Tuesday Tip!

I picked up a Parent Map magazine this week, and I came across some parenting tips that I cut out and put on my fridge. I think that Joseph would support these parenting resolutions 100%! I'd like to share them as my Tuesday Tip, and I'd like to share this picture of baby Joe when he was 6, and baby Annie when I was 25 :)

Nine for '09

Great Parenting Resolutions

by Katie McPhail

1. Wear your kid-colored glasses. Try to see the world the way they do, and don't be afraid to be silly.

2. Swear off swearing. Find a wittier way of venting your frustration.

3. Know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. Recognize when it's appropriate for parents to stay in the game; but on the less important hands, let kids run with the pot.

4. Practice what you preach. If you want your child to be honest with you, don't let them catch you telling lies--even to a door-to-door salesperson.

5. Try 'storytelling marketing.' Take a tip from advertisers--move away from the in-your-face marketing of values. Instead, promote your message more subtly with stories that demonstrate good choices.

6. Be a good "wing mom" (or dad). Take your child's side sometimes--don't always play devil's advocate.

7. Listen to your child's advice. Sometimes daughter knows best--even if she's only 5.

8. Don't be afraid to apologize.

9. Remember, some rules (or resolutions) are meant to be broken. A banana split for breakfast isn't the worst thing in the world.

Krabby Patty

For those of you familiar with SpongeBob SquarePants and the happenings in Bikini Bottom, you know that a Krabby Patty is a delicious burger--a secret recipe--that can only be found at The Krusty Krab.

Well, in this episode of Mama Rantz, a Krabby Patty is me.

I can't seem to snap out of this mood! I wake up in a funk, I go to bed in a funk, and all of the in-between time is truly a mixed bag of bliss and agony-- poor Devon is working very hard at walking the thin line between the two extremes!

Could it be the hormones? I don't know how to control them!

Could it be the weather? We have had quite a few sunny days, during which I long for grey skies and cozy darkness, yet on the overcast days I long for the sunshine and blue skies of happier times.

Could it be the financial crunch? Oh, the days of pedicures, mochas, and indulgent purchases are a distant memory! The stress of our bills feels like a giant weight on my gut-- oh, um, nevermind. That's Max.

Could it be a coincidence that my secret pregnancy-craving is alcohol? Alcohol just sounds so yummy, and I feel confident that it would "take the edge off." During our last dinner date, I sighed, "Oh, how I wish that I could order a drink," and it wasn't a surprise that Devon's response was, "Yes, I wish that you could too." Devon has offered (in jest, I hope!) to take me to an AA meeting, but the belly might draw attention! Let's just say that Max's birth will be celebrated with a mojito-- no, a margarita-- no, a mojito...

Joseph has been a consistent victim of the Krabby Patty. But, seriously, does he have to shape the bar of shower soap into a ball? And how hard it is to put dirty clothes into the hamper rather than on top of the hamper?

Lucy has fallen victim too. But am I supposed to be happy about the fact that she kicks me in the spine while I am sleeping?

As I am writing this, Lucy has run up to me and announced, "Mommy, I found a horsey!" with pure delight on her face. Ahh, the bliss is back!

A New Car, Potty Incentives, and Other Random Tidbits

Hello! I feel as though I've fallen off of the blog-wagon this past week. This is kind of a silly excuse, but I cleaned my coat closet/office, so now my laptop is back home at the desk instead of parked on my sofa table, and now the desk is used for more than a dumping ground for mail, and all of this to say that when the laptop is out of sight, it has been out of my mind! Yes, this does mean that I spend less time playing Christmas Crunch. Oh, and I was inspired to wallpaper my "office" with wrapping paper and thumbtacks :)

Another excuse for not blogging is that I started reading Twilight, and it has totally captured me. I finished the first book, and I just opened the second one this evening. My mother-in-law has raved about these books, and the movie, and my mom and sister loved them too, and now I understand what the fuss is all about! During our past two visits with Molly, her nose has been in these books, so I was not surprised when Lucy grabbed the book out of my hands yesterday and said, "No mama, it is Mawyee's (Molly's) book!" Anyway, if you have read Twilight or know what it is about, you will understand what I mean when I say that I too have fallen in love with Edward! Devon doesn't seem to mind that I have love for a vampire. In fact, he kind of giggled.



