tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84853388878815039892024-02-07T15:53:02.732-05:00Don't Look at Me in That Tone of Voice!Seeing the Humor in Motherhood...one tantrum at a time.*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-87677373526903753722013-03-05T20:16:00.003-05:002013-03-06T06:32:20.728-05:00Near Death-and other Walmart ExperiencesYesterday I managed to get the hubs to agree to keep the boys home while I took our daughter to her weekly appointment. After the appt we used the rare opportunity to go to the store. Alone. No little boys to make inappropriate fart jokes or show us freshly picked boogers. Alleluia!!<br />
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As we walked into the store daughter convinced me to let her sit in one of those HUGE buggies with the big plastic toddler seats. I despise those things yet was feeling unusually agreeable and generous since I wasn't lugging an enormous baby and refereeing arguments and forgetting what I went into the store for. Our conversation was limited due to the noise coming from that buggy, which was comparable to a freight train. The buggy and I also took out two separate displays, a rack of clothes, and a shelf of chips...but I digress.<br />
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We had a short list: large envelopes, coffee creamer, hamburger buns, and socks-so poor daughter could finally stop wearing her brother's. Of course, being at Walmart mandates over-spending at least $20 (how do they DO that?). So we added a few <s>unnecessary</s> little things to our buggy and headed to check-out. Here is some little-known trivia about me:<br />
It never fails, no matter how short the line appears, I always-ALWAYS-pick the longest line. Someone has a problem, the cashiers are changing shifts, whatever-I always wind up in the line that takes forever. We walked out of the store about 30 minutes later than I had anticipated. We walked out of the door, diligently looked both ways before heading into the parking lot, as I always do. A car was coming down the lane in front of the store. I was nearly halfway across the street and I noticed she wasn't coming to a stop at the end of the parking row she was driving down. She totally California rolled right towards us! I heard myself yell, "STOP!!" and felt my body move to the right in order to grab my daughter. It did not happen in slow motion the way some events tend to transpire. This was real time. I went on auto-pilot. I don't know about anyone else, but often times my mind wanders and I imagine certain scenarios and how I would react...a house fire or robbery for example. I never envisioned how I would react to nearly being run over. The experience taught me that it doesn't matter what you think you will do. Your instincts will react, not your brain. <br />
Getting back to my story: I noticed that she wasn't stopping, but there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't stop, she would hit us anyway. I couldn't back up, I couldn't run, the cart was too big to get out of the way fast enough. So I just yelled and tried to grab my child out of harm's way. By the time I heard the thud of the car making contact with our buggy it was too late for me to grab my girl. The buggy was being pushed into me by the car; I didn't have time to think about anything. This sounds counter-intuitive, but I forced the buggy forward, towards the car, hoping to at least cause some damage with my last breaths on Earth. <br />
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Finally the old lady realized she was literally plowing down a young mother in front of her own child and slammed on the brakes. She rolled her window down and said, "I'm sorry, the light blinded me..". My normal self would have chewed her a new one for not stopping before proceeding into where pedestrians cross, but my heart was pounding so hard and all I could think of was how happy I was that my guts didn't have to be scraped off the Walmart parking lot...what an undignified way to go. <br />
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Thank God my kid forced me to push her in that ridiculous vehicle. I honestly believe the sheer volume is what kept her from being injured. A regular buggy may have been overturned or not made enough of an impact to alert the lady to stop in time. <br />
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After checking to make sure my girl was unscathed (she was completely oblivious to how unnerving the incident was), I continued to our car. It was then I came back to reality and noticed the crowd that had gathered. Store managers, passersby- so many people ran over to check on us. It dawned on me that I should feel embarrassed, so I did. I stole a quick glance around and noticed women holding their chests and mouths agape, employees looking around, presumably looking for the old lady. I high-tailed it to the car to escape the attention and catch my breath. <br />
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While waiting for my heart rate to return to normal I received a text. My husband. Under the caption, "Guess what you missed" were pictures of my son with his first missing tooth! He looks so cute; the one right beside it is very wobbly so it is considerate of him to provide me with an encore. ;)<br />
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That's what I get for trying to sneak away. *kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-43443504727657926482013-02-28T19:30:00.000-05:002013-02-28T19:30:32.384-05:00Farewell, Pope BenedictFor nearly a week we have been battling the sickies. The females of the family have been spared while the weak men have succumbed to the runny nose, disgusting hacking cough and, most recently, fever. <br />
Over the weekend I harbored high hopes that all these days spent resting (read: doing not much besides watching TV) would be rewarded with healthy children by the time the last day of February arrived. <br />
After the worst night that we've had in a looong time, the last day of February has arrived....today. They are still sick. Sigh. <br />
Today is a historical day: Pope Benedict said "Farewell" to the Vatican and his Papacy, spoke encouraging words to the Cardinals whom are tasked with electing our new Pope, and flew via helicopter to live the rest of his days out of the public eye. <br />
Viva Papa Benedicto!! <br />
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I feel the need to impress upon my children the importance of this day (the last time this happened was over 600 years ago after all) so I made sure to acknowledge the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter on Feb. 22 by taking a virtual tour of St. Peter's Basilica (paying special attention to the Chair, of course), and making an <a href="http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/2011/02/edible-chairs-for-feast-of-chair-of-st.html">after-breakfast craft</a> from Catholic Cuisine. <br />
The craft was a hit and over the next several days I searched sites and blogs looking for something special to do to explain to the kids how the process of electing a new Pope works. I had more time than usual to search since I was more or less trapped in the House of Germs and Sickness, stuck wallowing in my inability to accomplish anything on the Couch of Misery. I came across this <a href="http://www.catholicinspired.com/2013/02/learning-about-election-of-new-pope.html">cute conclave smoke craft </a>on Catholic Inspired. On Monday, during my daughter's speech appointment, I took the free time to yet again look for Pope projects/activities. Lo and behold! A Cathloic-homeschooling-blogging-momma had just finished posting about the<a href="http://showerofroses.blogspot.com/2013/02/papal-unit-study.html"> lap book</a> she created for her children. What an amazing find, and just in time!<br />
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This morning, while trying to soothe a miserable, crying (not to mention GINORMOUS) baby, I was bound and determined to make this lap book and start the unit study. So I set to work printing, folding, and cutting. Usually I would welcome help from my "students", however I wanted to keep our stuff as snot-free as possible so I decided to go it alone.<br />
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Finally, after literally HOURS doing tasks which would have normally taken mere minutes, the lap book is complete and ready to work with. Yay! And I get bonus points for doing it with one hand...while wiping gross noses...and obsessively washing my hands...and washing load upon load of germ-laundry......<br />
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Ours doesn't look quite as pretty as the blogger's of course, but that's okay. And I changed it up a bit to better suit my kids. Absolutely amazing resource.<br />
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The conclave craft will have to wait as there is no way humanly possible to accomplish anything else today.<br />
I want them to enjoy it so I think we will wind up waiting until after we can all get a decent nights' sleep. ;) <br />
Which feels an eternity away...<br />
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*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-1872047793923641422013-01-21T06:23:00.001-05:002013-01-21T10:25:24.457-05:00The Dishwasher<br />
My husband generously watched the children so I could meet up with a friend. We chatted for a long time and walked around the lake. It was much needed and if you know me personally you know I just don't do things like that...pretty much ever. <br />
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When I returned to the house I found that the older kids hadn't budged from their technology, number 3 was chillin in the hot tub with a nutritious bag of cheese doodles (seriously), and number 4 was scooting around butt naked. This is actually a win in my book because I have left and returned in the past to find the state of affairs to be much, much worse. <br />
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I am fairly sure the following narration of the thoughts in my head happens to other moms as well. Either that, or I have a raging case of ADD:<br />
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I got to work putting things back in order and de-zombifying the two eldest children, de-cheese doodling the third, and de-nakeding the fourth. <br />
After that I tackled the house, which honestly wasn't too bad. <br />
I had started the dishwasher before I left so I began unloading and putting the now clean dishes away while baby was sitting on the floor playing in the Tupperware cabinet. As I sorted silverware I couldn't help but notice how messy the drawer had become. I emptied and straightened it. But it wasn't good enough. So naturally, I busted out the cereal boxes, tape, scissors, and wrapping paper and "built" little compartments. But 15 minutes into the project I got distracted by all the clutter so I had to put some things away in order to give my "drawer mess" the space it needed. My hand came into contact with a box of brownies....mmm, brownies....we need brownies....they can bake while I work. The kids caught wind of the brownie-making and fought like starving dogs over the bowl. Brownie mix on the floor, yes I need to get that right away before it gets tracked onto the carpet. On my hands and knees cleaning the brownie mix somehow, before I realize what is happening, I've made my way around the entire room with the towel. The bowl....spoons in the sink...the dishwasher. That's right, I should finish unloading he dishwasher so I can put the dirty dishes in there. Back to the dishes. Oh plates....I should make the kids a snack since I have neglected them all morning. Ahh, more dirty dishes, I really need to finish putting those dishes away.....oh cups...yeah, I'm thirsty, I should make some tea. Mmm, tea. Let me put this in the fridge. Ew that shelf is pretty sticky, I'll just wipe it down. Oh what the heck, I'm already here I may as well wipe down the other shelves. Yikes, what is that it looks kind of like bird poo...birds are creepy...the way they look at you...grr stop thinking about birds and get back to work. Well, before I can get back to work I need to change diapers and entertain little people. Well, that was fun--Back to my messy drawer project. Wow, this is looking so much better! Almost finished, yay. Hmm I will put the straws right here, huh. Looks pretty empty; we definitely need to restock the straws. Let me just jot that down on my list. My list. Yeah I should take a quick walk around the house and see what else needs to go on the list-good idea! Back to the kitchen. Woohoo look at that organization. I'm stoked. All that is left to do is empty the sink of these dirty dishes...oh wait, that's right I need to finish putting the clean ones away first. Wow, look at the time. How in the world did it take me 3 hours to unload the stinking dishwasher!?!?<br />
*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-71330051286713907182013-01-19T06:59:00.002-05:002013-01-19T06:59:19.818-05:00Running Errands<div>
I was cleaning up my blog a bit and came across this unpublished draft. It is dated 2010 so the kids were 1, 4, and 6. <br />
I remembered the otherwise forgettable day as I was reading it...this is why I blog (and why I am bummed I don't make time to write more); one day these memories will be here for my kids to read and feel immense guilt for what they have put their dear momma through.<br />
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My computer has been sick lately so I decided to take advantage of the warranty and send it in for repair or replacement. Before sending it in I wanted to get my precious photographs from the hard drive since I am stupid and never bothered to back them up before now. I am too busy with kids to do it myself so I paid someone else to do it for me. The peace of mind knowing it is finally done is worth every penny. :)</div>
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Earlier in the week I decided to bring the laptop in. I dropped it off, treated myself to a rare breakfast out with my darlings, and ran my errands while we were already dressed and out of the house. Then we came home and enjoyed the hot afternoon in the pool together. My helpful hubby happily picked up the laptop on his way home from work and we all relaxed around the supper table eating and sharing anecdotes from our day.<br />
