Mother's Day

If you are thinking of sending flowers to your mom (or aunt, or grandma, or any other mom you know...) for Mother's Day, 1-800-Flowers.com will give you 15% off your purchase if you use the code FRMD5.

If you need my address (you know, so they know where to bring my flowers) let me know...LOL!!!

It's never too early to think about it...

Christmas Shopping.

I know, it's not even September yet. If you're anything like me, though, you're wondering how you're going to be able to get a nice gift for the ones you love without breaking the bank.

Sure, you could go on "Black Friday" and stand in a line a mile long at 5:00am. (YIKES) Then you could rush your way into the store to find what you're looking for. Forget browsing, this is more like war. People get in FISTFIGHTS over things like "Tickle Me Elmo" or the newest game systems EVERY SINGLE YEAR! It's silly!

I remember going shopping on Black Friday once. ONCE. O-N-C-E. I went with my mom to Joann Fabrics at some ridiculous hour (I think it was 5:00am, but I could be wrong). I wanted to buy some flannel, because they had a SUH-WEET deal on it. Apparently everybody and their brother (well, it was mostly sisters, because guys just aren't much for Black Friday shopping, especially at a fabric/craft store...give them some time at Sears or Home Depot, and I'm sure they are thrilled, but CRAFTS? I think not.)

Anyway, so we got our fabric and stood in line. FOREVER. Seriously, I think I stood in line for like 4 hours or something. For FABRIC. Now, I love to get a good deal on stuff, but that was ridiculous! If only there'd been a website where I could find sweet deals from the comfort of my own home.

Well, now there is!! It's called Black Friday (catchy, no?) This site will show you available "Black Friday" ads from leading retailers, and will give you the opportunity to purchase these items online, instead of having to get up at the crack of dawn to get a good deal! You can even put yourself on an email list to get updates on when new ads are posted! This is a pretty cool concept, one that I am intrigued by.

From stores like Ace Harware and Harbor Freight (a personal fave of Ande's) to Babies R Us and Wal Mart, you're sure to find something you (or someone you love) can use!! I'm looking forward to the Ikea ad...it hasn't been released yet, so I think I'm going to have to get added to the email list! There's also

You can even make a shopping list right on their site! It could certainly make your Christmas shopping a little easier, couldn't it? (You could even make a list of stuff YOU want...and casually leave it for your husband or boyfriend to find...LOL)

Don't delay - check out the Circuit City ad by clicking here: circuit city ad TODAY!!!

Just a bunch of stuff

In order to get my mind off of needlessly worrying about finances, I have been trying to pay more attention to the good stuff going on in our house....

Who's been sleeping in my bed?

Yes, that's a sock monkey (made by my mom) that Puckey tucked into our bed the other day.

Daddy is The Jib's new cupholder

This means that The Jib is finally "bottle free"! No more baba's. Whoo-HOO!!

Videos we've been watching:

Yeah, the big kids are LOVING this one (read with MUCH sarcasm). So far, Puckey has watched it 5 times, but doesn't have any interest in going potty. Apparently she's just watching it for the entertainment value?

School House Rock is pretty much the best I know of...and this set includes ALL of them, including your favorites like "Conjunction Junction" and "I'm Just a Bill." (You can thank me later for getting those songs stuck in your head) We told Ande's mom we'd like her to buy this one for Puckey for her birthday.

Ande and I have spent more time talking to each other lately. I mean, we have always talked, but it's usually about the kids or whatever. Recently, our conversations have held more depth (and sometimes laughter) than usual. It's pretty awesome.

The Jib is learning more and more new words every day. We've added:

• "Becko" (You're welcome) It's so cute, because she knows how to use it properly.
• Book
• Down
• Home
• Potty
• Puckey
• Ride
• Bike
• Outside
• Cold
• Pool
• "Muck" (Milk) - she can also do the sign language sign for it

Just yesterday, The Jib walked into our room, and she looked out our french doors into the backyard. You can see our pool from there, and she pointed and said, "Cold pool!" I love it!

Puckey and The Jib got a "new" ride a couple of weeks ago, courtesy of a local yard sale.

We went for a family bike ride yesterday. I got to try out my "new" bike. My mother in law gave me her bike, which is sorta like riding a lazy boy chair! (Pretty comfy).

