S Club Mama

These aren't the official costumes of my Club for Halloween, but I threw together last-minute costumes for my boys so that they could go trunk-or-treating (yes, trunk not trick) at a local church. It was freezing! Luckily, we were there and back home within 45 minutes maybe. Superman with Batman and Robin (and yes, Batman has his finger in his nose...) Better picture of Batman but his emblem is all messed up... that Superman wanting to take all the glory And since you can't see Squirt well in those pictures (he was snoozing), I give you my Happy Pumpkin Panda. I totally won a giveaway for a onesie from Happy Panda and they sent me this extra Halloween onesie for nothing - how cool is that?

Alright...you caught me. I didn't make these delicious-looking cupcakes. But I would have... if I'd thought about it... and wanted to skip naptime. Hmmm... there's always next year. I did make brownies for a fellow MOPS Mom with a newborn. And my hubby made chocolate chip cookies last night. But there's still time today to make goodies...maybe later I'll get inventive. But for now, I need to go because Squirt is making me his own little Halloween "treat" right on my lap. Yay... Link up with Better in Bulk for actual goodies made by other Halloween enthusiasts. And don't forget to stop by Mama Kat's Losin' It , Seven Clown Circle , and Mayhem & Moxie to answer their daily questions for your last chance to enter to win a Flip camera-thinger (again, that's the technical name, for real).

I'm participating in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop once again this week. The prompts are as follows: 1.) Show your spooky side. 2.) Show and Tell using your favorite Halloween home decor. 3.) Write a poem to your child as their Halloween character (for example I may write a poem to "Pongo"...the 101 Dalmatian Laina is going to be for Hallowe en) 4.) Post a vlog of yourself playing a Halloween prank on a family member or friend. 5.) Describe a favorite Halloween costume or moment you wish you had on video. #5) Here's some pictures from our silly Photobooth shoots that I think are... spooky . Mirror-face Moose - has to do everything symmetrically. And you think your toddler is picky! Have you seen the Ring? Squirt must have answered the phone... Big-headed Mama - thinks she knows all (well, she does). And obviously... Big Red Fever . Too much yelling at the Huskers, praying for a win. These super spooky pictures have been brought to you by Mama Kat's Writer...

For this edition of Wordful Wednesday, I decided to go far back. Before kids, before marriage (I hardly remember it!!). Not before Big A...but then again, what fun would that be? These are pictures from 2005, my sophomore year of college, Big A's senior year. Let me just preface that this is where my Halloween costumes started going downhill. I had zero money so I pulled out a low-waisted dress, put some long necklaces on, and called myself a flapper. Anyway, the star of this Halloween was my handsome fiancee (at the time). Without further ado, I give you: Big A as Hulk Hogan Hulkamania - Runnin' Wild Doesn't he look awesome? Click to enlarge the pictures because he even has the facial hair down. I made his shirt!! The front said Hulkamania and the back said Runnin' Wild. He ripped it off at the end of the night - I wish I would've gotten that on video. Click yourself on over to Angie's Seven Clown Circus to participate in Ghosts of Halloween Past (and sign ...

Mayhem and Moxie are having a link-up today for Creepy Crawly Crafts (and are one of 4 blogs giving away a Flip camera-thinger [that's the technical term, of course]). I decided to show you all my creepy crawly craft for mommies. I will admit that these are not my pictures because my camera is not that great (hence, why I need this Flip camera-thinger). Randi's Creepy Crawly Craft 1. Have a "fun" night in with your husband (followed by or following other nights of said fun). 2. Pee on a stick. Check stick for words, colors, crosses, lines, or something to that extent. 3. Keep a bun in the oven for nine or so months. 4. Push a small, screaming creature out of 10cm hole. The end product: Spider Veins Extra Credit: Stretch Marks While those do look like my stretch marks (and my maternity jeans), keep in mind that neither of these images are my body. I do have small spider veins and many, many stretch marks. Scary craft, right? {Visit Better in Bulk , Mayhem & Moxi...

Matthew 25 The Parable of the Ten Virgins 1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9 " 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. ...

Anybody lay their baby on their side? Not tummy or back, but side. Just wondering if it's relatively safe because when you google it, the sites are contradictory in their findings.

Oh my gosh. Look at how much Squirt is growing. Doing tummy time on the Boppy so we can see his sweet face (10/5/09). Holding his own (head) on the ground. He'll be rolling before I know it.

1. Check clothes for remnants of breakfast, diapers, or spittle before leaving. 2. Have snacks and beverages for all family members. 3. Don't just stare at other people, say hi. 4. If they smile at you, smile back. Don't be shy. 5. Ask how old their children are. Even if their child seems to have zero manners. 6. Try not to spew word vomit everywhere because you haven't talked to another adult in...forever. 7. Do your best not to be a helicopter parent. Let the child explore. He probably won't break an arm. 8. Leave before the siren goes off at 10:17am. Or cover their ears and wipe their tears afterward. 9. Stand firm when the big one starts to scream as you leave. It'll be OK. Tell him he can watch Elmo when he gets home (insert any tv show/movie of your choosing). 10. The most important. Have fun. These years will go by too fast and they'll be wanting to hang out with their friends (without you). ...wait, were these supposed to be rules for the kids? oops. Che...

