MamaBug's Musings

Insta-Friday

2012-01-13T20:19:00.000-05:00

So I just started taking pictures using my sons iphone and using the

instagram program.....I LOVE retro pictures and this APP has many different

settings that you can use on the picture you take.....I am going to try to link up with Jeannett at

this is a little look into our week

On Sunday I went to a Stampin Up class where we made mini albums...

I had never tried this before but think they are super cute to make.....

I ran out of time rounding up pictures to bring so I plan to fill it later....I am going to fill it using all the photos from our past Christmas cards....I think I may have to make one each for each child and put their newborn pictures in it!

What can I say about this??? This is my little sweetie making her Boo Boo face!

Why??? Because she likes to and it makes me laugh! :)

Bedtime and my girl is holding our baby yorkie hostage! She loves this

little man so very much....she is as I type dressing him up

in princess garb! This is before his much needed haircut....I hate that I can't see his eyes!

Oh there they are! Chocolate baby browns! This little guy melts my heart! He loves to snuggle.....is so tolerant when my girl hugs him super close or dresses him up....and runs crazy with my boys....he is

the best addition we could have asked for our family!

Want to link up? Look for Jeannett's blog

Have a wonderful weekend!

Fall is in Full Swing

2011-11-17T20:37:00.000-05:00

So the leaves are all off the trees and the air is chilly!

LOVE LOVE LOVE Fall!

Today my daughter and I made a simple craft to

decorate our front door.....A Paper Bag Turkey

She was so excited when she got home from school and all the supplies were out to make this!

She cut out all the parts except for the feathers!

All we used were two paper bags taped together and cut out a circle

Brown construction paper for the body

Construction paper for the waddle, feet, nose and eyes

Oak tag from the dollar store (50 cents a sheet) cut into strips and then trimmed

We had enough feathers left over that tomorrow she wants me to make her a turkey costume to wear on Thanksgiving! This kid will wear a costume for anything! LOL

We decorated our door as Frankenstein for Halloween

Guess I am going to have to figure out what to make for Christmas huh?

What child friendly crafts are you making this holiday season?

A long and crazy summer....

2011-11-05T18:52:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! Finally fall is here and maybe just maybe

my insane life can get back to normal!

This past summer has been filled with incredible highs and devastating lows....

The summer started off great....we bought a new house and were looking forward

to swimming in our new pool.....

my daughter was cast in her first ever theater production...

The Wizard of Oz....as a Munchkin in the Lullaby League!

Yes she wore all blue....in the book version all the Munchkins wear blue~!

She did the first 4 weeks of the summer show, they triple cast the Munchkins....

It was a wonderful time for both of us....getting to see her perform on the same stage

that I worked on while pregnant with her brought

so much joy and happiness to my heart.

I was so excited to share my love of theater with her and she seemed to love

every....single....minute!

Then the bad stuff came.....my father got sick in the beginning of July and it eventually turned into a massive blood infection that would take his life on July 23rd......

laying my father to rest was one of the most painful things I have ever had to do....

I have always been a Daddy's girl and knowing that he would

not get to see my children grow up just about broke my heart....

I am just ever so grateful that they were all old enough to know and love him.....and most important of all

remember him

Two weeks after my Fathers funeral I had surgery. I had been suffering from

extreme anemia and they found that I had a giant fibroid in my uterus that had to go....

so it did! I have finally started to feel human again after 3 months......needless to say

all the bad things delayed most of our unpacking as I was in no mood or condition to do

any of it......so here we are with the winter snows already

upon us and finally starting to get things done around here......

I hope to have some projects to share with you soon.....we are decorating our daughters

new bedroom and I am making her a vanity and a

dress up cabinet from an old dresser

Dress Up Head Quarters

......found that one on pinterest.....

Do you Pinterest? It is fast becoming my new obsession....I will NEVER have enough hours in my LIFE to make all the things I have pinned! LOL

Exciting Happenings Here!

2011-06-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

Long time no write!

Going to try super hard to do better....I know I know

you have heard it before...but I really do try! LOL

So there are many things going on here right now!

First things first...I won my very first online giveaway!

Jill over at Made it on Monday had a sweet giveaway a few weeks ago

and I WON! She is making me a tourquise

Rosette Bib Necklace

If you get a moment stop over to her blog and check out all her wonderful ideas....she

also has a shop where you can buy one of her necklaces and other

beautiful creations!

In other news.....we sold out house!!! We have had it on the market since September and

we were honestly convinced that we were not going to be able to sell it,

and we began planning a remodel to make it what

we needed it to be....low and behold....it sold just as we

were giving up hope!

And.....we just bought a house! It took almost a month but we finally found a house that feels cozy and warm and where we think we can make great memories....and....it has an

inground pool! This is something I have wanted my whole life! I can't wait

to swim and float all summer long! Here is a picture of our sweet little cottage

and my new watery bliss

It has a wonderful big yard for lots of playing, a huge garage for all the "MAN"

things that go on here and cozy nooks for all of us

to find our peace!

Anything exciting happening in your worlds?

More exciting news in my next post about my little girl!

Everything in Threes I Guess???

2011-04-17T19:24:00.000-04:00

So they say everything happens in threes....I am really starting to believe that!

We got a new puppy this past February....I know

CRAZY!! But we had lost our beloved Pookie

in December of 09 and we were finally ready to

love again....into our lives came Teddy...

He is a little 3.5 pound love!

Well Friday when the boys got home from school, they were

on the lawn playing catch with a friend...the friend

overthrew the ball to Jack.....and poor Teddy...

He got hit in the head!!!! FREAK OUT does not even begin to describe

how I reacted.....Husband calmed us all down, took him to the vet...

and after some doggie aspirin and a very long

worrisome night Teddy is right as rain!

We are so thankful....this made me realize how very

special he has become to me....and while he will

never be Pookie he is our baby and we

love him just as dearly!!!

Tomorrow begins our school Spring break and I am so glad

not to have to worry about homework, getting up early or going to bed on time

We are going to spend the whole week doing crafts, cleaning the basement,

bike riding and just hanging out! I cannot wait!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Stick a Fork in Me!

2011-04-12T18:57:00.000-04:00

Ok seriously.....I am freaking done...stick a fork in me!

I have been sick and tired since September....just when I thought I was feeling better

I started to feel like I was sliding back....

I am getting more tired and dizzy again....I have moved my next Dr appointment from the 25th to tomorrow....I need to know what is happening....

My son has been diagnosed with ADHD.....they recommend and IEP...

that is an individualized education plan

through the special ed department at the school......

which because of his very high standardized test scores he does not qualify for...

SO.....we are back to square one with a kid

that hates school, is failing two classes, cries when he has homework, loses his homework when he does do it! So how does this kid not qualify I ask you

Because he scores high on two tests.... ARRGH!

