Bug Bite

This is what happens when you play with bugs! They bite you.

Mosquito, you may have gotten Effy's eye, but I hope he got the best of you!

Keke Ties a Bow

Today Keke tied her skirt strings in a bow, ALL BY HERSELF!

I have no idea if this is within normal age, maybe she should have figured this out a long time ago, or maybe she's light years ahead of her age? I don't know.. all I do know is that having untied double, and sometimes triple, knots I decided to sit down and show her how to tie a bow. She got it within 2 tries! I don't even know how to properly teach it, you know the bunny goes through the hole thing.. no idea! I was beaming, and she said "oh ok" and twirled off like it was nothing.

Today one of my daycare babies signed "more"... and I didn't get to see it, but her mom called me to let me know!! ECSTATIC, I am!

Today at the park a little boy about 8 years old was rude and hurt Keke's feelings by calling her Barbie (I think). While Effy roared at the rest of them, pretending to be a dinosaur. Effy also took off in the other direction running as fast as he could, while I jogged behind with my other daycare baby in tow and Keke crying behind me calling "mommy don't leave me!" I think I need one of those bark collars for Effy , I can zap him when he thinks about running away.. why do boys do this?

Today my new neighbor noticed I had lost my parking spot and commented that someone else keeps taking theirs, that's why they put up the threatening note to tow away anyone else's car... Seriously? Who cares! It's just a parking spot and there are tons of them! You tow your neighbors car away because it's in the wrong spot and I'm sure you will find someone not very happy with you.. your NEIGHBOR!

Today I had a small meeting with the Food Program people. Apparently I serve a good variety of fruits and vegetables... makes me think that others don't? She even made special comment about how I served zucchini and eggplant TOGETHER, and "how did that go?".. well, my dear, it went very well, everyone ate it all up! Kids will eat their vegetables, I promise!

Today Keke asked me "why" and I finally answered "because I said so"... darn it!

One of "THOSE" Days...

Ever had one of those days that you are determined to keep a smile on your face and everything around you was trying desperatly to pull you down??

Well today is one of those days.

Keke threw the biggest tantrum a 4 year old can do; screaming, crying, throwing things, spouting off "I don't like you anymore" etc... WHY? All because I put her in time out for getting lippy after I asked her to get dressed! Why was she lippy? Because she wanted to stay in PJ's all day.. next time I think I will just let her, forget what the other parents think! She can just stay in her dirty PJ's that she's been wearing for 2 days now and I can have my peace and quiet..

Have you ever notice that parents push their kids to do better all because of what other people might think of YOU?

It doesn't really matter that Keke wanted to wear her PJ's today, or tomorrow! What matters is that I don't end up in a battle over it because she wants to do something her way! It just doesn't make sense that I should push my ways upon her so badly that she fights for her right to dress herself. I wish I could have taken a step back and had let her just remain in her PJ's. I did take a step back to let her cool off.. .but it seems that she doesn't have the maturity to control herself. She blows up even louder and more frustrated. I read that sometimes kids get scared when they lose control and the way to handle it is to hold them, facing away from you.

THEN...

I have my 2 year old son, who is potty trained, and for the few seconds I leave him on the potty he decides to dump a whole roll of toilet paper in the toilet!!! BRAND NEW ROLL!! WTH??
It was time for naps, so he went to bed immediately!

NOW...

Everyone is asleep and I can't stop thinking about wanting some chocolate. Since I am doing thise 4o day fast from sweets.. it's hard! I thought that each day going by might be easier.. but it's not. I did turn to Christ to fill my cup up, I also chewed some minty gum, and now the cravings are gone. I just hope I can make it through the 40 days, it would completely suck to fail, to give up, I can do this- through Christ I can!

Dear Effy

Dearest Effy,

Your latest & greatest saying is "what's that?" usually with a bit of a lisp, which I find completely adorable!

