Toothless!!

Gabriel noticed that he had his first loose tooth at the beginning of October. We thought it was pretty cool!! I took this picture when we noticed that the adult tooth was growing behind the baby one.


He wiggled and wiggled the tooth for weeks. He was starting to get impatient, too (gee...wonder where he gets his lack of patience). About 2 weeks ago, he said it was starting to bother him. It was really wiggly, and he was having a hard time biting. We offered to pull it for him. He freaked out and said he would deal with it.

On Monday night, Jon asked Gabe if he could see the wiggling. Gabe let him put his hand in his mouth, and then there was a look of shock. Daddy had pulled his tooth!! It took maybe 2 seconds, and at first he didn't even realize it was out. Once he did, he started screaming and jumping up and down - he was so excited! We had to call Gram, Gramps, Nana...everyone we could at 7:45pm.

Isn't his tiny little tooth cute?

My Big Boy. And his HUGE tooth! How in the heck did he get so big so fast? It doesn't seem possible to me that I have a kiddo old enough to lose teeth!

Thankful

It's the last day of November...and I have no idea how that happened. How can December already be here??!!

I keep reading all of these posts on Facebook about what people are thankful for. I kept wanting to post my list, too, but I kept forgetting. Or rather, I got sidetracked by my ridiculous obsession with FrontierVille.

So...here's my list. 30 things that I am thankful for - in no particular order.

1. An understanding husband
2. Gabriel
3. Elliott
4. Janna
5. My Mommy
6. Friends - near and far, old and new
7. Coffee
8. The rest of my family
9. A sense of humor
10. The Internet
11. The American Girl Doll Company
12. Fabric softener
13. Chocolate
14. My purse collection
15. MOMS Club
16. Pandora Radio
17. Books
18. Crayola
19. eBay
20. Vampires
21. Werewolves
22. Yarn
23. Sneakers
24. What little patience I have
25. Netflix
26. Nap time
27. OB Ultra tampons
28. The kids' teachers
29. Spell-checking
30. Chap stick

There are many, many other things that I'm thankful for - but those are my top 30 right at this moment. Some of them may be stupid and trivial, but they keep me sane (ish).

The Best Thing About Halloween...

I dislike Halloween with a passion. I'm just not a fan. I loved it when I was little, but now it just doesn't appeal to me. Carving pumpkins is a chore, making treat bags for school is a nuisance, and listening to the kids argue about costumes is a nightmare. But I survived Halloween 2010, and my kids had a blast.


The only things I like about Halloween are "The Great Pumpkin" and the fact that once it's over it's November! Not only is it time to start getting ready for Christmas (yep - I start decorating and getting all festive early), but the leftover Halloween junk? Is 90% off!! While I could care less about the candy and the random clutter for houses, I am all about getting cheap costumes. I usually don't bother, but this year I stocked up! See?

There are 14 different costumes piled there (there's only 1 repeat - I got both girls an Ironette costume to match Gabe's Ironman suit). I spent $28 and change. Each costume originally sold for $19. How freaking awesome is my haul? My kids LOVE to play dress-up, so I thought these were a good investment. Some will be Christmas presents (Gabriel is getting Hiccup and Toothless to go with his "How To Train Your Dragon" movie; Elliott is getting Astrid and SpiderGirl, and Janna is getting Pink SpiderGirl and Wonder Woman), some will be birthday presents, and the rest will be stored in a closet to be brought out as needed (like on snowy or rainy days when it's too cold/wet to go outside). So....hooray for Halloween!!

Fishy Monkeys

When Jon was smallish, his family used to joke that he was 50% monkey, 50% fish. The kid loved to climb. And when he wasn't climbing, he was swimming. He still loves to climb and swim - only now he refers to it as "ripping and tearing".

Our kids inherited those loves. I'm not much of a climber (I have a very sporadic fear of heights - sometimes I'm afraid, sometimes I'm not.)...and I prefer to sit next to bodies/pools of water (I also have a very sporadic fear of drowning). Over the summer, we did a lot of climbing and swimming. It was hard to take pictures since I was absolutely petrified that one of them (or myself) was going to fall or drown.

The only decent (ish) picture I got of the kids swimming this summer is this one taken with my phone.

Swimming at Nana's. When we were "home", the kids spent at least 6 hours a day in this pool.

We spent last weekend in PA enjoying some Gramma time. The kids would not stay out of the gigantic maple tree in her backyard. When I got over my semi-irrational fear that we were going to have to make an emergency trip to the ER, I managed to take some really cute pictures.

My little Monkey Man sitting in a tree. Look closely...you can just see his face peeking out.

Elliott sitting pretty.

Janna: "I'm bein' a gecko, Mommy! Just like in Florida!"

The sweetest monkey kids in the world!

We ♥ School!!

The first week of school for the Big Kids was a success!! No hassles, no problems, no phone calls from teachers...it was all kinds of good. Week 2? EVEN BETTER! My children adore school. Which is just so awesome. There are no fights about getting ready, no tantrums about homework...it's just great. (I know that this will change as they get older, but for right now I am loving it!!)

Gabriel is loving first grade. I was a little unsure of how things would progress - his teacher is very "seasoned" and strict. I had heard a few things about her that made me nervous. I discussed my concerns with the school, and they assured me that she was a good match for The Boy. After seeing how Gabe has responded to her (and after hearing some really great things about her from Janna's preschool teachers), I realize that my fears were completely unfounded. Mrs. T. is absolutely perfect for my guy. He's thriving!!


