sooooooo... today i had to do a bit of a major grocery shop... i whittled it down to 3 stores, armed with lists, oscar, 5, wearing a rescue backpack & answering to the name 'super spy' & 'knight flynn', 3, clad in robot helmet, blue plastic sword & riding a hobby horse... ok so that was my first mistake right there... how many times can i get poked by the sword & that stupid horse slowed us right down...
the first stop was whole foods... the boys have been out of sorts since we got back from our uk trip & were playing up pretty badly... we got in the same lady's way at least 19 times around the store & she was not impressed one little bit ~ i stopped apologizing after about the 4th time... i really felt she wanted me to say sorry for existing ~ but i'm not so la!
next stop sam's club... it was busy busy ~ boys were getting worse, thankfully we ditched the outfits & accessories!!
then wegmans ~ to be quite honest, by now, i'd had enough of the constant bickering... so we headed to 'w kids' ~ i love you wegmans! it was open & everything!! i dropped the kids off & did i skip away like dorothy down the yellow brick road to get the shopping done? hell yeah!
as i went up & down the aisles humming to song playing 'madonna borderline' ~ i was thinking things can't get much better than this!! i love madonna! i get to the olive bar... & spy the big green ones that are stuffed with red peppers... but these peppers look really lovely & red... as i have been caught out before & bought a whole tub of yucky olives i scoop one up to taste (my husband just thinks i'm a pikey!!) because i'm 'sampling', i don't muck around, chew it up & swallow... the heat hit me pretty much before i swallowed but it was too late... sweet jesus it was the hottest thing i have ever tasted... it burnt my throat, i didn't think i could speak then it hit the top of my stomach & literally set it alight, my eye lids were sweating... i had just eaten hell in an olive!!! when i reach the deli counter i have to cover my mouth with my hand because i was afraid of setting the woman next to me on fire with my breath...
i end up ring my husband, mike, to ask him if eating something really hot could kill me...
it turns out those olives were stuffed with 'piri piri' peppers, also known as bird's eye, African devil, or African red devil. It is a small, extremely spicy member of the Capsicum genus. lets just hope it doesn't burn exiting... first of all i can't believe there wasn't a warning... & secondly i can't see how anyone would enjoy eating them, but it takes all sorts.
on the way home we pass a field of goats... i said 'say hi to the goats guys' & i wave....
flynn says 'mum goats can't talk'
me 'how do you know?'
flynn 'i saw one open it's mouth & no words came out...'
fair enough!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
[ wedding! ]
sooooooo... my lovely friend, pamela, invites my husband, mike & me to a wedding! her brother in law, who has made a lot of money, is getting married in nyc & spending a lot on this affair.
i excitedly accepted!! who doesn't love a wedding? (especially a lavish one!) & i already had a classic dress that cost me an arm & a leg when i was single thats only been worn twice.
the wedding website (!!!) is forwarded so i can get all the details...
the day of the wedding arrives... i have planned things in military procedure, our sons, oscar 5 & flynn 3 are going for a sleep over. i've packed enough stuff to survive most major emergencies! mike takes off early from work, i get a make over!
i feel a bit weird picking them up from school though... in my jeans & fancy up-do... & when someone asked me where i was going i really wanted to say, nowhere... i just fancied getting a 'do' to pick my kids!!
rush home, get dressed & we're off! mike in his tuxedo, me in my big dress...
after leaving the kids with our lovely friends, the kovacs, we get onto the turnpike & it wasn't until we were nearly at the lincoln tunnel that mike asks & i have no idea what made him ask it... it is black tie isn't it?
my response was of course it is ~ that's what the groom is wearing in the illustration on the wedding website... & it's at a really fancy place & a very extravagant function... i even back it by saying ~ i'm 110% sure it's black tie.
i look up the wedding website (!!!), right then, to double check... but i can't see it written anywhere... right at the same moment mike asks, you have seen it written somewhere haven't you? erm... i'll text pamela just to put your mind at ease... 10 seconds after the text went she calls me... no it's not black tie... all the men are wearing suits... just the groom will be in a tuxedo...
an exhausted mike, who has been working really long hours, says he can't go like this... people will think he works there & will be handing him glasses & ordering cocktails...
i'm sitting there letting the reality sink in... not just the tux fiasco... i have fringing feathers in my hair... i call up my lovely friend jenn, who has the kids, & announce it's not black tie, she can't hear me because of kid noise, again i say it's not black tie... after repeating that sentence several times she hears... there was an ooooh... followed by laughter!!! the whole thing is funny i have to admit...(well it is now!!) i really feel mikes pain & although the suggestions are heartfelt & appreciated, they weren't going to fix the situation... my dress cost way too much money to cut a couple of feet off the bottom... & taking off his jacket wasn't going to fly.
mike really wanted to go home, or just go for a meal on our own... i was beginning to think i really had just got a 'do' to pick the kids up! but i kept pushing... we were so close, we'd made a lot of effort, it would be ok once we got there, we just needed to change a couple of things...
mike suggested burlington coat factory, BRILLIANT idea, they have lots of suits & dresses for good prices. thank goodness we have a GPS ~ & there was one 5 minutes away from us! things were looking up... after sitting in traffic for another half an hour we made it there... what a total dive this store was... imagine the surprise of the other customers as we stroll in... i have to admit i did feel a tad over dressed...
mike went to the suits, i went to the dresses... unless i was spending the day at the beach, there was nothing appropriate ~ i head over to mike, who has found a really nice suit. we also grab a belt & he heads off to the fitting room... of course the trousers aren't hemmed... i ask at customer service if they have any pins? 'no' - tape? 'no'... mmmmmmmmm. as i walk away i suddenly think new shirts have pins in them... i open a couple of packets & pull out some...
good job mike is so tall ~ i think we can get away with not doing anything with the trousers!
we get back into the car after paying & i suddenly realize i don't have the usual bag with me ~ so i have no scissors to cut the million sewn on labels & tags... so we go back to the store & ask to borrow scissors ~ i was expecting a 'no', but hooray they have some!!! i suggest to mike to go back to the fitting room & get changed but he's not up for that... instead he strips off in the car lot!! i'm thinking this will be the next thing ~ we'll be arrested for indecent exposure!!! everything's good ~ mike looks great & off we go... i could down play my outfit, take the feathers out of my hair... but then i thought no... meghan, who did my hair, did a FABULOUS job... i'm not going to change anything!!
