Naptime Blog

I can laugh about it now… so I thought I would share!

Twas three weeks before Christmas, sleeping boys and girl
Not a creature was stirring except for a squirrel!

The house was all decorated, our village and tree
We were ready to sit down and watch the TV.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of electronic toys danced in their heads.
Paul on his chair after we cleaned up our mess
Were getting ready to watch The Good Wife on CBS.

When on top of the couch i saw something stir under the slipcover.
I sprang three feet in the air and ran fast for cover.

Off his chair Paul sprang and called for a hammer.
Not ideal if course, but I was all for the slammer.

At first we thought we might have a rat in the house.
There is nothing that grosses me more than a rat or a mouse!

When what to our wandering eyes should appear
Out of our couch a squirrel, oh dear!

My brother hit it twice with a broom to get it out the door
Instead it went back into the couch once more!

Paul and my Dad got the couch into the yard
Getting the squirrel out of the couch was quite hard!

Now scrubbing! Now cleaning! Now bleaching the house! On wiping! On washing! At least it was no rat or mouse!

To the Christmas tree I went, I noticed a mess and ornaments on the floor
Our Christmas village too! My glass snowman was no more!

We got the sucker out, we cleaned up our home
And it ran away unharmed, back in the street to roam!

Not quite the night we planned, and certainly a pain in the neck,
Every word of it is true, and yes, I was a wreck!
But I have to exclaim, because it is just and right,
“Happy Christmas Mr. Squirrel, and to all a good-night!”

This is a true story. This happened to us on Sunday night!

With four kids, it is often difficult to get one photo of all of them for our Christmas Cards. I try every year and there is always someone who isn’t looking or has a silly face… and then someone gets tired or cranky and it is all over. This year, I decided to dress them in festive clothes on an early fall warm day and take them in the yard. I also wanted to put individual pictures up of the kids because they have all grown so much since last year. I have to say I am happy with the results, considering I did it one afternoon by myself!

I was offered to do a review for Mixbook on their line of Photo Christmas Cards. I went onto the Mixbook site and clicked Christmas Cards and was immediately drawn to one design – “Jingle All the Way”. I put the group shot on the top and made a collage of the individual shots that I added to the bottom. Then I played around a little with the special effects and LOVED the mirror image I was able to do!

I really can’t stop raving about the special effects you can play with when designing your cards. Plus, everything is editable… I wanted to move one of the elements in the card them and was shocked and thrilled to be able to! And the prices are pretty good too! 30 cards for about $30 is pretty standard, but once you factor in how much you can customize these cards, the price can’t be beat! I am very happy with my order and I will use them again!

You can “like” Mixbook on their Facebook page or “follow” them on Twitter! Once you become a fan on Facebook you can get a coupon for your order!

This Christmas, amaze your kids and Catch Santa on Video! TheSantaVideo.com allows parents to create a fun, high quality, video of Santa Claus visiting their very own home. Utilizing green screen technology, parents upload a picture from their home, select a Santa Claus scenario, and let our software superimpose Santa Claus right into your living room! Parents can then visit their streaming video online or download an HD copy to burn to dvd, edit, or add to youtube.

Creating and purchasing your Santa video is easy and fun! The video process consists of three simple steps, 1. choose a picture, 2. select a video of santa (skit), and 3. select music (optional) – Then click “Done”. The video can then be reviewed and purchased for $14.95, or $10.95 after receiving a coupon for “liking” them on facebook. Once purchased, the user will receive the video “Instantly” by email, and they can then share the video with a unique streaming link, or download the video to share on youtube, facebook, or perhaps burn to DVD or edit further.

HINT!!!!! As you probably know all too well, kids don’t miss a thing! Your video should have as close to the same background that your house will have when your children go to sleep that night. If you know ahead of time that the presents in the video are wrapped a certain way, and that the cookies we used are chocolate chip, etc. they will be able to go through the process more smoothly on Christmas Eve. You can also make your video on Christmas Eve!

Every year, my husband and I go out early Friday morning to go Black Friday shopping.  The last two years, we actually left the house just before midnight on Thanksgiving to start early.  We always do well, getting laptops, cameras, printers, etc.  This year, we do not have any “door busters” that we really need to get, so I am still on the fence with whether or not to go out Friday morning.

