Annual Widney Gingerbread House - 2009

It's that time of year again for our Annual Gingerbread House(s).

 This year, I decided to get one for each child and let the kids decorate it for themselves because last year, I was far too obsessive.

Last Year....

Last year - My 1st ever gingerbread house

This Year...

J and I put the houses together then I applied icing for the kids to use their creative juices to decorate. Motor Mouth decided to follow the picture on the box. So of course, Mini Me did too. Ever notice how they never give you enough candy to make the photo????

Motor Mouth getting started...

Mini Me...

MooMoo watches the progress

Motor Mouth's finished house...

And Mini Me's finished house...

J did the drippy icing thing on the front
of the houses and chimney.
I think their houses look better than mine did.

Motor Mouth...

Mini Me...

I have failed as a mother and here is proof

This is Mini Me.

Turn up the volume.

At least she is polite.

Family Friday - Snowflakes!

We had a family snowflake making time.

It resulted in a LOT of tears, a TON of animosity

and just plain jealousy.

Motor Mouth started BAWLING when he saw J's.

I fully get what he was feeling.

Motor Mouth's...

Daddy's..

Mini Me's...

Daddy's...

Mine...

Daddy's...

The whole set, Part 1...

The whole set, Part 2...

Do you see the Eifel Tower?

And fleur de lis?

Or the dinosaur hiding behind the tree?

And what about the hearts?

Mini Me's 1st Professional Photo Shoot

Mini Me had her very first ever professional photo shoot for Land of Nod. Land of Nod is the children's furniture store division of Crate and Barrel. Land of Nod stores are located in Chicago and Seattle and their catalog can be viewed online at www.landofnod.com. We have a few Land of Nod pieces and they have withstood the test of time.

The entire fridge was stocked with diet...

Prepping the studio for photoshoot.

Steaming the carpets and de-linting by hand!

Checking out the progress...

Mini Me helping to make tough decisions

Vintage car model lost under stove

I can't make this stuff up, people!!

Look for my baby in the Spring 2010 catalog

She's the one modeling the rugs!

Mini Me made more in 2.5 hours than I made all day!

Knowing Me, Knowing You - Dec '09

Time once again for that monthly interview project created by The Fairy Blogmother
Knowing Me, Knowing You

1. Are you an egg nog fan?
It's okay. Maybe one glass a season.
My family has a drink called Punch de Creme that is very much like egg nog, only with rum!

2. What is your favourite at Christmas treat?
Pastelles. They are like tamales, with ground beef, capers, and raisins.

3. How is your tree decorated? A theme like red and gold? A does it have a more eclectic slant?
J decorates our tree. Take the number of lights you put on a tree. Now multiply that by 10. Add 5 more strands and then you will have enough lights as J puts on tree. Then drip the tree with ornaments. It depends upon the year as to the color. It also depends upon the room. Lately, it has been gold ornaments. Each child has a tree for their room. Mini Me has a tree with pink lights. Motor Mouth's tree has colored lights.

4. What's your favourite Christmas movie?
I don't have a favorite 'Christmas' movie. I do love to watch Sound of Music with my family. I'm trying to get the kids to love it too!

5. New jammies on Christmas Eve?
Christmas isn't Christmas without new PJ's.

Now, head on over to the Fairy Blogmother and see what her answers were!

MooMoo the Christmas Cow - Wk 1

MooMoo the Christmas Cow is a major hit in our home! The children LOVE MooMoo.



Most people have a Christmas Elf. We have a Christmas Cow. Why a cow? Because I forgot about the elf thing until 8 pm the night before and could only find this singing cow at Target. That's why.

I told Motor Mouth and Mini that Santa sent MooMoo to stay with us until Christmas. The kids are happy about this.

Last night, we went looking at Christmas lights and the kids said they wished MooMoo was with us because MooMoo would have enjoyed it. They actually got a little upset with us because we didn't include MooMoo.

They want MooMoo to eat at the table with us and watch movies together. When I read them bedtime stories, MooMoo has to be able to see the pages of the book. Each day, the children receive a letter from MooMoo that I help Motor Mouth read.

