...Kelly! Congratulations Kelly! You correctly matched all 9 pictures! And you will receive a prize (I just don't know what it is going to be yet). Second place was my mom with 8 answers correct. Then my dad with 6 answers correct. Then Melissa with 5 answers correct. And last place in the guess my baby contest was Robert (the FATHER of these children) with 3 answers correct - or you could say that he got 2/3 of them WRONG! Ha! I thought it was funny that Melissa beat him, a woman who I have only know for maybe 2 months who has never even seen Riley and Sarah as babies. Anyway, here are the answers for all of you viewers out there at home.
1. Sarah
2. Katie
3. Sarah
4. Riley
5. Sarah
6. Katie
7. Riley
8. Katie
9. Katie
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Guess The Baby
So yesterday I decided to weigh Katie. According to my scale, the child weighs 19 lbs. She is 4 months old. Now that is not really all that surprising considering my first two children were also monster babies. All of this started me thinking about how much my children looked alike when they were itty-bitty, so here is a little game for you. I am going to post pictures of my children, and you have to guess who is who. I have made them all black and white to eliminate any obvious color clues. Post a comment with your guesses (start at the top left) and whoever has the most correct guesses will get a prize. Now, I only have 5 or so people who read my wonderful blog, so you have a really good chance of winning. Now get to guessing!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Riley's Birthday
Riley turned 6 this week. There is so much truth to the phrase "they grow up so quickly"! I am not sure when my sweet little baby boy turned into this tall, slender, bottomless source of energy who loves Legos, Pokemon, and building forts.
We had a great time celebrating. Instead of a traditional party, we invited his friend Carter over to spend the night. Then we went to what used to be the Incredible Pizza Company which is now known as Lido's Fun Center. I couldn't tell any difference except for a different sign outside.
The most interesting part of the day is that Riley and Carter each lost a tooth! Neither I nor Carter's mom knew that our son had a tooth that was even loose! Then the tooth fairy had to stay up until both boys were asleep. I think it was around 3am before she could do her duty. Needless to say, the tooth fairy was very tired the next day!
We had a great time celebrating. Instead of a traditional party, we invited his friend Carter over to spend the night. Then we went to what used to be the Incredible Pizza Company which is now known as Lido's Fun Center. I couldn't tell any difference except for a different sign outside.
The most interesting part of the day is that Riley and Carter each lost a tooth! Neither I nor Carter's mom knew that our son had a tooth that was even loose! Then the tooth fairy had to stay up until both boys were asleep. I think it was around 3am before she could do her duty. Needless to say, the tooth fairy was very tired the next day!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
10958 Days
Yep. Today is my birthday. 10958 days. 1560 weeks. 360 months. 30 years. It seems really weird to be able to actually say that I am thirty. It seems so, well, old. Not like liver spots and laugh lines old, but it is still much older than I feel on the inside. My grandmother used to tell me that she would catch a glimpse of her 70 year old self in the mirror and be surprised by the reflection because she didn't feel like an old woman. I can totally relate. I don't feel like an adult even though I can look around and see all kinds of evidence of adulthood. Maybe that just means that I have a young spirit.
I have done a lot of random and kind of interesting things over the last 30 years - including, but not limited to, the following:
In no particular order...
I have done a lot of random and kind of interesting things over the last 30 years - including, but not limited to, the following:
In no particular order...
- Taught myself to juggle
- Had three adorable children
- Learned to knit
- Graduated with a BFA in illustration
- Joined the Army
- Learned just enough Arabic to forget it all
- Eaten Ethiopian food
- Lived in NY, NC, AL, OK, and CA
- Graduated summa cum laud from high school
- Visited France (twice), Switzerland, Italy, and Monaco
- Got married (quite happily, I might add)
- Played the role of a star in the school Christmas play (I wasn't The Star in a play, I was a Star - the five pointed kind)
- Watched all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - in order
- Seen multiple shows on Broadway
- Visited Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu, New Orleans, and countless other cities - even Pensacola
- Watched countless hours of Dora the Explorer
- Learned to love sushi
- Waited tables/Bartended
- Changed at least 20,000 diapers
- Been an Art teacher
- Done a back handspring (on a trampoline)
- Taught gymnastics and cheerleading
- Created websites from scratch
- Managed a miniature golf place
- Run 2 miles in 16 minutes
- Tap danced on a stage in front of people
Monday, August 2, 2010
30 Random Things I Want to Teach My Children
1. Don't put metal in the microwave.
2. Look both ways before crossing the street.
3. Do your best in school, but don't stress over it too much.
4. Your is possessive, and you're is the contraction of you and are.
5. To, too, and two mean different things.
6. You can tell your mom anything.
7. Life is much easier if you can live it debt free.
8. The benefits of being generous and charitable can’t be overrated.
9. Make sure you cook chicken thoroughly.
10. Use the blinker in your car. It is there for a reason.
11. You can be anything you want to be, and you can change your mind about what it is that you want to be at any time.
12. It’s fun to sing in the shower.
13. Enjoying your work is more important than making a lot of money.
14. Sushi is amazing.
15. It is okay to go to bed angry sometimes, but it is never okay to resort to name calling.
16. Wear clothes that are flattering and comfortable for you. Don't worry so much about the latest trends.
17. Reading is fun.
18. Take care of your body. It is the only one you will ever have.
19. Smile. It makes you happy even if you don't start off that way.
20. Most things are not as important in the long run as you think they are.
21. Respect your elders. They know more than you do even if you think they are too old to understand.
22. Success isn't defined by your bank account.
23. Separate your darks from your lights when doing laundry.
24. Anyone can paint and draw. Anyone.
25. Be careful what you say because you never know who is listening.
26. Don't take yourself too seriously.
27. More than 3 alcoholic drinks rarely ends well.
28. Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it.
