Finding Yourself Despite Yourself

look up

fidget — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:00:53 +0000

OOO! Wook! Wook atta da wainbow!

*glances out the window* MMM muhum, lovely imaginary rainbow, Bodie

Uhh, hun?

Yes?

There really IS a rainbow, look up!

Now if he was REALLY smart, he would have told me that what we saw was not just any rainbow but a cirumhorizon arc and a circumscribed halo but I’ll forgive him for the mix up. I mean afterall, he is only 2.

10 months to life

fidget — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:07:47 +0000

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Summer has come to an end and once again, I face another battle with the school system over the free and appropriate education that Mira is entitled to. She has missed the first 3 days of the third grade because I refuse to lay down and let them do whatever they want with my child’s education. Hopefully, we will find some resolution to this problem tomorrow or at least prior to day 10 (at which point she will be considered truant). The only thing I know for certain is that she will not be returning to the school she has attended for the last 3 years. I’m done dealing with them, particularly the principal whose style of leadership I find appalling.

On a happier note, I’ve been keeping myself busy working on photography. You can keep up with what I’m doing here but here’s a peek at what Ive been up to

WIN IT! Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 (Orlando, FL)

fidget — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:13:58 +0000

With the recent release of Toy Story 3, Levi and Bodie have gone bonkers for Buzz. Levi is so passionate about Buzz now that he’s willing to consume foods he’d never ever touch simply because they are branded with Buzz (hello Mac n Cheese… yeah my kid is WEIRD, he won’t eat Mac N Cheese). Well, you can imagine the chaos that ensued when I mentioned that we were offered an opportunity to go see Disney On Ice presents Toy Story 3 in Orlando.

The summer’s biggest hit movie, Toy Story 3, and memorable moments from Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are hitting the ice in this sensational live production skating into to the Amway Arena September 10-12! Catch all the heroic action when Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the Toy Story gang escape from the rambunctious tots of Sunnyside Daycare and race for home in their most daring adventure ever. Rediscover the humor, friendship and charm of Toy Story when Disney On Ice presents Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 takes family fun to infinity and beyond!

Wait, wait, Mama. I get to SEE Buzz? When do we see Buzz? Can I see Buzz, NOW? Can Buzz come have a sleep over? *Big sigh* Mama, I LOVE Buzz Lightyear.

If you want to get in on the fun too there is a special ticket price offer: $11 ticket price for select performances: opening night, Friday at 7:30 pm; Sat. at 7:30 pm; and Sunday at 1 and 5 pm. Simply visit the box office or ticketmaster.com and use promo code “MOM” at check out! Note, this price isn’t good for rinkside or VIP seats and there is a 6 ticket maximum.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Even better? You have a chance to WIN 4 tickets good for any Orlando performance. You must live in or around Orlando/ Central Florida to take advantage of this prize and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment below. Contest will remain open until 11:59pm Monday August 16th.

For more info and too find out if the show will be coming to your town check out:

www.disneyonice.com.

*this is a compensated post, we recieved 4 tickets in exchange for hosting a contest and writing about this upcoming event*

Awwww nuts!

fidget — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:20:18 +0000

A little over a month ago, The Hubster and I were cruising online sites for bulk oatmeal. Yes, our life is exactly that thrilling. Buying oatmeal is a tricky thing though. Since I’m gluten free, any oats I eat must be certified gluten free or you will surely find me doubled over moaning in pain. We bookmarked several sites with the intent to Google the heck out of each company before deciding who to order from- $76 worth of oats is not small potatoes for this family.

Here’s where it gets weird.

The very next day, no honestly less then 12 hours after bookmarking, one of the sites we visited contacted me with a review opportunity. They were looking to spread the word about their gluten free offerings (over 400 products!) and wanted to know if they could ship my family a sampler package.

Um, yes please!

In a few short days, a package arrived from Nuts Online arrived brimming with Nuts Online’s gluten free goodies. Of course, we immediately tore into it.

The Hubster made a bee line for the Cajun peanuts, while the kids and I munched on chocolate covered sunflower seeds (oh.ma.yum.)! Over the next few days we tore into all sorts of tasty things but Im going to admit, my most favorite item of all took me some time to get around too.

I have this thing… this problem with most baking mixes. I don’t like them. I have found that 99% of the time, I can produce a better result for much less cost. I would say 100% of the time but truly, Nutsonline.com ’s gluten free pancake mix changed my mind.

