Crafting for a Cause

I've been busy working on a couple of Flower Pot Hair Bow "Bouquets".

Both are for gift basket raffles at separate charity events. 

Hopefully they will be well liked.

But more importantly I hope they will raise some $$

to kick CANCER in the ass.

Hair Bows

My most recent order included some of these cute bows.

One was a gift for an OSU fan.

Another one for a Green Bay fan.

The larger purple one was customized to match a dress for a family photo.

And the rest were just random "girl" colors.

All were fun to make!

Food on the Go - This Saturday's Shout-Out

Today we went to the zoo for a bit.

 I love good kid snacks that are in on-the-go packaging.

Our favorites are above...what are yours?

Busted...The Jig is Up

Not only is today my 10th Wedding Anniversary, but it's also my BIRTHDAY!  First thing this morning I received a great hand-made card from the kids...with all three hands traced as signatures.

Age?  Well, I've been 28 for 7 years now.  HA!  The problem great thing about this is that Stella has believed I was "28" and always referred to it for years as long as she knew that I had an age..."My mom is 28"  or "Mom, when I'm 28..." or "I'll get a boyfriend when I'm 28" blah blah blah. 

Well, I'm busted.  I hadn't counted on her saying this, "Mom you are 29 now!"  WHAT?  NO!  Why did she have to learn how to count?  Why did we focus so much with her that she will become the "next number" on her birthday..."Now you are 3, but you add one on your birthday to be 4".

Geesh.  So the dilemma now is do I keep lying teasing?  Or how do I explain that I went from 28 to 35?  Knowing her she'd do the math and try to turn "10" this summer.  Hmmmmm........

Good thing I've learned a lesson...don't lie to children enjoy your 20s for as long as you can because they will eventually end no matter how hard you try to extend them.

Whatcha Might Not Know...The Wedding Day

<Whatcha Might Not Know are Wednesday posts that are just that...something quick that you may or may not know about me, my family, my neighborhood, my city, my world, etc.>

If you are just joining me recently, I've spent the last two Wednesdays talking about my marriage proposal and the pre-party.  Thinking back since tomorrow is our TEN year wedding anniversary.  Wow.

We decided to get married where Andy grew up in Kentucky.  We only had 18 people at our wedding.  No, that is not a typo.  I didn't forget a "1".  Not "118", but EIGHTEEN.  Including us and the priest.  All of us spent the weekend together and it really was fabulous - just our parents, siblings, and grandparents.  The only non-immediate family was my BFF and her husband.  It was one of the quickest Catholic ceremonies EVER.  And then we all enjoyed some great food and drinks in Andy's parents' backyard (shown below).  It did start to rain (sign of good luck!) so we moved the party inside for most of the evening.

That Sunday morning we headed off to a wonderful honeymoon...the big splurge!  More on that next week.

Seriously, there was NO ONE in the pews!

Top Ten Reasons to Say We Are a Family of FIVE...and will stay one!

So last Tuesday I posted my Top Ten Reasons to Have Baby #4.  Click HERE and read it first if you didn't already or have forgotten the reasons.  Go on...I'll wait...it'll only take you a minute...

What was I thinking???  Four?  AM I INSANE?  Of course not, I'm just TIRED. 

So here are my Top Ten Reasons to Just Say "NO" to Baby #4:

1. I'm all out of Baby Names.  I loved My 3 Little Birds post on Names With No Babies.  I can happily say that I don't have any of those anymore!  A dear friend is helping me with some closure on my last girl name...so glad she is using it.  And I always hated boy names anyway - at least the ones that weren't already taken by close friends and family.  Henry's lucky to have a name!
2. I am finally feeling like I have my body back.  Although the physical demands of toddlers and an infant might permanently damage it in the long run.  However, I am no longer an incubator nor a food source and I fit in my pre-pregnancy clothes...I'm thrilled.
3. We normally sleep through the night now.  However, this streak is never long with three kids...someone is always sick, scared or wetting the bed.
4. I'm already setting my alarm for 4:30 AM each day to accomplish simple things...laundry, paying bills, cleaning up the house, unloading the dishwasher, etc.  For all who think I'm CRAZY...I don't usually stay up past 9:30/10:00.
5. We are already paying an armload for swim lessons for 2 kids...double that?  No thanks.  I can't imagine extra-curricular costs for 3 kids once Henry gets a bit bigger...but a fourth?  And the added cost of time, carpooling, etc.?  Yikes.
6. There is currently one seat left in the van and at the table for a grandparent/guest.
7. Twins run in my family.  Crazy shit happens.  My luck = party of seven would occur.  Enough said.
8. We are on a 3-month countdown until NO MORE baby food or bottles.  And I HATE this feeding phase.
9. Daycare costs with FOUR would be insane even though Stella would be in kindergarten part of the day.  Without Nutmeg's set-up (staying home but also having some help - read her story HERE), I think I'd really go crazy as a full-time SAHM.
10. Have I mentioned lately that I'm EXHAUSTED?  TIRED?  Already struggling to balance my time between three kids?

Actually, I've just come to the realization that it is actually ok to be mainstream.  Everyone seems to be having 3 kids lately..."3 is the new 2" I'm told.  And who wants to be mainstream?  Apparently I do.  For once.  The three I have are an ABSOLUTE blessing, but I'm closing up the shop.  Why mess with a good thing?

Just Another Manic Monday

There's nothing like being out of town all of last week for work and then getting up last night with Henry at 2:30 AM...and staying up to hear all of the storms this morning and then it was suddenly time for the alarm to go off.  Unfair. 

Makes for a very non-productive Monday back at the office.  Luckily Andy was able to take him to the dr. this morning so I could make it to a meeting, but then I came back home to hold my sick baby all afternoon.  (He's fine now.)

And then I was going to be so productive when we got the kids to bed early.  HA!  Welcome Round 40 of our thunderstorms this year.  Right at bedtime...thanks.  Only delayed us an hour and then Andy spent another hour calming fears...because "rumble rumble scares me" and I could no longer convince the girls that it was just a train.  The neighborhood train is loud, but the lightning gave me away, damn it.  And they just weren't buying it that the train was going on and on and on.

So here I am trying to play catch-up.  The laundry is going, dinner for tomorrow is thawing, work papers are scattered, emails are being read and returned, the check list is getting shorter...and then longer again as I realize new tasks to add.  So, yes, I'm taking a break to blog.  Working momma needed a break.  I've got about a million things to catch up on including the personal stack of bills/paperwork next to the desk...and you? 

Anyone else feeling overwhelmed today?  Maybe I'll sleep in until 5 AM tomorrow...that would be nice.  Please cooperate kiddos.  Momma needs sleep.

Seriously, check out that stack!

If I owe you something,

the chances are that it's in that stack.

And you should see the unopened mail.

In all seriousness, I know it could be much worse.  The storms this evening may have been a hindrance, but my family snuggled up in bed and went to sleep under one roof with all of our dearest possessions, including each other, intact.  My heart goes out to those affected by the recent tornado...again.  The stories from Tuscaloosa, AL a few weeks ago were sad enough and now the poor people in Joplin, Missouri are suffering something awful.  My prayers are with them.

The Dinner That Would Kill Their Kids

Last night was our annual "Dinner That Would Kill Your Kids" dinner.  We have a few friends that have a child who is allergic to peanuts/nuts in their families.  And we're talking serious allergies.  Completely peanut-free homes.  That's a lot of love for a kid.  Andy and I are so fortunate that our kids (so far) do not have any food allergies.  So every year, we invite these couples to our house for a PEANUT evening. 

We are sure to have an assortment of Reeses, Snickers, Peanut M&Ms, Reeces Pieces, etc.:

Then we make some yummy pot stickers and egg rolls followed by Chicken Pad Thai loaded with peanuts:

Every year we have some sort of decadent peanut-filled dessert.  Last year it was Peanut Butter Toffee Cheesecake Brownies.  One year it was frozen Peanut Butter Pie.  This year I ran out of time and headed up the street to J. Annette's Cheesecakes and she just happened to have a Peanut Butter Cheesecake in stock.  It was awesome.  Way too rich, but AWESOME.

