Merry frickin Christmas

Don't you just love this time of year? Honestly, I do. I relish in this holiday. I love to bake 12 different cookies and candies, decorate the nest, and listen to Christmas music. What I don't like is trying to get a decent picture of the kids in front of the tree for our Christmas card. This has been the tradition since we moved here, Caleb sits in front of the tree, dressed in his holiday best, and I take 250 photos, hoping that one, JUST ONE, is worthy of a card to be sent to 75 of our friends and family. Last year Cohen joined him, in his Santa suit, and I think he's getting back at me for it.

I have spent the last 2 weeks trying to get these kids pictures done, and it is like having a bird peck out your eyes. Cohen DOES NOT sit still. We seem to have a communication problem b/c I sit him down in front of the tree, and say STAY, and he takes off like a bat out of hell....then turns around and laughs. Yes, I have that kid. Caleb on the other hand, tries his hardest to cooperate. Because THAT is Caleb. He will sit for an hour with a fake ass smile on his face, and let me take 2 million pictures if I wanted. Needless to say, there has been a lot of yelling, a lot of crying, and a whole lot of BAD pictures.

I was venting to a girlfriend about this, and she very WISELY said "that is exactly why I don't do Christmas pictures. I don't want to remember fighting with the kids, keeping their clothes neat, or deal with the stress of it all. I want to remember HAPPY STUFF."

So, I finally decided we had enough. I wasn't going to torture us anymore. I was going to make it work with what we had if it killed me. And to my surprise, there were a few photos that I actually could have used. Not ONE where both boys were looking at me smiling normally, but I could have pieced something together. Then I remembered what she had said. So I went back through our photos, and found some of the kids in all their glory. HAPPY, SMILING, AND DOING THINGS THEY LOVE. This is what I want to remember, and what I want THEM to remember. NOT that I made them sit in front of the tree every year in a fancy outfit to have their pictures done. God willing maybe someday it will be easier, and dare I say...fun, but this year it just....uggghhh, was not. So, I made another card...one that brought tears to my eyes when I picked it up at Costco today.

So when you get your Christmas card, you won't see my Christmas tree, you won't see Christmas outfits, there are no stockings or bows. What you will see are happy kids doing things they love, and a happy family, making happy memories. Isn't that what Christmas should be about anyways?


And since you won't see this on the card, but I know some people feel the need to see the "christmasy" pictures, here's the few better ones we got.



Merry Christmas :)

Boys and Boxes

Alright, alright, YOU FILTHY MINDED PEOPLE. Not that kind of BOX! Actually a regular old cardboard box. It's a square shaped flat type box....only a couple inches thick. And it has a Calphalon pan inside. I was sending it back to get a replacement, since they are covered by a lifetime warranty, and the non-stick stuff is peeling off...anyways...the box was sitting in the corner awaiting its trip to the post office, when a small boy fell in love. A very small boy, with only 1 year under his belt. Loves this box like no other. He climbs, and sits....climbs down, back up, sits again. Like he is the king of this box. He just loves to sit on it. He sits upon his box so proud, and so HAPPY that he is sitting up on this silly box. I will post pictures later..I have to stop lauging and pick up the darn camera. Seriously it is the cutest thing I have ever seen. He even pushes the box around the floor so he can sit on it in different places. I can't get the kid to play with any of the hundreds of dollars worth of toys that he has. Thus far, he is interested only in the toilet, my makeup, the cat food, and this box. So far, the box is the only one that he doesn't hear a "NO" for getting into :) I heart the box. So Calphalon, lucky you. I am keeping my busted pan for now...in the box :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COHEN!!!

One year ago today, I was lying in bed at the Fauquier county hospital holding my beautiful newborn baby boy...and wondering how the heck I was going to manage a newborn and a 3 year old. Today, I lay here on the couch wondering how I am going to handle a 1 year old, and a 4 year old. 15 years from now....boy, that makes me....OLD :)

I know it is cliche, but guys, it goes by so fast. Seriously, it seems like yesterday I was in the hospital hoping that Caleb had not convinced Grammie and Papa that ice cream was an OK dinner. Skip ahead one day, Uncle Houli is visiting and we are singing Happy Birthday with Five Guys Burgers and fries (Cohen's favorite) and the biggest birthday cake 16 bucks can buy. Thank you Costco. And just so you don't all feel left out here are some pictures of the big day......

