Carma Turns Bad to Good

Oh, don't tell me carma doesn't come around and wishing out to the Universe doesn't pay off. First, this week had been a very bad week. The school called earlier this week asking if my oldest daughter, age 9, was doing okay. Confused since I'd put her on the bus that very morning I asked if she threw up and if I needed to pick her up. Instead I got more confusion as they claimed she'd never been at school. I won't lie, panic filled my whole inside, in the end she had been there it took a few minutes for them to go back to class to discover this. Apparently the girl that sits in front of her is much taller so the teacher missed her.

That was the first BAD thing, the next was the hubby calling to tell me our van (only vehicle) had broke down on the highway. Knowing we don't have money to get it towed and not knowing anyone we were out of luck. He did find a friend to give him a ride but we had no clue what to do after that.

I went to yahoogroups and vented my frustration, I mean I swear I could write a comedy on the things that can happen in less than two years. No one would believe it though, but it has all happened to me. I got several emails from the group expressing the need to help, one actually wanted to drive over 4 hours to help me out. Talk about feeling loved, my luck was starting to look up. I just kept telling myself, something has to come out of this. We have to be able to get the van home. By the next morning I had four offers to help, when he went to work the next day he found a last minute ride (thank goodness) and called from work to tell me he found a way to get the van home.

Woo hoo! Well the van is now home, it doesn't run but it is home which means not having to pay a tow truck or getting it out of an impound yard. Next up is looking for a used car that we can afford at least until the van runs again. In the meantime we get to walk to the grocery store...too bad we didn't have one closer. Thank you Universe, we definitely needed a bit of good luck this week.

Wendy’s High School Heisman Blog Tour & Giveaway

How many of you love Wendy's? I know I just love those frosties they make and of course the mushroom hamburgers, the kids love the chicken sandwiches. Well Wendy's wants to help the kids out once again and this time they are giving them a reward. Check out the following information:

With college admissions growing more and more selective, the Wendy's High School
Heisman program presents a great opportunity to help those students who have
managed to balance so much, stand out. This award celebrates high school seniors
who excel in academics, athletics, and community involvement; in essence,
recognizing them for all of the things they already do. Colleges want to see
well-rounded students who demonstrate dedication and commitment, making this
program especially relevant and accessible.

High school seniors who have
a 3.0 average or higher, participate in a school-sponsored sport and contribute
to their community can apply at http://www.wendysheisman.com/, or a
high school educator, guidance counselor, or coach can nominate them. As a
little reward, the first 41,100 applicants will receive a free Wendy's gift card
in amounts ranging from $5 to $50. One male and one female from each high school
will win the award and continue on in competition for state and national awards.
Twelve national finalists will participate in Heisman Weekend festivities during
an all-expenses-paid trip Dec. 11-13 to New York City. ESPN2 will feature all 12
national finalists during the Wendy's High School Heisman Awards Ceremony, which
airs Dec. 13. The Wendy's High School Heisman website will display the names of
all applicants and individual school winners on October 22, 2009.

I think what they are doing is great and hopefully a big motivator. They are showing parents that they want to help in convincing our children to do good and showing teens that if they do good with their grades and sports they will be rewarded. The site also notices that not all teens will do sports but other school events such as committees, school paper, etc. If you have a child in high school that has a 3.0 average and is in some type of school sport/activity sign them up today. There will be one male & female winner per school, the teen will get a $10 GC, a letter from Wendy's and a patch sent to the school to be awarded to them. Check out the awards given out from the Wendy's Heisman site. There is a list of FAQ you may be interested in reading as well.


Now just because Wendy's and Momcentral (who shared this news with me) are so nice they are giving one lucky "The Life of a Home Mom" reader a chance to win a $20 Gift card as well.

GIVEAWAY:
PRIZE: 1 $20 Gift Card to Wendy's
RULES: Answer the question: What sport or activity did you play at school? (I said activity for those that did not do sports but instead did the paper, organizing dances, etc)

Make sure to leave a working email address.

Extra entries: subscribing to the site, tweeting this contest, posting on your blog about this contest, etc.

Winner will be announced Oct 4, 2009. You will have 24 hours to contact me once I have listed the winner, if I am not contacted I will draw a new winner. Have fun!!!!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy’s and received a gift certificate to giveaway and to thank me for taking the time to participate.

A Trip to the Carnival

Thursday and Friday it was time to go out and have some fun with the family. So what did we do? Well the town has a carnival in town for "Oktoberfest" and we hit it up. Thursday was just a night for the rides before the GRAND OPENING on Friday, we figured this would be the best time to hit it up with very few people.

