Mud Pies For Mommy

When Life Hands You Lemons

2012-01-23T20:39:00.000-06:00

Last year I wrote a story about Luke and his big ambitious goal in raising money for NF (Neurofibromatosis), a genetic disorder he has. In beginning to accomplish this goal he coined the term in saying "if life gives you NF, make lemonade". He still has big dreams in this endeavor and I still am right there behind him helping him achieve this goal, but along the way my path has taken a detour. While I am still actively thinking of ways to help him, my time has once again been pulled in another direction. I have written before about my son's education but never really got into the details. Mostly because I was so incredibly disappointed. Since I was a former teacher I was so excited for my child to start Kindergarten, which was the grade that I taught. He was going to have so much fun! All the singing, projects and crafts, and he was going to be in a classroom filled with a beautiful enriched learning environment. Boy was I wrong. We walked into the classroom for meet the teacher, I was floored! I looked like I was coming into a high school classroom or even more like a hospital. There were empty white walls, no color, and no words. Now I did want to spend 10 minutes in that room, yet I was going to have to make my child spend the entire day there. This was known as the challenge of 2010-2011. It took everything I had to peel his little hands off me and put him on the bus, screaming. Then watching is red wet face stare back at me though the bus window until I was out of site. I felt like the worst mom ever. I did what all good moms would do and I tried to fix it, I had meetings with the teacher, counselor, vice principal and principal. Did anything chance.....no. Great, he is in kindergarten and he hates school. Luke is a smart guy too, he came in reading, writing and full of excitement. He left kindergarten reading and writing at about the same level. No growth. I was done! All my meetings and efforts to help Luke, and nothing. About mid year I started to think of other options. This is where the change came. We were going to do whatever we could to get Luke out of that school and never have Will go though that experience. That is just what we did.

We found a new school, a private school that we loved! Which happened to be the school my husband went to. Even better his math teacher that he spoke so highly of since I had met him was now the principal. What more could I ask for? Their was a downside. The cost. We could not afford it. Well, I was a former teacher. So, I bet you can guess what I did? Yes, I am no longer a stay at home mom, I am now also a kindergarten teacher.

Now Luke hops to school with me and Will could not be happier there. Better yet, I am two doors away. We are all so happy!! Yes, things are a bit crazy and going back to work after five years at home is not as easy as it sounds. My path has changed a bit for now, but still we have those other goals. Luke is still wanting to make money for NF and I still want to write, but we are looking for a balance. We are starting to find it, but their are still some kinks to be worked out.

So if any of you are still reading my blog, that is where I have been. My passion for writing is as strong as ever, I actually am getting some great new material, but it may take me a little longer to get it to text. Our lives has taken this turn and I could not let it pass us by. Because I was always taught when life hands you lemons, make lemonade! So that is just what I am doing, and I have faith that I am right where I need to be.

The 12 Days of Christmas

2012-01-10T20:45:00.000-06:00

I know it has been forever since I have written. I have tons of updates and stories to tell which I will try to get to soon! I hope you enjoy this one about our crazy Christmas!!!

We all know the song the 12 days of Christmas, right? This song has a whole new meaning to me this year! I absolutely love Christmas. I get into it all, decorations, cooking, presents and parties. The whole season is filled with the preparation of this one day. Our yard usually looks like a scene from the movie Christmas Vacation with a lovely electric bill to match. The kitchen is always filled with the smells of the latest episode from the Food Network's Christmas edition. Presents all wrapped perfectly under the tree. The invitations to our annual Christmas party are done and in the mail, and it is only November 30th. It seems like this year the Grinch himself was trying to do what ever he could to stop Christmas from coming, but could he stop Christmas, you be the judge?

It was about two weeks before Christmas, 12 days to be exact, and everything was going pretty well. Things were a little more busy this year, but this was the first Christmas I was back to work since I had Luke, so needless to say I was a little behind. Our house was not quite ready, but I still had 12 days and we were about to get out for Christmas break, plenty of time. Or so I thought. Instead of getting a partridge in a pear tree I received something a little different, sick kids. This was just not your normal sickness either, that would be to easy. Whatever virus my kids caught must have been delivered from the Grinch. It started with a fever that was relentless.

Twelve days until Christmas; Luke's fever got to 104.7, we decided it was time to go to the doctor. Of coarse our regular doctor was on vacation, most likely paid for by the Grinch. I tried to be proactive and take Will too, because well, it just made sense. The doctor we see, who will go nameless said, it was a virus, but nothing serious and there was nothing he could do. Thanks! To be on the safe side he did blood work and an X-ray on Luke, just to make sure their was no fluid in his lungs. He was taking it a step further than I would have, but I'm not the doctor, so I smile, say ok, and agree to the tests. Results come back clear. If fever persists for more than two days give them a call.

Eleven days until Christmas; last day of school before the holidays both boys now have fever, but they beg to attend their Christmas parties and program that they have been practicing for the last month, and they did get out at 10:30, so it was only a few hours. I let them go, after I load them up on Motrin. They come home and take a huge nap, but still have fever that night.

Ten days until Christmas, and a Saturday, fever still here, and now Will is getting worse. We go back to the doctor, ours is still out and we see the other guy, AGAIN. Still a virus he says, duh, really. What am I paying this guy for? Again, just to be safe he now does blood work and an X-ray on Will. All the tests come back clear, and now I'm thinking; this guy is just racking up a bill. If the fever still persists in two days to give them a call. I ask him at this point for a antibiotic because their little bodies are so weak I don't want them to catch something else, but he does not agree. I also tell him I'm worried about the high fevers. I ask him if their fevers get really high can I give Motrin and Tylenol at the same time? Which is something our regular doctor and nurses have told me is ok, but only for extremely high fevers. He looked at me like I was crazy and told me to never do that again. Again, I smiled, and said ok, he was the doctor after all. I did not give it another thought until midnight, Will's fever is at 105.0 and climbing! I just gave him Motrin 2 hours earlier, and according to the doctor there is nothing else I can give him. I call the phone nurse to see what her advice was, thinking she was going to say give him some Tylenol now and monitor his fever to see if it goes down, and in two hours give him more Motrin, nope. Her advice was take him to the ER, really! I am not one of those moms who takes their kids to the ER lightly. In fact neither one of our kids had ever been. I can't say that anymore. Im not smiling this time, but we listen and take Will to the ER. Guess what they do when we get there? Give Will Motrin! Are you kidding me!?! Then two hours later, Tylenol, does this sound familiar? Oh, yes, it is exactly what I asked the doctor about doing about 12 hours earlier. Instead of doing this in the comfort of our home I had to drag our sick child who now had the fever of 105.2 out in the cold and get my mom to drive to our house to sit with our other son who is still sick in his bed to go to the ER which is full of other germs and sick people and have a nurse do the same thing for me at 3 o'clock in the morning days before Christmas! I can honestly say this will be the most expensive Motrin and Tylenol we will ever buy. They say it just looks like a bad virus and if the fever persists in a few days to call your doctor. On the way home our four year bundle of joy was singing at the top of his lungs, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas", all my husband and I could do at this point was laugh, and why not! I bet you can guess by now what we were doing a few days later.

Eight days until Christmas, we have already missed one family Christmas party, and still had two boys with high fevers. I call the doctor and of coarse he wants to see the boys. Over my dead body will I ever take them back to the same guy, I take my chances and wait for our regular doctor to be back from vacation, which was in two days. Those two days were spent not preparing for Christmas, but instead we were monitoring fevers, forcing medicine down the throats of our children, and cleaning more than I had ever cleaned in my life. Laundry was literally piled to the top of the door frame, the carpet and beds were stained with every bodily fluid possible, I will spare you the details and I was beginning to think that the Grinch really was going to stop Christmas from coming. At this point we had to cancel our big annual Christmas party.

Six days until Christmas, we go back to the doctor, for the third time, in one week, but this time we see our regular one, thank God. They get us in right away, check out the boys and diagnose them both with their first ear infection of their lives, we get an antibiotic and told they should feel better In a few days. I have heard that before, except this time guess what, they did!

Three days until Christmas, fever not gone all the way, but close. Here comes the mad rush. Since there were NO presents under the tree we started there. Just about all in one day we did all of our Christmas shopping. Then there was the Christmas decorations to contend with. All the decorations came down from the attic and we begin. We still planned to host the family for Christmas dinner so all the cooking and cleaning begins for that too. This part of our story reminded me of the characters in the book Skipping Christmas, or better know to many in the movie Christmas with the Kranks.

One day until Christmas, Christmas Eve to be exact. How did we fare? Well, we were sitting in mass on Christmas Eve, both of our boys fever free for the first time in 12 days and feeling well (however Will was asleep sitting up). We had made it, if the Grinch was trying to stop Christmas from coming he failed, it came, it came just the same! And though our 12 days of Christmas were not as pleasant as the song; the outcome and the true meaning of Christmas was. I guess Will was right; it was a "Holly Jolly Christmas!"

P.S. Now daddy is sick.....

Things Kids Say Thursday #37

2011-07-14T10:43:00.002-05:00

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Update before the quotes:

I know it has been forever since I have written, a few months in fact. I think about writing all the time and I have so many ideas in my head and so many things that I want to write about. The hardest part for me is that our computer runs so terribly slow that I sit down to write by the time I get the computer working and ready my kids have lost interest in what I had them doing, so I just give up. I know its time for a new computer, but we cannot are not one of those families that can just go out and get one. First of all we do not have free credit to do so, and secondly chances are if we would splurge on a new computer that is when our air would go out, our dishwasher would break, the stove would catch on fire, our granite counter tops that are supposed to be practically non-destructible has cracked, or we find out our bed has a defect and the warranty does not cover that. Wait a minute, all of that has already happened, seriously! I think what could possibly happen next? Then I think about our washer and dryer that our almost 10 years old and of fridge that literally has masking tape holding it together and I push the thoughts of a new computer in the back of my mind, for now at least. Another thought that pops into my head at this point is they sure don’t make things the way they used too. Should we really need to buy new appliances or major household items every 7 to 10 years? Who has enough money for that anyways? Do these appliances know that I am not the federal government and my credit cards will not raise my credit limit just because I need a new refrigerator.

A few things that have been keeping me busy this summer are I just got to experience my first trip out of the country, to Italy, thanks to my husband and his job. He presented a paper in Rome, and I got to tag along. We had the best time and learned so much. I also have some great stories to share. Which hopefully I can in the near future, but that depends on how my computer is acting that day.

***Excuse me while I take a brief break, Will has clogged the toilet.****

*** He in fact did clog the toilet, which caused it to overflow all over my bathroom, and was cleaned up by using every towel in our entire house.****

I also am going back to work!!! It has been five years since I have taught and seeing as both our boys are going to be in school all day next year it seemed like the perfect time. I know it sounds ironic that I got a job the year after so many teachers were laid off, all I can say is I guess it was meant to be. The most awesome thing about this new job is that it is at the Catholic school that we have been wanting to put our boys in. This new adventure is going to make things so much better for our family, I’m quite certain. I just hope I can keep up with my volunteer work and find a healthy balance between work and home. It will be an adjustment for us all, but this is what I have been praying for and when God answers your prayers you always accept.

Okay, now for the quotes!

Luke’s Quotes (He is 5)

M- Time for a bath boys.
L- Already we just had one yesterday.
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L- I kissed a girl 81 times.
M- Who?
L- You silly!
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L- Mom my recipe could really use some cilantro.
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Waiter- Wow this pizza you made looks so professional, you are going to be a chef when you are older.
L- How did you know that?
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L- Will you can only see a girl naked after you marry her.
W- That's silly!
L- It's true. You can see her naked a few weeks after you get married. Right mom?
M- no you can see her naked that night
L- What?!? Then I'm gonna watch her change into her PJ's on our wedding night.
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Will’s Quotes (He just turned 4)

W- Mommy I don't want to be in real life.
M- What do you mean?
W- I just want to be in pretend life.
M- Like in the movies?
W- Yes, that is exactly what I mean. This life can be boring. We can't fly, or disappear, or jump super high in the sky. I want to live where those people are.
M- Where do you think they live?
W- Maybe.... Australia
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M- What happened to my coffee.
W- Franks (our dog) drank the coffee.
M- Really he jumped on the counter and drank my coffee, it was not you? (yes my kids like coffee, weird I know.)
W- Yes, mom, look at his face, whip cream.
(In fact there was whip cream on his face, Franklin was the culprit.)
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W- Is the four inside of me? ‘Puz I can’t see it and I don’t feel any different either.

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W- When are my costumers going to come to my birthday party?
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W- I can smell humans in here.
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W- Is the ocean Gods swimming pool?
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W- That movie is not appropriate.
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M- You can go pick any drink you want from the garage fridge.
W- Even a beer?
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W- I don't ever want to be a grown up. I want to stay a kid forever.
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W- I want to go to Africa, China and then Australia. Let's go get my passport.
___________________________________________________

W- Mom will you go on my honeymoon with me?
M- No, honey you won't want me to come with you.
W- Sure I will mom!
___________________________________________________

W- When I grow up I want to be a paleontologist, then a police officer, and finally a baseball player.
Good deal mom?
__________________________________________________

What funny things have your kids said lately?
Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Thnigs Kids Say Thursday #36

2011-05-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Luke’s Quotes (He is 5)

Luke- What is that car?
Mom- It's called a limousine.
L- They must have a really big family to have a car like that.

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L- Can I eat cake at GG's birthday? I know I gave it up for Lent, but how about I go an extra day after Easter.
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L- I think I would like to go to the Taylor Swift concert for Easter, do you think she will be available?
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Mom- I'm sorry I'm not a octopus so that could wash you both at the same time.
Luke- If you were we could call you “Octo-Mom.”
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L- Why are those eggs brown?
M- They are free range eggs, most eggs come from chickens that are kept in little tiny cages all their lives.
L- That's sad.
M- Yes that is why I buy free range eggs that means they chickens are free to walk around.
L- You mean I’m eating a baby chick?!? I’m done with eggs forever then. I’m going to be a……no eggatarian.
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Luke- How did princess Diana die?
Kara- (My cousin in a princess Diana conversation with Luke after watching the Royal wedding.) In a car crash 12 years ago.
L- They had cars back then?!?

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Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is three)

Will- Mom my poop-poo is taking long.
Mom- Ok Will.
W- When is it going to come out?
Daddy- Just keep trying, buddy.
W- But it's taking too long. I'm ready to get up, I think I’m going to use the FORCE to push it out.
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W- The frog peed on me and now I'm turned into a frog. Hop. Hop. Hop.
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(Will’s reciepe on how to cook frog legs.)
1.    Catch a frog
2.    Pull off his legs
3.    Put him first in water then add oil and heat it up super hot
4.    Put grass in because it gives it flavor
5.    Make sure there are none bugs in or wood because they taste kinda yucky
6.    And we need ten tree leaves
7.    Add tomatoes, broccoli and carrots
8.    Cook for eight or a lot of minutes
9.    We need to eat them with ice cream sauce.
__________________________________________________________

W- Mom the toilet is flooding the bathroom and it’s not stopping. Sorry about that.
____________________________________________________

W- The frog peed a little lake on the floor. Come look.
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W- Mom, look at this I wrote my name in the syrup.
(He forgot to mention this was after he smeared it all over the kitchen table).
___________________________________________________

W- I'm all wet, I need a paper towel.
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W- Mom come look what happened in the playroom.
M- If you guys messed it up after I cleaned today you are going to be in trouble.
W- Okay don’t come look then.
____________________________________________________

Will- (As he was using a toy in the bath to splash water on everything.) He says, With the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
(And we thought he did not pay attention in mass!)___________________________________________________________

What funny things have your kids said lately?

If Life Gives You NF, Make Lemonade: Part III

2011-05-03T18:48:00.000-05:00

The lemonade stand at Kroger was a big success. Luke raised $347. Then the very gracious family of my dear friend Kim is going to match that! We are working on having Kroger match the profits as well. Which would make his combined total $1,141, can you believe it? What an amazing feat for a five year old! He is not done yet either. This summer he has plans to have a few more stands, as well as volunteering at the NF clinic by doing crafts with NF patients while they wait to see the doctors, also his idea! Luke continues to amaze me each and every day. I also want to take the time to thank a few people who made this event successful. To Emily and Cindy with the Texas NF Foundation for sending brochures and t-shirts so that we could look very official, and to Luke’s Aunt Izzy for helping make the signs and for volunteering all day at the stand, to Kim for volunteering and matching Luke’s profits, and to my other volunteers Madison, Janet, Cathy, Carolyn, Orlando, Liam, and to my husband for helping us set up and supporting Luke in all his efforts no matter how crazy they may seem. I also cannot forget to thank Luke and his side kick Will for being the best two sons a mom could ask for. Then finally; to the Copperfield Kroger for allowing us to have the stand at their store and to all the wonderful people who supported NF; by simply buying a cup of lemonade!

I truly believe that we are going to find a cure for this disorder in the next 10 years, and Luke can say that he was part of this effort, though they may be small now, but who knows what idea he will have up his sleeve next. It’s my job as his mother to continue to do anything and everything in my power to help him accomplish these amazing goals. Goals that seem out of reach for a grown adult, but to this five year old just another day at the park!

If Life Gives You NF, Make Lemonade: Part II

2011-04-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I wrote a story about a little boy who took a very serious matter into his own hands by adding a little sunshine; lemonade to be exact. If you missed the post read here (If Life Gives You NF, Make Lemonade). I am happy to report after two successful lemonade stands Luke has raised $104 dollars for NF. I can’t forget to mention that he did have a trusty sidekick, his three year old brother, which at times was more help than I think Luke bargained for.

Luke has a bigger idea now; he must take after his mother by trying to take the world on, even when the goal seems impossible and so far out of reach it may as well be the moon. But, nonetheless his new goal is about to go national; or at least city wide. He has decided that he wants to have a lemonade stand at a local grocery store. After asking around, and getting surprisingly rejected by many places we finally found a generous manager at the Kroger here in Houston near Copperfield. My diligent mother actually found the spot; she must be an angel in disguise. In fact to make this stand possible we had a lot of help from little angels, who I will mention in a post after our successful stand comes to a close. The stand is a go for this Sunday, May 1^st, from 10-4. It could not have fallen at a better time, which is why I believe angels are truly guiding me. May is national NF awareness month and ironically May 1^st is also national lemonade stand day. Obviously Luke’s proceeds will be benefiting the Texas Neurofibromatosis Foundation. The only difference here is that Luke is sending in all of the proceeds, just as before, not even keeping a penny for himself.

