Kindergarten is HARD!!!

Sheesh! What has happened to my life? Tonight, Kinsey and I had to do 2 homework projects AND I had to sign a permission slip for her to go on a field trip on Friday. How the heck did I become the person who signs permission slips? I feel like it was just last week when MY mom was signing mine! Yikes! I'm turning into an adult and I'm not even paying attention!!!!!

But, I have big news!! My girl, Kinsey, is the SUPERSTAR student in her class! yay! This is a very big deal, people. Only one kid gets chosen each week and they have to display respect and good behavior along with other fabulous traits in order to earn it. I am very proud of my peanut for getting it. The reward for being the superstar consists of the following: 1. you get to bring home Leo the Lion (a stuffed animal that has to be carted around all weekend and his activities have to be documented) 2. 2 coloring pages and a puzzle that have to be completed 3. a specific book that must be read to the damn lion each night. (and it is NOT short) 4. 2 LONG sheets that have to be filled out with details of Kinsey's life, including pictures 5. a free kid's meal at Texas Roadhouse.

Hmmm, which one of these things is not like the other? Seems like the free meal should be for ME for doing all of the extra crap that being the superstar entails!! But, whatever, it was worth it. She was very proud of herself, so PROPS to Kinsey! You are a superstar!

The BEST (and WORST) weekend EVER!!!

Sheesh, I don't know where to begin....

Let's start with Friday. It was the best day ever! Kinsey had the day off of school, so I got a sitter for Ben and we had a girl's day! This is the best part of having a daughter. We went and got pedicures and did a little shopping. How fun is that? I need to take a picture of her toes, but she chose a different color for each one and they painted a flower on her big toenail. Adorable!

After that, we picked up Ben and then dropped Kinsey off with Doug for a little daddy-daughter time. She got to hang out at his office for a while and then they went to lunch and out to hit golf balls. What a cool day!

Next up...Saturday! This was the BEST day ever! (And the beginning of the worst, but I'll get to that.) We got up super early to drive to Golden, CO and see THOMAS THE TRAIN!!!!! Woo woo!! We got to ride on Thomas and spend the day running around looking at Thomas stuff and climbing on real trains and having a friggin' blast! This lovely day was a gift for Ben for his birthday for none other than our Yaya and Papa! Thanks Yaya and Papa!

What could possibly be the bad part, you might be wondering?? Well. I was sick. SICK! I woke up feeling off and the day went downhill. (And NO I am not pregnant, so don't even go there!) I will say this and I will never talk about it again...

Your life has reached a low point when you have to wait in line to go puke in a port-a-potty. I have seen things, people. Scary things. I have been to dark places. I can't talk about it.

Moving along....

So, Saturday was definitely the highlight of the weekend. But I did something cool today (Sunday). Even though I hadn't eaten anything but a banana since Friday night, I got up at 5:20 this morning and drove to dinner with Chrissy and Angie to run a 5 mile race! Sheesh! I have never run more than 3 miles in my life, so I am very proud of myself for finishing. My goal was to beat an hour and my time ended up being 52 minutes (ish), so I am proud of that. Imagine what I could have done if I had had some fuel? I could have won! (har har har!!)

Anyway, this was the best weekend! Now I am at home, feeling better, and gearing up to watch the Emmy's. What are they going to be wearing? What color is in? Out? I've gotta know!!!!!

Quick brag...

We made it to school at 8:08, thankyouverymuch! (Yes, her hair is beginning to turn into dreadlocks and she still had the tag hanging off of her skirt, but we were there!!)

For the record....I rock!

PS--Note to self: in the future, be sure to allow more than 30 minutes for drama. You can shave the time off of grooming, if needed!!

Doug is gone...what to do, what to do?

Hmmm, nothing TOO exciting has happened lately, so let me tell you how Kinsey is doing with kindergarten!!! She started 3 weeks ago and it has been the best thing ever. She loves here school, her teachers and her friends. What she does NOT love, however, is getting up early to get to school.

You see, my girl Kinsey is just like me. We like to sleep in. Nay, we LOVE to sleep in. That is why we get along so well!!! Her preschool started at 9:00, so she would have to get up at 8ish, and while that was kind of a struggle, it was manageable. Kindergarten starts at EIGHT O'CLOCK!!! Are you kiddin' me?? What kind of sociopath thought of this? So, that means that she has to be out of bed at 7 in order for the cobwebs to clear. She needs to shovel some food in her mouth and get dressed in 45 minutes. This, my friends, is quite a challenge.

Once she is at school, she is fine. But, I am discovering that not all kids have half of a poptart stuck to their face and syrup in their hair. (Most even have their hair BRUSHED? What? What kind of crazy person does that?) So, little by little, I am getting her used to her new schedule. It's not easy. AT. ALL!

Since Doug is out of town this weekend, I am faced with a morning tomorrow that SHOULD go as follows:

6:45-7:00 Lori up and dressed

7:00-7:30 Kids awake and herded downstairs (allow 30 minutes for tantrums, whining, fighting and other general drama)

7:30-7:45 Throw food at kids and make Kinsey's lunch

7:45-7:55 Dress both kids, attempt to wipe grime from Kinsey's face

7:55-8:00 Force both kids into car (allow time for fighting over the dvd player)

8:00-8:10 Haul ass to school before the 8:15 tardy bell rings

8:10-8:15 Sprint into school and throw Kinsey into her seat JUST as the bell rings

Now this, people, would be the ideal schedule. Please check back for the actual schedule. I assure you, it won't be pretty.

He's Officially Three!!!

The party was a smashing success today. We reserved the party room at the rec center for an hour, ate a bunch of crap and then went swimming! Ben had a wonderful day and if I never see another piece of cake in my life, I will be all right with it!

He was super cute from the moment he woke up. Once he saw the balloons in the kitchen and the presents on the table, he got it! He looked at me and said, "Mommy? Is it my happy birthday?" YES!!! You are three! Hooray!

So, now that he is three we are presented with 2 challenges: 1. he needs to become potty trained and 2. he needs to move into his big boy bed. Both of those challenges make me say UGH! I bet that you assumed he had been in his big boy bed for a while, since I posted pictures of it MONTHS ago, right? WRONG!!! He slept in it for 2 nights and then asked to go back to his crib. I was totally ok with that! If you want to sleep in a cage instead of stretching out in Lightning McQueen luxury, then by all means, have at it! I can definitely wait until the day comes when a little boy is staring at me from the side of the bed at 3 in the morning!

And potty training? I obviously suck at that. Poor Kinsey has been struggling with it forever, so here I go, messing up another kid! My tactic with Ben was to do NOTHING. So far, it's working great! He pees and poops in his diaper and doesn't give a rat's ass if he has to sit in a pile all day long. Lovely. One of these days, he is going to get it, right? I mean, RIGHT? At least I am getting him to be a little more comfortable being naked. My plan is to have some naked time at home and hope that I can pick him up and RUN to the bathroom before he hoses down my kitchen!

On that note, let me leave you with a picture or two (or three!) of the birthday boy. He has survived his first three years, but will I survive the next??? Stay tuned!!!

Yikes, it has been a while!!

