A Syndicated Article on BlogHer!

GUESS WHAT!

I got a post syndicated on BlogHer!  They contact me and it's up on their site!
http://www.blogher.com/all-my-friends-are-online?wrap=blogher-topics/blogging-social-media&crumb=10

I'm so excited!  The article was originally posted on http://liberatingworkingmoms.com/ and it caught their attention.  Thanks LWM [Tracy] for this forum and thanks BlogHer for taking notice!

<3 MB

Obama Rally in Richmond Virginia - a Photolog {10.25.2012}

Waiting in the long line to get in the gates which opened at 9 AM.

Thanks Anita for making me go even though it was my idea and I tried to back out!

Finally we got to the security line!  Metal detectors and handbag exams.

The eager, patient crowd.  Speeches didn't start until 12:00!  We waited over 3 hours in the hot sun.

The long view to the stage.

The view below when I took a seated breather!  They passed out the water bottles and am sure they cleaned up afterwards... there was nowhere else to put them!

People on the edge were trying to pass water to those in the center of the crowd.  I heard several people passed out!  I felt dizzy a few times... the people... the sun.... the thirst! 

We made friends with those around us and helped with their babies!  Anita is a natural.

The view behind us.  An impressive sea of people.  I never heard or saw an unkind thing and felt a great vibe.

FINALLY!  Can you see President Obama!!!  He's the little white speck waving his hand on the stage!  It exhilerated us all to finally see and hear him!

A blurry shot that captures the spirit after he spoke.

Me in my new presto-change-o Women for Obama $5 shirt!

How To Make a Tractor Costume {Tutorial}

My son is 2 1/2 and only loves his mom, dad and sister more than he loves tractors.  Specifically, John Deere tractors.  He was just born that way, baby.  It was a no-brainer to try to make him a tractor costume!  Here's how we did it!

What you'll need:
-2 medium sized rectangular shaped boxes.
-Scissors
-Serrated knife
-Marker/ Pencil
-Tractor-colored paint of your choice
-Black paint
-Paint brush or sponge brush
-Duct tape or packing tape


Difficulty level:  Not easy, Not hard                  
Time Commitment:  Over the course of several hours and drying overnight
Can kids help?  A little bit

Instructions:

1) Choose your boxes and arrange them the way you want them to be for your tractor.

2) Cut holes in the top and bottom of the larger upright box where the child will stand.  Then, connect the boxes together.  For our tractor, I used the top end flap on the touching end of the shorter box and stuck into the larger box through a cut slot, and taped it inside.  Then I did the same with the bottom end flap like this:

3) Secure all seams with more duct tape!

{Step 3.5:  Have fun with kids playing with the other boxes!}

Step 4) Break out the paint!  We chose to do a fancy stripe.

Step 5) Make the wheels!  I used a dinner plate to make templates.  For the 'small' front wheels, I used the actual plate size.  For the 'large' wheels, I cut a larger circle around the template.

Step 6) Add the wheels and embellish how you like!  We glued on the wheels but I wanted to use brads so they would roll around.  Oh well.  We used duct tape to make fake windows and headlights.  We've also since added shoulder straps by connecting some ribbon to the front and back of the body opening...  but baby boy doesn't like them.  

Step 7) ENJOY!  {And hope and pray the costume makes it to Halloween!  Have a backup plan :).}

Yes it's me dancing to Lady Gaga.

What you're about to see might scare you.  That makes sense because it's almost October which means it's almost Halloween which is evident because they're selling large quantities of candy in stores.  If you watch this video, you're as much a part of this as I was.  Own that and proceed at your own risk.

Presenting.... Me dancing to Lady Gaga!

• Because I got to watch the Ellen show this afternoon and she inspired me!
• Because I got time to myself home alone today!
• Because I am 35 and can still move like I'm 34!
• Because 'there's just something not right about that girl.'
• Because I was born this way, and this is my prayer, that I'll die living just as free as my hair.
• Because I love me some Lady Gaga.
• Because I want my kids to feel like they can dance by themselves whenever they want to.
• Because their mom is a little nuts and it's ok for them to be a little nuts too.
• Because dancing alone is not shameful.
• Because dancing is fun and you don't have to be good at it to do it!
• Because it's Friday!