This is where I need your help. Anyone out there reading, even if you don’t live in the Houston area, please pass the word; you can forward this story, tweet about it, post it on Facebook or simply tell a friend. It will only take seconds of your time and mean the world to Luke. His stand will not be successful without customers, and the only way to get these customers is to get the word out. I am working to get an announcement on a local radio station, and possibly a news station, but the more people that know the better. If you can’t come out to support him or help spread the word then all I ask of you is simple; say a prayer for his success, because I have learned that the power of a prayer can never be underestimated, and neither should the determination of a little boy!

If Life Gives You NF, Make Lemonade

Sunday May 1^st from 10am-4pm

Kroger

8500 Highway 6 N

Houston, TX 77095

(281)463-4573

Things Kids Say Thursday #35

2011-04-14T12:39:00.001-05:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. My intention is to write these quotes each Thursday, so come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

I know it has been a long time since I have written my kids quotes, so please enjoy!

Luke’s Quotes (He is 5)

Luke- I have been praying and praying for rain, but it is just not coming. I guess I need to pray harder.

Mom- Why do you want it to rain so bad.

Luke- Because our beautiful garden will die, and we need those vegetable because the grocery prices are going up and up everyday.

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Luke- Are there more things I can do to help NF this summer?

Mom- Yes.

Luke- Good because I want to help some more.

___________________________________________________

Luke- Mom, can I just move on up to first grade now, I mean I am already doing all first grade work now?

Mom- No honey, you have to wait until the end of year.

Luke- That seems like a waste of time to me.

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Luke- Mom I still play with that toy don’t sell it.

Mom- You don’t play with this it is a baby toy.

Luke- Well, what about the baby in your tummy, you are going to take this toy away from that poor little baby?

Mom- I don’t have a baby in my tummy.

Luke- Well you will someday, don’t you want her to have toys?

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Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is three)

Mom- Will can you pick up those toys and put them away please?

Will- I’m not an octopus, I can’t carry all that stuff!

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Will- I need some Franklin slobber to clean off all the yucky stuff on my hands.

Mom- You think Franklin slobber will do the job, huh?

Will- Yeah, his slobber has magical cleaning power.

______________________________________________________________

Will- Are there trash cans in Heaven?

Mom- I’m not sure.

Will- Well I hope there is ‘puz I don’t want to go to jail if I litter.

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Will- (popped his head up one day morning while I was in the room) Why does Jesus melt old people to make new people, why? (In a very concerned and worried voice.)

Mom- Did you just wake up from a dream?

Will- Yes

Mom- Well that does not happen.

Will- So he does not melt the old people to make the new people?

Mom- No

Will- Thanks goodness!

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Will- Why doesn’t daddy have bigger obbies like you, did his mommy parts fall off?

Mom- No, only girls have them, but only when they are older.

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Will- Who is the priest talking to up there, Jesus?

Mom- In a way, yes.

Will- What is he telling him?

Mom- He is saying a prayer, that turns the bread into Jesus body and the wine into His blood.

Will- HIS BLOOD? You drink blood, that’s gross!!

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What funny things have your kids said lately?

If Life Gives You NF, Make Lemonade

2011-04-12T12:15:00.001-05:00

You all have heard to quote, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” My five year old son Luke took this quote, which I don’t believe he has even herd before, to a whole different level. If you have read my posts in the past you know that Luke and I suffer from a disorder called Neurofibromatosis or “NF” for short. NF can cause tumors to grow uncontrollably along your nerves, which can cause a variety of complications. These can range from learning disorders, scoliosis, blindness, deafness, bone and tissue disfigurement and different types of cancer, and that is just the tip of the ice berg. The past few years our family has tried to become more involved with the foundation to try and raise awareness and money for NF. My husband ran the Houston Marathon and I have worked on a committee for a fundraiser; both benefiting NF. We must have instilled this into our two boys because when it came time to run their first lemonade stand, without a blink of an eye Luke wanted his money to be sent to NF.

I am happy to report that their little lemonade stand was very successful. Making $53 dollars, which is more than any lemonade stand I ever had. Yesterday we went to the bank and got the cashier’s check made and then got some pictures printed as well. He is sending off the money today. It never crossed his mind to keep it. When I asked him how much he wanted to donate, he said, “All of it, they need it more than I do!” My heart skipped a beat, and yes, I wiped a tear from my eye, wouldn’t you? His generous efforts did not go unnoticed and I did buy him a special prize for all the hard work.

He taught so many people about NF, and his knowledge was very accurate. Luke was able to answer many questions, I was quite impressed. He was able to tell his costumers how NF has affected him and his mommy, and he handed out brochures to people who wanted to learn more. I think he would be a great spokesperson for the disorder, if I do say so myself. In fact he is having another stand this weekend at my parent’s garage sale. Maybe this little boy will start a trend or campaign to raise money for NF, wouldn’t that be wonderful? What a great accomplishment it would be for a five year old, and to think he thought it all up on his own; with no help from mom and dad. It would be something if one day you were driving down the road and you saw a billboard that read,

“If Life Gives You NF, Make Lemonade!”

You would be able to think back and remember reading about the little boy who had a dream, and worked to make that dream a reality by helping fight for a cure for a disorder called NF.

To learn more visit the Texas Neurofibromatosis Foundation at http://www.texasnf.org/ or my blog page about NF at http://www.mudpiesformommy.com/p/nf.html

Big Heart, Tiny Body

2011-04-07T11:22:00.000-05:00

My son Luke has wanted to have his own lemonade stand since he was three. Our neighborhood is not exactly a high traffic area, which is why we live here. Therefore, the best time to have a lemonade stand is during a garage sale. Too bad for him we are only allowed to have garage sales on the designated date that is chosen by our homeowners association. Which is really annoying because every year we have lived here the garage sale has managed to be a date where there is no possible way we could participate. Do any of you live in neighborhoods such as this? Expect this year! So finally after seven years we can have our garage sale and Luke gets his much anticipated lemonade stand.

Getting ready for a garage sale is a lot more work that I bargained for. Not that I mind hard work, that is not the case, but I had no idea. Then there is the fact that my house is now filled with all the stuff from the past seven years that I no longer want, which is why I stuffed it in the attic in the first place. The attic; the dreaded attic; climbing around up there must have been a sight. On more than one occasion my legs almost fell through the ceiling, just as Chevy Chase’s character did on Christmas Vacation. Explaining that one to my husband would have been fun. But for now at least our ceiling is intact, stay tuned though; I am going back up there today. All this stuff is driving me crazy, I am a clutter free type of girl, and it is taking all of patience and energy to not take all this stuff away and donate it right now. It’s all here, sitting in my house staring and taunting at me. I just have to be strong for a few more days, for Luke, so his dream of running a lemonade stand can come true.

The reason for my determination to have this garage sale is because of Luke and his lemonade stand. Without the garage sale there would be no stand and after you read what his plans are you will see why I am putting up with all of this clutter. In the past few weeks he has gotten his recipe finalized, with fresh mint being the secret ingredient. We are in possession of a board and paint for a sign, and he has decided to add popcorn to his stand because after all the shopping he thinks people will be hungry too; makes sense.

As we were talking he said to me, “Mommy, you know what I am going to do with my money?” I’m thinking he wants to buy a new toy, go to a movie or get some candy. Boy was I wrong.

He says, “I am going to donate my proceeds to NF, so that the doctors can find a cure.” I don’t think I could have been more proud of him if he had won the Nobel Prize. So if you are in the area on Saturday, stop by Luke’s lemonade and popcorn stand and help him raise money for a cure. To help Luke out pass this post on and teach a freind about NF, and about this little boy working for a cure who truly has a big heart that is encompassed in a tiny body.

I will post pictures and write about his sucess!

To learn more about Neurofibromatosis (NF), click the link here, http://www.texasnf.org/ and to read how NF has affected our family click here, http://www.mudpiesformommy.com/p/nf.html

Long Time, No Write...

2011-04-05T20:36:00.001-05:00

It has been months since I have written. Not just a blog entry, but anything at all. Not that I don’t have any ideas or that I have run out of material to write about, material is one thing that I have in abundance. It might have a little to do with that when I sat down to write today I had to restart my computer three times or that I just can’t seem to find a place to write in my house that I can call my own. All I can say to myself for that one is; good luck! In our house the bathroom is not even a place to be alone. If you have small children you know what I am talking about. My kids sometimes remind me of little lambs, they seriously follow me everywhere, and when I say everywhere; I mean everywhere. Locking the door used to be my saving grace, but ever since Will decided to start locking himself in the bathroom, they I figured out how to unlock doors, key or no key. They discovered that a screwdriver looked very similar to the tip of the key for the bathroom; I am not safe anywhere. It also might be that I cannot seem to have a few days in my life where I am not going a thousand miles an hour, and this is supposed to be my slow time of year. The two main charity events that I took part in this year are complete, school is winding down, but I still seem to fill my days with everything expect one thing, writing. This has been an ongoing struggle for me this year and I would really love to find a way to resolve this road block. Any suggestions?

I decided to write today by sharing a story that happened just recently. Since we live in Texas our weather is already in the mid 80’s, for my readers up north who still have snow on the ground, don’t hate me now, soon, as in next month, our temperatures will be soaring to the mid 90’s and feeling like 100. At that time you will be opening up all your windows, while sipping on lemonade out on the back patio for the summer, and I will be here where we break a sweat while taking out the morning garbage. Anyways, we had our first relativity warm Saturday. The boys wanted to get out their summer entertainment a little early, the trusty water slide, which after the first year we named “Old Blue”. This guy has gotten us through the past three summers, on those days when we could literally fry an egg outside, yes we actually did this last summer because the boys did not believe me, and on those days; we set up Old Blue. After May this is just about every day. This year I set it up to discover a huge tear and hole in the bottom, so it really won’t hold water at all. Does that stop them, of course not. They have fun for hours. I’m thinking, “No, Old Blue I thought we would get a few more summers out of you before you retire.” At this time I figure I could go to a pool supply store and get some of that material that they use for the above ground pools. I was not quite sure how I was going to repair it, but I would think of something. I mean this slide was not cheap so this hole alone was not grounds for tossing it out. I spoke to fast! When I went to clean and dry it off for the next use I go to flip it over just as I always do to dry off the bottom. As I pull on the side, rip!!! All the way down and all the air comes gushing out and Old Blue falls! The look on Will’s face was utter disaster followed quickly by a scream. He manages to get out, “Mommy you can fix it, right?!?” It turns out I can’t; the entire thing has dry rotted, and he is currently sitting on the side walk waiting for the garbage man to take him to his final resting place. I tried calling Little Tikes, but I did not get very far. Warranty was expired. The boys immediately start looking for another slide to replace it. They must still think that the money tree is still alive in our backyard, when the fact is it died the day we conceived Luke.

They then proceed to come up with this great idea! Will’s birthday is coming up, and that maybe the grandparents can get them a new waterslide. So, grandparents if you are reading this you now know what your lovely grandchildren are going to ask for their birthdays.

We did get a lot of use out of Old Blue, our trusty water slide. Last year in fact we never took it down, which caused our grass to die, where we now have a beautiful herb garden and bird bath. To me that was a win, win situation. Kids get a summer of endless fun, and I get a garden. As for this summer for what we will do to fill the time during the hot steamy Texas days, only time will tell.

Looks fun, right!

Check out more funny stories here!!!

Is That Covered Under My Warranty?

2011-01-24T09:39:00.000-06:00

A few years ago my husband got me a vacuum for Christmas. A vacuum, what is this 1950, get the little wife a vacuum. No, it is 2011, and vacuums have come a long way, and for the record the vacuum was exactly what I wanted, and I had been asking for it for the past three years. I wanted to vacuum of all vacuums, the cream of the crop, the best of the best, the Dyson. I’m sure you all have a Dyson by now, and if you don’t; I strongly recommend you to get one. However it is not one of those impulse purchases, the newest model will set you back about $600. Now you might start to be understanding why this was a Christmas gift. If you have been reading my blog, even for a short time, we do not have one of those tree’s that produces money in our backyard. Living as a family of four on one income is quite challenging these days, and once gas goes up to four dollars a gallon the way they expect it to this summer, I may be riding on my Dyson to get around.

Awhile back I was vacuuming with this grand machine that is not supposed to lose suction, ever, and guess what, it did. Not that it was the Dyson’s fault. I had neglected to clean out the reusable filter. My husband as sweet as he is cleaned it for me. In fact he took the entire vacuum apart and cleaned it all, then set it out to dry in the sun. I was busily cleaning the rest of the house and lost track of time, only I can do something like that. I love to clean, crazy I know, so I was in the zone. I get a flash of the time and I see that our boys are supposed to be at Sunday school in 10 minutes, and we live about 15 minutes away from the church, and of course they are running about in the backyard covered in dirt with not a care in the world. I drop the dust pan, wipe their faces with a baby wipe (I don’t know why, we have no diaper wearing children in our house, and for some reason everywhere I look I find another pack). I grab two apples and practically hit Will in the head when I toss it to him so he can have a quick snack in the car on the way there. We get in the car in a record time of 5 minutes, and off we went. At this point I know we will be late, but an acceptable amount of time to where I could blame the traffic. I start to pull out of the driveway, and I hear the sound of plastic cracking, and then braking, and then shattering. Yes, it was………..the Dyson! The wonderful sweet as he can be husband who cleaned out my vacuum, sat it out to dry conveniently behind my car. To this day we still both blame each other. Whose side are you on?

Things Kids Say Thursday #34

2011-01-13T12:30:00.000-06:00

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is three)

Will- Mom I won the poop contest come look.
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Will- Mom I teed in my bed. I'm sorry about that. Don't worry I'll take care of it.
_______________________________________________________

Will- It's ok to touch dry boogers but not wet ones, that's gross.
______________________________________________________

Will- Is there sleeping in heaven?
Mom- I’m not sure. But if you don’t want to sleep when you get there you won’t have too.
Will- That is good news ‘puz I don’t like to sleep.
_______________________________________________________

Will- Mom is there asses in oranges?
Mom- It's called acid? And yes there is acid in oranges.
Will- Ohh, ok. Is asses bad for you?
Mom- Too much is.
Will- Would I throw up if I ate to much asses?
Mom- Yes. You would.
_______________________________________________________

Santa- What do you want for Christmas?
Will- A dinosaur.
Santa- Okay. Well I'm sure if you are good Santa will bring you a toy dinosaur.
Will- No Santa. I want a real dinosaur.
(Santa changed the subject)

Santa- What do you want for Christmas?
Luke- A stage.
(I think my kids truly believe in miracles)

Note: Luke did get his stage, but the dinosaur was a little too hard to track down. He had to settle for a really cool Dinosaur toy and some great Dinosaur books.

________________________________________________________
Will- Do carrots have sugar in them?
Mom- Yes but it's healthy sugar.
Will- What about candy?
Mom- No candy has bad sugar in it. If you eat too much you can throw up.
Will- Ohh. So when I threw up all over you I ate too much of the sick sugar. I need to say away from that stuff it makes me act crazy.
________________________________________________________
Will- I had to pull my pants down ‘puz I had an itch.
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What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes. Please leave a link back to my blog on your post so that others can come and read all the great quotes for the week from everyone else! Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Things Kids Say Thursday's #33

2010-11-17T22:05:00.000-06:00

Things Kids Say Thursday #32

2010-11-11T08:49:00.000-06:00

Halloween with a sprinkle of Christmas

2010-11-04T11:39:00.000-05:00

I know that I usually post “Things Kids Say” on Thursday’s, but this week I have been busy with the Houston Highlights Event that I am helping with this Saturday to benefit Neurofibromatosis (NF) the genetic disorder that my son and I have. So my quote notepad is blank, but I will be back next week!

I did however want to write about Halloween while it still makes sense to. I don’t want people to be reading the week of Thanksgiving about our Halloween here at the Haas household. Many of you may not know this but Halloween is my all time favorite holiday. Mostly because we get to spend it at home and not running around from family to family the way we do during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then there is the fact that Halloween is truly a kid’s holiday. People may say that about Christmas, but who are they kidding. These same people know that they are expecting that perfect gift as well. Then Thanksgiving is totally about the adults, most kids could care less about eating turkey. On every holiday I do incorporate history because every holiday has history behind it, and it is the teacher in me to let my kids know about it. I think it was my sneaky way of celebrating the holidays in the public school system, I could say, “We were just studying history”.

This Halloween was so much fun. I love when it falls on a weekend. We can spend the whole day cooking, roasting seeds and carving the pumpkin while we read Halloween books and watch Halloween movies. This year we added a little spin which turned into the, “great search of the pumpkin”, on Halloween day. Don’t ask why we waited, because I am not even sure. We did have a perfectly rotten pumpkin that had been sitting on the porch since October 1st, but I don’t think it would have been the best for carving, due to the fact that when I picked it up it fell apart. Not a good sign. Off we went to the store. The day before they had hundreds of pumpkins, so we figured that they would still have some, but after four visits to different stores they were all out. We begin to just drive around. I don’t know what we were looking for, a random pumpkin truck or someone who accidently left their pumpkin on the side of the road, maybe. Then we see it, a sea of orange, a pumpkin patch, and they have pumpkins. We turn in, but they are closed, of course. They did open later that day and we did get a great pumpkin. My husband said he remembered about this pumpkin patch the entire time, if he did, that was a nasty little trick.

On to the costumes. My kids plan out there Halloween costumes months in advance. They are the most creative ideas to, and they come up with them all on their own. My oldest, Luke, age 5, decided he wanted to be a, get this, Christmas tree (who ever said Halloween was not religious, has not met my son). When in fact it actually is a religious holiday anyways, yes my kids know that, and we talk about the religion behind Halloween. I do agree, along with just about all the other holidays people have lost sight in why we celebrate these days in the first place, and more often than not they do not even know why they are celebrated, but that is a whole other story. Back to the Christmas tree, yes, I made it. It was my first attempt at making a costume from scratch, and I must say it turned out very well, with twinkling lights and everything.

