many of the decisions I make without thinking but others I make and continually wonder and worry if I did the right thing, made the right choice, or acted appropriately.

Currently I am in the process of deciding on a school for next year and I have continuously second guessed every idea thus far, BUT that is a whole book and I won’t bore you with that… today anyway!

Today, Anthony was a BEAR! As soon as we walked into school it started. He was a grouch, spoke rude, and would not participate in the morning opening. I encouraged him to act right! I heard him shouting at his classmates and pulled him aside. I reminded him of how he was expected to behave and warned that if he did not behave he would have to go home. Let’s just say his rudeness continued and I took him home…. (The fit he threw was NOT pretty and every person in school heard or saw it!)

Home he went. He made his choice…. He chose to miss school and lose TV and computer time for the day… However, I am the one who feels guilty. I am the one struggling with the decision I made.

I know that I DID follow through with what I threatened. I do know that his behavior was NOT appropriate and NEEDED to be corrected. I need to stop giving chances and warnings. He is 4 and knows that we do not act rude….

Was he really being THAT bad?
Was I too harsh?

This is what I struggle with as a parent. Decisions. I just wish there was a manual that explained step by step what to do! I would excel at that! :)

Who Let the Dogs Out?

NCircle Entertainment sent me the most adorable DVD to review: Puppy Party. If your children love puppies or animals, this is the movie for them! The 70 minute DVD shows all kinds of cute puppy antics while detailing facts about puppies and various dog breeds(over 25 breeds are highlighted). The footage is absolutely ADORABLE! You can't help but smile as you watch these sweet puppies playing....

My kids liked this movie, but it was not one of their favorites. (my kinds are NOT huge animal fans so I think that played an important factor) Puppy Party did keep their attention and they enjoyed it. They laughed a lot and thought the puppies were  "coot" (in Madison-eese) but it is not a movie they request to watch over and over again....

Puppy Party was available December 1, 2009 and can be found at Toys R US, Amazon or online at NCircle Entertainment. The suggested retail price is $6.99. If your kids love cute and sweet puppies then this is a great movie for you!

NCircle Entertainment gave me a copy of  Puppy Party to review. This did not shape or influence my review at all! This product was Kid Tested & Mother Approved :)

All about MEme!!!

with MommyBrain and SupahMommy

Total web-domination has really gone to Supah's head. Following in the footsteps of some other famous lady, this week SupahMommy (with a lot of help from MommyBrain) is launching her very own Book Club!

Tell us about yourself as a reader ... of books.

Imagine you're being interviewed by Oprah Supah ...

You know Oprah Supah asks the tough questions ...
***Taken from Supah Mommy

****

The not so exciting answers of a self professed BOOK WORM!

 

What are you currently reading? Catching Fire (book 2 of Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins (OMG read it!!! Fantastic series!!!)

I will read almost ANYTHING! I do not do non-fiction though... well occasionally.

Mommy Lit: LOVE it
Chic Lit: LOVE it
Trashy Jackie Collins: LOVE it
Suspense/ Murder/ Myster: LOVE LOVE and LOVE it!
Young Adult: OMG my new and current obsession



When do you find the time to read? Whenever I can which is not as often as I like! A book comes with me where ever I go, so if there is a minute to read I do it!


Where do you do most of your reading? in the car, in the tub, and I have been know to "hide" in the locked bathroom claiming explosive stomach ailments when I just need to finish one more chapter!


How do you choose what you read? browsing shelves, catchy covers ALWAYS make me peek, friends recs, and some authors I just ALWAYS read!


From where do you get most of your books? used to be from Barnes and Noble, but now as a proud Kindle owner, they are coming from Amazon! I also love when friends pass good ones my way!

What do you do with a book after you've finished reading it? I have boxes and boxes of books because none of my friends used to read.... (The only one that did ALWAYS gives me her books)Now more friends read, so I need to make sure to pass them along!


What are your book (reading) quirks? If I am so into a book, I get mad or sad when it ends. For real. Its like going through withdrawals! It makes me feel like I lost a friend.... lol I have intense feelings for books and the characters. I either love them or loathe them...

