Ramblings from the Not-So-Typical Stay at Home Mom

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

I will not let go of my precious crafty goodness!
2007-10-04 01:03:00
The room that I am sitting in is a disaster. It is the room that calls itself the office/sewing/scrapping/gaming/cache for all things random without homes room. I first thought that I would try to widdle down my fabric collection, my scrapbooking collection, and other miscellaneous crafty paraphernalia. Um, ya...that so did not work. It is so hard for an avid sewer and quilter such as myself to throw away fabric. Once you are faced with throwing it away, it suddenly has new life and there are so many great things you can plan to do with it. So you take it, shove back into some random place and wait until the next time you attempt to widdle down the fabric stash. It's a very vicious cycle really.So I decided to browse a little bit for storage solutions. I found some storage bins at Caruysgarage.com that look pretty useful. I think that if I were to get some of these storage bins, I could put it in our storage unit. That might sound like a pain in the butt to go to the storage unit t...
More About: Goodness , Precious , Let Go , Reci

Pink Eye and the School Attendance Line
2007-10-02 22:36:00
Pink eye is making it's rounds this year. As a child I never had to experience what I hear is the pain and gooey-ness of pink eye. Unfortunately, Miss Turtle now has it. She was up at her grandparents house when I got a call that they wanted to take her to the Dr. in case it was pink eye.My first reaction was that it is not pink eye. Miss Turtle has spent the last few weeks convincing herself, and trying to convince me, that every speck of dust she got in her eye was pink eye. SO I figured she was just trying to pull that one again. I told the grandparents to take her in. Most of the time when you call in with pink eye, they simply give you a prescription over the phone. The don't want this highly contagious grossness in their office. Miss Turtle called me back a few hours later, and it was pink eye. I felt horrible that I didn't believe her, but I was also relieved that it was diagnosed by a doctor and not a 9 year old and her playground buddies.I called the attendance number on...
More About: Pink , School , Line

Free Raleigh, NC Getaway
2007-10-02 22:11:00
What I wouldn't give to go on a vacation with Hubby. With just Hubby. No kids, No relatives, no cell phones. It would be a dream. Don't get me wrong, I love my children, most of my relatives, and can't live without the cell phone or Internet, but it would be so great to have a whole weekend away from it all snuggled up in Hubby's arms. Sadly, we aren't really rolling in the dough and most of our money goes towards the kids or the house. Now with #3 on the way, we really need to take a look at our budget and make adjustments. Sadly, their won't be a "weekend for mommy and daddy" space on that budget.But what if I could get a vacation for free? Mamma Mia! I can!! Look at this great vacation Fall Getaway prize to the "hidden treasure" of Raleigh , NC:-One night accommodations for two at the Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley -$25 gift certificate to Bloomsbury Bistro-Free VIP admission for two to Rum Runners -2 tickets to the North Carolina Theatre -2 tickets to the N.C...

Orange = Barf
2007-10-02 02:11:00
I keep meaning to join a Manic Monday because they look like so much fun and I LOVE reading the thoughts of all the other participants. I stumbled across an entry today and it triggered me to get one done. So here we go, courtesy of Mo here is my thoughts about this week's subject: Orange I almost decided to wait until next week to jump in, but as my grandmother always hounded told me, "There is no better time than the present". The reason that I almost decided against taking on the MM challenge this week is the subject. The color orange, among some other colors, make me ill. I am not sure what it is, but as soon as I see that lovely orange square above, I get all head achy and my tummy starts to to somersault and rebel. When I was pregnant with Miss Turtle, it was the color yellow. With Little Bear, plaid made me vomit. I am not sure of the reasons behind this, but I do know that I was mighty pukey feeling.Oranges also make me ill. Pregnancy can really turn up the crank of reflux i...

