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December 28, 2009

Kids Are Very Bad For Your Self Esteem!

As you all know kids say whatever is on their minds and then some! I've known this for a very long time, almost 14 to years to be precise. My daughter was only 2 days old when she looked at me and then puked right in my face. She had to be telling me something, right?! I'm so ugly, I made her sick!! Then came the years when she was just starting to talk and she'd look at me and say "Ew!" or "Gross!". Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Then came the years when she could really talk. That's when the real fun began. She would always comment on my grey streak and say....."Your hair looks like a witch's hair, Mommy!!!" or "PHEW! Your breath stinks!" and my favorite......"You have a BIG butt!!!". -_- I never held that against her because she would say more nice things than mean things, but still, they stung just a tiny bit!!! A real tiny bit. ;)

My husband is new to the whole "kids say mean things but don't really mean it" game. He's way more sensitive than I am and takes things much harder. Poor guy has been on vacation for a week and the kids keep saying mean things to him. They're not trying to be mean, they're just kids! Christmas Eve I gave him a new pair of jeans and when he tried them on our teenager said..."You got a flat butt!! But I don't mean that in a mean way! At least it's not fat!" O_O Our son, who is only 3 1/2, is the most brutal! All week he's said things to him that have kinda smarted but have been really funny. Kevin tried to take a shower with Lex to save time and Lex said....."Ew! Gross! You're gross, Daddy!! Get out!!!". Then yesterday Lex had to use the potty but Kevin was in there getting ready, so I just sent him in. Apparently Kevin only had on boxer shorts and Lex said..."Gross, Daddy! Put some clothes on!! Your legs are hairy!! You need to shave them!!" HAH!!!!!! So all week Kevin has been taking a beating from the kids, all except Lola, she can't talk yet. And again just an hour ago in the kitchen Lex got down right mean again!! A tube of chapstick fell on the floor and Lex picked it up, looked at Kevin and said..."Here, Dad. You need this. Your lips are old and wrinkly!" -_- Kevin just looked at me and said..."Well, this has been a great vacation." I couldn't help but laugh, but that's because I know that they don't mean it!!! They're still kids. You can't let it get to you or it will destroy a little bit of your self esteem. That's why I take really embarrassing pictures of my kids. Payback when they're older. ;)

December 23, 2009

Almost Christmas!

We are ready!!! Well, almost. We still need to wrap, but that's nothin'! We can do that in an hour. O_O Or maybe 2, depending on how much wine I've had. HAH! We have been buying things for a few months and kinda got carried away. We found two bags in the basement full of toys that we had forgot about. I might end up saving a few of Lex's toys for his birthday. Yes, it's that out of control! I'm thinking that next year we will make a list of 10 things that our kids really want and get just those ten things. I"m tired of spending all this money and getting way too many gifts. They just get bored opening them and then we're overrun with toys. Blah. I'm all set with that. I'd like my kids to remember their Christmases as happy, family oriented and just wonderful. My family has decided to not buy gifts for each other this year, instead we're baking and cooking, then sitting down to dinner and just spending time together. We'll take one gift for each child to open at her house, but that's it. It's going to be nice, I can't wait! Every year we would have to buy for 10 other kids!! That adds up! Even when we only spent $10 on each kid, we still bought a little more. We're done with all that. It's about family from now on. Well.....family and food!!! :)

So yeah, tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we're spending it with my sister and her wife's family. It's going to be sad because my SIL's Mom just passed away a little over a month ago. Very. very sad. I'm not sure how everyone is going to be. I hope they can find happiness with the family who is still here and remember their Mother for the beautiful person she was and not dwell on the sadness. Easier said than done, I know. :( I'm just hoping the kids have fun and I can't wait to see everyone.

I'm off to make my famous pecan pie!!!! Kinda hard to do with 2 little ones hanging around, but I'll manage. Kevin and Raven will be home about 7:30, or so. They're having Father Daughter day. He took her to see AVATAR in IMAX. Nerds. LOL!!! :)

December 21, 2009

Lola And Her "Car"



She is so damn cute!!!!

December 13, 2009

Mommy Likes!!




December 7, 2009

Day #13 Of Early Intervention


Well, we decided that I should try being there for a session or two with Miss. Lola because she was not doing a thing with Daddy there. -_- Paula came by on Thursday, we talked about Lola's evaluation coming up next week, yes, it's been a whole 6 months already!! I still can't believe we've been in Early Intervention for 6 months already!! And Lola has come sooooo far. :) Paula thinks Lola will need another 6 months because she is still not walking and her balance is way off. And to move things along faster she brought Lola this........




















Yes, that's a walker and Lola LOVES it! When Paula first started telling me about it she was a bit weary, like I wouldn't approve of it or something. HELL NAW!! I LOVE IT!! The sooner Lola walks, the sooner my back can get a rest. ;) When Paula first brought it in you should have seen Lola's face. She gasped and then said..."Car!". Yes, Lola, that's your car. :D She got right up in it and started walking around. It's great!! Paula thinks this will help her with her balance and build up strength in her legs, which she needs badly!!! Poor kid's thighs are gigantic!! LOL!! She faces out with her back to the bars so it helps her stand up straight instead of leaning on it which she does with her push toys. They're no help at all!! This thing is great though!! We work with Lola every day in it and she's getting much better!! She gets right in and says...."GO!!" LOL!! We're working on turing now, but she isn't too good at that. Her balance is still off, which is why Paula wants to keep working with her. She's fine as long as she's holding on to something, but when she wants to turn around it's like her balance is so bad she can't do it. So that's next....balance, then walking! We're gettin' there! I am so proud of how far she's come and can't wait to have my baby girl walking next to me holding my hand. And my back can't wait either!!! LOL!!!!!

