Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!
So 4 years ago today, L joined our family! I cannot believe L is already 4 years old! Wow, boy does time fly!
Guess who called?
According to L it was "a zebra from the YMCA."
Ummm..... try again, it was giraffe (Geoffrey) from Toys R Us wishing L a happy birthday!
Ummm..... try again, it was giraffe (Geoffrey) from Toys R Us wishing L a happy birthday!
Monday, December 14, 2009
How to tell the difference between bugs
Overheard..... T explaining to L
She's a firefly. Her butt lights up.
LOL
She's a firefly. Her butt lights up.
LOL
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Marry me!!!
The boys are playing. L with his femisapien (the female version of the robosapien - sorry it was on sale, sue me!) and T with Transformer Bumblebee. I couldn't tell what T was screeching at first, esp since L is running away from T, laughing hysterically. Turns out T is chasing L, begging, pleading with L to marry him and to let T aka Bumblebee kiss L aka femisapien. Crazy kids!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Stinker!
The night before, D was going to the storage unit to bring some more stuff over and decided to bring the boys to give me a little reprieve. On the car ride over, T and L were bickering, as usual. T was being bossy, as usual.
Finally D had enough and says, "L, if T is being stubborn and acting like a stinker, ignore him!"
After a few seconds, L answers: He is a stinker!
Finally D had enough and says, "L, if T is being stubborn and acting like a stinker, ignore him!"
After a few seconds, L answers: He is a stinker!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Chuckle of the Day
L: I love edamame (his pronunciation "eda-mommy.") It's my favorite. When Daddy gets home, will he eat "eda-daddy?"
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Chuckle of the Day
T: When we get our big boy teeth, when we get big like mommy, can we stay with Mommy and Daddy?
L: Okay.
T: Okay, let's stay with Mommy and Daddy and not get married. To a stranger.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Great Shoprite run!
I had an awesome shopping trip at Shoprite tonight! I had been trying to get to Shoprite all week but alas, the fates were against me. Tonight was my last chance before some of my coupons expired so I had to go out despite the hour. It was well worth it! Thanks to Mom and her coupon buddies for telling me how to go out about and get the best deal with the Buy X and Get $ deal this week.
1st Transaction
4 rolls of Viva paper towels (These are awesome! Almost clothlike!)
1 Kotex
4 Ben & Jerry's Flipout Vanilla Fudge Brownie
2 Starbucks ice cream
1 reusuable tote bag
Total before Shoprite Price Plus card & coupons $30.19
Total after -1.81
Yes, negative. I had to move an item from my second purchase over. So I added a Smart Balance cooking spray at $2.50 to bring my total to $.69!
2nd Transaction
4 rolls of Viva paper towels
1 Kotex
2 Lysol wipes
1 box Fruitabu
2 reusuable tote bags
Total before Shoprite Price Plus card & coupons $23.48
Total after 1.32
I felt like I was stealing from Shoprite! Of course, I know I wasn't. I just used my coupons wisely. I walked out with a shopping cart full of stuff for $2.01! I was on such a shopping high!
1st Transaction
4 rolls of Viva paper towels (These are awesome! Almost clothlike!)
1 Kotex
4 Ben & Jerry's Flipout Vanilla Fudge Brownie
2 Starbucks ice cream
1 reusuable tote bag
Total before Shoprite Price Plus card & coupons $30.19
Total after -1.81
Yes, negative. I had to move an item from my second purchase over. So I added a Smart Balance cooking spray at $2.50 to bring my total to $.69!
2nd Transaction
4 rolls of Viva paper towels
1 Kotex
2 Lysol wipes
1 box Fruitabu
2 reusuable tote bags
Total before Shoprite Price Plus card & coupons $23.48
Total after 1.32
I felt like I was stealing from Shoprite! Of course, I know I wasn't. I just used my coupons wisely. I walked out with a shopping cart full of stuff for $2.01! I was on such a shopping high!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Another Amazon Gift Card!
Hee, hee.... I just got my last Amazon.com e gift card last Tuesday and already I am redeeming my next one. Thank you, Swagbucks!
Recently Redeemed Prizes
Recently Redeemed Prizes
$5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card
J
So it takes approximately 12 days to get the e gift card from time of redemption. It is a little long but one can't really complain about free money!
And it has taken 19 days to earn enough swagbucks to redeem another Amazon.com e gift card. Not too shabby. Especially since I am not really on the computer as much as I used to be and I don't get to use swagbucks that much.
Well, I promise this will be the last post on swagbucks. Swagbucks has hogged up my blog long enough. It was just so much fun recording my swagbucks earnings.
J
So it takes approximately 12 days to get the e gift card from time of redemption. It is a little long but one can't really complain about free money!
And it has taken 19 days to earn enough swagbucks to redeem another Amazon.com e gift card. Not too shabby. Especially since I am not really on the computer as much as I used to be and I don't get to use swagbucks that much.
Well, I promise this will be the last post on swagbucks. Swagbucks has hogged up my blog long enough. It was just so much fun recording my swagbucks earnings.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
"Borrowing" from the library
Okay, I've been flooding the blog with swagbucks that I have earned. Time to add some anecdotes about real life again!
Z had a pen that he took from my bag. What is the fascination with my bag anyway?!? So I traded him the abacus and a couple of boardbooks we had gotten from the library for the pen.
L: That's my book.
T: Did you borrow it from the library?
L: No, I took it.
I think I may have to explain the concept of the library to L again!
Z had a pen that he took from my bag. What is the fascination with my bag anyway?!? So I traded him the abacus and a couple of boardbooks we had gotten from the library for the pen.
L: That's my book.
T: Did you borrow it from the library?
L: No, I took it.
I think I may have to explain the concept of the library to L again!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Thank you, Swagbucks!
Woohoo! That was number 45 for Swagbucks! That means I earn another $5 Amazon.com gift card! Yippee!
Recently Redeemed Prizes
Hey, I like posting my swagbucks here on my blog. It gives me concrete documentation of my earnings. And I can keep track of how long it takes me to earn my next gift card. I want to do that as soon as possible. You never know when Swagbucks is going to raise the stakes and raise the amount from 45 Swagbucks back to 110 Swagbucks to earn the $5 Amazon.com gift card.
Recently Redeemed Prizes
$5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card
J
Hey, I like posting my swagbucks here on my blog. It gives me concrete documentation of my earnings. And I can keep track of how long it takes me to earn my next gift card. I want to do that as soon as possible. You never know when Swagbucks is going to raise the stakes and raise the amount from 45 Swagbucks back to 110 Swagbucks to earn the $5 Amazon.com gift card.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
My 5th Swagbucks Gift Card!
We are happy to inform you that your $5 Amazon.com e-Gift Card is now posted within the "My Gift Cards" section of your Swag Bucks account profile!
I requested my Amazon.com e-gift Card on June 3rd and it finally posted last night! That was 13 days! Wow, I think that was the longest it's ever taken. Usually it's about a week or so.
The awesome thing is that I'm almost there for getting my next e-gift card. I am five swagbucks away from my next Amazon.com e-gift card. I figure it will take me another day or two. I've never really sat down to figure it out, but I guess the turn around time for me to earn each card is about 2 weeks - give or take. That's not too shabby.
I requested my Amazon.com e-gift Card on June 3rd and it finally posted last night! That was 13 days! Wow, I think that was the longest it's ever taken. Usually it's about a week or so.
The awesome thing is that I'm almost there for getting my next e-gift card. I am five swagbucks away from my next Amazon.com e-gift card. I figure it will take me another day or two. I've never really sat down to figure it out, but I guess the turn around time for me to earn each card is about 2 weeks - give or take. That's not too shabby.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Luigi's anyone?
I had the most amazing grocery shopping trip at Shoprite Saturday night. It was raining and late but I just had to go. I already bought my coupons through The Coupon Master and I was ready to get my deals.
