Friday Fumbles

Do you ever wake up and think wow what a great day? I did this morning and wow, how wrong could I have been.

I said that to myself before I actually looked at the clock.
Crud only 40 min to get 4 kids fed and 3 of them ready for school
No problem I can do this, I've done it many times before.
Ha, the odds were against me this morning.

I suddenly realized that 2 of my kids had to dress up like their favorite book character, and yes I knew this for two weeks but frankly I had other issues on my mind...something to do with ships and scouts.

Quickly I had to transform my 7 yr old into Junie B Jones from her favorite book in the series Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren . This was not too hard because Junie never seems to match and we could do that no problem! Daughter #1 done, taken care of.

Now daughter #2 is just in Kindergarten. So when I asked her to go and grab her favorite book she just said she would be Junie like her big sis. Ummm not going to work since you just learned how to spell "THE" two days ago. I think your teacher might catch on that something is up. So I asked her once again to grab her very very favorite book and bring it to me. It needed to go to school with her so she might as well go and find it. You will not believe what she brought me...are you ready... Hey Diddle, Diddle...

Now I have to figure out how to make her one of the characters from that book. Now looking at the clock I realize I have 10 minutes to do this....NOT POSSIBLE! Well that is what I thought but I actually managed, with a bit of computer help. I got online real quick and looked up moon clipart and cow clipart. I then cut out the picture of the moon slapped it in the middle of some contact paper and pinned it to her yellow shirt.
"Tu-duh you are the moon" I declared.
Then I did the same with the cow except I fastened him to her headband with pipe cleaner and so now she was the Cow jumping over the moon.

I looked at the clock qucik grabbed the bookmarks I made last night (until 1am!)for the goody bags the girls were going to be getting at the big character party this afternoon. Grabbed Moe who was mid-bite with a spoon of oatmeal. Yes I know not the morning to let your 14 month old feed himself oatmeal, but he loves it. And out the door we went...well almost. My son all of the sudden remembered that it was PICTURE DAY at his school! UGHHHH his hair wasn't picture ready and his shirt well....

"Quick go change and fix your hair a bit more, please" I said with a tone of defeat in my voice. We were so close to making it out the door on time.

5 minutes later and 3 minutes too late to catch the bus we headed down the road not to the bus stop but first to my son's school and then to the girls school.

Once we pulled into the girls school I realized that I was going to need to go in to deliver the bookmarks as the girls didn't know what room the parent volunteers were in and they were going to be late to their classes if they had to search them out. So I parked and in I went with Moe on my hip.

Did I mention that he was still covered in oatmeal? Oh well. Into the school we went oatmeal and all, dropped off the bookmarks said our hello's, and then out the door we went.

Once home I took a deep breath and was relieved that my morning madness was OVER! There is still a chance for it to be a great day but it sure did start off a bit chaotic.

Halloween Fun

Steady...Steady.....Ahhhh I said DON'T DROP ME!

Making your own coustume can be lots of fun!

Can you tell that he is riding on someones shoulders? Well not really but that is the look we were going for. Did we pull it off?

Super Mom and the Cub Scouts

Last night Super Mom ventured into the unknown world of Rain gutter Regattas with her Bear Cub. What an adventure this has been. Since Super Dad (the real super hero) is in the military and is not around as much as we would love him to be, Super Mom has had to step in and learn all she can about the science of pinewood derbys and now rain gutter regattas.

Having had two years of practice runs (that is what we refer to them as) with the pinewood derby Super Mom and her cub were shocked and nervous when handed the familiar black box and discovered not a car kit but....a boat kit???? What in the world are we supposed to do with this? Thank goodness for directions!

Super Mom and her Cub carefully set everything out and read the directions. Ah but something was missing....the mast. Crud, Super mom is sick beyond sick, can hardly breathe out her nostrils and now she has to drive to the town over to find the Scout Shop she was told existed there. Hold the phone Batman this is Super Mom you are talking about. There has to be a better solution....right? Super Mom had to go shopping for groceries and noticed the craft store across the street, ya know the one with the great coupons in the Sunday paper. So she ventures in knowing in advance the cash in her purse is for groceries NOT crafts (bummer). For 30 minutes she searched the aisles. Finally in the aisle she had already gone up and down 2 times she found it! There it was in a clear plastic bag....a DIY boat kit complete with mast...Yee-haw! Too bad it was too short.

Super Mom had her cub get busy with the sanding and the painting and she supervised from a distance. It is always dangerous to let Super Mom get too close in these things as she tends to want to take control.

