My kids share pretty well. Really, they do.

Unfortunately, this week, they have shared with me and I am getting the dreaded cold.



AND I NEVER GET COLDS.

It's actually something I am quite proud of.

The stomach flu? I'll get that if someone that's had it in the last 5 months simply walks past me. But colds? Nope. I thought I had a cold in the spring but a wonderful customer of mind (who happens to be a Nurse Practitioner) told me I had allergies. I tried to tell her I don't have allergies and she humored me but told me to try taking a Claritin and sure as anything my cough and runny nose went away.

But this, my friends, I'm afraid is the real deal. I'm sure it'll be cleared up in a few weeks.

Augh.

Wisdom

"If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back."





This quote was in an email forward that I got last week. I don't get many of those anymore, so when I do I usually read them because I think "this is going to be good". I was right about that one. It was good. Maybe this week I'll take time to share a few other pieces of wisdom I got from that email forward.

Tangled!

A small town near us with a one screen movie theater was showing Tangled in 3-D for $1. Yup, $1. You can't even buy a soda for $1. The most recent movie that Trophy Hub took the kids to (MegaMind) cost him over $30 JUST TO GET IN, not even counting popcorn and drinks.

So we drove a few towns over, paid $13 for 4 movie tickets, 2 drinks and 2 popcorns and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It was really cute and I was happy that Disney brought back the singing that they always used to have in their movies.

And we stopped at my MIL's house and she fed us supper.

Talk about a cheap day of great entertainment!

Busted!

Yesterday morning, the boys were out gathering wood (as boys do I guess) so I took the opportunity to wrap presents. Year by year I have to get more clever about hiding so it was a relief to get them wrapped and under the tree.

The counting of presents hasn't happened yet, but even when it does, I think I'm safe with an equal number. The dollar amount spent is NOT equal (Peanut has more in that respect) but I figure Bubba will probably get his own big gift like that in a few years. Wow...right after I typed that Peanut told me he was going to stack all his presents and told Bubba to do the same. (Bubba didn't move and is still tucked in next to me.)

Peanut picked up one of his gifts and said "I know what this is! This is shaped just like Kaden's DS game!"

Busted.

P.S. Peanut has 5 presents and Bubba has 6.

I'm exiting...

It's been a very strange week.

And quite frankly, I'm done. I want off the ride. Drop me off. Or I may just open the door, tuck and roll.

Gone baby gone

It's kinda weird when someone is out of town how you miss them more even if you wouldn't have seen them anyway.

Does that even make sense?

For example, tonight, Trophy Hub is out of town and I am lonely and missing him like crazy. Most nights he's at work and I'm content to be at home alone. I suppose it's the fact that normally, I know that he's coming home at 1am and that I will get to visit with him in the morning when we are both coherent.

So tonight...I'll just miss him and think about him.

4 again

Sometimes I wish I was 4 again.

When (at the drop of a hat) I could just cry if someone doesn't let me do something, makes me do something I don't want to do, wakes me up early, hurts my feelings or if I fall down.

I bet getting all that out immediately makes you feel really good.

Angry Birds

Everyone in my family (except me) is addicted to the game Angry Birds. The boys have been playing it on my mom's iTouch for about a year now. Trophy Hub and I both have Droid 2 phones with the app so now the addiction is more easily fed. I've got better things to do than play games on my phone (like blog!) so I haven't really gotten into it.

Tonight, Bubba was snuggling with me (oh how I LOVE that) and asked to play it. I obliged because it was almost bedtime so I knew there would be an end to it. I finally did the unthinkable.

"Bubba, can you show me how to play that?"

He did.

I played.

I sucked.

He squealed with laughter.

George

I think I want one of these! It's the George Forman 360 grill. We have the tiny one, but it doesn't cook much and its a pain in the arse to clean. With this one, there are different plates that come out that makes it easier to clean. Anyone have this one? Anyone? Anyone?

Good stuff

I don't watch much live TV. I have been spoiled by DVR and when I do watch live TV, I usually use commercial come to get something done. Like switch laundry, clean the toilet, load/unload the dishwasher. No minute is wasted in this joint.

