I should be...

I should be cleaning the basement but I am just putting it off as long as possible! Really though I don't see why i have to clean it the only thing I go down there for is to wash clothes! The rest of the basement is Zach's. See Riley gets the second largest room in the house for a playroom and her bedroom, Zach gets the basement which is the size of the whole house and I get a tiny little room were mostly all there stuff gets plied into it!

So not far that I should have to clean the basement when i don't even use it! The main reason I don't wan to go down and clean it is because I have to clean the carpet. yes are brand new carpet and the cat(s) poo on it! I believe it is only one of the cats and it's April! I do not know what she does I think the poor cat has a slight case of IBS and some times she either doesn't make it to the box in time or isn't finished when she though she was. I wouldn't be bad if it wasn't for the fact the the poo is liquid!

I get the spots at the bottom of the stairs and the way leading to with there box is but in the laundry room? Which is on the other side of the basement? Luckily it does come out of the Berber carpet easy. Thank goodness for Woolite Oxy Clean! But in the utily room I can not get if off the cement floors! It's always dried by the time I find it and I have even tried scrapping it off with a scraper and nothing. So when we got the carpet put in in the playroom I took the left over pieces and put them in that room so at least when it gets bad enough I can just throw them out.

But it is still super nasty in that room and I hate it so much! And this is why I don't want to go clean the basement at all!

Where did I go wrong?

So I'm super sad tonight I thought I was doing really well on the budget for Riley's birthday but after today when I bought the cake plates, napkins, balloons and banners I added it all up and I'm at $32.01 so much for being super frugal mom and doing her whole party for 50 bucks!

I'm so sick of dong hot dogs we have done them the past 2 years I wanted to do cold cut sandwiches and cut all the bread slices into dino shapes! Right now for food and drinks with that menu I'm guessing some were in the neighborhood of 30 bucks. I also still need to get favors. Riley asked for Dinosaur hats which are these foam dinosaur shapes hats she saw them at the $ store. With 10 kids that's 10 bucks right there and she also wanted dinosaur party blowers. A 8 pack is 3.99 she will not be getting those.

I feel like I took a wrong turn somewhere on something I bought. I shopping around and I believe I got the best prices on stuff!

Napkins and Plates 20 ct. 6 X 1.29

8 Happy 3rd Birthday Signs 3.00

Tables Clothes 4 X 1.00

Balloons 15 ct. 3 X 1.29

Dino Wall Stickers- 1.00

Dino Center pieace- 1.00

Streamers 8 for 4.00

Spray paint for Card Board Cut Outs- 3.40

Invations- 2.00

Forks- 45ct- 1.37

Plates- 50ct- 3.82


:: SIGH ::

Busy FUN Weekend!

Such a busy weekend and fun until Monday at 3:30am for me! Friday I FINALLY found out what kind of coffee I had a wedding a few weeks ago. I hate coffee I have tried it many times and I can't stand the taste but LOVE the smell. So I called the hall and asked. The lady didn't know and said she would look for me and call me back. On the order form it said Citvao which you can only get through a whole saler so she told me to stop on up on Friday and she would give me a bag. Turns out the coffee was Maxwell House. She gave me a little back however the little bag doesn't say what type. I'm thinking either original or house bend.

Saturday we lounged a round all day until the evening and then went to my cousin's daughter's high school graduation party. Riley had so much fun jumping on the trampoline and playing with the dogs. There house is awesome! They have done so much work and it's just beautiful! Love the patio stones and the hot tub and pool! Wish I lived there!

After we left which Riley had a minor melt down but I stayed cool and got her to stop rather quickly we went to Babies R Us to pick out a gift for my Brother In Laws Sister's baby shower that was the next day. That little stinker baby came the day before the shower 6 weeks early! Both baby and Mom are doing just fine! The shower went on as planned and the new Dad got to open all the trillions of gifts!

After we left there Riley and I went home to get Zach to go over to the east side to a carnival. We meet up with his Mom and Sister. Riley had a blast going on the climber slide thing over and over and over again with her Cousin Calvin who despite being 6 and HUGE loved it too and they had a blast! Daddy won Riley a huge Hello Kitty by playing basketball. Which Riley is just trilled with and has slept with the past too nights even the the thing takes up her whole bed!

The bad was I don't know if it was something I ate or the heat but I woke up last night and had a very bad IBS attack and Zach had to stay home this morning so I could sleep since I was up all night sick.

Riley is totally in love with the Toy Story movies. She has not seen 3 yet but will watch 1 & 2 all day if we let her which she got today since Daddy went into work at Noon and Mommy still wasn't feeling that well. She ran around the house pretending to be Buzz Lightyear talking into her arm saying came in Star Command, running with her eyes closed saying "I Can Fly!" and saying TO Infinity and Beyond! It was just too cute she did this all running around in just a shirt and Underwear which mad it even cuteier! Zach got it on tape!

Riley has been doing SO much better and me as well! I know when a tantrum is coming and I nip it in the bud before it gets too bad. I've learn that giving her 2 choices is the way to go. It's either you will do this and then we can do this or you will do this and you can't do that. But she knows either way she's going to do what I want. So it was a very good weekend and she was very good today also so I'm crossing my fingers that this will keep up!

Now I'm not saying she is as sweet as pie all day long and doesn't everything right when I ask i know that will never happen but there is no yelling and screaming and me going off the deep end just to get her to come inside or something.

She is noticing that when she behaves good things happen like all the fun we had this weekend. I wasn't going to take her to the baby shower but she was so good in the store and slept till 10:15 on Sunday that I decided too.

