Wordful Wednesday- Family Pics

Momma had a wonderful plan for family pictures this year. Usually she packs up the family all dressed in their nice clothing and heads to the local mall for some sit down boring pictures that end up costing way too much money.

This year would be different.

A friend of hers recently started up her own photography business because....well...she is good at photography. Momma booked her session.

Our Christmas cards are going to be the envy of everyone we send them to.

People are going to wish they didnt go to the local mall and spend a fortune.

The setting would be a local park. The style would be casual. It was going to be perfect.

All was well until we arrived at the park and opened the door to let the kidlets free from their restraints (aka. seatbelts).

Notice anything?

How about this one?



Rowdy's eye puffed out and looked like he had been in a fight!!!! We have no idea how it happened. But in the 10 minute drive from home to the park I am thinking an evil fairy cursed my perfect family pictures event.

"Ha. She thinks that she is going to have the best Christmas cards ever! I will show her!"

"Not only will I make ones kid's eye puffy but I will also make the baby avoid looking at the camera as much as possible."

Sooo....my perfect picture session turned out to be a write off. But there is a happy ending.................

My dearest sweetest photographer friend invited me back to her house a week later and she retook the pictures that she couldnt fix.

We ended up getting some great ones.

To the evil fairy I say, "Na na na na na na"

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Person of the Week

Rowdy. Not his real name but it suits him perfectly.

Other names that would suit him are:

Spirited

Stubborn

Loud

Hyper

Aggressive

Loveable

Cuddly

Perfect

Rowdy is my middle child. My second boy.

Rowdy came into this world on his own terms.

Three days early on the day of his brother's second birthday party which we had to cancel in between contractions.

So fast that the nurses rushed to find us a room.

So fast that the nurses were not prepared as I told them I had to push.

They ran around getting stuff ready as they told me NOT to push. Yeah right.

So fast that the doctor wasn't in the room when he was born.

Since that day, Rowdy has lived life on his own terms whether we agree with him and the choices he makes or not.

He is a risk taker. I like to say he has no fear...which is a good thing...and a bad thing.

Rowdy overdosed after drinking a bottle of cough medicine at the age of 2. After spending the day in emerg and drinking charcoal, he was released.

He said he liked the way it tasted.

Rowdy likes to climb. The higher he goes the better.

Rowdy likes to wrestle. He doesn't know his own strength until others are in tears.

Rowdy is loud. All of the time. A "quiet voice"/"indoor voice" does not exist in his 4 1/2 year old body.

Rowdy is funny. Not just because he does silly things but because he is just funny. Comedic. He can get anyone around him laughing in just a few minutes. I dare you not to find the things he says funny. You just have to meet him first.

Rowdy is a junk food addict. I swear it is inherited from his father.....and mother......and grandfather.....and uncle......and grandmother...........

I say every house deserves a child like Rowdy. Your life will never be boring.

Photostory Friday- The Great White North

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I live in Canada.

My country has a reputation of being cold and snowy. We don't live in igloos. We don't spend our days ice fishing and cutting down trees to heat our homes. Well not all of us anyways.............

But we are living up to our reputation of being The Great White North. It isn't even "officially" winter yet but this is what it looks like outside my house.

Feel sorry for me????

Writing Assignment-I remember when

I remember when........I went on a plane for the first time.

It wasnt that long ago actually.

My first time was 8 years ago.

As a child, my family was not the kind of family to go on family vacations out of the country that we found so comfortable. It was just easier to pack up the car and two kids and take road trips. I am thinking this happened because my parents preferred to be close to home if we came down with a life threatening illness or needed some sort of emergency care. They loved us so much that the thought of us sick or hurt in another country made them freak out.

Or, they just didnt want to go through the trouble.

Either way I understand. Now that I have three little munchkins myself, the thought of packing for everyone, getting on a plane and sitting in a confined area with them for hours...without any way of getting away gives me the heebie jeebies. BUT, I vow to break the non-travelling cycle......eventually.

Anyways, back to my assignment.

I remember when I went on an airplane for the first time ever.

I was 26 years old.

It was for my honeymoon. We were going to Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

We left the morning after our wedding. After sleeping for less than 3 hours.

I dont recommend that to anyone.

