Older brothers

Thank the stars that my youngest child is a girl with 2 older brothers. Right now it might seem like a pain in my rear, because all 3 of them are intent on fighting with each other non-stop. But having 2 older brothers will come in handy one day...the day that my daughter starts bringing boys home. Not only will she have her father cleaning his shotgun on the front porch, but she'll have 2 older brothers to watch out for her, too. And possibly break the neck of any kid who tries to do anything stupid with my daughter.

Oh, the joys of parenting

How many people without kids can say:

-they had to wash paint off their dog's butt
-they had to mop up soapy water off the kitchen floor because the kids wanted to 'skate'
-they unclogged a toilet 4 times in one day
-they had to mop the basement becaus the toilet overflowed and went into the basement
-they had a kid who was wired from drinking chocolate syrup straight out of the bottle
-they had to buy toilet paper twice in one day because the first four-pack was unraveled and strewn all over the floor

Aint having kids fun?

My summer favorite

One of my favorite things to do during the summer is going to yard sales. My husband cannot for the life of him understand the appeal of driving around, looking at other people's junk. But I love it! I get clothes for super cheap, and some good books to boot. Would anyone really know that the American Eagle capris I am wearing, I bought at a yard sale for $2? (Well, you know now, but I've got more than one pair of AE capris, hahahaha). Or that some of my kids' clothes I bought at yard sales? I'd much rather pay .50 for a book, as opposed to $12-$15 for that same book brand-new (unless it's a book I really want, and will read over and over again, like the Twilight series!). I've gotten some killer deals at flea markets and yard sales. It's just another reason for me to go shopping :D

Shopping frenzy!

I'm a lover of coupons. I love me some coupons. I have a 3-ring binder chock full of coupons, clipped and sorted. I use them alllll the time. My kids make fun of me because I say, "We can't buy that, I don't have a coupon for it." They can make fun of me all they want, but I've brought my grocery bill down to about $70 a week for a family of 5. I usually save about $40-$50 a week. Impressive, no?

I went over my totals for the month of June. I've spent $358.72 on groceries this month. For FIVE people. That includes toiletries and household items. I've saved $252.66! To think that I would have spent over $600 on groceries if I paid full price makes my skin crawl!

Movie Bummer

My kids and I love going to the movie theater. Being basically a single income family (I mean, come on, I work 15 hours a week, and have summers off...UNPAID), we don't get to go to the movies very often. Regal Cinema (formerly Carmike Cinema), which owns Valley View Grande theater, does FREE movies all summer. My kids LOVE going to the movies, even if it's a movie they've already seen (which are 90% of the movies). But, most of all, they LOVE their own box of popcorn and their OWN little drink.

What a bummer it was to find out that they aren't doing the drinks and popcorn this year! Instead, the cheapest (CHEAPEST) thing they have is a kid pack for $5.75. They get one scoop of popcorn, one tiny drink and a fun-sized Skittles. This is basically what they got last year, except for the jacked up price. $5.75x3 kids? No thanks. I'll just go find a bigger purse ;)

Baby fever? Nah.

One of my friends just had a baby, and another one is pregnant (and due around my birthday!) A couple moms of the kids at the preschool are pregnant or have had a baby recently. Looking at the little tine babies makes me want to hold and snuggle one. They are so sweet and innocent at that age...and the best part is, they can't talk back at that age. They don't know everything at that age, and they can't run away from you at the store. And you are their entire world. BUT, I'm a huge advocate of sleep. Having 3 kids in 5 years, I lost a lot of sleep, and I'm now appreciating sleep. I don't think I could do the whole baby thing again for that reason alone. So, I'll just snuggle my friends' babies, and then give them back and have a full night of sleep, thank you very much!

Are they KIDDING me?

Baby names, oh my. The Social Security Administration has compiled their list of popular baby names for 2008. Emma is the top girl name, and Jacob is the top boy name. Bot cute names, if you ask me. There also is a link where you can search for unique baby names, I guess if you don't want your child to be one of 4 kids with the same name. Some of the names, I mean, really? Here are a few of the names on the list:

-Alchemy
-Anemone (as in a sea anemone)
-Answer
-Cedar (as in a tree)
-Hades (as in HELL)
-Cannon

Did they just go through a Webster's dictionary, close their eyes, and point to words on a page, thinking, "This might be a unique baby name"??

Why Parents Eat Fast

People watch in amazement when I eat. I eat like I'm being timed. Fast, and barely tasting my food. Why do you think parents, especially moms, eat like they are trying to beat a Guinness Book of World Records record? Stay at home moms can answer this! In one word: kids. Have you ever had 3 kids under the age of five? Have you ever tried to eat with 3 kids under the age of five? Unless you are quick on your feet, it doesn't happen. As in, you eat fast and without tasting anything.

Here was a typical breakfast/lunch for me. I make 2 of the kids something to eat, ie, a bowl of cereal or oatmeal. I give them both a glass of milk. The 2 sit down to eat, and I make kid #3 a bottle or bowl of baby cereal, put the baby in the high chair, and proceed to feed the baby while I tried to eat my food. I start feeding the baby, and kid #1 needs more milk. I get kid #1 more milk, and resume feeding the baby. Kid #2 spills some milk. I clean up milk. Baby is squawking because baby is hungry, so I resume feeding baby. Kid #1 is finished with breakfast, but is still hungry, so I give kid #1 something to eat. Kid #2 sees kid #1 with more food, and wants something else to eat, too. I give kid #2 something to eat while trying to feed the baby, who is trying to eat her fists because she's starving. By the time breakfast is over, I'm over breakfast.

Dating Already

Hmmm. My 5 year old has a boyfriend. As a matter of fact, my daughter has TWO boyfriends. Yep, she's quite the popular one. She has a second boyfriend because her first boyfriend freaked out when she began discussing marriage. Isn't that such a stereotypical male?

Assault of the Girl Scouts

Have you noticed that when Girl Scouts start selling cookies, they are EVERYWHERE? I wouldn't be able to pick out a Girl Scout in a police lineup 11 months out of the year, but buddy, cookie time comes around, and the are EVERYWHERE! Wal-Mart, Kroger, the gas station, walking up and down the street, knocking on doors...

I went to Kroger the other day, and there they were, camped out in front of the entrance door. Six of them, to be exact. I've already bought 4 boxes of GS cookies, so I didn't need any more. I stood firm when they surrounded me and announced, "GIRL SCOUT COOKIES! We're trying to raise money for a trip! Would you like to buy a box?" "No thanks, I already bought several boxes from someone," I replied, as their faces fell. That's how they get you, with the guilt trip. I did my shopping, thinking I was off the hook, and when I went to leave, there were MORE of them! They surrounded both entrances, so you can't get away from them!

I ended up with an extra box of cookies. When else can you buy Caramel deLites, AKA SAMOAS...

TV Infomercials

I have something to say about TV infomercials, AKA the "As Seen on TV" products. Seriously, they make some of the simplest activities look like over-complicated work. Take the Pasta Pro. They say it's the "spill-proof" way to make pasta. Really? I mean, seriously? The "complicated" way to do it is by pouring a pot of water and pasta into another bowl with a bunch of holes in it, AKA a colander? That's COMPLICATED? It's PASTA, people, not rocket science.

Now the new product is the Snuggie. (Sorry, Sandy). What kind of moron do you have to be to struggle with using a blanket? Seriously, you can't read a book and cover up with a blanket at the same time? I do it all the time. How dumb do you have to be to need a blanket with sleeves? Ever hear of a sweatshirt? Seriously, if you want a cheap Snuggie, get a bathrobe and wear it backward. Who thought this was marketing genius?