Presenting the Amazing Noah!!!

And now the moment you have all been waiting for...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Birthday, Noah! We love you! :)

"How did you get so big? "

My sweet baby boy turned TWO today. Between Abby's 4th birthday in May, signing her up for preschool, putting Noah's crib in the attic, and now this...I've been a sentimental mess!

It's crazy to think that he is already two years old, although he's definitely exhibiting the two-year-old, crazy boy behaviors: getting into everything, climbing on everything, saying no to everything. (He pretty much got a head start on all that a couple months ago.) He is full of life, love, and curiosity. He amazes me on an hourly basis. I swear he is saying a new word or phrase everyday. He's also finding new creative ways to get into things that I think are out of his reach. If I could just super glue the chairs to the kitchen floor, this problem would be resolved! My little guy can grab one of those chairs, push it over to the counter, and be into a box of fruit snacks in less than 5 seconds. He's fast! It's unbelievable.

What's more unbelievable is how fast the time has flown by. I discovered today that Noah's already outgrown his size 6 light-up CARS tennis shoes, as I was trying to squeeze them on his feet. (He loves those shoes!) They seemed to fit fine last week. Geez! (I guess it's time to do some dreaded shoe shoppin' again...)

I always tease with my kiddos and ask 'em, "How did you get so big?"

They always laugh, and then Abby says through her giggles..."Because we growed, Mama!"

Well, can ya slow it down a little?

Karaoke Mama!

*I'm "rerunning" this post for Photo Story Friday (8/8/08). When I originally wrote this, I didn't know PSF even existed. But since the events of this story actually took place on a Friday, I couldn't help but link it up! After you read it, click here for a Karaoke update!

I finally did it! On Friday night, my sister and I got up enough nerve to make our Karaoke debuts in public! We've had a karaoke machine in our house since I was 8 years old. It was actually called a "Singing Machine" back then. I'd wail out Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It" and "Let's Hear It For the Boy" from Footloose, Dolly Parton's "9 to 5", pretty much whatever was on those gold colored 8-tracks. (Yes, you just read 8-Track...Wow, I am aging myself here.) It's become a family tradition to pull out the karaoke machine at holiday gatherings and family reunions, but I have never performed for (somewhat drunken) perfect strangers before.

We were out with my mom (she took the pics) celebrating my sister's 25th birthday so we thought it would be fun to do something a little daring and out of the ordinary, at least according to our standards. (It's not bungee jumping, but hey! It's a start!) There's a restaurant just down the road that hosts Karaoke every Friday night, but I've never been able to convince anyone to go with me until now. It really was a blast, despite the deafening volume level, muffled speakers, a few singers who would give American Idol rejects a run for their money, the disgruntled DJ lady who threatened to hit my sister with the mic if she turned it off again, and the lack of audience...which was probably a good thing.(There were maybe 20-30 people there.) Of course, I have to post a few pictures to commemorate the evening! Next stop - Don't Forget the Lyrics!!!


Sing it, sister!!!

Getting into it...I even asked the audience to sing along!

I think I probably embarrassed my sister...I don't get out much these days. haha!
Happy Birthday, Mindy!!!

T.G.I. "POW"day!!!

So this tells you how addicted I am...I am typing this in our hotel room. My husband and I are on a little overnight getaway. We haven't done this in 3 years! (My mom offered to watch the kids. Thanks, Mom!) But I didn't want to miss linking up to "POW" hosted by McMommy...

"McMommy's Friday POW leaves its audience wanting more! Touching, funny and heartwarming....this lighthearted romp through the complex world of blogging is a guaranteed smash hit. It's better than Cats!"
-Matt, The Playpen

(I tried to copy the superwoman picture too, but my computer is not cooperating!)

Check it out and link up your most "POW"erful Post Of the Week!

Crocodiles Rock!

We finally did it. Noah's Pooh Bear room has now been transformed...

into his very own golf course, compliments of my dad and his cartoonist ways! (Thank you, Dad!)

Noah wanted to paint all over the walls too!

Noah LOVES his crocodile! (inspired from this rug I found at Target.)

And no course is complete without a golf cart!

Pat is excited that Noah gets to sleep under "Amen Corner". I think he might be more excited about the room than Noah is!

Click here and here for "pre-quels" to this post!

"Garden Experiment" Update!

