Wednesday, June 30, 2010

wordless wednesday

daddy and grandpa are so proud!  not sure what possessed him to wear his fire boots!  he's going to hate me when i show this to his first girlfriend!! tee hee!

Monday, June 28, 2010

i am surviving summer break!

ok, so i don't have it as bad as some parents!  emily only has a two week break, other parents have to get through an entire summer of summer reading, sweltering heat, maybe a vacation, and that terrible monster-boredom! 

i was really on edge about this break.  i am basically on my own during the day.  my mom came up last monday (and will be here today too) because she has off.  and last thursday i took the kids to her house in the afternoon.  emily has shown so much anxiety with david that i was thinking she'd never have any kind of meaningful relationship with him until she was in her thirties.  it was seriously breaking my frustrated heart!  i'm happy--ecstatic even, to say that emily has made a HUGE turn around!  she has spent hours with david--with little to no tears--playing and walking around WITH david...instead of trying to be as far away from him as she could!  yesterday, she even skipped her nap because he wasn't napping with her.  ok, so that could have been a jealousy/spite thing, but i didn't care!  they played well for another 2 hours until dinner!  when she gets tired, she's over him...but hey, when i'm tired, i'm over him too!! lol  can't blame her there!!

they've been sharing a room now for over a week.  its going swimmingly!  we've had a few very minor bumps in the middle of the night.  i mean, these kids have two totally different sets of sleep habits.  they are really adjusting well, and can even get themselves back to sleep if one wakes the other up.  loving it.  loving having my room to myself again.  love that david can't wait for emily to wake up so he can play with her(although, i am "shushing him" all morning because emily likes to sleep a little later!!)!  did i mention that i LOVE it?!

she's not quite ready for kisses!!





we've all had colds for the last few days, so that's kind of sucked!  hubs is going to try to take a day or two off this week.  we'll try to go out and do something all together before emily heads back to school on friday!  kind of wierd to start on a friday...only to have monday off for the fourth of july.  any hoo.  i'm hoping for another nice week--cold-less, and minimal tears!   after all...happy kids are the BEST...and a happy mommy is even BETTER! :oD

Monday, June 21, 2010

i love the daddies in my life!

what more is there to say?  i have amazing men in my life, and i love them so much!  emily spent the weekend at my parents' house, so we met them there yesterday for a father's day bbq.  we all made a little something, and it was super relaxing--and hot!!  emily was coming down with a cold, so after lunch she took a nice long nap.  while emily was sleeping, david took a dip in the pool...and my sissy and i had a water fight with mom and dad.   it was so freakin' fun!!  we had so much fun, that i forgot to take pics! haha

other than coleslaw, i also made these little cupcake sliders and sugar cookie fries!!  they were a hit!!  i even put the "sliders" on hubby's burger platter!(got the idea from bakerella)

hubs, you are the best father!  you take care of all of us, and we appreciate all of your hard work!! :o*

dad, you were/are an awesome dad...and now an amazing grandpa!
ron, i know i never had the chance to meet you, but i am eternally grateful for the son you raised.  even though you only had 12 short years on this earth with him, he took your love for him and shares it with his babies.  he is an amazing father and husband, and i have you to thank for that.  

Thursday, June 17, 2010

change is a comin'

today is emily's last day of school.  i have to say, i'm glad i will have her home for two weeks, but at the same time, i know that there will be plenty of tears.  she loves to be at school.  she does not love being home with her brother.  things have been slowly improving between the two of them...which is wonderful, but we've got a little more work to do before i'll say we're through this "phase"--if you can even call it that.  

i have mentioned before that david has been sharing our room with us. yes, he's now just over 2 years old.   yes, hubs and i have a very minimal love life. yes, it has sucked.