Kindergarten is apparently Elliott's version of heaven. She gets up every morning and wants to immediately go see Mrs. C. She loves everything about school. The first full day was a little rough - she didn't want to eat lunch in front of strangers and she was afraid to go to the bathroom - but now she's totally confident. She runs off the bus every afternoon, flies through the house, launches herself into my arms, and gives me a rapid-fire explanation of everything she did. She couldn't be happier!!


The Smallish started school this week, too. And...she LOVES it!! Her first "official" day (meaning Mommy wasn't there) was Thursday, and she pretty much ordered me to leave. She wanted no hugs or kisses...all she wanted was the playdoh and the sand table!


So...all three of my little lovies are in school. While it's a little weird not having them here all day, it's also really, really nice!

First Day of School!!

So call me a PPE (piss poor excuse) for a parent, but around here? The first day of school is nothing for me to cry about. It's not even something worth sniveling over.

Not a single tear has been shed over any of the first days of school my kidlets have had. When I sent Gabriel to preschool on that very first day in 2007 - there were no tears. My precious bay-bee (can you hear my sarcastic whine?) was growing up. And when I sent his little butt to UPK...then to Kindergarten...and then this year to first grade...no tears. He's growing into such an independent little man...how could I cry about that?


There were no tears when I sent Elliott to preschool...or to UPK. And when I put her on the bus this morning for her first official day of Kindergarten, there wasn't even a small sniff of sadness. She was so excited to get on the bus. And (as a 4th generation college graduate who loved school) how could I be sad when school is the only thing she talks about?


Next week Janna goes to preschool. And I already know that no tears will be shed. She is more excited about going to preschool than the other two were - which is pretty excited!! (I'll post her first day of school pic next week!!)

As far as I'm concerned, sending my kids to school isn't a sad occasion. Sure it's bittersweet, but when I had kids I knew that they were going to grow up. Sure I'm going to get all weepy-eyed when I look back over old pictures, or reminisce about when they were small. But right now? Watching them grow up into beautiful, intelligent, independent, strong-willed, opinionated, and loving mini-adults makes me beam from ear-to-ear.

600 Minutes

That's the goal we (the kids and I) set for our Summer Reading Goal. And...WE MADE IT! I'm so excited! Maybe a little too excited. Maybe more excited than I should be. But I can't help it!

Our local library is fantastic. Totally underutilized, but still fantastic. I signed the kids up for the reading program on June 23, and we went in to get our last weeks' prizes today. The kids met - even exceeded - their goal!! And the entire 6 weeks isn't even up yet!

I figured Gabriel would be the kid to beat because he loves to read...but he wanted nothing to do with it. Or rather, he wanted nothing to do with me. I had to beg and plead with him to read (or be read to), but he finally finished. His total? 605 minutes.

Janna loves being read to. She brings me books all day long. Her total: 666 minutes.

Elliott was a girl possessed this summer! All she wanted to do was read - and her books of choice have been by Laura Ingalls Wilder! I had to pry her nose out of books so she could play/eat/sleep. I am so proud of her!! Her total? 753 minutes!!

The main reason I'm so stoked about this is that I love to read (and I've read almost 60 books this year). The kids see someone reading an actual book all the time. And I think that's so important. Reading has always been such a huge part of my life, and I love that my kids seem to love it just as much as I do. And I am beyond thrilled that they beg each and every day to go to the library.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye...

The Princess of Pink is 3!!

I can't believe it. Where has the time gone? And I know...I ask the same thing every year. Want proof? Read this. And this. And while you're reading, I dare you...no. Double dare you. No. Triple dog dare you not to find my Sweet and Petite the most adorable child in the history of children. (Well, most adorable aside from her siblings.)

The Princess of Pink in training to be an Explorer Extraordinaire at 25 months.

Little Miss Headband - 26 months.

Happy Halloween! Nemo is still a favorite in our house - well, at least for the 27 month-old crowd.

I think this 28 month-old might just have a future as a dancer. And I don't mean ballet...

Janna and her Kuzco cuddling - 29 months.

30 months old and finally loving the snow!

Riding the horsies at the mall with her BFF Sophie is one of this 31 month-old's favorite things to do!

Mommy allowed the Princess of Pink to have 2 donuts after her second round of tubes. Because 2 ear surgeries before the age of 3 (Janna was 32 months old) is just no fun.

Packing for our trip to Florida!! The 33 month-old Little Miss was extremely good in the car for 2 days.

Attitudinal as ever - 34 months.

Bitty Babies are Janna's new favorite thing! Good thing Gramma loves to spoil her 35 month-old granddaughter!

Happy Birthday to my sweet, petite, pink-loving 36 month-old. Mommy loves you more every day!!

She's Such a Girl!!

That's what I keep saying about my Janna. Girlfriend? Is a GIRLY GIRL! Through and through. And as annoying as it is, I love it! And her girlishness is really annoying.

Currently, Janna is in love with pink. I liken her to Pinkalicious...and I call her the Princess of Pink because of it. Everything must be pink. Her milk, her lemonade, her jelly, her earrings, her undies, her dresses, her silly bands, her hair accessories....everything. If it's not pink, she will grudgingly eat, drink, or wear it...but she much prefers pink over any other color.

Little Miss Pink will be 3 in a 11 days...and she has very politely demanded that her birthday should be planned around her favorite color. She has asked for a pink fishing pole, a pink dress (with a matching pink dress for her Bitty Baby, Lizzie), pink earrings, a pink backpack for school, pink crayons and paint, and 5 Abby Cadabby dolls (because Abby is PINK - and her favorite Muppet). She wants everything wrapped in pink paper (she even picked it out) and tied with pink ribbons.