My youngest son, age 3, decided that he wanted to be an Orange Aggie Football Player. Now we live in Texas and my husband and I both went to Texas A&M, the color is maroon, NOT orange. We are aware that the color orange is of the rival team over in Austin, the Texas Longhorns. This small detail did not seem to bother Will. He just knew that he liked the Aggies and he liked orange, so why not put them together. I was all for it, but when I went to research getting a jersey made, I changed my mind. It was going to cost 60 bucks, just for the jersey. At this time I talked him into being a maroon Aggie football player, he bought it, and that is what he was, thank God!

If you don't know the Aggie tradition, when we score a touchtown, you kiss your date!

As for me, I am usually a witch. I know, I know, I tell you how much I love Halloween and then I go and dress up as the same thing every year, but like I said it is all about the kids. This year, however, the kids wanted me to dress up as something different. So, I did. I attempted to make my second costume of all times and it turned out pretty well too.

After the last trick-or-treater left at 10pm (yes, I thought that was kind of late too), the lights went off and we had our own adult celebration without the kids, but I won’t go into any details about that part. It did involve finishing a pitcher of bright green margaritas.

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween, and if you have not been to the stores yet, go! All the Halloween stuff is at least 50% off. I am all ready for next year!

Things Kids Say Thursday #31

2010-10-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

I have an update on my NF page, you can read about it by clicking on the NF link on the top right corner of my blog, labeled NF. Thank you all for your support!!!

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. My intention is to write these quotes each Thursday, so come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

Luke’s Quotes: (He is now 5 as of August)

(We were outside at 6am, and looking at birds)

L- Those must me the early birds, because it sure is early.

_________________________________________________________

L- This is boring, is it time for me to be on TV yet. (We were waiting to be part of a taping at KHOU in Houston.

_________________________________________________________

L- This was my big break, now I am famous. Do you think people will want my autograph?

(after seeing himself on TV).

M- I don’t know about other people, but I sure want one.

L- Mommy you will be able to get my autograph anytime you want.

_______________________________________________________

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is three)

W- I think I am going to X the nap for today.

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W- How did the donkey at the country get “PREG-A-NET”?

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W- When I die I want to get buried in this cemetery so that I will be close to the country forever.

(We were taking a spooky hay ride at night, and we went by this old cemetery.)

_______________________________________________________

W- I know what Grandpa Charlie needs at his country.

M- What?

W- He needs a T-Rex, so it can step on all the snakes and kill them, that way he won’t have to worry about those guys anymore.

M- Where is he going to find a T-Rex?

W- Ummmm….I guess that won’t work after all ‘pause they are extinct.

__________________________________________________________

What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes. Please leave a link back to my blog on your post so that others can come and read all the great quotes for the week from everyone else! Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Our First TV Appearance

2010-10-26T12:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Luke got to make his first appearance on TV. I have been working with the Neurofibromatosis (NF) Foundation on a big event we have coming up here in Houston on November 6, 2010, called Houston Highlights. We are trying to raise money and awareness for this disorder that so many people do not know about, yet 1 in every 3000 babies born today have this genetic disorder. We were invited to film a 30 second plug to be aired on KHOU to promote our upcoming event. Luke, my mother and myself, along with 18 others supporters were able to take part in the taping. A young lady named Emily Parker, 15, who suffers from this disorder spoke on behave for the foundation.

Luke was so excited to be part of this experience and I don’t think he will forget it for a long time to come. He even got to ask a question on live TV, which we recorded and watched later when we got back home. The producers along with the host Deborah Duncan were very impressed with him, and talked to him a long time, he may even be invited back to tape a cooking segment in the near future. Luke does have big plans to open his own restaurant, Grilled Onion, and he told them all about his business plan. He was smiling from ear to ear and jumping with excitement once we left the studio. “Mom, this was my big break!”

I also got to talk to the producers about filming an entire segment about NF, and they seem very interested in doing that as well. This would be so wonderful for the disorder and would help get the word out in a big way. Another way to help get the word out is though all of you! If I could ask you all to pass this post along to your family and friends to help spread the word about NF and this upcoming event. Thank you so much!

Houston Highlights

Date: Saturday, November 6, 2010

Location: Junior League of Houston Ballroom, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston, TX 77027

Time: 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Evening Format: Seated, four-course dinner

Other: Live & Silent Auction

For more information go to http://texasnf.org/Calendar/Coming_Events/Houston_Highlights

Myelf, Luke, my Mom and the host Deborah Duncan after the show!

Things Kids Say Thursday #30 (On Friday, Okay really Saturday)

2010-10-23T00:19:00.000-05:00

Things Kids Say Thursdays #29

2010-10-14T08:43:00.002-05:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. Please come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

Luke’s Quotes: (He is now 5 as of August)

Daddy- Why are you so tired mommy?

Mommy- If you must know daddy, I am on my period. (as you can tell from my response I was not in the best mood, shouldn’t husbands know about this after almost 13 years.)

Luke- What is a period? Is it like that thing at the end of a sentence?

M- Yeah, its like that.

L- Well, I think that you seem more like an exclamation point to me.

___________________________________________________

L- Mom, I think I will wear a tie today to school so I can look sharp for the ladies.

___________________________________________________

L- How do some people have a mommy and daddy and then other people have two mommies? I thought you needed a mommy and a daddy to make a baby?

M- Yes you are right. You do need a mommy and a daddy to make a baby.

L- Ohhh. So maybe they are adopted if they don’t have a mommy and a daddy.

M- Yeah, that is probably the reason.

____________________________________________________

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is three)

W- (trying to wake him up in the morning, and this is usually a battle) What’s up, mom? (With a big smile on his face).

M- Man you are in a good mood, whats up with you?

W- Fish! (he laughs like he has just told the funniest joke.)

________________________________________________________

W- Mommy would you still love me if I were a dinosaur?

M- Yes, Will I would.

W- Wow, that would be a lot of love, right mom?

M- Yep

W- I don’t even think you would have enough left over for daddy and bubba.

_______________________________________________________

W- My brain hurts.

M- You mean your head?

W- No my head feels fine, it’s the inside where the problem is.

_______________________________________________________

W- Mommy, you are going to be really happy at me. I cleaned and cleaned for you.

M- Wow, Will lets go and take a look.

W- Yeah, I cleaned with bleach. Are you so proud of me?

What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes. Please leave a link back to my blog on your post so that others can come and read all the great quotes for the week from everyone else (I am trying to get a blog button so that this will be easier soon)! Thanks for reading and have a great day!

I'm Booked Until Year 2011

2010-10-12T11:27:00.001-05:00

Today is just one of those days…. It is not that I don’t have anything to write about, I do, trust me! I just have way too much on my plate. I’m doing it again over booking myself! Some days I feel so busy I cannot even think straight.

I want to help out so many people and causes in any way I can that I tend to never say no. Do any of you have this problem? Each thing I agree to help with means a great deal to me, but I need to learn to respectfully say, no. My husband would be so proud of me if I could just do that, say no. Maybe next year!

I am not exaggerating here, we are booked, have plans or something to do every weekend until New Years, thats year 2011! How did I do this to myself? Here are some of the things that will keep me busy until 2011, first of all the big tasks are I am serving on a committee for not one, but two auction events. If you have never been to an auction or served on a committee, it is a big commitment. I have been trying to get, pick up and keep track of donations for both of these events. Then I have to keep all the donations separate and make sure they don’t get mixed in with the wrong charity.

Anyone willing to donate something, anything, and it is tax deductable?

Then I have the normal things like birthday parties, weddings, showers, family BBQ’s (another even that is a lot of work, but well worth it, this year it is our 30th annul BBQ so we are having a band and everything), babysitting obligations, school volunteering, tutoring and writing. I will want to but cannot forget about all my daily tasks of cooking, cleaning, homework and whatever other trouble I seem to get myself into. Like trying to figure out why each month, no matter what we do our budget is always off, does this happen to you all too? Then don’t even get me started on the holidays, which for us starts around Halloween. Like I said before I really do love each any everyone of these things and I don’t want to give a single one of them up, okay well maybe the laundry, that I could do without, I would love to have a maid just for the laundry, that would be so great!

I may have a million things to do and we certainly have our problems and issues, but when things get like this, and I get stressed I try to sit back and reflect on how incredibly lucky I am, even if it is only for a minute!

I wrote a post about this a while back. Click the link below to read about, a mom who overbooks herself.

http://www.mudpiesformommy.com/2010/02/moms-why-do-we-overbook-ourselves.html

To read other true stories visit the link below:

Things Kids Say Thursday's #28

2010-10-07T08:51:00.000-05:00

Mini Vacation or Chore?

2010-10-05T12:43:00.001-05:00

We all do chores every day, and most of us dread them, right? Some of us spend our days, cleaning house, grocery shopping, paying bills, attending meetings, etc. To most people these things sound like no fun at all, in fact if you had them to do you may even procrastinate a little. Then again to others these are what I like to call “Mini Vacations”.

After talking to several mothers I found not only were they willing to get these tasks done, but they actually found them relaxing! There is one catch; they get to do the chore without their kids. Well, that changes everything, doesn’t it? Think about it, going to the grocery store and strolling down the aisle with a warm Starbucks in your hand, shopping for the best deals and actually using the coupons you spent hours organizing and cutting out. No kids there to whine about a snack, going potty, it’s taking too long, or fighting over where to sit in the race car cart because one of the wheels is missing, I could go on and on. Not that we don’t all love our kids, we do, but everyone needs some separation every once in awhile. Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of going away on a girls spa weekend, trust me I would if I could, but with this struggling economy this will have to do, for now.

One “Mini Vacation” I have been on lately were driving my neighbors and my husband to the airport. Yes, the airport, in traffic, it was awesome! For starters, I love going to the airport and think about all the places everyone gets to go today. Some may be traveling on business and others might be getting to go on the vacation of a lifetime. I think about how maybe one day that might be me, and I will get to go somewhere exciting. For a moment I imagine about this great place and I picture myself checking into the terminal dragging all my luggage behind me. When that day comes it will be so exhilarating, but for now I live viciously though others by driving them to the airport.

Another one is organizing my house. This totally relaxes me. I can turn up the music to whatever I want to listen to have a glass of wine and get to work. I don’t have to stop to wipe someone’s little bottom, make a snack or break up a fight, I just get it done, and usually in record time. Then for those first five minutes that the little monsters I mean kiddos are home, it looks amazing!

Some other things that I have heard from mothers were, filing bills, getting their oil changed, working out, getting highlights, shaving their legs, painting a room, cleaning out closets, ironing and even going jury duty. All of them classified these chores as “Mini Vacations”. Not many people you talk to can find going to jury duty relaxing, in fact mothers of small children even get a exemption, but a day without the kids reading a magazine while you wait and then talking to people over three feet high can actually sound appealing to some mothers.

How about you? What “Mini Vacation” have you been on lately?

To read other true stories click on the link below....

Things Kids Say #27

2010-09-29T22:53:00.000-05:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. My intention is to write these quotes each Thursday, so come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

New:

I have been trying to update/complete some of the tabs/pages at the top of my blog. I have finally completed the "about us" page. You can view it by clicking on the tab, or I could even make it easier and you can just click the link http://www.mudpiesformommy.com/p/about-us.html

Then I added some questions for my readers to hopefully give me some great feedback on the William J Wampus page. http://www.mudpiesformommy.com/p/william-j-wampus.html

Luke’s Quotes: (He is now 5 as of August 18th)

Luke- “These are the best spring rolls in the entire world and maybe even in the state of Texas.”

___________________________________________________________

Luke- “Mom, I think you will be able to fix it, but you need to come outside and take a look at something right away!”

Mom- “What did you do now?”

Luke- “Well, someone may have been hanging on the trampoline and it I think it is in pretty bad shape.”

(Yes, it was broken, half of the netting was pulled off, and funny thing was that the straps looked like they had been cut in half, I have not found any scissors….yet).

____________________________________________________________

Luke- “Thank you for taking me on an Education Vacation, I had so much fun!”

Mom- “Good, what did you learn?”

Luke- “I learned that there were fighting soldiers at the Alamo, and in 18….um…….”

Mom- “36.”

Luke- “Yes, in 1836 Texas won its independence and became its own country, then later it because a state.”

Mom- “Yeah you are right on buddy. Did you learn anything else?”

Luke- “Yes, they were fighting Mexico.”

________________________________________________________________

Luke- “Mom could you lick the lollipop and then give it to me when you get to the gum part?”

______________________________________________________________

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is three)

Will- “Adults can say God dammit, but not kids, kids cannot say God dammit. When I am bigger and I am an adult I will get to say God dammit too, and I won’t even get a punishment, but if I said God dammit now then I would get one, right mom?”

Mom- “Yes, so can you stop saying it now please because you are not an adult yet?”

Will- “Yeah, I will stop saying God dammit now.”

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Will- My pee-pee is going the wrong way, can you fix it?”
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Will- “Can we move into the Rainforest Café?”
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Will- “I am scared of the ice age man, so can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

Mom- “No, but I will put you back to bed, and we will check to make sure there are no ice age men.”

Will- “But, Daddy is not here, he is canceled, so can I just sleep in his spot? I will keep it warm for him.”

_______________________________________________________

Will- “Mom, don’t be mad at me, its ok. I think the pen marks will come out of your bed, so don’t worry.”
______________________________________________________

Will- “Mushrooms you buy at the store, you can eat. But, the ones that grow outside in our grass are poison and they could even make you die.”
_______________________________________________________

Will- “Since dinosaurs died they are in heaven, right mommy?”

Mom- “What do you think?”

Will- “I think that God might have a whole other heaven just for dinosaurs.”
_________________________________________________________

What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. I am going to see how it goes, and hopefully I can start a trend. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes.

Is There a Frog in Your Throat?

2010-09-28T22:29:00.003-05:00

So there is a time and a place for everything, right? At least that is what we are told. The other day I was folding laundry and I saw something green hoping out of my son’s Aggie football helmet.

“Will, get in here right now”, I shout. “What is that?” He looks at me like, maybe I forgot or something.

“A frog, mom, you know that, silly girl.”

“What is it doing in here?”

“Hopping!”

He goes on to tell me he did not bring said frog in the house, but I find that hard to believe because he and his brother have been catching frogs all summer. I tell him to not bring frogs in the house anymore. But, he still insists that he did not bring it in. I ask him who did. No answer. To most of us moms, this means, I’m guilty. He takes the frog outside and goes to his room to pout because I did not believe him. After talking to him he agrees that frogs do not belong in the house and he understood if he did bring a frog in the house he would get a punishment. Not that I don't want them to catch frogs, I do, but leave them outside. I explained that they do not like it indoors because they need to keep their skin wet to be happy healthy frogs. There are things that I think my boys should automatically know, this is not always true, case and point. Sometimes I just have to be blunt and remember that if I don’t tell them, they actually might not know that frogs do not belong in houses free to hop about.

A few days later while watching a movie I see the evidence, another frog, in the house. Now I am a little upset. We just had this talk and he explained to me that he knew he would get a punishment if he brought a frog in the house. Again, he insisted that he did not. But, there was no one else to commit the crime. I told him that lying to me was even worse than bringing the frog in the house; I might have said it in a shouting voice. He pouted again, this time for a more extended period of time, in his room, in a chair.

The next day everyone was at school and I was sitting down getting some work done on the computer. My trusty side kick, Franklin, our Yellow Lab is right under my feet, like he always is. I look down at him, and he opens his mouth. Guess what I see inside?

A frog, in his mouth, he does not kill it, he is being ever so gentle. I am shocked. Seriously. I watch the frog hop around and I watch Franklin pouncing after it. He proceeds to fling it around and rub his nose into it, and then roll on it. The poor injured frog is frantically looking for a hiding spot. I have no choice but to scoop it up and put it outside.

Later that day, I apologized to Will.

To read more true stories visit the site below:

Side Note: I have been trying to update/complete some of the tabs/pages at the top of my blog. I have finally completed the "about us" page. You can view it by clicking on the tab, or I could even make it easier and you can just click the link belowhttp://www.mudpiesformommy.com/p/about-us.html Then I added some questions for my readers to hopefully give me some great feedback on the William J Wampus page. http://www.mudpiesformommy.com/p/william-j-wampus.html

Remember to visit back to these pages often, I will try to update regularly. I will try to also let you all know in my posts when I update these pages as well. Happy reading!!

Education Vacation

2010-09-24T10:58:00.000-05:00

I don’t know if I coined the term, but I did think of it myself. What exactly is an education vacation, you may ask? Well, the name speaks for itself. It is a vacation full of learning experiences hidden inside of having fun. When my husband goes on business somewhere close and a place where the kids will have the opportunity to learn, we try to tag along. I also don’t let something like school get in the way of giving my kids this experience, yes, I am that parent, I pulled them out. I’m not saying that the school does not do a great job in educating my child. But, you cannot beat learning about Texas history, at the age of five, by going to the Alamo. You think five is to young, think again. I had to look up some questions that Luke was asking me about history. If you have not guessed it yet, this past week we went to San Antonio, Texas.

The main reason I am so adamant about giving my kids these experiences is that the school districts have completely taken away field trips, at least ours has. As a former teacher I know how powerful the opportunity of learning though experience actually is, you can’t beat it. This is one of my big struggles with public school. There is no way you can learn the same thing from a teacher, video or book than you can from seeing these places first hand, touching, breathing and living them in. It gives the term that kids are little sponges a whole different meaning. I am not suggesting that you take your kids out of school all together and travel the world, but when you can enrich their little brains by taking them on a field trip of your own, do it. This is when I am jealous of parents that home school their kids, they can do things like this all the time, it fact it is encouraged. But, the down side, at least for my kids, would be the lack of social interaction with others and the ability to learn from multiple views (teachers), other than myself. I know that homeschooling has come a long way, and I respect the parents that give their children this unique way of learning, but it is not the right fit for our family. I did have fun, and will continue to from time to time, “homeschooling” my kids while we are on one of our “Education Vacations”.

Our days were jam packed. We learned about Texas history by touching the same walls at the Alamo where the soldiers fought to help Texas gain its independence in 1836. Which spawned an entire other lesson about what soldiers do today. Having my five year old completely understand what freedom actually is was very moving, and what was more moving was when he went up to a soldier later in the week on his own, and thanked him for continuing to fight so we can be free (his words).

