There's something wrong with my bed, Mommy.....

I don't have cable. Not real cable, I mean. I have the "broadcast tier," which-for a whopping $12.21 each month-gives me channels 2-13, pluse WE and TNT. I need it because we get such crappy reception here. Anywho, the lack of cable makes it necessary to amuse myself by unconventional means.

Last night, I short sheeted my children's beds.

What is short sheeting, you ask. Well, dear reader, short sheeting is when you take the flat sheet, tuck it under the mattress at the head of the bed. You fold it about half way down and it looks like a normally made up bed-except the sleeper can't get their feet to the foot of the bed.

So they do what any intelligent person would do-they kick their legs really, really hard as if it will make a difference. I know it sounds strange but it's absolutely hilarious! I set my camera up and recorded it for posterity. Then, my mother and I watched and laughed! Did I mention my lack of cable?

It was really funny, though.

Hello, All I'm back!

It's been forever and a day since I've posted last. I have been so very busy with the kids and school and life in general. They ducklings are out of school and having a blast ripping and running and going to the lake. They take to the water like ducks. Side Salad in particular likes to grab a pool noodle and dash off as if he knows what he is doing. He has no fear. Here are Squrirel and the Astornaut playing in the water.

Notice the smears of sunscreen on the Astronaut's shoulder and forehead. That's nothing compared to this:

[Note to self: never let a three-year old apply her own sunscreen.]

I digress.

So much has been going on that I don't know where to begin, so I'll just start from now. I am going on vacation next month. That's right, I am taking a week long sabbatical. I'll be in Florida for the most part, and taking a short cruise to Nassau. It's my first cruise. The Astronaut and the Princess will be going with, but Side Salad and Squirrel are staying home with Lettuce. This is because we are going with my mother and she got some sort of deal but only 4 people can go-and all 4 have to share one cabin on the ship. Furthermore, the kids' club on the ship is for age 4 and up. Squirrel is 3 Side Salad is only 16 months old today (yay!). They wouldn't be able to do any of the activities. In light of this, we will be taking a family cruise next summer on Carnival, whose kids' clubs start at age 2 AND who has babysitting services until the wee hours of the morning.

Again, I digress.

I am going on a trip and I would like to look nice while I am galivanting across white, sandy beaches in a tropical locale. Therefore, I need to go on a diet and hit the gym like it's going out of style. Seriously, people, I need to shed some pounds. So, for the month of July, I will be using my blog as my diet diary. Bear with me, offer support, give advice, whatever.

It will be worth it because in August, this will be my vacation diary :)

The dieting starts today. I am going to try the Dukan diet. It seems easy enough. Click here to find out about it. I am going to the grocery store after I go to church.
One more lake shot, and I'm out!


Ciao!

Checkin' in

Hello, all!

I've been busy with midterms and first birthdays. That's right! Our side salad is now one years old. We celebrated in style at the local Mickey Ds. I think it's okay to have a McNugget or two on your birthday-you only live once...

School is...school. I am just exhausted. If I could figure out a way to pay off my student loans and have some sort of stable income, I'd say screw it and just be a SAHM.

Lettuce and I had a talk about breastfeeding. I know his family are pretty anti-breastfeeding so I wanted to gauge his feelings on me continuing to do so. He was totally fine with it. He can see the benefits in the health of the ducklings. Astronaut sleeps in his undies only, year round. Literally. The boy walks around in just underwear when it's snowing outside. He never gets sick. Lettuce and I have been together since he was 3 1/2 and he'll be 9 this year and he has never been sick. I breastfed him until he was 13 months old. The girls on the other hand, weren't so lucky. Princess was only breastfed 4 months. She immediatly stopped growing. She had tons of earaches and her tonsils removed at 4 years old. Squirrel was EBF until 6 months, though we started solids at 4 months. She had a combo until she was about 7 or 8 months. The ear infections were constant and she got tubes at 9 months. Whoa!! I've gotten a bit off topic. Anywho, Side Salad will be getting the good stuff indefinitely, that's the point. And here's a pic of us nursing in public to celebrate.


Ciao!

My slackness is forgiven!

The Inaugural Ball fundraiser for my kids' school was Friday night. We all went. We actually had primo seats so thanks to whoever sat us at the Presidential Cabinet table. The stage was nice and the whole set up classy. Let me fast forward to the actually coronation. Her are the contestants for Little Mr. Inaugural Ball. Astronaut's in the green. Little Mr. is for K-2nd grade. And guess what?
That's right! Astronaut got third runner up! My son placed, even with the paltry funds he took.
Not one, but TWO trophies! He was super proud and so are we. To be fair, he got last place but since there were only 4 boys, all of them were winners. It gave him confidence. He even wants to do it again. Not bad for a shy kid. He was very apprehensive about particiating. He is super shy and was terrified of having to dance. However, he practiced a lot and when the contestants danced the shag-our state dance-he was in the front. Here is my boy, shagging like a true Southern gentleman.