Actually, I have seen so many sales that we can do online for this coming week.  I may take advantage of a lot of those.  As a matter of fact, I have been compiling a list of sales and will share what I find with you later this week.  I like the idea that Walmart allows you to shop online for many of their door busters, as does a few other stores. 

Have you started your holiday shopping yet?  Will you be going out early Friday mornign?

As Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I’m making up my list of people to invite for turkey day at my house. Between 2005 – 2008, I found myself having Thanksgiving mostly with kiddo and not with my family. I’ve still got my father, my sister and three brothers – plus aunts and uncles. The problem – no one gets along with one another. My sister can’t stand my father, my older brothers can’t stand my younger brother and well, a true family gathering is tough for me.

So I started a new tradition for Thanksgiving 2009 – a “Single Moms” Thanksgiving. By 2008, I was home around 6pm from a friend’s home feeling alone and deflated. It reminded me of when my mom passed  away – as if I lost my footing. And I did. So I got two of my fellow single moms and their kids and celebrated the first Single Moms Thanksgiving. And we all had a great time, such a great time that I did it again last year. Granted, there was a change in characters, but I had a blast.

This year, I got a jump on Thanksgiving by asking my father early last month what he and his companion would be doing. Last year, they spent Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico. This year, she stated that she was going to stay home. And then I invited them both. I’m so excited to have a semi-traditional Thanksgiving with my father, his companion, my son and my best friend and her son. Can’t say that I’ve been more excited and nervous in a long time to cook for my father, but I’m very happy. Parents – do you have Nontraditional Thanksgivings?

Here we are…  tomorrow starts the beginning of Thankgiving week.  Undoubtedly, you have some preparations to do this week.  Whether you are hosting or visiting, you have to get ready for Thursday.  How much do you have to do this week?

I have been up since 6am.  I have laundry in the wash, I cleaned out the refrigerator and made my husband a list of grocery shopping.  When he comes home from the grocery store, I have to put everything away.  We are headed into the city for a pre-screening of THE MUPPETS, and then I have to come home and finish getting ready for our Thanksgiving Potluck/Food Drive tomorrow.

I am hosting Thanksgiving this year.  Usually we go to my mother-in-law’s, however, I wanted to make it easier on her as she is going for surgery in a few weeks, so we are having it here.  Twenty-three people, including eight kids.  And it is an Italian household, so we are going to have enough food to feed an army!

First on the menu is the antipasto.  My mother-in-law will be bringing that and it will likely have various cheeses and salamis, plus some roasted red peppers, an olive salad and lots of bread.  My mom is making stuffed mushrooms, which she makes soooo delicious!  Next is the pasta (we will always refer to it as macaroni!)  This year, instead of the standard meat sauce, we are having a simple marinara.  Too much of the macaroni and meatballs ends up with no one wanting turkey!  Of course, then is the turkey and all the sides.  On our list we added cranberry sauce, ingredients to make fresh stuffing, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, broccoli, string beans and corn.  And my favorite food – stuffed artichokes.  We also have to make a chicken as my mother-in-law does not eat turkey.  I am sure I am forgetting some other things, but you get the picture.

Next is the fruit, which cousin Jeanie will be bringing.  Following fruit is nuts – walnuts, almonds, and yummy chestnuts.  And finally is desserts.  We’ll be making an apple and pumpkin pie, and I am sure everyone else will bring some other desserts.

On holidays, everyone goes home stuffed.  The hosts are exhausted and the kids sleep like logs that night!  For me, 6am Friday morning starts WIN IT WEEKEND, on my Mommy’s Links site,  and I am not sure yet if I will be heading out shopping for any of the Black Friday sales.  And then of course the MAD RUSH begins….  Preparing for CHRISTMAS!

Where did the year go?  I cannot believe I am saying this already,  but Happy Holidays!

What are your preparations for this week?

Jennifer, wife and mom of four
www.mommyslinks.com

If you are on a budget or just want to do something different for your little ones Harvest Day or Costume party, just Google image costumes for a ton of cool “DO-it-yourself” ideas! There are many commercial costumes available at the local stores, however between the cost, and lack of imagination, nothing beats homemade.

