Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Thursday Thirteen-What I Want for Christmas

I know. It's November 1st. Oh well. I'm sharing 13 things I'd like for Christmas!

(thanks to Goofy Girl for the graphic!)

1. A mei tai baby carrier, like this Beco.

2. New bathroom rugs to go with a kids' shower curtain, like this one.

3. Free babysitting while the hubby and I go on a date.

4. Clothes. Needed with losing some weight.

5. Frames for the pictures of my boys. (saw some nice ones at Michael's)

6. Phase 10, the game. Ever play it?

7. Slipper socks.

8. Restaurant giftcards. Who doesn't enjoy a night off from cooking?

9. Giftcard for printing off pictures. We've found Winkflash to be the best deal.

10. Photo albums.

11. New blog design (header & everything)

12. The Office DVDs

13. Three straight hours of sleep. Uninterrupted sleep.

Visit Thursday Thirteen Headquarters here!

Happy Halloween!

Trick-or-Treat! I know by the end of the night we might be tired of hearing that. It makes it easier, though, when you look at your child's face. With each "trick-or-treat", there is such excitement and joy. There is such pride in their costumes. It's so cute.

Tonight we're trick-or-treating in Ohio for the first time. (last year we drove to my in-laws back in MI). We're excited to carry on our own traditions.

My husband will come home from work, and we're going to make our own pizza for dinner. (Pizza is a Halloween tradition). Following that we'll get costumes on & head out! This year we're lucky to have a fireman and his dalmatian with us. ;) Finally we plan to come home, inspect the treats, take baths, get in jammies, and snuggle while watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Halloween is fun.

Since I'm not doing a Wordless Wednesday today, I'll leave with Halloween-past & present.
(Aidan's 1st Halloween! 2004)

(Aidan's 2nd Halloween, 2005)

(3rd Halloween, 2006)

(this year! Added bonus: his baby brother!)

I wish you safe trick-or-treating! Happy Halloween!

Monday, October 29, 2007

How Do We Sleep Tight?

By Co-Sleeping. Family Bed is what we do. :) Since it's something we practice, it catches my interest when co-sleeping is in the news, like this article from the new York Times:

Shhh...My Child Is Sleeping (in My Bed, Um, With Me)

Like the parents mentioned in this article, we never planned to co-sleep. In fact, I was against the thought of it while pregnant with my first.
Yup.
And then he was born. ;) He was colicky, some sleep was better than no sleep, and we started bringing him in bed with us. We grew into a co-sleeping family, and by our next pregnancy, we had planned to co-sleep. On purpose this time. lol. We enjoy it.

I won't go into a lengthy post on it now (you can go here to read my earlier post on how we came to co-sleep). I just wanted to share the article. Enjoy!

PS-if you are a co-sleeping family, too, leave a comment and share. I'm really curious how many people go into it deliberately, or by reaction to the type of child their first was. Thanks!

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Menu Plan Monday--October 29, 2007

Hi there! I want to mention the potato soup from last week's menu. It was a new recipe for me, and it turned out so well! Super easy (hardest part was cutting the food), and it tasted like a restaurant's cream of potato. Better, tough, since it's low in fat! YUM! I will post the recipe soon.

Monday: Oven Ranch Chicken, baked beans
Tuesday: Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings
Wednesday: Pita Pizzas (pizza is a Halloween tradition for us!) Happy Halloween!
Thursday: Pork* (not yet decided) All Saints Day!
Friday: Southwestern Pie

Thanks to The Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday!

Have a great week! For those of you trick-or-treating, have a great, safe time! I'll be taking out my fireman and dalmatian. ;)
Oh! And if you're still thinking of a treat to make, I made these for my son's Sunday School class. They were a hit!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Ghosts, Not Spiders

I'm overly excited to send Aidan with a treat tomorrow for Sunday School. They get to wear their costumes (outside of Mass, of course) and bring in a treat. This is the first time I've been able to do this, ever. (as a mom. Did it plenty when I taught!)

I know most people go and buy raisins (puh-lease) or candy, or something. That's great. (really). But I wanted to be supermom to my fireman.I wanted to be the one to send in the cool snacks. Yes, I'm an over-competitive dork.
Ha!
But in my head, I won. I won "coolest snack" over the other parents. Even though I don't know what those other snacks are yet. AND the fact that it is NOT a competition.

Yes, I need help. Therapy or something.

OK, so here is a picture of what I made tonight:Humor me. Don't ya just love my Boo Brownies? They turned out so much better than the Spiders I originally planned to make.
I would've lost if I sent Aidan in with those.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Protect-A-Bed

I'm hoping to protect mine. ;)
5 minutes for Mom is (once again) hosting a great contest. Enter to win mattress covers for each one of your family members. Huge prize, right?! :) Thanks goes to to Protect-A-Bed for the mattress pads. (by the way, you have until Nov. 2 to enter!)

