Big Brother's Got Your Back

Yesterday I took the kids to the Elementary School Park to play for an hour. It was about 5:00 and I figured it would be pretty empty. It was my first time going there and figured we would try it out.

I told the kids if they listened while there and left when I said it was time that I would take them back. They were awesome. There was no problem when I told them it was time and they walked hand in hand to the car. Cute.

When we got there, there were about 8 kids between the ages of 5 and 12 with not a single parent in sight. Not a good sign. I refuse to be responsible for strangers kids and prayed no one would get hurt because I wanted to have fun with mine.

The kids were rude and obnoxious to my kids which was a little surprising considering I was right there. A few times they refused to let my kids get on or off the slide and one of them wanted to scare my kids when they came down the slide "Here come the little kids" was spoken more often than not in the 15 minutes we were all together or not. I just kept telling my two to say "excuse me" and pass down the ladder. I had to tell them to let my kids off the ladder 5 times. Annoying.

What I loved the most of seeing these obnoxious few was how protective my son was with my daughter.

He would walk up the steps, half block the way, let his sister pass in front of him by putting his hand on her shoulder and then take up the rear. He was very aware these kids were rude and he wanted to make sure nothing happened to her. "Watch for Goddess" he would say as she passed by. I loved watching him take on the big brother role. So sweet to see it at such a young age.

Tips to Teach Your Kids How To Tie Their Shoes

This morning Handsome's therapist and I worked on shoe tying with him. We spent 10 minutes deciding on a method.

We are going to do Bunny Ears mixed with The Squirrel and the Tree.

How to tie shoes

Though most kids' shoes now feature Velcro closures, learning to tie ones own shoes is still considered to be milestone that children should master by 5 or 6 years of age.

But, teaching a child to tie his own shoes can be frustrating; kids can lose interest quickly if they feel the task is too difficult, or they may seem to "get it" one day only to completely forget the next.

1. Bunny Ears

Probably the most common method for teaching kids to tie their own shoes is the "Bunny Ears" method.

Tell the child that he needs to make his shoe laces into "bunny ears."

First, he needs to secure a knot for the bunny's head.

Take the laces and cross them over to make an "X". Then, pull one ear through the bottom of the "X" and pull tight.

Say, "Now we need to give bunny some ears." Loop the laces into "bunny ears".

Tell the child that now we need to "make the bunny ears tight so they don't fall off".

Then make another "X" using the "bunny ears", slide one "ear" under the "X" and pull tightly.

2. The Squirrel and the Tree

This is a fun method that utilizes a kid friendly story and movements that help kids understand and remember the basic steps to shoe tying.

Tell the child to create "tree roots" by making a starter knot.

Make a tree with a long thin loop; hold the loop in the child's right hand.

With his left hand, take hold of the lace and tell him that a squirrel runs around the tree and jumps into the hole under the tree and comes out the other side (he'll need to switch hands at this point which can be difficult for some kids).

Many parents prefer this trick because it teaches the kid to tie shoes with the single loop method.

3. Loop It and Swoop It

This is a less childish, but still memorable way of teaching a child to tie in the traditional single loop method.

Teach your child to tie his shoes using the standard tying method, but as you go through the motions say, "loop it, swoop it, pull." Do this over and over while repeating the same three, simple instructions until your child is able to tie his shoes on his own.

Encourage him to say "loop it, swoop it, pull" each time he attempts tying his shoes until it becomes second nature.

Source

Ten On Tuesday - Time Wasters

1. INTERNET - I surf the internet WAY too much.

2. PHONE - I love talking on the phone but hate ending the call. I feel saying I have to go is rude. Sometimes I am on WAY longer than I want to be.

3. READING CELEBRITY TRASH MAGS - I have stopped doing this because they are so expensive, but I used to spend so much time reading them trash mags. So much so that you could at anytime ask me who, where, what and I could give an answer as if them and I had coffee with them that morning.

4. ORGANIZING - my internet folders. Having a billion favorite folders makes me crazy.

5. INTERNET CABLE - Waiting for my applications to open, close, unfreeze, etc. Mostly this is because my cable system sucks and I lose internet connection constantly. A plane flies over and my signal gets sucked, next thing I know I am waiting. Sometimes it takes me 25 minutes to do something that would have been done in 2 minutes. That just burns my big, fat, ass.