we finally arrive ~ not too late... we can hear the ceremony going on & both need a bathroom break before joining the other guests... a man in a tux came out of the bathroom & i was just about to say look mike! but then i noticed he had a walkie talkie in his hand...
we catch the end of the ceremony ~ get a drink from the bar, sit at a candlelit table overlooking the river, get offered lots of delicious nibbles from passing waiters, smile at each other & everything is good...
the wedding was really great! worth all the effort! there's nothing like good food, wine, dancing & friends!
i excitedly accepted!! who doesn't love a wedding? (especially a lavish one!) & i already had a classic dress that cost me an arm & a leg when i was single thats only been worn twice.
the wedding website (!!!) is forwarded so i can get all the details...
the day of the wedding arrives... i have planned things in military procedure, our sons, oscar 5 & flynn 3 are going for a sleep over. i've packed enough stuff to survive most major emergencies! mike takes off early from work, i get a make over!
i feel a bit weird picking them up from school though... in my jeans & fancy up-do... & when someone asked me where i was going i really wanted to say, nowhere... i just fancied getting a 'do' to pick my kids!!
rush home, get dressed & we're off! mike in his tuxedo, me in my big dress...
after leaving the kids with our lovely friends, the kovacs, we get onto the turnpike & it wasn't until we were nearly at the lincoln tunnel that mike asks & i have no idea what made him ask it... it is black tie isn't it?
my response was of course it is ~ that's what the groom is wearing in the illustration on the wedding website... & it's at a really fancy place & a very extravagant function... i even back it by saying ~ i'm 110% sure it's black tie.
i look up the wedding website (!!!), right then, to double check... but i can't see it written anywhere... right at the same moment mike asks, you have seen it written somewhere haven't you? erm... i'll text pamela just to put your mind at ease... 10 seconds after the text went she calls me... no it's not black tie... all the men are wearing suits... just the groom will be in a tuxedo...
an exhausted mike, who has been working really long hours, says he can't go like this... people will think he works there & will be handing him glasses & ordering cocktails...
i'm sitting there letting the reality sink in... not just the tux fiasco... i have fringing feathers in my hair... i call up my lovely friend jenn, who has the kids, & announce it's not black tie, she can't hear me because of kid noise, again i say it's not black tie... after repeating that sentence several times she hears... there was an ooooh... followed by laughter!!! the whole thing is funny i have to admit...(well it is now!!) i really feel mikes pain & although the suggestions are heartfelt & appreciated, they weren't going to fix the situation... my dress cost way too much money to cut a couple of feet off the bottom... & taking off his jacket wasn't going to fly.
mike really wanted to go home, or just go for a meal on our own... i was beginning to think i really had just got a 'do' to pick the kids up! but i kept pushing... we were so close, we'd made a lot of effort, it would be ok once we got there, we just needed to change a couple of things...
mike suggested burlington coat factory, BRILLIANT idea, they have lots of suits & dresses for good prices. thank goodness we have a GPS ~ & there was one 5 minutes away from us! things were looking up... after sitting in traffic for another half an hour we made it there... what a total dive this store was... imagine the surprise of the other customers as we stroll in... i have to admit i did feel a tad over dressed...
mike went to the suits, i went to the dresses... unless i was spending the day at the beach, there was nothing appropriate ~ i head over to mike, who has found a really nice suit. we also grab a belt & he heads off to the fitting room... of course the trousers aren't hemmed... i ask at customer service if they have any pins? 'no' - tape? 'no'... mmmmmmmmm. as i walk away i suddenly think new shirts have pins in them... i open a couple of packets & pull out some...
good job mike is so tall ~ i think we can get away with not doing anything with the trousers!
we get back into the car after paying & i suddenly realize i don't have the usual bag with me ~ so i have no scissors to cut the million sewn on labels & tags... so we go back to the store & ask to borrow scissors ~ i was expecting a 'no', but hooray they have some!!! i suggest to mike to go back to the fitting room & get changed but he's not up for that... instead he strips off in the car lot!! i'm thinking this will be the next thing ~ we'll be arrested for indecent exposure!!! everything's good ~ mike looks great & off we go... i could down play my outfit, take the feathers out of my hair... but then i thought no... meghan, who did my hair, did a FABULOUS job... i'm not going to change anything!!
we finally arrive ~ not too late... we can hear the ceremony going on & both need a bathroom break before joining the other guests... a man in a tux came out of the bathroom & i was just about to say look mike! but then i noticed he had a walkie talkie in his hand...
we catch the end of the ceremony ~ get a drink from the bar, sit at a candlelit table overlooking the river, get offered lots of delicious nibbles from passing waiters, smile at each other & everything is good...
the wedding was really great! worth all the effort! there's nothing like good food, wine, dancing & friends!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
[ snake!!!! ]
sooooooo... guess what! we were all at the park after school & my lovely friend, theresa, spies a [huge] snake!!! i resisted screaming a snake! a snake! but i know she's at one with nature & so i yelled catch it! catch it! no way did i expect her to actually go after it ~ but she did!! i obviously helped from a safe 8ft away... this snake traveled fast!! when she grabbed it half way down it's body the snake immediately turned around & tried to bite her! i'm squirming on one foot... seriously i would have dropped that sucker & run ~ but she quickly grabbed it round the neck!
i have to say i was amazed! & very proud!!! she'd be my first choice of being stranded in the wilderness with!!
when she let it go ~ i asked weren't you scared... she said no because she knew it wasn't venomous...
oh dear:
"Garters were long thought to be nonvenomous, but recent discoveries have revealed that they do in fact produce a mild neurotoxic venom. Garter snakes can't kill an individual with the amounts of venom they produce, which is comparatively mild, and they also they lack an effective means of delivering it. They do have enlarged teeth in the back of their mouth, but their gums are significantly larger. Whereas most venomous snakes have anterior or forward venom glands, the Duvernoy's gland of garters are posterior (to the rear) of the snake's eyes. The mild poison is spread into wounds through a chewing action. The properties of the venom are not well known, but it appears to contain 3FTx, commonly known as three-finger toxin, which is a neurotoxin commonly found in the venom of colubrids and elapids. A bite may result in mild swelling and an itching sensation. There are no known cases of serious injury and extremely few with symptoms of envenomation."