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That's how the day was planned in my head. This is how it went down in reality:<br />
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We woke up and the children immediately started arguing and yelling amongst themselves. We did a school project in a vain attempt to distract their attention from bickering. It took me 10 minutes to set up the supplies for the craft and about 3 minutes for them to complete the craft and move onto something else. Then another 15 minutes of clean up. After we finished school (Sarah actually did rather well and sat for 45 minutes straight practicing handwriting and flashcards), we got dressed. By "dressed" I mean "found the least offensive ensembles that we could off of the floor". It felt much, much later than it was. The clock my room claimed it was just after 10 am so I loaded the kids in the carseats and headed into town. It was only then I realized someone had pushed the hour button on my clock and it was really only 9 am. An hour before the stores open. Too much time to sit there and wait, not enough to just go back home. WOOHOO-Hardee's breakfast!! I decided against eating inside the restaurant on account of all the errands I still needed to do, and the kids needed to stay somewhat presentable. So after getting food from the drive thru we sat in the car in the parking lot to eat and wait for the store to open. The kids were very excited to be treated to fast food for breakfast...so excited that they wolfed down their food in just a few minutes. I quickly grew clausterphobic as the minutes ticked by. So we went down the street to a nearby playground. Finally! The hour was up and we were loading up again when I realized the little one needed a diaper change. To my horror, and despite my begging him not to, Rick cleaned my truck. This includes taking everything not bolted down-such as diapers and wipes and spare clothing-out of the truck and putting it somewhere useless to me, like the utility room. So we were stranded at the playground with stinky baby and no way to un-stinky him. Since I needed to go to Wal-Mart anyways I figured I'd just buy diapers and wipes once I was there. So we booked it back to the mall (this was an emergency and could not wait till Wal-Mart) and went into the first department store we came upon to use their facilities. Their facilities had no baby changing table so poor Luke had to stand there in the middle of the bathroom stall while I stripped him and cleaned him up with wet paper towels. The carseat didn't do me any favors and neither did my daughter, who refused to get near Luke in order to hold his shirt up out of the way of danger. This was a messy situation. I pulled up his shorts over his naked butt, but his shirt was not salvagable. So I tied it up to cover up the "yucky" part and decided to just get my computer to the shop and count my losses and go home before any other disasters occured. While I was telling the computer guy what I needed I was silently praying Luke wouldn't pee all over the store. Fortunately, he didn't. Sarah and Patrick were occupying themselves quite nicely and I gathered them up and practically ran to the car so we could retreat to the solace of our home. Once we were all in the car Sarah sadly announced her tooth fairy money that she had in her pocket (the tooth fairy splurged on tooth #2 and gave a whole dollar!) was gone. Sigh. Back into the mall. We trapsed along and searched, but to no avail. I comforted Sarah by explaining she had made someone else's day by giving him or her the chance to find a dollar on the ground. Sarah had to learn the hard way to be more careful with special things like money...she wasn't able to buy the gum she had her heart set on.<br />
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I was so happy when we pulled up into the safety of our driveway. I got the half naked boy out of the car and we went inside for a nice bath (yes, it was so bad that he needed one). By that time four hours had gone by and all I had managed to do was drop off the laptop and spend/lose a dozen dollars.<br />
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THIS is exactly why we hardly ever leave the house. ;)</div>
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*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-873872501881064622013-01-18T11:27:00.001-05:002013-01-21T06:17:16.714-05:00Pinterest FridayOur craft this morning was puffy paint. <br />
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Equal parts flour (2 tbsp is what I used) and salt. Mix in a couple of drops of food coloring and just enough water to make a paste. Once the kids have finished their paintings microwave for 30 seconds. <br />
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It turned out nicely! Definitely worth the 2 minutes of prep time. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61guQ4jjMGu4AxhkbZ8_W32OhEwEiCt2dLNJgC1XkE5onYwvTyRAhZPTEpN6lgry93MhyygLImk7ad-CZXqk7GqIcVFa0vnjMuxK0cp1E2CV7UGGg-yNaclcL7jwYPQSW3UBEsy9weF0/s640/blogger-image-929255413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61guQ4jjMGu4AxhkbZ8_W32OhEwEiCt2dLNJgC1XkE5onYwvTyRAhZPTEpN6lgry93MhyygLImk7ad-CZXqk7GqIcVFa0vnjMuxK0cp1E2CV7UGGg-yNaclcL7jwYPQSW3UBEsy9weF0/s640/blogger-image-929255413.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY5xdhJZTYEr7doiTet-AM6heRBbUSH8UXzmhZZ8j3pZ6pRSTcDgzsrFPk8gJKqv8hrcQ22Mt6BXdKyA7V9bA2bmThhbB07lBYRW7Qxu9RIPYBOKa5rwDHd9-HDv4bvn9ZVzoFRXMSvY/s640/blogger-image--389473330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY5xdhJZTYEr7doiTet-AM6heRBbUSH8UXzmhZZ8j3pZ6pRSTcDgzsrFPk8gJKqv8hrcQ22Mt6BXdKyA7V9bA2bmThhbB07lBYRW7Qxu9RIPYBOKa5rwDHd9-HDv4bvn9ZVzoFRXMSvY/s640/blogger-image--389473330.jpg" /></a></div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-55776768716605206432013-01-18T10:32:00.001-05:002013-01-19T21:27:02.600-05:00Another App RecommendationStack the States. <br />
Worth more than the 99 cents I paid for it. Once your child has mastered the 50 states (some light trivia, capitols, location, and flags) there is another app-Stack the Countries-to keep up the geography knowledge. I admit it: I was totally embarrassed how much I did not know. <br />
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My 3 year old plays even though for the most part he's just guessing randomly. He is being exposed to the information and is having fun at the same time. And in my opinion that is what makes an effective educational app! He can identify several states now. My 6 year old knows nearly all of the flags, some capitols, some geography, and all names of the states. My 8 year old can properly place the states on a map in just over one minute. I (shame shame, I know...) have not exposed them to any Geography with the exception of one Florida unit study. They enjoyed it so much that I searched and found this app. <br />
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Go get it if you haven't already! :)<br />
*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-3443755739574131402013-01-02T09:02:00.001-05:002013-01-02T09:27:21.126-05:00Chore App Shout-OutI have been searching Pinterest for chore chart ideas for literally months. I needed something that would actually WORK. I have made schedules and chore charts many times over the years, and it never fails-within 37 minutes of creating and displaying them they are forgotten, ignored, or otherwise useless. <br />
Finally, my chore chart dilemma has been solved! The answer came in the form of an app by Appdads. Chore Cards features a boy and girl tiger completing their tasks. It is customizable and this is the seriously awesome part:<br />
Once you customize chores for your child(ren) you are then able to email the list and print scan cards onto card stock. The kids (or yourself) can then scan the completed task for a point reward (also fully personalize able ). They can redeem their earned points for rewards. <br />
We have been using this system for just a couple of weeks. I honesty thought once the novelty wore off, you know, after a scan or two, the chores would stop being completed. Nope. It has become a habit and I have actually had to re-assign days to include everyday (as opposed to only certain days) because they are so eager to earn points. <br />
Examples of my rewards are 30 minutes on Wii, 30 minutes on iPad, a trip to the Dollar Store to pick out a prize, and ice cream. If they can go an entire day without fighting they get the mother load 50 points and earn cash to spend or save as they choose. This has yet to happen. Almost certainly never will. <br />
A few things I do not like about the app:<br />
It is too easy for young kids to accidentally reset the chore lists, or rewards, etc. I wish there were some sort of password or...something to prevent this. I also had trouble printing onto business card template which the instructions provided. I am sure someone more technologically inclined could figure this out, but I opted to just print on card stock color coded for each child. <br />
Here is the link to the app; I hope you find is as helpful as I did/do!<br />
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https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chore-cards/id510270097?mt=8 <br />
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<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEspofzaLDrQWs5rdYYkulX-djtOen1GNnfxBemJrHQmH9XPggpb1Cku8MzQrMIhXXxltHcg0pYYB6gr4CvMj85I_Ih-4eJV8gcQqZS3Fr0PQOOsLLV_kpsfcT_GC1DBmViG-n2kKKSg4/s640/blogger-image--343347321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEspofzaLDrQWs5rdYYkulX-djtOen1GNnfxBemJrHQmH9XPggpb1Cku8MzQrMIhXXxltHcg0pYYB6gr4CvMj85I_Ih-4eJV8gcQqZS3Fr0PQOOsLLV_kpsfcT_GC1DBmViG-n2kKKSg4/s640/blogger-image--343347321.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-hjozUIZZ6mvZKghW9wZ_QYqEChtN75UtW9UZe8pzg3_ixwUEncKcgV6zNqcKT6ZSaRyiv7i4kcaRoSh3zoBY9xh877n_I_aVuaEr265Xvhrw4d1XB0ihNROw6-RZ_syAU_Gqf0xDoo/s640/blogger-image--1309195391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-hjozUIZZ6mvZKghW9wZ_QYqEChtN75UtW9UZe8pzg3_ixwUEncKcgV6zNqcKT6ZSaRyiv7i4kcaRoSh3zoBY9xh877n_I_aVuaEr265Xvhrw4d1XB0ihNROw6-RZ_syAU_Gqf0xDoo/s640/blogger-image--1309195391.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirItnDDeceJ1tjxFaIodxu4tyVr_ws5z2XQ2XVjzPHu-GjDX867HGc1wfrwMuDjlhhtpPDPSKZH1qBTZXiZ7DMPQZh9Sso1l516tGifgd3WbEvyPLwgRkSvGcCDQIndTd4RZx6fbcNReA/s640/blogger-image-1080919768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirItnDDeceJ1tjxFaIodxu4tyVr_ws5z2XQ2XVjzPHu-GjDX867HGc1wfrwMuDjlhhtpPDPSKZH1qBTZXiZ7DMPQZh9Sso1l516tGifgd3WbEvyPLwgRkSvGcCDQIndTd4RZx6fbcNReA/s640/blogger-image-1080919768.jpg" /></a></div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-39494779369148511442012-12-20T11:26:00.001-05:002012-12-20T11:32:39.566-05:00Crafts and FunOrnaments:<br />
Today we woke up and decided to spend the day celebrating the Advent season by making some Christmas-y things. At 6:15 am we prepared some salt dough (3 cups flour, 1cup salt, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp oil). I had intentions of doing it last night so the boring part would be done with before the kids woke up, but I somehow was distracted by the TV and before I knew it, it was past my bedtime. We started and while I kneaded the dough, I sent the boys on a search through the play dough supplies to find Christmas cookie cutters. We rolled out our dough and cut out about a dozen and a half trees, candy canes, stars, stockings, gingerbread men, and bells. Then we stuck them in the oven at 7 am for 2 1/2 hours at 150 degrees. All the moisture has to be out or else they will break and make people cry...yes, I know this from previous experience. <br />
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Florida kids' "Snow":<br />
While we waited for the ornaments to dry/cook/harden we decided to try out some "fluffy stuff" I saw on Pinterest. It's 1 can of shaving cream (I used the 99 cent foam stuff) and 2 boxes of cornstarch. The result is a soft, moldable substance. Judging from the delighted squeals coming from the children it was a (messy) success. I couldn't get photos of the whole ordeal because I was too busy having fun and covered in white powdery mess. This turned out well; I intend to do it again for a rainy day. Did I mention it was a bit messy..?<br />
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Craft:<br />
Finally the ornaments were satisfactorily dried out and we brought all of our supplies out to the driveway. Paints, glitter, brushes, water, and many paper towels. I did not help them decorate their ornaments so that they are genuinely the kids' own; they have finished painting their ornaments, sprinkling them with glitter, and mod podging them, and are waiting for them to dry. Now we are hopefully going to bake some giant chocolate chip cookies to bag up in cute reindeer and Santa gift bags. I printed a template last year from the FamilyFun website. They will be our gifts to our sweet neighbors whom care for our kitties when we are gone throughout the year, and a few other friends. <br />
I will post pics later with the finished product. :)<br />
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Today may also be a day we are trying to see how many baths kids can take in one day. Oh, it's not even noon yet! ;)<br />
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<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5V13RrzcwZMtG4Y59oQmAGevpXGFAc2Vaa1UNoN3bhYXSq73U8qQJ2GUbFB1JL9KaEzBQN0gnIr8t6VXiA6QU64BuQiXzDzqE_qrisPXG2ny6uEOQpexeCpttjNpZudnXR-n2KzhLQ0/s640/blogger-image--552811771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5V13RrzcwZMtG4Y59oQmAGevpXGFAc2Vaa1UNoN3bhYXSq73U8qQJ2GUbFB1JL9KaEzBQN0gnIr8t6VXiA6QU64BuQiXzDzqE_qrisPXG2ny6uEOQpexeCpttjNpZudnXR-n2KzhLQ0/s640/blogger-image--552811771.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshfQmSn8I-70KTRTm5dGHOn1OI3zDZHTY4ebMFoldBGoQ7L5SI27MloWBORZb7AtrsXuBJsB_WmM9gFQslairHgFtTUi6506JzCIcP2CvSRKsu2f7vsl5QkvARjQbiFlBlsll16trE1I/s640/blogger-image-127533403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshfQmSn8I-70KTRTm5dGHOn1OI3zDZHTY4ebMFoldBGoQ7L5SI27MloWBORZb7AtrsXuBJsB_WmM9gFQslairHgFtTUi6506JzCIcP2CvSRKsu2f7vsl5QkvARjQbiFlBlsll16trE1I/s640/blogger-image-127533403.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ5PgTP-MCh7m5k6YUVNgU0JD1sgOsjsxLyzu6csNijB3T4zHVP-WHfxegxFOaUuSV31bUBmNSUzw8CMBMC3U5q_-5OEJtzi_bzqGgAZZ3-tTckY0rAljNj1xPf6jAjhA-fam7mRGlMQ/s640/blogger-image--950259118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ5PgTP-MCh7m5k6YUVNgU0JD1sgOsjsxLyzu6csNijB3T4zHVP-WHfxegxFOaUuSV31bUBmNSUzw8CMBMC3U5q_-5OEJtzi_bzqGgAZZ3-tTckY0rAljNj1xPf6jAjhA-fam7mRGlMQ/s640/blogger-image--950259118.jpg" /></a></div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-63711568383138016552012-10-26T06:49:00.000-04:002012-10-26T06:49:08.708-04:00Stroll Around the BlockThe weather has been nothing short of beautiful; the two glorious weeks of nice weather in between Summer and Winter (known as "Fall" to most people) is my favorite time of year. Something happens to me-energy reserves are tapped into, I discover renewed motivation and things seem...better.<br />