Day 1
Santa's Cow brought Christmas Countdown Calendars for each child. Naturally, they love the chocolate they get to eat in the morning! The kids named the cow "MooMoo."

Day 2
MooMoo gave the kids Pop Tarts for breakfast. MooMoo wanted to fix them eggs, but is not allowed to use the stove.

Day 3
The kids received chocolate syrup for their milk for breakfast from MooMoo.

Day 4
MooMoo brought Gingerbread houses to be decorated with Mommy.

Day 5
MooMoo was hiding in the pantry. Perhaps MooMoo was upset for not being included in the Christmas Light tour. It gave J and I an extra 15 minutes of sleep time while the kids went in search of MooMoo.

This morning, J told me he was so proud of me because MooMoo the Cow is such a big hit with the children.

MooMoo the Christmas Cow - Introduction

We have a new member of our family - a cow sent from Santa.

(Turn up the sound)

The cow came with a letter...


Dear Motor Mouth and Mini Me,

I'm Santa's cow. I came all the way down from the North Pole farm to visit you before Christmas!

Christmas is just 24 days away. Santa sent a chocolate Christmas countdown calendar for both of you. Each day, you can have 1 piece of chocolate. When all the chocolate is gone, it will be Christmas!!!!

We are going to have Fun!!
Santa's Cow

P.S. I don't have a name

He did WHAT??!!!

For my birthday, I received a Flip video camera.
Probably not a safe thing.
Please be sure to turn the sound up...

Finished For Friday - Scarfing 'em out!

I received e-mails weekly from Lion Brand, a yarn company, that have some crochet patterns. Most of the patterns are over my head. One day, a few weeks ago, I spied this scarf pattern my aunt is modeling.

I liked it so much, I made another.

This time, I used the correct needle size.

I think I actually like the larger needle results.

What do you think?

Finished for Friday is a weekly event on my dear bloggy friend's site over at LitandLaundry. Please be sure to check out her amazing cornocopia this week.

Insanity Plea

For 3-7 days per month, I go insane. Literally, I live in a parallel universe. My judgement is off. Don't expect me to be rational. This morning, I told J to not let me talk on the phone or send e-mails for the next 5 days. He said that explains the craziness I said to Mini Me last night. I then told J to not let me parent or speak to my children for the next 5-7 days.

We will be spending the next 5 days driving and with family. God help them.

I Am 40 Today

I am 40 years old now.
For the first time in my life, I actually do feel different.

When my mom was my age, she was a working wife with 4 kids and had moved to a new house in a new country. Her oldest son was in grade 8 and told her he didn't believe in God.

When my mother-in-law as my age, she had 3 kids, and her oldest, my husband J, was 20 years old - just 1 year from meeting me. She bought 3 Kirby vacuums that year because they gave her such a great deal.

When both of my husband's grandmothers were my age, they had just become grandmothers - to J.

Am I where I thought I would be at 40? No. But then I didn't know you could be best friends with your spouse and have children that I feel destined to parent.

What Happened to 'My 2 Front Teeth?'

There is an old song that says, "All I want for Christmas are my 2 front teeth." My 3-yr old is a bit more complex...

Last week, Mini Me asked J for a MacBook. He said, "But you're only 3!" Mini Me said she 'NEEDS' a laptop. A little bit later, a commercial came on. Mini Me said to J, "Daddy, you need to do that." "Do what, Baby?" Mini Me said "www.freelaptop.com. You need to do that to get my laptop."

This week, Mini Me told Grandpa FlyGuy, "For Christmas, I want a kitchen." Dramatic pause. " Grandpa, I just kidding. I already have a kitchen! I want a TV and stars for my bedroom." Motor Mouth has a TV in his bedroom so she wants one in hers, too. When we went to Branson, the room we slept in had a really cool light you could turn on at night and the constellations would appear.

I Had An Inappropriate Relationship

I have to come clean and admit that I had an inappropriate relationship. This love affair started before J and I married. It wasn't a big deal then. More of a novelty. I had never experienced anything like that in Canada. Having something you've never had before kind of thing. After the kids were born, it got more intense. It went from weekly, sometimes late night clandestine meetings to whenever I could find the time. Quite often, it was during lunch and right after work. To be honest, I didn't think twice about it. J had his own inappropriate relationship.