All you need is an imagination and a junk closet, like most of us have. J

Here are a few ideas:

*Charlie Brown classic – the white bed sheet with holes. How charmingly retro!

*For an angel use the same ghost’s sheet and make a halo with kitchen foil!

*Any old large box you may have could be wrapped in wrapping paper & your kid c     could be a present/gift.

*Scarecrow:  Over sized flannel shirt, faded blue jeans with patches, rope for belt and to tie at the cuffs of his jeans and sleeves, stuff the shirt and jeans with plastic grocery, or paper, a little bit of straw to hang out of jeans and shirt.

If you just sit back & think there are tons of easy & affordable costumes right in your closet.

Shanta’

I was offered the opportunity to review a costume from Costume Discounters. In our house, there is not a day that goes by without Yo Gabba Gabba! So how fitting was it when I was searching through the Halloween costumes for toddlers… I HAD to choose a YoGabbaGabba costume!

Having four children, three under three, and ALL fans of YoGabbaGabba (we have been talking about seeing YoGabbaGabba! Live! since they announced the show was returning MONTHS ago… we saw it LAST year!), I am thinking about making each of them choose a character from the show and do a YoGabbaGabba themed Halloween at our house! Louis loves the color YELLOW, so he is always talking about Plex. Anthony LOVES Muno, so he would be thrilled to be him for Halloween. And Joseph loves them all, and since he is the shortest, he would make a great Brobee! Now the question is, can I get my nine year old daughter to be one of the girl characters? I already know my husband will not agree to be DJ Lance Rock… yep, the last thing he would EVER agree to would be to wear that bright orange and yellow skin tight outfit!

I chose to review the Brobee costume. I was curious as to the quality of the costume, and since Brobee is a furry character, I was curious how heavy it was and how it would affect the kids should Halloween this year be warm. As soon as the boys see the UPS, FedEx or USPS delivery man at the door, they immediately want to know what is in the box. So when I opened it up and they saw the Brobee costume, they were so excited! All the boys had to try on the hat and gloves, and they were just thrilled at what the delivery man brought today! So was Mommy

I tried to put the costume on Joseph, but he was not happy. “PLEX!” ,”PLEX!” was all he kept yelling out. “I want to be PLEX!” Ut oh. I had never thought about what I would do if two of the kids wanted to be the same character! Before I could even give it a second thought, Anthony volunteered to try on the costume. He was just ecstatic! Anthony, of all my boys, is the BIGGEST YoGabbaGabba fan. He didn’t want to take the costume off and whenever I tried, he would tell me “I LIKE TO DANCE!” But it was Louis’ turn to try the costume on, and he was all to happy to do so.

I had received the delivery within 3 days, which was amazing. I was worried it might be too small, but was relieved when I saw the return policy was clear on the invoice. I was even more relieved when I realized it fit the boys perfectly. Costume Discounters has a great selection of costumes… you should definitely check it out! But hurry! In the blink of an eye, Halloween will be over!

Disclaimer: I was provided product for review from Costume Discounters. No other compensation was provided.

Jennifer
Wife, mom of four, and Owner: Mommy’s Links

The days and weeks just fly by.  I cannot believe another summer has “unofficially” come and gone.  Today is Labor Day.  Where has the summer gone?  Tomorrow, we will not be able to wear white again until next May (but how many of us actually follow that these days???) and football will be on many televisions in our homes for the next few months (oh joy!)  And for those of us who have children in school, if they have not already, the kiddies will be off to school this week.

My oldest child is starting the fourth grade on Wednesday!  She is growing into a fine young lady (when she is not driving me bonkers chasing her little brothers and trying to sneak in the kitchen to make Juliana concoctions).  My little girl is now writing script, in pen, and performing multiplication and division.  Helping her with homework, which used to require little effort, now actually makes me have to think to check it!  It feels like yesterday when I held her tiny 6lb 5 oz body in my arms for the first time and looked into her beautiful brown eyes in amazement that she was mine.  And now she’s starting the fourth grade!