Do your kids have food allergies?  If so, what do you miss most?  I'm still hoping that in about 3 months we'll learn that Henry is NOT allergic to peanut butter (Stella & Charlotte both successfully had peanut butter on their first birthdays!)...I can't imagine getting rid of it!

McAlister's - This Saturday's Shout-Out

Last weekend we all packed into the van in the rain to run over to the buy buy Baby store...I'd never been in there and they had ONE stroller in stock that I was interested in (that you can normally only get online) so I had to rush over to see it.  (More on the stroller next week - LOVE IT!)

Afterwards we decided to all go out to lunch.  We were unprepared...we didn't even have a diaper bag with us.  That's what happens when the third kid comes along.  So we found a diaper for Henry in the van and ran into one of the grocery stores for some baby food for him.  I happened to have a spoon in my purse...again, this happens when you have 3 kids.

We decided on McAlister's.  A favorite of mine that I got introduced to when we lived in the south.  We hadn't taken the kids yet so I wasn't sure about their kids menu.  I know some people HATE kids menus.  We go out to eat as a family so rarely that I don't mind the kids menu. 

We LOVED it!  The girls got a grilled cheese and a turkey/cheese and shared them.  One got chips and the other got fruit (again to share) which I would change to applesauce in the future...the fruit was NOT great.  "Fresh" had to mean "fresh from the can" from its look and taste.  I had my favorite there - chicken tortilla soup (it's got a KICK) and 1/2 turkey melt.  The service was awesome.  I love how although you order at the counter, they still bring you your food and constantly check on you.

Where are your favorite places to take the kids to eat?

Now we are getting all set for our Dinner that Would Kill Your Kids...tomorrow's post will be dedicated to that.  Well, I guess if we are still here.  The dinner may kill the kids, but will any of us even make it past 6 PM or will Doomsday arrive?  Stay tuned...

The Tea Party Crasher

Charlotte is so much different than Stella...

so very into her babies and tea parties. 

Every day is a tea party at our house...

with tea, coffee, cake, etc. 

Here's the typical set-up...in a circle on the floor:



But today, there was a SCREAM.

One of these guys joined the party:

HE WAS HUGE!

Definitely not a small bee or yellow jacket,

but a LARGE hornet.

Very scary.

Luckily nobody was injured and daddy saved the day!

Good Things Come in Yellow Boxes

It's been a mentally draining week at work and home (all good things!).

Yesterday I received a package from a dear friend.

I expected hand-me-downs (the norm):

But found a yellow box inside...yet still expected hand-me-downs:

But wait!  They were LARGE...momma-feet sized:

And they were NEW and for me!

(Don't ya love my jammie pants?)

I had complained to her about flip flops

and trying to find the perfect pair.

To her, her pair IS perfect.

But I haven't found them here up north.

So she found them in my size and sent them.

A total surprise.

That I really needed.

THANKS dear friend.

I love ya!

Whatcha Might Not Know...the Pre-Party

<Whatcha Might Not Know are Wednesday posts that are just that...something quick that you may or may not know about me, my family, my neighborhood, my city, my world, etc.>

Last week I talked about Andy's marriage proposal.  Feel free to go back and check that out first.  This week...the pre-party.  Due to all of the wedding planning chaos, we decided that the best thing for us was to completely forget the big formal wedding idea and just have a small intimate wedding in Andy's home town.  BUT we still wanted to celebrate with the larger guest list we had originally put together at the beginning of the planning.  So we did have a "pre-party" with our closest friends. 

BUT, not your typical bachelor/bachelorette event.  One Saturday that May a group of girls went to paint pottery while a group of guys went to shoot paintballs.  Then we met up for dinner and drinking.  I have LOTS of fun pictures of those events and really enjoyed flipping through them tonight in this old thing called a PHOTO ALBUM.  Ha!  Don't freak out my close friends...I only post photos here if I have your approval.  So since I haven't contacted you...you are not shown below!  Since these are old scanned photos, I thought the polaroid frames were appropriate.

We ended the night sitting at Skyline at 1 AM...because that's what a good drunk Cincinnatian does.  It was one of the best days I can remember from my past.  Andy and I were glad to have supportive friends who actually weren't even being invited to the big day...more on the actual wedding and reception next week!

