Mommy Moments

I'm a huge and by huge, I mean GINORMOUS fan of Taylor Swift. Such a big fan in fact, that my 3 year old can sing about 75% of her songs word for word since I'm always playing them. In the car, check. On the ipod, check. On the computer, check. All my bases are covered! The other day I found the video for one of my favorites, The Best Day, and I just fell in love with it. It's a song that she wrote for her mom and it's so heartfelt and real. It makes you realize that your kids do think that you are perfect and will remember all those "little day to day moments." So when you're having a bad day, watch this video. It might make you smile, it might make you cry but it will give you that surge of energy to know that you're doing a good job and if you're lucky your kid will be a multi-millionaire by the time they're 18. We can always hope right?! :)

See ya in the 'burbs!

I'm a suburb girl, always have been and I'm pretty sure I always will be. There is something about being close to the city lights, yet far enough away that the club goers don't wake you up at closing time that is a perfect fit for me. This week I took a road trip and amid all the miles logged traveling through large and small towns it made me realize that I LOVE where I live. I love the Pacific Northwest!The clean air, the mass quantities of evergreen trees, the friendliest people and yes, I even love the rain! There is just something about 72 degrees and sunny on Thanksgiving that just doesn't fit well in my book. The funny thing is that I lived my whole childhood there, I'm a California native, but give me 8 years in the the PNW and I've become an official transplant.

I also traveled through many small towns with populations ranging from 500-2100 and it boggles my mind how people live in small, rural towns. Do they pick up and move to the small town or are they born into it and either can't afford to leave or love their little town just as much as I love my city and don't care to leave? So I pose a question to my bloggy friends, where do you live? City livin' or are you a small town, country girl? What in your life brought you to where you live today? Please feel free to share in the comments or your own post with a link back.

Weekly Winners Nov. 22-28

Daddy stuck his head in Little Man's bubblebath to be silly

Loving us with open arms
Jumping for Joy

A little piece of heaven

For more Weekle Winners visit Lotus

Sprinkle, Sprinkle

Today the Travel Fairies sprinkled their fairy dust on me-

• I was able to drive 8 hours of our 12 hour road trip (our first one without Daddy)


• Not a single snowflake hit our windshield


• Not a single drop of rain came down on us


• My 3 year old was perfect. No, I'm not exaggerating! He was absolutely a dream to travel with. Not one, minute of whining or "Are we there yet?"


• To top it off, he fell asleep watching Dancing with the Stars. No bedtime battles here folks!


• The scenery was absolutely beautiful! We've had almost 2 weeks of rain in the PNW but today the heavens opened up and showed me this ALL day long

So yeah, I had a pretty good day and I'm hoping tomorrow is just as fun!

All for little ol' me!

YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ A LONG POST!!!!

Man, oh man, what a day. My wonderful husband of 5 years (happy anniversary honey)had prearranged to upgrade my wedding set as an anniversary present. Same style and design but a bigger setting. I turned in my old set last week and they were to do all the behind the scenes work to get it sized etc, and have it ready today. I was beyond excited is an understatement. If you could see this ring, you would understand!!



We arrived this morning eagerly awaiting my new ring. I handed over the pick-up slip and away she went to get it, 15 minutes later and she had yet to come back...I knew something was terribly wrong. She comes back to the sales counter and says they need to custom order it rather than size it up since it would alter the setting in the ring. Now, I'm not a little lady and neither are my fingers so I understood what she was saying, but it could have been told to me a week earlier when they placed the initial paperwork. Then I asked the dreaded question, how long does it take to order a custom ring? 3 weeks. My heart just sank! I tried to keep my tears in, but I couldn't. I crumbled, right there in the jewelry store.



I was so upset at the thought of being without a ring, old ring or new, for an entire month. As the wife of a truck driver, that means many days without your husband, lonely days and lonely nights. To me, my ring might mean more than the average person. It's tangible reminder of our love for each other even though we don't get to be together every day like other couples.



The poor sales lady didn't know what to do and I was on my way out to the car to gather myself when I was stopped by two employees. In reality, I did not want to talk to them, I was so embarrassed that I was crying that I just wanted out of that store. But, do you know what they did for me, little ol' me? They told me to come back tonight because they wanted to make sure I had a ring on my finger and they would size the it even though it would cause the setting to be loose and I might lose a diamond,but not to worry because they were still going to custom order me another ring. I was overwhelmed with the gesture and went home a bit happier knowing that even though it might not be a perfect ring, I would have a least something on my finger.



Fast forward to 4 o'clock this afternoon when I get a call telling me to come down to the store right away because I was not going to believe what their jeweler was able to pull off today. They cut off a a gold shank from another ring and melted it into my ring and it was absolutely beautiful. There should be no issues about losing diamonds and I don't have to wait 3 weeks for the real ring to come. I was overwhelmed, but this time with tears of joy. These two wonderful sales people went out of their way to help make my anniversary as special as we had hoped it would be. Astra and Norman, I know you will probably never read this, but you two went above and beyond to make this happen and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.