Then to top it all off I found out today that my dad has cancer and they

now need to see if it has spread....my dad

who was in ICU for 10 MONTHS after a small surgery that was

supposed to only be a 3 day thing....my dad

who lost so much weight that he looked anorexic....my dad who was in a rehab

for too many months to count....my dad who has to be on dialysis for the rest of his life 3 days a

week because his kidneys don't work anymore and he is too

old and too sick to qualify for a transplant....my question is....how much more can MY DAD

take? Worst part is I live out of state

and I can't be with him every minute....trying to set up a time

when we can go and visit him before I have

my own surgery and can't travel for who knows how long :(

Sorry this post is a downer.....but I am just so tired....and worn out with it all....wish I could

be like Sleeping Beauty and wake up and everything is joyful and happy!

Has it really been 6 months???!!!

2011-04-02T16:32:00.000-04:00

OMG!

I had not realized it has been this long since I have posted until today!!! I don't even know if anyone is still out there wondering where I am???

Well right after my last post I became extremely sick. I was exhausted beyond belief, dizzy and sick to my

stomach all the time, and out of breath walking just a few feet.

I thought at first I might have walking pneumonia or maybe a heart issue. I honestly could

barely get out of bed in the morning, but with 3 kids I really didn't have a choice.

I finally went to the Dr in December because I had developed a sinus

infection and that was the last straw....she ran bloodwork when

I explained my other symptoms....and promptly called me that day

to tell me to get myself to the ER immediately that I might need a

transfusion!!! WHAT??? It seems I have an extreme form of anemia...off I went but they didn't give me a transfusion because I wasn't passing out...my levels were very low...after many tests and visits to my Ob/Gyn I am on the road to recovery......I am now on high doses of iron

and I will be having surgery to stem the cause of the iron loss once my

levels are normal and a transfuion isn't necessary. I still have a long way to go before I am back

to normal but I feel 100 times better then I did in October!

Although I have been sick life has to go on and we have been very busy despite it all....

I have done what I can and gone to what I could but it was a struggle....

I am going to make a real effort to

start posting more with pictures and such......I hope some of you are still checking in once and a while and that you will be here to read now that I am getting

back on track.....tomorrow look for the first

of my daughters two birthday parties....she turned 4

on April 1st and we had a Spongebob sort of weekend! Post on that tomorrow!

My FIRST Blog Award!!!! OMG!!!

2010-10-19T14:09:00.002-04:00

Thank you so much to Kathy from Cottage Garden Quilter for this honor!

I have very few followers but maybe that will change now! Kathy has a lovely artful blog about quilting. I met her when we were paired in an online Strawberry Swap which was so much fun! Please take a minute when you can and check out Kathy's beautiful blog! Scroll down to see my Smilebox featuring all the lovely things Kathy sent me in the swap including her handmade table runner....gorgeous!

7 TOP THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. My favorite thing in this whole world are my kids. I never thought I would be able to have them, so to be blessed with 3 is truly a miracle.

2. I love to sing and wish that I had more time for that. I miss being in plays and choirs, but there is just not enough time in our busy lives right now.

3. There are so many crafts that I like to do.....I am learning to sew, I like to make hairbows for my little lady, and I would really like to learn to quilt someday....I also scrapbook, paint and decorate cupcakes.

4. My favorite color is pink but I am slowly leaning towards turquoise lately....though I don't think I will ever give up my love of all things Princess and Pink. Having a girly girl in the house and really opened my whole pink world up! :)

5. I am an organizational mess and am trying to change that....I really wish I could hire a cleaning lady....it's the day to day stuff that gives me the most issue!

6. I am a certified teacher K-6 but only taught one year before having my kids....I have been a SAHM since then. And while parenting is WAY harder then being a nanny ever was.....it is the best thing I have ever done and I don't miss teaching AT ALL!

7. I love to make cupcakes and I would love to go to Pastry School and learn all the cool techniques and then open up a bakery/coffee shop....this would also satisfy my coffee addiction! LOL

So there you have it 7 things about me!

And NOW for my nominations......and the nominees are......

Amanda from Soulemama lovely earthy blog about life and crafting

Alicia from Posie Gets Cozy a wonderful blog on life, crafting, cooking

Louisa from Faerie Nuff an English blog about baking, sewing and all manner of goodness

Sarah from This Year in Photos a photography blog of visual loveliness

Ellen from Healing Heart Reiki Spiritual and healing blog full of kindness and love

Janelle from the Janelle Wind Collection Amazing blog from Australia on quilting, sewing, photography.....and so much more

Kim from Tom Kat Studio the most amazing lifestyle and party blog

Lisa from Lisa Leonard online beautiful and inspiring blog

Kate from Kate Landers Events Magical Party Planning Blog located in Boston!

an lastly but not leastly

Lolly from Lollychops an awesome blog chock full of crafting goodness!

If you happen to visit these bloggers, leave them a comment and let them know that Michele from MamaBugs Musings sent you!

The conditions of this award are that all recipients must:

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave this award
2. Write 7 things about yourself
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic ( I realize I don't have 15 but as of yet I don't read 15 blogs)
4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked to let them know about the award

Thanks again Kathy......I would have nominated you!!!

A hurt boy.....

2010-09-28T20:05:00.000-04:00

So JP got hurt today at the soccer game, football for you in England :)

Some kid totally kicked his legs our from under him on purpose

he fell to the ground and hurt his knee.

It is a bit swollen and he could not really walk on it.

Hoping that tomorrow he is feeling better to go to school

There is another game tomorrow but he will be sitting it out more then likely....he is devastated...he worked so hard to get on this team and to get injured after only the

third game....he will be heartbroken!

I am feeling a bit under the weather today....need more sleep and I just can't get it...

When I do lie down early something always gets me up and up

throughout the night. The nights I have no disturbances....I got to bed after

midnight! Go figure!

We have a family wedding on 10/10/10....Miss E is the flower girl

and I am VERY excited! Hoping to get all the last things we need for this thing tomorrow.

Boys need shoes, I need a complete outfit, and we need to figure out how much money to give...

I love weddings and I love that I can dance with hubby and the boys!

Off to bed with the little girl...she is a bit stuffy too....we all need to get more sleep!

Night!

Can you believe 3 posts in one week! Holy Smokes I am on a roll!!! LOL

A treat and some sweets!

2010-09-27T21:46:00.001-04:00

So lets start with the sweets shall we!

So I found a great new blog that has tons of delicious looking recipes!

Her name is Ree Drummond and you must check her out!

So I first found her when someone else posted a link to some

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sweet Rolls....yes OMG!

I got all the ingredients and FINALLY last night I made them....

They are to....die....for!

Here they are before going in the oven...

This is the icing for them when they come out

This is them covered in said icing before we attacked!

And this is what the insides look like....

Told you! Now here is the link to the recipe....you must let me know if you try it...they are like a zillion calories each but TOTALLY worth every one!

The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond

Now on to the treats!

My new friend Pixie who lives in England blogs about her love of all things Cath Kidston..

so I had to find out what this was all about...being the nosey bugger that I am!

Well sadly I am now hooked but since the shipping from England is a whopper I

must pace myself! I got the catalog and picked out a few pretties that

I really HAD to have! Here are they are:

Aren't they gorgeous! I forget the names of the patterns but I love them! I just got a new

catalog and want oh so many things! They have actual STORES in England....I want to go

over there SO bad!

