Arm & Hammer (Smiley 360 Mission)

Loving the Arm & Hammer product I've received for FREE!

I've already shared with close family, friends and strangers face to face.

But now, I am reaching out to the online world (Can you hear me?)

I've received the following, for Free . . .

And this product is AWESOME!! :) Check this out!

Click here for more info:  http://h5.sml360.com/-/mwnd

Online Classes

Thinking back to the days of  Community College.

I was rushing through courses to just move on to the next college!

Today, as I sit here taking an online course . . just for fun . . I am taking my time and still manage to pass the module one test!!

I purchased a course for myself.
Made the time to complete the module and the test.
BOTH in one day!


I may not complete a novel after this course, but I will have fun taking it!



I've promised to do MORE for me . . . here's to a new year!

Swearing & Scratch Tickets (EXPLICIT CONTENT!!)

Swearing (even something as simple as damn or hell ) are terms that Junior will completely meltdown over. I mean, storm out of the room/up to his bedroom and have a full blown sob fest!

I grew up in a home where swearing was acceptable, after the age of 8,9,10, well actually it probably was at about 10 that my parents stopped punishing my younger brother and I for "swearing"

When I am ranting to Daddy and even slip out the occasion "the damn guy cut me off. . " Junior  has run away and started to cry. It has annoyed me to the point, that I snapped. I literally said to my boyfriend: "Guess what, I am a fucking adult. And if I slip and swear, its okay!" and he agreed. Then I continued on "I'm not going to feel guilty when I slip and say that something sucks, you look sexy, or the fucking jackass cut me off while driving downtown on the way to school." However, if I ever was to snap and swear AT Junior, then I should feel guilty. I should feel like a bad parent. That is when Daddy said: "Lets talk to Junior and find out why he continues to cry over swearing."

So that is where the conversation began, Junior & Daddy and I all sat down for a conversation about adults, swearing and why its NOT okay to completely break down when someone slips, says a swear and then apologizes.

Junior flat out looked down at the table, and said: "I just don't like when you guys fight or swear because it reminds me of Momma when she is mean." and from there he walked away from the table, played with his toys and it wasn't mentioned again . . .

Until December 23rd . . Daddy and I grabbed lottery tickets for a few last minute add-ons to gifts. and treated ourselves to a couple as well. As we began to scratch the tickets, Junior flew out of the room crying and slammed his bedroom door shut.

Round two, as an adult I tried talking to Junior & Daddy about what happened and his response was exactly the same as the one about cursing. "I just don't want you and Daddy to be like Momma and spend all your money and time scratching those tickets that she always buys. I don't like those, and I don't like when she buys those."  . . . of course that answer came after a good 20 minutes (or more) of him crying and hiding in his bedroom.


Parents, Guardians, etc.  . . . I ask you this, "How do you handle meltdowns over things that are acceptable, not completely inappropriate, and hope that the child doesn't become scarred for life over a curse word or a lottery ticket?"



*Side Note* December 19th was my birthday. My parents purchased me a tank top that reads:
"I am not always a Bitch. Just kidding, Go Fuck Yourself"  . . . . And Junior ready the "b-word" while I opened the gift and flew out of control into a meltdown . . . So there are somethings that Daddy and I simply cant control. Including drunk relatives at family parties and Christmas. . . . What is the solution???

"I'm So Cranky"

"I'm so cranky, You already know!"


After listening to this song, and a few others . . . motherhood is a joke!

Even though I am not his mother, Junior has me wrapped around his finger.



This song made me laugh.
It made me giggle, for real.
The first giggle out of me in over a week.

This week has been lousy. . . to say the least.
Oh wait, its only Monday. Lets scratch THIS week, and say last week.

Family party Sunday, and I spent the day melting down and threatening to pack my bags.
Why? Ha, who knows! My only reasonable explanation:
I started my period = Goodbye Sanity!



This video sums up the everyday struggle of being a "MOM" and staying home with children.
watching and listening to the other videos, also makes me realize I'm not alone.

And today, I am thankful for all of the other cranky mothers out there.

"I've been an Angel all year . . "

While driving home from picking a tree, last Friday night (yes, I know I am behind) Junior sings Santa Baby with me, while Daddy is in the backseat, holding the tree and laughing.

Is it bad, wrong, terrible, unacceptable, odd that I told my boyfriends 8 year old child (Junior) that I want a diamond ring, baby and new car for Christmas? . . . I don't think so!

I don't think it is odd/wrong/terrible/unacceptable for multiple reasons.
1. It is the truth
2. None of those things are inappropriate
3. Junior, Daddy and myself all laughed when Junior told Daddy what I am wishing for.


A few nights go by, and Junior says: "I really want a baby brother in her stocking too!"



Fast forward a few more days.
Daddy and I are sitting in the kitchen with my mother (who is DONE with her Christmas shopping) and he says to me, "I really need your Christmas wish list, can you remind me again about the things you wanted/need."

I gave him NO ideas during that conversation and I really don't like to have a wish list for him and Junior  when they go shopping for me. I want a gift that comes from the heart, and something that they pick to give me. (plus, its more of a challenge that way!)

Today, Daddy and I spent the morning together and he says: "I know you want that Secret Garden book, or whatever it is but I really need to know the name of it."

