Cyndi's Corner

Have you?

2008-10-30T17:27:00.002-06:00

Forgotten the REAL reason for Halloween??

Well, check out this great reminder from the folks at The Onion

In The Know: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

One year ago today...

2008-10-02T07:48:00.003-05:00

Many of us learned our Dear friend, Evie, lost her long, hard fought battle with cancer.

There's not a day that goes by that we don't miss her. She meant so much to so many of us.

For us today is also day of joy and celebration, as 7 years ago, after 4 years of trying we finally had the baby we longed for for so long. Evie was so happy for us, and happier still when Ava came along.

Today not only will we be celebrating a birthday, but we will also be celebrating Evie's life, for I know she'd not want us to mourn her passing, but remember what a joyous life she led. Even through her hardest times, her strong will shone through.

We miss you Evie, and I know you are up there somewhere, looking down on all of us today and reminding us to celebrate! :) Love ya!

My Baby

2008-10-02T07:44:00.004-05:00

In 7 short years we've gone from this:

To this:

Happy 7th Birthday Miss J!

I've been Tagged!

2008-09-30T09:52:00.005-05:00

Heidi Tagged me several days ago, but between Ava being sick and it being the weekend and having to run errands yesterday, I'm just getting around to it now. I know, I know, I'm a slacker. :)

Here are the rules of the Tag:

1.Post the rules on your blog.
2.Write six random things about yourself.
3.Tag six people at the end of your post.
4. If you are tagged, JUST DO IT, and pass the tag along.

Well I'm not sure I HAVE 6 people to Tag, but I'll answer the questions, at least! :)

1.) I own and use a PedEgg and I LIKE it. There's nothing like being able to grate your old, tough feet like a block of cheddar. :)

2.) Since Heidi loves boobs, I'll talk about mine. They are HUGE HUUUUGE... they were always big, after two kids and almost non-stop nursing (there was about a 6 month break there when I was PG) for 7 years now, they are HUUUUUUUUUUGE! I am so not their biggest fan! They certainly have served thier purpose well, but when that's done they can go away. they can go all the way away for all I care, and I mean that. Being able to sit up straight will be an amazing experience for me. There are times I've wanted to just take an axe and whack them right off.

3.) I say "Bah" a lot. ;) Well I probably type it a lot more than I say it, but it's just a good word!

4.) I love Facebook. I love chatting with my friends there, I love finding all my friends I haven't seen or heard from in YEARS... even people from HS, who maybe weren't so friendly... we've all grown up and gotten over ourselves, and it's really fun to see what people look like now, and see pics of their adorable kids and just catch up with one another. There were only about 106 of us in my Senior class and half of them I wen to elem school with. In a way it's rather kool that there are people even 4 years older and younger than me, that I know from the other classes too. Not many people can say that. The hubster's class alone in his HS was over 700 kids. I just can't imagine that...

5.) I don't shower every day. well sometimes I do, but if I'm just hanging around the house, cleaning stuff and being domestic, why bother. LOL

6.) I drink soy milk, because I can. One day I just decided to try it. WHY am I drinking cows milk. I am NOT a baby cow, I don't need to put on weight. It took a little getting used to, but I like it. Now i'm going to work on replacing all my normal dairy items, with soy ones.

Real Ant Farms Have Dirt...

2008-09-17T17:06:00.003-05:00

So the other night, after a Geo-Caching adventure, The Hubster and J noticed tons of Queen Ants flying around.

For a while now they've been blabbing about an Ant Farm, but I guess when you send away for the ants, you don't get a Queen.

So they collected one or two and are keeping them in some Temp housing outside.

SO despite the fact that I had 8 million errands to run today (I was basically gone from the house from 10am-3pm!) I made a point to run to TRU to find an Ant farm from them. I got the LAST and ONLY one they had.

My ever grateful 6 y/o showed it to her Dad, and then started BAWLING. "It's GROSS!" "Look at the BACK?!" "It looks FAKE!"

I'm apparently an idiot, cause i'm failing to see the problem here.... I said, It's gel, all the Ant farms are gel now!

In between sobs, she tells me "REAL (sob) Ant farms (sob) have DIRT! (sob)"

OY VEY!

I informed her fine, I will just take it back then. Fortunately for both of us, her Dad was then ready to take her and her Sister on another adventure, so hopefully he's talked some sense into her by the time they get home.

Yeah I'm SOOOO looking forward to the teen years! :-P

Sacred & Profane

2008-09-14T10:18:00.003-05:00

Personally, I think Heidi's just trying to pimp her blog, but I'll play! (runs)

Sacred:

Profane:

Some things are just timeless...

2008-09-09T19:56:00.002-05:00

I've always LOVED this routine, but after having kids, I love it even more! :)

Ok...

2008-09-09T15:26:00.002-05:00

here's a story for you...