I bought:
12 Luigi ices (yes, 12 boxes and with 6 in each box, we are proud owners of 72 cups of Italian ice!)
14 boxes of Ronzoni pasta
4 Chips Ahoy
8 boxes of Zip Loc bags
5 boxes of Hefty One Zip bags
1 gallon of 2% milk
2 lb bag of carrots
1 lb bag of baby carrots
1 pineapple
1 red pepper
2 yams
2 mangos
1 red onion
2 pints of blueberries
2 bunches of bananas
1 Heluva Colby Jack cheese
2 packages of pizza dough
1 Fleischmann's margarine
1 SR butter
2 SR shredded cheese
3 cans of SR creamed corn
2 cans of Cento tomato paste
3 bags of Quaker Oats soy chips
3 bags of Pepperidge Farm goldfish
1 Arnold's bread
4 lbs of banana
4 Silk Soy yogurt
1 Kashi Waffle
1 VO5 shampoo
1 Earthwise reusuable totebag
1 lb deli turkey breast
1/2 lb Alpine Lace muenster cheese
1/2 lb Thumann's bologna
The original total was $152.30
The total after my Shoprite Price Plus card was $125.12
The total after the canvas bag refund was $124.67. It's $.05 per bag.
And then after coupons, my grand total was $83.68! Yes, $68.62 came off the bill after the Price Plus card and coupons. I saved 45%! Woohoo! Okay, maybe I should add in the cost of my purchase of the coupons. So I only saved 44%. Ooooh...
The Kashi Waffles were free.
The VO5 shampoo was free.
The Earthwise reusable bag was free.
The Alpine Lace cheese was free.
And they paid me, yes paid me, to take the Luigi Italian ice. With an overage of $.17 per box, SR paid me $2.04 to take 12 boxes of Italian ice. And now I am the best mommy and wife in the world. hehehe
I bought:
12 Luigi ices (yes, 12 boxes and with 6 in each box, we are proud owners of 72 cups of Italian ice!)
14 boxes of Ronzoni pasta
4 Chips Ahoy
8 boxes of Zip Loc bags
5 boxes of Hefty One Zip bags
1 gallon of 2% milk
2 lb bag of carrots
1 lb bag of baby carrots
1 pineapple
1 red pepper
2 yams
2 mangos
1 red onion
2 pints of blueberries
2 bunches of bananas
1 Heluva Colby Jack cheese
2 packages of pizza dough
1 Fleischmann's margarine
1 SR butter
2 SR shredded cheese
3 cans of SR creamed corn
2 cans of Cento tomato paste
3 bags of Quaker Oats soy chips
3 bags of Pepperidge Farm goldfish
1 Arnold's bread
4 lbs of banana
4 Silk Soy yogurt
1 Kashi Waffle
1 VO5 shampoo
1 Earthwise reusuable totebag
1 lb deli turkey breast
1/2 lb Alpine Lace muenster cheese
1/2 lb Thumann's bologna
The original total was $152.30
The total after my Shoprite Price Plus card was $125.12
The total after the canvas bag refund was $124.67. It's $.05 per bag.
And then after coupons, my grand total was $83.68! Yes, $68.62 came off the bill after the Price Plus card and coupons. I saved 45%! Woohoo! Okay, maybe I should add in the cost of my purchase of the coupons. So I only saved 44%. Ooooh...
The Kashi Waffles were free.
The VO5 shampoo was free.
The Earthwise reusable bag was free.
The Alpine Lace cheese was free.
And they paid me, yes paid me, to take the Luigi Italian ice. With an overage of $.17 per box, SR paid me $2.04 to take 12 boxes of Italian ice. And now I am the best mommy and wife in the world. hehehe
Swagbucks
Well, obviously, I've just discovered how to share the swagbucks I've won here. I think I'm up to 5 Amazon giftcards. That's $25! And I am almost there for my 6th GC. That's $30 in free money just searching or shall we say swagging as I would normally do. And I've been part of Swagbucks since Februray or March, I think.
Okay, it's isn't a whole lot of money, but there's nothing extra I really have to do. It's not like I have to spend 20 minutes to do surveys. I mean, yes, I've earned checks and gift cards doing surveys, too. But swagbucks takes no effort. I simply use their search engine like I would use Google or Yahoo or whatever search is out there. Swagbucks actually uses Google and Ask to do their searches so it is a legitimate search. I think depending on which server you use, you can install a Swagbucks toolbar. That of course makes swagging so much easier. You definitely do not have to think about it, since any search you do will automatically be done through swagbucks. I do not have a Swagbucks toolbar but it's not really harder. I usually have a window or two open with the swagbucks site and I generally remember to search or swag through that page. It's not the best search engine but it is decent. Sometimes but not too often, I will have to resort back to Google to refine or expand my searches but Swagbucks works pretty well for the most part.
So if you're interested, click here to start swagging.
Okay, it's isn't a whole lot of money, but there's nothing extra I really have to do. It's not like I have to spend 20 minutes to do surveys. I mean, yes, I've earned checks and gift cards doing surveys, too. But swagbucks takes no effort. I simply use their search engine like I would use Google or Yahoo or whatever search is out there. Swagbucks actually uses Google and Ask to do their searches so it is a legitimate search. I think depending on which server you use, you can install a Swagbucks toolbar. That of course makes swagging so much easier. You definitely do not have to think about it, since any search you do will automatically be done through swagbucks. I do not have a Swagbucks toolbar but it's not really harder. I usually have a window or two open with the swagbucks site and I generally remember to search or swag through that page. It's not the best search engine but it is decent. Sometimes but not too often, I will have to resort back to Google to refine or expand my searches but Swagbucks works pretty well for the most part.
So if you're interested, click here to start swagging.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
The honeymoon is over
Yeah, it was fun while it lasted. I knew it wouldn't take long for the mother-in-law to revert to her old self. We get to the house and manage to park right across the street. I look and she is right there! Oh my god! She is hovering, ready to jump on us. I'll steal a quote from a mom on the InLaws board: "She needs to start by not drooling over the baby and pretty much standing on me to get the baby out my hands the second she gets in the door." Of course, in our case, it's when we go over to her house. She is not going to be stepping in our house, if I can help it. She cannot respect me in my house, she is not welcome. Anyway, she doesn't even let us in the door. When she even spots us through her window, she swoops out like a vulture. Good description, huh?
I was seeing red though when she brought up when T broke his leg. She goes on to describe and show D's aunt how T broke his leg. Seriously, wtf? She was not there. The only person who possibly might have seen T fall and break his leg was my brother. She was nowhere f-ing near my son and she's going show someone how he broke his leg. I was too pissed off to correct her. I really should have. I keep going over it in my head. I should have said, "No, that's not right. Noone saw T fall. Noone knows how T broke his leg." But I was too pissed off to say anything because she brought up the bad memories I will forever associate with that day. She's damn lucky I still associate with her.
Then my further mistake during dinner was when Z was crying. I was going to walk with him. The mother-in-law said she would take him because I was still eating. I said no because it was only going to make him cry more. Which did happen. But I still let her take him out of my arms. Why did I do that? I had to clench my fists. I really didn't want D to say that I don't let his mother hold the baby. I didn't want to hear later on that she whined to D about me always not letting her take the baby. I will not let that happen again. Another quote that is apropos: "I hate the whole let-me-take-care-of-DS-so-you-can-have-your-hands-free-but-it's-really-all-about-me-having-alone-time-with-DS routine." It's like these ladies can read my mind. Gotta love 'em.
Obviously, there was other stuff. There is always other stuff. Nothing big, but annoying nonetheless. The woman cannot help herself. She is the self-proclaimed mother of the year. Somehow, she can do all, soothe all. Yeah, my son gets hurt and she's the one that he will want. Yeah, right. She does not have a clue. The kids were playing rough and L fell. Of course, I soothe him. He's crying in my arms and merely wants comfort. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the mother-in-law, a few feet away with coffee table between us, with her arms out like L was going to go to her for comfort. Are you serious?!?? She does it again with, I forget, L or T when they cry. Get a clue, lady! My children will NOT be going to you for comfort, not if I am already comforting them! If I wasn't, it would be a different story. If she was closest and they willingly went to her for comfort, okay. I wouldn't like it, but I will deal. My child's comfort comes first. But do you really think that my children will leave my arms, their mother's arms, to go to you!?? Obviously, she does. It's just stupid. But that's the nature of beast, isn't it? Each time, I wonder what stupid thing she will do next.