As you can see we decided to walk up there for two reasons. 1. to get the kids really tired out before bed. (hahaha) 2. just in case there was no parking. (why fight it?) The walk was nice and the kids had a ton of fun making fun of mom as we walked through tall weeds and knew mom was scared of snakes. Once we were up there you could see where the ferris wheel was and other colorful rides that lit up the town. As we approached we decided to stop off at DQ (Diary Queen) first. Any time Little A spots this place he starts screaming, "Cream, cream." So he was a bit disappointed that they got burger and fries and not the "cream." But he soon cheered up.

We only went on a few rides before the sprinkles started coming from above and the rides started to slow down and stop. But BabyGirl, BalletGirl and Little A all rode on the jeeps and motorcycles, then I took them on the merry-go-round. Merry-go-Rounds no longer agree with me, when I got off I felt like I was going to spin and fall. Woooh, is that what age does? haha.

SoccerBoy and dad went over to Zero Gravity and spun and spun. You could hear the excitement as this was SoccerBoy's first time. Once they were done though it was time to turn around and go home. By the time we came home we were all a little bit damp, but everyone dried off shortly and on Friday we went right back up there.

The kids did a few games and then we went to eat at this little place called, "The Filling Station" which looks like a tiny (old fashioned) gas station but instead of gas they serve food. It is really cute and they have two pumps outside that the girls took pictures by. Doesn't it look cute? One bad thing though, I ordered a sausage sandwich and the hubby didn't tell me the small bowl was hot sauce....I thought it was pork and beans and took a big bite. OUCH! But it was good....not the hot sauce. We have been wanting to visit this little place for some time but it has always been packed.

Today will be just a day to sit back and relax. The kids have already been watching movies: The Plumm Summer, Barney, Girls just Want to have Fun and of course my movie, "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" which I highly recommend.

Get ready to sign up to win a Wendy's Gift card, I'll announce it in my next post. Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

Our trip to Ringling Bros Circus

Okay, here are the results of the Ringling Bros Circus. First, when we got there it almost looked as if we were at the wrong place because we got there early. They had the elephants outside eating hay and playing with a tire. We watched for a bit as the two youngest screamed with laughter (Little A) and talk about how they are her favorite animal and she would love to bring it home with us (BabyGirl). Once inside we could see it was going to be a while so the children sat, and sat, and sat, but finally we were allowed in.
Once inside we went the wrong way and walked clear to the wrong side and was told we'd have to go back around. Oops. Once we had our seats, which were pretty good, I took the girls and Little A down to the stage area to meet the performers. SoccerBoy soon followed. The girls tried on a few outfits the performers wear and got pics taken of them. The performers even signed the books they got in the mail.

SoccerBoy couldn't wait to watch the motorcycles in a ball, they actually fit 7 in that tiny thing. I think he will want to try this out one day. Oh that and the high wire motorcycle act. Yeah they actually had one ride on the high wire and then had a girl on a bar below it. YIKES!

I loved watching Pepe and Royo the clowns as well as the horseback performers. I even got to tell the girls that momma once did that at a camp. (Camp showed us teens how to do stunts on horses) The hubby seemed impressed with that twirlers and the girls loved watching the high flyers. The bouncers looked like they were having a ton of fun too.

During the break you could see children walking around licking their sticky fingers. Sticky probably from the cotton candy and they were wearing the oversized hats that came with them. Probably getting ready to beg mom and dad for one more. (these cost $10 per bag) They also sold character (circus animals) cups with shaved ice, lemonade, had fun wants for kids, swords and even corwns for your little princess to wear. It was a very good night, full of laughter and lots of wow. Hope you had fun looking at the pics.

Wordless Wednesday: Family at Circus

Okay this shot was taken by SoccerBoy. Here is me (mom), the girls and Little A standing with one of the Ringling Bros Circus performers. You can see the excitement in their faces, of course the elephant on stage caught Little A's attention.

Happy WW!

A Spider Greets Me

I've been thinking about Fall and Halloween all week now. The one thing that I always associate with Halloween is spiders. Right? My food friend, Michelle, has even been showing me her photos of spiders which are great. (in fact I'll be doing a giveaway in the next few weeks for one of her photos)

Well imagine my horror/surprise this morning as I open the front door to find THIS hairy monster sitting in the corner. This is between the front door and screen door. I could not get him to move no matter what, finally I used a clothes hanger. There was no way I was touching him and I couldn't kill him. How could I when he was that gorgeous and big. Being this big meant he'd survived lots of brooms. I shooed him all the way to the vacant house next door and left.