6. STRAIGTENING/CLEANING - I clean up after my kids all day long. If I would just wait until the evening I would have hours free.

7. PLAYING REFEREE - I spend at least 2 hours a day breaking up fights over stupid things. Like whose favorite color is green. Give me a break.

8. SLEEPING - I know we need it but I hardly get any anyway.

9. COOKING - For people who eat nothing. God, I hate cooking and having no one eat what I made. Damn kids.

10. TALKING - I wish I could lose weight talking. I speak all day long, my kids count on me to acknowledge everything that comes out of their mouth (my own fault), so my entire day is peppered with (you do?, really?, Ok, good job, I Do hear you, etc.) Aaahhhh the amount of time I would save if they would just shut up.

My Baby Girl Makes Me Laugh

I want to write down a bunch of things that I should remember about my baby girl. She is just 3 and we already know we need to always be at least 5 steps ahead of her.

These days when she hugs me she says, "Mommy, you my friend." Love it.

When she says good-bye to someone she adds a quick hand to mouth (blew me a kiss) gesture. Not sure where she got that from.

She is a mega manipulator and will probably be a lawyer when she grows up. This morning she asked for cookies for breakfast. Because she knows this is a definite "NO" I chose not to respond to her at all. We have gone down this road of wills and I was tired this morning. When I didn't answer she turned to her brother and said, "Handsome, do you want black and white cookies?" He said "yes." She looked at me and said, "Mommy, Handsome wants cookies. Grrr...

After the bus ride yesterday, each kid was given a pencil case with an eraser school bus in it. Handsome loved it and held onto it all night. In the morning while watching TV he put it on the floor, Goddess ran up, snatched it and said before running off, "You'll never find it now."

I actually had to walk away to snicker because the only thing missing was a devious laugh at then end.

Another thing she is doing, and maybe it's a girl thing, but she is constantly telling me, "Mommy, so and so doesn't like me. Like when she says something to someone at the supermarket, gas station, McDonald's drive through or the like and they don't respond. The other day when her Dad was giving Handsome a bath and asked her to close the door so Handsome didn't get cold. When someone doesn't want to play, share, or hold her she says they don't like her. It's so sad and cute.

She also tells me everyday, "Mommy, I am going to get bigger!" Her dad and I tell her yes, she will and that we want her to take her time. Aaargghh she is going to get bigger?

Interview with Goddess 5 minutes ago.

What do you want to be when you grow up? A Girl.
What is your favorite color? Green and Orange.
What is your favorite animal? An Elephant.
Who is your best friend? Handsome.
What is your favorite show? Little Bill.
What is your favorite food? Bacon.
What is your favorite snack? Fruit snacks.

She is a natural born model/actress and it scares the crap out of me. The pictures above are my favorites of 25 shots I took of her consecutively in 2 minutes. She just kept changing her pose and her facial expression without coaching. Crazy!

Kindergarten Orientation & A School Bus Ride

Today I dropped Goddess off at my kids other "mommy" (not sure why they call her this but it is cute) house. For me, she is my ultimate pick to watch them. I have only left them 5 times in their whole little lives but this is the place that puts my mind at ease. To top this off is the fact that when I walk in to pick up there is a new pot of coffee brewing and breakfast or lunch is being served. If I wasn't married, I would totally marry her.

Handsome, his Special Instructor and I headed over to the school of a morning of Kindergarten orientation, a tour, followed by the first school bus ride this chick has taken in over 30 + years. Scary!!

It was interesting to see how (if I decide to send him this year), my son's morning will start. The three kindergarten classes meet in a community room where they will do the pledge, God Bless America, and my country tis of thee. Not only will the sing it but they will also sign it. Pretty cool. Along with that they will discuss the lunch menu for the day, talk about the date and weather for that day. Have a book written to them by "the author of the week" whose picture will be on the front board with their name, celebrate birthday's of the day and go over the letter of the week.

All before 9:15 a.m.

Geez. Long day without my baby boy. They are in school from 8:50 - 3:20. Aarrggghhh...ok. I am sure eventually, over time I will be ok with this and it will become the norm (if I decide).

We took a bus ride which he was excited about for the first 5 minutes but it took so long for the bus to actually start moving, about 15 minutes that he lost his mojo and was quiet and bored the whole ride. Not that he will ever be taking a bus because I will be driving him, I just thought he would like the experience.

