On my mind

Here's what I'm wondering....

-Is eating a cookie while on the treadmill making the best use of my time or the worst? Am I ahead of burning the calories, behind or just staying status quo? {I didn't do this, I was just thinking about it while walking tonight, however, that being said, I'm not ruling it out either.}

-Why is it that I'm excited for Christmas but still haven't gotten into the present shopping mode?

-How is it that a two month old went an entire 8 hour car ride without sleeping. Granted he wasn't fussing, but he certainly wasn't sleeping {and in case your wondering staying awake that long does not make for a more restful night sleep, quite the opposite}

-Why is mom the family pack mule? How is it that they can jump and play all day but ask a child to carry his plate to the kitchen and suddenly they have gone weak?

-Tiger Woods slamming his car in his front yard tops a story on Iran and their nukes. This makes sense why? Tiger might be a great golfer but he can't blow up a country should he feel like it. Or at least I don't think he's that powerful yet.

-How is it that dash-2 only poops at night after he's gone to bed? Is it his get out of bed free card or something? Really can't we reschedule his bowels to the daytime?

-Can't we put a little bit more time in between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Both to spread out the calorie impact and the family time. If we all started spreading the rumor that the first Thanksgiving really happened in June we could probably start something...

and finally....
-I still don't get that whole shoe in the road thing. There's a pair in the middle of the highway outside flyboy's base, they've been there for two weeks now. HOW DID THEY GET THERE?!

Oh wait, I have another one... why in the world is Paris Hilton famous? Really my mind has been trying to figure this one out forever. Did I miss something? Please someone if you have the scope on that one clue me in.

My little thanks

I am sure you all are tired of hearing my same old thankful list, because I make no secret that I am VERY thankful for my dear husband, my children, my family, my health, our military, and all that good stuff.

But you know something else that I'm realizing? The little things in life sometimes matter almost as much as the big stuff. I mean nothing matters more then my family but you know what I mean.

{Sometimes the little things help me to handle and love my family just that much more.}

So on this, the day of thanks, I am thankful for things big and small.

And now to name a few of my "not-as-important-as my-family-but-still-worthy-of-thanks" thanks, I am thankful for:

-Coca Cola, the original {I wont hold that whole new coke thing against you all, your practically like family to me I can excuse a small mistake} my sweet coca cola you get me going, time and again.

-Pampers, you hold in all the poop and pee around here {well almost all, there is still the occasional poop but again I wont hold that against you} and you do it without causing any rashes or irritation on my darlings sensitive backsides.

-Oxyclean, when pampers has a slight malfunction and the poo goes crazy you are there to clean up the mess. If only I had had you with the first two I'd probably have twice the clothes left over!

-Gerber super absorbency training underwear, you really are super absorbent. I thank you for that.

-Our Little Green Clean Machine {a little carpet and upholstery machine} in the potty training trenches you've been right there with me. Your a battle buddy I can depend on when a certain adorable little boy decides he just wants to pee. Right there. No matter where he is standing.

-Fiber One granola bars, grab and go, delicious, and fiber what more is there to say? And the Coca Cola washes you down quite nicely.

-Betty Crocker gingerbread mix, an egg free cookie from a box?! That taste great. I'm in love. And REALLY thankful.

-Puffs Plus with lotion, lotion on a tissue. GENIUS. Thank whoever came up with that one for me, two colds in two weeks my nose would be even worse off without you all.

-My car. Its hardly a little thing {trust me hardly} but compared to the family it goes on this list. It makes me so happy. First no one is touching anyone, they can't they sit too far away from each other. No fights about who touched who, who is looking at someone, who's foot is on who's side. NONE OF THAT. LOVE IT!

-Built in dvd player in the car. And the really good part.... HEADPHONES! And wireless at that. I hear NOTHING. Not even the kids when the movie is on. Who ever came up with that deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, I'm serious.