I was seeing red though when she brought up when T broke his leg. She goes on to describe and show D's aunt how T broke his leg. Seriously, wtf? She was not there. The only person who possibly might have seen T fall and break his leg was my brother. She was nowhere f-ing near my son and she's going show someone how he broke his leg. I was too pissed off to correct her. I really should have. I keep going over it in my head. I should have said, "No, that's not right. Noone saw T fall. Noone knows how T broke his leg." But I was too pissed off to say anything because she brought up the bad memories I will forever associate with that day. She's damn lucky I still associate with her.
Then my further mistake during dinner was when Z was crying. I was going to walk with him. The mother-in-law said she would take him because I was still eating. I said no because it was only going to make him cry more. Which did happen. But I still let her take him out of my arms. Why did I do that? I had to clench my fists. I really didn't want D to say that I don't let his mother hold the baby. I didn't want to hear later on that she whined to D about me always not letting her take the baby. I will not let that happen again. Another quote that is apropos: "I hate the whole let-me-take-care-of-DS-so-you-can-have-your-hands-free-but-it's-really-all-about-me-having-alone-time-with-DS routine." It's like these ladies can read my mind. Gotta love 'em.
Obviously, there was other stuff. There is always other stuff. Nothing big, but annoying nonetheless. The woman cannot help herself. She is the self-proclaimed mother of the year. Somehow, she can do all, soothe all. Yeah, my son gets hurt and she's the one that he will want. Yeah, right. She does not have a clue. The kids were playing rough and L fell. Of course, I soothe him. He's crying in my arms and merely wants comfort. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the mother-in-law, a few feet away with coffee table between us, with her arms out like L was going to go to her for comfort. Are you serious?!?? She does it again with, I forget, L or T when they cry. Get a clue, lady! My children will NOT be going to you for comfort, not if I am already comforting them! If I wasn't, it would be a different story. If she was closest and they willingly went to her for comfort, okay. I wouldn't like it, but I will deal. My child's comfort comes first. But do you really think that my children will leave my arms, their mother's arms, to go to you!?? Obviously, she does. It's just stupid. But that's the nature of beast, isn't it? Each time, I wonder what stupid thing she will do next.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Pigs are flying
I swear somewhere out there pigs are flying. Really. The other day, we had dinner with the in-law. It was the mother-in-law's birthday. Since it was the big 6-0, we are "required" to do something special for her birthday. When D brings it up to her, she says 'no, no, no, it's not necessary.' Of course, a few days later, D tells me that we're having 2 tables. This is what D was planning to begin with, but whatever happened to 'oh, it's not necessary to do anything?' Anyway, it's not for me to say anything. And I told myself that I would bite my tongue and be nice. But then the day before the dinner, D tells me that his mother said she was making a dish for L. My jaw dropped. Excuse me? She's making a special dish for L? In the 3 years that we've known about L's allergies, she has never made a dish especially for L. She's never made anything specifically for my children. She's cooked because she's cooking for everyone. She might say, oh, T likes this dish or L likes this soup but it wouldn't be because she went out of her way to make it especially for them. So ergo, pigs must be flying somewhere. D even acknowledges this. Not the pigs, but the oddity of the action. Well, I thought perhaps she might have been just saying it and that when the time comes, she would have some sort of excuse and not have done anything. But then the day of, D confirms with his mother that she made something. So I thought wow. But nonetheless, I still brought food for L. Good thing. When at the restaurant, and it came time for L to eat, I brought out the container of food that mother-in-law made. L got very excited and said he wanted to eat it. He still seemed excited when I opened the container. By the time, I got a fork to scoop some of the green beans onto his plate, L changed his mind and didn't want it anymore. A span of seconds passed, so I have no idea what happened. I detected a weird odor to the dish, but I swear I did not convey it to L. I did not want to influence his thoughts. So good thing I brought the beef with peas and carrots because L devoured that. He did not touch the green beans that I put on his plate. I have to admit that made me smile internally.
But honestly, that night was actually pretty pleasant. The in-laws were very pleasant to me. Mother-in-law was courteous and didn't make her usual snide passive aggressive comments. Father-in-law kept on serving me. When they left, mother-in-law made a point to tell me that they were leaving. I think someone must have said something to them. Otherwise I cannot understand where this change of behavior has come from. Has someone shown them the light? what makes me believe this even more is that D tells me that his mother asked if we could take a family photo and others, so that she can enlarge them and hang them up. Someone must have noticed the fact that she does not have any pictures of us as a family. Nor does she have any pictures of her grandkids. I refuse to give her any pictures because lord knows what she does with them. There is no grandmotherly pride in her. There is one baby picture of T. And that's it. T is almost 6 years old. After giving her pictures and seeing that she does nothing with them but talk, I don't want to bother anymore. D just feels obligated to give her pictures. I secretly enjoy it when he forgets to give them to her. We'll see what happens on Sunday. Let's see if the pictures get taken. I hope they don't. Oh, let's see who's going to take the picture. And with whose camera? Will I be responsible for them? For developing the pictures and enlarging them? Um, I don't think so. Call me a snotty daughter-in-law, but I just don't think a zebra can change its stripes.
But honestly, that night was actually pretty pleasant. The in-laws were very pleasant to me. Mother-in-law was courteous and didn't make her usual snide passive aggressive comments. Father-in-law kept on serving me. When they left, mother-in-law made a point to tell me that they were leaving. I think someone must have said something to them. Otherwise I cannot understand where this change of behavior has come from. Has someone shown them the light? what makes me believe this even more is that D tells me that his mother asked if we could take a family photo and others, so that she can enlarge them and hang them up. Someone must have noticed the fact that she does not have any pictures of us as a family. Nor does she have any pictures of her grandkids. I refuse to give her any pictures because lord knows what she does with them. There is no grandmotherly pride in her. There is one baby picture of T. And that's it. T is almost 6 years old. After giving her pictures and seeing that she does nothing with them but talk, I don't want to bother anymore. D just feels obligated to give her pictures. I secretly enjoy it when he forgets to give them to her. We'll see what happens on Sunday. Let's see if the pictures get taken. I hope they don't. Oh, let's see who's going to take the picture. And with whose camera? Will I be responsible for them? For developing the pictures and enlarging them? Um, I don't think so. Call me a snotty daughter-in-law, but I just don't think a zebra can change its stripes.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
101 Ways to Praise a Child
This is just what I needed. A great followup to my post the other day. A perfect reminder of what I should be saying to my boys. I'm going to print this out and tape it around the house.