The boys learned the Hippopotamus spends just about all of their time completely under the water, but the breathe air, and obviously they do not have fins, unlike other well know mammals that do the very same thing. Luke’s hypothesis was wrong in this instance. But, after observing the Hippos for 15 minutes we saw them each come up for one breath, similar to the way that a whale or dolphin can. He was amazed.

We saw a play one morning and then strolled along the river walk though a civilization that was built and settled in the 1800’s. We stood directly in front of a Giganotosaurus skull and learned that their head was bigger than us all, and that it was actually the biggest carnivore to ever roam the planet, most think of its more popular cousin the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Each day Luke kept a journal and wrote what he had learned, along with all the other work that I had for him. Don’t think I let him slack on any of that. One of the good things about being a teacher before he was born is that I have all this great material. So we worked on letters, numbers, phonics, sight words, addition, letter and number formation and reading every day. I was surprised that he never complained about all the work, unlike his younger brother, but Will is only three. I was floored with the amount of information he was able to take in on this trip, totally worth it.

As for all the work they did, I’m saving it as documentation, just in case they happen to miss one too many days of school.

Things Kids Say #26

2010-09-16T10:15:00.000-05:00

Allowing Kids to Play with Danger, Part Two

2010-09-14T11:55:00.005-05:00

Last week I wrote a blog post about how kids these days do not seem to get as much freedom, as let’s say us or our parents when they were kids. I have noticed from my observations as a mother and as a teacher that kids with less freedom are not as independent. I have also noticed that they are less likely to be a creative thinker. At least less than a child who is allowed to explore more on their own. This is not always the case, but it is more often than not. I do realize that playing outside unsupervised is not always an option for all parents, but there are so many things we can do as parents to allow our kids this simple pleasure of FREEDOM.

My kids may not be quite old enough yet to frolic about around the neighborhood going on a scavenger hunt or wrapping houses, but I hope when that day comes, they will have the knowledge of how to keep themselves safe because of the freedom that I have allowed them now. All of this of course is to prepare them for the steps and stages in their lives when mommy and daddy won’t be there right behind them to wipe their little bottoms. Not that I do that now, but you would be surprised at the amount of Kindergarteners that come out of the restroom asking their teachers to wipe for them, I’m not even kidding.

This summer while watching my kids play outside on their own they have discovered so many games. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. I have watched them go frog hunting. Then once they found a frog, which they always did, they placed it in the middle of the patio and played chase with it. The winner who caught the frog got a point and they played again. This game went on for hours. Since then they have been searching for a snake to play the same game. We had a little lesson on snakes after that. No snakes have been found as of yet.

2. They had a doodle bug collecting contest. Once they hit the jack pot and brought home 75 of them. They did the same thing one day with grasshoppers.

3. I watched them play pirates in the fort. They converted it into a ship, and pretended that the grass was shark infested waters. In order to move from ship to ship they could not touch the “water”, so they spread toys around the yard to walk on so they would be safe from the sharks.

4. They made up so many games on trampoline, too many to count.

5. One day they got out all the sports equipment and made up a game using all of it at the same time. I looked like a cross between baseball and football, with all their own special rules of course. It was quite amusing to watch.

When it was so hot to play outside they came in and found things to do indoors. Since an early age my oldest, Luke has been very interested in cooking. As his fourth birthday we even had a chef party for him. With that being said, he has cooked on his own in the kitchen since he was three. At first with lots of help and all the while I taught him about safety. He now can cook his own breakfast; lunch and sometimes cook parts of our dinner totally on his own. He is five. His favorite thing to cook is “Rice-A-Roni”, he loves it. He calls it, “his favorite rice”. He does it all, even turns the stove on, and off, sets the timer, and serves our plates. I was a little worried about the stove part, but I am right in the living room. I tried to be in the kitchen with him, just for that part, but he wanted to do it all on his own. I know that he can too. This has stemmed cooking entire meals for us. One night he made Asian stir fry. The only thing I did was cut up the vegetables that he picked out, and he did everything else. It was wonderful. He even made the sauce from scratch. Just like me, he has made things that did not quite work out, but that is how we learn, right?

Not all, but most parents might not allow their five year old to cook dinner, “it’s too dangerous, they don’t know how, and its more trouble than it is worth.” But there is a simple solution, teach your kids safety, cook with them, and have then clean up their mess. That basically sums up my entire post.

Three simple steps to giving your child more freedom/independence…

1. Teach them safety

2. At first be there to guide them

3. Have them clean up their mess

Okay, it might not be quite that simple, but it can be done. It may take some time and it will probably be hard for them, and even harder for you as the parent. In the end though, your child will thank you for it….someday!

Click below to read some great true stories:

Neurofibromatosis

2010-09-08T12:16:00.000-05:00

Click here to donate today!

This is a post that I wrote back in January 2010. It tells a little bit about my family and our battle with this disorder, Neurofibromatosis. Please read and share this story with others, and donate today! I am posting it again today because I have added a page at the top of my blog to tell this story, raise awareness and donations.

I will also be adding family updates here about any current news with the disorder. One update does follow at the end of this older post. Please continue to visit this NF page on my blog to read about updates!

January 2010:

I know that this blog is mostly funny, yet very true stories about how crazy my boys, dogs and life as a stay at home mom are. This post is going to be a little bit different, yet still very true. I do not talk about this often; in fact I don’t even think I have mentioned it before at all. My son and I suffer from a disorder called Neurofibromatosis “NF”, along with my mother and late grandfather.

Not many people have heard about this disorder and even fewer people know what this disorder entails. Our family has been very lucky to have mild to moderate effects from NF. A few years ago however, we had a scare with our oldest son Luke, they found a tumor behind his eye, basically in his brain, called an optic glioma, that they wanted to keep an eye on. Our first reaction was, “oh, crap, what happens if it grows?” Their answer was radiation or chemotherapy with a possibility of surgery. The idea of brain surgery on my two year old at the time was inconceivable. We prayed every night for the tumor to not grow. We went in for scans, and they were no picnic. Since he was so young they had to put him under heavy sedation so that he would not move during the scans. After several pricks, a screaming baby and a flustered mom, they finally got the needle in, only for it to come out again and he woke up. They tried again, got it and he was out. In he went for his scan. Results…it was not growing, for now. Another scan again in a year. After three scans, and three years, we got the news that we were praying for, no growth and no more scans! This type of tumor does not often grow after the age of three. Thank God!

That night we celebrated with champagne. Not only us, but little Luke had his very own glass!! He was so proud, and we felt so blessed.

Though we escaped that chapter in the battle of NF with our little guy we still may have more to come in his lifetime. We continue to pray for him, myself, my mother and all others who suffer from NF. We pray for a cure.

The reason that this post came about is that my husband is running the Houston Marathon this Sunday January 17th for NF. He has sacrificed his time, body and energy into completing this marathon to raise money for NF. I am so proud of him for doing this for us and others that have this disorder. To learn more about NF please visit their website at http://www.nfinc.org/ or http://www.ctf.org/. And if you are able to make a small donation of any kind we would greatly appreciate it. My husband has a secure site that was set up for the marathon and all proceeds are tax deductible and go 100% to the NF foundation, that site is www.firstgiving.com/derrickhaas. I would also be thrilled if you could pass this post onto others. Thank you so much to any of you who donate, and if you can’t just please go to the web site and learn a little bit about NF, a disorder that is suffered my more people than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s disease combined.

A little update:

We have just found out that Luke is going to have to have more MRI's for his tumor. We thought we were in the clear, but new research has found that these particular tumors can continue to grow and for now it still needs to be monitored. Please keep him in your prayers!

Allowing Kids to Play with Danger, Part One

2010-09-07T11:51:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or do kids play less and less outside? Summer is officially over and I noticed over the past few months that during the course of the summer I saw very few kids playing outside. I do realize that it is not 1950 and kids these days cannot ride their bikes to the local ice cream shop, or can they? I guess it depends on where you live. The local ice cream shop for us is across the freeway, so unfortunately our kiddos will probably never get to make that venture by themselves. Putting all of that aside, what about simply playing in the front yard? Last week I drove around my neighborhood and not one time did I see kids playing outside. I remember my mom having to literally drag me in for dinner when I was younger. We played out in the street all the time and no one was ever hit by a car or kidnapped by a crazy person. Yes, we had rules, and we knew our boundaries. I’m afraid that kids these days or should I say parents these days are so scared to give their kids these precious privileges, with limits of course. I am guilty of doing the same thing, but I really am working on teaching my kids the rules and limitations of playing outside, without constant supervision.

They have been playing out in the backyard for sometime without me peering over their shoulder. I have noticed when I am out there with them they are constantly asking for something “I’m hungry, I’m thirsty, Can you push me, Can you play with us, I want a different toy, etc. When I leave them to their own defenses they learn how to fend for themselves. If they need something they go get it. What a genius idea!

Recently I have tried to allow them to play in the front without me being an arms reach away. We have always played out in the front yard. I grew up doing that and I think it helps the kids feel like they live in a safe and welcoming place when they are allowed to frolic about outside. The problem is we were the only ones doing it. While I was out there with them we always talked about how far down the street is a safe distance to go, what to do if someone comes up to you that you don’t know, what do you do when you see a car, etc. Even when they could barely talk, they could follow these rules. Once I felt they were ready I moved my “supervision post” up the driveway, then to the porch, then in the door way, and now they can play with me all the way inside. They know to check back every once in a while and I peek out at them while dinner is cooking. They have such a great feeling of freedom and responsibility. For now I still leave the door open and our trusty yellow lab lays by the door with his head halfway out watching them play, he is always on duty. Doing this has helped them become such independent and creative thinkers. They have come up with some great outdoor games that require very few toys or none at all. They ask a lot of questions about what I did when I was little and have started to adapt those games for themselves, which will be an entire blog post in itself next week.

I love when they come in all dirty, sweaty and most importantly tired. They also have seemed to find some rather slimy and crawly creatures out there as well, which they bring home in their pockets on a regular bases. Sometimes these friends make it to the dinner table before I notice, but at least not to school….. yet!

Do your kids play outside? Have you allowed them to play unsupervised? If so, what are their limitations?

A great blog to visit http://www.freerangekids.wordpress.com/, the author of this blog, Lenore, has also written a great book, Free Range Kids (link to get her book is below). I highly recommend it!!!

Things Kids Say Thursday #25

2010-09-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. My intention is to write these quotes each Thursday, so come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

Luke’s Quotes: (He is now 5 as of August 18th)

Luke- you want a piece of me?

Will- I already have one.

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L- heaven is far, further away than the North Pole and that's far. Is it cold in Heaven?

M- No, I do not believe that it is.

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L- Is this the only Chuck E Cheese in Texas?

Mom- No there are other ones.

L- Well, do the other kids on the other side of the world have a Chuck E Cheese to go to?

M- We will have to look that one up, I don’t know.

L- Yeah, we can look that information up on the iPhone when we get inside.

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Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is three)

W- Mom I made a mommy poop and a baby poop in the potty. Now all we
need is a daddy one and we will have a whole family in there.

M- That's great Will.

W- Wait one second I've got one more about to come out, it might be
the daddy.

________________________________________________

W- I'm so mad I could spit thunder. Then if I get madder I'm gonna
spit out lighting too. So you better watch out.

________________________________________________________

W- What if I run out of tee-tee, will Franks (our dog) give me some of
his?

M- No your body will make more.

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M- Will scoot over I need some space.

W- Like space center Houston.

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(during the offering at church)
W- This dollar is for the church and the other one is for the Star Wars guys.

Mom and Dad- No Will you have to give both dollars to the church.

W- Can I give one dollar to the church and the other one to that man standing outside on the street. I know he needs some money.
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W- Do you want to play doctor with me?

M- Sure.

W- Okay then take your shirt off so I can doctor you.

M- That is not quite the way it works.

W- But that is what I do at my doctor, is that what you do at your doctor?
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W- I have to go potty.

M- Then take your pants off and go.

W- I don't want to get naked. I just want to pull my pants down and
take my thing out and go that way.
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What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. I am going to see how it goes, and hopefully I can start a trend. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes.

Things Kids Say Thursday #24

2010-08-26T13:22:00.001-05:00

We drew hearts on our hands for the first day of school, like in the book the Kissing Hand.

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is three)

Friend of ours- “What’s up Will?”

Will- (Looks up) “The sky, a few clouds, and an airplane. Can’t you see them? They are right there. (as he points).

_________________________________________________________

Mom- “How many times do I have to tell you guys to be quiet?”

Will- “I don’t know about Bubba, but if you tell me one more time I think I can.”

_________________________________________________________

Will- “Mom, I got out of bed because there is something knocking outside my window. I think it is the Kimono Dragon. He got out of his cage at the zoo and he is out there, I just know it.

Mom- “No honey the Kimono Dragon cannot do that.”

Will- “Are you sure, you have been wrong before you know?”

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Will- “Mom, where does you tee-tee come out at?”

Mom- “Mommy sits on the potty and it comes out, kinda like yours does.”

Will- “But where, you don’t have a pee-pee for it to come out of like me. How does it get out of there?”

Mom- “There is a hole.”

Will- “can I see it?”

Mom- “No that is a private part.”

Will- “Ohh, that means only doctors, moms and dads and married people can see it.”

________________________________________________________

Will- “If we don’t get blessed when you take communion we will get sticker burs on us this week, probably.”

_________________________________________________________

Will- “Can Ms. Jan spend the night at our house?”

(This was his teacher last year, and we saw her at Mass on Sunday.)

What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. I am going to see how it goes, and hopefully I can start a trend. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes.

Back to School Blues

2010-08-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

Here I am putting my little man on the school bus for his first day of Kindergarten. Where did the time go? When he was born five years ago this event in his life seemed light years away, and yet here it is, it snuck up on me. We had all the school supplies, clothes, lunch, and a little prize for the teacher. On the outside we looked ready, we had all of our ducks in a row, but secretly deep down I was not sure if we were ready for this step. How do we know when our kids are truly ready for this experience? I taught Kindergarten before I had Luke and I still don’t know the answer to that question. The thing that concerns me the most is that he trued five just last week. He was so close to the cut-off date, here in Texas in order to start Kindergarten you must be five by September 1st of that year. He met that requirement, but did I make the right decision. Educationally he has been ready for a year, he can read and write, he knows all his letter sounds and all of the Kindergarten sight words. Basically I had nowhere else to put him. I considered a Bridge program, but there he would just be board. I talked to different moms about my decision, and it seems the new trend is to hold your kids back. One mom in particular said that her son turned five last March and she is still not sending him on to Kindergarten, March, REALLY! This kid is going to be six for six months before Kindergarten even starts for him. That is the other extreme, which is hard for us because Luke is going to be in the same class with kids that are well over a year older than him. I keep thinking, what’s next, are parents going to try to start enrolling their seven year olds in Kindergarten? Parents are so worried about letting their kids go, and I know what they are worried about, I am worried about the same thing, but I learned that I had to let go. I have done everything I know to prepare him for this day, and the day is here, it is time. Weather I am ready for it or not.

I was so proud of him, the first day he got on the bus like a champ. I was glad he did not cause the scene that I was expecting. Little did I know that special behavior was saved for the second and third day of school. It is never a good sign when you have to carry your screaming five year old on the bus and then just watch him drive away. The hardest part for me is not knowing how he is doing. When they are in Pre-K you can call and check on them, and when you go pick them up you can talk to the teacher about their day. This is a whole different ball game. I never knew what it felt like to be on the other side, the parent side. I was always looking at things like the teacher, and boy does this feel different. I now and see how important parent/teacher communication is for the parent. I so badly want to go up to his school and just peek at him to make sure that he is okay, but I have to trust that the school and the teacher are doing their jobs.

After Luke got on the bus the first day things were back to normal. Had to go pay the water bill in person because I forgot yet again, and it was in danger of being shut off. The check engine light came on in my car, and then I became ill because I forgot to eat that day and I was not able to take my husband to the airport for his business trip. I felt so bad. He made all these special arrangements to be there to see Luke get on the bus and I can’t even take him to the airport because I am about to faint. My lovely sister came over to check on me and even stayed the night so that she could see Luke get on the bus for the second day, and from reading above you know how well that turned out. Like I said things were back to normal, minus one person, my big Kindergartener.

My wish for him and for all kids that have gone back to school this year is that they appreciate and enjoy learning, and that they have a good time while doing it. Whoever said that learning cannot be fun, it is, and it is a great adventure. I loved teaching Kindergarten, seeing those twenty sets of eyes gleaming back at me with excitement. I pray every day that my little man is sitting on that big rug looking back at his teacher with those same eyes!

Things Kids Say thursday #23

2010-08-18T23:59:00.006-05:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. My intention is to write these quotes each Thursday, so come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

Okay! I am working really hard in getting back into the swing of things here. Most people have” New Years” resolutions, but I am going to try something a little different and have a “back to school” resolution. To me this is the time of year to start a new routine or just simply get back on track (which is what I need to do). Hopefully over the next few weeks you will notice some changes here on Mud Pies for Mommy. I am open to any advice or comments any of you have.

