Mommy's Always Write

A Non-Boring 2012

2012-12-31T09:18:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a year! I know it's cliche to say, but it really did go by quickly. It seems like just yesterday that I was writing about Alec's 4th birthday, and now my little guy is almost five years old! How is that possible?

2012 brought lots of memorable posts for Mommy's Always Write. With the end of the year upon us I decided to take a look back through my posts and reminisce a bit. Here are some highlights from the year...

The year began with my discovery that my boys have superpowers. You would think that once I discovered this amazing phenomenon, the rest of the year would seem somewhat boring. However, the rest of the year was anything but boring.

Mommy's Always Write experienced some exciting changes as my blog joined the world of social media on facebook and twitter. I also enjoyed my fifth Mother's Day, where my one wish was to get a picture of me with my boys.

As we headed into summer, I created a plan to help me survive the summer home with my boys. Chad had me in tears of laughter at something that happened to him when he was on "Daddy Duty" while I was out. But I think he had it coming to him after he left me alone with the kids for six days when he had to travel for business. We also took a family vacation to Florida, complete with a tropical storm and an encounter with a guy named "Big Taco."

As the end of the summer drew nearer, I had an INCREDIBLE opportunity to be a featured blogger on the Scary Mommy website. I'm still pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming about that one. The last few weeks of summer included a solo trip with the boys to visit my mom. I also discovered four things that have me trembling in fear as a mother.

By the time summer was over, I was ready for the boys to go to preschool. I don't think I could have handled another trip to the card store with both of them in tow!

Once the boys were both in school, I assumed I would be cranking out the blog posts left and right. Turns out I was wrong! I guess I was too busy losing sleep and worrying about the flu shot.

Before I knew it, the holidays were upon us. In the spirit of Thanksgiving and being thankful, I had the ~~great~~ crazy idea to do a blog challenge sharing something trivial that I am thankful for every day in November. I really have no idea what I was thinking. Somehow I managed to complete it, but I don't think I'll be repeating that challenge again next year! November also came with another exciting featured blogger opportunity, this time for the SITS Girls website.

By the time November was over, I think I went into writing hibernation. Or maybe I was just busy getting ready for Christmas. Either way, I took a few weeks off from writing to enjoy the holidays with family. During this time, I managed to take quite a few pictures, including some that captured my boys in some interesting situations. Needless to say, these photos won't be making the Christmas card any time soon.

So here we are at the end of the year. It's been a good one with some interesting twists along the way. I'm looking forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for me, though I have a feeling that it is going to be just as non-boring as 2012...At least I hope so!

Christmas Photos that Didn't Quite Make the Card

2012-12-27T13:28:00.001-05:00

If you read my post about my attempt to get a picture of me with my boys on Mother's Day, then you know how (not) well that went. Or if you're a parent of young children, I'm guessing you can relate to the number of pictures you need to take to get just one good one. So I'm assuming you can guess how many photos we had to take to get our Christmas card photo.

I figured rather than let all those unused photos sit in photo land on my computer, I would share them for you to admire. So I present to you, our 2012 Christmas photos that weren't quite card-worthy...

If I had a kid trying to pull my beard off and a kid admiring his belly button while on my lap, I think I'd have this same expression

Christmas Card Photo Attempt #1

Christmas Card Photo Attempt #2

Christmas Card Photo Attempt #3

Christmas Card Photo Attempt #4

Mom with her little ~~reindeer~~ fish

Child Christmas cookie labor, complete with sunglasses to prevent any bright glares from the Hershey's Kisses

Hey, if Chad got a picture of my butt for Mother's Day, I am required to return the favor

Christmas morning photo #1: I guess photos should be taken before potty runs

Christmas morning photo #2: Digging for gold

Christmas morning photo #3: Apparently Alec was having some personal issues this morning

So there you have it. My family at its best. Well, maybe we're not at our best, but it's our true personalities showing through here folks. If you want the Christmas card version of the boys, here were the winners...

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

I Am Thankful For...The End

2012-11-30T11:24:00.000-05:00

Well, I hate to say it, but I'm glad this month is over. I've enjoyed coming up with daily things to be thankful for, but I have to admit it got to be a bit challenging... I guess that's why it's called a challenge!