17 Days Meatless

My last meat meals ever?

Ok.  So I promise that eventually I'll do a post on my own blog about something other than my recent lack of meat-eating.  But hey - I decided to do something and did it and have stuck with it for 17 days now!!  I'm pretty proud of that, darn it!

<<--- These are the receipts from the last 2 meals I ate that contained meat.  The burger was too big and overpriced.... like a lot of burgers.  It was at the Richmond airport going on a work trip.  The pool-side hotel bar fare?  I shouldn't have ordered the wings but I was sooooo hungry and pickins were slim (and pricey -yikes!).

At this point, I hadn't thought about no more pepperoni pizza.  No more crock pot pork roast.  No more Thanksgiving turkey. No more corn dogs or beef jerky or other iterations of meat products that have become near staples of society.  When I do think of those things, I do frown a little bit.  But strangely, I don't miss it and I don't want it.  I have great memories associated with eating those things, but I think my emotions have to do more with the convenience and the company and very little to do with the content.

Some pretty cool things that have happened related to my vegetarianismness:

1. We've cooked and eaten at home more!
2. I feel like I've lost a little bit of weight.  
3. I got the kids to eat veggie corn dogs and veggie sausage!  Okay so they have the words 'sausage' and 'dogs' in them.... but they were veggie so they count!
4. My dear husband has eaten things he has before sworn he would not.
5. I've been proud of myself for not simply replacing meat with cheese and eggs.  Seriously - we're eating more veggie and seriously loving it.

Have you ever thought of becoming vegetarian?  Get on the train!  Let's figure it out together.

Look Mom, No Meat!

credit:  lablasco

So I've been a vegetarian for a week.  Woo hoo!!!  I may have gone this long without eating meat before, but not intentionally, and now it's permanent.

Here's an interview with myself about this recent lifestyle change.

{Mary Beth, Why did you become a vegetarian?}

A switched turned inside of me, one that's been slowly moving to the 'off' position for a while, as I was reading "Eating Animals."  I haven't bought raw chicken in ages because I really hate touching it and cooking it.  I've always had a fear of eating meat that's not cooked all the way, of being the lucky one to get poisoned.  Then I read some books.... like Omnivoire's Dilemma, and Fast Food Nation.... and Eating Animals just took me over the edge.  Whenever I see bacon and think - yummm - I also think, Wow, I don't want to vote with my dollars for the way meat is currently produced in our country.  This is personal for me.  I actually like meat.  I kind of can't believe I won't eat bacon ever again.  But I don't want to.  I'm really committed to this.... shockingly committed, considering how fast I "turned off the switch."  And I don't miss it.

{Has it been difficult, not eating meat?}

Nope.  It has frankly been a lot easier than I thought.  I eat what I eat, without the meat.... and with a little lot more planning and thought.  I've already bought cool new things I've never eaten before like Quinoa and can't wait to try it.  I feel more free.  Does that sound weird?  I can't explain it.  I'm gradually feeling free from the guilt I've been feeling for years that I've just been ignoring.  And I'm feeling like there are so many other fun, neat, non-meat things out there to eat that I am resisting the urge to spread my new foodreligion to other people.  I'm excited.  I feel happier.

It's difficult figuring out what to do with all the meat in our freezer.  It's not a lot but....  it's an issue.

{What about your family - are they going to be vegetarians now too?}

Probably not.  Roy has already said he'll eat what we cook/buy at home (veg because I don't want to even purchase meat any more if I can help it).  But he'll do his own thing when he's out which I respect.  I need to investigate some veg alternatives to the things our kids love - chicken nuggets, hot dogs and corn dogs mainly.  But they gobbled up veggie sausage like it was the real deal!  I think it's more about the texture and the weight than the actual stuff that's in it.... which begs the question, why are we eating meat again?  

