I Heart My Kitchen

(c)beastiegirls breaking (bad)

If I had to pin point my favorite place in our apartment it would have to be the kitchen. I just enjoy cooking as it is something fun O and I can do together. I can use it as a learning tool to teach him what are healthy foods and what needs to be ate in moderation. For example, I’ve decided we both need to expand our fruit taste buds and see what we do and don’t like. So I decided that a fun thing to do was make our own jam or jelly.  This would be great cause well I always wanted to make our own jam/jellies and I can help eliminate some of those excess sugars and preservatives. I figure what goes better with jam and jellies than using our awesome toaster to warm up some toast and bagels. O loves helping in the kitchen and I know he’d love to be able to spread on his own breakfast toppings.  Plus it’d be an extra special treat as we can share some giggles and talk about what- ever is on his mind.  I think that’s what makes this my favorite room in the house. O gets lost in what he’s doing and doesn’t realize he’s opening up to me. I love it because I know we’re heading down the path where he doesn’t want to talk much about his day or problems and that makes me a sad mama.

Though after all that talk about what I love most about my kitchen I have to say that the worst part is the clean up. I really love having a dishwasher and it makes life a lot easier. I’ve decided that no matter what when we get our own house I’d just got to have a dishwasher similar to the hotpoint dishwasher.  It just looks like it can kick some dirty dishes butt doesn’t it? I am lazy when it comes to dishes. Next to laundry that’s probably my most hated ‘chore’. But I realized that having a good dishwasher really helps because if I’ve got to pre-rinse or what-ever to my dishes before I load the dishwasher up I might as well do it the ‘old fashioned’ way and hand wash them right?

So what is YOUR favorite room in the house?

*I was given a free free product and/or was paid for this review. Any opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way.

Sunday Citar + A Boy & His Zombie

It’s a new week and that means my new favorite thing Sunday Citar! Also since I can’t wait any longer I’m kicking off my Halloween specials! Today’s Sunday Citar is a sneak peek at an upcoming review that is a BIG hit in our house. O won’t let it out of his sight. But first if you don’t know what Sunday Citar is than head over to ____ and get all the fun info on this interesting meme. Here is my quote this week:

Where there is no imagination there is no horror.  ~Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr.

Wordless Wednesday – Art Fun

I volunteer during O’s Young Rembrandts art class on Mondays.

1st Grade Monster. Where Did The Time Go?

Today is the day when I realize the last 6.5 years went by so quickly and my baby is now in the starts of the ‘big’ leagues in school starts. The year he starts being in the same school as 5th graders … and I know before I know it he’ll be starting 5th grade. But I know that it’s going to be a good year and I can’t wait for him to come off the bus and tell me all about his first day of school and the first trip on the bus. Since we are right on track with the school schedule, So here is a look at O on his first day of Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade. He’s too cute.

Pre-K 2008-2009

Kindergarten 2010-2011

1st Grade 2011-2012

To My 1st Grader With Love

Dear 1st Grader of mine,
 How did we get here already? It was easy to say you’re going into Pre-K or Kindergarten …. but 1st grade is harder because it’s when I have to face the fact that you’re growing up on me. 1st grade is where I worry more about bullies (if you’ll get bullied and show you how NOT to be a bully), up our birds & bees talk, and sadly even the kids you’re going to hang out with. 1st grade is when it gets real and I don’t know if I’m ready for this yet my love. I know I have to let you grow your wings and give you space to breath but at the same time I want to scoop you up and keep you from seeing how mean the world really is. It seems like just yesterday I was bringing you home from the hospital and now here you are going to school with kids all the way up to 5th grade and it makes me a little sad because I know in the blink of an eye I’ll be sending YOU off to 5th grade. Now’s the time where I worry about what I’m teaching you and what’s surrounding you. I worry if I’m making the right choices because I don’t want to be the reason you come out damaged. I want the best for you and know you’re an all around great kid (even if I can be called biased) but I just want you to be the best O that you can be. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you and I’m trying to let go but it’s so hard son and it’s only something you’ll understand when you are a father (which please let’s make that a long long time from now). But for now I’m enjoying the hugs, kisses and laughter that fills the house. I hope you have a great first day my love, and I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get home!

