Mary the Destroyer

So Mary's new thing is to get into the kitchen cabinets. Copying the design layout of Jenny R...

What? Just looking for a little Tupperware for leftovers.

How about this pretty pink measuring cup? Anyone?

Well, while I'm in here...how about looking through ALL mom's recipes for some good eats?



Found one! It's a recipe for lemonade. (For real. That's the one she chose.)

And this nonsense happens about every other day. Some would say "put locks on your doors". Bah! This is free babysitting!

Merry Christmas from the Ourslers!

I love that at Christmas my kids actually focus more on Jesus than Santa. We have several nativity sets around the house and they love to look at them. Our favorite is an interactive set called "What God Wants for Christmas". Each night for the week leading up to Christmas, one boy opens a present and places a member of the nativity story into the manger scene. There is a book that we read each night that speaks of that night's character and their role in the Christmas story. At the end of each page it says, "What God wants for Christmas? It's to you a surprise. In box #7 it is disguised. But no peeking--be patient. For this you must wait. It's what you offer Him and it's really great." In box #7 is a little mirror so that the kids know that God wants them for Christmas. I love the tradition of opening this little box on Christmas Eve and remembering that the reason God sent His Son was to get me! I am His present. How awesome is that?

Tomorrow morning we'll release balloons to Jesus for His birthday. The boys love it.

Merry Christmas everyone. May God bless you and your family as you celebrate this time. May your kids know that God loves them so much that He sent Jesus to them on Christmas day.

End of an era

I thought I would be really sad about today, but, surprisingly I am not. I guess I am ready to start a new time for our family of "big kid" time. I know that Mary still has some catching up to do to the boys but I look forward to the next chapter of our family. I love having a baby in the house but I truly feel God has blessed our family with the exact right children at the exact right time. It's my dream family. And, the boys could not possibly love anyone more than they love little Mary.

So, it's the end of an era for the Ourslers but the beginning of a great new one as well. I am thankful for my wonderful husband and his willingness to do this today. He's a trooper. I have frozen peas waiting for him when he returns.

Yes, No, Maybe

On the way home from school on Friday Luke announced the following:

"Mommy, from now on, when you want to say 'yes' you say 'Obama'. 'No' is now 'John McCain'. And 'maybe' is 'O John'."

So, keep up with First Grade vocab changes, people.

Goof

Today Isaac walked down to my office at Sprouts and when he walked through the door, he was walking backwards with a HUGE smile on his face. Here's the conversation:

Mommy: Hey buddy, what's up?
Isaac: Guess what, Mommy? I walked backwards the whole way down here!
Mommy: Down the stairs and everything?
Isaac: Yep, I'm such a goof.

HI-Larious!

One more thing.....

Today my dad asked if Mary was wearing a hand-me-down outfit from her older brothers. Seriously??? (that comment is in honor of Ang and KJ) Have you ever seen me dress Luke and Isaac in pink stripe leggings and a flower shirt? Come on.

Mary's Window Washing Service

The other night KJ said she needed to clean her windows. She said she hadn't done them in 6 months (I haven't done mine in......ever) I didn't know that Mary was good at window cleaning--she's booked with me for the next few weeks but will be available for others on an "as needed" basis.

Sore throat and more

Isaac has a sore throat. He also has had a low fever for the past couple days. I think he is fine, and quite honestly, I like it when he is sick because he is slower.

Anyway, yesterday we went to visit Chris as work. He had gotten a new office and Isaac wanted to see it. On the way there Isaac was watching Shrek the Third. In the movie, Charming says, "I will restore dignity to the throne." Isaac pipes up from the back seat, "Mommy, that is what hurts in my throat." I was half listening to the movie so I ask, "What is it that hurts?" Isaac answers, "My dignity."

Classic.

Craft Fair

Well, I did my first craft fair this weekend. To protect myself from being picked up by other bloggers who hated this craft fair I will keep the name a secret. But, I will tell you that it SUCKED! AUGH!

1. We were up on a stage, 4 feet higher than the floor.
2. We were at the BACK of the stage with hardly any light.
3. The booth in front of us had a 6 foot high shelving system packed with bags that extended almost the entire length of the stage and completely blocked any and all view of us.
4. We were next to a health food dealer and the other side was a chiropractor. Fun.
5. The health food dealer had such a bad attitude about their booth being in the back and being blocked that they were talking trash about the event to us on Saturday for 7 hours straight. In fact, the woman health food dealer got into a fight with the promotor and the police were called.

On the positive side, a booth on the floor in a prime spot left on Saturday because she wasn't making any sales. My friend Priscilla and I swooped in and took her spot and doubled our orders today not to mention got away from the angry lady up on the stage.

All in all we didn't make our entry fee back in sales but we met some nice people and hopefully will get some sales from that.

Of course, the highlight of my two days was when my friend Jenny showed up with Tate!!

Oh! And Tate did the nastiest toot ever. It was foul. Guess Bongo was right.

Booger Collection

As promised....

A couple weeks ago Luke got up to go to the bathroom after I put him in bed. I stood at the door of the bathroom to make sure no tomfoolery would happen. As he was walking out he paused, reversed course, and picked something up off the counter.

Mommy: "What is that?"
Luke: "Nothing."
Mommy: "What is that?"
Luke: "A booger."
Mommy: "GROSS! Throw that in the trashcan! That is disusting! Why did you pick up a booger off the counter?"
Luke: (whining) "This is a good one! I need it for my Booger Collection!"
Mommy: "WHAT?! No, throw it in the trash. You have a booger collection??? That is gross! Where is it?"
Luke: "I just started it. This is big booger and I want to keep it."
Mommy: "NO! THROW IT AWAY!!"

Luke begrudgingly throws the booger away.

Mommy: "And if I EVER find a booger collection in this house you will be in big trouble."

So much going on.....

I have been absent from the blogging world for way too long. The reason is that I have been preoccupied with the thought of starting my own business. For those of you who did not grow up with me, let me give you some background:

I was the sole employee of a gift shop in Derby, KS during high school. It was the best job ever. The store was called Ashbury's and was very much a Hallmark knock-off. We had Crabtree and Evelyn, Aromatique, Dreamsicles, Beanie Babies, cards, music, Boyd's Bears, Mary Englebreit, etc. The list goes on and on. Basically, if it was in a Hallmark, we had it and then some. I loved it because I basically ran the store on weekends and eventually when I came home from college I would run it all summer. All that to say, it has always been my dream to open a similar store for myself.

OK, now back to the present. I signed on with Blessings Unlimited (www.rebekah.blessingsdirect.com) on Sunday, September 21. I am now an Independent Consultant with this company which just so happens to be owned by Hallmark. That's right. As Chris puts it "You own your own Christian Hallmark store now but it is just all in our front room." Yep. I am so very excited. Now, I am not the pushy sales person that would probably post big numbers for the company but I am passionate about the ministry opportunity and the products. All that to say, I've had a one-track mind for the last couple weeks.

