Wordless Wednesday (kinda)

Is this meant to be literal?  No words at all?  I'll try my best BUT I have to explain...these pics are a follow-up to this post last week!
 http://justanothermomoftwins2.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-kinda-feel-like-mrs-robinson_22.html
(These were the best I could get...all things considered! LOL)

Ok, no more words...

I Live In A Gated Community! (Just not the one I had always envisioned.)

I have a friend who comes by every week or so for a "coffee visit".  Her children are in their 20's now but she is someone I consider to be one of my biggest "mommy allies".  She has been there...done that and shares those stories in hopes that I might avoid some of the obstacles she faced rearing 3 children.  At the very least, her wisdom and experience provides me with a "heads up" on what is to come.  But there are some things that remind us that she raised her children in a very different era than I am.  Hence her comment the first time she came by since the kids starting "movin' & groovin'" around the house.  "Good Heavens, it more secure in here than Fort Knox!" to which I replied, "Ya, I never thought I'd live in a gated community!"

We both bursted out laughing!

What I Like About ME Mondays- I'm Crafty!

Happy Monday to my fellow “What I Like About ME!” blog hoppers!

I am not sure if I am suppose to take every spare moment I have (which are few) to think of all the things I like about myself??  But I have to say…it’s challenging for me!  Not that I am a self-saboteur by nature but this blog hop has really got me self evaluating, which can be a positive thing OR I could become a little narcissistic…LOL! I know…I know…it’s not meant to be taken so seriously and that is the last I will mention of my “What I Like About Me” mind-set…promise!  (Would hate to become a nuisance in my second week on the hop…LOL!)

What I Like About Me today is how creative I can be....

I recently made a “new friend” across the street, which is quite the accomplishment in itself, seeing how our neighborhood is not like the one I grew up in…people are so impersonal and aloof in this big city of mine.

Anyways, I created the following “Chocolate Bar” card for her baby shower this past weekend.

(In case you can not read the greeting on the pictures, I have included what is written.  The bolded fonts are the chocolate bars I used in lieu of words.)

On the front:

 To the “3 Musketeers” (a.k.a. Michelle, Roland and Roland the 4^th)

I just want to congratulate you on your new LITTLE “Mr. Big”…you’ve truly “Skor”’d the adventure of a lifetime!

From one mom to another, here are a few words of wisdom to help you navigate through the journey of motherhood:

The Front

Inside panels:

• Sometimes, Roland’s cry may simply mean he needs to “Eatmore”

• When you are so tired and feel “Twisted” and you’re all “Butterfingers” remember to just take it all in “Stride”.  Tomorrow IS a new day!

• You may feel at times that you’re in a “Crunch” to get everything done but take time to slow down and enjoy your “Junior  Mint”…they grow WAY to fast!

• When you want to “Kit Kat” your partner (trust me you will want too), it is helpful to remember…Men are from “Mars” and women are from Venus.

• 
  “Sweet Marie” say it isn’t so…but yes; life really does end “After Eight”

• You’ve got the mommy “Smarties” to know what’s best for your child but never “Snickers” at other’s well-meaning suggestions or advice.

• To help keep “Pep” in your step…take “5” to escape in your mind to a special place, whether that be to Paris, Alaska or “Big Turk”& Cacios!

• When all else fails there is NOTHING that “Hugs n’ Kisses” wont fix!

• And finally, if you ever feel like falling to “Reeses Pieces” just “Rolo”-on over across the street and a friendly, helpful friend awaits.

 

Inside

On the back:

Ooohhh…. ONE LAST THING….don’t “Glosette” over the bad days….just grab any one of these chocolate bars and ENJOY!

Wishing you all the happiness and joy!

The Back

I also like that I don’t even think twice when a friend or family member asks me to write them their own special “Candy Bar Card”.  Some of my other CREATIVE creations include:

• A Thank You card for my niece to give to her teacher at the end of the year
• A 25^th Anniversary card for my friend to give to her Aunt & Uncle (I even offered to make this one!)
• A “Sorry You Broke Up With Your Fiancé” card for my friend to give to her brother.

If you’d like me to whip one up for a special occasion or person in your life, just let me know…LOL!  (If you live in the USA, you’ve got some really great Chocolate Bars that we can’t buy here in Canada)  Warning:  They are a little time consuming to actually make but I do have step by step instructions…with pictures…I could share.  (My sister had no idea where to even start to help my niece make the card for her teacher…she is a “visual” learner...hence instructions with pictures.J)

Have a Wonderful Week Ladies!

Welcome to Week 4 of "What I Love About Me!" hosted by Twins Plus One, Three Times the Fun and Twingle Mommy!

Here's how it works -
Write a post about what you love about yourself this week and then add it to the linky list below. This is intended to be a time and place for each of us to stop criticizing ourselves for a few minutes and actually remind ourselves of the characteristics we are proud to own. So go ahead, look in the mirror, and see yourself through your loved one's eyes. Notice the beauty first. Here's your place to shine!