Later I got a package delivered, when I bent down to get it there he was again. This little booger was back in his same spot. UGH. Well I shooed him again and left. So far there is no sign of him, I just hope he didn't come in. Ewwww.

GE Sweepstakes Contest

Don't forget to click on the little "GE Strong as Steel" Sweepstakes ad on the side of the page. You can enter this once a day for your chance to win:

-GE Tall Tub Built-in Dishwasher
-GE Spacemaker Over-the-Range Microwave Oven
-GE® 25.0 Cu. Ft. ENERGY GE Side-By-Side Refridgerator with Dispenser
-GE® 30” Free-Standing Electric Range
-GE® 30” Free-Standing Gas Range with Warming Drawer


I will not lie, if you do win by going through my site, I win too.

ENDS November 11, 2009 (US ONLY)

Remember you can enter once a day, every day. Just click on the sweepstakes button in the widget to the right and enter your name, date of birth, and email address to enter!

In case you do win one of the new GE appliance from the Strong as Steel sweepstakes, you could always do one of the following with your old appliance:

Donate it to:
* The Salvation Army: With thrift stores located throughout North America, The Salvation Army can schedule a pickup from the thrift store nearest you. Check with your local Salvation Army office to see if they accept appliance donations in your area. Learn more at www.salvationarmyusa.org

* St. Vincent de Paul: St Vincent de Paul is a national organization with thrift stores throughout the country. Contact your local chapter to arrange for a pick-up or drop-off. The number will be listed in the Social Service Organizations section of your local yellow pages. Learn more at www.svdpusa.org

* American Council of the Blind: American Council of the Blind has thrift stores in a number of major metropolitan areas. You can call them at 1-800-866-3242 or visit www.acb.org

* Habitat for Humanity: Habitat ReStores are retail outlets where quality used and surplus building materials are sold at a fraction of normal prices. For more information, call 1-800-HABITAT or visit www.habitat.org

But if you win, please come back and let me know. :) Good luck. Don't forget you can enter by using this link and clicking the button above or going to my sidebar and clicking the button.

Ringling Bros Circus Came to Town

Here's a few pictures of just a few things we saw this past Thursday when the hubby and I took the kids to the Ringling Bros Circus in Kansas City, thanks to MomCentral. The kids had a blast and so did we. Honestly I thought it would take a lot longer to get there due to traffic, even tweetered that as we were hitting traffic. It ended up going fast after about ten minutes, when we got to the big AT&T building my son told us it meant we were closer. We noticed there were barely any cars, which to me is always a bad sign, but this was a good thing as it meant we were early. The white trailers were what we saw first. I remember these growing up, when you saw those white trailers with that special logo on it the Circus was in town. But the circus meant nuts, cotton candy and a lot of laughs. This would be the first time for the kids so I was even more excited.

These were the next thing we saw and we spent a lot of time looking at them. This elephant kept picking up the little tire and swirling it around. I really wanted to toss a ball in the pen to see what it would do with it. The kids wanted desperately to pet the little man, he looked so cute. Once inside the Sprint Center the kids went nuts whent he elephants came out every time.

The Wizard of Oz's 70th Anniversary in Theaters

I just got word that those in the right cities will be able to watch "The Wizard of Oz" 70th anniversary in theaters. Read the info below:

NCM Fathom, Warner Home Video and Turner Classic Movies present The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Hi-Def Event in over 440 movie theaters on Wednesday,
September 23rd at 7:00 p.m. Audiences will be treated to the full feature, plus
a deeper look into this cherished classic with:

· A special introduction by Robert Osborne, classic film historian and host of Turner Classic Movies
· A look into how L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s novel was transformed into one of the most beloved films of all time
· Archival interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and rare musical outtakes
· Exclusive clip of the Scarecrow, Ray Bolger, dancing in High-definition for the first time

Limited tickets available. Visit www.FathomEvents.com for more
information.

Want to test your Wizard of Ozknowledge and find out which
character you are? Take our Oz Quiz at http://wizardofoz.fathomevents.com/ and
share your results through Facebook and Twitter. Plus, get a special Ruby
Slippers widget to post on your page counting down the days until the theater
event.

We won't be able to go since we don't live near a city doing this. :( But you can check if you will be. I always loved The Wizard of Oz, maybe I'll purchase the movie when it is released again.

