Just because. My review of the Polar Express.

Ugh. The Polar Express was on Disney Channel. You know, this could have been a really good movie if -


a) it was animated in a little less creepy way. At least the people.
b) that whole scary runaway train part
c) that stupid stupid hot chocolate song
d) what is with the weird North Pole?? I'm sorry, but that is not what the north pole should look like. It should look cute and fuzzy like like the north pole in Rudolph or Elf, but the empty weird factory with creepy music looks more like part of the Death Star on Star Wars.

Oh, and those stupid engineers, especially the one with the long red beard.

Maybe even 45 minutes cut from it timewise too.

Because, you know I know everything and the way I think it should be is the right way!!! ;)

This girl is out for a few days, in preparation of Christmas! Yay!

Merry Christmas


I hope that everybody enjoys the season.

Mike is on his way home for a couple of days. Finally. It has been a rough month to say the least.

The kids all had their last day of school today and will be off for two weeks! I am really excited to have them home, and I think we’ll have a lot of things to keep us busy. Especially now that the weather is perfect to do things outside.

I took Piper for a walk with me tonight. She has gotten so good about walking on a leash. She still has her puppy moments. It is hard to believe with her size that she isn't even a year old yet. - But these walks are exactly what I wanted her for. A walking partner. She goes out with me and protects the neighborhood by barking at all of the animated lit reindeer in everybody’s yards right now. She’ll probably think she scared them off when January comes and they all get put back into storage.

We are off to the airport in a little bit, and these kids have far too much energy right now. :)

Ah, another favorite holiday commercial.....

Another post today. I'm just feeling bored and I'm still on the topic of commercials.

There is one that makes me laugh every single year. I remember the very first time I saw it I was on the couch, and when it was done Mike and I looked at each other and just laughed at how ridiculous it was.

Sanderson Farms.

It's all nice and mellow with a chorus singing The First Noel in the background. They show people at the chicken farm with grain silos behind them, smiling and waving. It must be a happy place to work.

Then a huge semi truck is leaving the white fenced farm. You know where those chickens are going.

Then people working in the processing plant or the slaughterhouse or whatever are smiling and waving as the peaceful music is still in the background.

Then you see somebody driving a forklift with little packages of neatly wrapped chicken pieces, waving and smiling.

In between the chicken's torure are heartwarming scenes of families sitting by the fire eating Christmas cookies, small boys putting ornaments on a Christmas tree..... awwww.....

Then the last scene is a family table, with what looks like a dozen people dressed up and sitting around waiting to have a beautiful holiday dinner.

Then...

then the grandpa carves the one lone chicken sitting on a platter, surrounded by fresh rosemary sprigs and lime slices.

Who the hell carves a chicken?????? I've only known people to tear them apart. Not carve it like it is some big turkey. And is that one lone chicken going to feed that dozen people waiting to eat? I feel like I watched that chicken go from farm to platter. It's just so odd.

But Happy Holidays from Sanderson Farms. I don't think the chickens share that same sentiment. ;)

were santa's reindeer really females?

Something funny my mom and I were talking about. She said she read about this somewhere. I had to google it when I got home.

Subject: Reindeer Facts

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year (the only members of the deer family, Cervidae, to have females do so), male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.
Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolf to Blitzen ... had to be a female.

We should've known this when they were able to find their way.

- and you have to wonder if any of them were pregnant. Did you see the part about them retaining antlers until they gave birth? All of the pictures of the flying type still have antlers on them, which leads me to believe that they were pregnant. That gives a whole new mental image to me about pulling the sleigh.

Donner: "Ugh, my back hurts so bad. I am SO READY to have this baby"

Comet: "Can we please stop at some fast food place down there? I'm really craving some fried cheese sticks."

Dasher: "Do I look fat to you? I'm wearing my maternity harness earlier this time than last time."

speaking of commercials....

Sometimes I miss the days of PBS. Commercial-less children's programming. Because once they graduate to something like Disney Channel, Nick or whatever - they start seeing commercials for all sorts of crap.

I love it when it is something that is ONLY 3 easy payments of $24.99!

Especially this time of year. I can't even count how many times a day I hear, "Mommy! Sometime can I have that?!?!" Which I usually half heartedly reply with, "Maybe you can ask Santa for Christmas." In hopes that they will forget what it is they thought they couldn't live without for that moment.

