Week in review

I had a few moments this evening to not be tackled by the 4 year old so I dumped the pictures on the camera... Finally!

Lets back track to Christmas eve. I made 20+ placzeks (a coffee cake). Yah Saran Wrap.


The day before Christmas eve it was 40 degrees and raining.


Me and Mom - We have Christmas Eve at her house every other year. She hates her picture being taken. Dinner is meatless (fish, pierogi, mac and cheese)



Tim got himself Guitar Heros 3 for the PC. I have lost him to the game (GHW - Guitar Hero Widow). Erin decided to be his groupie and took photos of him "rocking out"

And finally - while the girls were playing Webkinz tonight, I ate dinner and recycled the Christmas cards. I hate buying tags since they are always the same. The cards we had are so pretty, I hate throwing them out. I cut some and glued colored paper to the back and WHAM! Home made Christmas Gift tags.


I made like 25 of them and some are so stinking cute.
So now its 8:40 pm and I have had 3 bottles of Woodchuck, chips, dip and some cookies. A random movie is going in and I'm texting Lil. If I sit and do nothing, I will pass out. I am not a fan of New Year's eve unless I'm at a party with the Hubby (oh, the fond memories of Chez Jim). He's heading out and I'm pulling the kid watch. What other craft can I do before the new year??

living through the holidays

I'm a slacker. I've had time to write but refused. It feels too much like work so a break was in order. Its now New Years Eve (see a trend, I don't write on the actual holiday). Due to some circumstances, I will be spending New Years at home with the girls (Er and Bernie). Ah well. I will be letting them goof off on the Wii and Webkinz while I work on some stuff. The line up...

• scrolls for Ice Dragon
• 2 fleece hats

Oh dear god, the fleece hats. I made one for Erin and that spawned to 8 more requests. They are so easy and cheap if you use the remnant fleece that I got for like $2 a yard if that. All it is a rectangle sewn up the sides and a blanket stitch for the brim. I'll post later on that as soon as I get off my lazy butt.

Now, if I can just convince hubby to get me crab legs for tonight (wink wink)

Christmas saga begins

Thus starts the hell known as Christmas.... Lets begin.

1) Yesterday, it was close to 45 degrees and rain. Yeah, that puts you in the Christmas mood (pic to come)

2) Last minute shopping all around... next year, we start in July. I'm not kidding.

3) The washing machine is broke. It won't spin. Shit.

4) I have a cold.

5) I get woken up at 5 am "mom, i had a bad dream". No wonder, its windy as hell out there and would freak me out too. Consolation - Dr. Who dream... (sorry honey)

6) I wake up again at 8 am to a blizzard lite. Wind, snow.. bleh. At least we get a white Christmas (thats is a plus... I hate green Christmases)

On the upside - the food is all made for today, the presents are wrapped and I only have to finish 4 gifts (all to be given after Christmas - yes Sam, that means you). On the downside, I have to get the washing machine fixed.. bye bye $200.... damn.

Its only 9 am on Christmas eve and well, I give up. Breakfast, shower, head out and be at mom's house by 3 pm or so. Where is my coffee????

Me in Garb Finally and a final scroll

I bit the bullet. Here's me, in garb. I hate my picture being taken but I was really proud of the garb. YAY late 14th Century middle class tunics!! YAY Salmon linen.



It was for Investiture where my Scroll was being given. Here it is all done (no, I didn't do the Calligraphy).

Getting a Tree

last weekend we got the tree - and as always, it was an adventure. She ran through the trees playing hide and seek.

The tree was tied to the roof of the car. The very tip was in view through the back window and Erin kept an eye on it so that if the tree fell off, we'd know. It didn't fall.

4 years old and knows the commandments

It may be a snow day but that doesn't stop my kid from learning. Or at least practicing her lessons. She goes to a Catholic school and part of the Curriculum is religion.

About 5 minutes ago, she burst into song for no apparent reason:
"Number one we've just begun, God should be first in your life
Number two's the idle rule, those graven images aren't right
Number three God's name should be never taken in jest
Number four we've Sabbath for our worship and our rest
Number five we all should strive to honor our father and mother
Number six don't get your kicks from killing one another
Number seven life is heaven when you're true to your mate
Number eight don't steal or break this rule for goodness sake
Number nine don't be the kind who goes around telling lies
Number ten don't covet when you see your neighbors house or wife

That's the list that God insists we stay away from these sins,
and that is why we memorize commandments one through ten
the perfect ten the perfect ten lets say them once again (repeat whole list)"

Granted - not all the words she says comes out right. There are lots of replacement works and las but she actually has most of the words down. #2 has moon in it.

Snow Day

The Buffalo Catholic schools ( and public too) canceled school today. Why? The Storm that hit us yesterday is over, and the road crews have most of the roads cleared. When I was a kid, we only had snow days if it was a blizzard and that rarely happened.

I'm going back to sleep for a bit. She has cartoons and the couch, she' already acting like a teenager ;)

Thank you Martha

I made several dish towel aprons compliments of Martha Stewart. I really wanted to give gifts I made this year. Everyone needs aprons (THANK YOU APRONISTAS!!) I am going to make a modified one for Erin so it fits and one for Tim so its BBQ ready. I found several nice ones at KMart and the rest at the Dollar Store of all places. Not bad for like 30 min worth of work.

Making Garb

I received 8 yards of Salmon Linen from Lily. Linen. I couldn't cut it, I was terrified. Anything with Linen scares me. So I gave min and I did it. I cut the damn thing. I wanted new garb for investiture and Erin decided she needed to help me. She sat on the table and helped me pin and cut the fabric. She also thought it needed something and started adding scraps.

this makes me giggle

I work with guys like this. This makes me giggle.

