Brr, it's cold outside! Im sure some of you will laugh at me saying this. Its 43 degrees out and for me that is pure torture. Im so thankful for our heater right now! Im sure some of you reading this are from much colder climates. I just do not handle cold weather much. And, no, I am not someone who complains its too cold and then gripes about how hot the heat is. I complain about the cold and enjoy every triple digit day Texas has to offer! I just wasnt conditioned for this. Although, I did partake in a trip to Colorado in December once. Surpisingly I didnt die. Granted I had on about 2-3 layers of clothing at a time, under my ski gear. It just isnt for me. Its a good reason for me to stay put right here or even move to Florida! I remember how mellow the winter was while I was there. It was right up my alley! However, Ill trade some cold for an area without hurricanes. Living in a place with chance of tornadoes is scary enough sometimes.
While I listen to the winter air blowing around, fairly violently outside, Im sitting up and enjoying the silence of our home. The last 4 days were very go, go, go. I spent all weekend helping my friend with a party( you can read about that in my post about Jedi Knights and tea parties). Saturday(the Jedi party) was a party of about 10 seven year old boys plus kids of multiple age groups. It was completely nuts. Sure we had created activities for them and they followed it. You still have to remember they were all given pool noodle light sabers and told to have some fun. It was straight nuts and very noisy. They had a blast though. The whole thing was a complete success and I know they all went home talking about it. One thing is for sure, with them running around, there wasnt a scrap of food left! We started out with a lot but man could those boys eat! So often I saw them run past the food and just grab. They didnt even care what they grabbed. It was all made totally worth the effort when I saw the face of birthday boy, as storm troopers(in full gear) came outside with his cake. He had no idea to expect them.
Sunday was busy but a lot more mellow. We had a group of little girls come for the princess tea party. It was about the same number of kids but totally different demeanor to the whole event. We had them make jewelry, gave them salon treatment of hair, nails and makeup, then we had a coronation crowning event and ended it all with finger sandwiches, fruit, punch and of course a sparkly cake. The place was decorated with pink and purple tulle and matching balloons. The punch was pink, frothy and yummy. Everything was just so fun and as elegant as 4 years and under can be. Even my Lorelai dressed up! No makeup was to be had there but she dressed up and had her nails painted.
Sunday night, I was happy to be home and rest. My husband still had Monday off. I thought, great we can rest in in the morning and I can enjoy being with them, maybe get some cleaning done while he plays with the kids. Then we got a phone call...My sister in law calls from East Texas to say our niece has been injured by a horse kicking her in the head. They would be airlifting her to come out to the childrens hospital in Dallas. The small town we are from didnt have a Pediatric Neuro Surgeon or anything close that could help.
So, of course I jump back into help mode. I stay up texting with sis to keep up on whats happening. I didnt know if she wanted me to come up and keep her company. If she had the things she needed since everything happened so fast. Or if she even had cash on her for food or anything. Im sure if it was one of mine, I would run off and forget all kinds of things. She didnt seem to need us up there last night. They had to stitch up her ear and a lot of skin on the side of her head. They did cat scans and tests to find out what was going on internally. They found a fracture in her skull but no brain bleeding of any kind(thank the Lord!) She said nothing else was going to happen until next morning. They gave her something for pain and let her get some rest. So since they were going to get some sleep, I said we were going to come out next morning. She infact said, they would need food and things, she just wanted sleep at that time. So didnt need anything until next day.
So this morning, once awake, we all got up and out the door to head there. First we stopped at Walmart where I got some snacks and some filling things that didnt require any refridgeration. You know like granola bars, bagels, chips and I grabbed some bread, tuna, miracle whip and a can opener. I figured it would be easy for them to open it up and have sandwhiches. We also got them some canned drinks that they could put on ice. I was hesitant to buy kid stuff because at that point, I didnt know if she was being allowed to eat. Usually if there is any possibility you will need surgery they wont let you. So I stuck with things that I knew parents could eat. Plus they would probably serve her food, since she was the patient. I also went to the Easter section and threw together a little get well basket. Just a little notebook and stickers to make art with, a stuffie, and I threw in some skittles for when she could eventually eat again. I considered a balloon but sometimes there are even restrictions on those so I held off.
We stopped and picked up some already made food when we got closer, so they could have the other stuff for later. We finally made it up there about midday. They were very appreciative of all the goodies. The niece was pretty doped up and tired from a pretty traumatic night. I showed her the gift, she smiled and went back to sleep. I felt so bad for her but glad she was resting. Ive never seen her look so tiny and helpless before. This is not a quiet kid, at all. So it was weird to see her so out of it. We gave them some company for a while and visited. Let them each step out for a bit to get some air. When they assured us they didnt need anything else, we slipped out. We wanted to stay but it wasnt a place for our toddlers. They tell us she will be released in a day and will just have to do a couple of checkups just to keep everything in check and make sure nothing arises. I am so glad it wasnt a lot more serious. It was a lot and from the description it will be a painful recovery but I just know the injury could have been more.