So, anyway...when people talk about a commercial they saw most of the time I'm in the dark. Like when Trophy Hub kept asking me and others if they had seen the Swanson broth commercial. I had to search for it on You Tube so I could be in the loop. Yuck, by the way.

But I saw this commercial the other day and laughed out loud. It is my new favorite since this one.

Enjoy!

Today I love my...

Tupperware! OMG I am so old!

I went to a Tupperware party a few weeks ago (YES, they still have them!). I wish I had enough money to buy 2 of everything in the catalog, but since I don't, I settled on this little treats.



They are the FridgeSmart containers that have vents that help keep your fruits and veggies fresh for longer.

I got them a week ago, but they just sat in the box because I...ahem...didn't have any fruits or veggies to put in them. So, after my trip to the store Friday night, I chopped up my veggies (cauliflower, celery, carrots, lettuce) and washed my fruit (grapes, apples) and put them in the containers and in the fridge.

I am happy to report that everything tastes crisp, fresh and it's going quickly. That tends to happen with everything is cut, clean and ready to eat.

Now I just need a bigger fridge...

Flash mob!

In my opinion, Modern Family is the best show on television right now. If you aren't watching it, you are missing out. The last episode (Wednesday night) was probably the funniest one I've ever seen. Of course, I probably think that because there was dancing and lots and lots of Cam, who always steals the scenes.

Watch this. And if you don't laugh, don't talk to me.

Chores

The other night I was busy getting all the recycling and garbage outside for the weekly pickup. Peanut was watching me pull the garbage out of the can in the kitchen. This is a chore that I really do not enjoy (Trophy Hub usually does it).

So, I said to Peanut, "You know, one of these days this is going to be your job."

To which he replied, "No it won't. It'll be my wife's."

I dropped the sack of garbage on the floor in my laughter.

Obsess Much?

I love love love these shoes. Now only if I could bring myself to spend $99 on a pair of shoes...

The way I shop (very frugally) I could buy shoes for my entire family for $99.

Bummer.

Stop, Drop and Punch

Today was fire safety day at school for Peanut. Thanks to an email from his teacher, I asked some leading questions about the content of the day. You see, 1st graders share absolutely nothing about their day at school. If they tell you anything, it's usually who they played with at recess, who got sent to the principal's office or what was for lunch. Rarely do I hear about the actual education things. Outside of the school of hard knocks, of course.

I was feeling like a bad mother as the homework was assigned to do a fire drill and discuss where the family meeting place is in the event of a fire. How is it that I haven't covered this with my children? Especially considering that Peanut (and Trophy Hub for that matter) is a complete and total pyromaniac?

During dinner, my scenarios and questions began. Peanut totally got it. We figured out our meeting place, I gave him a few "what ifs" and he was good to go. Bubba, on the other hand, was a completely different story (as usual).

Me: Ok, Bubba...let's say you come looking for me in the laundry room and you see a fire. What do you do?


Bubba: Punch it!


Me: Well, no, that's not a very good idea because you might get burned. 


Bubba: I'll step on it then!

At least he didn't say pee on it.

Little piggy

I don't care who knows it! 

I'll shout it from the rooftops! 

I am not ashamed! 

I LOVE this commercial! 

Blogging ADD...

Watching the hoarding shows makes me want to clean. It's great motivation when I can't muster it up myself.

There is a muscle that has been jumping in my left tricep all day and it's driving me nutty.

I'm sick and tired of the dog (who is not allowed on the furniture) sneaking onto Sam's bed when we're not home. And of course I can't ever remember to shut the door when we leave.

My family could use prayers for peace regarding a difficult situation.

I love the cool weather we have been having. I know, I know, I'm always talking about moving to FL. But, if you think about it, winters in FL are like fall. And I love fall - the only thing I don't like is what comes after it. Boooooo....

I'm happy to report that we are still slowly making progress in our still unfinished basement. The plumbing is near completion in the bathroom and next is electrical.