{Any interesting observations?}

At the airport the other day I couldn't find a single 'salad' that didn't start with the word 'chicken'.  All the 'salads' available started with the word "chicken" or a variation (chicken strip salad, fried chicken salad, etc.).  What's up with that??  Also, I was able to eat vegetarian at a North Carolina BBQ joint!  How crazy is that?  They offer the "vegetarian plate" but reader beware, because several of the "vegetable sides" have meat in them.  Ha ha.

{Do you think you'll stick with it?}

Yes I do.  I might even get more and more tough about it.  I already want to start asking questions like - "Can you tell me what kind of broth is in this soup?" and "Were these beans cooked with bacon?"  Somebody once told me they liked me because I never settle for less than 100%.  That will be tough here because we are so meat-centric as a culture. 

{Are you worried about anything?}

I'm worried people may not invite us over for dinner....  This doesn't happen a lot anyway, but I feel like this will even further get us on the do-not-invite list.  So - If you were ever thinking of inviting us over for dinner - please don't change your mind just because I happen to be a newborn vegetarian.  I may not eat the meat, but I may eat all the brownies!  Ha ha.

Some announcements that can't wait for the Christmas card!

No, I'm not pregnant!  Ha ha ha. 

Announcement #1:  The kids are sleeping by themselves!!!!!!  I.E. Not with mommy and/or daddy!!!!  If you know anything about our sleep situation saga, you probably don't believe this announcement.  It has been a perplexion of the highest proportion for a period of time, the length of which we need not get into at this juncture.  [Is perplexion a word?  If not, it is now because it's the perfect word.] 

It has been kind of a miracle.  Is there a kind of miracle?  A whole miracle then.... mostly because our daughter is miraculous.  We have tried every tactic under the sun.  For kicks and grins, we decided to give it another go.  Roy set the date:  Labor day.  On that day, after returning from a weekend trip, the kids were going to sleep away from us.  No ifs, ands or buts.  (Yeah, right - we had tried this before, we knew the fated ending of crying, hysteria and begging... and finally caving in.)  This time, it was different. 

I read stories to them in their new bed.  (They're sleeping together but hey, at least they're not with us.)  We tucked them in, kissed them good night, and for the first time in hmmm m mm time, we had the night after 9:00 to ourselves.  It. Was. Strange.  And great.  And sad.  What made it work?  Ivy took it up on herself to help baby Roy get to sleep.... and in the process, owned the title of 'big girl' which included not needing mama all night any more.  About this, I am sad and learning to let it be ok with my heart.  [Especially when I want to snuggle with her and she says, No, I can just go back to my room.  Sniffle sniffle.]

It's been 2 weeks tonight.  It has not been entirely smooth, but almost every night they have slept in there like the magical stories we've heard about other kids who do the same thing.  I feel like a mom in a story book.... where the kids get up a few times in the night, and then trot their happy butts back to their own bed. It's a book I like... a different book than the one that ended 2 weeks ago that I never thought would end, so in that regard I feel like I'm living in a dream.

Announcement #2:  Our kids are no longer babies.  I mean - duh, right?  But this month, wowzie boy howdy, it's like - somebody let the racehorse out of its pen in the growing up department. 

• The whole sleeping alone thing.  
• The whole no-more-potty-accidents-for-Ivy thing. 
• They gladly will play together for long periods of time, neither wanting or needing us to be with them the whole time.  
• They are eating things like peanut butter crackers, and getting bananas all by themselves.
• Ivy is really getting good at using scissors and she told me today she wants to be a painter when she grows up!
• Baby Roy is saying things like "Go away, leave me alone."
• They both just transitioned into bigger kid classrooms at school and 
• I. Am. Not. Ready. For All. This. Change.  Mostly.  But I am because it's wonderful.

Announcement #3:  I got the most awesome glasses at a great price online!  I'm a sucker for good glasses.  There is concensus that I look better with glasses than without --- so I have to have good ones because it's kind of like I get to choose part of my face. 

All of these things may still end up in the Christmas card.  So you can skip that part if you want.