She has already chosen her meals for the day - breakfast will be pancakes with pink whipped cream, pink sprinkles, strawberries and pink milk; she would like cheese quesadillas, pink jello, and pink lemonade for lunch; and for dinner she wants salami sandwiches (because, "Mom? [It's also annoying that she calls me "Mom" instead of "Mommy".] Sawami is hot pink. Wif white spwinkles in it."), pink mashed potatoes, and more pink lemonade.

Her cake? Will be....wait for it...PINK. She wants it to be "hot pink in the inside wif light pink fwosting on the outside wif pink and white spwinkles. And maybe one Pwincess on it. But only one Pwincess, Mom, because only one Pwincess wears pink - Sleepin' Booty."

Check back in a few days to see if The Princess of Pink got the pinkalicious birthday she's hoping for!

I'm Sort of Excited...

So...I'm a stay-at-home-mom. Duh. And I joined MOMS Club 4 years ago. Duh. I still think it was definitely one of the best decisions I ever made, but to be honest, I'm sort of getting tired of the whole thing. I can't stand the "drama" that's involved with the women. The "you talked about me behind me back so now I don't like you anymore" crap. Or the "you made a comment about me taking my sick kids out and about so I'm going to unfriend you on Facebook" crybaby stuff. Or the "I'm not going to be friends with you because you didn't breastfeed (or because you aren't religious...or because you like Twilight)" idiocy. It's all just so frustrating. More than frustrating, actually. That kind of bullshit is really tiresome. And when things become that tiresome, it's even worse than being simply frustrating. As a SAHM to three busy kidlets, I don't have the time, patience, energy, or ambition to try to "fix" all of the whining and hurt feelings. So...my own MOMS Club chapter (of which I am President for the third year in a row - yay)? Meh. I could take it or leave it.

But.

There is one aspect of MOMS Club that has me fairly excited - my position with the International side of MOMS Club. I've been a Primary Coordinator for about a year and a half now, and it's been really rewarding. I just got a call today letting me know that, because I am so awesome (International's words...not mine), they are promoting me to State Coordinator. Which is actually really cool. I get to help with the behind-the-scenes stuff, and it's so refreshing. My love of MOMS Club is slowly being revived, and I honestly couldn't be happier to be a part of something this great.

Prey-ing for Time

I've been reading a lot lately. A LOT. So far this year, I've read 36 books. I'm pretty impressed with myself. I'm also pretty impressed with my ability to multi-task to get all of my reading in. I cook and read. Potty and read. Fold laundry and read. Vacuum and read. Ride in the car and read (this new activity has me extremely thrilled!! For the first 31 years of my life, if I so much as thought about words, I would throw up. Thanks to Dramamine, a large bottle of Coke Zero, and a 3 Musketeers bar, I am now able to read while traveling. Awesome.). Exercise and read. If I could sleep and read, I would do it.

Currently, I'm obsessed with Lucas Davenport - the main character in John Sandford's "prey" series. I've read 6 Prey books in the last 3 weeks. Davenport (who is almost as awesome as Jack Reacher) and I are pretty much inseparable. When he isn't hiding in the shadows (or, rather, in my purse), he's sitting on my couch. Just waiting for me. In fact, that's where he is right now. I think I'll go join him.

Growing Up

My kids are growing up so fast. I know...all kids grow up fast. But lately it seems like the changes are happening reallyfast.

I think the main reason I'm suddenly noticing the physical growth is because the kids are wearing summer clothes. When they're all bundled up in layers upon layers of stuff during the cold months, I can't really get a decent fix on their size - they're all lumpy and covered. Now that shorts and tank tops are being worn...all I see are arms and legs. And believe me...the arms and legs over here are loooooooong. Gabriel and Elliott are built like their father - who is, I'm pretty sure, part gorilla. Gabriel is very lean and lanky. Elliott has legs that, as she gets older, are going to cause other girls in her class to be green with envy. Seriously. They go up to her armpits. Janna's a little more petite than her siblings, but she's still got some seriously long legs supporting a very short torso. They've each gone up a size (or 2 in Elliott's case) in the last 4 months due to the length of their extremities. Thank goodness for adjustable waist bottoms...without those, my kids' pants would constantly be around their ankles.

The kids are also growing by leaps and bounds developmentally. Gabriel is thriving in kindergarten. Well, thriving when he isn't being a turd out of boredom. But his teacher has found ways to keep him occupied when he isn't being challenged enough, and he's doing really well. He's working on addition and subtraction, and he loves it. He's also started multiplying and dividing. For no good reason. He reads constantly, and is becoming an authority on all things relating to dinosaurs. Talking to him is so much fun. He's so smart. And funny, too!

Elliott is also doing really well in school. Pre-Kindergarten has been heaven for her. She's making all kinds of new friends, and she's breaking out of her shell. She loves drawing and telling stories, and she just started reading this week. Needless to say I am insanely proud of her! Reading? Already? How freaking awesome is that?

Janna is almost a preschooler! She's signed up for the same preschool that the other kidlets went to when they were 3-ish, and she couldn't be more excited. Every day she asks if she's going to "the white school". She's starting to consistently recognize her ABCs, and she can count to 40. She knows how to spell her name and can recognize it (and the names of her siblings and friends). It's hard to believe that the Smallish Girl will be 3 in less than 2 months.

