Today, my #5 turns 7. I can't believe it. The child is growing up so fast! And. because he has a total transformers obsession, we hadda have the Transformers birthday wishes thing.
I'm off to buy helium filled balloons and cupcake papers, y'all. Remember we have a couple of buckets of awesome giveaways going on this week from Lovable Labels and Jars by Lisa. Just click on the "current giveaways" tab just under the header and enter for YOUR chance to win some fun things!
Happy Monday, everyone!
image in this post from the Google images.. I love that place!
Mother's Day is just a couple of weeks away. I have the hardest time trying to figure out what to give my mother. There are so many things I see throughout the year that remind me of her, and I either don't pick it up, or I give it to her right away. This leaves me stuck when Mother's Day rolls around. There's this whole online shopping, scrolling through nine bazillion things that never quite seem right. I always want to present something that shows I've put a lot of thought into her gift, rather than just a card and a voucher for a facial or something. That always seems like such a cop out to me.
Jars by Lisa is the perfect solution! Lisa creates jars that can be customized for any occasion. Whether it's by using Mom's favorite colors, characters, photos, or even having her name put on, Jars by Lisa makes sure your order fits the person that will receive it.
There is something about a handmade gift. It's immediately obvious it wasn't made in Taiwan, it wasn't produced by the million, and a lot of thought and care went into the creation of the gift. Jars by Lisa is there to help every step of the way. From first email to finished product, Lisa works with her clients to ensure that the end result is everything they hoped for, and more. Take a look at a couple of the jars someone else is getting for Mother's Day! (Thanks for letting us peek, Lisa!)
The Mother's Day jars pictured above can be customized in a variety of ways, including changing the colors, up to four children's pictures can be added, the picture frames can be a choice of hearts, flowers, stars, or even puzzle pieces. The Lids can be painted to match, or be lined with a matching color of ribbon. And it can all be done for the bargain price of $14.00 per jar, not including shipping.
Liking what you see? Thinking of jars for another event or occasion? Well, Lisa does that, too. No matter the occasion, Lisa can help. From Autism Awareness, to birthdays and holidays, or even just because, Lisa has a jar for you. To see more pictures and ideas for jars, you can look through her albums on facebook. From glitter to graduation, Lisa has it covered.
BUY IT:
Lisa offers custom jars like the ones pictured above for $14 each, Autism Awareness jars for $12 each, and standard holiday jars for $12 each. Discounts are given for bulk orders. Just drop Lisa a line through the "contact" tab on her Facebook Page for more information.
WIN IT:
One lucky Living with Logan reader in the US will win a custom made Mother's Day jar in the color of their choice! Fill in the rafflecopter form below to enter. Please note, comments MUST be within the form to count as an entry, unless otherwise specified. Entrants must be over 18 to be eligible. Giveaway ends May 6, 2012. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.
**disclosure** I was not compensated in any way, either monetarily or with free product, for this post. All opinions stated within this post are my own. This giveaway is not affiliated with facebook or twitter. **
Want more entries? You can enter on the form over at Special Happens, for double the chances of winning. Want TRIPLE the chances of winning? Enter over on 7 Yuckmouths and Autism, too!
Due to technical difficulties beyond our control with rafflecopter, you may enter this giveaway through 11:59 pm April 30 by leaving a blog post comment answering this question:
"Who would you like to win this jar for, and what colors and/or theme would you choose?"
Entries submitted in this way, through any/all of the three participating blogs will be valid. As of 12:00am May 1, all entries must once again be submitted through the rafflecopter form. We apologize for any inconvenience.
In the last couple of weeks since the weather decided it was time to be Spring, the Monster House has been invaded by little black ants. I'm forever wiping them off kitchen counters and placing ant baits in hidden corners. Ants make me crazy. There nine bazillion of them and it feels like a giant effort in futility to try and get rid of them.
I think Art Linkletter had it right when he said "Kids say the darndest things!" I am not dating myself here, that was before my time, but I can sure appreciate it!
I was wiping the counter free of ants the other day, cursing in my brain, when Logan suddenly said, "Mumma, that's sad!" I was caught off guard and responded with something witty and appropriate like, "Huh?!" He slid off the bar chair and came over to me looking like he lost his best friend. "Mumma," he said again sadly, "Do ants cry? Cuz you smooshed all the brothers and friends."
