April Fools Day

Little Man's preschool has a tradition of an April Fool's Day Parade!  They traipse all of the children, ages 1-5,  around the neighborhood. The wee ones get to wear funny hats that they either make or find at home. They also get to carry a noise maker or instrument and are encouraged to make as much noise as possible!  Then to make things really super-de-duper entertaining, each child got to carry a balloon!

Seriously, I ask you -- is there anything better than balloons?!?!?!  

It was so darling! 

All of these little people with funny hats, jingle bells and balloons beaming proud of themselves!

Happy Birthday, Molly!

It's my baby sister's birthday today! 

She is a whooping old 28.  JUST TEASING!  But apparently, she truly thinks that is old... She was quoted this evening as saying "It's all down hill once you hit 30."  Personally, I was so very happy to leave my tumultuous 20's behind me.

So, I just want to give a quick shout out to my precious baby sister and tell everyone how much I adore her!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!

Because I Said So

Father's Day celebrates fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society and is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in at least 55 countries.

In honor of all of the fabulous, fantastic, energetic, hard-working Dads out there, here are a few "Dadisms" and kernels of truth that I've been privy to.

* I'm not sleeping. I'm just resting my eyes.
* Don't ask me. Go ask your mother.
* A little dirt never hurt anyone.
* Because I said so!
* Do I look like a bank?
* Money doesn't grow on trees.
* If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Don't...
* Who said life was fair? Not me!
* I'm not talking just to hear my own voice!
* Stop crying or I'll give you a reason to cry.
* You're only young once.
* You're gonna like it, whether you like it or not!
* Well! If your friend jumped off a bridge, would you?
* What did I just get done telling you NOT to do?
* What do you think this is, your birthday? (Ummm... yes! It was my birthday!)
* Don't make me stop this car!
* What part of NO don't you understand?
* I don't care what other people are doing! I'm not everybody else's father!
* Two wrongs do not make a right.
* Don't use that tone with me!
* Am I talking to a brick wall?
* If I catch you doing that one more time, I'll...
* Were you born in a barn?!



P.S. Do you know the history of Father's Day in the United States? I didn't and found the below info somewhat interesting. (My biggest question is -- WHY did it take over 60 years to officially recognize Father's Day?)

The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. After listening to a church sermon in 1909 about the newly recognized Mother's Day, Sonora Louise Smart Dodd felt strongly that fatherhood needed recognition too. She wanted a celebration that honored fathers like hers -- William Smart, a Civil War veteran who was left to raise his family alone when his wife died giving birth to their sixth child.

It took over 60 years to make the holiday official. In 1913, a bill recognizing Father's Day as an official holiday was introduced in Congress. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson went to Spokane to speak in a Father's Day celebration and wanted to make it official, but Congress resisted, fearing that it would become commercialized. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge recommended that the day be observed by the nation, but stopped short of issuing a national proclamation. Two earlier attempts to formally recognize the holiday had been defeated by Congress. In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers, thus "[singling] out just one of our two parents." In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, in 1972, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law.

Happy Birthday!

It is my precious H's birthday today. She turns six and is such a joy! Her exuberance and zeal are always contagious. I adore her smiles, hugs, and silly antics.

I love you, H!!!

Jaded

I feel like my next comment will put me in the "Bad Mommy" column and most definitely in the "Awful Wife" column, but I can't help myself. I dislike Valentine's Day. I dislike it with a passion. It's just an overly commericalized, materialized holiday. Why should couples show each other EVERY DAY how much they love and appreciate and adore each other?

For me, historically, Valentine's Day is an over-rated, over-anticipated day to get my hopes up for some romantic, thoughtful and special display of my partners affection for my superb awesome-ness. However, that just isn't happening. Ev-er! Not in my world. It's isn't happening now, for the past several years, in the foreseeable future, or even in the beginning of our relationship. I knew full well that I was marrying a highly UNromantic man. I recognized that sweet prose and love letters wasn't his cup of tea and I accepted that.

Yet, in my jaded heart, does that make me less disappointed when each year I try my hardest to NOT have expectations for this hideous "holiday" that tries to pump up an annual display of love to suffice for the next 11 months, 51 weeks, 364 days of the year?

