Where's the hair?

Ballet is tough on the hair! Oh yes it is - Buns 3 to 5 times a week and for Peter Pan we were braiding, taking braids out, braiding, spraying, glittering, braiding ...

SO what did we do as soon as the show was over?

Cut it all off...

Except - Me, being the total space case I have been the last few weeks - MISSED THE FIRST APPOINTMENT...the one I had scheduled on purpose to immediately follow Peter Pan - Luckily our "Gal" had a cancellation and we only had to wait 2 days!

Don't buy these

So often we blog about things we love. We blog about our families, things we buy, things we make and things we read...but we fail to blog about things we hate. I would like to send out a great big bloggy warning against these. And I am not going to give them a name, nor am I going to tell you where I bought them because google alerts has a funny way of picking on those things but I hate these

I have fond memories of throwing these boogers over the railing as a kid and watching them float to the ground over and over again. So when I saw them at a store I picked up a bag for the girls to have fun with (and they fit in Easter Eggs)

But they don't make them like they used to, at least not the ones I bought. When you unwind the string you are left with the plastic square, the little booger and the strings ALL ASSEMBLY required.

And assembly stinks, we all took a crack at it - even little miss Hailey (who didn't stand a chance in this war)

Lauren was the winner, she got one done - she tried it - it flopped to the ground so fast and the thingy never opened and they STUNK.

And yes I know what the thingy is and they have a name but remember google alerts could be watching and since I am TOTALLY BASHING these "can't fall to earth men" -

(PS, HI google alerts)

Thinking about stupid things

As I opened a new box of cereal tonight I started thinking about all the stupid things that bug me.

I cannot open a box cereal. I either tear the cardboard so it never closes right or I rip the plastic bag wrong so it won't pour right or, on a really good day, I do both thus rendering the whole box a total mess for the next 3 weeks.

I also have trouble with products that have rip off sections that leave you with a re-sealable zip top.

The rip never goes right, I end up having to cut it...then, again on a really good day, even after using the scissors the package will have been marked wrong and I still can't get to the darn zipper.

Is their hope for me?

She went all Veruca Salt on me

Did you hear it?

All that screaming?

Did you see it?

All that fussing, pushing, fighting?

Could you feel it?

All my humiliation, discomfort and annoyance?

Could you taste it?

The greed, the envy

And the smell?

Oh the smell of disgust.

That was Hailey and I at Big Lots Monday evening.

We were trying to kill a little time and though I have only been to Big Lots once before and didn't find it appealing -it is BIG and you can walk around it and kill time.

I found some much needed small clear plastic tubs for $1.00 each and small spiral pads for the girls.

Hailey found a Cinderella Pad.

I told Hailey we were getting the pack of 10 pads and not the Cinderella Pad.

OOOPS.

She started to whine, but not just any whine - a loud, forceful whine. So I promptly told Hailey that we would not be getting ANY pads today because I was not feeling happy about he way she was acting. And I placed my pads back on the shelf.

OOOPS.

We went straight to check out line with my tubs - Hailey was SCREAMING for her pads now.

We got in line behind 4 women (women that looked like they pry had raised some kids). Hailey was screaming, trying to get out of the cart - crying and otherwise causing quite a scene.

One lady turned to me and said "someone needs a nap"

Then Hailey started yelling "I want what I want and I want it now" she was crying, her nose was running and since she is sick she was also starting to sound a bit croupy.

I was HUMILIATED - Veruca Salt had nothing on Hailey at this moment.

Would you believe that not one of those women offered to let me go in front of them. I wasn't going to leave, I was sticking to my guns, Hailey was getting nothing and I was getting what was in my cart and she would just have to live with it.

I refuse to have "that kid" I couldn't believe what was coming out of her mouth - where did that come from? I want what I want and I want it now? OMG.

When we finally got out of there - I buckled her in her car seat, stood by car and called my mom. We talked for 15 minutes (the car was on and the air was running - sorry o-zone) - by the time I was done we were both calmed down. Hailey was drawing and the incident was never mentioned again.

I WON! (at least this time)

Ballet is not for the week

What I learned this week is hosted by JoLynn over at Musings of a Housewife.

I thought I was going to be at a loss this week, I considered skipping this post all together. Then we showed up at Ballet class last night.

To start my post I must digress...For those that don't know Lauren has been taking ballet at a new school this year and had the opportunity to perform in the Nutcracker last winter, now she is gearing up for Peter Pan. Lauren will be a Fairy and a Mermaid and is really looking forward to the show. During rehearsal time it puts her at about 10 hours of Ballet a week, she is 8, that is a lot of dance.

