Wordless Wednesday ~ My Pantry

This is my pantry

Look closer

And closer

Who ate a piece of cake in the pantry? AND LEFT IT THERE??

Spring Break

Spring break is quickly approaching. Last year we did this. It was fun. I love taking a vacation in your hometown. We discovered a new museum, took a short drive to a historic area and were home every night in time to make dinner.

This year we are doing this. It is a 17 hour drive. No problem, we have two drivers...oh wait, Ben can't get vacation time over spring break. Ummm, ok, I can do it myself. I just have to remember to wear my big girl panties.

I am already scouring the stores for cheap games, activities, and dvds that will keep the three boys busy while Mommy drives them to California.

So far I have:

Temporary tattoos, complete this with a few Ziplocked wet paper towels and we will have a mobile tattoo shop.

Playdoh, yeah nutty idea but it should come off leather seats, right?

Two car dvd scene it games

Travel game and riddle books from the library

Do you have other ideas? What keeps your children acting like angels on a long road trip?

Since we started Dave we try to do everything with cash and inexpensively. I noticed that the credit card we no longer use had some reward points I could cash in.

We should be receiving the following gift cards:

2 $10 Burger King, for road food

$25 Blockbuster, for purchasing used dvds

$25 Starbucks, mommy juice

$75 Best Western, one night stay on the road

Once in California we will be staying with my brother and sister-in-law. I have big plans for seeing Balboa Park and all the museums, the beach (of course), Legoland is a definite possibility also.

The boys are saving their allowance/commission from the chore chart for souvenirs. I am saving the basketball referee money (from Ben) for admission charges.

It is a crazy, long drive. I am probably insane. But who could resist this?

Linda and Vinny

Summer 2005, hot tub party

The kids have Thursday and Friday off for parent/teacher conferences so we can leave Thursday morning. I plan to make it to Winslow, Arizona by the evening. Yes, I will be taking a picture of the boys standing on a corner. (Google the lyrics for Take it Easy by The Eagles if you didn't get the reference) We should pull into Vista, California by early evening on Friday.

I have three more weeks to prepare myself and find those big girl panties.

My daughter-in-law

I often run around with Hayden delivering marketing material to the restaurants for my cool part-time gig.

One day we walked into Salsa Brava and as Hayden bellied up to the bar to order the usual,a Shirley Temple with 5 cherries, he noticed his friend Emily having lunch with her grandmother.

He leans over on his bar stool to whisper in my ear. "I'm gonna marry that girl someday," he tells me.

For a moment I think twenty years has flown by and here is my 24 year old son, home from medical school, telling me he is engaged.

And then I flashback to reality....

Although he may just marry that girl someday.

He said what?

Griffin: Has Wilma been neutered?

Me: (not exactly, but I get your meaning) Yes.

Griffin: She still has some of her claws. She clawed me in the leg.

Me: Ummm, well, she still has claws, neutered or spayed means...... something different.

~~~~~~~~

Hayden: What are you doing Mom?

Me: Baking cookies.

Hayden: For us?

Me: For good boys.

Hayden: Why can't you make cookies for us?

~~~~~~~~

Griffin: Yum bread. Do we have grape juice?

Me: No.

Griffin: Aww, I wanted to have communion.

Our Snuggie

You have seen the commercials.




Your kids have begged you to buy one, AND GET ONE FREE!

Do you have a Snuggie?


No, we don't either.

We do have this blanket that I just finished.




You may remember I started it over Thanksgiving break. I longed to finish it over Christmas, but who has the time then?




And when I had two kids home sick last week, I finished it.




I love it. I made it with old jeans from everyone in our family and the green velvet maternity dress I wore with all three boys.

It is very heavy and warm and better than any old Snuggie. Even if they do offer buy one, get one free.

I hope he remembers this lesson

Buying on credit.

When you don't have quite enough birthday money to buy that Ipod,

And you KNOW your Great Aunt will send a gift card, but it hasn't come yet,

And your Mom offers to front you the money until the other gift card comes,

You MUST pay her back when the gift card comes,

And it hurts so much to hand over that shiny, new gift card.

