Mommy Sasha

Family Affair

2009-09-29T10:31:00.004-04:00

We went to a surprise 40th birthday party for my cousin Kim, and we looked HAWT!!!!

Here are the cousins !!

Lots of FOOD and DRINKS !

I took home 2 Center Pieces

The night ended well with lots of SINGING!

Art ... Color of the Day is RED !

2009-09-24T15:34:00.003-04:00

Today was Art Class, and boy did he have a good time. He impresses me with how well he plays with the other children. He is kind and uses his manners. Every morning before class I take a few minutes as I am getting him dressed to go over the rules, I let him know what I expect from him and how he is supposed to act. I have made a game out of is, a guessing game of sorts. I ask him what he is allowed to do and he will reply behave, and I will ask what he is not allowed to do and he will say either hit or bite. As we walk next door we go over how he is to listen to the teacher and say please and thank you and not take any toys from the other children. So far so good! Tomorrow is music, he wants to play the drums.

Afterward we went to the park and played in the sprinklers. We had to add something for Emily to do, as she was such a good girl during class today.

Big Man Turned 13

2009-09-23T13:52:00.007-04:00

So Steve turned 13 a few weeks ago and refused a proper party, he wanted no presents (just cash lol ) no balloons no fanfare no nothing. So we invited over some family and friends for what I call Dinner Outside. I cooked a lot, we ate a lot and definitely LAUGHED A LOT

1st Audition

2009-09-23T13:42:00.004-04:00

Emily has her first audition, for a print ad campaign!! I can so see her on the box of a childrens toy !!!

Tumbling

2009-09-23T13:27:00.005-04:00

We had the pleasure of going our neighborhood kids group. Yesterday was our first day, he still hasn't stopped talking about playing with the "new" kids lolol

Party Over Here, Ain't Nothing Over There -Pic Heavy

2009-09-16T09:32:00.008-04:00

We hosted a Baby Shower Saturday Sept. 12th 2009. And had a blast! I have learned that no baby shower is complete without a fierce game of Charades !

We decorated Onsies for the baby to be.
I made the chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered oreos and Eliane and I made chocolate lollipops. Millie and I painted over 100 butterflies, we had butterfly picture frames, wind charms & sun catchers.
Elaine decorated the umbrella.
Now on to Charades!

Mikes card was sailboat.
Whatchu know about the standup worm!

Even the mommy to be got into it.

My hubby acting out a onsie!!

Midway through the babies couldn't hang.

The recession has hit the squirrels hard

2009-09-16T09:14:00.005-04:00

I as woken up from my nap by my oldest screaming there is a squirrel in the house. He was right, they ripped through my kitchen screen and stole some raisin bread. Apparently the island "squirrel lady" lost her job and hasn't been feeding them as often lately... Just my luck.

This is him.

I named him Sandys Bitch
He came back with a friend.... can you see him.

The funniest kid I know

2009-09-16T09:04:00.002-04:00

And she ROLLED !!

2009-09-16T08:55:00.002-04:00

This is what staying home is all about !!

Here is the setup

She's going.....Gone !!!!!!
Snack time!

Law & Order SVU: Hardwired

2009-09-16T08:28:00.005-04:00

My oldest had the absolute pleasure of being on the set of Law & Order SVU last week 9/09/2009. We received and email from his wrestling coach that a casting agency was looking for a few wrestlers as extras on an episode.
We were on set for about 6 hours and he had tremendous fun.. take a look at some of the pics.

Kitchen Sink

2009-07-19T13:35:00.004-04:00

Don't know about you, but I still bathe my 2 year old in the Kitchen Sink.

Yum loves to take a bath but hates going to the park sprinklers, something I don't understand. He loves washing up in the sink, especially during the hot humid weather.

