American Gladiators - Here I Come!

Here's my opportunity. The show American Gladiators is holding an open casting call for the Chicago area on Saturday. They are looking for contestants to be on the show.

If I didn't already have plans I would seriously consider doing this. I am athletic and competitive by nature. This seems like it would be the ultimate challenge.

I loved to watch this show when I was younger and always imagined myself going against the gladiators and even being one. They were tough, they were strong, they were intimidating, they were fearless. They were all the things that I wanted to be and portray.

I also wanted to be Wonder Woman. She was one tough super hero.

I haven't watched the new American Gladiators yet, but from some previews they still look fierce and buff. I am all about some good competition, but I don't want to get beat up.

Oh well, a girl can dream, can't she?

Wordless Wednesday

For more wordless go here.

Blog awards, cleaning, and aliens.

Imagine my surprise when I found out I received my first ever blogger award. I was very excited and felt quite honored indeed. Thank you very much to Say Anything who bestowed me with this award. You made my day!

Today I spent a few hours at Beth's house helping deep clean her house that they are getting ready to put on the market. There's a real hot picture of me holding a sponge while cleaning her shower. That crazy girl is very photo-happy! She even photographed a Ken doll taking a bath. But I must admit, I was given the best reward for the work I performed which is red wine and dark chocolate. She knows how to treat me right!

When I got home the boys were happy to see me. Carson was making mess after mess as usual and I was irritated and complained out loud how I was tired of cleaning up after him. I believe I said, "Why do you create more work for me?" And his response was, "Well, if you work harder, you might get money." I tell him that no one is going to pay me to work at my own house. But he suggests, "What about Dad?" I don't know dad, what do you think?

For the past 6 months or more Carson has been going through this alien phase where he is consumed to the point of paranoia with aliens, more specifically green ones. It all began this summer when he went to vacation bible school and the theme was space. They had robots, astronauts, and aliens. It has left a huge imprint in his brain and still to this day he will not sleep in his own bed. He is afraid that the aliens will come and get him. Last night for instance, he was convinced that the aliens were going to come in his room and steal his brain. I seriously don't know where he is getting this stuff! Today while in the car all he talked about was aliens. I said that E.T. is a nice, friendly alien. Well, just the mention of E.T. created a multitude of questions about the movie which he has seen a handful of times. Some questions were legitimate, but others were just ridiculous and I had to be creative in my responses. "Why is he brown, why did they put him in a bag, why did smoke come out of the bag, why does he walk funny, why are his legs short, if I had short legs would I walk funny, what if I had no legs............and on and on it went.

I'm tired - till next time..............................

The blue frosting warning email

Today I had to send out an email to all the guests that came to Carson's birthday party yesterday. And here is how it read:

"Hey everyone. I wanted to give you a heads up and/or warning if you haven't experienced this already about the cupcakes from Carson's birthday party yesterday. We have noticed a unique color to the kids poop and didn't want anyone else to get too alarmed. It has to be from the vivid blue frosting. I just didn't want anyone to panic and if it didn't happen to you then consider yourself lucky. I figured since it stained their lips and teeth pretty bad then it had to come out the same way. I hope I haven't grossed you all out. Unbelievable, isn't it?"

And I will leave it at that.

Happy Birthday Carson!

Today my middle son Carson is five.

Happy Birthday my sweet little boy!

Yesterday we had some of his friends over to celebrate and they had such an enjoyable time. When he woke up he asked me, "Do I look like I'm 5 now?" Later that morning I was preparing for the party and blowing up balloons. He thought we needed to put more up, but I told him that was all I had. So he suggested we go get some water balloons and use those.

Today's he has a special day at preschool and gets to bring a treat to share. Well, I didn't get home until 10:30 last night and completely spaced off the fact that Carson wanted me to make brownies for school. So being the good dedicated mom that I am I made a batch of homemade brownies hoping none of the kids or the hubby wake up and smell the chocolate. Although this morning Jason said I smelled like chocolate when I came to bed last night and wondered what I had been eating.

Today after school I am surprising him by taking him out for pizza and bowling.