In my mind I thought the plane ride would be fun. It was something new. People do it all of the time so it must be fabulous.

No.

I didnt enjoy it. I didnt enjoy being in a confined area so close to people I had never seen before in my life. I could smell their deodorant (if they were wearing it), I could smell their cologne/perfume. I could practically smell their morning breath. It WAS early in the morning and I am sure that most didnt bother to brush their teeth. Eww.....

Have I mentioned I didnt enjoy being in a confined area? I am claustrophobic. Being on a small plane with no means of escape confirmed this for me.

I also have "Safe Bathroom Syndrome". I am only comfortable when there is a bathroom closeby. A closet too small to even bend my knees while sitting down is not comfortable. I was terrified that during that 3 hour flight I would have to go to the bathroom.........lock the door and not be able to unlock it... OR, sit down to do my business and the door fling open on me. Luckily, I held it together and didnt use the closet during that flight. Phew.

We made it to Jamaica safely, thank goodness, but for the entire week I was trying to dream up ways on how to get home without getting on a plane. Drive. Not possible. Boat. It would take too long. Submarine. I am claustrophobic. Magic. No fairies with magic wands nearby. There was no escape.

Momma had to be brave.

I wish I thought of the perfect plan then.

Move to Jamaica. Perfect.


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Wordful Wednesday-Discipline

My oldest is almost 7.

My oldest is in grade 1.

My oldest has developed some terrible habits.

*bad language

*attitude

*bad temper

*selective listening (listening when he feels like it and not listening MOST of the time)

The list goes on.

My evening last night went like this.

After using terrible language, copping an attitude and refusing to listen to his dear, kind mother, my oldest was sent to his room for the night.

"I hate you" was said to me many times. Socks were thrown in my direction. Alot of tears were shed. Then I was offered $20.

"Mom, I will give you $20 if you let me out of my room"

I admit, I thought about it for a second. The funds are kinda low with Christmas coming.....but I refused.

Then these were thrown down the stairs.

Translation ("Please can I come down")

Ohhhhh....if life was that easy.....................

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Person of the Week

My oldest. My first born.

Introducing Messy aka Boy #1

Some interesting facts about my boy.

He was born 5 days late.

He screamed for 3+ hours straight after entering this world. Then stopped for a few minutes. Then screamed the entire first night until a nurse finally took him for a bit so mommy could get some sleep.

He screamed EVERY night for the first 3 months. We dreaded 830pm until 1130pm.

He loved his "nummy" (pacifier). So much so that he refused to give it up until he was over 3 years old.

He also had a blankie. His favourite thing until 3+ years old.

He refused to sleep in his big boy bed for almost a year, preferring to sleep on his bedroom floor at the door instead.

He went through a phase of being addicted to vacuums. He had toy vacuums but they were never as exciting as playing with the real thing. We would get ours out and he would be occupied for hours. Then when he would go to my parents, they would take their central vac with the fancy hose out and he would vacuum their carpets for them. We even used to look through the advertisements and rip out the pages of the vacuums that were on sale. He would sit on the couch and "read" all about them. I even saved some.........

Messy is...well....messy. Taking his toys out, spreading them out everywhere and then walking away is a favourite pastime of his. I have cursed many times after stepping on Lego!

Favourite foods-pizza (cheese only please), grilled cheese with apple on it, poutine,apple juice,peanut butter cups,popcorn,sausages. As you can see, he is into healthy food.............

Favourite things to say-"Shut up", "Shut it", "Stupid moron", "I hate you" Such a polite boy he is.

Favourite things to do-video games, computer games, wrestle, Lego, crafts. My brain is empty when it comes to thinking up new craft ideas for this kid. I am sure he dreams about stuff to make in his sleep.

Aside from the healthy polite boy that he is, I wouldn't want him to change at all. He tells me he loves me, hugs and kisses me even though it is starting to get "uncool". He still likes to spend time with his mom and dad and gets upset when we are too busy to sit down and do crafts or play Lego. He lays in bed with mom and watches Survivor.....and is actually interested in it.

Those long nights of pacing with my colicky baby were worth every second.

Photostory Friday- The life of a dog

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I have often daydreamed about how my life would be if I were a dog.