Atkins Product Blog Tour

We recently got to try out the new Atkins All Purpose Baking Mix and pasta. This is definitely and easy way to bring healthy food into your family diet. These days it seems that family are going for the easy way out, the quick drive thru run or call and order a pizza. Sports seem to make this quick and easy meals just that more convienent as no one wants to stay up late for mom/dad to make dinner. Or you get a dinner for the road and by the time you eat it it is cold.

The Atkins All Purpose baking mix allows you to make, pancakes, bread, muffins, waffles, etc. Each has their own little recipe on the site and a few on the bag it comes in. The bag is also a resealable bag which makes storing it that much easier. I use to always get pancake mix in a box, but this means I have to leave the open part uncovered unless I tape it back every day. This past week I've been making the pancakes for the girls, the boys weren't crazy about it but the girls ate them like crazy. I think it will take some getting use to but the boys will eventually come around.

One thing, the mix does require a few items, so this isn't the quick toss mix and water in a bowl and pour it on the stove. But it is healthier for them and you can liven them up with some real fruit in them or served with them. The winner for my family was the Atkins pasta noodles, it was the Penne Pasta and we did it up with spaghetti sauce. But I think it would be much better with a few mushrooms cooked up and some alfredo sauce. Yummy!

Atkins is so excited about their new food, "All Purpose Baking Mix and Penne Pasta" that if you go to the site and enter your own recipe you can win prizes. So hurry up, enter the Atkins Contest by September 30, 2009. I want to know if any of ya'll win too.

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Atkins and received both products to review."

Wordless Wednesday: Picture Day

It was picture day yesterday and Little A felt left out after I took this picture of the girls. So once at home he stood up on a chair and proudly showed me his school outfit. Happy WW! Leave a comment so I can return the favor.

Thank You VerizonWireless

Yesterday was a halfway okay day, it started getting bad when I didn't have any soda/sugar in the house and developed a bad headache. But it got worse when the hubby came home and showed me we had an extra $300 on our phone bill. Knowing very well we couldn't pay it and that if we coudln't we'd lose the phone and since my internet is connected that too. I went into panicked mode and we immediately looked up VerizonWireless bill online.

Guess what? Well back in June (I announced this on my blog or twitter) the hubby was at the military training in Arkansas, while on a hump (pt, jog for those non-military folks) his phone fell out of his pocket somewhere in the woods. Long story short, he never found it, came home and reported it to the Verizon office out here and we thought it was over. IT WASN"T. First they never finished the report. Second, someone eventually found the missing phone and started using it. I'm unsure how long they've been using it or if it was just this past month and last month. Most were downloads but others were some number in Arkansas.

We called immediately, well he did and tried talking with them. They insisted there was nothing to do and we'd just have to pay it. I got back online and chatted with friends who encouraged me this was not the case. I called the number back, got someone else and "Abby" wanted to help me. Long story short, the debt is gone (thank goodness), I won't be losing the internet and she dispatched me to our insurance. The insurance company (SuryOn) had a woman named, Tammy, that was a sweetheart as well and informed me a phone would be here tomorrow (which is now sometime today).

So this is to inform all of you that you really NEED to check your bills. We never really looked and just went with what was sent our way and paid it. Now I know this person could've been the cause of my huge phone bills. UGH. But I'm happy to have settled this and wanted to praise VerizonWireless for helping me out. Sometimes it takes a person to be calm and nice when calling customer service but it really matters to the customer that when you get someone they are willing to help you any way they can.

MSN's MomsHomeRoom and 'Little Bites'

Wow! These are so small, not like your average mini-wheats. MomCentral recently sent me a box of the new Kellogg's breakfast cereal Frosted Mini-Wheats "Little Bites", the difference is these are half the size and honey nut flavored. I'm sure there are other flavors but I like the lightly touched honey flavor.

But in combination with the new cereal MSN has created a website for moms to chat about various things. It's called, "MomsHomeRoom" because just because our kids are in school doesn't mean we aren't. I mean seriously how many times are we told that we have homework from one of the teachers, or do we try figuring out that darn math problem that our child has asked our help with. Or because our kid is in school and now we are reminded of all those times in the past when we were once younger. Right?

MomsHomeRoom has articles, tips, a forum/community of moms, videos and polls for every type of mom. This site has four moms that are ready to help you with helping you with your children in school. Here's some info on the moms:

- Victoria is a single mother to four children and a third grade teacher that was voted teacher of the year.
- Claire is mother to two and a nutrionist.
- Jillian is the mother of two and a psychologist.
- Alba is a homeschooling mother of two, who once was a marketing coordinator.

