A New Magically Ordinary Year

It has been a long time since I've been here. 

So many things have changed over the past 18 months and yet so much is still the same. The boys are now 10, 13 & 15 and yet somehow I am wrinkle free and still 29! 

{Many thanks to the best plastic surgeon a girl could ask for...}

Over the past year and a half I had forgotten my mantra that everyday ordinary is magical. 

It's time for me to get back to Magically Ordinary. 

So here is to a new and improved {okay, and slightly older...} 

Magically Ordinary New Year. 

photo courtesy of pintrest

Day Dreaming

On the way to school today the 9yr old felt that he had something very important to share with me...

"Mom, you know, when I turn 16 I have decided that I want a black Hummer for my car. Yep. That's what I want."

"Wow. That's a big car. What if you don't get it? What's your second choice?" Inquiring minds had to know!

"Hmmm... I think a Corvette would work. And, you know, If I have to, I will take a Jeep - the old style."

And what did I say to my little day dreamer?

"Just keep saving your allowance sweetheart."

Little does he know that not only is a black Hummer not in his future but he will be lucky to get the car he was riding in. I am thinking that when he turns 16 in 2018 it will be a very used 2006 Volvo wagon. He has two brothers turning 16 before him! But, hey, it is black!

An Entire Jar of Axe "Messy Look" Paste Later...

Guess who did his own hair this morning?

King of the Castle

Every morning, once the 8yr old leaves for school, George makes himself comfortable on the 8yr old's bed. He intermittently watches the world go by through the window and takes naps on the comfiest spot in the house. Today, however, he must have thought that the bed was just not squishy and soft enough. The only question I have is do I tell the 8yr old not to put his head on that pillow or, do I pretend that I never saw this?

Wash Up!

Just like I do every night, last night I told the boys to brush their teeth and wash their faces before they crawled in to bed. When I went upstairs to check on them I found the 9yr old lingering in the bathroom. When he saw me he looked up and said "What? Didn't you know that toothpaste is just like soap"!

I wonder what he does when he's in the shower?

OK?

As I have said before, I love my kindle. Most days you'll find it in my purse in case I find a spare moment in the carpool line to play a little Scrabble. In the evening I snuggle into bed with it and read until I fall asleep.

However, I am starting to hate my computer opponent on Scrabble. I swear it makes up words. I also swear it changes the rules as it sees fit. You see I tried to use the work OK. Check out what the computer thought about it...

A Clothes Explosion, of sorts.

Every morning I pull out clothes for the 9yr old to wear to school. It's not that I care what he wears. I have long given up that fight {have you seen his hair?}. It is because if I don't, this is what I find. In the words of the 11yr old "I feel bad for his future college roommate."

Only 9, You Know!

The conversation on the way home from school went something like this...

"Mom, can we stop at Maggie Moo's for ice cream?"

"Not today. Sorry bud. We need to get you ready for practice and you should eat something healthy."

"Please. Please. Please. I won't eat it now. I will eat some string cheese for snack. I will save it for dessert. We can get treats for the whole family! Think how happy Dad and the bros will be!"

Sure. Treats for the entire family... Really, I just got an expert sales pitch from the kid that knows how to push the right buttons.

So, off to the ice cream store we went.

After we got home and I safely tucked the ice cream confections into the freezer, I ran upstairs to grab cleats and shin guards for the 9yr old's soccer practice. When I walked into the sitting room, this is what I found. Last time I checked string cheese was not blue.



And his response?

"But Mom! I couldn't help myself. I'm only 9 you know!"

Hair {I mean} Hi There!

What to do with a head of hair like this? Piggy tails? Perhaps a bow? Maybe... A haircut? Never! {At least according to a certain 9yr old}.

The "C" Word

We have the sweetest babysitter. The boys love her because she plays with them and I love her because when she is in charge she runs a no nonsense ship.

Well, not too long ago R and I came home from a very fun and all too rare date night. We had a fabulous time and stayed out as long as we possibly could. When we returned home to a house full of sleeping children, we were greeted at the door with a very upset babysitter.

As we stepped inside we immediately asked her what was the matter. She said, with wide eyed shock on her face, "The little ones were great but, I had to send the older one to bed early. He got angry when I told them it was time to clean up the Legos and he said the 'C' word."

