The Phone Call

Normally my ex calls me 3-5 times per day, obviously to talk to the kids, but other times to chat with me. Why he does this I have no idea - it makes me crazy. So the Beast and I were playing in his room and my phone rings I know its their dad (I gave him a special ring tone) he wants to talk to the kids I hand the phone to the Beast and our conversation goes like this:


Me: Reid talk to your dad
Reid: I can't
Me; Why
Reid: He's creepy
Me: laughing my ass off

At this point I just hand the phone over to my daughter and now she doesn't want to talk to him either because he's creepy!

This is the same day my daughter gets a phone call from a girl in her class, just calling to talk to her. Its her first big girl phone call :)

Famous New Year Quote

The Beast's famous quote so far of the new year. Said to Great Aunt Susie:

“You’re mean to me when I’m bad, and I’m gonna do what I want”

The Gate

 Once my son was out of a crib, they only way to keep him safe at night was a gate keeping him in his room. I had a fear of him wandering around the house and going outside. As time pasted he got the gate was removed and he normally stays in bed (usually yells if he needs anything) and will come find me if he gets up in the night. Last night I took my daughter to see Rise of Guardian and came home about 9. I noticed the bathroom light thinking nothing of it. I walked into the house to find my parents in the back of the house by the bedrooms. My mom is in the hall, laughing so hard her eyes are watering and my dad is yelling at the Beast. My parents put him to bed at 8pm and went to watch TV in the family room. After about an hour and not hearing anything from him, they assumed he was asleep. My dad went to use the bathroom, and found his bed room door shut. He opens the door and the Beast is in his bed watching TV. After the shock wore off, and he was put to bed for the second time, my dad found out he was watching a documentary on prohibition.

Once both the kids were in the bed for the evening I went down to the basement to do some cleaning. I come upstairs and hear a noise in the kitchen. I go check on both my kids and realize my son is not in bed: check each room (TV is off) and make my way into the kitchen. Pull back the kitchen chairs and he is hiding under the table. I drag him out and put him back to bed: His response “I think I need my gate up” Damn straight! Gate goes back up and will go back up every night. The follow morning he tells my mom that: “Bumpa (my dad) is not a good finder, but mommy is” My dad was actually in the kitchen while he was hiding under the table!!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!! To celebrate the new year we did nothing on NYE’s I gave my kids baths and put them to bed since they could not behave. But on 1/1 I took them to the Shedd Aquarium. They had a lot of fun seeing the dolphins, fish, turtles and other aquatic life. By that evening they were exhausted. My boy is a handful; he is wild, impulsive and a little strange. I love my beast with all my heart, but some days he is about all I can handle. Apparently he was playing on some toy and a much bigger kid was next to him. And the Beast started touching the other kids buttons. So the bog boy nicely moved his hand back to his side. My son turned and gave that big boy a dirty look for touching his buttons!! And the proceeded to try and kick him in the leg. Luckily for that boy, my mom grabbed him before he tried to take out a kid twice his size.

This morning my son is laying in my bed watching TV. He wont get dressed because the clothes I picked out are garbage clothes and he cant wear them. He is 3 years old. I try not to laugh as I ask way his clothes are garbage clothes. His reply: they are not my army clothes. This kid has 4 camo pants and 5 shirts that he has deemed as army clothes. He cant wear anything else. Its so annoying. Like usual I don’t make him wear his garbage clothes and just let him wear his army clothes. Now he has to tell my why he doesn’t like school, this is almost a daily occurrence, which I don’t know why since once he is actually at school he is fine. He just likes to stay home, I would prefer to stay home, but things don’t work that way. My son looks at me so serious and says I don’t like school because all the kids are always going: “Reid, Reid, Reid” while that is his name he would prefer to have them call him “army man” and no one will.  I feel its going to be a long year with this kid!!

