Tattooed Momma

Holiday Wish List 2010

2010-11-29T21:50:00.003-07:00

So I am going to start blogging again and what a better restart than to link this AWESOME giveaway from Todays Mama . It is a HUGE GameStop prize (go to her site to check it out, there is just too much to try to copy it all) that is sure to make someone happy!

To participate you must include all of the text, including the links, in bold below:
Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?
I want my family to be together and have fun.

2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition?
We actually get together with my family and exchange presents on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning Roy, myself and the kids get up and open presents from Santa and each other, then after breakfast while the kids are playing with all of the new toys I start cooking a big prime rib dinner and then everyone comes over to our house to eat, drink & be merry!

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?
My idea of decadent would be an unlimited shopping trip to some home decorating stores. Or a house. Or a Jeep Liberty. Hmmm...that is a hard one. I think my first answer.

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
I get together with friends and family for a cookie/ornament exchange.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
We played Monopoly a lot. Sometimes we would play card games like War.

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
Well, we don't actually do a traditional Christmas with my husband's family so all of the traditions we do come from my family. We get together on the 24th, we turn A Christmas Story on at 6 pm Christmas Eve and yell at anyone who changes the channel for the next 24 hours.

7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip?
I have always wanted to go to New York for Christmas, or I would like to go see my family in Illinois that I rarely get to see.

8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?
This one is kind of easy for me, I really want Gran Turismo 5, I would love a DS for Morgan and I would love to have the MOVE Sports Champions Bundle for the PS3.

So there it is. Go check it out and see the other ways to enter. It is pretty easy and fun to do.

I will be back soon.

I'm Still Alive

2009-07-23T00:03:00.003-06:00

I am not giving up this blog, things have been pretty sucky lately and I have been working my butt off, but I will write a post about all of the latest happenings (including what I couldn't do in over a year and Roy did in one day) and with pictures tomorrow when I get home from work.

And tomorrow my Mom returns from her adventurous trip out east to pick up my niece and nephew. Summer can really start now!!! Except I work now. Boo Hoo Hoo!!!

Dancin', Dancin', Dancin'

2009-07-06T15:32:00.009-06:00

Our Fourth of July was fun. We went to a party at one of our friends house. They always make the best food (and have a fully stocked bar) so parties at their house are always fun. We talked about going to one of the parks that has fireworks but it rained really hard in the evening so everything would be wet, plus the kids were having a blast so we decided against the park. But we could see some fireworks from the back yard so it was okay. Carter ate his weight in watermelon and Morgan played with the other girls that were there. We got home at about 11:30 and both of the kids stayed asleep while I changed diapers and put them to bed. Then they both slept until almost 10 yesterday morning. HooRay!!

Yesterday we went over to my parents house and Morgan's friends came over to play with her. They were running around all day and I took the girls to see the horse next door. After dinner and more watermelon (Morgan told me we had to go back to our friends house so she could eat her watermelon, I told her we were going to Grandma & TaTa's and she asked if we could get one to take over there with) the kids were cleaning up the toys and asked Matthew if he would put on some dancing music for them to clean and dance to. He put on some Elvis. Here are the pictures and some videos.

I made her put on shoes that went better with Red, White & Blue.

YUMMMM!!! Watermelon.

If he was charging a quarter every time someone needed in the cooler he would have enough to buy 10 watermelon's.

Morgan loves all of her friends instantly.

Here TaTa, try this.

David loves Carrots

Dance Party

Carter loves to dance with Grandma and Morgan.

Carter dancing (spinning in circles) with Morgan's Wow Wow Wubbzy style glasses.

Morgan and TaTa dancing.

I hope everyone had a nice safe holiday weekend.

What's Up With Me

2009-06-29T12:43:00.003-06:00

I started this blog for a few reasons. It is a way to share pictures of the kids with my family that I don't (and do) get to see very often. It is a way to tell my family what I am up to with the kids without having to talk to them (not that I don't want to talk to them and I actually do talk to my Mom almost every day and work with my Dad now, yes I got a job). I needed something to do. It sounded fun. And it is fun. But lately things have been so hectic that even though I could blog everyday, I don't. I didn't blog about Father's day, I didn't tell my Mom happy Birthday, I didn't blog about getting a part time job and I haven't blogged about what is going on with Roy's job. Or his lack of a job. He hasn't actually lost his job, but there is no work for him right now.

That last sentence right there is why I haven't blogged. I am stressed out and scared. Roy is a finish carpenter who works mostly on high end custom homes. And he is damn good at it. You can give the guy a piece of wood and describe what you want him to do with it and he will build you the most beautiful-whatever-you-want you have ever seen. But right now, as everyone is aware, the economy is so bad people aren't having there houses remodeled. And we are screwed. He has worked about 40 hours in the last month and a half. I started working part time for my Dad, but it isn't enough to pay our bills. If Roy was working then the money I make would make it possible for us to go to dinner every once in a while or a movie or whatever. You get the idea, I am not making a lot of money.

But the thing is, this isn't the first time we have gone through this. In 2007, when the economy started to get bad Roy lost his job. And we had to move in with my parents. and then everything was looking up for us and we moved into our town home that we live in right now. And I love my house. It is the perfect amount of room for us, we have a play room, the kids have their own rooms, we have a big (community) yard to play in, a pool and tennis courts. There is a trail close by we go for walks on. Everything is convenient to get to. And now I am scared we are going to have to leave it because we can't afford it.

All of this is causing so much stress for both of us that I am freaking out. I am trying to keep a happy face for the kids (and I don't want Roy to feel worse than he does, since this is not his fault), but it is hard. I have been laughing and playing and doing crafts with the kids but all I really want to do is sit in a corner and cry. I keep asking myself "Is this going to happen to us every two years?" "Can I get a job full time and if I do would it pay enough to make it worth the cost of day care when Roy gets a job?" "How much would it cost for us to run away to Mexico?".
Sadly, the answers are Yes, this probably will happen to us every couple of years. No, me getting a full time job would not make enough money to make it worth missing out on watching my kids grow up once Roy gets another job (which is why I am a sahm) but would help right now so I really don't know the answer to that one. And we can't even afford to go to the Zoo for free let alone run away to Mexico.

So I am going to keep looking for a job for Roy (or me) and smiling and playing with the kids and accept the idea of moving in to an apartment. I will write an update post about all of the happier stuff going on around here soon. Maybe tomorrow.

Winner Winner!!!

2009-06-28T20:35:00.006-06:00

Have you noticed that very awesome button on the sidebar? That one right there that says "I won a Fabulous Fun Finds Freebie"? It is there for a reason. I won!!! I won the Hasbro, Swimways Pool Toys Giveaway. What does that include you ask? Let me tell you. In my prize package was a 20th anniversary reproduction Super Soaker 50. Sweet. A Tony Hawk Sub Skate. Awesome. And a Toypedo. Rad. Here are some pictures.

So on Friday Matthew & Krystal brought David over and we went swimming and got to play with the Sub Skate and the Toypedo. These are awesome toys. I know that when my niece and nephew come out next month they are going to have a lot of fun with these. So a big Thank You to Heather at Fabulous Fun Finds for hosting the awesome giveaways (go check out her site, she has a least one new giveaway or discount every day) and a big than you to my friend Karolien (who is getting ready to have a baby girl) for telling me about the site!!

Birth Stories

2009-06-11T20:26:00.010-06:00

I have noticed quite a few blogs about birth stories for the upcoming (starts Sunday June 14th)Baby Week on Discovery Health. So since I really have nothing exciting to write about I am going to tell mine.

I would like to say first, that with both of my pregnancies I had Gestational Diabetes. This puts both of my children and myself at a higher risk for diabetes in our future.

Morgan's Story

Morgan's due date was January 24, 2006. I had/have a "clump" of vericose veins that took up residence right under my uterus (only noticable when I had a 7 pound child living inside of me) which caused me so much pain I could hardly move (I also had this pain from Carter but my Dr. during the first pregnancy was a lot nicer about it). My doctor decided to induce me on January 20th because of this pain.

I can positively tell you that on January 19, 2006 it snowed. A lot. We went out to the outback for dinner, and then went home to go to bed. At about 3 am I started to feel some contractions and could not go back to sleep. I woke Roy up, not because I wanted to go to the hospital yet but because I was bored hanging out alone. He was not very entertaining so I didn't complain about him falling asleep on me.

We left early to get to the hospital because of the snow. I wanted to stop and get a sausage Mc Muffin but we, and by we I mean Roy, were worried about being late, not that they could start without me, so we didn't stop. We got there about a half hour early (6:30 am) and they admitted me. I told my nurse that I had a couple of contractions so they had me walk the halls for awhile and then checked to find out I was barely dilated to 2. Hmph. My Mom and Sister (who was visiting from MA and staying until I had Morgan) arrived and walked the halls with us. Finally at 1 pm they started me on pitocin. The contractions came pretty heavily. However they were not productive. They were long and did nothing. Once I dilated to 3 my Dr. offered my epidural. I gladly accepted.

Once my drugs kicked in I was great. I was actually sleeping, not a light nap, I am talking about the patient in the next room could hear me snoring kind of sleeping, while I dialated from 6 to 10. My Mom and sister, both of whom have never experienced the joy of the epidural, were pissed, to say the least. When I woke up the nurse checked me and told me it was almost time to start pushing and she would get my Dr. While I was waiting for my Dr my aunt Marly and my cousin's wife (Sam, who at the time was his 17 year old girlfriend) walked in. They had just seen Hostel at the movie theatre not too far away and wanted to see how I was doing. They asked if they could stay and I said "Sure, I don't see why not".

My Dr. came in and I pushed for 15 minutes and at 11:31 pm Morgan was born. A beautiful 7 lb 2 oz 21 1/2" long little girl.

Carter's Story

Carter was due on March 7, 2008. On March 9 at 2:30 in the morning I woke up having contractions. They were pretty far apart so I didn't wake Roy up (I learned he is not the best entertainment in this situation). When he woke up later in the morning I told him he was probably going to have to call in to work on Monday. I went about my day doing my normal Sunday stuff. Matthew called and my Mom told him I was in labor, which of course prompted him to ask what hospital I was at and freak out when he heard I hadn't left yet. Him and Krystal stopped by to see us at about 5:00 pm. My Mom and I left, not to go to the hospital, that would just be silly, to go to Wal Mart because I decided I must hav pj pants to wear after I gave birth and I had to get some stuff for Morgan to eat while I was gone. We went to the store and I had to stop a couple of times for a contraction. We got home and Roy told me I had better decide if I needed to go and I told him we could go after I ate a sandwich. We left at about 9 pm. When I got to the hospital I said "I think I am in labor, it is probably too early to admit me but I thought I should get checked out anyway". They took me up and checked. I was dilated to 5.

My Mom came right after they gave me my epidural and we hung out watching "Talledaga Nights. The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby" (best movie ever made). And then something happened. My epidural quit working. I called my nurse (they insisted I call them before pushing the button to administer more drugs) who told me the pain and pressure I was feeling were normal. This went on for about 4 hours. This woman would not call the anaesthesiologist to come and check my epidural. She would not call a Dr. (mine didn't arrive until 35 seconds before I pushed). She let me lay there hugging the rail to my bed screaming.

Now let me make myself clear on something. I understand some people in this world are against epidurals. I. Am. Not. One. Of. Them. I believe that a brilliant scientist worked in his lab to create the perfect drug for me to use. I always planned on using it. I never wanted natural childbirth. Never. Ever.

Finally at 3:15 am my Dr. arrived and said it was time to push, this was after I insisted he had fallen out of me and thought his head was at my knees. I pushed twice and at 3:31 am Carter was born. A beautiful 6 lb 13 oz 19 3/4" long little boy.

And the pajama pants I had to go get while I was in labor, I never even put them on. I was wearing jeans the morning Carter was born. Yes they were maternith jeans, but still.

Be sure to check out Baby Week on Discovery Health.

Sunday through Friday, June 14-19th, at 8pm each night on Discovery Health. Some of the shows airing are

Twins By Surprise - Sunday, June 14, 8pm
Little Parents, Big Pregnancy - Monday, June 15, 8pm
Births Beyond Belief -Tuesday, June 16, 8pm
Obese & Pregnant - Wednesday, June 17, 8pm

30 (It's My Birthday, My B-B-B-Birthday)

2009-06-04T09:00:00.001-06:00

I never feared turning 30. It never seemed old to me. Until today.

I'm not saying it's the end of my world, but it does sound a little older in reality than it did in the big lead up to it. However, I am still excited about my birthday (I am a birthday nutcase). Morgan told me she would get me balloons, we'll see if it happens. Tonight we are going to cook a nice dinner (shrimp alfredo and garlic bread), and on Saturday Chris & Kelley are coming over for grilled pizza and drinks, then on Sunday we are going to a great Mexican food restraunt with my family. I wanted to have a huge party but the planning never happened and my budget isn't really big party material right now.

So here I go. Over 30 years I have done the following...

Made friends that will be a part of my life until one of us dies. My longest friendship is 27 years now and the second longest is 15 years now. I still talk to them regularly.

Snuck out of my parents house in high school (more than once, hee-hee) and gone to explore the caves at Red Rocks

Learned how to play pool

Crowd surfed at a concert

Pierced my nose

Pierced my tongue

Gotten (8) tattoos (and will get a few more. Of this I am sure)

Skipped school (with permission) to stalk David Justice

Skipped school without permission. I used to pay Matthew to wait for the school to call. He usually forgot and left. I always said I was late and my parents never believed me.

Learned about sex way before I should have. One of the older kids told us what they were learning in school when I was in first grade

Gone to too many funerals

Become a certified First Responder

Become a certified dog groomer

Learned to drink for reasons beyond getting drunk

Learned that Mad Dog 20/20 is never good

Learned how to cook

Fell in love and had my heart broken

Felt the loss of a pregnancy

Become best friends with my sister and brother

Realized my parents are cool to hang out with

Birthed two totally awesome children (once in front of 4 of my family members and once with out drugs, although not by choice) and become an awesome mother

Married a wonderful man that I enjoy spending time with and talking too, and I am an awesome wife as well

Quit many jobs

Learned that the noises that drive me crazy every day are the ones I miss when they are not going on

Figured out how to feed a family for 60 dollars a week when necessary

Had a party when my parents were out of town. And got caught.

Lied to my parents about where I was staying for the night

Gone on a mission involving the adult stores (maybe I will write that story one day)

Spied on many boys while playing the Mission Impossible theme song

Learned that I really hate camping

Learned to play tennis

Driven everybody I know crazy reminding them my birthday was coming up.

Happy Birthday To Me!!

Well It's A, Major Award!!!

2009-06-02T10:38:00.004-06:00

I won something!! Recently Lindsay at Suburban Turmoil wrote a review for the new Macaroni Grill pre-packaged meals and had a giveaway to win a Macaroni Grill prize package. The prize was a colander, a hand held cheeses grater, a serving spoon and four (yes four) of the new packaged meals that you only have to add one or two ingredients to. Now, I don't really use the pre-made meals (Hamburger Helper type stuff) but I had tried one of these before and it was pretty good, which is why I entered.

And I won!!! I was so excited when I found out I was one of the winners, you would have thought I won money or something, but really four dinners is just as exciting to me. On Friday the doorbell rang and out mail man put a big box on the porch. here is what was in it.

