Hmm, anyone try this?

This is just too funny! I have never really had the opportunity to do this in public. I have done it at home, though. Scared the kids silly! Stopped the tantrum, too.

My kids were pretty much always good in public after we got through Drew, he was bad for a year or so there. But other than that, the kids have always done well. I had a rule, if I took the first 5 out in public and no one told me how good they were, they were all in trouble. Sounds mean, but it wasn't. I didn't punish them if they were good and no one said anything, but it was rare that someone didn't comment on 5 well behaved children under the age of 9.

Drew took some quiz on facebook about spanking saying he felt that kids should be spanked. I commented that we must not have spanked him much if he agrees with it, lol. He reminded me of when they were young. We would go shopping and see some kid throwing a tantrum and they would stare at the kid, and then they THANKED ME for spanking them so they wouldn't act like that. At a young age, they were thankful that they were spanked so they would not be out of control brats. (not all tantrums are the child's fault)

Time for a Trinity Funny!

Trinity used to be the one I was always blogging about for saying funny things, but then Sam started in, and she seems to have stopped. But lately she has cracked me up a few times!

The other day she took a really long bath. She came to Donnie and I and said "I was in the bath a looooong time. I got out so I wouldn't turn into a grape!"

We were at Walmart in the pet department and she saw a fish tank with an odd design and asked about it. I told her it was a bubbler in the middle of the tank to look cool. She replied "Can we not call it a fish tank and start calling it an aquarium? That is what they call it on Calliou."

Sam is almost 3!

I can hardly believe that Sam is going to be 3 this next week! Where did my baby go?

If we are all well, we are planning to have a party for him. I wish I had planned it out well in advance so I could order invites from Tiny Prints, I love their stuff. I see they even have invites for holiday dinner parties, who could turn an invite like that? I'd go! lol Their holiday cards are really nice, too. I will probably order from them. I better start planning now, huh?

For Sam's birthday party we are going to make a cake. We are torn between a 3-D B.O.B. from Monsters VS Aliens, or a train with dinosaurs from Sam's favorite new show, Dinosaur Train on PBS. The more I look at the train and sculpting dinosaurs, the easier I think it would be to do a 3-D Bob with fondant.

I'm trying hard not to be sad that he is losing his baby status and growing into a little boy. I miss the baby snuggles, but love the new chatter and cute sayings.

I'd like that for my birthday!

We don't let our kids say "I want that!" when they see things they want. It is annoying! So Donnie has always trained them to say "I like that." or "That would be a great birthday present!" It has stuck pretty well.

Hope-Anne is frequently reminding Trinity to say those things when she sees what she wants. Sam is Trinity's shadow and has to do and say whatever Trinity says and does. So lately he has been seeing things he likes on commercials and he says "My birtday."

Last night a commercial came on TV and Sam looked at me, pointed at the TV and said "You birtday."
I said "You think I should get Advil for my birthday?"






Sam said "Yep."

Sounds about right.

Sam always finds a way to surprise us

We thought after the first 5 kids that we had seen it all. Then we got Trinity. She terrorized us with her poop art every day. Surely we'd seen it all after her!
Nope. We got Sam. And he made all the other kids combined look like angels. If you've read my blog long, you know how gross this kid is. He is almost 3 and still eats dog food, but he at least seems to have stopped eating poop.

Last night I asked Sam to go get a soda for me. He went to the kitchen and came back with some Cocoa Pebbles bars. (like rice krispie bars) So I sent him again. 5 minutes later he came back with nothing. I sent him again.

Why? Why do I think he is capable of something so simple? Could it be because he brings me soda all the time when he wants a drink of it? I know he can handle the task itself. But why do I think he is going to do it when I want him to?

He came back in the living room with more Cocoa Pebbles bars. So I asked him why he can't bend over and get a can out of the box on the floor when he can climb up on the counter and get himself a bar. He walked off, and soon we noticed that on his feet were slippers. Slippers made of Cocoa Pebbles bars. Which he peeled off and ate.

We just looked on in horror and said "At least it isn't cat poop."

I think it is time for another poll

Have you ever been stuck on what advice to give to someone? Yep, I'm there. Not sure what is the right thing to do.
There is a teenage boy who likes a girl but isn't involved at the moment. The mother of the girl thinks the boy is great and would like them to be involved in the future. She is including him in everything they do. I don't think the daughter is even doing the inviting, just the mom.
The mom texts the boy, private messages him on facebook, chats with him on facebook, and comments frequently on his facebook status. The daughter has never commented on his facebook, and doesn't private message him at all. Supposedly they do text.
There is nothing in the boys life to indicate he needs an adult mentor, and it isn't that kind of relationship.

Nothing inappropriate in any of that has been found. However, do you think it is inappropriate for an adult woman to be so involved with a teen boy?
The boys mom feels very uneasy with the situation. Her sister even said that she thought something wierd was going on, without even knowing the mom felt weird. Another teenage boy said that it is weird. It isn't just the mom.

What should the mom of the boy do? Should she tell the other mom to stop private messaging the boy? Just let it be since there is nothing to indicate it is a bad relationship? I am at a loss on what to say.

