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Oct
31
Where did October go?? Halloween is my oldest sons favorite holiday, so we’re usually looking for costumes and decorating the house by October 1. Not this year. The whole month just snuck by. We finally got a few decorations out last weekend.
And my son, who loves Halloween, doesn’t want a costume this year. He’s much too old and mature for trick or treating, now that he’s 13. He’s been invited to a Halloween party, so this will officially be the first Halloween I have spent away from him in, well, 13 years. I know, I’m a big baby, but that makes me sad.
Luckily, Nolan still wants to dress up and trick or treat. He’s recycling a costume that is several years old, but I always buy those things big, so it still fits. I’m very happy that he’s ok with an old costume, I hate buying them, and I’m not crafty enough to make them.
If he’ll let me, I’ll post a picture of him in costume. I’ll have to get it before the trick or treating starts, cause once he gets some candy, he’ll be much too busy for pictures. Come to think of it, so will I!
Have a safe and fun Halloween.
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Oct
30
This is what I’m looking for today. Have a peaceful Thursday, and visit Shutter Sisters for some more Love Thursday photos.
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Oct
28
My 13 year old went to a youth group party last Saturday. A hayride and bonfire party. My husband and I both took him, because we had some errands to run after we dropped him off. He was so nervous about all of his friends actually seeing him in the same car with his parents. Can you imagine the humiliation?
He actually asked if we could drop him off at the driveway. Normally we would, but this house had a long gravel driveway, about 1/4 of a mile! So no, we insisted on driving him all the way up to the house. I could tell he was ready to jump out of the moving car, anything to avoid being seen with us.
There were quite a few kids already there, and they were in groups, girls with girls and boys with boys. A group of girls was standing close to where we dropped him off, talking and laughing. Tanner got out and started walking up towards his friends, and I heard something that made my heart stop.
One of the girls said, “Oh here comes Tanner”. Now, that might not sound bad, but she said it and giggled. In a very giggly, girly way. The way you do when you like a boy, or think he’s cute (I know cute is probably not a word they use these days, but I’m out of touch with the correct terminology). Many, many years ago, I was a teenage girl, and I remember what the giggle means.
What happened to girls thinking boys were gross, and boys thinking girls had cooties? When did we go from that to giggles? Oh help me, I am so not ready for this new frontier. Not at all.
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Oct
27
Time for the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival! I wanted to have a giveaway to celebrate my 100th post, which was actually several weeks ago. But it’s never too late to have a giveaway. You can win a $50 gift card to Amazon.com.
To enter:
Please leave a comment telling me what you would like to buy at Amazon if you win the gift card. If you’re like me, that could be a long list!
I will pick the winner using the random.org generator and will notify them via email. Open to US addresses only. It’s one entry per person, but you can earn extra entries.
To earn extra entries:
- Subscribe to my feed You can subscribe through a feed reader or you can also subscribe by email and have posts sent to your email address. If you’re not familiar with RSS feeds and would like to know what the heck it is , click here.
- Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
Please leave 1 extra comment for each additional entry, telling me which you have done (ie 1 extra comment if you subscribe, 1 extra comment if you mention this on your blog)
This giveaway will end at at midnight CST on November 3. Good luck! This giveaway has ended, the winner will be posted shortly. Thank you everyone who entered.
And don’t forget to head over to my review blog, I’ve got a giveaway going on there, too.
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Oct
26
My weekend giveaway/link love is up at my review site, Unexpected Bliss Reviews.
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Oct
24
This is the longest I’ve gone without blogging since I started last April. To be honest, I haven’t even checked my blog, or any of the blogs in my reader, all week. This is a forced hiatus, I’ve been so busy with a new job that I don’t have time to do anything else.
I’ve been spinning like a top all week, trying to learn this job, please new bosses, and keep my personal life from falling apart. Whenever I tell people I work from home, the typical response is, how can I do that? I’m cautious to even mention it, because while it has definite advantages, there are some days that I wonder what I’m thinking.
When you shut your door in your office at work, you are shutting out your co-workers. When I shut my office door, I’m shutting out my family. If I’m able to get most of my work done during the day, while they’re all gone, or late at night, then we’re good. But this week, I’ve had to shut my door way too often, while my kids and husband are home. I’ve been working way past midnight, and again very early in the morning, but I’ve still missed several dinners with my family, and several of their after school activities. I don’t mind the work, or the crazy hours, but I am missing my family time, and my family.
My kids are used to this, with every new project there is a flurry of non stop work, and they know it will pass. I did take a break yesterday and pick them up from school, because it was pouring down rain and I knew they’d appreciate not having to walk from the bus stop.
I picked Tanner up first. He took one look at me and said “Mom, you need some rest. You’re looking really bedraggled”.
Be-draggled?? I laughed at him, but you know, right now that made up word describes me very well. I’m going to take some time off this weekend, enjoy my family, hopefully get back online, and try to not look quite so bedraggled.