-My blackberry. Holy poop batman. I didn't text at all until this September when flyboy got me a razzle dazzle crackberry. And now he regrets it b/c I'm addicted to that thing. Emails right to my pocket? Fan-friggin-tastic.

-Dash-1's booster seat that he can get himself in and out of and not just that but he buckles himself! Now I'm only down to having to get two other kids into car seats and that is wonderful.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! What are your little things your thankful for?

{And no, I'm not getting any kickback from any of these companies. They just make my life a little sweeter and for that I'm thankful}

Hopefully....

As you read this we are in the car. Actually I'll take it one further, hopefully we have left our state.

Perhaps we are trying to find something to listen to in the car, I'm sure the boys are peacefully listening to their DVD with their headphones on but flyboy and I its a different story.

I could listen to talk radio allllll day. I *heart* talk radio. (Not to get political but I really *heart* Glenn Beck and Rush) Flyboy likes classic rock.

I DO NOT *heart* classic rock. When I listen to music I like the recent stuff. Not hairbands. And to make it worse he's turning my kids on to that crap.

Hopefully dash-3 is sleeping or at least quietly sucking on his hands. He *hearts* his hands.

Hopefully its an uneventful drive, I could do without nasty weather, horrid traffic, screaming children, vomit, I could really do without vomit. Or explosive poop.

Hopefully dash-1 can go longer then 45 minutes between pee breaks.

{Really I kid you not, despite limiting his liquids the kiddo went to the bathroom EVERY hour on the two day drive to Orlando. He peed more then me and I was pregnant!}

Hopefully no matter how long it takes us to get to flyboy's parents we are able to just relax and enjoy the ride and being together.

Hopefully anyone else who is traveling has safe travels!

And no vomit.

Wouldnt you know

Thank you all for the kind comments. Dash-2's stuttering was actually much better today, he only had a few little episodes. Of course this was after I warned flyboy about it only to have him come home and wonder what I was talking about.

How do kids do that?

Oh and if you can believe it, I worry about the military but wouldn't you know, my dear flyboy who is a rather well adjusted adult was a military brat.

And like I said, he seems to be well adjusted......

I'd blog more on that but well.... he is my meal ticket. Just kidding my love.

logic vs. emotions

I think too much. My mom is always telling me that and as much as I sometimes hate to admit it, she's right.

{And I know that despite her not reading this she just smiled to herself and is thinking "yes dear, I always am"}

This week I've been thinking about my kids. I think about them a lot, after all, they are cute, cuddly, and loud. Very loud. Makes it very hard not to think about them at that volume. But I've been thinking about them and about what we ask of them.

Actually I'll put it out there in an honest mommy moment.

I fear I have broken my child.

I am afraid that flyboy or I have done something to break his ability to speak. Did we push potty training too hard? Is he feeling some sort of stress from dad being away, even though its only a short trip, is the coming and going getting to him? Has his new role as the middle child caused his young mind to go haywire? Did I yell at him the day before or something?

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH! What have I done?

And here's the thing.... a very important thing.... I know. I know, deep down, that it just is.

It's simply because.

Oh there might be a reason but I know, intellectually, that flyboy and I probably haven't broken our child. But it's funny how that is, how knowing and feeling are very different emotions and sometimes the more logical of the two doesn't win out.

Flyboy and I are black and white kinda people, its easier for us when there is an identifiable root cause, perhaps that's why I'm trying to figure out what it could be.

Or then again.... maybe its guilt.

We ask a lot of our kids. I'm amazed at the strength of military kids, they deal with long absences, short time home in between trips, plans suddenly changing, and some, far to many if you ask me, deal with heartbreaking loss.

I'm amazed, amazed at how an abnormal kinda life is their normal. And because I think of it as their normal sometimes I go back and forth on whether it effects them. Then again I'm 29 and I get pissy sometimes when he's gone, sometimes, even on these short trips, I just want him home this minute, this instant. While nothing is terribly wrong, I just want him back around to lean on.

