do you have the time? and day?

Um, yeah. I just opened the blog and thought, "Oh no!...I forgot to post not me Monday". Yeah, I did. Think that I mean. And if you are reading this in a timely manner you will notice that it is Saturday. Close, right? These damn holiday weekends really screw with me apparently. I don't make a habit of posting on Saturdays....so what the heck am I doing here...?

four oreos worth of happy

I've been on a mission the past few days to get some cute shots of the two kids TOGETHER for some clever holiday gifts I'm working on. Seems of the near hundred photos I snap daily, the kids are rarely in the same frame.
Go figure.

Zuzu, being two, and frequently forced to parade around in zuzu girl accessories, was not quite as cooperative as Gage and I would have liked. So I did what all good mothers do when they are persuaded out. I bribed them. Yup. Two oreos a piece bought me about a minute and a half worth of overly exaggerated sibling love. (and those would be the "fake oreos", dad)

Figured I best post them in as many places possible to get my bribe's worth.

three turkeys & a monkey

Can you guess which is which?
The first turkey was deep fried and oh, so yummy.
The second and third are yummy too, even when they make silly faces.
And the little monkey finally found a tree to climb.
The big welt on her forehead came later and was caused by a TV console, not a tree.
We had a lovely time with lovely friends....hope your day was lovely too.

giving thanks

Figured it was as good a time as any to share a photo of myself on this thoughtful day. (Just don't count on it becoming a regular occurrence.)

Yesterday I had the honor of sharing "friendship soup" with my 5 year old and his kindergarten classmates. Each child contributed one assigned ingredient which they helped to clean and chop...and which was then sent home with a gracious mom to be cleaned and chopped some more for good measure.

I helped the kids make their own "turkey hats" that they all donned for the occasion over their protective head gear due to the school's recent lice infestation. The irony. We made hats...to wear over our hats.

But all in all it was a lovely afternoon and I am quite thankful that Gage is thriving within this incredible elementary school community. A few months ago we were worried, him being on the young side, but worry no more. He's found a new home. The head lice, however, we could do without.

What are you thankful for today?

I don't do dishes

Just finished up dinner. The kids are sitting at the table eating their fake oreos and I remark, "Well, I guess I'll do the dishes because you two certainly don't want to do them." To this Zuzu promptly replies, "I'm little. I cannot do the dishes." Cannot. That part killed me.

To make her even more adorable, as I'm typing the above this is happening...
zuzu: mommy, where is your cookie?
mommy: I ate it
zuzu: you ate it? it's down your throat?
mommy: yes, it's down my throat
zuzu: (coughing)
mommy: (observing curiously)
zuzu: I'm just coughing. I'm alright.

not me monday

I did not just hide in my room for 45 minutes reading US Weekly in the dark to get Zuzu to sleep. (did this not happen last week too?) And she definitely didn't fall asleep about 20 minutes into the scheme and I didn't feel compelled to stay and continue reading how Angelina still torments Jen. Nope, not me.

And I definitely didn't have a seven piece order today which ate up 5 of my 6 fairy princess wands going into the holiday weekend so I don't need to get my face out of US Weekly and my fingertips off the keyboard to go and sprinkle some pixie dust on the craft table. No, that would be far too productive.

What did you NOT do today....?

oh and by the way...

The comments button works. See it? It's just below this paragraph. It probably says "0 comments". I even did you the favor of opening up comments to anyone that damn well pleases. You don't have to register or even tell me who you are if you don't want to. You just click on the link. Type. Verify a squiggly, random word. Publish. Done.

I know there are at least a handful of you reading this now and thinking, uh oh, she's directing this to me. And yup, you're all right.

Granted, it does make me exceptionally happy when you tell me how much you love the blog or that you read it every morning and even when you send me e-mails commenting on a post (that's classic). But it would make me feel much less alone out here in blog-land if you just clicked the comment button every now and then and shared a word or two. It doesn't even have to relate to what I'm blogging about. Tell me a joke. Weather report? Dow Jones Industrial Average. Whatever works. It's all good.

Anyone?

the kissing part

So, after we get over the "step-parent" stigma I talked about here, Gage goes on to tell me that he is not looking forward to the whole "kissing part".

Should I go there? Of course! It goes something like this:

Mom: Well Gage, you don't have to get to the whole kissing part until you're much, MUCH older.

Gage: But I want to have kids so I guess I'm going to have to get married.

Mom: Right, but you have plenty of time.

Gage: And you can't have kids unless you get married. So I guess I'll get married.

Did NOT go there.

fairy tales

Gage and I were alone in the car today when he began reciting what turned into a family tree. It went something like this...

"Grandma & Grandpa are your Mommy and Daddy and Grammy & Poppy are Daddy's Mommy and Daddy..." and then he trailed off and stopped, knowing he was missing someone. Hmmm. Seems we've never actually explained to Gage why he has FIVE Grandparents.

So I went on to explain that when Daddy was a little boy, Grammy and Grandpa Howard decided that they just wanted to be friends and that they were not going to be married anymore.

To which Gage responds, "and then Grammy married Poppy." Bingo.