i have to say i was amazed! & very proud!!! she'd be my first choice of being stranded in the wilderness with!!
when she let it go ~ i asked weren't you scared... she said no because she knew it wasn't venomous...
oh dear:
"Garters were long thought to be nonvenomous, but recent discoveries have revealed that they do in fact produce a mild neurotoxic venom. Garter snakes can't kill an individual with the amounts of venom they produce, which is comparatively mild, and they also they lack an effective means of delivering it. They do have enlarged teeth in the back of their mouth, but their gums are significantly larger. Whereas most venomous snakes have anterior or forward venom glands, the Duvernoy's gland of garters are posterior (to the rear) of the snake's eyes. The mild poison is spread into wounds through a chewing action. The properties of the venom are not well known, but it appears to contain 3FTx, commonly known as three-finger toxin, which is a neurotoxin commonly found in the venom of colubrids and elapids. A bite may result in mild swelling and an itching sensation. There are no known cases of serious injury and extremely few with symptoms of envenomation."
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| all snakes are huge! |
Monday, March 7, 2011
oscar ~ today
sooooooo ~ we were sitting down to lunch & my son osar, whose 5, didn't like his pasta... surprise surprise. he was eating the sausage so i asked him if he wanted bread with that. after cutting off the crusts he agreed. then... he proceeds to tell me he's going to make a sausage taco... i was amazed because we've never eaten tacos together (as far as i can remember... which isn't saying much!!)
then... to my even more amazement when he finished making it he said VOILÀ!!
WOW!!! i thought, what a continental little man!! but then... he said 'mum that's spanish...' oh well i enjoyed his moment of genius for a second!!
his next sentence was:
'mum snakes are nocturnal ~ but iguanas aren't'...
that kind of makes up for it ~ i daren't look it up!!
then... to my even more amazement when he finished making it he said VOILÀ!!
WOW!!! i thought, what a continental little man!! but then... he said 'mum that's spanish...' oh well i enjoyed his moment of genius for a second!!
his next sentence was:
'mum snakes are nocturnal ~ but iguanas aren't'...
that kind of makes up for it ~ i daren't look it up!!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
[ NEAT FREAK!!! ]
| sooooooo... i have been untidy all my life. i walk into a place & create a mess! i won the 'messiest desk' award at work, it's my creativity! a brain can't be creative & tidy... well that's my excuse & i'm sticking to it!! now... add 2 young boys, a husband, a dog, 2 cats, a bird & fish to the mix & why am i surprised that it isn't any better!!!! i would really like to get organized, i don't want one of those houses where when i sit on the couch & try to make myself as small as possible because i feel like i'm making the place look untidy just by being there ~ well lets face it even if i did want that it would NEVER happen! i came across a local 'organizer' online & got quite excited! my friend, jackie, said save your money, she'd help me ~ i'd love that but i'm scared we have a big 'girl fight', hair pulling & screaming, over what i should throw away. [ whenever i think about women fighting, which isn't that often, it's always in the 70's, so maybe we should be wearing flared catsuits & flicked back hair...] when my mum came to visit me, i asked her to help me declutter. (everyone in my family is SUPER tidy... except me) i'd read that when you go through clothes you should bag up what you don't want & put them straight in your car to take to the donation drop off. i did that but couldn't sleep that night, thoughts of what my mum had bagged were racing through my head. before my mum got up the next morning i'd gone through it & pull some things out... it took about 3 months to not be stressing over one pair of baby trousers i'd got rid of... when we talk about people being tidy everyone mentions OCD... but i looked up the definition & i have it!!!!!! extensive hoarding!! how do i change that to have a pinch of the tidy stuff? i'd like to think that once i've got things sorted they'd stay like that, i need a system, i'm just clueless how ~ i just must have been having coffee when they gave out this kind of info. soooooo... i love to hear all your de-cluttering, organizing, tidying tips please!! the best books you've read, ANYTHING!! maybe we'll all get something out of this! you can do it anoymously if you like, but please be nice :) here's some of things that bamboozle me! what on earth do you do with: ~ all your old greeting cards? (i keep mine in a box!) ~ odd socks, where on earth do the other ones go? (i keep these in a box!) ~ bills... & papers in general! (i keep mine in a box! ~ i'm sensing a pattern here...) ~ most of the stuff i put in boxes breeds. ~ keep the shoes tidy? you get the picture!!! jackie... just say the word ~ i'll dig out my curling tongs!
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Monday, January 3, 2011
[ pass the popcorn... ]
sooooooo... my husband, mike, & i decided to take our boys to the cinema between christmas & new year. mike read reviews. gulliver travels, we decided, would be a bit old for them, sadly, as it's starring jack black ~ who is on my top 25 people that i wouldn't mind getting stuck in a lift (elevator) with!!!
to tell you the truth there wasn't a lot to choose from... we went for 'tangled', a disney adaptation of rapunzel. of course lets see it in 3d, 2 adults, one 3 year old & a 5 year old please ~ that will be $54. sorry i thought you said $54! oh you did!!! do i sound like a really old person complaining about cinema prices??
so we settle in to watch & i have to say i really enjoyed it, i even shed a tear behind my 3d glasses! basically the queen is going to have a baby (rapunzel) but is very sick & needs the power of a golden flower to survive. this crazy lady has been hiding the flower because she's using it to keep her young. but it gets found, cures the queen & the flower's power is now in rapunzel's hair.
the crazy lady tries to cut some of rapunzel hair but when cut it dies & won't grow anymore... so she kidnaps the baby, locks her in a tower & uses her hair to stay young blah blah blah.
in the end rapunzel has fallen in love with a guy who got in the tower, the crazy lady stabs him & he's going to die... rapunzel promises that if she can heal him (her hair heals too) she'll let her stay young & remain her prisoner forever...
but just before rapunzel gets to do this, the guy cuts off her hair, so there's no power left...
the reason i'm telling you all this is because mike and i spent a long time after the movie 'discussing' this (& we still don't see eye to eye on it!!!)
