Timeless Tales Playroom blog

Meet Chester & Hester

2009-02-01T07:54:00.008-06:00

"We want a pet!"

Ainsley Toonsley and Melodie had been wanting a pet for quite some time. Melodie, Ainsley's older and wiser sister was pretty sure that a bunny rabbit would be perfect. She had asked and wished many times for a bunny. Mommy was pretty sure that a bunny was a bit more than the 2 girls could handle...but they persisted. "We really want a pet mommy." Mmm...well mommy was allergic to dogs and daddy was allergic to cats so the most obvious pet options were out of the question. "How about fish?" said mommy, but the girls unanimously agreed that fish were way too boring. Mommy sort of liked the idea of a turtle...but then again turtles could live a looong time so that probably wasn't a really good option.

"What about a hamster or a gerbil?" said mommy "or a guineau pig" said Ainsley Toonsley? Ainsley had a guineau pig in her classroom at school. So the girls looked up hamsters, gerbils and guineau pigs on the computer and thought they were very cute. "We'll go to the pet store and take a look this weekend" said mommy. And so the wait began...5 long days until the weekend. Melodie asked mommy every morning "how many more days?" and every day was one day less, but still such a very long time. Down to one day. Melodie went to school all dressed up and fancy for her special lunch with the principal. And Ainsley, who was staying home with mommy that day, also got all dressed up too - just because.

That afternoon, mommy surprised them both when she said that they could go look at the pet store that night instead of waiting one more day! "Yippee! It is my very lucky day" said Melodie and Ainsley had to agree. The stopped at the store closest to their house where they came across some hamsters called Teddy Bear hamsters. Super cute and cuddly both Ainsley and Melodie thought they would be fun...but mommy an daddy weren't as sure. "Let's check another pet store" they both said. So after a long and boring dinner of cheeseburgers the girls finally got to go to another pet store. This store was bigger, but didn't have the same cute and cuddly hamsters. The girls were a little sad until mommy said "why don't we go back to the other store." "What?" said Ainsley. "Are we getting a pet?" said Melodie. "Well only if they are still there" said daddy.

The girls shouted out in glee and began to sing. "We're getting a pet! We're getting a pet!" They could not have been more excited. Hoping that they were still there, Melodie and Ainsley raced into the store to take a peek. They were.

"Perfecto!" said Ainsley peering into their little glass case watching them peacefully sleep. "We'll take those" said daddy. And so began the adventure. They picked out a nice home for them, a blue spinning wheel, and some food and treats. Once in the car on the way home they talked about names. "How about Chester and Hester?" said Ainsley. And this begins the tale of Chester and Hester and their adventures with Ainsley Toonsley and Melodie.

"Let's see your happy face!" said mommy. Ainsley and Melodie both smiled as they dreamed of all of the fun adventures they would have with their new little friends.

Ainsley Toonsley & The Very Cold Day

2009-01-17T14:54:00.004-06:00

"Brrr...its cold outside" said mommy. So Ainsley Toonsley and Melodie had the whole day to play inside. Not their favorite place to be.

To top it off both of the girls weren't feeling well. Running noses and hair that was full of static flying all about because of the cold, neither girl was feeling very happy. But alas, Melodie was never short of ideas and so the two decided to create the Ainsley Toonsley and Melodie Cafe.

First they must create menues thought Melodie and so she set to work with Mommy. The featured items included: Pancakes with fruit topping and whip cream (of course), sausage and juice to drink. Ainsley focused on the entertainment making sure that everyone had ample paper for the characters to sign. The featured guest of course was Ainsley Toonsley herself.

Checklist for an At Home Character Meal:

1. Menu - prepared with mom and dad's help.
2. Kids Set the Table - get fancy with folded napkins and placemats
3. Dress Up Supplies - kids dress up as characters of their choice
4. Camera - for cute pictures and character greetings
5. Autograph Books - Kids can make up books and work on writing skills

After the meal was prepared and places were set, the characters visited the table and signed autograph books. Of course the characters had to enjoy some food too, but after that brief intermission everyone ended the meal with a small dance party to give the characters one last opportunity to showcase their talents.

Ainsley Toonsley said the meal was "very cool" and is currently planning her next adventure!

I Need to Go to the Dentist - An Ainsley Toonsley Adventure

2009-01-02T07:23:00.001-06:00

“Mommy I need to go to the dentist” said Ainsley Toonsley one day.

“Why? Do your teeth hurt?” Her mommy wanted to know.

“Oh no mommy I just want my teeth to be sparkly clean.”

And so mommy made an appointment for Ainsley Toonsley to go to the dentist.

And when the day came, Ainsley decided that perhaps she didn’t want to go to the dentist. “I don’t think I will like it so much.” she said.

But mommy made the appointment and it was decided that she would go. She would have to be very brave, but if she was then she would get many treats. Melody, her big sister told her that is what happened when she went to the dentist.

