simple things

SnapGift WOW!

2009-12-16T00:10:00.000-06:00

A really good friend of mine has started a new company withher husband. SHe offered me a 25$ gift certificate to try it out see how I Like it and then even give a review of it on my little blog here. I think I was suppose to do it last month but totally forgot until I saw her post today about her company. So wooops...

I went out to the site today and placed an order for buffalo wild wings gift card for my husband. He loves buffalo wings so that was a no brainer.. although I was impressed with all the little stores that had gift certificates availiable. I think it gives them an edge up on all the big chain stores. If I still lived in Kansas City I would of def purchased a gift certificate from "Ruchi" my fav little indian resturant!!

fast forward-

WOW- I saved this post wanting to actually receive the card before I reviewed the whole site and waalaaa.. I already have the gift card! I have to say I wish I had the ability to make ideas come to fruition the way they do! This is an awesome idea. You can also have the gift cards send via email so they can print it off and use it that very same day or heck minute you purchase it... I now wish I would of done that so I could receive and print of the coupon and use it.... but helloooooo... BUFFALO WINGS haha

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waalaaa christmas letter 2009

2009-12-13T23:10:00.000-06:00

Greetings and Salutations,

I hope you are all doing something fun for the holidays. We have moved once again to a new house in Holton, KS. The other house we had moved to was just…well had served its purpose. It got us to Holton. Karl was driving 3-4 hours a day in the early portion of 2008 and well 2009 has been much more relaxing. Now that we are in a nice house with real walls we are truly happier. Although Kya does say she misses her “old house” with the flower wall paper. It is funny how Kya loved the wallpaper in the master bedroom of the “old house” the wall paper that gave me a migraine just looking at it! How anyone could look at that wall paper in a book of wall paper and say, wow that is just beautiful let’s put that up in the place we SLEEP! I did however take a piece of the remnant that was in the house, and I am going to put it in a little frame for her. Nice for her, a migraine mouse infested ant trap reminder for us.

Karl and I are well. Karl loves his job, and loves being very close to home. Since we moved two blocks up and two blocks over we are exactly the same distance away from his office as we were before..oohhhhh about a minute drive in a car. (SCORE) Karl and I entered in the city chili contest. His chili was called “King Kong” chili and mine was called “Mean Monkey Chili”. The names came from two books we read to Kya and Kena. We WON! Well we won “Best Newcomer of the Year” but hey it is a prize. Karl’s chili was so hot it even made the guy who won the Jalapeno eating contest take pause. Mine was sweeter and hot……….yeah I know LIKE ME! Oh I just crack myself up….

Kya is still as spunky as ever! She love to make up songs and dances and run around the house performing. I am still not quite sure if she has her father’s sense of rhythm or mine, I guess only time will tell! She is in a cute little dance class here in town. They are supposed to have a little recital at the end of the school year. I will totally be the mom with the camera, tripod, camcorder, and all the memory recording accoutrements in tow! (Well just my camera but you get my enthusiasm) She is also in a little gymnastics class, which is really code for run around the gym and learns to roll. She has been going to the same gym since she was 20 months old and she just loves it. However I have a feeling dance will win out eventually, plus I can’t really see myself letting her on those high beam things. Kya’s big milestone this year was starting preschool. I was nervous but she was so brave. As I was leaving a little girl started to cry, so Kya walked up to her and said, “Don’t cry my mommy will be back soon.” I then turned around and promptly burst out in tears. I was so proud of her, and in that moment I knew we had prepared her well.

Kena is of course her sisters little shadow. Except mainly to see exactly what Kya is doing and then take what Kya is doing. She seems to have a very acute sense of what she wants and when she wants it. There is a huge understanding of equality and she demands it! The best is watching them chase each other and giggle. Kena also loves to curl up with her sister at night reaching out blindly for her hand and then settling in warm and content. She is as much a cuddle bug as she is a force to be reckoned with. She loves stuffed animals, lollipops (currently candy canes as well), and carrying around a purse. She will also be starting gymnastics class in a few months; I will be so excited to have to stop holding her wriggly body at bay while she watches her sister.

We miss and love you all! Remember to love and hug this year….

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christmas letter 2009...

2009-12-09T23:24:00.000-06:00

hmmmmm.... I have such writers block this year. but I better try. ok here I go to try. Wish me luck!

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who invited THEM???

2009-11-24T01:22:00.001-06:00

Apparently moving to a house with more carpet has pointed out I have animals who really really need to be kept up on their flea medication!

This week poor Kena was having little red bumps all over her body. No one else in the house had them so I was starting to think she had some type of skin reaction to my detergent, or allergies to something. I was even going to take her into the doctor to have him take a look at them. For a second I thought hmmm i wonder if those are flea bites...

Then this morning as Kena stumbled out of the toy room with a random toy in her fist for my inspection I saw it! Little fucker sucking right on my babies neck like a vampire from hell! And not the hot little man vampire that has all the woman on planet earth's panties in a wad. oohh nooo... this little sucker has six legs and is a parasite of the worst kind! They come in your house and live in your carpet, on your clothes and eat can live for days on end until you walk by and they get another boost of life saving blood.