I have been feeling especially pregnant lately (is it possible to feel "especially pregnant"?). I swear that I can actually feel my belly growing. My back is getting a bit achy, I'm not sleeping as well as I was, the tears are flowing more freely than usual, bending over and getting up and down is getting a bit tougher... Max has been super active, which has been fun for the whole fam. We think that he might be a ninja.


I woke up this morning not feeling very well, and I decided right away that today would be a day-off. Devon thought this was a great idea, so it was declared Mom's Day Off. This did not work out so well at all. In fact, I think that I directed each kid to Devon once or twice with, "Go ask Dad- it's my day off," but other than that, a mom's work is never done, you know??




I am pleased to announce that we are the proud owners of a VW Jetta. We traded in Devon's car this afternoon, and believe it or not, this switch-a-roo will save us a helpful sum of money each month. Yeah! I love VW!





I have a goal of getting Lucy out of diapers before Max is in diapers, and her potty training has been going well so far, but I decided to up the ante this week. I bought a couple bags of my personal favorite seasonal treats- Conversation Hearts. Lucy seems to share my love for the heart shaped sugar cubes with love notes on them, so they are now the potty incentives. Wish me luck!


Last weekend we visited Aunt Merry, Devon's sister. Visits to her house are always full of activities!

We visited the horses in the barn and Joe and Lu each got to ride Merry's racing horse, Magnum. Joseph got to shoot a rifle and a pistol. Merry made us a delicious crab pasta, and I took on the duty of pulling the crab meat out of the crab leggies, which I had never done before. Merry's xmas gifts for me and Dev were painted portraits of the kids. Her mom painted them, and Merry had them framed, and we love them. After all, they are paintings of our favorite little people! Here is a pic of the painting of both kids and the original photo too.

Well, hopefully this blog post will get me back in the groove! Otherwise, the computer is going to have to come back out to the living room! It should help that I have some blog-worthy events coming up-- the Blakes are visiting this week, and next week Lucy and I are going to California because Molly is turning 18 and is a Homecoming Princess! Stay tuned!

Tuesday Tip!

Yum Yum, Gimme' Some!

My tip this week is a recipe from my mom, Peanut Butter Popcorn. If you love peanut butter, this is the perfect treat for you! My mom says that it is easy to make, and I must confess that I've never actually made it on my own... but I am an expert at consuming it!

1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup white corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter

Pop the popcorn over the stove and season with butter and salt. Set aside in a large buttered bowl.

Combine syrup and sugar in a sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until hot and bubbly. Add peanut butter and cook over low heat until well blended.

Pour hot peanut butter syrup over popcorn and mix well with a fork.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Lucy!

Lucy, it has been an adventure to watch you grow and change everyday...

From 2 months old...

To 6 months old...

To 12 months old...

To 18 months old...


To 2 years old!





I love you so much!


I waited my whole life for you, and you have not disappointed!






I meant to post yesterday, but I was exhausted from a day of making sure that Lucy's birthday was as great as could be. We played at Toddler Time, ate her favorite lunch, played at the play land at the mall, cruised through Toys R Us, ate her favorite dinner, enjoyed ice cream cones, took a bath together... it was exhausting. Last year, on her first birthday, I made sure that Devon celebrated ME. After all, I pushed her out, right? This year, I completely forgot to fight for my right to be celebrated! Where are my flowers, honey? :)

We had a birthday party for Lucy last Sunday while my mom was still in town. We went with a cowboy theme for two reasons: 1) Lucy loves horses 2) all of her little guests were boys! It was Lucy and 7 little boys (including Joseph, who isn't so little!). We had a great time with our friends, and we packed 21 people into our house. Instead of birthday cake, Lucy requested ice cream cones. My mom pulled through with her famous peanut butter popcorn, and she made cupcakes too while I cleaned like a mad woman and had a minor breakdown when I didn't feel that Devon and Joseph were helping as much as I had expected. Sorry, guys. But it all came together, and Lucy had a wonderful time, and she excelled at being the Birthday Cowgirl!