All of this growth is amazing, and it's so much fun to watch them grow and learn. I'm so proud of each kid, and though there are days when I would like to sell them on eBay, I am thrilled that they are the way they are.

Randomly Tandemly: Mommy Vacation!

Winter? Sucked. Hard. I am not a "winter girl". Yes, I know. Upstate NY is not the place to be in you're not a "winter girl". But Upstate NY is where I am...and Upstate NY is where I shall stay. Well, I'll stay until my husband decides to move us elsewhere - and ideally "elsewhere" would be PA...which is also not exactly mecca for girls who dislike winter. But I digress. The point? Being a non-winter girl, I spend a lot of my time dreaming of far off places. Places that are warm. Sunny. Bright. (Because Upstate NY? Is mostly gray-ish beige from November through April. Blah.)

So...winter was balls. Sick kids, snow, slush, dismal skies...all balls. Vacation? Would be AWESOME - and definitely not balls. My BFF Keelie and I spent lots of wasted time "chatting" (I love Facebook's IM thing. She's at work, I'm home with the kids...and we can still talk for what sometimes ends up being hours. Awesome.) talking about our "Dream Mommy Vacation": what kind of vacation would it be? Where would I go...what would I do...who (if anyone) would I take with me?

Hmmmmmm. If I let the over-exhausted Mommy part of my brain (the part that doesn't want to think about anything right now except sleep...and Robert Pattinson...possibly both together) answer, the decision would be pretty simple: somewhere warm and free...where I could sit and do nothing...for free...alone...where the alcohol flowed freely...for free...where it didn't matter if my legs weren't shaved...where snow, ear infections, and puke were somewhere far, far away. Oh, and did I mention that everything would be free? Yes. That's where I would go. And it would be heaven.

But the rationalish part of my brain (the part that is currently thinking about sleep...and Robert Pattinson...possibly both together) knows that my perfect vacation? The one that I would love to take? Would be a little different. I would still go somewhere warm...everything would still be free...I would still sit and try my hardest to do nothing...I would drink any alcohol I could find...I would not shave my legs. But I would not be alone - I would be with my kidlets and my hubby. And it would be perfect. Or something.

And in reality? That vacation? STARTS TODAY! WOOHOO!! We leave for Florida this afternoon, and I am so freakin' stoked.

The "Dream Mommy Vacation Checklist" has been checked off! See?

1) Vacation to be FREE (or mostly free): CHECK! My Dad and Step-Mom live in Florida. We're staying with them for a week.
2) Location to be warm: CHECK! Right now in Florida, the highs are in the low 80s. Sweet.
3) Sitting and doing as little as possible? CHECK! Heck...what good are grandparents if they won't watch their grandchildren?
4) Flowing booze? CHECK! My brothers and I joke that my Dad is "famous" for making drinks "Bob-sized" - the man drinks beverages out of glasses bigger than those red/blue plastic cups used for beer pong. Awesome.
5) Not having to shave? CHECK! No one will care if my legs are picky. And if they do? They can suck it.

I am so excited. In t-minus 6 hours we head out the door. And it's going to be awesome. I can't imagine planning a vacation without my kids or my husband. It just wouldn't make sense. They are my life. I may complain about them, and sure I fantasize about going away with Robert Pattinson without them, but I could never do it. If the vacation is going to be perfect, it has to include my family. "Dream Mommy Vacation"? Here I come.

Effort

Exhaustion has set in. The crack-of-ass wake-up call? Is killin' me. I love all of the plusses that go along with the early morning routine (the uninterrupted me time, the exercise, the better mood), but by the time the girls are in bed napping? All I want to do is join them. And I've tried. I've hunkered down on the couch...all cozy and warm in my Snuggie. And sleep? Evades me. I stare at the ceiling. I'm absolutely exhausted...but will my eyes close? Nope. Awesome.

So in an effort to stave off the afternoon sluggishness that creeps - and also in an effort to stay away from the yummy WW approved cupcakes hiding in my kitchen - I find myself dicking around on the computer for most of the afternoon. (Before I started waking up at 5:30am, my afternoons were spent doing the things I now do at the crack-of-ass: exercising, cooking, cleaning, etc.) Which is great...and also very frustrating. I don't want to sit here and dick around. Reading or crocheting would feel a bit more constructive, but both of those activities make me even more tired in the afternoons. And sleep? Still evasive. So posting about nothing is today's effort at trying to keep my eyes from rolling back in my head.

So. Life? Is good. My kidlets? Are awesome (and really freaking cute). I can't shouldn't complain (I say shouldn't because I can always find something to complain about).

Monday MEme: I Must Have It!!

Supah and MommyBrain have once again helped to make my Monday fabulous. I ♥ memes! This week's meme is about the one thing you (I) wanted most as a child. So...

So...the one thing I wanted most as a kidlet? Well...see...ummmm...I'm basically what you would call spoiled. I didn't want just one thing...I wanted EVERYTHING. And I almost always got what I wanted. So I'm spoiled (as are my brothers - but not to the same extent). And in all honesty, I am not ashamed to admit it. Maybe I should be. But I'm not. At all.

So...as a kid. I wanted toys. Pretty simple. Toys that I coveted most? Anything Barbie. Barbie styling heads, dolls, clothes, paper dolls, cars/trucks/campers/airplanes, houses, McDonald's...I wanted it all. And I had it all. The vast majority of it came from yard sales or were hand-me-downs from cousins - but I still had it. Didn't matter to me that I was driving my dolls around in the 1972 camper instead of the 1985 one. The only Barbie thing that I kind of wanted was the Barbie Dream House - I never got that.

