WFMW: Free Whiteboard

I looked at my refrigerator one day and thought that the surface looked a lot like the whiteboard in my schoolroom. I grabbed a Vis-a-Vis Wet Erase Marker and made a small mark in a spot. It worked! It comes off easily with a wet paper towel. This has become our permanent spot for the running grocery list. Anyone can notice what we are missing and jot it down. I keep the pen in the drawer right next to the refrigerator.


You can use a dry erase marker but then anytime somebody touches the refrigerator, even lightly, it will rub off. We just use some of our homemade multi-purpose cleaner with a paper towel and it comes right off. Every now and then we'll wait too long to take it off but then some Chlorox Clean Up will take care of it.

I do keep a master grocery list but this solution works well as an easy way for my family to keep me informed of what we need. Works for me!

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

Memorial Day Memories

We spent a fairly low key day in and around the house. It was nice. Whatever we did, we primarily did for ourselves. We tend to be an entertaining family but today there was no big party, no big event, and no big grocery bill. We spent a slow morning letting the boys run around outside, jumping on the trampoline, picking weeds dandelions, and looking at bugs.

Eventually we did decide that we'd like to grill so we took a 20 minute one way walk to Wal-Mart and picked up some meat and BBQ sauce.

After feeding the boys lunch, they went down for their afternoon nap and Hubby began to grill. He was such an angel today. He did all the cooking, feeding, and cleaning. I was in HEAVEN!



After naptime, we did have a few family stop by. We just hung out somemore, let the boys run around some more, and had a good time.






It was nice for the highlight of the day to just be "being together"....no agenda...no program...no list....just together....

My Baby Boy Is Growing Up

Where does the time go....?

Sumo just turned 4 years old. Just yesterday I brought my oldest son home from the hospital and reveled in soaking up all of his sweet baby smells every chance I got. Time is just going way too fast. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed each and every stage of his life and growth thus far. I am happy and glad...all at once...to celebrate his most recent birthday.

We took him to a beautiful park close by, rented a bounce house, called up some friends, bought some hot dogs, and then watched him have the time of his life!

He was king for the day!

He ran wild with virtually no restraint!

and he had a blast hanging with his best buds...

He's into the whole "Cars" movie theme and he loves "Lightning McQueen". His party had his passion as it's theme. My sister-in-law made this cake for Sumo. We kept it on our kitchen counter all day with the LID TAPED DOWN. I kept calling his name and saying "don't touch the cake baby boy". He replied to me..."Mommy, I'm not gonna touch it...I'm just gonna LOOK at it!" All day...he had such sheer joy just looking...

...as much as he wanted to eat his cake, he was a little less than enthused about the idea of "cutting" Lightning....

Sumo and his friends played hard and had a great time. When it become too dark to run and play throughout the park, they ran into the bouncehouse and jumped until way past dark. Poor thing, he cried when it was time to turn off the generator and watch the air slowly leave the bounce house. I'm glad he enjoyed his birthday party...so sorry this wonderful day had to end.

Time flies when you are having fun!!!

It's been a wonderful ride so far being your Mommy and I look forward to each new year and the privilege of watching you grow and become the wonderful man you are destined to be.


Happy Birthday Sumo!
...you handsome little angel you...

In Philly and thinking about weight loss...

OK...obviously I needed more of a blogging break. My baby son and I are back in Philly. He has an appointment here with his doc at Shriners. For my first couple of days here I couldn't get internet access. I hate that I haven't been blogging. It has grown to be something that I really enjoy.

I know that I haven't talked about weight loss stuff in awhile. Well, let's just say that I'm holding my own. While at home, I have definitely been making it to the gym. It's been hard because I've been out of my "routine" time to go but I've been making it happen. During the time of my grandfather's death, I definitely struggled because there was constantly so much FOOD around. I tried my best but a recovering alcoholic can only be around so much wine/beer/etc before they cave - the same holds true with me and chocolate cake. I'm just not there yet. Maybe I'll never be. This weight thing will probably be a fight I work at for the rest of my life. Never-the-less, extenuating circumstances didn't set me up for success. I can say that upon my arrival in Philly, I got a rental car and drove straight to Whole Foods so that I could have good food readily available to me. That was good, right?!?!