When we got home, I decided to get in some cleaning while I still could. Once I got it to a good point I spent the evening playing with the kids and just being with my little family. Now everyone is in bed and I am just sitting in the living room. I feel completely exhausted from these last 4 days. However, Im not ready to trade such quietness for sleep yet. I love being the person to help others but at the end of the day, I love to not be needed for a little while. Tomorrow, I will wake up ready to take on the problems and tasks of others again. For now, its me time!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Not much to say at the moment but wanted to invite you all to follow me on instagram!
http://instagram.com/mamaeye
http://instagram.com/mamaeye
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
The Current LIves of My 2yr Old and 1yr Old: LIfe of Littles
Finnigan
Age 2yr 4mo.
My sweet first born is still cuddly and goofy. The only thing that gets any sort of attention span is his HotWheels table. Although he is starting to get into more physic based play, like wooden blocks. He also is able to count to 10. We are still working on taking the memorization of the numbers and learning how to apply them to actually counting objects and items around him. He does this thing where, say there are 3 items in front of him, he will count them to 3 but then keep counting them over and over until he gets to 10. So that is a little bit of a challenge, ha. I imagine thats something he will figure out with age and maturity though. He just gets caught up in the counting. He is also starting colors. He doesnt show that much interest in the subject but I will still point out colors of things, in hopes he is subconciously soaking it in. That's how letters happened. I would talk about them, with little response from him and then one day he just started randomly identifying them on his own. Now, he can identify all of them except Q. He doesnt acknowledge the tiny difference it has from an O. Physically, he is very active and loves to goof off. He will just randomly start running back and forth across the room while emitting some funny noise and laughing about it. He is incredibly independent. At a playground he has no issues with going and doing his thing without having to have me right behind him. This is bittersweet, since as a baby he was quite clingy. It's ok though, because Lorelai enjoys being center of attention. He is definetly not a fighter. I appreciate this but at the same time, I worry about his not wanting to take up for himself. Lorelai, who is almost the same size is a little aggressive sometimes, and she has picked up on the fact that he doesnt really fight back. So, she has taken to picking on him, like taking a toy or hitting him. He of course just cries and comes to me to fix it. So, of course I have to get onto her for being mean but Im trying to also teach them to work it out. I worry that if I always get onto her for being mean, he will take it as Im going to fix any problem he has ever, and wont work it out for himself sometimes. So as independent as he can be, this is one point where he is no where close.
Lorelai
Age 1yr 2mo
This little girl has come with quite a sugar and spice little package. For the most part she likes hugs and sitting nicely in your lap. On the otherhand, she can have one rotten attitude. As I was mentioning above, she takes advantage of her brothers sweet personality and uses it to give him a hard time. Some times she is just downright mean. We have introduced timeouts. It helps some but not for very long periods of time. I think as she gets older and has more to lose when being taken away from playing, it will get more effective. Right now, she can tell she is in trouble but she just doesnt take it that seriously. I wonder if its something that can be helped by maybe going and playing with others at another home. Maybe others a little older who arent such pushovers? I wouldnt want her to get hurt, just maybe get a little taste of her own medicine? I hope that doesnt sound cruel, I just want her to play nicer. She doesnt always play this way, there are many times a day they are playing perfectly nice together but those moments where she chooses to be mean, she is just completely rotten! Its all based around sharing and playing nicely. Im hoping if we just stay on top of it, it will just improve with age and the ability to reason.
Other than that she is getting along nicely in the intelligence department. She has new words often, and loves to try to conversate. She has become OBSESSED with shoes. It doesnt matter if they are pretty little girl shoes or even boring Daddy shoes. She loves them all. I have had to make sure their good wearable shoes get put up, otherwise they get lost because of her wanting to play with them all the time. I grew very tired of constantly having to look for missing shoes because she wanted to carry them around with her. So now she has a couple pairs of outgrown shoes, she can do as she pleases with and the good ones get stored out of reach when not in use. It really makes me giggle at her dad's reaction to one of her first words being shoes. I think its making him worried about our financial future, haha. She has also taken to calling socks, shoes as well. That is something we are trying to get straightened out though. As far as she is concerned, if it goes on your foot in any way its a shoe.
She can also count to 2. She tries to count to 5 but it generally comes out 1225. So its a step in the right direction but not quite accomplished. She really is interested in everything brother does despite being mean to him. So if Im trying to teach him something, she is right there trying to figure it out herself. For example, potty training. I've been working on this quite a bit with Finn lately, and since she cant be left out of anything, it has turned into trying to potty train the both of them. Which, Im actually more than ok with. If I can get them both out of daytime diapers at the same time, then I will take that as a big success for sure. However, she is a little less stubborn about it than him. So I have this little feeling that she will catch on first..haha.
Also, another thing, Lorelai has seemed to come with a sense of humor. She does things like she is joking and loves to be taken as funny. She thinks putting random things on her head is hilarious and thinks making faces is way fun! She also tends to think things her brother does is hilarious. They both got a balloon for Valentine's Day. Finn would take them and bang them together and she would just fall over laughing! Of course, Finn thinks its awesome to make her laugh, so when he catches on that something is making her laugh, there is a good chance its not gonna end. He always seems a little dissapointed when something else gets her attention.