When I put you down to bed I always say "night night, I love you" and you say "nose" pointing to my nose. Then you continue to point out each of my facial points; eyes, ears, cheeks, etc. Finally I say "night night" again and you respond with "what's that" as you pull my hair gently to your face lightly tickling your face with it. "Hair" I say and "night night" again, as you then pull my face to yours and 'kiss' me over and over again... these are the moments I long for at the end of the day. When I can lay my head on your chest and you hold me gently. I pull back enough to see you smile and feel your breathe on me. It's in these moments when I feel like being a mom has its rewards, that you value my unconditional love instead of another 'thing' to have for yourself. I can see here that you aren't selfish and you like to give back, that you are kind and loving. These moments don't come as often as they used to, like when it was easy to hold you as a baby and never let go.. now I have to chase you down to get a kiss!

Though most days you do stop frequently for a hug & kiss. You are mommies little boy after all! You seek my attention and affection, which sometimes is inconveniently requested when I am using the bathroom or trying desperately to down my coffee so I can finally look into the light of day! Ahh.. in those moments I wish you would just leave me be for just a few more seconds.. till I am done, but love can't wait.

You are also cutting your 2 year molars. It seems like it's been an eternity for just one to come through, and yet there are still 2 more to go! You chew on your fingers all day long, I swear they should be raw by now but miraculously they are in tact! If it's not your fingers it's something else, like puzzle pieces or the plastic screwdriver.. but not those teething toys I bought!

Effy, you fight with your sister entirely too much, do you think you could stop sometime soon? Also I don't like it when you body slam her... it hurts, really! I know you like to wrestle with daddy and Keke thinks it's funny at first, but she always ends up crying! Stick to kicking daddy's rear... someday you will be able to beat him for sure!

Also I'd like to say, Stop pushing on my rear! I know it squishy and fun to poke at... but I DON'T LIKE IT AT ALL! You're getting a little too personal when you start doing that and next time I might just pop it back and then you'll be very sad.

We've discovered that you have my pout.. I don't know if that is a good thing or not. I do know that it's cute because of your fat bottom lip sticks far out, but you might be made fun of as you get older!

You are a bit rough with the babies at times. Lately you have been running around with those push toys (which are meant for the babies to learn how to walk), and instead of allowing them to have a turn you've completely made them fearful to even go near one. (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating, but if I were a baby I would be afraid of you with push toys) I'm sure you are fully aware that I won't stand for scaring the babies, so again stop it!

You scare me to death! Effy, I can't even go out in public without the fear of you darting off! We went for a walk (all 5 of us; babies, Keke, me, you) and needed to stop to let Keke remove the dirt from her sandals. I could feel the moment building up as you tried to free yourself from my half attempted grasp. You bolted and I was forced to leave everyone else for the second it took to grab you... ooo boy aren't you glad that people were watching! First of all, I don't like fear entering my heart as I see you race away from me. Secondly, I don't like to run against my will, or at all for that matter! Thirdly, you've managed to give me gray hairs, I don't know where they are, but I'm sure they are there somewhere! So please, for the love of your blessed mother, stop running away from me! I love you entirely too much and would die of heartache if anything would happen.

At the end of the day, I look forward to those moments when you touch my face and say "mommy". It reassures me that I'm doing something right by you. I love you my little man!

Love Always,

Mommy

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

What people are Googling...

I love that I have FEEDJIT! Because randomly I can take a look at who's looking at my site and what for.. Here is a list of the top 10's that I get:

1. Tattoo pictures
2. the "Uh - Oh Song"- Love and Logic
3. I burned my finger
4. Stay at Home Mom
5. 200 Sit Up Challenge... Too bad I didn't stick to this!
6. 25 Things about Your Significant Other
7. Potty Training
8. England
9. Meals/Schedules
10. Spanking....

Did you notice that number 1 was for tattoo pictures!!! I wonder if anyone has copied my idea??

Meals of the Week

I really hate it when I wait till the last minute to figure out what to make for dinner, lunch or breakfast, or snacks.. and I have this really bad habit of thinking that I don't have to plan meals.. I can just make something up at some point in time, you know like once a week?!?!!

Yeah, seriously, this is what I think. I am doing good if I get 2 meals done a week without pulling my hair out over it. So.. today being Sunday and already knowing that I need to go to the grocery store I decided to plan this weeks meals.

What I plan to do is make something the night before and make sure there is enough for lunch the next day, unless it really stunk and then I will just have to wing it like I always do. SO starting with tonight (Sunday) we will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow (Monday), let's hope everything works out!

