Mommy's Time Out

milestones....

2012-02-04T18:23:00.004-05:00

andrew had 2 exciting milestones...

PASSING HIS SWIMKIDS CLASS...

LOSING HIS FIRST TOOTH!

He lost his tooth while on a school field trip to the monuments in DC. He said the bus was late, so they had to sit around and wait for an hour. To make the time go faster, he decided to keep wiggling his tooth the whole time...well, until it fell out, that is! He was able to bring it home and leave it for the tooth fairy, who left him a certificate, $5 and a Pirates of the Caribbean toy! We went out for ice cream to celebrate :)

S-E-V-E-N...

2012-02-04T18:12:00.005-05:00

WOW! I can't believe my first born is now 7!!!! Everyone says time will fly when you have kids, and I am starting to realize this more and more every day! Andrew decided he wanted to have a "Not-So-Sleepover" party. It would include all the "pre-sleepover" activities, but we would send the kids home to sleep :)

Everyone had fun and Andrew said it was the BEST birthday ever (do you think he'll say that every year?)!

freeze dance

movie time

I love watching Andrew grow up! His mind is always moving, and come to think of it, so is his body! He has always craved knowledge and that has not slowed down. Andrew is now reading chapter books on his own and loving it! He stays up late every night to read. As a reader myself, I just love it!!! He loves everything LEGO, just like his daddy and has gotten better at building his own creations and not just the "sets." I can't wait to see what S-E-V-E-N has in store for Andrew! Love you bud!

girls just wanna have fun...

2012-02-04T17:56:00.004-05:00

our annual kornfeld girl's weekend brought the 6 of us back to the jersey shore once again. as always, we had a GREAT time relaxing and spending time together.

We all enjoyed some pampering at Shear Heaven Day Spa...

mom and aunt judy

cousins...leigh, lisa, staci & me

and of course, we ate great food...

the kornfeld super six!

sisters!

and drank great (well, good!) wine!

let the games begin!

sisters and BEST FRIENDS!

We pampered ourselves at the house too with Rodan+Fields facials...

me and staci looking gorgeous!

judy trying out the AMP roller!

i consider myself totally blessed to have such a close relationship with the women in my life. they are not only my family, but my best friends!

ummm....hello out there???

2012-01-07T19:03:00.003-05:00

so, i've done it again! i seem to stick to this blog, like i stick to eating healthy...NOT WELL! yes, i have some catching up to do and hopefully it will happen quickly. last year i created a book though blurb, capturing my blog from the beginning through 2010. i love the book and decided i'd make one for each year of the blog. it's now 2012, and time to create the 2011 volume. stay tuned for some fast and furious blogging...i've got to get caught up before it gets to far in to 2012!!!

can i get an "ARGH!"....

2011-11-17T12:47:00.006-05:00

yes...those are our crazy pirates dressed up for halloween! ever since our pirate adventure this summer, the boys have wanted to be pirates for halloween. before heading out to the store and spending a lot for costumes, i figured i'd check out craigslist. and, what do you know....i found not one, but two pirate costumes...for sale by one person! her kids had the same idea last year, to be pirates together. what made it even better, was that andrew's costume was not just a pirate, but captain jack sparrow, who is one of his faves right now! what made it even better for me, was scoring BOTH costumes for under 20 bucks!!!

the weekend before halloween, we had our annual BLOCKtoberfest. jacob didn't want to wear his costume, so he wore his fireman set instead. everyone had a fun time and got geared up for trick-or-treating the next night. i absolutely LOVE our neighborhood and i love the fact that andrew and jacob have friends so close in age right here on our block. we all went trick-or-treating together and had a BLAST! the boys came home with way too much candy (according to me!) so we donated some to the troops. all in all, it was a great weekend!

heading out to BLOCKtoberfest 2011

block kids getting ready to trick-or-treat

check out my loot!

that's what he said....take 4

2011-11-04T16:04:00.004-04:00

so i've decided to start tracking the "that's what he said" posts, since there seem to be so many funny things i want to make sure to get on the blog....so this is #4.

if you want to take a look back (i did!), here are the previous entries...

5.23.11

6.11.11

10.5.11

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andrew was watching scooby doo and asked nanny to watch. it was a part where they tell shaggy to "get a hold of yourself." shaggy then proceeds to wrap his arms around himself. nanny tells him about amelia bedelia and how when she was told to dust the house, she sprinkled dust throughout the house. andrew said, "oh yeah! she took it LITERALLY!"

when my mom told me this, i couldn't believe my not-quite-seven-year-old used the word "literally"....and he used it correctly! i am constantly amazed by this boy!

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andrew: "mom, you know the best thing about sex"

me: "what did you say?!?!" (words going through my mind were, "holy shit! what did he just say?")

andrew: "you know the best thing about lego sets?"

me: "oh (deep sigh of relief!)! no, what?"

andrew: "you can use the box over again for something else."

OMG....what kind of a shock am i going to be in when he really DOES say the "S" word????

************

jacob and samantha (one of his fave girlfriends) do not like leaving each other after school. robyn came up with a great idea! once both kids are in their carseats, we pull up next to each other in the parking lot, roll down their windows and they can say their special goodbyes to each other. i love this idea, because it also streamlines the process of actually getting them in the car! on wednesdays, sam goes to dance class after school. this particular wednesday, the following conversation occurred....

S: "bye jacob. i'm going to dance class today."

J: "bye. have fun at dance class babe!"

these two are just too cute!!!

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13.1....it's only the beginning!

2011-11-03T20:44:00.012-04:00

a little over a year ago, in a goal setting group, when asked what i want to "be", one of my answers was "a runner." sure, i had "run" before, but i wanted to be a real runner. at that time, i had a friend training for some races, so i decided to start running with her. i set my sights on the marine corp 10k and signed up for the race, which would take place on Halloween 2010. well, as luck (or stupidity) would have it, while running a 1/4 marathon on mothers day 2010, i pushed myself way too hard up the final hill, and blew out my knee. that was the end of running for me for a while. i was so deflated. over the next few months, i would also experience back problems and develop plantar fasciatis.....neither one helping my return to the running world. i was determined though. i would be a runner! i would not give up! i did PT for my back and knee and saw a doc for the plantar fascaitis. i decided to get a cortisone shot in my knee, after the PT told me there really wasn't anything left he could do for me. wow, that was painful, but it did the trick! as for the back pain, it still comes and goes....and the PF was treated through exercises and a better pair of orthotics and shoes.

with my body feeling better, i was ready to hit the road again...on foot! my friend robyn decided she was going to train for a marathon, by following the galloway training program. based upon your running pace, you figure out your run/walk intervals, which you use throughout the run. the purpose is that it allows you to hold your pace and not burn out on longer runs. this meant for me, i would run 3 minutes and then walk 1. i figured this HAD to be better on my body...and i was right!

at some point, probably after too much wine one night, my next door neighbor jenna and i decided to register for the wilson bridge half marathon. i continued running with robyn & her crew until their mileage became just too high for me (remember, they're training to do twice as much as me!). as much as i was excited to not have to drive to burke for our early saturday morning runs, i missed my running team badly! it was so great to have a group of women to encourage each other, complain to each other, and figure this whole thing out together. i especially missed seeing robyn's bright smiling face before, during and after a run! you see, robyn is the kind of person who always has a smile on her face....even after a hot, sweaty, long run! she is always so proud of those around her and truly brings out the best in people. heck, even on the mornings when she would head out at 4:30am to run, she was smiling...at least it looked like it in the dark :)

jenna decided she would try the run/walk method with me, so we could train together. she is an avid runner, so i wasn't sure she'd like the run/walk idea. i was so excited that she was willing to give it a go with and FOR me! once again, i found an amazing running partner, who has turned into one of my dearest friends! it is amazing how much time you have to chat and bond with someone when you are running for hours on end!!! one of the things i love about running with jenna, is that because she is only living here for a few years, she really wants to take in the DC sights. so, rather than just running around our BORING neighborhood, we would head into DC for a run. these "destination runs" were awesome! we would just lose ourselves in the scenery....and our chatting...and before we'd know it, the run would be over. and best of all, jenna was enjoying the run/walk method!

fast forward a few HOT months and many miles....to october 2, 2011...RACE DAY! it was much colder than we had anticipated....maybe 40 degrees at the start! that didn't stop us though....i don't know if its because we trained so well or what, but jenna and i LOVED the half marathon! when we hit the 6 miles marker we hadn't even realized we had run that far! before we knew it, we were at mile 9, and we started talking about doing a marathon. at mile 9, most people are wondering why the heck they decided to do this....but not us...we wanted more! we attribute most of these great feelings to the run/walk method. we never felt like we hit a wall and at the end, we were actually passing people, instead of feeling like we were going to keel over! we even kept a faster pace throughout the entire race than we had during ANY of our training runs!!!

IT WAS AWESOME!!! SO AWESOME IN FACT....THAT WE HAVE REGISTERED FOR THE ROCK-N-ROLL NATIONAL MARATHON!

thank you to everyone who supported me throughout the training and the half-marathon! i expect to see you cheering us on at the marathon!!!!

me and my other runner gal, jen

jenna & me pre-race

crossing the finish line (love how it says "PROOF" across the pic...PROOF that i did it!)

post-race

post-race with my biggest fans!

a broken heart

2011-10-17T20:46:00.002-04:00

jacob's teacher told me he laid on the floor much of the day today....we had the following conversation when he got home...

me: jacob, why did you lay on the floor so much today?

j: because i was sick

me: what didn't feel good?

j: my heart

me: what's wrong with your heart?

j: it's broken

me: it's broken?

j: yes. sammy broke it. but it's ok now because she was nice.

you tell me....what does a 3 1/2 year old know about broken hearts?? apparently more than i thought :)

that's what he said....another edition....

2011-10-05T21:29:00.004-04:00

lately jacob seems to say the FUNNIEST things....and most of the time, they're so funny because they don't make any sense AT ALL...but he says these things SO SERIOUSLY!!!

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jacob set up a picnic blanket and then invited us to dine with him. he then got a very disappointed and serious look on his face, and said "if you spill, i not play with you in the rain!" (ok...whaaaat?!?!?)

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jacob loves our next door neighbor "miss jenna"...jenna's twin sister, rachel was visiting recently. jacob was outside, along with jenna, rachel, derek and others. jacob said, "look daddy, there's two miss jennas!"