Of course I will continue to be thankful for all the blessings in my life, both big and little. But for today I'm thankful for a break from writing about them! ;)

In case you missed some days or want to get caught up, here is the complete list of days, including links to all of them:

Day 1: Grapes
Day 2: Frozen Peas
Day 3: Grandparents
Day 4: The Number 7
Day 5: The Terrible Twos
Day 6: SITSahs
Day 7: Diane Sawyer
Day 8: Other People's Kids
Day 9: Sippy Cups
Day 10: My Oldest Child
Day 11: Bleach
Day 12: 65 Degrees
Day 13: Babies, Bellies, Wind and Fruit Snacks
Day 14: People who don't realize that I missed a day. Oops!

Day 15: Aunt Suzie
Days 16-21: My Six Best 'Friends'
Day 22: The Real Stuff
Day 23: Garden Hoses
Day 24: Musical Christmas Toys
Day 25: Friendsgivingmas
Days 26 & 27: Thumbs and Hairdressers
Day 28: Frosty The Elf
Day 29: The Week After Thanksgiving
Day 30: The End

*In the spirit of Thanksgiving, "I Am Thankful For..." is a blog challenge I have decided to do during the month of November. Each day I will pick one thing that I am thankful for and blog about it. Obviously I am extremely thankful for the many things in my life I am blessed with, such as a wonderful family, my health and my family's health, great friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, and more. But this series is about all the other day-to-day things that I sometimes take for granted and that make life just a little bit better -- you know, the little things. To see a list of all the posts in this series, please click here.

I Am Thankful For...The Week After Thanksgiving

2012-11-29T11:14:00.000-05:00

Chase spent his first Thanksgiving a drooly, whiny, miserable, teething mess. He picked Thanksgiving of all days to start pushing his first two teeth through, and he sure let the world know that he was unhappy.

Rosy cheeks, snotty nose and pushing teeth make for a less than happy little boy for his first Thanksgiving

His second Thanksgiving (last year) we had just gotten done passing the stomach bug through our family, which we proceeded to share with our extended family. 'Tis the season for giving, right?

This year, his third Thanksgiving, he didn't let us down. Thanksgiving morning he sported a wonderful 102 degree fever. My usually very happy, active 2-year-old was replaced with a glazed-eye snuggle bug. We all took advantage of the snuggles, but I would much rather have a healthy boy.

One week later, I am thrilled to have my happy, bouncing off the walls, goofy bundle of energy back. So today I will be thankful for the week after Thanksgiving for providing me with my healthy little boy again.

*In the spirit of Thanksgiving, "I Am Thankful For..." is a blog challenge I have decided to do during the month of November. Each day I will pick one thing that I am thankful for and blog about it. Obviously I am extremely thankful for the many things in my life I am blessed with, such as a wonderful family, my health and my family's health, great friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, and more. But this series is about all the other day-to-day things that I sometimes take for granted and that make life just a little bit better -- you know, the little things. To see a list of all the posts in this series, please click here.

I Won the Lottery!

2012-11-28T20:46:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the chances of that actually happening are even less than 1 in 750,000,000 since I didn't buy a ticket. I'm gambling on the the hopes that one of my family members or close friends has the winning ticket. And that they remember to share with their family members and close friends.

But I have to admit that all this hype over the $550,000,000 jackpot is a little bit tempting. I mean just look at all those zeros.

Seriously though, what would I even to with all that money? Sure I would donate a ton of it to various charities. And I would pay off the house. And the car. And my kids' college tuitions. And I would travel the world. Oh, and I would share it with my family and close friends.

But after all of that, there would still be money left over. So here are a few things I would do with the leftover money.

Pay somebody to make Caillou's voice considerably less whiny and annoying. Seriously, what 4-year-old is really that whiny? (And this is coming from a mom with a really whiny 4-year-old.)
Launch a line of kid's toys that actually do what the adult versions do. If those toy vacuums and lawn mowers actually cleaned and mowed the lawn, I'd never have to touch my vacuum cleaner again. Not that I touch it much now...but I digressed.
And while I'm on an inventing kick, I might as well invent a dryer that actually folds the clothes too.
Create a mom's version of Pinterest. Let me clarify. A version of Pinterest that normal moms could actually use. Like how to not burn freezer food instead of how to build the Eiffel Tower out of uneaten peanut butter and jelly crusts.
One word: Wine. And lots of it. Heck, maybe I could even buy a vineyard.

I'm starting to think maybe I should go buy one of those tickets after all.

I'm seriously considering paying someone to make this kid less annoying, even if I don't win the lottery. I might have to sacrifice the boys' college funds, but it would be money well spent.

