Bribbery is still the best policy!

Okay...so I know that I shouldn't bribe my kids...but it works!

I have had the hardest time getting Katie to sleep in her own bed. Every night I get a cryfest and a battle! And I usually lose because she sneaks into my room once I'm asleep anyways! It's crazy and driving me insane!

So it was time for a good old fashion bribe.

There is this silly little stuffed dog in a pink dress that Katie wants soooo badly! I bought it. Let her admire it. And put it in the closet!

After two weeks of chores and sleeping in her own bed ALL NIGHT without throwing shedding a single tear, she earns it!

Last night was day 2 and it's working!

Let's keep our fingers crossed that it continues to work!

RJ and Mandy Visit

For some reason, Blogger is not letting me update my text on the sidebar.

Rumor has it (and it is just a rumor, I've only been able to talk to RJ for a few minutes when he first came home) that he and Mandy will be here for a very short visit this coming weekend.

I'm really excited to be able to spend some time with him even if it's just for a day or so.

Love ya Bro! See you soon...I hope!!

Nightmares

This is a funny little story. Ignore the part where I explain that Ciara was in my bed with me. I'm still working on that one.

Last night I was in bed with Ciara. She was having a difficult time going to sleep where I was exhausted. She didn't like the idea of me sleeping while she wasn't tired. So she kept hitting my face, thinking she was being cute and funny. And she was. Finally, I reacted and started tickling her.

Suddenly, I heard a faint creak in the floor boards. House noises always make me nervous, but you'd think I'd be used to it by now.

I turn slightly to look in the hall and just a few feet from my bed is this little body, walking toward me, twitching. Twitching is the only word I can use to describe it. It reminded me of those horror movies where the ghosts or zombie move all funky.

It scared the crap out of me! I jumped and screamed!

To my amazement, the twitchy body screamed in return!

As my eyes focused, I realized it was my little Katie Lady. She had a nightmare and was looking for some comfort. Needless to say, she was scared more after my response to her.

Just a little bit later, her daddy came home and they had a good laugh together at my expense.

I really need to get CiCi potty trained!

I have been so lazy with her potty training. Months ago when she showed interest, it was great...but her enthusiasm died out as did mine. When both parents work, both parents need to be up for the challenge and I just couldn't do it by myself.

Now, she is over the two year mark and is definitely ready. I've just been too lazy to start it. I need a weekend where I don't do a single thing but stay home with her and I just don't want to sacrifice the weekends to stay home...not when Jenn could be leaving any time. I feel like I have to soak up as much of her presence as possible or I'll be lost when she's gone. I know it won't really be like that...and I'm probably going to be more crushed when she leaves because I have spent so much time with her...but I just can't help myself.

Anyways..back to the point.

Ciara has started a new habit. A very bad, nasty, disgusting habit.

She really wants to be a big girl and go potty by herself. I think this is her way of getting me off my butt and to work more with her.

So her bad habit? Do you really want to know?

After she goes poop in her diaper, she realizes that she should have gone in the potty. So she runs to the bathroom, takes off her diaper and tries desperately to sit on either the big potty or her own little potty. Getting poop everywhere in the meantime! It is so gross! And I can't really get mad at her...she's trying to do the right thing...she's just a little late...as am I...every time.

And then chasing her down to get her cleaned up and a new diaper on her is just as fun! As poop is running down her leg and you are near hysterics because she wants to run and hide...wiping her little bum on everything as she goes!

It is so awful.

So this weekend has to be it. I can't take it any more. She has done this everyday for at least a week. It's time. She knows it. I know it. Now we just have to do it.

Wish me luck!

What Are Potatoes Made Of?

I miss posting the cute little stories about my kids. My mind seems to be filled with so many different things that I can never remember the cute, funny things that they do and say to post about them! I always think.."Oh! I've got to post about that!" and then when it's time...my mind draws a blank.

But lucky for us, I remembered one of them!

My kids were eating dinner, BBQ'd steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans (Yum Yum), when Justin looks up at me and says, "What are potatoes made of?"

I looked up at him puzzled. "What do you mean?"

He repeats his question. "What are potatoes made of?"

"Potatoes are made of potatoes." I started to explain, but then I got cut off by Katie.

"He means, what animal are potatoes made of?"

"Well dear...potatoes are not made from an animal. They grow in the dirt."

