I'm Back

Well my blah day turned into a blah week which turned into a whole MONTH!!! I have not blogged in a month well no cool excuse. I have just been blah but I am shaking it off. I am getting back to the gym. Kastan's basketball season is over so that frees up 2 nights a week. Work is still crazy busy. With the horrible economy we say overworked at Social Services. There has just been sad story after sad story and my heart breaks everyday!

I will be making my rounds to all my bloggy friends to let them know I am alive and well. Espically TOOJ who has been by a couple of times!!!

Blah Day

Today was just one of those blah days. I was just not in a good mood all day long. I hate these days because I spend all day feeling sorry and picking apart my life. It is not healthy, at all. I caught myself about mid-day and just made myslef shake it off. It worked, I really did get a hold of my emotions and ended up having an alright evening.

I don't like down days, at all. Wasted time and wasted emotions. It is a huge step for me to recognize it and change it instead of letting one blah day run into another and another and another.

On a good night, it was Math Game Night at Kastan's school so him and I headed over to play some board games before his basketball game. It was fun and surprising that we actually played true board games. I didn't think they made those anymore but they do.

Then we went to Kastan's basketball game. The team did good and worked well together. I love at this age it is truely about having fun and they are not super competitive. Kye made a couple of friends and sat on the side line pretending to read books with his new friends.

So that is it a recap of my blah-day-turned-good-evening!

Another Kyeism

Well my little one is really in that funny stage, you know the one where they say the craziest things. Here is his latest.

This weekend I got him a sausage biscuit but he didn't eat it. Kastan wanted the sausage so I gave it to him. Well Mr. Kye comes in later and looks at his biscuit and said "Mom where is my black chicken?" Cracked me up!

Wow

The United States of America makes me proud, gives me hope, inspires me, reassures me, comforts me and gives me reason to believe.

I am so proud of the growth of our great nation in breaking through the racial barriers and electing the first African American as President.

I am so hopeful that the days to come will bring successes to individuals, families, companies and our country as a whole.

I am inspired to take on the challenge of improving our country starting with my own community.

I am reassured that we as a country can live, work and interact together regardless of race, religion or sex.

I am comforted by the fact that our president is a wise leader.

I have reason to believe that anyone can achieve their dreams.

Thank You uh I think!

Is this a compliment in your book?

"Mommy, thank you for stop getting on my nerbes"

How would you respond?

I will tell you what I did, I let my heart melt because this statement was given with a big giant squeeze me so hard hug.

Caught in the act!

I have a complaint, surprise surprise. This one is involving my dishwasher. The dishwasher is loud, really loud. I swear it sounds like two midgets in there mud wrestling every time. Not to mention the cycle is sooooooo long but that is about the only complaint I have so I deal with it.

Until recently, I have noticed that the silverware is not getting clean. What was weird is that I ever really caught it until I would get it out of the drawer. It was driving me crazy that I didn't notice as I put them away from the dishwasher.

Well of course I should of never doubted my sanity, I should of remained confident in my perfection. The culprit to this delimma was my sweet, cute little skinny legs.......Kye! Now to his defense he has been stepping up his helping mommy out game. After he eats he has been taking great pride in tossing (literally) his dish in the sink. It does make me a little nervous watching him carefully balance his dish as he walks to the sink. I do cringe when I hear the sound of the dish crashing into the sink but hey he is proud to be a big boy.

What I wasn't seeing or hearing was the little booger putting his silverware back into the drawer. Pretty gross! This has been happening for a while, at least a month. I know there has to be a couple that slid past me. I just wonder who was the lucky recipient of the Kye-surprise???

And this is why video games are good!

We are a family of gamers, no getting around it. I play simple mindless games on POGO. Keith and Kastan plays online games like Warhammer. In order to be successful in the games that Kastan plays you have to be able to read and type. Not an issue for my little brainiac, he hangs right in there. We have always thought he was pretty good with it and ow we have proof.

Kastan's school uses PAWS typing software during one of their computer resource class. The whole school has been doing it and out of every 2nd-5th grader in the school Kastan was the 3rd person to finish. I relate this directly to his typing for the game.

What do you think a real coorelation or just the perfect excuse to keep doing what we love?

Delurking Evening

Well cool people like Jodi and Renee brought to my attention that it is national delurking day! Of course I am late getting on my blog so I am celebrating delurking evening all by myself! Make me feel better and delurk or just comment to let me know you were here!

Quotable Sunday

Yay it is Sunday and I get a free pass on coming up with a great and exciting topic because Toni is having quotable sunday and it is so fun to participate in. You should do it!

This week I am going to post some quotes on brothers. As you know I have 2 boys and watching their bond that was instant just warms my heart. I love watching their relationship grow, it is amazing!

