Blog Party Here I Come...

I've been tagged for the very popular "Come As You Are" blog party and here I am participating even though I fear that you will go running away from your computer screen after you see how I look in the mornings unshowered, hair up, and no makeup.

I took this photo shortly after being tagged by my fellow successful WAHM, Nell. Nell is a wonderful mom to 2 boys and I'm jealous because she's not only beautiful and successful but she's getting SNOW too. Thanks Nell for practically making me take this picture of myself. :)

I included my 2 year old son in the photo to show you our overall morning mood truly "AS IS". Plus having a cute 2 year old in the photo kind of distracts you from how truly awful I really look in the mornings. And my apologies for looking rather "ill or anemic" in the mornings without makeup. I don't think I had even brushed my teeth when I took this photo.

Nell's Instructions from her blog are:

Take a photo of yourself… RIGHT NOW… and post it on your blog. Then invite/tag the next 4 bloggers that you want to see “as is” ;)

Then tell us WHY you look that way (in your photo), and say something about the person that ‘tagged’ you with this Meme.

Bluegrass Mama
Leslie
Izzy Mom
Chelle

I hope you all will join in the fun! :)

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My Glorious WAHM Life...

Today I’ve been walking around like a 14 year old girl at a slumber party and yes, I have a photo to prove it but only of my leg and covered foot. You see, I’m so swamped that I can’t seem to get out of my pajamas. If any of my partners or people that I work with ever saw what I looked like as I worked or saw my very unpleasant looking unorganized desk for that matter, they would not have anything to do with me. They would literally run away. Seriously. Even I would run away from me... :)

Can we start sentences with the word and? I’ve been doing that a lot lately and here I go again. And,speaking of pajamas, I bought some super cute (for kids because I found them in the kids section) thermal pajamas and I look like a complete idiot in them. I was hoping to look something like this but unfortunately I do not. Oh well.

Ok. I just thought the mom blog readers out there really needed to know this about me so you can picture me looking ridiculous (instead of gloriously living the WAHM life) in your mind while working my butt off today with two kids making a toy land (read: disaster) in every room of our home. Are you jealous yet?

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ContestForMoms.com Christmas Giveaway!

Today I'm doing a shameless promotion here instead of a real post (what is that anyway?) for a contest that we have going with Lean Forward Media. The Christmas Giveaway starts today and will end on December 29, 2006. We hope you will enter this contest and tell others about it too! You could win 1 of 5 Abominable Snowman: Choose Your Own Adventure DVD's for your little one from ChooseMovie.com


Plus I had to share a new photo of me and my little guy from 2 days ago! It wouldn't be a true "mom blog" without all the cute photos now would it?

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Does It Feel Like Christmas To You?

It's the end of November (well,almost) and usually we see freezing rain or a few snowflakes but we have unseasonably warm 70 degree temperatures instead today. Although I do enjoy the mild temperatures and the break in our electricity bill, I still want the cold and snow...eventually. The cold and snow makes it feel a bit more like Christmas for me. And, I'm thinking that I may need all the help I can get in the Christmasy feeling department because as of right now it's just NOT feeling like Christmas and it doesn't seem like Thanksgiving has already passed. Oh, and I do actually know that it's not Christmas just yet but I mean it like the whole holiday season that started before Thanksgiving.

Christmas will be here in less than 30 days and you know what, there's got to be a whole lot of changes around here for it to start feeling like the holiday season. I'm not terribly upset over it not feeling like the holidays nor am I depressed because of it or anything like that but that doesn't change the fact that it doesn't feel like the holiday season for me right now. Maybe it's because of the weather. Maybe it's because of the constant rush and traveling that we do around this time of year. Maybe it's a combination of things. Maybe it's because we have all gotten away from what Christmas is really all about and I guess "what it's all about" is different for everyone. I just wish it wasn't so rushed and commercialized and everyone felt like they had to spend a million bucks for it to be a magical Christmas. I don't even want anything for Christmas and I never ask for anything straight up. Yeah, I'm one of THOSE people. Sure, I like getting presents out of the blue. But who doesn't? But presents are not necessary for my happiness. I'm not the Grinch...not even close. I love the Christmas holidays but I love it because I get to spend more time with all of our families and I get to witness my children experience the magic of Christmas like I did as a child.