we only have a two bedroom home.  there is a screened in porch(where most of the kids' toys are, and where david loves to play when its raining) that we have talked about turning into a third bedroom for us.  however, we just can not afford to do this right now.  its time to bite the bullet and get this kid out of our room though!!  starting tomorrow, david and emily will be room mates.  we figured there is no better time than her two week break to get them accustomed to sleeping in the same room.   we'll establish a new bed time routine.  emily will be sleeping over grandma and grandpa's house for a few nights, so it will give david some time to adjust to his new surroundings.  we were calling this a "trial run", but really, this is it...david needs to be out of our room!  i think they will be just fine.  i also think that this may be what emily needs to get through her emotions with david.

i'm nervous but excited at the same time!!  i can turn on a light without waking david up.  i can watch tv with the volume ON.  i won't have to pick out my clothes the night before.   and the best part is, of course, being able to get some nookie any time i want it!! :oD

when emily is on her next break in august, we'll paint "their" room!  come one, poor david is already using emily's old car seat--that is covered in flowers.  i can't make him sleep in a pink room too!!

wish us luck!!


 (these are from emily's end of year BBQ yesterday!)

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

end of the year gift

in my usual fashion, i am still not finished with the end of the year gifts, but i do have a few to show you! 

i used the same instructions for the flour sack dish towels that i made a couple weeks ago for the thank you gift.  you can find the instructions here

yes, these are the dish towels that i sacrificed my dignity for last week.

anyhoo--i used the Berry Delicious Muffin Mix from Gooseberry Patch's "More Gifts For Giving".  LOVE their books!(i only own this one--but i love them all, go figure! lol)  since her teacher and aides will have the mornings off for two weeks, i thought that a nice freshly baked muffin would be a nice treat.
combine the following in a large mixing bowl;place in a large cellophane or zippie bag: 
1 1/2 c flour
1 c quick cooking oats
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
attach instructions:
Pour muffin mix in a large bowl; add one cup milk, one beaten egg and 3 tbs vegetable oil.  Gently fold in 2 1/4 c berries.  Fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake @ 425 for 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden.  Makes one dozen.

in a small zippie bag, i place a recipe card with the full ingredients list and instructions--you know, i case they want more, and i also included 30 muffin papers.(the kind you buy in a 90 pack for .89!)

place mix(with instructions) and zippie bag in the center of your newly spruced up dish clothe, and tie with a ribbon.  done!

  this would be a great addition to any gift basket as well...throw in a strawberry plant and a wooden spoon...hmmm, i'm thinking hostess gift for the next party we go to!! 

happy end-of-the-year!!!


 

Monday, June 14, 2010

last week was a rough one

i can't stand long hard weeks...especially when i'm PMSing!  after david cracked me across the face, we implemented new time out rules...and it seems to be working.  he had a few really good days.  yesterday...not a great day at all, but i think he had a long hard week too.  emily was very cranky last week as well.  which, of course, is making dread her two week break coming up.  i don't want to dread her break...i want to enjoy her being home!  yesterday, she made me feel alot better! lol  she had a great day overall!  she ate really well, and she even played with david...now, those are my favorite days! 

i'm trying to stay in the positive for this week!  not an easy task!  lol  my sissy is home from her honeymoon, she had a great time!  i'm hoping to maybe go out for breakfast this coming weekend.  emily will be at grandma and grandpa's house for a sleepover, so it will be easier for me to get out of the house for a bit!! lol  my mom told me she's also going to take david for a night--so i can get a break from him!!  i've had my aunt take him in the past, but recently she has been fighting with her husband--alot...and he's been drinking, alot.  i just can't send david over there without me.

i'm working on the "end of the year" gifts for emily's teacher and aides.  although, its not really the end of the year...she'll be going back in 2 weeks! lol  oh well, i like to show my appreciation to these amazing people in her life.  i have a couple of other projects that i've also been trying to get to, but when you have a tough week, you don't really feel like doing much! 

my little angel--yes, i said that with as much sarcasm as i could muster!!  ;o)

this was my favorite part of yesterday...he was showing her how it worked!