A friend of mine has recently joined Weight Watchers. It's tempting but I just don't think I can do it. Call me prideful, but something inside me just balks at the idea of paying someone to tell me how to eat. I KNOW what to eat - it's the discipline to walk out what I know that's the problem. It's the story of m LIFE. Doing what I know to do when I know to do it.

Paying money would definitely make me feel a bit more accountable but... I dunno...I just think I don't like accepting help. If I don't meet my weight loss goal soon though I may have to do something. Broadcasting to the world via a blog that you have 1.5 lbs to lose and then STILL havine 1.5 lbs to loose a few weeks later...well...it's embarrassing.

I did good today...even out of town...away from home...that's an accomplishment. One day at a time right!

I'm Back From My Blogging Break...

I just got tired of writing...probably because I was writing uncontrollably during the week of my grandfather's passing.

Also, I needed a break because I needed to do some serious weeding...in my back yard and with my children. My energies were all spent at the end of the day.

I've got a host of things to talk about. Plus I know that I need to finish that Story I started. I will...I want to see how it ends just as bad as you guys do :)

Children and Chores

I'm a firm believer in training children to work. I've spent a lot of time interviewing experienced Moms, reading books, and making chore schedules. I'm only one person and I can't do it all; we all have to pitch in.

Unfortunately, the idea of training my children to work around our home isn't something I figured out early. I figured it out after I'd already trained them to be a bit lazy.

I've more than made up for lost time (much to my older girls dismay) but I want to make sure that I pass on little nuggets so other Mommies don't have to learn the hard way.

I love sharing great posts from other bloggers here at the Chronicles. One of the resources that I've bumped into is a recent post from Lara Gallagher's Blog. She posted a cute documentary on teaching kids to hang up their clothes. At the bottom of this post she has links to a series of articles on teaching children to work around the house. These articles are a great read.

I'm currently revamping our new chore duties and schedule. As my kids grow, and as our family schedule changes, we have to adjust how we do things around here (younger kid can now pitch in more). It's taking me forever to update it because I'm so busy DOING IT, but I'll post the new one when I get a chance. For now, you can view my old schedule here.

WFMW: Frugal Preschooling

Although preschool workbooks can be inexpensive, I still found myself cringing when my preschooler would be learning how to do something and "mess up" a page. Sometimes he just needed to "practice" a skill a couple of times, however once we wrote on the workbook page, that would be it.

Well, I took some of my thinner preschool workbooks, take out the staples holding the book together, and then cut that book into two with scissors (a scrapbook cutter could work too). This created a bunch of looseleaf pages. I then took each page and placed it in a sheet protector. These plastic covers are easily written on by wet or dry erase markers. VOILA! Now we can write on a page as many times as we want. My preschooler gets lots of practice and these pages will be around for his little brother if I would like them to be!

The side benefit is that my 4yo LOVES to help me clean his pages. We take baby wipes and wipe them clean (wet erase markers). If we want to write on them immediately following a cleanup up, we just wipe again with a dry paper towel. When we use dry erase markers, a paper towel works just fine.

BTW, this could work with thicker books too. You can always take a book down to the local office supply store and have them wack off the binding. You might not want to spend the "mula" to buy a million plastic sheets but you can buy a few and then just change out the pages as your kiddo progresses!

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

Blog Design Give Away

Trying to slowly get back to my life after a tough week. I've been surfing and catching up on blog stuff. Noticed that Everyday Mommy is giving away a free blog design. Check it out. She's does great work. How neat would that be to win a design for free!

Joy Smiles

I'm flipping back through photos taken over the last few days. This one struck me as extra special. It was taken not long after Grandpa passed. In fact, it was taken minutes after his physical body was taken to the funeral home. Grandma, and four of her granchillun' were smiling.

Oh what a JOY it is to know Jesus. I have no idea how people, people who do not know the wonderful news of eternal life from knowing the Savior, deal with the scene of death and of loved ones leaving this earth.

How amazing it is that our hearts still resounded with such JOY so soon after a bittersweet event. Why?

Because we will see Grandpa again...one day...

April 30th only marked a pause in our fellowship with him. That day was a comma, not a period.

Joy Smiles...even in face of sorrow

Joy Smiles...even in the midst of grief

Joy Smiles...even with an aching heart

Joy Smiles...

It shines through sad situations like brilliant, golden, sunbeams through a cloudy sky...

Joy Smiles...

Not because there is no difficulty, tribulation, or trial,

But because there is good news despite what appears to be...

Thank you Jesus that your Joy Smiles