Now the paint was dry but there was still the issue of the mast. The next day Super Mom still feeling under the weather drove to the next town over and hit the local Wal-mart looking for many things including an 1/8" dowel rod. Whoo-hoo they had everything she needed even the dowel rod.

With her cape seemingly flowing behind her she raced home to cut the mast to the correct length. The amazed cub arrived home so loving his Super Mom at that moment. He trimmed the sail, put on some stickers and attached it to the mast. Super Mom was amazed too, she was amazed at the thought her handsome cub put into picking the numbers for his sail. He had chosen to put 06 on the sail for the year 2006. Super Mom would have probably just put down some random numbers without any thought. Next it was time to pose for the pictures and off we went to the Regatta and pack meeting.

Well the Regatta went well but never let it be said that Super Mom has a heart of stone because it tore her heart in two to watch her son so proud of his ship not finish first in any of the heats. He was the one and only cub to not win at least one heat. She held back the tears so as not to let on to her cub that she was sad. Instead she continued to cheer him on and tell him what a great job he was doing. He was doing a great job and she was so proud of him. He lost each race by seconds, literally one extra breath of air could have meant sailing to the finish first. He never let on that he was sad about his losses and was a Super Sport. He congratulated all the other cubs, even the ones who had just beat him. He laughed when everyone was laughing and never had a sad or mad look on his face.

Super Mom knows this cub of hers so well and knows what great restraint that took on his part and let's just say after all the babes were tucked in bed and the lights went out a tear or two were shed for this not so tiny cub, some of sadness for his losses and some of joy for the young man he is becoming.

Thursday Thirteen #6

Thirteen Things I have done so far today

1. Packed 3 school lunches
2. Washed and Dried 4 loads of Laundry
3. Folded and put away 4 loads of Laundry
4. Made a yummy lunch for Moe
5. Wrote the checks to pay the bills
6. Unloaded the dishwasher
7. Loaded the dishwasher
8. Cleaned the Master Bathroom
9. Found my hubby's missing key ring
10. Told my Hubby I love him *smiles*
11. Read my e-mail
12. Fed the puppies
13. Vacuumed the carpets

Sometimes it feels really good to sit down around noon and look at all that you have done. Makes what is left to do seem a little more possible.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Sometimes it is hard not to giggle...

when you are walking past another mom who is trying to discipline her kids in the store. Today I was shopping with Moe for various things and as we were walking by NOT through the toy isle I overhear a mom saying

"your behavior is outrageous"

Her cute little blond 3'ish daughter replies in a sweet little voice

"I'm not enrageous mom"

I had to pick up the pace a bit and turn the corner quick so no one saw my smile. It was just too cute. Well to me, I am sure her mom may not have seen the humor right at that moment. I am not sure what she did before that moment to make her mom upset but at that moment I couldn't see the naughty side of her at all.

Love those cute kids!

Super Mommy's Green Kryptonite

Sorry for being MIA but the Mighty Minni's have found Super Mommy's weak spot and flooded the room with this "kryptonite" (aka GERMS). Those smart little Mighty Minni's figured that if they couldn't stop Super Mommy that they would recruit others. They lured me in with 2 open houses at their schools and a scout meeting last week, all filled to the brim with fellow Mighty Minni's from their local chapter. As Super Mommy walked the hallways she was covered in a blanket of sneezes, un-washed hands, and other flying bits of "krytonite" from coughs and things of that nature.
Well they succeeded in their mission and Super Mommy has been on limited duty around the house this week. She even sent the kids to school yesterday with lunch money instead of the dreaded healthy cold lunch. Upon the Mighty Minni's return home the eldest princess informed Super Mommy she ate everything except the broccoli. The tiny princess in training exclaimed that she wanted "tray lunch" everyday. Super Mommy could only manage a weak smile as she placed the cardboard like frozen pizza in the oven. Oh yes Super Mommy would like you all to know that frozen things cook better in the oven when it is actually turned on, imagine that.

Super Mommy sat in her soft comfy chair with a blanket wrapped snugly around her, trying to find that one position where she could breathe out of at least half of her nose, as she watched her children eat cardboard for dinner. Lovely just lovely.

Super Mommy is on the mend and by Thursday should be good as new. Unless of course they bring home stronger "kryptonite".

Super-Mommy 101: How not to mommy-task

For those of you who have been following the saga of Super-Mommy you know that the art of Mommy-tasking (multi-tasking) is one that is sometimes a difficult one to master. If Super Mommy is not on the ball situations like the above picture are bound to occur.

