When arts & crafts get out of hand

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to do fun artsy projects with your kids.  It is encouraged.  If you need ideas, There is a lifetimes worth of options on pinterest.

Someone out there is the Mary Poppins of all arts & crafts projects.

I am not that mom.

This afternoon I attempted to do a simple ( I thought it was supposed to be simple) arts & crafts project with their hand and foot prints.  We had some extra time together since Amelia was home sick, and the woman watching Daniel got sick as well, so he was sent home early.

I pulled out some ink pads and paper...

...then I got the towel.

Be sure when you attempt anything like this you wrap the entire floor and walls and ceiling and furniture in plastic wrap.  Wrap the kids.  Wrap yourself.  Wrap the cats! Wrap the fish!  Ok, so don't wrap the fish, but everything else is fair game.

This activity went down hill. Fast.  Faster than smart phones were grabbed off the shelves at Wal-mart on Black Friday, fast.  I'm talking fast.  Like running from a zombie in brand new sneakers when the wind is behind you and the doors to the air lock ahead of you are closing, fast.

It went downhill that fast.

Yes those are handprints on his chest and his face.




















"Uh-oh" she says, with the most innocent of precious faces.  Snot running down her face mixed with green ink from her hands.  Peek-a-boo got creepy for minute there.
















There were hands and feet everywhere!  As soon as I tried to wipe one off the other was being coated by a fast fingered ink thief.  I had no time to do out project even as I was trying to keep up with the inked limbs. 

Such poor planning on my part, I really should have known better.

The only thing I could do was abscond with all the ink and paper and whisk the kids up to bath time.  Wait, what? the baby gate lock broke?  Oh yes, so I would be climbing over the gate that forces me on tiptoes and still just grazes the pubic bone.  Tomorrow we remove it.   Today, I ignore hand prints on the carpet the walls and fridge...

Bath time... this was fun:

Like I said, I didnt have time to get the real camera and my phone camera isnt very good.

Fun times.  

And look at that face, he knows...he knows....

He won't come out...

(Deep Breath)

I'm sitting in the living room with Amelia.  I say "sitting," but I really mean is I'm churning inside and it is taking everything in my power not to explode out of my skin.

Daniel is in his room crying.

We are going through a spitting phase.  Not a projectile spitting phase, or a watermelon seed across the room spitting phase, but a "get a mouthful of water and then spill it from your mouth into anything and everything you can reach" spitting phase.

And so, like every good mom, I put him time out after the umpeenth time I asked him to stop spitting.

When he came back out, he continued with fervor.  So...back to time out.  This time, he spit in my face.  I forcefully told him "No Spitting!"  and he did it again.

Back to time out.

This time, I put him in there for a couple of minutes.  I needed to cool down, so I started putting blocks away.

I went to get him, and he refuses to come out.  I brought him out, coaxed him out with juice (which he never gets) and he then took the juice, walked over to the sink and sprayed it all out, smiling.

Back in self imposed timed out, crying.  He went in.  HE closed the door behind him.

He is still crying.

Amelia went to his door to see what was wrong and Daniel ushered her out, and closed the door again.

So now, I breathe.  I listen to him cry and try to figure out what is going on in his brilliant little mind.

Is he figuring out new emotions?  Is he expressing autonomy and choices?  Is he experimenting with pushing my buttons?

I just don't know.

This phase is going to be  rough one...

Sorry, the Mess of the Day is in my Head.  No pictures of that mess.

A day to give thanks

One day a year we all give thanks... thanks for our friends and loved ones, thanks for a our health and that of others, thanks for all we have, and like my brother always said "thanks for my bed."

If we were all thankful everyday, the world would be a better place.  I could just be dreaming, too.

This year we spent Thanksgiving at Mimi and Grandaddio's - it's a nice tradition.  We love seeing friends and family and the food and desserts are delicious, too.

We have a lot to be thankful for this year, many folks were not as fortunate.

Now, those of you with children who who know families with children, going  outside the home for an extended amount of time ( more than three hours) can be trying on everyone involved no matter how well planned everyone is or how "child proof" their houses are.   The kids will find something to get into, under, on top of or inside.  They will be too loud, stay up too late, and get up too early.  This is inevitable.

It was a good year. Nothing was broken!  Cement cats were dragged around, blocks and matchbox cars will be found for weeks, and, as I just learned, will even found in the back of a shelf in the refrigerator - I guess it was just chilling out.


For the first time, the MESS OF THE DAY is not at our house... this occurred after thanksgiving dinner.  Today I bring you two messes in 24 hours:


What, mom?  I'm innocent, I can prove it!

 See, Mom?  Daniel dumped out the bag of cheerios!

 I just ate them.  Nothing wrong with that, right? 

Daniel stomped them...  you know, because he wanted to feel them under his feet.