There are plenty of amusing kid stories to share with you---and I will. Just be patient, and when I grab a few minutes I'll post the one about the Booger Collection or the Lollipop Pee Pee or Mary's New Teeth. Ahhh....got you interested don't I???

Stay tuned....

Oh Isaac

Here's another one for your anthology of Isaac stories:

It was beautiful weather on Monday so I decided to walk to Luke's elementary school to pick him up at 3 p.m. It happened to be a Grace Sprouts preschool day so Isaac had not taken a nap that day. No worries, he seemed happy and joyfully pulled out his little tricycle to ride the 1/4 mile trip to the school. I loaded up Mary in her stroller, put Luke's scooter and helmet in the basket and we started off.

Isaac rode his little legs off for the first 5 minutes. Then, in an instant, his legs could go on no longer. He screamed. He stopped moving. He cried, "Why did you make me ride my bike?" I screamed. I pushed his bike with the stroller. I cried, "Get moving."

At one point Isaac pedaled into the middle of the street and stopped and cried. I kept on moving. That didn't work.

As we neared the school cross walk I stopped to talk to one of the first grade teachers. I said, "If a mom ever asks you if it is a good idea to take a 4-year old out for a walk when he hasn't had a nap, please tell her 'no'. " To which the teacher replied, "I'd never take my 4-year old out without a nap. That's crazy."

Thanks.

Random Observations on the RNC

1. To attend the RNC you must wear a sportcoat.
2. To attend the RNC and be a woman, you must wear feather boas and an obnoxious hat.
3. To be the potential First Lady, you must wear a crazy rhinestone pin and huge pearls.
4. Rudy Guiliani likes to hear himself speak. He eggs the crowd on and laughs at himself.
5. If you were in Student Council in high school, you were probably recruited to make posterboard and Sharpie marker signs for people to hold up that say:
a. Drill Now
b. I love Mac
c. Roll Tide, No 'Bama
6. You have to yell "zero" at weird times and hold up the "OK" sign but I guess that they mean "zero".

I know that I have alienated a few Republicans on this one, but come on. Did you watch it???

Weekend Shopping Trip

Here is everything I bought this weekend at Kroger, CVS, and Walgreens. I got all this for $31.75.

Here's the detailed list of what I purchased:
1 Uncle Ben's Ready Rice---coupon for one free in mail
1 Sara Lee Wheat bread---coupon for one free in newspaper
3 9-roll packages of Charmin---on sale at Kroger for $3.74 + used three $0.25 coupons from P&G insert
2 Boxes Hefty Big Bags---on closeout for $2.99 at Kroger + used a BOGO coupon
2 Gillette shave gel---on sale at Kroger for $1.49 + used 2 $0.55 coupons from P&G insert
1 Noxema shave gel---$1.49 at Kroger + used $1 coupon from magazine
6 cans of Pringles---on sale at CVS for $0.88 each + used 2 $0.30 off 3 coupons from P&G insert
4 Cover Girl Outlast lipsticks---on sale for BOGO at CVS+ used 2 BOGO coupons from P&G insert (all 4 FREE!)
1 Shick Quattro for women (with 4 Bonus blades!)---on sale at Kroger for $8.99 + used $4 coupon
1 Febreeze Noticables---on sale at CVS for $6.99 + used $5 coupon from P&G insert
4 boxes Kleenex---on sale at Walgreens for BOGO + used $0.50 off 3 coupon
2 South Beach Diet pizzas---on sale at Kroger for $3 + used $1 coupon on each
3 boxes Excedrin 24-count ---on sale at Walgreens for $1.99 + used 3 $2 off PM coupons (worked on regular Excedrin!)
2 KY Warming massage oil box set (one included a back massager and the other a romantic CD)---on closeout at Walgreens for $2.99 + used 2 $3 coupons (FREE!)
2 Star-Telegram newspapers

HOORAY! This, my friends, is why you should clip coupons. Have a great week!

First Day, First Grade

Luke started first grade on Monday. It is a different feeling to have a bona fide elementary student in your house. When he was in kindergarten it didn't feel real---probably since he was only in school from 8-11 each day (what is up with 3 hours of school???).

Luke is so much like me in so many ways. He wasn't a bit nervous about school this year. His best buddy, Drew, was in his class and sat right next to him (they got separated today,but that's another blog at another time). He was confident and happy to return to school. I am so very proud of him. Luke's teacher is Ms. Hyland and this is her first year at our school. She's been teaching for 8 years and I can tell she is a dedicated and compassionate teacher. She is so cute and excited, truly excited to be a teacher. God is so good to put Luke in her care this year.

We started a tradition last year that Chris would take off work for Luke's first day so he could be there for drop-off and pick-up. We also began the tradition of having party hats and horn blowers when we pick up Luke at the end of the day as a "Happy First Day of School" celebration. He loves it. This year the theme for our little celebration was Star Wars.

Happy first week of school!

Well, that was short lived....

Don't faint as I start my story.

So, today I was dusting my dresser. (I know.)

And Isaac started playing with a little music box on my dresser. Here's how our conversation went:

Luke: Where is that music box from?
Mommy: Daddy's grandma. She died before you were born but we saved it for Isaac.
Luke: Grandma? Like Daddy's mommy?
Mommy: No, Daddy's grandma. You didn't ever meet her. She is Paco's mommy. (yep, we call Chris's dad Paco)
Luke: Do you think Paco misses his mommy?
Mommy: Oh, I bet so.
Luke: Why?
Mommy: Well, wouldn't you miss me if I died?
Luke: No. Because then I'd go live with Uncle Jer-Bear and I could watch Star Wars whenever I wanted to.

So, it was a good thing I got breakfast-in-bed yesterday because otherwise I'd be a basketcase today.

Reborn Mommy

This morning I woke up to my 4-year old Isaac bringing a tray into my room and putting it over my legs while I was still in bed. He then ran out of the room as fast as his little legs could carry him and brought in another tray and put it up on Chris's side of the bed. I sat up and got my wits about me. "What in the world are the boys doing?" So, I got out of bed and peeked out of my door to see my 1st grader Luke screwing the top on a sippy cup. Next to him was the carton of chocolate milk. I quickly ran to get back in bed. Just then Luke walked in with a sippy cup of milk and a Cheerios cereal bar for both me and Chris. Smiling from ear to ear he said, "I just saw on Arthur a mommy who was all by herself so her kids made her breakfast." It was the sweetest thing I have ever had done for me.