Today we finally made it to the ice cream truck! I have been trying all summer! Most of the time it doesn't come down the street even! Today I heard it and I said come on Riley hurry lets get pants on! She was in her nigh shirt and me in mine at 5pm because I didn't feel that great. I got my pants on and was trying to get hers on when I heard the truck pass the house. I said forget it and we ran down the street holding hands nither of with shoes and socks me no bra and my hair wild and Riley in her T-shirt yelling "Wait Ice Cream Man Wait!" They finally stopped for us (I think they we laughing at us and keep going because it was funny!)She got that Dora ice cream bar said Thank you Mister Ice Cream Man and walked back tot he house with me with the biggest smile on her face! And it will be something I will always remember doing with her!

Two of a kind! (More Like 3!)

I came across a picture my mother had posted on facebook and I couldn't help but see how much Riley and I look a like. Other then blonde hair and blue eyes we also have the same temperament! I can see my mother sitting in her office laughing an evil laugh as she reads this what goes around comes a round around!

I can hear the ring of her voice echoing in my head from my childhood when I was being difficult I HOPE YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER JUST LIKE YOU SOME DAY! I can also image my Grandmother sitting at the kitchen table smiling quietly to herself as I gave my mom a hard time and she said that too me! As I'm sure my Grandmother had said to her at times too.

Well guess what Mom you got your wish and pay back is a BI***!


But who could not help but fall head of heals in love for this little beauty!!

Affording Another Child...

Okay is this has been a topic on my Facebook status and I must say I never get THAT many comments so it must be a interesting topic. Or at least one people want to comment on. The is what I said.

"Why would anyone want to have another child after going though the terrible 2s! I know I don't."


I got a lot I comments about it. Mostly that you will want to have more except for one of my Guy Friend who finds me inspirational every time I post something that Riley did bad as more of a reason to get a vasectomy! LOL

After about 7 comment on that I would want another one...




I commented...
"Riley was such a good baby I think I'm getting paid back big time for that! Number 1Why I don't want more is I don't want to be Pregnant again I hate feeling sick and not too happy about having my stomach cut open to have another one. Number 2. They are expensive and we can't afford another one. I don't know how people afford more the one kid with only one parent working.

And a Number 3 I'm adding now I wonder how Riley would take to a new baby. She just about bet poor little Chloe down when she stepped into Riley's spot light of being the only girl!




I didn't get to many comments back on how people afford it. One person said "You make it work". And in another comment she wrote about using cloth diapers and nursing to save money and cutting thing out to get what's really important to you.

Months ago I added it all up based on what we use to get for Riley for just Diapers and Formal alone it's over 200 bucks a month for a baby. Now I did not nurse Riley. I'm not going to get in a all out war about this and I support women who choose to breastfeed but it's not poison to the baby they way some people make it out. That just really upsets me on some of the things I have read. Some people just cannot nurse they try and they try and there body just doesn't produce the milk.

I did not breastfeed because I was on and still am on Medication that you cannot breastfeed on. And it was not a option for me to go off it. Because if I did she wouldn't have gotten fed half the time because I was sick with IBS. Zach loved feeding Riley and so did my mother. I remember her waiting on her toes at the hospital the day after Riley was born for her chance to feed her!



Anyways with that being said it will cost us more a month then it does for people who nurse. I just cannot fathom how people with more then one child where only one person works can do it. I know a lot of people are able to get W.I.C. because of there income level and let me tell you I would have L.O.V.E to have that! Free formula would have just rocked and most likely if that was the case now we would have had another by now. But Zach makes too much money for that which is comical in it own way because we struggle every month just to make ends meet. I remember signing everyone and there mother up for those formula coupons just to get some relief from the 28 bucks we would plunk down every 5 days to feed Riley and then having to by baby food when she got older.

Now Zach makes a modest salary he has a professional job he is a engineer. Now he does not make what he could make living in other state but he also has a nice stable schedule and is home by 6pm every night unlike he would somewhere else.

We have a mortgage, 2 car payments, regular utility bills, cell phone, cable, and student loans. We barley put anything a way a month for savings and everything is on a shoe string budget so tight if you plucked it it would make a nice high note!

So I honestly do not know how people do it or were they cut things! I know the best prices I can get for groceries and things which is Super Walmart. I'm not a coupon clipper because everything I find that we use you have to buy 2 or 3 of and lets face it that's not saving money.

So tell me my very tiny group of readers how do you afford more then one child when you cannot get any type of assists.

Taking the first step toward peace!

Today started off as a bad day but after an hour of fighting with her Riley finally took a nap for the first time in a week! She hasn't been napping very well only here and there but she still NEEDS a nap. By dinner time she is so cranky and sometimes will start dropping off at the table or siting down. I'm not sure why all of a sudden she won't nap she use to be such a good napper! After lunch about 1pm she would go in and drift off to sleep quietly and quickly.

Not lately she lays in there and yells and throws her stuff animals and kicks the wall and come out of her room and slams the door anything she can think of she will do. But today after getting into it with her big time because Mommy is at breaking point with her behavior I left her in there for a while and when back in and told her again that if she doesn't nap she will not get to go in the pool and she needs to start behaving better. I think she actually listened that time and talked nicely too me and I gave her a hug and kiss and she laid down and when to sleep!

She woke up whining something about changing clothes with out her I'm not sure but she stopped. She changed her cloths to her bathing suit while I looked something up online and we looked at pictures of her when she was a baby. Then we went outside to play in the pool and swing and had a VERY nice time.