Today I realized how bad Matthew has it when he saw a commercial for Progressive, and asked me the usual. Yeah, for Christmas you can have car insurance. For the child who has everything. - Except the car.

commercials

It could be that I'm the daughter of parents who had an advertising agency. Or it could be that I'm just a marketing person's dream...

but I love commercials.

Some of them make the season for me. It just isn't Christmas until I hear the familiar Budwieser Christmas commercials with the Clydesdales. For what it is worth, I still haven't seen one, but I'm still holding out for it.

But while watching tv tonight I realized that I love the Target Christmas commercials. The ones that have the cute/funky music and it looks like somebody opening doors in an advent calendar? I love them.

Happy holidays and all that festive stuff.

I know I haven't posted any pictures lately. I've kind of taken a small vacation from the camera. But we've been keeping busy and having fun.

One of the best things for me this year is that I have been done with Christmas shopping for awhile. I don't know what got into me this year to actually plan early. The benefit has been awesome though. I have really been enjoying everything about this season. I haven't had that stress of feeling like I have to be out in the midst of it all. Which sometimes I do enjoy too, don't get me wrong. I'm always up for shopping. But, it feels good for a planner person to have it all done.

Last night was Trevor's Christmas program at school. We went out to dinner before the concert, and had a good night. Mike was able to be home for it too, which was a pleasant surprise. He got in at midnight the night before.

Tonight we went to the zoo for Zoolights. I haven't been to it in years. Infact the last time we went Trevor was an infant and I remember freaking out hoping that he was warm enough. It doesn't seem like that long ago.

Tonight was a lot of fun. The lights there are so pretty, and it feels so good to be bundled up in winter coats and hats while you are walking around listening to Christmas music. The kids had a great time. This year they had a huge giraffe that looked real, but it was talking. It would ask the kids their names and tell jokes. My favorite part of the whole night was listening to Matthew laughing at the jokes. He had huge belly laughs. I don't think he was convinced that this giraffe wasn't real.

We also drove down Mill Avenue on our way home. I always love the bridge that goes over the 'lake' but somehow it is prettier at Christmas time. Mill Avenue was busy, and the lights on the trees were pretty. Megan and I even saw a horse when we were stopped at a stop light. Bonus for us horse lovers. ;)

After we got home I took Piper out for another walk tonight. We've had a few nights in a row of going out for walks. It feels so good to be out and be able to enjoy the neighborhood with all of the Christmas. I also admit that I like to look inside the houses that have their Christmas trees in the front window. It just feels festive.

Unfortunately we are heading out for the airport right now. That is the only bummer about today. :( This was a pretty quick trip home for Mike. He's heading back out to go play in the ice storms back east. Believe it or not there used to be a time when I was paranoid about driving through the airport because of all of the lanes and people darting everywhere. Now it's old hat.

bizarre christmas songs for the primary grades set

I love boys.

They are so weird.

This is something I have been hearing this holiday season:

Joy to the world,

that Barney is dead.

We barbequed his head.

Don't worry about the body,

we flushed it down the potty.....

and that's all I know. Or all that I hear before I tune out the rest.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Since the kids came along, winter time has meant stomach flu, asthma, colds and any other kind of funky virus they seem to pick up. I promise that we really do have good hygeine, but somehow we still manage to run a pretty full hospital ward in the family room several times during the season.

Megan was sick on Sunday, throwing up and feeling miserable. She missed school on Monday.

This morning Trevor woke up and ran straight for the bathroom. Blllllaauuggghhhhh. A sound I know all to well. Yep, it's his turn. A free ticket out of school for the day.

So I take Matthew to school, who is saying his tummy hurts, but I'm thinking he is trying to pull one over on me since he knew his brother was staying home sick. His coughing on cue was right up there with some of his other performances that once I gave in, I realized he wasn't really sick when an hour later he'd be jumping on the couch or wanting to play outside. No way. I wasn't going to be fooled this time. I told him that he could go to the nurse if he wasn't feeling well. I thought for sure once he got into class and seeing his friends he'd forget that he wasn't 'feeling well.'

