100th Post: Positive Vibes

Wow! 100 posts! I did it! Recommitting to my blog has been great! I have posted more this year already than I posted all of last year!

For this post, I decided to step outside the box, out of my comfort zone and post about the positives in life. For those of you who follow my blog, you know that there is always something negative that I am focusing on. My poor husband was fooled for a while until he really got to know me. Sadly, I am so negative a little rubbed off on him. For the most part, he is extremely positive, but I do hear complaints now, which I pretty much never heard in the early years!

So, on with the positive show. Yesterday, we took Mutt to the doctor for these enlarged (huge) lymph nodes he has in the back of his neck. He has had one since he was a baby (I noticed it at 4 months). But, last week another popped up and then a third. They were painful this time and while I was pretty sure that these were due to either a bug bite or a blow to the head from all the toys ESPN has been throwing lately, the pessimist in me took over and started freaking me out! However, after our visit to the pediatrician, I am assured that exactly what I logically thought is the truth! Thank God for that! And, I didn't even stick him for a blood test for my own reassurance! Progress I tell you!

I made a craft with the kids yesterday. Got this great idea to have the kids decorate a beach bucket, write their name on it and then use it to collect those things that congregate on the kitchen island during the day. At the end of the day, the kids are supposed to bring the bucket upstairs and put their "stuff" away. If they don't I throw it away. Win, win for me! I just want it out!

I am also almost prepared for ESPN's birthday! He is having a "baketball" cake. Of course when asked he told me he wants Gabba! Too bad kid. I have the icing color and everything Basketball it is! I have gift cards from when he was born that will start to loose their value next month that I need to use so his birthday gift will basically be free! How bad is that? Oh, but there are $95 in gift cards! Think of the gift!!!!

Company this weekend. And I think I have my act together to get the house clean in time! Amazing!

All this could stress me out, but I will not allow it. As part of my 100th post, I am going to focus on the positive. It takes 6 weeks to change a behavior. so, by June 1 I should be a positive thinker, a glass half full person. Check back to see my progress! I bet PINT will tell all! If those notes are like yesterday's, not so good! However, sarcasm is also a good coping strategy so I would say that would be o.k. on those post its! Thanks for stopping by! Here's to my next 100 posts!

Post It Note Tuesday!

MeMe Monday: Crab Farts

First of all, let me just say this is post number 98. PINT will be 99, so come back and see what's is in store for post 100. I have no plans yet, but I am on a mission!

Crab Farts:(brought to you by the late Captain Phil Harris of the fishing vessel Cornelia Marie). It means exactly what it says. Captain Phil used the crab fart method to locate crab on last season's Deadliest Catch. He took to the deck and sniffed in various locations until he smelled them. And, he found them!

I started using crab farts when Captain Phil passed away in late February. It is a substitute for pretty much any one word cus. I get on my kids all the time for saying stupid, crap, etc. When they were little we used to say "Oh pickles". Now that they are getting older, they don't use the term anymore. I think they feel "stupid". So, I am introducing them to crab farts! Nice huh? But at least they will not be walking around saying crap and the like! Or at least that is the hope! So, when something doesn't go my way, you will hear me say crab farts!

Saturday Shout Out

Today's Saturday Shout Out goes out to Mutt. Good luck on your first soccer game, buddy! I am so proud of you for being so excited about playing soccer this spring. What a big boy!!

Post It Note Tuesday!

See my post from yesterday, its long. But, we had a great time!

Great Wolf Lodge

Last Wednesday, we took a trip! We went to Great Wolf Lodge! It was absolutely amazing! I have not stopped talking about it and it has been 5 days! We arrived at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, checked in, got our water park passes and were off and running. Our room was not ready yet (they guarantee 4:00 p.m., but you an use the park beginning at 1:00 p.m.). We left our cell phone number with them and since your wrist band for the water park is also your room key, they call you with the room number when it becomes available and you do not need to return to the check in desk. So, we went to the water park and changed into our swim suits and hit the pools! The kids were off and running. We let our older two go off and check it out on their own, instructing them to check in periodically. We stayed with the younger two in the "kiddie" area. After about 15-30 minutes our five year old asked to go on the slides and I took him, while my husband stayed with the youngest. I had so much fun riding the slides with Mutt. He had a great time and no fear! After about 3 hours at the water park and a lot of fun times, we went back to our room which was ready by 3:30 and got dressed for dinner. We opted to eat of the hotel grounds. We had heard the food was not that great. We went to Outback, which was a treat since we hadn't been there in a while. After dinner, we returned to the hotel and Monkey and Mutt went back to the water park with me, while Indy and ESPN toured the hotel with their dad. Unfortunately, someone had an accident on one of the slides so they had to close all the slides and the lazy river, which is fed by the same water source for 30 minutes. So we went in the wave pool and then opted to run back to the room, put on PJs and race to the Clock Tower Animated show and story time by the fire. The kids thought this was pretty cool especially because they got to have Dippin' Dots! An absolute favorite. After story time, everyone was ready for bed and fell asleep rather quickly, including me! In the morning, we ate cereal in the room and got to the water park when it opened at 9:00 a.m. This is the best time of the day there, because it is the least crowded. People are still getting up and only those who have spent the night before are there. You can use the water park until it closes at 9:00 p.m. the day you check out. We spent 3 hours playing, ate lunch and spent another hour playing before retiring our suits for our street clothes. Then the kids played int he arcade and we were gone by 3:30 p.m. We made a brief detour on the way home to get some of my husbands new favorite microbrews and were home in time for dinner. The trip was a birthday gift for the kids. For the first time we said no to birthday parties so that we could celebrate all four on a magnificent family trip! I have to say it was well worth it. I had to expectations because I really had no heard too many great things about it. People said it was expensive, it smelled, it was crowded. I thought that it was perfect! It was expensive. The room rate was high, but it was a nice room and factoring in the park passes, it wasn't terrible. The food tasted fine for concessions and the cost was not outrageous. It was comparable to other amusements parks. The hotel was actually very nice and despite the number of wet visitors, it was surprisingly clean and dry and did not smell at all of mildew. As far as being overcrowded, it wasn't. It was full and there were a lot of people, but we did not wait more that 20 minutes for even the most popular attraction and there was plenty of room for the kids t move around and play and no one was ever bored or tired of waiting in line. To top it off I was very impressed with the lifeguards and their attention to the pools at all times. They even rescued a young boy in the wave pool who was too close to the edge and was unable to get to shallow water. They performed several drills while we were there and the lifeguards were eyes on the pool 100% of the time! I would go back in a heart beat and recommend Great Wolf Lodge to anyone who wants a great family getaway!

Saturday Shout Out

This week's shout out goes to my sister Ali for helping me start my business and allowing me to photograph her kids! Check out her beautiful babes at Firefly Studios.