This is Cohen rockin' our famous birthday hat....and not really liking it so much.

A much "happier" birthday boy...see, no birthday hat :) I fondly remember Caleb ripping it off of his head too at his 1st birthday... The cake... (the candle is up a the top, Caleb picked it because it was "sparkly") He takes after me :) Caleb showing Cohen how it's done (blowing out the candles). Cohen getting his first taste of the good stuff.Yummmmmmmm....

You can see that Cohen also takes after his Mama in this picture :)Present time!!!Concentrating......And finally....Yay! IT'S A BALL! I know, I know, a frickin' ball?! Come on! But seriously, a very wise friend once told me, all a kid needs is a ball...and seriously...can you see the smile on his face in this picture???Probably not, I know it's kinda small. But trust me, he liked it :) And even though Caleb has 6 million balls of his own, he sure was jealous, and loved it too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COHEN!!!!!

Attention Kmart shoppers

And even if you don't normally shop at KMart, starting Sunday 10/26 through the following Sunday, they will be DOUBLING COUPONS UP TO $2.00 This means if you have $2.00 coupon for an item, you will get $4.00 off the item. $1.00 coupon, $2.00 off and so on. Even if you don't normally use coupons or shop at KMart, this is a reason to. Do yourself and your family favor, save some money. You know you want to. You know you NEED to. Then do like Auntie did, and buy yourself a pint of Haagen Daaz as a reward for saving some serious loot. Now, I do not normally shop at KMart, it is in the G-H-E-T-T-O...but trust me, I will be there when the doors open this Sunday, and you should be too. Sometimes you just have to sacrifice. And sometimes you get 4 bottles of shampoo just because they are FREE.

DISCLAIMER : ALL KMART STORES ARE NOT PARTICIPATING....look up your stores flyer online, or call your local store to verify. Or if you are feeling really brave, head on over to www.hotcouponworld.com and find out if your store is participating. (Hint: there is a big list...wink wink) And just so you know, if you call your store might tell you they dont know yet, blah, blah, blah....my store tried that. I laughed at them, and then felt really great that I knew about it before they did :) Because I am good like that, and I have "sources" LOL. Have fun, and Happy couponing!

Boots and chaps, and cowboy hats....

Caleb is a little man of many talents.....to my brothers in Tennesse he is "Captain Caleb", at home he is "Chef Caleb" and now he has another title to add to his resume....

Cowboy Caleb...as he is known to his friends now :) We went on a little camping trip and met up with my sister and her girls at a horse show in Delaware. The rest is history. As most of you know, in my former life, horses were a great passion of mine...and thanks to my sister one of the reasons I stayed out of trouble during my teenage years. So it was a very proud moment when I saw the exitement and sheer bliss in my little guy's eyes as he pulled on his first pair of "real" cowboy boots. He rode a horse in the show, he shoveled poop, and helped out in every way he possibly could. I think he FINALLY got something from me :) Horses are a great part of my past, and I'd like to think they will be a part of our future too.

plastics, dyes, and DIRT!!

Do you remember back in the day when we used to drink those sugary sweet juice drinks that were in the little jug looking things? I forget what they were called, but boy they sure were GOOD on a hot day. Well I bet you a hundred bucks they were FULL of red dye 40, and were in plastic containers that contained BPA, not to mention they probably contained 50 tablespoons of sugar per guzzle...but hey, they were cheap right?!
Man, we had it easy back then....and so did our parents! I'm constantly trying to keep up with the conflicts that plague parents these days. Lately all I seem to do is check labels, read about vaccines, and plastics, chemicals, etc....and try to figure out WHAT THE HECK TO FEED THESE kids!! I do the best I can...I got rid of the BPA plastics, I try to avoid red dye 40 and other artificial coloring. High fructose corn syrup is on the black list, and I have switched to organic milk...and now, I really don't want to eat, drink, or play with anything from China either. There you have it. I AM one of "those" Moms. What can I say I want the best for my children....and I don't want to find out 40 years down the road that their colon cancer was from the pesticides, hormones, and chemical that I fed them when they were kids.