How many days??

So here is the plan for the next week and a half (deep breath)....
Tonite - give in to the fact I do not have the time to make Truffles for Investiture . Sad as it sounds, I just don't have the time. So, I will plan out the baking for Sunday tonite.

Thursday - Pick up plants from school, work and then watch the kids (I love the kids.. I hope Lex makes me Soup!)

Friday - Get stuff together for Saturday and stop feeling like shit (stupid cold). Ship Val's gift and get Mom's present

Saturday - Relax at Investiture (ha!). Maybe I can sneak out and get his stocking stuff after Dinner (please be done by 6:30!!)

Sunday - while Hubby is out Shopping, Erin and I will get Baking stuff and start making some Placzek and cookies.

Monday - Work lots and finish the X-mas presents

Tuesday - all day meeting and food is provided (remember to bring said Placzek).

Wednesday - Work lots more

Thursday - 1pm and 6 pm - SCHOOL PLAY... BRING VIDEO CAMERA!!

Friday - Bake 24 mini Placzeks and a few more big ones..

Saturday - freak out and get/make food for Xmas Eve

Sunday - get stuff together for Xmas Eve

Monday - Freak out more and have a drink FINALLY

Tuesday - Watch my Kid scream with delight at what Santa brought

Wednesday - Dentist appt for the kid then DO NOTHING BUT PLAY TILL JAN 2nd!!


is it over yet?

Work in progress

Sorry for the rapid changes and the sort of strange header image. I'm working on a new design (thanks Charlie) and its in progress.

blood on the gifts

without fail, I have cut myself when working on a sewing project.

1) Erin's Hat and scarf - no blood - safe
2) 5 covers for the guild... still safe
3) Rabbit hat ..... yet safe still
4) present for Sam.... after working on it for an hour and when I decided to stop THATS when I get a nice slice on my finger.

Damn.....

Still.. not bad for an afternoon. I still have to finish Erin's hat and scarf (bright green like the Grinch at her request). And I need to get going on some other smaller presents....

December 1st and I'm already stressing about timelines.

NOTE TO SELF : START CHRISTMAS PRESENTS IN JUNE

Holidays and a 4 year old

Its like 5 days before Thanksgiving and of course, the streets have the Christmas banners, stores are decorated and some TV shopping shows are totally decorated for Christmas. I stopped on one this morning to see what they were pitching.

"Mom, its not even Thanksgiving! They can't do that! They have to wait until AFTER Thanksgiving." says the 4 year old bright eyed and bushy tailed at 7:30 AM.

"can't do what?" says I half asleep on the chair next to her.

"They decorated for Christmas! Its too early. They HAVE to wait for AFTER Thanksgiving" she says will all the power of an attorney.

Wow I thought. The 4 year old who declares "I want that for Christmas" with every toy ad on TV has observed the simple fact that its just too damn early for Christmas marketing. She's so smart.

Now I have to admit something. Friday I WANTED to hear Holiday music. Like Bing or Julie Andrews.. the stuff I grew up on thanks to my Mom and Dad. Well, mostly Dad who listened to WJYE on the way home from Grandma's house every Saturday or Sunday. They played the ''classics" from the 50's all the time and at Christmas played tons of Holiday music. It was cold and snowed a bit (not sticking but flakes were visible). I wanted to hear Christmas music. With some luck, I found a Best Of Bing CD in the car and it had 3 songs on it. I cried for some reason.

Blogging for Dollars

You may have seen the PayPerPost banner on the side. Yes, I joined the ranks and I actually like it. You heard me. I want to get paid for the time I spend reading the web :)

I found PayPerPost through one of the guys I work with who mentioned different types of WebAdvertising and I was curious. Get paid to blog about stuff? You have got to be kidding!!!So you mean I could actually make money from visiting other sites and if I like it and give a good review, I’d get paid? NO WAY!

It’s all true. I don't have to blog about everything and anything (I'm particular). I can pick and choose from what I want to review and if I don't see one I like, I wait a few days. I find some pretty interesting links and what is the best way to spread the word about new products? Word of Mouth.And I represent a pretty important consumer base – A thirthsomething female with a full time job who happens to be a wife, daughter, friend and a Mom of a pre-schooler .If I can help other Mom’s in my place find a good place to save money or get help, I plan on telling everyone I know .Thank you PayPerPost!

Adventures with Teddy

One of the rewards in class is being able to take home Teddy fir the weekend. We have to journal what we did with Teddy and his adventures are shared with the class. So far, Teddy has

1) Went through a car wash

2) Went to Subway for Lunch

3) took a nap in the car

Now, Erin and Teddy are getting ready for a sleepover at Tommy's. More adventures to come!

Let the Shopping Begin!!

Now that Halloween is over, Christmas has taken over my mind this year. Forget Thanksgiving. I want to get my shopping done now. Granted, we are about 50% done (thanks Honey!!) but I still have several people to buy for.

The ultimate questions looms over my head "You have Friday Nov. 23 off..... do I want to go shopping??"

Maybe. Yes, I said maybe. The last few years I got screwed out of some really good deals because I waited to go shopping. I could have saved a lot but I hate Black Friday. I used to work in the mall and I know the pain. BUT, I never had a plan. Just before we had the kid, we actually braved the crowds and my god!!! We got a really good sale at BestBuy on a PC Monitor. The problem was my plan was made that morning. I don't have that kind of spontaneity. I need a battle plan for the thanksgiving ads that disappear with 4 year old in the house. And do I really want to brave the stores? SHOP ONLINE!!!! Yes.... make them bring it to me. It may be snowing and I hate shopping wearing the winter gear.