Don't you think that God revives you just when you need it most? Just when you think you are at the end of your rope, He sends someone to bring you a sippy cup of milk to give you just a little bit more strength. I am reminded today that God wants us to enjoy the simple things in life and that He is always there to give us refreshment. My boys showed me a bit of Jesus's love today and I will never forget it.

Bum leg

So, Mary started "crawling" this week--she's 8 months old. Sorry, Landon. And her method of crawling has me laughing. Both my boys started army crawling at 6 months and then moved right into regular crawls. Not Mary. She has been rolling all over tarnation for about 4 months now. For about the last month she has mastered the roll over and then sit up movement, which gets her just about wherever she needs to go. Now she gets up on all fours and moves hand, hand, leg, and then you would suspect the next movement to be leg, but she keeps one leg folded and just drags it. It's like she's been wounded in battle and is dragging the bum leg behind her. It gets her real frustrated and is rather funny. Anyway, I count it as crawling and I would post a video of it but Big Guy hasn't taught me how to do that yet.

All Olympics, All The Time

I am addicted to the Olympics. I stay up till freakin' midnight every night watching everything.

Volleyball? Yep.

Sand Volleyball? You betcha.

Kayaking? Sure.

Swimming? Am I an American?

Gymnastics? Does a bear have fur?

I did, however, hear that one Michigan transplant isn't much of a fan of the Olympics. I have requested a check of her citizen status. I think she may be secretly Canadian.

I am also requesting a recap of Jeremy's Olympic run. Please re post, Jeremy. The world needs your inspiration now.

In Defense of Michigan Part 2

Remember how Kim loves Michigan?

Well, maybe that Michigan love will get tamed down a bit after this.

More Isaac & Luke

My kids keep me laughing, even when it's inappropriate.

So, I'm wrestling with the boys and I've got them rolling in tickle laughter. Then, I smell it.

Mommy: What is that smell?
Isaac: (stands up and raises his hand) It's ME! I tooted! (he loves to toot)
Mommy: Aww! Gross! It smells stinky! (and I get up to leave)
Luke: That is the smell of victory!

Happy Birthday Hermano-in-law!

Jeremy has reached the big 3-0 today and I just want to wish him a very happy birthday. Love you, Jer-bear!

Things I've Learned

I've been off of the blogosphere for a few days now and today I have returned and have learned a few things.

1. When my computer screen is being projected up on the big screen at church headquarters I have to be careful not to check my blog during down time because Bongo might have "M f'er" as a title on his blog post. Thanks, Bongo.

2. Jenny and NAN's dad is freakin' funny. I think we should invite him to margarita night--although I think he may try to out-drink Jenny and NAN and, quite honestly, I don't know if anyone can do that.

3. I missed Feremy Upchurch. I am glad he is back.

HUGE sale at MoneySavingMom today

I know you have all read about my fantastic deals that I have scored thanks to moneysavingmom.com (mascara, Lysol cleaners, shampoo....the list goes on and on). Well, today you can get a great deal on some of her fabulous e-books to get you started saving money for your home. I am purchasing them today as well!

TODAY ONLY you can get an incredible ebook package from MoneySavingMom.com--over $100 worth of money-saving ebooks, homemaking helps, and encouragement for only $5.97! I can't believe she's offering such a great price and I'd highly recommend you run over here and check it out. What makes this deal so good is that this ebook package includes the ecourse Supermarket Savings 101--this course alone is worth much more than $5.97 and will teach you how to drastically reduce your grocery bill. If high fuel and food costs are discouraging you and leaving you strapped for cash, you definitely need to buy this ecourse. You'll learn how to cut your grocery bill by up to 50% or more and have fun saving money at the same time!Go here to read more about this huge sale! Hurry, though, the price goes up tomorrow--get this money-saving ebook package at a ridiculously low price while you can!

If you think one of your friends would benefit from this, then send them this link http://ourslerblg.cpaine.hop.clickbank.net/ so they can get this great deal today. The price goes up every day until the sale is over on Friday.

You too can be like me and learn the great secrets of saving money on your grocery bill!

Going, going, gone

Hello friends. I am going to leave on Wednesday for Indianapolis to work on our church denomination's magazine. You can check out my past work here---scroll to bottom and you'll see The Connection magazine. I do the layout and design. I didn't do the one with the tornado on it as I had just had Mary so if you hate it, that's why. :)

Anyway, I'll be off the blogosphere all this week. I need to get my house in order before I leave and work on the magazine as much as I can. See you next week! Don't post too much, or I'll be up all night when I get back reading it all! (maybe I can sneak in some bloggin' time at night in Indy---we'll see)

Adios!

ROAR

Today is Friday. That means we meet Daddy for lunch. Chick-Fil-A was the designated meeting place today and the boys were pumped because they love the play area. Of course, Isaac won't eat CFA chicken so I had to stop by Wendy's to get him chicken from there. You can lecture me on healthy eating habits later. (I'll pretend to listen--deal?)

Anyway, on the way out, I go get the boys from the play area. I now let them go in there alone, despite my fear of kidnappers and molesters, because I make them repeat this to me "Brothers are a TEAM!" before they go in. Today, brothers were a team of fear and intimidation. I come to get them and a little girl says to me, "Those boys made a kid cry." Not my boys. Right? Wrong. Here's the story as told to me by Luke.

"The other kids weren't listening to my orders. I was the king of the T-Rex castle and Isaac was my guard. If any of the kids tried to come up to our spot, Isaac roared at them and told them to leave. If they didn't listen to him, I would come help him get them out."

Yep. I was that mom today. The one the other moms were all looking at when I left because my boys had made their kids cry. As angry as I was, and believe me, they got a punishment of no TV or movies & no allowance for today, I did kind of smile when I heard they were working as a team.

Another day as Isaac's mom

Luke really does do funny stuff but Isaac's antics just are so above and beyond that his get talked about most. For instance, tonight I was laying down with Isaac and he jumped up to wash his hands. When he got back in bed, he tooted (loves to toot, see Sarah's story) and then he says, "Mommy, smell my blanket." GROSS! But funny. I laughed and shouldn't have because it just encouraged him. Then he says, "I am Master Yoda" in a funny voice. It is nowhere near the voice for Yoda but the fact that a 4-year old is trying to sound like Yoda is so funny that I lose it again. I am laughing so much that Chris has to come and take me out of the room because he can see that the Mommy/Isaac combo just isn't going to work for tonight.

Questions for Angie!!!

I can't believe that I have to ask Angie or Sarah questions--the two people I know the best. Oh well. Let's see if we can get some scoop on Angie.



