Weed Control

Is your yard an annoyingly endless sea of dandelions? You too could have the newest weed control on the market....

Destructo-Toddler

(he he he....priceless. And yes...it was all his idea.)

A Moldy Situation

First up, let me say that the constant rain is wearing on my last fragile nerve. I mean, enough already with the free-flowing water! I know God promised not to flood the Earth again and all that jazz, but...sheesh! This is getting annoying. {insert annoyed grumbling sounds here} I need a good sunny day to dry out my house. Yeah...I said house. Now you might be asking, "Why on earth would you say 'house', Jessica?"Well, it seems that we have a bit of a mold issue. These aren't exactly the things you foresee when you buy a house. There were no tale tale odors of mold or must when we first moved in, so apparently it is a problem that has developed over our time here. Of course, I am at home all day, so I've developed a bit of an immunity to the smell. But when Josh gets home from being gone all day, he says it's really bad. Slap you in the face kind of stench. Great. Lovely. FANtastic. And the real kick in the head is that poor Alex has a pretty severe mold allergy. The kid just can't get a break now. Inside the house used to be a nice escape from the horrid spring allergies outside, but now the disgusting mold smell has permeated our house. I'm just waiting for him to get worse the stronger the smell gets. It's just making me realize that our house is not a healthy place to be living right now. Isn't that wonderful? *sigh* At least we have a roof over our heads. The good news? We located the problem...for the most part. It is in our room on the wall to the outside of the house and the rotted siding on the same wall. The bad news? We have no idea how to replace it all. Now, we haven't ripped off the wood paneling inside to see just how far the damage goes. Truth be told, I'm afraid to do it in fear that I will see mold so bad that my stomach will do back flips over my butt. But it has to be done. And soon too, because I fear that this may worsen Alex's asthma and possibly cause some problems for Abby (who has yet to show any allergies). I also firmly believe that this is also affecting all of our health just by breathing it in. So the first non-rainy weekend we have, we will be taking on the task of ridding our house of it's nasty mold smell. Yuck. So...uh...know any good workers that are willing to work for a cheap price? (And by 'cheap', I really mean free with a side of soda pop, meals, and eternal gratitude.)

Spring Has Sprung

I'm not entirely sure if 'officially' is the right word, but using the weather purely as an indicator, would mean that spring is officially upon us. Up until the past couple of days (rain, rain, rain), the temperature has made it especially beautiful outside. And all I can say is: It's about time! Do you have kids? Well, if you do, then I'm quite sure that yours were also going ga-ga with the whole stay-in-the-house-and-do-nothing-until-we-go-crazy phase of the year. I think you will agree with me when I say that outside playtime is essential in keeping the sanity of your children in check. Now that the weather has been agreeing with my terms of acceptable outside temperatures, the kids are more than thrilled to expel all of there bottled up energy in more appropriate manners. Bring on the swing set and sandbox! Here are some pictures of my monkeys enjoying some sun.




Of course, with the joys of fair weather, comes the much awaited opening of garage sale season. I've saved my pennies and this past weekend, was the first of my annual city wide garage sales. I woke up early, passed the kids off to Josh (for the first time in...well...way too long) and headed into town for four straight hours of rummaging through other peoples unwanted treasures. Of course, I rarely get anything for myself these days. It's all about the kids now. Toys, toys, and more toys. And boy howdy! Did I ever get a lot of stuff! I've never seen my mini-van packed so tightly. Honestly, I don't see a point to buying things new anymore. I'm not sure what my best find was, but it's definitely between my wheelbarrow for $2.00 or the FisherPrice parking garage for $.25 cents (biggest hit for the kiddos). It was fun and I can't wait to go out again. I'm an unstoppable force, I tell ya. But I've got my fix for the moment. I think I can safely go another week or two before heading out to get more stuff to fill my already too small house. But isn't the old adage 'One man's trash can fill up another man's house during garage sale season'?

The Results Are In!

It's official. My pregnant friend, Mandy had the sonogram today and I'm thrilled to hear that...


I am so excited that Abby will have a little girl buddy to get into all sorts of trouble with. Growing up was always interesting with Mandy and I. We weren't the worst kind of trouble makers out there, but we definitely did a few things that were a wee bit on the stupid side.(i.e. throwing rocks at bull's heads, shooting a bow & arrow at each other (don't ask), and putting lemonade and hamster poop in dollhouse toilets) So It will be interesting to see if this new little one and Abby will become bosom buddies in the future. Alex and Wesley (her first little kiddo) are really takin' a liking to each other so it is possible. So congratulations Mandy and Sean! I'm so excited for you both!

A tad of this...a tad of that

The attack of The Lazy Blogging Mama strikes again! After the big birthday bash, I kind of went on a bit of a hiatus as far as my responsibilities to the blog goes. But, hey...can you blame me? Not only did I have the stressful week prior to it, but to add insult to injury, (injury being my exhaustion) I caught the lovely cold that swept through the household. So here I am, well enough to feel like updating you all and I really have nothing very exciting to report. So today it's going to be a tad of this and a tad of that. First up, let me just say thank you to my wonderful inlaws for the nice weekend away. The kids had a lot of fun for the two days that we went to Josh's parents house. We got some down time with them and his grandparents. So you might ask me next, "So, did you get any good pictures with that fancy new camera you have?" Where in, I would reply, "Nope. Took the camera and totally spaced it off." Nice, huh? Maybe next time.

The weekend was great save for the night following our return. Apparently my children do not handle change very well. Abby has been finally sleeping through the night due to random factors. She even cries herself back to sleep fairly quickly. But after one night away from routine, she became a very angry baby. She decided to scream in her crib for just over two hours last night before I answered her angry beckoning. (I too was very angry so we both ended up sitting in the rocking chair complaining in our own special ways.) Hopefully tonight will go better.