Top Ten Reasons to Have Baby #4

As Henry gets closer and closer to being 1-year old, the pros and cons of Baby #4 visit me daily. 

My Top Ten Reasons to Have Baby #4 - in no particular order

1. We still have a seat left at the kitchen table.
2. We still have one spot left for a car seat in the van.
3. Stella wants one.  And she did just tell me..."Mom, you spoil me.  That means you give me what I want."  Yikes.
4. We have all the baby gear & clothes for a girl or boy now.
5. I have plenty of maternity clothes for all seasons.
6. What woman wouldn't want a 9-month vacation from her monthly cycle?
7. Pregnancy boobs!
8. Another Tax Deduction
9. Everyone will have a partner and no one will be left out - read more HERE
10. Maternity Leave - What on earth will I do without another 3-month break from work?

I LOVE Field Trips!

Read yesterday's post first.  Go.  Do it. 

Ok, welcome back.  So now you know that I am out of town. 

Alone.  By myself.  Doing whatever I want to do. 

Which means I've been listening to this in the car:

I don't mind Tori Spelling.  She did name her daughter Stella, so she must be ok. 

I've never actually watched any of her newest shows...just the old 90210.

And Henry was born on that day...so it can't be too bad.

And this book is pretty interesting and funny.

All things considered, she's just trying to be a good mom like the rest of us.

Then again, "like the rest of us" is often very different.

Here's today's example of how she's NOT like me.

Tori talking about getting pregant with her 2nd child so quickly

(when baby #1 was around 6-months old):

"And I had already given away all of my maternity clothes.  Because although we knew we wanted more kids, we weren't going to even start trying until Liam was at least 1 and by then ALL of my maternity clothes would have been out of style."

HEHEHEHE HAHAHAHAHAHA...

...chuckles the woman who wore the same maternity clothes THREE times!

(I've never said I was fashionable.)

Being alone means I've also been SHOPPING.  Alone.

And NOT on a time limit.

And there WAS a Ross right by the hotel on the way to Kohl's.

And many purchases were made...for me, for Stella, for Charlotte, for b-day gifts and baby presents, etc.

And I finally found my size flip flops at the Old Navy down here.

Happy momma.

And then I finally stopped and refueled:

And now it's time to go to bed.

All while poor Andy was home dealing with

a 8:30 PM (our ped is awesome) dr. appt. and pink eye.

Although Charlotte apparently LOVES the eye drops and laughs hysterically.

Momma's Taking a Field Trip

So tomorrow I get to head south for an overnight bright and early.  The "bus" leaves at 6 AM.  I have to travel to Knoxville, TN for work...facilitating a training workshop on competencies Monday afternoon and then repeating it Tuesday morning before returning home.

I'm a planner...and want to make use of my time away.  So here's my checklist for tonight:

1. Finish Laundry.
2. Check TN weather and pack accordingly.
3. Have kids clothes, food, and reminders all prepared for daddy.

Makes sense, right?  Here's the rest which makes me...ME:

1. Be sure to map out all of the Starbucks locations along the way.
2. Have at least 3 books on CD to choose from (Tori Spelling's Mommywood anyone?).
3. Look up Ross Dress for Less and be BUMMED that it wasn't where I thought it was (Chattanooga, not Knoxville). 
4. Have directions from hotel to Kohl's in order to use 30% off coupon in PEACE.
5. Have restaurant picks close to hotel ready - I was all jazzed about the opportunity to eat at Firehouse Subs...but when I was looking it up it seems we have that here now?  WHAT?  How did I not know??  Still may get it anyway.
6. Pack a bag of snacks for the car.

So now it's time to head to bed...it's going to be a long drive day tomorrow.

Pinterest - This Saturday's Shout-Out

As if I need one more thing on the internet to take up my time...but, PIN IT TO ME!

I first learned about Pinterest during the Ultimate Blog Party.  I was going to write a big ol' message explaining Pinterest and my love for it...but, I'm using a friend's computer and it's taking me twice as long to do everything (because apparently without a separate mouse I am computer illiterate...I keep hitting the touchpad thingy and causing all sorts of issues).  