Most of these say to add chicken to them, but on the side they have other ideas. So last night I made the Garlic and Herb one with Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage (if you have not tried this sausage run out right now and get it, it is the best). And I must say it was De. Lici. Ous. And, there was enough to feed all of us and have leftovers (which I ate for breakfast today). Another thing is that these really aren't very expensive, I checked at the store last night. They are under four dollars for a box. So with the price of the meat you can eat dinner for under ten dollars. That is pretty good.

You Mean I Can Leave My House To Get Away From My Husband And Kids And Get Paid For It???

2009-05-28T20:20:00.007-06:00

In other words I went to work today. Don't confuse this with me getting a job, but Roy hasn't been working this week and I mentioned this to Andrea and she said that she needed some help in the office. Which coincidentally is my old job, so I already knew the job and most of the people.

So this morning I got up and got ready to go to work for the first time in a year and a half. The kids cried when I left, but I knew they would get over it. It was after all only one (tomorrow will be two) day. And they were with their Dad.

I really haven't had any desire to work since Carter was born, (mostly because I don't know what I want to do. I don't want to go to work every day but I want to make some money. I am looking at home party businesses right now, but you need money to invest in those and we are currently broke) but I had fun. It was nice to be someone other than a Mom for 7 hours today.

And then I came home. And the house was a mess (which it wasn't when I left), and the kids started whining and everybody was hungry so I had to get something out of the freezer and defrost it and put it in the oven, both the kids needed diapers and seemed to need to go to bed (at this time only one of them is in bed) and I had to pee. And you know what? I was irritated by all of this.

I am not saying that one day of working means all of this is not my real job, but I guess I just expected that someone who has been watching me clean the house up all week while I take care of the kids could have picked up everything before I got home. I called when I was on my way. That will teach me to have high expectations.

My friend said she could use me anytime so I might consider working a day or two a week to make some extra money (and get out of the house) if I can find someone to come over and watch the kids for me. My Mom volunteered Matthew and Krystal (probably to get them out of her house for awhile) and I might have to talk to them about it.

On a totally different note here are some pictures of poor Carter's eye taken yesterday and today.

He still thinks he is a puppy

He really likes to yell at me

He was really ready for bed when I took this one

Look at that shiner!!

I am going to hang out and watch One Life To Live (shut up) and Two And A Half Men on dvr and then go to bed. I have to work tomorrow!!!

Poor Baby Carter

2009-05-26T22:00:00.004-06:00

I knew it would happen. I knew that one day we would have to go to the ER for something more serious than constipation. And tonight it did. Carter was mad because he was hungry and tired and I told him to leave the kitchen (he likes to stand in between me and the cabinet while I am at the counter cutting food for dinner) just like every night when I am getting dinner ready. He left the kitchen and was yelling (I swear he was cussing me out) and when he went around the corner to the living room he stumbled (he may have had his eyes closed) and fell. His head hit the corner of the bricks that go in front of the fireplace. And there was blood. Not an extreme amount, but enough for me to turn off the stove and for us to pile in to the car and drive to the hospital.

Once there we were seen right away. The Doctor told me they could stitch it or glue it. I told him to glue it. Out of curiosity I asked how many stitches it would have taken. 4 or 5 was the answer.

My little boy is a tough one. Here is the proof.

Right after we got home

Being tickled

He looks like a boxer in this one. This also freaked Morgan out a little when I took the Band Aid off. She keeps asking if he is okay. What a nice sister.

Yelling at me.

He is going to be fine in 5-10 days. He will also have a black eye for about the same amount of time. I have to wake him up tonight in a couple of hours to make sure there is no concussion. He is already back to normal.

Poor baby Carter.

Painted Pots And Pictures

2009-05-13T23:50:00.007-06:00

Yesterday I took Morgan to the store to pick out some flower seeds and get some pots. I told her she could paint the pots before planting the seeds. First thing this morning she was ready to paint. She got three packs of seeds and three pots. I got three packs of herb seeds and three pots. So while Carter was taking his morning nap we painted and planted. Here is the result.

Morgan's seeds she picked out. Zinnia's, Petunia's and Marigold's.

Morgan's painted pots.

My painted pots.

I also bought this cool thing for 5 dollars. Hopefully Roy will have my garden box built by the time these are ready for the ground (or I will put them at Marly's house).

Other than that I have been hanging out in Awesome Town (Animal Crossing City Folk. Yes I am so un-creative that I named my town Awesome. I am lame, I know). I got it for Mothers day and am addicted. So is Roy, even though he almost didn't get it for me because he said it looked lame. And in a way it is. But we are hooked. Here are some more pictures to look at. I will try to write a real post tomorrow.

Living Room Picnic.

Tea Party with Claude and Penguin, Morgan and I.

Sharing a Tootsie Pop.

Carter watching Roy finish the deck. Waiting to be big enough to help.

My Momma

2009-05-10T22:47:00.006-06:00

I am not really the sappy kind of person. I buy the funny cards instead of the sappy tearful ones. I don't really do sentimental. It just isn't me. If I suddenly started doing that my family would probably freak out.

But Mother's Day is kind of different. Not only because I am a Mom, but because mine is so darn special. She is the smartest, open hearted, open minded, giving person I know. She has always been there for us when we needed her. She has talked me through many tough times. She always give good advice (and maybe some day I will learn to take it more often).

She was there for the birth of both of my children (and her three other grandchildren). When I had a miscarriage four and a half years ago (that is another story I probably will never tell on this blog) my Mom was the first person I wanted to see. When Roy lost his job when Morgan was only a year old and I was pregnant with Carter she offered us a place to stay when we were about to be evicted (and recently did the same for Matthew and Krystal).

She is also the only person I could ride in a car with for five days with a five month old baby and not drive me absolutely crazy. Whenever we are together we have a great time. Some of the best laughs I have ever had were in a car (or more recently a hotel room at 3 am while Morgan was puking in an ice bucket, not at Morgan but at our "vacation") with my Mom.

When I let my friend pierce my nose she told me I would hate it. When she was right and I took it out a week later she told me she was starting to like it. The only time she said anything when I colored my hair was when I colored it blue/black, but she was still cool with it. When I pierced my tongue she told me it was gross but eventually quit noticing. When I came home with my first tattoo she thought it was cool. When I came home with the next six she admired them (as a Mother would, not like the creepy people in Sam's Club that walk up and lift the sleeve of my shirt to see my sleeve) even if she didn't really like them all.

So Mom, I hope you know how much I truly appreciate you and everything you do for me. I can truly say I have the coolest Mom in the world.

I love you. Happy Mother's Day!!!

One Small Step (very very small)

2009-05-08T11:37:00.006-06:00

Something I don't talk about much is potty training. That is because I have never done it. Morgan is allergic to dairy and we have had a lot of issues with her pooing. We have had trips to the ER, nights with no sleep and we have gone through more A&D ointment than a tattoo shop uses in a year. I really think the "issues" are the main reason potty training hasn't happened yet. There is also a small control thing going on too, but I don't really like to bring up the fact that I am being played by a three year old.

I have brought up her using the potty daily for the last year and a half. I have tried two different types of training seats, the traditional one that is a mini toilet with the "tray" you empty and a mini toilet seat that you place over the big one (this is the one I let her pick out herself trying to make it her deal), She told me it scared her.

I bought her panties (again, that she picked out), which she insisted I put over her diaper. I wouldn't, but she figured out how to do it herself.

I have tried every bribe I could. She wants to take ballet classes, go to preschool, stay the night at her Grandma and TaTa's house. I told her she could do all three of those things when she was potty trained. When we are at the store and she sees a toy she wants I tell her I will buy it for her when she is potty trained. To all of these she replied "Maybe Later" or "I'm scared to go on the potty".

Last night we were going up the stairs for bath time and I had a diaper in my hand. She told me she didn't want a diaper. I knew she meant that she wanted to take a bath and doesn't want one on in the tub, but I took this as a great opportunity to try the potty. I put her panties on her after the bath and we went downstairs with the promise of rainbow sherbet. This was not as pleasant as one might think it would be. The whole time (including in the bath) she was screaming so loud about wanting a diaper that I though the ringing in my head would never stop.

After a couple of bites of sherbet she started crying and screaming that she wanted a diaper. I told her she had to sit on the potty and pee and then she could have her diaper for bedtime. We went in to the bathroom and sat for 5-10 minutes (she screamed for about 3 of those minutes until I got out the hair clips and let her pick out which ones I should put in my hair) and then she finally went pee. I was so excited and gave her big praise, she started yelling at me for her diaper.

It was the first step in what I think will be a long long battle.

Why I Am Going Green (Kind Of)

2009-04-22T10:01:00.006-06:00

I never jumped at the whole "Go Green" movement or way of life. I have two small children and recycling is not the easiest or most convenient thing to do in Colorado. In most cities you have to hire trash companies that offer recycling for a cost that I always thought was a bit high. I mean, when you have two small kids and are living on one income that sort of thing is not at the top of the list. But when we moved into our town home we are lucky enough to have city trash service. Along with the trash service they offer free recycling. So I signed up for our dumpster.

But I will admit, I was doing it for a kind of selfish reason. I am too cheap to buy a bigger trash can for my kitchen (come on, have you seen the price of these? I have diapers to buy people!! I'm not green enough to use cloth diapers) and I was sick of having to empty my small one every day. I started looking at our trash and realized that between the bottles and cans and boxes I could recycle my tiny trash can would only need emptied every third day. So we started recycling.

And now I am the proud owner of reusable grocery bags. Again this was kind of a selfish reason. All of the grocery stores around here have big boxes in the entry for recycling plastic bags. But I always out them under my sink and forgot about taking them with me until they were jumping out at me when I opened the cabinet door, and at that point I would have to carry the bags along with Carter while I was holding Morgan's hand. It was not easy. The other day I was looking for something under the sink and this is what I pulled out.

Yes, I took them to the big box in the store.

And these are my (selfish) reasons for going what I would call light green. Happy Earth Day!!

Easter And A Bridal Shower

2009-04-21T10:11:00.011-06:00

I haven't written in what seems like forever. I was so busy planning Easter and then Samantha's bridal shower, I just didn't have time. I had plenty to write about, just not the time. So here is a re cap of everything.

Easter was nice. Morgan was sick on Saturday night so I was up with her all night, but I managed (with some help) to get everything done. My plan was to have everyone arrive at 2 and hang out for a while then we would do the outside (plastic) egg hunt, and then we would come inside and eat. But I was so tired and the weather was rainy and cold so that didn't happen. What did happen was that everyone was her by 2:15 and sat around talking and watching tv until 5:30 when the food was finally ready. Had I not been up all night with Morgan I would have been more on top of everything and my timing would have been adjusted for no egg hunt and dinner would have been ready earlier. But it was what it was. Everyone had a lot of fun and the food was delicious. Here are a few pictures.

My Easter Tulips

Coloring eggs. She wasn't feeling good but pretended to have a good time.

Carter tried to make her feel better. But it didn't seem to work.

This was actually the day after Easter. She refused to take her outfit off until Tuesday.

Carter decided to rest in David's car seat.

Morgan making him comfy.

David took his seat back.

Dessert table.

The best appetizer in the world. Jalapenos with cream cheese wrapped in bacon. I put them back in the oven on broil for a few minutes to get the bacon crisp, after I took this picture.

And then on Monday after Easter was over I started assembling the favor bags for the shower. I made 25 bags and each one had a scrubbie soap, two candles, citrus slice soap, rootbeer float bath salt and raspberry lemonade bath salt (which I don't have a picture of). I made all of this.

And my Mom made the food except the cake which was made by my friend Hillori.

And some beautiful ladies showed up for our tea party.

My Weekend. With Pictures.

2009-04-07T21:36:00.005-06:00

I was sick all weekend. I had a kidney infection. In both kidney's. I really thought at one point that I was going to die. I made Roy promise to take care of the kids as well as I do. When he asked if I wanted him to take me to the hospital I replied "I am NOT going to wake the kids up just so I can go die at the hospital". He started laughing at me and assured me I was not dying. He of course was right. I just needed some antibiotics and some pain medicine and two days on the couch. I am all better now.

I took the kids down to see my parents on Sunday. The plan was the kids would hang out with TaTa and my Mom and Marly and I would make invitations for Sam's (my cousin Ben's (Marly's son) fiance) bridal shower.

I was in so much pain that I wanted to stay home but I had promised Morgan we were going to see them (that'll teach me to make promises in order to get her to go to sleep) so I went, and since I was driving I couldn't take any (real) pain medicine. By the time we got there Mom & Marly had already designed the invitation and had decided to cut everything out and Marly would take them home and assemble them. I literally just sat there watching them do all of this. I told them I would be busy next week making candles and soap for party favors. I think they knew I was in a lot of pain and said it was fine for me to sit.

I am going to spend the rest of this week getting ready to have everyone over for Easter and then next week I am going to turn my kitchen into a candle/soap making lab. And I even have a surprise that involves pulling out my sewing machine ;~). So be sure to check that out next week. For now, I am going to get back to making my lists of things I need for all of my upcoming events.

An Avon box makes a great ride!!

This is the hat and purse that go with Morgan's Easter outfit. She didn't want to wear the hat but Carter did.

Then he ditched them for a tape measure. Such a boy.

Why would she want to wear this cute hat with her pretty Easter outfit Grandma made her when it goes so well with a Harley shirt and diaper?

Well Hello Again

2009-04-02T10:47:00.003-06:00

Do you ever feel like you have been really busy but when you actually try to figure out what you have been doing you can't think of anything that would make you busy? That is how I feel right now. Since we got back from our trip it has seemed like I am constantly going, going, going. But when I decided to post here I don't really know what to write about. So here is a post about nothing.

I got my Wii Fit. I have had it for 38 days. I haven't used it every day, I couldn't exactly take it to Illinois with me, but I have lost ten pounds since I started using it and dieting. Yes I am on an official diet. For the first time in my life. Well, one that I have stuck with longer than it takes to get to the closest Taco Bell. I will post an update every few weeks with my progress Yay Me!!

Remember all of those posts I wrote about how warm it has been here? Well, I knew it would end at some point, and it did. Last week. The week after it was close to 80 degrees all week, we had a blizzard. We only got about a foot of snow at my house but we are kind of blocked from the snow where we live. It snowed all day Thursday and in the morning on Friday.

My Deck

Morgan couldn't wait to play in the snow

She made a little snow man (which I thought I had a picture of but I guess not)

And then on Sunday it was pretty warm out. Yes, warm enough for a baby to play with snow (for the first time) in a diaper and t shirt.

He thought it was great.

And now this week it had been cold and warm. It snowed a little last night and we are supposed to get a big storm Saturday. I am just ready for summer.

Well I guess that's about all I have for today. I am going shopping with my Mom for stuff to make invitation for my cousin's fiance's wedding shower. That will be fun.

Really, I Don't Get What The Big Deal Is.

2009-03-23T12:35:00.008-06:00

Everyday when Morgan helps me clean up her stuff that has been scattered about the house I give her a quarter. She gets another quarter for brushing her teeth. She puts her money in a jar and then wants to count it every night. Her jar was full and I told her we could go cash it in and she could pick out a new toy. She very excitedly told me she knew what she wanted and said it was the new "Totally Styling Tattoo Barbie". Now if you are a regular reader of my blog (or even if this is your first time here) you know I have a few tattoos. And you might know that I have a drawer in my kitchen that has temporary tattoos in it for Morgan. If you have visited my Flickr page you have seen this picture, which has been viewed 112 times, where you can see a couple of her tattoos.

