Christmas List

This isn't on my list...although it should be!

Riley has been diligently working on her letter to Santa...writing 4 drafts, as of today...and adding several things to her list, daily. She truly has everything. Needs nothing. But, when it comes to a list to send to Santa, she's been racking her brain for things she "needs."

Her list began with a scooter, a doll for her American Doll (Lil Ro, named for her BFF, Rochelle) and some random other little things...

But what made me laugh was when she asked for a cleaning lady. Someone who would come and clean her room so that she would never have to do it again. Ahhh, so funny...because I'm pretty sure I AM THE CLEANING LADY. Maybe I should just put a bow on me, sit under her tree and be her Christmas gift this year. Would save us a ton of money, I think.

Riley-ism #626

Riley's first words were "Oh Shit." Yes, I have finally admitted it. While we tell everyone when we reminisce that it was "mommy" or "daddy" -- we know that it wasn't. She swore and both Ryan and I heard it. We were in denial...but apparently...it was all my fault. Everytime I would drop something, I'd say the happy phrase and it just so happens that Riley picked up on it when she was 10 months old...and tada...there it was.

Fast forward seven years later and we now have a very curious little girl who must've had a classmate talk or show her the "middle finger." Both Ryan and I NEVER do this because, well, we have no reason to. So, you can imagine our shock when while in the car (where we do lots of 'talking' she says to us...)

Riley: Now, I just want to know what this means, so don't be mad.

Mom/Dad: What is it, Riley?

Riley: What does the middle finger mean?

Mom/Dad: It means something not nice.

Riley: Like what?

Mom: Just something not nice.

Riley: What about this finger? (Pointing to her pointy finger.)

Mom: It's a directional finger.

Riley: So why can't you use your middle finger?

Mom: Because you just can't. It's not nice.

Then...our conversation yesterday in the car about made me wreck, it was so funny. She stews about things, so I know that for several days, she's been wanting to know what it means.

Riley: Does the middle finger mean 'thank you?'

Me: No, baby, the middle finger doesn't mean 'thank you.' (Laughter and then speed dial to Ryan... LOL)

I'm Back...sorta...

I don't have any pictures for this post, but I will...I promise. Things have been super hectic around here and I'm finding it hard to catch up. I will say that we had a very nice trip back to Pittsburgh and I have lots of pictures to share!

*******************

Hopefully I'll have the posts up before Thanksgiving...but if I don't, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone this year! I have so much to be thankful for...my perfect little family (although they stress me out sometimes! LOL), the great friends I have that have really been there for me, and our health.

S is for Snake

This weekend was the annual seafood festival in Ruskin, FL. We had never been in the past three years we've been here, but decided to give it a go since it's our last year here in Tampa. Nothing totally exciting, as far as festivals go. They had lots of business booths, a couple bounce houses and then the row of fried seafood...

We stopped in the Home Depot booth to make the free trivet with the kids. Hammers + Riley/Ronan = Nervous Momma, but the trivets turned out cute and the kids both got the signature orange aprons to keep. Did I mention that it was all free?

I don't want to brag, but I basically put Ronan's entire trivet together. I just let him think he hammered in the nails. LOL.

And then, Ronan showed us...

They had a rescued animal area where they had a black jaguar and huge tiger in these metal cages. As we were looking at them, I spotted a snake in the tree. Me, not being a huge lover of all things snake, mentally freaked out, but Ronan showed a huge interest in looking closer at it. The man brought the snake down and let Ronan pet it. Riley, well, she'd have NONE of it. She backed away about as far as I did...

And then the unthinkable happened. The man asked if Ronan wanted to hold the snake and while the rest of his family (and a growing crowd behind us watching in awe) thought he would say no...there he was, arms extended, ready to give his new friend a hug.

Ryan said that Ronan taught us all a lesson: Fear is all in the mind. Which, I guess makes sense (when Ryan has deep thoughts to share :)) Ronan had ZERO fear. He grabbed that snake like it was going to be his new pet and after the man asked if he wanted to wear it as a necklace -- which I was completely opposed to -- Ronan reluctantly gave the snake back...

If only you could have seen the crowd that gathered to see my little man hold this snake and their gasping of when he grabbed onto it. It was crazy.

So even though the festival itself wasn't anything to write home about, Ronan's adventure with the snake truly was...and thankfully, I have the pictures to prove it.

Riley Says The Darndest Things!