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We walk a lot during the nice weather. We live in a subdivision; if we walk aaalllll the way around the "block" it equals one mile. We look at bugs, cracks in the road, and the houses. The kids pick up sticks that are in the shape of guns. We talk about things going on in our lives. I usually think we are having a deep, meaningful conversation, one which they will look back on in adulthood with gratitude and appreciation. Then somebody farts and the conversation breaks down into shrieks of delight and a 10 minute digression about all things fart-related. </div>
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The other day I decided the kids and I could really use one of our walks to escape the grouchies. So we stuck the baby into the stroller and set out. Due to an unfortunate combination of being Floridians and genetics, the older children opted against wearing shoes. A decision that would cost us two minutes of plucking stickers from their feet shortly after leaving the house. We were admiring the neighbors' Halloween decorations and discussing our upcoming trip to Orlando when we came up to a squashed snake. We had to examine it's disgusting remains for what seemed like an eternity before moving along. I can only stare at fly-infested snake guts for so long so it seemed like an ideal time to sneak a peek at my phone. </div>
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The snake's novelty eventually faded, and I tucked my phone away. We made our way down the third street of our walk. Just as we approached the point to turn onto our street I realized my phone was gone. No! Nooooooo.</div>
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Sigh. I debated how badly I wanted an upgrade anyway with how many un-backed up photos and ultimately chose to turn around to find it. Right as we turned around the baby decided that precise moment was as good as any to relieve himself of the poop he'd been saving up for two days. He is not fond of hanging around in dirty diapers so he immediately started fussing. I picked him up. Let's just say: blowout. All you moms know what that means without me giving lovely details. This was bad. <br />
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I had to push the stroller while holding a crying, fat, poop-covered baby. The school buses were apparently making their stops too because we were literally run off the road by a lunatic driver. We made it all the way back 3/4 of a mile to the snake carcass, and no phone. At that point, we had back-tracked so far that it made more sense to keep going in that direction to make it home. <br />
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Finally, I could see our house. Home, sweet relief, HOME! I made it into the house, slumped on the floor, and pried my wet-from-sweating pants off. I cleaned the baby and fixed him up. Our air-conditioner is broken so I stood in front of the fan in my bedroom and waited until I regained some feeling other than burning muscles in my left arm. Yes, where I live a "cool Fall day" is still 87 degrees plus 90% humidity. Still drenched in sweat, hair frizzed out in every direction, and poop on me, I went out to the living room where the kitchen door is in full, plain view. The kids were so thoughtful and opened the door for the yard man. That's right-rewind a bit to the part where I had to peel my clothes off because I was so stinking hot. That's right-there is no part about me putting new bottoms on. Other than not being able to ever look the yard guy in the eyes again, I'm fine.<br />
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*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-19245670125362017232012-10-07T06:30:00.000-04:002012-10-07T06:30:20.299-04:00I am trying to make a habit of asking the kids questions just to hear their answers; the hard part is remembering to write it down! <br />
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The other day I asked Patrick and Luke (daughter was away at a sleepover): "If you could fly, where would you go?" After a moment of consideration my answer was, "I'd fly around everywhere so I could see what stuff looks like from up high". I thought it was a pretty good answer.<br />
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Luke decided he would go to "outer space" so he could "touch stars and see the moon up close".<br />
Patrick answered right away, without appearing to even give any thought, "NEVERLAND." <br />
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<br />*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-3674399607145016972012-09-30T07:22:00.000-04:002012-10-05T08:47:08.409-04:00Baby #4: Birth Story (Finally!)Wow, I have neglected my poor blog...<br />
I have grandiose plans of staying up after the kids go to sleep and getting massive amounts of stuff done. Reality is that the new kiddo stays up till about 10 and by that time all I want to do is crawl into my bed and sleep for a few measly hours before I am up and at 'em, back to work. <br />
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I have to admit: number 4 has by far been the easiest adjustment. He is a mellow little guy, goes with the flow. I want to get my birth story out before I forget it completely, so here it is.<br />
A word of caution-If you cannot handle birth stories and the details that go along with them this blog entry is not for you and you should go ahead and move on NOW. :)<br />
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My official "due date"-I hate that word-was March 19th. I knew the entire time I would go passed that as all of my babies were quite comfy and waited. I really, really wanted March 27th as the birthdate (basically, because all of my boys would have a "7" in their birthdays, and also I like odd numbers, and that day was a Tuesday, and the other kids were all born on Tuesdays...yeah, I know...). So I decided to have the baby that day. Much like my third pregnancy, I spent the latter months in a bit of pain, discomfort, but overall good spirits and complication-free. I opted to be "surprised" and not find out if we were adding a boy or girl, but deep down I felt he was a "he". (Psst! I was right!)<br />
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On Sunday, March 26, I somehow willed my mammoth proportions out of bed after a horrible night of "sleep". I got maybe 4-5 (non-consecutive) hours, but I figured I'd just go to bed early that night and go into labor the next day. That did not happen. I was starting to get the kids ready for bed that evening, and noticed I was having my usual Braxton Hicks contractions. By the time the kids were in bed it was around 7 pm and I decided to sit down and see if the contractions were going to turn into the real deal. They did, and I let my friend (we'll call her Sussie, heh) know that things were happening so she could be prepared to come over when it was time. I called her around 10 pm and told her I didn't think the baby was coming yet, but maybe she could come just to make sure she and the kids (her 3 kids) settled in for the night, and also for the labor support. <br />
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I also called the midwife to give her a heads-up; she ridiculously told me to "get some rest". Oh, sure, lady I'll just go fall into a deep sleep and ignore the raging adrenaline and more-than-mild contractions...no prob! Needless to say, there was no way to rest. I called her back at my hubby's insistence because the contractions were picking up. Not being my first rodeo I knew it was too early to call, but he is a typical man and was panicking at the possibility-no matter how remote-of having to deliver a baby alone. So I made the call (I felt silly) and she began the hour process of gathering the other midwives and driving to our home. <br />
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Sussie beat the midwives here of course, and I think I remember sparing a wave to her sweet children before retreating to my happy place in my mind where no one was around but myself. I'm not sure what happened to the kids, but apparently they made themselves scarce/went to sleep, because the next thing I knew Sussie was rubbing my back and we were chatting a little between pains. When the entourage (two calm midwives and a sweet barely-English-speaking student) arrived, they set up their tray of supplies, dumped pillows and blankets on the couch, checked me out, and generally made themselves at home while I labored in various places on my living room floor. (If you haven't gathered by now, I had a planned homebirth).<br />
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At some point in the middle of the night all of my support fell asleep (thanks, y'all! haha), and I roamed around the house I suppose, searching for some magical location to make my pain disappear. Once, I noticed I had somehow wound up in my bedroom, with the footrest from my rocking chair as a support. Sussie was asleep in a heap next to me; she must have looked for me and once I was found my breathing put her to sleep again..? Sometime after that I realized the contractions were painful enough to warrant waking someone up, and I crawled-literally-back to the living room. It looked like a weird sleep-over; grown women scattered on the floor and couch snuggled in blankies. <br />
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I opted to wake the student and right as I was about to cling to her for dear life she opened her eyes and realized I needed support. Over the course of the next 5-10 minutes everyone woke up and checked on me; I think it was around 5:30 am. I have no idea when the six children woke up, but I do remember seeing some of them running around and peering in on me occasionally throughout the morning. I wound up on the back patio in and out of the hot tub. I knew it was early morning because of the sunlight. I also know that is the point when the labor was intensifying (those familiar with birth would call it "transition" ;) ), and all modesty flew out the window. I could not care less what I looked like, how naked I was, or who saw what. It was completely up to the helpers to get me from place to place. The pain was very bad and I felt that I was ready to deliver. From my past experiences I realized that delivery was imminent, so despite the overwhelming pain I told myself it would be over shortly. The baby felt otherwise apparently...little did I know that I would stay like this for hours. <br />
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I had no idea where I would wind up for the big moment. I had visualized every place from outside (hot tub area) to the living room floor. I did not think I wanted to have him in my bed. I know...sounds weird. It honestly never showed up in my forethoughts. I did wind up in my bedroom, however-on the floor, in the bathroom, and lastly, on the bed. I kept shooing everyone away, trying to get myself together-yes, even during childbirth I need to be in control of myself, haha. I spent so much time in the bathroom, moving between the shower and the toilet. The women tried to help-they must have switched my position 539 times and someone started praying, as if that would force me to come to my senses and get the baby out. Eventually, they gave up. I felt the change in the atmosphere. <br />
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I knew my time to get this baby out was limited at this point, and began to panic that I would be transferred to the hospital. The midwives left me alone in my bed around lunchtime while they ate lunch in the kitchen. I was exhausted. No sleep combined with a second sleepless night due to hard labor left little energy to help the baby down. He was ready, my body was ready. I was too tired. Instinctively I knew that they were debating transfer during my "alone time" so I mentally prepared myself for delivery, and when they returned to the room I told the lead midwife I did not want to go to the hospital, and I COULD do this. I tried. I failed. Baby was not coming. I remember telling someone I thought I'd do better on the bed so they hoisted my huge, exhausted body onto the bed and I made a mental note how ironic it was that I had wanted a homebirth in part for the freedom and there I was making a last-ditch effort by assuming a traditional hospital birth position.<br />
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Immediately I knew this would work. Sussie got behind me and held under my arms while I leaned back onto her, and the midwives stayed down at the important end. After a few minutes I asked for a pillow under my lower back/bottom and I felt my baby FINALLY come down. YAY! I stopped fretting about not being able to move him and focused on the miracle of childbirth. After a while of pushing and many cheers and encouragement from all of the ladies, we called for my husband and the children. My small bedroom was packed with kids-they were on the bed with me, on top of dressers vying for a good viewing spot, and at the foot and sides of the bed. It was awesome; the baby was out, on my chest...he didn't cry as he took his first breath in front of his family. He was actually really cute (no, really!), and he did eventually let out some cries. After a while the midwives cleaned him up and left us alone while they did their midwifey thing (cleaning, load of laundry, inspecting and wrapping the placenta for us to freeze, etc). <br />
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We all took turns holding him and then we got his stats:<br />
9 pounds, 8 oz and 22 1/2 inches. Born at 1:17 pm on Tuesday...just like I'd planned. ;)<br />
