This Full House Archive

Blog

  • Pretty Thankful

    Happy-thanksgiving

    "You're supposed to carry it with two hands!"

    My seven-year-old made this year's Thanksgiving pretty in class and she was very careful NOT to give it to me.

    "Wow, this is really very pretty."

    Honestly, I just love it when my kids bring their holiday projects home and — having collected a fair amount over the years — my husband, Garth (not his real name) and I are seriously considering opening a FTD greetings franchise, for kids.

    "No it isn't!"

    As Mini-me's eyes started to fill up with tears — right there in the middle of the school yard — I quickly leafed through the files in my mommybrain for a quick (yet, loving) response and pretty much, you know, came up empty.

    "Uh, yeah, it is."

    See?

    "It's not how I wanted it to be."

    Mini-me is my youngest of four and she is a walking contradiction to everything I ever knew, or thought I did, about raising kids.

    [sniff]

    "But, sweetie…my house, my friends, my family, the world…these are very wonderful things to be thankful for!"

    The look on her face, screamed…Nuh-uh!

    "NUH-UH!"

    [hands on hips]

    "Because, I have lots more stuff to be thankful for."

    So, along with the pumpkin and apple pies, we're bringing a little something extra something special to my brother's house.

    "But, I could ONLY use 4 popsicle sticks!"

    Okay, to most people, it may not be the most prettiful floral arrangement.

    "I think it's perfect!"

    But, Mini-me's school project reminded me that, as parents, we sometimes have a hard time seeing the pretty passed the popsicle sticks (or, something like that) and, to these mommy eyes, that is totally gift-worthy!

    Have a Prettiful Thanksgiving!

    My-signature

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

  • Wordless Wednesday: Nanny McFee No More!

    Nanny-mcmini-me-2

    Before…Mini-me looked a lot like Nanny McFee!

    Mini-me-nanny-mcfee-no-more 

    After, the gosh-darned tooth fell out, FINALLY!!!  Notice how the other front tooth is loose and looking all…ugh…you know, I'm not very good with teeth.

    Did I mention, the stupid Tooth Fairy didn't show up and must have gotten herself lost…AGAIN?

    [slaps forehead]

    …to be continued

    My-signature 

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

    Freshly Brewed, Just for You!:  Our Holiday Picks & Giveaways 2008 is going on (all week) so, go see and maybe you can win some really awesome stuff, right now!

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

  • Parenting Tip# 13,013: Wear Your Babies Well and They Will Try Their Best to Wear You Out, too!

    Thing-Two-Halloween-2008

    Biker Chick – Halloween 2008

    This is Thing Two — she's my middle girl — and, exactly 3 days, 9 hours and 15 minutes after Christmas, my colicky, sleep deprived and extremely gastrointestinally-challenged baby girl will turn 13-years-old.

    Though, I'm no longer a virgin — my oldest girl turned 15, this month — I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my husband, Garth (not his real name) and I will have another teenager running around the house and (in the not too distant future) 2 more will follow.

    Today, however, her father and I are getting ready to rip Thing Two a new one!

    (more…)

  • Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Nanny McMini-Me

    Nannymcminime2_4

    All I want for Christmas is to be rid of this gosh-darned front tooth; it’s becoming a real eyesore!

    Seriously, it’s been loose (like that) for 3 weeks.  I don’t think it’s EVUH going to fall out (I don’t do teeth) I did, however, try to pull Mini-me’s front tooth at soccer the other day.  It started to bleed (I don’t do blood, either) and she it okay, I was sort of, you know, freaking her teammates out, a little.

    "Ow…Oww…Owww…OWWWW!"

    [cringes]

    "Sorry, Baby…does it really hurt that much?"

    Wait for it.

    "No, you’re pulling the WRONG TOOTH!"

    Is there a pediatric dentist in the house and, if so, you wouldn’t happen to take Visa, would you?

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

    Freshly Brewed, Just for You!:  Thanksgiving Tips and Giveaway from Stop and Shop

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

  • Share the LOVE Scavenger Hunt – Stop 7

    [Updated to Add: Thank you SO MUCH for visiting with us – the winners of the Share the Blog Love Scavenger Hunt have been announced at Mommy Needs Coffee – CONGRATULATIONS, YOU GUYS!!!]

    ACK…okay, you found me!

    [blows bangs outta eyes and pops a Life Saver]

    I am participating in the first (ever!) Share the Love Scavenger Hunt (November 17th – November 21st) and would love for you (yes, YOU!) to win prizes,
    just by visiting with a few good blogging friends-o-mine and help introduce a really cool new website for moms!

    Why?

    There are, like, 7 (seven) of us mom-blogger-types playing along — trust me, they are ALL way gooder than me — oh, and Jenn from Mommy Needs Coffee made me do it.

    Nah, it's not like that, she asked and I said…well…you know, as long as it doesn't hurt, or anything…count me I'm in!

    Wanna play?

    (more…)

  • New Jersey Mom Blog Launch Party – The Recap!

