Happy Halloween!

 

Technically, only Matthew has his “official” Halloween costume on in this picture, but you get the idea.  🙂

So after a month filled with planning, parties and fun, autumnal activities, the big day is finally upon us!  We absolutely adore Halloween in our home, everything from the decorations and spooky tales to the fancy costumes and makeup.  This year we have pirates, arrr!, and a princess and even a wee little fairy.  (Again, not in the photo above, but I’ll share their “official” costumes with you all manana, I promise.)

We like themes in our house.  I’m sure it has nothing at all to do with mama’s OCD tendencies.  Yeah…..

Anyway, I hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!  Try and stay warm, and don’t forget the parent tax on the kiddos Halloween booty!  This year’s tax rate went up again, can you believe it?  It is especially high on anything chocolate…..

Be safe, friends!

The Incredible Shrinking Baby!

Our family decided to squeeze in a visit to the pumpkin patch this weekend.  It was one last Halloween-y thing that we hadn’t done yet that just needed to happen.  I wanted to get out the door as early as possible to avoid the huge crowds, so as you can imagine, with four kids scrambling about, well, it was chaos.

I saw a Halloween shirt in our bedroom and grabbed it so Abe could get Sara dressed as I did Isabella’s hair and instructed the boys on what to wear and assured Noah that yes, he did indeed have to go potty before we left.

Sara’s shirt seemed a tad large, which was strange.  She is only one year old, but has been routinely wearing 24 months to 2t.  When I saw the shirt was a bit big, I assumed I had gone up a size and bought a 3t, but I was in awe at how one size up could appear so much larger.  In general, it fit well enough, and we were off.

Now, I will point out that we do a lot of hand me downs in our house, what with the large and growing brood we have, it’s just economical.  The first thing Matt and Bella said when they saw Sara was that they recognized the shirt as one Bella used to wear.  I brushed them off, told them they were wrong, that I had just bought this one for Sara.  They didn’t put up much fight, but they had that annoying look in their eyes like they didn’t believe me.  If you have kids, you know that look.

Whatevs.

Fun was had, it was chilly, but there was a lot to see and do, and by the end of the trip, Noah and Sara were both crying so, it was past time to leave.

Fast forward to this morning.

I go into Sara’s room with some laundry to put away.  Ugh, I hate putting away laundry.  But I digress.  I opened her closet to grab some hangers, and there, right in front of me, is her brand new Halloween shirt, tags still on, staring back at me.

What the what?!

I go over to her little hamper and pull out the shirt she wore on Saturday.

Do you see where this is going?

That shirt she wore, the one that was only slightly too large, the one the kids recognized, and the one that I said was brand new?  Yeah, it wasn’t brand new.  It was an Isabella shirt that she actually wore a few weeks ago.  I had washed it and upon looking at it, decided it was too small and needed to be packed away.  That’s why it was sitting in our bedroom.  That’s why it was too large for Sara.  That’s why the kids recognized it.

Wanna see something completely crazy?

I decided to take a picture of the two shirts, side by side for size comparison, just to prove that I am not completely insane.  Partially, yes, but not quite completely.

 

Ignore the cookie goobers on the shirt on the left, it was pulled out of the hamper for this picture.  The cookie goober shirt is a Girls size 6.  The brand new shirt, tags and hanger still on it on the right, is a size 24 months!!!  Now come on!  Tell me it wasn’t an honest mistake, they are practically the same size!

Right?

Craziness.

I don’t have to tell the kids they were right, do I?  I would hate to lose my Mommy street cred.

Flushed Away

So, as Noah’s third birthday is fast approaching, I have found myself wracking my brain lately, thinking of possible Binky Fairy gifts.

You see, the Binky Fairy comes to take all of the pacifiers away to give them to babies that don’t have any, and in return for the generous, albeit germ and slobber infested donations, she leaves a small gift.  For Bella, she left a fairy book and a Tinkerbell bracelet.

We had her lay out all of her binkies on the night before her third birthday and sent her to bed looking forward to seeing what the fairy had left.  It worked like a charm, she never looked back or asked for a binky again.

I was having a hard time trying to think of gifts she may leave for Noah, but then something happened.  The terrible two’s pushed their way in and without even knowing it, Noah saved me from worrying about the Binky Fairy.  Well, until Sara is ready for her.

So what did Noah do to relieve the fairy of her visit?

It all happened so fast, and before my morning coffee even!

Apparently, Noah decided to flush a pair of underwear and his binky this morning.  In the toilet.

Yeah. So……

Honestly, I wondered how we went this long without the kids flushing things they weren’t supposed to.  Matt was the king of flushing inappropriate things.  Hot Wheels, foam bath toys, underwear, socks, you name it.  Bella never even thought about it.  Or, what she decided to flush was small enough to not require taking the toilet apart to remove the wedged items.

So since Noah decided to release his binky into the wild waters of the potty, I think it’s fair to tell him he is done with the binkies.  Maybe that was his ritual, his own way of saying good-bye to his trusty old friend.  Maybe he is just two and will lose his mind when I try and put him down for his nap without a binky.  Either way, the whole fun morning has made me fondly remember this Tiny Toons clip from back in the day.  Enjoy.