It's Offical
2007-10-02 02:07:00
I have a belly. Granted, it's all just bloat and other lovely things that come with the first trimester of pregnancy, but it looks like baby. Or at least it does to strangers. Hubby and I took Little Bear on a walk and we ended up at the Chinese place. While waiting in line a woman asked Little Bear if there was a baby brother or sister in mommy's tummy. Then she gave me a congrats. I wasn't sure if I should be happy that I was given a congrats and that I don't just look fat, or if I should be upset by the fact that I am only 8 weeks along and already look pregnant enough for people to really notice. I am gonna take the happy road and ditch the upset part. It's easier and happier that way.http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blog ger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4 C&feed=1

I'm almost back from the dead
2007-09-28 16:26:00
Momnesia. It is the strangest thing to me. The second that we deliver our little bundle of joy, we instantly forget just how bad the symptoms of pregnancy are. The worst one for me is morning sickness. I remember that I had it really bad, but I forgot what it felt like. With Little Bear I lost 16 or 18 pounds or something like that in the first trimester. With both girls I was sick for the whole 9 months too. I am only 8 weeks along. In fact, i haven't even hit that 8 week mark and I have lost weight. I am not sure just how much since the last time I was weighed was about 3 months ago. My weight from then is down about 11 pounds, so I figure that not too much of the lost weight can be in the last 8 weeks. My midwife was concerned since I lost so much last time and has given me a prescription medication along with a vitamin regimen. I am finally able to sit up and even walk around again! Woo hoo! Those are two things that you have to do when you have toddlers and pre-tweens running ...
More About: Back , Dead

A Child's Imagination
2007-09-21 17:51:00
This is a picture of our Capital building:My mom works right across the street from this gold domed government building. I took my girls to visit my mom at work and Little Bear was just mesmerized by this building. She stared at it with big wide eyes and said "oooh". I asked her what she saw and she pointed right up to the large, shiny, gold dome and told me:"It's wearing a hat."I laughed so hard. It was just too cute! If you look at it, you can see the hat. The big shiny hat. Once it is pointed out, it becomes obvious that someone would see a hat, but as an adult, it is just a building. My 2 year old had to show me what her expansive imagination saw. It really reminded me to look at things through a child's eye. Just look at all the fun that they see. :Dhttp://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogge r.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4C& feed=1
More About: Imagination

The Announcement
2007-09-17 01:02:00
I know that I promised an announcement a while back, and although many of you have figured it out already, I am sorry I haven't done it yet. I even made a video blog post to announce the announcement and it accidentally got erased off the camera. Doh!It doesn't help that I am feeling so icky. Morning sickness will do that to a woman.Yup! You read that right. Mommy the Maid is pregnant. We are going to have a baby. We could not be more excited. We started trying in Feb and only actively tried for 2 cycles. A certain Dr. told me that I probably wouldn't be able to have more kids without a lot of work and the stress from his diagnosis was weighing down on me so we stopped really trying and just didn't prevent. This last cycle we decided to start charting and really go for it and guess what. It happened. We got pregnant.This little one is due on the same day that Little Bear was due. A little Freaky Friday no? There is no way that they will have the same birthday thought. Little Bea...
More About: Announcement , Anno

Happy Birthday Miss Turtle!
2007-09-10 16:24:00
Today my baby turns 9 years old. The days of playing football with Mommy in the front yard are over. She has traded in the party dress and snow boots for camo capris and lip gloss and now watches the boy outside play football. She still plays with the boys every now and then. I am glad to see something I taught her has stuck. We woke up this morning and opened gifts before school.A shirt that I made from Little BearA digital camera featuring the beloved Hello Kitty from GrammaA Disney Mobile cell phone...think her smile could get any bigger?Then we had pancake cake for breakfast with a really yummy peach syrup a friend made for us.We have a lot more birthday celebrating to do with friends and other family, but the morning with the family is always the best, and most important.http://www.text-link-ads.com/xm l_blogger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4 QBQPZ4C&feed=1
More About: Turtle , Happy , Birthday , Miss , Happy Birthday

Sad news
2007-09-07 20:13:00
I know, I suck. I keep coming here and saying that I will stop leaving my blog so neglected. I have been super busy lately. Miss Turtle's birthday is coming up and we have decided to get her a Disney Mobile phone. It's a bit more expensive per month, but I can put a cap on her minutes and avoid the fees for going over and it has a bunch of other cool features that are great for kids too. Her cell phone will actually be better than mine. Her birthday was going to be a horse back riding party at her grandparents house. They were going to ride the horse that Miss Turtle has had since she was 9 months old. Unfortunately, the horse passed away a few nights ago. She had a form of colic that is rare, but not in horses her age. She also had a tumor wrapped around her intestines and the combination of the two made it her time to go. Miss Turtle took it pretty hard, as any kid would, and luckily she is now starting to understand that Missy (the horse) was sick and older and that she had a r...
More About: News