So on Saturday we went to the store and cashed in her change. She had about 21.00. Just enough to buy her Barbie (before tax). We came home and started playing with it. It comes with a sheet of stickers for Barbie's tattoos, four shirts, a skirt and a pair of jeans you can tattoo, two sheets of temporary tattoos and a tattoo gun, which is basically a water gun with a sponge on the end. You place the tattoo on the end of the sponge and put it on whatever you are tattooing and push down. It makes a noise like a tattoo gun. We were laughing so hard at this. Morgan tattooed everything she could.

Here is my issue. This is the second Barbie to come out with tattoos. The first one was removed from stores because so many parents were outraged about the doll. And now this one is drawing a lot of attention from parents who don't want their daughters (or sons) playing with this doll that has tattoos. Why? I have read a lot on this issue and the big argument is that Barbie represents an age that a lot of people get tattoos they later regret. It is a doll. If you don't like it, don't buy it. I do not feel like I am a bad parent because I let Morgan buy a doll that comes with tattoos. I feel like it is my job as a parent to teach my kids how to make the best decisions about life including tattoos. If they get a tattoo they later regret I will not blame Mattel or the Barbie doll Morgan had when she was three. And no, I also will not blame myself. Our kids are going to do stuff that they regret and we don't agree with. It is life. For now, I am going to have to buy more Barbie tattoos, since the ones that came with the doll were gone by Sunday afternoon.

Here is a picture of the Barbie I bought my niece for her birthday. Call me crazy but to me the cup she is holding looks an awful lot like a glass that I use to drink alcohol out of. And she looks like she is going out to the club.

We Took A Vacation?????

2009-03-19T09:30:00.007-06:00

So my Mom hadn't seen her parents in about three years (I hadn't either) and has been wanting to go see them in Illinois. We would make a plan but something would come up and we couldn't go. I called her a few weeks ago and asked when she wanted to go out there. We decided to go and surprise my Grandma for her birthday (which is also Carter's birthday). Since it was a surprise I didn't write anything about it in case my Grandma stopped by to see what I've been up to (and for pictures of the kids).

I had Carter's party on the 7th and we left on the 8th (Sunday). To drive to Illinois in a Ford Focus with two kids. On Monday before we left the hotel to continue our drive Carter threw up all over me. Twice. We thought it was because we fed him a bunch of junky food that he is not used to and the confusion of being away from home that caused it. By mid afternoon he wasn't throwing up any more but seemed like he was still sick.

We arrived at my Grandparents house Monday afternoon. They were so surprised. They hadn't seen Morgan since she was five months old and this was the first time they met Carter. The look on their faces made it worth the trip. We hung out for a little while and went to our hotel room for the night. On Tuesday we went to see my gp's, then Morgan and I went to the hotel pool while my Mom got Carter to take a nap. We went back to gp's for the birthday dinner. After dinner, Morgan threw up. Everywhere. In my Grandma's very clean house. It was bad. I'm so smart I again started blaming food and juice (not wanting to admit what it was). She threw up all night until about 3am.

On Wednesday I stayed in the hotel room with the kids since they were still not feeling too great. My mom went to gp's house. My Grandpa called right after she left and told me that my Grandma was sick now. When my Mom came back we ordered a pizza. We were planning on leaving Thursday but were worried one of us would get sick on our drive home. We got up Thursday and everyone seemed a little better and Mom and I were fine so we left. We stopped by to tell my gp's goodbye and found out my Aunt was sick now too. We got the hell out of there before anyone else got it and came after us. This was so quickly spread I don't know how my Mom or I didn't get it. But thank god we didn't.

On the plus side, my kids are the best traveler's in the world. They rode 2000 miles in a car and didn't complain once. Well Morgan complained a little when I told her that the patch of grass on the side of the highway wasn't a rest stop and she had to wait to get home to play outside. She responded with "I want to play in this outside". I can truly take these kids anywhere.

And we got to witness the beginning of the Sandhill Crane Migration in Nebraska (quite an event amongst bird watcher's I guess considering there is a live "Crane Cam"). I am scared of birds and kept thinking of the movie. I swear it was like a bunch of bird tornadoes. One of the groups we saw was at least a half mile long and two blocks upward coming off the ground.

Since we basically stayed in the hotel room the whole time these are the only pictures I took. I will get more this summer when we go back.

This was our first night. The calm before the puking.

Carter wanted to see what Grandma brought.

The first morning. Right after Carter got sick. Morgan was fine still.

Going swimming.

I put Carter on the bed with us and he crawled over and put his head on Morgan's tushy and fell asleep.

Feeling better.

Carter's Birthday Party

2009-03-17T12:54:00.005-06:00

I have so many posts to write but I will start with this one. I am keeping it simple with a picture post, that will make my Dad happy since he only stops by to see new pictures of the kids ;~). And then tomorrow I will post about our "vacation" with sick kids and what the heck I've been up to.

I decided to keep things simple for Carter's party this year (and caught a lot of slack for it since I have always been a big birthday party planner) and had just a small party. A few people I invited didn't come but we still had a lot of fun. I bought 4 premade sub sandwiches (and only needed 2) and had chips and dip, olives and pickles and a premade bakery cake.

This cake had nothing on it. I had the store write on it and I added the Hot Wheels cars to "boy it up".

Carter waiting patiently for his cake.

Which he obviously liked.

A Lot.

Uncle Matthew loves to help open presents.

"I think I'll try this"

Carter wouldn't keep the cute hat Andrea made him (which I thought I had a picture of but guess I don't) on his head but liked this one enough to keep it on for a few minutes.

I've heard stories that David is a grumpy baby, but I don't see it. Maybe that's because every time I see him he is in his TaTa's lap.

I love Ab's hair in this one. I remember fixing Morgan's like this and everyone laughing at me. (don't kill me Kelly, this picture is too cute not to put on here).

So there are the pictures from the party. It was a lot of fun and I can't thank everyone enough for coming and for all of the cute clothes and the very cool Lightning McQueen back pack (which of course Carter is "sharing" with Morgan).

Today You Are 1

2009-03-10T06:55:00.006-06:00

Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of. But you Mr. Carter have just the right amount of sweetness mixed in. I have had some of my best laughs since you were born. I hope you keep that silliness forever.
Happy Birthday Grandma too.

I am sorry about these pictures being so small. I am in Illinois and had to snag them off of another site for this post. When I get home I will redo them and add birthday party pictures. His party was on Saturday and we left on Sunday with my Mom to come out and surprise my Grandma for her birthday which is also today.

Aunt Marly

2009-03-05T10:02:00.008-07:00

I don't really know the timing of all of this but when I was born my aunt Marly was in the Army. I am not sure when she got out but I know when she did, she went to school in Fort Collins, so I am not sure if I am remembering her visiting while she was on leave or just coming down from school. But I remember a lot about her visits. She would take Matthew & I to the Children's Museum and play with us there for hours (which seemed like a couple of minutes to us. I remember we (Matthew & I) went up to FC to see her one weekend and we saw a big hairy spider, we were calling it a tarantula but I don't think that was right. Marly caught it in a jar and Matthew probably still has it in a box somewhere, we were so proud of that thing and showed it to everyone that came over to the house and every time Marly came over for a visit we would get the jar out and tell the story again. When I got older I would stop by Marly's house and talk to her for hours. She is a great friend to me who I can talk to about anything. She is great at listening and knows when to give advice. She is a great gardener and jumped at the mention of planting a community garden in her yard since my Mom's house is on a mountain and not great for gardening.

She raised my cousin Ben to be one of the most responsible, hard working, funniest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I often say that I hope my kids turn out as well as he did. And now she is doing stuff with Morgan, and that is so special to me. Morgan loves it too but it means so much more than she realizes yet.

On Sunday Marly took Morgan to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's. One of Marly's friends little boy turned four. It was a big deal for Morgan. Marly picked her up and they went shopping to pick out the perfect present (this is what a google search turned up, Morgan says it is the correct one), and then they went to the party. After the party they went to see Great Grandma Ruth. Marly told Morgan "maybe we will go see Grandma another day" to which Morgan said "I want to go see her". So they did. Morgan had such a good time she is still talking about it. On Monday I took her to the store and on the way there she told me she got to hear Marly's music (Rise Against), I guess Marly had turned the speaker's off in the back so it wouldn't be so loud and at one point Morgan asked her to turn it up (I told Marly "I am not sure she has ever heard Mary Had A Little Lamb (which she has on Max & Ruby), but she sure knows a Social D song when it comes on, and she knows she was in my belly at one of their concerts"). Then we were walking in to the store and she told me she wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese again and she would miss me. I told her I would take her again if she wanted and she said "No Momma, Marly has to take me, but I will miss you." I couldn't help but start laughing.

Is It Really March 3rd?

2009-03-03T20:49:00.006-07:00

I complain about living in Colorado a lot. But days like we have been having for the past month or so make it hard. The weather has been absolutely beautiful. The high yesterday and today was hovering around 75 degrees. That's warmer than parts of Florida. Everyday the weather reporter tells us to get our shorts out, and then reminds us that March is usually our snowiest month. I have been grilling every night, leaving the doors and windows open all day, Morgan and Carter want to be outside all day playing in the sandbox (or carrying a shovel around as Carter does). And then today Morgan told me to come see what she found. I had to dig a little, and keep in mind it is technically winter so everything needs cleaned up before spring, but these are my tulips and lillies. Growing. On March 3rd. I am really having spring/summer fever now. I want to start planting my flowers and a little container garden, and our big garden at Marly's house (who by the way will be my topic tomorrow, it's good, I promise). But I know. The snow will come. It was only five years ago that we had a blizzard in March, so it happens. 70's for 3 weeks and then bam, 3 feet of snow. So if you are sick of the snow where you live, come to Colorado. We really aren't buried in snow all year.

5 Questions From Lost In Splendor

2009-03-02T09:00:00.002-07:00

Angela from Lost In Splendor had an interview project posted on her site recently. I signed up and she sent me five questions to answer. She came up with some pretty good ones and I am going to try to answer these with as much thought as she put in to asking them.

1. I met you through the CMHS Group. What do you enjoy about swapping most? Any disappointments?

I found swapping through OMSH's old blog. I thought it sounded interesting and since I love to shop and give and receive presents, I signed up. I think the idea that someone can take a list of someone else's likes and dislikes and find the perfect thing to go along with whatever the theme is, is fantastic. The First swap I participated in was called Creature Comforts, meaning pillow cases, books, magazines. I was so spoiled by my swap partner. We actually created a friendship and exchange emails every so often and sent Christmas cards to each other. I haven't had any disappointments with CMHS so far and I hope not to.

The only down side is that swapping is addictive. I joined another swapping site and haven't been too happy with it.

2. You do something called "Flashback Friday". What do you like most about remaining past experiences. How did that begin.

I have been reading Anne's blog for about a year now and I love it. She is a wonderful writer and the stories she tells about her boys have had me in tears and running to the bathroom to avoid peeing all over my desk chair so many times. When she announced FBF I had just started my blog and I thought it would be a fun way to fill in when I really didn't have much to write about. Plus it is a fun way to spend Friday, reading other stories and seeing the pictures bloggers pick to represent their stories. I have been having fun with it because I don't really go back and look at old pictures too often, so it is fun to see pictures from when I was little and also the pictures of my kids, I have taken close to 4000 pictures of Morgan (in three years) and about 1500 of Carter (not even one year yet) (it really is a joke in my family how many pictures I take), who can remember what pictures were taken with numbers like that.

3. You're the tattooed mama! Do you have any tattoos that you regret? What is your favorite tattoo?

Ahhh, another addiction. Although I don't regret any of them now, I am sure the day will come when I say WTF was I thinking getting a sleeve on my arm but for now I love them. My Mom is always surprised when we are out at how many people stop me and compliment my arm.

I actually have two favorites. I have Morgan's name inside of butterflies on the top of my left foot and Carter's name inside of start on top of my right foot. I wanted to do something that was special to me and that is what I came up with.

4. You have two beautiful children. What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of being a parent?

Thank you. Before I start to answer this question I would like to say (not trying to sound arrogant) that if there is one thing I don't question it is if I am a good mother. Mother's are people too and have good day's and bad ones, whether you stay at home with your kids or go to work, it is one of the hardest jobs out there. Not only because you are responsible for molding the brain and heart of a living, breathing human, but because it is one of the most judged jobs there is.

Parenting is something I wanted no part of until I found out I was about to be one. I thought (still think?) babies were disgusting little creatures who puked on you and peed and pooped their pants. They are needy and once you have one there is no going back. I remember watching other people's kids and freaking out if I had to change a poopy diaper. Now it is nothing. I do it at least twice a day (no, Morgan is still not potty trained at 3 years old, that is a whole week's worth of posts in itself).

The most challenging part of being a parent are the days when you have no patience. Even though I do not doubt if I am a good mother, I still have days when I feel like I could be better. There are plenty of days that I think to myself silently, while I am picking up toys/food/clothes, what in the world was I thinking? There are also days that I scream. Both inside and out. But at the end of the day I would not trade jobs with the richest person in the world if it meant I could not hang out and read stories to my kids.

The most rewarding parts of being a parent are the small things. Right now Morgan is into this thing where you tell her you love her and she says "no, I love you more". This could go on for quite awhile before she finally says "I love you too". She also says "You are my best friend in the whooole world". And Carter is so fun. Everyday is an adventure with him. He is not quite one yet (March 10th) and already walks and talks. The way his face lights up when I walk into the room he is in makes all the delivery pain (natural, not by choice) worth it. He is so adventurous, he will crawl up the stairs (14 steps) but won't get too close when it comes to getting down. He wants to do everything Morgan does but knows the limits. And (although this is fading quicker than I expected) he likes to cuddle in the morning when it is just him & I. I have so much fun watching these two babies grow up and it makes me so proud to see what kind and wonderful kids they are it breaks my heart to see that it really does fly by.

5. How did you and your husband meet? I always love to know that.

I am a professional dog groomer (not as glamorous as it sounds), which is not something I mention because I am not working at this time. I was working at a shop and one of the girls (who is now one of my good friends) told me about her husband's best friend who I would probably like to meet and hang out with. (I copied this from one of my Flashback Friday Posts) She told us both "It wouldn't have to be anything serious, but you might get a new friend out of meeting". The first time we went out was with a group of about 15 people, and we went to see "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". Now if you don't know me you wouldn't know that I hate scary movies. I hate being scared. So this was a pretty big deal. A few of the other girls went to see a girly movie but I wanted to go to the same movie as the guy I was meeting. I hated the movie, but played it off pretty cool. When the night ended we said "nice to meet you" and went our own ways. We saw each other again on Thanksgiving. We talked a little bit of small talk and again said goodnight at the end of the night. Kim (the mutual friend) told me that Roy wanted to take me out to dinner so I told her to tell him to call me. I found out later that her husband was telling Roy I wanted to go out to dinner with him and he should call me. He called me and we decided to go to dinner and a movie. Kim and Jeremy wanted to go with us. It was the worst date of my life. I paid for my own dinner and movie and movie snacks. We barely said four words to each other. At the end of the night I was convinced that I had not found my new boyfriend or friend.
Then he called me and asked if I wanted to go get dinner. Just us. I reluctantly agreed. We went out to a sports bar (fine with me) and had the best time. We couldn't quit talking. By the end of the night I knew Roy was a pretty cool guy (and double dating on the first few dates is not a good idea).
We officially moved in together in February of 2004 (I say officially because I pretty much never left after our first date) and on November 7, 2004 we went to Las Vegas (with my parents, brother and about 14 of our friends, those who couldn't make it watched on line) and got married at A Little White Wedding Chapel.

