Life As I Know It

Testing blogger from my phone

2011-12-26T23:07:00.001-05:00

Spooky Buddies

2011-09-15T15:05:00.000-04:00

Space Buddies, and Santa Paws are 2 of Alanna's FAVORITE movies. She watches them about every chance she gets. Now that a new "Buddies" movie is coming out thats all she can talk about. Look for the movie in a store near you September 20.

For a goulish good time, catch Rosebud, B-Dawg, Buddah, Budderball, and Mudbud in their all-new Halloween-themed movie! SPOOKY BUDDIES continues the overwhelmingly popular franchise that features the adorable talking puppies, with action, laughs, and fast-paced adventure.

so in love

2011-09-08T19:52:00.000-04:00

I've never given a photo canvas much thought, until recently.

I was asked to do a review for EasyCanvasPrints.com. The ordering process was as was as 1, 2, 3...literally!
1, you select your canvas size, 2, you select your picture, and don't worry about your picture having poor quality, because they tell you if your image has poor. medium or good quality, then you pick your border image, and 3 you basically add it to your cart. SO.EASY!

I received my canvas very quickly in the mail and was very impressed with the quality. The colors are so bright and the picture is beautiful. I have the perfect place on my mantel over my fireplace to hang my gorgeous picture, but now my problem is that I want to redo everything on my mantel. You know to update my living room {grin}. Everything must change and revolve around my new canvas!

I don't have a picture of my new canvas just yet, but I'll give you a sneek peek of my picture

Check out Easycanvasprints.com now, they are offering 25% off all canvas and FREE standard shipping!

feels like heaven

2011-08-25T21:29:00.000-04:00

Things are getting checked off our summer to do list left and right around here.

Three kids went to the dentist today and three kids walked out with clean, cavity free mouths. Today was a routine check up for the girls. The usual comments: Their teeth are so beautiful, great job girls, and remember to sign up for our cavity free club. I'm so proud of them. Brushing machines they are and they take pride in there pearly whites.

For Ben, this was a big deal. It marked his first dentist visit, and he did it like a pro. Xrays, brushing and flossing...no big deal!

After the dentist, I thought I would reward my awesome children with a trip to the beach. Sun, and Sand filled our afternoon. We walked along the shore, collected sea shells, and slashed in the waves. It was a fun time just me and my babes.

Now the babes are showered and sweet smelling, watching a movie and cuddling. This peace we have in our house feels like heaven..

The last days of summer

2011-08-22T20:09:00.002-04:00

The weeks before school starts are becoming less and less. The talk of back to school shopping and schedules I'm hearing more and more.

The lazy mornings and late bedtimes will be put away until next year and out will come busy routines and homework.

This school year starts a new chapter in our family life.

All 3 of my babes will be in school some sort of way. This school year you will find Hannah in middle school. Switching classes and lockers fill her fears, but the excitement of a new adventure holds her grounded. Her biggest complaint right now is her bff is not riding the same bus as her this year, like they did last year...oh the simple complaints of an 11 yr old.

1st grade is screaming Alanna's name..loud and clear if you have ever met her, you know what I am talking about. {grin} Shes excited to be in elementary school on her own this year, meaning no more big sister to shadow. Her biggest accomplishment this summer was that we found a puppy backpack and "THATS EXACTLY WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED MOM"

My baby (can you believe I am already talking school and Ben in the same sentence? I mean it was just last week that I announced I was pregnant and yesterday my baby turned ONE) (sorry about that I'm still having trouble handling all this grown up-ness) who is now an independent 3 year old ~~little~~ big boy who sleeps in a big boy bed and is potty trained. He will start a wonderful "home base" pre-school program in a few weeks (the same one Alanna started with..LOVE IT!!). His teacher will come to our house once a week and work one on one with Ben for a few hours, then every other Friday he will ride a BUS and socialize with the other "home base" kids in school, eat lunch and will come home to his ~~weeping~~ happy as can be mommy.

So for now I am trying to cherish these last weeks of ~~screaming~~, ~~fighting~~ wonderful, blissful moments with my ~~dirty~~, ~~sweaty~~ clean and yummy smelling children.

A lesson in friendship and greatfulness

2011-08-18T14:28:00.001-04:00

Things are slowly starting to feel normal around here again. I know I haven't talked much about it, but Chris was laid off in January and just recently in July got a job. It was a rough 6 months, but we are slowly beginning to stick are heads out from under water.

We used up all our savings, and plus some. Let me tell you, you really learn what friends and family are when you almost lose everything you worked so hard for. These past few months have taught me a great deal about friendship and who is meant to be in our lives and who isn't.

What I want to come out of all this is a lesson to the kids about wants and needs.
The kids can sit there all day and say they want things, but learning what you want and what you need is a hard lesson. I hope this helps them see how fortunate we are to have so many people around us who care. And as they get older I hope they choose the people that will have lasting friendships.

I sure hope these faces tell how grateful we are to be on our way, catching up on bills, paying off debt and being able to support ourselves again!

For those who have helped us along the way (and you know who you are) I want to give a special {{Thank you}} and {{HUGs to you}} We couldn't have done it without you and God will bless you as you have us.

Silver Lake, camping fun

2011-08-15T20:29:00.000-04:00

Playing at the park

Shes so brave

mystic fire

park fun

waiting in line with Uncle Larry for the go carts

Ben waiting in line with Aunt Pam for the go carts

Hannahs getting ready

Alanna and Uncle Larry getting ready

Ben and Aunt Pam

Go Alanna

There goes Ben

and Hannah

racing Uncle Mike and Matthew

zoooooooom

eating lunch before we head home

giggling Ben

Hannah 1 and Hannah 2

What a cute name for a restaurant :)

Ben and daddy waiting for lunch

Silver Lake, Lake Michigan

2011-08-14T13:33:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Chris and I took the kids camping in Silver Lake, Michigan. Its a beautiful setting with the sand dunes and Lake Michigan practically everywhere you look. Chris' brothers and sister and all their families shared the amazing adventure with us. Below are just a few of the pictures from our trip to the beach on Lake Michigan.

the "small" sand dunes

playing in the waves

beautiful light house

the "big" dunes

sand dunes

a little blurry, but more "mountains" of sand

Alanna says it looked like a desert {grin}

more of the light house

playing in the sand

concentrating on the sand castle

family swim

trying to bury Jack the dog

still trying

guess the dog wasn't working, so they buried Uncle Troy

Sand Castle, Uncle Troy

trying to get the kids sleepy, so they take a nap later, LOL

Ben and Daddy in the lake

three

2011-07-28T21:01:00.000-04:00

This boy is so amazing

He is the "son" in my shine (sunshine) :)

He leaves me breathless

and speechless

I am so proud to be called his momma

He is growing so fast

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

so.random

2011-07-22T08:45:00.000-04:00

A few random pictures since summer started

from the wonderful phone!

Alanna's kindergarten concert

Hannah's 1st trip over the Mackinac Bridge

Beach Bound

Alanna got a fish

Look closely, Hannah did too!

Hanging out at Aunt Tracy's house!

peaceful

2011-07-21T09:41:00.002-04:00

Hannah had to take some pictures for 4H. This is what she came up with.

E.N.J.O.Y

This little boy

2011-07-20T09:30:00.001-04:00

This little boy, sure knows about adventure.

He never has a fear of jumping, running, and sliding.

This little boy sure knows how to make his momma happy

and keeps her on her toes.

This little boy sure brings joy to his family

This little boy is growing so fast.

This little boy is turning 3 in a week.
This little boy has skinned knees
This little boy still crawls in his mammas lap for a hug

This little boy is potty trained.
This little boy runs through the house playing pirates and monsters

This little boy has no more baby, and all big boy

special friends

2011-07-19T09:17:00.000-04:00

friends are something special

friends are there through good and bad

even your best kindergarten friends, at graduation

teachers always share a special place in our hearts

friends may move away

but the memories that are made

will last a lifetime

eleven

2011-07-18T08:52:00.001-04:00

always smiling, brown eyed girl

4H Lover, always helping

endless laughing, carefree ways

Best friend, thoughtful listener

awesome big sister (and cousin) with the best hugs

great photographer, my little lady

summer sum up

2011-07-17T20:49:00.000-04:00

Wow! Its been awhile. I dont even know where to begin. We have a temporary computer. My sister had an extra laptop that was broken and said if we could fix it we could have it....we fixed it!

So much has been happening this last month. The girls are on summer vacation which means that its extra busy around the house. But im getting ahead of my self, so lets start from the beginning.

May:
My was busy. I had surgery, my mother came to visit from Florida to help with the kids while I was laid up. I also had my brother, SIL and niece and and nephew staying here awhile. Also in May was Hannah's 11th birthday. I cant believe that my baby is growing into such a beautiful young lady. She deserves her very own post, which she will get very soon.
May also marked 1 yr for my mother in law passing away. It was a stressful year but the family pulled through. We went to Mackinac (Upper Michigan) so we could all be together and remember. It was a freat getaway and a fun time.

June:
June just flew by. It was filled with sun, sand and beaches. We also snuck in a small camping trip over Fathers day weekend. That also happens to be the weekend my dad had a major heart attack that affected the whole family. He also deserves his own post, so keep an eye out for that :)
June was also the month we started potty training Ben

July:
And here we are in July already. We had a wedding over the 4th, Chris' nephew is in the Marines it was a quick but beautiful wedding. We have "camped out" at my husbands step fathers farm, pond, fire, smores, its like out own private campground just for us, its beautiful! July is also the month that I turn 30, and Ben turns 3. Potty training is going GREAT! Ben deserves his own post as well! And lets not forget about Alanna. She learned how to ride a 2 wheeler with NO training wheels over the weekend. She is now a pro and deserves her own post as well.

So that about sums up everything thats been going on around here. I know I have been out of touch and promise to get back into the swing of things. I also have been very crafty lately and cant wait to show you my projects and also have many more to start. Thanks for being so patient and not losing faith in me and my absence.

~With love~

Be Back Soon!

2011-06-14T09:36:00.000-04:00

I only have a minute.

Our computer crashed, and with Chris still not having a full time job, we are out of luck for a little while. I can still keep up on facebook and email through my phone, so feel free to drop me a line every now and then.

As for blogging, well, as soon as we get a new computer, I will be back FULL force!

Have a GREAT summer!

Mickey's Great Outdoors

2011-05-24T13:58:00.000-04:00

We were first introduced to the Mickey Mote last December, and ever since then Ben has been in love! This time around we watched Mickey's Great Outdoors. Ben loves how he gets to choose the color or the shape on his own.

Disney’s Mickey Mote works with any Disney Preschool DVD that includes the Discovery Mode™ feature – an interactive “Watch & Play” feature on the DVD. All parents have to do is program the remote control - there’s an easy and quick set-up guide in each DVD - and select the Discovery Mode feature on the menu screen. Within minutes, kids will be easily able to respond to questions about scenes they just watched by pressing one of four color-coded buttons on the device -- a yellow star, green circle, orange triangle or blue square – to click in their responses. Discovery Mode features include two levels of play, which provides more challenging questions as the child grows. To date, there are more than 13 Disney Preschool DVD titles for parents to choose from that can be used with the remote control.

Mickey's Great Outdoors is all about camping, fishing and all the fun things to do outdoors. This DVD arrived just in time since we are heading "Up North" Memorial weekend for a camping trip with my Husbands entire family. We got to show Ben what camping would be like and how much fun we can have outside.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Great Outdoors was released on DVD May 24th. The Mickey Mote Play Set includes DVD + Digital Copy + Mickey Mote and is available for $29.99 U.S. / $35.99 Canada. The 2-Disc Combo Pack includes DVD + Digital Copy and retails for $19.99 U.S. / $24.99 Canada.

Sharpays Fabulous Adventure

2011-05-15T20:37:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I received Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure in the mail. I thought it would be a fun movie for Hannah to watch, since she LOVED all the High School Musical movies..and who wouldn't with all the fun music and characters.

