Psst. Wanna know something?

My girls are blabber mouths! Every year, we take them out and let them pick out gifts for their siblings and parents (Husband takes them to shop for me, and I take them to shop for him). So far, the two little one's have spilled the beans.

Meenie to Moe: "I got you puppy in my pockets with a bracelet"
Meenie to Einey "I got you Pokemon cards with Cradaily and Roserade"

After shopping with with daddy yesterday:
Moe to Meenie "I got you a penguin" (which in fact she did but it wasn't a Christmas gift)
and then signing in the other room "We got Mommy socks and".................. shhh don't tell me!

Every time they open their mouths, I need to remind them NOT to tell what they brought someone. I think i need to start walking around with my fingers in my ears saying "lalalalalalala"!

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Yesterday UPS pulled up in front of the house (not unusual since I did alot of shopping online and I am still waiting for at least 3 more packages). Only I couldn't identify what was in the box. I mean the box was HUGE and the items I ordered were small. They shipped this:


Inside a box like this:

A little bit of overkill, no?

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Speaking of Christmas and gifts, don't forget to visit the New England Mama's blog for your chance to win some great prizes! Some are from New England vendor's such as Little New Englander, Brooks Pond, and Yellowhale Photography. I wish they had (or I knew about) that Brooks Pond baby carrier cover when I had the girls. I would always slip one of Husband's sweaters over whichever girl was in the front pack at the time. It made getting out in the spring and fall much easier! And the Little New Englander tee-shirts are great! The girls love walking around in their Virginia Beach shirts, so why not a local shirt. Finding a children's photographer is hard. I have a hard time finding one who fits our families need. But Yellowhale Photography does amazing work. Just browse through their gallery to check. Other prizes include a gift certificate to Sephora, a set of sacks from Envirosax (these are truly an amazing product - and they really do hold alot. So far, I have managed to fit almost everything inside of them), some gift certificates to Dunkin Donuts, Digital Day Counters from Days Ago, some HP photo books, A homemade Christmas Ornament made by our Maine blogger, MomonCoffee (do you take order's because Husband thought they were cool!) and a diaper bag by Skip Hop.

Make sure you visit and sign up for the contest. Contest ends 12/8! Be sure to tell them Whirlwind sent you!

A tad chilly...

This is what one of the million 19 pumpkins from Halloween looked like yesterday:

I'm not sure why they are still hanging around outside, but I think it's time to pluck them and add them to the compost pile. I did finally pull the Mums (and while I was going to add them to the compost heap, I noticed that despite lack of water for over a month and freezing temps, they had new growth, so I trimmed them back and they are currently residing in the basement). I did finally get some poinsettia's for outside.

Alone

Hear that? No not the heater running nor the hot water percolating. The silence! The kids grudgingly went to school (I say grudgingly because they were hoping for a day off - but as usual, the winter weather predicted was less than anticipated) and Husband is gone for the day. With Moe. On his own free will!

Yup, despite standing in line on Black Friday t oget me my camera *surprise* he feels he needs to buy me more things for Christmas. And thus, he volunteered to take Moe shopping.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do the laundry, dishes, and finish decorating visit the New England Mama's Blog and see what kind of prizes I can win.

Emergency Surgery

This morning I performed my first ever emergency surgery.

You see, Squeaky the Elephant, encountered some trouble which resulted in a split back. As he lay on the side of the computer desk, with stuffing slowly falling out and his beedy black eyes watching me, I realized, it was bettr for him if I ended the suffering. Normally I would wait until I met up with the master surgeon, but with the holidays and all, I knew he would be suffering for a long long time.

With a steady hand, I cradled Squeaky in one hand and with the other, carefully stitched his back together. It's not perfect, and he'll always bare the light green scar against his light gray skin, but in the end he was very happy.

Meenie, Squeaky's handler, was very happy. As I wrapped him in a pink ribbon tourniquet, she gently took him from my arms and is now helping him rest comfortably on the sofa.

As my surgery schedule picks up (and I'm sure it will now that they know surgeries can be performed at home rather then away, I am sure my technique will improve. And I'm sure that eventually, I will be able to match their skin color to stiching material, minimalizing the scarring.

But for now, they are happy.

T minus three days

What's in three days you ask? Why the grand blog-opening of the new and improved New England Mamas blog of course. Posts by us mama's from up here in New England. Don't worry, it's not all about the chowder ;)

So be sure to stop by on Monday. We're even giving away free stuff! I'm not sure what types of goodies we are giving away, but I do know you could win some of these. And they are so totally awesome. Or wait, maybe you shouldn't go. Um yeah. Then I can just keep these for myself. I need some more anyway. So yeah, Monday, what ever you do, don't visit here.

See you Monday!

WooHoo...

Were done, finished, kaput. The end has come!

Our days of diapers in this house are gone!

Moe has come off a week long spell of being diaper free at night. She wakes up and goes potty when she needs to and then goes back to bed.

I never thought I'd see this day.

And I couldn't be happier!

Strange, Strange Child

I've always known Einey is a tad strange.

Yesterday during dinner, while she was complaining about the tiny pile of carrots, green beans, corn and peas on her plate, she was telling us about the radishes and onions she ate at school.

So while I have a child who will not eat "normal" veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, tomatoes or corn (unless its on the cob), I have a child whose favorites include: radishes, onions, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower.

Not that I'm complaining....

Let's talk turkey....

No, not here. Over here!

Pictures with Santa

Today I took the girls to have their pictures taken with Santa. I haven't done formal pictures since Einey was a baby but since we are not going to our normal breakfast with Santa, this may be the girls only chance to see Santa up close this year. The girls were all excited. They were all talking about how much they liked Santa and Moe even was telling me "I love Santa" in the car.

