Pyro? oh yea!!!!

Ok so JDub is really the fire pro around the house... mainly b/c I am constantly attending to a child in need (or in "want" really...) which can make it hard to attend to a fire as well. We were fortunate enough to have a very generous family at church who gave us a bunch of free firewood!! And I mean a bunch... his entire truck bed was full of the stuff... He even made a holder for the wood out of 2x4's and that thing was overflowing! So while it looks like this outside.....

It looks feels like this inside :)

Bubba is doing very well with the fires too. He knows he needs to stay away or he'll get hurt. I still find him messing with the ashes or wood when the fire is not lit... but he's learning. He is only 2 after all right?! Ceej is a rolling machine these days. He's not really crawling, but he does manage to get halfway across the room just from rolling around. He is sitting up very well which is great. Soon I think I'll be able to move him up to the next car-seat and not have to lug that heavy thing around anymore! You'd think I would have built up my arm muscles enough... but no. I am weak!

On another note... I cannot believe Christmas is almost here! I'm excited to see Bubba open his presents this year. He was still kind of out of it last year... but seeing him on his birthday was too cute. We really didn't go nuts with the presents though. He has soo much stuff already. I am almost done shopping! So that's exciting... I just need a few stocking stuffers and a couple more little presents for people and I think I'll be done. I even have most of them wrapped! Not bad for December 4th :) 

Seamstress? who knew?!

Ok so I've dabbled in sewing a little bit over the years.... as mentioned... I made Bubba's 1st official halloween costume..... (a candy corn)

I even helped make my beloved t-shirt quilt (with help from my mom!!). We cut and sewed all the squares and black material in between... I left the batting, backing, and quilting part to a professional...

So when I got wind of this website.... http://www.newdressaday.com/ I thought hey maybe I can do that?.... If you haven't checked this girl out you really should. It is pretty amazing what she can do with a little TLC.

So I decided to try out my skills the other day! I wish I would have taken more pics along the way... I started cutting and then thought, OH wait maybe I should document this! So yea.. Anyway I got this shirt when I was still working in health insurance. An XL... what am I gonna do with that right? I mean JDub's smaller than I am...and I was swimming in the thing.

I cut up the sides of it also cutting off the sleeves. I still wanted sleeves but knew I'd have to adjust them b/c they were pretty big! After that I ended up cutting the sleeves to size (w/o measuring..) and pinning them back onto the shirt and sewing them on. Then I gathered the sides with pins along with the edges of the sleeves and sewed those as well.... I really should cut off some of the length.. and well the shirt is a bit tight at the bottom I guess I should have tried to make it less of a straight cut and have it taper out at the bottom... but at least I know now for future reference... for my first try I'm pretty happy with it!

What do you think?!

Doggy doo is a big Don't!

I like dogs... don't get me wrong! They're cute, fun to play with, and nice to snuggle too... but when you don't have a dog you shouldn't have to worry about dog poop in your yard... right?! Well you'd think so anyway. But not if you live at my address! It is sooo frustrating. I am about ready to set up a video camera to catch the culprits. OK I'm sorry, but isn't it proper etiquette to clean up after your own dog has done its business... especially if it is in someone else's yard?!

I know, I know... you're thinking "its probably your neighbors..." Well I know for sure its not my next door neighbors... One has a toy poodle... and the poop in my yard is way too big to be hers... and also I've seen the owner specifically come and pick up her poo when she did one time.... and Two... the other neighbor barely even lets their dog out ever! And when he does its always on a leash thing in the back yard.

My neighbors across the yard... God bless them they are wonderful people... but they are busy-bodies! I am about ready to ask if they've seen any dogs going in my yard... or seen who's walking their dogs and letting them! If anyone knows it would be them...

Have you seen these signs... or a variation anyway...?

I think they're pretty tacky... but it is getting ridiculous around here. When I'm raking leaves or out playing with my boys I don't think about watching out for dog poop b/c I DONT HAVE A FREAKING DOG! So I'm getting upset when I almost step in it... or see Bubba about to step in it... its really not cool. I might have to invest in one and see if it works to make people be more responsible.....

For-ev-er....

