Works-For-Me-Wednesday--Getting ready for school!

A tardy and almost second tardy prompted some rethinking of our morning routine. We can't do anything about the awful amount of time it takes to go .75 miles to the elementary but we can at least get into the queue in a timely manner. I can't take credit for a great idea for getting out the door on time for school. My friend Bestbug gave me this solution.

We have already gotten into the habit of picking out clothes, packing snacks and lunches, and bringing backpacks downstairs the night before. They are also required to be "dressed to the shoes" as Flylady is fond of saying before eating a bite of breakfast.

So... we now set TWO alarms on my cell phone to go off every weekday. The first one goes off at 7:33 and is a "Stop eating breakfast and go brush your teeth". And the second alarm at 7:35 is "Go grab your stuff and load up, I'll meet you in the van".

It works great because they don't argue with a cell phone. It keeps me on task as well.

Anyway, something to add to your parenting "toolbox".

Head over to Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer for other great tips and tricks to add to your arsenal.

Santa has come and gone...

Leaving a trail of mess behind him. Sounds like a song, doesn't it...

Santa is almost here...

It is almost midnight and I, again, have procrastinated which resulted in Daddybug and I wrapping presents until now. I am starting a list of what NOT to do next year. Waiting to wrap presents is #1.

But the house is cleaned up and I found all the presents I had hidden. I can rest in peace.

I bet Doodlebug is going to be up early. I kept telling the little buggers that the fast they go to sleep, the faster Christmas comes. It worked well on Ticklebug.

Merry Christmas! May Christmas be a day of good food, friends and family. Don't forget to thank God for the first Gift of his Son.

Mamabug

Really, I'm not pouting...

SB, you are pouting...(arms crossed, no eye contact, sad face)

No, I'm not.

I'm...

(Pick one)

1. just resting
2. just standing here
3. just looking around

No, that looks like a pout.

Oh, maaannnn! as she stalks off.

The day the City shuts down...

Just a friendly reminder that your neighborhood Kroger or Walmart will probably be closed early Christmas eve through Christmas day. Don't get caught needing milk or a missing ingredient or a prescription refill. 7 Eleven may not have it! : )

I learned this the hard way one year when we returned from out of town. We needed milk and a few other groceries only to discover the town had shut down. It was only 9pm. We scrounged up some dry donuts and an overpriced gallon of milk at the corner 7 eleven. Not the Cmas breakfast I had in mind.


This will be the first time that I can remember not being at Walmart for one reason or another on Cmas eve at 5pm. I got my shopping finished today. I am going to Kroger tomorrow to get milk and call it a day!

What a week! Ramblings...

I seem to be meeting myself coming and going. I signed up to be room mom for Doodlebug's Second grade class. Ignorance is bliss for only so long! I procrastinated too much and it caught up to me. I had to get a letter and party planned last night for next Thursday's Christmas party so I could send the letter home with the students today. Fortunately, Mrs. G gave me the name of an experienced room mom so I would know what to do. I am just going to copy her. Snugglebug was a good sport while I made copies and things to go in the folder. We also checked the ABC bags for Ticklebug's Kindergarten class like we do every Friday.

Snugglebug is hanging out with a new sitter while I type this. I am off to clean the bathrooms and a multitude of other things before my brother gets here tonight. It's weird how I am actually looking forward to being able to clean uninterrupted. It's kinda sick and pathetic.

Well, on that note, off I go to make my bathrooms sparkle. Gotta love that Method cleaner, Basic H and Barkeeper's Friend.

Works-For-Me-Wednesday-- Kids in the kitchen

I have implemented a new rule at our house. "No Work, No Eat". I finally had had enough of me doing all the work to get food on the table. So in order for that to happen I had to make things accessible for the little buggers in the kitchen and pantry.

A friend of mine who is a single mom of now grown kids told me how she rearranged the kitchen to make it possible for her kids to be more independent. I followed her advice and I moved all the kid sized plates, cups, bowls down to a low cupboard and put my crockpot and other stuff on the cupboard above the counter. I left the regular breakable plates and glasses up high. The silverware is already in a low drawer so that wasn't a problem. In the pantry I moved the cereal, breakfast food, and snack foods down on the lowest shelves.

As a result of the above changes, my kids can now serve themselves and others drinks and food. They can get a bowl of cereal for breakfast with minimum help and they help get everything out for dinner. Doodlebug is 7 and usually pours the drinks. Ticklebug is five and usually get the napkins and silverware. Snugglebug is 2 and she gets the plates out. They can get their own snacks and help pack their own lunches.

No only can they help with meal related things, but also they can now unload the dishwasher because anything that is plastic is within their reach. No more excuses!