He remained nameless for about three or four days, and then I decided that Joseph was perfect. After three boys it was about time to honor Saint Joseph. <br />
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On Joseph's 2-week birthday we planted a satsuma (really yummy tangerine tree in our yard with the placenta. <br />
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-"Every precious gift comes from above" - James 1:17<br />
Thank you, Lord, for Joseph. :)<br />
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<br />*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-45092432000927739102012-02-29T21:20:00.000-05:002012-02-29T21:20:15.628-05:00If You're Not a Gator...Your Gator Bait!Yesterday since the hubs was off work we decided to bring some lunch to the playground we frequent and spend some time together. After we enjoyed lunch and played for a bit we headed over to the edge of the playground and walked around while the kids inspected sticks, rocks, and bugs. They destroyed a couple of ant hills and watched the chaos ensue. Eventually we made our way to the other side of the parking lot (which is not far from where we started by any means). <br />
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Hubby and I were chatting and watching the kids as they ran around the water. Luke spotted a bird in the grass, wings spread open and sun-bathing. He ran to try to capture it (yes, he honestly believes he will catch the things he goes after). Sarah was climbing on a fence, and Patrick started running laps around the water, which is exactly what he always does. In fact, the three usually have races around the water. <br />
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This time, as Patrick was running I saw him looking rather happy...then confused as he slowed to a jog...then wide-eyed as he came to a stop...then he turned around and ran back towards me. Then in an alarmingly non-chalant way, my son shouts to me as he is running at full-speed, "Alligator." My husband-at the EXACT same moment- said in an equally blase tone, "Oh, that's an alligator."<br />
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HELLO!? Yes, we are desensitized to alligators because we are from Florida, but Come. On. Patrick was literally within farting distance of that gator. If not urgency, then at least a little pep in your voices, please.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wII5OzZP6hJnCtNt0I8J974j0oEUC5f9wGnjJ-tQvq8ceI30ZF21V0Mn40V-pDqQnHAXs9mke1DT6QHqEiS6CZhb-ltB1ogg4V40SHGkqGL7Icj3rXytI5n5OHE2cImyPj6u9asw5Pg/s1600/gator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wII5OzZP6hJnCtNt0I8J974j0oEUC5f9wGnjJ-tQvq8ceI30ZF21V0Mn40V-pDqQnHAXs9mke1DT6QHqEiS6CZhb-ltB1ogg4V40SHGkqGL7Icj3rXytI5n5OHE2cImyPj6u9asw5Pg/s320/gator.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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Naturally I had to see for myself, and sure enough-alligator. I really wish I had a way of conducting an informal poll...I'm curious to see how many others this has happened to. You know, playing at the local playground and-whoops-stumble across an alligator.*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-59639047945891783952012-02-03T11:43:00.000-05:002012-02-03T11:43:38.704-05:00Why I Do Not Bank at Bank of AmericaI am not a Bank of America customer. Earlier this year we cashed some old savings bonds at one of their banks and I don't recall receiving a 1099 for our taxes so I had to call the branch to ask for guidance. They gave me the 800 number to call. My phone now says "29:13"...and counting. <br />
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So to benefit anyone else whom may find themselves on the crooked-neck side of the "hold" button, I decided to do a public service and compile a list.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Things to do While on Hold With Bank of America (...or Anyone Else)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><ul><li style="text-align: left;">File your nails. Actually-go ahead and give yourself a full-blown manicure...you'll have time.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Sort through your junk mail. Stand back. Admire your work.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Pay bills</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Write thank you notes that you've been meaning to get to, but never seem to find the time</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Clean the bathroom. This is especially nice if you have boys...or just one very shy, extremely modest boy whom freaks out if his sister opens the door on him while he's peeing. Cause then he will panic, causing the stream of urine to shoot all over the wall, into the garbage can, and flood the floor surrounding the toilet. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Write a blog post</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: left;">If you feel you have been productive enough and your house has been straightened up, or if you simply have a life outside of waiting for Bank of America to answer your damn call, then I have the secret to getting a REAL, LIVE person to answer! Just send $10 to the address below and I will share this secret with you!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Just kidding-I will divulge for free. The only way to ever speak to a person and be taken off hold is to yell loudly at your children. Don't fret-if it doesn't work immediately, just get more loud and sprinkle a profanity in there somewhere. A service representative really WILL be with you if you follow my directions. And then when they finally pick up you will not only look like a maniac, but also like a dementia patient because you've been on hold so freakin long you forgot what you were calling about in the first place.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Good luck and happy holding! </div><div style="text-align: left;">(...43:17...)</div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-84589774230607018372012-01-27T10:08:00.000-05:002012-01-27T10:08:06.174-05:00Say "Cheese"!Why does my friend text me asking for a photo of my kids at the exact moment they are literally covered in peanut butter and marker? God is mocking me for not caring enough to ensure my children do not draw on themselves or eat peanut butter out of the jar with their bare hands. Yes, it is one of those days. And then people want me to send pictures. So I'm scrounging through my old photos trying to come up with a decent group shot to send and...nothing. Not ONE single picture of all of the kids looking clean, put together, happy. Either someone is about to fight, is dirty, or eyes are shut. <br />
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I glanced at the walls trying to find a family portrait. None. None since our third was born. I am currently looking up the portrait studios' phone number to book an appointment. <br />
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One picture of dirty, colorful kids coming right up...*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-42029317131149469382012-01-19T16:27:00.000-05:002012-01-19T16:27:49.601-05:00Oh, Baby!Since I have pretty much neglected my newest belly buddy I have decided to dedicate a few posts to baby...<br />
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Here I am, in the third trimester. The holiday season is such a busy time that I told myself I would get my affairs in order "after Christmas". Unfortunately it is now "after Christmas" and I am running low on time. As in I have two months...60 days...8 weeks...YIKES. <br />
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I have yet to order my birth supplies (a homebirth requires ordering things such as lancets, umbilical ties, gloves, etc), nor have I dusted off the tiny baby clothes. Also on my to-do list: organize photos, transfer videos from the handicam to DVDs, some MAJOR nesting cleaning, and plan a birthday party for my (current) youngest. <br />
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Yes, I have done this before. I know the sentiments of mothers everywhere that the cleaning can wait. Blah, blah, blah. I <i>need</i> this stuff done. I don't want to wait another two years to have time to do it because meanwhile there will be more and more piling up. I'd really love to have a fresh start, and then in two years have just a fraction of the to-do list. See? <br />
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Yep, these posts are mostly for me. Getting my thoughts out and "on paper" so to speak will help me get crap done. One of my biggest obstacles is that even though my kiddos hit the hay by 7:30 every night, I am too tired to be productive. I literally just want to sit around, eat some bad food, watch some equally bad TV, and go to sleep myself. If I could just muster up the energy after they go to bed to accomplish something on my list I'd be okay...but NOOOO. So starting tonight I think I will dedicate an hour to baby preparations each night. No, really...I will!<br />
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Back to the original statement: I have not properly blogged about this baby! Partly because I am too busy with the rest of my life, and partly because time just ticks by unrelentingly. But I am finally ready to let new baby take over my life. First of all I am thrilled to finally get my homebirth I've always wanted. With my first two I loved my midwives (CNMs) so much that I was willing to birth at the hospital in order to have them with me. Then with my third I decided even though I thoroughly loved the midwives, it was time to have a homebirth. It didn't work out due to insurance issues-ridiculous they can FORCE you to have a birth THEY decide on-and my son was born at the hospital. I was bound and determined, even if it meant selling one of the other kids (just kidding), to have it MY way this time. No hassle of packing a bag (I always had trouble with that part somehow), no worries about childcare, no loud nurses hootin and hollering all night long. Just the peace of being in my own home with my family, being able to cuddle in my own bed, and shower without begging permission. Ahh, bliss.<br />
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I'm currently at that stage where nature tries to prepare you for the sleep deprivation that comes after the baby is born. Stupid nature must have not gotten the memo that I have been sleep-deprived for 6 years I don't need her interference. First comes the moment of pure happiness when the children go to sleep and I get to raid the kitchen for all my hidden goodies. The desire to do this is so strong there is no way I could fight it. None. After my treats and couch-potato combo the heartburn creeps up. I know it's coming before I even start snacking, but it doesn't stop me. No worries, however, because I have Tums stashed all over the house (and in the car). The real show is while I'm warming the couch watching true crime shows...which is really an unhealthy habit considering the raging hormones. I learned long ago, with my second pregnancy, that putting bowls of cereal, ice cream, or plates of cake on my belly as if it were a tray is a BAD idea. How did I learn? I was innocently eating a bowl of Lucky Charms and my daughter suddenly pushed the bowl off of my tummy and onto the floor. And me. And the couch. So I don't sit food on my bump anymore, but I do put the remote or my phone there, and every night the show in my belly is better than whatever show on TV I'm watching. It starts with the baby kicking the items off. I poke him (or her!), he pokes back. I "pet" my belly, he gets excited and squirms around. You'd think after an hour or more the wee one would be tuckered out. Nope, not MY kids. <br />
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Another one of my favorite things is letting the other kids "play" with their sibling-it really creates a bond before baby arrives. The boys will lay their heads on my belly and when they get kicked they throw themselves to the floor and say, "Whoa!" like they have actually been karate kicked to the ground. Makes me laugh every time. And my only girl, my eldest, insists that we call the baby "Baby Sarah". It doesn't matter that there is a good chance we're going to have a boy-it's Baby Sarah or nothing! On the other end of the spectrum I literally had a 20 minute discussion with my middle son about why Jack Sparrow is not a practical name for a baby. It ended with him pretty angry and shooting my ugly looks. This is new territory for me since when I had my last the other two were only 4 and 2. They didn't have opinions about names, gender, or anything else. They just knew another baby was coming, but in an abstract kind of way.<br />
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There. Now I feel much less guilty about not showering attention on the bump. Prepare to be bombarded with baby blog posts! ;)*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-68643420262531794122012-01-04T06:45:00.000-05:002012-01-04T06:45:32.133-05:00See, Kids? The "baby" Doesn't Get EVERYTHING!I was really busy putting away Christmas decorations and cleaning so I asked the kids to find something to do. The two older kids went and got their baby albums...and Luke asked, "Where's mine?" Oops. <br />
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Should I tell him that my firstborn has a scrapbook from 0-6 months, another from 6-12 months, one from 1-2 years, and then albums on top of those? Should I point out that my second child does not have any scrapbook at all, yet has photos from his first two years neatly organized into albums? And then explain that I was shorthanded (literally...I needed an extra hand!), and too tired to process photos of him, my third? I did TAKE the photos...I have a dozen memory cards somewhere in this house. I also had a million from his first few months on my phone, which was stolen (I blogged about it) before I transferred them. I have not printed a single picture of this child. Ever. He will be three in April and he doesn't have a picture of himself...unless you count the Christmas card photos...<br />
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Nah, I didn't tell him all those thoughts that flashed through my mind in less than 3 seconds. Instead I handed him an album of Patrick's and passed it off as his. He believed me and said, "Aww, that's me", and I have to admit I felt really bad. I'll get to his pictures soon...REALLY, I will!*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-2884853647642902482011-12-31T20:36:00.000-05:002011-12-31T20:36:11.455-05:00THAT'S Why You're Supposed to Call First...Why do people ALWAYS show up when it is the very least convenient? <br />