The rush, the stress, and the constant shopping doesn't even allow one to experience Christmas as they should. Your more likely to skip family gatherings so that you can get your Christmas shopping done and really how messed up is that? You have to skip on what's really important to do your shopping. I'm not suggesting that you stop buying gifts but maybe slow down on the spending so that you aren't paying for the gifts the rest of the year. I'm not suggesting that you should travel across the country and to every aunt, uncle, cousin, and brothers homes on Christmas but we should remember what it's all about. I'm actually saying the opposite. Slow down. Laugh. Play. Enjoy this season ... Then maybe it will start to feel like Christmas once was again.

Do you think Christmas has become too commercialized or is that what it's all about as suggested here? * oh, and other than this article, I've read nothing else on the site so I can't say I agree or disagree on the main site if anyone has a comment about that. I'm referring only to the article linked to.

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Look Ma! No Tooth!

He finally lost his first tooth on Thanksgiving Day...



Back in September our son's tooth was quite loose, Loosing First Tooth: What is the Going Rate?, and I thought he was going to lose the tooth then but it took a while longer than we expected. Around 2 months longer than we thought. Wow.

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Thanksgiving is Over and Christmas Is Coming

Oh, I am so thankful to be back at home. It would be nice to spend our holidays at home and not have to travel to some kind of family function atleast once per week during the holiday season. Every year we are the family that has to travel to everyone else's home. No, we aren't forced too but we do feel obligated to plus there's presents involved and who can turn down presents and more piles of toys for our boys? Not me! Uh, I am trying to be sarcastic here. It's not really about the presents. It's about being with our families. Seriously.

I asked to have Thanksgiving at our house this year but it didn't work out and no harm was done but we did have to travel 2 weekends in a row to two separate families a few hours away for their Thanksgiving dinners as I mentioned in our previous post. That's fine but one day we'd really like to have that in our home. I want our kids to have memories of the holidays in thier own home without all the rush.

Each year we go to our parents home's for Christmas. We alternate Christmas and Christmas eve and depending on who we go to, it's an hour and a half to my parents and two and a half hours to my husband's parents. Last year on Christmas eve, we drove to my parents then drove home, got the boys in bed and then stayed up very late preparing everything for Christmas morning. On Christmas morning the boys opened their presents and we had to leave to go to the hub's parents. Our boys didnt get to play with any toys that Santa brought them until a few days later. Traveling like this year after year gets tiresome and it really cuts down on the joy of the whole holiday season. It would be nice if our families would alternate homes with us every year so that we weren't the ones who always had to travel. Our families already have plans for us this year BUT on the way home in the car yesterday the hubs and I said we were changing our plans. We need to do what is best for our boys. We want Christmas eve and Christmas in our home this year. Sure, it will be different and none of our family will most likely show up but we have to finally make traditions and memories for us. I don't want all of our memories to be of rushing to get somewhere or to not remember what Christmas was like in our house because we weren't there long enough to remember. I know we may miss out on a little more family time but maybe that will finally convince some of our family to come to us once in a while.

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Knowing The Holiday Season Has Began...

The traveling, eating of way too much food, cold weather, snow flakes, the lights...they're everywhere,less time blogging and working ( I know I am lucky and I'm very thankful for having income that grows without me sitting and working for it day to day) and THE lists means the holiday season is in full swing!

I enjoy Thanksgiving but I dislike the traveling. This year we said we were having Thanksgiving at our house. We insisted that it be here and I had it all planned out but it didn't happen. I conceded. And you know what, that's ok. Maybe next year. Maybe one day...

We went to the in-laws this past Saturday for Thanksgiving dinner which means I'm already very sick of turkey especially the smell of turkey but I have to eat it again this Thursday with my parents and my sisters. Maybe I'll just eat stuffing and pumpkin pie this round.

I am, however, very excited about Black Friday. Well, not really black friday nor the crazy people that try to kill each other over the low priced items but just the thought of being able to spend some time with my sisters even if we do have to deal with the psychotic shoppers! Being able to be with them brings back the spirit of Christmas for me.


I hope everyone out there has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Even when life isn't going our way, we still have so much to be thankful for.

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Baby, It's Cold INSIDE...

No, I didn't write that wrong. It's cold in here. I have found in the last few days that living in an old house(that we thankfully rent and do not own) equals COLD!!!!!! I dread seeing our electric bill next month. I'm going to have to put up a donation button to help pay for the heat! :)

I guess we are going to have to winterize our home better because this is just the beginning of the cold temperatures. Alot of our heat is lost due to poor insulation and an old fireplace that doesn't work enough to actually use it. It's just something that steals out heat! When we first moved into this old house our 5 year old son was thrilled to see that we had a fireplace not for the heat but because now Santa could come down the chimney instead of coming through the back door!

