Not So Terrible Two's Part 2 _Taking it Back !

He's formulating his take over, look at him.

 So do you guys remember when I posted this post where I rambled on about how I didn't understand why people thought the two's were so terrible and how my two year old is perfect and blah blah blah, well I jinxed myself in a big way. Apparently when they hit 2 and 3/4 it kicks in, the fit throwing, the not listening, the I can do everything myself , but not really I'm just going to make a constant mess and break as many things as possible insanity goes into overdrive. If you value your sanity at all I suggest that three days before they turn 2 and 3/4 you find a military preschool and send them packing !!! There is not technique, no child safety lock, no Super Nanny strong enough to stop them from doing whatever it is they want to do. While they may still look cute and so very cherub and innocent like, they are secretly planing a take over , trust me, I am telling you this for your own good.
While I do still enjoy watching his little personality form, and love seeing him learning so much all the time, I just now realize why people look at you with such pity when you say you have a two year old. I just thought it would be good to warn other Mother's who may have read my original post and been horribly mislead.

Ps. Did I mention I have a teenager also.......Lord help me, I need a nap

Pss. *disclaimer-I really do love my children and do not think you should send your two year old away , I'm just trying to get the word out to prepare yourself.......it's coming !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lovin Is What I Got

So there is this really important guy, we usually call him Natedawg , he is my childhood friend, Bubba's "best homie" , Tinks Daddy, and my Husband.Today is his birthday I want to give him a million presents , but since I can't really afford that, I at least want him to know he is being thought of and that is why I am writing a list of Ten Things I Want My Hubby to Know on His Birthday (and every other day)........

1. You are one of the most forgiving people I have ever meant, you never hold a grudge against me, even when I deserve it.
2. I like that when we are just hanging out on the porch or laying in our bed talking, that I can laugh and be silly, or cry and either way you are right there with me.
3. Nothing in this world makes me happier than when I see you laughing and playing with our boys
4. I appreciate all the little things you do for us everyday, and wish I showed you that more.
5. You love Bubba without question, you are his Daddy , and I know that because you show it in the way you care for him, the same as you do Tink and I.
6. I love days when you make big dinner's and invite friends and family over to share them with us.
7. I am proud of you for wanting to get an education and sticking with it no matter how hard it has been, because you want to take care of us.
8. Our boys get to have a Daddy who is involved in their everyday life, and does not look at them as Mommy's job and that is an extraordinary thing to have. 
9. I'm thankful that you never gave up on me even though their was 20 years in between our first kiss and our second.
10. You are Loved !!!!!!!!!

Ten Great Things About Being Mommy

1.) I get to witness all the firsts , first time they lose a tooth, first time they tie their own shoes or dress themselves etc.
2.) I get to buy Sponge Bob Gogurt and pretend it's for them.
3.) I get to kiss three amazing guys goodnight every night (without getting a bad reputation ).
4.) I get to be the one they tell when something good happens.
5.) I get to hold them when they are sad, sleepy or hurt and I get to feel them relax and feel safe when I do.
6.) I get to say "Because I'm the Mom and I said so" .
7.) I get to to be the one who will drive them to their first homecoming dance.
8.) I get to hear all the funny stuff they say and the one who calls Nana so she can laugh to.
9.) I get to read Green Eggs and Ham 3 times a night .
10.) I get to be Joey and Isaiah's Mommy and that in itself is the best thing I will ever get to do, experience, feel, accomplish or be in my life.

FAQ's

If I like to stare at strangers
Long enough to figure something
Out about them
Does that make me intrusive ?

If country music makes me cry so
I turn it up and sing along
When I'm alone in my car
Would you say I am unstable ?

If people love me
But I don't understand why
Am I unworthy ?

I can't read your fortune
Or play the guitar
Would you like to be with someone more interesting ?

I can tell you I believe in God
From my corner bar stool
Where they are serving me my regular
Do you see me as a hypocrite ?

If I let you
Take care of me
Am I setting back the woman's movement ?

If I would rather read a book
Than have to wash my hair
And come to your party
Would you diagnose me with social anxiety disorder

If I want more
Does that make me motivated or ungrateful in your eyes ?

I don't know what they are talking about 75% of the time
When I watch CNN
Would you like to move on to someone more intelligent ?

