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Fun Stuff Make Me Laugh Monday Mothering

Make Me Laugh Monday- The Next Survivor Series

Thanks to my friend, Mary P. for sending this- this really would be one reality TV show I’d watch every week, and I don’t think there would be a winner, unless there was a woman on the show!  Happy Laughing!

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and

3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.

There is no fast food.

Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of ‘pretend’ bills with not enough money.

In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.

Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time–no emailing.

Each man must also take each child to a doctor’s appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.

He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.

He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear  < STRONG> uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.

During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.

They will need to read a book to the kids each  night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child’s birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor’s name. Also the child’s weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child’s favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if…he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment’s notice.

If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right To be called Mother!

Categories
Activities Cole Mothering Parenting Ryan

Spring is Here

 After having a week of rain, sun, then more rain, and clouds, I think spring is officially here.  This morning started off cool and cloudy, but it is now sunny in the 60’s, and the boys are having a blast playing outside.

By Sunday, we are supposed to reach the upper 80’s!  This weekend is plant buying time!  I have purposely held off on buying bedding plants, because the weather was being so weird.  There was a frost warning one night this past week, so I am glad I held off.

The one aspect that I am sad about is I won’t be planting a vegetable garden this year.  We have plans to move this summer.  I just can’t see doing all that work, in spring and summer, only to leave it, and not be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor!  I know I am setting myself up here- because if we did plant vegetables, then of course, our plans would go like clockwork.  By not planting a garden, thinking we won’t be here, is surely tempting fate, that we will still be here later in the summer.  Then I will be regretfully asking myself why I didn’t plant at least a few vegetables!

At any rate, we are going to be pretty busy this summer, and I am counting on not having a lot of time one way or another to devote to my veggie garden.  I did buy one cherry tomato plant that I will plant in a pot, and keep in the spot I normally would plant my four or five tomato plants.  Fortunately, my father-in-law plants a wonderful garden every year, so we will still have access to some of those wonderful homegrown veggies.  We also have a great vegetable stand from a farm in town, and the Farmer’s Market.

Ryan is already in love with the tomato plant. The other night when I was bringing the plant in, he started talking to it.  He calls it Mr. Tomato Plant.  He tells the plant he is going to grow us yummy, sweet tomatoes, and then he gives it a hug.  Thank goodness Grandpa has some seeds for Ryan, and Ryan gets to help Grandpa in his garden. 

Ryan is such a sweet, and thoughtful child.  I think he will really enjoy gardening.  Maybe next year I will be able to plant a garden, with both my boys.  Starting the garden is always a symbolic gesture for me that the cold, short days of winter are finally gone, and finally the warmer, longer days of spring are here.

Categories
Attachment Parenting Me Mothering Parenting

New Parenting Blog


I am an official blog contributor, with my first post being posted on Attachment Parenting International’s new blog, API Speaks

This new blog’s mission is to “capture the real stories of life as an AP family and to highlight the fact that, despite all the varied family structures, cultures, religions, and dynamics that exist in the world, there is one thing that unites us: Our love and compassion for our children.” (from API Speaks)

I will be a regular contributor with my posts appearing around the seventh of each month- give or take a few days.  The first post that appeared was a post that appeared on my blog, from last March- “Following My Instincts.” 

API Speaks, which was launched last month, is a helpful blog to read, and gain insight into different parents experiences with their children, ranging from birth, to feeding, to sleeping.  Even though every parent has different paths they take with their children in these areas, the common bond is, a respectful and gentle approach.

 It is so hard at times being a parent, and trying to do the best you can for your children.  For me it is like a breath of fresh air to read other parents have similar experiences, trials, and triumphs as I.

I hope you will not only read my posts at API Speaks, but read other experiences and stories posted there.  Check out this new blog- I am sure you will find something that speaks to you as a parent. 

Categories
Activities Cole Family & Friends Holidays Mothering Parenting Ryan

Mother’s Day

I had a wonderful Mother’s Day.  This was my fifth one already!  (How did that happen?)