There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother.
~Astrid Alauda

A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams.
~Author Unknown

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.
~Marc Brown

A brother is a friend given by Nature.
~Jean Baptiste Legouve

Things I learned at the gym this week

I know we all have those I was a bad mama-jamma days. Be it before kids, before marriage, before life snuck up and kicked the shit out of us, there was a time when we felt superfly!!!

I am desperately seeking those days and have committed to going to the gym and working out. In fact I went everyday since last Sunday and I feel GREAT!!!! I have learned some things this week and thought I would share them with you.

1. Everyone in the universe makes a resolution that requires them to be at the gym.

2. 3 years and 1 kid later makes a huge difference on your physical condition.

3. Retro 80's clothes should not include the workout clothes.

4. I need stretching in order to walk after any type of cardio workout.

5. Getting stuck next to the stinky onion mixed in dead dog smelling guy sucks!

6. Changing my shirt in the locker room now that I have more weight is more intimidating than when I had to do it in 7th grade and had no boobs.

7. I can be a little competitive and end up pushing the level button up every time the person next to me does so I should pick cardio machines next to people more out of shape than I am.

8. Adjusting the IPOD while I am running on the treadmill can be dangerous to my health.

9. The step climber is evil.



All those are great lessons but one thing I haven't learned is why I have a sneezing fit about 15 mins after running. My nose hearts so bad ad I sneeze hard sneezes. I did some Internet searches and I have no other symptoms of the exercise induced Asthma. It does not feel like allergies and is only happens when I run on the treadmill. I have none of the issues after the elliptical or bike, just running. Any ideas???

Basketball Season Has Started

Tonight was Kastan's first basketball game. He made the first basket of the game and his team won. He had a good time and stayed focused through out the game. Overall a good night.

It was just me and Kye at the game because Keith had to work. Kye really thinks he should be out there ballin too. Instead he settled on playing with his motorcycle on the floor.

I am so not the sports fan but having two boys will probably force me into watching and attending more sporting events then I ever thought I would. At least basketball is indoors, only two nights a week and no weekends.

When both of them hit playing age I can only imagine our action packed weeks. Ahhh is it horrible that I am not overly excited for these sporting events?

And this is why I say goodbye to Mommy Guilt

Recently I adjusted my schedule and changed the boys child care from a home daycare provider to a daycare center. This is after I went back and forth on calling myself selfish and saying I need a break. You see the wonderful break comes in the form that I now have about an hour and a half in between leaving work and picking up the boys.

I haven't really used to extra time all that much because that Mommy guilt would creep in and I would rush from work straight to pick them up. I do love when I walk in and Kastan lights up and says Hey Mom! My heart does flip flops when Kye comes running up to me and yells Mommy as he gives me a huge hug!

After the wonderful greeting we would head home to start the nightly grind. Of course I am wore out because I.just.left.work. No one cares though, they want dinner, baths, playtime, homework. I would do it dragging ass
and being a cranky-ass most of the times but we do get through the night only to wake up and start all over.

Well recently I have said bump that Mommy Guilt I need to take care of me. I now spend that extra time going to the gym. I do cardio and an ab workout and then head to get my favorite men. Guess what? When I walk through that door Kastan still lights up and Kye still yells Mommy and runs for a hug. No changes there but huge changes at home. I am more energized and most definitely happier.

Happier=nicer=behaved children=better night!

So to Mommy Guilt I say eff off, I am doing my best I have two really great, well adjusted, smart, caring, loving little boys that think I am the best mother ever. I know this because just tonight my sweet Kastan said, "Mom have I ever told you you're the best Mom ever, cause you are."

Me and Him!

I have so much in common with my 3 year old. The main thing that sticks out in my right now is both of our inability to adapt to being off schedule. The holiday season gave us a lot of days off and really disrupted our routine. We enjoyed the days off but we both stayed up later and woke up later.........now all that has stopped. Back to the daily grind, problem is we are not adjusting.

I couldn't sleep last night, stayed up past midnight and woke up at 6:00 am for the day. Not enough sleep for a sleep lover like me. Of course it was busy at work and I am barely able to keep up. Finally get home after basketball, make dinner and then I crash. I was out like a light. I know what late naps does to Kye, keeps him up llllaaaatttteeee into the night. Guess what it is almost midnight and I am no where near sleepy. So once again tomorrow I will be all kinds of crabby-baby lady.

Quotable Sunday

Today is Sunday and that means lots of quotes over at Toni's! Be sure to go check out all the fun posts and jump in and do it yourself!!!