Sometimes when I smile at people
I do it more to make them feel good
Then I do because I actually feel like smiling
Does this make me a fake ?

If I feel like I have a lot to say but I don't say it
Am I depriving you or saving you from my rambling ?

Gaining Focus

So right now all the boxes and clutter of the new house is consuming my mind and sending me into some manic, o.c.d like craziness, that is not pretty whatsoever. I know that it is very important that I get things organized, so that we can have some resemblance of a normal routine life again, but these things will come and in the meantime I am losing focus on what is truly and long term important to me, so I have decided to make a bring me back to my center list............

• First and foremost it is important to me that my kids always feel loved, listened to , and like a part of whatever is happening in our home.
• It is also important to me that both my kids have individual time with me, where we are learning, playing, or just being together without distraction .
• It is important to me that my husband and I talk about or lives, our plans, our kids and try to make common goals for each of these things.
• It is important for me that our home be a place people know they can go and feel comfortable, loved, and welcome.
• It is important to me that my kids learn to be grateful for what we have, and learn to always give thanks for it.

Just thinking about what is really important, in the grand scheme of things can make some of the things that have  been consuming my mind and actions seem pretty little in comparison. I know they are things that have to get done, but I also know that if I look at this list of what is really important everyday before I start my daily mania, everything has to be just right, right now tirade, my day will be planned very differently.

Drawer Turned Shelf

I made this shelf out of an old drawer, this was my first time attempting to upcycle furniture of any kind and also my first stab at acrylic paints. I loved how it turned out ! I had no expectations I kinda just sat down and started playing, I think I will do that more often. I did this a couple months ago, before we even knew we were moving, and turns out I just happen to pick toned down shades of the blue and orange for my living and dining room, I'm very excited about that now I can pick anywhere downstairs to display my little fun shelf. Hopefully I can take a better picture of this hanging on my new walls once all the moving craziness is over, to share with you.

Top Ten Things I Wish I Could Say (while still being truthful)

In no particular order...........

1. Oh your kid is having a meltdown, what's that like, I'm not familiar with this experience.

2. I tend to wash , fold and put away our clothes three times a day, in fact we don't even own a dirty clothes hamper cause we really have no use for it.

3. My son has never missed the bus, we are always up before the alarm goes off, we usually have plenty of time to get ready for our day, and then have a nice leisurely home cooked breakfast before the bus driver pulls up.

4. My husband and I spent some very nice quality time with each other last night after the kids went to bed. We  were not up all night scrubbing throw-up out of our toddlers carpet, blanket, toys, or hair.

5.  My Java Monster is not only cheap but completely fat free, it's actually better for me than drinking water.

6.  Really.... huh, they charge fines at the library for not bringing stuff back on time......I was not aware.

7.  Hi it's nice to meet you, my name is Judy...Judy Blume

8. No I don't have a system, organization and time management just seem to come very naturally for me.

9. I read a very interesting article about people living below the poverty line, man I don't know how they ever survive.

10. Denial is a total waste of time, that is why I stay totally grounded in reality at all times.

Easter Centerpieces

I've seen different Easter centerpieces using eggs or peeps inside the vases all over Pinterest, I tried to put my eggs inside the vases but it just didn't turn out like I planed. These are bright and springlike which makes me very happy, I love color, the more the better. It may be a bit much but for color lovers like me it may be just right ! I do think using a little larger vase might look a little better . All the materials are once again from the Dollar Tree, I really do love that place, if you haven't guessed that yet. So there you have it my Monday Pinterest inspired project, tell me what you think.

I am linking up with...........

