Happy Thanksgiving

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Although we didn’t get to spend Thanksgiving with our bigger families, we still gathered around the table and had a wonderful meal.  I began the dinner by telling the boys that I was thankful for having them and their daddy, for the roof over our heads, the food on our table, for our dog and cat.

I asked them what they were thankful for and I got the cutest responses, and although I wasn’t sure that they totally knew what it meant to be thankful, I wanted to start this tradition.  One of them was thankful for his fork and for the television  lol.  The other was thankful for marshmallows, his turkey, and his fire truck.

I hope that you and your families had a safe, happy and healthy Thanksgiving.   There is always something to be thankful for, no matter how big or small.

The Things I Think About In The Dark

Every night after the boys bath and book, we tuck them in.  I Have one on one side of me and one on the other.  My husband says good night and I stay with them until they fall asleep.  It is a routine that we have acquired and it is one of my favorite times in my day.

The light goes out and they both ask me to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and they will sing along.  My one little guy will ask me questions, like, Mommy are you happy? and, where do peaches come from?  I can hear them begin to get sleepy, the sound of their breathing, how they shift in the bed, and how their body becomes relaxed.  It is funny all the things you can sense about your children just laying there in the dark.

I think about so much when I am laying there next to my babies.  I will do a majority of my worrying at this time in the day, I will think about the things I have to accomplish and I reflect.  I know a lot of people like to put there kids to bed in their room and close the door, but I just never really wanted to.  I figure that they will grow up and someday and will be embarrased to have me around all the time.  I have just come to realize that time is just passing so quickly

Next weekend my family is coming to visit, and I can hardly wait to have the company.  The boys talk to Grandma and Grandpa and ask when they are coming on their driveway.  I know that they are going to love having them here and it is a much needed break for us here because all of our family is far away.  Tonight I was thinking about the time I miss being home, and how I can change it for us.  It is so difficult to pack up everything here with a dog and a cat, and two kids and not to mention the money it takes to take a trip as a family.

The things I think about in the dark….

My Husband Says It’s Evolution

Do you ever get this response from your dear husband?  I swear that this is the reason given for everything that goes on in our house and sometimes I just have to flat out tell him that he is full of crap.

In this house everything is somehow related to evolution.  House cleaning isn’t something he knows how to do because according to evolution men are hunters and gatherers.  This is why he doesn’t know how to clean the toilet. *rolls eyes*

The funniest one yet and the one I laugh at daily is why men cannot find things that are right in front of their face.  I am convinced that my husband doesn’t want to take the time or effort to actually look behind things or for things when he can pester me and I just get up and go find it.   My husband is always asking me where his things are, and I tell him it’s wherever he left it.  He states if he cannot see food in the refrigerator that he doesn’t know its there.  Hello!  Look for it.

Here is the theory…are you ready?  According to evolution there is a reason why men cant see things.  Unless the item is moving a man will pass over it, since by nature they are hunters.  So unless his wallet is doing a little jig he cant find it!  Unless the can of green beans isn’t shifting repeatedly in the pantry, nope he can’t find it.  Same thing for the hamper and his clothes.  I guess the next time you visit me all our stuff will be swinging from the chandeliers.  The note on the door will read:

WATCH OUT FOR FLYING OBJECTS DUE TO EVOLUTION IN PROGRESS

I wonder what’s next in the chain of evolution.

When They Were Little

I was just looking through some of the pictures of the boys when they were little.  They are still just babies to me, but  these were pictures of them when they were little little.  Do you ever miss this?  I miss all those wonderful baby noises, and all the firsts, and the urge to have another comes on full force.

I think that I would feel complete if we have one more child, and for some reason I feel like something is missing in our family.  It is a hard thing to describe, but it is as if, you know that there is meant to be one more child in your life.  At first, I thought I would only want a girl, but now, I could have a boy or a girl and it doesn’t make a difference to me!  My husband, just tells me, to think of it this way, when I am feeling this way..to think of all the new things that are coming up with the boys.  Men just don’t understand the desire to have children.

I can’t believe how fast the time goes.  I find myself holding on to all those little things.  Just one more, I hope!

How Does My Garden Grow?

When we moved to our house, I was so excited to have our own yard, and our own house so we could plant the things we wanted and paint the walls etc.  I have always wanted to try my hand at a vegetable garden, and we have been in this house for almost six years now.  I originally planted a garden, and put some outrageously tall fence around it to keep the deer out.  After about one season if that and not growing much of anything, I took the fence down.  It was too difficult to get in and out to work in there.