Ava's never been one for change. Things change, and it's like a National Catastrophe. A far contrast from J, who was all "go with the floooooow".

Sunday, I sorted through the girls' closet. I got rid of a lot of summer stuff, and drug out the fall stuff, incl. some longs sleeved things! ACK!

Anyway... since I was able to thin out the drawer that contained Ava's swimsuits, I was able to put her unders in that drawer, as opposed to the basket where her socks are. The poor basket was overflowing and it was just a PITA to try and find socks, since they were buried under the undies (not that we needed the socks during the summer, really).

So, Miss "Change is Evil" for the past few days, has taken to taking her unders OUT of the drawer, and putting them back in the basket, and then getting REALLY mad when I put them back in the drawer. :-P

It will be interesting to see how long of a battle I have on my hands.... :)

I have nothing to say....

2008-09-09T14:46:00.003-05:00

Really, I don't... LOL

Drives me nuts when I can't think of something to talk about here. Generally it will hit me at like 2am, and then I'd really rather go back to sleep than blog. Naturally, come morning, I've forgotten all about what I was going to say.

Yesterday was good, but busy in the afternoon, between scheduled delivery appointment, and unscheduled workers just showing up. :-P

J had a soccer game in the evening. Ava was an utter mess all day long, not having taken any sort of nap. She passed out just after 5pm last night.

Today I've been TRYING to get some stuff done, but we had a few errands to run and before that, Ava DID have a nap. We got home, unloaded, I picked up the yard and then sat here for a bit, and notw it's about time to pick J up from the bus.

... and just as I was about to type that she has dance tonite, I realize I need to fix her an early supper so I should go heat up the oven for her now, so I can pop the pot-pie in before I go get her...

Are you KIDDING me?

2008-09-04T08:28:00.003-05:00

So a few weeks back I was selling some stuff on ebay. After auction end, I get a message from a buyer, TELLING me she will pay me that next Friday, which was 8 days later. I generally require payment w/in 7 days... but figured, fine w/e. I wasn't too fond of her attitude, but just let it slide.

That Friday came and s he paid and I shipped and she left me feedback and I got busy... which was a good thing, because a week later I had a hold on my PP account. I generally drain my $ out of my account after I get paid, it's just a good idea when you are dealing with PP, IMO.

So since I had like .19 cents in there I was in the negative. For some reason either she or the bank reversed the charges and PP was investigating. It wrapped up sooner than I thought, and in my favor, thanks to all the emails i had from her, and the + feedback she left, etc.

Since then she's been sending me email through ebay about my leaving her feedback. This last one was threatening.

The funny part tho, is she is threatening to never buy from me again.

Uhhhhh

yeah, I kind of would PREFER that, thanks! :-P

So yeah, she's blocked now! 0:-)

For Heidi...

2008-09-02T14:54:00.003-05:00

Just for you, Homer! ;)

Potty Chairs... Friend and Foe...

2008-09-01T16:17:00.002-05:00

So, Ava's been pretty much PT'd since Early July. She decided right before we left for our vacation this summer that it was time. That was interesting. I managed to convince her that while on vacation we needed pull-ups and not undies.

Once we got home, we were good to go with the undie wearing. :)

PT-ing, at out house is a long process. As soon as we see interest in the whole using the potty thing, we get out the small potty chairs. Generally there's a lot of just sitting on the potty chair, diaper on possibly even clothed at that point.

As we get further into the process we ad the soft potty ring to fit over the big potty. We still have the little chairs around too, because well, they can be handy...

I don't know about anyone else, but around here it seems like whenever *I* am using the potty, Ava needs to go too. Potty chairs are a big help in this situation, especially when it's not really convenient to say, get up OFF the potty so I can help her get onto the big potty. :-P

I'd say that's the biggest plus to the potty chair around here.

The Hubster is allergic to them, to say the least. He'd much rather bag the things up and toss them in the trash, than to empty one out. :-P

In a former life I was a CNA at a nursing home, so I have a pretty high tolerance for bodily fluids/function. Especially when you add almost 7 years of parenting to that too. Emptying them out is not pleasant, but I don't usually mind.

Unless of course, say you are in the potty having a not so great time, and along comes your toddler, who is having the same issue, and then completely fills that puppy up with her not so great issue... all while you are feeling not so great and just the smell emminating from the potty chair, that she's still sitting on is enough to make you want to hurl right then and there.

And trust me, I was really not wanting my 3 course Thai meal come back for an encore!

I LOVE the potty chair, and I LOATHE the potty chair...

What do you think? Friend or Foe? Or both?

Good Grief

2007-11-29T13:00:00.000-06:00

I really need to update my user-pic over here. Ava looks SOOO small!

I was clearing out some thing sin my Photobucket account yesterday. I found a bunch of videos I had made when Ava was about 6 months old! That seems SO long ago. Even hearing Johanna's voice on the videos, she sounds so different now.