This was such fun for me. I hope these answers are enough for the thought Angela put into the questions. If you would like to participate (even if you don't have a blog you can answer in the comments and I may pick your to be the blog of the day) leave a comment letting me know. Don't forget to leave your email address.

Carter Steals Shoes And Blows Kisses

2009-02-28T20:58:00.006-07:00

Here are some funny videos of Carter walking in my shoe. I guess he is a little like Morgan.

I was making kissy noises at Carter today and this is how he made kissy faces back.

Flashback Friday; What I Was Doing 9 1/2 Years Ago

2009-02-27T13:17:00.005-07:00

I love 80's hair bands. Sad, I know, but I am one of those people that could never get over listening to Bret Michaels sing Nothing But A Good Time and Something To Believe In. I still think Nikki Sixx will see me in the crowd and insist I run away with him. And don't even get me started on Bon Jovi. When these bands were at the height of their popularity I was still playing on the monkey bars in elementary school. So needless to say, I didn't get to see them in concert at that time. Even though I begged my Mom to take me.

But when I was 19 Motley Crue was coming to play a show for one of the radio stations Birthday Bash concerts. I didn't care that it was the Greatest Hits Tour. I was going to go. I was working at KMart at the time and I went and asked this guy (Erik), that I had talked to just enough to know his name and that he had a girlfriend, if him and his girlfriend (Barbra) wanted to go to the concert with me. He said yes and we went and it was a blast. The following summer (1999) Motley Crue came back with The Scorpions (dream come true) and we bought tickets to go. But Barbra's Grandma died so she couldn't go. We went and had fun anyway. We decided that we should go on a road trip to see the show again since Barbra couldn't go. We picked Vegas.

This was quite possibly one of the best times I have ever had in my life. We drove out to Vegas and stayed in the Excalibur hotel. It didn't matter that none of us were 21 and couldn't gamble or drink. We went and saw everything. The Harley Davidson Cafe, Planet Hollywood, The Hard Rock Cafe, we rode the New York New York roller coaster. I have been to Vegas twice since then and both times were a blast, but something about it being a road trip with the only purpose being to see two washed out 80's hair bands was so fun and exciting.

It is hard to see but on the screen it is advertising the concert.

For more Flashback Friday go check out Anne Glamore's blog My Tiny Kingdom.

Flashback Friday; A Night Out

2009-02-20T01:30:00.000-07:00

It's Flashback Friday time!! This has been so much fun to do (even though I am still waiting on that box of pictures, Mom) and I can't thank Anne Glamore enough times for hosting it. Not only has it been fun for me to go through my old pictures, but reading other people's stories and seeing the pictures they use to tell the story, is great. So be sure to go check it out.

There was a time long ago, that I could go out every night of the week (remember those days?). And I did. I was also skinny and had blond hair. But of all the nights I went out there was one that was really special to me. I had hears an ad on the radio for "The Vagina Monologues" and decided that I would take my sister and Kelly to see it. We had so much fun. We went and had extremely overpriced drinks and appetizers and then went to the show. It really did make us laugh and cry and almost fall out of our chair (that could have been caused a little by the overpriced drinks).

This picture was taken right before we left. (It has really inspired me to diet and exercise).

Our Newest Addiction

2009-02-17T12:53:00.011-07:00

We also have Ledgend's Of Rock but I took this picture the night we bought it

I am not into video games. My vg skills are stuck way back with Super Mario Bro's 3 (yes, that would be the Super Nintendo when everything was still left to right). Once games got 3D and you had to start figuring out what you were looking for and how to get where you need to go to get it, (you know, when they became good) I gave up. But last year when I saw Target advertising the Wii one Sunday in July, I wanted one and went and got it. I wanted one for three reasons. The Wii Fit, Guitar Hero and Super Mario Kart (which I bought Roy for Christmas). I had played Mario Kart before and had so much fun with it. The Wii Fit I wanted because I had read so many great things about it. And Guitar Hero I had heard was fun but I really kind of thought it would be one of those games I insist I will play to convince Roy to shell out the hundred bucks and then it would collect dust in the original packaging until he dusted it off and played it by himself. Was I ever wrong.

When we went to get Lola from Matthew's house I saw his GH Guitar sitting out and asked if it was fun. He let me try it and we ended up sitting there (Roy, Matthew, Krystal and I) playing it for about 7 hours that day. By Thursday that week I took the Target gift cards we had left from Christmas and bought it. I cannot quit playing this game. My hand is cramped from the guitar, but on I go. And I must say that for someone with no video game coordination, I am pretty good. Yes, I am still on easy, but hey, it's only been a couple of weeks and we don't play every night, we do have two small kids and we can only ignore the for so long to play games. So that is my newest addiction (like I needed another one). I recommend* this game to anyone who wants to find something they can do with their significant other.

Now I have to find enough money to get my Wii Fit...

* This is my own personal opinion and review. I was not asked or paid to give it or write this.

Flashback Friday: Love, Look At The Two Of Us

2009-02-13T08:19:00.009-07:00

It's Flashback Friday time again. After you are done reading mine go check out Anne Glamore's site My Tiny Kingdom for some more lovey stories.

I met Roy in October of 2003. We were introduced by a mutual friend who told us both "It wouldn't have to be anything serious, but you might get a new friend out of meeting". The first time we went out was with a group of about 15 people, and we went to see "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". Now if you don't know me you wouldn't know that I hate scary movies. I hate being scared. So this was a pretty big deal. A few of the other girls went to see a girly movie but I wanted to go to the same movie as the guy I was meeting. I hated the movie, but played it off pretty cool. When the night ended we said "nice to meet you" and went our own ways. We saw each other again on Thanksgiving. We talked a little bit of small talk and again said goodnight at the end of the night. Kim (the mutual friend) told me that Roy wanted to take me out to dinner so I told her to tell him to call me. I found out later that her husband was telling Roy I wanted to go out to dinner with him and he should call me. He called me and we decided to go to dinner and a movie. Kim and Jeremy wanted to go with us. It was the worst date of my life. I paid for my own dinner and movie and movie snacks. We barely said four words to each other. At the end of the night I was convinced that I had not found my new boyfriend or friend.

Then he called me and asked if I wanted to go get dinner. Just us. I reluctantly agreed. We went out to a sports bar (fine with me) and had the best time. We couldn't quit talking. By the end of the night I knew Roy was a pretty cool guy (and double dating on the first few dates is not a good idea).

We officially moved in together in February of 2004 (I say officially because I pretty much never left after our first date) and on November 7, 2004 we went to Las Vegas (with my parents, brother and about 14 of our friends, those who couldn't make it watched on line) and got married at A Little White Wedding Chapel. It was great. You see, I'm not one of those girls who planned my wedding when I was 6 and dreamed about it my whole life. I am the kind of girl that wanted to get married in Las Vegas. We had a real ceremony with a real minister (no Elvis impersonators for us). My dress was not white but that is just me, I chose a Barbie dress and went with black and pink. We sent out real invitations and then my Mom hired a caterer to come to the hotel suite and set up food and a real wedding cake before we got back. It was great. so here are the pictures from my wedding.

I do

Bubbles

I can't believe he believed I wouldn't do it!!

So, What Happened To Your Brother's Head?

2009-02-08T23:32:00.009-07:00

Yesterday when I was done sweeping the floor Morgan wanted to "finish". I let her sweep and forgot she had the broom. Until Carter woke up and they were playing in the dining room. I heard a scream and the unmistakable sound of the broom handle hitting the floor. I went in to investigate and saw a bluish lump on Carter's head. When I asked what happened all I got for an answer was "I'm sorry Momma, I'm really sorry". Carter quit crying and everything was fine.

The lump went away and so did the bruise.

Tonight I was on the phone with my Mom and Morgan was talking about Carter being asleep. She said something about him hitting his head on the bricks (that surround our fireplace). I said "No, he didn't hit his head on the bricks, but something happened with a broom yesterday. Didn't it?" here is her version of what happened. In her words.

"I was throwing the broom up to the ceiling and then the sun came down and I touched it and threw it back up to the ceiling and then the sun went upstairs and went outside to the sky"

Me "So, what happened to Carter's head?"

"Huh? I don't know. I touched the sun and then it had to go in the sky"

Me "So, what happened to Carter's head?"

"Huh? I don't know. The sun got tired and had to go to sleep so the moon came out."

Me "So, what happened to Carter's head?"

"Huh? I don't know."

I guess I'll never know.

Another thing I learned this week is that if you tell a 3 year old you are going to Sam's Club she expects to see Sam and what his club looks like. Not to go grocery shopping.

And one more funny Morgan story.

After Morgan's party my parents took Matthew, Krystal & David home. On the way there Krystal made a comment about hoping Chris (their roommate) didn't eat Lola (since he can't cook for himself, she does it). My Mom told me this story at Sam's Club (where we never saw Sam or his club) and for two days I heard "Did that guy eat Ola?".

Flashback Friday: It's The Inner Beauty That Counts

2009-02-06T09:25:00.004-07:00

This weeks theme for Flashback Friday, hosted by Anne Glamore from My Tiny Kingdom is It's The Inner Beauty That Counts. Be sure to go visit her site to see what other people are posting about.

I am sure somewhere in a box at my Mom's house there are plenty of pictures that are way worse than these (one or two might involve a mullet) but this is all I could come up with with the pictures I have here.

When I was little I was skinny with stringy hair and really bad teeth. I mean really bad teeth, I had to have two teeth removed from the roof of my mouth because they were extra and upside down, I had braces for 5 years and they should have stayed on longer but the orthodontist left it up to me if I wanted to keep them on to fix my over bite. I was 17. What would you have done? But the pictures I chose don't show that. These are 1986. The year I turned 7, which I think is when the awkward stages of life really begin.

I loved this sweatshirt. It was a Mary Lou Retton sweatshirt. So Cool.

I look like a boy in this picture.

Super skinny. If only your metabolism stayed the same as when you were an awkward kid.

Our Week(end)

2009-02-05T07:49:00.006-07:00

I know it is Thursday and another weekend is right around the corner but since this is my first real post this week, due to some completely unpredictable internet problems (I forgot to pay the bill but I am going with unpredictable, it just sounds better) so I am going to start with our weekend. We had a special visitor this weekend.

This is Lola. She used to be our (my) dog but when we moved in to our town home we gave her to Matthew and Krystal since we don't have a yard and I can't really see putting Carter in a stroller and walking two (our Lab went to live with Roy's aunt) dogs when it is snowing (if it ever snows again here). But we went over to Matthew & Krystal's on Saturday so I could help Krystal figure out her new computer we brought her home. It was sweet to see her play with Morgan again and she slept in Morgan's bed both nights she was here. And then on Super Bowl Sunday Chris and Kelley came over and brought another visitor

This is Hailey. She is 11 weeks old. It was so funny because she wanted to play with Lola but every time she would go near her Lola would growl at her, Hailey was scared of Morgan and would run from her but loved Carter who wanted nothing to do with any of it. This all confirmed for me that we definitely do not need a dog. No matter how cute they are.

Speaking of Super Bowl Sunday. That was the best game I saw all year. I have never got so into a game when it was a team other than the Broncos. And my menu was a huge hit.

Another great thing about this week is that the weather her has been so perfect. I'm talking 70 degrees. In February. I grilled steaks last night. Outside. I know Colorado is supposed to be some sort of Arctic according to some people, but you are just as likely to get a sunburn in February as in July. It has been great. The mountains are getting some snow and down here, we are in t shirts and jeans. Yesterday, I wore my flip flops.

Matthew is healing pretty well and will hopefully be able to go back to work soon. But since he is home all day and night (and I think Krystal has told him he has to take at least 5 hours of his awake time and not play video games) he has got real creative with his time. Using my sweet little nephew. These pictures aren't the best quality.

Matt took one of David's onsies that was a little snug and cut the bottom and the sleeves off of it and "Decorated" it. It is a little fuzzy but is says "Mommy Beater" as opposed to a traditional "Wife Beater Tank Top".

The proud Dad.

And The Winners Are

2009-02-04T18:45:00.003-07:00

79 comments. WOW.
I am so happy to announce that both of the winners picked have responded to my notification emails. The winners are Monica C who chose the Pink Floral John Deere Checkbook Debit card cover set and Jennifer C who chose the Michael Miller Fire Truck set. This was so much fun for me that I am already trying to figure out what to do for the next Bloggy Giveaway Carnival. This was pretty popular so maybe I will just do this again.
Thank you to everyone who participated.

A real post is coming tomorrow. I promise.

Super Bowl Menu

2009-01-31T22:17:00.002-07:00

Even though the Broncos aren't playing tomorrow (maybe next year) we are pretty excited about the game tomorrow. My brother in law and his girlfriend are going to come over and I am going to make some good food. What more do you need? So even though this is not a cooking blog, I thought I would post my menu (with recipes) because I do love cooking, especially for get togethers.

Hot Wings (a must have in my house)
-Season wings (I buy the large bag of assorted wings at WalMart) with salt, onion powder and garlic powder and bake for one hour at 425 degrees
-Melt butter and mix with Franks Red Hot Sauce (this is my favorite sauce for wings, you can use any sauce you like)
-Coat cooked wings with the sauce mixture
-Serve with Blue Cheese and Ranch dressings

Mini Cheese Steak Sandwiches
For this I use the SteakUmms frozen steaks. I used to laugh at the thought of eating those until I tried them.
-Since the steaks cook up pretty fast I usually saute some mushrooms and onions separately
-Cook the steaks in a pan until they are done almost to your liking
-Put the onions and mushrooms and whatever cheese you prefer on top of the cooking meat so it gets melty ( I prefer Cheese Wiz, Roy prefers Provolone)
-Place on small rolls. The rolls with the harder crusts work best

Potato skins
-Cut medium baked potatoes in half length wise
-Scoop the insides of baked potatoes out leaving 1/4" of potato for a shell and cut shells in half across
-Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees
-Sprinkle cheddar cheese in the shell. You can put skins back in the oven for a few minutes so the cheese melts.
-Sprinkle crumbled bacon and green onion slices on top and serve with sour cream.

Artichoke Dip Served In A Bread Bowl
I am trying my sister's recipe for this, because I can't find the one I used to use and she swears this one is good.
-Saute onion in a pan with a little olive oil (or butter would be good too)
A-dd 1 package of cream cheese to the onions. You may need to add a little milk to this if it gets too thick
-Add your artichoke hearts (1 can). My sister said she takes about 3/4 of the can and chops them up pretty small and rough chops the other 1/4
-Place mixture in a bread bowl and put shredded parmesan cheese on top and put it in the over until the cheese is melted and the dip is bubbly
-Serve with the bread pieces you took out to make the bowl and crackers

So there you go. GO PITTSBURGH. For more recipes and menu ideas go check out my Mom's kitchen blog.