I miss photography. I can't had my camera in my hands for any length of time in months. I think a trip to the apple orchard may be in order.

All three of my boys are in school. Weird.

I am preparing my Halloween costume for my first adult party in years. Hope I can pull it off.

I'm excited that we have finally (after literally years of searching) found a church! The boys are loving their classes and we have joined a small group. YAY!!

And that's what has gone through my head in the last 5 minutes.

Conversations with Bubba...

Me: What did you have for lunch today?

Bubba: Girl cheese and green beans.

Me: Girl cheese? 

Bubba: Yup. 

Me: Oooohhh...grilled cheese!

Bubba: NOOOO! GIRL CHEESE! 

Me: Gotcha. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trophy Hub: What all do you want on your hamburger?

Bubba: Just ham. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dream weaver

The other day I was telling Trophy Hub about how everyone I know has been spewing their problems to me. Marriage problems, work problems, kid problems, sport problems, family problems - you get the idea. I don't necessarily mind it...but it can be sort of draining when there are lots of people doing it.

A few nights ago I had a dream that everyone was vomiting on me. It was nasty.

When I told told Trophy Hub about it he made the connection - "Do you think it's because everyone has been vomiting their problems onto you?"

Flippin' genius. Flippin' dream weaver genius.

Crown me!

Roughly 18 years ago, I was diagnosed as a fleshly headed mutant with a baby tooth. Translation: I had a baby tooth without an adult tooth underneath it. So, my wonderful dentist - and I'm not kidding, he was a great dentist, a little odd, but a great dentist - put a crown on the tooth with strict instructions to never let another dentist pull it. Because then I would look like I'm from Kentucky have to get some sort of implant.

For a few years now, my new dentist has been talking to me about replacing that stainless steel crown to a tooth colored one.  It wasn't a huge priority for me because it wasn't like my front tooth - who really cares? I am in the camp of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" so I ignored their attempts to make me feel insecure about my mouth bling.

Well, I few weeks ago when Trophy Hub and I were getting wooed by a car salesman, I lost a filling in the back on a Sugar Daddy. OMGoodness, that's embarrassing. But, it's the truth. He gave me a Sugar Daddy thinking it would get me to buy the truck and instead it pulled the filling right out and I was spitting metal for the next hour. Damn car salesman anyway.

So, I had to go to the dentist. They fixed the filling and I made appointments for the 4 of us to get our semi-annual cleaning and verbal spanking for not flossing. Well, Trophy Hub gets the verbal spanking. I actually DO floss most of the time everyday. At that time, I figured it I could handle this filling fiasco I could handle them replacing the crown. The dentist assured me it was no worse than the filling replacement.

Monday were the marathon dentist appointments. The boys both did great - Bubba actually got his teeth polished for the first time! Yay! Peanut has always done well at the dentist. I was nervous most of the day about this. I'm not a big baby - I actually think I handle pain very well - dental stuff just freaks me out. I got my teeth cleaned then the shot for numbness, then they put on the temporary crown. They take an impression of your tooth and then a dental lab has to make it. So I get to back in 2 weeks for more dental fun. Even with my face feeling like it was 4 times bigger than it is, I could feel that the temporary. It feels nasty. You know if you don't brush your teeth at night, how they feel in the morning? Imagine that feeling times a million and that's how nasty is feels....like popcorn, splenda, hummus all caked on the tooth.

It's going to be a long 2 weeks.

I'm trying

I'm trying really hard to be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, housekeeper, co-worker, boss, employee and cook. 

It's exhausting.

To camp or not to camp

Last year, we visited some friends while they were camping. We started to get the itch for a camper. We got over it when fall and winter came.

Late spring, we visited some other friends while they were camping. The itch has returned. 

It's amazing as I've shared our itch with others, most of them have poo-pooed the idea. (Yes, that's a technical term.) It's so much work, It's so expensive, You'll have to empty the pee tank...

I'm sure it is a lot of work. Packing and unpacking is a lot of work. And most of that work would fall on me. I'm sure I could leave the packing to Trophy Hub, but no one would have underwear or a toothbrush. And just to be fair, it were up to me to empty the pee tank, we'd be staying in a hotel. 