Not every child or woman is affected by them. Some people get bit by fleas and they have no visible skin reaction. Some just get small little red dots, others get itchy welts that can become infected and leave horrible scars if not taken care of.

They are nasty little fuckers and I will not tolerate them in my home, and for the love of god NOT on my baby girl!

When I was little my baby sister was the one who was eaten alive by the fleas our cat had drug into the house. The fleas tore her apart, we had to get rid of the cat because back int he 80's flea collars were really the only defense. Even if you don't see them ON your cat, your cat may be a good groomer. They will however be all over the house. This is why I no longer allow animals in my bed. They bring to bed fleas and dander and all types of things I may not be allergic to but my children have way more sensitive skin than I do. They are not allowed in my bedroom at all.

So today when my baby came out of the playroom with a bloodsucker attached to her neck, I vacuumed the entire house and put the vacuum OUTSIDE (you must do this or they just get loose inside the house again), I gave all of my animals a new dose of frontline after I bathed them, then I drove to the vet and bought a fast action pill that will kill all fleas instantly...kind of like double dosing to get ahead! Then I washed all linens and dog beds. I bought a spray for the carpet and sprayed down the whole house after they girls went to bed so it would be dry when they woke up, it was also safe for humans and children etc... I will be vacuuming the whole house everyday and washing out the vacuum outside after each vacuuming and storing the vacuum in the garage. I marked all the bites on Kena so I can make sure there are no new ones. Since she is the one in the house who is affected by the "case of the fleas" she is the one I must monitor. The rest of us have no reaction.... poor baby...

I have seen what flea bites can do to a child's skin... and it is sad. Well sad if you don't do anything to remedy the situation. But I will say this, my kid comes first.

If the situation isn't fixed... we will take the animals to the vet to be dipped and go away for the weekend to bomb the whole house... ok maybe I am a freak about this, but seriously bug bites are not a thing to take lightly.

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Thanksgiving...again

2009-11-13T12:00:00.001-06:00

I do love thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday, as it is many of yours. We all love the gathering of loved ones over a wonderful meal.
and
But what is the reality of the holiday?

Almost always you get up early, stuff yourself into a stuffy outfit, dress the kids in likewise uncomfortable clothes you don't want them to "mess up". Drive to someone else's house who has been designated to "make the dinner". You ask what you can bring.... and you always end up making it last minute or way before hand so it is either not done yet or cold and needs to be re-heated thus taking away the right out of the oven goodness.

Then you are squeezed in between half a dozen people to eat half warm, half hot, and the rest cold food with little to NO room for your elbows to get the food efficiently to your mouth, there by guaranteeing you will spill something on your shirt or pants. Everyone wolf's down their food to get away from the table and then it is over. OVER... it is OVER... and then the clean up begins, sometimes the clean up begins before some people are even done with dinner. Not to mention the weird tradition of eating thanksgiving dinner at 2 or 3 pm! I mean WHAT???? It is called DINNER not "semi lunch not quite dinner yet" dinner.

Then there is always the possibility the dinner being provided doesn't meet your expectations. The yams weren't made right, the potatoes were too lumpy, the turkey to dry, or the gravy watery. Thus rendering the whole thanksgiving dinner a bust for you. Leaving you dreaming of the thanksgiving that could of been, the one you should of just made at home. Not to mention you won't have LEFTOVERS! We all know leftovers the next day are one of the most valued leftovers in the WORLD, ever... all year your husband and children will turn up their noses at the dreaded leftover dinner. Throw a turkey and cranberry sauce in the mix and BAM leftovers ROCK the Casbah!

Also....

Why is it the woman inevitably get stuck with all the preparation and clean up, while the men seem to be honored and escorted to the living room to unbutton their pants and watch the game, as if they actually did something the whole day besides maybe trying to deep-fry a turkey, or burning half the porch down. I mean why is it that men will cook anything in an apparatus that is outside. God forbid it actually resides IN the kitchen.

Even if you buck the norm and stay home, cooking the entire meal to your liking and specifications, something will be missing. You will look around your table and wonder why you didn't invite anyone over to share in the wealth of food and love overflowing at your table. You will miss all those crazy relatives you were avoiding. Ok, well maybe not miss extremely, but you will feel a void of the one thing that actually makes thanksgiving...well.... Thanksgiving! Family. Sure you will have your little family of two, three, four, or five... but isn't having extended family over for dinner the actual point of having a Thanksgiving dinner in the first place?

So... what to do... what to do...

I think this year we are going to do two. One where we go to the assigned family destination to enjoy the craziness that is Thanksgiving dinner, and then one at home on Saturday so I can make the stuff we want to eat and really relax. Not to mention BONUS...bonus... all the leftovers are yours!

edited to add: Thanksgiving IS my all time fav holiday.. I love it, crazy family and all... bring it

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moving, cleaning, and swine flu

2009-11-08T15:57:00.000-06:00

Can I just say I am sooo glad October is OVER! It was the worst month ever! Not that November is kicking off in style or anything, a 1900.00 water damage bill from our house in the "other town" did little to help my mood! However I do see the silver lining and know that the shower there is finally fixed and we can look forward to a year of renting it with no worries.... I HOPE!