Well that is all for today....It is going on 10pm and I am wiped....running today to the orthodontist with JP, then home to clean with Miss E.....off to pick JP up from soccer practice, then run both boys

off for hockey practice....then of course dinner, baths and bed....stick a fork in me I am done!

Night ladies!

Oh Man...it's been almost 2 months!!!

2010-09-26T17:07:00.000-04:00

Oh man! I can't believe that it has been almost 2 months since I posted! Guess I am not keeping up

with this the way I envisioned! I have had this blog for one full year but not nearly enough posts!

Seriously going to try and fix that!

Sooooo much has happened since I last wrote....

School started for the boys in late Oct.....JP is in 7th grade now....and well lets just say that is not

going exactly as we hoped....some of the fault is his and some of

it is the teachers....working on fixing it. JR is in 5th grade and as usual

he is going awesome. Miss E started her first year of nursery and she LOVES it

Here she is on day one!

The boys started on a rainy day but smiles none the less

JP made the school soccer team, which has been his ultimate goal...here he is in the teams second game last Thursday....so far they are 2-0 for the season:

Miss E also started ballet class....this is a dream come true for me....

We spent the last weekend of the summer at the beach, where I did a

senior portrait session for a girl who was on my first ever

cheerleading squad.....I am trying to start a little business doing

portraits and have so far been doing senior pics, newborn and baby pics and

have a few family shoots to schedule...someone who saw the senior pics I did

wants me to shoot her WEDDING!!! No pressure there! Yikes! I don't know if I am ready for that yet!

Working on a name for this now...will let you know when I figure that out!

Below are a few shots that same day that I took of my kids after I finished the session....

Other then that I have been trying to get into hair accessory making for an upcoming

craft fair....so far I have made these:

I realize that last set of cuppy cake bows are ....um...rather large! LOL But

I LOVE them none the less! I however have them on alligator clips and must switch them over to

french barrettes as they will not stay in Miss E's hair....they are....yeah too heavy! LOL

Well I feel you are all caught up now! Going to try and be good and post more often...

Off to view the many blogs that I have been missing during this busy time!

Have a great week everyone!

This Moment........

2010-07-30T21:39:00.001-04:00

This moment - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

One of my favorite most inspiring bloggers does this every Friday.....see

her blog here SouleMama

I am going to try to do this every week!

So here is my Moment of the Week

Have a wonderful weekend!

Strawberry Swap! Thanks Kathy!

2010-07-28T16:05:00.001-04:00

Free photo slideshow customized with Smilebox

Fairy Fun...

2010-07-28T15:24:00.001-04:00

Well I like to start early on my kids parties....Em will turn 4 in April and I have been thinking

on her party for a while now...of course kids change the things they like, but for now we are going to have

a Purple Pixie Party....or a Woodland Fairy theme...

I decided on this and then ran across this post on Face Book

A woman named Kate Landers has a blog and she is a party stylist....and her Fairy theme is out of this world! Right now she is having a giveaway to win one of two prizes that were featured at the party.

Here is a link if you want to enter...and even if you don't you MUST check out her stuff....it is

so inspiring!

Kate Lander Events: Tuesday Giveaway

I am really hoping to win the little fairy outfit for my Emma! She would look amazing and since she

wants to be a fairy for Halloween we would get great use out of it!

So today what really got me going on this fairy kick was that Em and I and the boys went into our woods and made a little fairy house.

Here is a picture of the house....I think it looks better in person, but I will try to get a better shot later

She really had a load of fun making this and so did I....we are going to make more...hopefully stronger ones that will stay....I fear this one is a bit rickety and may fall overnight. The boys even helped by getting up the moss...Here are my love bugs with the house:

I have been crafting up a storm lately....more posts to come on that soon! I also need to post pictures of my lovely swap from Kathy! Need to figure out how to make a smile box!

Finally here is one last fairy themed party that is SUPER inspiring to me! I am SO going to make that tree centerpiece...with my hubby's help of course! LOL

Celebrations At Home Woodland Fairy Theme

Happy 4th and an Update on my Swap

2010-07-02T18:21:00.001-04:00

I am happy to report that my swap has arrived safely with Kathy of

Cottage Garden Quilter

I am so glad that she liked all the things that I picked for her. She has

posted a sweet little smile box video of the things I sent if you are interestedd in seeing them. Just click the link to her blog to check that out. It was only my second online swap

and it was very fun! I am tempted to join another one for Christmas ornaments in July???

Happy 4th of July!!! What are your plans for this coming weekend?

We have been invited to a friends house on the lake for a block party type shindig.....there will be boating, tubing, water skiing, BBQ and fireworks over the lake. I am baking some cute patriotic cupcakes which I will share later when they are done. Then on Sunday my oldest goes off to Scout camp for a week.....it will be very quiet around here without him.

And I will of course be worried sick the whole time. He is a good, kind smart kid who makes

good choices...but he is small in stature and I do worry about the kids who are

bullies.....

I have several fun things coming up soon. We are going to Mystic and I am working on a dress for Miss Em to wear...then my niece is coming to "Camp" here and then it's my dad 75th birthday celebration! Alot to look forward to this summer!

Again have a wonderful and save 4th no matter where you are!

Beginning of a Bad Day.......

2010-07-01T11:12:00.000-04:00

So many things are a happening here!

This day has not had the best start....

First one of our baby chicks died last night...she has been sick and we

did everything we could. We sat up late, holding her feeding her droppers of water...bundling her up ....... but the poor little thing..... she passed last night.

Telling my 3yr old was the worst

Then I get up and my coffee maker goes nuts....coffee all over the counter, grinds in the pot,

and only half drained....so I am now in the process of cleaning it out to

see if it's clogged. One run through of vinegar, then one cold run through and then

hopefully a nice fresh pot! I NEED my coffee or

I cannot function.

So my strawberry swap is winging it's way to Wisconsin as

I type this. I finally decided on something and got to work....can't wait for her to see it!

I am also going to attempt for the first time a pillowcase dress for my little girl. I got the cutest

aquarium fabric. We are going to Mystic Aquarium in a few weeks and I thought a cute little dress with matching fabric hair flowers would be adorable! I will post these as soon as I make them,

which will hopefully be this weekend.

The kids are out of school and I am still without a car after my husbands accident. First the insurance

company was low balling us on the settlement. They weren't giving us enough to pay

off the rest of the loan on the car, the car we only had for 6 months. My husband

finally got them to pay off the loan. My question is how many people settle for the first offer from the insurance companies? So for 5 weeks now no car for me....he can't decide on what he wants and then of course we don't want to take another loan out....so looking looking looking! I am done with the looking! PLEASE pick something soon honey!

My niece is coming soon for a week long visit! We are so excited! We are calling Camp Aunt Michele! I just mailed her a "brochure" for the "camp".....we have so many fun things planned.....I just hope the weather cooperates!

Off to check the coffee maker....PRAYING it is working now or I don't know how I am going to

get through this day....I can barely keep my eyes open!

Cooking somethin up!

2010-06-21T16:49:00.001-04:00

Well it has been rainy and cold all this week so I decided to make some soup...

