best ever birthday party...

so most of ry's buddies are of the preschool variety. DUH, since that's where he hangs out, it should come as no surprise. I don't know many of their moms, so I felt a little odd having their children come to an event. When the rest of my children were turning 4, they had friends that had come about because I was friends with their mommies. Convenient that we were all having babies at the same time! Ry is a different story. He left all of his built-in friends in Michigan and had to start fresh at the beginning of the school year. I have become friends with one of the moms in his class (she's not in the class, her son is actually, but you get my meaning?) and as luck would have it, her son is one of Ry's best buds. I decided in lieu of a party with children and parents I didn't know all that well, that we'd take Ryan and Joe (his bud) out to lunch and to a movie. We left the older 2 chiclets at grandma's house (because Hannah doesn't have the capacity to allow her brother a day that was about him. She would have spent the day showing off and doing things to bring attention to herself. Since it WASN'T her birthday and all. But I digress...) and Matt and I took the 2 boys out for a day. We went to Steak and Shake because the boys were all about a giant milkshake, and then to Horton Hears A Who. I ADORED the movie and the boys did too. It was a wonderful day and Ry had the time of his life! Best part? It didn't involve any soul- sucking, light-blinking video games, nausea inducing noises, or germ infested party facilities. It could have been one of my top 3 favorite kid birthdays of all time.
Horton got 8 solid thumbs up from us. It will definitely enter our DVD collection ASAP!

four years...

ryan's fourth birthday was this past week. We celebrated in normal style, birthday cake for breakfast, all that good stuff that earns me mom of the year status, even if just for the morning.
Again I find myself in shock that four years have come and gone since my little man of mischief has come into my world. He makes me laugh at least twice a day. He also makes me cringe once or twice a day. It all evens out! I can't imagine the world without him in it. He's a ray of sun, a mess of laughter, all underneath his crazy curly hair.
Happy Birthday little man :)

fresh...

that's what i feel. I love the first few days of spring in Ohio. Those first days of back-to-back 60 & 70 degree days. When you can leave the house and not have to pile on jackets, gloves, hats, boots, etc, etc, etc. My very favorite thing hasn't happened yet, but I think this weekend, I'll get it. The first fresh cut grass. I can wait a few more days. In the meantime I get to open the windows, let the breeze blow in. Spring has o-fficially arrived. Thanks Mother Nature :)

because i *heart* joy...

i forgot how much i missed 'my name is earl' until it aired again last night. I cannot express how very much I love Joy's character . I found this Earl outtake to share. Laugh away.

no fair...

i'm sure in the fine print of the mommy contract i signed there is an illness clause. I'm positive I saw it somewhere. Because ***I*** do not have time to be sick. I got hit by a flu bug Tuesday and yesterday was spent in complete oblivion. I slept about 22 of the 24 hrs available to me. I guess that means I needed it because I feel marginally better today and am not a pool of whiny human like I was yesterday. Thankfully Matt was able to work from home yesterday as I don't know what I would have done if I had to be responsible for my 3 chiclets.
But...in better news...it is warm enough to open windows!! Release germs into the outside world!! Smell the fresh air instead of blah inside air!! Look at the buds peeking up!! It's totally spring!! Do you hear me Mother Nature??????? IT. IS. SPRING. This means no more snow, cold weather, ice, etc. Got it? GOT IT???

offering up my stupidity...

for your utter enjoyment. Follow along on my little journey. Ryan is going to be 4 in about a week. He's not a small child. Last fall we decided he needed a real bed. He'd been sleeping in the crib/daybed so he wasn't locked in a crib, but he was too big for it. Last fall he was too big for it. Still with me? Good. I have a wonderful, thrifty friend who told me to watch garage sales for twin beds. I suck at garage sale-ing, but one day one of our neighbors happened to be having one and as I drove by, I spotted a cute bed. I called Matt and told him to go have a look at it and see how much they wanted. He went. It was $20 and in great shape. I believe he talked them down to $15. Done. Except, it sat in the garage ALL WINTER LONG. I wanted to paint it white because Ry's dresser is bright white. Last week I noticed that the poor child was literally balled up sleeping in his toddler size bed. It was just this side of pathetic, so I got out my paint brushes and got busy. I stared at the bed all weekend as I was painting. No red flags going up, no whistles sounding off, nothing. Finally yesterday, I was satisfied that it had the right amount of paint. We went out and got a mattress, let Ry pick out new bedding, took down the crib, etc. Last night we had to do the final step and actually assemble the bed. For any of you that have fallen asleep at the length of this story and it's lack of anything interesting thus far, sit up, pay attention. We moved furniture around so that the bed would be up against the wall that I wanted it to be on. Set up the headboard and went to get the rails. The headboard was long and it covered part of the window, so scratch that idea. Move furniture around AGAIN so that the bed will be on a different, wider wall. Still, nothing in my head is sending up flags. We put the entire frame, headboard, footboard together and stood back. Then we stared at each other in complete disbelief. The bed that we have been staring at in our garage for almost 6 mos., that I lovingly painted for 2 days, that we couldn't fit on the wall that it totally should have fit on? Yeah. It's a double size bed. Pretty much NOT a twin size. Go ahead. I'll let that sink in for a moment. My own stupidity astounds me.
Needless to say we're going to some furniture stores today to look for a new, twin size bed.