1. What sport would you like to play professionally?
2. If you could read the private diary of anyone in the world, who would it be?
3. How did you meet Seth?
4. Who gave you your first kiss and where (not body location)?
5. What room in your house do you spend the most time in?
6. What is the worst vacation you ever took?
7. Narrow it down and describe one embarrassing moment.
8. What is your favorite food/meal to make?
9. What is your favorite animal?
10. If the statement "you are what you eat" were true, you would be a _________. ?
11. What grade do you teach and what do you enjoy the most about teaching?
12. Name a special talent you have that is unique.
13. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
14. What is your nickname?
15. Would you rather Seth never shave his face, or never put on deodorant?
16. What color are your toenails right now?
17. What is your guilty pleasure TV show?
18. How do you remember meeting me?

I am a coupon queen!

I got all this today at Kroger for $21.82. That's 4 bottles of Lysol Bathroom Cleaner, 3 bottles of Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner, 2 bottles of Lysol All Purpose cleaner, 1 Heinz ketchup, 2 bottles of Cattleman's BBQ sauce, 2 boxes of Tyson Chicken Patties, 1 dozen eggs, 1 Betty Crocker Warm Delights, 1 Betty Crocker frosting, 1 carton Egg Beaters, 1 Betty Crocker cookie mix, 2 packages of Hebrew National hotdogs, and 1 box of Special K 90 calorie bars. I saved 70% with coupons.

My claim to fame

I don't claim to be uber-famous like Kim DrusaVESTsjrkfn but I do have one teensy tiny claim to fame. I met, talked to, and posed for a picture with Kirk Cameron. This is me and my sister about 4 years ago after a taping at Jeremy's TV show. We went to hear Kirk Cameron speak on his new ministry. Afterwards we met Kirk and took a pic with him. I was as giddy as a little school girl and he was just as cute then as he was on all the Teen Beat pictures I had of him on my wall in 8th grade.

I love my kids

Make a Smilebox slideshow

What's In Your Fridge--the response

My friend Emily (one of my very best friends from high school) has issued a challenge to take a picture of what is in our fridge RIGHT NOW. No cleaning. No taking out stuff. Just whatever is in there, take a picture of it. Here's mine. Have I mentioned that I love Diet Coke?

Ma ma ma

It officially happened today. Mary went from screaming in excitement at all things to starting to make the ma ma ma sound. It's only a matter of time before she is speaking in complete sentences and from there, blogging. Watch out.

Ants

We have ants. Lots of ants. Little Black Ants to be exact.

Put a fork in the sink--10 minutes later you have "ant fork".

Put the toaster away and forget a few crumbs on the counter---"ant crumb".

Open your dishwasher---"ant dishes".

It's disgusting. It's gross.

It's $90 plus tax to get taken care of.

Goodbye partial highlights and haircut. Goodbye pedicure. Goodbye eating out. Hello Common Sense Pest Control.

Stuck in my head

Sit down. You'll need to brace yourself for this one.

I was mopping my bathroom floor yesterday---are you still with me?---did we lose anyone?---and I was singing a song in my head.

Maybe a new song on the radio?---Nope.

A song the boys have on one of their Noggin shows?---Nope.

Hey--maybe a song from church?---Nope.

It was this one .

Check this out

You have to read this story on my husband's blog. AND, please, for the love of everything that is holy, comment on his blog. He is feeling unloved.

Whoa--Angie has a new blog layout

Pink Is the New Black

I Stinkin' Met KJ Today!!!

So, today I went to meet Angie for lunch with the kids at MCD on N.Tarrant. I said a little prayer in my head that Kim DrusthVESTakdfnadfnlkn would be there. And, lo and behold, there she sat with cute as can be Landon! She is just as hilarious in person as she is on her blog which is different than some people who are funny in writing but not in person (I stole that description from my sister). Of course, Angie kept us rolling with her comments on "bonus" (ask her later).

My boys were soooo happy because they got three new Transformers characters from the Happy Meals (yes, we saved one from another HP that was a duplicate and Luke traded it in for a different one today). So, lucky us, we are now only missing one Transformer guy to have the complete set and if you do the math, that means we have been eating at MCD a lot lately which probably contributes to my weight gain this week. All that to say, I met KJ today!

I'm bored

Where do I get a cool template for my blog? I am bored with this one. Suggestions?

I LOVE CVS

My friend Amanda told me about this great website called http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ YOU HAVE TO CHECK IT OUT!!! It is (ahem) BETTER than the Grocery Game. I know, I know. I was a little fearful that I'd be struck by lightning for saying that but it is true. My sister will probably disown me and Jennifer's sister will hunt me down and hurt me with her cross-stitch needle (http://www.theblogginogden.blogspot.com/) but I don't care.



Here's the lowdown. This lady gives you the exact BEST deal with coupons and sales down to the number of coupons to use and where to print off different ones online for CVS, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Target, and other places we don't have in Texas. The reason I say I LOVE CVS is because they will not only give you great deals with coupons and sales, those crazy CVS people also give you money back. My brother-in-law is in love with this place too (http://sarahupchurch.blogspot.com/2008/05/jeremy-is-almost-30and-sadlyso-am-i.html



For instance, today, again thanks to Amanda, I was tipped off on a great deal involving Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara. Regularly $8.49, on sale for B1G1 (that's coupon lingo for Buy One Get One Free) and then in the Proctor & Gamble coupons that came in Sunday's paper there was a B1G1 coupon and so, that's right, I purchased 4 tubes of mascara for $0 today! HOORAY!!



I LOVE CVS.

My Vices

As I sit here at 10:30 at night sipping on a Diet Coke with cherry and vanilla from Sonic I realize I have quite a list of vices. So, in the spirit of complete disclosure I present Rebekah's Top Ten Vices of all time.

10. Picking the dead skin off my heels in the summer. I have done this for as long as I can remember and it's gross. But, I can't help myself!

9. Checking email 2000 times a day. I don't even know that many people and yet I always think there is going to be something great in my email each day that I need to continually check for.

8. Chewing the cuticles on the sides of my fingernails. I didn't say this was going to be a pretty list.....

7. Peeing with the door open---but only when I am at home---and only if there is only my immediate family around---and only if I'm peeing.

6. Crime dramas on TV. My sister likes the real life crime dramas but not the fake ones. I don't discriminate. Give me CSINY or 48 Hours and I'm hooked.

5. Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. You know, I'm supposed to be on a diet but I can polish off a tube of those delicious 2 points a piece things in 3 days. But really, that's only 12 points total.

4. Talking on my cell phone the minute I sit my butt in the car. Chris teases me that I always come home with the phone to my ear.

3. Frosting. Love it.

2. NOT doing housework or cooking. I hate both but feel like I should like them both because my mom and sister are so good at them. I would rather hire someone. Darn budget.

1. Diet Coke, Diet Coke, Diet Coke. I am absolutely addicted. I only like Diet Coke in the can or from Sonic with cherry and vanilla. I hate it in the fountain without flavoring.

OK. That's it. Now you can all post your friendship resignation letters to me.... he he.