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many of you may know the lyrics...."bye bye miss american pie"....but do you know jacob's version...."bye bye mystery guy"

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in car after school...

me: i'd love to know what you did for art today

j: we do'd leaves

me: did you paint them?

j: yes. there was red and blue paint

me: were you making them for the sukkah?

j: no

me: they're not for sukkot? (knowing that they are!)

j: NO! sukkot is a dog mommy!

***********

and then there was the best of all....when J fell asleep at rosh hashanah services!

ABSOLUTELY NO WORDS NEEDED.....

wait a minute....

2011-09-14T20:33:00.004-04:00

when did this kid get so big?!?!?

sept 2009

sept 2010

sept 2011

i've been reading so many posts on FB and hearing through conversations with friends, how wonderful school is going for their child, how they're loving it, they love their teacher, etc. people keep asking how 1st grade is going for A. to tell you the truth, i can't really tell you! A has never been one to want to talk much about these kinds of things. i can remember one day when we were driving home from preschool and he said "why do you ask me so many questions when you pick me up?" it's always been a challenge for us....and i'm starting to think it may be this way for quite some time, if not forever. that's just the kind of kid andrew is. he doesn't want to tell me about his day. i wish so badly that he would. the other night he told me he doesn't want to tell me about his day, but that i can ask him questions and he'll maybe answer them. through this, i've been able to find out a little (very little!) bit about his days. i can tell you that his favorite part of the day is DEAR (drop everything and read) time....his biggest complaints are that the day is too long and that there's too much work. unfortunately, two things which i don't think are going to get better any time soon....sorry buddy! you're a big kid now (too big if you ask me!)!!!

ahoy matey....

2011-09-07T20:53:00.010-04:00

one of our final adventures of the summer was made possible by yet another daily deals site. i scored half price tickets to do an urban pirate cruise in b'more. gg and papa were here too, which made the trip even more special for the boys. we were also joined by our neighbors, tyler & jake and their mom, sara. upon boarding the ship, everyone was given some pirate gear, a tattoo and a pirate name. it wasn't long before i became mom to "angelfish andrew" and "junkyard jacob." jacob was quite hesitant about the whole experience, but much to my surprise, andrew jumped right on in. he even volunteered when they asked for someone to come up and demonstrate how to properly use the life vests.

the funniest part of the adventure, was that even while jacob was whining/crying, he would listen and follow the instructions...so there were times he was dancing and shaking it, all with a face full of fear and uncertainty. it really was hilarious! the boat cruised around b'more harbor for about an hour.

along the way, we learned pirate games, songs and lingo....

we took the pirate oath....

and had to be on the lookout for "mad dog", the bad pirate who had stolen our treasure.

the journey ended with the capture of mad dog and our booty! everyone was then allowed to choose 2 pieces from the treasure box.

VIDEO OF ANDREW TAKING "PIRATE OATH" & JACOB DANCING (hope you can view them!)

hot fun in the summertime...continued....

2011-08-21T21:53:00.009-04:00

cousins!!!

the past few weeks have been filled with fun activities....and some first-time stuff too! i finally got over my fear of water parks and took the boys to great waves at cameron run. i had scored a deal on certifikid....$16 for a 4-pack of after 3pm tickets. for $16, i figured it wouldn't be a huge loss if we ended up not going, so i bought the deal! since i had an extra ticket (and i was still a bit nervous about the whole thing) i had one of our have babysitters, michelle, come along with us. this turned out to be a GREAT idea, as the boys rarely wanted to be in the same place at the same time. we were able to split up and it gave me some much needed one-on-one time with each of the boys. it was an added bonus that they adore michelle (as do i!) and were so excited about spending this time with her too! andrew enjoyed ALL of the water park, while jacob stuck to the smaller water play area, the spray park, and the playground/climbing structure. both boys LOVED the smaller watersides....and andrew even went down the big racing slides with me! as soon as we finished the race, he said, "i won!" i said, "yep you did! that was so much fun!!!" his reply, "we are not doing that again. it was so not awesome mom." i was really proud of him for trying it though!!! we had so much fun that we stayed until the park closed at 7pm! we will definitely be making this an annual summer activity. thanks again to certifikid for the great deal....i'm not sure i would've tried this out at full price.

andrew & michelle after going down a water slide

jacob & michelle at the top of the climbing structure

one of the playground slides

last week we met my sister and her girls at the maryland science center. we got there around 10:30 and i figured we'd spend a few hours at the museum, head to lunch and be on the road back home by 3 or 4. well, we all had SO MUCH fun at the museum, we had to drag the kids out of there around 3pm to get lunch! there was just SO much to do there....including exhibits on dinosaurs, gravity, senses and the human body. we also saw a "sesame street" planetarium show which the kids seemed to enjoy. we ended up not leaving b'more until about 5pm. this museum was FANTASTIC and i highly recommend it for children (and adults!) of all ages. of course, for us, everything is more fun with leigh, lauren and sarah there!!!

sizing up the dinosaur bones

so cute using the magnifying glass!

dusting off fossils

color your own dinosaur

create your own dinosaur

lining up the dinosaur's body

andrew was SO excited to see the turtles...his fave!

launching pool noodles into the air

stick your hand in the lower box and guess what's in there...

sarah on a bed of nails

lauren on a bed of nails

wahoo....guess i'm healthier than i thought

andrew figuring out how to line up the ramps, so that the ball makes the bell ring at the end

water area

this past weekend my cousins staci & lisa, and staci's son asher, came down to visit. we spent the day hanging out at my sister's pool and then the girls had a cousin's night. what a blast!!! and asher is such a cutie!!!

asher & jacob sitting on the fountains

cousins!!! lisa, me, staci and leigh

smores, wine and good chats! (staci....next time you can't go to sleep!)

with two weeks of summer vaca remaining, we still have a few things on our "to-do" list....so stay tuned...

...then it's BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

i DON'T eat fish....

2011-08-11T20:42:00.004-04:00

...BUT TODAY I LET THEM NIBBLE AT MY TOES!

that's right....i can cross the fishy-pedi off my list of things to try!

so, here's the deal...for those of you who have been wanting to try it, or just want to hear about it from someone who has tried it...

you soak your feet in the water, which is filled with these little fish. the fish nibble (no biting!) around your feet, which is supposed to smooth your skin. does it tickle? yes, for some people more than others! and keep in mind if you do try this, the bigger the fish...the bigger the tickle! my friend lori, who came with me, was in hysterics because it tickled her so much. for me, it tickled, but it really felt more like "pins and needles", when your foot falls asleep. it tickled me most when they would swim in between my big toe and second toe...and when they were around my ankles. so, you soak in the fishy water for 20 minutes (or however long you purchase it for!)...they then dry your feet off and you move to a regular pedi chair for the rest of your pedicure.

i had purchased a discounted daily deal for this...and that's definitely the way to go if you're going to TRY it out. that way, you don't feel like you've spent a whole lot of money, if you end up not liking it.

all in all....i'm not sure it's something i'll do again. not because i didn't like it, but because i'm not really sure my feet are any smoother than without 30 little fishes eating my dead skin for breakfast!!!

sometimes you just have to laugh...

2011-08-03T16:41:00.003-04:00

believe it or not, my sweet little jacob has developed quite the not-s0-sweet little 3 year old attitude! don't get me wrong....he's throwing nothing at me that could even compare to andrew at age 3, but he's definitely trying his best!

the other day both boys were giving me a run for my money...ok, let's be honest....they were driving me absolutely NUTS-O and i was at the end of my rope. it was one of those days when i really felt i had spent the whole day playing referee and losing count of who was in time out more!

after one of jacob's time outs, he put together this ensemble...NO PANTS, HIS RAIN BOOTS AND A CUTE LITTE HAT! it was all i (and andrew!) could do not to laugh....and then i quickly showered both boys with hugs and kisses! they really ARE cute!!!

hot fun in the summertime...

2011-07-29T21:11:00.009-04:00

my lack of posts on this blog is no indication of our summer....it has been busy busy busy....and we're having lots of fun along the way! the boys have been in camp 4 mornings a week, and typically we head to the pool in the afternoon. andrew has been doing private swim lessons and has made great improvements this summer!

here are some highlights of our adventures thus far....

CARS 2...

i was able to score 4 tickets to a private screening of CARS 2 the weekend it opened. i'm not sure who was more excited about this....we ALL know how much i heart FREE stuff! in addition to the free tickets, the kids each scored a CARS 2 tshirt, a color changing water bottle and a snack pack for the movie! despite my thinking that the movie was way over their heads, with the whole espionage theme, the boys seemed to really enjoy it. personally, i think CARS was a much better flick!

BEACH WEEK 2011...and the "I DO's"

as is tradition, we headed down to corolla, nc for a week of sun, fun, surf and....a wedding! yes, this year was special, in that, chris and morgan (my sister's bro in law and his now wife) tied the knot while we were there. it made for an extra special vaca! a few other highlights of the trip were...

*climbing the corolla lighthouse

*andrew swimming in the pool on his own

*watching andrew LOVE the ocean and the beach

*the four cousins having a sleepover every night...

and the BIGGEST highlight of the week, was that this was the first year (in 8 years of doing this trip) that neither my sis nor i had to bring a pack-n-play or diapers!!!!

STEVE SONGS...

another summer tradition of ours, is to see steve songs at wolf trap. i believe this was our 4th year! this time we made our way there with neighbors and we ALL had a blast! we almost didn't go, because the forecast was for over 100 degrees....and it is always 10 degrees hotter and stuffier in those good ol' woods! we made it though, with water bottles & fans in tow...and the temps were actually bearable!

STAY TUNED...

with about 4 weeks of summer remaining, we still have several fun things planned, including a trip to baltimore and also the cameron run water park.

ROCKIN' WITH ROCKNOCEROS

2011-07-22T07:52:00.005-04:00

The always wonderful Elizabeth from Waldmania PR provided me with a family four pack of tickets to the fourth Rocknoceros album release, Colonel Purple Turtle at Jammin Java. Unfortunately, I was unable to go, but I was able to pass the tickets along to my great friend Robyn and her Rocknoceros lovin' family! They enjoyed the show and here's what she had to say about it....

"My family and I had the opportunity to be in the audience for the hometown debut of Rocknoceros' newest CD, "Colonel Purple Turtle". Being a big fan of Rocknoceros for years, we love their music and the new CD does not disppoint. The group performed some of the new songs for the first half of the show and then continued rocking the house with a few of their classics for the 2nd half. It was great fun! We had a great time at the show; the music kept our toes tapping and our hands clapping the whole time. We made sure to purchase the CD before leaving Jammin Java and continued enjoying the music of Rocknoceros on the way home."