I'm sure Zach was thrilled when he pulled in the driveway and saw us playing happily together and not arguing or me telling him how awful the day had been. She had a few moments like when it was time to come in for dinner but I stayed clam instead of getting upset and gave a choice. You can either come in the house like a big girl and get ready for dinner and come back out and play after or you can go in the house whining and not come back out to play. She thought for a second and got off the chair she was clinging to and walked nicely in the house!

I've been looking up a bunch of different ways to handle the tantrums and the one I like the best is a little like what my sister said on a comment on my last blog about Riley. It's called a Tantrum place. You pick a spot in the house and let them know when they throw a tantrum they will go to that place or room you tell them "you can come out when you are done." If they come out still going on you take them back and tell them again you can come out when you are done. We haven't used this yet because thankfully she has been good today!

The is also The I message. I FEEL blank WHEN you blank BECAUSE blank. It's making it about you and not them. Also to tell them this a few times a day. I feel happy when you are with me because I love you.

Another good one Which is one I have always known but forgot about using is not say NO & DON'T. Instead of saying stop that, or NO or Don't do that phrase is positively. Please go around and use the steps on the slide so you won't fall and get hurt. I have to say that worked super well today! I only said it once and she stopped trying to climb up the slide and went around tot he other side. She says I climb this way so I won't get hurt.

With Riley is needs a reason for everything and if I would just take the time and give her the reason she will listen. But most of the time I'm so on edge just can't. So like on SuperNanny it's also about training myself!

As for the back talk I haven't come up with a good on yet because most of what i find is for older children. But for know I'm going to do the walk away and tell her she can talk to me when she can talk nicely.

Hopefully this things will work and I won't want to rip my own ears off so i don't have to listen to her. I don't except all days to be super happy but they have to get better then this or I WILL be making a tape to send into Super Nanny! i really wonder what Riley would make of Jo or if Jo would have finally found her match! I hope not because then there is no hope for me!

Our New Bathroom!

I just love how it turned out! It's just how I pictured in my head it would look!




The new tub is wonderful! I got to take a very short bath today with Riley and the cats pounding on the door and coming in and out every few seconds so it wasn't quite that relaxing. (She was so post to be napping!) But the back of the tub is nice and it very comfortable to put your head back! There other one was a straight back and i couldn't lay back and relax.




It so nice to take a shower and not stare at the wall thinking this really needs replaced! The walls are so much higher that know the water doesn't it the dry wall. Which was very nasty i was told when it was ripped out!



Not the best picture of the Mirror but I got it for 20 bucks at Old Time Pottery.




The counter top looks so much nicer with the blue paint unlike it did when the bathroom was yellow.

And there you have are pride and joy a new bathroom!! I told Zach it makes the whole house seem more updated because that was the worse room! And now we rest!

Waiting for Paint to dry!

Yes that is really what I am doing! I am waiting for the paint to dry in the bathroom so I can put the last coat on and go to bed! I sit here with paint all over myself just envisioning that nice long bubble bath I'm going to take in my new bathroom tomorrow night!

We had a new tub and shower walls installed on Thursday. Saturday Zach's Uncle Dave came over to do the drywall work that needed to be done. Bless his heart he worked all day Saturday and came back Sunday to finish up! He saved us A LOT of money I'm guess at least 200 bucks! I primed the bathroom ceiling too while dealing with Riley! I swear I do not know what goes on in this child's head!

Yesterday we went over my Sister's for my brother in laws birthday. She was having fun playing with her cousins and we gave her a 20 minute warning that we had to leave because Mommy and daddy had work to do at home. 5 minute warning 2 minutes and then when it was time she started crying and shrieking. By the time we got to the car she was screaming at the top of her lugs like we were killing her! The whole way home she kept it up into her bedroom she went, she kept it up didn't matter what we said what we yelled what he said we would take a way she kept it up.

She finally calmed down and I went in there to talk to her about her behavior. We have had this talk many times before. She said she was sorry and she went out into her playroom. I had to go to Walmart and I took her with me. Why do I take her with me when I could have left her at home? Because I don't look crazy talking to her instead of myself! She was VERY good! we even had to drive out to Super Walmart and this is at 9 at night and she should be in bed but she did take a extra long nap that day. So was SO good I mean as close to prefect as she has ever been in a store!

She had a melt down when we got home about giving the cat food. But she was tired so we let it go. This morning she woke me up by a nice I'm going to have quite time in here OK? Please turn the TV on for me. Usually I wake up to her whining or sticking things in my face. At 10am we went in her playroom and played then we got dressed to go outside since it was SO nice and cool out. She won't to go to the park so we walked up the street. We didn't stay long because everything was wet but we came home and I pushed her on the swings for a good 20 mins and we went around they yard and looked at all the weeds and told them to get out of our yard!

I had to go get cat food and a RX she wanted to go to Pets Mart first so we did and she got to look at the fish and birds and cats. Went and got the food and I spent the next 5 mins telling her we were not getting that cat treat for the cats. I told myself this morning I wasn't going to yell today I wasn't going to get angry that i was tried of having a shouting match with my 2 year old and I wasn't doing it anymore.

I stayed calmed we got out of the store with out tears and with out the cat treat. Then came Giant Eagle. She didn't want to go though the drive though she wanted to go in. And then she wanted the car chart. Which we were not getting because I needed one thing. We got though that she wasn't listening in the store I asked her to please stop and she gave me the nastiest attitude ever! NO You Stop! I kept cool. We got home and I got her lunch she messed with her milk stuck the yogurt cup on her face and was just plan being a brat anyway she could think to aggravate me. I kept cool.