Now all I need to do make sure I know WHAT I'm getting before the sales start.. hmmmm..... where is the Big Toy Book

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Happy Halloween from Us to you!

Survival of the fittest

This weekend was nuts. Two birthday parties for Erin in 2 days. Saturday being her classmates and Sunday being Lexi's. Now, granted, Sunday was a family one as Lexi is my niece. Saturday on the other hand -- we have now entered into the next phase of parties. Drop off and come back later.

I've done this only with family. This was a first and I admit was a bit nervous. 15 little girls running around puts me on edge. Erin was remarkable well behaved and when I went to get her, she only debated the amount of time she could stay once and when I called her, she apologized for not hearing me. Overall, she did really well and had a good time. Me on the otherhand, was a nervous wreck and was beat by the time Sunday came around. Thanks to MiMi for a wonderful dinner.

16 straight days of a good kid (minus the occasional whine, but hey, she got over it herself). It feels like the calm before the storm and I'm waiting it. I could be wrong. I hope I am. I'm tired of feeling sick to my stomach until 2:30pm every day waiting for a phone call. Just be GREEN bear, GREEN.

Zombie Bazooka Patrol - Zombie Shake

Guilty Mommy moment. Found this band and with it being Halloween and all (and having a best friend who has thing for Zombies), I needed to post this.

No worries for 6 months!

Just got back from the dentist. I had a phobia for so long about dentists. Every time I went, I had some work that needed to be done. The idea of mouth pain makes me sick.

NOT TODAY!!!! Had my cleaning and for the 2nd time in a row......wait for it... NO CAVITIES!! Just need to watch an old filling that may need to be replaced.

I have a new tooth brush and I am a happy girl. Its pink. Mine.. all mine.

Knight beat up by 4 year olds

Knight beat up by 4 year olds


Originally uploaded by melblackrose Sir Otto was beat by 3 four year olds. He had no chance of getting away. Poor guy.

More Scroll Work

Here are attempts 2 and 3 of some practice scrolls.

#2 - Based on 15th Cent. French- this is my fav



#3 - Not sure and I'm not fond of the colors but hubby liked this one better.

First Scroll Attempt - not so good

Here is my first Illumination attempt
Vining sucks
its too big
and I can't color in the lines....

Kid vs Candy

kid verses candy

Note - 90+ degree weather and chocolate. Bad mix

Multimedia message

YEAH! IT WORKED! I can blog from my phone. Wait. that could be bad.

Story behind the picture. Park. Water. Bread. Ducks. Massive amounts of Ducks coming on land to eat said bread from hands of 4 year olds. Oh the glee..

First Day of School Part 1

Its 7:40 and we will leave in about 20 min to go to school. Real school. Not day care. School. Damn, I'm gonna cry.

Today is only a half day - 11:30 dismissal. Not terrible, but strange. I remember having to go to school all day on the first day. Boy, times have changed.

I woke Erin up and she immediately got dressed. New dress and shoes. She's currently laying upside down on the couch waiting. She wants to be alone.

Home

Working from home is interesting. I accomplish the same at home as do in the office and I even get my laundry done. Only 2 more remote days for the summer and then school starts.

Erin is crafting and I'm working on Custom stuff for work. I want to craft. Glue, markers, mess.... I don't mind. She's making stick people. Eyes glued on each side of the sticks and doing a puppet show for me from behind my laptop. No lack of imagination here.

I really should go take a shower......

Fly by night....

One of my favorite things to do is fly home at night. The lights of the towns and cities throw such an interesting pattern. There was a thunderstorm east of us as well. It was so pretty.

I was fortunate enough to fly over the Erie county fair - it was about the coolest sight to see. Then in contrast, flying over the lake.... total blackness. There are the lights of the road that runs along the lake then nothing. I was waiting for something to come up and grab the plane.

Realization

I'm traveling this week. Its 90+ degrees here and humid which makes it worse. And I am alone. This means eating dinner either in my room and paying 3 times as much for dinner as I would if I went to the hotel restaurant. Or, I could go for a walk and eat by my self. Its a hard thing to do but I do it.

I'm not a fan of being in public for long periods of time. So imagine walking into a Japanese Hibachi restaurant and having to sit with total strangers. I love Hibachi. I hate eating there alone. I can't make small talk and I don't care about your grandkids. I just want my food.

So tonight, I went to an Italian place. I've been there before so I know the place (an advantage). The host looked at me strange when I said table for 1. Like its an inconvenience. Damn, I'm hungry! The server on the other hand read my signals that i wanted my food and that was it. It was a good meal, just lonely.

Now, I'm just working overtime to keep up and eating M&Ms. Sorry honey - I may watch a movie you wanted to see - Day watch, Grindhouse, The Host, Paprika & the Namesake. Its one of those nights. I can't even get on to my work programs so I give up.

can I come home?

Erin's foot

Erin's foot
Originally uploaded by melblackrose

Whenever Erin gets a hold of my camera, she takes some good yet strange pictures. This one happens to be of her foot. The sandals have seen better days.

Here are some other Images of Erin's world. I don't ask her what she was thinking when she took them, only that if she was careful with my camera.

She's actually pretty good when she is using my camera. Her camera has a really really low pixel so the pictures are super grainny. But she's proud of the pictures she takes.

