A vacation

My husband has been working a lot lately. Normally, I would be all pissy about him never being home to help out, but since money has been tight lately, I have been trying to be more encouraging. Fortunately, Johnny is taking a week of his vacation time next week.

Honestly, this vacation couldn't come at a better time. With John working so much overtime, I have been feeling a little burnt out lately. I never feel like cooking (but I still do it). I never feel like taking the kids to the park (but I still do it). I never feel like washing/folding laundry (but I still do it). I am looking forward to a week of help. A week of cooking together, folding laundry together, and playing with the kids together. A week of fun with my little family.

Wish me luck:)

Kids nowadays

We went to the movie theater yesterday. My daughter was a huge brat. HUGE. Things were great until Porgie decided to start SCREAMING in the middle of the movie because she wanted to leave. Fine, let's go. When we got to the door, she started SCREAMING to go back in and watch the rest of the movie. Umm...no way little girl.

As I dragged my screaming daughter through the lobby, Izzy started whining to go to the potty. I quickly pulled them into the bathroom, where my daughter continued to SCREAM because she really really really wanted to go back to watch the movie. While Izzy was peeing, Porgie started with the gagging. Remember how my daughter used to make herself puke all the time? Well, she no longer does that - except for when she is really really really upset.

Because I am an awesome parent, I looked at her and said, "If you puke in this bathroom, you are going to be in BIG trouble!" She continued gagging. Another mother ran up to me and said, "Your daughter is choking!" I responded by rolling my eyes and ignoring my horrible child.

We finally made it out to the parking lot. I was sooooo angry with Porgie. I plopped her into her car seat and made a rule that there was to be NO talking the entire way home. She must have sensed my anger, because she didn't make a peep during the 20 minute drive.

It was a bad morning. I don't understand why my lovely, well behaved daughter decided to go insane. As punishment, we are going to skip the movies for a few weeks. I am kind of embarrassed to show my face in there again.

My bestest internet buddy

So, I have been baking like a fool lately. Yesterday I baked a loaf of bread, some french toast muffins, a chocolate cheesecake, and a lentil casserole. HOLY GUACAMOLE! In the middle of my baking frenzy, I managed to get chocolate all over my shirt. I thought "Gee Christy, it would be really great if you had an apron." Then the strangest thing happened. I went out to check the mail, and I noticed a package from my lovely friend Eva. I opened it up, and it was an APRON! How weird is that?
Taking a picture of yourself with an apron on while strategically avoiding your face is surprisingly hard. This was the best I could do. Eva just moved to Sweden this past Spring. Apparently the print on the apron is the royal pattern for the Swedish Princess's recent marriage. Now I can bake and feel like royalty at the same time:)

Thank you Eva. You are an awesome friend.

Kids Bowl FREE

Our local bowling alley lets kids bowl free all summer long. I have already taken advantage of this awesome deal twice in the past week. FREE! I love free!


Bowling with your kids is surprisingly fun (especially when it is FREE). I highly recommend giving it a try!

Silly Junk

The best thing to ever happen to my daughter...Rubber bands shaped like sea creatures. Porgie has flipped out over Silly Bandz. One of her little friends had some Silly Bandz, and my baby girl was smitten. She thought they were AWESOME. She keep asking me for some Silly Bandz, but for several weeks I refused to buy them. They are kind of expensive for RUBBER BANDS.

One afternoon I seen a pack of knock-off Silly Bandz at the Dollar Store. I didn't mention it to Porgie, because she had temporarily stopped asking about the goofy bracelets. Of course the next day she was asking me for Silly Bandz again. I thought, what the hell it is only a dollar, and we headed over to the dollar store. Porgie was bouncing in her seat with excitment. But when we got into the store, we couldn't find the braclets. A worker informed us that they were all sold out. Porgie was heartbroken. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, but she held it together. I promised her that we would go back to the dollar store next week and buy her some Silly Bandz.