In this particular instance Super Mommy had been busily sewing baby blankets while Mighty Moe slept quietly. Once Moe woke up Super Mommy was torn between finishing the trim on the blanket she had been pinning or just calling it quits and putting it away for another day. Well she is SUPER MOMMY and decided that Mommy-tasking would have to be put to good use. HA little did she know the pantry door had been left open. The door was not open wide, just enough for Mighty Moe to slip his pudgy little finger in and open it the rest of the way. Soon Moe emerged with a container of cereal in hand. Super Mommy was putting in that last pin when she saw Moe out of the corner of her Super Mommy eye , ya know the one on the side of her head, shake the container as hard as he could. Before she could get the pin the rest of the way through the soft red fabric he dropped the container with a thud. Of course the container hit the floor at just the perfect angle so that the cereal could be scattered all about the floor. Super Mommy gasped and Mighty Moe with a smirk on his face dropped to his bum and happily started to dig in. Super Mom giggled just a bit, singing "Happy Birthday To Me" under her breath as she went to grab the camera and the broom.

Point to this lesson....know your Mommy-tasking limitations.

There's gotta be a law....

I awoke this morning to some horrible doses of reality.

1. I am officially IN my 30's. Last year I was 30 but this year I am IN my 30's, and I am not sure how I feel about that.

2. This one is more devastating. I picked up the newspaper and the front page story horrified me (it's never a feel good story on the front page anymore). A woman who shot herself in the stomach (the day she started having contractions) with the intent to kill the fetus, excuse me, her baby, will NOT be going before a jury! You can read the whole story here. The reason she won't be going to court is due to the wording of the law they were using to charge her. Apparently it doesn't apply to an expecting mother. I am OUTRAGED that a woman can on the day she is to deliver take a gun to her belly and it not be called flat out murder. In today's world expectant mothers have such a tough job keeping that baby safe from all the weirdo's out there hurting them to take the babies. Now the babies have to fear their own mother may hurt them before they even get to take their first breath. Not that a mother should hurt them at any point in time but ya get what I mean. Then to not even see the mother be punished by law......GGGGGRRRRRRRR this make me fuming mad!

I had to vent and now I am off to try and salvage some of my morning and make it a happy day.

Breast Cancer Affects Who????

Well the month is almost over and I have been very bad at letting others hog the soapbox. So excuse me while I push the rest of you off my stage.......

A very dear friend of mine is watching her father struggle with breast cancer. Yes I said her father, it was not a typo. Breast cancer in men is a very real thing and one that does not get much focus. I have been amazed this month by the number of informative shows and articles on breast cancer awareness, they really are informative and motivational, yet they all seem to focus on women. I know I know it is mostly a female thing, but the reality is that it is CANCER and it does not discriminate. Please take time and visit some of the sites on the web that are very informative about this cancer and how it affects men. You can go here, or here, you can even go here to read personal stories from men (and their families) who have had breast cancer. You can also go here to visit my friend's blog and read her story.

-Thank You

*okay guys soap-box is up for grabs, I am done for a little while*

Thursday Thirteen #5

Thirteen things I should be doing instead of surfing the web....

1. Washing and Drying Laundry
2. Folding Laundry (from previous W&D sessions)
3. Unloading Dishwasher
4. Loading Dishwasher (can you tell I have been a slacker lately)
5. Calling Vet to make puppies appointments
6. Sweeping the floor
7. Mopping the floors
8. Uggghh...The bathrooms....they should be condemned
9. Making my bed
10. Mowing the yard
11. Sewing those cute blankets
12. Hanging Shelves in the pantry
13. Balancing the checkbook

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Mom, could you..., will you..., where is my....,

Good Grief! There are days where I would really like to change my name to DAD. I noticed this weekend while he was home that even if he was sitting right next to one of the kids they would get up walk into a completely different room and ask ME if they could play on the computer, have a snack, or get out the paints. What is the deal with that?

Now granted Dad wasn't here this morning so all questions and requests had to come my way but gee whiz they didn't have to be thrown at me like I was the last one standing in a bad dodge ball game.

I managed to survive the morning chaos and get the kids down the lane to their buses. Moe and I pulled back up to the house, fed the puppies and went back into the house kicked off our shoes and were just about ready to play a bit before nap when I saw it....the lunch box....uggghhhhh!