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It never fails:<br />
The children are playing peacefully with their educational, environmentally friendly toys. Their hair freshly washed and combed, teeth sparkly-white, clothes wrinkle-free and clean. The house is immaculate, smells nice, and a pie is in the oven. WHY can't people unexpectedly drop by to witness this? (Okay, yes-the answer is admittedly because "this" has never actually happened, but there are times that the kids are not fighting and we all look presentable at least.)<br />
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No, no. People want to show up when we look positively homeless. Case in point:<br />
Yesterday I was sitting in the carport happily neglecting my housework and watching the kids play. I was wearing the worst of the worst, last-resort-laundry-day clothes, my hair had not yet seen a brush...and I looked the BEST out of all of us. The youngest was your typical RV park poster child, complete with snotty nose and chocolate-smeared face. He was in head-to-toe cammo, and his "shirt" was actually pajamas. The middle child was in shorts on a chilly day, and nothing else. My daughter did her own hair hours before, and had played hard since, making it look like I stuck her head in an electric mixer. She was sitting on her bike, fruitlessly pedaling and not going anywhere since the chain was dangling pitifully and obviously broken. <br />
I did not have time to rush everyone inside, turn out the lights, and pretend we weren't available when the lady whom lives down the street slowed her car down to a pace that only meant one thing: she was stopping at our house. Let me explain that this isn't our cute, friendly old-lady neighbor from right next door. This is a woman we rarely talk to, and has earned herself a spot on my list of Top 5 Gossip Mongers I've Ever Known. The way I was positioned she could not see me and I couldn't see her. My truck was blocking me since I was sitting in a chair in front of it. Before I saw her I heard, "Where are your shoes?" and "Where is your momma...you're running around outside alone?" <br />
During our "small talk" I had to repeatedly ask child #2 to stop swinging an extension cord around like a lasso. And child #3 was pushing a stroller around (and by "pushing" I mean ramming it into the wall at top speed repeatedly), which wouldn't have been a big deal except that it is very loud, and when pushed inside a carport the sound is echoed. It was basically a white trash three-ring circus. <br />
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To make matters worse, I couldn't get out of my chair to either distract the kids or for us to walk away from the commotion because I had my legs pulled up to cover my big belly buddy. We have managed to keep the pregnancy from most of our neighbors (only the cute little old ladies next door and across the street are in on our secret). So I looked like a fabulous mom with my out of control, misbehaving, unkempt kids while I jut sat there stupidly. <br />
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Gotta love people you barely know dropping by unexpectedly. :)<br />
...It's ALMOST as bad as the Mormon boys knocking on your door while you're having a dance party with little kids in the living room and as you shamelessly do The Sprinkler they are staring dead at you through the window. And you only notice them as they walk away shaking their heads in a "that poor, lost soul" kind of way. Seriously-women whom have small children should be exempt from unannounced visitors!<br />
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Okay, I do feel better now. *kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-68910921628335152232011-12-16T21:00:00.001-05:002011-12-17T10:14:49.305-05:00Bad Day...Disney StyleWe went to Disney since daddy got two days off in a row. Our friends were going to be there the second day so we all hung out together, and I even decided to stay an extra day and catch a ride home with them. I thought the munchkins would sleep in a bit after staying up past their bedtime and running around the Magic Kingdom all day, but alas they sprang out of bed at 5:45. <br />
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We filled our bellies with "free continental breakfast", and left for the parks. The air inside Disney gates is different; it gifts one with the ability to see through a child's eyes and it's called The Happiest Place on Earth for a reason. Unless, of course, you are ME. Then you can expect a day <i>slightly</i> less magical...<br />
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We met up with our buddies at Hollywood Studios and stopped for lunch at the Commissary. Something went wrong in the kitchen so while our friends got their food, poor Rick was stuck waiting amongst a growing mob to get our meals. During the time he was waiting the rest of us were sitting at the table chatting. There was a family of two girls, a mom, and dad sitting to my right and out of the corner of my eye I noticed the mom looking at me (a feeling I am all too familiar with), and I turned towards her just in time to hear her say "...he squirted it on me...". And then I noticed she was covered in mayo. Literally from head to foot. It was on her clothes, up and down her back, and on her legs. Luke was returning her stare and was holding an empty condiment packet. My jaw dropped as I slowly put the pieces together, and I started apologizing. Luke was just sitting there nonchalantly without a clue what the fuss was over. He had some on his shirt, but nothing compared to his poor victim. He was playing with a packet of mayonnaise, and obviously he bent it at such an angle that it burst open and shot across the aisle onto the mom. I couldn't bring myself to tell her that it was all over the back of her head in her hair. After a minute or two she pointed out that it was even in the plant on the other side of their table. We all laughed about that. No wonder Americans are overweight; how much mayonnaise does one packet contain!? <br />
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After lunch we decided to see the Indiana Jones stunt show and immediately afterwards I asked Luke if he needed to go potty, to which he answered very convincingly "NO". The other kids went to go on a ride, and my kids stayed with me. The adults were talking when I heard Sarah screeching, "MOM!!!! MOM!!!! LOOK!!!!!!! OH NO, MOM!!!". She was pointing at Luke, who had the "oh no" look on his face, and a puddle forming at his feet. No one would have noticed if Sarah hadn't so kindly informed the surrounding area with her screaming and pointing. So in front of all the people around us, who were staring, I moved the stroller into a position to hide him somewhat and stripped off his wet clothes to change him into his spare outfit I always bring, but never have to use. After wiping him, changing his clothes, and putting his wet clothes into a bag, I started weighing my options. His shoes were completely soaked, dripping wet. I could either leave the park, buy shoes, and come back (by the time I did that I may as well stay at the hotel since it was getting dark already), or I could let him be that kid who runs barefoot in Disney (no), or I could spend my life's savings on shoes at a store on property (sigh, my only real option). Off we went in search of shoes...which happens to be surprisingly hard in December in Disney. Many castmembers informed us that after Summer, when the flip-flops run out of stock they are not replenished. Yay. <br />
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We finally found one store with some shoes left. As I was gaping in helpless horror at the price tags, Luke helped himself to our Coke and promptly dropped it. Coke splashed everywhere and I tried to cover the huge lake of sticky Coke with the stroller (to avoid causing someone injury) while I ran in search of paper towels. The young woman behind one of the counters got a roll of paper towels and a trash can and came over to clean up the mess. I was on the ground helping her, explaining that this was my last trip to Disney World after having passes since my middle child was 2, and I was having a hard time dealing with it. ...And that this was not the way I wanted to end my visits. Then I pointed out my barefoot, mayo-squirting, Coke-drenched child and told her we were there searching for shoes, but that they were $35, and I couldn't bring myself to spend that amount on shoes, even if they were really cute Mickey Mouse shoes. Then Luke grabbed a $20 pair of flip-flops and ripped the tag off right in front of her and I just looked at her with pathetic "I'm sorry" eyes. She said to hold on a minute, which I did because I felt downright defeated, and I was right in the middle of asking God if He was ruining my last Disney days on purpose to help me not miss it, when she reappeared and handed us the flip-flops with no charge. I was able to see the Osborne Lights once more because of the awesomeness of the Disney family. <br />
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Lots of other little things went wrong (my relentless, excruciating back pain, boys' bloody knees, rain...), but I will look back on those days with fondness and a smile. Because there's no such thing as a bad day at Disney!<br />
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*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-14506382657540764372011-11-05T21:49:00.000-04:002011-11-05T21:49:05.309-04:00Yo-Ho-Yo-Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me<div style="text-align: left;">I know by my stat counter that someone, somewhere is reading my blog. You would never guess it by the lack of comments (ahem), but the numbers don't lie so I have decided to write a post detailing the planning of my son's birthday party for any momma out there who may need some inspiration for their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lil</span> buccaneers. I relied heavily on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">internet</span> for help along the way and I wanted to pass it on. :) My hat is off to the women from the past who had to, you know, read books and talk to others for ideas. This post is for all the novice party planners like myself:</div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;">*Patrick's 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> birthday party!*</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div>I gave myself weeks for planning, yet I still didn't manage to finish <i>everything</i> I wanted to do (little final details like black streamers in the doorways and a few miscellaneous signs, etc). A problem I encountered was...STUFF! So much stuff to look at, buy, or make. I recommend creating a plan and then sticking to it! Buy your supplies and then try very hard to not add items. I kept adding to my supplies which added to my work. So a lot of the preparations waited till the last minute due to my ordering things right up until the last minute. Clearly the food had to be put off till Saturday and Sunday to prepare (the party was on a Sunday afternoon). Looking back, I really wish I had set aside time every night to go through the loot little by little because I ended up sorting through it all Sunday morning and it was stressful/took away some of the fun trying to cook and get the tables set up, PLUS do the loot bags. That was something I will do differently in the future. My thinking was that if I started earlier it would have gotten disorganized and I would have confused myself, not to mention I had new arrivals of loot daily. It was overwhelming so I dealt with it by not doing it until it had to be done. However I should have cleared out extra space somewhere safe and done it much sooner. Oops!</div><div><br />
</div><div><i><b>Tip #1: </b>Allow no less than 3 weeks to plan your party. Get the most accurate as possible head count before putting the finer details together to save money/time.</i><br />
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</div><div>As true Disney (and particularly Pirates of the Caribbean) lovers, the theme of the party had been decided years ago. Patrick has been a huge fan of the franchise ever</div><div>since his first encounter with Captain Jack Sparrow at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">WDW</span> when he was not quite 3 years old. Every time we made a trip to Disney he requested to visit Jack, and it seemed like he was always singled out by the Captain. This prompted us to let him watch the movie, and it has been a serious preoccupation for him to this day. True love. Since I think throwing parties for toddlers is stupid (sorry, but it is) this was Patrick's first party and I wanted to make it something he'd remember. Mission: Accomplished.</div></div><div><div><br />
</div><div>I checked out a party store in the big town nearest to us. I found a lot of props, decorations, and treasure that I really wanted for our party, but the price tags caused a moment of hesititaion. Thankfully, Rick agreed to come with me so I <s>begged</s> asked in a normal tone for him to please take the children far away from me so I could think</div><div>straight for a few minutes. I love my smart phone and the ability to save enormous amounts of money with a few simple taps on my device. Within ten minutes I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">purchased </span>probably half of my party supplies-no, no, not from the store I was standing in. From my phone, with my beloved eBay app.</div><div><br />
</div><div><i><b>TIP #2:</b> Do NOT buy ANY supplies without checking sites </i><i>like eBay and Amazon to compare prices beforehand.</i></div></div><div><div><br />
