priddy cloth books

We have absolutely loved this cloth book by Priddy Books. Each page has a different textured fabric and bright colors to help develop a child's sensory awareness. The cover page also makes noise which both child no. 1 and no. 2 love the most. We also have Fluffy Chick and friends and also Big Rex and friends. The rhyming text helps keep their attention as well as yours!

signs of summer

Why is it that something as simple as a Heinz Picnic Pack can make my soul sing like a nightingale? I love summer.

wall-e

I went and saw this tonight. I am a huge fan of Pixar movies. The animation is absolutely incredible. Especially compared to the cartoons I grew up watching. Those absolutely look amateur. Has anyone else seen this? It was very cute and had a great message. Not one that kids will pick up on though. At least, not young ones like mine.

snl weekly

You can't talk about SNL and not show this clip. Mike Meyers is amazing.

Ode to Boog

My sister has now gone away. She's moving east, there she'll stay. She is eager to attend grad school. But I'm sure she will miss her days with us at the pool. Boog always has been around but no more at the house to be found. The kids will miss her, yes it's true; I'm sure she'll miss watching Winnie the Pooh. Good luck with everything in Vermont! We know you'll come out on top'nt. ;)

double trouble

So I have always been an avid gum chewer, much to the dismay of many. I'm sure I was once behind you in the post office line, chewing away and popping my gum without realizing it. So I will apologize right now if that happened to be you. Miss Nemesis definitely makes a good point as to why chewing gum should be banned. Especially when it is not disposed of properly or used as an object lesson in R.S. But I'm addicted and even though I have had jaw surgery, I will not and cannot give it up. There are some good uses for gum. It comes in handy when I'm driving and trying to stay awake. It is very fulfilling when my afternoon sweet tooth kicks in to high gear. Gum has also helped me keep my halitosis at bay. If gum was all bad then there would not be such a wide range of brands, flavors and textures. I have tried them all! Well, except for the kind that turns you into a giant blueberry. I'm for surely abstaining from that.

birthday video

happy happy joy joy

Happy birthday to one of my bestest friends, Ash. She ROCKS! I have known Ash since we were three and we have partied hard ever since. She is much like this cake - many good things all wrapped in one. She is always up for a good time and always there when you need someone to talk to. She is totally laid back but always very ambitious and a go-getter. She is super smart and loves to laugh. Thanks for being my friend. You're the best! Hope you have a happy day.

Karen Katz

I have really liked the children's books by this author/illustrator and so has Mason! She is very creative and bright with her illustrations and uses a lift-the-flap format

This particular set comes with 3 books: No Hitting, I Can Share and Excuse Me.

They teach toddlers how to behave in the wider world they are now a part of. We also have A Potty for Me, What Does Baby Say?, Toes, Ears and Nose, Where Is Baby's Mommy?, Where Is Baby's Belly Button? and Where is Baby's Valentine?. Like I said, we really like her books.

snl weekly

Thought I would go a little old school for this week's clip. Dana Carvey is definitely considered one of the greats from SNL. Church lady is hilarious and broccoli will never be the same. Here is a very funny "no brainer" clip. It's also great to see a very young David Spade in on the action.

happy birthday

Happy birthday Julie! Okay...so I know this is a day late. Just know we were thinking of you yesterday and hope you had a grand day! Julie is Dan's oldest sister and is so much fun. She is always up for anything and is the life of the party. She has been a great sis to Dan and to me. We love you and wish you the best.

father's day

I never know what to get Dan for Father's day. I saw this cute idea in a family magazine and had to use it. I put Mason in Dan's favorite jersey and took pictures. (Dan was wearing this when Mason and Naomi were born).

Then I put Naomi in one of his work shirts and took a picture. She was aboslutely drowning in the shirt but I have never seen a shirt like that look so cute. :) I framed the pictures so he can take them to work. I really think they turned out super cute.

Dan is the best and I couldn't ask for a better husband and father to our children. He works so hard and loves coming home to his little family. Love you babes!!

sheep in a jeep

Here is the weekly pick of children's books from my collection. This story, much like the jeep, gathers momentum from page one. When five foolish sheep cram into one jeep, their high spirits and occasional lack of foresight (like forgetting to steer) combine to make a riotous, if ill-fated, road trip. Plummeting over a hill, tumbling into a mud puddle, yelping for help, these muttonheads just can't get their act together, much to the delight of young readers.

