Valentine Snob

To my recollection, since I had my children, I have never bought a commercial store valentine. We always make them ourselves ~ handmade with love.

Yesterday, we made Luc's school valentines. I wish I would have taken a photo of the finished card but we sealed the envelopes before I thought of it. Let's just say, the red ribbon and dark chocolate added a nice touch!

I hope that when my boys get older and have families of their own, they will not go out the night before Valentine's Day to purchase commercial made spider man cards!

I just want them to know that it is truly the time and effort that means so much. Ok, I know you are thinking, it is the THOUGHT that counts. I guess you are right.

However, when you buy a commercial flimsy pouch out card…

YOUR. HAND. DOES. NOT. HURT…

from all the cutting, writing, drawing, and coloring!

My boys need to know that Love hurts! Oh, the Pain.

Psssst…..
The cards are recycled from my old wedding thank you notes.

Rule:
Craft!

Who Dat?

Super Bowl Sunday!

After stocking up on groceries yesterday, we came home just in time to start our Super Bowl preparations.

My preparations included pouring a nice glass of Geary's Winter Ale. I am addicted, for sure. It is my favorite winter seasonal ale,, EVER!

I then proceeded to make popcorn shrimp with cocktail sauce, boneless buffalo chicken strips with ranch sauce, and the best spicy cheese dip to accompany a big bowl of corn chips. We totally pigged out on junk food! The good news, the Saints WON!

Who Dat?

Rule:
Indulge.

LAX

So my husband will be 46 in 5 days and he can still hang with the 20 year olds on the lacrosse field.

We had a great time today at an indoor tournament watching Dave battle. I never watched a game of lacrosse until I met Dave but man, am I a fan. I love this game!  It is, like they say, the fastest game on two feet!

His team won the tournament, and as we speak, he and Coop are out celebrating. I should add, that they beat out a college team! Rock on, Dave! We love you, and although I might bitch about you playing 3 times per week, I can't get enough of this sport!

Rule:
Be supportive!

One Down, One to Go...

Beck has not had a nunu this entire week. He bit a hole in it and we threw it in the trash. He has not asked for it in three days. I think I can say with some certainty, WE. DID. IT!

The only problem is that now I have to deal with little chocolate hands. Yeah, I made a deal - eat as much chocolate as you like!

The nutella sure has come in handy and it is so much fun to watch Beck pretend that his animal crackers are stuck in tar pits! Beck's narrative of screaming animals needing to be saved is very humorous. I have laughed my arse off while folding clothes and on several occasions, I even needed Luc to give me mouth to mouth because I passed out from hyperventilating. Beck is so FUNNY and will cause me much pain when he goes to school.

"Oh, no they stuckkkkkkkkkkk."

"RROOAARRRR!"

"Boom, Boom, Boom. Here comes more mud."

"I will save you, elephant, I gonna eat you."

"YYYUUUMMMM"

Next to go - DIAPERS!

Rule:
Break out the chocolate.

Happy Birthday, Pooh!

Footprints in the Snow

We had a light dusting of snow last night. Luc was all excited to go to school this morning because he wanted to look for fox prints in our driveway (that's another story for another day) and he wanted to make his own fresh prints.

It looks like it is going to be a great day!

Rule:
Make footprints in the snow!

Back Pocket Plan

This photo pretty much sums it up.

These two are totally engrossed in their morning ritual of Sponge Bob mixed with a little cereal!

I am always trying to figure out if there is anything educational about Mr. Square Pants. What are my children learning by watching a sponge that lives under a pineapple in the sea?

Perhaps, Luc has learned some numbers, as he knows how to enter channel 36 on the controller. Ok, that is a stretch. As for Cooper, well, maybe Sponge Bob's optimism, happy go lucky, nothing will get me down, I love everyone attitude has rubbed off on him. Coop is a pretty happy guy!

Here goes nothing - I must admit, there are some good lessons to learn from the sponge that wears square pants! He is unbelievably happy, he loves his friends and his job, and he NEVER complains! Did you hear me? HE. NEVER. COMPLAINS!

The next time I have whining complaining kids on my hands, I will shout as loud as I can, "Do you think Sponge Bob would act like this?"

I am serious!

My bet is that they will start laughing so hard that they will forget why they were whining and complaining. It looks like I might just have a new back pocket plan, and I am sure I will reach my hand in that back pocket and pull it out TODAY! I promise to keep you updated!

Rule:
Dig deep, you can turn anything into an educational life lesson!

Prerequisite

Ok, so this is not Pre-Calculus!

BUT, I do think it could be prerequisite for iPhone or iPad!

Rule:
Prepare them for future technology.

I Love Mornings Like This

Beautiful light spilling through my windows
Calm sleepy eyed little boys
Playing together
Greeting a new day with love, cooperation, and collaboration;
I stand in silence and take it all in.



Mornings like these make me want to run outside and shout to the world, "These are my boys, I raised them, I loved them, they are mine and they are AWESOME."

