CVSing with my girl

Munchkin and I did our CVS run this morning after we dropped Curly Girl off at preschool. Look how much we got for $18.36!

We had lunch with Mom Mom and Pop Pop and now the girls are taking a nap. Time for me to get caught up with my school work.

Dinos and pizza in the big city

Today we took advantage of the Free Museum Admission Day and took the girls to the Philadelphia Museum of Natural History. Even though it was humid and soggy we still had a great time seeing the dinosaurs and dioramas.

Curly Girl has decided that she wants to live in the city because she loves the tall buildings and all of the different things to see. I remember feeling the same way when I was a little girl and would go with my Dad when he worked in construction and would bid on jobs in the city. I still remember going to visit him when he'd be working on the skyscrapers.

Here's the girls fitting into a cast of a fossilized dino egg:

Digging for fossils:

Taking a break from all the walking...
Watching the traffic go by...
Dinosaurs!!!
Munchkin was so scared but pretended to be brave. She wouldn't touch it no matter how hard I tried to get her to...
Curly Girl was a little braver since Daddy was holding her...
Curly Girl was upset looking at the dioramas because the animals weren't alive anymore. I tried to explain to her that scientists study them to help other animals but she wasn't too happy about that. We ended up just telling her that they weren't real animals. She still didn't believe us.
Munchkin was amazed by the dinosaurs...

After the museum we stopped by a little pizza shop for a late lunch. Big Sis helped her Little Sis fix the straw in her juice box. I've been seeing her taking more time and teaching her baby sis some things lately and giving her lots of hugs. A big move since before we would constantly have problems with her hitting her little sister. Curly Girl was also really proud of herself because we let her use a knife to cut her pizza all by herself. She did a great job!
We had a great time today. We love spending time together and exposing the girls to different things like museums. Hopefully they'll always remember the times we do these things.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

One morning I was getting the girls dressed so that we could get to preschool. Hubby was in the bathroom with the door closed getting ready to go to work. As usual, whenever anyone is in the bathroom the kids want to know why they're in there, what're they doing and so on and so on.

Except this time instead of Curly Girl asking "What's Daddy doing in there?" she asked me:

"Why does Daddy pee with his finger?"

Uh, WHAT?!!

Seems that we have a Peeping Tom in the house and she's been peeping in the keyhole of the bathroom door.

Guess I need to put some tape over the hole.

Tra La La, Tra La La La

I'm a child of the '70's so I grew up watching The Flintstones, The Brady Bunch, The Monkees and lots of others. I have this vivid memory of being at a neighbor's house eating a pb&j sandwich with one of my friends and watching this show. Does anyone else remember The Banana Splits? I've asked my brother, my parents and a few of my friends but no one else seems to remember it.

The reason I thought about it today was because Curly Girl was watching Tom & Jerry (another one I watched!) and when it was done I heard something else come on from the other room.

"Mom! I don't like this show! Can I watch something else?" she asked.

I went out to see what it was and there it was after all these years! A blast from the past! I was so excited I said to her "Oh, we have to watch this! I used to watch this when I was little!"

"I don't like this show!" she said. Then she changed her mind when the Mr. Man show came on.

So that was my trip down memory lane today. Now I have to send the youtube video to my family to prove I wasn't just imagining things!

What were some of your favorite shows as a kid?

Wordless Wednesday-Sister Bond

Where's the Nyquil!

Munchkin and I have been sick since Thursday. Runny nose, stuffy head, sore throat, blah, blah, blah. We were supposed to go apple picking today but I feel worse today than I have the past couple of days.

The neighbors are having a birthday party for their granddaughter today so Hubby is taking Curly Girls over to play for a bit while Munchkin and I rest up.

I hate being sick!

Stalked by Weight Watchers

A few days ago I received some coupons and an advertisement for Weight Watchers in the mail. I didn't think anything of it and left it lying on the counter.

Later that day Hubby and I were in the kitchen when he noticed it and got a funny look on his face.