PRETEND THERE IS A PICTURE HERE

Why must you pretend? Because as soon as these pancakes slid out of my pan, they were G O N E. I may have eaten 6 of them myself… maybe… ok .. I did. I ate SIX pancakes. I ate SIX pancakes that I made with A MIX. And I plan on ordering more mix- all the kids are already complaining that we haven’t had nearly enough pancakes around here.

I will say that the recipe as directed was a bit too thick (hard to flip without breakage) but I just added extra milk to thin the batter out. Only one other thing bothered me and that was the fact that the recipe for using the mix was not on the package. I had to bring up the website to make the pancakes. It’s a small fussy thing but I like to have instructions at the ready.

Overall impressions of Nuts Online? Shipping was quick, items were well packed, and everything that claimed to be gluten free was (I had no adverse reactions what so ever).

We were so impressed, we plan on ordering several gluten free things in the near future including the gluten free pancake mix, chocolate covered sunflower seeds, Cajun peanuts, and bulk gluten free oats. And brace yourself here folks, I liked the pancake mix so much, I might- just maybe- order some of their gluten free bread mix to try. *GASP!*

***I recieved free products in exchange for my honest opinion***

Summer

fidget — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:15:23 +0000

He ate every last bite.

9 months

fidget — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:48:27 +0000

Today my sweet Saffaroo is 9 months old. She loves being in the mix, feeling like a part of the wild pack of kids that roam our home. She’s crawling all over, sitting with precision, and even maneuvering between crawling and sitting like some kind of balancing super star.

She reaches out to be held, hugs with purpose, smiles with her tongue, and if you are lucky she might grace you with one of her Miss America waves.

There is one lonely tooth sitting just below the surface of her gum. When she bites down, you can feel it but the torturous tooth refuses to fully break the surface- it can make a girl a little grumpy sometimes.

Food also can make a girl all kinds of grumpy. Saf seems to have no love for baby food, table food- food period. It’s not that she’s not ready. She doesn’t immediately force it out of her mouth, you see. Instead, Saffaroo moves it around her mouth, much like she’s sampling a fine wine, and then with a shriek and flourish, deposits it back onto the highchair tray complete with a look of utter disgust and contempt.

We’re working on it.

When not being plagued by mouth matters, Saffaroo is pleasant as pie. She often coos “Daddy” and “Hi”

She loves to smile and giggle. Anything that crinkles, jingles, has tags or looks like a specifically not designed for a baby is most intriguing. She may not like food but eating paper is tops. She’s a natural model and as a budding photographer, I’ve taken full advantage.

I’m fully expecting to wake up one day to her walking and talking.

Happy 9 months, my sweet Saffaroo.

Mustard

fidget — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:24:23 +0000

Over the last month or so, Mira has taken on a Little Mama role with Saffi. Saffi just adores her and Mira, I think, enjoys having the baby’s attentions lavished on her. Of course, spending more one on one time with a baby means that you are also going to get up close and personal with baby fluids.

I’m sure you can see where this is going.

Yesterday, Mira and Saffi were curled up together in the recliner watching a movie. Out of the corner of my eye I see Mira jump up, dropping Saffi into the chair. It took a minute for this to register because the whole dealio was entirely out of character for her.

MOOOOOM! There is something weird all over me!

Mira?! Did you just drop Saffi in the chair? What the heck?!?!?

It’s like mustard, mom. I think Bodie got mustard from the fridge and squirted it on me!

UHHH, honey… giggle.. that’s NOT mustard.

Cheeky lil thing

fidget — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:05:02 +0000

Funky Town

fidget — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:10:09 +0000

A few weeks ago, we, for the first time in the history of our family, went on vacation. We had a busy but super awesomely wonderful time.

and I’m pretty sure I’m now suffering from post vacation let down.

Getting ready for the trip threw the house into a disorganized frenzy and now that we are back and I’m in this funk, my house has gotten… well.. funky. I’m sure moving the big girls across the house into a bedroom with no closet didnt exactly help matters but even so, I need to crawl back out of my clothes strewn abyss and take back the reins of my household.

He’s grown so much

fidget — Wed, 26 May 2010 03:43:57 +0000

Happy 2nd birthday, Bodie. Let’s hope you don’t kill me before you reach 3.