It's been awhile!

Phew! I am failing miserably at this whole blogging thing. I don't have enough time to concentrate on writing and I really don't live a very interesting life, BUT I am going to keep plugging away.

Lookie what Papa got me for my early (a whole month early) bday present! I love it!! I have taken over 400 pics with it already (I deleted quite a few too). It is going to take some getting used to (and some online friend's help ;)).

Sooo, in an effort to keep my blog going, I am going to start posting pictures in with my insights and my experiences (see I am really trying to pump myself up to give this blogging a real shot!).

Papa and I have recently started doing more grocery shopping at Target. They have the best meat and produce sections I've ever seen! Everything looks so pretty and fresh! Anywhooo....we decided to peruse the snack aisles (I had told myself I was not bringing any junkfood into the house this time) and see what good things we could find. I had noticed that they had Kashi products on sale this week and I wanted to try some of their TLC products. We grabbed some Oatmeal Raisin Flax cookies....they are sooo yummy and very filling. We also got Baked Apple Spice cereal bars, Chewy Trail Mix Bars and Peanut Peanut Butter chewy Granola Bars. I have not tasted any of them, but the boys really liked them.

Then I spotted them, right there across the aisle from the kashi snacks! Archer Farms fruit bars and Archer Farms fruit strips. I grabbed the strips because we really like the fruit leathers and these looked very similar. Then I decided to try the bars. The strips are even organic. The boys and I devowered the bars! They are delicious! And not full of crap either...real fruit and juices! I wish I would have known they were that good, there are only 6 in a box. We'll have to see if we can compelle G&G to go to Target on a bar run for us sometime.

Then, we found Archer Farms Hot Dogs that state that they contain no artifical colors, flavors or fillers! We liked their bacon and sliced ham, so decided to give them a try. The boys had some for lunch today and seemed to like them.

So, that sums up this post, new camera and yummy snacks.

Its been awhile!

Oh wow! I have totally been neglecting this (better this than the boys though!).

Lets see....what interesting things do I have to share with the world...

School is out for summer! It is nice not to be running around like a dog chasing its tail, but having all 3 kiddos home all day is definately taking some readjusting.

We've rented some really cute movies. "Bedtime stories" with Adam Sandler is cute and funny (his movies usually are) and "Hotel for dogs" is heartwarming. Both really excellent movies for the family.

I had a horrible time trying to sleep last night. I kept thinking about my paypal bill. Papa bought some cards from ebay, I had a $10 credit on my card so we used it to pay for the cards. This all resulted in a $7.12 bill. I kept meaning to mail it, but life has been a little crazy lately and I forgot. I was going to have Papa mail it last night, but remember that stamps had gone up (AGAIN?!) and I needed to put a .01 stamp on it. So, last night I was worrying about this stupid $7.12 bill being late (now, anyone who has a cc knows there is a simple solution to this-especially with a paypal card, but that didn't occur to me until 2am-ish). I won't get a nap in today either and I have to drive for 2 hours tonight...fun! Oh, and my bill is paid ;).

We are going to forks for the big "everything goes" sale in the Alerus center. We've finally decided it is time to part with some of the boy's old clothes. I've sorted through 11 totes. I've washed, folded and priced 7 totes worth of clothes, tossed 2 big garbage bags full of stained and holely clothes and kept only 3 totes of clothes (yay!). We are also going to try and sell our baby swing, pack 'n play and high chair. I hope we can sell alot of it, but if not the ad says that you can leave whatever you have left there and they will take care of it!! So, reguardless, it will all be gone!! Selling the boy's baby clothes is bitter sweet. I would love to have another baby, but it is nice that we are moving on to different stages and new and exciting things.

Now for the bad news....I discovered this morning that my curling iron is dying :(. I can hardly keep it together!! I love this iron. My mom gave it to me and I love it (even though its only been with me for a year, it grew on my quickly). It is the most awesome iron I've EVER had. It has turbo heat, which heats it up fully in a couple of minutes! I just don't know if I can ever replace it....waaaaah!

Well, I think I've caught up for the last 3 (?) weeks? Man, my life is sooo interesting....

Now, I'm off to buy some .01 stamps and mail some bills!!

BB's birthday is coming up. He's going to be 8! I can hardly believe it!! My baby is going to be 8 *snif*.