I am not going to go into some long winded explanation as to why I've been gone so long, You should just be happy that I am back! :)

So, I am sitting at my computer reflecting on the last 3 years in the life of my little guy, Ben. Exactly 3 years ago, I was laying in a hospital bed with the sweet nectar of my epidural dripping into my veins and watching The Family Stone with Doug. It would be another 7 hours or so before he made his appearance, so I just remember being excited, nervous, and delightfully drugged! I couldn't wait to find out if I was having a boy or a girl. I gotta tell ya, I am SO glad that it was my Ben. I couldn't ask for a better (or cuter!) son. I love ya, Buster Brown! (In fact, just yesterday, he came up to me and said, "Mommy, my name is Buster Brown!" Nice!)

So, enough of the sappiness. What am I going to do with a 3 year old BOY?? Kinsey started kindergarten 3 weeks ago, so me and Buster are kickin' it on a regular basis. So far, I have learned that one of his favorite things to do is RUN full speed into my thigh. So, thanks to my boy, I have a lovely collection of bruises that make me look like an abused person. Gracias, Senor Buster Brown!

What's going on with Kinsey, you ask? Well, she is super friggin' tall and super friggin' smart! She is in all day kindergarten at our local Christian school and she loves it. It is the cutest thing to see her in her little collared shirts and khaki pants every day. I am so glad that she loves school. I hope that it continues! Currently, she seems to be little miss popularity, but I am afraid that it will all come crashing down one of these days. Last week I was walking her into school and we heard a little voice coming from behind us saying, "KINSEY!!! KINSEY!!!" She turns around and says, "Hi Ayla!!!". We continue walking and a little girl is waiting at the door, and she says, "HI KINSEY!!!!" Kinsey says, "Hey Jordan!!!". We continue into the school and as we are hanging up her backpack, a cute little boy says, "KINSEY!! HI KINSEY!!!". She actually looks at him and says, "Oh, whatever." Lovely. How old is she again? I thought that she was 5, but maybe she is really 15!!!!

I will leave you with the cutest picture of my soon to be 3 year old Ben. (Note the scratch on his nose...it was self inflicted, thanks to the fingernails that I forgot to cut. Whoops!) Also, feast your eyes on my little 5 year old. This is what she does now when I pull out the camera. Apparantly she thinks that her modeling career is going to take off right there in my kitchen!!!

Eddie is here--the summer can officially begin!

So far this summer has sucked.  The weather has been horrific!  What is up with daily tornados?  Thanks, but I thought that I LEFT Illinois!  Sheesh!  But, hopefully the weather will make a turn for the better, because I am missing out on some MAJOR pool time!  But, the best part about the storms is Ben's new fancy vocabulary--"MOMMY!! MOMMY!! I see FUNDER!! It's WOUD!!"  (Translation:  "I see thunder!  It's loud!")  So, I say, "do you see thunder or hear it?"  "I SEE FUNDER!!!!"  

I gotta tell ya, his speech imperfections are the cutest thing EVER!  I crack up whenever he cries, because he will be sobbing and then turn to me and say, "Mommy, I cwying!!"  And, his new favorite breakfast is "TOAST!!!  Wiff JEWWY!!!"  (I refuse to translate--figure it out!)

Kinsey's newest obsession is our neighbor, Megan.  She is 6 and she likes to come over and jump on the trampoline.  But, tonight when I was putting Kinsey to bed, she said, "Mom, Megan is too bossy.  I am tired of doing what she says.  When I go outside tomorrow I am going to say NO!  You can't come over!"  We shall see how that plays out.  Megan will probably put a hit out on her!!!

So, Eddie is here!  He is my 13 year old step-son.  He lives in Indiana and he stays with us for a month each summer.  So far, he is Ben's IDOL!  Eddie has acquired a cute little shadow!  But, now that he is here, I feel like the summer can begin.  We are happy to have him here and I hope that he has a good time.  But, really, how can he not?  You just don't get much more fun than our house!  :)

PS--we had drama regarding a SNAKE in our BASEMENT!! I have chosen not to expound on this topic due to the fact that it will make me heave.  But, the good news is that it was caught and released in a field FAR from my house today.  WHEW!!

Catching up...

All sorts of stuff has been going on in the last two weeks.  Would you like a recap???  Well, the BIGGEST thing is that Yaya and Papa came for a visit.  That's always super fun and this was no different.  That little Ben has Papa wrapped around his finger.  It's not every day that you see a 63 year old man forced to lay on the floor and watch Barbie Fairytopia with his grandson, but that's what our Papa does!!!  We are big fans of Barbie in this house, so it's go Barbie or go home!  :)

Also, Doug and I hit the road yet again for a fun trip to Vegas.  This time we went alone to celebrate our seventh anniversary.  We had a wonderful time and got to see the show Love.  It was amazing.  We also had THE BEST DINNER EVER at Sushi Samba.  If anyone ever goes to Vegas, you must eat there.  I can't stop thinking about it!!

Kinsey wrapped up her school year and got ONE entire week off before she started back to preschool.  I keep her in school year-round so that she doesn't get out of the routine.  Is that mean?  Her first real summer vacation will be next summer, since kindergarten isn't offered in the summer.  If it was, she would be there!!

But, here is the biggest news ever......the TRAMPOLINE is up!  woo!!!  Kinsey is amazing already!  Me?  not so much.  Kinsey has it rigged up so that the hose runs over it and she jumps in her swimsuit.  How fun is that?  So, being the cool mom that I am, thought that I would give it a shot.  I get on the trampoline, jump three times and pee myself.  Lovely.  (Is that too much information?)

Our other big news??  Ben has his BIG BOY bed!  Not that he is allowed to sleep in it or anything, but it's cute!  Sadly, my son will be forced to sleep in a crib for the duration of his stay here in my home.  I am thinking that that is the only way that he and I will get along.  I like having a napper!  (Here is a picture of the bed for Karen A.!!  I am thinking that Emmett would like something similar, what do you think?)

My life makes me laugh!

I don't know what has gotten into me lately, but I am actually laughing all. of. the. time.  My kids are particularly hilarious, but I crack myself up on a regular basis as well!!!  I guess I am a lucky gal to have such a happy life.  :)

We are currently in a countdown until the latest Yaya and Papa visit!  T minus 4 days and counting!  When I asked Kinsey what she was most excited about, she said, "Donuts for breakfast!!!!"  Papa has a quite a reputation around here!  He's the donut man!

Two MAJOR things are going to happen while they are here:  the trampoline will be assembled and so will Ben's big boy bed.  EEEEEEEK  times 2!!!  I am happy to tell you that we do have an orthepedic doctor in our neighborhood, so the many broken bones that will occur on the trampoline will be attended to immediately!  

Also--big news!!! We have 2 baby peppers growing already!  That only took a week!  It should only be a few more days before the birds get them.  Is it against the law to kill birds on your own property?  I LOATHE the birds in my yard.  LOATHE!  I guess I wouldn't feel so passionately about them if my son wasn't fascinated with bird crap.  It looks like a worm apparantly, so I have gotten to examine WAY too many splats o' crap!  "Mommy?  Mommy?  Mommy?  Is worm?  Is spid-ah?  Is ro-ee po-ee? {translation:  roly poly}"   "No, Buddy.  It's bird shit."

Excuse my mouth.  It's late.

"I've got poo on my hands!!!!"

This is a direct quote from my son.  Immediately you start grossing out, right?  Well, you are wrong!  haha!  I was giving him a bath, and I sudsed his hair up, he rubbed his head and saw that he had shampoo on his hands.  Thus, the quote.  I cracked up, of course, so now he keeps saying it over and over.  My boy, the comedian!