</div></div><div>After picking up the things I did want from the store we left, just under $100 poorer, and enthusiastic to create a true birthday party experience, not just custom plates and cake-which is what I'd always considered an acceptable birthday celebration.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;">Invitations:</span></b></div><div>After being properly motivated, the first order of business is the invitations. It goes without saying-the fewer guests you have the more STUFF you can buy. I'm a big believer in inviting a whole family, including all siblings. (I have never understood the concept of only inviting one child in a family-the poor siblings whom feel left out, and the poor mommy whom more than likely has to LEAVE her child so the excluded children aren't around...I don't get it!?) You have to decide-better and more STUFF, or better and more guests. We only sent out four invitations, which represented 15 children, plus their parents. My family brought the grand total to 18 kids and 7 adults. I used pirate font and wording of course. Then they were stained, oven-dried, and burned around the edges to look authentic, then rolled into scrolls, tied with string, and mailed. I was actually going to mail them in bottles filled with sand and shells, but I knew the kids receiving them would wind up fighting over it so for the sake of peace I opted to mail them the boring way-in an envelope. </div><div><br />
</div><div>After getting an exact headcount (with a party this size exactness matters) I got to work finding treasure and loot. I had quite a pile building up in a corner, and more kept arriving almost daily from my eBay purchases. I thought I was going to have a much harder time keeping the kids out of the loot, but really it wasn't that bad. I had many lists going: food, props, decorations, games, and treasure. Lists were the only way I could keep everything straight. </div><div>Invitations...check! Moving on to.........</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;">Decorations:</span></b></div><div>I had no trouble finding decorations; between online deals and going to the dollar and thrift stores I found plenty of loot. I found a huge Jolly Roger flag online for $3. I checked out the dollar stores and found a few things like chocolate gold coins and skeletons. I bought a few items from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Wal</span>-Mart such as candy, black plates and cups to have as extra in case the special <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">POTC</span> supplies ran out, and another skeleton. The thrift stores provided a treasure chest. Since my son's birthday is two weeks before Halloween I had no trouble finding pirate-y things for our party. I simply dressed the skeletons as pirates using hats and eye patches we already had. I also used Halloween decorations that we already owned and made them fit the pirate theme. I saw some cute plastic signs at the party store, but I chose to make my own to save money, plus I really thought it looked more authentic to do it my way. I used the same stain, dry, burn technique that I used for the invitations and made many signs: "Galley" which hung in the kitchen, "head" which adorned the bathroom door, "Property protected by pirates" for the entrance, "Captain's Quarters" for above Patrick's door, and of course-the ever popular "Dead Men Tell No Tales". I also made a "Code of Conduct" for the outside, which were rules for the pirates' behavior (included "no whining" and "no hitting"). I used the <a href="http://www.dafont.com/pieces-of-eight.font">Pieces of Eight</a> font for nearly everything, which is a free download, and it is the closest to the actual <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">POTC</span> font that you can find. </div><div><br />
</div><div><i><b>Tip #3: </b>Use anything you can as a decoration. Borrowing toys from your kids' rooms that fit your theme and using them for the party doesn't cost a thing, but adds a lot. </i> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0000ee;"><br />
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</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;">Props/Decorations <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Con't</span>:</span></b></div><div>My hubby works retail so I put him in charge of cardboard. Yes, cardboard duty. He brought home any large boxes or sheets of cardboard and started a pile in our carport for me to work with. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with it, but I knew I would come up with something. ;)</div><div style="text-align: center;">One piece he salvaged was the backdrop for a cookie display and looked like a wooden fence. I thought it would be perfect for this:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>BEFORE: AFTER:</b></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671140668744173506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iOafVpytrtLItRMlP9TJPOWWCChomDXkkCIHhqlVBBeTj7d6us8dXtxVPlSNANOKMxDmsju0MvH07gQTa5gRg82chsR2e2tTYlfSJ6PDh7tu4cZIGbafaddc-ivJhyphenhypheneBSeM0XIatGo0/s320/SANY0053.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 271px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div></div><div><b><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669976493846789826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6eLSFOx6VLhb2gVd196Nkc-NDEX25SRm8SMq_nnAVj1WiEm5mbefkvNbYM7Px6r8W_PYgL9q3XI0Nc44JKTWqEeiXEKK9StvbQfgdkW0bxt2KnnNM3OfwVu4SpWwpP3oMWdjeEvJvHk/s320/SANY0064.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 310px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
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</div><div>(The finished prop looked exactly like this,</div><div>except the empty noose was behind the sign and a clue was taped to the back of the sign. The paper in the background on the left is the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Pirata</span> Codex".) And yes, those are actual hangman's nooses-I found a cool knot-tying website with videos and now I am a professional noose-tier. Not sure what I'm to do with this talent?</div><div><br />
</div><div>I had another piece that was divided into three sections-perfect for a stockade. We nailed the finished prop to fence posts outside:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div>I had several small boxes which I spray painted black. These were <a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/88/sany0067f.jpg/">part of the decor</a> as well as functional:</div><div><div>The tattoo parlor was all ready to go (except the water). This helped the party flow from one activity to the next without a lot of stopping, chaos, or too much work for me.</div><div><b><br />
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</div><div>I had another box for accessories in case anyone showed up in need of pirate gear:</div><div><br />
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</div><div>I came across a craft for a Halloween decoration from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">FamilyFun</span>.com, and</div><div>then used the directions (see <a href="http://blessedmomma2.blogspot.com/2011/10/crafts.html">"Crafts" post </a>for link) posted on a blog since it had illustrations. </div><div>Here's Mr. Bones:</div><div><br />
</div><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669979369560365826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFthNY88zHqBNVQIZZMam85o-EWYL2SBMpeKNrQ7g4DfarDi6Ow7WsrCi7fyUmJeyVyQvL_GgNylGgvNGqPJrE8K1AR_5770pFCo_4QuQwX2hyZ_T_E2hU-CqGU1kuhw1pS4gh9PLIIk/s320/100_0255.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></div><div><b><i>Tip #4: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> Don't stress over how everything looks. Kids don't care about perfection; they care about awesomeness. If your Mr. Bones looks like recycling gone bad, who cares!</span></i></b></div><div><b><br />
</b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 100%;">My biggest undertaking was the <a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/27/sany0061g.jpg/">pirate ship</a>. I used a dishwasher box, plus three <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">miscellaneous</span> sheets, and two rolls of duct tape and constructed a ship. I spray painted it black and brown. To be honest, I was worried my own little swashbucklers would mutiny and sink it before the party guests got to even see it, so I purposely waited to construct it until they were asleep on Saturday night. I stayed up until midnight, but it paid off because three weeks later <a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/32/sany0066a.jpg/">it is still standing</a> on our back porch and being played in. :)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 100%;">Decorations and loot taken care of, now time for...:</span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;">Food:</span></b></div><div>Since our party started at 2 pm and had no ending time I wanted a meal, not just snacks. I made sure everything I served fit the theme, and to really drive the point home I printed out labels on white stickers and stuck them onto black construction paper for each food item (this also counts as a decoration):</div><div><br />
</div><div>drinks = "grog"</div><div>deviled eggs = "cackle fruit" (what real pirates referred to eggs as)</div><div>chips and dip = "bone chips and guts"</div><div>chili & rice = "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">salmagundi</span>" (a pirate food made from a hodgepodge of ingredients)</div><div>spinach dip = "seaweed"</div><div>the ice cubes = "alligator blood" </div><div>the cake = "just cake"</div><div><a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/513/sany0103w.jpg/">cookies</a> = really should be in the "decorations" category</div><div><b><br />
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</b></div><div>Every party needs...</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 130%;">Games:</span></b></div><div>I wanted to use all of the props for the games to ensure that they were utilized.</div><div>Originally I was going to have three or four games and then do the pinata and head to the cake. But then I realized that a pirate party would not be right without a treasure hunt and there was just no way out of it. So I used the games as a way to give clues.</div><div>I had a black box for the games (which sat next to the other black box props until game time) so that when it came time to play them everything was organized. Each game was in a plastic bag and numbered, and included the corresponding clue, prizes, and any props needed so all I had to do was grab bag #1, #2, etc. With 18 kids I did not want to stop, think, get supplies, and so on.</div><div><br />
</div><div><i><b>Tip #5:</b> Make sure your games are 100% ready to go and organized before the guests arrive. You don't want to be scrambling whilst you have a bunch of kids going nuts at your home.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Game #1 : Davy Jones' Locker</b></div><div>This is a take on Sharks and Minnows. The biggest kid volunteered to be Davy Jones and all the pirates ran from one side of the yard to the other when I yelled, "Abandon Ship!" Whomever was tagged by Davy Jones was "out" and received a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">dum</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">dum</span> lollipop as a prize. The last pirate in the game was declared the winner and was rewarded a lollipop and the first clue which said, "<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">It's</span> a pirate's life for me. Look for a sign under a tree." The clue led them to the "Pirates Ye Be Warned" display and attached to the back of the sign was a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">piece</span> of the map. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Game #2: Cannonball Stomp</b></div><div>I had the hardest time finding black balloons which I honestly did not anticipate since it was so close to Halloween. So I opted for dark green water grenades instead, which worked out since they really did look like grenades. Let me tell you it was extremely hard to blow those suckers up and get the treats inside. I originally planned on making 1/2 empty, 1/2 with a pirate coin, and one with the clue. But instead because it was so difficult to get the coins inside, I ended up with about 5 with coins, one with the clue, and the rest stayed empty. This game was hysterical-18 kids stomping balloons. It was over very quickly and a few of the kids got upset that they didn't get to stomp any balloons. For the record-there were 35 "cannonballs". The winning pirate whom stomped the balloon containing the clue read, "Beware! If yer enemies catch ye, you'll wind up THERE." This brought the pirates to the stockade, which they had to search. The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">piece</span> of map was hidden between the cardboard and the wood. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Game #3: Gold Nugget Hunt</b></div><div>This was basically an Easter egg hunt with gold nuggets substituted for eggs. In the days prior to the party Luke helped me walk around and find rocks which we rinsed, laid in the sun to dry, and then spray painted gold. I had a section of my yard closed off during the party so the children wouldn't venture into it and discover the gold. I hid the nuggets the morning of the party (after the dew dried) so I wouldn't be frantically trying to hide them during the festivities. The losers got ring pops and the pirate with the most gold chunks won the clue which read, "They say milk does a body good. Look for a skeleton by some wood." This of course led them to the milk jug skeleton and the piece of map was hidden in one of the cavities of Mr. Bones. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Game #4: Pass the Parrot</b></div><div>This is Hot Potato using a parrot. (My beloved parrot from my childhood, but that is another blog post...) The same older child who was Davy Jones was the music controller. He paused a song from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack randomly until the winner was declared. The non-winners <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">received</span> an eye patch, and the winner got the final clue which said, "This is a place where you jump. Search all around for a lump." The last <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">piece</span> of map was discretely taped to a railing of the trampoline. I of course had it planned out that the last <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">piece</span> to be found was the part that contained the exact location of the treasure. The map was drawn on a crumpled paper bag and ripped into four sections. On the final quarter it said, "To find your reward look under an orange gourd", and naturally an "X" marked the spot. It was pretty warm out and I tried to get the kids to take a drink break halfway through the games, but very cutely they all refused-they wanted to finish the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">treasure</span> hunt! I had the treasure chest pinata hidden on our front porch under a Halloween pumpkin. (Another mommy placed it during game #3 since there was chocolate inside which would have melted.)</div><div><br />