December 3, 2009

Siblings

I swear the definition of "siblings" should be mortal enemies. -_- More often then not Raven, Lex & Lola all get along. But then there are days when it seems like all I do is break up a fight, pull Lex off of Lola, tell Raven to be nice to her brother, pull Lola off of Lex and so on and so on.....((sigh)) It's nerve wracking!! Where is my referee shirt? I remember growing up in a house with an older sister and younger brother and there were days when we would fight like cats and dogs. We're very close now, but it took 30+ years to get to this point. My sister would punch me, yell at me, blame things on me and threaten me. I would then turn around and yell at my brother, hit him, blame things on him and then he would pull my hair, kick me and so on and so forth. You get the picture. I never thought my kids would be the same exact way!! O_O Again....never say never! LOL! Raven fights with Lex, Lex fights with Raven and then turns around and fights with Lola. When will they learn? Never! Just this morning I had to yell at Lex for getting in Lola's face because I just knew she would slap him and she did. Then he hit her, then she hit him.....it never ends. At least Lola can stand up for herself now, unlike when she was a baby and Lex was trying to kill her. HAH! Not really kidding. -_- I don't like it when they start crying because they hurt each other. That breaks my heart. I guess I've got to learn to be faster, teach them better to love each other and not hurt each other. I doubt they'll listen, because I think it's bred in us to hate our siblings until we're at least 25 years old. LOL!!!!!!!!!

November 30, 2009

Family

We spent Thanksgiving with my Sister and her family. I'm so glad we did, too, because it was really nice. We were actually early for dinner! That never happens!! We ate, we talked, we laughed and we had just a really nice time. Ok, besides Lola screaming for 15 minutes straight because she's scared of my niece, it was a nice time. Poor Keisha. She has Down's Syndrom and Alopecia  and for some reason Lola is scared of her whenever she sees her for the first time. :( It wears off after 15 minutes or so, but it's horrible at first. She is actually afraid of most people when she first meets them. Not everyone, just some. I dunno! -_- So after her meltdown everything was great. :)  We stayed all day, left full and tired, came home, had some drinks and went to bed.

Now...the night before Thanksgiving was all a blur!! o_O So drunk. I can't remember anything past midnight. So sad. I took pictures that I don't even remember!! Now that's bad! LOL!! That was the first time ever that we went out on that night. Hell, we hardly ever go out!! The first half of the night was great though. LOL!!!

Black Friday was spent at home doing nothing. I cleaned, cooked, ate and we hung around watching movies all day. My Mom came over so Kevin and I could do some Christmas shopping. We are officially all done!! Well, except the Visa card for Raven and stocking stuffers. She just wants money. We already bought her her new t.v. that she's been asking for. It's soooo nice!!!!!!! We bought her a 36" flat screen Plasma. She is in love!! I think she's watched Twilight like 20+ times since we got it for her. LOL!!! So just a few more little things. :) We have spent almost $1500 or more on gifts and we didn't buy much!! Things are so expensive! I am glad we started early this year!! Next year we'll start way earlier!!

Now it's on!! Christmas is comin' up fast!! I'm hoping we get lots of snow!! :D Sorry if you hate it, but December is supposed to be white, not gloomy and bare. :D I'm looking forward to watching Lex's face light up on Christmas morning, the smell of the ham cooking, watching Christmas movies.....just everything!! Really into it this year. :D We'll start decorating this week. I have to pick up a few first, then we'll get started. :) So exciting!!!!!

November 25, 2009

What I'm Thankful For

Yesterday was my "Day From Hell". You know what I'm talking about. The kind of day that starts off with a headache, a 3 year old talking nonstop (very loudly, I might add), almost falling and breaking your neck  while walking down the stairs holding your chihuahua and a glass of water, spilling water all over the floor, slipping in said water, tripping over the stupid baby gates, listening to a baby cry (not in a "I'm hurt" kinda way either) while trying to clean up the water mess, then having to clean up dog pee because you waited to long to take the poor chihuahua out because you had to clean up water, putting the chihuahua out hoping he poops outside and not inside, having a 3 year old break a glass, still listening to a baby cry cause she just knows your up and not coming to get her, then you cut yourself cleaning up glass, finally get around  to getting the screaming baby, only to have said baby slap you in the face, listening to a 3 year old scream at said baby for slapping his Momma, just wanting to sit down for minute but then realizing the poor chihuahua was still outside in the cold :(, decide that sitting down isn't an option and start breakfast, still listening to screaming kids, decide to make a special breakfast for the kids in hopes that that makes them happy, still listening to screaming kids, grab the iPod and plan on drowning them out only to find it's dead -_-,  did I mention the kids are screaming, decide to make pancakes, get it all in the bowl and crack the egg only to find the egg is frozen.....it's my last one, look in the fridge and see that the 3 year old has struck again.....the fridge is on the coldest setting.....everything is frozen, went ahead and made pancakes, sit down to eat and the baby spits it all out, the 3 year old wants candy for breakfast and refuses to eat, then you think that a bath will make it all better, put the still screaming baby in the crib while I clean the bathroom, then having the 3 year old climb in the crib and proceed to man handle the still screaming baby.....

















finally get the tub clean, add the kids and I was finally able to sit down, then the fighting starts...."Stop splashing! STOP! SPLASHING! LOLA!!", more screaming, head still pounding, is it 2 o'clock yet?, then the pooping starts, 3 year old jumps out of the tub screaming that "the baby is gonna poop in the tub!", grab the baby, try to run out but 3 year old refuses to move, had to physically move the 3 year old who then gets mad at you for "PUSHING" him, did I mention that they have shampoo/soap all over them, baby finally poops, put them back in the tub, rinse them off then get them out, still crying, still haven't sat down, get them dressed and decide that it's tv time, baby is still crying, time for a bottle, baby stops crying, I need to use the  bathroom, come back to find that the baby had dumped her bottle out all over the floor and was playing in it, clean up yet another mess, then realize that the other 2 dogs are still in their kennel (oops!), take them out, come back in and realize that my terrier has a UTI and is bleeding all over my floor, clean that up, look at the clock and see that it is nap time for the baby (YAY!!!!), put the baby down, hubby comes home, I think I'm finally free and things will only get better cause I get to leave for work......yeah, not so. Work was just as bad, but that's another story for another time. WHEW!