101 Ways to Praise a Child!
WOW • WAY TO GO • SUPER • YOU'RE SPECIAL • OUTSTANDING • EXCELLENT •
GREAT• GOOD • NEAT • WELL DONE • REMARKABLE • I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT • I'M PROUD OF YOU • FANTASTIC • SUPER STAR • NICE WORK • LOOKING GOOD • YOU'RE ON TOP OF IT • BEAUTIFUL • NOW YOU'RE FLYING • YOU'RE CATCHING ON • NOW YOU'VE GOT IT • YOU'RE INCREDIBLE • BRAVO • YOU'RE FANTASTIC • HURRAY FOR YOU • YOU'RE ON TARGET • YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY • HOW NICE • HOW SMART • GOOD JOB • THAT'S INCREDIBLE • HOT DOG • DYNAMITE • YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL • YOU'RE UNIQUE • NOTHING CAN STOP YOU NOW • GOOD FOR YOU • I LIKE YOU YOU'RE A WINNER • REMARKABLE JOB • BEAUTIFUL WORK • SPECTACULAR • YOU'RE SPECTACULAR • YOU'RE DARLING • YOU'RE PRECIOUS • GREAT DISCOVERY • YOU'VE DISCOVERED THE SECRET • YOU FIGURED IT OUT • FANTASTIC JOB • HIP, HIP, HURRAY • BINGO • MAGNIFICENT • MARVELOUS • TERRIFIC • YOU'RE IMPORTANT • PHENOMENAL • YOU'RE SENSATIONAL • SUPER WORK • CREATIVE JOB • SUPER JOB • FANTASTIC JOB • EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE • YOU'RE A REAL TROOPER • YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE • YOU ARE EXCITING • YOU LEARNED IT RIGHT • WHAT AN IMAGINATION •WHAT A GOOD LISTENER • YOU ARE FUN • YOU'RE GROWING UP • YOU TRIED HARD • YOU CARE • BEAUTIFUL SHARING • OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE • YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND • I TRUST YOU • YOU'RE IMPORTANT • YOU MEAN A LOT TO ME • YOU MAKE ME HAPPY • YOU BELONG • YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND • YOU MAKE ME LAUGH • YOU BRIGHTEN MY DAY • I RESPECT YOU • YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME • THAT'S CORRECT • YOU'RE A JOY • YOU'RE A TREASURE • YOU'RE WONDERFUL • YOU'RE PERFECT • AWESOME • A+ JOB • YOU'RE A-OK MY BUDDY • YOU MADE MY DAY • THAT'S THE BEST • A BIG HUG • A BIG KISS • SAY I LOVE YOU!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Amy Grant's Banana Bread
Yesterday while we were waiting for the sales guy at the VW dealership, I started browsing through the February issue of Good Housekeeping. I came across a recipe for Banana Bread. You know how much I love to collect recipes. And it just so happened that I bought a whole bunch of bananas on Friday. It was perfect. It was meant to be. The article said that it was Amy Grant's grandmother's recipe. It's really a Banana Nut Bread recipe but I left out the nuts. We don't have any nuts. We didn't miss it.
I made it last night. We had it this morning. Yummy! T did not want to try it. He wanted toast with butter. But Daddy made him try a little piece before he would make him toast. T loved it! Daddy loved it, too. He could still taste how good it was despite his lack of senses due to his cold. We will definitely be making this again! And I'll make L's version. He saw us raving about how good it was, so he wanted a piece, too. I felt so bad. I'll have to make him his gluten free, dairy free, egg free version sometime soon.
Well, here's the original recipe. It takes a long time to bake, but well worth the time.
Amy Grant's Grandma Grant's Banana Nut Bread
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
3 bananas, sliced (2 cups)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch metal loaf pan.
Cream the sugar with the butter. Mix in the eggs, bananas, flour, pecans, baking soda, and the salt. Pour into the prepared pan. Place the loaf pan in a cold oven. Set the oven control to 300 degrees F. Bake the banana bread for 1 1/2 hours or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Then remove from the pan and cool completely, right side up.
I made it last night. We had it this morning. Yummy! T did not want to try it. He wanted toast with butter. But Daddy made him try a little piece before he would make him toast. T loved it! Daddy loved it, too. He could still taste how good it was despite his lack of senses due to his cold. We will definitely be making this again! And I'll make L's version. He saw us raving about how good it was, so he wanted a piece, too. I felt so bad. I'll have to make him his gluten free, dairy free, egg free version sometime soon.
Well, here's the original recipe. It takes a long time to bake, but well worth the time.
Amy Grant's Grandma Grant's Banana Nut Bread
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
3 bananas, sliced (2 cups)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch metal loaf pan.
Cream the sugar with the butter. Mix in the eggs, bananas, flour, pecans, baking soda, and the salt. Pour into the prepared pan. Place the loaf pan in a cold oven. Set the oven control to 300 degrees F. Bake the banana bread for 1 1/2 hours or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Then remove from the pan and cool completely, right side up.
Stop Yelling
I just read a wonderful article that I NEED very, very much. Hopefully, it'll help me be the mom I should be.
Stop Yelling |
How I Stopped Yelling |
| by Tamara Eberlein |
| Hollering had practically become my normal speaking voice. I didn't like it, and my children were tuning me out. But, I found, there were lots of ways to get them to behave without it. When my twins were babies, I never yelled. Who could feel angry at tiny infants cooing in their cribs? But as they approached the terrible twos, my voice grew gradually louder. They'd make mischief; I'd say "No." They'd go right on misbehaving; I'd say "No" more vehemently. Then one day I caught them soaking huge wads of toilet paper in the toilet and flinging them against the wall. I lost it. Vocal cord volume at max, I bellowed, "Cut it out or I'll put you in the potty!" By the time my third child was born, the twins were 24 months, and just about every day included a self-bred tempest or two. Sometimes it was a matter of survival. I'd have the baby in my arms, a toddler clinging to my ankles, and another toddler running toward the road. What mother wouldn't shout? But more often it was my survival at stake: I'd be so stressed that a good scream seemed the safest way to vent steam. And, hey, sometimes it worked. Yet afterward I'd feel bad. Aren't there better ways to get kids to cooperate? I'd wonder. When a child acts childish, isn't it my job to act adultish? And, I realized, I was falling into the trap of congratulating myself for "merely screaming," as if refraining from physical abuse were anything more than the minimum standard for acceptable parenting. |
| But what really convinced me I needed to change was something that occurred when a friend and I were playground-bound. As Lisa was strapping her toddler twins into their car seats, her kindergartner started shoving his younger sister. Lisa admonished distractedly, "Conor, stop," but he kept right on. Gruffly I barked, "Quit it, Conor!" Whipping around, Lisa caught her son's shocked expression, then shot me a look of utter rage. I was mortified. With no conscious thought, I had yelled at someone else's child. That's how automatic my blistering responses to my own kids' wrongdoings had become. Resolving to reform, I read books, attended lectures, took part in parenting workshops, and interviewed child-rearing experts. And I learned a lot. |
| What's Wrong with It |
| For a start, it doesn't make kids behave. In fact, it often has the opposite effect. "Studies show that shouting excites youngsters," says pediatrician Nathan Blum, M.D., of the division of child development and rehabilitation at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, "so that they'll actually misbehave more." If you shout at a 3-year-old who's pummeling her brother, he explains, there's a chance yelling might make her more likely to continue hitting than if you had said nothing. "She's not being defiant; she's simply reacting in a physical way to an emotional stimulus." What's more, children begin to tune you out at lower decibels. They figure if mom means business, she'll holler - and if she doesn't, why bother listening? Worse, when kids aren't ignoring the tantrums, they're imitating them. "Yelling teaches kids that the appropriate way to communicate is to shout, and that the more a person wants her own way, the louder she should voice her demands," explains Barbara Coloroso, author of Kids Are Worth It! Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline. One of the most disturbing things I learned was how damaging unbridled rage can be. "When you shout," says Coloroso, "no matter what you're saying, the underlying message is that you don't respect your child enough to speak respectfully. And that chips away at his self-esteem." Screaming also assaults a child's sense of security, says Charles E. Schaefer, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. "It's terrifying for a small child to see his parent, who is so comparatively huge and so essential to his well-being, getting wildly angry. The child fears that you are a step away from hitting him or even leaving him." I could hear that fear in the voice of my 3-year-old, who, after committing some transgression he knew might set me off, would clutch my legs and gasp "Nice mommy, nice mommy," as if by his protective mantra he could make me actually be a nice mommy instead of a screeching banshee. |
| Kick the Habit |
| You have to realize that it is a habit. And you have to find ways to short-circuit your anger before it gets out of control. |
| Identify your hot-temper zones |
| I kept a log, and within a few days the pattern was obvious. I'm most likely to go ballistic when: |
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|
