Austin came in from playing outside and informed me that his "thumb-toe was all red."
"Your thumb-toe?"
"Yes (with gesture pointing down to his big toe), my thumb toe."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
chuck e.
Yesterday my wonderful friends and their children and I with my rambuctious bunch all met at chuck e cheese in Harrisburg. My dear friend moved to State College over a year ago, and in order to see her and her children, we meet about halfway. We used to get together once a month with each other and our children when we all lived in the area, but it is now no longer possible. We do try to meet once or twice a year now, and especially for Christmas. Several years ago we decided to get together after Christmas so it would be less stressful, but this year as it turned out, January was just as busy if not busier than December. So the only day we could meet was yesterday. Thankfully no one was sick and nothing came up so we all made it!!! We had a wonderful time, although it is a bit crazy. There are 13 children between the 3 of us, all between 1 - 13 years old, with the majority 8 and under. We feel as though we take over the place, but it is a blessing that we are all of the same mind in regards to raising our children to be well-behaved, mannerly and kind. (Those are my ambitions anyway.)
Last year, chuck e. walked around and greeted the children and my friend's 3-year old was hysterically afraid of chuck e. Well, when he saw the sign before he entered yesterday with chuck e.'s picture, he was again hysterically afraid. He wouldn't leave her side for an hour as intense fear ravaged his poor mind. Thankfully he got over it and was able to enjoy himself. That is, until chuck e. showed himself.
Wouldn't you know it, we were ready to leave, and had coats on and our arms full of bags as we had just exchanged after-Christmas presents, and Steph and I were each waiting for a child to get out of the bathroom. Well first her hands are full and she is trying to console 2 children, and I approach chuck e. who is standing at the exit and ask him if he would mind moving as there are several children who are deathly afraid. He kindly moved, and Rowan looks at him and points and says "chuck e" over and over. So finally my friend is able to approach the exit, and Grayson is exiting the bathroom with Gavin, but Gavin is paralyzed with fear and screaming because he sees chuck e. I am at the exit with my hands full and guiding Ro to leave, and I yell for Gavin to come and then Ro starts screaming because chuck e starts rounding the corner towards us. So with 9 children, 4 which are screaming, we are trying to shove them all out the exit as the poor employee is trying to scan our hands and make sure we each have the right children and all of them. Oh my, it was hysterical. Steph and I could only laugh because we are just such a spectacle, and there are only so many things you have the power to control, and after that, you just have to laugh!!
It is a great memory, and will make a great story for a long time.
Last year, chuck e. walked around and greeted the children and my friend's 3-year old was hysterically afraid of chuck e. Well, when he saw the sign before he entered yesterday with chuck e.'s picture, he was again hysterically afraid. He wouldn't leave her side for an hour as intense fear ravaged his poor mind. Thankfully he got over it and was able to enjoy himself. That is, until chuck e. showed himself.
Wouldn't you know it, we were ready to leave, and had coats on and our arms full of bags as we had just exchanged after-Christmas presents, and Steph and I were each waiting for a child to get out of the bathroom. Well first her hands are full and she is trying to console 2 children, and I approach chuck e. who is standing at the exit and ask him if he would mind moving as there are several children who are deathly afraid. He kindly moved, and Rowan looks at him and points and says "chuck e" over and over. So finally my friend is able to approach the exit, and Grayson is exiting the bathroom with Gavin, but Gavin is paralyzed with fear and screaming because he sees chuck e. I am at the exit with my hands full and guiding Ro to leave, and I yell for Gavin to come and then Ro starts screaming because chuck e starts rounding the corner towards us. So with 9 children, 4 which are screaming, we are trying to shove them all out the exit as the poor employee is trying to scan our hands and make sure we each have the right children and all of them. Oh my, it was hysterical. Steph and I could only laugh because we are just such a spectacle, and there are only so many things you have the power to control, and after that, you just have to laugh!!
It is a great memory, and will make a great story for a long time.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
bizarre and smart mixed together
is my son, Austin.
He is the middle son. He is the strangest parts of my husband and I blended together. He thinks like me (most of the time, I think) but yet he has a lot of personality traits like his father. My MIL will be the first to tell you that Guy was a very good liar and a deceiver as a youngster and this trait has passed to my middle son.