But at the same time, I no longer use those plastic mats that stick to the table for Cohen to eat off of in restaurants, he eats off the table....he hardly ever wears bibs, and he has already had eggs, chocolate, ice cream and french fries....he's not even a year old yet! So I am still a bit of a slacker Mom. Poor Caleb suffered a fry-less existance until he was at least 18 months old! Oh, and I caught Cohen in the toilet the other day....not just splashing happily, but with a wad of wet toilet paper hanging out of his mouth. Yeah, yeah, HA HA....very funny...all I can say is it's a good thing I forgot to put the clorox tablet in the toilet last week!

Kids will be kids, they get dirty, they eat stuff they shouldn't, they stay up past their bedtimes and they love it :)


A couple weekends ago we took the opportunity to let the kids do just that. My sister was in VA for a horse show, so we thought it would be fun to go and visit. We decided to rough it, and camp out. Caleb LOVES camping, Cohen not so much. But that was probably because I made him sleep in a winter hat.....(we went to tuck the horses in right before bed)


He did however love the cheeseburgers

and ice cream, and most of all the DIRT!! I think he ate 2 lbs of it....Caleb enjoyed the grunginess too, and the junk food, and most of all his PEPSI!! That is what he had for dessert. And he was a stark raving lunatic from it....good thing it only happens on special occasions :) Here is Caleb in all of his dirty sugary glory...

Sometimes...I think we have to let the rules slide...and let the kids be kids...even if it involves eating a little horse poop :)

Cohen~the forgotten child :)

I promised to spend some more blog time on Cohen, so this is for you little buddy :) I did not realize how consuming Caleb was of my time...that is until he was gone (at school). No I didn't give my kid away LOL. But honestly, my day revolves around my kids. Caleb mostly, and Cohen until now has just been along for the ride. Now, with Caleb at school for a few hours, Cohen gets to run the show! It is very quiet with out him here, but Cohen is learning to compensate for him. He is quite the jabber jaw now that he is trying to increase his vocabulary. We currently have Mama, Dada, some "Ba" sound that I believe means "Caleb", and he is starting to sign as well. He is signing "milk" pretty consistently, which is ironic since I really want to be done nursing when he is a year old....which, well, sadly isn't too far away. More on that later!

I am really enjoying having some more one on one time with Cohen, and it is so interesting to see how different he is from Caleb. He is quite sassy, as you can see here. He LOVES to eat, and loves stuffing his little sausage fingers into his mouth whenever he can.

He is very determined....I'm pretty sure he'll be walking before he's a year old vs. Caleb who pushed his little wagon around until he was 15 months!! He was SOOO cautious. Not this one, he is a risk taker :) I know, I know, that just spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E. He is such a doll, and like his brother, a total Mama's boy. But, the one he really looks forward to seeing everyday....Caleb. He loves his brother. He misses him like crazy, and is so happy to see him get in to the car when we pick him up at school...he just lights up. He was smiling at Caleb when I snapped this picture.
And here is a little video of the boys playing...I believe Cohen thinks HE is hitting Caleb with the ball...or maybe he just thinks Caleb is really stupid for hitting himself with the ball...well for whatever reason, this kid has a belly laugh like no other, so turn up the volume and enjoy!

first words

Cohen said "Mama" :) ...he has yet to say Dada....I think he might be the only child in history to say Mama first....I think he might be a genius!

The big day

Caleb's first day of school....was fantastic. He handled it like a pro, like he had done it a million times before. Me, however, I need some more practice. Let me tell you how it went. We are waiting in the lobby for the teacher. Caleb is looking at the fish, bouncing around the lobby eager to start his big day. His teacher comes and greets the kids, and it went like this....

Miss Lori : OK kids lets walk to class. Caleb, I want you to hold hands with X (insert girls name here)

The kids line up, Caleb does as he was instructed to do.

Miss Lori: Alrighty class follow me!

Caleb : WAIT!!! I need hugs and kisses bye-bye first! As he runs across the lobby with his arms open wide.

I heard an AWWWWW in the backround, as I was pulling the sunglasses over my eyes to hide the tears streaming down my face. Caleb turned around, ran to get back in line, and then I ran out of there as fast as I could....and cried all the way to the grocery store. 15 minutes away.