So as you can see, each mother has their own special field that covers so many topics moms always have questions for. My two girls are in Kindergarten and Fourth grade and this site has tons of topics/articles on both grades which will definitely help me out. There aren't many topics for dealing with the older children and reading (ie, high school or junior high) but the forums are helpful. There is so many articles on getting your child to read, learning to write, writing exercises and so much. Oh and the best part....they have printables. Too bad they don't have anything on encouraging your child not to write on every part of their room. Any suggestions for that?

As for breakfast, always remember that just because we cook or feed the kids breakfast does not mean that we ate. The "Little Bites" are much smaller than those big Frosted Wheats or Mini Wheats which makes them great for school mornings. Moms, feed yourself too, after all they say breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Sonic Limeade for Learning Winners

The two winners were done different today, the first one was picked by my son. I asked between 1 and 150 pick a number. He immediately replied, "that's easy 77, the year of your birth." Sooooooo, the winner is...

Loved my 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Gale. LOVE Diet Coke with Lime and want everyone to vote for MY project:I would give to my project!!! Check it out!! It's called: We Love Reading Groups!shelb123@yahoo.com
# posted by SandK+K : 2:20 AM

and the Random.org machine picked 51, which means the winner is...

My tweet: https://twitter.com/njhhb/status/3893627376
# posted by Nancy : 2:11 PM

Congratulations to the two of you, I hope you grab up some delicious drinks at Sonic and vote for your favorite teacher in the Limeade for Learning Month.

Barbie and the Three Musketeers Mini Doll Review

I thought it would be best if I placed the review for the Barbie and the Three Musketeers Mini Musketeers Doll apart from the movie review. Hope you check out the movie and then come back to let me know what you thought.

BabyGirl is 6 years old and in the all things imagination and Barbie Stage, which I love. It is amazing the things she remembers, right after watching the movie she went and took her doll out of the box. She got the Pink one, which is Barbie Corinne and of course it's her favorite color. Immediately she started mimicking all the parts of the movie that Corinne was in without having any knowledge that I was watching.


I believe that teaching our young girls that they can be whatever they want is a good thing. If having them replay their favorite scenes helps them remember this why not? Currently she's pretending to be in a sword fight and saying, "Don't mess with the dress," as she points to an invisible person. Yes she loves to pretend and she doesn't always need her Barbie to help her out.

Oh and for those that have boys they do have a Prince but I'm unsure if he has a pony. My youngest, Little A (he's 2) keeps grabbing his Army men and putting them on the Barbie. I think I may have to get him the Prince or a few cowboys and indians.

What comes in the Mini Musketeers:
- Mini Musketeer (one of the four Musketeers)
- Pony (each pony has glitter on it)
- brush
- hat that goes on Mini Musketeer

Just to let you know the Movie does not come with the Doll. The dolls cost between $25-$30 depending where you get them. Have a great time and GIRL POWER RULES!

Barbie and the Three Musketeers Movie Review

I was recently sent the new "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" movie and doll to review. First, I want to explain that Sophie (the PR Gal) and I chatted about my own daughter recently being upset that there were no Barbie or Princesses that had glasses. Sophie sent us a Barbie Bag that on it has Barbie wearing Sunglasses. It tickled BabyGirl so much, she continues to carry that very big bag with her. Thank you to Sophie for doing that, it really meant a lot to me and her.

Here's BabyGirl opening the box that contained her bag, doll and movie. I'm just going to let the picture explain it all. This movie I think is great, as I told Sophie I'm for any "girl power" and that's what "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" is all about. No longer does a girl have to think they can't do something because a boy does it. As long as she really believes in herself and practices she can do it.

To me the best part of Barbie and the Three Musketeers is Barbie Corinne and her three new friends team up to save the prince and show that they can be true Musketeers. Course being the time, no one believes a girl can be a musketeer, it has never happened. Together they will uncover the secrets of what is putting the prince's life at risk and maybe even fall in love, but being in love doesn't mean you have to stop working. Take a peek at the clip below.



The kids loved watching this, os much that I can now sing all the songs on the video. Shhh, don't tell no one. Oh and I like it too and even move to the music. Hey, you have to support a movie that is all about "GIRL POWER" it really is true, these days girls can be anything they want to be and this movie helps show young girls just that. Plus it is a fun twist on the old classic "Three Musketeers."