Yet ANOTHER....Recall: Bumbo Seats

We had been talking about buying one for Brennan. Now I'm glad we didn't!

Bumbo Baby Seats Recalled for Head Injury Risk

"The CPSC says, "If the seat is placed on a table, countertop, chair, or other elevated surface,
young children can arch their backs, flip out of the Bumbo seat, and fall onto the floor, posing a risk of serious head injuries."

The agency says it's had 28 reports of young children falling out of the seats, and sustaining injuries that included three skull fractures suffered when kids fell out of Bumbo seats that had been placed on tables."

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Two months from today

TWO MONTHS! It'll be here before we know it.

Have you started your shopping yet?

Recall: Diego Toys

How many more are we to expect? :(
Mattel Inc. recalled an additional 38,000 "Go Diego Go!" toys Thursday as part of a larger recall of 665,000 lead-contaminated children's products, the government said. Thursday's recall involved orange and yellow Go Diego Go! Animal Rescue Boats, manufactured in China and imported by Fisher-Price. (source)


More info:

Description:
The toy is an orange and yellow boat that squirts water. Cartoon character Diego is in the driver’s seat. “Fish
er Price,” product number K3413, and a date code between 137-7HF and 223-7HF are marked on the toys.

Sold at: Retail stores nationwide from June 2007 through October 2007 for about $15.


I wanted to post about this in case you hadn't heard. I know my son is a Diego fan. Thank goodness we don't have these toys in our home.

Thursday Thirteen--Favorite TV Characters

I'm somewhat of a TV addict, thanks to the dvr. So for this week I made a list of 13 of my favorite TV characters! (many are not current shows) Any of these your favorites, too?

Archie Bunker (All in the Family) (*the most politically incorrect character I know! lol)
Punky (Punky Brewster)

Kramer (Seinfeld)

Monica (Friends)

Mary Tyler Moore (The Mary Tyler Moore Show)

Dr. Bailey (Grey's Anatomy)

Dwight (The Office)

Pam (The Office)

Jim (The Office...can't help it!)

Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show)

Jim Ignatowski (Taxi)

Tony (Who's the Boss?)Marie (Everybody Loves Raymond)Go here for Thursday 13 fun.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Last Night's Beauty


The sky.
I quickly ran outside last night to get pictures before it was dark.
Isn't it just gorgeous?

Who ME?!

As we were scanning our items at Kroger this morning, the check-out lady said something to Aidan about his candy and skinny mommy. Me!? Was she talking about me?

I was called skinny. I was called skinny. Me. Today.
I haven't been called that in a long time.

I gave her the biggest smile and told her she made my day.

I also told her I do Weight Watchers, which she showed some interest in.

By the way, I had my weigh in last night. And guess what? I'm down now a total of thirty pounds. :)

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Giddy-Up!

Getting ready to drive Pat back to work after lunch today, Aidan started to rush outside before we were ready to accompany him.

Politely, Pat said to him, "Just hold your
horses,"

To which Aidan replied, "
What horses?!".

I love the mind of a three
& a half year old. :)

Monday, October 22, 2007

Some Weekend Fun

Reading around the blogosphere, it seems we're not the only ones who enjoyed this past fall weekend! It's great that so many are out & about, taking advantage of nature and fall. I love fall!

This weekend we were so busy. You always know a busy weekend by the way you feel after. Today I've been sore and exhausted! lol.

It actually began Friday night. Nothing major, but after dinner we went to JCPenney to hit their sale. Aidan was in major need of jammies, and we were able to get 2 pair for around $8! That's a deal. ;) We don't normally go out after dinner, as it sets back the boys' bedtime. This alone was exciting for them.

We were all looking forward to Saturday. On Saturday we went to a local Fall Fest. Best of all, we met fellow mom & blogger Crystal (Proud Catholic Mommy) along with her two boys! It was great to meet another blogger in real life. :) (we had a blast, Crystal!) I enjoyed Crystal's company, and Aidan sure loved playing with her two boys, Ethan & Alex. They explored a firetruck &police car together, decorated cookies, had their faces painted, and enjoyed the clown making them balloon swords. They were so cute to watch, playing together like instant friends. We sure hope to get together again soon!As if Saturday wasn't enough fun & excitement, Sunday we headed off to Cedar Point. Cedar Point does Halloweekends this time of year, and it's so cool. I love it in October!Aidan really enjoyed all the kid rides. This year his new ride was the Tilt-A-Whirl, which happens to be one of my favorites. I was so proud of him! I thought he was getting nervous while we were spinning so fast, but once it was over, he said "my like this ride. Let's go again!".
That's my boy. :)
Brennan also went on his first amusement park ride. All four of us went together. A mini-boat ride. Extremely low key, but it was fun because it was the only ride we were all on together (aside from the train).