Nap time she yelled she didn't want to nap I asked her nicely to please take a nap it would make me so happy. (That use to work) I went in and started painting and she sat in her room yelling and screaming kicking the wall and throwing her stuffed animals around. I went in there so many times i lost count and asked her to please lay down and take a nap or at lease be quite. It went on for about an hour and half and then I lost it! She was screaming for no reason at the top of her lungs and would laugh at me when I would ask her to stop.

She never napped she never laid there quietly I gave up and let her out. She was fine until she decided she wanted to help me paint. I told her time and time again she couldn't there wasn't enough room for two people but she could watch. she kept sneaking in the bathroom and getting close to putting a brush in the blue paint while I was on a chair. I asked Zach to come get her. And my god you would have thought he was beating her to death in the other room!

He put her in time out for screaming when we told her to go play. And she just wen ton and on and then he told her if she didn't stop he was going to take a toy, Well when he did that she screamed louder! I had to get down off the chair and go out there because I swear to god it sounded like someone was killing her! I got her to stop and went back in and I don't know what else went on.

I do not know what to do with her! Nothing I do works! When you take her somewhere fun or anything she acts up worse! She acts like a ungrateful spoiled brat! I do not understand it! I have never let her get a way with stuff there has been time out since she was 1 but now she doesn't care she just screams and when you put her in time out of take something away she screams worse! I don't know what i did wrong i must have done something somewhere along the way for her to act like that!

The things I do for my child!

(Me the day I was induced to have Riley. 38 weeks and 3 days)


Even though she misbehaves, talks back and pees on my bathroom floor at least every other day. I spend hours looking up dinosaur cakes, invitations, party supplies and use a flash light to make her toys bigger to draw onto the cardboard boxes from our new tub and shower walls. I sure must really love her to put this much time and effort into her birthday parties! So she never better say I do NOT!

I finished her invitations the other day with the help of my sister Jennifer. She helped me get the dinosaur I traced from the computer to scan in the right spot on paper so we could get the wording in and then made copies from that. I then took the time to color in the party blower in the dinosaurs mouth on each of the cards because I wasn't smart enough to do it on the one I copied!

I have them all cut out, addressed and stuffed in the envelops and Riley put a dino sticker on each one just in the right spot! I'm pretty proud of these ones because it too a lot of time and I think they are just SUPER cute!


I other news we got the new tub and shower walls put in today. Looks nice but we have some drywall work to do which is a lot more then we thought because the walls were pretty bad. Zach said he figured as much and that's why we hired someone to do it he planned on doing the drywall himself when it was just and inch or too but's more like 6 so I don't see that happening. The guy that installed it, which is my friends boyfriend who owns his own company. Gave us a name of a guy he knows for the drywall work. Zach called but no answer and we want it done soon because we are afraid of getting the walls wet. So Zach called his Uncle and he is coming over on Saturday to help Zach do the drywall.

I can't wait to get it all done! The next step is hopefully finding a mirror I like and that isn't too much. We only have so much in our budget for home improvement's and I'd like to replace the mirror and towel bars when we go to paint so I'm going to have to look for some good deals!

Next will be either the lighting, sink, toilet and floor. I like the flooring that's in there but some one that keeps peeing on my floor is making the tiles move because it gets so wet. So we are going to have to replace that I'm thinking when we do the toilet to make it easier on me.

When you own a house there is always something that needs to be done! There is a lot to do and we have done a lot in the past year we have been here! We both talk about how we would love to have the house painted because it would just look so awesome and be a huge improvement. I want to paint it a blue I haven't figured out the trim and the door color yet.

But inless we when the lotto it's going to take a long time to get everything updated.

I'm scared, can I sleep in your bed?

Every few months or so Riley gets in these moods were she is afraid of something in her room at night and I end up letting her sleep in our bed. Last night was one of those nights. She went to bed fine minus the melt down she had when she didn't get to watch another Oswald (yesterday was a bad day) about 11:30pm I heard her crying. I was still up just checking a few things on the computer. My first thought was she got sick again. She had thrown up at nap time but was fine afterwards I believe she stuck her hand down her throat or because she was throwing such a huge fit.

But she was afraid of something usually it's there's a spider on my bed or there is a bug but from what I could understand there was in itchy dinosaur?? Riley loves dinosaurs so I have no idea what that was about. I couldn't get her to lay back down on her pillow. Zach couldn't either at first. The she laid down and about 15 minutes later she was crying again. Zach went in and was in there for a while so I got up too see what was going on. He said she wanted me to tuck her in but what she really wanted was for Mommy to protect her.

I always feel so bad when she gets scared at night time and wants to sleep in my room. Because I remember when I was little and would almost have a panic attack when i would have a bad dream and was too scared to go back to sleep in my room and then what worry about going in my parents room and getting yelled at to go back to my bed. I would stand in the hall for minutes trying to get up the nerve to go in there but not wanting to stay in my room.

So I cave and let her sleep in our bed. Which I hate because I never sleep well because Riley practically sleeps on top of me. And then at 5 am Ella was meowing in Riley's face trying to wake her up! Which she does when Riley's in her room and is why we have to close her bedroom door. Then I worry that I will have issues the next night getting her to sleep in her own bed.

Which we have never had a problem. Riley slept in her own room in her own bed since she was 3 weeks and 1 day old. She was always a good sleeper and she didn't even have a problem at all going from a crib to a toddler bed which is is out growing quickly! The only real issue we ever had was when we first moved in to the house. I would have to sit on the floor next to her crib and hold her hand till she feel asleep. That lasted for maybe 2 weeks till she got use to the house. Which took her a while to do! She wouldn't play in her huge playroom by herself and wouldn't let me out of her sight. But she got over it.