Now.....what I'm grateful for. I'm grateful for patience, peace and quiet, hugs and kisses from my children, my cute dogs, my crazy cats and my helpful husband who is home this week, hand sanitizer, doggy diapers, my teenager's sense of humor, The Wiggles & Blue's Clues because they occupy my kids while I get things done, my friends who I can call and vent to, my health, the health of my family, my sister who gives the best advice, my brother who makes me laugh, Michael Fassbender's hotness, JustMommies for giving me a place to talk to other Moms with kids my age and for reminding me that I am not alone,  Little Animation for giving me a cool place to let my kids bang on the keyboard, and most of all I'm grateful to Barefoot wine for making it all better at the end of the day. :D

November 17, 2009

Half Drinks And Dirty Things.....Or What My 3 Year Old Thinks Of My 13 Year Olds Room


If you have a teenager then you pretty much already know what this is about. :) Yesterday, after his bath, my son was standing in my daughter's bedroom door saying things like..."Yuck!" or "GROSS!" or "SisSis needs to clean her room!". Yes, it was that bad. If a 3yr old  thinks your room is disgusting then it really is disgusting and should be cleaned ASAP. Let me go back about 8-10 years, when my daughter was just a little girl. She was so sweet, helpful, neat and her room was always clean!! No, I didn't clean it, she did! You can imagine all the wonderful things that were running through my head back then....."I'm so lucky to have such a helpful, clean child." or "My kid will never be like the other teenagers I know." or, this is my favorite...."I feel so sorry for all the other Moms I know, they're kids are horrible! Thank GAWD my kid will always be as sweet as she is now!" -_- So delusional. I had every right to brag and think she'd always be as, well, perfect as she was. She was! Sweet, highly intelligent, neat and most of all........my little girl.

Then one day it all changed. She no longer hung things up. She started not making her bed. She would leave glasses, of whatever it was she was drinking, laying around her room. She didn't hang the towels up anymore. She left lights on. She stopped opening her windows. She started hanging pictures of boys on her wall. She put a sign on her door that says..."RAY-VEN'S ROOM!! KEEP OUT!! AND KNOCK FIRST BEFORE ENTERING!!!!!" -_- What happened?! Where did I go wrong?!?!?! I set out on a mission to find out all I could on this new breed of child living in my house......the teenager. Some of the things I read blew my mind!!!!! I could NOT believe what I was in for. At one point I just buried my face in my hands and kept saying......"I give up. I can't do this".  Then I called my sister and talked to her at length about her daughter who is about 6 years older than Raven. She told me things that made a lot of sense. First off....it's all about them!! They're slobs. All they want to do is lounge around. Chores are well, chores, and they hate doing them. Anything that requires them to leave their caves is considered torture. Take nothing they say personally. They're the victims. "So unfair" will be in almost every sentence my daughter says until she's 20 years old. We parents are uncool and aren't allowed to talk around they're friends. If they come to you and say..."I love you!", they probably want something. And again......take nothing they say to heart, they probably don't mean it.


So when my son said to me yesterday..."Mommy, SisSis's room is gross. It has half drinks and dirty things in it.", I was not surprised. As a matter of fact, I just laughed. I did make her clean her room as soon as she got home from school though. :) As much as I'd like to control things around me, I have to remember that parenting isn't about control, it's about letting things go and picking and choosing my battles. Some things aren't worth getting angry over. Oh....and never say never!


November 13, 2009

Break Out The Referee Shirt!!!

My kids are already fighting. And I mean really fighting!! Slapping, pushing, shrieking and crying. It's kinda funny because Lola will slap and shriek and then bang on her chest like an ape. HAH!! I can't believe it's starting already. I had hoped I'd have until at least 4 & 2 till this started, but I guess not. Oh well.  :)

November 12, 2009

Stupid Time Change!!!

I am so sick of my kid waking up early. What happened to 7-8 o'clock?!?! HUH?!?!? ((sigh)) Even my Lola is waking up early, which is 7-8. That's way too early!!! The kids seriously need to get back on track or Mommy is going to lose her mind!!!

In other news.....I gave away my breast pump last night. ((sigh)) I dunno. I'm kinda sad about it, but I am glad I'm able to help a friend out. Debbie, Dominic's Mom, has no idea what she's doing. I also gave her the last of my Domperidone. That stuff was a life saver!! I had a hard time keeping my supply up for a while, but a few of those pills and it went right back to where it was. Love it! I'm going over today to help her out some. She needs sleep, so I'm going to take her little man off her hands for a while. :D I can't WAIT!!! I love holding newborn babies. LOVE IT!!

November 9, 2009

Welcome To The World, Dominic Daniel!!