I believe that I shall regale you with tales from the dentist.  Oh, what a ROOKIE mom mistake I made.  I should have known.  But, I'm getting ahead of myself....

Tuesday, Kinsey had a dentist appointment.  She did NOT sleep well the night before, so I should have known that it was going to be a disaster, but I didn't acknowledge my instinct.  Instead, we soldier on and go to see the big guy.  

They call her in and she gets in the chair, picks out her toothbrush and lets them take x-rays.  Piece o' cake!  Meanwhile, Ben and I are standing outside the area so that we don't get zapped with the x-rays and I hear a child screaming bloody murder.  I chuckle with the receptionist.."Oh!  haha!!  I am so glad that Kinsey doesn't do that any more!  That must be hard for you to listen to, huh?"  Uh.  Oh.

Fast forward ONE minute.  Who is screaming bloody murder now?  Oh.  That would be my child.  Rookie mistake!  NEVER say that your child isn't going to do something, because they ALWAYS DO IT!  She did not want the panoramic x-ray.  I mean, she REALLY didn't want it.  Fine.  Then she refused to let the dentist touch her, so we don't know if she has loose teeth or anything.  What we do know is that she has 4 cavities, thanks to the initial x-rays.  But, this dentist office will likely be losing our business, since they want to sedate her to fill her fillings and turn one into a root canal.  Excessive?? I think so!  Second opinion?  Definitely!

So, looooong story short--watch what you say about your kid, make sure that they are rested, and don't let dentists rob you blind.

The end.

Happy Mother's Day to meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Today is Mother's Day, y'all.  I survived and had a great day!  Woo-hoo!!  I have learned that the best way to survive these holidays are to have low, make that NO, expectations.  That is what I did, and it worked!

My day started at 8:30 (!) with breakfast in bed!  Doug and Kinsey brought me a delicious breakfast and then went downstairs with Ben so that I could eat in silence!  Heaven!  I chowed down on my grub, slugged down my Starbuck's and then they came up and jumped on me and gave me homemade cards.  They were too cute!  The bottom of Doug's said, "Let's go get a dishwasher!"  woo-hoo!!!!  I don't know what has happened to my life, but a new appliance goes a LONG way to make me happy!  Our current one is CRAP, so on Wednesday, we will finally be eating off of clean plates!  What a novel idea!  :)

Also, on Saturday, Doug and Kinsey created our new garden.  I can't wait to see what happens with that.  They worked hard on it, so I hope that we get SOMETHING out of it.  We shall see.  Kinsey is in charge of watering it, so that could either be very good or very bad!

Here is a chance for you to see the kind of thing that I have to live with every day.  Insanity!

So, once you have stopped laughing at the video, I would like you to pause and silently thank my mother for being so awesome!  I don't tell her enough, but she is the coolest chick ever and I am so grateful that I got to be the one to grow up with her.  But, as good of a mother as she is, she is an even better grandmother and my kids are the luckiest kids ever.  They always know that they are loved and that they are special when she is around.  Nobody is better than our Yaya!!  Thanks, mom!  I love you!

Tooting my own horn...TOOT TOOT!!!

Go me!  I ran my 5k today in 29 minutes!  woo-hoo!  I told myself that I had to do it in under 30 minutes, so I did.  I didn't have a LOT of leeway there, but I succeeded.  I am super proud of myself!  :)

So, while I was off running my buns off, my children were left here....alone....with their father!  EEEEK!  I kid, I kid!  He did a fine job with them, but it is currently 9:00 and he is crashed!  These kids wear you out, I tell ya!

One sad note...poor Kinsey is sick.  She has this weird fever that is going around.  Fortunately, it is a 24 hour thing, but unfortunately, it has knocked her for a loop.  So, being the good mom that I am, I prepared her a gourmet dinner of ice cream, corn dog and animal crackers.  Now, who wouldn't want to be sick in my house??  You get whatever you want!

Changing topics COMPLETELY....

Ben's new thing is singing!  It is adorable!  I will have to get a video soon.  I downloaded some kids' music onto my computer and I play them all the time.  He almost has the ABC song and he loves Wheels on the Bus.  It's SO cute!  Sadly, though, he has his father's rhythm, so when he dances, it's a sight to behold.  Video will be coming soon....

Two new pictures that I love...

I love both of these pictures.  I just love the fact that my kids actually love each other!  sniff sniff!!

Walking with Ben...

It is SO nice outside!  Beautiful!!  So, I have been spending the bulk of my days hanging out with neighbors and playing with the kids outside.  One of the things that I love to do with Ben is go for a walk.  We walk around our block and he tells me all of the letters and numbers that he sees.  It's very cute.  Until.........we had this conversation...

We approach a round man-hole cover looking thing on the sidewalk and I looked at it and it said "Storm Sewer."  Ben lays down on the sidewalk and traces the letters with his finger.

Ben:  "S-T-O-R-M"

Me:  That's right!  That spells storm!

Ben:  That not spell storm!  That spell BEN!!

Me:  hahahaha!

Ben:  "S-E-W-E-R"

Me:  Right!  That spells sewer!

Ben:  That not spell sewer!  That spell MOMMY!!

Only two years old and he already thinks that his mom is full of crap!  :)

The 5k was not to be!

Whew!  Thanks to a blizzard, my 5k was pushed back to next Saturday.  Now I have another week to get ready.  I should probably start by running, but instead I have focused my energy on putting together a rockin' playlist to listen to while I run.  Also, I have a cute outfit to wear.  What could possibly be more important than that?  Physical fitness?  I think not!

But, even though I am less than excited about the race, I am super excited to spend the night at Chrissy's and hang out with her in Ft. Collins.  A night away!  wheeeeeee!  I know that Chrissy and all of the other girls are going to beat me in the race, but I have a goal---to finish without walking.  Can I do it?  We shall see!!  (oh, and the blizzard?  It turned out to be a crap-load of rain!  We needed the rain, though.  I am hoping to see some green grass soon!)

On to a different topic....

Kinsey has become Little Miss Sassy Mouth!  She has been spending several afternoons on the naughty step because she is so sassy.  He is an example, Kinsey:  "Mom?  PUT SPONGEBOB ON RIGHT NOW!!!"  Me:  "um, no."  Kinsey:  "DO IT!"  Me:  "On the naughty step!!!"

Or...

Kinsey:  "Mom?  Can I have some lemonade?"

Me:  "Sure, just a second."

Kinsey:  "WHAT IS THE HOLDUP WITH THE LEMONADE?!?!"

Me:  "On the naughty step!!!"

Ack!  Is she 5 or 15?  I can't handle it!

Hopefully her 'tude doesn't rub off on Ben.  Right now he is sweet and precious....until he wants a snack.  And then all hell breaks loose..."I WANT MARSHOWWWWWWS!!!"  

Again, let me reiterate, I can NOT wait for a night off with Chrissy!  If I can picture these 2 crumbgrabbers chasing me, I will probably end up with an excellent time!!!

Wish me luck!

Easter 2009!

The Easter bunny has come and gone and left a trail of hyped up kids and Easter basket grass all over my house!!  Apparently, Ben LOVES chocolate and once he has some, will NOT be sated with anything less.  Bananas?  Grapes?  Cheese?  Oh no!  Chock-it and only chock-it will do.  This boy was in rare form today.  I hope that he wakes up tomorrow ready to check back in to the world of fruits and non-sugar filled foods, but we all know that ain't gonna happen.  Poor boy.  Gonna have to have false baby teeth due to his addiction.

