I have a date!!

I have a date on Saturday to go see SEX AND THE CITY with a magnificent specimen of manliness.

For the date I will be wearing this  and these . Because I need to look fabulous. I’ll have to take out a small loan but it will be worth it I’m sure.

 

Okay who am I kidding I will probably just be wearing

this , these and some tennis shoes, I already own similar items to these courtesy of Old Navy 🙂 besides my man doesn’t care what I wear and I am sure the ladies of the movie would rather I just show up then worry about what I am going to wear, I am so excited though I can barely stand it. YEAH a date, YEAH sex and the city movie, YEAH all around.

Do you have a single adult son?

If you live in Atlanta, Charlotte, Phoenix (casting is over), St. Louis, Kansas City, Dallas, Austin or Houston and have a single adult son that you wish would find love check this out. Ryan Seacrest wants to help you and your son find the woman of his dreams. It’s a new dating show called Momma’s Boys. I think if my brother weren’t dating a nice girl right now I would have my mom standing first in line. Hurry they are in STL right now!!!

I fought the law and the law won

No pictures today… just lots of ranting. SORRY!!

I won’t do it, at least not yet… I absolutely refuse to turn our air conditioning on. I don’t know about you but I am enjoying the $50 electric bill vs. the $100 or over we had this winter. The weather has been cooperating so far but when it gets famously humid here I just turn on an oscillating fan in the playroom and it keeps our living area nice and cool. Good enough. I am being way more frugal this year and trying to save money wherever I can. Especially since I had to go to Traffic Court on Tuesday. That’s right Traffic Court and I had to pay $97 in court costs. I have a bit of a lead foot, it’s a fact known to all of those that love and know me but alas that is not what got me my appointment in Traffic Court. I haven’t told anyone the story because it infuriates me but since I have paid my debt now I am a little less peeved.

Anyway on April 25th I was taking JT to work and there was a police car in the middle of the road so I signaled to get over (around him) and needed to get back over right away because of my turn coming up, right as I was getting over (with my signal on) he turned proceeded to enter traffic without any warning just cut everyone off and sped into traffic, well I had my signal on and got in front of him (cutting him off, but not meaning too) and he pulled me over. That’s not the worst part, on my list of errands that day was to get my license renewed because while we were on vacation my license expired, but I was told I had 30 days or something like that, anyway I got two tickets… one for my license and one for not using a turn signal (BS, I did) so I tell him when he pulls me over that I know I used my signal, I know I did, I always do. Well because I was raising my voice he called for back-up. Yeah I am a huge threat in my minivan, dropping my husband off at work and my kids in their carseats watching the Wiggles. I understand that they don’t know who I am but I don’t even have a mark on my record, or points off of my license. He was a jerk too. So I go to court to fight the tickets and the judge dismisses them without even talking to me. Which was fine. It gets better, JT went with me to Traffic Court for support and he sees a lady he used to work with, while I was paying my fine (basically court costs, $48.50 each ticket, it could’ve been way more expensive) they started talking and she had been pulled over by the same police officer and that’s why he was in the middle of the road, giving her a ticket for guess what… the same thing, not using her turn signal, which she says she did. Can you believe it? He pulled two of us over within minutes of each other for the exact same thing and we both KNOW we used our blinkers. What a creep. The funny part is she saw him pull us over and she knows that I used my blinker, I guess he met histicket quota that day.

Okay now that I have told all of you about my lovely experience I am over it. I will now let it go. I will finally be free from the anger I have felt over this for over a month. Ultimately the law/system wins everytime, you either pay the court costs or you pay for the tickets. At least my money goes towards good things in the city like the Domestic Violence Fund, Crime Victims Fund and the Peace Officer Training.

Works for Me Wednesday – A Crying Toddler

Before I start, I just have to comment on how pretty the new Works for Me Wednesday picture is… Okay here we go: This is probably just a fluke BUT when I sometimes put my son down for his nap he will cry and cry and cry. I think it’s either because he can, he knows it irrates me or he’s just so tired (which is the case today). So when he cries I give him 10 minutes and I go in a state matter of fact “J we are done crying, it’s now time for sleep (I turn his music on again) and just say I love you time for sleep” and leave. It works everytime. Of course this never would have worked with my daughter but with him everytime. He is a little out of sorts because of his new bed but we are working through it.

This is what works for me. Check out more at Rock in My Dryer.

Big Day in the Hoto House

I am not sure which arrival I should talk about first because we had too big arrivals in our house today.

The first arrival came in the form of a small UPS envelope. That’s right my brand new book the creative family has arrived. Remember I won this awesome book on Ali Edwards’ blog. I am was so psyched when I received it today and she included a little note which I will probably scrapbook (since #1 I am a dork and #2 this is the first time I ever won anything). Here’s a pic:

Then we had another HUGE delivery. J’s big boy bed. It was such a fun day setting up his room differently and rearranging furniture. He loves his new bed and went to bed like this was nothing new to him. He and L spent all day and night playing on it. It has perfect timing too because the last week or so he’s been climbing out in the morning and meets JT in the living room. He never crawled out if it was still dark out though so that’s good.

Here’s a picture of his last night in his crib. He’s waving good-bye to his baby years (not really, I will keep him a baby as long as I can).

Here’s his new bed. It’s so awesome. Everything fits in his room now. All the furniture is perfect and I am so happy with the way his room turned out. I still have some things I want to do in there. I have to get the rest of his train track and wheels up around the edge near the top, I want a mirror over his dresser and I need a lamp under the bed (near the TV) but otherwise, it’s looking good.

I love creating new spaces in my house. When I do it’s all organized and clean, it makes me want to be in there all the time.

Wordless Wednesday – Just Like Uncle Na

J sitting in Uncle Na’s car.

Check out more Wordless Wednesdays here. HAPPY WW!!

My latest scrapbooking project

I finally finished my 2007 year in review scrapbook. Wanna see? I am really proud of the whole thing. It’s a pretty picture heavy post so I apologize to those non-scrapbookers out there. Here is a picture of the album it’s an 8 1/2 x 8 1/2. I am really not sure what I should put in the front picture holder. Because in this album will be 2007 and 2008 (haven’t started 2008 yet). If you are interested in any of the products I used just let me know.

           I am really disappointed with the title page so I will probably redo it but for now, it’s finished so I will just let it be for a while.

I bought these tags in the album on etsy from elle’s studio. When I bought them I didn’t check the year so I had to go through and take black magic marker to all of the 2008’s and then find some adornment for each one. I made it work. Also I am really weird about names and pictures being out there of my kids, so I blacked out all names in the book. I started out writing the journaling and then that was ugly so I went to typing them out and adding the kids ages was getting monotonous so I quit after a couple of pages.

January reads: Still making bottles, Clifford books, Pretty new coat, Ah-Ah the sock monkey, Babysitting Elise and a couple inches of snow.

February reads: Bought a new minivan; Decorated Valentines; Potty trained L.

March reads: L moved to a big girl bed, C’s birthday party, Cousin S came to town for a visit, J no longer takes a bottle and FINALLY some warm weather.

April reads: Easter, L’s 3rd birthday, Trip to the lake of the Ozarks with the S’s.

May reads: Opened our new pool and swam for the first time this year. Mother’s Day. Played with L’s new easel. Visited the Botanical Gardens with the E’s. L’s last day of Mom’s Day Out and Celebrated M & P’s 60th Wedding Anniversary.

June reads: Visited the Museum of Transportation, Played in the backyard, Found great grandma and great grandpa’s headstone, Father’s Day and P & N’s, Great River Road excursion with M & P, Aunt P, E’s and G, lunch at the Loading Dock (p’s favorite restaurant on the river).

July reads: Fourth of July at the E’s (J tried the slip n slide for the first time); T family wedding in Huntsville, Alabama; Baby R was born; Swimming at Aunt P’s; Butterfly House and Carousel with Cousin S.

August reads: Cousin C’s bridal shower; S and A M visit from Texas; Swim Party for K’s birthday at Aunt P and Uncle D’s; Hanging out on mom and dad’s bed; J turns 2!!! 8-29-07; Seeing and sitting in a fire truck for the first time.

