Squishy Face

Because sometimes it's just fun to be silly!

Good Cause

Just a quick note before I head to the airport. Today (until midnight) over at MckMama's Place she is running an awesome little contest. For each comment posted on her blog before midnight she will donate $1.00 to a wonderful organization called Sufficient Grace. So head over to her blog, leave a comment, and help a charity out!

Clickin Mama

Unplugged

I'm leaving for D.C. tonight. And I made the decision to travel light and leave my laptop behind. I can't remember the last time I was without internet. But the crazy hotel charges $24.99 a day for wireless so I'm not even going to bother. How ridiculos is that!?! I have a few posts scheduled to post over the next couple days and I'll be twittering but no real updates until I get back. And I won't be able to check your blogs either. So I'll miss you! But I'll be plugged back in to ya in no time.

Wish me luck on the metro!!!

Clickin Mama

Two Against One

Oh tonight I was out numbered. I kept my niece Mattie tonight and she and The Hulk gave me a run for my money! These are just a few of the things I heard tonight!

"I say no no, listen that The Hulk".

"He's touching my water".

"I wanted it first".

"Eat that The Hulk" (She wanted him to eat the dog food)

"Sy butt in my face".

That was just the commentary that went with what I feel turned into a toddler cage fight! It all started when Mattie hit The Hulk with a toy phone. He then pushed her down and was laying on top of her. And the fight was on. I don't think a winner could be declared. The Hulk has size and strength on his side but Mattie is tiny and quick. She also can poke an eye faster than any child I've seen. But The Hulk has one hell of a fish hook to the mouth move. They can put on quite a show.

I finally got them back on track and put them in the tub for a bath. They had fun for a bit until they both wanted to sit by the faucet. That's not feasible but they kept trying to make it work. After I got them all washed and rinsed off I was feeling pretty confident. But then I got them out of the tub and they tagged teamed me. All was well and then the next thing I knew there were naked kids running and crawling everywhere! It took me forever to get them dressed!

Thank God they went to bed early!





Clickin Mama

D.C. Help

Okay folks this girl needs a little help! I'm leaving for Washington D.C. in just a few days. I have a conference there for work. I will be there Sunday-Wednesday. So I need a little D.C. help. Here are my questions. If you have any answers please leave them in the comments.

1. I have very limited time for sight seeing. Only after 4:30 each day. In that limited amount of time what do you think I MUST see or do.
2. Know any great restaurants?
3. Know any great shops?
4. Is the metro safe? Am I going to be totally lost on the metro?
5. Do any of you live in D.C?

So those are my questions.... Can you help this Kansas girl make the most of her big trip to the city? I want to make the most of my time. While the conference is my priority I want to take advantage of all the free time I have.

Thanks!

Clickin Mama

Numbers

These are just some numbers that are rolling around in my head...

3 days until I go to Washington D.C.
14 months is how old The Hulk is now
33 days until my birthday
29 how old I will be!
7 loads of laundry to do
6 bills that need paid
4 the number of days I've worked out in a row
187 my blood sugar this morning
17 photo shoots scheduled for the month of June

5 days that I will be away from The Hulk

6 hours of sleep last night

342 pictures to edit

2 the number of babies my Darbis is having

19 things I really want to see in D.C

3 the number of things I will have time to see

1 mama with too many numbers in her head

Clickin Mama

Yummy Stuff

So I tried a new recipe tonight. What can I say I'm bold like that! It was in some magazine I was reading months ago and it sounded good but I was scared to try it. But tonight I did and boy am I glad! It was so good and so easy! And since I love to spread the joy here is the recipe!

Salsa Chicken

2 Chicken Breasts
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1/2 jar of salsa

Place chicken in crockpot and cover with the soup and salsa. Cook on low heat for
6-8 hours or high heat for 4-5 hours. I served it over brown rice but I think it would be great over pasta also.

So after you try it let me know what you think!

Clickin Mama

Love Affair

My uncle Charlie is going to have to watch out! The Hulk has quite the love affair going with his lovely wife Adair. It all started innocently enough. A snuggle here and a snuggle there. Then Adair tried to give The Hulk some kisses on his neck. And a kissing monster was unleashed! There was no stopping him! It was like a kissing attack! Crazy kid!

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!

We have had a beautiful weekend. See I even have proof!

The forecast was calling for rain yesterday but we were so lucky. It stayed nice and sunny for us so we could go to visit mom.

The Hulk was very very sleepy! So he just sat on the bench and tried not to fall asleep.

He also sat in the grass and watched us all while of course trying not to fall asleep.

While The Hulk sat around we decorated mom's grave. The aunts brought her lots of new pretty things.

I think it turned out very nice! We love you mama and we miss you always!