I don't believe I had ever felt guilty about killing ants before . But holy cow, Logan has effectively turned me in the the ant killing guilt queen! And now, every time I see a line of ants behind my faucets, or marching down the cupboards by the dishwasher (it would appear these ants are part of the Olympic swimming team, as they are addicted to anyplace near water. They laugh at sugar.) I wonder, hmm. Is this a group of little ant friends, off for some R&R? Is there an ant Momma out there somewhere, sobbing hysterically and moaning, "My millions of babies, my millions of babies! They were so young and full of promise for the future of ants everywhere! Little Johnny was getting ready for college, and Annie was engaged. I was so ready to be an ant granny, and now that will never happen! Curse the evil huge human!"
And also, do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to admit all over the internet that I'm thinking about sad little ant Mommas, even though their offspring are taking over my house? More than that, it's even MORE embarrassing to admit that I now whisper, "I'll do it quick. You won't even feel it! Lucky little ants! You're headed to that giant ant hill in the sky!" before I annihilate their entire family.
What can I say? By the time this ant situation is under control, I'll be needing a grief counselor and significant psychological help. I'll be the crazy ant lady who throws ant funerals that all the neighborhood children are scared of. Small children will hide behind their mothers when I go to the market to buy milk. I'll be used as an example of what could happen.. "Do you wanna turn out like the Ant lady? Do your homework and eat your broccoli!"
This is my life, people. This is my life.
Art Linkletter image by mediabistro, via the Google. Ants image by the Google images
Yesterday was preschool day for the twinnies. However, early in the morning before breakfast, and before we had gotten them dressed, the Daddy pulled me aside and said he thought #6 was getting sick. And then, right on cue, came the vomiting. Clearly, #6 would not be going to school. I had some concerns, because the only time the twinnies have been separated for more than an hour is when Logan has been in the hospital, and both twinnies have a freak out when they are apart from each other. In the end, we decided to try it, and see how it went. I sent a text to the teacher, aide, and Para so they would know what was going on, and to tell them to call me to pick Logan up if he had problems being at school without "Brother".
I worried the whole 2 hours and 40 minutes, while cleaning up body fluids and soothing a sick, feverish, lethargic #6. But a frantic call never came. When I picked Logan up after school, the Para told me Logan had asked to go home, but only once. I was relieved, and oh so very happy with this outcome!
We got home, settled #6 back in bed with his crackers, electrolyte filled sports drink, and the TV remote, and Logan had his lunch. Things were REALLY quiet, and I took the opportunity to throw in a load of laundry. When I came out of the laundry room and checked on the twinnies, my heart melted. Logan was snuggling his brother, and whispering, their heads close together. "Brother, I will always come back. Logan will never leave you alone again. I will wait for you." They were snuggled together, #6 asleep and Logan almost in dreamland, and my Momma heart was all kinds of mushy and full and ready to burst.
I am full of pride in the way Logan handled school by himself. When we explained the reason he was going to school alone yesterday, we told him that it was our turn to take snack, and Miss Patti needed him to be the "snack hero" or else all his friends would be sad and hungry after playing on the playground. But I think the little whispered promises speak volumes about that "twinnie connection". They are a part of each other, and miss each other excessively when they are not together. I don't know that the result would have been nearly as smooth if the roles had been reversed, and #6 was the one going to school alone. He seems to feel trauma of separation more acutely.
But my babies are growing up, and they aren't babies anymore. It's bittersweet. It's time to loosen those apron strings... just a little... and I'm having a hard time getting used to the idea.
Summer is coming, and with it comes all the activities for kids and families: sports, camps, vacations, sleepovers, play dates, birthday parties, neighborhood BBQs, swimming parties, daycare.. and on and on and on. As fun as all this is, with it comes camping supplies, sports gear, gym bags, extra shoes and clothing, water bottles, hats, towels, sunscreen, medications, lunch bags, snack boxes. It's no wonder that half the summer taken up by thinking, "Did I forget anything?"
Lovable Labels is here to help! Lovable Labels was started by a mom that had a problem when she took her son to daycare and was asked to label all of his belongings - from clothes and backpack, to lunches and sippy cups. It was during this process that she recognized the need for personalized labels that were tough, durable, and could withstand the test of time and rough everyday use that comes with being a kid.
Lovable Labels launched in 2003, with personalized durable labels and tags being their specialty. Their labels are waterproof, dishwasher and microwave safe, washer and dryer safe, and sun, bleach, sunscreen, and temperature safe to boot! Since their launch, Lovable Labels has continued to develop innovative and useful products, and many of them came about through customer suggestions and feedback!
We all know that our kids lose stuff. They forget where their lunch bag landed, or one shoe will mysteriously disappear. The weather will warm during the day, and the jacket gets tossed to the side. It's inevitable that they will return home missing one thing or another. BUT, with Lovable Labels, your child's belongings will come back home, because there will be no question who the items belong to.