Be sure to check out our hometown heroes of Rocknoceros! You're sure to love the music (and so will your kids!) :)

it's ok to be me...

2011-06-24T19:20:00.003-04:00

actually, it MORE THAN OK to be me!!!

this is a very recent (as in within the past 48 hours!) self discovery i've made. you see, people always tell me that i'm so self confident and so sure of myself, but inside that has never really been the case. i'm not sure where it came from, but i have ALWAYS been very self conscious of my body. whenever i mention this to a friend, they'll say something along the lines of, "oh please amy. you look great." or "seriously amy? get over yourself!" i'd smile and shy away from the conversation, but inside, i was still feeling icky about myself and my body.

it wasn't until recently, while out celebrating a dear friend's 40th birthday, that something clicked in me. i was the only one there who had not reached the milestone age of 40. i kept listening to these women talk about how they feel that the best part about turning 40, is that they have "arrived." they are finally good with where they are in life, and more importantly, with WHO they are in life. we joked, that i would get there soon enough! well, thankfully that night was an ah-ha moment for me. perhaps i won't even have to wait until i turn 40!

case in point...i NEVER wear a bikini to our community pool. heck, i'm even self conscious when i wear one at the pool/beach on vaca, when the only people i know there are family!!! i'm not sure why, but i am always WAY too self conscious to pull it off. not only that, but i will evaluate the other women (in my head of course), who may be wearing bikinis. i'll think to myself, "if she can do it, so can i"....but alas, i ALWAYS end up in my tankini! it's no doubt that my belly has gotten flabbier over recent years, and that i have stretch marks to boot! i know.....too much info, right!?!? TODAY i decided that these marks and my belly, are ALL MINE! they are ME....they are marks of my accomplishment of carrying and birthing two amazing children! TODAY, i wore my bikini and i felt good about myself!!! i actually stood in the mirror before heading to the pool and said "I am beautiful and I love myself!"

i'm not sure what exactly changed in my mind as i listened to these wonderful women talk about their love for themselves, but i am SO incredibly happy to have been there!!!

i am who i am...and i love me!!!!

THREE!!!

2011-06-14T14:44:00.008-04:00

july 2008 - only a few weeks old

july 2009 - 1 year

june 14, 2010 - 2 years

june 2011

my sweet baby jacob....today you are THREE years old! as i'm typing this, you are lying quietly on the couch watching dora...the baby dino one...it's your favorite. i thought you'd take a nap today, but you are too excited about our trip to the playground this afternoon.

jacob, every day spent with you is one that i will cherish forever. you have such a great personality. you make everyone around you smile and laugh with the funny things you say. just today, you were telling me that the playground at camp wasn't fun. when i asked you why, you said, "because there weren't any animals there." i then asked what kind of animals you would want at the playground and you simply said, "wah wahs (giraffes), ryes (tigers) and gorillas. just those three. that's all i want on the playground with me."

not only are you incredibly funny jacob, but your are very smart too! just this past week, you pretty much mastered the art of peeing and pooping on the toilet...self taught! we didn't even really have to "potty train" you. basically, you put the underwear on and were ready to roll! your fave joke right now is when someone says, "what's under there?" and you get to say "under where...ha ha i said underwear!" when you talk, i sometimes forget that i'm talking to such a young child, because the words that come out of your mouth, sound like those from a 5 year old.

although you and andrew argue like the best of 'em, i can tell that you wholeheartedly love and adore your brother. (ok....note...you just fell asleep on the couch...and you are SO cute!!!)
you say and do pretty much everything andrew says and does. you are definitely the "monkey do" of the family. i can't wait to see the relationship between you and andrew grow over the years! and you are just too cute, the way you say "brothers!"

jacob ellis banocy...i love you with all my heart!!! i hope you never change...please stay the sweet, funny, adorable, handsome, loving, cuddly boy that you are! now...if only i could figure out a way to keep you at age 3!

happy birthday my love!

that's what he said...

2011-06-11T18:37:00.005-04:00

we've been having great success potty training jacob so far. here's our conversation one afternoon when jacob woke up from his nap...

j: mommy, i have pull-up on?

me: yes

j: so i can go pee pee in it?

me: well, how about you go on the toilet instead.

j: fine....(sigh)...i'll be potty trained!

what a sense of humor this kid has!!!

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as a mom, i can tell the days when j is tired and needs a nap. last week, on the way home from school, he was rubbing his eyes and said, "mom, i know i doin this (rubbing eyes), but i not tired. i not need nap today."

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d: jacob, what do you want for your birthday?

j: bubbles.

d: what else do you want for your birthday?

j: more bubbles. lots of bubbles.

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me: sleep tight jacob. tomorrow when you wake up you'll be three!

j: no! i not born in june!

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for the cure....

2011-06-05T09:54:00.003-04:00

a beautiful cool morning....over 40,000 people...3,500 survivors...3.1 miles....a sea of pink...

RACE FOR THE CURE!

i walked in honor of all those who have been inflicted with this terrible disease. for those who have endured hours, day, weeks, months of chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries. for those who have lost their hair. for those who have lost their breast or breasts. and for those who have lost the battle.

i walked in honor of my friend, my personal hero, dawn smith. she has shown me that when cancer invades your body, your life, you have a choice to make. dawn makes the choice every day to wake up and live life to the fullest. a mother of 4, she has shown cancer that it will not defeat her. it will not defeat her family. every day she is reminded that she still has this disease. every day she fights! she doesn't win every day, but she keeps on fighting! for dawn, i walked. for everything you've faced and continue to face. for your amazing strength and courage. dawn, you have taught me such life lessons! i love you girl! now keep kicking some cancer a**!

DEFEAT!!!

2011-05-28T22:28:00.001-04:00

today i defeated what i consider to be the DEAMON....my arch nemesis of running! it shines from above, trying to make me weaker. yes, it is has power at home in VA, but it extends its power to the hundredth degree here in FL...literally speaking! it slows me down and makes my breathing uneven. yes, i am talking about the sun and the heat!!!

My alarm went off at 6:40 this morning. i quickly hit snooze...i mean c'mon, i'm on vaca here, right! i couldn't fall back asleep though. i desperately wanted to roll over and get another hour of sleep, but all i could think about was how hot it might get in that hour. i checked my weather app and it said it was already 83 freakin degrees. ok...that was enough to get my butt out of bed and on the run. holy shit....83 degrees at 7 in the morning is a shock to the system! despite the heat, i felt i was doing well on my run. my water bottle showed me differently though. i had drained the darn thing by mile 3. a quick stop at walgreens for a bottle of water and i was back on my way. by 5 miles i was actually cursing. the thoughts inside my head, which i think escaped my lips at some point, were along the lines of "holy.fucking.heat....mother.f'er.it's.hot...f.u.c.k!!!"

i did it though....6 miles in 1 hour and 8 mins!!! the forecast at home is looking HOT HOT HOT next week....don't be alarmed if you hear me cursing along the running route....or if i decide to run at 4:30am....it might be the only option this summer!

that's what he said...

2011-05-23T20:11:00.003-04:00

today in the car, jacob was being quite loud and it was bothering andrew. andrew had asked him to please be quiet several times, and he wouldn't listen. i then told him to please be quiet.

his response..."no i won't stop. i the king!"

jacob was in rare form (aka totally crabby!) at the grocery store today. he threw several tantrums throughout the shopping trip. one of the funniest ones occurred in the pasta aisle. he insisted that he wanted to try the elbow macaroni (which btw was on the shelf....not even in our cart!). i tried explaining to him that it had to be cooked before eating it. i told him it was hard, not soft like the pasta he eats at home. he was screaming, "i want to eat it NOW!" he then took the box off the shelf, opened it, took out a noodle and proceeded to eat it....all this while i stood there and watched (with a smirk on my face!).

crunch, crunch, spit on the floor

"eww mommy. why you have me eat that?"

yes...that box of pasta, now opened and tainted by my 2 year old, came home with us!

later in the shopping trip, jacob refused to ride in the cart. this wouldn't have been such a problem if he would walk with me. nope....the reason....he wanted the milk with the picture of a cow on it....not the milk i had already placed in the cart (sans cow pic). so....he just plopped himself down....right there in front of the milk fridge. and so it was....we had a little standoff in the milk department! guess who won??? ME....we got the milk already in our cart....and jacob walked with me to the register. well, almost all the way there. half of the time he said he was "froggy jacob" and proceeded to hop like a frog saying "ribbit."

no.....this is not a joke! this really was my trip to the grocery store today!!!

now...where's that wine i bought?!?!?

sweet idea....

2011-05-23T13:31:00.005-04:00

as classroom parent for both andrew & jacob's classes, i'm always searching for cute ideas for teacher appreciation week. i thought i'd share with you the candy bar poster i made for andrew's teachers one day during the week. btw...i had made this for his preschool teachers last year, but forgot to blog about it! here it is...in time for anyone who might want to make it as an end of the year gift/card for teachers.

the pic is small, so here's what it says.....words in bold/italics are where you put a candy bar...

thank you teachers! you all are sweet tarts for everything you teach our children. our kids really skored when they landed in your class! we know sometimes they act like they're from somewhere beyond the milky way. it must be hard to contain your snickers when those sugar babies tell you mounds of funny stories. thank you for teaching our children to be good & plenty polite, rather thank acting like goobers! they have learned whoppers of information in your kindergarten class! you bring such joy (use almond joy candy) to their lives and have been lifesavers for all of us this year! we can't thank you enough for all you do! you all deserve a 100 grand payday! be sure to take 5 today. we love you to pieces!!! hugs and kisses, parents of your 2010-2011 class

lies i told my kids recently

2011-05-14T21:12:00.006-04:00

yes...that's right...i lie to my kids....and i'm NOT afraid to admit it! sometimes lying to my kids makes life a little easier on all of us...ok, well maybe just on me...but hey, what they don't know ~~won't~~ might not hurt them!

***please note....no children were harmed in the telling of these lies***

1... i told andrew i didn't have any money with me, so we wouldn't have to go to the concession stand after his tball game today

2... i told jacob that the "bike room" at school was closed for cleaning, so i could get him home for a nap, rather than staying to play after school

3... i told jacob that we didn't have a particular movie anymore, just because i simply could not stand to watch it or even hear it in the background again

4... i told andrew the iphone was charging, because i didn't want to have to argue with him about not playing a game on it

so....there you have it....just a few i can remember as i'm sitting here. trust me....there are many more....i guess i fib so much i can't even remember them all!!!

for the record....