She didn't say anything all day about sleeping in our room last night. She was a sleep by the time we got home from our Wednesday dinner at Gan and Papa's house she there was no issue getting her in bed. She sure is getting heavy though! I almost passed out caring her in the house!

4th Of July

Oh so tired after a long and busy couple of days! Saturday my mom brought Riley home at about 3:30pm. She feel asleep in the car and we put her in her bed were she stayed asleep. We were going out to visist Zach's Aunt and Grandma out in Chagrin Falls. We have been wanting to take Riley to see the falls so we decided that would be a prefect time sinc we were going to be right there.

We had to wake her from her nap and she was still SO tired. She did pretty good though, She loved the falls and at first she was shy of Grandma but she got over it. She did puzzles with Grandma and played outside she was said when it was time to go which was an hour past her bedtime. She feel asleep in the car and went right into bed for the night.

Sunday the 4th of July we were going to Genava On The Lake for the day. I wasn't feeling just in the morning I was in a bad mood and tired! I really didn't want to go because its just so much work for me! To pack everything up having to change clothes at the beach were you either do it in a bathroom stall or in a small area that isn't private. But we went anyways.

The sand was so hot it burned your feet! Riley had fun playing in the water and collecting rocks. It took forever to get changed the floor in the bathroom was flooded so that was fun and Riley had sand everywhere! We found a spot to park and hoped we wouldn't get a ticket. I was getting Riley water from the cooler and i closed the van truck and hit my left shoulder with the door. It really hurt and it's still tender! We went into town and walked around a little bit and played a few games. Riley started getting whinny and we knew we were only seconds away from a huge melt down because she was tired and hot and hungury. We decided to leave and go eat dinner in a nice cool restrunat. She feel asleep till we got to Outback which was an hour and half away. she woke up and had to go potty bad. I'm SO glad we made it in time. I carried her and she was holding her legs together tight! She had to go A LOT I'm so glad she didn't have an accident in the middle of the restruant!

Hollie called and wanted to know if we wanted to see fireworks with them at Clauge Park. I had no idea how crowed it got! We found a spot on a side street 1.1 miles a way. There were people sitting in lawnchairs on the sidewalk and I asked if it was alright if we parked there. Didn't want to park right in front of were they were sitting. They said of course and thanked up for asking and asked if Riley wanted sparkler.

We only made it half way there before they started and we decided to watch them from a street corner. We had a good view too. Another lady was walking and stopped there too and asked if Riley wanted to sit on the blanket she could sit on her coat. Riley almost feel alsleep watching them and toward the end was cranky and wanted somthing to drink which we didn't have.

Yesterday at 11:30 am I layed down across the bed and the next thing I knew it was 5pm. This hot weather is really getting to me and are poor A/C is having trouble keeping up! It will not go any lower then 76 I just pray it doesn't die!

101 Goals In 1001 Days

So I have seen this on other blogs I have read and I thought this would be great to do! I didn't come up with everything on my own I must addmit I got insperation from other blogs. I ended up staying up till 4:30am coming up with my list. This is what I do when Riley is staying at Gan's (Grandma's) for the night! LOL


End Date March 30th 2012

1. Participate in NaNoWriMo

2. Update Bathroom

3. Plant Wild Flower Garden

4. Take Riley to a Drive in Movie

5.Take Riley to Disney World 2-27-2011

6. Have a Spa Day

7. Take Riley to Children Museum

8. Spend a Whole Day Just Playing With Riley

9. Print out my old blogs

10. Visit Dan

11. Have a Camp Out

12. Spend the whole day not talking about money

13. Make a family time capsule to be opened in 10 years

14. Put a bird feeder out in yard

15. Do 10 random acts of kindness (0/10)

16. Write one good thing about Riley every day for a month no repeats - then compile into frame able art

17. Take a Walk in the woods

18.Keep my cleaning schedule for one month

19. Have side door on garage fixed

20. Get a new Roof

21. Have house painted

22. Have a movie day with Riley

23. Mediate before bed for a whole week

24. Take a walk every night at least around the block for a whole week

25. Visit Grandpap with out my mom

26. Stick to the menu plan for a week straight lunch and dinner

27. Kiss Zach when he gets home from work every night for a month

28. Try my wedding dress on for Riley

29. Create a family mission statement and frame it

30. Make a Collage poster of Riley and all her grandparents

31. Have Lunch with my sister’s just the 3 of us

32. Get together with my friends with out kids once a month for 6 months

33.Have a play date for Riley once a month for 6 months (6/6)