Erin's Eye View of the Dining Room Table

Her Face - yes, she took this herself

Another Foot

Harley

Mom and Erin making Giant bubbles

Mom and Erin making Giant bubbles
Originally uploaded by melblackrose

We went to the 2007 Bubblefest at the Buffalo Museum of Science. It was fun, but a little crazy for me. Too many kids.

They had pools of bubble solution (yes, kiddie pools). Hula hoops, ropes. straws. what ever... bubbles bubbles everywhere.

The best part was the black light bubbles. They had a room set up with black lights, Rave/techno music and special bubbles. Erin was so digging it. Her first rave and Mom, Dad and Grandma were there to share... HA!

No answer for you.

I hate it when horoscopes strike a cord with me:

"Slow down so you can reflect on the recent flurry of activity and process your feelings about what has happened. You might not be quite as bubbly and interactive as normal, but you can still have fun with others. Remember, you are not responsible for coming up with all the answers to everyone else's questions"

I think I want the last line engraved on my tombstone.

I need a vacation from my vacation

After 5 days off, I need another 3 to sleep. Lets review -

Tuesday night - official start of Vacation: I cleaned the house.

Wednesday - the 4th of July - It rained. A lot... like Call Noah, we need an Ark. So I cleaned some more. Sam came over before the RUSH concert. There was an exchange of silly gifts (pictures coming). Best gift ever - GOLDEN SPLAT PIG (we miss you .. rest in peace). This silly pig lasted a few hours but was so fun! You throw it at a flat surface and it SLATS then reshapes. Hours of Fun. We had it on the ceiling... buhahhaha. The kid accidentally broke it. So much for hours of fun. The rain finally let up so we ended up going to the Cheektowaga Town park for the annual carnival and fireworks. Good show but because it rained all damn day, the show was delayed due to a late setup.

Thursday - more cleaning and waiting for Sam. Its been about 1 year since I saw Sam, longer for Tim and Erin. The evening consisted of: Pizza, booze, wings, booze, and X-BOX.... She's such a cheap date.. i love it. No fancy outing, just food and games. By the way, Wolverine totally is the best.

Friday - Its been a dozen or so years since I stepped foot in Fantasy Island. Its now my new favorite amusement park. Prices were fair and there is a ton to do for the kids. Not to mention a free water park (little but it serves it purpose). Erin and I went on the PIRATE. She loved it.. I have a new ride buddy when she gets taller. Arms were up, screaming her head off. Such a proud moment. We ended the night with a fish fry at Wayside. yummmmmmm

Saturday - a blur... what did we do? Oh yeah.. Erin was shuffled off to Grandmas for a few hours while Tim and I had a 'Date'... well, if you want to call it that. We went to the mall to exchange some shorts, I talked to Julie as Tim hunted for shorts and then off to see TRANSFORMERS. It was remarkably good.

Sunday - More good news.. my Brother is getting married to a wonderful woman. YEAHH!! after that, I blocked out the rest of the day. I know I was dreading Monday morning.


I need like 2 days of not having the Kid around to do what I need and actually sleep. I am so sick of Kid shows, I want to throw the TV out. When does school start?????????

7 days and counting...

to what? V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N! Damn, i need it. 3 weekdays of NOT working. Sam will be in town that means Pizza and Beer (yeah!). There is something to be said about having your oldest and dearest friend in town to visit.

back to grind for another hour then I am out to see Lily and hear of her ass-kicking adventures of Iron Man. Thats my girl!

feels like fall

After the run of hot 90 degree weather, the 68 degree temp and wind makes it feel like fall. It even smells like it. good sleeping weather but bad for swimming.

Good Grief

so I'm a slacker and haven't posted. I've been dealing with some family "stuff" and well, I'm beat. Lets recap:
I'm 32 now. Old per the family standard. I was at the park with the kid and felt like I was still in HS just babysitting. I don't feel old enough. what is it supposed to feel like?

But thanks to all who came to the party - a good time was had by all. We have another shin-dig this weekend and 2 more next weekend. I hate June.

I'm still so in love with Kohls. I got 2 gift card and $56 later, I have a pair of capris and 4 shirts. They really do have some kick ass sales.

Other than that, I'm just waiting for Sam. COME HOME SOON!!!

Bar-goon shopper

I hate shopping with a 4 year old. Impulse buy every time. Since I stopped getting the paper, I don't get coupons or ads anymore. I've resorted to browsing online before we shop. Shoes for example. 4 year old = growth spurt. Somethings you need to try on and others you don't. Payless Shoes is pretty reliable for 'tappy' shoes (black mary-janes) and we've gone through some 8 pairs. Kohls also has been a life saver. They carry black jeans for kids.

Now, if I take said 4 year old shopping for clothes, we end up with a heck lot more than what we need. My hubby turned me on to online shopping coupons and if there is a bar-goon, I'm on it. Coupon Chief lists by store - perfect for me since I have little time to wander through specials of the day. I know where I need to and what I need.

For the frugal mom who hates buying full price anything, especally clothes the kids will grow out of in 3 months, they keep tabs on Old Navy, Kohls and Children's Place. I could have used this years ago.

Happy shopping!
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more booseze and birthdays

ice cream cake at 9;30 at night is not such a good idea but i don't care. its my birthday - well tomorrow is.. i just don't care.