It's been almost a month since we began our "garden experiment" and so far so good! We've planted tomato and zucchini starters, snap peas seeds, green pepper seeds, and even watermelon seeds. I had no idea that these zucchini plants would be so massive! And they've still got another month to go!!! My tomato plants are getting big too so I need to get something to hold those up. I keep forgetting to do that. I also had no idea that it would take 2 months before we'd be able to harvest any of it...I should have started sooner. Oh well! Abby and Noah love watching the plants grow and would water the garden all day, every day if I would let them. :) Overall, it's been a lot easier than I anticipated. For gardening greenies like me, square foot gardening is definitely the way to go! If you are feeling ambitious, check out the site www.squarefootgardening.com and plant a box or two!

"Mommie Dearest"...yikes!

This has been one crazy week. I haven't really posted much (with the exception of pictures) because I like to keep my posts light and positive sprinkled with a bit of sarcasm here and there. My writing this week would have consisted of my sleep deprivation, my fighting kiddos, my inability to get Noah to stay in the shopping cart or off of the kitchen counters, Abby's meltdown at church in the middle of my lesson to the Jr.Primary kids (and Noah's that soon followed...that boy will not stay in nursery!), the sound of crashing books as Noah cleared off 2 full shelves at the library spilling over onto the feet of innocent bystanders, etc, etc, etc.... Truthfully, I'm really not one to dwell on the negative. There are so many cute, hilarious, memory-making things that happen every day. A day never passes that my kids don't make me smile. But still, it's been a nutty week.

So if I didn't want to post about this stuff, then why am I doing it now? Well, I've been inspired! This morning I ventured over to Just Another Mommy Blog and read Tracey's candid post describing what she calls her "scariest impersonation of Mommie Dearest." (It's really not that bad.) Her feelings resonated so clearly with me. I couldn't help but laugh and sympathetically nod my head as she described her "fantastic, sometimes destructive...human tornado 6-year-old son (Noah is chasing right behind him) & when she referred to her "impersonation" because I felt like I had my own "Mommy Dearest" moment this past week (no wire hangers, mind you...haha).

In fact, Joan Crawford's face popped into my head after yelling at my 4 year old daughter, tossing her in her room, and slamming the door – a knee-jerk reaction for putting thick, gooey ointment in my 2 year old’s freshly washed hair just as we were ready to walk out the door. ahhhh! (I hadn't slept much the night before either...so that didn't help the situation.) A guilt-ridden apology from me, a big hug, and an "I love you" followed minutes later. And I tried my best to get the ointment out of my son's hair without having to put him in the tub, but he pretty much looked like Danny Zuko for the rest of the afternoon.


If you have a few minutes, click on over to Tracey's blog and read her post. Her inspiration came from New Jersey Moms Blog Rules and Worst Mothering Moments inspired by "Writing Motherhood" dishing even more mommy blunders. (Quite the domino effect!)

Sharing our less than stellar moments gives us moms the encouragement we so desperately need sometimes. It's comforting to know that there are other moms out there experiencing the same challenges and that we are in this together. What binds us is the infinite love we have for our children and our desire to be the best moms we can possibly be.

So....are you inspired yet?

TAG!!! I'm it!

I was "tagged" a few weeks ago by my good friend, Amanda, so here I go...FINALLY!

ABC TAG
A- Attached or single: Attached - We just celebrated our 12th anniversary! Crazy, huh?
B- Best Friend: Diana and I have been best friends since I was 13 years old. We met at a church activity when we lived in Massachusetts & only knew each other for a year before my family moved to VA and her family moved back to CO. Still we kept in touch all those years (and most of that time was before email, people!)
C-Cake or Pie: Both!!! I have quite the sweet tooth.
D-Day: Hmmm... My kids birthdays are my favorite days of the year.
E- Essential Item: my contacts...I'm blind as a bat.
F-Favorite Color: Lavender, but aqua blue is a close runner up.
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: Gummi Bears
H-Home town: Geez...how do I choose? I've moved a lot - CA, AR, NV, MA, VA, UT
I- Indulgences: Crepe Diablotins from Bakers Crust...a little piece of heaven on a plate. (A crepe stuffed with chocolate mousse and strawberries smothered with whipped cream! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.)
J- January or July?: July! Bring on the fireworks!
K-Kids: A sweet little girl and a crazy (but sweet) little boy
L-Life is incomplete without: family and friends
M- Marriage Date: June 15, 1996 (Pat robbed the cradle, didn't he?)
N-Number of Siblings: 2 sisters, 2 brothers (I'm the oldest)
O- Oranges or Apples: Caramel apples...told ya I have a sweet tooth!
P- Phobias or Fears: Guns (Sorry, Terri)
Q- Quote: "In raising my children, I have lost my mind but found my soul." Lisa T. Shepherd
R- Reason To Smile: Abby & Noah
S- Season: Summer - flip flops, beach trips, lots of ice cream, what's not to love?
T- Tag Four: Diana, Jen, Jenny, and Terri ( & whoever else want to play!)
U- Unknown fact about me: I love to watch Full House reruns with Abby. I used to have a huge crush on John Stamos. haha!
V- Very Favorite Store: Barnes and Noble
W- Worst Habit: Biting my nails
X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ultrasounds, especially 20 week ultrasounds!
Y-Your favorite food: Chocolate...does that count?
Z: Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