We're a tacky bunch! (and not so Wordless Wednesday)

Last night I was the host for our monthly Mommy's group get together. I thought it would be fun to make it a themed event. And what better theme then a tacky sweater contest. Everyone's job, should they chose to accept it, was to track down the worst, ugliest, tackiest sweater they could find. So the ladies were off to Goodwill, resale shops, and even their mother's closets to see what they could find. I myself found 2 that I couldn't decide between. There was the gaudy multi-patterned 80's throw back or the flashy-bling-bling-gold and silver-sequence-jeweled with attached shoulder pads 90's mess. I contemplated which was worse, and which one I might be able to survive the evening without passing out from heat exhaustion. Either way it was going to be an evening to remember and I have the photos to prove it.

First we have Emily modeling the ever so lovely harvest-themed cardigan sweater which is adorned with pearls and strange looking pumpkin faces. We couldn't determine whether the red things were strawberries or lady bugs. Either way it was a disaster. Funny enough, 3 other mommy's said they saw that one at Goodwill and almost bought it.



Next we have the beautiful preggers Beth from I Should Be Folding Laundry sporting her pot holders sweater vest - handmade (but not by her!) It was on loan from Amanda. I must say she looked the cutest and I can see her making that style a come-back. Not a bad maternity look at all.



Then you have myself representing the ever so classy and ever so shiny sweater as explained above. The other sweater I didn't wear I loaned to Shannon as shown in the group picture. The other orange and pink color block sweater being represented by Misti reminded us of some sort of lollipop or dreamsicle treat. We had to keep her a safe distance from Beth to avoid any type of drooling or licking. Right, Beth?!?!




And the final show stopper of the night belongs to Amanda. She looks as if she's ready to go to a Mardi Gras party, or to the boats to play some slot machines, or possibly the local Bingo hall, and maybe even some cruise wear. And notice the beautiful shoulder pads. It wouldn't be a true tacky sweater without those. Cause you know all women want to look like football players. Am I right?! I also just found out there is an article of clothing called a dickey. And contrary to how the name sounds, it's a mock turtleneck, imagine that. Neckey would have been a better term for it if you ask me.



Well, as you can see Amanda was awarded the ultimate title of Tackiest Sweater and received the Grand Champion ribbon. When the votes were cast it ended up being a tie between myself and her, but since I picked out the ribbon I wanted it to go to another deserving sweater contestant. And for her to be wearing something called a dickey - that in itself was deserving of an award.



We had such a fun evening together. So much fun that one of the expecting moms went into labor and delivered her baby this morning at the hospital. Must have been from all the laughter.

I am looking forward to our next themed event. Any suggestions?

And for other Wordless Wednesday's that might actually be what they're supposed to be click here. Being wordless is so over-rated!

It's Monday

Carson is a fan of football and the Bears were his team of choice, that was until they lost. So now his favorite team is the Patriots, go figure. During the games that were on yesterday he walked in the room and said, "Hey, is the thunderstorm team winning?" I was a bit confused at what he was talking about, but then it clicked. The San Diego Chargers have a lightening bolt on their helmets and Carson came up with the practical name of the Thunderstorm team. Makes sense from the eyes of a 4 year old.

Speaking of 4, Carson will be celebrating his 5th birthday on Friday. We're having a kid party on Thursday and then the family party on Saturday. So there is much to do to prepare for the festivities. First on the list is trying to clean the red stain out of the carpet. We've already gone through several methods of which none have succeeded. I went and priced new carpet this morning and must say it will be a last resort. We are having a carpet cleaning company come out on Wednesday to see what they can do. Note to self, never again buy red Gatorade or any red beverage for that matter. The dye in it is resilient once it gets into fabric or carpet!

That is my big word for the day, resilient. I did an internet search on Thesaurus.com and noticed the sponsored link advertisement right above the definition was for new carpet. Is that not ironic? I am surprised I didn't see a Gatorade advertisement listed as well.

A bunch of random thoughts

Two nights ago this was Carson's prayer:

"Dear Jesus, Thanks for the rain and snow, but we really don't need it because it's going to be summer time."

Bless his heart. And today it's currently 5 degrees which is way too cold for me to bear.

Carson lost his 2nd tooth today.

Carson is addicted to ketchup.

Luke purposely dumped red Gatorade on our light colored carpet and it won't come out.

My two younger boys are part monkey. No, really - look at how they can scale our wall!