10 Ways Parenting is like the Peace Corps

So I was in the Peace Corps - the "toughest job you'll ever love."  Next to parenting, that is.  It occurred to me this week, staying home with my son who has a mysterious fever-causing illness, how similar my life is to when I was in the Peace Corps.  Here's how:

1. Children, often partially naked and hungry, are watching my every move making me feel like a big fish in a little glass bowl.  
2. When driving distances , I often find myself eyeing good spots for places to pee by the side of the road.  (But for the kids - not for myself, so that's a small difference.)
3. I never feel fully clean...  except for the two minutes during or right after a shower, and then the feeling quickly dissipates.
4. There is an ongoing theme of illness - some diagnosed, some mysterious, often causing fevers and diarrhea and vomiting.
5. I get to learn several new languages!  The language of parenting, some sign language (of the baby variety), and each of my children's' unique words for things that until recently only I could understand.  It's not French and Kabiye, but it's close!
6. Sometimes I feel like I'm forging through the parenting landscape with nothing but a bicycle and a book.  Before I had "Where there is no doctor" but now I have "Where there is no super nanny" and at least one partner who's got my back!
7. You can never have enough batteries, duct tape and stuff to wash your hands.  
8. Gift giving has climbed the ladder to a more important place in my life.  Birthday parties galore.  Rewards for job well done.  I'm not used to this.
9. It feels like constant problem solving.  "How am I going to get my gas canister to town when the market isn't until Wednesday and there's no way to find a taxi?" is very similar to "How am I going to navigate around Target if I need a huge bag of dog food and the baby demands that I carry him on my shoulders?"
10. I learned that the feelings of wanting to run away or hide, and shower everybody in sight with love and affection are not as far apart as you might think.

I am now fully convinced the guy who crafted the Peace Corps slogan was also a parent and thus the similarities.  Now I must go tend to my naked 2-year-old asking for food.

How I Came to Represent Working Moms in a CNN Commercial

How I Came to Represent Working Moms in a CNN Commercial

Do I look frazzled yet? {A morning recap.}

Hang on to your hats.  I'm about to share what my morning was like.

The only out-of-the-ordinary I expected was dropping off the dogs at the groomer.  Oh boy.... was I wrong.

First, we all got ready and out the door yay!  Dogs and kids in the car.  Took the kids to school.  Nothing seemed awry.  Yay!  Off to the groomers...  dropped the dogs off.  Cool as a cucumber.  Then, I thought, I'm close to Walgreens - I'll step in to see if my reprints are done.  Well, no such luck.  {I had gotten reprints because the first batch were stuck together.  Looks like I forgot to submit my order on the free reprint!  DOH!  Did it in store. But that meant a 3rd trip to Walgreens later.  Oh well...}  Off to work!

I got to work 5 minutes before staff meeting.  Time to spare and check my email and voice mail!  Uh oh.  I have SIX VOICE MAILS from daycare and hubby all trying to tell me that baby Roy has a 100 degree temperature.  Hmmm.  Does that mean I have to go get him?  What's going on?  Must go to staff meeting.

Get text from husband that he's going to get baby.  I step out to call him - and tell him no I can get the baby; I know he's sitting in on important interviews today.  So it's settled.  I have to go get baby.

But first - I do my report in staff meeting.  Then at a good time, make a graceful exit.

[cute musical notes]  On the road again!  Drive to pick up baby.  His teacher tells me that it just hit !!??102.2?!?.  I'm feeling like horrible mom because he didn't even seem hot less than 2 hours ago when I dropped him off.  She says it elevated really quickly.  To me that means - trip to the doctor!

Call the doctor.  Take the next appointment at 10:45.  Go there, do that, poor baby has to get his finger pricked twice and doesn't cry at all!  We have to come back tomorrow to check again if he may have an infection but so far, all signs point to virus. 
On the way home, the groomer calls.  Dogs are ready!  We swing up by the groomer, throw the dogs in.  Hey wait - there's Walgreens again - wonder if my pictures are ready?  Baby's asleep.  I call and yes - they are - and waiting for me right up front!  I pull up in front, don't care what other customers are saying about me, grab the pics and head home.