Mommy checked in and they waited in the waiting room. Ainsley was getting a bit nervous. Mommy asked her if her tummy hurt and for some reason asked if she had butterflies in her stomach. Ainsley said she was a little nervous…”why?” asked mommy. And she said it was because she was worried about butterflies in her stomach. “I see” said mommy with a smile.

Then the lady in the white coat called Ainsley’s name and she even said that mommy could come back too.

When they got back Ainsley saw funny looking chairs that looked more like beds. She was told to lay down so the doctor could look at her teeth, but Ainsley didn’t think that was a good idea.

So the lady in the white coat told her all about the instruments instead. One was a poky stick that would just tickle her teeth a bit, another was a squirt gun to put water in her mouth and then Mr. Thirsty the vacuum cleaner to take the water out. She got to pick out her favorite flavor of toothpaste – bubble gum and if she was really good she would get 2 treats from the treasure box!

Ainsley still didn’t know about laying down on the bed chair. She was still a little nervous…not about butterflies, but about what the dentist wanted to do to her teeth.

Finally the dentist came and she was very nice. She told her she could lean back on mommy while she counted her teeth if she’d like…and so she did.

20 teeth the dentist counted. 20 perfect teeth with no cavities. And then it was time for the cleaning. The cleaning would make her teeth nice and clean. She would have sparkly princess teeth if she let them do the cleaning and that sounded pretty fun so Ainsley decided that would be ok.

And after her teeth were sparkly clean she got to pick, not 2 but 3 treats from the treasure box.! She must have been very good because she got star glasses, a notebook and stickers from the treasure box and a pink balloon and t-shirt too! Even better, Ainsley got a certificate and ribbon that said she had NO CAVITIES. It was wayyyy cool!

Ainsley showed off her prizes to Melody when she came home and showed her daddy her sparkly princess teeth. She even told grandma all about her dentist visit when she talked to her on the phone.

Ainsley Toonsley loved her trip to the dentist and thinks that maybe she should go again tomorrow.

Hurricanes & Tornadoes

2008-11-10T10:23:00.002-06:00

Back in 2004 we lived in FL. We lived there for 10 years and there were many hurricane warnings and a few that actually came our way. For the most part though all of the preparation was just a futile effort to have a little control over an otherwise very uncontrollable situation. The thing about hurricanes is that you sit and watch the swirling blob on the news, coming your way, for hours and hours. You never really know if you are going to be impacted...until you get hit.

Preparations include making sure you have a food supply that could be eaten if you don't have electricity, having batteries in the flashlights, a battery powered radio, cell phones charged, outdoor furniture secured etc etc. And then you wait.

Now living in the mid western part of the country we get tornadoes. Difference between the two is that tornadoes come quick and without warning. If you get hit, you get hit and you probably won't know its coming at all.

My daughters have both been sick the last couple of days. And I know its only a matter of time before my husband and I get hit. I feel like I'm waiting for the hurricane. We don't know how big it will be, but I sense it is coming. So the last couple of days I have been assessing the food supply. "Do we have enough soup, crackers, bread if we can't make it to the store?" How about medicine? When you have a stomach bug or migraine headache, something small, but yet disabling and dependent children suddenly you realize preparation is key to making it through.

As we all get ready for cold and flu season. Here's to wishing you the best in making it through with as little damage as possible!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T07:04:00.004-05:00

This years Halloween adventures had us going into new territory...specifically...new kindergarten territory. Yes we are now navigating the waters of public education. A strange and happy place where the goal is to educate the children in a safe sometimes paranoid environment where everything is fair and equitable for the masses. Our school has "high parent involvement" which translates into - every parent attends everything possible and the PTO is always looking for "volunteers" . It is good of course but also a bit difficult if you are a parent who has to, I don't know...work to support your family or something.

So...on to the Halloween adventure.

It began a couple of months ago when I was tapped to be a room mom. Thrown into the world of Oriental Trading Co, goodie bags and healthy snacks I quickly learned that a "party" for kindergarten kids involves more than a few cupcakes. One of the biggest lessons involved learning that the menu must be balanced. This is not about candy and sugar. It is about limiting the sugary snack with a good dose of healthy snacks. So our party involved a cheese tray, fruit tray and, oh ya, a cookie. Poor kids... But they did get to dress up, do the monster mash, and do a fun and easy craft.

The day before the party we went on an adventure to the Pumpkin Patch. There were possibly 4 kids in the class who did not have parents there. The poor teacher trying to keep track of the kids when basically everyones parent was there taking them one direction or the other. Very difficult to keep kids all together anyway let alone with these renegade parents :)

But all in all it was a great Halloween! We opted out of the traditional trick or treating for the new "safer" go to the mall style of trick or treating. It was actually great fun and much easier than worrying about traffic but I suppose a bit sad to get away from how trick or treating used to be...when we were kids.

Hope everyone had a safe and "healthy" Halloween!

Back in the Playroom

2008-07-25T07:01:00.003-05:00

We're home!