Today we had to run to the craft store for some yarn. We were in line paying when Porgie spotted a pack of Silly Brandz. Her eyes lit up, and she jumped up and down. I ended up paying $5 for a pack of rubber bands. But she loves them, and I love her, so those silly rubber bands are worth it.

Cat piss is ruining my life

We have cats. To be exact, we have three cats. Three horrible, disgusting, pissy fur balls.

A cat (or possibly cats) is pissing on the floor beside our furnace. The lovely furnace sends pissy fumes throughout my house every time the air conditioning kicks on. When you walk into my house, the smell of cat piss hits you in the face.

I cleaned the floor with soap and water. The next day it was pissy again. I sprayed the floor with expensive chemicals. The next day it was pissy again.

Because my house smells like piss all the damn time, I have been a little crabby lately. Just ask my husband. John keeps suggesting really stupid things to fix the problem. For example, he suggested moving the litter boxes next to the furnace. This confirmed my suspicion that he is a complete moron. I have much better solution. I think we should box up all the cats and leave them on the front steps of the animal shelter.

I am kidding. Kind of.

Fucking cats.

Cheesecake

I have been talking continuously about cheesecake for the past month. I just really, Really, REALLY wanted some cheesecake. After all of my whining, I finally made a cheesecake on Monday. It was okay - a little too fluffy and light for my liking. I wanted a thick, rich cheesecake. I did make a strawberry topping to drizzle over the cheesecake, which was amazingly delicious. Here is some photographic evidence...
This was no-bake cheesecake. I selected this recipe because it did not require eggs. Since we do not eat eggs, I was excited to give this cheesecake a try. Unfortunately, this wasn't what I was hoping for. Maybe next time I get a craving for cheesecake, I'll just buy a piece from a restaurant and save myself all of the time and trouble.

Crooks

Want to hear a "funny" story? Well, we paid off our Chase credit card last month. It felt so damn good to send in that last payment. Yesterday we received a statement from Chase for $1.50. The charge was labeled as a "Minimum Interest Charge." What? We were charged $1.50 for...nothing. We have had no balance on our card for the entire month. Additionally, we closed our account! How in the hell does a company charge you fees AFTER you closed your account? John called and they reversed the charge, but it is the principle of the whole thing.

In summary, credit card companies are evil. They will bleed you dry if you let them. I will never do business with Chase again. EVER. And I recommend you do the same.

MONEY

Because the universe hates me, I received a statement on Friday letting me know that our car insurance is increasing by $15 per month. GREAT. I have my husband to thank for this one. He got a ticket last year, which triggered the rate increase. It really pisses me off, because the ticket was for a minor traffic violation. He didn't wreck his car or kill anybody or drive around intoxicated. He got a flipping driving ticket. So, now I am in the process of getting auto insurance quotes.

It feels like every time we turn around, someone wants more money from us. It is disappointing and frustrating and discouraging. But we are forging ahead with our debt reduction plans and are trying to cut other expenses. My husband has recently started mowing the lawn again. For the past two years, we have hired a lawn service to mow our yard. It was $25 a week, so we are saving $100 per month! I tried to convince John to get rid of cable, but he is being really stubborn about this one. We really don't watch much TV. Actually, I don't watch any television (except for How I Met Your Mother, but it isn't on right now). John only watches a few news shows. So despite the fact that cable is a huge waste of our money, we are still paying the Comcast bill.

Other than trying to cut down on the amount I spend at Target every week (gulp!), I can't really think of any other ways to save money right now. So, our next step is to build up an emergency fund, and then to start aggressively paying down a home equity line of credit we currently have. Paying off debt is oddly addictive, and I am kind of excited to start this next adventure.

Riding Bikes

Have a lovely weekend!

