mama's sanity

HIS SPECIAL

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:58:00 +0000

In 6 months I will be looking for gifts for 2 of the most important people in my life, my husband and little girl. I don't know if it helps that they have the same birthday. For 4 years now, I have neglected my husbands birthday. Sure we do have a party, but its mostly for my daughters sake. When my daughter was born on his birthday i told him that she was going to be my birthday gift for him for 18 years, lol. Just recently, he said in passing that he has never gotten something really specially for his birthday. I felt so bad. Now I am going to scour around for the great gifts for dad's birthday online. I promised him that I would get him something special for his birthday this year. Failure won't be an option and I will put a lot of effort this time to make him feel extra special on his day.

EASTER CUPCAKES 2012

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:51:00 +0000

Every year for 4 years now we have been hosting our very own Easter Egg Hunt. This years 4th year egg hunt was a big success. The kids had a great time running while screaming when they find an egg. I made sure that each kid will have at least more than 10 eggs in their basket. I also made sure to tell the bigger kids to let the younger ones get more eggs. With every egg hunt it has also been expected from me to make "Easter Cupcakes". This year I had help from my friend Krista. She came over the day before the egg hunt and helped me bake and frost the cupcakes. They don't look perfect but they were such a big hit after the hunt. The kids loved the cupcakes that had grass frosting with jelly beans as eggs. It was so easy to make. I don't know what I am going to do next year, lol. All that I know is that kids will eat any cupcake no matter how they look!

WARMER WEATHER TO COME

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:58:00 +0000

I can't believe how beautiful the weather is, it is suppose to be on the upper 80's today.I am usually cold but today I am wearing a shirt and shorts and its still early yet. The Summer is going to be so awesome I just can't wait. The kids will be in the backyard the whole afternoon. While they run and play, I will be nice and cool on our deck. With the weather getting warmer I will be spending more of my time outdoors. Staying under the sun is not really my thing as well as getting a tan. With summer fast approaching I need a new umbrella for the deck on the swimming pool.Ralph has told me to find a nice big umbrella. I bet sunbrella umbrellas at PatioUmbrellas.com has a lot of selection. I want something that is light and flexible and this time I want it in blue to compliment the color of the pool water. In less than a month we will be opening up the pool. Good thing I already stocked up on suncreen,lol

FAMILY EGGS

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:52:00 +0000

As per Ester tradition, we have colored our eggs. I got 8 dozen eggs at $.78 each at Wallgreens. I had to buy the eggs while they were so cheap and we could really use some eggs. It will be good for Ralph's diet and Kaitlyn loves hard boiled eggs. She actually reminds me of my sister who can eat a dozen egg in one sitting. Its true! My sister loves eggs and will eat as much as she can. Like last year, we made our colored our Easter eggs and made sure we have the whole family. Kaitlyn had so much fun dipping the eggs in the colored water with her dad and uncle Angelo. Kayla had to return to her mom since we only have her for a day on Easter. Nevertheless, we didn't forget her. Kaitlyn actually made her sister first and insist in making two. She loves her sister so much. After the Easter Holiday I was so beat that I didn't do anything for 2 days,lol. How did your Easter eggs turn out?

HUBBY AND HIS WEIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:17:00 +0000

Did I ever say or write how proud I am of my husband on loosing weight? I guess not. Well, my husband has probably lost more than 30 lbs. He didn't really start off wanting to loose weight, it kind of just happened. The end of January he must have caught a stomach virus, he could not hold down food and had very loose stool. That was when he started eating smaller portion just so he could get something in his system. He finally got rid of the stomach bug but kept eating smaller portion of food. He was so stoked when his fellow police officer started complimenting him on how good he looked. My husband looks great now, not that he didn't look great before. He found out that ever since he lost that much weight he hasn't suffered heartburn at night and is more energetic. Like more weight loose he has plateaued. Since he feels that he has lost enough weight it was time for him to regain his muscles back. Today, his brother let him borrow his Bow Flex. He wasn't using it so he just loaned it to Ralph for the time being. It was a good thing that their nephew Nicholas was down here for Spring break. He helped carry the heavy equipment to the basement and helped his uncle set it up. Unfortunately Angelo forgot to bring all his tools so they had to ask me for Ralph's tools. I wouldn't know the difference between between thread inserts, from a plain wrench. I just told them his tools were either on the shelve in the basement or in the shed. I skedaddled out of the basement before they could ask me anymore questions,lol. It didn't take them long to set it all up. Haven't been to the basement yet to check it out. If all goes well, my husband will be healthier and toner in the next few months.