I know I need to cut some apron strings eventually but he is only 5 and I am in no rush to have him be independent. There have got to be moms out there like me who are in no hurry to put their babies into the school system. Today, I met none.

Wordless Wednesday - WTF??? Not So Wordless Today

Usually I do keep my entry wordless but this one is so bizarre to me that I have to explain why I even bothered to keep it and not delete it as soon as I snapped it.

This is a picture of my son in my kitchen after we returned from his cousin's communion. He ran by the stove just as I was trying to snap his picture and this is the result.

Oddly enough, the lights in the center is a bulb above the stove which is really the only thing I can make out.

You can also make out my son. His face, head and the center line of his shirt.

Wii - Me Love You Long Time

For my son's 5th birthday I mentioned Wii to my husband. I thought it would be something that we could build on and all enjoy over time.

Playing the hero, he surprised us with it and we have been enjoying it ever since.

The game was bundled with Wii Sports, a 5 game disk that includes bowling, tennis, golf, boxing and baseball and we got him Super Mario - Super Galaxy.

He also got 2 other games from my sister-in-law, Mario Kart and Go Diego Safari Rescue.

We, as a couple are having so much fun! We used to spend a lot of time together before kids, playing games on XBox, listening to music, talking, hanging out together, etc. Then kids come and everything is about them. We have different interests and different directions right now. He started his own company and works the hours of well the president and I am a full time mom also with few hours to burn. We enjoy different TV shows on our down time and rarely spend alone time together which is really bad for a marriage.

Hello, not saying that Wii has saved THIS marriage, we were hardly leaning toward that road but we are enjoying more time together. Our competitive side comes out and we pat each other on the ass while we strut around the room with our Wii remotes poised and ready to kick some spousal ass.

So, Wii thank you. Thank you for allowing me to try to kick my husband's ass at bowling or golf and legally knock my son out with a few rounds of boxing all while occasionally kissing the palm of my hand with a little game bop vibration through the wiimote.

The only thing that would make the game better would be if there was a little cooling unit in wiimote.

$249.00 without tax is well worth it.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Things have been so hectic in the past few days.

Took car to shop and it's still not fixed - Day wasted.

Started some freelance work - Boring.

Shopping spree at Kohls - so much fun. I never buy myself anything so it was fun to shop for me. I really hate shopping but I need everything.

Nephew's Communion - Today, kids had an ok time. It was a long ride and in a restaurant so they were pretty bored of sitting for so so many hours. Can't say I blame them.

Spening time with my husband - My son got Wii for his birthday and we are reconnecting while competivally kicking each others ass.

Researching anything and everything Lost and Josh Holloway. Love the show and Josh. With the season ending I am just gearing up for the long, long, hiatus the show is taking.

Finishing up on Spring Cleaning and switching clothes from fall/winter to spring/summer for 4 people. Loads of washing and storing.

I hope in the next few days I can get back to reading, writing and blogging.

Amateur Book Review - The Book of Bright Ideas

My last book review post was in March, when I read Veil of Roses. The two books I read in between that and this are parenting books and will probably not be reviewing them right now. I am using them as my bibles right now, as they are a work in progress.

I chose the book because of the cover, of a little girl wearing a tiera and a tutu with a book strapped across her waist.
Anyway, The Book of Bright Ideas, written by Sandra Kring centers around 9 year old Button, family and a summer of friendship.

Button is our narrator and the story takes off in the first few pages as she and we are introduced to two strangers (20 year old Freeda and her sister Winnalee who is also 9) while in town with her loving aunt.

The story centers on the friendship with the two girls and between the women in their lives. Winnalee's sister Freeda, Button's Mother Jewel and Button's Aunt Verdella.

I loved the characters who were very real and most of them likable.

From Button's take on life to Winnalee carrying her mom's ashes in a vase. To the leather bound book of bright ideas and fairy hunting, the story is very human, very possible, very readable.

As for the title of the book, Winnalee believes when she has one hundred bright ideas, she will have all the clues to life figured out. I had nothing figured out. The story had twists and turns, and every time I thought I had it all figured out, I didn't.

On the adult side, like her daughter, Jewel Peters finds a best friend, in Freeda Malone, the young woman she had initially hated.