October Citrus Lane Box!

It’s the middle of the month, and that means there was a bright, happy package on our door step earlier this week!  Yes, it’s Citrus Lane time again, and this month’s theme is Fall Fun.  Let’s dive right in, shall we?

 

How can you look at that bright, sunny tissue paper and not be happy?

 

As you can see, this month’s box was once again filled with all sorts of goodies!

 

Included in every box is an insert that gives you detailed information about all of the items, along with special coupon codes and the websites where you can find more great deals from the same companies featured in each package.

 

Oball by Rhino $4.99

This was the very first thing Sara grabbed out of the box, even before the food, now that’s saying something!  This ball is extremely lightweight, collapses down for storage and springs right back to life when you are ready to play again.  It’s hard keeping the kiddos from throwing balls in the house, but with this one, there is far less chance of them breaking anything or hurting themselves (or each other!) and that is a huge plus in my book.

 

As usual, Sara is referring to the packing list as she discovers all the contents of her box.

 

Munchkin 7oz Click Lock Trainer Cups $8.99 for 2 pack

Can you ever have too many sippy cups?  I mean, especially at this time of year, with all of the family fun trips on the weekend and visiting with relatives for the holidays.  It’s never a bad idea to keep an extra sippy cup in the car and even one at Grandma’s house, just in case.  I don’t know about you, but with four kids, well, it is a miracle every time we make it to point b.  Period.  If after said trip we realized we forgot a sippy cup?  Well, let’s just say the baby wouldn’t be the only one crying.  An extra bonus to these cups?  Guaranteed 100% leak proof.  Go ahead and give the kid some grape juice, it’s all good.  Now, if they play sprinkler once their mouth is full, well, it wasn’t the cup’s fault.

 

“What else do we have in here?”

 

Big Smiles Cheesy Potatoes by Ella’s Kitchen $2.49

Food is always a big hit in our house, and these pouches are super convenient, travel well, and reseal if you have leftovers.  Cheesy potatoes sounds like a yummy addition to any warm, fall meal, and definitely wins in the yum factor with Sara.

 

“Okay Mama, let’s bust these taters open!”

 

BabyGanics Smooth Moves Lotion $5.49

Cooler weather means dry, itchy skin.  This BabyGanic lotion is silky smooth, with all kinds of great, nourishing ingredients that won’t only soothe, but will really benefit baby’s (or your!) skin.  There are no nasty chemicals in this lotion, so no worries using on even the littlest ones.  Yay for healthy skin!

 

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil Mini $4.99

This month’s box included a mama treat!  This is a cleansing oil.  Sounds counter intuitive?  I concur.  This 100% water soluble formula promises to dissolves away the dirt, makeup, sunscreen, etc that everyday brings and rinse off leaving skin soft, smooth and healthy.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I am definitely looking forward to pampering myself, thank you Citrus Lane!

 

In My Den from Chronicle Books $8.99

This adorable book has a finger puppet, right in the middle, making story time interactive and even more fun!  This book is perfect for snuggling up to after a day at the pumpkin patch, and it has a super sweet message.  So cute, and as I have said before, we are book hoarders in our home, so a book is always a very welcome addition!

 

Try out your very own subscription to Citrus Lane by clicking HERE.  Once you follow that link, enter coupon code 10TODAY to save 10%.  Or, enter code 10MONTH for $10 off one month.    When you subscribe for a full year, they also give you two months free.  Who doesn’t love free?!

We love Citrus Lane in our home.  As I have said before, the value of the products each month for the small price paid is just fabulous.  And much cheaper than a “quick” trip to Target for me.  I love being introduced to new brands and companies, and we have loved everything we have gotten so far.

 

 

Sometimes, no matter how cool the stuff in the box is, the box ends up being the best toy!

Related articles

• September Citrus Lane Box! (livinglavidamommy.wordpress.com)
• August Citrus Lane Box! (livinglavidamommy.wordpress.com)

National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day

I mentioned earlier this month that October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.  Today, October 15 is National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day.  There is a special candle lighting ceremony at 7pm in every time zone for parents, friends and relatives to create a wave of light around the world in memory of babies lost to pregnancy and infant loss.

For all of the sweet angel babies, and for all of the grieving family members, may you feel the love and the light from the candles as you will again one day in our arms.

Return of The Walking Dead!

Okay, as I have confessed before, I am a huge zombie fan.  There can never be enough awesome zombie movies for me, I just love them!  Vampires and werewolves are a dime a dozen, but zombies, to me, are just the absolute gold of the horror industry.

Sorry, did I just campaign for zombies?  Well, they are awesome, so…

Last night was the long awaited return of The Walking Dead on AMC, and let me just say, I was not disappointed!

