Just Gushing

So my cell phone rings at about 7PM. It's a number I don't recognize and usually I just let those go to voice mail but since school started, I am trying to answer my phone more... ya know, so my kids don't miss a play date (where I can get a break).

I answer, "Hello?". A little boy's voice on the other end says, "Is Skylin there?" I ask, "May I ask who's calling,". He says, "Uh, yeah." Then silence.

Me: "Ok, then. Who are you?"

Him: " This is ______"

Me: "Hi _________. Hold on a minute. I'll go get Skylin."

I go and get Skylin and tell her she has a phone call. After 2-3 minutes of telling her she needs to take the call, and her saying she doesn't know who ___________ is, she reluctantly takes the phone and says, "Hey."

Then I hear...

"Ok.... yeah. ok... ok... uh huh. ok. bye"

When I ask her what that was about, she said, "___________ is mad at me 'cause I ate one of his Gushers during recess and he wants me to get him more Gushers, that are on sale at Walmart."

I gave her a quarter and said, "Give this to him and don't eat anyone's snack on the playground again."

We haven't heard from him since.

Great Recycling Ideas

12 Clever Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds (ecosalon)

Came across this link on ecosalon.com, 12 Clever Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds. Some interesting, unusual and useful ideas. Facial exfoliator: massage face with coffee grounds Conditioner for your hair Conditioner and flea control for your pets Mix coffee grounds with eggs whites for skin firming facial mask Use like baking soda in fridge to rid of odors Deodorizers for shoes Removing odors from hands Scouring grunge off of pots and pans Paper and fabric dye: boil a pot of water, then pour in coffee grounds and steep-now you've got the base for dye Touch up scratches on wood furniture by using dye above Natural ant repellent "Instead of inhaling or wearing the majority of the ashes you clear out of your fireplace, sprinkle a layer of coffee grounds over them first to reduce the mess." Quick Tip: If you like these great ideas but don't have coffee grounds, you can always get them free at Starbucks by asking!

Naturally You

Whether the kids are staying at home or heading to camp for the summer, new germs are likely to emerge and cause that dreaded Summer Cold.

There are some food that naturally boost immunity and many are kid friendly!

Foods high in selenium are good for warding off illness. Oysters and crab are good sources of selenium.

Omega-3 fatty acids are known for helping your body fight bacteria more effectively. Salmon is a good source of omega-3's as well as walnuts, beans and enriched eggs.

My favorite, Vitamin C, helps your body fight off infections. Enjoy oranges and kiwis for this natural benefit. I use sliced oranges on my face when I have the occasional breakout. Also, bell peppers are packed with vitamin C, which prompts your body to produce more interferon. This antibody covers the surface of cells and fends off viruses.

Beta Carotene found in carrots and sweet potatoes are great at increasing your T-cell count and natural killer cells.

Here's a great site with more tips on being Naturally You (http://www.ecosalon.com/)

Enjoy!!

My Kids Get Hosed!

Man, I high five myself AGAIN! I LOVE catching my kids getting into trouble without really ever seeing it happen! I recently got the, "Wow mommy... you really ARE Super Mommy with powers!! Will I have those when I am a mommy?"

Get ready to judge me... I am sure some will and that's okay, but here's how I do it.

Super Mommy Tip #1: Conspire with Friends!

Who says you need to go it alone? We have friends with a son the same age as my oldest and there's always trouble when we get together. Not destructive trouble.. just the verbal squabbles kids go through when they hang together for more than an hour at a time.

So when the tension is high and the friends head home, the kids start to tattle on each other. We share tattles, figure out what's real and what's not (we've gotten good at that... no trick to it other than experience) and then we confront our own without acknowledging the conversation we had with the parent.

They are always stunned and ask, "How'd you know that?" My reply is, "I am Super Mommy so be careful what you do when I am not around... I know everything!"

I am sure this will backfire shortly, once they put pieces of the puzzle together but luckily with their short attention spans at this age, that hasn't happened yet. When it does, I'll use tips 2 and 3 to continue with my Super Powers.

Super Mommy Tip #2: Lie

My kids truly believe there are secret video cameras all over the house so when they fight and I can not tell who's fibbing about what, I pull out the, "I'll just watch the tape and when I see who really started it, I'll be extra mad because you didn't tell me yourself!" and one always buckles.

Recently, over a fight over nothing, before I even made the comment, my middle one said, "She's lieing and I can proove it! Watch the tape mommy... watch the tape and you'll see."

Ahhh.... sweet victory! BTW- there are no video cameras.

Super Mommy Tip #3: Eavesdrop

Just to maintain credibility with my Super Mommy powers, I silently tip toe to the room they're in and listen for a bit. They don't need to be getting in trouble; I just wait for something interesting to be said and after a few hours (don't wait too long.... kids have short attention spans) I make a statement related to what they said when they assumed they were alone and voila! Again, my super powers amaze them.

Super Mommy Tip #4: Never let them read your blog unless you're ready to give up your Super Powers.

Giving a Bird the Bird

I was driving home last night with my 2 year old son and we saw a pheasant crossing a quiet street but it was obviously frazzled as it darted back and forth across the road. I pointed the bird out to my son in delight as it was a pretty funny to watch and he was quite amused.

Coming down the other side of the street was another woman who began honking furiously at the bird in the road and then gave it the finger. Then I was quite amused. Seriously?

40 Year Slap In The Face

So I stand amongst the cubes in my office and chit chat with co workers. Today, we are celebrating a birthday that is a few removed from 40 and he seems to be delighted at the birthday wishes but is concerned that 40 is only a couple years away. He says, "Forty is the death of a gay man," and I reply, "I can't wait to be 40. It'll be great!" And OMGosh... the swinging of heads in my direction created a wind stronger than the thunderstorms rolling through Atlanta today.

Why is 40 so bad?

Yes, I am excited to be 40 in 5 years. I feel I will be a FANTASTIC 40 year old. I have been very successful in all aspects of my life. I have a wonderful family with 3 adorable, healthy, happy children. I have a husband who loves and cares for me. I am fit and healthy. I have a great career with lots of momentum and opportunity. My breasts don't sag and I don't have wrinkles. So becoming 40 only means that I have 5 more great years to look forward to and when the day does arrive, I will proudly say I am 40.

Barbie Wars

Never a dull moment in the Willoughby House. With 3 kids, all under 7, we have a lot of craziness. My girls are 15 months apart so they are indeed the majority of the drama and today... we have an issue. Nana sent a gift in the mail which was a very nice gesture, HOWEVER, there was a Barbie and a Stuffed Animal and this my friends, created the Barbie War.

You can not... CAN NOT ask the girls to choose between two different toys no matter how much they told Nana on the phone that stuffed animals or barbie is their favorite toy. To make the situation better, my friend who is helping out and watching the girls after school for a couple weeks has had the privilege of being the referee of the latest battle in Barbie Wars. So sorry, Rachel!!!

It pains me but the only solution is to disarm and put the Barbie away until they forget about it. Then, I'll get the other Barbie that has been banished to the plastic bag in the garage and reintroduce them as a pair.

Peace at last...