Kinsey was AWESOME this year.  The perfect age for Easter festivities.  She woke up with a "EEEEEK!!!!  THE EASTER BUNNY CAME!!!!"  and kept it up all day.  Adorable!  This is what easter excitement looks like:

The easter bunny brought her a fishbowl.  So, we journeyed out to get our very first pet.  I don't know why I didn't take a picture of our newest addition, but let me tell you about him.  He is a beautiful purple betta fish.  Even though Kinsey is well aware that she chose a male fish, she decided to adorn his bowl with pink and purple glass rocks, a big pink flower, and she named him Barbie.  This kid is hilarious!!  

So, Barbie....I am so sorry that you are going to live a confused existence.  Sadly, your life will probably be short, but you should know that you have made a little girl very happy.  We are equally happy for Petco's 15 day guarantee on your life!  Someday I will be sure to tell Barbie I, Barbie II, and Barbie III about how you paved the way for their cushy lifestyles!

I shall leave you know with some pictures of my family looking fancy!

The cutest kids ever!!!

OK, I know that I am biased, but can you look at these pictures and honestly tell me that they are NOT the cutest kids that have ever lived?

Might I present exhibit A.....Benjamin.  I just took this picture a few minutes ago.  He has donut smeared on his face and you can see his one dimple.  Precious!

Exhibit B....Kinsey.  She is wearing my super cool margarita sunglasses (courtesy of cool Aunt Chrissy!!)  She's a cool chick!  (Yes, I know that I just used the word "cool" three times.  Shut up.)

I know that a lot of you have adorable children, but come on!  I don't know how I got picked to have the cutest ones ever!!  ;)

Ben and his kitchen utensils...

So, last night I wasn't home because I was babysitting and racking up points so that DOug and I can have a hot date for our anniversary!!  Doug was in charge last night and when I got home, he told me this story...

"Ben and Kinsey were in the toy room watching a movie and I was in the family room watching the basketball game.  All of a sudden, Ben comes RUNNING out of the toy room into the kitchen.  He opens the utensil drawer and rummages around in it a bit.  Then, he comes RUNNING into the family room.  He holds up one thing and says, 'Daddy!  What's this?'  I said, 'A ladle!"  Ben repeats, "A ladle!  What's this?"  I say, "An egg beater!"  He repeats, "An egg beater!  Thanks, Daddy!"  Then he RUNS back into the toy room with his new treasures."

Weird kid.

The weekend is over!

Whew!  I just got the kids to bed and now I have a few hours of silence.  aaaaaah!  Doug will be home in the middle of the night and it will be nice to have everybody together again.  

We had a great weekend.  The kids were surprisingly good.  Today our only adventure was going to Walgreen's to get Easter candy for Kinsey's school Easter egg hunt.  I was happy that we got out of the house at all!

While we were playing today, I took the cutest video of Ben.  He and I were playing with a letter puzzle and singing, "The A says AH!  The A says AH!  Every letter makes a sound, the A says AH!"  etc etc etc.  If you have ever seen The Letter Factory, that song will be burned into your brain forever!  So, after I sang the song a gazillion times, he finally decided to do it.  And here we have it....

So, I survived!

Duh.  Of course I would survive!  I'm the mom!

But, today is a different story.  It is snowing like mad, cold, windy and crappy out there.  I am trying  to round up the kids to go to Starbucks, but it's not going well!  Don't they understand that I have NEEDS????  sigh.

These little kids were hilarious last night.  Somehow, Ben discovered that it is super fun to jump in the air and land on his sister.  Fortunately, she laughed, but soon I am sure that we will have either a) a broken bone or b) a little boy with a black eye!

Speaking of black eyes, I should start a pool to see who gets the first one and when.  Why would I do this?  Well, someone decided to show Ben how to make a fist.  Not only does he make a fist, but he figured out how to throw a whopper of a punch.  You have to be on your toes when you are close to him.  You never know when a roundhouse right might be headed for your face!

I'm soooooo lonely!!!!

Well, I am going to update my blog, since apparently I am popular!  (Thanks Karen Anderson!  I am super excited about your pink news!!!)

Here's what's the latest with me....

1.  My parents, Yaya and Papa, just left this morning.  They were here for 10 days, but it is NOT ENOUGH!  It goes way too fast and we have way too much fun!  While they were here, Doug and I managed to sneak away to Vegas, baby!  Woo-hoo!  (I have to admit, while in Vegas, I said "WOO-HOO!  Way too much!!!  Sadly, it was because I was getting free drinks, NOT because I was winning.  sigh.)

2.  Doug left last night to go on a golf trip in San Fran.  Hence, the title of this post.  Yesterday my house was full of adults and today....it's just me.  Me and two monkeys.  "Why aren't you angry with Doug for leaving you with two monkeys to go golfing???",  you might ask.  Well, I am not angry because while we were in Vegas I went shopping.  Need I say more?  I have a shiny new purse to keep me warm at night!  :)

3.  Remember the drama I was eluding to?  It's over.  And, I'm still not going to tell you what it was!  Haha, suckers!  

4.  Ben.  Ben, Ben, Ben.  I had the bright idea to get his hair cut.  It was a little unruly with all of the curls.  But, what I did not know was that lurking under the angelic curls was a little heathen!  Cutting his hair made him look older and turned him into a big, bad boy!  (Ok, he's not bad, but he's getting there!)  Since he lost his hair, he has learned how to make a fist.  And, if you get too close, you better watch out!  The fists are flying with no notice.

Check out the difference...

Before...

After...

Oh, and I'm hearing that there is interest in Ben's newest "friend".  First the stapler, then the can opener.  What ever could it be now?  Well, yesterday my mom and I were cleaning out the toy room and unearthed my hand mixer and it was love at first sight.  sigh.  You know, the kind with the wheel that you have to turn and the metal beaters that could amputate fingers with one wrong turn?  That would be it.  What am I going to do with this kid???  He is going to have staples in his skin and random fingers missing before he is 3!  Oh wait, he will fit in perfectly in Boulder!  haha!

5.  Kinsey.  She is a little diva, that's for sure.  I am hearing a lot of this type of thing, "Mom!  I want water!  Cold water!" pause.  pause.  pause.  "Um, did you HEAR me?"  How did my 5 year old turn into a 16 year old overnight?  She is hilarious and adorable (most of the time), but in these moments I can FEEL my hair turning gray.  Also, my girl LOVES to dance.  She is actually quite good!  Check out her Michael Jackson moves...

So, that is my little update.  I am currently running on fumes, since I haven't caught up on the sleep that I lost in Vegas.  So, perhaps i will be back tonight with another update:  My day alone with monkeys!

Real quick....

I forgot to mention Ben.  There are 2 items of note....

1.  He has exchanged his stapler for a can opener (the squeeze and turn kind, not the sharp eye-gouger-outer kind).  Doug hates that.  He thinks that a kid shouldn't play with a can opener.  I am not sure if I agree.  I am going to toss him in his crib with his can opener and a can of peas.  I bet he will figure it out!  (Is that unsafe??)