These children are certainly growing up so fast. Lost teeth, language explosions.

How do they keep getting older while I stay the same age? ;)

This, I want to know. :)

11-11 - 11:11am

2007-11-11T11:11:00.000-06:00

I just noticed that's it's 11/11 and I'm writing this at 11:11am. LOL

I always notice weird times like that. I'll just happen to glance at the clock and it'll be 4:44pm or 10:10am, or 2:22pm. That one is a favorite, since Johanna was born at 2:22pm. :)

WHY I notice the odd times, is beyond me. Maybe it's just because they are more noticeable. LOL

Hope everyones Sunday is going well. The Hubster is off taking pictures. I should be clenaing something, or maybe taking down our H'ween decorations. LOL I've been too sick to take them down, and I'm better now, plus it's nice out, so I really should. LOL

I've been busy playing Webkinz and d/l-ing the beta version of YIM. Hopefully this version will solve my YIM issues. More often than not, I've had to use the web version. I can send messages on the old, regular version just find, but I don't always receive them. Then everyone thinks I'm being a snob and ignoring them. LOL

I've also got all caught up on Facebook, and successfully Mass Poked everyone, so I think I'm good with my online activities after this post is done. :)

They girls are busy playing "summertime". Well, I'm not sure what Ava is doing, J's trying to get her to go along with her ideas, but Ava's not to reliable. LOL So far, J's set up a beach, making summer pics and now wants a "summer snack" so I guess I should go work on that for her. :)

Have a Summery Day! ;)

Photo Hunters

2007-11-10T07:31:00.001-06:00

Today's Theme is "Flexible". I'm posting this picture for a couple of reasons. Not only is she physically flexible... and don't you wish you still had the same flexibility today, you did as a child? But also, she was and still is my "go with the flow" kid. :) As long as she's with us, she's up for anything (most of the time anyway) . As a baby, I didn't need to worry about her schedule. She was happy to be with her Momma, and would just fall asleep wherever. LOL

Grrrrr

2007-11-10T07:11:00.000-06:00

Blogger has been taking fooooorever to publish my posts. So now watch, this one will fly right through! LOL

My antibiotics are slowly kicking in and I've been feeling more like myself every day. The Hubster on the other hand... after 3 days of staying home from work, I suggested he go to the Dr. too. :) He's now got some antibiotics too. :)

Johanna has a long weekend. We had a fun day at the mall yesterday. She got a haircut and a new Webkinz, I also bargained with her. She could get the Webkinz, if I got to yank out her VERY lose tooth. So she now has now front teeth! :)

She's been running around singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!" LOL

I told her her classmates will think they have a new studen tin class when she returns to school on Tues. LOL

It's a Miracle!

2007-11-05T13:12:00.000-06:00

Wow, Look who's actually posting??

ME!

LOL

I apparently really suck at keeping up here, don't I?

I think I got a little too addicted to Facebook. :-P Between that and household, uhhh, "duties" and my boards and email, I don't seem to get over to the ole blog too much. :(

Not to mention I'm now a Webkinz addict. LOL

Things here are going pretty well. I'm just getting over a fun old chest cold. The Hubster seems to have it now. Lucky him.

Johanna's turned 6, lost 1 of her front teeth, and the other one is about ready to fall out. Actually, it won't surprise me if she comes home today w/o it. LOL Her teacher yanked out her first one. She was afraid J was going to swallow it. I tried to yank out the other one for her yesterday, but she wasn't going to let me. I think she wants her teacher to do it again. LOL

She's loving Kindergarten! It's just amazing to me what they learn in K these days.... I remember going 1/2 day and having a nap time and snack time and story time. Johanna is READING.

So umm, there goes the days of spelling out stuff we don't want her to know! Dammit. :-P

Ava's 21 months old now! She's back to being interested in the potty, and she's talkign up a storm. I probably hear a new word from her every other day! It's fun that I can have little conversations with her now!

Of course my having the chest cold has made that a bit challenging. I lost my voice completely one day and I still don't quite sound like myself.

We we're getting ready to go to the grocery store this am, and I told her to go find her socks. She had her shoes, but needed socks.

She comes back, hands me a piece of double bubble (from TOT-ing) and says "Suck". I look at her and I say. OK. A) that is gum and not a sucker, and B) I said SOCK not Sucker! LOL

So, Yeah... LOL It's Monday here!

Hope you've all been doing OK out there in blog-land, and I'm really sorry I stink at updating! :)

Photo Hunters

2007-08-25T07:17:00.000-05:00

This weeks' theme is "Happy"! I thought this was a good shot from Monday. Happy to be home and report about her very first day at school! She had a blast, and was Happy to go back for day 2 (and 3 and 4 and 5!)! LOL

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-25T07:34:00.001-05:00

Is it bad...