Bubba takes the LONGEST time to eat.... every meal... 3 times a day.... and it drives me crazy?! I've tried bribing him with candy if he hurries.... I've tried setting a timer and making him finish by a certain point... I've tried leaving the room and just playing with Ceej until he finishes... nothing seems to be working. It is ridiculous... If you try looking up online about speeding up your ridiculously slow eater they just tell you to calm down... because its "good" for you to eat slow... you digest your food better and don't eat as much blah blah blah!

The other day he literally took 2 hours to eat half a banana and a bowl of oatmeal.. It would have taken him longer too if I hadn't gone over constantly to tell him to eat a bite. Or just shoving a bite of food in his mouth myself! OMG it is just so frustrating. Three times a day I have to deal with him and I'm really getting warn down by it. All he wants to do is talk... or sing songs, or ask me what I'm doing every five seconds. I've tried being nice... and I've tried yelling and being mean (yes I know it was a dumb idea but I just couldn't take it one day!). Oh and don't even get me started on how many times he has to get up and pee during a meal either... Ok ok.. I know that I don't have a life. Or at least my life is to stay at home and raise these boys... but I didn't think I was going to have to spend 6-7 hours in the kitchen a day waiting for my oldest to eat.

Good Deal!

Who doesn't love a good deal right? I love getting compliments on something and then saying "oh thanks... I got this shirt from Wal-Mart for $7!" JDub and I (and the little boogers too) went shopping at Target last night. It was one of those trips where JDub said he needed something for his new Droid phone..(don't even get me started on that thing......) and he had already looked online at Wal-Mart and they didn't have what he needed... or at least he didn't think they did. So we made the treck across town. No biggie really. I had a few grocery items I knew I needed so I mainly looked for those. He didn't end up finding what he wanted either...

And then there was the clearance Halloween aisle!!! It looked like a lot of stuff at first... but it turned out to mostly be pet costumes! Dog ones really. They kinda made me wish I had a dog to dress up! But I picked through and ended up finding a scally-wag pirate kid costume! It was a shirt, pants, belt, bandana, and skull and cross-bones sticker... all for $.70! Oh yea baby! I mean I'd still like to get a sword, eye-patch, maybe even pirate hat.... wouldn't mind a cute little pirate to sit on his shoulder either! But yea... at least I have a good start for next year's costume.

I want what I paid for....

I like brand name things... not in everything I buy... but certain things.. Take Lay's Potato Chips for example. They are just sooo yummy. If you buy the off-brand they just aren't as good. So one time when I opened up my bag of Lay's to enjoy some chips and found them burnt to a crisp... Yea... I was a little upset. See normally I'm very happy with my purchase. So I did what any decent person would do... I called and complained! JDub thinks I just like getting free stuff. But honestly who doesn't like getting free stuff? And its not like I'm playing the system or something. In instances like that I feel like they should know I wasn't a satisfied customer ya know? A week or so later I got some coupons in the mail to get a free bag of chips and even some other coupons for $1.00 off my next purchase and what not too.

Being a breast-feeding mother, keeping my extra milk stored properly is pretty important. When I'm not home and Ceej needs some milk I want to make sure there is some on hand. So recently when I was storing the extra milk in some of those Lansinoh bags I noticed it was leaking out everywhere! This was NOT cool. I mean it takes a lot of time and effort to pump out that milk only to have it go to waste. So again.... I emailed and let them know their product was failing! They again did what any decent company would do for a consumer... they sent me replacement bags!

Bubba thinks he has to have popcorn any time we watch a movie these days.... I guess it could be worse so I usually let him (and myself) indulge. I had bought some Orville Redenbacher kettle corn so we've been eating that. Once again... it wasn't up to my standards the other day... Somehow one of the kernals had burnt a whole in the bag which meant only half of the kernals actually popped into popcorn. I kept the bag on top of the counter b/c when I got a second I was going to call and complain....... but somehow it got thrown away! JDub had ruined my plan... oh well I guess its not the end of the world, but I wanted them to know it was faulty! Call me crazy I guess....

Just for fun!

Here's my manicure I gave myself :) I have to say I was pretty impressed, usually I'm not able to paint the fingernails on my right hand that well. I think my thumb nail was my favorite :)

DIY Halloween Costumes....

