mommypalooza™ ~ a daily dose of mommy mayhem.

TV train wreck.

The newest season of The Bachelor is back again, and so is Ben -- last year's runner-up of The Bachelorette.  A group of us started a "Bachelor-watching" tradition last season but this year someone suggested we do something with a twist.  So, tonight a few of us gathered at my house to watch the first episode and take notes.  Yes, notes.

For the first time ever we are doing a "Bachelor money pot" where each of us is picking our top 3 favorite ladies after tonight's episode.  I should say they aren't necessarily our favorite ladies, rather who we think will actually make it to the end!  We each will put $5 into the pot and at the end, winner takes all!   Kinda like the winner of the show, huh?  Only we're all very happily married and just can't keep our eyes off the train wreck of a show that this is! 

The season opener was NO disappointment! It is mind-boggling how extremely shallow some of these people are on this show.  But, it's all in good fun I suppose.  It's a nice tradition that my friends and I have started and I'm eager to get together with them each week to watch the show and see which one of us will come away with the whopping $35 cash prize!

Besides, I love a good girls' night with my homies!

Wordless Wednesday: Pals

My William with his classmate and gal-pal, Miss B, while they watch their older brothers play football.  Just before I took this I was busy taking pics of the kids on the football field.  Then I looked over and saw how intently these two were watching the game.  I am so happy I took this snapshot!  Oh, how I wish I could just stop time much like it seems stopped in this photo!  The only upside to them growing up is knowing that my kids will grow up with such great friends all around them!  I love that sense of community we have here.

And the fact that the "community" loves football just as much as I do!

 

 

The perfect back-to-school song + free download

If many of you are like me, your kids are likely back in school either this week or soon enough!  One of my favorite artists, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, has a brand new album coming out in the Spring.  On that album will be one of his new tracks, "Back Home" which is the perfect beat for you and your kids to listen to.  The first time I actually heard it on satellite radio I was by myself - without the kids (yes, I do in fact listen to Kids Place Live even when I'm in the car sans kids).  I have to tell ya'll that I got teary-eyed!  Not because it's a sad song or anything like that but because it's such a REAL song about going back to school that I think even adults can relate to.  Skidoo has an awesome way of connecting the emotion to the most perfect words that both kids and grown-ups can enjoy.

Our family was first introduced to him two summers ago when he performed at KC Jiggle Jam.  I was floored when I heard him live.

I am HUGE fan of hip-hop and rap, and R&B.  You know, music that you can really MOVE to!  When I heard him perform I suddenly realized that I didn't have to sacrifice my musical tastes just to have appropriate kids music on.  We got Skidoo's CD that weekend and listened to it religiously for at least several months.  Now that we are SiriusXM subscribers, we get to hear him (along with loads of other great artists) just about everyday!

Ok, so back to this new track, "Back Home".   Although the new album doesn't release until sometime next spring, Skidoo is offering this brand new song for FREE to all of his Facebook fans!  Seriously!  Head on over and "like" him then get the details on how to download your free track. 

You can listen to it here beforehand.  I promise, you will NOT be disappointed! 

(Secret Agent 23 Skidoo signing autographs and meeting his newest fans (my kiddos) - KC Jiggle Jam 2010)

So head on over, get your free music track and let me know what 'cha think!  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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A sweet new angelface

No, no, he's not mine!  But I held him like he was!  One of my dearest friends just had her baby last week and I was privileged enough to come by and see them both and hang out for a bit.  Oh, my how I suddenly realized that I would love to have another baby! Especially another boy!

Baby Nicholas was just so sweet and snuggly, I could've held him for daaaayyyyysssss!  I snapped this pic as another friend of mine was holding him for a bit.  It's just unbelievably unreal how quickly they change.  From one day to the next almost.

Here I am with my oldest about to turn 8 and my youngest about to turn 2 in September.  And yet, I remember them all swaddled up like this as if it were just last week.  Babies are so perfect in every way.  And then they get mobile and learn to say "no". 

For now I'll forget about that part. Looking at baby Nicholas makes me do just that! Congrats to my friend Alison and their entire family!

Comfortable

There's just something about a good ol' laid back Girls Night Out that rejuvenates the soul.  I guess in this case it was technically a Girls Night In.  A friend of mine so graciously hosted a Bachelorette watch party at her house last night and it was just the thing I needed, I tell ya'!

Not only was I surrounded by great friends, laughter, appetizers (that I didn't have to share), and conversation, but I remember watching the show and feeling even better about my marriage.

Seriously.  I cannot imagine having to be a) the Bachelorette or b) a contestant on such a show.  I mean, talk about anxiety!  Sure, my husband and I may not always be laughing, gazing at one another lovingly, or even take romantic vacations to Fiji, but we are comfortable with each other!  Comfort.  That is such an amazing feeling!  I mean, really, now who doesn't love comfort?  You know you have a favorite pair of comfy jeans or shoes or heck, even underwear.   Well, I am here today celebrating comfortable husbands.  And mine is one, for sure.