Butternut Bisque to be exact. I see how bloggers show the things they make

so this is my first attempt

Here are all the ingredients!

And this is my very loved recipe from a friend....it is a copy

of a recipe from Taste of Home magazine....don't you love that one!

Here is is simmering in the pan....this really does not take long to make, the

most time is spent chopping the veggies up.

I like to chop everything as small as possible

this way it is easier at the end when you blend it all together

And finally the finished product

YUM! I have to say that I like it blended smooth in the blender. That

is how I usually make it. However this time I got a deal

for $5 on a large food processor ( I have a mini one that is no lie 16 years old and still kicking) so I

thought I would go all Food Network and use the new one to blend it.

Have to say it was too gritty for my liking....so if you want it nice and smooth use,a blender.

I know I promised to blog more and I haven't done that. I do want to get

into the habit so I will be trying harder. Now that school is almost out

I will have more free time not worrying about homework, scouts, and such.

Last a little story of my girl. As I was on the phone with my sister in law Jaime, my little girl asked me:

"Where does Aunt Jaime live?"

"NY" I say

" Where does Abby (my niece) live?"

"NY" I say....

" Where does Uncle James live?"

" Ummmm... yeah, NY" I say...

" Where do I live?" she asks

"New England" I say

" Awwww! I want to live in NY!"

Very cute! She misses her cousins so much and wants to see them all the time, but

they all live out of state. Thankfully this summer we will be seeing all of them

to celebrate my dads 75th birthday!

Summer is coming can you feel it?

A Musing or two....or three

2010-06-10T15:24:00.000-04:00

Well it is rainy and gloomy here but I have been quite productive while the girl sleeps

Usually I like to nap with her, but I have

been staying up WAY too late so I did some laundry instead....I am such a good June Cleaver today!

So we are looking to move....what a process....getting your house in

order to put it up for sale. Looking for properties that have all the things you need AND want in them

And then worrying that taking your kids out of the school they know, but you hate

is a really bad idea. I am so torn. Do we stay in this town and move to

another house that better fits out needs and just suck up the school issues

Or so we move to a home we will love, we hate this house and neighborhood,

but then have our kids possibly struggle to fit in. They are both great kids

athletic

smart

handsome

But kids can be cruel and I don't want them to suffer because we picked the wrong house

the first time out and now we are trying to fix that.

Still don't have a car for my husband...which means I have basically been a prisoner in my own

home for the last two weeks. Have to say that is getting REALLY old!

I hope that he can find something that he likes and is in our

price range soon. The insurance company is trying to low ball

us with the settlement, not giving us enough to pay off the loan.

We have only had this car for 6 months.....so not happy about that!

And then of course we now have a crack in the windshield of my van and that has a $100 deductible! I feel like the money is just flying out of here and not on anything good or fun!

Summer time is rolling in and that mean free movies! Don't know if you all know about this but Regal Cinemas has been doing this since 1991. It's called Free Family Film Festival and it is great. Any age can go, but get there early because it is PACKED! I plan to take the kids to every movie I can.

Each theater that participates shows different movies...some that they are showing are The Fantastic Mr Fox, The Tale of Tale of Despereaux and Ice Age just for starters! Movies start around the end

of June and we can't wait!

I know I had more to share but can't think of it now! My brain is just not what it used to be! Have a wonderful weekend! We are in binge/purge mode trying to get ready for a huge yard sale....I MUST have order back in my house before I lose my marbles! How do you approach a yard sale?

OMG One year!

2010-06-06T22:44:00.001-04:00

As I was writing my last post I realized that it has been almost one year since I started this little blog!

WOW~!

Time sure does fly~!

I haven't posted as much as I wanted to and I plan to try and do more. I want

to take pictures every day of things we do around the house...

crafts we are working on.....

and so on and so forth.

I know that alot of ppl have giveaways when their blogs have an anniversary....

so I am thinking I would like to do that....

but what to giveaway....

I don't craft as much as I would like.....and nothing jumps to mind to make...

I don't collect anything that I could give away.......

With only 4 followers I think I can manage something....and perhaps even get a few more!

Please leave a comment and tell me which of the following giveaways

you would prefer:

A fabric giveaway.....with a few different fabrics that I think are sweet

A surprise itty bitty theme package...with little bits and bobs that I find enjoyable

I would love your feedback.....no rush as the giveaway won't run until the month of July!

Thank you for joining me on this little ride in blog land.....I have met so many wonderful ppl

and learned so many new things.....I hope to continue and grow

Oh yes and a bit of help if you could....feel free to email me....I would like a signature on each post and have

no idea how to do that...so any help there would be appreciated

Also can you use different fonts then the ones provided and if so HOW?

And finally when I do post about the giveaway how does one make a button for others to share???? I know I am completely clueless....must figure it all out sooner or later right?

Thanks again my friends....have a wonderful week!

Rainbow Birthday Bash

2010-06-06T22:23:00.001-04:00

So this weekend we had Jacks 10th birthday celebration.

Last year at this time my husband lost his job so neither

of the boys had parties like they are used to

It broke my heart.

I promised myself that if hubby was working again at a good pay we would go all out!

And we did!

Jack had a

Sports and Sweets party

I had it between lunch and dinner time so all we had to serve was

snacks and candy.....oh and did we serve candy!

I got the idea for this awesome tablescape from

TomKat Studio

I LOVE the things she comes up with. I didn't understand how to make her party circles or I would have ordered some....and I never heard back....so I will definitely do that for the next party.

In addition to a candy buffet we also had chocolate covered marshmallows

and Oreo Truffles and Chocolate covered Oreos

Mother Nature was really on our side as a HUGE thunder storm rolled in earlier in the day, but

by the 1pm party time all was well.....humid as all get out....but sunny!

The kids played soccer, kickball, football and then went on our new water slide. I was

going to rent one but then I stumbled upon on on sale at Kohl's and for ONCE had a 30% off

coupon so it ended up being more cost effective to just buy it! The kids are thrilled!

Then it was on to the cake.... and MAN did this cake give me trouble!

I ended up making this cake 3 times....the first time I tried it, one of the layers

cracked....I continued to use it with icing as glue

then I added 2 more layers...HUGE error

it was falling apart.....ok one box of cake mix to experiment a new

way to make this cake...looked cool but too small.....so sent hubby to store on the way home from work....

and BINGO!!! I got it!

Needless to say I am VERY happy with how this cake turned out and so was Jack!

Sweltering in New England!

2010-05-26T21:44:00.000-04:00

It is CRAZY hot here in NE this week. We have not yet put in our air conditioners and I am in a foul mood. See heat and I are NOT friends!

It makes me cranky, sick and more tired then I normally am...

which is pretty tired.

Other then that things have been pretty good. I was entered into a radio contest to try and win a pool by a friend of mine. I won tickets to a local water park for qualifying, which the kids

think is just great!

At the event I had Jack and Em with me....we didn't win the pool

and MAN was Emma MAD! LOL What! she yelled, we didn't win the pool!

