But for the grace of God go I...

Ok, so my first after Christmas post was going to be mostly a compilation of pictures and a big ole whine about how my kids have too much stuff. But then I was watching Oprah (very productive in my time off) and I had to write about this story. This lady volunteered at a shelter for foster kids and learned that they don't have pajamas. The lady, like me, grew up with the routine of putting on pjs and going to bed. She brought in pjs for the 12 kids at the shelter, and one little girl looked at them, and said "What are those?" She was 6 years old and had never had pajamas. Call me premenstrual but the tears started flowing. Here I am griping because my family thinks my kids need to have 3499686 outfits and 234 pairs of pjs, and there are kids with none out there.

My cousin was telling me a story that also hit home. She's a teacher at the same elementary school where I went. She told me about a family who lives in a plywood house that's about 300 square feet. The kids have to walk through a creek with no bridge to get to the school bus. One kid is in the 4th grade and is up to recognizing about 1/2 the letters of the alphabet. My kids already know at least 80% of their letters and they're 2 1/2. The kids had very few clothes and no supplies, so the teachers got together and got them stuff.

With these stories, I'm committing to a New Year's resolution that actually matters. Well, I'm not pretending I'm Mother Teresa- I still have the selfish ones- lose weight, get in shape, all that. But I'm going to start doing more for charity. I talked to her about doing a backpack drive for local schools next summer, and she can get us a local family to adopt for Christmas. I have boxed up 4 boxes so far of kids toys and clothes for the local womens and childrens' shelter.

So now I challenge all you bloggers out there to do what you can. We can all do more. Frankly, just the thought of kids out there with no pajamas or sleeping on the floor and walking through creeks to get to school crushes me and I'm sure it does you too.

Tonight or tomorrow I'll be back to my regularly scheduled inane ramblings but for now I'm thanking God for all my blessings.

A day at the Museum

So, thanks to Desperate Housemommy, we took a trip to the Clay Center museum. Yep, two mommies and four kids under 3. I have to say, all in all I think it was a huge success. Unfortunately I didn't pull the camera out too much but did snap a few shots I thought I'd share.

Here's Emma with Max, playing on the giant magnet thingie. I'm pretty sure this is Maxey's favorite part of the museum since it's one of the only ones that he can participate in.

Here are Max, Hailey and Emma working on their magnetic masterpieces.
Hailey and Emma conspiring.
Here is Desperate Housemommy doing the weather. I totally think she should become a weather girl, she's way better than our local peeps.
Ethan and Emma at one of the coolest parts of the museum (even if they had no idea). You make a little movie shot by shot using the little cars. I think Ethan spent about an hour at this section, as it contained his two favorite things, cars and buttons to push.

We had a fabulous time, no fits, no crying, no fighting, no breakdowns. A fully successful trip that we'll definitely do again!

The visit to Santa on Tuesday went very well. We got there about 2 minutes before an entire daycare, so our timing was impeccable. I'll try to post the pics tomorrow, I had Grampsy scan them in and I have to edit them to the right size.

Dragons and swimming pools and popsicles, OH MY!

So, day 1 of my vacation at home (I'm off til January 3, the pleasures of state employment!). I have constantly been amazed lately at my kids' creativity. It's just amazing how they think and how complex their ideas are. I'm pretty sure they're smarter and more creative than I am already.

Their current favorite thing is pretend. They pretend play anything. One minute it's dragons chasing them down the hall, the next minute they're serving pretend popsicles from an ice cream truck. (And what's up with them being out of the blue ones when mommy wants a blue popsicle?). Then they're swimming on the rug in the living room, and 5 minutes later they're Alvin and the chipmunks (AAALLLLLVVVVIIIINNN! O-Kay!) or the Doodlebops (complete with guitar, drum and/or tambourine).

Tomorrow we're off on Errand Day, to Walmart, the mall and ending with Santa's lap. As you all know, it's always a crap shoot taking two year olds (especially two of them) out for that many errands. I'll post some Santa pics soon!

On a side note, please send thoughts and prayers to Neurotic Attorney.

Another I wonder

Good morning readers, I've been very lax with the camera lately, so here is yet another pictureless post. First off, Emma Bo Bemma's surgery is offically set for January 15, so please think good thoughts with us on that day. I'm sure I'll have a neurotic mommy blog on about January 13-14 so stay tuned. :)

Here's a blast from the past, another set of I wonders...