http://katherinescorner.com/ 

Ain't Nobody Happy

I have officially managed to take the old saying "If Mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy" and turn in to a working theory. You see, I tend to get a little well ....... I guess we will call it frustrated, when I can't get things right. This morning everything was moving along just fine, there was even laughing and teasing, and the usual Sunday relaxation . I got on to the computer and started trying to tweak a few things for this here little blog , couldn't really get it to do what I wanted it to do, and started getting a little frustrated, but was still ok. I was taking a break from the whole tweaking of the blog thing , trying to ward off said frustration, so I decided to check my e-mail and what did I find, a review of my blog, now don't get me wrong there was good things, but of course, that is not what this post is about or what I in my already defeated frustrated state of mind focused on. So what is any reasonable woman who can't seem to get something on the computer right to do, oh yeah that's right, spread the grumpiness around a bit. Me being a reasonable woman, this is exactly what I did, I got snotty with the hubby and became less happy go lucky Sunday Mom with the kids. Needless to say it did not help me come up with a solution to my blog tweaking issues . So now I am still frustrated with this computer, and instead of walking away from it and joing in on my family laughter and teasing, I have managed to completely squash out the good moods, that is about the only successful thing I've managed all day . I now need to change my attitude because, I would like to have a happy day and according to the saying, the happiness around here is riding on me (I feel no pressure really none at all). Off to my trend setting wish me luck !

Little things that make me happy (My Tuesday top ten)

I Love Womans World ! Even though it's only like 2 bucks it's always exciting when my Hubby brings me one home from the grocery store. It shows he's thinking of me , and I get good articles, plus a crossword, oh yea !

Best show ever, I'm pretty sure I've seen every episode like 50 times !

If you like trivia , you gotta check this out !

 * side-note: While googling an image for this I found out that it is also a magazine, can't wait to see what that's all about.

Notebooks yes, your not seeing wrong, I love them, there is just so many possibilities for a fresh new blank notebook. I could spend countless hours in the office supply section of the store, notebooks, folders,post-its   oh my (my secret is officially out I'm a huge dork).

Madea........ Hallelujaher !

There is nothing better than coming home and putting on slippers : )

I have wasted many perfectly good hours playing Mall World (and plan on wasting many more).

Big ones, little ones, one's that make me smarter, one's that are just a good story, old ones, new ones, Books,Books,Books !

Make up, I don't wear it often , but when I do it makes me feel pretty. (and when I have make up on it usually means I'm going somewhere,yea I love getting out sometimes).

This Jason Mraz song, makes me wanna dance no matter what kinda mood I'm in.

So there ya have it folks my Tuesday top ten, it was lots of fun, think I'll do it again next week. If you wanna link up your own top ten head over to .....

My Challenge to You

I want to play, but I don't always know how, let me tag along, so that I can learn or enjoy in my own way

I know when you act strange and uncomfortable around me, even if I can't express that

I am a kid, just like you

I want to have a friend, and will probably be the best friend you've ever had (if you give me a chance)

My little brother drives me crazy

I love to build tents out of sheets and catch lighting bugs

If you gave me a chance your friends would to

I love pizza

I try to get my Mom and Dad to let me stay up later, watch t.v. on a school night, or eat junk before dinner

I don't like being treated like a baby even if you think I act like one

Do you talk to your kids about special needs kids ? Do you know that if your kids are around children with special needs they will not be afraid of the unknown ? They are watching you, do you treat special needs kids differently, do you talk to them like babies, do you correct them when they do wrong like you do other kids that are around, do you talk to the child directly or talk to there parents like they are not in the room. Do you know that 1 in 150 kids have autism ? Did you know that these kids are going to be adults in the adult world with your adult children ? Did you know that these adults may not have parents capable of taking care of them in there old age ? Have you realized that your children are one day going to be adults in a huge population of other adults with autism and eventually will be the adults shaping this world for these adults who no longer have parents to take care of them. Will your adult children, go back to institutionalizing  people they don't understand, or will your adult child be the one paving a new path, conforming this world to fit what is happening in this world, instead of not realizing that these adults can be contributing members of society, if society would be raised with more awareness and less fear.
 I am going to challenge you to stop and really think about how you teach your children to treat other children who may be seem different or hard to understand, how you teach your children not only in words but in example. Do I think that you would ever teach your children to be intentionally mean or hurtful ,no absolutely not. Do I think that by example allot of parents unintentionally teach there children to tip toe around and not stare, instead if walking firmly beside and asking questions about what they don't understand . Yes I do. I really believe that people don't want to be mean to people who are "different" but I don't think people always are taught the correct way to be kind. Do unto others applies to all others, my son, your neighbor, the boy in your Sunday school class, and the man at the grocery store . Please rethink.