So as long as I can remember I've pretty much always made my own Halloween costumes..... mostly b/c they didn't have that many options when I was younger..... and nowadays it seems like everything has to be "naughty" a.k.a. slutty.... No thanks! I remember growing up one of my favorite costumes was when I was Pippi Longstocking! I don't remember the exact outfit... it was overall-shorts of some sort and different colored socks.... plaid shirt under it... but I remember getting a wire hanger and cutting it and sticking it in my little pig-tails to have them stick out! That's one good thing about already having red hair... you don't have to wear a wig!

One time in college I was Avril Lavigne too! I thought it was pretty good... and several people could tell who I was (I did carry around a blow-up microphone for a hint!) I've been Ginger from Gilligan's Island too! (Once again the red hair really came in handy :) ) If I ever have my own Halloween party I'd love to try Jessica Rabbit... I don't know if I could pull off making my own dress like hers though....... and that might be a little too "naughty" for me......

Last year I made a Candy-Corn costume for Bubba. I thought it turned out very cute! I had alot of fun picking out the material and figuring it all out too. This year I came up with a Banana costume for him! I just took an over-sized yellow sweatshirt... seam ripped the armpits to make holes for his arms to go through... safety-pinned the arms together in back to look like the peel..... put black electrical tape on the end and took a white hood I kept from my quilt project and put that underneath! I'll post pics on facebook... I think its pretty cute... but then I saw a commercial.......

Have you seen the Target commercial where the mom is making her son an Iron Man costume? Honestly I saw it for the first time and that "Wow that's good!" and then the light thing falls off and they show you a costume for $20 you can buy. I was a little disappointed... I guess its a good thing my kids are so young and they don't know the difference between "good" costumes and home-made ones... right now Bubba is getting a kick out of running around in his little banana costume! He could care less if I made it myself... I know that day where he wants to buy one from the store is just around the corner (sniff..... *tear*). Baby's going to be a monkey! That costume I acquired from a nice co-worker of JDub's! So I didn't have to whip one up or buy one which was nice :)

Side note............
Baby is getting sooo big... I feel like I have to come up with a new nickname. He won't be a Baby much longer!! So... without further ado..... I will call him Ceej! (Thanks sis)

crafty creations!

I don't know why... and I don't really have much to show for it. But I have been a busy little beaver around here lately. I feel like I have no time to do anything! Whether its clean the house... pack for my upcoming vacation, upload photos on facebook, and write on this blog... I just haven't had the time... but here is something I did manage to find the time for.......

Aren't they cute?! Ok so my "spiders" looked more like octopus... and my Frankensteins just looked like monsters in general.. but hey I came up with the pumpkin idea all by myself! They were a hit at my church's chili cook-off. They were pretty yummy too...even if it was pure sugar.

Seriously though... I'm not sure why but I feel like every day is non-stop madness... Today I did manage to do laundry and clean the toilets... I still haven't packed for our trip to TN!!! But I am soo pumped. I haven't seen my nephew for almost a year! And alot of our family down there hasn't met Baby either.. So it should be a good trip. Hopefully after we get back from our little vaca... (14 hour drive... please pray for the sanity of me and the rest of my family......) I'll have more time to get some things down around here...

Whatever happened to its JUST October?

I miss the days when it was just October... a month that came after September and is in the fall... its when you should go buy pumpkins and carve them for Halloween! Instead... its Breast Cancer awareness month... National Popcorn Popping month... even National Sarcastics Month.... I mean its ridiculous! Don't get me wrong... I love cookies.. but does October really have to be Cookie Month? And wouldnt it make more sense to have Cookie month in December anyway? Afterall for Christmas most people bake cookies...

October 1st is apparenlty World Vegetarian Day... like really they need their own specific day? Why not have "Pick your nose and eat it day!" or "Tell the truth no matter what day!" Oh that would be some day huh? "Oh honey do I look fat in this......" "Um yea... actually you do... please get rid of that outfit you'll never fit into it again!"