And again.... I'm 29.

Surely my younguns feel that way.

This is actually one post I hope he doesn't read. I don't want him to feel anymore guilt then he already might. He does his job, he provides well for us, while there might be aspects of his job he loves {I'm on to you flyboy, not all parts of your job suck, you like to fly, you can't hide it} he'd much rather be here with us. But he's doing this for us {and his country but right now I'm focusing on us dammit}.

I hope my kids grow up thinking that this is just a normal kinda life. Dad may have missed out on a lot some but hey in the grand scheme, childhood rocked.

Except the whole punishment, timeout, chores, acne, teasing, heartache, puberty stuff. Those suck for everyone.

And I hope that logically I'm right, we haven't broken our kids.

Ornament Swap post

I am on the ball!

I had everything together so that I could sit down and send out the emails lickety split while the boys ate dinner tonight. Everyone who signed up should have received an email. If not or if there is some problem with the info, let me know.

Oh and wouldn't you know... everyone has a partner.... except me! There were exactly enough to make pairs and not one person was left over.... well except me I guess.

So if by chance there is someone who would like to swap and didn't sign up the other day, now is your chance. Or if there is someone who wants to go for two ornaments.....

I can hear you all out there typing furiously hoping that you are the first to respond. Right?

RIGHT!

Anyways, I hope everyone has fun with this! I'm thinking maybe a valentine swap.... or maybe a "favorite easter candy" one. I'm all over easter candy and its not even winter yet....

That kinda weekend

It's been that kinda day.... for the past few days.

I'm actually thankful its Monday. Weekends when flyboy is away have a weird feel to them, Monday brings back our routine, as back and forth as that maybe.

This weekend we kept ourselves plenty busy, but it still seems off when he's not around. Like they know he should be here but isn't. Hard to explain. {And you'd think we'd be used to it by now} Just different.

And for some reason no one wants to sleep around here. Dash-2 has been up till 9:30 trying to bat his little puppy eyes at me so I'd let him sleep with me, doesn't work, {ok it works for a little bit} and then dash-3 figures that sleeping till four in the morning was getting old. Let's change it up some. Like waking every two hours.

But while we were up we got a lot accomplished...time at the park, although we all remember how that went, walks outside since it was the first weekend without rain in forever and crafting of ornaments.

{Handmade dash-3's footprint}

{A super simple reverse painted glass ball. I *heart* super simple crafts.}

Oh and we made some cookies.

Very cute cookies I might add.

I follow directions pretty well, too well sometimes that I drive myself crazy. I signed up for cookies at dash-1's preschool, it said thanksgiving cookies, I couldn't find a turkey cookie cutter so I had to figure something out. I couldn't just send in plain old cookies.

I'm thankful that {fingers crossed since I haven't heard from him} flyboy should be home this week but honestly.... I'm more thankful that its Monday.

A life lesson at the playground

My heart got hurt a little today. Hurt in that mama bear wounded cub sorta way. A way that sadly I am well aware I will experience many times over during this whole journey of motherhood thing.

I'm aware that what happened wasn't some big giant deal, hardly life or death but still...

it sucked.

It happened at the playground, and might I add this is just one more check in the "yucky things about playground" list I'm keeping in my head. Little dash-2 has started some kind of stuttering of sorts. I've noticed it over the last week and I will admit, I noticed it and was hoping it would miraculously go away like dash-3's baby acne.

{By the by whoever nominates me for mom of the year make sure you include that on my application "Ignored child's stuttering hoping he would fix it himself."}

I'm hoping its just a toddler type of thing, I've done some googling and it seems that this can be normal for kids, simply put their minds don't go as fast as their mouths. And clearly if he's going to take after his older brother this will probably be resolved.

But another reason I kinda put my head in the sand was that I knew, inevitably, what happened at the park would happen eventually and to quote myself from the top.... that sucks.

Today my adorable little dash-2 got made fun of.