It wasn't until we moved to Chicago that I realized how deeply ingrained it was. How big a part of my life it had become. In hindsight, I see it clearly. Right now, I miss it. I want it again.

As I am a working mom again, I am trying to figure out how I managed to cope with work, volunteer work a house and a family. It was Wal-Mart Supercenters that made it possible. There were 3 Supercenters within a 3 mile radius. There was one 1 mile from work. I could pop over during the day, get my oil changed, get photos printed, pick up a few grocery items, maybe get my nails done at lunch. Heck, I could get lunch there. And gas, too. I could run out before work and grab a fruit tray for work or run out before church on Sunday to grab a pair of nylons if I suddenly found myself without a single pair.

So maybe my relationship with Walmart Supercenters was not appropriate. But I do miss them. They made motherhood doable.

Friday Five

Five Question Friday is sponsored by Mama M!

I found this at Confessions From a Working Mom.

This week's questions are...1. What is your favorite "eat" on Thanksgiving?
Brown gravy. I lived in Tulsa which is mid-west but a lot like the south, because they eat white gravy. I'm Canadian. I love my brown gravy. And dark meat turkey.


2. What is the name your best girl friend and the best trait about her or how you met? (Or heck, both!!)
Normie. Actually, it's Norma Ann. Not Norma. Not Ann. Norma Ann. 2 words. 
We met in grade 8 over an art table. Normie is wonderfully creative and a great artist. I am not. We called her NAM back then. It's NAMK now. NAMK is a really sweet mom. When we were in high school, Normie had the most freedom to do whatever she wanted. I was amazed at how she never took advantage of that freedom.

3. What would you say is one of your "weirdest" quirks?
I'm not a quirky person. I have no quirks. Weird or normal.

4. What is your favorite genre of music? (Hip hop? Classical? Rock? etc.)
Adult Contemporary. Oh my God. I can't believe I just admitted that to the world.

5. Are you a Night Owl...or an Early Bird?
I'm sporadic. If I get a shower, I can be efficient in the morning. If I get going, I can do amazing work in the evening and into the late night.

Knowing Me, Knowing You - Nov '09

It's that time again... time for that monthly interview project started by The Fairy Blogmother - Knowing Me, Knowing You.

1. What's your strategy for gift giving this Christmas?
My what? Last year, I was a stay@home mom and made amigurami (crochet animals) for our nieces and nephews. This year, I'll pick up a few gift items when I'm in Tulsa and leave them there for the kids. We no longer do a gift item for an adult on J's side. Just the kids. I'm never in Canada for the holidays, so we don't exchange gifts with my family. We told our kids they get 3 presents each from us because Jesus got 3 presents. J and I have stopped exchanging gifts because if we need/want something, we buy it. It's about the kids.

2. How do you feel about the holiday newsletter?
We used to do holiday newsletters. And, we became known for our holiday cards that J designed and we had printed. But we moved. I guess I could do a holiday newsletter again, but people should really just read my blog.

3. What's your favourite board game?
Hmmm....Checkers. I used to play with my grandparents. It makes me happy to think of the many, many times I played with them. I used to like mancala but I figured out the strategy to win, and kept beating J. He refuses to play it with me anymore.

4. What's your favourite cold weather comfort dish?
My mother-in-law's roast. She makes brown gravy for me. I love her. I think she loves me too!

5. What is your favourite new show this season?
House. Last year at this time, I had not seen an episode. Now, I believe I've seen almost every show of every season.

This Is What Daddy's Do, Right??

Today is Veteran's Day. My husband was home with Mini Me, as she had the day off from school. Now, tell me, this is what ALL daddy's do when they are home with their little girls, right?

 

Thank God for daddy's that have mastered the up-do!

Mommy of the Year

I'm always doing things to disqualify myself from Mommy of the Year awards. Not on purpose really, I'm just that bad of a mother. Oh come on, you must remember the time I put a bandaid on Mini Me's vajayjay because she said it was hurting. She said the pain went away, so it must have worked.