I think this is about all for now. I have myself 2 ever blooming toddlers. These days are filled with bittersweet moments. I love seeing them just be happy little kids but Im also sad that those little kids were my tiny babies. Its amazing what a year or two can really do!
Age 2yr 4mo.
My sweet first born is still cuddly and goofy. The only thing that gets any sort of attention span is his HotWheels table. Although he is starting to get into more physic based play, like wooden blocks. He also is able to count to 10. We are still working on taking the memorization of the numbers and learning how to apply them to actually counting objects and items around him. He does this thing where, say there are 3 items in front of him, he will count them to 3 but then keep counting them over and over until he gets to 10. So that is a little bit of a challenge, ha. I imagine thats something he will figure out with age and maturity though. He just gets caught up in the counting. He is also starting colors. He doesnt show that much interest in the subject but I will still point out colors of things, in hopes he is subconciously soaking it in. That's how letters happened. I would talk about them, with little response from him and then one day he just started randomly identifying them on his own. Now, he can identify all of them except Q. He doesnt acknowledge the tiny difference it has from an O. Physically, he is very active and loves to goof off. He will just randomly start running back and forth across the room while emitting some funny noise and laughing about it. He is incredibly independent. At a playground he has no issues with going and doing his thing without having to have me right behind him. This is bittersweet, since as a baby he was quite clingy. It's ok though, because Lorelai enjoys being center of attention. He is definetly not a fighter. I appreciate this but at the same time, I worry about his not wanting to take up for himself. Lorelai, who is almost the same size is a little aggressive sometimes, and she has picked up on the fact that he doesnt really fight back. So, she has taken to picking on him, like taking a toy or hitting him. He of course just cries and comes to me to fix it. So, of course I have to get onto her for being mean but Im trying to also teach them to work it out. I worry that if I always get onto her for being mean, he will take it as Im going to fix any problem he has ever, and wont work it out for himself sometimes. So as independent as he can be, this is one point where he is no where close.
Lorelai
Age 1yr 2mo
This little girl has come with quite a sugar and spice little package. For the most part she likes hugs and sitting nicely in your lap. On the otherhand, she can have one rotten attitude. As I was mentioning above, she takes advantage of her brothers sweet personality and uses it to give him a hard time. Some times she is just downright mean. We have introduced timeouts. It helps some but not for very long periods of time. I think as she gets older and has more to lose when being taken away from playing, it will get more effective. Right now, she can tell she is in trouble but she just doesnt take it that seriously. I wonder if its something that can be helped by maybe going and playing with others at another home. Maybe others a little older who arent such pushovers? I wouldnt want her to get hurt, just maybe get a little taste of her own medicine? I hope that doesnt sound cruel, I just want her to play nicer. She doesnt always play this way, there are many times a day they are playing perfectly nice together but those moments where she chooses to be mean, she is just completely rotten! Its all based around sharing and playing nicely. Im hoping if we just stay on top of it, it will just improve with age and the ability to reason.
Other than that she is getting along nicely in the intelligence department. She has new words often, and loves to try to conversate. She has become OBSESSED with shoes. It doesnt matter if they are pretty little girl shoes or even boring Daddy shoes. She loves them all. I have had to make sure their good wearable shoes get put up, otherwise they get lost because of her wanting to play with them all the time. I grew very tired of constantly having to look for missing shoes because she wanted to carry them around with her. So now she has a couple pairs of outgrown shoes, she can do as she pleases with and the good ones get stored out of reach when not in use. It really makes me giggle at her dad's reaction to one of her first words being shoes. I think its making him worried about our financial future, haha. She has also taken to calling socks, shoes as well. That is something we are trying to get straightened out though. As far as she is concerned, if it goes on your foot in any way its a shoe.
She can also count to 2. She tries to count to 5 but it generally comes out 1225. So its a step in the right direction but not quite accomplished. She really is interested in everything brother does despite being mean to him. So if Im trying to teach him something, she is right there trying to figure it out herself. For example, potty training. I've been working on this quite a bit with Finn lately, and since she cant be left out of anything, it has turned into trying to potty train the both of them. Which, Im actually more than ok with. If I can get them both out of daytime diapers at the same time, then I will take that as a big success for sure. However, she is a little less stubborn about it than him. So I have this little feeling that she will catch on first..haha.
Also, another thing, Lorelai has seemed to come with a sense of humor. She does things like she is joking and loves to be taken as funny. She thinks putting random things on her head is hilarious and thinks making faces is way fun! She also tends to think things her brother does is hilarious. They both got a balloon for Valentine's Day. Finn would take them and bang them together and she would just fall over laughing! Of course, Finn thinks its awesome to make her laugh, so when he catches on that something is making her laugh, there is a good chance its not gonna end. He always seems a little dissapointed when something else gets her attention.