Flashback Friday, Free For All

2009-01-30T09:45:00.003-07:00

This week is a free for all theme for Flashback Friday hosted by Anne from My Tiny Kingdom ,so I went through the few pictures I do have from when I was little and decided to do a family theme. These are just some random pictures I decided on.

This is my Mom, Kaisha and I on Easter of 1980

This is my Dad and I. I think it was the summer of 1980.

Mom, Kaisha, me and Matthew June 1981

My Mom with Kelly and Matthew on my birthday 1985.

My Dad with Matthew and I in 1986.

Don't forget to check out my giveaway for the Bloggy Carnival.

Bloggy Giveaway Carnival

2009-01-28T09:29:00.009-07:00

It is time again for the Bloggy Carnival Giveaways. Time to go look at a thousand plus items being given away from bloggers. This is my first time participating so here I go.

I am giving away to two winners one (each) checkbook and debit card holder set made by me. Of your choice (from what I have). This is open to everyone.

Here is what you have to do. It is easy, I promise. Look at the pictures and leave a comment before 12:00 pm (US mountain time) telling me which one you would like to get if you win. That's it.

I will pick two winners using random.org. You must leave your email for me so I can contact you if you win. You need to respond by 6:00 pm (US Mountain time)with your mailing info.

By the way, if you win and you decided you would like a different one than you stated in your comment, just let me know.

Michael Miller Shopping Girl

Betty Boop

Puppies

Tinkerbell

Michael Miller Fire Truck

Michael Miller Floral

Hawaiian Floral JD

Cherries

Barbie

Morgan's Max & Ruby Party

2009-01-26T09:41:00.009-07:00

Even without any licensed party stuff Morgan's Max & Ruby party was a huge success. This cake is made with an edible cake topper that I got from ebay.

This personalized banner also came from ebay

Here she is twenty minutes before party time.

But when all of her friends got here she was ready to have fun. It was pretty nice outside and the kids were able to run around outside for a while.

Cassidy taught Morgan how to properly apply her makeup for such an event.

See how beautiful.

Morgan loves blowing out her birthday candles.

As promised, I made a Worm Cake. It was the talk of the party and tasted pretty good too.

(I have edited this post to include the recipe for this worm cake at the bottom of this post, I seem to get quite a few hits from google searches for the recipe)

Carter & TaTa agree.

Poor David was told he couldn't have any cake.

TaTa and Matthew helped Morgan open her presents. She was very excited about the scrapbook Marly made her.

Hannah & Cassidy tried to teach Morgan how to play Candy Land but (according to their Mom) they are too bossy to teach a three year old.

Carter decided that the huge bear from Great Grandma Ruth was a great resting place.

Then he decided to hang out with this guy.

And then it was time to say goodbye.

Worm Cake Recipe

3 round chocolate cakes

2 boxes of chocolate pudding (that is what I used, frosting might work too but I didn't think it would give the mud look I wanted)

Gummy Worms

Red Dots

Chocolate Graham Cracker Crumbs (I couldn't find the regular size crackers so I used Teddy Grahams and crushed them in the food processor)

Layer the cakes with pudding in between the layers.

"Ice" the cakes all over with the remaining pudding.

Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top and put the worms in so they look like they are crawling out, make sure you put some coming out of the sides. Put the dots on top of the cake.

I would not recommend assembling this cake the night before because the pudding soaks in to the cake and makes it come apart a little.

Flashback Friday. This Makes Me Giggle.

2009-01-23T10:32:00.007-07:00

It's time again for Flashback Friday hosted by Anne Glamore of My Tiny Kingdom. This weeks theme is This Makes Me Giggle.

When a two year old dresses herself in July it is a must to have mismatched mittens with American flag flip flops on the wrong feet and a Curious George snow hat.

This picture makes me laugh because of how hard she is laughing. This also was her first tattoo (temporary).

Morgan always put her bink in her mouth this way.

She also thought she was a puppy.

That is her "Uh-Oh, Please don't see what I am doing" face. She still makes it.

When we went shopping for Krystal's baby shower Morgan insisted I get her a party hat. She didn't like the elastic band around her chin so she put it on Carter instead.

Helmets. I think Morgan got the idea from Wow Wow Wubbzy.

Little did I know this would become Carter's favorite place to hang out. No big deal, until he tried to get out and kept banging his head on the table. That of course was when he actually cared about hitting his head. It doesn't bother him anymore.

I love this picture. I have one of Matthew holding Morgan wearing his hat too. Rumor is there is one of David too.

Carter. The Ferocious King Of Beasts.

For more pictures of Morgan that make me giggle check this post out. I have a lot of Carter too but you will have to wait until his birthday post (March 10th) for those.

Our Night At Chuck E Cheese. In Pictures.

2009-01-21T09:39:00.007-07:00

We had such a fun time at C.E.C. Marly, Jay & Andrea all came with us. Morgan had so much fun that the first thing she said this morning was "Can we co to Chuck E Cheese today?". Here are the pictures.

Grandma came over and brought Morgan a Care Bears balloon and some new books.

This ride was Morgan's favorite. She rode it about 20 times.

Thank you Marly for the cool light up cups!!

Carter wasn't too sure what to think of this ride. Somebody took his shoes off and by the end of this ride his other sock was off too.

We ended up with 700 tickets. With 700 tickets you can get a stuffed basketball, a stuffed football, a plastic thing that the top pops off of when squeezed, a slinky, two bracelets and an airhead candy.

This ride was a big hit too.

Carter liked it too.

I don't think Andrea knows about this blog, but if I suddenly stop writing, I am wrong and she killed me for putting this picture on here!!

Morgan actually fell asleep holding her balloon. It was "a tiny bit cold" so she put the string under her Yo Ho Ho (HOHOHO) blankie with her.

Today You Are 3

2009-01-20T10:53:00.008-07:00

Happy Birthday Morgan.

I hope you stay as fun, funny, caring and curious forever as you are today!!

I love you and love being your Mom!!

A Little Bit Crafty

2009-01-19T19:43:00.006-07:00

I love doing crafty stuff with Morgan. We always have so much fun, and she makes me laugh while we create stuff. The problem is I am not very good at coming up with stuff for us to do. So when I came across this post I thought it would be fun for us to do today, and who wouldn't have fun making puffy paint. I did feel a little guilty because the weather is incredibly nice (tomorrow is supposed to be 68 and Wednesday is supposed to be 70) but it was pretty windy and I told her if she helped me clean up the toys we could go to the park tomorrow (between the park and Chuck E Cheese she will be exhausted tomorrow night ; )) and Wednesday, which she did. So here are some pictures of her art.

On a completely unrelated topic, I have a huge dilemma. I talked with Roy the other night about how we need to all eat dinner at the table every night together for about the millionth time. He said he agreed.Again. And then tonight I made dinner and he said he wasn't hungry and stayed on the couch watching tv while I ate with the kids. Right about when I was finished eating he got himself a plate and went and sat back down on the couch to eat. This is not the first time (in the past week even) that this has happened. He usually eats in front of the tv while I eat with the kids. I can't figure out what to do about this. This is pretty important to me but he doesn't seem to get it. How am I supposed to show Morgan it is important when her Dad won't even eat with us? I feel like putting up a sign that says "If you don't eat at the table when dinner is ready, you don't eat!!" but I don't think that would even get it across to him. Any suggestions???

Birthday Madness

2009-01-19T10:16:00.004-07:00

I love birthdays. To me they are the best day of the year. Morgan is so much like me that it is no surprise she is becoming the same way.

I have been planning her party since the day after Christmas. I asked her what kind of party she wanted (Max & Ruby or Lightning McQueen) and she chose Max & Ruby. I soon found out there is no M&R party stuff in the stores because it has never been licensed. But as usual, ebay sellers came through for me.

I got the invitations, the personalized edible cake topper and a personalized banner from three different sellers. I have great party favor ideas which are a bucket and shovel, gummy worms, marshmallows and marigold seeds. All of these are based on M&R.

And the best thing is I am making a worm cake. Yes, I , who hates baking, am going to make a cake that requires more than mixing the packaged mix and pouring it in a pan. And, I am so excited about it.

And then there is the party that wasn't supposed to be a party. Since Morgan's birthday is tomorrow and her party isn't until Saturday we are taking her to Chuck E Cheese. I invited Marly to come along and she said she couldn't wait. And then I was talking to one of our friends, Andrea, and she told me they are going out of town this weekend so they can't come to the party so I invited her along tomorrow and they are coming. Morgan can't wait. And, I can't wait to kick Roy's butt at skee ball.

Carter Walking

2009-01-17T08:19:00.004-07:00

Here is a video of Carter walking (at ten months old). He walks everywhere he goes now, as long as there is something he can pull himself up on when he falls down.

Flashback Friday, Feeling Red, White And Blue.

2009-01-16T10:06:00.009-07:00

I am participating in Flashback Friday hosted by Anne Glamore from My Tiny Kingdom.This weeks theme is Feeling Red, White & Blue.
Go check it out for more Red, White & Blue memories.

This is the first photo I thought of for Red White & Blue. Kaisha, Matthew & I in 1981. Love the Sailor Suits.

Feel free to leave a comment on how cute I was when I was little. Again in 1981. That is my Dad behind me and to the side is my Mom holding Matthew.

This is more Red, White & Black, but it is cute anyhow. I am the blond in the center, the only one wearing red laces in my tap shoes. I think this was when I was 3 or 4, so 1982 or 1983. My Mom would know.

Morgan and Carter. I had to go all the way back to 2008 for this one!!

The Puppy Syndrome

2009-01-14T10:43:00.009-07:00

I read this post by SAJ and couldn't help but laugh. First it's funny and second it describes Morgan so well. But I also thought of Carter. You see, Morgan took a bink (pacifier) until she was just over a year old so I never had a problem with her putting things in her mouth. Ever. Carter on the other hand puts everything he comes across in his mouth. I pull stuff out of his mouth at least six times a day. You know, just the normal stuff like band aids (from when Morgan gets "hurt" and needs one for about five seconds), dryer sheets that I haven't put in the trash yet, rubber stamps that Morgan has stolen from me, any kind of paper like item he finds. Usually I am pretty good at finding the things he will choke on before him but I do miss stuff, obviously.

I was on the phone with my Mom yesterday and I had to pull a piece of paper out of his mouth and my Mom told me she had heard that if a baby is chewing on paper it means they need something (some sort of vitamin or mineral). I asked her what it means if the baby chews on the wood cabinet door or the leather couch or his Mommy's toes. She replied (a little too quickly) "He thinks he's a puppy".

With treats hanging out of his mouth (graham cracker)

eating his own kind

sleeping wherever he finds a comfy spot (yes I moved him to his bed)

and of course, Morgan has to try to be the alpha dog around here.

We Bought A Lemon

2009-01-12T16:18:00.002-07:00

So the truck Roy bought had problems from the get go. It was stalling on him and sputtering real bad. When he bought it the guy he bought it from (Mark) said that if the problem ended up costing too much money they could trade trucks back (we gave him Roy's truck and 400.00 the day Roy picked the truck up and were making payments to him for the rest of the balance). Mark said he would take money off the cost of the truck and we could wait to start paying him until Feb. since he would have to pay to fix it himself if we took it back to him. We took it to Mark's brother in law's shop to be fixed. It took him three and a half weeks to fix and cost 300.00 more than estimated (for a total of 1800.00 which Roy borrowed from his boss). The truck is still stalling and sputtering, which the shop said would happen for about a month while it blows out a bunch of stuff, and then today the truck broke again. Roy called me, I called my Dad, my Dad called Roy and went to look at it. It is some big part which will cost about 300.00 for the part not to mention the labor.

Roy called Mark and told him that we can't afford another 600.00 to fix it and they need to trade back. Mark was a bit mad but agreed, his big worry was the loan we had from their boss for the repairs. Roy was worried he had lost a friend but I told him not to worry, of course Mark was mad but it would be okay. Then his BIL called Roy and told him the agreement he and Mark had come up with so there would be no hard feelings. Mark will give us $300, and since we didn't pay him for Dec. or Jan. yet we would pay off the loan for the repairs. This way no one will end up in court. That means that for a truck we had in our possession for 3 weeks, we paid him $400 already (which we weren't asking for back), he is giving us $300, and we have to pay off a $1500 loan. We are now out $1600 for a piece of crap we had for 3 weeks. I am so mad I can't even think straight right now. We are going to get the wonderful (I mean that seriously) 1986 Toyota truck tonight.

The Mouse Among Us

2009-01-06T12:54:00.007-07:00

I have so many things I want to post about. But if I try to do it all in one post it will turn into a bunch of mixed up babble. So I will start with the smaller one while I try to figure out how I want to discuss the BIG one. Bear with me.

I hate mice. They terrify me to no end. In our old house we had a terrible mouse infestation. When I know there are mice in a house I feel more uncomfortable than I can explain. I feel like I cannot go where I want to. I have to stay in the same spot because that is the only place I know for sure there isn't a mouse.

I am going to go a little off of the mouse subject for a moment to tell you about my husband. Again, bear with me. The two stories are related. I love him but my husband has different levels of irritating behaviors. While some of them are merely annoying others could be the direct cause if our marriage ever fails.

Roy got some new boots that he needed to waterproof. And instead of going out to the garage like most people would do he came down to the basement to spray them. Now yes, the can stated it was safe to spray in the house. I know that, but why would anyone spray the stinky stuff in the basement right next to the play area and my computer? I still don't have an answer to that. Well I do but this is supposed to be a family blog. When I came downstairs and smelled the stuff I commented on it and he told me he opened the window. The only window in our house that doesn't have a screen on it. I cannot prove that the two are connected, but now, we have a mouse. So I am afraid to come down to my computer, I am afraid to let my kids play in the playroom. Everywhere I go in my house I have to peek around corners before entering the room. I am scanning every bit of my house looking for mouse poop. And I am blaming my husband.

Starting 2009 Right

2009-01-02T10:04:00.004-07:00

New years eve was fun. I was worried for a little bit because Roy wasn't feeling good (kidney stone) and I thought it was going to be just me & the kids. But he livened up for me and we played the "You Might Be A Redneck" game while we ate, I talked to Kaisha a few times and read some of the questions from the game to her and Mark and their friend Irene. Irene is more of a redneck than K&M.

Yesterday Roy and I sat and played Mario Kart all day. Morgan watched Horton Hears A Who a million times and Carter played and napped. When he woke up from one of his naps Roy brought him downstairs and stood him up in the middle of the room. Roy sat in front of him and (drumroll please) Carter walked two steps to get Roy. He took his first steps. YAYYY. Of course we made him do it 500 more times. I tried to get video but (of course) every time I pointed the camera at him ha sat down and crawled to me. I will get one soon. I promise.

Now that everything is over I (Morgan is helping) am planning a Max and Ruby party for Morgan's 3rd birthday this month (stop laughing Mom). Her first birthday party was huge, because I invited all of our family. Last year I didn't invite all of the family but it still seemed large. Both of these parties were at my parents house. Where there is room for a lot of people. This year I want to invite kids and a good amount of family too. I am debating on what to do. My house isn't that big. Actually that isn't even the real problem. I don't have seating. My kitchen table only has three chairs because one broke a couple of years ago. I plan on getting a new dining set when Carter is out of a highchair. I have one couch and a window seat. I know that these things work themselves out. They always do. I can have Roy bring in some patio chairs and the folding chairs we do have.

A New Year, A New Me. Hopefully.