Now "Santa" reads this blog. He knows full well about Moe the mischief maker. He was prepared to talk to her about her misdeeds and confirm our threats of finding a rotten onion under the tree. Only he didn't get the chance. Moe walked in, looked at him and then once we went up close, she started bawling her eyes out. He of course, felt bad that she cried so much that he didn't offer her threats of rotten onions. Instead, he sent her away with a candy cane and a kiss.

Once I got her calmed down, I had to hold her on my knee to have her picture taken. So I was kneeling next to Santa with Moe on my knee, Einey was in his lap and Meenie standing next to him. The photographer was great, once she got a few shots with me in them, I was able to lean waaaaaaaaaaay out of the picture so you won't even know I was there.

The day after....

As of right now, Husband is coming off of a 12 hour shift at work (minus the hour commute) and where is he? He's standing in line at Best Buy waiting to get my Christmas present. At one point he called and said he was just going to come home and pay what ever the cheapest he could find it for online, just to get out of the line. Then his carpool buddy managed to snag the item - I guess from nagging the person behind the counter at the front of the line. God I love this man!

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Last night I posted about some of the things I was thankful for. Today, while those are still in my mind, I will be attended the funeral services of the girl's cousin. She was 17 days old and it just doesn't seem fair. They knew awhile ago about the twins - and a host of problems with them. She's been on hospitalized bed rest for months at the only hospital with a pediatric heart surgeon - they knew one of the twins had a hole in her heart. Even with all of this, they just couldn't save her. I don't know what to say to the mother - a mother who lost one of her babies while I have three happy, healthy daughters.

Thanksgiving

Today we sat around the table eating the traditional Thanksgiving fare (turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, gravy, biscuits, peas, and pie) - our third such meal in three days. We celebrated dinner with the in-las before Husband had to rush to work. After dinner, and Husband's departure, we headed up to my parents house to visit and for dessert.

I am thankful for my three healthy, happy daughters, for my loving Husband. I am thankful for being able to stay home with my children (even with the high cost of everything lately). I am thankful for all my wonderful friends and family members.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kidisms

This morning was full of mischief. Thankfully, not the messy kind. It started off like most mornings, the girls waking up, using the bathroom and getting themselves dressed followed by going downstairs to watch TV while I wake myself up (read, lie in bed for a bit longer...). Only this morning, the phone rang so the girls answered it. I heard Einey tell her Mema "Mommy's still in bed, so I'm in charge". A few minutes later when I went downstairs and they were still talking, I heard her again say I was upstairs.

After that, since it was still early, they asked if they could watch a movie before school. After telling them they could, Meenie hands me "Life with Brian" and informs me she'd like to watch that since they haven't watched it before.

After convincing them they'd rather watch TMBG: Here comes the ABC's , I heard Einey forcing her sisters to sit down and repeat after TMBG so they could learn their ABC's. I believe her exact quote was "You're going to sit down and learn your ABC's. Now repeat after them. Do it now." This all came along after Einey heard Meenie reciting her ABC's only saying k, k instead of j,k. One little letter....

In the mail...

Earlier this week, the we got a small package in the mail. At first, I was a tad confused, it was stamped from Canada and I couldn't place any recent orders from there. More confusing was it was addressed to me. I'm used to Husband and his packages from all over the world, but never for me. Upon opening it, I found some postcards for each of the girls (they LOVE postcards!) and some small Canadian treats. Einey claimed a wallet, Meenie and key chain (look Mom, it has a leaf AND a moose!) and Moe a little ball. It took me a bit but I finally realized it was from the 31 for 21 blog swap prize. Thank you Gabe for the sweet gifts. The girls loved them!

If I can locate all the items from the girls secret spots, I'll post pictures. I didn't think to snap a few before they divided up the goodies!

Thanksgiving and Christmas cards

I cannot believe it's that time of the year already. Thanksgiving is one week away, ONE WEEK, and I still don't know what my plans are. Husband is working nights so we'll see him a few hours before he goes in. We were going to celebrate the day before, but I have jury duty and he has the honor of attending the Thanksgiving dinner put on by Meenie's preschool class. It seems like this year, he's spending alot of time back at school. Two weeks ago, he accompanied Einey's class on a field trip (while I was in the preschool class) and then had lunch with her. Today, he's having Thanksgiving dinner with EIney (I cannot go as we didn't have a sitter). On one hand, I'm glad he's involved. On the other hand, I want to share these moments with the girls as well, but I know I just cannot be there for everything.

Anyway, back to Thanksgiving. We've had offers from both our parents, but it just isn't the same without everyone. We will probably end up cooking or turkey and all the fixings this weekend to have our family dinner.

And after Thanksgiving, Christmas come sup quick. I think I am more excited this year than I have been in years past. This is the first Christmas since Einey's birthday six years ago that Husband has not had to work. The first time that we can celebrate on that day and not a few days earlier/later. The girls are big enough that I cannot wait for Christmas morning. Now the big dilemma is picking out the gifts!

Monday, the girls didn't have school, so I dragged them out into the woods to do an impromptu photo shoot. All the pictures I have of them together, some one is making a silly face or they just don't look natural. I had high expectations, yet at the same time, didn't expect much. I know them and know how stubborn they can be. And it seemed like I was right when we got there and Einey starts complaining "I'm cold" (did I mention it was 32 degree's and all they had on were jeans and fleece jackets?), "I don't want to do this" and "I'm not going past that picnic table". As I led them onto the trail, I told them to pick out whatever log,tree,rock space they wanted for the pictures. Before long, they were laughing and smiling (naturally!) and I had plenty of great shots. Now I had the dilemma of picking out just one for our Christmas cards. So now our Christmas cards or ordered (and printed on on the way here) and I am so glad that is one less thing I need to do.