People Watching at McDonalds...part 2
2007-08-28 23:47:00
I know I posted a really long time ago about people watching at the McDonalds Play Place, but today's events really asked for another post on the same topic.I took Little Bear to have lunch at McDonalds after running our errands today. SHe loves the Play Place and the fries as well. We can't get her to eat much of anything, so if it means french fries and me scarfing down a luke warm "rat burger" as Hubby affectionalty refers to it, then so be it. I was amzaed by all the different types of mothering going on in such a small place. I am surronded by different types of parenting on my message boards and in my circle of friends, but I never realized that some methods really clash with others. And I have been compared to an APer!I just want to say right now that there is really no "right way" to parent. As long as your children are healthy, happy, and being raised to interact socially, they are being raised correctly.One mom was younger with her adorable little boy that I would ...
More About: People , Part , Watching , Mcdonalds , People watching

Alzheimer's affects so many
2007-08-28 23:06:00
My grandmother suffers from Alzheimer's and even with medication, we can all see how it affects her daily life and way of thinking. Unfortunately, we have terrible members of the family who use this to their advantage.Family Member #1We will call him Uncle Doody Pants (as I am trying to keep this family friendly, but trust me the names in my mind are much worse). Doody Pants decides that he is going to repeatedly ask for money. My grandma writes him a check and then forgets that she wrote it so the next time he asks, she will write another one. That is so low and I am embarrassed to think that he is in my family tree. He also asks my grandmother to go to Costco for him and pay for it and bring it to him about 45 minutes away. Disgusting.Family Member #2We shall call her Auntie Wanderer as she will never settle in one place because people are realizing even quicker now that she is older and lost her looks that she is a freeloader. She asks my grandmother to ship her things all the t...

How I spent most of my day
2007-08-28 04:45:00
A Video Documentary by Mommy the Maid.Taped by Mommy the MaidBased on a true Story from Mommy the Maidhttp://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blog ger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4 C&feed=1
More About: Little Bear

Back to school!!
2007-08-22 04:54:00
I survived yesterday's storm...barely. It was crazy. Today was just a little windy with some attitude thrown in from the sister storm just north. Tomorrow school starts. YAY!! I think I might be more excited than Miss Turtle is. Don't get me wrong, I love my child very much, but I am excited for her to be out of the house and learning. I have had my fill of "I'm bored" and "I'm not bored enough to clean my room" and the constant messes and the constant stream of little kids that ask if she can come out and play although she is right in the front yard in plain site. Mommy is a bit frazzled.We took her supplies to school and saw her new classroom. We met her new substitute teacher as her teacher just had a baby and is on maternity leave. He seemed really nice. My biggest fear about Miss Turtle going into the 4th grade is not the amount of grey hairs it will produce on my head (and there is something) or her becoming smarter than I am (which she will). My fear is that her teacher w...
More About: School , Back , Back to School

Important Announcement from the Temper Tantrum Weather Service
2007-08-21 01:30:00
We interrupt this blogging drought to bring you this important announcement from the Temper Tantrum Weather Service .**Tornado Little Bear has been spotted and is moving in erratic directions at approximately 92 mph. We advise that everyone in the near vicinity take shelter at once. Do not attempt to clean up the debris that this violent storm leaves in her path. Once the storm has crashed into her bedroom and is at full rest is it advised to remove yourself from shelter and attempt to gather your belongings among the toys, crayons, laundry, bananas, and other various debris that this storm seems to be attracted to**This is not a test of the Emergency Temper Tantrum Weather Service. Please heed our advise and take shelter immediately.We now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml _blogger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4Q BQPZ4C&feed=1
More About: Announcement

My poor neglected Blog
2007-08-13 02:11:00
I am so sorry my dear readers. I have been a terrible blogger. Well, I haven't really even been a blogger. That will change. I promise.The family drama is sort of in a limbo or stand still at the moment. Luckily, it doesn't look like Hubby and I will have to deal with the brunt of it. Other than that, I have been crazy busy sewing and scrapping. My design group on eBay just had a launch last week and I am getting ready for another coming this week. I have been sew busy. Ha ha....that was a bad joke. Miss Turtle goes back to school soon and I am shocked that she will be in the 4th grade. Crazy. It really makes me feel that whole "gray hair and pimples" age that I have approached. Little Bear is learning new words and sentences everyday. Including the lovely phrase "Oh crap." Nice.As much as I love the summer, I am ready for the 90 degree days to be over and I am ready for Miss Turtle to go back to school. I can feel it. Summer is over. Weather Chanel knows nothing. Summer is not ab...
More About: Blog , Poor

