Just in the nick of time

Listerine Oral Care and Reach gave us the chance to take the Oral Care 2 week Challenge.

You see The Boy had recently decided that brushing his teeth just wasn't for him.
Have you ever tried to pry the mouth open of a child who didn't want their teeth brushed?
It's not pretty. And leads to both of you having a melt down.
Our challenge was to brush, floss and rinse every day, twice a day. I thought "yea, right". But I was desperate. I needed something, anything!
So they sent us cool Reach tooth brushes, a calendar with TEETH STICKERS, floss and rinse.
I had nothing to loose.
When he opened the box and saw the stickers and cool tooth brushes, The Boy wanted to start right then and there. Who knew a box of tooth brushes and some stickers would be all it took to get the kid to brush his teeth?
www.listerine.com or www.listerinekids.com will give you more information about the challenge.
I can tell you it's one of the best things we've ever done. The Boy can't wait to show you how "squeaky clean" his teeth are after using the cool tooth brush. THANK YOU Listerine & Reach!


I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by www.MomCentral.com on behalf of Listerine and Reach and received Listerine and Reach products for the Oral Care Challenge and a gift certificate for www.globalgiving.org to thank me for taking the time to participate

All is Quiet on the home front

But I guess that's not anything to complain about.
The 10 month old's Bmom is working hard on her case plan. Harder than I've seen any parent work before. It's something new to me.
I was cleaning off our hard drive and found photos of her son we had in care about 5 yrs ago. She lost him because of some very bad choices she made. but I still felt it would be a wonderful gift to give her the pictures we had of her son at the time we had him. I know she will love them and cherish them.
The 18 month old I'm afraid will be with us for some time to come. Bad choices all around by this poor baby's Bparents. I'm not too sure they'll make it.
Now I will spend my time trying hard to organize and not misplace my mind while trying to get ready for our long awaited Disney Cruise. I don't know who is more excited me or The Boy.
It's just plain boring around here. Of which, I will not complain!

Life In A Small Town or If Mama's ruled the World

I had to go down to the local police dept yesterday, for a little bitness. Nothing exciting I assure you.
From the counter you can see inside one of the holding rooms. From my vantage point I could only hear voices, no faces. But I could hear every word.
Evidently Jimmy (names have been changed to protect the guilty) was just picked up for being a little too drunk. Having fallen asleep right outside the police station. Jimmy was none to happy to be there. It seems he was now running late for work and was going to be in alot of trouble, it seems he has a problem with lateness. So he was trying to leave the holding room & go about his business. but the sheriff was having none of that. Other cops were milling around & didn't seem too concerned about Jimmy. Jimmy kept saying, "Tommy, just let me go to work". Finally after many attempts to get Jimmy to sit down and act right, Tommy the sheriff said, "Jimmy, I saw your mama at church Sunday and she had her whole Sunday school class praying for you. Now are going to sit down and shut up or am I gonna have to call your mama to come down here and talk to you?"
(Jimmy was about 40, by the way)
Jimmy said," No, don't call her, she's on her way to women's Bible study. She'll be mad if I keep her from that. But could you just hurry with the paper work? I gotta get to work"
While Tommy was doing whatever he does. Jimmy said,"That sure was a good sermon on Sunday, wasn't it?"
I didn't get to hear the rest, dang it. I'd already stood at the counter waaaay too long after being helped, just so I could hear if Jimmy's mama was coming down to talk to him and if he got to go to work or not.
I started thinking. Maybe if all these crime ridden cities told the people they arrested they were going to call their mama's to come down and talk to them, there would be alot less crime in the world.

Caffeine...How much does it take to kill you?

http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine

It's fun to find out.
I don't think I'll be drinking 260 pepsis anytime soon.

Baby K, A big brother at 10 months

Baby K (the 10 month old) became a big brother today at 12;30.
The baby was a whopper at 7 lbs 14 oz. He is the cutest thing with the roundest head and a head full of hair. He looks just like baby K.
I feel so sorry for mom. She's trying her best. But seems to be swimming upstream against a current.
I'm not sure whats going to happen in this case. She lives in a different county now, so we shall see how all this plays out in the next few months. What ever happens is going to be hard for all concerned.
I took him to the hospital tonight to visit her and she seemed overwhelmed with both of them. Kinda to be expected, she did just give birth this afternoon.
We shall see........