So now the cards are finished, I just need to address them. Maybe I'll bring them to jury duty and use that time to kill that task. What's next?

Fat Santa

Santa has always been a jolly old elf. An elf who snacks on cookies and milk. He's fat. There's no other way to put it.

There is also no denying that there is an epidemic of obese children in the US. Most of this is attributed to a sedentary lifestyle and convenience foods or meals on the run. I know as a parent, I always worry about the girls, despite their pediatrician's assurance that they are "just fine".

[To read more of this story, click here...]

When toys are to dangerous...

You've all seen half of my playroom. Like many other households in the US, I've had my recent purge of lead tainted toys. Since the girls had outgrown the toys anyway, I opted not to "sell" them back to the manufacturer. Instead, I just tossed them.

So with Christmas right around the corner, a mere 46 days away, I need to start thinking about what to get the girls. While I'm not ready to boycott every Chinese made toy (Husband would kill me if he couldn't get his plastic-crack in) because the girls are not willing to part with their My Little Ponies or Little Pet Shops.

Our big plan is to get the girls a Wii. I mean, so far there have been no reports of Lead painted Wii's. And I'm pretty sure they won't be licking the disks. I guess the only thing we would have to worry about is visual induced seizures or couch potato syndrome.

As for Moe, I'd love to build this kitchen set. I've had the plans saved for about 3 years now but just haven't found the motivation to build it.

This post was written for the Parent Blogger Network's Friday Blog Blast with conjunction with the Consumer's Network for the theme: Getting the Lead Out.

For a completely un toy game Moe discovered with normal everyday items, click here. It's at the bottom.

Going Green

I'm not one of these people who is a complete environmental nut-job. I'm also not one who is careless. I tend to be in the middle. So I think it surprised Husband when I told him I wanted some of the reusable grocery bags.

I had one or two that were given to me by the local grocery store when they started carrying them, but they don't fold real well and tend to take up alot of space. But I was getting so sick of the mounds of plastic bags that accompanied me home from every shopping trip. I hate how it seems like you end up with 10 bags for 15 items. Seriously, would it hurt to bag things together. So when I came across these bags:


I had to order them. They came in the other day and I can already say I love them! I used two last night to bring home what probably would have been at least a four bag trip to the store. They were light enough that I could carry them both in at the same time. And the best part is, they roll up into little rolls and can easily fit back into their carrying pouch. The pouch with all five bags easily fits into my purse, so I no longer have the excuse that I forgot them at home.

When UPS first arrived with them, Husband remarked on how small they were. He pulled one roll out and again commented on their tiny size. As he unrolled them, he changed his mind and said "I guess they are not that small". Then he wished me luck on folding it back up. Not only did I fold it right, but I did it again two more times. Yes, I can see, it's going to be fun shopping from now on.

In fact, I am already thinking of attempting to make myself a few more. After all, I did only purchase five. And I'm not quite sure where I put mine from the grocery store (although with it's size, it shouldn't be hard to find...).

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Around the same time I purchased these, I also picked up a lunchbox for Husband. Since we will no longer have piles of plastic around, I figured he'd need something else to carry his lunch in. The girls already have reusable lunch boxes as well as sandwich keepers.

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One thing Husband and I have remarked about the house that we like is it would be so easy to convert to solar. It already has the forced air heating system. We have been spoiled with this house. We moved in and it already had a solar system as it's primary heating source. It's saved us a ton, and we don't have to worry about oil or gas costs. The system itself is a tad old though, so the panels are a bit bulky (not that we spend much time up on our roof admiring them). And it only provides heat, not electricity. Our next house (whether we buy or build) we'd like to outfit with solar panels to provide both heat and electricity.

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Psst. The New England Mama's blog has moved. You can now find us here. So update your feeds and come visit. We don't bite.

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If you like those totes, keep watching. Someone may have brought two and may be using them for an upcoming contest. More about that later....

Fleeting moments

After dinner tonight, we settled down to watch a little bit of Harold and the Purple Crayon. About halfway through, Moe climbed up into my lap and started to relax. As she snuggled in close to me, I could see her little hands slowly moving. It was as she was kneading something soft. She buried her head against my chest, and all I could smell was the fruitiness of her hair. It's moments like these where I want them to stay little forever. For Moe and I, it was a fleeting moment as she is usually way to busy to just sit with her mom. I'm glad I got to sit with her for just a few moments and hope she will crawl up onto my lap again soon.

Uncaged

I knew this day would come. And while I am glad that it has come later rather than sooner, it still vastly affects my routine. Yes, Moe has learned how to climb out of her crib. At 3.2 years old, I know I have been lucky thus far. Her sisters were out of the crib much earlier than she.

But it really is a pain in the royal tush. Now at 6 am, in stead of listing to her play/talk quietly in her bed, I her her bump and then make her way to the bathroom all the while loudly exclaiming "I have to pee". The I feel a little warm body squeeze her way onto my bed twisting and turning, poking and prodding. No longer can I steal a few last moments of sleepy bliss.

Normally, while taking the time to shower, I would put her in her crib. Now she climbs out and feels the need to A) either join me (I don't lock the door so I can hear what they are doing), B) make as big of a mess as she can or C) tries to "talk" on the phone.

And nap time is the worst. She has stopped napping a month or so ago, but I would still put her in her crib for quiet time so I can actually, you know get house work completed. Or cook dinner. Work in the garden/yard without her running into the road. Now she just climbs out and either comes downstairs or goes into her sister's room and disturbs her. Meenie doesn't nap, but she knows enough to either sit on her bed with a book or quietly play with her pony's. Moe doesn't have that self discipline to sit (or do anything) quiet. Hence the reason she's still in a crib.

