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  • Nearly Wordless Wednesday: What’s My Name, Beyotch?


    Doofus-on-the-couch
    [Insert doofus-type caption here…]

    In celebration of Hump Day (yay!) I'm holding a little caption contest – because, Doofus has gotten into a lot of trouble lately and the ding-dang dog is getting on my last nerve – so, what's in it for you?
    Doofus-dog!
    No, just kidding, actually there's this really cool calendar printed by our local animal shelter and I'd love to send one of you guys a copy.

    Calendar_Cover08 

    Isn't it sweet!?!?

    Can't wait to see what you guys come up with – retail value of the calendar is $13.00 and all proceeds benefit the Monmouth County SPCA – I'm asking The Boy (he's turning 10, this month) to pick the winning caption, after I close comments, sometime after school on Friday 1/16, since my son has finally admitted that the Doofus-dog is the closest thing to a brother he's gonna ever get!

    [knocking on wood until knuckles bleed]

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

    Good luck!

    My-signature 

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

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    This
    is where I pimp my stuff:  Is online video gaming safe for kids and Xbox 360 vs. Wii – what's the diff?  Check out our family review & trust me, you won't wanna miss THIS GIVEAWAY!!!

  • Clean off a chair and make yourself at home!

    Me and Steve Hungary 1966I come from a long line of storytellers.

    My twin brother and I grew up listening to many colorful tales of far away places, long lost regrets and “those crazy relatives” from overseas (that’s us, over there, during our first visit to Hungary at age 2) so, blogging came very naturally for me.

    I started blogging at This Full House in 2003 (when blogging was still in diapers) to connect with other parents, share stories and perhaps help each other feel a little less disconnected with life, beyond all the dust bunnies and diapers.

    I expanded my reach in 2007 to include working with brands in sharing information that perhaps helps make life for larger families (like mine) a little easier. 

    I have also partnered with brands (Eggland’s Best, K-mart, Kellogg’s, Hallmark, Hershey’s, PBS Kids, Taste of Home Magazine) by providing engaging editorial content to help them connect with REAL families (like mine) both online and IRL.

    This Full House is a charter member of the BlogHer Ad Network, listed on Alltop.com and chosen as one of the inaugural Babble’s 50 Best Mommybloggers. I have also submitted articles as a columnist for The Imperfect Parent, Kmart’s PlaydatePlace.com, Together Counts Blog and as a contributing editor at BlogHer.

     

    Summer 2008

    Summer 2010
    TFH 2017

    Summer 2017

    My kids are all grown (whut?!?!) and they frequently visit this blog to settle an argument about something that happened, and/or to confirm when that something actually happened, and/or if that something actually happened like they remembered it: This Full House is now our family’s timeline.

    I am very proud to continue my work in helping to promote our online community I’ve grown to love AND adopt as family.

    Because…with 3 out of 4 kids still living in the house…what’s one more, right?!?! Feel free to visit back with us…anytime…we’ll leave the porch light on for yuhs, just in case!

     

  • Flip-Worthy Moments & Delurking Day ’09

    Today's Flip-Worthy Moment is brought to you by my next door neighbor, who wants to know:
    Is it selfish to expect older kids to help take care of their younger siblings?

     Part II – Continued…after surprise visit from in-laws…and patting down the stray hairs that were sticking outta my head in Part I…UGH:

    Please, for the love of all that is flip-worthy, let me know what you're thinking…okay?

    Delurking2009 copy

    Oh and, by the way, it's Delurking Day — yes it is, my friend Jodifur and Rude Cactus said so — but, (since, I am a SELFISH MOM and all) would it be too much to ask you (if you haven't, already) to pop on over to my Blogging Out Hunger post and leave a comment there, too…pretty please?

    You see, Stop & Shop will donate $1.00 for every comment I can get…up to $300…to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey!!!

    My-signature 

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

    ——————————————————————–

    This
    is where I pimp my stuff:  Is online video gaming safe for kids and Xbox 360 vs. Wii – what's the diff?  Check out our family review & trust me, you won't wanna miss THIS GIVEAWAY!!!

  • Blogging Out Hunger – Campaign Ends 2/29

    BLOGGING OUT HUNGER:   BECAUSE, POVERTY NEEDS TO BE BITCH-SLAPPED AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE FROM JERSEY – HELP KEEP THAT SHOPPING CART ROLLING!!!

    WE ARE MORE THAN HALFWAY THERE – Stop & Shop will donate $1 (up to $300) for each comment I can squeeeeeeze outta the Internets.

    Aaand, with the help from cool friends like TheMotherhood.com, I am NOT going stop until I hit 300 comments and hand Stop & Shop's check over to the good folks at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.

