Crazy is as crazy does?!

We hurled ourselves into the holiday spirit 100% yesterday.

After an overnight of dog sitting, (one was a bolter, which could be a whole other post),  we loaded into the van.  Giant list in hand.

Being that I hadn't thoroughly thought out our morning, we inconveniently hit the road all hungry and ready for lunch.  So, after barely passing go, we found ourselves in Quiznos; two blocks away.  Slowed us down slightly, but even I am not crazy enough to embark on christmas shopping with 3 HUNGRY kids. 

With full bellies we continued on to our first stop on the list: Michael's.  The place was packed, my kids were smitten with all the shiny, prominantly displayed goods, BUT were there ever deals to be had!  Woot!  So with only a few 'we aren't here shopping for you' statements, a mild disagreement over who was going to be in/on/pushing the cart, and an exasperated Madison re-organizing our picks in the cart so they soothed her OCD twitches, we left there with some mega deals (A gorgeous frame, regular $60 for $14, to name one!), 4 people crossed off my list, and a few things towards others.  Michael's 0 - Grove's 1.

Next up, Mayfair Mall.  Specifically Toys R Us, first and foremost. 

We spent what seemed like HOURS combing EVERY isle of that toy store.  Touching everything, pushing every button, lighting up all we could.  I kept my eyes open for ideas for a couple small people (other than my own) I'm shopping for, but the main idea was to finalize the 'Santa' letters.  All three of my kids had some ideas, but I wanted to broaden the horizon a bit, and honestly possibly sway one idea that I think a particular kid would have been disappointed with.  Maybe not fair, but when I'm going to buy whatever they actually want, I'd like to be sure it was an informed decision and hopefully not something that will be gathering just in the closet by New Years.

We left dazzled, worn out, thirsty and hungry (again!).  Sounds like a food court stop right?!  You betcha!  We shared a poutine and a couple Orange Julius smoothies.  Yum.

Refreshed we set out again and over the next couple hours checked out and shopped at West 49, Seeing is Believing, The Source, Aeropostale and Stitches.  Plus played with the remote control tanks and cars at a kiosk, watched a young boy play a baby grand piano, evaded the giant line to sit with Santa (bad Mama?!), listened in on a group of violinists and checked out the fish in a salt water aquarium.

By the time we headed back to the van I had found several more gifts, played with everything you can touch at Seeing is Believing and bought multiple items for the christmas crackers I am making for this years dinner.  Successful?  For the most part, yes.  Unfortunately, we had also covered biting, punching, scratching and tears too.  Those parts, not so fun. 

As we made our way out of the mass of cars in the parking lot, I had a crying and angry toddler and sulking tween.  Haha.  Good times.

Last stop on the way home was Save On Foods.  I had to grab something for dinner and wanted to hit up a few of their buy one/get one sales in my efforts to load up the freezers for over the holidays.  Everyone had composed themselves by then and it was a painless, and even fun at times, shop.  Resulting in more than I intended to get (this always happens, doesn't it?) but a whopping 'You saved $60' at the bottom of my receipt.  Again, woot!  Love good deals.

Our day ended with dinner, assembling some christmasy Michael's crafts (should have read the labels more carefully, there were close to 300 pieces between all 3!  Oops!), walking up the street to the most impressive christmas light display I've ever seen, popcorn, eggnog and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

All in all?  Crazy?  Sure.  Rough spots?  Of course.  An overall awesome day with my 3 favorite little people that had our love and christmas tanks topped up to FULL?!  You better believe it. 

Smiles, Be Well, Crystal

Hint #467 you might have too much on your mind...

So. Being a stay at home Mom to 3 kids, while hubby is away in camp for weeks on end has me pretty busy. As you can imagine. I do my best, but certainly don't ever feel like I get it all done. But I'm okay with that. I think I have my priorities right in concentrating on happy, healthy, secure, well rounded kids first, laundry all folded and put away second. Right?!

I typically don't get terribly overwhelmed, and feel we manage quite fine. We certainly get into a nice routine.

But then things like what happened today, when doing the after school pick up come about. And I have to graciously digress. Lane was home with me today. No preschool. Which turned out to be a good thing, because he seems to have a flu bug. Whiny, clingy, pale and vomiting. Good times.

Then I get a call from the school. Madison herself. 'Mama, I don't feel very well'. After a doctors visit regarding her sore throat, she has been sent home waiting on the results to determine what sort of respiratory bug she has and to nurse the flu symptoms she has as well. Double good times.

 That leaves Lauren. Lovely middle child who never seems to catch anything. I credit that to her being a thumb sucker (still), and as gross as it is, getting her fill of germs to develop antibodies too. Gross to the germ exposure, enough already to the thumb sucking, but thank you for not usually making my sick kid quota 3 for 3.

Anyways, with only two at home, I still had to make a school run to gather number three. With all the craziness of my two sickies, time got away from me and I frantically leaped into the van and sped off once I realized I was running late. Upon arrival spots to park were scarce. Typically I'd park down the block and walk over. Imagine my surprise and embarrassment when it suddenly hit me that I had dashed out in my 'chore' clothes. And not just any chore clothes. Thread bare leggings with holes in them, an ancient tank top, NO bra and shoes I had slipped on that couldn't even begin to pull it all together. Awful. At best.

  So there I was, doing laps, with the window down, watching for Lauren to come out so I could (calmly and normally) yell at her to come out and meet me.

  Chalk up another 'A day in the life of a Mom' moment for me. A particularly lovely one, too. Lesson learned? Why not get dressed properly first thing in the morning for now on?

Smiles, Be well, Crystal

Toast, by any other name, is still just frickin' toast!

Good day fine followers and readers! I've popped in to toss out a quick post. A bone of sorts. With no commitments, other than to say, I am currently thinking in 'blog' mode again.

Let's see what comes of it, shall we?!

Now, to what I actually have to talk about.

Breakfast. More precisely; toast. Sounds simple, right? About the most basic of options, along with cereal I'd say. Well, don't assume anything. (We all know what that does, right? Makes an ASS out of U and ME. Haha.)

Sorry....sidetracked. As I was saying. Toast. For breakfast. Should be, and likely is for most, an easy breakfast option. I wish. Let me break down 'toast' as breakfast for the 3 smalls around here.

Take a deep breath...cause it's most immpresive said in one giant run on sentence....

3 pieces, 1 toasted, 2 not, 2 without crusts, 3 with peanut butter, 1 with banana, 1 with jam, 1 left whole, 1 cut in 4 squares, 1 cut in 2 triangles.

Whew! And no, I'm not even kidding in the slightest.

The real thrill of it all?! That on each and every morning, when 'toast' is the breakfast of choice, all 3 kids recite their preferences again for me. Raising their voices over each other and repeating themselves if they think I wasn't listening to any one in particular.

You should see what happens to poor Brad when he happens to be home and makes the silly mistake of offering breakfast. Cause he doesn't know ANYTHING! It's something like throwing a steak bone to a pack of rabid dogs.

Toast. An easy breakfast. Ha!