Nobody will tell on me

if I blog about my great dislike for my new camera my hubby got me for Christmas, will they? I feel so ungrateful for even typing that but this camera is just not compatible with me, or vice versa.

Complaint numero uno, it takes batteries. :( Who still makes a camera that takes batteries? I thought we were in the 21st century. Aren't we suppose to be able to just plug that sucker into our laptops/outlet, and voila?!(In case anyone has noticed the lack of pictures in my project photo-op, you now know why) A friend recommended pluggin it into a potato, she heard that you can power up certain things that way. I only succeeded in ruining a potato and my USB cord. :(
(and yeah, I am that gullible that I tried it)

My second point, not even a nuclear physicist could figure out all the whohaas and doodads that are on this camera. Sure, if I had 2 free years to read the novel sized instruction manual that came with it, I might be able to use it easier. But I don't see that happening in the near future.

And lastly, the functions to take pictures with like, kids, outdoors, low light, suck major butt. Doesn't matter what option you have it on, the pictures all come out the same, very generic looking.
I could be outside on a sunny day and use the outdoors/bright light function and it is the same as being in a dark room somewhere snapping pics.

If you ask M though, I love the camera to pieces and it is just right for me and my picture shooting needs. Hey, its not like I want to be the next big photographer!

Twas the first day of Christmas

and my true love gave to me, blah blah blah. Or at least that is what my hubby seems to hear when I spout out my list of Christmas wishes. Yes, I know, we don't usually buy for each other in general but every year we do Secret Santa here. There is where everyone in the family puts their name in a hat and we all pick one to see who will buy for this year.
Well guess who got me? The grinch himself. He rips open the Sears flyer at the dinner table tonight, proud as a peacock, to show me what he has hand picked out for his secret santa(he doesn't realize that I know he has me since the kids all spill on who they got). Go ahead and guess what he thinks is the best gift...

Nope, not jewelry....no fancy electronic dodads that I have eyed all year, no new camera since mine broke. Okay, our spending limit is $15 so the camera is out, but you get my point.

This is what he thinks is an acceptable gift.

Do you see my frustration? I am all for being thrifty and saving money but buying me a hair trimming set so we can save money cutting all our own hair? The one thing under the tree for me is going to be this? At least its not a nose trimmer, haha.

Tis the season to be jolly

Bah humbug! What to do if you just can't get in the Christmas spirit!

Dedicated to my dear friend Amy.

Put your tree and decorations up

Drink a big fat glass of eggnog

Make a snow angel after the first snows fall

Sing Christmas songs while in the shower, doing the dishes, changing a stinky diaper

Make some christmas cookies with your kids

Invite a friend over and wrap gifts together

Look at pictures of Christmas' past, get all nostalgic

Make a "if I was a millionaire" list of what you would get the people in your life for Christmas

Enjoy a candy cane

Make some popcorn and cranberry garland for decoration

Make some paper snowflakes

Or just take the stick out of your bum Grinch, its Christmas! :)

For once

I don't have to make Thanksgiving dinner! Or even any kind of pie or side dish. I am off the hook. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook but finding time to sit down and cook anything worth eating with 4 kids, is a huge job in itself.
A 2 hour cake turns into about 4 hours once we you have two children wanting to help mix/bake it, lick the spoons, frost/decorate it, then fly the coop when it comes time to clean up. Sometimes, I just have a craving for a nice big slab of chocolate cake and I want to bake it fast so I can eat it. Not have it be a lesson in baking to my younger children, selfish, I know.

Tomorrow I will be partaking in the best foods my family has to offer. Everything from turkey and ham to stromboli and whipped potatoes with my grandmothers homemade grazy...MMmMmm!
Hope everyone has the happiest of Thanksgiving with an abundance of love and family!

ARGH!

See the toy picture I added? They are called Littlest Pet Shops and they are the crave sweeping the nation! My daughter is on a personal hunt to own every stinking one!