"What's this?" he asked.

I looked at him to see what he was talking about and saw the ad in his hand. "Just some junk mail. Why?"

Now he started to look a little mad. "Well, WHY are they sending you this?"

"What do you mean?" I said, wondering why he was starting to sound so angry.

"Well, why are they sending you this? Did you ever go there? What are they suggesting?" He was really looking kind of like he was going to jump in the car and take a ride over to the nearest Watch Watchers.

Then it hit me. "Hon, what do you think? That Weight Watchers has spies who drive around the neighborhood looking for fat people hanging around outside, then write down their addresses and mail them ads?"

Now he realized that he was kind of being silly. "Oh, I didn't really know. I guess that doesn't make sense." Then we had a good laugh.

I thought it was kind of sweet though that he was so protective of my feelings that he felt like he had to go beat up the Weight Watchers people because he thought they were calling me fat or something.

Wordless Wednesday- When Kids Attack Pit Bulls

Oooo That Smell!

Marcy Writes The Glamorous Life is hosting a Girl Party every Tuesday. We can share our tales of our not so glamorous life there, check it out!

My most recent not so glamorous life moment happened to take place yesterday afternoon. It all started at 7am, my feet hit the floor running. I was awakened by Curly Girl climbing into bed and demanding breakfast. After dressing both girls, getting breakfast for them, stripping the sheets from all the beds in the house and throwing them in the washer, getting myself dressed and made up I dropped Curly Girl off at school for the morning.

While Curly Girl was in school Munchkin and I went to the food store, went to Munchkin's doctor's appointment, dropped off food at the house and picked up Curly Girl from school. As a special little trip we stopped at the Golden Arches for some play time in the germ infested playland. We finally made it home about 2pm and Munchkin was ready for a nap.

She'll usually play quietly in her room for a little bit before falling asleep so I didn't think much of it when I heard her talking in her room. After a bit she fell asleep and stayed asleep for about 2 1/2 hours. Then we heard a loud thump. I raced upstairs because I knew that if she fell out of her bed and onto the hardwood floor that she would be upset.

As soon as I opened her door I smelled IT. I picked her up off the floor because she was crying and still half asleep. It was then that I realized that she didn't have a diaper on and the smell was getting worse. Once I opened up the shades for some light I got to take in the whole situation.

Picture this: toddler bed pulled slightly away from the wall, numerous stuff animals and blankets all half on and half on the bed, a lone CLEAN diaper lying on the bed. Hmm, where could that smell be coming from?

I pulled the bed a little further away from the wall and found the source, a nice, large pile on the floor, the baseboard, on the side of the bed. I turned to Munchkin to see what she was doing and finally noticed the poop clinging to her from her armpits to her toes.

So after a second bath and a second change of sheets and a thorough scrubbing of the floor I was ready to get dinner ready for the girls and Hubby so that I could go to school and finish up food shopping.

A glamorous life? Maybe not, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

PS That's what I looked like up top while cleaning up this mess!

The world's best ice cream!

OMG! Have you tried this ice cream yet? It is DA BOMB! I just got back from food shopping after class tonight and I just had to have some. It tastes just like pumpkin pie. So freakin' good! Shop Rite had a great deal on it too. Two for $3.98

So I took Munchkin to the doctor today for her little "issue" and they think she just plays with it too much and it's really irritated. I've got to put antibiotic ointment on it and try to keep her from touching it (yeah right). Other than that she seems OK. I'm just going to keep an eye on it.

Today is also my little brother's birthday. He's six years younger than me and he's going through a really tough time in his life right now. I just want him to know that I love him and I hope that this year brings a lot of good changes for him. Happy Birthday! Luv ya!

You can lead a horse to water...

Recently we've been having problems with getting Curly Girl to eat her dinner. It doesn't matter what I make she'll look at it and say "That's disgusting." "I'm not hungry." "I don't want that."