So we moved to a new house and let me tell you it took FOREVER for us to move by ourselves. I guess when you are moved you just take a look around and say....yup....pack this shit up! When you move yourself you take a look around and say.....wait a minute...do we really want to move that shit?

We have had a lot happen to us in this month.

1. We moved and it took ALL Month

2. Karl went out of town in the middle of the month, and he was in budget month all month while we were moving and let me tell you we were both stressed the eff out!

3. The most important thing this month that happened was Kena turned 1! Her theme was lollipops, because she just LOVES lollipops!!!! So for her birthday party I made homemade lollipops and put an edible picture of her face on them. Edible kena pops :) They were adorable, however they did come out a little softer than they should of. I will attribute that to the corn syrup I added to the recipe.

4. We entered in a chilli cook-off and we WON! Well we won best new comer of the year :) My chilli was called "Mean Monkey Chili" and Karl's was called "King Kong Chili". We had fun and it was worth the stress. The name of my chili was based on two books I read to Kya, Mean Soup and Monkey Soup. Both books are well worth a look up and read.

5. My sister and my foster mom both came out and visited this month which was awesome!

6. Kya and Kena both caught the swine flu. It was the worst two weeks of my life. Kya was sick for 9 days with 103-104 fevers non-stop and breathing trouble. We wound up in the ER twice. I didn't really give my self the time to freak out, but when it was over I realized just how scared I was! Counting your baby 3 year olds breathing at 3am while listening to her chest rattle and wheeze is not an event I want to ever repeat! When Kena got it I rushed her straight to the Dr and I am forever thankful for the Dr and the pharmacist who came in after hours to make sure she got tamiflu that night. I tell you Tamiflu is worth its weight in gold!

Don't even get me started on the H1N1 flu mist and how you can get sick from it or from just being around those who had it!

As I type this up Karl is still moving boxes around and we are still getting the house organized. Sorry for not commenting on your blogs or posting this month. It has been a little crazy this month and I am just thankful it is over!

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moving again...

2009-10-05T00:35:00.000-05:00

So a new cute rental house literally fell into our lap. I am so ready to be out of this house. It served its purpose but I am ready for a house that is ant, mouse, and mold free...( I really think the pipes in this house are clogged with filth and the basement is so damp I think it permeates through the whole thing.

Karl has been working 16-20 hour days almost straight for the last two weeks. During the week he will come home, eat help me get the girls in their pajamas and then turn around and go straight back to work. He hasn't even seen the new house yet. I rented it and called him to tell him we were moving. So we paid rent in both places. We have one month to move. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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whew that was close...

2009-09-24T23:46:00.000-05:00

I was driving down the road with Karl and I was putting lotion on my hands. I took off my bracelets because sometimes the lotion turns the silver black. I wear two bracelets everyday. I never take them off... in fact I am a serial jewelry wearer. If I put it on it stays on until it literally falls off... Or I have to take it off to not ruin it. Like my butterfly necklace! Lesson there learned. If I didn't take it off before a shower the water would make its way into the necklace and get the wing of the butterfly wet. NOT GOOD! The artist Neile sent me a replacement (totally sweet of her).

Well, my one bracelet slipped down between the seats of the car. I couldn't reach it. I thought I would wait till I got home to get a paper clip or pen or something to try and get it out.

Fast Forward:

I went to get the car cleaned out and washed the other day. Guess what I forgot to do! YEP... Get my bracelet. This is my sister bracelet the one I gave all my sisters. Including Angel.

I forgot about it until I walked into a playdate and saw a friend wearing a similar heart pendant bracelet. I ran out to the car to check on it and sure as shit it was gone. And well....

I LOST MY SHIT!

I realized my bracelet means more to me than anything! I mean it ranks up there with my original wedding set and my new wedding set. It means everything to me.

I bawled cried my mind raced.... HOW in the world was I going to get it back? It had been sucked up by the worlds largest vacuum cleaner and lord knows what those car wash places suck up.

Apparently a lot. Because when I called the manager told me they look through it before the dump it. Sure enough... there was my bracelet in the trash.

I picked it up and put it back on my wrist where it will remain forever....

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Writing has become well writing...

2009-09-10T22:58:00.000-05:00

I have soo many things going through my mind, so many stories to tell but lately I have a hard time getting them out of my head and onto the screen. I feel like it all comes out in a written sort of garble.

Kena is about to turn one and I find myself literally in disbelief. I know I have said this before but I feel like I have missed something. Like half of her first year vanished before my eyes and I missed it. It feels like she should only be 8 or 6 months not 11. I feel like I didn't examine every little aspect of her first year the way I did for Kya.

Kena has added a joy to my life I never knew I needed. She is the best cuddler and hugger ever. She gives me kisses and hugs when she wakes up in the morning without being prompted or asked. She is always smiling and loves to explore. She is a quiet soul and only cries when she is really hungry and tired. She is a flirt and coy, loves her daddy bunches.