However we did come away with some prizes....Jack won a family pack of tickets to a local AAA

baseball game by winning at Simon Says. I also got free Vitamin Water,

beach balls for the kids, and a Glee Madonna CD...so I was pretty happy.

After we left the radio event we decided to stop at some yard sales and such.

Got some great things for a Strawberry Swap I am doing.

And I also scored 2 books on smocking...which

I plan to gift to a woman who has inspired me by her blog....

and 4 patterns to make Emma some vintage dresses for preschool in the fall....

Now.......all I need to do is learn to sew better! LOL

I have been paired for the swap with a lovely woman from the states who is a quilter....

I so want her to like what I make so I must truly take loads of time with this! Knowing she is

great at sewing I am sure whatever she makes will be lovely....as lovely as my last swap gifts...

which I PROMISE to post pics of soon.

The boys birthdays are coming up soon and I am in full on party planning

mode. Jack only wants a few little friends to come, so

we are doing a Double Digit Sports Spectatular with a water slide too. Since it

is so hot lately I am sure it will be a big hit. James is having a Wacky Water War

party. We plan to have all the kids bring water guns, buckets of

water balloons and of course the water slide, which I scored super

cheap at a sale at Kohls....we were going to rent one and this cost the same to buy it! I was SO

excited.

I am trying to branch out and make more crafts but then the weather got so hot

and I was not feeling well and I fell off the wagon. Now

that the a/c is being put in I hope that this

week I will get back to it!

And finally I have said it before and I will say it again....I really should have been

born in the UK.....I have found so many wonderful things

from there....recently I purchased a few little tidbits from the Cath Kidston....I have

not yet opened it as I was much too hot and irritable and I want to truly

enjoy seeing my new lovelies...one of which is a new

mug for my coffee.....I will think of my new UK friend Louisa when I

sip from it! Hope you all have a lovely week

Spring Fling!

2010-05-16T19:41:00.002-04:00

Well here we are!

I am so bad about posting on this blog but I am conflicted on exactly what it should be about??? I don't do enough crafts to make it a craft blog.....so I have decided that I will just post every Sunday or more often if the inspiration strikes! I have met so many wonderful woman on blogs and learned so many new and wonderful things....so I will be sharing that as well....

So things here have been good but super busy.

The hubby started a new job about 7 weeks ago and while he loves it, it's taking getting used to the new hours for all of us! My oldest son James got braces! The first few days were miserable and he cried at night time with the pain but I am happy to report he is over the hump and feeling well. I will post a pic of that soon....no pics on this laptop! We celebrated Em's 3rd birthday twice! One with a Perfectly Purple-tastic Party and then again with 3 of her little friends at Chuckie Cheese ( for those who don't know what that it is....it is a place with a giant mouse, pizza and arcade games and rides....parents hate it....kids love it!). We are now in the planning stages for the boys parties...more on that later!

I am trying to gather things to start crafting.....since having the boys and then Em, I have fallen off the crafty wagon and would dearly love to get back on. I recently participated in a lovely swap with some ladies from the UK and it got me super motivated to do this again. I am planning to join another of Pixiedust's swaps...this time all things strawberry! NO idea what I am going to make yet but am going to start looking into things this week. If you are interested in receiving some strawberry lovelies click HERE to learn more!

I also read another lovely blog called Lolly Chops....she had a whole week where she showed tutorials on how to make different colored and different material flowers......SO inspiring! My favorite flower required that I get a die cut machine.....after buying/opening and not being about to return the first cutter because it was too small for the dies I needed........I finally bought the Sizzix Big Shot on ebay and the die at Michael's and made these lovelies!

Isn't that flower just so wonderful! If you are interested in learning how to make these.....and many others for yourself or as gifts.....click HERE

Lastly I would love some ideas on my sons upcoming parties. Jack is turning 10 so we are having a:

Double Digit Sports Spectacular

I found this amazing candy table HERE and I MUST have this for the party! I will be doing it the same rainbow colors.....other then that I have no ideas....we are planning to have things set up for soccer.....basketball......flag football....and street hockey.....I need idea on decorations other then this table and what food to serve????

Then we will be have James 12th Birthday in July

Wacky Water Wars!

Where we will have the same candy table set up....there will be two teams of kids in matching colored bandannas, making a team flag that they must protect. Each child will be asked to bring a water gun....we will have slip and slide, water balloons, box forts to hide in, a safe sprinkler zone and possibly a giant inflatable water slide if I can locate one! So I need again decoration ideas, a cake theme? and snacks to eat for real! Forgot to add that I am also looking for ideas for both parties for good, inexpensive favor bags!

Well I guess that is all for this week. I will try and post this week to show you the lovelies I got in pixie's swap....lucky me SHE was my partner and she made me the most beautiful doll! Totally spoiled me! We have decided to become across the pond pen pals.....Have a lovely Monday all!

Shoes, Science Camp and SHREK......Oh My.....

2010-04-08T11:10:00.001-04:00

Happy Belated Easter Everyone!!

We had the most wonderful weather this past weekend and the temp was up to 80 on Wednesday.....CRAZY! It has snowed at this time of year in the past...global warming anyone?

Shoes Shoes Shoes......my little darling girl did the funniest, cutest thing yesterday while we were shopping with a friend at Kohls...we were in the shoe dept and she wanted to try on some heels.....I am not a heel wearer....never really was, but now that I am at home almost 100% of the time heels just don't work....and the heels I wear when going fancy are a chunky heel that works with slacks. Anyway, I let her try on three pairs....Her first selection was black patent leather below:

Got to love it right! Well she quickly moved on to the snakeskin and man can the girl work it!

Hysterical! My mother used to call me Imelda Marcos because I had soooo many shoes....looks like I have a mini Imelda in the making no? LOVE it!

So this week is very quiet in our house as James is off at a science camp with the whole 6th grade. I am a very nervous mother so even though he does go to Scout camp every summer I am still a nervous wreck that I can't even chat with him while he is gone. He is back tomorrow afternoon and while I have enjoyed spending more time with Jack I am looking forward to him being home safe and sound.....I hope he had an amazing time and took loads of photos!

And lastly SHREK! Have any of you heard of houseparty.com??? It is a place where you apply to host a party to introduce you and your friends to new and exciting products and companies.....I don't know if they do this in the UK but they should. You get to sample products, have a nice get together with friends with no pressure to buy anything...great fun!~ Anyway I just applied to host a Shrek/McDonalds movie night! I REALLY hope that I get picked....we love SHREK and Mickey D's as we call it. I would set up a big screen in the yard to show the DVD and all the kids get Mc Nuggets and tons of other Shrek goodies....the kids and all their friends would go nuts for this! Then we could plan to go and see the new Shrek movie....how awesome is THAT going to be! We love these movies so much! Jack even had a Shrek party when he was 3...back then there was no product so I had to make him a costume....I will add that photo later when I am on the other computer....needless to say he was ADORABLE in it! Anyway, go and check it out you can sign up to host all sorts of different parties and they will give you everything you need to make it a success!

Photo added: Jack as SHREK!

That picture of SHREK I drew so they could play a game....I forget what now? I think it was his helmet?

Crafting weekend.....

