Labor Day

This is a little out of order but I just don't have the patience to move these pictures around right now! Here's what we did this Labor Day weekend.

SUNDAY

We were going to have Root Beer Floats but we had no Root Beer, so it's Ruby Red Squirt Floats!

Chloee loved Candy Land. We played it twice I won once and Chloee won once so pretty much dad was shut out. She loved turning the cards over and SCREAMING the color and then going her spaces.

We made a "tent" out of our card table and a blanket. Josh and Chloee laid underneath there and we watched a movie. We got out the flashlights too.

MONDAY

We went to "Tomato Days" in Hooper on Labor Day. It was a lot of fun. They had what Josh called a "Brazilian Street Market" which is pretty much where people sell you crap. Well, it was still fun but as we were looking though the boxes, there was one full of BRAS. Could you imagine anyone ever buying a bra at a fair in some bin? Really?

The night ended with me and Chloee on the couch in the "snuggle snuggle" position. She always comes up to me when I'm on the couch and says, "Mommy, I want to snuggle, snuggle with you!". I love it!

We watched all the Shrek's, which is something we haven't done before. Thanks Maren for letting us borrow them.

We also watched Penelope, I LOVED this movie. Of course, you can tell that from my side bar though. Way cute and who wouldn't want to watch something with James McAvoy in it? Thanks Amy!

Let's see, we also made cookies, chex mix (which I've managed to pretty much dwindle down to nothing, all by myself). Josh changed the oil in the cars and we pretty much just relaxed, which was the best part!!!

Top 5 Mom Myths

I tried to find this article online but I had no such luck. In my Woman's Day magazine, I read a really great article. I wish I could have found it and put the link on here for anyone to read but I will just hit the big points.

The article is called, "Top 5 Mom Myths". Although some of you may not agree with them, I did and the explanations that went along with them were amazing too. Here are the TOP 5 MOM MYTHS:

Myth 1 - A good mom likes her children all the time.

Myth 2 - A good mom bonds with her children immediately.

Myth 3 - A good mom balances it all.

Myth 4 - A good mom spends a lot of time with her kids - and they like her because of it.

Myth 5 - A good mom belongs to one big, supportive Moms Club.

Now, I know to a lot of you those may sound harsh but you really would have to read the entire article. It's not being mean or saying, tell your kids you hate them or anything. It really just brings home the fact that you are human, not super-human. Although many people out there would have you believe that these myths are very much truth. They are only fooling themselves. Once again, the article better describes each of these topics in detail so you are only getting 35% of it from me.

I guess it just hit home that it is ok to do whatever it is you can handle, be the best mom you can be and it is acceptable to fall short of perfection. After all, not one of us is perfect, we have flaws, we mess up and try to do better next time. WHY ARE WE SO HARD ON OURSELVES?

All for $10.61

Yes that is right, 6 packages of Ball Park hot dogs, (5) 12-packs of pop and 2 packages of Sara Lee hot dog buns all for $10.61. Whahooooo!!! Albertson's is the best, well, at least this week.

When you buy 1 package of hot dogs, you get 2 free. Next to the hot dog's there is a manufacturer coupon that says when you buy 1 package of hot dogs and 1 package of the Sara Lee hot dog buns, you get a 12 pack of Coke Zero for FREE, up to $4.99. Well, you buy 6 packages of hot dogs and get 2 of those coupons. Then next to the Sara Lee hot dog buns there is a coupon for when you buy 1 Ball Park hot dog, you get the package of buns for FREE, grab 2 of those. Then the store ad shows that when you buy (2) 12 packs of Coke products you get 3 for FREE. Well, not such a great deal because each pack costs $6. So you have to buy the 2 Coke Zeros but you are paying for those ones (with the coupon, it only takes off up to $4.99), so you pay $1 for each of those and get the other 3 for FREE.

Yes, it sounds confusing, I know and I was confused until my mom explained it to me 100 times but I did it and it worked. I know we don't really like the Coke Zeros but they were only a $1 each and the Dr. Pepper, Ruby Red Squirt and the Sprite were all FREE! Yeah. Now that I'm stocked up on pop, Stacie won't have to start twitching at my house when she comes over because she is going through pop withdrawls. Just thought I'd share the wealth!

