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?

Lawn Boy

If you read my first post you probably noticed that one of my many jobs at home is lawn boy....you might have wondered why......wonder no more.



So my newly-wed BFF is on her honeymoon in Aruba, and is blogging their little adventure for all of us to see...well all I want to do is pack my $h!t and get a plane and crash the party!!! They had a dinner cruise last night, and drank and danced all night long...what did I do last night???Sleep...not so much. Cohen was up mad as hell that he couldnt breathe and had snot all over his face...so what do I do? I suck it out with that little snot sucker thing and what happens? The little turd gets even more pissed at me for trying to help him out!



On another note, why is it that when the baby is up sick, crying, and completely unconsolable at 2:30 in the morning it is always Mom who is up with them, while Dad snores away in dreamland??? And why is it then that Dad gets to lay in bed with the child who will peacefully watch TV while Daddy gets to sleep MORE, and I get the climbing, hair pulling, biting monkey in bed with me???



Granted I am no peach either, Chad wouldnt even come out this morning until I had had my cup of coffee...but thats a whole different story.



So then, is it horrible that I volunteer to mow the lawn to get away from my children?? Chad tried to beat me to it, but I told him to stay inside and relax with the kids :)

testing, testing, 1-2-3

OK folks...here we go. Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging...I figured some people might not want to see every detail that I share when I send out pictures...so instead, I think I will post here, and you can stalk me all you want if you so choose. I'll do my best to post as often as possible, with pictures of course....if I can figure out how to do that, I'm not all that computer savvy believe it or not.

OK so I figured out how to post a picture...obviously.....but it took at least 2 minutes for just ONE picture so well see how this goes....considering I sent out about 100 today alone.....hence the need for a blog. I am sure there was at least a few people who though "OH NO, NOT AGAIN", no hard feelings, I've been looking for a hobby anyways. I'll just add it to my list of jobs I already do......

1. Wife

2. Mom

3.Chef

4. Housekeeper

5. Doctor

6. Lawyer

7.Financial Planner

8. Amusement Park (yes I AM an amusement park)

9.Coach

10.Veterinarian

11. Pool Boy

12.Lawn Boy

13. Home Boy (haha got ya :)

14. Teacher

15. Photographer

16. Chauffer/Taxi

17. and now Blogger

I'm sure there are at least 3 more things to make this an even 20....but frankly I am just too tired to think about it anymore :)