I enjoyed both friendship stories and with the men playing supporting roles this is a great female friendship read.

My favorite character had to be Aunt Verdella for her unconditional love to everyone involved and for offering of love even when it was unwanted or neglected. We should all strive to be the kind of neighbor that Verdella puts out to the world. Someone who can see the good in everybody while fighting her own past demon.

The book while mostly about friendship is also about how running from our deep dark secrets can and will effect us, and the people around us.

I recommend this book to anyone who needs a great beach read, go alone though because you will not want to be interrupted. Also, for anyone who was a child of the late 60's, 70's. I loved the references to the fashion, the make-up and hair, the candy button's on paper that Button and Winnalee ate and the pot holder sale they held to make some spending money.


Chotskies gives this book a B+

Read more!

Wordless Wednesday - Damn Allergies

Late - Give Me Five Monday - Mother's Day

Over at Give Me Five Monday, we are to write about 5 things that we enjoyed about Mother's Day from prior years.

1. Mother's Day is much better since becoming a mom. I used to hate everything about it. Losing my mom at 12 and having to have this dedicated day to celebrate her was very hard growing up. I don't know why I haven't thought about this before but I really should have celebrated it anyway. She is still my mom. I should have just gone to church or remembered her in a quiet way but I was so busy hating walking by Hallmark or seeing all the Mother's Day ads to notice. My mother's day card from my husband and my kids was extra special this year because my son wrote in his and his sister's name. My husband always picks a great card (I am not sure if he really reads them but the sentiment always means a lot to me).

2. We got to play Wii this year. My son got it for his birthday and my husband and I played on Mother's Day. We boxed and we played golf. I am happy to say I was able to knock him out in both fights.

3. It was just relaxing. Usually we head out to the in-laws for dinner but this Mother's Day we stayed close to home because hubby was doing an all nighter at work.

4. I camped out in the living room with my kids and let them fall asleep whenever they did. No pressure no problem as they say in the islands.

5. More than all the others, this year and every 5 years I will share this day with my son's birthday. He was born on Mother's Day 2003. The best gift ever.

Ten On Tuesday - 10 Things I Am Really Good At

Ten on Tuesday is asking everyone to write 10 things they are really good at. Interesting. Writing positive things about ones self is very hard to do. We can all write easily about the things we should, could, change about ourselves but can we see the good on ourselves?

1. Seeing past every one's faults and seeing the good.

2. Taking time to be with my kids every day. There is not a day that goes by where I am TOO BUSY to spend time with them doing things that matter like, listening, playing, enjoying, being in the moment or just holding them. There is nothing more important. The house is going to get dirty, and the TV will always be there.

3. Finding time to write. I know a ton of people who tell me they wish they had written in their kids books of firsts, had written letters, documented life experiences, or whatever. There is time. Just do it.

4. Taking pictures of my children. Loads of people tell me I take great pictures. They want to know how I know how to get the light or how to capture that moment. The truth is, I have no idea what goes into taking a fabulous picture. I am mostly just trying to capture the moment so I can live it again and again.

5. Keeping up with my family. I honestly think that if I didn't make attempts to reach out to them, I would never know what was going on in any of their lives.

6. Technical stuff. I am not the smartest person in the world but I can figure out how to use a camera, set a VCR, hook things up to the computer or TV, hook the computer up to the TV, download from my cameras to the computer and burn it to a disk, etc. I wish I had more time to hold an in house class for the many women I know who can't figure out how to load pictures to the computer, or once loaded where are they? I hear these questions so often.

7. Talking on the phone. Just ask my husband.

8. Making a good pot of coffee. Ask any coffee drinker and they will tell you just how important this is.

9. Researching information. I am an expert computer surfer. Ask me to find you something and I can turn it out. I love while talking on the phone, someone can bring something, anything up and I can Yahoo, Google, or whatever them an answer in less than 60 seconds.

10. Being happy, not sweating the small stuff. Easier said than done but I have become such an expert at just concentrating on things that I can change and not wasting time on things I have no power of that I scare myself sometimes.

5 Years Ago Yesterday

I really wanted to write this yesterday but with it being my son's 5th birthday, Mother's Day and the fact that my husband wouldn't be home after 4:30 p.m. I really wanted to spend the day just enjoying time with my family.