2010-03-24T23:39:00.000-04:00

        So this past weekend was the first of Spring and WOW was it really here! It was almost 70 degrees and sunny....we threw open the windows, wore short sleeves and well quite frankly I felt wonderful. I truly think I must have not enough Vitamin D and that is why I am always so tired! This weekend I was a whirling dervish! I cleaned, I sewed, I played.....hardly any time on the computer, which made hubby happy! :)

          So the boys and I had a lovely weekend making projects.....I made up my things for the Tilda swap as I HAD to get it in the mail Monday....happy to say I did it! I haven't sewn in years and maybe it wasn't the best idea to start on a project for someone else??? However I think what I made was very sweet and cute, and I have already started on the same set for myself/daughter..... I also made up some sweet boxes for a Handmade Pass it on from FaceBook, first time making jewlery,earrings to be exact.....sent those off Monday as well and everyone recieved them today and like them very much, much to my delight! My little one decided that she too wanted a "project" so she took out a whole ton of batteries, screwdrivers and tried to take apart her little piano. When asked what she was doing she replied...." It's my project, I TOLD you" Okey dokey then!

        James was working on his Egypt project for school. He made two different pyramids, one from foam blocks and one from clay. He also made a tool of wood, twine and metal. He worked in the garage with my hubby banging away having a grand old time for himself. I will add pictures of that tomorrow.   He did such a wonderful job on the crafting part and his 4 page paper ( tpyed but still)......we are so very proud of him....6th grade has been very difficult and challenging for him and his ADD does not help. He has worked very hard despite his challenges.

    Jack was bent low over James all weekend trying to be of some help in the projects.....I went out and got them more foam blocks so when they don't have school they can make something together.....it is so nice to see them hunched up together, making a plan.....

So what did you do this weekend?

One Moment

2010-03-12T13:18:00.000-05:00

I follow a lovely blog by a woman named Amanda Soule

SouleMama

This is her Friday....so I am posting my moment of the week as just a picture for this post....please feel free to scrolll down for the story of this picture and stop by Soulemama to read more readers moments of the week!

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Happy Friday, friends!

So thankful.....

2010-03-12T09:03:00.002-05:00

As I sit here watching my boys out the window getting ready to go off to school I am just feeling very thankful and blessed. We had a great, nice, calm morning. Something that does not happen often in our hussle bussle lives.

So many things take up our time that it is hard to just sit and realize how truly lucky one is. I have 3 truly amazing kids. They love us and each other and well who could ask for more?

My oldest is dear to me because he was my first. For four long years I prayed, wished and hoped for him....he is truly a miracle. He is one of the kindest, gentlest souls I have ever met. He can break my heart with a smile. He is so good to his little sister. And while he and his brother fight he loves him just as fiercely. He has a wildly creative imagination, loves to run wild outside, works hard on the things he loves, and wants to help people. He is such a good kid and I can't believe how quickly he is growing up....seems like just yesterday he was born and all my dreams were realized.

My middle boy is special to me because he "gets" me, looks like me, loves all the things I love and is my mini me in almost every way. He was and still is the calmest child. He has the sweetest, softest cheeks that I love to kiss. He is ALL boy, from his stinky feet to his dirty fingernails. He is little professor and wears the glasses to go with it! :) He also loves his brother and sister so much and while not as emotional as my oldest, when you get a squeeze or hug from him, it is worth the wait. There is nothing like his laugh or the accents he uses....one day I hope he realizes his thespian and singing potential...something I love to do and would love to share with him

And finally my little Miss....so dear to my heart because she is my last and she is everything I could have dreamed of for myself but didn't know I wanted or needed in a little girl. She is sweet, funny, sassy, sour, gorgeous and loving. Her brothers are her favorite people. She is my little shadow and delights in cooking anything, even just boiling water for mac and cheese. We put on our aprons and get to work. She loves to sing, dance, twirl, paint, jump, hop....well you get it, the list is endless. I was convinced when I was pregnant with her that I was having my third son and I was thrilled with that....I could not have been more surprised when she was born....and my love of all things girly and pink could be realized and acted on! LOL My husband used to say it looked like a pepto bismol bottle exploded in our home!

So today I am just feeling thankful, for my husband, my children, our home, our health....and well pretty much everything!

What are you thankful for today?

Interesting week thus far!

2010-03-11T22:56:00.001-05:00

So this week is so very strange......good at times and just gross at others. The first great news is that my hubby found a new job!!! He is soooo happy! If you have read from the beginning you might recall that he had lost his job in May but found another in Sept....however he really does not like where he is working. He had to take a huge pay cut, the commute can be up to 2 hours each way and he is bored out of his mind! He has been looking soooo hard to find something new and finally his hard work has paid off! He is giving his notice next week and he is practially dancing around the house!

Another great thing that happened last night is that the school budget, which includes 10 million dollars to fix our school, which is crumbling around us, was passed. This renovation has been voted on over and over every year in the 10 years since we moved here. FINALLY! The issues will be fixed and our kids and teachers will have a safe and healthy place to go each day!

Now for the gross part.....I found out that one of my sons teachers is having an affair with another students mother, who also works at the school. Both are married, both are now seperated...nuff said....disgusting! Apparently everyone at the school knows.....isn't there some kind of morals clause to make sure this type of thing doesn't happen? I am beside myself with anger even though it has nothing to do with me. I feel sooo badly for the wronged spouses and really bad for the kids.

Lets end this post on a good note! Last night my little girl didn't sleep well, which means neither did I. She was up all night with a stuffy nose and leg pain. We took a nap together around 1pm, I got up at 3pm to see that the boys got off the bus ok. She slept for.............6 hours!!!!! Anyway, the great part is that instead of waking up cranky which I totally expected, she was in major cuddle mode! She wanted me, daddy, and brothers.....she wanted us all in the bed hugging and snuggling......so flippin sweet!!! She is a dream baby and we are all head over heels in love with her. We took a self portait.....hoping you all are having interesting, exciting, wonderful weeks!

Victims of the storm.....photo added

2010-03-09T23:35:00.001-05:00

So we have survived the store....thanks to that quick thinking of my man! He and my two boys were out in the pours of rain making a trench to direct the rains away from the house and by god it worked!!! See what happens is there is still ice around the house and thus the rain has no where to run but IN the house...the trench kept out basement and it's million boxes dry and safe! Thank you my lovely boys!

We had no power from Thursday evening, right after my last post until Saturday night......honestly we didn't even mind. We thankfully have a generator so we could shower, eat and keep the fridge running. We lit candles, played games and savored the nothingness for a change. One week last summer we went electronics free and it was one of the best weeks of our lives......we may have to tell the boys we lost power more often!