Oh well, what cn you do. They have to grow up sometime.

Cleaning up is hard to do...

I've been getting real frustrated lately. It is like pulling teeth around here trying to get anyone to clean up. Sure it takes 2.5 seconds to pull off all the toys from the toy shelves, but more like 5 hours of me arguing and yelling and bribing them to clean it back up. Sure it would take a fraction of that time if I just did it myself, but I hate it. I'm already cleaning enough, and it's their responsibility to clean up their own messes. Nothing seems to work. I try and I try to have them take one thing out at a time, but the second I am out of the room washing the dishes or folding laundry, they completely destroy whatever room they are in. I dread Christmas because I know they are going to get a TON more toys.

And it's not just the playroom. I seem to be cleaning off my computer desk and kitchen counters daily. Yet the moment I turn away, they are covered in stuff. Papers, dishes, fruit peels, pencils, hair paraphernalia. You name it, it's there.

Any ideas? Suggestions?

What the playroom should look like when it's clean.

After Halloween Wrap-Up.....

Here are a few things I learned this year:

1) It's nice to be able to see the kids while trick-or-treating. This delayed time change made that possible.

2) Never give a little pirate a sword. Even a foam sword. They will use it to hit their siblings, other kdis and little furry animals.

3) When traveling in a group (7 kids and 4 adults) never expect the bigger kids to wait for the younger one's. They know whats going on and the faster you get them done, the more houses you can hit.

4) Never buy your 6 year old daughter a 3 foot long wig. It will not stay on her head and end up being carried half the time.

5) Teach your kids to say "Trick or Treat" and "Thank You" not "Trick or Treat, small my feet."

6) Let them know that Halloween is the only time it's acceptable to see bloodied body parts all over someone's lawn.

7) Never leave the temp. tattoos out overnight. You will wake up with kids who have tattooed their faces AND water all over your floor.

8) Teach them to disregard that the other 364 days of the year, they are not allowed to talk to strangers, let alone take candy from them or ring their doorbells.

9) Never leave the candy down. You will wake up to kids who have fed themselves breakfast already.

Above all, have fun and get candy.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween. Stay safe everyone.

No real post today. Three back to back Halloween parties today (what was I thinking) plus trick or treating has left me very, very tired!

Starting tomorrow, I think I'll join NaBloPoMo, (National Blog POsting Month) where I will once again be posting every day.

Spooktacular Jack O'Lanterns

Here are the picture's of the Jack O' Lantern's I promised.

Togepi

Manaphy (front and side)

Jack Skellington
(as Einey just informed me, "but Mom, it's not Jack Skeleton, it's Skellington". And here I just thought they were having a hard time pronouncing Skeleton.)

Zero

Pre - Halloween

Growing up, I remember Halloween being a one night affair.

This year, we started with a Halloween Party thrown by my father-in-law's work. There was a haunted house, pumpkin painting (because we now have a patch of 9 painted pumpkins - one more due on Wednesday - and three carved) and snacks. Tonight, we attended their school's Halloween party. It started with pumpkin painting and make out own treat bags. Then we listened to the principal read a story and the kids paraded around the gym. And then, then it was time for the fun.

The fun being the trunk or treat. Trunk of treat was a new experience for us, although I had heard of it in the past. About 25 parents decorated the back of their car/truck/vans and lined them in two rows. The kids then proceeded to trick or treat at each vehicle. The kids had a blast - seeing that it was all their friends and it was safe since there were no moving vehicles to worry about. Oh and since we haven't had the time change yet, it was still light out. Moe, oh Moe got it all figured out. She realized once we were done and standing around the back of the van, she could walk up to the vehicles next to ours and get more candy. And then the next one and the next one, until we realized what she was doing and brought her back. But then, once we weren't paying attention, she could do it again. Didn't she do this last year? Maybe it's because she has yet to develop a conscience?

Tomorrow night we have a night off and then Wednesday is the big day. It includes two - yes TWO - separate school Halloween parties with trick or treating through the classrooms (because they didn't get enough candy already) and then the real deal at night.

The candy, oh the candy. I have enough candy to give an army cavities. I even went through and tossed ALL the candy in their candy box (stuff sitting in there from Christmas and beyond) to make way for new candy. The box is now already filled without the big night complete. And this box is anything but small. The good thing is, it all gets combined before they can lay claim to certain types of candy. Now I am just sure I'll hear "can I have candy" a million times a day.

And if that wasn't enough, we got Spooked tonight. Spooked is when a friend leaves a bag of candy on your doorstep, rings the bell and then runs. I'm pretty sure I know who it is but now have to find time to "spook" three other people. It should be easy enough with the mountain of candy we got!

Oh and the pumpkins, I have to say, Husband managed to pull off the Pokemon pumpkins the girls asked for. Pictures tomorrow as I am too tired to post them tonight.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Einey (age 5 1/2)

Photo Hunt Staurday - Pink

You would think with three young girls, I would have plenty of pink pictures to share. But they don't wear much pink. These little guys were at a local agricultural fair earlier this fall. We were watching them when one of them decided it was lunch time and started squealing. When these nine and the seven in the pen next to them are all squealing at once, it's quite a noise. It scared the girls it was so loud!

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I'm sure you've all seen the pink in the store's this month. Every thing from candy to appliances has gone pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. WhyMommy over at Toddler Planet has been battling a rare type of Breast Cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer. She's been bringing awareness through her blog and has recently been featured in magazines and on FOX news. Go visit her and see some lovely pink pictures from the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. With the love of family and Friends, she was able to participate!

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For more pink pictures, click here.

Mis -Interpretation

I thought you were going to send me stuffed shells for lunch?

I did. You didn't like them?

I liked them, but they were noodles. I wanted stuffed shells.