Well, last night Austin was hiding a cookie in his pants. Where, I'm not sure, so let's not go there. He looked "funny" going up the stairs and Guy asked him several times if he had anything and he answered "no" as seriously as possible. Well, when he got upstairs he was laughing with Grayson about a cookie he "found" in his pants, and Grayson dutifully came downstairs with the cookie and told us that Austin was hiding a cookie in his pants.
Guy went upstairs to discipline him after which he was sent to bed and told he was not to have dessert after dinner for a week.
Today, my beloved son calmly informed me that he has to have dessert before dinner because Daddy told him he can't have dessert after dinner.
He kills me.
He is the middle son. He is the strangest parts of my husband and I blended together. He thinks like me (most of the time, I think) but yet he has a lot of personality traits like his father. My MIL will be the first to tell you that Guy was a very good liar and a deceiver as a youngster and this trait has passed to my middle son.
Well, last night Austin was hiding a cookie in his pants. Where, I'm not sure, so let's not go there. He looked "funny" going up the stairs and Guy asked him several times if he had anything and he answered "no" as seriously as possible. Well, when he got upstairs he was laughing with Grayson about a cookie he "found" in his pants, and Grayson dutifully came downstairs with the cookie and told us that Austin was hiding a cookie in his pants.
Guy went upstairs to discipline him after which he was sent to bed and told he was not to have dessert after dinner for a week.
Today, my beloved son calmly informed me that he has to have dessert before dinner because Daddy told him he can't have dessert after dinner.
He kills me.
My daughter
Uses adverbs.
Well, one adverb (so far). She says "too" - as in "also".
For instance, "I hungry too".
I'm impressed. Of course I'm her mother but I'm still impressed. She's a smart cookie.
She's 23 months and potty-trained. She has nights and naps where she still wets, but sometimes she's dry, and during the day she is accident-free. We have been working on it since Thanksgiving, and yes, it takes longer when they are younger like she is, but it is SO worth it!!
3 cheers for no more diapers!! hooray! hooray! hooray!
Well, one adverb (so far). She says "too" - as in "also".
For instance, "I hungry too".
I'm impressed. Of course I'm her mother but I'm still impressed. She's a smart cookie.
She's 23 months and potty-trained. She has nights and naps where she still wets, but sometimes she's dry, and during the day she is accident-free. We have been working on it since Thanksgiving, and yes, it takes longer when they are younger like she is, but it is SO worth it!!
3 cheers for no more diapers!! hooray! hooray! hooray!Saturday, January 10, 2009
Opposite of busy
Guy & I were trying to come up with a catchy name for this blog, yet one people could remember. It is very difficult for me to ever be succinct, so I opted out of the catchy title and put what I wanted to say in the subtitle.
I am typically VERY busy. I am very driven, very determined and very ambitious. I typically bite off a little more than I can chew, but I enjoy it. I am constantly drowning in a sea of projects and to do lists that more often than not were created by my habit of doing to much in the first place.
Every once in awhile I have a down day. That is today. It is snowing and beautiful outside. It is a day to drink tea and watch old movies. It started last night when I started reading a book I havent read in a long time. I absolutely adore anything written by Mary Stewart. Dont know what it is, her dialogue, her descriptions, but they captivate me every time. She is not a Christian author, but she is clean and was often on the bestseller list several decades ago. So I picked up Nine Coaches Waiting last night with the intentions of reading for an hour or so, but alas, I haven't read that one in awhile and she drew me in until I was finished. I read for four hours, and I slept in, but it was so nice.
I am typically VERY busy. I am very driven, very determined and very ambitious. I typically bite off a little more than I can chew, but I enjoy it. I am constantly drowning in a sea of projects and to do lists that more often than not were created by my habit of doing to much in the first place.
Every once in awhile I have a down day. That is today. It is snowing and beautiful outside. It is a day to drink tea and watch old movies. It started last night when I started reading a book I havent read in a long time. I absolutely adore anything written by Mary Stewart. Dont know what it is, her dialogue, her descriptions, but they captivate me every time. She is not a Christian author, but she is clean and was often on the bestseller list several decades ago. So I picked up Nine Coaches Waiting last night with the intentions of reading for an hour or so, but alas, I haven't read that one in awhile and she drew me in until I was finished. I read for four hours, and I slept in, but it was so nice.
