Kid's Room Clean-Up vs. Parent's Sanity

 

If you are like me, there is a ever present battle being waged against the condition of your child's room. 

 

If you don't have kids then you must think that I'm joking.  I'm not kidding...it's a BATTLE!  Dirty clothes strewn across the floor. Clean clothes strewn across the floor. Toys strategically placed to destroy a parent's feet in the night.  Stuffed animals seem to mock you from all sides.

 

Someone's Turning ONE! 1st Birthday Party Ideas

This month has be doing a lot of picture gazing.  My little guy is turning 1 at the end of this month.  Can you believe it?  How is that even possible?!  It seems like time has just been moving in a fast forward pace.  I blink and he's doing something new.

 

Let's face it, the first two birthdays really are for the adults, not so much for the little kiddle.  We moms and dads love to have an excuse to get friends together...because it's hard to do that without a birthday being involved. (at least for our family that statement is true) Well, maybe the 2nd becomes about the little one.

 

So, now I'm trying to decide what kind of cake to make for this milestone.  Do I go cupcakes?  Do I go single layer?  Do I go tiered?  Do I follow my sis-in-law's example and make a 100% whole fruit cake?  Or do I just make my personal favorite tiramisu? *hehe*

 

Since I know that I am not the only mom dealing with a 1st birthday party this year, I thought I'd share some of my finds with you.  Hopefully it will either solve another mom's dilemma or stir up inspiration.

 

A Little Gentlemen's Birthday?  Spaceships And Laser Beams had so many wonderful ideas for a stache themed party.  I'm very tempted to give into this trend. 

So, here's my sis-in-law's all fruit non-cake that she made for my nephew's 1st birthday. (Got a glutten issue to deal with?  This is a PERFECT solution. Isn't that amazing?! 

Magic Arrives March 2015

I have one little girl in our household that just can't wait until March comes. 

Why?

The magic of Disney is coming once again!  This time one of our absolute favorite movies is being brought to life...

Which one? 

Cinderella!

We just watched the official trailer and the little girl inside of me just might be just as excited as my daughter is.

 

Tonight is just the beginning of a very long waiting process in a 10-year-old's eyes.  How will I be able to handle the constant questions?

 

"How many more days?"

 

"Are we going?"

 

"When do we get to go see Cinderella?

 

"Do you have our movie tickets yet?"

 

"Is it EVER going to be March?!"

 

Hopefully March will come swiftly enough that I don't go completely out of my mind.  I'm going to be dreaming of glass slippers for weeks.  I mean, SHE's going to be dreaming about glass slippers.

 

Teething & Flu...Oh My!

Last week was a real drainer.  There's nothing like  a 7 month old teething and two little girls with the flu bug to get a week started.

It started with my little James and his teething.  I'm convinced that teething is parental  abuse.  It's horrible for the baby and I hate that they have to go through it, but it's also a terrible time for the parents.

Sunday it all started at around 9:00pm with a fever of 100.3F.  Fortunately I had my arsenal ready with Peppermint and Lavender oils.  Peppermint to bring down the fever and lavender to calm some of the pain his poor little gums were experiencing.  It was amazing how quickly the Peppermint worked to start bringing down his fever!  Literally .5-1.0 degree lower within 5-10 minutes! 

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Tummy Troubles Big and Small

James at 7 months

As all of us moms know, tummy trouble does not hit at the best of times.  It tends to rise up in the middle of making dinner, sleeping or while we're out and about.  Neither do they only attack the young, but us more matured as well.

 

This is my little James.  At 7 months old I have had countless battles with tummy trouble since the day he was born.  All of my children have had tummy troubles as babies, my oldest Grace and youngest James had it the worst.  They couldn't tolerate my milk...which is so frustrating as a new mommy.  Our milk is supposed to be the best thing for them and yet mine caused so much pain.  Was I watching what I ate?  Absolutely.  I was ridiculously careful about what I ate.
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First Day Of School

 

It's that start of another year and my girls' individual style is shining through...

 

Rose: Rainbow striped zebra shirt, rainbow butterfly capris, rainbow gummy bear bracelet, mood changing necklace and rainbow zebra striped boat shoes on her feet. 

 

Grace: Blue/green ombre tunic w/VERY glittery large flower, matching leggings, Hello Kitty flip glasses (for fun) and her "disco" boots.

