Everything's Coming Up Roses

Ok, not roses, but after several years, I finally did some landscaping around the front of my house this weekend. When we renovated our house (in 2007!) both our front and backyard were destroyed (thanks to the addition in the porch in the front and addition in the back). We paid some random guy to come in and help with the grass and such early last spring, but never got around to replanting bushes or anything like that. Armed with some gift certificates (thanks MIL and Groupon), we headed to the gardening stores.

Spending only about $100 out of pocket - I ended up with some azaleas, rhododendrums, flowers and mulch. The girls were actually very helpful with the planting, and the rain started just as we finished. I am very exicted about it. I think it looks great (even in the rain this morning).

How to Sleep In With Kids

Sleep is REALLY important to me. I love to sleep and I never get enough. So when the kids were little we started a rule that has been huge for my sleeping.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the kids cannot come into our room and disturb us until 8am. 8am!!! yay! They can wake up. They can play in their rooms. They cannot go downstairs (we live in one of those houses where the bedrooms are upstairs and everything else is downstairs) without us (our son would eat us out of house and home). Now I know other moms who let their kids go down and eat. I have another rule that says you can't go downstairs in your pjs (unless you are home sick or it is Christmas) and you don't go downstairs without a parent. This will probably change as the kids get older. But as long as we have a little caveman living in the house - no downstairs.

The best part of the rule is that the kids follow it!!! This started when the oldest was about 3 (she is now almost 8). As soon as she could identify an 8 on the clock, we were good to go. So they get up (usually around 7:15) and play in their rooms, but generally don't bug us until 8am. I HIGHLY recommend this policy. It has saved my sanity (and possibly their lives).

This is What Works for Me! For more Works for Me Wednesdays, visit We Are That Family!

It's Contagious!

Until now, Big Man has been out of the clothing fray. Pretty much all little boy clothes are red, blue, or green - so they pretty much all go together. Then there was this morning, when Big Man came into our room wearing a greens striped shirt and red plaid shorts. I couldn't object to the colors/patterns, but I told him he couldn't wear shorts- it was only Spring, not Summer. So he went back and put on pants under the shorts and a sweater over the shirt. Okey dokey. I did not do drop off at pre-school today!

Yummy Quick Dinner!

So last night I made a really yummy dinner. DH and I loved it, Big Man liked it, the girls complained, but what else is new. I made mini meatloaves, using a muffin tin. But these weren't any meatloaves - these were delicious cheese-stuffed meatloaves!

Here is the basic recipe -

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
sprinkle of garlic powder
sprinkle of onion powder
salt & pepper (i use crazy salt)
sprinkle cumin
sprinkle Lawry's salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
15 Ritz crackers pounded to small crumbs

Mix all above. Divide into 12 parts

Take 4 string cheese and cut into 3 pieces each

Make a meatball, wrapping meat mixture around cheese stick.

Put in muffin tins (after spraying tins well with PAM) - and top with mix of 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup brown sugar. YUMM!

Cook 15 or so minutes. DELICIOUS!!!

Next time I will serve to the kids with tomato sauce and I think it will be fine.

Pick Your Battles

I have learned that with your kids there can be many thing to fight over. One thing I have surrendered on is clothes. As long as you are not vulgar and are seasonably dressed - I don't care. And my kids have worn some crazy stuff. B loves to wear layered looks - often pairing a layered dress with a layered skirt. K will wear soccer socks with capris and a sweater in winter. One of K's teachers sought me out to tell me what a cool mom I was for letting K wear what she wears to work. I took that to mean that social services is around the corner. :) Here are some recent samples, that are actually much milder than usual:

pants are too short - so long socks - none of colors match at all(you can't really see, but she is wearing strawberry soccer socks - I pointed out they weren't green, she said the stems are!)
notice all the tiers

this is actually pretty good!


Picking my battles is what works for me! For more works for me ideas, visit We Are That Family!

Springing Up All Over

So in an attempt to bring on Spring, we made these fun wreaths this weekend. They are so cute, and took maybe 20 minutes each! Highly recommend! Found the idea here. Got the foam bunny and chick at Goodwill for $1.00 each.

They are now brightening up our front door and my office (cube wall)!


Think it will bring Spring any faster?

I'm Just Here for the Food

Big Man is obsessed with food. At 3 1/2, he LOVES candy, cookies, etc. Neither of the girls were like this - it is really insane. When he wakes up, his first thought it where are his (gummy) vitamins. Shortly thereafter he wants a poptart. In the car on the way to work/daycare, he asks what is for dinner. When we pick him up, before saying hi he says "what's for dinner?". When we get home he asks for a snack.

Last night, while eating dinner, he says his tummy hurts. We tell him he has probably had enough to eat. He says yeah. 30 seconds later he asks for some yogurt. Then a cookie. Then a banana. We have found him hiding in the pantry eating cookies. He will lie about what he has eaten while he is still eating it and it is smeared all over his face.

He is not overweight, in fact he is a little guy. I assume this will pass?

Old Fashioned Fun

For no explicable reason, last week I remembered the little clapping song "say say my playmate, come out and play with me, etc". I believe I played that for hours and hours and hours in my childhood. So, this weekend I taught it to the girls. They had never heard it, and loved it. They couldn't wait to get to school today to teach it to their friends. I am now trying to think of other games like that from when I was little. (anyone remember the game rattlesnake? you sing and sort of form a line and weave in and out?) What are other good ones I can pass on?

When it Rains it Pours

Sorry I have been so quiet. Lots going on. First, all three kids got lice last week. So gross. Big Man's got if first, and I shaved his head right away. Girls unfortunately got it too. They are not as easy. Cannot tell you how many hours I have spent combing and nit-picking their hair. Cannot tell you how many loads of laundry we have done.

doesn't Big Man look cute with a crew cut?

Then we got a break. On Friday, DH and I went to an RV show and found a travel trailer we (ok, I) LOVED. 3 bunk beds plus a trundle. Nice kitchen/dining area. Queen bedroom with doors! And even an outside kitchen - complete with mini fridge, stovetop, sink, and outlet (for the blender). Next step - try out one of these puppies. Sadly, you can't rent a travel trailer unless you have an RV with all the hookups ready. (We don't). So we will rent a motor home to at least try out the living part. Hopefully do that sometime this spring!

On Saturday, we went to an Oscar movie showcase (thanks NANA!) - saw Avatar (SO GOOD - even thought I had NO interest), Precious (wow), A Serious Man (eh), Up (love it, have seen it probaby a dozen times), and District 9 (may be the worst movie I have ever seen). It was a fun day - watching 5 movies back to back. Next Saturday we see the other 5.

We picked up the kids from Nana's on Sunday morning. K had thrown up and was hot. We brought her home and into bed. After a few hours she felt better, and ate some dinner. She slept through the night and woke up fine, so we sent her to school. Got a call from after-care that she was under the weather. Picked her up - she had a high fever (102). Got her home and gave her Motrin - which barely impacted the fever, but improved her spirits quite a bit. She ate all her dinner, and went to bed. Woke up this morning VERY hot again. She is home with DH. (nevermind how many days we had to take off due to the lice last week - oh yeah, and the snow the week before!)

So first lice, then vomit, now fever. What is next??