There's just a little difference between what we can afford and what we want. 

 

I'm no princess, but I've had 2 babies and I'm not trucking through a campground to pee in the middle of the night. Having a potty on site is crucial. 

Now, I'm off to check Craigslist for the perfect camper!

Peanut the Exterminator

One night, I came across this show. I'd heard of it, but never actually watched it. Peanut was still wide awake, so I invited him to watch it with me for a little while.

That's when the obsession began.

It was a marathon, so I ended up recording a bunch of them for him.

Now, if you've seen it...don't judge my parenting. I know that sometimes there are situations not having to do wish exterminating (as in all "reality" shows) and some words that 6 year olds don't need to be saying. He's only allowed to watch it if Trophy Hub and I are there also so we can do past inappropriate parts.

And as far as the language...I think kindergarten introduced him to all bad words. And he knows which ones to not say. He does still think that the "s word" is stupid and the "b word" is butt, so I think we're ok for awhile.

He now wants to be an exterminator when he grows up. I'm just curious...does that I mean I can stop saving for his college or is there some kind of exterminating program somewhere?

Updates

You like me, you really like me! I haven't been writing and I've been hearing about it.

So here's what we've been up to...

Things have been pretty busy around our house and lives in general. Trophy Hub finished his 3 week summer course in Religion with an "A". His GPA keeps going up and we are SO proud of him. He is now staying busy being Mr. Mom during the day until he goes to work.

Work for me has been really busy. I am looking to fill an open position and interviewing candidates is exhausting. I am a hard worker and have high expectations. I try to warn applicants of what they're getting themselves into. Ha! I think I found a winner though! Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Peanut is enjoying t-ball and can hit the ball extremely well. He has a wildlife camp through UI coming up in a few weeks that I am sure he will love.

Bubba is doing well despite a few injuries of late. A few weeks ago, the dog took him for a walk down the sidewalk and he didn't have a shirt on. He skinned up his ribcage, head, cheek, elbow and both knees. Then last week, he hit his head on the concrete (twice, actually) and ended up with a concussion.

Mothers of boys need to have some sort of ER quick access card or something....there is NOTHING worse than having your child sick or hurt. NOTHING.

Our summer get away is right around the corner. As a reminder, since I haven't been writing and all, we are going to Florida where my parents have a house. We are pretty low key when go down there. We usually just like to hit the beaches, some shopping, a few favorite restaurants, the pool and go in the boat for some fishing. Plane tickets are booked, rental car is booked...now July 15th just needs to get here!

We'd like to do a couple other day trips this summer - we already did Adventureland - like the Niabi Zoo and maybe Lost Island in Waterloo. I can't believe it's only a few miles from my parents house and we've never been. Travesty. Any other suggestions?

End of an era

This week our family experienced the end of an era.

We retired Ole Red. Ole Red is the truck that Trophy Hub has driven for the last 12 years. The truck has seen him as a single young man, a boyfriend, a husband and a father.

And it was time. Time for an upgrade.

Trophy Hub took it just fine.

He got over it real quick when he got into this and drove it off the lot.

Wisdom of the week

Things have a way of working themselves out.

Be patient.

Do the right thing and you'll get what you want eventually.

Have a crying session with a good friend...she will make you feel better.

Go to people's special events.

Have lunch with someone battling cancer, they will unintentionally help you put things in perspective.

Mommy tantrum

Do you ever wish that you could have an all out tantrum like your kids do when they don't get their way?

Not even that.

I would settle for it being acceptable to just cry when someone makes me mad or hurts my feelings.

For just one day, I wish I was 3 again.

Introducing the newest Tiger Cub

My little fisherman is officially a Cub Scout.

He is going to LOVE it. It's right up his alley! We had a potluck tonight at the park where they had to build a boat (which he asked every man in sight for help but never me - wonder why!) and then race them. He got his first patch and doesn't have a shirt yet.

They had all the new Tiger Cubs get up and introduce themselves and who was with them and they also had to say "I will do my best". He did a GREAT job.