 

I love my girls and their uniqueness.

 

This morning started off with a phone call from one of my Grace's friends...15 minutes before my alarm was set to start hounding me.  I hate waking up from something else before my alarm goes off. It just completely throws me off. Bit this extremely tired, red-eyed Momma moved on and tried to get dressed as swiftly as I could before rousing my kiddles.

 

Just like me, they hate being woke up in the morning. My "Good Morning" song was greeted with a big smile from one (shocking) and the comforter being pulled over the other's head (not surprising).  After about 15 minutes giving the best pep talk I could come up with (on 5 hours sleep) to simply get them out of bed, the pep talk for getting them dressed began. I think it helped that there was the smell of bacon cooking in the air...it's a great motivational tool. The aid of a mule team might have been needed otherwise.

 

I had one girl excited about seeing friends and one begging (with a monsoon of tears) for me to not make her go. This was not the best start out of the gates for poor little Rose. Having all of her friends in different classes was posing a huge dilemma for her...although she did have one of her best buddies, Joe-Joe (as she calls him), to get her through the morning. I'm praying that they are seated next to each other...otherwise there will be a negative right at the beginning of class for her.

 

Well on a good note, breakfast went smoothly without a spill or confusion of clothes for a napkin. THAT'S HUGE!  I had fought the urge to go buy one of the ridiculously huge raised donuts from Doughboys Donuts and went with a breakfast drink & bacon for one and eggs & bacon for the other. My Charming even got his tummy blessed with a breakfast burrito...he was a happy man.

 

Lunches are always tricky, but somehow I was able to make both girls happy without too much information prying and collaboration needed. With Rose completely anti sandwiches (she just hates bread) and not willing to go a pasta salad route, it's always a challenge. Final solution - several containers: peanut butter, fresh strawberries, a mozzarella cheese stick and organic gummies. 

 

Both of my girls were so nervous about their new classes because they each only had 3 out of 24 classmates that they knew. This was a huge change from the last year when teachers were able to help keep more of the kids together. We were so thrilled with the two teachers that the girls got though. All summer we had been praying for God to give us favor in their placement...there is a horrible teacher (with tenor of course) who has treated classroom after classroom of students with such insensitivity and hateful words. Thank God that our Grace did not get placed with her! I would have been in battle mode for sure to keep her from ever stepping foot in that classroom.

 

Why is it that a teacher with tenor can keep their job when any one of us would lose ours for being inappropriate and down right hateful & demeaning?

 

 

Anyway, we all made our way to the lines that awaited us.  By this time both girls had gotten excited to see friends again and were assured that Daddy & Mommy had their backs should anything need to be dealt with. (I had already battled the school for half the year last year because of rotten treatment from a half year substitute for my Rose. I know what I'm doing and don't back down when it comes to my girls or the treatment of any other student in their class for that matter.)  Daddy stayed with Rose until her class was ready to go in while I tried to catch up with Grace and pull her from the wrong line into the right classroom. 

 

I'm believing that it's going to be a great year. One where true friendships are created that will carry on into middle & highschool.

 

Now I sit here with green tea in hand and sincerely hope you all have a wonderful start to the school year too!

 

Summer Has Zapped Me

 

Summer time means a whole new thing to me as a Mom...oh how I long for the meaning that it used to hold as a child.  Back then it used to mean playing outside all day, hanging out in my tree house, catching swallowtail butterflies, long bike rides, beach trips, swimming until I was all pruney and homemade ice cream for BBQs. As an adult, this summer has left my brain completely zapped.  I mean, I am mentally just worn out from trying to keep my daughters occupied this summer. 

 

This summer's dilemma is simply getting them to agree on an activity, part of it fitting activities into the budget and part getting the time to break away from working at home (I draft construction plans) and still meeting the demands of everyday housework.  My desire for a large backyard for them to go play and be occupied all day has grown by leaps and bounds. Living in an apartment with a small patio and a neighborhood of trash throwing kids makes that desire grow every day.  Does no one teach their children to pick-up their trash and respect anything anymore?  Or is it just the kids that live here who have absolutely no respect for anyone's property or the playground where they spend their time?  It makes me crazy. It makes me want to leash each one of them and walk them around the grounds picking up the garbage.
 