I am linking up with.......

http://www.raisingmightyarrows.com/ 

Baking Sheet Magnet Boards

I have been seeing these baking sheets used as magnet boards, in various forms all over Pinterest. They are so simple and what kid doesn't like magnets. I chose to make color ones because that is what Tink is working on right now (so far everything is yellow according to him). I applied the little banner with velcro so I can change it to other colors and shapes easily. I think I'm going to make a "What doesn't belong" and "Pattern Making" for Bubba. I got the baking sheet at Dollar Tree and had the rest of the stuff at home. I forgot to buy magnets , so I just cut up an old one we had on the fridge and hot glued it to the items that didn't already have magnets. These are great cause you can do them sitting on the couch, in the car, or hang them on the wall. I am working on a big Pinterest inspired project that will be sharing with you on my Monday Pinterest inspired project March 19th post, I can't wait !!!!

An Insiders view

My brain is a very cluttered place to be (no I'm not bragging about how smart I am), it is a constant clutter, swirlie mix up of things I want to do, and things I need to do, and trying to find ways to merge the two. So here is a condensed down blogger friendly view of what is going through my head all the time..........

• Oh I need to get some table time work ready for Bubba, oh yea and some picture schedules, and call his   insurance people and ask about that one thing, oh and I really need to do some research on how to dispute his current I.E.P. .
• I want to play with all that new crafty stuff I got for me and Isaiah to play with last night
• I want to write on my blog, read other peoples blogs, and maybe stop by Pinterest and find a whole bunch of other things I want to do
• Ugghhh go in there and wash those dishes
• Spend some time with my husband (time that we actually talk and hang out, not the usual, he is studying and watching T.V. and I am doing something on the computer or for one of the boys
• Wait I just remembered I wanted to call my Mom and tell her about that cute thing Isaiah did earlier, and about how good Joey did at school today.
• I really want to call Melissa (my BFF) and make a date
• Wait I have to feed those boys again (3 times a day really boys, now your just being spoiled) 
• Bubba needs a shower, Isaiah needs a bath and his fingernails cut
• I told Joey I would help him clean his room, I should rearrange his furniture while I'm in there
• Man I've had to pee for an hour, speaking of pee, I should be encouraging Isaiah to sit on his potty more
• I should work on some of my blogging stuff while they nap, or get some housework done while they are napping or hang out with my Hubby without them for a while 
• Is the electric bill due today ? I will look it up....oh there is a new article from the Autism Society , and 500 links to other things I wanted to read about, I should check my FB while I'm on here

Does your brain look anything like this ? If it does you either have some serious ADD issues or you are a Mom, who also happens to be a wife, who also happens to have friends, and were not hatched from an egg so (if you are as fortunate as I am, and I hope you are) you have a Mom , Dad, Siblings and lots of other family you care about and are in your everyday thoughts. How do you balance this all out ? How do you keep your brain from exploding (in which case you would have to think about how you would clean up the brain mess from your walls and floor)? I need to figure this out, which is overwhelming a bit cause that will add to the swirl in my cranium at least till I perfect the art of growing 6 more brains 20 more hands, and 15 more hours in my day........Oh wait I need to put a load of laundry in, before Joey gets off the bus.............

PS. I'm very sorry if you were mislead into thinking this post would end with some awesome idea on how to achieve balance in your life. I wanted it to I really did, but yea I got nothin, I'll throw it in the swirl and let you know if anything comes up.

When my Blog Grows Up

 When my blog "grows up" I want it to be a place women go when they need the comfort or humor , you can only get from another woman, Mom, wife.
  I just started reading blogs about a year and a half ago, and by total accident, I just googled homemade presents and found about a million different blogs, that I could not stop reading. The one that really sticks out in my head though is called I'm a lazy Mom and it was not a crafty tip like site, I just sort of stumbled upon it. During that time in my life, things were very out of sorts, I was still going through allot of  postpartum depression from having my Tink, and just in general not feeling like myself, or a good Mom. I didn't have allot of women in my life at the time who could really sympathize with this situation, and was feeling very lonely.
  With the risk of sounding corny or stalkerish , Lazy Mom whom I had never meant or even had a conversation with helped me feel less lonely, and helped me to get my confidence as a Mom back. The stories on her blogs were just very real, and hilarious. I had been looking at all these blogs with these seemingly supermom, super organized, and crafty women and was feeling even less inadequate than I was already feeling, so when I came across Lazy Mom who actually admitted to having laundry that piles up and a life that is not strait out of Better Homes and Gardens it was a definite blessing disguised as a blog. I have since found other like minded Mamma's but Lazy Mom will always be the comfort food of my blogging world.