This picture is one I've shown before but it screams what motherhood is to me. Nothing fancy. No dressy clothes, no make-up, no extra jewelry. No big-time play dates or excursions (although those can be nice). Nothing faked. Just me, with all my impatience and grumpiness (even the kind that makes me yell at a 3-month-old sometimes or cry right along-side of my kids). Nothing an "I'm sorry, please forgive me" (or "awwee") won't fix. No expectations - except love, lots and lots of love. No perfection. No Supermom. Just me and my kids (and Big A along for the ride). (and some tv included...ok, maybe a lot) please check out both Angie's Seven Clown Circus and Scary Mommy for more posts on Motherhood. I won't lie, this post made me cry as I wrote it. And apparently you should go to Scary Mommy's to comment about my post if you want me to win the prize.

Women, Before you break the proverbial glass ceiling(s), befriend a bra. Not just any bra, but a well-fitting bra (may I suggest a Victoria's Secret bra fitting). I am haunted by years of living with a mother who would have burned bras if she'd been old enough in the '60s. When she wore a bra, it was one with only the sheer cup and underwire. Underwire is not the only support you need (especially if you are a B or larger cup). I was watching something not terribly long ago and they were doing bra fittings (probably Rachel Ray or GMA or something). The lady said that an ill-fitting bra can add at least 10 pounds to your body. I pondered that thought. (image via http://danesecreations.com/brasecrets.html) It makes total sense! They are droppy if you have an ill-fitting bra. They sit too close to your stomach when there should be some inches between the most prominent part of each body part. I know that when I wear my ill-fitting sports bras, I look much heavier than when I we...

The top picture is Moose at 3 months. The bottom is Squirt. I just adore these kids. I'll put up some more comparison pictures...I love going back and looking at them. I think Squirt looks like Moose but then I look at pictures. Moose was so much chubbier! His little chunky face is so sweet. I think they are going to look similar but not as identical as I originally thought (which is fine by me). I just love those faces.

Once again it's Thursday (almost the weekend...just wait for it!) and time for Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. Here's the prompt I chose this week: 3.) How did you parents choose your name? What does it mean? What would you change your name to if you could? Well, to tell you about my name, I must give you some background (which includes my birth story or as much of it as I know). My parents met when they were young (my mom, Fonda, was 19 at my birth and my dad, Randy, was 24). They met at a party. My mom's sister, Karrie, wanted her to give my dad her (Karrie's) number. My mom gave him her own number instead. Frankly, I think I was conceived a short time later. That being said, my parents didn't have a name picked out when I came. I was supposed to be a boy (yeah, and you wonder why I NEVER find out my kids' sexes). My dad and his friend (whom we lovingly called Jake the Snake) were out "celebrating" my birth. They came to the hospital (I'm n...

Alright, so I'm as tired of hearing about the health care bill as the next person. But I have some questions about it (and I'm hoping someone will have an answer for me). I get that it make it so preexisting conditions won't get overlooked, and I don't remember all what else. But with this public option, if you don't have some sort of insurance, you'll be fined. What? Ok, so what if I can't afford the fine OR the insurance? Just because there's a public option doesn't mean that we're going to be able to afford it. No one has said how much that policy would be (or any policies with or without the public option) or how much the fine would be. What do you do when the prices come out and you can't afford either? Unless President Obama plans on using his Nobel Peace Prize money to pay for my insurance and/or fine....

Mark this day on your calendar. This is the very first time Tristan has completely refused to eat. I gave him sloppy joe mix over a broken up piece of bread - he ate one bite and got upset when I was upset (it's been one of those afternoons) and chocked on it (poor baby but he's ok). I gave him one bite of my mashed cauliflower/potatoes. He wouldn't eat anything else. I tried asking him if his tummy hurts, his throat hurts. His temperature is just over 99 degrees so not too bad. I asked if his tummy was owie and he just said "owie" in his chipper little way. He's not acting like he feels bad. I offered him a few bites of my food while I was eating. He ate 2 bites and refused the rest. Hope he's ok. Wish he could tell me if he wasn't.

I really have come to love meal planning. I don't always stick to the plan but I like to feel organized. I should plan on Fridays so that I have the weekend to go shopping for what I need instead of having Big A pick up the random stuff on Sunday night when he goes to Wal-mart to fetch himself some long johns. Anyway, this is what's on the menu this week for the S Club. This week I decided to try some recipes from " The Mom's Guide to Meal Makeovers " by Janice Newell Bissex and Liz Weiss (check out the website linked up). I picked it up at a library book sale and thought I'd give it a whirl. Monday: breakfast - Cheerios & animal crackers (was to be a banana but ac won out today) snack - animal crackers (supposed to be animal crackers but he substituted) lunch - leftovers (chili for me and ham/cheese/carrots/goldfish for Moose) snack - banana dinner - No nonsense nuggets & wagon wheel alfredo (although I'm not using wagon wheel pasta). Ou...