2.  This is why I don't give Doug's opinion on safety too much weight...

Friday he took the kids outside to help change our flag from the good ole stars and stripes to the more patriotic Cubs blue!  :)  While he was out there, he saw our neighbor outside so he goes to chat.  While they are chatting, Ben takes off running, trips and slams down face first onto the driveway.  So, he is currently rocking a big bruise and multiple scrapes on the center of his forehead.  I bet a can opener would do less damage than that!!!

A nice weekend--it is over yet???

So, we took advantage of our babysitting co-op to have a date on Friday night.  It was very nice to get out together and we went to see Slumdog Millionaire.  Excellent movie!  Pretty heavy stuff for a date night, but excellent.  Go see it!

Saturday was my turn to babysit.  Not too bad--the kids went to bed at 7:00!  How can I get some kids like that?  I got to hang out in someone else's house and watch tv until almost 11.  This babysitting thing is a racket!  I can't believe that we paid $10 an hour for that!  This co-op is the best thing ever!

I suppose I should update you on my personal training extravaganza!  I had my 4th session on Friday and it was all about CORE.  (you know, abs and stuff!)  So, I worked hard and today and I still feeling the burn!  I hate doing it when I am there, but it is so awesome!  This was the best birthday present ever!  And, next Friday is my 5th and final session, but I talked Doug into letting me get 5 more.  (All it took was for me to give him permission to go on a golf trip--grrrrrrrr!!!)

So, you know my girl, Kinsey?  She decided to change her name to Sara.  Why?  I have NO idea.  She just informed me that her name has changed and I should address her as Sara from here on out.   I suppose I can do that, but I refuse.  I named her Kinsey, dammit!  Don't mess with it!  (But, I think that it is funny nonetheless!)

So, we have been struggling with Kinsey (i mean Sara) having accidents.  I am not sure what is going on, but she has them randomly.  I have been trying all sorts of different tactics to get her to stop, but my latest is the one that I am sticking with...

A few days ago I was playing with her on the floor.  When she got up, I noticed that she had had an accident while we were playing.  I took her into the bathroom to deal with her, and she said, "Mommy, are you mad?"  I said, "I'm not mad, Kinsey--i mean Sara--I am just sad."  So, that was it.  I dropped it and went into the laundry room to throw her stuff in the washer.

A few minutes later she comes in and hands me a folded up note.  Then, she turns and walks away.  I open the note, and there is a big heart on one side and the other side says, "I AM SRE FR HAV ENG AKSDT IN DER  SARA LOVES MOMMY"  (Translation:  I am sorry for having an accident in there.  Sara loves Mommy."

Is that the smartest kid on earth, or what?  I am going to save that note forever!  Let's see if the accidents stop.  I am sure that I will end up with an entire drawer full of notes by the time she is a teenager!!

"what dis about??"

Hello all!  I am back from a brief hiatus.  Let's chat, shall we??

So, my angelic little boy is cracking me up these days.  (I am being sarcastic when I say angelic.  He has been possessed by the 2-year old monster!!!)  He likes to hold things up, and asks, "What dis about?"  I will say, "FORK!"  or  "WHISK!"  or "PUT THAT DOWN, IT'S A KNIFE!!!"  He repeats what I say and then moves on to the next thing.  It's adorable, yet dangerous!  ;)

His other new hobby is attempting to stop my heart with his daredevil antics.  He likes to stand on a chair (or coffee table, or couch, or bed, etc etc) hold his arms out straight, and say, "To infineeee and awon!!!"  (translation---to infinity and beyond!  Thanks Buzz Lightyear!)  then he LEAPS off of the surface he has chosen.  Like a belly flop.  Onto the floor.  I don't know if he thinks that I am going to catch him, but you would think that after face-planting multiple times he would get it.  sigh.  I don't think that I am going to survive this boy!

On to my girl.  Oh Kinsey.  she is getting attitude to spare!  Her new thing is saying "NEVER!!!"  (Picture that girl from the Exorcist spewing pea soup and screaming "NEVER!!!"  That would be a close impersonation!)  I ask her if she wants to talk on the phone--NEVER!!!  Take a bath?  NEVER!!!  Eat dinner?  NEVER!!!  Go to bed?  NEVER!!!

Fun times are being had in the Kaczmarek household!  NEVER!!!

;)

It's been a while!

I haven't written a bunch lately because there is stuff going on that I can't talk about!  Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to keep my mouth shut!  It's impossible!  So, I have to vent to my mom.  If you want to know anything, you have to ask her!

Perhaps I should regale you with tales of my children.  They are a safe topic and friggin' hilarious!  Let me begin with my little man.  Big Bad Ben has discovered the funny noises that his body makes.  And, since he is the king of poop, his body makes PLENTY of noises!  I guess he had a bad case of gas this weekend, because he was tootin' up a storm.  Once I said, "Ben!  Did you just poop?"  He said, "I no poot Mommy, I toot!"  haha!!!  So, now he toots, says "Scu me!" and bursts into hysterical laughter.  That's my boy!

Kinsey, Kinsey, Kinsey.  She went to a University of Colorado basketball game with Doug today and had fun.  Except for the fact that she slept through most of it!  Who can sleep through a basketball game with all of it's horn blowing and cheering, but she can't sleep when it is windy outside?  Huh?   

But, she was super cute this weekend and she and Ben have become quite affectionate.  It is the cutest thing ever!  He will go up to her and give her a hug and say, "I luh you, T-E!"  (That's how he says her name.)  And, at random times she will kiss him on the head and say, "I love you, Ben!"  Then, she comes up to me and say, "Mommy, I sure do love that little guy!"  Awwww!  So, why is it that five minutes later he leaps onto her back and scratches her and she tells me to throw him out of the window??  Sibling love.  Precious!

ONE comment? really?

All right you losers!  If I badmouth you from henceforth, consider it your own fault!  I will NOT say anything about Bre because she obviously follows direction.  Thanks, Bre!

So, my little girl is sick--yet again.  She went  to the doctor today where she proceeded to flip OUT.  Apparantly she is traumatized from the stranglehold/forced strep test that she endured a couple of weeks ago.  Whoops!  My bad!

But, she survived the visit and came out with a fresh new prescription to knock this strep out of the park.  I hope that she feels better tomorrow because it is so sad to see her feeling lousy.  Poor thing.

I had to babysit tonight as part of my babysitting co-op.  I sat for 3 hours, and in return, someone will sit for me on Thursday night for 3 hours.  Brilliant!  But, the boys that I sat for, while being nice and fairly well-behaved, live in a house with no TV!  What?  I had no idea that my babysitting co-op encompassed houses in the third world!  How do they live??  I was actually forced to TALK to these boys and READ to them and LISTEN when they talked to me.  What kind of crap is that?  Here is one conversation that we had (mind you, the boy is 4)

Me:  When is your birthday?

Boy:  June 19

Me:  Cool!  A summer birthday!

Boy:  Actually, it's the Spring.

Me:  Smartass!

(Ok, maybe I embellished that last bit!)

Who is reading this?

I was having a conversation with my mom today and she mentioned that someone that she was talking to (*cough* *cough* Gadget *cough* *cough*) read my FABULOUS blog on a regular basis.  My reaction?  "Huh?"

So, if you have a second, could you leave me a comment or something?  I would love to know who is reading the insane details of my life.  (Or, maybe I just want to make sure that i don't say something bad about you!  I kid!  I kid!!!)