And since with daycare kids and being part of the Food Program I must make sure that I serve a meat or meat alternative, a bread, 2 veggies and/or fruits, and milk with each lunch or dinner, I have to plan for each component. *Potatoes are not a bread!

SUNDAY- Eggplant Parmesan w/ Mashed Potatoes & side of

MONDAY- Chicken & Dumplings*

TUESDAY- Spaghetti w/ Turkey & mixed Veggies

WEDNESDAY - Irish Stew w/ Mini Cheddar Scones

THURSDAY - Broccoli Wild Rice Soup*

FRIDAY- LEFT OVER GAL OR *unless Superman decides to cook!

*Please note that I have not tried these meals yet...


If you have any meals that you'd like to share, I would LOVE your input!

Personality Types

I was curious after reading from Proverbs 31 daily blog what type of personality I would be. I already knew a lot about myself, that I am more introverted than extroverted. Or that I am generally calm under stressful times (not always mind you!). But still curious ol' me had to take a look. You can click the link below to take the test for yourself, it says it takes 10 minutes, but I did it in about 5.

There are lots of other online sites that can determine your personality and what area you would be best in. I think that knowing who you are and who God has created you to be can be very good. You can learn something new about yourself. Develop those strong points and avoid areas you aren't comfortable. It's ok to be who you are, not what the world wants you to be.

I love Psalm 139, it's absolutely my favorite verse! Probably more so because growing up I didn't' think I was worth much of anything, that I was always nothing. So this verse speaks to me and reassures that I am worthy of love, that I am good in my own way. No one is perfect, and that's ok because together we are like peas and carrots. My husband and I are quite opposite, so I can say this without any doubt!



I'm" a O59-C86-E42-A90-N27 Big Five!!

Blank Park Zoo -July 2009

This past weekend we went to the zoo with my Dad. It was perfect sunny Saturday weather, the only thing was the zoo was PACKED! Weaving through the crowds we still had a lot of fun.

Effy loved the 5 minute train ride (seriously they need to improve that like MEGA!) Keke loved the playground and walking through the zoo hand in hand with Grandpa!

We even got to see babies, one baby swan and one baby giraffe! The zoo seems to be making some improvements as well. There is a new bird show from "The Birdman", he's there till July 26th and unfortunately we were late for the show so we missed out! Just outside the showing there is a elephant that sprays water... much needed for the kids as by then we were hot!

After exploring the zoo we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Since Superman and Keke have allergies we stayed mostly outside.. until the very end when wandering little kids decide to go inside and discover what not to get into. At first Keke was doing fine, she only sneezed a few times. After about 15 minutes it was time to head home and by then Keke was complaining of her eyes hurting. Take a look at the bottom picture!

This is what Keke looked like by the time we got home, swollen eyes with slight discharge, she was pretty miserable for the rest of the day. NO pets for us!

Peeing on the Floor

Effy has this bad habit of NOT going to bed after saying our goodnights... instead he gets back up and plays for a while. Now I'm not the kind of parent that goes in and insists he goes back to bed right away, I leave that for Superman.

There have been several nights we will find Effy sleeping with the lights on, sound machine off, naked, on the floor, a few toys are out of place, etc.

Last night we checked in with him at 9 pm to find that he was trying to put his clothes back on! Looking around the room we see a wet spot just 2 feet from us. Trying to exam Effy for wetness I realize that he must have taken his pants and underwear off, then proceeded to urinate on the carpet, then attempted to put his pants back on. While I am glad that he knew to not pee his pants, I am not too thrilled that it was all over the carpet of his room!!!!!

Thankfully it wasn't all that bad, but yet another reason why I want a shampooer!

Potty Training is Done

I have been resisting the urge to write that Ethan has been potty trained since I came back from England. I had been doubting myself and the fact that every time I do something right it slaps me in the face with a wrong. I am a perfectionist... so I don't like to make mistakes and when I do I antagonize myself over it.