I also really liked things that were miniature (thank you Mom and Gramma R!!). "Littles" stuff, Charmkins, Glamour Gals - I had it all. And I loved it. I had Ginny Dolls, Raggedy Ann dolls, toys from the movie "Annie" - again. If I wanted it, I almost always got it. My parents pretty much kept Knickerbocker in business. If you want to know what any of those things are, Google them. I'm feeling lazy...

When it came to clothing...I also almost always got what I wanted. My tastes were simple...jeans, shirts, and shoes. I loved Converse. At any given moment from the time I was 10 through maybe age 16, I had at least 5 pairs in various states of wear. My Mom and I wore the same size, so I borrowed hers when I needed a fresh pair to match some new shirt. And yes...I matched my shoes to my shirts. I also matched my glasses to my shirts - but that's a different story. I went through an Aigner snake skin phase when I was in 5th grade. Yep...I seriously rocked loafers with a matching purse.

Basically, what it boils down to is that I was/am spoiled. Not rotten...just spoiled. My parents love(d) shopping, and I love(d) going with them - and both of them are crazy bargain finders. I was guaranteed at least one "present" if I spent the day suit shopping with my Dad - and when my Mom and I went out, I always came home with something, too. My parents (and grandparents) owned an antique shop, so we also did a lot of yard sale-ing, flea marketing, and auction-attending on the weekends. If I behaved, I got something "new". I was the only kid in first grade that proudly played with her entire set of Partridge Family paper dolls (remember - this was 1984...not 1971). Again...spoiled. I know.

The other awesome thing about having parents that loved shopping was that when my Mom or Dad decided they no longer wanted some random piece of clothing or jewelry, I got to have it. My Mom handed down her diamonds and sapphires, my Dad gave me his old silk ties and oxford cloth shirts (which became my obsession when I was a senior).

The spoilage has continued into my adult-hood. My Mom feeds my Vera Bradley and American Girl Doll obsession, and my Dad keeps shoe companies in business. In turn, I am doing my part to keep toy/clothing manufacturers in the black. I am my parents in that I spoil my kids. Am I ashamed? Nope. It is out of hand? Sometimes. But I am also my parents in that I have boundaries, and I am an expert bargain hunter. I hit up end-of-season sales like a woman possessed, and I also yard-sale (and hunt for stuff on eBay). I am perfectly content to clean up a used toy and pass it off as new, and I have started "recycling" my unwanted goodies (my kids have books, old toys, purses, shirts, jewelry, etc. that were mine).

Ok, so the point...I never really had to "sell" my young soul to get what I wanted. I just got it. Well, unless I whined about it. Then I got NADA.

Crack of Ass

That's what time I've started getting up in the mornings - 5:30am - a.k.a. the ass crack of the day. And while I cringe when the alarm goes off, I am loving my new routine. I am much happier, I have less stress, and I am getting so much more accomplished.

The reasons for the early wake-up-call? Are many.

1) My husband used to run. I say "used to" because the man hasn't bothered to drag his sorry (and currently slightly larger) ass out of bed to trot for almost 10 months now. He claims that he's too tired to get up, that he doesn't want to leave me alone in the house with 3 kids so early in the morning (WTF? He leaves me alone with them all day. I realize mornings are tougher, and I annoy much easier, but still. Not at all a valid argument now that they are almost completely self-sufficient.), and that he doesn't have the time. I am sick and damned tired of listening to him bitch that his jeans are too tight and that I am somehow holding him back from running. He's also been really frustrated lately. Running has historically been his outlet for stress-relief, and he needs to get back to it. So I told him that if he got up, I would get up. He scoffed. So now it's all about spite.

2) I've gained between 15 and 20 pounds. The 66 that I lost was awesome...but at the end of that year, I was starving myself to maintain something that wasn't possible. This girlfriend needs to eat more than salad, chicken broth, and sugar-free jello. I'd like to lose 10 of those pounds. My jeans and everything are still cozy, but I'd like them to be a little looser. And I'm going to Florida in a few weeks. It would be nice not to jiggle quite as much. So since the hubby is getting up to exercise, I am, too. I've been exercising every day (or at least 5 days a week), but I'm only doing the bare minimum. Since I started getting up earlier, I am getting in a decent workout before breakfast, and then after I drop E off at school a friend and I walk at least 2 miles in the mall. So instead of averaging maybe 7 miles a week + a little extra cardio, I'm up to 10+ miles with a lot of extra cardio. I walked 4 of those miles today. Hooray!

3) Winter sucked. I hate the dreariness and general blahs of the season, and now that it's getting nicer out I want to make the most of the day. My kids are sleeping in (around here, we consider 6:45 sleeping in), and I am able to get a ton done before their feet even hit the floor. Lunches are packed, laundry is done, dinner is at the very least planned, coffee has been consumed, Facebook games have been played, and I am in a much better mood. Again...hooray!

4) I hate wasting the day sleeping. As much as I love sleeping, I feel so lazy if I stay in bed past 7am. Dragging myself out of bed at 5:30 has really alleviated the tension I feel in the morning. When I was getting up later, everything felt rushed - and that was very frustrating. I would be easily agitated, and I would end up yelling at the kids for basically no reason. Now that I'm exercised, caffeinated, and showered before I even have to look at my kidlets, the mornings are much smoother. Jon's much happier, too, now that he's back to running every morning - and he's noticed a huge change in my morning attitude.