And lest we forget the times when she was a baby and I put medical tape over her pacifier so I could drive 8 minutes to church or get some sleep without her screaming and crying because her pacifier fell out. She loved the pacifier but couldn't hold it in her mouth. Oh, wait, I don't think I shared that with the blogosphere yet. Well, it's out there now.

This morning, Mini Me threw up several times, requiring 3 changes of clothing before 9 am. Finally, I just put her in her raincoat. It is vinyl and washable. I figured all I had to do was wipe. It worked. The pic is Mini Me laying on an old towel on the sofa, with her raincoat on.

Yeah, I know. I'm not going to win any mommy awards on this one either.

As Promised...

I promised I would give you a link when my husband posts more of his greatness. And he has. He comes up with such simply yet amazing ideas. This is why people ask him to consult with them and fly him across the country to talk about what he does. Innovative yet cost effective. Click here.

Confession Time

On my Facebook wall, I wrote: "I like Kid Rock. There. I've said it. There's freedom in the truth." Considering I posted it relatively late on a Friday evening, I got quite a few comments. LOL!!

It's true. There is something about lanky Kid Rock bouncing on a stage that I just love. So, without further adieu, I'm going to share with you my favorite Kid Rock performance:

Bawitdaba! on VH1 Storytellers

Obstacles Welcome

Obstacles Welcome by Ralph de la Vega is my new favorite book. I've read a LOT of leadership books so I was a bit 'enh' on reading yet another. I really wanted to be a part of the Thomas Nelson: Book Review Bloggers program. The book I wanted was not available, so I ordered what seemed like an interesting read. Ralph de la Vega had me at the first sentence: 'Only the boy can go."

de la Vega takes us from his traumatic separation from his parents in Cuba at age 10 through some of the most well-known mergers and tragedies in America. Along the way, leadership lessons applicable to Fortune 500 CEOs and stay@home moms are clearly and simply taught by a man who makes you want to be a better person and cheers you on to surpass your dreams.


At the end of each chapter, Ralph de la Vega provides Takeaway Points to reinforce the most important concepts. They are each perfect sound bites you can post on your mirror as a daily reminder to turn adversity into advantage in business and in life.


What I like about Obstacles Welcome is the simplicity and humanity of it. It's not just a leadership book. It's a life planning guide written by your favorite uncle who has your best interest at heart.


I was going to give some deserving reader my complimentary review copy in a blog giveaway but I'm keeping this book. Go buy your own. And while you are at it, buy a copy for EVERYONE on your Christmas list. I want to give a copy to every CEO I know, to every teenager, every college student, private school administrator and stay@home mom I have ever met. This book is THAT good.

This is a must-have book. You must go purchase.


Here is a SMALL sampling of Obstacles Welcome soundbites:
- It's never too late to become the driver of your own journey & begin to turn adversity into advantage.

- Today's world is flat, and by that, I mean that competition comes from all corners.

- Unlearning is part of getting better. World changing too fast to do anything else. Knowledge/situations change. So must we.

- Embracing obstacles sounds so simple...So why do we spend so much time and effort trying to avoid difficulties?

- When disaster hits, put your own people first. That's the surest way to...get your business back up and running fastest.

@jasonwidney

I'm so proud of the work my husband does. Please go check out his site to see what he did for the Cultivate conference last week. Then plan to check back in a few days to see what he did at church on Sunday. I can't be modest when it comes to J. His mad skills make being his loudest cheerleader easy.

Halloween Costumes 2009

Captain Hook & Alice in Wonderland

Costumes - $100

Candy - $12

Time Spent Trick or Treating - 5 minutes

Because it was kinda cold, J convinced the kids to let us just take them to his boss' house to Trick or Treat then we went and bought a few bags of candy for them at the store.

Update on Crazy Life - Installment 2

Mini Me missed Motor Mouth the week he was in Tulsa

with Grandma DonnaMomma and Grandpa FlyGuy.

We picked upMotor Mouth in Branson last weekend.

On the road, we pulled up the map on our iPhones.

8 hours 27 minutes!!

We thought it was a 5 or 6 hour drive. Ooopsy!!

Traffic was so bad leaving Chicago on a rainy Friday,

it took us almost 2 hours to get out of city limits!

The morning we left, our roof sprung a leak!!