While showering the other night, I told Riley to really lather up the shampoo and get all of her hair...to which she responded:

"I'm gonna get my scallop really good."

I then said to her, "You mean your scalp?"

She quickly said, "Yes, mom, that's what I said, scallop."

Gotta love her.

The Purrell Conspiracy

I should own stock in it. Plain and simple. I carry it in my purse, I have some at my kitchen sink and I make sure Riley's classroom has it so she can use it there.

And that's what got me thinking...about the flu, germs, H1N1 -- and when I mentioned to Ryan how Purrell must be making a killing (as far as profits go, not death itself), he injected into my mind that it was probably Purrell who started the H1N1 virus in Mexico last year! Of course, I immediately dismissed the idea, but I can't say that when I hear a cough or the suction of boogies in the background, that it doesn't swirl around in my mind...
I haven't gotten the flu shot. Riley had the mist. Ronan...nothing. He's got allergies and although his first flu shot provided no negative reaction (to the egg protein), I am slightly scared to put him through that and then have to deal with what MIGHT happen. And now that the H1N1 vaccine is out (although scarce), I am torn as to what I need to do to keep my kids safe.

Talking to some friends recently pursuaded me to NOT get the vaccine. I mean, it's new. What if in 4 years they find out that the H1N1 vaccine contributes to some other heinous disease...I have no idea. BUT, the media is scaring me into thinking that if I don't get my kids vaccinnated, they are going to get it and be really sick...and that freaks me out. What's worse is that the one child who gets sick touching EVERYTHING, is the one that can't really even have the vaccine...so what am I to do?

I'm getting on an airplane with both my kids soon. In my mind, I have planned out exactly what I'm going to do when I get on that airplane -- which includes anti-bacterial wiping down all three seats, seatbelts, trays, light buttons and anything else the kids might touch...but then what do I do about all those people breathing on us? Can I had out masks? This is the nervous freak-out mom in me...I can't afford for them to get sick, especially being away from home...

Anyone have healthy travel tips to share?

Steak and Shake

Kids eat free ALL weekend. Need I say more?

I probably don't need to say anything, but I will comment that after spending about an hour at Steak and Shake nearby, it's like a small microcosm of Wal-Mart. You see the strangest mix of people there. Understand that we were there on Halloween, so the staff was dressed up...but the customers weren't. Or maybe they were. We have no idea.

We literally stopped in our tracks when a lady walked into the restaurant in a white crocheted triangle top bikini and white pants. Her belly was billowing out over the pants, to the point where I could no longer refer to it as a muffin-top of any sort. It was like a volcano had erupted. Ick. Now, I could accept the attire if we were a mile away from the beach...maybe even on a strip near a beach. We are nowhere near any beach. In fact, we have to drive quite a distance to get to one, so just the fact she wore this outfit into a restaurant far far far from the beach shocked me.

...although not much SHOULD shock me...I shop at Wal-Mart. Haha. What? They have some great deals.

Happy Halloween 2009

This year, we did a couple Halloween events with the kids...so here are just a few pictures from those events. We trick-or-treated on Halloween with a group of friends and although I took a whole bunch that night...there isn't one where one of my kids isn't blinking. Boo hoo.

Here is Ronan with a friend at a Halloween party... it was 90 degrees that day. I had to strip him down, just to keep him cool. He's a shirtless pirate. Arrr mateys.
This is also about the only time Ronan would wear his hat with his costume. In. the. car. I had to get the PPW (price per wear) down on this bad boy, as it cost us double of what his actual costume cost.

And for the first time in almost 5 years, Riley was NOT a princess or any form of one, other than in spirit! She originally wanted to be a witch, to 'witch' I purchased a hat, but after some shopping around at all the Halloween stores, she opted for the cowgirl look -- which we all loved. We had to buy her new boots for the outfit that *gasp* cost just as much as the costume itself -- but I reassured Ryan that the PPW for it would strongly decrease as we are headed to Pittsburgh soon and she can wear them there. Gotta justify everything!

Halloween was so much more fun for us this year. Perhaps it is because Ronan finally understood it and walked the entire time without being help. Maybe it was trick-or-treating in a group and having more adults keep track of all the kids. Or maybe it was because the kids got a ton of candy and we only had to walk around for an hour. Needless to say, I'm getting my Snickers fix and am paying for it with my peanut and chocolately love handles.