2007-07-25T07:27:00.000-05:00

that I was really excited this morning, to be able to look out my windows? The past few days, you can't see out in the mornings. The dew point has been SO high here, that they are all fogged up on the outside. Not a good sign.

This morning however, the dew point is a mere 68. I'll take it!

Could be worse. Those of you out there in other areas of the state are having really hot, 100+ weather. So I'll take my 90's and deal. LOL

We've been busy. We girls' started up swimming lessons this week. We also have company arriving this weekend. I need to work on finding the guest room again. It seems we get it all cleaned out for guests, and then they guests leave, and it goes back to being a catch-all room again. UGH.

Hope everyone is staying cool! I'm off to go work on my WW pic.

Photo Hunters

2007-07-20T20:50:00.000-05:00

This weeks' theme is "Tiny".

In honor of Monday being Ava's 18 month birthday (can you believe) it? I thought I'd post a newborn pic of her. She was just a week old here. She was SO tiny to us. J was born weighing 9lbs 7oz. Ava was 6lbs 10 oz.

Not to mention she seems SO tiny here, compared to how she looks now. :)

DONE

2007-07-20T20:12:00.000-05:00

Done Done Done

D-O-N-E Done

Done Diddy Done Diddy Done Done Done

Someone hand this Momma her time card, she wants to clock out!

It wasn't even really that horrible of a day, really. Maybe it's cause it's Friday. I had to run some errands. I didn't feel like going but I went. Ava slept through two of them. Ten minutes into our Sams Club errand, I started having some intestinal distress. That was fun with J blabbing on an old cell phone to her imaginary friend, while Ava tried to stuff TP between my bottom and the toilet all while flushing for me.

Someone tell me one day I'll actually get to potty in peace, please? lol

So I'm hot, tired and not feeling well and Ava's being a toddler, and J's whining about playing Webkinz and I just want Ava to take a nap, but she won't.

The hubster comes home, and I look at him and I'm like.. I'm done. I want to be done being Mommy today. He said "Good luck with that" LOL

So after supper I'm feeling similar to how I felt in Sams Club today, only the minute I sit on the potty, Ava starts pointing to it, blabbing about "Elmo" (we have a Sesame Street soft potty seat thing) and saying "sit sit sit".

Yay.

She wants to sit on the potty, and she wants to do it NOW. So I take her to the other bathroom and set her up there, only she doesn't want me to leave and she's busy taking paper off the roll and stuffing it in the potty while saying "poo poo poo poo".

At this point I really need to get back on the potty.

So I grab her and the big potty chair and we head back into the master bathroom.

Things seems to be going pretty well at this point, I'm thinking. I'm where I need to be, she pushes her chair to where she wants it to be... she backs up, and sits down. We're good!

Nope, she's getting up...

She's walking into the shower.

She's now standing, naked from the waist down, in the shower, pee streaming down between her legs, saying "uh oh, poo poo, uh oh".

Greeeaaat.

here's a simple multiple choice question for you...

Your Toddler is standing in the shower, peeing, saying "uh oh, poo poo, uh oh".... what does she do next?

A.) Bend over and play in it, rubbing it all around the shower floor with both hands, while exclaiming "oh-oh"?

B.) Stomp in the puddle with both feet?

C.) Bend down and lick said puddle?

D.) All of the above.

All this while I'm stuck where I'm at, yelling for the hubster who can't hear me because he's down here, tv on, a/c running.

THAT led to shower #2 of the day.

Showering is a whole 'nother circus act. Involving a certain toddler getting in and out multiple times, playing peek-a-boo with the curtain while soaking the floor of the bathroom, and coming into the shower, wearing her towel.

So yeah, someone clock me out, I am D-O-N-E!

No 'poo for me!

2007-07-20T15:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, confession time.

I haven't used shampoo in almost 2 weeks.

It's kinda cool, actually.

It's also really amazing what 1C of water + 2 TB of apple cider vinegar will do for ones hair!!

I came really close to giving up shampoo a couple years ago. The hubster thought I was crazy back then. (he still does too, but he's not saying anything this time LOL)

I was reading about it being better for curly hair if you DON'T shampoo. Plus the girls' hair looks fine and they barely use shampoo. I practically had to tie Johanna down to get shampoo on her head once a week. :-P

So yay, no more struggles in that area.

Anyone else 'poo free??

Anyone up for a "No 'Poo" challenge? Think about it. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-18T07:40:00.000-05:00

Diaper Covers

2007-07-16T11:53:00.001-05:00

Anyone know where I can find some Elmo diaper covers or maybe even an AIO?

We used pampers on vacation, and Ava was really digging having Elmo on her tush. LOL I checke don ebay last weeken and didn't find anything (tho I won an auction for a Dora one... LOL)