He was standing on the play set at the park and he was trying to say "who goes there" all he could get out was "who-who-who-who". And then some older kid, probably 7 or 8 years old starts laughing at him and mimicking him saying "who-who-who, ha did you hear that kid?".

I think my heart stopped beating for a minute.

And then I did what any good mom would do seeing her kid ridiculed by another kid for the first time, I left the park.

I know I probably should have handled that differently, but honestly short of bursting into tears while rocking dash-2 back and forth blubbering that I would shield him for life {which since he was totally unaware that this was going on probably would have freaked him out} or going over and slugging the kid {which again not really an option since that sort of thing is frowned upon in our civilized society} I thought that was my best bet.

My kids tease each other, the jabs about who's a baby or the occasional butt head comment get passed back and forth but this was different.

There are times I wish I could protect my kids from everything, not have to explain the nasty stuff in life. Why some people don't like people of a different color, why a kid in a wheelchair is being stared at, why how someone talks is worth laughing at, and please, don't even get me started on the whole war/bomb discussion, I'm clueless on that one.

But I can't.

I can't protect them and shield them from the nastiness and even if I could I wouldn't be doing my job. My job is to teach them how to deal with it, to show them how to brace themselves for the inevitable blows and to pick themselves up and move on.

Even if that means that as a mama I have to feel the hurt, their hurt, along the way.

And most importantly I have to teach them and model for them not to be one of those nasty people who picks and preys on those who are different or weaker.

I want to raise great kids. Nice well behaved kids who don't run in the commissary and who never growl at people {dash -2 is going thru a bit of a growling stage a side effect of being a dinosaur for Halloween, we're working on it} but I'm amending that and adding to it that I want to raise great kids, who treat others with respect, who don't bully or laugh at other kids.

And who growl but not maliciously.

And God help them if they do, they will feel the wrath of this mama bear.

Dont forget to sign up for the ornament exchange!

Christmas Ornament Swap Sign up

Time for a Christmas Ornament Swap!

The rules will be simple because as I have said before.... I'm a simpleton. But I'm cool with it. Anyways here they go {and I'm hardly an expert at this so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to email them to me}

Rules for the swap

*leave a comment if you want to participate, make sure you either leave your email or have a link to your email on your blogger profile page. {Basically I need a way to get a hold of you to send you your partners info.}

*you can either MAKE or BUY an ornament, however there will be a $10 dollar limit. And if you find a cute one for less go for it. {I think the art of bargain hunting should make a comeback.}

*Ornaments should be mailed sometime in the beginning of December. If you and your partner work something else out, good to go, but the whole point is to have this ornament BEFORE the holidays. {However I know I'm organizing this late... my bad}

*You can sign up for the swap until Monday night {November 23 6pm} My goal is to get the names and emails out to you all by Weds. morning.

I hope we get a good number of people participating, this could be a lot of fun, a neat way to spread some Christmas cheer for not a whole lot. Oh and if your into holiday baking feel free to toss in some cookies in your box. Whoever gets me will be getting some kickass eggless chocolate chip cookies and some cranberry white chocolate cookies (those have eggs but they are delish!)

And please, spread the word on your blogs, the more the merrier!

Ornament swap

Christmas is coming.

Let's here a collective HOLY CRAP!!! I'm seriously lagging. And well.... I figure rather then get my nose to the grindstone I'll find more ways to be less productive around here and do what I enjoy....

Crafting. And everything that is Christmas. {Except standing in lines at w*lmart with a bunch of crazed shoppers. Baking, decorating, crafting = fun all the other stuff = not fun}

Allison is doing a secret santa for us bloggy folks (see the post below for the link) and I'm doing an ornament exchange and a craft exchange and I'm excited. I already have an idea for both. So I figured why not see if anyone else was interested in doing a ornament exchange. I found out about the one I just signed up for it on the last day for signups so why not host one here?