A couple of weeks ago Lauren all but fainted on a Sunday morning - we decided to keep our eye on her, make sure she was drinking enough water for all the work she is doing. Thankfully she has been fine.

We got to dance last night and I decided it would be fun to post about the "happenings at ballet" a couple of the girls work on their homework before class. Lauren doesn't usually have any but last night she had a few math problems and it was cute to look around the waiting room and see this:

Then part way through class I thought it would be fun to get a voice recording of Lauren's teacher and how intense class is. I put a couple still shots of Lauren to go with the Voice Recording - keep in mind that I am about 60 feet away from the teacher and in another room as I am recording - (and you might need to turn your speakers up)



Not 1 minute after I turned off the recording we saw a classmate go down, like a tree in the forest - flat on her back. She fainted. It was frightening, it was scary and it was sad.

A father in the waiting room told his 11 year old son "I told you Ballet is not for the weak, these girls work harder and take more hits than your whole Hockey Team" What an amazing dad!

The classmate is OK, she is going to be sore and is going to be watched for a concussions or fracture -

So this week I learned two things - when you set out to do a ballet post -

"Be careful what you wish for you might get a what I learned this week post"

and

"Ballet is not for the weak".

A single tomato

A single tomato - that is about all we had to show for 4 years of gardening efforts.

It is not for lack of skill or effort

but instead because of these pesky little critters:

and the fact that I actually witnessed them pulling a three foot tall Tomato plant straight underground -just like in the cartoons.

I gave up that year. We had tried EVERYTHING to make the garden work, we battled bunnies, birds, squirrels and now the Voles. I threw in the towel and replaced the garden with a sandbox.

Now, I am in a unique position to start all over - in a location further from the open space, guarded on 2 sides by house and patio and the other two by rock beds. Thus giving us a much better chance for success.

What could possibly be holding me back?

This location is -

The Dog Run.

For 8 years one sometimes 2 dogs used this for a bathroom/playroom. Now the ground was covered with many inches of gravel, the excrement picked up regularly etc...but

I CAN'T GET PAST IT!

So I ask you...is it gross to grow and eat veggies from a garden planted where dogs once relieved themselves?

We would of course churn in some new soil but the old stuff would still be there.

Anyone have any true scientific backing in support of or against?

I don't know why I swallowed that ... um ... NUT

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly Nut.
I dunno why she swallowed that fly Nut,
Perhaps she'll die.

HELLO - I ate this whole bag in the last 72 hours

and now I hear this?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/30/health/main4905228.shtml

Those who know me well know that I have major food phobias...this just stinks. My mom got a belly laugh out of it when she saw the news though, paused it for me so she could laugh as I watched it. Thanks mom.

ARTICLE QUOTE: Right now, the FDA is advising Americans not to eat pistachios but not to throw away their pistachios either. Basically, people should hold on to their pistachios until the FDA knows more about which products are affected.

Ok, Yeah - sure no problem - I hang on to them all the way to the GARBAGE CAN.

We were Ready, but the rest of the state wasn't

Tell me, please: If you live in a state notorious for large snow storms do you equip your vehicle with adequate snow tires or at least stay home when it gets bad?

If you answered yes, could you please educate Colorado?

If you answered no, shame on you!

We left at 9am (the storm was supposed to hit between noon and 9pm) we were trying to get out before it got bad...

We failed and this is what we faced:

When we left town it was not snowing, but shortly there after we saw this
So we slowed a bit, kept a nice distance and kept on going until we got stuck in this -

notice the cars in the wrong places? We were too far out of town to make an easy turn around so we sat...there were no near by exits.

60 minutes later - the four lane highway down to one - this is what we could see in the other 3 lanes...

So we sat tight and waited, a police officer showed up... what for exactly I am not sure - but at least he tried.

We eventually passed this only to find this up ahead

and this

After this, we finally hit an exit we could take to head home and so we did.

We had been in the car nearly 2 hours and only made it about 30 minutes away from home.

On the way home we got to see this (I don't think they were just friends chatting in the ditch)

And this: (these guys are in the right lane headed East on a Southbound highway)

Eventually we saw this

OUR EXIT!!!!

A total of 4 hours in the car and we are right back where we started.

But the girls suited up, one happy, one crying and out they went.

and we will try again tomorrow

In case you ever wondered?

Just in case, I mean seriously I am here to educate right?

Ok, so just in case you ever wondered what would happen if you got your bread bag a little too close to your hot glass top stove - and I do mean too close, you don't have to actually set it on the hot stove...I didn't-

There you have it.