Rule:
Build a beautiful morning ~ together.

"...a statue strong enough for two!"

January Photo Recap

I am doing a 365 photo project and these photos mark the end of my first month.


Rule:
Take a photo a day.

Stay Away From the Light...

…or it will suck you right in and you will never be the same!

So the boys first lesson on how to pay bills via bill pay might just pay off and free up some of my time! It would be so nice if they could take over this chore; it would be nicer if they would set it up for me, since it has been on my to do list for over 6 months!

Rule:
Teach them how to pay the bills!

Mouse Control

I helped Beck learn how to tame a mouse today!

He has finally figured out how to get his little fingers in the right position in order to correctly work a computer mouse. He is so proud and had so much fun today learning his letters!


Rule:
Make it fun!

Things That Might Happen...

…when you skype!

You might accidentally connect to a wacko stranger!

I don't know who the hell this was but we were entertained for about 20 minutes! Lord, she was a damn hoot! She was so funny and the kids thought she was right out of a disney movie.

I am thinking…

...a scary disney movie, one where a mother eats her first born.

…there should have been a dentist in that disney story.

Anyway, we are still having a blast with this new little bit of technology!

Thanks for the laughs, hotgirllonglegs24 ~ we will video chat again real soon!

Rule:
Hit answer, only if you know the people calling!

They Call it "Funniest Football"

You can always tell when my husband returns from a business trip, as my bedroom is turned into a sports arena.

Dave sits on the bed and the boys take turns, trying to see who can get the most "air" while running and diving to catch the football.

Beck calls this little game "funniest football" and it is quite funny, especially when Beck grabs the football, tucks it under his arm, runs around in circles while screaming, "I got it, you can't get me, I funny, I fast, I little, don't hurt me."

And then, the two oldest boys bury him under. He will be tough and that is a FACT!

Rule:
Create a new game.

$1.99

Do you know what a $1.99 gets me?

At least two hours of free time to take photos and blog! It was the best $1.99 I have spent in a very long time! Ok, it only gets me 15 minutes.  Did you really think that it took me that long.  No way, I am fast and efficient.

The only problem with spending the money?  Now I have 2347 little green army men running around my house and attacking ME.  If I step on another one of these little green guys...well, I will probably just reach down pick up the culprit and throw him in the trash!  That is the nice thing about having extras!

Beck has had so much fun setting up his new army men; he attacks them and they attack him.

Actually, I think they want his chocolate chip granola bar!

Rule:

Splurge!

Skyped!

So this is how my Mom, Dad, Brother - Tyler, Sister in Law - Roxie and niece - Ansley got to see us today when we talked on Skype for the first time. Wow! It was so exciting to see them.

I can't wait to share this experience with Cooper. He is going to be real bummed that he did not get to do it first.

We have decided to surprise him this afternoon when he returns home from his lacrosse clinic. I am just going to put him in front of the computer and press connect! He is going to freak when my parents pop up on the screen.

Now, I need to find some airline tickets because I want to play with Ansley's toys and I want to hear her sang her new song!  Ansley, I love your guts!  Thanks for the entertainment!

Rule:
Try Skype…it is free!

New Art!

Luc and Beckett moved into a bedroom together. This bedroom was one that Luc and Cooper had originally shared. Luc has decided that he does not want Cooper's art on his walls, so we made a trip to the craft store and bought new watercolors. Luc and Beck now have their own art: a dinosaur, a snake and today we will be creating a turtle.

The boys really love to paint and they are so excited to have their own artwork displayed on their bedroom walls.

I love to watch them paint but I need to tell you something…

…I can't stand when the start mixing the colors in the paint trays.

I am all for experimentation but the mixing of the colors drives me clear up the wall.

I take a deep breath and I let it go! I just bought an extra paint tray and if they want to have all their colors to be brown, so be it! Mix away!

Rule:
Mix the colors!

"I All Better!"

Yesterday, we were able to use a Toy Story Band-Aid for an actual injury. Now that is a first!

After listening to about an hour of Beck whining, I finally whipped out the band-aid box and gave him the coveted nunu. After applying the band-aid, I kissed his little finger, and within minutes he said, “I all better. I not crying!” I wonder if he would have felt better that fast with a plain ole’ light brown band-aid? I think, NOT!

Oh, the healing power of a couple little green men, Buzz Lightyear and a nunu. I am starting to think that the nunu will be going to kindergarten with him! Urgh!

Rule:
Soothe their pain with the expensive band-aids!

Brotherly Love

My boys can be so rough, so mean, so wild but they can also be so sweet, so quiet, so loving! This is how I found them when I returned from making my nightly popcorn.

Asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

Rule:
Let them sleep together!

Here's to You

I dedicate this post to my Mom and Dad's two year old Jack Russell, Woody! Happy Birthday, Woody!



"The people in your life will never leave your side."

Rule:
Cheers to Woody!