34. Have a game night

35. Write one thing good about the day for a month

36. Teach Riley to write her name

37. Turn Computer off for 3 days in a row while at home

38. Take Riley to Niagara Falls

39. Go a whole week with out raising my voice to anyone

40. Paint the bedroom

41. Carpet basement stairs

42. Go to Virginia Beach

43. Wake up at 8am for a week

44. Get in bed by 11pm for a week

45. Buy a new baby book and catch up on it for Riley

46. Put American Flag Up

47. Get a massage

48. Attend Church every Sunday for 1 month

49. Take Riley Sledding

50. Give all the cats a bath

51. Teach Riley how to wash her hair

52. Order Chinese

53. Write Riley a Birthday letter

54. Grow pumpkins in our yard

55. Pick strawberries

56. Go swimming at Nana’s

57.Have a date night with Zach once a month even if we don’t go anywhere

58. Get new plates

59. Watch All The Grey’s Anatomy

60.Get New Blinds for Living room

61. Start Saving Fund For New House

62. Go to a play or ballet

63. Decided wither to have second baby or not

64. Have a sleep over for Riley and Chloe

65. Move freezer to basement

66. Brush the cats every week for 2 months

67. Color with Riley

68. Have a YES day (I won't tell anyone when I'm doing this one!)

69. Get chest freezer

70. Get Riley a twin bed

71. Get up when Riley gets up for a month straight

72. Finish my housework before going on computer for 1 month

73. Learn to Change oil in cars and start doing it at home

74. Get new brakes for van

75. Teach Riley herAddress and Phone Number

76.Get Glasses Dec 2010

77. No TV For entire day

78.Take Riley to Dentist

79.Go to Dentist Myself Dec 2010

80. Have a maid service clean the house once

81.Play Will with Zach

82.Have my hair grow out and get it cut nice

83. Buy All new towels (4)

84. /Go on hay ride

85. Take Riley to movie (7-31-10) Toy Story 3

86. Have Zach host a poker night

87. Put ceiling fans in bedrooms

88. Change hall lighting fixtures

89. Have Zach Change all Light Switches

90. Go to bed at the same time as Zach for a week

91. Make my Pantry so I only shop once a month

92. Find and Plan a family vacation we can take every year

93. Make Riley new bibs

94. Plan Vow Renewal at Sands Resort for 10 Year anniversary

95. Get Zach a new wedding ring

96. Print Little Miss Stories for Riley and read them to her

97. Find 2 new recipes a month for 3 months

98. Spend more quality time with Riley

99. Go to a old car show with my Dad

100. Finish my book

101. Let someone read my finished book

And this Year's Theme....

What big and green and goes ROOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!!??

DINOSAURS!

A few weeks ago we were talking about what she wanted for her birthday theme. I got on the Nick Jr. Web Site and showed her some of the idea. She liked all the ones with the hardest cake to make or blue frosting.

Going off topic here for a minute. Every since Riley was a baby when ever she ate something with heavy cream in it like Cool Whip, Ready Whip or the Hostess or Little Debbie cakes she would get sick right away. We did find out this past spring after she had a cough that wouldn't go a way that she had a milk allergy .06 I think it was but she drinks milk find. So after that all the cream issues made sense. Anyways one day at Walmart they had these really tasty looking cupcakes Blue and White and we got them to take over my parents. Of course she wanted blue and she was dyed with it! I had to scrub her down! Of course Zach was out of town for work and at 6am I was woken with Riley standing in my door way covered in blue crying. I was half asleep and at first I thought she got in the cupcakes but we left them all at my parents and then I realized the HORROR she got sick. She was fine but later that day I ended up with the flu SOOO bad it took me over a week to get over it. Luckily my Mom was able to come get Riley who pooped blue for days and I slept right though 2 days! So anyways NO BLUE FOOD DYE EVER AGAIN!

So we talked a little more about what type of party and we got on Ka-Lan she loves the show but she is not allowed to watch it. They try to teach the kids about emotions but really all they are doing is showing them how to throw fits! Because the little Monkey, Tiger or Kola Bear will throw one every show and Riley does just what they do. And she said Dinosaurs so I goggled it and they are tons of cute ideas and she loved it!

We have gone back and forth but yesterday we said Dinosaurs and that's that! I didn't hours of research and yesterday she says I don't want Dinosaurs I want this or that so i took her tot the party store again and we looked and she couldn't make up her mind so after hours at home trying to get her to decided Zach says Dinosaurs and she's pumped for it.

My goal for this party is to have it be as wonderful I can make it but as fugal as I can make it too! I have added up all the custom store bought decor and WOW 170 and that doesn't include food! Sorry kiddo not going to happen so Mommy is going to have to pull some magic out of her hat and make stuff and be creative!

There are 3 different cake I can make a simple 1/4 sheet cake with Dino's from her toys on top and a Volcano, a flat dino from Betty Crocker or a 3 D triceratops from a site called Coolest Birthday where people share the parties they have created.

She came in last night while I was looking at a picture for a triceratops cake to say goodnight and said to me. " Wow I hope my party cake looks like that! That little girl in the picture is so happy to have a cake like that she's never had one before!" Melted my heart so if that's what my bebe wants that is what she will get!

As for the guest list we are just inviting family and 2 of my friends and there children who Riley see the most and as shared there birthday's with. That will be a total of 11 kids with Riley and 23 Adults with us.

The colors will be Green, Orange and Yellow and I'm thinking Lot's of green streamers for a jungle affect! Who know what the weather will be like so we will just borrow the tents again and go from there.

I'm thinking of maybe trying a few games this year one is a Dino Egg hunt. Riley LOVED hunting Easter eggs so I know she would like this and perhaps a Fossil Hunt in her sand box but I'm not sure on that one yet.

Food- So far I'm thinking Dino shape PB&J for the kids and dino shapes bread with cold cuts for the adults. I'm just so tired of Hot Dogs! I could do Dino chicken Nuggets for the kids but Riley doesn't really like chicken nuggets anymore. As for any other food items I'm not sure Grapes maybe and Gold Fish Crackers or Whales at the Wal-mart brand calls them.

I'm nervous too because last year we didn't have carpet. We got it put in right after her birthday party because that's when the housing credit came. And I'll just say it I WILL FREAK if it gets messy! So I'm hoping to have food set up in the kitchen and to the least messy thing as I can and ketchup and little kids = MESSY

I know Riley really wants Party Blowers but if she wants hat I'm thinking she can make them with Dino Stickers. I need to see who much I can get at the Dollar Tree because sometimes they have great things for yep ONE BUCK!