Having too much fun results in living in filth

We are poor right now, and all of our memberships to the local kiddie places have expired. I thought this would really limit our fun this summer. However, we seem to be just as busy as ever. The key to my success is always saying yes. Every time a friend invites us somewhere for free, I happily agree to go. Also, I have been keeping my eyes peeled for free activities. We have already been to the Philly Zoo (twice), The Discovery Museum (twice), The Please Touch Museum (once), Regal cinemas (Twice), and the local swim club (twice). I haven't paid a penny for any of these activities. Call me Mrs. Frugal Breeches!

Yesterday we went to a free event sponsored by the county parks system. It was called "Snakes, Scales, and Turtle Tales" or something like that. We seen a 100 pound alligator! And a 100 pound snake! We also seen a HUGE turtle and an ENORMOUS lizard. It was pretty awesome. My kids were completely and totally fascinated. They sat through the entire show without whining! The looks on their faces were priceless.

With all this activity, it seems like I haven't cleaned my house in AGES. I have a huge pile of laundry, as well as two baskets of clean laundry that still need to be put away from last week. I hate that the house requires so much damn work to maintain. Oh, the joys of being a stay-at-home-mommy.

Rain rain go away

I almost DIED today. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating. But the weather was really freaking me out. What is with me and thunderstorms lately?

So, I decided to go to a Mommy and Me playgroup at a local church. The first time I went was about a month ago. It was fine, but I definitely felt like the odd man out. None of the other mothers really made an attempt to talk to me. They hung out in their little groups, while I hung out with the kids. It was kind of awkward. Needless to say, I wasn't very eager to go back.

However, the woman who runs the group is very nice. I actually like her a lot. So when she invited me back this week, I said yes. At 9:00 am I left my house, and it was raining. No big deal. But the further I drove, the more ridiculous the storm got. Rain was pouring so hard that I had a hard time seeing out of my front windshield. Three times I thought about pulling over and waiting out the storm. But for some goofy reason, I kept moving forward.

There was thunder and lightening and rain, but the end was in sight. According to my GPS, we were only 3 minutes from the church. Suddenly, I realized that I was driving on a flooded road. When I realized what was happening, I was in a puddle at least a foot deep. I kind of panicked and started driving faster. I was plowing through the enormous puddle, when my battery light lit up. AHHHHHHH! I thought my car was going to die, and we were going to be swept away in a flash flood. It was scary.

We made it to the church. THANK GOD. But I was very shaken up. And also very worried about my minivan. During the entire playgroup, I couldn't think about anything except for the fact that my battery could be dead by the time we left. I have no idea what happened, who I talked to, and if the kids had fun. An hour later I went out to my car with my fingers crossed, hoping and praying that my car would start. It did. And I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief.

I promptly drove home and remained indoors for the remainder of the day - where it was safe and dry.

Things

We went to the beach again this weekend. Completely and totally AWESOME. It is a great way to have fun with the kids on the weekends. And best of all, it is free! Well, not really, because the state of New Jersey makes you pay to go to the beach. Can you fucking believe that? It is only $18 for a beach tag (for the whole season) and kids are free, but it is the principle of the whole thing. Fuckers.
__________

I love cheesecake (mmmmm...). Unfortunately, I never get to eat cheesecake. Because I can't stop thinking about cheesecake (mmmmm...), I have decided to bake one. I am looking for a good eggless recipe. Any suggestions?
__________

I want to move. I know that it is a crazy, impractical dream. But I really want to move to a more rural area. I am sick of living so damn close to other people. I have been a city girl all my life, and frankly, I am a little sick of it.
__________

My husband's vacation is coming up. I am super excited. We aren't going anywhere special (because we are poor), but I have a busy week planned for us nonetheless.
__________

Remember my swollen gum from last week? Well, my orthodontist just scratched his head and told me to go to my regular dentist. Gee, thanks doc. You are so freaking helpful. I tried to make an appointment with my regular dentist, but the earliest I could get in was August! What the hell?
__________

I have declared Mondays to be "Baking Days." I make bread (I have been baking homemade bread for the past month!), muffins (for my husband's breakfast), and a delicious treat of some sort (perhaps Rum Pudding Cake this week?). I thought all this baking would be annoying, but honestly it feels good to be productive!
__________

Speaking of baking, I need to get started:) Peace out homies.