Christmas Angel

When my mother was in kindergarten she made an angel tree topper for her Christmas tree, year after year it was placed on the tree when she was growing up. Years later my uncle was born and grew up with that tree topper still placed on the tree. About 45 years ago, my uncle had a dart gun, and shot my mom’s head clean off her angel tree topper using 1 bullet. The head was placed back on tree and my uncle got in a lot of trouble for doing this.  As we grew up I watched my mom put her angel on the tree every year. This year, my children, my parents and I decorated the tree and I watched my daughter put my mom’s angel on top of the tree. One evening as we are at home, my 3 year old son was playing with his dart gun. He took one bullet and aimed straight at that angel and shot my mom’s head clean off!! The way it was done 45years ago. I asked my son why would you do that, and he told me Uncle Tommy told me to. So after hearing that I realize my son does actually listen!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

I love Christmas. I love everything about it. Shopping for presents, wrapping gifts, Christmas carols, the food, Santa Claus, surprises, miracles, love, family, friends, and snow. There are so many more things I love about Christmas. I love the snow falling with Christmas lights lit. I just can’t name them all. I love the reason behind the holiday, which is the birth of Jesus. So when my daughter was born I was excited to share it all with her. The lights, the Christmas story, waiting for Santa and of course the best part: PRESENTS! Now I have 2 kids and the Beast is finally seeing the magic of the Holiday season. He loves seeing Santa; I have read his new Christmas book a million times: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and played repeated the song over and over.  And with all that I still see the meaning behind Christmas.

To help my kids’ countdown to Christmas I put up our Advent calendar and almost every day filled with something, maybe something to do, a special story or a favorite Christmas movie. I see my kids getting so excited for Christmas Eve, one of the most magical days ever J So, to you and your family. Merry Christmas, God bless

August 31-How do you feel that you did with this challenge?

I really enjoyed doing this challenge. I feel good, I don’t blog a lot and I had a lot of fun doing it. I couldn’t do it everyday but I saved some of the prompts to blog later.  I loved reading other peoples blog as well as writing in my own. I think this was a great idea!

August 27-How did you get your name?

My name is Ann. My parents wanted to name me Ellen, since my mother always liked that name, but growing up (my parents grew up together) there was a girl named Ellen and she has a big mouth. To this day the woman is loud and will talk and talk. So my dad didn't want me to have a big mouth so they named me Ann after my great-grandmother.  And the best part is I have a BIG mouth I share my opinion I can be extremely loud and I don't stop talking :)

August 17- How did your child (or pet) get their name?

August 17- How did your child (or pet) get their name?

I named my son Reid.

Reed Johnson is a Chicago Cubs player.

Reed Sorenson is a NASCAR driver

But my Reid was named after Dr. Spence Reid on Criminal Minds I love the show I love the character he plays and I love the name. Of course it took me till after he was born to name him, the whole time I was pg w/him I called him Sonny. :) 

August 16th - My daughter

August 16- 10 things you love about your significant other (or kids or pets).

My daughter

1. I love her creativity
2. her thoughtfulness (which usually ends up with her getting something in return)
3. she loves to snuggle late at night with me
4. she will watch bizarre things with me: Call of the Wildman and Infested
5. she loves the Holidays as much as me
6. she loves me unconditionally
7. she loves her baby brother and he loves her (even when they fight)
8. she is the one person that I never want to disappoint or let down so I try to be the best person I can be.
9. she reminds me so much of myself when I was little, with clothes, her room and just all sorts of stuff. Its hard to explain but I try to have a little more patience when she wants these things that I did too
10. I just love her, she is my world. 

Aug 13th - School

August 13- What type of schooling do you currently or plan to do with your children? Right now my daughter is about to enter 2^nd grade. She attends a local Catholic school. I attended school there and want her to have a good education, plus the public school by us, in my opinion sucks. My son will start preschool at his daycare next week. Once he turns 5 he will attend the same school as my daughter. Any thing beyond 8^th grade I will deal with in 5 years.

August 7th - A Skill

August 7- What's a skill you wish you had?

When I found time to type this one, I changed my mind several times. I kept changing my skill. I want to be more crafty, more creative, more coordinated, more patience. So over all I would choose more coordinated. I trip when I walk, cant wear heals and it drives me nuts. I figure if I could master this then I could do things better. I could swim better, walk better and wear kick-ass shoes. 

August 4th - 6th

August 4- What is your favorite article of clothing? My yoga pants or my yoga capri’s and a tank top. To be honest my yoga pants have never been to yoga, but they are so comfortable who cares J

August 5- What's your dream job? Growing up I wanted to be a fashion designer. I would love to read books for a living or organize other people’s house.

August 6- Do you have a favorite author? Not one in particular. I love Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, James Patterson, and V.C. Andrews.