What breed would I be? Something good looking of course

Would I be in shape or overweight? Other dogs would wish they were me

Where would I do my business? In a private corner in my beautifully flowered yard out of the way so I could have some alone time.

Would I find a brand new loaf of bread on the counter, get up on my hind legs and grab it with my pearly white teeth, pull it down and eat it until my human mom found me?





Yeah...probably. Dog food gets kinda boring. A change is good once in awhile.

Friends and Enemies

Write a light hearted piece on how to get along with an enemy.

-Do not write your enemy a letter telling them that the only reason people liked them is because they were "easy"

-Do not give your enemy a chocolate bar that is really Ex Lax wrapped in a candy wrapper

-Do not pee in your enemy's beer bottle

-Do not prank phone call your enemy telling them that they are fired from their low paying job

-Do not egg your enemy's house/car on Halloween or any other time of the year

-Do not laugh because your enemy has gained 100lbs in 6 months

-Do not tell everyone you know that your enemy's husband cheated.....with a goat....even if it is true

-Do not post about your enemy and how wacko he/she is on your blog

-If you do post about said enemy, DO NOT print that post and mail it to them....and everyone they know

-Do not wave at your enemy as you drive through a HUGE puddle right beside him/her and their broken down vehicle

-Do not dress up as your enemy for Halloween

-Do not attend the same Halloween party as your enemy while dressed up as him/her

I havent done any of these things....really.

Wordful Wednesday- Autumn Sunset

The view from our family room.

When I looked out the window and saw this, I immediately grabbed my camera and headed outside for some pics...and stayed out until the sun had completely set for the night.

I am so glad I did.

8

......there was a (beautiful, smart) little girl who moved to a new town and started a new school in the middle of the school year. She was very upset about this but put on her big girl Strawberry Shortcake panties and rubber boots and made her way into her new school.

She met her classmates, including a boy with a bowl haircut. He seemed nice but boys were still yucky and she was much more interested in being friends with the girl with the pretty long hair.

As she got older and met more friends, the boy with the bowl haircut was always there. Nice. Cute. Friendly. They were occasionally in the same class and always got along well, even competing with eachother for better grades. Nerdy, I know. Then they started talking on the phone. He started driving her to and from school. He was even the first person to teach her how to drive. Brave kid. But they were friends. Best friends.

Then when they were both in college and had parted ways, she realized something. She liked him. She missed him. Maybe the friendship thing was a stepping stone to something stronger.

It was.

8 years ago today they were married and are living happily ever after.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Momma (Busy) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An interview with Studley

Some Studley info.

9 year old black lab.

90lbs.

Best dog ever!

Momma: Studley, would you mind if I asked you a few questions?

Studley: Yawn

M: Why do you always run away when I let you outside to go to the bathroom?

S: Because it's fun.

M: Isn't it fun living at our house?

S: Most of the time, but I enjoy peeing and pooping on the neighbours lawns and smelling the other dog's bums. Fun times.

M: But I feed you. Cuddle you. Give you treats.

S: Yeah, but you don't let me smell your bum.

M: Ok, point taken. What is your favourite thing to do?

S: Besides running away and smelling other dog's bums, I like to eat and sleep.

M: Why do you always steal food off of the table and counter?

S: Duh. Why wouldnt I? Why do you guys leave it there?

M: What was your favourite food that you ate off the counter?

S: It has happened so many times, I forget. The raw chicken breasts. The loaves of bread. The platter of Christmas cookies. The plate of cupcakes. Mmmmmmm..........................

M: Do you like the new bed(s) we bought for you?

S: Yeah, but I would really enjoy a matching pillow to go with them.

M: Hahahaha. Funny dog you are.

S: Thanks. I try.

M: Why do you always lick your privates?

S: Because I can.

M: Do you know that you snore really loudly?

S: It doesn't bother me at all and if you were sleeping it shouldnt bother you at all.

M: You woke me up!

S: Sucks to be you.

M: What are you dreaming about when you kick and moan in your sleep?

S: That's private. Let a poor guy have some privacy. It's bad enough that I deal with 3 children poking and climbing on me all day. Can't I have some "me time". Geesh.

M: Sorry. Do you know that we all cuddle you because we love you so much?

S: Yes...and you should. I am a great dog. You couldnt live without me. I know. I will bless you with my presence for a few more years.....or until I find somewhere better.

