Family Fun Day ~ Guest Post by @rustilyn

While I'm on vacation this week Rusilyn from My Life As An Officer's Wife is taking over for my blog for a day.  Please give her a big welcome and lots of bloggy love.  She's a wonderful woman, wife and mom who I love chatting with on Twitter.  She's funny, witty and real.  Just my kind of gal.  You can find her there as @rustilyn or her twitterjail alter ego @hashtag_whore.  Without further ado....Rustilyn!

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First – let me thank our lovely hostess for letting me take over her blog for a day while she’s relaxing and enjoying herself AWAY from here :) Thanks lady, you rock! This was a lot of fun to write :)

Second – let me introduce myself, because you may not know me (I know, I know, I’m surprised too!) I’m Rusti :) I’m married to a cop, and we have a 2.5 year old daughter, nicknamed Goose. I’m telling you this because they are my family, and what this post is all about :) Because of Hubs’ work schedule (night shift, slightly funky days) we only see him 3-4 days a week (that alternates weekly, so his schedule is predictable, it nothing else) but we do have a 3-day weekend together every other weekend – YAY!

Third – the business. When discussing with our lovely hostess what I might blog about in this post, one of the suggestions she mentioned was “what we do for fun as a family” and this summer we’ve started a new habit, maybe even a tradition (although we’ll have to see if it continues, I’m fairly certain it will) of zoo-hopping. Zoo-hopping? Pretty much it’s just trying to get to as many zoos as possible, whenever possible :) For us, we’ve only been to three so far this summer, but we have more on the “wish list” and hopefully we’ll knock at least one or two more off before the end of zoo season… let me share our zoo adventures with you :)

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Our first zoo trip this summer was to our local zoo, only about 15 minutes away…

Potter Park – June 5, 2011

and while not huge, it does provide us with a fun afternoon without a long drive… it doesn’t have any bears currently on exhibit, but it manages to show off two of Goose’s other favorite “ROAR”ing animals – Lions and Tigers :) She also enjoys the Snow Leopard, the Mandrill, and the Penguin exhibits… The River Otters are always fun to watch, the Bald Eagles majestic, and she was alternatively delighted and frightened by the “feed the birds” exhibit – in which we held a tongue-compressor with one end coated in bird seed up for the birds to eat off of :) she loved feeding them, but got scared with they would suddenly fly away or near (darn flighty creatures – ha!) ;)

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Our second zoo trip was a longer day… we left around 5:30am for a destination 4 hours away…

Columbus Zoo – June 25, 2011

Black Bears

Brown Bears

these boys are 5 year old twins – and they were in a playful mood :) Goose was a little frightened being so close to such large and scary animals… she liked them better the second time around

Polar Bears

these gals are 6 year old twins – they would take turns diving into the water and coming up to paw at the glass, they were a lot of fun to watch – and after a few minutes Goose warmed up enough to actually look at them ;)

Pink Flamingos, Crocodiles, Gorillas

none of these guys were very active, but Goose thought they were very cool, as she’s only ever seen them on TV

Sting Rays, Fishies and Manatees

this was a very cool exhibit, they swam right past the glass! they also had a reef where you could touch sea creatures like starfish, anemones, etc. – but the animals were on a rest break when we were in that area, and nap time arrived before we made it back that way

Play areas too (which Goose loves as much as seeing the animals)

Goose didn’t care that we’d driven 4 hours to see animals, she spotted the slides and she wanted to play, we stopped at two different play areas and let her play for a bit, she was thrilled to do it all

Also big hits were the Rhino, Snake, Water Dragon, Flying Fox, Monkey & Elephants – especially the baby!

(The big cats were all taking their afternoon nap by the time we made it to them, so those pics aren’t very exciting) We had a great time, although 4 hours on the road, 6+ hours at the zoo, then 4 hours home made for a long day!

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Our third (and last) zoo trip was another semi-local zoo – it was only about and hour and 15 minute drive

Detroit Zoo -

We started out with a train ride to the back of the zoo, then headed to the Polar Bears… we caught the Zebras and Giraffes on the way, but only one Polar Bear was in view – and he was spending a lot of time chillin’ in the pool. We were able to sea the Sea Lions in the Arctic Circle tunnel – and Goose really loved seeing them swim right over her. The cats and bears were napping (thanks to the hot weather) but the Monkeys, Hippo, Rhinos and Meerkats were out and about… we enjoy the Butterfly House and Penguin Aquarium, before heading to a very special exhibit…

DINOSAURS

obviously the dinosaurs weren’t real, but they did look amazingly lifelike and the sounds and movements they made were enough to keep Goose on her toes and wary of what they might do… she did great though, right up until one suddenly shot water right at us and got us all wet – she was done after that! (luckily we stopped in there last, and we were ready to head home – also lucky, because I’d filled up the camera’s memory card!)