So, anyway, for a great description, just check out Oh Amanda's blog post HERE. 

The short story:  Pinterest is basically an online bulletin board for all of your favorite online things.  See something you want to remember?  Just PIN IT and decide which of your boards to PIN IT to.  Sorta like a visual version of your "favorites" that you bookmark, but it's only a quick picture and, of course, other people can see it and comment on it and REPIN it if they'd like to put it on their board.

From a multi-tasking standpoint, this has helped me keep things out of emails and helped me from re-searching for something.  I've often found myself emailing myself links to file away for another day.  Now I just PIN IT! 

I believe that if you click HERE, it will go to my actual Pinterest page.  Do you use Pinterest?  If so, let me know so I can try to find your boards.  That's the only thing I haven't quite figured out yet...how to find others...I must be overlooking something.

UPDATE: Thrifty Decor Chick just happened to write about this as well today.  She gives a great overview of Pinterest and also had a link to THIS TUTORIAL.

Embrace the Camera: Stella Style

Stuff Stella said:

Stella: I know how to say fox in Spanish.
Me: Great!
Stella: It's coyote, right?
Me: Not so much. (Dora is apparently slacking.)

Stella just recently moved to the 4-year old room at daycare although her birthday isn't until June.
Stella: Hey mom, is my birthday in April now?
Me: No.
Stella: I think we should have a party anyway.

Stella loves riding her Strider balance bike and Andy was getting all philosophical about the learnings of balance and her ability to ride a 2-wheeler someday and probably skipping training wheels due to the balance bike, blah blah blah.
Stella: Can I just go now?  Can this be over?  You're talking too long.

Charlotte was crying one night at bedtime right after I left the room.
Stella: Don't you want to play soccer someday?  You have to stop crying to play soccer.
Charlotte continues crying.
Stella: You are hurting my ears.
Charlotte continues crying.
Stella: Fine.  You won't play soccer.

Stella: I want a boyfriend.
Me: And what are you going to do with a boyfriend?
Stella: I want to go get pizza or hot dogs.  He can sit by me in the van.
Me: And when are you going to do this?
Stella: When I'm 28.

Charlotte wins Toy Story Yahtzee (again).
Stella: Charlotte, you won!
Charlotte: No, I two.
Stella: No you WON!
Charlotte: No, I two!
Stella: Fine.

And last night right before dinner Henry was crying in his high chair.
Stella:  Cry it out buddy.  You're just gonna have to wait.
Do I really sound like that?  Eeeeek.

Whatcha Might Not Know...the Proposal

<Whatcha Might Not Know are Wednesday posts that are just that...something quick that you may or may not know about me, my family, my neighborhood, my city, my world, etc.>

Later this month Andy and I will have our 10-year Wedding Anniversary.  Seriously?  Wow.  Seems unreal at times.  So the next few Whatcha Might Not Knows will be dedicated to our life 10 years ago!

First up, the proposal.  Andy proposed in September 2000 at Ault Park and then we went out to dinner at the Precinct.  We had already been living together since May (SINFUL, I know).  He had been applying for Grad Schools out of state and apparently wanted to guarantee taking me with him as a sugar momma as his soul mate. 

Obviously, I said YES and began planning for our big day.  The planning was a nightmare and more of a headache.  The more we planned, the less I enjoyed the thought of the big day.  And I had never dreamed of a fairy tale wedding, so stick around until next week to find out what we chose to do...and whether or not I regret it...

Ten on Ten - A Day With My Momma

I really look forward to the 10th of each month now thanks to Ten on Ten. 

I was so excited yesterday to realize that it was today and that I hadn't missed it! 

And more excited that I wasn't going to be sitting in my cubicle all day. 

My mom and I both had the day off and we decided to spend some time together...

without my kids distracting us.

Here are some of the highlights of the day:

Spotting Peonies about to bloom near her driveway

The Cleopatra Exhibit at the Museum Center

Just missing all of the school kids at the Museum

A late lunch at Half Day Cafe

Flower shopping at Delhi Garden

Spotting bloomed Peonies in her backyard

Green B.E.A.N. delivery arrival

Watching the kids play nicely

Henry looking like such a little guy in his new jammies