M: Thanks.

S: Roof.

Person of the Week

The first person is my dearest, greatest grandfather. Why you ask? Because it is his birthday today, that's why!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Besides the obvious, that he is adorable and enjoys cutting the grass, there are many reasons that he is at the top of my list for greatest, most inspirational people.

1. He married my equally fabulous grandmother.
2. He helped create my wonderful mother.
3. He ran a successful dairy farm.
4. He still runs his own company....at 79 years old.
5. He still thinks of Sunday as a "day of rest".
6. He created my mother, who then created moi!
7. He enjoys his family and having 20+ people take over his home every holiday.
8. He likes to eat..ALOT. No matter how horrible he is feeling, his plate is always full of food. I like that in a man.
9. He isn't too tough to show his love and appreciation. I also love that in a man. It is rare.
10. He knows how to run big machinery-bulldozers, loaders, excavators. You name it. He is an expert and a hero to my machinery-loving sons and hubby.
11. He is a hard worker. That is an understatement and anyone who knows him will agree.
12. He has been married for 50+ years.
13. He still loves my grandma.
14. He is known by many in his community, including the local hospital who know him by his first name. A good thing and a bad thing.
15. He goes to church every Sunday.
16. He came to our new house for Thanksgiving, even though he felt horrible. That says alot.
17. Even if there weren't 16+ reasons, it wouldn't matter. He is my grandpa. I love him unconditionally and can't wait to see what kind of life he has in the next 79 years.

Happy Birthday Big Guy!

Love your oldest (and most favourit-est) granddaughter.
xo

Drool

Hi there. My name is Princess. I am 6 1/2 months old. I know, I look older..everyone tells my mommy and daddy that, but I am not. I am a big girl. 19.3 pounds to be exact but I like to say it is all muscle.

My life is very exciting. I have learned to sit up all by myself but still need someone close by just in case I tip over. I am almost crawling but mommy is hoping that it doesnt happen soon. Then she is in trouble. Her life is so easy right now. She just plops me down on the floor and I dont get very far. But, just wait. Soon, I will be checking out the furniture and all those pretty plants she has around the house.

I have two teeth and look so darn cute when I smile.

I drool. Alot. So what. It's ok that I soak 2-3 outfits every day and go through 3-4 bibs. It's ok. I AM a baby. Baby's drool.

Mom and dad still love me. I am still cute.

I like to eat. There isnt anything that I don't like...yet. I prefer fruit but will take whatever they give me.

Apparently I am a chatterbox. I like to talk. "Baa Baa", "Dada" and "Mama" are my favourite things to say. They better get used to it though. I am a girl after all....and girls talk alot. They are so used to having boys around and all they do is grunt and groan, yell and scream. It is different for them to have someone around who actually enjoys conversing in a civil manner. They better get used to it.

I like tags. Mommy went and spent $$ to buy me my own special tag blanket. It is my favourite thing to play with. Oh yeah, I also like my giraffe toy. Chewing on it's legs makes my mouth feel better and makes me drool more. Fun!

I have finally realized that I enjoy sleeping at night. I still like to cuddle once a night every once in awhile but for the most part, I sleep through until morning. Mommy seems much happier lately. I am glad I could help her out with that.

I am loved. My big brothers like to hug and kiss me. They even pick me up when Mommy isnt looking but it's ok. I know they are trying to be gentle even when their arms are around my neck and they are swinging me back and forth. I know they mean well.

My family is pretty darn lucky to have me around. I think they couldnt live without me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She is right.

The Little Things

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

The weather has been beautiful. We took advantage of this last blast of the summer we never really had and spent some time outdoors.


I recommend it to everyone.

Get some sunshine...some fresh air...just have fun and dont worry about the million things that have to be done. My kitchen was a mess. The laundry needed to be started. I had no idea what to make for dinner. But we went outside. We had fun. I have the pictures to prove it. You wouldnt think I would do fun things without my camera around would you?

This is what we did. Momma raked leaves forever while her younger boy supervised by sitting beside the tree telling her where to go next.

When the older boy arrived home from school, they jumped in the big pile. It was ok though. That is why Momma raked the HUGE pile of leaves anyways. She wouldnt do it just because she felt like it......