2011-05-13T14:35:00.005-04:00

one of the main reasons i started this blog, was to capture all of the wonderful memories that come along with motherhood. recently, i have found myself saying repeatedly, “i have to write that one down” in reference to something one of the boys has said or done. so…here they are….at least the few I can recall right now…hopefully i’ll get better at adding these things to the blog in a timely manner…

jacob when he woke up “mom, my feet hurt in these paybays (that’s pj’s btw)

me: that’s probably because those pajamas are getting too small

j: why they getting small?

me: because you’re getting bigger and longer

about 20 minutes later….

me: jacob do you want to eat breakfast at the big table or your little table?

j with a very serious look: i should sit at the big table today because i getting so long.

in the car, jacob was holding both his water cup and mine, when he said, “i have 2 cups. if i drink one, then i only have one cup.”

andrew: mom, since 100 cents equals one dollar, does 25 + 25 + 25 + 25 equal 100?

me (very proud!!!): yes, how did you figure that out?

a: because 4 quarters equals a dollar, so 25 four times equals 100.

me: oh my god andrew! you are SO smart!!!

me to jacob: ok jacob, i need a kiss before we do that.

j: why you always need kisses? daddy not always ask for kisses all time.

i'll end this post with pics of the beautiful artwork the boys made me for mother's day!!!

the wheels on the bus....

2011-05-10T15:42:00.002-04:00

go round and round....round and round...

we had a milestone last friday....andrew rode a school bus for the VERY FIRST time! his class took a field trip to the reston petting zoo, which is about 40 minutes from here. i must say, i was a little nervous that THIS would be his first bus ride. talk about major highways and major construction along the way!

andrew had a great time at the zoo and seemed unfazed the bus ride. while andrew was on the field trip, i relaxed my mommy worries with a manicure and massage (belated bday gift to myself!)

13.1.....

2011-04-26T21:24:00.001-04:00

i am officially registered to run my first half marathon!!! on the one foot, I can't believe it and at the same time I am super excited! two of my neighbors will be running it too, so we all plan to head there together. whether we will run together is questionable....based on our varying pace times.
now...the funny thing (or not so funny really) is that I'm icing my foot as I type this blog. yes, that's right....my foot, not my knee. i did a challenging 6.5 mile run on Sunday....and felt great afterward. yesterday afternoon while walking to pick up Andrew from school, I felt this intense pain in my foot. it then became worse and began to radiate up through my heel and into the back of my ankle. by the end of the day, I couldn't put weight on the foot without feeling a lot of pain. hoping it was nothing, I iced it last night and took advil. i was super excited when i didnt feel pain upon waking up this morning. well....that lasted about 5 minutes....and then the pain was there.....and it was BAD!!! I quickly found a podiatrist that took my insurance (thank god for the internet!!!) and was luckily able to take someone's cancelled appt this morning. long story short.....I am developing plantar fasciatis. doc gave me some immediate things to help with the pain and then sent me back to the running store to buy inserts for my shoes. the inserts make me feel like i am walking on pillows.....they are awesome! and the best part....they've helped minimize the pain!
so....no running for a little while....until I'm 90% pain free....docs orders! but as long as I don't have pain, I can walk, bike and do the elliptical. hmmmm.....this sounds all too familiar to my knee rehab not too long ago!!! if it's not one thing it's another, right!?!?
but....I am DETERMINED to do this half marathon!!! (disclaimer for mom and dad who are certainly putting on their parenting caps right now.....i will be smart and take it easy. i promise I will only work within my limits!)

so....who wants to join me or come cheer me on?????

new day

2011-04-18T07:20:00.001-04:00

today is a new day. ~~the sun is shining~~ (well, it's actually pretty overcast!)....the birds are chirping, and both boys are still asleep at 7:15am. today is a new day. I will approach it that way. open mind...positive attitude....and unconditional love for my children.

therapy through typing

2011-04-17T20:59:00.002-04:00

today my child told me he hates me. he told me he doesn't love me. he told me I'm stupid. he told me these things not once, not twice. to be honest I don't know how many times he told me. I stopped counting a long time ago. guess it's my way of denying that these things are happening in my own family. between my own child and me. does he do it because he's an angry boy? is he a sad child? i don't think he really feels these things. there's something else he's trying to communicate. but what is it? things had gotten so much better the first half of the school year. I really thought we had turned a corner. things are now back to the way they were before he started kindergarten. why? I shake my head and ask myself this question all day. especially at night. that's when it's the worst. I'm typing this at night because my emotions are so fresh, so raw. the whole day bubbles and bubbles in my body until I can't take it anymore. so I write. I don't write because I want attention. i don't write because i want to hear a million suggestions of what we could be doing differently. I write because it's my therapy. I write because it helps me step out of that denial and face the truth. I am fed up and all I know to do is write.

T-minus 4....

2011-04-14T20:07:00.004-04:00

that's right folks....derek is now 36....t-minus 4 to the big 4-0!!! this is my official shout out of HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most amazing husband any woman could ask for....not to mention a flippin fantastic dad to his children! derek is the kind of guy who will do anything for his family, friends, coworkers, anyone really! he leaves for work a little late in the morning if he knows the kids want to see him....he comes home from a stressful day at work and plays with his boys....he comes home early so i can go to book club, the gym, dinner, etc.....he spends extra time with the boys on the weekends just so I can have some time off....he reads to our children.....he's involved in their education....he plays basketball....he plays softball....he coaches andrew's tball team....he is an amazing artist.....he's talented.....he constantly tells me he loves me....and all this with a BIG ol smile on his face....well, most of the time!!!!

let me remind you that I met this amazing guy on america online when I was a senior in high school!!! I'm sure when my dad told my sister and I to "just choose one of these guys to chat with" when we had IM's popping up all over the screen, he had no clue I'd someday marry this guy! so much for internet security, huh?!?! thank god my sis and I chose the guy on the other end of "darrylku".....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE....LYM!!!

FLASHBACK....

2011-04-09T08:27:00.003-04:00

ok people....who out there remembers monchhichi dolls?!?!? you know...those kind of freaky, but cute monkeys from the 80's? well...they're baaaaaack!!!!!

i was checking out the deals on totsy today, and there they were! i don't remember them being "accessorized" when we were younger. they now have little costumes for the monkeys!

this is too much! hmmmm.....which one should i get j for his bday coming up?!?!?

if you're not on totsy yet, check it out. they have really cute deals for kids and moms....you know how much i heart these daily deal sites :)

couponing goes EXTREME....

2011-04-06T22:05:00.004-04:00

while i may not be appearing on the show "extreme couponing" on tlc, i do have some extreme coupons to help you this week at the grocery store! enjoy and happy saving! LET ME KNOW IF YOU WORK ANY AMAZING DEALS WITH THESE COUPONS!!!

first up....COUPONS.COM

NEXT UP...CELLFIRE.COM - depending on where you do your grocery shopping, you may be able to load these coupons directly on to your store's grocery savings card. if your store does not participate in this, you can still print the coupons and bring them with you!

as i've mentioned, the sunday ads are YOUR KEY to COUPONING!!! for a head's up on those coupons take a quick second and sign up here! you can also sign up here and receive additional coupons sent right to your inbox!!! NEVER MISS A COUPON AGAIN! how easy is that?!?!

i HEART free stuff!

2011-03-30T15:29:00.002-04:00

freelfy says it best....cheap is good, but free is better!

click here to see all of the freebies currently available....

click the links below for some specific freebies....

AS ALWAYS.....ENJOY!

CHEAP DATE.....

2011-03-30T15:15:00.004-04:00

here's an idea for a cheap date....with your kid(s), spouse, friend, anyone who will come with you....you get the point.....

print this coupon for a $2.99 sub from quiznos! i HEART their subs because they are fresh and toasted!!!!

join the q-club and you'll be able to upgrade your coupon to include a FREE cookie! YUM!!!!

ENJOY! mmmmm......toasty!

COUPONS COUPONS COUPONS!!!

2011-03-30T15:05:00.002-04:00

listed below are coupons that may no longer be available to print on/around the end of this month...

be sure to check with your local store to see if they double coupons. locally, i know giant doubles coupons up to 99cents....that means the CHEX MIX coupon below is actually $1 off!!!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE DEALS BEING POSTED TODAY....

whew....what a day!

2011-03-29T16:26:00.010-04:00

this was one for the record books folks! i'm sure as i type it, it won't seem as crazy as it all was "in the moment"...but it sure seemed like a DOOZY to me!

after being crazy sick yesterday and being out of it for the whole day, i was looking forward to getting shit done today. (thanks to my amazing neighbor, who watched the boys yesterday!!!) today, i had work to get caught up on and some things needed to be done around the house.

so....it's 9am and i'm heading out the door to take j to school, when the phone rings.

"hi. mrs banocy?"

"yes. this is she."

"this is the clinic at island creek elementary. did you notice andrew's eye was red this morning?"

"yes, but i figured it was because he had been up for 3 hours during the night."

"well, we're going to need you to pick him up. he needs to be seen by his physician and can not return to school until he has done so and they've signed off on the pink eye release form"

"ok...be right there."

i gathered jacob and our stuff....loaded us into the car for the long drive across the street....unloaded j....grabbed a from the clinic....signed him out for the day....made an obligatory stop at the fish pond in the lobby (j will SCREAM if we don't)...headed back to the car....loaded up....called the pediatrician....

despite my extreme flexibility to be seen at either office, the earliest they could see andrew would be 2:30!

drove to preschool....dropped j off at preschool (had to have a teacher come out to the car to watch andrew...he can't come inside if we think he has pink eye!)...all the while j is repeatedly asking me "why hee-hee (that's andrew) not at school? why i go to school if hee hee not at school?"

headed home....started laundry....worked as best i could for 2 hours (keep in mind i had a 6 year old home with me!)....andrew got his fair share of tv/iphone game time....

headed to my doc appointment with said 6 year old in tow....

*i must give him credit....he was AMAZING....just read his book almost the whole time!

diagnosis: allergies! meds prescribed....

drove thru wendy's for some grub.....picked up jacob.....started to head to pediatrician's office...noticed we had about 30 mins to kill....stopped off at CVS (BIG MISTAKE)....