I have also registered my domain! So my official site address is now http://www.mudpiesformommy.com/

Luke’s Quotes: (He is now 5 as of August 18th)

We were watching the movie Look Who’s Talking…
Luke- “Mom, what is that stuff called that is swimming, they look like fish.”
Mom- “ummmm. Fertilizer.”
Luke- “Fertilizer? Ohh. Like the stuff dad puts on the plants to help them grow?”
Mom- “Yes, exactly.”
Luke- “So does the fertilizer help the baby grow bigger and bigger?”
Mom- “Yes.”
Luke- “Do the daddy’s fertilize the baby?”
Mom- “Yes.” (I was amazed at how accurate he was and how he actually understood without all the details of course, he still four at the time you know)
____________________________________________________

Luke- “Why are you so cranky mommy?”
Mom- “Because you have done nothing but complain all day long.”
Luke- “I can’t help it. It’s just what I do.”
_____________________________________________________

Luke- “ What is for dinner tonight?”
Mom- “Fish.”
Luke- “Okay, but only if it is Mahi Mahi or Grouper. Those are the only ones I will eat.
___________________________________________________

Luke- “Have I ever had the Chicken Pox?”
Mom- “No, you got a shot so that you would not get them.”
Luke- “Ohhh, so the shot protected me?”
Mom-“Yes.”
Luke- “Good thing cause I really like chickens and I would hate it if I could not eat those guys anymore.”
______________________________________________________

Luke- “Mommy, before you give me another morning kiss could you brush your teeth please, because they smell like dead fish?”
_________________________________________________________

Mom- “ I love you with all of my heart.”
Luke- “You can’t love me to much mommy, because you have to save room in there for daddy and Will.”
_________________________________________________________

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is 3)

Mom- “Will, you crack me up.”
Will- “No mommy, we only crack eggs.”
_________________________________________________________

Mom- “Will you sound like you have a frog in your throat.”
Will- “What color is it?” (he opens his mouth up big)
_________________________________________________________

Will- “Quick, I need a band-aid my pee-pee hurts.”
______________________________________________________

Will- “Dinosaurs are extinct because a big rock came and hit the earth.”
Mom- “That's right.”
Will- “Do you think that big rock will be coming back anytime soon?”
Mom- “No buddy. I think we are safe.”
Will- “That’s good. Too bad for the dinosaurs though.”
________________________________________________________

Will- “Where does the sun go at night?”
Mom- “It’s on the other side of the world.”
Will- “Can we go there, because I don’t want to sleep just yet?”
_______________________________________________________

Will- “Can we watch that Diarrhea of a Wimpy Kid movie again? It was really funny!!”
________________________________________________________

What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. I am going to see how it goes, and hopefully I can start a trend. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes.

Super Glue My What?

2010-08-16T16:12:00.009-05:00

No matter how much I plan for my kid’s birthday parties the night before is so stressful. Why is that? I plan and plan. I even plan for time to plan, if that even makes sense. But, it never fails the night before I am running around like crazy until all hours of the night.

I have learned though my experiences in planning my children’s birthday parties it is cheaper and easier to have the party outside of your house. I know the prices at your local Chuck-E-Cheese (not that I will ever have a party there) look a little steep at first, but after you add up all the food, party favors, entertainment and decorations your party at home will quickly exceed the $500 dollar mark before you know it. Then when you have a party at your house you can not forget the adult entertainment, beer! I’m not sure when this started and why we are now required to supply adult beverages for the parents, but I am afraid it is here to stay. This is when that quote the man at the local "Jump House" starts to look really cheap, I mean good. What happen to the simple cake and ice cream party? Moms like me, but I can't help myself I love planning their parties. Don’t tell my husband but I think I am secretly in a competition with myself to out-do last year’s party every year. I am frightened to think of what their 18 birthday bash will consist of.

There I was the night before up at 1am icing the homemade 6 layer cake. Why so late you may ask? It all started a few days before. Going to the store to get all the supplies, then coming home to find out I forgot the main ingredient for the icing. Then going to the party supply store to find out that they are out of the #5 sparkler candle, and now that I have seen it, I cannot settle for anything less. I call around frantically to locate said candle and find it at a store on the other side of town. Then on the trip to Hobby Lobby to get the supplies for the birthday book I forget the craft tape and I have to go back the next day because once I sit down at midnight to work on this beloved book I discover I am out and the extra I thought I bought was not in the bag. Things like this happen each and every year. Man, I thought I was doing good this year too, even with my husband being out of town the whole week of the birthday party countdown.

The real fun began around 6pm, with t minus 12 hours until the party. We come home from a family day trip to NASA (long story, but in case you are wondering it is not a good idea to go to NASA the last week of summer and the day before one of your child’s birthday parties) to find that our dogs had escaped from the yard. Our yellow lab loves to double as a linebacker and break through the fence on what has to be a weekly basis. My husband moonlights at a fence repair man for these occurrences. When our dogs get out the have the same route that they go on which is though the golf course, into the lake and to the park before coming back home, which is where I go look for them. No dogs in sight. Franklin our yellow lab shows up just before dark all wet and muddy of course. We wash him and wait for our other bundle of joy, Liberty. But she never shows up. At about 9pm, I start to get a little concerned so I go and look for her for the fourth and final time. As I am coming around the golf course I see her glowing eyes looking back at me. She hops in the car and we are all glad she is home. So glad in fact that we do not notice all the blood dripping from her mouth until we get back home and began drying her off in the dark and discover the towel was covered in red. What the heck? I get a closer look and I see that her lip has been cut through and through like a shark fish hook had caught her and then ripped out. Holy crap!!! I leave the cake that I was icing at the reasonable hour of 10pm, and start to head to the vet. But wait the vet is closed. I know all she needs is stitches, and I hate to pay those crazy ER animal clinic bills for that. I call a vet that we know who lives out of town, and she gives me the craziest, yet best advice I have ever heard of. Super glue. Yes, super glue. Is that even safe? Yes it is. I was floored. Never in a million guesses would I have thought to super glue my dogs lip back together. There I go back to the store for a clean fresh bottle of super glue and iodine, it’s now midnight. Dr. Mommy comes home with supplies in hand, and we get to work. My husband who cannot stand things like this has no choice but to hold her and watch while I begin. She was not very happy and we had a few squeals, but it worked, it actually worked. Come to find out the liquid stitch they use on people in the hospital is glorified super glue.

Now it’s one in the morning. The husband is snoozing on the couch and I am staring at him with a mean and tired glare, while I am icing the cake. Which I run out of. Back to the store. Done. Finally done. It’s 2am.

I have still not completed his birthday book pages for this year. I got this idea from a teacher that I used to work with. Each year on her kid’s birthday she made a few pages in a scrapbook for them to remember it by. I loved the idea and just had to adopt this as one of our birthday traditions. Some days, like days when I am up the night before the party at 2am, I wonder, what was I thinking? By 3am, I am done, totally done. Cake, invitations, party favors, birthday book and “candy bar” all behind me now. Yes I forgot to mention I had a candy bar for the kids instead of a piñata. It was a little bit more work on my part but so cute and totally worth it. Our “Day at the Museum” birthday party was a “dino-riffic” success!

Now all I needed was a drink and a long nap, which I had right when we got home!

Things Kids Say Thursday #22

2010-08-05T08:39:00.004-05:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. My intention is to write these quotes each Thursday, so come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

It has practically been all summer since I posted a “Things Kids Say” post. It’s not that my kids have stopped saying funny things; I don’t think that will ever happen. Mainly it is due to all the different things that I have been helping out with. I am ready for a routine to start with the upcoming school season so I get back to writing. Trust me I have some really great stories!!!

Luke’s Quotes: (He is four)

Luke- “Mom, I think I love Ella more than candy, ice cream and popcorn. All of my favorite things. I may even love her more that you and God.
Mom- “That sure is a lot of love, but you really should not love anyone more than God. “
Luke- “Yeah, you are right. Without God we would all be goners.
____________________________________________________

Luke- “Mom that is a very beautiful sleeping beauty night gown dress you are wearing.”
(I’m guessing that is a kid word for “lingerie”.)
_____________________________________________________

Luke- “I swallowed your kiss so that it can stay with me all night long.”
___________________________________________________

Luke- “Jesus and God stretch their love across the whole world so that they can watch over us all.”
Mom- “Luke, I don’t think that I could have put that into better words myself.”
Luke- “I know, I am really good with words.”
______________________________________________________

Luke was giving us a lesson about dinosaurs and giving them names.

Luke- “This is the T-Rex. His name is Rexy, because that just makes good sense.”
“This is the Brachiosaurus; his name is Necky, because he has a long neck.”
“This is the Triceratops; his name is Horney, because he has three long sharp horns on his head.”
“Necky and Horney are friends, best friends!”
“More about dinosaurs after these short messages.”
_________________________________________________________

(My husband and I were watching the nightly news on NBC when they were interviewing Obama.)

Husband- “Man, they really were grilling him!”
Luke- “THEY GRILLED HIM!!!!!!!”
Mom- “No, honey not that kind of grill. Grilling someone can be another word for asking them a lot of questions.”
_________________________________________________________

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is three)

Will- “Mommy, we don’t scan dupas, we only scan groceries!”
(We were watching the movie Monsters vs. Aliens, and there was a chacater that was scanning all his body parts to get into a secret facility, including his dupa (polish for butt.)
_________________________________________________________

Will- “I’m allergic to girl stuff, you got any boys stuff.”
_________________________________________________________

Will- “Mommy I don’t think it would be gross to drink Franklin (our dog) blood because at church you drink Jesus’ blood all the time, and everyone says, how good it is.”
(How to explain this to a three year old? I am glad he pays attention in mass though!)
______________________________________________________

Will- “Can alligators live in toilet water?”
Mom- “No, honey.”
Will- “Are you sure?”
________________________________________________________

Will- “Milk is good for you. It helps your body grow.”
Mom- “What else do you think helps your body grow?”
Will- “Beer!”
_______________________________________________________

Will- “We can see Mickey at Disney and Dinosaurs at the museum. Where do we go to see Optimus?”
Mom- “Where do you think?”
Will- “New York!”
________________________________________________________

What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes.

The Last Straw (or poop)

2010-08-01T11:12:00.005-05:00

I know some words just should not be said out loud. If you hear an adult say, “hey, I need to take a poop”, you may consider that they are mentally challenged. As mothers these words come out of our mouth all the time. If you are a single woman in a public restroom you might be frightened as to how many times you hear the word poop.

“Do you need to poop?”
“What color is your poop?”
“Do you need help wiping your poop?”
“Did you poop on the floor?”
“How does your poop look?”
“How did you get poop on/in your _______? (clothes, hair, shoes, face, etc.)”
“Is your poop coming out?”
“Your poop is all over me.”
Then the words I never wanted to say, “Is that poop in your hand?”

What? Poop in their hand! That could never happen. But, it does, and it did. That was the last straw. We were not out in a public restroom, thank god, but none the less, that is just what he did.

I decided I was done and fed up with changing diapers. I decided to try the naked method of potty training, but I was not totally committed to it, obviously.
It was a Saturday afternoon, Will was poking at his lunch, the rest of the family were all done and sitting in the living room. I hear some questionable noises coming from the kitchen, here comes the uncommitted part, I don’t get up. Will comes in shortly after with a prize in his hand. He actually picked it up, poop! Child standing right in front of me with a giant poop wad in his hand. He has such a proud look on his face. He totally thought I was going to be happy. His thoughts, “look mommy, look what I did, I did it, and here is the poop to prove it.” I was floored. He held it in his hand like he would hold a crescent roll. After being yelled at and disciplined I think he got the idea that pooping in the kitchen is not appropriate, and picking it up is less than to be desired.

I became committed!

Come hail or high water I am going to get this boy potty trained by the end of the week. My mom took Luke for three days and we had potty training boot camp. I did not for the life of me understand why this child would not poop in the potty. I know you are not supposed to compare your children, but Luke was potty trained at 18 months (I know that’s early). This led me to believe that I was a professional potty trainer. I would see those kids on the changing table in the restroom that had to be three sometimes four with their butts in the air waiting for a refreshing wipe from their mommy. I wondered, what was wrong with their child? Why were they not potty trained? Was there something wrong with them? Were their mother’s lazy? Were the kids just spoiled? I had always looked at these mother’s like they were missing something or there was something wrong with them. Then they gave me the look, wait until you have your own kids before you judge me. I had one though, and he was not up there with his legs in the air waiting for me to cream his hiney.

Then I had Will.

There I was the mother with the three year old on the changing table. He was only three for one week before I decided that enough was enough and I had the last straw. My son was going to do this weather he likes it or not. If you have been reading long enough then you know I have tried everything to potty train this kid. I am all in, totally committed, 100%. And guess what it worked, it finally worked. No more diaper washing, butt wiping, or cream spreading. What am I going to do with my time?

Reading back on some of my posts, I say this a lot, and I seem to find some way to fill it up. At the time summer was in full swing, and let me tell you I always am able to get myself in over my head.

This was one of Will's treats for becoming a big boy! A day out with the family at the Aquarium!

Swim Team, what was I thinking?

2010-06-24T16:26:00.004-05:00

This year I gave Luke the option to choose what sport he wanted to do. We narrowed down the choices to soccer, baseball, and swim team. Luke, is a great swimmer, in fact he started swimming before he could walk. He loved it, it felt comfortable to him, it was the obvious choice. I should have known, he is the type of kid who does not like change, routines are a must! Whereas Will could wake up each day and do something totally different from the day before and repeat that pattern, forever!

Swim Team, Week One!

It was cold a cloudy day. Not a good combination for swimming. Then if you throw in a pool that is not heated with little boy on his first day of swim team, we have a disaster, a total meltdown. I don’t blame the guy, I would have cried too. He came out of the water crying with bright purple lips. The next day I took the advice of a parent and made him some hot chocolate for afterwards, did that work? No! It was good advice though. By the third day, Luke had decided that he did not like swim team, it was too cold, and the coaches were not nice. I had to agree with him, but quietly, I could not tell him I did not care for the coaches all that much either. I’m no expert by any means, but the coaches did not introduce themselves to the kids on the first day, and did not tell the parents what to expect, or explain to the new kids what to do. They just expected them to hop right in and go! This is all fine and dandy for a kiddo that has been in swim team before, but my little guy was four, and he had no clue what was going on. One of the first things that kids do when they do not know what is going on is…..get scared. My son fit the bill and that is just what he did. Now I know what you are thinking, he was just too young, and you would be exactly right.

Swim Team, Week Two!

By the second week he really hated it with a passion. If you have to bribe your kid with prizes at Target to go to swim team, then it might not be the right thing for them. Then Luke saw the coach pull, no yank a kid off the wall because he was taking a break. He was tired, crying, not to mention a six year old little boy. I wanted to get him out, greet him with a hug, and a nice warm towel. Luke’s big round eyes started to look very concerned, because he was next. He decided that he felt more comfortable out of the water for the rest of that practice. Again, I don’t blame him. He also made a mental note to never trust that particular coach again. The next day he was very hesitant to get in the water, but with a lot of encouragement, by me, he got in. He swam great. I was cheering him on. He made it all the way across the pool. I was so proud of him. Notice I said, I. None of the coaches said one word, what the hell. This was their chance to get him, help him, do their job, but nothing. This was the moment my husband and I decided this was a complete waste of time, and we were going to pull him out. We did not tell Luke yet, we made him finish out the week. He hated it, and so did we. It was my fault, four years old is way too young for swim team. Even if Luke would have totally loved swim team, it was simply too much, I don’t care if he is the future Michael Phelps. Practice every day, meets all day, and I mean all day Saturday, and a head coach who did not seem to want to help a new kid come to enjoy a new sport is not for four year old little boys. Any parent who would make their four do this would be doing them a disservice, and I know that now because I was almost one of them. But, I am a firm believer of finishing something when you start, even if it’s hard and all you want to do is quit. I did learn that there is an exception to every rule (well, I actually already knew that) and this situation was definitely the exception. I do not want my son to grow up and think it is okay to just up and quit when things are hard or they just are not going your way. Nothing irritates me more than being flaky, and I want him to know when he says he is going to do something then, he does it, no exceptions! But, wait; there are exceptions, this is where it gets tricky. We have to teach them this, but how?

My best guess is experience. For example, if you tell your friend you are coming to their birthday party, you go. You don’t cancel on them because you have something better to do, like go swimming. Luke knows that (yes this happened to him). If you are really sick, you call your friend and you tell them. Then you make a special effort to go see them once you are better. Luke knows this too! (yes, this also happened.) These were easy examples; so many other situations are so much harder for him to understand, like quitting swim team. Then there will much harder and more adult-like situations that will come his way. My fear is that he will look back on this experience and think, it was okay to quit then, so it is okay to quit this too. Hopefully before this happens he will have a lot of experience under his belt, and he will make the right decision, until then I am here to help.

For now instead of swim team we did what every four year old should be doing, by going and playing at the pool a few times a week and taking a lesson or two. Let me tell you he is a better swimmer than ever! Then there is the important part, he loves it!

As for next year, I am choosing his sport.

Crazy Times in Suburbia

2010-06-14T15:24:00.013-05:00

Like I said May would be a busy month and that I probably would not post a lot, I didn’t think I would write at all, and then let it spread into June. So, I decided to put a movie on for my boys and sit down and give a little update. To all these updates there is a great story which will follow sometime this month.

• My husband and I turned 30 a week apart from each other. (He May 8th and me the 16th)
Side note- I got a great camera for my birthday, so I can finally include some decent pictures.

• We celebrated Mother’s Day, three times!

• Will turned three and had a Super Hero birthday party, which Batman came to.
Side note- Two days before the party we had a water leak and my husband has to replace I mean rebuild some of our kitchen cabinets. (It was a mess.)

• I attended two baby showers, one wedding shower, two graduations, five birthday parties, a rehearsal dinner and a wedding.

• We attempted swim team with Luke, and pulled him out a few weeks later. (Long story)

• Luke graduated from Pre-K.

• The boys had their last day of school.

• I threw an end of school party at my house.

• At the end of the month our internet went down and we just got it fixed on Friday. (I’m not even kidding, over two weeks, no internet, why could it not have gone out say May 1st though the 30th.) This was the nail on the coffin for me, because things were just slowing down, I was about to actually have time to write, but think again!

• Then to finalize the whole month of horror, I mean happiness my husband and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary on June 1st. This was actually a nice break, and a great way to end the month of craziness!

I seriously need a vacation. I would say good thing because summer is here, perfect timing! Seeing as we spent more money in the month of May than we would for two round trip tickets for an all inclusive five star resort on the beach, I think it’s out of the cards. I’ll have to settle for a margarita by the kids blow up waterslide!

Is it that time of year again already?

2010-05-04T10:24:00.002-05:00

Here we are again, in the month of May. You may find a lack of blog posts this month due to the craziness that I am sure is in our path.

It started off just as busy and I am sure it will end. May 1st I helped along with my family throw my dad a surprise 60th birthday party. It was a success and he was completely caught off guard. It did help that his birthday was two months ago. My husband thought I was crazy for scheduling this party in the month of May, I'm positive he was right, but I went ahead with it anyways. And he was right there to support my decision, helping out and most importantly calming me down when we found out a few hours before the event that the band could not come. I am happy to say, at the last minute we pulled it altogether due to some great friends and family members bringing in their equipment.