The "C" word! Our sweet sleeping child had said the "C" word?! R and I were horrified. Now, I will admit that I can have a serious potty mouth. I have been known to drop "F" and "S" bombs but, I can't recall ever using the "C" word. I hate the "C" word!

Well, we apologized profusely to the sitter and said we would address the situation in the morning, all while praying she would still agree to watch our boys next time we wanted a date night. After we talked to her for a bit she went on to say say "thank you. I didn't know what to do with him. I can't believe he said CRAP."

Not the "C" word you were thinking, right? It was not the one R and I thought he had used either!

Well, by the look of relief on our faces, and the fact that R was laughing a little, our sitter figured out that "crap" was not the "C" word we thought she had been talking about.

Such a sweet, sweet girl! She turned beet red and bee lined it out of our house as fast as she could!

Do you think she will ever be back?

{I don't think so either...}

A Little Lysol, Please!

"Where is my iPhone?"

"Has anyone seen my phone?"

"Boys, we are going to be late!"

And, just before I give up and decide to look for it after carpool, I hear a small voice from behind the bathroom door.

"I have it! I am playing a game while I poop. Don't worry, I'm almost done!"

Really? Do you have to use my phone while you poop? You, the child that does not flush or (I am guessing) regularly was his hands?

And the only words I get out of my mouth are, "Whatever you do please don't drop it in the toilet!"

Ewwww....

At Least I Was Not Late For Lunch...

I was going to tell you a very snarky, witty, and oh so funny story about going to lunch today with friends and discovering that my pants were on inside out. Actually, not only were they inside out, they were also on backwards. However, cocktail time started and I decided, instead of humiliating myself, I would just sit back and enjoy one of these instead...


So, I feel that I need to tell you the following... The pants were black workout pants. And, I was getting dressed as quickly as possible after my shower at the gym. I did not want be late for lunch. It is far worse to be late than wear your pants incorrectly. Right?}

My Guys

Just look at my Boys...

Not sure what has gotten in to me. It is very possible that it has everything to do with the few glasses of wine that I have had. But, I just had to share this picture from the JDRF walk. Love the playful laughter. Love the spontineity. Look at me being all sweet with no snarky. Who knew?

A Little Love Note to the Girl Scouts

It's a Monday morning, on a weekend morning...

My morning has gone something like this...

While listening to the wind howl and the rain pour down I made the {oh so smart} decision to roll over and enjoy the warm softness of my bed instead of answering the whining pleas of my dogs. It was not until I heard one of them barrel down the stairs that I jumped up and realized that I better beat them to the back door before the sweet puppy left me a present. No such luck.

After I let the dogs out and brewed a cup of coffee I looked over and noticed that the candle I have on my kitchen window sill was burning. "Mmmm... smells yummy", I thought. And, then it hit me, "Oh My God! I forgot to blow out the candle before I went to bed last night!" So, it seems that I went from no such luck to so VERY lucky in two seconds flat.

So, I thanked my lucky stars, blew the candle out and sat down to my laptop so I could see how my iPhone was doing with it's long overdue update. So long overdue that I had to let the update run overnight. So exciting! My iPhone had updated. So fresh and flashy! Wait a minute. On closer inspection, the update wiped out my calendar. My entire calendar was gone. Holy S**t!

And, just when I was ready to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head, I heard the 13yr old yell from upstairs "Mom, I think we have a problem!". So I ran upstairs to find him standing in the bathroom {paralyzed} watching the toilet overflow. Truly, Holy S**t!

Well, at that moment I decided that pulling the covers over my head was not going to be the solution. At that point there was really nothing left for me to do but walk downstairs, pour my coffee down the drain and make myself a very stiff Bloody Mary.

Are you sure it is the weekend and not Monday? Sure seems like a Monday to me!

Wicked Witch Dirty Martini

There is nothing I love more than sipping on a salty and sharp dirty martini. At the end of this {VERY} long week and the start of {YET ANOTHER} long weekend for the boys, I wanted to share a fantastically fun recipe. As I listen to the boys argue, fight, and whine over the next four days I will most certainly morph in to a Wicked Witch. I have always wanted to have a drink named after me! Cheers!

