Technical Difficulties

I'm so bummed because FOR SOME REASON, I can't comment on anyone's blog the last couple days that has word verification...I've been trying to on Mamamia's, on QuirkyMess, and 

Mommy Chronicles, and others and it won't pop up! And I don't know WHAT is happening with my comments at Blessed Moon, I type them, but they don't post... Sorry!!  If anyone has any advice, let me know!!  It's always great to be able to leave your two cents!!  

Happy Friday!!

Fun Kid Snack

Well...we CERTAINLY don't get any snow down here, so we have to create our own snowmen.  I found this cute food activity that the kids, even Sam, could do completely on their own.  We did this during one of their recent holidays, but it would be great for an after school snack anytime of the year!  I love Family Fun magazine!!  Just have so many things I want to do out of them...

All you need is skewers, bananas, chocolate chips(it called for minis, but we only had regular & it worked fine), apple slices, grapes, carrot slivers and we used pieces from Chex Mix we had in the pantry to create the arms.  The kids had a ball & had a healthy snack they made just for themselves!!

Try it out!!

YUM-MO!!

It's a Monday!

How's your Monday going??? 

 Hopefully it's off to a better start than this!!!

Yep, just wanting to crawl back in bed!  We stayed up & watched the Oscars, which I really loved by the way, but put me up pretty late, all 3 kiddos were up at different times through the night hearing a noise, wanting water, so the snooze button and I were very friendly this morning.  We got Annie and Jack out the door to school, I opened a blueberry yogurt for Sam's breakfast, only for him to drop cup down(of course) completely on the floor!!!   Then 5 minutes later, after drinking ALL that water in the middle of the night, he didn't make it to the potty.  Time to bring out the mop!!!  

The clock says it is 8:16 in the morning...wonder if I can go back to bed and start all over???

So, how's your day going so far:)

Did you watch??  Did you watch??  Did you watch??

I thought it was one of the best Oscars in a long time...it all flowed really smoothly, especially when you fast forward through the commercials!!  Love that Slumdog won!  Haven't seen it, but really, really wanting to after hearing SOOOO MUCH buzz about it the last few weeks...Loved the Ben Stiller spoof of Joaquin Phoenix on David Letterman...HILARIOUS!!  Thought Jack Black & Jennifer Aniston were funny & when they would cut to shots of Brad/Angelina in the audience...(I'm a Team Aniston girl:)  And I really, really loved how they brought out past winners to introduce this year's nominees...it was very personal & meaningful that way.  My kids were disappointed this morning when I told them Wall-E won for animated picture...they much preferred Bolt & Kung Fu Panda and said they just didn't "get" Wall-E...maybe when they're older I guess.  I haven't seen enough shots of the different dresses to know which ones I really liked and which ones I didn't.  Anne Hathaway's looked beautiful and I didn't care for Reese Witherspoon's, but I love her!  OOH...I did love this girl's necklace...she's from Benjamin Button & thought the necklace was GORGEOUS!! 

That's my recap!  What about you??  

Wishing you and yours a spill free day!

Funny Friday!

This was TOO great not to share...

We're enjoying temps in the 70's and working in the flowerbeds...so nice to be outside & make the yard look alive again!

Happy Friday & don't forget about the Oscars Sunday...we've got our party foods planned out!  

