It's like living with Rainman

Now, please understand that I'm not trying to poke fun at Autism by any means...I haven't seen the movie Rainman in ages...but I always thought it was cute how Dustin Hoffman always repeated everything he said...maybe that's not so cute for someone who has to live with that disorder, but in the movie itself, he was endearing...

So, my 2.5 year old has started talking...goodness sake, she doesn't stop...she is definitely her mother's daughter!!!  But, in her talking, she wants to make sure that you understand everything she says...she'll even put both hands on your cheeks and force you to look at her so that she can repeat what she said again...

Her favorite sayings of late:

"My class is on Thursday Mom...Mom?  My class is on Thursday...Thursday is my class Mom"

She LOVES her little Bible class on...can you guess?  THURSDAY!  And she likes to remind me, pretty much everyday that her class is on Thursday..."Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, THURSDAY...THursday is my class Mom..."

I'm amazed at how fast she is growing up...where did my baby go? 

Just havin' fun with Little Munchkin today...then heading into the school to work in the classrooms...that's what's up in my life today..have a great weekend!

The countdown has begun

We're going to Florida this year.

We didn't take a vacation last year in order to save up...We knew that with the girls in school this year and not homeschooling, that I'd be missin' them everyday...

I was right...I miss them...

It's been a good experience for them...going to school that is...we've had our share of meltdowns, drama, peer pressure and the like...and if I'm completely honest, it's been really hard trying to wade my way through this whole parenting thing without feeling like a failure.  That is NOT to say that I think my kids are misbehaving (which they do on occasion) all the time or that they are snotty and sassy, and horrible children.. On the contrary, I think God really outdid himself by giving Italian Stallion and I some pretty amazing girls...

It's just on those occasions that SIN takes over in their little hearts and minds, that I am counting to 10 and praying that I'll gain some insight and wisdom REALLY fast in order to handle the situation...

All that said, I am ready for some one on one time again...some family time without the distraction of outside pressures...time to have pure FUN and relaxation all together...

And sooooo....the countdown to Florida has begun...We've saved up in order to be gone for 2 weeks this time and we are ecstatic...Sweetpea hasn't missed ONE day of school yet this year and Peanut has only missed TWO...we are ready for a break from it all...

We are all reading up on Disneyworld and planning our excursions...talking about swimming everyday and going to the beach...the girls already know that Mamarazzi will rear her head and be snapping pictures like crazy!

Just FYI...you may see some more parenting woes here every once in awhile...I hope I communicate in a way that is real and honest and that you see me for who and what I am...I don't ever want to give a perception that  I've figured it out OR that I have it horrible either...I don't want to "control" the perception either, really...I just want to BE and you can take from it what you will...I hope that makes sense...and I'll probably write about "That" as well...in case you were just dying to know what the next installment of "Mamarazzi's thoughts on life" might be!

Have a great day!

I don't think he realized...

that he married a creative GENIUS! 

Okay...maybe I'm exaggerating just a weeeee bit...but seriously,

Who can make unique decor using junk from the basement?
Who can create an entire play house world for her daughters out of a cardboard box?
Who can whip up play clothes out of old material and the girls still will WEAR it?

I feel like breaking into song...
"Who can make sun rise...sprinkle it with dew..."

Man, talk about ringing your own bell, blowin' your own horn...

I set off onto another "project" this weekend...my dear Italian husband didn't necessarily see the artistic intelligence that went into my creation...now, granted we had JUST discussed the fact that we were trying to save a lot of extra money this month and next,. just in preparation for our upcoming 2 week vacation...and after said discussion, I went out and BOUGHT a candle (it was ON SALE!!! people...ON SALE!)  Yeah, I'm not getting any kudos for that...

Anyway, BECAUSE I went out and purchased a "want" after we had just talked about only getting necessities, probably made it so that he lacked the ability to see the beauty in it all...

But, being the words of affirmation person that I am...I'm blogging about it here to just give myself a little pat on the back:)  and I promise I won't go splurging on anything else this month (or at least if I do, I won't expect accolades of praise and adoration!!)

I have just started really enjoying candles...but, am pretty particular about the aroma they send out...I found one at Yankee Candle that I LOVE...it's called Harvest...it's the right amount of cinnamon and spice without the apple pie or cookie baking undertones...Well, who wants a harvest candle in the middle of January?  Personally, I love the smell...but don't necessarily want the yellow wax and corn husks pictures blaring out for all to see...

And sooooo, I MacGuyvered my way to a pretty clever cover up that accents into my kitchen quite well...

step one:
cut up one OLD island runner that I made about 2.5 years ago

step two:
raid the girls craft box for elmers glue and cut out junk from the top in order for said glue, to actually come out of the bottle

step three:
cut out a piece of an old file folder and glue the fabric to it

step four:
wrap it around the candle and fasten with paper clips until it dries

step five:
tie some more old fabric around it into a knot just for good measure

and TADA...

Okay...so it's not really that exciting, nor worth all the attention that I'm bringing to myself...but I'm in rare form this evening and when in that mood and too close to the computer...well, this sometimes happens...

Hope you all have a great week...and if you have any MacGuyver stories about yourself that you'd like to share, I'm all for listening to them!!