 I hope when my blog "grows up" that it will be a place a Mom can go to take a deep breath, and go away feeling like a more confident Mom , who want's to enjoy her kids more, and worry about her mounting laundry less. When women read my Blog, I want them to feel like they just sat down at my kitchen table, right in the middle of  all of my chaos, and had that cup of coffee with a friend that they have been needing.

PS. Lazy Mom is not really lazy to find out more check her out at http://www.imalazymom.com/

Have you thought about what goals you have for your blog ?

Homemade Hot Wheel Fun

So here it is as promised, my first Monday Pinterest Inspiration project..........

It is a racetrack, parking deck, ramp, all around boy fun kinda deal !

I used all stuff we had around the house, diaper box, scrap booking and construction paper, and a travel bingo free printable that I got at homeschooling.about.com/od/travelbingo -, a toilet paper roll, and some homemade Modge Podge, from Elmers Glue and equal parts water.

It was fun to make and Tink is having fun to !!!! 

Don't be Jealous

I know today is going to be a good day and here is why......

1st my husband made me these for breakfast this morning ........

Cake batter pancakes, oh yeah, like I said don't be jealous (ok you  can be a little jealous). This picture is from Betty Crocker's website where we got the recipe.

2nd my kids are going to go spend the night at their Nanna and Pepaw's . Don't get me wrong I love my kids and really do enjoy spending time with them. But spending a little time without them definitely can't hurt. So once nap time is over we're packing them up and sending them off . My husband and I are going to have  alone time which usually goes something like this......

1st 1/2 hour kids are gone- dancing and singing with joy

Next 2 hours-"what do you wanna do" ? "I don't know what do you wanna do" ? "You wanna get something to eat" ? "yeah we should go out since we don't have the kids" "Where do you wanna go" ? "I don't know where do you wanna go" etc........

Next hour-"you go ahead and get in the shower first" "No really you go ahead"

3 hours later- "You wanna just get carry out "? "Yeah but what" ?

2 hours later- We finally actually order the carry out, sit on the couch and eat, and discuss how much we miss the kids .

Next morning- "Man I hope they keep the kids till at least evening". "Yeah me to, what do you wanna do"?

And last but not least thing I don't want you to be jealous of.........
My sink is broke so I don't have to can't do the dishes .

Pinterest Is The New Crack

So I don't know if you guys have discovered Pinterest yet, but I did.....and well I'm pretty sure crack couldn't even be this addictive. I went on a 3 day pinning binge, this weekend and when I say binge, I mean there is a good chance that Childrens Services might car pool with the divorce lawyer kinda neglect around here. Luckily my husband was here to diaper and feed the children while I frantically pinned everything I could click my mouse on. I've never been one to do a whole lot in moderation (except maybe my dishes). But some good came out of my binge , I got some awesome ideas for stuff to do with the boys, some learning activities, some play, some learn play combo's, and some good Mommy crafts (very simple do to my uncraftiness ) and some pretty nifty  organization tips. Now since I almost lost my husband and my Mother of the year award over, finding these idea's , I figure the only way to rectify myself is to actually use some of them. This may be a big struggle in self discipline for me cause I am way more of a idea woman, than an actual try new things woman, so you guys are going to help hold me accountable. I'm going to give you an update on my "Pinterest inspired projects" each Monday. I also need to post more often so it's kinda like a two bird one stone, success breeding succsess thing. So off I go to clean my house,or maybe spend time with my hubby while the kids are in bed...........ok ok to pin some more stuff.

PS. if you wanna see the results of my binge pinning, you can press the button right on the side of this page, don't forget to follow my boards when you get there, so we can steal share idea's. Also don't forget to stop and shower at least once a day (common Pin newbie mistake).

Shaving Cream Fun

Tink was not feeling well today, not sick enough to just lay around , but sick enough to be extra cranky and needy. So we had to find calm but fun stuff to do to keep him happy. Playing with shaving cream is a favorite around here, and we haven't done it in awhile so it seemed like a good choice. Usually when I do shaving cream with Bubba we practice writing letters and sight words by drawing them in the shaving cream, but today I decided to make it a little more toddler friendly for Tink.So here is what we did.......