And then we had a catered dinner of baked chicken, rice and gravy, green beans, corn, rolls and sweet tea. Hey, it's SC. We have to have sweet tea. Oh, and there was cake, yummy cake.

Then there was dancing. It was like a mini club in there. We did the Electric Slide-whereupon the children began to chant,"Go, old people! Go, old people!"-and some contemporary dances a la Soulja Bo, DJ Unk, and Vic.

The girls obviously had a great time and we got home late. It was a night to remember.

I am a slack mama.

The Astronaut, my second grader, is participating in his school's Inaugural Ball. It's basically a big fundraiser/pageant thing. I have raised absolutely no money. I am really disappointed in me because I worked so hard to get him to be a part of this. We joined late and I am thinking that I wasn't sent all of the information. Then Lettuce got sick and had to have what was supposed to be outpatient surgery. Except it wasn't outpatient and they kept him in the hospital. It's just been so stressful that the Inaugural Ball slipped my mind. Now this thing is Friday, and I just feel so bad. I am going to send out a last minute call for donations but I don't know what will happen. Then all of a sudden the school sends something about business sponsors. I had no idea we were supposed to solicit businesses. I hate asking the people I know for money, much less strangers. I feel so bad. I wanted him to do this to get out of his box. He is kind of a shy kid and I thought it would be good for him. And I totally fail.

I talked to Astronaut and he still wants to do it, so Mommy is going to have to make a last minute miracle.

If the kid only has a hundred bucks-donated by me, I will be there clapping for him. And taking pictures.

I am very disappointed in me today.

A new year, a new accomplishment!

On December 30th, Lettuce had surgery. It was supposed to be an outpatient surgery but do to unforeseen circumstances, they kept him overnight. He's fine now, came home on New Years Eve.

While we were there, Side Salad took a step. That's right, he took a step. My little monkey. He is 9 3/4 months old. This is the youngest any of my children has walked. Astronaut walked at 10 months, the divalicious Princess at nearly 14 months, and the mischievous Squirrel at 11 months. I am so proud!


Here is a grainy clip of my little darling stomping across the living room...obviously Santa didn't get that memo. I got a crockpot and a rice cooker.

Right before visions of sugar plums danced in their heads....

I love Christmas.

I love the magic, the mystery, the fun, the suspense, the traditions. Childhood seems so short now. I try to make Christmas as magical as possible for my kids while they are young. They believe in Santa. We have things we do. I want them to have traditions so that they are their uncles and my age, they can reminisce. Tonight, we set out the reindeer feed for Santa's crew. It's birdseed and glitter. We sprinkled it out in the yard. They loved it, though the Astronaut felt it necessary to give it a taste test-yuck! Then the real fun began.

The kids decorated cookies and a gingerbread house. They did a great job. The first time, we decorated, then baked. Didn't go so well. The kids piled on the sugar and sprinkles and all of the sugar carmelized-then burned. Plus the kiddies handled the dough so much it got really thin and hot. So the second batch, we adults made the cookies, then baked. Then I whipped up some quick frosting (powdered sugar, plus milk and a dash of vanilla extract) and the kids decorated them. This turned out much better and we had Santa-worthy cookies.

The Squirrel and her fractured gingerbread man

The Princess and her snowman

The Astronaut and his snowman

Then we decorated a gingerbread house. It was fun. Then everyone got washed up and went to bed without many complaints.

I have to go move the gifts downstairs. I only have a few hours until they are back up. They'll be up with the sun and I have to make breakfast, then start on dinner. I hope all of you are having a wonderful Christmas too.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!

My Astronaut

This is the Astronaut holding the Side Salad.

The Astronaut is a really, really good kid. He is that kid who is always well behaved and helpful, kind and generous, insightful and thoughtful. Sometimes, I can't believe he is mine. Astronaut is 8 years old and in the second grade.

He is my firstborn and I love him so much. A has been there for it all, all the ups and downs of my adult life. I had him when I was 18, just four months after graduating from high school. He was my reason. The reason I worked, the reason I went to college, the reason I did everything positive that I did. He still is, along with his sibling.

That's it. I just thought I'd do a post about him. He is a special guy

*sigh* Procrastination and the party

Saturday is the Astronaut and the Squirrel's combined multiage birthday party. I have 2 October babies, with their birthdays being only 9 days apart. I've grown weary of throwing two parties so this year they are having a party. Yes I know they are 5 years apart (Squirrel is 3 and Astronaute is 8) and different genders. But the same kids come to the parties and I think I picked something that will accommodate all the kids: a puppet show! We're going to the Marionette Theatre to see the "Wizard of Oz!"

The party is Saturday at 2. I think I should order the food. So far, all I ordered is the cake....