Love always,
Mama

Happy 6th birthday Kidlet!!

How did we get to 6 years old already? I remember the day like it was yesterday, even if it still FEELS like yesterday. I was about 2-4 days overdue (I was told two EDD: Nov 12th & Nov 14th) and it seemed like every pregnant chick I knew had already delivered a baby. I had extreme morning sickness with him and couldn’t have any dairy. I was achey and just ready to hold my baby.

I woke up at 3:00am and told Jeff it was time to go to the ER cause I thought my water broke. Well we almost get pulled over on the way (cliched right?) and I get the rudest nurse ever. Honestly I am seeing a pattern with the whole rude nurse thing but that’s to be told later. I was being checked and hooked to a monitor for awhile and some weird guy that I don’t remember what he was but he was going on about his sister already delivering … really man … and then proceeded to ask me if I was breastfeeding. I’m sorry but I have never met you before and unless your my husband or doctor it really isn’t your concern. Well after he leaves the rude nurse comes in and tells me it’s just my UTI and I was clear to go home then proceeded to leave me on the table with it laying down still. Um hello I’m very clearly 9 months pregnant and can barely get out of bed/a chair on my own let alone a table thing. So thankfully the Mr. was here to help.

We stopped to get some b.k breakfast (hey he was getting free food at the time lol) and came home. We passed out after eating and slept until my Dr. appointment. At the doctor’s office she was surprised I hadn’t delivered yet. Well they monitor me and kidlet wasn’t moving much so it required more tests and some water. Everything turned out fine and he was just tired. Since there was no progress I was sent home. About 7:00 I told Mr. we needed to head to the hospital cause I think it was time. Thankfully we did because I had just gotten checked into a room when my waters broke. Once that happened it all went really fast (which I’m glad I did and glad there was nothing wrong with him cause the nurses pretty much ignored me until I told them I needed to push). I remember Mr was working overnights and had to call in that night obviously. Well since we didn’t get much sleep the night before he was tired and chugging some Mountain Dew to stay awake. He told me he had to pee and would be right back …. yeah I made him hold it til after they handed me the kidlet lol. Now here we are 6 years later and he’s a beautiful, smart, kind, funny, and compassionate little boy that I can’t imagine not having in my life. Wow I’ve been doing this mama thing for SIX years …. it’s hard to believe. Happy Birthday to my Baby Boy!! I love you!

Kindergarten is Fun!

How is my baby in KINDERGARTEN already?! I just can’t grasp this concept even if he loves it and can’t wait to go back (yeah I’m enjoying this feeling while it lasts lol). This new school they only allow you to walk them to the gate where they line them up by their classroom’s shape as to avoid melt down’s. I was worried about this but I think it’s good. O didn’t cry at all (mama did though) and he walked right up and didn’t look back until he got to the door then he gave me a way (enter sad face)  But to make up for this they let the parents stay in the classroom on the first day since it’s only an hour and stuff. Plus the first day they had an empty bus waiting for parents to take pictures in front of so they didn’t hold up the buses on their first normal day. I loved this cause I get bus photos even though he’s not on the bus lol. He already has a girlfriend though she’s a bus rider (he rides in the car since we’re 5 minutes away and I’m not ready for him to be a bus rider lol) AND in a different class so the only time they see each other is in the morning to play before school lol. He told me “Mama I can’t find my girlfriend … you know my girl … friend Mia?!” This was a face palming moment for sure. I mean I was NOT ready for this lol, he even already has a best friend named Ty and they sit at the same table in class and are both car riders … and love super heroes naturally lol. Today we were leaving class and he told O “Bye Batman!!” and O replied of course with “Bye Spiderman!!” it was just adorable and I had to giggle at them.

So that’s how our first ‘week’ of school went in this house, let’s hope it keeps up for a long time lol.

Wordless Wednesday

We had a parent/teacher orientation today at O’s school … this was his crayon outside his classroom:

08.24.10

Wordless Wednesday

First eye doctor visit. 07/25/10

Wordless Wednesday Pirate