2009-01-01T01:30:00.000-07:00

I am not usually a resolution making kind of gal. But I figure I will give it a try and maybe I will do something better this year. And if you all know what I am supposed to be doing it will be easier to do them than make excuses to you all why I haven't done anything. So here I go.

1. Lose Weight. Like 40 lbs. This is a big deal. Not only do I need to lose weight for appearence sake. As someone who has had Gestational Diabetes twice, I am at a higher risk for developing type 1 diabetes if I get over weight.

- I am going to buy a Wii Fit and join the YMCA. They have child care for me to use while I work out. When the weather gets nice I am going to start walking the trail behind us.

2. Organize. Not insanely with labels on everything. Just enough so that I can find wht I am looking for and put stuff away easily.

3. Make time for myself and do stuff for myself. I spend so much time doing everything for Roy and the kids I never do anything for me. and when I do I feel guilty for spending money on myself or for not being with Roy and the kids. I know this is a common Mom thing. If anyone has any suggestions on how to deal with this one, let me know.

4. Find a way to earn some money while I am at home. I am making my checkbook covers still but selling two or three a month is not really doing much for me.

5. Save money. This is a two way resolution. I need to actually put money away and I need to spend less. I am going to start cutting or printing coupons. And using them. I am also going to start going to Sams Club and stocking up on stuff to have here so that I don't have to go to the store more than once every two weeks.

That's all I have for now. I think that is pretty good for someone who has never made a NYR. I will give updates every now and then throughout the year.

Have a Happy New Year.

New Year's Eve

2008-12-31T12:28:00.003-07:00

Before we moved in with my parents last year we used to have a poker party on new year's eve. Last year my Mom and I made a great dinner that nobody else enjoyed. Not because it didn't taste good, but because Roy and my Dad were in bed at 8. PM. We were mad.

This year I think Chris (Roy's brother) is going to come over. You see with him you don't know until the last minute. Which makes food planning a little hard in this case. Either way, I am going to make appetizers (as a meal, am I the only one who loves this?) and we will play some Pop Culture or 80's Trivial Pursuit, or my new addiction, Mario Kart on the Wii. And drink. Now you think we are lame. I know. Just wait until Cinco De Mayo, you will change your mind. We are not big on going out tonight. There is too much craziness. So tonight we will be watching the countdown on tv together. And knowing my kids, they will still be up to ring in the new year with us. At least Morgan will be.

Have a safe and fun night tonight.

One Giant Andes Mint

2008-12-28T19:34:00.003-07:00

My Mom bought Carter some jammies for Christmas. They are very cute and fit him pretty good. She made sure to get the ones without feet since he pulls his socks off as soon as you get them on, she figured he would sit and pull at the feet of them all the time. I put them on him last night and couldn't help but start laughing right away. Roy came around the corner and said what I was thinking. "He looks like a giant Andes Mint". These are now the mint jammies.

Is It Really Over Already???

2008-12-26T20:45:00.010-07:00

I love Christmas (as I have mentioned before). But I am always disappointed on December 26th. Not because I didn't get the right present(s). But because I wait all year for this time of year. Come November I am counting down the days. And then in one day it is over. This year was especially great for me for a few reasons. First, Morgan knew what was going on. And she was excited. Second, this was Carter's first Christmas. Third, my sister (Kaisha) and her family came out from Mass. to be with us and got to meet Carter and David for the first time. We haven't seen them in a year and a half. They got here on Monday and are leaving tomorrow morning. This morning was full of tears and happiness. Her kids (Kyle & Anna) are going to come out in June and stay with us for 3 or 4 weeks.

We had another wonderful Christmas. All week we were busy and having fun. Morgan & I made soap for presents, we went to my parents for Christmas Eve, and we hosted Christmas Day. I made a prime rib and I have to say, I think it is one of the best cooking jobs I have ever done. Here are the pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Soap we made. I got the idea for the snow globes from SAJ.
I decided that my dollar spot cupcake molds would work for soap too. These were a huge hit for gifts. And Morgan was so proud of them. Oh Heck, I was too.

TaTa with Kyle & Carter.

My Mom & Dad bought this bed set for Kyle for Christmas but it had already been purchased by Santa for him. Instead of taking it back, my Mom altered it to fit a crib for Carter. It. Is. Awesome.

Our Christmas Tree after Santa came.

Morgan with her Brobee & Muno (Yo Gabba Gabba) Dolls.

Carter looking at Morgan's stuff.

Grandma & Carter.

Me, Kaisha & Roy.

Roy & (his brother) Chris.

Kaisha & Mark

Grandma, Kyle, Anna & Morgan.

Cousin Ben with Carter and Sam (soon to be Ben's wife) with David.

TaTa with Kyle & Morgan.

(If you look to the left of my ginger bread house you can see my OMSH Christmas post card).

TaTa with Anna & Morgan.

My Mom & Dad.

David. So Beautiful.

TaTa, Kaisha & Carter.

Morgan with her fish tank from Santa.

Morgan's fish tank.

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. And have a Happy New Year.

All I Want For Christmas Is A Clipo, Clipo, Clipo!!

2008-12-19T21:33:00.004-07:00

So. Apparently the Clipo is the big ticket toddler item this Christmas. I can't find one. The Target Kaisha called for me said they would get some more in before Christmas. My Mom told me that she heard the VP of ToysRUs say they would have all of the big items in stock until Christmas. Guaranteed. Roy told me he would go to every store he can tomorrow and see if he can find one. That is very out of character for him, so I am pretty impressed with him right now. Wish me luck. Morgan is counting on Santa to bring the Clipo to her next week.

A Christmas Letter From Kelly

2008-12-18T00:08:00.003-07:00

This is an email I got from Kelly last year after she put up her Christmas Tree. I think it is hilarious, so I cleaned up the language (which was not as quickly done as one might think for a beautiful Christmas tale) and here it is.
Don't feel too bad for her. She got a new one at the end of the season last year for like 80% off. Thanks to me calling her and telling her to get to Target.

On a beautiful Christmas note, I put up my twice hand me down Christmas tree today.(This is where my sarcasm, and true feelings are revealed) Well, I attempted to raise the sun of a gun, and since the thing is older than I am, it started shedding fake green needles throughout my house, and then the actual branches began to literally fall off. Once the tree was finally up, I got out my favorite lights in the whole world and started putting them on the tree. Imagine my surprise when the last two strings would not light up. There was no twinkling, there was no beautiful soft glow coming from the top of the tree....it was dark. And because I was such a genius when I bought these "perfect" lights, of course I got just exactly enough lights to cover the tree; not even a extra strand for just in case. These are not your everyday, run of the mill twinkle lights; these are "Dew Drop Lights." They are supposed to give your tree a "magical" glow. These are the lights that I hid in a suitcase at Target waiting for the day after Christmas sale so I didn't have to mortgage the house to buy the expensive things. After 30 minutes of replacing the little dew drops one by one, they finally came to life!! It should have gone smoothly from there right???? WRONG!!! Imagine putting a new, gorgeous ornament on a branch, backing up to commend yourself on a perfect positioning of it, and then watching the damn branch break off, and your gorgeous new ornament shatter to pieces. I can describe this moment again for you, and just replace the color of the ornament since this lovely situation happened another 4 times. There was also a very close call with another ornament, but I figured out that when the branch starts to sag, it's probably a good thing to take the ornament off of it, and just rip the branch out!!! I finally started to realize something; this tree is revolting against Christmas, and is begging to be donated to Goodwill. I would take it to Goodwill right now, but since I wasted time to put lights on it and put numerous ornaments on it, I've decided that this will be the Christmas with the chest hair tree. What do you mean you say...well, you know how men get patches of hair on their chests, and there are always patches that have no hair as well, my tree is like that, only branches instead of hair. As you can tell, it was one hell of an experience, and I have decided that next year, I'm not having a Christmas tree. I hope your tree erecting goes smoother than mine did.
Merry Christmas From Kelly!!!

I hope you laugh as hard as I do every time I read this.

Our Weekend

2008-12-14T22:27:00.005-07:00

What a crazy week. I am sure glad it is over. Matthew is in pain and still hasn't heard anything from anyone. I am not sure what is going to happen, and I am having a hard time thinking about how screwy the insurance companies are. It seems that they don't realize that behind that payment they get every month, there is a person. A real, breathing person. And that person pays them every month so that when they need help they will get it. Or will they??

The weekend was good for us. We had Roy's Christmas party last night. The guy he is doing work for is so nice. Him and his girlfriend had all of his guys (contractors) and their wives over to their amazingly beautiful house. And had so much food that his GF was sending people home with some. It was fun. Marly watched the kids for us. She brought stuff for her and Morgan to make cards. It was Morgan's first experience with glitter. And Marly doesn't do things small. She brought a huge jar of glitter. Morgan had a blast. I think my house has a new permanent sparkle. Marly swept the floor last night and I swept it about 5 times today before we had Roy's family over. Still sparkling.

And today Roy's family came over for our Christmas with them. I learned something. If you plan on making a Christmas style feast, go to the store at least the day before. I was planning on going yesterday but I cleaned up my house and had two grumpy tired kids so I decided I would get up extra early today and go. When I decided this I forgot the high today was supposed to be 15 (it got up to 18) with snow. So I was waiting to see what was happening with the snow, and I wanted to talk to Roy's aunt to make sure they were coming. I was at the store at about 10. They were coming at 1. But I pulled it off. I bought a spiral sliced ham (fully cooked) and I made sweet potatoes, a potato gratin, green bean casserole and had a veggie tray and chips with dip. I forgot dessert. And heavy paper plates. But everything turned out great and we had a real good time. When they left Roy and I watched The Dark Knight. What a movie. I am still not sure what to say about it. It was great, but I am still speechless.

The weather is supposed to be cold all week. We are going to have a heat wave Thursday or Friday and it should climb up to the 30's. WooHoo. I really wish I didn't have to go Christmas shopping. But I really want to at the same time.

I bought the best Christmas cards today. I was going to make some but can't locate my embossing gun. So I am going to sign and address those tomorrow and get them sent on Tuesday.

HP Magic Giveaway From Stop, Drop & Blog

2008-12-12T08:45:00.004-07:00

I have been a reader of the blog Stop, Drop & Blog since before it was Stop, Drop & Blog. I love reading about this particular family because we have children close in age. This family is a fire family. They are FireDad (the fire fighter), FireMom(writer, wahm), BigBrother (just turned 3) and LittleBrother (just turned 1). The Fire Family is one of fifty blogs picked to host the HP Magic Giveaway. This is a prize of $6000.00 worth of HP Goodies.

There are different ways to enter (this blog post is one of my entries). So here is what this would mean to me.

With this gift I could replace my computer that won't even recognize the cd burner or play regular computer games without freezing up.

I could give said computer to my brother who has a dinosaur computer his is still running windows 95 or 98. No. I'm Not Kidding.

I would use this gift for my husband's billing and for writing on my blog.

I would also love to use photosmart and finally do something with the thousands of pictures I have of my kids on my computer, and would also play around with pictures of my niece and nephews.

This would make our holiday so special because as it is we don't have much of a budget for Christmas (as is the case with most people this year), and presents are going to be slim, even only buying for (all of) the kids. My husband is a carpenter, and as everyone knows the winter is not a great time to be a carpenter.

And finally, if you read my post about everything that happened to us this week you know that we are not having a good week. This would really give me something to have fun with myself and with Morgan.

What In The World Is Going On?????

2008-12-11T18:49:00.003-07:00

Where do I begin. Yesterday started out so normal and good. I had to go and get the Christmas pictures of the kids. That was my big plan for the day. On my way home I had to pull over for a passing ambulance. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then I ran over some slippers in the road that reminded me of Avon slippers. If I had only known. They were Avon slippers. Matthew was in a horrible car accident. He was hit while going through an intersection which caused his truck to spin into a traffic light pole and flip. He thought that he was okay and didn't go to the hospital. Roy went and picked him up and brought him back here. I took him to work and then the hospital. He was complaining about his shoulder hurting. Long story short he has a broken neck (his c7 vertebrae) and a broken rib. So now not only is he with a broken neck, he can't work, he has no car, and he has a wife and new baby to take care of. I feel so bad for him. Matthew has pulled some crap that worried me before, but this wasn't his fault and is the most worrisome event ever. The broken vertebrae is right next to a main artery and they are worried about swelling cutting off the artery. And to rub salt into a wound, he still had temp tags on the truck. He is so special to me. I always said I raised him, even though we are only 15 months apart in age. I wish there was more I could do for him (them).

And that was only one person affected by the bad mojo going on over here. His friend got a ticket on his way to take his brother to the courthouse to fix a missed court date, and the courthouse friend was arrested at the same time. My SIL's Mom went to the hospital for what turned out to be kidney stones and a kidney infection. My best friends sister went to the hospital for (again) what turned out to be kidney stones. Another family member was arrested this morning for a civil matter (this is a ridiculous arrest). And the courthouse friend's Mom is in the hospital tonight for what might possibly be another heart attack. I am bunkering down until something good happens to anyone I know.

One Tired Baby

2008-12-08T12:19:00.003-07:00

The kids and I are sick. We all have colds. Carter seems to have it the worst. He is usually the happiest baby in the world, but the past couple of days he has been kind of grumpy, and even though his grumpy is still pretty happy, it has been rough. So this morning I was getting stuff ready to take to the post office (yay, I sold some stuff) and I put him in his walker with some crackers. He started to get a little whiny and I kept telling him I was almost done and then I would put him down for a nap. Suddenly he quit making any noise at all. I looked at him, and this is what I saw.

Poor Baby. He must have been done. And no Mom, he is not still sleeping in his walker. I only left him there long enough to snap that picture. He is sleeping soundly in his crib.

Holiday Fun Stuff

2008-12-04T09:16:00.003-07:00

We have been busy busy over here. I bought one of those pre baked ginger bread houses. So we put that together. And it looks decent (at best). I forgot to ice the front part of the roof so I am going to do that today. And as I already posted, I put the tree up, with help from Morgan of course. And we made ornaments. They aren't painted yet, but they are cut out and baked. We might do some painting today too, since it is snowing and the high is supposed to be 21. Don't worry about the cold though, tomorrow it is supposed to be 57.

But the best thing we did was go and get Christmas pictures taken. I haven't written on here about our previous picture taking adventures. They were (again, at best) horrible. Morgan is so shy that it was just a photographer snapping away and me hoping they got a decent shot worth paying for. I was pretty lucky and he did. But this year was different. David was going to be there, and I got her real excited about picture day. And I thought it would be great fun with Carter, who smiles when you look at him. Morgan did great, as far as sitting and even being moved around for pictures, Carter did great too, as far as sitting on a couch and only trying to dive off a few times. But, of all the pictures she took, I don't have one of either one of them smiling. Not one. Not even smiley face Carter. I couldn't believe it. He looks so serious in all of the shots. I didn't expect a smile from Morgan, heck I didn't even expect participation, but I thought at the very least I could count on a smile from Carter. Then after the picture taking was done, we were standing at the computer deciding which photos to order and he was smiling and talking and laughing. Maybe next year I will get some smiles. Like these. But with cute clothes and brushed hair.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh ....Apple Tree???