She loves lollipops, bugs, and anything Kya is playing with. She follows her sister around like a puppy dog and demands equality. If Kya has it or is eating it.. SO IS SHE!

Now here is the question... am I done? Am I done having kids? I don't really feel done. I feel like I should have one more, or maybe even two. Realistically I think I should be done. I have two hands, I can carry two, two seems like a realistic number. My heart wants more. I am getting to old, to tired and lets face it my body STILL hasn't bounced back from Kena. I really do not want to see what will happen if I have another. There is the whole c-section thing... ANOTHER C-SECTION! uggggggggg I was afraid the whole time with Kena I would die. SO there is that too....

I wish I would of started younger some days.... but then I would not be the same parent. I am a much more mature, patient, and giving mother than I would have been at lets say 21. So while I wish I would have started younger it is only because then I would have 4! Sooooooo that is where I am. I want more, but I don't want more. ohhhh the insanity of it all...\

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we are back....

2009-09-04T22:22:00.000-05:00

I have to say this was the best vacation ever... even though we hit a screwdriver on the way and had to change a tire on the side of the road, stop at a town for a new tire to replace the shredded brand new tire..... it still ROCKED!

We spent the whole day on the beach.

Basically we woke up, ate breakfast, put on sun screen and suits and went to the beach. We would come back for lunch, take naps, wake up put on sunscreen and suits, go back to the beach, come in for dinner. At night we would grab a kite, flash lights to look for crabs, or just collect sea shells. It was amazing!

I am still collecting myself and getting on normal time. Since we have been back Kya started pre-school, we had to go get our dogs, we had Dr appointments and as I type this most of my suitcase is still NOT unpacked. Not to mention we are turning around and going out of town again tomorrow.....

Oh and I am also gearing up for Kena's 1st birthday. Hard to believe she will be one in a month.
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beach house here I come...

2009-08-21T00:16:00.000-05:00

This is the view from the house we are renting. I can barely contain myself.....

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and then she was three...

2009-08-17T08:53:00.004-05:00

SO much has been going on in the simple household! We have had birthdays and parties, and many many photo shoots!

I know every single mom says this and I know this is sooo not original but holy shit I can't believe how fast the last three years have flown by! I can barely believe I have two children let alone my baby girl Kya turned three!

I am currently preparing to go to the beach/ WOOHOO... those of you who actually read me know I have been dying to go to the breach for two years now! Well I am finally getting my little wish.

Before Kya was born we went to the beach every year. Well babies have a way of turning your world upside down and inside out. In a good way, but def different.

I will hopefully be posting while we are at the beach. I am looking forward to taking pictures of the girls at the beach! woohooooooo

here are my faves from her 3 yr photo shoot and her birthday party.

and can I just say I flippin ironed that whole sheet and when we were done and Kya was in bed I went to edit the photos and realized you can still see the lines GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

I made her skirt from a blogger i read and I can't for the life of me remember which one she is! So if you read me and you did this skirt first I love your blog and I read you... I just can't remember which one of you it was... grrrr i hate that. I made the t-shirt with a white t-shirt from walmart and fabric paint. I printed a 3 from my printer and then used an exacto knife to cut out the 3 on freezer paper. Made by Rae taught me how to do this!.. Kya actually painted it. WHen it is dry you peel off the freezer paper waa laaa a 3 shirt!

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Just three more minutes...

2009-08-07T01:05:00.000-05:00

Every time I ask Kya to do anything she doesn't want to do, she will ask for 3 more minutes. "Just three more minutes mom!" Preeeaasseee JUST THREE MORE MINUTES!"

My parenting Style:

1.I have no idea where this three more minutes came from, or why three is the magic number. She hates to be side blinded. If she is playing I need to give her a 5 minute count down. As long as I give her a count down the world it all roses. It is when I say, ok lets go time for bed... or ok no more TV... or put that down and lets get in the car. She looses it. I really don't blame her. If Karl did that stuff to me, I would be all like.. wooaaaaaa dude.. .I am busy.... give a girl some warning alright! SO even though YES i am the mom, and YES what I say goes, I do give her the common courtesy of a warning, when and if it is possible.

2. I also like to give Kya choices. For example if Kya is throwing a fit and refusing to go to bed, or pick up a toy, or stop putting her feet in her sisters face, I always give her two choices.

choice sets:

a) you can either walk to the bed room and smile and read books

b) you can cry, kick, and scream as I carry you to bed and get no books

(she always picks A once I was carrying a sleeping Kena and Kya did the dead weight thing uggggg)

Choice sets:

a) you can either pick up the toy and put it where it belongs

b) mommy can pick it up and throw it away

(she ALWAYS picks A... because I tell her if you treat your toys like trash then so will mommy... to date I have thrown away a barbie, a baby doll, a necklace, and a pair of shoes (dress up dollar store)... also if she throws her toys while she is mad... like at me or something I throw it away. If you throw it you don't care if it breaks so I will throw it away. After I threw away her Cinderella doll she runs to pick stuff up if I ask. I am all about sacrificing a 20 dollar item for a lesson learned. Also she NEVER throws anything at me, those dress up shoes were a lesson learned quickly. She is allowed to be frustrated but we don't hit people we love, especially with objects!)