As if I just wasn't understanding the question, she clarified. "You know how bacon is from a pig and hamburgers from a cow...what animal is a potato from?"

I was about to repeat my previous response and explain how they grow from a garden, but was cut off again. This time from Justin.

"I bet they're made of a pig. Like sausage."

"Yeah! Sausage is yummy!"

And that was that. It was settled.

I just kinda shook my head and smiled. Apparently, food that tastes good is from a pig.

My Amended Review

So Saturday was a lot of fun too! I wish Charlotte wasn't such a toad monkey and would have livened up a bit, but what can you do?? LOL

The second time around...I really really really enjoyed the movie! I liked it a lot better when I knew what to expect. Some of the things that really bugged me the first time around, didn't bug me so much this time. I'm still sorely disappointed in the ending, but it's okay.

Here's a picture of Katie and Nana outside of the theater! Katie's wearing her mama-made "I Love Harry" t-shirt! I wanted to wear the shirt I made for myself again, but it accidentally got washed and dried like the rest of the laundry and the letters are all falling off. ::sniff sniff:: I may want to see how much it'll cost to get an actual embroidery machine since I make our fan shirts for these movies!

Nana and Katie had a great time! I think Katelynn really enjoyed being "one of the girls"! I'll have to think about letting her come to the next midnight premiere. I'm just not so sure how I feel about it. Not only is it really late, but it also gives me a chance as a parent to decide if the movie is really appropriate and prepare my kids for the things that may or may not scare them or have questions about.

My HBP Review...

Ok...so here are my thoughts on the Harry Potter premiere!

I had so much fun! I always have fun at these premieres! I love the energy! And I especially love the costumes! I didn't really dress up but I did make Jenn and I our "fan shirts!" They were plain black t-shirts.

On the front mine read:

Who needs the chosen one

Accio Fred

Jenn's read:

Who needs the chosen one

Accio George

And on the back of both it read:

Weasley is our king

We also sported the Gryffindor scarves my Mama made the kids a few years back! We got a ton of compliments on the homemade scarves! Thanks Mom!

Sadly, I have no pictures. I totally forgot about it!

Jenn and I left for dinner at about 9:30. We went to the District (which had one of the highest ticket sales in the Nation for HBP!) so we grabbed a bite to eat at Red Robin. One of my friends was able to grab last minute tickets for her and her son at the same theatre so we met up with them.

After dinner we just kinda hung out and people watched. One of the groups of fans had brought their Harry Potter Scene It game and laptop...I so badly wanted to just jump right in and play. We chatted with them for a bit and then sat down at our own gameless table. LOL Next time, I'm bringing my game!

Then it was time for the movie! So exciting!!! I love the hootin and hollarin! Maybe because I'm one of them! I get to let out the "Nana" in me!

Now - with it being said about how much fun I had...here are my thoughts on the movie.

Meh.

There. Those are my thoughts. LOL

Just kidding.

Ok...so here are my extended thoughts on the movie. And I don't want to hear any of the "you never like movies based on books" stuff. I'll try not to put in many spoilers, but be warned. If you haven't read the books...you may or may not be spoiled. LOL

Things that disappointed me:

• Hogwarts has lost it's magic.
• The relationship between Ginny and Harry is just awkward instead of charming.
• Draco wasn't as "desperate" looking as I had hoped. I wanted to see his sunken look. I wanted to feel his desperation.
• There was not enough information about the Horcuxes. I have no idea how Harry is expected to find any of these! Good thing there was a picture of a cave on the wall in the memory at the orphanage!
• This one kinda goes in conjunction with the previous one. For me, the purpose of this book was to learn about Voldemort's (yes...I said it!) past. I really don't feel like we learned anything about him from the movie.
• (Big Spoilers!) The ending scene. Sorely disappointed. Where was the battle? Why on earth would Harry just hide there? What was up with Snape and his little moment with Harry "under" the floor boards? Why did I feel like Snape didn't want to kill him?? When I read the book, I was so so so angry! I didn't feel that.
• And the last pet peeve that I will write about...what was up with the Room of Requirement scene with Harry and Ginny!? Good luck finding the Tiara in the next movie Harry!

Ok...so here are the things that I liked. This list is much smaller.