2008-12-01T10:10:00.007-07:00

Max and Ruby, Ruby & Max. Morgan lives this show. By that I mean she thinks she is Ruby and Carter (or anyone she is talking to) is Max. Everyday there are at least 4 episodes of M&R being played out at my house. It is not uncommon for Morgan to start running around the house with her back pack on yelling "You can't catch me Max" (from the episode where Max is it in a game of freeze tag with Ruby and her friends), or for her to say things like "Orange Dream Boats are too heavenly to describe" "Ready as brownies in the oven" That's a good one Ruby, I'll have to use that" (from the episode where Ruby earns a Bunny Scout Merit Badge by working Candy's candy store) and the other day she walked up to me with hangers on her wrist and told me they were a charm bracelet, and the charms are very special. (if you look at the TV, Max And Ruby is on)

Every once in a while she pretends to be Max, and goes around being a vampire. She also re sites a rhyme while pretending to jump rope, it goes like this

Bunny Scout, Bunny Scout, Dressed in green,

Wave to bunny scout leader curtsy for the queen,

Now count all the way to number thirteen

But the best one is when she pretends she is playing with Ruby's friend Louise but Max keeps interrupting them because he wants an apple. Ruby goes and picks him apple after apple until finally he has a bucket full and he tells Ruby he want apple pie. Morgan acts this one out all the time. She gets her stool and puts it in the middle of the living room, or next to the plants, and stands on it and reach up to pick apples. She actually reaches and twists her wrist to get these apples, then she will walk up to us and say "here Max, a nice juicy apple", it is hilarious. The nice ones of us say thank you and pretend to eat our nice juicy apples, the not so nice ones (meaning Roy) will say "I. Am. Not. Max". So it should have come as no surprise to me that our Christmas tree (yes I already put it up, and I did a bunch of other holiday type activities, I will post those later today or tomorrow) would double as the best apple tree over here in Bunyville.

What A Difference A Year Makes

2008-11-27T00:42:00.003-07:00

It's late. I'm tired. And I'm not even hosting this first event. It is officially the holiday season. I made the potatoes earlier this evening, I boiled the eggs. All I have to do tomorrow is finish the deviled eggs, heat the potatoes in the crock pot, make a green bean casserole, bathe 2 kids and myself, get us all dressed, pack a diaper bag (and not forget blankies, since the car seat straps aren't adjusted for winter coats and it is supposed to snow), clean up my huge mess in the kitchen and the rest of the house, since we are going to visit the in laws on Friday (no shopping for me) and I want to put my tree up on Saturday, and get out the door by 2. No biggie right. Right.

This is the normal scene in my house on any holiday. Just wait until Christmas when I have to wrap presents (I know I could do the wrapping before Christmas Eve, but I don't and I don't have any high expectations of that changing this year).

I should go to bed now, but I am too awake for some reason. I have been thinking a lot about where we are this year compared to last year. What a difference a year can make. At this time last year we were thinking more about the fact that in two days we would be living with my parents than that we would be getting together with family to celebrate. You see, Roy is a carpenter (as I may have mentioned) and last October he lost his job because the company he worked for was sold. At the time we thought it was a blessing in disguise. We were wrong. Or maybe we were just a year ahead. Either was, I was 5 months pregnant and we had no income, no insurance, and were soon to be homeless with a then 22 month old. Of course my parents weren't going to let us become homeless. They gave us their basement.

We have had a lot happen in the past year, but I really don't think the end result (meaning our present state of living) would have been possible without my parents. They supported us when we had a rough spot in out marriage and weren't sure if a fourth anniversary was in the cards for us, they helped me when Roy was working almost 200 miles from home and was gone 5 days a week, they tried their best to act like they didn't mind us being in their home for almost a year. Without the support they gave us last year we might not be where we are today (our bills are paid, and if you know me that might be a first in all of my adult life, and we have a pantry full of food).

I am thankful for my children and husband, who love me no matter what.

I am thankful to have a roof (and a pretty nice one at that) over my head.

I am thankful that everyone I love and care about is healthy.

I am thankful for my entire family.

And I am especially thankful for my parents. Not only because of the past year, but for all of their guidance and support. They have truly been great, I am just sorry I didn't know it all along.

I love you all.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The Holidays Are Coming, The Holidays Are Coming.

2008-11-24T08:50:00.002-07:00

I am having a hard time believing Thanksgiving is this week. It has been unseasonably warm here lately. Everyone has the idea that Colorado is the coldest place in the US, it's not. The average temp has been in the high 60's to low 70's.

But we aren't here to learn about Colorado weather. We are here to talk about the Holidays. I am officially excited about the holidays. I went to BigLots on Saturday (for organization stuff, more about that later) and ended up buying tree ornaments instead.

My family used to buy presents for everyone. And it was so much stress. Some people in my family aren't too easy to shop for. Most of us buy whatever we want or need for ourselves. So last year we decided that we would only buy presents for the kids.

That wasn't to say you couldn't buy presents for everyone, just don't expect anything. It was so nice. I was able to sit back and do nothing. Yeah okay, not really. I had Morgan who was almost two last year and I was pregnant with Carter. I was constantly doing something. But I enjoyed it. I was able to shop without the stress I usually had from not knowing what to buy my Grandma, or having too many ideas of what to buy Matthew. And I am very much looking forward to the same thing this year. All I have to do is make sure Santa can get his hands on a Clipo table and all will be fine. I am not expecting too much trouble with that. And you know, shopping for Carter will be pretty easy.

Plus our social calendar is already full for December. And as you all know. We never have a full social calendar.

And I know that it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, I love that day too. I love hanging out with my family, and we get to see one of my Mom's friends and her family. She has three kids that Morgan loves (well she loves the girls, she tolerates the boy). And this year we have Carter, who is becoming the life of any party, and David is here too, even though he isn't too exciting right now, he is fun to hold and next year will be full of some much needed chaos in this family. So I am waiting anxiously for my leftover turkey turkey sandwich.

And I am trying to decide if I want to go shopping on Friday or not. I will keep you posted with that decision.If anyone reading this (Kelly) wants to meet me for some shopping Friday morning, let me know.

Too Much Chaos

2008-11-22T11:06:00.004-07:00

We made it to the park the other day, but I forgot the camera. It was fun. Both of the kids had fun on the swings.

I have been trying to organize my life. I have always wanted to be an organized person, and after today I wish I had actually done something about it. Before, you know, NOW. What happened today you ask. Let me tell you. Roy is buying a truck from a guy he works with. He is giving this guy his truck, a wonderful 1986 Toyota, as part of the payment. So he needs his title to give him. And of course we don't have any specific place to keep such items (in my defence, we did have a place in our old house, I just haven't gotten around to making one here). Roy started looking for it last night, in our room. But couldn't find it. I called my Dad to see if it was left there when we moved out, but it wasn't. So I start tearing boxes apart looking everywhere for it. Long story short, it was on the shelf in Roy's closet. The first place he looked. If I had somewhere to keep everything like that, I could avoid the whole mess. So today I am going to Target and BigLots to get stuff and get organized. I will take before and after pictures. Wish me luck!!

Oh Boy....

2008-11-18T21:43:00.003-07:00

So. Today we went to Joann's (yes again) and had a great time. That of course is sarcastic. Maybe it is because I wrote about how well behaved Morgan is in public, or because she is almost three, and I knew the terrible two's were too easy. Either way, it was the trip from hell.

It started out okay. I only needed a few things. Morgan immediately saw the Christmas decorations and went and grabbed a snowman she saw last week. I told her we weren't getting it but I let her carry it for a little while. I put it back and she went and grabbed it again. I asked her to put it back, on her way to put it back she dropped it and the hat broke. So I bought that.

I know. I could have put it back and not said anything but there are two reasons I didn't, 1. I am usually the poor shopper that ends up with the broken junk & 2. This happened right in front of the register and Morgan isn't the kind of kid that breaks something and quietly puts it back, she is the kind of kid who apologizes for breaking stuff or cries about it. Plus I can put a little glue on it and have a cute new Christmas decoration.

After that I decided it was time to go. While we were waiting in line and Morgan wanted a sucker. I said no (not because I am mean, but because we have a bunch of candy at home). Then I heard the very recognizable sound of a candy wrapper opening. I looked over and she had the sucker in her mouth. I snatched it from her and paid for that too. Of course this made for a very loud checkout.

I still stand by what I wrote about how good she is. Today was just one incident. But I can't help but wonder. How many are to come. And how will I handle them?

Coming Tomorrow - Playground adventures. Hopefully with pictures.

A Good Weekend

2008-11-17T09:05:00.005-07:00

We had such a nice weekend. On Saturday Matt & Krystal brought David (Daycare, as Morgan calls him) over to see us. My parents came over too, it was like a 3 in 1 visit, they got to see all of their (Colorado) grand kids. We had fun just hanging out. David has gained 1 pound in his 3 1/2 weeks.

On Sunday Morgan & I went to the Christmas Crafts & Food show at the convention center. We met Kelly and Hillori (Kelly's sister) down there. What a mad house. 9 aisles crammed full with people. We thought that maybe it wouldn't be so busy with the Broncos game on, we were wrong. But we had a lot of fun. There was some pretty neat stuff to see. A lot of good food too. Morgan tried some new things. She was so well behaved. She walked the whole time, and didn't complain about it once. In fact the only times she cried were when she had to quit looking at the trains, and when she lost her jellyfish toy, we found him and all was better. Then we saw Santa. And I mean just that, we saw him from a distance, not because there was a long line, but because Morgan didn't want to get near him. She liked looking at him, but that was it. Maybe next year I will get a Santa picture.
When it was time to leave, Morgan got upset but then said, "Can I go home and watch shows and Cars?" so she was okay.

I came home planning on making pj pants for the kids, but that didn't happen. I instead played on the computer and watched the race. So today I am going to make checkbook covers for the craft show my Mom is doing this weekend, and then I will work on the pants. I am excited about the pants. I found the cutest fabrics for them. Come back later for pictures.

The Big Sister

2008-11-14T13:10:00.003-07:00

When I found out I was pregnant with Carter I did what every woman (that I have talked to about this sort of thing) who finds out she is pregnant while she is raising a one year old does. I sat on the toilet and cried. It was a mixture of happy and OMG tears. I thought about the fact we didn't have health insurance, that I hadn't gotten my pre Morgan body back, the exhaustion that comes with a newborn, the gestational diabetes, the morning sickness and the daughter I love so much and how could I possibly love another child like that. And would she be a jealous sister, this one I thought would be a definite yes. After thinking about all of this for about 10 minutes (while crying) I stood up and brushed my hair, washed my face and put on a smile. I had to call Roy. He was so excited. This baby was his idea.
I will admit that it took me a while longer than I think it should have to get excited. I didn't really get excited until I found out I was having a boy. Yes. Around my 20th week. The reason I didn't get excited was because I was too busy feeling guilty. About Morgan's feelings.
And then Carter was born. Roy brought Morgan to the hospital and everything was good. There wasn't any jealousy to speak of. Until Carter started becoming mobile. In the time that we have lived here I have walked in on some happenings that would make any parent wonder how their baby is still laying on the floor laughing and not screaming his head off. She has (to name a few) tipped his walker over (yes, he was in it), lifted (more like threw) him on to the stairs and watched him fall (luckily she could only get him to the second step), and rolled him on to his back so she could jump off of him. During each one of these Carter has laughed the whole time. Not just a giggle either. A deep belly laugh.
So the other day I knew something pretty bad happened when I heard him crying. Carter pulls himself up on the TV stand all the time. We move him away and he goes back and we move him away. This goes on for a while. I heard Morgan yell "No Carter", a thump, and a scream. A loud crying scream. I went out to the living room and asked what happened. Morgan told me "I told him no, because he was getting the TV, and I will get mad, and then I hit his head" I said "You hit his head?" She said "Yes. Because I was gonna be mad". I looked at his face and he had a big red mark from his face hitting the TV stand. She was put in time out.
Earlier in the day Carter learned to spit, and his face was covered in spit. Morgan freaked out yelling at me to wash his face so he didn't get a rash.
I love that she is so concerned with him getting a rash, but he had better not get near the TV or she will get mad.

I'm Here

2008-11-11T09:26:00.003-07:00

I have been sick. For over two weeks now. I am finally feeling better, but I cannot get rid of this cough.
I am such an exciting person that in the week and a half since I posted last, not a lot has happened. The most exciting thing that happened was we celebrated our 4th anniversary. We went out to dinner at Benihanas. It was my first time going there and it was delicious.
Also we had the craft show on the 1st. I took Morgan with me and she was tired from Halloween so we didn't stay too long , but it was still fun. I sold a few things. My Mom sold the most dollar wise. My Mom has a booth at another one so I might try to get her to sell some of my stuff at that one too.
I am having a Homemade Gourmet party this weekend, I am looking forward to that. I love having get together's at my house. I usually do the summer parties and my Mom does the big winter ones, but I try to slip a few smaller winter ones in since I love this time of year. I could do without the snow, but the holiday time makes me happy.
Well I honestly don't have anything else to babble about. Maybe something exciting will happen today.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T22:47:00.012-06:00

What a busy day. We woke up early (not my choice) and watched the news. They were showing Halloween pictures that viewers sent in and said they would keep showing them until Monday so to be sure to send them in. I decided to send in the super cute one of Carter (see the Boo At The Zoo post). And guess what, they showed it. I was so excited. I called my Dad, but he had just changed the channel and missed it. Nobody I know saw it except Morgan. She said "Look, Carter's on the tv!!. It truly was my shining moment.

Then we carved our pumpkin, Roy carved his last night while we were at the hospital. Mine looks like the goofy sidekick to Roy's.

Then we went to my Mom's house to hang out and to pick up these super cute trick-or-treat bags. Morgan wouldn't let me take a picture of hers until it was full.

We came home planning to go to a party the had started at 5 but it was almost 6 so I made a quick pizza and got the kids ready to go.

First I had to get our candy ready for trick-or-treaters, the ones I expected to come after we got back. This is what my candy pile looked like before. I have everything in there, including vampire fangs that glow in the dark and temporary tattoos.

And this is what it looks like now. No. I did not make a mistake and add the same photo. It is the same picture. We did not get one single trick-or-treater. I thought we would be home early enough to still be able to give out candy. I was wrong. Now I know and will probably not buy candy next year. If you feel like you didn't get enough email me your address. I will send you some of this.

Morgan had so much fun. She is so shy with stranger's (and some people she knows) that I couldn't get her to say trick-or-treat. She said thank you a couple of times, but she had no problem saying "let's go get more candy" as soon as we turned to walk to the next house. When we finally finished Morgan's bag was about half full. One of our neighbors was handing out brown paper bags that she had decorated. Morgan tore that open as soon as we walked in the house. It had an apple and some candy in it. My sweet candy lovin' 2 year old asked if she could have her apple.

Now my kids are tucked soundly into bed and I have to get up super early to get ready for the craft fair. Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

David Matthew

2008-10-30T23:15:00.007-06:00

Welcome Sweet Baby Boy!!

My newest nephew was born at 12:53 am today (Oct. 30). He weighed in at 6lbs. 9oz. and is 21 inches long. He has some hair that is pretty dark. He looks like his Mommy more than his Daddy. That is definitely her yawn ; ) He was born by C Section. Everyone is doing great.He is so darn cute, he seemed so small. I couldn't believe Carter was born only 7 months ago. Morgan was happy to meet her new cousin, as expected she said "awww, a cute daby".

Congratulations Matthew & Krystal!! I love you guys.

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting.......

