The Crocheting Mom

      Cleaning the house is probably my least favorite thing to do as a stay at home mom.  Although I love a clean fresh smelling house, the time that it takes to get it that way is not high on my priority list.  I'd much rather go to the gym, blog, crochet, or take walks with my children.      Maybe I dislike it so much because I feel like it's pointless.  I will clean the house, top to bottom, during the day, but once the kids wake up, and come home from school, I feel like it's back to the way it started.  So much so, that when my husband gets home later in the day, closer to dinner, he'll make a comment about how he thought I said I had cleaned.  And I can't blame him!  Once the kids are let loose, the house has toys, crumbs, diapers, and art supplies littered all over it.  It's hard to keep up with the cleaning, when the kids are not very good at cleaning up after themselves.  Okay so maybe the baby shouldn't have to clean up, but I would at lea

     Now that my oldest daughter is 6, we decided that it would be a good year for her to start giving up something for lent.  She's old enough to understand the reason for it, as well as hold herself accountable.  A few days before lent started, we told her that she would have to choose something.  It was up to her what she wanted to give up and we only guided her a little bit by telling her what we were giving up ourselves.

     It's April Fools day, and I wanted to do something to Ashley.  She's getting so much older now, that we can have more big kid fun.  So, I thought it would be funny to do a little April Fools prank on her.  There was a link going around Facebook of some fun pranks to do with kids.  I had found a few that I wanted to do, but because I forgot and waited till the day of, I only picked one.  The two that did not get done were: making Jello in a clear cup, stick a straw in it, and laugh as she tries to drink her "juice", and  glueing money to the driveway where she gets out of the car and watch while she struggles to pick it up!

     As a parent to a newborn, and now three children, I find life to be even harder.  Knowing this sweet boy is my last baby, I tend to spoil him to some extent.  When he cries or fusses, we pick him up to calm him down.  He loves being in arms and being cuddled, so we continue to do it, because essentially, it seems easier than hearing him cry.      My mistake!  Now, he is in my arms ALL THE TIME I feel like.  Therefore, I have learned to do many things around the house with one hand, or at least with him in his carrier on my front side.

     It's in a pouch so it's gotta be good right??      Well, as a member of BzzAgent, where I receive free items in exchange for reviewing them, I recently got the new version of GoGo Squeeze.  My girls have always loved food in a pouch, even since they were babies.  We have often picked up the applesauce varieties of GoGo squeeze at the supermarket.  So, when I received these that also have veggies, I knew my girls would love them.  And they did!  We picked out the Boulder Berry flavor, but they also come in Pedal Pedal peach (apple, peach, and sweet potato), Zippin" Zingin' Pear (apple, pear, and carrot), and Great'full Grape (apple, sweet potato, and grape)

While I was pregnant this winter, there was one thing I prayed for daily. I prayed that there would be no snow on the road the day I went into labor. Oh of course I prayed for a health baby, and that he had all his fingers and toes.  But what I was really scared of, was not getting to the hospital in time to have my little boy.

Last weekend my oldest, Ashley, had a cheer competition out of town.  Out of state actually.  It was only two hours away, but with having a newborn, a competition early in the morning, and the impending snow that we were going to get, we decided it best to get a hotel for the night. Were we crazy?  A hotel with 3 kids, one being just a month old?

     I am a part of a site called BzzAgent. They send me free products to try out, in exchange for me doing a review. Recently, I was given a can of Dove's Dry Spray Antiperspirant. I was a little leery about trying this deodorant at first. I have had bad experiences in the past with deodorants that just do not last long enough on me, or are not strong enough. Especially while I'm pregnant and nursing, all my hormones are out of whack, and I really need a strong deodorant to get me through the day. I usually have to use the Mitchum brand, because it's the only one that is strong enough. So, although I love the Dove brand for other products such as shampoos and body wash, I just wasn't sure about this.

     The day of, or day after, having a baby is usually a whirlwind for any mother.  Whether the baby is her first or not, the amount of people coming in and out of the hospital room can be a tad overwhelming.  During this time, the hospital photographer will usually pop in and ask if pictures are wanted.  I don't remember this happening with out first, maybe because it was a military hospital, but it did happen with our second.  They come in while your are still in a euphoric state, completely in love with this new baby you have in your arms, and they take advantage of this and ask if you want pictures.  Pictures?  Why of course I want pictures of my precious baby.  What would it look like if I said no?  No, I don't want to remember this day with beautiful pictures?  

     It's that time of year again, when children of all the young classes are excited to pass out little trinkets and notes to tell their friends just how lucky they are to have them in their lives.  It's Valentine's day this Saturday, so my daughter came home with her list of classmates, excited to tackle this years creative "cards".