The BIG 5-0

Today is my fathers birthday!
He is 50!!!!
You wouldn't know it because he acts like he's 10! LOL
yep, still funny as ever with NO shame. And the energy to wrestle with the kids and fish all day.
Have a great day, dad.
I love ya!

Scarecrow Cupcakes

I found this recipe online at culinary.net and thought I would share

Ingredients
2 (13-ounce each) bags Cookies & Snickers Fun Size Bars, unwrapped
1 (13-ounce) bag Twix Caramel Cookie Fun Size Bars, unwrapped
1 (14-ounce) bag M&M'S Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies for Halloween or M&M'S Milk Chocolate Candies for Halloween
1 (13-ounce) bag Snickers Fun Size Bars, unwrapped and chopped
1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 (16-ounce) can vanilla frosting
6 shredded wheat biscuits
1 tube brown decorator's icing
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.
Prepare yellow cake mix according to package instructions.
Fold chopped Fun Size bars into batter before transferring to cupcake pans. Bake 18-21 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to wire rack, and let cool completely.
Tint vanilla frosting beige by blending with 1 tablespoon brown decorator's icing. Spread beige frosting on cupcake.
To decorate cupcakes, use photograph as guide - Hats: Place 1 Fun Size bar at top of each cupcake, and top with Caramel Cookie bars to resemble rim on hat.
Hair & Neck: Arrange strands of shredded wheat under hat and around neck.
Face: Use Peanut M&M'S for eyes and nose. Create mouth with remaining brown decorator's frosting.
Serves Makes 24 cupcakes
Notes, Tips & Suggestions Tip: Consider using cut licorice laces, snipped fruit chews or shredded coconut instead of shredded wheat biscuits for "hair."

I am MOM

Everything about life changes when you become 'mom'.
You become last, your children are first and your spouse is second.
The unconditional love and chaos that you experience as a mother has to be one of the greatest joys of life. Just like, saying 'mama' for the first time, huge hugs, and when they tell you that they love you...... those are moments you will never, ever forget.
Watching your children grow to become a contributing member of society is lifes way of showing you-you done good.
I miss sleeping in and having alone time with my husband.
But regrets, I will never have any.

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mom's birthday.
She is 52.
There are no words to descibe what a great mother and friend she is.
Have a GREAT DAY mom, I love you!

Falling for Fall

Living in Florida for so long, I never knew what seasons were.
We had rain or sun, and humidity all year around.
I remember my first Fall season in Texas. It was so nice to see leaves that turned colors and scattered down the street, meeting new people and being able to open windows in the house!!!! It was amazing.
Now, I have lived here for three years and Fall is still my favorite time of year here. This fall I have a lot to look forward to:

Oktoberfest
Kids Fall Sports
Pumpkins on the porch
Making Smores with the neighbors
Getting caught up on my scrap booking on those chilly days
Warm apple cider

Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks
putting away my flip-flops
wearing sweaters
New Fall Season of Desperate Housewives
Movies: New Moon, Where the Wild Things Are and,

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
Cuddling on the couch with the kids
I just love this time of year!

10 random facts about little boys

Boys will be be boys............and I have one!

1. They think they know everything.
2. Most of the games they play involve shooting or fighting.
3. They like to choose their own clothes, like spider man tops or checks and stripes together.
4. They like to do their own hair, ie. spikes or Mohawks.
5. When they brush their teeth a fair amount dribbles onto whatever top they are wearing. Not a problem if they are doing the checks/ stripes thing as you get to change them but really a problem if it is the only clean school shirt available.
6. They like weird cartoons like Spongebob Square Pants.
7. They love video games.
8. You have no idea of the things they can fix/ break. They also point out the obvious on a regular basis.
9. Dirt under the nails don't bother them.
10. (My favorite) They love their momma!

A Baby Story

I am fascinated by hearing other people’s birth stories, partly because I work in labor & delivery and I have a lot of mommy friends. Some stories are funny, some horrific and some amazing….the most fabulous part is that they are all different. The difference between what you think will happen and what actually does always leaves me amazed at the funny ways life works. With my first baby I recall stressing out pre labor because I was so modest; little did I know that my modesty would be gone forever!!!! And never has a truer word been spoken.
By the time I had my 3rd baby I had totally given up on any specific birth plan. My only plan was to get him delivered as quickly and painlessly as possible. Give me any and all drugs you have and don’t let my husband have any important jobs like pushing buttons, rubbing my back, or make decisions for me.And please…..give the baby a good wipe before you put it on me as all that blood and gooey stuff will really ruin the moment for me.
Anyway, the purpose of this post is really to say that everyone’s story is different, how everyone reacts is different and that really is the greatest part about having babies and why I love my job so much. So…...if you are a bit like me and didn’t go for the all natural, soft music, candles, yoga, water birth, no pain relief effort at birth…..who cares?? As long as everyone is OK that is all that matters.
There will be plenty of opportunities to try and become a super mom later on….like when your stitches/C-section scar doesn’t hurt so bad.

I'm No Supermom

One of my really good friends called me a supermom, and although I was VERY flattered I had to disagree with her. She went on and on about how my kids are well mannered, I volunteer at school, my house is clean and, how I juggle being the only working parent. Little does she know the things that happen behind MY closed doors:
1. Sometimes when my kids are fighting over something I hide or pretend not to have noticed.
2. The girls were arguing one day and when I couldn't take it anymore I (once) put them outside, locked the door and told them I wasn't going to let them in until they stopped fighting.
3. When my kids shout Mommy it sometimes takes me a while to realize they are talking to me.
4. I use the TV as a babysitter so I can get on with jobs around the house.
5. Sometimes I give the kids an extra snack because I forgot to start dinner on time.
6. I told the kids I have cameras in the house watching them.
7. I once told Ethan if he couldn't get dressed in the morning for school I will send him to school in his pajamas..and then put him in the car and started to drive off while he was still in them.
8. I don't like watching kids movies anymore.
9. When my kids are talking to me, sometimes I am thinking about what to cook for the next week and not really paying attention.
10. I enforce bedtimes so that I an have 'me' time.
So, my friend, thank you for the compliment. It does make me feel good but, in no way am I super. It's actually very funny how normal I am =)

Losing Time

The kids are in full swing at school and I already feel like we just re-boarded the runaway freight train we hopped off at the end of the last school year.
I usually get a week or so out of the new year before I feel like that.
What can I do to get on track again?
I think I just need to get into a routine again and out of some bad evening habits.
That routine will probably involve me actually folding and putting away laundry more than once a month.
And, dinner. Turns out the kids, indeed, require dinner every night.
Hmmm, just trying to figure out how to get on top of things before the school year gets too far underway.
It's going to take a few days of getting some things organized and a couple of evenings of making out our daily schedules, and I'll be good to go.
Hey, then I can also use that spare time to catch up on some of my favorite tv shows, organize my photos and scrapbook or just simply get some more sleep.