We have several other zoos on our Zoo Wish List, but I’m certain we won’t hit them all this summer… on our list are zoos in Cincinnati, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Cleveland, Indianapolis… we’d also like to go back to Columbus, but make it a two day trip! there are more we’d like to see, but we have to space them out, maybe we’ll get through them all by next summer ;)

What are YOUR favorite zoos? Or what do you do on your Family Fun Days?

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Grocery Shopping Magic~Guest Post by @Mumma_Gumma

Today I have Jennifer from Mumma Gumma guest posting!  Make sure to give her a warm welcome and lots of comment love.  She describes herself as blissfully riding waves in the sea of motherhood.  She is the mom of precious baby Tommy, who turned 6 months old just last week.  Definitely head over to her blog to find out more and check her out on Twitter too. 

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Grocery Shopping Magic: How to Be In and Out of the Grocery Store in Thirty Minutes or Less


Grocery shopping is not as much fun as it used to be. In my pre-baby life, I took my time, read labels, and was picky about produce. I also used to treat myself to my favorite cheese or get fresh salmon from the butcher. Now, I do my groceries with one hand because T is usually in the other.

I never go to the grocery without a list, a budget, and a meal plan. Thanks to these tools, I'm in and out of there within thirty minutes. Here are some of my magic tricks.


Prep Work

Kitchen Central

We keep a chalk board in our kitchen. It has three columns. 'This Week's Meals', 'What We Need', and 'What We Have'. Any time we run out of something, we write it down in the 'What we Need' column. Any time we have leftovers, we write it down in the 'What We Have'. The leftovers column is great for our house. Food always gets pushed around in our fridge so I like to know what I can eat for lunch without going digging. Less waste this way, too.


Meal Plan

This doesn't have to be as complicated as it sounds. For the next two weeks, keep a pen and paper at the dinner table. Write down all the meals that you eat. You can also ask the family to participate by calling out their favorites or something they'd like to try. Before you know it, you have a long list of meal ideas. It makes meal planning much easier.

If you prefer something more elaborate, here is a list of meal planning and recipe links. http://orgjunkie.com/menu-plan-monday-guidelines/menu-planning-resources


Budget

In this economy, no one can afford to pay full price for groceries or fill their cart with impulse buys. Simply going to the grocery store with a list is an easy way to prevent unnecessary purchases. To prevent impulse buys, I always eat before I go to the grocery store. Going hungry easily leads to a cart full of chips and chocolate.

M and I set a weekly grocery budget. This does not include baby items/food or toiletries. We find that if we spend more than that allotted budget, we end up buying junk food. If you're not sure what your family's grocery budget should be, keep your grocery receipts for a month and see if you notice a pattern.


Mailers & Coupons

Every week I collect the grocery mailers that get delivered to my house. I sit down with a Sharpie marker and circle all the foods that we eat that are on sale. Then I take my list of meals and combine the two to make a meal plan for the week. From here, I start my grocery list.

Now, I wouldn't consider myself an extreme-coupon-type-person but I do like to collect coupons. Once I've made my grocery list, I check to see if I have any coupons that coincide with the weekly deals or items on my list.

Most grocery stores allow price matching. Price matching means that you can take your mailers to one store and get the sale price from another store. But you have to be organized. When I write out my grocery list I put the code 'PM' beside the item that needs to be price matched then I write a code for the grocery store. This way, when I get to the cashier, I don't feel frazzled to get the right item with the right mailer. I also write the code 'CPN' next to the items that have a coupon.

If I'm lucky, I can save an extra $10 to $20 off our bill from using coupons and price matching. Once in a while, I'll get a dirty look from a customer in line behind me or the cashier. But the joke's on them, I save money – they pay full price!


Off to the Grocery Store

Feed the Monsters
Figure out what time of the day your children are at their best. Take advantage and go to the grocery store with well rested and fed children. Talk to your kids about rewards and/or consequences before you leave. Bring snacks from home. Remember that a grocery store is a great place to teach your children about healthy choices and budgeting. Expect a few “Mommy! Can I have this?” or “Mommy, can I have that?” There's no harm in your child asking once or twice for a few 'treat' items. If they have trouble with the word 'no', reinforce the consequences you talked about before you left for the store.

Hit the grocery store first thing in the morning or after dinner. Weekends and dinner time are the busiest times for most grocery stores.