I wasn't even back to the house yet when the cell phone rang. It was Matthew's school nurse, and he was sitting in her office with vomit on his backpack. OK, now I slink back to school feeling like the worst parent ever. Yep, indeed he was sick. He's since proven me wrong at least 100 times as he wretches into the puke basin next to his little bed made on the floor.

Poor boys. I'm not kidding that sometimes I'll be cleaning out one basin and the other is throwing up in his. Thanks to Mike and his multiple hospital stays for his kidney boulder from hell earlier this year, I have several of those sponge bath basins that all of your necessities for staying several days are in. The funky all in one bottle of body wash/shampoo and conditioner. The awful toothpaste and the flimsy toothbrush that dicinigrates after two uses. It's not as fancy as the maid cart at the W or something, but seeing as how insurance is paying for them, you know they cost about $200. Might as well bring the basins home.

There are benefits to having the kids home. When they are sick they want nothing more than to hang out on my lap. Which makes all of the puke and bad smells worth it. Plus how often do you get to sit down and know you can't do anything because you are already doing you job? It's one of the good benefits of being a mom.

another little update

December is a crazy month. I'm actually even pretty on top of things this year, considering. I started early with Christmas shopping, but there are so many programs, extra school activities and everything this month.

So, we're just keeping busy. Things will be back to normal at the first of the year. But right now I'm just enjoying the season.

Today is the perfect day. It is supposed to rain this weekend, and it is breezy and overcast outside. This time of year smells so good, and while I was taking Matthew to school I was enjoying watching the leaves in the street swirl behind the cars that drove over them. This may be a sight that people back east are used to, but out here it is a treat.

Mike is home, and we are getting some of the kids' Christmas presents that require some assembly put together today.

Then he is back out to fight the snow back east for a few days.

Enjoy today!

weekend update

I haven't blogged in awhile, so I figured I should update...at least with something.

Not much going on here. We're just all keeping busy with school, getting ready for Christmas and all that stuff.

This is from this morning when Matthew went in to see if Trevor was awake yet. T slept in. We all pretty much did since it had been raining all night. What is it about rain that makes you sleep so sound?

No wonder my kids call me momarazzi. You can't even wake up in this house without mom getting your picture. ;)

Today (since it is raining) we stayed inside and put up all of our Christmas decorations. The kids were like vultures as I was pulling the boxes out from under the stairs. I was bent over, hot and the light isn't far enough back where you can actually SEE anything in there. But I kept hearing, "What's in that one!?! What's in THIS one?!?"

I know why my mom used to do the majority of the work before I came home from school. That was back in the days of an artificial tree that had to have each branch put in its color coded hole in the stick of the tree, then stringing lights in it. Can I say how incredibly grateful I am for pre-lit trees?

It took all of 20 minutes to get the tree out of the box and up. Then I came in to read the news on the computer while I let the kids have it with the ornaments. That isn't something that should be done first thing in the morning. They all have to see who can put on the MOST ornaments. Why does everything have to be a competition?!?!?

So our house is looking very festive and merry. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

I have this song stuck in my head that I hear on Radio Disney all the time. I don't know who it is, but it's some pop person. Usually I know all of my people from Radio Disney, so it must be a pop person that isn't from the Disney stable like Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Blue.... etc.

Anyway.. the song says, "I'm a winner....cuz I'm awesome....."

Why am I singing that? Because I went to the grocery store this morning and got everything I need for tomorrow. I was in and out in record time.

Then I headed to Costco just as they opened. I'm so on the ball I can't stand it. ;)

I got the remainder of the stuff I needed, plus other stuff so that I can stay near my house all of this fabulous four day weekend without having to go out if we don't want to.

Yessss. My sense of accomplishment this morning is through the roof!

I loved going to Costco today. I figured it would be busy so I went in with an open mind. While I was standing there waiting to pay, and about the 20th person in line, I watched people.