I just tell her "Fine, but that's all your getting until breakfast tomorrow."

Hubby on the other hand will beg her, plead with her, yell at her, threaten to take away toys, etc. on and on until he'll finally send her to bed in hysterics.

It's starting to get pretty ridiculous. I've told her no snacks after 3pm to make sure that she's hungry for dinner. I usually only put a little bit of food on her plate so she doesn't feel overwhelmed by it. I know she won't starve herself and she eats well during the day. She'll have breakfast, lunch and a couple of snacks, usually apples, yogurt, that kind of stuff.

I've tried to tell Hubby that she'll come around, that she won't starve herself. He keeps insisting that she has to eat dinner with us. I grew up with an eating disorder that I still struggle with to this day. I don't want either of my girls to have a problem like that so I try my best not to make food an issue. I don't use it as punishment or as a reward.

I have no idea what to do with her at this point. The arguing at dinner time is getting ridiculous.

In other news, I need to get Munchkin in to see the doctor tomorrow. When I was getting her into her pjs tonight I noticed that one of her n*pples was really swollen and seemed sore. I'm not sure what it is so I need to get her in there to get it checked out.

We had a nice quiet weekend around here but I'm glad tomorrow is Monday. It seems that on the weekend when Hubby is home things are totally thrown off schedule and the house is such a mess. I can't wait to get it all back in order tomorrow.

Remembering 9/11/01

I will never forget where I was when I found out about the Trade Center being attacked. I had just picked up my sister to go to work at our family's real estate office. We walked into the office and the barber shop that was next door had on the television. We popped in to say "Good Morning" and when we saw the look on the barber's face we knew something was wrong.

I remember calling my parents, my husband and my friends. I remember sitting with my sister and watching everything unfolding on the television. I remember feeling like I was watching a movie and just not being able to believe that it was happening.

That night it was so weird looking into the sky and not seeing any planes flying overhead. I remember crying every time I watched footage on tv, imagining how the people on the planes and in the buildings felt and how their families felt.

When I went to Ground Zero a couple of years later it was still humbling to see the damage and to remember the loss of life.

It was during this time that I really thought about what life, religion, family and country really meant. It made me proud to see how we all pulled together as a country.

My hope is that we never forget the losses that we suffered, that we never forget how we all pulled together not as Democrats or Republicans or Independents but as AMERICANS.

God Bless America!

Don't Make The Mommies Mad!

Curly Girl's preschool is in the basement of a nearby church in a quiet, upscale. very old established neighborhood. One of the next door neighbor's has always given the church grief over the fact that when dropping off their children for preschool the moms (OH THE HORROR!) park in front of his house for a whole ten minutes.

Well it seems that since there is a new pastor in the church who doesn't want to rock the boat he agreed to reroute the way the children enter the school. Now instead of walking up a short walkway and entering the school doors we have to bring our kids around to the other side of the church, enter a side door, go up a flight of steps, down a hallway, down two more flights of steep, narrow, slippery steps, down another hallway and finally into the classroom.

I don't necessarily mind it so much but it's probably because I'm a pretty easygoing person however at drop off today there was a group of moms trying to convince everyone to still park they're cars, SUVs and minivans right in front of this man's house. I think it's pretty funny.

So when I went back to pick up Curly Girl from school everyone parked right in front of the man's house. I can't wait to see what happens next.

It's really ridiculous how petty some people can be. I mean, people are only dropping off their 3, 4 and 5 year olds for preschool for maybe ten minutes twice a day.

Me? I have more important things to worry about; like how can I get the people who go to the church in front of my house to stop parking in front of my house on Sundays? Oh, and I did park in front of his house : )

Wordless Wednesday: Odd Man Out

First Day of School

First Day of School 2007

First Day of School 2008

Today was Curly Girl's first day of school. She's been so excited that school was starting but then yesterday I noticed that she seemed anxious and out of sorts. When she was going to bed last night she kept asking me to sleep with her and telling me that she wasn't tired. I think that she was just so nervous about going back.