You know that feeling Griffin?

That's how it is with credit cards too.

You don't think of how it feels to pay it back when you are "buying" something. And it feels so much better to pay in cash in the first place. It is painful to pay down your credit card when you can't remember what you purchased. That's why Dad and I are not using the credit card anymore.

I wish we had covered this lesson from Dave Ramsey before I gave you the money for the Ipod. It would have made yesterday so much more fun.

Nice Thong

Dear Lisa,

Thank you so much for inviting us to your birthday party. We really enjoyed hanging out with your CRAZY relatives. I know we weren't technically invited, but your boyfriend said we should help ourselves to the food on the pool table, I think that counts as being a part of your party.


When we decided to go to the neighborhood sports bar on Valentine's day to watch our friend in the band, I had no idea there would also be a floor show. Out of the entire evening, the crazy dancing, Grandma who kept requesting Elvis, the man dance and butt grab, my favorite part has to be the full moon. Like a train wreck, I couldn't look away. Really a red thong? You go girl. I just hope at my 60th birthday party, my ass looks half as good. I must admit, I did turn away in horror as you were showing everyone the festive panties. By the way, were those your grand daughters in the cheerleader outfits, they looked about 5?


We had a fun time Lisa. We will always remember your 60th birthday. And when you get those pictures back, from the disposable camera your sister gave us, you can remember us too.

The Testosterone Zone Top Ten

Audrey is having a contest. I love Top Ten Lists. Here is my entry. Want to play along? Grab the button, post and link up at Audrey's blog.



10. A view from the kitchen of the Testosterone Zone

9. Lost that lovin' feeling? No Way!

8. What a bummer

7. Be More Specific

6. Not a Cool Mom?!

5. Thank you for calling Cheap Tickets. This is Laura, how can I help you?

4. Three is a Magic Number

3. Speechless

2. I am not going to cry

And the NUMBER ONE post on the Testosterone Zone

1. 100 reasons Why I Love The Testosterone Zone

Wordless Wednesday ~ Where is he going to go?

This little baby-cakes is going to kindergarten. Today is phase 2 of kindergarten registration, go to the central office and sign the paperwork. School will start on August 17th.



It is really hard for me to believe that it is time already. Oh, don't get me wrong, I AM READY. The time just flew by. I think they warned me that it would.



First day of Pre-K with friends Abby, Emily and Maddie.


For more wordful Wednesday check out 7 clown circus

For more wordless Wednesday check out 5 minutes for mom

What are YOU doing?

What I am doing:

Listing items from my closet at swapmamas, Mommy Pie's awesome idea to recycle items with other moms.

Taking care of Carter and Hayden who are home sick again.

Catching up with the bloggers, trying to comment, laughing and crying at all the stories I have missed.

Wishing we had lots of money to remodel our kitchen. I have a new idea to remove the wall between the kitchen and the (seldom used) living room to make the kitchen bigger and have a small sitting area.

Talking with my sister on the phone, deciding who is going to call dad to check in since we haven't heard from him since Saturday.

Searching facebook for more friends. I need more friends.

Smiling because my over-priced, over-sized, gas guzzling, boy mover is PAID OFF and the car repairs were minimal.

Wondering about our appointment at H+R Block this Saturday. Will it be a good refund? Will we owe? Is this really the way we want to spend Valentine's Day?

What I should be doing:

Laying out the yearbook for the elementary school.

Calling people that ordered from the Little Ceasar's Pizza Fundraiser to remind them to pick up their pizza kits on Thursday.

Making the word games for the Valentine's Day party in the 5th grade classroom this Friday.

Finishing my jeans/denim blanket I made with the boys jeans.

Cleaning the house.

Finishing other sewing projects while my sewing machine is upstairs.

I hope I get something accomplished today. And what are you doing today?

My love affair with Dave

He makes me laugh.

He tells me how it is.

He tells me when I am being stupid.

He tells me what would be smarter.

He gives me baby steps so I can be smarter, quicker.

He understands our issues.

He knows it is hard to change our ways.

He is giving me 91 days to make a change in my life.

He is coming to Colorado Springs on April 18th.