What I learned from my very first and quite possibly LAST spin class:

• My ass is three times the size of a standard bike seat
• Bike seats are hard and NOT made for comfort
• The 1/3 of my ass that actually touched a seat is bruised and may have received permanent damage
• My special spot may never be the same again
• Sweat can occur in places one would never expect
• One can be numb from the waist down with out the help of an epidural
• Yup, my love handles are still there and they were a jiggling as was 2/3 of my big ‘ol butt!

In all honesty, (without my standard dramatics) it was not a pretty picture BUT it was not detrimental or life altering. Body altering? Maybe!?! The jury is still out…

I hung in the back and I did survive. I may even return tomorrow IF I can sit! I think it was a good workout and I think it just might transform these sturdy, thick, knotty tree stumps into thin, smooth, lean branches. Thoughts? Please do share your spinning stories especially if they gave you a set of rock awesome legs and a not so saggy booty!

You can SO do this: Art Display Rails

I learned of an AWESOME project blog from my friend Sara, (let's just say I am BEGGING Jason to make me some of the pottery barn kids storage set ups!!!) and came across this tutorial… I instantly knew I had found it! 
Anthony makes these CUTE letters at school each week and I wanted to display them in the playroom, but I just was not sure how and then I saw this! I changed it up some to meet my needs, but I think it is cute! What a great way to display those PILES of art projects from preschool!!!

Jason got 3- 10 foot poplar 1 x 2’s and painted them white, He then spray painted clothes pins red. We did not take the clothes pins apart, beacuse

A. I thought it would scratch the red paint

and

B it was more work!

Once everything was dry, Jason glued the clothes pins on. It should have been easy, but our spray paint would not cure even though it sat out over night!

Finally, I watched as Jason attached them to the walls. I really like it and Anthony is SO proud to have his "masterpieces" displayed for the world to see! He can't wait to make more!

Wordless Wednesday

The problem with having more than one child?

No one EVER looks at the camera at the SAME time!

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

What to do when the temperature drops and the kids need to burn off some energy?

Jason's solution!

Back to life...

Back to reality
Back to the here and now oh yeah....

***

Now that that song is stuck in your head let me tell you my tale...

Last night some girlfriends and I went out looking for laughs and fun times dancing the night away…. First we went to a bar about 20 minutes from here and it was supposed to be So. Much. Fun. Hmmm… maybe if you are into the whole line dancing let’s be cowgirl type thing. Me? Not so much! We had a drink laughed a lot and moved onto the next place!

Now, that’s what I am talking about… Great music. Tasty drinks. A dance floor. We were in business… My friends and I were shakin it and having tons of fun when I was struck by how old I really am… I glanced over my friend’s shoulder and spied these two SUPER young girls. OMG! I just wanted to cover them up!!! The va-jay-jays were showing their dresses were so short and they were basically having sex on the floor for attention! GROSS! At that moment I realized just how out of my element I was… Maybe I frequented classier joints (insert eye roll. I heart dive bars / clubs) 5 years ago, but when I was the “going out queen”, I was never privileged enough to see that little scene! (gag)

As I drove home, I was just so happy. I LOVE my little life and the little bubble I am in even if some would find it boring and redundant…

As I climbed into bed I mentally calculated how many precious hours of sleep I had before the minis would come bounding in. Just as my head hit the pillow, I heard the screams! Madison… I quickly pop out of bed and rush to her room before she wakes Anthony. All she needed was a quick kiss… Back to bed and dreamland for me…

About an hour later I was ripped from my sleep by gagging sounds. Anthony barges into my room leaving a trail of vomit behind him…. The barf was EVERYWHERE! He proceeded too vomit all night morning long. At one point all over me! As I was dry heaving cleaning it up the fourth time at 5:30 this morning. The PERFECT song popped into my head….

Back to life

Back to the present time

Back from a fantasy, yeah

And people think my life is boring! Ha!!!