Mary's 6 month pictures

First of all, I cannot believe that Mary is 6 months old. Everyone at the Oursler home is totally smitten with that little girl. She brings such complete joy to us all.

Secondly, I have the MOST talented friends in the world. My friend Julie is a stinkin' amazing photographer and took Mary's 6 month pics.

http://www.jbellephotography.com/

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My friend Angie (http://www.thelindblooms.blogspot.com/) makes all Mary's bows and is sooo good at it. She also has great taste in clothes as evidenced by two of the three outfits Mary is wearing are hand-me-downs from her (watermelon & denim).

My sister gave me a hand-me-down of the pastel dress outfit. I am so lucky to have these great women in my life!

WW Week 7

I had to skip WW this week since we had a garage sale--and made $110!! And I ate a donut at the garage sale. It's tradition people, to eat the garage sale donut breakfast. Get off my case.

WW Week 6

Suck. I gained 0.2. Total for 6 weeks is 9.4.

Oh, Isaac

Have I mentioned that Isaac is our funny one?

Tonight at dinner Isaac made his food talk to him.
"Hello, I'm Mister Pringle. Don't eat me! Augh!!!!"

Then he picked up two grapes and put them in front of his eyes.
"Hello, I have grape eyes."

Then he ate one of the grapes.
"Mmmmm, eyes taste like grapes."

Oh, Isaac. You are so funny.

A punch in the gut

Today when we came home from grocery shopping the boys were immediately sent upstairs to time out for fighting in the car. Sometime between running up the stairs and turning to go to their rooms, Isaac stuck his tongue out at Luke and then Luke punched Isaac in the stomach. Screaming ensues.

I call Luke out to find out what happened and he admits to punching Isaac. I send him to his room for a big time out. When he comes out of time out the extended punishment is that he will miss the first 5 minutes of the movie when we have family movie night. He comes downstairs and this conversation begins:

Luke: Mommy, I don't want to miss the first 5 minutes of the movie.
Mommy: Well, I'm sure that Isaac didn't want to be punched in the stomach.
Luke: Isaac, did you want to be punched in the stomach?
Isaac: Well, I sorta did. It kinda felt tickly.

Sigh.

WW Week 5

I lost one pound this week for a grand total of 9 pounds! According to the WW literature, nursing moms should only lose 1 pound a week so I am right on target. Hooray!

And I went to college for this?

Conversation this morning:

Isaac: Mommy, do bears like to eat chickens?

Mommy: I guess they'd eat a chicken if it is around them. Wait. I don't want you and Luke playing bear and chicken in the house because one of you will get hurt.

Luke: I'm not really going to eat him, Mommy.

Mommy: No. No playing bear and chicken.

Oh my goodness. I have a college degree and I actually said the words, "don't play bear and chicken" today.

And the Best Uncle Award goes to.......

Last night was a special night for Luke. Now that he is 6 years old he is old enough to watch Star Wars. His Uncle Jeremy is a HUGE Star Wars fan and has been waiting to share this movie with Luke for some time now. (I am a bit overprotective and have kept Luke's movie viewing to all animated movies until now---well, except Lion King because that is so scary!)

Luke and Daddy met up at Uncle Jer Bear's (family name for Jeremy---if you repeat it to him we'll have to kick you in the shins) house. When they arrived, Uncle Jeremy had purchased a Star Wars action figure set for Luke. He said that you can't watch Star Wars without a Hans Solo so he had gone out searching for this set. Luke is now the very proud owner of a Dark (Darth) Vader, Princess Lea, Bobofet, Chewbaca, and Hans Solo. Forgive me if I spelled any of those names wrong but I haven't ever seen the movies. I was Princess Lea for Halloween once but only because I had long hair and it could be put in buns.

Anyway, the boys got home around 10:30 p.m. which is a treat for Luke since he is normally in bed between 7:30 and 8 p.m. I get him situated in bed and he is all excited and telling me every detail he can remember from the movie. Here's the conversation:

Mommy: Luke, you've got to calm down and go to sleep. It is late.

Luke: I know Mommy. I just love that movie so much. I saw Star Wars 4.

Mommy: I am glad you liked it. Are you going to dream about it tonight?

Luke: I sure hope so.

Luke has the best Uncle ever.

Now, Isaac is sooo wanting to be 6 years old so he can watch the movie too!

God's design

Monday's conversation:

Luke: Mommy, wouldn't it be funny if God gave girls pee pees and didn't give them to boys?

Mommy: Yep, it'd be hilarious.

Luke: I'll teach you how to go potty standing up!

Mommy: Thanks, Luke.

WW Week 4

Lost 1 pound. That makes my total 8 pounds. I did the math wrong before. 2 pounds a week. Not bad!

Random Ramblings

Today Luke said the following to me:

"Mommy, if I had a pet monkey I would take him to Uncle Jer Bear's house and he would play the drum with two hands."

OK. Then, he immediately followed that random thought with this one:

"Mommy, if I had a pet lion, the whole family would need a sword, helmet, and shield to keep him from biting you. I wouldn't need one though because I am brave."

Did I take crazy pills this morning???

1st Grader

Luke's last day of Kindergarten was today. I remember taking him to school on that first day and being so nervous for him. He had told me the night before that he was scared because he didn't have any friends. We prayed that God would give him a friend and I told him that his very best friend was Jesus and He was always going to be with him. I remember walking behind his class down to his classroom that first morning and feeling like I wasn't sure he (I) could handle all this.

Today he came bounding out of the door of the school with a huge smile and hug for me. He has done such a great job in school this year and thoroughly enjoys it. It has been both a challenge and a fun time for him. He is reading so well (thank you Aunt Sarah) and loves to draw and write. He had great friends from great families. His teacher has been firm with the class and expects a lot out of them. This was a perfect fit for Luke.

I walked behind him again today, on his last day of school, as he rode his scooter back home. He screamed goodbye to his friends sitting in the car pool line and ran back inside to hug his teacher. I am grateful for Jesus being his best friend and watching over him this year. Luke isn't my little Kindergartener anymore, he is my big 1st grader.

WW Week 3

I forgot to post my weight loss/gain from last week. I gained 1.8 so that was disappointing. I realized that you cannot eat a salty meal the day before weigh in. So, this week I really watched it and lost 3.6. That's a total for three weeks of 7.6 pounds. Hooray!

Isaac the Robot

Isaac is our funny one. He is the typical middle child seeking attention and trying to make everyone laugh. He is also small so that makes him even more funny.

The other day we were picking up the downstairs living room and Isaac was doing his usual--the I'll move around so you think I'm working but I'm really just picking stuff up and putting it back down again. Chris catches on and tells Isaac to get moving. Here's the conversation that followed:

Isaac: Daddy, I have a switch on my back that makes me move really fast and pick stuff up.