Why is it that the last child of mine has been so difficult to potty train? I am so tired of buying and changing pull-ups.

My lower back aches really bad today and I don't know why.

I am extremely dizzy today. Could be the fact that whenever my head is any position other than looking straight ahead I feel off balance. Recently I found out I have what is called Benign Positional Vertigo and thankfully it is very curable. I just haven't had an opportunity to take care of it. Other things have gotten in the way such as Tivo and naps.

I got my hair cut today and it is major, at least for me it is. Here is who inspired me while watching the latest episode of ER.



I officially have bangs. Holy crap! I haven't had bangs since high school and even then they were wispy little things that may not have even qualified as bangs. Jason likes it a lot as do I. I look so much more mature, not older just more mature! Kinda like I'm 30 or something. And Linda Cardellini is such a doll.

Now I have a piece of hair stuck in my eye and it's bugging the heck out of me. There are no pictures to post because they all turned out horrible. I need a tan really bad. This pasty white look is not for me.

Now I am going to go eat a heart shaped chocolate peanut butter cup. That should help me feel much better. Yummy!

Where've I been you say?

Yes, I've noticed too. My lack of participation on my blog. You see, I've been consumed. With what, you ask?



Well, for Christmas I received the sweetest most time consuming gift (but in a good time consuming way, of course) from my in laws. The new Tivo Series 3 HD DVR. It rocks! I previously had the regular series 2 Tivo DVR and have since moved that on to the "kids" TV room and set it up for kid shows, as if having On Demand and a whole library of videos wasn't enough. So this new HD Tivo box has doubled the amount of TV I am able to watch. It is a dual tuner so it can record two shows at the same time. In the past I would have to choose, but now there's no deciding except for which show do I watch first. When the kids go down for naps or when they go to bed at night I would do my blogging, but I am having a hard time keeping up with all the new shows that have begun. And now to add even more time, Idol has me quite absorbed. Here is a breakdown of my Tivo Season Pass shows:

• Lost
• American Idol
• Grey's Anatomy
• ER
• Dance War
• Intervention
• Jon & Kate Plus 8
• America's Funniest Home Videos
• The Biggest Loser: Couples
• The Celebrity Apprentice
• Supernanny
• Just for Laughs

Whew! That's a lot of TV for one girl to keep up with every week. I previously had Oprah on season pass, but every day was too much for me. Plus, I'm feeling more out of touch with her since I haven't been to a taping of her show yet this season. But that's another post, if I ever find time to blog again!

Conquering the hiccups

Today my oldest son came home from school and obviously had a case of the hiccups.

Back when I was a kid and had the hiccups my mom would give me a huge spoon full of sugar, which I loved, but never did the trick. Then I would resort to holding my breath, which again made no difference. I would even try to have my older brothers scare the hiccups out of me, but it did nothing except wish I had a nice sister. So, it wasn't until I was in a gymnastics class that one of my teammates showed us her no fail hiccup remedy. And I swear to this day, it has worked every single time I have ever had a case of the hiccups.

First get a 6 to 8 oz. cup of cold water (no ice - don't want anyone to choke!). Then lean forward and place your lips on the opposite side of the cup that you would normally drink from. While tilting forward continue to drink the entire cup of water without stopping. That's it! It is a little tricky at first and takes some getting used to, but once you've practiced enough there really is nothing to it.

Here is my son demonstrating. The first picture the flash didn't go off, but it's still a good demonstration and he wouldn't pose for any more after that.



And his comment after I took his picture, "Mom, now don't go posting this on Myspace or your blog or anything." And I say but what fun would that be not posting it. Plus he's too cute and I had to take this opportunity to share his cuteness with everyone.

The reality of fast food

This bit of reality had me cracking up. You must check out these pictures.

Funny police story

Occasionally I will come across a funny police blotter story in our local paper and clip it out. As I was cleaning out a drawer the other day, I came across one such story from a few years back that made me laugh. So I thought I'd share it with you all.

Allegedly 'stoned' woman arrested at McDonald's:
Police responded to McDonald's Restaurant at 11pm after workers said a drive through customer stated she was "stoned," then sat in the parking lot for an hour.