I'm still here!
2007-08-06 07:43:00
After the Blogathon I was a little "blogged out" but I plan on doing it next year for sure! We had some out of state family drama happen that I can't really get into right now, but don't worry. It isn't too serious and it is all under control right now. For now.I promise to be back soon rambling about random things. :Dhttp://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogge r.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4C& feed=1

The Blogathon Begins!!
2007-07-30 05:59:00
This is a sticky post for the Blog-a-thon today. Please scroll down for newer posts (that will be posted every 30 minutes).It is nearing 7 am here and I will not be pouring myself back into my comfortable bed until about this time tomorrow. Yikes. What have I gotten myself into? Blogathon 2007That is what I have gotten myself into. I plan to tell you all about why I am self inducing insomnia upon myself and making 49 blog posts during that time in another post, but first I want to tell everyone what we will be doing here today at Mommy the Maid.Thank you to all my wonderful sponsors who believe that I can do this! I really appreciated every single cent you have dontaed. Donations can still be pledged so keep them coming in.Today is Family Day! I plan to tell tales of potty training, show you cool crafts for the kids, list some of our favorite books, give you some great kid friendly recipes, and so much more. 40 something posts more. I also plan to tell you more about The A...

Why is everything siticky?
2007-07-30 01:56:00
Why is every surface in my house coated in sticky? No matter how many times I wipe, or how many different cleaners I use, everything is always sticky. Just now I was cleaning off my dining room table. Hubby was in charge of the clean up of dinner, so that explains why I was doing it. I needed something to keep me awake so I took on the project of giving the chairs and table a good deep cleaing. I also needed to do this quietly as not to wake anyone.I washed them down really well and they still felt sticky. I washed my hands in case it was just sticky residue from the chairs. Nope. Still sticky. I grabbed the disinfectant and sprayed each one down and then wiped every crevice as best I could. It is still a bit sticky. What is it about children and sticky?http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_b logger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQ PZ4C&feed=1
More About: Icky , Tick

Thank you and Good Night!
2007-07-29 16:00:00
It has been a fun 24 hours. My self induced insomnia has raised $107.95 for the American Diabetes Foundation. For a first time thonner, I think that is pretty awesome! Thank you to every single one of you that supported me through comments, chat, pledges, and keeping me awake. Thank you to all the monitors, DJ's at KMRL, and all the the other thonners. You all have been fantastic and I could not have done it without you.How "Oscar" do I sound? LOLand with that...Mommy the Maid has left the building.http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml _blogger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4Q BQPZ4C&feed=1
More About: Night , Good , Good Night , Hank

One track mind...bed.
2007-07-29 15:27:00
I am so close to this:Granted, I don't have a tail or a cute little furry face, but I thought this picture was much cuter than some fluffy lady with bright red eyes in a bed. What do you think?I wonder how my family will fair again tomorrow without me. Today Hubby did well, but I am worried about him surviving two days in a row. Granted, he has places to go and people to be (not a typo, he does role playing stuff) at 4 so I will have to be awake to care for Little Bear. However, that doesn't mean I have to be dressed. And I just about guarantee you that I won't be. Jammies all day for me!http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogg er.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4C &feed=1
More About: Mind , Track , Trac

Sunrise
2007-07-29 15:02:00
The sun is rising. It has been a while since I have watched the sunrise. I used to watch it all the time when Little Bear was just a Tiny Bear and had the most backwards sleep schedule ever. I think it would be more beautiful if I had a good night of sleep before seeing it. Maybe another day.http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blog ger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4 C&feed=1
More About: Sunrise

I blamed my kids
2007-07-29 14:29:00
Hubby and I found a fart machine called Dr. Fart when we stopped at Fort Cody on our way home from Iowa a few weeks ago. This toy has been played with non stop and the batteries have proven to be very strong. On the way to a crafty night at my friend's house, I threw the fart machine in my purse so that I could show my friends and her kids the cool new toy. It was a big hit. The boys took it and ran rampant with it. They even added their own whoopie cushion into the mix. I threw it back in my purse on the way out and forgot about it.I was at the fabric store talking with one of the associates. He led me to what I was looking for and my purse starting farting. The Dr Fart was in there and going off. I looked at the clerk and said "My kids must have put the fart machine in my purse again. They think it is so funny".I totally blamed my children. Bad Mommy. I didn't want to admit to a total stranger that I thought farts were funny and played with a key chain fart machine. My friends c...
More About: Kids , Blame , Lame