If you see him, congratulate him!

Seriously?

Bubba: Can I have that squirt bottle?


Me: No.


Bubba: Why?


Me: Because you'll squirt it.


Bubba: No I won't. 


Me: Then why do you want it?


Bubba: Because I want to squirt it.


Me: Seriously?

Ummmm hi.

Hello!? Is anyone out there?? Where have you been? Oh...where have I been?? I'll be honest...I used to use this outlet to share stories, pictures, and one liners from my life and now I primarily use FaceBook for that. I know that not all my peeps are on FB, so I will try harder at blogging! I just feel like I'm repeating myself sometimes and repetition is sooooo annoying.

So, what have we been up to?

Wow...well....Peanut has a few more weeks of school. He just finished soccer, which isn't his greatest love, and t-ball is now starting. He was supposed to have his first practice tonight, but since we are busy building an ark, we didn't have practice. He is looking forward to summer although I don't think he realizes that he will probably get bored. Trophy Hub will be home during the day with them so I'm sure there will be lots of fishing and other boy stuff going on. He will also be doing a wildlife camp in July.

Bubba is right in the middle of the terrible 3's. He is cute as a bug and  rotten as an egg. I can't help but smooch on him every chance I get though. His vocabulary still amazes me. Hearing a 3 year old use words like "actually" and "ridiculous" and "appropriate" in the correct way cracks me up. He got back last night after spending 2 days with my parents. I think they all enjoyed it.

Trophy Hub is finishing up spring semester at the U. He is taking a 3 week course and then taking the summer off from classes. He deserves the break, although I know he's anxious to get these classes knocked out. No doubt he will be spending a lot of time fishing this summer.

And me? I am off to fold laundry. More tomorrow!

A Newborn's Conversation with God

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?" 

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the small child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life." 

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you." 

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name." 

God said, "You will simply call her, Mom." 

Mr. Sippy

Peanut: "Mr. Sippy 1, Mr. Sippy 2, Mr. Sippy 3...ready or not here I come! Mom, that's another way to play hide and seek."


Me: "Yes, sweetheart, but I think it's supposed to be Mississippi - not Mr. Sippy."

Gobble gobble

Mrs. K's pet peeves

I'm no English teacher. Just look at that sentence! There's your proof! 

But...come on people. Let's talk about pronunciation.

Frustrated: There is an "r". It's not fustrated. 

Ambulance: Not ambliance (pronounced ambleeance). 

Just sound them out! I promise, it works! 

Ok, let's move on... grammar.

There, Their, They're - There is a place, Their is something that belongs to them, They're is short for They Are.


To, Two, Too - Two is a number, Too means also, To is used with verbs (going to).




Who's, Whose - Whose is possessive, Who's is short for who is.


Your, You're - Your is something that belongs to you, You're is short for you are.


Its, It's - Its is possessive - something that belongs to someone, It's is short for it is.


What are your English language pet peeves?

A nice surprise

I love my job. And I don't mean that in a sarcastic-Ireallydon'tlikemyjob kind of way. I really do. I work hard. But I get to do fun stuff during the day. I get to spoil my customers. And they have gotten used to being treated this way.

But every once in a while, one of them will send me a nice email telling me how wonderful I am. Or maybe even a card in the mail to go on and on about my awesomeness (yes, it's a word. Right, Lisa?).

But today, a customer, a NEW customer took the cake.

Or should I say COOKIE?

They showed up with a cookie bouquet and 2 cookies made for my boys. Are you kidding me? I didn't even know what to say. So, I just kept saying "Oh my gosh. Thank you SO much!" I wanted to hug them but I didn't want them to be weirded out since we just met a few weeks ago and all.

Is it so nice to be appreciated. And although it's so much fun to give, I realized today it's also fun to receive.

Here are a few pics of the boys receiving and appreciating their cookies:

Pure entertainment

You have to check this out. I'm not sure what I enjoy more...Eli dancing or Rob singing and playing guitar. (You'll have to go to the bottom to pause the music before watching the video)

World Cup

Tonight, Peanut had his first World Cup rec soccer game. They have only had 2 practices, so most of them were still pretty clueless. There are a few kids that you can tell have played for a few years and practice more than the scheduled times.