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES
>
> Six married men will be deropped on an island with one car
> and
> 3 kids each for six weeks.
>
> Each kid will play
> two sports
> and either take music
> or dance classes.
>
> There is no fast food.
>
> Each man must
> take care of his 3 kids;
> keep his assigned house clean ,
> correct all homework,
> and complete science projectscook, do laundry,
> and pay a list of 'pretend' bills
> with not enough money.
>
> In addition, each man
> will have to budget in money
> for groceries each week.
>
> Each man
> must remember the birthdays
> of all their friends and relatives,
> and send cards out
> on time--no emailing .
>
> Each man must also
> take each child to a doctor's appointment,
> a dentist appointment
> and a haircut appointment.
>
> He must make
> one unscheduled and inconvenient
> visit per child
> to the Urgent Care.
>
> He must also
> make cookies or cupcakes
> for a social function.
>
> Each man will be responsible for
> decorating his own assigned house,
> planting flowers outside
> and keeping it presentable
> at all times.
>
> The men will only
> have access to television
> when the kids are asleep
> and all chores are done.
>
> The men must
> shave their legs ,
> wear makeup daily,
> adorn himself with jewelry,
> wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes,
> keep fingernails polished
> and eyebrows groomed .
>
> During one of the six weeks ,
> the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back
> aches,
> and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once
> complain or
> slow down from other duties.
>
> They must attend
> weekly school meetings,
> church, and find time
> at least once to spend the afternoon
> at the park or a similar setting.
>
> They will need to
> read a book to the kids
> each night and in the morning,
> feed them, dress them ,
> brush their teeth and
> comb their hair by 7:30 am.
>
> A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each
> father will be
> required to know all of the following information:
> each child's birthday,
> height, weight,
> shoe size, clothes size
> and doctor's name.
> Also the child's weight at birth,
> length, time of birth,
> and length of labor,
> each child's favorite color,
> middle name,
> favorite snack,
> favorite song,
> favorite drink,
> favorite toy,
> biggest fear and
> what they want to be when they grow up.
>
> The kids vote them off the island
> based on performance.
> The last man wins only if...
> he still has enough energy
> to be intimate with his spouse
> at a moment's notice.
>
> If the last man does win,
> he can play the game over and over
> and over again for the next 18-25 years
> eventually earning the right
> To be called Mother!
>
> After you get done laughing,
> send this to as many females as you
> think will get a kick out of it and
> as many men as you think can
> handle it.
> Just don't send it back to me.... I'm going to bed.
>

Happy Hearts Day!!

Sending hugs to all those we love...

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Little Things

It is so, so true! That old cliche of "little things mean so much." And it can take on so many different meanings. Little things can eat at you for no great reason and little things can make or break the kind of day you're having. There are little things that you want to remember forever, like the smell of your children's hair after it's just been washed, then there's the way they run up to you every day after school with so much excitement & love for you, and even though it happens nearly every day, there are some days we quickly forget it or don't absorb it all in because we're in such a rush to get to the next thing.

The last couple of days I've seen almost every thing as a "little thing." Little things to blow off and little things to appreciate more, after hearing the story of precious baby Cora and her parents Joel and Jess. Most of you probably know their story from their blog. Not even a month ago, life was good...life was "normal", but now, after 11 month old Cora's very recent discovery of cancer, her short battle came to a shocking, heartbreaking end. I feel such heartache for them, unsure of how in the world a parent handles such a loss. All I know to do, in order to honor this special baby girl's short time on this Earth, is to do what I'm sure her parents wish they could have done more of and will treasure what they had, are to celebrate all the little things that ordinarily may not seem so grand, but in the end can bring a lifetime of memories while letting go of the other little things...dishes in the sink, the kid's dirty clothes that didn't find their way to the hamper, toothpaste all over the mirror.

This morning, I went in for my first mammogram. My doctor recommended I go when I had my checkup a couple weeks ago, just to establish a baseline as I approach the ripe old age of 37. Of course I'd heard horror stories or how painful it was and had my morning reserved for this appointment, hoping I'd have a chance to run another errand or two before Sam got out of preschool. I got there about 15 minutes early, and was called back immediately. Didn't even have a second to flip open a magazine. The technician I had was super sweet & very good and I have to say there was nothing to it!!! It was quick & really easy. I think there are some out there, a neighbor friend I have included, who are avoiding going because they think it will be a painful, miserable experience. Such a "little thing" to worry about, especially when it comes to your health. The kicker was as I was walking out, at the time I was supposed to have been going in, I was offered complimentary bottled water, bottled Starbucks, juice, granola bars, and was given a long stemmed pink rose, just as a thank you for coming in. I still had 2 hours before getting Sam, so the entire experience & morning was truly a little thing to celebrate.