Craig's List Trolls

I hear people talking about the great deals they find on Craig's List all the time. It is supposedly a great place to buy and sell. But my experiences have not been positive at all. Because of Craig's List Trolls.

If you want to give away your kittens, your post will be deleted. If you want to give an animal away "free to a good home" your post will be deleted. At best. At worst, you will be spammed with puppy mill and animal researcher garbage from people who think animals are gods or something. They may even start making posts that attack you by name and quote your post. Heave forbid you mention a pet store!!!! That will be the end of a good experience on Craig's List!

Don't even try to get help in the help forum. You will get cursed at, called names, and be attacked, even stalked. That is my experience. I had to file a harassment claim against a Craig's list troll.

This has happened to me twice. Which is the extent of my use of Craig's List.

Apparently, from what I could decipher between the swear words in the forums, if you don't word your post exactly right, according to the CL trolls, they will flag your post to get it removed. It doesn't matter if it doesn't violate the terms of service. They will get it removed. If they don't like that you can't spell, or that you were too wordy, or you didn't elaborate enough, you will get flagged and sworn at if you ask for help in the help forum.

Seriously. Do people really have nothing better to do than troll through sale lists to make people conform to what they think is the right wording? And to troll through the forums swearing at people? I didn't find one normal person on the forums. they were all psychotic. I looked at other people's questions, same thing.

I highly recommend people stay away from Craig's List.

Sometimes, you just gotta do it

I can't even bring myself to remember my teen years. You need friends, but sometimes friends are not friends, and are just plain stupid. I had to tell to save a friend one time. It was hard! But I had to do it.
What do teens do now when their friends are on drugs, or seriously depressed and suicidal, or saying threatening things about others? Saying something can send someone over the deep edge and get you killed! As if being ostracized for being a narc wouldn't be bad enough?

It has to be truly challenging being a teen today. It is really tough as a parent to stay connected to your teen, too, but you have to try. And you have to encourage them to do the right thing, even if it is the hard thing. But it isn't easy being the parent of a teen, either. How do you encourage them to do what they know is right when they see all the crazy teens going on killing sprees? You know, and they know, that it could cost them more than friendships. Even in a small town.

But are you being a true friend by letting them go down a path that is going to hurt them or get them killed? Doesn't a true friend risk it all to help you?

Kiss Me Again

This is a book review, not an invitation, lol.

One of the things that I always use to tell teens about staying pure is that they give a piece of themselves away that they can't get back and it affects your marriage. Even when you marry the person you messed up with, it still has an impact. I put a piece of duct tape on their arm while talking and then have them pull it off. I tell them to put the hair and skin back on, which they can't, of course. And I explain that intimate actions have the same result, you can't put that back!

Kiss Me Again, by Barbara Wilson, is a book about restoring intimacy and passion to your marriage after having given in to temptation before marriage. I have not finished the book yet, but it is good. So timely with the world's view of sex and marriage. I'll let the synopsis tell you, because I can't say it any better than this:

Do you ever wonder why marriage can seem like the end of intimacy and sexual desire instead of the beginning?

Ever wonder why it was so hard to resist sex before marriage—and so easy to resist it now? If so, you’re not alone! Many married women genuinely want to feel more desire toward their husbands…and can’t figure out what went wrong. But there’s good news. In Kiss Me Again, Barbara Wilson shows how powerful “invisible bonds” from past relationships can cause heartache, disappointment, and distance for couples in the present. Then—with sensitivity, honesty, and hope—Barbara walks you step by step toward healing…and a rekindling of the closeness and passion with your husband that you really want.

You don’t have to live any longer with confusion, disappointment, resentment, or shame. You can rediscover desire. You can say Wow! again.

With assessment tools, write-in exercises, and gentle guidance, Kiss Me Again offers a biblical plan for rekindling the closeness and passion women long for in marriage. Because no past is beyond the reach of God’s healing touch.

In Kiss Me Again, Wilson:
· Shares her own story of healing and renewed desire
· Helps women forgive themselves and their husbands for past choices
· Shows readers how to break free from “invisible bonds”
· Explains God’s plan for helping a husband and wife to re-bond
· Includes conversation helps for both wives and their husbands
· Helps couples reignite the passion that they thought was lost

Barbara Wilson is the author of The Invisible Bond and former director of sexual health education for the Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center in Sacramento. She speaks nationwide to youth and adults with her message of sexual healing, and she teaches frequently in the women’s ministry at the multi-campus Bayside Church in Northern California. Barbara and her husband, Eric, have been married for twenty-eight years.

You can purchase a copy at Amazon and Christianbook.com.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition

The first animated movie made in America, the first full-length animated movie made by Disney, was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I have always loved this movie. Now my children get to enjoy it, too. For the first time in 7 years, the movie is being re-released, but this time it comes in Blu-Ray!
I was given the opportunity to watch the new improved (color) version with my children. Trinity is just thrilled to have the movie available to watch, since she is such a princess buff. She is ALL about the princesses.