A few simple guidelines -

• Please follow the two hostesses. If you are a new follower, please comment so we can follow you too! :)
• We'd love it if you posted the button and the linky list, but it is not mandatory.
• Feel free to link to your homepage or your specific "What I Love About Me!" post. We want this to be a fun, relaxing hop so we'll accept all links as long as they are family-friendly. Thanks!
• The linky will be open all week so feel free to link-up on your own time!

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Spiritual Sunday- The Interview With God

I don't go to Church but I do have a connection with God.  It's a special connection just between him and I.  I have never read the bible and the few times I have been to a religious service, I don't understand much of what is being said.  I like to believe that I live my life with the highest morals and with the best intentions.

Sunday is my day to reflect and I would like to post some things that I find to be inspirational and that maybe you will too!

The Interview With God...

Songs That Make Me Sing Saturday!

I LOVE to sing.  I CAN'T sing.  But I LOVE to sing.  I like pretty much all types of music with the exception of classical, I guess I am not refined enough to appreciate it...LOL.

If I knew how to create a Blog Hop I would because I think that would be lotsa fun to see what songs make other people sing.  Until I get that figured out...I am posting Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel.  After my OWN Mrs. Robinson experience this week, I just had to get my Greatest Hits CD out and "belt-out" some of those songs! (The kids had a blast dancing while mom sang.)  You can read all about that post here  http://justanothermomoftwins2.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-kinda-feel-like-mrs-robinson_22.html ,

Since this song was WAY before "Music Videos", I found their live performance in Central Park...I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed singing it!  Even if you only enjoy it 1/2 as much as I did...that A LOT! :)

Might As Well Face It, I'm Addicted To...

THE INTERNET!

I have been “offline” and without internet access for over 24 hours and I swear I had some SERIOUS withdrawal effects.  I was so at a loss without my cyber-connection that I think that I am *gasp* addicted to all things “connected”.

Need a Giggle Today? Then Have a Read & Giggle Along with My Children!

The new game the kids are playing with mommy....guess who lost?!?! ;)

I should probably let you know that I am horizontally challenged, I am also vertically challenged but that's another day...another post.  I am a whopping 5 feet 1/2 am inch tall.  (I feel a lot taller when I include the 1/2 of inch).  For all "us" mommies out there who are also considered "short-stuff", you will be able to totally relate to this...

I kinda feel like Mrs. Robinson!

And to think I didn't have anything to Blog about today...LMAO! 

We are having our fence replaced this week and this morning at 8:00am two young men, no older than 20 I'm sure...show up to begin the work.  As I go out on the deck to greet them, I immediately start to mentally assess my appearance without trying to look obviously "concerned" with the fact that I am in my Christmas pajama's, my hair is in shambles and I am not wearing a bra (I am not 18, have had TWO babies and well, enuf said!).

A Green Thumb? Ummm…Not This Mom!

I wanted to make sure that I really didn’t fit the official definition of “Green Thumb” before I sold myself short.  “Green Thumb” is defined by Wikipedia as “A natural talent for growing plants”.  I still wasn’t convinced, so I searched answers.com only to find a more deflating definition; “An extraordinary ability to make plants grow well.”   It’s official; I do not fit the description of someone having a “Green Thumb”.  *sigh*

It baffles me how I can grow two beautiful babies but can’t manage to keep a few little flowers alive???

I have never been interested in planting flowers and making the outside of my home beautiful.  I have enough trouble managing the inside to worry about appearance on the outside.  Besides, before we had children my husband and I worked most of the time and when we weren’t “slugging it” trying to making a living, we were travelling and having fun.  Flowers and gardens were just never high on our priority list.  However, now that I am a full time mom and the kids and I will be outside more often, I thought it was time to awaken the “Green Thumb” in me.!

 
I bought all the right “stuff” to get started…well kinda.  Yes, those are kid’s plastic gardening tools but I had a “feeling” that I may not be a natural at this flower-planting thing so, I covered my bases.  I thought….at least the kids would have some fun toys to play with if this was a disaster. 

Side Confession- I didn’t take a picture of the Peat Moss I bought thinking it was what you use to plant flowers in.  Apparently not…my neighbor provided the correct “stuff”.  After all, I only needed a VERY small amount for my planter. (See below) 

I am a stickler for doing research before taking on a new endeavor and after several consultations with some veteran “thumbers”, I settled on buying some Marigolds.  I was assured that they were a sturdy, “almost fool proof” (not my words) starter flower.  They are not the prettiest ones, in my opinion. I would have picked those cute little “tear-drop” looking flowers that hang on beautiful vines.  (Rumor has it; those are only for the more “experienced” gardener.) 