This movie is a spin off of the Sharpay character played by Ashley Tisdale. Sharpay has never lacked self-confidence, so when a Broadway casting agent sees her perform with her dog Boi and offers to set up an audition in New York, Sharpay assumes she'll immediately succeed as a Broadway star. Her father is skeptical, but Sharpay quickly arranges for a penthouse in New York, sets up an appointment to audition, and convinces her father to give her a month to follow her dreams and achieve success. New York has some surprises in store for the aspiring young actress, starting with a no-pets policy that lands Sharpay and her dog out on the street on their very first day in town.

This movie is sweet, funny and just the right amount of pink. Hannah has watched this movie at least 3 times this week and says that it never get old. This movie is a great movie for teenagers, particularly, one with the acting bug.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides-GIVEAWAY-CLOSED

2011-05-15T20:16:00.001-04:00

Yo Ho, Yo Ho…..you know what that means! Captain Jack is back and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES sails into theatres everywhere on May 20th!

A NEW movie out, you know what that means. I have a GIVEAWAY to offer. I have 1 prize pack to offer to 1 lucky winner.

- PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES in adult sizes of S, M, L, XL

- PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES bandana in black

- PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES temporary tattoo (2 per winner)

For each one of the following you do, you will be entered one time. Make sure you leave a seperate comment for each that you do.

~Go to is go to the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Facebook page and like it

~Tell me your favorite Johnny Depp movie

~Write about this giveaway on your blog linking back to the contest page

~Post about the contest on Twitter and leave the link in your comment

This contest will end on May 25th and winner will be chosen at random. GOOD LUCK!

Due to low entries the Winner is Tammy..congrats! I will email you further info!

Houston, We have a WINNER!

2011-03-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Teresa who won the Mars Needs Mom contest. Teresa, you should be receiving an email from me to obtain your mailing info. Congrats again!

Mars Needs Moms, pre-screening FUN!

2011-03-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

My family and I were lucky enough to have a pre screening of Mars Needs Moms in our area, and were invited to view it.

First let me start off telling you, how cute, funny and heartwarming the movie is. Mars is run by women who have been told by the "supervisor" that they don't have the time to take care of the young babies and need the memories and rules from the Earth moms to raise the babies.

The movie then introduces you to Milo. Your typical boy, who loves his family, but doesn't ever want to do his chores.

The Supervisor of Mars sees Milo's mom keeping rules and order in her home and wants her to be brought to Mars. Milo wakes in the middle of the night to an adventure most of us will never have the chance to discover.

Once the movie was over both my girls came to me and gave me a BIG hug, and told me they loved me. Maybe they were excited I brought them to the movies or maybe they were scared the martians were coming for me, either way I got a hug and had a great time with my family.

...Then we got home and all was back to normal {grin}...

Mars Needs Moms will be released to the public this Friday March 11 at a theater near you.

After the movie, hurry home and take advantage of the story line, and have the kids finish those pesky chores :)

Low entry for giveaway!

2011-03-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

I have a really low entry for the giveaway below...Please help spread the word and sign up for the Mars Needs Moms fun gift pack!

Mars Needs Moms giveaway

2011-02-25T13:33:00.001-05:00

A new exciting movie will be in theaters on March 11, 2011

Mars Needs Moms

Mars Needs Moms is a wild adventure in Disney 3D and IMAX 3D. In anticipation of the show date I have an awesome prize pack to giveaway.

- MARS NEEDS MOMS T-Shirt (Adult Size)

- MARS NEEDS MOMS T-Shirt (Youth Size)

- MARS NEEDS MOMS Temporary Tattoos (3-pack)

To Win this prize pack, you must do all 3 of the following:
1. GO to Mars Needs Moms facebook page and "like" it
2. Be a Blog follower
3. Leave a comment telling me how awesome you as a mom are, or if you're not a mom, tell me how awesome your own mother is.

Thats it. Now hurry, this contest will end March 11, 2011 and the winner will be notified by email, so make sure your email is in your comment somewhere...Have fun!

One Day

2011-02-17T20:00:00.000-05:00

Chris took a temp job, working with his brother for the week. His brother travels to different places and tears downs stores, packs them up and then cleans them. Right now they are in Virginia. Its been 5 days since I seen my husband. The kids have been VERY good while he is away, and its been an easy week. Except for the hassle of working with the DHS office and the new LOUD noise now coming from our van.

Yesterday I thought I finally figured this DHS stuff out. I called and spoke with the supv. Well, I'm not really sure we should call it spoke, maybe yelled is a better term, but I think I got my point across very well. I received a call from my case worker less than an hour later telling me, we were approved, and money for January and February should be on the card by the next day. For the first night in a month I actually fell asleep and slept the whole night.

That restful nights sleep was much needed for the day I just had today. I called the food card and no money was added. $0 balance.
After calling my case worker, her supv, and DHS more than 50 times today I get a call at 4:30 telling me that the money was placed on another card, a card I didn't have and no one knows where this card is. I called customer service for the food card and was told that the card I had in my hand was not active since 2008 and there is no open account for 2011. I gave her the card # that the money was on and she told me it belonged to a man..I asked if it was Chris and she said yes, but she couldn't talk to me because I was not authorized.

(insert SCREAMING IN MY HEAD)

I called Chris in Virginia and asked him to call and get information for me. He calls me back and said that yes the card was in his name and it had all the money that was supposed to be on it..on it. He then said that the new card was mailed on the 16th and we should be receiving it in 3-5 business days

(insert more SCREAMING IN MY HEAD)

DHS has confused me, angered me, made me cry, and down right makes me want to write to the government to tell my story. Per Michigan law, DHS had up to 30 days to process our application for food assistance...tomorrow marks our 30 days.

I ask myself several times how people live like this. It makes no sense. We have had family help us, the Salvation Army, MCOP, and friends have dropped off groceries and supplies to get us through...What if we didn't have family and friends who were in the position to help us? What would we have done...

I'm making a promise to myself right now, that when we get back on our feet, I will donate as much of my time and money and assistance to anyone I can to help out those families who truly and honestly need the help.

playing the waiting game

2011-02-15T14:29:00.001-05:00

I called the local DHS supervisor this morning at 8:30am. Its now 2:30pm and I am still waiting to hear from someone.

Because when it rains it pours.

We had our taxes filed before February 1, 2011. We are STILL waiting on our federal return. I checked the IRS site and the "processing is pending". I spoke with our "tax man" and he advised that random returns get picked out and it is being personally reviewed by the IRS now. There is no telling when we will see our return. On a small bright note, he did tell me that its his job to handle the IRS so if we do get officially audited he will take care of it...Please Lord don't let it come to that....Just hand us our nice little return and we will be merrily on our way :)

...and because I don't want to sound super depressing or anything I will leave you with warm fuzzy feelings.

I am still taking Ben to our local library once a week to a small playgroup called Small Fries. Today was their Valentine's Party. Ben brought in some dum dum suckers, and proudly passed them out to all his friends. He was amazed in return that his friends gave him a Valentine, he continued to talk about it an hour later before he passed out for nap time. Oh the sweet and simple life of a 2 yr old. He is currently in bed sleeping with his VDay bag full of goodies.

again 2

2011-02-14T15:04:00.000-05:00

A week later we were running out of food again. Chris calls DHS and they said that if we come in, they can void our online application and we can fill out another, and we should be able to leave with emergency assistance. We showed up at 9am. Our DHS office sees people from 9-11am M, T, TH, and F...It awas Tuesday. We told the receptionist why were there and she had us complete another LLLLOOOOONNNNNGGGG application...Such a waste of trees. We turned it in by 9:40. We were called back at 10:45 and the "screener" started asking us questions. She did not understand how Chris made his money as a repo man and asked the same questions over and over. Its now 11:10. She advised us that since it was passed 11 we would not be seen.

I don't even have to tell you how upset Chris and I were, because we were there at 9am and it wasnt our fault that they didnt call us back until 15 minutes before the end time. We went back to the waiting room and Chris went to speak with a supv. The supv stated that since it was past 11 he couldn't help and also because the "screener" wrote down that Chris made to much money to get emergency services. He tried to explain that the money written down was for the month of December and that in January we basically had no income because he only worked a week. Well DHS doesn't want to hear that and still said nothing could be done...They gave us a paper to take to MCOP for another food basket.

I am so thankful for the help the food baskets offer, however with a family of 5 its very hard. They dont give baskets according to your family size. From MCOP we got 1 box of mac and cheese (my family eats 2), we got 1 box of rice aront (my family eats 2), we got a few cans of veggies (my family eats at least 2 with each meal) and a box of spegetti noodles (my family eats a large box)....so needless to say that the food box didn't last long. Now we are back in square one with no more food boxes, and DHS will not return my phone calls..I have left a message everyday this week for our case worker...If she doesnt call back tomorrow, I'm calling her supv.

More to come...

Again

2011-02-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

I haven't written much about whats been going on lately, because I'm still trying to deal with it.

It was a normal Tuesday. I picked Alanna up from school because she had a dr appt. I went grocery shopping and planned on treating the two little ones to lunch. While waiting in the dr office, Chris called. It didn't seem out of sorts, so I answered thinking nothing of it. The first thing out of his mouth was he got laid off. I thought he was kidding and told him he wasn't funny. I'm not joking he said. I laughed and shrugged it off and started blabbing about my day. He interrupted me and told me he was not kidding, that he just lost his job.

I can't go through this again came to mind. After the drs, there was no taking the kids to McDonalds. We now had to watch every penny spent.

After a week or so we were running out of food. We called the DHS office and asked for help, but they said out application was still pending. They sent us to the Salvation army. I was grateful for 3 things that day.
1. They were helping us with food
2. That the girls were in school and didnt't see what we seen
3. That Ben is to little to remember this time

The Salvation Army helps ALOT. They gave us bags of groceries. It got us through another week or so. But what I didn't know was that th Salvation Army has bread, beagels, buns, and cake mix everyday to give out to people. No questions asked. When leaving the office we almost ran into a man crouching on the ground with handfuls of food in his mouth. He was so hungry he couldn't wait...It was so sad and haunting. Right there I wanted to give the food we just received to this man, because he was in worse shape than we were.

More to come...

Another Victory for moms

2011-02-11T11:37:00.001-05:00

Another Victory for Breastfeeding.....Celebrate today

CONTACT: Mike Westling (Merkley) – 202-224-7871
Justine Sessions (Harkin) – 202-224-7977
Josh Drobnyk (Levin) – 202-225-4961
Jon Houston (Maloney) – 202-225-7944

IRS Decision a Victory for Nursing Mothers Everywhere

Breastfeeding Equipment to be Allowed as Medical Tax Deduction and Reimbursed by Flexible Health Spending Accounts

Washington, D.C. – In response to a request from Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Representatives Sander Levin (D-MI) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced they will reverse a ruling that denies equipment used to help women breast feed from being covered as a health care expense. The previous ruling excluded breast pumps from coverage under flexible health spending accounts and made them non-deductible on tax returns.

Merkley, Harkin, Levin, and Maloney wrote to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman in November to call for the decision to be reversed. Senators Merkley and Harkin were joined by 9 other Senators; 32 other House members joined Reps. Levin and Maloney.

In response to today’s decision, Senators Merkley and Harkin and Reps. Levin and Maloney released the following statement:

“Today’s decision is a huge victory for nursing mothers everywhere. Modern medicine has documented numerous health benefits linked to breastfeeding, including a reduced risk of illness in infants and a reduced risk of cancer in mothers. And because breastfeeding is so effective in preventing disease, it also happens to save billions in health care costs. We thank the IRS for their careful consideration and quick response.”

A PDF of the complete House members’ letter to Commissioner Shulman can be found here; the Senate version is here. (They are identical.)

###

Additional Background

A tax ruling by the IRS last year disallowed breast pumps and other breastfeeding supplies as medical deductions, thus also excluding them as permissible expenses under flexible health spending accounts.