And that, folks, is how a perfectly good working mom routine gets even better.  I get to spend the day with my boy.

Playing with MyMemories

Why I Like Power Outages

OK so I know power outages are causing trouble and headache for folks across the country.   They cause food to spoil.  [Hint:  Call your homeowner's insurance company and they'll probably cut you a check for that.]  The damage that caused the power outage also likely caused damage and destruction and sometimes death from injury, extreme heat, extreme cold or failure of medical equipment.  Yikes.  I almost don't want to go forward with this post.

But forward I will go into that dark night.

We've had power outages for days on end, both in the winter and summer months. All times, I've pretty much enjoyed it.  Yes, I've had people call me crazy, poke fun at me, mock me, torment me [ok not that last one] but I stand by my emotions.  I {mostly) like it when the power goes out and here's why.

1)  It's quiet.  Real quiet.  Not 'real' as in 'very but 'real' as in 'genuine.'  Genuinely quiet.  The kind of quiet that these days in America, you have to go into a cave to hear.  It's a little unnerving at first.  Where is that hum of electricity?  But then.... it's calming.  You hear birds and animals outside.  This is what the world really sounds like.  It reminds me - this is nature's world and we're just living in it.

2) It's dark.  Real dark (real = genuine, again).  I now know what my house looks like at night without its makeup on.  I am reminded of what people mean by 'light pollution.'  I don't have the neighbor's spotlight shining in our window.  It's soothing.

3) It's hot.  I don't mind being very hot as long as I can stay hydrated.  You get used to it.  People all over the world have to be very hot their whole lives. It reminds me that this is how the world really feels.

4) No TV.  No Internet.  Smartphones until they die.  Again, back to basics.  To *real* reality, without the luxurious modern conveniences that we 'love' but leave us wondering - do I need it?  Am I controlling it or is it controlling me?  When you can't turn it on, the answers to those questions become more clear.  We read more.  We talk to our neighbors more.  We tell more stories and don't rely on power to help us connect.

5) I feel spoiled.  Is this a good thing?  Yes.  I believe it's good to be reminded of those things in life that we take for granted that many in the world do not have that could benefit them.  I appreciated my access to refrigeration, and air that keeps me at a comfortable temperature, and devices that keep me engaged and informed of the world.  When they turn back on, I think - I'll try to appreciate them more.

6) I feel sad.  I think about my friends in Togo where I lived 10 years ago.  In so many ways, electricity would benefit them.  Keeping vaccines and medicines at the right temperature.  Light to help children read and study by at night.  Electricity for devices that would connect them to the world so they would know their dictator was not god.  I'm happy to be reminded of Togo even if it springs from sadness.

That's why I like it.  Call me crazy!

How To Not Lose It With Your Kids

How could anybody ever get upset at this angel?  

Let's be honest here.  Sometimes your kids will drive you to the brink of insanity.  Like take about two seconds ago when Ivy announced - "I have to go potty!"  So I say "Well then go potty!"  (She's 4 and has been potty proficient for a year.)  "I have to go potty!  I have to go potty!" accompanied by jumps and hops.  "Just go!!!!" I say {shout}.  "Light on!  Light on!"  "You know how to turn the light on! Just go!"  "Mama I have to go potty!"

Do you get my drift?

I won't replay any of our more hair-pulling-out moments.  Sometimes I really feel like I'm going to lose my cool.  Actually, it's getting hot in here is more like it.  Here are a few tips for not totally losing it with your kid:

1) Take your "I absolutely don't want to do this parenting technique" thing off the table from day one.  We took spanking off the table before Ivy was born.  Therefore, it's not an option.

2) Just walk away.  Some people may call this "count to 10" or something.  Whatever you call it, unless danger is imminent, let the moment hang while you be somewhere else.  Everything can be resolved when you feel like coming back.

3) Learn to let go of some things.  Ask - In the scheme of things, does this one annoying or undesirable behavior really matter??  My child won't eat vegetables.  We've decided not to have a battle of wills about that one.  She won't die from lack of vegetables. I don't want her to have memories of us fighting over food at the dinner table.