Then it was dessert time in the dining room.
We heard the kids giggling in TV room and thumping - they do love to jump the one step down into the room.  I suppose we could have checked on them more.  No, we SHOULD have...
...but we didn't.


This is what we walked into:

Caught in mid air, Daniel jumped into the pile and his sister roared in laughter.

Now don't let her age (16 months), her stature or those good looks fool you - Amelia was just as guilty of this mess as her brother.

She is as adventurous and daring as her brother, if not more so. 

Her name fits her perfectly.

Today I am thankful that I have these stories to write about and remember.  What are you thankful for?

Elmer's

It's been a while since I posted a "mess of the day" series.  Certainly not because there haven't been any messes, just that I must have grown accustomed to them.  *sigh.

Today, I introduce a new mess to you, since it is a new mess to me:

Do you know what this is?

 Yes, you do... I did, too.  Now what was THAT doing all on it's own in the living room?  Right.  Causing trouble.  THAT was the first clue which led to an ice cream truck which I thought had milk in it...

 ...and a carpet which, was also NOT milk...

...and a lego, which had a new color scheme.

 Oh yes, we all know where it came from.  Our friend, Elmer's glue.

 Notice it is not the school version.  Notice also the "Now Stronger Formula."  It's a good think I caught it all just after it happened so a little water clean-up (little is relative) and some toys in the dishwasher is all it took. 

But, there is a bigger issue here which may not be so apparent.  How?  How does a 3 year old get his hands on a tube of Elmer's glue at 7am?  That Elmer's glue that was in the craft closet with a child latch on it?


Wait...a child latch.  Yes, that must be the reason...

Ah-HA! the latch was left open.  So... whose fault is it?  Certainly he didn't open it, it's over 5 feet high...

...or did he?

His First Girl Friend

I suppose it had to happen eventually.

He's cute, rebellious, and a troublemaker.

He torments his sister, takes toys from his friends, and still wears a diaper.

That must be attractive to older women.  He just turned three.  She's four.  Now one year, when you're in your twenties, is not a big deal. One year in your thirties, is a drop in the bucket (just with more wrinkles).  But the difference between three and four is remarkable.  Let's not forget that girls mature faster. So, relatively, she could be 10 years older than he is.

Regardless, he's smitten.  "So-n-so is my best friend...  she holds me hand." His teacher said that she leads his around telling him to kiss her on the cheek (which he does) and runs up to her when she arrives for the day.

She won't admit there is anything going on, yet teases him with her clowder of fuzzy "babies" (a handful of stuffed animal cats.)

When we go home for the day, Daniel wants to go to her house... I bet her mom would love that!

I suppose the best I can do is teach him to respect her, make sure that he knows that "No means No," if she doesn't want to play with him, he must accept it.  Are they ever too young to teach this?  I think not.  It's one of many relationship lessons he'll learn as he gets older.

Oh help me, when he asks to borrow the car to take someone on a date...  (deep breathe) one day at a time...one day at a time...one day at a time.

Please excuse me as I go change his poopy diaper...and read him a nite-nite book.  My sweet baby boy with a girlfriend.

THREE years in, a lifetime to go

Where did the years go?  Wasn't it just a few years ago I was going out on dates with this cute guy I then married?  I know it couldn't have been that long...

But my son is three years old now.  THREE!  Sure sure, I have friends my age whose kids are already in high school or older... But I waited for the right man at the right time. 

Anyway, not only do I have a three year old, but I have a 16month old, too.  HA!  I have a mini-van!  I have a big ass!!  Wait...  too much info?

This weekend we saw friends and family we hadn't seen in a very long time as we celebrated Daniel's 3rd birthday.  Amazing.

Here are a few photos from the great day:

 The birthday boy!

 Amelia and her friend playing with balloons

 No mom....I didn't find the plate of chocolates...really!

AJ brought a present for Amelia, too.

Have I mentioned I love the look of sepia tone in photos??

I really should have taken photos of the ice cream decorations - I dont think anyone else thought of it either, really, it would have make an excellent pinterest addition.  Oh well.

 My precious Amelia...  anyone want to be her agent??

Now, Brian has been making the kids cakes every year - he looks forward to it and plans for it.  This year, to go with the icecream truck theme, B made...an ice cream truck cake!

 This was Daniel's expression when he saw the cake and heard everyone singing "happy birthday" - such a softee.

 (please excuse my boobs - why is it that no one tells you your boobs are hanging out until you see it in a picture?)

We ran out of time to bake, soo..... we bought un-iced quater sheet cakes from stop and shop and built the cake here.  Pretty clever, right? Did you know you could do that?  Replete with candy, ice cream pictures and candles, the only thing this cake didn't do is sing.

All in all is was a very successful time.

We have very generous friends and family, and love them all.