 

Fortunately for us, there is a man-made lake, or pond depending on your view of it, that has become the favorite morning and evening activity.  A trek around that duck, goose and sea gull filled lake has become a very welcomed deterrent to playing video games. It's also a great way to keep our doggie socialized since there are all types of dogs out for walks there every day. 

 

This morning's walk started of with a new addition of tons of tadpoles and some very large frogs...or toads. I'm not sure which is actually the correct label for them, but they were large enough that they could become some pretty thick frog plates on a Cajun plate.
 

 

Lately my little Rose has been on a mission to pet a duck.  That mission has failed every trip to the lake that we have made. This morning it could have been a success...she was very stealthy.  The geese nearby have apparently make a pact with the ducks to be their security team. As soon as she got within 20 feet of those quackers, the geese perked up and started waddling straight to her.  Rose ran screaming, "AGH! GEESE!!!"  She's seen enough of America's Funniest Videos to know that geese pose a real threat. 

Now if I could only get our little Cocoa to start walking instead of trying to constantly sprint his way around the lake, everything would be nice and smooth instead of a battle of the leash.  I'm telling ya, Ceasar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) is my chow of choice right now.  I've got to break this pup before I just buy a treadmill and hook him up to it instead.

 

I think we'll be making a blanket fort today...it's not too demanding and they still enjoy it enough to swallow up a few hours of the day.  Yes, it's totally worth all of the folding that will come when they're all done with it.

 

How has your summer time gone?  Am I the only one who is SO ready for the kiddles to head back to school? 

Our New Family Member

For the past 4 months my youngest daughter, Rose, has been in search of her perfect dog.  It seemed that the search was to be forever ongoing.  Honestly, I have had my fill of puppy/dog shopping...I mean, 4 months is a long time and a lot of puppies.  We've played with all breeds of puppies - Labrador, French Bull Dog, Havanese, Shih Tzu, Border Collie, Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, Rottweiler, Husky and mixes of all types.

Well, we decided to hold off on getting any pup for a while and just focus on getting some of the things that we'd need in order to bring one home. It seemed like the best thing to do since Rose wasn't getting any closer to finding the dog that was "her style".  She loved all of them but just wasn't sure if each pup was really perfect for her.  So a couple of little toys, a carrier for the car and locating the best deal on a kennel became the focus...for a couple of days.

Yesterday, after church, we decided to just go to the Humane Society just to see if any new dogs had become available...not at all thinking that we would find anything.  The majority of dogs there were Pit Bulls (which we are not able to have in our complex) or very yappy Chihuahuas (and we don't do yappy in our house).  Into the kennel area we went and were greeted with the typical ear-piercing greetings from Terriers and Chihuahuas in the small group area.  Oh, I tell you, it is a horrible racket.

As we make our way past several dogs that have been there over the past several months we came across one little guy that was silent and just wagging his little tail as fast as he could. This little black pup was prancing and begging for some attention...and he was one that we hadn't seen before.  Whip was his name...we could only guess that he was named that for his little curled tail moving so quickly. 

My daughter was ready to pull him out to see how he acted in a visiting room with her.  I was shocked since we all had agreed that a female was going to be the gender of any pup we brought home.  A male just never was a true consideration.  Well, this little guy won all of us over...even my anti-small-dog hubby.  The kicker, Whip was a mix of Chihuahua and another breed.  (we're guessing Pincher or Terrier)

My darling little Rose has been so happy since we signed the adoption paperwork...and she even chose a new name for him.  The puppy formerly known as Whip is now COCOA!  Their adventures together are about to begin.

Sale Day! And A Lesson In Finance.

Today we endeavored to participate in one of the oldest quick money making and household lightening events...The Garage Sale!  Why is it that garage sales have to start so early in the morning?  Who established the appropriate time to begin the sales?  What on earth made them come to the conclusion of, "Oh, 6:30AM should be perfect."

 

I think that something along the lines of 8:00AM, or even better 9:00AM, is more along my lines of appropriate sale times.  People are exhausted before that and the children that are toted around tend to just gripe and complain. (okay, maybe just the people holding the garage sales are exhausted)

 

My youngest sifted through her toy chest and came up with a number of items that were too young for her or were Happy Meal toys that were no longer wanted.  It was so fun to see her excited about filling up her box with items to sell.  She couldn't wait to start selling and collecting some $.