My Sonic Trip

Okay this is a bit late but so much has been going on. Thursday I did get offline and take Little A up to Sonic Drive In with me to use our $25 Sonic Gift Card to buy something for "Limeades for Learning." I ordered a breakfast burrito and a large rootbeer, he ordered the grilled cheese sandwich with a Strawberry limeade. He wasn't too impressed with his limeade so I did buy him a chocolate shake. In the end I had two of the peelies for the "Limeades for Learning" and I actually liked the Strawberry Limeade, this was a surprise as I normally hate anything with "ade" in it. I also bought two jr. sundaes to go, thinking I could let him eat his on the way home and I'd eat mine at home. Just as we were headed away from Sonics the phone went to machine, meaning I had a message. I quickly checked it and learned BabyGirl had just got sick at school and needed to come home. Ugh, right?

Normally this wouldn't bother me but if she were sick and I had walked all the way up here she was going to have to walk home. Not a good thing on a icky tummy or a hot day. The hubby was in meetings, which I knew so there was no way of getting him home. Thankfully the school was only 2 blocks from where I was, I wondered if the school would tell me I couldn't bring her home since we were walking. This wouldn't normally cross my mind but I had just read about a mom that rode a horse to school to pick up her daughter and the school refused to let her go home with her mom. Would the school do this because I was walking? Not to worry the school let me pick her up.

The moment I saw her I could see something was wrong but it was her beat red face that worried me and when I felt her forehead she was hot, even the school felt hot. The principal informed me that it took her over an hour to eat lunch. Okay, I recently complained to the school that they were not letting her eat and allowing her to go outside to play instead. I told them I wanted her to eat her food, pull her away from her friends or let her miss some of the break so she could eat. She was constantly coming home sleepy and feeling sick. Thankfully they are making her but I wonder if she was sick or just got her nerves shot for eating that long. I asked how long I had to keep her home and what her temp was, they hadn't took it yet. I asked they did and turned out she had no fever but that didn't explain the bright red face, check out the pic.

On our way home I quickly called a neighbor that came to pick us up. Once at home she laid on the couch, within a few hours she was up and ready to play. School had said she had to stay home for two days, she'll be going back tomorrow. I asked if they knew of anything going around, they told me yes but it doesn't have a name yet. A child doesn't get a fever, becomes red and throws up but that's it and it is contagious. Any clue? Honestly if it wasn't nerves I'm going with a bit of heat exaustion or dehydration. I'll be packing her an extra water bottle.

So that was my Sonic Trip, once I came home I got to vote for my favorite teacher with the peelies code. Last night, I convinced the hubby to go get me some more codes, which he agreed since we'd get some Sonic drinks. Yummy.

Sonic Drive In and Fundraisers

Kids were so excited yesterday when they came home from school. SoccerBoy had won some type of ipod-like radio. I'm calling it that because it was small like an ipod but only picked up radio stations, unfortuneately it doesn't seem to work inside the house. I'm going to try it out later today when I go for a walk. The two oldest also received those state score tests that they do in school each year, all I'm saying is they've slipped in reading since we moved out here. It could be due to the opposite sex and socializing more in school, or they are slipping and the teachers didn't notice.

Here's a question to ponder: Why is it schools do fundraiser for all the grades at the SAME time? Don't they realize if they would just wait a few weeks/month there would be more people purchasing? Oh and don't do the SAME thing, I have a kindergartener and a 4th grader both selling those Entertainment 2010 Coupon Books for $20. No one is buying, everyone is selling.

Yesterday, Nancy from SouthernBlessings asked if I'd be posting a picture of SoccerBoy's Wood shop work. Of course! I am a proud mommy no matter what the age.

The glasses have still not been found, but I'm going to take it up a notch more and start doing a bit of Spring Cleaning. By this I actually mean Fall cleaning, bagging up the summer clothes and replacing them with winter stuff. Hopefully I'll find it this way.

Today, Little A (Buddy) and I are going to walk up to Sonic and try one of the Sonic Drinks in order to help the cause., Limeades for Learning. Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway to win one $25 Sonic Gift Card, they also sent one for the family, which is what I'll be using today.

Wordless Wednesday: The Face Says it All

We got a shipment to review yesterday, which I think BabyGirl really likes. What do you think? Happy WW! Leave a comment so I can visit.

Feeling Better and Updating

Yes I know my titles have died out but I've been sick for a few weeks and it seems that it is finally dropping the veil. I can finally stay awake longer than a couple of hours which feels great, but with the new storm coming in I can only wonder if I'll be back in bed very shortly. So yes, I've been a bit out of it but rest assured I'm getting better and coming back to blogland. Miss me?