i said it's a shame he cut off her hair before she healed him.
mike thinks that that wouldn't be right because she had made a promise to the crazy lady....
yes but that promise is to someone who had her locked up in a tower for 18 years!!! & once her hair was gone the old lady wouldn't need her anymore.
i can't believe how long we discussed this for!! how we are both adamant that we're right & that i'm now blogging about it!!! not to mention the reckless way he cut her hair (it won't grow anymore) ~ so she's stuck with that 'do' forever...
to tell you the truth there wasn't a lot to choose from... we went for 'tangled', a disney adaptation of rapunzel. of course lets see it in 3d, 2 adults, one 3 year old & a 5 year old please ~ that will be $54. sorry i thought you said $54! oh you did!!! do i sound like a really old person complaining about cinema prices??
so we settle in to watch & i have to say i really enjoyed it, i even shed a tear behind my 3d glasses! basically the queen is going to have a baby (rapunzel) but is very sick & needs the power of a golden flower to survive. this crazy lady has been hiding the flower because she's using it to keep her young. but it gets found, cures the queen & the flower's power is now in rapunzel's hair.
the crazy lady tries to cut some of rapunzel hair but when cut it dies & won't grow anymore... so she kidnaps the baby, locks her in a tower & uses her hair to stay young blah blah blah.
in the end rapunzel has fallen in love with a guy who got in the tower, the crazy lady stabs him & he's going to die... rapunzel promises that if she can heal him (her hair heals too) she'll let her stay young & remain her prisoner forever...
but just before rapunzel gets to do this, the guy cuts off her hair, so there's no power left...
the reason i'm telling you all this is because mike and i spent a long time after the movie 'discussing' this (& we still don't see eye to eye on it!!!)
i said it's a shame he cut off her hair before she healed him.
mike thinks that that wouldn't be right because she had made a promise to the crazy lady....
yes but that promise is to someone who had her locked up in a tower for 18 years!!! & once her hair was gone the old lady wouldn't need her anymore.
i can't believe how long we discussed this for!! how we are both adamant that we're right & that i'm now blogging about it!!! not to mention the reckless way he cut her hair (it won't grow anymore) ~ so she's stuck with that 'do' forever...
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
[ elf on the shelf ]
sooooooo... first of all i can't stop myself saying shelf on the elf, it's driving me nuts!!!! my friend, jackie, has 2 elves on the shelf & when she explained how they worked i kind of fell in love with the whole thing!!
here's my version... basically they watch you & report back to santa. you can talk to them & they get moved around the house (by adults) & i think there's a book that comes with it too.
i went online to look at them & to tell you the truth i couldn't see any i liked...
this morning oscar & flynn were in our bedroom & flynn asked who that was on my shelf. i told him it was yoda. (it was a pre-kid present to my husband, mike, who loves star wars).
oscar asks if he is king of the elves? i quickly thought 2 steps ahead & said yes... & that he's watching you guys to see if you're being good.
this is such a magical age!! they TOTALLY believe!! it's wonderful!!
so i have been moving yoda around the house today... the boys are just amazed by the whole thing!! when he's not where they last saw him they search & then start yelling with excitement, i've been chuckling to myself all day!!
oscar swears he saw him walk a little!! the only thing is it's freaking me out a bit!! oscar keeps asking me if i can see yoda behind him... & then thought he saw him behind me!!
so yoda is our elf on the shelf!!
'good relations with the wookiees, i have.'
here's my version... basically they watch you & report back to santa. you can talk to them & they get moved around the house (by adults) & i think there's a book that comes with it too.
i went online to look at them & to tell you the truth i couldn't see any i liked...
this morning oscar & flynn were in our bedroom & flynn asked who that was on my shelf. i told him it was yoda. (it was a pre-kid present to my husband, mike, who loves star wars).
oscar asks if he is king of the elves? i quickly thought 2 steps ahead & said yes... & that he's watching you guys to see if you're being good.
this is such a magical age!! they TOTALLY believe!! it's wonderful!!
so i have been moving yoda around the house today... the boys are just amazed by the whole thing!! when he's not where they last saw him they search & then start yelling with excitement, i've been chuckling to myself all day!!
oscar swears he saw him walk a little!! the only thing is it's freaking me out a bit!! oscar keeps asking me if i can see yoda behind him... & then thought he saw him behind me!!
so yoda is our elf on the shelf!!
'good relations with the wookiees, i have.'
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
[ gobble gobble! ]
sooooooo the teachers & kiddies did a fantastic job, very very proud!! pass the tissues!!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
[ can anyone hear me? ]
sooooooo... I'VE LOST MY VOICE!!!! [ has anyone seen it??? ] but seriously i have ~ this has never happened to me before. yes i've had colds & sore throats that have affected my voice but never like this. i have to yell to get even a pathetic whisper sound out..
it was pretty bad for a couple of days ~ then absolutely no sound... :(
as thanksgiving was coming up i thought i best go to the dr's as if i do need antibiotics i'd rather get them sooner than later ~ i mean what's the point of prolonging the suffering?
the dr said it's better to try & talk normally instead of whispering... you think? i wanted to say 'listen lady I AM NOT WHISPERING, I'M YELLING' because I was!
anyway she pronounced laryngitis & that was that... no magic pill, just ride it out...
i have to say not having a voice is like having a power cut... you keep forgetting & constantly try to 'turn on the light' or in my case 'answer the phone' then get hung up on because no-one can hear you!
people react really weirdly too... a lot of people want to ask a million questions & the last thing you want to do is talk! or they think you are stupid & talk to you really slowly... or they start yelling at you!! THANKS!!