Rabbit Trails

*This countdown pregnancy thing on the side of my blog is really depressing. Looking at how many more days I have to be pregnant, it really makes me feel like I am going to be pregnant for 10 years!

*I have decided that someone who CLEARLY doesn't have kids, makes Luvs' diapers. Yes, you heard me right, maybe even a man. I use Luvs diapers on Chloee and everyday we go through the fight of, "I want the green doggy". I think the Luvs company is actually trying to kill me. Why would you put multiple images on different diapers? Anyone else who has kids knows that your child will favor one more than the others. They are "Blue's Clues" diapers. There are blue, green and purple dogs and one pink cat. All she ever wants on is that stinking green dog. Obviously, eventually we run out of the "green doggy" and have to do the others. From then on out, it's a fight, fight, fight!

*I feel like there is TOO much that has to be done before this baby gets here. After I'm done having a panic attack, I realize I still have 6 more months to get it done. Why can't I just let it go? I'm driving myself crazy!! I need to change the office into the baby's room, paint it when I find out what sex it is, get Chloee potty-trained, get Chloee into a regular bed, etc. The list could go on and on and on...

*If I have to listen to the stupid jets from Hill Air Force Base go over my house one more time.... so help me. I have learned to block them out but they have been flying SO low lately that I swear it rattles the windows!

*I want to move. I don't like my neighbors. EVERY time I take Chloee outside to play they are inevitably smoking. Not just one, but like 6 of them. Pretty much anytime I try and go outside, someone is always smoking. I don't really care for the smell anyway but when I am pregnant, it makes me throw up. Also, I don't want Chloee to smell that, so we come inside!

*Chloee's personality is only getting stronger by the day, as if that is at all possible. All I have to say is, this baby better be a boy or I don't think it has a chance of making it with her as its older sibling. She doesn't like girls, she has NO girl friends, she ONLY plays with boys, she has named all of her dolls with BOY names and when she is in nursery, she refuses to even talk to the girls. She adores boy babies and talks to them and honestly wants NOTHING to do with girl babies. If this baby is a girl, it better have a personality just like her. NOW THAT'S A SCARY THOUGHT!

*Josh's work moved to 5-4-9's. He now works 9 hours everyday and gets every other Friday off. I have yet to decide if I like it. Obviously, on that Friday, I favor it but during the week, the hours and days seem to DRAG!

*Last Friday, I finished my 3rd and last wedding for a while. I decided a while ago that I just don't have it in me for weddings right now and to take a break. It was a really fun wedding. They had a live band, it was a tropical theme, just really laid back and fun. Thank you Amy for watching Chloee so that our hubbies could go on their bike ride! She can't stop talking about you and how "sweet" you are!

*Lately, both Josh and I have just wanted to stay home and not travel ANYWHERE, just relax at home and do nothing. It feels like our lives have been so crazy and we have hardly been home. We are looking forward to Labor Day and just staying home and doing something... only if we want to!

For Amy & Micheal

Yes, this one is supposed to look like a sketch, I didn't mess it up!

Today my sweet brother-in-law, Micheal, leaves to go back to Alaska for one week and then leaves for Iraq the first part of September. I wanted to put a post up for both of them to know how much I love them!

Amy, you truly are amazing in so many aspects of your life. You are incredibly strong, which is why you can even do this, I would crumble at the thought of it all. You are a wonderful mother to your 2 kids and hopefully many more to come. Your positive outlook on everything absolutely amazes me. The way you see the silver lining, the way you look at every glass as half full. I look up to you in so many ways. You are tough and that is why I have no doubt that you will make it through the storms of life, as you already have. You are an incredible wife, who supports her husband in all avenues of his life. You love him unconditionally and are the best support for him during this time in his life. He is truly blessed to have you! Not once, have I ever heard you complain about your situation, EVER! Has it been hard? Yes, but have you complained, never. I have seen you grow so much over these last 10 months or so. You have turned it over to The Lord and relied upon him and you have grown so much spiritually. I know that I personally have benefited from that, with your soft, comforting words that He will never leave us or let us be alone! I love you and am always here for you!

