Never stand between a boy and his friend.

Remember the post I made that included pictures of those yummy cookies?  It was seriously just a couple of days ago.  If you forgot, it's here.

Did you notice the rack my cookies were cooling on?  (If not, go look now, I'll wait).  

Back??

Okay.  So the cooling rack...behind my back, became Ethanzilla's friend.  

They played together.  

They shared secrets.  

They watched TV together.  

I didn't realize that cooling racks were playful.  Heck, I didn't even know they could talk!  

Well, he talks to Ethan.  

I found out the cooling rack has a name.  His name is Cookie Holder.  

After Ethanzilla and Cookie Holder played together in my living room on Thursday, Cookie Holder found his way back onto my counters ready to be washed. (I would like to imagine that some mean pirates took Cookie Holder hostage and put him up high on the cliffs (counter) over the ocean (my kitchen floor) where he waited, shaking, for what would be his ultimate demise). 

Ethan rescued him and they had a second day of play on Friday.   

I have to admit, it was cute listening to him talk to my cooling rack.  He really has an active imagination!!

Okay, now someone reassure me that imaginary friends are healthy.  Ethanzilla's preschool teacher keeps telling me that she has read that imaginary friends are a sign of intelligence.  She might just be trying to protect my feelings.  But if she is right, this kid has some brains!!  

If she is wrong, I am going to be spending lots of coin on therapy, so I better start saving now.  

Cookie Holder joins the cast of Ethanzilla's other imaginary friends Tay-E and Bleh.

No wonder this house feels crowded.  

I'm back!! Did you miss me??

Sorry I have been away so long.  I have been thinking about reinventing my blog.  Can you help me decide?  What would you like to see or read here?  Do you want family updates?  Life according to Ethan funnies?  Recipes?  Coupon related posts?  Living on a budget?

Not that I am good at any of the above, but humor me and let me know in the comments what you would prefer.


Oh, and just because, here is a picture of the cookies I made today.  I couldn't decide between oatmeal chocolate chip and peanut butter, so I did all three.  If you are interested, here is a link to the recipe I found on Bake or Break.   The family gave them a 10 out of 10!!

Oh, and if you make them, just know that they don't change shape when you bake them.  So if you use a cookie scoop, that is what they will look like when they are cooked.  Don't get me wrong, the shape didn't affect their yumminess.  But if you want a more cookie-like shape, use a fork and press them down like you would a typical peanut butter cookie.

I Heart Walgreens!

Let me tell you why.  I just bought all of this:

For $39.08. 

Here is a list of what I bought:

9 pack Quilted Northern

2 Bags Kettle Potato Chips

2 Carefree Pantiliners

4 Blue Diamond Almonds

2 Bags Pretzel M&M's

2 12ct Kids Breathe Right

2 Trident Vitality Gum

2 Trident Layers Gum

6 Stride Gum

6 small M&M's

4 M&M's Eggs

4 Hot Wheels Cars

10 Russel Stover Chocolate Eggs

4 Butterfinger Eggs

Retail Total :                $79.37

Less Coupons:                    $20.03

Walgreens Coupon Savings:    $2.58

Walgreens Advertised Savings:   $16.68

Walgreens Bucks :   $1.00

Total Paid:     $39.08

They Are All Comedians...

My kids crack me up.  Every single one of them.  They say things that make me smile, giggle, laugh and absolutely bust a gut.  Right now, the toddler is my main source of entertainment.  That may be because he is around me the most (poor kid).  Allthough, the other three are pretty funny too. 

For example:  Hunter is my entertainer. His 3rd grade teacher, ever so kindly, said we should put him in acting classes.  Let him get out some of his energy that way.  Well, his classroom/teacher have a blog.  I visit it when it is updated.  The first time I got on the blog, I saw they had this picture of the entire class all dressed up and being silly.  So, as any good mother would do, you look for your kid in the picture.  My first scan of the picture, no Hunter.  My second scan of the picture.....still don't see him.  It started feeling like Where's Waldo.  I mean really, there are only 23 kids in his class....where the heck is Hunter?  And then I see it.....him....Hunter.....wearing this blonde curly Hannah Montana looking wig.  Then suddenly the humor of the situation hits me and I can't stop laughing.  I think it was the funniest thing that happened all week! 

So here he is in all his Hunterness!!



So then, Hunter's class blog got updated again last night.  The teacher had chosed 5 kiddos to sing this song about the word of the day.  The word was Sunday.  They sing the song to the tune of the Addams Family.  So there they are....five little kiddos in front of the whole class.  And guess who was up there too?  Yep, Hunter.  And so the teacher video tapes them singing their song.  Hunter does his best impression of  the Elvis booty shake...(makes me teary-eyed and proud just thinking about it) during the entire song.  That kid is not shy!  I shouldn't be surprised, that kid dances all over the house. 

Ah kids, they make me laugh sometimes.   I know there are more fun stories to share, but I need to pace myself.  I don't want to give you all the good stuff and then you not come back to my blog!  So I will filter it to you a little at a time.

It's Been Awhile, I know!