Her Christmas list to Santa is filled with LPS wants. She has over 100 of the colorful little guys already. Its hard to keep track of what she does have and what she doesn't. I do have a small list of ones we haven't acquired yet. Rare or Hot ones like the one in the picture that sell out as soon as they go in stock. It is so frustrating to not be able to find the one thing(s) my kid wants for the holidays.

Tonight, I thought all that changed! I got an email from a friend stating that she found most of the rare LPS sets and sent me a link. I was so excited, I couldn't contain myself or wait til after dinner, which I usually do, to get online. I immediately brought my laptop in my room and sat down to order up a boatload of these things for my girl and my niece.

I click on the link and sure enough, there they all are. But at 6x the price! These little pets go for roughly $4.44 at local stores and on this website, they were up to $26.99 a piece! A mum of four, on a budget, can't afford that!

I think it is unfair that companies can do this. These toys aren't retired, they are still producing them. It is just their way of making more money off us consumers!

Well, it was on sale!

Thats what my husband says to me everytime I come home with something from the store that wasn't on the list. That comment use to instantly get my back up but lately I think, so what? Isn't that what I am suppose to be doing? Getting things on sale? Having a large family means cutting corners, clipping coupons, and saving the pennies, wherever you can!

I like to think ahead. Check out the sales flyers, buy in bulk when it is worth it and use coupons to save extra moolah when I can. Poor hubby doesn't think that far ahead I guess. He doesn't understand why I would waste money this week to buy 2 containers of laundry detergent, so I can get 1 free, when I will only use 1/3 of it all this week. I try to tell him that detergent is one of those things in our house that we will always use and it is worth it to spend a little more money this week, to get the free jug.

What does this all lead into you may ask? Black Friday!
M(hubby) has no idea why I would get up super early in the morning, stand in the cold, and wait in lines, hours long, all in the name of shopping. He has no idea how much money I save every year doing our holiday shopping by partaking in this little tradition. Maybe I should get a sitter and drag his butt out with me this year?
Tell me I am not the only one labeled crazy enough to partake in some Black Friday fun?

Did ya forget we ain't rich?

When I ask my kids what they want Santa to bring them for Christmas this year, why do I get a mile long list? Not only that, why is every single item on my kids lists, not under the $100 mark?
Money is of no object to them. They have no concept of finances. They believe for years, thanks to their father, that there was a money tree out back of the house that I went and plucked whenever I wanted some cash. ( I joked to hubby that this year things have been so rough that its only giving out change, not bills)
Don't get me wrong, I don't think our children should have to worry about money. I am glad that they don't have to wonder if we are going to have electricity, food, etc. But it makes me wonder if I am doing a huge disservice to them by not making them aware of the value of a dollar. Or, maybe I am overthinking it and they are asking for big, expensive gifts from Santa because, its Santa?
Heres hoping this Santa Claus doesn't go in the poor house this season.

The time of thanks

With Thanksgiving right around the bend, I thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on things that I am thankful for. And, of course I had to share with all of you in blog land! Feel free to add your top 3 or 4 or 5 things you are thankful for.

1) My family, of course! Everyone from my feathery baby birds to my grumpy teenager, workaholic hubby, and all in between!

2) My friends, without one in particular, I might not get through some days. If I ever receive nothing else this year, her friendship would be enough.

3) The health and safety of my loved ones and I. Having gone through some hard medical diseases/issues, I can truly appreciate life and how fragile it is.

4)Having a warm bed and food in our bellies. I may not have the biggest home but it is home, a roof over our heads and my children may feel neglected because they do not eat at the golden arches every day, but there is always food for them to mow down on.

5) The internet, lame I know. This is however, the one thing that is for me. I enjoy sharing my life on http://forums.supermomsworld.com/ <---the forum I help run. I love my blog and lets not forget the hassle free online holiday shopping! :)

6) Mark. No words can express how wonderful and selfless this man is. He has had a hard time lately but I truly believe he can and will pull it together, like he always does, and do the best for his family. Having to care for 5 other people besides yourself is overwhelming and I am grateful for all that he does.