4) Read books about what to do.  Be an active, informed parent.  There are people who write and do research about this stuff and - gulp - know some stuff to help out us in-the-trenches parents.  You may not agree with it, but at least read something and go from there.  I've gotten some great ideas from 1-2-3 Magic and Scream-Free Parenting.... like not allowing your child (or spouse's) behavior to control your emotions, using 1-2-3 timing, and using a timer to ensure chores get done.

5) Think about what your parents did and what you see other parents doing, and evaluate - do I want to do that, or do I want my kids to have a different experience?  Act accordingly.

6) I do not advocate yelling but admit that I sometimes yell when other techniques seem to not be working.  Some people use a 'pop' as an attention getter.  I use a yell to mean business or to grab attention.  Sometimes I'm still not louder than the kids are being.

7)  If you do lose your cool - do something you regret - be human to your child and apologize for it.  Not the "I'm sorry I yelled but you deserved it" apology but the "I yelled at you and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."  Next time the situation arises, maybe you'll take a different path you won't have to apologize for.

8) This may be the hardest of all, but try to get on the same page as your spouse.  I have no insights about this other than to continually discuss it.  Even if you talk about it before you even have kids, each parent brings their own opinions and baggage to the table and you have to always examine and unpack it, plus decide and agree on common approaches to be consistent.  It's tough.  Kids are brilliant.  They will take any gaps between their parents and exploit them!

9) Look at your child as they are yelling 'no' at you and remember how much you love them.  If it helps, have a 'happy time' that you replay in your memory when the going gets though and they have told you 'no' or not listened to you for the one millionth time this hour.

10) If all else fails... well, I've never gotten to this point personally but if steps 1-9 aren't workin' for you, reach out and get some help.

<3 mb

The Ivory Soap Trick

GASP - I actually did something with the kids that I saw on Pinterest!  And.... drum roll...It was pretty cool!  I was advised that it will ONLY work with Ivory soap.  One of the main ingredients in Ivory soap is water so perhaps that is why this works. 

From this....                                                     To this!

 

Easy peasy steps: 

1) Get a bar of plain white Ivory soap. 

2) Place on a paper plate in the microwave.

3) Microwave for about 1 minute.

4) Look what happens scroll down to see the video and please excuse my dirty microwave)!  

The result is kind of like a hardened flaky dough.  We tried to mold it and cut shapes out of it with cookie cutters.  It worked OK... we made a few pretty little leaf shapes.  Maybe if we had nuked the soap in chunks and taken it out a little sooner, the whole cookie-cutter idea would have worked better.  I bought a 10 pack of soap so we'll try that next time!


<3 happy soap nuking!
mB

The Pain Relief Trick And 5 Steps To Not Poisoning Your Child

I am not a doctor. I do not play one on TV. This is not medical advice. But my kids have seen doctors a lot and have had lots of fevers.

Do you know the  acetaminophen/ibuprofen trick? I've had healthcare providers ASSUME that parents know about this trick and not explain it. If your healthcare provider has told you about this, great! If they haven't and you're interested, ask them at your next visit. Basically you alternate the correct dose of acetaminophen with ibuprofen every 4 hours to keep a child's fever down. It works great. Learn about it here.

We've used this technique ever since we learned about it, through countless ear infections and viruses.  But you have to make sure to keep the medications separate and track when you give the medicine so that you don't wind up giving too much too often, or double-dosing the same medication too soon.

When I bought acetaminophen this weekend, I was shocked at how similar the bottles look. Almost the same color liquid, same exact bottles. One had the drug name clearly labeled, the other just says 'pain relief'. I could easily see myself mistaking one for another.  Here's my suggestion for not accidentally overdosing and keeping on track:

1.  Take a sharpie and clearly label the BOTTLE and the LID with the medication's name.  I for ibuprofen (Advil), A for acetaminophen (Tylenol).    Be CAREFUL with this.  I recommend using the drug name and not the brand name.  Notice how Advil and acetaminophen both start with A.