Now to fast forward to the next few weeks. It is filled with endless birthday parties, baptisms, weddings, showers, mother's day, graduations, and to top off the month our anniversary, which is actually on June 1st, but close enough.

I could go on, but I will just let you read about it here
http://mudpiesformommy.blogspot.com/2009/09/money-in-money-out-money-gone.html.

I wrote this story last year when the month of May was over. I have a strange feeling that this May might even have a few more twists to it. Only time will tell.

To read more true stories visit

Things Kids Say #21

2010-04-29T10:33:00.003-05:00

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Things Kids Say Thursday #20

2010-04-15T10:32:00.004-05:00

Breakfast With Sprinkles on Top

2010-04-13T11:03:00.003-05:00

If you have been a reader of mine you know that I am not a morning person. If I had it my way morning would start at 10am, but those days are long gone and I am the mother of an early riser.

Most people like the time change in the fall because supposedly you get an extra hour of sleep. My son must have missed the memo on that one, because we get the extra hour of sleep after day lights savings in the spring, go figure. Which works out perfectly for me, I knew the day would come, something has worked out in moms favor, contact the newspapers people.

I do believe the spring has to be my favorite season. The weather is warm, the sun is out, and flowers are blooming, what a great time. Then to add the icing to the cake it is birthday season in our house, but that is another story (which you can read about here….. http://mudpiesformommy.blogspot.com/2009/09/money-in-money-out-money-gone.html)

The past few spring mornings I swear the sun has decided to show its beautiful bright rays at least two hours early. My morning man gets up and of course is hungry. Yes, I send him to the kitchen to get his own breakfast. He has fixed himself some pretty appetizing breakfasts in the past, like frozen toaster strudel, Cereal with chocolate milk and chocolate syrup, and instant cream of wheat (without milk). Yes, he does eat normal things too but those are not worth mentioning. None of these which take the cake for the breakfast he served himself last week.

He has always been a very independent little guy which is why I do allow him, a four year old, to defend himself with free range in the kitchen (for the most part). This particular breakfast idea was a new one and might I add very creative, I wish I would have thought of it myself, but he takes the credit for this one. He decided to drag a chair up to the fridge so that he may get a better look at what mom keeps on the top shelf. I could see by the trail of now ruined items he found a lot of things that caught his eye. Then, he apparently found what he was looking for, way in the back, he had to have literally climbed in the refrigerator to get it. The winner was Pillsbury crescent rolls. He opens the package all by himself which is an accomplishment, because I have trouble opening those things. He gets a cookie sheet and begins to roll out the dough. Then he decides not to make crescent rolls but little figures. After finishing his designs, some made with Playdoh tools, he looks at his creations and thinks they must need something more. But what? He drags the chair to my baking supplies, stands on the counter, and reaches up to the top shelf, sprinkles! Lots of sprinkles, three bottles to be exact. He carefully carries the cookie sheet and sets it on top on the stove. Then he comes to my room for the first time that morning. I look at the clock, I’m thinking wow he slept late today, boy was I ever wrong.

He says, “Mommy I made my very own breakfast with sprinkles, it’s on the stove, could you please preheat the oven to 350 degree for me?”

I did tell you he has free range in the kitchen, for the most part, at least he knows his limits, for now anyways. I think he may be a little too old for baby proofing, I mean he does make his own breakfast; I think he would figure it out. Now if my little Will follows his brother’s footsteps we may have a problem, because limits to him are more like guidelines.

To read more true stories visit...

Things Kids Say Thursday's #19

2010-04-08T12:22:00.002-05:00

Lemons Anyone?

2010-04-06T11:57:00.005-05:00

A few months back in the midst of the bitter cold winter that we get here in Houston Texas, okay not that cold, but I’m from Texas, and to me less than 40 degrees is about all I can handle, we had an interesting occurrence that involved my energetic yellow lab, and lemons.

You may be thinking at this time, I bet I can guess what happen, but it took us about 3 months and many visits to the vet to stump the mystery of this rather disgusting situation.

The first offense:

This occurred Christmas night. We had spent the entire day smoking a turkey. I was all for cooking it this way because it meant that I did not have to worry about the bird. We started the process as soon as we work up, and if I may say so, the turkey did turn out perfectly. Franklin and Liberty, our two dogs were very involved in the process as well. They had their noses up sniffing the turkey smell, that engulfed the air. Even though it was quite cold outside they did not venture to far from the smoker pit. They were just waiting for someone to drop something, anything, that had anything to do with the turkey. They were caught red handed drinking the turkey drippings that were falling from the pit as the turkey cooked.

Then late that night after we were all tucked into bed, our tummies full, and our hearts happy, we hear what we thought had to be a gun shot. Then the smell hit us. Franklin must have had to much of the turkey fat. This fun adventure went on the rest of the night and two days after, once again, thank you God for the carpet cleaner. We call the vet and $300 dollars later, we find out, do not feed your dog turkey drippings, really? He was on some powerful tummy medicine for about a week and things seemed to be fine, until….

The second offense:

We were getting ready for a night out without the kids. As a parent of two small children these nights cannot come soon enough. I love my boys, but a girl does need a break from time to time, and I guess the husband deserves one too. We had a pretty day for the month of January so the dogs were outside most of the day. Before we leave we let them in to eat, and we hear a familiar sound, perfect! I get out the carpet cleaner, again. We still go out, but the dogs stay outside. We got home and prayed that Franklin got it all out of his system, wrong!

Late that night it all started up again, first with this panting sound, like he was thirsty. But it was not loud enough to wake us up. Then he started to whine, which would usually wake me up, but we had a night out, so I had drank a few margaritas. But, then came the sound of a bullet leaving the shaft of the gun, and if that didn’t wake us up the smell eventually did. Here I come, Mr. Carpet Cleaner. Caring for this dog was more work than a new born baby. We were up with Franklin the rest of the night, fun times! Back to the vet we go.

The third offense:

It was now February. The husband was out of town on business. When he is out of town my ears and all the rest of my senses are on radar mode. So when Franklin begins to pant, I shoot out of bed to let him outside, too late! Its three o’clock in the morning, I have had zero sleep in the past three days and I go to the garage to schlep out the carpet cleaner, once again! But, this time my trusty friends brushes are not turning. No, not now! But, yes, the carpet cleaner had seen better days, and has been retired. What to do now? I get a dish brush, some carpet cleaning liquid, steaming hot water, and a bucket and get to work. Now I am beginning to get very irritated with everything. My dog seems to have some incurable digestive issue, my husband is out of town, and now my trusty carpet cleaner is broken. None of which I had any control over.

With our budget tight I was unable to buy a new one, so I was old schooling it. And this went on for about three days. You might me thinking, leave the dog outside, but it was snowing, yes, snowing, in Houston Texas. We go to the vet again, and $300 dollars later, again, we have no answers other than allergies to explain Franklin’s issues. So we change his diet, apparently he is allergic to beef. Really, I did not think that dogs could be allergic to beef, but apparently it is very common. I think we got it, we went over two weeks and all seemed to be back to normal, until….

The forth offense:

February was about to wrap up. The weather was nice, but our yard was still looking like winter, with brown freeze dried plants. I was inspecting all the plants to see if they made it through our unusually cold winter. All looked to be okay. I walked over to our lemon tree and I could see lemons that had been rotting, then frozen, then thawed, then rotting some more. Some were still on the tree, some were on the ground and others were spread among our yard. That was a little strange.

Then that night we hear the dreaded panting sound. By now, that sound is like an alarm. I’m up, but still once again to late. With no carpet cleaner still, I had another visit with the old soap bucket. The next day Franklin spends all day outside because I just can’t handle it anymore. I look out and I see him chewing on something, a lemon! I was now at the point where I could just call the vet, and he would give us the medicine. I ask him if lemons could cause this? Yes, he says. Just like that. Seriously could you have told me this three months and $900 sooner! I go out and pull off all the rotten lemons from the tree and scour the yard. The lemons were all spread about, who knows how many he ate. What I can’t figure out is why he kept eating them? But then again, these dogs eat dead animals, so I guess a lemon does not seem that bad.

It’s now April and we have had a happy, healthy dog. Good thing, because we still have to replace the carpet cleaner. The lemon tree is blooming now, so we better start to save up!

To read more true stories visit this blog below!

Things Kids Say Thursday #18

2010-04-01T09:05:00.004-05:00

Things Kids Say Thursday #17

2010-03-25T22:13:00.002-05:00

Things Kids Say Thursday 16 (On Friday)

2010-03-19T11:59:00.002-05:00

Luke- “Could you play that bottle of jack song?”
(He was referring to that new Tick Tok song.)
_____________________________________________________________

Luke- “Mom, the girl I marry, I want her to have red hair.”
Mom- What if she does not have red hair?”
Luke- “Then I will have her turn it red, forever. I can’t help it that is just what I want.”
_____________________________________________________________

Luke- “Daddy what is that song playing?”
Daddy- “It is an oldies song. It was made before I was born.”
Luke- “Ohh, like Jesus!”
____________________________________________________________

Mom- “Are you trying to blow a bubble with that gum?”
Luke- “Yeah, but I can’t do it. Do I have to go to bubblegum blowing school to learn?
______________________________________________________________

Luke- Are we almost home yet? Because my Dupa is hurting.
(We all laugh.)
Luke- “Well it is. Is yall’s hurting too?
(Dupa is Polish for bottom)
___________________________________________________________

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is two)

Will- “What is that on the potato mommy?”
Mom- “Those called the eyes on the potatoes.”
Will- “I didn’t know that potatoes could see.”
Luke- “Neither did I. You learn something new every day.”
______________________________________________________________

Will- “When I get bigger and bigger I want to be a cowboy and live in the country with Grandpa Charlie. We will ride tractors together all day long.”
Mom- “That sounds like a lot of fun.”
Will- “Yeah, but we will have to work too.”
_________________________________________________________________

What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. I am going to see how it goes, and hopefully I can start a trend. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes.

Glowing in the dark!

2010-03-16T20:10:00.003-05:00

We were just getting settled into our seats at the Rodeo, which is a task all in itself. If any of you have ever experienced the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, you know exactly what I mean. We leave our house out in the suburbs around 4:30pm and make it to Section 119, row EE, seats 12-18 at about 7:30pm. If you are wondering what could possibly take so long, it would include Houston traffic, cowboys who think they own the streets around Reliant Center, ticket lines, carnival, food stands, and the animals that our boys decide that they must touch as many as they possibly can. My parents have a farm full of cows, horses, and donkeys but when they get to the Rodeo they act as if this is the first cow they have ever seen. Then there was the big green John Deer tractor that my son, Will insisted on claiming as his own no matter how many little kids were waiting to get their turn. As we pried his hands off the steering wheel, to say he made a scene would be an understatement. We walked what must have been a mile to our seats; take the immediate potty trip because that is what always happens right when you sit down. It is ever so important to check out all the bathrooms, in all the places we go, always! They must think one day they are going to walk into a magical land and the passage way is though the bathroom door, this could be the only explanation for the curiosity of the definite and absolute visit to the restroom in all the public places we venture to.

We are now settled at last, we pull out all the snacks that we snuck in because I am not about to pay $8 dollars for a small bag of popcorn. They devour all the goodies, and soon start to get restless. They seem to have forgotten that there is a full fledged Rodeo going on about 100 feet from their little eyes. My mom made a trip to the dollar store and had a bag full of glowing toys for them to play with. Within seconds after the glowing goodies were into their hands I see a glowing line liquid coming out of Luke’s mouth. Let’s stay calm. Don’t swallow, don’t move. He opens his mouth and all I can see is bright yellow neon liquid engulfing his mouth. We rinse and repeat. Not the best place to do this. As he spits the glowing substance out into my hand I have no choice but to throw it on the ground. Now we have a glowing pool at our feet, which happens to stay there the entire night, so I could only imagine what was going on inside Luke’s stomach. I decide that I should call poison control. Where to go to call them, I am in the middle of a Rodeo? I wait in line and go in the family bathroom, make the call, and learn that it is no big deal, they are non-toxic, which is clearly printed in the package. I discover this when I get back to my seat. I do wonder though how can glowing liquid be non-toxic? I still am having trouble with that. We take all the glowing necklaces away. At this point I am ready to go, and we had been there for a whole ten minutes. We do actually enjoy the rest of the Rodeo, which was fun, the boys even got to watch one of their friends participate in Mutton Bustin’, which is a fairly new event at the rodeo. Little kids ages 5 and 6 get all geared up, and hang onto a sheep with their dear life and they let the sheep go. It is quite entertaining. Luke wants to give it a try next year, there will be a great story to follow; I’m sure. We get home and are putting the kids to bed at an early 10:45pm, with school to wake up for in the morning. I think we will be late.

Click here to read some more true stories!!!

Things Kids Say Thursday's #15

2010-03-11T09:55:00.003-06:00

A Sticky Situation

2010-03-08T13:02:00.005-06:00

I have been struggling with getting back into writing. It is what I love to do and what I look forward to, but for some reason I seem to be avoiding it. Things fortunately have begun to slow down, and I have almost recharged my batteries from the craziness of what I like to call the foggy quarter of my year. From Thanksgiving until just after Valentine’s Day our lives are most defiantly hectic. Seeing as those dates have passed I can finally breathe a little, and for goodness take a bath without feeling guilty. Yes, I have bathed in these past months, but it was more like I was passing though the car wash, wax on wax off, and get out.

The other day we had one of our first spring- like days. We decided it was a good day to get some yard work done, and try, try being the key word in putting our yard back together after the cold winter weather. I know that you guys up north are wondering, what is she complaining about, but seriously we were not used to this. I mean it snowed three times, here, in Houston Texas. We had freezing weather that our plants were not used to, so needless to say I think we lost some them. When you add our crazy dogs to the mix, that think it is a great idea to eat plants that are near death, we really were in a bit of a pickle. But, that is a whole other story.

We actually or should I say my husband actually gets the front yard looking very good. We are more like spectators and sit outside and watch while we critique his work. I’m not sure he liked that so much. I run to the store and I leave the boys in his hands. Probably not the best idea, but I figured he could handle it, and he did pretty well. Expect, for one sticky situation. My boys have discovered syrup in the recent weeks, and they love it. Their new favorite breakfast is frozen, yes frozen, mini pancakes. Don’t get me started I know it sounds gross. They also like to have a personal bowl of syrup to dip said frozen pancakes in. We have been though five boxes in seven days. On this particular day they decided they were going to have this little breakfast at 6:30pm, while daddy is outside, and they were going to get it on their own. Two small rambunctious boys, syrup, and no parental supervision, not a good combination. I drive up and hear all about the syrup. Apparently they helped themselves to half the bottle of syrup all the rest of the pancakes with an added bonus of syrup all over the house. All still there, all over the house. Apparently to men, it is not important to clean things such as this right away. Do they think the longer you leave it, the easier it will be? It’s not like soaking a pot mister’s. I don’t or should I say can’t complain to him because he was working hard on the yard. Now if it was me, I may have paused to clean up the sticky syrup that was spread about, but I just had to let that one go. I clean the floor, but all night long my feet were sticking to the floor. As the night progresses I am sure that the boys must have drank the syrup straight from the bottle, which could have explained their more than wild behavior. Then at bath time I found syrup in places that syrup should never be. I’m not just talking the obvious places like in their hair, which it most certainly was, but there were traces of the sticky stuff under their arms and down their backs. Which led me to believe that they were having a syrup war, this was later confirmed by my four year old. Apparently the syrup bottle was the gun and the other brother was the "Deception". Once someone was shot with the syrup they switched. I had to give them credit, at least they were sharing. Each one got an equal amount of time squirting syrup all over the house.

They were off to bed, syrup free, and I was in need of a Margarita, which my husband had ready for me. The first one went down a little more quickly than usual. After a nice bath, I snuggle into the covers, but I feel something sticky. I don’t even know how!

Mom’s, why do we overbook ourselves?

2010-02-16T11:02:00.003-06:00

As a mom I find that I overbook myself. Do you do the same thing? Do you find yourself overwhelmed and exhausted at the end of the day? Are we crazy? Were your answers all yes, then we may have something in common. But, are we the only ones that do this to ourselves? I have this friend, in college she was always going ninety to nothing all day and night long. She was always, and I mean always busy, we all thought she was crazy. Then after college she kept on the same track. Worked two jobs, was on all kinds of committees, volunteered her time for many different organizations. I would think to myself, “where does she find the time?”, and “I don’t ever want to do that to myself”. I saw how stressed and completely exhausted she was. But, she seemed to like things that way and handled it all so well, better than I ever thought I would. Now days, she has found a way to slow down and tell people “No”. She says, she is happier and has more time to enjoy herself. But, we do change as we get older, right? Right. As for me, I have turned into what I thought I could never handle, and the funny thing is, I don’t even know how I got here.

Since November, you may have noticed a lack in my blogs. I wrote about part of my schedule conflict back in December. That was when I decided to get a part time job at Pottery Barn for the holidays. The job, where nothing was going to change, I promise. Yeah, that didn’t happen. I did stick with it, but it came with many regrets and with a bad wrap to my time management skills. Trying to keep up with housework, kids, playdates, writing, cooking, another part time tutoring job, was close to impossible. Then after Christmas I started to watch Will’s godparents little girl. Which actually is one of the highlights of my week for a few reasons, my kids absolutely adore her, it is teaching me how to handle three little ones (no, I am not pregnant), and it actually slows me down… a little. To add to that I forgot to mention I was helping plan an auction at our kids school, this is where the line was crossed for the ultimate life of being overbooked. Starting in December I spent almost four to six hours a day out on the town trying desperately to get donations for the big auction. It was harder this year with the bad economy. Sometimes I was lucky enough to do this with no kids tagging along, but many times I was out with all three of them. It may have helped however because some of the people that donated, I think simply felt sorry for me. I had Luke whining for a snack, Will dressed as Batman trying to fight off the bad guys, and the poor little girl I was watching was probably exhausted from all the places I was dragging her too. They were all such troopers, most of the time anyways. I went and went all day long, from auction to kids, kids to tutoring, tutoring to kids, housework back to kids and so on…. I was dying! I did not think I was going to make it. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel. In February I would be done with Pottery Barn. It helped, but the auction was close behind. That week was, what I like to called a “blur”. My husband was of course, out of town, but my mom who has to be a saint stayed with me, and helped me pull it all together by watching the kids. The entire week was dedicated to the auction and I could not have gotten though the week without her. You never can underestimate the power of a mother. Especially after you become one, and you learn what it takes, to be there unconditionally, ALL THE TIME for your family. My husband came home hours before the auction began, tired and without luggage. That thankfully it arrived two hours before the auction begin. The night was a success, and the school raised a lot of money, in thanks to many wonderful donors and bidders.