I'm working on the invitations what I really want is this very cute dino with the info printed on his body but I can't find a blank on so some how have to fix the lettering on Word and print it out on green card stock and them hope to get it to fit so I can cut out a dino shape. But right now the dino copy I have is huge and I will need at least 91/2 by 10 1/2 envelopes and the postage will be more!

Less then 2 months to go now and I'm hoping to pull out a great party for my soon to be 3 year old!

Oh How The Time Flys!

Riley's 2nd Birthday

I decided early that she was going to have a Wonder Pets Party. She loved the show her fly boat was her favorite toy she had gotten that Christmas from her Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Brian. So we had the theme many months in advance. We had just bought the house that July and so we worked are tails off getting the house in shape for her 2nd Birthday Party which would also be the first time anyone saw the house besides our parents and my sister's.

We had a huge guest list we invited 74 people. Only 24 showed up! But we had a great time even though I don't remember half of it! I worked so hard on this party and so hard durning the party I barley had time to enjoy it! Which is why this year I'm going to plan it better! But her is her Pet's Party!

Invitations were printed on cloud paper with Linny, Tuck and Ming Ming on the top.

Colors of course were Blue, Green, Red. It was easy to find just those color's for things forget Wonder Pets plates and things there was nothing but Nick Jr had print outs which I hung around the house.





The "Fly Boat Cake" sometimes I make things more difficult then they need to be! They had instructions on Nick Jr for the cake and let me tell you this the Fly Boat on the show is made out of a Frisbee so it's round! Not the toys and not that cake! So I said for get this and made it my own way!




It's made from simple round cake pans, mini chocolate donuts for the wheels, M&M's and her toys for the Wonder Pet's. Since I though we were going to have at least 56 people (That's how many RSVP yes)I thought we needed more cake so I made this super cute block cakes that I found from the Betty Crocker website. It's just 1/4 sheet cake cut with jumbo marshmallows cut in half on the top! SO easy and SO cute!

For the Menu
Hot Dogs
Home Made Mac & Cheese- my mom
Pasta Salad- Jennifer
Chips
Potato Casserole- Zach's Mom
Fruit- Hollie
Cookie bars-Jennifer (this things are SO good but a pain to make!)
Snicker Doddle's- Gan
Ice Cream- Gan (She had to get it!)





We set up tents outside. Which we borrowed along with tables and chairs from my parents and Jennifer. It was chilly and rainy that day : ( But with out the tents there would have been no were for people to eat. We do have a nice covered patio but the kids ate there.




Finding her a dress for the party drove me crazy! I couldn't find anything! I think I finally pick up that little dress a day or two before. Luckily I had some white leggings that went well with it because it was SO chilly. Since her birthday is the end of August. August 29th same day as Micheal Jackson and they have the same middle name (Although Riley is named after my Grandmother) little fun fact for ya. You think they'd have tons of nice clothes for back to school well not that year!

I did favor's this year because other children were coming. I got notebooks, crayons and I made these scribble cookies. You break up crayons in different colors and melt them in muffin tins. Which FYI I ruined mine so either use old ones or wax paper. I had a TON left over for all the kids that didn't show.

I figured it out today and just that simple party cost 150.00 to throw! The most expensive things were the Balloons around 30 Pop 20 and the Cakes 17. Even though I made the cakes the M&M and all those little thing for it add up! it was still MUCH cheaper then getting a store one though!

We had were party a week before her Birthday because her Birthday fell on a Saturday and I didn't want the party on a Sunday. So for her birthday which was again very chilly we went to Kalahari the indoor water park and the drive though Safari and had Dinner at Friendly's.

We got her a swing set off craigslist sometime in Sept. and a potty chair and some plastic baseballs which she loved. After all that I'd say we spend close to 400 bucks on her birthday last year! WOW

She spent over 2 weeks with my parents while we were moving and we wanted to do something special for her plus the housing credit helped out a lot too! Not going to have that this year! : o

Riley's 1st Birthday

I have already started planning Riley's 3rd Birthday party. Even though it's 2 months a way I find that starting to plan early not only saves my sanity it saves money because I can shop around and I have more time to make things myself.

For Riley's first birthday we still lived in our apartment we were lucky it was a fairly large place 1,150 square feet. We only invited family but between the 2 of us it makes for a pretty large group!

I had a 1st Princess Theme. I was fairly simple with Pink and white balloons a few streamer and banners just the 1st princess napkins and a fabulous Pink Castle Cake! The Menu was simple Hot Dogs which was Riley's favorite food at the time and some side dishes the grandmother's and Aunts bought.




My mom Bought her that cute 1st birthday princess dress at Babies R Us along with the crown. For her invitations I just got some pretty paper at Walmart and wrote up a cute invite with wording like...

A Royal 1st Birthday Celebration

Princess Riley cordially invites you to attend her 1st birthday party

In her Castle at- 3000 Castle Way

To Take place- On August 30th 2008

-At the Hour of- Half Past 5 O'clock




I went back and forth on a cake for weeks till I found this cake on the BettyCrocker website! The had a how to video and it was so easy! The frosting was a little difficult because it was SO hot out then after I froze the crumb coat and started icing it was melting and then starting leaning I had to take off the top trier. I know from working in Tops Baking although I did no baking I was a clerk that even there cakes are froze before the decorate them! And they are still so good! I shouldn't have waited till 2 am in the morning I should have done it 2 days before and froze it next time I will!



I wanted Riley to have her own smash cake so I bakes up a round cake and frosted it pink and away she went!




The day before the party was her actual birthday. We had gotten her a kitchen set in July but still had a couple little things like books and a ball pit for her. We took her Chuck E Cheese that morning. it was Friday and she had the run of the place then back home for a favorite lunch of pasta pick ups and a nap. Then we went to the pool and the park she had dinner at the pool and that was the day all about her!
It was a simple and cheap party although those signs I wanted cost about 6 bucks a pop! The cake plates for get it so I just went with the printed napkins. She had a great time so that's all that really matters!