 

She even had to have the perfect outfit for this morning's event. And for her that was a no-brainer.

 

"I have to be fancy to sell my stuff mom."

 

 

My eldest had a different mindset for tackling this garage sale.  She has been dying to get a pogo stick, so her Daddy decided that she needed to learn how to earn it.  I agreed, it was about time that she fully understood that it takes effort to get the money needed to buy play things.

 

Here was the plan, which I thought might not work out so well, which was put into effect...

• Buy some candy, granola bars and water. 
• Sell each item for $1.
• Pay Dad & Mom for the purchase price of the product.
• Pocket the profit.
• Buy a new scooter.

 

Well, she did phenomenal!  Not only did she sell enough to pay for the product, she made a profit!

 

AND she made enough to go purchase her new pogo stick!

 

AND she still has about 30 items left that she could sell to friends or at another yard sale!

 

PLUS...a couple who came buy actually have a pogo stick that they are giving to her for FREE! (she has no idea about this part...so Monday after school will be a fun reveal for sure)

 

 

At about the middle of the day, a walk became necessary...if for nothing else, just to step away and check out some of the other garage sales in the area. (it was a full community garage sale even)  And along my walk I happened upon this lovely little dove perched up high spying on all of the activity below.
 

As for Dad & Mom, we got a little extra cash for some things that we needed to clear out. (but we are definitely in need of some sleepy time now)

 

It turned out to be a good day all around.

The Friendship Mediator

Today I just need a light moment to vent and pose a question.  It seems more and more that I am being called on to deal with the friendships of my girls. Is anyone else having this happen?

 

Whenever I can I volunteer in one of my girls' classrooms, and I have noticed so much rudeness between these little 1st & 2nd graders that it makes me want to scream.  Including my own Grace...which really makes me want to scream.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday ~ Shutterbug Kiddles

 

Today I was in search of some missing photos for recipes I need to post.  During my search I discovered a treasure trove of photos that my girls had taken. 

The things kids take pictures of cracks me up...and I'm sharing some unedited moments with you. 

Happy Wednesday!

Walking The Runway

Have you ever thought about putting your little darling in modeling or acting? Are they drawn to the stage like a moth to a flame?

Mine both are...but especially my little Grace. And this weekend while we were out at the mall she was scouted by a representative for Barbizon.  I was surprised and also a bit skeptical, but I figured that if she wanted to go and have a little fun then why not?!

My mother did modeling and studied at the Pasadena Playhouse, which I had always fantasized about as a child. Honestly, it's still pretty cool to me. I have her portfolio which I love to go through and as a child I used to try to pretend I was she and living a glamorous modeling life.  (I now know that it wasn't so glamorous)

Until now I have not pursued anything in the realm of modeling or acting for my daughter.  This was something that I wanted to make sure was her desire and her decision to pursue. The idea of being one of those parents that pushes their child into a field that becomes far more of a job than something enjoyable just is not palatable at all.  Aside from school, I can not imagine forcing my child to do something that is neither necessary for her health, spiritual growth or mental health.

My daughter needs to be her age, look her age, dress her age and enjoy being a child. If part of her enjoyment is participating in acting or modeling then I'm all for it. (with some Mommy & Daddy guidelines of course)

So, when all of the practicing and runway walking was done we were presented with the option to register her for some classes...to the tune of over $4,000!  *gasp!*choke!*  If we were in a position that money was no object, then that would probably not have fazed us.  That, however, is not the case and we will be looking for local acting and vocal studios to work with instead.

Thinking back, that amount was my tuition for my senior year of high school...and I remember how hard it was to make those monthly payments. At least I got  9 months of study for that amount.

 

I was a little far away, but although grainy this was one of my favorite moments of the day.  It was so heartwarming to see how she cheered the other girls on and even made a couple new friends. They were adorable striking poses and showing each other how to toss their hair. I soaked it all up, loving every minute of watching my daughter high and proud and so encouraging to all the other girls there.

 

Onward we go, looking toward the future and all the drama that is coming along with it. *haha*  My girl is going to be encouraged to follow her dreams, and to keep God in the center of her life.  That second part is the one that her Daddy & I have stressed for years as being most important. We trust that as long as she does that she will have a far easier time navigating through life.