 

                                       Long Lasting My A$$!

Now please don’t laugh; I wanted to start off small.  I bought ONE modest small planter and THREE little Marigold plants.  As I am sure you know gardening is an expensive hobby so I felt it important to be conservative. I WOULD have expanded had I been even remotely successful.  As you can see, I was not.  Only 3 short weeks into the season, I have managed to kill the long-lasting (as stated above), “fool proof” Marigolds.  Does that make me a fool then? LOL No, I think it just makes me a really BAD gardener.

 

              Mt starter Size Planter                                                    R.I.P.

I was devastated. *Dramatic pause* Ok, not devastated but perplexed…I did everything I was told to do. (I even took notes during my consultations…stickler!) 

1. Not too much sun
2. Not too much shade
3. Water every other day (not too much, not too little)
4. Give them a little Miracle Grow once a week. 

I found myself on my knees, reaching upwards to the heavens above, screaming “What have I done?  What on earth happened?” *dramatic music*

No drainage happened!  Someone forgot to tell me about that! (NOT in my notes, NOT my fault.)  I drowned my little Marigolds…what a terrible way to “go”!

 

          Closed (as it was when purchased)                                         Open

                                                                                    Why even bother putting a stopper??

My gardening experience for 2011 is officially over.  I am not a quitter, honest.  I just hate to fail...LOL!  2012 is a new year and a new beginning, until then, the kids and I will enjoy all our neighboring homes absolutely beautiful gardens and flower planters.  If asked, I’ll just tell people we are travelling too much this summer to tend to flowers.  (That explanation has worked for the last 7 years! J)

A Father's Day Tribute To TWO Of The Best Dad's I know!

They say a girl tends to marry someone much like her Father and I am proud to say that I sure did!  WAIT!  Don’t be too quick to say “Ahhhhh…that’s sweet!”  I did marry a man just like my dad…the good, the bad & the ugly!  (Mostly good though!)

This is my Dad!  Actually, I still call him Daddy at the age of 37 and he still calls me “Baby” (yes, I am the youngest and the “favorite”…LOL) and I cherish this!  So many of my friends get a “kick” out of our interactions because when we are engaged happily it is the most loving, caring thing to watch but when we are at “odds” fireworks and daggers ensue…but no matter what, we will always be “Daddy & Baby”!

 

This is my Husband!  Actually, I like to call him Sweetie and he calls be “Bum” (endearingly, of course). So many of my friends get a “kick” out of our interactions because when we are engaged happily it is the most loving, caring thing to watch but when we are at “odds” fireworks and daggers ensue…but no matter what, we will always be “Sweetie & Bum”!

 

This is my Dad and Husband!  No, he is NOT his biological son, I am my daddy’s baby but they sure do look a lot alike don’t they?  Eerie…I know! LOL

 

These are the two most important men in my life and they always will be! (My son Bryce will always be my most important “young man”)  It really is amazing how similar my dad and husband are…they DO have some differences but mostly similarities. Here are just few... 

• I am happy that they love me unconditionally, regardless of how many times I have “totaled” the vehicle or said something that I regret. 
• I love that we love each other so much that they can drive me CRAZY and to the point of delusional rage (ok, slight exaggeration).  Perhaps,  I love it more that this brings us closer together rather than drive us further apart. 
• I love that they protect me and stand up for me even when they shouldn’t. 
• I love that all they have to do is give me that special “look”, the one that is ONLY meant for ME and a great BIG hug and the troubles of my day, week, month or year just disappears, if only for the moment. 
• I love that they are hard-working providers that indulge me from time to time with “things” I don’t really need but REALLY want. 
• I love that they always support and find value in my dreams and life endeavors, despite how absurd they may be.
• Above all else, I love that they love my children with every sole of their being and that they will make them feel as special and loved (and crazy at times) as I do.

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have had a man like this in my life from the time I came into the world and now one until my time on earth comes to an end.  I can only hope that Ave finds a man just like her Daddy & Grampa, so she can feel the love and security that I have and continue to feel and I pray that through their example, Bryce will grow into the same wonderful husband, father and grampa.

I LOVE my Daddy and I LOVE my Baby Daddy so very much!

Happy Father’s Day to all the GREAT Dad’s out there and here's a big "shout-out" to all the lucky “gals” like me!!

They MUST have had the wrong address...Dilemma Follow Up!

YUP...that's IT...wrong address...I know it!! (Because there is NO WAY that my kids aren't the cutest kids in this city)  LOL

8:30 am came and went...no ring nor knock on the door!  I was hopeful up until the radio announced what area of the city they were in to SURPRISE the winner of the Cutest Kid contest...they were about 45 minutes across town...LOL!  It's just as well because we didn't "tidy" or get dressed this morning...or yet for that matter and it is 1:30pm...I LOVE pajama days!!