We're going shopping tomorrow. Since the BB and MB learned how to tie shoes they both insist that they need new shoes, plus they want to wear flip flops for their spring concert, plus I want to get them new shirts for thier concert, PLUS LB needs socks....its expensive having kids!

I've got everything packed except for a pair of pajamas for BB. He wore them last night, but asked that I had them washed and packed so he could wear them again tonight.....I better get something good for mother's day! I should be sweeping and vacuuming and soon the laundry will be ready to fold, but I'm sitting her blogging (trying to find something good enough to put on here...don't think I've done that yet).

The boys are all getting excited for school to be over. BB and MB are excited for a break and LB is excited to have his brother's home to play with. I'm a little concerned for my sanity, but we'll make it through ;).

Well, I suppose, my floor isn't sweeping itself. Its whole house day today (every other day I sweep the bedrooms and play room and the other days it is just the living room, kitchen and bathroom) so that means the swiffer is going to get a ride around the house (I love those swiffer dry pads! They get the hair up like nobody's business!).

YIKES!

We rented THE SCARIEST movie I have seen in ages last weekend!

http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/quarantine/

It started out as a total snooze fest, but quickly picked up and turned scary all at once! I was definately on the edge of my seat and up all night long thinking about it. I like to be scared like this sometimes, but not often.

There are mixed reviews of this movie online, but I for one thought it was VERY scary so, if that's your thing, its worth the watch.

Rain, Rain GO AWAY!!

Ugh! Day 2 of gloom! It is officially spring, where is the sunshine and birds?! The saying is "April showers bring May flowers"..... I'm beginning to believe that these old sayings just do not apply here!

MB has decided he wants his ear pierced. He saw a boy in high school who has his pierced and now thinks its the coolest thing. We told him that we would revisit the issue when he's in high school. He then asked how many more days until then! Then he decided that if he couldn't have his ear pierced that getting a tattoo would suffice..... Yep, he's going to be our rebel.

LB is not taking to his de-spoiling very well. He lays on the floor and thrashes around kicking and screaming if he doesn't get his way. He cries and cries and cries. Then he gets all insulted and try to play the guilt game by telling me that I don't love him any more. I've even had to give a few spankings (its a last resort, but it has gotten there lately). BUT, he's coming along. Hopefully he will learn that he isn't "the boss".

BB is rocking his accelerated reading. He almost has enough points for honor roll! We promised him that if he makes the honor roll we will buy him a Wii or DS game (a guy has to have some motivation sometimes!).

I have been trying to prepare for our garage sale. I think we have a date set (finally!) and I think I am almost done sorting the boy's clothes! I hadn't saved much until I got to the baby sizes and started remembering them in certain outfits (awww) and I just couldn't do it, so I have almost a whole tote of baby clothes. I've been making mental lists of things that I have sitting in nooks and crannies in the house that I want to get rid of. Reminds me of how many things I think that I just HAVE to have and then never use! I should just keep the money in my pocket!

Speaking of money! I got a bill from my dentist about 2 weeks ago. Most medical bills come with an area to fill in credit card info, but this one didn't so I just wrote our flex spending card info on there. I get the bill AGAIN last week with a note saying, "Sorry, we don't accept credit or debit cards".....seriously?! This day in age?! I know we live in the back woods, but credit cards are not a new fangled invention for pete's sake! Thankfully it was only $76 (after ins) so nothing to cry about, but still, why are we socking money into the fsa that we can't use?! Ok, vent over!

Oh and in exciting news....BB and MB FINALLY learned how to tie shoes last night. Yep, both of them within 15 mins of trying! We've been working on this for years! MB got it first which frustrated the hell out of BB, who tried to throw a tantrum (he likes when things come easily to him), but finally bucked up and did it! That means we can branch out in our school shoe purchases!!! We usually get them skechers, but BB always seems to trash his shoes sooo fast! They end up frayed with holes in them! Like this year, MB was begging for those cop light up ones (I had no clue what on earth he was talking about at first!), we finally found them and got them. BB got some tie ones that had to be returned (we thought it would encourage him to learn to tie shoes...not so much) so he decided he wanted the tank ones like MB's. They've both had them since the beginning of the year, MB's lights fell off, but otherwise they look fine, BB's are hashed! There are holes on either side of the toe box on both shoes (I just noticed this, he will be getting new ones)!!!