My plan when I began my blog was to update it every week....which was a grand idea.  But I forgot to factor in one thing: his name is Ethan.  Holy cow that little guy has a lot of energy.  I am just trying to keep up most days, and the other days, well, I am just trying to stay alive.  I have three boys that can smell fear...so I wear perfume.

So many of you are friends with me on Facebook, so you maybe saw the pictures of the completed kitchen we bought stuff for at IKEA (heaven).  So take a peek again or for the first time.

The kitchen turned out really cute (in my humble opinion).  We had a few hiccups in the execution, but all in all it worked out.  I believe the final cost for the kitchen parts and accessories was around $65.00.  We came up with some great ideas along the way and Matt said "the next kitchen we make will be a ton easier if we had better tools." (cue Tim Allen grunting).   Yeah, let me know how that works out for you.  ;)

So here is the finished project:

The sink is made from a cute blue camping bowl we found at Walmart for $4.00!

The burners are rubber coasters we found at Walmart for $4.00...there were four and we only used two (hence the comment from hubby that we could make another one)

Ethan likes it.  He plays with it.  But mostly he likes to see what he can stuff into the oven.  I think he is packing for the zombie apocalypse. But don't tell!

So here are some pictures to highlight our February.  

Ethan got his first motorcycle.

His first laptop.

(just a cute picture)

Hunter broke his wrist falling on the ice.

And I am trying to hijack some cute pictures of Ryann Claire's first birthday party from her facebook page, but it is not working!  ACK!!  I will find another way.  

Well, I know I am still not caught up.  But I hope you are still interested in reading my blog.  I am not very funny nor am I very exciting.  But I hope you stick around none the less.  

One Word: IKEA~~~

I'm telling you....that place is amazing!  It's like heaven there!!  My favorite part??  All that beds are made and all the rooms are clean!  It is so blissful!  Sigh. 

So anyway!!  My fabulous niece Annie showed me this cute play kitchen she found on a blog made with parts from IKEA! 

Isn't it the cutest thing ever??  The bottom of it is made from a nightstand!!  Whoda thought! 

So Ethan and I ventured to heaven (I mean IKEA) to gather all the goodies to build this kitchen which he isn't supposed to know about (tee hee).

So here he is in his car seat waiting for Mommy to take him out.  I don't think he realizes the significance of this, his first visit EVER to IKEA. 

These happy little feet were going to run all over IKEA!!

(cue angels singing)

Now if anyone has tried to take an active toddler anywhere, you know that your time is limited when you shop.  You have to work fast before the novelty of the cool shopping cart wears off. 

He was only content like this for awhile....then....he was trying to stand up in the cart and wanted out.  He knew that this place was made for kids and he wanted a part of it!! 





So I boogied through the store with my handy little shopping list of things that I needed to build the above play kitchen! 

Nightstand-   check

Shelf-    check

S Hooks-   check

Then....it happened.  Our next area was the kids area.  I needed this set of cute little pots and pans.

Isn't that the cutest thing ever?? 

Well, the problem is....they make the kids section sickeningly attractive to toddler-sized people.  He was screaming to get out.   So I let him.  He was in heaven....but not because the beds were made of because the rooms were clean...he was in heaven because everything was his size!!  He was in overload!!

Ironically, one of his favorite things....was the IKEA kitchen (priced at a whopping $138).  He was pretending to wash dishes and set the table (I love that kid)! 



Oh to be a kid again.  He also climbed onto pretty much all the beds he could.  He climbed onto one bed and just laid there and sucked his fingers.  It was cute. 

(oh my gosh...it looks like he has a comb over!!)  LOL

Then he decided that the kid sized furniture was pretty much the coolest thing ever and he wanted to move in.  I think he would have, but I lured him away by telling him we were going to get a cookie.  (We didn't get a cookie...but if you are a mom, you know that prevaricating to a toddler is a valid loophole in the book of motherhood). 

So we check out and don't you know it....the stupid Swiss chocolate started calling me....and who am I to let down some perfectly good Swiss chocolate!  So I bought one.  Just one and a diet Pepsi (can you say oxy-moron?)

So I feel productive today!!  I bought most of the stuff so the Daddy and I can build a cooler kitchen than they sell at IKEA and it will be waaaayyyyy cheaper too!!  So far for the stuff to make the kitchen, I am at about $35! Just a few more things to get...and I am pretty sure I (we) can build a cute kitchen for about $50!  (How Martha Stewart is that??)

I learned a valuable lesson today.

I learned that any attempt to clean a house while a toddler is up and about, is all in vain.  Case and point: I decided to sweep the floor in the kitchen and dining room.  Sounds easy huh?  Well, in my house....during waking hours of a certain toddler, it's easier said than done. 

Now trust me, my kitchen floor desperately needed a good sweeping.  There was quite an array of crunchy things on my floor.

So I started the process.  And made quick progress.  But to my shagrin....a young toddler who shall be nameless...found my swiffer and decided to "help" me with my piles.  His version of helping is to spread it all back out so I have to do it again!!!  Yeah, not my idea of productivity!  I retrieve the swiffer from him.  But he is smarter than me and heads back to the pantry and gets the mop!!  Before I can stop him, there goes the Froot Loops...all over the floor again.