I think this is about all for now. I have myself 2 ever blooming toddlers. These days are filled with bittersweet moments. I love seeing them just be happy little kids but Im also sad that those little kids were my tiny babies. Its amazing what a year or two can really do!
Jedi Training Conference and a Princess Tea
Last night, around 9pm, I got a phone call from a friend of mine. She has three kids, with the 2 youngest being close in age to my 2. We have played together often. Now she is a professional woman, a very good and successful one from what I can gather. However, with that comes a very mathematical, scientific, and critical thinking individual. When she called, she was in panic mode because those dont exactly create calmness in trying to plan birthday parties for 2 of her kids this weekend. She is throwing her 7 yr old boy's on Saturday and her 4yr old girl's party on Sunday. Her original plan was to throw them together, as she has done the past 2 years. However, now that the 7yr old is in school and the little girl is starting to actually care about her party theme, she decided for sanity purposes to split them up. However, thats as far in the planning mode as she has gotten. The parties are in a couple of days and she is lost. So, thanks to my friends knowing my previous life of wedding coordinating, I get a phone call.
Im actually thrilled to help, I love this stuff! In fact, Ive often thought, if I ever get back into the work game, I wouldnt mind switching my specialty to child birthday parties and such. I do miss weddings but I fear it would take too much time away from my family. I feel celebration parties would be slightly less stressful and dont always have to happen on weekend nights, when I want to be home with my kids. Now, granted if the right bride came along I probably wouldnt turn it down. The great thing about this type of job, you get to kind of choose how you want your schedule to be.
Anyway, back to topic. Since I didnt actually throw Lorelai a party this year(we did a small meetup with a couple of friends at a bounce house place and are counting Disney as part of her birthday celebration) Im excited to make up for it with someone else's kid.
First off, the boys party, we are creating a Star Wars Jedi party. We are inviting all of his school friends to a Jedi training conference. Here they will get to do things such as practice their fencing skills with light sabers(created with pool noodles) and target practice(storm trooper balloons and nerf guns).
Then on Sunday, we will host a Princess Tea. They will walk into a perfect ladylike tea, where they will decorate their own tea cookies, enjoy some spa treatment and of course get into costume. We will decorate in pink, white and flowers( requested by the princess, herself.) We plan to include "china" and pretty little touches throughout.
Overall, the weekend should be very busy, hopefully successful and a little exhausting! I for one am excited and ready to get my game plan in motion. Tomorrow I will be heading out to shop for needed supplies. She emailed me her lists of preferences and Ive made a detailed list of where to go for everything. I plan to possibly go over Friday evening to get started decorating on the first party and return early Saturday. Luckily, my husband will be off so that my kids can attend the party and be watched as well. It would be a lot harder for me to get all this done with them under my sole supervision.
Have any of you ever thrown a party with either of these themes before? Do you have a blog about it? What activities did your party include?
Im actually thrilled to help, I love this stuff! In fact, Ive often thought, if I ever get back into the work game, I wouldnt mind switching my specialty to child birthday parties and such. I do miss weddings but I fear it would take too much time away from my family. I feel celebration parties would be slightly less stressful and dont always have to happen on weekend nights, when I want to be home with my kids. Now, granted if the right bride came along I probably wouldnt turn it down. The great thing about this type of job, you get to kind of choose how you want your schedule to be.
Anyway, back to topic. Since I didnt actually throw Lorelai a party this year(we did a small meetup with a couple of friends at a bounce house place and are counting Disney as part of her birthday celebration) Im excited to make up for it with someone else's kid.
First off, the boys party, we are creating a Star Wars Jedi party. We are inviting all of his school friends to a Jedi training conference. Here they will get to do things such as practice their fencing skills with light sabers(created with pool noodles) and target practice(storm trooper balloons and nerf guns).
Then on Sunday, we will host a Princess Tea. They will walk into a perfect ladylike tea, where they will decorate their own tea cookies, enjoy some spa treatment and of course get into costume. We will decorate in pink, white and flowers( requested by the princess, herself.) We plan to include "china" and pretty little touches throughout.
Overall, the weekend should be very busy, hopefully successful and a little exhausting! I for one am excited and ready to get my game plan in motion. Tomorrow I will be heading out to shop for needed supplies. She emailed me her lists of preferences and Ive made a detailed list of where to go for everything. I plan to possibly go over Friday evening to get started decorating on the first party and return early Saturday. Luckily, my husband will be off so that my kids can attend the party and be watched as well. It would be a lot harder for me to get all this done with them under my sole supervision.
Have any of you ever thrown a party with either of these themes before? Do you have a blog about it? What activities did your party include?
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Disney World Planning Continues...
Today, we received our park tickets!!! Im so excited! Our hotels are booked, our route to drive is mapped out, our daily plans are written out. I have written down all info on parks, good restaraunt options for us. I have a medical insurance card packed into our travel folder. We have shopped for shorts for my husband. I have been slowly shopping for skirts and capris( I hate wearing shorts.) Ive written down the address to the nearest Walmart for when we get out there. We actually booked an off property hotel room that has an in-room kitchenette, so we will be able to get up and cook our own breakfast and any other meals or snacks we want. I would love to eat dinner out every night, but I think knowing we can cook our own, will be good in the case of kids being too tired to keep out any of the days. Plus the kids eat often, so we will be able to keep plenty of snacks that way.