A little about my life!

That's right you guessed it from the title! So a year ago today Zach and I bought our first house! It was a very exciting and very stressful time in our lives. Our house is a 3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath ranch. It has everything that we NEED notice the caps in need! No it's not a mansion and it needed A LOT of TLC when we moved it but it's our home and it wonderful to have a garage to park in a very large (although uneven) yard for Riley and a huge playroom for her and a finished basement for Zach and my own "office"! We worked or butts off last summer getting this place in shape and there is still a lot of improvements going on. Sometimes I for get just how much work we have done so I will look at my before and after pictures on facebook and sit back and say wow we are good and most of the rooms are even more updated since I posted pictures!

Zach is a Product Engineer and we are very lucky that he works regular hours! Which means he is home by 6pm every night for dinner and here on the weekends. there is some travel but a lot less often thank goodness since Riley was born mostly due to the economy and we are very lucky that he has kept his job though all this. He was doing a lot of extra work when he got home tutoring math online and selling things on Ebay. Although he had a job he had taken a pay cut and there were no raises for over a year. It hurt us hard so we had to supplement the income somehow! Recently Zach got his salary back with a little bit of a raise. Just enough to put us back at even with the budget and for him to stop doing the extra work.

Riley Jo- Will be 3 years old in 2 months time! She is my beautiful little blonde hair blue eyed beauty queen! She charms everyone she meets and they instantly fall in love with her. When ever I'm at the store with her or out anywhere someone always has to stop and my and tell me how completely adorable they find her. When she was a baby forget it I could barely get my shopping done with people coming up to talk to me about her. She just has this natural chrism about her. I on the other hand find it pretty easy to escape her charms! She is a very strong willed child and is also very smart for her age! Which makes everything that much harder with her! For one I sometimes have a tendency to forget she's only 2 and so many months and 2 she can understand thinks but she can not control her emotions and there for there is a lot of whining and crying. She has a memory like you wouldn't believe except when it comes to listening to things she is not so post to do! She is a changeling I'll tell you that but she was the most easy and wonderful baby in the world!! She slept though the night pretty much from day one only waking for a bottle twice and going right back to sleep. By her second month she wasn't waking at all at night. She went off the bottle like a champ spoke her first 2 words(Hi Da Da Da Da) at 7 months and hasn't stopped talking since! I worried so about her not rolling over and sitting up till she was 6 months and then she just did everything at once! She was walking by 8 months and things haven't slowed down.

She pretty much freaks me out sometimes by the things she does like a 63 piece jig saw puzzles all by herself and saying things like Ankylosaurs when she sees a book with that dino on it!

Me- I'm a wife, mother, sister, daughter and aunt. I like things clean and organized I can't sleep if my pajamas don't match and since having Riley hers either! I'm a horrible Gardener and i can pretty much kill a plant by looking at it although I'm getting better. I like to write I have 2 stories I started years ago that are just sitting there because I can't ever seem to find time to write them because once I start I don't like to be bothered which always happens. I made a bad hair choice in November and I'm still watching for it to grow out so it can at least look decent again and oh yes my major issue. I have IBS it's very horrible although I seem to have it under control right now but it hasn't been that way in years! But it also seems to easy up in the spring so I'm hoping it doesn't flare up in the fall and winter because it pretty much takes over my life and I spend my days in the bathroom in pain and worrying about Riley which stresses me out and it makes it worse and it just keeps going around! But I'm doing good now and I hope to keep it that way.

After high school I worked in a day care I was also a Nanny for 2 older children for a short period of time. In High School I took a Early Childhood vocational class which helped me graduate with the highest GPA I had every had 3.8 I had found my calling all though working with little kids I was sick all the time. I never went to collage I new what i wanted to be and more then anything it was a wife and mother. I got my wish. Although I find it easier taking care of 8 children easier then my own and things are not always easier or wonderful but it's my life and I wouldn't trade Riley or Zach for anything in the world!

Let's try this again!

For years now I have kept a journal of some sort. Started off hand written in a diary my sister Jennifer gave me when I was in 6th grade. Then I wrote in note book and then on to Word on the computer. Before Riley was born I had printed out 3 years worth of journal's and had them made into spiral bound notebooks. I still have a collection of journals from 2007 on the computer and even when I wrote in blogs on myspace or on blogger I copied them into my Word "blog". These blogs are truly priceless to me. For I have not kept up a very good baby book for Riley because I don't like the book I have and have not yet gotten another on these blogs contain everything from the date of her first bath to her first word! The past year or so I haven't done a very good job of writing in my "journal's" and I have decided I really need to because she is gr owning so quickly and I will want these to look back on one day! All the good and bad things she doesn't and all the good and bad family memory's we have also.

First thing you should no is I can't spell for poo! Even though I use spell check things slip by! I am not an English Major like my Mother and Sister's! I never could be with my spelling and grammar skills of about none! So NO this will not be a perfectly proof read blog! If you don't like don't read it! This is mostly for me and me alone. Although I hope that some of my posts will help other mother's on there goggle searches for birthday parties or ideas on how to ditch the pacifier which we very recently just did and things along those line. I'm not prefect FAR from it. My house is not always spot less (Shocking Hollie I know!) well at least not they way I like because I'm a little OCD a lot like Monica from friends! Yes my husband has caught me shining up my vacuum! This is just me writing done those moments of my life that I wish to rememeber forever.