A Boy & his PB&J

The Boy is a very picky eater.
He still will only eat one thing at a time. As in, only Mac & Cheese. Only chicken nuggets. Only a PB&J. No side items. No fries or chips. And he wouldn't touch a veggie if his life depended on it.
Finding WHAT he will eat at any given time is an adventure, so to speak.
But he will always eat Smucker's Uncrustables PB&J.
I have one in the car with me when I pick him up from preschool. It's the only thing I know he'll eat.
Smucker's uncrustables are giving away 80,000 sandwiches!
Go to http://www.uncrustables.com/ to find out how to get yours Free.



I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Smucker’s Uncrustables 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.”

When it Rains...it pours...literally

We had down pours this last week,the likes that our state has not seen in many, many years.
Many of our neighbors were flooded. Some a little, some alot. I've never thanked God more for living on this hill I dislike sooooo much.
Today I was finally able to go to the next county over (all the major & most minor roads were washed away or out) to take Baby K to the Dr, as he has had a fever for 2 days. But he is no stranger to ear infections, so I didn't think too much about it. But he was terribly cranky, very unlike him. The Dr did a swine flu test and it came back positive!
This is not good. I do not want 3 kids and me (or the husband) sick as dogs.
If you think about it say a little prayer for our sicky house.

Baby Einstein & a priceless hippo

Mom Central & Baby Einstein have given us the opportunity to preview their new DVD "World Animal Adventure". Everyone loved it...from the 9 month old to the 3 year. You would have seen mommy in the picture too, but someone had to take the picture.
World Animal Adventure DVD is the newest product from The Baby Einstein Company http://www.babyeinstein.com that brings exotic animals from all over the world home to babies and even pre-schoolers. The Boy loved it. It has a new feature I've never seen before in their DVD's. Grow With Me. So that older children get more & more out of the video. The 9 month old loved looking at the animals from all over the world. The 18 month old loved trying to say the new words. The 3 year old even tryed out some new words instead of hippo, he tryed to say hippopotamus,which was priceless!
We give the new DVD an A+.



“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Baby Einstein and received a World Animal Adventure DVD to facilitate my candid review.”

Wendy's Heisman & a giveaway

http://blakesmeme.blogspot.com/2009/09/wendys-has-heisman-your-kid-get-for.html

I forgot to mention that along with the great opportunity Wendy's are giving students, they are also giving away a 20.00 gift card on my blog!
How could I forget that?
Go read my blog link above. Leave a comment by midnight Sunday Sept. 20th along with your email address and you could win a 20.00 GC.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Nothing to say for now. All is unusually quiet on the home front.

Of course our house is full with no chance of anybody going home in the near future. So I expect to be left alone for awhile. We'll so how that goes.

Wendy's has a Heisman & your kid gets a chance to shine!

In high school, students not only need to focus on their grades, but they often take on other
activities as well, playing baseball and tennis, writing for the school newspaper, volunteering in
the community, and serving on school committees. Though hobbies, these activities help teens stand out amongst their peers when college applications roll around. 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 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."

You Can't telll Me This ain't funny

http://peopleofwalmart.com

I beg you, PLEASE go to page 9 last picture on the page and tell me you don't pee your pants when you read the caption.
That's funny...I don't care who you are.

First Day of School

We did it!

You would have to know The Boy to know what an accomplishment this truly was.

He goes nowhere and does nothing without his mama.

We talked school up big time over the weekend. Made a big deal about packing his backpack and snack box. He picked out the snacks he wanted to take, ect. He got up bright and early to get ready to go. But I still expected a melt down when it came time to get out of the car. But when we pulled up for him to get out. They opened the door and he said "my name is Havid, and I have a backpack."He jumped out of car and went in with not so much as a tear. He said he had a great time and loved his teacher! You could have knocked me over with a feather. I had steeled myself for a huge meltdown that never came.

Today however, he was not quite so eager. He didn't want to get up and didn't want to go. But by the time I got him dressed, in the car and there, he had calmed down enough to just go right in again. I was so relieved.

Now if we can just keep this going for ohhhhhhh say 17 more years.

Promises...

Today was crazy.
I promise tomorrow night I will post pictures and the story that surprised us all.

Tomorrow

This Boy starts pre-school!