I will say that it has been quite the fun adventure and hey...there is always next year!!

Happy Weekend !

P.S.  The little girl that DID win was pretty darn cute!!! :)

Cutest Kids Contest...My Dilemma!

I have a confession...ok, well it's not REALLY a "true" confession because everyone who knows me in the "real-world" knows this but I am confessing to my new found "blogger buds"...I entered Ave & Bryce in my city's Cutest Kids Contest and I think I now have a greater appreciation for the obsessive, out-of-control, "My Kid IS the Best, "gotta do EVERYTHING & ANYTHING to win", mentality of those moms I've seen on Toddlers & Tiaras...appreciation is the wrong word...understanding might fit how I am feeling right now. LOL

Where I once sat on my couch in utter disbelief of these moms delusional ideas that their little girls were gonna be the next Miss America and how full of shame they should be...I am guilty of some of that delusional behaviour (minus the vocalization and public displays), on a MUCH smaller scale however!  Because I have myself convinced that either Ave or Bryce is gonna snag the title of "Cutest Kid" and the $35,000 dollar prize package...delusional I know...it gets even better...see my Dilemma below!

Raising A Child Non-Gender Specific...Not My Proudest Canadian Moment!

Ok, so before you continue reading my "rant", might I suggest you take a peak at the following article regarding a family in...ummm...just say it Ginger...a family from Canada and how they are planning on raising their THIRD child to pick the gender they want to be once they are older...yes, you did read that right!

Call be close-minded, pro gender specific (not pro gender stereotypical), conservative (me...really?!?!) but this makes NO sense to me...NONE!  Some may call this liberal-ahead of our times-only for the "educated-worldly" type parenting...I call it nonsense!!!  I am now going to take a deep breath, calm myself and wait for you to "return"...

Oh Look...Twins! Were They Conceived Naturally?

So, I am gonna go out on a limb here and say that comment is about as intrusive as asking "Oh Look....Twins!  Were You on Top or Was He?"  Ok, maybe that's a LITTLE over the "top"...pun intended!  But seriously?!?!?!  Who asks this question to a total stranger?  Especially before engaging in some friendly "word-foreplay" or at the very least....Tell me they are cute first! LOL

My Outlet for Honesty on This Journey of Motherhood & Life!!

 I have given much consideration to whether or not I should let my family and friends know that I have started a blog and the answer came to me rather suddenly when I was sitting here thinking about what I wanted to "blog" about this morning and after reading some fellow mommy's honest entries...in short the answer is "NO!"  (However, I would like to reserve the right to change this decision to "Maybe SOME of my family friends...someday!")

I feel like this blog can be my personal outlet of expression through this journey of motherhood & life and how can it truly be rewarding and useful if it's not completely honest? 

My "Guide" To Having Twins~6 months before and 6 months after their arrival!

I just want to say how excited I am to be guest blogger on Multiples & More!  I submitted this post because when we found out we were having twins, I went into a little bit of a panic mode.  The endless searching for some kinda "guide" to preparing for their arrival and what to expect once they had arrived was painful.  I did manage to find bits and pieces but it became frustrating at times.

So, I decided to write the following "Guide" to the first 6 months before multiples arrive and what to expect after those little bundles of joy do arrive.  (I figured it would be best to have all the information in one place and have expecting parents be overwhelmed once rather than over and over, searching different sites.  LOL!)

My husband and I have also been quests at informational sessions for parents expecting multiples and the following L-O-N-G information "sheet" is what we hand-out.  It has been passed on from family to family and we have been told how helpful, albeit a bit "overwhelming" the information has been.  I hope that you may find it somewhat "helpful" too!

After you've spent 1/2 your day reading my "Guide"...LOL... please be sure to stop by my Blog  Just Another Mom of Twins to check out life with twins after 6 months.

(It's not ALWAYS just about the "kids")

A little About My Writing Style OR Lack There Of...

I am new to this blogging “thing” but since I love to hear myself talk, I thought I might equally love to read myself typing.  (In my humble defense, I have been told that I am a GREAT storyteller.)

I should point out a few things about my writing style so there are no “surprises” when your reading through my blog entries.  I love the use of … think of it as a pause in our “conversation” if you will.  I also lean towards using  “” for no particular rhyme or reason.  You will see LOL as I sometimes question if people can tell if I am joking or not so I find it best to error on the side of caution. (Brackets) are also a favorite as I worry that I may not have “explained” my thoughts so I tend to put some kinda alternative explanation.  I also enjoy the use of capitalization in hopes that readers will say that word LOUDER or with more EMOTION.  Oh, and I almost forgot… I love to make up my own words.  For example: kinda, gotta, betcha, swarmy, just to name a few.

So, there you have it...some explanation of how I tend to overuse the keys on the keyboard and "type to the own beat of my drum"...let the bloggin' begin! :)