With the new year I decided I am going to recognize the oppurtunities to be nicer to strangers. I also want to take the time to value the great friendships I have in my life so today's quotes are on friendship!

"True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost."
- Charles Caleb Colton

"Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you."
- Elbert Hubard

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him, his own."
-Benjamin Disraeli

"A friend is a gift you give yourself."
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Having great friends in your life is truly a blessing. I am fortunate to have great friends to interact with and lots of amazing people in my virtual world!!!

Check out my new look!!!!

So I was getting a little bored with my background and guess what I came across today? I came across Lee's blog and guess what she does free custom layouts. Did I mention it was free and she is very fast. In fact I emailed her this afternoon and I got it this evening. How is that for fast?



Click HERE to check her out!!

Thank you so much LEE!!!!

Not only is she fast and free she is also the sweetest most patient person ever. Of course I didn't know how to add it or even get rid of my old background but Lee took the time to respond to each of my questions and give me step by step directions. Really sweet!!!


So how do you like my new banner, is it jazzy or what????


I have decided to use the back ground on my blog I am using for giveaways so go here to check out the background.

Party of the Year

Mark your calendars for the party of the year, possibly the decade. It is happening in March. The countdown has been on since May 08, marked by daily dicussions, ideas and changes. The invitation list is growing and growing though a couple of people have been on then off then on again a couple of different times.

What is this party I speak of. Well Mr Kye's 4th birthday of course. Every since we went to his friends birthday in May he has been planing his bash. It is kind of ironic because my secret-I-wish-I-had-that-job-but-am-scared-to-take-a-chance-job is a party planner.

So my party planner still has not grasped time frames so every day he must ask me if his party is tomorrow. When I say no he then asks me if it is today. I need ideas on how to explain when his party is.

The invitation lists includes every boy in his daycare class. Though many of them come off and on depending on the days playing activities. The only little girl that has made the list is his cousin Taylor. She is a girl but she gets a free pass because they are only 6 weeks apart so they have always hung out! Ahh I can't say Taylor is the only girl he has also mentioned his "girlfriend" Johanna. Johanna is my friends daughter and for whatever reason my child that does not normally have anything to do with girls started calling her his girlfriend. Oh course at his age he means girl that is a friend but I giggle everytime he says it.

He also invites his teachers, not just his but every teacher he comes into contact with. He really admires teachers and ask why I am not a teacher. Random people we pass while out and about get invited also. People that are important for parties like bank tellers, cashiers, mailmen and random neighbors.

He has planned many games and of course a list of presents. He makes his list from every toy commercial that comes on the tv, seriously they advertise way too many toys. He is adament that the party is happening at his house. Not really a big fan of that I prefer to have parties in places that they clean up and do all the work for you errr I mean help you host.


He also makes the announcement that he will be 4 on his next birthday frequently through out the day, every day. I guess in his world 4 is a very big deal. 4 in my world means my baby is growing up waaaayyyy to fast!

Fantasy Friday Home Edition

This weeks fantasy friday is the home edition. Here is my dream house. Of course it is located right off the beach because I love the beach, love love love the beach.


This is the master bedroom, you know where all that magic happens.


Here is Kastan and Kye's rooms.


If any of you ever want to come and visit here is the guest room you would be sleeping in.

Here is where the meals would be made, not by me because of course this house comes with a full staff but it is still nice to look at!

After the amazing meals we can all relax and check out the latest movie in this home theater.

I agree it is so nice to enjoy the complete movie without interuptions from the kids because the nanny is occupying them in this playroom.


I love this fantasy it was so much fun putting together. I hope you like my house and feel free to dream one for yourself. It was a lot of fun shopping around. Sort of like a stress reliever that didn't cost money!

2nd Grade Holiday Project

This year Kastan has a great teacher and she did the cutest thing for the holidays. They are currently learning about measurements. So one of their projects was for each student to write a recipe for a holiday dish. They then combined it to make a holiday recipe book for the parents. Here is Kastan's submission:



Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:
2 eggs
Candy eyes
Colored icing
sugar hearts
6 lb. flour
flavered food coloring

Directions:

Step 1: Take the gingerbread dough out and put the dough on a plate
and roll it around.

Step 2: Take a gingerbread bear shaped dough cutter, then use the
dough cutter and cut the dough.

Step 3: Take 2 lb. of flour and mix it into the bear shaped dough.

Step 4: Put the eggs into the dough.

Step 5: Put the dought into the oven at 25 degrees, then wait 3 hours.

Step 6: Take the dough out and decorate it.

Step 7: Now it's ready to eat!

Now we haven't been brave enough to try this special recipe out but I did think it was the cutest I have ever read. I enjoyed reading the other student's recipes also. There were some real funny ones.