The Monster House was thrilled to review a Split Pack of Lovable Labels. This is a large value pack of labels, with one design and two names. Each name packet includes:
This was perfect for our twinnies, who both started preschool this year. And, you guessed it. We had to label shoes, back packs, coats, benadryl, epipen, and even treats to be kept in the classroom cupboard for Logan, because he is so deathly allergic to most sweets.
But the need for labeling didn't stop there! Both of my monsterlettes have sensory issues, so the labeling went on to include therapy balls, giant bottles of bubbles, and other items. I cannot tell you how many times I have been thankful for these labels. And they last! Unlike other labels I've used, these have never fallen off toys,clothes, cups,etc.
But, let's talk about other good uses for the split pack that we discovered. Both twins were sick at the same time. Not wanting to pass along germs and illness into infinity, I gave them each their own bottle of sports drink. But, they both wanted the same flavor. Oh, yes we did! We labeled it, and the twinnies thought that was the coolest thing ever!
My favorite thing about Lovable Labels is the variety. Shoe labels, slimline, Clothing DOTS™, camp packs and medical/allergy warnings are just a few of the choices Lovable Labels offers. They are located online, which makes ordering easy for anyone, anywhere in the world! Lovable Labels is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via their website, or by calling 1.866.327.LOVE (5683)
I'm so excited to announce that Lovable Labels is offering a Split Pack to one lucky Living with Logan reader in the US or Canada! Entering is easy, by using the rafflecopter form below. Entrants must be 18 or older to be eligible for this giveaway.
**DISCLOSURE** The product in this review was provided to me free of charge for the purpose of conducting this review. All opinions in this review are my own, and are not influenced by monetary compensation.**
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Every so often, life presents me with an impromptu opportunity to spend one on one time with the monsters. Today, it's with #6. Logan had a very rough night last night, and is sleeping in. All the older monsters are in school, the Daddy is at work, and the house is quiet. It's a precious gift to me, to spend time with each of the monsters individually, without outside interruptions, not needing to cut our time short to break up a fight, make dinner, clean up a mess, or answer the door or phone.
I love being able to snuggle, have silly little whispered conversations that are just for us, eat breakfast, read stories, maybe watch an episode of Team Umizoomi, and generally just re-acquaint ourselves with each other. We play, we talk, we act nine kinds of silly because we can. This is one of the jewels of life.
We have a large family, as you know, and it's vital to me to be able to spend this kind of time with each of my children. They each need to know that they have a special place in our family, not just as a number, but as themselves.
There are times when things are just crazy, and when I gather up the monsters I feel like I'm running a clown show for a three ring circus. Hey.. there's a thought.... just kidding, just kidding. But at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, these are my monsters, each with their own personality, their own opinions, needs, and wants. Their own little set of ideas. I have the greatest experiences during these one on one times. Invariably, I will learn something new about the child I'm with that I had never realized before. And though that closeness appears diminished when we're all back together again with the hustle and bustle and general chaos, there's little smiles or a quick wink. There's that extra tight hug or that extra effort made during chores. Money can't buy this kind of awesome.
Happy Friday, y'all! Have a FABULOUS weekend. Make a lemonade stand with the monsters or something. What? It worked in the '40s...
I am thrilled to announce a major breakthrough for #6. He is totally and completely potty trained! Yay! He and Logan will be 4 in June, and I couldn't be happier about his progress. We do have a tiny little issue though. He's only potty trained if he's stark naked. As the school frowns upon sending naked children to class, this presents a problem. It's enough to drive me batty (Pappy, if you're reading this, I already know you're going to say it's a short drive...).
My #6 has sensory issues, as you all know. He doesn't like clothes, he is uber sensitive to sound, and he's a fairly picky eater. Nothing too cold, nothing too warm. But, y'all.... he totally knows how to use the potty! And this whole "If there is even a THREAD on my body, I won't do it!" thing is more than a little hiccup. On the other hand, Logan is still oblivious. He's capable, but has no control. He'll get there. I'm not overly concerned.
What to do, what to do? It's not as though I can go to his Para and say, "Hey.. so, can you take #6 to the restroom during the day and let him strip naked while you watch so he will use the toilet and you won't have to change him anymore?" Because let's face it, people. There's already hysteria in the school system about whether a female Para should be allowed to change a special needs male child. I can just imagine her delight at the prospect of encouraging a student to strip naked. And heaven forbid another student be in the restroom while she encourages my child to take it all off. Giant warning bells, sirens, and flashing red lights in my brain screaming "Law suit! Law suit!". And also, I can see it now. "Oh yes, they call him The Streak....the fastest thing on two feet... Don't LOOK, Ethel!"