5) I realized that I am a morning person. I fought this notion for years simply because I didn't want to get out of bed. But I am so much happier and more productive in the morning. My fantastic mornings give way to fantastic afternoons, and the evenings? Have been nothing short of awesome. Sure the kids are annoying, but because I'm nowhere near as stressed out I'm better able to deal with it without losing my temper. Much.

Monday MEme - Pretty or Not: A Prom Story

Prom. Oh the mem'ries. Below you will Courtney in what she deemed the height of Junior Prom fashion. That red satin ballgown was my first purchase from Victoria's Secret. What? You didn't know that once upon a time they sold actual clothes? That covered more than the bottom half of a boob? Well...they did. Every year they put out a holiday dress guide...and this was in the Winter 1995 edition. And I fell in love. And, if I do say so myself, I looked pretty damned good!

My date was an ass. He was the high school boyfriend that treated me like absolute and total shit, and he was cheating on my 17 year-old self at the time. Awesome. There are pictures in my yearbook of him making fun of me behind my back while we were dancing. Again...awesome. I spent the evening crying and being miserable. But, he can suck it. 'Cause I loved this dress. And I looked fabulous!! Especially when I completed the ensemble with my Gigi's mink stole. Yeah, I was that girl. Mink, huge pearls, silk garters... but again...I looked fabulous!


After the horrific time I had at my junior prom, I decided to take a friend to my senior prom. Sure I had a crush on him - and I had a boyfriend (who was away at school) at the time, but such is life. This is what 1996's dress looked like:

Courtesy of the Deb shop. Very short, very shiny, and very blue. It also cost over $200 less than the red dress. I still wore silk garters, but the milk was replaced with more silk and the pearls with diamonds. You can't see the hair, but it was also very shiny - my french braid was wrapped in gold ribbons, and it looked awesome. I had the best time!! My girlfriends and I danced and danced, and my date was fun, too. He didn't make fun of me, he treated me like a lady, and he looked great, too. It was a fantastic night.

I don't cringe much when I look back om my prom experiences. Junior prom taught me that I didn't deserve to be treated like a chump (though I let the Tool treat me like a chump for another year), and my senior prom showed me how awesome it was to dance til my feet hurt with my buddies.

I Can't Believe It.

I have a 6 year-old. How in the world did that happen? It boggles my mind.

My handsome boy with his loot.

Special birthday breakfast!

Mommy loves you, Gabriel!!

Making a wish.

Totally Tube-ular, Take 2

Once upon a time, there was a pretty little girl named Janna. She was a sweet, bubbly little thing, with huge brown eyes and a mop-top of brownish curls. She had cute pink ears that stuck straight out from the sides of her head. And while these cute little ears were absolutely adorable, they also hated Janna. No one knows why Janna's ears hated her, but every winter they caused her pain and suffering.

One winter morning while Janna was still a baby, Janna's Mommy took the pretty little girl to a special doctor. After sitting in the waiting room of the Special Doctor's office for over an hour, the Special Doctor looked inside Janna's ears and was very upset to discover that the little girl's ears were filled with yucky monsters. So a few weeks later, the Special Doctor put magical green tubes in Janna's cute little ears. The monsters went away, and Janna and her Mommy were very happy.

Time passed, and the monsters didn't return. Mommy was very excited, and thought that maybe the monsters had gone away forever. Then one day, when Janna was two, she started to cry. Her ears were hurting her. The monsters had come back! Mommy was very upset, and took the pretty little girl to the doctor. They went to the doctor every few weeks, and Janna had to take lots and lots of pink medicine. But the monsters wouldn't go away.

So Mommy called the Special Doctor. And she took the pretty little girl to see him again. They sat in the waiting room for well over an hour again, and when the Special Doctor looked in Janna's ears he saw the monsters. And he was very upset. He didn't think that such a pretty little girl should have such ugly monsters in her ears. So he told Mommy and Janna that he would once again put a set of magical tubes in the cute little ears.

To be continued after March 19th...that's when the Special Doctor is going to do battle with the monsters in Janna's ears.

MEme Monday: Smoochie Smooch!!

I ♥ MEme Monday. It just makes me smile. This week, Supah and Mommybrain want to hear a story about your FIRST KISS. Good times!!

I was a late bloomer. Seriously. I was still very happily playing with Barbies and stuff while some of my girl friends were experimenting with kissing. I had crushes and I knew exactly who I wanted to kiss, but I really had no desire to actually do the kissing. Just the thought of someone sticking their tongue in my mouth was enough to make me want to puke - and the fact that one of my BFFs gave me specific details of what it was going to be like didn't really help. Basically what it boiled down to was that I was scared. And completely freaked out.

My first technical kisses - the small peck and the French one - were both with the same boy - the one I had a crush on and actually wanted to kiss. 8th grade for the peck, 9th for the tongue. The peck was fine. Nothing to be overly tense about. It was in front of the buses after school. The other one? Freaked me out. Well, the anticipation had me freaked out. He'd kissed other girls...I'd kissed no one. I was still slightly disgusted by the thought of tongues actually touching, and I was of course petrified that I would do it wrong. We were kind of on a "double-date" (my BF dated his cousin so the four of us hung out a lot together), and the other two left us alone in a very dark bedroom. It was very weird and I was very nervous. So I pretty much dove right in. I guess it was ok with him since he pretty much dove right back. He was a total tool, but we did a lot of kissing though high school and into college.