Now you don't have to try it for yourself.

You don't have to get out razor blades or scrub with your stove top cleaner till your shoulder hurts.

Glad I could help.

Dr. Jeckyl and Mrs. Hyde

In case you ever wondered at what age a female begins to change her mind at a drop of a pin, it is YOUNG I tell ya, young!

Here we have Hailey hamming it up for the video (on my blackberry, quality stinks)

And here she is just 30 seconds later when she decided she didn't want to be filmed -

Isn't she a charmer? It is womans perogative afterall.

Now if I could just figure out how to turn a crappy blackberry video into a decent .WMV then I could send it off to AFV and take a shot at that 10k. They have given it to some pretty lame videos so I figure we would have a shot!

Dear Sudafed

Dear Makers of Sudafed,

Maybe you should take some lessons from the makers of Triaminic. Instead of confusing the heck out of their customers, sending them into an online tizzy and causing them to post blog posts like this... Sudafed PE.

You could have simply done what Triaminic did and post this BIG GREEN box on your home page that says:

That's why we wanted to provide you with the latest information on over-the-counter children's cough and cold products. The makers of these medicines are voluntarily changing the product labeling to read "Do not use for children under age 4". For products containing antihistamines, labeling will include the instructions "do not use for the purpose of making your child sleepy." These labeling changes are being made in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and out of an abundance of caution to help avoid unintentional consumer misuse of these products.
Triaminic® products are safe and effective when used as directed and have been used to relieve children's cough and cold symptoms for more than 50 years. We care about your children's safety and want to assure you that you can continue to use Triaminic® products as directed for your children age 4 and older.

That would have been nice Mr. and Mrs. Sudafed makers. Though, I will never buy your product again because my oldest is severely allergic, I still think you should do a better job of keeping the public aware.

Thank you,

Concerned citizen (not customer)

Words to the Wise

1. When preparing a crockpot meal for the evenings dinner, and feeling kind of sick and being super greatful that dinner will be ready at 5 without anymore effort on your part....

MAKE SURE YOU PLUG THE CROCKPOT IN BEFORE YOU TURN IT ON...or nothing will cook and you will pour all your sliced veggies and rotten chicken down the garbage disposal and be stuck preparing Kraft something or another for dinner.

2. When you go to the DR. on that same day because you are finally getting the crud that went around your house and your eye is oozing and your chest is tight and your head feels like it is in the clouds make sure the PA you saw doesn't prescribe medications that in combination could send you to the Hospital...

3. Thank the good lord above that the pharmicist caught the MAJOR warning on the drug combo even though the D@mn Dr's office won't take their calls - go home with half your drugs and prepare yourself to consult said Dr.'s office in person in the morning.

In case you were wondering.

Wrinkled?

Today I am writing over at Mile High Mamas, I am thrilled to be contributing to this wonderful Colorado Mom Blog, which is the parenting blog for the Denver Post - so Click on over there and read away, if you like what you read leave a comment - I would love to hear from you!



Wrinkled?

Sorry Ladies I am not here to talk about an amazing product I found to stop the formation of the hideous ones around my face...

Do you remember this I love Laundry? Well then here goes:

I am here to talk about the ridiculous ones in my daughters sheets. The sheets on our bed are fine and wrinkle free but they only make them in fancy, deep, boring old adult colors.

READ ON at Mile High Mamas

Ooh, that smell, Can't you smell that smell?

Pillsbury cookies and and a nice warm oven;
There’s just one thing in my way.
There's too much smoke and too much Stench

Look what's burning up around here

CHORUS-

Ooh, ooh that smell

Can't you smell that smell?

Ooh, ooh that smell

The smell of ash surrounds you. Yuck.

Color of darkness is upon you.

Stuck with charcoal in your oven (you, fool, you)

So try not to choke, open another window for your nose,

light candles, fool, get off the net. (heck yeah)

Now they won’t call you Martha.

Can't eat a crumb when its charcoal and dust

Say you'll try again,

but their might not be any left.

CHORUS

Aw, you, fool, you.

They were supposed to be dummy proof

I know I been here before.

One little problem that confronts you,

got a monkey on your back.

Just one more look, Blog, might make you miss.

One hell of a price for you to get your kicks. (hell, yeah)

CHORUS-

Ooh, ooh that smell

Can't you smell that smell?

Ooh, ooh that smell

The smell of ash surrounds you.

Oh, you, fool, you

Don't cook those too long.

You're just a fool, just a fool, just a fool.

