Crazy Week

Without boring you of all the details, the kids and I had a crazy week while Mr. J was traipsing around Italy. A few of the fun things we did include:

our first pine wood derby race,

 (see the ninja there? Anxiously awaiting his car's race)

 a surprise visit to GiGi's Cupcake Shop,

 (I don't know  how he knew it was called Red Velvet but he did, and as soon as he saw it that's the one he wanted! He also let each and every stranger that came in to the store know that's what he was eating and that it was yummy!)

 (M's selfie in front of the shop!)

and housework and dance party before picking Mr. J at the airport.

(M was the DJ-I don't know how she knows this is what they do!)

 at the airport:

 (on the way home we gave someone a ride so I got to sit in the back with my babies!)

Sneaky Leprechaun

We had a sneaky leprechaun in our house last night. He found the Lucky Charms and got all into that brand new cereal we got especially for St. Patty's Day. Then, he turned our milk green. And did you know Leprechauns pee green? We found that out this morning too!

 leprechauns happen to leave a green glitter trail wherever they go...

But what happened after this exciting discovery is what's really worth noting: M got all into it. First she messed up blocks in the floor and then she tumped my laundry hamper over and called me in the room and exclaimed, "mom! look what else that leprechaun did!!" At which point J decided that a little magical man roaming the house messing things up was not exactly what he wanted so he sat down in the floor and cried! Poor little J. It scared his little tender mind a little. So we had a talk about how we were pretending just like how we pretend with Santa Claus and then he got all into it too by way of pointing out that the green on a piece of M's art work must have been done by the leprechaun etc... Mind you, this all happened within the first fifteen minutes of their morning! (Note to self: I must remember to have a talk with him about the Easter Bunny before that time comes!)

Working backward, here's what else has been going on:

we painted bird houses:

 (I really need to work on my camera skills-all my pics are blurry, poor lighting, funny faces etc..please excuse...)

We had Tickle Fest 2014 and a slumber party in my bed. 2/3 actually slept at said slumber party:

We celebrated Pi day! 3.14

We took Mr. J to the airport:

Love these three people more than you can ever imagine. I always tell M that when I was a girl my mom would tell me that when I got to be a mom I would finally understand how much my mom loves me because I would know what it feels like to love a daughter. But I tell M that when she's a mom that however much she loves her kids- I love her more than that. I tell her she'll NEVER be able to understand how much I love her.  And J. and Mr. J (although I love him in a different way) I really feel that's the truth.

Aaaaand on a random side note, while we were stuck in traffic in the big city on the way home from the airport I was really bored. The kids were engrossed in a movie so they weren't talking or even aware I was alive. I happened to look over and see this older lady in an old fashioned car. The way her hair was done and what she was wearing combined with her car looked like a picture out of a magazine. But what really caught my eye was that she was smiling and looked so calm and happy. It really struck me. Then I thought, what do I look like to others who pass me by?

Do I have a smile to pass on to somebody? More importantly, what do I look like to my children and husband. Do I pass smiles on to them? Do they enjoy me being in the same room with them? If I didn't cook and clean and wipe their bums and their noses (well, I don't do that for Mr. J haha) would they still find it pleasant or worth it to be around me? I've got to make sure they do. I really want to be a happy pleasant person for my favorite people, for acquaintances, and for strangers. So, how 'bout it? Pass a smile on today. I'm going to too. 

My Girl

I've got to stop a minute and reflect on my sweet M. She has really shown a lot of responsibility and thoughtfulness lately. This morning I was truly grateful for her. (I always am, but I appreciated her actions). I don't know if it is the loooong winter, staying up too late, the loss of my job, day-light savings, or what, but I have been struggling getting out of bed in the mornings. Yesterday we were completely late-like had- to- check-in -at -school kind of late. Today, M came and woke me up! She was already dressed, had done her bathroom duties, and was making breakfast for all of us! What a champ! She was the only reason she was on time today. I just love her-even on her bad days- but today her kindness and maturity really helped me and brightened my day!
(Here are some pics of her from the weekend. We had a friend stay with us all weekend and the three kids had a blast together!)

 They made me a "surprise art party":

Two more random things I have to rant about:
#1:  I have a mystery I need solved. The teenagers here (most of them anyway) do not wear big coats. It's ten degrees outside and they are walking home from school with no coats! Is is because they are Michiganders and cold just doesn't affect these crazy people like it does me? Or is it because they are teenagers and somehow wearing a coat to keep you warm and ward off the hazards of frostbite is just not cool?

#2: Product review: I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. A LOT. So when I have a product that I'm truly displeased with it irks me to no end. Enter Glad Cling Wrap. I hate that stuff. It does not cling to anything but itself. Useless piece of garbage! However, my good ole' pal Meijer brand Stretch-Tite never lets me down. I strayed from it once, but won't make that mistake again! It pulls out of the box well, covers my food, and sticks to bowls and plates like a champ!

More "Doings"

I love it and am truly grateful when my hubby plays with little J in ways that I cannot:

 For about two days I had a little ninja around my house:

  J had an ordeal. His teeth are horrible and he does NOT like dentists messing around in his mouth so his pediatric dentist advised us to put him to sleep at the hospital. Seems radical, I know. Hated every minute of it but I guess it was worth it in the end. They got x-rays, filled his cavities, cleaned his teeth real well, and treated them with fluoride. The hospital we went to was very nice and new. He did really well.

 They gave him some meds to help him get sleepy and not care that they were wheeling him away from me into the operating room. He sure didn't care, but I did! They should have given me a shot of whatever that was! The nurse put his hat on and she said "look here I've got a cool hat for you" and since the drugs were kicking in he had to think for a minute about what was going on. Then he said, "but I can't see it!" Then he laughed!

 When they finally let me in this is how my sweet angel was:

 More winter: