Phin is crawling...everywhere. Today I have been frantically trying to get the house picked up and pack last minute things before leaving for vacation tomorrow. He was frantically trying to mess things up. He crawled across the living room and emptied the DVD cabinet, emptied Ava's play kitchen, ripped up a notebook Ava left on the floor, tried to eat barbie shoes, emptied every piece of tupperware from my cabinet, tried to unplug the computer, emptied his shoe and sock bin, pulled out all the blankets from the drawer under his crib, tried to chase a ball down the basement stares, scattered the letter magnets from the fridge all over the kitchen floor...and I am sure a few more shennanigans that I am too tired to recall.

Life is about to get REALLY interesting...the side benefit is that I am trying to finish losing baby weight. A few days like this and I'll be stick thin before you can blink...as long as I can resist the chocolate in my candy drawer;)

"Honestly!"

For a long time, I was of the opinion that children were naturally honest. Ava would do something naughty and you'd ask her "Did you ..." and she'd honestly answer, "Yes!" I, in my oh so experienced opinion, thought that was because Marc and I were honest and therefore that kids who lied where copying things they saw in parents or others. I am a dork and obviously have a bit of a pride problem. Ava was just little...she soon got smart and despite being raised in an honest home, she realized that if we don't really know what happened she'd prefer to avoid punishment. It is frustrating because I don't always know when she is lying or telling the truth.

We've been talking a lot about the importance of being honest and if she's honest we definitely lighten the discipine and point out that her honesty made the discipline less than if we caught her lying. We just pray about it and keep point her to what is right.

She is getting the lesson;) Today she showed us just how literally she's taking it. Marc was making her a PB and J sandwich. He dropped the jelly side of the bread face down on the kitchen floor. He said, "shoot!" (Good job, babe- dropping jelly on the floor could easily cause slippage of one's tongue.) Ava then asked, "What happened, Papa?" To which her Papa replied, "Oh, Nothing!"

Ava then walked over shaking her head ever so slightly and said very calmly. "Papa, I think you are being rude. If something happens and you say nothing happens then that is a lie. That is not nice." OH MY! Marc remained calm and apologized before explaining that he didn't mean to lie, but meant that nothing important happened. I, meanwhile, was laughing so hard I snorted...thankfully making it to another room before Ava witnessed my hilarity.

She's definitely getting the truth message as well as "using her words". AYE YAYE YAYE! She's only three...

"Mama's gonna knock you out!"

Okay so Ava is in the midst of toddler dawdling. I don't even know what she is thinking or doing half the time, but she easily gets into her own little dream world; it is so frustrating to keep prodding her to keep moving. It affects all aspects of our day. I don't even know how much time to allow for things anymore! She's daydreaming one moment, distracted by something the next! I have tried to find creative ways to keep her focused on the task at hand. Of course, doing it myself works the best...but three year olds don't really want you dressing them, buckling them in, etc.

What seems most effective at the moment is racing her. She loves winning and while we are trying to work on being a good sport about losing when we are playing board games, I am capitalizing on her competitive nature for day to day stuff. I almost always let her win these little "contests" cuz it keeps her at it. The funny part of all this.... she always says, "I beeped you up mommy, I won." I'll correct her saying, "You BeaT me" and she'll reply "yep, I beeped you up!" I have even emphasized the T "Beat-t-t-t, not beep" and she'll get it right and then say, "BeaT, beeped you up". I don't know exactly where she heard this phrase...summer camp has is downsides, perhaps. It is hilarious, but also makes me wonder what the general public thinks when they here her say it. Should a 3 year old even know this phrase? Unfortunately, she does know the phrase AND what it means cuz I made the stupid mistake of trying to EXPLAIN the difference between beating someone in a race and beating someone up. YIKES! I highly recommend NOT trying that at home.

NOT ANOTHER ONE!

I am sure you are sick and tired of my shopping posts, but today I am so excited by my money saving deals, that I can't think on anything else (well, I CAN- Phin is crawling and has yet another tooth;). I won't keep posting about it, I promise, but I am still new at it so the whole super couponing thing still utterly amazes me! Check out what I did today.

Old Navy- $70 on 17 articles of clothing, mostly kids, but 5 peices for me (they are having 50% off all clearance prices;)...that is an average of $4 per item if you wanted the breakdown;)

Okay and now the summary of my grocery shopping. I DID go to three store today because I didn't have my kids with me. (Jewel, where I did 99% of my shopping, walmart, and walgreens)
I spent at TOTAL of 49.68 AND I have 4 $5 off my next shopping order of $5 or more , which can be used individually or all together (so effectively 49.68-20= 29.68)

1 9.5oz bottle Starbuck Frappucino
2 snicker bars
2 Rimmel London Nail Polish
2 4pack of Duracel aaa batteries
9 64oz. Mott's Apple Juice
4 Boxes of Cheerios
2 5cnt. Bic Mechanical Pencils
2 10 count classic Bic pens
9 6 pack/ .5L Dr. Pepper
2 Chef Boy R D Beef Ravioli
1 Hunts Tomato Sauce
1 Mango
1 Quart Blueberries
4 Tony's Frozen Pizzas
2 12ct. Shick Disposable Razors
1 Roll 3M packing tap
2 6pk. Breyers Disney Yogurt
2 6pk. Mott's Applesauce
2 15oz. jars Classico Alfredo Sauce
1 box Scotties Facial Tissues
2 12oz. bags Wacky Mac (mulitcolored pasta)
2 tubs Smart Balance Spread
14 box BC fruit snacks
6 box gushers
8 box Fruit roll ups
4 box Fruit by the foot


Yes, lots of cheeries, fruit snack/rollups things, and apple juice, but the deals were amazing and our church has a food pantry.

Amazing...my pantry is well stocked, which is the whole way they play this thing. I am amazed at it all. Today at Jewel the lady behind me groaned when I handed the cashier my coupons, but when my total popped up, she said, "How the H___ did you do that?" I used to think the cashiers would be annoyed or rude- I haven't found that to be the case (with the exception of the girl at walgreens today who did NOT like that my candy bars and nail polish were completely free), they usually get a really kick out of it. The cashier at Jewel today remembered me from before and said, "What have you cooked up today?" and then when I paid and my coupons off the next shopping order printed she said, "Great job!"

I am flying high off this one- might even have trouble falling asleep;)

Dear Laundry,

Oh Laundry, Oh laundry you must be done, but I would so rather be doing something much more fun!
Where do you come from every week? The size of your piles makes me freak.
You've grown so big since having two kids. If someone else wants to do you, I'm taking bids!
I have some friends who claim to enjoy this chore, but my dear laundry, I think you're a bore.

Every week I fold the same shirts and pants, I'm getting so tired on this same old dance.
And to top if off you like to throw in a stain, scrubbing these out are my existences baine!
Perhaps this means we have too many clothes? We must need to return to days of old.
What did Ma Ingalls do every week? Only two sets of clothes for each person, I think.

I like this idea, but it really won't work, not clothing my kids might make me a "jerk"
and what did Ma do when her kiddos ate? Did they just have food spots on their clothes every day?
There's no real way to solve my complaint; Laundry, you're part of life, even if happy, I ain't
So I continue to scrub, wash, dry, and fold and I'm stuck with you, Laundry, until I am old.

But just for the record, I had to record, that you, o Laundry, really get my gourd.
Consider this my proverbial thumbs down, complete with a ugly scowl and a frown.
On top of that I'm stickin' out my tongue, so take that Mr. Laundry as I get you done.
Yes, that is right, we will NEVER be friends, and I'll always look forward to when you end!