The rules could be simple, everyone is paired with one person, you can email them and check out their blog to get a feel for them and try to figure out what would be cute for them. Or then again you could give them a totally random ornament that you crafted or one from the base your stationed at, endless possibilities folks.

You're all thinkers, I have faith you can figure this out.

But it wont work unless folks are interested. So if you think this would be something you'd like to do leave a comment and if it seems like there are enough interested then I'll put up a clearer post about it in the next day or two.

And folks {ahem} after the post where I asked you all to come out of the woodwork I know there are a fair number of you reading.

Think about it and lets spread some Christmas cheer dammit.

Monday randomness and pictures (even of the flyboy)

Some random things that need to be addressed....

* my laptop, I'm sad to report, has bit the dust so to say. It had a nice run, it was flyboy's old one that we got before his first deployment waaaaaaaay back in the day seven years ago. Apparently it just wasn't meant to fall two feet and bounce back anymore. Sadly until I replace I will no longer be blogging in my jammies from my bed.

{sigh} that sucks.

And for those who were wondering which of the dash brothers just {might} have had something to do with this little fellow my darling dash 2.
* Allison at I heart change is doing a blogger secret santa. Sounds delightful right? Go over and check it out she's got the details and the sign up. Click here!

* At S*m's Club today I saw the biggest dbag in the parking lot. Well I didn't see them but I saw their car. Everyone saw it or rather noticed it.

They parked half in a spot that wasn't even a spot. It was the cart return but yet they just helped themselves and had their car hanging out half in the aisle. I'm puzzled as to what their thought process was.

"Hey here's a great spot, I mean only half the car will fit in it and it's filled with carts, and there is a sign that says something about a cart return here but surely they weren't talking about me. They probably put all that up to throw everyone else off the scent and to save this great spot for me. Yeah that's it...."

And in case you were wondering, no, no the parking lot was not even half full.

* People a couple houses up the street got a memory foam mattress. I don't know them and I don't know why they got it but I saw the box by the side of the road and I wanted to pass on the knowledge to you guys.

I'm a sharer what can I say.


* Oh and the picture of flyboy I promised in the title.


Trust me he's there. He's the big one they are jumping over. That's my boys in their natural state.... wrestling.


* Last week young dash 1 had to have a tooth pulled. His front tooth to be exact. His front tooth that we had already spent several hundred dollars on. But there was a chip and nothing more could be done so out it went.

He's smiling now but trust me. It was traumatic. And of course.... flyboy was away.

Show n tell the mrs' way

Sometime flyboy and I wonder why our kids are so strange. Lately we've been starting to think that we *might* be the problem.

First we are too sarcastic, second we like to tease, and most important, we don't think being kids exempts them from either of the just mentioned things. In fact it kinda just makes it more fun.

Take for instance show and tell. Show and tell is big. Very big. Lots of thinking and anticipation goes into it, after all dash-1 likes to tell me with glee that you get to sit in the middle of the circle and everyone *has* to listen to you. Just has too!

So he had show and tell today for the letter T, in case you need it explained to you like my husband did the item needed to start with the letter T. So of course when flyboy came home this weekend we did some brainstorming with dash-1 about what starts with the letter T.

He was a little slow on the uptake with this, he wanted to take in his bouncy ball collection and sadly I just couldn't figure out a T twist for it so that was a no go.

Here's what I mean about how we might be the root cause of our children's strangeness...

Our suggestions for T items were.... a copy of the Treaty of Versailles (what a success that was right?) now we don't have a copy but you can damn well guarantee that I would have searched one down for him to take it in.

And I'll have you know flyboy and I laughed for a while over that one. We still can't figure out what would be funnier a little four year old standing up proudly displaying his treaty or the look on the teachers face as he was doing this. Priceless. Shoot I'm laughing just typing this.