My friend Debbie was admitted to the hospital yesterday morning for an induction due to her Fibroid Tumors causing some problems. The doctor said "Get him out. Now!". She got there at 7 a.m., got into a room at 8:00 a.m., hooked up, checked and started the Pitocin at 9 a.m., contractions started right away, EPI at 10:30 a.m., and Dominic was born at 2 p.m.!!! So jealous!! Her labor was fast!! And with PITOCIN!! Usually you hear women going hours and hours when they're induced. Not Debbie!! She pushed him out in 3 pushes. YAY!!!!!!! She said her husband cut the cord and cried like a baby. If you knew him, you wouldn't believe it!! LOL!!! So here he is. All 7.9 pounds and 19.5 inches of him....

















I can't stand the cuteness!!!! I need a baby fix!!! Can't wait to hold him. :)

November 6, 2009

Kids & T.V.

How do Moms who don't let their kids watch t.v. do it? If I didn't let my kids watch Spongebob or Yo Gabba Gabba I wouldn't get squat done around this house. SERIOUSLY! I couldn't blog, tweet, clean, shower...NOTHING!! Nothing at all. My kids are so into playing with me that I can't walk out of the room without them following me. They do play quietly together when it's playtime. I turn the t.v. off to force them to play with the million dollars worth of toys we have bought them over the years. When I can't take it anymore and need to get things done I turn on the tube. My son is now at that age where he wants to "help" clean and it kind of annoys me. Is that bad? Yeah, probably. I just hand him a rag and let him use his spray bottle to wipe things down with. Then I point out that the t.v. is on in hopes that he'll stop following me. :D MOM OF THE YEAR!! LOL!!

But seriously. How do they do it? If my kids weren't glued to the t.v. like Zombies I'd get nothing done. Just look at them.....









































GLUED!!! So I would like to thank whoever it was that invented the television. Thank you. My house is clean and I'm sane thanks to you. :D

October 28, 2009

Swine O9!!!

LOL!! It's no laughing matter, but I thought that was a very clever name for the stupid H1N1 that the med students came up with. Our doctor told us about it. He says that more people have than you'd think, it's not a death sentence, most people recover pretty quickly and it's being blown way out of proportion. Figures. Don't get me wrong, if someone who already has health issues catches it it can be deadly, but so can the regular flu. If either of my two little ones catches it we will be heading straight to the doctor for some Tamiflu. No joke!! It can be very serious for young children, elderly and like I said, people with health issues.

So yesterday when our doctor called to confirm that Raven does indeed have the H1N1 virus, I wasn't too worried. While everyone else around me panicked, I was calm and trying to reassure them that no, they are not going to die. -_- Some people can be so ignorant. I don't want to even go into details about some of the things some people said, but it was ridiculous!!! -_- Let me just give you the facts.

How did we know it was H1N1?
Our doctor did a swab test to determine that it was H1N1. He had to because he has to report each and every case that walks into his office.

What's the difference between the regular flu and H1N1?
The regular flu gives you some warning. You feel it coming with a cold or cough. The H1N1 just hits you and it hits hard!! No warning. One day you're fine, the next you wake up and want to die. The flu can be managed with flu meds, you can get the fever down. I was unable to get Raven's fever down with flu medicine. 103 fever for 24 hours can do a number on you.

Can I catch the flu just by being in your house?
No, you can't. My kid has to cough on you, sneeze on you or spit in your mouth for you to get sick.

So there. Everyone needs to calm the fuck down. :)

Day #12 Of Early Intervention......With Dad

Just as we thought, Lola did really, really good with Dad during her Early Intervention session last week. How do I feel about this? I feel fantastic!! Why? Because that means I get to go out with my boy while Daddy stays home and works with Lola and Paula. HAH!! She did things she has never done in front of Paula before. Crawling, walking while holding Dad's hands, pulling up, talking....the list goes on and on. So yeah, it's all good. I think she'll graduate in no time now. :D


October 27, 2009

Rethinking The H1N1 Shot

Why? Because my teenager is lying in her bed with a fever of a 101.1 and that's with medicine in her. She can't move, her back hurts, head hurts and joints hurt. My kid is NEVER sick. And guess what? She is the only one who didn't get a flu shot. Not that the regular flu shot would have prevented this at all, but I'm holding my breath and hoping that my 3 year old and my 18 month old don't catch it. I have been cleaning, Lysoling and Clorox wiping every thing in site!! The toys are next. I just keep thinking about Raven holding Lola, kissing Lex and drinking out of my glass!! It's spreading so easily!! 36 kids in her school were out yesterday. :( Think they closed the school? NO! They just keep spreading it to the other kids!!! It's kinda pissing me off. But then again, I'm a germaphobe, so I think in terms of "what if", so I try to prevent things from getting worse. Anyway. As it looks, she's got it and her doctor will treat her even if it's not the swine flu just to help her get through this faster. ((sigh))



October 22, 2009

Proof My Kid Can Crawl!!!




Sorry about my insane laughter, but I was very happy that I FINALLY got it on camera. :D Oh, and don't mind the recycling in the corner. hehehehee!!!


October 20, 2009

My Kid Is Like That Frog.......

You know, the one in the old WB cartoons. The one that would dance and sing for one guy but when the man tried to show him off he wouldn't do a damn thing. Yeah.....that's Lola. We've been working with Early Intervention for a while now and Lola has made a lot of progress, but she never does anything in front of Paula. NEVER!! She waits till Paula leaves and then she crawls around, pulls up on things and talks up a storm. -_- The other day when Paula was here I was late, so my Mom sat in for 10 minutes. Guess what? Lola did great She talked to Paula, she played with Paula, she acted normal! The minute I walked in she started crying. -_- Then she refused to do anything. Great. So Paula and I are thinking that maybe we should let Dad sit in on a session to see how she does. She thinks it's me. ((sigh)) I'm all for her being a Mommy's girl, but DAMN!!!! So this Thursday I will take Lex out and Let the MAN do all the work. :) Hopefully Lola will do better. Hopefully. O_O


October 15, 2009

What To Do, What To Do?!?!