Please note.. I do not yell or scream at my daughter, my voice is loud as it is I personally do not need to really yell and I don't think it does any good. I do however discipline and reprimand gently...with the occasional eye roll and holy poop mutter... common I AM HUMAN! I also do not ever under any circumstances ever ever ever.... never ever believe in corporal punishment, spanking or swatting, or anything! I also don't believe people who say their kid needs it. I believe it is a control and anger issue and done out of frustration. utter frustration. I believe in "persuasion through love" and hitting does not come from love.

Now the putting her feet in her sisters face? I am at a loss.... I mean I explain in over and over and over but....but it is like her feet and kya's face are two magnets lol... I guess time will only tell. I mean she is only almost 3 in a week!

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a fish in the hand...

2009-07-31T22:42:00.003-05:00

We went to the local fair again this year and it was once again a blast! Except this year I am not waddling around and needing to sit down every 5 minutes.

Daddy won Kya a fish this year and well she just LOVES it. Now my job is trying to keep the thing alive for as long as possible. Today we stopped at a pet store in a town about an hour away and bought her fish a fishy friend.

Neither of the fish have a name, she changes the name of the fish every five minutes which just makes me laugh and smile all at the same time. Kya just cracks me up... Today in the car when she was trying to get me to pay attention to her over and over again I had to tell her I was busy and had to pay attention to the cars around us she sighed and said, "you break my heart mama" to which I just have to smile and tell her I am sorry I have broken her little bitty heart.

So the fish are most likely going to die, i mean really it is inevitable, however I am thinking we should actually make an investment in a real fish tank because the bowl is hard to see into and Kya really can't watch them swim around... which is mainly the whole point in having a gold fish right?

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that shit ain't swag...

2009-07-30T22:17:00.000-05:00

I have been reading all over the blog world about all this hoopla and drama over swag at the blogher conference. Lets get this straight.... CROC's ain't SWAG... some free sippy cup shit and dvd's aint SWAG... Some lame ass pencils, pens, and the little kodak recorder you got... that ain't SWAG! Pushing, getting upset, and writing about the SWAG you got makes me laugh... cuz my dears that shit ain't SWAG!

You guys aren't famous celebrities getting paid to host or BE SEEN at an award show. You guys aren't even blip's on the screen of the Internet in this great big world. The shit you got... was a bunch of leftovers they had, and marketing said... "Hey yeah why don't you go to that blogher thing those people keep HOUNDING us to sponsor and throw some free ~~bobble heads~~ Mr. Potato heads at..."

Last time I checked SWAG involved a huge basket being personally delivered to you buy a guy wearing a head set attached to some sponsor with A LOT OF MONEY! Someone who also was soooo impressed by you they wouldn't shove you into a small room with a bunch of needy, grabby woman all looking at the same little bag with a sippy cup inside drooling over it.

SWAG involves Manolo Blahnik , Mania Perfume by Giorgio Armani, and some new Apple IV iphone you haven't even seen advertised yet. Along with an hour long massage by the HOT guy in the corner. Or a tent you are given an assistant to personally escort you through before the big event. SWAG involves being PAID and BRIBED to be at an event.. You my friend....PAID to go there.

That shit you got....that ain't SWAG.... that is called FREEBIES! SO stuff that free pen in your junk drawer and get over it.

** noted to add**
Over the last couple of years I have thought as soon as my kids are done nursing and I am no longer pregnant I would love to go to blogher... However after every Blogher event there is such a negative vibe. People always saying ohhh but other than THAT it was great. Seems to me it is just going to get worse... so until it does get professional and less high school reunion esk', count me out. I would rather spend my money on a real vacation.

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what does age mean anyway...

2009-07-27T01:26:00.003-05:00

Here I am 36 years old and I seriously feel like I should be 26 not 36! How did the last 20 years or so slip past me?

Speaking of age Kena is going to be 1 in like 2.5 months! That just really blows me away. Kya seemed to take FOREVER to turn one. I feel like Kena's first year has gone by way to fast and I want these last two months to SLOW DOWN already! SHe is cruising all around the house, grabbing anything she can to pull up and walk around. SH ewill slide down my lap in the morning when she is done nursing and just about grin the biggest grin ever, because she is just as pleased as pie she can crawl around on her own. I rearranged the book shelf today so all of her books are on the bottom shelf. Then I realized I haven't read as much with her as I did with Kya, so starting tomorrow I am going to select two books every morning to read with her while Kya is still asleep. Once Kya is up I am chopped liver and it is all Kya all the time. Tonight Kena was blowing on her food after I did because it was hot. SO CUTE! ahhhhhhh if I didn't have to have c-sections I would sooooo have another one.

It really does feel like I had her last month.

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it's a beautiful day...