This season begins with the group having survived the winter after jumping house to house avoiding a traveling herd.  (Of zombies, not cattle, just to be clear.)  Laurie is very pregnant with what has to be the most ridiculous looking faux preggo belly I have ever seen, but whatevs.  Carl has obviously been through a huge growth spurt, and since they could never keep him in the house anyway, he is now part of the crew, gun in hand, shooting walkers.

As they are preparing to hop to a new location, they discover a prison in the distance.  It is full of walkers, but it is secure, so once they wipe out the undead squatters, they have an ideal place to call home, at least for now.

I think this season is going to be awesome, but then, I think every season is awesome.  Hey, it’s zombies, I’m happy.

We actually didn’t watch the first showing, which just about killed me.  Instead, we waited for the encore showing, because we like to watch Talking Dead, hosted by Chris Hardwick directly after.  If you are a Walking Dead fan, you need to watch Talking Dead.  They share exclusive clips from upcoming episodes, show behind the scenes secrets, and even have the actors, directors, and writers as guests to answer questions and talk about the episode and what’s ahead for the season.  Plus, Chris Hardwick is an adorable, hilarious, zombie loving geek.  Just sayin’.

Last night on Talking dead, the poll question was:

If you got pregnant during a zombie apocalypse where would you want to give birth?

   A moving car
   A prison cell block
   A clearing in the woods
   An abandoned house

What would your answer be?  The most popular answer was a prison cell block with 52% of the votes.  What the what?  The abandoned house was next with 28%, followed by a moving car at 14% and clearing in the woods with 4%.  Okay, obviously most of the people taking the poll must have been men, because that’s the only way I can explain the ridiculousness of those results.  A moving car?  Really?  Yeah.  Okay.

 

Diet Cheese?

 

So, I’m making lunch for me and the babies, and when I reach into the Sara Lee Baby Swiss package to pull out a few slices for sandwiches, I can’t help but notice that the slices are…..quite holey.  Like, seriously, missing half a slice from whatever makes Swiss cheese holey.   We eat a lot of Swiss  cheese in this family, and I have never seen holes that big.

So, does that make these slices half the calories?  Because they are certainly half the cheese.  Or do they calculate the calories with the ginormous holes of nothing included?  This packaged should have been marked half price, I feel kind of cheated.

Craziness.

Are you now left wondering why Swiss cheese has those holes in it?  Me too, so I Googled it.  Turns out, those holes are the byproduct of the microbes added to milk to make Swiss cheese.  There is also, apparently, government regulations regarding the size of the holes deemed acceptable in Swiss cheese in the United States.  To be classified as “Grade A” Swiss cheese, it must have holes that are no larger than 3/4 of an inch.  Ummm….Did you hear that Sara Lee?

Just sayin’.

Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink and Type.

Do you want to hear something crazy?

As it turns out, spilling half a glass of soda on a keyboard tends to make said keyboard work a lot less.  I might even say that it would break a keyboard, causing a person to go through computer and internet withdrawal as they try everything they can to try and fix the keyboard before they are forced to go out and spend money buying a brand new one and swearing to never drink anything anywhere near keyboards ever again.

Or…..maybe if the soda had been in a sippy cup….

Well, anyway, this post is brought to you by a brand spanking new keyboard.  One bought quite begrudgingly, and after several attempts to revive the old one.  Sadly, the old board just could not be revived.  It’s last words were “qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq.”  I think that roughly translates to “Thank you for the soda, I can die happy now.”  Fulfilling life long dreams, it’s what I do.

Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month

Back in October of 1988, President Ronald Reagan designated the month to be Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month.  “When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, their isn’t a word to describe them. This month recognizes the loss so many parents experience across the United States and around the world. It is also meant to inform and provide resources for parents who have lost children due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, stillbirths, birth defects, SIDS, and other causes.”  It’s not something people like to think about, especially people who have never experienced a loss and don’t understand the pain and torment a mother feels when losing her baby.

I have suffered personally through miscarriage myself, and unfortunately, know some pretty amazing, strong women who have suffered through multiple miscarriages and infant deaths.

It sucks.  It’s stupid and it just sucks.  No child ever deserves to die.  No man or woman should ever have to send their child to God.  There is no rhyme or reason, there is no silver lining, it’s just stupid and it sucks.

My thoughts, my prayers, my love and hugs to each and every person who is personally affected by pregnancy or infant loss.

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

― Dr Seuss, Horton Hears A Who!

 

 

Potty Tots Giveaway Winner!

No, I didn’t forget about my winner!  We had a computer meltdown over the weekend.  Literally.  We woke up to the smell of burning plastic.  When we got up to investigate, it turns out the fan on the graphics card had stopped working, and thusly started to melt.  Not the best thing to wake up to, but, ya know.

Anywho.

My Potty Tots winner is……………….

 

Ashley K.!!!  Yay!!!

 

A great big congratulations to her, she will be getting her Potty Tots potty training kit in the mail very soon!

Didn’t win this time?  No worries!  You can still get your very own Potty Tots Potty training kit through the Potty Tots website!  Have your little one with you when you explore the site, there is a lot of fun, interactive stuff to do!

 

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend!  Can you believe it’s October already?!  My goodness, how time flies!