1. I wonder why people would say things on the internet that they'd NEVER say to someone's face. A wonderful blogger got some nasty comments and had to privatize her blog. That stinks, because she only blogs about her kids and her life, and includes her pictures (which are super great by the way) and I can't see how THAT could ever offend anyone. She's like the least offensive blogger I've ever read.
2. I wonder why people feel the need to send the exact same set of exhibits that the litigants on the other side sent. Do they think if they send them twice I'll pay more attention?
3. I wonder why it's a headline that teachers in WV are ranked 48th in national pay scale. Um, the ENTIRE STATE is ranked 49th or 50th in median income, why would teachers be paid more than any other occupation in WV???? If money's an issue I'd suggest not living in WV, there ain't none here.
4. I wonder why I can't slap any attorney who files an appeal without a docketing statement. I'm about to designate myself as the Supreme Court slapper.
5. I wonder why people feel the need to back into parking spaces in a busy parking lot or parking garage. And if you feel the need to do this, at least hone your skills so it doesn't take you 15 attempts while 30 ticked off drivers line up behind you.
6. I wonder where the dude who works in my building gets his he capris. Seriously, where does a dude go to buy dress pant capris? They even have a nice little button below the knee and different colors in the pleat by the button. And he wears them with wool knee socks, I guess to keep his legs warm.
7. I wonder how Bruce Springsteen has an alleged hit album. Has he even put out a song in the past 20 years? And isn't he like 65?
8. I wonder how great my life will be now that I'm getting not one, but TWO DVRs on Saturday. And how many shows will pile up on it before I get to watch them.
9. I wonder if the mall is less insane during a weekday. I think I'm gonna try to do the whole Santa's lap thing on Monday or Tuesday.

Have a great day!

Christmas spirit

I have to admit, for the most part, I think the vast majority of people are not great. Frankly, people really suck sometimes. But I’m trying to believe I’m wrong, at least for the sake of my kids, because I really don’t want them growing up in a world where people don’t care about others and are only looking out for themselves. So, in that vain, I’ve been trying to be nice to strangers, especially during the Christmas season, and I’ve been watching for people to show the Christmas spirit, so I can point out to the kids that people really ARE good.

Here are my examples so far:

*Thank you to the super nice lady in Target on Sunday who gave us the only dry cart so the kids didn’t have to sit in a wet one. She gave it up because she saw us looking for one and knew the kids would be sitting in it.

*A nice old guy in Fruth yesterday who had his hands full of items let a nice little old lady go first because she had a gallon of milk in her hand.

*Thanks to the maroon car who let me over this morning as I had gotten squished out and would have totally missed my turn at the fork in the road had she not let me out.

Anyone else want to share some Christmas spirit? Don’t forget to pass on the spirit.

Christmas party tour 2007 is nearly complete

This past week was one of those weeks. I think that everyone planning a Christmas party/dinner thought the first week of December was the week to do it. I had a Christmas party or dinner Monday evening, Tuesday evening, Thursday evening, two on Friday, and one on Sunday. Phew. Of course, many of these meant baking, wrapping and getting kids ready. Fun times. I think my Christmas spirit suffered a hit, but I'm trying to get back on the saddle.

So, I have to say, I'm constantly amazed by my kids. I worry sometimes that not being in daycare will make them antisocial or something, but that could not be more true! Sometimes I think I hit the kid lottery. I mean just LOOK at these faces... We went to a party last night where they didn't know one person there, and when we went to the kids' playroom area, they just jumped right in and left us in the dust. I was so proud of them! They didn't care a bit that they didn't know these other kids, they walked up and told them their names and started playing! They played so hard that they wouldn't eat, and we had to go through a drive thru on the way home to feed them! And, to top it off, they were younger than 90% of the kids by at least 3 years, but they didn't care. Santa made an appearance, and Ethan and Emma quickly learned that being the smallest affords you the fastest access to the fat man in red, as they squeezed right through the adults and bigger kids for their shot at Ho Ho. Both have always loved Santa, from their first Christmas at 7 months. When the pics are emailed to me I'll be sure to post. I was shocked that there were some older kids (like 6-7) who were scared. I mean, come on, it's SANTA. I can see a little one, but that old? Maybe it's like a clown, some adults are still scared of them.

Anywho, it did put to rest some of my paranoid mother fears that my kids will be the ones who grab a toy and play alone in a corner while all the other kids play together. They never have done that, but again, I'm the same one who fully convinced herself that Ethan was autistic when he was like 6 months old. Yay for outgoing kids!

This is what SPOILED looks like...

spoil (spoil) Pronunciation Key v. spoiled or spoilt (spoilt), spoil·ing, spoils : To do harm to the character, nature, or attitude of by oversolicitude, overindulgence, or excessive praise

See Also: Ethan and Emma

Yes, my children are spoiled. And it's not my fault. Christmas is going to be one hot mess in our house, as it seems everyone is trying to outdo the others with their gifts. Fun times. But, since Auntie Lala has bought so much for Christmas that she's not sure it will all fit in her car to bring it from NC, she brought these this weekend.



Yep, my kids now have their very own Nascar cars. Personalized and everything. Ethan's reads "Ethan Racecar Driver" and Emma's reads "Princess Emma Ballerina." For those not "in the know" these are their alter egos.