Police located the woman in her car, wearing two pairs of glasses. Police said she stated she turned in a job application and was waiting for them to hire her. When asked to exit her car, police said she asked if police wanted her to hop out or if police wanted her to turn into smoke and float out.

Police said she admitted being high, and stated she could help McDonald's by pointing out other stoned people. She also stated McDonald's wouldn't hire her and she asked about becoming a cop, police say.

Police said she pushed an officer and yelled at officers. She was shocked with a Taser and arrested on battery, disorderly conduct, and resisting charges.

Life just got a little bit easier

I feel like I am on the same wavelength as Crooked Eyebrow today. Reading her earlier post today about a certain product redesign, I felt compelled to share this new packaging that I feel has made my life a little happier and easier.

I go to pull out my scissors to open a package of Oreo cookies and see a stop sign on each end of the package. I was a bit taken back at that and wondered if this was Oreo's new way to help people think twice about over indulging. But then I notice a new pull tab on the top of the package and couldn't believe it. So of course I had to take a picture. You see small things like this impress me.

Now I must go pour me a tall glass of milk.

Misunderstanding at the bowling alley

Last night our neighborhood had their winter block party at our local bowling alley. I was slightly hesitant to go since it was just going to be me and my 3 boys. But I figured what the heck I would attempt it. The boys absolutely love playing bowling on our Wii and this would be a fun opportunity for the younger two to experience it first hand. It even happened to be glow bowl night where they turn the lights off and use black lighting and flashing lights down the alley. It was really cool!

The bowling went really well. In fact my youngest was leading the entire time and got a strike and a spare on his first two frames. Not bad for pushing the ball down the alley and not reaching over 3 mph.

I had to continue to explain to Carson where he was to throw the ball from. A few times his ball landed in the gutter of the lane that was next to us. And one time he crossed the line and completely wiped out on his butt. It was hilarious, but not to him. He said the lanes were like an ice skating rink. But he did like wearing the bowling shoes and asked if he could take them home with him. I asked what he liked about them so much and he responded that they were dirty and he could play outside in the dirt with them. Interesting response.

Taylor was off with his friends, eating pizza, playing arcade games and blasting loud hip hop music. You know, typical pre-teen stuff.

And my bowling skills were very sad to say the least. Well, that is until the last 2 frames. I think my score up to that point was 85 or something pathetic. Then I roll a strike on the 9th and another strike on the 10th in which I get another turn and rolled yet another strike. That was 3 in a row and I received my first turkey ever!

After we bowled we ate some pizza. Carson wanted lemonade which actually turned out to be Mountain Dew, as if that child needed any more sugar. I didn't find this out until he finished his 2nd cup. I was wondering why the lemonade looked so yellow and why Carson said it was the best lemonade he had ever drank in his life. I should have known better.

One of the neighbors came up to me as we were eating and began talking. The music at this point had reached an all time high level. After 6 o'clock they must decide to crank it up. So I was having a hard time hearing this woman speak although we were both somewhat yelling. I swear she said to me, "So, you have a boy family, huh?" And I responded, "Yeah, I am pretty much out numbered, although our dog is a female, but she was fixed so I am not sure if that really counts." And she gives me a strange look and goes on to say, "So you guys practice a lot?" And I look at her in somewhat disbelief, one, not only do I not really know her very well, but two, what kind of person asks if you "practice" a lot? I didn't know how to respond so I just nodded and smiled. Her husband was even standing right next to hear listening (if that was possible) to this odd conversation.

As they walk away, I am going over the conversation in my head. She couldn't have really just asked me what she just asked me, could she have? Well, I come to figure out she did not ask if we have a boy family. Instead she asked"So, you have a bowling family, huh?" Big, big difference! That made so much more sense, and now she must think I am the biggest freak for answering the way I did. I was so embarrassed and I didn't have the guts to go back up to her and explain myself. I just left it how it was.

I am sure when I see them out around the neighborhood we will laugh and joke about it, but for now I am hiding out.

I guess next time I ask for blogging motivation I should be more specific.

Need motivation!

Do you ever feel blogged out?

Is that even a word?

I have been too lazy to want to blog or even read blogs for that matter.

There must be something wrong with me, right?

I need a quick and heavy dose of motivation. Know where I can get any?