Aren't we all pretty aware of Breast Cancer... and Vegetarians? I mean I'm aware they're around... I've even learned a few people I know are vegetarians... why in the world they wouldn't want to eat meat I have no idea... I know some meat-eaters are a lil weird. JDub was talking about some guy he works with that squirrel hunts. Really? Poor, little, cute, furry, squirrels? You'd want to eat THAT?! No thanks... but than again... I guess you could say pigs and cows are cute too (I really dont think chickens qualify at cute...  or turkeys for that matter....)

October 2nd is apparently "Name your Car Day".... what if you've already named your car... are you suppose to rename it? What if you're like most normal people and you have your car for more than a year... are you suppose to rename it every year and then remember what you've named it over the years? Its pretty stupid. I want to know who's job it is to come up with these little "holidays" and overall months... cause it seems like they could be putting their time into something more worthwhile.

Sometimes Brand Names are worth the extra cost....

I am usually ALL about being cheap... I mean a family of four with one income and diapers coming out of ears.... yea I need to be frugal sometimes. This is why we don't have cable.... we don't go out much.... and we have alot of used furniture and clothes. I love hand me downs from cousins!!! (thank you :) )

But sometimes once you try something... you just can't go back to the cheap stuff! You know what I'm talking about right? Like Simply Orange Juice! It is the BEST BEST orange juice I have ever tasted! Yea... I grew up on that nasty frozen concentrate stuff you add water to and stir.. my grandmother still gets the strainer out for me when I am there for breakfast! Yes, I use to be picky... I didn't like the pulp, but I can deal with it now! I just choose not to! And I can't bring myself to buy the icky orange juice b/c it just isn't as good. Simply Orange Juice is simply THE BEST. If you haven't tried it, you really should! Well wait maybe you shouldn't b/c you'll be like me and not want to drink any other orange juice!

And then there's Oreos...... I mean who doesn't love Oreos right? I know I do! I just about have one every day......(while hiding in my pantry away from Bubba) But the thing is I can't just buy regular Oreos. I have to buy the Double stuffed Oreos. I mean more creme filling?! Yes please! And if you go back to the regular, they just don't taste that great... they're not terrible or anything... but they're no Double Stuff!

Peanut butter is awesome. Its good on celery........ toast......apples.... pb and jelly or pb and banana sandwiches. I really feel sorry for people who are allergic to nuts. That really sucks for you. I don't necessarily have to have a certain brand of peanut butter. I mean I can do Jiffy... or Peter Pan... but the off-brand? Like the store brand?! YUCK! The texture and consistency are just not the same. At least not to me. So yea... apparently choosy moms' do choose Jiff... or however that goes.

I was never a big fan of yogurt. I remember when I was younger and had some sort of virus... the doctor prescribed a tablespoon of yogurt ever hour or some crap like that. I thought I was going to die! Yes, I was (or maybe still am?) a little dramatic... but yogurt just grossed me out... whether it was the taste or texture... I dunno. But I did not care for it. But as I grew up... I tried more and more yogurt... mostly b/c its healthy and they have some decent flavors now. But once I tried the Dannon Light and Fit.. I just can't go back to anything else! I know it has splenda, which in general I try to avoid, but its small amounts right?

I've always liked coffee. My mom said I even drank it when I was little! But I usually need lots of cream and lots of sugar. Once I discovered Dunkin Donuts coffee though.... I just need sugar. Its THAT good! Sure I can drink other coffees.... but at home when I brew my own, I prefer Dunkin Donuts. It makes me sad we don't have a Dunkin Donuts around here anymore... but at least they have their yummy coffee available in grocery stores!!

Old Cold...

Have you ever passed out? I have completely passed a few times in my life.... but had some close calls numerous times as well. Its a strange feeling. I remember the first time I passed out...... I was in high school... at my parents house. JDub and I were dating then... I started feeling funny. It was late and time for JDub to leave... he was talking but I can't honestly remember what he was saying b/c I was hearing this whooshing/whirring sound and he sounded all mumbled and quiet. Everything I could see was starting to get blotchy and go black.... just as I shut the door after he left... BAM! I was on the floor. It was so weird. I have no idea how long I was out.... and if I hit the door on my way down or what.