Oh, I know, I know! THIS is what should happen. Schools across the nation should install those buckets of awesome aquarium toilets in the restrooms. Seriously, kids would be BEGGING to take a bathroom break.. even mine, and he might even do it with his clothing on! So no learning would happen, because the restrooms would forever be full of kids watching the fishes. It's a small price to pay so the twinnies' Para won't have to change #6 anymore. Right? Right!
Probably not going to happen, I know. *sigh* But you have to admit, it was a brilliant idea. And, speaking of brilliant ideas, I'm just about out of them. So, my super intelligent readers, whatcha got? We have tried the "Sink the cheerio" game. He hadda do it naked. We have tried bribery. Still nude. Help?
Yesterday while the twinnies were in preschool they had not one, but two brand new experiences. There was a fire drill, and a shake down drill.
Let me start off by saying that preschool is held in the elementary school building with all the other classes. I didn't know before hand that the drills were going to happen. The Daddy called me yesterday right after I dropped the monsters off to school and told me the radio had announced that 9,000 schools and businesses across the state would be participating in a shake down drill that day. My part of the conversation went something like, "Um, okay. Yay for them?" In all the years my children have been going to school, I have never heard of them having a shake down drill, so I thought nothing more of it. To be completely honest, I wasn't even sure what a shake down drill was. Whatever happened to calling them earthquake drills?? As a born and raised Southern California girl who had earthquake drills on a regular basis while in elementary school, I feel pretty stupid today. But, I digress.
When I picked the twinnies up from school, the first thing Logan said to me is, "Mumma, fire drills make me sad!" Since his teachers and his para were all standing there waiting for parents to retrieve their children, I asked what his reaction had been. No, there was no crying. No, there wasn't any screaming, hiding, or begging for his Mumma. In fact, even #6, (who cannot tolerate the noise of a hair dryer or vacuum, and insists that the TV volume be at a bare minimum) didn't even have a meltdown. So I thought, hey! Today was a total win!
But like Paul Harvey says, "And now, the REST of the story". When school let out for the older kids in the afternoon, my #4 had a lot to say. Most of her chatter was about how cute Logan was during the fire drill; half eaten strawberry in his hand, both arms wrapped around his teacher's leg with a death grip. And this morning out of the blue, #6 informed me "Fire drills is loud and it makes my ears sick. It scared my ears"
I started doing a little research for future reference. For those of you that may not know, parents of special needs kids have the right to be given advance notice of scheduled drills. This is so appropriate measures can be planned for and taken, whether it's by preparing your child in advance with a social story, making sure that the school has headphones on hand for the child, allowing the child to be taken outside prior to the drill to lessen the trauma, or having plans in place for an adult buddy to be assigned to a child who might be a "runner" - to ensure that the child is safely escorted to and from the building during drills, always within reach and never out of sight.
Fire drills are crazy things. Alarms are shrieking, people are exiting the building in swarms, like ants from an ant hill. This is not a calm, soothing process. And we have the right to make plans and prepare our children so they don't come home with an eye twitch. If you have not already, meet with teachers and administrators to work out a plan appropriate for your child's needs. At home, use social stories, or practice what to do during a fire drill by using headphones, leading the child by the hand, or walking through the steps. After all- praemonitus, praemunitus. What's that? You have no idea what I'm talking about? That would be the Latin, people. I'm all kinds of smart today. And it means, loosely translated, forewarned is forearmed.
Images in this post from the Google. Okay, okay. The Latin is, too.
On weekday mornings, we have what is called the Monster House Rush - that craziness associated with getting ready for school. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings however, we have uncontrolled chaos. You see, these are the mornings that the monsterlettes have preschool, and it's an experience that nearly defies description. But, I'll do my best.
Like every good mother, I like to try and force the monsters to have a healthy breakfast before school. I have good reasons for this. At least that way, when a teacher asks the class what they had for breakfast that day, my kid won't be the one that says "Half a kosher pickle and a mug of yesterday's coffee!" And it was going well, too. I generally got the monsterlettes and their siblings to eat strawberry instant oatmeal, or a bagel and juice... you know - something that generally resembled real food.
But, a couple of months ago, when things started getting full of the drama, I made a grievous error. I let the monsterlettes have a bologna sandwich with american cheese for lunch one day. It must have been a really busy day, because this is not something I would let the twinnies have if I had been sane. But #6 fell in love. Bologna is his nectar of the Gods. His ambrosia. His answer for world peace. In short, we have been trained by a three year old. And, if we want to be able to get him dressed for school in less than 90 minutes, and we don't want to have to include the entire family in the dressing process while he kicks, screams, and has an epic meltdown, we obey.
