Wordless Wednesday 10-24-12
October 24, 2012 · by · 9 Comments
This is what I get when I ask my daughter to please smile for the camera 
Musings on a Monday
October 1, 2012 · by · 2 Comments
Hey friends, how was your weekend? Last week felt like it just crawled by, and then the weekend seemed to end before it started. We spent Saturday doing what we do every week – decrapifying our living room. We accumulate ridiculous amounts of crap over the course of the week, like junk mail and the countless papers Kaitlyn brings home from school – look Mama, I made a row of “T”s, look Mama, I got a star on my math paper. I appreciate that teachers want us to see what’s she’s doing in school, but the amount of paper is ridiculous. And recyclable 
Chris also helped Kaitlyn pick up and re-dress all of her American Girl and similar-sized dolls, and I finally learned why little girls are always taking the clothes off their dolls and leaving them naked. According to Kaitlyn, if she’s making up a game or story and the doll doesn’t have the RIGHT OUTFIT, the one it does have needs to come off. I mean come on, who wears their best party dress to bed, right? I’m also happy we have this big plastic tub/basket thing that all the dolls fit right into. Geez, that Fancy Nancy doll at the front left of the tub? I reviewed that on MomReviews and hosted a giveaway back in 2008! I’m happy that Kaitlyn is so careful with her dolls.
My dog has been acting strange lately, it has me a little worried. He’s always been high-strung thanks to being raised literally in the middle of nowhere by my MIL, before we took him in shortly before her passing in 2006. He has always been overly attached to me, following me from room to room and even trying to get into the bathroom with me, but lately he’s seemed, well, upset or something. And then on Saturday I made tuna salad and put some of the tuna juice in little bowls for him and the cat like I always do, but when I called him to come and get it, he wouldn’t move. So I walked up to him patting my leg, saying “come on, Elvis”, and he still wouldn’t move. So I reached out to pet him and he ran into the bedroom and jumped on the bed, shaking. I have no idea what was going on in his doggy head! Kaitlyn, being the little nurturer that she is, decided he looked “cold” last night, so she did this, and Elvis just laid there. He’s eating normally, going potty normally, so I think he’s fine. Just a little spoiled, maybe.
Tomorrow is Ryan’s 16th birthday! I couldn’t believe it when he told me that all he wants for his birthday is $15 to contribute to a Kickstarter Fund. Seriously! There’s this web comic he follows and practically lives for called Homestuck, and the Kickstarter Fund is to get a video game made based on the movie – in two years! And THAT’S what my son wants for his 16th birthday. As for driving, he is completely not interested. So at least we aren’t thousands of a dollars for a car Who’s got two thumbs and is a completely awesome person? THIS GUY!
So, that’s what’s going on around here. How are all of you?
Wordless Wednesday 7-11-12: Silly Kaitlyn
July 11, 2012 · by · 10 Comments
Kaitlyn sitting on top of the stuffed animals she stores in this bucket. It’s her favorite place to watch TV.
This was the “toy” in Kaitlyn’s kids’ meal from Wendy’s last night. It’s a plastic version of a game from the TV show “Minute to Win It”, which has just come out on Xbox360. She insisted on putting it together and loading up the paper keys on the hook. Seriously. Such a Goofball.
Link up your Wordless Wednesday posts below!
Wordless Wednesday 6-13-12: Matching Vera Bradley Bags!
June 13, 2012 · by · 12 Comments
Welcome to Wordless Wednesday!
Bought the small one on eBay, realized it was too small so I gave it to Kaitlyn. Then I bought the larger one for myself, totally forgot about Kaitlyn's, then realized I had bought the same pattern! Guess I really like it!
Friday Fives – Five Things That Make Me Happy
June 8, 2012 · by · 4 Comments
Welcome to Friday Fives, the weekly meme where I post a list of five anythings! This week, I’m making myself think of five things that make me happy because I had a bad day yesterday and want to embrace the positives. Feel free to play along with Friday Fives by posting your own list on your blog, on your Facebook wall, your Google + stream, on Twitter – or even by leaving your list in my comments!
FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY TODAY:
1. My real-life and Facebook friends. I had a bad day yesterday, starting with a huge fight with my husband and ending with the realization that I had FORGOT that I agreed to co-host a Twitter party with Megan Calhoun of SocialMoms on behalf of Together Counts. I was devastated. I posted about it on Facebook (a/k/a my personal therapist) and had 19 friends, most of whom I personally know, shower me with all kinds of lovely and kind words. It was like getting a big group hug, and there’s no feeling like knowing that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. And also? That you aren’t the only one that occasionally f*cks up. So once again, thank you thank you THANK YOU all my wonderful friends.
2. International Delight Iced Mocha, which I discovered when an opportunity came up to review it through Collective Bias/Social Fabric. If you are a fan of those fancy iced coffee drinks at coffee places and take-out restaurants that cost four or five dollars each, you really need to head to Meijer or Walmart or Kroger (put in your zip code at http://www.internationaldelight.com/Where-To-Buy to find stores close to you) and pick up Original, Vanilla or Mocha. It’s $3.99 for half a gallon which is eight servings! Sorry Biggby Coffee, Starbucks, and McDonalds, but I’m on a budget and quite frankly, International Delight’s Iced Mocha tastes EXACTLY THE SAME AS YOURS. p.s. posting this is not part of the compensated campaign I’m doing for CB. I swear.
