LOVE is having a brother to learn everything from whether it's skateboarding, silly faces or simply to have a hug!

This post confirms that I truly am a Mom who's lost her mind. Here's a little piece of sunshine in my day; insert black mascara raccoon eyes b/c I had tears rolling down my face. It was Sean, Amanda and I sitting in the family room.

First, Amanda chose The WorryWarts by Pamela Duncan Edwards as one of her stories. It's like one giant 'W' tongue-twister. What a hoot! Hard to get through b/c we were laughing so hard.

Next, came a few selections from Tinkle, Tinkle Little Tot )It's a library book - thank goodness b/c owning it would send me over the edge. Potty humor is just beyond funny. Try this one:

The Tushy Pushy (to the tune of Hokey Pokey)
You pull your undies down,
You take your potty out,
You sit your bottom down,
And you push the poopy out.
You do the Tushy Pushy
Till the poop is in the pot,
That's what it's all about!

Can you hear the howls???

We all have pet peeves; some big (DO NOT leave yer trash, especially diapers at the showers, on the beach)/ some small (put the toilet seat down, thankyouverymuch). Overall, I try to let most things roll off my back and not get in a huff over stuff. However, one thing that I've noticed more and more recently is GRATING ON MY LAST NERVE.......Moms who walk around [more like chasing] a kid with bitefuls of food at the park. For the love of God, PLEASE make a freaking choice: 1)eat at home and let the kid play 2)set some boundaries like 'eat 1st, then play' 3)at the very least, sit HERE when you come to get a bite of food; DO NOT walk around & climb when you are eating. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not hard people! I have four children so I've been there/done that with rules and I am still doing it. If you are THAT concerned that your child consume some food maybe you shouldn't be at the park for crying out loud. Is applesauce by the spoonful necessary? Do you really thinking shoving a mini-carrot in your 3yo's mouth while climbing a ladder is smart? Look at me while I speak slowly and clearly 'Get. over. yourself. Leave. the. kid. alone. Back. away. from. the. playground.'

Stepping off my soap box; back to the regularly scheduled program.

Need a laugh???

Ya know when you are eating a soft bread (think hot dog bun or pizza crust) and it sticks in your teeth or on your upper pallette, you use your tongue to just kind of get-it-off. WELL, try teaching that to your 2yo. I just giggled every time he took a bite of food b/c the bread seemed to get stuck in his teeth everytime. Nothing funnier!

Seriously!

It's my new favorite phrase; compliments of the BEST SHOW EVER - http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/ If you haven't watched, get the DVD and catch up already. I watch lots of assorted stuff but this is my new MUST-SEE-TV (sorry NBC). Patrick Dempsey has surpassed Mel Gibson on my HOT list; Mel has been lookin' a little tired lately. Patrick has come A LONG way from the movie Run (1991). The phrase "you've come a long way baby" certainly applies.

Here's to Season 3!

LOVE is endless piggy back rides (even better naked) from your sister!

What??? is up with late night television. It is REALLY bad!

As part of my usual weekend evening ritual, I was scrapbooking last night after the kiddos went to bed. Once Monk and Survivorman were over it all went downhill. Ferpetesake, do I really need to see ONE MORE girls gone wild video/advertisement. Don't these programming people have daughters???? I'm mortified everytime a commercial comes on; AND that would be every 30sec. once 11pm hits.

From one extreme to another......so to avoid the GGW insanity, dh started grasping at straws and checking every random channel. Something special caught his eye. That would be the Porter Wagner show. What's really sad? I KNEW who it was before he did. Now, did he change the channel? Nope. We spent a good 10minutes admiring the songs, clothes, etc. He had nothing on Lawrence Welk.

You will be pleased to know that we did find a Starz channel preview weekend and promptly switched to the movie Hitch. Gawd, we need Tivo.

TAXI! Did someone call for a taxi?
That would be the new service I've started now that school is back in session. Along with the school & preschool shuffle, we have dance (two days x 2 kids); soccer (1/wk. overlapping times with dance); religious education (still waiting on that schedule addition); and Brownies (so what if it's right after school, it's another pick-up time).
HOW ON EARTH do the superMoms out there do it once everyone is in activities? I know my kids are still little, but even though I'll be able to 'drop them off' at things as they get older I see MORE things being added. Remember, the little guy is still only two. I think he's a bit young to start piano or violin even though many in my local community beg to differ @@
As it stands I feel like a heathen b/c I have the kids choose two things each. I have to have SOME sanity and really want them in bed at a decent hour; not to mention, I would like a family dinner meal more days than not.
Things I will be thankful for: 1)my husband likes to cook 2)three out of four kids can buckle themselves in safely and 3)CARPOOL starts next week.

Excuse me while I go to bed. The taxi driver has to get up early.

Readin'; Writtin'; 'rithmetic!!!

It's that time of year again. How can it be that I have a 1st grader and a 3rd grader? Up until last Wednesday, I was still saying K & 2nd. Maggie seems to be liking 3rd grade so far (hey, 3 full days and no complaints); Sean thinks his classroom critters are cool (bearded dragon, tarantula, spotted gecko), but overall 1st isn't too exciting. Amanda is anxious to start Pre-K on Thursday of this week. As a family, it's our 5th consecutive year at the preschool with one more child to get through after Amanda. I think we'll hold the record for longest attendance without a break, lol!

Stay tuned for the tear report. Will Amanda get through her 1st few days w/o tears? If so, when will they start when her 2-day-a-week reality starts?

LOVE is the magic you feel when you discover your FOURTH child is the 1st child to adore his 1st visit to Disneyland..........

So we went to the beach for the 3rd time in one week (and we have plans to go on Tuesday too). We get around --Sunday it was Newport Beach; Wed. it was Newport again; today it was San Clemente and Tues. it will likely be Corona del Mar. So many beaches so little time.......

My kids really have NO CONCEPT of what it's like for some folks. I tell them that many people in this world have never been to the ocean; can you say "huh??" 'Yes, darlings. Unless you live near a coast line, chances are you haven't been to the ocean. That's why people vacation. If you live in Oklahoma, where's the ocean?' Again, more "huh??" 'Do you think people who live in the African desert just drive to the ocean?' I'm thinking my kids aren't very worldly.

They might not be worldly but they sure look like cute beach bums.