The Grand Finale

Ok, with my list, meal plan, price matches, and coupons in hand, I'm off to the grocery store. Like I said, these tools might take you a few extra minutes during the week, but will save you time, energy, and money at the grocery store.



A Few Extra Things to Note

Before you choose a check-out lane, watch the cashier. Does she chat with the customers? Does she scan slowly? Does she look happy? Young male cashiers tend to not take their job too seriously and don't care how many coupons you hand over or how much time you need from him. This is just my personal opinion.



Although most stores are great about matching the prices on the shelves with the check-out, it doesn't always work out that way. To avoid getting overcharged for items, watch the computer as your cashier scans item. Speak up if something doesn't look right.



I hope you enjoy some of my tricks – they may not quite be magical, but the time and energy they can save you, will be.

The Little Things In Life

It truly is the little things in life that make it worth living.  When I take a moment to sit back and relax my subconscious reminds me of this.

The little things I've been grateful for this week:

• Healthy Children-My daughter started feeling sick the other day all of a sudden.  Often times we live in the moment and forget to cherish the moments our children are healthy.  It all started with a sore throat when we were in Target. By time we got home she also had a headache and her skin was flush.  She ended up with a fever that jumped between 100-103 the rest of the day and into the next morning.  Thank goodness for Motrin.  It kept knocking it down.  Poor baby was up from 2 a.m. until 5:30 a.m. because she was feverish and couldn't sleep.  We snuggled together in her bottom bunk and I let her play with my phone.  Eventually the meds took hold again and she was finally able to fall asleep.

• Thoughtful small gifts-My husband knew what a rough day I was having.  Between Little Bee being sick and Goalieboy almost closing the van door on his ankle it was a long night.  When he left his second job at 10 p.m. he picked up a bouquet of flowers on the way out for me.  He said they were just "because".  So sweet.  It meant the world to me because there was no special occasion and it wasn't an "I was a jerk, I'm sorry" gift.  It blew me away. Bright, golden sunflowers to brighten my day.  I would post a picture of them but the poor things are fading away quickly.  It's the thought that counts and I'm beaming with happiness just thinking about it.

• Brother and Sister Moments-The bond between my kids when they sit back and just enjoy being with each other.  It's amazing.  My heart sings during those moments.  I love when they are being considerate of one another and respecting each other.  Those two things are so hard to teach.  They sat side by side enjoying the rare luxury of being on the computer and playing Club Penguin.  I limit computer time so it's definitely a treat here.  Many a times they'll fuss and fight over it, not wanting to share.  This time, they chatted and took turns all the while being patient with the one who was playing.  That truly deserves gold medal status.

• Helpful Hands-I love when they willingly help me out without much argument.  They've been rinsing dishes and loading them into the dishwasher without many reminders.  Goalieboy has taken on the task of cleaning up the litter boxes and wanting no help from Little Bee. I do need to prod him a bit but he does it without any grief.   He's also been taking feeding the cats more seriously.  We had a long talk about forgetting to feed them and how he would feel to be hungry and thirsty and having no way of getting food and water.  I think it finally clicked.  Setting the light bulb off in understanding, I'm slowly learning, is all in the correct approach.  What works for one child does not always work for another.

These are just a few "Little Things" in my life that I am appreciative about right now.  I'm working on not taking them for granted.  In our hectic lives I think many of us do just that.

What are some of your Little Things?

Life's Lessons

  
I'm excited to be linking up for the first time with Life's Recipe and Life with Baby Donut for Life's Lessons. 

Here's a few of the things I've learned this week:

*  Though I love when my brothers visit 10 days is a LONG time.

*  I hate when they (brothers) try to "parent' my kids.  That's my job, Thank you very much.  Your job is to
    spoil them and let me be the bad guy.  I do have everything under control, even if it doesn't look like it.  I
    I know you're just trying to help, but it drives me nuts.

*  My younger brother will never change.  He comes to visit with good intentions but rarely follows through.
     It's ok.  I have to stop getting my expectations up.

*  Though my older brother has mental/emotional handicaps my son will always show him love and respect. 
     this makes my heart sing because even my parents don't even do this.

*  My parents will always treat my older brother like a mentally challenged child even though he is smart.  It
    breaks my heart.  They're setting a bad example for my children.  I am learning to accept this too and
    show them the right way to act by my actions and talking to them openly about it.

*  A visit to the lake with friends is just what I needed after my brothers went home.  It was relaxing and fun
    for all.