this is funny...

i'm 98% sure. O.K. 99.7%. Only 2 more weeks to go...

broken spring break...

that's all you can say about our spring break thus far. It must be broken. It has been BOOOOOORING. We did have a fun trip to the dermatologist yesterday. Justin had to go with me to get his mole-y noggin checked out so now he's been scarred for life by watching his mama get her whole body skin check up. Not at all fun for the 8 year old crowd in case that's what you were planning for your Spring Break. My skin checks out and I got some new million dollar gel for zapping zits, and he was told to keep a hat on his nog this summer. Lovely!
Let's see, what else have we done that is o-so enjoyable? We did go to Target today! I know, I know, how much more fun can I possibly squeeze into one week? While other children are going to the Jelly Belly factory and visiting the sites of Chicago, my kids are strolling with me in the aisles of Target. Woo. Hoo. We were planning a zoo day, but it seems that while yesterday the weather boy said the weather would be perfection on Friday, now he tells me that it will be raining.
Like I said, this Spring Break appears to be broken.

because there is nothing funnier than jim & dwight...

and i need an office fix. Only 3 more weeks...

eating bon bons...

anyone who has spent any part of their life as a stay at home mama, knows the drill. You tell people, who ask about your occupation, that you're "just a mama" and they tell you how lucky you are. Granted, I know I am lucky. We live a nice life. Not full of luxury and top of the line gadgets, but we are comfortable and happy. And we can live our comfortable, happy life on one salary. I am blessed that we can do that. I have always wanted to be "just a mom". Always. I wanted my mom home for me after school and she had to work. I wanted to be June Cleaver- minus the skirts and heels. So I'm lucky. I didn't think we'd be able to do it when I was pregnant with Justin, but when we did the math it became clear that I was working because I loved being a vet tech, not because I was pulling in the big bucks. So I decided to try the stay at home thing and see if it worked. Then one chiclet, turned into two. Two became three. At that point, if I worked, I couldn't even cover child care. And anyway...I LOVE being home with my kids. I love being able to get homework done and help them with reading and things, and get all of the stuff done at 4 pm that would have to wait until much later in the evening if I had a regular job.
So what is my peeve? People who think because I stay at home, I'm doing NOTHING during the day. People who volunteer me for projects and positions because I don't work, so I must have all the time in the world. Dude...I DO NOT have all the time in the world. People who assume that since Ryan is in preschool, I might as well go back to work. Right, because that 4 hrs a week would allow me a primo job, right? I don't mind volunteering and helping out. In fact I love that I have the freedom to do so most of the time. But seriously??? Stop looking my way every time you need someone to take on a massive project that no one else wants to do. My laundry is out of control and I haven't vacuumed in forever. Because I am over-extended. This is a recurring theme in my life, but I'm working hard on taking a stand. I actually said no OUTLOUD several times last night to people who were glancing in my direction looking for someone to say "I'll do it!!" And it felt GOOD.
I'd love to spend my days lounging and watching Days Of Our Lives while eating bon bons. Well I'd love to at least have the opportunity to do it. I doubt I'd love it long term. But please don't assume, that's what my days are full of. I have a job. It just pays with kisses and hugs from my chiclets instead of dollars.

quick change...

very quick because easter is too flippin' early this year. The almighty and powerful Janet has sent me not just one but TWO new banners. You have to wait for the fun and magical Spring banner until after Sunday.
Enjoy :) For a few days anyway :)

when you're having a bad day...

pray for a telemarketer to call. No, really. Give this a shot. It would make my day and yours :)

what next?

i keep trying to blog something witty and fantastic. Alas...I got nothin'. I believe last weekend's blizzard (20 inches of snow in 24 hrs) sucked my life force away. Mostly because a mere 4 days before the blizzard it was SEVENTY DEGREES. Way to go Mother Nature. Give us a nibble of spring. Let us play outside without down coats, hats, scarves, gloves, boots, and snow pants and then turn around and hand us our asses in the form of snow. Thanks. Love ya. Smooches Mother N.
So anyways...I'm a little weather beaten and bitter and also, word has gotten out around town that I lack the capacity to say no and damn if people aren't using it against me. Bastards! I am an over-committed, sleep deprived moron who STILL can't say no. But, hey! What would I bitch about if I didn't have crappy weather and a cup that runneth over? This blog would be covered by pictures of this..



and this...