The moment was bittersweet, I was so proud of him, in so many ways, for so many reasons. But of course I was so sad to let my little man go. He is growing up whether I like it or not. And right now I more leaning toward the NOT LIKE IT side :)

He loved his first day of school, and he can't wait to go back. He also can't wait to ride the school bus in Kindergarden. One thing at a time little man, one thing at a time....

Here is some pics from the big day.....

the walk to the van...(notice the bookbag that took 2 hours to pick out)

in the school parking lot....

waiting in the pickup line....and....the thinking face.....just like Mommy :)

Today we spent the entire day at home. And I remember why I love staying home with my kids soooo much. We made home made play dough, went for a bike ride, colored, read books, and just sat on the floor and played. OK I did some laundry and I had to clean up the messes from Breakfast, 2 snacks, and lunch, but besides that we had a really great day :)

has it been a week already?

Wow, time sure flies when you're having fun. Or getting ready for school to start! This week was busy to say the least. We had doctors appointments, dentist appointments, haircuts, swimming lessons, and meet the teacher night for Caleb's new school.






Not to mention we had to pick out a new bookbag and luchbox. We could have spent an entire day on just that alone. Caleb finally settled on a Lightning McQueen bag and lunchbox.....after 2 hours of looking in Target. Goodness it was CRAZY, oh and I had another grocery store doing triple coupons so that took up 2 hours of my valuable time on Friday....thank goodness bribery is a beautiful thing. All it takes is a trip to the Carousel for ice cream :) and Caleb tries his best to let me shop in peace...Cohen on the other hand....well you can imagine how that goes. Most of the time he looks like this....

Or this.....

But back to the school thing, Caleb starts tomorrow.... Ok, pre-school, but it is REAL dammit. He is going into a 5 day program, but will go only 3 days a week for a little while. So he can get used to it. OK, so I can get used to it. I need the gradual transition as much as he does. Yes, he has been home with me for 4 years, and you get used to having the company. Not that Cohen isn't great company....but he doesn't talk. He yells, and babbles, and smacks his hands on things. But he isn't quite the conversationalist that Caleb is. And if you have ever talked to Caleb you know what I mean :)

Right now Cohen and I are in a bit of a rough patch. All you Mom's know what I am talking about. He is at the stage right now where all he does is get in trouble. I know he isnt being BAD, but the kid is insatiably curious about everything. How many friggen times do you have to pull the trash can over to see the garbage fall out of it for God's sakes?! And do all of the shoes taste different when you chew on them? I thought rubber was rubber, but then again, it's been a while since I chewed on a shoe. He has also learned how to shake his head, which means he is very close to saying "NO" to me. I am not looking forward to that. But for the time being, he just shakes his head (and his body gets a little involved too) in a very Stevie Wonder like fashion. It is actually very comical, here is a video so you can see for yourself.....






Funny huh? All through the grocery store, he just kept shaking that head. Poor kid, he already hates shopping with me. He does however like to do anything with Caleb, which is just one of the reasons I will miss Caleb so much. How am I supposed to entertain Cohen all by myself??? I hate playing with firetrucks, and running around dressed like a cowboy. And I know with the utmost certainty that Cohen is going to miss Caleb just as much as I will. I am however looking forward to giving Cohen the same attention that Caleb was fortunate enough to have from me, thus far.... that's if I can keep him out of the trash......

just a regular ole' weekend

Well, we are finally sitting down...Sunday night at 9:30 PM. That's what happens when you hang out at home for the weekend...there is no such thing as relaxing, there is too much "stuff" that needs to be done!

I left the camera inside for most of it.....trust me you didn't miss anything too exciting, but I had to take some pictures of this father son bonding time....

Here is Caleb concentrating, and chewing the inside of his lip....I think this is so cute because I do the same thing. He does it when he is thinking, I catch him sometimes in the rearview mirror doing it too....I hate that he is picking up on my bad habits, but at the same time I think it is adorable :)

He takes his job very seriously.

I wish I knew what he was thinking in this one...he looks very regal.