We love travel, but love to be home. The fun of coming home after a trip is that everything is new again. Toys that haven't been played with for weeks are suddenly new again. Its so much fun. Plus, traveling with kids is hard, even if fully prepared so having the freedom to let them run around the house without worry is a great freedom that I always miss when we are staying in a hotel room the size of our living room :) Note to self...look into renting a condo next time!

Returning from a trip also refreshes me as well. I always have new goals and ambitions that tend to get lost in the normal day to day. Right now my goal is to get my home office set up and focus more on getting my travel business going and writing on a more regular basis. As a mom its hard to focus energy on things other than the kids, but it is so important for your sanity and theirs.

So - we're back! Check our travel blog for new posts on our recent Disney trip and travel tips in general. With my experience traveling to the mouse myself, my hope is to help others with their planning. WDW vacations can be overwhelming so I look forward to breaking down the pieces and having a little fun :)

But Mommy Still Needs Naptime!!!!

2008-07-10T14:10:00.002-05:00

Its gone...so gone... I think the days of a 2 hour semi break in the middle of the day are over. My 3 year old won't nap anymore.

I am mourning the loss of this time. There are 5 stages right? Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. I have been in denial for a couple of weeks now. I started to see the writing on the wall just prior to our last vacation, but I still wanted to believe it was only temporary. The bargaining began about that time as well. "We can have ice cream when you wake up if you take a nap". Today I am dealing with the anger. Most likely because the darling was up until 11:30p last night because she fell asleep around 5 yesterday afternoon watching TV. So today as I was insistent that she "TAKE A NAP" which only resulted in her laying in her bed for an hour and having an accident (which hasn't happened for quite some time now). Now on to depression...

Ainsley Toonsly is Extremely Upset

2008-06-21T16:41:00.004-05:00

My 3 year old has taken on a new personality. Ainsley Toonsly.

It happened yesterday when we were playing outside. They were playing school and Megan aka Ainsley was dropped off at my school. When I asked her what her name was she mumbled something "ansily dansily" or "amily todely" or something like this and then I deciphered Ainsely Toonsly?? And her eyes lit up. "Yes, I'm Ainsely Toonsly" and she was.

Ainsely Toonsly went to dinner with us last night. She did a fabulous job eating her meal although she was partially distracted by making fork prints into the menu cover when we first arrived...but then Ainsely Toonsly is a curious sort, so I expect antics like this are quite common. But she found her soup to be quite delicious and enjoyed dipping her crab ragoon into the soup like a sauce and told everyone to try it.

And then suddenly Ainsley disappeared. "Now I am Megan".

So today we were out and about with Megan, but once we started playing it happened again. "My name is changing" she said. I waited for the transformation to occur. "Oh really, who are you today?" "I am Ainsley Toonsly and I am Extremely Upset". Why I inquired.

It seems that Ainsley has many children who are very naughty and she was "extremely" mad at them, but then she was "extremely" happy and not so mad any more. It seems that she is just being "extremely" extreme today as it is a fun new word to say.

I also do believe it may have been Miss Toonsly who came up to me the other day when driving her Barbie car. She said "That was terrible!" Me: "What was terrible?" Her: "My driving, it was just terrible...this is not the car I choosed and its just terrible". In fact she was right, her sister picked out the 2 seater while she wanted the single seat, which would have been too small.

I do believe Ainsly has quite an extensive vocabulary for a 3 year old.

A Golden Summer??

2008-06-14T07:00:00.003-05:00

The first week my kids were out of their MDO program I was apprehensive, but happy. It was the first time in a long time I would have both my 3 and 5 year old home with me for an extended period of time without any type of school program to break up the day. The first week we enjoyed lazy mornings, playing in the water on our upstairs deck, playdates with neighbor kids across the street, and a carefree attitude without overplanning and scheduling. I thought with some sentiment how sad it was really that my 5 year old had always been in some sort of preschool program because I didn't think I could handle entertaining her all the time. And now here it is the summer before her first year of "real" school and for the first time I am appreciating that maybe all we needed was an opportunity to have more free time together, to play and explore and enjoy the time.

But that was the first week.

The second week they did Vacation Bible School for half days which sort of took the happy go luck mornings away and made the rest of the day seem like a downer. They were so hyped from the excitement of the morning and didn't know what to do in the afternoons. So I was excited about the 3rd week when we would get back the mornings and hopefully get back the lazy days of summer attitude.

Week 3. My head hurts...

This week we went to the kid free movie event at the theater, went swimming with friends, ate lunch at McDonalds, worked out in the yard, spent countless hours sitting outside so the kids could ride their Barbie car, went shopping and still an air of boredom looms. Oh we also went to the doctor and I'm wondering how many trips to the doctor are ahead of us this summer. I have a hypochondriac and a wannabe. Daughter number one says her "leg hurts" and daughter number 2 says her "foot hurts". So to raise the anti, daughter number one stubs her toe (not sure if it was on purpose or not) and almost breaks it justifying sitting on the house with her leg elevated and asking me every 2 seconds "is it turning purple or black mommy?" and in return daughter number 2 is sitting on the couch this morning with a terrible headache (she is 3) "I think I drank my juice too fast". The doctors visit earlier this week was from a "My ear really, really hurts mommy!!" episode that unfortunately I can neither confirm or deny from an outside view.