So, let me know who is out there.  I gotta please my audience!  :)

Hilariousity! (Yes, I know that's not a real word. Shut up.)

I have to talk about my son's new best friend.  It's friggin' hysterical!  His new best friend is a black, Swingline stapler!!   I am not sure where he found it, but it was love at first sight.  (Of course I took the staples out, I can hear you, you know!!)

So, for the last several days, every where that Ben goes, so goes his "sap-pah"!  And don't you try to leave it in the car!  He will scream bloody murder!  Sap-pah goes in the stores, in the shopping cart, to the park and in the bed.  What would we do without sap-pah?

And, I have to mention that Kinsey has a hand-held mixer in her bed right now.  Why are my kids so weird?

The Oscars are over, and so is the weekend

So, after waiting forever to watch the Oscar's, they are now over.  It was a great show and I was thrilled to see Angie Jo get snubbed!  hee hee!  (I am NOT a fan of Angelina Jolie.  She stole my man!!!)

Anyway, it was a good weekend.  Those little kids of mine are heeeeelarious!!  Tonight, Kinsey thought that it would be funny to learn how to gargle.  Who does that?  So, she tried and tried and finally got it right.  But, did you know that if you laugh and gargle at the same time, water shoots all over your face and your little brother?  And, did you know that if you gargle enough, your little brother will try to do it and shoot water all over himself?  Did you know that?

Oh, and give me props....I actually had a sparkling clean kitchen this morning at 10:00!!!  But, sadly, at 10:05 it was covered in Fruity Pebbles, apple slices and pop tarts.  sigh.

Here are a couple of recent pics of the reasons why my kitchen will never be clean...

Ow. Ow! OOOWWWW!

And so it begins....

My experience with a personal trainer.  That's what I wanted for my birthday, and I got it.  Oh boy, did I get it!  I met with her for the first time yesterday and as of this moment, I am in tears at the thought of actually standing up.  Oh the agony!  But, I am hoping that it will be worth it!  I intend to be RIPPED by the time summer rolls around.  But, for now, just let me say that doing squats with a 50 pound bar on your shoulders HURTS!  A LOT!  :(

So, I recently learned that my husband reads this.

Hmmm, I suppose I should apologize if I have made any disparaging remarks and reiterate the rock star status to which he was elevated for my surprise party!  Love ya!!  :)

There is some drama going on in our lives right now, but I am not at liberty to discuss it.  I just like to keep the mystery alive.  (For all of you who are trying to figure it out, NO it's not a baby and NO it's not a divorce.  That's all I'm gonna say!)  Anyway, the drama is certainly making this life resemble a roller coaster.  wheeeeeeeeeee!

So, have I ever talked about my friend Anne?  She is leaving next week to go to the Ukraine to adopt a beautiful little girl named Alina.  Alina has Down Syndrome and she is SO lucky to get to grow up in that house.  Anne already has 3 kids, Noah, Caleb, and Meg, so Alina better watch out!  She better learn to be real tough real fast!  But, I am super happy for this family and I can't wait to meet their new addition!  Lucky Alina should be her name!!

One more thing...

Tomorrow I am going to be hiring a personal trainer.  She is a bad ass.  (I try not to swear a lot in this blog, but this time, it is appropriate!)  She has been kicking my butt at boot camp for almost a year, and I decided to step it up a notch.  Personalize butt kicking!  You would be surprised at how expensive personalized butt kicking can be!  (Therefore I had to wait for a generous birthday gift to make it happen.)  But, I hope to come out of this a better, stonger bad ass than I already am!  Watch out losers!  Not only will I be stronger and tougher, I've notice that I've gotten ballsier in my old age, so do NOT get in my way.  You won't be happy with the results!  (I also expect to start saying "You got served!" and "BooooYA!"  Sounds cool, right?)

Yeah. I'm not going to go to the zoo.

That is all.

3 days down, 1 to go.

So, I am on the last leg of this single mommy weekend.  Doug comes home tomorrow evening.  I am sure that he will want to arrive to a big meal and clean house.  But, the poor man rarely gets what he wants!  He will come home to 2 dirty children and a messy house, but at least everyone will be happy to see him!  

Kinsey and Ben are starting their "wrestling" phase.  (Is that even a phase?)  The good part about it is that they wrestle for a solid hour and then CRASH into bed!  The bad part?  Someone always ends up in tears and eventually will probably end up in the emergency room.  But, I'm willing to take that risk for an early bed time!  Is that bad?

The only thing on my mind tonight is whether I want to take my monkeys to the zoo tomorrow.  Taking them to the zoo.  Alone.  With everyone on earth who doesn't have school tomorrow.  OR, they could wrestle themselves into a frenzy!  what to do, what to do??

Random things on my mind today!

So, today is Valentine's Day and I am alone (meaning no husband, I've always got the kids!), but the last thing that I am is lonely or sad.  I am feeling full of love today, so I thought that I would blurt it all over my blog.  Got protective eyewear?  You might want to put it on!  =)

I love...

1.  Doug.  Lots.  He has been a rock star this last week.  He has filled my heart to overflowing.  I am amazed at how much we still love each other after all of the stuff that we have been through (i.e. babies and shoe/purse addictions!).

2.  My Mom and Dad.  They are amazing.  I am eternally grateful to them for all of the things that they have done and continue to do for me.  Plus, they crack me up, which definitely elevates your status on my love list!

3.  My kiddies.  Kinsey and Ben.  Adorable, precious, brilliant, hilarious.  How did I get so lucky to get these two kids?  Jackpot!

4.  Chrissy.  Best friend EVER!  She is going through a hard time right now, and I would do anything for her.  How on earth she has stayed friends with me for 20 years is beyond me.  You would think that the enormous 1992 hair would have scared her off!

5.  All of my crazy family members.  From my brother in Michigan to the in-laws in Indiana.  I have a beautiful family--and I really love them all!  That NEVER happens!

(Here is where it gets random...)

6.  My crock pot!  I have a strange affection for it.  Without it, my dear husband would have gone hungry many a night!

7.  Gymboree!  Great sales, adorable clothes!  They had me at hello!

8.  SpongeBob!  While I don't necessarily love HIM, I love that Kinsey loves him and it gives me the occasional break.  (Do you think that it is on right now?  Hmmmmmm....)

9.  Shoe sales!   I may or may not have ordered a couple of beauties this weekend.  

10.  Coach purses!  While my purchases are few and far between, I love them dearly!

11.  My neighborhood!  I went out for dinner last night with some friends and they are so nice.  I am very lucky to get to live in this particular house, in this particular neighborhood.  Once again--jackpot!

12.  My boot camp class!  It's friggin' early, but it keeps me sane!

13.  Reality tv!  I don't care which show, I love them all!  (But, Survivor has a special place in my heart.  And the fact that I am going to kick Chrissy's booty in fantasy Survivor is even better!)

14.  Colorado weather!  Where else can you go outside without a coat in 30 degree weather?  Very few places, my friend!

Ok, obviously I could go on and on, but I will spare you.  I just want you to know that I am feeling great today, so let's see how long THAT lasts.  (I would put my money on 24 hours or less!!!!)

Funny....

So, I was reading the aforementioned e-mail from Doug and tears were streaming down my face.  Kinsey said, "what's the matter?"  I said, "Daddy sent me a super sweet e-mail.  He's so nice!"  She replied, "That Daddy!  He's as nice as a sack of peanuts!"