MY 3 FAVORITE

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:48:00 +0000

One of the many reason I love the warm weather is that I get to eat my favorite food more often, lol. I have come to the conclusion that my favorite food is my husband's grilled steak, crabs and lamb chops! I am suppose to be on a diet but I just resist my favorite foods. I also found out that my youngest takes after me, she loves crabs. We have yet to taste king crab legs but I have always wondered what they taste like. Would they be better than regular crabs? Will the meat be tastier? I have seen king crab legs at my local grocery in the seafood aisle. If they were not so expensive I would not hesitate buying just a pound. Since Mother's day is coming up, I may have to include the crab legs on our menu for that day. I can't wait for my special day to come so I can finally have a taste of those huge crab legs!!

EYE INJURY

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 01:34:00 +0000

Another injury suffered by the princess bruiser. The injury happened last month. Last months weather was just so nice and warm that Kaitlyn has been spending most of her time in the backyard. Of course I stay outside with her but I stay on the deck. This time around I happened to go inside to fix us some lunch when I heard her crying so loud. I ran outside only to see her on the ground beside the swing set. She was sobbing and holding her right eye. I was so afraid that she poked her eye or something. To my relief there was no blood only a bump on the outer edge of her right eye near the temple. I could not make out any words when she started telling me what happened. It wasn't until she calmed down that she was able to talk clearly and told me what happened. The kids swing set is compose of an up and down clubhouse, a picnic table and chair attached to the side and the swing set on the other side. While on her way going into the lower clubhouse she tripped and hit the side of the clubhouse.

I was so relieved it was not bad but I also got scared. What if she had poked her eyes out or worse, broken her neck in the process. I told her to be very careful next time while putting a cold compress one the side of her face. I was pretty sure she was going to have a black eye the next day but I was wrong. Instead she had a swollen right eye. I felt so bad but she assured me it didn't hurt as much anymore. The picture above was taken the following morning when we got up. I may have girls but I often wonder if they are really boys in disguise,lol

EMPTY CASES

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:39:00 +0000

When you have kids its a given to have a place to put all their most favorite dvd movies. We don't actually have a dvd cabinet for the moment but we are on the lookout for one. Its a must for families with children or families who enjoy watching movies. Its better to have a place for the dvd's or else it will be scattered everywhere in the house, like in my our case lol. I have about a dozen children dvd's given by my friend. I have the cases but most of the tapes are not in it. Its just the case. I don't know where they are or what my kids did to them. I have been trying to teach my kids to be responsible with their stuff but it seems to fall on deaf ears. The joys and pains of being a parent, lol. I know that a time will come that they will want to watch their favorite movie and realize that the case they are holding is empty. Only then will they realize the importance of taking care and being responsible for their things.

2007 MEMORIES

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:18:00 +0000

Four years have passed since I carried a child inside my body. I can still remember the day we found out we will be expecting. It was February, just a few days after Valentines and also our wedding. We went to the mall to let Kayla have fun, throwing pennies in the fountain. After the mall we stopped at Walgreens, it was still called Happy Harry's. Ralph went in and bought the pregnancy test kit. As soon as we got home I locked myself in the master bathroom to try out the test. I wasn't sure it was going to give me an accurate result. In my heart I knew already I was pregnant, I just wanted a confirmation. The test didn't take long at all, It was a positive result right away.

We were finally going to have another addition to our new family. I could not wait for my stomach to grow bigger knowing that a life is in me. As soon as my stomach was noticeable enough, we went clothes shopping. Even back then, I was already a penny pincher. I would scout for inexpensive maternity clothes that would fit my personality. The year 2007 was a miraculous year for me. It was the year that I became a mom for the very first time. I still have my maternity clothes and will hang on to them until I am certain that i will no longer be able to carry a child. Its been a very difficult 4 years with so many ups and downs trying to conceive. At time I feel like giving up but a big part of me refuses to give up. I want to feel another baby in my arms, to feel a small mouth rooting at my breast,drinking from me. I miss those moments. It will be hard waiting and wondering every month but who know, miracle happens everyday!