I Am Thankful For...Frosty the Elf

2012-11-28T17:48:00.000-05:00

Frosty is the name that Alec gave to our Elf on the Shelf, and for most of the holiday season last year, Frosty was known as "Frosty the Elk." Fortunately Alec now knows the difference between a little person who helps Santa and an antlered mammal.

After Frosty made his appearance this morning, my boys have been nothing short of angelic. I only saw one quick brotherly shove, which Alec quickly realized he shouldn't have done and promptly showered his brother with kisses.

I know I'm the parent and I'm the one responsible for teaching my child to behave. But it's sure nice to have some assistance from one of Santa's helpers. I mean, Alec may have shoved Chase, but at least he knew he did something wrong... That should count for something, right?

Frosty's novelty will eventually wear off as Christmas gets closer, but for today I am thankful for this happy little rosy-cheeked Christmas miracle.

Universal Mom Rights

2012-11-26T19:23:00.000-05:00

As mothers, most of us have endured months of growing bellies, morning sickness (and afternoon and evening sickness), peeing into a cup, heartburn, sleepless nights, glucose tests and inappropriate comments from strangers. And that's all before we could even hold our kids in our arms.

I'm not saying that it wasn't worth it, but I have decided that there simply needs to be a set of rights for mothers. A set of privileges that a mother may call on at any time for any reason. I propose the following list, which I believe will be perfect for my boys as well as many other moms.

As your mother, I reserve the right to:

Sneak into your bedroom at night to watch you sleep so I can convince myself that you are not in fact the demon child that I swore you were just a few hours earlier.
Tell you that I am eating carrots when I just shoved an entire Twix bar into my mouth.
Lock the bathroom door at any time, even if your world is ending because you can't find the Mickey Mouse toy that you got for your birthday two years ago that you haven't played with or asked about since. Because there are really some things you just don't want to see your mom doing. Ever. You will learn about these things, things such as "that time of month," when you are older, and you will thank me for not scarring you for life.
Respond to any of your questions with "because I said so" as many times as I feel necessary.
Hide wherever I want to during a game of hide-and-seek, even if it is in a location that you are not able to get to.
Force you to play, yes actually play, with a friend when they come over for a playdate.

What rights would you add to the list?

I swear I was eating carrots. That candy bar wrapper on the counter was from the playdate you had yesterday. Remember, the playdate where I had to force you to play?

I Am Thankful For...Thumbs and Hairdressers

2012-11-26T14:55:00.000-05:00

They're related. I swear.

Ever since Chase was a baby, he has sucked his thumb. I happen to think it's pretty darn cute. And even cuter is how he twirls his hair with one hand while he's sucking his thumb with the other.

And the cutest yet is when he twirls someone else's hair while he sucks his thumb. He only does this when he's sleepy or cuddling. But since I am frequently the one putting him to bed, snuggling with him or holding him, my hair gets twirled a lot. Thankfully I have a great hairdresser who manages to save my hair from complete death by twirling.

So days 26 and 27 I am thankful for thumbs and hairdressers, so that I can enjoy every second of this:

I Am Thankful For...Friendsgivingmas

2012-11-25T14:40:00.000-05:00

Friendsgivingmas is the annual tradition that we began with several of our friends a few years ago, even before kids were in the picture for any of us.

Thanksgiving seems to be the one weekend a year where most of us are in the same area, and we take advantage of that by getting together for a big Thanksgiving/Christmas get together. It's always a great time, filled with lots of fun, food, laughter and reminiscing. While it's usually the same crowd from year to year, the growing kids make each year it's own unique gathering.

It's friends. It's Thanksgiving. It's Christmas. All in one night! What could be better?!

This year's highlights included Alec spilling soda all over the floor, Alec looking up a friend's skirt, and Alec laying on top of this same friend claiming he was "tickling" her. Maybe instead of being thankful for Friendsgivingmas, I should be thankful for the innocence of young children. And for cameras so that we can capture these events on film for future blackmailing purposes.

*In the spirit of Thanksgiving, "I Am Thankful For..." is a blog challenge I have decided to do during the month of November. Each day I will pick one thing that I am thankful for and blog about it. Obviously I am extremely thankful for the many things in my life I am blessed with, such as a wonderful family, my health and my family's health, great friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, and more. But this series is about all the other day-to-day things that I sometimes take for granted and that make life just a little bit better -- you know, the little things. To see a list of all the posts in this series, please click here.

I Am Thankful For...Musical Christmas Toys

2012-11-24T14:26:00.000-05:00

Remember my post about Musical Card Land? Well, if my boys get that excited over musical greeting cards, just imagine the sheer delight they experienced when the musical Christmas toys made their appearance today.