2. Write down the exact TIME you give the first dose and the NAME of the medication you gave and make a ____ mark for checking off.

3. List out the next 2-3 TIMES the medication can be given, along with the NAME of the medication.

4. Check off the dose when you give it to the child.

5. Make sure that any other caregiver administering the medication knows and follows the steps.

Best of luck and hope everybody gets to feeling better soon!

<3 mb

Wordless Wednesday {Baby Beth}

This is a beloved doll from when I was a little girl.  I named her Baby Beth.  She has aged just about as well as I have.  We both show the wear of lots of love, and we're both now putty in the hands of my little kids.

Way Back Wednesday

I don't think this picture needs an introduction.  It speaks for itself.  It's our sweet girl from around 5-8 months old.  I still remember trying to gather enough hair for a bow, mostly from the back because she had so little on top.  It's hard to believe this little girl is 4, helping her brother learn to use the potty, getting her clothes out and dressing herself (even the socks!), writing her name, and astounding her teacher like yesterday when she answered the question "How do seeds get planted?" by saying "The wind blows them around."  

Our Quirky Neighbors, Part 2

Our magnetism towards quirky neighbors has continued in Richmond.

It all began the first night we moved in.  I went outside to the car at night to get something to eat, and a teenage-looking boy was outdoors too getting their trash can.  I said - "Hi!  I'm your new neighbor!" and he proceeded, in a fake British accent to say something like "Why hello good lady.  It is a great pleasure to meet you!  Best of luck to you and safe and happy driving!"

What a lovely greeting!

Recently somebody hit our mailbox (see above picture).  I went over to his house to inquire whether they had seen or heard anything when our mailbox got smashed.  Guess who answered the door.  "No I haven't seen or heard anything weird outside.  I see a lot of weird things inside my house."  Imagine him saying this in a creepy Lurch-from-the-Adams-family kind of voice.  His brother and his friend (both clearly high) stopped by later to give moral support to our neighbor-friend kindly fixing the mailbox.  "Good job, man!" they both echoed.  "Hey, did you know I'm a nurse?" he asked me.  Then he peppered in some disparaging comments about how much doctors sucked.  "Oh yeah?" I asked.  "Where do you work?"  Now I know where I will likely never go for health care.

Their dad openly carries a gun.  Even while he mows the lawn.  The other day, we saw him outside and Hubs said he at first mistook him for his son.  "Ahh you're funny!" he laughed.  "If I had my gun right now I would shoot you!"  Ha ha ha.  We all laughed.  

Their mom occasionally sits in the car and listens to loud music for a while by herself.  (Who could blame her?  Sometimes I want to do that too.) 


There is a lady down the street whose sweet daughter used to walk our dogs.  I will take partial responsibility for this debacle.  We can trade quirks on this one. In a nutshell, I called the pound to come get her dog.  But the dog was roaming in the street, had no tag and I was scared it was sick.  I was basically a superhero and saved its life.  She didn't see it that way, and her daughter shortly decided to stop walking our dogs.  

Well, the other day I saw the same dog again, roaming the streets.  I am not about to let any dog get killed needlessly.  So I went up to her door (kids in the backseat still) and rang the doorbell.  Then again.  Then she walked right past the glass door, past me, ignoring me. 

Oh, it was ON.  

I rang-rang-rang.  Then knock-knock-knocked.  Loud.  I could see her standing in the kitchen, clearly ignoring me.  Then I started yelling - YOUR DOG IS LOOSE.  JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW.  Finally she opened the door (not for me, but for the dog who was finally on the porch.)  

Me:  "You should really answer your doorbell when somebody rings it like that." 

Her:  "I'm taking care of my daughter!  She was in the ER last night."


Me:  "I'm sorry to hear that.  I understand but I was just trying to help you."


Her:  "No you DON'T understand!"  {closes the door}


Me:  "You're welcome."


I love each and every one of you.  Let your quirk flag fly!

Free Crown Craft from MyMemories!