Lets hope week 4 is a little less adventurous...

1st Dance Recital

2008-05-31T08:15:00.002-05:00

To dance or not to dance.

A year of Saturdays practicing, countless dollars spent on practices, costumes, shoes and tights, a year of mommy and daddy fighting over the value of spending dollars on practices, costumes, shoes and tights. And then the recital...

Our little girl who was destined to be a dancer was excited every Saturday morning. She was one of the most focused in her 4-5 year old class. She practiced and had fun. Maybe had more fun than practiced, but I was ok with that. Unlike many of her peers she actually wanted to be there - I felt a sense of pride knowing that the money we were spending was for a good thing. We weren't one of those parents trying to make their daughter want to dance, she really did want to and she was having fun.

But then the recital came. Down at TPAC center, no small auditorium for this group, they went all out. Complete with dressing rooms, and seats with tickets (which we had to pay for) and a big stage with a lighting system that scared the begeezes out of my little girl she was going to get a taste of the big time. The problem with the big time, was that it was a little too big. She was terrified. She didn't freeze, but she absolutely refused to talk about the performance until about a week after. Even when I mentioned getting together with her little friend to put on their costumes for "fun" she said that would not be fun and the costumes weren't that pretty.

So, what to do now? This activity that we heard was good for building self esteem has taken a bad turn. Now that we get the drill and know what to expect both financially and emotionally, I'm wondering if we should repeat. I worry about her quitting and I worry about her staying in. I guess we'll wait and see if she wants to talk about it more as summer goes on.

The Cost of Doing Business with Big Business

2008-05-23T09:08:00.005-05:00

I know its an unlikely topic for this blog. Nothing about the kids...but as a stay at home/working mom, I have had to spend more time than I would like dealing with call centers and other people who are following "procedure" at the cost of service. Whether it is the phone company, airlines, cable company, or furniture store, most every interaction is frustrating at best and in the end I always wonder why we gave them our money.

Case in point...Rooms to Go Kids. We bought an adorable bedroom set for our 3 year old. A set we tried to find elsewhere without success, so we ended up ordering the set online. The earliest delivery date available was 6 weeks after purchase - should have been a red flag, but hey we were ordering for her birthday and the timing wasn't so bad. So we spent our money and waited... Week before delivery we get the automated call. "You are scheduled for an all day delivery, please be home between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm". What? Did they just ask me to sit home waiting for 15 hours? Really? Who does that? So I called the 800 number. Can I get a little closer estimation? I was told they would call the day ahead of time to give us the 4 hour block of time they really thought they would be there. Ok fine...

Day of delivery, they showed up hour 2 of the block of time. Not too bad really, but the 2 men that showed up on our door were not really equipped to be doing this job in the first place. One seemed to be staggering up and down the stairs, physically having a hard time moving the pieces and the other told us that his 2 year old had given him a stomach flu and "oh do you have any pepto I could use?". Thank you so much for bringing your nasty flu into our home which obviously has children!! Call in sick all ready! It took these 2 a full hour to bring in 3 pieces of furniture. The headboard on the bed had a ding on it which they had to get someone over to fix, the mirror broke oh and they used screws that were too short on the bed slats so they weren't actually attached to the bed.

After this annoying experience, the RTG 800# called. A real person for the first time since we ordered the set talked to us and asked about our delivery. While it was nice to speak to a real person, it was an unfortunate time for the call. They did get an ear full and for the most part she did rectify most of the situation, however we are still waiting for the mirror and are again waiting for the delivery. When we called to get a more specific time this time they said that they couldn't call us in advance, but when pressed my husband did get them to at least give us an hour in advance call. But they act as though this is a special and annoying task because it seems everyone just sits home all day long.

Unfortunately pretty much all service calls are similar in nature these days. Anytime a call center is involved they are always following "procedure" and have been trained to regurgitate company policy, but traits like compassion and common sense are oddly missing from the equation. Yet I'm sure the people who run these call centers are also annoyed when they have to deal with poor service, but for some reason the problem continues.

OMG this is Crazy

2008-05-22T07:23:00.003-05:00

Is it just me or has this whole acronym thing gotten OOC? Is it that we are just lazy or is this a new language we use to feel a part of a group? How many ways can you incorporate 8 into your text message? That is so gr8!!

I recently joined a group of Disney fanatics message board that shares helpful tips and tricks for planning Disney vacations. I love the board and the positive energy from everyone in the group, but even with my 10 years experience actually working for Disney, I have to read and reread some of the messages multiple times before I actually can decipher what they are talking about. For example, "Can anyone help me? I just made my ADR's for our October trip including LTT at MK, but we are also going to the MNSSHP and I would like another fun dining option for that day - any ideas? We are staying at WL." What???