All in all I think we probably have enough of these things to open up our own musical Christmas toy store. But that's ok because the boys absolutely love them, and they spent hours today just playing them over and over and over and over.

Sure my ears are tired of hearing the barking dogs version of "Jingle Bells" and Elmo's version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." And you should hear it when they're all going at the same time. But it's a welcome change from the normal yelling and fighting that typically goes on. I'm sure I won't feel that way in a few days, but for now I'll take it.

So today I am thankful for musical Christmas toys, for helping parents finish holiday decorating by keeping kids entertained, one jingle bark at a time.

May I present to you...hours of entertainment for young children: Two Elmos, a bear that reads "The Night Before Christmas," a singing snowman and dog, kissing dogs with tails that jingle, a dog that sings "Jingle Bells," a spinning Christmas tree that plays "O Christmas Tree," and a partridge in a pear tree (ok, there's not really a partridge, but it seemed appropriate)

I Am Thankful For...Garden Hoses

2012-11-23T18:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past almost five years, Alec has become very close with a walrus stuffed animal. Early on, we named him Dozer. Alec and Dozer have gone on many adventures together, and Dozer sleeps in Alec's bed every night.

A few months ago there was a big kid's consignment sale in our area. Chad stayed home with the boys while I went to power shop for a year's worth of clothing for two boys in three hours. As I was browsing the racks of snowsuits, my phone rang. I saw that it was Chad and immediately began to worry. He knew that I was a woman on a mission, so I knew he wasn't just calling to say hi or ask me what the kids had for lunch.

When I answered, Chad asked me if I had seen Dozer. I said I had not. I knew Alec had him outside earlier, but I didn't see where he had ended up. Chad proceeded to tell me that Alec said that Dozer was on the back bumper of my car. The car that I had driven to the consignment sale. Alec is usually pretty accurate with these statements, so I began to get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

Chad agreed that they would keep an eye out for him and text me if he was found. Every five minutes I checked my phone to see if Chad had texted me. When I got in my car to leave, I still didn't have a text from Chad, so I called him. Dozer hadn't been found. They had even gone on a walk to see if Dozer had fallen off the car somewhere, but there was no sign of Dozer.

I felt like the worst mother ever for dragging my son's favorite stuffed animal onto the highways of Pennsylvania, where I was sure he had fallen into a ditch somewhere, never to be seen again. I drove all the way home about 15 miles under the speed limit so that I could keep an eye out for him on the road in the hopes that maybe I would spot him. I'm sure the people behind me loved that.

The whole way home I fought the tears back. I clung to the hope that Chad had found Dozer somewhere at home, and Chad was clinging to the hope that I found Dozer on my way back. Sadly neither of these things happened.

Once inside the house I started coming to terms with the realization that Dozer was gone. Then the tears came. Now those who know me know that I don't cry easily. I cry if an animal gets hurt on TV, but that's about it. I'm usually a rock. It's actually kind of disturbing sometimes. But some motherly hormone in me took over my body and I just couldn't stop the tears. I had turned my son's favorite stuffed animal into roadkill.

Chad, being the incredible husband he is, was getting ready to go out at 10 o'clock at night and drive around looking for a stuffed walrus. He really is a great husband and dad. For whatever reason, he decided to walk around outside the house one more time before he left. And I couldn't be happier that he did, because a few minutes later I saw him walking past a window, flashlight in one hand and Dozer in the other.

It turns out Dozer had been hanging out on the garden hose. Alec must have set him there before running off to play with something else.

I seriously couldn't have been happier. I don't know if I was even this happy on my wedding day. Ok, I'm sure I was, but this was a close second.

The next morning, I told Alec where we had found Dozer. His response? "Oh yeah, I guess I did put him there."

So today I am thankful for garden hoses. Because if we didn't have a garden hose, then Dozer probably would have sat back down on the bumper of my car. And I'd probably still be sobbing today, instead of taking this photo:

I Am Thankful For...The Real Stuff

2012-11-22T20:52:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't feel right about this blog challenge if I didn't list the things in my life that I am truly thankful for. And Day 22, Thanksgiving Day, seems to be the most appropriate day to do this. So all sarcasm aside, here goes...

My family. All of them. My boys, my husband, my mom, my dad, my grandparents, my step-parents, my uncles, my step and half brother, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins, and yes I even have pretty awesome in-laws too.