I found this GREAT butcher - but that's a whole other blog right there, they couldn't hear me so i was having to write things down... one butcher wrote me a note back, thinking I was deaf too!
i can't believe how much I take my voice for granted! the boys were playing up, fighting mainly, so i was trying to stop them without any voice... mmmmm that worked not! after about 20 attempts i just yelled! nothing came out but ~ then 'chewbacca' type noises ~ in random volume! the kids just looked at me as if i was nuts!!! for about 2 hours after that episode i had NO sound at all... i think i set the healing back a week :(
after a whole day of this i began to stop fighting it & started to accept, or surrender to, what was going on. the only thing i was really scared of was what if one of the boys ran out in the road (not that they ever do that) & i'd yell & be mute ~ like one of those crazy horrible dreams.
skype chat is great! no one knows anything is wrong...
hey voice ~ i miss you!! come back soon please!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
[ can someone let james brown in...? ]
sooooooo... this is how james brown (one of our rescue cats) lets us know he'd like to come in! he hangs on the door, by his front claws, meowing as if his tail was on fire. we open the door, cat always still attached... he jumps down & then very slowly saunters in, in a very cool manner, like only james brown could!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
[ more costen library! ]
sooooooo... i know i've blogged about the costen children's library, before... ( previous post )
but... i can't get enough of this place!! & felt compelled to share my sons latest creations! i'm thinking of making this a permanent spot & for all you brits i'd like you to have tony hart's gallery music playing in your head as you peruse these master pieces!
i do have to fess up though, that i think i get the most excited (out of everyone in the whole library) when dr dana reveals what we will be making after she's read the story! the week it was the puppets i'm pretty sure i let a gasp! hahaha. i wonder how long it will be before the boys won't want to come... so i'm going to enjoy it while it lasts!
but... i can't get enough of this place!! & felt compelled to share my sons latest creations! i'm thinking of making this a permanent spot & for all you brits i'd like you to have tony hart's gallery music playing in your head as you peruse these master pieces!
i do have to fess up though, that i think i get the most excited (out of everyone in the whole library) when dr dana reveals what we will be making after she's read the story! the week it was the puppets i'm pretty sure i let a gasp! hahaha. i wonder how long it will be before the boys won't want to come... so i'm going to enjoy it while it lasts!
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| october 22 2010 ~ monkeys with matching tee shirts |
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| october 15 2010 ~ super hero puppets |
Sunday, October 17, 2010
[ nyc ]
sooooooo... last saturday my husband, mike, & i went to nyc to celebrate a birthday of the wonderful dr that delivered both our boys, oscar 4&3/4 & flynn 3.
i’ve been really ‘jump up & down’ excited (i mean that literally) about this event from the moment i was invited. 5 mintues later the boys were booked in for a sleep over with my lovely friend!
so we leave in time but there’s a ton of traffic... the lincoln tunnel is really backed up & then there are roads closed in the city... it was turning into one of those dreams where you really want to get somewhere but can’t. it got to a point where i just wanted to abandon the car & walk!!
we arrive at this beautiful hotel, drinks on the rooftop terrace ~ delicious nibbles
lovely people!! that have in common an admiration, friendship & desire to celebrate!
a wonderful sit down dinner... the mushroom risotto was sooooooo good!!(you have to remember i’ve not been eating gluten, sugar, dairy or drinking alcohol) i was making an mmmmmmmm sound with every forkful, till i notice mike looking at me with a raised eyebrow!
the meal ends with a buffet of desserts... there were these chocolate mushrooms that were d-i-v-i-n-e... i must have eaten about 15!!! i was chatting to the waiter while he was clearing the plates telling him how good these mushrooms were, he agreed. then i suddenly realize i really shouldn’t eat anymore... i was more than full! the lovely waiter came back with 4 more mushrooms.... uh oh
after the festivities we left & because it was john lennon’s 70th birthday i asked mike if we could stop by strawberry fields. there was a parking spot seemingly waiting for us. it was really lovely
the imagine mosaic was surrounded with people singing & in the center guitarists accompanying them.
when a song ended people shouted out song titles ~ i shouted out revolution, LOVE that song. the lady in front of me turned round & said we’ve just sung that. i replied i just got here. she said if you just got here you would have heard it. whatever, i thought, not really in the spirit of the moment... but i’m having a lovely time anyway.
we sang a few more songs & then went home.
you know when you’ve got a tune in your head because you’ve been singing it recently... well the next morning i was singing ‘but if you go carrying pictures of chairman mao, you ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow’ over & over. i replay the night before events at strawberry fields in my head... i suddenly realize i had stood there singing ‘revolution’... as soon we had finished i yell out that request...HAHAHA
don’t you know it’s gonna be all right!
i’ve been really ‘jump up & down’ excited (i mean that literally) about this event from the moment i was invited. 5 mintues later the boys were booked in for a sleep over with my lovely friend!
so we leave in time but there’s a ton of traffic... the lincoln tunnel is really backed up & then there are roads closed in the city... it was turning into one of those dreams where you really want to get somewhere but can’t. it got to a point where i just wanted to abandon the car & walk!!
we arrive at this beautiful hotel, drinks on the rooftop terrace ~ delicious nibbles
lovely people!! that have in common an admiration, friendship & desire to celebrate!
a wonderful sit down dinner... the mushroom risotto was sooooooo good!!(you have to remember i’ve not been eating gluten, sugar, dairy or drinking alcohol) i was making an mmmmmmmm sound with every forkful, till i notice mike looking at me with a raised eyebrow!
the meal ends with a buffet of desserts... there were these chocolate mushrooms that were d-i-v-i-n-e... i must have eaten about 15!!! i was chatting to the waiter while he was clearing the plates telling him how good these mushrooms were, he agreed. then i suddenly realize i really shouldn’t eat anymore... i was more than full! the lovely waiter came back with 4 more mushrooms.... uh oh
after the festivities we left & because it was john lennon’s 70th birthday i asked mike if we could stop by strawberry fields. there was a parking spot seemingly waiting for us. it was really lovely
the imagine mosaic was surrounded with people singing & in the center guitarists accompanying them.
when a song ended people shouted out song titles ~ i shouted out revolution, LOVE that song. the lady in front of me turned round & said we’ve just sung that. i replied i just got here. she said if you just got here you would have heard it. whatever, i thought, not really in the spirit of the moment... but i’m having a lovely time anyway.
we sang a few more songs & then went home.
you know when you’ve got a tune in your head because you’ve been singing it recently... well the next morning i was singing ‘but if you go carrying pictures of chairman mao, you ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow’ over & over. i replay the night before events at strawberry fields in my head... i suddenly realize i had stood there singing ‘revolution’... as soon we had finished i yell out that request...HAHAHA
don’t you know it’s gonna be all right!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
[ my brave flynn! ]
sooooooo... my little man, flynn, whose 3 years old had surgery today for a hydrocele & inguinal hernia.