*note....do NOT try to do major coupon/bargain shopping with 2 kids in tow!!!!

finished (miraculously!) at CVS....headed to pediatrician's office....of course, now we were 10 mins late!

andrew: pink eye!

jacob: fluid in both ears....but not yet infected!

meds prescribed for a....none yet for j....

j melts down in lobby while i'm paying.....carry him kicking and SCREAMING out to the car....(still unsure why he's screaming!)

thought we'd head to target to fill rx....WRONG!

j fell asleep in the car....SHIT!!!

knew he needed sleep....a is complaining "i just want to go home already. we've been out all day!" i convince him to drive around for a bit so j can sleep....i do this by telling him that we'll go to the krispy kreme drive-thru!

kk drive thru....a success....j doesn't even wake up!

we head home....j wakes up about 1 min from house....CRYING!

it occurs to me....he hasn't pooped in at least 2, maybe 3 days! CRAP.....literally!

d gets home around 5 and i head to target....sans children!

only to return to j still crying!!!

he finally goes poop....both boys go to sleep....i eat and enjoy a glass of wine.....

and type type type....my therapy!

back to reality tomorrow??? NOPE....andrew can't go to school!

ha ha ha....joke's on me!!!

one thing i've learned about motherhood....as much as we try to plan our days, it is just impossible!!! expect the unexpected....and just roll with it!

restoring my sense of calm....

2011-03-24T21:26:00.002-04:00

*this is a copy of my guest blog for dulles moms this week*

RESTORING MY SENSE OF CALM

The flier read…

At your wits end?

Stop defiance, yelling & power struggles…

Create a calm home…Create stress-free mornings and bedtimes…Improve behavior and focus…

That was all I needed to see….well, and that there was free babysitting available during the workshop! I was SO THERE!

I’m talking about the “Celebrate Calm” workshop with behavioral expert Kirk Martin and his teenage son, Casey, which I attended this past week. It quite possibly may have been the greatest 2 hours I’ve invested in my children, my family, my life and myself! That being said, I figure it’s only fair to share some of the things I learned.

*Please note that this list is based upon my understanding of the workshop. For a full understanding of “Celebrate Calm”, visit www.celebratecalm.com and/or attend a workshop yourself. I HIGHLY recommend it!

1 –The ONLY person we can control is ourselves…WOW….that was a big ah-ha moment for me! I don’t know about you, but I constantly find myself trying (unsuccessfully) to control things (and people) within my family. Rather than trying to control our children, we need to TEACH THEM self-control. Think about this…Your child is going to be around irritating people all of their life. How are YOU going to teach them how to handle that? If we constantly interject ourselves and our emotions into their dilemmas (such as arguing with an annoying sibling), they will never learn this important life skill. If instead, we allow them to work it out with their sibling, we are teaching them and helping them! The quickest way we can change our child’s behavior is to control our own! Ask yourself….do you know how???

2 – Beware of the “If/Then” track…it puts your children in control of your emotions. Ex…“If you don’t pick up your legos right now, then you’re not watching TV for the rest of the day.” By saying that. You’ve just put your CHILD in control! Remember, you CAN NOT make them perform the act of picking up the legos. They really may not care if they lose TV time…and next thing you know, you’ve got a messy house AND a kid without TV for a month! What have you accomplished? NOTHING…IT SIMPLY DOESN’T WORK!!! Let me ask you this…Does your child’s mood sometimes determine your mood? I know that’s the case for me….a lot! Try this…repeat this to yourself and then SIT DOWN and tell your child, “Your mood does not determine my mood. You can be miserable, that’s your choice. I can be happy, that’s my choice.” It’s amazing what can change when you SIT DOWN. You automatically tell your child that you are remaining calm and relaxed….NOW THAT IS POWERFUL!

3 - As a mom, I MUST begin to take care of myself. If I can’t demonstrate that my time is as valuable as theirs (be it your child, your spouse, your boss, your in-laws, etc), they WILL NOT value your time either!!! Listen to this point….When we step back, it gives our kids an opportunity to step up! LOVE IT!!! Kirk’s suggestion….at some point during the day, while your children are home, simply sit on the couch and read a book. Sit back, relax and observe what happens! Um….yeah….I can do that!!! All of a sudden the kids start DOING THINGS FOR/BY THEMSELVES!!!

4 – Our anxiety does two things; it causes the opposite result of what we desire and it tends to sever relationships. We, as moms, need to STOP being so rushed. Think about your morning routine…if it’s anything like the one in my home, it goes something like this….”c’mon, you’ve gotta get up….we’ve got to get to school…let’s go…get dressed already…you’re not going to have enough time for breakfast…hurry up…blah…blah…blah!!!” Does that ever work??? NOT IN MY HOUSE! In fact, it usually makes my kids move SLOWER! Kirk suggests this idea instead…start the morning routine by sitting on your child’s bed next to them, start the day with a compliment (out of the blue), ask about something THEY are into (ex. “while we eat breakfast this morning, why don’t you tell me about your baseball game last night”), and lastly GET THEM MOVING. Do something fun in the morning…such as a scavenger hunt…when you wake them, say “I’ve hidden one of your lego creations in the basement. I’ll bet you can’t get dressed and find it before I have your breakfast on the table.” CREATE A CHALLENGE FOR THEM! They don’t WANT to get up and out of bed…our job is to make it something they want to do!

5 – There is a difference between a “temper tantrum” and an “emotional meltdown.” Tantrums are rational; meltdowns are irrational. Here’s how Kirk suggests we handle both of these situations. When faced with a “temper tantrum”; give no emotion to it, just sit and don’t give in, the “no” must be matter of fact, put your energy in to problem solving with your child. When you find your child having a complete “meltdown”; hear it as a cry for help, step back so you can have a conversation rather than a confrontation, don’t add fuel to their fire, keep in mind that MOTION CHANGES EMOTION, get your child moving and give them something to do/focus on (other than the meltdown!). For example, if you have a young child, you may want to begin coloring when they start to have a meltdown. Simply pick up a crayon and start coloring. Then hold another crayon up in your other hand (for them). Do not make eye contact. Simply say, “Jacob, I’m coloring this giraffe and I could really use your help with coloring the tree next to him.” Let the child come to you. Engage him in this “other” activity. Afterward, you can always revisit the meltdown and talk with your child about new ways to handle the situation should it happen again. Remember that in order to teach our children how to manage their emotions, we must manage our own!

As I mentioned, this is only a brief snippet of the WONDERFUL information I received by attending the “Celebrate Calm” workshop. I am working on implementing these lessons into our family and look forward to hearing how it works for you!

“Make today be the day your family changes forever!”

Slip-On Dancers....REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-03-20T20:40:00.009-04:00

YES....IT IS TRUE! I AM NOW DANCING IN MY RUNNING SHOES!!!

DANCING SHOES NOT REQUIRED!

Z-U-M-B-A...I LOVE IT!!!

but...i hated how it made my knees and hips ache because the tread on my shoes was too heavy for the quick movements.

Z-U-M-B-A....MY MOTHER-IN-LAW LOVES IT!!!

so she sent me a link to slip-on dancers, which she had seen advertised in curves/diane magazine.

slip-on dancers fit easily right over your running shoes! they give you the power of adjustable traction, which allows your hips to move more freely and may help reduce the risk of twisting knee injuries when doing ZUMBA! slip-on dancers are designed to allow you to slide and spin (and shake your booty, if you're anything like me in ZUMBA!), as if you had on expensive dance shoes!

whether you are dancing on carpet or smooth surfaces (hardwood, linoleum, rubber)...there is a slip-on dancer just for you! they are available in 2 widths and a variety of colors. the best part...YOU control the level of traction, by placement of the slip-on dancers!

you know i like a good bargain...each pair ranges from only $13.50-14.95! compare that to the cost of a new pair of fancy dance shoes!!!

i was able to enjoy my recent ZUMBA class even more while wearing my new slip-on dancers, because i wasn't feeling the twist and pull on my knees/hips. it really made such a difference!!!

want to buy them?

order online

want to WIN them?

check out the different colors of slip-on dancers online - then leave a comment either on this blog entry or on my facebook page telling me which one you like best!

want an EXTRA chance to WIN?

become a FAN of mommy's time out on facebook

one person will be drawn at random to win a new pair of slip-on dancers!

drawing will be done wednesday 3/23/11

*i received a free pair of slip-on dancers for the purpose of this review. thoughts and opinions are all my own :)

oh brother....

2011-03-16T20:54:00.009-04:00

THESE KIDS ARE SO DAMN CUTE!!!

i'm not sure how 2 kids can possibly be so super cute....and yet such terrors at times! i'm convinced, after talking with many of my friends, that kids have several different personalities throughout their childhood....and whichever one wins out, is the one they move into adulthood with. i mean, seriously.....one minute these boys can be saying the sweetest thing with the cutest darn look on their faces ("i love you mommy. you're the best!)....give 'em another minute, they'll be telling you how you're the worst mommy ever (of course, it's all because you wouldn't let them have the entire box of cookies, but rather, just one or two!). well....as much as they can drive me up a wall....i'm here to show you how cute they CAN be together....

here ya go....

purim carnival (think andrew had to pee?!?!)

off to the playground after school

yesterday, andrew asked jacob if he wanted to go upstairs and cuddle in his bed (how cute is that?!?!)

showing off their new mugs from nanny & papa...and reminiscing about our FL trip

to think back on some of the more challenging times we've had with andrew and how much he has grown over the past year, you can only IMAGINE how happy times like these make me feel! i think back to the days when i was afraid to leave them in a room alone together. now...i can honestly say that i believe these boys will be best friends for life!!!

i want my baby back....

2011-03-14T18:41:00.003-04:00

baby back...baby back....

CHILI'S...

baby back ribs...

(or at least some chips & queso!)

this awesome coupon from chili's is back for a limited time!!!

get it while you can...(and invite me when you go!)

WTF....

2011-03-09T18:17:00.006-05:00

ok...so now that i've dropped the big ol' F-BOMB in my blog....there are no limits my friends! i'm going to start this off by warning you....i am PISSED and i'm ready to SCREAM! if you are looking for a sweet wholesome family read...then PLEASE DO NOT read this post! however...if you can take the heat...then read on...

ok...here goes....