Because of him, I am driving a paid off car for the first time in 15 years.

Because of him, we have a new plan.

Because of him, I am not as worried about the economy as I was before he came into our lives.

Because of him, we will be accountable to each other and our family and make SMARTER choices.

I love Dave.

Can I be honest with you?

Look what Elaine gave me!



It's an award, with a catch.

1). List 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!

2). Pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

Did Elaine award me with this award because of my open and honest look into The Testosterone Zone?

Did she pick me because when she reads about this, she can almost smell it?

Is it because we send out Christmas cards like this?

Did she pick me because The Testosterone Zone is a glimpse into her life with older boys? She's scared and sickened, but can't look away. Like a bad car wreck, you have to slow down and take a look and hope that never happens to you.

Whatever her reasoning, I am honored. Here we go.

1. I HATE being barefoot on a hotel bathroom floor. It creeps me out. The first thing I do is put down that little bathmat and move it with me all over the bathroom to make sure my feet never touch the tile.

2. Each time I was pregnant with the boys, I thought he would be a she. We had ultrasounds and found out the sex. With Hayden (the last) I saw the proof before the ultrasound tech. When we got back in the car, "This one's for the girls" was playing on the radio and I cried all the way home.

3. Ok, I'll be honest. I cried for several days.

4. I am now happy we have just boys. I do not like the "oh poor Laura, she has boys" comments. My boys are GREAT! They are responsible, honest, caring, active, funny and self confident. What more could we ask for?

5. Ben and I met on a cruise, during a day excurison on a party boat. I was drinking. My cousin threatened to kill him if he took advantage of me. When we made plans to get together later, he said, "Go rest and sober up, let me know if you are still interested later." We were married 51 weeks later. And no, he didn't take advantage of me.

6. As a teeneager, when my mom once said she was glad we were friends, I said you are not my friend, you are my mom. I felt HORRIBLE about it for years, because we were friends. I am sorry I waited until the end to apologize to her for saying it. I have always regretted saying it. What a snotty daughter.

7. My husband brings me coffee in bed EVERY MORNING, even on his birthday. This is when I check email, blogs, schedules. I really can not get out of bed without the coffee and he knows it. On the rare morning that I am awake before him, I bring him coffee.

8. I need to lose 25 pounds. I tell myself I only need to lose 10. I love ice cream. I love dessert. I love having a few drinks. I am not making much progress.

9. I hate feet. Do not touch me with those nasty things. They are smelly and sweaty and I hate them. Two weeks ago I told Hayden he still had cute baby feet and I liked his feet. Since then he has developed sweaty, yucky feet. I am going to have to tell him the truth. This is all about being honest, right?

10. I really don't like to talk on the phone. I prefer email. I refuse to replace the battery in our cordless phone because I know it only allows for about 30 minutes of talk time and if it starts beeping, I have an excuse to hang up. Now, I do occasionally like talking to people on the phone, like YOU but not everyday or for more than a few minutes. So you can still call, and I'd love to talk to you but now you know the secret of the beeping phone.

I think lots of bloggers are honest in their blogging. It is hard to just pick 7. If I missed you and you want to participate to, please do!

1. Jodi
2. McMommy
3. Laural
4. Kristen
5. Auds
6. Hillary
7. Mommy Pie

That kid needs a shave

Hayden's 5 o'clock shadow



Part Chocolate milk. Part Italian descent.

Seriously, double click the photo to see it bigger. He has a moustache.

11

What did Carter do for his 11th birthday?

He ordered off the adult menu for the first time ever (with us, Grandpa let him once). We have three, we had to set a precedent or the 4 year old would want to order a rack of ribs instead of chicken nuggets.

He tried out for Missoula, the week-long theatre program that comes to our school every year. And FINALLY got a part.

See him?



No? How about now? He is a tree barker. Griffin was chosen to be an assistant director.






And then, after the performance he had 4 boys sleepover. They had 5 pizzas, many sodas, lava cake and a sleepless night.



For breakfast, two loaves of Texas Toast French toast and a gallon of milk.




It was a fun night, but I am glad it is over.