The next few days will also mark a huge milestone for my twins.  On Thursday, I attend parent orientation for nursery school.  We have been talking about it for weeks, and they are all excited about starting school.  But following each and every school conversation is “But Mommy, you are going to be right outside, right?”  I just hope they both enjoy it!  I wonder which one will cry (I personally think it is either all or nothing as my twins tend to get nervous when their twin gets nervous) and wonder which one will be so excited to meet their new classmates?  Their first day is next Tuesday.

On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, the baby and I will have time by ourselves.  As the youngest of four, Joseph has really never had my attention all to himself, so this should be fun!  His birthday is coming soon, and I just pray he doesn’t go through the terrible twos like his brothers did…  Just like everything else, I am planning on taking the next few weeks day by day!

Enjoy your holiday!

If you have been following along for a while, last year I posted about our family’s experience in Disneyworld.  My husband and I had decided last minute to take all four kids (by car, from NYC to Florida) to Orlando for a vacation.  While we had a great week, we only made it to a Disney park one day.  After our day at the Magic Kingdom, we had had enough for quite a while.  We found it so difficult to wait on the lines with two toddlers, a baby and our daughter, and we realized the little guys were too young to fully enjoy the experience. 

I had wondered if we were true gluttons for punishment when we decided to return to Orlando this spring.  We decided to fly (yes, with all the kids) and try it again.  This time, my mother-in-law would be joining us for half the week, my two aunts would be driving and meeting us down there, and my husband’s cousins would also be there that week vacationing with their family.  Paul has another cousin who recently moved to Orlando to work, and her mother was visiting that week as well.  If nothing else, we would have plenty of help around us!  Although I didn’t sleep at all the night before we flew, I was determined to try our best and enjoy our trip.

The biggest complaint I could have possibly had from the week (and since it was late April in Florida I certainly expected it!) was the heat.  Pushing strollers or chasing after little guys can really be tiring in 95 degree temperatures. 

The flight down was amazing.  The boys all fell asleep within moments of taking off.  I guess they were exhausted from being up so early that once they saw us up in the air, the novelty wore off and they decided to nap.  Waking up with only forty-five minutes left in the flight, watching Toy Story 3 and having some snacks was all they needed to enjoy their flight (and OURS!)

We colored Easter eggs that evening in our condo, then enjoyed Easter Sunday dinner at my uncle’s house, about a forty-five minute drive away.  Earlier that morning, we took the kids into one of the resort pools, and they had a blast.  They had absolutely no idea how that was only the beginning.  We headed to The Magic Kingdom on Monday.  This time, there were eight adults and six children.  It was wonderful to have so many hands to help out.  The kids loved all the rides.  My daughter got to ride on Space Mountain (and so did I!), and she was so excited.  Louis’ favorite was the Buzz Lightyear ride.  Anthony’s favorite was the Snow White ride (minus the “bad witch part”), and Joseph had the absolute best time dancing it up in the Country Bear Jamboree.  We saw both the afternoon and the electrical parade (although two of my four kids fell asleep by then!) and everyone truly enjoyed themselves.

We headed to Hollywood Studios the next day.  I really love that park.  My husband, daughter and I went on the Aerosmith roller coaster and it was WILD!  The boys had the best time in Toy Story Mania (and the set up was adorable!) and they loved the Disney Junior show.

Wednesday and Friday we stayed at our resort and took the kids to the on-site waterpark.  What a truly awesome place!  Thursday we went to Epcot, and it was spectacular as always.  Unfortunately, due to the intense heat and everyone’s exhaustion, we were unable to visit all the countries, but the kids loved the ride inside the sphere and the Finding Nemo ride.  I loved going through the Mexico boat ride, how beautiful and relaxing!

Heading back home on Saturday, we visited Downtown Disney and the Boardwalk Resort before heading to the airport.  While I expected the kids to nap again on the plane, they had other plans.  We were sad to leave, but in all honesty, I was beat and happy to be going home.

Not quite sure when we are going to plan our next Disney trip, but we intend to start saving for it very soon.  My husband wants to go back late next year, but we will see.  We really did have a magical week!