We also suggested
-a turtleneck (again how funny would it be to just be standing in the middle of the circle time rug with a boring turtle neck?! Who brings that in. Also priceless)

- a chunk of an Iraqi tank that flyboy brought home from one of his deployments over to the sandbox. (Perhaps on a military installation school this wouldn't have been so odd but as the only military kid he definitely would have been an oddball with that one)

- a tightrope (we let this one go pretty early on because we didn't think we'd have time to teach him how to perform on it)

- and the most inappropriate one.... which to our defense we only brought up to each other when the kids were in bed

*drumroll please*

a poster of the most wanted Iraqi terrorist that flyboy got during his first deployment. Complete in whatever language they speak/write in over there, Farsi I think, with big ol red X's over the faces of the people whom have already had the pleasure of meeting America's finest.

See.... I'm almost certain, flyboy and I are the problem here.

Oh and he ended up taking in a truck. How lame. The treaty would have been way funnier.

Walmart you're a tease

I was catching up on laundry today, I don't mind doing laundry because its a chore that can be done watching tv. I make my big old king bed, toss a couple of loads on there and sit away and fold. And in case your wondering the older boys are usually getting into some sort of trouble in their playroom and the little one is propped up on the laundry pile supervising.

My tv watching has lead to this post. I would like to take issue with a few things.

Ads.

First and foremost, W@lmart. I saw your ad wally world with the nifty jingle bells and the checkout lights coming on, all to tell us, the haggard Christmas shopper, that you will have more lines open for the holidays. I remember this same commercial last year. To you, Wally World I have this to say: LIAR!

LIAR LIAR LIAR!

Quite a few times (ok daily) I found myself in your store and there were only two lines open. And often some stellar employees standing around just staring, I'm sure they were working on fusing atoms or something who knows.

Look I go to W@lmart because of cheap prices, not superior service (and certainly not clean restrooms) but really, don't make something the central point of your ads if you aren't going to deliver. It's just mean.

Although on another note, W@lmart, I saw your ad thanking the troops for helping us all live better.... very nice.

Toss open another lane or two and you will have redeemed yourself in my eyes.

And another commercial. Or two.

First that insurance one with the stack of money with the eyes that follows people around. What idiot came up with that one and how much did they pay him. I'm wondering if his company is hiring. It's about time the dash brothers got a job. And judging from that ad they could work there.

And the Glade candle one. How stupid.

I mean really who is that worried that their friends will find out their candle isn't a designer one. I get it I get it, the whole point is that you can fool people but really, they woman just looks like a ninny. I'd like to think that most of the world has better things going on in their lives to concern themselves with a candle.

Of course I've just blogged about commercials so what's that say about me?

I know I'm leaving out some priceless commercials... feel free to add to the list.......

Happy Veterans Day!

To all who have served and continue to serve... THANK YOU!

Looking good for 234 years old

Whether you go by devil dog, leatherneck, jarhead, gyrene, or Marine, happy birthday!

2007- Parris Island

A relief

I am happy, no wait... ecstatic to report, that I did not lose a breast pad last night. And no boobage popped out.

*Whew*

Actual blog posts to resume tomorrow, I just didn't want you all out in blogland to be worried that I {might} have embarrassed myself. Lord knows embarrassment and I are on a first name basis, but last night I skated thru without any.

the ball

Tonight is the ball. In fact when this is set to post flyboy and I will be on our way to cocktail hour. Of course that's if his plane gets back in time.

As you read this I can assure you that several things are going thru my mind, in fact I might even be praying {although I realize that God is a very busy man and my breast pads falling out of my dress are very very low on his list} that all goes well.

I have two big worries, A. a breast pad falls out during dinner or the ceremony or something. Nothing like a nice military ceremony topped off with a little boob action. and B. I start leaking all over the place while talking with my husbands co workers.

How delightful would that be? Talking with someone and hearing drip drip only to realize its me. I'm dripping. And obviously if I'm dripping it's because a breast pad is floating my soup.