5 Years ago on Mother's Day was one of the happiest days of my life.

I have written about this in the past but to sum it up, my son was breech and was scheduled to be born on May 13th by Cesarean. However, on the morning of May 11th at 3:30 a.m. my water broke, we rushed to the hospital and I became a mom for the first time.

5 years ago, where did the time go?

5 years ago, I held you and wished the moment would never end. 5 years ago, I was handed a beautiful baby, wrapped in a blue blanket. 5 years ago, I kissed your forehead and said, "Hi, I'm, your mommy."

5 years ago we, your father and I, became a family. We were married 8 years before you came, but you made US a FAMILY.

5 years ago, you gave me the name "Mommy," a name I longed to hear myself referred to after not being able to use the word for more than 25 years.

5 years ago, you I loved your father with every cell in my body. Giving birth to you and seeing him in a totally different way, sealed my love for him forever. I was IN LOVE and knew he was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

5 years ago, I never loved anyone so hard in all my life.

5 years ago, you saved me.

Baby boy, (I will call you this until the day I die) I love you so much. Our relationship is one of the most beautiful things in the world. You are loving and sweet. You tell me you love me at least 25 times a day (No doubt where you learned that from - I have done it to you since you were born).

You kiss me and hug me at least 30 times a day. Again, I am not surprised, I told everyone that you would end up with a permanent kiss mark on your forehead because I could not stop kissing you.

You are challenging and assuring, strong and sensitive, caring and nurturing and shy and boisterous, loving and kind.

You love me to hold your hand or touch your head when you sleep, something I have done since your first days.

You love me to sing to you and still enjoy hearing the songs I put you to sleep to.

You are beginning to read and love hearing how things are spelled.

You know right from left and use directions every moment you can.

You like taking care of your sister but like most siblings, fight like the cats and dogs.

You enjoy watching movies, being read to, playing games on XBox or the computer, coloring, playing games like Bingo, going to the park and going on play dates.

5 Things I love About You:

1. You love hugs and kisses.

2. You are extremely sensitive and like being held and rocked still.

3. You take care of your sister. When she calls you, you run to see if she is ok. You help her turn on lights she can't reach, open doors she can't open, take her shoes off or get her something she can't get.

4. You enjoy laughing and have the best laugh.

5. You tell me you love me every single day. You thank me for taking you places and apologize

when you do something you shouldn't.

I love you with all my heart baby boy. You are my heart on legs and I pray that you always want to spend time with me.

Love, Mommy.

Thursday Thirteen - Mother's Day Gifts That Would Rock My World

My Thursday Thirteen is stretching it a bit much but hey it is MY Thursday 13.

In no particular order, I give you my Thursday 13.

1. A night with hello...my favorite celebrity male Josh Holloway. God damn, that would be the last gift I would ever need thank you very much. Here is my Eye Candy post from last month. He is just yummy and hey I know he's married and all but so am I. My husband totally wouldn't mind, would you hunny?

2. Canon EOS 12.8 Mega Pixel SLR digital camera. It sells for about $3,200 so this is just about as out of range as Josh. Oh well. I said things that would rock my world and well, this would.

3. More in the range of a possible gift would be through my cable company. I would love to have DVR capability. I hate missing some of my favorite shows and I wish that it was possible for my husband and I to record things for when there is absolutely nothing on the 380 channels we currently have.

4. I am a sucker for infomercials which is why I don't watch them. Buttttttt, about 2 years ago I saw an infomercial for Magic Legs and have it written on my dry erase board since. It is reasonably priced at $125.00 and folds up nice and neat for storage.

5. Since I am discussing exercise equipment, I would really LOOOOVE an elliptical trainer.

6. I need a bigger vehicle but right now with gas prices this would actually be my last choice. My choice would be a Toyota Sienna. Nice, big, roomy and the kids would be far away from each other. I want it in red or Metallic Blue. Nice!

7. It would be awesome to have a pool in my backyard. We have a lake near us but honestly, I am hardly a lake person. I love seeing the bottom and knowing there are no fish or weird things in the water that I cannot see.

8. A golf cart to get to the beach would be awesome though. A nice 4 seater that would take us there and back would be fun.

