Rolling in the Deep

You know this song by Adele?  I LOVE it.  I LOVE her. 

You must listen to PS 22 do their version of this song.  They are awesome at everything they do and everytime I see them sing it makes me wish I was back in the classroom.

 

If you haven't heard of PS 22, set aside a few hours and look them up on YouTube.  You'll enjoy every second. 

~ What the Hell Wednesday ~

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

A skirt with a zipper down the middle?  Really?

This day

One year ago today I got to hug and kiss and tell Aunt Debbie how much I loved her and how much she meant to me.  I think of that moment often and how it was the most difficult thing I've ever done but how incredibly lucky I am to have been able to do that.  She died 3 weeks later and as terrible as that was, I cherish this day, June 28th.  It made that awful day just a wee bit easier.  Nothing was left unsaid on my part.  When the time comes that's all you can hope for.  Right?

Aunt Debbie.  Miss her everyday.

 

Rewards help, please!

I need help.  Suggestions.  Ideas.  What do you reward your kids with?  I'm looking for things that are free and that are not foody/snacky things.  When it comes to things that cost or that contain calories, I'm flush with ideas.  It's the other things I have a hard time coming up with.  Please, share your goods.

In the mornings I've started having the kids not only get Lauren out of her crib for me, but someone also gets her a sippy of milk for me.  And if I stay in bed that much longer, someone also gets her a cup of Cheerios or something like that, too.  Lazy much?  Anyway, to reward this behavior that I value so much, I stopped with the gum or the pennies.  Instead I came up with this and it's genius because they LOVE it:  They get to drive.  All the way down our cul-de-sac!  At some point during the day whomever steps up and happily volunteers to help Lauren in the morning gets to sit on my lap and drive up and down the cul-de-sac.  Isn't that clever of me?  I thought so!  It costs nothing and is calorie free, but it's all I've got.  I need more ideas.  Thank you!

The helper of the day!!

I'm sorry

I'm sorry for the following things:

• that my kids play in the backyard at 8:00am on summer days because I'm already tired of listening to them argue so I shoo them outside.  I know my neighbors must hate me but if they were in my house on a normal morning they would totally get why I do it.
• that I don't do a better job of trying to stretch our dollars.  This is something I need to work on.
• I started picking up before the cleaning lady comes because now I feel like I have to continue doing that and I hate it, kind of defeats the purpose of her coming in the first place.
• that I complain about that at all because I'd give up Chris before I'd give up the cleaning lady
• one of my best friends and I had a divorce of sorts a few years ago because she's missed out on my kids' lives and I know they would have loved her.
• I go to Starbucks daily.  It hurts the waistline (it's under there somewhere) and the wallet but I can't stop.  ADDICT.
• I don't do a better job of teaching the kids how to deal with each other when they argue but I'm usually kinda tired so I just let them figure it out.  Need an example?  Click here.
• that I don't go to the gym everyday.
• for all the people who will be at the water parks during the summer because I WILL be that mom in a bathing suit playing with my kids even though I'm well aware that no one wants to see that
• for Chris because I am such a horrible cook and he deserves better than my ghetto meals
• that I blog everyday and your facebook page is always telling you to check in and read it!  What?  You don't get my fb alerts?  Click here.  All the cool kids are doing it.
• the kids are growing up so fast
• I use the tv to entertain the kids as often as I do

What is something you are sorry for?  Wanna share? 

Put it away

I spent the first 20 seconds of this video thinking, "OMG, stupid parents.  No wonder kids are such woosies these days."  Then it was an instant, "Holy shit." 

I don't text when I drive but I do use my phone.  I still swear that nothing is as distracting as 3 kids fighting while I'm driving but since that's not something I can really control, no matter how much I tell myself I can, I need to work on the one thing I can control.  My phone.

Have you seen him? I miss him.

M I S S I N G

He's super cute, super sensitive, and he loves his mommy.  Have you seen him?  The other little boy that lives her now is still super cute but he's loud and obnoxious, he's learned to swallow air and burp like a drunken truck driver, and he's sassy and sarcastic.  The reward for finding the old William is yet to be determined but it probably will contain chocolate bits and a lot of calories.  Please.  I'm desperate.  I miss him terribly.