Sleepovers

Monday, 9 April 2012

Lucas has been going through a phase, or stage (please let it just be a stage!) where he is almost obsessed with having a 'sleepover with Kayla.'

I don't even remember how he first came across the idea of a sleepover, but once it took root, it really took root.

A few months ago Joe made a fort out of some large boxes and spread a bunch of blankets inside. This was in the loft area/play room and we let them finally have a 'sleepover.' And he did have one another time where he slept in Kayla's room. All seemed well after that.

Until recently. Lucas has become fixated on having a sleepover. Every single night when we're putting them to bed he starts asking for a 'sleepover with Kayla.' About 5 minutes after we go downstairs we hear his feet running across the hall. By the time one of us gets upstairs he's already climbed in to Kayla's bed. Then he cries these big sobbing cries that he just wants to sleep in Kayla's bed for a sleepover.

We've explained that sleepovers are for special occasions and it won't make it special if they have one all the time. Also, Kayla has to wake up early for school (5:45) and needs to have a good night's sleep.

The other night I was reading Llama Llama Red Pajama. There is a page where little Llama mentions being alone. Lucas pipes up, "I don't like to be alone and when I'm having a sleepover with Kayla I don't feel alone. But when I'm sleeping in my own bed I feel alone."

Nice try little man!

Actually he did get to have a sleepover one day last week since Kayla was on Spring Break. Hopefully that will tide him over for awhile!

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The Look

Friday, 6 April 2012

I was going through some old files on my old desktop and came across video clips I took of Kayla as a toddler.

I took many, many video clips of her. Probably because the camera I was using at the time only took 30 second videos at a time.

Kayla's speech was s-l-o-w-l-y coming along and I loved hearing her little voice say words like 'library', 'sausage', 'helicopter', 'glasses' (pronounced sasses for so long). So I encouraged her to say those words. Over and over. And over again. I mentioned that I liked hearing her say those words, but she, apparently, had had enough.

This particular video was taken 2 weeks before her third birthday. Oh how it makes me laugh to look at it now. Her attitude, her mannerisms (which are still the same to this day), her obvious displeasure with my attempts at speech therapy.

Oh, and the look. The look she gives me at the end is priceless.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

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"Conscious Confidence"

Thursday, 5 April 2012

"Conscious Confidence"

Just veer left or right.
Quit trying to work the median.
The difference between wrong and right
Makes you an asshole or comedian
And since we're being honest,
I never thought you were funny.
It's like you take the stage,
Grab the mic and make your money.
You need the negative attention.
I bet you crave the cat calls
But what follows your ascension?
What happens when the stacks fall?
I know you're not surprised.
Lord knows you've thought about it;
So before you cut your eyes,
Consider what life's like without it.

Unknown how this will end,
So for now, i will pray;
Not for that of my sins
But that you'll see things my way.
The highway is what remains
When you go against the grain.
You've quickly become the bane of my very existence.
Resistance is futile.
Please pardon the cliche;
But the limelight is mine
And it is here I will stay.
Nothing can really be
If it's not about me;
Know that this budding rivalry
Only feeds my vanity.

Vanity is insanity.
The prelude to calamity.
How could you stand to be
Part of such a profound travesty?
Gladly playing your games
As if it will bolster fame,
Ignoring what follows your name,
Not even acknowledging the shame
Of being half-assed.
Social outcast
Running your route fast
As if you doubt it will last.
You owe the crowd better.
They're beginning to get angry.
They may chant my name.
I'd advise you not to blame me.

History admires the brazen and brave.
It's the modest and the meek
That dream of living this way.
Such a slip of the mind...
What again is your name????

Never mind...

Let me offer you insight:
Why I think this way
When I look in the mirror
I see that I'm bold,
Cold and calculated
When pursuing my goals.
This wasn't always the case.
In my days as a lad,
Faced with circumstances
Understated as bad.
Hide your tears, Argentina.
I don't do sympathy.
My "bad guy" demeanor
Is what I use to succeed.
Never half assed
When performing a task.
*hits send on the computer
As he sips from flask*

Man, remove the mask!
As a matter of fact, just pause:
They damn near shake the stage.
"Let's have a warm round of applause!"
They anticipate my presence
Like a long awaited debut.
You've misplaced that true essence.
You don't make the rules. They do.
They who remember every word,
Every quote, every phrase
Every note, countless days
Spent on one who couldn't care less.
You offer women bare chest;
But you're missing that backbone.
You're a novelty at best.
Leave that attitude at home.

Sir, I am at home in this zone.
*Adjusts self on the throne*
Where the crown rests is home.
Yes,I am a rolling stone.
Your long awaited debut
Will be hard very to find.
The slot that was prime-time
Was confiscated as mine.
They root for the bad guy
But are afraid to admit.
They're seduced by the dark side.
The Force is STRONG in this kid.
Even after my last breath,
The stage will remain a mess;
Fully Wrecked.
Those who dare to follow
Can only show me respect.