Stuffed shells are noddles honey. They are stuffed with cheese and sauce.

Oh, well what are the clam things then?

Stuffed clams? You wanted stuffed clams?

Yes, can I have some stuffed clams when we get home.

I can see how she was confused! My little sea food addict (yes, the one who won't eat common veggies - see below) was a tad disappointed that she didn't have one of her favorite foods that she was expecting for lunch.

All that hard work and nothing to show for it

Let me start off by saying, the girls have never really been picky eaters. They won't eat everything, but they do eat alot of different foods.

And while those different foods include the hard-to-get-kids-to-eat-veggies such as spinach, cauliflower, broccoli and eggplant, try getting a tomato or cucumber or pea or carrot past Einey's lips. Go ahead, try, I dear you too.

But then something strange started happening. You see, during the spring, I slave over making a small vegetable garden. Working the land, planting, keeping the weeds out and watering it. And by July, I can see that the fruits of my labor are about to pay off. The tomato's are almost ripe, there are snap peas in the corner and the peppers are getting larger.

But then, they're gone. All the ripe veggies are gone and the not so ripe ones left. Okay, we'll wait a few more days, we can eat them then. Oh, wait, now they're gone as well.

You see, my child who won't eat common veggies if they are put on her dinner plate (and her siblings) are like that pesky Peter Cottontail. When hey are out playing, if they spy a ripe veggie, they take it and gobble it down. If they are in the mood and there is enough, they will share them. And while Husband and I have to resort to veggies from the grocery store or farmer's market, at least we are comforted by the thought of our children eating their veggies. We'll plant again next year and maybe, just maybe, they will leave some for us.

The moral of the story, if you plant it, they will eat it.

This post was written for the Parent Blogger Network's Friday Blog Blast and is sponsored by Harper Collins and their new title, Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld. Answer the question below on your blog and you could win a $250 gift card for William Sonoma.

Are your kids picky eaters? Were YOU a picky eater? What have you tried to get them to eat, and what have they done to avoid eating what you’ve served? Post about your mealtime skirmishes and strategic maneuvers on your blog anytime today, October 26, before midnight PST. Title your post creatively - we’ll list them below by post name!

Attitude Child

Overheard at Soccer

"Okay kids, back on the field. It's getting dark and the Red Sox start playing in 15 minutes..."

Fell in Love....

Today I fell in love. I know, I know, I said I wasn't looking for a new one yet. I know I've also said I wasn't going to look. And I'd never buy an old one again. But this one just caught my eye. I saw it, mentioned it to Husband and that was that. A few days later, I mentioned it again because I could stop thinking about it. He admits he's thought about it as well and even researched it online. We did a drive-by and it was perfect. Well almost perfect. But we can look past a few imperfections, right? So we called to see if we could see it better.

And you know what, it was everything we ever wanted. "It" is a 90+ year old farm house. Complete with a barn (okay, so the barn isn't in that great of shape, but it could be). It has 7 bedrooms and 13 rooms all together. It has a yellow kitchen (I always wanted a yellow kitchen). It has a stone patio and swimming pool (we've always wanted a pool). It sits on just over 2 acres, which is enough for me. In the center of the stone patio, is an old fountain, but it would make a great fire pit. Or fishpond - we've both claimed it for different things. It has a tree swing and an old wooden swing set. It has an old tree house. It has a driveway! A circular drive. One where we could actually, you know, have friends come over and park in. It has a large bay window. To sum it up, it has everything we've both ever wanted and everything we've dreamed of. It is the house we've been trying to make this one. Moe's face was just one of absolute joy as she sat one the swing as we looked around the yard. Her tiny body swaying back and forth as the cool air blew in.

The price is low for it. We went in expecting it to be in need of a lot of love. But it has a new roof, new furnace new electrical. All it would need from us is new paint - more modern paint. It's in a different town with a better school system. One that if I chose, I could be tempted to send my kids to public school. It's off the main room, but not to far from the house we currently reside in, so we wouldn't have to change anything. The girls could still be on the same soccer team, play with their same friends and go to the same school.

We walked in the barn, from one room to another when Moe looks up and asks "but where are the horsies?" . No honey, no horses, but we could if we wanted too. As we walked to the back of the barn, where there were some old stalls, she again asked where the horses were.

In that hour, I envisioned parties on patio, the kids running into the pool, them chasing each other through the yard. The leaves were falling and I could "see" them running through the leaves. I could see them in the tree house. I could imagine them playing hide and seek - in the hidden stair case, or one of the many bedrooms. I could imagine coffee on our private balcony or sitting outside with a friend in the morning for a nice cup of joe. I could hear the laughter and see the joy. I could see the place where I'd plant my roses and my vegetables. I could see the barn cats we'd get because the girls always wanted a kitten but daddy has allergies. I could see the puppies chasing our older dog through the field.

But alas, as quickly as I fell in love, I knew it's too good to be true. While the house is much lower than what is expected, it's still a little out of our price range. If I was working, it could probably be done. But there are too many "ifs". If we didn't have to worry about a new oil bill (we'd be leaving a house here we never had to worry about a heating bill. Solar power is definitely a great thing). I know the market may be great to buy a new house, but it's not so great to sell an old house. And while we'd still probably make a profit off our house, I don't think it would be enough for what we need.*

And so, I sit here with a heavy heart and dream of the house I love.


*We'll find out in a week when we have the Realtor come do a market value assessment.

I saw this on a friend's blog and had to copy it. It's way to moving not to share!

Kids will be kids....

As promised in my previous post, I would post about scissors and how practical they are. Scissors are great, they are great for cutting paper, ribbon, flower heads, and other odds and ends. These are kid scissors. The girls love cutting paper with them.

See how much fun cutting paper is.