Lily and kids came over tonite for dinner, pool, play and a fun. It was blast. the kids played and Lily and I celebrated my birthday. A bottle of wine and a almost a bottle of vodka. Mike came over to bring me ice cream cake. Yeah, 32 isn't so bad (too bad I've hit hit the back space way too many times and my kid is stilll awake at 10 pm.. )

i can;t feel my toes. heheehehhehhehehe

Happy birthday to me... happy birthday to me,.....

Booze and SkeeBall

after the crap week and day we had, Erin redeemed her 40 tokens to go to Chuck E Cheese. She has been good for the last 2 days.

Did you know they serve booze at Chuck E Cheese? Beer and wine.

Wine and SkeeBall.... you do the math. i can tolerate going there now that she's 4 and can wander around herself.

Thank you Chuck E Cheese for making it tolerable.

"I think an Owl ate the birdie"

Erin and I went outside to check the weather and the pool. There was dead looking bird in pool. I say dead looking because i saw it wasn't moving. Erin stared at it and poked it (such a kid) and yelled "MOM! IT'S NOT DEAD!".

What the hell do I do with a half dead bird. We've lost fish before and flushed them. This is a much bigger animal. And she said it was her friend.

So I found something to move the bird and when it moved its wings, you could see some wounds. Either another bird or a neighborhood cat got to it. It wouldn't let go. Poor thing. We moved it out to the shed and Erin was very calm.
"Mom, we can stay and make sure no cats come back and if they do, we can hide it again. " She felt sorry for the bird. I did too. I took an old bowl and we got some water. It was shivering probably due to shock. The poor thing won't last and Erin sighed. She said God likes birds so its ok.

When we got in the house she said, "I think an Owl ate the birdie". I explained to her that some bigger birds and animals will eat the smaller ones. Like we eat chicken and cows.. wild animals have to eat too. She said "yeah mom, i know. it will be ok. Lets just leave the water and some bread". I hope that bird dies knowing one little girl considered it her friend.

More blow ups

Where do we go from here? More issues, more violence, more tears. After seeing what goes on before lunch (a freaking movie) and at nap time (no option at all about not napping), I have issues with this place.

My mommy sense is tingling.

But the kid? what do I do?

Bird's nest

I'm sitting here trying to work today - home... again because the Kid had another melt down. There is a bird making its nest on top of my light by the front door.

I'm watching it fly past the window getting more sticks, leaves and grass. Back and forth.

Birds lead a simple life. Eat, avoid cats and bigger birds, mate, eat more, poop on my car and stay out of the rain.

My life is not simple and I wish it were. There is a sort of desperation in a mother's eyes when her child can not behave due to the need for instant gratification. This is something I deal with on a daily basis and its wearing me down.

She's a good kid when she's with older people. Kids her age don't do it for her most of the time. She also just wants to play. I don't blame her. But how do you get a 4 year old to understand that there is a time and place for everything. Work, school, play.... I yelled (mistake #1). I ignored the bad behavior (mistake # 2). I talked calmly (sort of working) but I still feel like a bad parent. Like I've damaged her. Did I do this? I should have known when she slapped me in the face at birth.

All I want is for a good day. Go to school, no fighting, a good report, when I say "no" there is no plea bargaining, no bed time fights, just lights out. How do I do that?

Summer Fun Already

Its June 2 and 90 degrees. 90 FREAKING DEGREES! Um.. what the hell? I remember it being cold on my birthday. With all the trials these last 2 weeks, we made it though 3 days without MAJOR explosions.

Yesterday was Erin's last day at her current daycare. She had a great day and we needed to celebrate. Did you ever celebrate by buying a pool?

This lovely frog pool (note: not my kids) cost $14.95 at Target. I looked at Amazon and it listed at $50! I seriously lucked out.

Pool got set up yesterday and Erin blessed it with squeals of joy.

Today, after a wonderful picnic in the park and visit to Gramma's in 90 degree heat to get the Air Conditioner, Erin again dove in and squealed like a little girl (yes, she is a little girl so how can make her stop?). Her goal was to get me wet as well.

To her surprise, I came out of the house in my suit and JUMPED in the pool. Damn, that was cold but felt fantastic in the heat.

I love that pool. All I needed was a Mommy frosty cold drink and I'd be set. Bring it on Summer. Bring it on.

Erin's reaction to me yelling at the Sabres

All in a days work

Its Saturday so that means housework and the Honey-Do list. On the list today:

Cut the Lawn - Completed by the 2 of us.
Clean the new Tank and get George some new stuff - DONE! In a girlie Pirate motif. He's much happier now. The tank is nearly double the size and there is a real filter.


In the picture below - he looks pissed.




The last order of the day is to fix the sink. Its leaked since God know when. Hubby got a new faucet last weekend. We've tried to replace the washers and well that didn't work so well.

We have just a pin hole leak in one of the connections but that will be done another day.

I think its time to go out.

Giving up or giving in

Yet another fun filled day of me trying to get my kid to stay in the classroom. We have this thing... I set my phone to go off in 4 minutes. Erin takes the phone, says "Countdown complete", hands me the phone, we kiss goodbye and I'm supposed to leave. Its all very cute when it works.

9 times out of 10 that doesn't happen. She runs to the door and tries to escape. I was Ryan Miller this morning playing goalie in front of the door. She clings to me and won't let me leave. Hitting and kicking..... You get the picture? She's 4 and hates it when I leave. Its not like daycare is a new thing. She's been going since she was 2 months old. And, she kicks me out when I take her to the Grandparent's house. Some days at daycare are fine. Most are not.