I HATE DEALING WITH MY FUCKING INSURANCE COMPANY!!!

so...now that that's out of my system...

first of all....whenever i call the member services department, i am treated like an idiot. the people there make me feel so stupid...it's really quite irritating! yes, i know that i have independent insurance, because it's not paid for through an employer, but c'mon...there has GOT to be a better solution. we live in the united states of america...where people are supposed to be living the american dream...seriously?!?!? this feels more like a nightmare! and i at least HAVE insurance....i can't imagine all the shit people must deal with, who don't have insurance!

i pay a monthly premium (which i consider quite high) for myself and the kids for health insurance...on top of that, i pay a monthly premium for myself for maternity coverage (hey, ya never know...otherwise prenatal care would cost a shit load!)...plus i pay an annual premium for the 3 of us for dental coverage. all in all, i pay these people upwards of $10k a year in premiums alone....and for what i ask you? for what???

medical and dental bills don't seem to be any less just because i'm insured....it is absolutely ridiculous! sure...there's a way around those bills...i could pay 4-5x my monthly premium...but who the hell can afford that?!?!

seriously?!?! i pay for insurance and i still have to pay full price for things like....MAMMOGRAMS, MRIs, LABS, DENTAL FILLINGS, etc...

this is just absurd...and i've had it!!!!!!!

but...they've got me....because what's my other option....

UMMMM....A BIG FAT NOTHING!!!!

UGH!!!!

all of this leaves me frustrated....angry....and wanting a big fat dairy queen blizzard! so...since that's all i CAN do about it....i'll just go medicate my headache with some yummy fatty ice cream.

k...i'm done now....

thanks for listening.....

is this wrong???

2011-03-08T16:23:00.008-05:00

DUELING IPHONES...

*please note...this post may contain language unsuitable for children ;)

ok...i'll admit it...i became "that mom" during our recent trip to florida. i reached a point (toward the end of the trip at least) where i said...fuck it...let these kids do whatever will keep them quiet! hey...at that point, i was just looking for a little peace and quiet on vacation :)

prior to heading to FL, i had ONE kid's game on my phone....during the course of the week, i added FIVE more...ALL for jacob! one of the games is an animal memory/matching game. i figured things had reached a high point, when he started asking "i play animal game now?" upon waking up in the morning! seriously kid...what'd you dream about playing the animal game, making that the first words out of your mouth in the morning?!?! not only that, but jacob had started demanding to play on the iphone! he would SCREAM for the iphone! OMG...what kind of fucking monster had i created! i decided i couldn't cut him off cold turkey before our flight home. after all, that iphone could be the only thing keeping him quiet on the LONG 2.5 hour journey! so...i gave in...and fed the addiction. i know....i'm an enabler!

and let me tell ya something....it's a good thing....because that stupid animal game (along with others) kept him quite content on the way home...and i'm sure it kept everyone else around us happy too :)

you'll be proud (maybe?) to know that upon returning home, i slowly weaned jacob from the iphone! now...if i could just get him addicted to the concept of toilet training!?!?

i'm on a high....

2011-03-01T20:27:00.014-05:00

a sugar high, that is!!!

holy yummy cupcakes is all i can say!!!

last week i received an email inviting me to an "exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at the new sprinkles cupcakes in g'town...an intimate gathering exclusively for DC area bloggers...meet founder and food network star candace nelson....spoil your dinner with cupcakes and champagne."

ummm....yeah...that was a no brainer...i quickly rsvp'd that i would be there! i'm not gonna lie, i was super excited all day today. i felt like a kid on my birthday...and i was gonna top it off with cupcakes!

look at those beautiful cupcakes!

no...this is not some sort of subliminal message (remember....i had champagne tonight! no preggers here!)

the evening did NOT disappoint! being one of the first to arrive, i had a chance to chat with candace (who btw is a mom of 2). we enjoyed a glass of champagne while talking about kids, baking, how she manages her time, how she (or maybe her husband, depending on who you ask!) came up with the name "sprinkles"...and much more. i was given a tour of the beautiful shop...front end, bakery, kitchen....and the event room upstairs. i'm telling you now...i want my next bday party there!!! candace could not have been nicer...she is such a sweetheart! and...her cupcakes...OMG! i've had quite a few in my time, and i'm telling you...these are THE BEST by far! i tried red velvet, banana and peanut butter chocolate (no, i'm not a pig...they were minis!)...PLUS i got to try my hand at icing a cupcake with candace too!
candace showing us how to ice

just a FEW of the candy toppers! they have everything you can imagine (sports, letters, greek letters, colleges, etc!)

all in all it was a great evening! the only thing i'm disappointed that i didn't get to ask candace, is what hair products she uses :) she has amazingly perfect curly hair....hair i can only dream about!

ps...sprinkles is just a few doors down from derek's office...i see LOTS of cupcakes in our future :)

birds of a feather....

2011-02-21T23:01:00.006-05:00

fly south together!!!

we are having a GREAT time in sunny florida! our time here has been filled with sunshine, playgrounds, putt-putt, swimming, surfing (well, kind of!) and LOTS of ice cream! thanks to nanny and papa, derek and i were even able to squeeze in a date night while he was here. sadly, derek had to head back home yesterday...back to work and back to reality. but....the boys and i are here until wednesday morning. here are some pics from our first few days...more to come later...

look at that smile....i mean c'mon...does it get any cuter?!?!?

mama and her boyz!

our family of FORE....

like father....

like son!!!

anyone have a napkin for these kids???

oh my word....A FUN GIVEAWAY!

2011-02-13T12:45:00.012-05:00

i can remember being in elementary school (yes, it was a LONG time ago!) and getting so excited for lunch! not only did i love to eat (some things never change-hee hee) but i knew there was always going to be a note from my mommy inside my lunchbox. i looked forward to reading those notes EVERY DAY....and yes, she did write one pretty much every day!!!! (side note: my mom rocked!)

carolyn carter, owner/designer of CaitiMac Creations must have had moms like mine (and kids like me) on the brain when she thought of the idea for her new Lunch Box Scribbles. i must admit, before receiving my Lunch Box Scribbles in the mail, i only put notes in the boys' lunch boxes every once in a while. but now....it's SO easy and fun that i do it every day! carolyn's scribbles are reusable foam chalkboards, which of course, is also good for the environment....you don't have to use a new piece of paper for each note! hello...could this be any better?!?! There are 4 different styles...circles, balls, flowers and hearts...something for everyone my friends! AND....get this....each set of 2....ONLY $8.99!

naturally, you'd LOVE to have one for FREE...right?!?!? head over to facebook, check out these adorable Lunch Box Scribbles and become a fan of her page! then, post a comment on the Lunch Box Scribbles page, telling carolyn which scribble you like best and who you'd use it for....be sure to let her know that it's for the mommy's time out giveaway!!!

not on facebook? no problem...simply check out the Lunch Box Scribbles website, then post your comment here!

HAPPY SCRIBBLING :)

to play or not to play....that is the question

2011-02-09T20:41:00.006-05:00

so....i'm curious...how much do you actually play with your child(ren)? i have to admit, a bit of "not-so-perfect mommy" syndrom has got my conscience. lately, i find that many times when the boys ask me to play, i say no....for some reason or another. i feel like i have a million things to get done and i'm forever using those "things" as reasons not to play. i mean, don't get me wrong, i definitely play sometimes, but i feel that more times than not, i'm passing on the opportunity. when i sit and think about it for a second, it seems so backward. they're only going to be kids for a short while.....the laundry, dishes, work, etc will be there forever!!! right?

i definitely think there's something to be said for the boys learning to play together, as siblings, and also for them to learn to play alone. but....how much is too much?

my children and i also have VERY different personalities. while i am a results oriented person, both my boys are more task oriented. they enjoy the "task" of putting together hundreds of train track pieces, lining up hundreds of cars and rummaging through thousands of legos to build the perfect creation. me, i'd rather just see it all put together, and play with it! this causes an issue for us....as you can imagine! it is not only work, but i would say BORING and ANXIETY INDUCING for me to have to actually sit down and do such tasks!

anyone else feel this way?

and when i do sit down to play with them, i find that i am easily distracted. example...we'll be playing cars and suddenly i'll find myself sorting through the cars for "donation worthy items"....rather than creating the traffic scene i was contracted to work on. if we head to the basement (aka legoland), i will sit for a minute or two, but then i will find myself cleaning out a file cabinet and shredding 6 months worth of old bills.

i have no attention span for this kind of play....and if you couldn't tell...i'm starting to feel bad about it! should i???

wosetta stone

2011-02-04T20:10:00.007-05:00

WOSETTA STONE...

A CWASH COUWSE IN CONVERSATIONAL CHAPUB...

we all can't wait for the day our little one starts talking. honestly though, conversing with a 2 year old can be quite challenging at times. take these most recent "jacobisms" for example...

chapub: jacob

lollifin: vitamin

twib: crib

hee hee: andrew

adwew: andrew

wooby: ruby (his friend at school)

omputa: computer (keep in mind that he is usually referring to the dvd player though!)

see, no: actually, no

other things that may be helpful to know if you plan on spending more than 5 minutes with chapub....

funny cow movie: baby einstein on the farm

la la music: elmo music

i can't see it: i can't hear it...(ie. make it louder)

i listen yee haw: i want to listen to she'll be comin' round the mountain

words that you will understand immediately....and might even be surprised to hear coming out of a 2 year old's mouth...

what the heck???

well.....

i play you iphone?

come on alweady!

what does your toddler say that cracks you up???

bowl-a-rama baby....

2011-02-01T15:07:00.004-05:00

i recently took the boys bowling and it was a blast! while i thought the best part was jacob's cute little bowling shoes (which btw i want to buy him a pair for every day wear!)....andrew will tell you that the best part, was that he won! yes...he did have a "bumper" advantage, but i must say, i think he would've kicked my butt even without the bumpers!

i was psyched to see this offer for AMF bowling when it came to my inbox....(and you know how i like to share!)....

$20 off coupon for 4 or more people....

helloooooo people....grab your family, friends, co-workers, a stranger off the street (well, that's probably not a great idea!) and head to an AMF bowling near you!

for those of you in the NoVA area...there are locations in alexandria, annandale, woodbridge and centreville!

hey, here's an idea...print the coupon and save it for the next time school is cancelled all because it MIGHT snow later that day :) :) :) can you tell i'm bitter?!?!

anyway....here's to your next STRIKE!!!

check it out....i'm on someone else's blog!!!

2011-01-31T13:29:00.002-05:00

can you tell i'm just a tad bit excited?!?!?! i LOVE writing and am honored to have my words on a blog other than my own :)

enjoy and let me know your feedback....

click here to view

GIVEAWAY....

2011-01-28T16:06:00.004-05:00

i LOVE supporting mom owned business like doozy cards. i love it even more when said business offer me a chance to give readers something for FREE!

here's how it works....follow these three VERY EASY steps!!!!