BWAAA HAHAHA!!!!

Happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

What a wonderful day I am having!  I got to spend last evening with Chrissy, and it was nice to hang out and talk about happy things.  So far today, I have....

1.  Gotten to take a shower in peace!  (Doug brought the kids in to say happy birthday and then took them downstairs!  I can't remember the last time I shaved my legs without an audience!)

2.  Had a deeeeeeelicious cheese omelette served to me just the way I like it--brown on the outside, gooey on the inside.   MMMMMMMM!!!

3.  Got to run to the grocery store and gas station alone!  (I actually got to listen to the radio--who knew that was a luxury?)

4.  Went to my "Hearts for Moms" group at church.  Wonderful speaker and even better treats!

5.  Received the NICEST e-mail from my husband saying the sweetest things.  And NO!  I will NOT share!  ;)

Now, I am going to go color with Kinsey and work on her valentines for school.   What a great day!  I guess 35 isn't so bad!

From happy to sad.

Yesterday, my best friend, Chrissy called me to tell me that her father passed away suddenly.  I am heartbroken for her.  I love her dearly and the fact that she is sad is unbearable.  I know that she reads this blog, so I want it to be a happy place, but the Tarvin family is always in my thoughts and prayers.

BEST. WEEKEND. EVER!!!!!!

I am so shocked to say this, but Doug REALLY came though this weekend!  Holy moly!  He threw me a surprise party on Friday night and it seriously surprised the you-know-what out me!  Seriously!  So, here's how it went down...

He had planned a few weeks ago to take me out on Friday night for my birthday.  I was excited, but I thought that we would go out for dinner and that would be that.  But, was I wrong!  The babysitter arrived, and we left for an unknown destination.  He went to a local Italian restaurant that I like and said that we were going to go there for appetizers before we moved on to the next stop.  I thought that was pretty creative, so I was down with it!

We walked in the door to the restaurant and I said, "Hey, let's just find a table in the bar."  He agreed and I walked down the hallway to the bar and turned left...

SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe it!  Seriously!  sitting at this long table were most of my friends, including on of my best friends and her husband who flew in from Chicago!  I couldn't believe it!  Later he told me that I literally jumped back from the shock!  Here's the list of attendees:

1.  Chrissy

2.  Karrie and John

3.  Mayce

4.  Nina

5.  Sarah

6.  Jenny

7.  Shoshanna and Rob

8.  Suzanne and Steve

9.  Karen and Brian

10.  Carolyn and Jeff

(I hope I'm not forgetting anyone!)

Plus, there were MORE people who were invited, but couldn't attend.  How on earth did I get so lucky to have all of these awesome friends?  Especially Chrissy.  She is seriously the best friend a person could EVER want. EVER!!  I am so lucky to have her in my life!  (excuse me while I go get a tissue!)  She decorated the table, provided the goody bags, and drew a hilarious and not-at-all accurate picture of me for a VERY innapropriate game that I won't go into here.  (But, do I have a story for you someday!!)

Thank you to everyone who came and who wanted to come and who didn't want to come but likes me anyway!  I am very blessed and awed by the wonderful people in my life.  

So, it's my turn....

I've got issues, people.  SERIOUS issues.  I woke up this morning and my stomach was NOT pleased with me.  I even skipped my boot camp class today, so you know that something is afoot.  I have spent the day counting the minutes until bedtime.  Is that a bad thing?  I am down to 60!  

Doug and Kinsey are out on their "date".  It's pretty cute.  They go to University of Northern Colorado basketball games together.  It's their thang.  I like it, because I get a date night with my little man.  But, poor Ben's fancy date consisted of a hot dog, a bath and a movie.  That's all I got.

I will be rallying tomorrow, because Doug is taking me out for my birthday!  (Even though my birthday is a week away, but whatever.)  He lined up a babysitter and said that he was making plans.  As long as these plans consist of something a little quieter than TGIFridays, I am in!

Is the sickness gone?

So, after spending a weekend up to my elbows in vomit and poo,  Doug woke up with the hurls yesterday.  I gotta tell, it ain't pretty!  I am praying that it decides to give me a pass, because I don't think that I can handle the nastiness.  Today was a poo-free and puke-free day, so let's hope it stays that way!  Fingers crossed!!

Today was GORGEOUS yet again.  I took the kids to the park to get the sick/stink off of them, and I think that it worked!  They were both smelling like flowers when they went to bed.  (That could have been the bath, but I am going to give the fresh, mountain air the credit!)

Here's Kinsey's latest venture....she decided to run a restaurant!  We were playing last night and she created a menu for "Holly Natural's Restaurant".  (Of course, she spelled it "HLE  NASHRL", but what can I say?  She's brilliant!!!!)  If I must recommend something, I would have to go with the Steak Dogs and Cherry Soup.  Delish!  ;)

A Ben update....his new word is "WHAAAAAT??"  Imagine this said in a super high-pitch tone.  It is frickin' hilarious!  Tonight, I tried to put on a movie for him and when it started, he said, "WHAAAAAT?  A moo-eeee?  WHAAAT???  Ma?  Ma?  Ma--eeeee!!!  Mo' pockorn peeeeeese!!"  My boy loves his popcorn!!  (Oh, did you not get that from his dialogue?  haha!!")

My daughter--the artist!

Check out this awesome kid!  Yes, I am fully aware that she watches too much SpongeBob, but she drew these pictures and colored them in all by herself!  And she just turned 5!  I am super impressed, but maybe I am biased.  This week, my plan is to find her some art lessons.  I asked her if she wanted to play soccer instead, and I was met with, "Soccer?  Um, no.  I have already played soccer, so I don't need to play it any more."  My kid apparantly masters a skill at first sight, since she "played" soccer once and then cried so much I took her home.

But, I digress--check out her mad art skillz!

Superbowl--Schmuperbowl!

So, how was your Superbowl?  Did you enjoy the game?  How were the commercials?  Did you eat some good food?  Have a drink or two?

Well, whoopdee frickin' do!  

Oh, how was MY Superbowl?  Thanks for asking!  It was eh.  Did you get that?  Eh!  So, I got up and went to the gym.  Followed by the grocery store and Target.  Once I got home, I threw some meat in the crock pot and fed the kids.  After lunch, the kids got a bath and Doug took Kinsey out to run errands (including a haircut--she was gettin' shaggy!)

After that, the day went EXACTLY as I had expected--Doug watched the game, and I threw food at all of the people in my house periodically.  (I know that you are jealous of my culinary skillz!)

So, I heard that it was a good game, but I have no idea.  I do hope that you enjoyed it.  I fully intend to enjoy the Superbowl of 2020.  But, who knows???

Puke, Puke, Puke. Sick, sick, sick!

Poor Kinsey is a sick potato!!  She (I mean, WE) was up ALL NIGHT LONG throwing up, crying, being miserable.  Poor thing.  Today her job is to lay on the couch and get better.  So, that means that I have become the servant.  I will happily fetch her popsicles and crackers as long as she feels better!  I hate to see her sick.  :(

Let's hope that tomorrow is better!  Puking is nasty, even for a hardened mom like me!  :)

We have heat--we have drama!!

So, the last couple of days have been chock full o' drama, but I will spare you the gory details.  What you really NEED to know is that we have heat and Mama is happy!  :)  Thanks to my good friend, Karrie and her awesome husband, we have a kick-ass furnace for half the price that we were expecting to pay.  Whew!