Yes, I copied that book review from Amazon. I seem to write the same thing over and over, "We like this. Mason loves to read it. It is fun. Definitely get it." I figured this would break up the monotony.

happy birthday brit

I have known Brit since I was 2. SO she will understand even though I'm a day late in wishing her a happy birthday. She has the coolest laugh, the coolest style, and is everybody's friend. She never wanted to leave anyone out or have them feel excluded. Brit can see a person's unlimited potential. She can also make you feel right at home. You're the best, Brit, and one of a kind! Hope you have fun being 28. :)

eyeglasses

I loved this post so much from hubiesnacks, megrolls and ellierolls that I am posting it here for your pleasure. I have worn glasses since the third grade. It has never been a pleasant experience. I hated being pulled out of school and returning with my eyes dilated to the point where I had to wear those funny flimsy sunglasses. Playing soccer while wearing glasses never worked out really well or playing softball and having to wear the catcher's mask. That was a pain. Buying glasses isn't cheap, especially for me. Nowadays my glasses resemble coke bottles more than looking like glasses. Those coke bottles are pricey! And I can't tell you how many times people asked if I sleep with my glasses on. Believe me, I got asked that a lot. Almost as much as being asked if my twin brother and I were identical.


She did leave out a few people who have worn glasses and the glasses almost became more famous than them! Elton John is a good example:












You know, he had perfect vision but actually wore glasses just to make his eyes bad enough so he would have to need glasses. Weird.

John Lennon is another good example:


























Not even Benjamin Franklin could make those wire-rim spectacles as famous as John Lennon did.

Lisa Loeb made glasses popular again in the 90's:


































At least, she was the first female famous person, that I noticed, to wear glasses. Hey! Her and Tina Fey kind of look alike.

But my most favorite person to wear glasses is this man:



















Okay, okay...so they are really sunglasses, which he has to wear now to protect his eyes from bright lights (it's true!) but doesn't he look fabulous?! Oprah doesn't deserve the glasses he gave her when he was on her show! I should have been the recipient of such a gift. ;)

snl weekly

It is well known that Canadians are funny meaning they have a great sense of humor. Mike Meyers, Jim Carrey and my husband Dan are great examples of this. But there is a new funny comedian on the rise who is AMERICAN. Enter Dane Cook. (Parental Guardian note: to listen to his stand-up comedy routine, you must get the edited version because for some reason comedians like to swear a lot). He hosted SNL a while back and was so good. Most recently he was in the movie Dan in Real Life with Steve Carrell, which was excellent. Anywho. This is the only video clip I can find from when he hosted. Dane also did a skit with Kristen Wiig that night where he was being trained to be an employee at Target. So, so funny. Not sure why they don't show the whole thing but it is worth watching. Enjoy.

crocs

Mason's birthday is coming up and I've been scouring the internet, trying to find the perfect gift. He is in dire need of some new sandals. Currently he is wearing the sandals from last year. They still fit but we are reaching the barely stage.
I have never worn a pair of Crocs shoes but I found some very cute kids shoes. I know they are very lightweight and comfortable.
Mason loves Lightning McQueen. Crocs happens to carry a McQueen shoe. But, as I kept searching, I found a Mickey shoe where the description fits more of what I'm looking for. Phrases like, "secure fit upper designed for active kids" and "bacteria and odor resistant" (his current sandals apparently do not share this description). Then there are the cool kids athens flip-flop. But the last time I tried to get Mason to wear a flip-flop, he did not like the thong part between his big and second toe. To tell you the truth, thongs never have been comfortable...but I guess that is a different story.
Of course, I had to keep searching and got a little distracted and wished I owned a pair since our current weather resembles much of the state of Washington rather than a desert climate. Then I saw these and wondered, "Where in the world do the 'exotic beaches of malindi' reside?" So I had to google Malindi and found this. Interesting. Never thought of Kenya as having "exotic" beaches. Now I have to add Malindi to my list of "places to see before I hit 70" because truly, I want to enjoy my vacations rather than hobble through them with a fannie pack and a bright pink cap that says, "The World's Best Grandma". Because you know I'm totally going to wear that when I'm 70.
So back to the Crocs...
I would love to know your thoughts. :)

baz luhrmann

Ever since posting about this new movie, I have been thinking a lot about the movies Baz Luhrmann directed. One of which is a favorite:













If you haven't seen this, you are definitely missing out. If you have the guts to tell me you haven't seen this, I will not believe you. Seriously? Who doesn't want to watch an Australian movie about ballroom dancing (i.e. heavy bright make-up, ruffled sleeves, outlandish costumes)? Who didn't have a crush on Paul Mercurio?
Here is a clip of a favorite moment from the movie:

magnets

My cute sis-in-law posted about this fun site and I had to post it here as well. Anne Taintor took vintage photos and added funny phrases. This is one that caught my eye:

I have felt this way when Mason is having an off day.

This one could actually apply to many other situations as well. For example, you could substitute "refrigerator" with "sock drawer" or "closet" or "phone" or "keys".

Not only does she have magnets but she also has key rings, cosmetic bags, air fresheners, mini notes, etc. Here is a key ring that caught my eye:

This happens more often than not.

bodybugg

I am not trying to fool you with this picture. This isn't me. That is why I have started the bodybugg system today. After doing boot camp for two months and not losing a pound (very sad and very true) I've decided I need to work more on my calorie management. Plus I am still nursing and that makes it extra hard for me to lose weight. I hear from many new moms that while nursing the weight just melts away. For me, that is not the case.

So this lovely device stays on your arm throughout the day (the first 48 hours you wear it all the time) and it keeps track of how many calories you burn during the day. Your job is to type in what you've eaten throughout the day. It gives you a daily total of what you burned vs. what you ate. That way you know if you need to work harder or eat less. :) I will keep you posted.

Australia

Just saw the trailer for this movie. It looks so good! I can't wait to see it. Let's face it -- anything with Hugh Jackman in it is worth seeing. :)

snl weekly

Sorry this is late but better late than never, right? Here is the SNL clip of the week. This is exactly how my family would react to my mom's huckleberry pie. Just picture my mom throwing my dad around like a rag doll and all of us hopping on the table grabbing handfuls of huckleberries. Really wish I had it on video. ;) Enjoy.

crop and stick

This is for all you scrapbookers out there. My cool sister-in-law started her own company. Right now it is web based with the potential to expand. You can check it out here. Let me know what you think!

new favorite site

I am one that doesn't mind cooking, I just H-A-T-E trying to think of what to make. I found this site the other day and am loving it. Just thought I would share. :)

zoo

On Saturday we met up with two of Dan's sisters and their families at the zoo. It was a blast. Mason loved being with his cousins and seeing all the animals.

Here Mason is pointing to a red panda sleeping in the tree.

Mason loved the zebras but was too busy munching on kettle korn to take a good picture. ;)

Here is Mason with his cousins. He was pretty much Zach's shadow all day (blue shirt). I'm glad we were able to go and spend the day.

little critter

I grew up reading and loving Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer. I love all his adventures and I love the illustrations. Mercer Mayer is a favorite and Mason now loves reading Little Critter. He requests it almost every night. We have several of Mercer Mayer's books. We have this book:We also have There's A Nightmare in my Closet , Herbert the Timid Dragon and What Do You Do With A Kangaroo. It is so much fun to read these to Mason and Naomi. Hopefully they will have good memories of growing up on Mercer Mayer books as well.

charlie bit me

So my cousin Kimi posted this video clip on her site. It is so, so funny and I had to post it here. The best is Charlie's reaction after biting his brother's finger.

crash landing

This is how I found Mason the other day. Usually when I put him in his room to take a nap, he stays in his bed and falls fast asleep. I guess he really wasn't that tired. I could hear him playing but I thought, "No matter. He'll tire and fall asleep soon."

It looked as though a robber had been through his room and turned over everything in search of a prized possession. I wish I knew what he was thinking when he decided to lay down on the floor and fall asleep; "Can't. Go. To. Bed. Still. Playing. Ugghhrr."