Clickin Mama

Mr. Wagon.....er

Well Mr. Wagoner took a ride in his wagon today. He is still getting used to the wagon. He does pretty good sitting still and holding on. That is until a blade of grass or a pebble catches his eye. Then he is a wild man overboard. He really does not understand the concept of keeping his hands and feet inside the ride. He also doesn't seem to understand that standing in the wagon is unsafe. Though he does seem to have a strong opinion that laying in the wagon is something he does NOT enjoy! So after our afternoon stroll we have decided that wagon rides can only occur with two adults in attendance. One to pull the wagon and one to spot the dare devil.

What Happened To The Hulk

I got an email today from a concerned blog reader about Mr. The Hulk. They wanted to know how he got hurt because they noticed bruises on him in the bathtub pictures. I had never thought about this before I posted pics of him but it's something I'm glad they asked about.

Let me explain. The Hulk does not have bruises. Well he does have one small bruise on his knee from a wipe out the other day. But the "bruising" you can see on his back are actually Mongolian Spots or the technical definition is slate grey nerves of infancy. In layman terms they are basically areas that have excess pigmintation. Many children that are native american, asian, or black have these spots. In some cases the spots fade by the time a child is five and other times they stay forever. The Hulk has lots of spots that have not faded at all. Most often the spots are on the back and buttocks. The Hulk has a lot on his back and bottom and also has one on his arm and one on his shoulder.

I carry a sheet with me from his doctor that identifies all the spots so if I'm ever questioned I have medical documentaion stating what the spots are. You would be surprised how many parents of children with Mongolian Spots are called in for abuse. I was actually called in once and my doctor's note came in handy.

Here is another pic that shows most of The Hulk' spots. It also shows his adorable bum and chubby legs! I love those legs! One day those adorable rolls are going to disappear and I'm going to miss them!

Splish Splash

Splish Splash I Was Taking A Bath
Long About A Saturday Night

Scrub Dub I Should Be Washing In The Tub
But Instead I Was Eating Everything In Sight

I Used To Be A Baby That Smelled So Sweet
But Now My Mama Says I Got Real Stinky Feet

So I Spend My Spend My Time Playing In The Tub
While Mama Washes Me... What Is She Thinking?

Seriously?! ?

Free To Be Me

I love love love this song! This is so me right now! I really do feel like I have a couple dents in my fender but on his shoulders that is alright. Even on the hardest days I am free to be me because of his love and the gift of forgiveness. I just keep reminding myself that I don't have to have it all figured out and I don't have to be perfect. He knows the plan and I just have to have faith that he will steer me in the right direction. These may be my feet but it is always his path.



Clickin Mama

Blooming Beautiful

I love sitting out on my patio in the evenings now. It is so relaxing for me. The flowers are blooming and growing. It smells amazing! I think the honeysuckle is what is making the yummy smell. There have been a few hummingbirds flying about lately which are cool to watch. Hummingbirds just fascinate me. I'm a dork like that but I could watch hummigbirds for hours.

This week after The Hulk has gone to bed I've been going out on the patio for awhile each evening. I take my book and just sit and read and enjoy the nice weather. Oh and these nice flowers....







Clickin Mama

Discovery

The picture above is of one of my favorite looks that The Hulk has. It is his thinking face. He makes that face when he is trying to figure something out. For a boy that is usually such a clown I love it when he shows his serious side. I love watching him learn and discover things. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the laughing silly The Hulk show that is almost constant but I also love the other part of him too.

In fact until I had The Hulk I had no idea how much joy comes from watching a child learn. Every day there is a new adventure, a new discovery to be made. I forgot the joy that bubbles bring, or the way leaves blowing in the wind can entertain and calm you. Watching him learn about the world is an amazing gift! So in between laughs I don't mind if he stops quietly and gets that look on his face while he soaks this big world in.

Clickin Mama

Diapers

Do you remember my diaper dilemma with The Hulk that started a few months back. You know the one about him outgrowing diapers and them blowing up and my baby ending up soaked in pee pellets? Yes that dilemma. Well it is partially solved.

I have found diapers that at least fit him now. He now wears a size 7 Pampers cruiser. Yes they do actually make a size 7 diaper. However, they do not sell size 7 diapers in the regular store. So I must special order the diapers online.

I always dreaded the idea of having to have diapers shipped to you. There is no last minute I'm down to one diaper rush trip to Wal-Mart. You have to order well in advance. Order delays can leave a boy running around with a naked bum. Which he wouldn't complain about but some others might.

Well I am no longer filled with dread. Because I found the best site in the world for ordering diapers. Diapers.com is the BEST! Seriously I ordered a box of diapers last Thursday at about 4:00. The box of diapers were sitting beside my door when I got home from work on Friday! 24 hours for free shipping! That never happens. So lets all give diapers.com a round of applause! Good work!!!

Clickin Mama

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here we go again... Time for my free therapy....