What's been going on? Well the kids went to Colorado to visit their grandmother and Uncle Matthew for a day, I stayed home and vegged out. The following weekend they all split and went to a football game. KC lost of course, it seems any time we go to a game the team we are going to see loses.

I've been getting packages nonstop, which the kids love and I think the mailman is beginning to wonder about me. hehe. Keep him guessing right? However my 2-year-old can tell you all the different types of mail trucks there are. We could be driving down the road and he'll shout, "Mail" and if you don't see it he'll point it out, even if it is FedEx, the yellow one, UPS or one of the others that have pulled up. It doesn't have to be the normal white mail truck, he knows the carry him surprises so he gets really excited.

BabyGirl is doing great in school, but she's bringing home a bit of an attitude. I noticed this with each child, they can be polite and all at home, but when they start school it is either the school or the kids (guessing the kids) but they pick it up really quick. She is excited though, which makes me happy. She still hasn't found the glasses and I've turned the house upside down, school says they'll look, still nothing though. I don't know if she hid them and forgot where or just doesn't want them seen again.

Balletgirl's teacher called last night, she is sounding out her "R"s so she'll have a speech teacher listen to her to see if she needs extra help. It surprised me, the teacher called around 6:30 pm and was actually at school, this isn't something teachers have done in the past. Actually with her brother they just stuck him in the class and told me a few months later. I like that she called to ask, plus she was working late, this just shows me she cares.

SoccerBoy is in Jr.High now, I'm not sure much about him. He seems to be enjoying wood shop, they call it something else these days but that's what it is. I can't wait to see his first work of art, he says it'll be about 2 more weeks. He's got a facebook account now where he's actually beginning to chat with his friends, but it is hard since we only have the one computer and I do both work and college on it. I think my new year's goal is to get another computer but not a laptop this way we can always have two and everyone can use it without having to fight for small time slots. I won't feel so guilty doing work and college online either. hehe.

Other than that, I'm doing good. Haunted by dreams but they are inspiring me to write more. I guess you can't hate those types right?

Limeades for Learning: Sonic's Giveaway

Ya'll know how much I just LOVE my Sonic's and thankfully there are a few in my area. But for today I'll stick with something for everyone. Did you know they are currently doing a "Limeade for Learning" for the month September, SONIC will donate more than half a million dollars to fund classroom materials and experiences needed to inspire learning. I don't know about you but to me this sounds great. I know my kids' teachers are always requesting something so this would be perfect for the teachers.

If a teacher needs specific materials or resources, they can sign up as a SONIC Teacher at http://www.limeadesforlearning.com/ and register their project online. So to all you parents out there, let your children's teachers know just in case they haven't heard about his. You never know, it might help your kids' class.

Sonics has partnered up with DonorsChoose.org and together they are going to make a different in the classroom.

Lets not stop there, Sonics has given me a prize for two winners! Woo hoo! Now ya'll are going to get in on the action and help a teacher out as well:

GIVEAWAY:

Prize: two (2) $25 MySONIC gift cards and two (2) $25 www.DonorsChoose.org gift cards (this is for two winners, they get one of each)

RULES: Answer these 2 questions:

1. Who is/was your favorite teacher? (this can include your child's teacher or your own)
2. What is your favorite SONIC drink?

Or you could let me know one place you'd like to donate by visiting www.donorschoose.org

Please don't forget to leave an email on your post.

Extra Entries: For those that tweet this, blog it or stumble upon it. But you do need to leave me a message (with a link) showing me you did this.

DEADLINE: September 13, the winner will be announced on the 14th and will have 24 hours to respond.

US Only folks, sorry.

Lunchables Review

Ya'll saw my post on our Lunchables Party, now for me to tell you all about the Lunchables themselves. First, buying a lunchable is one of the quick things a mom can do that is rushing. This comes with the meal and drink. Now not all lunchables come with a drink, however the new combo meals do...which I love. (this is late due to everyone being sick, still hoping to get caught up with everything)

Here's the new line up for Lunchables Fall Season:

- Turkey Sub
- Ham Sub
- Turkey & Cheddar combos (with crackers)
- Ham & American Cheese Combos (with crackers)
- deep dish cheese pizza
- deep dish pepperoni pizza

Here's what comes in the Turkey Sub:

Turkey made with 100% turkey breast, Kraft 2% Cheddar and bread made with whole grain, these tasty subs come with Tree Top® Applesauce, Mini Nilla Wafers,
spring water and Tropical Punch Kool-Aid Singles.