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| It was a relief to discover this pattern, because it meant my screaming wasn't simply a character flaw but a sign that our family's schedule was out of whack. "Work out routines that prevent predictable problems, and you'll have far less need for yelling," promises James Windell, a psychotherapist in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and author of the forthcoming Children Who Say No When You Want Them to Say Yes. |
| See yourself as your child sees you |
| Does she shriek at her dolls, like mommy? Tape one of your outbursts (ask your husband to turn on the tape recorder when you're unaware); you'll be stunned at how strident you sound. Or ask your child to draw a picture of you yelling. I cringed when I saw the portrait my 5-year-old daughter produced: an enormous woman with scowling brows, bugged-out eyes, a huge black hole for a mouth, looming over three cowering children. But self-awareness is the first step toward self-control, Dr. Schaefer assures. |
| Play voice-softening mind games |
| Most effective for me is Big Mother Is Watching. When I'm headed toward a tailspin, I imagine there's a witness - my mother-in-law or minister, my child's teacher or future therapist. Then I try to deal with the problem in a way that the witness would respect. I stumbled on another mind game one day when I was hoarse. Although I was unable to shout my usual warnings, no one ran into the pond and drowned or even smacked his brother silly. Actually, the day was unusually calm. Now when I feel a fit coming on, I pretend I've got sudden-onset laryngitis. |
| Heed your storm-warning signals |
| A pounding head, tight chest, knotted stomach, clenched jaw - these may mean it's too late for mind games. "What's needed then is a time-out - for the parent, not the child," says Windell. I try to escape into my bedroom for 15 minutes of pillow-punching. But if that's not possible, a quickie break (60 seconds of deep breathing in the bathroom or a ten-time repetition of "This too shall pass") can help me stay calm. |
| Low-Volume, High-Fidelity Discipline |
| No matter how valiantly you struggle to stop screaming, you won't succeed unless you find other, more effective ways to communicate and discipline. |
| Be less patient |
| In an effort to be understanding, parents may let misbehavior continue far too long, says Adele Faber, cofounder of the Faber/Mazlish parenting workshops and coauthor of How to Talk So Kids Can Learn at Home and in School. "Darling, please don't draw on the wall - Really dear, crayon is tough to scrub off . . . Come on now, I'm getting annoyed . . ." Soon, says Faber, you're so frustrated you explode, "That's it! I have had it! I am taking those crayons away and that's the last time you'll ever see them." Defuse that time bomb by nipping problem behavior in the bud: "Hey, walls are not for drawing on." |
| Get close |
| No more yelling at kids from three rooms away. "Drop what you're doing and walk to wherever they are," Coloroso insists. "Proximity allows you to use eye contact and facial expression, not vocal cord strength, to get and hold your child's attention." Being the type-A type, I had trouble with this advice - it seemed needlessly time-consuming. So I pulled out a stopwatch, and guess what? It took 97 seconds less to walk upstairs and help my daughter locate her leotard than it did to stand by the front door and shriek, "Hurry up, we're late for ballet!" half a dozen times. |
| Speak firmly, not loudly |
| "It's fine to raise your voice a notch above your normal conversational level to give it that command quality," says Dr. Schaefer. "This lets children know when they've overstepped the boundaries of acceptable behavior." And be brief. "Don't use a paragraph when a sentence will do. Don't use a sentence when a word will do," says Faber. |
| Don't confuse commands with requests |
| "Would you like to set the table?" I asked my son. "No," he answered. "Well, do it anyway!" I snapped. Typical misconception, says Windell. "Phrasing a command as a request may seem polite, but it confuses the child who then thinks he has a choice in the matter. Instead, state commands with civility but without ambiguity." For the same reason, don't end a request with "okay?" if in fact the request is not optional. |
| Limit use of the word "now" |
| How often do you say "Wait a minute" when your children ask you to do something for them? But when a parent wants action, it's usually demanded now. "Ask yourself if the task really requires immediate attention. If not, set an acceptable deadline: "I need you to put away your schoolwork before dinner, so we can eat on the table," suggests Coloroso. Your child will cooperate more readily if she can finish her video game first, and you'll be less tempted to haul her over the coals for procrastinating. |
| Let actions speak louder than shouts |
| Yelling is often a form of nagging; the same message gets repeated again and again. "Yet if you state the rule only once and then follow through, you won't need to yell," Windell points out. Suppose your child is smacking the coffee table with his plastic sword. Calmly warn him, "Please stop, or I'll have to take that away." If he persists, confiscate the weapon. But avoid threats you'd be unwilling to make good on. Shouting "If you don't put your bike in the garage, I'm giving it to the Goodwill" either forces you to do something you'll regret or weakens your credibility when you back down. But suppose, in the heat of battle, you do issue a foolish threat? "Admit you made a mistake. Give yourself time to cool off and come up with something that makes sense," Coloroso advises. |
| Catch your child being good |
| We've all heard a hundred times how crucial it is to praise children when they're well behaved. But I took that message more to heart after taking my vow of silence. Commending my kids not only reinforces their good behavior, it also reminds me of how often they are good, which makes it easier to keep my temper. |
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Swagbucks
I've recently found out something neat called Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a search engine that uses Google and Ask and randomly gives you "swagbucks" for searching. Swagbucks are cyber dollars you can easily earn and redeem for great rewards such as gift cards.
Here’s how it works:
Register with Swagbucks and whenever you perform a search, use the Swagbucks search engine and you’ll earn Swagbucks as you surf. The Swagbucks search engine is powered by Google and Ask, so you receive quality search results. You will not earn Swagbucks every time you perform a search. Swagbucks are awarded randomly, but I usually earn 3 to 5 a day just by searching as I normally would. I've already earned enough Swagbucks for a $5 Amazon e-Gift Card and on my way to a second one.
You can earn even more Swagbucks by doing your usual online shopping with stores who have partnered with Swagbucks (Avon, Shutterfly, Lillian Vernon, Macy's, Oriental Trading, just to name a few). Once you’ve earned enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them at the Swag Store for gift cards and other prizes.
Searching is not the only way to earn Swagbucks. If you refer your friends, you’ll earn Swagbucks. If you find a Swag code during a Swag Hunt, you’ll earn Swagbucks. (These codes expire quickly so once you find one, enter it right away.) If you email a photo of yourself and your Swag prize, you can earn a Swagbuck.
So swag away!
Here’s how it works:
Register with Swagbucks and whenever you perform a search, use the Swagbucks search engine and you’ll earn Swagbucks as you surf. The Swagbucks search engine is powered by Google and Ask, so you receive quality search results. You will not earn Swagbucks every time you perform a search. Swagbucks are awarded randomly, but I usually earn 3 to 5 a day just by searching as I normally would. I've already earned enough Swagbucks for a $5 Amazon e-Gift Card and on my way to a second one.
You can earn even more Swagbucks by doing your usual online shopping with stores who have partnered with Swagbucks (Avon, Shutterfly, Lillian Vernon, Macy's, Oriental Trading, just to name a few). Once you’ve earned enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them at the Swag Store for gift cards and other prizes.
Searching is not the only way to earn Swagbucks. If you refer your friends, you’ll earn Swagbucks. If you find a Swag code during a Swag Hunt, you’ll earn Swagbucks. (These codes expire quickly so once you find one, enter it right away.) If you email a photo of yourself and your Swag prize, you can earn a Swagbuck.
So swag away!
Monday, March 2, 2009
"Circular" saw
T walks up to me with one of his Home Depot tools and asks me what kind of saw it is. I read the label and tell him it is a 'circular' saw. Then T motions towards the table with next week's supermarket circulars and asks "Can I cut a circular?" Talk about taking things literally! Or is my boy a little too familiar with store circulars?!?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Marriage
T comes into the kitchen and asks me what song did Daddy and I dance to when we got married. So I answered, "I finally found someone" and in return, I asked him, "What about you?" T responds, "I'm not" as he leaves the kitchen. What??!? I had to follow him and continue the conversation to see if he means what I think he means.
"What do you mean you're not?"
"I'm not."
"Going to dance?"
"No"
"Okay, are you going to get married?"
"No" said with exasperation.
"You don't want to get married like Daddy did?" I say laughingly.
"No"
"Don't you like girls?" Bad question, I know, but I couldn't help myself!