Back on went the shoes and out we went to put the puppies back in their "puppy jail" (large fenced in area) by the barn. I felt bad for the pups so I decided to give them a snack before driving off to the school. Just my luck Shilo somehow got the snack wedged in the roof of her mouth and could not get it out. She was very upset and in a panic. Brutis was trying to see what her problem was but every time he came close she growled at him. So after I convinced Bruits it was better just to leave his sister alone I stuck my finger into the land of sharp puppy teeth and wiggled the pizza shaped snack free. *makes note to self - no more pizza shaped snacks for the puppies*

After licks of gratitude from Shilo I was back in the truck with Moe safely buckled in and off to the school to deliver the lunch bag. I managed to find a parking space and walk into the school without dropping anything or tripping, which with the morning I had had thus far was totally what I had expected. Once in the office I placed the Pink Camouflage lunch bag on the counter and proceed to tell the nice office lady that my daughter had left her lunch at home. She asked if I had the lunch with me. I thought that was odd but decided to play along.
"yes, it's right here" I said pointing to the very pink lunch bag

She replied " Oh I just thought that was your purse"

I could only laugh and say "no, I'm not that hip"

I must say I drove back to the house with a smile the whole way. Did she really think I would carry a pink and gray camo. purse? LOL

And the sewing begins....

Blanket #1 is done and I am head over heals for this one. I am so excited to start on the next one. Did I mention how SOFT this fabric is? I can't wait to get some more made to take up to the store and set up shop.

Tranquility

Nothing brings more peace to me than to sit by the side of the road and get lost in a field of cotton with my camera in hand. I took some great shots yesterday and as I was driving away I just felt so at peace. It was a wonderful feeling.

The adventures of Super Mom part 4,653.....

And now the adventures of Super Mom continue....... As she tries to feed lunch to the smallest member of the Mighty Mini Gang she also makes the various phone calls of the day and loads the dishwasher all at the same time. Many would call this multi-tasking but Super Mom refers to this as Mommy-tasking.

After mastering the daily jigsaw puzzle, commonly referred to as loading the dishwasher, she turns to see that Mighty Moe has covered himself with his lunch. Knowing that this wasn't accidental Super Mom grabs the camera to capture that Kodak moment while closing the door on the jigsaw puzzle with her foot and holding the phone in place by cocking her head ever so lightly to the left pinning said phone between her ear and shoulder. Never stopping the conversation on the phone Super Mom is able to snap a picture or two and then with cape flowing behind single handily began the task of running the bath water with out making it too cold or too hot.

Knowing that removing Moe from his chair was not going to be an easy task Super Mommy excused herself from the phone and in Super Mommy fashion approached Mighty Moe in his royal chair and analyzed the situation. Upon further investigation the reality sets in....even Super Mom may get messy. Quickly she removed his bib and slowly stands him up in his chair trying to get all stray pasta pieces to fall onto the tray. Ever so carefully she removes the overalls and shirt and lets them lay on the chair until bath time is over.

Now getting him from the chair to the tub without getting Super Mom and the new carpet messy was going to take some real Super powers. Super Mom took a deep breath, picked up the Mighty Mini and made sure he didn't get too close to her Super Mom uniform (aka white t-shirt) Moving swiftly she managed to make her way into the bathroom leaving her uniform and carpet free of pasta sauce. Once there she removed the diaper and plopped Mighty Moe into the tub where he shrieked in happiness and happily splashed in the warm water.

He had once again devised a master plan to get unscheduled playtime in the tub. Ahhh but little does he know that Super Mom won as well because his master plan brought nothing but smiles to her.

Thursday Thirteen #4

Thirteen Jobs I thought I might like when I was 13

(In no particular order)

1. Teacher - I guess I sort of do that now
2. Writer- Does the family Christmas Letter or this blog count?
3. Photographer- Do that all the time
4. Mom- yeah sort of a given seeing as how I have 4 kids
5. Chemist -that was before I actually took a Chemistry Class *grin*
6. Hairstylist- Oh yeah with 2 girls I am doing this everyday
7. Childcare provider- duh!
8. Flight attendant - Sort of I guess. I do tell them what to do in case of an emergency and I serve them meals and beverages. Sometimes we are in such a hurry it even feels as if we might be flying.
9. Quality Control person at the Hershey Plant- All Chocolate that enters this house must first be approved by MOM unless it's a Milky Way bar....YUCK! Maybe that is why they are my oldest son's favorite....hmmm ya think?
10. Party Planner- Back then my dream was to do this for the rich and famous now it is for my family ...so not on the rich or famous list.
11. Actress- I wanted to be on stage somewhere just acting NOT singing. Now I act all the time, putting on my brave face when the kids ask why daddy has to be in the military and why he has to be gone so much.
12. Professional Pianist- Now ask me if I even know how to play, umm nope. I think it had to do with that whole wanting to be on stage thing.
13. A Lawyer (family law)- Now I just try to establish the family law and enforce it while I am at it.

I guess that is pretty darn good. I have fulfilled most of my goals, maybe not how I had planned but hey they are not as fun if you go about it the traditional way.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

How wrong is this...

I sit down to watch Biggest Loser and .......eat a mini bag of microwave popcorn! I guess at least it wasn't a big bag.

I did the same thing last week when it was on, only then it was some Ben and Jerry's . I don't know why I do that and it drives me crazy. I go get my snack and sit down, then it happens the commercial is over and there I sit watching people work their tails off while I indulge.

Maybe I need therapy.....nah never mind, I know I need to lose weight and I don't need to pay tons of money to hear someone else remind me of those things I am trying to ignore in my plump life.

Time to start sewing

I ordered 58 yards of cotton flannel fabric from GotFabric.com and it should be here tomorrow. That is enough fabric to make about 23 baby blankets with some left over for burp cloths and a bib or two. Everything is looking baby around here these days....all but my belly that is LOL. Oh and that is just fine with me by the way in case you were wondering.

Why on earth would I want to make so many blankets? Well there is a craft mall up the road and I am planning on selling them there. They have NO baby items there which amazes me. The owner said people are asking for baby things all the time. My master plan is to start with the blankets and burp cloths etc. and then slowly add homemade baby soaps. I have also started making several crocheted winter baby hats. The possibilities are endless with gift baskets and individual items. If the baby soaps go over well I will then start a line just for the moms. The blankets are going to be my spring board and if they flop....I guess I will have lots of baby shower gifts on hand *grin*

Go to Bed Already!

This is a typical statement for me to my children at least 3 or 4 times a night. To night however, I am saying this to myself. I know since the kids will be home tomorrow I will not be able to use Moe's nap time to it's fullest. That is when I usually get the most housework, yard work etc... done. I just know it won't be happening that way tomorrow. Instead I will be helping with a 4th grade paper on weather ( as if living through Ernesto and then the Nor'easter this weekend hasn't filled my cup o' tea to the brim) and sewing a pioneer outfit for my 2nd grader who was overjoyed that they picked her to be something besides a background singer. I have already made the skirt and I must say I am pretty pleased with it. Tomorrow is just the apron (keep your fingers crossed for me.)

I also must mow the lawn tomorrow as it is yes supposed to rain again on Wed. Can you believe that? 11.5 inches and now we are going to get more...yuck! The ground is still a bit soft but I think the sun was out enough on Sun and today that I should be okay at least in the front yard.

Oh and the good news from the weekend would have to be that Farmer Boy's Tree is still standing. He is so pleased with himself.

Okay I must get some sleep, I know that even with no school my little ones will still be up at 6am. I am not so sure they are really mine....I never, ever was known to be an early riser.

Oh and real quick.....The Lemon-Berry Slush at Sonic is the BEST thing EVER!

Look Captain....Land ahead

WOW 11.5 inches of rain is A LOT of rain! We had more rain this weekend than we did when Ernesto came barrelling through.

I almost put up a post to see if anyone knew where I could get my hands on an Arc. We can even board 2 by 2
2 parents
2 sons
2 daughter
and well 1 cat but I am sure I could find a stray around to make that number 2 as well.

My kids stayed home from school today as there was so much road damage the buses could not get to all the kids and one of the elementary schools had a ton of damage. They just sent out an e-mail that they will be out again tomorrow. How on earth will I ever get anything done around here?

Thursday 13 #3

Thirteen Reasons Why I Need a

"Calgon Take Me Away"

Moment Tonight

1. I had to mop up oatmeal off the floor at 6am
2. I am still confused about my 4th graders math homework
3. My 5 year old insists that pink corduroy pants go with everything in her closet.
4. I made a bad pick in the stock market yesterday and lost some money.
5. Did I mention my 9yr old's math homework is stressing me out?
6. I have 6 loads of laundry waiting to be folded
7. I had to hear a 10 minute speech this morning on why it was the fault of everyone else that my 9yr old was so grumpy.
8. I need to mow the grass again before the rain comes (it takes more than 2 hours to do)
9. My 1 year old thinks the pantry is his toy closet and the spices are his building blocks.
10. Apparently spilt milk is worth crying over at least that is what my 7 yr old tried convince me of this morning.
11. My printer is out of ink and my son needs to print a report for school.
12. I have 4 kids with loads of energy that should be reason enough.
13. I don't have any chocolate at home so Calgon will have to be a good substitute.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants