Who Wants A Hundred Bucks?

Who doesn't, am I right?!

Well, I'm not giving you a hundred smackeroos. I'm Broke.

Uh-huh, with a big 'ol capital B.

But what I am doing is hosting the BlogHer $100 Question! BlogHer has asked me to supply them with a question and all you have to do is visit my post on their site, sign in or register, and answer my question in the comment section (make sure your contact email is up-to-date). You have until 5 p.m., Thursday, August 26, to be eligible and then the great ladies at BlogHer will enter all the comments into a randomizer and choose one lucky winner! You can read the official rules here.

That's easier than hitting that Staples button. Because really, who even owns one of those? And the best part of all of this? It won't cost me a cent.

LOOOOOVE that!

Now, you are probably thinking, "What's the question, ALREADY?!" Okay, keep your shirt on!

Sheesh.

Do you truly LIKE your children's friends?

Loaded question, I know. But don't worry, I won't out you, I promise. *fingers crossed behind my back*

I generally love children they taste great on a cracker or in a good hearty stew. That being said, YES, I do truly like my children's friends. I guess I'm lucky that my kid's friends are all pretty good eggs. Now, don't get me wrong, we've had our fair share of issues, but for the most part they don't bug me too much are polite and well behaved. They spend a lot of time at my house so I can spy on them keep an eye on things. They know that if they step into my home, they are going to follow my rules, no matter what they may be allowed to do at home. Or I'll beat them. They are scared shitless of me know I have no problem speaking to them if they break a rule and also know, that if they don't like it, well, I'll be throwing their little asses out there's the door, don't let it hit you in the butt on your way out!

So, what about you? Tell BlogHer and I what you're thinking.

It could win you some moolah!

During Our Summer......

We Vacationed,

Enjoyed Ice Cream,

Created,

and Celebrated.

We (glitter) Tattooed,

Marveled at Nature,

and Did a Little Fishin'.

We Slipped

and We Slided.

We Dove,

Floated,

Cooled Off,

And just had a ball!

So, What Did You Do?

I Must Just Be A Poor Guesser

Mr. Schmitty and I don't get out much. Babysitters are hard to come by and money is tight. Like us, many of our friends and neighbors are in the same boat.

So, instead of everyone hanging out in front of their own televisions on a Saturday night, we've all decided to get together periodically for game night.

Our game of choice has been Pictionary.

As the children watch the adults make fools of themselves by displaying their victory dances in the faces of their opponents after a win. And as they witness the loud laughter and obnoxious taunting that takes place between the two teams, they begin to whine, "We want to play!!"

A few nights ago, I visited the local Toys R Us and purchased Pictionary Junior.

Hooray for mom!

Mr. Schmitty was scheduled to work an all-nighter. I was to be home alone with the kids all night. What a perfect time to break out the new board game.

As is customary, the teams were girls vs. the boys.

R. was doing pretty well with guessing my drawings. I was actually getting pretty lucky and getting mostly animals, which no matter how poorly drawn, were simple enough to figure out.

Next came my daughter's turn to draw. Now, mind you, she is only 6. She is just beginning to read, so many clues needed to be whispered in her ear by W., as I sat with my fingers in my ears yelling, "La la la la la!"

She grabbed her pencil and the timer was flipped.

She drew a big black circle and colored it in. Then she added a teeny head and some legs.

"A bug!" I yelled. She smiled and shook her head.

"A beetle!" "An ant!" She kept shaking her head.

"A Ladybug!!" Her smile grew and I threw my hand up to give her a high five.

"Time's up!" Shouted W. "Mom, that's not a ladybug, that's not even close to what she had to draw!"

I looked at him, quite puzzled.

"She had to draw a raisin!"
I looked at R. and asked, "Why did you put a head and legs on a raisin?"

"I drew a ladybug."

"But you HAD to draw a raisin."

"Well, I didn't want to, I wanted to draw a ladybug!"

After explaining that she needed to draw what the clue was, we continued.

A few rounds later, it was R.'s turn to draw again. The timer was flipped and she began. I looked down and saw this:


"A cloud!" "Smoke!" "Steam!" "Black!" "Gray!"

She just kept shaking her head.

"Time's up!"

"R. what was it?" I asked.

"A black widow spider!"

A raisin she gives a head and legs but a spider? Nah, THAT she decides doesn't need any.

Meet Robin

This is Regifting Robin. I was introduced to her today in my email. She resides here and she has a little game for you to play.

I must warn you that she may drive you slightly batty. If you are like me, you will play again and again, all the while trying to outwit her.

But you can't. It is impossible. She WILL prevail each and every time. (Unless of course, you can't subtract a single digit from a double digit accurately. Then you are just dumb, like me, who swore I had prevailed. That is until I realized that 16 - 7 does NOT equal 8.)

So, I stopped trying to win (and do basic math) and took a look at the whole picture. I figured out the trick. It's quite simple actually.

Can you see it?

My Secret Santa Rocks!

So the other day I received a package in the mail. I had been anxiously waiting for it. And now it was here!!

My gift from my Secret Santa.

Georgie from Decisionally Challenged hosted a Secret Santa Soiree. Isn't she creative, clever, and awesome?! It was so much fun.

My SS was Lynn (The Piggy Bank Painter - check out her adorable work at Korff Ceramic Originals) from After The Dust Settles.

Days ago, Georgie revealed the list of Secret Santas, so I really have no way of proving this, but along with my little sleuths (W., T., and R.) I had already cracked the case and figured out who done it.

As always, my nosy curious kiddos were on me like flies to poop, when they saw the package come in the mail. You know, because they think EVERYTHING is for them. "What do you mean, it's for YOU, mom?"

I told them to chill back the hell up be patient, as they tried to rip claw help me open the box.

Sheesh!

Inside, we found this:


You could feel the excitement in the air! I began smacking hands away as they all wanted a piece of the action.

I pulled the tissue paper out of the gift bag first.


There were many gifts, individually wrapped in tissue paper. First, my absolute FAV-OR-ITE candy in the whole, wide world - Ferrero Rocher!!! Yum-OOOOOOO! Next, an Apple Pie scented candle. LOVE IT! Next this cool little Reading Ring Bookmark. And then a cozy pair of gloves, which I SO needed. Around the pair of gloves was a beautiful, I am assuming handmade (because that Lynn is just so crafty), Christmas beaded bracelet.

But wait....that's not all. There was also another package, wrapped in, of course, Santa paper.


How sweet of my Secret Santa to include The Schmitty Kids! They went nuts when they saw this:


Isn't that just the cutest? Lynn, you are so talented! The kids immediately placed the plate on the coffee table in anticipation of a visit from 'ole Mr. Claus. (If only I could get those cookies baked!)

"Who sent this wonderful gift?" we all thought aloud.

A clue; the gift tags had a picture of a pig. Hmmm. Sounds familiar to me. Then, because he's smarter than me, W. turned over the Cookie Plate.

"Mom, this is from Lynn!" he exclaimed.

That's my boy, a regular Sherlock Holmes.

Thank you so much Lynn. I love my gifts. Oh, and my children wanted me to give you this message:

Leave No Child Indoors

"American children, ages 3 to 12, spend 27 percent of their time with electronic media, 1 percent outdoors.

The average American 2-year-old spends more than four hours a day with electronic devices, and 29 percent have a television in their room.

Unstructured activities account for 30 minutes a week.

Half of all American children will be overweight by 2010.

And by the way, did you know that 80 percent of the Ritalin in the world is consumed in the United States, mostly by kids?"

All of the above statistics were quoted in an article published by a local newspaper. I received this link today from my friend and neighbor who attended the conference - "Leave No Child Indoors: Nature in the Lives of Young Children".

The speaker, Ken Finch, an environmental educator from Omaha, Nebraska, points out that children today are not left to be, just that; children.

"Childhood is not about cognitive learning, it's about play," he says. "The good news: We're starting to understand this.

"The other good news: Kids haven't changed. It's there innately, the love of nature. But it has to be activated."

The man is completely on target. I know with my own children, they some times get so caught up in video games, television, and iPods that I almost have to throw them out into the fresh air.

Do you remember when you were a kid? I know when I was young, I was out from morning until dark. I didn't go home, except for meals. We climbed trees, biked, roller skated, played tennis and baseball, and we formed teams for manhunt. We got dirty.

Look outside your window on a sunny day. You don't see that, do you? I've commented more than once that kids just don't do those things, as much, anymore. Instead they will play baseball using a controller and a television set.

Now, I like my computers and my electronic devices too. I understand the appeal of technology. What I also understand, after thinking about this article, is that I too have forgotten about getting out into the fresh air. I've gotten lazy and too dependant upon my gadgets. I need to take my children and go for a hike. Dig for earthworms. Work up a sweat. And interact with nature.

So, who's with me?

Secret Santa Soiree

My friend Georgie has come up with a fantastic idea. If you love Christmas as much as I do, you will be thrilled to jump on board. It is going to be so much fun!

She is hosting the Secret Santa Soiree. What is this, you ask? Well, I'm going to tell you.

Simply put, it is a holiday gift exchange. You buy for someone and someone else buys for you. But shhhhhhh....it's a secret. No telling who you have because you want to keep them guessing!

What a fabulous way to celebrate with our bloggy friends. I am SO loving this!

So, what are you waiting for? Click on the button below to get the 411.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

A Fun Day Was Had By All

Every year at my son's school, the 4th grade is given a day of fun, at the end of the school year. It's the 4th grade celebration party. It is the kid's last year at the school, as they will be attending the middle school in September.

Two moms and I were the committee chairs. We have been working for months to plan the day. All of the parents were invited to attend the meetings to help out. The sad thing is, the biggest turn out at a meeting was 5 parents and there are 77 kids in the 4th grade class. Most meetings we were lucky to have 2 parents show up. So, most of the planning came from the 3 of us.

I'm a control freak, so that was just fine with me. Hee Hee

This is how the day went.

9:00 am: At school, the kids were each given a bag containing a t-shirt (that I designed), sunglasses, a bandanna (there were 8 different colors handed out which divided the kids into teams), and scented bubbles.

9:15 am: The teams were placed together and with a volunteer mom (thankfully moms missed meetings but came to help at the party) and their teachers they walked the few blocks to the local park, blowing bubbles as they went.

9:25-10 am: Everyone had bagels, munchkins, water and juice for breakfast. The kids then used face paint crayons and put their "War Paint" on. This pumped them up for the games.

10-12 pm: The teams were sent to compete in 4 different games. There were two teams at every game. Every half hour a whistle was blown and they changed stations. There was kickball (Mr. Schmitty was running that) and an obstacle course which included the kids dressing up as clowns to run it. We also had 2 water games to keep the kids cool. We had the overhead sponge pass. The kids lined up and the first person in line soaked a sponge in water and passed it overhead to the team member behind him. The sponge was passed all the way back to the last person who then squeezed the remaining water into a bucket and then ran to the front to begin again. The winning team was the first to fill the bucket. The second game, I ran, was Drip, Drip, SPLASH! Think of Duck, Duck, Goose with a sponge and water. You drip the sponge over heads and when you choose the person you want to chase you, you squeeze the water over their head, yell, "SPLASH", and take off around the circle. I demonstrated the game with one of the teams. I guess they didn't think this old mama would actually run. The kids were hysterical and you know what? I still got it, the boy never caught me! HA!

W.'s team was the last I had and when the game was over he and I grabbed the sponges and had a water fight. He and I were having a blast. This is what it is ALL about!

12 pm: Pizza, chips, and drinks. The kids had a little down time in the shade.

12:45 pm: Team and class pictures. While I secretly set them up for the next activity.

1 pm: We lined them up next to each other and the parents and teachers lined up a few feet behind them. We told them they could not turn around. We told them to count to 3 and then we all sprayed them with Silly String. It was priceless...they were taken by complete surprise. We then told them that if they wanted to get us back they had to run down the field where we had placed bags of Silly String for them. They took off like maniacs. They came at us all with a vengeance. They had the most fun, I think, getting the teachers!

1:30 pm: The Weaser Italian Ice truck came and handed out ices. We also had watermelon, cupcakes, brownies, and cookies.

2 pm: We gave each kid a gym bag with the town name on it, which they can use for school next year, a beach ball, a couple of coupons for local merchants (Free McDonald's fries!), a class of 2008 tattoo, a music cd (we had polled them on their favorite songs and I burned the cds. A class pic was on the cover), and a coupon for a slideshow with music cd that will be made from the pictures taken during the day (one of the dad's took 1000 pictures that I will make into the slideshow).

2:15 pm: The kids all thanked us with smiles on their faces as they began their walk back to school.

It was a fantastic day!!

My Hard Work Paid Off

My son's school had their annual PTA Installation Dinner and Chance Auction last Friday night. PHEW! It's finally O-V-E-R!

I am on the committee that runs the auction. I am a complete lunatic every year as there is SO much work to be done for this event. It's our biggest fundraiser. I am in charge of designing and sending out about 500 invitations and response cards, the table seating cards, and various theme related items. I also solicit donations for the gift baskets. To top that all off, I was the chairperson this year for the Ad Journal. That meant soliciting for monetary donations from local businesses and having them place an ad in our program book. I also had to put the book together with the night's schedule, the gift basket list, various thank you notes, and the ads. It was sheer craziness.

Yesterday I finished all of my thank yous to the generous contributors. I am officially done with this year's event!

The night was a big success. We raised a lot of money and I totally kicked butt in the prize department!! I think they may just ban me from going next year.

My loot included: A golf bag and golfing accessories. A basket with various gift cards (i.e. Dunkin Donuts, Panera Bread, Borders Books, etc.). A gymnastics birthday party for 12 at a local gymnastics place and an ice cream cake. 2 Tickets to see Pat Benetar in concert this Friday night! A gift basket from Montessori Academy with play-doh sets, Montessori t-shirts, and $250.00 off tuition (Miss R. may be going there next year. BTW, I won this same basket last year for T. to attend!). And I won the American Girl Doll of the Year, Mia.

How is that for luck?!

I am taking next week off from everything. My son is on spring break. Mr. Schmitty is on vacation. We need some serious family fun. I won't work, I may not blog. It's going to be fun, fun, FUN! We are planning a few day trips. We are going to go to Philly for two days where we will spend some time in the hotel pool, get room service, visit the zoo. The kids are SO excited. We haven't told them yet, but I think we are going to Six Flags Great Adventure one day as well. My neighbor and friend may meet us there with her kids. They are 9, 7, and 3, which will be perfect for pairing up for rides. It's going to be a great surprise!

Now....off to book that hotel room!

Kids, please dial 911

The kids had me hopping yesterday. My 9 year old niece, C., was staying with us for the day and she was also spending the night. Mr. Schmitty was working, so I was in charge of my brood, C., and a neighbor's kid.

It was a gorgeous day. It was sunny and warm. The kids were really good and we had a fun time.

I just wish I faced facts that I'm not 20 anymore!

I.AM.A.FORTY.ALMOST.FORTY.ONE.YEAR.OLD.WOMAN! I am also twice the woman I was when I was 20, literally!

I played basketball against W. I did pretty good, I must say. I was always an athletic girl, back in the day, so I held my own against my 9 year old. I guess I was feeling pretty spry because then I took to racing the kids.

We were to race down the sidewalk to the neighbor's driveway and back. I started running, and well, any of you that have pushed babies out, might understand this, I almost peed myself. I had to stop before I completely left a puddle on the cement. Plus the ankles weren't feeling too great with the force of my weight bearing down on them like that.

I stuck to being the, "on your mark, get set, go" person.

After the racing was over, I spied my son's skateboard. Fool, I know you are thinking, and ye shall be correct! I told myself, "I'll just take it slow, it will be fine. No fancy stuff, I'll just step on it with one foot and push a little."

HOLY CRAP!

Need I tell you that my completely stupid attempt could have ended with very tragic results!

Thank goodness I have enough junk in my trunk to cushion that fall! I just hope the neighbors didn't see, I'm afraid I'm going to wind up on YouTube.

I Can't Get Enough

Git yer mind outta the gutter!

I joined Netflix a few months ago and though I am a HUGE movie buff, I find myself adding different TV series to my queue. I started off with the second season of Weeds, very funny show. Then I watched 4 of the 5 seasons of Nip/Tuck. That Julian McMahon....let's just say HUBBA HUBBA! I can't wait until season 5 is released in June to continue that droolfest.

I then moved on to The Shield. I heard such great things about this show but for some reason I couldn't get past the first couple of episodes.

I needed something to replace that, hmmmmm... Ahhhh Haaaa....I heard that Lost was great so I added that to my Netflix waiting list. Why didn't anyone tell me about this show? I have been missing out for 4 years! I was hooked after the first 20 minutes. Lost is like, like....my daily fix. Never mind recreational drugs...no, no, just give me a couple of DVDs of that show and I'm good to go.

Every night at around 7:30, I start watching the clock. Only a half an hour until the kids go to their rooms for the night. I practically throw them in their beds, kiss their foreheads, and run to my bedroom carrying my little red envelope. I rip it open, pop that shiny, silver disc into the player, hop into bed with my cup of tea, and get lost in watching Lost.

And can I ask? How do so many gorgeous people get marooned on an island together? And so far, I've only seen minimal S-E-X going on. Well, minimal when you think about the hotness of the castaways. You think they'd be like rabbits, lookin' the way they do.

I can't decide who I'd rather feast my eyes on - Sawyer, Jack, or Sayid. Sawyer reminds me of an old flame. One who made my heart pound every time he walked in a room. Jack, very, very cute, though not really my type. Sayid, there is just something about him. His eyes just draw you in. And I've never seen anyone who seems to smile by only using his eyes.

I tell you, I would NEVAH get off that island. Even Kate and Sun would be a distraction and I don't even play that side of the fence!

Well, I only have an hour and forty minutes until Season 2, Disc 6. I've got to get prepared. Ciao!

I normally hate the stuff....

...But it's snowing, it's friday, and SCHOOL IS CLOSED!
It's our first REAL snowfall all year!
I'm going out to build me a snowman with pecs, abs, and all....well not all, this is a kid-friendly neighborhood, you know!

My 40th And A Half Year And 18th Day Birthday Celebration!

Back in April I turned 40. I was suppose to have a nice mom weekend away with my best friend to celebrate. It never happened due to some plague the Schmitty household was infected with.

Well last night was a make-up night out. My best friend, sister-in-law, a friend of my sister-in-law, and I went to the Daughtry/Bon Jovi concert. Now, I am a HUGE fan of Daughtry, he's my boyfriend, you know. I even have his picture plastered on my wall by my computer. Okay, I am robbing the cradle, but so what? I can dream can't I? He's just such a great singer and quite yummy too.

I also think Mr. Bon Jovi is quite easy on the eyes. He actually is getting better with age. And let me tell you, he looks mighty fine in those black jeans he wears on stage! *Fanning myself*

So get this, we arrived at the concert and couldn't find our section. We passed section 7 and then the lounge and then got to section 9. Where did section 8 go? Our section was MIA. We asked at the entrance to the lounge. Section 8 was through the lounge....OH YES, how convenient was this? We pause for drinks as we make way to our seats in rows 22 and 23.

The usher took our tickets and put them in his pocket. He pulled out a small stack of tickets from a different pocket and handed 4 to us. WHAT?! What's going on? My SIL, began arguing with him. "SHUSH!" I said. He's giving us BETTER seats!! So from rows 22 and 23 of the first level we moved on down to the 1st row of the first level!! In my honest opinion, we had a better view than most of the floor seats because we were a little higher up. WE COULD SEE THE SWEAT ON JON BON JOVI'S BROW!! How awesome is that?

Both sets were amazing. We were dancing and screaming like teenagers. I had the best time. We even got some free drinks from an older gentleman that was being VERY generous with the female patrons at the bar. Sweet guy, but he's gonna be pissed when he gets his Visa bill next month!

Though I think not as pissed as he probably was if he hooked up with the blonde at the bar. He was chatting up the fair haired one and buying shots of some clear liquid. Suddenly the blonde hair was tucked behind an ear and the face was turned our way. I almost spit out my beer. I turned to my friend and said, "That's a dude!" No.Doubt.In.My.Mind.

So here is my weak attempt at a poem-like dedication to that lovely couple using Bon Jovi's song list from last night:

LAST NIGHT you were BORN TO BE MY BABY. We drifted off the LOST HIGHWAY, the SUMMERTIME an old MEMORY. OLDER than you, WHO SAYS it's BAD MEDICINE? IT'S MY LIFE and WE GOT IT GOIN' ON. Let's RUNAWAY this SATURDAY NIGHT, ANY OTHER DAY just won't do. RAISE YOUR HANDS and say a PRAYER, I'll be all you've ever WANTED. LAY YOUR HANDS ON ME...whoa...hold on Nellie! Is that a roll of quarters in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? I'll be the LAST MAN STANDING cause you give love a BAD NAME, so....HAVE A NICE DAY!

He's A Keeper

The Schmitty household is definitely into the Halloween spirit. I love Halloween, it's right up there with Christmas for me. Autumn is my favorite time of year and October, my favorite month. The weather is perfect, the colors, and everything to do with the preparation and execution of trick or treating. I.JUST.LOVE.IT!

Yesterday I got out my decorations from the crawl space and purchased some new ones from "Tarjay"; the foam pumpkins, the skeleton hands, the skull, our very eerie floating ghoul, my giant spider, and cobwebs galore. I was a decorating fiend. The yard looks awesome.

To round out the festive night, we decided that we would be the first to "Phantom" our neighbors. For those of you who may not know about the Phantom, let me explain. First you get a treat bag and place a few pieces of candy in it. Then you decorate said bag. Next, draw a picture of a ghost and place this in the bag with the candy. Then include this poem:

THE PHANTOM HAS COME TO TOWN
TO LEAVE THE GOODIES YOU HAVE FOUND
IF YOU DO NOT WISH THE CURSE TO FALL
YOU MUST CONTINUE THE “PHANTOM” CALL

FIRST, POST THIS PHANTOM WHERE IT CAN BE SEEN
AND LEAVE IT THERE TILL THIS HALLOWEEN
THIS WILL SCARE OTHER PHANTOMS AWAY
BE SURE TO PARTICIPATE – DON’T DELAY!

SECOND, MAKE TWO TREATS, TWO PHANTOMS
AND TWO NOTES LIKE THIS
DELIVER THEM TO TWO NEIGHBORS
WHO MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED
DON’T LET THEM SEE YOU, BE SNEAKY, NO DOUBT
AND MAKE SURE THEY PUT THEIR PHANTOM GHOST OUT!

NEXT, YOU HAVE ONLY ONE DAY TO ACT, SO BE QUICK
LEAVE IT AT A DOOR THE PHANTOM HAS NOT HIT!
DELIVER AT DARK WHEN THERE IS NO LIGHT
RING THE DOORBELL AND RUN AND STAY OUT OF SIGHT!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ENJOY THE SEASON.
DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS
BE COOL, HAVE FUN, AND REMEMBER, DON’T BE SEEN
SHARE THE SPIRIT OF HALLOWEEN!!!

TAPE THE PHANTOM PICTURE ON YOUR FRONT DOOR
OR WINDOW WHERE IT CAN BE SEEN EASILY
SO YOU WON’T BE GHOSTED AGAIN.

IF YOU GET GHOSTED ON OCTOBER 30TH, IT’S UP TO YOU TO
BE THE FIRST PHANTOM NEXT YEAR.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Lastly, pick two neighbors, we picked three because each kid wanted to be the head phantom, and place the treat bag in front of the door, ring or knock, then run like hell and hide. It's hilarious and so much fun!

You should have seen my fat butt running from a door with R. on my hip. She was laughing like crazy and bouncing, along with my boobs, all the way behind a bush. I had to cover her mouth to keep her quiet!

We have a new neighbor, V., who is working on his home before he moves in. He is in his twenties and just got engaged. He is a really great guy and the Schmitty kids adore him. He was at the house today working and W. noticed. He asked if we could phantom him tonight. Mr. Schmitty called V., to let him in on it, that way the kids had enough time to hide. He was all for it.

Mr. Schmitty took them across the street. They each had their own bag and treat because they just HAD to give V. something from each of them. They knocked and ran like crazy back into our house. We all peeked from behind the living room curtains. Now, he could have just come out and picked up the treat bag and gone back in. But he made the biggest deal out of it. It was so great! He checked behind the bushes, up and down the street, and around the side of the house. He then picked up the bag and sat down on his steps. He opened everything and read the poem. He then went back inside. When he came out he had tape and hung the phantom picture up like the directions said to do.

He did all of this for my kids! The kids he only met this past summer. It was awesome and I am grateful and thrilled that he took a little time out of his life to make my children smile. And me too.

V., welcome to the neighborhood!

Yes, I'm Still Alive!

Wow, it's been almost a week since I last posted. Where did the week go? Did you miss me? I've been a bad, bad blogger. I'm out of whack now that school has started and not quite into a routine yet. But I'm getting there.

Mr. Schmitty and I went to our overnight wedding getaway on Saturday! It was a much needed break. It was the first time we have ever been away from the kids overnight - together. It was AWESOME! We were gone 23 hours!!

The wedding was very nice. The bride and groom looked gorgeous. Everything went smoothly and looked perfect. The hour long ceremony ended at 3:45 pm. The reception wasn't beginning until 6. We were starving. I was so afraid my stomach was going to growl during the wedding vows, I was that hungry. We stopped for a quick bite with our friends/neighbors because we knew we wouldn't make it until the cocktail hour.

It was a good thing we did because the Hors D'ouvres were very upscale. I'm a picky eater and with Mr. Schmitty's celiac...well, there wasn't much for us. The neighborhood (the 'hood) guests kept wondering when the pigs in a blanket, pizza bites, and mozzarella sticks were going to be served. Hey, we're easy, none of this fancy smancy stuff for us!

A great time was had by all at the reception. There was a 10 piece band that was amazing. Everyone danced the whole night. They even went an extra hour. I had a ball dancing with my two female friends, while the guys hung out by the bar, making fun of us, I'm sure. I haven't danced like that in a very long time and I paid for it the next day. I think I may need a hip replaced.

We woke up the next morning and joined the remaining guests for a buffet breakfast. MMMMMMMMMMMM....the food was delicious!

By 10:30 am we were actually missing the kids. We drove the hour or so back and we were greeted by W. and R. running out the door screaming, "MOMMY! DADDY!" It was the best. Though T., the middle, sensitive child, was mad at us. He wouldn't speak to me for about an hour. It must have finally hit him because he hadn't been upset up until that point. Unless, of course, he was pissed that we were home. Hhhhmmmm...I think I may be hurt, come to think of it.

So, there it is, my day of glory in a nutshell. I'm glad to be home.

We Could Have Been A Baseball Team!

I've always wondered how women who have a lot of children can handle it. I only have three and sometimes I'm close to a breakdown. When I hear of families with 6, 7, 8, or more kids, my mouth just drops open. How.in.the.world?!

First of all the expense. Wow. I can't imagine. Secondly the food consumption. Again, WOW! My kids eat like birds and I feel like I'm constantly at the grocery store. Every time I turn around they are in the refrigerator. So what about the kids who are gavones? How do you keep up? Do you buy a cow? Grow your own vegetables?

And forget about laundry. Holy crow you must do about 10 loads a day. I can't even fathom how much detergent you must go through.

I guess with a lot of kids you do have help. Yes, the older ones would HAVE to chip in. You'd really have to space the births just right to optimize the live-in babysitter factor. Otherwise, I think you'd be completely doomed.

I had a dose today of what it might be like to have a large brood. My best friend's father was hospitalized. She was extremely upset and I told her to drop her kids off on the way because I insisted she go be with him. She was reluctant because she knew I'd be alone, as Mr. Schmitty was working. You see she has four children and she was also caring for her two nephews. I told her I knew this and to stop wasting time. So, with those six and my own I was in charge of a total of nine children, ranging in ages from 3 years old to 13 years old.

Mr. Schmitty left the house to go to work and wished me luck. He had a look on his face that made me want to laugh. His expression was a mixture of fear and relief, if the two are able to possibly mix. The fear, I believe, was if he'd find me either with my head in the oven upon returning or that I would be tied up, gagged, and the kids would be on the roof throwing eggs at passersby. His look of relief came from the realization that he was getting the hell out of dodge.

I must say I am quite proud of myself. This only being said after six children have gone, three children and a puppy have fallen asleep, one house has been cleaned up, and some wine has been downed. The day has been a success. My friend is happier upon being with her dad, there were no casualties, and the only thing that went MIA was a pink flip flop, to which is STILL missing.

SSSSHHHH....We're Playing Hookie!

We surprised W. this morning by letting him sleep in. I know it's only 8:00 am, that is sleeping in for him! We decided to let him take the day off from school and we are taking the troops to the boardwalk for some sun and fun.

Mr. Schmitty's hours have changed at work. Some upper authority figure needs to justify his job and is stirring the pot in different departments. Mr. Schmitty applied for the department he is in because he wanted to have better hours and he wanted to have holidays and weekends off to spend with his family. Now, out of nowhere the carpet has been pulled out from under his feet and he'll be working one of two shifts and 10-12 hour days. It's basically going to suck for all. He'll be exhausted and working then sleeping all the time. The kids and I will never see him. And I am going to LOSE.MY.MIND with the world's most stubborn hard-headed whiny adorable children.

So, that brings us to today. The weather is gorgeous. School is almost out so how much work could W. possibly miss? I've spoken to my neighbor who will have her daughter bring home his work.

The Schmittys need a family day before this crazy work schedule goes into affect.

I'm off now to slap on the sun block, pack some snacks and drinks for the car, oh and a DVD for the ride, and I gotta find my Dramamine! W. and I just L-O-V-E those roller coasters. I just don't like puking afterward.

Ciao!

I Didn't Forget About You Justice Fergie!

I was tagged earlier in the week by dear Justice Fergie at MamaLaw for a "What's In Your Purse" meme. I've been a bit of a slacker in the blogosphere this week. The weather has been GORGEOUS! But, I am going to oblige and do my part and pass along this fun meme....then I'm going out to play some more in the sun!

Here is my current purse. I was shopping in Target, my favorite store, and it caught my eye and I just HAD to have it. It's orange, my color of the moment. I don't carry a purse much, I must say. I usually only carry one when I am alone because I still carry a diaper bag with extra clothes for R. until she gets this potty training thing down.

I'm a neat freak with OCD that HAS to have everything in it's place. I NEVER have a messy purse, I can't function if it's disorderly. I must say though, I think I might need a BIGGER purse, this one is quite tight and barely snaps shut.

This is my wallet, actually it is more of a wristlet. As I said, I usually have more than my hands are willing to carry so I'd rather grab this and run. It holds a ton of stuff, even my cell!

I have 5 lip glosses/balms in my purse. Only one has a bit of color, the one on the right is L'Oreal's Colorjuice in Raspberry Smash, I have 2 Squeezy Lipsmackers; Pink Lemonade and Strawberry, and just realized I have a Lipsmackers gloss, also in Strawberry, and my favorite lip balm that I buy in bulk; Bath and Body Works Sparkling Melon. As you can see, I love flavored lip stuff! I also have the newest toenail polish for me and my gal R., it's OPI's Cajun Shrimp.

I am the world's biggest gadget freak. I GOTS to have my gadgets. Here I have my newest pink Razor cell, I say newest because my other new one slipped through my butter fingers and landed on the sidewalk. It cracked in 2 places, thank goodness for insurance! I also have my other new toy, my pink Kodak digital camera. I love taking pics of the kids, have thousands and though I already own a digital, I needed something a more compact to fit in my purse. I purchased this as a 40th birthday gift to myself after my horrible beginning to the 4th decade of my existence! The Dell DJ you see here is not usually in my purse, but I was planning on getting that darn blood work done, the blood work I keep forgetting to have done, and figured I'd need some tunes while I waited in the lab office. Lastly, I have a place for all of those pics I take of the kids. It is my Kodak viewfinder. This gadget is awesome! It's the size of a credit card and holds all of my recent images. No more carting around Mom's Brag Book! I wouldn't have room in that purse anyway!

Here are 2 of my business pens and my trusty datebook. Though I am one for having the most up-to-the-moment gadgets, I don't own a Blackberry. I prefer the old fashioned way of keeping appointments marked. Go figure. I also have here my absolute necessity, Purell hand-sanitizing lotion. I should have stock in it. The kids automatically stick there hands out to me the second they get into the car. They know mommy's getting rid of any germs they may have picked up on a shopping cart!

I almost forgot this stuff, it was tucked in the zippered compartment in the back of the purse. The ever present Tylenol, remember, I have 3 kids under the age of 8. The "female products", just in case. A pack of tissues for boogers and a pack of gum for bad breath. I also have a pack of matches. I don't smoke, but I needed to borrow matches from a neighbor one night. I decided to keep them in my purse so the kids didn't find them and burn the house down. I had the most horrible hiccups, so bad it felt like my rib cage was going to break in half and my heart was going to fall out on the floor. Somebody told me that lighting a match under your nose will stop them. I tried 3 times, and I guess the 3rd is the charm because they stopped. I guess it's the sulfur.

So, that's it. Boring stuff, nothing exciting here. Sorry, no ticket stubs to a male dance review, though I think I may have some singles left in the wristlet!

Now, it's my turn to tag. I choose, Kim, Valerie, Zephra, Jessica, and MamaLee! Have fun girls!

Not Superstitious Anymore

Yesterday was Friday the 13th. W.'s school was having their annual PTA Installation Dinner and Chance Auction. All of the moms in the neighborhood get together, leave the kids home with the dads and get a table. Yes, we have to listen to the principal give her speech, blah, blah, blah. But then we get to have some drinks, without kids, eat great food, have some drinks, win some great prizes, have some drinks, have some laughs, have some more drinks, and did I say, NO KIDS ALLOWED?

I almost didn't make it to the dinner last night. I'm not usually a believer in the whole unlucky Friday the 13th thing. But in the hour and a half before I left everything started to go wrong. I almost put on my pjs and called it a night. It all started when I asked hubby to run to the bank for me. I had some deposits that needed to be made and I needed some money for the auction. I told him I had a few things to do in the house and then the kids were his and I was going to actually take my time getting showered and ready for a night out with the girls.

He left and came back rather quickly. He handed me my receipts and I asked where my money was. "Oh shi...t," he replied. Typical. "Don't worry about it, I have plenty of time, I'll just go later." I walked away before I slapped him in the head. No big deal.

I went downstairs to iron the jacket I was going to wear. It only had a few creases in it from hanging in my closet. I could have gotten away with it, but NO, I had to heat up that damn iron. I must first tell you, I NEVER iron. I usually live in jeans and tee-shirts so if my clothes look a little too lived in, they get tossed in the dryer. Anything else goes to the dry cleaner. So I spread out the jacket and barely get the iron on the fabric. Ssssssss. Stuck right to the sleeve. Big old iron print. Oh for the love of GOD!

Now I have to find something else to wear, time is ticking. So much for that leisurely shower. I quickly hosed off and did my hair...which didn't come out too badly given the lack of attention it got. Makeup on. Looks okay, one more coat of mascara and I'll be finished. OH.MY.EYE!!! I'm blind! Quick, it burns, it burns. Big glob of black on my eyeball!!! My right eye now looks like I've been sucker-punched. Start over.

I have 3 people who are waiting for me. I hate being late. I'm always early. I run upstairs in my bra and underwear. It is broad daylight out, I run right past the front window. I don't care who sees me now. Would serve them right if they were looking in anyway.

I yell to Mr. Schmitty to run back to the bank to get my money, PLLLLLEASSSE. I'm late, I'm partially naked, Jen is waiting to pick me up, Pretty Please!

The bank is only 2 minutes from my house. I throw on my clothes and call my neighbor to say I'm just about ready to come on over to pick me up. I'm just waiting for my money and then we can go. I stand by the doorway and I have R. hanging on my leg. "Don't go mommy, you can't leave me, I'll miss you!" She is now snotting all over my black pants. Where.Is.Your.Father? My neighbor is sitting out front, I'm using my fists by my eyes to show her that R. is crying. I then place my hand in the shape of a gun to my forehead. Where.The.Hell.Is He? I call on the cell. "Where are you?" I try to say sweetly. "You needed gas in the van, I'm at the gas station."

Do you think he could EVER listen to me? "I'm not driving, I told you Jen was, and she's been waiting outside for the last 15 minutes while I wipe your daughter's boogers off my leg and wondering if you crashed the car." He says, "Oh, I'll be right home."

He gets home, I go outside and grab my cash, give him a kiss and jump in the Jeep. I look up at the doorway and see that R. has locked him out of the house. Ha, payback! I called him from the corner, W. finally looked up from the TV long enough to open the door.

Friday the 13th...I ain't winning jack tonight I think to myself. Well, guess what?! I kicked major booty!

I won a basket of 5 Webkins for the kids. Which I am so thankful for because they would have driven me crazy today if I hadn't.

I won a 7 person tent, 2 sleeping bags, a huge beach type blanket, and 2 fold-up chairs (you know the kind people bring to soccer games, etc.).

And I won a tote bag with assorted pencils, crayons, markers, etc. Along with a $250.00 gift certificate for the preschool I am sending T. to in September. There were also t-shirts and promotional items from the school. And a $100 gift certifcate toward a moon bounce rental!

So much for superstitions! Whoo-Hoo!

I'm No David Copperfield

I am the world's WORST magician but when you have an audience that is only 3 and 4 years old, it's amazing what you can pull over on them. I was using a toy coin T. had and was making it "appear" magically from behind their ears. Now mind you, my hands are definitely not quicker than the eye. But I seriously think I could have pulled an elephant from their ears and they still would have looked at me wide-eyed like I was the most extraordinary human on the planet. Isn't it the best when they truly believe mom knows all and can do all?

T. and R. are at the age that they think I can DO all. I'm Wonder Woman to them. W. on the other hand, much to his chagrin, wonders how I KNOW all. Last week he had standardized testing at school. His teacher called me because he apparently had a little problem getting started. That's not a good thing when you are taking a timed test. He kept putting his head down on the desk and it took about ten minutes for him to snap out of it. She didn't want me to let on that she had called but she asked if I could talk to him about the test. She wanted me to reassure him that it was important but not to stress about it. We discussed it over dinner that night. When I asked him if he put his head down he exclaims, "How do you always know what I do?" Those of you who know me, already know, I'm not letting this one go without freaking him out, just a bit. "Mommy knows EVERYTHING you do", I answered. "I know, but how?" he says while rolling his eyes. "When you were born I was given a crystal ball, I see all, so you better keep in line." I went back to eating my dinner while he just stared at me.

So back to yesterday. I was showing W. a card trick, the smart boy picked it up in seconds. I gotta tell you though, if he asks me one more time to pick a card, I may scream. T. was trying his hand at his own version of a card trick. He held out cards to me like this:


"Pick a card mommy!"

I pick one and he tells me to put it back. All the while watching my every move. He folds the cards up, turns them over, and shuffles through the deck until he finds my card. "Is this it?" he asks with a toothy grin. "No, it's not", I say, because I have to mess with his mind too. It's only fair. He frowns. "Just kidding, yes it is." Big toothy grin is back. I know, I know, I'm mean.

R. had to finally get into the act. I really don't know what she was trying to do. I just know it was with cards falling all over and she shouts, "ALA CA DAMN!"