Top Ten Reasons its Been a GREAT Week:

• My house is clean and has stayed clean with minimal effort
• I have been to the gym 4 times this week and have had 4 great workouts (I will be there tomorrow too!)
• Madison has not wet the bed
• We had a family date and went to see The Princess and the Frog
• Jason helped pack up all the Christmas stuff and organized the basement
• The kids have kept the playroom PICKED UP
• I did not shed a single tear when I had a cavity filled (This is HUGE TRUST ME!!!! I did cheat and have nitrous though....)
• I have been on time ALL week
• I finally feel on my A game

and the number ONE reason this has been an awesome week?

• Anthony had an awesome week at school! No time outs and awesome listening!!! His teacher thinks he has finally "got it".... (I am so hoping this behavior continues!!!!)

We interrupt this program to bring you a little of the real me

I just want to take a moment to discuss me. Not my cutie patooties. Just crazy old me… A real part of me that no one really sees…. I have anxiety. Not that I just worry or that I am nervous, but real anxiety…. Heart pounding, chest tightening, hyperventilating, irrational anxiety.

I can remember the first panic attack I have ever had. I was in 9th grade and I smoked pot (I know….) with a bunch of friends. I got so PARANOID that I hyperventilated and passed out…. Talk about EMBARASSING! At the time I had NO CLUE what had happened, but looking back, I now know….

I did not have another one until college… I was a straight A student and passed everything with minimal effort until the day I received my first ever F! I died a little that day…. I just started at that paper and the huge red 36 scrawled on my pristine white paper. I did not hear my professor… A HUGE lump formed in my throat I could not swallow, I could not breath. All I heard was my heart pounding. Then it began…. The hyperventilating, the tears, the feeling of 500 pounds sitting on me not letting me move… Of course all eyes were on me and I just had to escape…. I left class, hiked across campus, all the while thinking I was dying! But no it was a full blown panic attack.

I had another one when I received my Praxis exam and saw that I passed with flying colors in every state except ONE. I failed it by one point in the only state I was going to teach in!!! Another occurred when I missed my flight due to a hold up in customs… I worry when Jason goes out or is driving home from a night shift. I fear that he is going to DIE. It is crazy and I obessess until he finally is home. Safe.

I do not have full blown attacks often… I can’t really remember the last one. It’s been a while. I do know they have increased since I have become a mother. I do experience just my heart racing, chest tightening, and difficulty catching my breath often. I hate it… I can be fine and all of a sudden it starts. Running late, missing bedtime, driving, waiting in line, taking a shower, it strikes anytime anywhere! The busier I am the worse it is…. It is really ridiculous, and sadly it is getting worse…

I am hoping to relax more, de-stress my life some, and stop all my rushing about and see if that helps because it is really starting to annoy me. I hate how it makes me snippy, crabby, and so unreasonable… So there you have it…. Now watch out or I may just start hyperventilating! lol

Wordless Wednesday

Sleeping Beauty

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

Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone’s holidays were fun filled! We had a super winter break and I am so sad to see it end! Our break was BUSY, but it was so NICE! My parents came to visit, we went to a local train museum (Anthony was in HEAVEN), we went to the movies, and visited with our second family! (we had a few days of a never ending fever, but FINALLY that is GONE!) All in all, it was perfect!

Tomorrow we are back to the grind, with preschool, ballet, and all the other day to day “stuff” that keeps me running from sun up to sun down… I love the kids activities and think they are great, but I miss our lazy jammie days at home. I feel like our time together is just so rushed now…. The first half of the school year was spent always on the GO and it stresses me out!

I have made two New Years resolutions this year (well along with the good old standards lose weight / eat better) and I hope they help me have a better and less stressful second half of the school year!

Resolution Numero Uno: ORGANIZATION


I have found this planner tool to help me stay organized at home. Since school began, I feel like my house is in constant disarray and laundry is ALWAYS piled up…. I hope this “schedule” helps me stay on task and allows me to no longer stress at the condition of the house!

Resolution Numero Dos: Stay HOME

I have promised myself that one day a week we will stay home…. We will not leave for anything (aside from death or dismemberment). We will have a jammie day and just chill out and hang together….

Now as long as I can stick with them, we SHOULD be smooth sailing until May (aka: freedom the end of the school year!) I hope everyone has an awesome 2010!