I did NOT have a mini meltdown over the air conditioning problems. I did NOT freak out about the expense. I did NOT spend any time at all crying over a stupid air conditioner.

I did NOT walk in to check on a sleeping The Hulk and see a naked baby butt in the crib. He does NOT like to take his diaper off. I did Not re diaper and put PJ bottoms back on my child. I then did NOT go in the next morning to see a little naked boy standing in the crib peeing through the bars onto the floor.

I was NOT the old mean neighbor lady and tell the neighbor kids to turn down their music so The Hulk could nap.

I supervise my child at all times so I did NOT find him snapping the heads of marigold plants at Wal-Mart while I looked at veggie plants. I did NOT push all the broken marigold heads under the rack and walk away quickly so no one would notice and think it was us.

And I did NOT write my 200th article for eHow this week.

Another Good Day

This has been such a good weekend. I don't want it to end! The Hulk has been in a fabulous silly mood. The weather has been great! We are exhausted from all the outside work and play but we could handle another day of fun.

The yard is really starting to come together. We got all our veggies planted today for our garden. We just did zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers. Some of the things we eat the most of. I have a rock bed in my back yard that still needs to have rock added to it. And there is still a section of yard that needs a good clean up but we have made great progress.

I bet I could get the rest finished if I just had one more day to the weekend....

Clickin Mama

Wonderful Day

Oh it has been a wonderful day! We needed a good day! It's been a rough week. So what made the day so wonderful you ask? Well we spent the day doing some of our favorite things. We got up very early and went on a nice long walk. We played with blocks and balls and blared the stereo loud so we could dance like fools. We went to the park and played at the play ground and we even took at nap!

But I actually got all of my flowers planted today! Wahoo! I put The Hulk in his swing in the front yard and planted flowers out there. Then when he went down for a long afternoon nap I worked in the backyard. Not only did I get all my flowers planted but I also cleaned the patio and got a bunch of junk together to take to the dump tomorrow. And I sprayed the yard for insects and weeds! Talk about productive and fun.

I just got done weeding the last flower bed and it's dark. So I'm off to take a shower and then I'm going to enjoy a nice glass of wine on my clean, flower smelling patio! Happy day!

Clickin Mama

Air Conditioner Overload

My mind is on an air conditioner overload! I have met with 6 different A/C guys in the past 36 hours. I've been getting estimates on a new A/C and furnace. Fun times! I know more about air conditioners than I ever wanted to know. Seriously, I know some random A/C facts. The last guy that came to do the estimate was slightly taken aback by me. By the time you do estimate number six you have no time for BS. So when he walked in I handed him a typed up sheet of exactly what I wanted. And this is what I want/need and what I gave him when he walked in.

Thanks for taking the time to give me an estimate. After researching the available products on the market I need an estimate for the following:

A 2 or 3 ton stage 2 air conditioner with a minimum SEER rating of 16. My current unit has a SEER rating of 8 and is not sufficient.

A furnace that has a minimum efficiency rating of 96%.

A high quality air filtration system and humidifier. I have no interest in the UV light systems due to the high yearly maintenance costs.

I will need duct work rerun and resized going to my back room and the garage.

I will also need a thermostat compatible with the Stage 2 system.

The liquid line will need to be rerun and I would prefer this be done on the outside of the house.

So do you think that is clear enough? I hope so! I'm so ready for this to be over with. Here is to hoping I can get a good bid back soon.

Clickin Mama

Criminal Activity

It appears that my law breaking ways have been passed down to my son!

My Aunt Donna left a bag of things here for me to get to my Aunt Adair

I was entrusted with the bag of goodies....

It appears that we cannot be trusted!

This little criminal is now facing charges!

Destruction of property

Not only destruction of property but also....

Mail Tampering

He used my mail as a beating device in the process of destroying the property...

I tried to discuss the serious nature of these crimes with him.

But as you can see he does not take it seriously.

In fact he seems to show

NO REMORSE

He did ask if Aunt Donna and Aunt Adair would pardon him

since he is so cute....

Still Frowned Upon

I know that I shouldn't be doing this....

I'm sure it is still frowned upon....

But it really comes down to numbers for me...

The fine for burning in town is $25.00!

I can risk the fine and burn the leaves in about 45 minutes...

Or I can follow the "rules" and spend about 2 hours bagging the leaves up!

So I decided that my time was worth more than $25.00.

Burn away yucky leaves!

Mama has better things to do!

I know what your thinking

Crazy Rebel!

In My Head

Just a few thoughts in my head....

My sister isn't moving to San Francisco. This was a difficult decision for her and she is pretty upset. I'm bothered that she is hurting but I won't lie... I'm also thrilled she isn't going to be so far away.

I spent 45 minutes at Cartridge World this morning because the old guy working there couldn't ring up my purchase correctly. At first I was patient but honestly by the time I left I was pretty pissed. I don't like wasting time!