It looks like it's time to buy the boys a bunch of footed thermal pajamas. Lately I've been walking around the house in a jacket and my husband's socks with clothes on of course! Yes, I am that person that is always freezing!

On to other things, our son's blood tests came back negative and we are so thankful. There are no major illnesses. The next course of action is an endoscopy in a couple of weeks.

As soon as I finish up here we are off to our the in-laws for a Thanksgiving get together this weekend and we will come back here for a day or two then go to my parents and sisters for the "official" Thanksgiving. Sometimes the hubs and I complain that we don't like having to travel for the holidays but I'm glad that we atleast have a place to go and I am so grateful for having that.

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What Are We Going To Do With All of These Toys?

Both of our children get way too many gifts for their birthdays and Christmases and just other random days. Most of their toys come from their grandparents. We've kept almost everything except toys that have fallen apart and baby toys. We have toys in the yard, toys in our storage room outside, toys in their shared bedroom, and toys piled high in their toyroom. Please help we are drowning in toys here!

A couple months ago I went through and got rid of another bag of old toys that the boys don't use BUT we still have a toy overflow problem! We really need to figure out some kind of organization here. Tips? Ideas? I guess buying a few more storage bins and an extra toy box is in order but I don't think that will make a major difference.

I thought about only buying small toys and books for xmas gifts but that ain't happening! Our oldest saw this huge light up race track that he wants and that is all he is talking about and our youngest always talks about slides so one of these or one of the these is possibly being brought by Santa and it will have to stay IN THIS HOUSE for a few months until the warm weather returns! Yikes! So, you see, I do really need help. Where are these things going to fit? What should I do? And, please tell me that your home is full of toys too and that your house is being overtaken by toys like mine? :)
*The photo above is from our toy room. I will post additional photos on flickr to let you see our mess!


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Promotion! Check out our new Christmas For Moms section. I've added more articles, ideas, traditions, gifts under $20 and craft ideas! Here is our newest addition, Easy Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

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Waiting

I'm not too enthusiastic about the whole waiting process. I want to hurry up and get things over with and go on. But as of Monday afternoon we are in waiting mode. I'm not too happy with that. Usually I'm not too thrilled with the thought of "time flying" but this week I just wish it would hurry up and be Friday so maybe we can partially put our fears to rest.

After over a year of puking and diet changes and more puking, we finally got our 2 year old son in too see a Pediatric Gastroenteroligist. The lab took blood for several different tests and we should hear from them by Friday. I feel confident that all is well and that he just has some food allergies but the waiting and not knowing for sure is bothering me. Not knowing whether your child has a serious illness or just some serious food allergies coupled with reading way too much can really get to you after a few days. Maybe I should just stop reading already. Yeah, that's what I'll do.

I know I shouldn't complain and I should be very thankful but sometimes a mommy has to let it all out just to feel okay.

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A Normal Mom?

My life has zoomed right past me in the last few weeks. We didn’t get to fully take pleasure in Halloween, and now we are two weeks into November with Thanksgiving next week. Life does that to you sometimes. I understand that. I’m ok with it.

I seem to be stuck right now. Stuck where and with what I don’t know but it is what it is and hopefully I will get back to a normal routine once again.

On the other hand, do I really want to be back to a “normal” routine where I get so busy that I forget what is most important to me and what is most real in life? I don’t ever want to take life for granted again and I want to cherish my days with my life as it is. I can’t say that I’ve ever been much happier than I am now and I want to savor these moments.

In the past days, I’ve spent more time cleaning(the kind that I actually enjoy and let the kids participate in with the music blasting), cooking meals, playing, singing songs (lots of Christmas ones I might add), and just lounging around the house because I can. I am so thankful and grateful that I can do that right now while my boys are young. Sure, I could be writing more or building more sites but that’s just not what I really want to do right now. I’m taking it easy for a while.

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Quotes From Our 5 Year Old Son

There are just some things that I don't want to forget about my son's life as a 5 year old. As I get older I know I will have memories but I may not remember his exact words so I thought that maybe I should write down his words here for me and for him to look back on as he grows older. It may embarass him or make him laugh or both. He may one day be thankful and appreciate that I kept some of these things that he said as a 5 year old.

Out of the mouth of our 5 year old son (5 years, 8 months to be exact.) Sometimes I have no idea what is going on inside his brain but he sure has a lot of questions. Some...not so easy to answer.

"Is gas like blood for cars?"

"Uh, apple juice happens to look a lot like yellow pee".

"Mom, why does God make sick kids?"

"Are brothers like friends that live with you?"