Daddy: Really? Well, turn it on and let's go.

Isaac: I can't. It's broken. (pretends to flip a switch up and down on his back then shrugs his shoulders)

Daddy: I have a Mr. Pop fixer that can make it work. (Mr. Pop is our wooden spoon used for spanks--admittedly hasn't been used in a loooongg time which is probably why Isaac showed no fear. Chris taps Isaac on the arm with Mr. Pop.)

Isaac: That made it work a little bit. (fiddles with "switch") Nope. Still broken.

Daddy: Here. Let me try that again a little harder. (walks toward Isaac)

Isaac: It's working! (flips switch, makes engine noise, picks up toy and runs upstairs)

Pringles are yummy, but not this kind

Today I came home from eating lunch with my math man husband and kids around 12:45 pm. Mary has fallen asleep in her car seat so I send the boys upstairs to play quietly while I go put her in her crib. When I walk into the living room I see something scurry under the TV console.



Yes, scurry.


I set Mary down and go to investigate. It's a frog. A yucky, disgusting frog. I quickly grab the phone and call my dad. He's a great critter catcher. Ask him about bats and geckos---he has stories about both. Anyway, I ask him to come over and catch it. He laughs and says to use a cup. I don't have a cup so I grab a semi-empty Pringles can, dump the chips in the sink, and approach the frog. I take one step towards the slimy thing and it HISSES at me! I start screaming---my dad is still on the phone and is laughing. He assures me that the frog can't see me it can only sense movement. Well, since I am shaking and screaming I am pretty sure he knows exactly where I am at. I corner the ba#$^&d and lunge forward with the Pringles can. I catch him but his leg gets caught when I put the lid on so I have to open the can and put the lid on again. Sigh.



Now, it's time to be a cool mom and so I call the boys downstairs to look at it. Isaac thinks he is just going to see chips in the Pringles can and jumps backwards when the frog jumps inside the can. Luke asks if we can keep it for a pet. "Cool! It'd be so cool to have a frog pet!" "No."

I release the sick thing outside and give it stink eye because I now hear that Mary is awake and crying.

Ode to my sister

My sister Sarah is amazing.

She is a phenomanal Assistant Principal at TWO schools. I don't know how she does it but somehow she is able to give both schools 100%. She must have super powers that give her an extra 40 hours a week so that both schools have her full-time attention instead of 50/50 attention. She loves her job and it shows in all she does.

She is an exceptional mommy. Margs is the only almost 2-year old that will sit quietly and read to herself for 20 minutes at a time. That is a direct result of my sister instilling the love of reading in her daughter at an early age. Her nursery is even decorated after one of Sarah's favorite books. The Margs also is a good eater. Coming from a mom of a bad eater, this is quite the feat. Margaret eats blackberries, ham, cucumbers--if it's on a salad bar, the big M eats it.

She is a fantastic housekeeper. I can drop by at a moment's notice and there is never a speck of unfolded laundry, random shoes, or toys laying about in her house. She has told me that she bleach cleans her bathrooms on a regular basis. I have done that maybe twice. She is the ultimate organizer. Her cabinets are amazing. Not a thing out of place. She has even come over to my house and organized closets for me--and enjoyed it! Her house is beautifully decorated and feels "lived in" at the same time.

She has the strength, courage, and faith of no one I know. My little sister has been through quite a lot in the past couple months and has risen above it all. Her faith in God and trust in His will is both something I am in awe of and something I desire in myself.

I know that most times you see the younger sister looking up to the older sister but in my family it is the opposite. My little sister is out-of-this-world amazing and I look up to her.

Regular Clothes Where Art Thou?

OK, it's been 5 months since I had my darling Mary. I am still wearing maternity clothes. Shouldn't I be back in my size 5's by now? (for those of you laughing, I'll kick you in the shin when I see you next) I realize that with each pregnancy your body stretches out more and your organs move around but for real, this much? I know you can't compare with your friends but I know for a fact that my friend Noelle was back in her size 6 clothes one week after having Ella. Now before you all start posting "Oh Rebekah, you look fine" let's truly analyze the situation.

1. I weigh more today than I did after I had the baby. I attribute this to my continuing to eat as though I was pregnant even though I wasn't and the "you need more calories when you are nursing" thing they tell you. I'm guessing you don't need an extra person's worth of calories--am I right?

2. I still prefer maternity clothes to regular clothes. I blame this on the clothing makers. They have made maternity clothes trendy and cute--not hideous tents like before. I can actually wear my maternity capris and jeans and they look like regular clothes--as long as you don't look at the waistband. Lucky for me, I can't tuck a shirt in to save my life so the waistband is always covered.

3. My maternity clothes are cuter than my regular clothes. Ask my sister---she'll be blunt and tell you. My regular clothes suck. I look more in-style when I am pregnant than when I am not. So, I look at my closet and the cutest things to wear all have tags in them that read, "Duo" or "Motherhood" or "Liz Lange".

4. My top half is obscenely large. I think boobs are gross anyway and then to have them big is even more gross. I can't get a top to fit me for anything. Thank goodness the flowy shirts are still in style or else I'd be in a cut off muu muu.

It was all worth it though--Mary is wonderful and I would gladly gain double the weight to have her.

OK, there is my rant on my body. I started Weight Watchers last week and lost 5.4 pounds. I am on my way back--watch out regular clothes, here I come!

Homebound

Luke has pink eye. http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/eye/conjunctivitis.html

It is brutal. Not on him, but on me.

I have been home with a perfectly fine feeling 6-year old for 3 days now---plus a 4-year old and 5 month old. But, we can't go out to shop or see friends or family because of the darn pink eye. Highly contagious. So, that means that I was out of the house for about 20 minutes on Sunday, 3 hours on Monday, and 10 minutes today. (Yes, on Mother's Day I was home and not at church enjoying the celebration of all things mothers. My husband made up for it though by letting me take a nap that afternoon while he wrangled kids.)

Luke is happy as a clam to play all day in the play room and come downstairs for the occasional snack, meal, and TV time. I, however, enjoy the days he is at school for 3 hours and the house is minus a kid. I am getting a big preview of what the 3 months of summer are going to be for me and I'm starting to cry.

9:45 Questions

Last night we joyfully celebrated the end of the soccer season with a party at Chuck E. Cheese. For those of you groaning right now at your memories of CEC---I am right there with you. I hate that place. Kids love it. Adults hate it. And yet, we keep subjecting ourselves to terrible pizza and an overcrowded game room that is teeming with germs and possible child abductions. But, I digress.....

I left Chris and the boys at the party at 7 p.m. so I could get Mary in bed. The boys arrive home around 8 and Chris reinstates himself as my knight in shining armour. He has gone to Chick-Fil-A to buy real food for me and him to eat since, although we paid for it all, we won't eat CEC pizza.