3. My daughter teaching herself to tie her shoes. Kaitlyn requested her first pair of “shoes that tie” a couple of months ago, and as Chris or I tied them for her in the morning, we explained step-by-step what we were doing. And then about two weeks ago, she came running up to the front door off the bus and said “Mom, guess what? I tied my own shoes today!” She decided she was going to do it by herself and so she just put her mind to it and did it. Her feet did one of those I-swear-they-grew-overnight things that kids’ feet do and yesterday I realized she had little red marks on the tops of all her toes where the shoes were rubbing, so last night we stopped in at Payless and she requested “shoes that will help me run fast AND that tie.” No more velcro for my girl!
4. My kids finishing up Freshman year, Seventh grade, and Kindergarten having kicked butt in all their classes. Ryan has a 3.89 GPA that would have been higher but he chose to take Sophomore math instead of Freshman math. And I am very happy with 3.89! And Nathan, my sweet son with the math learning disability, is getting a B+ in Math, a B in Science, and A’s in everything else! Kaitlyn was a model kindergartener, and loves school so much that when her teacher told the kids to practice math, reading, spelling and writing over the summer, she set up a “desk” in the playroom by turning a big cardboard box upside down and setting out paper, crayons and markers. She’ll probably know all the 1st grade skills before the new school year even starts. We always end the school year by going out for ice cream, and I am happily spending that money because all three of them deserve it!
5. New seasons of some of my favorite TV shows. Summer used to mean endless reruns of sitcoms and not much else, but thanks to cable, networks like HBO, TNT, and USA now have shows that start in the summer, and there are some really good ones. Last week’s Friday Fives was Five TV Shows I’ll Be Watching This Summer, all but True Blood had their season premieres this past week, and I was once again reminded why I love summer TV! One show I didn’t have room for in that post was Franklin & Bash, which airs Tuesdays at 10 eastern on TNT. Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer play old friends and lawyers who will do anything to represent their clients, while also being hilariously funny and sometimes naughty, not to mention gorgeous. I have had a huge crush on Breckin ever since “Clueless”, and he just gets hotter every year. Mark-Paul’s not too bad either. Malcom McDowell plays the head of the law firm they technically work for and he’s brilliant. A good hour of TV makes me happy, six good hours of TV a week makes me even happier
So there you have it, this week’s Friday Fives. Have a great weekend everybody!
Wordless Wednesday – Kaitlyn’s Whiteboard Art
June 5, 2012 · by · 16 Comments
Welcome to Wordless Wednesday, the weekly blog meme for showcasing your photos. At the end of the post after the photos is a linky where you can leave the URL to your Wordless Wed. post. Comments are definitely welcome! I’ll visit everyone who leaves their URL in the linky and/or leaves a comment, it’s a great way for me to get to know my fellow bloggers!
This week’s photos are of the big whiteboard Kaitlyn draws on. Lately she’s been playing school by setting up a row of baby dolls against a box, facing the board, and then copying the “Writer’s Workshop” assignment from that morning. These are recent favorites of mine:
Nearly Wordless Wednesday 5-23-12: Kaitlyn’s Hair
May 23, 2012 · by · 12 Comments
Hair Before – Brushing it caused tears every single time:
Two weeks ago she finally talked me into letting her get it cut. Trimmed and with layers, it looks great and no more tangles or tears!
It’s easy to participate in Wordless Wednesday, or Nearly Wordless Wednesday if you want to include a little text Post a photo on your site, then link it up so others can come see your post. I recommend linking up where I do – Wordless Wednesday and 5 Minutes for Mom, and then browse the links left there and visit other Wordless Wednesday participants. It’s a great way to find new blogs to read and to get a glimpse into the lives of your fellow bloggers!
Link up your Wordless or Nearly Wordless Wednesday posts below and leave a comment, and I’ll come visit your blog and leave you a comment!
Wordless Wednesday 4/4/12: Baby Love
April 3, 2012 · by · 6 Comments
I’m participating in a blog hop this week called “Baby Love”, hosted by Her Baby Stuff. Kaitlyn might be six and a half, but she will always be my baby!
Link up your Wordless Wednesday posts so I can come see them!
“Missing Mommy” – A Story By Kaitlyn, Age 6
March 19, 2012 · by · 12 Comments
Kaitlyn wrote and illustrated this story using Dot’s Story Factory on PBS Kids. It had an option at the end to email it to someone, so she had me email it to my Stepmother, the Grandma mentioned in the story. It boggles my mind that my SIX year old can spell this well, type on a laptop, and figure out website directions like this. I am SO PROUD of her!
Oh, and it must only have an option to illustrate the first page, which is why the other two are blank on the top. Also, I’m not sure what is on Kaitlyn’s head in the illustration, maybe a party hat sticker? Without further ado, “Missing Mommy” by Kaitlyn Edwards, age 6. Enjoy!
The fact that she included "lol" is just too awesome.
She sounded out "missed" and got "mist". Close enough!
I barely have enough room in my body for how much I love Kaitlyn!
THE END.
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