Kolcraft Contour Tandem Stroller

2009-07-19T10:31:00.009-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to test drive a Kolcraft Contour Tandem Stroller. We received it this past Friday, and I immediately put it together and popped the kids in for a ride around the neighborhood.
I was asked to try it out for a week or two and fill out a pro/con type of survey. Which I will gladly do.
Pro:*Great looking stroller*Seats are spacious and can be turned either front or back with ease*The underside basket is HUGE, I was able to fit my double diaper bag, two grocery shopping bag sized bags of clothing. Along with other misc. items you need to bring a 2 year old to the park.*It was very easy to clean.*It was easy to push with one hand if needed.*It has great handles on the side for little ones to grab onto.*Hard to pop up the stroller to either get off of a curb or up onto the curb to get onto the sidewalk.
Cons:*While in the park I went to pop it up and move it to another location, one front wheel hit the curved leg of a picnic table and the wheel popped off.*While walking on what I thought was even ground, I hit a crack in the concrete and the hot coffee splashed out of my cup and had I had my oldest facing me it would have burned his shins. The coffee cup was a little less than 3/4 of the way full.*I took the stroller through mud, and the mud caked up the tires and made pushing more difficult. I believe there needas to be more room between the wheel itself and the frame part. Dried leaves also clogged up the space between the tires and the frame.
So far I think this stroller is perfect for strolls around the neighborhood, but definitely not for crowded areas, or more urban settings. If you live in an area where there are smooth streets with no curbs this stroller is perfect. But if you like me live in New York City, it stroller is great for a bit awkward to maneuver around.

Emily Came

2009-07-19T10:13:00.007-04:00

Emily has joined our family. She was welcomed on June 21st, 2009 - the absolute best gift I could have possibly given the hubby. And a not so shabby present to Yum Yum and Sporty.
Today she is exactly 4 weeks old, and I barely remember life without her little face. Yum is amazing with her always looking for her and when he doesn't find her in the usual places he asks,"Where's the baby? Where is Embilly?" and when he does find her he yells."It's ok Mommy,I find her!"

It's Been A While

2009-07-14T13:24:00.002-04:00

I intend to give this blog the attention it deserves...

Giveaways that need to be screamed out loud

2009-04-20T11:22:00.002-04:00

I came across thsi great site this morning Sageandsavvy.com they have a huge amount of giveaways. Unfortunatly some of them are coming to an end pretty soon, but I am confident they will have more giveaways soon enough.

Personally I am signing up for them all and will be sitting around with my fingers and arms crossed, hoping that I win something.

I have entered the following contests through Sageandsavvy.com by clicking here.

Rockingbabysling.com . This company is offering some amazingly designed and cordinated patterned slings and pouches. And for anyone living on Roosevelt Island you have seen me carrying Yum on my chest from near birth. And have heard me talk about how easy and comfortable it is. Rockingbabysling.com has great prices and even offers organic fabrics. This contest ends April 26th.

The ERGObaby carrier - which I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE, I was lucky enough to have a friend who had several of these and she loaned me one or two when I wanted a change in carrier style. I found that this type of carrier is far more superior compared to other buckle/snap carrier models, I am sure it has to do with the construction and quality of fabric. The ERGObaby carrier in my opinion is an absolute must have on your list of babywearing items.

Party Zone

2009-04-20T11:03:00.004-04:00

We had a great kids party one April 11th - Yum had the time of his life simply playing with his cousins and friends.

Enjoy the photos!

Time has flown.....

2009-04-20T10:52:00.004-04:00

On April 4th my youngest turned 2 years old. I cannot believe it. After having my oldest son at the young age of 17 and working like a dog to keep us off of public assistance, I never thought I would have more children. Especially as Sporty got older and older, I kind of thought of having another child as a regression rather than a progression.

Anyway after meeting hubby and falling head over heels in love with him, and knowing he wanted children of his own. We planned a child together. Who knew that 2 months later, several days of debating and about 8 home pregnancy tests. I would leave a nervous voicemail message letting him know that he will be a daddy in a few months.

Yum Yum has been nothing but smiles, fun and loving feels from day one. And he continues to be as happy and healthy as he always was. He is one of the most content kids I have ever met. I call him water child not because he loves the bath (which he does) but because he simply goes with the flow.

We planned a large kiddie party in a party place for the week after his actual birthday, but received some backlash from some adults in our families who wanted to celebrate his birthday with him also. So we decided on having a house party - extremely simple- pizza and cupcakes.

Yum received the greatest gift ever - a Diego book bag. It was the first present he opened, when seeing what it was he promptly announced "Okay, no more presents!!!" I nearly peed my pants because he got all red and started shaking with excitement the then ran to his toy shelf and started stuffing all of his little toy figurines into the book bag. It was hysterical to watch.

It turned out great. Enjoy the pics.

Long Month Run Down

2009-04-20T10:47:00.002-04:00

The last month has been a complete blur for me. We planned two birthday parties for our littlest one. One for adults who wanted to help him celebrate and the other for the children in the family.

Had lots of family drama ( my family that is)..... I believe that family is amazing and is unconditional. BUT you do not have to like your family as a whole or even in lumps, take each individual as they are.

Then there was Easter Sunday. To be done at my house. The invite when out as following DINNER WILL BE SERVED PROMPTLY AT 6PM....... So please ask me why the in-laws showed up at 8:30pm ON A SUNDAY. Knowing that DH wakes up at 4:30 AM to go to work. Then did not leave until a little after midnight.

I will be posting pics in the next few entries.

Sweets For The Sweets..Mmmm Cupcakes

2009-03-02T21:28:00.008-05:00

I am blaming my pregnancy for my new founded obsession with cupcakes. I have spent countless hours sitting in front of my computer looking at beautifully described and amazingly decorated cupcakes.
I have been dreaming of cupcakes, waking up to the smell, creating my own cupcake flavor and filling combos.
I signed up for Wilton Cake Decorating classes at a not to near Michaels craft store, just to learn how to properly ice and decorate cakes. Classes start this weekend and I am excited to attended.
I have to remember to call ahead to ask if I can take my camera to the lessons to document my progress.
Just look at these photos I found browsing cupcake sites and blogs. This woman is amazing, I aspire obtain 1/4 of the expertise she has. Check out her site at HelloNaomi and you can tease your taste buds by looking at her here on Flickr .......

And look at these amazing COOKIES.................

Is Thirty Really That Bad

2009-03-02T21:09:00.006-05:00

We had a birthday bash for a friend of ours this weekend, she turned 30. She was pretty down about it, and I don't quite understand why.

I will be thirty in a few months, I am carrying my third child and am in love with where I am at in life.

When I pulled her aside and asked her what she really was thinking she couldnt describe her feelings. So I simply said hey we are great mothers to great kids who have thought we were way beyond 30 ever since they learned how to count and thought there were 100 people in the world. She laughed and seemed to lighten up.

Being the only pregnant and sober person at the gathering didn't seem so bad when I realized that I was just as crazy sober as some of these people were when they were two sheets to the wind. Have fun looking at some of our pics...

We come from near and far, upper class and lower class, but nothing matters when we need each other.
Above is a picture of my cousin Danielle AKA Bootsie, she recently lost over 130lbs. I am ooh soo proud of her.
This is the most amazing man I have ever met in my life, if I had the ability to clone him I would. Then pass him out to every woman I saw. I am glad he is in my life because not only do I love him dearly - but because I deserve him.

Yes I know I have the balance of a FLAMINGOOOOOO...

Cake Decorating Anyone

2009-02-25T17:28:00.007-05:00

The last few weeks has really revolved around cooking and baking for me. Not that I am complaining, I am just shocked that I actually found the time to fit in a few Red Velvet cakes, almost 60 cupcakes, a few cobblers and an apple pie. Along with only having to cook 3 days and having almost 3 weeks worth of food either on standby in the fridge for heat and serve or in the freezer to pop in the oven when needed.

I am actually enjoying the time that I have created for myself, I am working on my own butt crease in our sofa!

Anyway since I have had so much fun baking I decided I would like to see about broadening my horizons in the pastry field. I was thinking of acquiring some decent cookie cutters, more baking dishes and moulds, maybe a lazy susan some spatulas and other odds and ends to make my baking a bit easier and more enjoyable.

So browsing around I came across Michaels craft site and they are offering 50% off during the month of March for a 4 week course in cake decorating. For a the very small fee of $22.50 I have signed up and I cannot wait.

I have found myself day dreaming of fondant and buttercream frosting, moist German Chocolate cake with a creamy Hazelnut filling......... ahhh I cannot wait until March 7th.
I'll let you know how it works out!

Planning a Baby Party

2009-02-25T10:56:00.003-05:00

I am currently 24 weeks pregnant with my last child yet my first girl. And hubby and I decided on throwing a Non-Baby Shower - Baby Shower. We are not looking for gifts or money, we are simply looking to celebrate our new baby to be and our first girl.

So I have decided on throwing a Hello Kitty Themed Party. I want it to be a girly party with a Baby To Be twist.I have decided to only decorate the tables in the HK Motif, using HK tablecovers and HK Mylar balloon center pieces that I will make myself. The rest of the room will be decorated in crepe paper streamers, and balloons in cordinating colors. And I am currently scouring the internet to get a HK customized banner made that would read Emily To Be Party.

Between our family and friends list tops out at about 50 adults and around 17 children. So it will be a decent sized party to plan. I am planning on serving a wide variety of finger foods and appetizers. Cheese and cracker platters, finger sandwiches, Tomato and fresh mozzarella platter, cold cut platter, fruit platters maybe get a 6-7ft Italian/American hero, with potato salad & macaroni salad sides, maybe some buffalo wings, etc. So that it will be a lite party not one of those heavy sit down buffet style parties.

I am hoping it turns out the way I have it pictured in my head, I will keep updating as things progress.

The years fly by...

2009-02-25T10:40:00.003-05:00

Yum Yum is going to be 2 in a few weeks, and I swear I just had him yesterday.

Currently we are planning 2 birthday parties for him, one in the apartment and the other in a Party Zone kids play place.

We tried to get around the two parties but realized if we have one big one (meaning all who we know - family and close friends = 50 people not including kids), it would cost way more than having two smaller ones.

We decided to split up the parties a family orientated party at the house with aunts, uncle and older cousins. Making this party semi pot luck. So that our older famiy memembers and friend without children can come and help us celebrate his day.

And then for family and friends with children under 7 (there are 15 kids in our family alone under 7) we will have a party in the Party Zone. I am appreciating the Party Zone, simply because all I have to do is show up at the appointed time and leave by a certain time. No hassels with setting up or cleaning up. I am a guest at my own party, I get all the glory of seeing my baby play with his friends and family.I don't even have to keep my eye trained on him because3 young girls look after the kids, climbing through the jungle gym and organizing games with the children. I can sit and be pretty with my big ol' pregnant belly.

Now for the house party mmmmmmmm Not to excited, I have to clean & decorate, and stock up the fridge with juices and soda. I then have to hope people arrive and leave by a decent time, then I have to clean again.

Got Teeth !

2009-02-25T10:24:00.004-05:00

So this past weekend Sportys dad came to pick him up for one of their boys nights out. I am pretty proud of his dad because after many years of simply being a bump on a log, he is finally becoming one with being a real daddy. He is in constant contact with Sporty on a daily basis, whether through myspace, phone calls or texting. I am happy after many years of telling him that he is missing out on an amazing kid, that he is now realizing how lucky we are that God gave him to us. Even though we were both too young and immature to have a baby. We got the best pick!

Anyway, He comes over friday and while we are sitting in the livingroom waiting for Sporty to get Spiffy, I swear this kid is a little too into his looks. He came out at least 5 times to ask if he looked out, to the point I yelled at him, "DUDE, your going out in the dark (it was about 6:30pm) you are going to sit in a dark theatre for 2+ hours then you are going to an arcade! No one will notice that your blacks are two different colored blacks!!!!!"
Sports dad and I started talking about his grade and his behavoir, to which I have no real complaints he is in the 86% in school and he is always home by curfew. I did however ask his dad to speak to him about his attitude ( which I know at 12 y/o it is only normal). I said that Sports attitude and the way he talks to his brother, me and hubby sometimes makes me want to knock his head through a wall.
To this Sports dad replies -with an attitude himself I might add - well what do you expect he has OUR ATTITUDES!!!!!
I glared at him and said, "Fuck that, it happens again and he will have NONE OF OUT TEETH!!!!

Superbowl Weekend

2009-02-03T12:32:00.003-05:00

So this past Sunday was an All American Blast, with the Superbowl happening.I had about 12 people over for snacks and finger food and it was an absolute blast, the only real problem I had is that I left both of my cameras at my aunts house in New Jersey the night before, and had to rely on a friend to take photos.

We had a great spread, I made my family famous fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese and a tuna macaroni salad that was literally made up on the spot (and was oooh soo awe some) for the snacking part I had a mini taco bar set up with some borrowed fondue pot to keep the melts cheese for the tacos and nachos nice and melty, and a spread of all kinds of toppings for the taco meat. It was a nice looking table and cost me very little since most of the ingredients could be bought when on sale and are either freezable or shelf stable.

I still have no idea who won or how or why for that matter because I am much more of a food fan than I am a football or any other sports fan for that matter. And I spent most of my time in the kitchen with my girlfriends gossiping and talking baby and kids talk than I did sitting in the living room with the men fold.

I am currently waiting for my friend to send me the photos she took so that I can post them here.