*  Though Dancer Girl can be a selfish teenager at times, she loves us.  She actually sent me a text telling
     me she missed the kids while she was at her mom's house for a few days.  I know this but it did melt
     my heart.
*  My husband and I are trying hard not to let the stress of his two jobs and my feeling of single momdom
    get in the way of us.  In the past it has and we've acknowledged it and vowed to work hard at
    keeping it at bay this week.

*  Excitement about being together as a family this week on vacation.  It's been almost a year since the last
    one.  We don't have everything planned out since rain is in the forecast for the whole East Coast most of
    the week so we're taking it a few days at a time.  I'm ok with that.  I just want to relax and enjoy being
    together.  I'm going to give up some control and not stress (much) about not having concrete plans.
*  It's wonderful when my husband unexpectedly gives me flowers.  It brightened an otherwise dark day. 

*  Kids will get hurt and sick, we can get through it.  Goalieboy bruised his ankle with the van door on
    Thursday.  Little Bee came down with a virus of some sort the same day.  I spent the whole night with her
     while she battled a 103 fever.

*  Smart phone apps at 4 o'clock in the morning can be a lifesaver when your feverish, sick child can't sleep.
    She was entertained until the Motrin kicked in and she finally was able to sleep.

*  Sleepovers are lots of fun when you're kids are away spending the night torturing some other poor adult.   
    I'm thankful for this and will return the favor one day soon I'm sure.

*  And wine is a great way to enjoy a child free evening!


                 

Image by Cool Text: Free Graphics Generator -


What did you learn last week?  Care to share?

Vacation Time Is Here

So excited that my husband worked his last shift at either job last night!  Woohoo!  He won't return to work until Tuesday, August 22nd!

Today I've convinced him we should just relax and enjoy a day of nothing.  So far it's going ok but he's got an itch to use the free tickets he got to a local water park.  We'll see what happens. 

This morning for the first time in maybe forever, I got to laze in bed until 10 a.m.  I slept until 9.  It was absolutely divine!   Goalieboy was sleeping over the grandparents. Dancer Girl and Little Bee's are at friend's houses.  I actually have to get off the computer and go pick them up. I'm procrastinating.

Hubby said the sweetest things to me this morning when I woke up.  He embraced me and nestled me close to his chest.  He murmured in my ear that this will be a wonderful week for us.  We're going to have a lot of fun.  Kick back and enjoy each other.  We're going to show and tell how much we love each other.  We're going to get it on a lot...lol.  You know what I mean. 

He was so endearing.  I know he wants to get in my pants. I know TMI but it was cute.  See, he's always under a lot of work stress and I'm always going crazy juggling the kids.  We are tired and stressed out more times than we care to be around each other.  Unfortunately, sometimes that translates into major grumpiness around one another.  We tend to argue more when we've got something big coming up....vacations, holidays, birthdays, etc.  It's the added stress that gets to us.  We've vowed this time that we are slamming the NEGATIVE emotion door and just enjoying all the positives in our lives.

We still don't have an actual vacation plan.  I'm a planner by nature and it's driving me a bit batty.  But, I'm tucking it away and going to go with the flow.  I'm sure my husband will be amazed when I don't nag him about where we're going and what we're doing.

***Since we'll be off on some adventure of another this coming week I have several posts scheduled to post and a couple guest posters.  Show them some love when they stop by!

Happy Saturday everyone!!

Watching Me

I wanted to get some writing inspiration so I turned to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop this week. This is my first time joining in so please be gentle.

 I'm loving this prompt....The Police said it best when they said, "Every breath you take/And every move you make/Every bond you break, every step you take/I'll be watching you". Write about a time you believed someone was watching you.

The exact time of this memory is a bit unclear to me.  The details are fuzzy but the feeling of being watched I can still recall clear as day.

I had to be around seven or eight years old at the time.  I believe I was up late on a weekend night hanging out with my family.  It must have been late fall because I remember it being cold outside but no snow was on the ground.  I grew up in Western New York.  So, it couldn't have been wintertime if there wasn't snow or some type of frost on the ground.  I remember the air being crisp where you could see your breath if you breathed out.  I'd say it was fallm  probably just after Halloween. 

I've never really tried to think through this memory past the actual eerie feeling I had.  And being scared to death.  It's interesting to look back now and attempt to decipher the actual details.  Everything now is really an impression of what was.  No concrete details.

I can still hear the television playing quietly in the living room.  For some reason my memory places me in the laundry room of the first house I remember growing up in.  We lived there from the time I was about four until the summer I turned twelve.  It was a single level ranch house.  We had three bedrooms.  Mine was the very small.  My brothers shared a room and slept on bunk beds.  We had a decent size living room with a dinning room coming off the back of it, connecting to a small kitchen and then  a laundry room off the back.