The Wicked Witch Martini



6 ounces vodka
1 ounce dry vermouth
1 tablespoon olive juice
1 cup cracked ice
2 -4 green stuffed olives {Or, try my favorite, Tomolives}
2 eyeballs {Just Kidding!}

Place two martini glasses in the freezer to chill.
Combine the vodka, olive juice and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until well chilled, about 20-30 seconds. Swirl the vermouth in the chilled glasses coating them. Strain the mixture into the glasses, add an or two olive and serve.

{Disclosure - Although I have adapted the recipe quite a bit and really made it my own, I found the above picture, original recipe, and inspiration on Food52, one of my favorite food blogs. They credited The Crabby Cook with recipe on their site.}

Best in {our} Show

As I watch the Westminster Dog Show I can not help but think about how our dogs might do in the kennel club ring. Best in Show? I think not. But, perhaps, "Best" in something...

"Best in Finding Drinking Water"


"Best in Relaxing while Mom is trying to Fold Laundry"


"Best in Finding a Comfortable Place to Sit"

Celebrating Love, The Magically Ordinary Way

It's Valentine's Day! Hearts and flowers. Candy and jewelry. Love Songs. Yuck. Vomit. Blah!

Yes, it's true. I HATE Valentine's day. I hate the pressure and the pretense. I hate that the world tells us all to celebrate love on one specific day a year. What about the other 364 days? So, if you make a big show and give the person you love candy and flowers on February 14th does that mean you are off the hook the rest of the year? Wow, I sound cranky and a tad bit PMS'y, don't I...

Last year I boycotted Valentine's Day around here and wrote a post for the day after Cupid's big day. This year I am re posting it on the stupid little cherub's big day. You see, cranky as I may be, it's not that I don't want to celebrate love. I think we should all celebrate love more often. I just hate it that Hallmark and Kay's jewelry store tell me that I have to celebrate my love their way. So, here it is, "Love, the day after Valentine's Day".



As you all know at this point, I am of the opinion that Cupid is Stupid. That being said yesterday was Valentine's day. And, as I read many blog postings on love and kindness, it made me think about all of the love in my life and what I love. It's not love that I hate, it's Hallmark that is on my list. And that is why I decided to post this today, February 15, and not yesterday...

I love
-to dance with my boys,
-the way my dogs get excited to see me whether I am coming home from being gone all day or have been out of the room for 20 minutes,
-the small soft kiss R gives me every evening when he walks in the door,
-that the 12yr old is the funniest kid I've ever met,
-that the 10yr old is my little mad scientist,
-that the 8yr old flashes his beautiful smile while slowly making my hair turn gray,
-the smell of a newborn baby,
-the warm cheeks of a toddler waking up from a nap,
-the ocean,
-my girlfriends,
-my family,
-my life.

See, I really am a big softy. Just please don't let it get around.

And, it's Day 4

Sick Day #1...

"Mommy, you are the best mom in the whole world."

Sick Day #2...

"Mommy, I love you. You are an awesome nurse. Can I call you 'Nurse Mom'?"

Sick Day #3...

"Mom, thank you so much for taking care of me."

And, today is Sick Day #4...

"Mom! Where's my Gatorade? I asked for it like 5 minutes ago?"

It has been a long week. A very, very long week. The 9yr old has been home sick with the flu. Fever, tummy trouble, you name it. Poor kid. And, until this morning he has been a model patient. So many pleases. So many thank yous. And, even a few I love yous.

Well, someone is feeling better... Now, don't get me wrong. I am so glad he is on the mend but what happened to my sweet appreciative child? Mr. Personality is back, that's for sure, and about to get a reality check. So, please excuse me while I respond to his latest request. Apparently the movie I suggested, "The Princess Bride", is not a cool old movie from when I was a kid but a "stupid" movie with "kissing crap" in it... Breath, just breath...

A Snow Day Birthday!

What better way to celebrate a 9th birthday than enjoying a snow day! Happy Birthday brand new 9yr old! You are a fun, fabulous and fantastic kid! I could not love you more or thank you enough for constantly being the best blog fodder I could ever hope for!


Whether you dig a gigantic hole on the beach...


Or volunteer to be buried up to your neck in sand...


Or even tie yourself to the trampoline {why, why, why?}... Most everything you do warms my heart and puts a smile on my face!




!

An Ode to the Wisdom of Langur Monkeys

After a very, very, very long three and a half day weekend I thought I would give myself a pat on the back. We all survived. If just barely. Yes, the 13yr old let me know what he thought of me. I, however, calmly reminded him {on more than one occasion} that he is darn lucky that we are human beings and not Langur monkeys. Langur's eat their young, you know.