I wish I could post a picture of us. A lovely picture of me moderately cleaned up and my flyboy looking very dapper in his blues with his nice shiny wings and six rows of ribbons (and a bunch of stars on said ribbons not to brag or anything) but alas when I even jokingly ask I am met with "the look". So instead just picture a stunningly gorgeous couple you'll be close enough.

And folks, lets all hope I don't lose a breast pad.

I wonder and I believe

Sometimes I really wonder what the world is coming too.

I wonder on a big scale with what happened at Fort Hood yesterday and I wonder when things happen on a small scale like getting ripped off by the wood guy. And somedays everything in between.

I wonder if society is just going to pot. I wonder why it seems like horrible things happen to good, decent people just going about their business. I wonder why it seems like sometimes things just don't let up. I wonder how not to let life pound you down from time to time.

And then I look at my boys. And I realize....

I have to believe.

I have to believe in the good, I have to believe in my children and the chance that they have to chip away at the muck in the world, I have to believe that for every shyster there are two people for whom their word means something, I have to believe that even when monstrous events occur that there will be some peace.

There is faith, I have that too. But this, this is me remembering to believe.

Esty love

Every year I say I'm going to get a head start on Christmas. I plan out my list and figure out that I'll start shopping in August or something. My grandmother would actually have all her gifts purchased by August and wrapped and laid out on the office couch by October so there was some model of this in my life.

Just in case your wondering, the above scenario has yet to happen. And lets be honest... it probably never will. Surely my honesty has to be worth something.

However I do have one gift waiting in the wings. And I'm so excited about it. {I'm not only a procrastinator but I'm a dork too}

Back in August I won a kick ass giveaway, it was for one free print from an esty store Art Shark Design. She has all sorts of beautiful things in her shop, note cards, journals, prints, I'll use her words to describe them, "Romantic screen prints of world cities and more."

She says it best.
I picked a fabulous print of Baltimore, the city that my brother and his girlfriend soon to be fiance live in. Her prints focus on something of architectural importance to the city (Paris - the Eiffel tower, DC the Washington Monument, Philly the LOVE statue, etc) and then have a pair of umbrellas huddled in the foreground.

{Click here to check out her city love prints!}

I saw the Baltimore print and I thought about my brother and his gf. How they could hang it up and where ever life takes them they can look back on it, years and years later and remember where it all started.

I'm sentimental like that. And I might have ordered another one but I can't get into that because my husband blog stalks me.

She also has a cute line of adorable animal prints and notecards. If we hadn't already done up the nursery for airplanes I would have gone that direction. But I did get the border collie notecards for my mother in law for christmas. So I guess technically I have 1 1/2 gifts purchased.

Oh and here's another thing that I love about Megan and her esty store - she ships WICKED fast. I mean really I ordered it on Monday and had it by Wedsnesday. Nothing makes me crazier then when it takes forever to get something.

Let's recap....
Beautiful work - check
Amazing selection - check
Super affordable (my print was 15 bucks!) - check
Lightening fast shipping- check
Will buy from again- check, check, and check

I'm hoping maybe she'll do some screen prints of bases or *ahem* airplanes, how great would those be?

Please, go by her esty store and take a look for yourselves! She's also on blogger check her out here!

I smell...

SKUNK.

Last night a skunk sprayed right by my brand new (well four months old) car. And for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of living in the country and inhaling the sweet scent of skunk, where they spray the scent is strong.

S.T.R.O.N.G strong.

He must have done it right by the doors because the back half of the car now smells like skunk. In fact its strong enough I actually was afraid the skunk was in the car.

However now that pesky new car smell is gone. We all know how old that smell can get.

And by the way thanks for coming out of the woodwork folks! I had no idea all of you were out there, stop by and say hi some more, I'm always up for comments. I live for them, they make a day filled with poop and skunk more delightful.

As if skunk by itself isn't delightful.

could I ask you a favor please?

This favor is for two reasons.... the first, I checked my sitemeter for the first time in forever and noticed some new places. I'm always curious who is reading. Even if you just read every now and again (although why would you want to miss out on any of my earth shattering revelations?!) I'm curious who's out there.