Drugstore Deals
Beginning in May of this year I started CVSing. I also "do" Walgreens and RiteAid, although not as much of RiteAid. Some weeks are wonderful, others are slim pickins for deals. This week was absolutely AMAZING at Walgreens.
I did multiple transactions over 2 days and used a TON of coupons.
On Thursday evening I went out at Midnight and got home about 1:20am. It is a great time to shop and I have 2 24 hour Walgreens within 5 minutes of me.
Here is what I purchased:
I did multiple transactions over 2 days and used a TON of coupons.
On Thursday evening I went out at Midnight and got home about 1:20am. It is a great time to shop and I have 2 24 hour Walgreens within 5 minutes of me.
Here is what I purchased:
I paid $13 and will get back $20 in rebates.
Friday evening I purchased:
I paid $22.50 and will get back $8 in rebates.
I paid $35.50 total, and will get back $18 for a grand total of $17.50 for all this stuff.
Now, let me just clarify that I use a TON of coupons and this takes a good deal of time to plan and shop. I consider "doing" the drugstores one of my part-time jobs because it takes a lot of time, but I save a lot of money. This was also an incredible week of deals, and will be hard to live up to in the future, but I wanted to share what kept me busy this week.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Family pictures
We had intended to send out Christmas cards when the rest of the world does, but when we called the studio they were booked until after Christmas. We decided to kill two birds with one stone and have the studio make the cards from our pics since it would save time and energy, so we decided we would send out new year's cards.
All went well considering. Rowan was done after about 10 minutes. Thank goodness I thought of bribery. She instantly became compliant after offering her candy. She sat and smiled and participated as though she was a pleasant one year old who enjoyed getting her pics taken. We have some very pretty pics although they tend to be on the serious side.
Austin. Well, he's Austin. If he is in pain or something doesnt make sense, he is non-compliant. And he is constantly focused on making others laugh or trying to catch them off guard. We have some good Austin faces.
Grayson is quiet yet silly and we have a few good smiles after he was laughing at Mommy imitating Cioci Nan who makes him laugh. 
Guy & I feel like we're gettng old. Especially when we look at our pics. This is a good one though.
Portrait Innovations does such a great job of group pics. And our photographer was so patient. She even told us our kids were well-behaved. She said normally when parents pull out the candy the kids are done, she couldn't believe ours stayed in place and continued to laugh - well, mostly Gavin laughed, and the rest were laughing at Gavin.
All went well considering. Rowan was done after about 10 minutes. Thank goodness I thought of bribery. She instantly became compliant after offering her candy. She sat and smiled and participated as though she was a pleasant one year old who enjoyed getting her pics taken. We have some very pretty pics although they tend to be on the serious side.
Gavin was glued to Daddy's side but was very easy to make laugh and we have some adorable smiles. Gavin's smile can and does light up a room.
Austin. Well, he's Austin. If he is in pain or something doesnt make sense, he is non-compliant. And he is constantly focused on making others laugh or trying to catch them off guard. We have some good Austin faces. Grayson is quiet yet silly and we have a few good smiles after he was laughing at Mommy imitating Cioci Nan who makes him laugh. Guy & I feel like we're gettng old. Especially when we look at our pics. This is a good one though.
Portrait Innovations does such a great job of group pics. And our photographer was so patient. She even told us our kids were well-behaved. She said normally when parents pull out the candy the kids are done, she couldn't believe ours stayed in place and continued to laugh - well, mostly Gavin laughed, and the rest were laughing at Gavin.
Grandmom was kind enough to come along and occupy the kids while Mommy and Daddy went through 108 pics trying to pick out the good ones. The staff was very kind and helpful, full of compliments and patience. We only spent 2 hours there - that's pretty good for us!! For all the time money and energy put into getting pictures taken, I never regret it. My children are morphing and changing every day. Sometimes I think I will close my eyes and it will all be over - the growing up - and I am so happy to have a home full of fleeting moments captured on film.
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