Here's how it plays out:
One of us, usually whomever is feeling brave that day, will go in to wake #6 with a shaky smile, artificial cheerfulness, and a sense of foreboding. #6 takes after me. He hates mornings, and he doesn't have any problem letting us know about it.
"#6, what do you want for breakfast? It's school today! Yay! You will get to see Miss Patti and Miss Erica and Miss Nikki, and all your friends! You will get to play outside, have music, and do the weather!"
"NO! No school for ME!" insert scream at a pitch that makes dogs cry
"But we LOVE school! And there is snack and group, and all your friends will be sad if you don't come!"
"NO! NONONONONO! NO SCHOOL FOR ME! SLEEP for me!"
The brave one continues on, seemingly oblivious to the storm that is brewing. Lightning is beginning to crackle against the ceiling, and dark clouds are forming. The kid is getting himself together to throw the mother of all meltdowns. And it's gonna be big.
"What would you like to have for breakfast? Toast and a fruit cup?"
"That's DISGUSTING! GO AWAY FROM ME!"
"Strawberry oatmeal and hot chocolate?"
"NO TOUCH ME! I'm telling Mom!"
"Bologna sandwich?"
Silence. Hearts all over the house skip a beat. It's like the scary music in the movie, when the girl is running away barefoot in the rain and you just know that this will end badly. But wait... what's that? A smile? Are teeth showing? Is #6 current on his tetanus shot?
"Bwoh-nee sammich CHEESE! Go GET IT! NOW!"
"Okay, Mumma will make your sammich, but it will run away from you if you try to eat it naked, so let's hurry and get you dressed! MOM! Get out the bologna!"
And, 7.2 seconds later, a smiling, dressed preschooler is chomping away at his Oscar Mayer and Kraft sammich. The Daddy stands in the kitchen holding his travel mug of coffee, watching #6 inhale his own personal breakfast of champions, shaking his head and wiping his hand down his face, as though to imply that we narrowly missed disaster. He's right.
You're welcome, Miss Patti and Miss Erica and Miss Nikki. You're welcome.
Wow, it's good to be back! I've missed you all! The last couple of months have been full of the drama, and when I'm stressed, I clean. I fly around the house in a whirlwind, scrubbing and vacuuming and going through everything; causing distress to the fam, and making the monsters duck and cover for fear I'll be scrubbing one of them next!
In the last couple of weeks, I have rediscovered freecycle. Whoever figured this out was brilliant. Brilliant, I say! You go online, post a message about whatever it is that you want to get rid of, and people flood your email inbox and your text inbox with messages begging to take the item(s) off your hands. You choose a lucky "winner", and they come to your house all excited and happy to pick up the things that you never want to see again. The recipient is appreciative because they got something fabulous for free, and you are appreciative, because you no longer have to deal with whatever it is you got rid of.
Spring cleaning has hit with a vengeance here. So much so, that I meet the Daddy at the door daily saying something like, "So, when a complete stranger comes up to the house and says they are here to pick up the cribs (or surround sound system, clothing, toys, etc), don't be alarmed!". The running joke is that one day soon, he'll come home, and there won't be anything left in the house but people!
I love the feeling of getting rid of something big and bulky that was just taking up space. I love getting rid of things that are outgrown, never used, or no longer age appropriate. And contrary to popular belief, I don't have the urge to fill up all the "new" space I now have in my home with more "stuff".
But, what do you do when you get hit with a Freecycle Troll? What's a Freecycle Troll? That would be the person that wants whatever you post, whenever you post it, and oh, can you deliver it to me, because I live 50 miles away. And it doesn't stop there. You get emails from the troll, telling you how desperate they are, and they need, need, NEED items 1-48, and since you've been posting such great stuff, they are sure you have these 48 items lying around the house just collecting dust. You know, things you never use, like computers, cars, Xboxes, ipods, Kindles.
So now, though I have more outgrown clothing to offer on Freecycle, I'm kinda scared! I love giving things to people who truly need them, but how do I get rid of the moocher? Helpful suggestions are appreciated. I have contacted the administrators for our local Freecycle.. but, this person already knows how to contact me. In the beginning of the freecycling, I didn't know what I was getting into with this person, and they came to my home to pick up some things. Now I'm wondering if they were just "casing the joint"! I say this lightly, but I'm really starting to wonder. It's not as though we live in a mansion, have 6 cars, and our door is manned by a butler....
See, this is what happens when I decide to clean house. Remind me never to do that again, willya? Thanks.