    Newjerseymomsblogpartybrochure_4
    As most of you may (or, may not) know, I am a Jersey Girl (born and raised, bay-bee) and I feel very honored to be able to contribute to the Silicon Valley Moms Group of blogs for the, you guessed, New Jersey Moms Blog.

    New Jersey Moms Blog launched in March of 2008 (in fact, mine was the  inaugural post, "So, You From Joisey?) but, you can read more about us, here!

    I had the extreme pleasure (along with my friend, Vanessa) of organizing the New Jersey Moms Blog Launch Party (that’s a copy of the program and, YAH, I made it!) sponsored by Graco and very graciously hosted by Gold Medal Impressions Gallery (Hi, Mr. Druckman!) in lovely Princeton Junction, New Jersey!

    No easy task (right, Vanessa?) because, there’s like so many of us and New Jersey is, you know, really, really big.

    Bet you didn’t know that, huh?

    Seriously, we’re talking about a 200 mile radius (from north to south) and then there’s all those lakes, hills and farmlands jammed in between.

    Who knew, it would rain like a BITCH!?!?

    (more…)

  • The Twilight Years: Okay, I get it, BITE ME!

    I began my obsession with Twilight in the Summer of 2007, when my oldest daughter insisted that…YES…it would keep her interest and…OF COURSE…the genre would make an absolutely perfect fit into her summer reading list.

    "It’s a vampire love story!"

    Uh-huh.

    So, I read it first to make sure that it was really, you know, appropriate for teen readers and…WHAM…it truly was love at first bite.

    [cringe]

    Don’t worry, Stephenie Meyer writes way gooder than me and has taken a story line that is not really that unique — like, how love overcomes all obstacles, sort of — but, presents it in a totally refreshing way.

    With that said, I can’t help but wonder if it’s wrong that I’m totally crushing on…um, you know…my teen’s crush?

    (more…)

  • Press Release: This Full House Partners with the ESRB in Helping Parents Make a Choice – Because, we are all, by any practical definition of the words, fallible and capable of error.

    Esrbratingsymbols

    Remember, the other day, when I announced (in a very, oh, I dunno, 2001: A Space Odyssey, sort of way) that something wonderful was going to happen?

    Well, I am very excited to (finally) be able to share the latest project that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and I have been working on, together, for the past few weeks.

    Did I mention, they came to my house, we broke bread (together) and then filmed me and ALL four of my kids, about some really great online tools to help parents (like me) figure out, you know, just
    what in the heck is in all those video games all the cool kids are playing, these days, anyways — here’s the offical press release — wanna see the video?

    (more…)

  • Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Happy Motherversary!

    Thingonefifteen

    Today, I’m celebrating my 15th Motherversary!

    Has it been a decade and a half, already?  Gosh, but it seems so long ago.  I mean, I still remember her first tooth (she only had the one on her first birthday) it stood out in the middle of her smile and made her look like a little pumpkin head.

    She was the first to call me "Mommy" and give me a present on Mother’s Day — a faded coffee mug that says "#1 Mommy" and…yes…even I’m surprised that I haven’t managed to break it, yet!

    [knocking on wood]

    I remember the first time she got really, really sick and, when she was
    hospitalized at 8 months, it was also the first time I felt as if, you know, I was going to
    die.

    I remember my first attempts at sewing, when I made a Halloween
    costume for her (and her baby sister, at the time) and found the absolute joy, that is Tacky Glue — thank you, Aleene!

    Thing One was the first to have a friend sleep-over, to walk to the corner for a gallon of milk and still kisses me goodnight by saying, "I love you…Momma!"

    It stands to reason; she will probably be the first to tell me just how badly her father and I managed to screw up her life.

    It’s okay, though.

    If growing up means that our children end up hating us, even a little, then I guess we BOTH still have some growing up to do.

    Right now, we’re good.

    [knocking on wood until knuckles bleed]

    Happy Birthday, baby!

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

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.

     

  • Book Club Time: SV Moms Group Discussion – The White Trash Mom Handbook

    Whitetrashmom_2

    I had the pleasure of working alongside authors Michelle Lamar and Molly Wendland with Disney’s Family.com, so I was very excited to have finally had the chance to meet them both, in person, at the BlogHerCon ’08.

    Michelle made me snort Appletinis through my nose, ‘nuf said!

    Then, I got a copy of their book and was honored to be included in the White Trash Mom campaign for the Parent Bloggers Network.

    Ain’t nothing trashy about it.

    Taken with a sense of humor, The White Trash Mom Handbook is a
    refreshing respite to anyone who’s ever battled with baking from
    scratch, or felt guilty for not signing up for the class trip, or taken
    to screening your calls, even though you are a stay-at-home mom and
    probably could have arranged [cough, cough] to be available.

    [raises hand]

    Please, clean off a chair and stay a while, feel free read my review:  The White Trash Mom Handbook – She’s less than perfect, but she’s okay.

    But, wait – there’s more – we’re also discussing the book over at the Silicon Valley Moms Group blogs and — especially, if you haven’t read it yet — you’re more than welcome to join me there, too!

    © 2008 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.