There was one victim of the power outage....my sweet outgoing message on my answering machine with my littest bug speaking in her little baby voice. I was going to record it before changing it but well the storm had other ideas! Today we made a new one all with Miss Em....very cute but I still mourn the loss of her very first message :(

Another almost victim was my washing machine....now realize I have been DYING to get the new front loading one.....so when my dear man told me that he broke the washer trying to spin out soaked towels and clothing using only the generator for power....well first I was delighted that I had not broken the machine myself because I KNOW he would have accused me of doing it on purpose to get the lovely side by side red models I wanted....and second....giddy with the thought of any new washer! However my man being a manly man took a week and half but..... he got that dang machine taken apart, found the burnt out part and fixed the darn thing.....dreams of my new washer dashed! It was just not meant to be! LOL

So here I sit with not one, not two but 5 baskets of laundry to do. I took a picture of it and will try to add it to this post once I upload them. I dread having to fold it all but it is always so nice to have things all clean, and tucked away neatly!

Here it is: Laundry Mountain!

Lastly thank you to Joanne for becoming my 3rd follower!!! Things are looking up!

Rain Rain Go Away......

2010-02-25T21:49:00.001-05:00

So WOW I have 2 followers now! I am super excited! Thank you Pink Feather! Welcome and I hope I don't disappoint!

It is raining cats and dogs as I write this and we are super worried that the basement is going to flood.....AGAIN! The last time

it flooded I had just had Emma and we had just remodeled to make it a

wonderful playroom for the boys. Needless to say

we had to rip up all the flooring, carpeting and cut some of the walls off so they would not get moldy. It was BAD....my man spent HOURS sucking the water up with the shop vac and I could

not help as I was recovering from a c-section. I am praying right now that it does not flood again as this time the floor is covered from stem to stern with boxes of things for a yard sale.

On the upside for today I got my first TILDA book in the mail!! Sew Pretty Home... WHoo hoo!!! So many wonderful things I don't know where to start! I am trying to pick the perfect thing to make for Pixie's

swap so I may wait until my next two books arrive, shortly. In the meantime

my friend and I are going to the fabric shop tomorrow if this rain lets up! Can't wait!

Ok well that's all for now....the lights are flickering and we may lose power with the high winds! We lost them around 8pm for a few minutes and Miss Emma and I were

in the hallway upstairs and I thought I had gone blind for a second! I was so scared she was going to fall down the stairs!

Obsessions......

2010-02-24T23:37:00.000-05:00

I have many obsessions, but the current one is Tilda by Tone Finnanger.....I stumbled upon these wonderful books and projects on my new favorite blog, Faeire Nuff......I am hooked! I have ordered 3 of her books and wish more then anything that I lived in England so I could buy her fabrics and other things! I want to run out to Lowes and get paint enough for all the rooms in my house to have white walls. I want my books NOW!!!! I did my little Em's hair as I imagine Tilda would....

My other obsession is my little girls hair and all the lovely things that I can put in it! Currently Pleated Poppies by Lindsey Cheney are a favorite! I wish I could afford to have one in every color! My very crafty sister in law just sent this adorable headband with our favorite, the ladybug!

We have requested a purple butterfly and a bumble bee to complete her collection! Thank you Jaime!

I guess my biggest issue with both these obsessions is my lack of energy. I recently started taking iron and vitamin D supplements and that is really helping. I just need to get up and do it. I used to do crafts of all sorts before the babies came and I truly want to get back into doing that. I have weaned myself off television and now I have to get off the FaceCrack....aka FaceBook! I am going to get on with it all tomorrow!

I joined a quilt along on another blog and have only gotten to the part where you cut your material...the others are on the step where you machine quilt the top. Thankfully it is all there on her blog and you can take your time but that fabric is just staring me in the face....mocking me! LOL I have saved all of Emma's baby dresses and want to make a quilt out of them but until I have some practice under my belt I don't dare cut them up!

So what are your obsessions of the moment?

Hindsight is 20/20

2010-02-23T23:04:00.001-05:00

Recently I find myself wishing that I knew when I first got married what I know now. That something isn't better because it is new. That all your furniture does not have to match. That there is something to be said for all white walls. When my darling boy and I got married I HAD to have new matchy matchy furniture....now I wish I had taken my time and gone thrifting and antiquing.....I liked things dark....dark wood, dark fabrics....etc....now I want to have everything in my house painted white and cover the rest with florals ala Laura Ashley and Rachel Ashwell....shabby chic is my go to.....but how do you get your Shabby Chic on when your walls are hunter green, red and deep sage green.....I HATE my walls! But with 3 children under the age of 12, one not even 3 yet....dark is better at hiding a multitude of sins is it not? Should I do one room at a time or just so hog wild and paint it all white at once? BTW my darling is NOT amused that I want to change all this....lets just say he does not care for doing the painting and he won't let me ( I am not the neatest painter in the world) .....would it be wrong to paint one little room and surprise him with my skill???? :)

I read so many wonderful blogs where ppl all around the country go thrifting and find the most amazing things....WHERE I ask you do you do this? Salvation Army? Good will? Yard Sales? I went antiquing with a friend this past weekend and got a super cute lamp with a Victorian couple as the base....my grandmother Lily had this exact same lamp. Oh the thrill when it was only $5!!! I have wanted a lamp like this for years....all it needs is a new cute shade. Looking at it sitting on my dresser just makes me happy and makes me feel as if my grandma is watching over me. Oh how I miss her! Back to my shopping....the antique stores were wonderful but OH so overpriced! I was very fortunate to find my little find. Most of the things I wanted were just not in the price range I wanted to pay. So my plan is to try yard sales and flea markets once the spring thaw comes.

Approaching 42 soon has me contemplating how I want to spend the second half of my life.....and how I can make my surroundings what I want them and need them to be.

What's in a name?

2010-02-21T21:51:00.003-05:00

First off...Much thanks to pixiedust for my first ever comment! LOL I love your blog and once I figure out this whole blogging thing I plan to link up so others may find you as well!

Soooo here is the quandry I find myself in....I love my ladybug design but don't love my blogs name! I use MamaBug or some version of that wherever I post online....so I really wanted to somehow marry those two things together when starting this little blog. I am thinking that no one will read it anyway so the name does not matter. However what if I become super duper famous and EVERYONE knows the name of it??? See my problem? So IF anyone is reading and would like to give me some ideas that would be great. The other issue is I have no idea what this blog will ultimately BE about. Me, my kids, crafting, complaining.....I just don't know at this point. It's alot to think about when choosing the name of your blog because I don't want to have to change it later....and I want to love it now but all the names I have chosen that I DO love are already taken which totally sucks!

Anyway, so I lie awake and think of a name. I am going to try to post here more and use it to journal myself. Hopefully I will see a pattern and thus stuble upon a name for myself!

Great news!

2009-07-29T23:29:00.000-04:00

So my husband got a job! He has been out of work since May 1st and we were starting to get very worried...we were ok for a few more months but well in this economy you never know. He should be starting in mid August once they sign the contracts they are working on...he has already been given an offer so we wait. There are several things that he is not happy about....not that he is complaining it IS a job and that is the most important thing. The commute will be an hour and half each way, he will be making alot less then he used to, and the worst part of all...he may have to be gone for 7 weeks at a clip to other sites....that is going to be SO hard! My kids are very connected to my husband. Prior to getting laid off he was working from home 3 days a week...to say that we have grown accustomed to having him home is an understatement! My daughter is only 2 and he is very sad that he may be gone when big things happen for her.. Hopefully it won't be that bad, but if it is I will make it my mission to make it as easy for him as possible. I feel so blessed that even during this time he didn't want me to work, that he wanted me home with my baby....that I feel it is so important to let him know that we all support him 100% even if we miss him. I will cherish every last minute that we have him home with us until August!