It's driving me crazy because I'm late every day. I'm at my wits end. This morning we agreed that I could leave. She went back on her word. Yesterday I was able to leave early only because another parent was there and she knew I was upset with her. I don't want to fall into that pattern of guilt-tripping her (silly Catholicism). I read that the age of reason is 7. I can not wait 3 more years. I need her to understand the outcome of being late. Wait till the fall little girl. Mom isn't allowed in the school in the morning.

I need a cup of coffee.

New header attempt while watching TV

yeah, I know. I don't work in the creative department. I'm support. But I got tired of the text header and Blogger added in an image upload (yea Blogger!).

It's the first attempt and I won't give up the pink yet. I have a pink iPod Nano, a pink and black brief case... you get the picture. Pink is cool in moderation.

Ok - back to House.

Mother's Day - Part 2

To start - cleaning the house at 9 am sucks. But Tim did bring me Donuts. I love that man.

Dinner went well. Pork and Roast beef. Not bad at all. But I cooked. Yep. Mother's day and I cooked. It's only fair. I am the rookie Mom. Mom was impressed with dinner which is always good.

Jim and Shari came over as well. mmmmm.. Bacon Bacon dip.... mmmm. Sorry. Thats some good stuff.

Oh a high note, Erin and I planted. I have a little garden in back and we planted some flowers around the mail box. She isn't afraid of bugs outside which is a help. Inside the house is another story. I'll take some pictures as soon as I dump the camera.

Mother's Day - Part 1

This is going to be a 2 parter -

Part 1 - Friday. Daycare.
I love Erin's teachers. They had breakfast for us. Muffins, Donuts, OJ... mmmm.. Donuts. And they had a craft for us to do with the kids. Mom and Kid handprints. I get my gift later - they were not dry yet. To top it -- they gave us carnations.

I love her class...

Part 2 is Sunday... Dinner for Mom, Jim, Shari, Alexis, Tim and Erin. My house. Yeah.

"He has is father's eyes.."

I was reading one of my many Mom blogs this morning and came across this. Its a Red Castle Carry cot and it hooks into a stroller for a Pram like thing.

It for infants up to about 6 months (my kids, 4-5 months).

The first thing I thought of was Rosemary's Baby. Is that sick?

I absolutely love this carrier. And yes, it does come in just just Black with a gray interior.

Now if I can just figure out how to attach some hanging dice and a plush Cthulhu

Clean Bathroom

I left for VA last week... uneventful trip so thus the reason for no blog. I was home Friday morning around 12:30 AM and back at work at 9. The only thing of note - I watched JESUS CAMP and I'm terrified.

But I do want to mention that Mr. Clean Extra Power Multi-Surface spray TOTALLY ROCKS! I have a soap scum issue and well.. its gone now. Not to mention the kick ass pink and purple bottle. Spray, wait, scrub just a little and No More yuck!

Innocence

It was a nice day and dry so Kid and I went to the playground. Two young girls were there playing, about the Kid's age so she felt the need to play with them. No problems here. Instant friendship. A 4, 5 and 7 year old playing. Normal picture in my book. But it struck me as hopeful... the 2 little girls were African-American. The Kid has no concept of racism. Only if someone is being mean or not playing nice.

So the 4 of played... I pushed them on the swings, went on the slide and played Pirate on the spinning Crows Nest.

After 30 min (10 of which were trying to the Kid to leave), we said our good-byes and walked home. Being still light and somewhat warm, the Kid didn't want to go home. I didn't blame her so she suggested a walk. Instead of our usual Left turn at the corner, she wanted to go right. As we walked, the Kid saw her 2 new friends running to her. They lived on the corner. No mom in sight, no older sibling in sight... what the hell?!

These 3 little girls have no concept of Stranger Danger or deceit. The Kid wanted to go in and see the girls room. The girls had no problem walking away with me to join us on our walk. I stopped it there. I made the girls go ask their mom, I introduced myself and said we'd be back in like 15 min. The mom was like, whatever and the girls joined us. I have mixed emotions about this - 1) Society has lost its sense of the Neighborhood due to fear. 2) The girls and the kid had no concept of STRANGER DANGER. 3) Would I let someone take my kid for a walk? No. I wouldn't. I had plan B all set if the mom said no. I can pull off the Mom Cover story in a heartbeat. But this mom said yes. I'm unsettled by this - we'll stick to playing at the playground. No more walks or house visits. I guess I've lost my trust too.

Goddess Alert!

Happiness- Linda Carter made a guest appearance on Smallville. I caught the end of it. She was not Wonder Woman but Chloe's mom. She was still had super powers.

Linda Carter - you are a goddess.

GOAL!!!

The kid loves the Sabres. Yes.. she's 4 and likes Hockey. Now, to what degree, I don't know. Her preschool teacher is a HUGE fan and they do a Sabre's cheer at school on Game days. But last night, I was flipping channels and the Pittsburg/Ottawa game was on. Kid said 'STOP! Hockey is on". So I did.

I explained the game to her and she got to the idea. She lasted about 15 minutes of the game. Pretty good for a 4 year old. She kept wanting to yell "GOAL!" . I kept wanting to yell "FIGHT!"

Maybe cable will be in order.. damn.

some things just shouldn't be

Good lord! What the hell! A poo and pee plush toy? for what reason? I thought the whole idea was to remove said yuck from the body... not make it cute! They even have tee-shirts and socks with the "characters" on it (I'll use that term loosely). What's next? I'm just not going to go there...

The Landlord

Wrong in so many ways but so freaking funny!