What kid doesn't love a party crown for their birthday, or maybe just a crown to be a prince or princess for the day?  These crowns are sure to be a big hit with both the boys and the girls (I know my kids will love them!).  


If you have the  MyMemories Suite Software , you can now load the freebies directly into your Software and then completely customize them with any paper and embellishments that you have.  You can add pictures, age, or whatever your imagination comes up with!


If you don't have the software, you can still download the sample project and the elements, but you will not be able to customize the crowns.


Use my code to get $10 off this awesome software and a $10 gift certificate to the online store!  STMMMS40533

         

10 Free Android Game Apps for Toddlers Worth Downloading

I am so resistant to getting an iPhone it's not even funny.  Please don't defriend me for that last statement and any related statements against iPhones hereafter.  

I have an Android phone and love it. specifically, we have the G'zOne phone which is GREAT for toddlers because it is virtually indestructible (they did NOT pay me to say that). However, I am IRRITATED that every list of "best apps" I see are all apps you can only get on the iPhone. ARGH!  Another mark against the iPhone!  Exclusive holier-than-thou well-designed beautiful technology monopoly-wanna-be-take-over-the-world peanut heads.  And your commercials are so irritating.  ANYWAY. 

So, here is MY list of the best apps available on Android for toddlers.  Because I have a toddler and a little person who was recently a toddler and loves my phone.  And most are FREE because I refuse to pay for apps.  Please add your reviews and faves!

They are kind of in order by worthiness of having.

Toddler Lock

1. Toddler Lock - FREE. Age:  from time a child can grasp and move one finger.  There are no ads and it 'locks' the phone so your toddler can't accidentally order hundreds of dollars in crap!  The music is tinkly and not annoying, and the child gets to draw with their finger and watch as colors and shapes appear and fade.  Has never crashed.
2. Blast Monkey - FREE.  Age:  3+.  Very fun game where you have to shoot a monkey out of a cannon so he can get the bananas.  Increasingly difficult levels.  No annoying sounds.  
3. Where's My Water - FREE.  Age:  3/4+.  A Disney app where a dinosaur tries to find water, in various levels.  Probably for slightly older preschoolers; our 4-year-old says it's kind of hard.
4. Angry Birds - FREE.  Age:  3+.  The classic game of catapulting birds to kill pigs who stole their eggs.  A crowd pleaser for kids of all ages, it seems.  Though kind of violent.



Where's My Water?

5. Find It! - Classic version.  FREE.  Age:  3+.  Compare two pictures and tap on where they are different!  Our daughter loves these types of games.
6. Coloring book type games.  FREE.  Ours is just called ColoringBook.  It has a lot of pages to choose from, lots of colors, minimal ads, and you can upload or email the finished product very easily.  
7. Memory Games - FREE.  There are a variety of these.  Just pick one or two and try them out.  It seems that the more downloads doesn't mean anything, but the rating usually is reflective of the quality.  We have Hello Kitty and a Princess one.  I wish there were more high-quality ones with lots of options. 
8. Puzzle Games - FREE.  Also, there are a variety of these.  Just search for 'puzzle' and your child's favorite character or thing.  We have a princess one that is pretty good.  Some allow you to choose a picture from your phone and turn it into a puzzle!
9. KidMode - FREE.  Age: 3+.  It has a variety of games and videos your child can choose from.  For us, this was a little complicated, took a lot of space and memory, and often crashed, just making our little one upset.  But if you have a lot of free space on your phone it may work better.
10. Ant Smasher.  FREE.  Age:  2+.  The ants come out and you smash them with your fingers!  Kinda gross but also fun.  Just like toddlers! 
    
    

Our phone.  The G'zOne

We tried the FREE version of Cut the Rope - But the ads are full-page REALLY annoying.  Friends have recommended the 0.99 cent version.  I will suck it up soon and do that but there is something WRONG about putting your credit card # straight into a phone.  I also would love to put an animal noises one on this list but I simply haven't found on that we've downloaded and liked enough to keep.  They have been slow, crashed a lot or had too few animals on them.  Would love advice! 

<3 mb