We got up early so we could make it to my favorite breakfast cafe, before the crowd got there.  It is a Creole cafe which serves to die-for beignets (which is like a cross between a sopapilla and a donut), and homemade biscuits among other goodies.  I got eggs, Creole style- which were scrambled with peppers, onions, cheese,  potatoes, and topped with tomatoes and an avocado. This was served with the biggest buttermilk biscuit you have ever seen, topped with homemade strawberry rhubarb jam.  It was delicious, and of course the boys loved the beignets and biscuits.

After breakfast we went to Joe’s parents house, where we had a present for Joe’s mom.  I had compilled all the best pictures during the last year, and made a photo book for her on Shutterfly.  I have to say, as a former scrapbooker, Shutterfly made the whole process incredibly easy, and fun.  The hardest part for me was picking out the photos to use, and cropping them before I downloaded them to Shutterfly.  I loved the way the book turned out, and I was so happy I ordered a copy for us too.  It is a wonderful keepsake, and Joe’s mom was very happy with it. 

After visiting for a while, we went home, where we all took a nap, except for Ryan.  Bless Joe’s heart- he “napped” in the living room on the couch, so he could watch Ryan.  After I got Cole to sleep, I took a luxurious hour and a half nap in my bed.  It was great.  I woke up to Ryan telling me I had a Mother’s Day card.  This was the envelope:

When I asked Ryan if that was him on the envelope, he said, “No, that is just a hairy guy.”  Okay- I guess my son thinks I like hairy guys.  🙂

Cole was still sleeping, and Joe decided to assemble Cole’s birthday present.  Even though it is in about two weeks, we bought last week, and figured the boys should get as much use out of it as possible.  The directions said it assembled in less than an hour.  Uh, right.  We spent triple the time assembling it.  Cole had woken up in the meantime, and I fixed the boys lunch, which they ate outside, while they ‘helped’ Dad.  (I’m going to write more about the present with pictures closer to Cole’s birthday). 

I got a little yard work in, and cleaned the front porch.  When the toy was done, the boys played for awhile, and I told Joe I wanted some pizza from my favorite pizza restaurant-so off we went to a neighboring town, and we had a nice 20 minute drive or so.  I was a little worried the restaurant would be crowded, and we would have to wait, but we got right in, and it wasn’t super busy, until we left. 

When we got home, I went on a long walk by myself.  The weather was wonderful- warm but not too warm, and not cold enough to need a jacket. 

After I was finished with my walk, the boys were ready for their bath, and bed.  Ryan was so tired, but he told me Happy Mother’s Day again, and asked me if I had fun, “celebrating me.”

As I laid Cole down in his crib, he pulled my face in for another kiss, and then just held my cheek to his, smiling.  He gave me a kiss, and rolled over on his side saying, “night night.”  It was the best moment of the day.

I loved today, and even though I know I will have some things to catch up on, I wouldn’t have changed any of it.  I loved having a fun, relaxed, and easy day with my family.  🙂  Here are two pictures, after we arrived home from breakfast:

         

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day, how ever you chose to spend the day!

Categories
Current Events Little Pumpkin Sweet Pea Designs Mothering

Global Giving- Thank You

About a month ago, I blogged about the Global Giving project BlogHer was running through Mother’s Day to help save impoverished women and children’s lives. I announced that I would donate 50% of my sales from my on-line store, Little Pumpkin, Sweet Pea Designs from that post to today, Mother’s Day to the project.

While the sales weren’t as high as I would have liked- :-), I was able to donate double what I initally thought I could.  Thank you, thank you to everyone who supported this idea, proposed by Amy from Crunchy Domestic Goddess, and a BlogHer Contributing Editor. 

I was torn on which project to donate to, so I ended up donating to two:  I donated to Help Afgan Women Deliver Healthy Babies Safely, and to the Mother & Child Health Clinic in Rural Nepal.

As I wrote before, I feel so blessed to have been born in a country where I don’t have to worry about having access to basic health care.  As I celebrated Mother’s Day today, it really struck me how many less fortunate women and children never even get a chance to have a basic start in life, and have safe, and accessible health care. 

You can still make a donation to these projects, by clicking the links above.  The projects still need your help. The Nepal Mother & Child Clinic is only 7.8% funded, and the Afgan Women Baby Project is only 2.3% funded.  Any amount- as big or as little as you can give will help.