Desire

A lot has happened in the last few weeks. And strangely, I've had no desire to write about it. Even today - I'm home with a pukey 4 year old and I'm feeling kind of crappy myself. When kids get sick, the government should provide HAZMAT suits. So lets review

The weather is no where near spring. Snow and cold....
My father in law was hospitalized and is now home.
My daughter is now over her fear of dogs, as long as they are quiet.
I can make a dress for the kid
Chuck E Cheese is ok as long as hubby is there (panic attack with a zillion kids around not good)
My best friend is coming in for 2 weeks
I get vacation days in Dec and July.. thats about it
My house is still a toy disaster
I hate Ants

Yeah -- fun filled huh?
If ya'll excuse me, I'm going to find some more drugs for me...

the power of old movies

I don't believe in total censorship at home. Some movies we'll not watch with Erin to avoid the nightmare issue or long explanation of what that man and woman were doing. But, if its on and she comes stumbling in, I don't panic. She's usually not interested.

Last night we watched "Streetcar named Desire". She made it quite a ways through. I passed out before it ended. Now, this morning the questions came.

"mommy? Why were the girls, you know, Stella and the other one - why were they not in color?" Ok - valid question and I went on to explain that some movies were made in Black and white and not color.

"Why did they put the man in the shower?" Huh? Oh - after a drunken Poker game Stanley flies into a rage and passes out thus needing a cold shower to cool him down. I didn't tell the kid that. My response went something like this.
"well, Stanley got really mad and his friends wanted to get him to calm down". The kid interjects - "Yeah, he threw the Radio out the window cause he didn't want the lady dancing". Wow. I continued "Correct. He was just very angry and being very mean. Being mean is not good"

Kid then goes on "Well, I get mean cause I want you to pay attention to me". BLAMO! Self admission from a 4 year old as to why she throws her temper tantrums. It took "Streetcar named Desire" to get her to see that mean wasn't good. She saw how Stanley being mean scared the ladies and she didn't like that.

I proceeded "Well, if you act mean, I don't want to pay attention to you or talk to you. I don't like it when you are mean. If you are a nice girl and listen, we'd pay MORE attention to you and not yell."

Light clicks on for Erin "Yeah, so if I'm not mean, we can talk more!" She may finally have turned a corner. Thank you Tennessee Williams.

Spring

There is a certain smell in the air when Spring begins. It is hard to describe but you know it when you smell it. Actually, there are 2 - Spring and Parade Day. Let me explain.

Parade Day : Mid March is the St. Patrick's day parade. More often than not, its cold. But - there is usually a warm up about that time. For some strange reason, there is a certain clean smell to it.

Spring: Clean, warmer air with a hint of moisture like its going to rain. And it has to be at least 60 degrees. It did that this morning. There is a cold front coming in and its supposed to rain (thunder storm oh yeah!). I let Erin wear her spring coat and no tights. Just socks with her dress. I immediately opened my window in the office. 6 floors up you get wind.

I can see the clouds moving in and its sort of hopeful. The spring rain will wash away the last of the brown/black snow and get rid of the salt that remains. There is one little patch of snow on the roof just outside my window. It reminds me of a scared creature holding on to its last vestiges of life.

This is going to be one of those days where I won't work - just stare out the window and think about cleaning my house. Cycle out the winter clothes, throw out the ones that are dead, make a goodwill bag and air out the house.

Not so much a hooky day but a 'don't want to think' kind of day.

Boy, I am gonna miss this view.

Game Cakes

This is the best site ever! If Tommy is into Mario next year, maybe Aunty will try.... hmmmm...
Tim, I think I want a Diablo cake for my birthday.

Sick day again

Tis the season for runny noses and vomiting and fevers. Erin came down with the flu after Mom's birthday party Tuesday. We spent the evening at Mom's for her Birthday and introduced Erin to my brother's dog. Erin is terrified of dogs. Well, not any more. She got over it and loves the thing now. Bonus.

All was well until 3 am and I hear "MOMMY!! I THINK I HAVE TO THROW UP!". Thus the early morning adventures of Nurse Mommy proceeded.

That was Wednesday. Between fevers and fights to take the medicine, we moved into Thursday feeling still yucky by better. Morning passed and her mood lightened. Not so warm..thats good. Trip to the store for better meds and appetite came back. YEAH!

Its now 2 pm. All that remains is a runny nose. Meds are still in order but she's better.

I love my kid. I'm sick of kid shows.
I want to go back to work.

I wasn't had...

An update to a previous post - Erin really was sick. She started running a temp more so in the afternoon and now is officially sick. I'm in for the night as I will have a 4 year old on my lap all night.

Law and Order - Special Letter Unit

And here I thought I've seen it all.. and they really look like the actors!

idiots.

apparently, its legal to make a left hand turn from a right hand lane. I swear, if one person does it, I'm going to cause an accident to prove a point.

And whats the big idea of running red lights? And pedestrian's crossing AGAINST the light?
Darwinism in action.

I've been had...

"Mommy, my belly hurts" says the flush faced almost 4 year old. Sniffle, cough and moan. Head and face are warm. Hmmm.. so we send her to school and wait for the call or keep her home?

"Ok - home it is" - Calls are made and laptop is brought out. Run to the store and child is happy and singing... hmmmmm....

Get home and child proceeds to dance and sing... still warm and cough is there BUT only when I ask how she feels. "Mom, I'm not sick"....

"What!?! If you are not sick, then you go to school" Child then proceeds to cough. Whining "I'm sick". Which is it? Sick or not sick.