Now onto a more normal life, back as to what I remember it. I may be a little tired, our house may have never been more dirty, our walls may be half painted (seriously), I still may be finding Christmas decorations that still need to be put away, and my family may have never felt more neglected, but I made it. What am I going to do now? I’m sure I will think of something, I always do!

Things Kids Say Thursday #14

2010-01-28T08:40:00.002-06:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. My intention is to write these quotes each Thursday, so come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

Luke’s Quotes for the week: (He is 4)

Luke- “Mom, can Pottery Barn just be closed today, I want you to stay home?”
Mom- “No, honey I cannot close the store just because you don’t want me to go to work.”
Luke- “Yes you can, it’s your store.”
________________________________________________________

Luke- “My brain is itching.”
Mom- “What?”
Luke- “My thoughts will not stop, and I am trying to concentrate.”
________________________________________________________

Luke- (He was flipping through a Victoria’s Secret Catalog) “Mom you should get this for the summer.”
Dave- (Our Neighbor) “What you need to say Luke, is this is what she should get for Dad.”
Luke- “No, Crazy Dave, this stuff is only for girls.”
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Luke- (As he taps his glass at dinner with his fork) “Attention everyone, I wanted to thank mom and dad for this wonderful meal, it looks like the best food I have ever seen.”
(I am trying to figure out where he saw that done, and my mind goes blank.)
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Luke- “The bones in my leg are bleeding from the inside, and my heart feels like it may explode, I can’t walk either and I think that I may have a fever. So….. can I stay home from school today?
Mom- “Nice try buddy but you are going to school.”
Luke- “ohhh, okay.”

(I believe that we may have read the poem, “Sick” by, Shel Silverstein one too many times.)
________________________________________________________________

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is two)

Will- “Mom since I’m dressed up today, could you be Britney Gaga.”
Mom- “Do you mean Britney Spears or Lady Gaga?”
Will- “I mean Britney Gaga; I want you to be a little bit of both.”
(I should have known, this was coming from the little boy in cowboy boots, an Aggie Helmet, a batman cape, and holding a light saber.)
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Will- “My tummy is talking to me.”
Mom- “Really, what is it saying?”
Will- “It’s saying, I need some candy in it.”
____________________________________________________________

Will- “I did it, I pooped in the potty.” Now I am a big boy and I can even drink wine now.”
____________________________________________________________

What funny things have your kids said lately?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. I am going to see how it goes, and hopefully I can start a trend. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes.

Not My Usual Post...

2010-01-12T20:51:00.002-06:00

I know that this blog is mostly funny, yet very true stories about how crazy my boys, dogs and life as a stay at home mom are. This post is going to be a little bit different, yet still very true. I do not talk about this often; in fact I don’t even think I have mentioned it before at all. My son and I suffer from a disorder called Neurofibromatosis “NF”, along with my mother and late grandfather.

Not many people have heard about this disorder and even fewer people know what this disorder entails. Our family has been very lucky to have mild to moderate effects from NF. A few years ago however, we had a scare with our oldest son Luke, they found a tumor behind his eye, basically in his brain, that they wanted to keep an eye on. Our first reaction was, “oh, crap, what happens if it grows?” Their answer was radiation or chemotherapy with a possibility of surgery. The idea of brain surgery on my two year old at the time was inconceivable. We prayed every night for the tumor to not grow. We went in for scans, and they were no picnic. Since he was so young they had to put him under heavy sedation so that he would not move during the scans. After several pricks, a screaming baby and a flustered mom, they finally got the needle in, only for it to come out again and he woke up. They tried again, got it and he was out. In he went for his scan. Results…it was not growing, for now. Another scan again in a year. After three scans, and three years, we got the news that we were praying for, no growth and no more scans! This type of tumor does not often grow after the age of three. Thank God!

That night we celebrated with champagne. Not only us, but little Luke had his very own glass!! He was so proud, and we felt so blessed.

Though we escaped that chapter in the battle of NF with our little guy we still may have more to come in his lifetime. We continue to pray for him, myself, my mother and all others who suffer from NF. We pray for a cure.

The reason that this post came about is that my husband is running the Houston Marathon this Sunday January 17th for NF. He has sacrificed his time, body and energy into completing this marathon to raise money for NF. I am so proud of him for doing this for us and others that have this disorder. To learn more about NF please visit their website at http://www.nfinc.org or http://www.ctf.org. And if you are able to make a small donation of any kind we would greatly appreciate it. My husband has a secure site that was set up for the marathon and all proceeds are tax deductible and go 100% to the NF foundation, that site is www.firstgiving.com/derrickhaas. I would also be thrilled if you could pass this post onto others. Thank you so much to any of you who donate, and if you can’t just please go to the web site and learn a little bit about NF, a disorder that is suffered my more people than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s disease combined.

Can Working Be a Break?

2010-01-11T12:38:00.006-06:00

As a stay at home mom I am always running around, usually in twenty different directions. It is not very often that I get to stand still. Sometimes I feel like I am in the middle of a merry go round and the world is spinning around me. Most of my days are spent being a bottom wiping, diaper washing, toddler chasing, clothes folding, floor moping, toy cleaning, errand running, question answering, fight stopping; mother. Among other things.

If you read my blog often you may have noticed a lack of entries. No, I did not fall off the face of the earth, and no, I have not done anything crazy like get a job, wait, that is exactly what I did. You may be thinking at about this time, is she insane? On top of being a stay at home mom, tutoring part time, teaching a cooking class once a month, and being a professional maid, cook, teacher and let’s not forget wife too, I have decided to get a job for the holidays. Crazy is what you are thinking right now, yes? Well, that is what my husband said when I told him about my marvelous plan that was not going to change a thing, I promise. Clothes would still be washed, dinner would still be ready, and our boys will still be cared for in the same upmost diligent fashion as they were before. Nothing will change, and guess what; we will have extra money for Christmas at the same time. It’s a win/win situation, right? If wrong is what you are thinking, then you are right, and I was ever so inconceivably wrong. You may be wondering where did she ever decide to get this great job that was not going to change a thing, well, that was my first mistake, Pottery Barn.

Now I love Pottery Barn just as much as the next guy, okay, I probably love it more. But, all that extra money I was supposed to make, yeah, well, it is now being held hostage at Pottery Barn in exchange for all their amazing stuff that I just had to have. One upside, our house is looking much like page 12 of the new catalog. Which is nice, but I have to ask myself, is it worth all this trouble? Finding a babysitter four nights a week because I am often scheduled to start work before my husband can get home, not getting to put my kids to bed all those nights, being gone for what it felt like the entire week of Christmas, and let’s not forget all the other things I still needed to get done, because I said things were not going to change. Why did I have to say that? But, there is one more upside; once I got to work it felt more like a break than a job. Things were running at a slower pace. Everyone around me had a smile, and no one cried. I got to spend a few hours not chasing after a screaming toddler that insisted on wearing his Spiderman costume while he went to the bathroom, and then gets mad when I have to take it off and wash it because well, you get the picture, or spending my time constantly answering all the questions that my four year old throws my way. Don’t get me wrong I love that he asks questions, and I want him to go right on doing it, but every waking moment can be challenging at times. But, for the brief period of time that I was at work I felt like I was on a break, and better yet, I was getting paid.

Then I got off, had to leave and go back to work, I mean home. Once I got home that slower pace that I was on was multiplied times a thousand. The boys are screaming, house is a mess, and the husband did not look happy. I wonder if this is how he feels when he gets home from work? It is after 9, I get started on all the chores, put the kids to bed if they are not there already, eat dinner and get things ready for the next day, because my oldest son will be up at the crack of dawn. I finally lay down and fall asleep around 1 or 2am. This is not what I signed up for, and yes, things have defiantly changed. I am not super woman, and dinner is not on the table every night, and at times laundry is piled up as high as me, and the floors have not been mopped since I don’t know when. But, I made a commitment and I have to stick with it. I have three weeks left to go. Will I make it? Stay tuned….

Things Kids Say Thursdays #13

2010-01-07T11:42:00.003-06:00

Things Kids Say Thursday's #12

2009-12-17T10:12:00.003-06:00

Things Kids Say Thursday's #11

2009-12-10T12:25:00.002-06:00

Loss in the Family

2009-11-24T09:50:00.004-06:00

No, we did not lose a family member, well, not exactly. About a year ago I was washing dishes; I have one of those heavy cast iron pots that had soaked overnight with the lid on. I go to lift off the lid and I see something floating in the water, to me it look like some of the food that had come loose from the pot, which was the reason I look the lazy route and soaked it. Upon a closer look I could tell that is was not food. I quickly peer into our family fish bowl to see if Harry is happily swimming around. No fish! Where is he? I begin looking around, and I actually am calling his name.

“Harry, where are you?” In my head I’m thinking of that pot, no way, how? I go and scoop out the floating debris and find our family fish, Harry in my hands.

Most people’s first reaction would be, Oh, no how sad! Me, “How in the hell did that fish to that? Where did he think he was going, the ocean?”

Then I thought; maybe he was like the giraffe and he wanted to go off by himself to die. If he had dying on the mind he sure did a lot to get there. He could have just jumped out and died that way. But, no, not this fish. First he decided to jump out of the fish bowl, and after that he had to flop his way down the bar, across the counter and into the sink. Now he had to make a giant leap into the pot full of hot soapy water, and let’s not forget about the five pound cast iron lid that was on the pot! Seriously. It is still a mystery to us all. I tucked Harry into a napkin and placed him in a plastic bag ready for burial.

We did get a new fish, the boys named him Jack It Haas (yes they chose the name themselves). He is happily living in our kitchen and has not tried to escape. Yet!

A few things to note, one Harry is still sitting in our garage in the plastic bag waiting for burial, and two, the morning after Harry made his great escape, I actually fed him, and did not notice that he was not in the bowl.

To read more true stories like this one click below:

Things Kids Say Thursday's #10

2009-11-19T00:00:00.000-06:00

Things Kids Say Thursday #9

2009-11-12T10:37:00.005-06:00

A Day In The Country

2009-11-10T10:15:00.004-06:00

I few weeks ago we were out at our place in the country. We were getting ready for our big annul BBQ that we have every year. It is so much fun when the time comes, but getting ready for it is a job, a big job! The place is cleaned once a year, right before the party. The house is full of dust, which apparently is the only thing I am allergic to in this world. The funny thing is that I am only allergic to the dust there, and not dust anywhere else. That question remains to be a mystery to me.

Trying to get everything done with two small active boys is, well, impossible. So I end up entertaining them, while everyone else works on the cleaning, organizing and utter chaos. Then when my boys take a rest, I clean. Now let me put this in a nice way, my dad is nothing other than what you call a hoarder (sorry dad, but you are). He saves everything and when I say everything, I mean everything. It does have its good points, for me anyways. If there is something that I need my dad has three of them. When it is bad for me, is when we go up to the farm and clean before our BBQ.

Fishing was next on the agenda when the boys woke up. We get the gear, catch the grasshoppers and we are ready to go. Our floppy yellow Lab Franklin behind us, yes again! And yes, he again threw himself out to the pond after the cork, and yes, he got the hook stuck in his mouth, again! This time I was flying solo and I was chasing him with the fishing pole in my hand so that the hook would not get further embedded in his gums. Right after I get the hook out, this is when Will decides we have not had enough excitement and falls into an ant pile as big as he is. I run and swoop him up hang by his feet while he is laughing I am swatting ants off his clothes. I could not believe it, but he only had one any bite. How is that? We walk back to the house because I am done by that point, and I need a beer. Will is filling himself with cup after cup of lemonade that is left over from the party the day before. After what was probably is 6th cup, he stops grabs his stomach and proceeds to throw up all over the place, including himself. It shot out of him just about as fast as Franklin pounces after a cork. I had at least finished my beer by the time this happened, good thing too, because I think it was the reason I was able to laugh. He got cleaned up, we rinsed off the driveway, and what did Will do? He went for another glass of lemonade. And what did I do, nothing accept have one more beer; I think I might need it.

Click here to check out more true stories like this one:

Things Kids Say Thursday #8

2009-11-05T10:41:00.003-06:00

Things Kids Say Thursday #7

2009-10-29T00:00:00.002-05:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. My intention is to write these quotes each Thursday, so come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

Luke’s Quotes for the week: (He just turned 4)

Luke- (He put a soccer ball under his shirt), “Look Mommy, I am going to have a baby.”
_____________________________________________________

Luke- (We were at a party and he asks the DJ), “Can you play that Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) song, Party in the USA, I really like that song?”
____________________________________________________

Luke- While dancing to this song this is how he sings part of it, “Welcome to the land of fame and sex, am I gonna fit in?”
(The Lyrics actually read, and yes I had to look it up, are “welcome to the land of fame excess, am I gonna fit in?” He was close, we did have a little talk about that word and taught him the proper lyrics.)
Luke- (While I was teaching him the right way to sing it he sang), “welcome to the land of famous sex, am I gonna fit in?”
(After a little practice he got it, but he was pretty much right with the lyrics both times he just didn’t realize it.)
___________________________________________________

Luke- “Mom will the coyotes get me while I’m sleeping?”
Mom- “No, Luke they don’t come inside.”
Luke- “Just in case can Franklin (our dog), sleep with me?”
Mom- “Sure.”
__________________________________________________

Luke- “My dupa (Polish for bottom) has a problem.”
Mom- “What is the issue with your dupa?”
Luke- “I hurt it on that chair right there, and it will not stop throbbing.”
____________________________________________________

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is two)

Will-“I want a Starbuck!”
(We were at HEB, and he meant “Buddy Bucks”, they are these fake dollars that they hand out to kids so they can win prizes in a machine on their way out.)
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Will- “Will the donkey bite me?”
Mom- “He might.”
Will- “If he bites me, can I bite him back?”
Mom- “Yes, but just this once.”
Will- “Okay, I will be ready.”
(He walks up to the donkey with his mouth open and chomping his teeth.)
_________________________________________________________

Will- “Okay everybody I am ready to drive Grandpa Charlie’s tractor.”
(He climbed up on his own because no one would listen to him, and he started singing very loud.)
Will- “Grandpa Charlie has a farm, E-I-E-I-O….”
_________________________________________________________

Will- (He is talking to his animals.) “I am Opitmus Prime, the best Transformer of all, do not mess with me cause I will defeat you.” (He is talking in his best Optimus voice, very loud and deep.)
_________________________________________________________

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. I am going to see how it goes, and hopefully I can start a trend. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes.

What is that smell and where is it coming from?

2009-10-27T12:40:00.009-05:00

One day when I was walking though our cluttered garage I begin to smell something. What is that? I did not think much of it and I kept going about my business. The next day, I smelled it again. Hmmm, maybe I should check this smell thing out? Got distracted, and then forgot about it. That is until a week later I smelled what had to be a dead animal! I could not even walk in there anymore, and I’m thinking this smell is going to start seeping though the walls. Okay, now this is serious. There is something decaying in our garage and we really need to find it. I look where I can, like I said, and this is putting it nicely, our garage is cluttered.

I told my husband we need to do a full sweep and get rid of all this mess, and then somewhere along the way we can find out what this smell is, and where it is coming from. I am blaming my husband this whole time because I would never let anything like this happen inside the house, never, I keep things very clean and tidy all the time, and there is no way that I would allow a smell like this to fester. We spend the entire Saturday cleaning out the garage. We start at the doors and work our way back. Everything is coming out and going back in an organized fashion. I’m thinking this whole time, man, this is all his fault! We work for an hour, still don’t know what is creating this foul smell. Two hours, three, four. Okay we need a break. After the entire garage is out in our driveway we begin to work on the shelves. I am starting to get slightly upset that we have not found where this is coming from. As I get more upset I get more mad at my husband. I go inside and think about giving up, and letting him deal with it all, I mean it is his fault anyways.

Then my husband comes in with a big smile on his face, “Found it!”

“ Really, what was it? A dead mouse, rabbit or maybe a raccoon?”, I say.

“ No, just come have a look,” my husband says, still smiling.

He holds up a grocery bag that he found behind his tool box on the shelf beside the refrigerator. Inside were the contents of a whole chicken from the store that I had taken out when I was cleaning the freezer two weeks ago and apparently it did not make it’s way back in there. Whoops!

We had to air out the garage the whole weekend and the smell lingered for about another week. Also, my husband has not let me forget that it was all my fault. That’s what I get; maybe I have learned my lesson? Na! Also, one would think that this has taught us to keep our garage more organized and clean, not so much. We mean too, but it just seems to fill back up. I wonder what we will find next?

Click here to read more true stories like this one:

Things Kids Say Thursday #6

2009-10-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week. Be sure to come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

Luke’s Quotes for the week: (He just turned 4)

Luke-“The some of the kids at school called me a box.”
Mommy- “What does that mean?”
Luke- “I don’t know, it just sounded like a bad word.”
____________________________________________________

L-“Hi nurse, I know you are using that machine to check my blood pressure, but don’t worry it is at a good pressure, I eat my vegetables.”
______________________________________________________

L- “You are here to give me shots, right?”
Nurse- “Yes, I am”
L- “Okay, I am ready, but try to be gentle, and do it quick too.”
N- “I will do my best.”
L- “Thanks.”
______________________________________________________

L- “Boys have little “obbies” and girls have big “obbies”, girls have big ones so they can feed their babies milk.”
______________________________________________________

L- We are in my mom’s convertible at our farm, and he raises his hands and says, “Thank you God for this beautiful day, and thank you for keeping the monsters out of my bed last night!”
________________________________________________________

L- He was totally asleep, and I went to check on him, he says as I walk out, “I met a girl, but she would not tell me her name.”
(My husband also talks in his sleep, I guess that is where he got it from, should I be worried, he talks about meeting girls in his sleep now too?!?)
_____________________________________________________

L- “My eyes are burning mommy.”
M- “Why?”
L- “Because you made me so happy!”
_______________________________________________________

Will’s Quotes for the week: (He is two)

Will-“Mamma, what are all those spots on your tummy?”
Mommy-“Those are tumors.”
Will- “You need some medicine to make them go away?”
Mommy- “No, medicine won’t make them go away.”
Will- “What if I pull one off?”
Mommy- “That might work, but it would hurt Mommy.”
(I have a genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis (NF), which can cause tumors to grow on your nerves and skin, among other issues).
_____________________________________________________

W- “Mom, I need another snack, I’m thinking an apple.”
M- “No, Will you have already had two apples today. Do you want to get a tummy ache?”
W- Yeah, that will be okay.”
___________________________________________________

M- “Will what is that smell coming from your underwear, did you poop?”
W- “Naa, it was the Decepticons!”
M- “Are you sure?”
W- “Yea, Momma, I promise.”
(It was not him, nor as surprising as it may seem, not the Decepticons either, it was a fart from our yellow lab sitting at my feet, under the dining room table).
___________________________________________________

W- Last week our air went out; my husband was talking to someone about the transformer being bad, Will came running up to me and said, “Momma there is a Transformer in our attic, and it’s a bad one.”
_________________________________________________________

What Funny things have your kids said this week?