I've been thinking about the H1N1 vaccine a lot lately, mainly because our Pedi said that we could bring the kids in next month for their first round of shots, if we were going to be getting them. I have thought about it and read as much about it as I can and I really don't think we'll be getting the 2 youngest the H1N1 vaccine. Why? Well, for one thing, neither of them are in school or daycare. Another reason being that well, I just don't feel like it's necessary. I'll load the kids up on vitamins, keep them away from places like McD's playland as much as possible, carry around loads of antibacterial gel, clean more than I already do and make sure my oldest keeps her sick friends AWAY! Raven wants to get the shot, and I agree that she should. She's in middle school and we all know what goes on there. No matter how many times we try to tell them to NOT share drinks, food or makeup, they always do. Some teenagers are just plain gross and don't wash their hands enough and don't cover their mouths. So we think Raven will be getting one. Another reason I'm not getting the 2 youngest vaccinated is because 3 of my husband's co-workers had the swine flu, people he works closely with, and he was just fine. So how contagious can it be if he's sitting in the same room with someone who has the swine flu but doesn't get sick himself? It's all about taking care of yourself, hygiene and trying to stay healthy! I can't even begin to tell you how often we tell Raven to remember not to share drinks, wash your hands and no kissing boys......you'll get the swine flu. LOL!! I doubt that last one worked, but hey, we tried. :) We have already gotten them their seasonal flu shot. They've all done fine with them over the years, so I saw no reason not to do it again this year. I know they're saying that the swine flu vaccine is the exact same formula as the seasonal flu vaccine, but sorry, I just don't trust it. One of the reasons I started getting the flu shot for Raven is because she caught the flu when she was 8 and I really thought she was going to end up in the hospital. It was  really bad. I had to wake her up to make her drink and had to carry her to the bathroom because she couldn't walk, all she did was sleep all day and all night for 4 days straight. It was scary. From that day on I said...."FLU SHOT!!" And she hasn't been sick since. A cold here or there or a chest cold, but nothing like what she went through then.

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little scared of the vaccine because it's so new. Hell! I'm scared of ALL vaccines! Every time I take my children in for a shot I'm scared to death that something bad will happen. So why do I get them? Because these vaccines like Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and so on, have been around for quite a while now and have obviously been tested. Our clinic doesn't use the vaccines with mercury in them, I did ask. :) We've been lucky that our kids haven't had problems with them. I guess it's the old...."I got them as a kid and I'm fine, so I'll be getting my kids vaccinated as well" type thing. I have nothing against them. I don't think that they're fine for everyone, so if a Mother says she doesn't want her kids to get vaccinated, then that's more than fine. Someone shouldn't be ridiculed for their choices, or called ignorant. They are, after all, THE MOMS!! I think they know what's best for their kids.

So no swine flu shots for our little ones. Raven will be getting one even though I explained that it doesn't guarantee that she won't get sick and that it's a new vaccine that hasn't been tested throughly enough for my tastes, but I respect her wishes and she has some valid points on why she should get one, so she'll get one! I'm going to make her talk to our doctor about it first, let him tell her his thoughts on it. He's a great guy and I trust his opinion. I will be updating after that visit!!

Right now we're off to Target to do some much needed shopping!! :)



October 12, 2009

Halloween Decorating, But No Apple Picking

This weekend was supposed to be our annual family apple picking weekend. Saturday we were going to go apple picking, Sunday I was going to bake all day and the MAN and the kids were going to decorate. Rain had other ideas for Saturday and the MAN got a call saying that he had some extra work ready for him for extra money but it had to be done before Monday morning. -_- I was so disappointed!! This means that we'll have to go without him next weekend. Why without him? Well, because the MAN puts together a pretty big horror convention here in town every year for the past 5 years. At first it was great. We only had Raven and loads of time and money to devote to putting that thing together, he would have to be out of town 5-6 times a year then gone all that weekend, and most times Raven and I would be with him. It used to be fun! Then came Lex. Less money, less time. He wasn't gone as much, which was great, but I rarely went with him. Actually, I never went! I was home with BOTH the kids. So he manned up and only went away 3-4 times a year promoting his convention. Big step! Then came Lola. He only goes away ONCE a year now, maybe twice and he takes Lex and Raven with him. HUGE step! I love it. But that means that our weekends are limited as to when we can do our family apple picking weekend. Seems like it's either been raining or he's had work. Work, work, work!! I told him to cut back this month because we're so busy, but he's become addicted to working more and more for more and more money. Guess I can't blame him. Christmas is right around the corner and even though we already started shopping we still have a lot to buy. HELL! The teenager is gonna cost us an arm and a leg! o_O She just wants a Visa card with money on it, but I can't just get her that! There are things I want to buy her. So when he says he needs to work, I bite my tongue and smile.

Yesterday the kids and I decorated the house for Halloween. Lex had fun! He kept saying..."Now let's DECORATE!!" LOL!! Speaking of Lex, I'm pretty sure he's night time potty trained as well. We put pull-ups on him at bedtime but it's been dry every morning so far. He wakes up and goes straight to the potty. YAY!!! So much cheaper. LOL!!! Hope I didn't just jinx that!! O_O

Lots to do this week. Nothing today, but the rest of the week is filled. Work tomorrow, haircut Wednesday,shopping/cleaning/picking my Mom up/packing our weekend bags Thursday, Friday we'll be helping the MAN and doing lots of swimming at the hotel pool. Lola will be here with my Mom, Lex, Raven and I will be staying with the MAN at the hotel and then apple picking Saturday. -_- I hate it when my schedule is full! Can't wait for next week!