OK, here's to a good week!!! *deep breath*

Thursday, June 10, 2010

it must be a twin thing

marie and matt are enjoying their honeymoon in beautiful bermuda(while i'm still here getting slammed in the face with toys--i'm not bitter, really!)  i miss her.  we usually talk at least once a day.  i don't want to be the annoying sister that calls everyday while they're supposed to be on their honeymoon, doing honeymoon things--get your minds out of the gutter, i didn't mean it like that...ok, maybe i did-a little. 

just before i was going to write this post, i checked my email.  there was one from her.  i feel better now.  she's having a great time, eating great food, and getting a little burnt(definitely NOT jealous of the burn) i'm happy that she's happy.  i still miss her, but i'm better now.

i finally got some herbs planted.  i'm SO far behind this year!  i have seeds to plant, but i may just bite it and buy some veggies that have already been started. 
hubs picked me up two pots for my herbs(one was actually a hanging basket, but i decided to just take the hanger off of it)  i spray painted them red.
i put a plastic pot in the large planter to use as the base for the small pot, and put a little potting soil in the bottom.
after placing the herbs in and filling in with soil, i added the small pot.
filled it with soil and planted some parsley seeds...if they don't take off, i'll just buy a plant lol!
now that i have nice fresh herbs, i should probably take something out of the freezer so i can use them!! ;o)

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

mama said there would be days like this

david, oh david, you test my patience.  david has been getting more difficult over the last few weeks.  i thank hubby's side of the family for his temper.  he screams and throws tantrums like nothing i have ever seen...over silly things!  today we were at the dollar store, and i let him choose a toy(something i ONLY do @ the dollar store because they sit right there on the floor where he can reach them...and because they're only a buck)...all i needed to get was a few more flour sack dish towels, i grabbed them and headed for the line to pay.  here is where the trouble begins.  he refuses to even stand in line!  luckily no one was behind us--but the two people in front of me must have bought one of everything in the store because it was taking forever!  i convinced him to come stand next to me, and it was our turn.  that kid couldn't ring those towels up fast enough!  i mean seriously, don't they just have something where they can punch in "quantity 10", and then only ring up one...noooooo, this kid rang each...one...of...them...up...  it was a tug of war trying to get david to hand over the toy so that could get rung up as well...eventually the tag ripped off, and i handed that over.  then it happened.  my little cherub hit me right across the face with the toy.  i wanted to crawl under a rock.  meanwhile, since the tug of war began, about 4 people filed in behind us.  i was instantly red and sweaty...and trying not to choke the life out of my son.  all i could mutter out was "david ronald"...you know, in that "i'm going to kill you" tone of voice?!  as we walked to the car, i was yelling.  i told him how embarrassed i was, how i couldn't believe he acted like that.  we got to his car seat, i took his toy from him, and threw it in the back.  he cried, but sat still so i could do his straps(i think he knew if he made any sudden moves, he may not make it home in one piece).  i got into the car, yelled a little more, then cried.  he was silent.  we never acted like that when we were kids!  i called to ask my mom for advice, but she didn't have any for me.  WTH?  so i cried again.  i vowed i would never be that mom, with that kid in the store.  achieving that is going to be a lot harder than i had anticipated.   we rarely go out during the day because that is what i fear the most, and i know how his temper is.  today, he confirmed my fears about his behavior.  i'm so sad.  i've tried yelling, i've tried time outs in his bed, ive even tried spanking.  none of it fazes him.  now i will attempt to put him in the corner.  i'm not sure where to go after that.  i'm praying with everything that i have that its just the "terrible twos", but i think it may be more than that.  my heart is just breaking right now.  i'm not really sure what else to say.  :o(

Sunday, June 6, 2010

my sissy is a mrs!!!