</div><div>We hung up the pinata, and as the children lined up to take their turns swinging at it I handed out the loot bags so they had somewhere to put their pinata goodies. The bags were store bought <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">POTC</span>, but I personalized them by sticking printed labels on the back of each bag that said "Hands Off! This booty is the sole property of ....". Each child had a cool pirate name-for example we had Captain Patrick (birthday boy), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Coldblood</span> Max, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Longtooth</span> Maggie. I put telescopes, chocolate coins, stickers, pencils, and bookmarks inside (all store bought). The kids finally busted it open, and all the loot disappeared so quickly. I had many beaded necklaces, some bracelets, LOTS and LOTS of candy, pirate rings, and gold coins and medallions inside the chest. </div><div><br />
</div><div>After the pinata excitement we headed inside for cake. I found many options for cakes online (ships, treasure chests, skulls, you name it), but I love <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Publix</span> cake so we ordered ours. Had I chosen to make the cake I am not sure which I would have chosen; they were all really neat. I would have had to allow time for that, and I had too many other things to do....</div><div><br />
</div><div>I had one more surprise for the pirates: Alligator blood to prevent scurvy. I brought out two 2-liters of lemon-lime soda and everyone had their cups ready. Then I pulled a black bowl full of red ice cubes. But not just any ice: I found a silicone mold for skeleton head ice cubes in the Halloween section of Wal-Mart. I started on Saturday and had a system worked out very quickly-it took 2 1/2 hours for them to freeze so every 2 1/2 hours I popped the 15 heads into the bowl in the freezer and filled the tray again with Hawaiian Punch. Yes, even through the night. By party time I had the bowl filled.</div><div><br />
</div><div></div><div>I already owned the soundtracks to the POTC movies (parts 1 & 3) and I also own the special 40th Anniversary cd that Disney released in honor of the attraction. I burned a cd of just the music from that (excluding the talking and narration), and had all three soundtracks on loop for the duration of the party. Since there was so much music it never seemed repetitive (to me). <a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/1000252y.jpg/">Our backyard</a> was so much fun transformed into pirate theme that it was painful to it back to normal again. In the photo you can see the stockade on the far right, the hanging pirates in the far center, and Mr. Bones was very far to the left (not pictured). The pinata was hidden in the front of the house, and busted open in the carport. </div><div><br />
</div><div><i><b>Tip #6:</b> Hand over your camera to another parent and request photos of the birthday celebrant, decorations, activities, etc. I suggest taking photos of everything set up BEFORE guests arrive-you will not get a chance to afterwards! You want to remember how your hard work turned out. I will never forget to do this again; lesson learned the hard way!</i> </div><div><br />
</div><div>I had a blast planning this party even though it was a lot of time and work. I am going to do another for my daughter next Summer. I think I will start the planning right after New Years......... </div><div><br />
</div></div></div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-9843147243497274952011-10-24T07:09:00.012-04:002011-10-24T15:27:45.840-04:00Crafts!<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">'Tis</span> the season for crafts! Lovely temperatures after months of not leaving the comfort of air-conditioning combined with the upcoming holidays make this my favorite time of year. The little cold snaps bring fresh energy and opening windows, preparing firewood, spending so much time outdoors all unite to push housework to the side, cut down on heavy school work, and take advantage of quality time with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">rugrats</span>. I wanted to share some really easy, fun ideas, and the best part is you already have everything you need-no inconvenient trips to buy fancy craft store products. Even if you're not a stay-at-home mom, or your kids go to school there's no excuse-if you can spare 15 minutes to play on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">internet</span> you can spare 15 minutes to make a craft! :) </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>***Halloween Countdown***</b></div><div>This is kind of late, but you can always save it in your Halloween/Fall arsenal for next year, or go ahead and do it now since it takes all of 10 minutes:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://family.go.com/printables/article-935620-disney-halloween-countdown-calendar-t/?cmp=SMC-FB_DLR-WDW-Halloween-Events_October2011_DisneyHalloweenCountdownCalendar_FCOM">Disney Halloween Countdown</a></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>***Play Dough***</b></div><div>Okay, yes, it is safe to say most mommies know how to make play</div><div>dough, but just in case..here is my favorite recipe:</div><div>It lasts until you throw it out, never dries up.</div><div><br /></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-weight: normal; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />2 cups flour<br />2 cups warm water<br />1 cup salt<br />2 Tablespoons vegetable oil<br /></span></b><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-weight: normal; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;" >1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-weight: normal; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-size:85%;" >Mix all ingredients in pot over med heat until it no longer sticks to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sid</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:small;">es. When it cools down, you can color it with food coloring and make lots of choices. If you don't have food coloring I have used a packet of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Kool</span>-Aid to color, but be warned: it has an odor (not bad, just...there). I store it at room temp in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ziplock</span> baggies and it keeps forever! I know some mommies keep theirs in the fridge, but I don't want to give up the space, plus it makes the dough hard. Seems <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">unnecessary</span> to me. </span></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>***Bubbles***</b></div><div>Bubbles are fun, too. And sure, you can get them on clearance for next to nothing at the dollar store since Summertime is over, but where is the fun in that!?</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;">Mix 1/4 cup of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">dishwashing</span> liquid with a quart of WARM water. I always add some oil to keep the bubbles from breaking (not much, just a tbsp or so). Give each child some "tools" like straws and old bubble wands and let them play. Make sure they a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:small;">re outside. ;)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>***Fall Leaves***</b></div><div>Need decorations for Autumn? Take your kids on a "hike" (a walk around your yard or neighborhood) and find colorful leaves. Sounds easy, but in Florida this is actually quite the task. All we have is brown or green. Finding yellow and red was really a task-it took two days of searching, and another added two days of searching because we didn't finish the craft right away and the leaves got too crunchy. Oops! After looking far and wide we finally scrounged up some red and yellow leaves. I imagine this craft would offer much more gratification if we had access to big, </div><div>colorful maple leaves or something comparable. </div></div></div><div>Ours were pretty pitiful, but despite our abundance of evergreens I still love Florida:</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIA7CVQSQp68itX5xHh6L6x7spLj1oEIb7uBSg-CRIlsZmi5KdJSGBMLfl723bwpyfhki43mub40bmBh6a6QImDywvLpgy7_ZMn4OLpMY_ZB5R-gLmzdvtBaWhMweUv0ccfgN-PkJvUIY/s320/SANY0131.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667122316497711282" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>***Milk Jug Skeleton***</b></div><div>I was browsing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">internet</span> for ideas for Patrick's birthday party a few weeks ago and came across instructions for a skeleton made of milk jugs. It was a neat project that I would definitely do again. The biggest challenge was not what I thought it was going to be (cutting the small areas from contoured plastic). The hardest part was getting the stinking labels off. I soaked them in hot water, and managed to destroy two of the jugs right off the bat due to the water being a little <i>too</i> hot. I used soap and a knife. Nothing seemed to get the glue off; the labels yes, the glue no. I used my nails to scratch away at it, and after one whole jug I gave up. Who needs perfection!? I spread out all of my supplies on my back patio and let the kids play with the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">pieces</span> while I worked. It took over an hour because there is a lot of cutting involved. The plastic can be pretty sharp so this was a craft that is better left to older kids, or for mommy to complete while younger kids do something nearby. I gave my kids the job of trash pick up and hot <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">tubbing</span> next to me. </div><div>The original idea came form <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">FamilyFun</span>.com, but I found<a href="http://www.thepartyanimal-blog.org/milk-jug-skeleton-fun-recycled-craft-decoration-halloween/"> these instructions</a>, which I liked a lot better because they included illustrations. I didn't take the time to ask her permission to re-post, but I linked directly so I'm sure she won't mind. ;)</div><div>I ended up using the finished skeleton as a prop for the birthday party and he is currently on display for Halloween. </div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-51445291158011227572011-10-24T05:52:00.002-04:002011-10-24T06:52:47.001-04:00The Times, They Are A'Changin...I remember when I was younger being outside playing for hours and hours. Literally not stopping for anything, even drinking from the hose and eating whatever my mom left on the porch if she decided it was time for us to eat. There were a few kids who lived somewhat near to us (my town had a population of 100 to give you an idea), and we would use our bicycles to make the journey to join forces and create enough bodies to form teams for various games.<div><br /></div><div>If there happened to be an emergency-say we were terrified from running through the graveyard at dusk and needed to catch our breath-we would shout, "TIME OUT!", or "TIME!", or some variation, including making a "T" with our hands. </div><div><br /></div><div>I remember when video games came out and to be honest, I didn't really understand Atari. It was lame. We handed it back to mom, the dust barely disturbed, and let it go back to where ever it came from. Then came Nintendo. <i>Everyone</i> got one for Christmas. Well, everyone except us. One of the following Christmases we were actually gifted with a beloved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). We were finally movin on up. Nevermind that there were already newer, better game systems. It didn't matter to us. My brother and I traded our hours outside for hours in front of the TV. Somehow we didn't wind up with tendonitis from holding the controllers so furiously for so long (God bless youth). None of our friends came searching for us-they were just as brainwashed by <i>their</i> video games. Our parents didn't seem to care, after all we were quiet and out from underfoot, right? </div><div><br /></div><div>Eventually the novelty wore off, puberty set in (which freed me from the gaming addiction while at the same time sadly trapping my brother for life), and I became too busy with real life, homework, and teenage melodrama to care about Nintendo. </div><div><br /></div><div>Flash forward 15 years and I am all grown up with kids of my own. My son plays an online game. He is 5, doesn't read, and has no attention span. It never really crossed my mind that he would get addicted, but I see it now. I have had to set limits ("in 30 minutes you have to turn it off and come eat"), use bribery ("if you want to play later, you'd better pick up your clothes"), and threaten ("unless I see PERFECT behavior at the store..."). Very recently I have hidden the laptop cord and left the house in favor of the playground because once he knows the game is not an option he doesn't care about playing it. I need to remind him there is a beautiful world that God gave us to enjoy and the weather is too nice to be cooped up inside. The limitations have become more strict, and I will delete his character if it becomes a real problem. Now why didn't MY mom think of that!? </div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday we were at the playground and I was sitting there counting my blessings (okay, really I was totally beat from pushing three heavy kids on swings simultaneously), and the kids were running around chasing each other up and over, under and through all the equipment...they were completely breathless and red-cheeked and happy. Sarah stopped in her tracks, spun around, looked at her younger brothers, and yelled "PRESS PAUSE!". </div><div><br /></div><div> </div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-76909890424383604982011-10-10T19:57:00.002-04:002011-10-10T21:15:35.401-04:00Just Another Ordinary DayThis morning we were all woken up to the sound of thunder and lightning overhead. It sounded like it was trying to get inside. Just a few minutes before 6 am the house became an eerie quiet and black dark as the power lines couldn't take anymore abuse.