First we got out baking sheets and covered them in shaving cream , then we burried his little "people" in the shaving cream. As fished each one from the shaving cream he threw them in a big mixing bowl full of water, to "give them a bath". He loved this, we also hid pennies in there . This kept him cranky free for about an hour and was easy to clean up, in fact all the shaving cream and water probably cleaned my table and hard wood floors some to (multi-purpose play). Next time we play shaving cream, I'm going to use Hot Wheels and set up a little car wash.

Parenting Style

  With a world full of, talk shows, parenting magazines, and yes Mommy bloggers, we are bombarded by parenting advice everyday. We are fit into parent labels i.e. helicopter moms, green moms, under-protective, overprotective, hands on , stay at home, working Mommy.....etc. We have come to a point that we are no longer just parents, our goal is no longer simply to raise our children, it is to raise our children in whatever style is in fashion right now.

Can I have this Dance ?

 Do you dance with your kids, your husband , your best friend ? Do you dance in your kitchen, or while getting your kids ready for school ? If you answered no to any or all of these..........stop reading this now and go dance (don't forget to come back when the dancing is over, I'll wait ).

Boys......My Boys

Their feet stink, they never stop talking. They act like monkey's with their hands under their armpits. They eat more than should be humanly possible. I think they might have bacteria growing under

Attention Germs

We have all been taken down by germs in my house this week, nasty no good useless germs !

Not Guilty

Lately I have had this constant feeling of guilt following me around, it is stuck in my gut and head. No I did not rob a bank or mug an old lady. What I having been feeling guilty about is much more complicated (but probably less exciting)than that.

Haircuts and chainsaws

Sitting on the couch today trying to get rid of a massive headache, when suddenly I hear screaming in the bathroom. I sit up a little straighter because for some reason that's what we do when we are trying to listen closer, as if there is some connection to good posture and hearing.

True Love (in a can)

There are many things I love in this world, like my my children, husband, blah, blah, etc......But this super special thing, that really gets me every time is my Java Monster !

I Do (but only if we can do it my way)

So I have talked to you about being a Mommy , and a family, but not so much about being a wife. I am most of the time fairly cofident in my ability to be a Mommy, a wife not so much,

Not So Terrible Twos !

I just realized that Tink is almost two and a half, and so far, I can really say that I enjoy this age allot ! I was worried, with everyone talking about the terrible two's and all but either my Tink is behind on his terrible mark, or he didn't get the memo about turning from cute and precious baby, to horrible bratty toddler on the day he turned two.

Goodbye to the to do's

 I have recently decided to completely do away with to do list, this was a very hard decision considering I thought to do lists were very important. The reason for this decision is that I realized to do lists do not make me get more stuff done, they only make me feel crappy about what I have not got done. So because I don't like feeling crappy, I've decided to start making what I got done lists instead. If I would have had a weekend to do list it would have looked something like this.......

1. Fold clothes
2. Clean Bathroom
3. Reorganize Christmas decorations before storing them
4. Clean out refrigerator
5. Take boys for a hair cut 

Myth Buster

 I am a stay at home Mom so most people assume that I do crafts, and have play dates, while wearing a perfectly pressed polo shirt all day. Well most people would be wrong, I have tried to do some crafts a few times , but I am not very crafty and I have the attention span of a very small housefly.

Three Times The Stink

I live in a house with two stinky little boys and one stinky husband. I mean stinky in the ornery, rotten, cute way, not in the Oh my gosh did you take a shower this week kinda way (though that may apply sometimes also). When you live in a house with this much male influence there are certain things you should know.......

• No one wants to talk about their feelings (or yours)
• There will be injuries on an hour to hour basis
• You will never get any junk food to yourself unless you eat in the car on the way home from the grocery store (you can try to hide it if you want but they will find it oh yes they will)
• Bodily noises are not a source of embarrassment , but a source of amusement and even pride
• It is extremely important to learn how to make a Hot Wheel ramp out of just about anything if you want to have any chance of hanging out with the cool crowd
• But most importantly you should know, if you live with boys anything like mine, your heart will always be full.