In this picture he was about 9 months old. He fell asleep on the cat food place mat. He slept with his legs tucked under him until about a year ago.
It seems like time is flying more quickly with this Boy than with his 3 older sisters. Maybe it's because I'm so much older.
All I know is there is no way this little baby should be going away from mommy for 3 whole hours a day! Yes, it's true. I'm excited at the thought of being able to do whatever I want and do it in peace & quiet. But I have a feeling tomorrow I will sit and stare at the wall for 3 hours, worried that some little person is being mean to him or the teacher doesn't understand him or what if he thinks I'm not coming back to get him??
Oh geez, I was never supposed to have a "very first day of school" again. It's not like I've never went through this before, right? I'm sure I'll be OK. Yes, I'll be OK. Yes.
I sure hope he will be too...I hate being mean to 4 yr olds for being mean to my boy.

Holiday Inn StateCation..

Want to take a little vacation without all the cost and intense planning?
www.momCentral.com asked me to tell you about my favorite Holiday Inn.
My favorite Holiday Inn to stay in on the spur of the moment, just to get away, is Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn. It's close to a great downtown, aquarium, restaurants and great little shops and other things to do. You can go to all the great places and a great time and not have to worry about the drive home, just stay at this great Holiday Inn! On the plus side, you feel like you just had a mini vacation with a whole lot less money & stress
Whether you’re looking to visit historical landmarks; spend a long weekend at the beach; or even stay a night in the big city. When you stay with Holiday Inn, you’ll experience the changes transforming its hotels world wide including signature bedding with “soft” and “firm” pillows and power showers in the bathroom, just to name a few, all with a more contemporary look and feel.
Go to www.holidayinn.com to find your closest Holiday Inn to plan your next stateCation.




“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Holiday Inn. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate

The Greatest Show on Earth

Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey knows our economy is bad. But don't we all need a break from real life for just a few hours? They are running a promotion to help us bring some great memories to our kids at a pretty good price.
44.00 isn't bad for a family of 4, for some great fun & lasting memories. Be sure to use the promo code: MOM to get the discount. Below are just some of the places they will be.
Go to their website to see if they will be in your area for this great deal! A link to http://www.ringling.com/
The discount code for Ringling Bros. Circus. Code: MOM
*Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at select ticketing channels**. Offer good on all performances, minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Circus Celebrity Seating, Front Row and VIP seating or combinable with other offers. Other Restrictions May Apply.
*Offer #2: 4.00 off all weekend performances


“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Feld Entertainment. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Disney On Ice

As you all can tell, we love Disney. I think my count down to our Disney cruise has been up for 2 years or it seems like it anyway. Needless to say, we can't wait til November.
I love Disney on Ice. Like all things Disney, it's magical. I love to see the look on the kid's faces.
It's time for the Disney on Ice tour in our neck of the woods. Is it in yours? Go look:

http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/

Here is some really great deals that you can get on a family package too.


Mom Central is excited to extend the following special family offers; look for the box marked "MC Promotion" when purchasing tickets:
*Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at select ticketing channels. Offer good on all weekday performances, which includes all weekday evening and Friday matinee performances; minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.
*Offer #2: All weekend performance tickets will be $4 off the original price
Offer #3: Get the best Front Row and VIP seats available – We have reserved seats in the Front Row and VIP sections just for you! No discounts available on these seats. Use the code MOM. “I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Feld Entertainment. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Tonight...he cried

I can count on 1 hand the number of times/reasons why my husband has cried in 21 years...and I'd have fingers left over too.
A Marine with 18 yrs under his belt and a trained counselor who knows how to deal with his emotions.
He cried tonight when we went to The Boy's open house for preschool. (in the car)
I swear to you a chubby cheeked, baseball shaped head baby boy who was 7 1/2 months old just came to live with us (for a little while) like last week! Is it even possible that little boy will start preschool in a week and a half?? Will he really be 4 in a few months?
Where does the time go? But a 56 yr old man is crying because his little boy is growing up way too fast.
***I went back thru my blog to find a very old picture of The Boy, before he was The Boy.
Here is what I found. http://blakesmeme.blogspot.com/2007/02/if-your-thinking-of-becoming-foster.html
I used to tell my husband he was ugly! I know, I know. I was building a wall, so as not to fall in love with him. We all know how that turned out.
I remember exactly the day that picture was taken, and trust me...it was yesterday.

No More

The Boy said he is tired of having his picture taken.

Might I suggest he stop doing stuff like this.