Relax. Get comfy.
Tip your crown like a king.
Raise your scepter. Flash your rings.
It really doesn't mean a thing.
I'm too violent for the throne....
*Lends the crowd his microphone*
"DON'T STOP! FLOW ON!"
"TALK SHIT! GO ON!"
That crowd has no fear.
Is it getting hard to hear?
I don't suspect they'll drop tears
for one trapped in his wonder years.
No more mic check.
No more "La Di Da Di."
Just a coastal shipwreck
for anyone standing beside me.

My vengeance and righteous anger
Were formed from nights cried,
Equally violent thoughts
And actions justified;
Supplied by a past
Of shame and grief
And that of a childhood
That was far too brief.
First Row, church pew, Fall 1993.
Blue Suit, Black shoes, me age 13.
Pretty Flowers, kind words, Selections A&B.
There I sat with my father;
Hearing my mothers Eulogy.
I was full of fear,
But on my father, I could lean.
That was until he perished when I reached 19.
So it is easy to think
That I am destined to lose.
Thoughts that I combat
By making my own rules.

Damn, dude. You drop jewels
from a pool most won't swim through.
You appeal to what you feel.
I key in on what you've been through.
Lose the pro tools.
Turn the record off.
And for the record,
man, the lecture's off.
Take the center stage.
Stand tall against your misery.
Channel that inner rage.
Let it mesh with your delivery.
Make light of that dark energy.
Let it serve you well;
There's haters in the vicinity.
It's time to give 'em hell.

Old habits die hard.
Scars remain, I guess.
Repressed negative stress
Exposed my hopelessness.
I put to rest recklessness.
I now share the stage.
I shed my vanity.
The crowd is chanting your name.
We are one in the same:
The yin and the yang.
When in perfect balance,
Evil is put to shame.
Confidence and conscious
Have conquered the nonsense.
I put to rest my pen
Fully knowing we won this...

Locked up and Shot down.
Lunged forth and shut down;
but never out of luck;
so either gather round or duck.
Blue, Black and White
runs through our veins tonight.
You will likely lose your sight
as we begin to take flight.
You can't gather our reigns
and we won't erase the stains
smeared across our tortured souls.
We lose blood but gain control.
So conscious is our confidence.
We know you can't conceive it;
so just bask in the brush fire
of The Red Swan and The Blue Phoenix.

Written By: The Red Swan(Jason Abbitt) and The Blue Phoenix(Devin Joseph Metz)

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Special Exposure Wednesday

Wednesday, 4 April 2012

The headband that Lucas got for Kayla.

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Annie's Organic Pizza Review & Giveaway

Monday, 2 April 2012

Contest is closed. Congrats to AubreyLaine, Kristen, and Mom24.

Since Kayla was diagnosed with Celiac disease I try to make most of our meals all gluten-free so I'm not cooking two different meals and using twice as many pots and pans. It usually works out for us and is just easier that way.

Except for pizza. Gluten-free pizza crust is small and wouldn't feed a family of four. Most seem to be a single serving size, so we would be buying a lot of crust - and if you buy gluten-free you know it is expensive!

So we still like to have pizza nights at least once a month. We just make Kayla her own pizza and the rest of us have 'regular' pizza. Thanks to Moms Meet we tried Annie's Certified Organic Rising Crust Pizza for our pizza night a few nights ago.

This was available for purchase at Whole Foods - which is about a 30 min drive for me - so I don't go there that often for grocery shopping. When you don't have one close by, and you need to buy gluten-free foods, this can be dangerous on your wallet! I had to resist the urge to pick up every gluten-free item I saw and stock up for Kayla :)

Kayla does eat some of Annie's Gluten Free Pasta and Snack products (and they are yummy!) and I'm so thankful for these options!

Even though their pizza isn't gluten-free I was looking forward to trying it. I picked out the Uncured Pepperoni Pizza.

The pizza was very tasty - it didn't have a frozen pizza taste to it, more like a fresh/homemade pizza. The flavors were just strong enough and complimented each other. The crust was nice, soft, and chewy. The 11.5 inch family size was enough to feed the 3 of us.

We enjoyed our pizza night as an impromptu picnic in the backyard.

Annie's Certified Organic Pizzas have no artificial colors or flavors, 100% real cheese made from milk that came from cows not treated with the growth hormone rBST, pepperoni has no nitrates or nitrites added (only naturally occurring nitrates in sea salt and celery juice powder.

It is available in 4 flavors: Uncured Pepperoni, Supreme, Spinach & Mushroom, and Four Cheese (I would've tried the Spinach and Mushroom, but I don't care for mushrooms!)


I used this $2 off coupon to pick up another pizza to have on hand for our next pizza night; especially because I don't know the next time I'm going to venture out to Whole Foods!

I have 3 coupons for a free Annie's Certified Organic Rising Crust Pizza to give away to 3 winners (coupon is only redeemable at Whole Foods.)

To enter just leave a comment (making sure I have a way to contact you) saying if you've tried any of Annie's products before and what pizza flavor you would choose.

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet SM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet SM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

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