This Full House Archive

Category: Raising Teens, Tweens & Killer Dust Bunnies

  • Mom and Mini-me’s Most EXCELLENT Adventure!

    I wrote a blog post about Mom-nesia and was recently interviewed for a piece on ABC News (I know; don’t understand exactly how that happened) and truly believe that it really DOES exist and the more children you have, the less brain cells you’re left with at the end of the day.

    They’re lucky I remember their names – let alone, their birth dates – I mean, these poor kids have to share EVERYTHING…even me!

    Yesterday, Mini-me and I were invited to a private screening of the new Kit Kittredge – An American Girl Movie in New York City (I know; don’t know how that could have happened, either!) and, since it was her birthday, we decided it was a terrific way to celebrate her 7th year at the measuring wall and bought two round-trip train tickets into The Big Apple.

    That’s right, I decided this time, there would ONLY be room for two!

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  • Child Web-Safety: It’s NOT just a scare tactic.

    Our superintendent sent out a letter that there would be an evening presentation held at the middle school on teaching your children about online safety.

    It’s not the first time I’ve received such a notification.  Besides, I attended something similar two years ago.

    I have four children (14, 12, 9 and 6) who will be entering into four different schools within the district, next year.  So, I’m pretty much used to getting scary letters from school.  Like the latest outbreaks of chicken pox and head lice and the typical "just so you know" type letters, reminding parents "how to know when your child is too sick to go to school" AND the repercussions of "excessive absents."

    I know…DUH!…I spend a lot of time on the Internets.  I make it my business to surf the blogosphere and have spoken about the power of the mom blogging community (more than once) and I have become fearless.  In fact, I feel safer here (in my blog) than I do out on the street and thought…meh…I am so done with scare tactics!

    Until, it happened to our family.

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  • PBN Blog Blast: All I want for Mother’s Day

    The Parent Bloggers Network has teamed up with Johnson and Johnson to promote their new charitable giving site, Johnson’s Baby Cause, powered by Global Giving.

    As part of their responsibility to the global community, Johnson’s has hand-selected dozens of charities around the world that mirror their deep commitment to caring for the health and well-being of mothers and children – not just on Mother’s Day, but every day of the year.

    This is the 100th Anniversary of Mother’s Day and my 15th year of raising kids — not to mention, killer dust bunnies — in this mother-loving world of comfortable running shoes and matching hoodies.

    So, as a mother of a teen, a tween, a precocious 1st grader and The Boy who refuses to admit he is NOT getting a brother for Christmas, what could I possibly want for Mother’s Day?

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  • Be sure to leave the twenty, on the nightstand, on your way out!

    Downtime_2

    What?  Is it Tuesday, already?  Is it me…or, does anybody else NOT have the time…for anything, anymore?  I swear, the older the kids get…well, you know…I wonder.  Does anyone else know if snoring on my husband’s lap is considered foreplay?

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  • This Is My Early Morning Singing Song!

    Thisfullhousepajamamama_2
    Gliddy glub gloopy
    Nibby nabby noopy
    La la la lo lo…

    I’m not a morning person.  I’m a mommy, you know what I mean?  Still.  My husband Garth (not his real name) couldn’t care less if I woke up, tomorrow, decided to shave my head and start referring to myself as:

    "Hello, my name is Starshine and I AM Mr. Clean’s bitch!"

    I’m telling you, as weird as it sounds, he’d STILL think I’m sexy.

    Why?

    Because, my husband is really NOT all that interested in what’s going on with my head – yes, he is a very smart man – but, he HAS sung praises of his love for me…from the neck down…many, many times.

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  • A Perfect Post for April – So, You From Wisconsin?

    Beachwalking

    The kids and I recently had the pleasure of introducing my friend Dana (she’s from Wisconsin) to her first seaside experience, not to mention the best damned "boardwalk pizza" in the Garden State!