I'll have to add to this list as I recall them or he says more that I really want to jot down. What's some stuff that your kids are saying? I hope that you write some down to remember that wonderful stage of their lives.

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The Best Day Ever According To My Son and Spongebob

If you or your kids are avid Spongebob fans then you know "The Best Day Ever" starts tonight at 8pm which basically means 24 hours of Spongebob on NickJr Tv. My 5 year old son has got a jumpstart on the best day ever by watching his Spongebob DVDs. He says he is camping out in our living room tonight and staying up all night so that he will not miss one episode. Since this is such a big deal to him we are letting him. Yep, you heard me, 24 hours of tv except that his body will give out on him half way through so I'm not too concerned.

The weather in our area today is supposed to be sunny and 70 degree temperatures which is kind of strange for November but we will take it just to get outside and play for a while and possibly prepare for the winter season by putting away the rest of the outside toys. If this winter season is anything like last Winter then I probably shouldn't put anything away because last Winter was unseasonably warm with relatively minor snowfall compared to most Winters. I think we may have gotten 1-2 inches for the total Winter. I'm hoping that this year our boys get to atleast build a small snowman.

...And now I must go and get the boys outside so that I can be sure that my 5 year old does indeed fall asleep tonight while watching Spongebob.

SHAMELESS SITE PROMOTION: *Remember, if you are a WAHM or know a mom business then point them in our direction if they would like to be a part of Christmas Gifts For Under $20 Guide. Make sure you also visit our Christmas Ideas For Moms section. (It's still under construction but should be complete within the week).

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Do You Need Christmas Ideas Mom?

Ok, so I've spent part (lets just say it seemed like a long time without getting a whole lot accomplished) of the day working on some Christmas resources for this website. I'm hoping to get this guide together for moms to use for Christmas crafts, traditions, and gift ideas. I've gotten a total of two pages done in between paying bills, making appointments, phone calls, household chores, cooking, and playing with the boys.

I'm thinking that I'm going to have to pull atleast one all-nighter just to get this stuff going in time for the gift giving season! I have one section dedicated to mom made and mom owned businesses that offer Christmas gifts for less than twenty dollars. I found some great deals under $20 on many of the sites I researched. However, I am still in need of some unique gifts under $20 to put on the site. If you are a work at home mom or know a mom owned business please refer them to me if you think they would be interested in having one of their products featured in our $20 and under gift guide for this holiday season. I'd be happy to feature them for free.
Here are the beginnings (warning: This means not complete and we are far from complete) of this section. Mom Made Christmas Gifts and Christmas Gifts Under $20

On another note, we are taking the kids out tonight to watch a movie. Open season is playing in our small university town cinema. Add popcorn, candy, and pop to the movie and I think all four of us will have loads of fun unless our 2 year old son decides that he doesn't want to sit down. The last time we took him it didnt turn out that great but it's been, wow, a looooong time since we have even attempted to take him. Let's just hope that this time it's a positive experience!

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And Finally Our 2006 Halloween Photos...

I just took down our Halloween decorations two days ago and I've already seen about 20 Christmas commercials. I guess the Christmas holiday season starts the day after Halloween now, huh?

I've finally posted some of our Halloween photos on flickr on the side bar to your right. We did trick or treating at the in-laws this year. The boys had fun.

And now I'm off to try and work on some holiday resources for the main section of this website, ContestForMoms.com

Happy Voting on this Election Day!

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Starting Somewhere...

So many thoughts have filled my mind as I have sat down to write an entry here a few times in the last two days but nothing that comes out seems neither worthy nor meaningful enough to publish but I figured that I had to start somewhere.

To say the least, what I have experienced in the past week has been life altering.

I want to thank everyone who left a comment on my last post. Please continue to keep Jon's family in your thoughts & prayers throughout this very difficult time.

Even though I do not truly support the war, I do support our troops. During this difficult time and especially during the holiday season, we should all support our troops for sacrificing their lives for us and our freedom. There are many many ways that you can support US military troops overseas. You can send care packages, letters, Christmas cards, and ornaments among other things. Here are a few links to ways that you can support and help the US military overseas. You can adopt a soldier through soldiersangels.org. You can send letters & care packages to soldiers requesting help at anysoldier.com. Another website with lots of links to ways you can support our military in Iraq and other countries is here.

To sum things up for now and in hopes that I make a difference, don't ever take life for granted, if you love someone tell them, never leave without saying goodbye and I love you, and do whatever you can in your life to make a difference. Let your voice be heard. Celebrate life and embrace kindness. Most of all, do something...

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