So after that failed, I just planted in the 8×10ft plot and discovered that all the water from the other yards drained into my garden and half of it was a swimming pool!  So I put up with everything not growing or dying for another two years.  Then the boys were born and I decided to just give up on what I affectionately called the dirt box.

So this year, I got a wild hair to try and give this garden thing a go again.  The boys are older so they play in the yard, and I was bored.  So, I decided to cut the size of the garden in half, fill the existing half to the brim with the soil from the other side, and plant grass where the rest of the box used to be.  When we first moved in I read all about raised bed gardening and went in armed with a perfect vegetable garden depicted in my head.  Well that garden, is now a distant memory.

So this year, I have planted lettuce, spinach, a few strawberry plants, two tomato plants, and two pepper plants.  I will attempt maybe a few corn stalks, green beans, and carrots, and cucumbers.  My last try at carrots resulted in carrots that were 1 inch long and looked like BB’s.  The only thing I hate about the garden is the weird bugs and creatures it attracts, and I hate bugs!  I am now armed with spray for those bugs, some scent barrier for the deer and rabbits, and fertilizer spikes for the soil.  I have planted the strawberries, the peppers, the tomatoes, the lettuce and the spinach.

The last time I planted lettuce and spinach nothing came up out of the ground and I was rather disappointed.  It was a little disheartening to see nothing.  This year, I am already doing the happy dance,a nd I have pictures to prove my gardening prowess, lets only hope that they continue to grow!  My peppers and tomatoes, shriveled up a little but appear to be bouncing back do to a night of cold weather, but I think im on the road to success.  That and I vowed to water this thing as much as possible.  Yes I know a garden needs water, but as a busy mom I have to remember to go out and do it  lol!

I am determined!

Random Thoughts From The Bathtub

Tonight, I spent a good deal of time doing research on what fish oil is the best to buy.  I am about to embark on a healthy eating dtreak and since I hate fish of any kind, I am looking to supplement.

Here my thoughts for tonight”

I am going to have to give up brownies, this sucks.  Well I don’t have to give them up completely.

I need to organize my office!

I need to go to Whole Foods tomorrow.

Maybe I should sleep in. Sleep in?  What’s that?

I really want to get my garden ready, blach I am too tired

I still need to stop biting my nails!

There are thin mints in the pantry, how the hell am I going to diet with those in there?

I wish I had a maid, well and a cook, and a gardner.

Oh I have to finish a review, well I need to finish three this weekend.

Wonder what Blogher will be like.

I really need to turn my brain off when I’m trying to relax in the tub!

Busy Day

It was a beautiful day out today so the boys and dh got out to play.   I spent a lot of my day catching up on the dreaded laundry that only seems to multiply.  The minute you think you are done, there seems to be another load sitting there mocking me.

I took the time today to make about 60 homemade meatballs for the freezer, made a fresh batch of brownies, and made a roast, with carrots, mashed potatoes, rolls for dinner.   After all of that I must say I am worn out so, I will be heading to bed early tonight, if you consider 10 pm early.

My new goal now is to start really watching our money for grocery spending.   It is difficult sometimes to determine our budget with food and it seems like I live at the grocery store.  Today I did well, and spent $50 and managed to get a cart full.  I have been cutting coupons  and I really watch the local ads and there is some serious money to be saved if you just do a little research.  I will have to keep you updated on my endeavor.  It is hard with figuring out meals, especially when you are in a rut but I plan on sticking with our budget.

Wordless Wednesday

Looks like one is floating away!

Ringling Brothers Family Night At The Circus

We love the circus and the boys first real show was actually to go see the Ringling Brothers Circus.   They were in awe of all the stuff going on and they loved it.  They were just 18 months, when we took them and it held their interest the entire time. I can remember the trips to the circus when I was a child and have fond memories of cotton candy and watching all the amazing acrobatics.

The newest production from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey  ZING ZANG ZOOM is sure to have children of all ages engrossed and delighted, and is a perfect night out for the family.  With the economy posing a challenge for many families, the value of a night out at Ringling Bros. is worth many years of fond memories and worth its weight in gold.  The experience includes the All Access Pre-show, a fun opportunity to meet circus performers and dress up in clown costumes, which happens one hour before each performance.