Now as many of my readers know, SoccerBoy is allergic to turkey but his sisters happily ate this one and I did get the others to try out. He loved the Ham, while his friends enjoyed the deep dish pizza. (One of the boys even said, "The deep dish tastes like a double decker pizza.") Little A loves the cheese and meat out of the combos, he always leaves me with the crackers though. hehe.

The Lunchables meals vary in price, we got our meals when they had the 2 for $6 deal, making them $3 a meal. I think it is great and just what mine wanted to eat. Not only are they a sandwich but there is a snack and a drink. Yes it is a bottle of water, but there is also a Kool-aid mix in it for those that want something different. I like the healthy and have always hated kool-aid so this worked great for me. By the way the snack changes with each different meal so you may want to check what is in it before grabbing it, some have cookies.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central on behalf of Oscar Mayer Lunchables and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

First Breastfeeding Doll, Now a Pole Dancing Doll?

A pole dancing doll? I'm serious, that was the google trend, someone thought it would cute to make a doll that dances around a pole. I couldn't even picture and occasion you'd give this doll to a child. I mean she's a pole dancer. I guess sure if she plans on growing up to become a pole dancer/stripper that's the perfect graduation gift but I haven't heard very many girls say that's what they want to be. Okay, maybe get it for the child that has a mom taht is and mom wants to explain what she does for a living. No, that isn't good either. Ikk. This doll is just wrong, but then again that's me. How many of you would get a pole dancing doll for your daughters?

To be honest at first glance I would think this was one of those porcelain dolls, but it isn't. This is a doll that looks a bit cheap (my own opinion) and winds up and dancing around a pole. She's a doll with brown hair that dances around a pole while wearing a shiny green dress. I guess at least we can say she isn't taking her clothes off while doing it. No one knows for sure if this doll is real, but the box sure does look it. Some are saying it was photoshopped, but you never know what people will sell. This isn't the first time someone has made a pole dancing toy, back in 2006 Tesco made a "Pole Dancing Kit" but it was.

Remember just last month a breastfeeding doll came out. There was a lot of conflict about that one, granted I doubt it will get pulled off the shelves. But this one? Some are saying the pole dancing doll was inspired by Miley Cyrus. Course she didn't even dance with the pole at the Teen choice awards, she did use it as a support so she didn't fall off. To which I'm sure now she wishes she never did. What do you think about all this? Bottom line....do you want one for your child?

Life in the Sick Lane

Oh three of us have came down with the colds from....ummm, well let me just say it SUCKS. The kids have started school and we all know that means bringing home the germs and sure enough by Friday BabyGirl had come come with some sniffles. But since daddy was taking them to the big Football Game on Saturday she pretended to be just fine. The game was the KC Chiefs vs. Seattle Seahawks, course KC lost but that isn't unusual when we actually go to one of the games. By Sunday the husband, myself and the youngest were coughing up a storm, Monday morning I had the fever. Being mom though you just got to grin and bare it right?

Monday morning after getting the girls to bed I came inside, put Barney in the DVD Player and started on the dishes. Walking into the dining room, Little A got all excited and started screaming "Daddy home, daddy home." I just see this tall figure coming up the stairs and closing in on my child, my heart jumped clear out of my body. Not to worry, it was the hubby, he too was sick but also knew being mom I would be doing mom stuff instead of resting. First thing out of his mouth, "get to bed. Laid down and rest." Both of us spent most of the day in bed, course with Little A we had to play with him a bit, thankfully daddy was more up to that challenge. Being sick means letting it run its course, so we were both home sick today too. It seems to be slowly going away, I'll admit I'm at least wanting to stay awake long enough to post now. Oh and I found the person that WILL make MOM take her medicine...it's called DAD. haha. No matter how scrunched up my face gets or how much I protest. YUCKY!

What do you do when you are sick at home?

(pic is from the KC game)

Ringling Brothers Circus Winner is....

The winner of the Ringling Brothers Circus is.......

Tweeted!!
http://twitter.com/mom2anutball/status/3658057989
# posted by
mom2anutball : 9:54 PM

I love the Tigers! So pretty! Thanks for the
chance, and the info. I had no clue it was coming!
hawkgirl_16{at}hotmail{dot}com

Congrats to Mom2aNutball, I have four nutballs myself so I think these tickets will come in handy for you. Send me an email with your mailing address to homemom3@gmail.com. Sorry this is a bit late, the family is currently home sick. Man, I hate when school starts and kids get those darn colds, I always get them too.