"No" like are you kidding??!?
I knew about these kinds of conversations when I was younger. I never knew I would hear it from my son!
"What do you mean you're not?"
"I'm not."
"Going to dance?"
"No"
"Okay, are you going to get married?"
"No" said with exasperation.
"You don't want to get married like Daddy did?" I say laughingly.
"No"
"Don't you like girls?" Bad question, I know, but I couldn't help myself!
"No" like are you kidding??!?
I knew about these kinds of conversations when I was younger. I never knew I would hear it from my son!
Friday, February 6, 2009
My Little Bargain Hunter
So I had to go to Target the other day. I wanted to take advantage of the sale on Gerber Finger Foods for Z. It's about time I let the little guy try some finger foods! lol Anyway, I told the boys that that's what I wanted to do and we were solely going to Target for Z's snacks and check out clearance and we were outta there! Of course we didn't get out of the house til noon! All morning to get out of the house! Anyway, I checked out the baby clearance first - of course. Nothing. :( So on to Gerber Finger Foods. They were 3/$5, a pretty decent deal since I saw at A & P, they were $2.19. I started rifling through my coupons because I thought I had Gerber coupons that I could use. I thought wrong. I have Gerber foods coupons but not for the Finger Foods. And yes, I did check online before I left the house. So the following conversation ensues as I put the Gerber Puffs and Wagon Wheels in the shopping cart:
T: We're getting them because they are on sale.
Me: Yes, that's what I said.
T: Where are the coupons?
Me: Oh, I don't have any.
T: Then why are we getting them???
LOL And I was embarrassed (and proud) because there was another mom with her baby coming down the aisle. My little bargain hunter!
T: We're getting them because they are on sale.
Me: Yes, that's what I said.
T: Where are the coupons?
Me: Oh, I don't have any.
T: Then why are we getting them???
LOL And I was embarrassed (and proud) because there was another mom with her baby coming down the aisle. My little bargain hunter!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Letters that I wish that I could write - Part II
Dear T,
You made me a mommy. I never really thought about it til it mentioned by another mom. But it is because of you that I have the most important job in the world. It was such a revelation. Oh, yes, I continued to have other children, namely your brothers. But it was you, you who made me who I am. I love you so very much. I know it doesn't seem like it nowadays. Mommy is having many, many bad days. I am so sorry for it. I should know better. I am the mommy. I am certainly not teaching well by example. I promise I will try harder. But that means you need to as well. I know that you are and can be such a smart, sweet and loving boy. You are so smart. I am having such a great time homeschooling you. Yes, I have many moments where I am frustrated with you. For some reason you have trouble keeping on task. While I do not doubt the abilities of the public school, I treasure the moments I have with you. I cannot imagine sending you off to school for so many hours of the day. I try not to stifle you and allow you to bloom. I know I am hard on you often, but I guess I expect better of you. You have such an amazing memory. You've had one since you were tiny. Daddy and I were always so amazed by how you always knew where you left something, like your sippy cup. You didn't even have to think about it and you knew. Sure, you shouldn't have left it in the first place, but that doesn't stop me from being amazed about it. And you're always popping out with memories of things that happen so long ago, that I wouldn't think you would remember. Like when things that happened when you were 3. Thank goodness you don't have my memory, my dear child! I think that is what is helping you with Chinese school. I sure am not able to write all the words that you are able to. You are also so sweet and loving to your baby brother. Maybe not so to L but you can be at times. When you are not fighting with him over something. Okay, not physically fighting that I know can sometimes occur between siblings, but the squabbling. I still remember how protective you were of L when he was born. I knew you would be a great brother. Still are despite what I say at times. I just really want you to get along and hopefully provide you with tools to know what to do when you don't. I just wish you wouldn't make L scream and cry. It really is not necessary. You do not have to get on top of him. You do not have to snatch toys away from you. And you certainly do not have to order him around in that nasty tone of yours. Speaking of nasty tones, why does that disrespectful tone have to creep into your voice? Don't you realize that if you do as you are supposed to, you wouldn't put in a time out, you wouldn't get into trouble? I know, I should know better. I am the mommy. You are 5. I will try to remember all the good things about you and concentrate on that. And you will concentrate on following the very simple things that you are told to do - like not drawing on the furniture or climbing on your brothers!
Love, Mommy
You made me a mommy. I never really thought about it til it mentioned by another mom. But it is because of you that I have the most important job in the world. It was such a revelation. Oh, yes, I continued to have other children, namely your brothers. But it was you, you who made me who I am. I love you so very much. I know it doesn't seem like it nowadays. Mommy is having many, many bad days. I am so sorry for it. I should know better. I am the mommy. I am certainly not teaching well by example. I promise I will try harder. But that means you need to as well. I know that you are and can be such a smart, sweet and loving boy. You are so smart. I am having such a great time homeschooling you. Yes, I have many moments where I am frustrated with you. For some reason you have trouble keeping on task. While I do not doubt the abilities of the public school, I treasure the moments I have with you. I cannot imagine sending you off to school for so many hours of the day. I try not to stifle you and allow you to bloom. I know I am hard on you often, but I guess I expect better of you. You have such an amazing memory. You've had one since you were tiny. Daddy and I were always so amazed by how you always knew where you left something, like your sippy cup. You didn't even have to think about it and you knew. Sure, you shouldn't have left it in the first place, but that doesn't stop me from being amazed about it. And you're always popping out with memories of things that happen so long ago, that I wouldn't think you would remember. Like when things that happened when you were 3. Thank goodness you don't have my memory, my dear child! I think that is what is helping you with Chinese school. I sure am not able to write all the words that you are able to. You are also so sweet and loving to your baby brother. Maybe not so to L but you can be at times. When you are not fighting with him over something. Okay, not physically fighting that I know can sometimes occur between siblings, but the squabbling. I still remember how protective you were of L when he was born. I knew you would be a great brother. Still are despite what I say at times. I just really want you to get along and hopefully provide you with tools to know what to do when you don't. I just wish you wouldn't make L scream and cry. It really is not necessary. You do not have to get on top of him. You do not have to snatch toys away from you. And you certainly do not have to order him around in that nasty tone of yours. Speaking of nasty tones, why does that disrespectful tone have to creep into your voice? Don't you realize that if you do as you are supposed to, you wouldn't put in a time out, you wouldn't get into trouble? I know, I should know better. I am the mommy. You are 5. I will try to remember all the good things about you and concentrate on that. And you will concentrate on following the very simple things that you are told to do - like not drawing on the furniture or climbing on your brothers!
Love, Mommy
Monday, February 2, 2009
Letters that I wish that I could write
Dear Little Z man,
It makes me smile to see you, to look at you. You make me so very happy. I am so lucky to have you in my life. You are such a happy little boy. Most of the time. Of course you have your cranky moments. Who doesn't? I just wish, wish, wish you would sleep. Okay, you are not as bad as your older brother who only slept 1/2 hour each day and woke up frequently at night, but it still is rough. At least then, I only had one and I could sleep later and hold your older brother all day if necessary. I just cannot do it now. It's been over 5 years and I just cannot do it anymore. I am utterly exhausted from lack of sleep. You know, it's not normal to not have had a good night's sleep in such a long time. I know it's unfair, but unfortunately that's how life is right now. I realize it's hard for you to nap during the day with all the ruckus your brothers make. I also know that you are very entertained by your well-meaning brothers. They love you very much and I know they show you their love frequently. But what is up with the nighttime? Why are you waking up every hour on the hour nowadays? And waking up very upset, no less? It makes for a very, very tired mommy. And a very, very tired makes for a very cranky mommy. And that's not a good mommy. I am really trying my best, but my best is not good enough. But please know that I love you with all my heart and I will continue to tell myself that this, too, shall pass. That you'll be a big boy before I know it and I should treasure these moments as long as I can.