I don't feel like a slave anymore and they are learning how to count the correct number of items, gauge how much liquid the cup will hold, and how to work together as a team to get the job done.

I realize the above is possibly a no-brainer but you know how easy it is as a mom to miss the obvious. It's not like we don't have anything on our minds!

For other great WFMW ideas head on over to Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Our Littlest Angel...

I'm still too busy laughing to write much... Got any good captions for me?

Praise Baby music and DVDs...

Check out these music DVDs especially if you are looking for a last minute gift for a little bugger in your life. You know how fascinated little ones are with looking at other babies. What a combination-- real life kiddos and praise music. For example, Joy to the World DVD.

Check it out!

Neighbor Bugs...

This is normal.

This is not normal.

Flickbug, Ticklebug, Soccerbug, Doodlebug

Boomama's Souptacular Carnival...

Following Boomama's rules of "it must be hearty" I am going with a chili recipe I got years ago. I like it because the sausage jazzes it up and I can cook it on the stove quickly or in the Crockpot all day.

We like to eat it with corn chips and lots of shredded cheese. I personally like sour cream as well but I am alone in that preference in our household.

Heartwarming Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1-1/2--2.0 cups of water

1 can (15oz) tomato sauce

1 can (15oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, UNdrained

1 envelope chili seasoning mix

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook beef, pork, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.

Add all other ingredients except for toppings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until heated through. Garnish as desired.

8-10 servings if you don't use big servings. Adjust water as needed to reach desired thickness.

***** Head on over to Boomama's for other great hearty soups. No wimps allowed!*****

Works-For-Me Wednesday: The What-Do-I-Fix? Edition

It was 5 o'clock, and the little buggers said they were hungry --over and over and over and over and over. The cupboards were bare. BUT this day, the day you had planned to take Kroger by storm, you ended up running Junior's lunch to him at school instead of getting groceries. You also took Sue to see the doctor because she coughed all night. You then stopped by the pharmacy, just making it home in time to lay your cranky two-year-old down for the afternoon nap. There was no time to shop.

The best solution to this problem that I have encountered was from a wonderful friend and neighbor, BestBug. Our usual 5 p.m. conversation goes something like this:

BB: "Do you have dinner planned yet?"
MB: "Uh, no. Do you?"
BB: " No, haven't even thought about it."
MB: "Wanna order pizza together? I have a buy-one-get-one-free coupon."

Little did I know that this time the conversation would go something like this:

BB: "Do you have dinner planned yet?"
MB: "Uh, no."
BB: "Here's a gallon of homemade vegetable soup. "

Only a stupid person would say "no thanks, I'll order pizza again". I am not stupid! I took that soup and RAN.

Unfortunately, if you don't have a BestBug in your life, you may have to settle for a 'popcorn night'. We pop loads of popcorn and cut up fruit, veggies, cheese, or whatever we have on hand and watch a movie.

Have you ever been a BestBug to someone and shared your dinner with them? Try it sometime. Knock their socks off with an unexpected dinner offer. You'll make their night!

Head on over to Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for other awesome last minute ideas!

Quote of the Day...

This is what you would have heard had you been a crumb on the floor of our minivan after I had picked Snugglebug up from Preschool.

MB: Tell me about your day.

SB: Normal, that's normal.

MB: You had a normal day?

SB: yes, normal

I usually get good, fine or silence from the back seat. Today I got a little variety.

She is not even THREE yet. Where does she get this stuff? Guess it comes from having older siblings.

Calvin and Hobbes

I introduced Doodlebug and Ticklebug to Calvin and Hobbes this weekend. DB can read it and TB is having fun looking at the pictures when there is no one to read it to him.

Ticklebug likes the ones in which Calvin pretends he is a spaceman. Doodlebug likes the "gross" ones as she puts it. Basically, the ones involving toilets, bugs, worms, vomiting and general "potty" themes. It is cool to see their sense of humor and ability to "get" a joke develop.

Notable Quotes

Tonight...


MB: TB, go pack your lunch.


TB: What?


MB: TB, go pack your lunch.


TB: Huh?

As I am 4-5 feet away...

MB: We need to go buy you some new ears. Yours are broken. Target is having a buy one, get one free sale.

As he looks right at me as I am finishing talking ...

TB: What? (as in "what did you say")

For a split second there I thought he was messing with me. He wasn't. That made it even funnier.

I wonder what he was thinking about or listening to. : )

30 minutes later when I read to him what I had written for this post, he goes "my ears aren't broken, you're just kidding me." He just giggled and giggled.

Doesn't get any better than that.

Aaaahhhh, life with little buggers. I believe our little buggers were stamped with "For Entertainment Purposes Only" on their foreheads when they were born.