Sleeping Children
2007-07-29 13:30:00
I love watching my kids sleep. They are so sweet, quiet, and innocent. I wonder what they are dreaming about and hope that it is something really good. I just want to hug and snuggle them, but don't in fear of waking them up.Tonight I watch with all the same sappy feelings, but also with a tinge of jealousy. They get to sleep. LOL Also, they sleep so soundly and I slept terrible last night which is why I have been fading so fast in these last couple of hours.http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_bl ogger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQP Z4C&feed=1
More About: Children , Sleeping , Ping

Go and Vote for me!
2007-07-29 12:55:00
If you are awake and reading this, go to fidainc.com and vote for me! Fida was taking pictures of the wackiest hair so I had to recreate one of my hair fall looks from back in the day. A little scary huh? Just picture it with lots more black makeup, a black choker with spikes and D rings, and either a big foofy Lolita dress with a pink tutu or a vinyl dress. Man...how times change.Somewhere, somehow I got another wind. I think it had something to do with quietly trying to clean out the Betta tanks. That was an interesting experience. I am going to make it. Only 3 hours to go. Keep rooting me on!http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogg er.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4C &feed=1
More About: Vote

Kids and Cell Phones
2007-07-29 12:27:00
What age do you think that kids should have a cell phone? I see some kids that can handle the responsibility of a cell phone. They call home to check in, they tell mom and dad where they are, and they don't ride their bikes down the middle of the street while texting. (Yes, this really did happen. The kid that wears his pants below his butt was doing this) I have also seen kids rack up a $900 phone bill and their Daddy's last name is not Hilton. I have seen kids not take care of the expensive phone and use the camera to take nude pics. Not cool.So if it really isn't an age thing, but more of a maturity thing, I wonder about my kids. I think that Miss Turtle could handle one of those phones where she can only the numbers that I have approved and programed into her phone. I also don't think she could treat a phone right. I've shown pictures and video of her room. That child is messy and would loose her own head if I didn't make sure it was attached everyday. I am of the thinking...
More About: Kids , Cell Phones , Phones , Cell

Favorite TV Familes
2007-07-29 11:55:00
Who was, or is, your favorite TV family?When I was growing up my fmaily didn't really do anything together and "fmaily time" was an unknown phrase to us. There was one exception though. We would all gather around the TV on Sunday night and watch Married with Children and The Simpsons. Explains a little about me doesn't it? LOLhttp://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogg er.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4C &feed=1
More About: Favorite , Favor

Someone Please Explain Bath Toys to Me
2007-07-29 11:28:00
Kids love bath toys. I remember when I was a kid and I would drag every possible toy that could go into the bath, and some that couldn't, with me into the tub every night. I now understand my mother's frustration with that very thing.I went to take a nice cold shower to try and get my mind and body to wake up and I had to clear bath toys out of the way before I could step in. There was a huge assortment of rubber duckies, Sesame Street characters, and plastic animals. I am surprised that in my tired state of mind I didn't fall and break my head open. That would have been a Blogathon memory.Do your kids have a hue amount of bath toys? Did you have a lot when you were a kid?http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blog ger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4 C&feed=1
More About: Toys , Bath , Ease , Some

Jumpingon the Haiku bandwagon
2007-07-29 10:56:00
I love my childrenalthough can drive me crazyfamily is greathttp://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blo gger.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ 4C&feed=1
More About: Haiku , Ping , Wagon , Jumping

Mommy the Maid does the Chicken Dance
2007-07-29 10:31:00
Blogger has my time stamps all screwy, I think I have fixed them.Bug at KMRL Radio asked all of chatters to do the Chicken Dance so when she played the song, I did the dance. :DIgnore the messed up headband, I just got done washing my face and forgot to push the band back. In fact, ignore my entire apperance. As I explained before, it is late, I am tired, and I just don't care. :Dhttp://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogge r.php?inventory_key=7FK6WL5FBEDW4QBQPZ4C& feed=1
More About: Mommy , Maid