I'm not a fan of cold weather. Especially this rainy cold weather we've been having. Snow is one thing, but you can go play in the snow - at least for awhile. Rain...not so much. The back yard is all mushy. And, with Squirt, I'm not really sure how we'll play outside this winter at all. I'm not too keen on taking my 3-month-old (4, 5, 6 month old as the months wear on) outside in the snow. What do you do during the winter months to keep your kids busy (and get them some exercise)?

Big A called me as I was on my way home from MOPS and told me President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. WHAT?!?! Why? I don't understand. We're still at war. His big time health care bill hasn't passed. I'm just confused. There has to be someone who has accomplished something who deserves it more than our rock star president. I'm just a little annoyed with this news that there was no one more deserving of this amazing honor??? No way. I'm not that up on who else would be deserving but there are people who are advocates and activists for various organizations, diseases, etc. who have done something. Did he win it for "most appearances on tv by a US President in a week?" Seriously, I'm so tired of seeing him on tv - everyone knows about the healthcare bill. Him being on tv 24/7 is not going to help it get passed; it's just starting to annoy everyone (even those who voted for him). I'm also appalled at the appearance by the president on the a...

Go Big Red. What a game! If you missed it, totally your loss. Looked like Mizzou was going to stomp our Huskers but they pulled it outta somewhere. Woo hoo!! Check out this major Husker fan dressed as Herbie the Husker (the old style). Very cool.

I just had the best Facebook chat conversation with Big A's aunt. I love her so much. She has liked me (or at least seemed to) from the day we met. I liked her immediately, too. Even when my MIL acts like I'm the worst thing that ever happened to her, I know that J loves me and accepts me into the family. It means a lot that her and 2 of my MIL's sisters like me, especially when MIL doesn't (which was kind of confirmed in the conversation tonight that MIL and MIL's youngest sister don't - did they take a poll?). Nice to have someone on your side in a family.

when you come home and find the front door open? If you're like me, you call 911. I mean, I have 2 small kids with me - how do I k now who might be inside? We left this morning to go to the Humane Society to look at puppies & kitties (it took too long. probably won't do that alone again). We were gone for an hour and a half or so. I pull up, unbuckle Moose, and tell him to go inside. That's when I notice it. Our front door is wide open. My mom alarms go off. I call him back and let him "drive" while I call 911 and they say they'll send an officer. I feed the baby hoping no one will come out of our house. I'm freezing my butt off when an officer pulls up. I told him how long we'd been gone, we hadn't been inside, and I swore I locked the door. He says he'll check it out, asks if we have a basement, and goes toward our house. He pulls out his firearm. Wow, talk about intimidating. There has never been a gun in my home. He's gone a few min...

Potty training? Going to soon? Well, Baby Signs Potty Training Kit may be able to help. If you've ever signed with your child(ren), then you know the great help it is to teach them about their world and life. The same can be said with potty training. I haven't used this product but I have a Baby Signs Parent Kit (which is helpful if you're just getting started signing) with a flip chart (helpful for sitters and grandparents). Want a chance to win the potty training kit (like I do)? Check it out here at Connected 2 Christ. Good luck

As I'm slowly learning more and more about our computer, I'm loving it more and more. Especially the built in camera. It's so fun and Moose LOVES it. So today (before church & closer to bedtime) we had our own little photo shoot. It was so fun. Here are some of my favorites. What a success! I give this a big thumbs up!

I know I've talked about friendship and mom friends and other friends before. I just am having a hard time with this. I was having such a bad morning (arguing with Big A, not enough sleep, cranky baby, toddler who only wants to watch tv, didn't get to go visit doggies at the shelter...you get the idea) and I had no one to call. And I know I'm not the best friend in the world to the few (one? two?) I have. I don't call. There are two reasons for it: a) you have lives (either children or work) and I don't want to interrupt and b) fear of rejection - what if you don't pick up? What if you're too busy for me? I know that sounds very grade school but it's definitely a fear of mine. I was reading a blog post about someone whose been friends with this other girl since she was 12 and all I could think of is that I don't have a friend like that. Most people have a friend from elementary school, high school. The only person I talk to from that far back is my c...

You come home from the store and are putting away groceries. All the while, the baby is crying because he's HUNGRY! You hurriedly put away the food, take off your shoes, & get the ice pack out of the diaper bag. You go to take the baby out of his carrier & feed him... ...but his big brother is doing it already. What a great big brother! He even took the lid off the bottle & didn't try the pacifier. I guess he knows when his brother's hungry. Love you guys.

Today Big A didn't have to work so we had a family day. I love family days!!! And last night, I didn't get up once (isn't my husband a saint?), except that one time when I thought the baby was dying but he was just being swaddled (aren't babies dramatic?). Anyway, it was a good night's sleep. We went down to see our niece & nephew today. They are just so small! I love it. I still haven't held Baby W (he was sleeping today). Anyhow, Squirt ate early so I'm off to bed. Maybe tonight's the night he'll sleep through the night...what do you think?