2008-10-29T11:01:00.003-06:00

Krystal went in to the hospital at midnight to be induced. She was already at a two when she went to her appointment yesterday, but that doesn't mean anything as far as how fast it will happen.
Hopefully we will be able to go see Baby Scooter (they haven't picked a name yet so that is the baby's nickname) tonight. I am so excited for them. I know that Krystal will be fine and is strong enough for this delivery, and she has a great partner to help her today (actually two, since my Mom is there). They will be great loving parents. There is already a lot of love in this family for this baby. He is one lucky little guy. I will post again after I get to go meet my new nephew.

BOO!! At The Zoo

2008-10-28T09:59:00.005-06:00

What a fun day. The weather was perfect, the animals were out & the kids were absolutely the best behaved children I have ever been around, and if you know me you know I am serious when I say that. Morgan walked the whole day, except for when she was starving and Roy carried her for a short while, and Carter was as happy as ever in his stroller. The zoo was pretty busy, but I didn't think it was any worse than any other warm Saturday at the zoo, and yes, we had to wait in lines for candy, but most of the lines were only 3 or 4 kids long. So it is confirmed, Kelly is a wuss.

I know, you want to know what happened with poor Mr. No-Costume Carter. I found a costume, and I have debated putting pictures up until Friday, but the pictures are so funny, I feel I should at least put one up. He was a Lion (or a solid gold dancer as Roy said), and as you can see, a very ferocious one at that. Morgan looked beautiful, and she loves her costume, but she does need a headband. I am going to work on that before Friday. But you know that cold I thought Morgan was getting, I got it instead. so I haven't really felt up to anything the past couple of days.

Wood Fairy Princess Halloween Costume & A Monkey Gone Wrong

2008-10-25T00:59:00.004-06:00

I had (am still having) a heck of a time finding costumes for the kids. I went to 3 stores and found that they either had two or three costumes to choose from or the girls costumes were, how should I put it, too adult. My BF Kelly told me she had just seen a Sock Monkey costume at her Super Target, which is great, except she lives a ways away from me and I didn't really feel like loading the kids up and driving for a half an hour on the hope they would still have one for Carter. But then I had the best idea ever. Matt lives by Kelly. He could go look for me. He reluctantly agreed. But when he got there, a baby sock monkey was not to be for my Halloween this year. There was however, a monkey with a banana sewn to it's hand. I said get it. It was all planned out, Matt would get the costume, take it to work with him, give it to my Dad, my Dad would bring it to me, I would give my Dad the $, he would give the $ to Matt. PERFECT!! All I had to do now was figure out what Morgan would be. My Mom said she had complete faith that I could make a wood fairy princess tutu for Morgan to wear and could get a shirt and tights and shoes for her and she would be the cutest thing in the world ( I may have added that last part, but I am sure my Mom meant to say that ; ), so off I went to get all of the items for the wfp costume. I got it all and got home excited for my new mission. In the middle of tying the strips of Thule to the elastic my Dad got here with the monkey. It was all working out perfectly, just as planned. Except the monkey was too short. It DOESN'T fit.

I managed to get the wfp finished and am very happy with it, and Matt said he would go to the other Target tomorrow and call me. I guess Carter won't be dressed up for boo at the zoo tomorrow, which Kelly says I am crazy for going to anyway. She is just a wuss.

So here are the pictures of the cutest unusable (in my house anyway) monkey costume in the world (that isn't a sock monkey) and the greatest wood fairy princess costume (without the actual princess in it, I didn't finish the thing until after midnight, I will post pictures tomorrow of her in it). See how cute it is with the banana.

Coming tomorrow, a Boo At The Zoo post, where I confirm Kelly's wussiness!!

Not A Whole Lot Going On

2008-10-22T23:05:00.005-06:00

It hasn't been too exciting around here. Roy left this morning for Walsenburg and won't be home until Friday and I think Morgan is coming down with a cold. Why wouldn't she be getting sick, we have plans to take the kids to Boo at the Zoo on Saturday. Hopefully what ever she is or isn't getting doesn't pass on to Carter and goes away fast.

I have been trying to get creative and crafty so I would have something to sell at the craft fair that I am supposed to be in with Marly and my Mom on Nov. 1st, but since I just started sewing and I really don't know what else to do I am stuck. I guess I could try to sell these checkbook and debit card holders I have had sitting around here since the beginning of summer. I did manage to make a bag to hold my clothespins, which turned out cute, not that it was real hard or anything.

I went to Target yesterday to see if they had a better selection of costumes than WalMart, but it was pretty slim pickins. I should really be one of those Mom's that is ahead of the game and goes to get costumes the day they are put on display, but I don't see that happening. I am going to try another Target, but I think I might end up at the craft store looking for simple patterns. We'll see how it goes. I wanted to dress the kids up for Saturday so I guess I will have to go tomorrow in case I do have to sew anything.

Alright, enough boring babble. Hopefully something exciting happens in the next couple of days.

Oh yeah, I fixed it so that you don't have to have a blogger account to leave comments.

Busy Busy

2008-10-19T19:01:00.013-06:00

We had quite a busy couple of days around here. I decided to go to the craft store and stock up on stuff for Morgan to do (instead of watching tv all day long). We bought felt, googly eyes, clothes pins, gems, pipe cleaners and some other stuff that I can't think of right now. I also bought fabric to make a quilt for Morgan (stop laughing). It actually came out pretty cute for it being the first thing I have sewn in years and years.

Yesterday we went over to my Mom & Dad's house and made pickles. We had to go to the farmer's market to get pickling cucumbers. When we got to the market there were a bunch of pumpkins and Morgan was so excited. I told her she could pick one out (from the smaller pumpkins, I love supporting the local farmer's but I am not spending $20 or more on something I am going to cut up and leave on my porch to rot). So she picked out the cutest pumpkin I have ever seen. She was determined to carry it herself and impressively made it about 200-300 feet. It was the cutest thing I have seen but of course I forgot my camera. We got to my parent's house and made the pickles but my Mom didn't get the green beans so we couldn't make those. Again, I forgot my camera and have no pickle pictures. We ended up with 12 jars, I think, and one jar of pickle bites (some of the cucumbers were too long to fit in the jars so wee had to cut the ends off) that we made very spicy for Matt.

Then tonight we went to the White Fence Farm for my almost-sister-in-law's birthday. It is a pretty fun restraunt. They have stuff to buy and a petting zoo and they have great fried chicken. It is a family style place and they bring out the sides first. All Morgan wanted to eat were her french fries but Carter ate some corn fritters and french fries. After dinner we went to let Morgan pet a bull, a goat and look at some chickens and a big fat pig. She had a great time and Carter liked looking at the chickens.

We are going to go this week and get Morgan & Carter's Halloween costumes (or stuff to make one). Keep an eye out for that fun post!!

She Stabbed Me!! She Stabbed Me!! Maybe it's just a scratch.

2008-10-16T23:35:00.000-06:00

So. Like most 2 year olds, Morgan loves everything that isn't a toy that was purchased for her playing enjoyment. Anything from the kitchen is always a big hit, the bathroom is a great treasure chest as well, my bedroom, PERFECT! Today's tale is from the kitchen. She wasn't in to anything she shouldn't have been today. But apparently danger lurks EVERYWHERE.

In my kitchen I have a drawer full of straws (the same drawer that holds the temporary tattoos), and for the past few days Morgan has been getting the straws out of the drawer and insisting they are flowers. I tell her to put them back, she screams no and runs away, I tell her, again, to put them back, finally, after a few minutes of this, she listens. The other day while she was carrying the "flowers" around, I had this horrible vision of my eye getting stabbed with a straw, and it sticking in there (gross, I know). I though , "what would I do, pull it out myself or wait for an ambulance to get here?". I resolved this thinking by making Morgan put them away and deciding that I would move them after bed time. Of course I forgot. Little did I know, the regular bendy straws were not the ones I should worry about. Today, Morgan took a (too short) nap. She woke up because Carter was climbing on her. She woke up happy, but that was short lived. She quickly grew tired of her sweet baby brother using her as a jungle gym and came whining to me wanting to sit with me. She started to climb up on my lap and I felt the sharpest, quickest pain in my eye that I have ever felt. Unbeknown st to me she had a straw from a Capri Sun in her hand. The pointy end that punctures the pouch, scratched my eyeball. No it did not stick in there and an ambulance was not needed, just a tissue and the ability to calm a freaked out, apologizing 2 year old, and to be able to change a diaper while holding a tissue over on eye was needed. I of course was not mad at her for it, but she still freaked out when she realized I was hurt (because of her) and apologized a million times. I guess now I have to make sure the straw is attached to the pouch when she throws them away!!

Notice the sharp pointy end at the top of the photo.

Strawberry Jelly. Yumm!!

2008-10-15T22:18:00.000-06:00

Last year I planted a garden with the hopes of having a big harvest to make pickles. I planted Lemon Cucumbers, I had read somewhere they are good for pickling, what I didn't read is that you have to pick them when they are small or they are no good. A lot of them were too big, making them seedy and slightly bitter. My Mom and I made pickles with them and some smaller pickling cucumbers that we bought from the local farmer's market. We also made pickled green beans. All summer long we have been saying we need to get cucumbers again to do our pickles. We did not do it. We are going to do the green beans again, and if I can find a farmer's market this late in the season we will do pickles too. I am very excited about that.

The point of this is that I had so much fun doing all of this I have been dying to can something, anything!! My Mom has been making jelly (jam), she made peach and is working on her grape right now. I love peach and I will like the grape (because the grapes are from my Aunt's garden and my Mom made it) although I am not usually a big fan of grape jelly. My favorite is and always has been strawberry. So I decided last week I was going to make me some strawberry jelly! And yesterday when I was grocery shopping I bought everything I needed. I was a little scared. I had to take care of two kids (Morgan does okay by herself but Carter isn't old enough to understand taking care of himself. What is wrong with 7 month olds these days?) and stir the strawberry juice and sugar constantly. Let me tell you, my kitchen looked like it exploded, but it was worth it. I ended up with 14 jars and the jelly turned out fantastic!! See how pretty it looks. I am so happy. I already gave a jar to Matt & Krystal (brother and sister in law) to try. Krystal was pretty excited because all she has been eating lately is peanut butter, jelly and honey sandwiches (sounds wierd to me but I am not pregnant and due in 2 weeks).

We are planning to do the green beans this week (hopefully pickles too). I will let you know how that goes.

100 Things About Me

2008-10-15T00:40:00.001-06:00

100 Things

1. I got married in Las Vegas on November 7th 2004
2. I married my husband after dating him for only 11 months
3. My husband is way cooler than I am
4. I went to school to be a dog groomer
5. I think dog groomer’s are crazy
6. I have eight tattoos and plan on getting more (sorry Mom)
7. I hate the act of cleaning but love a clean house
8. I leave baskets of clean laundry all over the house until they are so wrinkled I have to re-wash them and the cycle begins again
9. My 2 year old daughter is cooler than I am
10. I love NASCAR
11. Bright colors make me happy
12. I have pierced my ears three times in my life and let the holes close up each time
13. I let my friend pierce my nose in high school and let it close up after a week.
14. I love going to concerts
15. I love to cook and am good at it
16. My tattoos are; Frog on my Right Leg, Power Puff Girls on my back,,my name in Chinese symbol’s on the back of my neck, Chinese symbol’s meaning Devotion on my left wrist (my husband has the same one), Flower band on my right wrist, full custom sleeve on my right arm, Morgan’s name on the top of my left foot, Carter’s name on the top of my right foot. I will only let one person tattoo me. Ever.
17. I am addicted to swaps. Something about getting something from someone I don’t know makes me happy.
18. I love being a sahm but often think about what career I want
19. I plan on going to school
20. I drive a 1994 Audi that I bought from my aunt for $2300.00
21. A lot of people think my car is newer than it is
22. I am scared of dying before my kids get old
23.I have had the same best friend since I was 3 years old
24. My Birthday is my favorite day of the year
25. If you are my friend, and you forget to call me on my birthday, I will be mad at you
26. In the 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th grades I LOVED the New Kids On The Block
27. I played with Barbie’s until I was 12 years old
28. I collect Barbie’s now
29. I consider my Brother and my Sister two of my closest friends
30. I love Thursday’s, because my sister is off from work and we can talk on the phone for hours about nothing and nobody is there to say anything about it
31 My sister lives in Massachusetts
32.I love my Grandma (on my Dad’s side) even though she is absolutely crazy
33. I wish I knew my Grandparents (on my Mom’s side) better than I do
34. I admire my parent’s more than they know
35. I love Fire Fighters
36. My Dad was a volunteer fire fighter when I was growing up
37. I love reading blogs
38. Reading is one of my favorite things to do
39. My brother’s wife is going to have a baby boy soon. She is due Nov. 1st
40. I want my daughter to be girly and my son to be all boy
41. I don’t have a cell phone
42. My daughter loves temporary tattoos
43. I have a drawer full of them
44. Christmas is my favorite holiday
45. Halloween is my second favorite
46. I wish I was craftier than I am
47. I want to move to Massachusetts
48. I really don’t like living in Colorado
49. I often dream about winning the lottery and what I would do with all of my money
50. I like to play golf
51. I love my Grandparents (on my Mom’s side)
52. I like to play poker
53. Target is my favorite store
54. I hate the mall
55. Even though Christmas is my favorite holiday, I hate Christmas shopping
56. My new hobby is canning
57. I really don’t like baking
58. I have huge crushes on Dale Earnhardt Jr. , Nikki Sixx & Mike Ness
59.My husband is fully aware of my crushes
60. I Wish I was an organized person
61. If I could live anywhere beside the US I would live in London
62. I love gardening
63. I love to use the pounce feature on Etsy
64. I love monkeys. Especially Sock Monkeys
65. I take a ton of pictures of my kids (and anything else I like)
66. I love Audrey Hepburn
67. I hate WalMart but go there 2 times a week
68. Mine and my husband’s vacation plan for our 8th anniversary is to go to Arizona for a NASCAR race
69. I am learning to sew (I already know the basics, but haven’t touched a machine in years)
70. I wish I could get my daughter interested in Potty Training
71. My Mom and sister think I am a really strict parent. I don’t agree
72. I wish my sister lived out her still. I miss her and her kids
73. I love motorcycles
74. I want to travel to Africa
75. I love chick lit books
76. I also love thriller books
77. I hate scary movies
78. I could spend hours at the craft store
79. I love buying stuff to scrapbook with
80. I do not have any books about either one of my children
81. I have a file on my computer about each of my kids
82. I love kitchen gadgets
83. I don’t use cookbooks. I think they are a waste of space in my house
84. My husband can build anything out of wood
85. I do not wear jewelry except for my wedding band and the occasional necklace
86. I love flip flops
87. I do not like spaghetti
88. I am not a fan of wine, but I am trying to learn
89. I like to drink beer and Twisted Teas
90. I am terrible at saving money
91. I love Pepsi
92. I love Crab Legs
93. I am a sucker for cheap plastic dishes (mostly the summer stuff Target sells)
94. I will not buy my kids anything that has a cartoon character on it. Especially Disney
95. I have only broken this rule for the occasional "Cars" item
96. I cannot stand fake flowers
97. I am scared of birds. And mice
98. Incense makes me sick
99. I don’t like floral scents
100. I enjoy fruity scents
This was kind of hard for me. I hope it helped you get to know me.