And my personal favorite...I dont know why, but the look on his face is the perfect mix of thought AND confusionAnd no I didn't forget that I have another child.....Cohen just happens to be to small to get up on the ladder and paint. He would just end up eating it anyways...the little trouble maker :) He is very busy...very very busy. Which is why there arent many pictures of him lately....I can't keep up AND take pictures of him!

Well, I'm going to settle in with a glass of vino, and enjoy doing absolutely nothing for a few mintues, until I wake up and we do it all over again :)

domestic...ness

Today I was hanging out with some mommy friends of mine. My friend Heather, who is a TRUE domestic diva was teaching us how to can/jar veggies, fruit, jams etc. We had so much fun hanging out, and we came home with some home made peach preserves and canned peaches to boot! But one of the most interesting topics we chatted about was WHY WE GOT MARRIED?
I guess I missed it on Oprah the other day...but it really made me think. So, why did I get married? My quick answer was....."Well, because he asked me to"....my girlfriends of course know me pretty well, and enjoy my sense of humor, and know me well enough to know that couldn't be the WHOLE reason. So I thought fast and all I could come up with was well.....I love him.....and Chad is pretty much the only person on earth that could ever tolerate me :) I am NOT the easiest person to get along with on a 'round the clock basis. But, he loves me unconditionally....and he is my best friend....period.
Our conversation quickly changed to something or other, we finished our canning, and we all went on our merry ways. Heather to get her new granite countertops, Katrina to clean up the god awful mess we left in her kitchen, and me to register Caleb at school :( that blog is for another day....but the question followed me for the rest of the day. It was something I used to think about all the time...before I was married. Maybe some people think about it for a while after they are married too, but I didnt have time for that $h!t...I was too busy having babies and thinking about them to worry about my marriage for god's sake.
So today I reflected on this thought.....WHY DID I get married? I did not get married because I wanted to do somebody elses laundry for the rest of my life, or because I wanted to cook for 2 instead of 1. I surely didn't get married so I could have children, we all know you can do that on your own now a days. I did not get married because I wanted somebody to take care of me. I was and still am very capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much. And unlike a lot of young people, I did not get married just so I could have a wedding....why would you do tha anyways???? A wedding is a whole lot of money to just throw down the tubes! But in all honesty, it took me a while to remember WHY I got married....and Chad is still thinking about it :)
After much thought, it started to come back to me. I did get married for the most obvious reason. Because I love Chad, and I knew he loved me. And thanks to Father Conti I know the difference between LOVE and LUST. It's to bad more people weren't taught that in school. I got married because I wanted a partner. Because I wanted someone to share the rest of my life with. But above all, I got married TO CHAD because I couldn't fathom a day without this man in my life. Not a single day, not an hour, not a minute. I know it's not a very exciting reason....it's not sexy, it's not hot. But it's the truth. I married him because I want him to be a part of everything that I do, and everything that I am. I married him because I admire and respect him. I married him because I KNEW what a great husband and father he would be. I married him because I know that together "Irene & Chad" is so much greater than just...me. It is cliche, but he does make me a better person. And he is my better half....a much much better half....(he doesnt need coffee to be nice in the morning). Could you imaging if we were both like that?!
The way I look at it is this.....some people get married for the great sex.....do you think they are having sex when they are old, crippled, and wearing adult diapers? Some people get married for the money.....what happens when the money is gone? Some people get married for the security.....those people should just get dogs.
Boys and girls this is the deal.... people who get married for the excitement....well they get divorced. You can't have sex forever and your money may dissapear. But me, I plan on being married for a long time......to long to be exciting for all of it. Some of it yes, but I want to married and have a partner for the un-exciting stuff too, because that's what life is all about. In my 28 short years I have certainly had my share of UN-exciting times, but forunately for me I am one LUCKY LUCKY girl. I have a partner in every sense of the word. Not many people find it exciting that my friends and I got together to make jam while the kids played....I don't even think Chad did. But by golly, he tasted that jam and he even pretended to like it :) And I have no doubt that we will enjoy changing each others diapers when we are 98 either.