The laundry room was small.  There was a washer and dryer lined up against one wall, the outside entrance across from them.  Next to the door was a folding table under a window.  There was a door between this room and the kitchen. It was between the wall with the washer/dryer and the outside door.

I believe I was in the laundry room because my mom had asked me to lock the back door.  Clear as day I remember walking up to that door.  I looked out the pane glass window in the door.  It was right at my eye level.  I believe there was a sheer curtain over it.  Did I lift the curtain or was I able to see through it?  I'm not quite sure.

I got this eerie feeling of being watched.  As I looked out the window I swear to this day that I saw a face in the window looking back at me.  And I mean close, as in peering in.  I saw no body, just a face.  I don't know who it was.  I don't know if it was just my imagination.  Maybe, I had just finished watching a scary movie. Those details have all faded from my memory.  All I know is I was terrified!  Those eyes stared straight into my soul.  They made me quake in fear.

I didn't scream, though I wanted to.  My instant reaction was to lturn the lock lock on the knob and slowly back away while keeping my eyes glued to the face in the window.  I don't remember ever telling my parents about it.  Maybe I did.  Odd that I can't remember that.I should ask them one of these days and find out. 

Years later, I continue to tell myself it was just a figment of my imagination.  But what if it wasn't?  What if there really was someone in our gated backyard?  My mind can't even wrap itself around that possibility.  The memory haunts me to this very day.

I have had nightmares about it ever since.  At first there were many then slowly over time they have all but gone away.  But, every once in a while I see that face peeking in the window during a cool, pitch black night and I am shaking once again.

So Thankful it's Finally Friday

The last week and a half have been wonderful, hectic and never ending!  My brothers (Uncle C and Uncle J) came in to town for a visit last Monday afternoon and stayed until this Wednesday morning.  While it was wonderful having them here I'm so glad to be getting back to our "regular" summer routine. 

As many of you know my parents live next door.  While it can be a godsend at times it's seriously not the wonderful, supportive place many may envision it to be.  It's been crazy here with my whole family, in addition to my stepdaughter, staying with us for the month. I always hope it's going to be sunshine and rainbows but it rarely is.  My parents are short on patience and quick on negative opinions.  Thankfully they're great grandparents or this would so not be worth it.

Most of the 10 days was spent with my younger brother (Uncle J) bickering with my mom or off in his own little world.  Every time he comes to visit he talks about family being important and wanting to fill up the time with fun activities with his niece and nephew.  He means well but being a bachelor he honestly doesn't quite get "it".  He stays up late taking over my mom's computer (drives her NUTS) or hogging our tv while consuming multiple beers.  Then he'll sleep in until close to noon. Oh, the joys of bachelorhood.  It really effected making plans for full days out.

My other brother (Uncle C) has mental and emotional handicaps.  He's on various meds to keep his moods stable and keep him from becoming too excitable.  He loves coming to see us.  Unfortunately, while my parents love the idea of having him visit, it seems to be too much for them.  They constantly treat him like a child.  While sometimes that's needed they tend to forget that he is quite capable.  He lives in a group home and has many responsibilities.  It became frustrating and sometimes heartbreaking to listen to them.  They would shush him, tell him to sit down, don't do this, don't do that.  I understand it's a fine line and sometimes action needs to be taken but there are better ways to handle situations.  Little Bee picked up on it really quick.  When he would interrupt her or ramble on and on she would shush him too.  She wasn't trying to be mean but she was mimicking the adults that should know better.  I pulled her aside and talked to her about it.  I told her how to nicely let him know that she was trying to talk or how to cue him that he was getting carried away.  I don't want her to treat anyone the way my parents treated my older brother.  My heart breaks for him when he's here because he's lost in his own world at times and he just really wants everyone to talk to him and to be the (positive) center of attention.  It's a tough situation to be in the middle of most times.

On the bright side...we did have some fun days out.  One day we spent at a local park.  It has a large pond that we decided to picnic by.  I spread out the blanket and relaxed with Dancer Girl while the kids skipped rocks and their uncles watched.  It was the perfect day.  We also spent a day hiking a beautiful park.   You must look at these beautiful pictures.  The lake was picturesque and everyone had a great time.  I can't wait to take the kids again.  We spent another day at a different park enjoying the lake, beach, swimming and soaking up the sun.  The kids loved it!  Uncle J decided not to go that time because he's not much of a beach person.

We also hiked back and forth to the ice rink three different times.  It's about 70 minutes each way.  I loved that Goalieboy's uncles got to watch him play.  He participated in two goalie clinics and a three on three.  Uncle J got into it and took numerous videos to show my husband who wasn't able to attend any of the days because of his second job.