<div><br /></div><div>Many candles and tears later we decided that alternating locations to watch the rain fall wasn't cutting it (how did they do it "back then"!?) so we went for a drive around the neighborhood to see where the power outage was coming from. We were so happy to see wonderful cable guys out there in the still pouring rain working hard to restore our electricity. </div><div><br /></div><div>Later in the morning I remembered Luke had an appointment with the pediatrician. Since Rick didn't have to work until the afternoon he stayed home with the older kids so I could have a peaceful trip with my youngest. (In Rick's words: this was my "alone time". THANKS.)</div><div><br /></div><div>While I was signing Luke in he went into the little playhouse in the waiting room, and I turned around to go sit nearby. He had <i>that look</i> on his face-sure enough upon closer inspection I saw he peed his pants. As non<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">chalantely</span> as I could, I took his hand and asked for paper towels (since the bathroom didn't have any-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">grrr</span>), cleaned up the puddle, and wiped it with Germ-X from the handy container they so considerately place on the counter. After that was cleaned up it was time to clean up the child. By that time he was saying, "Cold!" and walking like Frankenstein so I was pretty sure my non<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">chalance</span> wasn't fooling anyone. Oh...did I mention it was still down-pouring rain? Yeah. </div><div><br /></div><div>Luke and I got completely drenched while we were at the car trying to change him into clean clothes. Clean clothes? Why, yes, I always have spare clothes in the car for such unfortunate circumstances. However, as I searched in the rain for said clothes I realized my super-duper helpful hubby cleaned out my car for me. I looked for anything, and to my relief there was one solitary diaper leftover from before underwear days. I "non<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">chalantly</span>" strolled back into the office, soaking wet, hair matted, and half naked child. Luke actually seemed quite happy and relaxed sitting in a waiting room surrounded by people in nothing but a t-shirt and diaper.</div><div><br /></div><div>When it was time for his shot, the nurse remarked, "See, you already have your pants off for me", and I responded, "Yes, I planned it that way".</div><div><br /></div><div>After Rick left for work I got to work on some decorations for Patrick's upcoming birthday party. This is no easy task with three eager helpers whose definition of "help" is thoroughly destroy all of my hard work. I actually managed to finish one project so while I was cleaning up I decided to let the kids go outside (since they have been cooped up for days due to the rain). It was merely sprinkling at this point, and no lightning. Everything is okay, right? Wrong! They got the brilliant idea to add the water hose into the mix and came gut-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">wrenchingly</span> close to ruining 3 1/2 hours of work on the party prop. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately for me it was late enough to corral them inside and feed, bathe, and ready them for their "<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">camp out</span>". They camp in the living room when Rick works at night and stay up late watching shows they normally don't get to watch. Finally-at 9 they are passed out...which is exactly what I am about to do! Tomorrow will be another day; better get rest! ;)</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div> </div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-72174339261457057152011-10-05T07:04:00.003-04:002011-10-18T06:15:04.932-04:00No Need For Post-Its Anymore!I've always had problems remembering things. Ever since I had multiple children it has gotten worse; if it hadn't been for those magnetized shopping list pads which stick to the refrigerator I would have missed countless appointments, made many more trips to the store for forgotten items, and flaked on important commitments.<div><br /></div><div>I have finally figured out a way to remember! I want to share my discovery:</div><div>I ask my husband to call me and remind me of something. I may not remember the task, but I will darn sure remember that Rick didn't call me to remind me! See, all you have to do is figure out a way to blame your hubby. Ta-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Da</span>-instant <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ginseng</span>! </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm waiting on the photos for my next post-it is a tutorial on birthday party planning. Stay tuned! :) </div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-62849209084991782472011-08-11T07:02:00.002-04:002011-08-13T14:53:50.213-04:00Whew, the months are really flying by. We have been thoroughly enjoying our Summer-plenty of time in the water, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">playdates</span>, and fun mini-vacations. Maybe that is why it has taken me three days to write this post. If I try to sit down during the day the kids' built-in radar pick up and they all harass me mercilessly until I give up. By the time they are all asleep at night, I am too exhausted to do anything besides sit on the couch and mindlessly stare at the TV. The solution? Close the door to the playroom and promise them a treat if I get 15 uninterrupted minutes. The good news is I don't have to pay up. The bad news is it took three days to type a few paragraphs... <div>
<br /></div><div>Patrick is going through a singing phase; it is so cute. He either sings songs he is familiar with or he will just bust out his own made-up tune whenever the mood strikes him. For example: the other day he had been asking me relentlessly "play with me!!", and I kept telling him, "I will, I will...in a few minutes...". After the hundredth exchange exactly like that, he stared singing "A B C D E F G, I WANT MOMMY TO PLAY WITH ME". How could I deny him after a serened like that? </div><div>
<br /></div><div>On another afternoon, Rick took the youngest with him to run a few errands and left the other two home with me. We three were cleaning the boys' room (well okay, <i>I</i> was cleaning and they were playing with everything I put away) and I was hanging a new picture of a guardian angel looking over two little tykes crossing a dangerous bridge (I'm sure you've seen it). I used it as an opportunity to remind them of their own guardian angels and Sarah asked if she could talk to hers. I answered that of course she could anytime she thought to or felt like she had something to say. Her face lit up with understanding and awe. My son is much, much more interested and curious about God, Jesus' life, etc. so to have finally made a breakthrough with my little girl was a monumental occasion for me. Proud of my abilities to evangelize small children with my amazing story-telling technique, I sauntered out of the room with a satisfied smirk. Immediately I heard her whispering, "Please Guardian Angel, bring me candy." </div><div>
<br /></div><div>Last week was insanely busy due to our church having <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">VBS</span>. The theme this year was hiking through the wilderness and learning about the seven Sacraments. I was the director of snacks for the program. (To find out why this year was especially difficult-keep reading...or look to the right!) The music was definitely my favorite part, however there is one song which begins: "I'm going on a wilderness adventure/ into the life of Christ..." No matter what, I kept singing, "...into the life of crime..." What kind of sick mind switches "crime" for "Christ"!? To make it worse, every time I did it and noticed I had messed it up <i>AGAIN</i> I would involuntarily giggle. Please, someone tell me I am not condemned for all eternity...? </div><div>
<br /></div><div>I was showing Sarah a website with photos of a baby's development in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">utero</span> (look right). While we were bonding and chatting, we were sharing a bowl of yummy chili from the crock pot. Yes, I am bragging-it was SO good. Right as I took a bite we came to a paragraph which had a cute illustration of a tiny baby with webbed fingers and toes and an over sized, adorable alien head. It's tiny spine was perfectly formed and there was a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">teensy</span> heart. To compare the size of the developing baby there was another picture off to the side of the sweet little illustration. It was a kidney bean. Yes, kidney bean...as in a major ingredient of chili. As in I was eating a kidney bean that was supposed to represent the precious unborn baby. This is the twisted universe I live in. </div><div> </div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8485338887881503989.post-65716041960721887562011-07-05T06:58:00.004-04:002011-07-05T09:06:39.594-04:00JulyThe past week the children and I have been taking turns laying around on the couch not feeling well. First up was Sarah, who had a ridiculously high fever for an entire day and night. She woke up around 6:30 am, jumped into the hot tub at 7 (I don't know...), and went back to the couch by 7:15. She dozed for a couple f hours and then went to her bedroom and slept for the rest of the day. This is blog-worthy because even in sickness my kids don't ever sleep like that.<div><br /></div><div>I made sure she took small sips of Gatorade each time she awoke, gave hot-forehead kisses freely, and piled on the blankets since she was literally shivering in her sleep. I figured it was the beginning of the flu and soon the entire house would be infested and quarantined. It was a mere matter of time before all of us would be begging for death so I did the only rational thing I could think to do in the meantime with my precious few hours until onset and cleaned out the kitchen cabinets. Being down one kid really freed up a lot of my time and while the boys played with play-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">doh</span> and ate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">popsicles</span> I got to work.</div><div><br /></div><div>I filled an entire garbage bag and added a dozen items to my shopping list. Among my finds:</div><div><ul><li>many expired medicines (the winner: ibuprofen with an expiry of 1999. yikes. Runner-up: infant's Tylenol with literally less than a dropper full left, it was crystallized) </li><li> a small-dog flea collar (what dog--small or otherwise!?)</li><li> a plastic cup full of change (Hello hubby's stash-turned-ice-cream-truck-money!)</li><li>11 (yes, e l e v e n) garlic salts </li><li>old tubes of paint (from decorating the "nursery" for my first child)</li><li>a brand new bottle of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Pepto</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bismal</span> with creepy, abnormal separation of liquids not unlike what happens to milk (expiry: 2009; do not remember buying that!)</li><li>4 opened, nearly full boxes of cornstarch (really?)</li><li>A number "5" candle (I assume I purchased for my daughter whom will be 7 in a couple of months)</li><li>3 unused Easter egg dying kits (sucker for clearance items; must remember I'm all set for next year...)</li></ul>Nothing short of shameful. I KNOW I've been up there digging around and cleaning before...I think...I<i> hop</i>e...!!? How did all that junk get past me for all these years!? It is an odd feeling to know that a bottle of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ibuprofen</span> has lived in your house longer than YOU have. </div><div><br /></div><div>By the weekend the little princess was back to herself, and I took her place on the couch. I don't know if it was a cold or a sinus infection, but it doesn't matter at all because either was I was miserable! The kiddos were pretty well-behaved considering the fact that I neglected them for three days in a row. I felt so yucky that I couldn't even feel guilt about it at the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the Fourth of July I planned on the continuation of my loafing and pity partying alone with the kids since my husband works retail (holidays are never a day off). But then I unexpectedly received a call from a friend and decided the kids deserved some fun-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">after all</span>, they had gone along with my sickness for about four days-so we got dressed and got together with the Websters at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">MacKenzie</span> home. I am SO glad I pulled it together (and by "pulled it together" I mean found clothes on the floor, forgot to brush my hair, and didn't care about make up, or apparently deodorant as I figured out as the day progressed...oops!) and went. Did I mention this was the first time I had ever been invited to this couple's home? Yep, that's right. I'll keep you posted if I'm ever asked back, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">HAHA</span>. After that I really don't know; I tried to assure everyone it was just sinus, but I'm not sure they were convinced. Really! It <i>IS</i> just sinus, though. Although the first hour or so after arriving was spent in a zombie-like trance I had a great time and I left much, much later than I anticipated due to the fact that everyone was having such a good time that the hours just slipped by unnoticed. After spending the entire afternoon in the pool, being treated to yummy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">sno</span>-cones, and then a spontaneous snowball fight, topped off by golf-carts rides around the property the kids passed out in the car on the ride home and were tucked into bed flawlessly. </div><div><br /></div><div>Who needs fireworks!? </div><div>Okay, now where is that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Benadryl</span>..................... </div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> </div>*kim*http://www.blogger.com/profile/14045696834242808481noreply@blogger.com1