OH, did you notice? I had to change the name of the blog!  We're THREE years in now!!!

Spaghetti Snow Ball Maker

Who knew?

Daniel left the house this morning with the spaghetti fork.  I was going to let him play with it in the car, but it turns out he found a much better use for it.

TO MAKE SNOWBALLS!!!!!
He scooped the snow and tossed it across the driveway.  Very impressive.

You can do it, too!  OK, you'll need snow, first...

Pretty neat idea, ey?

Parenting Inevitabilities

Congratulations, you're a parent!!

One of the first things you learn, is that no one told you everything you need to know.

I've been compiling a list of what I like to call: "Parenting Inevitabilities." Yes, it's not really I word, I know that, but it sounds good and is a perfect description.  This list is far from complete, as my kids are only 3 (next week)  and 15 months,  I have a lifetime to add to it.

I ask you, the reader, to comment and add to this list - I will update it.

20+ Parenting Inevitabilities

1. If you stay up later then usual after your kids are asleep, they will inevitably wake up as soon as you fall asleep yourself.
2. If your kids get sick, you, too, will eventually get sick - likely after they are well.  Make sure you have plenty of tissues.
3. If you are waiting on an important phone call, you'll have to change a diaper, and you will have left your phone in the other room when it starts to ring.
4. When you decide to wear your nice suede boots/shoes and your kids are standing at the door ready to get in the car...it will be raining.
5. If you only have two diapers left in your bag, your kid will have a poopsplosion, and one of the tabs will rip off the diaper. forcing you to turn around and go straight home or to a grocery store for a re-load.
6. If you're running  late, the kids will be sluggish, breakfast will take forever, the car doesn't want to turn over and you forgot to charge your phone, only to realize it is Saturday.
7. You'll forget to take off your stain free paints ( do you have any of those?) and decide to make spaghetti and meatballs/veggie meatballs for dinner.
8. You'll wear the same outfit two days and nights, all in a row (maybe three, depending on how little your little one is).
9.  Your in-laws will come over before you get a chance to clean up the "mess of the day." 
10. One day will will put a diaper on inside-out.
11. If your bottles have a gasket+
12. +, you will inevitably forget to put it in - more than one time.
13. When you're kids are cranky in the middle of the day and you are frustrated and cant figure out why, you'll realize you've forgotten to give them lunch.
14. Never tell your kids NOT to do something - that is exactly what they will eventually do. (yes that's a double negative, but I think it works here.)
15. Someone will put an empty container of milk back in the fridge.  It will be the only one in there.  It will be bedtime.
16. Know how to clean up raw eggs off the floor.  You will eventually have to clean up a lot of them.
17. Buy washable crayons.  Though you may not be able to wash them off everything, they easily come off walls, floors, skin, clothing, and Televisions.
18. Teach your children how to go downstairs safely - "turn around and go feet first" they will eventually fall off your bed.  This sucks.
19. Know the phone number of poison control - by heart ( Or post it where you can easily find it).  You will need it.
20. Know how to get your your local hospital - you will eventually need to go.
21.  Have a plan in case the power goes out...  ( you should have other plans, too, but those are not eventualities...the power is.)
22. Know when to ask for help...eventually, you will need it.

There are more.  I will post in groups of 20, as not to inundate you with them.

Enjoy, and have a great day!

What can you buy with 2 Billion Dollars?

In this years Presidential Race, the two major parties together raised almost 2 Billion Dollars.

That number does not reflect individual Senate or House races.

Would you like to know what you can buy for $2,000,000,000?

Here are a few things:

62,6959,247 - gallons of milk

8,000,000,000 - Packs of Juicy Fruit Gum

163,331 - Chevrolet Volt's (Electric cars)

You could give EVER SINGLE PERSON IN THE USA $6.36

5,012,531 - ipad2's

285,714,285 -  6-packs of Yuengling (delicious beer)

71,428,571 -  Weeks worth of baby formula

10,050,251 - 2,000 Watt gas powered Generators  (8.5 million homes lost power in Hurricane Sandy - 1.4 million are still without power with a Nor'easter on its way)

 22,471,910 - Nights in a moderately priced hotel for a displaced family.
51,282,051 - Nights in a cheap hotel for a displaced family.

Now....  what if we add all campaigns? 

Some more perspective: 

$6 Billion on this year's election campaigns nationwide, but Americans spend $6 billion a year on movie rentals and $8 billion a year on Halloween costumes and candy...

Could that money have been better spent curing a disease, like Brian Williams suggested?    OR maybe something a little more helpful...

I'm a believe in true campaign reform:
Each candidate gets X number of National TV ads
X number of radio spots
X number of Print Ads
X dollars on misc. campaigning.
Some say it is an infringement of freedom of speech  - I disagree.



What do you think?