We did make the decision to invite Stephen's older sister. We love her and we really wanted an extra adult with us. It will mean no one has to ride anything alone. We will have an extra set of hands if needed. We will have a third person to help us drive there, we will get the chance to get a date night(which is awesome, I have been dying to take Stephen to the Adventurer's Club at downtown Disney) and it will just be fun to have her along. She has been having things going on that she could use the break from, so all around, it will work great. Our suite has 3 rooms so we wont be on top of each other while in the room. I cant wait!!!
Now I am putting focus on putting together road trip packs for the kids. We are leaving at night, so I figure they will sleep a good portion of it, but just in case, I want to make sure they have plenty to keep their little hands and minds occupied. Ive been putting in unopened McDonalds toys and little new cheap ones I pick up. I also bought the activity trays that strap to their seat. That means I can get coloring supplies. Im also wanting to get them small baking sheets and fun magnets. Just fun inexpensive things. Also, of course snacks, which reminds me...do any of you have suggestions for yummy low to no sugar snacks? Im ok with my kids having sugar but not when they have to remain strapped into a carseat. Just the thought of those results sounds awful! So, any suggestions would be appreciated. I would love it to be something yummy that maybe they dont get all the time, so it will be new and fun. Im thinking a couple of new things mixed with stuff I know is there favorite would be perfect.
Overall, everything is shaping up nicely! I bought a fun little dry erase board with Minnie Mouse on it, Im using it to count down our days! Im not sure if it keeps me more excited or just impatient but its fun so it stays! I think it does help with making sure everything gets done on time. Anyway I just wanted to put out a Disney update. Tomorrow, I plan to put up a kids milestone blog. Afterall, I started this stuff to remember all of that and I suck at keeping up with their baby books. I like blogging though so it works out!
We did make the decision to invite Stephen's older sister. We love her and we really wanted an extra adult with us. It will mean no one has to ride anything alone. We will have an extra set of hands if needed. We will have a third person to help us drive there, we will get the chance to get a date night(which is awesome, I have been dying to take Stephen to the Adventurer's Club at downtown Disney) and it will just be fun to have her along. She has been having things going on that she could use the break from, so all around, it will work great. Our suite has 3 rooms so we wont be on top of each other while in the room. I cant wait!!!
Now I am putting focus on putting together road trip packs for the kids. We are leaving at night, so I figure they will sleep a good portion of it, but just in case, I want to make sure they have plenty to keep their little hands and minds occupied. Ive been putting in unopened McDonalds toys and little new cheap ones I pick up. I also bought the activity trays that strap to their seat. That means I can get coloring supplies. Im also wanting to get them small baking sheets and fun magnets. Just fun inexpensive things. Also, of course snacks, which reminds me...do any of you have suggestions for yummy low to no sugar snacks? Im ok with my kids having sugar but not when they have to remain strapped into a carseat. Just the thought of those results sounds awful! So, any suggestions would be appreciated. I would love it to be something yummy that maybe they dont get all the time, so it will be new and fun. Im thinking a couple of new things mixed with stuff I know is there favorite would be perfect.
Overall, everything is shaping up nicely! I bought a fun little dry erase board with Minnie Mouse on it, Im using it to count down our days! Im not sure if it keeps me more excited or just impatient but its fun so it stays! I think it does help with making sure everything gets done on time. Anyway I just wanted to put out a Disney update. Tomorrow, I plan to put up a kids milestone blog. Afterall, I started this stuff to remember all of that and I suck at keeping up with their baby books. I like blogging though so it works out!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
The Carrie Diaries.
So I am a "Sex and the City" fan. I did not watch them when they aired(no way would my parents have let me.) I watched the series a couple years ago before I had kids and followed up when movies came out. They are totally inappropriate but still fun at the same time. There were quite a few scenes that would downright make me blush but other than that I enjoyed the story lines. They were often relatable or even humorous. Just before that I had finished the Gilmore Girls series and something a little more grown up was nice.
Tonight, I decided to give the pilot episode of "Carrie Diaries" a try. I went into it feeling a little cynical of the idea that they think they could make a spin off. However, I wanted a real opinion of the show, not just my assumptions. I was surpised to find I kind of like it. I was not sure how I felt about the story line, in relation to the original show but I liked it for what it was. I remember the few times Carrie talked about her childhood, and that made this show not seem very accurate but Im ok with that. I decided I would keep the original in mind but agree to judge it separately.