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Oct
20
My kids are on fall break. For some reason, this is the signal for my body to break down and get sick. I have so many fond memories of lying on the couch, miserable, while my kids were on fall break. Seasonal allergies wait all year, then bombard me right about now.
As soon as fall break is over, and they’re back in school and I’m back to work, I’ll be well. I guess I’m allergic to having my kids on an extended break from school.
My oldest spent the night with a friend, so Nolan and I were on our own. I prefer to lie on the couch and moan when I feel like this, but Nolan didn’t approve of that plan. So, we did a little pumpkin carving.
I know it’s hard to tell in the bright sun, but that’s a pretty fine looking skull and crossbones. We’ve been carving pumpkins using those store bought kits for years. This time Nolan did it all himself. I sat and moaned supervised, but he is the pumpkin carving master.
After the pumpkin carving, I got a call that Nolan had won something, and we could come and pick it up. My first thought was, woohoo a flat screen TV! But that wasn’t it. He was just as happy with what he won, though.
In case you’re thinking this is an ordinary Sugar Daddy, let me show you the real reason why my son was soooo happy with his prize.
That’s right, it was super mega size Sugar Daddy. A full pound of artery hardening, tooth decaying goodness. You would have thought he won the lottery, he was that happy. He was a little concerned that there might not be enough to share with his brother – seriously. This is one candy loving boy.
So even though I was a sick, whiny baby, we had a good day. And eventually my medication will kick in and I’ll be back to normal. Or I could just eat some of that monster size candy bar, and collapse in a sugar coma. Decisions, decisions.
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Oct
19
Wendy at Shopping Gems is having her weekly giveaway. The prize is 10 Coke reward codes. Each cap code could be worth 3 to 8 points. Enter by October 25.
There is still time to enter at Robyn’s Online World for a $25 Amazon gift card. That giveaway ends on October 31.
An Island Review is giving away 1 copy of the The Naked Brothers Band: Season 2Dvd. Enter by October 26.
An Island Life will award 1 lucky winner the Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman:The Complete Series Mega Set. Enter by October 25.
From Dates to Diapers is giving away 1 Hamilton Beach Ice Shaver. Enter by October 31.
Mamanista is giving 2 lucky winners a $25 gift card to Shutterfly. Enter by October 23.
All Because Two People Fell in Love is giving away an iPod Shuffle. Read the rule to get entering details, this one requires more than just commenting. Enter by November 1.
5 Minutes for Mom is giving away 1 pair of Brooks Athletic Shoes for kids. Enter before November 8.
We are finally getting some cooler fall weather here, it’s been a beautiful weekend. I’ve been hit with some allergy/sinus thing that makes me feel like my head is going to explode. It always happens this time of year. So my weekend link list is a little short, and I missed posting completely yesterday. Hopefully I’ll be in better shape tomorrow, it’s another day of fall break and I have to able to referee enjoy hanging out with my sons. Enjoy your weekend.
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Oct
17
I’ve posted pictures of my dog on our swing set before. The sad thing about that is that he is the only one who goes up in that swing set anymore. It’s his favorite place to sleep.
My father in law gave us that when we first moved here. He picked it out and brought it here, then put it together for us. It was such a labor of love from him, and my sons absolutely loved it. They were 2 and 4 at the time. They spent hours out there playing, and when they got a little older they built elaborate forts with pillow and blankets out there. On long summer days we would climb up there and have picnics outside. They’d bring their toys and play out there all day. And then when we got our dog and he loved to get up there too, it was definitely the favorite place to play.
There was also the time when my oldest came in the house and informed us that he had strung his brother to the swing set by his feet, with a rope. We jumped up and saw Nolan hanging there, upside down, laughing, while we rushed out to untie him. Good times.
My kids haven’t played up there or used the swing set for a long time. I can’t remember the last time. My husband works with someone who has small children, they’ve asked about buying our swing set. I think we’re going to sell it, so at least someones children can enjoy it. But it’s very sad.
The swing set phase of my life is over. In fact, a huge phase of my life is over. Going to parks, the zoo, water sprinkler parks, play museums for small children, all gone. I loved those things, loved spending hours at the park or zoo. Such a sweet time.
Life is still sweet, it’s just different. And part of me will probably always miss the swing set, and the park. I’ll probably never think that the Wii is as much fun as climbing up there and having a picnic. My kids don’t agree, of course. But they will, one day, when my husband buys a swing set for our grandchildren.
Which will not be for a very, very long time. Just pointing that out.
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Oct
16
My kids are out of school today for fall break, and I have to say that they are not feeling much love for each other right now. Luckily it’s a beautiful fall day, cooler weather is finally here, so I am loving that.
Visit Shutter Sisters for more Love Thursday photos.
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My boys
Where did those little guys go?Cuteness overload
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