Here is the top of Ethan's car.
Here is the top of Emma's.
Side view:
And, they have Dora and Diego holding hands on the trunk of each car, along with each of their names over the doors, just like real Nascar drivers have. They'll be the coolest kids in the Hood come spring.

The eyes don't have it...

The ability to straighten completely on their own, that is. The verdict is surgery, and the sooner the better. It's a long drawn out explanation that basically comes down to "if you don't use it you lose it." Basically she's not using her right eye when she doesn't have her left eye patched, and she'll continue to lose sight in it unless the muscles are snipped and basically rearranged. It's a whole deal with too tight and too loose muscles and lack of a change in her refraction. See, you don't really want the whole explanation, right?

The good news is that the patching has restored some of the vision in her right eye, so there is hope that after the surgery, her vision could return to perfect since she's so young.

So, we will be undergoing surgery as soon as I hear back from the pediatrician with her recommendation. Maybe as soon as Christmas. I'll keep everyone updated.

On a side note, we will not be going to New Orleans this year for the National Championship game and I could not be more crushed. But circumstances have arisen that make it impossible and irresponsible. It sucks being a responsible adult. I don't get how people who make way less than we do can afford to go, but maybe some of these people are like some of my husband's family, who choose to forego paying their bills so they can buy a Playstation or something.

Oh well, Let's go Eers!

Can I get a "Let's Go....Mountaineers!"

Ok, I'm going against my word (again) and this post is completely Twinkie-less.

There are few things I love with an unbridled, sometimes unreasonable passion. One of those is WVU. I love Morgantown, and would totally live there if I could convince my parents and MIL to move. The sounds of the Pride of WV (the band) bring chills to my body and tears to my eyes. I used a version of Simple Gifts and Country Roads in my wedding processional. Blue is my favorite color. I do not miss games, and I don't answer the phone during games, so don't even call. I watch Sportscenter for a glimpse of what they're saying about my team. There are few things I want more in life than a WVU national championship.

I was crushed by the USF loss, but we have righted the ship, and all of the pieces are in place for a run to New Orleans. It's meant to be.

There are certain things you can't explain. You're either born with it or you develop it over time. One of those things is a love for WVU. I was born with it, it was hereditary in my case. I'm passing it on to my kids. It's a fire that burns in your belly, a feeling that envelops your soul.

I love my team and I believe. I truly believe. I don't care what "they" say about the Big East. I don't care if people say we don't belong. All we have to do is win and nothing else matters.

LET'S GO...MOUNTAINEERS!

It's turkey turkey time, you Butterball you blow my mind, it's TURKEY.

Ok, you totally won't get the title unless you've heard that song, but the song is hilarious. Here's the link. Scroll to the Turkey Time song and click on it...

Since I haven't done an I wonder in a while, here ya go...

I wonder...

-why they are STILL cutting the grass like twice a week at the Capitol. Hello, it's not growing any more. Is it just job security?

-why I end up doing ALL of the real work for Thanksgiving while others volunteer to bring a pie. Argh. I will exact my revenge next year.

-how my mother has no idea to cook a turkey and she's 54 years old. I think she's totally faking.

-how Emma has some weird 6th sense about me throwing something of hers in the garbage.

-how I am going to deal with work, doctors appointments, house stuff and Christmas decorating and shopping next week while Michael is away at trial for a week and a half.

-how in the world I have three, yes, THREE Christmas parties (with multiple gifts) that I have to attend the first week of December (Monday, Tuesday and Friday).

-how Emma knows the actual names of the toys she sees in the Walmart catalog. Can she read and she's just holding out on me?

-how Ethan can get his clothes off so fast sometimes when he wants to run around being "Nakey Baby."

-how boys automatically learn to play with their peepee.

-if the football gods will grant my wish for a National Championship

-if Pat White will marry me

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and may all of the calories be blocked from your thighs!

It's not too early if the tree's lit, right?

So, the State Capitol has officially lit its tree, which to me means I'm NOT too early to publish Christmas pictures. Right? Well, it was justified in my mind. Anywho, Sears called prior to our appointment to confirm and to get all the relevant information, as in the kids' ages, any particular backgrounds, etc. They informed me that we could do a clothing change, and she mentioned pajamas. So my wheels started turning, as I had seen some SUPER cute Christmas pajamas at Kohl's but couldn't justify them since the kids' last year pjs still fit. But for pictures, I could justify. So we bought new ones, and I think they turned out great!

The photographer lady has taken my kids' pics about 5 times, starting at the age of 4 months, so she sort of remembers us every time. She is great at going with the flow, as this series of pics shows, since she initially wanted the kids to pose with the cookies and milk, but that wasn't happening. So she just started clicking, and the results are super cute.