Is this part of the "texting" generation of lingo? I actually am all for making words as short as possible when sending a message from my phone since its such a pain, but when typing I have to wonder if this new shorthand that makes it easier for the writer has any real benefit for the reader or really saves anyone any time.

I want to buy a boat

2008-05-16T21:38:00.002-05:00

This is what our 3 year old said to me today as she was handing me a dollar. "I want to buy a boat.". "What kind?" I inquired. No answer, just "I want to buy a boat".

Kids are interesting, funny and a little crazy sometimes. At 3 our little thoughtful child has been putting in overtime with her imagination. Yesterday she told her aunt that she was wishing for flowers on the trees. Today she is interesting in small watercraft. I want a boat too...

Where's the Snooze??

2008-04-30T06:29:00.006-05:00

"What goes around comes around"... I think that is the saying. Although the term "Its payback time" seems more appropriate. I'm referring to the irony of the fact that while I have been anything but a morning person, my children have turned me into someone who wakes up at 5:50 am, everyday, rain or shine. 5:50am. I can't imagine.

When I was growing up I had an alarm clock. Ragedy Ann and Andy that said "Andy, Andy please get up, its time to call our friends. Ok Ann, I'm awake let's shout it once again. We were set to wake you so here we are to say, please get up and brush your teeth and start your happy day". I remember it vividly as I would let it go off about 10 times each morning before actually getting out of bed. I was always the kid running to the bus stop and the one that would dread having to go back home when I missed the buss to ask my mom to give me a ride. In high school I had accumulated so many tardys once I began driving myself to school that I actually should have been doing detention, but thanks to a slacker teacher who didn't want to bother with it, I would only get a look of disapproval when rolling into the class late...once again.

My first real job at an insurance company started out ok, with an 8:30am start time, I did ok, for the first 6 months, but then 8:30 became 8:40 or 8:45ish. Consistently, my tardiness was brought up at review time. I was a stellar employee in every other way, but that start time - well did it really matter that much? I have been late for pretty much every other job I have ever had as well, always because I just couldn't get out of bed on time. I'm not a late night partier or anything, but I do like my sleep. For this, I have been lectured that being late shows a lack of respect, its not fair to my coworkers, etc. etc. Honestly I never really got it. If I was in a position where I had to open the doors and serve customers for example, I would be on time, but when I was working behind the scenes and my "lateness" didn't affect anyone I couldn't figure out why that was such a big deal. I got my work done, I was prompt for meetings, I could multitask and plow through work better than most so why was this late thing really an issue?

So the ultimate payback. Fast forward to my mid thirties and here we are. I have been waking up for the last 6 years at 6:00 am or earlier every single day. Even on those one or 2 nights when my children were not present, I still got up early. I am actually unable to sleep longer. They have rewired me to be a morning person. A morning person! My former employers would be so proud.

Not to say I am always enjoying the mornings. I still dread hearing those little feet coming across the carpet in the wee hours of the morning. A mom in Kellie's dance class actually summed it up perfectly. She said she intentionally gets up a couple of hours before her kids which makes her kids easier to deal with. (Of course her kids get up at 8.) She said she does it because "you always hate your alarm clock" and she didn't want to be mad at her kids first thing in the morning. I think her observation is brilliant and so true. Many days would have been so much better if only the kids wouldn't have been so persistent in getting me up at 5:50am.

If only they had a snooze button.

I hate bugs

2008-04-23T11:53:00.004-05:00

Bugs.
Bugs used to be interesting little creatures that would capture my children's attention and make for very entertaining outings. There was the time my oldest found a caterpillar on a park bench and proceeded to study it for about 45 minutes while I sat and read a magazine. Great day, very peaceful.
Now, they are terrifying creatures. Anything that buzzes must have stinging potential and will send both children screaming into the house. It started about a year ago, when we were living in Utah, where for some reason there were lots of bees. Everytime Kellie saw a "yellow jacket" she would run for cover and then her little sister learned to do the same. I have literally had to peel Megan off of my leg when a fly got in the house. "A fly, a fly, a FLY, Mommy kill it with the smacker!!" So I have to kill it with the smacker or else she won't be able to eat, sleep, live in the house, until the job is done. We have explained that flies really don't do anything, but still, it could she says.
So the other night my husband was reading a book about insects, I believe given to us by a cousin - must be sure to send a thank you note for that one - and it has a lovely description of mosquitoes. Something about how they will attack humans and suck their blood. Ok, I don't think that was the exact wording, but clearly what our 5 year old heard because we have not been able to enjoy any time outside for the last week since learning about these terrifying creatures.
I have tried to tell them its ok. I even shared my stories of my childhood when I would have tons of mosquito bites on my legs and my mom would put pink calamine lotion on the bites. Of course today its not that simple and I'm just waiting for a news story about West Nile or something.
Wish us luck returning to the outdoors with all of the dangerous bugs...