i didn't realise how much i was worrying about it until the doctor called us into a room to tell us the surgery had gone well ~ i suddenly felt like a rag doll & could have just collapsed onto the floor.
while we were waiting for this news i felt really lightheaded. every time i heard a cry or a call for mum my ears pricked up with a yearning ache.
it's an odd feeling waiting for your child to finish their surgery & knowing everyone else in the waiting room is in the same boat. there's a sense of unspoken unity.
flynn had already had surgery when he was 3 weeks old for pyloric stenois, i went numb then. but i think my body could'nt cope with anymore as my husband & i were both laid off 3 days before.
when they wheeled flynn away today & was out of sight i shed a few tears but held it together pretty well (i think!!). but i did cry when i saw him afterwards all wired up & in pain.
we dressed flynn in his batman pj's but i didn't bother putting on the cape ( he was so out of it & hadn't really opened his eyes yet). flynn in his hoarse voice, brought on from the breathing tube, mustered up a gruff whisper 'put on the cape'. somehow he knew his outfit wasn't complete!
i can't say enough good things about the staff at CHOP.
thank goodness it's done & went well, i feel really lucky, blessed & proud of this very brave 3 year old.
i didn't realise how much i was worrying about it until the doctor called us into a room to tell us the surgery had gone well ~ i suddenly felt like a rag doll & could have just collapsed onto the floor.
while we were waiting for this news i felt really lightheaded. every time i heard a cry or a call for mum my ears pricked up with a yearning ache.
it's an odd feeling waiting for your child to finish their surgery & knowing everyone else in the waiting room is in the same boat. there's a sense of unspoken unity.
flynn had already had surgery when he was 3 weeks old for pyloric stenois, i went numb then. but i think my body could'nt cope with anymore as my husband & i were both laid off 3 days before.
when they wheeled flynn away today & was out of sight i shed a few tears but held it together pretty well (i think!!). but i did cry when i saw him afterwards all wired up & in pain.
we dressed flynn in his batman pj's but i didn't bother putting on the cape ( he was so out of it & hadn't really opened his eyes yet). flynn in his hoarse voice, brought on from the breathing tube, mustered up a gruff whisper 'put on the cape'. somehow he knew his outfit wasn't complete!
i can't say enough good things about the staff at CHOP.
thank goodness it's done & went well, i feel really lucky, blessed & proud of this very brave 3 year old.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
[ costen children's library ~ princeton ]
sooooooo... i have just discovered the costen children's library, located on the main floor of princeton university's firestone library, at the corner of nassau street & washington road.
why have i not found out about this before?? it's FABULOUS!!!! & even better it's FREE!! music to my ears!
i took my boys oscar (4 & three quarters) & flynn (3) there yesterday, for story time & a craft.
i really enjoyed the craft! ~ come on lets face it, that's very important as i always end up finishing them... this octopus mask was one i could really get my teeth into!!
just to digress about 2 years ago i was worried about oscar's concentration span. i'd think up these great things to make & 2 minutes into them he would be wanting to do something else...
i was that concerned i told my pediatrician, (oscar's my first, i'm a little less neurotic now!) who sent him to be evaluated.
i remember having to hand oscar over to this team of ladies & go answer lots of questions... i was convinced i'd done something wrong & this had stunted my sons 'art' development.
after what seemed like ages i was called back to join oscar & receive the verdict. oscar was absolutely fine for his age & i was politely told that 'apparently he's just not into arts & crafts'... WHAT!!! my hearing must be temporarily failing me because i thought they'd said that oscar wasn't into arts & crafts!!!
how on earth could that be!! my husband & i are both designers...it's like saying a particular squirrel doesn't like nuts!!..... (i wonder if that's possible, or could you imagine some poor squirrel out there having a nut allergy!!!)
i thought the genes this poor kid has inherited must be design loaded...
so anyway ~ the costen library is an amazing place to take your children, if you haven't already gone i'd urge you to go. if you have why didn't you tell me about it!! you can sign up to receive notifications about upcoming events.
check this one out:
FIRST OF OCTEMBER
It’s time once again for our stupendous, creative, fantastical event! We supply the scads of cool art materials, YOU supply the imagination! Based on the zany holiday invented by Dr. Seuss in his book Please Try to Remember the First of Octember, unleash your inner inventor and build a magnificent "something" in pursuit of the ultimate creation. Rocket ship panel? Automatic dog-washer? Robot companion? Green garden? Roller coaster? Treasure box? The sky is the limit!
Saturday October 16
1:00pm – 4:00pm
No registration required – free of charge
Ages 3 & up
why have i not found out about this before?? it's FABULOUS!!!! & even better it's FREE!! music to my ears!
i took my boys oscar (4 & three quarters) & flynn (3) there yesterday, for story time & a craft.
i really enjoyed the craft! ~ come on lets face it, that's very important as i always end up finishing them... this octopus mask was one i could really get my teeth into!!
just to digress about 2 years ago i was worried about oscar's concentration span. i'd think up these great things to make & 2 minutes into them he would be wanting to do something else...
i was that concerned i told my pediatrician, (oscar's my first, i'm a little less neurotic now!) who sent him to be evaluated.
i remember having to hand oscar over to this team of ladies & go answer lots of questions... i was convinced i'd done something wrong & this had stunted my sons 'art' development.
after what seemed like ages i was called back to join oscar & receive the verdict. oscar was absolutely fine for his age & i was politely told that 'apparently he's just not into arts & crafts'... WHAT!!! my hearing must be temporarily failing me because i thought they'd said that oscar wasn't into arts & crafts!!!
how on earth could that be!! my husband & i are both designers...it's like saying a particular squirrel doesn't like nuts!!..... (i wonder if that's possible, or could you imagine some poor squirrel out there having a nut allergy!!!)
i thought the genes this poor kid has inherited must be design loaded...
so anyway ~ the costen library is an amazing place to take your children, if you haven't already gone i'd urge you to go. if you have why didn't you tell me about it!! you can sign up to receive notifications about upcoming events.
check this one out:
FIRST OF OCTEMBER
It’s time once again for our stupendous, creative, fantastical event! We supply the scads of cool art materials, YOU supply the imagination! Based on the zany holiday invented by Dr. Seuss in his book Please Try to Remember the First of Octember, unleash your inner inventor and build a magnificent "something" in pursuit of the ultimate creation. Rocket ship panel? Automatic dog-washer? Robot companion? Green garden? Roller coaster? Treasure box? The sky is the limit!