In between all that we also had two days of gymnastics and some rainy days.  On the rainy days we watched movies, played board games and pigged out on junk food.  Absolutely perfect in my opinion!

One of the best days for the kids though was when their Uncle J took them out to shop for their birthday presents.  For their birthdays (Early June and Late July) he sent them both a card with some cash.  He told them in addition to that he would take them out shopping when he came to visit.  Goalieboy picked out some Hexbugs and accessories.  Little Bee got this Tea Cup Piggie and accessories.  After that he treated them to the lunch of their choice...Taco Bell.  That day was a huge hit!  They really loved having special time alone time with him.  He said they were very well behaved.  I was proud and impressed, to say the least.

After they left on Wednesday we treated ourselves to another afternoon at the lake with friends.  It was perfect.  Unfortunately, I think we all got a little burned even though I slathered us with sunblock numerous times.  Poor Little Bee felt sick late this afternoon.  I think she might have caught something while swimming.  She had a low grade fever, stuffy nose, headache and sore throat.  I gave her some meds and put her to bed early tonight.  Hopefully she feels better tomorrow  (today actually).  We are definitely going to chill after the busyness of the past week and a half. 

Thankfully, come Saturday my hubby is on vacation.  I'm still not sure what we're doing.  But I do know this...we're definitely going to enjoy being together as a family!  I hope we'll have time to relax a bit together too.

So, I'm extremely THANKFUL and grateful it's FINALLY FRIDAY!  Happy FANTABULOUS Friday everyone!

Nature's Amazing Beauty ~Wordless Wednesday~

The perfect day to hike around a beautiful lake and breath in Mother Nature's beauty.

Bathroom Etiquette or Lack Thereof

Nasty, dirty bathrooms are a pet peeve of mine.  It's disgusting!  I can't stand the grossness of public bathrooms.  I don't understand how people can be so rude and inconsiderate.  Pee and toilet paper on the floor.  Unflushed toilets.  Gross, gross, gross!  Do their bathrooms at home look like this? 

I have a feeling their bathrooms are not quite so bad.  But, there's got to be a connection there somewhere.  And their laziness and inconsideration seeps over into public restrooms but in a much bigger way.  I get the heebee geebees going into most public bathrooms.

I've taught my kids well on bathroom etiquette.  They know to always put the toilet paper in the toilet.  They flush and put the seat down at home.  When out in public they know to quickly do their business without touching anything, flush with their foot and wash their hands thoroughly.  All without causing any mess they'd have to clean up.

Believe it or not all this is just a set up for the real meaty part of my post.  If you'd like to read a great post about public restrooms head over to Bees With Honey.  She tells it like it is.  We all know public restrooms are gross.  Hopefully, we have all taught our children proper bathroom usage and hold them accountable.  This post is about behind the scenes in MY home, when follow through doesn't happen.  Watch where you walk, it could get dangerous!

Let me first start by saying it's not just the young that are sometimes oblivious to the rules of the bathroom.  Some of the biggest offenders are daddies and teenagers.  Let's be honest.  The hubbies are always running out the door early in the morning and don't pay attention to their surroundings through blurry eyes.  Mine works long hours, 2 jobs and is usually up by 3:30 a.m. and home sometime between 5 and 10:30 p.m.  His nighttime rituals can be just as chaotic as his morning ones.  The teenager is oblivious to others.  Ironic that if someone else has the same bathroom etiquette it grosses them out but they don't see the wake they leave behind. I have to admit that while gross, I bet there are worse scenarios out there than mine.  For that I am truly grateful, but I'm still grossed out.

I try hard to give the hubby a pass in the morning and on the nights he comes home really late.  I try not to let it drive me nuts.  But honestly...it does!  I'm the one left (most times) to clean up in his wake.  Sometimes I want to cry.  Other times scream.  And many times both, while jumping up and down.  Come on, get with the program!  They're are little eyes that monitor everything you do.  They mimic you in so many more ways than you realize or comprehend.

His transgressions:

• Toothpaste in the sink
• Toothpaste on the counter and on the mirror.
• Drenched Wet towels left on the floor (or put wet in our bedroom laundry hamper)
• Clothes left on the floor after shower (He does always pick them up, eventually.)
• Flooded Wet floor from not making sure the curtain is tucked in.
• Flooded Wet floor from taking a bath (yes he does) and sloshing water onto the floor
• Shower curtain untucked or half open.  (Yes, I'm particular with this one.)
• Leftover shaving "remnants" in the sink...hair stubble, shaving creams (Gross!)
• Not emptying an obviously overflowing garbage can and adding more to it.
• Peeing on the seat or floor in the middle of the night.