So anyway, getting back to the GNO (or GNI, as it were), I think it's the single most important thing a mom can do for herself AND her family -- surround herself with fun, like-minded women who can become your trusted friends and biggest cheerleaders.  Do you see the value in the friendships you've made over the years?  How have your friendships changed (or not) since having kids?  I know for me I love that I can just carry a conversation with intelligent women who aren't afraid to be themselves.  And, it doesn't hurt that we laugh about the same things on a silly TV show!  Now, that's comfort!

 

Blogging a birth.

My very best friend is in labor right now. I am blessed enough to be here to document it all.  Read about it here:  www.erinsthoughts.com

Weekend wrap-up.

This weekend has flown by!  On Friday the boys and I headed over to a friend's who was hosting an all-boys water fun backyard bash.  None of the kids wanted to leave by the time the afternoon had come to a close.  They played tons of fun water games like water balloon toss, and they had a watermelon seed spitting contest.  Popsicles and juice boxes were also the perfect complement to the hot summer afternoon.

Saturday the boys and I slept in (till after 9 a.m.!) and had a leisurely morning at home.  The weather was bit gloomy and considerably cooler so we nixed our plans of going out.  When D returned from his usual Saturday at the office, I suggested we make good use out of two free kids meal coupons we had from Chili's and go out for lunch.  Of course, no one argued with me.  I had recently seen a commerical where they advertised their bottomless chicken tortilla soup, salad, and chips & salsa for very cool price and was craving it that afternoon.  That has got to be about the best value around, seriously!  $6.29 for an entire meal like that was a steal!  I can't wait to go back again.  I wish they offered it as a dinner entree, but I guess I'll just have to make another lunch outing some time soon.

We came home stuffed and just totally vegged out the entire rest of the day.  The boys' godmother, Season, came by to drop off some Hawaiian goodies from her recent visit there. The boys got tees and I received a very cool little pink tote.  We had fun visiting with her and for dinner we tried this little number out which turned out to be quite good, only I think next time I'll slow cook it for closer to five or six hours instead of seven.  The saffron rice as a side dish was a great add-on, too.

At about 10 p.m., D took the kids up for showers and bedtime while Season and I finally sat down to watch the Miss USA pageant that I've had DVRd since APRIL!  She went on tour with work just about then and just returned so we decided we'd better go ahead and watch it before the winner's reign is over!  I'm psyched Miss Texas won!  She seems like a confident, smart, and sassy go-getter of a woman - and I like that! 

Today was a total chilled out day as well, filled with the usual grocery shopping trip to Super Target, where every suburban mom and child were out buying all kinds of junk for back to school.  I was happy that I was able to get every single ingredient I need for what's on the dinner menu for the rest of the week. 

The kids are totally battling allergies this weekend as I've given them a couple of doses of Benadryl to help dry them out while they sleep.  Poor things!  I think it's the ragweed.  Tomorow is the start of a busy week here at the T household, so I better get my beauty sleep!

I love friends.

Why do I love friends?  Because of the things they do for you.  Nina and I have recently been in search of Siggs for our kids and today while out shopping, she came upon a slew of them at one of my favorite stores.  Not only was she nice enough to walk all the way to the front of the store to borrow a phone book to look my phone number up to call and ask me if I wanted her to pick a couple up for us, but she also sent me a great little shot of their selection.  What a friend!

 

I am pooped!

Today has been absolutely exhausting!  I got to run to Sam's by myself this morning to pick up a few essentials while D stayed around with the kids before heading into the office.  I love being able to buy two pounds of organic strawberries for just under $5!  What a steal!  Afterwards we were going to meet N's friend Cole and his mom and baby sister for a pool playdate and picnic. 

So there I am at my mother-in-law's pool and I had just unloaded the car with all of our gear and I see the lifeguard gal taping a sign to the front gate that reads, "Sorry, pool closed".  I was like, "WTF?" After asking her what the heck was going on she politely told me that they had found poop in the pool so they were going to have to flush the entire pool out with chlorine and wouldn't be able to open back up for at least two hours!  So I quickly called Ang who was on her way and we made Plan B:  head on over to our neighborhood pool (a.k.a., the ghetto pool because it has no waterslide!) instead.  So, I quickly ran back to the house and picked up our pool key and a few other pool toys since I figured the boys would be bored seeing as there was no slide to keep them occupied.

We arrived at our 'hood pool and unloaded and the boys wasted no time literally jumping right into the water for a swim.  After Ang, Cole, and Olivia arrived, we just hung out, had lunch and snacks, and enjoyed the sun.  I didn't even think about my email or computer ONCE!  (Okay, maybe just once or twice)  We left the pool at about 3 p.m. and came straight home for naps.  I finally got a moment to sit at my computer and check email, etc.  when it hit me that I am so unbelievably tired!  I am going to a workshop tonight that I am very excited about so I know I must get my energy back but for now I am enjoying looking at my arms which look fabulous sans the "farmer tan", as my sister would call it.  And, my thighs now match the color of the rest of my legs - no more bermuda-shorts tan.

I get to love on another baby!

No, it's not me that's expecting. Rather, it's my favorite friend in the whole wide world who has finally made it public. I was bursting at the seams there for a moment but glad it's out! Doing the happy dance for the M familia.