Excitement over the props, which are of course fake.

Just making sure the milk isn't real...Doesn't Ethan look like he's going, wait a minute! That boy LOVES his milk. And Emma looks guilty here.
Making sure the cookies are fake too. They were glued to the plate, and just after this shot, she actually LAID in the floor to try to bite a piece off. I swear we don't starve her, and it was 8 am for pity's sake!
Love this one, sweet and innocent.
She actually obeyed the instruction to hold the bear by its arm! I think this was to slightly differentiate from Ethan's pic with the hugging.
So, on a random note, is anyone else's kid becoming super materialistic? I hate commercials, and now the kids (especially Emma) have started asking for EVERY toy she sees: "I want dose mommy" or "I want ALL of dose." Thankfully she forgets most of it in 3 minutes. Except she wants a bigger play kitchen, cause hers is "too small to cook everything." Oh, honey, don't we all?

Is it too early for Christmas? Too bad!

Good morning, glories! Well, I had a whole plan for post #100, but it was pictureless, so I figured ya'll would want to see the new pictures from our Christmas session. Pretend it's not pre-Thanksgiving here. Here are some of the more formal Christmas pictures. Big props to Sears again.


This is one of my favorites, reading the Night Before Christmas.

More tomorrow!

number 99 and nothing to show

Well, this is post #99! So I've had 99 posts full of pretty much nothing, and this is no different. Random thoughts for the afternoon...

-having kids with the sniffles really stinks, especially when they can't sleep and therefore you can't sleep

-Emma is fully potty trained, and Ethan is getting there, although the thought that *most* boys are harder is ever so true for us. I did have to pull ahead in the Dairy Queen line last night as Emma was about to pee her pants, but in her defense, we did wait 20 minutes in that line. The pumpkin pie blizzard was so worth it though. And she held it and we made it inside.

-why is it so hard for me to let go of the Pullups? We've started venturing out in undies, and we always wear them at home, except at night. But when we do our weekend marathon errands, I just cannot let go of the pullups. They rarely even pee in them, but we're just in the car so much I still cling to them...

-I have officially completed more tutus. I'm working on one that's a gift for someone else's daughter, in her favorite colors of pink and yellow. Well, as favorite as a 13 month old has I guess.

-I get 10 days of vacation from Thanksgiving til New Year's, but the true holidays don't subtract from those days! I'm SOOO excited! I'm taking a random day in November for Emma's next eye appointment and some other errands, and then the whole week before Christmas, the week after that, and then til New Years Day. It will be like being back in college, or being a teacher I guess!

-Why is it so hard to decide what to put on the kids for Christmas pictures? I have to get on that.

Ok, off for the day. I have a long weekend too; ah, the virtues of state employment.

Random Picture Post

So, I decided to do a random picture post today. But first, I have to tell a funny story.

Last night, we had stir fry with chicken for dinner, and brown rice. Side note- way to go Mommy on healthy dinner *pats self on back* So the kids are eating at their little table, but they have get-up-itis, and I keep telling them, sit there and eat, we don’t run around while eating. A few minutes later, I’m absorbed in Dr. Phil (ok, not such a good Mommy thing) and I start hearing this weird noise of something moving across the hardwood. Finally, I got my lazy butt off the couch and ripped myself away from the latest Dr. Phil drama, and see that they’ve spilled rice all over the floor and are trying to clean it up with their play vacuums! It was so funny I couldn’t even be mad. Unfortunately I had no idea where my camera was, and since they were walking through the rice and spreading it, I had to clean up the mess quickly.

So here are some pics I like. Sorry for the glare on Emma's glasses but everything I read was really complicated on how to fix it, as in cloning the non-glare eye and then pasting it perfectly over the other, so I was like, ok, I'll live with it.

This pic is true Emma, she's a giggle box.
Emma with her sweet smile.
Ethan's sweet smile.
Love this one. It shows his baby blues.
Ethan and Emma under their "tent" in the living room.

Have a great weekend!

Trick or treat report

So, we did "real" trick or treating this year, not just the "go to the relatives and show off the cute kiddos" trick or treating. The kids LOVED it, and were soooo good. They said thank you every time, and their costumes were a huge hit. We actually had people stop us to take pictures of them! I hope they're not on some sicko kids costume site now, but the photographers seemed normal enough. All the other kids age 6 and under ran up to see Dora and Diego. So, it was worth the $60 plus shipping for those danged costumes I guess.