• Ron. Ron usually bugs me in the movie...He didn't bother me so much in the this one. I thought he did a decent job! Way to go Ron!
• I loved that they brought some humor into the movie. You got to see a little bit of Dumbeldore's humor although it wasn't captured quite right.
• I like that Hermione's hair was bushier in some scenes.
• I thought Katie's scene with the necklace was really creepy!
• I love the Quidditch scenes! I normally don't like them but I thought they were great! (Even if you didn't know that Harry was Captain!)

That's about all I can think of for the good notes! LOL So I'm going to go back to the disappointed ones. LOL

Here is my list of why's:

• Why would you waste time creating scenes that NEVER happened and DO NOT MAKE ANY SENSE when you leave out so many critical portions!?!
• And why oh why would you make Slughorn to be like a talking Mr Bean? LOL
• And of course...my usual argument...why would you change a scene when the scene if played out exactly as supposed to be would take just the same amount of time??
• And why would a good luck potion make you act drunk? That was just silly to me!

Alright. I think I'm done venting...for now.

Now that that's out of the way...I can't wait to go see it again on Saturday! I'm hoping now that I know what to expect...I'll be able to enjoy it more instead of going..."what in the world???"

Stinky Breath

As most of you know (and if you don't you probably don't know me and it makes me wonder why and how you are reading my blog!), I am a big Michael Jackson fan. I think I have passed it down to my children as well. With his recent death, I have been listening to my MJ CD (Thanks again Jenn!) more often.

Last night I was cuddling with Katie for a private moment in her bedroom as I played songs for her from my phone. Because I am cheap and don't want to buy the songs, I was only playing the preview (first 20 secs) of her favorite songs and she'd have to guess what song it was.

One of the songs I selected was "Thriller". Katelynn loves this song (Justin still does not like it one bit! He'll listen to it as long as I turn it off before the laugh at the end. haha). She was very proud of herself because she figured out the sound before the music even started playing. It must have been the creaking door and the footsteps that gave it away!

Well, when she started laughing I got the most horrible whiff of foul breath! So naturally, I started teasing her. "Wow Katie! You have got some stinky breath!" And then genius struck! I made my own parody to "Thriller"! It goes a little something like this.

Katelynn's got stinky....stinky breath!
And no one's gonna want to kiss you with that stinky stinky breath!
Oh it's so stinky! Stinky breath!

And so on and so on.

We both laughed as she tried to hold me down to breathe all over me!

Finally, I conquer and she goes into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Next thing I know I hear her singing our stinky breath song! I think it's going to be a family favorite! LOL

So Excited!

As it was recently pointed out to me, I get easily excited! LOL I guess I'm like a little kid that way! What's funny is that the things that get me overly excited usually are something...what's the right word. Youthful. For example, Disneyland! Which BTW I still haven't even developed my pictures! I can't believe it! I mean to everyday! I have a bag full of those disposable cameras handing on the door knob in the kitchen to remind me and I always leave without it!

Anyways, the thing that has me excited this time is HARRY POTTER!

I am so excited! I will be going to the midnight premiere Tuesday night with my Sis - just the two of us. I'm really looking forward to that! AND I was finally able to sweet talk my boss into giving me Wednesday off! It would have really been awful to have to be at work at 6:30 in the morning without any sleep! But I was willing to do it for Harry! I'm just glad I no longer have to!

And then I am going to take Katelynn to see it on Saturday. It should be a lot of fun. It will be Katie, Charlotte, Nana, and myself. I asked Justin if he wanted to go see it, he's been frightened by the last couple HP movies, but I didn't want to leave him out either. Thankfully, he is aware of his weakness and opted not to go see it in the theatre. He says he'll wait for "Daddy to be able to hold him on the couch."

Anyways...way excited! Thought I'd share! I'm sure I'll tell you all about how disappointing the movie was, but I'm excited nonetheless!

Love to you all!!

I Am Thankful

For the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight,

Because it means she is home with me.

For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato,

Because it means he is home with me.

For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes,

Because it means she is at home and not getting into trouble.

For the taxes I pay,

Because it means I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party,

Because it means I have been surrounded by people I love.
For the clothes that fit a little too snug,

Because it means I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work,

Because it means I am out in the sunshine.
For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing,

Because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining I hear about the government,

Because it means we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot,

Because it meansI am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill,

Because it means I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church who sings off key,

Because it means I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing,

Because it means I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day,

Because it means I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours,

Because it means I am alive.