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FREE Easter Game App ~ Android Users

My girls love to play games on my phone while we are at the store or in the car. 

This one is already a hit with them.

Here's a fun little one to get you in Egg Hunting mode!

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Awana Games!

 
This weekend we got to experience the Awana Games for the first time. If you have never experienced this, then you have missed out on mad capped kid-sized mayhem. 

 

Both of our girls are Sparkies for the first time this year.  When I was little I was in Awanas, and LOVED it!  So when my girls had the opportunity to join this year at another area church,  I was thrilled. Although I must admit that I was disappointed to see that the crowns I got to fill with jewels when I was little had been changed to pilot's wings.

 
If you have never heard of Awanas let me briefly explain.  There is a red vest, pilot's wings, jewels, badges, a study book, games and candy involved.  Every week the kids get together and review lessons, recite scripture verses they've memorized and play games to compete for the candy prize at the end of the night.  I love it because the girls get to learn the lessons of the bible like Deborah, Samson, David, Elijah and more.  And each lesson has a scripture verse or two for them to memorize. (I think us adults could use a program like this to get our little gray cells into gear memorizing God's Word.)

 

This is what proud Sparkies parents look like...when they didn't get enough sleep the night before. *haha*

And now to this weekend, the big event that all the kids look forward to participating in.  There is a strict guideline though, if you don't make it to the ONE practice session, you can't participate in the Awana Games!  This was a serious concern for my girls...in fact, I heard reminders  about 50 times a day up to the practice Saturday.  Needless to say we made it to that practice session.

 

This past Saturday morning there was excitement in the air...from one of my kiddles, Grace.  Rose had a totally different response to participating in the day's upcoming event. She was determined not to go. Not to play. Not to have any fun. 

 

It took confidence building and encouragement all the way to the high school gym. 

 

No good.

 

Didn't work. 

She sees one of her little friends walk into the gym...full speed run to the doors, bouncing with excitement and uncontrollable squeals. There is amazing power in friendship.

 

 

And in the hug of a grandparent.

 

 

We get inside and go head to the bleachers with all the other parents and grandparents.  Here's the view we get...little do we know that our girls are going to be on the far side of the gym. Figures.

 

Then look what I spy across the way...guaranteed fun.

 

One by one colored team shirts come walking in and line up on their respective sides of two very large square areas. 

The pledge of allegiance to the U.S. flag, to the Awana flag and to the Bible.  There seems to be some confusion as to which hand to use in covering one's heart.  An address to all of us in the stands is made along with an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Then the whistle sounds and the chaos begins.

 

The first game was like watching a bunch of little cockroaches or Hexbugs try to make their way across the floor.  Even my actions setting couldn't keep up with them.  It was hysterical!  Then they had to do it again to get back to their original sides.

Beanbags came into play as they tried their best to balance them atop their heads and complete a circle back to the starting point.  This event had sudden stops, collisions and one kid that just took his time with his hands in his pockets. 

Just look at that concentration &determination! I was so proud of my girls...they dropped a couple times and then did everything they could to keep that bag on their heads...and sometimes foreheads.

Balloon volleyball anyone?! Oh my gosh, I wanted to jump in on this so bad!

 

 

The idea is not to miss the balloon...it didn't always happen that way. That was a swing and a miss.

 

This being one of Grace's favorite games, she was all smiles the whole way through.  And she got a few good hits too...just too fast for Momma to catch. (darn it!) 

Timid little faces appear as the dodge ball segment emerges...and my camera decides that it needs to be recharged. AGH!  So while they play I use my phone's back-up charger to give it a jolt for a few more pics.  (Thank you Charming for the brilliant idea!)

So a quick charge-up and we're back in business. (for a little while)  A train whistle blows and they're off!

The troops in the ranks entertain themselves with a bit of dancing while they wait for their turn to choo-choo.

I'm dying, trying to catch my breath as I watch the boys lead this train and the girls hold on for dear life. 

And then the camera dies again...and I have to deal with missing some hysterical moments during the balloon pop.  One little guy was too light and just couldn't get his balloon to pop...so an adult's foot had to come help him stop bouncing.

We all wait and wait...scores are being tallied...

South Reno Baptist Church wins 3rd Place!  Woohoo!!!  And a new patch is gained to adorn little red vests.  What a fun afternoon.