Since I totally stink and forgot my good camera, I had to resort to a point and shoot I happened to have in my purse. I'll get those developed and scanned someday, but for now, you'll have to live with the paragraph version of the highlights of the night:

-One little girl was dressed as Jojo the Clown and she was adorable, and also wore glasses, so Emma was enthralled and had to touch Jojo. Thankfully Jojo was nice and liked Dora, so they stood touching each other for a bit.
-We only saw one other Dora and one other Diego (but they weren't together) and the kids loved that. Tinkerbell and princesses seemed to be a big theme this year, along with your standard pirates, superheros and monsters. But there was a super cute Harry Potter who I think did a spell on my mom and I!
-The kids helped give out candy after they got bored, and they loved it. They would chase down kids to give candy to, much like Miss Sophie B!
-Ethan accosted some kid in a Spiderman costume who was not appreciative of Ethan's sudden love for Spiderman. I've never seen Ethan give two hoots about Spiderman before, but suddenly he was enthralled by this poor kid.
-The funniest part of the night had to be when Ethan was handing candy out to kids, and some bigger boy took the candy Ethan offered him, and Ethan turns around to his two grandmothers and I and says, loud as can be, "He not say thank you!!!" My own Mr. Manners. And Mr. Manners was sure to say "You're Yelcome" to all thank yous received. A child raising victory!

Happy not really Halloween but trick or treating anyway day!

I seem to remember that when I was a child, Halloween was actually ON Halloween. Now it seems they move it if it's on a weekend night, if it's on a church night, if the day ends in y, or whatever. So we're trick or treating tonight. SOMEONE, who I believe was my MIL, thought it would be "cute" to teach the kids to say "Trick or treat, give me some candy," which Ethan turned into "Trick or Treat, give Ethan Emma candy!" and Emma kept the original, though hers was shouted at about 30 decibels. So last night we practiced the proper trick or treat techniques, with the threat of having to give back the candy if it's done improperly. I think that I have them under control, and now the speil goes ding dong (that's the doorbell), "Trick or treat", with a prompt thank you after candy is given. Fingers crossed.

Since we're going to my MIL's subdivision tonight, and the kids will be all cracked out on sugar, I'm posting pics from a less saccarin induced coma night, when the kids went to their friend Will's birthday/Halloween bash at Billie Bob's. Bad Mommy forgot to take pics actually AT the bash, so you'll have to take my word for it that the kiddos were cute, including the birthday boy dressed as Thomas the Train, which enthralled Ethan. (Side note- WHY are those things so darned expensive??)

So for your viewing pleasure, Dora and Diego.

Happy Halloween, y'all!

Being poor makes you crafty...

As most of you know, I took a new job a few months ago, and in the process took a pay cut. Not a hugely significant enough one, but enough that I had to cut out most unnecessary spending. It's a balance, I have retained a bit of sanity for a while, but I'm broke. However, my daughter is a complete diva, and longs to be a ballet dancer. Since I can't justify lessons for a two year old, I started searching the 'net for ballet themed stuff. Enter, THE TUTU. Now, I know that Princess Emma Ballerina would die for one. But people making these jewels charge $20 or MORE. So I started thinking, tulle cheap at the Wal-mart. Elastic is super cheap. Mommy has some sanity left in the evenings to actually be creative. And VOILA, Princess Emma Tutus was born. (Ok, so that's the dream name of my tutu company if I could actually sell these things). This is my first attempt, pink and green sparkle tulle. She hasn't modeled it yet since I can't give her something without giving Ethan something, so it will probably be a Christmas present. But I'm pretty proud of it. The next one will be pink, green, yellow, electric blue and purple, and I'm think of making it long and probably poofier. This one is about 12 inches long and uses almost 2 yards of tulle.

Are you totally impressed yet? Yeah, I didn't think so. But I'm proud of it. Maybe next year I'll set up a booth at the Pumpkin Festival....Princess Emma Tutus goes regional!

Mommy guilt and the power of Ebay

I never realized before I had children just how strong mommy guilt is. Had I known as a child, I could have totally used this guilt to my advantage, unless my mother is immune, which I believe she may be. Except the time she broke my finger, but I digress.

Mommy guilt is causing me to actually bid on a freaking McDonald’s toy on Ebay.

First off, you will see what a bad mother I am because my kids eat McDonald’s Happy Meals once a week. It’s their "thing" with Nanny on Fridays. Well, out of those danged Happy Meals come 34859384 useless toys, many of which are too old for them or just plain stupid (like the random black catlike thing with the bug eyes, I don’t even know what that thing is, how are the kids supposed to know?). But every once in a while we hit a Happy Meal jackpot, like when they have Hotwheels, or the Shrek talking toys, or the Madame Alexander mini Wizard of Oz dolls (ok, I liked those better than Emma did). In this case, it was a My Little Pony figurine. One I have since found is called "Skywishes with Gazebo." Notice that last word...gazebo. A cheap little pink and orange stand for the pony named Skywishes. Known to Emma as her pony box.
Insert Mommy frantically trying to clean out the toy room crammed with junk. Out went some random toys into the garbage, and some baby toys into the yard sale pile. I came across some cheap plastic thing with no apparent mate, and it went into the garbage pile. Oh, how I wish I could take that moment back. At this point I would dig through the garbage can for it had this not been over a month ago.

