Mr. Big Stuff...Who do you think you are

The kids are back in school!

Preteen’s now an 8th grader…
Big kid on the block…
Well sorta…

Here’s some of our text conversation:

Me: How was your first day as the big kid on the block?
Preteen: Aha, It was good (:
Me: Did you throw any 7th graders in the trash can?
Preteen: They’re all bigger than me Mom!!
Me: Did they throw you in the trash can?
Preteen: Ahahaha…NO!

They’ll be glad they’re teeny tiny things when they get older, I think?!

***********************************************

The teenager was at her dad’s house and needed a paper to be completed.
Of course she didn’t realize until 9pm the night before that his computer didn’t work!

So over the phone she dictated her paper.
I questioned things, she changed things.
I insisted, she corrected.
I couldn’t comprehend, she texted.
I argued a point, she listened.
She argued her point, I listened.
She dictated, I typed.
We brainstormed.

Most importantly, we didn’t fight! We actually laughed.
Probably the first time since she was in kindergarten!
We DO NOT do homework together.
This was a big thing!
We were proud of each other, we laughed.

***********************************************

As we were getting ready for bed, the boy asked if he’d get moved up to the 4 yr old class.

Guess what?!

He was! The teachers told him as soon as he stepped foot into school this morning!

He’s so excited.

Mr. Big Stuff!

www.daysoffivelives.blogspot.com

More Conversations with Benjamin Button

ahem, I mean The Boy...

As we’re driving home last night I point out to the city lights while we’re on the freeway interchange.

Look Boy, you can see all the city lights!
Isn’t that cool?

Yeah.
I saw that last time when we went to Open Michael night Mom.

Huh? You went to Open Mic night Son?

Yeah. He replies so nonchalant

Um, when?

The other night, with Sandra, Santi and his dad.
There were people singing there.
A guy playing his horn.
It was just us two kids- Me and Santi. he says as he shrugs his shoulders.

*************************************************************************************

We’re sitting at the dinner table
And the boy’s coming up on my arm with his nose and sniffing me.
In our book, those are called Filipino kisses!

That’s the way our grandma’s have always kissed us and any babies for that matter.
They bring the babies face right up to their nose and sniff, sniff, sniff.
Naturally, that’s what I do to my babies!

So I ask, Are you giving me Filipino kisses?

Well wouldn’t you know it, that just brought back his backward memories (keep in mind he’s only 3) read here for more of his backward stories

Mom, remember when we went to the Phillipines?

No son, when was that?

When I was a teenager.

Yeah, we were there with Grandma. And there was another Grandpa and a lady.
That lady was talking crazy. (I’m guessing he means they were speaking in tagalog, but that’s what his 3 year old mind can equate that too!)

Oh really? I ask.

Yeah, and then the grandpa kissed the lady. He says with his shoulders shrugged and a funny little eyeroll.

That was so crazy! he adds.

Yeah, sure sounds like it, I reply.

Do you remember when we were in the plane?
I was sitting behind you and Daddy. As he shows me with his little fingers diagram, two chairs in front. And there he was sitting in the back.

I don’t remember that son.

Well Daddy remembers!


http://www.daysoffivelives.blogspot.com/

Home Alone

It’s The Girls’ week at their Dad’s house.
And The Boy spent the night at his sitters house.
(just so you know- he loves her more than he loves me!
He’s actually admitted to it!
He cries when I go to pick him up
So I let him stay, one of these days, he’ll be crying for me, I just know it!)

So there we were.

Me and Hubby.

A L O N E

Just the two of us.


What in the world would we do-

A romantic candlelit dinner together?
A walk along the beach?
Staying up and partying all night long?

No way!

We enjoyed the evening of peace and quiet in our favorite ways-

I did more party planning for The Boy’s birthday bash
I drove to the bakery to try to find a cake
Dropped off some invitations to his friends.
Visited my Dad to check if he had the essentials to make the party even radder!
(cones, caution tape, detour signs, you know, boy stuff!!)

Hubby stayed home and enjoyed the time alone.
Cooked up some BBQ tri-tip (I think that’s what it was??!!)
Whipped up all the sides for dinner
And I’m sure he threw in a couple of games of World of Warcraft *sigh*

By the time I got home, dinner was ready!

A couple glasses of wine, fine dining on paper plates, and adult conversation.
Followed by an evening of watching Man vs. Wild.
That show is kinda crazy and you have to question the validity of it all!

So maybe it wasn’t candlelit or on the beach,
but it was a perfect evening home alone.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday...We should've known

From the beginning...

He wanted to be a Stunt Rider!

For more Mostly Wordless Wednesday

Confessions of a Shopaholic...The Color Purple

As I'm going through my drawers,

I realized I've become obsessed (again)

I become obsessed quite easily.

But don't you worry, I'm not obsessed like the crazy lady in the Beyonce' movie.

It's just shopping obsessed.

And as easy as it comes, it goes.

For now, me and my obsession are in love the color purple.

I was digging for some clothes and ran across a few of my favorite things:

Now I dont think this is the exact top, but mine is pretty much like this.

And for $6.80 you can get one in every color!

I love that you can wear it on a hot summer day with shorts.

Or dress it up with some dark jeans, cardigan, and boots later in the evening.

Shhh...here's a secret...Get 10% off all your Forever21.com orders by entering code:CHIC21

PLUS free shipping for orders over $75.

While I was school shopping for the kids, we found these tanks for $2.00 ea.