First of all, I never found any of the women S&C particularly attractive. Charlotte was pretty but I just never felt drawn into her character, I suppose. I think Sarah Jessica Parker has gotten a lot prettier with age, perhaps motherhood did that for her. Back in the show, I found her to look a little sickly. I know she smoked and you could see that in her body. In general, I just didnt find her attractive but I liked her character. So it was a trade off, I suppose. I never believed Mr Big would have actually found her attractive in real life. Like I said, she has gotten better with age. I think she looks much better these days. In "Carrie Diaries" the girl playing Carrie, is really pretty. Im very happy with the casting. She is a pretty and healthy looking teen girl. I also like that they stayed true to the blonde curls.
Not only did I find her pretty and well suited to the part but I did like the show in general. Granted the first episode didnt dig real deep yet but I like that it left me wanting to watch more of it. Ive dropped many shows after a few episodes and sometimes even just one. Im willing to watch a bad movie. Im not willing to continue a series I dont like.
So, overall, I give this one a good rating. It is kinda made for a younger audience but I like that sometimes. It just depends on the show. If you are looking for a show to take up, give this one a try. The first 5 episodes are on Hulu.
Tonight, I decided to give the pilot episode of "Carrie Diaries" a try. I went into it feeling a little cynical of the idea that they think they could make a spin off. However, I wanted a real opinion of the show, not just my assumptions. I was surpised to find I kind of like it. I was not sure how I felt about the story line, in relation to the original show but I liked it for what it was. I remember the few times Carrie talked about her childhood, and that made this show not seem very accurate but Im ok with that. I decided I would keep the original in mind but agree to judge it separately.
First of all, I never found any of the women S&C particularly attractive. Charlotte was pretty but I just never felt drawn into her character, I suppose. I think Sarah Jessica Parker has gotten a lot prettier with age, perhaps motherhood did that for her. Back in the show, I found her to look a little sickly. I know she smoked and you could see that in her body. In general, I just didnt find her attractive but I liked her character. So it was a trade off, I suppose. I never believed Mr Big would have actually found her attractive in real life. Like I said, she has gotten better with age. I think she looks much better these days. In "Carrie Diaries" the girl playing Carrie, is really pretty. Im very happy with the casting. She is a pretty and healthy looking teen girl. I also like that they stayed true to the blonde curls.
Not only did I find her pretty and well suited to the part but I did like the show in general. Granted the first episode didnt dig real deep yet but I like that it left me wanting to watch more of it. Ive dropped many shows after a few episodes and sometimes even just one. Im willing to watch a bad movie. Im not willing to continue a series I dont like.
So, overall, I give this one a good rating. It is kinda made for a younger audience but I like that sometimes. It just depends on the show. If you are looking for a show to take up, give this one a try. The first 5 episodes are on Hulu.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
15 Grammatical Goofs That Make You Look Silly
This post is courtesy of Brian Clark, founder of Copyblogger. I know I make plenty of grammatical mistakes. So I am making this a post for me, more than anything. These are rules I usually remember but I tend to get lazy about commas and apostrophes. I need to work on putting more effort into placing them when needed and correctly. English/grammar class, was always my best subject, so there really isn't an excuse, ha! So this is here for me to refer back to and to anyone else who may need it. You are welcome to take it to your own posts. The original post encourages it. http://www.copyblogger.com/grammar-goofs/
Valentine's Day: Cheesecake Factory and Identity Thief
So, today has been pretty fun! My Valentine's Day kinda began last night actually. To be honest, when setting up a date for our sitter to come over, it didnt even dawn on me at that time, what the date was. So upon going out with was fun to know it was also a special occasion. It put a little more sentiment into it, I suppose. A little after 7:30, we left our kiddos in the hands of our trusted sitter and headed out. We left our normal area and headed over to Arlington. Our first stop was The Cheesecake Factory. This place is so pricey, but oh so yummy. Im not talking just the cheesecake(talk about party in your mouth!) but the entrees and meals they serve are so delicious! This was our 2nd time going, we went on a date there last year at some point and then last night. Its not a place you can go in and expect to pay a $30 tab. It just isnt. We also wouldnt feel comfortable taking our busy toddlers there. At least in the evening hours. Perhaps lunch time it would be acceptable but I still wouldnt. Its a dimly lit and rather elegant and romantic place. I also think it would make a very fun mom's night. Its just definetly more of an older years kid and adult scene. It is no where even close to what they portray on the Big Bang Theory..that show is a crock of crap, when it comes to how it portrays the place..lol. Thats ok, I love the restaraunt and show anyways.
Now when you go in, know this, the menu is BIG! Making a decision is near impossible but also know you wont make a bad one. Judging from our own plates and those we could see around us, its all very good. Everything comes out cooked perfectly. Last time we were there I ordered the Shepard's Pie, YUM!, this time I ordered the herb crusted Salmon. It was of course crusted in said green herbs, laid over mashed potatoes(the have some chunks and skin in them, which I happen to really like), with a side of aparagus. Then, underneath it all they add a bed of a light lemony sauce. Obviously it is good with the salmon, but surprisingly it was also good with the potatoes and asparagus. Never would have thought either of those. I do not know what all was in the sauce except the lemon, but if you ever can get your hands on that recipe let me know. Or definetly try it yourself! Good stuff. Of course I only made it through half my meal. They start you with some amazing homemade breads that get you half full in the first place. Thats ok because they make you feel pampered and take your plate away and box it up for you.