I'm one of those people who gets light-headed pretty easy. If I find myself this way I know I need to sit down, get some sugar... and maybe even a cold cloth on the back of my neck. I'm especially bad when I'm pregnant! From now on I am refusing to see the dentist whenever I'm pregnant (ok....IF I get pregnant again...) For some strange reason, whenever I get in that chair, after a while, I start to feel woozy! Once again things start going black and soon I can't hear the people around me. At least I've felt this feeling before though........So I'm able to warn them. It happened with both my pregnancies! I had to say STOP! I THINK I'M GOING TO PASS OUT! Then of course they're freaking out.... putting me on oxygen... getting me something sugary to drink. It's quite embarrassing. I'm usually drenched in sweat by the end of it... but thankfully I didn't totally go limp either time.

Then there was the time I was donating plasma....... yep... for those of you who have done this before, you know the rooms are packed full of on-lookers. It was terrible. I did the "Um... excuse me... I'm sorry but I think I'm going to pass out!" Which turns into chaos! The workers ran over...started fanning me down... they put cold compresses on my neck... people stared... SOOO embarrassed yet again. I stopped donating shortly after that for fear of it happening again!

Its kind of funny when you see people pass out..... like on TV.. JDub almost did at the birth of Baby! He'll probably deny it.... but when I was getting that epidural (totally recommended by the way :) ) he went all yellow......... But its no fun when its happening to you!

Random thoughts.....

Do you think Adam and Eve really had belly-buttons? I mean its not like they were ever attached to a mother by an umbilical cord... Yet for some reason they're always drawn that way.
Why do men have nipples? Is there really a point? At least for women they're functional.
In general I taste the food my children eat... I'd hate to make them eat something that's nasty... but try your own breast milk? .... just can't bring myself to do it!
I must have the sense of humor of a 5 year old... cause I still find farts hilarious.... I remember this time in college when I was in a half hour abs workout class and this girl let one rip. OH man I could NOT stop laughing.... the more I tried not to laugh... the harder I laughed. Fart jokes in movies... I'm always the one laughing...  I just can't help it..
It sucks when JDub's gone for work... I miss him, but I wonder if I really "miss" him... or just miss having another set of hands around the house to help... or another adult to watch the kids while I have some time to myself....
Some days I really think I'm developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease. I'm constantly walking into a room not remembering why I came there in the first place. I can't remember what day it is sometimes... or if I've even brushed my teeth yet... Even in the shower I'll forget where I'm at... like have I already washed my face? The other day I only shaved one armpit....
The season premiere of Parenthood is on tonight!!! Whoo HOo!!! I just love Lauren Graham :)
Sometimes I hide in the pantry or around corners to eat my cookies or candy just so I don't have to share them with my 2 year old....
I really do enjoy Lady Gaga's music.... and so does Bubba... he requests Alejandro all the time in the car.
I hate going to the store with both kids these days.... Baby can't quite sit up on his own... so I end up having him strapped to my chest in one of those carriers... and then Bubba's in the cart. People stare... I can't tell if its cause they think my kids are cute... or they're staring b/c they feel sorry for me..... it definitely feels like the latter of the two
I love Halloween! I know the background of the reason we celebrate it isn't so hot... but its so fun to dress up the kids and see the trick-or-treaters. JDub hates it... which really bums me out. I would love to have a themed Halloween party... like dress up as your favorite _________. Or even just have a toga party... but would anyone want to come to that?
Is it sad that I'm really excited for the new season's of my favorite TV shows? I'm really bummed that I wont get to watch some of them b/c they're not appropriate for Bubba. He's waaaay too perceptive. I am not a morning person... but I might just have to become one so I can put him to bed earlier and watch my shows at night.
I can't wait to wear my Snuggie and drink hot tea around the house (Lipton's Orange Spice preferably) once it gets cold out! That's the only good thing about winter... oh and I'm definitely making a snow man this year!

Ain't Technology Great?!

For the most part.. I LOVE technology. I mean remember when the internet first came out!!? I was obsessed. All I did was sit in front of that computer in my parents kitchen and chat ALL the time with friends. There was this thing I would go on after school too... Gosh I just can't think of the name of it right now... but it was awesome! You could play pictionary with other people from all over! You'd sit there and wait for the other players to start drawing and then you'd guess! I'd have to say I was pretty good at it... some people would get mad at me and leave the "room" I was in b/c they didn't like losing. And then you'd have a chance to draw too. It was cool.