I am a creative genious

2008-04-11T15:41:00.008-05:00

Ok not really, but I love that Uppercase Living makes me feel like I am! If you haven't been exposed to the world of Uppercase Living and you have any aspirations to personalize your home I would highly recommend it. A direct sales company featuring designs you put on your walls which includes; inspirational sayings, names, cute pictures, etc; makes it so easy to create a space uniquely yours. "Today you can be anything you IMAGINE" was the phrase I picked out for my 5 year olds room and our entryway now says Wish...Dream...Believe. It looks like someone came in an painted these phrases on the wall professionally. Check them out at www.uppercaseliving.com - a great option for busy moms who want a little something special in their home.

Diet Coke is So Much Fun

2008-04-08T16:52:00.003-05:00

I had no idea how much fun diet coke could be until today. Today, when I made an emergency run to the store because I was out and knew I couldn't make it through the day without this crutch. So we went to the store, I pushed the semi=truck of carts, the one with the car attached to the front where the kids could sit and play while I got a serious workout venturing through the store.

I picked up the 12 pack of cans. Normally I go for the bottles, but today it was much cheaper so we got the cans. This was the first of my mistakes. Then, after successfully making it through the self check out, we made it to the car. I loaded in the few items and went to pick up the twelve pack by the punched in handle only to have it rip and go crashing to the parking lot. I think I managed through it with nothing more than a "oh crap" , but I'm sure my kids will let me know if more was said as time goes on. It appeared that although the box was ripped, the cans were still in tact so I reloaded and headed for home.

Upon getting home I pulled out the box, only to find that it was soaked and more than a few cans were fizzing...ready to blow. After one dropped right below our new car, I kicked it out to the driveway sending diet coke and fizz everywhere. The kids were delighted. And then a second one had the same fate, and it too went as far away from the car as possible. While I went running inside to try to get cleaning supplies for the beverage that had spilled all over our, did I mention, brand new car, the kids were kicking the cans all over the driveway. Screaming with great joy as they randomly got sprayed. It was the greatest game ever. Kellie even wanted a few more. "Can we have a couple more cans??"" I hate to think the fate of the surviving cans in the fridge.

Car Shopping with Kids

2008-04-06T07:32:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had the joy of car shopping with kids? 2 kids, ages 2 and 5 running around the showroom floor, 2 possible car choices, 5 test drives (car seat moved into each car for each drive) and Kellie the 5 year old exclaiming after each drive "can we get this one? I really like this one" (so much for hard negotiating) later we made our purchase. It wasn't a bad experience really, but when spending that much money I like to have a moment to actually consider the purchase as opposed to having to answer 4000 questions during the purchase. "What is that sound mommy?"...me:"The blinker". "Why does it make that noise?" "Because it does." "What does this button do?" me: "I don't know, but please don't push it!!!" And it went on and on. So needless to say I know nothing about the car we purchased really, but I'm sure my kids will press all the buttons and let me know.

We came home exhausted from trying to control our children and spending too much money and as I collapsed on the sofa, something the finance manager said came back to me. "I just have to say you have really good kids." Really the ultimate compliment during the chaos that is our life, but I though he was just being nice until he shared his experiences with other children who have sat in his office during the car buying experience. One who kept coming over to the keyboard and pressing on the keys while he was trying to work out the deal. The parents apparently just sat there clueless to what a pain their child was being until the finance manager made the comment that "if he keeps pounding on the keyboard it will make their monthly payments go up". Suddenly they became very aware of their child's actions. Brilliant :)

I don't know...is that ok?

2007-09-23T07:21:00.000-05:00

I remember with fondness the sweet innocence of the year when my oldest daughter was 2. She was always curious, but at that age when she asked "why?" and "what is that?" I was able to answer these questions and move on with life in a somewhat satisfactory way. Pre-kid, I always thought it would be fun to have someone to share your knowledge with and answer those whys. If in a serious mood I could take on the scientific explanation of why the clouds look that way or if in a whimsical mood I could tell her they were big puffy marshmellows.
Now she is 4 and for the last 6 months I have been unable to answer a single why without a series of other whys that has left me wanting to smack my head against the wall. Her..."Why do workers cut down trees?" Me..."To make wood to build houses?" Her.."How do trees make wood?" Me..."It gets cut into logs and then cut into wood to make houses" Her..."What are logs?" It goes on and on... And not to supress her curiousity I try my best to answer her questions, but there is always a point where she backs me into a corner and I have to go into either "Because God made it that way" or quite simply "I don't know". Pulling the God card feels like cheating, but it is ironclad and difficult for even her to argue. I'm concerned about "I don't know". At 4, I feel that I should be much smarter than she is and knowledgable about most all things, but then there is the reality that I really don't know. And there is a part of me that wonders...is that ok?
As parents is that ok that we don't have all the answers? Will she think less of me? I don't remember my parents responses when asked a lot of questions, but I'm sure something like "that's enough" came into play if the questioning was going on too long. We have such a short time to be the ones they come to and ask questions. Soon they will be the experts on everything and nothing and we will have to wait until they are older and realize we might have a bit of information to share that could help them in their life's journey.
I hope the "I don't knows" won't make her think less of her mom, but rather make her realize that sometimes it is ok to not know the answer and have to ask others for help. And that is a lesson that will help her more in life than always knowing the whys.