Then the boys decided to climb the willow tree. Messy took one step up and that was the end of his expedition. He is deathly afraid of heights, so if he is off of the ground, he is terrified.

Rowdy isnt.

Then Monkey Boy decided to swing from the branches. Didnt work. He fell flat on the ground as each branch collapsed to the ground with him. We hid the branches so daddy cant find them. Shhhh......



Our perfect afternoon ended with some time in the sandbox. We built a car wash for machines. Rowdy bossed us around and took our machines. Messy stepped on our car wash. End of afternoon.

Sugar High

It has been less than a week since trick or treating but it feels like our house has been full of miniature chocolate bars, bags of (boring) plain chips and Hubb@ Bubb@ gum for months.

Who came up with the crazy idea that young (already hyper) children should go get as much candy as they possibly can in a short period of time?

Did they not have children of their own?

Were their children calm and lazy and they needed a way to get them off of the couch and full of energy?

My kids dont need the extra energy. They have plenty of it and even have some stored in their pockets and behind their ears. Eating MANY chocolate bars, gummy burgers and hot dogs and even biting (not sucking) the odd lollipop only adds to my misery.

Not only do I have hyper kids, but I have EXTREMELY hyper kids full of sugar, with rotten teeth, sore tummies and wrappers thrown all over my house. AND, to make matters worse, the sugary treats are in full sight so I feel I must taste test them to make sure that they are safe for my darling children. Some havent been safe and had to be thrown into the garbage also known as Momma's tummy but most has been ok.

I learned when to pick my battles many eons ago and I fought this one for just a short period of time....and lost.

Treats-1 Momma-0

My kids had treats for breakfast, snack and an after lunch snack. Momma too.

At this very moment Rowdy is pretending he is Murphy the dog (?) and barking and pawing my leg.

Note to self. Hide candy.

Signs I am not aging

Ok, I admit it. I get a little frazzled when I read about aging, especially as I get closer to my mid-thirties instead of my early thirties. I don't FEEL like I am getting older until I read about all of the special products I should be buying, tests I should be getting done and surgeries available to keep me young. Then I realize that I am no longer a high school student....I am a full fledged adult *gasp*!

It does not feel like I was a high school student 15 years ago. I still see people I went to school with and am amazed to see how much they have changed and how many kids they have. How could that happen? I just saw them in school.

So I did some thinking.

I may be "almost mid thirties" but there are many signs that I am not getting older.

I still listen to cool music. I havent hit that point where the new stuff played on the radio is too funky for my almost senior ears. I know the words to most Coldplay songs and even get my funk on when I hear the newest Rihanna song. I may drive a minivan but it doesnt stop me from grooving behind the wheel.

I am still able to pluck my gray hairs. When I see the glistening strands among my dark brown hair, I head to the nearest mirror to get rid of the suckers. I dread the day when I have to actually dye my hair to cover them all or I will just go bald after spending hours plucking them.

I still believe that children are meant to be heard AND seen. My late grandfather believed that children were meant to be seen and not heard. Perfect behaviour was expected at all times and if his kids misbehaved, look out. I expect my kids to be respectful of others at all times but I understand they will misbehave and that they will learn from these times.........hopefully.

I still shop at trendy stores. Ok, not the trendiest stores but I havent hit the point where I buy flowery pastel coloured sweatshirts and matching comfy elasticized waist pants.

I like junk food. I don't eat high fibre cereals and only drink pomegranate juice because my doctor said it will slow down the aging process. I eat chocolate. I love chocolate damn it. If I could bathe in it, I would.

I don't spend hundreds of dollars on moisturizing creams because the ad says it will reduce wrinkles and age spots. I spend $7 and it lasts a few months thank you very much.

I know who all of the "in" celebrities are right now. I do plenty of research reading my gossip magazines so I can keep up with all of the young folk. I am not addicted to those awful magazines....really...........

I still remember my first day of kindergarten. Not because it was so traumatic that I screamed and cried until my mother finally drove me to school, but because it wasnt that long ago. 25+ years ago isnt a long time.

I wear Uggs...you know....those big fuzzy boots that all of the "cool" people wear. Ok, they arent actual Uggs but they look like them so that makes me cool too right?