A special thank you to Jacqui for taking great pictures with your awesome camera!


Our birthday girl, dressed and ready for the party to begin.

Our table, dressed with goodies and party favors.

Joseph participates in all dress-up events!

My mom and I were the ice cream scoopers.

As we were singing to Lucy, she was a little unsure of the situation! This pictures shows her "shifty eyes."

It looks like Devon helped a bit with blowing out the candle.

Laura & Andrew

Jacqui & Hayden

Now that she knows a bit about wrapped gifts, she was eager to open presents! Can you blame her?

Lucy received this princess dress as a gift, and it looks so cute on her! Such a girly dress on such a curvaceous girl! She reminds me of Princess Fiona (after the sun goes down, you know, when she becomes an ogre!).


Time for a belly picture!

25 weeks along now. Head to heels, our baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. He weighs around a pound and a half (yet I've gained 14 lbs? hmm....). No fruit of veggie reference-- I think he has outgrown most produce found at the grocery store!

Baby Lu, Almost 2!

My baby Lucy turns two years old tomorrow. I am feeling very emotional and, let me be honest, a bit depressed! It is a tragedy that time passes so quickly. Before I know it, she will be potty trained, going to school, bringing boys home, borrowing my car, and leaving me forever! Would it be irrational to wrap her in a receiving blanket and try to nurse her? Just kidding. Would it be a bad idea if I kept her awake all night so that I could cherish every last minute before she turns two? She is never going to be one again!
Am I always going to be sad on her birthday?
Max had better hurry, because this mama needs a baby!

Tuesday Tip!

My tip this week is all about eating out on a budget. Interested?? I thought so!

Two tips, actually--

1. Okay, this may be a no-duh tip, but on the rare occasion that Devon and I get a date-night (come home soon, Donna! We miss our favorite baby-sitter!), we try to hit Happy Hour at our favorite restaurants. We sit in the bar, not having to wait 30-45 minutes for a table, and we order an array of half-price appetizers and share, and we can usually keep our bill under $20 (but take note that this does not include drinks! Diet Pepsi is as wild as Devon gets, and my drinks have to stay G rated for about 3 more months!). It feels good to eat out and enjoy yummy food and leave without the guilt of having spent $50+.

2. Last night, as dinner-time quickly approached, I found myself without any groceries, no motivation to get groceries... so I decided to Google "kids eat free." I figured that if we were to splurge on dining out, maybe I could find some sort of deal. Many sites appeared, and my favorite is www.coupondivas/kids-eat-free. We landed at IHOP because it is the closest to home (not because of their fabulous cuisine!), and it is just too bad that it was Monday night, because IHOP offers free kids meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays! Oh well- my intentions were good!

My Special Collection: Starbucks City Mugs

Time for show-and-tell! I started this collection when I was in college in Santa Barbara. I love Starbucks, and I love Santa Barbara, so the mug was a perfect union of the two! Since then, I have collected them from all over the country, and Europe too, and I have over 30 of them now!
While I was backpacking through Europe, I bought nine, and as my backpack got heavier, and as I had to throw out clothes to make room for more mugs, I realized that they were dumb purchases-- but I don't regret them now! I treasure those mugs from that amazing trip!
Most all of them hold special memories: our honeymoon in Maui, a trip to Boston with Andrea, my family's favorite vacation spot Palm Springs, my visits with Allison when she lived in San Diego... and some of them were gifts from places that I have never been, like Seth brought me one from D.C., and a girlfriend from California brought me one from Australia. Some of them I bought at airports on layovers, like St. Paul Minnesota. My mom says that these mugs don't count, but, hey, I think that I can say that I've been to St. Paul even if I didn't leave the airport!
Every morning, Devon makes and serves the coffee, and he carefully selects my "destination" for the day. It is usually Maui or Palm Springs (maybe I should rotate the mugs more often!). Sometimes he brings my coffee in a Seattle mug, and he loses points for creativity!
Only one mug has been broken, and, sadly, it was Santa Barbara!