My first real kiss? The kind that made my toes curl and knees go weak? Was with my now husband. We'd been dating for a while, and I knew I liked him...I just wasn't sure how much I liked him. Back story: Jon came home to visit one weekend (he went to school in NY, I was in PA), and he brought a female friend with him. She, of course, was a skank that wanted him, but it didn't really bother me. Until the next week. When he told me that after he went back to NY with her, they kissed. It pissed me off in the worst way, and I realized that I was a complete fool. Long-ish story short, he came home again two weeks later, and I kissed the hell out of him. Toes? Curled. Knees? Weak.

Randomly Tandemly: The Sickies

Sick kids suck. Doesn't matter how old they are, how many of them you have, whether or not you work or stay home...sick kids suck. It's a fact. I've never heard any mother ever say that she hoped her kids would get sick. It just doesn't happen. As mommies we try our damnedest to keep our kidlets healthy. And when they do succumb to whatever cooties that happen to be going around, we do what we can to make them feel better.

So how does this frazzled Master Momma to three deal when one (or more, but usually only one - Janna) of her brood gets sick? Well...it's hard. The hardest thing? There's only one of me...and three of them. There's only so much lap, so many hands, so much patience, and so much time in the day. Inevitably, someone is going to get ignored.

Janna is my "sickie" - my "Ear Infection Queen". Her ears hate her. When she hurts (which lately is just about every freaking day)? We all hurt. Not only does her screaming send us all running for ear plugs (seriously...that child's cries are like fingernails on chalk boards), but it also sends the bigger kids into a frenzy. They know I'm going to be busy trying to console Janna, so they do everything in their power to be...well, needy. And annoying. I understand why they do it - they don't want to be ignored. And they're totally jealous of the fact that Janna's get all kinds of extra attention. Again...I get it. It's just frustrating. And we all know how much patience I don't have - we also know how well I deal with frustration.

Struggling with sick kids is hard for anyone. But when you're basically alone? It's even worse. Jon works all day so he's of no help unless it's really bad, and I have no parents or in-laws close by to offer some assistance. Sure I have friends that are more than willing to watch a kid (or two), and I have had to lean on them pretty hard at times (thankyouthankyouthankyou to those buddies!!). But I hate doing that. I don't want to shove a potentially germ-ridden kid into their potentially germ-free home - and vice versa (I don't want to shove a potentially germ-free kid into their potentially germ-ridden home).

Last week there was no school (F-you Upstate NY) - and guess what? My kids were all sick! The Big Hosers had nasty viruses, and Janna had a double ear infection (which ended up rupturing her eardrum). The first time we went to the pediatrician's office I dragged all three kids with me - and it was nothing short of hell. The second time? I broke down and begged for help. I canceled the third appointment. F it.

The only good thing about sick kids? They sleep. A lot. Or at least they do up here. They're also really content to sprawl on the couch and watch movie after movie. Without begging for snacks. I'm off the hook for entertaining them when they're sick.

Welcome to Randomly Tandemly: A BFF Blogging Adventure

Picture it: a quaint (ish) rural town in North-Central PA in the early 80's. Two smallish girls - one with long, thick auburn hair; the other with shorter, strawberry blond Dorothy Hamill hair - standing in front of a small preschool. That's where our story begins...the story of Keelie and Courtney.

Flash forward over a quarter of a century: Keelie's a workin' momma to one gorgeous albeit very attitudinal 4 year-old girl. She's also in grad school. She and her hubster (currently working third-shift in a hospital) live close to both sets of their parents. Courtney is a stay-at-home-Momma to three gorgeous albeit very attitudinal kidlets (ages 6, 4, and 2). Her hubster is a 9-5 Engineer. They live nowhere near any of their family. Though they lead very different lives, one thing remains the same: their friendship. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, ups and downs...Keelie has been a constant in Courtney's life.

So...now that you have very abbreviated back-story, I'll get to the point (and stop writing in third-person). For our own semi-warped and nerdy entertainment, Keelie and I are going to somewhat randomly and tandemly post about our experiences as Mommies/Wives. Each week we will choose a topic that we're both dealing with (sick kids, sleep deprivation, weather issues, etc.), and we'll post on our respective blogs. Hey - I warned you that we were semi-nerds.

Seeing as we don't live in close proximity to each other, this is a way for us to: a) not run up the phone bill catching up, b) vent about the frustrations we both deal with, and c) bore the hell out of all of you. Read if you want. Don't read if you don't want to. It's your choice. And either way it's a win-win situation for us. Be forewarned though - if you choose to read, please don't attack. Neither of us will put up with that kind of childish nonsense. We have enough childish nonsense to deal with as parents.

So...Randomly Tandemly. Hope you enjoy it as much as we plan to!! The first edition will be posted tomorrow...or sometime soon. The topic? The Sickies.

P.S. Keelie's blog is listed on the right side of this page. Or you can click on her name.

MEme Monday: Infomercial Me

It's MONDAY!! HOORAY! Honestly, I never thought I would be freaking glad that it's Monday in my life. Nor did I ever think I would utter the words, "Monday, I love you." But hell sometimes does freeze over. So, since it's Monday, it's Meme time. And today is all about the crap that we all see on tv. Some of it's pretty awesome...but most of it sucks. So....

• Share with us your favorite AS SEEN ON TV products ... ones you've actually purchased ... make it like your very own testimonial.
• Make a Wish List of AS SEEN ON TV products that you'd buy for yourself ... or for that someone special in your life.
• Or tell us a funny story about an informercial product gone wrong.

My #1 favorite ASoT item? My beloved Snuggie. Aren't I cute??!!