Doggy Attachment Issues

Not me. I have absolutely no attachment issues to my "leftover Beagle" as Grams kindly refers to him. However apparently Sir Riley has some serious attachment issues.

Riley has always slept with some towels or other sort of blanket in his bed..

This dog actually manages to wrap himself up in his blanky each night and sleeps quite well that way. Often in the morning when he comes out of the room he is still dragging the blanket on his back. He can get it on just fine - but seems to have trouble getting it off.

It has never been a problem, just a cute thing Riley does...until this morning at 4:00am when he started barking. He has NEVER barked in the night even when his old buddy Preston (no longer with us) would get to howling at the moon.

This morning it wasn't really even barking. It was a well timed WOOF every minute or so...followed by some scratching at something. Eventually "he who would rather not be named" (but can't seem to stay off the blog anyway) got out of bed and went to investigate, 4:00am, 10 degrees out "he" pokes his head out the back door to see if we have a visiting coyote or fox or something. NOTHING.

Riley is still spouting off a well timed WOOF so "He" wonders to the dog room and opens the door....Riley is not in there...So he goes to the back of the room and opens the outside door...there is Riley and his Blanket...outside in snow and freezing temps...trying to get in but can't figure out how to bring his blanket back in with him.

Clearly Riley had gotten up for a midnight pee, his blanket went outside with him (probably clinging to his back) fell off and he could not figure out how to get it back in with him. Those well timed WOOFS were really well timed "HELPS" and the scratching was him trying to drag it back in...

Help, Help, Help it is 4am and I can't go back to bed without my blanky. If it is not the kids it is the dog...For Woofing Out Loud Riley...

What was she doing?

What was I doing? What could I have been using these 3 items for?

Some of your answers included
Injured Fingers
Ice Sculptures
Cutting a Tree
Making our own Gingerbread house

Sorry to say noone was even close.

Perhaps this picture with a few more clues would have helped?

However, even if you guessed it then you would not be privledged enough to know the story behind the project...

Yes, I was sawing 45 degree angles on 4 METAL frames for some Christmas gifts...

What in the world was I thinking? Well, it was not ALL my fault...but we will leave that part out in the interest of staying married a few more years!

The bottom line is sawing METAL with a hand saw is a pain. A pain in your sawing hand (the glove) a pain in your "holding the miter box" hand (the pot holder) and a pain in your shoulder for about a week to come.

But the end result was worth it. Kind of.

The moral? When you want something done, you want it done now, and noone around you seems to be on your same schedule....don't storm off in a huff, DO NOT go to ACE hardware and ask Bill, the helpful hardware man, how to do accomplish said task and under NO circumstance should you then go home and make 4 darn frames by yourself....

Instead...Simply smile and say

Yes Dear,

whenever you're ready dear,

that is fine dear,

have a nice day dear.

Sudafed PE (the childrens stuff)

Children's Sudafed PE, what a joke. Remember when they pulled all the good drugs off the shelves and we could no longer treat our children for the common cold, flu etc for fear of overdose. That alone was a bit frustrating because many of us do follow directions and would not give our children too much medicine and do find that it helps them get better faster and keep us out of the germy Dr.'s office sometimes!

Well, after they pulled the drugs they proceeded to turn around and a put a few new "safe" ones on the market for us desperate moms to use at 3am when your toddler wakes up hacking and sneezing.

On the Dr's orders a month or so ago I picked up some Sudafed for Lauren, it was to help with congestion and actually worked quite well (even though it no longer contains pseudonephrine). Then as we were heading up the hills to Beaver Creek on Christmas day, and Hailey woke up feeling quite stuffy, a bit froggy etc. I decided to give her a dose of the yummy raspberry flavored stuff that worked so well for Lauren! The theory...decongestant would help keep her ears from filling up on the trip up and maybe even ward off her 4th ear infection in as many months.

I carefully read the directions, was thrilled to see dosing for ages 2-6, poured a teaspoonful and gave it to Hailey! All was fine. No creepy side effects or anything, but it didn't help that much. By the next day Hailey was worse not better, but not sick enough to go to the Dr. either (no fever). Family consensus...."decongestant" was all she needed. BUT - I left our bottle at home (along with my camera charger) so daddy went to Walmart to buy some (of each)!

He even called me from Walmart to verify he was buying the right stuff. And he was!

So whats my problem? He brought it home, I opened it, looked at the side to verify the 1 tsp. dose and was utterly shocked to see this


UNDER 4 years - DO NOT USE

OMG...Did I give my 3 year old something I shouldn't have? how could that be? I know I have been scattered lately but come on, really...no, it isn't possible, it has to be wrong - I am not that stupid am I? Seriously now, they are going to have to pull these off the shelves because of people like me...great.