C'mon 40's. I can handle you. You dont scare me.......that much.

Dear Hospital BigWigs

I am writing this letter to offer a few ideas that I feel would be beneficial to your hospital as well as the community that you serve. Please take a few moments out of your busy schedule saving people's lives and delivering babies to read this as I feel you will not be disappointed.

As a member of the community and a mother of three young children, including two very active rambunctious boys I have been putting alot of thought into ways that young families can get the medical help they require on a regular basis.

Firstly, I have done some research and my data shows that the majority of your emergency room visitors are young parents with sick and/or injured children. These busy young parents who have 1, 2, 3 or more children to care for are spending hours and hours waiting in your emergency rooms while dealing with their sick and/or injured children as well as their siblings. This in turn has caused these parents to require extra medical care as they eventually require some psychological care.....creating more spending in the health care system that could be put to better use.

Secondly, your very skilled, busy doctors and nurses are spending more of their time dealing with very frustrated, tired and psychologically fragile parents because of these long wait times when they could be putting their skills to good use doing more paperwork and flirting with eachother.

Thirdly, my research has shown that the majority of your emergency room patients are young boys. Either as a result of accidents around the home or wrestling with their male sibling(s). There are endless possibilities to the injuries young boys come in with as they are very energetic and dont always have the proper outlets to wear off their energy, thus causing injuries. For example, just the other night, Halloween to be exact, I was dressing my daughter in her costume on our upper floor while my two boys waited downstairs to go trick or treating. In the 30 seconds that they were out of my sight, they decided to wrestle. After hearing a loud thump, I ran downstairs to find my oldest boy crawling up the stairs crying. When I bent down to see if he was ok, he blacked out and fell down those same stairs. It only took 30 seconds.

As a concerned citizen, I feel I have come up with the perfect solution. My solution is to build a small wing off to the side of the emergency room area strictly for young families who have 2+ boys. In this wing, there would be highly trained nurses and MANY skilled doctors waiting for the next male-related injury to arrive. In this area, there would be murals on the walls full of Superheroes and motor vehicles. There would also be exciting boy toys to keep them occupied while they waited. At the entrance to this wing there would be a swiper machine where parents would swipe their membership cards with all relevant information about their boy(s) and previous history of their past visits. That way you would not need triage nurses to ask a million questions before making the families wait 6 hours.

The wait time would be short because the doctors and nurses would be trained in non-flirting methods and there would be so many waiting and eager to treat the injured patients that they would practically argue over who gets the boy with the broken arm or who gets the boy who needs stitches.

Parents would not complain or ask for the gazillionth time how much longer it would be, so your skilled professionals wouldnt have to spend time and taxpayers money dealing with them.

Also, in this wing, there would be a childcare room with the best toys EVER so the siblings of these sick and/or injured boys would not have to sit on their parents knee or wander the halls while waiting the short wait time. They could spend that 1/2 hour playing with toys they have never seen and meeting new friends.

And, lastly, the province would save millions of dollars because these young parents would not require any psychological help to get them through the sick child-regular hospital visit phase of their life.

Sincerely,

Momma

Mother of the Year

So yesterday was Halloween and the boy's school was putting on a parade so the primary students could show off their costumes to the other kids and the proud camera-toting parents. Being the wonderful mother that I am, I packed up my camera and third born child (who should have been napping) and headed to the school to see my little Batman and Star Wars dude.

I anxiously awaited making sure my camera was ready to capture those few moments of my big boys walking outside with their friends. I lost points because I didnt put the effort into dressing up as some other parents did. Sumo wrestlers. Mummies. Witches. Dirty construction workers....oh wait....maybe they all werent costumes. I just went as a jean and sweatshirt wearing, stroller pushing photographer.

Then the moment came.

Rowdy's class was first.

Click click click went my camera.

I waved. Blew kisses. Told him how great he looked and then waited for Messy's class.

Here they come.



Click click click went my camera. I waited anxiously for him to get closer so I could wave and blow kisses and tell him how fabulous he looked.

Then he got closer and I realized something.



That's right my friends. I was click click clicking away taking pictures of someone else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I realized that it wasnt MY kid, I quickly did a look around to find my Star Wars dude standing right in front of me!




Mother of the Year award goes to me!