I would love for you to start writing "Things Kids Say" on your blog, on Thursday's with me. I am going to see how it goes, and hopefully I can start a trend. Below is Mr. Linky, ladies and gentlemen get out your pens and keep track of all those quotes.

Please don't forget to leave a comment before you link up and also be sure to tell your readers where they can find all the other "things kids say", by listing my link on your post.

The Adventures in Fishing

2009-10-19T11:28:00.006-05:00

Recently we took the boys fishing at our farm. Luke had just received a new Transformers fishing pole for his birthday, and was dying to go catch a fish. We catch grasshoppers which was an adventure in itself. If that was all that we would have done I believe that the boys would have been completely satisfied.

We make the long hike down to the pond, and our trusty yellow lab, Franklin is at our side. Now, if you know about yellow labs you know that they like, no LOVE water. One would think, maybe it’s not such a good idea to let him tag along. I apparently was not one of those people.

Finally everything is set, and we cast out the line. Right behind the cast is Franklin, diving in after the cork. He hops though the water as we are yelling “STOP, Franklin, COME BACK!” with one thing on his mind, “gotta get the ball, gotta get the ball, gotta get the ball.” You see, the cork we used was red and white and ball shaped, but that really did not matter to him. We could have thrown a dirty diaper in, and he would have swum after it to retrieve. It is in his blood.

So he gets the cork along with the bait and hook. While swimming back with a proud look on his face thinking, “I did it mom, aren’t you pound?” he gets tangled in the fishing line. He gets out and we are still yelling for him to stop, meanwhile he begins to shake off all the access water all over us. He now figures out that there is a hook is in his lip and starts pawing at it, and running in circles.

This is when we start chasing him trying to get it out. Now he thinks this is a game, and forgets about the pain in his lip, and proceeds to play chase with us. I am running behind him with the fishing pole, and my husband is trying to catch him to get the hook out. After getting tangled in the line ourselves, we finally catch him and free him. The only thing that was harmed in the incident was the grasshopper that must have been consumed by Franklin in all the chaos.

We do eventually get the line untangled, Franklin was sent back to the house and Will did catch a fish, it was a whopping 5 inches long. He was so proud of himself that the size did not matter. Luke was not as lucky, but he did learn to become an expert grasshopper catcher. Then there was the lesson I learned, never bring a dog fishing, especially one that retrieves.

All I had was my iPhone with us, so these were the best shots I could get.

Things Kids Say Thursday #5

2009-10-15T00:00:00.002-05:00

Learning a Lesson…in a Three Year Olds Eye’s

2009-10-13T11:07:00.002-05:00

The other day we were at Target (yes, again). Luke’s birthday was coming up, so I prepared the boys for not asking for anything at Target. I could see them staring at everything like a little kid looking though the candy store window. Their eyes had that twinkle and the look of amazement as we were walking though the toy isle to pick out a birthday gift for a friend. But, they did not ask for a thing. Each time we go to Target we do get popcorn, mainly because Mommy really likes popcorn and I have seemed to convince my kids that the popcorn is for them. They may soon realize that Mommy sneaks half the bag.

We were about to leave and Luke had his popcorn bag folded over to save his left over popcorn for later. We get home, and I go to put the left over popcorn in a Ziploc bag so it does not to stale. No Popcorn, but the bag is not empty. There was a Snow White doll tucked away in there. What! I storm over to Luke and I know he is thinking, ohh, crap, she is really mad, what did I do now? We had a serious talk about what had happened. He had to write an apology letter to Target, and we went back to return the doll. When we got there, he talked with the store manager, and she asked him,

“This is called stealing; do you know what that means?”

Luke, (as he grips onto my leg with all his strength, and begins to cry), “Yes, it means the police are going to come and take me to jail!”

Everyone around was cracking up, but the store manager kept from laughing and was very serious. She told him that was not going to happen this time, and Luke wiped a tear away from his eye. He told her he would never do this again.

He defiantly learned a lesson that day, and is under complete understanding now about what stealing is. It was a hard lesson for a three year old to learn, but all the while, a good one. He still came home and had a punishment, because I wanted him to fully understand the seriousness of his actions. I had to do it. Punishing him for this reminded me of the time when he was very little and he got out of his car seat while we were driving. I had never told him to stay in his car seat. One, I did not think he could get out, and two, it just seems logical, when you are in the car you stay in your seat (I have learned that three year olds do not think logically, go figure). So, the day he got out I could have just stopped and put him back. But, what do you think would have happened? Yes, he would have done it again. So, I pulled over, took him out of the car and gave him a good spanking. I’m sure I was getting looks and some serious thoughts of spectators wanting to call child protective services. But, it had to be done, and guess what? He has not gotten out again. Surprise. Surprise. Punishments that fit the crime, can work, and do, even for a two and three year old. They are smarter than you think; I am learning that more each day. The scary thing is the older they are the smarter they get.

Reflecting later that night about our incident at Target, I was thinking of all the things he could have taken he chose a Snow White doll? Then I also thought, Luke was not the only one who learned a lesson that day. I learned that if I don’t tell my kids not to do something, then they don’t really know that it is wrong. If you think about that, you find it to be true. As far as he was concerned that day, he did not do anything wrong, he now thinks differently, and I did have to give him a little credit, he did follow my directions, he did not ask for anything.

Things Kids Say Thursday's #4

2009-10-07T17:34:00.011-05:00

Honesty is Key

2009-10-05T11:27:00.010-05:00

I received this award recently from Brooke over at Keeping Up With Hunter.

It was the first blog award I received. Saying it like that makes it sound like I have a whole pocket full, I only have two. Accepting the award has rules, I am not one to always follow the rules, but there are always exceptions. Rules are, to list ten honest things about yourself. If you read my blog I am blunt and honest to start. I say it how it is, or how it happened. So below are my ten bits of honesty about me…

1. I am not a morning person, when I wake up in the morning I would prefer no one to talk to me for about 20 minutes. Like that would ever happen. I remind myself of character, Carrie Bradshaw from Sex In the City, when she tells Aden to not talk to her when she gets home.

2. When I found out I was pregnant with our second, son, Will, I was terrified. I was not ready for our little surprise package, but ready or not, he came…and he continues to surprise us each day, I will give him credit, he is consistent.

3. I hate when my husband travels for business, mainly because that is when I find mice and snakes in our garage, our air goes out, our sons get a stomach virus at the same time, our dogs eat a rabbit in the backyard and then throw up said rabbit all over our living room, and much, much more!!

4. At times I am jealous of my friends who do not have kids. Just, once, I would like to pick up, and just go on vacation. It does not even have to be a nice vacation, just a vacation, seriously any where would do. No wait, just once I wish I could just pick up and go to the grocery store. Who ever knew a chore so simple could become so darn impossible.

5. I hated college. Don’t get me wrong the partying, and no responsibilities were great and all, but why did school and studying have to get in the way? If I could have found a way to get that experience without the school, that would have been great. Wait, I could have done that.

6. I feel like I always want what I don’t have. If I have short hair, I want long hair. If we are eating Italian food, I want Mexican food. When I didn’t have kids I wanted kids, and now that I have kids I….just kidding, I think I will keep them, I have grown sort of attached to the little guys!!

7. I love to read, but I don’t ever seem to find the time to do it. I keep buying books and they keep stacking up on my night stand. I used to read all the time, I wonder where all my time is dedicated to now, anyone? Anyone? (Ferris Bueller)

8. Each month we seem to go over our budget, and I am not sure how. We do not use credit cards, and I have not gotten anything new since I can’t remember when. Where does the money all go? If I could just stop in all from going out, and get more of it coming in. Wait, it’s called Stay at Home Mom. Anyone else suffer from this?

9. I still get carded when I go to the store to buy alcohol….or permanent markers! Did anyone else know you can get carded for buying these?

10. People think that I am a patient person, truth; I think I am the most impatient person I know. Some days I could just yell and some of the people that I spent waiting on or behind, the grocery store, traffic, my kids, seriously, what takes so long, don’t they see that I am in a hurry, and if they ask the cashier another question about how that those chips were on sale, I am going to lose it. Just pay the extra 6 cents and let’s move on people.

I would like to pass the award onto these blogs…
1. Teacher Turned Mommy…not as easy as it sounds!
2. Scary Mommy
3. The Lost in Suburbia Blog
4. Eyeglasses & Endzones
5. Mom’s the Word
6. Well, That’s Just Fabulous
7. An Army Wife’s Life
8. Glad Dad’s Blog
9. 3 Little Monkey’s
10. Out-Numbered

Please go and check out their blogs. They are great and will give you a laugh or something to think about, and if you have time leave them a comment and let them know that you think their blog is great too!

Things Kids Say Thursday's #3

2009-10-01T10:08:00.004-05:00

2009-09-30T10:30:00.010-05:00

I am so honored that Heather at Two Little Monkeys plus One Hubby Equals One Happy Mommy gave me the One Lovely Blog Award! It was one of my first Awards, the other one will posted next week.

Here are the rules of the "One Lovely Blog Award"

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So it is my turn to nominate other blogs that I have come across that I love! Please go check them out, they are great, and if you agree sign on as a member and follow them too! Here are my nominations:

1. The Lost in Suburbia Blog
2. Keeping Up With The Kelly’s
3. Mommy Needs Coffee!
4. Cooking In Germany (with a Stove I can’t Understand)
5. Passion 4 Eating
6. Raising Three Boys-Not a Bow in Sight!
7. First Comes Love Then Comes Marriage
8. Keeping Up With Hunter
9. Scottsville
10. He & Me +3
11. Tales of a Short Southern Momma
12. Foursons
13. Monkeys and Mudpies
14. Life With Kaishon
15. MckMama

Enjoy reading, and thank you for stopping by!!

Mommy's Losing It...

2009-09-29T10:37:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like you are going to lose it? And why is it that some days can be so awful, but you still manage to pull it all together? Then other day’s one thing goes wrong and your world seems to fall apart.

I had one of those days recently, where everything went wrong. Nothing major, but I was thinking to myself that night how bad my day actually was. It was one of those days where my head was just not quite all there. It was raining out, the boys were crabby, we slept in, or should I say Will and Mommy slept in. My “sunshine” child did not get his yogurt drink, which, is the only thing that he eats or I guess drinks for breakfast. We of course are caught in a traffic jam, at 9:30 in the morning, but it’s raining so I halfway expected it. In return they are late to school, but I knew that because when we left the house they were already supposed to be there. I forget the umbrella, we get wet.

Then I take a deep breath, they are at school, we made it, late but nevertheless, we made it. I get a cup of Starbucks, my weekly treat, and I needed it. Fall has officially begun, Starbucks is offering their pumpkin coffee’s and breads. I never get them but they smell so yummy. I go though the drive though, and listen to the whole “shpill” on all the “pumpkin” products. Then at the end I am offered a whole pumpkin? What? I was tempted to say, “Yes I think I will take the whole pumpkin.” I wonder what they would have said? If you cannot tell, that was the highlight of my day. So, if the Starbucks guy reads this, and you were offering whole pumpkins to your customers, then you may be the reason I did not totally lose it that day.

After I get my Starbucks, I feel better and I am ready to tackle all the errands I have before I have to jet off to pick up the boys. I am in the middle of an errand and I get a call from the school. Will does not have a lunch. I’m trying to think back throughout my morning and then I remember, I did not attach his lunch to his backpack. Back home, and then back to school I go. Fun!

Off, to complete my errands, better make it quick because I have to be back at the school for a meeting in an hour. Maybe I should have just spent my day there, save some time. I get back to the school for the meeting, and no one is there. How did I mess this up! I check my email, a little late for that. Find out the meeting is actually next Tuesday. Perfect! I can tell that this is a day like “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day”, as the author, Judith Viorst puts it. Expect moving to Australia is not an option for me, I think my family would actually miss me, or possibly fall apart and not function. I have an hour to kill before I pick up the boys, so I go to the death trap store, Target, and spend way too much money. What is it about Target, I could need nothing at all, and come out spending $100, and I don’t even know how?

I drop the boys off to my mom, and I am off to tutor. Rush from one house to the next, always running behind. I get home at 9:30. I’m exhausted and can’t even remember the last time I washed my hair, but was too tired. On the bright side the day is done, and a new one begins tomorrow.

Normally a day like this would really cause me to lose it, but I guess two little boys make you grow up fast and, I think I may be at the point where I can laugh about these unfortunate experiences a lot sooner. As, for now, I have to go and pay my water bill, in cash, because the water guy is turning it off while I am staring at him from my dining room window, man I bet he feels bad. But, it is my fault I didn’t pay it on time. But, honestly, what kind of company now days does not offer online payments? I will tell you one, our water service, that who. Maybe they did not get the memo that it is year 2009! Seriously. I think I am in for another interesting day.

Things Kids Say Thursday's #2

2009-09-24T12:21:00.003-05:00

Potty Training Will- Update

2009-09-22T11:01:00.006-05:00

Houston, we have landed. Will has pooped in the potty. He was so very proud of himself, especially when he got his Optimus Prime that has been overlooking his potty trips, waiting for this milestone. He carried him around everywhere (for about two hours), then he…..pooped in his underwear. Man, he was doing so well. So, I had to tear Optimus out of the clutches of the little guys hands and place him back up on the towel rack. Saying he was upset is an understatement.

The next day he was able to earn Optimus back. “By George I Think He’s Got It!” Wrong! Now this time he pooped on the freshly cleaned carpet, and accidently stepped in it. Perfect! Back goes Optimums. He gives him up willingly this time since he figures he is in a bit of trouble with the carpet incident. He has just about got it down, but I have to stay on top of him.

The other day he followed me to the potty. If you have little kids then you know the bathroom is not even a private place. After he hears me go to the bathroom he has this look on his face….

I don’t think he would be more proud of me if I would have taken him to Chuck E. Cheese, after a trip to the movie theater where I let him dine on hot dogs and candy. Funny, the things that can amuse little kids. Wait, I do the same thing for his potty trips. Monkey see, monkey do, but this time the monkey copied correctly. Now only if this would work on everything.

I Heart Faces Candid entry- Mud Pies for Mommy

2009-09-21T12:07:00.006-05:00

This is my most favorite picture of my oldest son Luke, so spur of the moment. This picture was taken on New Years Eve right before the first sparkler he had ever held, burned his hand (of course!).

i heart faces is a photography blogsite that hosts weekly photo contests of faces for both kids & adults. This weeks theme is "Completely Candid".

Visit their website at: http://iheartfaces.com/

Things Kids Say Thursday's

2009-09-17T12:20:00.004-05:00

I have been keeping track of things that my kids say for a long time in a notebook, a piece of paper, iPhone notes, whatever I could grab the quickest. Here are some things that I my kids said this week, some of them have my reactions to what they said. My intention is to write these quotes each Thursday, so come back to see what my little men have come up with next week.

Luke’s quotes for the week (just turned 4)

“Mom I have some sad news, I swallowed a compass, but it’s OK, it will come out later when I go potty.”
“OK, I was not aware we had a compass, but you don’t appear to be choking, and you seem fine, but don’t eat your toys anymore.”

“I am so mad at you that I think the police might come and take you to jail.”
“Well Luke, then I might finally get some rest.”

“Michael Jackson died, right mom?”
“Yes, Luke.”
“He ate some bad medicine, right?
“Yes, Luke.”
“I won’t die if I eat medicine, right?
“No, honey, as long as I or your doctor gives it to you.”
The ladies at Hobby Lobby were cracking up. It was such a random thought out of nowhere.

“When I grow up I want to be a doctor, then a chef, and after that a pizza man.”
I’m thinking:
Isn’t that in the wrong order?

“Can I sleep naked?”
“Yes, as long as you are at home and no one special is over.”
“Like if, Miss World came over, then I should probably wear my PJ’s?”
“Yes, I think that would be a good idea.”

“Mom, don’t be an idiot.”
“Where did you hear that word?”
“Will”
(OK, no more TV, for you mister)

“When can I get married?”
“After College”

“Can we have grilled fish, artichoke and salad with capers for dinner tonight?”
“SURE!”

“I think I will have a beer with my lunch today.”
“I don’t think so; beer is for adults, not kids.”

“She has really big, Obbies.”
“We do not talk about people’s private parts in public.”
“Is that inconsiderate mom?”
“Yes, very.”

Will’s quotes for the week (2 years old):

I say, “Will you need to go to time out.”
“No mom, Will’s a Transformer!”
I say, “Transformer needs to go to time out.”
“No mom, Will’s Spider Man!”
I say, “Spider Man needs to go to time out.”
“No mom, Will’s Clifford!”
I say, “I don’t care who you are, go to time out now!”
“Waaaaaaaaaa…”

“Will is going to Oklahoma on a boat, bye.”
(We have never been or know anyone there, random.)

“Can we go see Santa Claus, today?”
“No, he is on vacation.”
“Where, in Oklahoma?”
“Sure.”

“Can you put some medicine on my PeePee, it hurts?”
“They really don’t make PeePee medicine.”
“Not even at Target?”

“Mom, Bubba ate my nuts.”
“Well, here, eat his.”

What funny things have your kids said lately??