What we did outside...

Just wanted to post a few pictures of yesterdays SNOW EXCURSION...the girls had a blast!

Peanut pretending to be a "little lost girl"

Do you get any cuter than that???

Baking 1019834758475098684938203984575

In my ever long quest to someday give all my household duties over to my children so that, as the queen of the dwelling place, I may find quiet and solace as I play on my computer and read books all day  teach my darling daughters how to bake and cook so that they won't starve when they're older may go out into the world, confident and armed with skills that will help them and their future families.

We planned a little "baking lesson" before our outdoor excursion into the snow! I must interject here that my Italian Stallion and I have had many a conversation of late, how I am in desperate need of some parenting patience and optimism...I find that I loose patience VERY quickly, especially when people like Miss Whiney Pants and Miss Tattle Tale show up on the scene...Miss Complaining Heart gets me too...but, seriously, we don't have all day to mention these folks...

Anyway, he called as I was starting this adventure and gave me my little pep talk...and so, I sat back with my camera and held my tongue...unless, I needed to send those "visitors" into a time out...which was a WONDERFUL threat to use when I pulled out the chocolate chips...

Sooooo...here's how it went:
Sweetpea read the directions

They all argued about who would put what in

They finally figured out to take turns and talk sweetly to one another

They worked as a team to get the whole thing poured into the pan...

By the time we were done...we had some YUMMY chocolate chip banana bread...

Which I didn't take a picture of before we ate because we were just so doggone eager to eat it, I just totally forgot...but here's the picture of it half eaten...

MMMMMMmmmmmm look at those chips and the moistness...They done did good...d'em girls!!!

I'll post some pics of our outdoor stuff a little bit later...but enjoy the vision of banana bread...don't you wish you could smell it through the screen?  It is awesome...trust me!!!

It's a Snow Day

We were awakened this morning with a phone call:

"All local schools are closed today, January 8th...etc etc etc"

Now, I must tell you...we are ECSTATIC about this information...we are thrilled...I get my girls home with me all day today!  WOOHOO...we'll probably play in the snow, drink hot cocoa, takes lots of pictures, make forts in the house, argue about how "she got to have 5 M n Ms and I only got 3" and we'll throw a few whines and pouts in there for good measure...but all in all it will be a great day!

What just cracks me up is the utter panic that ensues when SNOW is coming...

Granted, I have NOT been out on the roads this morning...goodness, I haven't even listened to a weather station is ages...but, while I was out yesterday it was the TALK OF THE TOWN...

Everywhere I went people were asking me, "How bad is it out there?"..."The Snow IS COMING"...You'd think we were needing to get prepared for a blizzard the way people spoke of the coming snow...Friends on facebook even referred to it as the White Stuff of Death...I felt like I needed to get to the store to stock up on  the basics like bread, bottled water, milk, eggs, cookies, pizza...you know, the basics!  By the excitement shown by all you'd think we were going to have to dig our way out of homes today and drink melted snow to keep hydrated, layer up in preparation for the extreme cold wrapped up with blankets, hang onto our small children for fear they'd get lost in the snow drifts...it just makes me smile!

Trying to drive my way home on the highway, having to succumb to the self-imposed 35 mph of the other drivers who were cursing the semis as they plowed past them was quite the treat I must say!  And my dear husband had to call to inform me that he was "on his way" home last night, which in SNOW language means, "Honey, I'll be home in about 45 minutes as opposed to 15 because noone is going over 25mph on the city roads"

We'll see what today brings...but as for us girls...we'll be outside for a good part of it and if I can get my frozen fingers to work and I don't loose Little Munchkin in the snow piles, I'll attempt to get a few pictures to share with you later...

Have SNow much fun today!!!

Is it 2010?

I keep shaking my head realizing that we've landed in the year of TWENTY-TEN!!!  It sounds like it belongs in the beginning of a Star Wars movie...I remember being a really little girl and wondering if Jesus was going to come back before I got to be a Momma...and then, here we are...2010!

I haven't noticed much lately, due to some adverse "sickies" that have invaded my body.  So far, no one else in the clan has contracted said "sickness", but I've spent more time in the bathroom than I care to discuss on a public blog!

My girlies have started back to school and that, my friends, was rather a let down for me...I miss them...a lot!

And yet, I will be honest that I've been struggling lately with the whole parenting thing....the older they get, the more differently I have to parent...and parent them EACH differently!  I've blown it a million times with my eldest...

telling on myself:  she came to me almost in tears the other day asking if I could not speak so sternly to her when I'm disciplining her because instead of concentrating on what she needs to do correctly the next time, she's consumed with the tone of my voice and how it makes it feel like I don't like her...

PUNCH ME IN THE GUT...seriously, I could have doubled over intoa pile and curled up into a fetal position and stayed that way after she told me that...it's heartbreaking...

And then, there's my little munch...who, quite honestly, is going to cause me to approach 40 much faster than I thought possible...I can't stay on top of it...

I wish they came with manuals sometimes and then, other times, I'm glad they don't because I like the surprises and the FUN they come up with all on their own...

So...that's what's been goin' on here in the Italian household...if you have any parenting advice, I'm open to any suggestions/encouragement!!!