So I pull up the amazon site, and give him two ideas. Two things that I would like, but don't need.
1. Magic Garden coloring book
2. Family of 3 necklace

Doesn't mean that Santa needs to bring me those. But I do like both and that is all I really have for ideas.


But the most important text that I sent to Daddy today said:
Please, do not buy me another stuffed animal, slippers, bath robe or shoes.

What does your wish list look like? Do you and your significant other buy gifts for each other? We typically do, but this year we want to save for a bathtub & mattress (to finish our master bathroom, and sleep well)

Our Elf Might Have the Magic to Disappear!

This week I have seen multiple "status" updates on Facebook about the creepy Elf of the Shelf.

After posting about the return of our Elf, I have convinced myself that THIS is the last year for our Elf. For many reasons!


The Elf has been re-named "Tin-Tin" (a nickname Junior had as toddler)
He showed up Thanksgiving night. Arriving in an adorable mailbox (from the dollar store)
and he even was wearing the winter outfit (scarf and skates) that Junior left out for him.

The first night (Thursday) was great! Tin-Tin showed up in the mailbox, on Junior's desk, right next to his Christmas tree.

Then came Friday, I woke up to Junior in my face, bright and early, screaming "MY ELF IS HERE AND HE IS IN MY ROOM!". . . Daddy was lucky enough to be at work! That night,  we needed to find a way to move Tin-Tin to another location....That is when I became Anti-Elf! (the early morning wake up call didn't help!)

Daddy and I were talking bickering about who was going to SNEAK into Junior's  bedroom and re-locate Tin-Tin. At that point, Daddy looked at me and said "I am done with the sneaking around and playing games with this THING!"  Together, we moved the Elf, but he made me stand at Junior's bed, making sure he didn't wake up, while Daddy snuck over and moved the Elf downstairs to hang out in the enormous bag of wrapping paper!

It gets better . . . Not only did we need to find a new spot for him, but we also needed to respond to a letter (thanks to the 2nd grade teacher last year! the same one who brought in the Annalee Elf) After multiple failed attempts and faking creating our letter, Daddy  decided he would write (cursive) really small and on a ripped up piece of paper. So, that was the letter! (2 hours after our mini-debate!) I brought the letter downstairs, rolled it up and stuffed it into Tin-Tin's hands.

"Elfing" night #2 was complete! And Junior  woke up extremely disappointed Saturday morning because Tin-Tin didn't answer all of his questions that were in the letter. (HUGE FAILURE!)

Saturday, Tin-Tin came back again. This time he was hiding out in the Christmas lights down stairs. No gifts, no letters, and a very irritated Daddy. I looked right at him and said, "This is the last year!" and we began a conversation about Junior and his beliefs.
Sunday night, Daddy and I were heading to get a midnight snack from the freezer, when I realized we still didn't hide the stupid Elf. So I grabbed him, threw him in the fridge and we went to bed. We both completely forgot that he was in there, until Junior went to pour himself some milk in his cereal. Opened the fridge door and let out a little "ah" . . . the Elf freaked him out a little bit!

Monday night, we were feeling the same way. Bored with this Elf thing, feeling like it could just disappear and we would be okay with it. I grabbed him out of the fridge, and threw him on our wreath on the door.

Enough is enough! . . . I am jealous of those parents without an Elf on the Shelf!



This morning, while waiting for the library to open, I read three more posts on Facebook about "elf" mischief and complaints! I'm proud of the mothers who choose not to get an elf. Just wish I had the strength to say no in the first place.

Another mother posted, her son's teacher has the elf in class. her son touched it to make it lose magic and disappear because it gives him nightmares.

Then, in response to one of the posts . . . a friend of a friend posted this blog: I Killed my Elf on the Shelf by Kasey Van Norman . . . After reading that post . . .


No more elf after this year! And, Tin-Tin will only be making appearances in our home (no gifts, no treats, no crazy elf-antics!) . . .

Sorry Junior,  but I have to say, that I agree with Daddy and a whole lot of other Mommies!!!

Elfy . . . Pronounced "EL-FEE"

Last year, Elfy twisted in the lights around the window

He also hung out in Junior's stocking!

(I think he also made his way into the doggy one at one point too!)

This year . . . who knows where he will end up hiding!
. . . . Yes, Elfy is just about to make his debut back in time for the real start of the Christmas season.

That's right folks, AFTER Thanksgiving!

We will not turn our Christmas lights on until November 28th!
We will not begin our hunt for a tree until the first week of December.
And Elfy will not make his appearance until . . . . Thanksgiving night!


However, we did get a head start on our Christmas shopping.
And Daddy brought our Target flyer with us. . . you know the fabulous TOY catalog.
We carefully went over the circled items together. Knowing Junior knows he wont get EVERYTHING that he circled.

Next week will be teacher conferences, and we know he has had an awesome beginning to the school year. So Daddy picked out this little token, Winter Outfit

This will be Elfy's new outfit I'm sure!

Junior also asked for this Aviator Set, which will be the outfit he arrives in Thanksgiving night

I wouldn't put it past Junior to combine the two outfits as well!

 

 

Cant wait to update with pictures of our creepy Elfy in his new attire!