So, you're probably wondering what kind of ring would cause me to lose it in a jewelry store. This picture from their website doesn't do it justice, the way it sparkles could light up a dark room. T

To my Big Man,

Thank you for the the best anniversary weekend ever and after nine years together, 5 of them in marriage, I would do it all over again! I love you!

Swirly Whirly Fun

Looking for a cheap and easy art project for the kids, look no further! I picked up this idea at one of our local kiddy art classes and thought it was a great thing to do when you need an easy project to "kill" an afternoon.

Supplies-
pie tin or paper plate
plain ol', no frills white shaving cream
food coloring
card stock
a straw/paintbrush
old rag/towel (do NOT use one of your nice hand towels)

First, you spray the shaving cream into the pie tin or paper plate. Next, you add a couple drops of food coloring of your choice into the shaving cream mixture. Feel free to mix a few colors in to make things interesting. Have your kiddo use the straw or paintbrush to mix the dye into the shaving cream creating swirl type patterns. Take your folded card stock and place one side onto the swirly mess of shaving cream, lift it up and wait 10-20 seconds then wipe it off with the towel. Voila...the swirl pattern shows up on the paper and you've got a pretty card. Grandmas will adore them and your kiddo will be proud of their work. Just a note, unlike the wonderful Crayola products, food coloring will stain clothes so I would advise wearing a smock or old clothes depending on the ability of your little artist. So next time you've got the rainy day blues and are stuck in the house give this project a try. Let me know how they turn out!!

Are you Quirky?

Due to a major case of writer's block and the fact that it has been raining for almost 2 weeks straight forcing me to not be able to play outside and take pictures I am forced to write about nonsense. To make matters worse, I have a GREAT giveaway planned for my 100th post (we're on 92 today) and I'm struggling to write anything worth reading. So here goes another "filler" post and I might even attach a MckLinky so that you can all join me in your own "filler" post.

So here it goes.

Now I wouldn't necessarily call myself quirky but I do have my fair share of quirky habits and I don't exactly know why but I'm going to share them with you.

• I will NOT eat any type of meat off of a bone. Chicken, nope. Ribs, nope. T-bone steak, nope. I have no issues eating meat but if I have to bite it off of a bone that would be a big no thank you from me. It started somewhere in my childhood and I've never been able to overcome it. So if you're a finger licking, bone sucking, eating fool please do not sit at my table or I might just have to barf!



• Oh, and in addition to the meat on a bone rule, don't even get me started on the grossness of chicken skin. Needless to say I would never make it as a southern girl because the sight of fried chicken would send me running the opposite direction.



• I'm a Diet Dr. Pepper addict! Seriously, I'm not going to openly admit to the amount of cans I can consume in a week because that would be embarrassing. Just know that when most people consume their morning coffee at the butt crack o' dawn, I'm drinking Diet Dr. Pepper.



• I MUST make the bed before I leave the house. It's an unwritten rule that I follow religiously (thanks a lot Mom!) Some days I wish I could just skip it and do it when I come home but I can't. I get myself all in a tizzy about running late but it's like my body HAS to do it in order to function normally the rest of the day.



• The last quirk I will bore you with is that I need the TV on to fall asleep. Something about the sarcastic background noise of Chelsea Lately (great show by the way) lulls me into lala land. What was life like before sleep timers?

So, there is a small peek into my world of wackiness and I would love it if you would give me a bit of comment love with your quirks or if you need a filler post feel free to link up.

P.S. 8 more posts until my super fun, very cute, colorful Etsy Giveaway!!!!

Send a Special Thank You

I'm a huge football fan! On game days you can usually find us hovering over the snack table and watching the Steelers or 49ers I grew up watching 49er games with my Dad and have always loved the level of competition, the excitement and adrenaline that comes with it...plus strong, athletic men in tight pants are always a bonus. In fact, one of the first things that attracted me to my husband was that he played college football. He was popular, strong, athletic and wore tight pants on the field....I was hooked. Now that we have our own little one on Sundays I happily sit by the TV and watch the games with my son teaching him little things here and there to make the games fun, just like my dad did, but today, I was the one who learned something new.

Terry Bradshaw and his pre game crew informed me of an easy way to make brighten someone's day. In honor of Veteran's Day Week, State farm has a website up that allows you to send free thank yous to people in the military and to top it off they will donate a dollar to the Fisher House. You can upload pics or videos or send a traditional note. You can send a more personalized note to "your veteran" and share it with them or you can send a more generalized thank you. Either way, it only takes a few minutes and it can mean the world to them.

So please, check this site out,

http://www.thanksforbeingthere.com/

and drop me a comment and let me know if you were able to send YOUR special thank you to someone.

Is there an echo in the room?

Having a 3 year old can give you a rather large insight as to what you say and how you say it! Here are a few examples-

"Knock it off!"

Apparently, I don't say it very nicely because my son likes to tell his friends to "knock it off" in a rather loud and mean voice when they are fighting or not sharing. On the positive side, he knows my rules. On the negative, he's yelling knock it off at other 3 year olds, need I say more!