REBIRTH OF NATURE

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:35:00 +0000

Check out my little girl walking under a canopy of white blooms. Ever spring we look forward to seeing these beautiful white blooms . We always pass under them on our way to the bus stop. I love walking under the white blossoming trees. It makes me feel like I am in wonderland. We know that the white blooms won't last. Its just paving the way for new green leaves to come in. The pollen from these blooms are going to be brutal to my nose but how can i resist admiring their beauty?

Sooner than later the flowers will fall out and green leaves will take its place. Once that happens the path walk be littered with fallen blooms. I remember last year, the street was covered in white. When you walk under the canopy of trees you would feel the flowerettes landing on your hair, on your shoulder. Its really a magical moment, Spring is indeed a magical season of rebirth and beauty.

EASTER DILEMNA

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:21:00 +0000

Easter is fast approaching and I have yet to plan something exciting for our the Schifano annual egg hunt in our backyard. This will be the 4th year we have been hosting the egg hunt. I have so much planned in my head but I don't think I will be able to do even half of what I envisioned for the girls. I haven't bough anything for their Easter basket and to think I have two girls. Kaitlyn is so easy to buy for, she tends to be the girly girl one. As for my oldest who is turning 9 this August, she is a hard to buy for. She is not the girly girl type. She will play with girly toys but it the novelty wears off in a few hours. Her thing are dinosaur, horses and other toys that involve activity. Its not just the Easter basket I am worried about, but the eggs for the hunt itself. I forgot how many plastic eggs we have in the basement and what to serve the kids as snacks on Easter. I stress myself out with everything. I am just going to go with the flow and see where it takes me.

UPSIDE DOWN DESSERT

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 02:39:00 +0000

My first ever Pineapple upside down cake. Technically this is my second time to make a pineapple upside down anything. I first tried my hands on the mini cupcake upside down cake and it came out so so. My Family however thinks it was delicious and the best thing ever. I wanted to try making the cake but I just didn't feel like it. However, it was the birthday of Ralph's nephew and his brother asked me if I could make him a cake. His son loved my pineapple upside down cupcake so this was my chance to make it.

I wasn't really feeling up to par making anything but my BIL seldom asks or request me for anything. It was only fitting that I do this for him. While making my cake our stove top light went out on me. Its times like this that I think about the possibility of getting led lights in some parts of the kitchen. I am just so tired of replacing the overhead light on the stove. But anyway, my cake came out perfect. It may not look it but it certainly taste perfect. It was sweet, tasty and had a the authentic smell and taste of pineapple. In short it was a sweet Success.

SEPARATION FROM RICE

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 02:27:00 +0000

At long last it is SPRING!!!!

I can't wait for more warmer weather. Even though I am plague with severe Spring allergy, I won't let that stop me from enjoying the wonderful weather and taking advantage of it. Its time for me to break out my shorts and short sleeve shirt and of course my trustee flip-flops. Now I can do more works and get back on track to loosing more weight and tighten when needs to be firm. I have been walking to my favorite store almost on a daily basis. It seems like I have plateaued on loosing weight via walking. So I am thinking about using resistance bands while doing some light exercise. Knowing my body, It will probably protest at the slightest provocation of too much exercise. I am determined to be a little firmer and less jiggly this year. It doesn't help that I stuff myself like a thanksgiving turkey every meal. Before the end of the month I want to be able to cut down on my favorite which is rice. I will have file a temporary separation from rice. With my husband, I can do this. He has already lost 25 lbs., if he can do it so can I.

OF MANY FIRST, DENTIST APPOINTMENT

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:05:00 +0000

My baby girls first Dentist appointment! That was a few weeks ago. I was more nervous than her. I guess its due to the fact that when I was young I hated going to the Dentist. It was my mission in life back then to stay away from them no matter what. Because of that, I had suffered from a lot of cavities and toothaches growing up. With my growing hatred for Dentist I refused to have any of my rotten teeth pulled out. I rather suffered from the pain of a toothache than sit in a Dentist chair!

I did grew out of it a little bit but not entirely. I was still suspicious of the Dentist and I have a very low low tolerance for pain. I shuddered thinking about the things I destroyed and the people who had to have their tooth/teeth pulled out just to show me it didn't hurt,lol.

My relief was so obvious when Kaitlyn bravely sat on the chair and let the tech do her job checking her teeth and cleaning them.Our new Dentist is Amazing! They have the a very friendly staff! She did have a very tiny cavity. We choose to have it filled earlier on. With the way she eats candies and chocolates I didn't want to risk having her experience a toothache from cavities. She was extremely brave when they filled her tooth. I am one proud Mama! At least my daughters won't have the same fear for Dentist as I have growing up. In a year or two Kaitlyn will be ready for her first full dental x-ray. Now, she is motivated to brush her teeth properly and frequently and that is something to be happy about!