It was so funny to see everybody with carts full of rolls and stacked boxes of pies. The man in front of me had 150 rolls in his cart. (He had SCADS of bags.) A woman behind me was holding probably a dozen pies in her hands with her arms stretched out and her head peeking out of the top. It just looked so holiday-ish there today. I can see why this starts the beginning of a happy season for Maddy. So Maddy, since I have 80% of my Christmas shopping done, and Thanksgiving ready.... I finally get it. ;)

I also realized, what with the theme of the week being gratitude, that we are so lucky to live in a place where we can go and buy so much food. I remember watching an Oprah show a long time ago (before Oprah got super annoying) with a man who moved here from Ethiopia. He said the first huge memory he had about our country was that he could go buy fruit in a store. Fruit from all over the world, so if he craved an orange even during off season, he could buy an orange. The biggest was that he was amazed that we have an entire aisle just for our pets, filled with dog food, cat food and treats. That was one of those lightbulb moments that I remember all the time. It helps me to realize how lucky I am all of the time. So I thought of this man again today as I was watching the millions of rolls and pies being paid for.

Now I'm not trying to get all Oprah-ish here, but I just want to say that I am grateful. I'm grateful I live in this country, I'm grateful for my family (all of you!) and my friends (all of you!)

Also for Coca Cola, andU2. Plus so many more things, of course.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my family and friends who happen to read this!!! And THANK YOU for everything that you do!

Mwah!

For Shanna.....

My friend Shanna is having a boy!! This post is all for her. She mentioned on her blog how she is a little afraid of the thought of having a boy after so many girls. Granted, I only had one girl when I found out that my second child was going to be a boy, but I went through that total fear of not knowing too. How do you take care of a boy? Do you have to wrestle with them? Will they love me as much as my daughter does? Will they remember me on mother's day when they are married? A million things went through my head.

I now know better. Like I told her in an email today, boys love their mommies more than anybody else in the world. I have two momma's boys. - And I love every minute of it.

So, thinking of things that are boyish to pass on to Shanna.

Always check pockets when you do laundry. You'd be surprised at the collection of Downey smelling rocks that will accumulate on top of your washing machine. They love rocks.

Hot Wheels. They love Hot Wheels, and they are great for bribing them to make it through a trip to Target for under $1.

Trains. I think they all are born with the knowledge of Thomas. Wait until you are humming "They're two they're four they're six they're eight.... shunting trucks and hauling frieght....." The best is that there is usually one of these in their hands at all times and they love to run them along the door and window of the car when they are in the carseat. Careful though, the wheels can get stuck in your hair. True story.

Pretty much anything with wheels. They are fascinated by these things, and unfortunately as you all know they never grow out of this.

Someday you will know the name of all 200 Pokemon, including their evolved form. Trust me.

Legos hurt.

Fart jokes and the word butt.

They love to pick pretty weeds for mom. :)

These are just a few of the observations I have made since having boys. If anybody knows more to pass on... leave some for Shanna!

Congratulations my friend!!!!

The earth is flat, and it feels like I walked right off the edge of it. ;)

Wow. Do you ever have so much to update that you are almost afraid to blog?

I was so sick for awhile, and that put me out of commission for several days. Then Mike has been home and we've been busy doing house stuff and family stuff.

I promise a better post later today. :)

day 8 in the sick ward

And I am NOT feeling nurturing anymore!!!!

My boys have been sick all week. All three kids were sick since last week, but the boys and their asthma have been awful. I got them to the doctor and now they are on medication to finally kick it since they weren't getting better. Matthew even has an ear infection to top it all off.

I usually kind of enjoy when my kids are sick. They get snuggly. There is nothing better than sitting on the couch, under a blanket with a snuggly child. I like to play with their hair and give them a lot of kisses on top of their heads or on the feverish cheeks.

Until today. Today I could tell that the medication is doing it's job. They are feeling better and the coughing and wheezing has subsided. I didn't send them to school because I wanted them to be strong before they went back to the germ buffet. But today they won't let me have a second to myself!

When we got Piper we were watching the mom dog with the puppies. She was trying so hard to find a place to lie down but puppies kept following her. She looked desperate. Everytime a puppy came near her she'd growl. Mike asked the owner if she was aggressive at all and she said, "Not at all, she's just ready for the puppies to find homes and stop nursing."

I can totally respect that. Been there done that. Now I think of the look that poor mommy dog had as her poor boobies were hanging down and she just wanted to be left alone. I swear I feel like that dog today.

we are experiencing technical difficulties

halloween 2007

(I still can't get pictures off of my memory card into the computer, so I'll have to post them in a couple more days.) It's totally Maddy's fault for ruining my computer. ;)

Last night was fun. I thought if I had things in order downstairs and dinner somewhat ready that we wouldn't have the major stress out before starting trick or treating. Somehow we still lost track of time and managed to freak out trying to get everybody into costumes, fed and all that.