To finish, no matter how full you are you gotta order some cheese cake. This is the point where they bring you a page and a half of types to choose from. Talk about a big decision!!! I finally decided on a slice of their Tuxedo cheesecake. I cant remember which kind Stephen ordered but he asked for his to go. It arrived on the table neatly boxed next my beautifully plated slice. I didnt finish my piece and ended up having to have it boxed as well. They really stuff you full there!
We finished our dinner with plenty of time to get to the theater in time for our showing of Identity Thief. This was a pretty humorous movie. That McCarthy is such a character! She really owns her roles. It's just so damn believable when she is on the screen. The otherside to the movie is it was down right scary how easy it was for her to steal the identities. It definetly has me taking extra looks at things from now on. It was funny, and had just enough actions and twists, to keep it entertaining and interesting. My husband said from the guy side, it wasnt that awesome but he enjoyed it overall.
Today, the kids woke early(had to take Daddy to work pretty early) to a special Valentine's Surprise for each of them.
They each ended up with straw cups, heart for Lorelai, robot for Finn. A stuffed monkey for Finn and a bear for Lorelai, and a balloon for each of them.
We ran Daddy to work, and came home and finished getting ready for the day. At 11:30, we headed to our playgroup Valentine's Party. We had an awesome time playing and visiting with friends. The littles exchanged little treats and cards. It was so cute and fun.
Now they are having rest time and we just finished signing their cards to Daddy. So overall, very happy Valentines all around! I think its one of our best yet! Im lucky to have 3 special people to be my Valentine's!
How was everyone else's special day? Any cute outfits. My 2 had some festive shirts but I forgot to grab a picture. Hopefully Ill be able to before the day is over!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
Now when you go in, know this, the menu is BIG! Making a decision is near impossible but also know you wont make a bad one. Judging from our own plates and those we could see around us, its all very good. Everything comes out cooked perfectly. Last time we were there I ordered the Shepard's Pie, YUM!, this time I ordered the herb crusted Salmon. It was of course crusted in said green herbs, laid over mashed potatoes(the have some chunks and skin in them, which I happen to really like), with a side of aparagus. Then, underneath it all they add a bed of a light lemony sauce. Obviously it is good with the salmon, but surprisingly it was also good with the potatoes and asparagus. Never would have thought either of those. I do not know what all was in the sauce except the lemon, but if you ever can get your hands on that recipe let me know. Or definetly try it yourself! Good stuff. Of course I only made it through half my meal. They start you with some amazing homemade breads that get you half full in the first place. Thats ok because they make you feel pampered and take your plate away and box it up for you.
To finish, no matter how full you are you gotta order some cheese cake. This is the point where they bring you a page and a half of types to choose from. Talk about a big decision!!! I finally decided on a slice of their Tuxedo cheesecake. I cant remember which kind Stephen ordered but he asked for his to go. It arrived on the table neatly boxed next my beautifully plated slice. I didnt finish my piece and ended up having to have it boxed as well. They really stuff you full there!
We finished our dinner with plenty of time to get to the theater in time for our showing of Identity Thief. This was a pretty humorous movie. That McCarthy is such a character! She really owns her roles. It's just so damn believable when she is on the screen. The otherside to the movie is it was down right scary how easy it was for her to steal the identities. It definetly has me taking extra looks at things from now on. It was funny, and had just enough actions and twists, to keep it entertaining and interesting. My husband said from the guy side, it wasnt that awesome but he enjoyed it overall.
Today, the kids woke early(had to take Daddy to work pretty early) to a special Valentine's Surprise for each of them.
They each ended up with straw cups, heart for Lorelai, robot for Finn. A stuffed monkey for Finn and a bear for Lorelai, and a balloon for each of them.
We ran Daddy to work, and came home and finished getting ready for the day. At 11:30, we headed to our playgroup Valentine's Party. We had an awesome time playing and visiting with friends. The littles exchanged little treats and cards. It was so cute and fun.
Now they are having rest time and we just finished signing their cards to Daddy. So overall, very happy Valentines all around! I think its one of our best yet! Im lucky to have 3 special people to be my Valentine's!
How was everyone else's special day? Any cute outfits. My 2 had some festive shirts but I forgot to grab a picture. Hopefully Ill be able to before the day is over!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
Monday, February 4, 2013
Tonight's Theme, Belize!
When I look at the stats of this blog, my favorite thing to see is the list of countries from where the views are coming. Its such a cool feeling to think, someone far away is getting a glimpse of my Texas life. As boring as my life probably seems from my blogs, I appreciate that I get visits from so many backgrounds! I especially love when its a country Im not as familiar with hearing about. Gives me a little geography reminder when I go to look it up. I took a minute to do some reading on the visiting Belizeans tonight. I enjoy taking the oppurtunity to read about the place and culture. So thanks to those of you who visit from far away! I love having the encouragement to enrich my mind and pull out information that has been shelved in my mind since 10th grade geography! I loved the class then and I still love learning a little in the subject. Just wish I had the travel funds to get more hands on and in person experience in some places. Anyway, Im actually heading to bed just wanted to say hello to my tourist readers! Good Night All!