However, even with all the comfort of the bike, I was left wondering just when I got so old and out of shape. My backside and thighs were feeling pretty rough by the time we got back home! I guess I'm going to have to start riding a little more often.

Bubber is now participating in "two-a-days" for football, which is just wearing him right out. He seems to like it, though, so I'm happy!! (Although he's eating us out of house and home!!)

Bug is excited about starting Middle School in a few weeks...although I think I'm going to have to start making her get up early pretty soon to get used to it. Right now it's after 10:00am and she's still asleep. (Meanwhile I've been up since about 6:45am)

Nans should be coming for a week at the end of this week or the beginning of next - it seems like FOREVER since we've seen her! We'll get to go school shopping with Grammy (my mother in law) while Nans is home, too. Always have fun doing that!

The bible study I've been doing is going well - it's still just the two of us, but I feel like I've learned some new stuff (and some stuff about myself) that I wouldn't have learned otherwise.

Thanks for all of the prayers you guys have sent my way - it's been effective! I feel more at ease than I did before, and things are looking better all the time. (Maybe part of my problem was hormones - you all know how that goes!)

Because you asked...

Well, since half of you have asked, (okay, well it was only 2 people - but only 4 people have commented on my with/without crust post, so that makes it 50% right?) you can get a Ped Egg at Bed Bath and Beyond. Use your 20% off coupons. Don't have one? Let me know, I've got plenty!!!

(I didn't tell you that I found about 7 or 8 MORE coupons AFTER I took this picture. I think I may have a problem...)

You can also get them at Linens & Things, Target, and maybe even Wal Mart.

Run, don't walk, to your nearest retailer and get yours today! Let's make this a crustless summer!!

Oh, and Amanda - you're right, I was totally thinking of other people's needs when I did my pedicure...HA HAH HA!! That was GREAT. Hope we get to see you when you come back to MI!!

Oh happy day

For Bug's 11th birthday, I told her that we could paint her and Nan's room and get new bedding for their beds (Bug got her bedding probably about 7 or 8 years ago...I managed to find the matching set for Nan's bed when Ande and I got married 5 years ago.) Needless to say, the girls are a little tired of it, and want to upgrade to something a little more "grown up". (You know, because at 10 and 9, respectively, Bug and Nans ARE grown up...LOL)


Last weekend, when both girls were home, I took them to Bed Bath and Beyond to see if they could find a color scheme they could agree on. It's hard, because they have different tastes, but I told them they had to agree on something or we wouldn't be doing anything. The girls talked it over and decided that they wanted their room to be "sunset" colors (like orange/red/dark pink). I said that was fine - and they found a comforter that was the color scheme they wanted and I was okay with buying.


I interrupt this important programming to tell you that Puckey was just combing my hair for me, and she said, "You look SO pretty!" What a sweetie. Last night she was singing "You are my sunshine", but when she got to the end, she sang, "Please don't take my mama away." Talk about melting my heart!!


Okay, so back to the bedding...I went back and forth in my mind about going ahead and getting the comfortors they picked, because there were only 2, and Bug's birthday isn't until the end of May. This morning I decided to go ahead and get them. I grabbed Puckey and The Jib (and some 20% off coupons) and headed over to BB&B. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO thrilled with my purchase!! Let me break it down for you:


2 Liz Claiborne Twin Size Comfortors - Regular price $99.99 EACH

2 Liz Claiborne Twin Size Sheet sets (to match the comfortor) - Regular price $59.99 EACH

2 Liz Claiborne "Breakfast Pillows" (Decorative pillows) - Regular price $39.99 EACH

(For those of you who aren't so good with the math, that adds up to $399.94, and that's not even for the whole set shown in the picture on the package)

Now, those of you who know me know there is NO STINKIN' WAY I would pay that much for some bedding. I'm just too cheap. So how much was my total bill???







Ready??







Are you sure??







You're gonna be JEALOUS....







The total, including sales tax, was $87.51!!!!