1 - click on this doozy cards link

2 - check out the valentine's day cards and pick your favorite one (be sure to remember the title!!!)

3 - come back to mommy's time out (that's this blog you're reading right now!) and post the title of your fave valentine's doozy card in the comments section of this post

EVERYONE who does this will be entered to win a FREE YEAR LONG PREMIERE MEMBERSHIP to doozy cards ($19.95 value).

one winner will be randomly chosen by the staff here at mommy's time out....and YES...that would be either myself or my two helpful little boys!!!

under the pillow???

2011-01-24T22:25:00.004-05:00

on the eve of andrew's dentist appointment to have the first 2 of 6 cavities filled, i'm pondering what the "tooth monster" might leave under andrew's pillow tonight....

thoughts running through my mind are....

*a rotted tooth

*a penny (explaining that he'll only get the big bucks when visited by the "tooth fairy")

*a bag of rotted candy

*toothpaste, floss, mouthwash....any basic oral hygiene essentials

any thoughts????

REALLY?!?!? I MEAN, REALLY?!?!?

2011-01-24T14:40:00.006-05:00

no one gets hurt....as long as i get what i want

SERIOUSLY....OMG...

I CAN'T BELIEVE THESE ARE REAL CONVERSATIONS IN MY LIFE....

*while driving in car

jacob: mommy look that truck

me: yes i see it

j: what kind truck is it?

me: a pick up truck

j: why?

me: because it picks up stuff

j: why?

me: because it needs to carry stuff to other places

j: why?

me: because

j: well, why mommy?

me: hmmm. i don't know. why do you think jacob???

SILENCE....

*at home

j: i go poop mommy

me: you need to go poop?

j: yes i go in my crib later

me: why don't you go sit on the toilet and go poop now?

j: no! i go in crib later

me: if you go on the toilet you can have a pez *(yes, bribery at its best!)

j: no! i have poop in crib and then get pez

me: no jacob it doesn't work like that. you get the pez when you go on the toilet.

j: fine! then i no go poop at all mommy!!!!

POUTS AND STOMPS AWAY...

me: ok jacob let's go upstairs. it's time to take a nap.

j: why?

me: because it's rest time

j: why?

me: because it's rest time

j: but why? it's daytime outside

me: yes. you're right.

j: why i have go sleep. it not night time outside

me: jacob it's time to take a nap.

j: well.......why?

me: because i said so jacob!!! (ps...i SWORE i would never use this line!!!)

j: (YELLING)...fine then. (pause) but it not night time mommy!

*Please note...I love my kids dearly and write entries like this to remind me of just that!

what's the opposite of the tooth fairy???

2011-01-16T21:06:00.005-05:00

could it be the tooth monster???

i'm not sure what it's called, but it has struck the banocy household! a recent visit to the dentist brought us the news that andrew has not one, not two, but...S-I-X cavities!!! hey...one for each year of his life, i suppose! now...mind you, i have NEVER had a cavity, so i was SHOCKED to hear this. andrew doesn't sit around and eat sugary foods, drink a lot of juice, or anything like that. i will say that about a year ago, he started brushing his own teeth (as opposed to one of us helping him) and i think that was the culprit.

we visited the pediatric dentist who will be filling andrew's teeth, and he was great! we'll go back on the 25th to get the 1st two filled. that appointment will be followed up by 2 more, with 2 fillings each time. UGH!!!

since finding out about the cavities, we've been MUCH MORE diligent about brushing andrew's teeth (we're doing it, not him!), flossing and then using a fluoride rinse for kids.

anyone been through this with their kids? any advice???

if the shoe fits....

2011-01-04T17:20:00.005-05:00

“Give a girl the correct footwear and she can conquer the world”

-Bette Midler

dorothy banocy...this post is for you!

i have been on a hunt for the perfect flat calf-high black boot. i have to admit (and NEVER thought i'd say this), but i LOVE wearing my skinny jeans or leggings with a pair of boots. i've been sporting this look at work, with my dressy high heeled boots, but i want something for more casual outfits too. so...during a recent trip to the mall in st louis, i asked my mother-in-law if there were any good shoe stores in the mall. she replied that she didn't know, because she can't buy shoes at stores. my dear mother-in-law has such small feet that most shoe stores don't carry shoes her size! how cute ;)

can you imagine though?!?! i would save A LOT of money if i wasn't tempted to look at shoes EVERY time i was at the mall, target, kohls, etc!!!

well...she shared with me that she buys her shoes online...so i thought i'd check it out. i wasn't able to find anything on the sites i checked out. as you can imagine, this shoe lover was pretty bummed!

BUT....today i found a great deal....and of course, i want to share it with you. you know how people say that the calories don't count, if you share with a friend?? well....i believe the spending doesn't count if you share the deal with a friend :) :) :)

i found these ADORABLE boots at shoebuy.com....got them 10% off...PLUS free shipping!!! wait....there's more....if i don't like them....it's free return shipping too!!! i have a feeling this is NOT going to help me shoe addiction!

dorothy....you've got to check it out!!! they have shoes as small as a size 1.5.....i didn't even know they came that small :)

hope you all enjoy....happy shopping! and of course, be sure to share your purchases with me....i LOVE seeing other people's finds!

I HEART COUPONS....

2011-01-03T16:05:00.002-05:00

AND HERE THEY ARE....

RIGHT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

NEW COUPONS.COM COUPONS

remember...MOST stores will allow you to use one manufacturer's coupon PLUS one store coupon per item purchased. for example...let's say you have a $1.00 cheerios target coupon, you can USUALLY combine that with the $1.00 cheerios manuf. coupon below to save $2.00 on a box of cheerios! find them on sale (say $2 or 2.50/box) and you're looking at a GREAT BUY!!!

ENJOY!

there are several good yogurt coupons below....not that we'll be using them!

Buy any 1 STAYFREE 14ct-24ct and Get One Free
$0.75 off HORMEL COMPLEATS microwave meals
$1.50 off Ziploc brand containers
$0.55 off one Hillshire Farm Lower Sodium Product
$1.00 off Ziploc brand bags
$5.00 off any Weight Watchers Scale by Conair
$5.00 off on any Leapster Explorer learning Game
$5.00 off on any Leapster learning game
$0.55 off any one (1) DANNON DanActive 4 pack
$0.50 off ANY ONE (1) DANNON Light & Fit 4-Pack
$0.50 off 3 pkg or 1 BUNDLE PACK of KLEENEX
$1.00 off 2 JELL-O Gelatin, Pudding or Mousse 6pks
$1.00 off any Citracal
$3.00 off any Citracal and Bayer Aspirin Product
$1.00 off any One A Day and Flintstones™
$1.50 off any Bayer Aspirin product
$1.00 off any Flintstones™ Multivitamin Product
$0.75 off Wheaties or Wheaties Fuel cereal
$0.75 off Frozen Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits
$1.00 off Pillsbury Refrigerated Cookie Dough
$0.40 off Pillsbury Italian Meal Breads
$1.50 off Wanchai Ferry Frozen Entrée
$0.50 off Yoplait Kids Yogurt
$0.50 off Chex Mix Bars
$0.40 off Pillsbury Sweet Rolls
$0.30 off Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands! Biscuit
$0.75 off Yoplait yogurt
$0.50 off Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries
$0.50 off Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls
$0.50 off Fiber One Chewy Bars
$0.50 off Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
$0.50 off Nature Valley Granola Bars
$0.55 off Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
$0.40 Yoplait Yogurt
$1.00 off Cheerios cereal
$1.00 off Any ONE (1) LACTAID Supplement Product
$1.00 off any LACTAID Ice Cream
$1.00 off ANY 1 Balmex Diaper Rash Product
$1.00 off Disney Childrens' Vitamins
$2.00 off Any 90ct FiberChoice Product
$2.00 off on any CoricidinHBP Product
$3.00 off any Afrin 12 Hour Nasal Spray
$1.00 off any Nature's Bounty Vitamin
$3.00 off 2 Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers
$1.00 off Any ONE Weight Watchers Bakery Items
$1.00 off any Garnier Fructis Style Product
$.75 off any ONE package of Rhodes™ Warm-N-Serv
$1.00 off Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner

GOT MILK???

2011-01-03T14:35:00.008-05:00

JACOB DOESN'T...

as many of you know, jacob has had quite a run (no pun intended!) of poop issues. and yes, it's called poop by me. for those of you out there who are saying, "it's a b.m. or a bowel movement or a stool"...you're just gonna have to live with the word P.O.O.P. for this post!!! anyway....for a long while, when he was just a baby, jacob was very constipated. after several visits to the doc, they diagnosed him with "chronic constipation", which meant he would need to take miralax (a laxative powder) every day. we were told that he would probably need to continue with this until he was ready to potty train. the idea is that you don't want the child to be fearful of pooping (yes, there's that word again!) when they start to potty train. you want them to be able to go easily. more recently, along with jacob's trouble "going", we started hearing a lot of "i have a bellyache", accompanied by jacob running around the house holding his belly. we figured it was just painful for him, as it would be for anyone.

well...eventually, the constipation seemed to end...he had normal poops for a while....until he decided to switch it up a bit...and had diarrhea. concerned that it was from the miralax, i called the doc....they told us to stop the miralax until he became regular again, but not to wait until he was constipated. so...the runs came and went and back on miralax he went. while his poop may have been changing, one thing remained the same...the cries of pain and "bellyache" were heard loud and clear. then...he developed a nasty diaper rash. in the past we'd been told to just use vaseline for said rashes, rather than the thick creams, which can sometimes be more irritating to the skin. when we saw no visible changes to the rash and the cries of pain continued, i decided it was time to visit the doc again. unfortunately, i was only able to get an appointment with the ONE doc i don't really prefer. believe you me, after this appointment, i will NO LONGER be seeing her either! after explaining what had been going on and that i could no longer stand to see or hear my child in this kind of pain, she asked about his diet. now, i will admit, jacob doesn't have the BEST diet, but he has a pretty basic diet for a 2 year old...ya know, waffles, chicken nuggets, oatmeal, cereal, pasta, some fruit, and really no veggies. i know...not great, but c'mon, it's the same diet andrew had at the age of 2...and mostly that he still has today at the age of 6! i don't claim to be a "healthy mom"...just a mom! anyway...the doc proceeded to give me about a 10 minute lecture on how poor jacob's diet is and that if we wanted to see/hear the pain go away, that it was our job to provide him with better meals. when i asked what happens if he refuses the food (which we had experienced with andrew before), she went all old skool on me and said, "it is the parent's job to provide the food and the child's job to eat it. if he doesn't eat it, you simply say ok and he goes hungry. he'll eat eventually." sure lady....whatever!!! apparently you never tried that, and had a kid screaming and throwing a complete fit, while you sat there feeling completely useless as a parent....because that's about the way it happened when we tried it with andrew. meanwhile, the doc didn't even look at his tush....saying she's sure it'll clear up with the right foods! so...i left the office feeling not much better than when i had arrived.....actually i felt worse! a couple days went by and i was still trying to figure out what we could do to make this all better.