But wait, that's not paper!

So yeah, that's about 3 1/2 inches of hair from the right side of Moe's head.

This is the final look after we made an emergency visit to the hair dressers yesterday morning.


I can't say I'm overly pleased. I liked her hair better longer. Short hair just doesn't look right on her.

I should have known something was up when I saw her putting the scrapes of paper away (Moe almost never cleans up messes without alot of prodding). When I exclaimed "wow, look at the great job you are doing picking up the paper", I got this in reply:

"Yeah and my hair too".

Photo Hunt Saturday - Practical

I was having a hard time trying to come up with the "perfect" picture for this week's hunt. But this morning, it sort of just appeared. What can be more practical than a pair of scissors. There are many types of scissors out there, made to cut a variety of things. The scissors I have are kid scissors.

Tune in later for how this post came to be and the practical uses for kid scissors.

For more practical pictures, click here.

It's that time again...

Scroll down for newer posts.

For the last 7 years, we have been walking for the American Heart Association every October. Rain or shine, pregnant and 1 week postpartum, we've done it all.

Here is a direct link to our team page: Sponsor us here

We walk for family and friends who have been affected by Heart related illnesses. Did you know Heart attacks and strokes are the #1 and #3 killers today?*

This post will remain at the top until the event. Scroll down for newer posts.

*2006 statistic

Three Year Old Ingenuity

From the bathroom:

Mom, I need some help. I need to wash my hands

Okay, I'll be right there.

30 seconds later......

I washed my hands in the toilet.

.......

.........

Um, lets go wash your hands again.

But the soaps all gone. They're clean.

Soccer

With the days getting shorter, we are quickly losing our evening light at soccer practice. At the end of practice, the kids run from one end of the field, down around the opposite goal and back. Standing at the starting point, it's gotten so you lose the kids three quarters of the way across the field. We jokingly told coach that we're all going to have t oline our cars along the edge of the feld and turn the lights on. Or give the kids glowsticks or flashlights.

Looks like next week, we start practice a half hour earlier.

Broken

Our lawnmower has been broke for the last six weeks. It needed a new bolt to replace the blade and it was hard to find. We found it, only to find out that the whole lawnmower is dead. Yup dead. Had we known this six weeks ago, my yard wouldn't have more grass than a chia pet.

Today we got a new lawnmower. Now to ge tHusband to mow the lawn soon!

Communication

Communication, or lack there of, is what almost gave Husband a heart attack tonight. He was on the phone when I went to pick up his mom from work, but apparently didn't hear me tell him I had Moe with me. Two minutes after I left, I got a frantic phone call asking if I had Moe. I could hear the relief in his voice when I reassured him she was with me. I'm not sure why, but something told me to keep my phone up front in case he called for that very reason. Net time, I'll make sure he hears me before I leave with one of the girls.

Psss. I'm not here today

No one can deny that payday is their favorite day of the week. But what happens when you are no longer the employee –but rather the boss? And just how much do you pay these micro employees? And just what do their job descriptions entail?

[Click here to read the rest of this post...]

Heartwalk

The sky was blue and the air was brisk, but still held a tad or warmth. We headed down to the coast with breakfast to go (trailmix in a bag) and made it with time to spare. At ten minutes before 10, we started our walk (a bit before the actual walk started). We walked by the salt marsh, out onto the main road in and all the way to the entrance of the park. We then turned back through the campground area and ended our last mile across the white sand beach. All three miles completed in just over an hour. All done without a stroller or wagon. Einey and Meenie walked, much to their dismay, well Moe got to ride on Daddy's shoulders. Einey and Meenie started to enjoy it when we had them race to the yellow route signs. Competition brings out the best in them.

All in all, I was happy with the results. We usually do the full five miles but due to having all girls walking (instead of being carried or pushed) I was happy with three. I thought we would have to do the quick one mile loop! Overall donations were lower than our previous years, but not as bad as they could be. We raised $730 this year (bringing our seven year walk total to approximately $5,500!).

Thank you to all of you who continue to support us in this cause!

Photo Hunt Saturday - Smelly

I knew once I saw the topic, which photo I would post. This is a piece of skunk cabbage in the spring. While it wasn't stinky when we say it - it had yet to grow the leaves, its a smell easily identified in our neck of the woods. Found primarily in wetlands and swampy areas, it's pretty easy to spot. It's smell isn't too bad unless you break off a leaf, and then it's pretty foul.

For more smelly items, click here.

School Days

Just what do kids learn in school these days?

I'm constantly amazed at what Einey learns in school. I'm more amazed that these little things surprise me.

1. Reading: Einey's reading constant amazes me. No longer can I keep things from her "No that paper doesn't ask if you can go to a party", spell things I don't want her to know or write things down without her reading it. Don't they teach these things in oh, I don't know, sixth grade now?

2. Telling Time: Gone are the days when I can arbitrarily say it's bedtime. No longer can I use the setting sun (which is going down earlier and earlier now - pretty soon to be setting around 3pm) as an indicator. "But Mom, it's not 8 o'clock yet."

3. Healthy Eating Habits: Hey Einey, why didn't you eat your string beans today? Well, X doesn't like string beans. They're not X's string beans, they were yours. Yes, said conversation happened. So much for resisting peer pressure.

4. Competative sports: Did you know speed stacking was a competative sport? Apparently they even have big tournaments.

5. Music: Einey learned a new favorite song: "Yankee's up, Red Sox down" that she likes to chant over and over. We don't even watch baseball.

6. Science: Did you know A pulled out her tooth today in school? Hey C threw up in school. It was gross. Only in first grade would they be amused by this!

7. Geography: She's learning where places like Disney World, and Maine and California are. And of course with it, also comes wanting to visit these destinations.