SPRING IS NEAR

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 01:39:00 +0000

Wohoooooo! A few more days to go and we will be leaving Winter behind...

As Spring draws near, I am not looking forward to the pollen explosion. With severe Spring allergy I am miserable during the peak of spring. Since the weather has been wonderful and surprisingly warm a lot of flowers have bloomed, trees took in a new sprouts of leaves, bees are buzzing and birds are happily chirping away on the lookout for the best nesting spot. I on the other hand, is so stuffy that I have to breathe through my nose and sneezing like nobody's business. It's funny when I am somewhere else and sneeze people say "bless you" and before I can respond another bout of sneezing hits. My nose gets all red and chaffed from blowing. For all of that I will gladly bear just to be rid of Winter. Its not like we really had any winter, more like a colder than usual Autumn season,lol. Spring hurry on up and do your thing!!!!

ENJOYING ST. PATRICK'S DAY WITH OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 02:52:00 +0000

Guest post written by Helen Meyers

It seems like we never get together with our friends between the holidays and memorial day. I really hate that too! I want to spend time with them year-round, not just when we're celebrating New Year's. So I thought that I could get everyone together over to our house to help celebrate St. Patrick's Day and as an excuse just to get together.

That's easier said than done though. So I looked online to get some party planning tips and when I was searching I came across some info on debt consolidation. Taking care of our credit card debt is something that our family desperately needs, so I was really happy to have been fortunate enough to have good info about consolidating!

I found all kinds of decorating ideas and recipes, so I think that once I figure out how to do all of them in my limited time we'll be all set for the party! Everyone seems really excited to come over for the party and we're really excited to have them over. We haven't seen some of them since early January, which is too long for me!

TINE DYNAMITE

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 03:37:00 +0000

Meet my little achiever, my youngest daughter Kaitlyn. This was the last day of their winter semester in gymnastics. Both girls have been performing great and we could see the determination and improvement on both girls every week.

Ralph and I are specially proud of our youngest. Out of 6 kids in her class she was the only one to get all for ribbons. Those 4 ribbons cemented her a spot one level higher. As the couch was handing out their achievement awards I noticed that almost all of her classmates only had 2 ribbons. Everybody was handed out their awards except for Kaitlyn. I felt bad at first, and worry that Kaitlyn might cry. After her couch dismissed the class she took Kaitlyn in the back with her and handed her with a paper with 4 ribbons. Kaitlyn was all smiles when she came back to us and proudly showed off her ribbons. I guess since she was the only one to move up a level the couch didn't want the other kids to question why she got all 4 ribbons and they only got 2.

Kayla on the other hand didn't get to move a lever up but stayed where she was. She was happy for her sister and encouraged her to practice more. I hope they will always support each other and not get jealous of each others achievements. We always tell both girls that they are different and they will both excel in different things. We are all so proud of our tiny dynamite!

WAFFLE TOWER

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:24:00 +0000

You heard of the " Leaning Tower of Pizza " right? Well let me introduce you to my own.

Introducing the " Leaning Tower of Waffles!". My kids will usually eats only three kinds of things for breakfast. One is cereal, second is pancakes and the third one is waffles. Tonight I has to make a quick batch of waffles for the kids breakfast the next day. I had run out of cereals and if I didn't make waffles they were not going to have anything to eat for breakfast and that just won't do. I actually got the recipe online and its very simple to make and they taste good. I made just enough to last my girls a few days. What does your kids eat for breakfast?

MALLING AND MINI BLIZZARD

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:12:00 +0000

Picture was taken last Feb. 11 at Christiana Mall. My friend Krista and her son Aiden dropped by the house just to hang out. The kids played Wii, DS and anything they could get their hands on. While Krista and I sat in the kitchen catching up on gossips, shows and everything in general.

We decided to take the kids to the mall for a little bit and have dinner there. The kids were driving both of us insane. For some reason they just had the giggles and would not stop laughing out loud. We finally got them to settle down a bit before we left the mall. And boy did we get a surprise when we were getting out the door. We got a mini snow blizzard. The snow just came out of nowhere and it was coming down hard and fast. The kids were screaming with delight thinking that it was going to last long and they would finally have the snow they have been waiting for. It was not to be for it stopped. It did cover the ground but just melted the next day. Perhaps next winter season will have more snow but hopefully not to much!

