Family Blog & Daily Life Hacks
Many times throughout a day I’ll look at the kids and wonder “When did THAT happen”. This could be how tall they are, how smart they are, how funny they are or how big their feet are. That last one is for Shaun, he’s going on 9 and his feet are as big as mine already.
Anyway, it seems like yesterday they were in diapers, sharing our bed or being pushed in a stroller. Here’s a brief peek at what runs through my head as I steal peeks at my beautiful babies.
She’s cute with her cute little mug isn’t she. It’s technically not her mug though, it was mine that somehow became Sabreena’s.
Over the summer Sabreena and her friends had a tea party and each person had to provide their own cup/mug. She brought one of ours. She asked for permission, I consented; all was good with the world. Fast forward 3-4-5 months and my mug is still missing. You see, last fall I got the opportunity to work with Oneida and received and all new dinnerware. I’ve always wanted stark white dishes and bowls and love love love the sets I received.
we actually don't even use the white mugs
Yesterday I come home from getting my haircut and Rob has greeted me at the stairs with my mug in his hand.
Me: Ooooooh, My mug 🙂 Then he turns it around to show me the mustache
Me: What the FCUK!!!!!
Rob(giggling the whole time): Felicia (Sabreena’s friend) decided to paint a mug for each of her friends for Christmas. Since she already had one to give back to Sabreena she decided to use this one.
Me: I’m going to kick her ass.
Sabreena then informs us that the mug has been sitting in her room tucked away for about 2 weeks. She said she forgot about it but I think she was scared shitless about my reaction. I was bummed for a second but quickly laughed it off. It turned out cute and we know Felicia’s intentions were in the right place.
Shaun came home to see Shae drinking out of the mug and instantly said he wanted one too. Maybe Felicia will make us a couple more.
Hope everyone had a great holiday. I know we did here and the kids have the gifts to prove it. The last few days have been crazy busy with visiting my grandparents and parents on Saturday. Then yesterday we did Christmas at our house. My in laws as well as my two brother in laws and my sister in law came over and Melinda made an awesome dinner which consisted of ham, homemade mac and cheese, stuffing, homemade garlic mashed potatoes and garlic green beans. For dessert we had a cannoli cake that we bought from the local bakery which was awesome. Needless to say it has been busy for the last few days but it has been a lot of fun at the same time.
Waiting to Come Downstairs
Checking Out All Of The Goods
Shae Loves Mike
Sabreena Can't Wait To Dance
What Is This?
Shaun And Skylanders. His New Obsession.
Shaun Is So Excited
Shaun Checking Out All Of His Skylander Figurines
Shae Looks Mad For Some Reason. LOL.
Sleeping On Their New Pillow Pets
How often do you feel this way? Me, about every day, at least once. The kids know how to push my buttons, maybe not on purpose but they know exactly what to do to get under my skin.
I come home from an errand to find a sink full of dishes, the TV on and no one watching it, book bags and papers strewn on the table and a dog scratching at the door. What the hell happened to my house? I let the dog out, turn off the TV on, load the dishwasher and clean up the homework mess only to be questioned “What happened to my show?” For real kid? Where were you 10 minutes ago?
I start my yelling spree, each kid gets a dose of mommy fury, I get agitated with myself that I got so angry and now the dog is scratching to be let in. No one steps forward to handle that mess, it’s left to me. So as I’m bent over wiping muddy paws Rob decides to come over and poke my butt peeking out. A simple goofy gesture has just sent me into a tailspin. I’m already pissed I’m handling all of this mess and HIS dog and he wants to literally poke me in the butt. Guess what happens next, the dog licks my face, YUCK. I’m pissed and begin to remind Rob and the kids how awesome their lives are that I’m here for them.
All I want is some cooperation. When I say go brush your teeth I mean go in to the bathroom, brush your teeth and get out. Not go in, battle over the stool, argue over who gets the toothpaste first, swing on the doorknob, hang on the towel bar and make the sink resemble a smurf murder scene.
When I say to wash the dishes I mean every dirty dish not just the ones you feel like washing. I can’t stand cups and water bottles and empty boxes left on the counter when the kitchen was supposed to be cleaned.
Maybe I ask for too much but it’s these things that annoy me the most each day. I yell, I plead, I even bribe but it never fails, the same bad habits creep up I need to either learn better coping methods for my fury or the kids need to learn better listening skills and manners.
Today was not only Thanksgiving but it was also my birthday. And it has been a great birthday indeed! It all started last weekend for a Girlfriends Getaway Weekend with me and my best friend Stacy and finished today with my family gathering together for Turkey Day.
sorry for the blurriness, taken from a cellphone
Rob is terrible at keeping a secret so he tends to shop RIGHT before my birthday. He came home with a familiar golden bag and beloved red coffee cup. I assumed the bag contained my 3 mother’s rings that have been at the jeweler getting serviced/cleaned/inspected/tightened. He surprised floored me with a gift of diamond earrings. I’ve been asking for them for 10 years and he just realized I actually do deserved them.