And cell phones... its a wonder we lived w/o them for so long! You know how I feel about my Instant Netflix on XBox too (LOVE IT!!!). Mp3 players are also pretty sweet... I'm not cool like everyone else, I don't have an IPod... but its all good. I'm not gonna lie... I kinda wish I had a Kindle too! I mean not having to go to the library and pick out books... or wait on a waiting list FOREVER. Or even go to a bookstore! You can just download it! Too cool... So yea for the most part I'd say I Heart Technology...

UNTIL THIS..........

Ok yea I know this is a terrible pic... but this is a mobile speed trap that's hanging around the area... Ok seriously I do not get out much... I'll admit I'm a hermit crab (and will probably be even worse when it gets cold around here...) but of course the one day I do get out, I just go flying by this thing! I was too busy responding to the 15 million questions Bubba asks these days that I didn't even notice it! Then all of a sudden it clicks and I'm like ahhhh crap! I debated whether or not to tell JDub.... so I just told him when we were laying in bed trying to go to sleep. See usually I'll talk to him about something that pops into my head b/c it's hard to have an adult conversation around the house. Bubba's always "What doing Mommy?" or "I need gummy worms!" interrupting whenever we try to talk so its hard to remember what was actually discussed. I thought this would be a good time to tell him also b/c he tends to fall asleep and not remember some of the things I tell him. So.... I thought I could play the "I told you that!" card if in fact we get a ticket here in the mail. But turns out he WAS listening and knows. The ONE time I would want him to be asleep and not remember he's awake... go figure. I rarely enter contests or gamble for this exact reason... I am not a "lucky" person.

Can't live w/o it

Isn't it amazing the things people use to live without? I find it hard to believe... but somehow people managed to live without things like air conditioning! This month has been especially hot... and while I know I could survive w/o it... I dont think my kids could. Bubba for sure needs a haircut. And he instantly sweats when its this hot b/c of it. But he just looks so darn cute! I get several compliments for his cute curls so for now... we'll just sit inside with the air conditioning!!!

I for one hate doing the dishes... it is soo annoying! All I feel like I do is stand in front of that sink scrubbing and rinsing. I can't imagine how much longer I would have to stand there if it weren't for that wonderful invention.... the automatic dishwasher! My neighbor says she never uses hers... and that just baffles my mind!? Who in there right mind would want to spend extra time hand washing and drying dishes all the time? Not me... Now I swear I have to "wash" the dishes before I actually put them in the dishwasher... but still...

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So yea I wrote that first half a while back... and then lo and behold... my dishwasher is acting up! Its leaving a nice white residue all over the dishes... I have to take them and soak them in vinegar just to get that off... and then handwash them. Double duty if you ask me. We've tried looking at the water softener.. which apparently did have a bit of a clog in it.. but the dishwasher is still not right. We tried running a load with vinegar in there, but apparently that damages the dishwasher (if the thing doesn't work anyway... does it really matter?) And now we're going to try some different detergent... who knows if this attempt with fail too. I HATE hand-washing dishes. I have enough crap to clean up as is... do I really need to do this too? I swear JDub just uses every dish known to man too! Does he ever hand-wash the dishes? um NO. So while I'm over here using paper plates and washing my one dish I used in the morning to reuse at lunch and then wash again for dinner... his dishes are just piling up...

Please let this new dish soap work! I feel like all I do is stand in front of the kitchen sink all day long... Bubba's going to start asking where Mommy is and automatically go there to find me.....

Movies

I love movies!!! That's why I love Netflix sooo much too... Here are a list of movies I think everyone should see. They aren't necessarily my favorites of all time... but they are some of my favorites that I can think of right now. Some are funny, some are intense! and well some just have hot guys in them too. Here are some movies I've enjoyed watching and would watch more than once!

-Date Night
-Extract
-She's out of my League
-Taken
-Transformers
-National Treasure
-The Proposal
-She's the Man
-Superbad
-Batman Begins
-The Crazies
-The Blind Side
-Inglorious Basterds
-Zombieland
-Star Trek (the newest one)

seriously you should see them.. they're enjoyable!!!