Summer of 2010 is an ASSHOLE

We paid off our credit cards, but somehow it feels like we have even less money than before. How is that possible? Well, all of these darn unexpected expenses keep popping up. I already told you about the broken camera and the tree falling over in our front yard. Yesterday we received another financial blow. Our mortgage company severely underestimated our escrow payments for the year. There is a shortage of nearly $900. Fuckity, fuck, FUCK!

I have to say, being credit card debt free is turning out to be a HUGE pain in the ass. All of this bad shit just keeps happening. And my husband has been Mr. Crabby McWhiny Pants about the whole situation, which really isn't helping matters. I guess I should be thanking my lucky stars that we don't have any additional credit card bills, because then we would be in serious trouble.

I know we are only 3 weeks into summer, but I am soooo ready for the Fall. It is a million degrees outside, my electric bill was over $200 this month, and bad shit keeps happening. Summer can fuck off.

Metal Mouth

I've been having some trouble with my fucking braces. Gah. My gum is really swollen around one of my molar brackets. I brush 3-5 times everyday. I floss. I use mouthwash. I just don't get it. How are my gums swollen? Thankfully I have another Ortho appointment this afternoon, so maybe the doctor figure out the problem.

Speaking of braces, I am already sick of this evil contraption. My mouth isn't adjusting very well to all the metal. Every week or two I have a new raw spot in my mouth. I go through tons of wax. TONS. I have probably accidentally eaten at least 20 pounds of wax over the last several months. Additionally, my teeth seem to always be sensitive. Most days it still hurts to eat something has simple as a sandwich. So during my 4th month of treatment, I am still primarily eating mushy foods. It sucks.

The real kicker is that I haven't noticed any changes in my teeth yet. Everything looks almost exactly the same. I did notice that one crooked tooth straightened out, but otherwise things look almost identical to my before pictures. I know it has only been four months, but seeing a little progress would make the whole situation easier to deal with.

In summary, braces suck. Learn to like your imperfect smile.

Sowing Seeds

I have been in a bad mood lately. I am blaming it on the heat. It was 102 degrees yesterday. You read that correctly - ONE HUNDRED TWO DEGREES. And today is supposed to be another scorcher. My central air is having trouble keeping up with the unbearable heat. Honestly, I am having trouble keeping up with the unbearable heat. I just want to lay on the couch, drink lemonade, and read a book. Why aren't my kids more accommodating?

Although I hate the summer because of the oppressive heat, I love growing vegetables in my little garden. It almost makes summer bearable. Almost. Here is a little perview of the veggies/herbs we will be harvesting over the next few months...

Thyme

Cilantro

watermelon

carrots

tomatoes

We also have onions, potatoes, eggplant, and sweet peas growing. YUM! I can't wait!

Beach Babies

We went to the beach yesterday...








And a good time was had by all:)

Independence Day!

Our city's firework display was held on Saturday night. We let the kids stay up late to watch the fireworks. I brought the camera, but suddenly it wouldn't let me take pictures. I thought the new camera my mom sent us was already broke. These were the only pictures I captured before the camera refused to work...
Do you like Porgie's spiffy new foam glasses? She thinks they are super awesome.

I got home and realized that the camera's batteries just needed to be charged. We also needed to delete some pictures from the memory card. Crisis averted - Thank Goodness!

Sunday was our city's annual 4th of July Parade. This is the first year we took the kids. As expected, they LOVED it.



After the parade, we got to play on the bouncy blow-up thingies. This was Porgie's favorite part of the day...



We had a fabulous holiday weekend. We hope you had one too:)