About 2 weeks ago, Emma starts asking, "Mommy, where my pony box?" while showing me Skywishes. I have no idea what the heck she’s talking about. But she kept repeating it, daily, several times a day. Finally I asked her what it looked like, not knowing myself what a pony box is. She tells me it’s pink and orange and her pony stands on it, and shows me the approximate size. Somewhere in my brain, I’m having a vague recollection of seeing an object of that description. That night, I search the toy room, but alas, no pony box. That nagging feeling of knowing where this box was kept gnawing at my brain.

Even Ethan was getting in on the game, as he would ask where Emma’s pony box was. One evening, while watching a Nascar race, he told his daddy that he needed to talk to Jimmie Johnson. Daddy asked why, and Ethan replied, "So I can ask him where Emma pony box is."
This was serious.

So I was travelling through the Walmart toy section and looking at the My Little Ponies when it hit me- the random pink thing that I didn’t know what it was. Oh my goodness, I had tossed the pony box. Panic stricken, I did the first thing a mother does when confronted with another, "Mommy, where my pony box?"

I lied. It was a good one, too. I told her that Swiper took it. That sly little fox, Dora’s arch nemesis. I was home free, only Daddy knew the truth. Until Emma, in her two year old way, started dwelling on this fact. "Mommy, I don’t yike Swiper. He’s mean to me. He took my pony box. Is Swiper going to take my pony too? Did you lock Swiper out? Swiper stole my stuff. Swiper take my stuff to his tree. My pony box in Swiper’s tree."

Geez. Why does she have to be this smart? She was seriously distressed by this turn of events and in fear that tomorrow, she might wake up toyless and Swiper would have a tree full of loot.
So I came clean. I told her that Mommy was a bad girl and accidently threw out the pony box, and that mommy would get her a new one. I admitted my lie and vowed not to lie to her again. After all, she’s smarter than me. She seemed to grasp the concept that the pony box was in the trash and Mommy was a bad girl. Daddy offered to spank me, which was quite helpful as usual, while he continued to chuckle about the whole thing.

So that brings me to now, where I am currently bidding on a freaking plastic McDonald’s toy. Heck, I’m thinking of getting her the whole set for Christmas, but of course the pony box will come out early. All for the bargain price of $15 and a chunk of mommy’s pride.

On a side note, I'm totally going to start hocking my kids' Happy Meal toys on Ebay. As long as it's not a pony box.

Possibly bad news...

Well, we returned to the pediatric opthalmologist today, and the bad news is that Emma's weak eye is only being partially corrected by the glasses. The worse news is that her vision in that eye is getting weaker (don't ask me how they know that on a 2 year old, I'm not sure). So, that means continued glasses for now, and 3 hours of patching of the good eye per day. Thankfully the patches go over her glasses and not on her skin. Then we return in a month, but the doctor's current prognosis is...surgery. The sooner the better, as the weakness is possibly causing her loss in vision. Egads.

So say a little prayer for us. We'll be going back for another consultation at the end of November and if the word is still surgery, we'll be seeking a second opinion at that time to be sure that it's necessary and that it's the best time to do it, since she's so young. Unfortunately the surgery would NOT correct her vision, just the weakness, and would help the vision not to get worse. She may grow out of the need for glasses but we're not sure at this point. So anywho, that's where we stand, blog world. I'll post more pics soon, I have some super cute ones.

I should be mother of the year...

Ok, not really but I bet it got you to read this entry. My current mother of the year qualifications are (1) I did not get tickets to the WVU/Mississippi State game even though I could have because the kids have a birthday party to go to which will have real hayrides with real horses and pumpkin carving, I couldn’t bear for them to miss that, even though they never would have known, and (2) I will be taking them to Billy Bob’s Pizza Wonderland for the second time in a month. For those of you who missed the last post on this, it’s like Chuck E. Cheese but way better. One dad at the last party called it Vegas for kids.

So here are some pictures from the last trip:

Ethan looks confused for some reason. Maybe it's because the concept of sharing is not a natural one for him, and there was a kid riding this ride with his tokens who let us hop on for free! Thanks little boy's mommy!

Driving the Mac truck. Twin powers, unite!
More twintuition driving...Ethan's not so big on "watching the road." YOu can see he's way more interested in the prizes.
Emma on the one kid ferris wheel. This is a pretty neat little ride.
Ethan chillin out. Love this pic! Sorry I didn't edit to get the red eye out. I never edit my pics, I just forget. (as if you couldn't tell!)
So the first trip was a hit and they behaved very well. We didn't get much ball pit time because there were some thug kids there whose parents, despite the 50 signs saying otherwise, were no where in sight.