The teenager is here for the month of August.  Love her!  But in true teenage fashion she is careless and oblivious to how her actions effect others.  Normally not an issue because she's only her one night every other week.  Now it's a bit gross.  Not horribly gross.  I'm sure it might be worse if she was a boy.  But then again, I could be wrong.  I fear as she gets more comfortable it could get worse.  So far, she cleans up her hair products and cosmetics.  That gives her huge bonus points.

Her transgressions:

• Leaving wet towel from hair on bedroom floor (Better than bathroom floor?  Maybe.)
• Hair and soap scum in the shower drain. (This is by far the most gross thing...even worse than pee, I think.)
• Hair on the floor and in the sink

The kids seem to pattern after the older residents in the house.  But they do listen well and go back and clean up when I point it out to them.  I try to keep it positive.  When the bathroom looks good I try to tell them.  Positive reinforcement can go a long way to fixing problems.  They're hit and miss right now.  Overall, the boy is worse than the girl on follow through.  We'll keep working on it.

Their transgressions:

• Toothpaste in the sink.
• Toothpaste splatter on mirror and counter top.
• Toothbrushes not fully rinsed off.
• Soap "bubbles" left in tub (Way too much body wash and/or shampoo).
• Clothes left on bathroom floor.
• Wash cloth on tub floor.
• Towel not hung up (I just ask them to remember to have an adult help them).
• Peeing on the toilet seat or floor.
• Body wash/shampoo not put away or left upside down to drip over tub.
• Shower curtain not tucked in.

The good news...they don't do this disgusting stuff out in public or while visiting friends.  I'm trying to concrete the point that I'm not a maid.  It's their responsibility to clean up after themselves.  The toothpaste things drives me CRAZY!  It's not hard to rinse it out of the sink.  And if you pay attention you can avoid getting it on counter and/or mirror.  The pee on the floor thing is beyond gross.  I understand at night aim is off and it's dark because you don't want to turn on the light.  You need to check in the morning and wipe up area with the Lysol Wipes under the cabinet.  It's not hard to do.  And, you need to listen to your bladder.  If it tells you to go, Go!  Don't wait.  That's when you tinkle on the floor because you can't get your pants down quick enough.  You're old enough to know better.  Clean up after yourself please.  And the most disgusting thing is the hair in the drain.  I clean up mine.  God, there are days I swear I'm going bald because there's so much in there!  But once I'm all dried off, I use a tissue and clean it out.  Gross, but it's my responsibility.  I now have to delicately brooch this subject with the teenager.  I hope she doesn't get sensitive about it.  I cleaned it up at least twice this week.  I won't be doing it again.  It makes me want to hurl.  *Gag* Ick!

I have to admit, it's getting better.  Towels are hung up, less water on the floor, sinks occasionally wiped clean.  I'm going to focus my efforts on dry floors, hairless tub drain and rinsed sink for now.  I hope my efforts pay off.  Pray that I don't lose my ever loving mind in the process!


Do you have bathroom pet peeves?  What rules do you have for bathroom etiquette in your house?



***This post was inspired after the whole hair in the drain thing.  I find "blog therapy" to be both calming, inspirational and insightful before I tackle issues head on with delicacy and aplomb.  Also, I love when others can relate so I know it's not just me with these crazy feelings.

Fantabulous Friday!

So happy that Friday is finally here! Happy Fantabulous Friday everyone! Here's a list of fantabulous happenings from my week:

1. My brothers are here for a ten day visit!

2. My son had a great two day goalie clinic. He's learning a lot.

3. My stepdaughter has moved in with us for the month of August.

4. We had a fantastic picnic at the park yesterday complete with skipping rocks in the pond.

Little Bee is looking for rocks to skip.  Seriously, but I swear she is ready to dive in.

5. Relaxing pool playdate with a mommy friend. I love those because the kids play great together and I can kick back and chat with no worries.

6. Fun times at gymnastics with my girl.

7. Spending the day at Balloon Fest with the family. Even if it was too hot and I wanted to pass out.

8. Stopping at my favorite grocery store (Wegmans) on the way back and shopping. I love this store and we try to include it in a trip at least three or four times a year.

9. At the lake today enjoying fun in the sun! Kids are playing in the sand and swimming. Perfect family day minus daddy. I wish he could be here.

Perfect day for a day at the lake.  Look at those gorgeous clouds.