29. Always pay off your credit card balance. The interest rates are highway robbery.
30. Laughter really is the best medicine.
2. Look both ways before crossing the street.
3. Do your best in school, but don't stress over it too much.
4. Your is possessive, and you're is the contraction of you and are.
5. To, too, and two mean different things.
6. You can tell your mom anything.
7. Life is much easier if you can live it debt free.
8. The benefits of being generous and charitable can’t be overrated.
9. Make sure you cook chicken thoroughly.
10. Use the blinker in your car. It is there for a reason.
11. You can be anything you want to be, and you can change your mind about what it is that you want to be at any time.
12. It’s fun to sing in the shower.
13. Enjoying your work is more important than making a lot of money.
14. Sushi is amazing.
15. It is okay to go to bed angry sometimes, but it is never okay to resort to name calling.
16. Wear clothes that are flattering and comfortable for you. Don't worry so much about the latest trends.
17. Reading is fun.
18. Take care of your body. It is the only one you will ever have.
19. Smile. It makes you happy even if you don't start off that way.
20. Most things are not as important in the long run as you think they are.
21. Respect your elders. They know more than you do even if you think they are too old to understand.
22. Success isn't defined by your bank account.
23. Separate your darks from your lights when doing laundry.
24. Anyone can paint and draw. Anyone.
25. Be careful what you say because you never know who is listening.
26. Don't take yourself too seriously.
27. More than 3 alcoholic drinks rarely ends well.
28. Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it.
29. Always pay off your credit card balance. The interest rates are highway robbery.
30. Laughter really is the best medicine.
Parenting Wars
So, I have been thinking a lot lately about parenting and what "style" of parent that I am. I think it can be nicely summed up into "very laid back but intolerant of disrespect". Does that sound about right? I don't really care if my kids put stickers on the car windows. I don't mind if they get paint on their clothes or play in the mud. They can even put posters on the walls of their bedrooms if they are so inclined. I don't care if they wear superhero capes to the store or drink a soda every now and then. Now some parents would totally freak out about stickers on the windows (yep, I'm talking about you, Mom), but that and the other things I mentioned are such small things that just don't seem as important to me as being polite, kind, respectful, and generous. Of course my kids do not always exhibit these traits, but they are learning. I guess it is all a matter of picking your battles.
Now, with that being said, I don't have anything against parents who are stricter than I am. In fact I admire them in a lot of ways, and I firmly believe that the vast majority of parents are well intended and doing the best they can - which brings me to the whole point of this post. Why are there so many parenting debates? You go on some of those parenting websites and the battles rage on like there is no tomorrow! Breastfeeding vs. Formula. Working Moms vs. Stay at Home Moms. Cloth Diapers vs. Disposables. Spankings vs. Time Outs. Homeschooling vs. Traditional Education. Preschool vs. No Preschool. Potty Training Techniques. Pacifiers vs. No Pacifiers. The list is endless.
I understand that people have opinions. I have opinions about all of these things too, but I don't really need to know if Susie in Wichita or Mable in Buffalo agrees with me. I am (usually) confident in my decisions, and as long as Robert and I are in agreement, then other people don't really matter. I can see the both sides of all of these debates, but ultimately it is up to me and Robert to choose what is best for us and our family. And it is up to Susie and Mable to choose what is best for their families. And I see no reason why we, as parents, can't be more supportive of each other. Raising children is a hard business, and we all need all of the support we can get - not judgments from other people because they disagree with us. It's not very likely that you are going to change my mind anyway.
Now, with that being said, I don't have anything against parents who are stricter than I am. In fact I admire them in a lot of ways, and I firmly believe that the vast majority of parents are well intended and doing the best they can - which brings me to the whole point of this post. Why are there so many parenting debates? You go on some of those parenting websites and the battles rage on like there is no tomorrow! Breastfeeding vs. Formula. Working Moms vs. Stay at Home Moms. Cloth Diapers vs. Disposables. Spankings vs. Time Outs. Homeschooling vs. Traditional Education. Preschool vs. No Preschool. Potty Training Techniques. Pacifiers vs. No Pacifiers. The list is endless.
I understand that people have opinions. I have opinions about all of these things too, but I don't really need to know if Susie in Wichita or Mable in Buffalo agrees with me. I am (usually) confident in my decisions, and as long as Robert and I are in agreement, then other people don't really matter. I can see the both sides of all of these debates, but ultimately it is up to me and Robert to choose what is best for us and our family. And it is up to Susie and Mable to choose what is best for their families. And I see no reason why we, as parents, can't be more supportive of each other. Raising children is a hard business, and we all need all of the support we can get - not judgments from other people because they disagree with us. It's not very likely that you are going to change my mind anyway.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sweeping
So I have been thinking about how much of my life I spend sweeping. It seems like my floor is a disaster as little as an hour after doing the despicable deed. At almost any point in my day I can sweep up enough dog fur to make a chihuahua or maybe a pomeranian. So I figure that if we just get rid of Daisy then my workload would be greatly reduced. Then I think about how much food she eats off the floor - crunched up goldfish (crackers not actual fish), cereal, pizza crusts, and pretty much anything else that makes its way to the floor. So if we didn't have Daisy, I would probably sweep just as much, it would just be different things. So I guess we will keep her around. And besides, she is kind of cute.
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