So, enough of that.  This weekend is the Super Bowl!  woo-hoo.  (note the sarcasm.)  To me, the Super Bowl equals lots of food and watching commercials.  That's how it SHOULD be!  But, now that I have 2 monkeys in my house (not counting Doug), the Super Bowl equals every other day, plus more food.  I am sure that Doug will enjoy the game from the comforts of his cheetah chair, but I will be hiding from the kids--as usual!  ;)

Kinsey cracks me up!!!

I start laughing when I think about this story, so I thought that it might amuse someone else!!

So, on Monday Kinsey and I were waiting for the furnace guy to show up.  Someone knocked on the door and we assumed that's who it was, so we ran to the door.   Kinsey flung open the door to find not the furnace guy, but a guy from a local dairy trying to sign us up for home delivery.  (This is mildly irritating, since we already get milk delivered from a different dairy and he was standing next to the other dairy's cooler as he began his spiel.)  

Anyway, he was giving me the details on their pricing, yadda yadda yadda, and then he asked Kinsey if she liked chocolate milk.  She was like, "Um, duh dude!"  So, he tells her to get a glass and he will give her some to try.  So, he trots off to his truck and she runs to get a cup.  He comes back, and pours her a cup full of super-chocolatey milk. 

She takes a HUGE swig and swipes her mouth with her hand.  He says, "Well, miss?  Do you like it?"  Her response?  "This....chocolate...milk....makes.....me....feel...ALIVE!!!!!"  hahaha!!!  I burst into hysterical laughter and I turned to the milk man expecting him to be doubled over at my hilarious child.  But, instead, he barely laughed at the funniest thing ever!

And that, sir, is why we will NOT be using your dairy.  I want happy milk!  ;)

First video of "My Crazy Life with 2 Crazy Kids!"

I am attempting to upload a video.  I hope that it works!  This is just a little insight as to why I am

slowly going insane!  You can hear the insanity in my voice!  I am a woman on the edge!!  =)

My fingers are frozen!

So, yes, it is still cold in my house.  We are taking bids on a new furnace, but with each one we get the price is going down.  So, eventually we will be able to say YES!  If we don't have a furnace by the weekend, I'm taking the kids and hittin' the road!  Anyone need a visitor?  We don't make much of a mess!  hahaha!!!

Even though I am cold, I am all a-twitter about date night tomorrow night!!!  I finally got a babysitter (who is going to have to sit in a fuh-reezing cold house! heh heh heh!!) and Doug and I are hitting the town!!  And by hitting the town, I mean going to the local crappy movie theater and sneaking in our own gummy bears and Pepsi!  That's how we roll!!  But, we haven't seen a movie in FOREVER, so I am open to suggestions!  The babysitter is only here from 6:30-10, so I am guessing that we will grab quick dinner and see a movie.  Wheeeee!  Who knew that a cheap date could be so exciting!

One more thing--I have a confession.  Tonight I have book club.  I love book club.  I love all of the ladies who are in my book club.  I love hanging out with them, having a glass of wine and a good meal and chatting.  Once in a while, we even talk about books!  But, my confession?  I didn't read the book this time.  What are the chances that they are actually going to talk about this SPECIFIC book?  I've got lots to say about lots of other books!  Pick one!  Stephen King?  I'm on it!  Twilight?  Loved it!  Jodie Picoult?  Love her--which one do you want to talk about?  But, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett?  I have NO idea!   Sorry!

BRRRRRRR!!!

ok, so I took the weekend off--sue me!  :)  

We actually had a lovely weekend, even though we didn't have any plans.  We instituted Family Movie Night on Saturday night, so hopefully that becomes a weekly thing.  This week's movie?  Horton Hears a Who!  Very cute, and the kids loved it.  We made a giant floor bed in the living room and we all snuggled in and ate popcorn on the floor!  I wonder what movie we will see this week....

Aside from all of that fun, the weather turned COLD.  I hate being cold!  As if that wasn't enough, our furnace went out on Sunday.  Since we have a separate furnace for the upstairs and downstairs, we decided to stick it out until Monday (today) before we had someone come out.  Well, that someone is here and he just informed me that we need a whole new furnace.  Great.  I wonder how much that is going to cost.  GRRR!!  I am mad!

Maybe I will have better news tomorrow.  I am off to go put on another layer!

You think you are tired? You don't know tired!

I am running on fumes.  FUMES!  My 2 year old is going to be the END of me.  He is super clingy, gets up and night, and whines if I put him down.  So, here are my choices:

1.  Use him as weights and develop the most awesome set of biceps you have ever seen.

2.  Drop him and run!!!

I tried option 2 this morning, and it didn't go well.  So, I guess I need to go buy some wife-beaters to showcase the mighty pythons that I am going to be sporting!  Got your tickets to the gun show?  (Little joke there!  Get it?)

What did I learn today?

Today was the day for my "Hearts for Moms" group.  It's a group at church for moms of little ones, and it offers support/advice/breakfast/babysitting.  What more could you want???

Today's topic was "Finding Time for your Husband."  Ugh.  But, it was very well put together and I was glad that I went.  I was so motivated, I even came home and made banana bread!  Now that's a good day!

The best part of my day came after I picked up the kids.  I had promised them ice cream if they were good, so of course I had to pay up.  Ice cream for lunch?  Sounds good to me!   There is nothing cuter than 2 little kids with ice cream on their faces.  They both managed to smear ice cream all over their faces and all over my car and all over my kitchen and all over their clothes.  I can only hope that they actually got some in their mouths!!

The other thing that i wanted to comment on is my son's new found obsession with Wall-E.  He asks for that movie a dozen times a day.  If he is having a fit, nothing can calm him like Wall-E.  So, needless to say, I coughed up the money to buy the darn thing, because Wall-E is my new best friend!!  And now that Ben is talking so much, it is adorable.  He actually said, "Hey Ma?  Ma?  MA?  MA!  MA!!  Wall-E can fly!  No....Wall-E fly in spaceship.  Buzz Lightyear can fly!  Ben go in spaceship?  No....  MA??  MA??  MA!!!"

Precious!

48 and 48!

So, we are back from the doctor, and my girl is 48 inches tall and 48 pounds!  holy moly!  I knew that she was tall, but not THAT tall!!  No wonder her pants are too short!  =)

But, she is healthy and happy and smart and beautiful and crazy and wonderful!  (This was all before the shots!  After the shots?  Not so much!  haha!!!)

Here is a picture of her on her birthday last week.  Those boys are twins and they are her best buds from across the street.  They are 3 months OLDER than her!  (Warning--if you send your boys to my house, they will become princesses and will be photographed!!!)

How tall is my girl?

So, today is Kinsey's 5 year checkup.  We are leaving in an hour, but I was just wondering how tall she is going to be "officially".  Since I am tall, and Doug is freakishly tall, she is going to be off of the charts for sure!

As I was wondering about this, I remembered yet another picture that a friend of mine decided to torment me with on Facebook.  I dare you to guess which child is me....

100 Things

My friend, Kristen--http://kscreativebliss.blogspot.com/ posted this on her blog and I thought it would be fun to do -- feel free to copy and paste to your blog as well...

Bold the things you have done:

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii--(Not yet, but I am going in April!).
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.--(Only if Starbuck's counts!)
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House--I walked past it!
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.