Yeah, you read right. Everything I got was on clearance - I got the sheet sets for $9.00 each!! I'm going to hunt up some more coupons (I love the fact that you can use the coupons from there even if they're long since expired, as long as you have an item for each coupon you use) and go back to get a few more sheet sets - I can use them for curtains, throw pillows, seat cushions....plus it's always nice to have a couple of extra sets handy.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE some bargain shopping!!!

OH. MY. WORD.

Are we in for it.

Yesterday, I took the kids to our local Hallmark store, because Bug and Nans had some Christmas/birthday money burning holes in their pockets. Both of them LOVE Webkinz, and the store near our house usually has a pretty good selection of them.

So, we go into the store, and the girls gravitate over to the Webkinz display. Puckey, of course, follows her sisters and starts picking up the assorted Webkinz and showing them to me. "Look, Mama, a hippo! Hi hippo!" "Look, Mama, a HORSE! Hi horsey!" "Look, Mama, a kitty! Kitty says, 'MEOW!'" With each one, Puckey would pick it up, hug it, tell me what it was (and sometimes what it says), and when I would tell her to put it down, she would. No biggie, right?

WRONG.

By this point, the older girls have their new pets in hand, and are headed towards the register. Puckey is holding a black lab Webkinz (you can see what it looks like by clicking here). I tell her that she needs to put the puppy down, because we have to go. Puckey looks at me, lip almost trembling, and says in a quiet voice, "I can't." I ask her again to put the puppy down, and again she almost whispers, "I can't" I ask her why. And she looks at me, cradling this little puppy, her dark chocolate eyes starting to get a little moist....
"I can't, I LOVE him."

OH. MY. WORD.

The women working in the store just about died. It's a good thing we weren't at Starbucks, where Puckey once scored a free Walrus just because she was so cute holding it. What a spoiled girl! So Puckey continues to cradle the puppy, petting him and rubbing her little cheeks on his....I swear, I nearly CRIED because she was SO STINKIN' CUTE! We finally got her to put the puppy back, and left the store without so much as one tear on her precious little cheek.

Yes, that's right, I was able to resist the power of the Puckey. Ande was pretty impressed, since he pretty much folds like a cheap lawn chair when Puckey says she wants something. At one point last summer, she almost had him talked into a REAL puppy, because she got so excited over our neighbor's dog. For those of you who don't know Ande - that's HUGE, because Ande doesn't really like animals all that much. I put the kibosh on that one, though, because I knew who would end up cleaning up after the puppy. I have enough people to clean up after, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Okay, in all honesty, I didn't QUITE resist the power of the Puckey. I just ordered the black lab Webkinz online. I DID get it for 1/2 of the cost they charge at the Hallmark Store, though. I thought it would be cute for Puckey's Easter basket. I love to buy the kids stuff, but I like to make it for an "occasion", not just because they want it.

From toothless to two teeth overnight...

Jib then...... and now

My little Jib is getting so big. It's too fast. This morning she was sporting two little stubby teeth where last night there were just smooth slobbery gums. Next thing I know she'll be crawling and then walking....ugh. I'm not ready!! Is there any way to keep her just like she is? My cute little round-headed cherub...I don't even mind changing the diapers and the occasional spit up. I love her big toothless grins (which she technically still has, since you can't really see her teeth yet), and the sweet way she smells when she snuggles up next to me. I don't even mind when she wakes up hungry at the crack of dawn some mornings. (Although don't ask me that while I'm stumbling blindly through the kitchen at 5:00am trying to make her a bottle while she's bawling her eyes out - I would probably not respond nicely.)

I wonder how long it will be before I'm sitting here thinking "we need another baby..." (Remember, we have 5 already). Fortunately, Daddy already took care of that issue, so we shouldn't ever get a suprise visit from the stork. We have talked about someday (when the big kids are out of the house probably) taking in foster kids, but that's a long way off.

Something that's not a long way off is the start of school. My wonderful mother in law took the kids on their now annual school shopping trip. I feel so fortunate to have in-laws who can, and are willing to, do things like that for the kids. And the kids love it, too. We usually get the shopping done in about an hour or so, and then we get to go to lunch. Today we went to a Mexican restaurant that my step-daughter recommended. It was VERY good (thanks Hannah, for the suggestion). We'll have to eat there again sometime. It's nice, because it's close to home and not super pricey. I love Mexican food.