    Even if my name isn't Dooce!

    Click on the Ticker to Find Out How You Can Help!

  • Why I Made My Kids “Friend” Me on Facebook!

    DSCN0002

    O…M…G…don't even!

    My middle girl turned 13, last month (someone hold me!) and used her birthday money to order the really cool camera that I have been coveting (these darn kids get EVERYTHING!) and, after we got home from having her stitches removed this week, Thing Two was thrilled to find it waiting for her at the front door!

    "Here, try it!"

    Typically, I hate having my picture taken and consider myself severely photogenically-challenged.  It's okay.  I'm down with that.

    "O…M…G…what are you trying to do?"

    Gosh, but kids make me feel so stupid…sometimes.

    "Uh, don't kids do peace-out anymore?"

    Judging by the look on her face, apparently, not really.

    "No, we just do peace."

    I know I'm just a stupid parent and all (seriously, with 2 teenagers in the house, never felt dumber) but, didn't I just say that?

    "Will you take a picture of me for Facebook?"

    Yes, the day she turned 13, I allowed Thing Two to sign up for a Facebook account (I mean, her 15-year-old sister has one) and it's really no big deal…I'm on it, too…besides, I'm her mom and MADE her "friend" me!

    (more…)

  • Would You Be, Could You Be, My Neighbor?

    [Yes, I am STILL Soliciting Comments for Charity:  Currently at 130 comments!  Okay, so I'm BLOGGING OUT HUNGER and totally willing to beg for someone
    else's food, this week – I know I'm no Dooce, but won't you consider
    helping reach my goal of 300 comments, for charity, even for a Dork,
    like me?]

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    Urkel

    We live on a very busy street, used by commuters as a throughway between the train station and county road, so my husband Garth (not his real name) and I have always tried to remain vigilant about keeping the kids safely locked away in our big backyard.

    Someone came knocking at our front door yesterday and, of course, all 4 of my kids came running from every direction to, you know, see who it was.

    "It's our neighbor!"

    Silence.

    "Which one?"

    We've lived in this house for 15 years and, sadly, I'm on speaking terms with only one of them – my next door neighbor.

    "It's the one you like!"

    Oh, thank goodness.

    "I got some of your mail, by mistake."

    So, I invited her in; we spent the next few minutes catching up (has it really been THAT long) and parted on good terms.

    "Maybe we can get-together; especially, if Mr. Screw Up keeps delivering each other's mail."

    It's not that we don't like each other – I pretty much get along with most everybody – but, I've got 4 kids, she's only got the 1, I'm almost never home and she pretty much thinks I'm nucking futz, anyway.

    But, she likes my kids.

    The neighbor on the other side of the fence (you know, the one I don't like) hates my kids and has yelled at them, for being too loud…playing in the pool…on numerous occasions!

    "Keep it down, over there!"

    Can't blame him, too much – they don't have kids.

    So, TV Squad posted a list of 9 least-wanted TV neighbors and, I'm thinking, we must be pretty high on some of our neighbor's list.

    Wanna see?

    Borrowing mommy's goofy glasses – here's the daily lineup:

    (more…)

  • If You Give a Momblogger a Digital Camera: A Study in Black and White

    [Yes, I am STILL Soliciting Comments for Charity:  Okay, so I'm BLOGGING OUT HUNGER and totally willing to beg for someone
    else's food, this week – I know I'm no Dooce, but won't you consider
    helping reach my goal of 300 comments, for charity, even for a Dork,
    like me?]

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    It finally started to snow here in Jersey, just the other day — I know, my Seattle and Midwest friends have plenty that they are probably more than willing to share, even — and, since Santa Claus didn't bring me the really cool camera I've been wanting (honestly, I was happy he remembered the kids) look what I did with a little Envy:

    Cabin-fever

    Cabin Fever:  On the first day of Christmas vacation, it started to really snow and
    Thing Two thought it sucked that it happened, smack dab in the middle of her recovery and I (seeing as, I am the meanest mom in the world) wouldn't let her go outside…dammit!

    Garden-fairy
     
    Garden Fairy:  As she screams, "It's frickin' freezing out here, Mr. Bigglesworth!"

    Pointer-dog

    He's A Little Bit Pointer, Dog:  Pointing out the fact that he looks way better in the down vest, that my mother gave me last Christmas, than I do…dammit!

    Smile-doofus-dog

    Smile Doofus-Dog:  I swear, he's a REAL camera hound!

    Worlds-largest-snowball
    World's Largest Snowball:  Actually, it's snow-encrusted basketball…but, you won't tell anyone…right!?!?