2009-07-24T08:34:00.003-05:00

to put some clothes away? UGGGGGGGG! Why is it that no matter how often I put the clothes away and swear to myself I will stay on top of it next week, it never happens. NEVER. I will inevitably have a huge pile of laundry needing to be put away, and when I say huge I mean HUGE! IT is the one thing I can not seem to figure out. When I try to put it away during the week it just never gets done.

Dinner: Dinner is also the bane of my existence. I never plan ahead enough to have something really yummy in the oven. Ohhh well about once or twice a week I will succeed but more often than not I am scrambling at 4 or 5pm to figure something out. As much as my husband likes to think he is not a picky eater he is a VERY BIG picky eater. For example: He soaked some steaks in a soy sauce marinade, it ended up in the marinade for three days due to schedules and laziness... not wanting to grill etc. When we did grill it it was very obvious the marinade had penetrated the meat. When you cut into it there was a clear line where the brown marinade had gotten to then there was a pink line of medium cooked meat. It looked a little weird. SO he did not eat. Hubby would NOT eat the meat.

I get mad all the time. For a while I was trying new dinners and trying to cook from my crock pot. I made a meatloaf in it. He wouldn't eat it because it wasn't like the one I always make. He literally wouldn't eat hamburger meat.

Hubby will not eat, tomatoes, green peppers cooked in food, meat of any kind he has decided he can not trust, i.e. color or texture.... squash, avocados unless it is in guacamole, Brussel sprouts, broccoli unless it is smothered in cheese... chicken at all unless it is BREAST MEAT ONLY, cauliflower, carrots cooked, cabbage unless it is sauerkraut, pork, steak, and chicken needs to be cut at least 1/2 an inch off of the bone or fat, NO Mushrooms of any kind, no tomato soup, pea soup, bean soup, he will eat the meat out of vegetable soup, no fish of any kind however he will sometimes if in the mood eat fish sticks, no seafood at all, no shrimp, crab, mussels, scallops or clams, no tuna fish. No vegetable lasagna, no eggplant, crock-pot concoction of any kind unless it is meat. Nothing that has been in my refrigerator for a week, but if we go down to his moms he will eat ANYTHING she serves him KNOWING she gives us expired shit all the time.

You wonder why dinner is the bane of my existence... *sigh*

So tonight I am throwing some pork ribs into the crockpot and making a side of rice...

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unfriending in the new age...

2009-07-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

i don't know why I believed we were friends.... i should have known you were a friend shifter when you didn't come to my baby shower, but I went to yours, you didn't come to my wedding anniversary, didn't even call me to see if my babies were ok after I had them but I did all that for you... you didn't even call me to see if I was ok after my sister died or to see if the move went ok.... but you know what just put the icing on the cake for me... your twitter account, and a lack of me on it. How dare you say your mad at me for missing ONE lunch date.... when you my dear have missed my life.

SO call me tacky, call me whatever you want.... but don't call me your friend, because I am a good friend and I deserve better than that.

adios....

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My Girls... my life... my way...

2009-07-18T20:17:00.009-05:00

My girls...

Kena is sooo cute lately she has begun what i like to call power crawling. She crawls all over the house and follows me around. The good thing about this house is she isn't confined to one room. Where Kya was basically confined to the living room for most of the day because of the steps Kena kid of just roams free. Of course within reason. the doors to the bedroom and bathroom are closed. She is allowed in those rooms but I like her to be at least within ear and head poking distance. Kya was bored where Kena is really getting to explore. Kya had only me to entertain her where Kena has Kya and me.....and lets face it Kya is WAY more entertaining than I am.

Kya really is the most polite little girl ever, it is really hard on her because we always have kids at our house playing with her stuff... and well being the two almost three year old she is and having a new baby sister in the house well she likes her stuff to be HER STUFF! I don't blame her, she shares her stuff all day everyday and well sometimes it gets old and you just don't want everyone using your stuff all the time. I do however require her to share her stuff and well these are lessons that will probably take a long time to learn.

Thankfully she has some really lovely playmates. I love how her friend Aubrey is so gentle with her, always remembering that Kya is younger than she is, and they never ever argue or fight or even get upset with each other. After we play with Aubrey, Kya asks for her almost every single day for a week! Arun is another friend Kya has had since birth and the three of them are really kind of kindred spirits. They enjoy being around each other and miss each other when they don't see each other. There are three new siblings to add to the mix but well, since they have been born I have moved away and it is hard to get the younger ones together on a regular basis although I am determined not to give up! There are two more girls and a boy who are all around the same age again. SO total there will be 4 girls and two boys... and each little boy gets two girls to play with! lol BONUS right :)

She also plays with a little girl named Averi, whom she takes gymnastic class with once a week. They also never ever argue or fight with each other. They play so sweet next to each other and they take care to make sure the other one always has something to play with. They are the same age and I hope they will be life long friends all though school.

She is a very lucky little girl she has many wonderful little friends. Heather the rockstar.... who is a tender hearted little whisp of a thing, Kya likes to call Feather.... Then there is Zipporah, whom Kya calls "Porah" head strong with an imagination as big as she is, you never know what she will say or do next... she is one step ahead of you that is for sure.