And while that's funny (isn't it? Or is it just me?) I doubt me posting pictures and videos is all that entertaining. My whining? Oh, VERY entertaining! So for you, my 2 readers, I will continue to over-commit. You're welcome.

how much wood can a woodchuck chuck?

because i am dying from the cuteness of this!

what the...

my brother brought this one to my attention. It is a spoof on David Blaine's Street Magic and it had me in hysterics. There is some significant f-bomb usage, so not one for the chiclets :)
Happy weekend...

eight...

my first born turned eight today. It's crazy to me to think that I went to bed a mere eight years ago, a whale of a human being who was 5 days overdue and cranky, and now I have this boy who calls me mom and rolls his eyes when I make a corny joke. You blink and 8 whole years are GONE. Granted, we've had a busy eight years. 3 states, 4 job changes, 2 more kids, 4 houses...I could go on forever. We've had our share of change. But through all those changes Justin has proved to be the easy-going kid, who rolls with the punches, and accepts change as a part of our life.
I know it's only a matter of time before he stops telling me he loves me every time he gets out of the van to get on the bus, or letting me kiss the top of his head in front of other kids at school, or climbing up to snuggle in my lap. He hardly fits in my lap, but he still wants to try it from time to time. I feel like the next time I blink, all of that will be gone and he'll be a cranky teenager who slams his door in my face when I tell him he can't go somewhere or do something.
In the meantime. I cherish the fact that he still tells me he loves me every day before bed, and still wants birthday cake for breakfast.
Happy Birthday little man. Hope all your wishes come true!

rock the vote...

today was the big primary for the great state of o-hi-o. Along with voting for my candidate of choice (and wondering how much longer Huckabee is going to hang on? Seriously... President Huckabee? Sounds too Andy Griffith for me. Sorry Mike.) I also got to vote on our school levy. We live in one of those booming districts that used to be covered in farmland and is now covered in subdivisons. We've got the old folks not wanting to part with any more tax money for new schools and the younger crowd seeing the need for new schools. I hope us youngun's win out, but I've run into a few ignorants over the past week who think our money would be better spent on portable trailers. Because, you know, they're so much cheaper than a whole new school! Right and they last like 4 years and then we are right back where we are today only with 5 $40,000 trailers that we can't use now. But, I digress. The major bonus for me- aside from the cool "I voted today" sticker I'm currently sporting- is that Matt stopped on the way home and got me a giant Starbucks coffee to reward me for being a responsible voting adult. SWEET! This from the responsible, grown up, voting adult man who voted for one of the county commissioners because he likes his name. I can't make too much fun of him I guess, because I'd have voted for Bill Clinton again before I put someone in office whose last name is Huckabee. Again, sorry Mike. I just can picture other world leaders mocking you behind your back. It's hard to take someone seriously and not call them a Huckleberry. Maybe it's just me.

it's friday, it must be funny...

enjoy :) Jen...this makes me think of John :)

janet is amazing and fabulous once again...

or should i say janet is amazing and fabulous as always? Yep, that's it. As always! I didn't even ask this time, I just received :) Such a fun surprise in my inbox!! Now my blog is all cute and o-so festive!!!

In other news, I tried a new class at the uber-fabulous gym today. Spinning. In the name of all that is holy, do not attempt this class without someone who knows what they are doing. If I had followed the instructor's cues instead of listening to my mother who was 'spinning' along beside me, I would not be walking upright. She kept telling me not to up my resistance every time the guy told us to do it. I consider myself fairly in shape and that class KICKED MY ASS. Literally. I believe my ass is bruised from the bike seat. And I barely raised my resistance. I will feel like I can conquer the world when I can make it through that class and actually follow the resistance cues and remain standing the whole time I'm supposed to. Today I was seriously afraid to get off of the bike when it was over because I was certain my legs (which felt like wet jello) would give way and I'd fall on my face in front of all of those in shape people. I did NOT fall on my face in case you were wondering. But walking down the steps to the locker room was a serious challenge.
But on a bright note, I did not fart. I could have and totally gotten away with it because it isn't quiet like pilates class, but I didn't. I know you're all so proud!

it's friday...

so let the friday funnies continue. The dogs are feeling slighted, so it's funny dogs this week :)
Enjoy..