My friends. The real kind of friends, not the ones from days 16-21. The ones from high school. The ones from college. The ones I've met through my boys. The ones who get me through tough times, listen to me complain about things, hang out on girls nights until the wee hours of the morning, lend a hand without thinking twice. You all know who you are.

The means to put a roof over our head, food on the table, a car in the driveway and still have a little bit to spend on ourselves and others.

A husband who works hard so that I can stay home and raise our children. Who does more than his fair share around the house. Who supports my decisions, no matter how crazy they may seem. Who never judges me when he comes home from work to find piles of laundry, dirty dishes, dusty cabinets, dog hair filled carpets, and me and the kids still in our PJs. Who reads my blog posts if I ask him to, even if it's the last thing he feels like doing. Who (usually) holds back his comments on my nine cartons of ice cream in the freezer.

Health. My health, my husband's health, my parents' health, my boys' health. Sure we all get sick and have our own minor issues. But for the most part my family has been blessed with really awesome health and immune systems.

NICU staff. I've already dedicated an entire post to this one, but I still feel the need to bring it up again. They are the ones who saved my baby's life, and they can't be thanked enough.

My appreciation of music, especially live musical theater. It's a part of who I am, and I am so thankful to have found a joy in life that I am truly passionate about and that just lives in my bones.

Teachers. Especially the ones who have been in my boys' lives so far. They certainly have patience that I don't have.

You. Yes, that's right. I am thankful for the people who read my blog. I started this blog as a way to share my parenting stories and experiences with my close friends and family, but it has grown into much more. I am very thankful to have followers, whether you just started following or have been following since my first post. It makes the time I spend blogging so much more rewarding.

I could go on and on, but I think I've covered the basics. I know there are millions of more things that I am thankful for, and I'm really hoping I'm not leaving something obvious out.

Happy Thanksgiving!

*In the spirit of Thanksgiving, "I Am Thankful For..." is a blog challenge I have decided to do during the month of November. Each day I will pick one thing that I am thankful for and blog about it. Obviously I am extremely thankful for the many things in my life I am blessed with, such as a wonderful family, my health and my family's health, great friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, and more. But this series is about all the other day-to-day things that I sometimes take for granted and that make life just a little bit better -- you know, the little things. To see a list of all the posts in this series, please click here.

I Am Thankful For...My Six Best 'Friends'

2012-11-19T14:57:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not talking about my really good friends who get me through the tough times and who listen to me whine, brag, complain, cry and yell about my kids (although I'm very thankful for them too!).

I'm talking about my other six best friends. The six friends who I have spent numerous hours with. Every Thursday night for ten years they entertained me with their humorous stories. In fact, you might even be familiar with them. Their names are Phoebe, Chandler, Rachel, Ross, Monica and Joey.

That's right. My 'Friends' have been a huge source of stress relief and humor for me. I own all ten seasons of the show, and I can always count on them to give me some good laughs.

In case you don't know them, allow me to introduce you:

Rachel

Ross

Monica

Chandler

Phoebe

And of course, Joey

So for six days I will be thankful for one 'Friend' each day. Because no one told me life was gonna be this way. Because my mother warned me there'd be days like these. For being there for me when the rain starts to pour. For being there for me because they've been there before. And now for getting their catchy theme song stuck in my head.

I Am Thankful For...Aunt Suzie

2012-11-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure it's common for kids to have imaginary friends. I remember having one as a kid. Her name was Cindy.

But Alec has taken a different approach to the imaginary friend. A few months ago, he informed me that he has 100 little kids. So for the past few months I have been listening to stories about his 100 little kids.

I haven't learned all of their names yet, but two of them are "Silly" and "Watermelon." One of them is also named "Mommy," which gets kind of confusing when Alec is talking to her. (Alec: "Mommy?" Me: "Yes, Alec?" Alec: "NO, I wasn't talking to you. I'm talking to my little kids!") Oh boy.

But last night at bedtime, I learned that we have some new additions to the family. In addition to Alec's 100 little kids, we now have a zillion elves in our house. This house is starting to get pretty full.

Alec told me that his favorite elf is "Aunt Suzie" because she puts blueberries on her nose. He also wanted her to sleep with him last night.

I'm not sure whether these elves are permanent additions to our family, or whether they're just here for the holiday season. Either way, today I will be thankful for Aunt Suzie for putting blueberries on her nose and for keeping Alec's creativity flowing.