Saturday October 16
1:00pm – 4:00pm
No registration required – free of charge
Ages 3 & up
 |
| octopus masks!! |
 |
| flynn modeling his ~ so proud!! |
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
[ thewildernessdowntown ]
sooooooo... my husband mike told me about this, it's kind of melancholic & i wanted to share it with you:
http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/
it works a lot better if you download google chrome
let me know what you think!
http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/
it works a lot better if you download google chrome
let me know what you think!
Monday, September 13, 2010
[ first day of school... pass the tissues! ]
sooooooo... today my boys, oscar 4 & flynn 3, started pre-school at our local elementary school.
for a long time now i've been dreaming about the two & a half hours i will be getting to myself...
yes you read right ~ two & a half hours... cue hawaii five-o theme.
we'd picked out back packs, lunch boxes & got name labels printed. but as the time got nearer my heart got heavier.
i started welling up at the orientation for heavens sake!!
the school is a 5 minute walk, so we pile out of the house each with a back pack, 10 seconds later i'm carrying 3! (i knew i should have got the ones with wheels!!)
my boys run ahead & i watch with great pride, my little men, happy & bright.
a car waits to let us cross & it's lori driving, i had the need to let her know so i yell, trying to disguise my chocked up high pitched wail, 'it's their first day at school!' as i hurry along to not show any tears.
arriving at the school we wait outside, oscar is totally fine but flynn starts getting antsy & wants to be picked up... i daren't, so i look at the teacher & ask if it's better if i leave, she takes one look at me & says yes, so i unwrap flynn's arms from around my neck, turn & go... he starts sobbing loudly & shouts out for me to come back... i sob quietly & keep walking...
but why am i so sad...? i don't want them to stop growing, i really enjoy watching their personalities unfold & the different stages develop... so what is it? am i scared of the passing of time? or just emotionally unstable!! or is it a letting go thing? am i going to have to go through this with every grade?
but to end on a happier note... the other day i was doing up flynn's car seat belt, when i thought a friend of mine drove past so i waved, only to see it wasn't her...
me: oh!
oscar: what mom?
me: i just waved at that car thinking it was someone else...
oscar: that's ok mommy, it was someone else!
kid logic ~ you've got to love it!!
for a long time now i've been dreaming about the two & a half hours i will be getting to myself...
yes you read right ~ two & a half hours... cue hawaii five-o theme.
we'd picked out back packs, lunch boxes & got name labels printed. but as the time got nearer my heart got heavier.
i started welling up at the orientation for heavens sake!!
the school is a 5 minute walk, so we pile out of the house each with a back pack, 10 seconds later i'm carrying 3! (i knew i should have got the ones with wheels!!)
my boys run ahead & i watch with great pride, my little men, happy & bright.
a car waits to let us cross & it's lori driving, i had the need to let her know so i yell, trying to disguise my chocked up high pitched wail, 'it's their first day at school!' as i hurry along to not show any tears.
arriving at the school we wait outside, oscar is totally fine but flynn starts getting antsy & wants to be picked up... i daren't, so i look at the teacher & ask if it's better if i leave, she takes one look at me & says yes, so i unwrap flynn's arms from around my neck, turn & go... he starts sobbing loudly & shouts out for me to come back... i sob quietly & keep walking...
but why am i so sad...? i don't want them to stop growing, i really enjoy watching their personalities unfold & the different stages develop... so what is it? am i scared of the passing of time? or just emotionally unstable!! or is it a letting go thing? am i going to have to go through this with every grade?
but to end on a happier note... the other day i was doing up flynn's car seat belt, when i thought a friend of mine drove past so i waved, only to see it wasn't her...
me: oh!
oscar: what mom?
me: i just waved at that car thinking it was someone else...
oscar: that's ok mommy, it was someone else!
kid logic ~ you've got to love it!!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
[ scare tactics... ]
sooooooo... i let a lot of things go with my boys but oscar (4) recently has started making this really annoying noise. it's a cross between the sound larry david (curb your enthusiasm) was making when he had a pubic hair stuck in his throat & the noise a vampire makes when someone shines a light on their face.
this has become more & more frequent, averaging on 1-2 times a minute. so in typical me style, i let it go (hoping 'the not bringing attention to it' will work. to be quite frank that method has never worked on anything for me, maybe i'm doing it wrong, hahahaha ~ let it go some more, let it go even more, ask politely, ask politely ~ then enough is enough!
i didn't even think about it & this came out of my mouth:
me: oscar... do you realise what you are doing?
oscar: no...
me: that noise you are making is how people call vampires & if you keeping doing that they'll start showing up. (at this point i'm scaring myself!!) (i'm such a wuss!)
oscar: vampires aren't very nice are they?
me: nope
i could see the cogs working in oscar's head & that was that ~ i have never heard it again. ok ~ so i don't expect jo from the nanny show to be ringing my doorbell for more of these handy tips but it did the trick & hopefully this won't be one of the things he'll bring up in therapy in 20 years time!!
hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ;)
this has become more & more frequent, averaging on 1-2 times a minute. so in typical me style, i let it go (hoping 'the not bringing attention to it' will work. to be quite frank that method has never worked on anything for me, maybe i'm doing it wrong, hahahaha ~ let it go some more, let it go even more, ask politely, ask politely ~ then enough is enough!
i didn't even think about it & this came out of my mouth:
me: oscar... do you realise what you are doing?
oscar: no...
me: that noise you are making is how people call vampires & if you keeping doing that they'll start showing up. (at this point i'm scaring myself!!) (i'm such a wuss!)
oscar: vampires aren't very nice are they?
me: nope
i could see the cogs working in oscar's head & that was that ~ i have never heard it again. ok ~ so i don't expect jo from the nanny show to be ringing my doorbell for more of these handy tips but it did the trick & hopefully this won't be one of the things he'll bring up in therapy in 20 years time!!
hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ;)
Monday, August 23, 2010
[ clean up, clean up... ]
sooooooo... i try to walk into the boys playroom to let them know we have to go to the shops & can't actually find anywhere to put my feet... so i ask.. ok tell them to clean up
me: boys you have to clean up this space... there's no where left to walk. i want everything off the floor please.
i go off to try & find my car keys!! those keys are sneaky & are never where i expect them to be!!
oscar comes running to find me
oscar: mom mom you have to come quickly!! we have a surprise for you...
i follow oscar to the playroom feeling slightly nervous... a 'surprise' could mean anything & usually involves cleaning products!
we arrive & oscar, very proudly pronounces: TA-DA!!! mom look at the floor.
me: wow!! guys that's great...
the floor is indeed spotless ~ then i look up at the couch...
that isn't quite what i had in mind... but i did say i wanted everything off the floor...
no sympathy at all though when oscar complains there is no where to sit!!!
me: boys you have to clean up this space... there's no where left to walk. i want everything off the floor please.
i go off to try & find my car keys!! those keys are sneaky & are never where i expect them to be!!
oscar comes running to find me
oscar: mom mom you have to come quickly!! we have a surprise for you...
i follow oscar to the playroom feeling slightly nervous... a 'surprise' could mean anything & usually involves cleaning products!
we arrive & oscar, very proudly pronounces: TA-DA!!! mom look at the floor.
me: wow!! guys that's great...
the floor is indeed spotless ~ then i look up at the couch...
that isn't quite what i had in mind... but i did say i wanted everything off the floor...
no sympathy at all though when oscar complains there is no where to sit!!!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
[ baby #3 dilemma ]
sooooooo... i'd love to hear all your views on my current dilemma!! i am a mom to 2 beautiful healthy boys, 4 & nearly 3, that bring us an abundance of joy, lots of laughter, so much pride & fear provoked grey hairs.
i've never been a 'i've got to have babies' type of girl... & quite frankly i'm really bad at making those types of big decisions... luckily my husband, mike, thought we should start a family so we did & i've never looked back... or had so many life lessons cramped into a short space of time.
from the beginning of this parental roller coaster mike has always said he wanted 3... i've kind of had that in my head... but since my second, flynn, was born till about a month ago i've always said, i'm not ready to sell the crib... but i couldn't handle another... ok i mean.. i couldn't handle another properly without compromising on every one's attention...
but as oscar (my oldest) & flynn get bigger, more independent & i watch these amazing little personalities develop i can't help but think what would #3 be like?? would it make me feel complete? or be a total nightmare that sends me over the edge?
there are days when the boys are really demanding ~ i feel like i'm going insane & i think to myself how can i even contemplate having another ~ i'm struggling with the 2 i've got...
i've been getting some nice freelance jobs ~ would i still be able to do all that?
there is also the question of age ~ i hit a 'big' birthday next year, & i don't mean 21! (easy mistake though!)
of course the people who already have 3 say it's great, that's because once it's done it's done & you're making the best of it.
i also know people that are happy with 2 ~ are absolutely sure 2 is it... i wish i was one of those people, but i've never been like that. when i was trying on wedding dresses some girls would be crying in their dressing rooms over the dress because they had found THE one!! i never experienced anything like that.
i'm on the fence... if we don't have anymore will i regret it? or in the long run is 2 the most sensible thing all round, i only have 2 arms (but i can give lots of hugs!!) i'm not desperately saying i want another baby...
mike doesn't mind either way... he's a great dad. i think deep down he's good with 2 but he'd be up for the chaos!
also it's not a having a girl thing... boys are fantastic & if we were blessed with a girl i'd be shocked!! & would have to get an instruction manual! (bet there are lots of volumes!!)
when i ask the boys if they want a little brother or sister they both say no. oscar said he wants an older one instead!
one person i spoke to said the dynamics of 3 isn't as good as with 2. i also read it's nice for siblings to have more than one to play with. so there's pros & cons to everything.
are there any people out there that were on the fence about a third & stayed at 2?
any advice at all in general? THANK YOU!!
i've never been a 'i've got to have babies' type of girl... & quite frankly i'm really bad at making those types of big decisions... luckily my husband, mike, thought we should start a family so we did & i've never looked back... or had so many life lessons cramped into a short space of time.
from the beginning of this parental roller coaster mike has always said he wanted 3... i've kind of had that in my head... but since my second, flynn, was born till about a month ago i've always said, i'm not ready to sell the crib... but i couldn't handle another... ok i mean.. i couldn't handle another properly without compromising on every one's attention...
but as oscar (my oldest) & flynn get bigger, more independent & i watch these amazing little personalities develop i can't help but think what would #3 be like?? would it make me feel complete? or be a total nightmare that sends me over the edge?
there are days when the boys are really demanding ~ i feel like i'm going insane & i think to myself how can i even contemplate having another ~ i'm struggling with the 2 i've got...
i've been getting some nice freelance jobs ~ would i still be able to do all that?
there is also the question of age ~ i hit a 'big' birthday next year, & i don't mean 21! (easy mistake though!)
of course the people who already have 3 say it's great, that's because once it's done it's done & you're making the best of it.
i also know people that are happy with 2 ~ are absolutely sure 2 is it... i wish i was one of those people, but i've never been like that. when i was trying on wedding dresses some girls would be crying in their dressing rooms over the dress because they had found THE one!! i never experienced anything like that.
i'm on the fence... if we don't have anymore will i regret it? or in the long run is 2 the most sensible thing all round, i only have 2 arms (but i can give lots of hugs!!) i'm not desperately saying i want another baby...
mike doesn't mind either way... he's a great dad. i think deep down he's good with 2 but he'd be up for the chaos!
also it's not a having a girl thing... boys are fantastic & if we were blessed with a girl i'd be shocked!! & would have to get an instruction manual! (bet there are lots of volumes!!)
when i ask the boys if they want a little brother or sister they both say no. oscar said he wants an older one instead!
one person i spoke to said the dynamics of 3 isn't as good as with 2. i also read it's nice for siblings to have more than one to play with. so there's pros & cons to everything.
are there any people out there that were on the fence about a third & stayed at 2?
any advice at all in general? THANK YOU!!
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