I love that the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition, just released October 6, comes with both the DVD and the Blu-Ray disc because you can use one copy in the car or the computer, and still keep the Blu-Ray handy where you need it. (did you know that PS3 plays Blu-Ray??)

There is just something so amazing and romantic about that first kiss from the prince who awakens Snow White.

Don't you just love the dwarfs? I love Dopey! He is just so cute I want to pinch his cheeks!

If you who already own Snow White on VHS or DVD, click here to grab a $10 off coupon for the new Diamond Edition Combo Pack! Offer is only good until October 20, but starting this fall Disney will introduce their Blu-ray Upgrade program so you will be able to upgrade other Disney titles in your library too!

This post was written as part of the Snow White Program for One2One Network who provided the product for review.

My friend Sassyfrazz is giving away the movie along with a plush set of the dwarfs! Go enter!

Is it really almost Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is barely more than a month away! I can't think of a year that we haven't had Thanksgiving at our house. Many times it is just our immediate family, but we often have family and friends over. I think that is our favorite holiday. Yummy food, cozy family times together eating and watching TV, cleaning the kitchen, eating left overs.

Donnie and I have tried many cooking techniques for our turkey over the years. The typical roasting pan was nice, but not spectacular. Then we went to the Rotisserie. Yum!!! In fact, that was so good that my dad went and bought a rotisserie! Next Donnie won out and bought a Turkey Fryer and started deep frying our turkeys. At first they were fantastic!!!! But now they don't seem all that special to me. I think adding the $20 of Peanut oil to my food bill was killing me.

I am ready to try a new method now. An Oilless turkey fryer sounds like a great alternative! I don't have to choke up the money for the oil, and we don't have the danger of garage fire! It goes in like it is being deep fried, but it is cooked with infrared technology. Propane heat gets distributed to the whole cooking surface to make an even heat. It doesn't even require preheating! But I think my favorite part is that there is a drip pan so that you can actually make real turkey gravy from the drippings! We don't get that with the deep fryer.

It is slightly more expensive than the regular deep fryer, but in just two uses you will recoup that money by not purchasing oil! I just have to sell Donnie on the idea. He likes the danger of possibly catching things of fire, lol.

Well, of course it is!

Donnie's 40th birthday was this past weekend. I surprised him left and right! I bought him his much desired leather mug from the Renaissance Festival, got Drew home without him suspecting, and threw him a surprise game night with some friends. Of course we made him a cake, too. And what's a cake without frosting? Nothing, that's what.

So, Sam was licking the bowl of frosting and Donnie comes in and says "Whatcha eating, Sam?" and Sam points at the bowl and says "Poop." as if that was obvious. Mmm, poop. At least it was chocolate flavored so his breath didn't stink. lol

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza

Have you ever had one of those conversations that just turned into a song? That happened to us today.
We had to buy a new refrigerator this weekend when ours bit the dust big time. We bought a side-by-side so we had enough space for food for our family, and the cheapest happened to come with a water/ice dispenser. We are good with that, we have the hook up for it. But we did anticipate the water problem we'd have with Samuel. And we were right. At first he was a terror, water everywhere.
After a few beatings, I mean, talking to's, Sam seems to have stopped the messes. However, the floor is still constantly wet. We came to the conclusion today that the water under all the tiles must be coming from a leak in the fridge. Yep, it is. So we unhooked it until we can get something to fix it. But there is still the problem of water under all my linoleum tiles. (you know, my brand new floor)
I suggested to Donnie that we get the dehumidifier out of the basement and try that. He said we'd need to have it higher than where ever it is going to drain. There is a hose coming out of it, a garden hose, not part of the dehumidifier, that drains the water out of the bucket into a drain in our basement. I suggested just taking the hose off and using the bucket alone.
Donnie said that it wouldn't work without a bucket. I didn't get it, so I explained that he should just take the hose out and keep the bucket in there.
And he broke into song "There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza." And everything I said had him singing that, lol. Apparently someone cut a hole in the bucket and permanently attached a garden hose to it. Nice. But it was too funny that that song fit so perfectly into our conversation.

No more crusts!

Sandwiches are the ultimate convenience food, aren't they? I know they save me tons of time for lunch, especially if we have to be on the run. When I have a last minute errand I have to run that I didn't know about, it can make lunch really tricky, and I end up at a fast food place. Convenient, not healthy.
I love that I can grab an Uncrustables sandwich from Smucker's out of the freezer and have something the kids will eat. The fact that Uncrustables now has a healthier wheat bread version, with honey instead of sugary jelly, I am thrilled to pull one out for the kids!

I don't keep these on hand just for lunch, but they are nice for unexpected things that I need to grab something quick. Sam loves to eat them frozen, so I don't even wait the time suggested for thawing. But the thaw time makes it great for packing lunches for school, or our homeschool field trips.

Smucker's is giving out coupons for a free 4 pack of Uncrustables to 80,000 moms! Go get one for your kids before they run out! I got my coupon for a free 4 pack from Uncrustables and Mom Central. Sam loved it, and I did, too.