What do you collect?

Tuesday Tip, A Day Late!

Oops, I forgot to post a tip yesterday. Since I'd already had two items in mind, I'll post them today and call them What Would I Do Without___? Wednesday.




The first item that I am currently loving are these black yoga pants from Old Navy. I have the maternity version, and at $19.50 they are the best deal around (since I wear them every other day). Devon calls them my sweats, but I correct him and ask, "You mean my work attire?" A benefit of being a stay-at-home-mom is that yoga pants can be proper work attire!
The second item is this bar of soap by Pacifica. Pacifica can be found at Whole Foods, at it is a fantastic line of soaps, lotions, perfumes and candles. All of the fragrances are yummy, but my favorite is Hawaiian Ruby Guava. After I open the box, my whole bathroom smells great for weeks. I consider this to be a luxury item (the soaps are $7), so it makes a great gift or a self-indulgence purchase!

The Bachelor: A Single Dad Looking for Love

Oh. My. Gosh. The Bachelor is on tonight!! It is a two hour premiere!

For those of you who are not as excited about this show as I am, let me give a quick sales pitch...



This is Jason, and he is The Bachelor. He has been divorced for 2 years, and shares custody of his 3 year old son, Ty, with his ex-wife. He lives near Seattle (nope, I haven't seen him in public yet, but my celebrity stalking skills are not what they used to be!), and he was a "contestant" on the last season, The Bachelorette, but Deanna did NOT pick him. As he was getting down on one knee to propose, she told him, "No, I can't." Oh, it was heartbreaking!

Anyway, Jason is adorable, a bit geeky, not an ego-maniac, fairly calm... I think he is cool, and I can't wait to see who he falls in love with! He has already told the press that the show ends in a proposal, and he is now engaged to one of the ladies that fight for his affection. Who will he pick?

You know, I fell in love with a bachelor once- a single dad looking for love... and he picked me!

I realize that there have been 12 completed seasons of The Bachelor/Bachelorette, and the success rate of the couples on the show is currently 1/12, but I have a strong feeling that Jason will be worth watching. Lucky #13! Don't miss out! Watch The Bachelor tonight!

Jealous Mama!

Though the sight of Devon and Lucy cuddled up in bed at 9am on a Saturday was endearing, I was also completely jealous! I mean, seriously-- it is going to be years, like, a million years, before I get to not only sleep beside my husband, without a child between us, but before I get to sleep in until 9am on a Saturday morning with my husband! Enjoy, Lucy! You are in my spot!

In other news, Joseph has been playing Mario Cart on the Game Cube, and Lucy likes to play too. She holds the controller and pushes buttons and cheers, and then when they are done playing she tells us that she won. Today she played without pants on :) If you look close, you can see Joe (disguised in camo).

The Moment of Truth

It wasn't when the pregnancy test confirmed a positive, or when we heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time.
It wasn't when my "pockets," as Lucy calls them, began to spill out of my bra, or when my face broke-out like a hormonal teenager.
It wasn't when I first felt the baby move inside of me, or when my pants would no longer button around my waist, or even when I saw our baby boy, fully formed, on the ultrasound screen.
Nope.
It was this morning, at 23 weeks pregnant, as I stood in the shower, I looked down and could no longer see my toes, and I realized, as though for the very first time, "Oh my gosh. There is a baby in there, and he is eventually going to want OUT!"