wow!  so much to say, but i'll keep it short and get to the pictures!  the thunderstorms held off, although it was hot as hell!! lol  the kids did pretty well, david had a few mega meltdowns before the ceremony due to lack of sleep...i held him for the entire ceremony!  yep, the 4+inch heels didn't last long after carrying an extra 28 lbs for 30 minutes!!  emily was a vision walking down the isle with her daddy...i flashed forward about 20 years and pictured her in a white gown instead of apple green, and nearly lost it!  my sister was stunning!  her day was flawless.  she and matt were on cloud 9 all night long.  everyone had a fabulous time, and now they are cruisin' on down to bermuda!  here we go:


there are SO many more than this!! lol



my brother and i both spoke...although, my brother wasn't sure if he was going to.  he is super shy and was a ball of nerves...he did GREAT though!  i got extra nervous because along with our card(with a check inside) to the new mr. and mrs., my speech got stolen!!  the staff looked up and down, but it was no where to be found :o(  i had to stop payment on the check...and re print the speech when we dropped the kids off @ home with the babysitter.  minor detail.  i'm not sure where the card or speech walked off to, but if someone really did take it, they ought to be ashamed of themselves.  moving on. 

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

my sissy's bachelorette par-tay

ok, so my sissy and i are far from wild party animals!  this point was proven while out for my bachelorette party nearly seven years ago.  we all decided to get a little crazy and go to a chip and dales type show.  we drove way out of our way in the pouring rain, only to find this whole in the wall, practically underground room that was no bigger than my kitchen!  after paying the ridiculous admission price, we entered...barely.  that room was so packed full of horny brides to be and bridal parties that we could hardly get the door open!  we couldn't even make it to the other side of the room to get a drink from the bar.  what i saw was totally appalling.  call me a prude, i don't care.  these brides were bumping and grinding on these men like they were single and ready to mingle.  if that's how you want to act, to each their own...but that's not how i roll--as the kids say.   so we left, vowing to never step foot in a place like that again.  fast forward to marie's last saturday night as a single woman!  i wanted to do something that fit our personalities.  i took her to brushes and bisque...its a place to paint your own pottery!  can i just tell you, i was so relaxed, and had such a great time...and i think my bride to be did as well.  after pottery, we had a nice casual dinner and then ended up meeting the guys at the irish pub where they had dinner.  we moved our party to the bar, and really had a good time!
 ok, is that not the prettiest bride to be you've ever seen? ;o)  2 more days!!!!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

thank you gift and a cute touch for the yard!

so friday is my sister's big day!  we are super excited--and praying the the rain will hold off!!  emily and david are both in the wedding, but after dinner, we are taking the home to bed.  emily's (former)early intervention therapist is going to babysit for us.  this is the first time that a non family member is going to watch the kids!  well, basically, they'll be sleeping, she'll be watching tv all night! lol  i wanted to get her a little something to say "thank you"!  so this is what i came up with!

i've had a bunch of flour sack dish clothes from the dollar tree, laying around--all boring and stuff...then i found a cute tutorial, and it hit me...awesome gift!  now, these towels are rather large, but let me tell you, after the first wash...these things are the best towels, EVER!
i found the tutorial for them here
the recipient has celiac disease, so i picked up a box of gluten free cookie mix.  while i was strolling through the grocery store, i found the rubbermaid utensils and knew they'd be the perfect finish!!  the fabric was left over from emily's birthday outfit!  so there ya go!  i think its a nice, thoughtful gift for anyone!  i may even whip a few more towels up for emily's teacher and aides next week!

project #2!  i saw this on gooseberry patch's facebook page, and knew i wanted to do it!!  i kind of filed it in the "things that i'll maybe get to" category.  until, that is, i was in target over the weekend!  i saw the bags in the dollar section for $2.50!!  i grabbed 2, then headed over to the outdoor section where i picked up 4 plastic pots for .99.  the pots fit in perfectly, except that the bags were pretty deep, so i sent hubs out into the garage, and he brought back some scraps of styrofoam.  i fit the pieces into the bottom of the bags, put the pots in with their freshly planted annuals...and that was it!!  david really loved helping with this too...the kids loves some dirt!!  oh-and they were fabric lined, so i cut it out, only leaving a couple of inches for a pop of color!



there we go!  it was a productive weekend!!  i also took marie out for her bachelorette party, but i'll post about that tomorrow!!!

today's creative blog