9. Wii Fit.

10. A plasma TV that would hang above our fire place and give us so much more room in our living room.

11. A new stove. We have a stove that came with the house. It is cira 1974 and only 2 of the 4 burners work and that is when they want to. I would love one of those easy clean cook tops would be nice.

12. A new vacuum cleaner. I really, really good one like a Dyson, Ball HEPA upright. I hate my rugs but mostly I hate them because my vacuum really sucks and not literally which is what a vacuum is supposed to do.

13. A night at a hotel with my husband and my kids. I would love to enjoy the pool during the day and then get room service at night. We can't go on a vacation right now, which is what we really need, but this would be great too.

Wordless Wednesday - Thursday Edition - Living Room Camp Out - Fun for Us All

Mother, I Long To Know You!

Over at Head or Tails, they give to words to chose from, one of the words is Mother.

One of my favorite posts was one I wrote two years ago about my Mother.

Today is April 8th. April 8th is the same and different for me every year. Sometimes it is just a normal melancholy day and othertimes it is 1978 or oddly enough 1991.

You see, today my mother is dead 28 years and my grandmother (father's mother) 15 years. If that is not strange enough; my mother and my grandmother not only share a death date but..they share a birthdate. Double whammy. Mom died when I was 11 It was scary, hard, lonely, weird, and sad. I think about everything I went through as a 11year old with a dying mother and feel so bad for my 11year old self. I wish I could just hold my little 11year old self and tell her that everything is going to be ok.

I wish I knew more about my Mom. I am constantly making sure that I leave my little ones a legacy. I want them to know who I am. I spent so many years trying to gather information on my mom. I wanted to speak to people who knew her. Not as a daughter, a sister, a wife but as a women. I would give anything to sit and talk with Diane the women, not my mother!

I would also love to know what she thinks of who I am now! Is she proud of who I have become? Does she think I am a good mom? A good person? A good women! It is so weird to think that this year I will be turning 40 in August. My mother never reached 34. I will forever be older than my mother.

I cannot imagine what it would have been like to have three daughters, an 11 year old, a 10 year old and an 8 year old and then be told that you are terminally ill and would leave them.

After mom died we eventually moved in with my Grandmother. Grandma was a frail, scared women. She was caring and funny but so scared of everything.

She had bulemia her whole life and I believe that she knew that my grandfather was molesting me. I remember her walking in one time and walking right back out. I don't hold it against her I think that she was to scared to do anything about it.

She took in me and my two sisters and did the best that she could. When I was told that she was gone I remember sinking to the floor and crying my eyes out. Why! Two important women in my life gone forever.

I hope that I have done them both proud. I hope they knew that I think of them everyday and that I am so sad that my babies will never get to know them. I wish I could call my mother whenever my son does something cute or call her and say I need a break could you please come hold the baby for a while she is driving me crazy. (btw here she comes now crying at my feet - God help me).

The next post about my mom was written last Easter April 8, 2007.

Mommy and Grandma you are the spirit in me! I love and miss you!

I was 12 when she passed away from Cancer. It is amazing how the lose of such an integral part of your core makes life so complicated.

There is not a day that goes by that I am not affected by the loss of my mother.

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t wonder how my life would have turned out had she not died.

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t wish that my children were able to feel her arms around them to see her joy in knowing and loving them.

There will never be a day that I don’t miss her with every single fiber in my soul.

As I sit here with tears streaming down my face wishing I could feel her, hear her, smell her, touch her once again I am so thankful for everything that is my life but I can’t help but wonder why.

Why, she was taken from me. Why she had to suffer. Why I had to see so much. Why my babies will never know their grandmother.

Last year I wrote about my mom and my grandmother and how they share the same birth and death date.

I believe that everything happens for a reason however I would love to know the reason.

I have always felt that the reason for them to have the same dates was to prove to me and anyone who cared to believe that there was something bigger than all of us. Fate? Maybe. Coincidence? Maybe.

Last years post with more detail can be found here.

The love I feel for these two pivotal people in my life is still as strong as the last time we drew breath together.

I love and miss you Mommy and Grandma and I think and pray for you every night.

Allergy Alert - Trees, Grass and Mayflies, Oh My

We live in the woods, ok...it's not the woods if you REALLY live in the woods but to my city friends, we might as well be in the middle of Montana, in a log cabin, surrounded by nothing.