The kids gave me this lovely skeleton key necklace from Etsy (I even wrote about it here) and a collection of handmade clay figurines and trinkets.
I’m a lucky girl to be surrounded by people that love me! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Once upon a time Sabreena was an only child. She was well behaved, polite, dramatic and too smart for her own good. She understood things children shouldn’t and loved to hang out with adults. People constantly commented how mature she appeared. Then came along her little brother Shaun. He adored her and followed her everywhere. He did what she did, watched what she watched and wanted to be with her constantly. Sabreena, being the tolerant big sister, allowed most of this behavior as long as he wasn’t annoying her. The annoying started in his toddler years, we have the photos to prove it, but that didn’t stop him. While most of the time they got along perfectly there were moments when one thought they were having knock down drag out fist fights. She continued doing the things SHE wanted to do and he was either going to catch up or be left behind.
in the morning
2 hours later
Then Shaun became the big brother. Shae was doomed from the start. In the beginning there was some hope of her staying sweet and innocent. Her big sister and brother treated her like a princess; doting on her every need and want and accommodating her every step of the way. TV watching was based on what Shae wanted, playtime was what Shae wanted to play and it was becoming quite clear who was the boss. The big kids noticed the trend and started standing up for themselves. They took back their standings and let her know they were in charge. It was too late. Shae had already become the ALPHA in this sibling relationship.
sneaky little smile
happy birthday shae
Last weekend we celebrated Shae’s 4th bday. It turned into a HUGE event with over the top decorations, goodie bags and even the cake. A special thanks to Birthday In A Box for supplying the décor and supplies to make this day extra special for Shae.
Shae chose a Tinkerbell theme and Sabreena and I went all out on decorating the house. Birthday in a Box provided the Happy Birthday banner, streamers, centerpiece, HUGE balloon that is still attached to her dining room chair and all the cutlery/plates/cups/tablecover. I purchased bright packages of tissue paper and made paper flowers and balls to complement the colors of her theme. The balloons were all over the house and there was a dyed coffee filter flower banner draped across the deck.
tinkerbell centerpiece
tinkerbell cake
happy birthday banner and balloons
balloons and paper flowers
Birthday in a Box is a one-stop shop for everything party related. Get the basics like plates and forks or go the extra step with piñatas, masks, craft kits and personalized coloring books. Characters from the big screen and cartoons can be found as well as classics like princess, monkey and trains.
Make your child’s next birthday extra special with some help from Birthday in a Box.
Shaun is in his 2nd week and practice. He’s looking good!
doing the karaoke-it keeps the groin loose
running sprints
Last week was our official summer vacation of 2011. Our original week long getaway plans got changed at the last minute and we ended up doing shorter trips to multiple places. Our first stop was Great Wolf Lodge in Pocono Mountains, PA. We had visited Great Wolf Lodge before when we attended Reviewers Retreat but this time was completely uninterrupted and focused on the kids.
Welcome to Great Wolf Lodge
We arrived earlier than our check-in time so we could enjoy a full day from the start. We all got suited up and headed into the large indoor waterpark. The kids knew exactly where they wanted to go; the slides. Shae is not scared of rides so she headed right up to the couple waterslides she already knew she was tall enough for. She must’ve dragged Sabreena up those couple flights of steps a dozen times. Shauns favorite place is the wave pool. He loves bobbing up and down and “swimming for his life” against the waves.
Rob and I got to enjoy the outdoor pool this time. We planted ourselves under a table with snacks and drinks while the kids came to visit every few minutes and play. For the most part Rob and I spent our time alone, without the kids. Great Wolf Lodge is a resort for kids, parents are just the transportation. From the Northern Lights Arcade to MagiQuest Adventure to Scoops Spa there is something for every child besides the obvious waterpark.
Eating at Great Wolf Lodge is an expensive event but the variety is perfect when you are trying to feed adults and children at the same time. I love love love the pasta bar. I’m able to add every single veggie I love to the pasta shape of choice and just ask for a light olive oil and garlic sauce. It was perfect and if I had the room in my belly I would’ve gotten seconds. Dessert for kids is a must when “eating out”. The selection is pretty good. Ice Cream is always available and each day there are different cupcakes, cookies and pies available. Seafood, burgers, soup and pasta, the choice is yours.
I would like to recommend to management of the Poconos Mountain location to add some air conditioning to the Swim Shop. I went in to purchase a new swimsuit and it was so ridiculously hot and humid that trying anything on was near impossible.
The kids are already asking when we can go back.
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