.

I'm Mother of the Year, Again...

Yesterday the boys enjoyed a snow day. But, today, they grumbled as they bundled up and dragged themselves through the snow to catch the school bus.

Wait. Did I say bundle up? Strike that. Check out what the 11yr old chose to wear to school today.


Oh, and he decided not to wear a real coat either. Just a zip up hoodie. Feel free to award me the Mother of the Year trophy anytime...

Some Things Never Change

It's a new year! A time to look forward and make positive changes in our lives. Perhaps I will make a concerted effort to see the world through less snarky and a little more sweet set of eyes. Perhaps I will catch up on the Mt. Everest sized pile of laundry that constantly accumulates. Or, perhaps the the 8yr old will stop creating the best blog fodder I could ever hope for. Perhaps...

While playing a very intense game of Monopoly during winter break the 8yr old pauses, dips his nose into the whipped cream on top of his ice cream, and loudly announces to us ..."I am the Queen of Jamaica!"

"Excuse me?"

The 11yr old chimes in ..."Ignore him. You should never have let him watch 'Cool Runnings'. He always says that now."

"Okay. But, don't you mean you are the King of Jamaica?"

"No Mon. I am the Queen of Jamaica, Mon. Just look at my hair."



Okay, so perhaps things will not change in 2011. Maybe it's best if things just stay the same! Happy New Year!

Happy Everything!

I asked the 8yr old what he would like to give his teacher this year as a holiday gift. A gift certificate perphaps? Nope. He looked at me and earnestly said, "Mom, I really want to give her a beautiful necklace. She would look SO pretty in one." You think someone has his first crush?



Happy Holidays to all of you! I am signing out until the first week of January. Have a wonderful few weeks with your family! That is what I am planning to do. So, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See you in 2011!

25 Cents

The swear jar. That is what most families have on their kitchen counter. Our family? This is what we have on ours.


I just couldn't take the sound effects at the dinner table anymore...

Snow Day

At 7am Sunday morning...

"Mom!"

"Yes"

"It snowed last night! Can I go outside and play?"

"Sure. But, you need to change out of your pj's and bundle up."

Five minutes later he tumbled down the stairs and announced...

"I'm ready to go outside!"

A Haircut Anyone?

The other night we went to the 8yr old's annual class musical. As we sat there and listened to the kids sing and watched them dance I noticed that my {silent} phone lit up with a message. During a scene change I quickly checked my phone to make sure it was not the 13yr old trying to get a hold of me. It wasn't. It was a very good friend, with a very fabulous dry sense of humor, sitting a few rows in front of me. This is what the text said...

"Your kid looks like a sheepdog."



I let out a laugh so loud that I had to apologize to all the parents around me! So, do you think it's time for a haircut????

A Saint

It was cute when he cuddled up to her when he was a 10 pound puppy, but now that he weighs 110 pounds he just looks ridiculous. I do believe she may be a saint.

A Magically Ordinary Holiday, Our Way.

Happy Hanukkah! Happy Holidays! Happy Happy To You! Sharing just a small glimpse of my magically ordinary holiday season. Whatever you celebrate and however you celebrate may this season be magical for you!

An Incentive to Still Believe

As we are traipsing through a field last weekend looking for the perfect Christmas tree to cut down the 8yr old runs up to us and announces...



"Mom, Dad, I know there is no Santa."

"Really? How do you know this?"

"Well, Santa is a big guy, right? There is no way he can move fast enough up and down all those chimneys and delivery presents to everyone. And besides, if he really ate all those cookies he'd throw up!"

At this point the 13yr old has caught up and is listening to his brother. And, before either R or I could say anything the 13yr old takes control of the situation and says...

"Yes he can and no he won't but, who really cares anyway. The most important thing to remember is that if you do not believe in Santa, you will not get ANY presents from Santa. Why would he give you anything if you don't think he exists? Shesh!"

With this the 8yr old said "Oh. Good point" and ran off...And then turned right back around and ran right back to us and declared "Fine. I believe in Santa but NO WAY am I buying in to the whole Hanukkah Harry thing anymore. Is that OK? Because you know, Hanukkah does start in a few days..."