Love, Mommy
Dear LJ,
You are such a handsome little boy! I am not just saying so just because you look like me. ;) Seriously, you are sweet, polite and such a loving little boy. You are always telling me that you love me. I love hearing it. It makes me all warm and cuddly inside. I love the kisses you give me - so European, on both cheeks. And I love you so very much. I'm so sorry you are stuck being the middle child. From all accounts being the middle child is not fun. I will try my best to keep you from being the typical middle child and being lost in the shuffle. I think with your food allergies, it makes me focus my attention on you. Much needed attention. For my clueless little boy. Yes, you are such a clueless little boy. You are always just in the moment and when I tell you something, you forget it in the next second. But never forget for a moment, that Mommy loves you very, very much. Yes, I may seem very frustrated nowadays. Did I say nowadays? I know I've been frustrated for a long time now and I'm very sorry. It would help if you stopped screaming and crying at the drop of a hat. Your brother is not hurting you when he touches you. It's alright for you to tell him that shouldn't take the toy from you. You do not need to scream. You will wake up the baby! You are doing much better, though. Thankfully. Now if only you'd listen when I tell you to do something. That's not too much to ask for, is it? I also wish you would stop scratching yourself and causing yourself to bleed and scab up. Oh, and can you start potty training? That would be wonderful. Please stop being so stubborn about it. There's nothing wrong with going to the potty. You tell me you want to go to the preschool class with your brother, but you can't go unless you're potty trained. Going to the potty one time does not mean you are potty trained! Can you please make an attempt? That would make life so much easier on mommy. Thank you so much!
I do have to add that I am soooo super proud of the way you are in regards to your allergies. You never ever fuss about not being able to eat something. When I tell you that you are allergic to something, you accept it. You are so grown up about your allergies. You don't cry or whine about it. You simply say okay. It makes me so sad to see a little frown on your face sometimes. Your actions make me so sad and so proud at the same time. You are such a little man about it. I love when you say matter of fact-ly to me, "Mommy, you'll get me my special (fill in the blank with whatever food it is that I say you cannot eat.)" You even gone so far as to say that mommy will get you your special eggs. lol You are such a sweet boy! It makes me want to work extra hard to provide you with foods that you can eat, without thought to cost. And I do not want to give you false hope or make you think I think any less of you by saying "if only you didn't have such and such an allergy." You are who you are and we will make the best of it. Together.
Love, Mommy
It makes me smile to see you, to look at you. You make me so very happy. I am so lucky to have you in my life. You are such a happy little boy. Most of the time. Of course you have your cranky moments. Who doesn't? I just wish, wish, wish you would sleep. Okay, you are not as bad as your older brother who only slept 1/2 hour each day and woke up frequently at night, but it still is rough. At least then, I only had one and I could sleep later and hold your older brother all day if necessary. I just cannot do it now. It's been over 5 years and I just cannot do it anymore. I am utterly exhausted from lack of sleep. You know, it's not normal to not have had a good night's sleep in such a long time. I know it's unfair, but unfortunately that's how life is right now. I realize it's hard for you to nap during the day with all the ruckus your brothers make. I also know that you are very entertained by your well-meaning brothers. They love you very much and I know they show you their love frequently. But what is up with the nighttime? Why are you waking up every hour on the hour nowadays? And waking up very upset, no less? It makes for a very, very tired mommy. And a very, very tired makes for a very cranky mommy. And that's not a good mommy. I am really trying my best, but my best is not good enough. But please know that I love you with all my heart and I will continue to tell myself that this, too, shall pass. That you'll be a big boy before I know it and I should treasure these moments as long as I can.
Love, Mommy
Dear LJ,
You are such a handsome little boy! I am not just saying so just because you look like me. ;) Seriously, you are sweet, polite and such a loving little boy. You are always telling me that you love me. I love hearing it. It makes me all warm and cuddly inside. I love the kisses you give me - so European, on both cheeks. And I love you so very much. I'm so sorry you are stuck being the middle child. From all accounts being the middle child is not fun. I will try my best to keep you from being the typical middle child and being lost in the shuffle. I think with your food allergies, it makes me focus my attention on you. Much needed attention. For my clueless little boy. Yes, you are such a clueless little boy. You are always just in the moment and when I tell you something, you forget it in the next second. But never forget for a moment, that Mommy loves you very, very much. Yes, I may seem very frustrated nowadays. Did I say nowadays? I know I've been frustrated for a long time now and I'm very sorry. It would help if you stopped screaming and crying at the drop of a hat. Your brother is not hurting you when he touches you. It's alright for you to tell him that shouldn't take the toy from you. You do not need to scream. You will wake up the baby! You are doing much better, though. Thankfully. Now if only you'd listen when I tell you to do something. That's not too much to ask for, is it? I also wish you would stop scratching yourself and causing yourself to bleed and scab up. Oh, and can you start potty training? That would be wonderful. Please stop being so stubborn about it. There's nothing wrong with going to the potty. You tell me you want to go to the preschool class with your brother, but you can't go unless you're potty trained. Going to the potty one time does not mean you are potty trained! Can you please make an attempt? That would make life so much easier on mommy. Thank you so much!
I do have to add that I am soooo super proud of the way you are in regards to your allergies. You never ever fuss about not being able to eat something. When I tell you that you are allergic to something, you accept it. You are so grown up about your allergies. You don't cry or whine about it. You simply say okay. It makes me so sad to see a little frown on your face sometimes. Your actions make me so sad and so proud at the same time. You are such a little man about it. I love when you say matter of fact-ly to me, "Mommy, you'll get me my special (fill in the blank with whatever food it is that I say you cannot eat.)" You even gone so far as to say that mommy will get you your special eggs. lol You are such a sweet boy! It makes me want to work extra hard to provide you with foods that you can eat, without thought to cost. And I do not want to give you false hope or make you think I think any less of you by saying "if only you didn't have such and such an allergy." You are who you are and we will make the best of it. Together.
Love, Mommy
Scholastic book order
Woohoo! I got a response from Scholastic (thanks, Debbie Niemeier! Scholastic Customer File Maintenance 18004978291 ext 3200) and my order has been released.
Thank you for your response. Your customer number is 1033840123 and your order will be released. We are finding some items are no longer available, but you will be notified of that. You are welcome to order from Scholastic Book Clubs if you wish. If you have questions, please contact customer service at 1-800-724-6527.
I figured that I would not get everything, but something would be great. I can't wait! I am also excited that she says I can order from Scholastic Book Clubs. That's how I was able to create our awesome library for the boys. Dare I? Should I? I'll just take a peek in the months to come....
Sunday, February 1, 2009
My Personality Test results
So, I took a personality test. Turns out it was for an online dating service. Oops! Where's the blushing smiley when you need one?!? But I thought it was pretty accurate overall. Now I just hope no one comes looking for me....
J..., you are a
You are interested in the big picture. You like to examine large, ambiguous issues and ideas. You carefully weigh all of the variables involved, connect disparate facts in novel ways and regularly come up with imaginative solutions to complex problems. You see holistically and can be visionary.
You are friendly and humane. You have a big heart; you tend to trust people and sympathize with them easily. You intuitively know what they are thinking and feeling. And because you are agreeable and mentally flexible, you go out of your way to make others comfortable and happy. You seek to make intimate, meaningful friendships.
Your empathy and altruism spill over into a desire to make the world a better place. And with your resilience and imagination, your ability to do many things at the same time, your people skills and your command of language, you can be remarkably effective at improving the lives of others.
You are also traditional. You have clear moral values and tend to stick to your point of view. Yet you almost always seek consensus and harmony, and are willing to give up some of your pleasures to build an orderly, harmonious home and family life.
You are friendly and humane. You have a big heart; you tend to trust people and sympathize with them easily. You intuitively know what they are thinking and feeling. And because you are agreeable and mentally flexible, you go out of your way to make others comfortable and happy. You seek to make intimate, meaningful friendships.
Your empathy and altruism spill over into a desire to make the world a better place. And with your resilience and imagination, your ability to do many things at the same time, your people skills and your command of language, you can be remarkably effective at improving the lives of others.