My mom came over to hand out candy at the house, and brought pizza with her. Thanks mom!

I loved walking around with the kids this year. They stuck together, and I let them run off on their own as long as they stopped at the end of the street if they happened to split up. It was nice that they all got a little taste of independence. I think they really liked that. Our neighborhood is great on Halloween too because there are SO many kids and parents walking around that it feels like a street party. Everybody decorates their houses like crazy, and the streets are lined with jack o lanterns. I always feel like I'm in a movie on halloween night here.

I was easy to find too, if they happened to feel lost. Like Trevor said, "You were the only one wearing a witch hat with feathers sticking out of the top."

At one point Megan even hooked up with the girl from last week's school trouble, and another friend. I swear, girls are so weird.

So all in all, a great halloween. As usual it seems like it came and went pretty fast and I can't believe it is November. It's hard to switch gears and start thinking about Christmas already, (Especially when it is unseasonably hot here still!) but I've already started a little shopping. So far I feel totally on the ball!

And admit it.... who else had candy for breakfast? Haha! ;)

Oh, and check out my ticker at the bottom. Only 11 months, 4 weeks and 2 days until the next one.

Happy halloween!

Finally.

Not only am I glad that it is Halloween just for the fun day itself, but also this marks the end of the crazy/busy month of October at our house. Fall festivals, pumpkin walks, three birthdays, another month of single parenthood and normal life. October has been a blur.

I feel so unorganized lately. I have a calendar to help me remember who has what on what days and all that, but the bad thing about the calendar is that it doesn't do some of the work for me.

Three halloween class parties today, and stuff that needed to be brought in for those, making regular lunches in hopes that some good food will be eaten by these children today, one more pumpkin to carve, plus a shortened day as far as sunlight goes. I'm sure as soon as the kids get home we'll be getting started on dinner and costumes. I am going nuts with the rushed feeling I've had lately. I'm pretty high anxiety in the first place.

I am officially worn out. Done. Cooked. Frazzled. - and 3 more days left in the countdown!

Happy halloween!

Are you smarter than a 2nd grader?

I'm sure I am like every other mom who thinks their child is a genius. Not too long ago we were in the car listening to the radio and Trevor told me that the part of the song that was on was called the 'bridge.' He told me when the reprise was, and all that. Words that are vaguely familiar to me, but if you asked me I might not remember the answer.

Tonight at dinner I asked T if he finished his homework, and if he had his spelling pre-test tomorrow. He said he had it today and that he didn't have to do the spelling part of his homework because he does "super spelling" or something like that. I didn't believe him, because he does try to get away with sneaky things like not brushing his teeth, or to get out of homework.

He says, "I am! My words are different than the ones on that list. One that I had to do today was courteous. Do you want me to spell it so you'll belive me? C O U R T E O U S. Gah, you neeeever believe me!"

OK, so he was right. Plus I caught him helping his sister on her 4th grade math today. Not that his sister is behind in math, but Trevor LOVES math. (OK and I have asked him random math questions thinking he won't know the answer and he does. It's almost freaky.)

It got me to thinking about the same thought that I had back during the conversation about music. I am so glad that the time he was a week old and I dropped him, that I didn't cause permanant damage to his little brain. Apparently that car seat really did protect him. (I was walking down stairs at a restaurant and tripped. Resulting in falling about 6 steps towards the bottom of the stairs, carseat with baby strapped in, mid air and falling fast. I felt so bad. I cried for a long time, but Trevor just sat in the seat like a happy little guy.

Then not too long after that (since he was still in the car seat and tiny) we went out for dinner one night. Trevor was a lousy sleeper, so I was in a zombie state for about a year. We went to Macayo's. I set him on the table and we ate. It took me awhile to realized that I had set the poor kid on top of one of those candles that they use to keep the cheese crisps warm. His seat was pretty toasty. Here I am, really trying to ruin this kid. I'm positive I had divine help that first year.

All in all, I'm just glad to know that I didn't ruin him. What a relief. ;)