They HAD to come into our unit and of course,

the bedrooms were a MESS!! I got a ride home from work

to tidy up for 20 minutes. Adrenaline rush!!

We pulled into a great condo in Branson around 2:30 am.

We chilled and had a nice, relaxing weekend
until after lunch on Sunday, when we drove back home.

4/5 weekends we've been on the road, traveling.

Our 2 month old car hit 5,000 miles!

It had 15 miles when we drove it off the lot...

On Monday, I got to see my dear friend, MAM.
MAM had their 2nd baby and I hadn't met him.
He is so adorable and wonderful.
It was amazing to see MAM again. I missed her!
(this is a pic of MAM with Baby #1,
they look so much alike, I figured it's like meeting #2)

Tuesday, I attended the Cultivate09 Conference.

It was for people who do church marketing.

I do Christian school marketing so, close enough.

Great conference. Lots of info.

That night, J flew out to teach a class on set design

at WFX Charlotte, in North Carolina.

While J was out of town,
I had to have my stitches removed.

I took the kids with me. They were troopers!!

...And THAT, is why I haven't blogged lately...

What I Have Going

I'm in the process of reading these 3 books...

I am going to read this book

then review it for Thomas Nelson.

They sent it to me for free to review.

Mini Me has some speech delays.

Gotta help my baby girl!!

I learned last week that a LOT

of moms deal with anger.

We expected about 45 people to attend a

moms meeting on anger management

 in moms and children.

Almost 100 women attended!!

Adventures in the ER - Painted Toes

I was sitting on a carpet when my foot was slit by a piece of glass. I tried to stop the bleeding, but blood dripped on the newer, off-white carpet!  My friend hopped on the Internet and read how to get blood out of carpet - a bowl of lukewarm water and mild detergent.

I ended up going to urgent care. 90 minutes later, I had received an x-ray to ensure no glass was in the wound, 5 painful shots of local anesthetic, 1 tetanus shot, and 2 stitches. I've never been awake while getting stitches!

Please note the condition of my toe nails while a very HOT doctor stitched me up. Let this be a lesson to you - Always have pretty toes. You never know when someone might see your toes!!

Like my MIL - She had pretty toes for her impromptu ankle procedure today!

What Should They Have Told You?

Our Calling All Mom's ministry at church held a session entitled: "A.N.G.E.R. Management - Anger in Moms and Children", taught by the supremely knowledgeable and practical Mindy Meier. We were hoping for 35-40 ladies. We got close to 100. 

That evening, I purchased 'She's Gonna Blow: Real help for moms dealing with anger', by Julie Ann Barnhill. Julie starts off talking about the first time she spoke on anger at a Hearts at Home conference. She was hoping 12 women signed up for her session. 1 out of 5 attendees signed up, she had to speak twice on 2 days! 

People. Women make it seem like being a mom is the greatest, most wonderful thing in the world. It is. But it really isn't at the same time. Why do we have to perpetuate this myth that momhood is perfect and easy. It's time we came out of the cleaning closet and are honest about life. Honest about ourselves.

I wish someone had told me how frustrating and, at times, anger-producing being a stay@home mom is. Maybe I would have gone in to it prepared, instead of beating myself up about being a horrible mother.

What do you wish someone had told you? At any stage in life at all. What do you wish people had told you?

Motor Mouth in Tulsa

My baby is with his grandparents for his fall break from school. This is one week I can hardly wait to see the end of. I miss him. I really miss my baby.

Finished for Friday - And It Ain't Over!

Once again, I finished...Almost finished my week.

Saturday

Roundtrip drive to Michigan

Sunday

Host an Open House at work

Thursday - And this is the meat:

- Agenda for PTO meeting

- Document design/prep for leadership summit (30+)

- Host Leadership Summit

- Document prep for women's meeting (100 ladies)

- Run sound & take photos for women's meeting

Friday

Host full-day open house with tours

And to round it out....

Saturday

Roundtrip drive to St Louis

- Alone with 2 kids!

19 And Counting!!

I'm not sure if you are familiar with the Duggar family from Arkansas. Jim and Michelle are parents to 18 children, pregnant with their 19th child and their oldest son's wife just gave birth to the 1st grandchild.