August 2nd

August 2- What's one feature you would have to have in your dream home?

An indoor pool and a library. What more would I need :) 

July 28th & 29th

July 28- When was the last time you "roughed it"? My daughter wanted to sleep outside all summer long. So this past weekend I put up a tent in the back yard, we had smores, watch a movie in the tent and slept on an air mattress. It was the longest night; I heard every single noise, while my daughter slept so peacefully. She even had her doll camp with us. She had fun and I got a cold J 

July 29- How does your life measure up to the vision you had when you were younger My life is nothing like wanted it to be, I wanted to be more than I am now or will ever be. Its sad to watch your dreams die and realize you cant get them back. 

July 26

July 26-If you could have a super power, what would it be? 


To become invisible, then I can go anywhere I want. I could see what people are saying go, along with people on trips and no would know I was there :) I could be a spy and travel all over and solve crimes, because everyone knows that people who commit crimes cant keep it a secret.

July 21 & July 23

July 21- Talk about a free activity to do with children. Splash pad. Now that it’s summer I take the kids a lot. They can cool off and play. It’s fenced in and open 8-8 can’t beat that.

July 23- How do you beat the summer heat? It’s so simple – STAY INSIDE. I hate the heat it makes me feel sick just walking to my car. And I do try to take the kids swimming as much as possible. 

July 20, 2012

July 20- What would you do with the $ if you won the lottery? First I would put money away for my kid’s college, then pay off my bills, get liposuction J buy my own home for me n the kids. Then I would donate some to charities: like, aspca and the spinal bifida clinic and make a wish. Then I would take a long wonderful vacation (I may bring my kids and a nanny, lol) 

More catching up!!!

July 12--Talk about a favorite vacation you have taken. Before my kids I use to go on a lot of vacations. I have been to Italy, Germany and Austria for my Senior class trip. I have been to New Orleans (before Katrina), Hawaii, Florida, Wisconsin, just to name a few. I think one of my favorite vacations was to Hawaii. It was beautiful and hot and sunny and just a great time all around. I watch my Uncle get married on a beach, saw the most gorgeous sun set possible. seen places I never imagined. Its just a beautiful place to go.

July 14- One piece of advice you want to give to your child – Always be your self, never settle for someone’s expectation of you. Be who you want to be, never let people talk down to you or make you do something you aren’t comfortable with.

July 18- 5 things to do if the power goes out.  Pretend you are camping by making a tent and playing games, my son likes Scooby Doo so we go hunting for monsters and read books

Blog Challenge July 6 - July 10

July 6--What is a holiday tradition you have in your family? We have a lot of family traditions. The one I love the most is Christmas Eve.  The past 2 Christmas Eve’s its just my kids and I. We have a nice dinner last year it was Chicken parmesan. Then we open our 1 present which is always new jammies for my kids. Last year I even got pajama pants. J Then we watch a Christmas movie and read: Twas the Nite before Christmas.  I put the kid’s to bed and start my own party which is full of yummy food that I like and watch Christmas Vacation. Never gets tired year after year. Then I wait till the kids are really asleep and then bring the presents upstairs and put them under the tree, the whole I panic thinking my daughter will wake out and come ask me if Santa came. After they are arranged under the tree I hurry and get into bed just incase she wakes up.

July 7--Something you would attempt if you knew you couldn't fail. Open up my own organize/cleaning business. I like to clean and I love to organize I would be great at it J I’m full of ideas. I know I would do well. 

July 8--Song lyrics that you find some meaning in. “If you cant be with the one you love honey, love the one your with”

Sometimes circumstances beyond our control keep us from the one we truly love, but that doesn’t mean to bury your head in the sand it means to go out and find someone and love them with everything you have.

July 9--What are some of your biggest pet peeves? People who take what I said and then ask me in a question form: “Example. I took my kids swimming today.” “Oh, so you took the kids swimming today?” Seriously, didn’t I just say that?????

And people who don’t wash their hands.

July 10--What is the hardest challenge you have been faced with? Raising my kids alone, the hardest part was the first 6 months after my son was born and he had acid reflux and cried all day, taking care of him, my daughter and a house and living with an asshole. I’m really surprised I didn’t have a nervous breakdown. But now Im out of the situation and I still raise my kids alone, but I have more help and support now.