TAG! You're it!

Splishin' & Splashin' on WW!!!

Splashing around at Papa's house (6/15/08)
Feel free to "splash" around my blog & leave a comment or two!
(Add your pic to Wordless Wednesdays!)

Miss Independent

Abby had a blast today at her very first day of summer camp. She was so excited to go this morning. We planned for Daddy to take her (to avoid Mommy getting sentimental at the drop off). Of course, I had to get a picture of her as they were leaving. She had to show off her princess lunch bag.

I went to pick her up at noon, and, of course, another picture...

She showed me her little cubby and the solar system picture she made. Yes, I snapped another one...

After we left, I said to her, "Abby, I missed you this morning. Did you miss me?"

Abby: "No," then she pauses, "I didn't miss you at all."

Me: (a little surprised) "Not at all? How come?"

Abby: "I was having fun!"

I guess I can't argue with that. :)

Just Like Daddy...(& a smilebox too!)

(Don't worry. It's unplugged.)


Noah does this almost every morning when Daddy is getting ready for work. It cracks us up every time.


Relaxing with Dad (2006)

And, of course, I had to make a smilebox for Father's Day!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We Love You!

Big Girls Don't Cry!

I made a complete fool of myself today at the dentist office. I've had quite a bit of dental work done lately. First - a huge filling for a tooth that broke while we were in Disney. (That was a nice surprise as we were waiting in line to meet Ariel.) And then a crown prep a few weeks ago for a tooth that has needed one for awhile...but I kept putting it off. Getting a crown is definitely not my idea of a good time, unless I've just won the Miss America pageant.

Regardless, today was the day to have the crown "delivered" as they call it. I drive over to the office, cringing the entire way there. For some reason, my mouth is very stubborn when it comes to getting numbed up. My last two visits I had to have at least 3 or 4 shots before the anesthetic would take affect. AAAHHH! Needles don't really bother me that much, but since these shots go right into the lower jaw area, those muscles are sore for days. Fortunately, I love the people at this practice. Like I said (in a prior post)they are more like distant relatives that I get to visit with every 6 months.

When I walk in this morning at 8am, I offer to treat them to breakfast instead of going through with the "delivery" (would have been a heck of a lot cheaper than the crown), but they just laugh. I reluctantly sit down in the chair and spot that sci-fi lookin' syringe right away. My dentist assures me that he should only have to give me one big shot in the way back and just a couple little ones around the tooth. He knows how much I love these shots. So I brace myself and try to think about something else...All of a sudden, I feel a wave of emotion come over me and I am trying everything in my power not to burst out in tears! I'm thinking, What is wrong with me? I've never cried in the dentist office before. I know I'm tired (kids & hubby have been sick, going to bed too late, kids waking up in the night and EARLY in the morning), but crying? in the dentist office? Really?

So I'm still fighting back tears as he removes the needle and he starts to explain the rest of the procedure. My heart starts racing, my hands are shaking a bit, and then the levy breaks. Tears start streaming down my face....this is crazy!!! My poor dentist...he looks a little surprised as I'm apologizing for acting like a baby. Then he asks, "Do your hands feel shaky?"

"Yes. This is so weird" I reply, laughing and crying at the same time.

Then he proceeds to explain that the shot he gave me had epinephrine in it which can get your adrenanline going and sometimes trigger reactions like this. (He wanted to give me the "good stuff" for this procedure because it lasts longer.) Here I am thinking that the sleep deprivation, work stress, constant cleaning, endless laundry, playing referee for the kids, and keeping Noah off the kitchen counters all day is catching up with me...but nope! It was the epinephrine.