October 9, 2009

Life With A Boy....

When I was pregnant with my son, before we knew what we were having, all I wanted was a BOY!! BOY! BOY! BOY!! Little did I know what I was getting myself into. Have a look at what it's like living with my son....the boy!





Never a dull moment!!!


My Wish List...

While I was driving into Boston yesterday with 2 screaming kids in the back, one of which was screaming and kicking my seat, I started daydreaming about all the things I'd love to have for Christmas. First I started thinking how great it'd be to have a new vacuum cleaner. Mine is making choking noises and is just not doing too good. I've always wanted one of these........



It's soooo beautiful!!! It's the Dyson DC25 All Floors. ((sigh)) Just think of all the Cheerios, dog hair, dust and dirt I could pick up with that thing!!!

The nest thing I wish I had was a new camera. I've wanted one for YEARS, but there are way more important things to spend THAT kind of money on. You know, mortgage, bills, kids. HAH! But if I could, I would buy this one......



That's the Nikon D90. -drools- A friend of mine has a Nikon, not the D90 though, and he swears by them. Says he's had all brands of cameras and the Nikon is by far the easiest to use and the best brand out there. Well worth every penny. Just think of all the pictures I could be taking of my little angels!! All the close-ups of snot and tears! It would be great!!

Now, everyone knows that the MAN does the laundry. Why? How did I get so lucky? Because our washer and dryer are in the basement, which just happens to be the "Spider Lair". I refuse to go down there unless I have to. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE doing laundry. It's never ending, but I like making things smell good and I love the way the clothes feel when I fold them. But the spiders scare the shit outta me, so the MAN does the laundry. When we get the basement finished, which will hopefully be soon, I told him that I want these......



Aren't they beautiful?!?! I am seriously sitting here gazing at them with googoo eyes. Those, my dear friends, are the GE Profile Red 4.2 cu. ft. Frontload Washer ENERGY STAR. I can already imagine all the stains I could demolish with that washer!!! YES!!!

That's pretty much it. I don't ask for much. Do I? :D


October 8, 2009

Lola's 1st Laser Treatment

Let me just say that driving into Boston is a pain in the ass. I hate it. -_- Especially with TWO kids in the back either crying, screaming for no reason or kicking my seat. ((sigh)) Whatrugunnado? Anyway! We were almost late because I had to stop at the grocery store next to the MAN's  work to buy diapers and teething tablets. Let me tell you......carrying a 28 pound baby, making sure a 3 1/2 year old doesn't run in front of a car and trying to go as fast as you can is seriously a workout!! We ran in, found what we needed and were about to go checkout when Lex throws the diapers down and yells..."I GOTTA PEE!! NOW!!!!!" OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!!!! We ran down 2 isles and found someone that worked there and he said..."It's ALLLLL the way at the other end of the store. Sorry." -_- Off we RAN!!!! As I was running down the isle the guy yells to me..."HEY! YOUR BABY LOST A SOCK! DID YOU KNOW THAT?!?" -_- No, but thanks. We FINALLY get to the bathroom, I throw Lola on top of a pile of paper towels and help Lex pee. Yes, he made it! :D WOOHOO!!! Can I just say that my arms are fucking killing me? Totally worth it though because he made it!! So proud of him. We finally get out, pick the MAN up and rush to Lola's appointment. The MAN drops us off in front, I grab Lola and made a mad dash for the office. We actually made it there 1 minute early. WHEW! Did I mention that my arms are killing me? Yeah, practically shaking from over exertion. LOL!!!

We got signed in, sat down and only waited about 4 minutes, then they called Miss. Lolita to the back and boy did she ever know what was going on! She clung to me like white on rice. Poor baby. Did I mention that my arms are killing me? Lots of pictures, more paperwork all the while I'm holding Lola and she is saying "BYE BYE!", waving and blowing kisses hoping that they'd just leave. LOL!!!!!!! We finally made it to the actual laser room, they swaddled her and within 30 seconds it was over. Now, the laser it's self probably didn't hurt as much as us having to swaddle her and hold her down. She was PISSED! As soon as we were done and I was able to pick her up she was fine. -_- My arms are killing me!!!!!! Her doctor asked if I would mind if she documented Lola's progress with video. Fine by me. She'll be using it during her medical seminars. :D We have 5 more appointments to go and it should look much better. I'm very excited!!

After the appointment we took the kids to au bon pain for some lunch. Lola and I shared the BEST turkey sandwich, Lex had a scone and some orange mango juice and the MAN had a yummy pastry. Lola was all smiles the entire time. :) So yeah, all in all it was a great day.


October 7, 2009

Wordless Wednesday








October 6, 2009

About ME!

 I figure that if I'm going to go public and open my blog to new people I really should write a little something about myself to let you know who I am. Warning...you may never want to return!!! :)