My Unplugged Staycation

2009-07-29T23:06:00.000-04:00

Ok so last Sunday we decided that we were going to be pretty much electronics free for the week. We would check email, as that is the main way several people contact us, and we would watch a movie here and there but other then that, no TV, no computers and no video games. Following is the brief journal that I kept druing our little experiment!

Monday July 20th 2009

Well it’s day one of the no electronics and already Jack is driving me MAD! He is the main reason I felt we had to do this. The child spends way too much time indoors and while I don’t want to force him to go outside….he really needs to. So the morning started off with us running late, as usual, for the first day of Vacation Bible School. We had never done this before but heard great things about it from friends and since it was free we thought why not. Well as soon as we dropped the boys off I told my husband….”Jack is going to quit this the second he gets home…he will say they make us sing and dance and there is NO WAY I am doing that!” Well guess what I was right and he does not want to go back. Oh well at least he tried. James thought it was fun and his friend is there so he will go back. While they were at camp I got to work on ridding Emma of TV time….we played dolls, did puzzles, read 5 books several times each, made block towers that she kicked down, she helped daddy stack wood in the yard, and she rooted out toys from the depths of the basement, that had not seen the light of day since the boys were little….Fisher Price Farm house…. The boys home we all had lunch and it was off to bed for Miss EmmaAnnie B called and invited the boys up to swim….and now they are back playing wiffle ball in the yard…so far Jack is doing ok without his plugged-in entertainment….hopefully the rest of the week is this easy….though I doubt it will be.....

Wednesday July 22, 2009

Day 3 of our little experiment and things are looking up. For the first time ever, Jack said to James instead of the other way around “ James want to play outside?” OUTSIDE!!!! OMG we are making progress. They stayed outside all day and into the dark of the night catching fireflies for their baby sister and playing wiffle ball. I could not be more thrilled. James continues on with VBS (vacation bible school) and actually asks to listen to the CD of Christian music they handed out on the first day. They will have a little show at the end where they will sing several of these songs, and he actually LIKES them. He has always been a very spiritual boy and this makes me happy.I went out tonight to see a show and the kids went with hubby for a bike ride. I saw “Anything Goes”….and it should have gone…far far away!…nuff said….the only good part was my friend the tap dancing/ singer who was amazing as always. Had a nice night out afterward despite the fact that when I got back to my car the battery was dead. These two really nice older men ( who were with their wives ;) helped me jump the battery and we were on our way to some delicious food at UNO!! YUM!!!

Thursday July 23, 2009

So today we decided that in addition to swimming at the lake we would take our bike riding on a high adventure and do the bike paths at Ordiorne Point in Rye, NH. Ok, so to say this was one of the worst days of my life would NOT be an exaggeration! OMG we took a wrong turn off the cement bike path and ended up in HELL!!! Yes HELL!! We got onto a hiking trail, not a bike trail, which was littered with very large bumpy roots, huge rocks, overhanging branches that slap you in the face and head as you try to ride by, sloggy mud rivers and sand….oh the sand….have you ever tried to pedal a bike in deep sand? Well let me tell you, it SUCKS!!! What should have taken us 30 minutes had us out in the woods for over and hour…did I mention that it was getting darker and darker the farther into the woods we went? I haven’t cursed that much in a looooong time! We eventually found the correct path back to our car…I have never been happier to see a minivan in my life! The only good part was when we came out on the beach and got to rest in the breeze free of the horrible bugs and collect shells. After my torture ice cream was in order~! I should have gone with my gut and stayed home with book 2 of the Twilight series in my flannel jammies with a cup of tea…..I will not make that mistake again!

Friday July 24, 2009

Well it is the last day of our little experiment and it has been great. I realized that I do not need to be connected at all times. I read 3 books ( including Twilight, which I thought I would hate but LOVED) and countless magazines and newspaper articles this week. We played too many games to count including but not limited to: Jenga, Battleship, Picture Link, Poker, Memory, 20 Questions…..the list is endless. We went on countless bike rides, swam at the lake, built branch shelters in our yard, hunted snakes ( ok I didn’t do this but the boys did), played wiffle ball ( the boys were amazed at my batting skill), painting, playdohing, reading and spending a lot of time just being together. I loved this week, and despite their initial resistance so did the boys. We are all determined to spend less time plugged in and more time doing creative things together. All in all this has been a wonderful week and I highly recommend unplugging your family and taking an electronics free staycation!

Where to start?

2009-04-22T23:28:00.000-04:00

So this is my first EVER blog post and I am not even sure that anyone will read it. That's ok, I need to get things off my mind and this is more convenient then keeping a journal. A little about me....I am an almost 41 year old, SAHM of 3 wonderful kids. Two boys ages 10 and 8 and a little princess girl age 2. I used to be a teacher in my former life and realize now that I have no patience for other peoples children....I know that sounds mean, but honestly I use up everything I have right here at home. I truly love doing all the things in mommyhood....tea parties, cupcake baking, laundry, crafts and school projects.....I just wish that I had more time and energy and money to things just the way I would like.

So last Thursday my husband was laid off. I am totally FREAKED! Not so much that he has no job, but by how it is upsetting him. This man is a hard worker and I know that he will find another job, or jobs...and that I too can get a job. He is so worried with the market like it is that we will be living in a tent, or worse with my mother! We of course talked this out with the boys. We felt they needed to know that things were going to have to change for a while, perhaps a LONG while. So the other night my oldest son JP goes to Boy Scouts and calls during the meeting to ask if he can go on the $8 camping trip that weekend with the Troop. We said of course, I hung up and saw that my husband had tears in his eyes. He was so upset that my son had to worry about this.... one of the many many reasons that I love this man. So things around here have to change, which won't be easy. My husband has had it cush by working at home 3-4 times a week...anything he finds now will surely require him to go everyday. It was fun while it lasted...we were spoiled....ok I was spoiled...but we will adjust. I will also from this point on have to learn how to spend less money on, well....pretty much everything. I hate to say this but I was the girl who never looked at prices, at least not usually. That has come to an abrupt halt and let me say it sucks! I realize that we have had it so much easier then alot of people in this world and I totally took it for granted. I will not be making that mistake again.

So we will meal plan in advance, based on the sale flyer, spaghetti is my new best friend. I will still try to lose weight. With no room for extras, like chips and ice cream, I am thinking the weight is just going to fly off! I am pruning our belongings to have a huge yard sale as soon as it gets warm. I have already decided that this is the summer we go TV free. I know ,I know easier said then done, but honestly I watch way too much TV anyway, as do my kids, so this might not be a bad thing. It's weird when we you realize how much you really can live without.

So that's it, that is where I am right now. I felt sort of smug last week....we really thought his job was safe.....murphy's law in action baby....now is the first day of our new lives. I know we will be ok as long as we are together.....no matter where this takes us