Man Flu
Have any of you ever felt like this when your husband gets sick?
It tends to get that way around here when the hubs is sick.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
An Afternoon at the Park
So the morning was spent with the kids being entertained by cartoons(unfortunately, but eh, gotta get stuff done sometimes,) I have been spending the day sorting through our kids clothes. We have a resale shop nearby for kids stuff and we need to get rid of anything 18mo and under. Usually whatever they dont buy I will donate. I wish I could donate all of it, but as soon as I sell these, Ill probably have to turn around and purchase someone the next size up in clothes. I generally sell to the store for store credit. You get a little more back then if you just go with cash and I like shopping there. They sell very gently used items. Its kinda my favorite shoe stop for them. I just cant bring myself to shell out a whole lot of money for expensive shoes that will only fit for a matter of a couple of months. Just isnt worth it to me. So I take advantage of the shoes that other kids also only wore for a couple of months, for a fraction of the price. I want to buy my kids super cute things and dress them nice but with 2 so close in age and growing at about the same rate(by now), its the way I can afford to "spoil" my kids. As they get older and pickier, we may have to reassess but for now it works. I do invest in a couple pairs of nicer jeans each time they grow. I then supplement with this store for play clothes and the extra cutesie stuff. Finn has to wear specific fitting jeans. Most kids his age are not as slender as him, so buying the used jeans(that another child broke into their build) doesnt work very well. I can generally buy him the elastic waste pants but jeans have to be close to new. They also have to either be adjustable waste, carter or Levi's. Those are whats fits best, Levi's being the best fit.
Anyway, so, Im in the process of getting boxes lined up to either go there or to be donated(the stuff thats more worn or stained.) Hoping to make it all in one outing, resale store than drop off donation. My husband is off the next 4 days, so Im itching to do some closet organizing and finding homes for some things, that have been temporarily stuffed in a spot. These things are always best done with both of us home to do the job and watch the kids.
About 2:30, I was feeling a little burnt out and the kids were wanting some fun. So since I had them couped up all morning, we loaded up on Daddy's lunch break, dropped him back off and hit the park. We were there about an hour and a half. I let them wear them little selves out and had a picnic snack Now we are home, and Im back to work, while they play quietly/rest from park in their room. I think there is some kind of important sports event today(teehee, jk, I know its superbowl) but Im trying to organize..You know if it didnt include a sports game, Id actually want to attend a superbowl party. I like parties and the halftime shows.
Anyway, so, Im in the process of getting boxes lined up to either go there or to be donated(the stuff thats more worn or stained.) Hoping to make it all in one outing, resale store than drop off donation. My husband is off the next 4 days, so Im itching to do some closet organizing and finding homes for some things, that have been temporarily stuffed in a spot. These things are always best done with both of us home to do the job and watch the kids.
About 2:30, I was feeling a little burnt out and the kids were wanting some fun. So since I had them couped up all morning, we loaded up on Daddy's lunch break, dropped him back off and hit the park. We were there about an hour and a half. I let them wear them little selves out and had a picnic snack Now we are home, and Im back to work, while they play quietly/rest from park in their room. I think there is some kind of important sports event today(teehee, jk, I know its superbowl) but Im trying to organize..You know if it didnt include a sports game, Id actually want to attend a superbowl party. I like parties and the halftime shows.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Accomplishments of A 1yr Old and A 2yr Old.
This week Lorelai is learning to put words together and speaking in sentences! She will say "Hi Dada or Mama." She will also say bye and our name. As well as Love you! She is also trying really hard to copy brother when he goes through letters. At the moment, she will try to sing the song and you can hear slight sounds that are suppose to be there. Also any letter right now is either, H, G, A or O. She is trying though. Her huge desire to communicate amazes me. Mostly because I have a 2 year old who just doesnt have a lot to say. Maybe it's just the difference between boys and girls. I talk a lot but my husband doesnt generally have much to say..So I guess they are each following suit. He is getting better today. He is getting better at asking for what he wants. He will ask for a snack or crackers, drink, and will say "I sleep now," when he is tired. He understand what we are saying because he will generally follow simple directions(given he is in the mood to, haha.) For the most part talking is the biggest changes. Finn can now count to 10, or at least in his version "1,2,3,5, si, sev, ay, 9, 10." He still refuses to acknowledge four. Lorelai will say 1,2 and 5. Now this week, I have been trying to introduce how we use these numbers. Trying to give him visuals of what they look like, seeing them in order, and a representation of their value. Its going ok, he still just enjoys doing the counting part but seems to be beginning to come around to taking it further with our exercises. So I have pretty good reasons to be a proud momma! They are each definetly on their very own page in learning but each are progressing in their book. So that's all I can ask for!
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