Koopons

Koopons, Q-pons....whatever you want to call them. Listen folks....these are free money. Cut them out. Take them to the store with you, and use them!!! They are to be used like cash. There is nothing wrong with using them, no one will think you are white trash, or poor; and so what if they do anyways? If you use a coupon for 1.00 off an item you are already going to buy, that is one extra dollar you STILL have in your pocket at the end of the day. Using coupons is smart, and I will tell you why. Because today, I went to the grocery store and bought 10 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast, a package of hot dogs, 4 boxes of cereal, and 3 packages of kool-aid for 0.54 yes, folks that says FIFTY FOUR CENTS.

Close your mouths.

I didn't do anything illegal. Take advantage of the "system"...maybe. If you're lucky I'll blog about my couponing some more, and maybe it will inspire you. I would love to inspire people to save money. Yes, I am committed to it. Yes, it takes some time and organization. And YES it saves us a ton of money. More than a ton....my super de-duper hard working husband works his tail off to earn the money that supports us, and allows me to stay at home and take care of our kids....and it is my job to stretch it as far as it will go. Besides being a Mom THIS is my "job", and my #1 hobby and addiction. Yes, I think it's a bit like an evil drug. Once you spend change on something you normally would have spent 20, 30, 50 dollars on....there is nothing like it.

I meant to take a picture of my loot from today but I forgot, so here is one from a couple weeks ago (before the broken fridge/freezer). I spent 0.84 on all this. EIGHTY FOUR CENTS FOLKS!There is 7 pouches of pasta sauce, 2 penne noodles, 3 tortilla chips, 4 hot dogs, 4 boxes popcorn, 4 bags lifesavers candy, 3 koolaids, and 2 boxes of kleenex....I know, I know....believe it.I lost all of my hotdogs in the freezer death. There were 20 packages maybe more...may they rest in peace. At least I still my 50 boxes of kleenex :) And that is after donating 35 boxes for school supplies for the kids that can't afford them. I try to share the wealth when I can. I used to get the free lunches at school too...and I still have anxiety if we get down to less than 12 rolls of toilet paper. Thanks Mom :)

Swim lessons and fluffer nutters

It was just another Monday here at home...not too much exciting stuff going on. The usual cleaning up from the weekend...I'm not sure about you all, but when my husband is home for a couple of days the house looks like an atomic bomb went off. I just can't keep up with him...socks, half drank drinks, glasses, keys, tools.....whatever, he just sets it down where ever he pleases, and makes a nice little trail for me to follow. So generally Monday is spent cleaning up the tidbits he has left for me....out of love of course....I know he just wants to make sure I don't get bored :)


So, after all of my hard work cleaning up, I managed to take Caleb outside for some quality playtime and fresh air, and then I treated myself to a fluffer nutter for lunch today (thank you broken refrigerator) and it might just be the tastiest yummiest treat EVER. Who the heck thought of that one? The only thing that might make it better is some chocolate. I'll have to buy some Nutella and try that out, I'll get back to you on that one.


In other news, today was Caleb's first day back at swim lessons....I'm almost positive the kid has gills somewhere. He is so much fun to watch in the water, and it has been great to watch him get more and more comfortable....I can't wait to teach him to water ski :) Although for some reason blowing bubbles, kicking his feet, AND paddling his hands cannot happen all at the same time....if he is swimming, he is holding his breath, and if he's blowing bubbles, only 1 arm moves, and the other is a limp noodle :) It is VERY comical to watch, all's I have to say is it's a good thing he can hold his breath for a long time :) Anyways, here are some photos from the big day.....

patiently waiting......

flexing for the ladies...

He's such a hearthrob isn't he?

Saturday fun

Today was the first weekend day we have spent at home in about 2 months.....the boys are still fighting off colds so I am trying to not to infect the rest of the town....but it didnt last very long :) You can only stay home for so many days before you go crazy....3 is my personal limit...I'm pretty loopy by then. So we realized we needed some supplies from The Home Depot; dinner, because our refrgerator is STILL broken, and ice cream from our favorite ice cream place, just because ice cream makes kids feel better....

Watch out Nascar here come the Laskaris boys!!! Personally I think they look much better in the #20 than Tony Stewart!!

Earlier the same day.....
Free entertainment....like most other Mom's, I dont allow balls inside. A balloon however is the greatest invention ever. Seriously who ever thought of them should get a gold medal.

UMMMM, the dog ate it?