Thanks to Mom Central And Ringling Brothers you can have the chance to take your family to the circus without breaking the bank.

·    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 and cannot be combined with other offers.  Other Restrictions May Apply.
·    Offer #2: A select amount of Front Row and VIP seats have been reserved for you to buy before they go on sale to the public – just enter the code “MOM” when purchasing those seats. Dates and cities where families can use the national MOM discount code this spring are as follows:

Newark/East Rutherford/Uniondale/NYC
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
March 5 – April 13
Offer not valid on performances from April 10 – 13 at Madison Square Garden

Washington D.C./ Fairfax, VA/ Baltimore, MD
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
March 18-April 19

Philadelphia
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
May 13-May 25

Phoenix
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
June 24-June 28

Houston
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
July 15-July 26

Anaheim/LA/Ontario
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
July 8-August 2

San Francisco
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
August 12-August 23

Dallas/Ft Worth
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
July 29-August 16

Sacramento
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
August 27-August 30

Kansas City
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
September 16-September 20

To find out more about ZING ZANG ZOOM or to see which Ringling Bros. tour is coming to a town near you, visit www.Ringling.com. And visit www.ticketmaster.com to use the 4 tickets for $44 code, MOM.  This is such a wonderful offer and is hard to pass up.  I can hardly wait to take the boys to the circus again and create magical memories and a lifelong tradition that they can someday pass on to their own children. Have fun at the circus!

FLOR Fun Functional Flooring

I am almost always looking for ways in which I can change things in our house to help update the look.  It isn’t easy to change furniture because these are the big ticket items in your home.   I always love to shop for small things like rugs, or pillows, or a new place mats to help change things in the house.   Let’s face it, if I am spending all my days at home, a change is always nice.
I recently was introduced to carpet tiles from FLOR.  I had watched the show Trading Spaces many times and I remember seeing an episode where they carpeted a room with FLOR carpet tiles.   This is such a cool way to change the look of an area in your home!   Not only that, they are so versatile, in that, you can mix and match colors, cut the tiles to make a cool floor pattern, and it is so incredibly easy to do!

I was extremely excited to get this opportunity because I was dying to give them a try, and so sick of the boring rug choices that you find in the stores.  Since this was my first experience using the tiles, I was primarily interested in how these things work and how they stay stuck once you had your design laid out.  Each tile is held together by a little circle of genius called a Flordot.  The Flordots are so easy to apply and hold the tiles together perfectly making it easy to move your masterpiece around if you need to.  When you want a change the tiles  come apart easily and you can store them, so if get bored you can change it up.  If you run out of Flordots you can just order more!

I was putting together FLOR’s Seagrass Rug which looks absolutely stunning in my entry way.  It is made from their plush collection of tiles and it is so soft and feels great beneath your feet! I cannot tell you how much fun I had putting this rug together, and it makes you want to do even more.  It’s a bit addicting and I was somewhat bummed when I ran out of tiles to stick together, because I was on a roll.  I am already looking for more reasons to go buy  more FLOR tiles to do various areas in the house.  We are looking to move the boys play area to the basement, one of these days, and this would be an ideal place to use them. Another thing I would definitely recommend when getting your FLOR rug is their cleaning kit, so you always have something on hand for the occasional spill or mishap to keep your FLOR tiles looking nice.

Thank you FLOR for such a ingenius product and we love our new FLOR rug! It is now a favorite playing spot for the boys and they love to hang out there where the sun pours through in the morning.  If you are looking for new flooring for your home or just something to spruce things up, this is definitely a really cool option.   There are tons of choices so you can let your creativity run wild and their prices are easy on budget too!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

I have a really awesome announcement for my readers here at DoubleBugs!!! FLOR was kind enough to allow me to give one lucky winner the chance to win a FLOR Seagrass Rug of their very own!

So here’s what you gotta do!

• Visit FLOR and have a look around and come back and leave a comment and let me know what other cool rug you might like and what room in your house you would like to use it in.
• Leave me an email so I have a way to contact you if you win
• Winners are chosen at random via Random.org.

For Additional Entries (please leave as an additional comment):

• Tweet about this post
• Follow me on Twitter
• Blog about my contest and give me the link!
• Put my badge on your sidebar

That’s all you gotta do!
Contest starts February 5, 2009 and Ends February 23rd, 2009
Good Luck to You!

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