I Am Thankful For...Babies, Bellies, Wind and Fruit Snacks

2012-11-13T20:16:00.000-05:00

Sometimes my boys crack me up just by talking to me. Here are two separate conversations I had with each of them today:

(My conversation with Alec this afternoon)
Alec: Mommy, when are you going to have a baby come out of your belly?
Me: Ummmm.
Alec: Will you have a baby come out of your belly soon?
Me: Well, I don't think I will have any more babies come out of my belly.
Alec: Why?
Me: Because there are no more babies in my belly.
Alec: But you could have someone put a baby in your belly.
Me: Do you know what would happen if another baby came out of my belly?
Alec: What?
Me: You would have another brother or sister, like Chase.
Alec: Wow!
Me: Would you like that?
Alec: Yes, I would. But it would have to be a girl because there are already three boys in our house and only two girls.

(My conversation with Chase in the car on the way to pick Alec up from school)
Chase: Mommy? I want to go to Hersheypark sometime.
Me: Ok, we can go there sometime.
Chase: Mommy? How do you blow the wind away?
Me: Well, the wind kind of blows itself away.
Chase: Mommy? I made a turkey at school.
Me: Good job, Sweetie. I can't wait to see it.
Chase: Mommy? I don't like coffee.
Me: I know. You'll probably like it when you're older.
Chase: Mommy? Go to sleep.
Me: I can't sleep now, I'm driving.
Chase: Mommy? Can I have fruit snacks?
Me: You can have some for a snack later.
Chase: Mommy? Pirates say "Arrr."

So today I am thankful for babies, bellies, wind and fruit snacks for providing very entertaining conversation topics for my children.

*In the spirit of Thanksgiving, "I Am Thankful For..." is a blog challenge I have decided to do during the month of November. Each day I will pick one thing that I am thankful for and blog about it. Obviously I am extremely thankful for the many things in my life I am blessed with, such as a wonderful family, my health and my family's health, great friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, and more. But this series is about all the other day-to-day things that I sometimes take for granted and that make life just a little bit better -- you know, the little things. To see a list of all the posts in this series, please click here.

I Am Thankful For...65 Degrees

2012-11-12T19:06:00.000-05:00

That's what the high temperature was here today. In November. It just doesn't get much better than that. Sixty-five degrees and sunny is my kind of November day.

I have to admit that I'm a tad jealous of people who live places where 65 degrees is a common November temperature. I would gladly sacrifice fall colors for higher temperatures. Because higher temperatures mean more outside play for the boys. And more outside play means that the boys are actually playing instead of beating up on each other. And the lack of beating up on each other means that Mom is happy. And everybody knows that when Mom is happy, everybody is happy.

So today I am thankful for 65 degrees, for making this mom very happy in November.

I Am Thankful For...Bleach

2012-11-11T15:27:00.000-05:00

I feel the need to begin this post with the disclaimer that I do not get paid to mention products in my blog. My blog isn't about reviewing products, and this is in no way an ad for Clorox (unless, of course, they would happen to read this and want to send me some money. In that case I would be happy to delete this disclaimer. Hey, I didn't say it couldn't be an ad for them...just that it isn't an ad for them...). I just happen to be extremely thankful for something their company provides. So anyway...

I recently saw a commercial for Clorox, and I just can't stop laughing at it. I've seen it a few times now, and every time I swear it gets funnier.

It starts with two dads chatting in a park, sporting their babies in carriers. One of the dad's older sons runs up to him, and, well I'll let you watch the rest...

I'm not sure what it is about this commercial that makes me laugh. Every. Single. Time. Maybe it's the way the dad talks about his minivan like it's as cool as Monday Night Football. Or maybe it's the fact that two dads are enjoying the kind of parenting situation that is often left for the moms to enjoy (it does kind of remind me of the time Chad found himself in a similar situation). Or maybe it's Teddy's "moves" at the end. Whatever it is, I am thankful for Clorox for providing me with a much needed laugh, over and over again.

*In the spirit of Thanksgiving, "I Am Thankful For..." is a blog challenge I have decided to do during the month of November. Each day I will pick one thing that I am thankful for and blog about it. Obviously I am extremely thankful for the many things in my life I am blessed with, such as a wonderful family, my health and my family's health, great friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, and more. But this series is about all the other day-to-day things that I sometimes take for granted and that make life just a little bit better -- you know, the little things. To see a list of all the posts in this series, please click here.

I Am Thankful For...My Oldest Child

2012-11-10T15:24:00.000-05:00

Long before Alec and Chase, came Chad's and my first-born child. She's now 10 years old, and she is by far the best behaved child.