I know a cold/flu can feel. Achy yet can manage to be social. I do it all the time. I work when I'm sick. I'm an idiot. So home we are. I'm working (well, trying to with having to disconnect and reconnect the VPN which is a pain) and Erin is watching cartoons. She still says her belly hurts so we'll see.

Home at last

I've been away since Sunday for a corporate training event. 5 days of technical training and meetings in Fairfax, VA. Some observations from the week...

• VA has NO idea how to deal with Winter weather
• Closing the county VA schools for 4 days for 1 inch of snow and some ice is a joke
  
• Eating out for 6 days is not good for the digestive system
• Dullas Airport is too freaking big to keep track of a group of 10
• My luggage made it home on time and with me.
• My flight left before the flight before us that the team tried to get on standby ( Haha)
• I remember why I don't go to lunch with some people I work with
• Big Bowl is fantastic
• Cheesecake factory is OK
• Drinking with those you work with can be dangerous
• NEVERLOST is kewl when they know the left from the right
• I've been on route 66
• Breakfast buffets that cost $16 should be be burnt and hard as a rock.

I'm glad to be home.

I HAVE A GIRLY GIRL!

I was desperate. Yes... its 10 degrees ( -10 with the wind). I needed bread, dinner and milk. I needed a haircut. So, I took my hour lunch at 1:30 and took the kid to the salon. Now, I can hear it "She's not even 4!". But can a preschooler make conversation with the stylist, follow directions and not wiggle while she's getting her bangs cut? MINE CAN!

Erin is FANTASTIC when I take her to get her hair cut. She sits and listens and strikes up a conversation like any blue haired regular. I HAVE A GIRLY GIRL! She was in one chair and I was in the other. She's talking to me and the girls and didn't freak when I went to get my fair cut.

So $30 later plus tip, my daughter is primped and beautiful. Wait.. that didn't sound right. That was for the both of us. Not bad actually. $22 for me and $8 for her.

Mothers for Social Drinking

I found this blog about the new debate about Moms who have an ocassional drink at a playdate. I have NO problem with it. I've done it! Lil and I will crack a bottle of wine and have a glass. Or make Special Coffee. Is it any different than going to a family party or out to dinner and having a drink? No. I have been drinking long enough to know my limit. And yes, I make sure I'm good and sober before I get the Kid in the car. and its not like I do it everyday. Please!


The TIMES also had something to say in Cosmopolitan Moms

Drinking is not bad. And I'll be damn sure that the Kids are well aware of that. She's Irish and Polish... need I say more?

Lights out - well sort of

Erin's biggest hurtle has been going to bed on her own. We made the leap last night. 3 books and to bed. As soon as I reached to turn off the lights the 4 year old panic attack set in. Ok - lights remained on. One more kiss for Dad (he already had gotten 2) and off to bed. That lasted 5 minutes and then "Mommmmm....." - I sent in reinforcements. Dad confirmed that it was just a little boo-boo and she 'promised' to stay in bed.


All was well until 5:30 AM. 2 became 3 in our bed- the bad dream monster made an appearance and frankly, I'm ok with that. I had to be up in 30 minutes and well, who doesn't love a bit of 4 year old snuggle time.

Tonight will be the test. We're going to TRY agian. Shower, 3 books, lights on and sleep. I hope.

Disney on Ice 2007

The Disney corp has yet another devotee. Erin, Tim and I went to Disney on Ice. Erin couldn't wait and was remarkably well behaved. Not even 1 bathroom run during the show.

This show consisted of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy going on Vacation:

London featured Peter Pan and 101 Dalmations. Then they moved on to a Tropical theme for Little Mirmaid and Lelo and Stitch.

Now... surprisingly, all translated very well to Ice. Least Favorite - 101 Dalmations. Favorite Scene - Pirates on Ice (from Peter Pan).




So when we got home, Erin immediately needed to talk to Minnie - her 3 foot tall Minnie. Apparently, it is her best friend now.

I don't mind Disney. I love the cartoons. I hate the price. All I hope is that Erin remembers this for a long time since I think this as close as she's gonna get to Mickey and Minnie for some time.

Damn you Lily! Now I want to go Heavy......

Secret Wars Re-Enactment Society

One Whole Month

Erin has been going though some pre-school issues of "no Mommy, don't leave". It was taking me over an hour to leave DayCare. Well... its been 4 weeks. 1 whole month.

"Ok Mom, you can leave early.. bye"

Erin looks at me today -"Mom, I TOLD you can leave"

She is getting so big. My soon to be 4 year old knows what makes Ice and what it turns into when the sun comes out. She can identify the Statue of Liberty. No more tub time. She can open programs on my PC. He can crack an egg with one hand. She can spell, write and type her name.

My baby isn't a baby any more. Oh sigh... now if I can only get her to go to bed on her own.

Build a Castle

I so want to do this - This would be the coolest thing for Erin and Tommy. And me and Carolyn too. Oh Heck! Tim would love it!


All I need is 8+ refrigerator boxes , rivets, a box cutter and some flat land...

Reno 911 hhahahahhaha

Daycare Cost

Come April, my office will be moving to a new building and they have a Daycare center inhouse. This is good. Cost is less than what I'm paying now but look at these numbers:


Current day care: $199/Week (= about $10,000 a year)
New day care : $165/week (= about $8500 a year)
Catholic School : $1650 a year +$300 in raffle tickets
SUNY College at Buffalo: $2175 a semester + $472 fees ( = about $5294 a year)

Ummmmmmm.... in 2 years, I could save enough for my kid to go to college. Something is wrong with this. I know that good childcare providers are deserving of a high pay but man!