But most of all, she's learning to have fun in a safe, enjoyable environment. She's learning more than I can ever imagine and is always happy.

This post brought to you by Parent Bloggers Network and Scholastic.com Parents .

What makes it all better?

My kids are always bumping, scratching, bruising something. It's to be expected, they are after all, normal active kids. Last week, boo-boo bear disappeared. He's our soft bear head shaped ice patch that they reach for whenever they bump. Whether they need it or not, an ice pack is the tied for first as the thing they want when they are hurt. The other item? Band-aids. I had to make a rule that no blood- no band-aid or they'd use them like water. And every time they get hurt, it reminds me of this:

Band-Aids

by Shel Silverstien

I have a Band-Aid on my finger,

One on my knee, and one on my nose,

One on my heel, and two on my shoulder,

Three on my elbow, and nine on my toes.

Two on my wrist, and one on my ankle,

One on my chin, and one on my thigh,

Four on my belly, and five on my bottom,

One on my forehead, and one on my eye.

One on my neck, and in case I might need ‘em

I have a box full of thirty-five more.

But oh! I do think it’s sort of a pity

I don’t have a cut or a sore!

They have to expect it

Every year, the beginning of October (and in collaboration with Fire Prevention Week) they teach fire safety to the kids at the local schools. There are activities, worksheets, visits from the fire department, ad most importantly, a review of fire safety rules. Meenie came home form her first year of preschool with a paper phone where the numbers nine and one were colored in. In addition, 9-1-1 was written by her on the bottom. She properly demonstrated to me on the paper phone and the play phone how to dial the number. The she remarked how she wished she had a real phone to use.

At that point, I made sure to sit and talk to her about only dialing those numbers on a real phone if there was a real emergency. I hope I got through to her, if not rebelmom, she'll be calling you guys soon.

So dispatch mom and rebelmom, just how many "extra" phone calls do you guys get during fire prevention week????

We just did our first family fire drill. The whole time I was trying to get the kids out of the house, they kept asking if it was real. They were pretty slow and skeptical. Husband wants to try a drill at night (because they have slept through the alarm in the past). He also randomly brings home his fire gear from work to show the kids what a fire man looks like so the yare not scared. We've also explained to the kids what a fireman sounds like - like Darth Vader - and that they shouldn't be scared.

I couldn't have said it better even if I tried

Today is our eight year wedding anniversary. I tried to sit and think of something to write, but I think I wrote it well last year. So I am just linking back to that post here.

Moe's one toddler act...

The scene: In her car seat in the minivan.

Welcome to Baker's Dozen, watcha want

A smollie and a coffee.

What else you want?

Um. Yes. Sugar and sour cream please.

Thank you.

It's sixteen fifty dollars. Here.

Bye. Come back yesterday.

Makes me think I spend to much time getting coffee.

Click Everyday

See the new button on my side bar? The one that looks like this:

If you click it, their sponsors will pay for free mammograms for those who need it. The more you click, the more they give.

So go. Click. What are you waiting for?

Pigs DO Fly...

Husband surprised me last Friday night, in honor of our upcoming (tomorrow) anniversary, in arranging to have his mom watch the kids overnight. The first time that did not involve a hospital in almost six years (since the night before Einey was born). Unfortunately, because his mom kept waffling on whether or not she would take the kids, he couldn't make concrete plans. And we had to pick them up by 8 am so we couldn't just drive to Boston or New Hampshire and spend the night.

So since they didn't take the kids until 5pm (we were supposed to drop them off after Einey got out of school at 3:30 but they were not home) we drove up to Mass and ate at the Outback. We cracked Aussie jokes in fake Aussie accent's all the while saying our Aussie friends would be so disappointed in us. Not to mention that they would probably scoff at the menu as it isn't true Aussie fare. It was fun to be able to relax and talk in grown up terms about grown up subjects. Without interruptions, without fingers grabbing food of our plates and eating while our food was still hot. I didn't have to share and it was very relaxing.

After dinner, we hit Toys R Us (I know, no kids and we go to a toy store) as we have a birthday party coming up and can only find Pokemon toys at TRU. We were able to actually browse and get some ideas for Christmas without kids pulling us in thousands of directions.

Then we headed home. Our plan was to stop and grab a bottle of wine and a movie. Unfortunately, we didn't think this through and forgot that alcohol is not sold after 8pm in our grand ol' state. We bypassed the movie and were going to watch one of the dozens we have at home but haven't had time to watch. Instead, I crashed on the couch at a way too early time. But I actually got a really really good night of sleep - no kids climbing into bed, no kids tossing and turning, no nightmares, no coughing. Just silence. And silence is golden.

Harvest Party

Yesterday, we attended a friend's Harvest Party. We all had a blast.

There was food, oh so much food. Chicken pot pie, beef stew, chili, homemade bread, cornbread muffins, baked mac and cheese, chicken nuggets (for the kids), buffalo wings, crackers and cheese of all kids, apple pie, pumpkin doughnuts, apple cake, bacon biscotti bread, stuffed pumpkin, apple danish, candy apples, cupcakes and cookies. I'm sure I missed something. Then there were dozens of types of October Fest beers and pumpkin spiced ales. They had apple cider, hot cocoa and spiced teas. To end the night, there was a giant bon fire where we sat on hay bales and there were fleece blankets to wrap yourself in.


For the kids, there were games and activities, pumpkin painting and cookie decorating. There was a honey comb ball to roll around in and a moon bounce to jump in. A word of advice, put the kids shoes somewhere where you could find them before it gets dark. There were soccer balls and baseballs. Frisbees and beach balls. There was an innovative bobbing for apples game where you had to use your foot to grab the apple.


It was a great way to usher in the season.