hmmmm.....we could try a dairy free diet.

and so it began.....jacob has been dairy free for about 3 weeks now. while the bellyaches haven't gone away completely, they have definitely subsided. about a week into it, we had a trip to the doc office for flu shots, this time with the doc we usually see, who i really like. i asked if she would take a look at jacob's tushy, explaining that the rash still had not gone away and that it was really getting worse. she took one look and said, "oh, that's strep!" huh??? strep....on his butt??? what was she talking about??? well, it turns out she does know what she's talking about....one culture and about 5 minutes later, it was confirmed...STREP! a 14 day course of amox was prescribed and she agreed that we should stick with the dairy free diet for at least 4-6 more weeks.

he still has issues going poop, but i think a lot of it is that he is still so fearful of the pain he endured when he had the rash....or STREP rather!

it is definitely tricky feeding a dairy free child! he loves the vanilla soy milk, which is great....but that's about it. he does not like the soy yogurt or cheese. we also have to be very careful about checking ingredients...you'd be surprised how many items have milk in them!!! so....i'd LOVE to know any kid-friendly dairy free food ideas you may have....and PLEASE keep in mind what i described his diet to be... please don't send a recipe for vegetable soup or a veggie casserole....unless of course, you are sending it for ME to eat :)

ok....i gotta run....we're outta soy milk again....

the road less traveled.....

2010-12-26T20:41:00.004-05:00

what do you get when you combine the following....

2 adults...

2 kids...

a case of water...

a 6 pack of dr pepper...

4 frappucinos...

endless snacks...

dvds...

lots of luggage....

and 18 hours in the car?????

A SUCCESSFUL DRIVE FROM NoVA TO STL (that's st louis for those of you who don't know!)

yes, that's right.....we made it to st louis and have been having a great time here! we left NoVA around 3pm on wednesday, made 2 stops on our way out of town and then sat in LOTS of traffic all the way through the VA/DC/MD area. great way to start a long trip...NOT! we stopped for dinner around 7pm...cracker barrel of course, and then it was back on the road. i don't usually do a lot of the driving, but was feeling up to it, so i continued to drive all the way to zanesville, ohio (almost halfway to stl)....then it was d's turn! the boys were doing great....switching between dvd's, playing on the iphone, coloring on their travel aquadoodles, and sleeping. that was....until around 2am....when jacob awoke with one of his bellyaches. UGH!!! the screaming and crying began and a stop was necessary. d and i knew he just needed to poop and he'd be fine. but....for anyone who has been around j when he tries to poop, it can be quite traumatizing. he screams in agony, as he jumps up and down, shouting "NO"....all while trying to get it out. it is absolutely heartbreaking to watch/listen to him endure this pain!!! we're still not sure what's causing all of this, but one thing's for sure....it is bad! his endless screams inside the silent rest stop were echoing, and even brought the janitor over to ask me if there was anything he could do to help me. i thanked him and told him no. about 30 minutes (and lots of other stoppers-by) later, jacob finally pooped....and we were back on the road again ;)

after that, it was only stops for gas and potty....all the way to STL.

we made it here around 7amCST....18 hours after leaving our house!

we've been staying busy with Wii, reading, legos, new toys, watching movies...and lots of relaxing....oh and lots of eating too :) hey, afterall, that's what vaca is all about, right!!!!

and the party continues....

2010-12-20T15:38:00.004-05:00

as promised...more pics from andrew's bday party....

nanny joins in the fun!

2 of my boyz...

not too clear...but that's jacob & me

the gang...

andrew with one of his best buddies, dagan

weeeeee sarah!!!

spinnin' round....

the birthday king

makin' his wish...

OFFER EXPIRING SOON...

2010-12-20T15:22:00.003-05:00

STILL NEED A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT??? DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS OFFER....

TURN YOUR PHOTO INTO A BEAUTIFUL CANVAS! FREE CANVAS OFFER FROM CANVAS PEOPLE WILL BE EXPIRING DEC 31, 2010...SO ORDER YOURS NOW!!! IT'S SUPER EASY...

1) Choose and upload the photo you would like printed
2) Choose what size. (8x10 is free + shipping/handling after $49.99 credit)
3) Chose any "extras" (framing, etc.)
5) Enter shipping information
6) Pay the $14.95 shipping/handling (this is a GREAT deal for one of these)

party on...

2010-12-15T20:54:00.008-05:00

andrew's birthday was a blast! my niece, sarah, had spent the night here, and the kids greeted andrew's bday at 5:45am! we had planned to take andrew out for a bday breakfast, and by the time we headed out, the kids had already finished 2 rounds of breakfast (that's what happens when they're up that early!!!). so...andrew asked me if he could have ice cream instead...my answer...."SURE!" well....then of course jacob and sarah wanted ice cream for breakfast too. i agreed to let sarah join in the fun, but poor jacob and his dairy-free diet (future post on this), he was left out! so while derek, nanny, jacob and i enjoyed our breakfast, sarah & andrew each had chocolate ice cream. i had told the waiter it was andrew's bday, but that we just wanted a candle and to sing by ourselves...we know how embarrassed andrew can get. he seemed to enjoy this much better than an entourage of waiters belting out happy birthday to him!

sleepover - sarah, andrew, natalie (neighbor) and jacob watching a movie

nothin' better than ice cream for breakfast...

and sharing it with your cousin!

...and the party was a hit! i don't have too many pics, since my camera battery died about 30 mins into the party...but i was able to borrow my friend's camera and will post more pics as soon as i have them from her. this was the first birthday party i've held outside the house and i must say it was SO much easier!!! all we had to bring was a cake, candles, goody bags and the people! and it was super nice not to have to clean up after all 20 guests left the party!

nanny with andrew & sarah

sarah climbing the bounce wall

andrew & karley

(karley's mom and i decided this could be their engagement photo!)

andrew on one of the slides

derek and jacob sliding away

everyone's having fun!

yes...i do have a 3rd child!

andrew enjoyed opening his presents as soon as we got home....and even sharing them with jacob. well....some of them....the LEGOS were off limits!

i'll be sure to post the other pics when i have them...

S-I-X...

2010-12-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

yes...you read that right...andrew is 6 years old today! i can't believe it! for some reason, 6 seems SO much older than 5! birthdays are always a great time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. as i do that, i just can't believe how much andrew has grown in the past year. and i don't just mean his height :) andrew is smart, kind, creative, adorable, sweet, loving, caring, considerate and honest. he has such a big heart! he will sit and read a whole book by himself...instead of complaining of boredom, he will pull out art supplies and color me a picture...he will earn a prize at school and decide to give it to jacob, since he doesn't get prizes at school....he will run into my arms after school and give me hugs and kisses....he will squeeze my hand 3 times to tell me "I - LOVE - YOU"...after squeezing his hand back, he will return with 5 squeezes, meaning "I- LOVE - YOU - THE - MOST"...

andrew has a way of brightening everyone's day...his smile can light up the darkest room!

he is my baby...he will always be my baby...my first born...

as i look toward the future, i can't wait to see what is in store for andrew. i know his intelligence, creativity and amazing personality will bring great things to him.

andrew philip banocy....i love you! happy birthday my sweet boy!

love, mommy

about 38 weeks prego

december 2004 - just a few days old

halloween 2005

1st haircut

1st birthday - 2005

2nd birthday - 2006

halloween 2007

3rd birthday - 2007

4th birthday - 2008

halloween 2009

5th birthday - 2009

halloween 2010

SAVE A BUCK...OR TWO!!!

2010-11-29T21:40:00.003-05:00

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GOBBLE up all this cuteness...

2010-11-24T17:09:00.006-05:00

HOLY SHIT....MY KIDS ARE SO FREAKIN CUTE!!! i know, i might be a bit bias, but c'mon you gotta admit, they are pretty cute! i know it and i'm reminded every day by the funny and adorable things they do and say.

this week brought upon us thanksgiving feasts (yes, multiple feasts this year!) at school. all of the kindergarten kids at andrew's school gathered in the cafeteria to perform 2 songs before their feast. while my video of this did not come out well enough to post, i can assure you that had you been there, you would've been laughing. i don't think one child knew the words...and if they did...none of them were singing together! however....they were still so stinkin cute...all dressed up in their thanksgiving gear!

andrew was surprised by the special guests at his feast (in addition to mommy, of course!)....daddy, jacob, nanny, papa, lauren & sarah!

jacob's preschool held its annual feast today. this non-traditional feast makes me laugh every year. think about it....what kind of food do you serve at a synagogue thanksgiving feast??? you certainly can't serve turkey alongside the dairy foods available. remember...all items must be kosher dairy. so...the school gets quite creative...
i present to you....the egg salad turkey!

jacob is proudly showing off his "thank you tree"...the leaves each have what he told the teachers he is grateful for! how cute!!!

so...i'll say it again...MY KIDS ARE SO CUTE AND I LOVE THEM TO PIECES!!!!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OF YOU!!!!

SUMthing to brag about...

2010-11-22T20:28:00.004-05:00

BEWARE...ANOTHER MOMMY BRAG SESSION IS NOW IN PROGRESS...

while at a friend's house, andrew completed this math worksheet...without ANY help!!!

he has also earned 10 croc stocks (his school is the island creek crocs) for following the croc's creed of being respectful, responsible, safe, honest cooperative and kind. for earning the 10 croc stocks, he came home with this certificate!

we are so very proud of andrew and all of his accomplishments so far in kindergarten!

a week of gratitude

2010-11-14T13:22:00.004-05:00

i decided to post weekly, rather than daily, some of the things we are grateful for...

over the past week, andrew has said he's thankful for....

*pizza & movie playdate with neighbors

*seeing mommy at the end of the school day (ooohhhh.....he melts my heart!!!)

*sunshine

some of things i've been thankful for this past week....

*my health

*great neighbors

*flexible work schedule

what are you thankful for???