I finally got the upper hand and removed the hazardous material from my floor.  It took skill and agility and just a little more intelligence than a toddler. 

I feel accomplished! 

By 9:00am

By 9:00am the Daddy has been at work for an hour.

By 9:00am Hunter has been at school for an hour or so.

By 9:00am Jarod has been at school for 45 minutes.

By 9:00am Mommy was well on the way to a relaxing day filled with no work (other then housework) and nowhere to actually have to be.  I was homebound and excited about it. 

By 9:00am Ethan has had a pretty busy day he has: watched Pinky Dinky Doo, drank some milk, sat down to eat breakfast which consisted of toast with peanut butter and some yogurt.  He scarfed the yogurt I had dished up for him so I decided to give him the remainder in the 6oz container.  (bad idea, I know that now) I left the room to quickly change his sheets and get some laundry in the washer.  When I walked back into the kitchen, I heard him say "Mommy", so I glanced in his direction and  gasped!!  He had proceeded to "paint" his head/hair with yogurt.  He had painted the kitchen table with yogurt and his face too.  There was yogurt drips on the floor.  There was yogurt in his booster seat.  He had managed to take something so benign and turn it into a full on crazy mess!  Don't move Ethan.....seriously....don't move.  So he stands up. 

Mommy had to work fast to get him into the bath without sacrificing any other surfaces to the stickyness of yogurt.  I did it! (cue the Dora "we did it " music).  He is clean and shiny now.  And I don't know about you, but I am tired already!! 

And I thought that once the older boys left for shool it was going to be a relaxing day. 

Blogs are the blogiest

I just spent a few minutes this morning watching TV with Ethan this.  It's our cuddle time.  I love it....I think he just accommodates me though.  But that is okay, I am just using him.  He makes me feel warm and cuddly and happy.   But anyway! 

There is a little show that comes on between shows on Nick Jr.  It has a moose named....um....Moose and his friend a bird....called Zee (you probably thought I was going to say bird huh).

So Moose talks and Zee doesn't talk.  Kinda like the Penn and Teller of children's television programming but without bad words.  So my point...I do have one.  He was singing this song this morning about Fall.  He sings about how he is falling for Fall (cute huh).    The first few times I heard it, I didn't notice this....I just thought it was charming...but the next time I heard it, I realized that Moose (he's the moose if you have already forgotten) used the word prevaricating! 

Now, I am sure all you smarties out there already know what that word means.  And honestly, the only reason I know the meaning of that word is because of my Dad.  My first thought was "why would they use such big words on nickjr....kids aren't going to understand it."  (I really thought that).  Then I realized that they are teaching my kid big words!!  I know..go figure!!! 

For those of you that don't know what prevaricating is...it means "lying". Seriously, I am not prevaricating!

So now that I have that out of my brain, I can get back to work.  I am in the process of cleaning out the toy box.  I think Ethan is planning an overthrow of the Parental Dictatorship...he has been hiding Nerf darts in the bottom of his toy basket.  I know, I saw them.  He will have some explaining to do when he gets up from his morning nap!


Yeah, so that is what I was thinking today and wanted to share it.  I feel better now. 

Daughters are inherently jealous

Especially my daughter.  When I asked her to check out my blog...the first words out of her mouth were "don't you have four kids?  Where is the picture of me?"  So, in order for all to be well in the universe, I have committed to posting pictures of my sweet daughter Katie, her husband and her adorable baby! 

Ryann Claire my granddaughter!

My all time favorite picture of Katie and her little brother Hunter

My awesome Son-in-law! (the guy on the left if you couldn't figure it out).

So there you go...all is right in the universe.  All family members present and accounted for.  (Now hopefully Matt doesn't see my blog and complain that his picture isn't posted!)

Day One

My identity is a little skewed right now.  I went from working as an Insurance Agent to being a Work At Home Mom.  So life these past two years have been very interesting!!!

 I have 4 children who love and adore me.  Though sometimes, I think they just tolerate me.  That's okay, because sometimes I just tolerate them.  Don't get me wrong, I adore them too!  They keep me grounded....they keep me vacillating between sane and insane. They keep me teetering on the edge of my comfort zone.  I think you get the picture. 

My children are very important to me.  They teach me things every day.  I know that sounds cliché, but it is true.  They teach patience, forgiveness, unconditional love.  They teach me that I am capable of things I never knew possible......meh...what am I saying....they teach me that I have to stay on my toes because at any given moment they could cry MUTINY and we are sunk.  Every day we are one step away from chaos...teetering on the edge of insanity.  All it takes to reel us back in a giggle or a funny comment from the peanut gallery. 

I hope you don't expect this blog to be all fun and sweet and motivational because I may not deliver all that.  I am a realist.  I live in the moment with a keen eye on my spiritual self.  So kick back and tell me what you think in my nifty little poll below!  Be honest, I can take it.  Okay, not really, I am a people pleaser...so if you aren't pleased, just lie to me and we can all move on.