So seriously, I use this bad boy every freakin' day. It's so awesome. The kids fight over it, it washes beautifully, and it;s just so cozy. Snuggie?? I ♥ you.

For the most part, I stay away from most of the stupid shit I see on tv. But I do have a few other sweet items that I just had to have. The PedEgg fairly rocks!! I use it a few times a month, and I have no complaints. The collection of the dead skin shavings is kind of gross, but at least they aren't sprinkled all over the floor.

I also love my Perfect Brownie pan. Ok, so it's not technically mine...it's Jon's. I would show you a picture of the awesome brownies I baked last night (dark chocolate with a mini peanut butter cup shoved down in the middle of each one), but alas - they were so perfect that Jon and I ate them all.

Every year for Christmas my MIL gets me some random ASoT thing...and this year's present was the Slap Chop. It's ok. Sometimes it's just easier to cut an onion by hand, though. Slapping this thing kind of makes my palm hurt.

There are a few things that I like the idea of...but I just won't purchase. One? Bumpits. They look kinda cool and fairly easy to use, but I have big hair already. I'm not in any need of more volume. But if my hair was nice and straight? I would buy those bad boys in a heartbeat. Jonny thinks he would like some of those ShamWow things and an Ove Glove. He's got a birthday coming up...maybe I'll get those.

I'm chilly now. So I'm going to cuddle with my Snuggie. Enjoy your Monday!!

Rant...

A friend of mine posted the above on her Facebook page this week, and I wanted to share (thanks, Liz!). At first, I had an "Amen, Sistah" moment. Then after very careful consideration I had a "holy-shit-that-just-pisses-me-off" moment. The "amen" goes out to Caroline Hax for responding the way she did. The "holy shit" goes out to the working whoevers who just don't get it. [I say "whoevers" because it's not just working non-moms who give us SAHMs attitude and unfair judgement - working moms hand it out, too.]

The main reason this article pissed me off is because I immediately felt the need to defend myself. I needed to verbalize out loud (to no one in particular) that HA! I'm not just sitting on my ass eating candy all day, that I'm not just playing on Facebook or reading instead of doing something constructive, that I'm not just some stupid cow of a housewife sponging off of my husband. Feeling the need to defend myself for the way I live my life? Pisses me off. Sure that's my problem - no one actually attacked me personally. But I've been a SAHM for almost 6 years. And before that? I was a house-wife. When some idiot attacks those lifestyle choices, I take it personally.

I don't judge other people's life choices. Much. Instead, I judge people because they're stupid. That's not my fault - it's theirs. For being dumb-asses. Whoops...I digress. What I mean is that I don't belittle other moms (or non-moms) for choosing to not stay home with their kiddos. I have nothing but respect for moms who work outside of the home because they still have to deal with the day-to-day crap that having kids entails- they just have less time to do it in. What I don't respect, however, are the working moms who degrade the non-working moms. Sure they may work for 8+ hours a day and then have to come home to the chaos of parenting. But you know what? I work all day, too. And I work really hard. I don't get paid for it, either. I don't get a pat on the back. I don't get a vacation. I don't get a personal day. I don't get anything. There's no way for me to "get ahead". I do the same stuff...day in, day out. And when I complain? I get crap from clueless people who think I've got it sooooo good. That I'm just sooooo lucky. I get accused of taking everything I have for granted and of being lazy. In a vain attempt to keep it from bothering me, I typically just grin and bear it when people run off at the mouth. It's really not worth having an argument with them. It still hurts and pisses me off, but I know that I'm better than that.

Basically what it boils down to is that I shouldn't have to defend what I do every single day. Accounting for every moment of my day? Is a friggin' joke. I don't have the time...no...the energy to make a note of how I spend each minute - and I would probably break out in hives if I did. Knowing that someone had to read it? Would cause the hives to grow hives. It's just not important.

But what is important is that as moms, we all deserve respect. Every one of us brings something different to the table. And we all deserve to be recognized.

Good Books & Good Friends

Yesterday's post allowed me to share one of my favorite quotes: "Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable." - Louisa May Alcott. I like this quote for many reasons. Not only do I love Ms. Alcott, but books and friends are two of the most important parts of my life. Ok, so that's three reasons - not exactly many, but you get the idea.

So anyway. The point is that books and friends are what keep this slightly insane Mommy sane. I wouldn't be able to function without either of them. I've posted about my adoration of books before, so we all know that reading is one of my very favorite things to do. In an ultimate show of nerdiness, I've decided to create a list of all of the books that I read this year (check it out - it's on the left-hand side of this page). I know. It's only February. And I've already read 14 books. I just can't help myself.

I don't do a whole lot of posting about my friends. Every once in a while I'll drop in a few lines about the awesomeness of them, but I tend to guard that part of my life a little more carefully. Maybe it's because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Maybe it's because I don't want to make you all jealous (my friends are waaaaay cooler than yours!). Maybe my gushing about their awesomeness would embarrass them (or me). Regardless of the reason, my friends are crazy important to me. Near, far. Old, new. In good or bad standing. I ♥ them. Each one brings something different to my life, and I am lucky to have them.

MEme Monday - In Quotes

The always faboo Supah (and MommyBrain, too) wanna know what my favorite quote is. They want to know what yours is, too, of course. But they asked me first. And my answer? I have many. From books, movies, friends, whatever. Some of my faves?

"Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable." - Louisa May Alcott

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” - Charles M. Schulz

“The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop.” - Mark Twain

"You ask me one more question and I'm beating the shit out of you." - Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez in The Breakfast Club)

Post It Note Tuesday