I go on to embellish (oye, why do I do this?) and I explain that technically Poppy is Daddy's "step-father" although he loves both Grandpa Howard and Poppy both very, very much.

The response I get from this one?

"But I thought step-parents were MEAN!"

Damn that Cinderella.

momdot (dot com)

Yup. I'm approved. And I went right on over and copy and pasted the seal to prove it. Have no idea what I'm talking about? From the ladies themselves...

MomDot is a mom blog listing site that is run by mommy bloggers, Trisha, Alicia, and Bridgette. They run contests weekly, reviews on awesome (and not so awesome) products for family and kids, and talk about their lives. But more importantly, they feature bloggers and mom boutiques to give them an avenue to get their names out there, also assisting in google links! You can head out and list your blog for free and talk to them about doing an interview about you. Head on over and see what MomDot is about!

You can find and the beat goes on... on Mom Blogs 7 or by clicking here.

who wears the pants in our family?

Well, apparently no one. I was just scrolling through the last week's worth of posts and realized that my children are in their underwear in nearly every photograph & video. I promise, we do own pants. Cute ones too. I supposed I should be happy that they were wearing underwear.

monday night football

Yes, I understand that today is Wednesday but these things take time. Apologies for the lack of pants and sofa cushions. One just can't prepare for every video-worthy moment properly.

Our little Gage has turned into quite the football fanatic. Poor dad is forced to sit on the sofa nearly all weekend while his five year old rants and raves about the intricacies of the game. College. NFL. Doesn't really matter. He's not picky. He seems to pick his teams by the color of the jersey, emblem on the helmet, higher score or any combination of the three. But I'll tell you what...he understands the game as well as I do if not better.

Monday afternoon around 4:30, after a weekend of football, he hit me up with, "Dad said there is a football game on tonight." Mind you, dad is at work so he remembered this from the day prior. So I check out the TV listings and sure enough, the Bills are playing the Browns at 5:30. I make Gage watch the clock and just as the kickoff is beginning we turn the game on.

These are just a few of the moments that I managed to capture while also cooking dinner and entertaining to his sister who loves Monday night football almost as much as I do.

hokey pokey

Just in case you feel like grooving today...

bah humbug?

If I had any inclination to decorate the house for the holidays or to trim a tree (which I do not, mind you) & if I had a couple extra hundred bucks to burn (which I also do not, mind you) then I would most definitely be snatching up some of these lovelies from anthropologie. I am publishing this in the event that someone else encounters one or more of the above mentioned symptoms but did not receive, or failed to open the new anthro catalog.

chirps & cheers holiday garland...


city girl, pixie, milkmaid, paper doll, dress form & sweater dress ornaments...

BBD

Have you heard of this? I hadn't until our family met an unbelievable big black greyhound rescue a few days ago.

It's called "big black dog syndrome" and it refers to the record numbers of big black dogs in animal rescue centers waiting for homes. Apparently there was a lot of media surrounding the phenomenon earlier in the year as most of the news articles from major publications I have just read were dated March or April of '08. Google it. It's even in Wikipedia. And in case you are too lazy to actually click on that link and scroll down for the proper paragraph...this is what it says...

Big black dogs (BBDs) are consistently the hardest dogs to place — even if they’re friendly, well trained, and in perfect health. This may be due to a number of factors, including fear stigma against certain breed types, attraction to ads and the fact that black dogs do not photograph as well as lighter coated ones, and the fact that black dogs are often portrayed as aggressive in film and on television. Organizations have started campaigns to educate the public about BBD syndrome.

So if you are considering rescuing a pet anytime soon I figured you could keep this in mind.

not me monday

I did not take my kids to a 9am flu shot appointment today and distract them with a baggie full of candy during the administration of the shots even after our pediatrician told Zuzu that she doesn't give out lollipops because they have "sugar bugs". Nope, not me. (Whatever. It worked.)

I have not recently switched from a grande latte to a venti latte every morning and I'm definitely not feeling the least bit guilty about it.

When asked this morning by Gage, "How come no one gives Santa presents?" I did not boldly compare myself to the jolly icon by responding, "Well, Santa is a lot like Mommy. We don't need presents. It makes us happy when you are happy."

And right now...I am definitely not sitting in the middle of my bed, in the pitch dark, with no intention of going to sleep (and no internet connection to actually post this yet) just to fool Zuzu into thinking that I am. Nope. I would never lie to my children. (Whatever. This seems to have worked too.)

What did you NOT do today?

creative riding

There are an awful lot of rules written on our trampoline as well as several we find ourselves repeating frequently that the kids have learned to live & jump by. Things like no shoes...no food...and one at a time is best but two are tolerated if you are gentle. But I had to give it to her. Nowhere, I mean nowhere, was it ever communicated to Zuzu that riding a plastic tractor on the trampoline might be a bad idea. And in fact, it really wasn't.

kitchen update

So it turns out that Gage is just as excited about the new kitchen as Zuzu. Almost more so in fact! He has just made me chicken AND eggs. So...the thirty minutes since my last post have taught me one important thing. (No, it's not that I was being sexist) What I have just learned is that any holiday kitchen gifts should not be given just to Zuzu but to both kids to share. Yes, share. While we hold our breath and hope for the best.

what's for dinner?