Marketing to Moms - A Good Idea

2007-07-05T21:16:00.000-05:00

I was recently part of a focus group held by the Marketing to Moms Group, BSM Media. The fact that this was an event for only my 4 year old and I to attend made it a very special event. Kellie was very excited that she got to participate in a "meeting" and thought it was cool that her little sister was left behind. As a mom with 2 kids, finding ways to make each of them feel special is always a challenge and it seems that as the oldest, she is always feeling that I am spending more time with her little sister.

The event itself involved dividing up the moms from the kids and then having different activities for each group to share "feedback" for the Precious Moments company and a new concept they were pitching. It was a fun session, but really I found the Marketing to Moms concept the most impressive aspect of the event. This group works to educate companies about what Moms want and what is really important to Moms who control the majority of the purchasing decisions. How great is that? A group that is telling companies what Moms really want. I love it!

I have heard and noticed that marketing is targeted primarily at that 18-35 age group and as a person leaving that primary demographic, I am happy that there is a group out there dedicated to making sure that the Mom point of view is being listed to and hopefully they will be able to influence even more companies as they continue to grow.

I Am Not It

2007-06-03T21:42:00.000-05:00

"No,no,no,no,no,no,no.." that is our 2 year old, Megan's, favorite saying. It usually accompanies a request from me to do something like, get her dressed, change her diaper, feed her dinner...well anything we need to do that is not exactly what she has her mind set to do at that moment actually. Its not my favorite saying, but it is coming along with some other new and unique phrases that are actually quite funny. Her sister has taught her the eenie, meanie, miney, moe game which to her rendition goes something like this "Eenie, menie, miney, moe...catch by its toe and you are not it. You are not it mommy!" I'm never 'it' because she has so much fun saying "you are not it mommy" with such pride. She is also enjoying "ta da!" which is pretty much used for any accomplishment from finding her shoes to eating her breakfast. "TA DA!" And of course the "really" addition. "Are you done Megan?" "Yes I really am done mommy" or when she ripped her fruit chews package in half and was looking at it perplexed and said "its really 2 mommy". I don't know where the "really" came from but it is a significant part of her vocabulary and when she puts "really" in the sentence I know its a done deal.

M&M's and Swimming Pools

2007-05-29T17:52:00.000-05:00

I love my children...I really do. However, today I have come to the sad realization that in order to be a good parent I'm going to have to resign myself to the fact that I will most likely have to look like a raving lunatic 70% of the time I am out in public with my 2 angels. This realization has been entering my mind for awhile, but today I fully embraced the situation.

I first noticed how other parents act, I mean really noticed, when I was pregnant with my first child. I remember seeing a mom singing to her little baby - Old MacDonald Had a Farm - throughout the produce section. The little guy could have cared less and was staring off to the bakery quite content, but mom was just singing away like no one else was in the store. "How sad", I though, "mommy needs a night out". I also noticed the chasing after, yelling after gait of parents of older children who would be trying in vain to control the little tykes. Sometimes I thought they were over reacting and wondered why they were getting so upset. I thought in my superior childless brain that if only they just left the child alone, they would surely return once they realized that mom and dad weren't chasing them. And of course, there is the other end of the spectrum. The parents who don't want to deal with it and pretty much let their children run amok. That is plenty of fodder for another post, but needless to say something that is also noticable in society today.

Admittedly I have sung to my children in the store, parking lot, restaurant...anywhere needed to prevent crying, however as of late, the lunacy has gone to a new level. No longer can I just hum a tune, perhaps slightly off key, and prevent a melt down. No, now I have to have discussions with my 4 year about whatever her current obsession and also try to reign in the 2 year old who is that child racing across the store...and really doesn't care if I never came to get her so the chase is a must.

Today at the local Y, I made the brilliant decision to take the two of them swimming. Actually it started out ok, and if they didn't offer candy treats in vending machines it would have been fine. Whoever it was that decided to put vending machines in these locations was brilliant...countless children find them to be so tempting that they too will drive their parents insane in order to buy a bag of M&M's for a mere $.85. And, as it was, I was hungry when we got there so I paid the $.85 to get a bag of M&M cookies. To my mind this seemed like a perfect solution. Candy...kids like candy and cookies...a little more substance than just the candy so it would be a better snack. The 2 year old was totally cool with that thought process. Ok she pitched a little fit when she didn't get her own bag, but it quickly subsided once she had a cookie. The 4 year old did not buy for a second that this was the same as having candy so throughout the entire swim experience she kept saying "can we have candy after this?" - "No, I don't have any more money" was my response. I had used all of my change for our first purchase and really, really did not have any more change to buy another goody...and we already had one. The answer was 'no.