Great, exhausting weekend. Way too warm for this time of year (84 degrees at Cedar Point...84!), but tons of fun.Aidan is already excited for next weekend. They get to wear their costumes to Sunday school, along with bring in a treat! I'm thinking of making these.I hope you're enjoying the last bit of October. Have a great week! Sleep tight. I'm off to catch some zzz's.

Menu Plan Monday--October 22, 2007

Welcome! I'm hopefully for this week's menu Last week we steered off plan twice. Bad for the budget, and bad for my weight loss. :( Especially considering it was fried chicken and pizza, consecutively. Hmm...
So new week, new willpower, right? Here is our menu:
Monday: Maple Glazed Pork, apples on the side, corn & green beans
Tuesday: Crockpot Creamy Ranch Potatoes & Chicken
Wednesday: Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas
Thursday: Chicken Garden Saute
Friday: Potato Soup & Sandwiches

Thanks for stopping by. :) Have a great Monday! Please visit The Organizing Junkie for more menu plans.

Friday, October 19, 2007

The Man Meme

Copying from Stacey (thanks, Stacey!), this is my Friday Fun. :)
I'm also not tagging anyone, but let me know if you join in!

The Man Meme


1. Who is your man?
Patrick

2. How long have you been together?
Started dating September 18, 2000. Married June 21, 2003.

3. How long did you date?
Almost 3 years

4. How old is your man?
27

5. Who eats more?
Pretty sure I do. :( Although he can down a ton, too. He just doesn't gain the weight! (darn you!)

6. Who said “I love you” first?
Him? I think?

7. Who is taller?
Definitely Pat. He's 6'3". I'm only 5'4".

8. Who sings better?
Ah, God help us! Neither of us are talented in that area, but I'll place money on me.

9. Who is smarter?
Oh, this isn't a fair question! lol. We're both smart. I think I had better grades in school, but he learned more hands-on and seems to retain the info longer. He's pretty smart.

10. Whose temper is worse?
Mine, by far. I hate my temper. Patrick is calm, forever patient, and rarely loses his temper.

11. Who does the laundry?
Mostly me, but he does it if he's home when it needs to be done.

12. Who takes out the trash?
He does. :)

13. Who sleeps on the right hand side of the bed?
from the head of the bed, laying on it, he sleeps on the right.

14. Who pays the bills?
We used to both, but he does now. And SHOCK...our account has stayed on budget! He's much better at that sort of thing than I am. (wish I was better in this area)

15. Who is better with the computer?
Patrick, 100 times over! I would've never handled my online tutoring job without him. It'd mess up, and he'd come right over to help me. Sheesh. He's a genius with technology.

16. Who mows the lawn?
The landlord. :)

17. Who cooks dinner?
Monday-Friday, usually me. He does on the weekends.

18. Who drives when you are together?
It's pretty equal. I try to be OK w/ him driving more (seems emasculating to not let him). but I love to drive, so I often do.

19. Who pays when you go out?
Usually him, unless it's easier for me to. Money comes from the same place, though.

20. Who is most stubborn?
ME.

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong?
Usually him, but I am working on it.

22. Whose parents do you see the most?
His. They live one hour away, mine live 12 hours away.

23. Who kissed who first?
Mutually at the same time. You can say him, though. It was in his car.

24. Who asked who out?
He asked me.

25. Who Proposed
He did.

26. Who is more sensitive?
I think he is, but I seem sensitive, too, because I am so temperamental.

27. Who has more friends?
TIE. Thankfully most of our friends are mutual friends.

28. Who has more siblings?
Me, by far. He is the oldest of THREE. I am the youngest of EIGHT.

29. Who wears the pants in the family?
As Stacey answered,
"Kind of a toss-up. I throw more fits and get my way more often, but I generally recognize that whatever he wants to do is what is definitely what's best for the family, so a full 99.9% of the time, he gets his way."

Yeah, What she said.

Half a YEAR

Brennan is 6 months old today. 6 months! I can't believe it.

The best things about the past 6 months & getting to know Brennan...
watching the bond form between him and Aidan
loving each and every smile he gives us
hearing him coo
Snuggling with him at night
amazement at the sudden way he stops fussing when Aidan
appears

Looking back, I can't believe I ever doubted the second child. It takes nothing away from Aidan. It only adds.
Brennan has been a tremendous blessing to our family.

Happy 6 months, Baby B!

(the day he was born!)

(1 month old)

(2 months old)

(3 months old)

(4 months old)

(5 months old)

(6 months old!)