Both kids are suffering badly from the tree pollen which has been really high here lately.


I get an allergy alert email from the Pollen People every day and it tells us what allergens are high right now for our area.


The boy, saw an allergist when he was 23 months for a peanut allergy and we found out he is allergic to grass, trees and peanuts.


The girl, has yet to see an allergist but I believe she is allergic to nuts and probably trees. She got a rash the two times I kissed her after eating a PBJ sandwich and starting today her eyes are swollen, itchy and red and she is miserable.


This happened last year too and it lasted about a week. Urrgghh!



It could also be that she is allergic to whatever is in Mayfly spit. Right now we are over run with Mayflies. They suck! I hate them.


My first experience was about 4 years ago when my toddler son came inside with blood drips all over his head. I ran outside to see what he had gotten into. Did he cut himself on something? I searched and found nothing. I spoke to a neighbor later who told me that she had gotten bit by Mayflies while gardening.


My daughter got bit yesterday, about 8 times. These damn things must be all mouth because they leave the biggest, bloodiest mark when they bite. The first two that I noticed on her yesterday were near her collar bone. It looked like she was bit by a vampire. The blood looked to have been dripping under the skin. So nasty. After that I searched her and found two more at her scalp line. There was 1 in the back and one on her temple. Then I searched her head, under her hair and found 4 more in different areas under her hair. They had all bled and created dried blood hills that I cleaned off with Benadryl wash. Nasty! Then they swell up and get really big and gross. So fun.




I hate them!


This is the 4th year that I have dealt with these damn pests. The weather is beautiful but you can't go outside and be a feast for a bug that has a 24 hour life span. I would move just because of these damn things.


Signed, living on Claritin and Benadryl.

Way Back Post - Painting the Deck

Originally written Friday, June 24, 2005 on the Precocious Toddler Blog

Painting the Deck?

So today, Mom asks if I want to go out.

Hello? Do I poop in my diaper?

So, we go to the deck, mom brings the screaming pink bundle and we head to the swing. Mom and I sit with the bundle who is finally quieting down and she starts us moving. We were on the swing for a moment when mom shot up and headed to the house. She comes out with, get this, a bucket of water and a paint brush?

Is she kidding? We live 2 friggin blocks from a lake, I have a blow up pool that is sitting unfilled in the corner of the deck and she brings me a bucket of water.

She hands me the brush and says, "go on baby, paint the deck?"

What? Does she think I am so dumb that I don't know that the liquid swishing around in the bucket is water?

She takes the brush and sticks it into the water and proceeds to brush the deck.

Ummm...come on now mom, have you been sniffing glue. That is not paint, and I am not going to do hard labor on a beautiful day.

She is smiling so I figure I will entertain her. I snatch the stupid paint brush stick it in the water and touch it to the wood. As the beam turns the color of well..wet wood, I hear mom. "Good boy. Jesse is painting the deck."

I must admit as much as I hate it that it was God damn fun.

What? So I wet the beam. Mom was happy and I got to play in water. So there.

Manic Monday - Fresh

The word from Mo, It’s A Blog, Eat Blog World is Fresh.

Fresh or Fressssshhhh.

You can get fresh air
Cut fresh flowers
Be fresh out of luck
Eat fresh fruit
Have a fresh mouth
Drink a fresh cup of coffee.
Wake up refreshed.
Bake fresh bread
Get a fresh start
Put on a fresh shirt
Fresh water fish
Be fresh out of something
Be a breath of fresh air

Purchase from Fresh

Friday Fill-Ins Edition 5

1. Two of my favorite ingredients in a drink are coffee and milk.

2. My children often amaze me.

3. You can keep doing that forever, the dog is ummm...*cough, cough*...uhh I don't have a dog, nevermind.

4. Chaos and Calamity mix it all together and voila! You have a day in the life with kids!

5. If I had a yard with a garden, I would love to grow loads of veggies; cukes, lettuce, zucchini,
toms, basil, whatever else will grow well in my area.

6. Lighting is best au naturel.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to pizza Friday, tomorrow my plans include cleaning and playing with the kids and Sunday, I want to rest and read!

Thursday Challenge is Up and Late

Over at Thursday Challenge the theme is Spring. I recently went to the Botanical Gardens and put together some scrapbook pages of the day. Enjoy!