All of these little girls and boys are Kya's friends and that isn't even all of them. What a cute assortment of personalities.

On another note:
I always find it funny when adults question why I co-sleep with my children who are just that children. No one likes to sleep alone. Husbands and wives can go into detail about how alone they feel when their spouse is out of town. Or how they feel out of touch if one spouse goes to bed earlier than the other. Some spouses even have nightly rituals that include each other, they don't feel relaxed or comfortable if the other is not there. Yet we as adults expect our littlest ones to sleep alone. To curl up in a bed far away from the only thing they know to exist other than themselves....you. Woman are no longer taught to trust themselves or their instincts when it comes to sleeping with their chuldren. Nurseris, cribs, and bassinets are the tools we humans have created to try and make life easier for ourselves. When what we are doing is just the exact opposite.

so that is how i feel about that...
hmmmm

run fat dog run...

2009-07-07T00:02:00.003-05:00

I have two boston terriers. One boy and one girl. Mo and Sara. They are 14 and 13 years old. Between them they have had over 6 surgeries and multiple procedures! They have always gotten regular check-ups and all their shots on time. I do love my dogs. However lately it has been more of a love/hate relationship. I mean come on.... how many times can you clean out your dogs crooked tail hole, because yes her tail grew IN instead of OUT, and well it gets infected every now and then. I just wish they would grow up and move out and get their own place where they clean up their own poop and feed themselves... I am OVER IT...over it i tell you. I do love them though.

Both of my dogs have snored for years! YEARS I tell you. IN fact after having given birth to Kya I had to finally kick them both out of my bedroom because they snored LOUDER than my husband. I am not kidding you. Most of Kya's pre- birth video's are where she is rolling around in my tummy have Sara snoring in the back ground. My husband was so pissed I kicked them out of the bedroom he joined them in the living room on a bedroom return strike! Well silly little husband. Once you LEAVE the bedroom on a IF THE DOGS GO I GO strike... weeelllllll "don't let the door knob hit ya where the good sleep I am getting while your gone thank the LORD split ya" yeah so I kicked them ALLLLLLLLLL out of the bedroom. If you snore your OUT! I mean a person can be sleep deprived for only so long ya know!

Anyhow... I really digress....

Lately the two dogs were having a hard time breathing. I thought for sure the wheezing accompanied by a gag and an occasional puke fest were sure signs of heart worm. Of course it WOULD flippin be the first year I opt NOT to get them the heart worm they would get it. SO I loaded them up in the minivan convinced I would be having a HUGE bill for heart disease and god knows what else. The list in my head was LONG!

1. Mo and Sara could barely walk let alone breathe.

If they didn't have heart worm/failure Sara was limping and I thought for sure she had pulled her leg out of socket the day before and would need some kind of surgery. This was the real reason I finally made the appt. I mean they were old and hacking and waddling and limping but they were OLD!

Sooooooo 300.00 later the vet tells me they are just FAT!

FAT....

Thats it they are FAT...

Well I knew that.

I could of told you that.

So I resolved to relieve my husband from the dog feeding duties and I was putting them on a diet. A real diet.
I got the paper work from the vet. Bought the expensive diet food. And well put them on a diet.

Karl says they are old... let them be happy and eat what they want. I say let them loose weight so they can at least breath and give them one treat a day and take them for WALKS.. WALKS make them happier than FOOD!

bahhh humbugggg says the hubby. He has been in charge of feeding them for years. Plus over the last 4 I really have been pregnant and nursing and taking care of kids so the last thing I cared about was how fat the dogs were. Well I figured it was about time I paid attention. So DIET city for them. See I am not prone to feeling sorry for them. They lay around and get attention all day long, if they are hungry they will eat.

Well three weeks later and they are SKINNY! They haven't eaten in three weeks lol... but they are definitely skinny. They look like completely different dogs, and they are acting like puppies again.

but mostly.... They no longer SNORE!

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The fifth of July

2009-07-05T23:30:00.003-05:00

Is it just me or do you also hate the people who shoot fireworks off at 11pm on a sunday night the day AFTER the fourth of July?

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite people in the world. My sister.. my sista.. my sista from anotha motha..

The person whom I call when anything good, bad, and ugly happens in my life.

She dosen't really read my blog, but her hubby does... so tell my sister i love her.

*****

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tucks tuck tuck tucks........

2009-07-05T23:28:00.000-05:00

When you gave birth did anyone tell you to take tucks wipes with you>? I forget who actually told me to take them with me, but I dutifully went out and bought some and (no pun intended) tucked them into my little neatly packed hospital bag.

Now before i had kids I had never had the problem one would need to have in order to need tucks. But let me tell you. I sure as hell did after I gave birth... and I even had a c-section. I got the hemorrhoids from the "C" word. I swear I ate more flippin prunes than should be humanly allowed and yet I was STILL constipated and I STILL got hemorrhoids. Those babies are the worst.