HEART BRAIDS

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:04:00 +0000

For the month of heart I could not pass off the chance to do a heart inspired hairdo for my oldest, Kayla. She is known in her school for her beautiful hair and the hairstyles that I usually do. Lately, we have always been short for time so I have not been able to do elaborate or cute hairstyles. But, for Valentines day I just had to make her stand out.
My version of a heart french braid. I after everything was done I realized that I could have still gotten it to look like a heart without the obvious horizontal line. Oh well, It still look beautiful and her classmates actually loved it. She came home with a brown paper bag full of valentines treats from her classmates and she and her sister had a great time eating them. I love my kids, they may drive me to insanity but I would not be sane without them!

TAX REFUND PLANS

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:49:00 +0000

With January coming to an end, a lot of people are looking forward to Tax Season. And yes we are among the many Americans who eagerly await out Tax Refund. We had a lot of plans this year with the tax money. Since we have been hosting a lot of family gatherings and holidays, we thought about getting a bigger table for our dinning room. With the in mind I went to look at amish furniture online. I went in search for a dinning room table but instead, I feel in love with the "BAY HILL DINING NOOK". Its beautifully crafted and finished. That dinning nook set would open up our kitchen and leave a big space. I can envision it already in my head. When Ralph's see's it I am pretty sure he will want to replace the table set we have in the kitchen. It will have to wait until we get our tax money. But, I am hoping to get my hands on the dining nook. If not this year maybe the following year...

CHOICES

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:40:00 +0000

Jeez! It's almost the end of the month already? It was just yesterday that we welcomed the New Year. Time flies so fast. With Christmas over and out of the way its time to look forward to another occasion. The next big thing for Ralph and I, is our upcoming 5ht wedding anniversary on Valentines Day. Yes, it will be a double celebration. I have to be quick on my feet this time though. We really didn't get anything for each other last Christmas, instead we focused on the kids. This time around want to surprise my husband of 5 years with something special. Googling gifts for him sounds like a good idea. I already know what he wants but I can't afford it. But going thru a list of gifts for him will broaden my choices of what to get for me. Time is on my side, all I have to do is bide my time and try to get it out of him what he wants.

WHAT AM I?

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:31:00 +0000

It was one of those family night where we opened some of the toys the girls got from Christmas. They had been antsy waiting for us to play this game. We actually had so much fun playing this game the first time. It was Ralph, Grandma, Kayla, Kaitlyn and Me in the family room. We were just laughing our heads off trying to guess the card on our forehead. We had to help Kaitlyn out on asking questions. We really didn't follow the whole set of rules of the game. It was so fun to see us all together playing as a family, my girls thought it was the best night ever! Do you guys have a family night?What games do you play?

BRONCOS HAR

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:29:00 +0000

Thanks to Wm Rowe

This past Christmas, my siblings and I decided to draw names instead of getting gifts for every person. It saved us a lot of money since our family has grown so much in the recent years. We all still buy presents for our parents, but I think it was a lot less stressful not having to shop for each person. I drew my brother’s name, and at first I had no idea what to get him. Then my sister told me that he was talking about wanting a Denver Broncos hat. It is a good thing that we have a clear TV bundle because I went home that day and searched online until I found the perfect hat for him. My brother is picky about hats, so I knew that he would want one that is adjustable on the back and also has mesh on the back. There are not that many Broncos hats that fit that description, but I was able to find the perfect hat and had it shipped to my house in time for Christmas day. My brother was so excited when he opened it and wore the hat all day on Christmas.

FLEXING AT GYMNASTICS

noreply@blogger.com (LODS) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:19:00 +0000

Kaitlyn is the only with dark hair.

My little girl during Tuesdays at Gymnastics. Last year we decided to enroll both girls in gymnastics. Kayla did Girls Scouts for 2 years and wanted to try out gymnastics. Seeing that Kaitlyn will want to follow in her big sister's footsteps we also enrolled her. Both of my girls are actually doing very good. Kaitlyn is improving every session but has a tendency to get distracted and not pay attention to what the coach is showing them. She gets so amazed at what other older children can do that she stares at them. Still, she is almost ahead of everybody in her class. I am so proud of my girls and I hope they do better and work harder.