Of course, I just had to pick up the basics - black and white, but totally threw in a purple for fun!

It doesn't look like they're only $2.00 anymore , but they're on sale for $2.99 - $8.50 for various colors.

I just won this gorgeous dress in eggplant on ebay for ONLY $10.00!!!

oh yeah, you read that right! A whole 10 dollars!

It BETTER fit!

I can't begin to tell you how just how much I love ebay. (that's a whole other obsession)

I know ebay clothes shopping makes people nervous.

But if there's a brand that you love that you know fits you well, you might wanna give it a try! (C'mon Cis, you can do it!!)

These are a few of my favorite ebay sellers.

They sell Victoria Secret brand clothes that start out at only .99 cents,

oh yeah, you will never find a better deal.

B H Factory Outlet

MJR Sales

And since I'm obsessed, I totally need a Iman Global Chic City Tote in Plum

Isn't it gorgeous??!!

And look it's almost Sold OUT!!

I bet it won't become an aquarium, like my awesome summer purse turned out to be.

Oh yeah, and since I was trying to find pics of my clothes, look at what I found...

I totally want this too!!

It's only $6.99 at Forever21.com add it towards the $75 for free shipping!

I think the rest of my family would be horrified!

You see, I'm getting my daily dose of fruits and veggies.

In Plums and eggplants- it's good for my diet too!

Happy Shopping!

Lazy days of... dish washing!

Sunday was a lazy day,

the first lazy day in a long time.



It was nice to not do anything,

not have anything planned,

not have any appointments or parties to miss.



I'm not usually one to do nothing.

It usually drives me NUTS.



But today I needed to take some to relax and recharge.

Me and the boy lounged in the bed til 9:30.

Until as I was laying there with my eyes clothes and my head rested on the pillow

I felt something hard hit me in the head, something that felt like it flew accross the room.

I open my eyes to see these 5 characers laying there by my head too!

And I know one of them is the guilty party!

The boys look of worry as he realized that it actually hit me!

Uggghhh...he's such a boy!

I could hear hubby in the kitchen clanging around pots and pans.

Opening and closing the fridge.

I resisted getting up to help.

That is until he brought me a delicious cup of hot java with extra cream to bed....mmmm!!!



I got up to and headed to the kitchen to find him cooking up some huevos rancheros.



But I did notice out of the corner of my eye a sink full of dishes.



I can't stand to cook or eat with a sink full of dirty dishes.



So I couldn't resist any longer. I washed the 1st sinkload of dishes for the day.



We ate our yummy breakfast and I watched the plates, forks, cutting boards, and pans pile up.



I washed the 2nd dishload of dishes.



We sat on the couch and watched a movie.



The girls woke up later and the teenager made herself and her sister scrambled egg quesadillas.



More pans, plates, and forks piled up.



I washed the 3rd dishload of dishes.

(normally I would yell at them to do it, but it's their last day of summer break, so I gave them a break for once!)



Then it was lunchtime. The boy and I had grilled cheese with carrots and chips.



And you guessed it, more dishes!



Round 4!



We lounged around some more, watched another movie.

Then I ran to the grocery store to pick up some groceries and things.



And now that I sit here cooking dinner my hands have just been dried off from washing dishload #5!



Because we've had snacks and drinks in between lunch and dinner, of course.



I love eating every meal at home but I got smart!



I just bought paper plates!!

Dinner...again?

The boy is a sugar freak!
I think he dreams about his juice, candy, gum, ice cream.

He loves it!

He gets that from his Daddy.

Hubby picked up the boy from school a couple days ago and took him to the grocery store. When they arrived home, the boy was just ecstatic because his daddy bought him Bubble Tape.

Yes, 3 feet of ooey, gooey, sugar goodness!

(I'll admit, I'm not a perfect Mom, I give in, he does eat sugar and processed food sometimes. He's #3, I'm too tired to argue! He'll be ok, really)

So night #1 hubby tells the boy, you can have a piece of gum AFTER you finish all your dinner.

He complies.

However on morning #2, as soon as Daddy leaves for work, he pops another piece in his mouth. I told him to spit it out and brush his teeth, at least eat a processed waffle with some syrup first!

As dinner rolls around, the boy has his piece of gum prepared. It's sitting on his dinner plate so that he can enjoy it after he finishes all his food.

What was that?! Daddy heard you had a piece of gum in the morning??!!

Oh no Son, sorry, no gum for you tonight!

Oh, the torture. He was devastated.

Move on to night #3, as we're driving home from pre-school the boy asks if he can have a piece of gum tonight.

After dinner son, I reply.

D I N N E R??!!!

(with the most perplexed look of disappointment on his face)

A G A I N??!!

Why do we always have dinner??!!

I couldn't help but laugh.

Sorry, Son, you're gonna have dinner every night for the rest of your life.

Dinner was great!

and even more fantastic because the Teenager cooked a whole chicken all by herself!

And this was probably the look she had on her face when she read the directions via text message. Mixed with that look my lil' sis is giving in the background!

I'm so proud of you girl, Mom's never even done it! Thanks for your help.

Here's a copy of the recipe, fairly simple, and delicious! (you probably shouldn't make it on the hottest night of the year like I, ahem, I mean she did!)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Juicy-Roasted-Chicken/Detail.aspxINGREDIENTS
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon onion powder, or to taste
1/2 cup margarine, divided
1 stalk celery, leaves removed

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder. Place 3 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity. Arrange dollops of the remaining margarine around the chicken's exterior. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity.
Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy your dinner!