On another note, when did we get so popular? October has been CRAZY for us. So far we've gone to, been invited to, or have upcoming 2 kids' birthday parties, a housewarming, a Southern Homes living party, a kiddie fall party thing, the Pumpkin festival, and an adult Halloween party. I think I'm ready for November!

Hot pumpkins

Let's see if Blogger will let me publish this the THIRD TIME. Am I the only one who constantly has this trouble?



So, for any of you who read my blog roll friends, you’ll see that Jonathan’s Mommy and Jonathan, Desperate Housemommy, Hailey and Max, and the whole Twinkie Clan went to the Pumpkin Festival this weekend. It was great fun, even if it was hotter than the hinges of Hades. The biggest disappointment to me was that the kids didn’t get to wear their super cute Halloween themed clothes. Ethan’s is a glow in the dark skeleton shirt (but he also has one with a mummy that says "I love my mummy") and Emma’s has a cute little witch on it and says "I left my princess costume at home." Here’s a plug for Children’s Place, and since my MIL works there part time, my kids are pretty much a walking advertisement for them.



Here's the best I could do at a pic of them together. It's one of the best I've gotten in a while, but it looks so weird to see them in shorts and t-shirts amongst all the fall stuff!

Enjoying our pumpkin ice cream. Man, those lines were long but so worth it!
Like Jonathan, Ethan dreams of being a farmer. This is compounded by the fact that Gramps has a John Deere super duper mower, and Gramps is pretty much a hero round these parts. Here's Super Big E and MawMaw on the giant John Deere.
Emma Doo on the giant tire.
E on the giant tire. About this time the Carmichael Equipment dude started walking around us so we felt it was time to leave. We don't really have a need for giant tractors in the subdivision.
On a final note, the kids are going to be Dora and Diego for Halloween, since that's all they talk about is wanting to dress up like Dora and Diego and yell "Trick or Treat!" So I ordered the costumes on Friday and paid a pretty penny for what I'm sure will be really high quality polyester, and they tell me that the costumes will arrive on or around OCT. 25! WHAT??? So, 20 days? Um, these are Halloween costumes, maybe you should have informed me that you had super slow shipping! But I'm hoping they were just giving me a really long estimate, or they're going to have an irate Mami on their hands if those costumes don't arrive.

You know you want it.

Ok, so Dyson is giving away a PINK vacuum. You know you want a Dyson, and particularly a pink one. Myself, I cannot afford to actually BUY a Dyson, so I settle for my dirt devil. But oh, how I could clean with a pink Dyson. So click here, and if you win it, can I just borrow it for a day??

I.Am.Crushed.

I can't talk about Friday. I'm pretending it never happened. Once I come out of my depression, fueled by the big loss and the carb induced stupor I've put myself in, I'll post some new pics. My kids are going to be in a calendar! They'll be stars yet.

I think I need some ice cream.

It's a sickness...

First, if you don't like football, this blog will bore you.

For those of you who don't know me personally, I am a Rabid WVU fan. And Rabid is in fact capitalized when speaking of my fandom. I am working to turn my children as rabid as I am. Let me explain exactly how Rabid I am...I'm not just that chick who thinks it's cute to go to games, drink some beer and wear a cute little blue and gold shirt. No, I'm that chick who shocks guys because I can explain exactly why the ACC is a pathetic excuse for a BCS conference, why the Big East should get more football credibility, and tell you the first and last names of at least 20 WVU players, including position. I am no expert when it comes to plays, I don't know a slant pass from a bubble screen, but I know when someone misses a block and when the idiot refs miss yet another holding call. My sister's boyfriend, upon first meeting me and hearing a long discussion she and I were having about college sports, actually said to me, "You're a girl. You're not supposed to know this stuff." But we're out there, loud and proud (right Lara and Wendy??) And I dislike some teams with the fire of 10,000 suns, including Pitt and Notre Dame, even though they're pathetic this year. And I dislike another team but it's not PC anymore to not like them, so I won't even mention it. But they're still #1 on my hatred list.

So, imagine my dismay, when a few weeks ago, on the day of a game that shouldn't even be played (thanks Manchin for giving us more crap on our strength of schedule), I have my kids all dressed up in their Mountaineer best, out early shopping at Kroger so we get back in time for the ridiculously early kickoff, and some woman (NOT a lady) comes up to them and says first to me, oh, they're so cute. Then leans over them, right in their face, and says, "You kids need to learn this: GO HERD." I gave her an icy glare and told her, "They know better." Argh. Seeing as how my dear husband is a pretend MU fan, I knew he'd hold me back had I chosen to deck her, so I refrained. Those of you who have seen me at games know this was a feat.

I'd like to see that woman again as we set at 4-0 (5-0 after tonight's thumping of the Bulls), and they are 0-4, including a loss to a I-AA team. Victory is sweet.