Well, unable to believe it to be true, Grandma went to the store for some groceries and decided to take the box with her and compare it to the ones at the grocery store (oerhaps to see if her daughter needed to be committed or not)

Grandma came home with this one:

That is right, Children 2 to under 6 years of age - one (1) teaspoonful

Now, what is a mom supposed to do? We now have two almost identical boxes with the EXACT same ingredients, all instructions etc. match except the dosing! I mean, DO NOT USE is a pretty strong statement isn't it!


We pondered, we contemplated, we scanned the boxes over and over again...we decided I did not need to be committed - the bottle I had at home had been OK to give to Hailey but now what do we do with this new found information?

At first the only real difference we saw was that the one my mom bought expires in 2009 and the one hubby got expires in 2010. So, the logical explanation is that they are going to PULL this one from the younger set too and they just haven't removed the old packaging from the shelves yet.

The rebel mother in me goes ahead and gives Hailey a dose, the poor girl needed it. She sounded like she swallowed a pond full of frogs and needed to feel a little better!

Later, upon further inspection (because we just couldn't drop it) we noticed another difference on the boxes. Canada vs. USA - Pfizer vs McNeil...

One was made in Canada and distributed by McNeil Consumer Healthcare and the other Made in the USA distributed by Pfizer...What's a mom supposed to do? If I go with Canada my child can't take it, if I go with USA she can.

Of course, I gave it to her...because she needed it. We never had to go to the Dr. she is all better now...I googled it...The Sudafed site says she can't take it...so why are they selling some bottles that say she can? ARGH.

On the 9th day before Christmas

On this, the 9th day before Christmas, I ask you...Which one of these is not like the other one? Remember that song from Sesame Street? I couldn't help but think about it after I took this picture. So....Here goes...What DO these items all have in common? That is the question?

The answer wont be given until after Christmas for various reasons. and Paige and Becky are not allowed to play along so as to not give the real answer away...but for everyone else - go ahead - venture a guess.

A childs open finger glove
An Pot Holder
and a saw?

Take a gander at it...see what you come up with...rediculous answers accepted too!

Ok - Looks like today is all about guessing!

Next: What does the Emerson Family have in Common with Jiggety Jigg?

Seriously?

DEAD SERIOUS

These two blogs, these two familys both have - 6 foot tall - Giant - Singing - Dancing Santa's!

And for a limited time only (not really) you can see these two Christmas Wonders in a special Duet created, directed and Debued by Jenny over at Jiggity Jigg! (don't forget to comment when you visit!!)

So as you leave to go visit Jen - I leave you with these two young singing santas...

This is what happens when

This is what happens when Big Sister helps Little Sister create a Christmas list:

BEFORE:
Little sister wanted a radio for her room and Pink Retro phone from American Girl....

AFTER:
Little sister now wants, a pair of flowery clogs, an American Girl Just like You doll, Table and Lamp set, Snuggly snow pj's, toasty pink boots, 5 outfits for the bitty twins, a diaper bag, a ballet barre, spinny dresses, build a bear, Sleeping Beauty Movie,

The funniest part? Big sister only had 5 things on her own list.

Is it too early to start telling them that Santa is watching?

Volcanic E-what?

The volcano that wasn't really. It always makes me laugh when smart people act really stupid (sorry). The cheap $10 kit from USToys was molded on Monday and set to explode on Thursday night. We got all ready, set up the table - and discovered we needed Club Soda! I suppose I just figured it was going to "blow" without much assistance.



Helmets on, Mounted Bikes, Dad took them for a bike ride while I set out to purchase club soda - "Hey, Dad - Walgreens will have it won't they?" Of course, he says - it is just Club Soda...Well, Walgreens does NOT sell Club Soda - so I headed to the grocery store, bought the soda and went home to create a volcanic explosion...

HA.

The girls panicked - wouldn't even sit close (smart people acting dumb) they actually thought it was going to spew hot molten lava all over the place. Question for the kids "Do you really think I would be doing this in the kitchen if it was going to spew hot molten lava all over the place?" Apparently they did.

They kept their distance, we filled with soda, added tablets and watched it

WAIT FOR IT

Wait...

BUBBLE. Yes it bubbled for about a minute



Rinse, Lather, Repeat -



and you have the least exciting volvanic eruption that has ever occured.



Lesson Learned: Next time buy the expensive kit or at least do a little research first.