My blood sugar was under 200 this morning. Can I get an Amen! It's still high but not your going to go blind, lose a limb and need a kidney transplant high. So we are making progress.

The Hulk is a monster on steroids! There has been much crying and fit throwing going on and he and I are both worn out. Who knew that asthma was the devil! I have a new found respect for asthma moms. It's a lot of work! Someone tell me it gets better once meds are regulated?!?

I haven't cleaned my house in days (see worn out above)! It is starting to reach the scary point. My foot stuck to the tile floor when I walked by the high chair this morning. Maybe tonight after The Hulk goes to bed I'll have more energy to get the floor mopped at least.

It keeps raining here. Like flood raining. Like Noah needs to start building an ark kind of raining. The yard is a swamp so no outside playing for the last several days.

My flowers haven't been planted. They are living in little plastic containers in the garage. They won't be living much longer if they don't get planted. But it's to wet to plant them now (See freaking flood story above).

I got the air conditioner fixed so the house is cooler and the water leak has stopped. However, my wall and carpet are ruined so now I have to get that fixed. Mold is the devil and will make The Hulk sick (see asthma steroids monster section above). So that will probably cost a fortune and I don't even know where to start. Who the heck just replaces one wall? Do you call a contractor for that? Oh wait if I had a husband I'd call him. But I don't. So who does that?

The bad dreams have stopped. Now I just don't really sleep. I'm wide awake until about 2 hours before the alarm goes off and then I'm exhausted all day. That's lovely.

Crap I'm running late now. Why do I try to blog in the morning before work!

Clickin Mama

The Best Day

Today was a wonderful day! Shawn took us all to brunch for Mother's Day and it was delicious. But get this the kids were on perfect behavior! I don't know how it happened but there was NO crying, no whining, no throwing of things, no spilled drinks or food, no fighting, and no blow out diapers. Mattie and The Hulk sat beside each other and played together and laughed. They ate their food and were so so so good! What a wonderful breakfast!

This afternoon we just hung out and relaxed. The Hulk got me a beautiful jacket for Mother's Day. I don't know how he got Aunt Heather the message that I needed it but he did. Thanks for picking that up for him Heather. :-) It was just a great day with my great boy.

Heather got some pics of us together today. So here we are in our Mother's Day glory.








Clickin Mama

Mother's Day Letter

Happy Mother's Day to all you mom's out there. I hope you have a wonderful day! I'm sure I will. I tend to write The Hulk letters and stick them away for him so one day he will have them. I don't usually share but today I will... Again I hope you all have a fabulous mother's day!

Hey The Hulk-

Happy Mother's Day! It's our second one together! How can that be? Things are just flying by and you are getting so big. When I was growing up my mom, your Grandma Dee, would always get Aunt Heather and I a present for Mother's Day. She always said without us she wouldn't be a mother. I thought she was really silly then but now I get it. Without you I wouldn't be a mother and you are the best gift of all! Oh how I love you!

I was thinking the other night about how much I love being your mom. Watching you grow and loving you is amazing! I also spend a lot of time thinking about how I don't want to screw up! You are too precious to screw up as your mom. But honestly love I'm going to screw up. In fact I already do.

So since we know I can't be perfect I'm just hoping I can be enough for you. I hope I can love you enough, teach you enough, support you enough, and adore you enough to help you become the best man you can be.

The one thing I hope you always remember is that even though I'm not perfect you do have a perfect parent, God. See he knows everything from beginning to end. And nothing surprises God. When I end up shocked by something you do he isn't. He already knew it would happen. When I screw up he won't. He will always provide you with perfect love and support. So on those days that you are fed up with me and my crazy advice or lectures know that he will always listen and guide you.

Alright sweet boy it's almost time for you to wake up. And we have mother's day to spend together. So I'm gonna sign off and go wrap your present.

All my love,

Your Mama

Boys Best Friend

When I first brought The Hulk home I was worried I would have to get rid of our dog Lena. She is very high strung and honestly very naughty. I figured she would be horrible with a baby. Boy was I wrong!


Lena and The Hulk are best friends. She is so very protective of him. In fact now that he is climbing she is never far away.


She is always watching over him. And she has been known to growl at him when he is into something he shouldn't be. She also barks like a fool if I'm out of the room and he is hurt or upset. In fact when he started having his last asthma attack I was in the other room and she went nuts when he was struggling for air.


I swear they have a special language. He will jabber to her and she seems to understand. He likes to show her the pictures in his books and that crazy dog lays still and lets him.



They have been known to work together to increase the naughty factor. The Hulk will stand on Lena to reach things that are higher up. She helps him remove clothing and he gives her food she shouldn't have.



And when the mean mama intervenes and stops their shenanigans they have even been known to pout together.

Clickin Mama