She sometimes gets overwhelmed when she's in a new situation or around a lot of people that she doesn't know well. It's funny though because when she's at dance class she walks in like she owns the place.

We sat together and colored for a bit until she loosened up a little bit. She did a little singing and dancing with her classmates.

We did a craft together and had a snack.
Then she played a bit with some of the other kids.
I know that when she goes back on Wednesday it'll be hard for her when I leave. It'll get easier for her though once she gets used to it.

Next year, kindergarten!

CVSing and football

Lately I've been tentatively dipping my toe into the CVS pool. With more practice I'm getting better at getting some pretty good deals. This is what I got plus a Sunday newspaper (not shown) this week for a total of $8.60.
Then I went to Target and got two 60 count size 6 boxes of Luvs for a total of $19.

My final stop was at Lane Bryant. I desperately need some new clothes and I had some Real Woman dollars which are coupons for $25 off every $50 you purchase which my Mom gave me plus I had $65 on a gift card for a return I made and through My Points. I ended up getting a sweater plus 5 shirts for just $35 oop.

It was a really nice day out. Hubby kept the girls at home with him so that I could get some "me" time which I desperately needed. This week is the beginning of our busy schedule. Curly Girl will start preschool tomorrow three days a week plus dance class on Thursday mornings. Hubby is going to a certification class every day this week plus he'll have to complete some online coursework and I have school three nights a week. It's nice to get back into the fall groove though.

On another note, the Eagles won their opener today! E A G L E S! EAGLES!!! Here's Munchkin wearing her Eagles hat for good luck.

Life Doesn't Suck as Much as I Thought Thursday

I was reading a post over here today about a beautiful little girl named Ivy who is suffering from a horrible disease. She really needs our help so if you have a chance please go here and sign the petition to get her that help.

It just breaks my heart to think of what this baby is suffering from.
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In separate news, I have to go to the dentist today for a fitting for a temporary cap on one of my molars that broke in half in January 2007! Yeah, I'm a horrible procrastinator. I'm also terrified of the dentist.

I just don't like the idea of having someone right up there in my face with needles and drills and stuff and seeing all that blood and the smell of all the "stuff" that they're doing in there. I'd rather go to the gyn.

But, on the other hand, I'm thankful that we have such great dental insurance through Hubby's job so that I can go get it done. I'm sure that there are many people who have tooth problems and are unable to get anything done because of lack of insurance.

So that's what I'm thankful for on this Life Doesn't Suck As Much As I Thought Thursday.

Proper grammer

Munchkin has really been going through a real language explosion over the past few months. She's come up with some really funny things lately.

Yesterday while she was eating lunch she came running into the kitchen yelling "F**k! F**k!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" I couldn't believe I heard her correctly. What in the world was she saying?

"Munchkin, what do you need?" I asked. "F**k! F**k!", she was started to get a little impatient with me.

"Why don't you show me, sweetie", I said. She looked at me like I was stupid and pulls open a drawer and pulls out......

...a fork!

I think we need to work on enunciation.

Splendor in the Grass

This, That and Labor Day

This weekend we celebrated the end of summer by going to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. It was a little warm but the weather was beautiful. It was a lot of fun with people dressed in period costumes, lots of outdoor entertainment and beautiful gardens filled with butterflies.

The girls were tired and out of sorts the whole day though. Temper tantrums and picking on each other all day. Other than that we had a great time.

I am so ready to get back into the fall groove though. I start my classes tonight. I go to school several nights a week to finish my education degree. Curly Girl starts back at preschool and dance class next week.

We also have quite a few things planned for the next two months to do. We've been working around the house fixing things up, painting and such. We also plan to go apple picking, hayride to the pumpkin patch, to the museum of natural history. Plus, we'll have Munchkin's second birthday and party coming up so we'll be heading back to Sesame Place for that.

I'm ready to get the house decorated for fall and get back into our regular routine. How about you?