10.  Tonight we're dong movie night.  A couple DVDs, popcorn and ice cream.  Yum!

I hope you're all having a fantabulous Friday too!

What did you do this week?

So Happy It's Thursday~Link up

My friend Rustilyn over at My Life As an Officer's Wife started a fantastic new link up for Thursday's called...get this S.H.I.T.  As in So Happy It's Thursday!  As soon as I seen it I knew it was something I had to do.

So without further ado here are my reasons for S.H.I.T.:

1.  Only one more day until it's FRIDAY!

2.  My son has another goalie clinic tonight...we love watching him learn more and grow as a player.

3.  I'm going to make brownies!

4.  By tonight I will be done with laundry until Monday (I refuse to do any this weekend!).

5.  My stepdaughter has no dance classes so we will have major family bonding time.  Yippee!

6.  If the rain holds off we're going to do a picnic in the park.

There's my S.H.I.T. list in a nutshell.  Looking at it makes me smile!

Change Is Here

August is here and with it a major change to our household.  It's a welcome change, even if only temporary.  For the first time ever, Dancer Girl (my 17 year old stepdaughter) will be living with us for the whole month.  We were so excited when her mother called a few weeks ago to talk to us about it.

When her mom called my hubby she told him that since this is the last summer before DG turns eighteen she wanted her to spend quality time with us.   She wanted them to strengthen their father/daughter bond.  I'm all for that and was so excited!  I never thought I'd see the day come. I am grateful she is giving us this opportunity.  This is what memories are made of.


Before hubby and I got together (almost 11 years ago) they had spent a portion of two summers together.  When we got together our schedules were crazy and we lived six hours away.  We moved closer but unfortunately didn't have any child care so we settled for every other weekend during the summertime too and any additional time we could get.  For me, it's honestly never been enough.

I think it's great that his ex is thinking about their relationship and how it could change once DG is done with school.  It's thoughtful of her to want them to cement their bond.

We've been very fortunate that she still chooses to spend every other (sometimes more) Saturday and Sunday here.  I feel honored.  Time is short and every moment is important.

I'm hoping this will bring the two of them closer together.  They always have fun but my husband is afraid to commit his emotions.  Does that make sense?  He's told me before that he feels like a part time dad with no say.  I think this comes from DG having a full time male "role model" in her life via her mom's common law husband.  They've been together since she was 4.  Right before around the time hubby and her split.  I think he's afraid to get too close, feel too much.  I think it hurts his heart.  This month could really make a huge impact on their relationship.

My kids are over the moon.  They have a hard time understanding why DG can't be here more often.  It breaks their heart when she leaves.  Also, being a teenager, she sometimes chooses hanging out with her friends over them.  This month will bring them closer together.

I think it'll be wonderful for her to get a more intimate look at how our family "runs" on a daily basis.  Up until now she's only caught glimpses.  The longest she's ever stayed has been about 10 days.  Hopefully we don't all drive each other nuts.  {Laughing}  Who am I kidding?  We're a family that's stubborn, outspoken and very loving.  We always drive each other crazy.  She's just going to be in the midst of it more.  I'm hoping that will draw her in closer.  I want her to feel like she belongs....in my heart, she has always belonged.

My heart always aches when she has to leave.  It feels torn out when plans change and she doesn't come.  I get hurt when she chooses her friends over us.  I'm not afraid to admit it. 

I have friends who are not in my shoes that say, "She's just being a teenager".  I understand but they don't/can't comprehend where I'm coming from.  I know this is the same exact feeling I'm going to get with my own biological children.  For me there's no difference in being a mom or stepmom.  It's being a mom plain and simple.  That's just me. I always want my kids with me.  I want them to put famiy first, even if it's not always realistic.

 I love that she's with us.  I hope this time will bond all of us deeper and help us grow tighter as a family.

I love that she feels comfortable coming to me and asking for advice.  It makes my heart swell.  I feel trusted and loved.  We had an in depth conversation about boys, friendships, relationships and more.  I feel honored that she would confide things to me and want my thoughts on the matters. 

I want August to be a time of family bonding.  I pray we all get stronger family ties out of this time.  I hope it will bring us all closer. 

I fear for the end of this time.  I know it's gong to break my heart.  This is a gift I've been craving for so long.  In my heart, she has always been my first child.  I'm looking forward to creating lifetime memories with her this month.

Goalie Mom *Wordless Wednesday*

Being a goalie mom is hard work.  The hockey goalie position is probably the most expensive position in all of sports.  It may also be the smelliest.



Gotta air it out somehow. All the sweaty stench is ripe and he's only 9! Heaven helps me when he's a teenager! It might just kill me then.