(Though don't feel like you have to tell me where you actually are, I know how some of us keep where we are on the downlow and since I do I can certainly appreciate that.)

The second, I really need to update my blogroll and I enjoy finding new blogs to read and follow. Hmmm... is that two reasons in a reason? Oh well.

The favor? If you're reading, please leave a comment so I can see who you are, update my blogroll, and then return the favor by reading your blog.

your jealous arent you?

I did something fabulous today. Really it rivaled a pedicure it was that good. Hang on for the exciting news.....

I went to the grocery store. ALONE. Well I had the littlest one with me but he doesn't talk back, run away, or toss items in the cart so really its all the same.

I had to go for my postpartum visit, now the pap smear part was not nearly as exciting as a pedicure but if it meant grocery shopping in relative peace I'm all over it.

Now those of you out there with older kids, especially more then one, understand where I'm coming from. Grocery shopping with all the kids in tow can become quite the workout. Both physically and for your sanity. And usually I always take them with me, I mean really if flyboy isn't around am I really going to pay someone to watch my kids while I grocery shop?

Hardly, I'm far to cheap. And asking for assistance isn't so much a strong suit. So usually we all go. And they aren't horrible its just a bit different.

Kinda like a freight train is different from a prius.

This time is was so quiet, so calm, I was able to actually look at the back of packages. Did you people know they print stuff back there? You can actually compare foods? No one poked holes in my hamburger buns, no one tried to roll my tomato like a bowling ball, no one gave me their opinions on turkey versus pork. Nothing, nada, zilch, zip. It was just me, my thoughts, and my coupon container.

And my sleeping baby.

I don't think I can really convey how AMAZING it was, those who don't have kids, you'll understand one day and those who do have kids, your seething with jealousy aren't you?

And those of you with little cute cuddly babies.... just... you... wait...

another halloween bites the dust

Well halloween 2009 is over. Trick or treating last night, even in the rain, went well and the boys had fun. Flyboy had to carry a certain little komodo dragon on his shoulders for a bit but irregardless they all had a blast.

So much fun that I've tossed in a picture. And I'm actually in it! Although in the interest of full disclosure your getting a side view of me because it was the most flattering. Yes I'll be totally honest sometimes I pick out the pic that looks best of me and not the kids. Those little boogers always look cute. And skinny. Damn the young!

Oh and I know dash-2 looks like a dinosaur but trust me... he's a giant lizard.... wearing his uncles old dinosaur costume. Don't tell him he's a dinosaur or he might eat you. As for the astronaut, that's his third year with the same exact costume, just made bigger by grandma.

Really folks, no one out there thought I made the costumes did they? Clearly that would make you a new reader.

One day that boy will be going to space. And all of you can say, "I knew him when he was an itty bitty boy named dash-1. He's that brilliant boy that made up the word butt nostril."

Obviously his brilliance can not be tamed.

In other halloween news, obviously I've turned into an old fart. The giant hoards of obnoxious teenagers drove that fact home for me.

Here's a few of the mrs.' takes on halloween:
- If you are old enough to wear a slutty (insert whatever here, nurse, cowgirl, prisoner, etc) costume you are to old to trick or treat.

- If you are going to go to someones door and beg their candy at least go to the effort of putting on a damn costume. But not the slutty whatever costume. Have some damn self respect.

- I'm sorry but trick or treating, in my opinion, is an activity that is geared more towards kids. That being said, all you obnoxious adults out there who are "supervising" your older kids while smoking, drinking, and collecting candy yourself (yes yes I actually saw this) try not to knock over little kids who have been dreaming of nothing more for the past month. That goes for your "kids" and for you.

That just about covers it.

Again... all in all lots of fun and trust me, the countdown till next year has begun, although dash-1 was singing Jingle Bells in the car today so apparently we are moving right on to Christmas.