Still, after all this (I won't even go into the rest of the appointment except to say I ended up getting 6 or 7 shots!), I am in definite need of a girls' night out or better yet, a spa weekend! Ah, just the thought of it...

*Check out this post from Diary of a New Mom. It's great reminder that moms need to get away once in awhile...trips to the dentist don't count!

Wordless Wednesdays

Virginia Beach 9/07
*WW is a great way to meet other bloggin' mamas. Feel free to look around my blog and leave a comment! :)

Summer Lovin'...

I love summer! We've actually dived in a bit early this year. I don't ever remember hitting 101 degrees the first week of June (in Las Vegas? yes. In VA? no). The kids have already been splashing around in our inflatable jungle pool and eating pudding pops like they're going out of style. My big summer project (more like experiment) is our squarefoot garden we started a couple weeks ago. I'll be posting updates along the way so you can all marvel at my progress...hopefully. I have such a "black thumb", I'm a little nervous about this. So far so good! No fatalities yet...actually I take that back, my pumpkin starter did not fare so well, but the other 7 things we planted are alive and kickin'. The kids are loving it though so it should be fun.
Speaking of FUN, I added a button for "Creative Summer Days" by 5 Minutes for Mom. They'll be posting fun activity ideas to entertain the kiddos on those hot summer days. The teacher in me can't help but eat that stuff up. Don't miss out! It starts tomorrow!



Garden "Experiment" - Day 1 (Memorial Day)

I'm so excited!!!!!

And I just can't hide it! I'm about to lose control and I think I.... (you know you are singing along with me as you're reading this. haha!) I got the most exciting email tonight! My personal essay that I submitted to "A Cup of Comfort for New Mothers" has been selected as a finalist for publication consideration! I literally jumped up out of my seat when I saw the email. I would have done a cartwheel too if I had ever learned how. :) Out of 56 finalists, 50 stories will be chosen so keep your fingers crossed for me!!!

"The Kid in You" Take 2!!!

Well, my picture didn't get chosen, but that's okay. There are some really cute ones posted and you can vote for your favorite. In hindsight, I should have posted my "Hide-n-Seek" picture of Abby to really capture the spirit of childhood (I love that picture!), but I thought they were wanting a picture showing the "big kid" in me. Still it was a fun idea!

Speaking of ideas - I posted a comment on their site saying I think it would be really fun to have a "Kid in You" Take 2 photo contest/swap featuring more of the mamas (w/ or w/o kiddos). I know we are usually the ones behind the camera (I always have to remind Pat to take a picture of me with the kids once in a while), but I'm sure we can muster up a photo or two that would reflect the "kid" in us. We'll have to see if they have time to do it, but if not, I thought it would be fun to have a photo swap on my blog and it would be a great way to connect with more blogging moms.

Since I'm not too savvy with links and such, here's how we'll do it...
1) Create a new post on your blog labeled "The Kid in You" Take 2! and post your picture. A short description is great or you can just let the picture do the talkin'...
2) Come back to my blog and post a comment that your picture is up. To see the pictures, others will just click on your name in the comments box to link back to your blog and look for the post. Be sure to leave a comment when you view someone's picture. (I love reading the comments! It's almost like passing notes in high school. haha!)
3)Try to post by this Sunday so we can keep the momentum going this week. If I get a pretty good response, maybe I can come up with some kind of little prize. Chocolate, perhaps???(Unfortunately, my budget won't allow for a Nintendo Wii. haha!)

So spread the word, have some fun, and post a pic of the "kid in you"!

"The Kid In You" Photo Contest!

5 Minutes for Mom is having a photo contest for pictures reflecting the spirit of childhood within us. I immediately thought of this picture! Abby and I were all dressed up in our best princess attire at the Fairytale Ball fundraiser this past March. (I actually had to buy a new "princess-like" dress. Unfortunately, there were no talking mice or sewing birds available on such short notice to make one for me.) It was so fun "getting ready for the ball". It was like playing dress-up all afternoon. I painted Abby's nails (and mine...shocking, I know). We curled our hair, and I put a little make-up on Abby. She loved it. We even wore matching tiaras! We had a royal blast!

*If you haven't already, you've got to check out this contest. It's been really fun seeing all the pictures. If you are new to my blog, please feel free to post a comment. It's great to connect with other mom bloggers! The more the merrier! Also - it's not too late to submit a picture. The deadline is tomorrow. If this photo gets picked as a finalist, I'd really appreciate your vote! The kid in me would LOVE to win a Wii!!!