Peanut is not one of those kids.

I actually asked him after practice on Sunday if he was afraid of the soccer ball. He assured me that he was not, but he was afraid that he was going to knock someone down. Now, that I buy. He is always worried about others. So, I did the thing any parent would do...told him not to worry about the other kids and just to go after the ball.

The thing with Peanut...I see potential in him (with a lot of things...not just soccer!) but he just doesn't try very hard. I know, I know, he's 6. And I went through this last summer with t-ball. I need to chill.

I told him tonight that he just needed to TRY and that I would be proud of him. Well...I'm happy to announce that he got the first kick in (and a GOOD ONE) of the game and it appears that's all he needed. He got a taste of how it felt to actually play the game and he was totally into it.

For that quarter anyway.

They have enough kids that they play 10 minutes or so and then sit out while the rest of the team plays. The second time he went in there was a little more monkeying around because his best buddy was on the opposing team. At one point, his friend was smacking him on the butt.

Seriously...

I did yell out at him to knock it off.

But that was no comparison to the psycho dad next to me...yelling at his kid like this was the World Cup. Come on. These kids are 5 and 6 years old. Give it a rest! I need to remember to distance myself from him because this is only the 2nd time I've been in his presence and it's getting hard to hold my tongue. I'm sure he's a nice person, just a little intense for rec league soccer.

Just chill.

Ugh

Ugh. What a horrendous day. The stomach flu has once again raged through our house. It started last Monday with Peanut and (hopefully) ended with me today. Although we all got it, oddly enough Trophy Hub and I got it the worst. I thought I had dodged it, but I should have known. I always get it.

Trophy Hub had to be into work early, Peanut was at school and Bubba was at the babysitter's house. When I picked up the boys I told them that they had to be extra good tonight and they were great. TH stopped home a few times because he's working this area. The first time, he brought me a Sprite and the second time he got the boys in bed for me. He was definitely my MVP today.

I am, after 15 hours, starting to feel better. My body is aching really bad and I was able to keep Aleve down so it's helping. I hope that I can get a good night's sleep so I can make it to work tomorrow. I have a bad feeling that I may need tomorrow to recover.

Ugh.

Spring has sprung

Yesterday, we did one of our favorite things. We went plant shopping! I know, I know, we're party animals. Trophy Hub is partial to Lowe's over Menards, but we hit both. Rabbits have killed several of our shrubs up front, so we're working on replacing them. Our house faces north so it is mostly shaded and getting shrubs and plants that can tolerate that is difficult. We came up with a red wine lilac for the corner that gets some sun and a peony for the backyard by our bedroom window. I'm excited to see how these will grow this summer!

We also picked out a new patio table since we've been through 2 tables in the last 3-4 years. Glass table tops don't agree with our laziness about taking umbrellas out when storms are approaching. So we got a metal table with (removable) tile squares. We still have chairs that we like so now we'll just need to get an umbrella and a base. We really like to eat outside, so we're looking forward to using it!

Goodbye Dollywood, Hello Florida!

We dumped Dollywood (rather swiftly) for Florida. We have a very weak spot for it. My husband is weak for fishing and I am weak for warm weather, the ocean and shopping.

I am so excited to go in July! Every other time we have taken the kiddos, it's been February or March and the ocean has just been too cold to swim in. Well...too cold for Bubba to swim in. Peanut is a die hard, but he usually can't convince anyone to go in with him. Even so, they could spend all day at the beach.

So, we are going to spend 10 glorious days worshiping the sun, the boat, the strip malls, the restaurants and the beaches.

Is it July yet?

I don't get it

I have to admit it.

I don't get it. I don't get why "Two and a half men" is so funny. Maybe you have to be a man or half a man or whatever to get it. Because TH laughs and giggles through the whole show.

It's just not funny.

To me.

Maybe it's my estrogen.