After dinner we quickly plunk the boys into a bath to attempt to wash off the inevitable cold viruses, stomach flu, and pink eye that they have unknowingly contracted while having a great time at the party. We get them into bed around 8:45 (lots of scrubbing in the tub).

Fast forward to 9:45. It's quiet in our house. Chris and I are watching our TiVoed Office episode and down the stairs comes Luke. Here's how the conversation goes---by the way, background info on Luke is that he LOVES bandaids and tries to find anything on himself that warrants one.

L: "Hey Mommy, I got a question for you."
M: "OK, what is it?"
L: "What color is a scab?"
M: "Brown."
L: "Great. OK, Daddy, this one is for you. What color is a boo boo?"
D: "Red."
L: "OK, then what is this?"

At this point he shows us a red mark on his leg that probably once had a scab on it but doesn't anymore and isn't bleeding but still has that pink tint to it.

M: "That is a boo boo that once had a scab but now it is all better. Get in bed."
L: "OK."

Then he walks to the bottom of the stairs, makes his fingers in the shape of a gun, and does that funny gun point shake thing and says, "See ya later" then walks up the stairs and into his bedroom.

Baseball Ready

My son Luke plays baseball for the Longhorns---the 5-6 year old NAYA baseball team in Watauga. My husband has realized this season that some of the kids on Luke's team are, shall we say, more advanced in the sport than Luke. Luke does great, don't get me wrong, but those kids are really good. Especially this kid named Toby. He is really good. Anyway, Toby's mom told us that he watches baseball on TV all the time. Toby is also almost 7 and has an older brother who plays baseball and this is Toby's 3rd season playing. All that to say, Chris sat Luke down tonight to watch the Cubs vs Cardinals game. It started out great. Luke watched while Chris quizzed him on where to throw the ball when the batter hit. He paused the TV so we could watch the batter swing level. He talked about when to throw to first or second base depending on who was on what base. I actually learned stuff, but I was bored so I got up to make brownies. That's about when Luke's interest in baseball ended and his interest in cooking took over. (I blogged on how my boys love to cook with me!) He put on his chef hat and apron and helped me make brownies while his dad sat defeated in the living room.

I felt real bad about cooking trumping baseball so I enticed Luke back to the couch with a snack and some milk. Back into baseball. Then, the questions started.

Luke: "Daddy, that pitcher isn't very good is he?"
Chris: "He's actually really good, Luke."
Luke: "Well, when he throws the ball no one ever hits it."

Then my favorite.

Luke: "Who is that guy?"
Chris: "He's (insert some Japanese Cubs player's name here)."
Luke: "Where's he from?"
Chris: "He's from a country named Japan."
Luke: "Oh!! Like Woody, Jesse, and Stinky Pete were going to!!"
Chris: (defeated) "Yes."

So, needless to say, Chris didn't really enjoy his couch coaching this evening but I really enjoyed listening to it from the other room!!

Noggin 2.0

Remember how I wrote about Noggin and those in-between shows all being British? There is one about a womery where the British kids put worms in a bottle and sand and some other junk and look at them. Dumb. Anyway, today Chris and I were working in the yard and lo and behold up walks Luke with a bottle and sand and some other junk and two worms. He says, "Look Mommy! Just like on Noggin!" Great.

Cookie Monster

One of my favorite things to do with my boys is bake cookies. They dress up in aprons and chef hats and stand on chairs at the counter. Today Isaac got out his apron and chef hat and brought it to me and said, "I'm ready for chefing!" Alright, let's bake cookies! Isaac loves to hold the measuring cups while I fill them and then dump them in the bowl. We talk about the ingredients and how he should really like eggs because eggs are in cookies and he loves cookies. (no good, he hates eggs) My most favorite thing to do is when I open the chocolate chips I "accidentally" spill a pile on the counter and the boys gobble them up. They also like to "sneak" a finger-full of cookie dough. I love baking with my boys. Here is Isaac enjoying it as well.

Noggin

Why do all the in-between shows on Noggin that are about gardening feature British kids? We watched 3 shows on Noggin today and all three had gardening segments with kids with British accents. Weird.

Secrets I've Kept

So for my 2 readers I am sure that my sister knows these things about me and that Angie doesn't so the title is a bit misleading......but nonetheless:

1. I was in Brownies in elementary school and can't recall a single moment of it. Not a speck of a moment.
2. I had a "tree house" in an apple tree in my back yard from elementary school. However, the "tree house" was actually just a kitchen cabinet door laid flat and nailed to some branches of the tree so I could sit on it.
3. My sister and I would fight a lot growing up and when we had babysitters we would make lists of the bad things the other one did and threaten to show them to mom and dad when they got home.
4. I melted an orange tupperware cup in the fireplace filled with popcorn kernals trying to make popcorn on my own while my parents slept.
5. My sister punched me in the nose and made it bleed but I was so embarrassed that I told my parents I ran into a door.
6. I was the "sample girl" in the grocery store in high school. I handed out samples of Dorothy Lynch salad dressing http://www.dorothylynch.com/.
7. I got my foot run over by a car in college during kidnap week when a Kappa stole one of our pledge books and it happened in front of the baseball team. Soooo embarrassed. Luckily we had some Lambdas on the team. :)
8. I have a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Spanish from a private university and don't use either degree.
9. I cannot name all 50 states and tell you where they are on a map.
10. I am scared of talking to new people.

Family

I love my family. My grandma passed away on Monday and this week has been filled with family. I have seen all my aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, and my precious grandpa. My dad's family even came out for the memorial yesterday and today so I got the opportunity to see them as well. Family is wonderful. My grandma would be so happy seeing us all together. This is a picture of us all this evening for our final meal together before we all start heading home tomorrow. God is good....all the time.