    Sit-doofus-sit

    Sit Doofus, Sit:  He actually thinks Thing One's gonna throw it!?!?

    Wii-love-the-snow

    Wii Love the Snow…NOT:  Don't worry (The Boy announced he hates snow since, you know, we got the Wii) with the magic of Picnik.com, mommy can make it snow anytime, anywhere, too!

    Imagine, what I could do with a REAL grown up camera!?!?

    [shudder]

    I blame Ashton Kutcher, who truly makes digital photography look cool (and pretty) even for a dork, like me.

    [heavy sigh]

    Ah well, thank goodness for Flickr!

    My-signature

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

    ——————————————————————–

    This is where I pimp my stuff:  I run a column at the Imperfect Parent (I don't know how that happened, either) this month, I'm talking about the value of Mini-Sleepovers.  Oh, and fresh from the garden state, read how I'm raising teenagers with my eyes wide shut.  Also, do you hate food shopping?  EXCELLENT!  Me, too. But, I recently received an electronic grocery list organizer that is fun AND practical.  Want one?

  • Nearly Wordless Wednesday: New Years Eve Glam

    [Yes, I am STILL Soliciting Comments for Charity:  Okay, so I'm BLOGGING OUT HUNGER and totally willing to beg for someone
    else's food, this week     – I know I'm no Dooce, but won't you consider
    helping reach my goal of 300 comments, for charity, even for a Dork,
    like me?]

    New-Years-Eve-1966
    New Years Eve 1966

    I love this picture of my mother — taken on the front porch of the house we shared with my grandmother — the gown, the gloves, the jewelery and the way my mother did her own hair (she hated going to beauty parlors, still does) my mom looked SO glamorous.  She and dad were headed out to the New Year's Eve Ball held at the Hungarian Club in Woodbridge, NJ to party with Gypsy Joe and his band.

    She was so young, vibrant, beautiful.

    Still, all these years later, I can't help but reflect on the pain she's endured (dad, too) yet, my mother has an incredible amount of strength and compassion — honestly, the woman is filled with warm fuzzies — and her amazing ability to inspire the same in others, while I sit here and worry about..um…everything?

    Well…I'm getting older…but, my mother just keeps getting, you know, better.

    Even time can't erase the glint from those beautiful chocolate brown eyes and, this New Year's Eve, I plan to raise my glass, kiss another year goodbye and be thankful that, you know, I have my mother's eyes.

    Oh…and remember to call my mother, of course!

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

    Happy New Year, everyone!

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    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

  • Happy Birthday, My Christmas Baby!

    [Soliciting Comments for Charity:  Okay, so I'm BLOGGING OUT HUNGER and totally willing to beg for someone
    else's food, this week     – I know I'm no Dooce, but won't you consider
    helping reach my goal of 300 comments, for charity, even for a Dork,
    like me?]

    This-Full-House-2

    Greeting cards have all been sent,
    The Christmas rush is through.
    But I still have one wish to make,
    A special one for Thing Two…

    [clears throat]

    Sisterly-kiss
     Happy Birthday, Baby
    Though 3 days after Christmas, it's still true
    You're 13 now and in my dreams
    I always wished for a girl, like you.

    Sup
    Growing up is NOT always joyful…especially, when something's bothering you
    But every day's a holiday
    When I can laugh with you

     Gothgirl


    The things you could be
    I wish you could see
    I wish it every day

    You're smart and very strong
    Darn good at singing songs

    And pretty, too…YES!…way

    Heather2
    TRUST ME…I see it everyday
    But my singing…uh…can sort of suck
    'Nuf said…don't press your luck

    [clears throat]

    Thing-two-christmas-pretty
    Happy Birthday, my Christmas Baby
    You're thirteen, I can't believe it's true
    But, I've just one wish on this special day…

    I wish I were more like you!

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    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

  • Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Christmas in the 80’s

    [Soliciting Comments for Charity:  Okay, so I'm BLOGGING OUT HUNGER and totally willing to beg for someone
    else's food, this week     – I know I'm no Dooce, but won't you consider
    helping reach my goal of 300 comments, for charity, even for a Dork,
    like me?]

    Christmas-in-the-80's (2)

    Christmas 1986
    This is the time of year when I miss my Nagy Mama the most and there's really nothing more to say about about this week's Wordless Wednesday, except…yes, I am a graduate of the Pat Benatar school of hair, makeup and badly placed sequins…oh, and yeah…do not attempt to adjust your computer monitor…my twin brother IS wearing leather pants!!!

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


    Merry Christmas, everyone!

    My-signature

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.