My name is Nina.
I'm 35 years old.
I was born in Kentucky but traveled a lot because my Mom & Dad were in the Army.
I had my first child when I was 21.
My first born's Biological Father is not in her life.
I've been married for 8 1/2 years.
My husband and I married after only dating for 3 months, we had only known each other for 6 months.
He INSTANTLY became my first born's DADDY and is damned good at it!
My marriage isn't perfect, but what is?
I had never wanted to get married, but glad I did.
I had never wanted kids, but can't live without them now that I have them.
I'm an Atheist
I LOVE animals.
I have 3 dogs & 2 cats. I'd have more if I could.
Teal is my favorite color.
I swear a lot. All. The. Time. I am getting better at NOT swearing as much.
My husband and I had 2 more kids. A boy (3) and a girl (1 1/2).
I would NEVER have them that close together ever AGAIN!
I don't want anymore kids, but my husband does.
I let my dog drink from my glass. :)
I drink probably 10+ glasses of water a day.
I LOVE wine and have at least a glass or 2 a day. Mostly while cooking.
I sleepwalk.
I read a lot. A book a month, sometimes more.
I have a green thumb and can make anything grow.
I am totally in love with Michael Fassbender.
I am fluent in German and can speak broken Italian.
I have been to France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland & Jamaica.
My boss is one of my closest friends.
I love my job and would work more if I could.
I have big taa-taas and hate them. I miss my Ccups.
I don't think I'm the perfect Mom, but I'm better than most.
My hair is way too long, it touches my butt.
I will only let ONE person cut my hair.
I wash my hands  A LOT!
I'm a REAL good cook!!
I love baking from scratch.
I'm addicted to Twitter.

GOODNESS!! I have to stop now. I actually could go on and on, but I won't.
There is a lot more to me, but I'm sure you'll see that in future posts.


October 5, 2009

Days #10 & #11 Of Early Intervention

I completely forgot to update about last weeks Early Intervention so I'll combine the two in one post. :)

Last week went very well!! Lola was in a great mood, played with Paula, did a few new things in front of Paula so she doesn't think I'm a crazy Mom anymore. HAH! I am, but we won't tell her that! Paula had her try to pull up on the couch, but Lo's legs are so wobbly she has a hard time standing and keeping her balance. But I showed Paula the video of her pulling up in the playpen so she knows she can do it! She showed me how to keep her legs together when she kneels so as to not put pressure on her ligaments. That's hard to do because she is so flexible!! Paula was also very excited about the play time she got in with Lo. She's not used to that because Lola would never let her touch her before!! :) So yeah, all in all a very great session!!!

Today was about the same, except that Lola pulled up much higher onto the couch and stood there!! Paula wants her to be more secure in her pulling and standing up before we move on to a walker toy. You know, one of those push toys that helps kids with their walking skills. We even talked about getting her a vest that helps with support because Lola is very wobbly!! She thinks the vest will help with that. Last week she had tried to get Lola to play with a one of her learning toys, a wooden peg set. She tried to get her to put the pegs back in the holes, Lola couldn't do it. This week she crawled over to Paula's bag, took out that toy and proceeded to take all the pegs out and then put them right back in!! We were very impressed! It was like she was saying....."See? I CAN do it!!". :) Another GREAT session today!! :)


My "OTHER" Blog

I have another blog, one that I really wanted to keep as my "real" blog, but decided to move here. It's a shame because I have a lot of really great topics over there. One of my favorite topics was "Mommy Movie Moment". You can read it here.....

MOMMY MOVIE MOMENT

My husband and I go to the movies A LOT and I love to blog about it!! Especially when I see a great  movie, I just have to tell everyone about it.

Another great topic is "Raising A Teenager, A Toddler & A Baby". There a quite a few of those. Here are a few......

SCHOOL
Thank YOU Miley Cyrus
Our 13 Year Old Daughter
Parenting A Teenager, A Toddler & A Baby

So yeah, lots of great stuff there!! I'm torn. Should I stay or should I go? I dunno!!


Potty Training IS My Friend!!

Lex is officially potty trained!! Totally potty trained!! Well, except at night. He needs a diaper at night. We're going to work on that next month after he's used to using the potty on his own. As of right now we need to prompt him to go and every now and then he'll tell us himself that he has to pee. He even uses the public restroom!! We are so very proud!! He has only had one accident in 2 weeks and he wakes me up in the morning when he has to pee. :) So yeah.......uber proud and VERY happy!! We're going to be buying him night time pullups and more undies. He loves the Spongebob undies I bought him!!! We'll need more of them!!! :)

Now.......it's Lola's turn!!! First walking, which she's working on and as soon as she's walking I'm plopping her bum on the potty!! LOL!! I want to be DONE with diapers within a year. My gawd.....what will I do with all that money?!?! I'll buy BOOKS and WINE and we'll be able to afford another DOG!! YES!!! I'm extremely happy and look forward to that day. There is one more thing I need to get done........my husband needs to get neutered. AND SOON!!! -_- I don't want a "darling little accident" running around here and ruining my chances of getting another dog!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!


October 3, 2009

Fried Chicken!!

I made fried chicken last night and it was soooooo good!! It was so good Kevin and I are 6 pieces between the two of us. Soaking it in buttermilk made such a difference!! I have to work on my frying skills though. Either that or let it sit over night, which I did, to help the batter stiffen a little. I'm making more tonight so we'll see!!

I have gotta go get the teenager from her friend's house. Why is it that they call at 9 in the morning to ask if someone ELSE can come over and hang out? Wasn't one night enough?! GEESH!!


October 1, 2009

BOOOO!!!!!

I LOVE October!! I decided to get festive and add a new layout. I'll change it back in November. :) I was actually thinking of buying a design, but still don't know what I'd want. You know, a permanent design is so....well, permanent!! And I like to spice it up every now and then. I took advantage of my son's 2 hour bath. Yes, 2 hours!!!!! He's bath crazy now. Not my favorite phase, but better than the morbid phase, which is soon to come. -_- Death, death, death!! That was all Raven talked about for MONTHS! So yeah, took some time to get this done and I love it. :)



September 30, 2009

First Burn Accident

Lex and I were making waffles and he was in his usual spot, standing on the bottom drawer. My cup of very hot tea was right next to him and he accidently knocked it over and it spilled all over him. He was screaming, I was crying and trying to rip his clothes off, which was really fucking hot!! The I grabbed a towel and soaked it with cold water and tried as best as I could to cool the effected area down. Luckily I ice bags in the freezer along with cold rags so I grabbed them and put them on him as well. He was actually apologizing!! He was crying and saying...."I sorry I spilled your tea, Momma, please be happy." but he was saying it in a frantic voice and I just lost it. I cried even harder and held him close and told him I was sorry, it was my fault, not his! I sat there holding him and cold wet rags for about 10 minutes just telling him it was going to be ok and I was not angry with him. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I have never felt so awful in my entire life. He's fine, but the doctor wants to see him just to be safe. There is one spot that is still very red despite my efforts to keep it from getting worse. No blisters though, which is good. I just fell like total shit now. My tea stays on the stove from now on and Lex far away from it!!