Happy Birthday to me!

Moi!

Todays blog post is brought to you by the funny looking baby above. Hard to believe that baby has been on this earth for 33 years now. Long may the children of '74 live!

A friend tagged me for this very historical Birthday Meme. Here are the rules.
Go to Wikipedia and type in your birthday (month and day).
Write down three events, 2 births, 1 holiday.
Here are the random things related to my birthday, November 8th.

3 events that happened Nov.8:

1793 - In Paris, the French Revolutionary government opens the Louvre to the public as a museum.

1965 - The British Indian Ocean Territory is created, consisting of Chagos Archipelago, Aldabra, Farquhar and Des Roches islands.

2004 - War in Iraq: More than 10,000 U.S. troops and a small number of Iraqi army units participate in a siege on the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.

2 Births:

1966 - Gordon Ramsay, British chef and reality television personality

1836 - Milton Bradley, American game manufacturer (d. 1911)

1 Holiday:

Feast of Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity

My girl

I love that song. Whenever I hear that song or 'Brown Eyed Girl', I think of my Emma. My sweet little freckled face girl. She is growing up way too quick ya know.

As I am scratching my head trying to figure out what to buy her this year for Christmas it makes me think back to a time when the holidays were filled with long rectangular barbie boxes wrapped up in the prettiest pink paper and tied up with the girliest bow I could find. I long for those times.
It was a simpler time in our relationship, me and my girl. Where a promise to bake cookies together after dinner, cheered up the darkest of days. A simple kiss on her scratch, and all her boo boo's and crocodile tears faded away. She would sign I love you Mom, to me every morning from the bus window and leap off the bus steps in the afternoon to rush to me and tell me how great her day was.

Yeah, those days are long gone. Now our days are filled with eye rolls when I ask her how her day was. If I am lucky, I will get a fine mom, out of her. The mere thought of spending enough time with me to bake cookies seems to repulse her. My kisses and hugs are not welcome as often anymore and her boo boo's have took on new meanings. They are no longer scratches on the knees, but scratches of the heart. Damage done by the opposite sex cannot be repaired by a kiss and cuddle from a loving momma.

My girl stayed home from school today, sick with the stomach bug we have all been passing around here the past few weeks. My girl woke me at 1am last night to say her belly hurt and would I wake up and sit with her cause she was feeling bad. I rose up out of bed, got her a glass of water and a straw, a few napkins and a big comfy blanket to wrap her up in and helped her onto the couch. I sat there with her, hugging her, rubbing her back and eventually holding her hair while she didn't feel good. These are the only times I get nowadays to be close to her.....I miss My Girl......

Halloween

A friend of mine made a comment about why I would spend my time and money to buy my little 9 month old son a costume and bring him out "begging for food" on Halloween night.

Is it just me or was that slightly rude? I am dressing my child up because I want the pictures and memories that go along with it. I am bringing him out trick-or-treating, not begging for food, cause I will be bringing my other children out to trick-or-treat as well.

This comes from a woman who has brought her children out on Halloween night in years past, but now she has found the lord and believes Halloween is for evil doers.

How can people turn just like that? I am all for faith and religion, whatever floats your boat but what about the kids? They are use to a certain way of life, and now they are told that there will be no more Halloween, Easter Bunny, or Christmas because momma has a new boyfriend and they have all found Jesus? Please!

In a fall state of mind

Everything about today reminds me of fall. The crisp cool breeze in the air, the pumpkins on the neighbors steps. My hardy mums outside. The bird feeders needing constant refilling.

Tempted to bring the kids apple picking today but I got so much more to do today and that will just be added on to it. Maybe this weekend if I can get it all together.

It is also that time of year for Trick-or-Treating. THomas is going to be our favorite web slinging hero again, which means it saves me the moolah on buying him a new costume. I picked the littlest guy up a turtle costume. I think the girls are too big for trick or treating but they disagree.

Pics of the little ones in their costumes will be added at the end of the month so keep an eye out!