September reads: Birthday celebration for J and Aunt P and Uncle D’s; Cousin C’s wedding; Birthday celebration for J with the T’s; JT birthday celebrated at Monkey Joes; L started preschool; L started ballet/tap dance class at the Y.

October reads: Visited Eckert’s Belleville Farm to pick pumpkins and ride some ponies; Went with L on her first field trip to Stuckmeyer’s Farm and Market; Our beloved P or P as you two called him died on October 20, 2007; Carved pumpkins; had a picnic at Bee Tree Park; I was room mom for L’s preschool Halloween party; Celebrated Halloween with Na, N and P, J was a monkey and L was a witch.

November reads: E’s birthday party; Christmas pictures at Willmore Park; L’s Thanksgiving Party at Preschool; Christmas Tree Lighting and Macy’s Window display downtown; Thanksgiving Day Parade; Thanksgiving at Aunt P and Uncle D’s; Putting Christmas lights up with G and Daddy.

December reads: L’s School Program 12/9; 6 inches of snow 12/16; Gardenland Express train display at the Botanical Gardens 12/17; L’s first ballet recital 12/20 (pictured with teacher Ms. J); Christmas with the T’s 12/23; Christmas Eve at N and P’s; Christmas Day at Home.

I know this is a long post but I am really proud of this album and I can’t wait to work on 2005, 2006 and 2008. Now if I could only muster the courage to work on my Disney trip. I haven’t had any break throughs or thoughts on how to do it yet. But that’s my next big project. Thanks for looking.

The lights went out in Georgia (not really… just here)

Okay if you live in STL and are sick of rain, raise your hand. Yeah me too.

Last night we were sitting and enjoying reruns of our new favorite show (Design Star, I’m all about reality tv shows), the kids were in bed, in short we were relaxed, enjoying our evening. But then this obnoxious storm moves through the area at 9:45 pm and knocks our lights out and that’s a really big deal when your kids sleep with fans (we live on a busy/loud street). Both of them woke up scared as snot and shaking (??? it works, at least I didn’t cuss) I felt so sorry for them. We called the power company and they informed us it would be on by 5:30 am, some cuss words later we concluded it was going to be a rough night. Around 10:45 pm we decided to make beds on the living room floor because it was getting hot fast in our house and the living room is the coolest room. We took L’s trundle mattress, for L and I,  J’s crib mattress for him of course and JT slept on the couch. We were all drifting off to sleep and we were all quite comfortable…. then the power turned on, yep at 11:15 pm. That’s a good thing unless your children still want to sleep with you but now in your cramped queen bed. So I took the kids to bed with me and JT stayed on the couch. I was up all night. Feet in my ribs, hair in my mouth, stiff neck… nightmare! Around 5:00 am the storms started again and woke both of them up, they were easily soothed by the fact they were sleeping next to me. It was the worst night’s sleep I can remember. These weren’t just your typical storms either, they flooded roads, knocked down trees and shook the windows and our house with the thunder. Now today it’s still rainy (no Gypsy Caravan for us) and there’s a cold front coming through tomorrow.

I want to move!!! Or at least get a bigger bed!

Makes me smile…

This makes me smile everytime and makes me want to dance. Plus it’s funny. My friend has this song on her phone as a ringtone. I would love that, I can never decide what my ringtone should be.

 

To host or not to host?

So I can’t decide what I want to do with this blog right now… Too many decisions.

Do I find a host through WordPress and have a domain name for 6.95 a month? Or do I find a designer that would make my blog look super fancy and awesome? I would like to get started with advertising on my blog and also maybe some product reviews but I don’t know how to do either of these. I was going to start with Amazon.com and maybe some Google AdSense but WordPress doesn’t allow these to be used on their sidebars unless you have your own domain. Insert confusion.

Does anyone have any tips or pointers? Maybe even some advice? I would really appreciate it. I can’t decide which route to take. Also is Bluehost a good hosting site? I just have so many questions.