This post is for all the grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts & uncles that don't know what to buy Zuzu for the holidays this year. This won't cover all of you but it's the first idea that's occurred to me so the first to run with it wins.

Zuzu is getting this refrigerator & stove today. Scott & Gage are at the mall loading it up now. Why, you ask, is she getting such a fabulous gift on Sunday, November 16th? Did you miss something? Nope. Put quite simply, in these economic times, Mom has found that it's quite beneficial to return to our roots and barter. A little zuzu girl handmade for you...a little kitchen for me. It went something like that.

Alas, she will need accessories. She has the pots and pans. The rest, my dear relatives...is entirely up to you. The eco-friendly set & coordinating accessories are made by Plan Toys and available at most quality children's shops or through google at a variety online retailers near you.

air hog

Meet Gage's latest gadget. It's called an air hog. We've seen them advertised on those awesome infomercials (sarcasm included) that make the kids scream incessantly, "I want that! I want that!" And then last week when we visited Toys R Us armed with $25.00 in birthday money, we found this indoor helicopter on sale for $19.99. Sold!

Once we worked through a few kinks, like the fact that the infrared on the helicopter "talks" to the infrared on the television set, it actually proved to be quite fun. Great gift idea for all those 5-7 year old boys on your list.

pre-high-school musical

Missed any of the High School Musical movies? (there have been three) Well never fear, Gage & Zuzu bring it all to you right from Gage's very own bedroom. Sans pants, of course.

is it friday already?

So, as my blog description reads it has truly been a week of life, love, laughter & tears. Apologies for not keeping you afloat publicly all week but I haven't felt much like sharing. Sorry. Deal with it.

I did, however, take some fun videos earlier in the week when we were feeling more chipper. Now I just need a bit of time to upload them.

Stay tuned. We'll be back in action in no time at all.

not me monday

I have not had this post open for at least three hours now trying to decide what to write while I multi-tasked on about eight other things and still have yet come up with anything to write today. Nope. Not me.

I'm not going to leave it at that and go to bed either.

dear santa,

The kids have officially started their "Dear Santa," notes. This process is by request by...well..."Santa". Gage is adding things to the list at record speed and Zuzu simply wants everything that Gage wants...but in pink.

I have to say I'm having a very hard time with this whole Santa thing. We never really discussed it with Gage prior to Christmas morning and Zuzu is finally at an age where she is actively listening to our conversations. Tonight Gage wanted to know if Santa was a real human being and, of course, the obvious question, "how does Santa know where we live?" (or in our case, where Grandma lives). I suppose most parents have a ton of fun with this, and I wish I did, but the whole thing really just makes me feel like a big fat liar.

Up next...the tooth fairy. Looking forward to that one (sarcasm included).

yahoo!

So we're sitting here watching the Wonder Pets on TV and the turtle is wearing a cowboy hat. He makes a joke about how, "some people wear cowboy hats to keep the sun out of their eyes...and others just wear them to look cool." Zuzu then decides that "Gage is a cowboy...and I'm a cowgirl". And then she turns to me and says..."And you're a cowlady".

Gage then asks why they call them "cow" boys and I explain that it is probably because their job is to heard cows (pulled that one out of the air but I imagine it's correct). Then Zuzu tells us, "I want to ride a cow...and wear a pink scarf. Gagey, you wear a blue scarf and I'll wear a pink scarf, ok?"

OK.

yes, we did.

I am proud. I am peaceful. I am inspired. And, I am grateful that, while he can't possibly understand how pivotal this decision was, our five year old son was able to witness history in the making with us tonight.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there". - President Elect Barack Obama

what's your favorite color?

This morning Zuzu opened up the ottoman where we keep a small selection of baby toys for younger siblings that often accompany our friends over for play dates. They are mostly Gage's old toys since we bought very few baby toys for the second child. Gage was rummaging through when he found a plush blue flower toy. He examined it and then asked, "How in the world did Mommy know that blue was my favorite color before I was even born?!"

Would have been funnier if I hadn't bought the flower when he was two...but he doesn't know that and I didn't have the heart to tell him!

not me monday

I have not eaten at least one piece of candy out of each child's basket each day since Halloween without them knowing. Hey, at least I'm not playing favorites. And speaking of candy....please hold...

I did not go grocery shopping at two different stores this morning...in the rain...with Zuzu...because while I love to buy organic the kids just have to have their processed eggo waffles & goldfish which are most certainly not available at whole foods.

I have not stayed up far too late the past three nights in Etsy chat rooms trying to promote my shop rather than actually making product.

I am not absolutely, 100%, completely & totally stressed out and anxious about the outcome of tomorrow night's election...so much so that I can barely think about anything else.

Nope, not me.

trick or treat?

rain, rain go away...

Happens every year. On Gage's birthday it's warm and sunny. Five days later we're turning back the clocks & trick-or-treating in the rain . Fortunately, the kids don't seem to mind 'cause as Zuzu says, "it's fun in the rain!"

good morning

The kids new desk arrived this week and while it immediately proved, "buy cheap, get cheap" it is most definitely also proving to be functional!