And so, I'm loud and proud, a born and bred 3rd generation WVU fan. I believe, boys. I know we can go all the way. Make a statement tonight in Florida. I'll be on the first flight to New Orleans to the national championship if I have to prostitute myself to get there.

In my world...

Ok, so I know it’s been forever and a day (or about 3 weeks) since I’ve posted but I’ve been seriously busy. It seems like a day doesn’t go by where the kids or I are getting invited to a party, or planning some activity. So, the posting has been scarce but I vow to do better in October. IN fact, I have pictures on deck for you if I ever get to do a proper post. Instead of a picture post, I decided to give you a list of the goings on in my world. So, without further adieu, here you go.


IN MY WORLD:

-banana starts with an M - "manana" and goes with any meal.

-I have to sing the WVU Alma Mater to my son before bed every night. He refers to it as the Go Go song, which was their name for WVU (since they always hear Mommy yelling "GO GO" at the TV) before they could say West Virginia.

-every time any football team in the world comes on television, Emma runs up with her hands in the air screaming "Go Mou-ta-eers!" or "Defense defense defense!" Hm, wonder where she got that from? But it does make my heart swell with pride every time.

-the words "I have to potty" are like sounding an alarm in our house, and cause said kid to be quickly dragged to the potty wherever we may be. Unfortunately, they are smarter than we are and now know this can be used to get out of church and to make bedtime 10 minutes later.

-ketchup must be on every dinner plate, even if it’s only for decoration.

-if given a choice, every meal of Emma’s would contain pancakes

-Ethan has a mean 3 point stance. I’m convinced he’s the next Owen Schmitt. But he’ll probably refuse to wear a helmet to play football.

-Barbie’s friend Nikki has been officially renamed Mikki and is Emma’s new BFF.

-Ethan’s Tony Stewart obsession is going strong still, and everything orange gets labeled "Oh, Tony likes that!" and any Home Depot sign or commercial gets met with a resounding "There’s Tony’s sign!"

-Any person, place, thing or food that doesn’t immediately please Ethan is labeled with "I don’t LIKE it, it’s YUCKY." Including Lovey Bear. Five minutes later, it’s "Where Lubby Bear? I like Lubby Bear." So far, Mommy, Mawmaw, Gramps and Nanny have been labeled yucky.

-Emma has a princess costume. Enough said. Thanks, Mawmaw for feeding her narcissism.

-Please pray for us, as I will be taking 2 children to Billy Bob’s (a Chuck E Cheese knockoff for those not from around here) for a church party this weekend. If I have hair left by Saturday evening I will deem it a success.

Part III...Can anyone say Tiger Woods, ya'll? Or maybe some Annika?

You people have no idea of my greatness when it comes to photography, because looking at these pictures, you don’t know the nightmare that this little jaunt was. Let’s just say, two is too young for putt putt. And we made it through about 4 holes, and left everyone else behind to finish. But the pictures look good and in 10 years maybe I’ll forget that I was about to leave my kids at the Cancun Lagoon Putt Putt Golf place.

Ethan's first ever tee off. Notice he has two balls. Yeah, it's the Toddler Rules of Acquisition. I want everything and I'll throw a fit til I get it.

Emma's first tee off. She has, shall we say, a unique style.
Hitting it in the hole. I guess Emma's there to help guide it in...Surprisingly no one got whacked with a club on this trip.
Here, let me put it in there for you. And you can see from the corner of this picture how well the trip was going for Ethan. I gotta get an editting program. :)
Gramps sees the potential for a moneymaker here. I think we'll call him Tiger Shark when he makes it big. Or we could stick with his current nickname, Super Big E.

Part II (fish tales)

Ok, here are our fish exploits. We started to take the kids to the aquarium but since I dealt with Cranky I and Cranky II much of the time, due to them being sick, we chose not to drop that amount of cash for someplace we might have stayed for 5 minutes because of potential fit throwing.

Here they are feeding the big old nasty koy (well, I think they're koy) at Barefoot Landing. Those fish are huge and will eat anything. And, of course they're free to keep in that huge lake since idiot parents like me continually plunge quarters into the fish food machines for the joy of watching our offspring feed the equivalent of rats in the aqua world. Maybe I should put my kids in an enclosed area, put a machine that sells animal crackers around and let people pay to feed them...hmmm. College fund?

This isn't a good picture (we've previously established my lack of photography skill) but you can sort of see the koy.
More feeding. 76 quarters and a fit later, we moved on.
Here is the Redneck and Free version of the aquarium. Yes folks, I took my kids to the Bass Pro Shop to look at their live fish rather than paying $29 each to go to the aquarium. What can I say, I'm a state employee now. BUt they loved the fish. I love these pics.
This fish did circles and kept coming back like this to Emma. I think it liked her shirt or hairbow or something.