Micheal, what a great and courageous thing you are doing for OUR COUNTRY and OUR FREEDOM. Many sacrifices have been made on you and your families part. You listened to the spirit and made a big decision in your life. You went from Elementary school teacher to Full-Time Army Specialist in a short amount of time. You are such a strength to Amy and your boys. You are doing something beyond measure and your sacrifices do not go unnoticed by anyone that knows you, your character, your personality or your devoted love for this COUNTRY. I couldn't be more proud of you! You will be terribly missed as you are gone. It almost broke my heart to say good-bye to you. It was so hard to let go of you and as you know I couldn't hold back my tears! I truly love you like my own brother and you, Amy and the boys, are and will always be in our prayers. God Bless, As He Always Does!

The Things She Says...

Here are just a few of the crazy things that Chloee says that makes me laugh... or cry! Her personality keeps me on my toes all day and night!

*We were coming home from Lagoon and Chloee wanted Josh to sit in the back with her. He explained to her, "I can't sit by you, I have to drive, Mommy can't drive, it will make her sick because of the baby." Chloee's response, "I don't like that baby!". Oh Joy, and so it already begins.

*Today she had put some donuts in a little tupperware in the fridge. She pulled them out and said, "Look Mom, they're fridging." I said, "They're what?" and she said (in a totally duh voice), "I put them in the fridge, now they're fridging." I don't know, I'm assuming it is like if you put something in the freezer, it's freezing. Beats me!

*Her new movie love is, Monsters, Inc. She loves to see the little girl in it named, Boo. Although, she doesn't call her Boo, she calls her Boob. Well, it has now mutated into Boobie and today it is Boobies. This sentence came out of her mouth. "Oh Mom, I love my Boobies." She was referring to Boo and she calls her "my" as though she owns her. It was funny, let's just hope it doesn't happen in public.

*Die hard gymnastics fan here. We watched gymnastics anytime it was on and eventually, totally on her own, she just started doing her own gymnastics on the floor, or as she calls it, GYM-MAGICS! She does somersaults and even tucks her body in perfectly and keeps her toes pointed. We had a blow up mattress upstairs one night and she jumped off the couch onto the mattress doing what she called a flip. It was just a somersault off the couch but she was pretty proud of herself. I will have to post a video about that!

*Last week I told her that I loved her the mostest and her reply was, "I love myselfie the mostest!" Yes, she's vain, we know!

*She has this new obsession with "Moneys" as she calls it. She loves to get pennies and put them in her piggy bank. Well, she refers to pennies as "orange moneys" and one day we were at Maren and Nate's house and Nate had a nickel, which she proceeded to call "white moneys". Well, Maren being such a better teacher than I, taught her that it was a nickel. We come home later and she found a quarter and came to me and said, "Look at this nickel, it is so pretty". I said, "That is actually a quarter, not a nickel". She proceeds to tell me it's white, therefore it's a nickel and we fight about it a little bit and then she stops, thinks for a few seconds and says, "Mom, Mar lies". Yes that is right, Maren you are such a liar. It was hilarious!

*A couple of days ago, Chloee sneezed and said, "Bless you, Chloee". I know that neither Josh or I say bless you, so I asked her, "Who taught you that?" She answered by saying, "Grandma! I sneezed at her house and Grandma said, "Bless you, Chloee", that Grandma, she's so sweet." It was so cute. After, I pretended to sneeze and she said, "Bless you, Chloee". Evidently, she thinks it's always with Chloee at the end. I had to call my mom immediately after and tell her, I knew she'd get a big kick out of that!

Disgusting

Josh took this picture. He thought it was hilarious that he came home from work one day and there was a dish towel covering something up in the fridge. I admit, I went through a bad stage where even looking at something in the fridge that didn't look appetizing, made me throw up. This was some pork spaghetti that Josh made and normally I LOVE IT! Well, just so happens that I had ate it the night before and had inevitably thrown it up, so even looking at it made me sick. Yes, I used to just cover things up with towels so that I wouldn't have to look at them. One time I actually think there were 4 things covered up in the fridge. Josh got the biggest kick out of it!