Well, I better get to cleaning while LB is occupied with lego star wars on the wii!

I'm trying to post more!

I'm trying to be better about posting on here, its not working.

Well, Papa broke my cat! He dropped a 50lb weight on Gizmo's back foot. It was an accident and Papa feels AWFUL, but Gizzy will live. He doesn't seem to be in too much pain. He isn't putting weight on it, but he isn't yowling either.

We had a toilet overflow this morning (well not overflow, but it was THIS close to over flowing). I questioned the boys, who denied putting anything aside for toilet paper in it. Turns out MB is just using too much toilet paper (I can't imagine where on earth he gets that habit). Good thing Papa decided to go in to work late so he could plunge the toilet for me!

The weather has been nice lately! The boys were outside TONS this weekend. Yesterday Papa and I were in the house when we heard this rumbling on the roof (to be honest my first thoughts were the boys had gotten on the roof). After investigating we discovered that the boys were throwing balls onto the roof and watching them roll down. Not too bad of a game EXCEPT that occassionally they would miss and hit the windows. Papa told them to go roll the balls off the roof of the shed in the back yard. A seemingly harmless activity, right? WRONG!!! Awhile later MB comes in and tells Papa that BB and LB are stuck on the roof of the shed! Do I know my kids, or what?! Turns out they found the ladder (which Papa had put on top of the clothes line, btw) and MB convinced the other two that we said they could do it.....yeah, BB got a lecture about listening to MB when he says that we say he can do something that we would never approve of. MB is naturally very inquizitive.....a good thing, but not always fun to deal with in a child! He also has a strong personality (again, where does he get that?!). Add that all to the fact that he's 6 and going through that "not always so truthful" stage, I'm surprised I'm not bald!

I have had an epiphany reguarding my baby (LB). He might, just might, be the teeniest bit spoiled. His brothers definately think this is true. I think Papa and G&G tend to agree. He is my little cuddle bug and I think he knows that if he cuddles up to me he'll get what he wants. He was beating BB with a plastic bat and got 2 spankings (he wouldn't stop!). He was DEVISTATED that I spanked him (don't judge me for spanking! I gave him warnings and tried to remove him from the situation, it just didn't work). I cuddled with him and told him that he needed to be a nice boy, but he also needs to learn that Mommy means business. His brothers hurt him and he comes crying, so they get in trouble, but I think he might be instigating some of it (DUH, right?). I've always made excuses for him because he's little, but he's going to be 4 in July and staring school in Sept, so we need to nip this in the bud.

Oh! That Skechers ad <------reminded me of my new shoes. I got a pair of those d'lites, they are soo cute! They have glitter and rhinestones on them! And they're sooo comfy! LOVE THEM!!

Its been awhile!

Wow, I can't believe that I haven't posted on here since the 9th.....thats 2 weeks!

Not much has happened in the last couple weeks. We had a nice Easter. G&G came up and spent the day with us and we had a nice dinner together. The boys and I dyed eggs and we did an egg hunt (Grandma brought change for the eggs so it wasn't all candy). The boys were pretty impressed with the goodies from the bunny.

We ordered parts for our dryer, but as usual, Papa didn't listen to me and measure first so we ended up with the wrong size parts! Papa decided that we weren't going to bother with fixing it and announced we were going to get a new dryer!! We ended up getting a new set! FRONT LOADERS!! Whoo hoo!! They are so nice!

We went to Grand Forks last weekend. We stayed with my Parents and got to see my Aunts and Grandma for a bit, which was nice I haven't seen them in years. The boys got to play at Burger King with my cousin's kids, they loved it.

I got myself a shark steam mop. I like it! It works pretty good and dries fast. The only down side is that our linoleum has groves in it and the dirt and mud stick in there and nothing but a good hand and knee scrubbing can get that up (and I am not about to do that at this point in time, I'd be doing it several times a day to keep up).

Papa's route to work did end up getting flooded, so he had to take the backwoods way to work. Luckily, he only had to go that way one day and then yesterday it was passable. Seems like the water is moving out of our area and on up to Canada.

Well, now I'm caught up for the last 2 weeks. My life really is uneventful....not always a bad thing though.