September 29, 2009

"I Wanna Poop On The Grass!!"

No, not me, my son. We are still potty training, (no I haven't given up yet!) and yesterday was a good day to be outside, so I let him run around with no undies or diaper on, just shorts and he did great all day, that is up until he had to poop. -_- When we're outside I just let him pee on the grass, and I told him that where ever he pees the flowers will grow. I KNOW!! Horrible!!! But when you have a 1 1/2 year old who can't walk and his bathroom is upstairs and he can't wait, what do you do?! Let him pee outside!!!! :) He's learning to not go in his pants, which is the point, right? He hasn't done this anywhere but our house..........yet. Let's just hope he never does!! Anyway!! We're outside and he's playing and having fun, when all of a sudden he says..."I gotta pee" and proceeds to whip it out and pee. GREAT JOB!!!! 5 minutes later I hear him mumble....."I'm gonna poop on the grass to make the flowers grow" O_O!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!! I rush over and  ask him to please NOT poop on the grass. Well then all Hell breaks loose! He refuses to go upstairs, he wants to do it outside, he doesn't want to!! All the while the boy has his pants down and he squatting getting ready to just GO ON THE GRASS!! I couldn't think of anything other than..."HEY! If you go on the potty, I'll give you a treat!!!" Well that worked great! He pulled his pants up and ran upstairs. THANK GAWD!! Treats don't work for peeing in the potty with him for some reason, he just refuses to do it. -_-

Yesterday was a huge milestone for us. He went without a diaper all day, mostly, he only peed outside twice and twice inside on the potty and he pooped on the potty, not on the grass and no accidents! It's going to be another nice day today, so I'm thinking we'll do the same thing today as we did yesterday. Give him a bath and just let him wear shorts. The funny thing is, when I told him that if he pees on the grass the flowers will grow. So he's been going to the same spot every time and always looks for flowers when we're outside. No flowers yet, but there is some really nice ivy growing up. I told my hubby that I'm going to uproot it, replant it in a pot and call it Lex's Pee Plant and hang it in the bathroom upstairs. :) NICE!!


September 28, 2009

If It's In A Box, Is It Still Considered "Homemade"?

I'm a little fuzzy on this, cause when I was growing up my Grandmother made everything "homemade" or from scratch, no boxes. But nowadays when I bake brownies or cookies from a bag or box everyone always says..."I LOOOOOVE homemade cookies/brownies!!!", but are they really homemade? I mean, really, come on! No, they are not! Homemade is made from scratch, right? Or maybe not. Maybe it's just made "at home" and therefore considered "homemade". I'm no professional baker/chef, but I do like to cook and bake....A LOT!! When I make pancakes I use Bisquick, that stuff is soooo good!! I have tried making my own pancakes from scratch but they don't taste as good. I've tried adding vanilla, buckwheat and all sorts of things, but I can't get them as good as Bisquick, so now I just use that and add all the other stuff to it. The kids LOVE my pancakes. It's also good for making fried chicken. YUMM!! I make cakes, bread, cookies, pasta sauce and pasta from scratch.......sometimes, it all depends on how much time I have. In the Winter all I do is cook. It's amazing I don't weigh 300+ pounds!!! HAH!

So I cook, a lot, and some of it is from scratch and some of it is from the box/bag but in the end what is important is that I do cook for my family. I try to make healthy foods, I sneak in veggies where ever I can, I use mostly fresh veggies and fruits that I buy from our local farmer's market and I buy organic when I can. I'm no Betty Crocker, but by golly I sure do try!!!!!!! :D

September 25, 2009

Maybe Insurance Doesn't Suck After All!!!

We finally got the letter in the mail that our insurance will be covering Lola's laser treatment!!! If you're new here then you'll need a little background. Lola was born with a Compound Hemangioma on her left cheek, they're commonly called "Strawberries" because that's sorta what they look like. Here is what hers looks like.....



It's a little bigger now and the part that is under the skin extends to her left ear. It really didn't bother me at first, until it started bleeding. I'm not talking about little trickles....I'm talking about blood squirting across the room and LOTS of it!!! We've had a few scares where we couldn't get it to stop bleeding and had to take her to the ER. Thankfully it stopped on it's own almost 90 minutes later. So yeah....lots of blood. She was being seen by one of the "top pediatric dermatologist" in our area. Don't get me wrong, the lady was nice and all but she didn't even want to think about treating Lola with laser until she was 5!! Lady, WTF?! Have you been to school? Don't you know what she will have to go through?! Apparently she didn't give a fuck, so I took matters into my own hands and got shit done. I found the REAL experts who are in Boston and who have monthly clinics where they evaluate patients and take on the "worst cases", Lola is considered a worst case, thankfully. They then referred me to the nice lady who would be doing the laser treatment. WONDERFUL woman!! They thought that our insurance might give them a hard time, but they didn't! YAY! So yeah.....I'm one happy Momma!! And Lola is as happy as ever.....