Rep. Maloney and Sen. Merkley secured a provision in health care reforms passed earlier this year that employers of hourly workers are be required to provide breastfeeding employees with “reasonable break time” and a private, non-bathroom place to express breast milk during the workday, up until the child’s first birthday.

Breastfeeding is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization for all children under six months.

Twenty-four states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have laws related to breastfeeding in the workplace; fully 43 states and the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have laws which allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location.

View the list and more at the National Conference of State Legislatures: http://www.ncsl.org/IssuesResearch/Health/BreastfeedingLaws/tabid/14389/Default.aspx

Gnomeo and Juliet

2011-02-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

Now here is a movie I CANNOT wait to see. Gnomeo & Juliet. The release date is February 11, 2011 and we will certainly be in line for the fun! Here is a little snippet:
"Two garden gnomes, Gnomeo (voice of James McAvoy) and Juliet (voice of Emily Blunt), try to avoid tragedy and find a happy ending to their star-crossed love affair when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors."

To get everyone excited for the new release I have a giveaway! I need 3 winners...and you can choose from these cool tshirts, the beanie caps or the notbooks.

To sign up for the contest you must leave a comment telling me something. It can be an interesting fact, it can be a funny story, it can be what you're eating for dinner tonight...anything at all! The winners will be chosen at random on Thursday February 10, and winners will be notified on Friday February 11. Have fun!

CSN Stores

2011-01-31T18:03:00.000-05:00

I have shopped CSN stores in the past and have always been happy. With 200+ stores to browse through they have something to offer everyone. One thing I have never thought about buying online was a wooden swing set, but they have that too and more!

Soon I will be reviewing a great product which I received from CSN stores so check back, but you don't have to wait for me, check out there site and see for yourself.

2011-01-13T11:43:00.000-05:00

~~Hi world!~~

11 things in 2011

2011-01-02T14:35:00.000-05:00

Things I want to do in 2010

~~donate to a charity without worrying about where the money is going to come from~~
~~read at least 2 books a month~~
start recycling
paint my bedroom- the colors are picked out
plant a garden- have all the stuff, just ran out of time to do it..hopefully next year
~~go to Florida for Christmas-~~
put at least $50 a month in savings
~~get the grocery bill at $70 a week~~
potty train Ben before he turns 2- we start on this next week...hes 2 1/2
lose 50 pounds
~~make somebody feel special~~
send a birthday card to everyone in my family on their birthday-didn't mail one, but have messaged or called everyone
~~take the kids camping this summer~~
~~plan a bloggy meet up with my southern gals (Tana, Lori this means you, Lindsey you too)~~
~~meet my nephew Brody~~
~~reconnect with my older sister~~ and brother
~~volunteer my time~~
~~get a family picture taken by a professional-~~
~~try something I never thought I would~~
adopt a family for next Christmas

Wow 2010 went by fast. So many things happened this past year, lost a very close family member, some distant friends, and new babies were born. I didn't accomplish everything I set out to do in 2010, but I am proud of myself for what I did accomplish. Some of my goals will be the same and others will be added. So here it goes.

11 Things in 2011

1. Lose 50 pounds-I turn 30 this year, and I want to feel good
2. Plant a garden
3. Finally paint my bedroom-the colors are picked out, I just hate painting :)
4. Potty train Ben...this is starting in just a few weeks, after we break his pacifier habit
5. Stay connected with my family.
6. Stop swearing-lately I have become a sailor, and its not attractive :)
7. Take the kids camping this summer
8. Remember that I am a person too, and not just defined as "mom"
9. Visit North Carolina and meet up with my Uncle, and mom again.
10. Replenish the savings account
11. Stop and listen to the kids, and not judge or yell right from the beginning.

Mickey Mote

2010-12-10T12:45:00.000-05:00

We are a TV family..and no I'm not going to apologize for it. I know we should limit the kids on the hours of TV they watch, but in all honesty, the kids do it all by themselves. The kids get so excited when a new movie shows up in the mail for them to watch. One of the best reactions to a movie was with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Number Roundup and Handy Manny: Big Construction Job. These 2 movies came with a "Mickey Mote". What is a Micky Mote? Its a small handheld device that has colorful shapes on it, and it allows your child to interact with the DVD. FUN!

The Mickey Mote works with any Disney Preschool DVD that includes Discovery Mode(tm), the interactive "Watch & Play" feature on the DVD! All parents have to do is program the remote control - there's an easy and quick set-up guide in each DVD- and select the Discovery Mode feature on the menu screen. Within minutes, kids will be easily responding to questions, throughout the story, about scenes they just watched (such as "What color is Goofy's hat?") by pressing one of four color-coded buttons on the device -- a yellow star, green circle, orange triangle or blue square - to click in their responses. Discovery Mode features include two levels of play, which provides more challenging questions as the child grows.

Alanna and Ben really got a kick out of being able to help Mickey along and really feel like they were apart of the show. I even caught Hannah (whose 10) wanting a turn for herself. {grin}

The Mickey Mote can be used with all the following titles:
* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally

* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland

* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Choo Choo

* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie's Bow-Tique

* Handy Manny: Manny's Motorcycle Adventure

* Handy Manny: Manny's Big Race

* Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Blast Off

* My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Super Duper Super Sleuths

* My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Bedtime With Pooh

Setting up the Mickey Mote was very easy as well. And this is coming from someone who is very technically challenged. {grin}

This would be a great Birthday or Christmas gift and its great for all ages. The Mickey Mote allows the kids hours of fun and learning, while sitting in front of the TV. Now why would I limit learning? {grin}

Tangled-Winners

2010-11-22T17:33:00.000-05:00

Congrats to the Pam who won the Pascal Tshirt and Silly Bandz
3 Giggly Monsters who won the Flynn Rider Tshirt and Silly Bandz
and The New Mommiez Blend who won the Rapunzal Tshirt and Silly Bandz.

Your information was sent out to the sponsor and your shirts and Silly Bandz should be arriving soon.

Thanks to everyone who joined the giveaway!

Family Pictures-8

2010-11-16T11:30:00.001-05:00

family pictures 7

2010-11-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

Family Pictures-6

2010-11-14T10:25:00.001-05:00

Family Pictures-5

2010-11-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

Family Pictures-4

2010-11-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

family Pictures-3

2010-11-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

Family Pictures-1

2010-11-05T12:15:00.000-04:00

family Pictures-2

2010-11-05T10:31:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween

2010-11-05T10:13:00.000-04:00

As usual I am a little late with updating about the kids. But as I always say its better late than never. Not only have I been slacking on my blog, but I have been slacking on my pictures of the kids too.

This is one of the best pictures of Chris and the kids. I love the smiles and the poses from the girls.

My little bumble bee. Since starting school, I see a major change in this little girl. She is growing up so fast.

I LOVE "behind" pictures. Especially when the the girls are wearing tutus...I love tutu butts, haha

AND, as usual, my 2 favorite girls posing for their pictures. Alanna originally climbed up in this spot to relax and was so cute, we needed one of her sister too.

This was the best year so far for trick or treating. ALL the kids understood what to do and used their manners very well. With each passing year going out with the whole family becomes more fun with the older the kids get. Hannah was a witch, Alanna a bumble bee and Ben a dinosaur.

Just for comparison, here are some pictures from last year...WOW the kids are growing so fast!

2009

2010

Shutterfly Holiday Cards

2010-11-03T13:12:00.000-04:00

Once Halloween is over, the winter holidays just fly by. First Thanksgiving then a month later Christmas followed by New Years. If you blink, Christmas will be in one week and you have no time to shop or send out Christmas cards.

I decided this year I wanted to be on top of things, especially since my whole family and I are going to visit my mom, step dad, sister and nephew for Christmas out of state this year.
My favorite holiday cards are the personalized picture cards. I love the feeling of finding just the right picture for just the right spot.

I came across Shutterfly and the huge selection of holiday cards they have to offer. There are so many to choose from, that I could sit for hours just filling in picture after picture. Then I thought maybe I would break tradition and not send Christmas cards this year. What about Thanksgiving cards? We could send a card to all our family telling them how thankful we are for them.

I was also amazed at the birthday invitations, Shutterfly had to offer. I LOVE birthday parties for the kids, something that gives them their own special day! What better way that to personalize the invitations for that special day.

Shutterfly has so many different designs for the Christmas card its so hard to choose my favorite. I love the designs with multiple areas for pictures. With 5 of us, its usually hard to get everyone looking at the camera at the same time, let alone smiling all at once. With the multiple areas for pictures I can use a good picture of each person and make the perfect card for our family to share our joy of Christmas with our family and friends. Here are some of my favorite designs. Hmmmm, which one will you pick this year?

shopping with CSN stores

2010-11-02T14:35:00.000-04:00

In the past I have done many product reviews for CSN stores. People always seem to be very happy with their products and find their website very easy and convenient to navigate. They make shopping easy with over 200 online stores from extra tall bar stools, baby products, toys, cookware and much more.

Madeline's Christmas and Other Wintery Tales

2010-11-01T12:51:00.000-04:00

I know we just got done with Halloween, but its never to early to think about Christmas. And what better way to bring in the holiday season that with the lovable Madeline.

On October 19, 2010, Shout! Factory will release Madeline’s Christmas & Other Wintery Tales. The DVD contains five animated episodes, all making their DVD debut: Madeline's Winter Vacation, Madeline and Santa, Madeline at the North Pole, Madeline and the Ice Skates and Madeline's Holiday with Mr. Grump.

When we got this movie in the mail, Alanna was so excited. She LOVES the character Madeline and all the fun adventures she goes on.

Madeline's Christmas and Other Wintery Tales is a fun DVD to have in your house and keep the kids entertained or to watch as a family. Theres always a new adventure or exploring right around the corner. This DVD would make any little boy or girl happy to have to help bring the Christmas spirit alive this season.

Tangled-GIVEAWAY

2010-11-01T12:42:00.003-04:00

I know I have been out of the blog world for a few weeks. Believe me when I say things are just crazy around here. 3 kids each with their own activity and 1 mom to drive them everywhere, equals for a busy household. But I am back and I am coming back strong....I have a giveaway!

Theres a NEW movie coming out on November 24, 2010 called Tangled, and it stars Rapunzel and the bandit, Flynn Rider and it will be in Disney Digital 3D! .

When the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) is taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a feisty teen with 70 feet of golden hair who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, the unlikely duo sets off on a hilarious, hair-raising escapade filled with adventure, heart, humor and hair—lots of hair.

Now to the best part, the giveaway!
I have one t-shirt of each character to giveaway plus 3 packs of silly bandz.

- Female fit Rapunzel t-shirt in Adult and Youth sizes (S, M, L, XL)

- General fit Flynn Rider t-shirt in Adult and Youth sizes (S, M, L, XL)

- General fit Pascal t-shirt in Adult and Youth sizes (S, M, L, XL)

- Silly Bandz – set of 4 characters (Rapunzel, Flynn, Pascal, Maximus)

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave you name and your your favorite Disney movie. The movie can be old or new from when you were a child or an adult. Thats it! If you would like to have a 2nd entry to the giveaway, just blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave a link in a separate comment. This giveaway will end Friday November 19, 2010, and the winner announced Monday November 22, 2010. HAVE FUN!

The contest is now closed. Thanks to all who entered.

A Tale as Old as Time

2010-10-19T13:07:00.002-04:00

Beauty and the Beast are one of those classic movies that you never forget. I have been watching this movie since I was little and being able to share it with my kids always bring as smile to my face.

The first thing I noticed when watching the movie was that the color was amazing. The restoration of the color was so sharp and bright.

Alanna loves all the signing and the bright animation. Ben loves the beast and the fun characters.

Once a week the kids and I will sit down after dinner for a movie night. Pillows and blankets are brought out, popcorn is popped. We all find spots on the floor next to each other. The day I received Beauty and the Beast all 3 kids agreed on a movie the 1st time. Its a fun filled movie to cherish no matter what age you are. Even my husband snuggled on the floor for movie night. Its a classic Disney film that will go on for many years.

my wildflower

2010-10-12T12:57:00.000-04:00

Its amazing how one photo can leave you so speechless.

2010-10-03T20:49:00.000-04:00

My poor neglected blog.....I just have time right now :(
Soon, hopefully very soon.

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue

2010-09-20T13:21:00.000-04:00

I was really excited when I was asked to review the new Tinker Bell movie, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue. The day we received it Ben and Alanna were going crazy. Yes, I said Ben, because this movie entertains for boy and girls. We have probably watched this movie 3 times a day for the last 2 weeks if not more :)

Tink and the rest of the fairy crew are back and this time it is summer, and time for fairy camp. Poor Tink doesn't have anything to tinker with or fix, and lets her curiosity get the best of her when she checks out the human house nearby. When she gets captured by a fairy loving little girl, its up to the rest of the fairies to help rescue Tinker Bell.

We have watched the other Tinker Bell movies in the past and this one is by far my favorite. Its cute to see Tink and the other fairies interact with humans and in the end fixing the things that are broken.

This movie will be released to stores on September 21, 2010...The movie will make a great addition to your Disney collection and also make any girl or boy happy.

1st day of school

2010-09-07T12:53:00.000-04:00

In Michigan a few years ago there was a law passed that stated the kids didn't start school until after labor day. We took it easy over the weekend..Had a BBQ with the family, played outside and cleaned the house.

This year Alanna starts kindergarten and Hannah goes into the 5th grade. My heart just skipped a beat typing that, lol. My baby girls are growing up before my eyes.

I thought I had a handle on Alanna starting school this year but when she walked up the big bus steps, I got a little choked up. Seeing her with no hesitation in her step and a smile on her face, brought the tears to my eyes. My day was brightened by my baby boy...After we got home from the bus stop he kept saying, "That was cute, mama, that was cute" I asked him what was cute and he told me...the bus. :)

After that I had a little bit more spirit to get me through the day so we cleaned up breakfast, put away some laundry, went to the park, grocery shopping, and ate lunch...all before 11:00 am. On any typical summer day we aren't even dressed before 11 and grocery shopping with 3 kids could take up to 5 hours on any given day, LOL....But with just 1 in tow the time is much faster, or slower depending on how you look at it.

The house is quiet and I miss my girls...Ben keeps asking if the girls are outside and if he can go too. I try to tell him they are at school, but he just waits by the door for them to come home :( He wanted to stare at the bus pictures all morning. He is now down for a nap and its just me...The kitchen is clean, I vacuumed yesterday and all the laundry is put away....sigh.....

I know in a few weeks I will wish for a day like this...quiet, and nothing to do, but for now on the 1st day of school , I will sit and wait for the time to tick by, until its time to pick up my girls from the bus stop this afternoon...tick..tock..tick...tock.

Henry Ford Museum

2010-09-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

It brings us to the last few weeks of August and a week into September.

The last few weeks in August was filled with hanging out around the house in our own little yard. Playing with the neighborhood kids and just having a fun summer time.

We did head to the beach a few times and a few more playdates, but not many pictures...Just enjoying the moment.

September:
We were invited to go to a museum with a friend of Chris' from work. Henry Ford Museum is full of history. How machines were invented and made, How the cars and airplanes came about, seeing the HUGE trains and horse pulled carriages. There are spots to show how technology has come along and it even shows how us as people have come along..from whites vs blacks to everyone being equal. Its a really neat place to visit and we had a lot of fun.

whirlwind

2010-09-07T12:22:00.000-04:00

After the parties, the fair came to town. We had a great time walking around and eating...DO.NOT.FORGET.THE.FOOD. It will put you in a food coma. YUMMY! The fair always has special attractions, one of them being the Monster Truck show. We thought it would be a great thing to do as a whole family and it would be Ben's 1st time at a "show". But things didn't go as planned. We knew it would be loud, but Ben HATED it. He cried and shook and gripped me for 2 hours.

You can find more pictures here

The next day the Monster Trucks were at a local park offering a ride in the back of a truck for $5. A friend and her boys and me and the kids went up there...Again Ben was so scared so she took my girls and I was in charge of pictures, LOL.

A few days later we went to a small, free splash pad with some other friends. The kids LOVED this. They played and then we had a picnic and all for free. I LOVED that part.

If you keep up with me on facebook then you already know this next part. August 15, 2010 was Hannah's 1st concert. And it wasn't just your ordinary concert this was JUSTIN BIEBER! OMG this house has BIEBER FEVER!

To say Hannah was excited would be an understatement. She laughed and screamed and danced through the whole thing. I will have to admit that I also laughed, screamed and danced through the whole thing as well. JB really surprised me, he is one talented kid..and he puts on a fun show!

Catching up July

2010-09-07T11:49:00.000-04:00

The last month or so I have taken a break from blogging. How does this differ from the last break I took? Well the last break wasn't on purpose, we were just SO busy I couldn't find time, and this time, it was on purpose. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with the kids and make this summer one of the best memories they have.

We were so busy with summer this year. I talked about the month of July a little bit, but there is still so much to say.

Ben turned 2! Where did the last 2 years go?

As you can see he had a Yo Gabba Gabba birthday. When he woke up from his nap and the house was decorated he was so excited. All he could say was Gabba for Ben? What a sweet heart. We had lots of friends and family over to celebrate the big T.W.O. Ben got LOTS of fun things and surprisingly he is still playing with all of it, LOL.

Next up, Alanna had a little party for TBall. Even though she didn't do tball very well, she had fun at the party and made some friends.

Because I miss you still

2010-09-02T00:10:00.000-04:00

The kids and I had just left the house. We were heading to the tire repair shop, because the van had a flat tire. But don't worry the tires you told me to put on the van had a 5 yr warranty, so everything was covered. As I was saying, the kids and I just left the house. Alanna had her stuffed iguana in her arms and asked where she got it. I looked at her through the rear view mirror. She was smiling with those crazy bangs hanging in her eyes. I realized I hadn't answered her yet, because I heard her ask again..Mom, where i get this from? My heart skipped a beat as I said your name. I haven't said your name out loud in over a month. It hurts so bad to say it, to even think it. Tears welled up in my eyes instantly. Ben tells me that grandma is in the trees, Alanna tells him that you aren't. They go back and forth yes..no..yes..no. I interrupt them, I tell Alanna that its ok for Ben to think grandma is in the trees. I tell her that she can think of you where ever she would like too.

I think about this conversation all.day.long, today.

There is so much I wish I could tell you, there is so much I wish I could show you. I miss you so much it hurts everyday. When I make a dinner I know you would love, or I try a new recipe, I wish you were there to say how much you love it, or how we could make it better the next time. When I make a meal, that I know you like, I want to call you up and invite you over. I went through your recipes the other day. I found your stuff pepper recipe. You always made me think I was the best cook, but you never told me you had the same recipe...

Some days I try to pretend that its just been a few days since I have talked to you, but then Ben or one of the girls will say or do something cute or funny that I know you would love to hear about, and it hurts so much that I can't call you and hear your voice just one more time. I miss our talks and how you would make fun of Chris when he was crabby.

You would be so happy for Hannah. I tool her to her first concert a few weeks ago. Justin Bieber. She is so into him right now, you would have hugged her and asked her if she had fun, I can picture you putting your hands in the air above your head and trying to sing, it would have embarrassed her, but it would have made her giggle.

Alanna starts kindergarten Tuesday. I know you would be so proud of her. She had come along way this summer and has matured so much! She met her teacher this week and got to ride on the big bus. She is so excited that she gets to go Hannah's school now. I can hear you encouraging her conversation with you and you would be smiling and hugging her so tight.

And then there is Ben...oh sweet Ben. You two had such a special relationship, sometimes it kills me inside to see him without you. He is in a toddler bed now...I can hear you telling him what a big boy he is now. You would be so surprised at how much he talks now. We can actually have a conversation together. You would get a kick out of it. He misses you so much. When we drive by your apartment building he screams for you and cries when I don't stop. It hurts my heart so much that he doesn't understand why you aren't here anymore. He loved you SO much. You two had that "thing" it was special.

I realize now that I took you for granted while you were here. I thought that you would always be here. I figured if you beat it once then you would beat it again. I guess you did beat it, in your own way, but that doesn't take my pain away...I miss you so much.

There is this new show on Showtime, its called The Big C. Its about a women who has stage 4 melanoma cancer. She has a husband and a son and can't seem to fine the right time to tell them she is dying. Its a comedy, but its sad too. I think that you would have really liked this show. I watch it for you, thats how much I think you would have liked it. I get so angry at the lady though. I just want her to tell her family so they can make the best of the time she has left, but she hasn't yet and its already episode 4. I don't know if she ever will...

Hannah told me a few weeks ago that she has been dreaming of you. You keep telling her to find the light. While I think its great that she sees you, could you please stop scaring her...She crawls in my bed when it wakes her up :)

God, I miss you so much. I feel so empty and alone sometimes. We would talk 3 or 4 times a week and I would get to share everything thats been going on, and now I feel like I have no one to talk to. When my phone rings I look at the number expecting it to be you and when its not, I feel dissapointed. I know thats silly, but I would give anything to see your name on my phone 1 more time.

You would have loved to hear my stories of our summer. You would have loved to hear how we went to the beach to many times to count. You would have loved to see the pictures of North Carolina and you would have told Hannah she was one lucky girl. I would have told you about the playdates and the bbqs we went to, we probably would have had a picnic with you once or twice....running outside your apartments up and down the hills. The kids always loved that.

Well there really is no right way to end this, so I will tell you I love you over and over again, and how much you meant to me, and how I will never find another person as special as you are to me.

"Outlasting" the kids

2010-07-26T16:54:00.000-04:00

With 3 busy kids, I am always reminding them to wash there hands before they eat and after the bathroom. Playing outside all day is another dirty hand reminder.

We have used hand sanitizer in the past but it always dries out the kids sensitive skin and we have to apply it constantly, which in the long run cost more money.

When I was asked if I wanted to try "Outlast" the long acting hand sanitizer I was very excited. We used it at the park after playing and after using the bathrooms. We used it on our road trips when using the rest areas..I was very confident that the kids were getting clean hands and having moisture on their skin. The kids love the cooling sensation they get when they put on the sanitizer and it leaves no sticky feeling. Another thing I was impressed with with Outlast was that is lasted up to 6 hours. Thats almost as much energy as my kids in one trip to the park, or one day of playing outside. Which means I actually found a product that could outlast the kids, LOL..

I was also lucky enough to receive a clipa, the instant handbag hanger. I currently have all my purses in a giant bag on my closet floor. I looped this around my closet and it was very neat...All my purses just hung from the clipa.

A few more pics from N.C.

2010-07-22T13:29:00.000-04:00

It finally happened!

2010-07-22T13:18:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I headed back to North Carolina to pick up Hannah. Because Chris had to work, my SIL Tammy and niece Kylee came along for the long ride.

One of the things I had to look forward to on this trip (besides picking up Hannah) was I finally got to meet a long time blog friend Tana. I told her the route we were taking, and she guided me to a local McDonalds. I kept her updated with times and where we were through the day and when we were almost there, Tana showed up. We met in the parking lot with a big ole hug and then let the kids play on the playscape.

I enjoyed our little meet up and wished I had more time to stay. She has a very lovable personality and I LOVE her accent. (T, I just had to say that) I kept having Tana say different "southern" words to hear her twang, and she in return made fun of my "northern" accent...mOm, and pOp

Alanna walked right up to Tana and held her hand into the play area and Ben made flirty eyes at her daughter. And let me just say, Tana's daughter is beautiful....and so sweet. The whole experience was a dream and something I will always hold dear to me.

I truely am happy that we finally got to meet and hug in person. I always knew we would be friends if we met in person and now I know for sure she is a great person. I am so happy we started talking through our blogs and became such good friends.

Love ya T.

water fun!

2010-07-15T15:22:00.000-04:00

We have a pool. Its not a very big pool, but its not small either. Its about 2-21/2 feet deep and big enough for me to lay down and not touch the sides. When Ben is in the pool, the water comes to about his chest. I don't like Ben being in the pool without me, because he could easily lose his footing and fall over and not be able to get back up...With that being said, I don't always have time to get on my bathing suit and sit in the pool.
I have always wanted something for Ben and Alanna to play with, so if I have yard work to do, or just not in the mood to go swimming. I was given the opportunity to do a review from CSN stores
through one of there 200+ online stores I choose Toys and Games online.com.

The online store is very easy to use. I narrowed down my search by ages, brand, and even price. I was able to find a really neat water table for the kids for ages 2-6 which covers Alanna and Ben...I ordered on a week day and by the weekend it was already here. The instructions to put together were very easy to follow and in less than 5 minutes the kids were already playing in the water, while I sat in the shade watching.

Alanna and her friend played with the boat, car and water spouts for over an hour. I heard giggles and water splashing...Once Ben woke up from his nap he ran right to the water and started playing..His favorite was the car that was included and vroom vroom was his favorite sound.

*I received the water table free for this review, however all opinions are true, and I have worked with CSN stores in the past and they are fast ans very friendly.

Thats a wrap...until next weekend

2010-07-13T17:18:00.001-04:00

Now you are all caught up with the last 2 months or so. It was a rough couple of months, but I needed the closure of the camping trip to say goodbye to a very special person before I could share the story. She was just such a big part of my life and I miss her everyday so much.

Some of you already knew the story from facebook and I would like to thank you all for your love and support and kind words during such a rough time for my family.

Thank you
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

For a full view of all pictures, click here

catching up, part 5, July 9-11, 2010

2010-07-13T17:09:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Chris, me, Alanna and Ben (Hannah is still in Florida with my mom) drove up north Michigan close to Mackinac Island for family camping. The main reason for the trip was to spread my mother in laws ashes in Lake Michigan as she had requested we do as a family.

We packed up out tent and supplies and ventured on the 6 hour drive up north. After 10 hours to North Carolina, we flt like pros. The kids were so good in the car ride and all weekend. We played on the beach, sat at the campfire and ate some smores. It was one of the best vacation weekends ever.

Saturday afternoon, Chris, his 3 brothers and his step sister rode kyacks out to the Lake and spread her ashes. They said it was a beautiful sight. The rest of us sat on the beach watching. I remember sitting there holding Ben as he sleeps, looking into the sky, and thinking you did this...You brought the whole family together and that is what you loved the most. The day was beautiful and no words can describe how blue the water actually was. I watched Alanna dip her toes in the water and I felt complete...complete as a mom and complete as a person. Oh and on the 2nd picture of the sun...I did not change my camera setting to black and white...Thats how the camera captured it. crazy!

On Sunday, after check out we all decided to go over the Mackinac Bridge. Living in Michigan for almost 29 years and I have never been to the U.P. I was so scared at first. Bridges are my biggest fear. I have dreams several times that I am falling off a bridge into rough water below and I always wake up crying. But I wanted to be brave for my family. The bridge is crazy! The water so beautiful and the side rails are almost non existant..meaning you can look out your car window and see straight down to the water. SO SCARY!!. All the pics below were takin from the passenger side of my van...with the window rolled up...Just see what I mean!

While in the U.P we decided to grab some lunch at Timmy Lee's Pub. It was on the side of the road and we were hungry. The food was so yummy! The kids meals were served on frisbees with an outline of the U.P and a star showing where you were...they loved it. Chris had some baked white fish and it was HUGE! I of course stuck with the bacon cheeseburger. On the menu was the brokeback burger...Make sure you read the description of the meal...too funny!

After lunch we were on our way back home from one awesome weekend. I think the family has decided to get together every year near Lake Michigan so we can always say hello to our mother, grandmother, mother in law, and best friend. As long as I can dip my toes in the Lake and say I love you, I know she will be with me forever. It was a trip Jan would have been proud of...Her favorite thing was to have the whole family together and that is what we did....for us and for her <3

catching up, part 4, 4th of July weekend

2010-07-13T15:39:00.000-04:00

Here is another busy month. I'm not complaining because its been a very adventurous summer, and the memories we are making are awesome, but I am ready for a small break.

July 1-5
In May while my mom was visiting I made the comment that I wish she lived 1 day away driving by car instead of 2, because then we would be able to see each other more often.
Well I guess that got my mom thinking because sometime in June she called and asked if Hannah could come to Florida with her for a few weeks in July. My first reaction was NO...my baby is not flying in a plane all by herself. Then my mom explained "the plan"
The plan was we would meet in North Carolina, at my uncles house, and stay the weekend. At the end of the weekend she would take Hannah to Florida with her....Then in a few weeks we would meet up again and do it all over...except Hannah would come home with me this time.

It sounded like a great plan and so the planning started.
Friday July 2nd, Me, Hannah, Ben, Alanna, my other uncle and my cousin drove 10 hours to my other uncles house and stayed the weekend. North Carolina is so beautiful. We visited a waterfall and swam a little, Seen a house built from rocks in 1765 (or something like that) we ate Mexican and hung out with family...The kids got to see my grandma, GiGi they her. Then we went to an outside car cruise with vendors and a band. It was FUN. Since it was 4th of July weekend and we didn't get to see fireworks, my stepdad bought the kids glow sticks. THEY LOVED THEM. they were like little ravers, haha!

Part 1 here
Part 2 here
Part 3 here

Catching up Part 3, June

2010-07-13T15:11:00.001-04:00

After everything started to calm down and life got back to the "normal" I tried to stay busy so I wouldn't think about much. I started cleaning the house and before I knew it, the whole laundry room was gutted and cleaned along with several corners in the house. Alanna's tball games began and they were just as much fun as practice. Until it was time to be in the field, then Alanna would end up on her butt in the rocks playing. Her coach makes her run the bases for playing in the rocks. But she enjoys the running, so its a lose situation for the coach, hehe.

A few weekends later Chris had his company picnic. The Repo Rodeo, they call it. There was a clown, bounce house, lots of food, games/prizes and much more. Chris won second place in the rodeo...The drives had to drive the tow truck through a maze of cones, to a parked car and get the VIN #, then they had to go back and tell the person the VIN # and they were timed...

The kids had a great time. They loved the balloon animals and the fun prizes they got. YoYo's, plastic snakes and lots of candy. The bounce house of course was the favorite.

We also tried spending our days outside to keep busy. Lots of trips to the park and library over the weeks. Different parks with friends, and picnics outside.

Before we knew it, the end of June was here. With all the cleaning I had done, we had lots of stuff to donate/sell. We decided to have a garage sale. The garage sale was at Chris' dad/stepmoms house and it was ok. We didn't get a whole lot of traffic, but it got most of the stuff out of the house and the rest was donated. The money from the garage sale will be enough to redo our master bedroom, and bathroom.

By the end of June we were so used to being busy that it hasn't stopped yet.
stay tuned for part 4, July.
part 1 here
part 2 here

catching up, May 23-May31, part 2, I love you

2010-07-13T14:46:00.001-04:00

This post is the post I have been struggling with all along. This week in May is the reason I have been absent for so long. I struggle with this post, because there are feelings I have that I just can't explain.

As you live, you will have people come into your life that truly touch your heart.

One of these people for me is my mother law, Jan. She was so accepting of me and Hannah when Chris first brought us to meet her. From day one, she loved Hannah like she was her own grandchild. Over the years Jan and I became very close...especially after my mom moved to Florida.

Jan was a private person and didn't like for her business to be aired for the public. I never wrote about my feelings, during this past Christmas, when the drs. decided to stop the cancer treatment and start treating Jan and having her feel comfortable. I never wrote anything about her having hospice come visit her each week. It was a rough time for me...never knowing if the next time I called her if she would answer.

I started making dinner once a week and taking it over to her so that the kids and I could spend time with her, and she didn't have to worry about cooking or cleaning.

This particular week I decided to make smothered porkchops w/rice, corn bread and bring a cheese cake for dessert...Jan was making some mac and cheese and green beans..Its was going to be YUMMY!

It May 17, and it was raining. I got all the kids in the car along with all the hot food. We drove to her apartment and realized I had forgotten the cheese cake. We enjoyed the kids running around and the warm food on such a chilly day in May. I promised Jan I would bring the cheesecake over the next day and we would have cheesecake for breakfast. That made her smile and said it was a date.

May 18, 2010..(Hannah's birthday) I was up and almost walking out the door with Ben, when Jan called. She said she felt bad for me coming all the way over just for cheesecake and that it was still raining...I told her it was no big deal and continued over.

Jan, Ben and I sat on the couch eating cheesecake for breakfast! It was SOOOOO good. When it was time to leave, I remember hugging her so tight and telling her that I loved her so much. Ben didn't want to leave his grandma that day and kept running back to her for another hug and kiss. We walked down the long hallway with Ben yelling "uv you" and blowing kisses until we turned the corner...

I never thought that would be the last time I saw her, but it was

Memorial weekend we were invited out to our friends house. It was Sunday and we were at the beach. We got a call from my SIL asking if we had talked to Jan. Neither of us had so we called Chris' brother to check on her. I remember thinking to myself, she is probably sleeping and everything will be ok...We had a picnic planned for the coming Tuesday and I would talk to her then. I kept asking Chris if he had heard from his brother and he kept telling me that if there was a problem they would call him.

We had come back from the beach by now, and the kids were playing in the small swimming pool in the yard. The adults were talking about getting dinner ready when I heard Chris' phone ring. I tried to occupy myself with the kids, but I had one ear on my husbands voice. I knew instantly that something was wrong and when he stood up and faced me, I started to cry.

We packed up the kids and drove the 2 hours home in silence except for our tears.

The next week was very hard. Trying to be brave for my husband and children was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. What I really wanted to do was lock myself in my bedroom and cry.

As the days go on, it just feels like I haven't talked to my best friend and I need to put that on my things to do list..It never fails I go through my phone for a number and I land on hers...not ready yo delete it yet I pass on by wishing I could just call and say hi...There is already so much I wish I could tell her.

She would have gotten a kick out of Alanna in Tball, she would have been so proud of Hannah for her good report card, she would be amazed that Bens birthday is so close...and that he is turning 2 already.

This post was much harder to write than I thought it would be. I have had to stop several times because I could see the screen anymore. Jan was so much more than just my mother in law, she was one of my best friends. I would call her for advice, cooking recipes and just to say hello. I miss her so much, and wish that she was here everyday.

Part 1 here
catching up, part 3..June..coming soon

Catching you up, May1-May 23, 2010, part 1

2010-07-13T14:07:00.000-04:00

I don't know where to begin. The last month and a half has been a blur. So many times I sat down to write and I just couldn't face the truth. So many thoughts are in my head its hard to push them out on the keyboard.

I guess we can start at the beginning.

So many things happened in May.
May 1-May 31, 2010
We started out with Tball for Alanna. It didn't start well and its still going on...not well. She didn't like practice at first because she didn't know anyone. Then she met a girl Brooklyn and things were going fine. Alanna loves to bat. She always hits it on the first try, and she is a FAST runner. She named herself Alanna "the roadrunner" King in the start of the season. However she HATES the field. She gets so bored that she sits on the bench or plays in the rocks. In reality I don't think baseball is for her and we probably won't do it again...We have a few more games to go and then we are DONE!

Next up in May was Hannah's spring concert. She was so proud to be up on stage signing with her class. She said that the songs they were signing was above her 4th grade level and that her teacher Mr V was so proud of them. Her mommy was proud too...

Hanna's 10th birthday party for her friends came next. She wanted a sleep over and then we decided to do an ice cream social for the fun activity. We bought ice cream and then had every ice cream topping you could think of...cherries, whip cream, nuts, sprinkles, bananas, pineapple, chocolate, and even marshmellos...and so much more. There were about 10 girls here and surprisingly there was no fighting and no crying, hehe.

The friend party was the weekend before Hannah's actual birthday. She had no idea about the birthday present I had in store for her. You see, my mom got this great idea to come visit us in Michigan during Hannah's birthday, and since she would be here for her birthday why not surprise Hannah. So the plan was Hannah thought my mom, stepdad, stepsister and my nephew Brody would be here in June. Little did she know that at her birthday party with her friends my mom was in Michigan. They visited my other step sister and my stepdads mom for the weekend and then when Hannah came home from school on Tuesday my mom called her. Hannah went into her room "to get some privacy" and then my mom came in the house. I went and knocked on Hannah's door and told her she had a friend at the door and when Hannah came out....she seen my mom. She ran so fast and started hugging my mom...Hannah started crying, my mom cried and of course I cried...It was an awesome surprise for Hannah.

The family stayed for the rest of the weekend and then we had to say good bye...It was a great visit and I got to meet my gorgeous little nephew for the first time!!! ( and if you remember my goals for 2010...meeting Brody is now crossed of the list.)

During the family visiting, Alanna had her last day of preschool. The kids and teachers put on an ice cream social for the families and then passed out certificates. Alanna enjoyed preschool so much this year, that all she has been talking about lately is kindergarten. She tells me that she misses her friends all the time, and hopes to see them in school in the fall.

Well this gets us through May 23. More events to occur, but they deserve their own post. Stay tuned for Part 2 of May...May 23-May31, 2010

Madeline's Great Adventures

2010-06-29T14:12:00.000-04:00

Some of my favorite books growing up were the Madeline series. She is a spunky and fun girl. She always made me use my imagination and I found adventure in her books. Now the fun times are coming to the big screen. In Madeline's Great Adventures there are 6 thrilling adventure to go on. Go with Madeline as she gets a visit from a prince, and encounters a band of pirates.

When I asked Alanna if she would like to go on an adventure she was excited. She watched Madeline over and over for days. She would talk about Miss Clavel's class and also the fun loving Genevieve, Madeline's trusted dog companion.

Madeline's Great Adventures are released today June 29, and would make a great gift for any child looking for fun.

Don't have time to run to the store? Well I have a copy to give to YOU. Just leave a comment and a name will be randomly pulled.

Moving forward

2010-06-29T13:58:00.000-04:00

Can you believe that its almost July already? Where has this year gone. We are more that half way to 2011 and I have yet to sit down, hehe.

In case you don't remember the big milestone in July, I will refresh your memory. July 25 someone will be turning 2! With the big 2 just around the corner, Chris and I have been looking into twin beds. Its a big moment in a little guys life and we want it to be something that will last a long time.

I have some fun reviews coming up soon, so come back for more!

yes I am still alive, and yes I will post something worth while soon!

2010-06-18T00:52:00.000-04:00

30 Questions:
1. It’s 2AM and you are not home. You are more than likely:
At Denny's eating breakfast with friends after a night at the bar :)
2. What’s the last thing you spent more than $100 on?
Our tv
3. What do your bank checks look like?
green frogs
4. Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from?
Hobby Lobby
5. Name something that will be on your Christmas wish list:
Gas money....we are hopefully going to Florida for Christmas, so any amount will help :)
6. What color is your toothbrush?
red and white
7. Name something you collect and tell us about it.
I don't really collect anything now, but when I was younger I collected cows...don't ask!
8. Last restaurant you ate at. Who were you with? How was it?
Bob Evans with the kids and my bestie Sarah...Just like old times, just a little louder.
9. Who was the last person you bought a birthday card for?
My awesome mother in law Jan :(
10. What is your worst bad habit?
interrupting people.
11. Name a magazine to which you subscribe?
Parents
12. Your favorite pizza toppings?
sausage

13. Whose number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book?
Whats a phone book? LOL
14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most?
Sarah, my bestie and Shelby, she lives across the street from us and she is awesome!
15. What is the last thing you cooked?
I used the McCormick seasoning packets tonight for dinner...YUMMY. It was the rosemary chicken and potatoes recipe. Try it!
16. Name something you wouldn’t want to buy used?
underwear
17. Which shoe do you put on first?
the right one
18. What is the last thing you remember losing?
Alanna's white tank top...I searched everywhere for it...found it in Hannah's drawer by mistake.
19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house?
The blue lazy boy in the living room...it matches nothing, but its my favorite chair and so comfy.
20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning?
I haven't bought and returned anything lately, but the last item returned was a shirt from Hannah's birthday..it didn't fit. .
21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why?
I usually don't wear anything....because I heard mosquitos get you more when you wear perfume, and I get bit enough without...why make it worse?
22. Your favorite board game?
scatagories or sorry.
23. What was the last board game you played?
littlest pet shop monopoly with Hannah.
24. Where did your vehicle come from?
An auction...before it went up for bid.
25. If a movie was made about your life what would the theme song be?
I can't think of the name right now, but I have ALWAYS said it was my theme song...Its a country song about the milk being spoiled and putting it back in the fridge, and the washing machine breaking and dominos by candle light....anyone know this? MOM?
26. You’re sad, who can cheer you up easily?
my mom.
27. What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to?
red
28. What house cleaning chore do you hate to do the most?
dusting.
29. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?
yummy bbq sauce and ranch for dipping..
30. It is your birthday. You hope the cake is?
yummy

Avatar

2010-05-25T14:11:00.001-04:00

I just have to start by saying this movie blew my mind away. I also must admit that in the beginning I had no desire to see this movie.

Then one day I was watching TV and the preview for the movie came on. The graphics were amazing, and the story caught my attention.

When I was offered a chance to watch the movie and do a review I jumped on it.

I sat down with Hannah one day during the little kids nap time and started watching it. Half way through the movie Alanna woke up and started watching the movie too.

Both girls and myself were caught up in the characters and the adventures.

I loved the plot. The 2 main characters work so well together and it gives a good message. The girls liked it for the graphics and the fun new animals that were introduced.

Avatar is already in stores, but if you haven't seen it yet, I highly advise you to run to the store to check it out. The movie grabs you from the very beginning to the end. Its my new favorite movie.

Chris and I sat down the other night to watch it again. And yes just like me he was not looking forward to the movie. Then it started and I could tell he loved it. I tried to ask him a question during the movie and he gave me that look. The look that says I am watching this awesome movie, talk to me later, haha!

Still here...

2010-05-25T14:03:00.001-04:00

My mind is not in blog land anymore, but my heart is. There are days where I tell myself to sit and write a post, but never gt the chance and then there are days where I just don't care if I am on the computer or not.

I try to read blogs when the kids are eating breakfast or napping. Thats the only free time I have lately. Alanna is out of preschool for the summer (a future blog post, I hope) and I don't want the kids in front of the TV all day long so we play outside, or inside depending on the weather and come naptime I usually sleep too because we played so hard.

I have about 6 or 7 blog posts I need to get here in order to document what we were doing this past month. My mom coming to visit and surprising Hannah for her birthday, meeting my nephew Brody for the first time, Hannah's 10 th birthday party, Alanna's last day of preschool, and so much more. SOON, I promise I will sit down in front of the computer and write it all out, but for now I have to go play in the sprinkler one more time.

You made me a mommy!

2010-05-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

10 years ago a small black haired baby girl was placed in my arms and some how I was supposed to know what to do. When I looked down she was so beautiful. So perfect.

Fast forward to now and I have a beautiful, spunky, happy go lucky tween. We have our moments of eye rolling, and door slamming, but if we didn't have those things going on, then I wouldn't think I was doing a good job raising her. I am still supposed to know what to do, but somehow I still don't, but thats ok. We take each day at a time, and some days are better than others. But when I look into her eyes and she smiles, I know we are on the right road. When she crawls onto my lap (or at least tries to) and tells me she loves me, everything else stops and I hold her close.

I know days like this will be gone soon. Today I am just going to stop and soak it all in. My baby girl is 10 and growing bigger everyday.

Happy Birthday Hannah Brelynn. I love you!

Road Runner*

2010-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

We tried TBall practice again Tuesday. It went VERY well.

She warmed up with her team.

Played in the rocks while she should have been catching the ball

Ran the bases. She is the fastest girl and the 2nd fastest on the team.

GO, Alanna "Road Runner" King*

Batted

And sat down on the job, while waiting for her turn

Yup we are so proud of her. She did punk out the last 10 minutes of practice, but she was done. We have practice again today. Heres hopin for a repeat of Tuesday and if all goeas well we should officially have a T-Baller on our hands.

GO ROAD RUNNER

*Before practice on Tuesday Alanna was explaining to me how fast she can run. She compared herself to a road runner. So we nicked named her Alanna "road runner" King.

To see all the pictures taken before my camera died, click here

There is no "I" in TEAM

2010-04-30T23:25:00.000-04:00

Today I am feeling a little [bit] better.

Last night was a rough one.

We talked, or rather emailed since its so much easier to write down all my feelings and get everything out without forgetting or getting interrupted.

I am not fixed, I am just not so hurt inside now.

{WE}decided that maybe working as a team would be a little bit better than the way we have been handling things. (seems so simple doesn't it?)

Time will tell

~Thanks for being my friends, and letting me get it all out~

This is a long, and personal post. (don't say you weren't warned)

2010-04-29T22:50:00.000-04:00

OK lets gets real here for a minute.

Tonight Alanna had her first tball practice. She has been talking about baseball since we signed her up. She told everyone she knows or passes on the street that she is playing baseball. She was so excited to go to practice.

When we got there we were early so the kid splayed on the playground. When the other kids arrived and the coaches too, Alanna went to the ball field. Then it happened. She froze. She wouldn't let go of my hand, she wouldn't talk, smile, or move. She just sat there. As all the other kids ran from second base to first and from first to second, Alanna was that child that just stood there.

She said these kids weren't her friends and she only talked to her school friends. Then she started to cry. We came off the field and I asked her if she wanted to go home. She screamed louder and the answer was no. By this time the kids are exploring the outfield and Alanna has missed 20 minutes of practice.

Now the coaches are teaching the kids how to catch with their mitts. Alanna just stands there. She won't even put on her mitt. I feel frustrated and defeated. I am embarrassed. The coach keeps looking at me with this child attached to my leg and all I can say is she usually isn't like this.

After I just couldn't stand there anymore I tell Alanna its time to go home or play ball. She says play ball, yet she still stands there. I pick her up and tell her its time to go home then.. The screaming starts again. Now I look like the parent who is forcing and punishing their child for not playing sports. I gather Chris and the other kids.

Then it starts again. But not from Alanna. I get it from my partner. My other half, the one who is supposed to support me, but he isn't. He is yelling at me. The words coming from him are not the supporting words I needed to hear at that moment.

This is your fault
You stole her independence from her
You baby the kids to much
You should have made her go on the field alone, or go home not stand there
You let them get away with everything
Why isn't she like the other kids?

The words keep getting meaner and meaner and now....

I can't stop the tears from escaping as I think about how horrible the ride home was. Here were the kids sitting in the back of the van hearing these mean things coming from a man who should be supporting them. Instead he is yelling and saying things no 4 year old should have to hear about being shy, or being scared.

Our children are unique individuals and not robots. They have feelings and those feeling come on at different moments in their lives. If Alanna was scared of the kids or the coach then we as parents should be there to support her in her decision to play or not to play. Just because the other kids had no problem leaving their parents on the bleachers does not mean Alanna has to be okay with it. She is her own person. She is my special little girl. He wants the kids to act a certain way and its not them. It seems he always wants the kids just sitting there and being quiet.

I am not the perfect human, nor am I even close to being a perfect mom. I yell, lose my temper, scream, and sometimes I let my anger and pride get in the way of even being a nice person. But I don't deserve to be yelled at because Alanna didn't feel right playing.

I am so hurt inside. I can't concentrate, I can't believe I am actually writing this to share with all of you. The tears are poring down so hard I can barely see the computer screen. I just need some help.

I don't want the sympathy comments telling me what a good mom I am or how Chris shouldn't be yelling.

I am broken inside and I don't know how to fix it. Children depend on the people around them to mold them and to assist them in growing up a decent adult. What if I am failing as a parent? What if I actually am hurting them more than I am teaching them..

Hannah is out of control with her eye rolling and her smart mouth, Alanna is starting to act just like her. I am so lost in my life, and I don't know how to crawl back to....to....I am so far down that I don't even know where to return to.

I lay in bed and tears form at the corners. e.v.e.r.y. n.i.g.h.t.

I lay in bed every night swearing to god that the next day will be better. If I just change one thing about each bad day, then maybe we will have a good day. But it doesn't work out that way. Its never a good day. It seems like the days are getting worse.

I am scared. Scared that I am messing up and all these prayers for a good day are running out and one day I am going to wake up and its just going to be to late. The kids will be grown and they will be more of a burden to society than a benefit.

I am raising these kids mostly alone, and every decision I make seems like the wrong one. With Chris' work schedule He is either sleeping or working when the kids are here and if for chance he is awake, he is so tired he doesn't want to do much.

I'm not trying to bash his role as a father, but there are so many issues we don't see eye to eye on. Tonight I had to let Alanna sit and cry by the front door because she couldn't get her shoes off. I had to let her do it herself because she had to be independent and take her own shoes off. Its so hard seeing my baby cry and struggle.

Am I hurting her become an adult because I want to take her shoes off for her?

What does this say about my marriage? How much longer can I let Alanna sit by the door and cry because her shoes won't kick off. She eventually got them off...herself...but not without crying until her face was red and she was choking, and not until I was so angry with myself for letting her cry that way, that I was actually crying.

I know there are so many things parents can beat themselves up for, and so many could've, would've, and should'ves. But like I said above I feel broken inside. I feel I have lost my path on being a good parent and I am just settleing for the "lets get through a day with no spankings and no eye rolls from my 9 year old."

I had a relationship with my mom like Hannah and I do. She thinks I know nothing, I yell, she thinks she knows it all. She is always right, everyone is against her. When Hannah was born I swore we would not have the same relationship. I swore it would be better. I swore I would not fail, and look where we are.

I feel like I am giving so much of myself that there isn't much holding me together anymore. [Tonight] for one small, brief moment, I actually wondered what would happen if I just left. What if I just got off the couch, grabbed the keys and walked through the door? What would happen?

The tears have calmed down a little now. And I still can't believe I wrote this raw post. It shares some of the thoughts that I could never ask out loud. It shares some of the feelings that I didn't even know I was feeling until it was typed out. I don't feel better. My heart aches for the things Alanna had to hear about herself tonight. I just want to go into her room and wake her up and cuddle with her, telling her everything is going to be okay.

I wish I could just make everything okay.

Happy Anniversary

2010-04-28T08:58:00.000-04:00

Its our anniversary today. We will be spending today as any other normal day of the week. I am visiting my MIL this afternoon. Then off to pick up fundraiser stuff for Alanna's T-Ball, and then Free skate at our local roller rink. Tonight will be homemade pizza for dinner and later I will probably fall asleep on the couch.

But come Saturday..Saturday the kids are each staying with a family member OVER NIGHT. Can you tell I am excited for this. Ben has NEVER stayed the night away from me before and Alanna hasn't since she was a baby. We have some shopping planned dinner and a movie and then who knows what.

What I do know is that this night is very much needed. Chris and I focus on the kids so much during our everyday, that we need some ALONE time to focus on each other.

I love my husband more now than the day we married. I have a new found respect towards him since he lost his job last winter and worked so very hard to find ways to support his family. We are back on track and still loving every minute of it. Our life is no where near perfect, but its a good life and we are so blessed.

Happy Anniversary honey, I love you!

in the moment

2010-04-27T08:46:00.000-04:00

The courage she has amazes me. Times when my stomach is full of butterflies, she looks at me and tells me its going to be okay, as she walks ahead.

His curiosity is something I've never seen before. He explores and roams, and learns. He teaches me to calm down and enjoy the moment.

The innocence she carries with her leaves her high above the rest of us. She sees the good in everything and teaches everyone around her to enjoy nature and all that it has to offer.

Where would I be

without these 3?

Meet Taj the Tiger

2010-04-22T09:15:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I gave a clue to a really fun review I was doing and now the suspense is over.

When I was asked to do a review for Baby Cribs, I originally had Alanna is mind. I let her pick what she thought would be fun, and when the box arrived, it was Alanna that ripped it open.

Alanna LOVES her Zoobie Pet, but so does her brother. What is a Zoobie Pet? Its a stuffed animal, blanket and pillow in one. Alanna choose Taj the Tiger. At first he is a stuffed animal that you can play with and snuggle with. The fur is super soft, and perfect for Ben to cuddle with after his bath while watching some TV before bed.

I love that the blanket zips into the pouch. It makes it easy to fold and put away. The blanket is big enough for Alanna to be covered from head to toe, Ben likes the blanket because it is super soft and fun to cuddle with.

Both the kids love the idea that stuffed animal turns into a blanket and pillow. They just thought that was the neatest thing, Taj the Tiger comes in many, many different animal some being a panda, orangutan, cheetah, polar bear, koala, baboon, wildebeast, water buffalo, turkey, caterpillar and much more. I love all the different animals, so unique.

Ordering from Baby Cribs was super easy and fast too. I got my order just a few days after the order was placed. It arrived on my doorstep wrapped up neat.

Taj the Tiger and his friends would be a great thing to take on long car rides. With 3 kids the van is always packed to the max. This way each child will have a toy to play with and a pillow or blanket to use on the way.

The Great Mouse Detective, Mystery in the Mist

2010-04-22T08:34:00.000-04:00

Alanna is into scary movies lately. Nothing too scary, but kid scary like Coraline, or The Witches.

When I was offered the opportunity to watch The Great Mouse Detective, I jumped on it because I knew Alanna would love it.

The story takes place in London in 1897. The evil Professor Ratigan kidnaps the toymaker. The toymakers daughter Olivia is left behind, and befriends a Mr Dawson. Together they seek out Basil of Baker Street. He is the Sherlock Holmes of all of Mousedom.

When Olivia is taken by Ratigan to persuade her father to preform the evil plan against the Queen of Mousedom, Dawson and Basil must work together to save both the toymaker and his daughter.

After the movie Alanna looked at me and said, "I didn't think they would be able to save her, momma, they did and thats a great movie."

The movie, The Great Mouse Detective is digitally restored and has special bonus features.
~New "So you think you can Sleuth" Game
~The making of The Great Mouse Detective
~"The World's Greatest Criminal Mind" Sing-Along Song
~Dylan and Cole Sprouse: Blu-ray is Suite!
~Learn how to take your favorite movies on the go.

If you have a suspense seeker or a Sherlock Holmes on your hand, this movie would be great for all ages.

I saw your picture today..

2010-04-22T00:19:00.001-04:00

All 223 pictures for the month of April are loaded onto Flickr. Click here to check them out. If you don't you will be missing out. Here is what you have to look forward too.

Our picnic at the park on spring break
Our trip to the zoo on spring break
The bows I made for my first sale (yes something is in the works, but its not ready yet, and I'm not ready to tell, but you can guess?)
Our trip to the Gibralter Trade Center with the family and it was a GREAT day
A really fun review that I told you is coming, and it really is....tomorrow, maybe!

A great day

2010-04-18T22:00:00.001-04:00

I don't even know where to begin.

Today was a great day!

The family and I, along with my MIL met up with my SIL and her daughter at a near by Trade Center. I'm not sure if everyone knows about the Trade Center so I will explain. Its a HUGE warehouse type building that has many vendors that sell STUFF. Anywhere from tattoos, jewelry, clothes, avon, pictures, and junk. Its open only on the weekends and you have to pay $2 to park and get in. There are expos and shows scheduled throughout the year such as gun shoes, mom2mom sales, HUGE indoor garage sales, and knife shows. Its usually the place to go to find closeout deals and sometimes you can try to make a deal with the vendor...

Its a fun place to go. We went today looking for a looney-toons cane made of wood. We didn't find that but found lots of other stuff we didn't know we needed.

The girls got to enjoy time in the bounce house (yes they have those too). They also got strapped to bungee looking harnesses and jumped on inflatable trampolines. If they jumped really hard they would go really high, they could do flips and have fun...Chris and I tried to get them to climb the rock wall but they were feeling that one, LOL!

We went to lunch at a near by Greek restaurant. We heard lots of OPA! and had a lot of fun. I love loud restaurants, because then we don't have to keep telling the kids to be quiet. We ate some fried cheese, greek salads and way to much pita bread. It was SO YUMMY! The kids were SO hungry that all 3 of them ate fried cheese, pits bread and their WHOLE meal. Mom and Dad were so proud of them..The kids were so well behaved today...I love days like this.

It feels like we haven't had a GREAT day like this in....forever. We needed to get out as a family and just hang out. Nowhere to be at a certain time and not rushing. Just walking and looking...

in the moment

2010-04-17T00:50:00.000-04:00

Right now there are dishes in the sink, and clothes in the dryer. There are toys on the floor, and the trash needs to be emptied.

I tell these confession, because I'm not sorry.

I tried to load the dishwasher, and I tried to fold the laundry, and I tried to take the trash out.

Instead I sat around for most of the day.

I sat with a cuddly (not so baby) boy on my lap.

He has been playing so well by himself. On his belly, running the cars up and down the couch. Little vroom vrooms coming from his sweet lips.

But for today he just wanted to cuddle.

So I stopped trying to get the daily chores done, and I just sat down and smelled his sweet head, and gave a million and one kisses and enjoyed every minute, every second that he let me.

2010-04-09T21:17:00.002-04:00

I think I might need a vacation from spring break

coming soon!

2010-04-08T16:25:00.005-04:00

I feel like a little girls jumping up and down wanting to share everything with you, all my awesome readers.

I have been asked to do a really fun review! I think you're gonna enjoy it. Check back soon for more information.

In the mean time here is a clue. Check out Baby Cribs and look around, can you guess what I will be reviewing?

and NO I am not pregnant. Thats not even funny!

Summer plans?

2010-04-08T16:16:00.000-04:00

This week has been jammed pack with fun. I hate seeing the kids just sitting around the house, so I wanted to make the best of spring break.

Today we did a play date and then lunch with Chris. He has such a flexible work schedule, that he was able to come home in time for lunch. It was a nice surprise for the kids. Of course we ate at our favorite restaurant Olga's. (if you don't have an Olgas near you, I am sorry, its sooo good)

I feel out of my element this week. Ben and I are on a pretty good schedule, and this week has been anything except schedules. I hate to see this week end though. Having the girls home all day is such a blessing. I am still so thrilled to be able to be home with them. I already have plans swirling around in my head for our summer plans. We won't be able to do something everyday, but I am going to shoot for at least twice a week.

If you have any fun things you like to do, please share. It will be hard to come up with 2 activities a week for 3 months that will be fun with all the kids ages 10, 4 and 2...

Playing catch up

2010-04-07T13:39:00.000-04:00

I tried to catch up on all the facebook posts and blog posts from the last 6 days, but its impossible. The kids and I have been non stop since last Friday with more planned for the remaining of the week. A quick run down

Friday-dyed eggs with Sarah, left for out of town
Saturday&Sunday-out of town.
Sunday-BBQ at the inlaws
Monday-picnic at the park, clean out the shed, walk with the kids and store to buy lunch food for the zoo
Tuesday-ALLLLLL day at the zoo, store to by Alanna new shoes since hers broke at the zoo
Wednesday-laundry, laundry, laundry, brother, SIL and Kylee over for dinner
Thursday-Lunch Bunch, lunch with MIL
Friday either ice skating or a visit to the local dairy farm (we aren't sure yet what we are doing)
Saturday& Sunday are still open...but we were thinking something along the line of either an indoor water park or out of town to friends house again...But either way it will be LOTS of fun

Im also trying to spend as much time off the computer as possible. Not worrying whats in my inbox or the latest update on facebook. It was pretty hard the first day but now I'm just enjoying the time with the kids.