She is the only other girl in the house, and she really does a good job putting up with her brothers.

She's always there for me if I need her, and she can tell when I'm having a bad day.

After the boys go to bed, she likes to snuggle with me on the couch and watch TV.

She never talks back, and she never throws tantrums.

She always lets me go to the bathroom in peace.

She never interrupts me when I'm talking on the phone or talking to Chad.

She loves animal crackers and cheese, but her absolute favorite food is vanilla ice cream.

And today I am thankful for her. I am thankful for Smidgen, our dachshund/rat terrier pup. So three "woofs" for Smidgen -- the oldest child, the best behaved child, the child who lets me pee in peace, and the other girl in the house.

I Am Thankful For...Sippy Cups

2012-11-09T10:35:00.000-05:00

Every night at dinner, the same thing happens. We sit down as a family, eat our meal, talk about our day, and Alec drops his cup on the floor. Every. Single. Night. It always happens at least once, but usually multiple times throughout the meal.

It's not that he's being careless (usually). He just always manages to bump it with his elbow, hand, head, spoon or who knows what else. I swear sometimes he doesn't even touch it. It just falls.

So for this reason, my almost-5-year-old still uses a sippy cup. I would love to give him a cup without a lid at the table, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of the sippy cup. The glorious sippy cup. The cup that can be dropped, shaken, tipped, held upside down and shot out of a rocket and would still not spill more than a measly drip. I don't know who invented this miraculous cup, but I would love to personally thank them.

At this rate, I think Alec might still be using a sippy cup when he graduates high school. Maybe they should make "ability to sit through a meal without dropping a cup, plate, bowl, fork or other eating utensil on the floor" a requirement for graduating. Who needs math or English? Let's focus on the important things here.

At some point I guess I will have to give in and deal with the spills like a responsible parent. But for now I will leave the responsibility of spills up to the sippy cup.

So today I am thankful for the sippy cup, for preventing spills by kids everywhere, one dropped cup at a time.

I Am Thankful For...Other People's Kids

2012-11-08T10:58:00.000-05:00

My kids have gotten into their share of mischief... There was the time Alec took a Sharpie to the brand new couch. Then there was the time that I found Chase hiding under the dining room table with an entire container of sprinkles and an entire container of bacon bits, some already eaten and the rest on the floor.

And I have no doubt that the worst is yet to come. But there are a few things that my boys have never done that make me feel like there just might be hope for them.

Like this:

Or this:

Or this (ok, maybe this one has happened, but it's really not that bad):

Or this:

So today I am thankful for other people's kids (particularly boys) who make me feel better about my own kids. Here's hoping that my boys never write on the dog, always pee on the right pot and never redecorate the family room.

And you thought I was joking about the bacon bits and sprinkles...

I Am Thankful For...Diane Sawyer

2012-11-07T09:59:00.001-05:00

As most of you know, there was this thing going on yesterday in the good old U.S.A. called an election. This means that for the past six months, my facebook news feed has been filled with everything Obama and Romney.

But today, for the first time in six months, my news feed was filled with something else. It was filled with Diane Sawyer.

No more statuses preaching about Obama or Romney (other than a few gloaters and a few moaners). Just a bunch of statuses about a possibly lit Diane Sawyer, mixed in with all the usual statuses of whose kids celebrated what birthday, photos of babies and puppies, and the always exciting statuses of what people had for breakfast.

So today I am thankful for the next three and a half years of a mostly political-free facebook news feed, starting with Diane Sawyer. Let's raise a glass to the inebriated news anchors of the world!

I Am Thankful For...SITSahs

2012-11-06T00:30:00.000-05:00

If you're not a blogger, specifically a female blogger, then you probably have no clue what I'm talking about. So what are these so-called "SITSahs" that I write of? SITSahs, otherwise known as SITS girls, are women who are part of a community of 40,000 female bloggers who support each other.

I joined this awesome group of ladies about six months ago, and I am so excited to report that today my blog is featured on their website! Who would have thought that out of 40,000 bloggers, I would be so lucky to have this awesome opportunity?!

This is a very exciting day for me and Mommy's Always Write because I have lots of great gals visiting my blog for the very first time. So to my SITSahs, I would like to say a great big welcome! Thank you all so much for your support over the last six months, especially today!

If this is your first time visiting my blog, I'd love for you to take a look around. I'm currently in the middle of my "I Am Thankful For" blog challenge, so if you scroll down my blog, you'll see that all my recent posts contain some trivial item that I am thankful for. My personal favorite is Day 2, where I was thankful for frozen peas.

If you want to get out of "Thankful Land," some of my other favorite posts include the one about my trip to the card store with my boys, the one where I share things that scare me as a mom, and the one about my Mother's Day picture. I promise most of my posts are a little more exciting than this one (at least I hope they are!).

I would also LOVE for you to "like" my facebook page. I share lots of fun and funny things on there related to being a mom, like this:

So thanks to everyone visiting my blog today, especially my SITSahs!

*In the spirit of Thanksgiving, "I Am Thankful For..." is a blog challenge I have decided to do during the month of November. Each day I will pick one thing that I am thankful for and blog about it. Obviously I am extremely thankful for the many things in my life I am blessed with, such as a wonderful family, my health and my family's health, great friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, and more. But this series is about all the other day-to-day things that I sometimes take for granted and that make life just a little bit better -- you know, the little things. To see a list of all the posts in this series, please click here.

I Am Thankful For...The Terrible Twos

2012-11-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

Do you know what I love about 2-year-olds? They aren't 1-year-olds. Or infants.

I love my boys now, and I loved them when they were babies. But the first two years of their lives were not my favorite times. Here are some things I don't miss about when my boys were under the age of two:

Teething
The "let me see how many times mom will pick up this toy when I throw it on the ground" game
A crying hungry baby
A crying tired baby
A crying teething baby
A crying wet baby
A crying mommy due to 10 hours of listening to a crying baby
Sweet potato spit-up
Teething
Drool
Feeling the need to have my entire house bubble-wrapped to prevent injuries to my wobbly child
The need to relocate every object in the house that is less than two inches in size to a high spot
The need to relocate every stool in the house so that the wobbly child will not attempt to reach the small objects that were moved up high
Did I mention teething?

So three cheers for the terrible twos! I'll take them any day over teething.

I Am Thankful For...The Number 7

2012-11-04T09:25:00.000-05:00

When I was younger, I used to love the day that we would set our clocks back an hour. It meant an extra hour of sleep! And what person wouldn't gladly welcome an extra hour of sleep? I'll tell you two people... A 2-year-old and a 4-year-old.

Now that I'm a parent of young children, I dread Daylight Savings Time. I don't care if it's starting or ending. I don't like any of it. In fact, I dislike it so much that it prompted one of my very first blog posts ever.

Last night (or really early this morning if you want to be technical about it), we were supposed to make our clocks "fall back" an hour. But the only falling back I wanted to be doing this morning was falling back to sleep. Unfortunately kids don't observe Daylight Savings Time. To them, 7:00 is the new 6:00.

But on the plus side, Alec is four now. And do you know what is great about 4-year-olds? They know their numbers.

We have taught Alec that when he wakes up in the morning, he needs to wait until he does not see the number 6 on the clock. So pretty much every morning (including this morning), when the clock turns to 7:00, Alec appears at the side of my bed. But he always waits until he sees that 7. Actually, it's kind of like having my own personal alarm clock.

So in just another year or so, I should be able to teach Chase the same thing. And maybe then I will once again be able to claim my extra hour of sleep.

So let's hear it for the number 7... For providing that extra hour of sleep to some of the people who need it the most!

I Am Thankful For...Grandparents

2012-11-03T12:12:00.000-04:00

Today's post is going to be super short. Why? Because the boys are off having fun at Pappy and Grammy's house.

And when the boys are at a grandparent's house, my house is very quiet.

And I don't have to listen to choruses of "he hit me first!" every ten minutes.

And I don't have to repeat the word "No" to the same question from one boy 78 times in one minute, while at the same time trying to answer the "Why" question from the other boy 42 times in that same minute.

And I can finish a cup of coffee while it's still hot.

And I can go out for that cup of coffee if I want to.

And.... wait, why am I still writing?

So today I am thankful for grandparents, who provide a temporary relief from the noise, the fighting, the whining and the cold coffee. Hooray for grandparents!

*In the spirit of Thanksgiving, "I Am Thankful For..." is a blog challenge I have decided to do during the month of November. Each day I will pick one thing that I am thankful for and blog about it. Obviously I am extremely thankful for the many things in my life I am blessed with, such as a wonderful family, my health and my family's health, great friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, and more. But this series is about all the other day-to-day things that I sometimes take for granted and that make life just a little bit better -- you know, the little things. To see a list of all the posts in this series, please click here.