Ok, but this really isn't about me! It's about Ethan and he's been potty trained for over a month now and I haven't breathed much of a word about it. Yes I am proud of my little monkey. After all, he's only 28 months old and a BOY at that! Everyone told me that I couldn't do it, that he couldn't do it, that boys aren't potty trained till they are 4 years old. Well I am here to tell you that he is, and it's completely possible!
Actually I think he was much easier to potty train than Caity, because she is so stubborn and he is easier to bend to my will. :) Well, sometimes. I do admit he went through a few spells of accidents, but I chalk that all up to learning experience.

My little man is growing up! He's even sleeping in underwear... most nights, some nights I find him completely naked!

Crackers

A week ago I had the pleasure of being a victum to racism. Yes it happens to white people too, young or old.

We went to the popular park in Ames, called Brookeside. If you are from Iowa, then I'm sure you have heard of it. It's a place that lots of people can get together for cookouts, there are several play areas including a splash wadding area for younger kids. This day however, there was a larger than me woman with her 2 preteens and a 4 or 5 year old kid. I don't know hide nor hair about them, I simply smiled and said hello like I would with anyone.
I was pushing Effy on the swing while Keke played on the playground equipment when all of a sudden I see this woman holding a huge "log" in her hands and yelling at one of her preteens, the boy. She was shouting "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!"... of course this grabbed my attention as well as my kids'. I called Keke over to me till she was done tirating. Seeing that this wasn't a very safe environment I tried to entice my kids to another part of the park, they wouldn't have it.. and everything seemed fine once she was all calm... until I heard them leaving and she called my daughter a cracker. A CRACKER!!! WTH? I wasn't sure so I asked Keke what the woman had said to her, Caity replied "she called me a cracker, silly huh?!" ... Yea, silly...

4th of July in Yale

Yale is a small town of about 300 people, or so I am told. One of my daycare babies lives in that area and we were invited to join them for the 4th.

The little town of Yale puts on a nice show for a small town. They had a parade of tractors, horses, fire trucks, floats, & more with all of them flinging CANDY at us! Yes, candy! I NEVER give my kids CANDY! I know, you think they are deprived.. but let me tell you that if they had candy all the time I would be bald by now and they would be in straight jackets! So, I stick to the baked sweets and leave it at that, it's enough trust me! Anyways, back to the story...

So here we are in this little town and quite honestly Superman and I aren't thinking too much about it since we have never really been there and you can only take a persons word so far, right!? Well they were right, there was plenty to do!

Yale had so much that we actually missed most of it during nap and lunch time. However what we did get to do and see was inflatable jumping, bouncing off the walls fun! Super slides, tunnels, bouncy castle, phew.. at lot of fun for young kids. Well they had a blast!

There was face painting! Keke wasn't so sure she wanted to do it. However, I stuck in line because being her mother I knew she would change her mind and guess what... She did! Keke of course picked the "princess" ?thing? I guess it's supposed to be like a crown? I don't know, but it was cute on her and she really like it! That's all that matters!

Of course they had balloon animals but by then I think I had the image of a major accident happening in the car ride home.. it goes something like this "hahahaah, I'm chewing on the balloon", "POP", the sound of choking children followed by mom (that's me) FREAKING OUT! I don't like balloons, they aren't safe and they are like a moth to a flame, only it's bright colored thin rubber that has been stretched to its breaking point and little kids that like to hit, bite, chew, suck on anything "fun"! Sorry.. I walked away from the balloons.

There was a fun laser target practice game for adults, and I gave it a try. Guess what! I actually hit one, once! Go ahead and laugh, everyone else did once they caught a glimpse of my gun holding position... whatever that is?!?!?! Not only that but my darling husband, God bless his soul, shouted at me for pointing the gun incorrectly AT HIM! Well.. first of all, it's not loaded, and it's not even possible to load it because it's LASER, not only that, but ummm HELLO hunny I don't shoot guns EVER, so how would I know?! Seriously?! None the less, it made me want to get better and Stephanie said she would teach me! WOOT!

And horses! We saw a little horse game similar to musical chairs! It was so cool to see the horses racing around the ring. I love watching horses, I don't think they like me all that much, but they are pretty amazing in my opinion.

We had lots of fun exploring the town and their farm house, and the kids ran their buns off! I could live in a place like that... if it weren't so far from the rest of the city.. maybe..