Dryer Bar

Three-four weeks ago, I bought this new Bounce Dryer Bar. This takes the place of a dryer sheet...my nemesis. Those stinkin' things are always everywhere and they make me crazy.

Overall, I am very happy with this little treat. For whatever reason, my white load seems a little stiff, so I usually stick one dryer sheet in with that one though.

Not knowing at first if I would like this, I bought the one that lasts 2 months instead of 4. I once bought dryer balls (again - my hatred for dryer sheets) and I ended up not caring for them at all. I love the fact that they are environmentally friendly, but I couldn't handle the stiff clothes.

Anyway...where was I? Right...2 month dryer bar. Well, that was 3-4 weeks ago and I had to buy another one already. I needed proof that these boys I live with produce more laundry that the average family. I did buy the 4 month one this time. I'm hoping to get 6 weeks out of it.

I highly recommend this. Give it a try. On sale now at Target!

More glamour

My poor little Peanut woke up this morning with a tummy ache.

It was early and I was getting in the shower so I told him to go lay on the couch and I would be out in a bit. When I got to the living room, the TV was on, the computer was on and the Easter basket was on the floor.

"Moooooommmmmmmy I don't feeeeeeellllllllll good."

"Well, Peanut, if I didn't feel good I probably wouldn't be eating my Easter candy."

Busted.

I told him to go back and lay on the couch. Two minutes later, he's heaving on the blanket that's covering him up.

Augh...if someone isn't snotting or coughing around here, they're vomiting. Glamorous.

Happy Easter!

Always the life of the party...my brother. Also known as Uncle Bubba.

Today we went to my MIL's house for Easter. She (as usual) went all out and fed us very well. The Easter bunny also laid about 100 eggs in her yard. The boys had a great time finding them.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Bedtime

Trophy Hub: Do you want me to sing you a song?

Bubba: Yes.

TH: Sunshine?

Bubba: No.

TH: Twinkle?

Bubba: No.

TH: Ok, Bubba, what do you want me to sing to you?

Bubba: Who let the dogs out.

Die hards

My boys take after their dad in so many ways. Here's one....

Going out on the boat in winter coats!
What is going on here? Is my 3 year old really drinking Mountain Dew Throwback? Wow...I don't think I want to know what goes on while I'm working during the day.
They had fun. We are really itching for spring and summer. These few nice days have been wonderful and we have made the most of them.

I'm going to ignore the fact that it is snowing as I type this because it will be gone soon enough!

Sutliff

Tonight we met friends at Sutliff. Friends that live in Kansas City and we don't get to see often, but when we do there are many stories told and laughs shared.
Here is Sutliff Store. A place where you can stick dollar bills to the ceiling, eat greasy food and drink soda out of a can.

The boys got to throw rocks and tree branches into the rising Cedar River. This is such a boy thing to do. They were drawn to it like a magnet.
This is what is left of the historic Sutliff Bridge after the 2008 flood swept away the rest. I remember walking across the bridge the first time Trophy Hub took me there.

The river was really moving tonight and it was very eerie. There was also some flooding in the fields near there. I know it wouldn't be anything like 2008 but to be honest, it still freaks me out a little bit.

Spring break and summer break

I wanna go on vacation! Waaaahhhhhhh!!!!

I'm done.

Instead of focusing on how I'm not somewhere tropical right now, I'm going to focus on the bright side. The bright side is....

• I'm NOT getting behind at work.
• I'm enjoying unseasonably warm temps here in Iowa.

Ok, that's all I can think of.

On a separate note, Trophy Hub and I are thinking of packing up the family truckster and heading to Pigeon Forge, TN this summer. Why, you ask? Because Trophy Hub said jokingly "Let's go to Dollywood", I googled it and the rest is history. How much fun are we going to have?? Has anyone ever been there? We're excited.

We're also trying to find a place to go...just Trophy Hub and me. We usually go somewhere every September, just the two of us, because it is after both of our birthdays and our anniversary. This year, we may try to go in May because September is going to be hectic with all 3 boys in school! Any suggestions?

Oh, how I love this boy...