    Okay, New Jersey is not perfect – people are buying gas less and spending most of their money on groceries, including us – but, I’m comforted by the fact that waterfront is at least within walking distance.

    Until, I read my friend Cheryl’s post on how she was, you know, okay with leaving the waves behind – she’s ALSO from Wisconsin.

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  • Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Catherapy

    Theboyandtheoldman_2

    Cats.  Some people seem like they can’t live without them and others just don’t understand the attraction.  Either way, cats can bring out the best (and worst) in their human counterparts.  I mean, they do have a reputation of being a tiny bit self-absorbed and often times are considered to be not a very good, you know, people-type pet.

    Still.

    There are those times, during their seemingly endless days of captivity, when a cat can sense that something is off and their owners aren’t feeling quite right, or perhaps the planets are aligned and the earth’s rotation has shifted just a tad, and they simply slip out of character.

    Buckyonthemend

    Or (in this case) when the other more affectionate and much younger beta cat is at the vet and in critical care, at the moment.

    Theboyandtheoldmanyikes

    Either way…there IS peace in the valley, tonight.

    Thanks, Old Man – I owe you one – and get well soon, Bucky (named after Buck Beak, one of Hagrid’s many pets in Harry Potter) we miss you, so much!

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    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

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  • New Jersey Moms Blog Launched, Today!

    Newjerseymomsblog250

    Last month, I was asked by the lovely Jill Asher (co-founder of Silicon Valley Moms Group) if I’d be interested in writing for an upcoming new sister site, for New Jersey mom bloggers.

    "Hey, you know, I’m from Jersey!"

    Well, yah…and DUH!

    Today, I am thrilled to tell you that the site has officially launched and…GUESS WHAT…I even got to write the introduction:

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  • Love Thursday: Quieting the Demon Child Within

    Thingonegood_2

    Being elegant, gentle, soft-spoken and a bit shy, by nature (no, not ME!) Thing One was born with a wonderful sense of being able to recognize, understand and empathize with what other people are feeling.

    Then, one day, she woke up and unleashed the demon child within.

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  • Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Hot Dogs and Warm Heart

    Hotdogswarmheart_2

    My mom is still in the hospital, but she’s doing nicely – thank you for your kind thoughts – so, I was able to spend the last night of spring break with my kids.  But, I was emotionally spent and way too tired to cook.  So, when my kids asked my husband Garth (not his real name) if they could roast marshmallows, I told them that we were all out of marshmallows (stupid food shopping) but, suggested that perhaps they’d like to cook their hot dogs on the fire pit, instead.

    [eyes go wide]

    "For real?"

    You see, 2 of my kids want to go camping…but, the other half don’t like bugs…and thanks to having given birth to all 4…my sciatica does’t do tents, very well…so, roughing-it seems a little too much work, if you ask me.

    Still.

    It warms my mommyblogging heart to get a chance to do something…anything…together and kicking back in our yard is perhaps the closest our family gets to, you know, going wild.

    "Where’s Mini-me?"

    [shrugs shoulders]

    "She said she doesn’t like turkey dogs and is looking for something else to eat."

    [SLAM]

    "Okay, I found some meat-wike-wooking-thing in the fweezer…I think it’s eat-uh-bow!"

    It’s seems like my youngest daughter (she’s 6) can fend for herself and doesn’t have a problem playing "survivor girl," thankyouvermuch!

    Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQ
    Tag, you’re it:

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    I’ve got tons of stuff to catch up on here and I’m heading back to my folks’ house tomorrow, but I’ll be back home on Monday.  So, please make yoursevles at home, feel free to check out This Full House Reviews: Vincent Shoes – Designers for kids, just like mine…too! and – if you haven’t, already – don’t forget to enter our bloggy giveaway for The Flip camera!

    Wishing you all a great weekend and TGIF…early!

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

    [Please, clean off a chair and stay a while – subscribe to email updates or the RSS feed or – if you really, really like me – then Digg This, I’ll love you forever!]