Children come home with certificates of completion of this, that & the other often for all sorts of reasons. But when they get one as a recognition of their "caring" character, especially from a teacher, it especially means a lot. Jack was honored by his advisory teacher and even won a Spurs ticket for doing such. The school has advisory every few weeks where the entire student body is shuffled around & mixed with every grade level to complete certain tasks & projects through the year. His advisory teacher is a 2nd grade teacher, and for him only to see her every so often & her recognize him in this way really was special. It was a nice surprise in his folder!

A week later, we were just as tickled & excited when Annie was nominated by her teacher, Mrs. Martinez, for the Tim Duncan Character award. She submitted an application about Annie to the committee and then we found out she was one of the winners! Look at all the fun goodies she won...t-shirt, lunchbag, folder, notebook & pens. 

The best prize of all, was getting to read the wonderful things she wrote about Annie. We all feel our children are special in their own ways, but when a teacher, someone who isn't related to your child, says such sweet words about them, it takes on a whole new meaning. We were very, very touched. I told Mrs. Martinez that we will keep this close by as we approach the tween/teen years to show Annie how much so many believe in her & to always be herself. It is those little things, like kind words, that mean so much.

Almost 2 weeks ago, Sam slept in his crib for the last time. This isn't him sleeping with an apple, just him posing as I took a few pictures. It is the first time in 9 years that crib has been taken down and it brought on many, many emotions. Such great memories of 3 babies growing older after sleeping in that crib. Can you tell I get sentimental just about everything?? It was hard, but knowing that he is healthy & thriving made me look at this big step in a whole new, easier way.

And here's the big boy bed...Batman nonetheless!! He has probably transitioned into his own twin bed better than either Annie or Jack. He absolutely loves it & so far, has slept every single night, all night, in it! Even though we weren't having any climbing out issues with the crib, it was just time, so I'm glad we put our feelings aside & took the plunge. It has been great! 

Then that brings us to Girl Scout cookies!! Annie sold 199 boxes & this is what 199 boxes of Girl Scout cookies looks like. We are celebrating them all being delivered & the fact that it was a lot easier a process than I kept thinking it was going to be. It's those little things that can really hang us up in our thinking & prevent us from opportunities we could be experiencing. The most important thing was how much fun Annie, and Jack & Sam for that matter, had in doing it all. Not once did she try to blow it off or act like she didn't want to help. That really made it nice too! 

American Idol is tonight...a little thing to look forward to, but one that is kinda fun for Wes & I to watch together & to talk about with friends. We skipped all the auditions & just started watching the last week as they narrow down to the core group. All I can say is that it's gonna be mighty hard to top our favorite Idol winner of all time, David Cook. So, in his honor, I've got his new song on my playlist. I really love it!!

Another little thing to celebrate...my PTA board meeting was cancelled for this evening!!  Woohoo!  Love having a free night to enjoy at home with the family...

It's Tuesday...hope you enjoy the little things that make your day!

Wow! What a story!!

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A Super Bowl!!!

An awesome weekend was had by all...best part is, we're STILL eating on the leftovers from our Super Bowl party.  No cookin' for me since last week...it's been nice, but I'm ready to get back in the kitchen!  I've got some new recipes to check out.  Here's a look at some of our fun...

We hit the bowling alley with Annie's second grade teachers & other classmates & their families...it took us an hour and a half just to bowl one game, but we had fun and are glad we went.  So sweet of those teachers to take time out of their weekends to plan this.

On to Super Bowl Sunday...CHEERS to root beer and orange cream soda!  

The guys...

this was very early on, so they were pretty subdued and quiet.  Fast forward to the 4th quarter when all the action of the game was going on and our U-verse, for the first time EVER went out right as Arizona was about to score.  You have never seen OR HEARD so much commotion.  Luckily it was only off for a few minutes & just in time to see the Cardinals pull it off...well, almost.  It was an exciting game!

The girls...

I think we enjoyed the food more than they did and hung out in the kitchen.

The food, food, food!!

How yummy does it look??  It tasted even better!

Maggie's touchdown layer dip...DE-LISH!

 Haley posted a few other "professional" shots from the evening at her place.  Go check it out!! There were a couple other big events this weekend too, but I need more time to blog about them...so you'll just have to check back!  

I miss all my blog buddies...where are you??