It truly isn't about a gift or extravagant display of undying love. I would be much happier with a brief, hand-written note; a few couple coupons for hugs; a nag-free cleaning of the kitchen; organizing a babysitter for the wee ones and then a home cooked meal with just the two of us... even a FREE e-card.

SIGH! It is what it is.

Here's an interesting article about Boycotting Valentine's Day.

Surprise with a Twist

Last night, I threw a surprise party for my fantastic friend and neighbor, Carol. However, the party had a twist... it was at Carol's house. I am so terrible that I threw a surprise party for a friend AT HER OWN HOME. (Me defending myself -- My home is always so messy! And her's is always spotless...)

I was so excited the entire week before the party. I had a hard time keeping the secret to myself. I wanted to jump up and down and tell Carol all about the plans, but I managed to control myself and she ended up being surprised.

We had tons of fun. Perhaps a tad bit too much fun. Enough fun that the end result may have been a teensy bit of a hang over the next morning. C'est la vie! It was all well worth it!

It is my mother's birthday today.

She is the bestest person in the entire world.

I adore that woman more than is humanly possible. Seriously! She is my biggest fan and my biggest supporter. She would give her right arm for her children and I cannot express how much I appreciate her. So, instead of tripping over myself in an awful attempt to pay tribute to my fabulous, stunning, phenomenal, grand, fantastic, marvelous, first-rate, stupendous, glorious, awe-inspiring, and miraculous mother, I will just leave it at -- SHE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spirit

It doesn't feel like Christmas in my home until we decorate the Christmas tree. I LOVE decorating the tree.

Each year, I make the children (and an unwilling husband who thankfully humors me) gather around the living room with ALL of the boxes of Christmas stuff and I happily reign as Queen -- Queen of All Things Christmas Ornamental. I challenge anyone in the family who dares to cast a crabby glance. I willfully inflict my "Christmas spirit" upon them. Sometimes that "spirit" is lovingly referred to as Sybil by my adoring peasants [er, rather family], but whatever... We play Christmas carols cheerily in the background. I bark (politely) orders about whether to hang an ornament higher or lower, a bit more to the left or the right. I insist that there IS more room on the tree when I hear complaints about there being no room. I escalate my Christmas joyfulness and festive intensity when I hear whining that someone is exhausted by the Ornament Marathon.

It's AWESOME!

Sounds enjoyable, right? Right? RIGHT?!?!

MY Superman!

My baby is now three years old! I am in some serious denial that my precious, littlest baby is now a full-fledged, rather large almost preschooler. THREE YEARS OLD?!?!? How did that happen? It's so cliche, but where does the time go?

We had a rollicking good time with a family party on Saturday night. D-Man was a gracious birthday boy who shared all of his new toys and let his multitude of sisters play with them first. What a sweet angelic boy!!!

Halloween

This Halloween, H was with her mom and E decided to go trick or treating with friends. I was quite sad and lonely since we only had D & G with us, but I guess that made it less chaotic. G was a butterfly that she called a "fairy" and D was a monkey.

Still... I would have preferrred having all of my wee ones with me.

Shiny, Sharp Objects

This year we carved pumpkins in the house because it was so chilly outside. The weather has been so rainy and awful this autumn! While carving the pumpkins, Kelli & Company stopped by Carol's house and we promptly invited them over to carve away with us. Yahoo! We made a glorious mess and great fun was had by all.

For the record, Auntie Molly insisted upon carving pumpkins in rubber gloves because she doesn't like the gooey insides. I had to laugh at her here. Seriously?! Who carves pumpkins in RUBBER GLOVES?! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

D was all about the sharp, shiny objects. He was scary with the kid-safe pumpkin knife -- very gung-ho! He just wanted to keep cutting chunks out of the top of the pumpkin where Auntie Molly had already off the top of the pumpkin so we could clean it.

G kept staring inside her pumpkin as if she wasn't sure it was safe to stick her hand in it. I kept giggling at her and she kept frowning at me and asking, "Waz so funny?!"