"Did you hear me?"

I know I use it this one all the time but when he rambles on and on about cars, airplanes, trains and whatever else crosses his mind, I admit, sometimes I tune out. I can't be the only one?! When I obviously miss the part where I'm supposed to answer with the classic, "really, wow, or oh my goodness" he keeps me in check with a "Mommy, did you HEAR me?"

"Timeout!"

Now we all know the rules of timeouts, stay put, no talking, no whining or crying or your time starts over, etc. Needless to stay he started cracking the whip with his Elmo doll, moved onto his frog stuffed animal, and other day he sent Daddy to timeout for not listening to Mommy. Daddy obliged and sat there quietly trying to hide his laughter. The best part was after the timeout he made Daddy apologize for not listening to Mommy! I loved it!

So, let me know what your kids say that gives your proof that they are listening even when it looks like they aren't?

Mental Notes

I thought I would make a little list of the mental notes that I make to myself in my head.

1. Never, never, never, under any circumstances go to Chuck E. Cheese on a Saturday night!I learned my lesson last weekend and from now on I will go on my normal weekday lunchtimes to preserve my sanity.
   


2. Have your husband hide the Halloween candy so that you don't consume mass quantities of chocolate once your child goes to bed. My stomach and my son were none too happy with my pile of empty chocolate wrappers.





3. Do not forget the sippy cup of milk in the car. 2 days of forgetfulness, one look at the inside of the cup and I didn't even attempt to clean it, straight in the trash it went. So gross!





4. Lastly, don't watch the Khloe Kardashian/Lamar Odom Wedding Special when your monthly visitor is in town. I was balling happy tears for this couple and realistically, I could care more about what Britney Spears found in between her toes two years ago than these two goons.

There you go, a small glimpse into my head. Kinda scary, huh!

Many Shades of Gray

Is it because I'm nearing then end of my 20's and my youth is forever fading away? Or is it because I'm a single parent more than 90% of the time and the stress can, at times, be overwhelming? Whatever the reason may be these little buggers keep creeping in on me! One will pop on up over here, then he invites a few more of his friends and they throw a little party. Now we all know what happens at parties, there are always party crashers and they can be crazy and wild, sometimes even kinda kinky! Then the offspring of those crazy party crashers start sprouting little buds and then BAM more of them appear. It's a vicious, never ending cycle.

So yes, I am now willing to admit that I am a 29 year old woman with WAY too many gray hairs! There, I said it! The last few years I have noticed many different shades of gray setting up house on the fertile ground of my little head and it's only cemented the fact that I'm getting older (and hopefully wiser.) On the plus side, thank god for hair dye or I would look like a woman way beyond my years! Really, what did women do before you could color your hair? I would just die of embarrassment if I had to show off my grays for the world to see at my age. I can only hope that in the future (way, way in the future) that I will be one of those cute, little, old ladies in her rocking chair with her grandchildren at her side and a head full of beautiful white hair. Needless to say the innate planner in me has gotten a really good head start!

So, here is your forum to openly or anonymously admit your gray hair. I'll go first. Hello, my name is Laura and I have gray hair.

Weekly Winners Nov. 1-7

A big birthday is coming soon to a special Great Grandma!

How many more pictures are you going to take?

A boy in Cupcake Heaven

For more Weekly Winners visit Lotus.

New Addition to my Mommy Resume

Do you see that little boy to the right? My sweet, outgoing, cute as a button little boy. Behind those beautiful blue eyes is a growing dose of comedic genius that is starting to really own his craft.

Last night I was putting some Desitin on my son's little tushie because he had diaper rash (which is puzzling since he no longer wears diapers, but oh well.) While my head is down there assessing his rashy redness, he let's the stinkiest, most heinous sounding fart rip. As I breathe through the cloud of stench this was our conversation-

Me- "Oh My Goodness, You are one stinky boy! That is soooooo gross!"

Little Man erupts in uncontrollable laughter and proclaims to the world that he "farted on his mommy" as if he should be awarded a trophy for his bravery.

Me- "That is so gross! If you need to "toot" maybe you should wait till Mommy's face isn't right by your bottom."

And do you know what Little Man's response was, "It's all part of your job, Mom!"

I just about died of laughter on that one. I don't know where he picked up that line but he timed it perfectly. I'll just add that comment to my forever growing list of crazy things my kid makes up.

Wordless Wednesday

" Enjoy the little things, for one day you might look back and realize that they were the big things."

-Robert Brault

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes for Mom, and Seven Clown Circus

MckLinky Halloween

I hope everyone had a funtastic Halloween!

We enjoyed dinner with friends and then headed out for some trick or treating followed by a little late night Snicker snacking. Our little construction worker was escorted by Dr. Daddy and Dr. Mommy and we all had a blast! I thought it would be fun for all of us to share costumes or stories from Halloween night so feel free to link up with your Halloween post and let's bloghop and meet some fellow bloggers. No pressure, feel free to just post photos (notice my own laziness here) or if you feel like you have a novel in you, go ahead and write away. All posts are welcome!