The family has a show on TLC currently called 18 and Counting. They were just on The View. Apparently, there is some negativity out there about this family because the mom is pregnant again. I don't get it. The Duggars - before their reality show - were able to afford their children and their lifestyle, without the aid of government assistance. If you can afford to have children without relying on the government, go for it. None of my business.

The Duggars OWN their 7,000 sq ft home - no mortgage. They own all of their vehicles - which includes a tour bus for traveling on vacations. And they can afford to take family vacations. If you can do all of that and have 18 kids, go for it. None of my business.

The Duggars' kids are remarkably well-behaved and seem happy, healthy and well-adjusted. I have 2 kids and I'm not sure they are all that well-behaved, happy, and well-adjusted. If you can do that with 18 kids, go for it. None of my business.

So I don't get why people have to say negative things about this family. Are their ideas mainstream? No. Are they trying to get people to join their way of life? No. Let them be. Enjoy the show or don't watch it. They aren't in divorce court, headlining scandals every other day. They are proof good does exist in this world. And, quite frankly, I could use some more of that in the news.

Bronner's Christmas Store

Coke machine at Bronner's - Love it!

One of my favorite places is Frankenmuth, Michigan. My sister and I loved going there. I was glad to finally have the opportunity to take J there on the weekend. We were just 30 minutes away from where we met my parents to pick up Mini Me. It was a no brainer!

I'm so glad J loved the town too!! We did a quick drive through town, then walked all through Bronner's Christmas store. It's the largest Christmas store in the world! J loved it so much, he wants to bring his mom. Grandma Barbara would love Bronner's and the little town of Frankenmuth. I wish she could see it with us one day.

Crack Stopper

CRACK STOPPER

What an amazing invention!!

I'm just confused...

Does it work on butt crack or crack addicts?

Either way, it sounds hopeful!

Knowing Me, Knowing You - Oct '09

Time once again for that monthly interview project started by my friend Shan, over at Tales from the Fairy Blogmother. Why don't you join us, answer the questions yourself and then head on over to Shan's blog to link up? It's fun!

1. Crunchy peanut butter or smooth?
I refuse to eat peanut butter unless it is in the West Indian beverage, "Peanut Punch". Or, the odd Reese's peanut butter cup - but even then, I can seldom do more than 1.

2. Do you do any volunteer work?
My motto since age 11 has been: "Give more to your community than you receive." To that end, I have been a volunteer for 28 years. I tell teens they should volunteer at a place they think they want to work. If you think you want to be an attorney, volunteer at a law firm. If you think you want to be a nurse, volunteer at a hospital. See what it is really like, talk to those doing the job. It is great experience for a future resume and you help others in the process.


Currently, my volunteer commitments are light: I am the PTO secretary for my daughter's school, the communications director for the mom's ministry at church, and I volunteer in the 'crawlers' nursery 1 Sunday/month.

3. What's your favourite cold weather drink?
Tall pumpkin spice chai tea latte from Starbucks.

4. What is your favourite holiday?
I don't have one. It used to be Thanksgiving at my MIL's but then my FIL started doing some side work for Satan and they would be out-of-town every Thanksgiving. I liked Christmas at my in-law's as well but now that everyone is married and has kids and there are other in-laws and family they have to go to, we can't all just hang at my MIL's all day and have everyone come to us. I did enjoy Labor Day this last time because I relaxed the entire weekend.

5. Okay quick - you gotta hop a plane right now, to anywhere with anyone - where do you go and with who?
A family member has a beautiful resort type property somewhere warm. I don't remember where it is, but I saw a picture of it and that is where I would go with just my husband.

So, what would you do??

My Mother, La Comedienne

My Mom has been caring for Mini Me for almost 2 weeks, as Mini Me is on fall break from school. Personally, I would have loved a fall break when I was a child, but it seems we had things tougher back then.  At any rate, my darling mother sent this P.S. to me at the end of an e-mail:


P.S. I think both of your children have the gift of gab. If Motor Mouth talks more than Mini Me, non-stop, you got something going there. I wonder who they took after?
Love Mom
---------------------------------------------------------
And you wonder why I am the way I am.