Daniel Boone

We are visiting family in St. Louis, Missouri this week and today my math man husband decided to take my two over-napped boys to Daniel Boone's historic home in Defiance, MO---which is amazingly appropriate for my kids and should be the Mecca for my children. After quickly reading through the Daniel Boone website http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7109/ my husband packs the boys up for a fun filled trip to historic Boonesfield Village (for real, that's what it's called). When he arrives he finds one person working and he and my two boys make a total of 4 people in Boonesfield. Either the website was wrong or this tour guide had had enough of ole' Daniel Boone for the day because she didn't give the village tour but just the home tour to the Oursler family. Needless to say, the 4-year old and 6-year old weren't exactly thrilled with the historic tour of a house. They wanted to see the jail and the mill and whatever else they could run and jump in but not a house with ropes sealing off rooms. Whatever. Chris takes them to the gift store and Luke picks out a Daniel Boone doll for the cheap historic price of $15. Isaac picks the canteen with the leather fringe and stamped deer picture and "Daniel Boone" insignia. Midway home, Isaac changes his mind about the canteen and asks Chris to call Daniel Boone's home and order a doll. By the time they come get me and Mary at the hotel (thank you Mary for a long nap today that spared me Boonesfield!) Isaac was crossing his arms and saying he was angry about the canteen. Mommy sprang into action by calling Poppy and asking him to talk about how cool the canteen was. It only took Poppy filling the canteen with water and calling Isaac "Daniel Boone" for that canteen to be the greatest toy in the world. He slung that thing over his shoulder and went exploring with his brother, Daddy, and cousin David in the woods behind Grandpa's house. You could even hear him singing his Poppy's made up song of "Daniel Boone was a man. Yes a BIIIIGGG man. Well he had some swingsets, and he had some toys. And he would share with the girls and boys." (not a real song but in the Cowell home it is a classic)

Promoted to Glory

My grandma passed away this morning. She was 78. She had been battling cervical cancer for 10 years. Sarah and I went up to St. Louis to tell her goodbye this weekend and returned on Sunday afternoon. My mom is still up there and the rest of us will be flying out tomorrow for the funeral.Here's the deal. When my grandma was a child she asked Jesus to come into her heart. That means that she believed that Jesus was God's Son, that he came to die on the cross for our sins, and that he died but rose again. I know that all sounds miraculous and some may doubt, but I believe this and believe just as the Bible says that "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. Because of this reason I rejoice in her passing today knowing that she did believe in Jesus, not just believe in Him like you think He lived and that He was a good person, but truly believe and trust Him to lead you along in life and that given the choice, He chose to DIE for you so that you could live forever with Him in Heaven. Too many times I let my faith stand by the side when talking with friends because I don't want to offend, but dammit, I'm offending today and telling you, believe it or not, the only way to get to Heaven is to ask Jesus to be your Lord and let Him lead your life.I am crying as I type this knowing that some may not believe in the words I am typing and I fault myself for not sharing my faith with you personally and intently over these last 15 years. I love you all dearly. My grandma would want me to share this with you today. She is a wonderful woman smiling down from Heaven walking by Jesus' side and singing "Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty."

Let's Snuggle

So, I'm traveling to Missouri with my sister to visit our very sick grandma. We have a horrendous flight to St. Louis as our 1.5 hour trip actually takes almost12 hours. Thank you Delta. As we are driving to our aunt and uncle's home my sister poses this question to me: "Wanna snuggle tonight?" To some, this would be a surprise, but to me, it's completely normal to hear this question from my sister. I answer a definite "no" to her question. The next night we are there---same question: "Wanna snuggle tonight?" "No, Sarah." Think she got the hint? Nope. Third night, now we are staying in a hotel and my cousin is bunking in with us. "Wanna snuggle tonight?" "No thank you." Then, we walk into our room at the hotel. One bed. Gonna snuggle. Damn.

Spousal Cage Match

Tell me, do you ever have a secret battle with your spouse? My husband and I have these frequently. Most of the time he is oblivious to the fact that we are engaged in this secret battle---which makes it even more secret. The latest battle involved the fact that there was a business card for a cleaning lady that was laying face down on the floor of our garage. We had never used this cleaning lady and quite frankly, I don't know where the card came from. Anyway, Chris and I both walked by/over this card for upwards of 2 weeks. I refused to pick it up because in my head, Chris walked over it more times then I did since he had to go in the garage every day to go to work. Each time I walked out to the garage and saw it still there I would get ticked off and think, "Lazy Chris. He walked over this card today and didn't even take time to pick it up." Then I would walk over it and go to the van. Finally, after 2 weeks of this secret fight, I gave in and picked up the card and threw it away. That night, while we were getting ready for bed, I asked Chris, "Did you see that I picked up that card in the garage today? You win." To which he responded, "What card?" He is the champion.

Red Heads are the Funniest

My son Isaac has red hair. He is small in stature. He is also the middle child. These three things add up to him needing A LOT of attention. Isaac takes full advantage of this and is our family's comic relief. Case in point--Isaac is a member of a 3 & 4-year old soccer team. He is not a player on the team because that would indicate that he actually "played". He is simply a member. During our first game he stood in the middle of the field and yawned while the game was going on around him. At last week's game he stood in the middle of the field and pulled his toboggon hat up and down over his face while saying "peek-a-boo" while the game was going on around him. This week he layed down on the edge of the field and pulled his arms and head into his shirt and just stayed there---while the game was going on around him. When I told him to get up and pull up his shorts, he pulled his shorts up to his armpits and did a little dance on the field. I looked around and both sides were laughing at him and not watching the game. One of the older siblings of a kid on our team came up and told him, "Isaac, you are my favorite person on this team because you are so funny." Isaac pulled his head out of his jersey and just smiled. It was a job well done.

Just So You Know....

My son Luke likes to "just so you know" me all the time. Sometimes the "just so you know"s are a statement of future activity that I am actually happy to be aware of. "Mommy, 'just so you know' I am going to watch Firehouse Dog again after I get up from my nap."

Other times they are his passive agressive way of letting me know I did something wrong. "Mommy, 'just so you know' when you picked me up from school today you weren't the first one there."

And then my personal favorite, the "just so you know"s that are an argument starter. "Mommy, 'just so you know' this box here can be used for recipes and cutting bread." "No it can't Luke." "Yes it can Mommy, 'just so you know'." Forget it, I am not fighting with a 5 year old about whether a recipe box can hold cards and cut bread. But, just so you know, it can't.

A Quiet Home is a Happy Home

My favorite time of the day is when all three of the kids are napping. It is so quiet in the house. You can hear the wind blowing and the birds singing outside but no yelling, crying, or banging around inside. There is no one asking you to put on another TiVoed Backyardigans or begging to play Clifford on the computer. No one is sneaking into the pantry to get Easter candy from a shelf I thought was too tall for them to reach and knocking over the chair they used to sneak into the pantry.

I actually took advantage of the napping tri-fecta today and took a nap myself. This is quite the indulgence and I usually try to hide this fact from my hard working math man husband but not today. The nap was GREAT. I let my oldest take a nap in my bed and I quietly laid down after he was asleep. About 10 minutes in I fell alseep only to be awakened by my friend calling to tell me about the great deals she got at Baby Gap today. I held my hands over my son's ears as the answering machine recorded her voice and he stayed asleep. Golden. I fell back to sleep and woke up an hour later to the recorded voice of another friend callling to ask where I got my outside toy box. I looked over and Luke was still sawing logs but I realized that Mommy needs to get up and out of bed before I sleep the day away and by sleep the day away I mean it's time for my afternoon Diet Coke and some Easter candy that is not up too high on a shelf.