**Lori, I will get your prize out next week. I'm sorry I am just so busy this week. I will send you pictures so you can tell me which one you want.**

The one where I talk about how busy I am, but know its all worth it in the end

2010-04-01T11:28:00.000-04:00

I know that I am neglecting this blog here. I have a lot going on at home. Its big news for you, my readers and many more. I'm not ready to share the details yet, but feel free to try to guess.
There could be a prize if you are the lucky one.

Spring break for the girls starts tomorrow. That may or may not mean more neglect for the blog. Depends on how tired I am. We have something planned for everyday of spring break. This will be the 1st spring break in 2 years we haven't went to Florida. It makes me sad to have to wait to see my mom, step-dad, sister and my beautiful nephew Brody..But they are coming up here VERY SOON, and so our trip to Florida this year is being pushed to Christmas time!
Here is a run down on our plans for next week. If you would like to join us, give us a call. We always love being with our friends!

Friday- Dye Easter eggs with Sarah and do a pizza lunch, then we are heading out to some friends house for the weekend.
Saturday- Have fun playing in the 75 degree weather with lots of land for the kids to run around.
Sunday- Happy Easter (spending it with friends this year, they are just like family to us)
Monday-Picnic lunch at the park
Tuesday-The zoo, with more friends
Wednesday-Grocery shopping-have to squeeze it in there somewhere
Thursday- Lunch Bunch Playdate, and lunch with Grandma
Friday- Ice Skating
Saturday- Maybe going to Splash Universe (indoor waterpark near our home)
Sunday- RELAXING, what a busy spring break we have planned

Miley Says Goodbye?

2010-03-29T11:09:00.000-04:00

As you all know I have a little Hannah Montana on my hands with Hannah always pretending to be a super star. Hannah Montana has been a regular in our house for a couple years now. When I got the opportunity to see the season finale before it came to TV, my little Hannah was super excited. Following her big sister, Alanna was more than thrilled when she came home from school to see the movie siting on the table waiting to be watched.

The DVD contains all the episodes from the season so if you missed an episode or have a favorite you can catch up or watch it over and over. I usually sit down with my girls to watch TV together but there were a few episodes I missed so we caught up together.

The finale episode, Miley is having dreams about Blue Jeans (her horse) talking to her. She then realizes that she is having these crazy dreams because she is missing Tennessee. She tells her dad she wants to move back "home". After letting that decision sink in Miley realizes that she will be leaving many things including her best friend Lily. Miley is torn with the urge to go home and the urge to stay where she is. Will she leave Hannah Montana behind? That I won't tell you, you have to watch the ending to see for yourself.

Hannah Montana is shown on the Disney channel and you can also find the the season 3 finale along with the entire season on the DVD Miley Says Goodbye? on sale now in stores.

The Princess and the Frog

2010-03-29T09:23:00.001-04:00

I was very excited when I got the chance to watch The Princess and the Frog. I was excited to see the colors and the energy from Mardi Gras and also the fun new characters.

I love how Disney has different story lines for the movies, yet it seems that all the deep down values lead you back to family.

When the movie arrived in the mail, we had a family movie night complete with blankets on the floor, popcorn and juice. The bright colors and fun songs kept Ben entertained, and the great story kept the rest of us wanting more.

New characters are introduced from the biggest of the crocodiles in the bayou to the smallest lighting bugs. The movie has laughter, happiness, sadness and tears. It also shows that being a good strong person is what matters in the end.
The DVD also contains bonus features, including.
-Deleted Scenes
-Audio Commentary by John Musker and Ron Clements (co-writers and directors) and Peter Del Vecho (producer)
-“Never Knew I Needed”- Music video by Ne-Yo
-Games and Activities

The Blu-ray Combo Pack edition comes with additional bonus features, including:
-Backstage Disney
- Magic In The Bayou: The Making of A Princess
-Bringing Life to Animation with an introduction by John Musker and Ron Clements.
- Conjuring The Villain
-The Princess and the Animator
-Disney’s Newest Princess
-The Return To Hand Drawn Animation
-The Disney Legacy
-Deleted Scenes introduced by the filmmakers
-Art Galleries

The movie was released on March 16 in stores. This would make a great Easter gift, or just a because gift.

Alanna, she is growing up!

2010-03-25T12:48:00.000-04:00

Today I took my middle child for kindergarten registration. What better way to describe how I am feeling than with bullets...here we go!

I am very excited for Alanna to go to kindergarten. Even though she is what you call a young 5. Meaning her birthday is in November and the cut off is December 1st. She will be 4 still when she starts school in the fall, she is so ready for this. She has had 2 years of preschool so far. The 1st yr was the homebase preschool where the teacher came to our house 1 day a week and then every other Friday she went to school to play with the other kids. This year she is center based and goes 4 days a week for half days. She loves school and is so ready for this
I am sort of sad because it means another one of my sweet little girls are heading off to school. I will miss being able to tickle her before her nap time and spending my afternoons with her at my side.
I am even more sad that I am not more emotional about this. When the thought of school came to mind with Hannah I would tear up. I cried the 1st day of school and half way to work. I was not ready to let go. I feel Alanna is getting denied some of that emotional mother on the 1st day of school. Maybe I will be more emotional when the time actually comes since it is only March right now and it was just registration and not the actual going to school part.
I feel silly for wanting to be more emotional (enough said)
I am so proud of Alanna. I often think of her as your standard middle child..craving that attention and doing bad things she knows she should not be doing like hitting and biting (sometimes, not often). Alanna is that child that makes you want to pull your hair out at the end of the day. But then I sit back and realize she is SO SMART. She is already doing addition when her and Hannah play school. She can add any numbers that you give her if they are single digits. She can already remember words and starting to read. She remembers things that happened 2 years ago, like our trip to Florida when she was 2. She has so much energy and is so bright and so smart she amazes me that she is only 4. I have to remember to look at her in this new light.

Dinner and a giveaway!

2010-03-23T12:53:00.000-04:00

Dinner this week
Stuffed Peppers, mashed potatoes, corn
French Toast w/bacon
Tacos, chips and salsa
Chicken casserole, salad
Roast, carrots, potatoes, and onions
Porkchops, applesauce, and scalloped potatoes
Chili, crackers
Stuffed Shells, salad

Doesn't anyone want to win?

Please HELP! Whats in a name, with a prize!

2010-03-19T22:16:00.000-04:00

With all this creativity going on, I might have the opportunity to open an online store. I need help though. My mind is racing coming up with new items to make that I can't focus on a good name. Things that I might be selling are
korker bows
tutus
felt watches
lanyard keychains
tie blankets and pillows
tag blankets
baby shower baskets
bandana dresses
ties for little boys
Bow holders

So come up with a good name and you might just win a really cool lanyard keychain...Your pick

Pink w/ white polka dots/reverse side is pink with white strips
Brown w/ multi colored polka dots/reverse side is multi colored stripes
Brown w/ lt pink, pink, and green stripes/reverse is green with brown dots
Lime green w/ white polka dots/reverse is lime green w/ white stripes

So think Loooonnngggg and think Haaaaarrrrrrdddd and come up with the right name and one of these could be yours.

Old Dogs

2010-03-19T12:39:00.000-04:00

2 of my favorite actors are John Travolta and Robin Williams. Finding them in a movie together, I instantly knew that would spell F.U.N.N.Y.

The movie's focus is Robin Williams who is a successful older bachelor who finds out that he is a father to 7 year old twins he has never met. When their mother played by Kelly Preston has to go to jail for 2 weeks, the kids are left with their "new" dad.

John Travolta who plays the best friend and business partner is not happy when Robin Williams and the kids have to stay with him because Williams lives in a NO CHILDREN community.

I love how this movie shows the father relationship with the kids. You don't often see a dad trying to complete all the "kids list" of things to do. Especially when they are in the middle of one of the biggest business deals of their life. The dad really focuses on the kids and I think thats important to see in our real life day to day busy-ness

Bleach shirts

2010-03-18T14:47:00.000-04:00

I found a really neat thing to do with bleach and T shirts here. When I was at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago they had the T Shirts 50% off so I picked some up for the kids. I printed some designs from the computer just to regular paper. I cut it out with an exacto knife. Pinned it to the shirt. In a spray bottle I put pure bleach. I then misted the bleach above the shirt a few times and removed the stencil. One thing I learned though is you have to be careful with the pins. Some bleach got through the pin holes and made spots on the graphics..Minor, but if you are a perfectionist it may bother you...It doesn't bother me or the kids. Also the back of Alanna's sort of bled through and she has some bleach spots on the back of her shirt, I think that I am going to mist bleach all the shirts on the back to make them look more even. This project took maybe 10 minutes with printing all the paper to hanging up to dry. It was so easy and fun...Now the kids have new shirts that are custom and only for them. Hannah already has friends lined up for shirts of their own.

Random updates with pictures

2010-03-17T15:35:00.000-04:00

I forgot about all the pictures I had on my camera. Today I was going through it and realized I haven;t shared what we have been doing lately. A couple weeks ago we went to Joes Crab Shack (and yes if you live in FLORIDA{Mom, Tim} some of you may say yuck, but to us who don't live by the ocean it has to do).

Here is the dessert (ice cream sandwich with fudge, sprinkles and mini M&Ms to put on top..so cute!) Alanna got after she stuffed herself with macaroni and cheese, fries, crab stuffed mushrooms and crab from her grandma Jan's plate. The next picture is Chris eating is hot, steam pot bib and all. Bed is picking at his plate, but loved his fries.
Some may know a little secret about me and that is I have never been a big fan of seafood. Its not that I don't like it, its that I never grew up around it and just afraid to eat it. I have been tasting it here and there when I am feeling brave, and this night I promised myself I would get something other than chicken or steak. So I got the shrimp and steak..baby steps people! I got the coconut shrimp with the pineapple plum sauce. IT WAS AMAZING! I ate all my shrimp before one bite of steak and wanted more shrimp. I didn't even want my steak after that. Now all I can think about is coconut shrimp.

Last week I took the kids to get some much needed hair cuts. I was tired of getting Bens hair trimmed and then a week later he needed it again, so I opted for a big boy hair cut. He looks so much older. Its so sad seeing my baby grow up. But I LOVE running my fingers through his new short hair..and I can spike it and that is adorable!

And then what would St Patty's Day be without some pictures of the kids. wearing green. Ben is showing so much of his personality in these pictures, it makes my heart sink. Alanna too, look at those big goofy grins. I am so proud to be mommy to these kids :)

Whats for dinner?

2010-03-15T16:29:00.000-04:00

Dinner this week
BBQ Chicken pizza
Sicilian Steak
Stuffed Peppers
Chicken Casserole
French toast w/bacon

Dinner last week
Ham
Veggie Alfredo
Steak Fajitas
Hamburgers/tater tots
Pizza

So whats for dinner in your house?

SO.EXCITED.

2010-03-11T09:39:00.002-05:00

Before I was a Mom

2010-03-11T09:02:00.001-05:00

Before I was a Mom
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom

I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot the words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on
Pooped on
Spit on
Chewed on
Peed on
Or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom
I had complete control of my mind
My thoughts
My body
And I slept all night and got plenty of rest.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child
So that doctors could do tests or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
When I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew what love at first sight really meant.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
Every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth
The joy
The love
The heartache
The wonderment.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much
Before I was a Mom

I'm not sure who the author is, but I really love this poem

2010-03-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

I made this necklace from scratch. I seen the necklace featured here and then her sister sold the necklace kit here. I bought it and cut the chain up and went to work. I love the colors I chose. The gunmeatal chain gives it a hard feeling and the bows soften it up. Its my new fav necklace and I made it..

2010-03-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

KEYCHAINS...Love this idea and its so simple..I took some ribbon and measured it to the length I wanted. Glued and stitched 2 ribbons together so it would be right side out on both sides. Then I folded it together and stitched again. Wrapped some coordinating ribbon around my stitches on the fold and glued it down. There ya go a new keychain. I was thinking about selling these in an etsy shop along with korker clips, tie blankets, tutu's, felt watches and some other things. Would anyone be interested?