Next note. I am a free bird again! Woo-hoo! Yes...ladies and gentlemen...I have a weaned one year old. I am officially off booby-duty. The shackles have been unlocked. I plan on merrily burning my nursing bras. Okay, so maybe that's a bit overboard. It wasn't really that awful. But it really does feel good to not have to worry about that part of my life anymore. One year is where I draw that line.

And for my last bit of fun stuff, I shall post a nice little video. I think, with a little more research on the subject, I may have discovered the hidden reason to my children's sleeping disorders. And before you can ask, I will tell you that Josh told me to post this because it is so incredibly funny. Honestly, I've never heard Josh laugh so hard he was crying. So let me prepare you for the snoring event unparalleled by any another.

*The noises you are about to hear are in no way modified and are real despite what you may believe. Due to the nature of this video, ear protection may be required. I am not liable for any damage to sensitive eardrums. (okay...so i'm exaggerating...a bit.)



*Please note that no husbands were harmed in the making of this video.

Happy Birthday Abby!

Okay, okay...so I'm two days late with the birthday wishes. Let's just blame it on pure, undiluted, and totally mind numbing exhaustion. Yeah, nothing wears out a mother like a birthday party. And not really the party itself, so much as the preparing for the party. The week before the party, I was, yet again, a 'single' parent. Josh was sent out of town...again... for work due to the lack of things to do around town. (thank you economic crisis) Better than no job at all, I say. So, needless to say, the week was a long one and I had to get all of my ducks in a row for the party. On to the purpose of the blog...

Saturday was a smash! Abby was this amazingly perfect little party girl. It was as if she knew exactly what she was supposed to be doing and was extraordinarily efficient in doing so.

Alex & Abby donning a set of birthday party glasses...mama's little Elton Johns!

We started off with the opening of gifts to get the ball rolling. She plowed through them without so much as a distracting thought. Honestly, I've never seen a one year old open presents so easily. I blinked, and it was over; a pile of new shiny things now lying strewn about in front of us.

Then it was time for lunch. I went all out (insert sarcasm here). Sandwiches with a side of chips and dip. Spared no expense (once again...insert sarcasm). Next on the agenda, we were ready for the big easter egg hunt. In my head, this part involved miss Abby's first easter egg hunt. That didn't go exactly to plan. She passed out cold after filling her belly with the tasty lunch goodness. Poor thing was drained. (she's not exactly a socialite). We let her catch some zzz's while the rest of the kiddos zipped around our backyard, desperately seeking the candy filled treasures hidden in my already over-grown lawn. It really was a blast. They all had so much fun. Alex was in his element this year. He did great and was more than thrilled to find his fair share of the loot.

Alex was havin' a blast looking for eggs!

All the kiddo's with their baskets full of treasure. (The only one missin' is Abby)

(Left to right: Kate, Linsey, James, Lauren, Linda, Alex, & Wesley)

Abby awoke from her birthday slumber to find that she was once again ready to fill her tummy with more birthday treats. Cake and ice-cream. Or for those avoiding the dairy, soy-ice-cream. (though I fail to see how you can put the word 'cream' in something where there lies none) She, once again, was the little pro. I would swear that she did this while in utero. She plowed through a generous helping of the chocolate cake that I had decorated into the wee hours of the morning before.

My graphic design skills put to use. The flower and butterfly are actually a second layer of cake.

She probably could have eaten about three times more cake than I gave her.

After all was said and done, the party was over and the guests were on their way. Thank you to all who came and joined in the festivities. You made it a special day for Abby and the rest of us. It's already been a whole year and a spectacular one at that. As much as I'd love to drone on about every little detail, from the gifts given to the color of the now trashed crepe paper streamers, I really must make myself go back to mothering. I hear silence...which as a mother to a 2 year old and a 1 year old...can not be good. So if you will excuse me, I'm going to go attempt to not pass out from residual exhaustion while I entertain my monkeys. I'd never make it as a professional party planner.

Eggcellent Easter Fun

Easter has almost come and with celebrating our Lord's resurrection, comes the kid-friendly fun. Actually it's kind of fun for adults too. I don't know about you, but decorating eggs can be truly rewarding. There is something oddly satisfying about seeing white eggs turning brilliant shades of blue, pink, and green. Perhaps that is just the artist in me. Regardless, it's fun fun fun! With Easter this year, also comes the celebration of Abby's first birthday. I still can't believe it's already been a year. But it's general knowledge that time doubles in speed once you have kids. Her birthday is tomorrow, so we are having a cross celebration between Easter and Birthday. Tomorrow we will have lunch and presents, followed by an easter egg hunt in our backyard. Then what kind of party would it be without cake and ice cream? And what kind of cool mom am I if I can toss the easter theme in with these tasty little treats?


Milk allergy, schmilk allergy...my kids are having chocolate easter bunnies! Yes...I made them. And yes...they are milk free. I don't like to toot my own horn, but am I awesome or what? Anyhow, after whipping up these bad boys, we got down to the real business of decorating two and half dozen eggs. Did the entire lot of eggs survive the toddler decorating fest? Um...no. But we only had four casualties. Not bad, if I do say so myself. Here are my disastrous duo designing their perfectly cracked eggs.

Alex is lovin' this fun stuff!

Abby wasn't really in to the whole decorating thing. She was in to the whole eating thing.

And daddy joined in the fun to. Surprising because he claims to hate this kind of stuff. And funny thing, I do believe he decorated more than me...and it was MY idea!

Abby got to play with all of the extras, but she wanted the finished products pretty badly.

So everyone enjoy your Easter this year. I know that we will!