My friend just had twins two days ago, and I am making a little gift basket for her. When I saw this on the mom central site i laughed and agreed to do a little ditty about it because, if someone doesn't tell you these little babies are the shizz and you should put them in your purse, then at least you heard it from me. SO I am going to give them to my friend whom I am going to see in Oklahoma Wednesday. Hopefully if she has the problem these will help her as well as they did me :)

Ohhh and I am one of the lucky ones.. mine actually went away. My MIL however has had the same one for 25 years! ugggg

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Galveston Tx

2009-06-28T23:14:00.000-05:00

I have been really craving the beach for a long time. Not to mention some of the women who's blogs I read are either living at the beach or they are going to the beach... either way I am jealous jealous jealous... happy for them of course *wink* *hugs* but still wishing I was either living with them or being packed up in their suitcase!

The other night I was telling Karl how much I really miss the beach. We were making plans to go to the beach in August in Ocean City< MD. The reality of the situation is it won't be happening.
1. It is a VERY VERY long drive with two kids.
2. I will not fly until I can take zanex again i.e. done nursing
3. I really hate flying anywhere you will be staying for over a week with car seats at 30.00 a day to rent, car to rent, clothes to stuff into small suitcases, stroller to schlep, connections to make
4. fuck it I HATE TO FLY! sorry i just do

I go back east at least once to twice a year! I have never ever not been home for longer than 12 months. Speaking of which why do I still say going to PA is going home when it hasen't been my home for over 15 years. Yeah.... I have no idea why I still say "going home".

SOOOO I went out and looked at rental houses in Galveston, TX and fell in love! They are beautiful and right on the beach. So I have convinced Karl to go to Galveston, Tx for a week the last week in August! YIPPPEEEEEEEE

I am inviting Karls family and my family to come down as well. It would be nice if we could have a vacation every year our kids go on with family to the beach. My sister lives in Dallas and my two brothers now live in Houston. SO really Galveston, Tx for a vacation is a no brainer. Hopefully they will join us. Before kids we went to the beach every year with my sister and my foster family. They also have extended family they like to spend time with as well as other traveling they like to do so with kids and timing it seems we have not been able to go for the last 5 years with them. I really really miss it. I miss the sand, surf and walking along the beach. Kya is really into building sand castles so I am hoping she will have fun. I am not a big SWIMMER per say.... I am more of a play in the surf kind of gal so hanging out with my kids in the sand is just fine with me.

yiippeeeeeee yippeeeeeeee..... now I just have to tell my best friend we aren't driving to Maryland before she reads it here :( i love you sweetie.....

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holy crap I am hungry

2009-06-27T00:20:00.000-05:00

Seriously I am hungry ALL the time. Well not in the morning when I should be hungry, but by noon or 2 I am starving and I can eat from noon until midnight! Right now I am craving a huge slice of cheese pizza from NY! Well we know that won't happen... but earlier I was craving a HUGE sweet potato, before that it was a big ass steak. You name it I have craved it. This nursing is crazy this time. At least that has to be what it is right? I don't ever remember being this hungry ever before I started nursing babies.

I am hoping when Kena weans herself I will go back to normal eating desires. Because right now I could eat anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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good times :)

2009-06-22T23:45:00.004-05:00

So many times I look back on my marriage and I honestly can not picture my life any other way! Even though we are living in a rental house, renting out our house 2 hours away. Living in a glorified trailer with mice and ants and only two small bedrooms. I have never ever been happier. I mean don't get me wrong some days as I am spraying down the ceiling with ant spray because nothing organic works and I think we actually LIVE on an ant hill, (and if I see one more ant crawl across the floor or my baby I will just about freaking loose my mind) I don't really mind this house!

We are probably going to actually start looking for a new house in a year or so. We want to make sure our house continues to rent out before we become responsible for a new mortgage. The last thing I want is to be responsible for two mortgages and not be able to handle it. We have budgeted so if we need to we can cover both and still be ok. Well OK, not rock star, but definitely OK! Every time I look at my hubby he is house hunting on the Internet. I think he is really sick of this house. I think he somehow feels where we live is a reflection on who we are. He feels like people look at where we are and assume he is not doing well for his family. I tell him.... when I look at people in big houses and brand new cars and all that stuff mostly I see time! Time spent trying to keep it. Time away from family. Now don't get me wrong, I know we are lucky to be able to afford what we have. However at the same time LUCK had NOTHING to do with it! We have worked very hard to have the education we have. The life experiences we have had have also gotten us to where we are. We both served our time in the military to put ourselves through school.

So me...being the little girl who grew up in government housing... I am in no way looking at our rental house as a flag staked in the ground as to who we are. Or who my husband is. On the contrary I look at it as what we are willing to endure and go through to ensure we raise our family the way we want. Through thick and thin we are a family.... Our little family....

So when my hubby looks on the Internet at all these houses, prepping to buy one next year... I look at them and think... ehhhhh its nice, but does it have a back yard for a garden? I NEVER would of said that 4 years ago! It is amazing how becoming a mother really shifts your priorities. Now don't get me wrong I have always been on the frugal side, but I have never wanted a garden or to live in the country!

We are leaving in two weeks for a little road trip to Oklahoma and Texas to visit my sister. I am sooo excited. Mostly because I really do enjoy road trips.

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