We played in the water and survived the splashing and water toys being thrown throughout the pool without incident. The kids even sort of stayed together so I didn't have to chase after one worrying about the other one going for the deep end. All was good, but then we got out of the pool and we were back to the candy. "Can't I please have some candy? Pulleezz?" ok she wasn't screaming or pitching a true fit, I should be happy about that however the questions just kept coming and my response stayed the same. I was seriously tired of the situation and trying to stay cool, but it continued...and continued...and continued...until I was done! And then I lost it. "I said no!" I bellowed in the family locker room. I was trying, really, but the louder I had to explain the "NO" the more I felt as though everyone in the room was staring at us. And then to add insult to injury my 2 year old was determined that she must carry the bag with the swimsuits. A task she was slightly too small to do, but I was already dealing with one issue so I thought perhaps I would be able to fend off another by simply letting her do this. I was wrong. She kept dropping the bag and then getting upset when I would pick it up and try to carry it myself and really upset if her bigger sister tried to do the same.

Finally, when all hope was lost of being a cool and together parent I picked up the 2 year old...kicking and screaming all the way and yelled at the other to follow me "WE ARE LEAVING!" So much for a nice day at the Y. In my previous life I would have been mortified to be a part of such a scene...but once you are a parent your world changes, and suddenly singing Old MacDonald just to keep the peace or chase after your child because you never know who may be lurking down the aisles, makes perfect sense. And although I know there was probably some person thinking I was in desperate need of a "mommy night out", I finally got my point across...and sometimes that is the best we can do.

Make the Diet Cheating Worthwhile

2007-05-23T21:40:00.001-05:00

Ok so I feel the need to add to these ramblings with a topic that has been of great interest to our family lately and probably always - FOOD! I have been on a diet successfully for the last 4 months, losing 30 pounds so far...but I am hitting a wall. That wall is complete boredom with anything green and healthy and chicken. So sick of chicken...

So as of late I have been allowing myself more "cheat" meals. I know I will have to get back on the wagon so to speak, but my issue with these cheat meals is simply that as a new resident in Middle Tennessee we have been trying to find some new favorite dining establishments to enjoy and, wow, it has seriously been disappointing. Disappointing from the "food wasn't that good and we paid for it" standpoint, but also from the "I ate 1 million calories and I didn't even like it" standpoint which if you have ever been on a diet you will understand how devastating that can be.

Mexican fare around here hasn't been too bad. Chinese has been a little tough and even the old stand by chains are only so so. And of course there is the whole smoking issue. I can't wait until they ban smoking in restaurants around here. (Another very disappointing factor.) And pizza...well that has been the worst. Of course my husband is from Chicago so perhaps the expectations are a little high.

So I guess we'll have to just continue with the diet without the cheats. I suppose that is why I was able to lose the 30 pounds to begin with! But seriously let's get some good food around here!

P.S. This post was created at lunchtime and I have been craving a Costa Vida Shredded Beef Taco Salad for 4 months. We may be taking a road trip to Memphis (their closest location) soon.

Disney "Little Ones" Vacation

2007-05-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

As a former employee and a total Disney junkie, I was excited to hear about a special offer coming up at Disney World this fall for preschoolers. Between August 26th and October 28th the most magical place on earth is hosting events such as Little Ones Magic Hour where the parks are open early just for families with young children, a Playhouse Disney concert and special dining experiences just for the kids. Checkout http://www.disney.com to get the full details.

Getting some zzzz's

2007-05-18T11:48:00.000-05:00

When I was pregnant with my first chld everyone kept telling me to get lots of sleep. Enjoy it while you can! After 9 months of everyone telling me to sleep I was sort of tired of the advice. Ok, ok, I'll be tired when I have kids I get it...

Then my daughter was born and I was exhausted!! I mean this wasn't the typical run of the mill baby here. We are talking about an amazing child who seriously did not seem to need to sleep at all. I mean, the whole, "sleep when baby sleeps" mantra was definitely not working when she would only sleep about 20 minutes at a time and the nights weren't much better. Oh sure we would get that solid chunk of sleep from 2am till 6am so I should have been ok, but really that didn't cut it for my new mommy brain that was struggling with the new 24/7 responsibility.

Thankfully at age 4 she is sleeping for 10-12 hours a night and her little sister for the most part has been a better sleeper...that is until she reached about 18 months and now we are struggling with her occassional night wakings. However it is nothing compared to the insanity of their earlier months. But this week we have been dealing with a spring cold that hit our 4 year old last week and our 2 year old this week and once again we are reminded about how tiring it is to be a parent.

Between the coughing fits that they don't even wake up for and the actual waking up because they are miserable, we have been getting maybe 3-4 actual hours of sleep in a night all week. This of course makes the days incredibly long as we operate in a dysfunctional haze. Oh the joys of parenthood!

My husband's newly married friend called and during their conversation my husband brought up that we hadn't been sleeping much this week. "It can't be that bad" he replied... We could tell him of course about all of the challenges and give him the advice that we received of "enjoy your sleep now"... but as with most of the triumphs and turbulations of parenthood, most things have to be experienced in order to truly understand!