You are also traditional. You have clear moral values and tend to stick to your point of view. Yet you almost always seek consensus and harmony, and are willing to give up some of your pleasures to build an orderly, harmonious home and family life.
- Sees the big picture
- Imaginative
- Intuitive
- Verbal skills
- Empathetic
- Trusting
- Introspective
- Traditional
- Social
- Loyal
- Dependable
- Patient
- Community oriented
- Orderly
You are a die-hard romantic, and you must have depth and meaning in your relationships. You like heart-to-heart exchanges that explore personal philosophies, goals, ethical dilemmas, and the meanings behind art, music, poetry or some other abstract topic. You are emotionally expressive and want your partner to share his or her genuine self with you. You also admire people who make plans and schedules. And you are attracted to a mate with a fixed moral compass. Moreover, for you, love must be embedded in a stable long-term relationship beginning with a march down the aisle. Most important, to balance your imaginative and supple spirit, you gravitate to people who know their own mind, make decisions quickly, focus on one thing at a time and can provide a stable home. And you can be very sensitive to your mate, communicating your emotions clearly and tenderly.
You tend to be well-adjusted, trusting, compassionate, intuitive and interested in people. And you work to keep your networks intact. You also look in as well as out; you are introspective. And you like probing the meanings of life. So you avoid casual chit-chat. You can be so agreeable that some people may overlook your complex personality.
- Because you can see so many angles to an issue or decision, you can be indecisive.
- Your need to please can make you placating and your trusting nature can make you gullible.
- When you feel betrayed you can be unforgiving and hold a grudge too long.
You tend to naturally gravitate to the DIRECTOR/builders.
empathetic/empathy
read/reader
learning/learn
passion/passionate
sensitive
kind/kindness
sweet
random
heart
real
trustworthy
caring
respect
honesty
trust
Family
values
loving
loyal
moral/morals
Oprah Winfrey
Leo Tolstoy
Katie Holmes
Bill Clinton
- Hillary Duff
- Mohandas Gandhi
- Charles Darwin
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Book Orders
Oh, I've got to stop. I just placed an order with Bookcloseouts.com It was a Dollar for Dollar Sale. I just couldn't pass up, especially since there were so many school books that I could use. 27 books for $40.77 shipped!
1 Grade 1 (Get Ready! For Standardize Ordered $5.99 $5.99
1 Skills for Young Writers (Basic Ski Ordered $2.99 $2.99
1 Math (Leap Frog, Grade 1) Ordered $1.99 $1.99
1 New Year Of Numbers (Sesame Street, Ordered $0.99 $0.99
1 Hidden Pictures and Mazes (My Littl Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Math (Homework Booklet, Grade K) Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Sight Word Comprehension (Classroom Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Symbols of the U.S.A. (Classroom He Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Symbols of the U.S.A. (Classroom He Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Word Problems (Funtastic Frogs, Gra Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Making Patterns with Mr. Wiggle (Ma Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Phonics: Consonants (Basic Skills, Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Summer Skills for the Kindergarten Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Test Taking Skills (Grade 3) Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Making Graphs (Grade K-2) Ordered $1.49 $1.49
1 Nursery Rhymes Sticker Book (Purple Ordered $1.49 $1.49
1 Charlotte's Web (Coloring and Activ Ordered $1.99 $1.99
1 The Tank Gang ( Finding Nemo) Ordered $1.99 $1.99
1 Patriotic Traditions (Classroom Hel Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Patriotic Traditions (Classroom Hel Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Great American Patriots (Classroom Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Great American Patriots (Classroom Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Making Patterns With Mr. Wiggle (Ma Ordered $1.24 $1.24
1 Skills for Young Writers (Basic Ski Ordered $2.99 $2.99
1 Getting The Main Idea (Grades 2 -4) Ordered $2.99 $2.99
1 Holly Jolly Shapes (Sesame Street, Ordered $0.99 $0.99
1 Summer Skills For The First Grade G Ordered $6.49 $6.49
This is the other I placed the other day with Scholastic. Who knows if it is going to go through? I've heard lots of cancellations. I finally got an email about my order questioning the validity of my "school." I responded how I am both a teacher and am homeschooling. We'll see what they have to say. They have no reason to deny me. The only problem is that at this point, they might have already run out of all the books. :( Otherwise this was also a really awesome deal. 19 books for $21.25 shipped! I hope to at least get some of the books.
1 Grade 1 (Get Ready! For Standardize Ordered $5.99 $5.99
1 Skills for Young Writers (Basic Ski Ordered $2.99 $2.99
1 Math (Leap Frog, Grade 1) Ordered $1.99 $1.99
1 New Year Of Numbers (Sesame Street, Ordered $0.99 $0.99
1 Hidden Pictures and Mazes (My Littl Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Math (Homework Booklet, Grade K) Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Sight Word Comprehension (Classroom Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Symbols of the U.S.A. (Classroom He Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Symbols of the U.S.A. (Classroom He Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Word Problems (Funtastic Frogs, Gra Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Making Patterns with Mr. Wiggle (Ma Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Phonics: Consonants (Basic Skills, Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Summer Skills for the Kindergarten Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Test Taking Skills (Grade 3) Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Making Graphs (Grade K-2) Ordered $1.49 $1.49
1 Nursery Rhymes Sticker Book (Purple Ordered $1.49 $1.49
1 Charlotte's Web (Coloring and Activ Ordered $1.99 $1.99
1 The Tank Gang ( Finding Nemo) Ordered $1.99 $1.99
1 Patriotic Traditions (Classroom Hel Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Patriotic Traditions (Classroom Hel Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Great American Patriots (Classroom Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Great American Patriots (Classroom Ordered $0.00 $0.00
1 Making Patterns With Mr. Wiggle (Ma Ordered $1.24 $1.24
1 Skills for Young Writers (Basic Ski Ordered $2.99 $2.99
1 Getting The Main Idea (Grades 2 -4) Ordered $2.99 $2.99
1 Holly Jolly Shapes (Sesame Street, Ordered $0.99 $0.99
1 Summer Skills For The First Grade G Ordered $6.49 $6.49
This is the other I placed the other day with Scholastic. Who knows if it is going to go through? I've heard lots of cancellations. I finally got an email about my order questioning the validity of my "school." I responded how I am both a teacher and am homeschooling. We'll see what they have to say. They have no reason to deny me. The only problem is that at this point, they might have already run out of all the books. :( Otherwise this was also a really awesome deal. 19 books for $21.25 shipped! I hope to at least get some of the books.
 | 5-Minute Daily Practice: Fractions Decimals Professional Book Item #940917 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Journal Activities That Sharpen Students Writing Teaching Guide and Reproducible Item #948810 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | The Election Activity Book Professional Book Item #966826 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Easy Steps To Writing Fantastic Research Reports Professional Book Item #97306 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Primary Sources Teaching Kit: Civil Rights Professional Book Item #37843 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Super Science Crosswords Reproducible Item #64457 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Standardized Test Skill Builders for Math Professional Book Item #916232 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Desktop Reference Flip Books: Grades 2-3 Card Set Item #973291 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | 3rd Grade Basic Skills: Math: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division Professional Book Item #950399 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Easy Make Learn Projects: Colonial America Professional Book Item #916031 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Reading Placement Tests: Grades 4th - 6th Professional Book Item #940413 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | 24 Nonfiction Passages for Test Practice Reproducible Item #925609 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | 4th Grade Basic Skills: Math Drill Work Book Item #950191 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | 5-Minute Daily Practice: Writing Professional Book Item #926244 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | 4th Grade Basic Skills: Math Fun Activities Work Book Item #950193 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Making Social Studies Come Alive Professional Book Item #96381 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Write a Terrific Book Report! Chart Bulletin Board Item #982441 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | 29 Spanish Alphabet Mini-books Professional Book Item #924442 | 1 | $1.00 | ||
 | Read, Sing, and Learn Mini-Books: Famous Americans Professional Book Item #937665 | 1 | $1.00 |
| Item Total: | $19.00 |
| Shipping & Handling (Standard): | $2.25 |
| Sales Tax: | $0.00 |
| $21.25 |
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