The only problem was the weather. Don't get me wrong, it's hard to find fault with a clear 85 degree day. Except when the weather should be crisp and cool. Where you should be wearing jeans and sweaters and huddling your loved one's for warmth by the fire.

Photo Hunt Saturday - Curvy

Today we took the girls to the local orchard to pick some pumpkins to bring to a friends' Harvest Party. Just look at the curves on these pumpkins! Like apple picking last week in 90 degree weather, picking pumpkins when it was above 80 just didn't seem right. The Harvest Party will likely be fun, but with such autumn staples like pot pie, homemade bread, warm cider, pies, hot chocolate and a bon fire, I just can't seem to fee l in the festive mood. Hopefully it cools down before they light the bon fire.

For more curvy items, click here.

Sign Me Up

I am the type of person you look for when you need a extra hand. I have this tendency to volunteer for everything. EVERYTHING.

Case and point, I'm active in my local MOMS Club. I already do their monthly newsletter, so when they needed a new activities coordinator, guess who raised their hand. Yup.

Last week at the open house at the girls school, guess who not only volunteered to be a room mother, but also to be on their playground fund raising committee, home school committee (PTO), development committee AND marketing committee. Yup. I did. I think however, that I may just do two of them as it's probably too much. They'll probably get sick of me. I also try to do most of the fund raising they send home as I know just how important it is to the school. Even though my yearly contract is $400, I usually surpass that.

And people know I'm a sucker for helping out. The girls soccer organization is undergoing alot of changes and will be in need of an entire new board come December. Einey's coach asks his wife if she knows anyone who would be interested and without hesitation she says "I know Whirlwind would probably help out some way". So far, I've been able to bite my tongue and not jump right onto their board.

On the town level, I have been involved for the last few years with a group that is trying to build a "Boundless Playground" - a playground geared for handicapped children where they can play side by side with all kids. And finally, all the hard work is coming to an end. They had the ground breaking last month and construction should begin any time now. My local MOMS Club is even going to be hosting a walk-a-thon to raise more money for the project. And I'm at a loss to whether I should help out or not. It was an idea I suggested and I should help out, but I hate asking my friends and family to donate to yet another cause I'd like to help.

After all, they have already generously donated to our annual family project - the American Heart Association walk. And for some reason, one I am only going to admit to you guys here, I just am not into it like I have been in previous years. Sure I'm raising money and yeah I'll walk the whole 5+ miles, but I just am not pushing myself to ask for donations.

I think I may just be burnt out.

Toys, Toys, Toys

Moe just celebrated her third birthday last weekend with a small party with friends. I didn't obsessively check the toys point of origin or give them another thought. But maybe I should have. I came across this link and my fist thought is not again. We have/had? some of those Baby Einstein blocks. They may be long gone by now, I haven't seen them in awhile and have slowly bee weeding out the baby toys.

[Click Here to Read the Rest...]

Car Seat Woes

Lately Moe wants to sit in a booster seat when her sisters aren't around. She is three and 36 pounds, so technically she doesn't meet the state requirement of 40 pounds. Neither does her 37 pound five-and-a-half-year old sister (but that besides the point).

It's been alot of hair pulling on my behalf trying to get her to sit in her seat. I've even resorted to telling her we'll leave her where we are (which upsets Meenie every time).

Today:

You need to get out of Meenie's seat and into your seat.

I don't want to.

Fine you can stay here and be the monkey girl who lives at the park. We'll come visit you on soccer days. It looks like you'll be awfully hungry though as I don't see any fruit trees.

No I don't wanna be monkey girl. The monsters will eat me.

At least she didn't fight me moving her back into her seat.

Does anyone else's child protest sitting in their seat?

Nice Matters

A few weeks ago, Jenifer at Mommy 911 bestowed me with the "Nice Matters" award. Jenifer and I grew up in the same hometown and even danced at the same dance school for many, many years. She was a few grades ahead of em in school and while I may recognize her, I really don't know her very well. I first came across her on the blog-o-sphere through a friend of a friends blog. It's amazing how small a world we really live in. Thanks again for the award.

And to keep it going, I am passing the award to:

Fairly Odd Mother is someone who has been reading my blog for awhile. She always has something nice to say in the comments. She has three children close in age to my own, so I feel a kind of kinship with her.

Who Am I ?

Recently, I was asked for a photo and blurb about who I am for the New England Mamas blog. Always being the person behind the lens, I don't have very many good photo's of myself. Having no drawing talent, I can't draw one. So I did what any sane person would do. I handed my camera to my four year old.

The results?

Um thats the bars.

Not sure what this is.

Warmer.

Even Warmer.

Okay so that's not working. Let's try giving it to the three year old.

Well I am actually in this shot...

Well since that didn't work, I'm going to have to try something else. Luckily, I have a tentative family photo shoot set up for October 15th with a friend. Maybe she can get a decent head shot for me.

31 for 21

A fellow New England Mama, Tricia from Unringing the Bell, asked if anyone was willing to post once a day for the month of October in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness month.

One thing I think of immediately is a project I am helping work on in the community. For the last three years, I have been on a committee to raise funds and help design a Boundless Playground at a local park. A Boundless Playground is a playground designed for children with and without disabilities. Their goal is to build playgrounds that children with disabilities can use, and play alongside their peers. They create barrirer free playscapes - with ramps and walkways, where all children, with and without disabilities, can play along side each other, and helping to teach lif skills throughout play. Last month, we attended the ground breaking for our local playground. Soon, the park will be filled with workers constructing the playground. In November, the MOMS Club I belong to is organizing a walk-a-thon to raise extra funds for the playground. Although I will not be actively walking, I plan on being on hand to help sell tee shirts, bears and brinks to line the playground.

So check back often for new posts!